cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal HVAC Control for Demand Response via Chance-Constrained Two-Stage Stochastic Program

This study is interested in the application of demand response (DR) to building energy management via heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) controls. The main objective of this study is to develop an optimization model to appropriately control HVAC operations to minimize cost in response to time-varying electricity prices and intermittent solar power generation. The main idea is to adjust electricity consumption associated with HVAC operations while ensuring the thermal comfort of occupants. In particular, we propose a two-stage stochastic program formulated to find an optimal HVAC operations schedule that comprises proactive and reactive controls to minimize energy cost against the stochastic nature in electricity prices, solar power generation, and weather conditions. Specifically, we introduce a chance constraint that can be appropriately integrated with the proposed optimization model to ensure thermal comfort at the desired level. To validate and evaluate the proposed approach, numerical experiments are designed to compare the proposed approach with the benchmark control policies designed to simulate the practice of the general purpose thermostat and the algorithm proposed by relevant study with various parameter settings. The numerical experiments show that the proposed approach results in significant cost savings while capturing optimal HVAC operations.
Enhancing the potential of aged human articular chondrocytes for high-quality cartilage regeneration

Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is a regenerative procedure used to treat focal articular cartilage defects in knee joints. However, age has been considered as a limiting factor and ACI is not recommended for patients older than 40-50 years of age. One reason for this may be due to the reduced capacity of aged chondrocytes in generating new cartilage. Currently, the underlying mechanism contributing to aging-associated functional decline in chondrocytes is not clear and no proven approach exists to reverse chondrocyte aging. Given that chondrocytes in healthy hyaline cartilage typically display a spherical shape, believed to be essential for chondrocyte phenotype stability, we hypothesize that maintaining aged chondrocytes in a suspension culture that forces the cells to adopt a round morphology may help to "rejuvenate" them to a younger state, thus, leading to enhanced cartilage regeneration. Chondrocytes isolated from aged donors displayed reduced proliferation potential and impaired capacity in generating hyaline cartilage, compared to cells isolated from young donors, indicated by increased hypertrophy and cellular senescence. To test our hypothesis, the "old" chondrocytes were seeded as a suspension onto an agarose-based substratum, where they maintained a round morphology. After the 3-day suspension culture, aged chondrocytes displayed enhanced replicative capacity, compared to those grown adherent to tissue culture plastic. Moreover, chondrocytes subjected to suspension culture formed new cartilage in vitro with higher quality and quantity, with enhanced cartilage matrix deposition, concomitant with lower levels of hypertrophy and cellular senescence markers. Mechanistic analysis suggested the involvement of the RhoA and ERK1/2 signaling pathways in the "rejuvenation" process. In summary, our study presents a robust and straightforward method to enhance the function of aged human chondrocytes, which can be conveniently used to generate a large number of high-quality chondrocytes for ACI application in the elderly.
Including Distorted Specimens in Allometric Studies: Linear Mixed Models Account for Deformation

Allometry-patterns of relative change in body parts-is a staple for examining how clades exhibit scaling patterns representative of evolutionary constraint on phenotype, or quantifying patterns of ontogenetic growth within a species. Reconstructing allometries from ontogenetic series is one of the few methods available to reconstruct growth in fossil specimens. However, many fossil specimens are deformed (twisted, flattened, and displaced bones) during fossilization, changing their original morphology in unpredictable and sometimes undecipherable ways. To mitigate against post burial changes, paleontologists typically remove clearly distorted measurements from analyses. However, this can potentially remove evidence of individual variation and limits the number of samples amenable to study, which can negatively impact allometric reconstructions. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and major axis regression are common methods for estimating allometry, but they assume constant levels of residual variation across specimens, which is unlikely to be true when including both distorted and undistorted specimens. Alternatively, a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) can attribute additional variation in a model (e.g., fixed or random effects). We performed a simulation study based on an empirical analysis of the extinct cynodont, Exaeretodon argentinus, to test the efficacy of a GLMM on allometric data. We found that GLMMs estimate the allometry using a full dataset better than simply using only non-distorted data. We apply our approach on two empirical datasets, cranial measurements of actual specimens of E. argentinus (n = 16) and femoral measurements of the dinosaur Tawa hallae (n = 26). Taken together, our study suggests that a GLMM is better able to reconstruct patterns of allometry over an OLS in datasets comprised of extinct forms and should be standard protocol for anyone using distorted specimens.
Making Sex the Same: Ending the Unfair Treatment of Males in Family Law

As a matter of practice, even though many laws addressing reproduction appear gender neutral, these laws treat males unfairly. This article conducts a detailed exploration of the legal environment where male contraceptive fraud, sexual assault, and statutory rape victims are punished with child support liability, even though they are victims of deception or actual crimes. After addressing the consequences of sex or artificial insemination, with the exception of embryo disposition upon divorce and the complexities of the marital presumption in family law, this article offers three solutions to the mistreatment of males in family law, which, if implemented, would result in a legal environment where male contraceptive fraud, sexual assault, and statutory rape victims are not punished with child support liability but instead receive compensation for the unauthorized use of their biological products.
Health care utilization prior to suicide in adults with drug use disorders

