cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 96: Aberrations in the Sonic Hedgehog/Notch Signaling Pathway in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Objectives: The molecular mechanisms leading to the development of Adnominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) remain poorly understood. Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs) are fundamental to maintaining a healthy arterial wall and changes in VSMC phenotype may be pivotal to aneurysm development. We have recently determined a role for a Hedgehog (Hh)/Notch signaling cascade in regulating adult VSMC phenotype. The aim of this study was to investigate Hh/Notch signaling components in aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal aorta. As crosstalk between Notch and Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGFβ) has been postulated we also investigated expression of this growth factor. Methods: Tissue samples were obtained from aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal segments of the aortic wall of at least 5 patients with suitable anatomy undergoing open repair of infrarenal AAA. All samples analyzed were paired from the same patient with aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal specimens. Protein and mRNA expression levels were determined by western blot analysis and quantitative Real-time PCR respectively. Results: SHh, Notch 1 and 3 IC protein expression was decreased by at least 50% in aneurysmal tissue when compared to non-aneurysmal tissue. In addition, SHh mRNA expression was also decreased by 65%, while there was a decrease in Dll4, Notch 1 and Notch 3 by 66%, 57% and 54% respectively. In contrast, aneurysmal tissue had significantly increased expression of TGFβ and MMP9. TGFB protein and mRNA expression was significantly increased by 5.45±2.13 and 2.5±.2 fold respectively in aneurysmal tissue when compared to non-aneurysmal tissue. Furthermore, MMP9 mRNA expression was significantly increased by 4.7±1.6 fold. In parallel experiments, SMC alpha actin protein expression was significantly decreased by 90% in aneurysmal tissue when compared to non-aneurysmal tissue. Conclusion: These results suggest that SHH/Notch and TGFβ signaling is altered in aneurysmal tissue, compared with non-aneurysmal tissue. Changes in these signaling pathways and resulting changes in VSMC phenotype may play a role in the development of AAA.
Self-Supporting Nanoclay as Internal Scaffold Material for Direct Printing of Soft Hydrogel Composite Structures in Air

Three dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology enables the freeform fabrication of complex constructs from various hydrogels and is receiving increasing attention in tissue engineering. The objective of this study is to develop a novel self-supporting direct hydrogel printing approach to extrude complex 3D hydrogel composite structures in air without the help of a support bath. Laponite, a member of the smectite mineral family, is investigated to serve as an internal scaffold material for the direct printing of hydrogel composite structures in air. In the proposed printing approach, due to its yield-stress property, Laponite nanoclay can be easily extruded through a nozzle as a liquid and self-supported after extrusion as a solid. Its unique crystal structure with positive and negative charges enables it to be mixed with many chemically and physically cross-linked hydrogels, which makes it an ideal internal scaffold material for the fabrication of various hydrogel structures. By mixing Laponite nanoclay wi...
4.9 Microstructural Design of Metal Matrix Composites for High Temperature Strength and Superplastic Behavior by Strain Mismatch

Composite materials generally obtain their properties by mixing the best attributes of their base constituents. This sometimes breaks down when considering the strength of metal matrix composites. Strength is derived by inhibiting the motion of dislocations in a continuous metal phase by obstacles. The obstacles may be particles themselves, or a dislocation network or substructure, stabilized by the particles. In these ways, particles in a metal matrix composite can be potent strengthens, and work in a manner that does not obey a typical rule of mixtures. Particles also often have very different coefficients of thermal expansion and compressibilities than the metal matrix. Upon a temperature or pressure change this can produce shear distortion in the metal matrix. This can cause dislocation emission, motion or local plastic deformation. This chapter deals first with the strengthening of metal matrix composites by particles, second it considers how strain mismatch can decrease strength in an unusual manner. Specifically, the composite may approach superplastic behavior. Design approaches are provided that can be used for both improved strength and improved processability by accessing both strengthening and mismatch enhanced plasticity.
The Bhargava-Adiga Summation and Partitions

The Bhargava-Adiga summation rivals the 1 ψ 1 -summation of Ramanujan in elegance. This paper is devoted to two applications in the theory of integer partitions leading to partition questions related to Gauss's celebrated three triangle theorem.
Hybrid Systems for Failure Diagnosis

Optimization as well as heuristics can be used as a basis for decision support systems for failure diagnosis and repair. The object of this paper is to discuss the desirability and the characteristics of hybrid decision support systems, designed to operate in three different modes either on the basis of probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) models, or on the basis of heuristics, or in a simple information mode, according to the nature of the failures and the decision circumstances. This paper presents first an overview of the capabilities of current approaches to failure diagnosis (in particular, their treatments of uncertainty) and a discussion of the basic issues in the diagnosis and repair of complex systems. The argument then focuses on a PRA-based method for the optimization of inspection and repair procedures when the objective is “minimum repair” (restoring the system to an operational mode under time or resource constraints) and on the inclusion of this analytical model in an extended expert system, partly model-based and partly rule-based. This method is illustrated by the case of a hypothetical discrete engineering system.
Disasters Through the Lens of Disparities: Elevate Community Resilience as an Essential Public Health Service.

