cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mating system shift in a pronghorn population

At the National Bison Range (western Montana, USA), pronghorn (Antilocapra american) maintained a territorial mating system from as early as 1965 through 1978. Preliminary observations in 1981 suggested that the mating system had changed. Data from the ruts, 1982–1984 revealed a progressive decay in territoriality. In this paper, data from the “territorial years” 1969–1978 are contrasted with data from the “decay years” 1982–1984, with results as follow: 1. In 1982–84, fewer territories were defended than in 1969–78. This was attributable to a smaller proportion of males defending territories in 1982–84, not to a smaller number of males. 2. In 1982–84, most territory owners either abandoned their territories early in ruts, or lost control of females on them following frequent, persistent intrusions by non-territorial males. Abandonment and loss of control did not occur in 1969–78. 3. In 1982–84, territorial males that maintained control of females on their territories did so by shrinking their zones of defense to small areas around female groups. 4. In 1982–84, following the disruption or severe disturbance of all territories, many females left territories, and mated elsewhere, with non-territorial males. In 1969–78, most females remained on territories throughout rut, and mated with territory owners. —The mating system change followed catastrophic winter mortality, 1978–79, that removed 75% of the males, including all males older than 5 years, and all male fawns, from the population. In 1982–84, the number of males present was not different from the number of males in 1969–1978, but the frequency distribution of male ages was strongly shifted toward younger ages. The small number of older males, 1982–84, likely resulted in smaller proportions of males initially defending territories, and in less effective territory defense. When females then clustered on the few territories where defense was at first successful, they attracted large numbers of non-territorial males. The resulting high rates of raids on these territories, coupled with reduced defense radii by territorial males, allowed females only 12% reclining time (summer percentage was 39%). This increased energy cost, plus an apparently greater risk of injury on weakly defended territories, appeared to prompt many females to seek calmer matings elsewhere. Also, if female pronghorn practiced mate selection based upon horn or body size, they may have reduced their efforts to remain on territories in 1982–84. Males from 1969–78 were larger than males from 1982–84, and showed greater variance in horn size. At least two conditions appear to influence the tendency of males to be territorial. First, males must be at least three years old before they attempt to defend a territory. Second, the declining proportion of males defending territories, 1982–84, that coincided with an increasing number of males three years and older, suggests that males also decide whether or not to attempt territory defense based upon the frequency of territorial defense in the population.
Segmentation using deformable models with affinity-based localization

We have developed an algorithm for segmenting objects with simple closed curves, such as the heart and the lungs, that is independent of the imaging modality used (e.g., MRI, CT, echocardiography). Our method is automatic and requires as initialization a single pixel within the boundaries of the object. Existing segmentation techniques either require much more information during initialization, such as an approximation to the object's boundary, or are not robust to the types of noisy data encountered in the medical domain. By integrating region-based and physics-based modeling techniques we have devised a hybrid design that overcomes these limitations. In our experiments we demonstrate that this integration automates and significantly improves the object boundary detection results, independent of the imaging modality used.
Lethal and Sub-Lethal Effects of Insecticides on the Pink Hibiscus Mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae).

The pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a pest of many plants, and a new problem on dates in California. The effects of seven insecticides and water on different life stages of this mealybug were studied to identify the best material for control. Water did not have any significant effect on mealybugs, but the insecticide treatments significantly affected all life stages tested. The egg hatch rate ranged from 28.5% to 17.2% for spirotetramat, bifenthrin, flupyradifurone, fenpropathrin, and buprofezin treatments, and was lower for sulfoxaflor (2.8%) and acetamiprid (0.1%). Despite high survival of neonate crawlers in the non-treated control and water treatments, 53.1% and 34.6% survived in the spirotetramat and buprofezin treatments, respectively; survival was zero in the other treatments. Spirotetramat and buprofezin caused very low mortality of nymphs in the first day post-treatment, but mortality significantly increased over time and reached 42.8% and 50.6% by day 6, respectively. The other treatments were highly toxic to the nymphs (79.4–99.4% on day 6). Insecticides also had a significant effect on the feeding ability of nymphs. By day 6 after treatment, 73.9% to 100% of nymphs treated with different insecticides stopped feeding although they were still alive. Insecticides showed no effect on the mortality of adult females, but the percentages of ovipositing females were significantly reduced (51.1% to 10.6%) in all insecticide treatments, except buprofezin, which was not statistically different from water and the non-treated control. In the process of our studies, we identified abnormalities in the appearance of eggs from females treated with various insecticides, and these aberrant eggs are described.
Information Sparsification in Visual-Inertial Odometry

