cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of circulating DNA levels in patients with benign or malignant gastrointestinal disease

Previous studies showed that patients with neoplasms of various types and origins have abnormally high concentration of DNA in their serum. The current work compares circulating DNA levels in patients with benign or malignant disease of the gastrointestinal tract and determines the diagnostic value of such measurements. DNA was quantitated by radioimmunoassay capable of detecting 25 ng/ml, and as a simple and noninvasive test, it could be a useful addition to other diagnostic procedures. The GI tract was chosen because it affords a comparison of benign, precancerous, and malignant lesions of the same organ. Of the 386 patients studied prospectively, 48% had benign disease and mean DNA levels (+/- SE) of 118 +/- 14 ng/ml, whereas 52% had malignant disease and 412 +/- 63 ng DNA/ml. The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). The DNA assay showed the highest sensitivity for pancreas carcinoma: 90% of the patients had DNA levels above 100 ng/ml, chosen as the upper normal limit. Simultaneous measurements of both DNA and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) resulted in increased sensitivity and specificity, even when either marker alone had low sensitivity (gastric carcinoma). The results indicate that serum DNA concentration is markedly elevated in malignancy, and moderately elevated in benign disease, as compared with normal controls. These findings may have diagnostic and prognostic value.
Energetic materials: variable-temperature crystal structures of γ- and ∊-HNIW polymorphs

Crystals of γ- and ∊-hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (γ- and ∊-HNIW, space group P21/n for both crystals) have been investigated in the 100–298 K temperature range using single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Temperature-dependent changes of their crystal lattices have been evaluated from the second-rank thermal expansion tensors. Both lattices undergo anisotropic thermal expansion, that of γ-HNIW being more anisotropic than that of the ∊ phase. Comparison with previously reported predictions from molecular dynamics calculations indicates significant differences. Although there are many short (less than van der Waals) intermolecular interactions in both polymorphs, there is no obvious relationship between the short distances and the difference in thermal expansion behavior. Non-linear temperature dependence of the atomic displacement parameters is indicative of anharmon­icity of the crystal mean field potential.
The Development of Gas Discharge Tubes

The paper is an historical review of the development of gas discharge tubes. The material is divided into five classifications based on discharge types, namely: 1) Ionization tubes, 2) Cold-cathode discharge tubes, 3) Hot-cathode arc discharge tubes, 4) Liquid metal arc tubes, and 5) Plasma tubes.
A Three-Dimensional Constitutive Model for the Dynamic Response of Rubber3

Abstract REFERENCE: Liu, M. and Hoo Fatt, M. S., "A Three-Dimensional Constitutive Model for the Dynamic Response of Rubber," Tire Science and Technology, TSTCA, Vol. 37, No. 4, October - December 2009, pp. 226-253. The development of a constitutive model to describe the dynamic response of a filled rubber compound is presented in this paper. A series of cyclic tension tests were done on the rubber compound with mean strains ranging from 0.2 to 0.5, strain amplitudes ranging from 0.05 to 0.2, and strain rates ranging from 0.1 to 10 s−1. The cyclic strain-controlled test results showed material rate dependence and hysteresis, and this motivated the development of a phenomenological-based, hyper-viscoelastic constitutive model. A Zener model, i.e., a spring in parallel with a Maxwell element, was assumed. The total stress was decomposed into a rate-independent equilibrium stress and a rate-dependent overstress. The springs were modeled as neo-Hookean, while the damper was defined by a nonlinear viscosity fu...
New directions for passenger demand analysis and forecasting

TRAVEL FORECASTING REQUIRES A PROCESS OF EQUILIBRATION BETWEEN SYSTEM PERFORMANCE FUNCTIONS (IN WHICH PERFORMANCE VARIES WITH TRIP VOLUME) AND DEMAND FUNCTIONS (IN WHICH TRIPMAKING VARIES WITH SYSTEM PERFORMANCE). THUS, TRAVEL DEMAND SHOULD BE RELATED IN A CAUSAL MODEL TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM VARIABLES, PERMITTING EXPLICIT EVALUATION OF TRANSPORTATION POLICY DECISIONS - INCLUDING THE EFFECT OF CHANGING SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF SERVICE OF PRICE. FIRST, BY CONSIDERING MORE FUNDAMENTAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS, A DEMAND MODEL IS DEVELOPED WHICH TREATS TRIP GENERATION, ATTRACTION, DISTRIBUTION, MODAL SPLIT AND ROUTE ASSIGNMENT SIMULTANEOUSLY, THEREBY AVOIDING MANY PROBLEMS OF TRADITIONAL METHODOLOGIES. THE MODEL ALSO CAN BE EXTENDED TO CHARACTERIZE THE HOUR-TO-HOUR CHANGES IN TRIP BEHAVIOR. SECOND, THE NATURE AND FORM OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE FUNCTIONS ARE EXPLORED, AND THE NECESSARY CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DEMAND AND PERFORMANCE FUNCTION SCALES AND UNITS IS NOTED. FINALLY, A SIMPLE FORECASTING MODEL IS PRESENTED FOR EQUILIBRATING CHARACTERISTICS OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE WITH THOSE OF TRAVEL DEMAND AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOURLY TRAFFIC VOLUMES AND TRAVEL TIME AND CONGESTION IS CONSIDERED. IN ADDITION, THE COMPLEXITIES AND IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF DEALING WITH MORE COMPREHENSIVE MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORT NETWORKS ARE OUTLINED. /TR/
Italian [z] and the converse of the archiphoneme