An editorial is presented which addresses the author's views about health disparities in relation to natural disasters and public health services in America, and it mentions several other articles which appear in the same issue of the journal and deal with topics such as the vulnerability of communities to disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina, Irma, and Harvey in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Self-preparedness, community resilience, and disaster management are assessed.
Strategies for forestry success: Examples from the early years of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association

Founded in 1886, the Pennsylvania Forestry Association (PFA) worked tirelessly to awaken the state government and people to the dangers of forest destruction. In its journal, Forest Leaves, the PFA advocated forest conservation and wise utilization of resources. It also educated the public about forest science. The article describes some of the successful conservation strategies derived from the first 20 years of Forest Leaves.
Defining the molecular signatures of human right heart failure.

Abstract Aims Right ventricular failure (RVF) varies significantly from the more common left ventricular failure (LVF). This study was undertaken to determine potential molecular pathways that are important in human right ventricular (RV) function and may mediate RVF. Materials and methods We analyzed mRNA of human non-failing LV and RV samples and RVF samples from patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and post-LVAD implantation. We then performed transcript analysis to determine differential expression of genes in the human heart samples. Immunoblot quantification was performed followed by analysis of non-failing and failing phenotypes. Key findings Inflammatory pathways were more commonly dysregulated in RV tissue (both non-failing and failing phenotypes). In non-failing human RV tissue we found important differences in expression of FIGF, TRAPPAC, and CTGF suggesting that regulation of normal RV and LV function are not the same. In failing RV tissue, FBN2, CTGF, SMOC2, and TRAPP6AC were differentially expressed, and are potential targets for further study. Significance This work provides some of the first analyses of the molecular heterogeneity between human RV and LV tissue, as well as key differences in human disease (RVF secondary to pulmonary hypertension and LVAD mediated RVF). Our transcriptional data indicated that inflammatory pathways may be more important in RV tissue, and changes in FIGF and CTGF supported this hypothesis. In PAH RV failure samples, upregulation of FBN2 and CTGF further reinforced the potential significance that altered remodeling and inflammation play in normal RV function and failure.
Neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessment of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

Abstract Introduction Freezing of gait (FOG) is a disabling phenomenon characterized by a brief, episodic absence or reduction of forward progression of the feet despite the intention to walk. It is a common cause of falls and mortality in cases with Parkinson's disease (PD). This article reviews neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies to date and introduces a new study of multimodal imaging and cognition in PD-FOG. Methods A comprehensive literature search identified studies using neuropsychological evaluation and/or neuroimaging to evaluate PD-FOG. Results Several studies have evaluated PD-FOG, but few have combined neuropsychological and comprehensive neuroimaging and none longitudinally. Discussion A study using a combined approach longitudinally evaluating cognitive dysfunction and underlying neural networks in FOG is needed. We introduce the framework of a study which demonstrates the use of establishing an infrastructure for studying neurodegenerative disorders using the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of General Medical Science Center of Biomedical Research Excellence grant mechanism.
Integration of a radar sensor into a sense-and-avoid payload for small UAS

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are swiftly becoming a large sector for research and development. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has set forth many regulations that UAS must comply with before they are able to be integrated into the National Airspace System (NAS). Among these regulations is for all UAS to have an ability analogous to a human pilot's ability to “see-and-avoid.” This system must be capable of detecting both large and small obstacles, such as terrain and intruding aircraft. A Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) algorithm is currently in development at the University of North Dakota (UND) in order to comply with these regulations. However, while this DAA algorithm is capable of detecting and avoiding cooperative targets through an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system, UAS are also required to detect and avoid uncooperative obstacles. This paper describes a proof-of-concept solution to this problem by integrating a small RADAR into UND's current DAA algorithm.
Intravenous corticosteroids : Adverse reactions are more variable than expected in children

