cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pyroelectric Coefficient Optimization Through Grain Size Control in (Ba, Sr)TiO3 Thin Films

Thin Ba0.2Sr0.8TiO3 films were pulsed laser deposited at laser pulse repetition rates of 1, 5 and 20 Hz in order to assess the effect of grain size on pyroelectric properties. Scanning electron microscopy reveals an increase in columnar grain size with decreasing laser pulse rate, as expected. Substrate bending measurements show an increase in tensile stress with increasing grain size, suggesting some form of stress relaxation has occurred. X-ray diffraction studies reveal all films to be epitaxial and oriented, while Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy finds no significant differences in film composition. The films grown at 5 and 20 Hz display a suppressed dielectric permittivity as a function of temperature, while the film deposited at 1 Hz displays an unusually sharp and large dielectric permittivity peak. A variation on current theory concerning phase transitions of stressed ferroelectric thin films is proposed to explain these results.
Ultrasonic Extraction with Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Determination of Ochratoxin A in Processed Cereal Products

A rapid, simple, and reliable method using ultra-performance LC/MS/MS (UPLC/MS/MS) was developed for determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in processed cereal products. OTA was ultrasonically extracted from the sample with acetonitrile-water (80 + 20, v/v), and the extract was then injected into the UPLC/MS/MS system after filtration. The calibration curves had good linearity with coefficients of determination greater than 0.999. Recoveries of OTA were in the range of 90-104%. LOD and LOQ of OTA in samples were 0.6 and 2.0 ng/g, respectively, and no significant matrix effect was found. This method was applied to determine OTA in 25 oat-based cereal samples. OTA was detected in five samples (20%) in the range of 2.4 to 7.3 ng/g.
The Investiogation of a case of Mumps Fulminant Epidemic

Objective To Analyze the epidemiological characteristic and the cause of Mumps fulminant epidemic,and provide some reference for prevention in future. Methods Analyzed the data of Mumps fulminant epidemic by descriptive epidemiology. Results The first case was found on 12th May 2007. Until 19th June,43 cases were found,incidence rate was 6.23% (43/690). The epdemic curve presented double peaks and the cases gathered together in classes. 93.03% cases hadn’t Mumps vaccine immunity history. Through emergent vaccination,the epidemic was controled effectively. Conclusion The delayed report of the epidemic,no strict isolation,the low coverage of vaccine vaccination and accumulation of the easy infected crowd were primary causes of the Mumps epidemic. Enhancing vaccination coverage is the main measure of preventing Mumps epidemic.
Repeated confidence intervals and prediction intervals using stochastic curtailment under fractional Brownian motion

ABSTRACTRepeated confidence intervals (RCIs) and prediction intervals (PIs) can be used for the design and monitoring of group sequential trials. Stochastically curtailed tests (SCTs) under fractional Brownian motion (FBM) have been studied for the interim analysis of clinical trials (Zhang et al., 2015). In this article, we derive RCIs and PIs based on SCTs under FBM for one-sided derived tests (Jennison and Turnbull, 2000). Comparisons of RCI width and sample size requirement are made to those under Brownian motion (BM) and to those of Pocock and O'Brien-Fleming design types for various type I, type II error rates, and number of interim analyses. Interim data from Beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial are used to illustrate how to design and monitor clinical trials using these RCIs and PIs under FBM. Results show that these one-sided derived tests based on SCTs have narrower final confidence intervals and require smaller sample sizes than those using classical group sequential designs. The Hurst parameter has...
QoX: quality of service and consumption in the cloud

Cloud services today are increasingly built using functionality from other running services. In this paper, we question whether legacy Quality of Services (QoS) metrics and enforcement techniques are sufficient as they are producer centric. We argue that, similar to customer rating systems found in banking systems and many sharing economy apps (e.g., Uber and Airbnb), Quality of Consumption (QoC) should be introduced to capture different metrics about service consumers. We show how the combination of QoS and QoC, dubbed QoX, can be used by consumers and providers to improve the security and management of their infrastructure. In addition, we demonstrate how sharing information among other consumers and providers increase the value of QoX. To address the main challenge with sharing information, namely sybil attacks and mis-information, we describe how we can leverage cloud providers as vouching authorities to ensure the integrity of information. We explore the motivations, challenges, and potentials to introduce such a framework in the cloud environment.
Telerheumatology: A technology appropriate for virtually all

