cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy expenditure after surgical repair in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease

Abstract Objective: Infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) have previously been shown to have similar resting energy expenditures (REEs) and elevated total energy expenditures (TEEs) compared with age-matched healthy infants. The purpose of this investigation was to re-examine the REE and TEE of the same individuals at 5 years of age, after surgical repair of the heart defect was done, to determine whether metabolic differences persist. Study design: Seven children were studied approximately 2.6 years after they underwent surgical repair of CCHD along with 10 age-matched healthy children. Indirect calorimetry was used to determine REE, and the doubly labeled water method was used to determine TEE and body composition. Results: Results were compared with single-factor repeated measures analysis of variance. No significant differences were found between groups in weight or body composition. No significant differences were found between groups in REE, TEE, or the energy expended in physical activity. Conclusion: We conclude that differences in TEE observed during infancy are no longer present in 5-year-old children after they undergo surgical repair of CCHD. Furthermore, the individual components of energy expenditure of children with CCHD after repair are indistinguishable from those of healthy age-matched children. (J Pediatr 2000;137:381-5)
Cosmic strings as random walks.

We present a random-walk model for the formation of cosmic strings in the early Universe. Analytic results are given for the scaling of string length with straight-line end-to-end separation, the length distribution of closed loops, and the fraction of total string length in infinite strings. We explain why the string network has the statistical properties of a set of Brownian, rather than self-avoiding, random walks, even in models in which string intersections in the initial configuration are impossible. It is found that the number of closed loops per unit volume with length between l and l+dl is dn=C${\ensuremath{\xi}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3/2}$${l}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}5/2}$dl, while the scaling of the straight-line distance R between two points on a string separated by a length l is R\ensuremath{\sim}(l\ensuremath{\xi}${)}^{1/2}$. The fraction of string length in infinite strings is \ensuremath{\gtrsim}(2/3)\char21{}(3/4). These results are in reasonable agreement with previous Monte Carlo simulations and are confirmed by our own computer simulations in which string intersections in the initial configuration do not occur. The prevalence of infinite strings is a natural feature in the random-walk model.
Partitioning and Mapping Algorithms into Fixed Size Systolic Arrays

A technique for partitioning and mapping algorithms into VLSI systolic arrays is presented in this paper. Algorithm partitioning is essential when the size of a computational problem is larger than the size of the VLSI array intended for that problem. Computational models are introduced for systolic arrays and iterative algorithms. First, we discuss the mapping of algorithms into arbitrarily large size VLSI arrays. This mapping is based on the idea of algorithm transformations. Then, we present an approach to algorithm partitioning which is also based on algorithm transformations. Our approach to the partitioning problem is to divide the algorithm index set into bands and to map these bands into the processor space. The partitioning and mapping technique developed throughout the paper is summarized as a six step procedure. A computer program implementing this procedure was developed and some results obtained with this program are presented.
A maximum power point tracking method for PV systems supplying a periodic nonlinear load

For most linear loads, finding the maximum power point by using the traditional perturb-and-observe algorithm to track the maximum output current of the DC-DC converter in a PV system is a proven technique. However, when the load is nonlinear and exhibits negative impedance, traditional methods might no longer be applicable. This paper presents a method to overcome this challenge. The proposed maximum power point tracking algorithm still only requires typically measured signals, yet is suitable for both linear and periodic nonlinear loads.
Mechatronic Systems Design for an Autonomous Robotic System for High-Efficiency Bridge Deck Inspection and Evaluation

The condition of bridges is critical for the safety of the traveling public. Bridges deteriorate with time as a result of material aging, excessive loading, environmental effects, and inadequate maintenance. The current practice of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of bridge decks cannot meet the increasing demands for highly efficient, cost-effective, and safety-guaranteed inspection and evaluation. In this paper, a mechatronic systems design for an autonomous robotic system for highly efficient bridge deck inspection and evaluation is presented. An autonomous holonomic mobile robot is used as a platform to carry various NDE sensing systems for simultaneous and fast data collection. The robot's NDE sensor suite includes ground penetrating radar arrays, acoustic/seismic arrays, electrical resistivity sensors, and video cameras. Besides the NDE sensors, the robot is also equipped with various onboard navigation sensors such as global positioning system (GPS), inertial measurement units (IMU), laser scanner, etc. An integration scheme is presented to fuse the measurements from the GPS, the IMU and the wheel encoders for high-accuracy robot localization. The performance of the robotic NDE system development is demonstrated through extensive testing experiments and field deployments.
DNA Damage Produced in V79 Cells by DNA-Incorporated Iodine-123: A Comparison with Iodine-125