Objective: To determine the frequency and severity of adverse reactions associated with high dose intermittent intravenous corticosteroids (IVCS) in children with rheumatic disease. Methods: Prospective documentation of adverse reactions associated with IVCS given to 213 pediatric rheumatology patients over a 4 year period. Results. Forty-six of the 213 children (22%) reported an adverse reaction. The 46 patients received 2622 doses of IVCS. Twenty-one patients (10% of all patients studied) had behavioral changes, including altered mood (14), hyperactivity (4), psychosis (2). disorientation (1), and sleep disturbances (3). Nonbehavioral adverse reactions included headache (5.2%), abdominal complaints (4.7%), pruritus (4.2%), vomiting (3.8%), hives (2.3%), hypertension (2.3%), bone pain (1.5%), dizziness (1.5%), fatigue (1%), lethargy (1%), hypotension (1%), tachycardia (1%), hyperglycemia (1%), fracture (1%), tremor (0.5%), anaphylaxis (0.5%), ulcer (0.5%), and gray appearance' (0.5%). Using chi-squared analysis, there were no statistical differences in ethnicity (p = 0.54) or diagnosis (p = 0.46) between patient groups, with or without adverse reactions. There was a significant statistical association between history of drug induced cutaneous reaction and adverse reactions to IVCS (p < 0.01). Conclusion. IVCS are associated with a spectrum of adverse reactions in children with rheumatic disease, of which volatile behavior is the most frequent. Children with a history of drug induced cutaneous reaction are more likely to have an adverse reaction to IVCS.
Spatial Resolution and Minimum Detectability

Often, when you do X-ray microanalysis of thin foils, you are seeking information that is close to the limits of spatial resolution. Before you carry out any such microanalysis you need to understand the various controlling factors, which we explain in this chapter. Minimizing your specimen thickness is perhaps the most critical aspect of obtaining the best spatial resolution, so we summarize the various ways you can measure your foil thickness at the analysis point.
Preventing juvenile sexual offending through parental monitoring: a comparison study of youth’s experiences of supervision

The parental monitoring literature has long observed a link between parental monitoring and juvenile antisocial behaviour. This study extends this line of research to juveniles who commit sexual ab...
A Quest for Optimization of Postoperative Triage After Major Surgery.

Abstract Introduction: Innovative strategies to reduce costs while maintaining patient satisfaction and improving delivery of care are greatly needed in the setting of rapidly rising health care ex...
Occult bowel injury after blunt abdominal trauma.

Abstract Background Following blunt abdominal trauma, bowel injuries are often missed on admission computed tomography (CT) scan. Methods Multicenter retrospective analysis of 176 adults with moderate-critical blunt abdominal trauma and admission CT scan who underwent operative exploration. Patients with a bowel injury missed on CT (n = 36, 20%) were compared to all other patients (n = 140, 80%). Results The missed injury group had greater incidence free fluid without solid organ injury on CT scan (44% vs. 25%, p = 0.038) and visceral adhesions (28% vs. 6%, p = 0.001). Independent predictors of missed bowel injury included prior abdominal inflammation (OR 3.74, 95% CI 1.37–10.18), CT evidence of free fluid in the absence of solid organ injury (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.03–5.19) and intraoperative identification of visceral adhesions (OR 4.46, 95% CI 1.52–13.13). Conclusions Patients with visceral adhesive disease and indirect evidence of bowel injury on CT scan were more likely to have occult bowel injury.
Sidewall Effects on Exact Reynolds-Stress Budgets in an Impinging Shock Wave/Boundary Layer Interaction

Large-eddy simulations are performed using wall-resolved mesh for a Mach 2.29 impinging shock wave/boundary-layer interaction. Flow conditions are based on an experiment and therefore entire span was simulated, including the two sidewalls. Mean flow comparison with the experimental data showed that the interaction was larger in the simulation. Time-series analysis of a rake of pressure probes immediately downstream of the mean reflected shock position showed a peak in weighted power spectral density occurred about $St_{Lint}=0.01$, owing to a larger interaction length. Budgets of Reynolds-stress transport calculated across the span and along the corner bisector showed high degree of anisotropy. Merging of the secondary flows and separation along the corner gives rise to unstablecounter rotating vortices, which straddle the corner and grow in size. This also leads to a development of new behavior in the viscous sublayer along the corner bisector, where the pressure strain andmolecular diffusion mechanisms become prominent.
Impact of Microbiological Organism Type on Surgically Managed Endocarditis

Background This study describes the impact of organism and valve type on surgically managed infective endocarditis (IE) from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database. We developed a risk model for surgically managed endocarditis that includes the microbiological organism. Methods The STS database was queried for adult patients with surgically managed endocarditis from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2016. Outcomes were compared based on (1) causative microbiological organism, (2) valve type (native vs prosthetic), and (3) endocarditis on the right (tricuspid) vs left (mitral, aortic) sides. Univariate and risk adjusted models were developed with odds ratios for mortality for each organism type referenced against Streptococcus. Results The study population included 21,388 operations (93%) for left-sided IE and 1698 (7%) for right-sided IE. Streptococcus (28%) and Staphylococcus (27%) were the most common infecting organisms, followed by Enterococcus (11%). After multivariate adjustment, microbiological organism type was significantly associated with operative mortality for patients with left-sided endocarditis, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.9 for fungal, 1.4 for Staphylococcus, and 1.3 for culture-negative vs Streptococcus. For right-sided endocarditis, there were no differences in outcomes by organism type. Left-sided prosthetic valve endocarditis had a higher operative mortality than left-sided native valve endocarditis (12% vs 8%, P Conclusions Organism type influences the operative mortality for left-sided endocarditis. Surgery for left-sided and prosthetic valve endocarditis is associated with higher operative mortality. Risk adjustment for operative outcomes in endocarditis may need to account for microbiological organism type.
Professor Smith Goes to Washington: Educational Interest Group Lobbying, 1998–2017:

