cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The making of a naturalist: Spencer F. Baird, the early years

In June 1853 Spencer F. Baird, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and his close friend, Jared P. Kirtland of Cleveland, Ohio went to Racine, Wisconsin, "armed and equipped for collecting and preserving specimens of natural history". 1 In Racine their host was Philo R. Hoy, a local naturalist and friend of Kirtland's. Their collecting trip was a great success; nearly forty years later Hoy, in a letter to George Brown Goode, who had been Baird's chief assistant at the Smithsonian, provided an account of his first meeting with Baird. Hoy was "surprised to see such a youthful looking person as Professor Baird was, in view of the high position he then occupied". During the trip Baird told Hoy and Kirtland about his years as a professor at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and of his many field trips with his students there. Kirtland asked if Baird had maintained contact with his students, and Baird replied that he was in correspondence with each of them, because
Making combination vaccines more accessible to low-income countries: The antigen bundle pricing problem

Abstract Combination vaccines have become the preferred choice for immunizing children in high- and middle-income countries. However, these new vaccines are prohibitively expensive for low-income countries, causing them to rely on older, less-expensive vaccines. This product divergence decreases economies of scale for the purchase of vaccines and eliminates the financial incentive for manufacturers to maintain production of less-expensive vaccines or even to develop new vaccines for diseases affecting developing countries. This paper treats combination vaccines as bundles of antigens that can be priced as a single item. Such bundles are used to formulate an optimization problem that determines the combination vaccine allocation between vaccine producers and different countries under a price discrimination agreement. The objective of the optimization problem is to satisfy countries' antigen demand at the lowest possible price, while providing a reasonable profit for the vaccine producers. The optimization problem results in a mixed-integer non-linear programming model that maximizes the sum of manufacturing profits and the customer surplus, and hence, it maximizes the total social surplus. Moreover, a constructive heuristic is proposed to determine an approximation to the best allocation of combination vaccines and their range of feasible prices. Computational results show that vaccine prices in all market segments become more affordable as the supply of the most complex combination vaccines becomes more available to low-income countries.
Active control of persistent disturbances in large precision aerospace structures

Precision Aerospace structures must be actively controlled to achieve stringent operating specifications; however, persistent disturbances will drastically reduce the benefits of active structure control unless the controller can be designed to counteract such disturbances. We present a scheme for reduced-order model based disturbance accommodating controllers for precision structures using the idea of a disturbance generator from Johnson. We show that closed-loop stability can be achieved using a compensation technique known as the residual mode filter from Balas3 for spillover-induced instabilities due to model reduction.
J95 Health Surveillance in Multinational Division South West (Bosnia): July - November 1996

A modified version of the J95 morbidity reporting system, called J95a, was used in the Multinational Division South West (MND SW) during Operation Resolute 2. The broad scope of the 'Other Diseases' and 'Other Injuries' event codes were reduced, with codes being added for specific areas of interest which were 'ENT Problems', 'Sports Injuries' and 'Training Injuries'. Designated medical centres from all nations in the division reported on a monthly basis to HQ MND SW, enabling the morbidity profile to be monitored. The first attendance rates in MND SW were twice as high as those experienced by the whole of the British Army, though the rate of working days lost was only a third. Almost half (49%) of the working time lost in the division was due to injuries and orthopaedic problems. The disease and injury distribution showed considerable differences compared to the SHAPE planning figures, with the disease rates experienced being between half and two thirds of those predicted, whilst the injury rates experienced were between four and six times as high as those predicted. This evidence suggests that the planning figures need to be re-assessed for operations other than war. Further investigation into the aetiology of injuries causing loss of working time is recommended, particularly sports injuries and orthopaedic problems.
Minimum-energy state estimation for systems with perspective outputs

This paper addresses the state estimation of systems with perspective outputs. We derive a minimum-energy estimator which produces an estimate of the state that is "most compatible" with the dynamics, in the sense that it requires the least amount of noise energy to explain the measured outputs. Under suitable observability assumptions, the estimate converges globally asymptotically to the true value of the state in the absence of noise and disturbance. In the presence of noise, the estimate converges to a neighborhood of the true value of the state. These results are also extended to solve the estimation problem when the measured outputs are transmitted through a network. In that case, we assume that the measurements arrive at discrete-time instants, are time-delayed, noisy, and may not be complete. We show that the redesigned minimum-energy estimator preserves the same convergence properties. We apply these results to the estimation of position and orientation for a mobile robot that uses a monocular charged-coupled device (CCD) camera mounted on-board to observe the apparent motion of stationary points. In the context of our application, the estimator can deal directly with the usual problems associated with vision systems such as noise, latency and intermittency of observations. Experimental results are presented and discussed.
Hypertrophic cervical elongation: clinical and histological correlations

Introduction and hypothesis The objective of this study is to define the diagnosis of hypertrophic cervical elongation clinically and to perform histochemical and histological evaluations of patients with and without hypertrophic cervical elongation.
The Distribution of Fusarium Wilt of Blackeyed Cowpeas within California Caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tracheiphilum Race 4.

