cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Waveform scheduling via directed information in cognitive radar

The objective of waveform scheduling is to achieve maximal information extraction of the radar scene, which typically changes from one measurement to the next, by exploiting prior statistics and waveform diversity. In this paper waveform scheduling is addressed using information theoretic concepts. A pre-defined waveform library is assumed to be given, or designed a priori. To keep the analysis simple, we constrain ourselves to a library comprised of two waveforms scheduled over two consecutive time intervals. We propose selecting the waveforms to maximize the directed information, a metric not previously considered in this context, which directly incorporates the feedback present in the radar system. Analog and discrete models are discussed; the former allows for a spectral domain interpretation, whereas, the latter permits analogies to Bayesian error metrics.
A Computer-based Safety Assessment for Flight Evacuation: SAFE

The Safety Assessment for Flight Evacuation (SAFE) system has been developed for the computerized evaluation of safety in civil Emergency Medical Service (EMS) operations. The speed of the microprocessor used to analyze data allows many individual factors to be considered, as well as the interactions among those factors. SAFE's data base is structured as if-then conditional statements. SAFE also allows the most important of the factors to be given greater weight in the final score. The questionnaire filled by EMS crews encompassed mission-, crew-, organization-, environment-, and aircraft-related factors; each of these was subdivided into as many as eight variables affecting the EMS-mission risk of that factor.
Monosaccharide-based water-soluble fluorescent tags.

Monosaccharides are fluorescently labeled under microwave irradiation by N-(coumarin-3-carbonyl)benzotriazole 4. 1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-galactopyranose 9 gives 12 (90%), 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-d-glucose 10 gives 13 (89%), 2,3:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-mannofuranose 11 gives 14 (65%) (all by O-acylation) and 2,3,4,5-tetra-O-pivaloyl-β-d-galactopyranosylamine 15 gives 16 (60%) (by N-acylation). Similarly, the coumarin-containing activated lysine derivatives 7 and 8 afford the l-lysine-scaffold based coumarin labeled sugars 17, 18a,b, and 19 (67−85%) which, after removal of the diisopropylidene groups, provide water-soluble fluorescent derivatives.
Commentary on the Special Issue

At the outset, I must confess to being very enthusiastic about the line of research being presented. On a larger scale, I am very pleased to see experimental psychology as conducted by applied cognitive scientists focusing on principles of learning, memory, and cognition that have implications for classroom practice. At the same time, these principles, generally speaking, have been available to classroom teachers in one form or another for some time. The question that I keep asking myself is “what didn’t work before, what went wrong?” Why has there been no wide spread adoption of these learning principles by educational professionals? Prior to specific comments about individual contributions, I am going to take the liberty of engaging in some philosophical thoughts. First, I will comment on a couple of metaphors frequently employed by educators when making meaning about educational progress and reform. Second, I will recommend the consideration of “the correspondence principle” as described by Gibson (1994) as a means of facilitating communication among researchers and practitioners. Following comments on individual articles, I suggest the development of a model-based reasoning approach (Mislevy 2009), that should not only enhance the construct validity of the arguments presented, but enhance communication between basic researchers and educational professionals. Models, like metaphors, provide a common referent for communication and are a critical component in the conventionalization process.
A thermo-sensitive release system based on polymeric membrane for transdermal delivery of doxycycline HCl

Abstract A class of intelligent thermo-sensitive membranes was synthesized by immobilizing the thermo-sensitive polymeric gel, poly( N -isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAM) or PNIPAAM- co -2 mol% acrylic acid (AA) on the surface and inside the pores of a hydrophilized polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane, hereafter referred to as PNIPAAM-PVDF membrane or 2%AA-PVDF membrane, respectively. Such gel-modified membranes have drastically different permeation properties upon the volume-phase transition of the immobilized gel at its lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The permeability and flux of 2%AA-PVDF membrane at its LCST (33 °C) almost doubled compared to those at 32 °C for the agent doxycycline HCl partitioning from its solution/dispersion in light mineral oil in the donor reservoir bounded by the membrane. Further in vitro studies with a mouse skin mounted beneath the 2%AA-PVDF membrane demonstrated that its release can be switched on and off at the LCST of the gel. At 32 °C, there was no doxycycline HCl release through skin for 24 h, while at 33 °C, the ailing condition, 30 μg/cm 2 of doxycycline HCl was accumulated in the receptor through the skin after 24 h with the permeability and flux being very close to those from a regular PVDF/mouse skin composite. Since human skin temperature changes from 32 °C to 33 °C under certain feverish conditions, the gel-modified membranes can be exploited as a transdermal controlled-release system for treating fever symptoms. However, for smaller molecules such as caffeine, different configurations yielded almost the same permeation profiles.
Oral screening exam for the primary care physician

