cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Braking Impact of Normal Dither Signals

Dither control is a method of introducing high frequency control efforts into a system to suppress a lower frequency disturbance. One application of dither control is the suppression of automotive brake squeal. Brake squeal is a problem that has plagued the automotive industry for years. Placing a piezoceramic stack actuator in the piston of a floating caliper brake creates an experimental normal dither system. Many theoretical models indicate a reduction in the braking torque due to the normal dither signal. Using a Hertzian contact stiffness model the loss in friction is due to lowering the average normal force. There are also theories that the dither signal eliminates the ‘stick-slip’ oscillation causing an effective decrease in the friction force. Yet another theory indicates that the effective contact area is reduced, lowering the mean coefficient of friction. A particular approach considering a single degree of freedom friction oscillator predicts a maximum friction reduction of 10%, occurring at the primary resonance of the system. This paper will concentrate on validating this claim by experimentally determining braking torque reduction for a variety of dither control signals. Several dither control frequencies were chosen at system resonances, while others were chosen at frequencies most likely to provide control of the system. These frequencies were chosen based on previous squeal suppression research. The results indicate that dither control frequencies at system resonances have a greater impact on the braking system’s performance. In general, dither control reduces braking torque by no more than 2%.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
590 TRANSFUSION REQUIREMENTS AND SPLENECTOMY IN COOLEY'S ANEMIA

The identification of patients with thalassemia major who will clearly benefit from splenectomy is often difficult. Modell (Br Med Bull 32:270,1976) has evaluated transfusion requirements based upon weight, mean hemoglobin level and amount of administered whole blood. We have modified this index using the pre-transfusion Hb level and quantity of packed red cells. Transfusion requirements, expressed as the volume of transfused packed RBC's in one year divided by weight at mid-year, were studied in 48 patients with thalassemia major and intact spleens and 18 patients after splenectomy. The patients with spleens (3-24 years old) required 131-367 ml/kg/yr (mean 223) to maintain a pre-transfusion Hb level of 7.8-9.8 g/dl. The 18 patients (5-28 years old) who underwent splenectomy required 80-155 ml/kg/yr (mean 126) to maintain a pre-transfusion Hb level of 8.3-10.6 g/dl. In 8 patients studied before and at least six months after splenectomy, the amount of administered blood decreased 24-74% (mean 48%), despite an increase in the mean pre-transfusion Hb level from 8.5 to 9.6 g/dl. Post-splenectomy transfusion requirements in all eight patients were in the predicted range. As illustrated by these data, the transfusion index allows easy identification of those patients with Cooley's anemia who will benefit from splenectomy and permits prediction of the decrease in blood requirements following splenectomy.
The Politics of Law (Teaching)

I enjoy novels about the legal profession,' and I delight in reading satiric novels about the academy. Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim, and David Lodge's Changing Places and Small World 2 bring the sense of academic absurdity ("It's all academic") to the general reader. The satiric novel, as a "message" novel, can provide unvarnished truths about the object of satire. Institutions of higher learning, particularly law schools, and the
BAL fluid contains detectable superoxide dismutase 1 activity

Objective This study determined which, if any, of the three superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activities were detectable in BAL fluid (BALF). Background The identity and concentrations of antioxidant molecules in BALF have not been fully characterized. One important class of antioxidants is that of the SOD enzymes. Methods BALF from control nonsmokers (n=9), smokers (n=7), and asthmatic subjects (n=12) were examined for SOD activity by a modified pyrogallol auto-oxidation method. The particular SOD enzyme or enzymes responsible for any activity were identified based on activity inhibition data and gel filtration column chromatography patterns. Results SOD activity was detected in all samples. Unlike serum or some other fluids, in which the enzyme extracellular SOD accounts for virtually all SOD activity, the enzyme SOD 1 accounted for virtually all SOD activity. BALF SOD activities were lower for smokers than for control or asthmatic subjects (p Conclusion BALF SOD 1 activities can be measured as part of lung antioxidant studies. Data from a limited number of subjects suggested that smokers can have low BALF SOD values.
Synthesis, structure and magnetic properties of {Mn5 (OC (O )CH3 )6 (OC(O )C6H5 )4}∞

Abstract The ligand exchange reaction between Mn(OC(O)CH3)2 and benzoic acid under solvothermal conditions in toluene at 110 °C yields colorless crystals of {Mn5(OC(O)CH3)6(OC(O)C6H5)4}∞ (1). The asymmetric unit of this complex is Mn2.5(OC(O)CH3)3(OC(O)C6H5)2 with each of the three different Mn(II) atoms in 6-fold coordination and one of the benzoate ligands exhibiting the rare μ3-symmetric bridging mode (O–Mn–O angle = 57°). The structure consists of edge-shared Mn12 loops arranged in a honeycomb-like 2D sheet with the acetate ligands displaced slightly out of the plane. The sheets are spaced at 12 A and linked into a 3D network via weak intersheet interactions. Magnetic susceptibility characterization of 1 indicates antiferromagnetic exchange with a Weiss constant of −165 K and a transition toward ferromagnetic exchange below 10 K corroborated with a finite imaginary component in the variable temperature susceptibility data.
Soil mixing to decrease surface stratification of phosphorus in manured soils.