Fusarium wilt of blackeyed cowpeas has been known in California since the 1930s, and breeding for resistance to this disease pathogen has been a continuous effort. During the 1960s and 1970s, California Blackeye 5 (CB 5) cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.), a widely grown cultivar of the time, became increasingly diseased by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tracheiphilum (Fot) Race 3 (2) throughout the growing regions of California. University of California cultivars CB 46 and CB 88 (1) were developed for resistance to Fot Races 1, 2, and 3. CB 46 is currently the principal blackeye cultivar grown on the majority of the acreage in the San Joaquin Valley. In 1989, a new race we designate “Fot Race 4” was isolated from wilted plants at a single field site in Stanislaus County. In years prior to identification, Fot Race 4 had caused severe wilt of CB 46 and CB 88 in this field. Even though the new Fot Race 4 remained confined to a small area for a number of years, sources of host plant resistance to Fot Race 4 were...
Effects of bilateral lesions in the hippocampus on acquisition of two maze problems

Rats with hippocampal lesions and operated control rats were tested in an open field and trained on an alley maze and on an elevated maze (multiple-Ts). Deficits on both mazes occurred in the lesioned Ss with no significant difference between experimental and control groups in wall-following tendencies. Enhanced thigmotaxis cannot account for the deleterious effects of hippocampal lesions on maze learning. The lesions were relatively small (25%) and did not invade the thalamus.
Brief group psychotherapy for herpes patients: A preliminary study

Three time-limited group interventions for patients with genital herpes were compared: a cognitive-behavioral stress-management approach, a dynamically oriented psychotherapy approach, and a self-help approach. A posttherapy questionnaire was administered to all subjects to assess the relative impacts of the different treatment approaches and the therapeutic factors which subjects perceived as most salient in each form of treatment. Subjects in the cognitive-behavioral stress-management groups reported greater benefits than subjects in both other conditions. It is suggested that the high degree of structure and goal orientation which characterize this approach may produce superior results, at least when the group experience is time limited.
Interralation of prostaglandin endoperoxide (prostaglandin G2) and cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate in human blood platelets

The prostaglandin endoperoxide, prostaglandin G2, in platelet-rich plasma may produce reversible platelet aggregation without secretion, irreversible aggregation with secretion of platelet constituents inhibited by indomethacin, or the latter effects despite indomethacin, depending on the concentration of the endoperoxide. Irreversible aggregation and platelet secretion induced by prostaglandin G2 apparently result from the action of ADP, since these responses are inhibited by 2-n-amylthio-5′-AMP (an inhibitor of the actions of ADP on platelets) and they do not occur in heparinized platelet-rich plasma. Prostaglandin G2 lowers the platelet level of cyclic 3′,5′-AMP. Its actions are inhibited by elevation of cyclic AMP levels by prostaglandin E1 or dibutyryl cyclic AMP or adenosine. Like malondialdehyde production induced by thrombin, ADP, or arachidonic acid, prostaglandin G2-induced malondialdehyde production is reduced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP and prosraglandin E1. Platelet activation by prostaglandin G2 is enhanced by the adenylate cyclase inhibitor, 9-(tetrahydro-2-furyl)-adenine. The action of prostaglandin G2 on platelets is more complex then previously reported.
On the Construction of a Modulating Multiphase Wavetrain for a Perturbed Kdv Equation

This paper summarizes the status of a direct construction of an asymptotic representation of a modulating multiphase wavetrain for a class of perturbed kdV equations. This class includes the kdV-Burgers equation. The calculations apply on a “boundary” between dispersive and dissipative behavior. The construction proceeds by standard asymptotic methods. The result of the construction is an invariant representation of the reduced equations which permits their diagonalization. While mathematically the construction is incomplete, care is taken to identify the mathematical status of each step in the construction. The equivalence of this constructive approach with postulated averages of conservation laws is established for two phase waves. Finally, the Young measure for this program is constructed explicitly.
Defining molecular targets to prevent Alzheimer disease.