Drug use disorders (DUD) are associated with psychiatric illness and increased risks of suicide. We examined health care utilization prior to suicide in adults with DUD, which may reveal opportunities to prevent suicide in this high-risk population. A national cohort study was conducted of all 6,947,191 adults in Sweden, including 166,682 (2.4%) with DUD, who were followed up for suicide during 2002-2015. A nested case-control design examined health care utilization among persons with DUD who died by suicide and 10:1 age- and sex-matched controls from the general population. In 86.7 million person-years of follow-up, 15,662 (0.2%) persons died by suicide, including 1946 (1.2%) persons with DUD. Unadjusted and adjusted relative risks of suicide associated with DUD were 11.03 (95% CI, 10.62-11.46) and 2.84 (2.68-3.00), respectively. 30.4% and 52.3% of DUD cases who died by suicide had a health care encounter within 2 weeks or 3 months before the index date, respectively, compared with 5.9% and 24.3% of controls (unadjusted prevalence ratio and difference, <2 weeks: 5.20 [95% CI, 4.76-5.67] and 24.6 percentage points [22.5-26.6]; <3 months: 2.15 [2.05-2.26] and 27.9 [25.6-30.2]). However, after adjusting for psychiatric comorbidities, these differences were much attenuated. Among DUD cases, 72.5% of last encounters within 2 weeks before suicide were in outpatient clinics, mostly for non-psychiatric diagnoses. In this large national cohort, suicide among adults with DUD was often shortly preceded by outpatient clinic encounters. Clinical encounters in these settings are important opportunities to identify suicidality and intervene accordingly in patients with DUD.
Identifying Research Questions

Before embarking on a trip, it is customary to make a number of decisions related not only to the desired destination but also to other aspects of your journey. While the subsequent decisions will certainly be important in determining the success of your journey, the initial decision regarding your intended destination and reasons for traveling there will clearly be the most important one that will drive your various subsequent actions.
Morality and Sociological Theory

This chapter provides an overview of the place of morality in the history of mainstream sociological theory. Morality was central to the inception of sociological thought, waned in importance for the latter half of the twentieth century, and is currently experiencing a bit of a revival. This chapter traces these ebbs and flows, arguing that the realm of the moral is, in fact, an important area of sociological inquiry.
Democratization in the Middle East: Quandaries of the Peace Process

The notion that democracies rarely wage wars against each other has gained remarkable acceptance in scholarly and policy circles. At the same time, a number of observers have expressed concern that incipient democratization in some Arab countries may pose a threat to the nascent peace between Israel and its neighbors. Are democratization and peace mutually exclusive or mutually supportive in this region? What are the dilemmas each process poses for the other? The democratic-peace theory has found significant—but not unchallenged—acceptance among academic experts, who compete in their explanations of why democratic states are unlikely to wage wars among themselves. Some trace it to a Kantian conception of citizens’ consent: the legitimacy granted by the domestic public of one liberal democracy to the elected representatives of another is said to moderate tendencies toward violent solutions among democracies. Others aver that free speech, electoral cycles, and the public-policy process restrain the ability of democratic leaders to pursue extreme policies toward fellow democracies. Reciprocal transparency—the joint availability of abundant information on each other's domestic evaluations of a policy—is also expected to stem war. Moreover, democracies respect the rule of law and undertake more credible and durable commitments to each other, which strengthens their reputation as predictable partners.
PARTICLE IMAGE VELOCIMETRY MEASUREMENTS OF THE TOTAL CAVOPULMONARY CONNECTION WITH CIRCULATORY FLOW AUGMENTATION

PARTICLE IMAGE VELOCIMETRY MEASUREMENTS OF THE TOTAL CAVOPULMONARY CONNECTION WITH CIRCULATORY FLOW AUGMENTATION By Steven Gabriel Chopski, BS A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Director: Dr. Amy L. Throckmorton, PHD Qimonda Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering This thesis project examined the interactive fluid dynamics between a blood pump and the univentricular Fontan circulation. 2-D particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were conducted on an idealized total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) with an axial pump prototype in the inferior vena cava (IVC). Fluid velocity profiles were examined under various physiologic conditions for Fontan patients. The velocity profiles for all cases demonstrated the shunting of flow from the IVC toward the right pulmonary xv artery. A rotational component in the pump outflow was observed forcing flow to the periphery as compared to the flow profile without a pump present in the IVC. The inclusion of the pump provides a pressure rise of 3 to 9 mmHg. These results demonstrate the ability of the intravascular blood pump to support a Fontan circulation and support the continued optimization and development of the pump.
A neodymium hybrid fault current limiter