The neutral elution technique (pH 9.6) has been used to compare the damage produced in the DNA of V79 cells following the decay of the Auger-electron emitters123 I and125 I incorporated into DNA in the form of $5\text{-}[{}^{123}{\rm I}/{}^{125}{\rm I}]{\rm iodo}\text{-}2^{\prime}\text{-deoxyuridine}$ ( ${}^{123}{\rm IdU}$ , ${}^{125}{\rm IdU}$ ) or after60 Co γ irradiation. Elution profiles of retained radioactivity versus eluted volume were generally found to be nonlinear and partially dependent on the cell treatment prior to elution. Plots of a suitable function of radioactivity retention on the filters versus total decays for123 I or125 I and dose (Gy) for γ radiation were linear. Assuming that each125 I decay produces one double-strand break (DSB), the60 Co efficiency in DSB production was found to be 53.4 DSBs/Gy/cell (or $17.8\ {\rm DSBs}/{\rm Gy}/10^{12}\ {\rm Da}$ ), in agreement with values reported previously. The d...
Closing the gaps: ensuring the application of available knowledge in the promotion of health and the prevention of disease.

Introduction by Clarence E. Pearson, President, National Center for Health Education: In my introduction of our luncheon speaker, let me try to supplement President Carter's fine remarks with a few additional items of information which will help you know Dr. Foege a little better. Bill Foege is truly what I would consider a “man for all seasons,” and for all reasons; a distinguished scientist, humanitarian, epidemiologist, global scholar, medical practitioner, educator, and really a human being extraordinaire. Dr. Foege, as Director, Carter Center of Emory University, also heads the Task Force for Child Survival, a working group of the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, UNDP, and the Rockefeller Foundation. The mission of the Task Force is to assist in developing child health programs and accelerate research related to immunization activities, focusing primarily in the developing world. As an epidemiologist, he is recognized as the key person directing the successful worldwide campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s. After serving as a medical missionary in Nigeria, Dr. Foege became chief of the CDC Smallpox Eradication Program. His career of public service brought him to the top of his profession when he became Director of the Centers for Disease Control of the U.S. Public Health Service in 1977, a position he held until 1983. As president of the American Public Health Association, he championed the role of health promotion in education, injury prevention, and risk reduction as tools for improving the quality of life for all people in the U.S. He earned his doctorate of medicine degree from the University of Washington and his public health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health. We are pleaded to note that he also has accepted a position as a member of the recently-appointed National Commission on the Role of the School and the Community in Improving Adolescent Health. I know him as a man of conviction, commitment, vision, and lots and lots of energy. I'm pleased to introduce our co-host for this invitational conference, Dr. William Foege.
Incorporating Phaeocystis into a Southern Ocean ecosystem model

Phaeocystis antarctica is an important phytoplankton species in the Southern Ocean. We incorporated P. antarctica into the biogeochemical elemental cycling ocean model to study Southern Ocean ecosystem dynamics and biogeochemistry. The optimum values of ecological parameters for Phaeocystis were sought through synthesizing laboratory and field observations, and the model output was evaluated with observed chlorophyll a, carbon biomass, and nutrient distributions. Several factors have been proposed to control Southern Ocean ecosystem structure, including light adaptation, iron uptake capability, and loss processes. Optimum simulation results were obtained when P. antarctica had a relatively high α (P-I curve initial slope) value and a higher half-saturation constant for iron uptake than other phytoplankton. Simulation results suggested that P. antarctica had a competitive advantage under low irradiance levels, especially in the Ross Sea and Weddell Sea. However, the distributions of P. antarctica and diatoms were also strongly influenced by iron availability. Although grazing rates had an influence on total biomass, our simulations did not show a strong influence of grazing pressure in the competition between P. antarctica and diatoms. However, limited observations and the relative simplicity of zooplankton in our model suggest further research is needed. Overall, P. antarctica contributed ∼13% of annual primary production and ∼19% of sinking carbon export in the Southern Ocean (>40°S) in our best case simulation. At higher latitudes (>60°S) P. antarctica accounts for ∼23% of annual primary production and ∼30% of sinking carbon export.
Formation and interpretation of double peaks in flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract Under conditions which are non-optimum, such as low quartz tube atomizer temperatures, insufficient oxygen supply and excessively high analyte element concentrations, double peaks and a shift in time of the second peak may be observed in flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. These phenomena could be explained satisfactorily by a hydrogen radical depletion which results in the formation of mono- and di-hydrides of antimony and arsenic instead of atoms. These mono- and di-hydrides are thermally decomposed to the element and retained in the heated quartz tube and may be re-volatilized and atomized by reaction with hydrogen radicals. The phenomena described in this work strongly support the hydrogen radical mechanism of atomization of arsine and stibine in an externally heated quartz tube atomizer.
Trace measurements of beryllium by adsorptive stripping voltammetry and potentiometry

