cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of dust deposition and brush-based dry cleaning on glass transmittance for PV modules applications

Abstract Here, we present research addressing one of the main challenges facing the efficient production of solar energy in arid regions where solar insolation is at its highest, but where the significant challenges of pervasive dust, sand storms and insufficient rain can dramatically alter the feasibility of harvesting solar energy. In this study, the impact of dust on the light transmittance through low iron glass was assessed for different periods of time. Additionally, different cleaning mechanisms were briefly reviewed including the promising technique of dry cleaning using robotic systems. This paper explores the effect of dry cleaning for the removal of dust particles settled down on glass and the impact of brushing on the transmission of the glass. It was demonstrated that dry cleaning using Nylon brushes does not have a significant, permanent effect on the optical characteristics of the glass surface, even when the brush is used to clean a dusty surface. Significantly, the process of brushing dusty samples does improve transmittance over the un-brushed state. However, the cleaning efficiency of the nylon brushes is not as high as cleaning using water and delicate wipers. The glass samples showed some changes in the surface of the glass after brushing, however, this was shown not to have a permanent effect on the optical characteristics of the glass after the simulated equivalent of 20 years of cleaning. Therefore, the data presented in this paper demonstrates the need for careful testing in the development and assessment of dry cleaning dust mitigation solutions. It also offers an indication of the technology’s positive potential and elucidates some of the most important obstacles that need to be overcome.
The Eberlein-Šmulian Theorem

We saw in the previous chapter that regardless of the normed linear space X, weak* closed, bounded sets in X* are weak* compact. How does a subset K of a Banach space X get to be weakly compact? The two are related. Before investigating their relationship, we look at a couple of necessary ingredients for weak compactness and take a close look at two illustrative nonweakly compact sets.
Phase Contrast Microscopy

Phase contrast provides a form of transmitted light microscopy whereby images of high contrast and resolution can be obtained from transparent biological samples. The contrast formation is based on exploiting the phase shift of waves passing through a sample even though little or no absorption-based contrast is provided. These small phase shifts are then converted by the optical elements of the imaging system into larger relative shifts to provide higher interference, intensity change, and, therefore, contrast. This chapter outlines the principles of phase contrast as it is used today in standard commercial microscopes and outlines some biological uses.
Exercise restrictions trigger psychological difficulty in active and athletic adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Objective We examined the extent and nature of the psychological difficulty experienced by athletic adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), correlates of that difficulty and coping mechanisms. Methods A survey assessed athletic history and psychological impact of exercise restrictions. LASSO penalised linear regression identified factors associated with psychological difficulty. Semistructured interviews provided deeper insight into the nature and origins of psychological difficulty. Results 54 individuals (33% female, mean age 55.9) completed the survey. The majority were recreational athletes at the time of restriction (67%). There was a drop in athleticism after diagnosis, including time spent exercising (p=0.04) and identification as an athlete (p=0.0005). Most respondents (54%) found it stressful and/or difficult to adjust to exercise restrictions. Greater psychological morbidity was associated with history of elite or competitive athletics, athletic identity and decrease in time spent exercising. 16 individuals (44% female, mean age 52.4) were interviewed. Long-term effects included weight gain and uncertainty about exercising safely. The role of exercise in interviewees' lives contracted significantly after restriction, from multiple functions (eg, social, stress relief, fitness) to solely health maintenance. Interviewees reported a unique form of social support: having family and friends participate with them in lower intensity exercise. Lack of understanding from family or friends and avoiding exercise completely were detrimental to coping. Conclusions Athletic adults with HCM experience multifaceted, lasting difficulty adjusting to exercise recommendations. These data can guide clinicians in identifying patients at highest risk for distress and in helping to bolster coping and adaptation.
Household willingness to pay for improved solid waste management in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

Disposal of solid waste is a priority environmental problem in Sri Lanka and at present it has become a national concern. In a way of treating waste, this study was focused on analyzing the willingness to pay of the households for an improved solid waste management service in Eravur Urban Council, in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. Proportionate sampling was done and from five Grama Niladhari divisions a total of 100 households were studied. Binomial logistic regression was employed to find out the determinants of household willingness to pay. Results revealed that the average household income and expenditure were Rs 34,440 and Rs 32,850 per month respectively. Mean quantity of solid waste generated by households was 2.61 kg/day. Fifty nine percent of the households were willing to pay for an improved service. Most of the households (86.45%) preferred a monthly payment through collection tickets. Mean willingness to pay of households was Rs 59.92/month. The logistic regression results revealed that household size and household expenditure significantly and positively influences the household willingness to pay. Quantity of waste generated, number of times disposing the waste and gender had a negative coefficient and were significant (p<0.05). It is recommended that households should be educated on effective solid waste disposal through regular sensitization programmes by a collaborative effort of key stakeholders in the solid waste management.
Causality Testing in a Decision Science