In this paper, we present a novel approach to tightly couple visual and inertial measurements in a fixed-lag visual-inertial odometry (VIO) framework using information sparsification. To bound computational complexity, fixed-lag smoothers typically marginalize out variables, but consequently introduce a densely connected linear prior which significantly deteriorates accuracy and efficiency. Current state-of-the-art approaches account for the issue by selectively discarding measurements and marginalizing additional variables. However, such strategies are sub-optimal from an information-theoretic perspective. Instead, our approach performs a dense marginalization step and preserves the information content of the dense prior. Our method sparsifies the dense prior with a nonlinear factor graph by minimizing the information loss. The resulting factor graph maintains information sparsity, structural similarity, and nonlinearity. To validate our approach, we conduct real-time drone tests and perform comparisons to current state-of-the-art fixed-lag VIO methods in the EuRoC visual-inertial dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves competitive and superior accuracy in almost all trials. We include a detailed run-time analysis to demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is suitable for real-time applications.
Disseminating Your Work

In the fast changing landscape of academic surgery, disseminating significant and innovative research is fundamental to scientific advancement and career progression. The good news is that there are now many potential outlets for education research beyond surgical and academic journals. The focus of this chapter is to take a holistic perspective on publishing your work, with advice on how to select the right outlet and sumbmission category, guidance on how to structure research manuscripts tips on the process of writing, and perspectives on dealing with the inevitable challenges of publishing surgical education work – including concerns about authorship, collaborators, and dealing with rejection. If the aim in your academic life is to create a body of work that makes a unique contribution, and the momentum to keep that going amid busy clinical and teaching schedules, then getting your work published is integral – and enjoying the process is critical for longevity and impact.
“I am not just a me but I'm also a we”: Algorithmic Culture and Netflix's Sense8

Transgender representation has proliferated in the era of algorithmically driven digital media, marking an increase in trans visibility alongside a sharp decrease in the material well-being of tran...
Gendering Sustainability in Management Education: Research and Pedagogy as Space for Critical Engagement:

Gender issues have been well conceptualized in feminist organization studies. However, gender research has had limited practical effects, in part because it has not been well conceptualized in the ...
Use of dexamethasone, remdesivir, convalescent plasma and prone positioning in the treatment of severe COVID-19 infection in pregnancy: A case report

Abstract Severe infection with COVID-19 virus in pregnancy offers unique management challenges for the obstetrician and critical care specialist. We report the case of a woman at 26 weeks of gestation with acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to COVID-19 infection treated with dexamethasone, remdesivir, convalescent plasma and mechanical ventilation. Cesarean delivery was performed at 29 weeks due to worsening maternal status. This case offers insight into the assessment and successful use of treatment strategies, including dexamethasone, remdesivir, convalescent plasma, early prone positioning, conservative fluid management, permissive hypoxia and low tidal volume parameters with ventilator support for pregnancies affected by severe COVID-19 infection.
Computational Evaluation of a New Digital Tandem Quadrupole Mass Filter

A tandem mass filter consists of two low-resolution mass filters arranged in series that operate with a small offset between their mass windows. In principle, the overlap of the two individual mass windows defines the tandem window. Tandem operation provides improved resolution and transmission compared to a single mass filter operated with the same mass window. The improvement in transmission is owed to the larger acceptance of the low-resolution quadrupoles. The tandem filter resolution and transmission are adjusted by changing the amount of offset separating the mass windows of the individual filters. Sine wave systems create this offset through voltage changes. Digital tandem mass filters depart from convention because they do not change voltage. The tandem mass window is created when the individual filters are operated with two slightly different duty cycles. Both quadrupoles operate at the same frequency, phase, and voltage. When the frequency, phase, and voltage of each quadrupole are identical, there theoretically are no changes to the Mathieu parameters to cause ion excitation and loss during transition between the quadrupole pair. The work presented here shows that a fixed AC voltage digital tandem mass filter can only operate in higher stability zones. However, unlike sine mass filters, the mass range of a digital system is not limited. This makes the digital tandem mass filter feasible as a commercial product. For the tandem digital mode to be successful, the duty cycles of each quadrupole must be precisely controlled because the duty cycle differences required to shift the mass windows are small. The creation of these mass window offsets requires waveform generation that can obtain high duty cycle resolution. Our method of generating waveforms can meet this demand; however, modifications to our current printed circuit board must be made. These modifications are minor and will be discussed.
Targeting KRAS in Colorectal Cancer.

Mutations in kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) are the most frequently observed genomic alterations in human cancers. No KRAS targeting therapy has been approved despite more than three decades of efforts. Encouraging progress has been made in targeting KRASG12C with KRASG12C specific covalent inhibitors in the past few years. Herein, we review the recent breakthroughs in KRAS targeting. KRASG12C mutation was found in 14% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 3% of colorectal cancer. Recently, highly potent KRASG12C specific inhibitors have been developed and demonstrated potent activity in preclinical models. Early results from phase 1 clinical trials with sotorasib and MRTX849 show promising antitumor activity in NSCLC, colorectal cancer and other solid tumors harboring KRASG12C mutation. For the first time, the preclinical success of targeting KRAS has translated into clinical benefits, which holds the potential of transforming clinical management of KRAS mutated solid tumors. Additional efforts are needed to identify biomarkers that predict response to KRAS inhibition in patients with KRASG12C as well as to develop strategies to overcome resistance.
Exclusion of SARS-COV-2 From Two Maine Overnight Camps July-August 2020.

