cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary Change in Physiological Phenotypes Along the Human Lineage

Background and Objectives: Research in evolutionary medicine provides many examples of how evolution has shaped human susceptibility to disease. Traits undergoing rapid evolutionary change may result in associated costs or reduce the energy available to other traits. We hypothesize that humans have experienced more such changes than other primates as a result of major evolutionary change along the human lineage. We investigated 41 physiological traits across 50 primate species to identify traits that have undergone marked evolutionary change along the human lineage. Methodology: We analysed the data using two Bayesian phylogenetic comparative methods. One approach models trait covariation in non-human primates and predicts human phenotypes to identify whether humans are evolutionary outliers. The other approach models adaptive shifts under an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model of evolution to assess whether inferred shifts are more common on the human branch than on other primate lineages. Results: We identified four traits with strong evidence for an evolutionary increase on the human lineage (amylase, haematocrit, phosphorus and monocytes) and one trait with strong evidence for decrease (neutrophilic bands). Humans exhibited more cases of distinct evolutionary change than other primates. Conclusions and Implications: Human physiology has undergone increased evolutionary change compared to other primates. Long distance running may have contributed to increases in haematocrit and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, while dietary changes are likely related to increases in amylase. In accordance with the pathogen load hypothesis, human monocyte levels were increased, but many other immune-related measures were not. Determining the mechanisms underlying conspicuous evolutionary change in these traits may provide new insights into human disease.
Sugar Industry Science and Heart Disease

Historical documents stored away in library archives can be a trove of information about the role that science has played in public health. Similarly, litigation discovery documents have been a val...
Recent advances of POL-SAR, POL-IN-SAR & RP-POL-IN-SAR imagery for remotely sensing natural habitats: Desert and wetlands remote sensing

Land cover monitoring is one of the most potential applications of Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (POLSAR) sensing and so is Repeat-Pass Polarimetric-Interferometric SAR (RP-DIFF-POL-IN-SAR) stress-change assessment for air/high-altitude/spaceborne SAR sensor deployment. Provided fully polarimetric SAR information can be made available, a plethora of novel POLSAR matrix decomposition methods can be implemented for recovering rather precise scattering contributions from isolated and distributed scattering scenarios, and so can rather exact environmental changes from consecutive repeat-pass observations. With the recent launches of the fully polarimetric satellites JAXA-ALOS (PAL-SAR-L), the DLR TerraSAR-X and RADASAT-2 (C), a new era in space imaging of the terrestrial terrain and ocean surfaces has arrived providing unforeseen advantages. Whereas in the past, POLSAR applications were focused mainly on information product gathering for agriculture, forestry and the fisheries, little emphasis was placed on demonstrating its full capacity also for the assessment of natural habitats and especially wetlands. Therefore, it is essential to demonstrate how seasonal changes and features of vegetation in natural habitats, shallow vegetated lakes and wetlands can be recovered, provided fully polarimetric SAR image data takes can be made available for full polarimetric scattering matrix acquisition for which the standard symmetry condition HV=VH may not necessarily be sufficient.
A Comparison of Two Actuators for a Semi-Active Helmholtz Resonator

Two electro-mechanical actuators are examined for a semi­ active Helmholtz resonator acoustic device. The device is used to reflect narrowband noise back to the source in an acoustic duct. The controller and actuator are used to tune the system on-line allowing optimum performance over a range of operating conditions. Actuator. dynamics play an important role in the controller design and the operation of the device. Two variations of an electro-mechanical actuator are considered here. The first uses a dual voice coil speaker with local feedback compensation and the second uses the same speaker without the compensation. It is shown that both arrangements are effective but with competing advantages. The compensated actuator provides more control authority but adds considerable background noise while the uncompensated actuator provides less control authority but adds no background noise. The choice of actuator depends on the noise control objectives of the particular application. INTRODUCTION The semi-active Helmholtz resonator (Birdsong, 1999) is an acoustic device with behavior that can be used to selectively quiet narrow band noise in acoustic systems. It consists of a . static Belmholtz resonator with a sensor, controIler, and actuator added to the interior of the resonator cavity (Figure 1). The nominal resonant frequency and damping of the device is determined by the dimensions of the resonator neck and cavity (Temkin, 1981) but can be modified by the closed loop feedback system. When driven bya pressure from a primary acoustic system, such as an acoustic duct, the resonator responds with a large magnitude volume velocity through the resonator neck, which is in phase with the pressure. This creates a "pressure release" boundary condition, which inverts and reflects the incident pressure wave back up the duct, thus reducing the transmitted pressure wave and reducing the transmitted sound
Synchronizing policy, practice, and partnership efforts: Improving knowledge and care of noncommunicable diseases in West Africa