Continual applications of fertilizer and manure to permanent grassland or no-till soils can lead to an accumulation of P at the surface, which in turn increases the potential for P loss in overland flow. To investigate the feasibility of redistributing surface stratified P within the soil profile by plowing, Mehlich-3 P rich surface soils (128-961 mg kg -1 in 0-5 cm) were incubated with lower-P subsoil (16-119 mg kg -1 in 5-20 cm) for 18 manured soils from Oklahoma and Pennsylvania that had received long-term manure applications (60-150 kg P ha -1 yr -1 as dairy, poultry, or swine manure for up to 20 yr). After incubating a mixture of 5 g surface soil (0- to 5-cm depth) and 15 g subsoil (5- to 20-cm depth) for 28 d, Mehlich-3 P decreased 66 to 90% as a function of the weighted mean Mehlich-3 P of surface and subsoil (i.e., 1:3 ratio) (r 2 = 0.87). At Klingerstown, Northumberland County, south central Pennsylvania, a P-stratified Berks soil (Typic Dystrochrept) (495 mg kg -1 Mehlich-3 P in 0- to 5-cm depth) was chisel plowed to about 25 cm and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) planted. Once grass was established and erosion minimized (about 20 wk after plowing and planting), total P concentration in overland flow during a 30-min rainfall (6.5 cm h -1 ) was 1.79 mg L -1 compared with 3.4 mg L -1 before plowing, with dissolved P reduced from 2.9 to 0.3 mg L -1 . Plowing P-stratified soils has the potential to decrease P loss in overland flow, as long as plowing-induced erosion is minimized.
Ratio scales of sugar sweetness

In a series of 10 experiments, groups of Os judged the sweetness of 16 sugars. The results suggest that, for all sugars except mannose, the intensity of sweetness grows as a power function of concentration, with an exponent of about 1.3. The relative sweetness of sugars was determined using both molarity and per cent by weight. With both measures, sucrose and fructose were the sweetest sugars. The order of the remaining sugars in the sweetness hierarchy was partiy a function of the measure of concentration. The variability of the magnitude estimates of sweetness was roughly proportional to the stimulus concentration, supporting Weber’s law.
The Biasing Effects of Unmodeled ARMA Time Series Processes on Latent Growth Curve Model Estimates.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the robustness of estimated growth curve models when there is stationary autocorrelation among manifest variable errors. The results suggest that when, in practice, growth curve models are fitted to longitudinal data, alternative rival hypotheses to consider would include growth models that also specify autoregressive (AR), moving average (MA), and autoregressive moving average (ARMA) processes. AR (i.e., simplex) processes are commonly found in longitudinal data and may diminish the ability of a researcher to detect growth if not explicitly modeled. MA and ARMA processes do not affect the fit of growth models, but do notably bias some of the parameters.
Use of Imipenem in the Treatment of Pulmonary Nocardiosis

A case of pulmonary nocardiosis with empyema in a 55-year-old man with macroglobulinemic lymphoma is presented. Treatment with imipenem followed by oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) resolved his symptoms and cleared the roentgenographic abnormalities. This case illustrates the clinical potential of imipenem against Nocardia.
Would active surveillance cultures help control healthcare-related methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections?

In 1934, Reinhold Niebuhr penned lines that could almost serve as a mantra for healthcare epidemiology: “God give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.” In the same year, however, T. S. Eliot wrote lines that also resonate strongly and appear to many to sometimes represent a better description of what is actually happening: “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” Conflicts about what can and should be changed and the knowledge and wisdom to recognize these situations seem to be what healthcare epidemiology is all about. In this issue, the Rhode Island Best Practice Guideline for controlling methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)1 addresses the control of one of the major causes of antibiotic-resistant healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals. National secular trend data since the early 1980s have shown that the prevalence of MRSA keeps increasing every year (Fig. 1). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that approximately 13,300 Americans died in 1992 of healthcare-associated infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The rates of such infections (and of deaths directly or indirectly caused by these infections) have continued to rise each year. This means that, during the past decade, approximately 130,000 to 150,000 patients have died of these infections in U.S. hospitals. It should be remembered that control of healthcare-associated antibiotic-resistant pathogens was the reason that infection control programs were created in the first place, back in the early 1970s. This had followed two decades of steady increases in penicillin resistance (Fig. 2) and the development of a consensus that finding an effective means of prevention might be preferable to seeking another cure (because infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens seemed to be more deadly than those due to antibiotic-susceptible strains of the same species and because an apparent panacea like penicillin really hadn’t worked for all that long). Research during the past 50 years has confirmed repeatedly that antibiotic use and patient-to-patient spread are the two most important risk factors for infections caused by antibioticresistant pathogens. The Rhode Island Guideline is important because it (1) addresses one of the most important problems of our time, (2) is evidence-based, and (3) is the first example of a public health department in the United States (at the state or federal level) publicly stating that identification of the reservoir for spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens (ie, colonized patients) is necessary for effective control. It also provides an important example of the kind of collaboration
Fatigue-crack propagation characteristics of aluminum alloys in thick sections