Abstract Background/purpose Telerheumatology services were developed at Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) to bring specialty care to New Hampshire (NH) and Vermont (VT) where a large proportion of the population lives in rural areas (60%) with limited resources and access to care. We sought to learn what challenges and accomplishments our early telemedicine program has encountered since inception. Methods As part of a quality improvement initiative we performed an IRB-exempt retrospective review of patients seen in the telerheumatology clinic at DHMC from October 2011 to December 2014. We also interviewed the participants; including providers, presenters, and patients regarding their experience of care. We assessed both patient and provider satisfaction with the experience. Results Between October 2011 and December 2014, 176 patients were seen via telerheumatology between two clinical sites over the course of 244 telerheumatology patient visits. The top diagnosis for patients during the telerheumatology visits was inflammatory arthritis ( n = 156, 63.9%). We found 19% of patients to be inappropriate for the visit type for the following two main reasons: the underlying diagnosis was unclear or the disease was too complex. Conclusion The use of telerheumatology has successfully increased access to specialty care in rural regions of NH and VT with good patient and provider satisfaction. While telerheumatology improved the access to specialty care, consideration should be given to selecting the appropriate patient for this visit type given that 19% of patients were deemed inappropriate. We propose a triage mechanism to ensure that patients are appropriately paired to the proper visit type in the future.
Single-input multiple-output synchronous DC-DC buck converter

This paper proposes a new single-input three-output DC-DC buck converter. The proposed topology has two less switching devices than that of a conventional converter. This reduction in switching devices results in lower cost and a more even distribution of power losses among the switching devices. A comprehensive small signal Modeling and control strategies for the proposed converter will be presented. Simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the theoretical expectations. The simulation is performed using PSIM, and the laboratory experiment is performed with a proof of concept prototype.
Genome-wide detection of genetic loci associated with soybean aphid resistance in soybean germplasm PI 603712

Soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) has become one of the major pests of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in North America since 2000. At least four biotypes of soybean aphid have been confirmed in the United States. Genetic characterization of new sources of soybean aphid resistance will facilitate the expansion of soybean gene pool for soybean aphid resistance and thus will help to develop soybean aphid resistant cultivars. To characterize the genetic basis of soybean aphid resistance in PI 603712, a newly identified resistant germplasm line, 142 F2 plants derived from the cross ‘Roberts’ × PI 603712 and their parents were evaluated for soybean aphid resistance in the greenhouse, and were genotyped with BARCSoySNP6K Illumina Infinium II BeadChip. A genome-wide molecular linkage map was constructed with 1495 polymorphic SNP markers. QTL analysis revealed that PI 603712 possessed two major loci associated with soybean aphid resistance, located on chromosome 7 and 16, respectively. The locus on chromosome 7 was dominantly expressed and positioned about one Mega-base-pair distant from the previously identified resistance locus Rag1. The locus on chromosome 16 was positioned near the previously identified resistance locus Rag3 and expressed partially dominance or additive effect. Interestingly, two minor loci were also detected on chromosomes 13 and 17 but the alleles from PI 603712 decreased the resistance. In developing soybean aphid resistant cultivars through marker-assisted selection, an appropriate combination of resistance loci should be selected when PI 603712 is used as a donor parent of resistance.
Paul Klee’s illness – a series of historical and clinical vignettes

Paul Klee (1879-1940) is undoubtedly the most notable historical figure to have suffered from systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). In this, the first in a series of vignettes on Klee's illness, I will...
Properties of Natural Fibers Separated from Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha

This paper reports the possibility of separating natural fibers from two invasive alien plants Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha. These two are considered as high-risk species on the basis ...
Energy storage management for MVDC power system of all electric ship under different load conditions

Considering the issues of high electric power demand of various loads including propulsion load and pulsed load, energy storage system has become a vital part of the electric shipboard. In order to meet the transient and steady power demand of the medium voltage direct current (MVDC) power system of the all electric ship (AES), a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) consisting of a battery as high energy density storage and a supercapacitor as high power density storage is used to support the MVDC power system of the AES. In this paper, a Fuzzy Logic (FL) controller based energy storage management (ESM) system is designed which manages energy storages under different loading conditions. For maintaining the AES's bus voltage within the limit and keeping pace with the load power demand, the ESM system provides reference power for controlling the operations of the energy storages. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the energy storages and load management program, a 12kV MVDC power system of AES is designed with gas turbine based generators, modular multilevel converters (MMC), propulsion systems, service loads, pulsed load, energy storages (battery and supercapacitor), and dual active bridge (DAB) converters in SimPowerSystem. Simulation results are provided to show that the operation of the energy storages. FL control can perform effectively even with variation in the load demand.
A Technical Guide to Using Amazon's Mechanical Turk in Behavioral Accounting Research

ABSTRACT: Multiple social science researchers claim that online data collection, mainly via Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk), has revolutionized the behavioral sciences (Gureckis et al. 2016; Litman, Robinson, and Abberbock 2017). While MTurk-based research has grown exponentially in recent years (Chandler and Shapiro 2016), reasonable concerns have been raised about online research participants' ability to proxy for traditional research participants (Chandler, Mueller, and Paolacci 2014). This paper reviews recent MTurk research and provides further guidance for recruiting samples of MTurk participants from populations of interest to behavioral accounting researchers. First, we provide guidance on the logistics of using MTurk and discuss the potential benefits offered by TurkPrime, a third-party service provider. Second, we discuss ways to overcome challenges related to targeted participant recruiting in an online environment. Finally, we offer suggestions for disclosures that authors may provide about t...
CCPG1 is a noncanonical autophagy cargo receptor essential for reticulophagy and pancreatic ER proteostasis