Economists and workers in other decision sciences frequently use words such as “causal” or “cause” in their writings, as a glance at the listing of titles in the Social Science Citation Index will easily confirm. A number of papers have been written specifically on these concepts although few formal definitions have been attempted.1 In Economics, we observe values for our major variables each month, or some similar regular time-period, and because of this it can be claimed that there is some generating mechanism which produces these values. One of the main tasks of the economist is to try to untangle and understand this mechanism and in the search for the fundamentals of this process, the concepts of “law” and “causation” arise very naturally. However, the search for causality may be motivated by more than just academic interest, as will be discussed below.
You Want Me to Work with Who?: Stakeholder Perceptions of Automated Team Formation in Project-based Courses

Instructors are increasingly using algorithmic tools for team formation, yet little is known about how these tools are applied or how students and instructors perceive their use. We studied a representative team formation tool (CATME) in eight project-based courses. An instructor uses the tool to form teams by surveying students' working styles, skills, and demographics; then configuring these criteria as input into an algorithm that assigns teams. We surveyed students (N=277) in the courses to gauge their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the tool and ideas for improving it. We also interviewed instructors (N=13) different from those who taught the eight courses to learn about their criteria selections and perceptions of the tool. Students valued the rational basis for forming teams but desired a stronger voice in criteria selection and explanations as to why they were assigned to a particular team. Instructors appreciated the efficiency of team formation but wanted to view exemplars of criteria used in similar courses. This work contributes recommendations for deploying team formation tools in educational settings and for better satisfying the goals of all stakeholders.
A Tool for Automatic Assessment and Awareness of Privacy Disclosure

With increasing frequency, the communication between citizens and institutions occurs via some type of e-mechanism, such as websites, emails, and social media. In particular, social media platforms are widely being adopted because of their simplicity of use, the large user base, and their high pervasiveness. One concern is that users may disclose sensitive information beyond the scope of the interaction with the institutions, not realizing that such data remains on these platforms. While awareness about basic data (e.g. address, date of birth) protection has risen in the past few years, many users still neglect or fail to realize the amount and significance of the personal information deliberately or involuntarily disclosed on these communication platforms. Determining private from non-private data is difficult. The goal of this work is to devise a method to detect messages carrying sensitive information from those that not. Specifically, we employ machine learning methods to build a privacy decision making tool. This work will contribute to develop a privacy protection framework where a client-side privacy awareness mechanism can alert users of the potential private information leakages in their communications.
A Planning and Assessment Model for Developing Effective CMS Support.

“In the face of rapid growth, support resources for the CMS [at the University of Florida] had not kept pace, remaining constant over the preceding five years. UF administration is now addressing that problem, and CMS support is undergoing reorganization and expansion. The critical task at this point is to ensure that UF develops a CMS support program that can effectively allocate responsibilities across tasks and hire staff who will bring to UF the knowledge and skills necessary to complement and extend existing resources.”
On testing the equality of K multiple and partial correlation coefficients

Abstract Coutsourides (1980) derives an ad hoc nuisance parameter removal test for testing the equality of two multiple correlation coefficients of two independent p variate normal populations, under the assumption that a sample of size n is available from each population. He also extends his ad hoc nuisance parameter removal test to the testing of the equality of two multiple correlation matrices. This paper presents likelihood ratio tests for testing the equality of k multiple correlation coefficients, and also k partial correlation coefficients.
Carbon Nanotube Formic Acid Sensors Using a Nickel Bis( ortho-diiminosemiquinonate) Selector.

Formic acid is corrosive, and a sensitive and selective sensor could be useful in industrial, medical, and environmental settings. We present a chemiresistor for detection of formic acid composed of single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nickel bis(ortho-diiminosemiquinonate) (1), a planar metal complex that can act as a ditopic hydrogen-bonding selector. Formic acid is detected in concentrations as low as 83 ppb. The resistance of the material decreases on exposure to formic acid, but slightly increases on exposure to acetic acid. We propose that 1 assists in partial protonation of the CNT by formic acid, but the response toward acetic acid is dominated by inter-CNT swelling. This technology establishes CNT-based chemiresistive discrimination between formic and acetic acid vapors.
Bloodstain detection and discrimination impacted by spectral shift when using an interference filter-based visible and near-infrared multispectral crime scene imaging system