Abstract Fatigue-crack propagation data have been obtained for a variety of aluminum alloys, tempers, and products in relatively thick sections of interest for large aircraft shapes. For the higher stress-intensity ranges, the alloys rate in about the same order with regard to resistance to fatigue crack propagation as with regard to plane-strain fractare toughness. However, for low stress intensity ranges (i.e. short cracks or low load ranges) the rate of fatigue-crack propagation was lowest for two alloys, 2020-T651 and 2014-T652. which have low plane-strain fracture toughness. The relative order for different specimen orientations was generally consistent with that based upon plane-strain fracture toughness. High humidity results in higher rates of fatigue-crack propagation, with the effect indicated to be largest for those alloys which are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking.
Tibia and fibula fractures in soccer players.

We performed a retrospective review of 31 athletes who sustained a fracture of the lower leg from a direct blow while playing soccer. Fifteen fractures involved both the tibia and fibula, 11 only the tibia, and 5 only the fibula. Information was collected using a standardized questionnaire. The mean follow-up from the time of injury was 30 months. Injuries typically occurred in young, competitive athletes during game situations. The mechanisms were broadly classified into several categories: contact during a slide tackle (13, 42%), a collision with the goalkeeper (8, 26%), two opposing players colliding while swinging for a loose ball (7, 23%), or a player being kicked by a standing opponent (3, 10%). The majority of fractures (26, 90%) occurred while the athletes were wearing shin guards. The point of impact was with the shin guard prior to the fracture in 16 cases (62%). Return to competitive soccer averaged 40 weeks for combined tibia and fibula fractures, 35 weeks for isolated tibia fractures, and 18 weeks for isolated fibula fractures. Injuries were associated with a high incidence of major complications (12 out of 31, 39%), especially in concurrent tibia and fibula fractures (8 out of 15, 50%). These findings suggest that lower leg fractures in soccer players are serious injuries, often necessitating a prolonged recovery time. In addition, this study questions the ability of shin guards to protect against fractures.
What Self-Monitors Don't Monitor

Snyder's self-monitoring scale, which is designed to assess subjects' ability to modify their self-presentations and to read those of others, may inversely reflect the cognitive effort subjects direct toward other focal information. In an information-processing experiment, low self-monitoring subjects exhibited significantly higher mean recognition scores than high self-monitoring subjects. Many reasons might account for this behavior, but none detracts from its social-psychological import.
Why there is (almost) no Christian Democracy in post-communist Europe:

Compared to its West European counterparts, post-communist Christian Democracy is notable for its lack of success. Even in the most religious of post-communist democracies, no Christian Democratic (CD) party has claimed a plurality of the electorate. At the same time, there is a considerable range in average electoral support from 1990 to 2010, i.e. from 0.7 percent in Estonia to as high as 18.4 percent in Slovakia. The most successful CD parties have arisen in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Lithuania, and (with qualifications) in Macedonia. The reasons for this success lie not in popular religiosity, state–church conflict or alliances between CD parties and churches. Instead, where parties can point to a history of nation and state-building in the inter-war period, they receive an initial electoral boost from this historical legacy. Yet even these favourable historical reputations have transitory effects: by the second or third elections, the impact of inter-war support rapidly faded.
POSSIBLE TURNOVER OF DNA WITH AN INCREASED 6-METHYLAMINOPURINE CONTENT.

THE 6-methylaminopurine content of the DNA of a thymine-requiring mutant of E. coli strain 15, normally 2.1 per cent of the adenine, increases when 5-aminouracil is added to a logarithmically growing culture1. We have previously reported that the 6-methylaminopurine content of the DNA of a culture of a similar strain (strain I) continues to increase after net DNA synthesis ceases2. We have also shown that this increase could not be attributed to additions to the ends of DNA molecules since 6-methylaminopurine was not localized at these ends2.
Utilizing Fictional Stories When Counseling Adults

ABSTRACT Using fictional stories with adults in group and individual counseling sessions facilitates exploration of difficult topics in a safe and nonthreatening way. These stories deepen awareness and increase problem solving skills. This article describes how fictional stories can be used by counselors with adult clients. It also illustrates strategies for their appropriate selection and use, and it provides guidelines for considerations of culture, story endings, timing of delivery, processing questions, and integration with the counselor's theoretical orientation. Finally, the article recommends free, respected, online resources for counselors using fictional stories with adult clients.
Personality development and the dually diagnosed person

