cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High yield fabrication of low threshold single-mode GaAs/AlGaAs semiconductor ring lasers using metallic etch masks

We demonstrate a novel high yield fabrication process for single-mode ridge-waveguide GaAs/AlGaAs ring lasers with significantly lower threshold currents than previously reported for similar devices. In this fabrication process, the ridge waveguide structure is patterned using a metallic etch mask, which survives ensuing fabrication steps to form a continuous metallic cover over the entire resonator structure. This metallic cover improves the uniformity of electrical contact between the resonator structure and the metallic biasing layer deposited at the conclusion of the fabrication process. This leads to optimum electrical pumping of the fabricated devices. This fabrication process also allows for the passivation of the ridge-waveguide device sidewalls and separation of the metallic biasing layer from the optical mode.
Voltage Quality Assessment in a Distribution System With Distributed Generation—A Probabilistic Load Flow Approach

There has been growing concern in distribution system planning regarding the potential impacts of distributed generation (DG) on power quality, specifically with regards to voltage limits, voltage imbalance, and flicker. The intermittent nature of renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, makes a deterministic approach infeasible. It has been shown in the literature that probabilistic approaches must be adopted to truly assess the impact of DG units on the power system. This paper presents the findings of a probabilistic load-flow-based approach regarding the effects of renewable energy resources on the voltage quality in a distribution system. Statistical models have been utilized for modeling load, wind speed, and solar irradiance. Due to the unique nature of analysis, short duration variations of renewable resources have been modeled and taken into account. Simulation results are provided indicating how voltage quality is affected by distributed generation, especially on feeders with voltage regulators.
TESTICULAR SPERM EXTRACTION WITH INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION FOR NONOBSTRUCTIVE AZOOSPERMIA: TESTICULAR HISTOLOGY CAN PREDICT SUCCESS OF SPERM RETRIEVAL

AbstractPurpose: We present treatment results of testicular sperm extraction with intracytoplasmic sperm injection for men with nonobstructive azoospermia and reevaluate the role of testicular histology on open diagnostic testicular biopsy as a predictor of sperm retrieval success.Materials and Methods: We evaluated 75 men diagnosed with nonobstructive azoospermia. Cases were categorized into 3 groups of hypospermatogenesis, maturation arrest or Sertoli-cell-only based on the most advanced pattern of spermatogenesis seen on histology. A total of 81 testicular sperm extractions with intracytoplasmic sperm injection were performed for these 75 men. The main outcome measures reviewed included sperm retrieval, fertilization and pregnancy rates with intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Sperm retrieval success rates for men in the 3 histological categories were compared.Results: Spermatozoa were successfully retrieved during 47 of 81 (58%) testicular sperm extraction attempts, with subsequent fertilization of 268 ...
The Effect of Rapid Respiratory Viral Diagnostic Testing on Antibiotic Use in a Children's Hospital

Background Acute viral respiratory disease is the most common reason for pediatric hospitalization in the United States. Viral illnesses may be mistaken for bacterial infection, and antibiotic therapy may be prescribed. Overprescribing of antimicrobials for viral illness is a factor contributing to increasing antimicrobial resistance among bacterial pathogens encountered in pediatrics. Objective To determine if the availability of a rapid diagnostic test for respiratory viruses would affect antibiotic use in a children's hospital. Design Retrospective medical record review. Setting A 232-bed urban children's hospital. Participants All hospitalized infants and children who underwent rapid testing (SimulFluor Respiratory Screen; Chemicon International Inc, Temecula, Calif) for respiratory viruses by direct fluorescent assay (DFA) during 2 successive winter seasons. Main Outcome Measures Rates of antibiotic prescribing in DFA-positive and DFA-negative patients during the 2 study periods. Results During the first winter season, DFA-positive patients had fewer days using intravenous antibiotics (2.4 vs 4, P = .04), fewer days using oral antibiotics (0.25 vs 2.5, P = .04), and fewer discharge prescriptions for oral antibiotics (37% vs 52%, P = .02) when compared with DFA-negative patients. Intravenous antibiotics were initiated less often for DFA-positive patients during the second winter season than during the first (26% vs 44%, P = .008). Conclusions Direct fluorescent assay testing was associated with a decrease in inappropriate antibiotic use. The availability of rapid viral diagnostics is an important tool for decreasing antibiotic prescribing in pediatric patients.
How an Aspirin, a Throat Swab From a Chicken, and Four Guinea Pigs Changed Thoracic Surgery

The development of antituberculous drugs changed thoracic surgery and also markedly lowered the morbidity and mortality of a disease that had epidemic proportions. This article summarizes aspects from 3 important articles that led to the discovery of these drugs.
Adolescent Mental Health: Neighborhood Stress and Emotional Distress

The purpose of this article is to explore the role of neighborhood characteristics, specifically economic disadvantage/advantage, residential instability, and racial/ethnic heterogeneity on emotion...
NADA: A versatile PC based program for neutron activation data analysis