Abstract Discussion of the present phonemic status of [z] in standard Italian — on the border-line between significant and non-significant — and of the different ways of solving the problem of partial complementation.
Repeat sternotomy for surgical aortic valve replacement in octogenarian patients with aortic valve stenosis and previous coronary artery bypass graft operation: what is the operative risk?

Objectives There are limited data defining the risk of repeat sternotomy for surgical aortic valve replacement in octogenarian patients with aortic valve stenosis and previous coronary artery bypass graft operation. Our study assesses the risk of operation. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of 629 octogenarian patients with aortic stenosis who received isolated surgical aortic valve replacement between January 1993 and December 2011. Patient characteristics included age 83.7 ± 3.2 years, male sex in 322 patients (51.2%), and Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality of 6.2% ± 4.4%. Operations included a primary sternotomy in 518 patients (82.4%) and a repeat sternotomy in 111 patients (17.6%) who had previous coronary artery bypass graft operation. Patients with other cardiac operations were excluded from the study. Results Cardiopulmonary bypass time was longer with repeat sternotomy (88.0 ± 45.7 minutes) in comparison to primary sternotomy (66.5 ± 25.1; P P = .282). Stroke occurred in 3 patients (2.7%) following repeat sternotomy and in 10 (1.9%) after primary sternotomy ( P = .710). Rates of myocardial infarction, renal failure, and reoperation for bleeding were similar between the 2 groups. Operative mortality occurred in 7 patients (6.4%) after repeat sternotomy and in 19 patients (3.7%) following primary sternotomy ( P = .196). Repeat sternotomy was not predictive of operative mortality. Conclusions Repeat sternotomy and surgical aortic valve replacement can be done with low risk in octogenarian patients with previous coronary artery bypass graft operation.
Analysis Of Multiple Imagery At Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Image Processing Laboratory

During the past decade advanced techniques have been developed at JPL for processing large volumes of imagery returned by the more recent planetary spacecraft. In addition, the Image Processing Laboratory has become involved in the processing of earth resources imagery acquired by Landsat and a variety of other sensors flown on aircraft and spacecraft. The trend within the facility has been toward the development of technology capable of processing increasingly larger image data bases. A variety of applications in both the planetary and earth observations areas involve the merging and/or processing of more than one image and often require the correlation of data acquired by a variety of sensors.
Stress measurement of glow discharge produced a-Ge:H thin films and its relation to electronic and structural properties

Stress measurements are reported for thin films of a-Ge:H deposited under a large variety of conditions using glow discharge CVD. The stress is nonuniform with thickness, and, for films exhibiting high tensile stress, changes reversibly due to atmospheric contamination. Strong correlations are observed for stress with hydrogen content, structure, and photoresponse. In particular, higher photoresponse is observed for films with a higher compressive stress.
Familial Vesicoureteral Reflux: Influence of Sex on Prevalence and Expression

Purpose: Familial clustering of vesicoureteral reflux implies that genetic factors have an important role in the pathogenesis of vesicoureteral reflux. We investigated the impact of sex on familial vesicoureteral reflux.Materials and Methods: Between 1998 and 2003 we identified 159 white families with at least 2 children (range 2 to 5) with vesicoureteral reflux confirmed by a voiding cystourethrogram. Families were divided into 3 groups, including group 1 with only boys affected (29 or 18%), group 2 with only girls affected (57 or 36%) and group 3 with boys and girls affected (73 or 46%). Clinical characteristics, reflux grade and associated renal anomalies in these 3 groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests for statistical analysis.Results: Sisters of index female patients were at significantly higher risk for vesicoureteral reflux than brothers (p <0.01). Boys in group 1 had a significantly higher grade of vesicoureteral reflux than boys in group 3, and girls in groups 3 and 2...
Effect of different restriction enzymes, probe source, and probe length on detecting restriction fragment length polymorphism in tomato.