OBJECTIVES: Summer camp can positively affect self-esteem and social skills. Most United States summer camps did not open during 2020 because of concerns about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2). Our objective is to describe exclusion strategies successfully used by 2 summer camps in Maine. METHODS: Before camp arrival, all attendees were asked to quarantine at home for 14 d and perform a daily symptom checklist. Salivary specimens were submitted by mail for SARS-COV-2 PCR testing 4 d before arrival, and again 4 d after arrival. At camp, multiple layers of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were used. RESULTS: A total of 717 (96.7%) prospective attendees underwent remotely supervised saliva collection; 4 were positive and did not come to camp. Among the 20 who did not submit a sample, 3 did not come to camp; the other 17 underwent screening and a rapid antigen test for SARS-COV-2 immediately upon arrival and before reporting to communal living spaces; all were negative. All campers and staff were re-tested by salivary polymerase chain reaction 4 d after arrival, and all were negative. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that it is possible to safely operate overnight camps during a pandemic, thus supporting the continued physical and socioemotional growth of children, using multiple layers of NPIs.
The gut microbiota in patients with COVID-19 and obesity

The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Obesity is one of the major comorbidities that are related to complications in the course of the disease. Obesity is characterized by a chronic low grade of inflammation and it is proposed that abnormal gut microbiota together with increased gut permeability are risk factors of this pathology. The aim of the present study was to conduct a descriptive research and investigate about the imbalance in the gastrointestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) in patients with COVID-19 and obesity. A library research using the electronic databases PubMed and Google Scholar was performed. The full search strategy combined terms from three themes: COVID-19, obesity, and gut microbiota. Terms were searched as both keywords (title/abstract words) and a comprehensive list of MeSH terms related to each theme. Titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance and then screened considering the full text content. Network maps were also generated to evaluate the co-ocurrence terms in the papers analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.14 software. Several studies indicate that gut microbiota is altered in COVID-19 patients showing a decrease in abundance and diversity. Different opportunistic pathogens were found increased in COVID-19 patients including Collinsella, Streptococcus, Morganella, Rothia, Veillonella, Erysipelatoclostridium, Actinomyces, Coprobacillus and Clostridium. Many of them were associated with an increased in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, inflammatory markers, or COVID-19 disease severity. Fecal fungal microbiome was also altered showing an enrichment of fungal pathogens from the genera Candida and Aspergillus. There is a correlation between the bacterial species present in the gut microbiota of COVID-19 patients and in patients with obesity. This was observed principally in the increment of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria and the decrease of Bacteroidetes. Modulation of gut microbiota with prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics are suggested to be used in patients with COVID-19. The present study contributes to highlight the importance of gastrointestinal microflora in COVID-19 patients with obesity as well as the necessity to study specifically this population which report a higher risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Further studies are needed to evaluate potential treatments to reestablish gut microbiome, reduce inflammation, and improve immune function considering the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in the gastrointestinal tract.
Competitive Equilibrium in Sobolev Spaces without Bounds on Short Sales

Abstract Following Chichilnisky and Chichilnisky-Kalman we establish existence and optimality of competitive equilibrium when commodity spaces are infinite dimensional Sobolov spaces, including Hilbert spaces such as weighted L2 which have L∞, as dense subspaces. We allow general consumption sets with or without lower bounds, thus including securities markets with infinitely many assets and unbounded short sales, and economies with production. We give non-arbitrage conditions on endowments and preferences which suffice for the existence of an equilibrium. Prices are in the same space as commodities. Equilibrium allocations are approximated by allocations in other frequently used spaces such as C(R) and L∞.
NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA IN AN ADOLESCENT AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN PRESENTING AS TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER: A CASE REPORT WITH MULTIDETECTOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