Bloodstain detection and discrimination from nonblood substances on various substrates are critical in forensic science as bloodstains are a critical source for confirmatory DNA tests. Conventional bloodstain detection methods often involve time-consuming sample preparation, a chance of harm to investigators, the possibility of destruction of blood samples, and acquisition of too little data at crime scenes either in the field or in the laboratory. An imaging method has the advantages of being nondestructive, noncontact, real-time, and covering a large field-of-view. The abundant spectral information provided by multispectral imaging makes it a potential presumptive bloodstain detection and discrimination method. This article proposes an interference filter (IF) based area scanning three-spectral-band crime scene imaging system used for forensic bloodstain detection and discrimination. The impact of large angle of views on the spectral shift of calibrated IFs is determined, for both detecting and discriminating bloodstains from visually similar substances on multiple substrates. Spectral features in the visible and near-infrared portion employed by the relative band depth method are used. This study shows that 1 ml bloodstain on black felt, gray felt, red felt, white cotton, white polyester, and raw wood can be detected. Bloodstains on the above substrates can be discriminated from cola, coffee, ketchup, orange juice, red wine, and green tea.
Complications of Endolumenal Bariatric Therapies (EBTs)

Endolumenal bariatric therapies continue to evolve and have become increasingly acceptable in the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases. Each technique and therapy has its own degree and type of efficacy as well as its own spectrum of side effects and complications. It is vital that each EBT be closely evaluated and scrutinized prior to widespread adoption. Yet at the same time, it is imperative that more treatment options become available to patients and physicians as the obesity epidemic continues to prevail despite decades of recognizing the disease and its ravaging effects. The two preceding chapters dove into various endoluminal therapies and focused on results. This chapter will review side effects and complications of these modalities. As one reads through the chapter, it is important to keep into consideration that many of the devices and techniques are still in evolution and may continue to become more refined prior to commercialization and adoption. As such occurs, many of the adverse side effects and morbidity may decrease.
Decreasing Inappropriate Mobile Device Use in Middle and High School Classrooms

Although mobile phones and tablets can be effective tools for searching and retrieving information efficiently, accessing interactive learning platforms, and capturing audio/video, the inappropriate use of mobile devices can create distractions in the classroom that are detrimental to learning. This column presents a classroom management strategy for reducing the inappropriate use of mobile devices and increasing academic engagement in middle and high school classrooms, including students with emotional and behavioral disorders.
Management of Cardiac Arrest in the Pregnant Patient

The goal of this review is to elucidate what is known about the science of maternal resuscitation and how treatment guidelines have developed to optimize management. There is limited data on maternal cardiac arrest. Case reports are providing some insight into safety and efficacy of certain mechanisms of treatment, including use of extracorporeal membranous oxygenation and thrombolysis, for example. Data increasingly supports the preventability of a significant portion of maternal cardiac arrest, which remains the most important target for intervention. maternal cardiac arrest has increased in incidence over the past several decades but remains a rare event. In recent years, guidelines have emerged in attempt to standardize treatment, although research on best practice is scarce. Ultimately, future progress in targeting the rise in rate of cardiac arrest will come from large scale collaboration in data sharing and development of mechanisms to identify at risk patients to prevent arrest.
Making machine learning robust against adversarial inputs

Such inputs distort how machine-learning-based systems are able to function in the world as it is.
Lymphocyte Membrane Immunoglobulins: An Overview

Selective concepts of antibody formation imply that preformed antibodies are present as receptors on the membrane of immunocytes and are instrumental, after interaction with the corresponding antigens, in triggering these cells to undergo a series of events that ultimately lead to antibody production. This view of the physiology of the immune response was first put forward by Ehrlich (1900), who visualized polyvalent immunocytes, each carrying on its membrane a variety of receptors for antigens; the interaction of antigen with one kind of these receptors induced a “compensatory” hyperproduction of the receptors, which then spilled into the body fluids as soluble antibodies. Almost 60 years later Burnet (1959) proposed a similar concept, but with one major difference, namely, that the combining property of the receptors present on the membrane of one cell is uniform, and that the interaction of these receptors with the corresponding antigen determines this cell to clonal expansion or deletion with the corresponding consequences of antibody production or tolerance.
Perioperative Management of the Patient with Rheumatologic Disease

Patients with rheumatologic disease, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus, should receive the same preoperative cardiovascular, pulmonary, and other risk assessment as other patients.
VWSocialLab: Prototype Virtual World (VW) Toolkit for Social and Behavioral Science Experimental Set-Up and Control