Since the construction and use of RFLP genetic maps depends on the ability of cloned sequences to detect polymorphism, we have attempted to determine conditions under which maximum levels of polymorphism can be detected. Forty cloned nuclear sequences from three different libraries (cDNA, EcoRI genomic, and Pstl genomic) were hybridized to total DNA from 149 plants representing eight species of the tomato genus Lycopersicon. Five different restriction enzymes were employed in this study. We examined the relationship between polymorphism (number of restriction patterns) and clone size, restriction enzyme, size of hybridizing restriction fragments, and clone source (library). We found no relationship between clone size (ranging from 0.4 to 5.3 kb) and polymorphism. There was a strong positive relationship (r 2 = 0.79) between polymorphism and the average size of the fragments produced by each restriction enzyme. cDNA clones hybridized to larger fragments compared to genomic clones. cDNAs also detected significantly more polymorphism (approximately 25% more) than genomic clones — possibly indicating high levels of sequence variability in introns and/or areas flanking coding regions.
Neural control of prolactin secretion in man

INTRODUCTION THE INTRODUCTION of reliable radioimmunoassay methods for measurement of prolactin (PRL) in human blood has made it possible to study the factors that regulate the secretion of this hormone and to demonstrate that PRL secretion is controlled by neural mechanisms. Although the only known physiological function of this hormone is the regulation of lactation, its occurrence in men as well as women, the marked changes in secretion brought about by stress (both physical and psychological) and the alterations associated. with sleep cycles suggest that prolactin may be important for other functions as well. It has long been recognized that the predominant effect of the brain on PRL secretion is inhibitory, mediated by one or more prolactin inhibitory factors (PIF). One ofthe known prolactin inhibitory factors is dopamine which is inhibitory when added to pituitaries in vitro as well as after administration to living animals including man. This substance has also been demonstrated in hypophysial-portal-blood, but its concentration has not been correlated with the state of PRL secretion. In addition, several laboratories have identified substances with PIF activity in hypothalamic extracts free of catecholamines, but the nature of this substance(s) is still unknown. More recently, a stimulatory pathway regulating PRL secretion which includes a serotonergic component and prolactin releasing factor (PRF) has been defined. Although TRH is a PRF, and indeed is as potent a stimulator of PRL as of TSH secretion, PRL and TSH levels, under many circumstances, are not altered concomitantly, thus indicating that TRH is not an important physiological regulator of PRL secretion. Moreover, evidence for the existence of PRF distinct from TRH is accumulating. Disturbances in PRL regulation are now among the most common clinical problems seen by the endocrinologist, and have been classified both by clinical aspects and also on the basis of the known pathophysiology of the conditions. The major categories are: (1) adenomas of the pituitary (both micro and macro), (2) hypothalamic disorder (either destructive or "dysfunctional"), (3) drug induced, (4) neurogenic and (b') secondary to hypothyroidism. The most difficult question observed clinically is to distinguish between "dysfunctional" hyperprolactinemia and that due to occult pituitary adenomas.
A void–crack nucleation model for ductile metals

Abstract A phenomenological void–crack nucleation model for ductile metals with secondphases is described which is motivated from fracture mechanics and microscale physicalobservations. The void–crack nucleation model is a function of the fracture toughness of theaggregate material, length scale parameter (taken to be the average size of the second phaseparticles in the examples shown in this writing) , the volume fraction of the second phase, strainlevel, and stress state. These parameters are varied to explore their effects upon the nucleationand damage rates. Examples of correlating the void–crack nucleation model to tension data in theliterature illustrate the utility of the model for several ductile metals. Furthermore, compression,tension, and torsion experiments on a cast Al–Si–Mg alloy were conducted to determinevoid–crack nucleation rates under different loading conditions. The nucleation model was thencorrelated to the cast Al–Si–Mg data as well.
Combining Roles as an Academic Instructor and a Clinical Practitioner in Occupational Therapy: Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies for Success

SUMMARYApproximately 28% of the total occupational therapy (OT) faculty in higher education are adjunct faculty members. Adjunct faculty (i.e., faculty who teach a course or part of a course) have been used in higher education to maintain quality educational experiences while providing positive community connections and educational resources with first-hand experience. In occupational therapy, practitioners often assume adjunct faculty responsibilities, thereby significantly increasing professional workloads. Despite added effort, there are several benefits to adjunct teaching. However, there are equally as many challenges.Objectives of this article were to describe rewards and challenges of adjunct teaching and suggest strategies for successfully negotiating adjunct roles. The article summarizes findings from needs assessments undertaken to develop adjunct faculty programs. Results are relevant to practitioners with both clinical and teaching roles, and to their supervisors and peers.
Cooperative transit tracking using smart-phones

Real-time transit tracking is gaining popularity as a means for transit agencies to improve the rider experience. However, many transit agencies lack either the funding or initiative to provide such tracking services. In this paper, we describe a crowd-sourced alternative to official transit tracking, which we call cooperative transit tracking.Participating users install an application on their smart-phone. With the help of built-in sensors, such as GPS, WiFi, and accelerometer, the application automatically detects when the user is riding in a transit vehicle. On these occasions (and only these), it sends periodic, anonymized, location updates to a central tracking server.Our technical contributions include (a) an accelerometer-based activity classification algorithm for determining whether or not the user is riding in a vehicle, (b) a memory and time-efficient route matching algorithm for determining whether the user is in a bus vs. another vehicle, (c) a method for tracking underground vehicles, and an evaluation of the above on real-world data.By simulating the Chicago transit network, we find that the proposed system would shorten expected wait times by 2 minutes with only 5% of transit riders using the system. At a 20% penetration level, the mean wait time is reduced from 9 to 3 minutes.
Reflection and Responsibility

