cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rho-A is critical for osteoclast podosome organization, motility, and bone resorption.

Abstract Rho plays a regulatory role in the formation of actin stress fibers and focal adhesions, and it is also involved in integrin-mediated signaling events. To study the role of Rho in αvβ3/gelsolin-dependent signaling, the HIV-Tat peptide, hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged RhoVal-14 (constitutively active) and RhoAsn-19(dominant negative) were transduced into avian osteoclasts. Protein transduction by HA-Tat was highly efficient, and 90–100% of the cells were transduced with HA-tagged proteins. We demonstrate here that RhoVal-14 transduction (100 nm) stimulated gelsolin-associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity, podosome assembly, stress fiber formation, osteoclast motility, and bone resorption, mimicking osteoclast stimulation by osteopontin/αvβ3. The effects of RhoVal-14 transduction stimulation was time-dependent. C3 exoenzyme blocked the effects of RhoVal-14 and induced podosome disassembly, loss of motility, and inhibition of bone resorption. Transduction of RhoAsn-19 produced podosome disassembly, and blocked osteopontin stimulation. These data demonstrate that integrin-dependent activation of phosphoinositide synthesis, actin stress fiber formation, podosome reorganization for osteoclast motility, and bone resorption require Rho stimulation.
Adult intussusception secondary to colorectal cancer in a young man: a case report.

Abstract Background The occurrence of adult intussusception from colorectal cancer in a 27-year-old man is quite uncommon. Objectives To raise awareness of the incidence of intussusception in adults, to educate others about the protean manifestations and high association with malignancy of the disease, and to provide treatment recommendations. Case Report We present a case of a 27-year-old man with a non-contributory family history who presented to the Emergency Department multiple times over a 10-month period with vague abdominal complaints. Clinical symptoms ultimately included a 75-lb weight loss, fatigue, mild right-sided abdominal pain, and anemia. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed right-sided colocolic intussusception with a lead point. The patient underwent a right hemicolectomy with ileocolic anastomosis. Pathologic evaluation and staging revealed a stage IIIB poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Molecular analysis was negative for genetic causes. Conclusion This case demonstrates how intussusception and possible colorectal cancer must be included in the differential diagnosis even in young adults who have persistent abdominal complaints.
Terminal manifolds and switching locus

We treat the time-optimal problem of reaching the origin within linear autonomous control systems inn-space, with one-dimensional controls and standard constraints. A description (formula in closed form) of the switching locus is obtained, making it possible to construct the optimal feedback control; some further consequences are also presented.
Kinetics of intercalate desorption from carbon fibers intercalated with bromine

This paper reports the kinetics of intercalate desorption from pitch-based carbon fibers intercalated by exposure to Br2. The kinetics was studied by thermogravimetric analysis of brominated Thornel P-100 and P-X-7 carbon fibers of Amoco Corp., as P-X-7 was more graphitic than P-100. Comparison was made with previous kinetic data on highly oriented pyrolytic graphitic (HOPG) intercalated with bromine. The activation energies of desorption below 100°C were 9, 12, and 17 kcal/ mol Br2, respectively, for P-100, P-X-7, and HOPG. The values above 100°C were 8, 5, and 4 kcal/ mol Br2, respectively, for P-100, P-X-7, and HOPG. A high degree of order of the intercalate increases the activation energy below 100°C, whereas a high degree of graphitization decreases the activation energy above 100°C. Brominated P-100 retained a stable bromine concentration of 17.5 wt.% up to at least 200°C. This thermal stability is attributed to the relatively high activation energy of desorption of brominated P-100 above 100°C.
An Orthodox Heresy: Scientific Rhetoric and the Science of Prions.

A significant theoretical shift in the research community examining a class of terminal, infectious neurological disorders that includes Mad Cow Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and Kuru was assisted by rhetorical production. The local rhetoric of one laboratory, that of Professor Stanley B. Prusiner, involved first situating an heretical hypothesis within the framework of the orthodox narrative and then audaciously promoting that heresy. Another aspect of rhetorical production in this case involved situating a new language associated with the heretical hypothesis. To promote their new lexicon, the Prusiner team evoked orthodox values of consistency, efficiency, and collective ratification. Eventually, what was once heresy became dogma; what was once a lexicon employed by a minority in the field was adopted by the majority.
The Biological Response in the Sea to Climatic Changes

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the response of animals to climatic change on a world-wide scale. In terms of populations, the response to climatic change is the prime environmental agent. Individuals are affected by a gamut of environmental factors, but the populations have evolved to resist them insofar as they can. The evolution of migration has resulted in a larval drift between spawning ground and nursery ground, where, presumably, the opportunities for larval survival, in terms of food, have been maximized for very long periods. Thus, the match/mismatch mechanism is really part of the pattern of migration; it should be absent from populations that do not migrate and from those that may not experience lack of food. The chapter attempts to describe the principal climatic change makers that are at work and identifies some characteristic time and space scales of climatic variation. Some recent trends of climatic and hydrographic variation are also described. Set against this background of environmental change, the chapter reviews those changes in marine populations that are thought to be attributable to some variation in the physical environment. These various elements of change are brought together in an attempt to cast light on the processes involved.
Comparative demography of a rare species in Florida scrub and road habitats