Congressional lobbying by education-related interest groups is an understudied subject in education research. This brief uses congressional lobbying expenditure data from 1998 to 2017 to examine tr...
Approaching Far Lateral Disc Herniations: The MIS Perspective

Lumbar disc disease is a common pathology seen by spine surgeons. Far lateral disc herniations represent a rare cause of lumbar disc compression syndromes. Patients often present with a severe pain, numbness, and sometimes weakness. Various conservative treatment modalities are available. As compared with traditional open techniques, minimally invasive approaches can better treat the pathology while minimizing collateral damage. This chapter reviews the presentation of far lateral disc herniations and emphasizes the surgical nuances to the minimally invasive approach.
Association of Extracellular Vesicle Protein Cargo with Race and Clinical Markers of Mortality

Differential mortality rates remain a significant health disparity in the United States, suggesting the need to investigate novel potential molecular markers associated with mortality. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, microvesicles and apoptotic bodies, are lipid-bound vesicles secreted by cells into the circulation. EVs mediate intercellular communication by shuttling functional signaling molecules as cargo. EV characteristics by race in the context of mortality risk factors have not been described. We isolated plasma EVs from a cross-sectional cohort of African Americans (AA) and whites and found no significant differences in EV size, distribution or concentration between race or by sex. However, EV cargo showed increased levels of phospho-p53, total p53, cleaved caspase 3, ERK1/2 and phospho-AKT in white individuals compared to AAs. phospho-IGF-1R levels were significantly higher in females compared to males. EV concentration was significantly associated with several clinical mortality risk factors: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), alkaline phosphatase, body mass index, waist circumference and pulse pressure. The association of EV proteins with mortality markers were dependent on race. These data suggest that EV cargo can differ by race and sex and is associated with mortality risk factors.
The influence of normative misperceptions on alcohol-related problems among school-age adolescents in the U.S

Adolescents usually overestimate their peers’ alcohol use, and these misperceptions affect adolescents’ own alcohol-related behaviors. Using a nationally representative dataset of U.S. adolescents in grades seven to twelve, we estimate the effect of misperception about friends’ alcohol use on adolescents’ alcohol consumption behaviors and alcohol-related problems. Overestimation of friends’ alcohol use significantly increases the likelihood of all alcohol consumption behaviors and all alcohol-related problems approximately one year later. The influence of misperceptions of friends’ drinking is significantly larger for male adolescents than for female adolescents in the cases of heavy drinking, vomiting after drinking, and drunk driving.
A density functional theory study of the vibrational spectra of aluminate sodalite, |M8X2|[Al12O24]-SOD (M=Ca, Cd, Sr; X=CrO4, MoO4, S, SO4, Se, SeO3, Te, TeO3)

Abstract We investigate the structural properties and vibrational (i.e., infrared and Raman) spectra of calcium, strontium, and cadmium aluminate sodalites with different extra-framework cations and anions using density functional theory. The anions studied in this work are CrO 4 2 - , MoO 4 2 - , Se 2 - , SeO 3 2 − , S 2 − , SO 4 2 − , Te 2 − , and TeO 3 2 − . The results are in good agreement with experiment both for structural and vibrational properties for compositions for which such properties are known from experiment. Results from DFT show that the cell parameters are a function of ionic radius as well as the number of atoms present in the structure. In addition, there is a direct correlation between the cell parameters and the frequency of Al − O − Al vibrational modes. As the cell parameter increases, the asymmetric stretching modes shift to higher wavenumbers, whereas the symmetric modes (both stretching and bending) experience a shift to lower wavenumbers.
Population And The Environment: A Bibliography

Evaluation of sources which focus on the importance of world population growth, one of the major ecological issues.
The Medium Is the Method

Chapter 4, “The Medium Is the Method,” discusses how participatory research and design with young people present methodological challenges that, when met, help build capacities for critiquing and engaging dominant modes of knowledge production. The practical matters of interviewing research “participants” and the subsequent institutional shift to working with the Youth Design Research Collective (YDRC) as research “personnel” for the MyDF Project are unpacked and analyzed in the context of their broader role as research subjects in proprietary ecologies. This chapter concludes by arguing that critical research and design interventions with and within digital platforms can help young people interrogate the on-demand and data-driven promises of informational capitalism as well as surface structural inequities that span global and intimate scales.
Application of a dynamic inventory policy to spare parts subject to age replacement