This is a pre-print. The final version can be found in Philosophy and Public Affairs 42 no. 1 (Winter 2104): 3–41. Reflection and Responsibility Pamela Hieronymi hieronymi@ucla.edu November 19, 2013 A common line of thought claims that we are responsible for ourselves and our actions, while less sophisticated creatures are not, because we are, and they are not, self-aware. Our self-awareness is thought to provide us with a kind of control over ourselves that they lack: we can reflect upon ourselves, upon our thoughts and actions, and so ensure that they are as we would have them to be. Thus, our capacity for reflection provides us with the control over ourselves that grounds our responsibility. I will argue that this thought is subtly, but badly, confused. It uses, as its model for the control that grounds our responsibility, the kind of control we exercise over ordinary objects and over our own voluntary actions: we represent to ourselves what to do or how to change things, and then we bring about that which we represent. But, I argue, we cannot use this model to explain our responsibility for ourselves and our actions: if there is a question about why or how we are responsible for ourselves and our actions, it cannot be answered by appeal to a sophisticated, self- directed action. There must be some more fundamental account of how or why we are responsible. I will replace the usual account with a novel but natural view: responsible mental activity can be modeled, not as an ordinary action, but as the settling of a question. This shift will require abandoning the tempting but troublesome thought that responsible activity involves discretion and awareness—which, I argue, we must abandon in any case. 1. O VERVIEW : T HE C OMMON L INE OF T HOUGHT AND A R ESPONSE I begin by roughly sketching the common line of thought together with my response. We are, it seems, responsible for our intentional actions, if we are responsible for anything. Intentional action provides a kind of paradigm case of responsible activity. Intentional action also seems to involve, at least in its paradigm instances, a certain sort of “having in mind.” In the
Study of the critical heat flux condition with water and R-123 during flow boiling in microtubes. Part II – Comparison of data with correlations and establishment of a new subcooled CHF correlation

Abstract This study’s objective was to better understand the CHF condition in microchannels. The effect of different operating parameters – mass flux, inlet subcooling, exit quality, heated length and diameter – were assessed in detail in Part I of the study and compared to the behavior in conventional sized channels. Part II of the study compares the water and R-123 data with existing micro/macrochannel correlations. Existing correlations for predicting CHF in large-sized channels do not seem to be applicable to microchannels. This study has provided new subcooled CHF data for low mass fluxes and the earlier available subcooled boiling CHF correlation for microchannels (based on the data available for very high mass fluxes) is not suitable to predict such data. Based on the new subcooled CHF data, a correlation to predict CHF in low-flow subcooled boiling has been developed.
Monoclonal antibodies labeled with polymeric paramagnetic ion chelates

Polymeric paramagnetic ion chelate molecules were synthesized and covalently linked to monoclonal antibodies. The labeled antibodies retained their antigen binding capacity in vitro while carrying up to an average of 50 paramagnetic ion chelates, enabling specifically bound antibody concentrations less than 2.0 microM to significantly reduce proton longitudinal relaxation times.
Incidental Vocabulary Learning in Second Language Acquisition: A Literature Review

This literature review aims to analyze previous studies that address the incidental learning of vocabulary in second language acquisition. The articles included in this literature review look into the understanding of vocabulary learning through incidental means, the relationship of reading and incidental vocabulary learning, and the strategies and tasks that promote the incidental learning of vocabulary. The findings show that L2 learners develop much of their vocabulary by incidental means through exposure to words in informative contexts. Moreover, this exposure is promoted by reading, and enhanced through multimodal glosses. Further research may focus on listening for higher lexical retention rates, the circumstances that allow incidental learning of multi-word phrases and collocations, and the use of technology-based methods for incidental vocabulary acquisition.
Why Pick on Us? Environmental INGOs and State Shaming as a Strategic Substitute

Why do international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) ‘name and shame’ the countries that they do? Do they target states that provide domestic groups with political opportunities to collaborate with INGOs, or do they target states that repress domestic activism? Focusing on the case of the environment, we test the empirical validity of these competing hypotheses. We find that environmental INGOs target countries as a substitute for national political institutions that encourage domestic activism or a lack of environmental institutions. This is in contrast to a ‘strategic complementarity’ approach, where INGOs would target ‘easy’ countries in which domestic institutions would bolster the effectiveness of international shaming. Using a novel data set of environmental INGO shaming by over 2,000 organizations, we find support for the strategic substitution approach: INGOs shame autocratic regimes and those countries that lack environmental ministries. This article offers insight into the strategies that...
Sharpshooter X Wave: Correlation of an Electrical Penetration Graph Waveform with Xylem Penetration Supports a Hypothesized Mechanism for Xylella fastidiosa Inoculation