Abstract Anthropogenic habitats can offer opportunities for expansion of rare species. The federally listed herb Hypericum cumulicola is virtually restricted to natural gaps within fire-maintained Florida scrub, but also occurs within and along sandy roads traversing scrub. To test the hypothesis that sandy roads provide suitable habitat for H. cumulicola , we compared the demographic performance of scrub and road populations at the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest and Archbold Biological Station in south-central Florida. Twice a year in February and August 1997–2006, we assessed recruitment and survival; annually in August we also measured maximum height and estimated reproductive output of tagged individuals. Scrub population dynamics were more stable than road populations. Recruitment increased with rainfall in scrub populations, but not always in road populations. Compared with scrub populations, road populations were weedier, with more variable life spans, earlier flowering, and higher fecundity. Germination rates did not differ between individuals from different habitats, but varied depending on simulated weather conditions. The weedier life history may reflect a divergent selective environment (and perhaps an evolutionary and ecological trap). Alternatively, adaptive plasticity in H. cumulicola may allow the species to maintain populations in anthropogenic habitats that can serve as refugia for fire-suppressed scrub populations.
Energy-recycling integrated 6.78-Mbps data 6.3-mW power telemetry over a single 13.56-MHz inductive link

We present a power/data telemetry IC with a new data modulation scheme and simultaneous power transfer through a single inductive link. Data-driven synchronized single-cycle shorting of the secondary LC tank conserves reactive power while inducing an instantaneous voltage change at the primary side. Cyclic on-off keying time-encoded symbol mapping of the shorting cycle allows transmission of two data bits per four carrier cycles with simultaneous power transfer during non-shorting cycles. All timing control signals for rectification and data transmission are generated from a low-power clock recovery comparator and 22-phase 2× PLL. The 1-mm 2 65-nm CMOS IC delivers up to 6.3-mW power and transmits 6.78-Mbps data with a BER of less than 5.9×10 -7 over a single 1-cm 13.56-MHz inductive link.
Benefits of an "angina clinic" for patients with coronary artery disease: a demonstration of health status measures as markers of health care quality.

Objective Our purpose was to determine the efficacy of health status measurement in quantifying improvements in quality of care provided by an “angina clinic.” Study Design In a pretest-posttest, nonequivalent control group design in the outpatient clinics of a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 535 patients with coronary disease were followed up, without intervention, for 3 months and were defined as the “usual-care” group. Concurrently, a clinical trial that optimized the antianginal medications of 100 patients with chronic, stable coronary disease was conducted and defined as the “angina clinic” group. The 3-month change in scores for the Seattle Angina Questionnaire, a valid, reliable, and responsive disease-specific health status measure for patients with coronary disease, was used as the main outcome measure. Results After baseline differences between groups were controlled, the “angina clinic” conferred substantial improvement on patient symptom control (3-month benefit in angina frequency +9.4, P <.001; in angina stability +14.7, P <.001), treatment satisfaction (+8.6, P <.001), quality of life (+6.8, P <.001), and physical limitations resulting from coronary disease (+3.6, P =.047). Only the changes in physical limitation were not clinically significant. Conclusion Disease-specific health status measures can provide valuable insights into the quality of care associated with innovations in health care delivery. These results suggest that patients in a clinical trial optimizing antianginal medications had greater improvements in symptom control, treatment satisfaction, and quality of life compared with similar patients receiving “usual care” in a general medicine clinic. (Am Heart J 2002;143:145-50.)
Comparison Between the Phase Transition of Physically Confined Cyclohexane and 1-Decanol inside Nano Porous Silica

The thickness of non-freezing interfacial 1-decanol molecules has been estimated to be 1.44 ± 0.07 nm. This is smaller than what is estimated for cyclohexane, 2.25 ± 0.14nm. Furthermore, these interfacial molecules have higher density than corresponding bulk cyclohexane and 1-decanol, respectively. However, the change in density of the interfacial molecules is more significant in the case of cyclohexane than 1-decanol. This suggests that the cyclohexane molecules near the walls of the pore are more tightly packed than 1-decanol molecules. Presumably, this is due to the difference in size and shape of the molecules. Cyclohexane, a more spherical molecule, can easily be packed in smaller pores than the longer 1-decanol.
Unbiased determination of production technologies