We have developed a PC based program for neutron activation data analysis using the FORTRAN and C languages. The routines are based on creating files associated with conventional ORTEC hardware and output software. The main features of the program include radionuclide identification, and the use of semi-automatic integration or the peak fitting SAMPO routine. Other developments are hard and soft copy records for detailed sample identification and particular irradiation, decay and counting procedures. Flux variations, high deadtime corrections, counting geometries, spectral and nuclear interferences, as well as uranium fission interferences are also automatically accounted for. The data output includes concentration values in %, ppm, μg or ppb units with associated errors, while detection limits for each individual sample are indicated. Further data output can easily be generated which can be imported to most spreadsheet programs for various statistical uses. A future implementation to the program will include batch-file processing and automated self-absorption calculations for geological samples.
Dataexchange: high performance communications in distributed laboratories

Abstract Current communications tools and libraries for high performance computing are designed for platforms and applications that exhibit relatively stable computational and communication characteristics. In contrast, the demands of (1) mixed environments in which high performance applications interact with multiple end users, visualizations, storage engines, and I/O engines – termed `distributed laboratories' in our research – and (2) high performance collaborative computing applications in general, exhibit additional complexities in terms of dynamic behaviors. This paper explores the communication requirements of distributed laboratories, and it describes the DataExchange communication infrastructure supporting high performance interactive and collaborative applications.
The ALARA concept in pediatric interventional and fluoroscopic imaging: striving to keep radiation doses as low as possible during fluoroscopy of pediatric patients--a white paper executive summary.

2Division of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 332 N Lauderdale St., Mailstop 752, Memphis, TN 38105-2794. Address correspondence to S. C. Kaste (sue.kaste@stjude.org). LARA represents a practice mandate adhering to the principle of keeping radiation doses of patients and personnel As Low As Reasonably Achievable. This concept is strongly endorsed by the Society for Pediatric Radiology, particularly in the use of procedures and modalities of higher radiation doses such as CT and fluoroscopic examinations of pediatric patients. There is no doubt that medical imaging, which has undergone tremendous technological advances in recent decades, is integral to patient care. However, these technological advances might precede the knowledge of end-users with respect to optimal use of such equipment and the correct operation of imaging equipment so that potential risks to the patient are minimized. Current imaging methods must be optimized for radiation dose reduction of pediatric patients who might be as much as 10 times more radiosensitive than adults. Unlike straightforward radiographic examinations, patient radiation dose during fluoroscopy is dependent on the operator’s training, experience with the fluoroscope, and efficiency in completing a diagnostic study. The range of pediatric radiation doses from fluoroscopy is wide because this examination is performed not only by pediatric radiologists but by general radiologists who occasionally care for children, interventional cardiologists, gastroenterologists, urologists, and others. Thus, a venue where multidisciplinary interaction by this variety of operators can occur serves to improve pediatric patient care. The third ALARA conference organized by the Society for Pediatric Radiology was held in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 11–12, 2006. It was cosponsored by the Office of Rare Diseases and the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NCI/National Institutes of Health (NIH)). The conference was funded by unrestricted educational grants from three manufacturers of fluoroscopic and interventional equipment (GE, Philips, Siemens) and financial support from the Society for Pediatric Radiology and NCI/NIH. The 22 faculty members consisted of 8 pediatric radiologists, 5 medical physicists, 3 pediatric subspecialists, 3 industry speakers, and 3 radiation epidemiology researchers. A diverse cadre of 74 pediatric radiologists, medical physicists, radiologic technologists, researchers, pediatric subspecialists and vendors met to examine the risk of radiation exposure from fluoroscopic and interventional procedures, identify means by which to reduce ionizing radiation exposure, and explore future technologic modifications that could optimize imaging while further reducing radiation exposures.
Application of On-Line Electrochemical Derivatization Coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Detection and Quantitation of (p-Chlorophenyl)aniline in Biological Samples

A rapid, sensitive, and specific assay for detection and quantitation of (p-chlorophenyl)aniline (CPA) in biological samples was developed. The assay was established based on rapid electrochemical oxidation of CPA to a dimerized product (1.0 V vs Pd) with the enhanced detection sensitivity of electrospray mass spectrometer (ES/MS). A “head-to-tail” dimer ([M + H]+ at m/z 217) was exhibited as the predominant species after electrochemical conversion of CPA. Optimal detection sensitivity and specificity for the dimer of CPA that was present in the biological matrix (e.g., rat urine) were achieved through on-line electrochemistry (EC) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. No matrix-associated ion suppression was observed. The limit of detection (S/N ∼6) was 20 ng/mL, and the limit of quantitation was 50 ng/mL. The calibration curve was exhibited to be quadratic over the range of 50−2000 ng/mL with r2 > 0.99 in various biological matrixes. The assay was validated and us...
Milton's Lydgate: A New Perspective on the Nativity Ode