An explosion of new techniques to explore DNA and protein biology during the last 2 decades has illuminated one of the most enigmatic and intractable subjects in biomedicine—neurodegeneration. Eponymic diseases of the nervous system that were untilrecentlycharacterizedbymechanisticignoranceandtherapeuticnihilismarefalling steadily to the power of molecular genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and animal modeling. Alzheimer, Huntington, Creutzfeld-Jacob, and Parkinson diseases, as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinocerebellar atrophies, frontotemporal dementia, and other previously obscure diseases, have all yielded rapid progress in the deciphering of their biochemical pathology and genetic underpinnings. This sea change in our understanding of a group of incurable diseases that confer enormous personal and societal burdens has brought us to the verge of rationally designed therapies and, in some cases, into actual human trials. Perhaps the foremost example, both in terms of its impact on society and how far we have moved toward clinical application, is that of Alzheimer disease (AD). Thismostcommonofthelate-lifedementias is rising in prevalence with the aging ofpopulationsindevelopedcountriesand may now affect 20 to 30 million people worldwide. I will review the classic neuropathological lesions of AD that, despite some doubts along the way, turned out to provide a road map to the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease. Then, I willdiscusshowelucidatingthegenotypeto-phenotype relationships of certain genetic alterations linked to familial forms ofADhaspinpointedmoleculartargetsfor treatment and prevention, some of which are now being addressed in clinical trials.
A comparison of methods for estimating isometric recruitment curves in human quadriceps muscle

A study in which five methods for estimating isometric recruitment curves of electrically stimulated muscle were tested on the quadriceps muscles of able-bodied human subjects is discussed. Two discrete methods, steady-state step response and peak impulse response, and three continuous methods were examined. The continuous methods were ramp deconvolution via an idealized impulse response, ramp deconvolution via a measured impulse response and ramp response shifted via correlation. The results showed that variation in estimates of recruitment curves were dependent on the method of measurement and means of post-processing. The step response method is the traditional procedure for estimating recruitment curves; however, the ramp methods all appeared to offer acceptable accuracy. The correlation method was simplest and fastest to process. The peak impulse method was less repeatable and often differed from the other methods in predicting the stimulation threshold. >
Electric field effects on ion temperature gradient modes in a sheared slab

The effects of spatially inhomogeneous equilibrium electric fields on a fully kinetic model of the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode in a sheared slab magnetic field is investigated. It is found that a gradient in the electric field of either sign, or a positive second derivative, reduces both the growth rate and the transport rates for heat and particles. The electric field structure in the region of a few centimetres inside the separatrix of a DIII-D plasma exhibits a well which is deepened during the transition to the H-mode. This deepening of the electric field well is found to be strongly stabilizing for ITG modes in the experimental range of parameters. This is consistent with the observation of reduced fluctuations in this region.
Estimation of surface pose with a physically-based ultrasonic image model

State-of-the-art approaches to shape analysis in medical images use a variety of sophisticated models for object shape. We have developed an image model that permits the application of these approaches to ultrasonic images, with detailed methods for representing rough surfaces. Our physically-based, probabilistic image model incorporates the combined effects of the system point-spread function (PSF), the tissue microstructure, and the gross tissue shape. At each image pixel, the amplitude mean and variance are computed directly from the model, characterizing the combined influence of shape, microstructure, and system PSF. Calculation of the SNR/sub 0/ is used to further classify each pixel as Rayleigh- or non-Rayleigh-distributed. This characterization was used here to generate a data likelihood representing any set of images of a given surface by a probability density conditioned on the surface pose, or rotation and translation. The utility of this likelihood was demonstrated by applying maximum likelihood estimation to infer the pose of a cadaveric vertebra from simulated images of its surface. Successful results were achieved using derivative-based optimization algorithms for a data set of only three images. With a quasi-Newton BFGS algorithm, error in 15 of 20 trials was less than 0.4 degrees in rotation and 0.2 mm in translation. Estimation was inaccurate in only 1 of 20 trials. These results illustrate the potential of a physically-based image model in a rigorous approach to image analysis and also serve as an example of quantitative assessment of the model via performance in a specific application.
SWORD: the latest weapon in the project selection arsenal

This project addresses a current need of The Aerospace Corporation, a federally-funded research and development (R&D) center, to make appropriate project selections on a yearly basis. The technology roadmap concept was integrated with a discrete sequential stochastic dynamic program to model the project selection problem. We have created a software package (SWORD): Simulation With Optimization for Research and Development to implement the proposed model. SWORD utilizes a combination of COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) tools: Microsoft Project, Excel, Crystal Ball, and OptQuest to produce heuristic solutions to the NP complete problem. Included in the model are inputs, such as project cost and project probability of failure, that allow for the analysis of different R&D project selection strategies. The model will output a suggested R&D investment strategy for Aerospace for a variable number of years. Along with this, the model estimates the total utility, or total benefit, of pursuing that specific portfolio of projects along with numerous other performance statistics.
Aerodynamic Sensing as Feedback for Ornithopter Flight Control