Electrical penetration graph (EPG) monitoring is the most rigorous means of observation and quantification of feeding by piercing-sucking arthropods. Previous EPG studies with aphids and leafhoppers have demonstrated that the X wave identifies when the stylets of these phloem fluid-ingesting insects make contact with their preferred plant vascular cell, phloem sieve elements. This article presents the first direct evidence of an X wave identifying ingestion from a xylem tracheary element by a xylem fluid-ingesting type of leafhopper Homalodisca liturata Ball (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae), whose waveforms are nearly identical to those of the glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar). We document consistent association of the sharpshooter X wave with salivary sheath termini in xylem, especially lignified secondary xylem cells, and absence of the X wave in the rare instance of ingestion from a nonxylem cell. The sharpshooter X wave is a complex, multicomponent waveform, composed of X wave-specific variants of waveform subtypes B1w (representing salivation), B1s (representing precibarial valve movement for tasting), types C1 (a new waveform type that may represent egestion) and C2 (a new designation for the waveform type representing ingestion/cibarial pumping). It is proposed that the sharpshooter X wave represents a blended suite of behaviors that function to 1) physically seal stylet tips into the cell via sheath salivation, 2) repeatedly taste then eject (egest) chemical constituents of the cell to determine acceptability, and 3) mechanically test the strength of the stylet seal via trial cibarial pumping (ingestion). It is further hypothesized that the X wave represents vector behaviors that control inoculation of the Pierce's disease bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa. The ingestion-(salivation and egestion) hypothesis is stated for the mechanism of transmission of X. fastidiosa.
SEQMINER: An R-Package to Facilitate the Functional Interpretation of Sequence-Based Associations

Next-generation sequencing has enabled the study of a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variants for their impact on various complex diseases. Numerous consortia studies of complex traits have publically released their summary association statistics, which have become an invaluable resource for learning the underlying biology, understanding the genetic architecture, and guiding clinical translations. There is great interest in the field in developing novel statistical methods for analyzing and interpreting results from these genotype-phenotype association studies. One popular platform for method development and data analysis is R. In order to enable these analyses in R, it is necessary to develop packages that can efficiently query files of summary association statistics, explore the linkage disequilibrium structure between variants, and integrate various bioinformatics databases. The complexity and scale of sequence datasets and databases pose significant computational challenges for method developers. To address these challenges and facilitate method development, we developed the R package SEQMINER for annotating and querying files of sequence variants (e.g., VCF/BCF files) and summary association statistics (e.g., METAL/RAREMETAL files), and for integrating bioinformatics databases. SEQMINER provides an infrastructure where novel methods can be distributed and applied to analyzing sequence datasets in practice. We illustrate the performance of SEQMINER using datasets from the 1000 Genomes Project. We show that SEQMINER is highly efficient and easy to use. It will greatly accelerate the process of applying statistical innovations to analyze and interpret sequence-based associations. The R package, its source code and documentations are available from http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/seqminer and http://seqminer.genomic.codes/.
Fusion and Fission: Interlinked Processes Critical for Mitochondrial Health

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that continually undergo fusion and fission. These opposing processes work in concert to maintain the shape, size, and number of mitochondria and their physiological function. Some of the major molecules mediating mitochondrial fusion and fission in mammals have been discovered, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are only partially unraveled. In particular, the cast of characters involved in mitochondrial fission needs to be clarified. By enabling content mixing between mitochondria, fusion and fission serve to maintain a homogeneous and healthy mitochondrial population. Mitochondrial dynamics has been linked to multiple mitochondrial functions, including mitochondrial DNA stability, respiratory capacity, apoptosis, response to cellular stress, and mitophagy. Because of these important functions, mitochondrial fusion and fission are essential in mammals, and even mild defects in mitochondrial dynamics are associated with disease. A better understanding of these processes likely will ultimately lead to improvements in human health.
Design of adaptive communication channel buffers for low-power area-efficient network-on-chip architecture

Network-on-Chip (NoC)architectures provide a scalable solution to the wire delay constraints in deep submicron VLSI designs. Recent research into the ptimization of NoC architectures has shown that the design of buffers in the NoC routers influences the power consumption, area overhead and performance of the entire network. In this paper, we propose a low-power area-efficient NoC architecture by reducing the number of router buffers. As a reduction in the number of buffers degrades the network's performance, we propose to use the existing repeaters along the inter-router links as adaptive channel buffers for storing data when required. We evaluate the proposed adaptive communication channel buffers under static and dynamic buffer allocation in 8 x 8 mesh and folded torus network topologies. Simulation results show that reducing the router buffer size in half and using the adaptive channel buffers reduces the buffer power by 40-52% and leads to a 17-20% savings in overall network power with a 50% reduction in router area. The design with dynamic buffer allocation shows a marginal 1-5% drop in performance, while static buffer allocation shows a 10-20% drop in performance, for various traffic patterns.
Coarse variables of autonomous ODE systems and their evolution