This essays reads Lydgate's Troy Book and Milton's Ode in the context of East Anglian history to reveal how this region's culture of religious dissent shaped the neighboring East Anglian towns of Bury St. Edmunds and Cambridge before and after the Reformation. Both authors drew on their local experience to define an ideal nation that tolerated religious and political difference. In the Nativity Ode Milton adopts Lydgate's digression on idolatry in Troy Book to define his own thoughts on the perils of mandated state religion, with Lydgate's epic as the immediate source of Milton's poem.
Evaluation of high productivity brackish desalination membrane

Abstract High productivity reverse osmosis membrane developed under the Office of Naval Research Expeditionary Unit Water Purification Program was evaluated at the Bureau of Reclamation Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF). Performance of the new membrane was evaluated in comparison to two other commercial high productivity or low pressure reverse osmosis membranes using a high productivity test system designed and built to take best advantage of high flux membrane through either lower operating pressure or greater productivity. Membranes were evaluated with brackish groundwater over a range of cross flow velocities and recovery rates. Experimental membrane water transport was approximately twice two to three times that of the commercial membrane and salt transport was an order of magnitude less than commercial membrane at 20% recovery for three modules of four inches by forty inches in series tested at a range of feed flow rates.
One-dimensional cutting stock decisions for rolls with multiple quality grades

Abstract This paper presents a procedure for solving one-dimensional cutting stock problems when both the master rolls and customer orders have multiple quality gradations. The procedure described here is a two-stage sequential heuristic. An innovative shadow price-based procedure is first used to select slitting patterns for master rolls with variable quality characteristics. Then a residual problem for the available first-quality (‘perfect’) master rolls is solved with a linear programming model. An important characteristic of this approach is its robustness. The procedure can deal effectively with problems of varying size and complexity and can also easily be adapted to changing circumstances with respect to production quality and demand.
Serotonin phase-shifts the mouse suprachiasmatic circadian clock in vitro

Abstract The mammalian circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) receives multiple afferent signals that could potentially modulate its phase. One input, the serotonin (5-HT) projection from the raphe nuclei, has been extensively investigated in rats and hamsters, yet its role(s) in modulating circadian clock phase remains controversial. To expand our investigation of 5-HT modulation of the SCN clock, we investigated the phase-shifting effects of 5-HT and its agonist, (+)8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (DPAT), when applied to mouse SCN brain slices. 5-HT induced 2–3 h phase advances when applied during subjective day, while non-significant phase shifts were seen after 5-HT application at other times. These phase shifts were completely blocked by the 5-HT antagonist, metergoline. DPAT also induced phase shifts when applied during mid-subjective day, and this effect appeared dose-dependent. Together, these results demonstrate that the mouse SCN, like that of the rat, is directly sensitive to in vitro phase-resetting by 5-HT.
Nucleation effects in peptide foldamers.

Oligomers composed of β3-amino acid residues and a mixture of α- and β3-residues have emerged as proteolytically stable structural mimics of α-helices. An attractive feature of these oligomers is that they adopt defined conformations in short sequences. In this manuscript, we evaluate the impact of β3-residues as compared to their α-amino acid analogs in prenucleated helices. Our hydrogen–deuterium exchange results suggest that heterogeneous sequences composed of “αααβ” repeats are conformationally more rigid than the corresponding homogeneous α-peptide helices, with the macrocycle templating the helical conformation having a significant influence.
Subjective and novel objective radiographic evaluation of inflatable bone tamp treatment of articular calcaneus, tibial plateau, tibial pilon and distal radius fractures

Abstract There is a growing need to develop tools that allow for better reductions of difficult to treat fractures in minimally disruptive ways. One such technique has been developed using the inflatable bone tamp and a fast setting calcium phosphate. KYPHON ® XPANDER Inflatable Bone Tamp and the KYPHON ® Osteo Introducer ® System were used to reduce the articular fractures and a fast-setting calcium phosphate was introduced into those voids and metal hardware was applied as deemed necessary. Subjects were skeletally mature patients treated for articular fractures of the calcaneus, tibial plateau, tibial pilon, or distal radius. Post-operative day zero and week 12 radiographs were objectively and subjectively evaluated by three independent orthopaedic surgeons. Their objective scores were then translated into subjective categories based on the Heiney–Redfern scaled scoring (H-R score) system established herein. Overall, the thorough radiographic analysis by independent reviewers indicates that the technique is capable of obtaining and maintaining articular reductions in a good or adequate manner at 12-weeks post-operatively. Introduced is a potential novel evaluation scale scoring system for these articular fractures that evaluates the important anatomic considerations reproducibly in fracture reductions. There are many potential benefits that remain speculative to this type of tool within a procedure, and therefore this tool and technique warrants further research.
Effect of N′-Methylnicotinamide on the Renal Accumulation and Reabsorption of Gentamicin in Rats

Abstract N′-methylnicotinamide, a substrate of the organic base transport system, reduced renal accumulation of [14C]gentamicin in rats by 15% and increased clearance by 25%, suggesting that gentamicin is not secreted by this mechanism.
Power system stabilization based on modular neural network architecture