Flapping wing vehicles, or ornithopters, have proven difficult to control due to the unsteady flow generated by the high-speed flapping surfaces. To-date, research has focused on computational models from which fixed flapping strokes are optimized. These strokes are then fixed and executed open-loop in practice with flapping speed as the primary control output for climb and descent. This paper investigates the use of a distributed pressure sensing system embedded in the flapping wing surfaces to provide real-time aerodynamic force estimates. These measurements could ultimately be used as a source of feedback for an ornithopter autopilot system. This paper describes the design, construction, and testing of flat plate and airfoil ornithopter wings into which pressure lines were embedded during construction. The embedded pressure lines were tethered to external highprecision pressure sensors, while the wings were mounted to a commercially-available ornithopter body then affixed to an instrumented flap stand. A series of exploratory low-speed wind tunnel tests were conducted during which pressures, airspeed, wing deflections, and overall forces/torques were acquired. Initial data is consistent and is observed to match trends obtained from a panel method simulation used to generate comparative pressure measurements over the flapping stroke.
Estimation of the composite roughness model parameters

The estimation of the environmental parameters of the Raleigh-Rice approximation of the composite roughness model and the parameters of the Kirchoff approximation for seafloor acoustic backscatter, given backscatter strength and bathymetric data, is investigated. Estimation of these parameters is an inverse problem whose solution gives surface properties from the measurements of the scattered field. The independence of parameters of both approximations is first determined. Noise-free artificial data are generated by the Rayleigh-Rice approximation and the Kirchoff approximation. These artificial data are then used to train a feedforward neural network using the backpropagation learning algorithm. The trained network is used to estimate the independent parameters of the two approximations. >
Identification of Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau Isoforms in Alzheimer's Paired Helical Filaments

AD66 proteins derived from sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) insoluble paired helical filaments (PHF) were isolated from Alzheimer's brain using a purification procedure developed previously in this laboratory, and characterized by immunologic and chemical cleavage methods. AD66 proteins were immunoreactive with antibodies that recognize the amino terminal, tubulin-binding, and carboxy terminal domains of microtubule-associated protein tau indicating the presence of the entire tau sequence in AD66 proteins. These proteins were reactive with antibody 423 that binds to PHF but not human adult tau. Immunologic and chemical cleavage studies indicated that only two of the six tau isoforms were present in these proteins. AD66 proteins were comprised of tau proteins containing only three tubulin binding domains with either a 29 amino acid insert or no amino terminal insert. For comparative purposes, SDS soluble PHF-tau (A68 proteins) was purified from Alzheimer's brains and normal adult tau purified from control brains. Antibody Alz-50 was immunoreactive with PHF-tau or normal tau regardless of alkaline phosphatase treatment while immunoreactivity was only observed with dephosphorylated AD66 proteins. A second phosphorylated epitope on AD66 proteins but not PHF-tau or normal tau proteins was demonstrated with antibody PHF9. These data suggest that AD66 proteins represent a more phosphorylated form of tau than PHF-tau or normal tau proteins. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrated that AD66 proteins have higher apparent molecular weights and lower pI values than normal tau, differences possibly due to the greater phosphorylation observed in these proteins.
Changes in Egg Shell Quality and Pesticide Content of Laying Hens or Pullets Fed DDT in High or Low Calcium Diets

Abstract White Leghorn pullets were fed diets containing 10 or 50 p.p.m. technical DDT from two sources, 10 and 50 p.p.m. combination of the pure isomers of DDT (80% p,p′-DDT: 20% o,p′-DDT) or 50 p.p.m. p,p′-DDT in a standard breeder ration containing 3.5% calcium or in a low calcium diet containing 1.5% calcium. Other pullets were fed diets containing 0, 10, or 50 p.p.m. technical DDT or 50 p.p.m. p,p′-DDT in a ration containing 3.5% calcium for the first 20 weeks, 3% the next 12 weeks and 1% calcium the final 8 weeks of the 40 week experiment. In addition to the pullets, hens in their second year of lay were fed diets containing 10 or 50 p.p.m. p,p′-DDT in a 3.5% calcium ration. Egg shell thickness. After two to four months of feeding DDT in a 3.5% calcium diet, egg shells from second year hens were significantly thinner than controls, but shells from pullets fed DDT were significantly thicker than control eggs. DDT had no effect on egg shell thickness of birds fed the low calcium diets. Influence of calcium level on pesticide accumulation and conversion of DDT to DDE. Pesticide residues in egg contents gradually increased during the first 3 to 4 months of feeding either 10 or 50 p.p.m. technical DDT or p,p′-DDT or a combination of the isomers. A plateau in egg residues occurred after 4 months feeding. Eggs from birds fed p,p′-DDT in the 3.5% calcium diet had pesticide residues equal to the level of pesticide fed. However, pullets fed the pesticide in the 1.5% calcium diet had residue levels 1.4 × the level fed. After 40 weeks of pesticide treatment, abdominal fat residues were 15 to 19× the level in the diet. Residues were higher in the fat of pullets fed the low calcium diet. Also, in the pullets fed the low calcium diet, there was a greater retention of DDT as DDE.
A greedy method of state-based registration