Summary This paper presents a new hybrid type fault current limiter topology for use in distribution systems. The proposed system includes a fast mechanical contact switch, a semiconductor switch, a neodymium magnetic core, and a metal-oxide varistor. A custom control algorithm is developed to detect the fault occurrence and perform the correct switching order of the proposed hybrid fault current limiter. A novel feature included in the proposed hybrid fault current limiter is the ability to control the fault current magnitude through the use of pulse-width modulation. In addition, the Jiles–Atherton method of hysteresis is used to model the nonlinear permeability of the NdFeB core. Simulations are performed using Power System Computer Aided Design (PSCAD) for both a high voltage and a low voltage system. A low voltage (20 V, 1.25 A) hardware system is built to verify the PSCAD simulations, and the results are presented. In conclusion, a comparison between the PSCAD simulations and the hardware experimental results verify the correct modeling of the proposed topology and confirm its feasibility. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Human impacts on open ocean mercury concentrations

[1] We develop an empirically constrained multicompartment box model for mercury cycling in open ocean regions to investigate changes in concentrations resulting from anthropogenic perturbations of the global mercury cycle. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we explicitly consider the effects of variability in measured parameters on modeled seawater concentrations. Our simulations show that anthropogenic enrichment in all surface (25%) and deep ocean waters (11%) is lower than global atmospheric enrichment (300–500%) and varies considerably among geographic regions, ranging from >60% in parts of the Atlantic and Mediterranean to <1% in the deep Pacific. Model results indicate that open ocean mercury concentrations do not rapidly equilibrate with atmospheric deposition and on average will increase if anthropogenic emissions remain at their present level. We estimate the temporal lag between changes in atmospheric deposition and ocean mercury concentrations will vary from decades in most of the Atlantic up to centuries in parts of the Pacific.
Protection of Karst Landscapes in the Developing World: Lessons from Central America, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia

Protection of karst landscapes in the developing world faces significant physical and human obstacles. Recognition of karst is not always straightforward, in part because there is much topographic and environmental heterogeneity. Protection of karst is often indirect in that the karst is protected because of its biological diversity, resources, anthropological significance, or aesthetic appeal. Although the designation of protected karst areas has been recognized as imperative, much of the karst is under increasing anthropogenic pressure. National efforts are highly variable, and there is little regional integration. Different karst styles are represented unevenly in protected areas, with emphases on spectacular forms, upland areas, and coasts. Protected area legislation is often inadequate and enforcement is constrained by conflicting priorities. Local populations can play important roles, particularly in boundary determinations. Protected karst areas need to be integrated into regional land use management, but the status of many protected karst areas is volatile.
GEOGRAPHY OF GENDER ECONOMIC STATUS IN URBAN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: GHANA, 1960–1984

The economic status of men and women in urban Sub-Saharan Africa has been a central research theme by anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists over the last two decades. Most of this research, although of high quality, has not paid attention to direct comparisons of the economic status of the two genders in urban places in the region. Added to this, only the active or market-oriented population in towns of the region have been studied. Most research on urban gender economic status has been on limited areal scales, and has been couched within the formal-informal-sector framework, resulting in a piecemeal understanding of the total urban economy in the region. This paper provides a geographical and historical framework for interpreting and assessing research on gender economic status in Sub-Saharan Africa, using the Ghanaian urban system as a case study. Au cours des deux dernieres decennies, dans les domaines de l'anthropologie, de la sociologie et des sciences politiques, un grand nombre de recherches ont porte sur le statut economique des hommes et des femmes dans l'Afrique urbaine subsaharienne. Bien que ces recherches soient d'une tres haute qualite, la majorite d'entre elles ne font aucune comparaison directe entre les differences entre le statut economique des hommes et celui des femmes dans les milieux urbains. De plus, ces etudes ne portent que sur les populations actives ou sur les personnes qui participent a l'economie de marche dans les villes de la region qu'on etudie. La plupart des recherches sur le statut economique des deux sexes dans les milieux urbains se rapportent a des espaces delimites et a des moments particuliers (sans considerer les changements qui surviennent pendant une periode de temps plus etendue). De plus, ces etudes sont formulees dans un cadre sectoriel formel-informel, ce qui a abouti a une comprehension fragmentee de l'ensemble de l'economie urbaine de la region. Cet article se base sur l'etude de cas d'un systeme urbain ghaneen pour fournir un cadre geographique et historique qui servira de base d'interpretation et d'evaluation des recherches portant sur le statut economique des deux sexes en Afrique subsaharienne.
Geographical patterns of incendiary and accidental fires in Springfield, Massachusetts, 1980–1984

