cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deuterium–tritium pulse propulsion with hydrogen as propellant and the entire space-craft as a gigavolt capacitor for ignition

Abstract A deuterium–tritium (DT) nuclear pulse propulsion concept for fast interplanetary transport is proposed utilizing almost all the energy for thrust and without the need for a large radiator: 1. By letting the thermonuclear micro-explosion take place in the center of a liquid hydrogen sphere with the radius of the sphere large enough to slow down and absorb the neutrons of the DT fusion reaction, heating the hydrogen to a fully ionized plasma at a temperature of ∼105 K. 2. By using the entire spacecraft as a magnetically insulated gigavolt capacitor, igniting the DT micro-explosion with an intense GeV ion beam discharging the gigavolt capacitor, possible if the space craft has the topology of a torus.
Parent Education Programs at the Middle Level

What constitutes an effective educa tion program for parents of middle level youngsters? This writer suggests a three-pronged approach, along with specific topic ideas.
Sensitization of the photoconductivity of conducting polymers by C60 : photoinduced electron transfer

We have investigated the effect of photoinduced electron transfer on the photoconductivity (PC) of conducting polymer-${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ films by comparing the photoconductivity (carrier generation and carrier transport) of the conducting polymer sensitized with ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ with that of the conducting polymer alone. We present time-resolved transient PC results, subnanosecond to 0.5 \ensuremath{\mu}s, obtained from poly[2-methoxy,5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) and poly(3-octylthiophene) (P3OT), and from conducting polymer films sensitized with several concentrations of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. Both the magnitude and the lifetime of the transient PC increase substantially on increasing the concentration of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$. The results imply that quantum efficiency for photogeneration of charge carriers is increased by photoinduced electron transfer and that early time recombination is inhibited by the spatial separation of the electron and hole on the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and the conducting polymer, respectively. The greater enhancement of the transient PC in MEH-PPV (nearly two orders of magnitude with the addition of a few percent of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$) than in P3OT (nearly one order of magnitude with the addition of a comparable amount of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$) suggests a higher probability of early time recombination in pristine MEH-PPV. As a result of the enhancement in the photogeneration efficiency and the carrier lifetime, the spectral response of the steady-state PC in both MEH-PPV/${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ and P3OT/${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ films is significantly enhanced throughout the entire spectral range from the near infrared to the ultraviolet.
A statistical description of the mean circulation and eddy variability in the northwestern Atlantic using SOFAR floats

Abstract Velocity data obtained from trajectories of SOFAR floats launched as part of several experiments carried out in the Northwest Atlantic during the last two decades are used to give a statistical description of the mean Gulf Stream and its recirculation. The distribution of eddy variability in the region is also presented. A mean Gulf Stream which bifurcates between 55° and 45°W to feed the North Atlantic Current and a southern recirculation can be clearly identified. A weak interior Sverdrup flow is also suggested. The spatial distribution of eddy variability is consistent with previous descriptions, showing a maximum near the Gulf Stream.
Photonics for phased array systems

The use of photonics technology in RF and microwave systems offers numerous advantages in many applications when compared to traditional microwave implementations and techniques. The impetus for future phased array antenna systems has revolved around the demands for increased capabilities including larger arrays for higher power and better angular resolution, wide bandwidths, reconfigurability, higher operating frequencies and shared apertures. In particular, photonics can serve as an enabling technology to provide many of these future capabilities. This paper surveys some of the previous photonic techniques for optical control of array antennas, highlights some of the ongoing research, addresses system-level issues for technology insertion and present results indicating the present and future potential of photonics for array antennas.
Pathology of sarcoidosis.

The role of pathology in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis is identification of granulomas in tissue specimens and performance of studies to exclude known causes of granulomatous inflammation. The granulomas of sarcoidosis are nonspecific lesions that, by themselves and in the absence of an identifiable etiologic agent, are not diagnostic of sarcoidosis or any other specific disease. Among the diseases to be excluded are mycobacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections, chronic beryllium disease and other pneumoconiosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and Wegener’s granulomatosis. Even after extensive workup a substantial number of granulomas will remain unclassified. Not every disease that features nonnecrotizing granulomas of undetermined etiology is sarcoidosis. The granulomas of sarcoidosis may exhibit focal necrosis of minimal amount. In cases with granulomas that exhibit a greater degree of necrosis an infectious or other nonsarcoid etiology should be strongly suspected. Strict clinical, radiological, and pathological criteria must be used for diagnosis. In cases that exhibit necrotizing granulomas with more than minimal, focal necrosis, extrathoracic involvement only, and/or incompatible clinical and radiological findings, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis should be approached with great caution. The diagnosis is most secure when compatible clinical and radiological findings are supported by the demonstration of microorganism-negative, nonnecrotizing granulomas in a biopsy specimen accompanied by biopsy evidence or strong clinical evidence of multisystem involvement, and negative cultures for bacteria, mycobacteria, and fungi. A positive Kveim-Siltzbach test provides strong support for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis.
Sketch-based Segmentation of Scanned Outdoor Environment Models