There are benefits for social and behavioral researchers to conduct studies in online virtual worlds. However, typically learning scripting takes additional time or money to hire a consultant. We propose a prototype Virtual World Toolkit for to help researchers design, set up, and run experiments in Virtual Worlds, with little coding or scripting experience needed. We explored three types of prototype designs, focused on a traditional interface with pilot results. We also present results of initial expert user study of our toolkit to determine the learnability, usability, and feasibility of our toolkit to conduct experiments. Results suggest that our toolkit requires little training and sufficient capabilities for a basic experiment. The toolkit received a great feedback from a number of expert users who thought that it is a promising first version that lays the foundation to more future improvements. This toolkit prototype contributes to enhancing researchers’ capabilities in conducting social/behavioral studies in virtual worlds and hopefully will empower social and behavioral researchers by proving a toolkit prototype that requires less time, efforts and costs to setup stimulus responses types of human subject studies in virtual worlds.
Some Open Problems in Polyomino Tilings

The author surveys 15 open problems regarding the algorithmic, structural, and existential properties of polyomino tilings.
‘Living Between Two Fires’ in Eastern Ukraine: Sovereignty Gaps in Conflict-Affected Areas

The essay discusses the concept of sovereignty in relation to the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. In 2014, clashes between Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian state culminated in a proclamation of unrecognized republics (Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics). In the upsurge of the conflict over 2.5 million people were forced to leave their homes. At the same time, millions of individuals remained in conflict-affected areas, lacking the means to leave or being too vulnerable to escape the warfare. In the essay, I focus on how people experience a specific mode of sovereignty that emerges in the so-called ‘grey zone’ or ‘no-man’s land,’ a space along the contact line where state power is porous and yet tangible through the constant presence of military forces. Drawing on Miriam Ticktin’s ideas about sovereignty as spatially inconsistent, I explore the idea of sovereignty gaps , where the manifestations of the state are limited and reduced.
Feasibility of a social media/online community support group intervention among chronic pain patients on opioid therapy.

Aims: Assess whether the Harnessing Online Peer Education (HOPE) social media-based support group can engage patients on opioids at risk for misuse/overdose to discuss risk reduction strategies.Met...
A Real-Time Optimal Eco-driving for Autonomous Vehicles Crossing Multiple Signalized Intersections

This paper develops an optimal acceleration/speed profile for a single autonomous vehicle crossing multiple signalized intersections without stopping in free flow mode. The design objective is to produce both time and energy efficient acceleration profiles of autonomous vehicles based on vehicle to infrastructure communication. Our design approach differs from most existing approaches based on numerical calculations: it begins with identifying the structure of the optimal acceleration profile and then showing that it is characterized by several parameters, which are used for design optimization. Therefore, the infinite dimensional optimal control problem is transformed into a finite dimensional parametric optimization problem, which enables a real-time online analytical solution. The simulation results show quantitatively the advantages of considering multiple intersections jointly rather than dealing with them individually. Based on mild assumptions, the optimal eco-driving algorithm is readily extended to include interfering traffic.
Temporary MCS versus Durable MCS as a Bridge to Heart Transplantation

Purpose The waiting time for heart transplantation can be long. Patients that are deemed ineligible for heart transplantation may become candidates due to the beneficial effects of MCS. Choosing to bridge with a short-term temporary device or a long-term durable device is a very important decision. We sought to evaluate the outcome of patients who were bridged with temporary versus durable MCS devices. Methods Between 2010 and 2017, we assessed 52 patients that were placed on temporary MCS devices (IABP, Impella, and ECMO) and 150 patients that were bridged with durable devices (LVAD, BiVAD, and TAH) prior to heart transplantation. A control non-bridged population was included (n=521). Endpoints included 30-day, 6-month and 1-year survival; 1-year freedom from cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) as defined by stenosis ≥ 30% by angiography; 1-year freedom from non-fatal major adverse cardiac events (NF-MACE: myocardial infarction, new congestive heart failure, percutaneous coronary intervention, implantable cardioverter defibrillator/pacemaker implant, stroke); and 1-year freedom from any-treated rejection, acute cellular rejection and antibody-mediated rejection. Results There was no significant difference in survival, CAV, NF-MACE, or rejection between patients bridged with temporary and durable MCS devices. Conclusion Bridging with either temporary or long-term durable devices appears to have great outcome. A larger sample size is needed to confirm these findings.
The Dilemma of the Remote Tippee