Abstract Oral diseases affect a majority of the U.S. population. Diseases such as dental caries and periodontal disease by their prevalence, and oral cancer by its mortality rate, have a great impact on the economic productivity and quality of life of the population. However, patients are frequently unaware of their dental disease until it reaches an advanced stage. Primary care physicians can assist in detecting dental disease by incorporating a simple, brief, noninvasive oral screening examination into the regular routine of preventive care. Such an exam requires a minimal amount of time and equipment and includes examination of eight areas of the oral cavity: the lips, labial mucosa, buccal mucosa, gingiva, teeth, tongue, floor of mouth, and palate. The examination procedure is described, along with variations of normal anatomy and frequently encountered oral lesions.
Determination of residual monomer in polymer latex by full evaporation headspace gas chromatography

Abstract This study demonstrated a full evaporation (FE) headspace gas chromatographic technique for the determination of residual monomer in methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymer latex. A very small amount (∼10–30 mg) of latex was added to a sealed headspace sample vial (20 ml). A near-complete monomer mass transfer from both liquid (aqueous phase) and solid phase (polymer particles) to the vapor phase (headspace) is achieved within 5 min at a temperature of 110 °C. The method eliminates sample pretreatment procedures such as the solvent extraction. Thus, it avoids the risk of polymer deposition on the GC system caused by a directly injection of extraction solvent in the conventional GC monomer analysis. The present method is simple, rapid, and accurate.
Echocardiography Allows Safer Venous Cannulation During Excision of Large Right Atrial Masses

Abstract Background . Excision of large right atrial masses requires bicaval cannulation and cardiopulmonary bypass. Safe venous cannulation can be accomplished only by knowing the exact intracavitary location and extension of the mass to avoid fragmentation. Transthoracic echocardiography and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography, although helpful, cannot always define the exact intracavitary relationships of the tumor. Methods . We have used both intraoperative transesophageal and epicardial echocardiography to guide venous cannulation in 4 patients with large right atrial masses. Both echo images are used by the surgeon to select the exact site and method of cannulation to avoid fragmentation of the mass. Epicardial echocardiography complemented the images obtained by transesophageal echocardiography. Results . The technique of combined transesophageal and epicardial echocardiography allowed safe venous cannulation in all 4 patients. Each of the right atrial masses was safely excised using case-specific cannulation techniques guided by the echocardiographic images. Conclusions . We propose the routine use of both intraoperative transesophageal and epicardial echocardiography in guiding venous cannulation for safe excision of large right atrial masses.
A multi user beamforming scheme for downlink MIMO channels based on maximizing signal-to-leakage ratios

Multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) wireless systems can provide a substantial gain in network downlink throughput by allowing multiple users to communicate in the same frequency and time slots. The challenge is to design transmit beamforming vectors for every user while limiting the co-channel interference (CCI) from other users. One approach is to perfectly cancel the CCI at every user, which requires a relatively large number of transmit antennas. In this paper, we consider an alternative approach based on maximizing the signal-to-leakage ratio (SLR) for designing transmit beamforming vectors in a multi-user system. One advantage of the proposed scheme is that it does not impose a restriction on the number of available transmit antennas; it also outperforms the conventional beamforming scheme.
Soot inception limits in laminar diffusion flames with application to oxy-fuel combustion

For diffusion flames, the combination of oxygen enrichment and fuel dilution results in an increase in the stoichiometric mixture fraction, Zst, and alters the flame structure, i.e., the relationship between the local temperature and the local gas composition. Increasing Zst has been shown to result in the reduction or even elimination of soot. In the present work, the effects of variable Zst on soot inception are investigated in normal and inverse coflow flames, using ethylene as the fuel. Use of the inverse coflow flame underscores the validity of these concepts, since the convective field in the inverse flame directs particles into the fuel-rich region. Sooting limits based on particle luminosity are measured as a function of Zst. The sooting limit is obtained by varying the amount of inert gas until soot appears above a predefined height. For each limit flame, the adiabatic flame temperature is calculated and the flame temperature at the half-height is measured. The flame temperature at the sooting limit is found to increase with Zst for both normal and inverse flames. The effects of residence time are also investigated, and the sooting limit inception temperature is found to be dependent on fuel stream velocity for both the normal and inverse configurations. A simple model applicable to oxy–fuel combustion is presented which describes how increasing Zst results in the reduction and ultimately elimination of soot. This model assumes that soot inception can only occur in a region where critical values for species, temperature, and residence time are met. The soot inception region is shown to be bounded by two isotherms: a low-temperature boundary that is a function of residence time, and a high-temperature boundary that corresponds to the location of a critical local carbon-to-oxygen ratio. The effect of increasing Zst is to move the boundaries of the soot inception zone towards each other, until the zone is infinitely thin and thus the sooting limit is reached. By comparing the model to experimental data, a critical local C/O ratio of 0.53 and a sooting limit inception temperature of 1640 K (for a characteristic residence time of 22 ms) were determined for ethylene.
High-Dose Versus Standard Chemotherapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer: Comparison of Cancer and Leukemia Group B Trials With Data From the Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry

