cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the effect of intervention models supported by the Global Fund AIDS Project among high risk populations in Anhui

Objective To assess the effect of intervention models among high risk populations as female sex workers(FSWs),men who have sex with men(MSM)and intravenous drug users(IDUs). Methods A structured questionnaire survey was conducted for the evaluation of intervention models among FSWs,MSM and IDUs selected by typical sampling method in Anhui in 2012.The effectiveness was evaluated by the analysis of variance and rank-sum test. Results Nineteen high risk individuals were intervened by each person with a monthly rate of fulfillment of 109.40%in all 7models.The effectiveness analysis showed staff in the models of CDC,community service center and community organizations had the highest efficiencies,followed by those of CDC and peer education,methadone clinic or drug treatment and the others(P0.05).The contribution rates of intervention targets for CDC,community service center and community organizations were30.97%,30.55%and 21.11%,respectively.86.96%of individuals surveyed preferred the intervention models of community service center for FSWs,community organizations for MSM and methadone clinic or drug treatment for IDUs.85.19% claimed that the concealment and uncooperation were the major obstacles.Conclusions The intervention models of community service center for FSWs,community organizations for MSM and methadone clinic or drug treatment for IDUs are proved to be effective and feasible.Integrated strategy of multi-section cooperation and communication among targeted populations are critical and need to be further improved.
A Transient Voltage Instability Risk Assessment Method and Its Application

Voltage instability often follows multi-contingencies or cascading failures,but traditional deterministic methods tend to be conservative in dealing with these scenarios.Risk evaluation method can overcome these short-comings.Risk assessment of static voltage instability is discussed in recent literatures.In this paper,the risk index and assessment method for transient voltage instability are presented.The influencing factors of risk are analyzed.The proposed theory is applied to an actual grid.The relationship among risk,SVC investment and under voltage load shedding(UVLS) scheme is studied.Furthermore,a risk based method for determining SVC optimal investment is proposed.
Tribe Arethuseae ( Calopogon R. Brown and Arethusa L.) and Subfamily Vanilloideae (Part One) ( Pogonia Jussieu)

Arethusa bulbosa, Calopogon tuberosus, and Pognia ophioglossoides are self-compatible but adapted to outcrossing. The flowers produce little or no reward and are probably pollinated primarily by deceit. Fruit production is pollen limited. Pollinators are bees apparently attracted to the large, colorful perianths and ultraviolet absorbing, anther-like brushes on the lips. Larger flowers of C. tuberosus discriminate among pollinators and prevent hybridization with three smaller, ­sympatric species. Reproductive isolation among the smaller flowered taxa is maintained primarily by differences in phenology, habitat, and pollinator preference. The flowers of C. oklahomensis are similar in size to those of C. tuberosus, but this species is hexaploid and blooms earlier.
Single-image super resolution using evolutionary sparse coding technique

Sparse coding (SC) has recently become a widely used tool in signal and image processing. The sparse linear combination of elements from an appropriately chosen over-complete dictionary can represent many signal patches. SC applications have been explored in many fields such as image super resolution (SR), image-feature extraction, image reconstruction, and segmentation. In most of these applications, learning-based SC has provided an excellent image quality. SC involves two steps: dictionary construction and searching the dictionary using quadratic programming. This study focuses on the searching step and a new adaptive variation of genetic algorithm is proposed to search and find the optimum closest match in the dictionary. Also, inspired by the proposed evolutionary SC (ESC), a single-image SR algorithm is proposed. A sparse representation for each patch of the low-resolution input image is obtained by ESC and it is used to generate the high-resolution output image. Experimental results show that the proposed ESC-based method would lead to a better SR image quality.
Preventing Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Using American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Prevention Guidelines: Some Good News, But Caveats Remain

It is axiomatic that you can be logical and factual, but if your assessment is incomplete, you can be misled. That is why it is important to look carefully at papers that comment on the 2013 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) cholesterol[1][1] and risk
Thermal chiral vortical and magnetic waves: new excitation modes in chiral fluids

In certain circumstances, chiral (parity-violating) medium can be described hydrodynamically as a chiral fluid with microscopic quantum anomalies. Possible examples of such systems include strongly coupled quark–gluon plasma, liquid helium ^3He-A, neutron stars and the Early Universe. We study first-order hydrodynamics of a chiral fluid on a vortex background and in an external magnetic field. We show that there are two previously undiscovered modes describing heat waves propagating along the vortex and magnetic field. We call them the Thermal Chiral Vortical Wave and Thermal Chiral Magnetic Wave. We also identify known gapless excitations of density (chiral vortical and chiral magnetic waves) and transverse velocity (chiral Alfven wave). We demonstrate that the velocity of the chiral vortical wave is zero, when the full hydrodynamic framework is applied, and hence the wave is absent and the excitation reduces to the charge diffusion mode. We also comment on the frame-dependent contributions to the obtained propagation velocities.
Effect of Gold on the Microstructural Evolution and Integrity of a Sintered Silver Joint