Abstract To determine whether an industry exhibits constant returns to scale, whether the production function is homothetic, or whether inputs are separable, a common approach is to specify a cost function, estimate its parameters using data such as prices and quantities of inputs, and then test the parametric restrictions corresponding to constant returns, a homothetic technology, or separability. Statistically, such inferences are valid if the true cost function is a member of the parametric class considered, otherwise the inference is biased. That is, the true rejection probability is not necessarily adequately approximated by the nominal size of the statistical test. The use of fixed parameter flexible functional forms such as the Translog, the generalized Leontief, or the Box-Cox will not alleviate this problem. The Fourier flexible form differs fundamentally from other flexible forms in that it has a variable number of parameters and a known bound, depending on the number of parameters, on the error, as measured by the Sobolev norm, of approximation to an arbitrary cost function. Thus it is possible to construct statistical tests for constant returns, a homothetic technology, or separability which are asymptotically size α by letting the number of parameters of the Fourier flexible form depend on sample size. That is, the true rejection probability converges to the nominal size of the test as sample size tends to infinity. The rate of convergence depends on the smoothness of the true cost function; the more times is differentiable the true cost function, the faster the convergence. The method is illustrated using the data on aggregate U.S. manufacturing of Berndt and Wood (1975, 1979) and Berndt and Khaled (1979).
The circular dichroism and X-ray diffraction of DNA condensed from ethanolic solutions

It is known that DNA in aqueous-ethanol solutions undergoes a B to A conformational change between 60% and 80% (w/w) ethanol. We have found that precipitates formed by adding salt to DNA in 60% and 80% ethanolic solutions can be very different. DNA precipitated from 60% ethanol forms a fine condensate that only slowly settles out of suspension and shows a characteristic differential scattering of circularly polarized light at long wavelengths. DNA precipitated from 80% ethanol forms a flocculent aggregate that exhibits the CD spectral features of the A conformation. Data from circular dichroism spectra of natural and synthetic nucleic acids and from X-ray diffraction patterns of the precipitates show that DNA molecules precipitated from 60% and 80% ethanol are, respectively, in the B and A conformation. Therefore, the different secondary conformations of DNA in ethanolic solutions are maintained during precipitation under these conditions. These results are of general importance for the preparation and study of condensed forms of DNA, since a relatively small change in the extent of dehydration can change the secondary conformation of DNA and markedly affect the character of a subsequent precipitate.
Elastic–plastic contact of a rough surface with Weierstrass profile

We analyse contact between a rigid cylindrical indenter and an elastic–perfectly plastic solid with a fractal surface roughness, which is idealized as a Weierstrass profile. A hierarchical scheme is used to calculate quantities such as the number of contact spots; their size; the true contact pressure acting on the contact spots, and the total true area of contact. In addition, we calculate critical conditions that will initiate plastic flow in the asperities, and determine the extent of this plastic flow as a function of the applied loading, the material properties of the deforming solid, and the surface roughness. An important conclusion of our study is that a perfectly fractal description of surface roughness appears to lead to unphysical predictions of the true contact size and number of contact spots, for both elastic and elastic–plastic solids. Possible approaches to resolving these difficulties are discussed.
Predictors of symptom severity in patients with chronic prostatitis and interstitial cystitis

Purpose: Numerous studies have been performed to identify potential risk factors for CP/CPPS and IC. However, few studies have been done to identify predictors of disease severity.Materials and Methods: A total of 174 men with CP/CPPS and 111 women with IC completed questionnaires to quantify symptom severity and identify demographic, medical and psychosocial characteristics. Symptom severity was assessed with the National Institutes of Health CPSI in men, and the O’Leary-Sant ICSI and problem index in women. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify characteristics predictive of worse symptoms.Results: The mean National Institutes of Health CPSI score in men was 15.32, and the mean O’Leary-Sant ICSI and problem index in women was 19.17. The most commonly reported comorbidities were allergies, sinusitis, erectile dysfunction and irritable bowel syndrome in men, and allergies, urinary incontinence, sinusitis and irritable bowel syndrome in women. In the 2 sexes self-reported urinary f...
SHELF: Preserving Business Continuity and Availability in an Intrusion Recovery System

Recovering from intrusions for a compromised computer system is a challenging job, especially for systems that run continuous services. Current intrusion recovery techniques often do not preserve the accumulated useful state of running applications and have very limited system availability when performing recovery routines. In this paper, we propose SHELF, an on-the-fly intrusion recovery prototype system that provides a comprehensive solution to preserve business continuity, availability and recovery accuracy. SHELF preserves accumulated clean states for infected applications and files so that they can continue with the most recent pre-infection states after recovery. Moreover, SHELF leverages OS-aware taint tracking techniques to swiftly determine the sources of intrusion and assess system-wide damages caused by the intrusion. SHELF uses quarantine methods to prevent infection propagation so that uninfected and recovered objects can provide availability during the recovery phase. We integrate SHELF prototype in a virtualization environment to achieve user transparency and protection. Our evaluation shows that SHELF can perform accurate recovery on-the-fly effectively with an acceptable performance overhead.
Risk allocation issues for systems engineering of airframes