PURPOSE: To assess survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) versus standard-dose chemotherapy (SDC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: SDC in four Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) trials was compared with hematopoietic stem-cell support in patients from the Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry. Cox proportional hazard regression incorporated potentially confounding effects. A total of 1,509 women were enrolled onto CALGB trials, and 1,188 women received HDC. No significant survival differences existed by CALGB trial or HDC regimen. Consideration was restricted to candidates for both SDC and HDC. The resulting sample included 635 SDC and 441 HDC patients. The outcome of interest was overall survival. RESULTS: The HDC group displayed better performance status. The SDC group had slightly better survival in first year after treatment. The HDC group had lower hazard of death from years 1 to 4 and had somewhat higher probability of 5-year survival (adjusted ...
The effect of diet on dorsal fin erosion in steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

A 2 × 2 factorial experiment of diet type (krill vs. fish meal) and steroid supplementation (0 vs. 30 μg 17α-methyltestosterone kg−) was conducted to determine the effects on dorsal fin erosion in steelhead trout. Triplicate tanks of 250 fry were fed one of the four diets at a rate calculated to produce 115 g fish in 34 weeks. Fish were transferred to larger tanks when mean density index reached 0.40. Dorsal fin index (DFI, measured as mean dorsal fin height × 100/total fish length) was greater (P < 0.001) among fish fed krill-based diets than for fish fed fish-based diets at weeks 12, 22, and 34 of the trial. Added testosterone decreased (P = 0.04) DPI among fish fed the krill diet at week 12 but otherwise had no effect on fin condition. Addition of testosterone to either diet type decreased (P = 0.02) critical thermal maximum, which is a measure of fish resistance to thermal stress. The results suggest that diet composition can influence the rate of dorsal fin erosion in steelhead trout through a metabolic, behavioral, or combined change.
Phenotypic similarity and differentiation among sympatric cryptic species in a freshwater amphipod species complex

SUMMARY 1. Cryptic species diversity poses evolutionary questions about its origin and maintenance, and ecological questions about the coexistence of seemingly identical species. 2. We examine patterns of morphological and life history differentiation in three sympatric cryptic species of freshwater amphipods within the Hyalella azteca species complex. These species are separated by extensive molecular evolution, but appear similar in phenotype. Species were collected from the littoral zone of a small kettle lake in Michigan, U.S.A., and identified to species by molecular genetic methods. 3. Two of the species were similar, differing only in female size, whereas the third was larger in body size and had larger clutches of smaller eggs than the other two. There were differences between the species also in pleon spine length and antennal segment number. 4. An analysis of allozyme variation among the cryptic species in three lakes suggests that the species are reproductively isolated within lakes. 5. We suggest that phenotypic similarity of these species is maintained by size-selective predation by fish. The small, but statistically significant, differences in body size may form the axis for a tradeoff between resource exploitation and predator avoidance, a condition that can foster coexistence of phenotypically similar species.
Valve-sparing neo-aortic root replacement after Fontan completion for hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Development of neo-aortic root dilatation is a well-known entity among patients with congenital heart defects in whom the native pulmonary root is placed in the systemic position. Patients undergoing a Norwood procedure constitute no exception. Valve-sparing aortic root replacement, a procedure commonly utilized to treat aortic root dilatation among patients with connective tissue disorders, can be an effective form of therapy for this condition.
International and Specialty Trends in the Use of Prophylactic Antibiotics to Prevent Infectious Complications after Insertion of External Ventricular Drainage Devices

Background External ventricular drains (EVD) are used as a method of diverting cerebral spinal fluid out of the cranium. After placement of these drains, it has been customary to initiate antibiotics to prevent drain-related infections. Prophylactic regimes include peri-operative and prolonged administration of antibiotics. Little evidence exists to support either regime. To determine current practices or to determine if an unintended consensus has developed, a survey was taken concerning antibiotic prophylaxis with EVD insertion.
MR Imaging of Urinary Tract Infections in Children

confirm its reliability; unfortunately, our results proved otherwise. We do not believe that the anatomic basis of the sign is at fault, but we suspect that in some patients it is difficult, if not impossible, to identify the uterine cavity line confidently. Until a well-designed, completely prospective study confirms the reliability of the intradecidual sign with transvaginal US, sonographers and sonologists should be aware of potential limitations of applying this sign in clinical practice.
Elastic source model of the North Mono eruption (1325–1368 A.D.) based on shoreline deformation

Topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) captures the permanent deformation of a prominent highstand of Mono Lake, California USA. Deformation of the Dechambeau Ranch highstand shoreline was measured using the elevation of the beach berm—shoreline bluff break-in-slope. Point source models and a boundary element dike model were used to approximate the source of deformation underneath the northern end of the Mono Craters. The point source model could not adequately explain the observed deformation. The dike model yielded the best results for a NW trending dike dipping 60° NE and inflated to widths greater than 60 m. The results suggest that the geometry of the source is more complex than a simple vertical dike and that the deformation is better explained with a dipping dike following a normal fault, or an elongated cryptodome.
Responses of Rhodes Grass and Overseeded Legumes to Nitrogen and Potash Fertilizers and to the Availability of Soil Potassium in Israel