Reticulophagy is the conserved macroautophagic/autophagic degradation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in response to ER stress or general nutrient deprivation. Sequestration of the ER by phagophores plays an important role in regulating ER size and homeostasis. In their recent work, Smith et al. have discovered that the ER-localized protein CCPG1 is a novel mammalian reticulophagy receptor that interacts with core autophagy machinery components-LC3, GABARAP and RB1CC1-and regulates reticulophagy.
Social engineering of the Internet in developing areas

Communication among researchers is fundamental to the development of knowledge in both developed and developing areas. Internet connectivity is now a precondition for participation in research communication. Establishing reliable and efficient connectivity at reasonable bandwidth is a task that is assumed to be relatively easy and straightforward in developed countries, but is surprisingly difficult in developing areas. Our project has sought to establish connectivity for university departments and government research institutes in India, Ghana, and Kenya but has yet to experience an unqualified ‘success’ for a variety of institutional and relational reasons. The concept of ‘reagency’ is used in preference to ‘development’ to explain the priority of personal relations introducing significant constraints that must be faced directly to establish connectivity in developing areas.
24 – Genital Herpes

As with many other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), genital herpes infections affect women disproportionately in several ways. First, the infection is more prevalent among women, regardless of the level of sexual activity. Second, the disease tends to be more clinically severe among women, who are more likely to develop systemic illness and neurologic complications during the initial infection. Finally, due to the threat of potential complications during pregnancy and infection of the neonate, women are more affected by the consequences of genital herpes. For pregnant women with genital herpes infections, the fear of transmitting the infection to their newborn is a major concern. Infection of the newborn with HSV (herpes simplex virus) is a rare but devastating disease. The incidence of neonatal herpes varies geographically, with the Pacific Northwest and Scandinavian countries appearing to have the highest rates in the world. Universal immunization with an effective vaccine against HSV-2 infection, delivered in infancy, is likely to be the most effective strategy for control of genital herpes. Such strategy has proven effective against the chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Unfortunately, an effective vaccine appears unlikely in the next few years. A vaccine for genital herpes has been of interest for many decades, and several candidate vaccines have been tested. Promising results have been obtained with the recombinant glycoproteins D and B preparation.
We're Scared to Death: Does Class Certification Subject Defendants to Blackmail?

This Article discusses the thesis that, by certifying class actions, trial judges subject defendants to so much pressure to settle that defendants are effectively blackmailed. Prominent federal judges including Frank Easterbrook, Henry Friendly, Richard Posner, and Jerry Smith have endorsed this proposition, which is drawn from a famous law review article by Professor Milton Handler. The Article starts by examining the blackmail thesis in detail. A close reading reveals four different versions of the thesis, some of which are factually or normatively incompatible with others. The proponents of the thesis have missed these important differences. The Article then assesses the soundness of the empirical and normative claims made in each version of the thesis. No version survives scrutiny. All use an analogy to blackmail that is faulty and unhelpful. All make factual assertions of questionable or unproven validity, such as the claim that class actions always settle or that risk aversion drives the decision to settle on the defense side. All also employ normative theories of settlement bargaining that are undeveloped, defective, and unpersuasive.
Functional Gallbladder Disorder

Functional gallbladder disorder refers to biliary-like pain in the absence of structural disease. It is a controversial condition and has many aliases including acalculous biliary disease, acalculous gallbladder dysfunction, biliary dyskinesia, chronic acalculous gallbladder dysfunction, and gallbladder dyskinesia. The multitude of names is likely a direct reflection of the difficulty defining this disorder and understanding its pathogenesis. In fact, there is not a specific ICD-9 code for functional gallbladder disorder. Despite these difficulties, this constellation of symptoms is very relevant as it is frequently encountered in medical and surgical practices. The Rome committee has attempted to standardize the definition of biliary pain and criteria for the diagnosis of functional gallbladder disorder; however, due to significant overlap with other functional gastrointestinal disorders, continued confusion persists.
Environment, Urbanization, and Public Health: The Bubonic Plague Epidemic of 1912 in San Juan, Puerto Rico