Arson is a serious crime occurring with increasing frequency in urban America today. To date, this crime remains poorly documented and seldom discussed in the literature, particularly from a geographical viewpoint. This study examined the spatial distribution and underlying factors associated with 440 arson and 732 accidental fires recorded in Springfield, Massachusetts, between 1980 and 1984. Based upon a series of dot and choropleth maps, there was evidence that both incendiary and accidental fires were clustered not only in specific Springfield neighborhoods but also along individual city streets. In an attempt to understand better the varying frequency of arson fires among the 36 census tracts in the Springfield study area, a multiple regression analysis was performed using census data reflecting a variety of social, economic, and housing characteristics. Two variables, representing housing vacancy and tenement-type housing, entered into the final regression equation. Together, these two variables accounted for 70.4% of the reported arson cases. A subsequent inspection of the regression residuals revealed a random geographical pattern, thereby precluding any simple explanation for the remaining unexplained arson. Other factors such as insurance, building ownership, and length of occupancy were thought to warrant examination in future research.
The current status of decision-making procedures and quality assurance in Europe: an overview

The 2005 Report on Social Responsibility and Health of the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee (Ibc) proposes a new approach to implementing the right to healthcare and suggests a number of Courses of Action to be followed in various fields. Based on the latest available data, we intend to present an overview of the current state of European health systems in two of those fields—decision-making procedures and quality assurance in health care—and to attempt a comparison of the situation with the Report’s provisions, in order to pave the way for the identification of what still has to be done to bridge international recommendations and the reality of policy and practice in Europe’s health care.
Hardware support for self-healing software services

We propose a new approach for reacting to a wide variety of software failures, ranging from remotely exploitable vulnerabilities to more mundane bugs that cause abnormal program termination (e.g., illegal memory dereference). Our emphasis is in creating "self-healing" software that can protect itself against a recurring fault until a more comprehensive fix is applied. Our system consists of a set of sensors that monitor applications for various types of failure and an instruction-level emulator that is invoked for selected parts of a program's code. This emulator allows us to predict recurrences of faults and recover execution to a safe control flow. Using the emulator for small pieces of code, as directed by the sensors, allows us to minimize the performance impact on the immunized application. We describe the overall system architecture, highlighting a prototype implementation for the x86 platform. We discuss a virtual emulator, which uses existing and new processor features to improve performance.
Motor nerve sprouting and acetylcholine receptors

Sprouting of motor nerve terminals was evoked by functional denervation of skeletal muscles brought about by presynaptic blockade or disuse. The amount of sprouting, determined by morphometric measurement, was correlated with the level of extrajunctional acetylcholine receptors. Sprouting was inhibited by blockade of acetylcholine receptors with alpha-bungarotoxin. Extrajunctional acetylcholine receptors may play an important role in eliciting motor nerve terminal sprouting.
A comparison of the thermal and radar characteristics of Mars

Results of thermal infrared sensing and radar observations of the Martian surface are compared for the region centered on +22 deg latitude. Values of the apparent thermal inertia of the surface were derived from surface brightnesses observed by the Viking Orbiter Infrared Thermal Mapper, while radar cross sections were obtained in earth-based experiments at wavelengths of 3.8, 12.5 and 70 cm. A correlation between the thermal inertia and radar cross section values is observed which is strongest with the 70-cm radar data except between longitudes of 10 and 90 deg, where a slight anticorrelation is found. The mixing of small (much less than 70 cm) rocks into a surface of fine material can account for the data between 90 and 370 deg longitude, with as much as 50% of the surface covered by rock in Syrtis Major, Isidis Planitia and parts of Elysium Planitia, and little or no rock cover near Olympus Mons, Elysium Mons, and Amazonis Planitia. The remaining longitudes may be explained in terms of the effects of atmospheric dust on the surface temperature or the effects of local variations in large-scale roughness or scattering from rocks. Data from the 90 to 370 deg longitude region are consistent with the division of the Martian surface into two types of terrain, possibly related to the erosional or depositional nature of the regions.
Light-regulated and endogenous fluctuations of chloroplast transcript levels in Chlamydomonas. Regulation by transcription and RNA degradation.

Summary Changes in the relative sizes of pools of transcripts of organelle genes during plastid development are common in flowering plants, but technical difficulties have prevented direct determinations of the effects of changes in rates of transcription and degradation on such fluctuations. It has been possible to follow both rates in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In synchronous or asynchronous cultures of cells grown in 12 h light/12 h dark periods, sizes of pools of transcripts of the chloroplast genes atpA, atpB, tufA, and psaB fluctuate. Differences in chloroplast transcript abundances in light/dark cycles were found to be cell cycle-independent but controlled by either an endogenous rhythm (atpA, atpB, and tufA) or by light (psaB). In vivo labeling experiments showed that transcriptional regulation and light/dark-regulated degradation both contribute, in gene-specific manners, to the level of transcripts of individual C. reinhardtii chloroplast genes in cells grown in alternating light/dark cycles.
The excitation of current on an infinite horizontal wire above earth by a vertical electric dipole

The formal solution to the problem of finding the current induced on a horizontal wire above earth by a vertical electric dipole is given. A simple solution for the case where the dipole is electrically distant from the wire is developed. The interpretation and restrictions of this solution are discussed.
Abrasive ablation: a new experimental surgical technique to study nonparenchymal aspects of hepatic regeneration.