BACKGROUND Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has unique demographic characteristics, risk factors, and clinical presentation. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and exposure to nitrosamines are the main known contributing risk factors for NPC. The highest risk demographic for NPC, however, is young men of Chinese and Southeast Asian descent. In this case report, we discuss a rare case of NPC in an adolescent African American male patient presenting with symptoms of temporomandibular disorder and with no known predisposing risk factors. CASE REPORT A 16-year-old African American male patient presented with initial symptoms of pain in the left temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and left angle of the mandible for 2 months. Lateral neck swelling and one episode of epistaxis were also reported. After a clinical exam and ultrasound examination, the diagnoses of temporomandibular disorder and peritonsillar abscess were considered. Antibiotics were prescribed and a month later multidetector computed tomography (CT) was ordered. The CT findings were significant for an infiltrative malignant nasopharyngeal mass with early skull base involvement and cervical lymphadenopathy. Subsequent magnetic resonance findings were significant for invasion of palatal, paraspinal, and masticatory muscles as well as the carotid sheath and V3 encasement with V3 perineural spread. Tissue sampling of the lesion was definitive for EBV-positive squamous cell carcinoma. The definitive diagnosis was NPC with TNM staging T4 N2c M0. Radiation and chemotherapy were then administered to the patient. Magnetic resonance imaging surveillance studies at 2 and 7 months showed continued tumor involution and lymphadenitis improvement with no evidence of progressive disease. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS NPC in young African American patients is exceedingly rare. Nasopharyngeal soft tissue masses in young patients can be misinterpreted as hypertrophic adenoid tissue in cone beam computed tomography images. However, in the presence of unexplained symptoms such as TMJ pain, hearing loss, and epistaxis, a malignancy must be considered and investigated. Careful attention should be paid to skull base bony morphology and foramina for possible perineural spread when nasopharyngeal masses are present.
Real contacts and evolution laws for rate and state friction

The well-known formalism of rate- and state-dependent friction represents the transition between static and dynamic friction. The instantaneous coefficient of friction is proportional to the logarithm of the sliding velocity V and the logarithm of a state variable ψ whose inverse is a measure of the current amount of damage within a shearing gouge layer or on a sliding surface. Evolution equations that represent the change of the state variable with time include damage from sliding and healing. The Dieterich (1979) evolution law contains separate terms for the two effects; the Ruina (1983) law groups the two effects into one term proportional to V ln(V). In addition, the state variable depends exponentially on porosity as exp[(ϕ − f)/Cɛ], where ϕ is the porosity at reference conditions and Cɛ is a dimensionless constant. I obtain these relationships as well as relationships between friction-law parameters and physical parameters by representing asperity contacts as rectangular deformable regions between two rigid sheets. The creep rate within an asperity depends exponentially on the second invariant of the deviatoric stress . In terms of asperity-scale quantities the invariant includes normal traction and shear traction. The derivations assume that contact stresses scale with macroscopic stresses. This yields simple expressions analogous to those in rate and state friction. The Ruina (1983) evolution law in general and the decrease in compaction rate during a hold in a slider experiment in particular arise because a sudden decrease in sliding velocity implies that the shear traction and hence the invariant decrease. The porosity-state relationship arises when real stresses at contacts (or the inverse real contact area) depend linearly on the separation of the sheets and by analogy the porosity. Conversely, the Ruina (1983) evolution law is inapplicable when asperity-scale stresses within a deforming material do not scale with macroscopic stresses.
Continuous and discrete N-convex approximations

We show that the best Lp-approximant to continuous functions by n-convex functions is the limit of discrete n-convex approximations. The techniques of the proof are then used to show the existence of near interpolants to discrete n-convex data by continuous n-convex functions if the data points are close.
Structure and infectivity of picornaviral RNA encapsidated by cowpea chlorotic mottle virus protein.

Abstract Poliovirus and Mengo virus RNA were shown to associate efficiently with cowpea chlorotic mottle virus protein to form pseudovirions. The sedimentation coefficient for the pseudovirions was similar to that of poliovirus, and electron microscope observations showed the Mengo pseudovirions to be similar in size to Mengo virus. Such pseudovirions were infectious and were more resistant to ribonuclease than viral RNA; however, under our assay conditions, their infectivity was about equal to that of viral RNA.
On techniques to improve robustness and scalability of a parallel hybrid linear solver

A hybrid linear solver based on the Schur complement method has great potential to be a general purpose solver scalable on tens of thousands of processors. For this, it is imperative to exploit two levels of parallelism; namely, solving independent subdomains in parallel and using multiple processors per subdomain. This hierarchical parallelism can lead to a scalable implementation which maintains numerical stability at the same time. In this framework, load imbalance and excessive communication, which can lead to performance bottlenecks, occur at two levels: in an intra-processor group assigned to the same subdomain and among inter-processor groups assigned to different subdomains. We developed several techniques to address these issues, such as taking advantage of the sparsity of right-hand-sides during the triangular solutions with interfaces, load balancing sparse matrix-matrix multiplication to form update matrices, and designing an effective asynchronous point-to-point communication of the update matrices. We present numerical results to demonstrate that with the help of these techniques, our hybrid solver can efficiently solve large-scale highly-indefinite linear systems on thousands of processors.
Syntactic Encoding and Syntactic Choice