Results are reported from experiments with nitrogen and potash fertilizers in irrigated Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana), into which annual winter legumes, e.g. berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) and vetch (Vicia sativa) were overseeded. The experiments were carried out over a three year period on a sandy loam soil at Bet Dagan Experimental Farm, Israel. Ammonium sulphate, applied in equal split rates of up to 384 lb N per acre, linearly increased dry matter yields of Rhodes grass, and the increase of yield proportionally increased the uptake of K by harvest. The K content of the dry matter decreased with increasing nitrogen fertilization to 0·47 per cent which, however, was still found sufficient for maintaining maximum production of Rhodes grass. The yield of annual winter legumes decreased proportionally to the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied during the summer. Acute potassium starvation was observed. An autumn application of potassium chloride restored dry matter production to normal levels. Availability of soil K, expressed in terms of energies of replacement [ΔF(− 1)], decreased proportionally to the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied. When ΔF reached approximately 4,250 cal/mol, overseeded legumes were K-deficient, whereas Rhodes grass at that value was still able to extinct sufficient K from the soil for normal growth.
Analysis of cat oocyte activation methods for the generation of feline disease models by nuclear transfer

Background Somatic cell nuclear transfer in cats offers a useful tool for the generation of valuable research models. However, low birth rates after nuclear transfer hamper exploitation of the full potential of the technology. Poor embryo development after activation of the reconstructed oocytes seems to be responsible, at least in part, for the low efficiency. The objective of this study was to characterize the response of cat oocytes to various stimuli in order to fine-tune existing and possibly develop new activation methods for the generation of cat disease models by somatic cell nuclear transfer.
A Nonparametric Asymptotic Analysis of Inventory Planning with Censored Demand

We study stochastic inventory planning with lost sales and instantaneous replenishment where, contrary to the classical inventory theory, knowledge of the demand distribution is not available. Furthermore, we observe only the sales quantity in each period and lost sales are unobservable, that is, demand data are censored. The manager must make an ordering decision in each period based only on historical sales data. Excess inventory is either perishable or carried over to the next period. In this setting, we propose nonparametric adaptive policies that generate ordering decisions over time. We show that the T-period average expected cost of our policy differs from the benchmark newsvendor cost---the minimum expected cost that would have incurred if the manager had known the underlying demand distribution---by at most O(1/T0.5).
Sediment yields from unit‐source semiarid watersheds at Walnut Gulch

[1] This study reports sediment yields from seven small (0.18–5.42 ha) watersheds in Southern Arizona measured from 1995 to 2005. Sediment concentrations and total event sediment yields were related to storm-runoff characteristics, and statistical relationships were developed to estimate sediment yields for events with missing data. Precipitation ranged from 263 to 298 mm yr−1, runoff ranged from 8.2 to 26.4 mm yr−1, and sediment yields ranged from 0.07 to 5.7 t ha−1 yr−1, with an areal average of 2.2 t ha−1 yr−1. For six of the seven watersheds, between 6 and 10 events produced 50% of the total sediment yields over the 11-year period. On the seventh watershed, two storms produced 66% of the sediment because of differences in the geomorphology and vegetation characteristics of that area. Differences between sediment yields from all watersheds were attributable to instrumentation, watershed morphology, degree of channel incision, and vegetation.
Inhibition of virus-induced cell fusion by apolipoprotein A-I and its amphipathic peptide analogs.

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the major protein component of serum high-density lipoproteins (HDL), was found to inhibit herpes simplex virus (HSV)-induced cell fusion at physiological (∼ 1 μM) concentrations, whereas HDL did not exert any inhibitory effect. Lipid-associating, synthetic amphipathic peptides corresponding to residues 1–33 (apoA-I[1–33]) or residues 66–120 (apoA-I[66–120]) of apoA-I, also inhibited HSV-induced cell fusion, whereas a peptide corresponding to residues 8–33 of apoA-I (apoA-I[8–33]), which fails to associate with lipids, did not exert any inhibitory effect. These results suggest that lipid binding may be a prerequisite for peptide-mediated fusion inhibition. Consistent with this idea, a series of lipid-binding 22-amino-acid-residue-long synthetic amphipathic peptides that correspond to the amphipathic helical domains of apoA-I (A-I consensus series), or 18-residue-long model amphipathic peptides (18A series), were found to exert variable levels of fusion-inhibitory activity. The extent of fusion-inhibitory activity did not correlate with hydrophobic moment, hydrophobicity of the nonpolar face, helix-forming ability, or lipid affinity of the different peptides. Peptides in which the nonpolar face was not interrupted by a charged residue displayed greater fusion-inhibitory activity. Also, the presence of positively charged residues at the polar-nonpolar interface was found to correlate with higher fusion-inhibitory activity.
Perchlorate exposure from food crops produced in the lower Colorado River region.