Background: The epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type II diabetes and high blood pressure has crept upon an unsuspecting public health community in Africa. The four major problem areas contributing to this epidemic are: (1) lack of enough resources for health care, (2) few medical facilities and personnel to care for a large number of the population, (3) the inability of public health professionals to address or unravel complex causal nets of risk factors that reflect the culture and history of countries, communities, families, and individuals, and (4) medical care curriculum in the region is not tuned to the reality of the people it serves. There is the need to develop educational partnership teams between health experts and local citizens. Methods: This team-based community participatory approach effort will involve tapping into the local reservoir of knowledge by experts and Western medical knowledge by citizens; the resultant effect will aid policymaking and program development while also synthesizing the two. Results: Findings from several studies have shown that the solution to Africa's health-care struggle depends on synchronizing policy, practice, and partnership efforts through proper culturally tailored public health approaches, as well as the development of policies that ensures improving the general public's knowledge about NCDs and its prevention. Discussion and Conclusion: We suggested innovative ideas on areas of concern that will provide a unique opportunity for health educators to advocate for and improve the health literacy of laypersons. We call for the development of more regional research and disease control centers because research and evaluation efforts can guide education and service delivery methods. In addition, we call for appropriate training that provides opportunities for African health professionals to acquire knowledge on cutting-edge knowledge about prevention and treatment. We concluded that an accepted medical practice for Africans is one anchored on efforts whereby people feel like partners when it comes to the issue of their health. Simply put, “people's voices, people's input, and people faces. It is challenging to hold people accountable when they do not understand health care and have little information on how to prevent the onset or spread of diseases.
The effects of repeated nitroglycerin administrations in rats; modeling migraine-related endpoints and chronification.

Abstract Background Rodent models typically use a single nitroglycerin injection to induce migraine, yet migraine in clinical populations presents as recurrent episodes. Further, these models quantify behavioral endpoints that do not align with the clinical features of episodic migraine or migraine chronification and therefore may limit translational relevance. New method Rats received 5 nitroglycerin (10 mg/kg/2 ml), propylene glycol/ethanol vehicle, or saline injections every third day over 15 days. Behavioral endpoints were assessed 110 min post nitroglycerin administration and included time spent light/dark chambers for photophobia as well as activity, facial pain expressions, and tactile allodynia. Results Animals administered nitroglycerin displayed photophobia, decreased activity, and increased facial pain expression. Similar alterations in photophobia and activity were seen in the vehicle treated animals, but these tended to diminish by the 4th or 5th injection. The presentation of spontaneous tactile allodynia was observed in the nitroglycerin group by the 5th episode. Comparison with existing methods Most NTG migraine models entail a single NTG administration and quantification of evoked allodynia. This paradigm employs recurring NTG episodes and clinically-relevant measures of photophobia, hypoactivity and facial grimace endpoints as well as introduces a novel arena apparatus to quantify spontaneous allodynia. Conclusions This repeated NTG procedure and endpoint measures aligns with the frequency and clinical presentation of episodic migraine and its chronification, respectively. Further, propylene glycol ethanol vehicle contributes to migraine endpoints.
A schedulability test for software migration on multicore system

This paper presents a new schedulability test for safety-critical software undergoing a transition from single-core to multicore systems — a challenge faced by multiple industries today. Our migration model consists of a schedulability test and execution model. Its properties enable us to obtain a utilization bound that places an allowable limit on total task execution times. Evaluation results demonstrate the advantages of our scheduling model over competing resource partitioning approaches, such as Periodic Server and TDMA.
Produktion von Granulozyten Colonie-Stimulierendem Faktor (G-CSF) und Aktivierung von neutrophilen Granulozyten im hämorrhagischen Schock

Im hamorrhagischen Schock werden Entzundungsprozesse in Gang gesetzt, die zu Funktionsstorungen und Organschaden fuhren konnen. Besondere Bedeutung hat die Aktivierung von neutrophilen Granulozyten (PMN) in den kritischen Organen wie z.B. Leber und Lunge. In der Literatur galt das Hauptinteresse bisher den proinflammatorischen Zytokinen TNFα, IL-1 und IL-6 sowie dem immunosuppressiven Zytokins TGFβ [1]. Weniger den hamatopoetischen Wachstumsfaktoren, wie z.B. G-CSF, G-CSF (Granulozyten Colonie-stimulierender Faktor) ist essentiell fur die Produktion und Freisetzung von PMN aus dem Knochenmark und aktiviert PMN in vitro. In der vorliegenden Studie wird untersucht, ob G-CSF zur Rekrutierung und Aktivierung von PMN in Entzundungsherden beitragen kann [2]. Ein neu identifiziertes Protein aus der Gruppe der sogenannten STAT-Proteine (signal transducers and activators of transcription), StatG, stellt einen hochspezifischen und sensitiven Marker von G-CSF induzierter PMN Aktivierung dar [3].
Structure-based membrane dome mechanism for Piezo mechanosensitivity