We derive registration methods by which a mobile user decides whether to register based on its current location, the time elapsed since last contact with the system, and paging cost at each time and place. We assume that both the system and mobile unit (user) have access to a location probability distribution as a function of time given the last known location. Reductions in average paging registration cost of approximately 10% were observed compared to time-alone methods. The more striking improvement was a reduction in the variability of paging/registration costs by a factor of three.
Scalable routing protocol for ad hoc networks

In this paper we present a scalable routing protocol for ad hoc networks. The protocol is based on a geographic location management strategy that keeps the overhead of routing packets relatively small. Nodes are assigned home regions and all nodes within a home region know the approximate location of the registered nodes. As nodes travel, they send location update messages to their home regions and this information is used to route data packets. In this paper, we derive theoretical performance results for the protocol and prove that the control packet overhead scales linearly with node speed and N3/2 with increasing number of nodes. These results indicate that our protocol is well suited to relatively large ad hoc networks where nodes travel at high speed. Finally, we use simulations to validate our analytical model.
Finite-element simulation of induction heat treatment

An efficient finite-element procedure has been developed for the analysis of induction heat treatment problems involving nonisothermal phase changes. The finite-element procedure first simulates the magnetic field developed when currents flow through an induction coil by solving Maxwell’s electromagnetic field equations; at the following step, it calculates the temperature distribution in the workpiece due to eddy currents induced by the magnetic field. The final stage of the simulation involves the determination of the distributions of residual stress, hardness, and microstructure in the workpiece. The finite-element analysis includes temperature-dependent material properties, changes in permeability of the workpiece at the Curie temperature, a mixed hardening rule to describe the material constitutive model, and the incorporation of time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram. The procedure was applied to the simulation of the induction hardening of 1080 steel bar. Firstly, the magnetic field and temperatures developed in the workpiece during (a) the induction heating of an infinitely long 1080 steel cylinder by a single encircling coil and (b) the induction heating of a semi-infinite half-space by a single coil suspended above it were calculated using the finite-element procedures. These were validated by comparing them with analytical solutions derived for these configurations using a Green’s function method. Finally, to demonstrate the predictive capability and practical applicability of the current finite-element procedure, two examples pertaining to the induction heat treatment of an infinite 1080 steel bar of square cross section and a notched finite 1080 steel cylinder of circular cross section were analyzed to predict the magnetic field, temperature, and residual stress distributions. The current finite-element procedure could be used as a powerful design tool for linking induction heat treating parameters with the mechanical property attributes of the heat treated component.
Joint-Track Equalization and Detection for Bit Patterned Media Recording

We compare several different detection and equalization methods for bit patterned media recording channels. We consider a scheme that utilizes a joint-track equalization technique followed by a Viterbi detector. For certain recording densities, simulation results show that it has essentially the same performance as an optimal detector but with reduced detection complexity. Furthermore, it outperforms another scheme of the same complexity previously described in the literature.
Optimizing target coverage by dosimetric feedback during prostate brachytherapy.

Abstract Purpose: Postimplant dosimetry of permanent prostate implants shows a loss of coverage compared to the preplan. One contributing factor is needle misplacement. The significance of needle misplacement and the clinical utility of dosimetric feedback were analyzed in the setting of interventional magnetic resonance (IMR) guided prostate brachytherapy. Methods and Materials: Information provided by an intraoperative planning system was analyzed for 10 patients. Needle misplacement was measured and the dosimetric consequences calculated. Additional catheters and sources were placed following the insertion of all planned catheters to compensate for nonideal needle placement. Results: Source misplacement ranged from 0.0 to 1.0 cm (median, 0.3 cm). The resulting loss of coverage ranged from 1% to 13%, and the intraoperative dosimetric feedback allowed a recovery of from 0% to 12% coverage. Between 0 and 3 (median, 2) additional needles and from 0 to 10 (median, 8) additional sources were required to restore coverage of the target. Final planned coverage exceeded 94% for all patients. Conclusion: The discrepancy between planned and achieved needle placement leads to a loss of dosimetric coverage of the target volume. Dosimetric feedback allows compensation for needle divergence. The technique of real-time dosimetric feedback does not require an IMR system, and could be generalized to ultrasound-guided implants.
VLSI implementation of a 100 MHz pipelined ADPCM codec chip

The VLSI implementation of a pipelined adaptive differential pulse-code modulation (ADPCM) video codec is described. The architecture for the ADPCM codec had been developed previously via the relaxed look-ahead technique. The results of this technique is a bit-parallel and bit-level pipelined architecture with minimal hardware overhead. All the arithmetic units employ redundant authors for low-latency, carry-free computatron. The pipelining latches are true single-phase and edge-triggered with a very compact structure. The pipelined ADPCM chip is designed in 1.2/spl mu/ CMOS technology, with a total area of 5.6 /spl times/ 8.8 mm/sup 2/, an active area of 5.1 /spl times/ 8.2 mm/sup 2/ (136,000 transistors) and a projected speed of 100 MHz. This chip can be configured both as an encoder and a decoder. The codec has a compression ratio of a 8:3 for a 256 /spl times/ 256 image frame. >
Crocodilian behaviour: a window to dinosaur behaviour?