Researchers in mental retardation have traditionally focused on cognitive aspects of the disorder and ignored social and personality factors. One consequence is that little attention has been paid to the mental health of mentally retarded persons. The argument is made that the personalities of mentally retarded persons are affected by the same factors that impact upon the personalities of nonretarded persons. The life experiences of mentally retarded persons, however have been shown to lead to personalities that are often characterized by overdependency on others, low aspiration levels, and outerdirected problem-solving styles. These personality characteristics are implicated in the high rate of mental unhealth in mentally retarded persons. Finally, the value of extending the developmental approach to the study of psychiatric problems in mentally retarded persons is discussed.
A meta-analysis of the relationship of child sexual abuse to HIV risk behavior among women.

Abstract Objective: This study is a meta-analysis of the literature exploring the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and HIV risk behavior among women. Four outcome variables were tested: unprotected sex; sex with multiple partners; sex trading; and adult sexual revictimization. Method: Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis, and separate meta-analyses were performed for each of the four dependent variables described above. Results: Using the correlation coefficient r as an effect size estimate, results indicate an average effect size of .05 for the unprotected sex meta-analysis (N = 16 studies), .13 for the sex with multiple partners meta-analysis (N = 23 studies), .12 for the sex trading meta-analysis (N = 23 studies), and .17 for the adult sexual revictimization meta-analysis (N = 21 studies). We conducted a test of three potential moderator variables (source of sample, definition of CSA based on type of contact, and definition of CSA based on maximum age of victim). Results did not support the hypothesis that these three variables explain a significant amount of variability in effect sizes with one exception: Studies that define CSA more broadly to include adolescent victims (e.g., victims up to 17 years of age) had larger and more homogenous effect sizes for the sex trading meta-analysis than those that defined CSA as having occurred at younger ages. Conclusions: These findings suggest a small positive relationship between CSA and subsequent HIV risk behavior among women that varies as a function of how CSA and HIV risk behavior are operationalized.
First Report of Rhizoctonia solani AG-7 on Cotton in Mississippi.

During a field study of the soilborne mycobiota on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) roots, Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn AG-7 was isolated from dark brown lesions present on the tap, feeder, and secondary roots onto potato-dextrose agar (PDA) (34 g of medium per liter of distilled water). Isolate identification was confirmed using tester R. solani AG-7 isolates (Carling, University of Alaska) for comparison during anastomosis pairing. To confirm pathogenicity, six AG-7 isolates (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70) obtained from cotton roots were tested in a plant growth incubator (18–24°C) by mixing 2.5 ml of 2-week-old cornmeal sand inoculum (3 g cornmeal, 100 g sand, and 20 ml distilled water) with 500 ml of autoclaved soil into each of five replicate polystyrene pots (15 cm wide × 20 cm long) per isolate. Five control pots containing noninfested soil were added for comparison. Five seed of cv. Deltapine 50 were sown into each pot. For all six isolates, mean stand counts (ranging from 0 and 1.3 plants per pot) were signifi...
ENVIRONMENTS AND URBAN MORTALITY. AN ECONOMETRIC APPROACH

Abstract This paper establishes a quantitative relationship between total mortality rates from all diseases and the level of air pollution and other socio-economic variables, using a macro-model. With the help of regression analysis it is observed that a 10% increase in the air pollution would imply an increase in the mortality rate by 1·2-1·9% . An overall reduction of about 50% in the air pollution would imply a social savings of the order of $3400–5400 million per year in terms of all diseases. This analysis suggests that the value of the benefits of air pollution abatement is far greater than its cost.
Assessing a Policy Grab Bag: Federal Water Policy Reform

This article examines the economic impacts of policy alternatives for addressing allocative inefficiencies among agricultural, urban, and environmental uses of federal water. The Central Valley Project Improvement Act, composed of multiple incentive-based and command-and-control policies, forms the context for this analysis. Estimated multi-output agricultural revenue functions and urban water demand functions are incorporated into a nonlinear programming model designed to predict changes in water use, returns to agriculture, and urban consumer surplus. Results suggest that analysis that does not explicitly model policy instruments implemented at sub-optimal levels and, as part of a package of reforms, could over- or underestimate the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of each policy instrument. In much of the western United States, the river systems supplying the irrigation water necessary to sustain agricultural production also supply water for municipal and industrial uses, provide habitat for numerous species, and provide an outlet for the discharge of waste water. Each of these services is governed by an increasingly complex array of state and federal legislation and regulations. First and foremost in terms of the geographic and economic spheres of influence are the policies of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau), which controls significant (40‐85%) portions of river flows in nearly all major river basins in the West. The Bureau’s water supply policies, which historically included subsidized prices, long-term contracts, and restrictions on the sale of water by farmers, resulted in well-documented allocative inefficiencies (e.g., Hartman and Seastone and Wahl, among many others). Environmental degradation associated with reclamation projects has also been well documented (U.S. Department of the Interior 1996a).
Predicting bulk density of Ohio Soils from Morphology, Genetic Principles, and Laboratory Characterization Data