Abstract A highly sensitive electrochemical stripping procedure for ultratrace measurements of beryllium, in which preconcentration is achieved by the adsorption of the beryllium-thorin complex onto a stationary mercury electrode is described. Both voltammetric and potentiometric stripping modes are used to follow the reduction of the adsorbed complex. Optimal conditions were found to be a stirred ammonium buffer (pH 9.1) solution containint 1 × 10-7 M thorin, a preconcentration potential of -0.48 V and a differential pulse scan. For a 2-min preconcentration time, the detection limit found was 30 ng 1-1 (3 × 10-9 M). the relative standard deviation at 2 μg 1-1) is 1.9%; most metal ions do not interfere.
Stable shell structures in hydrogen-bonded complexes

Neutral clusters (NH3) n ((CH3)3N) m and (H2O) n ((CH3)3N) m , prepared in a pulsed nozzle supersonic expansion, are ionized by multiphoton ionization and investigated with a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometry technique. The observed mixed cluster ions display a maximum intensity atm=2(n+1) whenn ≦ 5 for (NH3) n ·((CH3)3N) m H+ andm=n+2 whenn ≦ 4 for (H2O) n ((CH3)3N) m H+ indicating that the cluster ions with these combinations have a stable closed shell structure. However, the pattern begins to break down whenn>5 for ammonia system andn>4 for water system. Thereupon, the most intense peaks are reached with one molecule less than the pattern required, i.e.m=2(n+1)−1 whenn=6 for (NH3) n ((CH3)3N) m H+ andm=(n+2)−1 whenn=5 for (H2O) n ((CH3)3N) m H+. These findings strongly suggest the onset of hydrogen-bonded ring structures from chain-like ones at critical cluster sizes. This is also supported by the studies of the metastable decomposition.
Teratogenic effects of direct injection of aqueous and protein-bound trypan blue into the bloodstream of 3-day chick embryos.

To test the direct teratogenic effects of trypan blue in chick embryos 1 μl of 0.1% dye (dissolved in isotonic saline or 9-day chick embryonic serum) was injected into the vitelline veins at 72 hours of incubation. It was carried from the injection site into the embryonic circulation within seconds after injection. The types and sites of abnormalities produced were noted 1 day later. Of the various types of controls, 65% were normal, 18% died within 1 day of treatment, and 17% had abnormalities. None among the experimental specimens was normal, 62% died within 1 day of treatment, and 38% had abnormalities. In all groups the malformations consisted of hematomas of the head, caudal region or both. Trypan blue caused more deaths when administered in serum than in saline.
Example-based image compression

The current standard image-compression approaches rely on fairly simple predictions, using either block- or wavelet-based methods. While many more sophisticated texture-modeling approaches have been proposed, most do not provide a significant improvement in compression rate over the current standards at a workable encoding complexity level. We re-examine this area, using example-based texture prediction. We find that we can provide consistent and significant improvements over JPEG, reducing the bit rate by more than 20% for many PSNR levels. These improvements require consideration of the differences between residual energy and prediction/residual compressibility when selecting a texture prediction, as well as careful control of the computational complexity in encoding.
Evidence against roles for pertussis toxin sensitive G proteins or diacylglycerol generation in insulin-like growth factor-1 stimulated DNA synthesis in MG-63 osteosarcoma cells

Abstract A pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein has been reported to play a role in the mitogenic response to insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in mouse fibroblasts, and diacyglycerol generation has been shown to accompany growth stimulation by IGF-I of several cell lines. We have examined the roles of pertussis toxin sensitive G proteins and diacylglycerol generation in signaling by the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor in a cell line that is very responsive to IGF-I, the human osteosarcoma cell line, MG-63. Pertussis toxin failed to inhibit IGF-I induced [ 3 H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA. Furthermore, the stable analog GTPyS had no effect on the binding of 125 I-labelled IGF-I to MG-63 membrane preparations. Following addition of IGF-I to growth-arrested MG-63 cells there was no increase in diacylglycerol levels over 30 min. We conclude that the activated IGF-I receptor does not use pertussis toxin sensitive G proteins or diacylglycerol generation in a pathway leading to DNA synthesis in MG-63 cells.
The Discovery of a Companion to the Very Cool Dwarf Gliese 569B with the Keck Adaptive Optics Facility

We report observations obtained with the Keck adaptive optics facility of the nearby (d=9.8 pc) binary Gl 569. The system was known to be composed of a cool primary (dM2) and a very cool secondary (dM8.5) with a separation of 5a (49 AU). We have found that Gl 569B is itself double with a separation of only 0f101+/-0f002 (1 AU). This detection demonstrates the superb spatial resolution that can be achieved with adaptive optics at Keck. The difference in brightness between Gl 569B and the companion is approximately 0.5 mag in the J, H, and Ka bands. Thus, both objects have similarly red colors and very likely constitute a very low mass binary system. For reasonable assumptions about the age (0.12-1.0 Gyr) and total mass of the system (0.09-0.15 M middle dot in circle), we estimate that the orbital period is approximately 3 yr. Follow-up observations will allow us to obtain an astrometric orbit solution and will yield direct dynamical masses that can constrain evolutionary models of very low mass stars and brown dwarfs.
QUANTITATIVE CHANGES IN WHOLE MYOFIBRILS AND MYOFIBRILLAR PROTEINS DURING FROZEN STORAGE OF TRUE COD