Abstract Backpropagation neural networks have recently been applied to problems in power system stabilizer modeling. When trained to respond differently to different operating conditions, these networks tend to produce interference between conflicting solutions. In recent years, modular neural network architectures have been used for problems in system identification and control. These networks learn different aspects of a problem by partitioning the data space into several different regions and are less susceptible to interference than backpropagation networks. This paper investigates the use of modular neural networks for power system stabilizer modeling. Simulation studies are performed to compare the modular neural network model of a power system stabilizer against a backpropagation model and a conventional power system stabilizer model.
Encapsulation of radioactive noble gas waste in amorphous alloy

Public demand for the containment and safe storage of radioactive waste materials has caused the U.S. Government to require that, beginning in January 1983, most of the 85Kr, which until now has been vented to the atmosphere during the reprocessing of nuclear fission fuel rods, will have to be captured and retained for several decades. The cost of accomplishing this with present compressed-gas technology is enough to increase the cost of nuclear generated electricity by an estimated 0.3%. However, materials developed for amorphous magnetic bubble memory devices have been found to be capable of storing large quantities of Kr (30 atomic percent) with great stability up to temperatures above 1070 K. The cost of 83Kr storage in tho magnetic bubble memory material appears to be less than 1% of that for present compressed-gas technology.
State-to-State Internal Energy Relaxation Following the Quantum-Kinetic Model in DSMC

A new model for chemical reactions, the Quantum-Kinetic (Q-K) model of Bird, has recently been introduced that does not depend on macroscopic rate equations or values of local flow field data. Subsequently, the Q-K model has been extended to include reactions involving charged species and electronic energy level transitions. Although this is a phenomenological model, it has been shown to accurately reproduce both equilibrium and non-equilibrium reaction rates. The usefulness of this model becomes clear as local flow conditions either exceed the conditions used to build previous models or when they depart from an equilibrium distribution. Presently, the applicability of the relaxation technique is investigated for the vibrational internal energy mode. The Forced Harmonic Oscillator (FHO) theory for vibrational energy level transitions is combined with the Q-K energy level transition model to accurately reproduce energy level transitions at a reduced computational cost compared to the older FHO models.
The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion, by Leonard MacLean, Edward Thorp, and William Ziemba (editors)

The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion, by Leonard MacLean, Edward Thorp, and William Ziemba (editors), World Scientific (2010), Hardcopy. ISBN: 978-9814293495. This book provides a comprehe...
The Personal, Academic, and Career Problems of College Student Athletes: Some Possible Answers

This paper reports the development of a unique counseling program for student athletes at the University of Florida in which the athletic counselor's role has been expanded beyond traditional roles to that of identifying and assisting with the athletes' personal, vocational, and academic concerns. The authors also report on a recently developed course in counselor education targeted toward athletes and discuss a preventive approach using individual and group counseling of athletes.
Formulation of a Success Model in Pharmaceutical R&D: Efficient Innovation Model

Recently, pharmaceutical R&D has been demanded to increase productivity in terms of time efficiency and innovation as well. There have been discontinuous challenges coming up in this industry, such as globalized R&D competition, stricter regulation, lengthy process of clinical trials, and so on. Considering external changes, high competition, and discontinuities in the industry, it is a good time to redefine the concept of success in pharmaceutical R&D. Thus, this article attempts to formulate a new success model in pharmaceutical R&D, through contextualizing the industry’s success factors.
Negotiating National Identity and Self-Determination in Ethnic Conflicts: The Choice Between Pluralism and Ethnic Cleansing

The contradictions of ethnonational identity, which make it a prime force in both the promotion and the destruction of human dignity and social justice, have become more pronounced with the ending of the Cold War. It is necessary to reconceptualize national identity and develop new norms for accepting a group's right to national self-determination through establishment of an independent state expressing its national identity, and even far accepting its claim to national identity itself This article proposes that (1) implementation of a group's right to self-determination cannot be left to the group alone, but must be negotiated with those who are affected by that decision, particularly minority populations; and (2) national identity itself must be “negotiated” — explored and discussed — with those who are affected by the group's self-definition.
Applications of Advanced Technologies in Transportation Engineering

Since the initial ''Applications of Advanced Technologies in Transportation Engineering'' conference in 1989, numerous examples of advanced technology applications have appeared. The need for such applications has grown, especially with continuing economic development and new social goals such as sustainability. Fortunately, a variety of new and promising technologies are available for application.
The dual representation of gray-scale morphological filters

One of the classic results of mathematical morphology is the filter-representation theorem of G. Matheron (1975) for black-and-white images. The theorem states that any morphological filter can be represented as a union of erosions by elements in the filter's kernel. In its dual form, it states that the erosion representation can be replaced by an intersection of dilations by elements of the dual filter's kernel. Here, the dual-form of the gray-scale representation is derived in terms of a minimum of dilations by elements in the dual filter's kernel. >
Do different styles of antismoking ads influence the types of smokers who call quitlines