There is a need for next-generation, high-performance power electronic packages and systems employing wide-bandgap devices to operate at high temperatures in automotive and electric grid applications. Sintered silver joints are currently being evaluated as an alternative to Pb-free solder joints. Of particular interest is the development of joints based on silver paste consisting of nano- or micron-scale particles that can be processed without application of external pressure. The microstructural evolution at the interface of a pressureless-sintered silver joint formed between a SiC die with Ti/Ni/Au metallization and an active metal brazed (AMB) substrate with Ag metallization at 250°C has been evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray microanalysis, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results from focused ion beam (FIB) cross-sections show that, during sintering, pores in the sintered region near to the Au layer tend to be narrow and elongated with long axis oriented parallel to the interface. Further densification results in formation of many small, relatively equiaxed pores aligned parallel to the interface, creating a path for easy crack propagation. X-ray microanalysis results confirm interdiffusion between Au and Ag and that a region with poor mechanical strength is formed at the edge of this region of interdiffusion.
Impact of Active Control on Passive Safety Response Characteristics of Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors: I—Theoretical Background

AbstractThe interaction of the active control system with passive safety behavior is investigated for sodium-cooled fast reactors. A claim often made of advanced reactors is that they are passively...
A Turn for the Scruffy: An Ethnographic Study of Semantic Web Architecture

This paper examines how legacies of thinking about ontology, logic, and how best to approach knowledge representation have become interwoven in the architecture of the technologies that enable a Semantic Web. As a cultural anthropologist, I approach this study with qualitative historical and ethnographic methodologies, positioning the community of researchers that have been involved in the design and implementation of Semantic Web protocols and technologies as my primary field site. Two concepts from Science and Technology Studies are introduced - thought styles and design logics. The paper demonstrates how diverse thinking about how to approach knowledge representation on the Web is rooted in debates that emerged in artificial intelligence in the 1970s and 1980s. It then goes on to discuss how the diverse approaches to Web semantics that emerged from these legacies have cultural and political implications. The paper concludes with a call for further research that positions Web architectures as objects of social and cultural study.
Photo Quiz: A 55-Year-Old Male with Hoarseness of Voice and Laryngeal Mass.

A 55-year-old male presented to the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) clinic with hoarseness that had lasted several weeks. His past medical history was significant for polycythemia vera and hypertension. He had a history of smoking 40 or more packs of cigarettes a year. On laryngeal examination, he was
A Model for Decision Making

The model that we used to guide us in developing a framework for decision making is shown in figure 4–1.1 The environmental context in which decisions are made consists of three domains: the social, professional, and program environments. The social environment includes a system of values which is articulated in social policy and statutory law. Values are given expression by legislators when they fund social programs through which child welfare services are provided. Professional values are inextricably linked with social values, if not wholly synonymous with them. Social science knowledge and the technology derived from that knowledge guide professional practice by providing a means for achieving program goals. While separable for purposes of discussion, the variables within the social, professional, and programmatic domains interact with each other.
Smoking behaviour and sensations during the pre-quit period of an exercise-aided smoking cessation intervention

Abstract Introduction Previous research has shown reductions in cigarette consumption during the pre-quit period of exercise-aided smoking cessation interventions. Smoking topography and sensation patterns during this period is unknown and may provide valuable insight into compensation and cessation readiness. Methods Female smokers (N = 236, M age = 43, M cigarettes/day = 17.0) enrolled in an exercise-aided smoking cessation intervention self-reported daily cigarette use and cigarette sensory experiences. Breath carbon monoxide and smoking topography data were collected during the period leading up to the targeted quit date (i.e., baseline, week 1, and week 3), which was set for week 4. Results Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that cigarette consumption (p Conclusions This is the first study to establish that regular exercise during the pre-quit period served as a conduit for facilitating behavioral and sensory harm reduction with cigarettes. Furthermore, the pattern of change observed between cigarette consumption and smoking topography does not support compensation. These findings imply that female smokers who exercise prior to a quit attempt are in a favourable state to achieve cessation.
Students’ acceptance of E-books: An application of UTAUT

Electronic book (e-book) technologies have been shown to improve students’ learning. The question arises as to which factors may influence accounting students when considering e-books. This study u...
Bioinformatics of High-Throughput Insertional Mutagenesis

Bioinformatics plays critical roles to handle large amount of sequence data from insertional mutagenesis. First, computational approaches are used to develop rapid sequence analysis pipelines and biological databases. Millions of reads from an insertion mutagenesis screening are mapped to genomic locations and be annotated to their target genes rapidly by pipeline, and such sequence-based data is stored and managed in database to share the information in the scientific community. Second, statistical techniques are used to distinguish true common insertion sites (loci that have been hit by insertions in multiple tumors: candidate loci for cancer genes) from background insertions in large-scale screenings. Finally, the advanced data mining techniques, pathway and network analysis, are used to give further biological meaning to insertion sites by identifying the interaction of genes in cancer. In this chapter, we discuss features of these three topics and address their future roles: (1) development of sequence analysis pipeline and database, (2) detection of common insertion sites, and (3) network and pathway analysis of insertion sites.
The Cleanup of Chemical Waste Sites — A Rational Approach