The extractability of whole myofibrils from true cod decreased more rapidly during frozen storage at −40°C than did the extractability of the component myofibrillar proteins. There was a 95% decrease in extractable myofibrils after 6 months in storage, but only a 23% decrease in extractable myofibrillar proteins.
Biophysical Variability and Pastoral Rights to Resources: West African Transhumance Revisited

This paper focuses on a conundrum that has dominated the literature on pastoral mobility and institutions in dryland regions of the world, where livestock production is the main livelihood system. High spatiotemporal variability of rainfall and forage resources are seen to require flexible rules and porous social boundaries to facilitate pastoral mobility—characteristics that run counter to conventional views of the requirements for effective common property institutions. We seek to explore this paradox by investigating the spatiotemporal variability of forage availability (using satellite derived vegetation indices as a proxy for green forage) in four transhumance zones (“transhumance sheds”) in Mali, West Africa. For each transhumance shed, three characteristics with important institutional implications are evaluated over an eleven-year period between 2000 and 2010: the inter-annual variability of forage phenology, seasonal changes in connectivity of green forage patches, and the degree to which key forage locations exist in the form of consistently early green-up and/or late senescence. Periods of vegetation green-up and senescence, which determine the timing of transhumant livestock movements, are found to be sufficiently regular from year to year to be governed by conventional institutions. Seasonal changes in the north-south connectivity of green patches are sufficiently rapid for customary systems of sharing of pasture information to be effective (rather than more technologically sophisticated systems of pasture information). Moreover, transhumance sheds contain key pastoral forage sites, which because of their consistently early greening or late senescence, are strong candidates for territorial protection from alternative land uses such as agriculture. These findings support local herders’ views of transhumance as composed of regular patterns of herd movements along prescribed corridors between key pastoral sites. The seasonal regularity of key pastoral resources has been obscured by an overemphasis on environmental unpredictability that characterizes dryland systems at certain spatial and temporal scales. This paper suggests that policies directed at improving pastoral resource governance must focus instead on securing pastoralists’ access rights to movement corridors, specific pastures and water points.
The occurrence and periodicity of oscillating peritectic microstructures developed during directional solidification

The layered microstructures that can form during plane-front directional solidification in peritectic systems were characterized quantitatively as a function of growth velocity using a Sn-Cd alloy. Layers were formed for an alloy composition outside of the two-phase peritectic region in the absence of longitudinal macrosegregation. The layers did not extend over the entire sample cross sections, so that the layered regions had a different composition than the alloy. Each of the two solids was found to be interconnected and continuous in three dimensions. The layer lengths and individual layer compositions did not vary with solidification distance. The average layer compositions were not a function of growth velocity and were approximately those at the peritectic temperature. This research was compared to the current model by Trivedi, which is based upon cyclic accumulation and depletion of solute in the liquid ahead of the interface linked to repeated nucleation events. The dependence of layer length on growth velocity predicted by the model was not obtained experimentally. The differences between results and predictions are related to the continuity of the two solids and the nonuniform cross-sectional composition in the Sn-Cd samples, which contradict assumptions of the model. A formation mechanism involving competitive lateral growth between the two solids at the solid-liquid interface would be more consistent with the current research.
The Moderating Effects of Structure on Volatility and Complexity in Software Enhancement

The cost of enhancing software applications to accommodate new and evolving user requirements is significant. Many enhancement cost-reduction initiatives have focused on increasing software structure in applications. However, while software structure can decrease enhancement effort by localizing data processing, increased effort is also required to comprehend structure. Thus, it is not clear whether high levels of software structure are economically efficient in all situations. In this study, we develop a model of the relationship between software structure and software enhancement costs and errors. We introduce the notion of software structure as a moderator of the relationship between software volatility, total data complexity, and software enhancement outcomes. We posit that it is efficient to more highly structure the more volatile applications, because increased familiarity with the application structure through frequent enhancement enables localization of maintenance effort. For more complex applications, software structure is more beneficial than for less complex applications because it facilitates the comprehension process where it is most needed. Given the downstream enhancement benefits of structure for more volatile and complex applications, we expect that the optimal level of structure is higher for these applications. We empirically evaluate our model using data collected on the business applications of a major mass merchandiser and a large commercial bank. We find that structure moderates the relationship between complexity, volatility, and enhancement outcomes, such that higher levels of structure are more advantageous for the more complex and more volatile applications in terms of reduced enhancement costs and errors. We also find that more structure is designed in for volatile applications and for applications with higher levels of complexity. Finally, we identify application type as a significant factor in predicting which applications are more volatile and more complex at our research sites. That is, applications with induction-based algorithms such as those that support planning, forecasting, and management decision-making activities are more complex and more volatile than applications with rule-based algorithms that support operational and transaction-processing activities. Our results indicate that high investment in software quality practices such as structured design is not economically efficient in all situations. Our findings also suggest the importance of organizational mechanisms in promoting efficient design choices that lead to reduced enhancement costs and errors.
Abnormal movements in first-episode, nonaffective psychosis: Dyskinesias, stereotypies, and catatonic-like signs