Commentators have long been intrigued by the public's fascination with insider trading scandals. Historically, the question of tipper and tippee liability was raised in the very early days of federal insider trading regulation. Defining what constitutes improper receipt and summing up the tippee's derivative duty in a single two-part rule, the Court, in Dirks, stated: "[A] tippee assumes a fiduciary duty to the shareholders to not trade on material nonpublic information only when the insider has breached his fiduciary duty to the shareholders by disclosing the information to the tippee and the tippee knows or should know that there has been a breach. Among other things, remote tippees test the limits of the fiduciary-based rationale for prohibiting insider trading because the more remote a tippee is from the primary tipper who breached a duty by tipping for personal gain, the more likely that the tippee is being prosecuted for mere possession of confidential information because of the absence of the requisite knowledge of the breach of duty or because of weaknesses in the personal benefit analysis, or both. The U.S. Congress has, however, gone in the opposite direction by implicitly accepting the concept of remote tippee liability in the Insider Trading & Securities Enforcement Act of 1988.
False Labor: Inorganic Chemistry in the Late Nineteenth-Early Twentieth Centuries

The previous chapter paints a rather bleak portrait of inorganic chemistry in the late 1800s. However, both chemists and historians have pointed to a significant upgrade in status—using terms such as revival, rebirth, renaissance—taking place even before the turn of the century.
Identifying opportunities for the use of broadcast prescribed fire on Colorado’s Front Range

Abstract Increasing the pace and scale of fuel treatments to protect social and ecological values from severe wildfire is a major initiative of numerous land management agencies, organizations, and collaborative groups throughout the western United States, including the Colorado Front Range. Broadcast prescribed fire is a relatively low-cost, effective management tool for achieving fuels reduction at scale but is often challenging to implement due to complex socio-ecological factors. We present results of a multi-criteria suitability analysis intended to identify need, opportunities, and constraints for the use of broadcast prescribed fire on Colorado’s Front Range based on spatial factors including wildfire hazard, vegetation and fuel types, historical fire regimes, presence of existing fuel treatments, wildland-urban interface development, and predicted prescribed fire behavior. Within our 1.7 million-hectare (ha) analysis area, over 228,000 ha (approximately 13%) were classified as highly suitable for broadcast prescribed fire. Areas of high suitability were split roughly 50:50 between public federal lands (5.3%) and private lands (6.1%), emphasizing the importance of implementing prescribed fire across ownerships to meet management objectives at scale. Patch size analysis revealed opportunities for large-scale (>500 ha) prescribed fire projects spatially distributed throughout the Front Range. These areas may serve as anchors for developing projects focused on protecting values at risk, including wildland-urban interface communities and water resources. Results of this analysis can be used in collaborative settings to develop comprehensive fuels reduction and forest restoration strategies that incorporate the use of prescribed fire, including identifying where mechanical treatments could be applied on the landscape to facilitate the use of broadcast prescribed fire over large extents, as well as where prescribed fire may be a viable option for long-term maintenance of treatments. While our analysis focuses on the Colorado Front Range, it can be replicated in other fire-prone areas of the western United States based on the availability of local data.
Regenerative Medicine for the Foot and Ankle

Foot and ankle pathology remains a common condition among the population with significant potential to affect one’s quality of life. When the functioning of the foot and/or ankle is compromised, it can significantly limit one’s ability to stand, walk, run, and participate in activities of daily living. The pathology of the foot and ankle is vast ranging from plantar fasciitis, Morton’s neuroma, to ankle osteoarthritis and various tendinopathies. Many conditions are secondary to overuse, sports injuries, and trauma. Current treatment with conservative and surgical options may not fully reduce pain and inflammation in respect to foot pathology. In this chapter we review the most common foot and ankle pathologies, the current standard of care treatments, and the regenerative therapies that may provide clinical benefits.
Comparison of Editor, Reviewer, and Author Demographics in The Journal of Hand Surgery

Purpose To determine whether demographic differences exist among editors, reviewers, and authors in The Journal of Hand Surgery (JHS). We aimed to test the null hypothesis that there would be no difference among these 3 groups with respect to gender, geographic location, academic productivity, and financial relationships with industry. Methods Editors, reviewers, and physician authors were identified for 2018 JHS. Gender and geographic location were recorded for each person. We used the Scopus database to determine the Hirsch index (h-index) as well as the number of publications and citations for members of each group. Industry payment information was obtained using the Open Payments Web site. Results The editor group contained 20% women compared with the author group (17% women). Authors (59%) were less likely to be from the United States compared with editors (91%) and reviewers (88%). Editors were found to have a higher h-index (16) compared with reviewers (14) and authors (12). Authors demonstrated significantly higher mean total payments from industry ($41,738) compared with editors ($13,712) and reviewers ($20,457). Conclusions In 2018, there appeared to be an even distribution with respect to gender among editors, authors and reviewers in the JHS. International editors and reviewers are relatively under-represented compared to authors. Whereas editors and reviewers demonstrated higher h-indices compared with authors, JHS authors had significantly higher mean total payments in the Open Payments database. Clinical relevance Defining demographics, academic productivity, and conflicts of interest for journal editors, reviewers, and authors may aid in identifying potential sources of both author and peer review bias.
Limited-trust equilibria

