cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The decay of turbulence in thermally stratified flow

The decay of grid-generated turbulence in the presence of strong thermal stratification is studied in a continuously stratified, open-loop wind tunnel at Brunt-Vaisala frequencies up to 2.5 s-l. The data include one-point statistical measurements through moments of fourth order and associated power- and crossspectra. Cross-channel phase measurements are used to analyse the scales of correlation of velocity and temperature. The present data are considerably more coherent than previous salt-stratified data, and the structural form of stratified turbulence is thus more clearly manifested. No internal wave effects are observed at any stage of the decay. Stratified turbulence is found to be a two-scale process dominated by buoyancy forces at large scales of motion and dissipative effects at small scales. The two-scale structure is used to develop universal buoyancy scalings for the decay of the vertical heat flux, the scalar variance, and the molecular dissipation rates, and, in particular, for the vertical velocity decay. Velocity and temperature spectra satisfy universal equilibrium scaling at high wavenumbers, but show buoyancy effects at small wavenumbers. The flow remains isotropic at high wavenumbers over the entire range of turbulent decay studied. Cospectral and phase data are used to validate the two-scale model of the turbulence. The flow may show large-scale restratification while active turbulence persists at smaller scales, so that the vanishing of the vertical transport does not represent extinction of turbulent motion. Additionally, an original universal equilibrium scaling is developed for the cross-spectrum. Lengthscale evolution is measured, and the overturning and buoyancy lengthscales (associated with potential and kinetic energy, respectively) are found to characterize flow development. The role of the Prandtl number is assessed by comparison to previous works, and the Prandtl number is found to have a significant influence upon stratified turbulence evolution.
Implementation of 'multiply-add' FFT algorithms for complex and real data sequences

Multiply-add FFT algorithms are FFT algorithms that take advantage of computer architectures with a multiply-add feature. Various FFT algorithms can be implemented on this type of architecture to give the multiplications for free. In the present work, some of these FFT algorithms are reviewed: the split-radix FFT algorithm for 2/sup k/ transform sizes, the multiplicative algorithms for prime transform sizes, and the prime factor algorithm for transform sizes with relatively prime factors. Both complex and real data sequences are considered, and operational counts are evaluated in terms of total floating-point operations. Tensor product formulation is used throughout for producing variants of algorithms matching to computer architecture. >
An Iterative Algorithm for Autonomous Tasking in Sensor Networks

Modern environments are saturated with sensors. These sensors may be active or passive, stationary or mobile, based on land, sea, air or space. They may differ in size, complexity, modes of operation, power, costs and a number of other features. The challenge in a sensor-rich environment is to coordinate the sensing of all the sensors in order to obtain the best total group performance. The complexity of the problem suggests that traditional methods of optimization will be prohibitively costly in terms of computation and communication. Additionally, there is some ambiguity over how to aggregate individual sensor utilities into a "best total group performance." Under these circumstances, game theoretic methods can be employed to both limit the computation and communication necessary for group coordination and avoid the problem of aggregating utilities. Specifically, an economic paradigm is adopted from which an efficient method for sensor coordination can be derived. The resultant coordination algorithm is shown to have bounded Pareto suboptimality, demonstrating the tradeoff between inter-sensor communication and utility optimization
Two- to Five-Year Followup of Arthroscopic Bankart Reconstruction Using a Suture Anchor Technique

This is a retrospective review of 27 patients (27 shoul ders) with recurrent anterior instability who underwent arthroscopic Bankart reconstruction with a suture an chor technique between 1990 and 1993. Average length of followup was 40 months (range, 26 to 64). The average Bankart rating score was 88 (range, 45 to 100) with 70% good-to-excellent results and 30% fair- to-poor results. The average University of California (Los Angeles) shoulder function score was 32 (range, 27 to 35). The average loss of external rotation in abduction was 1°. Eight patients (30%) failed the pro cedure and had recurrent anterior shoulder instability; seven of these had repeat traumatic events. A Pearson chi-square analysis of multiple variables was per formed to determine which variables correlated with a successful result. A higher success rate was obtained if the patient had five or fewer dislocations before surgical reconstruction. This technique should be lim ited to patients not returning to contact sports, or in whom ...
Ingestion by Men of a Combined Dose of β-Carotene and Lycopene Does Not Affect the Absorption of β-Carotene but Improves That of Lycopene