Mechanosensitive ion channels convert external mechanical stimuli into electrochemical signals for critical processes including touch sensation, balance, and cardiovascular regulation. The best understood mechanosensitive channel, MscL, opens a wide pore, which accounts for mechanosensitive gating due to in-plane area expansion. Eukaryotic Piezo channels have a narrow pore and therefore must capture mechanical forces to control gating in another way. We present a cryo-EM structure of mouse Piezo1 in a closed conformation at 3.7A-resolution. The channel is a triskelion with arms consisting of repeated arrays of 4-TM structural units surrounding a pore. Its shape deforms the membrane locally into a dome. We present a hypothesis in which the membrane deformation changes upon channel opening. Quantitatively, membrane tension will alter gating energetics in proportion to the change in projected area under the dome. This mechanism can account for highly sensitive mechanical gating in the setting of a narrow, cation-selective pore.
Magnetic resonance imaging following regional limb perfusion of gadolinium contrast medium in 26 horses.

BACKGROUND Systemic administration of gadolinium contrast medium is common in small animals to increase lesion conspicuity and determine vascularisation of lesions identified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); however, the large volume required for systemic administration limits its use in horses. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of administering a low dose of contrast medium via venous regional limb perfusion. STUDY DESIGN Prospective clinical study. METHODS Distal limbs of 26 horses (one limb per horse) were imaged with MRI before and after administration of 5 mL of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Magnevist® ) diluted with 5 mL of physiological saline via a palmar/plantar digital vein with a tourniquet in place at the level of the mid aspect of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bone. Commonly assessed structures of the equine distal limb were examined for normal and abnormal contrast enhancement. RESULTS Twenty-five of 26 horses had adequate contrast enhancement of their distal limb. The lack of adequate contrast enhancement in one limb was likely associated with failure of the tourniquet. No adverse reactions were identified in any horse. One hundred thirty-two lesions were detected, of which, 69 contrast enhanced. Twelve lesions were detected exclusively following contrast enhancement. MAIN LIMITATIONS Case numbers and lesion variability yielded insufficient data to perform statistical analyses. Histopathology was not performed on sound horses to determine if the imaged structures were normal. CONCLUSIONS Regional limb perfusion is a feasible method to administer gadolinium contrast material to the equine distal limb for MRI. The enhancement pattern of the equine distal limb in sound horses is described. Contrast enhanced MRI of the distal equine limb helps to further characterise lesions identified with precontrast images, including adhesions and deep digital flexor tendinopathy. Contrast enhanced MRI also aids in identification of additional lesions, such as neovascularisation.
Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Four direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)—dabigatran, a direct thrombin inhibitor, and the direct factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban—have been approved for prevention of stroke in non-valvular atrial fibrillation and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE). All except edoxaban also are approved to prevent VTE in hip and knee replacement surgery. In the atrial fibrillation trials, the DOACs were non-inferior to warfarin dose-adjusted to international normalized ratio (INR) 2.0–3.0 in preventing stroke, with similar or better safety profiles. Rates of intracranial hemorrhage were lower for the DOACs. Results were similar in the VTE trials, with similar or better efficacy and safety. Because of their beneficial pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics profiles, the DOACs do not require routine monitoring. A reversal agent, idarucizumab, is approved for patients on dabigatran with serious bleeding or in need of an urgent invasive procedure. A reversal agent for the factor Xa inhibitors has been studied but is not yet approved. To date, data on use of the DOACs in patients with cancer or thrombophilia or at extremes of weight are sparse, as few of these patients were included in the published DOAC trials. Further, the role of anticoagulation with DOACs such as rivaroxaban in patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease has been revisited with recent data from COMPASS, but additional studies are still needed to define its exact utility.
Theory-Parts for Scientific Realists

The “divide and conquer” approach to scientific realism requires a compelling criterion for specifying theory-parts worthy of realist commitment – components deemed very probably true. Articulating such a criterion has proved difficult, however. Long-term retention across theory-change provides a poor basis at best (judging by examples like the ether of light); the same can be said about such features as empirical success and current freedom from specific doubts. This paper argues for a seemingly better choice, drawn from scientific practice and focused on five overlapping strategies: hostile probing of a theory’s central tenets by its opponents, revision of auxiliary assumptions (mainly by supporters of the theory), external grounding of theoretical assumptions, efforts to identify adequacy conditions for successor theories, and explanations of a theory’s success after becoming superseded.
A 37-Pound Scrotal Leiomyosarcoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

AbstractWe report a case of a 37-pound scrotal leiomyosarcoma. The literature is reviewed, and the presentation, diagnosis, treatment and survival of patients · with scrotal leiomyosarcoma are discussed.
Counts of Events