In this article I focus on the nexus of urbanization, the environment and public health that was exposed by the 1912 bubonic plague epidemic in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I utilize the concept of “urban health penalty,” developed by demographic historians of the industrial revolution in Europe, to account for the declining health of the working class in cities. While in Europe poor health among the urban poor was associated with industrialization, I argue that in San Juan chaotic, unplanned urbanization reflected the effects of colonialism. I further examine how the epidemic exacerbated the class and racial divisions that contributed to the disastrous living conditions, and speculate as to whether the environmental neglect of the neighborhood by authorities was due to the fact that it was home to many poor people of African descent. I also highlight the varying understandings of the causes and appropriate responses to plague. En este articulo me centro en el nexo de la urbanizacion, el medio ambiente y la salud publica que fue expuesto por la epidemia de peste bubonica de 1912 en San Juan, Puerto Rico. Utilizo el concepto de “urban health penalty” desarrollado por los historiadores demograficos de la revolucion industrial en Europa, para explicar la disminucion de la salud de la clase trabajadora en las ciudades. Mientras que en Europa la mala salud de los pobres urbanos estaba asociada con la industrializacion, sostengo que en San Juan la urbanizacion caotica y no planeada reflejaba los efectos del colonialismo. Examino ademas como la epidemia exacerbo las divisiones de clase y raza que contribuyeron a las desastrosas condiciones de vida y pregunto si la negligencia ambiental del vecindario por parte de las autoridades se debia al hecho de que era el hogar de muchos pobres de ascendencia africana. Tambien resalto los diversos entendimientos de las causas y las respuestas apropiadas a la peste.
Sulfur-dependent microbial lifestyles: deceptively flexible roles for biochemically versatile enzymes.

Abstract A wide group of microbes are able to “make a living” on Earth by basing their energetic metabolism on inorganic sulfur compounds. Because of their range of stable redox states, sulfur and inorganic sulfur compounds can be utilized as either oxidants or reductants in a diverse array of energy-conserving reactions. In this review the major enzymes and basic chemistry of sulfur-based respiration and chemolithotrophy are outlined. The reversibility and versatility of these enzymes, however, means that they can often be used in multiple ways, and several cases are discussed in which enzymes which are considered to be hallmarks of a particular respiratory or lithotrophic process have been found to be used in other, often opposing, metabolic processes. These results emphasize the importance of taking into account the geochemistry, biochemistry and microbiology of an organism and/or environment when trying to interpret the function of a particular sulfur-dependent redox enzyme.
Theoretical investigation of the record 7Li-NMR chemical shift in new sandwich-like aggregates of corannulene

The first comprehensive theoretical analysis of recently synthesized sandwich-like aggregates of highly reduced corannulene, in which two bowl-shaped fragments are bound together by six metal cations (here, alkali metals Li and K), was accomplished and allowed one to unambiguously assign the nature of the new record 7Li-NMR chemical shift of ~ − 25 ppm, experimentally observed in these systems. This record chemical shift corresponds to the central Li+ sandwiched between two 5-membered rings of tetra-reduced corannulene (Li-1). For comparison, the chemical shielding tensor was also considered for the neighboring lithium center, which occupies position between two 6-membered rings of [(C20H104−)(Li3K3)6+(C20H104−)]2− (Li-2). The chemical shift for this cation was calculated to be equal to ~ − 8 to 9 ppm and lies within a standard window of the 7Li-NMR technique. A significant anisotropy of the shielding tensor in zz-direction was found for both Li-1 and Li-2 centers. Subsequent MO-by-MO analysis revealed the contribution from π-orbitals of corannulenes to be the main reason for the difference between chemical shifts calculated for these lithium centers. Further detailed analysis of molecular orbitals revealed that the bowl fragments in sandwich-like aggregates of highly reduced corannulene are strongly electronically coupled. Moreover, the 7Li-NMR signal measured for the Li-1 center can now naturally be used as the very sensitive probe of the strength of such coupling.
Newly Developed Methods for Reducing Motion Artifacts in Pediatric Abdominal MRI: Tips and Pearls

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review established and emerging methods for reducing motion artifacts in pediatric abdominal MRI. CONCLUSION. Clearly understanding the strengths and limitations of motion reduction methods can enable practitioners of pediatric abdominal MRI to select and combine the appropriate techniques and potentially reduce the need for sedation and anesthesia.
Hematopoiesis and Cardiovascular Disease

A central feature of atherosclerosis, the most prevalent chronic vascular disease and root cause of myocardial infarction and stroke, is leukocyte accumulation in the arterial wall. These crucial immune cells are produced in specialized niches in the bone marrow, where a complex cell network orchestrates their production and release. A growing body of clinical studies has documented a correlation between leukocyte numbers and cardiovascular disease risk. Understanding how leukocytes are produced and how they contribute to atherosclerosis and its complications is, therefore, critical to understanding and treating the disease. In this review, we focus on the key cells and products that regulate hematopoiesis under homeostatic conditions, during atherosclerosis and after myocardial infarction.
Impact of Scribes with Flow Coordination Duties on Throughput in an Academic Emergency Department.