Motor abnormalities represent a neurobehavioral domain of signs intrinsic to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, though they are commonly attributed to medication side effects and remain understudied. Individuals with first-episode psychosis represent an ideal group to study innate movement disorders due to minimal prior antipsychotic exposure. We measured dyskinesias, stereotypies, and catatonic-like signs and examined their associations with: (1) age at onset of psychotic symptoms and duration of untreated psychosis; (2) positive, negative, and disorganized symptoms; (3) neurocognition; and (4) neurological soft signs. Among 47 predominantly African American first-episode psychosis patients in a public-sector hospital, the presence and severity of dyskinesias, stereotypies, and catatonic-like features were assessed using approximately 30-min video recordings. Movement abnormalities were rated utilizing three scales (Dyskinesia Identification System Condensed User Scale, Stereotypy Checklist, and Catatonia Rating Scale). Correlational analyses were conducted. Scores for each of three movement abnormality types were modestly inter-correlated (r=0.29-0.40). Stereotypy score was significantly associated with age at onset of psychotic symptoms (r=0.32) and positive symptom severity scores (r=0.29-0.41). There were no meaningful or consistent associations with negative symptom severity, neurocognition, or neurological soft signs. Abnormal movements appear to represent a relatively distinct phenotypic domain deserving of further research.
Mechanical ventilation in rural ICUs

In recent years, rural hospitals have expanded their scope ofspecialized services, which has led to the development and staffing of ruralintensive care units (ICUs). There is little information about the breadth,quality or outcomes of these services. This is particularly true forspecialized ICU services such as mechanical ventilation, where little, if any,information exists specifically for rural hospitals. The long-term objectivesof this project were to evaluate the quality of medical care provided tomechanically ventilated patients in rural ICUs and to improve patient carethrough an educational intervention. This paper reports baseline data onpatient and hospital characteristics for both rural and rural referralhospitals. Twenty Iowa hospitals were evaluated. Data collected on 224patients demonstrated a mean age of 70 years and a mean ICU admission AcutePhysiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score of 22, with anassociated 36% mortality. Mean length of ICU stay was 10 days, with 7.7ventilated days. Significant differences were found in both institutional andpatient variables between rural referral hospitals and rural hospitals withmore limited resources. A subgroup of patients with diagnoses associated withcomplex ventilation had higher mortality rates than patients without theseconditions. Patients who developed nosocomial events had longer mean ventilatorand ICU days than patients without nosocomial events. This study also found ICUpractices that frequently fell outside the guidelines recommended by a taskforce describing minimum standards of care for critically ill patients withacute respiratory failure on mechanical ventilation. Despite distinct differences in the available resources betweenrural referral and rural hospitals, overall mortality rates of ventilatedpatients are similar. Considering the higher mortality rates observed inpatients with complicated medical conditions requiring complex ventilationmanagement, the data may suggest that this subgroup could benefit fromtreatment at a tertiary center with greater resources and technology.
The bHLH transcription factor CHF1/Hey2 regulates susceptibility to apoptosis and heart failure after pressure overload.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common response to hemodynamic stress in the heart and can progress to heart failure. To investigate whether the transcription factor cardiovascular basic helix-loop-helix ...
Not to be European would not be 'to be European still': Undoing Eurocentrism in Levinas and Others

In this essay I return to the difficult relation between the ethics and politics of Emmanuel Levinas through his critique of "paganism" and "primitivism." I argue that Levinas' central philosophical claims are fundamentally constituted by his problematic conceptions of so-called primitive life. Thus unlike current scholarship which has tried to put a wedge between Levinas' ethics and his politics (a wedge I aim to refute in the beginning of the essay), I suggest that one way to make Levinas' contributions meaningful in a global world is to unhinge the philosophy from the beginning. Building on the dialogue between Levinas and Derrida, as well as contemporary anthropology, I argue that we can make an orginary agnostic moment prior to his work, which might allow us to think through a plurality of ethical subjectivities.
Kinetic modeling of Secondary Organic Aerosol formation: effects of particle- and gas-phase reactions of semivolatile products