Syntactic encoding creates a representation intermediate between a nonlinguistic conceptual level and a subsequent phonological level containing word forms. Lexical selection contributes to construction of a syntactic frame. Syntactic persistence, a form of implicit memory, suggests that syntactic structure is partly isolable from content. The relation between conceptual and syntactic formulation is a crucial question that is ripe for further exploration. Keywords: lexical selection; syntactic structure priming; incremental production; conceptual-linguistic translation
Term ovarian pregnancy with delivery of a live female infant

PRIMARY OVARIAN PREGNANCY isan unusual entity which occurs in every 25,000 to 40,000 pregnancies and in 0.7% or 0.4% of ectopic pregnancies. Mercerus,’ in 164 1, was the first to suggest the possibility of ovarian pregnancy, but the first case was reported by Saint Maurice de Perigod in France in 1682.” Vulgaris and Reich” reviewed the literature LIP to 1974 and collected 2 11 authentic cases of primary ovarian pregnancies, including one case of their own. Approximately 75% are terminated in the first trimester; 12M%, in the second trimester; 12%%, in the third trimester. Nicholls,l in 194 1, stated that 38 ovarian pregnancies have been recorded to reach the age of viability with 12 living babies and 22 living mothers. In the 32 years since Nicholl’s report, a search of the world literature by Pratt-Thomas and associates” has revealed IO cases that have been reported as examples of ovarian pregnancy reaching viability.
A Concept Analysis of Self‐Efficacy and Adolescent Sexual Risk‐Taking Behavior

JenkinsTopic Concept Analysis: Self-efficacy and Sexual Risk-Taking Behaviors of Adolescents Purpose This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the concept of self-efficacy and adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviors Conclusions Using the Walker and Avant framework of concept analysis, the concept of self-efficacy has shown to be an important part in changing unhealthy behaviors. It has also shown that the concept of self-efficacy can be pivotal in health promotion activities of adolescents in a variety of settings, especially as it relates to adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviors. Practice Implications The concept of self-efficacy as it relates to adolescent sexual risk-taking behaviors has clear nursing implications and usage among the adolescent population. Self-efficacy is a key concept to be used in health promotion. Health promotion activities are pivotal in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in the adolescent population. Knowledge of the self-efficacy level of the adolescent patient can give the nurse greater insight in the meaning of the patient's response in a given situation. This also helps the nurse identify which adolescents would benefit from early intervention with regard to sexual health. Jenkins
Haynesville Shale: Those Frackin' Alt. Wells!

This article provides a glimpse into two of the major issues arising from the Louisiana portion of the Haynesville Shale formation: Hyrdaulic Fracturing and Unitization. The article discusses the issues and claims involving hydraulic fracturing and its link, or lack thereof, to groundwater contamination. Also included is an overview and analysis of the pending case of Gatti v. Louisiana in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court in East Baton Rouge Parish, which challenges the Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation's authority to grant alternate unit wells.
Heterogeneity of component bands in isoelectric focusing patterns

Abstract The notion that single bands in isoelectric focusing experiments employing heterogeneous antibody samples are themselves heterogeneous was investigated using both a theoretical and an empirical approach. A computer analysis of the theoretical isoelectric points of 480 unique charged amino acid compositions in the range of those found in antibody VH regions was performed. With a resolution of 0.005 of a pH unit and no vicinal effects on side chain pKs (e.g., urea focusing), this analysis yielded a total of 41 bands of varying heterogeneity. Band heterogeneity was confirmed in an analysis of six different preparatively focused IEF bands from a sample of light chains prepared from antilactose immunoglobulin M. Bands were reduced, alkylated with [3H]iodoacetate and digested with trypsin. Anion and cation exchange chromatography of each digest revealed a pattern of varying heterogeneity for all bands when compared with known homogeneous and heterogeneous controls.
Determining the Null Model for Detecting Adaptive Convergence from Genomic Data: A Case Study using Echolocating Mammals

Convergent evolution occurs when the same trait arises independently in multiple lineages. In most cases of phenotypic convergence such transitions are adaptive, so finding the underlying molecular causes of convergence can provide insight into the process of adaptation. Convergent evolution at the genomic level also lends itself to study by comparative methods, although molecular convergence can also occur by chance, adding noise to this process. Parker et al. studied convergence across the genomes of several mammals, including echolocating bats and dolphins (Parker J, Tsagkogeorga G, Cotton JA, Liu Y, Provero P, Stupka E, Rossiter SJ. 2013. Genome-wide signatures of convergent evolution in echolocating mammals. Nature 502:228-231). On the basis of a null distribution of site-specific likelihood support (SSLS) generated using simulated topologies, they concluded that there was evidence for genome-wide adaptive convergence between echolocating taxa. Here, we demonstrate that methods based on SSLS do not adequately measure convergence, and reiterate the use of an empirical null model that directly compares convergent substitutions between all pairs of species. We find that when the proper comparisons are made there is no surprising excess of convergence between echolocating mammals, even in sensory genes.
Preliminary assessment of the efficacy of supplementing knee extension capability in a lower limb exoskeleton with FES