Development of inventory policy for spare parts subject to age replacement has previously been studied using (s, S) type ordering policies. When age replacement causes a large percentage of spare part demand to result from scheduled replacement rather than random failure, this policy fails to take advantage of the presumably known schedule of planned replacement times. This paper uses simulation analysis to characterise the conditions under which a dynamic ordering policy such as Wagner-Whitin produces significant cost reductions relative to (s, S), by virtue of taking the planned replacement times into account. A modification to the basic Wagner-Whitin method is introduced to address the issue of overly frequent, small order quantities when the demand pattern is dominated by random failures. Simulation results demonstrate the Wagner-Whitin algorithm significantly outperforms the (s, S) policy when a sufficient percentage of demand is due to scheduled replacement. The modified Wagner-Whitin policy outperforms the (s, S) policy under any mixture of planned replacement and random failure spare parts demand.
Heuristics and sensitivity analyses to guide replenishment decisions for red blood cells with random transfer

Abstract While the transfer of blood is common in practice, research addressing replenishment strategies in the context of random or unscheduled transfers is scarce and the few papers that consider ordering policies with multiple independent sources of supply offer mathematically complex solution approaches that are difficult to implement in practice. There are no simple heuristic approaches to guide ordering decisions in these situations. In this paper, we introduce two near-optimal heuristics to guide replenishment decisions for the fixed lifetime perishable inventory problem with random transfers. Much like the traditional base stock policy, the heuristics are straightforward to calculate and implement. The first heuristic (H1) employs a base stock policy using the convolution of demand and transfer distributions. The second heuristic (H2) employs a transfer adjusted base stock policy. We validate our heuristics using inventory-related cost components (i.e., order, holding, wastage, and underage costs) and demand and transfer distributions based on data provided by a large university medical center. Via simulation, we evaluate the performance of the heuristics by comparing the total costs obtained using each heuristic to the total costs obtained using the optimal ordering policy. Both heuristics perform quite well. We conduct a variety of sensitivity analyses considering the effects of different (1) levels of holding and stockout costs, as these costs are difficult to quantify and can vary dramatically, and (2) percentile transfer adjustments in H2. We observe that the H1 policy consistently results in slightly larger orders than the optimal policy, which leads to a slightly higher inventory, holding costs and wastage rates, yet slightly lower stockout costs. The H2 policy, on the other hand, consistently results in slightly smaller orders than the optimal policy, which leads to a slightly smaller inventory, lower holding costs and wastage rates, yet slightly higher stockout costs. To guide decision making, we discuss a number of management challenges that we encountered as part of this project and offer a five-step process to help decision makers with replenishment decisions.
Validation of antibodies: Lessons learned from the Common Fund Protein Capture Reagents Program.

Large-scale generation of protein capture reagents remains a technical challenge, but their generation is just the beginning. Validation is a critical, iterative process that yields different resul...
AVA: an applet for visualizing FRACTRAN and other automata

In this paper we present the design and features of the Automaton Visualization Applet (AVA). AVA is a tool for creating and editing graphs and automata which provides a friendly user interface. The applet supports finite automata, pushdown automata, Turing machines, and a model based on fractions called Fractran, of which we give an overview. AVA allows the user to perform the actions of the various machines, e.g. testing input strings to see if they are accepted. The applet also supports importing and exporting graphs using eXtensible Graph Markup and Modeling Language[4] (XGMML), an XML language for describing graphs.
New technique for open placement of paddle-type spinal cord stimulator electrode in presence of epidural scar tissue.

Objectives The objective of this study is to present a novel surgical technique for safe placement of paddle-type spinal cord stimulation (SCS) electrode in the presence of epidural scar tissue. Materials and Methods We developed a new surgical technique for placement of paddle-type SCS electrode in presence of epidural scar tissue when conventional placement methods had failed. The technique involves creating a laminotomy trough to provide an adequate window for dissection of scar tissue to ensure safe placement of the electrode. We have applied this technique in eight patients. Results Safe placement of SCS electrode was achieved in all eight patients without any complications. All electrodes were placed between T8 and T10 levels, and we were able to place the electrodes in the midline and achieve adequate coverage in all cases. Conclusion SCS is a widely accepted treatment modality for chronic neuropathic pain. Placement of paddle electrode can be challenging, usually because of the presence of epidural scar tissue. There have been reported cases of spinal cord injury related to paddle electrode placement. We present a novel technique that allows for safe placement of a paddle-type SCS electrode in more challenging surgical circumstances, including the presence of epidural scar tissue.
From Westminster System to Proportional Representation: The Dynamics of the Gender Gap in Political Involvement in New Zealand