Author(s): Thomas, Keith; Marcum, Joshua; Wagner, Alexei; Kohn, Michael A. | Abstract: Introduction: With the increasing influence of electronic health records in emergency medicine came concerns of decreasing operational efficiencies. Particularly worrisome was increasing patient length of stay (LOS). Medical scribes were identified to be in a good position to quickly address barriers to treatment delivery and patient flow. The objective of this study was to investigate patient LOS in the mid- and low-acuity zones of an academic emergency department (ED) with and without medical scribes.Methods: A retrospective cohort study compared patient volume and average LOS between a cohort without scribes and a cohort after the implementation of a scribe-flow coordinator program. Patients were triaged to the mid-acuity Vertical Zone (primarily Emergency Severity Index [ESI] 3) or low-acuity Fast Track (primarily ESI 4 and 5) at a tertiary academic ED. Patients were stratified by treatment zone, acuity level, and disposition.Results: The pre-intervention and post-intervention periods included 8900 patients and 9935 patients, respectively. LOS for patients discharged from the Vertical Zone decreased by 12 minutes from 235 to 223 minutes (pl0.0001, 95% confidence interval [CI], -17,-7) despite a 10% increase in patient volume. For patients admitted from the Vertical Zone, volume increased 13% and LOS remained almost the same, increasing from 225 to 228 minutes (p=0.532, 95% CI, -6,12). For patients discharged from the Fast Track, volume increased 14% and LOS increased six minutes, from 89 to 95 minutes (pl0.0001, 95% CI, 4,9). Predictably, only 1% of Fast Track patients were admitted.Conclusion: Despite substantially increased volume, the use of scribes as patient flow facilitators in the mid-acuity zone was associated with decreased LOS. In the low-acuity zone, scribes were not shown to be as effective, perhaps because rapid patient turnover required them to focus on documentation.
A 55-Year-Old Diabetic Woman with Feet Pain

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a result of nerve damage resulting in varying degrees of sensorimotor disturbances. It most commonly presents as a distal sensory polyneuropathy, although other presentations are possible. While pain is not always present in this condition, it occurs frequently enough to make it the primary reason patients seek care. Nerve damage resulting from impaired glycemic control is poorly understood but has a relationship with reactive oxygen species. The diagnosis is determined by the presence of neuropathic symptoms, examination findings, confirmation by electro-diagnostic testing, and, if required, skin biopsy. The mainstays of treatment include control of blood glucose, prevention of ulcers and occult foot injuries, and pain control.
Commuting Network Spillovers and COVID-19 Deaths Across US Counties

This study explored how population mobility flows form commuting networks across US counties and influence the spread of COVID-19. We utilized 3-level mixed effects negative binomial regression models to estimate the impact of network COVID-19 exposure on county confirmed cases and deaths over time. We also conducted weighting-based analyses to estimate the causal effect of network exposure. Results showed that commuting networks matter for COVID-19 deaths and cases, net of spatial proximity, socioeconomic, and demographic factors. Different local racial and ethnic concentrations are also associated with unequal outcomes. These findings suggest that commuting is an important causal mechanism in the spread of COVID-19 and highlight the significance of interconnected of communities. The results suggest that local level mitigation and prevention efforts are more effective when complemented by similar efforts in the network of connected places. Implications for research on inequality in health and flexible work arrangements are discussed.
High Risk Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated With Mohs Surgery or Mohs Surgery and Adjuvant Radiation Therapy.

Purpose/objective(s) The recurrence risk for head and neck (HN 0.55 - 12.9), deep invasion (3.02; 0.96 - 9.53), poorly differentiated (vs. well/moderately) (2.20; 0.52 - 9.32), immunosuppression (1.36; 0.50 - 3.69), and high-risk location (0.91; 0.39 - 2.14). High risk tumors defined as AJCC T3 (vs. T1-T2) (3.39; 1.49 - 7.75) and BWH classification T2b-T3 (vs. T2a) (3.16; 1.33 - 7.52) had a significantly increased recurrence risk. The Table shows recurrence rates, with only 1 RT patient experiencing an out-of-RT field scalp in-transit metastasis. Of the 25 that recurred, 56% were rendered disease free with salvage therapy. Conclusion In the setting of R0 Mohs for high-risk H&N cSCC, although locoregional control was numerically highest in the small group who received adjuvant RT, with the reasonable salvage rate and infrequent cancer-specific deaths routine offering of RT may be unnecessary.
Impacts of climate change on extant Ailurids

Abstract Once a geographically widespread lineage of carnivorans, all that remains of the family Ailuridae is the crown clade member, Ailurus fulgens. Recent genomic work has proposed that the two subspecies of A. fulgens, A. f. styani (Chinese red panda) and A. f. fulgens (Himalayan red panda) be elevated as separate species. Given that this taxon is endangered due to anthropogenic threats, such as deforestation and increasing rates of climate change, it is imperative that we evaluate these subspecies as separate entities to determine if their climatic niche warrants separate conservation plans. Breakthroughs in the field of niche modelling have allowed researchers and conservationists to predict areas of suitable climate that could act as refugia in the future as global temperatures increase. Using abiotic climate data and the maximum entropy modelling algorithm, this study predicts currently suitable climatic regions for both A. f. fulgens and A. f. styani, as well as projections for suitable climate into the future.
Broad Positive Rights

In general, positive rights are directed at three goals: to guarantee minimal levels of benefits for those too poor to be able to purchase them themselves; to protect the general populace against eventualities—sickness and injury, unemployment, old age—that they may lack the means or the foresight to address on their own; and to offer certain benefits to everyone, without mention of conditions or limitations, in the interest of furthering equality, justice, self actualization, or other important ideals (see, e.g., Felice; Susser; P. Unger; Outka).
Insight into mechanisms of reduced orthostatic performance after exposure to microgravity: comparison of ground-based and space flight data.