A 937-horizon data set composed of site characteristics, morphology, and laboratory characterization data for soils of Ohio was used to develop soil bulk density (D b ) prediction models. We tested the hypothesis that using a combination of continuous variables (laboratory data) and nominal variables (site/state factor and morphological class descriptors) would enable the development of improved PedoTransfer Functions (PTFs) for D b , Three primary models were developed. The Lab Model, composed entirely of continuous variables, accounted for 56% of the variability in D b . Using only state factors and morphology as nominal variables, the Field Model explained 69%. A combined Field + Lab Model accounted for 72%. Restricting the data set to samples derived from loess and glacial till generated a Field + Lab Model that explained nearly 80% of the variability in D b for a subset of 402 horizons.
Accurate Social Perception at Zero Acquaintance: The Affordances of a Gibsonian Approach

We review research on accurate social perception at zero acquaintance and apply a Gibsonian ecological approach to redress several shortcomings. We argue that recent use of Brunswik's lens model to determine what physical qualities accurately communicate psychological traits has limited utility because it fails to consider the structured information provided by configural physical qualities that is central to Gibson's (1979) theory. We elaborate a developmental model of relationships between physical and psychological qualities that highlights research needed to identify configural physical qualities that may inform accurate perceptions. This model and tenets of the ecological theory yield several hypotheses regarding such qualities. Finally, we advocate the value of studying perceived affordances (opportunities for acting, interacting, or being acted upon) because this will focus attention on the neglected issue of contextual influences on social perception accuracy, and because affordances may be perceived more accurately than global personality traits.
Dielectrophoretic reconfiguration of nanowire interconnects

Silicon nanowire interconnects are dielectrophoretically assembled, reconfigured, and disassembled between gold electrodes in benzyl alcohol. Assembly of up to 55 µm long nanowires is demonstrated. Conductance enhancement is observed in the presence of single nanowires trapped between submerged electrodes. Phase inversion of electrode potentials allows the reversible reconfiguration of nanowires, either serially or in parallel. For disassembly, high-voltage bursts are observed to detonate trapped nanowires. The reconfiguration of colloidal electronic nanostructures opens up the possibility of nanostructured connection architectures for computation.
Heterogeneous project scheduling for optimal Six-Sigma cost reduction using linear programing

This paper presents a linear programming (LP) model for a multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem (MRCPSP) in a manufacturing environment. Heterogeneously skilled employees with varying availability were scheduled for Six-Sigma cost reduction projects. Using typical projects from the local manufacturing division of a major diversified food manufacture (which motivated this research), a labor assignment problem using the work-time-project concept is formulated and solved using integer programming optimization procedures. The setting represents a multiple-project environment where projects are separate and independent, but require the same renewable resource mix for their completion. Projects require assignment of both supervisor and engineering staff with the requisite skills. The projects are scheduled to achieve the greatest cost reduction across all areas. The paper demonstrates how the output of the model can be used to identify bottlenecks (or critical resource skills), and also demonstrates how cross-training the critical individuals can increase throughput. The results established the division could not achieve their cost reduction goals with the assigned resources. Though our algorithm was applied to a manufacturing environment, our optimization algorithm has the potential to be utilized for other heterogeneous staffing scheduling such as health care or services.
On the latency bound of pre-order deficit round robin

In the emerging high-speed packet-switched networks, packet scheduling algorithms used in the switches and routers will play a critical role in satisfying the quality of service (QoS) requirements of various applications. The latency bound of a scheduling discipline is an important QoS parameter, especially for real-time playback applications. Frame-based schedulers such as deficit round robin (DRR), though extremely efficient with an O(1) dequeuing complexity, lead to high latencies due to bursty transmissions of each flow's traffic. In a previous work by, Tsao and Lin (see Computer Networks, vol.35, no.2-3, p.287-305, 2001), the authors propose pre-order deficit round robin, a novel scheme that overcomes this limitation of DRR while still achieving a low work complexity. In pre-order DRR, a priority queue module is appended to the original DRR scheduler which re-orders the packet transmission sequence in DRR to distribute the output more evenly among flows and thus reduce burstiness and improve the latency. We employ a novel approach to analytically derive the latency bound of pre-order DRR and show that our bound is a tight one. Our latency bound is significantly lower than the bound derived by Tsao and Lin, demonstrating that pre-order DRR has even better performance characteristics than previously argued by its own authors.
Lessons from thoughtswap-ing: increasing participants' coordinative agency in facilitated discussions