When modeling with scanned outdoor models, being able to select a subset of the points efficiently that collectively represent an object is an important and fundamental operation. Such segmentation problems have been extensively studied, and simple and efficient solutions exist in two dimensions. However, 3D segmentation, especially that of sparse point models obtained by scanning, remains a challenge because of inherent incompleteness and noise. We present a sketched-based interface that allows segmentation of general 3D point-based models. The user marks object and background regions by placing strokes using a stylus, and the tool segments out the marked object(s). To refine the results, the user simply moves the camera to a different location and repeats the process. Our method is based on graph cuts, a popular and well-tested paradigm for segmentation problems. We employ a two-pass process: we use the strokes to perform 2D image segmentation in the projection plane of the camera and use its results for the 3D scanned data segmentation. The advantages of our method are ease of use, speed and robustness. Our method works for general 3D point models and not just range images. Important applications include selection of objects when dealing with large, unorganized point models for refinement, remodeling, meshing, etc.
Reversible Agents Need Robots Waste Bits To See, Talk, And Achieve?

A computer's task is often taken to be that of starting with some input, grinding for a while, and eventually returning an output. Remarkably, all such tasks can be accomplished "reversibly", with an arbitrarily low intrinsic entropy cost, and in reasonable space and time relative to irreversible approaches. Art@cial intelligence computation, however, does not fit well into an input-grind-output format. "Reversible agents" should run indefinitely, observing their world, acting to achieve goals, and talking with other autonomous agents. Do these additional requirements introduce more intrinsic entropy costs for such agents? This preliminary survey suggests that they do. Goal states can unavoidably have lower entropy than initial states. Sensing costs, when features of the world relevant to an agent's analysis change unpredictably before the agent has time to reverse that analysis. On the other hand, talk between nearby agents can be cheap.
Design and Semantics of a Decentralized Authorization Language

We present a declarative authorization language that strikes a careful balance between syntactic and semantic simplicity, policy expressiveness, and execution efficiency. The syntax is close to natural language, and the semantics consists of just three deduction rules. The language can express many common policy idioms using constraints, controlled delegation, recursive predicates, and negated queries. We describe an execution strategy based on translation to datalog with constraints, and table-based resolution. We show that this execution strategy is sound, complete, and always terminates, despite recursion and negation, as long as simple syntactic conditions are met.
GENETIC RECOMBINATION AND CLONAL SELECTION IN DROSOPHILA MERCATORUM

Discrete and continuous generation unisexual populations were established from parthenogenetic D. mercatorum females heterozygous for five visible loci and one electrophoretic locus, which marked all five major chromosome arms. In the first impaternate generation of the discrete generation population, all thirty-two possible recombinant genotypes for the five visible markers were displayed. However, 99% of these individuals were homozygous for all gene markers due to the predominant mode of parthenogenesis called nuclear duplication. Many of these homozygous individuals gave rise to isogenic clones that were compelled to compete with each other in subsequent generations. A detailed analysis of the genetic response of this clonal population showed strong evidence for selection involving epistatic interactions between linked and unlinked loci throughout the genome. The unit of selection is described as being determined as early as the zygotic stage of development.
Accuracy of Physiologic Dead Space Measurements in Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Using Volumetric Capnography: Comparison With the Metabolic Monitor Method

BACKGROUND: Volumetric capnography is an alternative method of measuring expired carbon dioxide partial pressure (PeCO2) and physiologic dead-space-to-tidal-volume ratio (VD/VT) during mechanical ventilation. In this method, PeCO2 is measured at the Y-adapter of the ventilator circuit, thus eliminating the effects of compression volume contamination and the need to apply a correction factor. We investigated the accuracy of volumetric capnography in measuring VD/VT, compared to both uncorrected and corrected measurements, using a metabolic monitor in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: There were 90 measurements of VD/VT made in 23 patients with ARDS. The PeCO2 was measured during a 5-min expired-gas collection period with a Delta-trac metabolic monitor, and was corrected for compression volume contamination using a standard formula. Simultaneous measurements of PeCO2 and VD/VT were obtained using volumetric capnography. RESULTS: VD/VT measured by volumetric capnography was strongly correlated with both the uncorrected (r2 = 0.93, p CONCLUSION: Volumetric capnography measurements of VD/VT in mechanically-ventilated patients with ARDS are as accurate as those obtained by metabolic monitor technique.
Exercise Doppler echocardiography in patients with mitral prosthetic valves.

Abstract Submaximal supine exercise was done by 17 patients with mitral prostheses. Eleven had Bjork-Shiley (BS) and six had Starr-Edwards (SE) valves. In 15 patients with normally functioning prostheses, valve area at rest was 2.4 ± 0.25 cm 2 in the BS patients and 1.8 ± 0.35 cm 2 in the SE group ( p p
Molecular exclusion of haemoglobin SD disease by prenatal diagnosis.