The authors describe a cooperative controller that combines the knee joint actuation of an externally powered lower limb exoskeleton with the torque and power contribution from the electrically stimulated quadriceps muscle group. The efficacy of combining these efforts is experimentally validated with a series of weighted leg lift maneuvers. Measurements from these experiments indicate that the control approach effectively combines the respective efforts of the motor and muscle, such that good control performance is achieved, with substantial torque and energy contributions from both the biological and non-biological actuators.
Hybrid genetic algorithm for feature selection with hyperspectral data

This letter evaluates the performance of a wrapper–filter genetic algorithm (GA) for feature selection using Digital Airborne Imaging Spectrometer hyperspectral data set. Classification accuracy by k-nearest neighbour (k-NN) and support vector machine (SVM) were used as fitness function with four filter algorithms. Results of wrapper–filter GA-based feature selection approach were compared with a steady-state GA-based approach in terms of number of selected features and the accuracy with selected feature. Result indicates the unsuitability of SVM as wrapper due to large computational cost in comparison to k-NN. Choice of filter algorithm seems to be having no significant effect on classification accuracy obtained using selected features. Comparison in terms of number of selected features and the accuracy with selected features suggests comparable performance by both wrapper–filter and steady-state GAs for the used data set.
The Effect of Lipid Modification on Peripheral Artery Disease after Endovascular Intervention Trial (ELIMIT).

Abstract Methods A total of 102 patients were randomized to either mono-therapy with simvastatin (40 mg daily) or triple-therapy with simvastatin (40 mg daily), extended-release niacin (1500 mg daily), and ezetimibe (10 mg daily). MRI was performed at baseline and 6, 12, and 24 months. SFA wall, lumen, and total vessel volumes were quantified. MRI-derived SFA parameters and lipids were analyzed with multilevel models and nonparametric tests, respectively. Results Baseline characteristics did not differ between mono and triple-therapy groups, except for ethnicity ( p = 0.02). SFA wall, lumen, and total vessel volumes increased non-significantly for both groups between baseline and 24-months. Non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly reduced at 12 months with triple-therapy compared with mono-therapy ( p = 0.01). Conclusion No significant differences were observed between mono-therapy using simvastatin and triple-therapy with simvastatin, extended-release niacin, and ezetimibe for 24-month changes in SFA wall, lumen, and total vessel volumes. Clinical Trial Registration Information: NCT00687076; Link: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00687076.
Cytological changes related to Brucella canis variants uptake in vitro

In this study, evidence for in vitro uptake, invasion, and cytopathogonomic effects of normal and variant strains ofB. canis on tissue culture, is presented.B. canis L-phase were penicillin-induced and these microorganisms produced revertants on penicillin-free media. Tissue culture (LLC-MK2) cells were divided into different normal and variant-infected groups (I–IV), including controls. Bright-field and electron microscopic observations indicated uptake of all the strains and recognizable host cell damage (CPE) to varying degrees. At 72 h after infection, the extent of damage by L-phase was the least (55.5% CPE). The L-phase-derived revertants resulted in 80% damage; this approximates the adverse effect of normalB. canis (85%). In addition to these gross changes, various structural abnormalities, including pyknosis, nuclear disorganization, vacuolation, and karyorrhexis, were apparent. The implications of these findings and the indirect role of the L-phase in brucellosis due toB. canis are discussed.
The Challenge of Kaizen Technology for American Business Competition

Emphasizes one of the two basic types of technology, Kaizen technology, which was principally conceived in Japan. Also discusses the relationship between Kaizen technology and the second type, innovative technology. Kaizen technology is one of the principal reasons for Japan’s economic success. Asserts here that if American businesses are to compete successfully in international trade in future years, they must integrate and apply Kaizen technology. Presently, the prevailing managerial philosophy in the US, Taylor’s “scientific management”, impedes this integration and application. This philosophy, based on Frederick Taylor’s ideas, is contrasted with Kaizen technology. Finally, recommendations are presented to assist US firms in the transition from Taylor methods to quality management and Kaizen technology.
Reduced-order constrained optimization (ROCO): clinical application to head-and-neck IMRT.