A successful collaborative tool designed to aid discussion must be flexible, maintain the user's coordinative agency, and be appropriable in many contexts. We have developed a tool, called ThoughtSwap, to help widen and deepen the scope of participation in facilitated discussions while supporting, not supplanting, discussants' coordination. By driving the design of ThoughtSwap toward a simpler mechanism, we were able to create a more versatile, high-impact tool. We design for an educational setting, but see wider possible use.
Control Methods in DC-DC Power Conversion - A Comparative Study

Several control techniques for dc-dc power conversion and regulation have been studied in this paper. Analog approaches have briefly been described since the focus is the newly developed digital techniques. Principles of operation, advantages, and disadvantages of each control method have been described. Simulation results have been used to compare the performance and accuracy of digital control techniques.
Pregnancy maintenance and the regulation of placental progesterone biosynthesis in the baboon

Progesterone (P4), a major steroid hormone produced by the ovarian corpus luteum (CL) and the placental syncytiotrophoblast, is considered essential for the successful maintenance of mammalian pregnancy. It has been demonstrated in our laboratory and in the laboratories of others, that the baboon (Papio anubis/cynocephalus) is an excellent model for study of the endocrinology of human pregnancy. Results from both in-vivo and in-vitro experiments indicate that oestrogen stimulates placental P4 production by regulation of cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P-450 and through the uptake of cholesterol via the low density lipoprotein (LDL) pathway. Thus, LDL uptake by the baboon placental syncytiotrophoblast increases in response to maternal oestrogen concentration, which increases with advancing gestation. Conversely, both placental LDL uptake and maternal peripheral P4 concentration decline significantly at mid- to late gestation as a result of oestrogen deprivation by either anti-oestrogen administration or the removal of fetal androgen oestrogen precursors through fetectomy. Utilizing these methods, it has been possible to decrease cellular uptake of LDL-cholesterol and, hence, maternal peripheral P4 to only a small fraction of their normal concentrations, although P4 is still detected in the maternal periphery in concentrations adequate for preservation of the conceptus. We postulate that such levels of maternal P4 are derived from cholesterol precursor provided by sources alternate to the classical LDL-receptor pathway and are produced throughout gestation by the placental syncytiotrophoblast and perhaps during late pregnancy by a resurgent CL. We further postulate that regulation of these ancillary sources of cholesterol substrate is subject to LDL-cholesterol availability in the maternal peripheral circulation and to possible ontogenetic changes in both primary and secondary cholesterol-yielding mechanisms, which may be divergently regulated in the steroidogenically active syncytiotrophoblast from those in proliferative non-endocrine placental constituents.
Expression Patterns of ER-α, PR, HER-2/neu, and EGFR in Different Cell Origin Subtypes of High Grade and Non-High Grade Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

We have previously reported that high grade and non-high grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast can be subdivided into 3 cell origin subtypes (luminal, basal/stem, and null), and that high grade DCIS is more frequently associated with basal/stem cell subtypes compared to non-high grade DCIS. Here we refine the relationships between these 3 subtypes and the expression patterns of estrogen receptor- alpha (ER-α), progesterone receptor (PR), HER-2/neu, and epidermal growth factor receptor (ERFR) in 53 cases of non-high grade and 46 cases of high nuclear grade DCIS. Using a panel of antibodies to ER-α, PR, HER-2/neu, and EGFR, along with cytokeratin (CK) markers (CK5/6, CK8, CK14, CK17, and CK18), we found that all 3 cell origin subtypes can express ER-α and PR, and their expression is higher in non-high grade DCIS than in high grade DCIS; the expression of HER-2/neu is associated with luminal subtype only in non-high grade DCIS, but can be seen in all 3 subtypes in high grade DCIS; the expression of EGFR is low and is present only in luminal cell subtypes in both high and non-high grade DCIS. Basal/ stem cell and null cell subtypes occur in younger patients in non-high grade DCIS compared to high grade DCIS. In conclusion, the expression patterns of ER-α, PR, HER-2/neu, and EGFR are markedly different in different cell origin subtypes of both high grade and non-high grade DCIS, suggesting that cell origin subtypes as well as nuclear grade contribute to the biological and molecular heterogeneity of DCIS.
Hemophilic Synovitis: Factor VII and the Potential Role of Extravascular Factor VIIa

The initiation of coagulation via tissue factor/factor VIIa is relatively weak in normal synovium and joint tissues, so that hemophilic patients with additional deficiency of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation are especially at risk for joint bleeding and the development of hemophilic synovitis. The inflamed joint that results from recurrent bleeding-induced injury, however, may be an environment in which pharmacologic doses of factor VIIa have potentially greater procoagulant action than in the uninjured joint. There is accumulating evidence suggesting that coagulation factors in the extravascular space, and not only circulating plasma factors, have the potential to contribute to hemostatic protection of joints. The potential role of extravascular factor VIIa is considered.
Relation of neurological soft signs to psychiatric symptoms in schizophrenia