This study examined the relationship between television antismoking advertisements and the proportion of smokers who call a smokers’ quitline who are ready to quit or have high confidence in quitting. The primary data of interest came from completed intake interviews of smokers. Using a generalized linear model, we modeled the proportion of Quitline callers who are ready to quit and/or have high confidence in quitting. The primary explanatory variable was monthly target audience rating points (TARPs) for antismoking advertisements, a measure of broadcast media exposure, obtained from the state’s media buyer. The proportions of callers ready to quit and with high confidence in quitting were negatively associated with total TARPs. This result, over all ad types, was driven by why to quit—graphic ads. These results suggest that why to quit—graphic ads influence smokers who are less ready to quit or have lower confidence they can quit, likely new quitters, to call the Quitline.
Approaches to low-power implementations of DSP systems

Reduction of power consumption is significantly important for all high-performance digital VLSI systems. This paper reviews several approaches for low-power implementations of building blocks for digital subscriber line (DSL) systems. Low-power implementations of Reed-Solomon (RS) coders, fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), FIR filters, and equalizers, and reduction of power consumption by use of dual supply voltages are addressed. It is shown that use of separate Galois field functional units for multiply-accumulate and degree reduction can reduce the energy consumption of RS coders dramatically. A hybrid feedforward and feedback commutator scheme-based FFT is shown to require less area and full hardware utilization efficiency. Reduction of switching activity at one or both inputs of the multipliers is a key to reduction of power consumption in FIR filters and equalizers. The switching activity can be reduced by use of transpose structure and by time-multiplexing of an unfolded filter. A well established retiming approach can be generalized to find those noncritical gates which can be operated with lower supply voltages to reduce the overall system power consumption.
Expectational Stability and the Multiple Equilibria Problem in Linear Rational Expectations Models

Linear models involving expectations of future endogenous variables generally have multiple rational expectations equilibria. This paper investigates the stability of solutions in the disequilibrium sense of whether, given a small deviation of expectations functions from some rational expectations equilibrium, the system returns to that solution under a natural revision rule. Weak and strong local stability are distinguished. Stability conditions are calculated for a simple general linear model and applied to two macroeconomic examples. In some cases there is a unique stable equilibrium. In other cases a continuum of equilibria forms a weakly but not strongly stable class.
Survey for Nosema spp. in Belize apiaries

(2013). Survey for Nosema spp. in Belize apiaries. Journal of Apicultural Research: Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 62-66.
THE EFFECT OF SPECIFIC POISONS UPON THE PHOTO-REDUCTION WITH HYDROGEN IN GREEN ALGAE

1. The effect of poisons upon the photoreduction with hydrogen in Scenedesmus and similar algae has been studied. The poisons used were cyanide, hydroxylamine, dinitrophenol, and carbon monoxide, substances known to inhibit more or less specifically certain enzymatic reactions. 2. It was found that quite generally one has to distinguish between the action of poisons upon the photoreduction in the stationary state, once this type of metabolism has been well established in the cells, and their effects on transition phenomena, on the "adaptation" and its reversal, the "turnback" from photoreduction to photosynthesis. 3. Cyanide inhibits photoreduction more strongly than it inhibits photosynthesis in the same algae. It is concluded that the mechanism of oxygen liberation, which is idle in photoreduction, is not very sensitive to cyanide. 4. Hydroxylamine in low concentrations is a powerful inhibitor of photosynthesis but has practically no influence on the rate of photoreduction. Consequently, it is assumed that it acts in photosynthesis mainly by inhibiting the evolution of oxygen. Greater concentrations of hydroxylamine clearly inhibit photoreduction, but diminish the rate to about one-half only. A greater degree of inhibition is obtained only by prolonged incubation. 5. Dinitrophenol was found to inhibit strongly the reduction of carbon dioxide, under aerobic as well as under anaerobic conditions. A stimulating effect of dinitrophenol can be demonstrated only with respiration or fermentation, not with photosynthesis. 6. Carbon monoxide interferes with all phases of the hydrogen metabolism in algae. It is supposed therefore to be a specific inhibitor for the hydrogenase system. 7. The "adaptation" to the hydrogen metabolism, which takes place if the algae are incubated anaerobically in hydrogen for several hours, is inhibited completely by very small amounts of cyanide. The adaptation reaction is more sensitive to cyanide than most of the other metabolic processes in the same cell. Correspondingly cyanide enhances the return to aerobic conditions, the "turnback," which occurs under the influence of light of high intensities. 8. Hydroxylamine, applied aerobically, inhibits the adaptation reaction to about the same degree as it inhibits photosynthesis. Photoreduction proceeds after the adaptation in presence of hydroxylamine only at a fraction of the rate that it would have if the poison were added later. 9. Hydroxylamine in concentrations of 10(-3)M protects the anaerobic metabolism against the return to aerobic photosynthesis which normally occurs under the influence of light of too high intensity. The protection is only relative and the higher the light intensity the more hydroxylamine is needed to keep photoreduction going. Once a "turnback" occurs in presence of much hydroxylamine all photochemical gas exchange comes to an end.
A unified solution to coverage and search in explored and unexplored terrains using indirect control