A double-blind study was conducted in 10 healthy men to investigate serum β-carotene and lycopene responses after ingestion of individual and combined doses of β-carotene (BC) and lycopene. On each dosing day, a baseline blood sample was drawn, followed by an oral dose of 0.11 mmol (60 mg) of either all-trans BC or all-trans lycopene or by a combined oral dose of 0.11 mmol each. Subjects were tested with each of the three doses. The dose type was randomized. Blood (10 mL) was drawn at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 24 h after dosing. At 2 and 4 wk after the first dose, the protocol was repeated with the other doses. After ingestion of the BC dose, serum BC concentrations significantly decreased from baseline at 1 and 3 h followed by a continuous increase from baseline that was significant at 12 and 24 h (P < 0.01). Serum lycopene concentrations significantly increased from baseline at 5 h after the lycopene dose (P < 0.008) and returned to baseline thereafter. Ingestion of a combined dose of BC and lycopene resulted in a significant increase in serum concentrations of both BC and lycopene at 24 h (P < 0.05). The 24-h area under the curve (AUC) for BC was not different when BC was ingested alone or with lycopene, whereas the 24-h AUC for lycopene was significantly greater when lycopene was ingested with BC than when ingested alone (P < 0.05). Our data suggest that ingestion of a combined dose of BC and lycopene has little effect on the absorption of BC but improves that of lycopene in men.
Raindrop Size Distributions and Rain Characteristics in California Coastal Rainfall for Periods with and without a Radar Bright Band

Abstract Recent studies using vertically pointing S-band profiling radars showed that coastal winter storms in California and Oregon frequently do not display a melting-layer radar bright band and inferred that these nonbrightband (NBB) periods are characterized by raindrop size spectra that differ markedly from those of brightband (BB) periods. Two coastal sites in northern California were revisited in the winter of 2003/04 in this study, which extends the earlier work by augmenting the profiling radar observations with collocated raindrop disdrometers to measure drop size distributions (DSD) at the surface. The disdrometer observations are analyzed for more than 320 h of nonconvective rainfall. The new measurements confirm the earlier inferences that NBB rainfall periods are characterized by greater concentrations of small drops and smaller concentrations of large drops than BB periods. Compared with their BB counterparts, NBB periods had mean values that were 40% smaller for mean-volume diameter, 32% s...
Microfluidics and cancer analysis: cell separation, cell/tissue culture, cell mechanics, and integrated analysis systems

Among the growing number of tools available for cancer studies, microfluidic systems have emerged as a promising analytical tool to elucidate cancer cell and tumor function. Microfluidic methods to culture cells have created approaches to provide a range of environments from single-cell analysis to complex three-dimensional devices. In this review we discuss recent advances in tumor cell culture, cancer cell analysis, and advanced studies enabled by microfluidic systems.
A Fresh Look At Economic Value Added: Empirical Study Of The Fortune Five-Hundred Companies

Rapid and complex changes in the economic and business environment are posing serious challenges to today’s business executives. Meeting these challenges requires effective measures for control and performance evaluation. This article focuses on the uses, benefits and limitations of economic value added (EVA) as a value creation measure. Calculation of this trendy measure is complicated because of the many adjustments needed to convert the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) based income to economic income. The article compares the performance of EVA user companies with non-user Fortune 500 companies for the years 1997 and 1998. It shows that users performance means profits as percentage of revenues, assets, and stockholders’ equity were higher than the means of non-users. However, the means for 1998 earnings per share (EPS), EPS change from 1997 and EPS growth for the years 1988-1998 were lower for the EVA user companies. EVA will become less popular in its use as an instrument of control and performance evaluation. Therefore, the conclusion of this research is not in support of EVA use as a measure of value creation to stockholders.
Dual inhibition of Type I and Type III PI3 kinases increases tumor cell apoptosis in HER2+ breast cancers

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) gene amplification (HER2+) drives tumor cell growth and survival in ~25 % of breast cancers. HER2 signaling activates the type I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), upon which these tumors rely. Consequently, inhibitors of HER2 and type I PI3K block growth and increase apoptosis in HER2+ breast cancers, especially when used in combination. However, the impact of type III PI3K inhibition, particularly in combination with HER2 blockade or type I PI3K inhibition, remains less clear. We utilized small molecule kinase inhibitors, locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (LNA-ASOs), and siRNA to assess proliferation, autophagy, apoptosis, and protein expression in cell culture models of HER2+ breast cancers. Treatment of HER2+ breast cancer cells with HER2 inhibitors or type I PI3K kinase inhibitors, alone or in combination, blocked type I PI3K signaling, reduced tumor cell growth, and induced autophagy. Knockdown of the type I PI3K, p110α, using an LNA-ASO termed EZN4150 inhibited PI3K-mediated Akt phosphorylation. However, in contrast to catalytic inhibitors of type I PI3Ks, EZN4150 did not induce autophagy, and blocked autophagy in response to inhibitors of HER2 or type I PI3Ks in a dominant fashion. Sequence analysis of EZN4150 revealed significant homology to the gene encoding the type III PI3K, Vps34, a key component for autophagy induction. EZN4150 simultaneously reduced expression of both p110α and Vps34. Combined inhibition of PI3K signaling and autophagy using individual siRNAs against p110α and Vps34 or using pharmacological type I and type III PI3K inhibitors recapitulated what was seen with EZN4150, and robustly enhanced tumor cell killing. These studies highlight the important role of Vps34-mediated autophagy in limiting the anti-tumor response to inhibitors of HER2 or type I PI3K in HER2+ breast cancers. The type III PI3K Vps34 represents a potential therapeutic target to block treatment-induced autophagy and enhance tumor cell killing.
Effects of hyperoxia on rat diaphragm function