Abstract Abrasive ablation is a new experimental method designed to induce localized hepatic regeneration. It is an easily applied modified surgical technique yielding an experimental model which lends itself to the study of the various hepatic regenerative events, particularly nonparenchymal proliferation. This technique was applied to guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, and rhesus monkeys. The regenerative events, especially emphasizing the nonparenchymal components, were examined histologically and compared with the results of other studies in this field. Certain variables modified results, and a range of hepatic responses to a variety of injurious stimuli were found.
Mechanisms of mast cell signaling in anaphylaxis

The recent development of a consensus definition and proposed diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis offers promise for research efforts and a better understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of this enigmatic and life-threatening disease. This review examines basic principles and recent research advances in the mechanisms of mast cell signaling believed to underlie anaphylaxis. The unfolding complexity of mast cell signaling suggests that the system is sensitive to regulation by any of several individual signaling pathways and intermediates and that complementary pathways regulate mast cell activation by amplified signals. The signaling events underlying anaphylactic reactions have largely been identified through experiments in genetically modified mice and supported by biochemical studies of mast cells derived from these mice. These studies have revealed that signaling pathways exist to both upregulate and downregulate mast cell responses. In this review we will thus describe the key molecular players in these pathways in the context of anaphylaxis.
Identification of cDNAs encoding isoprenylated proteins

Isoprenylated proteins are involved in signal transduction, control of cell growth and differentiation, organization of the nuclear lamina and cytoskeleton, and vesicle sorting. The isoprenoid moiety facilitates the interaction of these proteins with membranes and/or other proteins. However, many isoprenylated proteins remain unidentified. A method is described for identifying novel and known cDNAs encoding isoprenylated proteins. Sufficient details of the screening procedure are given so that this method may be easily used to identify cDNAs encoding other covalently modified proteins or proteins possessing high affinity ligand binding sites.
683. Bronchoscope-Guided, Targeted Lobar Aersolization of HDAd into the Lungs of Nonhuman Primate Results in Exceedingly High Pulmonary Transduction Uniformally throughout the Entire Lung with Negligible Toxicity

Top of pageAbstract Uniform delivery of gene therapy vectors to all lung lobes will be important for successful CF gene therapy. However, this important objective has not been achieved in large animals. To address this important obstacle, we developed an approach to specifically delivery vector into each lung lobe. In this strategy, an intracorporeal nebulizing catheter (the AeroProbe) is inserted into a bronchoscope to permit visual targeted aerosolization of vector sequentially and specifically into each lung lobe. Using this approach, 2 ml of 0.1% LPC (to transiently open tight junctions) containing 1|[times]|1012 vp of HDAd-K18LacZ was sequentially aerosolized into each of the six major lung lobes of a 25.74 kg baboon. Aerosolization was trigger by the ventilator upon inspiration at 0.1 ml per pulse at a rate of 8 to10 pulses per minute. As predicted, bronchoscope-guidance permitted visual targeting of aerosolization sequentially and specifically into each lung lobe. Halfway through the procedure a slight, transient and fluctuating decrease in oxygen saturation of no more than 2% was noted that did not warrant supplemental oxygen. The entire procedure was otherwise uneventful and well tolerated with no clinical manifestations of toxicity. The animal recovered quickly from anesthesia (within 1 h) and returned to its normal pre-administration state (active, eating and drinking). No changes in chest X-rays taken at 6 h, 24 h and at necropsy 72 h post-vector were observed compared to baseline. At necropsy, the lungs were harvested, inflation fixed and stained with X-gal. The results revealed extensive transduction of the large and small airway epithelium in the in all targeted lung lobes (see Figure). As expected, X-gal histochemistry revealed substantial transduction restricted to the airway epithelial cells and submucosal glands, the target cells for CF gene therapy. Assessment of the proximal major bronchi from each lung lobe revealed that |[sim]|20% of the airway epithelial cells were transduced in the Left Upper Lobe (LUL), |[ge]| 90% were transduced in the LML, LLL, RUL, RML and RLL, and |[sim]|80% were transduced in the accessory lobe (AC) and |[sim]|70% of the airway epithelial cells in the tracheal sections examined were transduced. These unprecedented results demonstrate for the first time that exceedingly high levels of transduction of the airway epithelial cells and submucosal glands throughout all lung lobes in a large animal can be achieved with negligible toxicity and should pave the way towards successful clinical CF gene therapy.
Early selective attention effects on cutaneous and acoustic blink reflexes