An algorithm which solves the coverage and search problems in either explored or unexplored terrains is described. The coverage problem requires that the robot pass over all parts of the terrain that are free of obstacles. The search problem requires that the robot seek a specified target in a given terrain. The target need not be present in the terrain; in that case, the algorithm will realize the fact after a thorough search. In an explored terrain problem, a model of the terrain is available indicating which regions of the terrain are traversable. In an unexplored terrain problem, such a model is not available, thus forcing the robot to build the model by the use of sensors. It is proved that the algorithm guarantees complete coverage and a thorough search if physically possible. Due to its use of indirect control, the algorithm is not complicated and is thus simple to implement. >
Variations among species and cell types in the effects of caffeine on mutagen-induced cytotoxicity and postreplication repair of DNA

The influence of caffeine on cytotoxicity and postreplication repair of DNA was examined following exposure of several cell types to physical and chemical agents known to damage DNA. The cell types used in this study were normal human fibroblasts (HS-WP), human xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts (SGL), Chinese hamster V79 cells, mouse BALB/c-3T3 cells, and secondary Syrian hamster embryo cells. The DNA damaging agents were ultraviolet light (UV), N-2-acetoxy-fluorenylacetamide (AFAA), nitroquinoline-N-oxide (NQO) and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). Induction of cytotoxicity in Chinese hamster V79 cells due to ultraviolet light or AFAA exposure was enhanced by caffeine at a concentration of 1.0 mM in the culture medium, but not at 0.2 or 0.05 mM. Caffeine also inhibited postreplication repair in these cells at the same concentrations. In contrast, postreplication repair was not affected by caffeine at concentrations up to 1.0 mM in normal human fibroblasts (HS-WP), human xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts (SGL), secondary Syrian hamster embryo cells, and mouse BALB/c-3T3 cells following treatment with ultraviolet light, AFAA, NQO, or MNNG. Cytotoxicity in BALB/c-3T3 cells following exposure to ultraviolet light or AFAA was enhanced in the presence of caffeine at 1.0 or 0.2 mM, although these concentrations of caffeine had no effect on postreplication repair in these cells. The inhibitory effect of caffeine on postreplication repair was found only in Chinese hamster V79 cells among the five cell types used in this study. Both normal and xeroderma pigmentosum human cells repaired mutagen-induced DNA damage equally well in the absence or presence of caffeine at concentrations of 1.0 mM or less.
Insulin sensitivity is normalized in the third generation (F3) offspring of developmentally programmed insulin resistant (F2) rats fed an energy-restricted diet

Background/Aims The offspring and grandoffspring of female rats fed low protein diets during pregnancy and lactation, but fed nutritionally adequate diets thereafter, have been shown to exhibit altered insulin sensitivity in adulthood. The current study investigates the insulin sensitivity of the offspring and grandoffspring of female rats fed low protein diets during pregnancy, and then maintained on energy-restricted diets post weaning over three generations.
ONLINE SUPERVISED LEARNING OF NON-UNDERSTANDING RECOVERY POLICIES

Spoken dialog systems typically use a limited number of non- understanding recovery strategies and simple heuristic policies to engage them (e.g. first ask user to repeat, then give help, then transfer to an operator). We propose a supervised, online method for learning a non-understanding recovery policy over a large set of recovery strategies. The approach consists of two steps: first, we construct runtime estimates for the likelihood of success of each recovery strategy, and then we use these estimates to construct a policy. An experiment with a publicly available spoken dialog system shows that the learned policy produced a 12.5% relative improvement in the non-understanding recovery rate.
Diagnostic outcome of preoperative coagulation testing in children.

The value of routine coagulation testing instead of bleeding history alone in children, to predict bleeding risk prior to tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy has been questioned. Our objectives are to identify the causes of abnormal PT and/or aPTT in these patients, and to determine whether routine preoperative coagulation testing is effective in identifying children with a clinically significant coagulation abnormality prior to undergoing a procedure. In this study, data were extracted by chart review for 854 patients referred to the pediatric hematology service at Stony Brook University for the evaluation of an elevated PT and/or aPTT on preoperative testing. Seven hundred and ninety two of 854 reviewed charts (92.7%) contained sufficient data for analysis. On repeat testing, 393 (49.6%) had a laboratory abnormality identified. A potentially significant coagulation abnormality was identified in 32 of 792 patients (4%). For the remaining 760 patients, the most common diagnosis was a lupus anticoagulant (n = ...
Disaster and emergency planning outreach workshops: national library of medicine consumer health databases and disaster preparedness.