The association of oxygen radical generation with impaired diaphragm performance has previously been reported after inspiratory resistive loading (IRL). We hypothesized that exposure of rats to normobaric hyperoxia (O2) could produce impaired diaphragm function because of free radical production. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: 1) room air (control), 2) > 95% O2 for 24 h, 3) > 95% O2 for 48 h, and 4) > 95% O2 for 60 h. Each group was studied at rest after the O2 exposure and then after IRL. During IRL, the animals breathed through an inspiratory resistor until they were unable to sustain > 70% of the maximum airway pressure. Diaphragm samples were obtained for analysis of glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) concentrations. In vitro isometric contractile properties were also determined, including maximal tetanic tension (Po) and maximal twitch tension (Pt), in GSSG content and in GSSG-to-GSH ratios. Hyperoxia for > 48 h resulted in significant decreases in Po and Pt and an increase in GSSG content and in GSSG-to-GSH ratios compared with other groups. Those same animals subjected to IRL showed a further decrease in Po and Pt. These data suggest that free radical generation may occur in the diaphragm during a hyperoxia exposure associated with activation of the GSH redox cycle and impairment of diaphragm function.
The Challenges “Facing” Copyright Protection for Tattoos

This Article addresses the ambiguity regarding the legal protectability of tattoos and the negative impact such ambiguity has on the rights of tattoo artists and their clients/customers. Notwithstanding the lack of federal court decisions in this area of the law, this Article determines that tattoos meet the requirements of copyrightability in the United States — originality and fixation in a tangible medium of expression. This Article examines the challenges presented by providing copyright protection for tattoos. In particular, this Article responds to the expert testimony of Professor David Nimmer, the author of a treatise often cited in the field of copyright law, in Whitmill v. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. The Whitmill case concerns the well-known, prominent tattoo on the face of former heavyweight boxing champion Michael Gerard “Mike” Tyson. In that case, Nimmer opined that tattoos are not copyrightable. While the district court excluded Nimmer’s testimony on the basis that it constituted legal opinion, he raised several objections to the copyrightability of tattoos. This Article not only challenges Nimmer’s conclusion, but also his underlying rationale. To date, no cases concerning the copyrightability of tattoos have gone to trial. However, the Whitmill case, which reached the preliminary injunction stage, and a handful of other copyright lawsuits have shed some light on how the courts might analyze the unique issues that arise in the determination of copyrightability of tattoos and the problems that flow from providing copyright protection to these creative works. This Article concludes with encouragement for tattoo artists to enforce their rights in their artwork in court. The filing of such lawsuits will likely lead to decisions that recognize the protectability of tattoos, which will remove tattoos from the fringes of the law into one of the categories of copyrightable subject matter, and remedy the harm to tattoo artists as a result of exploitation of their works. Such legal precedent will, in turn, empower more tattoo artists to regain control of their works in mass media.
Surface Charge Affects the Structure of Interfacial Ice

We have conducted studies on the freezing of water molecules next to charged surfaces to elucidate the effect of water orientation on the structure of ice using sum frequency generation spectroscopy. We observed that when water is frozen next to a positively charged sapphire surface, the signal intensity of ice is higher than that of liquid water as expected from previous theoretical studies. However, when water is frozen next to a negatively charged sapphire surface (using NaOH as pH adjuster), the signal intensity decreases. The same signal attenuation upon freezing is obtained when cesium hydroxide (CsOH) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (N(CH3)4OH) are used as pH adjusters. Since Na+, Cs+, and N(CH3)4+ ions have different hydration properties, the cation specific effect for this attenuation in signal intensity for ice is ruled out. Experiments on a mica surface (inherently negatively charged) also showed similar attenuation in signal intensity for ice as negatively charged sapphire surface. We conclu...
Regulation of the voltage-gated K+ channel KCNA10 by KCNA4B, a novel β-subunit

Voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels are heteromultimeric complexes consisting of pore-forming α-subunits and accessory β-subunits. Several β-subunits have been identified and shown to interact with spec...
Precision concurrent speed and position tracking of brushed dc motors using nonlinear time-frequency control:

Brushed DC motors are essential components in a wide range of applications in which their unique benefits are explored. However, their being inherently nonlinear and sensitive to system based uncertainties such as load variation and process noise has made improving the precision control of brushed DC motors a challenging task. To mitigate such negative effects that invariably undermine motor stability and controllability, a novel wavelet-based nonlinear time-frequency control scheme viable for the concurrent speed and position tracking of brushed DC motors is presented. The control approach has its basis in discrete wavelet transformation and adaptive control. Considering system response in the wavelet domain allows the true dynamics of the system as delineated by both the time and frequency information of the response to be faithfully resolved without being distorted or misinterpreted. By employing adaptive theory, the undesirable features typical of nonlinear brushed DC motor systems such as being highl...
Research of Catheters based on Medical Device Evaluation