Abstract We propose and analyze a new type of equilibrium, in which limited-trust exists between players with long-term interactions. We assume heterogeneous interactions: players will engage in several games over an undetermined period of time with payoffs for each game drawn from a distribution. As such, players may not engage in the same game more than once. We define a Limited-Trust equilibrium to address these heterogeneous games, show its existence in all finite simultaneous games, and analyze it in general and in several common classes of games. We provide several interpretations of this equilibrium in leader-follower games. We then numerically compare the social utility generated from these equilibria in both simultaneous and leader-follower games to that generated by Nash and Stackelberg equilibria in the same games: when players display a similar level of trust δ, each sees an average gain of approximately δ in its utility each game over what it would achieve in traditional competitive/rational games, meaning for each game a player loses δ, there is another game it gains 3δ. Thus while players appear to play “non-rationally” by giving something up, they actually gain more and are each able to come out ahead of what they would have received if playing rationally as in a Nash equilibrium.
Forced and Voluntary Aerobic Cycling Interventions Improve Walking Capacity in Individuals With Chronic Stroke.

Abstract Objectives To determine the efficacy of high-intensity cycling to improve walking capacity in individuals with chronic stroke, identify variables that predict improvement in walking capacity, and quantify the relationship between the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) test variables. Design Secondary analysis of data from 2 randomized controlled trials. Setting Research laboratory. Participants Individuals with chronic stroke (N=43). Interventions Participants were randomized to 1 of the following time-matched interventions, occurring 3 times per week for 8 weeks: (1) forced aerobic exercise and upper extremity repetitive task practice (FE+RTP [n=16]), (2) voluntary aerobic exercise and upper extremity repetitive task practice (VE+RTP [n=14]), or (3) a non-aerobic control group (n=13). Main Outcome Measure Change in walking capacity as measured by the 6MWT from baseline to the end of treatment (EOT). Results Significant increases were observed in distance traveled during the 6MWT at the EOT compared with baseline in the FE+RTP (P Conclusions An 8-week aerobic cycling intervention prescribed at 60% to 80% of heart rate reserve and moderate to high cadence and resistance led to significant improvements in walking capacity in our cohort of individuals with chronic stroke. Individuals with low baseline walking capacity levels may benefit most from aerobic cycling to improve over ground locomotion. Although the 6MWT did not elicit a cardiorespiratory response comparable to the maximal exertion CPX test, the 6MWT can be considered a valid and clinically relevant submaximal test of cardiorespiratory function in individuals with chronic stroke.
An Unconventional View of T Cell Reconstitution After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is performed as curative-intent therapy for hematologic malignancies and non-malignant hematologic, immunological and metabolic disorders, however, its broader implementation is limited by high rates of transplantation-related complications and a 2-year mortality that approaches 50%. Robust reconstitution of a functioning innate and adaptive immune system is a critical contributor to good long-term patient outcomes, primarily to prevent and overcome post-transplantation infectious complications and ensure adequate graft-versus-leukemia effects. There is increasing evidence that unconventional T cells may have an important immunomodulatory role after allo-HCT, which may be at least partially dependent on the post-transplantation intestinal microbiome. Here we discuss the role of immune reconstitution in allo-HCT outcome, focusing on unconventional T cells, specifically mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, γδ (gd) T cells, and invariant NK T (iNKT) cells. We provide an overview of the mechanistic preclinical and associative clinical studies that have been performed. We also discuss the emerging role of the intestinal microbiome with regard to hematopoietic function and overall immune reconstitution.
Mode-based damping torque analysis method in power system low-frequency oscillations

The mode-based damping torque analysis (M-DTA) method for studying the effect of an external controller on power system low-frequency oscillations is proposed in this paper. Firstly, based on the interconnection model between the system and the controller in the frequency domain, the oscillation loop corresponding to the electromechanical oscillation mode is built, and the mode-based damping torque of the controller can be calculated. Then, the application of the M-DTA method in the power system is illustrated. The derivation shows that in the single-machine infinite-bus power system, the M-DTA method is completely equivalent to the classical damping torque analysis (C-DTA) method. In the multi-machine power system, the mode-based damping torque reflects the effect of the controller on the oscillation mode directly, overcoming the shortcomings of the C-DTA method in which there is no direct correspondence between damping torque and the oscillation mode. By deriving the relationship with the residue index, the M-DTA method shows higher accuracy than the residue method in applications such as controller parameter adjustment. Finally, two example power systems are presented to demonstrate the application of the proposed M-DTA method.
Radionuclide K 37