Purpose: The authors present the application of the reduced order constrained optimization (ROCO) method, previously successfully applied to the prostate and lung sites, to the head-and-neck (H&N) site, demonstrating that it can quickly and automatically generate clinically competitive IMRT plans. We provide guidelines for applying ROCO to larynx, oropharynx, and nasopharynx cases, and report the results of a live experiment that demonstrates how an expert planner can save several hours of trial-and-error interaction using the proposed approach. Methods: The ROCO method used for H&N IMRT planning consists of three major steps. First, the intensity space of treatment plans is sampled by solving a series of unconstrained optimization problems with a parameter range based on previously treated patient data. Second, the dominant modes in the intensity space are estimated by dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis (PCA). Third, a constrained optimization problem over this basis is quickly solved to find an IMRT plan that meets organ-at-risk (OAR) and target coverage constraints. The quality of the plan is assessed using evaluation tools within Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)’s treatment planning system (TPS). Results: The authors generated ten H&N IMRT plans for previously treated patients using the ROCO method and processed them for deliverability by a dynamic multileaf collimator (DMLC). The authors quantitatively compared the ROCO plans to the previously achieved clinical plans using the TPS tools used at MSKCC, including DVH and isodose contour analysis, and concluded that the ROCO plans would be clinically acceptable. In our current implementation, ROCO H&N plans can be generated using about 1.6 h of offline computation followed by 5–15 min of semiautomatic planning time. Additionally, the authors conducted a live session for a plan designated by MSKCC performed together with an expert H&N planner. A technical assistant set up the first two steps, which were performed without further human interaction, and then collaborated in a virtual meeting with the expert planner to perform the third (constrained optimization) step. The expert planner performed in-depth analysis of the resulting ROCO plan and deemed it to be clinically acceptable and in some aspects superior to the clinical plan. This entire process took 135 min including two constrained optimization runs, in comparison to the estimated 4 h that would have been required using traditional clinical planning tools. Conclusions: The H&N site is very challenging for IMRT planning, due to several levels of prescription and a large, variable number (6–20) of OARs that depend on the location of the tumor. ROCO for H&N shows promise in generating clinically acceptable plans both more quickly and with substantially less human interaction.
Cluster-doping approach for wide-gap semiconductors: the case of p-type ZnO.

First-principles calculations on p-type doping of the paradigm wide-gap ZnO semiconductor reveal that successful doping depends much on engineering a stable local chemical bonding environment. We suggest a cluster-doping approach in which a locally stable chemical environment is realized by using few dopant species. We explain two puzzling experimental observations, i.e., that monodoping N in ZnO via N2 fails to produce p-type behavior, whereas using an NO source produces metastable p-type behavior, which disappears over time.
The non-significance of straw man arguments

We demonstrate that Statistical significance (Chow 1996) includes straw man arguments against (1) effect size, (2) meta-analysis, and (3) Bayesianism. We agree with the author that in experimental designs, H0 “is the effect of chance influences on the data-collection procedure . . . it says nothing about the substantive hypothesis or its logical complement” (Chow 1996, p. 41).
Effects of dichloroacetate administration during fatal hemorrhagic shock in immature swine.

During hemorrhagic shock, decreased perfusion and poor tissue oxygenation lead to increased lactate production. Previous animal studies have suggested that sodium dichloroacetate (DCA), an agent that decreases lactate production, can improve hemodynamics and survival when administered after severe hemorrhage. We used an unanesthetised porcine hemorrhagic shock model to assess the effect of DCA on survival time when administered during fatal hemorrhage. Immature female swine weighing 14 to 20 kg were splenectomized and instrumented with chronic indwelling aortic and right atrial catheters one week prior to hemorrhage. On the day of the experiment, the unanesthetized animals' aortic catheter was connected to a roller pump and blood was removed at a rate of 1.0 mL/kg/min until death occurred. Experimental animals (n = 8) received sodium dichloroacetate (25 mg/mL distilled water) 100 mg/kg IV bolus beginning 15 minutes after the start of hemorrhage followed by a 3 mg/kg/min constant IV infusion. Control animals (n = 8) received an equal volume of normal saline. Arterial pressure, heart rate, blood gases, serum lactate, and serum glucose were measured at baseline and every 15 minutes during hemorrhage. There were no significant differences in survival time (controls, 63 ± 2.8 min; DCA-treated, 60 ± 3.7 min), lactate levels, or blood pressures between the two groups. These results suggest that DCA does not decrease serum lactate or improve survival time when administered during ongoing severe hemorrhagic shock. Further study should be directed at the effects of DCA as an adjunctive treatment after hemorrhage has been controlled and tissue perfusion restored.
A treatise on material characterization in the metal cutting process. Part 1: A novel approach and experimental verification

Abstract Everyday practice of cutting process planning requires reliable cutting force estimates, which currently can be obtained only from process-dependent machinability databases. The greatest obstacle to develop a more basic, efficient approach is a lack of understanding of material behavior under unique deformation conditions of cutting. Since metal cutting involves the physical separation of the chip from the rest of the workpiece, this paper defines the metal cutting process as the purposeful fracture of workpiece material. Part one of this two-part paper presents a novel approach of characterizing the resistance of workpiece material to cutting. It is shown that the strain at fracture is the most general material behavior characteristic. The experimental results show that the strain at fracture measured in incremental compression is consistent with that measured in orthogonal cutting when all deformation variables are properly accounted for and that, contrary to the results obtained using other kinds of material characteristics, the resistance to cutting of workpiece material in orthogonal cutting is not affected by high strains, strain rates and temperatures occurring in the cutting process.
Organ of Corti surface preparations for computer-assisted morphometry.