In two experiments, selective modulation of the human blink reflex was examined by directing subjects to judge duration of the startling or nonstartling member of an acoustic-cutaneous stimulus pair. The startling stimulus was acoustic in the first experiment and cutaneous in the second. In both experiments, magnitude and onset latency were facilitated when the subjects attended to rather than away from the reflex-eliciting stimulus, although changes in cutaneous reflex size were insignificant. However, a nonselective inhibition of blink magnitude on warned relative to unwarned trials, associated with latency facilitation of the cutaneous reflex, was a stronger effect. The existence of both selective, concordant and nonselective, discordant changes in latency and magnitude could not be explained by a single mechanism. Heart rate changes also suggested that warning initiated some process in addition to attention to intake. The predictability of warned events may play a larger role than has previously been recognized.
Automated Test Case Generation for an Autopilot Requirement Prototype

Designing safety-critical automation with robust human interaction is a difficult task that is susceptible to a number of known Human-Automation Interaction (HAI) vulnerabilities. It is therefore essential to develop automated tools that provide support both in the design and rapid evaluation of such automation. The Automation Design and Evaluation Prototyping Toolset (ADEPT) enables the rapid development of an executable specification for automation behavior and user interaction. ADEPT supports a number of analysis capabilities, thus enabling the detection of HAI vulnerabilities early in the design process, when modifications are less costly. In this paper, we advocate the introduction of a new capability to model-based prototyping tools such as ADEPT. The new capability is based on symbolic execution that allows us to automatically generate quality test suites based on the system design. Symbolic execution is used to generate both user input and test oracles; user input drives the testing of the system implementation, and test oracles ensure that the system behaves as designed. We present early results in the context of a component in the Autopilot system modeled in ADEPT, and discuss the challenges of test case generation in the HAI domain.
Diffuse X-Ray Scattering to Model Protein Motions

Problems in biology increasingly need models of protein flexibility to understand and control protein function. At the same time, as they improve, crystallographic methods are marching closer to the limits of what can be learned from Bragg data in isolation. It is thus inevitable that mainstream protein crystallography will turn to diffuse scattering to model protein motions and improve crystallographic models. The time is ripe to make it happen.
Experimental determination of friction coefficient and mobilization force for a laterally confined granular column

The case of a cylindrical container filled with granular material is a basic situation where the presence of the cylindrical wall induces horizontal pressure and hence, shearing forces (caused by friction between the container wall and the granular bed). Under certain circumstances, a finite length of the granular column in a housing cylindrical container can stand in the vertical position unsupported at the bottom end, held only by the frictional forces at the wall. When an axial load is applied at one end of the bed and increased slowly, the whole granular column starts to slide at a critical load value, called herein the mobilization force. Since this scenario is of significant practical interest (e.g. in caissons construction or in the design of silos), the experimental determination of the related parameters is of great importance for the development of suitable simulation models. In this paper, experimental methodologies for in-situ measurement of the mobilization force and the Coulomb’s friction coefficient between the granular material and the wall of the housing cylinder are presented in detail. Practical and convenient experimental set-ups that require only a few pieces of readily available and easily operated test equipment are proposed to measure these parameters. Results from a series of example experiments conducted on a granular alumina bed packed in a rigid plastic cylinder illustrate the performance and validity of the proposed experimental methods.
Stock Origins of Chinook Salmon in the Area of the Japanese Mothership Salmon Fishery

Abstract The record catch of 704,000 chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha by the Japanese mothership salmon fishery in 1980 intensified concern about the effect of high seas interceptions of salmon reared in North America. The goal of this study was to update and refine estimates of the relative proportions of Asian and North American chinook salmon stocks in the mothership fishery area in the Bering Sea and north Pacific Ocean. Linear discriminant analysis of scale pattern data was used to classify samples of immature chinook salmon aged 1.2 (one winter in fresh water, two winters at sea) from the area 46-62°N, 160°E-175°W in June and July 1975-1981 to four regions: Asia, western Alaska, central Alaska, and southeastern Alaska-British Columbia. Western Alaska, which included Canadian Yukon stocks, was further subdivided into three subregions: Yukon River, Kuskokwim district, and Bristol Bay. Overall classification accuracies averaged 74, 79, and 86%, respectively, in four-, three-, and two-category re...
Effects of acoustic heterogeneity in breast thermoacoustic tomography