The radionucIide K/sup 37/ has been produced by a (p, alpha ) reaction on Ca/sup 40/, using 12.8-Mev protons accelerated in the UCLA 20-Mev synchrocyclotron. The half life of this activity was found to be 1.2 plus or minus 0.12 seconds. With a doublechannel magnetic spectrometer the end point of the BETA spectrum was determined as 5.1O plus or minus 0.07 Mev. The ft value determined as 4150 plus or minus 500 seconds is within the expected range of the shell-model predictions. The Coulomb energy difference between K/sup 37/ and A/sup 37/ deduced from the end point agrees with Peaslee's analysis of the light nuclei. The pairing effect in Coulomb energies discussed by Carlson and Talmi is more cIearly exhibited with the addition of the new data. (auth)
Radiation pattern of a leaky dual-ridged waveguide as a function of dielectric loading

Directive antennas are required for many military and commercial applications, and electronic beam steering is often desired. A pencil beam, which can be electronically positioned in an arbitrary forward direction, and frequency scanning are typical requirements that might be met with an array of leaky rectangular waveguides. The antenna can be phase-scanned by incorporating advanced ceramic materials for which the dielectric properties depend on an applied voltage. The first step in such a development is a flexible design procedure for the individual leaky waveguide elements.
Sequence in Which the Amino Acids of Corn (Zea mays) Become Limiting for Growing Rats

Three 21-day feeding experiments were conducted to determine the sequence in which the amino acids of corn become limiting for the growth of young rats. Diets consisted of corn fortified with minerals and vitamins, and supplemented with various combinations of essential amino acids. On the basis of improvements in growth rate and feed efficiency, the sequence of limiting amino acids in corn was determined to be: (1st) lysine and tryptophan--colimiting, (3rd) threonine, (4th) isoleucine, (5th) valine, (6th) methionine, and (7th) possibly histidine and phenylalanine--colimiting. Changes in blood urea levels generally confirmed this sequence. There was no limitation of either arginine or leucine, or of nonspecific nitrogen. Weight gains and feed efficiencies of rats fed a corn diet supplemented with the eight limiting amino acids were equivalent to published values for rats fed nutritionally adequate diets.
Fasting Ramadan in kidney transplant patients is safe.

Muslims with renal transplant often ask their doctors whether fasting Ramadan is safe. Scanty studies have addressed this question. This prospective study was undertaken to identify any clinical or biological changes with Muslim fasting. 22 kidney transplant patients with stable kidney functions, who were transplanted for more than one year, and voluntarily chose to fast during Ramadan in 1425 H (October-November 2004), were studied. Total of 22 subjects (10 men and 12 women) with a mean age of 47 ± 11.6 years were studied. Full clinical and biological assessment was done before during and after the month of Ramadan fasting. Medications were taken in two divided doses at sunset (time of breaking the fast) and pre dawn (before the fast). None of the patients experienced any undue fatigue, or symptoms. Body weight, blood pressure, kidney function tests, blood sugar, lipid profile, and cyclosporine levels remained stable. In conclusion it is safe for renal transplant recipients of more than one year and having stable graft function to fast during the month of Ramadan; however caution is advised for moderate to severe impaired renal function.
A preliminary examination of an in situ dual dye approach to measuring light fluxes in lotic systems

Light is a critical parameter in aquatic ecosystems, affecting primary production and in situ photochemistry. However, measuring light exposure for suspended particles or dissolved components in a dynamic water column can be challenging with existing Eulerian approaches. Here, we assess the simultaneous deployment of two dyes differing in photolability (rhodamine WT and fluorescein) as a Lagrangian measure of sunlight exposure in a lotic system. Fluorescein is sensitive to light exposure; rhodamine WT is relatively photostable. We examined dye fluorescence at various pH, salinity, and temperature conditions. We also tested dye photolability as a function of pH and wavelength range. In conjunction with this laboratory work, we performed initial field testing of the dual-dye approach in a stream on the north shore of Lake Superior, USA. Irradiation of the dyes using long-pass filters identified wavelengths ≥ 420 nm as responsible for the vast majority of the loss of fluorescein fluorescence, with rhodamine appearing relatively photostable in these short-term studies across the wave-length ranges tested. Dye response to irradiation is pH-sensitive; the dual-dye approach will require additional calibration for acidic or basic waters and should be used with caution in aquatic systems undergoing strong (several pH unit) changes in pH. Field testing showed that the fluorescein to rhodamine WT ratio decreased approximately linearly with light exposure. The dual-dye methodology shows promise as an in situ light sensor applicable to water column species in lotic systems if temperature is recorded, and the pH range is measured and relatively stable (e.g., varies by < 1 unit).
Antidiuretic response of a horse affected with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction to desmopressin acetate