After witnessing and being affected by catastrophic climatic events in the Atlanta metropolitan area, the staff of the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) Library, in keeping with the mission of the school's goal to serve the underserved, developed a disaster and emergency planning outreach workshop targeted at utilizing selected databases of the National Library of Medicine. The staff took the opportunity not only to reach out to the larger Atlanta community but also to conduct several workshops on campus for MSM personnel and several visiting student groups to the MSM Library. Workshop participants included members of four local congregations (Cascade United Methodist Church, The Lutheran Church of the Atonement, Mount Calvary Baptist Church, and True Light Baptist Church), Master of Public Health students, faculty, and staff at Morehouse School of Medicine, and visitors to the Morehouse School of Medicine Library. Workshop sites were the first three churches and the MSM Library. Interactive sessions wer...
County Level Pesticide Use and Risk of Shortened Gestation and Preterm Birth

AIM This study assesses the association between pesticide exposure in pregnancy, preterm birth (PTB) and shortened gestation. METHODS Pregnancy information was abstracted from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Non-Public Use Natality Datasets 1990-2005. Pesticide use in maternal county of residence was calculated using California Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) data 1990-2005. Counties were ranked by pesticide use, and birth months were sorted by peak (May-June) or nonpeak (other months) pesticide use. Multivariate logistical regression models were used. RESULTS Counties with higher pesticide use were associated with higher PTB (low 8.59 ± 0.11%, moderate 9.25 ± 0.07%, high 10.0 ± 0.06%, p's insecticides > fumigants > herbicides > others. Each pesticide type was found to be associated with higher PTB and shorter gestation. CONCLUSION PTB and shortened gestation were significantly associated with pesticide use in maternal county of residence regardless of race, gestation at birth, and in most risk categories.
Toward Ending the Guessing Game: Study of the Formation of Nanostructures Using In Situ Liquid Transmission Electron Microscopy

The field of synthetic nanochemistry has grown tremendously in the past three decades since the discovery of nonaqueous synthesis of monodispersed particles. Almost all classes of materials, from II-VI semiconductor to metal, alloy, and metal oxide can now be prepared in various sizes and shapes. One major challenge has been the development of a technique for direct real-time recording of data during the formation of nanostructures in liquid reaction media where nucleation and growth occur. A viable solution finally arrived with the recent development of static and flow liquid cells for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This Perspective will showcase a few selected examples in this rapidly growing area, with a focus on using the new capabilities of liquid TEM (LTEM) for quantitative study of nucleation and growth, as well as shape formation of nanocrystals in solution. A discussion on future direction is also presented.
AMD: Audit-Based Misbehavior Detection in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

We address the problem of identifying and isolating misbehaving nodes that refuse to forward packets in multi-hop ad hoc networks. We develop a comprehensive system called Audit-based Misbehavior Detection (AMD) that effectively and efficiently isolates both continuous and selective packet droppers. The AMD system integrates reputation management, trustworthy route discovery, and identification of misbehaving nodes based on behavioral audits. Compared to previous methods, AMD evaluates node behavior on a per-packet basis, without employing energy-expensive overhearing techniques or intensive acknowledgment schemes. Moreover, AMD can detect selective dropping attacks even if end-to-end traffic is encrypted and can be applied to multi-channel networks or networks consisting of nodes with directional antennas. We show via simulations that AMD successfully avoids misbehaving nodes, even when a large portion of the network refuses to forward packets.
ASSESSING THE UTILITY OF CLINICAL TUMOR SEQUENCING IN THE PEDIATRIC NEURO-ONCOLOGY CLINIC

BACKGROUND: Additional insight into the molecular alterations driving pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors is urgently needed, given the significant morbidity and mortality associated with these cancers and the relative paucity of effective chemotherapeutic options. Advances in sequencing technologies now allow for provision of genome-scale data to oncologists caring for pediatric cancer patients but current experience with the clinical application of genomic sequencing is limited. The goal of the BASIC3 (Baylor Advancing Sequencing into Childhood Cancer Care) study is to determine the clinical impact of incorporating CLIA-certified tumor and constitutional whole exome sequencing (WES) into the care of children with newly diagnosed solid tumors. METHODS: The study follows pediatric patients with newly diagnosed CNS and non-CNS solid tumors (target enrollment n = 280) at Texas Children's Cancer Center for two years after performing CLIA-certified whole exome sequencing (WES) of blood and frozen tumor samples. Results are deposited into the electronic medical record and disclosed to families by their oncologist and a genetic counselor. The potential impact of tumor exome findings on clinical decision-making is assessed through review of the medical record and through surveys of the oncologists regarding prioritization of treatment options in the hypothetical event of tumor recurrence. RESULTS: To date, 133 subjects have been enrolled, including 47 patients with CNS tumors (35%) comprising a diverse representation of diagnoses. Despite limited diagnostic biopsies in many patients, tumor samples adequate for WES were obtained from 33/47 (70%) patients. Tumor WES results have been reported for the first 22 CNS tumors, revealing a median of 7 (range of 0 to 25) protein-altering mutations per tumor, including alterations of known cancer genes such as ARID1A, SMARCA4, BRAF, CTNNB1, DDX3X, NF2, FANCA, and NOTCH3. Notably, 12/22 (55%) tumors were found to harbour mutations only in genes not known to be recurrently altered in human cancers. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the feasibility of routine tumor WES in the pediatric neuro- oncology clinic. Potentially clinically-relevant mutations can be identified in a substantial proportion of patients but early results suggest that integration of parallel genomic technologies (e.g. RNAseq) to identify genetic alterations not detectable by WES will be necessary; such studies are ongoing. Orthotopic xenograft models and cell lines are being established to allow in vitro and in vivo analysis of tumors containing alterations of interest. Data further assessing the clinical utility of the tumor exomes are under study. Supported by NHGRI/NCI 1U01HG006485. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Neuropathology & Tumor Biomarkers.
Evaluation of Two Rapid Methods to Screen Pathogens from Stool Specimens