The distinguishing mechanism of formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is the partitioning of semivolatile hydrocarbon oxidation products between the gas and aerosol phases. While SOA formation is typically described in terms of partitioning only, the rate of formation and ultimate yield of SOA can also depend on the kinetics of both gas- and aerosol-phase processes. We present a general equilibrium/kinetic model of SOA formation that provides a framework for evaluating the extent to which the controlling mechanisms of SOA formation can be inferred from laboratory chamber data. With this model we examine the effect on SOA formation of gas-phase oxidation of first-generation products to either more or less volatile species, of particle-phase reaction (both first- and second-order kinetics), of the rate of parent hydrocarbon oxidation, and of the extent of reaction of the parent hydrocarbon. The effect of pre-existing organic aerosol mass on SOA yield, an issue of direct relevance to the translation of laboratory data to atmospheric applications, is examined. The importance of direct chemical measurements of gas- and particle-phase species is underscored in identifying SOA formation mechanisms.
A single-staged PV array-based high-frequency link inverter design with grid connection

This paper proposes an efficient control approach of photovoltaic (PV) array-based high-frequency link inverter architecture that tracks the maximum available power of a PV array source and synchronously supplies sinusoidal current into the utility grid by using only a single stage of power processing conversion. A feed-forward compensator eliminates the loop gain dependence on the utility grid and keep the input maximum power of PV array during variable grid voltage. Voltage seconds analysis shows that the transformer can be designed as the conventional high-frequency transformer of a DC/DC converter without any low frequency harmonics. Simulation and experimental results show that the full-bridge switches are turning on at zero voltage.
Managing Spread from Rhizome Fragments is Key to Reducing Invasiveness in Miscanthus × giganteus

Abstract Miscanthus × giganteus, a widely planted biofeedstock, is generally regarded as a relatively low invasion concern. As a seed-infertile species, it lacks a consistent mechanism of long-distance dispersal, a key contributor to invasion rate, and constitutes a low risk for cultivation escape. However, agricultural production shelters plants from stochasticity and increases propagule pressure, enhancing the potential for low-risk species to take advantage of rare dispersal opportunities. Weed risk assessments of M. × giganteus assume the rarity of events such as scouring and flooding that would facilitate secondary dispersal of vegetative rhizome fragments and the long-term sexual inviability of escapes. Combining data from small-scale rhizome fragmentation and movement experiments, and estimates from the literature, we parameterized an individual-based model to examine M. × giganteus spread given three dispersal scenarios. We further evaluated our estimates in response to different field edge buffer...
Streaming multigrid for gradient-domain operations on large images

We introduce a new tool to solve the large linear systems arising from gradient-domain image processing. Specifically, we develop a streaming multigrid solver, which needs just two sequential passes over out-of-core data. This fast solution is enabled by a combination of three techniques: (1) use of second-order finite elements (rather than traditional finite differences) to reach sufficient accuracy in a single V-cycle, (2) temporally blocked relaxation, and (3) multi-level streaming to pipeline the restriction and prolongation phases into single streaming passes. A key contribution is the extension of the B-spline finite-element method to be compatible with the forward-difference gradient representation commonly used with images. Our streaming solver is also efficient for in-memory images, due to its fast convergence and excellent cache behavior. Remarkably, it can outperform spatially adaptive solvers that exploit application-specific knowledge. We demonstrate seamless stitching and tone-mapping of gigapixel images in about an hour on a notebook PC.
Vision for cross-layer optimization to address the dual challenges of energy and reliability

We are rapidly approaching an inflection point where the conventional target of producing perfect, identical transistors that operate without upset can no longer be maintained while continuing to reduce the energy per operation. With power requirements already limiting chip performance, continuing to demand perfect, upset-free transistors would mean the end of scaling benefits. The big challenges in device variability and reliability are driven by uncommon tails in distributions, infrequent upsets, one-size-fits-all technology requirements, and a lack of information about the context of each operation. Solutions co-designed across traditional layer boundaries in our system stack can change the game, allowing architecture and software (a) to compensate for uncommon variation, environments, and events, (b) to pass down invariants and requirements for the computation, and (c) to monitor the health of collections of devices. Cross-layer codesign provides a path to continue extracting benefits from further scaled technologies despite the fact that they may be less predictable and more variable. While some limited multi-layer mitigation strategies do exist, to move forward redefining traditional layer abstractions and developing a framework that facilitates cross-layer collaboration is necessary.
Personalized dosing via pharmacokinetic monitoring of 5-fluorouracil might reduce toxicity in early- or late-stage colorectal cancer patients treated with infusional 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy regimens.