Common airframe design and certification processes are believed to be too expensive, lengthy, and inflexible. This difficult situation is exacerbated for military airframes by the current push toward nontraditional designs that offer unique performance capabilities or will be required to operate in extreme environments, and therefore may require equally unique test programs. Consistent and early use of high-fidelity computational tools is being looked to as a primary means of overcoming the inadequacies of current processes, especially through the reduction or acceleration of the required test regimen. Uncertainty quantification methods are concurrently being pursued to facilitate the validation of computer models and, more generally, to facilitate improved decision making through methodical risk assessment. Robust use of these methods in an integrated design process could require substantial modification of existing systems engineering frameworks and funding profiles. We discuss risk allocation in airframe systems engineering. Particular attention is given to the concept of allocating system-level risks in multidisciplinary design problems, such as the avoidance of aeroelastic instabilities. Finally, potential methods are discussed for improving the storage and retrieval of design information that is crucial to accurate risk assessment
Radiation therapy in tumors of the central nervous system

Objectives To review the role of radiation therapy in the management of primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS). Data sources : Book chapters, review articles, and research studies. Conclusions : Radiation therapy plays an important role in the management of primary and metastatic tumors of the CNS. Radiation and surgery are combined with curative intent for low-grade tumors. Cranial radiation may be used to prevent brain metastases, and palliative radiation may be used to alleviate symptoms. Implications for nursing practice : Helping patients with tumors of the CNS and their family members understand the anticipated side effects of the disease and the therapeutic goals of radiation therapy may help to alleviate anxiety and maintain an optimal quality of life during therapy.
Predicting dc using ac coefficients for JPEG coding

The JPEG baseline algorithm codes the dc of a block by giving its difference with the dc of the previous block. We propose to use ac coefficients for this purpose. Our method computes the difference of the sum of pixels of two boundary columns (or rows), one belonging to the current block and the other to a previous block, and then manipulates it in the direct cosine transform (DCT) domain so that the average of the coded differences for the whole image is near zero. Experimental results show that our method reduces the average JPEG dc residual by about 75% for images compressed at the default quality level. The reduction is even higher for unquantized DCT blocks.
Response to ‘Alternative diagnoses with ectopia lentis'.

Sir, Chandra and colleagues1 rightly wonder about other possible causes for ectopia lentis seen in our patient with Sturge–Weber syndrome (SWS).2 Because of space constraints, we did not report on the full differential diagnosis of ectopia lentis.3 As we noted, our patient denied even a remote history of trauma; her normal mentation and body habitus, and her ocular examination and the unilaterality of her condition made several possible diagnoses unlikely, including ectopia lentis and pupillae, homocystinuria, Weill–Marchesani syndrome, sulfite oxidase deficiency, and hyperlysinemia. In addition to the investigations included in our report, she reported no family history of Marfan syndrome, nor of any other family members with her condition, including her two school-aged children. In addition, no clinical evidence of pseudoexfoliation, retinitis pigmentosa, buphthalmos, megalocornea, chronic uveitis (other than that associated with her condition), or ocular syphilis, nor aniridia was seen. To our regret, we did not perform any genetic studies, and our patient may have separate mutations resulting in both SWS and isolated ectopia lentis. Indeed, that is likely, given the paucity of reports associating ectopia lentis and SWS. However, reports of unilateral isolated ectopia lentis are similarly rare;4 this entity is usually familial and bilateral, at least those due to known genetic mutations.5 We welcome further research into the pathogenetic mechanisms of ectopia lentis.
Executive control, willed actions, and nonconscious processing

Neuroimaging studies have identified a number of cortical areas involved in the executive control of conscious actions. The areas most frequently implicated are prefrontal and cingulate cortices. Evidence suggests that both of these areas may be essential for executive control of willed action. Prefrontal cortex, however, may be responsible for the initial processing. Executive control is usually discussed with reference to willed actions and is assumed to regulate complex cognitive responses. Although many implicit processes involve complex responses, it is not known whether these actions are also controlled by executive processes. Significantly, some implicit tasks like those involving motor sequence learning and cross-modality priming activate the same areas of prefrontal cortex that are implicated in the executive control of willed actions. It is, however, not clear whether a single executive process controls both implicit and explicit processes, or the implicit processes are regulated by a separate set of executive control having distinct neuroanatomical location and processing properties. Hum. Brain Mapping 9:38-41, 2000. r 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Variations in employment transportation outcomes: role of site level factors