The effects of wavefront distortions induced by acoustic heterogeneities in breast thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) are studied. Amplitude distortions are shown to be insignificant for different scales of acoustic heterogeneities. For wavelength-scale, or smaller, heterogeneities, amplitude distortion of the wavefront is minor as a result of diffraction when the detectors are placed in the far field of the heterogeneities. For larger-scale heterogeneities at the parenchyma wall, by using a ray approach (geometric optics), we show that no refraction-induced multipath interference occurs and, consequently, that no severe amplitude distortion, such as is found in ultrasound tomography, exists. Next, we consider the effects of phase distortions (errors in time-of-flight) in our numerical studies. The numerical results on the spreads of point sources and boundaries caused by the phase distortions are in good agreement with the proposed formula. After that, we demonstrate that the blurring of images can be compensated for by using the distribution of acoustic velocity in the tissues in the reconstructions. The effects of the errors in the acoustical velocities on this compensation also are investigated. An approach to implement the compensation using only TAT data is proposed. Lastly, the differences in the effects of acoustic heterogeneity and the generation of speckles in breast TAT and breast ultrasound imaging are discussed.
Real-Time Pose Detection for Magnetic Medical Devices

Magnetic coupling is one of the few physical phenomena capable of transmitting motion across a physical barrier. In gastrointestinal endoscopy, remote magnetic manipulation has the potential to make screening less invasive and more acceptable, thus saving lives by early diagnoses and treatment. Closed-loop control of the magnetic device position is crucial for a safe and reliable operation. In order to implement closed-loop control, the pose (position and orientation) of the device must be available in real-time. This becomes challenging if magnetic coupling is achieved by permanent magnets, since the strong magnetic field required for manipulation interferes with current localization techniques. In this work, we present a novel real-time pose detection strategy that is compatible with magnetic manipulation based on permanent magnets. The localization algorithm combines multiple sensor readings with a pre-calculated magnetic field map. The proposed approach is able to provide an average error below 5 mm in position detection, and below 19° for angular motion within a spherical workspace of 15 cm in radius.
Assessing oxygenation in the transport environment

Abstract The physical signs of hypoxemia often are not seen until profound hypoxemia occurs; therefore a variety of devices commonly are used to assess patient oxygenation. Despite the high reliance on oxygen monitoring equipment when caring for the critically ill, medical personnel often fail to appreciate the advantages and limitations of these devices. In fact, profound hypoxemia can exist in the absence of reliable physical signs. Arterial blood gas measurements, the traditional gold standard for assessing a patient's oxygen and acid base status in the hospital setting, only recently have been simplified for transport use. But their inability to perform real-time continuous measurements limits their acceptance into the transport environment. Although used to assess neonatal hypoxemia, the real value of transcutaneous oxygen monitoring may be in avoiding retinal damage as a result of excessive tissue oxygenation. Finally, despite the simplicity, reliability, and popularity of pulse oximeters, few EMS medical personnel really understand how perfusion states, motion, hemoglobinopathies, intravenous dyes, nail polish, and skin color may lead to interpretation errors. This article discusses the limitations of the physical examination, arterial blood gas measurements, transcutaneous monitoring, and pulse oximetry in determining a patient's oxygenation status.
Dispersion of a tracer on the East Pacific Rise (9°N to 10°N), including the influence of hydrothermal plumes

Abstract On 12 November 2006, 3 kg of sulfur hexafluoride were released in a 1.2 km long streak in the axial summit trough of the East Pacific Rise at 9°30′N to study how circulation and mixing affect larval dispersion. The first half of a tracer survey performed approximately 40 days after the injection found a small percentage of the tracer on the ridge axis between 9°30′N and 10°10′N, with the main concentration near 9°50′N, a site of many active hydrothermal vents. These observations provide evidence of larval connectivity between vent sites on the ridge. The latter half of the survey detected the primary patch of tracer west of the ridge and just south of the Lamont Seamounts, as a majority of the tracer had been transported off the ridge. However, by the end of the survey, the eastern edge of this patch was transported back to within 10 km of the ridge crest at 9°50′N by a reversal in the subinertial flow, suggesting another pathway for larvae between points along the ridge. Both the horizontal and vertical distributions of the tracer were complex and were likely heavily influenced by topography and vents in the area. Elevated tracer concentrations within the axial summit trough and an adjacent depression on the upper ridge flank suggest that tracers may be detained in such depressions. Correlated tracer/turbidity profiles provide direct evidence of entrainment of the tracer into vent plumes from 9°30′N to 10°N. A comparison of the vertical tracer inventory with neutral density vent-plume observations suggests that on the order of 10% of the tracer injected was entrained into vent plumes near the injection site. The results imply that effluent from diffuse hydrothermal sources and larvae of hydrothermal vent fauna can be entrained in significant quantities into plumes from discrete sources and dispersed in the neutrally buoyant plumes.
Deformation and recrystallization texture development in Fe-4%Si subjected to large shear deformation

Machining is used as a deformation technique to impose large shear strains (γ ~ 2) in a commercial Fe-4%Si alloy. The partial and {110} – fiber texture components are generated throughout the as-deformed microstructure, which is expected of BCC metals deformed in simple shear. Using an annealing schedule similar to that in the commercial rolling process, samples retain the deformation texture, consistent with a continuous-type recrystallization mechanism. Fine-grained annealed samples reveal two different partial fiber orientations, one of which becomes the dominate texture, following the high-temperature growth treatment. The mechanisms of texture evolution and implications for texture control in the machining-based process are discussed.
The Concept of Unemployment