Objective:This article aim to study the safety and efficacy of catheters for single use.Methods:Based on standards and guidance from various countries and regions,a research is carried out focused on the structure,principle,technical performance,risk factors and clinical trial of catheters,especially chemical analysis and coatings which are neglected in China.Conclusions:To assure the safety and efficacy of catheters,chemical analysis and biocompatibility should be enhanced for catheter materials,and technical requirements should be added for catheter coatings.
Thiopental and Thyroid Metabolism.

Summary1. Thiopental influences thyroid metabolism primarily by depriving the thyroid of available I2. 2. The prolonged inhibition of thyroid activity by thiopental is probably related to accumulation of its metabolic products in the thyroid.
Fitting the Pieces of the β-Barrel Assembly Machinery Complex

β-Barrel membrane proteins are found in the outer membranes of mitochondria, chloroplasts, and Gram-negative bacteria; however, exactly how they are folded and inserted remains unknown. Over the past decade, both functional and structural studies have greatly contributed to addressing this elusive mechanism. It is known that a conserved core machinery is required for each organelle, though the overall composition varies significantly. The vast majority of studies that aimed to understand the biogenesis of β-barrel membrane proteins has been conducted in Gram-negative bacteria. Here, it is the task of a multicomponent complex known as the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) complex to fold and insert new β-barrel membrane proteins into the outer membrane. In this review, we will discuss recent discoveries with the goal of utilizing all reported structural and functional studies to piece together a current structural model for the fully assembled BAM complex.
Writing proficiency and student use of prewriting/invention strategies

Abstract The preferred prewriting Invention strategies of advanced, average, and basic ability 11th grade writers were compared. Students (n =212) in classes of teachers trained in a writing workshop were instructed in the use of eight prewriting heuristics suggested as useful by theorists in the field of composition. The students were surveyed as to usefulness of the respective strategies. Preferences were compared by level of student and relative rankings of the strategies were compiled. Implications for classroom instruction are stated.
Highly efficient and chemoselective oxidation of sulfides catalyzed by iron(III) corroles with iodobenzene diacetate

Abstract Iron(III) corrole complexes catalyze the highly chemoselective oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides with iodobenzene diacetate [PhI(OAc)2] as a mild oxygen source. Various substituted thioanisoles, vinyl sulfides, and hydroxyl sulfides can be efficiently oxidized to sulfoxides with quantitative conversions (up to 5000 TONs) and excellent selectivities without over-oxidation to sulfones. The remarkably enhanced catalytic activity and stability against degradation is ascribed to the slow and steady-state formation of PhIO from highly soluble PhI(OAc)2 in the presence of a small amount of water. On the basis of Hammett correlation and mixing UV–vis spectral studies, a putative high-valent iron(V)-oxo species is likely generated as a short-lived active intermediate.
Water Loading Improves Specificity in Renal Imaging

In previous renal imaging studies, we had the opportunity to study normal controls. We noted that the iodine-131 (131I) orthoiodohippurate (OIH) renograms for this group had an abnormal configuration in one half of the subjects. The explanation for these abnormal [131I]OIH scans was unclear, although the hydration status of the subjects was a suspected cause. The current studies were designed to compare 30-min [131I]OIH and technetium-99m (99mTc) DTPA renal studies in water-deprived and water-loaded normal subjects. Each volunteer underwent two sets of OIH and DTPA scans under controlled conditions of hydration. In studies of subjects who were scanned after an overnight fast, only three of eighteen 99mTc-DTPA studies and twelve of eighteen [l3,I]OIH studies were considered normal. After an oral water load of 10 ml/kg of body mass, all 30-min renal scans with DTPA and OIH were judged within normal limits. These results indicate that patients should receive oral water loading prior to renal scanning to avoid false-positive renal scans.
Intermittent communication and partial divergence

We formulate a model for intermittent communication in which the transmissions of information symbols are bursty or the channel is sporadically available. We consider a general scenario in which information and noise symbols are grouped into packets of length l, and noise packets are inserted in the input sequence of the channel, and the receiver does not know a priori the positions of the information packets. Depending on the scaling behavior of the packet length relative to the codeword length, we identify some interesting scenarios for the scaling behavior of the receive window relative to the codeword length, and find achievable rates using different decoding structures. Interestingly, some of the decoding structures are based on a generalization of the method of types and properties of partial divergence. The achievable rates and the numerical results confirm the intuitive idea that increasing the intermittency decreases the achievable rates by increasing the uncertainty about the positions of the information packets at the receiver.
The complete mitochondrial genome for Cannabis sativa.