The paper examines two labour market outcomes experienced by users of federally-funded transportation services for low-wage workers in the United States, using primary data from 23 locations. The propensity of users to be unemployed prior to using the service is found to be related to the type of service (fixed-route/demand-response) and location type (urban/rural) but not to aggregate local unemployment, variability in local unemployment rates or local welfare policies. The propensity to earn higher wages is related to the type of employment transportation service and location, and local unemployment levels. Results imply a need for locally-derived, coordinated employment transportation plans. Resumen Este articulo examina dos consecuencias del mercado laboral sufridas por los usuarios de servicios de transporte subvencionados por el gobierno federal para trabajadores de bajos ingresos en los Estados Unidos, haciendo uso de datos primarios de 23 localizaciones. Se ha encontrado que la propension de los usuarios a estar desempleados antes de utilizar el servicio esta relacionada con el tipo de servicio (ruta fija/demanda-respuesta) y el tipo de localizacion (urbana/rural), pero no con el desempleo local agregado, la variabilidad de las tasas de desempleo local o las politicas locales de asistencia social. La propension a ganar salarios mas altos esta relacionada con el tipo de servicio de transporte del empleo y la localizacion, y las tasas de desempleo locales. Los resultados implican la necesidad de planes coordinados de transporte del empleo basados en las condiciones locales.
Dating decline and mortality of Chamaecyparis nootkatensis in southeast Alaska.

The dates of death for individual snags of Alaska yellow-cedar were determined by counting annual rings on 73 western and mountain hemlock trees growing beneath larger, dead Alaska yellow-cedars, and in live callus strips on 46 Alaska yellow-cedars with partial bole death. Average time since death was 4, 14, 26, 51, and 81 years for snags in class I (foliage retained), class II (twigs retained), class III (secondary branches retained), class IV (primary branches retained), and class V (bole intact but no primary branches retained), respectively
An empirical study on the effect of 3D visualization for project tasks and resources

Project tasks and resources were visualized in three-dimensional graphics.A controlled study confirmed effective support for project management.This approach led to 40% higher accuracy and 39% less time. During software development, project managers (PMs) continually monitor, analyze and control the project schedule. The schedule contains tasks, work items, and resources assigned to carry out the tasks. Current state-of-the-art monitoring involves methods such as Gantt charts and spreadsheets/tables to display and analyze the project schedule, tasks and resources information PMBOK (2004). These methods, however, have certain limitations. It is difficult to see the entire schedule in a single view and analyze the tasks and resources especially in the case of large data. There is also little support for interacting with the data, and the Gantt chart does not show history information and trends. In this paper, we develop an approach that uses 3D visualizations to represent information about project tasks and resources, to overcome the above limitations. To assess our approach, we conduct an empirical study on real-world projects using 42 participants from both academia and industry. We developed a prototype tool named 3DProjView for the study. The study compared the effectiveness and efficiency of using 3D visualizations versus Gantt chart and tables. The results indicate that participants using 3D visualizations achieved an average of 40% higher accuracy and spent on average 39% less time analyzing project tasks and resources, further indicating that our approach effectively helps project managers in both accuracy and efficiency for monitoring project performance.
Abstract W P106: A 3D Computational Model of the Hemodynamic Changes in EC-IC Bypass With Physiologic Boundary Conditions

Introduction: Intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS) accounts for 10% of ischemic strokes. EC-IC bypass trials have failed to show benefit of STA to MCA bypass over medical management, particularly for patients with severe stenosis rather than occlusion. These outcomes may be explained by retrograde flow from the bypass competing with flow through the stenosis, creating conditions at risk for thrombosis, such as stagnant or turbulent flow. We present a computational fluid dynamics model of EC-IC bypass extracted from patient images to demonstrate the hemodynamic effects of a bypass. Methods: A 2D-to-3D reconstruction algorithm was used to extract the vascular geometry from biplane angiograms of a patient with STA-MCA bypass. Additional details, such as the anterior temporal branch and lenticulostriates (LSAs) were added. The model was modified with varying degrees of stenosis. The boundary conditions of the outlets were adjusted to account for cerebrovascular autoregulation by finding the steady state of an...
Specialized Preparation for Middle Level Teachers: A National Review of Teacher Preparation Programs

AbstractSince William Alexander’s (1963, 1995) call for attention to the need for specialized middle level teacher preparation in 1963, 45 states have created requirements for middle level certification, licensure, or endorsement (Association for Middle Level Education [AMLE], 2014) which have led to institutions of teacher preparation creating routes designed to prepare candidates to teach grades 5–9. Because of questions raised about content and consistency of these programs, this study systematically documents components of undergraduate middle level teacher preparation programs in 1,324 institutions from 50 states and the District of Columbia. The findings reveal that even though 45 states have explicit mandates for middle level certification, licensure or endorsement, almost half of the institutions preparing teachers for grades 5–9 do not offer courses or experiences specific to middle level education or young adolescents.
American Dreamer: The life and times of Henry A. Wallace