Since the beginning of human spaceflight, the value of understanding mechanisms of physiological adaptation to microgravity became apparent to life scientists who were interested in maintining crew health and developing countermeasures agains adverse effects of the mission. However, several characteristics associated the the logistics of spaceflight presented significant limitations to the scientific study of human adaptation to microgravity. Because space missions are so infrequent and involve minimal numbers of crewmembers, meaninful statistical analysis of data are limited. Reproducibility of results from spaceflight experiments is difficult to assess since there are few repeated space missions involving the same crewmembers. Since the emphasis of space missions is placed on operations, experiments are compromised without adequate control over various factors (e.g., time, diet, physical activities, etc.) that can impact measured responses. With the mimimal opportunity to collect spaceflight data, there is a high risk of experiments that simultaneously interfere with other experiments by the increasing demand on the crewmembers to participate in mumerous experiments proposed by multiple investigators. The technology and ability to measure physiological functions necessary to test specific hypotheses can be severely limited by physical space and power constraints of the space enviroment. Finally, technical and logistical aspects of space missions such as launch delays, extended missions, and inflight operational emergencies can significantly compromise the timing and control of experiments. These limitations have stimulated scientists to develop ground-based analogs of microgravity in an effort to investigate the effects of spaceflight on physiological function in a controlled experimental setting. The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected comparison of data collected from ground-based experiments with those obtained from spaceflight in an effort to assess the adequacy of ground analogs of actual flight for the study of human physiological adaptation to microgravity. Specifically, results from ground and spaceflight will be used to provide insight into mechanisms underlying adaptations of blood pressure regulation and reduced orthostatic performance to the microgravity environment.
Support for the hypothesis that sexual breast stimulation is an ancestral practice and a key to understanding women's health

Women's health is seriously impacted by sexual dysfunction, mental depression, breast cancer, and gynecological cancers. Breast feeding has been found to reduce the risk of in-situ cervical cancer, endometrial cancer of the uterus, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. This protective effect of breast feeding supports the notion that another functional use of the breast, sexual breast stimulation, promoted by women to incite their sexual arousal and orgasm, is a practice which also reduces the risk of these same cancers, and protects against sexual dysfunction and mental depression. The significance of the practice of breast sex or "sexual breast love" lies with its deeply rooted past in the founding of our species, Homo sapiens. No other species exhibits breast sex, a human cultural activity that is implicated in women's desire, sexual satisfaction, and the development of human sociality. For species females as a whole, nipple stimulation by a partner during sex, over the adult life of a female, has occurred since the inception of H. sapiens, so that the failure to engage in this activity is counter to a species typical practice and endangers women's health. Breast sex results in nipple erection, and may micmic the effects of breast feeding, causing an increase of oxytocin in the body. Breast sex is an enriched type of sexuality that enables love between the sexes and the pair bond. The intimacy of breast sex creates a common ground of sexual knowledge, allowing empathy, cooperation, commitment, and communication. It induces reciprocity and therefore happiness. With breast sex, there is an increase of the positive emotions over the chimpanzees, promoting advanced cognition. Research into whether oxytocin release is caused by stimulation of the breasts in non-lactating women is inconclusive, but cultural studies demonstrate that breast stimulation induces sexual arousal, and research has shown that sexual arousal is associated with oxytocin release.
Marco Polo lcalization

We introduce the Marco Polo localization approach, where we apply sound as a tool for gathering range measurements between robots, and use those to solve a range-only simultaneous localization and mapping problem. Range is calculated by correlating two recordings of the same sound, recorded on a pair of robots, after which the resulting time delay estimate is converted to a range measurement. The algorithmic approach we use is a straightforward application of the Bayesian estimation framework. We also present two complementary views on the associated optimization problem that provide insight into the problem and allows one to devise initialization strategies, indispensable in a range-only scenario. We illustrate the approach with both simulated and experimental results.
Effects of wettability and interfacial nanobubbles on flow through structured nanochannels: an investigation of molecular dynamics

Solid–fluid boundary conditions are strongly influenced by a number of factors, including the intrinsic properties of the solid/fluid materials, surface roughness, wettability, and the presence of interfacial nanobubbles (INBs). The interconnected nature of these factors means that they should be considered jointly. This paper employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in a series of studies aimed at elucidating the influence of wettability in boundary behaviour and the accumulation of interfacial gas. Specifically, we examined the relationship between effective slip length, the morphology of nanobubbles, and wettability. Two methods were employed for the promotion of hydrophobicity between two structured substrates with similar intrinsic contact angles. We also compared anisotropic and isotropic atomic arrangements in the form of graphite and Si(100), respectively. A physical method was employed to deal with variations in surface roughness, whereas a chemical method was used to adjust the wall–fluid inte...
Estimation - Correlation, Modeling and Identification in Adaptive Array Processors