Two rapid methods, the Enteric Pathogen Screen (EPS) cards of the AutoMicrobic system (Vitek Systems, Inc., Hazelwood, MO) and the Bactigen Salmonella-Shigella latex agglutination (LPA) method (Wampole Laboratories, Cranbury, NJ) were compared with conventional biochemical tests to screen stool cultures having suspicious colonial morphologic characteristics for the presence of Salmonella and Shigella in a study of 481 isolates from stool specimens and 104 stock cultures. Compared with conventional testing, overall, 327 of 394 (83%) clinically irrelevant organisms resulted in a report of no Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., or Yersinia enterocolitica with EPS. Four hundred forty-nine of 457 (98%) of clinically irrelevant organisms yielded negative LPA results. Because the LPA method is faster, eliminates more clinically irrelevant organisms from further testing, and does not require the use of an expensive identification system, the authors believe that it is better suited for direct screening for Salmonella and Shigella for most clinical laboratories.
A possible relationship between brain N-acetylneuraminic acid content and behavior.

SummaryRepeated intraperitoneal injections of N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) into malnourished and well-fed rats during the brain growth spurt were associated with a permanent increase in NANA concentrations in brain gangliosides and glycoproteins. Further, there was an alleviation of some expected behavioral abnormalities in the malnourished group and an above normal behavioral performance shown by the well-fed pups. The results suggest the existence of a relationship between NANA and behavior.
An Approach to Teaching Cognitive Systems Engineering: Making Abstraction Hierarchy Concrete

The extent to which RAH has impact on teaching cognitive systems engineering was explored. Data on graduate students' performance and feedback was used to study how people perceive and are cognizant of problem solving knowledge based on the five levels of RAH. We use abstraction congruency scores (ACS) to assess their correlation loading on perception and cognition factors. The result ACSs were loaded into both the cognitive and perceptual continua of RAH. The student percentage scores were used to obtain how people perceive knowledge relationships at the five levels of the abstraction hierarchy. The result showed that the system functional purpose was correlated with all other properties below the RAH echelon. General and abstraction functions were correlated (r = 0.69, p = 0.0003). These correlation values tell us how knowledge in the abstraction hierarchy is related and how the students perform in understanding these five components of abstraction hierarchy. These findings are important in teaching rea...
To analyze the effect trend of hepatitis B vaccine among group below 15 years old from 1992-2009 in Tianjin

Objective To analyze the effect trend of Hepatitis B vaccine among group below 15 years old from 1992-2009,so as to provide scientific evidence for hepatitis B preventive measures.MethodsThe data about the incidence and the seroepidemiological surveys of hepatitis B among group below 15 years old from 1992-2009 were collected and analyzed by epidemiological description with statistical software.ResultsThe incidence of hepatitis B among group aged below 15 years was decreased by 80.88% from 7.06/100 000 in 1992 to 1.35/100 000 in 2009;The positive rate of HBsAg was decreased by 85.32% from 4.02% in 1992 to 0.59% in 2009;The positive rate of anti-HBs was increased by 67.20% from 38.84% in 1992 to 64.94% in 2009;The positive rate of HBcAg was decreased by 95.67% from 27.23% in 1992 to 1.18% in 2009;The rate of vaccination was increased by 183.72% from 34.82% in 1992 to 98.79% in 2009.ConclusionsThe control effect of hepatitis B in Tianjin,which is mainly related to the increased rate of vaccination,has achieved significant results.
The Impacts of Nutrition Intervention on Students' Development in Poor Rural Schools of Shaanxi Province

This paper reports the results of a randomized control trial(RCT) involving over 3000 fourth grade students from 54 randomly-chosen elementary schools in 8 of the poorest counties in Shaanxi Province in China's poor northwest region.We found that 38.8 percent of the students had Hb levels below 120 g/L,the World Health Organization's cutoff for anemia,and boarding students had significantly high anemic rate than non-boarding students.In the schools that received the multivitamins supplements with iron,Hb levels rose by about 2 g/L(about 0.2 standard deviations).The standardized math test scores of the students in the schools that received the multivitamin supplements with iron also improved significantly.Overall,these results should encourage China's Ministry of Education to improve the effect of rural compulsory education students nutrition improvement program by providing the multivitamin supplements with iron.