The most common Hb D variant, Haemoglobin D (Hb D) Los Angeles is caused by a glutamic acid to glutamine substitution at codon 121 of the β globin gene. Although asymptomatic in the heterozygous form, inheritance together with an Hb S allele can result in a severe disease similar to sickle-cell anaemia that is referred to as Hb SD disease. Prenatal diagnosis for Hb SD disease was requested by an at-risk couple of Irish/English descent. Prenatal diagnosis was performed on DNA isolated from chorionic villi at 12 weeks' gestation using dot blot and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization for the HbS mutation, and two independent approaches, restriction fragment analysis and ARMS (amplification refractory mutation system) for the detection of the Hb D Los Angeles mutation. The fetus was found to be heterozygous for the HbS mutation, but did not inherit the HbD mutation. Thus, a reliable and rapid prenatal diagnosis for the Hb SD disease can be achieved by molecular diagnosis. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ion coupling efficiency for an extraction applied-B ion diode on the HELIA linear-induction adder in positive polarity

Initial experiments to investigate coupling of the four-stage HELIA linear-induction accelerator to a uniformly insulated applied-B ion diode in planar extraction geometry are reported. Results describing the efficient operation of an applied-B extraction ion diode coupled to the HELIA linear induction accelerator operated in positive polarity are reported. Operation of a close-coupled, undermatched, applied-B diode on HELIA was consistent with magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) electron flow intermediate between locally emitted flow and generalized flow, rather than with full-gap flow. Peak ion coupling efficiencies of 60-70% and peak ion power levels of 0.3-0.4 TW have been achieved. >
Kinetic estimated glomerular filtration rate and acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery patients.

Abstract Purpose To determine how a formula to estimate kinetically changing glomerular filtration rate (keGFR) relates to serum creatinine changes and to compare the discriminatory ability of keGFR to that of perioperative change in serum creatinine to predict acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality. Materials and Methods Retrospective cohort study at a single-tertiary-care Midwestern university hospital of 4022 patients admitted to the intensive care unit between January 2006 and January 2012 immediately after cardiac surgery. Measurements and Main Results Of 4022 patients, 1031 (25.6%) developed at least AKI stage 1 and 1106 (27.5%) developed AKI-min. Patients who developed AKI stage 1 or AKI-min had a greater decrease in keGFR, both by absolute amounts and by percentage. After adjusting for other factors with logistic regression, keGFR had good discrimination (c statistic = 0.787 and 0.749, respectively) in predicting AKI and operative mortality. Conclusion Despite no change in immediate perioperative serum creatinine levels, keGFR fell and this predicted subsequent AKI. Using keGFR enables identification of patients who, despite unchanged postoperative creatinine, incur clinically significant kidney injury based on reduction in GFR and increased mortality.
Optimal transmit for packet-based data transmission on dispersive channels with application to the FIR MMSE-DFE

Optimal transmit filters for packet-based data transmission on dispersive Gaussian-noise linear time-invariant channels are derived by maximizing the channel throughput, subject to a fixed input energy budget. A quasi-stationary approximation to the optimal nonstationary input covariance process is derived and shown to exhibit negligible throughput loss compared with the optimal case, for situations of most practical interest. This accurate approximation results in efficiently computed lattice or pole-zero transmit filters. By considering the finite-impulse-response minimum-mean-square error decision feedback equalizer (FIR MMSE-DFE) as a receiver structure, it is shown that transmitter optimization results in an appreciable improvement in the decision point SNR when the output block length (N) is comparable with the channel memory. As N becomes infinite, the optimum finite-dimensional nonstationary input covariance process converges to a stationary process whose power spectrum obeys the water-pour distribution. >
Reasoning about collisions involving inert objects in 7.5-month-old infants

Tlze present research asked whether 7.5-month-old infants realize tlzut an object cannot displace another ohject \v~thout contacting it. Tlze infants in E-xperiment I were asszgned to a contact or a no-contact condition. The infants in the nocontact conn'itio~? saw static familiarrzation displaj~s in which (1 tall, thin burrier stood across the bottom of a ramp, a cylinder rested ugaitzst the left side of the harrier and a wheeleci t o j bug against its right side. The infants in the contact condition saw similar cl'isp1ay.s except thut a lurge portion of the harrier's lort'er half was removed so that the qllinder rested directly against tlze bug. N e x t , a small screen wa,s placed in.fr.ont of the bottom of'the ramp; onlj, the upper portion o f the harrier was visible above the screen. The infants irl the two conditions watcheci the same test event. The cylinder was released and rolled to the bottorn of the ramp, partly disappearing behind the screen 1s left edge; next, the hug rolled do~vrz the track, us though launched by the cjdincler. Tlze infants in the no-contact condition looked reliably longer at the test event than clid those In the contact condition. This result stlggested that the infants ( a ) vic~wc~d the hug as an inert object that could move onlj ~txhen ucted uporz; ( h ) believed thut the cj.linder could not act on the bug without contacting it; ( c ) realized thut the cylinder could contact the bl4g when the hdf-harrier but not the harrier was present; ( d ) remembered after the screen rz,a.s raised whether contact co as possible b e t w ~ e n the cylinder and hug; and [ e ) ~i.c.re surprised in the no-contact condition tvhen the hug us la~rnched do~iw the track. A second experiment confirrne~ihe results of Experiment I . Previous research comparing infirnts' responses to no-contact and contact events has typic.ul!)' mude use of seIfmo11ing rather thun Inert objects. These e.uperiments have consistentlj ,found that infints do not look reliahlj lotger at no-contact tha12 at contact events. In the General Discussion, we e..;cmtni~ze tlze contrast between these prior results and the present results cznd speculate on how infants' espc~ctations about inert and self-moving objects mu^ he best characterized.
Homology Modeling of Representative Subfamilies of Arabidopsis Major Intrinsic Proteins. Classification Based on the Aromatic/Arginine Selectivity Filter