The Colorado River shows low levels of perchlorate derived from aerospace- and defense-related fuel industries once located near the Las Vegas Wash. At sufficiently high dosages perchlorate can disrupt thyroid function by inhibiting uptake of iodide. The Colorado River is the primary source of irrigation water for most food crops grown in Southern California and Southwestern Arizona. The objective of this study was to evaluate potential perchlorate exposure from food crops produced in the lower Colorado River region (LCRR). The major food commodities produced in the region were sampled and perchlorate levels were determined by ion chromatography followed by detection using either conductivity or tandem mass spectrometry, depending on analyte levels. The Monte Carlo module of the Dietary Exposure Evaluation Model (DEEMt) was used to derive an estimate of the 2-day average perchlorate intakes. Data were derived assuming that individuals residing in the LCRR get their fruits and vegetables from within the LCRR as well as from other areas in the United States, or assuming individuals living in the LCRR get their fruits and vegetables from the LCRR only. Perchlorate exposure estimates derived in this study are comparable to exploratory estimates by the US Food and Drug Administration. For infants and children, over 50% of the estimated perchlorate exposure was from milk. The relative impact of vegetables and fruit toward perchlorate exposure increased by age through adulthood. Cumulative perchlorate exposure estimates based on this hypothetical analysis could approach or exceed the NAS reference dose (RfD) for some population groups as drinking water levels exceeded 6mg/l. However, few individuals are exposed to perchlorate in drinking water at levels above 4mg/l in the United States and very few would be exposed to perchlorate levels exceeding the RfD, whether consuming food crops from within or outside the LCRR.
The Maximum Power Operating Point for a Combustion-Driven Thermoelectric Converter With Heat Recirculation

A model is developed for determining the ideal operating point, based on maximum power output, for a thermoelectric conversion (TEC) element coupled to a combustor. In the analysis, heat recirculation from the combustor exhaust is included. Results presented here are relevant to the operating characteristics of small, combustion-driven energy systems. The model is composed of a TEC element, a combustor, a counterflow heat exchanger, and a thermal shunt resistance to the surroundings. Including the shunt is necessary due to the increased importance of this effect in small-scale thermal systems. From this combination of components, an optimal combustor operating temperature is found giving maximum power output and efficiency. The model is used to determine ideal performance figures as a function of system parameters such as the effectiveness of heat regeneration, loss of heat by conduction, and the parameters describing the thermoelectric conversion element (the so-called ZT parameter). Although a high degree of idealization is employed, the results show the importance of heat recirculation and the significance of thermal losses on system operation.
The Expression of Bacterial DNA Alkylation Repair Enzymes in Mer- Human Cells

Simple monofunctional alkylating agents such as methylmethane sulphonate (MMS) and N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) cause a variety of alkylated lesions in DNA, and these lesions can cause the induction of mutation and cell death in both human and bacterial cells. The repair of these DNA alkylation damages reduces cell killing and the induction of mutations and chromosome damage. In E. coli, the repair of 06-methylguanine (06MeG) and 04-methylth5anine (04MeT) specifically prevents these lesions from causing G:C to A:T and A:T to G:C transition mutations, because if left unrepaired these lesions mispair during replication (1–6). On the other hand, the repair of N3-methylpurines (N3MeA and N3MeG) and 02-methylpyrimidines (02MeC and 02MeT) in E. coli specifically prevents cell killing (7–9). The repair of DNA alkylation damage in mammalian cells is somewhat less well understood, and it is not yet clear which alkylated lesions cause mutation and which cause cell death. Like E. coli, mammalian cells can repair 06alkylG, N3alkylA, N3alkylG, 04alkylT, 02alkylT and 02alkylC lesions (10–21). However, because observations have been made with a variety of cell types the results have not always been consistent. For instance, some studies indicated that 04MeT is repaired by rat liver cells (13,20,21), while others did not (22–24). Not all cell lines are able to repair all the alkylated lesions; for instance, CHO and V79 cells (25,26) and some human tumor cell lines (27–29) are unable to repair 06MeG. The ability of these particular cell lines to repair alkylated pyrimidines has not yet been measured. Other human cells, however, have been shown to repair 06MeG (19,27–29), 04alkylT, 02alkylT, 02alkylC (11), N3alkylA, N7alkylG (11,14,15), N3alkylG (15,30) and N7alkylA (15).
Brain Elastic Behavior and CSF Dynamics in Cold Induced Edema

In a recent study we have characterized the brain instantaneous elastic response in terms of two elastic parameters: a tangent pressure-depth ratio (GO) in mmHg/mm, which is a direct measure of brain tissue elasticity (in vivo, in situ), and a curvature pressure depth ratio (GO) in mmHg/mm2, which is a quantitative measure of the nonlinearity of the elastic response (Walsh and Schettini, 1984). In the same study we showed that these elastic parameters are sensitive to changes in the physiological milieu of the brain, and may independently vary, depending upon the experimental conditions.
Analysis of human plasma metabolites across different liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry platforms: Cross‐platform transferable chemical signatures