A conceptual hazard assessment design is presented here for addressing waste site cleanup. Three main steps to be carried out in an evaluation of any potential waste site include, identification of potential chemical exposure, assessment of that exposure in relation to established ‘safe’ concentrations, and control measures to remediate the exposure. Hazard assessment techniques are used to establish the appropriate ‘how clean is clean enough’ endpoints based on calculated margins of safety (MS), where MS = toxicologically safe concentration/exposure concentration. A successful remedial action endpoint is achieved when the targeted exposure reduction action results in a margin of safety that is greater than 1.0 (MS > 1.0) including the uncertainty of the estimate. This assessment program is carried out in a cost effective step by step tiered approach to guide selection of a remediation endpoint.
Dosimetry and adequacy of attenuation correction with low-dose CT for pediatric SPECT/CT

337 Objectives: To evaluate the dosimetry and the adequacy of attenuation correction using low-dose CT in pediatric SPECT/CT. Methods: Measurements were made using a Philips Precedence 6-slice SPECT/CT scanner, 5 anthropomorphic abdominal phantoms (newborn, 1, 5, 10 year old and medium-sized adult), and an ion chamber. We evaluated the dose received from CT for a variety of acquisition parameters including tube current of 200 mA, tube voltages of 90, 120, 140 kVp, gantry rotation times of 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5 s per rotation and pitches of 0.656:1, 0.90:1 and 1.41:1. A phantom study was used to evaluate the CT noise and its impact on the reconstructed SPECT data. CT-based attenuation correction (CTAC) was applied to a SPECT scan of a 20-cm cylindrical phantom using scans acquired with a variety of acquisition parameters (tube currents of 15, 30, 50, 100, 150 mAs; tube voltages of 90, 120 and 140 kVp). Results: The anthropomorphic volume CT dose index (CTADIvol) varied by a factor of 35 for each phantom over the range of acquisition parameters (e.g. 0.86 and 29.35 mGy for 90 kVp/15 mAs and 140 kVp/160 mAs, respectively for a 10 year old). CTADIvol of a newborn was about twice that for the adult for the same acquisition parameters. Although the noise in the CT scan varied significantly over the range of acquisition parameters, its contribution to PET noise was very minimal (> 1%) and data reconstructed with a CT of 90 kVp/15 mAs was practically identical to that acquired with 140 kVp/150 mAs. Conclusions: For pediatric patients, adequate CT-based attenuation correction can be obtained with very low dose CT (90 kVp, 15 mAs). Such a CT scan leads to a radiation dose, as much as a factor of 35 less than that of a diagnostic quality CT.
Attitudes Toward Obese People: A Comparative Study of Nursing, Education, and Social Work Students.

Abstract Background Stigmatization and bias toward the obese population has been studied globally in a variety of professional groups, supporting the existence of negative attitudes and weight bias against this population. Attitudes fostering the prevalence of stigmatization undermine the effectiveness and quality of health care. Studies have not compared attitudes and beliefs of graduate and undergraduate students from professional schools within the same university. As an exemplar, this study compared nursing students' attitudes and beliefs toward obese individuals with students' attitudes in other professional schools. Methods The Attitudes Toward Obese Persons and Beliefs About Obese Persons scales were administered to undergraduate and graduate nursing students and graduate education and social work students at a US northeastern university. Results Analyses indicated students who were younger; in nursing programs; and reported not having a friend or family member who is overweight had significantly worse attitudes than others. Gender, location of residence, perceptions of own body weight, and participating in an exercise regimen were not significant. Conclusion Understanding attitudes toward obese people may guide educators as they train nursing, education, and social work students. Reducing negative attitudes, beliefs, and stigmatization is an important starting point in the battle against this growing public health concern.
Simulation of boil-off losses during transfer at a LH2 based hydrogen refueling station