We advance the argument that electoral institutions shape inequalities in political involvement. We expect electoral rules and the more proportional outcomes they produce to have stronger effects for women’s political participation as compared to men’s. New Zealand’s wholesale change in electoral system offers a ‘natural experiment’ to trace the dynamics of political involvement pre- and post- electoral reform. We examine differences between men’s and women’s political involvement before and after the electoral reform, using surveys from the New Zealand Election Study (NZES) from 1990 to 2008. We find that the gender gap in political interest and campaign contributions has shrunk significantly since the adoption of MMP in New Zealand. Changes in the other indicators of political involvement have been less dramatic, but gender gaps in these areas were minimal even prior to the electoral reform. We also show that parties have contacted women more than men since the adoption of MMP, underscoring the importance of party mobilization as the link between the reform and women’s greater political involvement.
Screening for the lupus anticoagulant

The lupus anticoagulant may be defined as an immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM or both) which interferes with one or more of the in vitro phospholipid-dependent tests of coagulation. For many years, lupus anticoagulants were regarded as a laboratory nuisance; consequently, reagents were often selected on the basis of insensitivity to lupus anticoagulants. Recently, lupus anticoagulants have been associated with a variety of clinical conditions including recurrent thromboembolic events (both arterial and venous), obstetrical complications including fetal death and spontaneous abortion, and a variety of hematologic and neurologic complications. As a result, many laboratories are now being asked to identify the presence of lupus anticoagulants in selected patient populations. In addition to assays for lupus anticoagulants, there are immunologic assays designed to detect phospholipid antibodies using solid phase systems (RIA or ELISA). A variety of screening tests have been designed to enhance sensitivity to lupus anticoagulants. Test systems with decreased amounts of phospholipid (phosphatidylserine) appear to be most sensitive to lupus anticoagulants. Of the various tests used, the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) appears to be most sensitive. The sensitivity of any screening test system is inversely proportional to the residual platelets in the patient sample. APTT reagents differ widely in their sensitivity to lupus anticoagulants. The dilute Russell viper venom time is also highly dependent on the choice and concentration of phospholipid with respect to its sensitivity. Once an abnormality of a screening test has been identified, it is necessary to prove the abnormal result is due to the presence of an inhibitor. This step in the diagnosis may utilize either mixing studies or plasma agarose gels. The final step in the diagnosis of lupus anticoagulants is the demonstration of phospholipid specificity of the inhibitor. Two approaches have been utilized: 1. test systems designed to enhance anticoagulant effect (phospholipid-depleted), and 2. test systems with increased or altered phospholipids which will bypass or neutralize the anticoagulant.
Photoacoustic and thermoacoustic tomography: Image formation principles

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), also known as thermoacoustic or optoacoustic tomography, is a rapidly emerging imaging technique that holds great promise for biomedical imaging. PAT is a hybrid imaging technique, and can be viewed either as an ultrasound mediated electromagnetic modality or an ultrasound modality that exploits electromagnetic-enhanced image contrast. In this chapter, we provide a review of the underlying imaging physics and contrast mechanisms in PAT. Additionally, the imaging models that relate the measured photoacoustic wavefields to the sought-after optical absorption distribution are described in their continuous and discrete forms. The basic principles of image reconstruction from discrete measurement data are presented, which includes a review of methods for modeling the measurement system response.
Irrelevant features and the subset selection problem

We address the problem of finding a subset of features that allows a supervised induction algorithm to induce small high-accuracy concepts. We examine notions of relevance and irrelevance, and show that the definitions used in the machine learning literature do not adequately partition the features into useful categories of relevance. We present definitions for irrelevance and for two degrees of relevance. These definitions improve our understanding of the behavior of previous subset selection algorithms, and help define the subset of features that should be sought. The features selected should depend not only on the features and the target concept, but also on the induction algorithm. We describe a method for feature subset selection using cross-validation that is applicable to any induction algorithm, and discuss experiments conducted with ID3 and C4.5 on artificial and real datasets.
Porous Silicon Electrical and Optical Biosensors

Porous silicon (PSi) is a form of silicon with unique properties, distinct from those of crystalline, microcrystalline, or amorphous silicon. It was first prepared in 1956 [1] and much later it was identified as etched silicon [2]. The most common fabrication technique to produce PSi is electrochemical etching of a crystalline silicon wafer in a hydrofluoric (HF) acid-based solution [3]. The electrochemical process allows for precise control of the structural properties of PSi such as thickness of the porous layer, porosity, and average pore diameter. The morphology of PSi is important for sensing applications because the pore diameter limits the size of the species that can be captured. PSi can be prepared with a wide range of optical and electrical properties which makes it a very flexible material. The internal surface of PSi is very large, ranging from a few to hundreds of square meters per gram [4]. Therefore, the properties of PSi are affected not only by its crystalline core and nanomorphology but also by its surface. In addition, the properties of the crystalline core differ from those of bulk c-Si, when the size of the silicon structures drops below 10 nm, a size regime in which quantum mechanical effects modify its electronic states [5, 6].
Decidability results for well-structured transition systems with auxiliary storage