Henry Agard Wallace was a geneticist of international renown, a prolific author, a groundbreaking economist, & a businessman whose company paved th way for a worldwide agricultural revolution. He also held two cabinet posts, served four tumultuous years as America's wartime vice president under FDR, and waged a quixotic campaign for president in 1948. Wallace was a figure of Sphinx-like paradox, a shy man, uncomfortable in the world of politics who only narrowly missed becoming president of the United States: the scion of prominent Midwestern Republicans and the philosophical embodiment of New Deal liberalism loved by millions as the Prophet of the Common Man and reviled by millions more as a dangerous misguided radical. John C. Culver and John F. Hyde have combed through thousands of document pages and family papers from Wallace's letters and diaries to previously unavailable files sealed within the archives of the Soviet Union. Here is the remakable story of an authentic American dreamer.
Responsible assertion and coping with stress.

The present study sought to determine whether assertion moderated the effects of stressful life events for 91 college men. Results suggest that the 21 responsible assertors (high scores for assertion and interpersonal trust) coped better with stressful events than the 26 non-responsible assertors (high scores for assertion and low scores for interpersonal trust).
Comparison of Entropy Generation Rate Calculation Methods for Engineering Applications

Physics-based modeling and simulation requires proper formulation of the fundamental equations for numerical solution in order to best-represent the physical system being modeled. A standard engineering method to calculate the entropy generation rate is to assume steady flow and then use the steady entropy balance equation. This approach is strictly valid for truly steady flows and is improperly posed for dynamic systems. Another approach often implemented in numerical schema is to assume that the entropy rate of change is the system can be approximated discretely (e.g. employing finite difference and/or finite volume schema). This discrete approach typically requires knowledge of how the entropy changes dynamically with temperature and pressure and is most often implemented using ideal and/or perfect gas relations. An equivalent approach is presented using real gas relations that may be more relevant to aerospace applications in which real gas effects are important.
Influence of skinfold sum and peak VO(2) on immune function in children.

Objective: To measure the relationship of skinfold sum and peak VO2 power with immune function in children. Design: Cross-sectional, with all children tested twice during a 2 month period for peak VO2, sum of two skinfolds, and immune function, with data from the two measures averaged and then correlated (α level, ≤0.01). Immune measures included leukocyte and lymphocyte subset counts, delayed-typed hypersensitivity (DTH), global IgG antibody response over 4 weeks to pneumococcal vaccination (pIgG), salivary IgA concentration (sIgA), PHA-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation (PHA-SLP), natural killer cell activity (NKCA), and granulocyte and monocyte phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity. Subjects: Seventy-three children (n=42 males, n=31 females) ranging in age from 7 to 13 y (mean±s.d. age, 9.9±1.7 y). The mean skinfold sum was 28.9±17.1 mm, and peak VO2 45.8±8.1 ml/kg/min. Results: Peak VO2, skinfold sum, and immune measures did not differ significantly by age or gender. Therefore, correlations were made on combined indices for all subjects. Peak VO2 and the skinfold sum were not significantly correlated with NKCA, oxidative burst activity, plgG or DTH. Peak VO2 was negatively correlated with monocyte phagocytosis (r=−0.30, P=0.012) and positively correlated with PHA-SLP (6.25 μg/ml; r=0.35, P=0.004). The skinfold sum was positively correlated with the total leukocyte count (r=0.39, P<0.001), granulocyte count (r=0.36, P=0.002), monocyte count (r=0.38, P=0.001), monocyte phagocytosis (r=0.41, P<0.001), granulocyte phagocytosis (r=0.35, P=0.003), and sIgA (r=0.32, P=0.006), and negatively correlated with PHA-SLP (6.25 μg/ml; r=−0.39, P=0.001). Conclusions: Data from this study indicate that a high skinfold sum is related to elevated leukocyte subset counts and monocyte/granulocyte phagocytosis, and low PHA-SLP in children.
Input Subject Diversity Enhances Early Grammatical Growth: Evidence from a Parent-Implemented Intervention.

ABSTRACTPurpose: The current study used an intervention design to test the hypothesis that parent input sentences with diverse lexical noun phrase (NP) subjects would accelerate growth in children’s sentence diversity.Method: Child growth in third person sentence diversity was modeled from 21–30 months (n = 38) in conversational language samples obtained at 21, 24, 27, and 30 months. Treatment parents (n = 19) received instruction on strategies designed to increase lexical NP subjects (e.g., The baby is sleeping.). Instruction consisted of one group education session and two individual coaching sessions which took place when children were approximately 22–23 months of age.Results: Treatment substantially increased parents’ lexical NP subject tokens and types (ηp2 ≥ .45) compared to controls. Children’s number of different words was a significant predictor of sentence diversity in the analyses of group treatment effects and individual input effects. Treatment condition was not a significant predictor of tr...
Parameter estimation error: a cautionary tale in computational finance