Abstract Introduction Although several studies have identified abnormal rates of neurological soft signs (NSS) as a manifestation of CNS dysfunction in schizophrenia, differences in sample populations have contributed to a discrepancy in empirical findings. Furthermore, little is known about the potential of NSS to predict a clinical response to antipsychotic medications. The present study tests the associations between NSS and schizophrenia symptomatology and examines NSS as a potential marker for predicting treatment response. Methods Nineteen unmedicated male schizophrenia patients were treated prospectively with haloperidol for six weeks. The subjects were assessed for pre and post-treatment NSS and schizophrenia symptomatology (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, BPRS). Results NSS at baseline were significantly associated with baseline symptoms on the Positive , Negative , and Psychological Discomfort BPRS subscales. NSS showed a strong trend toward improvement during six weeks of a prospective haloperidol trial. Hierarchal linear regression analyses indicated that more severe baseline NSS predicted poorer response to haloperidol treatment as measured by post-treatment BPRS Total subscale scores. Discussion NSS at untreated baseline are associated with baseline symptom severity, and elevated NSS are predictive of a smaller degree of improvement in symptoms after antipsychotic treatment. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that NSS are linked to the neuropathology that underlies schizophrenia symptomatology and course.
An evaluation of alanine transaminase and creatine kinase elevations with the use of ezetimibe in an ambulatory care setting

Background Authors evaluating the safety and efficacy of ezetimibe have demonstrated a low occurrence of serious adverse reactions, such as elevations in alanine transaminase (ALT) and/or creatine kinase (CK). This study describes the incidence of ALT and CK elevations among those patients who were prescribed ezetimibe in a large ambulatory care population to further elucidate the safety of ezetimibe in a diverse "real-world" population. Methods Adults (≥18 years) with at least one prescription for ezetimibe between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2007, were eligible. All patients with an ALT greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal (3X ULN) and/or CK greater than 3X ULN any time after the first sold date of ezetimibe were identified. Medical records were reviewed by the use of predetermined assessment criteria to further classify patients and determine whether the elevation was possibly related, related, or not related to ezetimibe treatment. Results There were 4958 patients with a prescription for ezetimibe within the study period. Of these patients, 4332 (87%) had either an ALT or CK drawn. There were 82 patients identified with ALT greater than 3X ULN (n = 44) or with a CK greater than 3X ULN (n = 38). Of 82 patients, 17 (21%) were deemed possibly related to ezetimibe, of which only 5 (0.1%) had no other reasons noted for the elevation. In all cases the ezetimibe was prescribed in combination with a statin. Conclusions The incidence of ALT or CK elevations greater than 3X ULN in a large diverse population of patients was rare and similar to placebo rates in other published trials.
A model for estimating the optimal cycle length of demand responsive feeder transit services

The general lack of first/last mile connectivity is one of the main challenges faced by today’s public transit. One of the possible actions towards a solution to this problem is the planning, design and implementation of efficient feeder transit services. This paper develops an analytical model which allows for an easy computation of near optimal terminal-to-terminal cycle length of a demand responsive feeder service to maximize service quality provided to customers, defined as the inverse of a weighted sum of waiting and riding times. The model estimates the recommended cycle length by only plugging in geometrical parameters and demand data, without relying on extensive simulation analyses or rule of thumbs. Simulation experiments and comparisons with real services validate our model, which would allow planners, decision makers and practitioners to quickly identify the best feeder transit operating design of any given residential area.
Probabilistic capacity models and fragility estimates for RC columns retrofitted with FRP composites

This paper proposes a probabilistic formulation to assess the effectiveness of the fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) retrofit schemes in enhancing the structural performance of reinforced concrete (RC) bridge columns. Two probabilistic models are proposed to predict the deformation capacities of retrofitted columns. One deformation model corresponds to the flexural failure and the other considers the bond failure in the lap-splice region. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation method is used to estimate unknown model parameters in the context of a Bayesian updating approach. The probabilistic capacity models are used to estimate the fragility curves of three example columns. In this paper, fragility is defined as the conditional probability of failure for given deformation demand. The results compare the column fragilities before and after the application of the retrofit measure. The results from the example columns indicate that the use of FRP composites considerably reduced the fragility for the bond failure mode and is also beneficial but with a moderate impact when considering the flexural failure.
Domestic and Systemic Determinants of Capital Controls in the Developed and Developing World

This paper examines the utility of and preference for controls on short-term capital. Recent work in international political economy has argued that the increasing internationalization of finance has constrained the ability of governments to pursue independent monetary policies. For the most part this conclusion has been reached through an examination of a small number of advanced industrialized countries. This article argues not only that the globalization of finance is far from all-encompassing but also that domestic forces play a more significant role in explaining the implementation and removal of capital controls than do systemic factors. Capital controls are more likely to be put in place by governments that repress the financial sector, that choose to maintain a fixed exchange rate, and that are facing balance-of-payments crises. These propositions are tested using a random effects probit model on a panel of ninety-one countries from 1967 to 1992.
Data collection and event detection in the deep sea with delay minimization