RATIONALE The metabolite profiling of a NIST plasma Standard Reference Material (SRM 1950) on different liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) platforms showed significant differences. Although these findings suggest caution when interpreting metabolomics results, the degree of overlap of both profiles allowed us to use tandem mass spectral libraries of recurrent spectra to evaluate to what extent these results are transferable across platforms and to develop cross-platform chemical signatures. METHODS Non-targeted global metabolite profiles of SRM 1950 were obtained on different LC/MS platforms using reversed-phase chromatography and different chromatographic scales (conventional HPLC, UHPLC and nanoLC). The data processing and the metabolite differential analysis were carried out using publically available (XCMS), proprietary (Mass Profiler Professional) and in-house software (NIST pipeline). RESULTS Repeatability and intermediate precision showed that the non-targeted SRM 1950 profiling was highly reproducible when working on the same platform (relative standard deviation (RSD) <2%); however, substantial differences were found in the LC/MS patterns originating on different platforms or even using different chromatographic scales (conventional HPLC, UHPLC and nanoLC) on the same platform. A substantial degree of overlap (common molecular features) was also found. A procedure to generate consistent chemical signatures using tandem mass spectral libraries of recurrent spectra is proposed. CONLUSIONS Different platforms rendered significantly different metabolite profiles, but the results were highly reproducible when working within one platform. Tandem mass spectral libraries of recurrent spectra are proposed to evaluate the degree of transferability of chemical signatures generated on different platforms. Chemical signatures based on our procedure are most likely cross-platform transferable.
Active Artificial Hair Cells for Use in Fluid Environments

Artificial hair cells (AHCs) are sensors inspired by biological hair cells. These devices often have lower sensitivities and poorer frequency resolutions than their biological counterparts. This is especially true when AHCs are placed in fluid. In the authors’ previous work, active AHCs were developed which used nonlinear feedback control to mimic the cochlea’s nonlinear amplifier. Incorporating this nonlinear control law can improve the AHC’s sensitivity, frequency selectivity, and dynamic range. This work examines an active artificial hair cell partially submerged in water. The fluid loading on the sensor adds inertia and significantly increases damping. A model of the sensor in air is developed and then modified to incorporate the added inertia and damping from the fluid. Simulation and experimental results show that the active artificial hair cell can overcome the added fluid inertia and damping to amplify oscillations due to low input levels and create a sharper frequency response. The resulting sensor is better suited to operate in fluid environments for flow sensing than an otherwise passive device. These sensors could potentially develop into replacements for damaged hair cells in the fluid-filled cochlea.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
494 WEALTH, STATUS CONNECTIONS, AND FINAGLING: NEGOTIATING THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS OF RUSSIA AND SOUTH AFRICA.

Democratic transition is changing the nature of health care systems in Russia and Africa. Unfortunately, as these systems transform, they retain and reinvent patterns of structural violence, inbuilt properties that privilege the wealthy and powerful and disenfranchise the poor. Yet the poor often need health care most. Thus, citizens in the new Russia and new South Africa must find ways to make do within systems stacked against them. This thesis explores the myriad of ways Russian and South African doctors, nurses, and patients attempt to get by in societies that are unable or unwilling to guarantee them the care or pay they need.
Apparatus Scaling, Beyond Lithium, and Conclusions

The principles underlying MAGIS are broadly applicable. Many elements have vanishingly small vapor pressures near room temperature. Most elements have isotopes with non-zero magnetic moment in either their ground state or an accessible metastable state, thus readily enabling magnetic deflection in a manner either identical or similar to that presented here. Optical pumping is a well-established technique that should be enabled by vast literature on the spectroscopy of many isotopes and significant advances in laser technology. In this chapter, we provide details for applying MAGIS toward the enrichment of other isotopes. We particularly focus on optical pumping schemes, ultimately providing a non-exhaustive list of protocols for enriching 129 isotopes spanning 27 elements.
Nineteen Fifty-Five“: Alice, Elvis And The Black Matrix

(2007). Nineteen Fifty-Five“: Alice, Elvis And The Black Matrix. Journal of the African Literature Association: Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 150-162.
Decentering the Doctor: The Critical Value of a Patient Care Collective.