We quantify the effects on contingent claim valuation of using an estimator for the volatility σ of a geometric Brownian motion (GBM) process. That is, we show what difficulties can arise when failing to account for estimation risk. Our working problem uses a direct estimator of volatility based on the sample standard deviation of increments from the underlying Brownian motion. After replacing the direct estimator into the GBM, we derive the resulting distribution function of the approximated GBM for any time point. This allows us to present post-estimation distributions and valuation formulae for an assortment of European contingent claims that are in accord with many of the basic properties of the underlying risk-neutral process, and yet accurately reflect some of the additional quantifiable uncertainties that exist in a Black-Scholes-Merton type of economy. Next we extend our work to the contingent claim sensitivities associated with an assortment of European option portfolios that are based on the direct estimator of the volatility σ of the GBM process. Our approach to the option sensitivities—the Greeks—uses the likelihood function technique. This allows us to obtain computable results for the technically more-complicated formulae associated with our post-estimation process. We discuss an assortment of difficulties that can ensue when failing to account for estimation risk in valuation and hedging formulae.
The HOME Team: Evaluating the Effect of an EMS-based Outreach Team to Decrease the Frequency of 911 Use Among High Utilizers of EMS.

Objectives The San Francisco Fire Department's (SFFD; San Francisco, California USA) Homeless Outreach and Medical Emergency (HOME) Team is the United States' first Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-based outreach effort using a specially trained paramedic to redirect frequent users of EMS to other types of services. The effectiveness of this program at reducing repeat use of emergency services during the first seven months of the team's existence was examined. Methods A retrospective analysis of EMS use frequency and demographic characteristics of frequent users was conducted. Clients that used emergency services at least four times per month from March 2004 through May 2005 were contacted for intervention. Patterns for each frequent user before and after intervention were analyzed. Changes in EMS use during the 15-month study interval was the primary outcome measurement. Results A total of 59 clients were included. The target population had a median age of 55.1 years and was 68% male. Additionally, 38.0% of the target population was homeless, 43.4% had no primary care, 88.9% had a substance abuse disorder at time of contact, and 83.0% had a history of psychiatric disorder. The HOME Team undertook 320 distinct contacts with 65 frequent users during the study period. The average EMS use prior to HOME Team contact was 18.72 responses per month (SD=19.40), and after the first contact with the HOME Team, use dropped to 8.61 (SD=10.84), P Conclusion Frequent users of EMS suffer from disproportionate comorbidities, particularly substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. This population responds well to the intervention of a specially trained paramedic as measured by EMS usage. Tangherlini N , Villar J , Brown J , Rodriguez RM , Yeh C , Friedman BT , Wada P . The HOME Team: evaluating the effect of an EMS-based outreach team to decrease the frequency of 911 use among high utilizers of EMS. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(6):603-607.
Persistent Tachypnea and Alveolar Hemorrhage in an Infant: An Unexpected Etiology.

Persistent tachypnea and failure to thrive during infancy have a broad differential diagnosis which includes pulmonary and cardiovascular disorders. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a rare entity in children. DAH requires an extensive work-up as certain conditions may need chronic therapy. Cardiovascular disorders are included in the etiology of DAH. We present a case of an 8-month-old female with a moderate, restrictive patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) admitted to the hospital with respiratory distress and failure to thrive. An extensive work-up into tachypnea including multiple echocardiograms did not find an etiology. Open lung biopsy was performed and consistent with pulmonary hypertension. After closure of the PDA, patient’s tachypnea improved, and she was discharged home with periodic follow-up showing a growing, thriving child. When an infant presents with tachypnea, a respiratory viral illness is often a common cause. The diagnosis of persistent tachypnea requires further investigation. Echocardiography, although readily available, may not always be sensitive in detecting clinically significant pulmonary hypertension. A clinician must have a heightened index of suspicion to proceed in evaluating for causes of tachypnea with a nonrespiratory etiology.
28. Mallarmé’s Plusieurs Sonnets, IV (Ses Purs Onglestrès Hauts ...)

(1966). 28. Mallarme’s Plusieurs Sonnets, IV (Ses Purs Onglestres Hauts ...) The Explicator: Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 46-48.
Where Are You? Location Tracking and the Promise of Child Safety:

Life360 is a surveillance app marketed to families that tracks and shares users’ location information in the name of child safety. Using this app as a case study, I examine how one Silicon Valley c...
Corolla size and temporal displacement of flowering times among sympatric diploid and tetraploid highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