Abstract This paper studies the system modeling and identification issues that arise in implementation of maximum likelihood detectors and adaptive array processors of signals that have propagated over randomly time-varying propagation and scattering channels. A multidimensional estimator correlator processor is used to combine the ideas of system modeling and identification with detection theory and adaptive array processing. Part of the estimator structure can be obtained from received data by the usual adaptive array processing techniques (estimation and inversion of noise covariance matrices), but the channel output estimator requires prior knowledge of the signal part of the channel output covariance matrix. This requires modeling and identification of deterministic and stochastic propagation and scattering operators. A number of convenient matrix representations for these operators have been developed. Identification of stochastic operators is based on the vector Karhunen-Loeve expansion. It is shown that in the special case of wide-sense stationary stochastic processes and periodic signal vector, orthonormal basis and eigenvalues for channel modeling and identification can be determined by discrete Fourier transform and singular value decomposition.
Electronically tunable, 1.55-μm erbium-doped fiber laser

An erbium-doped, silica-based fiber laser was electronically tuned over two ranges from 1529.6 to 1533.3 nm and from 1543.8 to 1563.0 nm with more than 13 mW of maximum power. The tuning element was an intracavity acousto-optic modulator (Bragg cell) configured to feed back the first-order, frequency-shifted deflected beam. The maximum optical/acoustic tuning coefficient was −15 nm/MHz.
Progressive maturation resistance to microcystin-LR cytotoxicity in two different hepatospheroidal models.

To develop three-dimensional (3D) cytotoxicity models further, microcystin-induced cytoskeletal disruption was tested in two different models of multicellular hepatocyte aggregate formation (hepatospheroids). Rat hepatocyte suspensions were seeded either onto poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate)-treated culture wells (poly-HEMA) or in a rotating wall vessel (RWV) device which provides minimal shear forces and enhances differentiated 3D growth. Ninety percent of spheroids forming on poly-HEMA tended to fuse and form nonhomogeneous multilobular structures by day 4 of incubation. In contrast, spheroids cultured in the low-shear environment formed homogeneous aggregates that averaged 126±10 μm diameter in size at day 7. Microcystin-LR (10–6 mol/L) was put into contact (90 min in serum- free medium) with hepatocyte suspensions and spheroids formed in both systems for 1, 4 or 7 days. As already described, microcystin-LR (after 90 min), induced cytoskeletal disruptions (blebs) in 98% of the isolated primary hepatocytes maintained in suspension. In 3D cultures, blebs were detected only on poly-HEMA nonhomogeneous early prespheroids. All other mature spheroids (poly- HEMA or RWV) exposed to the toxin did not exhibit obvious morphological signs of toxicity. Moreover, microcystin-LR pre- incubation with hepatocyte suspension prevented the formation of conventional spheroids. In conclusion, the low-shear, simulated- microgravity environment generated high yields of regularly engineered spheroids. In both models, progressive resistance of mature spheroids to microcystin-LR-induced cell deformation developed with time in culture. Microcystin-LR inhibition of the formation of rat hepatospheroids in isolated hepatocyte suspension could be used as a complementary biological assay for detection of the presence of biologically active microcystin-LR in water samples.
Some New Aspects of Statistical Inference for Multistage Dose-Response Models with Applications

Applications of the results to dose -response multistage models serve as illustrations. The paper considers various scenarios, and is expected to be of interest to practitioners of risk analysis.
Review of Greenlight Pinellas

Under its “Greenlight Pinellas” proposal, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), which serves Pinellas County, FL, wants to switch its major funding source from a property tax to a sales tax at a rate that will more than double its local tax revenues, and use the added money to build a 24-mile light-rail line and expand bus service. This proposal is extremely and unnecessarily expensive given that buses can provide a superior service to light rail, carrying more passengers more comfortably to more destinations at a far lower cost.PSTA has already shown its inability to predict short-term travel patterns. Between 1991 and 2005, it increased bus service by 46 percent yet gained essentially no new riders and actually saw a 17 percent reduction in passenger miles. The result was that average occupancies of PSTA buses, which were already emptier than the national average, fell by 44 percent.Compared with bus-rapid transit, the proposed light-rail line would be so costly and attract so few new riders that it would be less expensive to give every new round-trip commuter who was attracted to the light rail a new Toyota Prius every single year for 30 years than to build the light rail. Yet the specific bus-rapid transit alternative that was nominally considered by PSTA is itself phenomenally expensive, costing nearly $50 for every hour of transit riders’ time that it would save.In addition, PSTA has failed to reveal the effects of the proposed light-rail line on traffic congestion. Light rail often increases congestion when it crosses streets and disrupts traffic signal coordination systems. Although Greenlight Pinellas documents indicate that PSTA calculated the effects of light rail on congestion, it did not publish its results, suggesting that it did not want the public to know that it would make congestion worse.As an alternative to light rail and a tax increase, this paper proposes that PSTA introduce eight new rapid bus routes that would provide better bus service to residents throughout the region. These new routes would be funded by contracting out all PSTA bus routes to private operators, which would save taxpayers at least 31 percent per route and probably more. This way, instead of spending more money on poorer quality transportation, as Greenlight Pinellas proposes, taxpayers will get better transit at no greater cost.
Reliability of motor-evoked potentials in the ADM muscle of older adults