Major intrinsic proteins (MIPs) are a family of membrane channels that facilitate the bidirectional transport of water and small uncharged solutes such as glycerol. The 35 full-length members of the MIP family in Arabidopsis are segregated into four structurally homologous subfamilies: plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), nodulin 26-like intrinsic membrane proteins (NIPs), and small basic intrinsic proteins (SIPs). Computational methods were used to construct structural models of the putative pore regions of various plant MIPs based on homology modeling with the atomic resolution crystal structures of mammalian aquaporin 1 and the bacterial glycerol permease GlpF. Based on comparisons of the narrow selectivity filter regions (the aromatic/Arg [ar/R] filter), the members of the four phylogenetic subfamilies of Arabidopsis MIPs can be classified into eight groups. PIPs possess a uniform ar/R signature characteristic of high water transport aquaporins, whereas TIPs are highly diverse with three separate conserved ar/R regions. NIPs possess two separate conserved ar/R regions, one that is similar to the archetype, soybean (Glycine max) nodulin 26, and another that is characteristic of Arabidopsis NIP6;1. The SIP subfamily possesses two ar/R subgroups, characteristic of either SIP1 or SIP2. Both SIP ar/R residues are divergent from all other MIPs in plants and other kingdoms. Overall, these findings suggest that higher plant MIPs have a common fold but show distinct differences in proposed pore apertures, potential to form hydrogen bonds with transported molecules, and amphiphilicity that likely results in divergent transport selectivities.
Factors Associated with Health Care Access for Mississippi Children with Special Health Care Needs

Objectives: This purpose of the study was to examine the factors associated with access to routine care and to specialty care for Mississippi children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Methods: We analyzed data for Mississippi CSHCN from the 2001 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Using a modified version of Andersen and Aday’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, we explored the relationship of independent variables (e.g., demographics, insurance, severity of illness) to dependent variables (did not obtain routine care, did not obtain specialty care). We conducted bivariate and logistic regression analyses using SAS and SUDAAN. Results: Based on self-reported data, with a 61% response rate, 66% of Mississippi CSHCN needed routine health care, and 52.8% needed specialty care. Of these children, 6.5% did not receive routine care and 9.3% did not receive specialty care. In a fully adjusted model, discontinuous insurance coverage was an important factor associated with not having obtained routine care (OR = 7.8; CI = 1.7‐35.9) and specialty care (OR = 8.6; CI = 2.0‐36.8). Children with a high illness severity rank were more likely to have not obtained routine care than children with a low rank (OR 1.4; CI = 1.1‐1.9). Conclusions: It may be important to establish a health insurance safety net for families who lack insurance continuity since it appears that a lapse in insurance coverage impedes health care access. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between illness severity and lack of health care access, especially for children with special health care needs.
Lester Brown, the Worldwatch Institute, and the Dilemmas of Technocratic Revolution

The Worldwatch Institute, founded and led by Lester Brown, is the world's preeminent authority on environmental issues. This article, taking off from an in-depth examination of its publications, we...
Latent Transition Analysis With a Mixture Item Response Theory Measurement Model

A latent transition analysis (LTA) model was described with a mixture Rasch model (MRM) as the measurement model. Unlike the LTA, which was developed with a latent class measurement model, the LTA-MRM permits within-class variability on the latent variable, making it more useful for measuring treatment effects within latent classes. A simulation study indicated that model recovery using the LTA-MRM was good except for small sample size–short test conditions. A real data application of a mathematics intervention with middle school students indicated that the LTA-MRM clearly detected the intervention effect and also provided a means of helping to better understand the effects compared to a standard multiwave analysis of variance.
Fatty acid nitroalkenes ameliorate glucose intolerance and pulmonary hypertension in high-fat diet-induced obesity.