We consider the problem of verifying the safety of wellstructured transition systems (WSTS) with auxiliary storage. WSTSs with storage are automata that have (possibly) infinitely many control states along with an auxiliary store, but which have a well-quasiordering on the set of control states. The set of reachable configurations of the automaton may themselves not be well-quasi-ordered because of the presence of the extra store. We consider the coverability problem for such systems, which asks if it is possible to reach a control state (with some store value) that covers some given control state. Our main result shows that if control state reachability is decidable for automata with some store and finitely many control states then the coverability problem can be decided for WSTSs (with infinitely many control states) and the same store, provided the ordering on the control states has some special property. The special property we require is defined in terms of the existence of a ranking function compatible with the transition relation. We then show that there are several classes of infinite state systems that can be viewed as WSTSs with an auxiliary storage. These observations can then be used to both reestablish old decidability results, as well as discover new ones.
Use of a Vacuum‐Clipper for Harvesting Herbage

A vacuum—clipper for harvesting low—growing herbage is described. Some litter and soil are picked up by this device when harvesting herbage, and equations were developed to predict net herbage weight from gross herbage weight. About 90% of the variation in net herbage weight accounted for by variations in gross herbage weight under good conditions. The vacuum—clipper increased the speed of fieldwork up to tenfold under difficult working conditions on winter range. The influence was determined off relative variations of clipping time in the field and variations in laboratory separation time upon the optimum ratio of plots clipped to plots separated. In this study, the optimum ratio of plots clipped to plots clipped and separated varied from five to eight.
Risk factor assessment for problematic use of opioids for chronic pain.

Opioid analgesics provide effective treatment for noncancer pain, but many health providers have concerns about cognitive effects, tolerance, dependence, and addiction. Misuse of opioids is prominent in patients with chronic pain and early recognition of misuse risk could help providers offer adequate patient care while implementing appropriate levels of monitoring to reduce aberrant drug-related behaviors. Many persons with chronic pain also have significant medical and psychiatric comorbidities that affect treatment decisions. Neuropsychologists can play an important role in the identification of psychological and social dysfunction and in matching personal characteristics to effective interventions as part of a multidisciplinary approach to pain management. The assessment of different domains using semi-structured interviews, sensory and neuropsychological testing, and standardized self-report measures permits identification of somatosensory, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and social issues in order...
A simplified numerical algorithm for oxygen- and nitrate-based biodegradation of hydrocarbons using Monod expressions

Abstract Bioremediation has become an important remediation technology during the past few years. However, limited understanding of processes, data limitations and parameter uncertainty, and computationally intensive numerical solutions have reduced the interest to perform detailed field-scale modeling, especially with non-linear Monod expressions. In this paper, the focus was computational efficiency where a simplified numerical algorithm was developed to solve the non-linear reactions between the hydrocarbon, oxygen, nitrate, and a heterotrophic facultative microbial population. The numerical algorithm was presented using a commonly adapted conceptual model of reaction kinetics between different species with multi-term Monod expressions. The accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm were tested with an iterative solution using the Runge–Kutta method. Simulation results obtained from reaction only and one-dimensional advection–dispersion-reaction transport examples showed good accuracy while maintaining numerical stability. In general, the accuracy increased with contaminant concentrations relatively higher than the corresponding half-saturation constant. Also, the simplified algorithm is found to be much more computationally efficient than the iterative technique. The gain in computational efficiency was at least threefold and this gain increased with the increase of time step. Future work will explore the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed simplified algorithm with field-scale scenarios related to intrinsic and enhanced bioremediation.
Solid-state 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of plasma-facilitated NOx reduction catalysts

Aluminum coordination distribution for alumina catalysts supported on mesoporous silica was examined. It was shown that aluminum coordination correlates to activity of the catalysts for plasma-enhanced, selective catalytic reduction of NO, with propene. Catalysts were prepared by incorporating aluminum onto the surface of a mesoporous silica support via three different post-synthesis routes to produce varying aluminum coordination. Aluminum trichloride, sodium aluminate, and aluminum isopropoxide precursors were examined. High-resolution, solid state 2 7 Al nuclear magnetic resonance was used to determine aluminum coordination distributions for the resulting catalysts. Unsaturated aluminum sites (i.e., structural defects) correlated with increased activity at high temperatures while tetrahedrally-coordinated aluminum or BrOnsted acid sites correlated with activity at low temperatures.
Enforcing similarity constraints with integer programming for better scene text recognition