The following report details the first annotated mitochondrial genome for the Carmagnola variety of Cannabis sativa, the first reference genome for the Cannabaceae family. The total length is 415,499 bp and contains 54 genes, which sub-divide into 38 protein-coding genes, 15 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes.
Trends in body condition of smallmouth bass and northern pike (1982–2013) following multiple ecological perturbations in the St. Lawrence River

Body condition indices can be used to investigate fish response to biological or environmental change. We used quantile regression to analyze a 32-year weight–length data set (1982–2013) for smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and northern pike (Esox lucius) from the St. Lawrence River to examine changes in condition (weight-at-length) during three ecologically distinct time periods. Condition of both species varied among time periods, with smallmouth bass experiencing greater proportional changes than northern pike. Smallmouth bass weight-at-length was greatest during 2005–2013 and lowest during 1982–1992. Northern pike weight-at-length was greatest during 2005–2013 for quantiles ≥0.5, similar between the 1982–1992 and 2005–2013 time periods for lower quantiles, and lowest during 1993–2004. The most likely weight–length model for smallmouth bass included terms for length, presence of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), presence of dreissenid mussels, and an interaction between length and dreissenid m...
Flux Jump Stability During Magnetization of Bulk YBCO and Internal Mechanical Stresses in the Trapped Critical State

The question of magnetic- and mechanical stability of bulk superconductors to be charged and operated at a fixed temperature in the flux-trapped critical state is addressed. Based on the temperature- and field-dependent critical current density, Jc(T,H), a new calculation of the temperature dependence of the initial flux-jump field, Hfj(T), appropriate for bulk melt-processed YBCO is presented. Based on the same Jc(T,H), and the usual adiabatic approximation, the sample size dependence of Hfj,(Jc,T) is also included. The Lorentz-force-induced radial- and circumferential internal stresses are calculated in an estimation of the safe operating field range of a flux-trapped cylinder, again of melt-processed YBCO.
Re-Operationalizing 'Open-Country': Introducing a Place-Level Geography for the Study of Rural Crime

The proper operationalization of urban and rural is extremely important to our understanding of the impacts of specific ecological context on human behavior. However, even with the ever-improving definitional advancements, our understanding of these community-level concepts, in regards to a comprehensive geographic space, is still somewhat unsatisfying. This article aims to contribute to this issue through the introduction of a 'place' based geography using current Census geographies in the creation of a unified geographic landscape of the contiguous United States. The new place-level geography is superior to previous operational approaches to identifying urban and rural communities in that it allows for the examination of both without the additional variation inherent in larger geographies and providing a more comprehensive coverage than smaller geographies. Furthermore, this approach allows for the development of a unique, but phenomenologically meaningful, sub-county geography that substantively holds meaning in conceptualizing rural and urban ecological context.
Thermodynamics of random number generation.

We analyze the thermodynamic costs of the three main approaches to generating random numbers via the recently introduced Information Processing Second Law. Given access to a specified source of randomness, a random number generator (RNG) produces samples from a desired target probability distribution. This differs from pseudorandom number generators (PRNG) that use wholly deterministic algorithms and from true random number generators (TRNG) in which the randomness source is a physical system. For each class, we analyze the thermodynamics of generators based on algorithms implemented as finite-state machines, as these allow for direct bounds on the required physical resources. This establishes bounds on heat dissipation and work consumption during the operation of three main classes of RNG algorithms---including those of von Neumann, Knuth and Yao, and Roche and Hoshi---and for PRNG methods. We introduce a general TRNG and determine its thermodynamic costs exactly for arbitrary target distributions. The results highlight the significant differences between the three main approaches to random number generation: One is work producing, one is work consuming, and the other is potentially dissipation neutral. Notably, TRNGs can both generate random numbers and convert thermal energy to stored work. These thermodynamic costs on information creation complement Landauer's limit on the irreducible costs of information destruction.
Early-moulting Red-backed Fairywren males acquire ornamented plumage in the absence of elevated androgens

ABSTRACTSexual ornaments, including plumage ornamentation, are often studied during breeding periods even though signal development can take place months earlier. This temporal disconnect potentially obscures the proximate mechanisms that underlie signal expression and development. We studied the correlation between androgen levels and expression of ornamented plumage in adult Red-backed Fairywrens (Malurus melanocephalus) 4–6 months before breeding, when signal production occurs in some, usually older, males. We found that, during this period, ornamented males, unornamented males and females all had low plasma androgen levels that did not differ from each other. Variation in androgen levels was unrelated to phenotype or moult. These findings differ from previous research conducted immediately prior to breeding in a different population of this species, which used correlative and experimental work to demonstrate that testosterone induces prenuptial moult and acquisition of ornamented plumage in younger ma...
Estimating the impact of screening on three decades of cervical cancer incidence.