Interprofessional, collaborative rehabilitation-based practice emphasizing patient-centered care is contrasted with hierarchical hospital-based practice.
Linearized Optical Modulators for High Performance Analog Links

One role for fiber optics and integrated optics that has continued to grow in significance is analog signal transmission. In cable television distribution, for instance, “conventional” fiber-based systems deliver > 50 channels of AM video with > 50 dB S/N to the user. Given the existing analog television receiver base, one can predict that analog transmission will coexist with digital channels for some time to come. Other applications of high performance analog links fall into the broader category of antenna remoting. It is indeed possible today to design and build an antenna remoting subsystem with several GHz bandwidth, 4–5 dB noise figure , and high spur free dynamic range (SFDR) > 110 dB/Hz2/3. Analog antenna remoting subsystems can be integrated into a variety of analog systems such as radar , cellular systems, and RF or microwave networks. Two factors that limit the dynamic range in fiber optic links are the system noise, predominantly from the laser relative intensity noise and the photodetector shot noise, and the non-linearity of the modulation process. The receiver noise level is reduced significantly using high-power solid state or DFB lasers (with > 20 mW output power and RIN < 165 dB/Hz). With noise levels approaching quantum limited performance, attention has recently focused on improving the linearity of the modulation process.
The epidemiology of Parkinson's disease: risk factors and prevention

Since 2006, several longitudinal studies have assessed environmental or behavioural factors that seem to modify the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Increased risk of Parkinson's disease has been associated with exposure to pesticides, consumption of dairy products, history of melanoma, and traumatic brain injury, whereas a reduced risk has been reported in association with smoking, caffeine consumption, higher serum urate concentrations, physical activity, and use of ibuprofen and other common medications. Randomised trials are investigating the possibility that some of the negative risk factors might be neuroprotective and thus beneficial in individuals with early Parkinson's disease, particularly with respect to smoking (nicotine), caffeine, and urate. In the future, it might be possible to identify Parkinson's disease in its prodromal phase and to promote neuroprotective interventions before the onset of motor symptoms. At this time, however, the only intervention that seems justifiable for the primary prevention of Parkinson's disease is the promotion of physical activity, which is likely to be beneficial for the prevention of several chronic diseases.
Multi-layered vehicle control via payload autonomy

While autonomy developers have been able to take advantage of external control interfaces on intelligent vehicles for years, they have typically had to choose between control architectures and interfaces that only allowed them to use the existing behaviors of the vehicle (task-level control) or those that allowed them to set desired control values (setpoint control) but then required them to re-invent and re-tune behaviors that might already be part of the vehicle's native programming. As external control interfaces become increasingly open and allow developers access to both types of control, a control architecture is necessary that takes advantage of the strengths of each method and can switch between them as appropriate. We present one solution to this challenge that not only accomplishes these goals but is also vehicle agnostic and extendable to an arbitrary number of low-level controllers.
Medication acquisition by veterans dually eligible for Veterans Affairs and Medicare Part D pharmacy benefits.

Purpose The patterns of medication acquisition for veterans dually eligible for pharmacy benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Medicare Part D–reimbursed pharmacies were examined. Methods The characteristics of veterans who used pharmacies reimbursed by (1) VA only, (2) both VA and Part D-reimbursed, and (3) Part D-reimbursed only pharmacies in 2009 were compared and their medication types and sources examined. Pharmacy usage was measured as the number of 30-day medication supplies and the number of different drug classes that veterans received from VA and Part D–reimbursed pharmacies. Chi-square testing and analysis of variance were used to compare unadjusted patient characteristics and healthcare utilization. Results A total of 145,899 veterans with any VA or Part D-reimbursed pharmacy use were included in the study: 69.6% used VA pharmacies only, 9.9% used VA and Part D–reimbursed pharmacies, and 20.5% used Part D–reimbursed pharmacies only. Veterans who lived in rural areas, were non-Black, had VA medication copayments, or were dual or Medicare-only outpatient users were more likely to be dual or Part D-reimbursed only pharmacy users ( p < 0.001). Dual pharmacy users received more 30-day supplies than did the other two pharmacy-use groups ( p < 0.001). Conclusion Nearly one third of VA users received medications from Part D–reimbursed pharmacies, either alone or together with VA pharmacies. Among dual pharmacy users, over half received medications from the same drug class from both VA and Part D–reimbursed pharmacies for which the days’ supplies overlapped by more than seven days.
What Counts at the End? Questioning Consensus in the Construction of Mass Atrocity Narratives

Civilian fatality figures are a limited, if important, data point that influences the ability of researchers to study patterns of violence and evaluate policy responses intended to end violence. However, across datasets that track such violence there are significant differences in how and what is counted, this has direct bearing on how atrocity endings are understood and what policies might best be applied. There are often good reasons for data variation that cannot always be resolved. Nonetheless, it is important to understand and itemize the factors that influence these differences. Highlighting the relationship between the evidence base for and the construction of research consensus about civilian fatality figures, this paper draws on case study research to demonstrate how variations in the evidence base that defines an ending can fundamentally alter the narrative about historical mass atrocity events, with significant implications for how protection is conceptualized.
Identifying and Overcoming Challenges in STEM Reform: a Study of four National STEM Reform Communities of Practice