The recognition of text in everyday scenes is made difficult by viewing conditions, unusual fonts, and lack of linguistic context. Most methods integrate a priori appearance information and some sort of hard or soft constraint on the allowable strings. Weinman and Learned-Miller [14] showed that the similarity among characters, as a supplement to the appearance of the characters with respect to a model, could be used to improve scene text recognition. In this work, we make further improvements to scene text recognition by taking a novel approach to the incorporation of similarity. In particular, we train a similarity expert that learns to classify each pair of characters as equivalent or not. After removing logical inconsistencies in an equivalence graph, we formulate the search for the maximum likelihood interpretation of a sign as an integer program. We incorporate the equivalence information as constraints in the integer program and build an optimization criterion out of appearance features and character bigrams. Finally, we take the optimal solution from the integer program, and compare all “nearby” solutions using a probability model for strings derived from search engine queries. We demonstrate word error reductions of more than 30% relative to previous methods on the same data set.
Effect of age on the ability to recover from a single unexpected underfoot perturbation during gait: Kinematic responses

A B S T R A C T A sudden underfoot perturbation can present a serious threat to balance during gait, but little is known about how humans recover from such perturbations or whether their response is affected by age. We tested the hypothesis that age would not affect the stepping responses to a nominal 10 degree inversion or eversion of the stance foot during gait. Twenty-three healthy young (22.7 � 3.35 yrs) and 18 healthy old adults (68.0 � 7.19 yrs) performed 60 walking trials along a 6-m level walkway at a normal gait speed. In 16 of these trials, a single medial (MP) or lateral (LP) perturbation was randomly administered once under the left or right foot. Recovery step width (SW), step length (SL), trunk kinematics and walking speed were measured optoelectronically. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and post hoc t-tests were used to test the hypotheses. The results show that a MP or LP altered the recovery SL (p = 0.005) and age affected the number of recovery steps (p = 0.017), as well as the first recovery SW and SL (p = 0.013 and p = 0.031, respectively). Both MP and LP caused young adults to have wider SW (p < 0.02) and shorter SL (p < 0.005) without changing trunk movement during their first recovery step. Older adults, however, significantly changed lateral trunk inclination during the first recovery step, decreased their fourth recovery SL (p < 0.001). We conclude that young adults adjust the step kinematics of as many as four recovery steps following this perturbation, a response that was delayed and significantly weaker in older adults who instead exhibited an immediate torso inclination consistent with a hip response strategy.
Public policy model for the indoor radon problem

A model is developed that predicts the shift in distributions of indoor radon concentrations and potential risk reduction resulting from a program of homeowner sampling and remediation in a region. Indoor radon concentrations for a region are represented by a lognormal distribution. Discrete choice functions are used to describe the likelihood of homeowner sampling and remediation. The parameters of these functions are related to government policies for public information and radon risk management. A closed-form equation is derived for the shifted probability distribution function of radon, and this distribution is integrated over the lung cancer dose-response function to estimate the modified population risk in the region. Application of the model is illustrated using radon data from the Reading Prong region in Eastern Pennsylvania and the state of Washington.
Deterministic diffusion generated by a chaotic map.

We describe one-dimensional discrete difFusive motion that is driven by a purely deterministic system, the logistic map. We find normal diffusive motion above a critical value k, of the chaotic parameter. At A, i, the diftusion constant D plays the role of an order parameter, with a critical exponent of 1/2. In the presence of external noise, D is expressed in terms of a universal scaling function and the critical exponent associated with the noise is found to be 1. We also consider biased di6'usive motion driven by the logistic map. We find that the di8'usion process thus generated is di6'erent from random biased di6'usion. In contrast to the case of the biased "random walker" where all configurations ("walks" ) are still possible, here certain configurations are not allowed. However, the statistical properties approach those for random biased di6'usion in the infinite time limit. We define a measure of the e6'ective randomness.
Introduction of the Streptococcus faecalis transposon Tn916 into Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis.

Abstract The conjugative Streptococcus faecalis transposon Tn916 was introduced into Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis by filter matings with S. faecalis. B. thuringiensis transconjugants resistant to tetracycline (Tetr) were detected at a frequency of approximately 7.0 × 10−7 per recipient cell during filter matings, whereas transfer of Tn916 was not observed in broth matings. The Tetr phenotype in subsp. israelensis was stable in the absence of antibiotic selection. Southern hybridization analysis revealed that Tn916 had inserted into several different sites on the B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis chromosome but insertion into plasmid DNA was not observed. Movement of Tn916 was demonstrated when Tetr B. thuringiensis transconjugants were mated with isogenic recipients. Southern hybridizations, however, showed that the resulting Tetr isolates contained Tn916 junction fragments that were nearly identical to the donor, suggesting that this movement resulted from transfer of chromosomal DNA from donor to recipient or from a fusion of mating cells, rather than conjugative transposition of the Tn element.