Abstract Given an autonomous system of ordinary differential equations (ODE), we consider developing practical models for the deterministic, slow/coarse behavior of the ODE system. Two types of coarse variables are considered. The first type consists of running finite time averages of phase functions. Approaches to construct the coarse evolution equation for this type are discussed and implemented on a ‘Forced’ Lorenz system and a singularly perturbed system whose fast flow does not necessarily converge to an equilibrium. We explore two strategies. In one, we compute (locally) invariant manifolds of the fast dynamics, parameterized by the slow variables. In the other, the choice of our coarse variables automatically guarantees them to be ‘slow’ in a precise sense. This allows their evolution to be phrased in terms of averaging utilizing limit measures (probability distributions) of the fast flow. Coarse evolution equations are constructed based on these approaches and tested against coarse response of the ‘microscopic’ models. The second type of coarse variables are defined as (non-trivial) scalar state functions that are required by design to evolve autonomously, to the extent possible, with the goal of being candidate state functions for unambiguously initializable coarse dynamics. The question motivates a mathematical restatement in terms of a first-order PDE. A computational approximation is developed and tested on the Lorenz system and the Hald Hamiltonian system.
Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology

Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology. Nancy Scheper-Hughes and Philippe Bourgois, eds. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers, 2004. 496 pp.
Effects of silica powder and cement type on durability of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC)

Abstract Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) achieves extraordinary strength characteristics through optimization of the particle packing density of the cementitious matrix. The dense matrix also promotes exceptional durability properties and is arguably the biggest benefit of the material. A durable concrete enables structures to last longer, reduces the cost of maintenance and helps achieve a significantly more sustainable infrastructure. To assess the durability of UHPC, the performance of several non-proprietary blends are investigated by assessing the materials' resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, ingress of chlorides as well as the presence and distribution of air voids. The main experimental variables are cement type and the quantity of silica powder, which varies from 0% to 25% of the cement weight. All mixes displayed negligible chloride ion penetration and high resistance to freeze-thaw with mass loss well below the limit in over 60 cycles of freeze-thaw. Analysis of the test data indicates that the silica powder content has little influence on performance.
What Will the Next Real Estate Cycle Look Like

Executive Summary. Commercial real estate markets recovered and hit a strong growth phase in the late 1990s providing investor's with strong income and appreciation growth. Following peak occupancy...
Human tympanic membrane: An ultrastructural observation

Submicroscopic details of the human tympanic membrane were studied utilizing a transmission electron microscope (T. E. M.) and a scanning electron microscope (S. E. M.) Three layers were distinctly recognized; outer epidermal, middle lamina propria and inner mucous layer. In pars flaccida, the middle lamina propria is formed of loose connective tissues with abundant elastic and collagen fibers. On the other hand, in the pars tensa, the middle lamina propria is formed of outer radial and inner circular fibers. Besides these two types of fibers, parabolic fibers were observed between the radial and circular fibers. The fibrils of the para tensa fibers are rectangular in cross-sectional view and are mixed with varying amounts of collagen fibrils. As in animals, the human pars flaccida was considerably thicker than the pars tensa, contrary to the popular concept that they are thinner.
Posttraumatic Stress after the 9/11 Attacks: An Examination of National, Local, and Special Population Studies

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001, have shattered assumptions of safety for many people living in the United States and abroad. Whether one was in New York, Washington DC, other parts of the country, or elsewhere in the world, the images of how the disaster unfolded and the subsequent rescue, recovery, and rebuilding efforts are apt to be easily recollected from memory. The events are still a part of our everyday experience, filtered through the resulting war on terrorism and subsequent threats and attacks in other parts of the world by terrorist groups.
Maternity Care Services Provided by Family Physicians in Rural Hospitals

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe how many rural family physicians (FPs) and other types of providers currently provide maternity care services, and the requirements to obtain privileges. Methods: Chief executive officers of rural hospitals were purposively sampled in 15 geographically diverse states with significant rural areas in 2013 to 2014. Questions were asked about the provision of maternity care services, the physicians who perform them, and qualifications required to obtain maternity care privileges. Analysis used descriptive statistics, with comparisons between the states, community rurality, and hospital size. Results: The overall response rate was 51.2% (437/854). Among all identified hospitals, 44.9% provided maternity care services, which varied considerably by state (range, 17–83%; P Conclusions: FPs continue to provide the majority of maternity care services in US rural hospitals, including cesarean deliveries. Some family medicine residencies should continue to train their residents to provide these services to keep replenishing this valuable workforce.
Facial eschar following a single application of black salve

A previously healthy 86-year-old male was transported by ambulance to the trauma bay of the emergency department (ED) for profuse bleeding from the left temple. The ambulance crew raised concern that the volume and force of the bleed may suggest arterial involvement. The patient reported having applied a natural topical remedy to a mole two weeks prior at the recommendation of a naturopath. The patient described progressive blackening and swelling of the area in the days following the single application of the product. After gaining control of the bleeding in the ED, the area was found to have a raised, 2 cm eschar.
Guilt and Shame: Environmental Message Framing Effects

The authors examine how two negative emotions—guilt and shame—influence responses to environmental ad messages framed as gains or losses. In Study 1, participants primed with guilt express higher i...
Defining fetal growth restriction: abdominal circumference as an alternative criterion