1518 Background: In the U.S., the Pap smear has become a widely practiced, effective tool for the early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. However, the total number of cervical cancer cas...
Basu’s Theorem

Professor Basu, in his long illustrious career, has made many fundamental contributions to the foundations of statistical inference. Among others, I point out his work on ancillarity, likelihood principle, partial and marginal sufficiency, randomization and foundations of survey sampling.
Central Effects of Insulin Detemir on Feeding, Body Weight and Metabolism in Rats

Insulin detemir (DET) is a basal insulin analog that, in contrast to other long-acting forms of insulin, has significant weight-gain-sparing effects in diabetic patients. We hypothesized that this ...
Is African-America race (AAR) a risk factor for failure in prostate cancer (PCa)?

1515 Background: There is much disagreement as to whether AAR is an independent negative risk factor in biochemical disease-free survival (BCDFS) of PCa. Much of the literature suggests that AAR is...
The Effects of Material at Arc Site on ESD Propagation

In the past few years, the Aerospace Corporation and other labs have been exploring how electrostatic discharges propagate over the surface of a positively charged dielectric surfaces, like solar arrays, on a spacecraft. One goal of these explorations is ultimately to aid in the extrapolation of transient currents measured on coupons in the laboratory to currents expected on full-scale spacecraft assemblies. In the popular plasma bubble model, the electrostatic discharge plasma is expected to expand radially from a single arc initiation point at the ion sound velocity, which depends on the composition of the conductor at that initiation point. In this paper, we examine how changing the conductor material at the arc initiation site affects propagation on a positively charged Kapton surface. By measuring current flowing into a series of concentric electrodes beneath this Kapton surface, we can monitor surface neutralization as a function of time and radial distance from the arc site. Results will be presented for a selection of cathode materials, and implications for existing and future models will be discussed.
The Origins of Constitutional Reform

The internal communications of the high Communist Party (VKPb) officials bring us fresh knowledge about the genesis of the idea for the new constitution. It emerged first as an election reform and gradually turned into a constitutional reform. The initiator was not Stalin, but A. S. Yenukidze, the secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, as early as 1933. This centrality of election reform during the origins of the endeavor radically shifts our understanding of the entire constitutional project.
Sex differences in the nervous system of reptiles.

SUMMARY 1. The study of sex differences in the brain and behavior of reptiles presents an excellent opportunity both to discern general principles of sexual differentiation in the nervous system and to explore the evolutionary history of this process in amniote vertebrates. 2. Findings in several reptiles suggest that some sex differences found in mammals and birds are conserved while others are not. Conserved features include areas in the limbic forebrain involved in the regulation of social and sexual behaviors. As in mammals and birds, it is rare to find differences in the distribution of sex steroid concentrating neurons in reptiles but common to find differences in the distribution of the various steroid hormone receptors and in their regulation. 3. This research has revealed that differences in social and sexual behavior are reflected better by the activity, not by the size, of hormone-sensitive limbic areas. 4. Finally, species differences in plasma levels of sex hormones are paralleled by differences in behavioral sensitivity to these hormones as well as by differences in the regulation of genes coding for steroid hormone receptors.
Assessment of ambulatory blood pressure recorders : accuracy and clinical performance

There are now more than ten different manufacturers of non-invasive, portable blood pressure monitors in North America, Europe, and Japan. These ambulatory blood pressure recorders measure blood pressure by either auscultatory or oscillometric methodology. Technologic advances in the recorders have resulted in reduction in monitor size, reduction in or absence of motor noise during cuff inflation, ability to program the recorder without an external computer system, and enhanced precision. Recently, there has been concern that more structured validation protocols have not been implemented prior to the widespread marking of ambulatory blood pressure recorders. There is a need for proper assessment of recorders prior to use in clinical research or practice. Data on several existing recorders suggest that while most are reasonably accurate during resting measurements, many lose this accuracy during motion, and clinical performance may vary among the monitors. Validation studies of ambulatory recorders should include comparison with mercury column and intra-arterial determinations, resting and motion measurements, and assessment of clinical performance in hypertensive patients.
History Lesson: Vaccine Trials in the Classroom.

A review is presented of the article "Human Experimentation in Public Schools: How Schools Served as Sites of Vaccine Trials in the 20th Century" by Will D. Schupmann and published in the same issue concerning research ethics of U.S. school-based vaccine trials for diphtheria, measles, and polio.
Production of factor VIII by genetic techniques