In this article we report on our examination of the challenges faced by four successful and long-standing national STEM reform communities. Drawing primarily on interview data from a large-scale, multi-year study informed by literature on “communities of practice” (CoPs) (Wenger et al. 2002), we describe five categories of challenges faced by the communities and the solutions employed to overcome them in order to sustain themselves and meet their goals. We chose to focus on these large and dispersed CoPs because, although on-campus CoPs have received some scholarly attention, no research has been conducted on national or regional CoPs. Based on our findings, we conclude that the solutions used to address these challenges reflected a meta-theme of flexibility in matters of design, leadership, and decision-making that contributed to the communities’ success and longevity.
A dynamic model of a 100 kW micro gas turbine fuelled with natural gas and hydrogen blends and its application in a hybrid energy grid

Abstract The paper deals with the development of a dynamic model of a commercial 100 kW Micro Gas Turbine (MGT) fuelled with mixtures of standard (i.e. natural gas or methane) and alternative fuels (i.e. hydrogen). The model consists of a first-order differential equation (ODE) describing the dominant dynamics of the MGT imposed by its own control system during production electrical power. The differential equation is coupled to a set of nonlinear maps derived numerically from a detailed 0D thermodynamic matching model of the MGT evaluated over a wide range of operating conditions (i.e. mechanical power, fraction of hydrogen and ambient temperature). The efficiency of the electrical machine with power inverter and power absorbed by auxiliary devices is also taken into account. The resulting model is experimentally validated for a sequence of power step responses of the MGT at different ambient conditions and with different fuel mixtures. The model is suited for simulation and control of hybrid energy grids (HEGs) which rely on advanced use of MGT and hydrogen as energy carrier. In this regard, the MGT model is used in the simulation of an HEG based on an appropriate mix of renewable (non-programmable) and non-renewable (programmable) energy sources with hydrogen storage and its reuse in the MGT. Here, the MGT is used as a programmable energy vector for compensating the deficits of renewable energies (such as solar and wind) with respect to user demand, while excess renewable energy is used to produce hydrogen via electrolysis of water. The simulated HEG comprises a solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) plant (300 kW), an MGT (100 kW) fuelled with natural gas and hydrogen blends, a water electrolyzer (WE) system (8 bar, 56 Nm3/h), a hydrogen tank (54 m3), and an Energy Management Control System (EMCS).
Design of Macro-Prudential Stress Tests

We study the design of macro-prudential stress tests and capital requirements. The tests provide information about correlation in banks portfolios. The regulator chooses contingent capital requirements that create a liquidity buffer in case of a fire sale. The optimal stress test discloses information partially: when systemic risk is low, capital requirements reflect full information. When systemic risk is high, the regulator pools information and requires all banks to hold precautionary liquidity. With heterogeneous banks, weak banks determine level of transparency and strong banks are often required to hold excess capital when systemic risk is high. Moreover, dynamic disclosure and capital adjustments can improve welfare.
PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY OF THE COCHLEA

Publisher Summary The great efficiency of the mammalian auditory transducer could only be achieved by highly specific bioelectric and biochemical adaptations. This chapter highlights the most important features of the physiological chemistry of the cochlea. Since the discovery of the cochlear microphonics (CM) some 50 years ago, it was known that this potential is highly sensitive to anoxia. Twenty years later, Bekesy demonstrated, on the basis of the order of magnitude estimations, that the energy contained in the CM exceeded by far that of the incoming acoustic stimulus. In the search for the postulated input of biological energy, he discovered the endo-cochlear potential (EP) of +80 to 90 mV, and the organ of Corti potential (OCP) of −80 mV. Optimal auditory function poses two conflicting requirements upon the transducer (1) that it be delicate in structure and not in immediate contact with the vasculature and (2) that it be capable of active transduction, requiring substantial metabolic energy. These problems apparently were solved by a segregation of the transducer, the organ of Corti (OC), from the main power plant, the stria vascularis (SV), that by means of the EP transmits its energy over a considerable distance to the site of transduction.
More nonparametric Bayesian inference in applications

Discussion of “Nonparametric Bayesian Inference in Applications” by Peter Mueller, Fernando A. Quintana, Garritt Page: More Nonparametric Bayesian Inference in Applications.
The importance of multimethods and mixed methods research in understanding complexity in leadership

The dominant approach to leadership research has been undergirded by linear epistemology and transcends many discourses, practice, and scholarship in the field of leadership and leadership development. Leadership research has a long history of a quantitative approach, and it remains the most commonly used approach among leadership researchers. Although the application of mixed methods research designs has been examined across many fields and disciplines, it has yet to be specifically addressed in the context of leadership research. There is, however, a rise in research grounded in nonlinear epistemology, although the underlying methodological approaches have not clearly been defined. In a multimethods mixed methods study to identify skill needs for agrifood nanotechnology, a comprehensive methodology was developed for a systems approach research in organisational leadership. In this paper, this multimethods mixed methods research study is used as an illustration to provide a template and an approach that can be adapted in other leadership research.