Abstract This paper describes a relatively rapid method (67 h) for producing surface preparations of the organ of Corti that are suitable for a computer-assisted morphometric analysis of cochlear hair cells. On day 1, a cochlea was fixed in OsO 4 , dehydrated in ethanol and infiltrated with an Epon-like plastic (Medcast). On day 2, the Medcast within the cochlea was polymerized at 60° C in an oven. On day 3, the complete organ of Corti was dissected into approximately 20 segments which were trimmed and mounted on a slide in Medcast. Two 400 mesh transmission electron microscope grids are mounted at the apical and basal ends of the organ of Corti. These grids served as reference points for the establishment of an independent X, Y coordinate system on the slide by a computer-assisted light microscope. The segments were permanently attached to the slide by polymerization of the Medcast at 60 ° C for approximately 15 h. At the beginning of day 4, the organ of Corti surface preparation was ready for examination by light microscopy or could be further sectioned and examined by transmission electron microscopy.
Comparative study of the stomatogastric system of several decapod crustacea. I. Skeleton.

The skeletal structure of the stomachs of several decapod Crustacea is described in detail. The general organization of the ossicles is similar for all species and the homologies of the elements can be recognized despite large variations from group to group. The Reptantia are characterized by a complex ossicle organization while the Natantia, on the other hand, are characterized by a simple organization. The various types of ossicle organization found in the decapod stomach can be arranged in a series ranging from simple to complex. The Brachyura have the most complex ossicle system and the Penaeidea the most simplified. This graded series of complexity closely follows the evolution of the Decapoda.
Alley cropping of maize with nine leguminous trees

A maize-leguminous tree alley cropping system was studied on N-deficient soils in Hawaii to determine mulch effects on maize yields. Calliandra calothyrsus, Cajanus cajan, Cassia siamea, Gliciridia sepium, KX1 — Leucaena hybrid (L. pallida X L. diversifolia), L. leucocephala, L. pallida, L. salvadorensis, and Sesbania sesban were evaluated for green manure and yield of intercropped maize. S. sesban, G. sepium, L. pallida, and KX1 produced between 5 and 12 dry t/ha/yr green manure with nitrogen yields between 140 and 275 kg N/ha in 4 prunings.
γ-Agostic Species as Key Intermediates in the Vinyl Addition Polymerization of Norbornene with Cationic (allyl)Pd Catalysts: Synthesis and Mechanistic Insights

Several cationic (allyl)Pd(II) complexes were synthesized and shown to be highly active for (2,3)-vinyl addition polymerization of norbornene (NB) to yield polymers with low molecular weight distributions (MWDs) ranging from 1.2−1.4. Despite the low MWDs, slow initiation was followed by rapid propagation preventing molecular weight control of the poly(norbornene). Several intermediates in these polymerizations initiated with [(2-R-allyl)Pd(mesitylene)]+ complexes were fully characterized (NMR and X-ray diffraction). Consistent with previous observations the allyl and NB units couple in cis-exo fashion to yield a σ,π-complex capped by mesitylene. Mesitylene is readily displaced by NB to form an agostic intermediate in which NB acts as a bidentate ligand and binds to the cationic Pd center via the π-system and a γ-agostic interaction with the syn hydrogen at C7. The identity of this complex was established by NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It is significant since it suggests bidentat...
A new subspace identification approach based on principal component analysis

Principal component analysis (PCA) has been widely used for monitoring complex industrial processes with multiple variables and diagnosing process and sensor faults. The objective of this paper is to develop a new subspace identification algorithm that gives consistent model estimates under the errors-in-variables (EIV) situation. In this paper, we propose a new subspace identification approach using principal component analysis. PCA naturally falls into the category of EIV formulation, which resembles total least squares and allows for errors in both process input and output. We propose to use PCA to determine the system observability subspace, the A, B, C, and D matrices and the system order for an EIV formulation. Standard PCA is modified with instrumental variables in order to achieve consistent estimates of the system matrices. The proposed subspace identification method is demonstrated using a simulated process and a real industrial process for model identification and order determination. For comparison the MOESP algorithm and N4SID algorithm are used as benchmarks to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed PCA based subspace model identification (SMI) algorithm.
Generalized Ulcerative Sarcoidosis

† Cutaneous involvement is present in approximately 25% of patients with sarcoidosis. A large variety of morphologic patterns has been well described; ulcerative lesions are rare. A 30-year-old black man had generalized cutaneous granulomas, many of which demonstrated superficial ulceration. The exudative quality of these lesions was probably secondary to recurrent bacterial infection. Use of oral antibiotics, prednisone, and hydroxychloroquine sulfate controlled his disease activity. ( Arch Dermatol 1982;118:931-933).