Modern crocodilians and birds are the only living representatives of the Archosauria, a group that also includes non-avian dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Modern crocodilians originated during the early ...
Viscoelastic effects on electromechanical instabilities in dielectric elastomers

We present a computational study of the effects of viscoelasticity on the electromechanical behavior of dielectric elastomers. A dynamic, finite deformation finite element formulation for dielectric elastomers is developed that incorporates the effects of viscoelasticity using the nonlinear viscoelasticity theory previously proposed by Reese and Govindjee. The finite element model features a three-field Q1P0 formulation to alleviate volumetric locking effects caused by material incompressibility. We apply the formulation to first perform a fundamental examination of the effects of the viscoelastic deviatoric and volumetric response on dielectric elastomers undergoing homogeneous deformation. Specifically, we evaluate the effects of the shear and bulk relaxation times on the electromechanical instability, and demonstrate that while the bulk relaxation time has a negligible impact, the shear relaxation time substantially increases the critical electric field needed to induce electromechanical instability. We also demonstrate a significant increase in the critical voltage needed to induce electromechanical instability in the presence of a distribution of relaxation times, compared to a single relaxation time, where the former is more representative of viscoelastic behavior of polymers. We then study the effects of viscoelasticity on crack-like electromechanical instabilities that have recently been observed in constrained dielectric films with a small hole containing a conductive liquid. Viscoelasticity is shown again to not only significantly increase the critical electric field to induce the electromechanical instability, but also to substantially reduce the crack propagation speeds in the elastomer.
Changes in Primacy and Recency with Practice in Single-Trial Free Recall.

Abstract Performance changes during the course of single-trial free recall were investigated in five experiments. The phenomena studied were a reduction in the magnitude of the primacy effect with a concomitant increase in recency from List 1 to List 5, and the fact that primacy items tended to be recalled first on List 1 while recency items were recalled first on List 5. An interpretation of the primacy reduction based solely on changes in retrieval strategy was ruled out in Experiments I–IV. Instead, the data of all the studies were consistent with the hypothesis that the reduction in primacy was due to the buildup of interlist proactive interference. Modifications in retrieval strategy, while not producing any significant changes in primacy, were found to have a direct influence over changes in the recency effect; specifically, deviations from a strategy of initiating recall with last-presented items produced decrements in recency.
Piloting strategies for controlling a transport aircraft after vertical-tail loss

In a number of instances, aircraft that have suffered in-flight damage to their airframe or control system were brought safely to the ground using unconventional means of control. The success in these cases depended greatly on the pilot having had some exposure to unconventional control strategies. Control strategies are considered for cases of aircraft with damage only to the primary control system, as well as cases in which the vertical tail is lost. The piloting strategies are developed using optimal control theory, which optimizes the control law for a desired maneuver and a chosen aircraft configuration. The results show that, despite the loss of the primary control system or of the vertical tail, control of the aircraft is often possible, although it requires the use of unconventional control strategies, in particular, of differential thrust. Especially in the case without a vertical tail, the maneuver in which adverse yaw induces a rolling moment opposite to the intended yaw direction is somewhat surprising and, initially, counterintuitive.
Potential application of lithium in Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases

Lithium, the long-standing hallmark treatment for bipolar disorder, has recently been identified as a potential neuroprotective agent in neurodegeneration. Here we focus on introducing numerous in vitro and in vivo studies that have shown lithium treatment to be efficacious in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, increasing autophagy, inhibiting apoptosis, and decreasing the accumulation of α-synulcein, with an emphasis on Parkinson’s disease. A number of biological pathways have been shown to be involved in causing these neuroprotective effects. The inhibition of GSK-3β has been the mechanism most studied; however, other modes of action include the regulation of apoptotic proteins and glutamate excitotoxicity as well as down-regulation of Calpain-1. This review provides a framework of the neuroprotective effects of lithium in neurodegenerative diseases and the putative mechanisms by which lithium provides the protection. Lithium-only treatment may not be a suitable therapeutic option for neurodegenerative diseases due to inconsistent efficacy and potential side-effects, however, the use of low dose lithium in combination with other potential or existing therapeutic compounds may be a promising approach to reduce symptoms and disease progression in neurodegenerative diseases.
Chronic Granulomatous Disease: An Update and a Paradigm for the Use of Interferon-γ as Adjunct Immunotheraphy in Infectious Diseases