Polyploidy (whole-genome duplication) is common in vascular plants, but the modes of establishment and persistence, as well as the ecological consequences, of polyploidy remain vague. Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is an ecologically and economically important understory shrub with an unclear species definition, coexisting in sympatric populations of diploid and tetraploid cytotypes. This study analyzes differences in bloom time between sympatric diploid and tetraploid V. corymbosum in natural populations, testing the potential for these cytotypes to interbreed and contributing to the formation and continuity of ploidy-level diversification within this species. Ploidal level was confirmed through DNA flow cytometry of sympatric plants from two populations in New Jersey, USA. Flower bloom date and corolla size were recorded over a 3-year period. Diploid corollas were 32% smaller than tetraploid corollas, making them easily identifiable in the field. Ploidy accounted for 55%–69% of the variati...
Exact Certification in Global Polynomial Optimization Via Rationalizing Sums-Of-Squares

Errors in the coefficients due to floating point round-off or through physical measurement can render exact symbolic algorithms unusable. Hybrid symbolic-numeric algorithms compute minimal deformations of those coefficients that yield non-trivial results, e.g. polynomial factorizations or sparse interpolants. The question is: are the computed approximations the globally nearest to the input?
River Basin Management, An Interstate Approach

A description is given of the organization and powers of the Delaware River Basin Commission, established by a Federal-interstate Compact to manage and coordinate comprehensive planning for development of the water resources of the Basin. Some of the major coordinative problems and the handling of a drought emergency are described. Unless plans are made either for subregional diversions of waste to consolidated plants, or substantial low flow augmentation capability is introduced together with further in-stream treatment, the streams themselves will become almost totally effluent carriers during low-flow periods, and the value for other purposes—such as recreation, fishing, water supply below certain points and general esthetics—will be seriously impaired, if not completely destroyed. It is concluded that management of a river basin has to be done as a constant development of a system, and must be managed on a day-to-day basis by an agency cognizant of the various requirements and representative of many interests.
The control system for the magnetic suspension comparator system for vacuum-to-air mass dissemination

High precision mass comparisons are typically performed such that both masses are measured under nearly identical conditions. However, there are situations where an artefact needs to be calibrated against a standard kept under different conditions. For example, the new realization of the kilogram will be carried out in vacuum but the majority of calibrations services are performed at atmospheric pressure. At the National Institute of Standards and Technology we have developed an apparatus to perform direct mass comparison under such a condition using magnetic suspension. The stability of the magnetically suspended portion of the system plays a large role in the overall uncertainty of a measurement. Here, the control system for the magnetic suspension and the improvements that have been made to improve stability are described.
Late perforation of a passively fixated pacemaker lead through the right ventricle. A report and review of literature.

Lead perforation is one of the serious complications associated with cardiac pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators. Late perforations – occurring more than one month after placement – are exceedingly rare and are usually more associated with actively fixed leads rather than passively fixed tined leads. We present a case of blunt ended tined lead perforation after 4 months of implantation managed by a two-step hybrid minimally invasive approach consisting of mini-thoracotomy and lead tip transection, followed by trans-venous lead extraction.
The Resilience of Abyssal Exclusions in Our Societies: Toward a Post-Abyssal Law

At a time in which we are going through the ruins of two models of social transformation – social revolution and social reformism –, I identify a radical division between metropolitan and colonial social relations. I describe and denounce what I call an ‘abyssal line’ between these two realities. The difference between the two sides is that on the metropolitan side we can claim rights, as we are fully human. Conversely, on the colonial side, exclusion is abyssal, people are sub-human, and therefore have no rights. To denounce this abyssal exclusion, we should learn other types of knowledge that allow us to produce radical diagnoses of our societies. We should become more aware of the diversity of social experience in the world, an experience of untold and repugnantly unjust suffering, but also of neglected creativity and innovation. We should develop a law of common goods, democratic pluralism, interculturality, and dignity.
A Tip-Extending Soft Robot Enables Reconfigurable and Deployable Antennas

Antennas are essential in wireless communications and powering systems. Applications, such as search and rescue and space exploration would greatly benefit from antenna reconfigurability, as well as antenna deployment from a compact and easy-to-transport form. We present the design and analysis of a reconfigurable and deployable antenna that uses a growing soft robot to form the three-dimensional antenna structure. Our approach is based on a pneumatic tip-extending robot instrumented with a conducting element. The robot increases its length to enable antenna deployment and changes shape to enable antenna reconfiguration. As a model system, we demonstrate a monopole antenna design that uses conducting elements formed from a copper strip that is mechanically disconnected at the leading edge of growth to change the length of the antenna and, as a result, change the resonant frequency. To achieve desired operating frequencies, return loss data from the antenna was used as feedback in a closed-loop system to control the antenna configuration. Our monopole supports a frequency tuning range that spans from 0.4 to 2 GHz and can tune between two target frequencies in approximately one second. We also show that the addition of branching and integrated actuators can be used to generate more complex and diverse antenna shapes. Branching is implemented in a model Yagi-Uda antenna and we explore the integration of pull cable actuators and pneumatic actuators with a model helical antenna.