Table 8.1 displays data from 200 “patients” that were generated from a random model on the computer. The patients are divided into 10 “clinics” with 20 patients each. They are also subdivided into four “severity” classes at baseline. Finally, they are divided into “smokers” and “nonsmokers.”
Decreasing Child Distress During Needle Sticks and Maintaining Treatment Gains Over Time

This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention for reducing behavioral distress in children during needle sticks. Participants were eight children and their parents. The children received injections or venipunctures for hematological or oncological disease. The distress management intervention included instruction for children to engage in a distraction activity during needle sticks and parent training in coaching their children. The intervention was adapted to clinic and home treatment settings. Results indicated that five children exhibited significantly less distress after treatment when compared with baseline sessions, that treatment gains were maintained at follow-up for three of them, and that child distress was significantly and negatively related to use of the experimental distractor. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.
The Impact of a Multivisceral Resection and Adjuvant Therapy in Locally Advanced Colon Cancer

Multivisceral resection for locally advanced colon cancer is mandatory to achieve complete tumor resection. We aimed to determine if local multivisceral resections (LMR) for pT4 and pT3 tumors impact perioperative and long-term oncological outcomes. All stage II or III colon cancer patients who had surgery between 2004 and 2014 were identified. We analyzed patients with non-multivisceral resections (NMR) for pT4 tumors vs. pT4-LMR. In addition, outcomes were compared to both NMR and LMR pT3 patients. LMR was performed in 55 (29.7%) of all patients with pT4 tumors and in 48 (8.9%) of all patients with pT3 tumors. The most commonly involved areas of extension were the abdominal wall and the small intestine. Transverse colon cancer was correlated with LMR. Morbidity rates were comparable between NMR and LMR, with the exception of higher rates of blood transfusion and postoperative ileus. Over one third of all pT4-NMR patients developed recurrent disease, which was higher compared to all other groups. Subsequently, overall and disease-specific survival, as well as disease-free survival (DFS), was worse for pT4-NMR, even after adjustment for pTN-staging, adjuvant therapy, and R0 resection. Furthermore, when analyzing only curative resections, radial margin < 1 cm along with nodal disease was independent predictor for worse DFS. Long-term outcomes were comparable between pT4-LMR and pT3 patients. Multivisceral resection for locally advanced colon cancer preserves long-term oncological outcomes without increased postoperative morbidity. Moreover, LMR in pT3 tumors does not contribute to postoperative morbidity. Our study underlines the feasibility and importance of performing LMR when locally advanced cancer is suspected.
Transporter-Mediated Delivery of Small Molecule Drugs to the Brain: A Critical Mechanism That Can Advance Therapeutic Development for Ischemic Stroke

Ischemic stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. Despite significant improvements in reperfusion therapies, stroke patients still suffer from debilitating neurocognitive deficits. This indicates an essential need to develop novel stroke treatment paradigms. Endogenous uptake transporters expressed at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) provide an excellent opportunity to advance stroke therapy via optimization of small molecule neuroprotective drug delivery to the brain. Examples of such uptake transporters include organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs in humans; Oatps in rodents) and organic cation transporters (OCTs in humans; Octs in rodents). Of particular note, small molecule drugs that have neuroprotective properties are known substrates for these transporters and include 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (i.e., statins) for OATPs/Oatps and 1-amino-3,5-dimethyladamantane (i.e., memantine) for OCTs/Octs. Here, we review current knowledge on specific BBB transporters that can be targeted for improvement of ischemic stroke treatment and provide state-of-the-art perspectives on the rationale for considering BBB transport properties during discovery/development of stroke therapeutics.
The microbiome in preterm infants and implications in health

Abstract Preterm infants are susceptible to inflammatory insults due to developmental immaturity. Their microbiome is also immature and progresses with postconceptional age. Factors such as antibiotics and formula feeding can lead to dysbiosis, marked by delayed maturation. The microbiome plays a critical role in neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating inflammatory disease of the bowel, as well as in other conditions such as sepsis, growth failure, and neurodevelopmental impairment.
Sample Efficiency in Sparse Reinforcement Learning: Or Your Money Back.