Abstract Losses along the LH2 pathway are intrinsic to the utilization of a cryogenic fluid. They occur when the fluid is transferred between 2 vessels (liquefaction plant to trailer, trailer to station storage, station storage to pump or compressor, then possibly onto fuel cell electric vehicles …) and when it is warmed up due to heat transfer with the environment. Those losses can be estimated with good accuracy using thermodynamic models based on the conservation of mass and energy, provided that the thermodynamic states are correctly described. Indeed, the fluid undergoes various changes as it moves along the entire pathway (2 phase transition, sub-cooled liquid phase, super-heated warming, non-uniform temperature distributions across the saturation film) and accurate equations of state and 2 phase behavior implementations are essential. The balances of mass and energy during the various dynamics processes then enable to quantify the boil-off losses. In this work, a MATLAB code previously developed by NASA to simulate rocket loading is used as the basis for a LH2 transfer model. This code implements complex physical phenomena such as the competition between condensation and evaporation and the convection vs. conduction heat transfer as a function of the relative temperatures on both sides of the saturated film. The original code was modified to consider real gas equations of state, and some semi-empirical relationships, such as between the heat of vaporization and the critical temperature, were replaced by a REFPROP equivalent expression, assumed to be more accurate. Non-constant liquid temperature equations were added to simulate sub-cooled conditions. The model shows that under environmental heat transfer only the liquid phase of a LH2 vessel would experience cooling, while the boil-off is mainly a result of evaporation from the saturation film onto the vapor phase. Under the conditions assumed for this work, it was also concluded that the actual LH2 density was lower than the corresponding saturation density given by the working pressure of the vessel. During a bottom fill transfer, for example from a LH2 trailer to an on-site stationary vessel, it is shown that the boil-off losses are due to the compression of the vapor phase (“pdV” force). The model indicates that the magnitude of those losses is not dependent on the regulated pressure in the receiving vessel but is rather a function of the initial pressure in the vessel, amounting to more than 12% of losses for a vessel initially at 100 psia. At last, the model is used to estimate the amount of vapor H2 vented when depressurizing a LH2 trailer following a LH2 delivery.
Radiology for Acute Mesenteric Ischemia

Acute mesenteric ischemia results from inadequate blood supply to the small intestine. Resultant ischemic and inflammatory changes lead to bowel injury. If not treated promptly, bowel necrosis can occur. Prognosis is typically poor with a high mortality if not treated. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the recommended imaging modality for assessment of acute mesenteric ischemia. Aside from identifying vascular etiologies such as thrombus and calcifications, CT is helpful in assessing the bowel wall. Prompt identification of the etiology of acute mesenteric ischemia is essential in determining a treatment algorithm. A multidisciplinary approach to include vascular surgery, general surgery, critical care, and interventional radiology is important. The goal of this section is to provide a better understanding of the radiologist’s role for the imaging and treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia.
Moravian Cemeteries on Barbados: Sites of Historical, Social, and Political Change

ABSTRACTIn the nineteenth century, African Moravians used Moravian church cemeteries on Barbados, and their use of such spaces was mediated by their situations in contexts of race, class, and relig...
Inhomogeneous Distribution of Cationic Surfactants around Anionic Molecular Clusters

An interesting phenomenon is reported when uranyl peroxide nanoclusters U60 (Li48+m K12 (OH)m [UO2 (O2 )(OH)]60 (H2 O)n , m≈20 and n≈310) interact with a small number of cationic surfactant molecules. Cationic surfactant molecules do not distribute evenly around the U60 clusters during the interaction as expected. Instead, a small fraction of U60 clusters attract almost all the surfactant molecules, leading to the self-assembly into supramolecular structures by using surfactant-U60 complexes as building locks, and later further aggregate and precipitate based on hydrophobic interaction, whereas the rest of the clusters remained unbounded soluble macroions in bulk dispersion. This phenomenon nicely demonstrates a unique feature of macroion solutions. Considering that Debye-Huckel approximation is no longer valid in such solutions, the competition between the local electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction becomes important to regulate the solution behaviors of macroions.
"It Was Not Your Fault" – Emotional Awareness Improves Collaborative Robots

We have conducted a user study to investigate the importance of emotional awareness and the underlying affect-driven processes during a human-robot collaboration. The goal of this user study was twofold: (1) Investigating the overall functionality of the mechanisms and the underlying algorithms in our architecture, (2) Evaluating human's willingness and assessment of collaboration with an emotion-aware and an emotion-ignorant robot. We designed a simple table top activity to simulate the collaborative environment in which a participant and the robot were "installing" a solar panel together. The result of our user study shows that humans' significantly prefer working with an emotion-aware robot during collaboration.
Improved urban navigation with direct positioning and specular matching

This paper introduces an assisted GPS direct positioning estimation (DPE) technique in conjunction with visibility and specularity matching techniques based on 3D building information for positioning in an urban environment. Results from static experiments in the city of Denver, CO are presented. The locations are chosen to demonstrate conditions where GPS signals reach the receiver in several different ways: a direct-line-of-sight (DLOS) path only; a combination of DLOS and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) paths known as multipath; and a strictly NLOS path with buildings blocking the DLOS path. Use of signal visibility and specular reflection predictions within the DPE can improve positioning. We show that when we explicitly account for visibility and have some indication of specularity the RMS position error is reduced from approximately 30 to 10 meters.
A Region of UNC-89 (obscurin) Lying Between Two Protein Kinase Domains is a Highly Elastic Spring Required for Proper Sarcomere Assembly