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if using abdominal circumference percentile (AC) to define fetal growth restriction (FGR) improves ultrasound at ≥36 weeks as a screening test for...
Probing the Unique Role of Gallium in Amorphous Oxide Semiconductors through Structure–Property Relationships

This study explores the unique role of Ga in amorphous (a-) InGaO oxide semiconductors through combined theory and experiment. It reveals substitutional effects that have not previously been attributed to Ga, and that are investigated by examining how Ga influences structure–property relationships in a series of pulsed laser deposited a-InGaO thin films. Element-specific structural studies (X-ray absorption and anomalous scattering) show good agreement with the results of ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. This structural knowledge is used to understand the results of air-annealing and Hall effect electrical measurements. The crystallization temperature of a-IO is shown to increase by as much as 325 °C on substituting Ga for In. This increased thermal stability is understood on the basis of the large changes in local structure that Ga undergoes, as compared to In, during crystallization. Hall measurements reveal an initial sharp drop in both carrier concentration and mobility with increasing Ga incorporation, which moderates at >20 at% Ga content. This decline in both the carrier concentration and mobility with increasing Ga is attributed to dilution of the charge-carrying InO matrix and to increased structural disorder. The latter effect saturates at high at% Ga.
Template-Based Parameterized Synthesis of Uniform Instruction-Level Abstractions for SoC Verification

Modern system-on-chip (SoC) designs comprise programmable cores, application-specific accelerators, and I/O devices. Accelerators are controlled by software/firmware and functionality is implemented by this combination of programmable cores, firmware, and accelerators. Verification of such SoCs is challenging, especially for system-level properties maintained by a combination of firmware and hardware. Attempting to formally verify the full SoC design with both firmware and hardware is not scalable, while separate verification can miss bugs. A general technique for scalable system-level verification is to construct an abstraction of SoC hardware and verify firmware/software using it. There are two challenges in applying this technique in practice. Constructing the abstraction to capture required details and interactions is error-prone and time-consuming. The second is ensuring abstraction correctness so that properties proven with it are valid. This paper introduces a methodology for SoC design and verification based on the synthesis of instruction-level abstractions (ILAs). The ILA is an abstraction of SoC hardware which models updates to firmware-visible state at the granularity of instructions. For hardware accelerators, the ILA is analogous to the instruction-set architecture definition for programmable processors and enables scalable verification of firmware interacting with hardware accelerators. To alleviate the disadvantages of manual construction of abstractions, we introduce two algorithms for synthesis of ILAs from partial description called templates. We then show how the ILA can be verified to be correct. We evaluate the methodology using a small SoC design consisting of the 8051 microcontroller and two cryptographic accelerators. The methodology uncovered 15 bugs.
Identifying Sentiment of Hookah-Related Posts on Twitter.

Background: The increasing popularity of hookah (or waterpipe) use in the United States and elsewhere has consequences for public health because it has similar health risks to that of combustible cigarettes. While hookah use rapidly increases in popularity, social media data (Twitter, Instagram) can be used to capture and describe the social and environmental contexts in which individuals use, perceive, discuss, and are marketed this tobacco product. These data may allow people to organically report on their sentiment toward tobacco products like hookah unprimed by a researcher, without instrument bias, and at low costs. Objective: This study describes the sentiment of hookah-related posts on Twitter and describes the importance of debiasing Twitter data when attempting to understand attitudes. Methods: Hookah-related posts on Twitter (N=986,320) were collected from March 24, 2015, to December 2, 2016. Machine learning models were used to describe sentiment on 20 different emotions and to debias the data so that Twitter posts reflected sentiment of legitimate human users and not of social bots or marketing-oriented accounts that would possibly provide overly positive or overly negative sentiment of hookah. Results: From the analytical sample, 352,116 tweets (59.50%) were classified as positive while 177,537 (30.00%) were classified as negative, and 62,139 (10.50%) neutral. Among all positive tweets, 218,312 (62.00%) were classified as highly positive emotions (eg, active, alert, excited, elated, happy, and pleasant), while 133,804 (38.00%) positive tweets were classified as passive positive emotions (eg, contented, serene, calm, relaxed, and subdued). Among all negative tweets, 95,870 (54.00%) were classified as subdued negative emotions (eg, sad, unhappy, depressed, and bored) while the remaining 81,667 (46.00%) negative tweets were classified as highly negative emotions (eg, tense, nervous, stressed, upset, and unpleasant). Sentiment changed drastically when comparing a corpus of tweets with social bots to one without. For example, the probability of any one tweet reflecting joy was 61.30% from the debiased (or bot free) corpus of tweets. In contrast, the probability of any one tweet reflecting joy was 16.40% from the biased corpus. Conclusions: Social media data provide researchers the ability to understand public sentiment and attitudes by listening to what people are saying in their own words. Tobacco control programmers in charge of risk communication may consider targeting individuals posting positive messages about hookah on Twitter or designing messages that amplify the negative sentiments. Posts on Twitter communicating positive sentiment toward hookah could add to the normalization of hookah use and is an area of future research. Findings from this study demonstrated the importance of debiasing data when attempting to understand attitudes from Twitter data. [JMIR Public Health Surveill 2017;3(4):e74]
Influence of a Heterocyclic Nitrogen-Donor Group on the Coordination of Trivalent Actinides and Lanthanides by Aminopolycarboxylate Complexants.