Abstract Introduction Therapeutic plasma 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) levels are achieved in only 20% to 30% of patients with the current practice of administering 5-FU doses based on body surface area (BSA). Alternatively, 5-FU doses can be adjusted based on 5-FU pharmacokinetic (PK) monitoring. Although benefits of PK monitoring of 5-FU in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) have been reported, its utility among patients with early stage disease has not been reported. Patients and Methods We retrospectively examined the effect of 5-FU PK monitoring in 84 CRC patients (49 stage IV and 35 stage II/III) receiving mFOLFOX6 (modifiedFOLFOX6; modified 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin protocol) or mFOLFIRI (modified 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan protocol). Forty-six of the 84 patients received 5-FU doses based on BSA and 38 received doses that were adjusted with PK monitoring. 5-FU plasma levels were measured using a nanoparticle immunoassay method. Results 5-fluorouracil PK monitoring significantly improved disease-free survival in stage II/III patients (P = .0429). There was also a trend towards improved progression-free survival among stage IV patients who had their 5-FU levels PK-monitored (P = .16). Moreover, 5-FU PK monitoring significantly reduced (P = .0437) and delayed (P = .0144) adverse effects in stage II/III patients. Toxicity occurred after the second 5-FU dose in the BSA group and after the sixth to seventh dose in the PK monitoring group. In stage IV patients, the onset of toxicities was also delayed with PK monitoring (P = .0605). Conclusion We provide evidence that PK monitoring of 5-FU is potentially beneficial for late stage and early stage CRC. These results contribute to the growing body of evidence regarding patient benefit when treatment decisions are based on the individual patient characteristics, in this case, a patients' 5-FU levels.
Convincing Legislators with Performance Measures

Abstract This study uses an analysis of public managers' own words to increase legislative use of performance measures in budgeting. Using data from a survey designed from a content analysis of local administrators' descriptions of effective approaches, it shows that high quality budget analysis, political consideration, and effective communication can increase the chances for effective performance-based legislative funding. The findings can help managers effectively prepare and present their performance-based budget requests. The findings also speak to budgetary decision-making theory.
Developing and Using Technology for Course Delivery.

Technology can be used effectively for delivering courses off campus; the development of a delivery system requires planning and development. This article summarizes some professional issues related to technology and distance education courses along with a variety of delivery formats including lectures, virtual classes, and Internet courses. Typical problems encountered as well as questions that may guide decision making regarding the selection of delivery formats for specific programs are addressed and numerous tables are included that list Internet and multimedia resources. A description of a course developed by the author for the University of Alaska Anchorage is included.
The relative importance of exogenous and substrate-derived nitrogen for microbial growth during leaf decomposition

Heterotrophic microbes colonizing detritus obtain nitrogen (N) for growth by assimilating N from their substrate or immobilizing exogenous inorganic N. Microbial use of these two pools has different implications for N cycling and organic matter decomposition in the face of the global increase in biologically available N. We used sugar maple leaves labeled with 15 N to differentiate between microbial N that had been assimilated from the leaf substrate (enriched with 15 N) or immobilized from the water (natural abundance 15 N: 14 N) in five Appalachian streams ranging in ambient NO3-N concentrations from about 5 to 900 l gN O 3- N/L. Ambient NO3 � concentration increased sugar maple decomposition rate but did not influence the proportion of microbial N derived from substrate or exogenous pools. Instead, these proportions were strongly influenced by the percentage of detrital ash-free dry mass (AFDM) remaining. Substrate-derived N made up a large proportion of the microbial N after the first 24 h in all streams. Detrital and microbial isotopic 15 N signatures approached that of the water as decomposition progressed in all streams, suggesting that exogenous N may be the predominant source of N for meeting microbial requirements even when exogenous N concentrations are low. Our results support predictions of more rapid decomposition of organic matter in response to increased N availability and highlight the tight coupling of processes driving microbial N cycling and organic matter decomposition.
Beyond Simple Models of Self-Control to Circuit-Based Accounts of Adolescent Behavior

Adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood that begins around the onset of puberty and ends with relative independence from the parent. This developmental period is one when an individual is probably stronger, of higher reasoning capacity, and more resistant to disease than ever before, yet when mortality rates increase by 200%. These untimely deaths are not due to disease but to preventable deaths associated with adolescents putting themselves in harm's way (e.g., accidental fatalities). We present evidence that these alarming health statistics are in part due to diminished self-control—the ability to inhibit inappropriate desires, emotions, and actions in favor of appropriate ones. Findings of adolescent-specific changes in self-control and underlying brain circuitry are considered in terms of how evolutionarily based biological constraints and experiences shape the brain to adapt to the unique intellectual, physical, sexual, and social challenges of adolescence.
Evaluation of Funnel Traps for Characterizing the Bark Beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) Communities in Ponderosa Pine Forests of North-Central Arizona

Lindgren funnel traps baited with aggregation pheromones are widely used to monitor and manage populations of economically important bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). This study was designed to advance our understanding of how funnel trap catches assess bark beetle communities and relative abundance of individual species. In the second year (2005) of a 3-yr study of the bark beetle community structure in north-central Arizona pine (Pinus spp.) forests, we collected data on stand structure, site conditions, and local bark beetle-induced tree mortality at each trap site. We also collected samples of bark from infested (brood) trees near trap sites to identify and determine the population density of bark beetles that were attacking ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson, in the area surrounding the traps. Multiple regression models indicated that the number of Dendroctonus and Ips beetles captured in 2005 was inversely related to elevation of the trap site, and positively associated with the amount of ponderosa pine in the stand surrounding the site. Traps located closer to brood trees also captured more beetles. The relationship between trap catches and host tree mortality was weak and inconsistent in forest stands surrounding the funnel traps, suggesting that trap catches do not provide a good estimate of local beetle-induced tree mortality. However, pheromone-baited funnel trap data and data from gallery identification in bark samples produced statistically similar relative abundance profiles for the five species of bark beetles that we examined, indicating that funnel trap data provided a good assessment of species presence and relative abundance.
Integrins in kidney development, function, and disease