Sparse rewards present a difficult problem in reinforcement learning and may be inevitable in certain domains with complex dynamics such as real-world robotics. Hindsight Experience Replay (HER) is a recent replay memory development that allows agents to learn in sparse settings by altering memories to show them as successful even though they may not be. While, empirically, HER has shown some success, it does not provide guarantees around the makeup of samples drawn from an agent's replay memory. This may result in minibatches that contain only memories with zero-valued rewards or agents learning an undesirable policy that completes HER-adjusted goals instead of the actual goal. In this paper, we introduce Or Your Money Back (OYMB), a replay memory sampler designed to work with HER. OYMB improves training efficiency in sparse settings by providing a direct interface to the agent's replay memory that allows for control over minibatch makeup, as well as a preferential lookup scheme that prioritizes real-goal memories before HER-adjusted memories. We test our approach on five tasks across three unique environments. Our results show that using HER in combination with OYMB outperforms using HER alone and leads to agents that learn to complete the real goal more quickly.
Using Content Acquisition Podcasts to Improve Preservice Teacher Use of Behavior-Specific Praise:

With increasing demands for teacher accountability, today’s teachers are tasked with meeting both the academic and behavioral needs of their students. Being able to efficiently manage classroom beh...
Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Meaning of Christmas

Balthasar’s reflections on the mystery of Christmas provide not only a basic entry into his thought, but also an expanded view of his theological vision. Drawing primarily upon his sermons and scri...
Easing for Whom? Central Bank Asset Purchases and Household Inequlity

Does monetary policy affect household inequality? Does household inequality affect monetary policy transmission? We build a two-agent New Keynesian model with conventional monetary policy and central bank asset purchases to quantitatively address these questions. Expansionary shocks to conventional policy and asset purchases amplify responses of output relative to a representative agent model. Expansionary shocks to conventional policy reduce inequality, while the effect of increased asset purchases on inequality is ambiguous. Expansionary purchases are more likely to increase inequality when those purchases are very persistent or when the central bank follows a strict inflation target. On the other hand, expansionary purchases are more likely to reduce inequality when the policy rate is at the zero lower bound.
When Screen Time Isn't Screen Time: Tensions and Needs Between Tweens and Their Parents During Nature-Based Exploration

We investigated the experiences of 15 parents and their tween children (ages 8-12, n=23) during nature explorations using the NatureCollections app, a mobile application that connects children with nature. Drawing on parent interviews and in-app audio recordings from a 2-week deployment study, we found that tweens’ experiences with the NatureCollections app were influenced by tensions surrounding how parents and tweens negotiate technology use more broadly. Despite these tensions, the app succeeded in engaging tweens in outdoor nature explorations, and parents valued the shared family experiences around nature. Parents desired the app to support family bonding and inform them about how their tween used the app. This work shows how applications intended to support enriching youth experiences are experienced in the context of screen time tensions between parents and tween during a transitional period of child development. We offer recommendations for designing digital experiences to support family needs and reduce screen time tensions.
Sidewalk Gallery: An Interactive, Filterable Image Gallery of Over 500,000 Sidewalk Accessibility Problems

What do sidewalk accessibility problems look like? How might these problems differ across cities? In this poster paper, we introduce Sidewalk Gallery, an interactive, filterable gallery of over 500,000 crowdsourced sidewalk accessibility images across seven cities in two countries (US and Mexico). Gallery allows users to explore and interactively filter sidewalk images based on five primary accessibility problem types, 35 tag categories, and a 5-point severity scale. When browsing images, users can also provide feedback about data correctness. We envision Gallery as a tool for teaching in urban design and accessibility and as a visualization aid for disability advocacy.
The Autotutor 3 Architecture

Providing high quality of service over the Internet to a variety of clients while simultaneously providing good pedagogy and extensibility for content creators and developers are key issues in the design of the computational architecture of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS). In this paper, we describe an ITS architecture that attempts to address both issues using a distributed huband-spoke metaphor similar to that of the DARPA Galaxy Communicator. This architecture is described in the context of the natural language ITS that uses it, AutoTutor 3.
A genome-wide association study using selective DNA pooling identifies candidate markers for fertility in Holstein cattle.

Summary The decline in the reproductive efficiency of dairy cows, especially those with high producing potential, has become a challenging problem. In this study, a selective DNA pooling approach was applied to a cow population whose oocytes were fertilized and cultured to obtain phenotypic records of fertilization rate and blastocyst rate. Using a stringent 5% genome-wide significance level, 22 and five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found to be associated with fertilization rate and blastocyst rate, respectively. SNPs that showed significant association in selective DNA pooling were further evaluated by individual genotyping. Interestingly, the majority of the SNP associations were confirmed by individual genotyping, testifying to the effectiveness of selective DNA pooling using a high-density SNP genotyping array. This study is the first application of the selective DNA pooling approach using the BovineSNP50 array in cattle.
Frequency Domain Identification for Robust Large Space Structure Control Design

A methodology is demonstrated for synthesizing robust H ? controllers directly from raw experimental data. The method is applicable to on-orbit identification and control of large flexible structures in space.
The importance of optics training for engineers

An outline is presented of a three quarter graduate sequence of courses in optical systems theory for electrical engineers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). The ten major topics covered in the course are; the physical aspects of light; sources of light; lenses, mirrors, and geometrical optics; lasers; interference and diffraction phenomena; spatial frequency in optics; optical detectors; holography; optical data processing; and electrooptic and acoustooptic devices. >
Facial contour labeling via congealing