Aims Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, with the incidence of these disorders becoming epidemic. Pathogenic responses to obesity have been ascribed to adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction that promotes bioactive mediator secretion from visceral AT and the initiation of pro-inflammatory events that induce oxidative stress and tissue dysfunction. Current understanding supports that suppressing pro-inflammatory and oxidative events promotes improved metabolic and cardiovascular function. In this regard, electrophilic nitro-fatty acids display pleiotropic anti-inflammatory signalling actions. Methods and results It was hypothesized that high-fat diet (HFD)-induced inflammatory and metabolic responses, manifested by loss of glucose tolerance and vascular dysfunction, would be attenuated by systemic administration of nitrooctadecenoic acid (OA-NO2). Male C57BL/6j mice subjected to a HFD for 20 weeks displayed increased adiposity, fasting glucose, and insulin levels, which led to glucose intolerance and pulmonary hypertension, characterized by increased right ventricular (RV) end-systolic pressure (RVESP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). This was associated with increased lung xanthine oxidoreductase (XO) activity, macrophage infiltration, and enhanced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure remained unaltered, indicating that the HFD produces pulmonary vascular remodelling, rather than LV dysfunction and pulmonary venous hypertension. Administration of OA-NO2 for the final 6.5 weeks of HFD improved glucose tolerance and significantly attenuated HFD-induced RVESP, PVR, RV hypertrophy, lung XO activity, oxidative stress, and pro-inflammatory pulmonary cytokine levels. Conclusions These observations support that the pleiotropic signalling actions of electrophilic fatty acids represent a therapeutic strategy for limiting the complex pathogenic responses instigated by obesity.
A case-control study of risk factors for postoperative endophthalmitis.

Abstract The authors conducted a case-control study to identify risk factors for postoperative endophthalmitis. Fifty-four cases of patients who developed endophthalmitis after intraocular surgery at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary during the period from January 1988 through October 1990 were identified. A control group of 228 patients was randomly selected from the 24,105 patients who underwent intraocular surgery during this same period. Logistic regression analysis identified significant independent risks associated with intraoperative communication with the vitreous cavity (risk ratio 13.7, P P = 0.007). The study predicts that there would be approximately 700 fewer cases of postoperative endophthalmitis annually in the United States (approximately a 50% decrease in incidence) if intraocular lenses with haptics made of polymethylmethacrylate, rather than polypropylene, were used exclusively.
The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic

This chapter introduces basic concepts of elementary number theory such as divisibility, greatest common divisor, and prime and composite numbers. The principal results are Theorem 1.2, which establishes the existence of the greatest common divisor of any two integers, and Theorem 1.10 (the fundamental theorem of arithmetic), which shows that every integer greater than 1 can be represented as a product of prime factors in only one way (apart from the order of the factors). Many of the proofs make use of the following property of integers.
Normative Analysis of Instituted Processes

This chapter refines and formalizes the normative concepts of duty and obligation consistent with the ideas of institutional economics. To do so, deontic logic and normative system philosophy is utilized in order to formalize a methodology that enhances normative description, empirical investigation, and decision making. This formalization assumes the normative sets of social, technological, and ecological criteria as expressed in the social fabric matrix, and is grounded in the concepts of prohibition, obligation, and permission as emphasized by Karl Polanyi and John R. Commons. The deontic system necessary for a society to integrate authority and processing institutions to create and fulfill normative criteria through rules, regulations, and requirements is developed in a temporal setting. This explanation does not suggest that real-world normative systems are harmonious or continuous, or that they maintain commonality of normative criteria, avoid excess or inadequate redundancy, and are without gaps and conflict. In fact, it is quite to the contrary. The explanation is structured so studies can be completed to find the gaps, discontinuity, disharmony, and conflicts. Given the fragility of the modern world, analytical tools that assist in this task are of paramount concern.
Note, Making it Easy to Be Green: Using Impact Fees to Encourage Green Building

Green building - the construction of buildings designed to minimize environmental impact and resource use - has become significantly more common in the past decade. Many local and state governments have enacted policies designed to stimulate green building. These policies generally include information provision and subsidies for private green development as well as outright greenness requirements for all government buildings. Despite this commitment from government and despite substantial evidence that green buildings are financially beneficial for private owners, the private sector has been very slow to embrace green building. This Note argues that barriers to innovation in the real estate industry have rendered ineffective these local government attempts to stimulate green building, and suggests that impact fees - fees imposed by local governments on land use development - will be more successful in pushing private real estate developers to build green. Although the use of these fees is subject to both state and federal constitutional constraints, an appropriately designed fee can maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of this proposal while also ensuring that the fees are constitutional.
Legal Pluralisms, Legal Border Zones: Shar'ia Law and Trans-Jurisdictional Migration in the United Kingdom

The Shar’ia councils began as an informally operated arena for mediating and resolving familial disputes in accordance with Shar'ia law. This changed in 2008, when an application of the 1996 Arbitration Act allowed the Shar’ia councils’ decisions to become legally binding. In this paper, I will discuss new possibilities for the conceiving of this legally pluralistic field in terms of a jurisdictional border zone, wherein legal agents engage in trans-jurisdictional migration in pursuit of the best outcome. Framing the Shar’ia councils in this light can uncover the ways in which British Muslims have been strongly incentivized to turn to the Shar'ia councils while engaging in forum-shopping and trans-jurisdictional border crossing in pursuit of the best outcome.
IMPACT OF BASELINE PULMONARY PRESSURES ON LONG-TERM OUTCOME IN MYXOMATOUS MITRAL REGURGITATION: THRESHOLD OR PROGRESSIVE EFFECT?