The human factor VIII gene and the human von Willebrand factor gene have been isolated, and were transfected into a mammalian cell line (Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells = CHO Cells). The resulting factor VIII producing cell line was thoroughly characterized. No differences were found in the recombinant factor VIII compared to plasma-derived factor VIII. For factor VIII production the cells are grown in serum-free defined medium, the recombinant factor VIII is purified by immunoaffinity chromatography plus two subsequent ion exchange steps. The absence of human raw materials for production, and a proven titer reduction of > 10(7) in the purification process significantly minimize the risk of virus transmission by the recombinant factor VIII product. Clinical studies both with previously treated and untreated patients have proven the good hemostatic efficacy and virus safety of the recombinant factor VIII. The inhibitor incidence in previously untreated patients is within the expected range for this patient group.
Volunteers Dilemma Game Inspired Broadcast Scheme for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Multi-hop broadcast communication is one of the main schemes for supporting message dissemination in vehicular ad hoc networks. In this paper, we propose an efficient receiver-oriented broadcast scheme in which the receiving vehicles’ probability of forwarding is modeled by the symmetric volunteer’s dilemma game. Based on this game, the vehicles that receive the broadcast message are players. At least one of the players should pay a cost and be a volunteer to rebroadcast the message, and then all will benefit from this volunteering. Utilizing fuzzy logic techniques and considering information from the network layer about local density and probability of transmission, the contention window size at the MAC layer will be adjusted. We develop ns-3 simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed volunteer’s dilemma inspired broadcast (VDIB) scheme in terms of reachability, number of rebroadcasts per covered vehicle, number of bytes sent per covered vehicle, and per-hop delay. VDIB performance is compared with that of the distance-to-mean broadcast method, broadcast component of contention-based forwarding, distribution-adaptive distance with channel quality, statistical location assisted broadcast, fuzzy logic-based broadcast, bandwidth efficient fuzzy logic assisted broadcast, and intelligent hybrid adaptive broadcast protocols in both highway and urban environments.
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DIET AND FOOD CHEMICAL DISCRIMINATIONS BY OMNIVOROUS GECKOS (Rhacodactylus)

Chemosensory responses to food are correlated with geographic variation in diet of some colubrid snakes, but the influence of diet on chemosensory behavior has not been established generally in snakes or lizards. Most lizards are generalist predators of small animals, making it difficult to study effects of diet, but herbivory and omnivory have evolved in several lineages, providing an excellent opportunity to study the effects of dietary change on chemosensory behavior. Based on ecological considerations, I argue that inclusion of plants in the diet of lizards that evolved from ambush foragers lacking prey chemical discrimination might be expected to evolve responsiveness to plant food chemicals. If animal prey also are retained in the diet, then responsiveness to prey chemicals should evolve as well. I experimentally studied tongue-flicking and biting responses by omnivorous geckos of the genus Rhacodactylus to chemical stimuli from plant and animal foods and control substances presented on cotton swabs. The lizards exhibited significantly greater responses to plant stimuli than to control stimuli. One of two species tested responded strongly to cricket chemicals, but the other showed no significant response to mouse surface chemical stimuli. The results support the hypothesis that dietary shifts induce corresponding changes in chemosensory response, but establishment of correlated evolution between diet and food chemical discriminations in lizards will require study of many herbivores/omnivores and insectivores as controls.
Glucose and insulin response after intravenous and subcutaneous somatostatin administration in healthy horses.

Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is prevalent in the equine population, and somatostatin analogs might be useful for diagnosis and/or treatment of EMS in horses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the glucose and insulin responses to subcutaneous and intravenous administration of somatostatin. Six healthy research horses were included in this prospective study. An initial pilot study was performed to assess several different doses (10-22 µg/kg [4.5-10 µg/lb]) in two horses, then a final dosage of 22 µg/kg (10 µg/lb) was administered to six horses IV and SQ in a two-period randomized cross-over study performed over a 3-month study period. Blood samples were collected for measurement of plasma insulin and glucose concentrations during a 24-hr study period. Both IV and SQ somatostatin resulted in decreased insulin and increased glucose concentrations. SQ somatostatin resulted in a longer clinical effect, with return to baseline insulin occurring at 1.5 hr postadministration, versus 45 min for IV. Both IV and SQ administration of somatostatin to normal horses resulted in decreased insulin and increased glucose concentrations, likely due to suppression of insulin secretion by somatostatin. A more prolonged effect was seen following SQ administration as compared to IV administration, and no adverse effects were noted at varying doses. This study provides additional information regarding the effect of somatostatin administration on insulin and glucose concentrations in clinically healthy horses.
Ethics and Artificial General Intelligence: Technological Prediction as a Groundwork for Guidelines

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is the possible future of computer systems which are as capable as humans across a broad range of intellectual requirements. In order to establish an ethical position or guidelines for the development of AGI, it is important to explore anticipated characteristics about the emergence of AGI: How sudden it could be (jolt), how soon it could be (timing), and how dangerous it could be (risk). By extrapolating today's trends in development and limitations of current AI algorithms, informed speculation can help set ethical positions and guidelines on the proper course. This paper concludes that the emergence of AGI will be gradual, soon, and only moderately dangerous and begins to address how ethical issues will change as AGI emerges from narrow AI.
qCG: A Low-Power Multi-Domain SFQ Logic Design and Verification Framework