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare inherited disorder in which the phagocyte NADPH oxidase is disabled. The failure of the enzyme to generate superoxide and related oxygen intermediates renders the patients with this disease susceptible to recurrent bacterial and fungal infections. The clinical syndrome (reviewed Forrest et al. 1988) usually presents within the first years of life with a history of recurrent infections, mostly pneumonias, abscesses of the liver or lungs, or subcutaneous bacterial infections. Despite the use of high dose antibiotics, the phagocytes’ failure to kill ingested organisms serves as a stimulus for the chronic inflammatory state and granuloma formation. The granulomas are attempts to wall off infectious foci and if they occur in vital organs, like the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, liver, and brain, they contribute to the mortality and morbidity of this disorder.
Big data, big data quality problem

A USAF sponsored MITRE research team undertook four separate, domain-specific case studies about Big Data applications. Those case studies were initial investigations into the question of whether or not data quality issues encountered in Big Data collections are substantially different in cause, manifestation, or detection than those data quality issues encountered in more traditionally sized data collections. The study addresses several factors affecting Big Data Quality at multiple levels, including collection, processing, and storage. Though not unexpected, the key findings of this study reinforce that the primary factors affecting Big Data reside in the limitations and complexities involved with handling Big Data while maintaining its integrity. These concerns are of a higher magnitude than the provenance of the data, the processing, and the tools used to prepare, manipulate, and store the data. Data quality is extremely important for all data analytics problems. From the study's findings, the "truth about Big Data" is there are no fundamentally new DQ issues in Big Data analytics projects. Some DQ issues exhibit return-s-to-scale effects, and become more or less pronounced in Big Data analytics, though. Big Data Quality varies from one type of Big Data to another and from one Big Data technology to another.
Interactive Group Suggesting for Twitter

The number of users on Twitter has drastically increased in the past years. However, Twitter does not have an effective user grouping mechanism. Therefore tweets from other users can quickly overrun and become inconvenient to read. In this paper, we propose methods to help users group the people they follow using their provided seeding users. Two sources of information are used to build sub-systems: textural information captured by the tweets sent by users, and social connections among users. We also propose a measure of fitness to determine which subsystem best represents the seed users and use it for target user ranking. Our experiments show that our proposed framework works well and that adaptively choosing the appropriate sub-system for group suggestion results in increased accuracy.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Cyanotroph, Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 11764, Employing Single-Molecule Real-Time Technology

We report here the application of single-molecule real-time sequencing for determining the entire genome structure of the cyanotroph Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 11764.
Parental Responses to a Child Bicycle Helmet Ordinance

Head injury associated with bicycle-related crashes is experienced disproportionately by children under age 20. Helmets are effective, but usage of helmets by children is minimal. This descriptive study, conducted in a small academic community with an ordinance requiring helmet use by children under 16, examined the views of parents and guardians about a bicycle helmet law and reports of helmet use in their families. Telephone interviews were conducted with a random sample of parents/guardians of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade children (n = 142, 73% response rate). Sixty-five percent of those surveyed were aware of the ordinance. The vast majority (90%) agreed that bicycle helmet laws are "a good idea." Since the community helmet law was implemented, reported child helmet use increased, most notably among children who had never worn a helmet before the ordinance. Seventy percent of children who had never worn a helmet wore one most or all of the time since the ordinance. The ordinance also appears to have prompted parents to make helmet use rules for their children. Before the ordinance, families with rules reported helmet use by 79% of youths at least most of the time. This figure increased to 86% in families with rules after the ordinance was implemented. Even among the families without rules, helmet use increased from 7% before the ordinance to 60% after the law was enacted, indicating that both the ordinance and family rules are influential.
Bollworm and Tobacco Budworm Resistance to Several Insecticides in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas

Tests for resistance of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), to DDT indicated an irregular pattern ranging up to a 15-fold increase from least to most resistant budstrains. DDT-resistant strains did not appear to have developed cross-resistance to endrin or carbaryl. When bollworms and tobacco budworms, Heliothis virescens (F.), originating simultaneously from the same field locations were compared for resistance to DDT, the tobacco budworm averaged 16.5 times more resistant.
Mechanical Validation of Computed Tomographic Quantification of Posterolateral Intertransverse Lumbar Fusion

The New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit is often used as an animal model in posterolateral intrertransverse lumbar fusions [1]. Qualitative measures, such as manual palpation and radiographs, have been used to assess fusion mass [1]. However, an evaluation by sacrifice and biomechanical testing is the gold standard for quantitative data. A non-invasive approach to quantitatively assess the mechanics of spinal fusion could allow longitudinal studies with decreased need for animal sacrifice.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Flow field of a curved cylinder