We sought to assess impact of pulmonary hypertension on long-term outcomes in patients with significant myxomatous mitral regurgitation (MMR). We studied 1318 patients (age 62±13 years & 66% men) with ≥3+ MMR on resting echo, evaluated at our center from 2005-8. Baseline clinical & echo data
GLP-1 Receptor Mediated Targeting of a Fluorescent Zn(2+) Sensor to Beta Cell Surface for Imaging Insulin/Zn(2+) Release.

The pancreatic islet beta cell plays an essential role in maintaining the normal blood glucose level by releasing insulin. Loss of functional beta cell mass leads to diabetes—a disease affecting ∼9% of the population worldwide. There has been great interest and intense effort in developing imaging probes for monitoring islet beta cells, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) has emerged as a valuable biomarker for targeting beta cells. However, efforts thus far in GLP-1R mediated beta cell labeling and imaging has largely, if not exclusively, focused on developing imaging probes for monitoring beta cell mass, and few studies have investigated imaging beta cell function (insulin release) through GLP-1R. We now report the design and synthesis of a bioconjugate, ZIMIR-Ex4(9–39), that consists of a fluorescent Zn2+ sensor and a truncated exendin 4 peptide for imaging insulin/Zn2+ release in islet beta cells. In vitro, the conjugate bound to Zn2+ with high affinity and displayed a robust fluorescence en...
Risk-based warning system design methodology for multimode processes

Complex chemical processes usually operate at multiple operating modes, resulting from various factors, such as changes in market demand, set point modifications, and feedstock changes. It is difficult to monitor a multimode process without generating significant number of false alarms. In this paper, a risk-based alarm system design methodology is proposed to monitor multimode processes. The methodology comprises of three main steps: i) analysis of operating data using Gaussian mixture model, ii) identification of independent operating modes (e.g. set points, virtual transient state), and iii) probabilistic model to assess risk and activation of appropriate warning. A continuous stirred tank reactor with model predictive control system is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Multicore-Based EWSNs - An Example of Parallel and Distributed Embedded Systems*

This chapter proposes a heterogeneous hierarchical multicore embedded wireless sensor networks (MCEWSN) and the associated multicore embedded sensor node architecture. The multicore embedded sensor node comprises a sensing unit, a processing unit, a storage unit, a communication unit, a power unit, an optional actuator unit, and an optional location finding unit. The chapter elaborates several computation-intensive tasks performed by sensor networks that would especially benefit from multicore embedded sensor nodes. These tasks include information fusion, encryption, network coding, and software-defined radio (SDR). The chapter outlines wireless sensor networking application domains, such as wireless video sensor networks (WVSNs), wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs), satellite-based sensor networks, space shuttle sensor networks (3SNs), aerial-terrestrial hybrid sensor networks (ATHSNs), and fault-tolerant sensor networks, that benefit from MCEWSNs. It also discusses several state-of-the-art multicore embedded sensor node prototypes developed in academia and industry. Finally, the chapter describes research challenges and future research directions for MCEWSNs.
Hydrogen production by methanol aqueous electrolysis using photovoltaic energy: Algerian potential

Abstract Hydrogen is considered as the most promising energy carrier for providing a clean, reliable and sustainable energy system. It can be produced from a diverse array of potential feed stocks including water, fossil fuels and organic matter. Electrolysis is the best option for producing hydrogen very quickly and conveniently. Water electrolysis as a source of hydrogen production has recently gained much attention since it can produce high purity hydrogen and can be compatible with renewable energies. Besides the water electrolysis, aqueous methanol electrolysis has been reported in several studies. The aqueous methanol electrolysis proceeds at much lower voltage than that with the water electrolysis. As a result of the substantially lower operating voltage, the energy efficiency for methanol electrolysis can be higher than that for water electrolysis. In this paper, we are interesting to methanol electrolysis in order to produce hydrogen. The relation linking hydrogen production rate to the power needed to electrolyse a unit volume of aqueous methanol solution has been determined. Using this relation, the potential of hydrogen from aqueous methanol solution using a PV solar as the energy system has been evaluated for different locations in Algeria.
A Floral Fragrance, Methyl Benzoate, is An Efficient Green Pesticide

Over-reliance on synthetic pesticides in insect pest control has caused widespread public and scientific concerns for human health and the environment, especially since many insect pests have already developed resistances to conventional pesticides and Bt products. For this reason, there is a considerable interest in development of alternative control methods for insect pest management. Based on laboratory studies, we report that methyl benzoate (MB), a naturally-occurring compound in many plants, may possess toxicity against various stages of a variety of insect pests, including the brown marmorated stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys, diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, and tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, as well as the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii. Based on our laboratory toxicity data, MB was at least 5 to 20 times more toxic than the conventional pyrethroid (β-cyfluthrin), sulfur &pyrethrin mixture, and some organic commercial products available on the market against H. halys, P. xylostella, and M. sexta, eggs. Because MB is considered an environment-friendly, it has great potential to be used as an alternative tool to synthetic pesticide for insect pest management in crop production, thereby, reducing threats to natural ecosystems and human health caused by over-application of conventional synthetic pesticides.
Hover Predictions on the S-76 Rotor with Tip Shape Variation Using Helios