In C. elegans, unc-89 encodes a set of giant multi-domain proteins (up 8,081 residues) localized to the M-lines of muscle sarcomeres and required for normal sarcomere organization and whole-animal locomotion. Multiple UNC-89 isoforms contain two protein kinase domains. There is conservation in arrangement of domains between UNC-89 and its two mammalian homologs, obscurin and SPEG: kinase, a non-domain region of 647-742 residues, Ig domain, Fn3 domain and a second kinase domain. In all three proteins, this non-domain interkinase region has low sequence complexity, high proline content and lacks predicted secondary structure. We report that a major portion of this interkinase (571 residues out of 647 residues) when examined by single molecule force spectroscopy in vitro displays the properties of a random coil and acts as an entropic spring. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to create nematodes carrying an in-frame deletion of the same 571-residue portion of the interkinase. These animals express normal levels of giant internally deleted UNC-89 proteins, and yet show severe disorganization of all portions of the sarcomere in body wall muscle. Super-resolution microscopy reveals extra, short-A-bands lying close to the outer muscle cell membrane and between normally spaced A-bands. Nematodes with this in-frame deletion show defective locomotion and muscle force generation. We designed our CRISPR-generated in-frame deletion to contain an HA tag at the N-terminus of the large UNC-89 isoforms. This HA tag results in normal organization of body wall muscle, but dis-organization of pharyngeal muscle, small body size, and reduced muscle force, likely due to poor nutritional uptake.
Prematurity and breastfeeding initiation: A sibling analysis

Aim Studies suggest breastfeeding initiation is less common for premature infants. This association may be confounded by socio-economic characteristics that correlate with the risk of premature birth. We compared premature and term-born children to determine whether prematurity independently predicted likelihood of breastfeeding continuation and duration. Methods Data were obtained from women ages 15-44 years reporting at least two live pregnancies on the 2011-2017 National Survey of Family Growth. Participants completed a pregnancy and breastfeeding history. Breastfeeding initiation was defined as breastfeeding for at least 1 week, and duration of exclusive breastfeeding was recorded in months. Sibling fixed effects regression models were used to evaluate the impact of prematurity. Results Among families with some children who were breastfed and others who were not (n = 2848 children), preterm birth was not associated with breastfeeding initiation (odds ratio = 1.11; P = .468). Among children who were ever breastfed, exclusive breastfeeding lasted 5% fewer months among children born preterm, compared with term-born siblings (incidence rate ratio = 0.95; P = .060). Conclusion Using sibling-group analysis to control for confounding, we found no independent association between prematurity and likelihood of breastfeeding initiation. This suggests interventions supporting breastfeeding for premature infants may need to address external barriers to breastfeeding not specifically preterm birth.
Freedom farmers: agricultural resistance and the Black Freedom Movement: by Monica M. White, Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press, 2018, 208 pp., US$27.95 (Hardback), ISBN: 9781469643694

Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement is a meticulously researched history of Black resistance through agriculture, and Black organizing strategies to stay on the ...
E-117 Safety and efficacy of acute emergent carotid stenting treatment for symptomatic carotid stenosis

Introduction Carotid endarterectomy and carotid stenting (CAS) have shown comparable outcomes in symptomatic patients. However, the optimal timing of CAS is debatable. We aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CAS when performed emergently during hospitalization of symptoms onset as compare to an elective procedure in a subsequent admission. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of CAS patients admitted to our comprehensive stroke center and included all the patients with TIA/stroke and ipsilateral extracranial carotid stenosis >50% from January 2015 to September 2019. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, clinical data and outcomes. The primary outcome was defined as any stroke, myocardial infarction or death related to the procedure at 3 months of follow-up. Secondary outcomes were minor neurological (seizures or TIA at discharge) and non-neurological (bradycardia, hypotension, groin ecchymosis and/or hematoma, retroperitoneal hematoma, pneumonia, and atrial fibrillation at discharge) complications at discharge, and rate of restenosis or occlusion at follow-up (defined as a Peak Systolic Velocity by duplex ultrasonography greater than 300 cm/s or stenosis greater than 70% by angiography). Stepwise backward multivariable regression and Time-to-event analyses were used for comparisons. Results We identified 75 emergent and 104 elective patients. Emergent differed significantly from elective patients in the rates of dyslipidemia (44% vs. 66%, p=0.003), length of hospitalization (4.9% vs. 1.2%, p=0.002), ipsilateral carotid occlusion (17% vs. 2%, p 75 years. Of all the 23 minor complications, 8 (34.7%) were due to groin and retroperitoneal hematoma. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for the frequency of restenosis or occlusion was 7% for emergency CAS group and 11.6% for elective CAS group with a mean follow-up of 12.8 months (log rank p=0.3). Conclusions CAS in emergency symptomatic patients has comparable safety outcomes to elective patients at 3 months follow-up. Similarly, both groups have similar rates of restenosis at long-term follow-up (12.8 months). Disclosures D. Quispe Orozco: None. K. Limaye: None. C. Zevallos Mau: None. A. Mendez Ruiz: None. S. Abdelkarim: None. S. Ansari: None. A. Mendez Ruiz: None. M. Farooqui: None. S. Dandapat: None. E. Samaniego: None. S. Ortega Gutierrez: 2; C; Medtronic, Stryker.
Coupled electromagnetic thermal and kinetic modeling for microwave processing of polymers with temperature- and cure-dependent permittivity using 3D FEM