It is a challenging vision problem to discover non-rigid shape deformation for an image ensemble belonging to a single object class, in an automatic or semi-supervised fashion. The conventional semi-supervised approach [1] uses a congealing-like process to propagate manual landmark labels from a few images to a large ensemble. Although effective on an inter-person database with a large population, there is potential for increased labeling accuracy. With the goal of providing highly accurate labels, in this paper we present a parametric curve representation for each of the seven major facial contours. The appearance information along the curve, named curve descriptor, is extracted and used for congealing. Furthermore, we demonstrate that advanced features such as Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) can be utilized in the proposed congealing framework, which operates in a dual-curve congealing manner for the case of a closed contour. With extensive experiments on a 300-image ensemble that exhibits moderate variation in facial pose and shape, we show that substantial progress has been achieved in the labeling accuracy compared to the previous state-of-the-art approach.
Loss minimization for dynamic load trajectories on induction machine drives without torque performance degradation

This work is to provide a systematic loss minimizing solution for general dynamic load profiles on induction machines, without compromising desired torque dynamics. The drives use deadbeat-direct torque and flux control (DB-DTFC), in which torque production and stator flux linkage are fully decoupled and the Volt-sec (incremental stator flux linkage) vectors are the manipulated inputs. Stator flux linkage, as a separate degree-of-freedom, can be controlled dynamically to minimize machine losses at the same time that torque follows the commanded trajectory. With properly formed loss models and accurately captured machine dynamics, dynamic programming is adopted to generate loss minimizing stator flux trajectories for given load trajectories. A sinusoidal approximation for cyclical loading profiles and typical servo velocity profiles with large torque steps, are used to evaluate the proposed solution. Two filter-based methods which have been developed specifically for cyclical loading and servo velocity trajectories, respectively, are compared with the proposed method with respect to energy saving capability. Compared to the existing filter-based solutions, both simulation and experimental results demonstrate the proposed approach achieves better energy savings during the standard industrial trajectories examined here.
Material damping: An introductory review of mathematic measures and experimental technique

This paper begins with a discussion of various mathematical models which have been proposed to represent the damping behavior of solid materials, with emphasis on their usefulness in structural dynamic analyses. Next the various measures of damping which have been proposed for homogeneous materials are presented, along with derivations of interrelationships which exist among them. A wide variety of experimental techniques have been used to determine the damping characteristics; these are outlined in the next section. The paper concludes with a detailed discussion of excitation and data-reduction techniques for modal response of complicated structures. In an appendix (Appendix I) are presented two new extensions of the Kennedy-Pancu technique to structures made of materials represented by more realistic mathematical models than heretofore used.
Dancing with Myriam: Creating and Staging a New Metaphor for the Process of Translation

This article tells the story, and analyzes the development, of a “staged metaphor” for the translation process, from its chance inception over ten years ago, to the more recent revision and staging of the script. In 2005, I was teaching world literature at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, while also researching the writing of Irish and North African women. I chose to focus on those women writing in Irish, Tachelhit, Arabic, or French, whose work had been translated into English. I was initially inspired by Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill’s poem, “The Language Issue,” which compares the "sending forth" of her writing to a potential reader, to the story of Moses being discovered by Pharoah’s daughter. My ultimate goal was to produce a chamber theatre play, based on the Irish and North African texts, which would dramatize a metaphor for the translation process. This was an outgrowth of my doctoral work, in which I had drawn on oral interpretation theorists, who see the performance of literary texts as an accepted means of doing literary criticism. Accordingly, I also expanded the project to include the observations of translation theorists, and I incorporated these into the creation of the script for a chamber theatre performance. After directing a staging of the script in Morocco in 2007, I realized that I needed to add more choreographed movement, and to incorporate the character of Moses’s and Myriam’s mother into the metaphor. The addition of dance, and the foregrounding of the relationship between Myriam and her mother, draws unapologetically on female relationships. It is my conclusion that the revised metaphor, with the addition of these elements, is validated by Yves Bonnefoy’s and Henri Meschonnic's depictions of “translation as relationship with an author,” and that, the metaphor does indeed “provide . . . fresh insights.”
Role of Advanced Glycation Endproducts and Potential Therapeutic Interventions in Dialysis Patients

It has been nearly 100 years since the first published report of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) by the French chemist Maillard. Since then, our understanding of AGEs in diseased states has dramatically changed. Especially in the last 25 years, AGEs have been implicated in complications related to aging, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Although AGE formation has been well characterized by both in vitro and in vivo studies, few prospective human studies exist demonstrating the role of AGEs in patients on chronic renal replacement therapy. As the prevalence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States rises, it is essential to identify therapeutic strategies that either delay progression to ESRD or improve morbidity and mortality in this population. This article reviews the role of AGEs, especially those of dietary origin, in ESRD patients as well as potential therapeutic anti-AGE strategies in this population.
References to remote mobile objects in Thor