Summary Central diabetes insipidus (DI) was diagnosed in a 20-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding that was concomitantly affected with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). The diagnosis of DI was supported by a positive response to administered desmopressin acetate. Diagnosis of PPID was supported by physical appearance and elevated plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone concentration following domperidone administration. The horse's physical condition improved following treatment with pergolide but long-term treatment with desmopressin was not undertaken and severe polyuria and polydipsia persisted. Desmopressin acetate appears to be useful for the diagnosis of DI in mature horses concomitantly affected with PPID.
Component-Level Energy Consumption Estimation for Distributed Java-Based Software Systems

Efficiency with respect to energy consumption has increasingly been recognized as an important quality attribute for distributed software systems in embedded and pervasive environments. In this paper we present a framework for estimating the energy consumption of distributed software systems implemented in Java. Our primary objective in devising the framework is to enable an engineer to make informed decisions when adapting a system's architecture, such that the energy consumption on hardware devices with a finite battery life is reduced, and the lifetime of the system's key software services increases. Our framework explic itly takes a component-based perspective, which renders it well suited for a large class of today's distributed, embedded, and pervasive applications. The framework allows the engineer to estimate the distributed system's energy consumption at sys tem construction-time and refine it at runtime. In a large number of distributed application scenarios, the framework showed very good precision on the whole, giving results that were within 5% (and often less) of the actual energy consump tion incurred by executing the software. Our work to date has also highlighted the framework's practical applications and a number of possible enhancements.
What Matters When Explaining Environmentalism at the Watershed Level: Who You Are, Where You Live, What You See, or What You Perceive?

This research was conducted in the southeastern United States, one of the most rapidly developing regions in the country. The study included two sets of predictor variables: environmental experienc...
Tuning the brain by learning and by stimulation of the nucleus basalis

Although it is well-established that the cerebral cortex is a substrate for learning, memory and higher cognitive functions, rather less is known about the mechanisms by which experiences are acquired and stored in the cortex. The role of the basal forebrain cholinergic system (BFCS) in learning-induced plasticity is underlined by a recent report by Kilgard and Merzenich[1]. In this article I will discuss the findings of Kilgard and Merzenich in the context of other developments in our understanding of the BFCS and its role in learning-induced plasticity. However, before the discussion I would like to provide some essential background information.
A design approach for solar processes

Abstract The basic relations governing the behavior of a solar water-heater system have been formulated for solution by a digital computer. Calculations performed for a typical design suggest that a controller that causes the circulating pump to operate whenever the collector temperature rises above the minimum storage temperature, should be used; that the flow rate of the circulating water is relatively unimportant; and that days of intermittent insolation can be simulated by a simple sine function. The analysis is then extended, to derive a set of dimensionless groups describing the complete process. Four of the groups were selected for further study employing a statistical approach similar to that used in the factorial design of experiments. The results from this analysis confirmed the tentative conclusions reached earlier concerning the flow rate of circulating water, and the simulation of days of intermittent insolation. It is also concluded that this approach to analysis and finally design, should be useful in all transient processes.
Proposed Hurricane Barriers Related to Winter Flounder Movements in Narragansett Bay

Abstract Field studies using tagging and recapture techniques with displaced fish were employed to demonstrate a significant exchange of winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, between two areas of Narragansett Bay separated by a natural constriction and earth sill. The tagging studies also provided information on movement, exploitation rates, and sex ratios of the winter flounder. A mathematical model derived from the heat diffusion equation was utilized to suggest that a relatively short search time would be required by winter flounder to locate a hurricane-barrier opening when empirical values for model parameters were utilized. It is concluded from the tagging studies and from theoretical considerations that the proposed hurricane protection devices will not act as physical barriers to fishes which use the bay for spawning or feeding.
Non-traditional psychoanalytic psychotherapy with borderline adolescents

Currently, clinicians are besieged by confusing, complex, and conflicting information about the borderline patient. Views have multiplied to the point whereby terms have taken on diverse meanings. Equally confusing are the etiological issues, and varied perspectives on how to treat this patient. Presented for the reader, is a two-part paper that presents first, an overview of theory and theorists, and second, case vignettes to illustrate practice principles and techniques, for long-term treatment of borderline adolescent patients. Stressed is the need for modification of technique, and, use of a Self Psychology perspective. Both have proved invaluable to this writer, in clinical work with patients commonly regarded as resistive and unreachable.