This paper presents a self-consistent 3D marching-in-time multiphysics model, which includes electromagnetic field distribution, microwave power absorption, heat transfer, and polymer curing kinetics. Temperature- and cure-dependent permittivity and curing kinetics for DGEBA/DDS based on experimental data are explicitly included in the model. An edge- based finite element method (FEM) is implemented for the electromagnetic model, whereas node-based FEM is used in the heat transfer model. The numerical results can be used to determine the time-dependent temperature distribution and curing profile across the polymer sample, as well as the electromagnetic field distribution within the cavity applicator. The numerical results are compared with the measured data and a good agreement is achieved.
Radiomic analysis of magnetic resonance fingerprinting in adult brain tumors

This is a radiomics study investigating the ability of texture analysis of MRF maps to improve differentiation between intra-axial adult brain tumors and to predict survival in the glioblastoma cohort. Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) acquisition was performed on 31 patients across 3 groups: 17 glioblastomas, 6 low-grade gliomas, and 8 metastases. Using regions of interest for the solid tumor and peritumoral white matter on T1 and T2 maps, second-order texture features were calculated from gray-level co-occurrence matrices and gray-level run length matrices. Selected features were compared across the three tumor groups using Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed for each feature. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis with log rank tests. Low-grade gliomas and glioblastomas had significantly higher run percentage, run entropy, and information measure of correlation 1 on T1 than metastases (p < 0.017). The best separation of all three tumor types was seen utilizing inverse difference normalized and homogeneity values for peritumoral white matter in both T1 and T2 maps (p < 0.017). In solid tumor T2 maps, lower values in entropy and higher values of maximum probability and high-gray run emphasis were associated with longer survival in glioblastoma patients (p < 0.05). Several texture features were associated with longer survival in glioblastoma patients on peritumoral white matter T1 maps (p < 0.05). Texture analysis of MRF-derived maps can improve our ability to differentiate common adult brain tumors by characterizing tumor heterogeneity, and may have a role in predicting outcomes in patients with glioblastoma.
Fgf8 genetic labeling reveals the early specification of vestibular hair cell type in mouse utricle.

FGF8 signaling plays diverse roles in inner ear development, acting at multiple stages from otic placode induction to cellular differentiation in the organ of Corti. As a secreted morphogen with diverse functions, Fgf8 expression is likely to be spatially restricted and temporally dynamic throughout inner ear development. We evaluated these characteristics using genetic labeling mediated by Fgf8mcm gene-targeted mice and determined that Fgf8 expression is a specific and early marker of Type-I vestibular hair cell identity. Fgf8mcm expression initiates at E11.5 in the future striolar region of the utricle, labeling hair cells following EdU birthdating, and demonstrates that sub-type identity is determined shortly after terminal mitosis. This early fate specification is not apparent using markers or morphological criteria that are not present before birth in the mouse. While analyses of Fgf8 conditional knockout mice did not reveal developmental phenotypes, the restricted pattern of Fgf8 expression suggests that functionally redundant FGF ligands may contribute to vestibular hair cell differentiation and supports a developmental model in which Type-I and Type-II hair cells develop in parallel rather than from an intermediate precursor.
Delineation of Apathy Subgroups in Parkinson's Disease: Differences in Clinical Presentation, Functional Ability, Health-related Quality of Life, and Caregiver Burden

Author(s): Eglit, Graham ML; Lopez, Francesca; Schiehser, Dawn M; Pirogovsky-Turk, Eva; Litvan, Irene; Lessig, Stephanie; Filoteo, J Vincent | Abstract: BackgroundApathy is a prevalent, multidimensional neuropsychiatric condition in Parkinson's disease (PD). Several authors have proposed apathy subtypes in PD, but no study has examined the classification of PD patients into distinct apathy subtypes, nor has any study examined the clinical utility of doing so.ObjectivesThe current study used a data-driven approach to explore the existence and associated clinical characteristics of apathy subtypes in PD.MethodThe Apathy Scale (AS) was administered to 157 non-demented individuals with PD. Participants were classified into apathy subgroups through cluster analysis. Differences among apathy subtypes on external clinical indicators were explored across apathy subgroups.ResultsIndividuals with PD were classified into three subgroups: a Non-Apathetic group with low levels of apathy symptoms, a Low Interest/Energy group, characterized by elevated symptoms of low interest/energy and minimal low initiation/emotional indifference symptoms, and a Low Initiation group, characterized by an absence of low interest/energy symptoms and elevated levels of low initiation/emotional indifference symptoms. Both Low Interest/Energy and Low Initiation groups exhibited worse depression, fatigue, anxiety, health-related quality of life, and caregiver burden than the Non-Apathetic subgroup. The Low Initiation group exhibited worse overall cognition, emotional well-being, state anxiety, communicative ability, and functional ability than the Low Interest/Energy group. Importantly, disease-related characteristics did not differ across apathy symptom subgroups.ConclusionsNon-demented PD patients can be separated into distinct apathy symptom subgroups, which are differentially associated with important clinical variables. Apathy subgroup membership may reflect disruption to different neural systems independent of disease progression.
Acute kidney injury caused by ammonium acid urate crystals in diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus

Summary Ammonium acid urate (AAU) crystals are rare in industrialized countries. Furthermore, the number of children with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) who develop severe acute kidney injury (AKI) after hospitalization is small. We encountered two patients with AKI caused by AAU crystals during the recovery phase of DKA upon admission. They were diagnosed with severe DKA and hyperuricemia. Their urine volume decreased and AKI developed several days after hospitalization; however, acidosis improved in both patients. Urine sediment analysis revealed AAU crystals. They were treated with urine alkalization and diuretics. Excretion of ammonia in the urine and urine pH levels increased after treatment of DKA, which resulted in the formation of AAU crystals. In patients with severe DKA, the urine and urine sediment should be carefully examined as AAU can form in the recovery phase of DKA. Learning points Ammonium acid urate crystals could be formed in the recovery phase of diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis patients may develop acute kidney injury caused by ammonium acid urate crystals. Urine and urine sediment should be carefully checked in patients with severe DKA who present with hyperuricemia and volume depletion.
Differentiation of neurons in subnucleus caudalis of the nucleus of the spinal tract of V in human and rabbit embryos.

Publisher Summary This chapter talks about the differentiation of neurons in subnucleus caudalis of the nucleus of the spinal tract of v in human and rabbit. The mammalian spinal trigeminal nuclear complex that serves as the terminus of fibers of the spinal tract of the trigeminal nerve can be subdivided into three subdivisions. These are subnucleus caudalis, subnucleus interpolaris, and subnucleus rostralis. Subnucleus caudalis in the human adult and older human fetus is composed of three parts: pars marginalis, pars gelatinosa and pars magnocellularis. The morphology of each of these is similar to comparable parts of the dorsal horn gray. The differentiation of the cells of subnucleus caudalis of the spinal trigeminal nuclear complex is studied in human embryos of 6.5 to 8 weeks of menstrual age and in rabbit embryos of 13 to 16 days of copulation age. The human embryos were prepared with cresyl violet and protargol silver methods. The rabbit embryos were sectioned in a cryostat and stained with thionin, by the Feulgen method and for acid phosphatase and succinate dehydrogenase activity.
A turbulence-based model for the primary breakup of pressure atomized liquid jets

The primary objective of this study was to investigate and validate a predictive, turbulence based primary breakup model. The ESE model is based on a modeled evolution of the turbulent energy spectrum, and is sufficiently general that it may be applied to a broad range of pressure-atomized spray processes, such as those found in agricultural irrigation, industrial coating, automotive fuel injection, and others. In this study, the governing equations are derived and applied to diesel sprays to address a lack of predictive primary breakup models in literature. Tests are performed to demonstrate that the ESE model is numerically converged and has well-behaved model constants. Drop-size distributions are generated for the dense liquid region and compared with experimental and DNS results obtained from literature. Finally, it is proposed that the ESE model be coupled to an aerodynamically-based secondary breakup model to improve predictive capability under real „diesel-like‟ conditions.
Metabolic dynamics in the human red cell: Part II—Interactions with the environment

The maintenance of human red cell volume under multitude of trying physiological conditions is a self regulated dynamic process. Theoretical and experimental studies on red cell osmotic states have been primarily focussed on three different interdependent areas: the permeative properties of the red cell membrane, the kinetic studies of transmembrane fluxes of various ionic and nonionic chemical constituents of the red cell and plasma, and the ideal and non-ideal thermodynamic formulation of the osmotic states. The primary objective of this work is to provide a general model that converges the above mentioned components of the red cell and its environment under one umbrella. Such a model facilitates the simultaneous interpretation and prediction of quantitative changes in the red cell volume, pH, Donnan ratios, osmotic effects, plasma volume, transmembrane fluxes, and permeable and impermeable solute concentration.
A 20 Msample/s switched-capacitor finite impulse response filter in 2 /spl mu/m CMOS

Describes a 4-tap transposed FIR filter with a modified structure that uses a combination of 2b and 3b capacitor arrays to implement nearly 5b programmability in each coefficient. It is fully-differential, occupies an active area of 11.8mm/sup 2/ in a 2-/spl mu/m CMOS technology, and dissipates a power of 45mW, about a factor of four less than a comparable direct-form FIR filter.
AN APPARENT ADAPTIVE NOTCH FILTER FOR THRUST VECTOR CONTROL

This paper describes a time-invariant hydraulic actuator which, when used to control the thrust vector of a rocket engine, reveals the property of an adaptive tracking notch filter. This apparent adaptive notch filter tracks the structural resonant mode of the thrust engine and prevents it from being excited by the command signal.
Tahiti Beyond the Postcard: Power, Place, and Everyday Life