Thor is a distributed object-oriented database where objects are stored persistently at highly available servers called object repositories, or ORs. In a large Thor system, performance tuning and system reconfiguration dictate that objects must be able to migrate among ORs. The paper describes two schemes for object references that support object migration, one using location-independent names and the other, location-dependent names. The paper analyzes the performance of the two schemes and concludes that location-dependent names are the right choice for systems like Thor, where we want fast access to objects that have migrated.
Chronic ischemia increases prostatic smooth muscle contraction in the rabbit.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We studied the effect of chronic ischemia on prostatic smooth muscle contraction in the rabbit.Materials and Methods: New Zealand male rabbits weighing 3 to 3.5 kg were assigned to 2 groups. Group 1 (10 rabbits) underwent balloon endothelial injury of the iliac arteries and received a 0.5% cholesterol diet for 4 weeks and then a regular diet for 8 weeks. Control group 2 (10 rabbits) received a regular diet. After 12 weeks the animals were anesthetized. Iliac artery and prostate blood flow was recorded. Prostate tissues were prepared for isometric tension measurement, enzyme immunoassay to determine cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) release and histological examination.Results: In group 1 atherosclerosis as well as a significant decrease in iliac artery and prostate blood flow were observed. Ischemia significantly increased prostatic tissue contraction, decreased cGMP release and led to capsular and stromal thickening, and epithelial atrophy. The α1-adrenoceptor blocker doxazosin and t...
Endocannabinoid metabolism in the absence of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH): discovery of phosphorylcholine derivatives of N-acyl ethanolamines.

Lipid transmitters are tightly regulated by a balance of biosynthetic and degradative enzymes. Termination of the activity of the N-acyl ethanolamine (NAE) class of lipid-signaling molecules, including the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA), is principally mediated by the integral membrane enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in vivo. FAAH(−/−) mice are highly sensitized to the pharmacological effects of AEA; however, these animals eventually recover from AEA treatment, implying the existence of alternative routes for NAE metabolism. Here, we have pursued the characterization of these pathways by profiling the metabolome of FAAH(−/−) mice treated with AEA. Multiple AEA-induced metabolites were observed in brains from FAAH(−/−) mice, including a major product with a mass shift of +165 Da (m/z 513). The structure of this product was determined to be O-phoshorylcholine (PC)−AEA. Analysis of untreated mice identified PC−NAEs as endogenous constituents of the central nervous system (CNS) that were highly ele...
An analytical correlation of heat flux, nozzle diameter, and melting time, as applied to nozzle burners

A semi-infinite, heat-conducting slab is heated by means of a nozzle-type burner. The heat in-flux is assumed to be localized in the area where the flame “washes” the surface; its value is zero at time t=0, and is a given constant for 0<t. The method of fictitious sources is applied to the transient three-dimensional problem thus defined, and a correlation is derived expressing the time required to reach the melting temperature at a point on the surface as a function of the heat flux and the nozzle diameter. The results are given in the form of non-dimensional plots; the reduced heat flux is plotted against the Fourier number.
Pulmonary distribution of particles given by intratracheal instillation or by aerosol inhalation.

Abstract In animal studies concerned with the deposition of particulate matter in the lung, two methods for delivery of particles are commonly used, aerosol inhalation and intratracheal instillation of particle suspensions. We have attempted to evaluate the distribution patterns of each of these methods. Particles labeled with 99m Tc were administered to both rats and hamsters. The animals were subsequently killed. The lungs were excised, weighed, inflated, dried, and divided into 54 pieces which were counted individually in a Nuclear-Chicago Model 4230 Automatic Gamma Scintillation System. Groups receiving intratracheal instillations demonstrated nonuniform distribution patterns with preferential deposition in the dependent portions of the lung. The aerosol groups evidence more even distribution with preferential deposition in the apical lobes.
From Financing to Fevers: Lessons of an Antimalarial Subsidy Program

In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that countries use artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) to treat malaria patients ( 1 ), as continued use of artemisinin monotherapies and substandard drugs had the potential to lead to widespread resistance to artemisinin, the most effective drug for malaria. But ACTs were unaffordable for most people in malaria-endemic countries, particularly in the private for-profit sector where most people seek treatment. Artemisinin monotherapies and the threat of resistance remain a problem. Resistance has now emerged in Cambodia and is spreading to Myanmar and Vietnam ( 2 ). Despite WHO's efforts, monotherapies are produced by 37 pharmaceutical companies and marketed in 29 countries ( 3 ). Although resistance to artemisinin had not been detected at the time of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report in 2004 ( 4 ), an IOM committee proposed a global subsidy high in the distribution chain, both to make ACTs inexpensive and to displace artemisinin monotherapy and other ineffective drugs.
Improved exercise performance in persons with stable angina pectoris receiving diltiazem.