High-resolution, time-accurate computational fluid dynamics validation of a 9.34 ft, four-blade, Mach-scaled S-76 rotor in hover is performed using the U.S. Department of Defense Computational Rese...
5‑aminolevulinic acid‑conjugated gold nanoparticles for photodynamic therapy of cancer

Background: Effective delivery of photosensitizer to target tumor cells that causes minimal damage to healthy cells is an important requirement in photodynamic therapy of cancer. Aim: We aimed to use biocompatible gold nanoparticles as a vehicle to deliver 5-aminolevulinic (5-ALA) acid for selective and efficient photodynamic therapy. Results: Protoporphyrin IX accumulated preferentially in fibrosarcoma tumor cells treated with 5-ALA-conjugated nanoparticles while yielding significantly higher reactive oxygen species compared with that with 5-ALA. The elevation of reactive oxygen species resulted in 50% more cytotoxicity to tumor cells than that of 5-ALA alone. Selective destruction of tumor cells was also achieved using 5-ALA-conjugated nanoparticles in co-culture with dermal fibroblasts. Conclusions: 5-ALA-conjugated nanoparticles offer a new modality for selective and efficient destruction of tumor cells, with minimal damage to fibroblasts in the 5-ALA-photodynamic therapy.
Is FNA Still a Useful Tool in the Diagnosis of Breast Masses? A 5-Year Review with Cytohistopathologic Correlation

Introduction. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. In the Philippine National Cancer registry, 1 in every 13 Filipino women is likely to suffer from breast cancer. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a safe, accurate, fast and economical technique practiced worldwide in breast cancer diagnosis. Objective. To assess the value of FNAC as a rapid diagnostic tool in the local setting with the expectation to provide an immediate and highly reliable diagnosis in more than 90% of breast lesions. Methodology. From January 2010 to December 2014, there were 306 out of 1465 breast FNAC documented cases with histopathological correlation. The FNAC smears were retrieved, retrospectively reviewed blindly and reclassified into 5 categories (C1- C5). All FNAC were performed by pathology residents, pathologists and cytopathologist. Smears were fixed in 95% ethyl alcohol and stained with Papanicolaou method. Results. The FNAC findings showed: 13 (4.25%) unsatisfactory (C1); 160 (52.29%) benign (C2); 23 (7.52%) atypical (C3); 9 (2.94%) suspicious (C4) and 101 (33.01%) malignant cases (C5). There were 120 (39.22%) malignant and 186 (60.78%) benign lesions. There were 3.92% (12/306) false negative and 0.65% (2/306) false positive cases. The FNAC had 90% sensitivity, 99% specificity, 98% positive predictive value, 99% negative predictive value and 95% accuracy. The risks of malignancy for each category were: C1=15%; C2=4%; C3=13%; C4=78% and C5=100%. Conclusion. Despite the increasing preference for core needle biopsy among surgeons, FNAC continues to be an acceptable, affordable, quick and valuable tool contributing significantly to early breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly in developing countries like the Philippines. Owing to its high sensitivity and specificity, it can be used as a screening and confirmatory diagnostic tool. Malignant and benign interpretations of breast FNAC give highly accurate prediction of outcomes but must be correlated with clinical and mammographic findings.
Applications of Algebra and Geometry in Applied Systems Theory

The two sections of the chapter discuss some aspects of modern algebra and geometry in the context of applied systems methodology. Section 1 surveys much recent work on problems of reachability and observability and relates this work to applied problems in resource management, water systems regulations, urban traffic networks, and energy system planning.
Interest and Attitudes of Patients With Advanced Cancer With Regard to Secondary Germline Findings From Tumor Genomic Profiling

Purpose:Tumor genomic profiling (TGP) can reveal secondary findings about inherited disease risks in a patient with cancer. Little is known about how patients with advanced cancer, currently the primary users of TGP, perceive the benefits and harms of secondary germline findings.Methods:We conducted semistructured interviews with 40 patients with advanced breast, bladder, colorectal, or lung cancer who had TGP. Qualitative interview data were evaluated by using a thematic content analysis approach.Results:Most participants expressed interest in the prospect of learning their secondary germline findings (57%), although a minority was equivocal (29%) or disinterested (14%). Reasons for these preferences varied but were influenced by participants’ perceptions of diverse benefits and harms of this information, which they regarded as relevant to themselves; their families; and other patients with cancer, medical science, and society. These attitudes were uniquely shaped by participants’ personal disease experi...
Supersonic, Turbulent Boundary-Layer Separation