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Miriam Kahn Year: 2011 Pages: 288 Publisher: University of Washington Press ISBN: 9780295991023 (soft cover).
Intelligent computing and sensing for active safety on construction sites

On obstacle-cluttered construction sites where heavy equipment is in use, safety issues are of major concern. The main objective of this paper is to develop a framework with algorithms for obstacle avoidance and path planning based on real-time three-dimensional job site models to improve safety during equipment operation. These algorithms have the potential to prevent collisions between heavy equipment vehicles and other on-site objects. In this study, algorithms were developed for image data acquisition, real-time 3D spatial modeling, obstacle avoidance, and shortest path finding and were all integrated to construct a comprehensive collision-free path. Preliminary research results show that the proposed approach is feasible and has the potential to be used as an active safety feature for heavy equipment.
Bureaucratic Rules, Supervisor Behavior, and the Effect on Salaries in the Federal Government

There is much evidence suggesting that federal white-collar workers enjoy a relatively privileged position within the American labor force. For example, recent examinations of the federal labor force have reported three separate, but related results. First, econometric investigations have found that federal workers are paid more than their counterparts in the private sector, that they have high retirement benefits, and that there are queues for most federal positions (Smith, 1977; Venti; Gyourko and Tracy; Ippolito; Krueger).' Second, studies by oversight agencies report more rapid promotion of federal white-collar workers than those in the private sector (U.S. Classification Task Force, 1981:16, 17, 106). This promotion practice has led to a concentration of federal employees at higher occupational levels than in private firms (U.S. Congressional Budget Office, 1984:9-12). Third, an analysis of the link between agency growth and white-collar salaries indicates that federal employ-
A comparison of the usability and effectiveness of web-based delivery of instructions for inherently-3D construction tasks on handheld and desktop computers

Since its inception, VRML has held out the promise of initiating a quantum leap in web deliverable content and applications. However, the promise has yet to be realized. In this paper, we consider the problem of the web-based delivery of instructions for inherently-3D construction tasks. We describe a presentation that we built using VRML and discuss a comparative study of the effectiveness of the presentation when viewed using both a traditional desktop environment and also a handheld PDA. The study was both quantitative and qualitative and examined the effect of the user interface and delivery technology on overall task success, user interaction level, and task success for inherently 3D steps.
An empirical analysis of neural network memory structures for basin water quality forecasting

Abstract This research investigates the cumulative multi-period forecast accuracy of a diverse set of potential forecasting models for basin water quality management. The models are characterized by their short-term (memory by delay or memory by feedback) and long-term (linear or nonlinear) memory structures. The experiments are conducted as a series of forecast cycles, with a rolling origin of a constant fit size. The models are recalibrated with each cycle, and out-of-sample forecasts are generated for a five-period forecast horizon. The results confirm that the JENN and GMNN neural network models are generally more accurate than competitors for cumulative multi-period basin water quality prediction. For example, the JENN and GMNN models reduce the cumulative five-period forecast errors by as much as 50%, relative to exponential smoothing and ARIMA models. These findings are significant in view of the increasing social and economic consequences of basin water quality management, and have the potential for extention to other scientific, medical, and business applications where multi-period predictions of nonlinear time series are critical.
Effects of long-term nerve growth factor deprivation on the nervous system of the adult rat: an experimental autoimmune approach.

Abstract Adult rats immunized with 2.5S mouse nerve growth factor (NGF) produced antibodies which cross-reacted with rat NGF. By the criterion of ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by Sephadex G-200 chromatography, all serum anti-NGF activity was retained in the IgG fraction. Animals which developed and maintained chronic (5–6 months) serum titers of anti-NGF demonstrated a pronounced biochemical and morphological atrophy of the superior cervical ganglion which was accompanied by a 35–40% reduction in neuronal number. Norepinephrine was reduced by approximately 90% in heart and brown fat. The extent of biochemical atrophy correlated well with serum titers of anti-NGF. No effects were observed on the short adrenergic neurons of the vas deferens, adrenal medullary chromaffin cells, central adrenergic neurons, or peripheral sensory neurons. These results strongly suggest that mature peripheral sympathetic neurons remain dependent on NGF for survival as well as for maintenance.
The effects of a cross-cultural simulation game on participants' personal characteristics

A review of the literature in simulations and games revealed a lack of research in the area of the effects of simulations on personal characteristics of participants. Seventy-six undergraduates participated in the BaFa BaPa cross-cultural simulation. Intolerance for Ambiguity and Dogmatism were used as the dependent variables with pre and post measures run as repeated measures in the data analysis. Levels of creative ability, grade point average and sex were used as independent variables. A three-way analysis of variance over the shift in dogmatism scores yielded a significant effect for creative ability across time (pre-post). Likewise, a three-way analysis of variance over the shift in tolerance for ambiguity scores revealed significant interaction of creative ability x sex across time (pre-post).