The novel metal chelator N-2-(pyridylmethyl)diethylenetriamine-N,N′,N″,N″-tetraacetic acid (DTTA-PyM) was designed to replace a single oxygen-donor acetate group of the well-known aminopolycarboxylate complexant diethylenetriamine-N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentaacetic acid (DTPA) with a nitrogen-donor 2-pyridylmethyl. Potentiometric, spectroscopic, computational, and radioisotope distribution methods show distinct differences for the 4f and 5f coordination environments and enhanced actinide binding due to the nitrogen-bearing heterocyclic moiety. The Am3+, Cm3+, and Ln3+ complexation studies for DTTA-PyM reveal an enhanced preference, relative to DTPA, for trivalent actinide binding. Fluorescence studies indicate no changes to the octadentate coordination of trivalent curium, while evidence of heptadentate complexation of trivalent europium is found in mixtures containing EuHL(aq) complexes at the same aqueous acidity. The denticity change observed for Eu3+ suggests that complex protonation occurs on the pyridyl nitro...
Efficient Jacobian Construction for Hyperspectral Wide-field Diffuse Optical Tomography via “Replay” Monte Carlo

“Replay” Monte Carlo provides a fast approach to build spatially and temporally resolved Jacobians for optical tomography. We successfully applied this method to reconstruct optically-thick tissue-like phantom data measured from a hyperspectral wide-field DOT system.
Chapter 51 Economic analysis of transfer programs targeted on people with disabilities

This chapter reviews the behavioral and redistributive effects of transfer programs targeted at working-age people with disabilities. While we primarily focus on the United States, we also include programs in the Federal Republic of Germany, The Netherlands, and Sweden. We look at how the economic well-being of people with disabilities varies across people and over time. We then present a brief history of Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs and review the evidence that attempts to explain their growth. We then review the literature on the labor supply behavior of people with disabilities and how that supply is affected by disability program characteristics. We end with a summary of our findings and a discussion of the major unresolved issues in the disability literature.
Cytoskeletal Defects in Avian Muscular Dystrophy

Since there is at present no effective form of chemotherapy available to humans affected with the major types of muscular dystrophy, hereditary and experimentally induced animal models have been extensively studied to gain information about beneficial effects of various pharmacological agents and to study nerve-muscle interactions with respect to structure and function. None of the animal models, however, is directly comparable to any of the human dystrophies, and analogies drawn between them can be very misleading. However, the genetically dystrophic chicken provides a convenient model for testing drugs that may be of benefit even though the primary lesions in these animals are unknown and their relevance to human muscular dystrophies is unclear. Despite these drawbacks, the dystrophic-chicken model is an especially promising system for the study of genetically inherited myopathies because the progressive developmental onset of the disease closely mimics the human form of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the areas of histological signs of muscle degeneration, muscle-enzyme leakage into blood, and progressive loss of functional ability. Because of the large number of similarities that the avian model of muscular dystrophy shares with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, chemotherapeutic trials in chickens can assess quantitative and qualitative parameters before clinical trials are initiated. In this chapter, both morphological and biochemical data will be presented to document a cyto-skeletal defect in avian muscular dystrophy. Isaxonine, a recently synthesized drug, retards the developmental pathological processes in the dystrophic chicken. It will be shown that by daily injection of this chemotherapeutic agent, the cytoskeletal defect in avian muscular dystrophy is corrected.
ONCOMODULIN IN HEALTH AND DISEASE

Publisher Summary This chapter outlines the fact that oncomodulin was been detected in any healthy adult human or rodent tissue; however, this Mr 11.7 kDa calcium-binding protein was located during development in extraembryonic structures but not in the fetus itself. In humans, oncomodulin is found in the cytotrophoblast of the villous placenta. In human neoplastic disease, oncomodulin can be detected in 75% of tumors tested, including tumors of bladder, brain, breast, cervix, colon, kidney, liver, lung, skin and uterus. This protein has never been detected in any normal tissue, even proliferating tissues such as fetal organs, or regenerating liver. In addition, benign proliferative diseased tissue, such as psoriatic skin, is also free of oncomodulin. The presence of oncomodulin during normal prenatal development, its absence in adult tissues and its reappearance following neoplastic transformation signpost oncomodulin to be an oncodevelopmental protein, such as hCG, alkaline phosphatase and α-fetoprotein. The availability of nucleic acid probes for oncomodulin make studies on the control of oncomodulin gene expression possible.
Estimating economic impacts of the US-South Korea free trade agreement

We analyze the economic impacts of the United States-South Korea Free Trade Agreement by applying the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) computable general equilibrium model to highly disaggregat...