Flow field of a curved cylinder was experimentally investigated for Reynolds numbers of 20,000 and 50,000. Tests consisted of flow visualization in a wind tunnel and a water tunnel, wake total pressure surveys and hot wire anemometry. Surface flow topology suggested a nodal, saddle and mixed nodal-saddle types of attachment that depended on the azimuthal orientation of the cylinder. The nature of attachment also influenced the spanwise distributions of foci structures and their role in introducing three-dimensionality in the immediate wake. Flow visualization in the water tunnel revealed that the length of a vortex formation region also increased steadily with the azimuthal orientation. A symmetric shedding of vortices was observed with a saddle type of attachment. Wake mean velocity profiles showed that the velocity defect and therefore the drag of a curved cylinder was minimum for nodal, and maximum for saddle type of attachment. Nomenclature of the wake was compared with asymptotic profiles and equilibrium parameters. Approach to self preservation, similarity, and other features are discussed. Nomenclature b Half wake width D Cylinder diameter f Vortex shedding frequency U Mean axial velocity -Uo, edge velocity U^, free-stream velocity St Strouhal number fD/U Re Reynolds number UD/v RCC Right circular cylinder W Wake velocity defect (Wo, centerline defect) X,Y,Z Axial, transverse and spanwise coordinates 0 Momentum thickness (p Flow attachment angle i) Kinematic viscosity
Using Workflow Modeling to Identify Areas to Improve Genetic Test Processes in the University of Maryland Translational Pharmacogenomics Project

Delivering genetic test results to clinicians is a complex process. It involves many actors and multiple steps, requiring all of these to work together in order to create an optimal course of treatment for the patient. We used information gained from focus groups in order to illustrate the current process of delivering genetic test results to clinicians. We propose a business process model and notation (BPMN) representation of this process for a Translational Pharmacogenomics Project being implemented at the University of Maryland Medical Center, so that personalized medicine program implementers can identify areas to improve genetic testing processes. We found that the current process could be improved to reduce input errors, better inform and notify clinicians about the implications of certain genetic tests, and make results more easily understood. We demonstrate our use of BPMN to improve this important clinical process for CYP2C19 genetic testing in patients undergoing invasive treatment of coronary heart disease.
Abstract A45: Lack of health insurance is a risk factor for shortened breast cancer survival

Introduction: Breast cancer survival is affected by endogenous factors, i.e. genetic factors, and exogenous factors, i.e. diet and socioeconomic status (SES). In an attempt to begin to define, the mechanisms by which SES could affect survival we explored in a population served by a public hospital the potential effects of insurance status and income on the overall survival of breast cancer (BCa) patients. Methods: 1627 female BCa patients diagnosed/treated between 1987 – 2006 at LSUHSC-S9s Feist-Weiller Cancer Center (FWCC) were investigated to explore the potential effect of disparity of overall survival with insurance status, income, race, age, stage, body mass index (BMI) and year of diagnosis. Chi-Square test, Student t test,ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls test were used with actuarial methods and log rank tests used to estimate and compare overall survivals. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) of risk factors with overall survival. All p-values Results: Age was statistically different between stages, insurance status, year of diagnosis and BMI status. Mean income was statistically different between race (p In univariate analysis, overall median survival was 10.5 years (white 11 yrs, black 9 yrs, P=0.029). Median survival times were 15.5, 12.5, 5.5, 1.5 and 5.5 years for stage 1, 2, 3, 4 and unknown stage. In the four 5 year cohorts from 1987 to 2006, the median survival time increased from 7 yrs to 10 yrs, to 11 yrs, to > 7 yrs (p 10 years (p=0.011). The HR was 1.018 for age (p 20 (1), 16.5 (2.2), 7.5 (3.5) and 3.5 (6.1) years for insured, Medicaid, uninsured and unknown insurance respectively (p Multivariate Cox regression found that race, stage, insurance status, age and years of diagnosis were significant predictors of overall BCa survival. The HRs were 1.77, 3.09, 8.79 and 2.22 for stage 2, stage 3, stage 4 and unknown stage, respectively, compared to stage 1. White patients had 22% lower risk of dying than blacks. Compared to diagnosis in 1987–1996, the risk of dying for diagnoses in 1997–2006 decreased 39% (HR=0.61). Adjusting for other factors, insurance was a major factor affecting survival with HRs of 1.94, 2.893 and 2.892 for Medicaid, uninsured and unknown insurance patients respectively compared to insured patients. Conclusion: Insurance status proved to be an important BCa survival factor. After adjusting for confounding factors that might influence acquisition of insurance, i.e. age, race, stage, BMI and income, insurance status remained a highly significant survival factor with HR ranging for 1.9–2.9 for Medicaid or uninsured patients. The quality and availability of care was similar for all patients but the effects of other illnesses, compliance, and health literacy are being examined.