As special applications of delay tolerant networks (DTNs), efficient data collection and event detection in the deep sea pose some unique challenges, due to the need of timely data reporting and the delay of acoustic transmission in the ocean. Since underwater communications suffer from a significant signal attenuation, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) deployed in the deep sea are used to surface frequently to transmit collected data and events to the surface stations. However, extra delay is introduced at each resurfacing, since AUVs are usually operated in the deep sea. In this paper, we want to minimize the average data and event reporting delay, through optimizing the number and locations of AUV resurfacing events. We also study the AUV trajectory planning using an extended Euler circuit, where the search space is a set of segments (e.g., oil pipes) in the deep sea. Finally, experiments in both the synthetic and real traces validate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
An Automated Miniaturized Method to Perform and Analyze Antimicrobial Drug Synergy Assays

Abstract In the light of emerging antibiotic resistance mechanisms found in bacteria throughout the world, discovery of drugs that potentiate the effect of currently available antibiotics remains an important aspect of pharmaceutical research in the 21st century. Well-established clinical tests exist to determine synergy in vitro, but these are only optimal for low-throughput experimentation while leaving analysis of results and interpretation of high-throughput microscale assays poorly standardized. Here, we describe a miniaturized broth microdilution checkerboard assay and data analysis method in 384-well plate format that conforms to the Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute (CLSI) methods. This method has been automated and developed to rapidly determine the synergism of current antibiotics with various beta-lactamase inhibitors emerging from our antimicrobial research efforts. This technique increases test throughput and integrity of results, and saves test compound and labor. We facilitated th...
Intrinsic Motivation and Development

Intrinsic motivation is based in the human need to be competent and self-determining in relation to the environment. We now look at how this develops and evolves. In so doing we will consider both how intrinsic motivation affects development and how intrinsic motivation develops.
What If God Revealed Himself

In his great novel The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky has one of his characters (Mitya) say
Measuring Vascular Function and Ventricular/Arterial Coupling Dynamics

“… Now this Velocity is only the Velocity of the Blood at its firft entering into the Aorta, in the Time of the Syftole; in confequence of which the Blood in the Arteries, being forcibly propelled forward, with an accelerated Impetus, thereby dilates the Canal of the Arteries, which begin again to contract at the Infstant the Syftole ceafes: By which curious Artifice of Nature, the Blood is carried on in the finer Capillaries, with an almoft even Tenor of Velocity, in the fame manner as the fpouting Water of fome fire-Engines, is contrived to flow with a more even Velocity, not withftanding the alternate Syftoles and Diaftoles of the rifing and falling Embolus or Force; and this by the means of a large inverted Globe, wherein the compreffed Air alternately dilating or contracting, in Conformity to the workings to and fro of the Embolus, and thereby impelling the Water more equably than the Embolus alone would do, pufhes it out in a more nearly equal Spout.…”1
Empire matters: implications for pastoral care.

In this essay, I argue that the American Empire matters for pastoral care. I begin with a discussion of the meaning of empire and the particular historical roots and characteristics of the American Empire. From this, I contend that the American Empire matters because the United States has had a long history of expansionist aims, which has been couched in idealized secular discourse as well as ensconced in theo-political discourse. These discourses, which have, implicitly or explicitly, supported foreign policies and actions aimed at political, economic, and military dominion, are joined to an empire psyche. This empire psyche and the actions of U.S. governments are matters for pastoral care because of a) the various physical, psychological, and spiritual harms that attend hubris, greed, entitlement, and the quest for hegemony, and b) the theological contradictions inherent in Christian discourse that supports the American Empire. These consequences and contradictions serve as reasons why pastoral theologians and caregivers ought to bring these matters to public reflection and conversation. I conclude with a brief depiction of possible pastoral actions given the reality of the American Empire. Language: en
Demystifying the Local: Considerations for Higher Education Engagement with Community Food Systems

Many universities and colleges have started to channel resources toward understanding and supporting small-scale food systems development in low-income communities. These efforts are often embedded into institutional sustainability initiatives that incorporate new curricula, research agendas, and community engagement. Students, staff, and faculty increasingly engage in community-based research, service-learning opportunities, internships, practicum and/or pro bono technical assistance in support of local food projects. These forms of engagement frequently operate in urban sectors where access to fresh food is challenged, for example, by historical patterns of racial segregation and social exclusion. Drawing on insights from ongoing anthropological research in Chicago on the role of higher education institutions in supporting community food systems development, this commentary presents a short set of considerations for higher education institutions that engage in local food projects within low-income communities. The author suggests that prior to such engagement, academics more fully comprehend how communities perceive local and alternative food initiatives, and that higher education institutions formulate outreach initiatives that embed food systems development within a community development and social justice framework.