In this paper, we propose qCG, a multi-domain design and verification framework, which utilizes clock gating and frequency scaling to optimize dynamic power dissipation. SFQ circuits are ultra-deep pipelined at the logic level, resulting in large clock distribution networks which account for a considerable part of overall power dissipation. We have shown that qCG significantly increases power efficiency, not only for SFQ circuits, but also their clock networks and inherently cooling systems. The verification engine of qCG learns to increase the quality of results in terms of verification time and coverage. Datapath and coverage meters are embedded to verify the pulse integrity of clock signals, SFQ fanout, and path-balancing properties. Our experiments on several SFQ benchmark circuits show that qCG provides 3X power reductions for the chip. Results also confirm that when compared to a traditional random-based coverage-driven approach, qCG provides significant verification quality improvement including 2.33X verification speedup.
Chapter 5 – Determinants

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on determinants. In modern mathematics, determinants play an important but narrow role in theory and almost no role at all in computations. The determinant is a function that associates with every square matrix, A, a number called the determinant of A, which is denoted by det(A). This function has the very important property that det(A) ≠ 0 if and only if A is nonsingular. The chapter also discusses permutations. A permutation of a set of integers is a reordering of those integers without omissions or repetitions. An elementary permutation is a permutation that interchanges exactly two numbers. The determinant function is a function that associates with every square matrix, A, a number, denoted by det (A) or det A, such that det (A) is the sum of all signed elementary products from A. The chapter discusses several important facts about determinants that lead the way to a efficient way of evaluating determinants. This method involves reducing the matrix to upper triangular form much as in Graussian elimination, and it requires considerably fewer operations than using the definition directly.
2 – Mathematical Preliminaries

Publisher Summary The chapter describes some of the mathematics concepts, such as linear algebra, amount of calculus, and real analysis. The chapter discusses how to add and multiply two matrices; how to multiply a matrix by a scalar; how to add two vectors, both when they are columns and when they are arrows; how to multiply a vector, whether column or arrow, by a scalar; how to transpose matrices and column vectors; and how to compute a determinant by expanding with respect to a row or column. Vector spaces and subspaces; point spaces; linear combinations; linear dependence and independence; and basis of a vector space are also discussed in detail in the chapter. .
Diagnosis of Stapedial Myoclonus Using Endoscopic Visualization.

Background Stapedial myoclonus is an uncommon condition involving the rhythmic contraction of the stapedial tendon that may result in a host of symptoms, including tinnitus . There is a dearth of robust diagnostic modalities to diagnose stapedial myoclonus, and most patients are treated without definitive diagnosis. Herein, we hypothesize that stapedial myoclonus can be readily diagnosed by awake otoendoscopy (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/MAO/A997). Case report A 21-year-old healthy male professional singer presented with a rhythmic "thumping sound" heard in both ears for 5 years. Symptoms were triggered by singing and were worse on the right side. Work-up, including otologic exam, audiologic testing, and high resolution imaging, was unrevealing. Given symptomatology, stapedial tendon myoclonus was suspected.While awake in the operating room, an inferior myringotomy was made, and both 1.9 mm 0 and 30 degree 3-CCD Hopkins rod endoscopes were used to visualize the middle ear space using a transcanal approach. There was robust movement of the tendon with patient vocalization that corresponded precisely with the timing of tinnitus. The patient subsequently underwent transection of the right stapedial tendon under general anesthesia using otoendoscopic visualization. The pyramidal eminence was also removed to avoid future regeneration. The patient underwent an identical procedure on the contralateral ear 3 months later with complete resolution of symptoms bilaterally. Conclusion Stapedial myoclonus was diagnosed by transtympanic otoendoscopy in an awake patient. This approach may be readily applied in awake patients suspected of having stapedial myoclonus. Transection of the stapedial tendon in these patients resolves tinnitus.
Management of male sexual dysfunction after cancer treatment

Abstact Background With an increase in the number of cancer survivors each year, male sexual dysfunction becomes an important topic for discussion between patients and providers who treat cancer. The aim of this article is to review types and mechanisms of sexual dysfunction after cancer therapy and discuss treatment options. Methods Contemporary concepts regarding male sexual dysfunction after cancer treatment are reviewed and translated for clinical utility. Findings To optimize recovery of erectile capacity after erectile dysfunction causing cancer treatments, a penile rehabilitation protocol involving phosphodiesterase inhibitors, vacuum erection device, intra corporal injections, or a combination is likely to provide some degree of clinically significant benefit. Treating hypogonadism post cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer that has been treated and patient comorbidities. Anejaculation after cancer treatments is typically not successfully or reliably treated due to the mechanism and severity of sympathetic nerve injury. Semen cryopreservation prior to cancer treatments that may injure nerve fibers essential for the ejaculatory response is highly recommended. Conclusion Management of post cancer treatment sexual dysfunction requires identification of this problem and referral to a specialist if necessary. There are several management options available that can greatly enhance quality of life in this often overlooked aspect of post cancer treatment care.