Abstract The effects of diltiazem, a calcium antagonist drug, were compared with those of placebo on exercise performance during a series of symptom-limited upright exercise tests. Ten patients with chronic stable angina were studied over a period of 7 weeks. The drug was administered in a random double-blind fashion and was evaluated at increasing dose levels of 120, 180 and 240 mg/day. Diltiazem was effective in increasing the total duration of exercise (p
The pathogenesis of viral-induced diabetes.

Serologic case-control studies have suggested an association between coxsasckie group B viruses and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). New investigations have identified enteroviral nucleic acid in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of newly-diagnosed patients with IDDM. The disease pathogenesis is dependent on several factors including the genetics of the host, strain of virus, activation status of autoreactive T-cells, upregulation of pancreatic MHC-1 antigens, molecular mimicry between viral and beta cell epitopes and direct islet cell destruction by viral cytolysis. Epitopes (IDDM-E1 and E2) on glutamate decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) are the most common targets for antibody and cellular-mediated autoimmune beta cell destruction.
17α-Estradiol Inhibits LAPC-4 Prostatic Tumor Cell Proliferation in Cell Cultures and Tumor Growth in Xenograft Animals

BACKGROUND Blockade of androgen activity is a major effective therapy for advanced prostate cancer. Estrogen analogs have been used for prostate cancer therapy for years presumably by inhibiting testosterone biosyntheses, but with considerable adverse events due to their classic estrogenic activity. With the discovery of the estrogen receptor (ER) β and its presence in prostate tumor cells, evaluation of estrogen analogs with less classic estrogenic activity in prostate cancer therapy is emerging. METHODS The effects of 17α-estradiol (αE2), a stereo-isomer of 17β-estradiol (βE2), on dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced cell growth and gene expressions were examined in androgen-dependent LAPC-4 prostatic tumor cells and in LAPC-4 xenograft animals, and compared to those of βE2. RESULTS Both αE2 and βE2 attenuated DHT induction of PSA gene expression, cell proliferation, and cell growth in cultured LAPC-4 cells. The inhibition of cell proliferation was associated with a blockade of DHT-induced cyclin A and cyclin D1 expression by αE2 and βE2. In LAPC-4 xenograft mice, αE2 significantly inhibited tumor growth without altering the plasma testosterone level, while βE2 failed to inhibit tumor growth even though it significantly inhibited PSA gene expression. CONCLUSION αE2 is an effective agent for inhibition of DHT-induced PSA, cyclin A, cyclin D1 gene expression, and cell proliferation in LAPC-4 cells, and tumor growth in LAPC-4 xenograft mice. Prostate 67: 1719–1728, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Using hop bines as reinforcements for lightweight polypropylene composites

Whole hop bines (HBs), the peeled outer bark (OB) of HBs, and fibers chemically extracted from hop bark (HFs) were used as reinforcements to make lightweight composites with polypropylene (PP) webs or fibers as the matrix materials. Using discarded HBs for composites not only increases the value of hop crops but also provides a green, sustainable, and biodegradable material for the composite industry. Lightweight composites are preferred, especially for automotive applications because of the potential energy savings. In this research, the effects of the processing parameters on the properties of PP composites reinforced with HBs were studied. The composites reinforced with OB without any chemical treatment showed better properties than the composites reinforced with HFs or HBs. Compared with jute–PP composites of the same density (0.47 g/cm3), composites reinforced with OB had 43% higher flexural strength, 46% higher impact resistance, 56% higher Young's modulus, similar modulus of elasticity, 33% lower tensile strength, and better sound-absorption properties. OB–PP composites with optimized properties have the potential to be used in industrial applications such as support layers in automotive interiors, ceiling tiles, and office panels. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010
Generalized Bouc-Wen model for highly asymmetric hysteresis

Bouc-Wen class models have been widely used to efficiently describe smooth hysteretic behavior in time history and random vibration analyses. This paper proposes a generalized Bouc-Wen model with sufficient flexibility in shape control to describe highly asymmetric hysteresis loops. Also introduced is a mathematical relation between the shape-control parameters and the slopes of the hysteresis loops, so that the model parameters can be identified systematically in conjunction with available parameter identification methods. For use in nonlinear random vibration analysis by the equivalent linearization method, closed-form expressions are derived for the coefficients of the equivalent linear system in terms of the second moments of the response quantities. As an example application, the proposed model is successfully fitted to the highly asymmetric hysteresis loops obtained in laboratory experiments for flexible connectors used in electrical substations. The model is then employed to investigate the effect of dynamic interaction between interconnected electrical substation equipment by nonlinear time-history and random vibration analyses.