Present status of the concept of unemployment, 1. — Willingness to work: gross and net unemployment, 7; statistical indications for 1940, 11. — Employability: marginal employables, 13; legal unemployables, 14; cumulative unemployment, 15; institutional unemployables, 18. — Suppressed unemployment: part-time unemployment of wage workers, 19; part-time unemployment of non-wage earners, 20; unproductive employment, 20; statistical estimates, 21. — Summary of statistical approximations, 25. — Recommendations for improving current estimates, 27. — Conclusion, 28.
Radiation therapy for stage i and iia testicular seminoma

Abstract Purpose : To review the survival, cure rate, treatment morbidity, and late sequelae of histologically confirmed seminoma patients who underwent orchiectomy and radiation therapy at the Radiation Oncology Center, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, from 1964 to 1988. Methods and Materials : There were 128 patients, with a median patient age of 37 years (range, 17–79 years). Follow-up ranged from 1–24 years, with a median of 6.7 years. There were 95 patients with Stage I and 33 with State IIA disease. All patients were treated with orchiectomy followed by iliac and paraaortic irradiation (media tumor dose: 2500 cGy for Stage I and 3400 cGy for Stage IIA patients). Twenty-five of 33 patients with Stage IIA disease received prophylactic mediastinal and left supraclavicular irradiation (median dose, 2700 cGy). Results : For patients with Stage I disease, 5-year disease-free survival, overall survival, and survival corrected for intercurrent disease were 97%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. For patients with Stage IIA disease, the 5-year disease-free survival, overall survival, and survival corrected for intercurrent disease were 93%, 89%, and 97% respectively. Four patients (3%) had recurrences; all were outside the radiation treatment field. Three of four were successfully salvaged with chemotherapy and rendered disease-free; the other patient refused treatment. There were no mediastinal recurrences whether prophylactic mediastinal irradiation was administered or not. Bowel obstruction and necrosis developed in one patient who received 3363 cGy midplane dose to the pelvic paraaortic areas as well as additional intraperitoneal colloidal 198Au (150 mCi) for a ruptured seminoma from an undescended testis. Conclusion : In summary, radical orchiectomy and irradiation of the iliac and paraaortic lymphatics is the treatment of choice for patients with Stage I and IIA testicular seminoma.
Multiphoton imaging of endogenous fluorescence in neoplastic and non-neoplastic epithelial tissues

Endogenous fluorescence offers promise for diagnosing oral cancers. This is the first study to use multiphoton imaging to characterize the spatial and depth distribution of endogenous fluorescence in neoplastic and non-neoplastic epithelial tissues.
Research Article: The Effect of Hydrocortisone on Angiogenesis

Abstract. Although there are several known inhibitors and stimulators of angiogenesis, the exact choreography of this multi-step process remains unknown. The interaction and implications of increased hydrocortisone concentration during this process is also unknown. This study aimed to examine the effects of different hydrocortisone concentrations on angiogenesis. The hypothesis of this study was that increased concentrations of hydrocortisone would lead to a greater degree of angiogenesis. A co-culture of human umbilical vein endothelial cells was used to analyze the process of angiogenesis. Three levels of hydrocortisone were applied to the cells to determine the extent of angiogenesis: a mid-range physiologic level, an upper-range physiologic level, and an elevated level. The increased levels of hydrocortisone did not inhibit or stimulate angiogenesis to a greater degree than the mid-range physiologic level.
Vehicle-related mortality and road crossing behavior of the Florida panther

The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) is a relatively well studied species and it is well established that the most important threat to panthers include limited habitat area and continued habitat loss and fragmentation. Despite the recognition that roads result in panther mortality and may limit panther movement there has been very limited research on the importance of roads. In the current study panther telemetry data from 1981 until 2004, detailed road networks and vegetation maps were used to determine vehicle-related mortality and road crossing behavior of the Florida panther. Differences by age and gender were determined, as well as the effect of road size. Results indicate that vehicle collisions are a major threat to the Florida panther population, especially adult males. Major roads present a stronger barrier to movement than minor roads, and the movement of females is more affected than that of males. Road networks in south Florida have essentially segregated the movement of the sexes and have fragmented the limited remaining habitat of the Florida panther.
The Motion of a Viscous Fluid Under a Surface Load

A formal solution is given for the motion of a highly viscous fluid when a symmetrical pressure is applied at the surface. This is applied to the subsidence of a cylindrical body of constant thickness and to the recovery of the fluid after removal of a load. Applying the latter case to the plastic recoil of the earth after the disappearance of the Pleistocene ice sheets, it is found that the geological data imply a kinematic viscosity of the order of 3×1021 c.g.s. units.