Integrins are heterodimeric cell surface receptors that mediate heterophilic cell-cell interactions and interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (Hynes RO. Cell 69: 11–25, 1991). As ...
HIV Diagnoses and Care Among Transgender Persons and Comparison With Men Who Have Sex With Men: New York City, 2006–2011

Objectives. We measured HIV care outcomes of transgender persons, who have high HIV infection rates but are rarely distinguished from men who have sex with men (MSM) in HIV surveillance systems.Methods. New York City’s surveillance registry includes HIV diagnoses since 2000 and HIV laboratory test results for transgender persons since 2005. We determined immunological status at diagnosis, delayed linkage to care, and nonachievement of viral suppression 1 year after diagnosis for transgender persons diagnosed with HIV in 2006 to 2011 and compared transgender women with MSM.Results. In 2006 to 2011, 264 of 23 805 persons diagnosed with HIV were transgender (1%): 98% transgender women and 2% transgender men. Compared with MSM, transgender women had similar CD4 counts at diagnosis and rates of concurrent HIV/AIDS and delayed linkage to care but increased odds of not achieving suppression (adjusted odds ratio = 1.56; 95% confidence interval = 1.13, 2.16).Conclusions. Compared with MSM, transgender women in New...
Label or Position: Which Has the Greater Impact on Subjects’ Responses to a Rating Scale?

A study was conducted with 175 college students to determine whether different overall satisfaction and interest rating scales would produce different results. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group answered questions with the following descriptors for the rating scale: “Completely Dissatisfied,” “Very Dissatisfied,” “Dissatisfied,” “Neither Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied,” “Satisfied,” “Very Satisfied,” and “Completely Satisfied.” (For the interest question, the rating scale was labeled: “Completely Disinterested,” “Very Disinterested,” “Disinterested,” “Neither Interested Nor Disinterested,” “Interested,” “Very Interested,” and “Completely Interested.”). The second group was given the questions with a slightly different rating scale. This rating scale was labeled as: “Completely Dissatisfied,” “Dissatisfied,” “Somewhat Dissatisfied,” “Neither Satisfied Nor Dissatisfied,” “Somewhat Satisfied,” “Satisfied,” and “Completely Satisfied.” (a similar scale was employed for the interest related question). Results showed that the adjective label was a key determinant of subjects’ responses. That is, when respondents showed a strong preference for rating a stimulus with a particular descriptor (e.g., “satisfied”), changing the scale did have a significant effect on the distribution of responses.
Native American depopulation, reforestation, and fire regimes in the Southwest United States, 1492–1900 CE

Native American populations declined between 1492 and 1900 CE, instigated by the European colonization of the Americas. However, the magnitude, tempo, and ecological effects of this depopulation remain the source of enduring debates. Recently, scholars have linked indigenous demographic decline, Neotropical reforestation, and shifting fire regimes to global changes in climate, atmosphere, and the Early Anthropocene hypothesis. In light of these studies, we assess these processes in conifer-dominated forests of the Southwest United States. We compare light detection and ranging data, archaeology, dendrochronology, and historical records from the Jemez Province of New Mexico to quantify population losses, establish dates of depopulation events, and determine the extent and timing of forest regrowth and fire regimes between 1492 and 1900. We present a new formula for the estimation of Pueblo population based on architectural remains and apply this formula to 18 archaeological sites in the Jemez Province. A dendrochronological study of remnant wood establishes dates of terminal occupation at these sites. By combining our results with historical records, we report a model of pre- and post-Columbian population dynamics in the Jemez Province. Our results indicate that the indigenous population of the Jemez Province declined by 87% following European colonization but that this reduction occurred nearly a century after initial contact. Depopulation also triggered an increase in the frequency of extensive surface fires between 1640 and 1900. Ultimately, this study illustrates the quality of integrated archaeological and paleoecological data needed to assess the links between Native American population decline and ecological change after European contact.
A MUTATION AMPLIFYING THE GENES CARRIED BY THE Pi-HISTIDINE PLASMID

ABSTRACT A spontaneous mutation of the pi -histidine plasmid has been isolated that causes increased expression of the histidine genes and the gnd gene which are normally present on the plasmid. Transduction frequency and F-mediated conjugational transfer of the mutant plasmid indicate gene amplification has occurred without an increase in the number of replicating units. A model for gene amplification dependent upon insertion sequences is proposed to explain the mutant phenotype.