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) produced in the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle of male and female older adults, both within and between sessions. The number of trials within a session required to obtain reliable results was also examined. The investigation was conducted on 30 elderly individuals (15 M, 15 F; mean age 76 years). With the ADM at rest, MEPs were evoked at intensities of 1.1, 1.3, and 1.5 times motor threshold (MT). Ten stimuli were delivered at each intensity, with 10-12s between stimuli. The MEP responses were blocked with two, three, four, and five-stimuli means in each block. An intraclass correlation (ICC) reliability analysis of variance model was used to assess reliability of the MEP amplitude, using a variable number of trials per block. A subset of 10 subjects repeated the protocol following 20min of rest to assess the reliability between sessions. As expected, MEP amplitudes were significantly higher as stimulus intensity increased. There were no significant differences between blocks, nor was there a significant gender effect. ICC reliability coefficients ranged between 0.09 with two trials per block and 0.97 with five trials per block. Between session reliability ranged from 0.65 to 0.83. Highly reliable MEP amplitudes can be obtained in older individuals using two blocks of TMS stimuli with five trials per block.
Heteroleptic platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes with thiacrown and diimine ligands

Abstract We wish to report the synthesis, crystal structures, spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of several new Pt(II) heteroleptic complexes containing the thiacrown, 9S3 (1,4,7-trithiacyclononane) with a series of substituted phenanthroline ligands and related diimine systems. These five ligands are 5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline(5,6-Me2-phen), 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline(4,7-Me2-phen), 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline(4,7-Ph2-phen), 2,2′-bipyrimidine(bpm), and pyrazino[2,3-f]quinoxaline or 1,4,5,8-tetraazaphenanthrene(tap). All complexes have the general formula [Pt(9S3)(N2)](PF6)2 (N2 = diimine ligand) and form similar structures in which the Pt(II) center is surrounded by a cis arrangement of the two N donors from the diimine chelate and two sulfur atoms from the 9S3 ligand. The third 9S3 sulfur in each structure forms a longer interaction with the platinum resulting in an elongated square pyramidal structure, and this distance is sensitive to the identity of the diimine ligand. In addition, we report the synthesis, structural, electrochemical, and spectroscopic properties of related Pd(II) 9S3 complex with tap. The 195Pt NMR chemical shifts for the six Pt(II) complexes show a value near −3290 ppm, consistent with a cis-PtS2N2 coordination sphere although more electron-withdrawing ligands such as tap show resonances shifted by almost 100 ppm downfield. The physicochemical properties of the complexes generally follow the electron-donating or withdrawing properties of the phenanthroline substituents.
Clinical experience of postage stamp autograft with porcine skin onlay dressing in extensive burns.

Abstract Fifteen patients with extensive burns (deep second-degree burn > 50%, or third-degree burn > 30% of total body surface area) were treated with postage stamp autograft and meshed porcine skin onlay dressing from 1992 to 1996. All patients received the procedure within 10 days of sustaining the burn, with an average of 6.3 days. The areas chosen for postage stamp autograft were the anterior chest, abdomen, back, buttocks and the proximal part of the extremities. The scalp was the donor site of choice when available. The harvested skin was cut into 0.5 – 1.0 cm postage-stamp-like squares and applied to the recipient sites separated by a distance of 0.5 – 2.0 cm. The expansion ratio was from 1:4 to 1:9. Meshed porcine skin was then used for onlay dressing. The average graft area was 26% of the total body surface area. The success rate of the skin grafts was nearly 100% in 14 patients. One patient had a 40% loss due to contamination from adjacent wounds. In conclusion, the postage stamp autograft with porcine skin overlay is an effective way to treat extensive burn wounds in the early stages.
Double-illumination photoacoustic microscopy

Recent developments of optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) have improved its spatial resolution and imaging speed. However, the penetration depth of OR-PAM is still limited to ∼1 mm in tissue, owing to the strong tissue scattering. Here, we have developed double-illumination PAM (DI-PAM), which illuminates the sample from both top and bottom sides simultaneously. Through phantom and in vivo experiments, we have demonstrated for thin targets that DI-PAM has a penetration depth of ∼2 mm in tissue at 532 nm and a focal zone of 260 μm, both significant improvements over traditional reflection or transmission-mode OR-PAM.