Although the requirements for computer time and disk storage are still large, they are orders of magnitude less than what would be required by numerical solution with the differential formulation, so that some time-dependent, three-dimensional solutions can at least be considered within the present state of computer development. The accurate prediction of body forces at high Reynolds numbers would require unfeasible amounts of computer time and storage with a rectangular constant-mesh coordinate system and is still beyond the present development of the technique. Further work would be desirable to extend the present technique to nonrectangular, and eventually general, nonuniform curvilinear coordinate systems, so that bodies of general shape can be more efficiently treated.
Introduction to Computer Architecture

Chapter 6 presents an introduction to computer architecture which covers components of a microcomputer, CPU architecture and technology, multicore processor, instruction execution steps, and microcomputer buses such as PCI, USB, and PCI express.
Neighborhood Perceptions and Cumulative Impacts of Low Level Chronic Exposure to Fine Particular Matter (PM2.5) on Cardiopulmonary Health

Adverse perceptions of neighborhood safety, aesthetics and quality including access to resources can induce stress and may make individuals more sensitive to cardiopulmonary effects of air pollution exposure. Few studies have examined neighborhood perceptions as important and modifiable non-chemical stressors of the built environment that may exacerbate effects of air pollution on cardiopulmonary health outcomes, particularly among general population based cohorts. This study examined associations between low-level chronic exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and cardiopulmonary health, and the potential mediating or modifying effects of adverse neighborhood perceptions. Using data from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW), 2230 non-asthmatic adults age 21-74 were included in the analyses. The overall goals of this study were to assess if individuals who experience stress from neighborhood environments in which they live were more sensitive to low levels of fine particular matter (PM2.5 μg/m³). Demographic predictors of air pollution exposure included younger age, non-White race, lower education and middle class income. After adjustments, objective lung function measures (FEV1 and FEV1 to FVC ratio) were the only cardiopulmonary health indicators significantly associated with chronic three-year annual averages of PM2.5. Among all non-asthmatics, a ten unit increase in estimated three year annual average PM2.5 exposure was significantly associated with lower forced expiratory volume (L) in one second FEV1 (β = -0.40 μg/L; 95% CI -0.45, -0.06). Among all individuals, adverse perceptions of the neighborhood built environment did not appear to statistically moderate or mediate associations. However, stratified analysis did reveal significant associations between PM2.5 and lung function (FEV1) only among individuals with negative perceptions and increased reports of neighborhood stressors. These findings included individuals who felt their neighborhoods were poorly maintained (β = -0.82; 95% CI -1.35, -0.28), experienced stress from crime (β = -0.45; 95% CI -0.94, 0.04) or reported neighborhood is not well maintained (β = -1.13, CI -2.04, -0.24). These significant associations were similar for FEV1 to FVC ratio. Multi-pronged approaches addressing both neighborhood built environment aesthetics and air pollution regulation may be necessary to protect vulnerable and susceptible individuals and reduce persistent inequalities.
Outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis in patients of extreme age: Analysis from a rural population

Introduction: Previous single- and multi-center studies done in predominantly metropolitan areas have shown transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to be a safe and effective treatment modality for patients of advanced age with severe aortic stenosis. However, it is unknown whether similar patient cohorts from rural areas have similar outcomes or if these initial studies are not representative of the experience in more rural areas. Setting: This is a single-center health-care system in a predominantly rural area. Methods: A retrospective chart review case–control study of 339 consecutive patients who underwent a TAVR for severe aortic stenosis at Sanford Health in Fargo, ND, was performed to determine if advanced age (>80 years of age) at the time of TAVR affects short- and long-term outcomes. Results: Despite higher predicted baseline surgical risk,s predominantly rural patients of advanced age had no significant difference in overall survival at 1-month (93% vs. 97%, P = 0.228), 6-month (88% vs. 90%, P = 0.695), 1-year (79% vs. 82%, P = 0.611), or 2-year (63% vs. 60%, P = 0.731) post-TAVR versus younger patients from the same geographical area. Patients of advanced age also had no significant difference in periprocedural or echocardiographic outcomes out to 1-year post-TAVR. Conclusion: This study from a predominantly rural area gives evidence to suggest that there is no association between extreme age (>80 years of age) and decreased overall survival. In addition, high baseline Society of Thoracic Surgeons and European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation predicted risk was not suggestive of worse outcomes in patients of advanced age. This study gives reassurance of the safety of TAVR in patients of advanced age in rural areas.
Kinetic Study of the Electric Field-Induced Cholestericnematic Transition in Liquid Crystal Films: 1. Relaxation to the Cholesteric State

Relaxation of cholesteric liquid crystals from the electric-field-induced nematic state back to the cholesteric state was studied by measuring the transmission of polarized light through the sample. Variables included time, temperature, wavelength and bias. The relaxation transient was found to include optical rotation which corresponded to the optical sense of the material. The rotatory dispersion furthermore was correctly specified by deVries’ formula. The results point out the significance of the basic cholesteric parameters of pitch and sense. An attempt is made to relate the relaxation phenomena to the molecular system.