cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy Efficiency of Co-polarized and Space-Polarization MIMO Architectures in Packet-Based Communication Systems

In this paper, we study the energy efficiency of space-polarization MIMO (SP-MIMO) architectures as compared to conventional co-polarized MIMO (CP-MIMO) schemes in packet-based communication systems. In SP-MIMO architectures, co-located dual-polarized (DP) antennas are employed at each of the antenna locations, effectively doubling the number of ports without substantially increasing the footprint of antenna arrays. The energy efficiency of CP-MIMO architectures has been explored intensively in literature, however very few results are available for DP-MIMO and SP-MIMO systems, particularly over realistic and imperfect channels. We compare the energy efficiency among single input single output (SISO), CP-MIMO, DP-MIMO and SP-MIMO architectures over various wideband MIMO channels. The comparative performance studies are conducted on a SP-MIMO testbed, which incorporates baseband generators, MIMO channel emulation, a coherent multi-channel receiver, and a host computer for signal processing. Results from the testbed indicate that SP-MIMO offers a significant performance shift relative to SISO and CP-MIMO system, especially at high signal-to-noise-ratios. In this region of operation, SP-MIMO provides average transmit energies per successful received bit that are nearly four times and two times less than for SISO and for CP-MIMO architectures respectively.
SU‐GG‐I‐36: Measuring CT Incident Flux Using CT Sinogram Data

Purpose: The value of incident flux in a multi detector CTscanner is necessary to model noise properties of a CT scan. A novel method is proposed to determine the incident flux of any clinical CT scan by utilizing direct exposure (air) regions of the sinogram data. Method and Materials: 17 clinical patient scans, with tube current modulation on (11 scans) and off (6 scans), were collected from three sixteen‐row scanners at different locations. In addition a non‐symmetric object (skull with contrast) was scanned with two mAs settings (low and high), and with tube modulation on and off. Air regions of sinogram data were segmented by setting a threshold and collecting samples of direct exposures. Meanwhile, the extracted data were normalized using predetermined information about Case‐a: the bowtie profile, or Case‐b: the bowtie profile and the tube current (which was extracted from the header of CTsinogram data file). The variance of the gradient of the selected points of normalized data in transmission space as a function of gantry angle was obtained, which is inversely proportional to the incident flux. With this innovative method the result of Case‐a is proportional to the tube current, and the result of Case‐b is a constant scaling factor(K) relating incident flux to tube current for a given CTscanner.Results: The rms relative error between predicted and measured K was found to be 2.2%. The standard deviation in the value of K was 4.5%, indicating the scan‐to‐scan variation in flux scaling for an individual scanner. Computing a mean inter‐scanner variation indicates calibration of individual scanners is required to achieve simulation noise accuracies less than 5%. Conclusion: Utilizing this method, the incident flux or scaling factor characterizing incident flux for particular CTscanner can be computed.
Anthropoid cranial base architecture and scaling relationships

This paper examines how various measures of basicranial length and cranial base angulation affect the relationship between basicranial flexion and relative brain size in anthropoids, including Homo sapiens. Most recent studies support the “spatial packing” hypothesis, that basicranial flexion in haplorhines maximizes braincase volume relative to basicranial length. However, a few studies find the basicranium is less flexed in H. sapiens than expected for other anthropoids, suggesting that other factors contribute to variation in hominin basicranial flexion. The measure of relative brain size used to test the spatial packing hypothesis, the Index of Relative Encephalization (IRE), is calculated with basicranial length (BL) in its denominator, so that shorter BL and larger brain size potentially inflate H. sapiens IREs. To investigate this problem, the lengths of midline cranial floor sections were scaled relative to the cube root of endocranial volume in 157 specimens from 18 anthropoid species. Results indicate that the posterior cranial base and planum sphenoideum are significantly shorter in H. sapiens than in other anthropoids, accounting for higher IREs. Including the cribriform plate in BL, advisable in studies using anthropoids, affects whether H. sapiens differs from other anthropoids for basicranial flexion vs. IRE. However, despite a shorter BL and elevated IRE, H. sapiens does not deviate significantly from the anthropoid relationship between basicranial flexion and relative brain size for two cranial base angles. Because different measures of cranial base angulation change how H. sapiens falls along the anthropoid regression line, it remains equivocal whether the basicranium is less flexed in H. sapiens than in other anthropoids when compared to relative brain size.
Shear-Induced Formation of Multilamellar Vesicles (“Onions”) in Block Copolymers

The use of shear to control the microstructure in the lyotropic lamellar region of a ternary isothermal poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (Pluronic P123)/water/butanol system was investigated by means of small angle neutron and light scattering (SANS, SALS), birefringence, and rheology. A transition from parallel to perpendicular alignment of lamellae, with a corresponding decrease in the viscosity, was found with increasing shear rate at high block copolymer concentrations. At low polymer content, however, the samples were shear thickening, and a shear-induced formation of multilamellar vesicles (“onions”) was observed for the first time in block copolymer systems.
The NMDA antagonist MK-801 can impair attention to exteroceptive stimuli

Using a modified open-field method, we assessed the effects of MK-801 (0.01 to 0.3 mg/kg) on locomotion and on attention to a stimulus object located in a computer-generated central zone (CZ). The CZ comprised of the open-field floor area and was monitored independently from the rest of the area. Intermittently, a 4 × 4 × 2 cm block was placed in the CZ. In 10-min trials, non-drug tests showed that the presence of the stimulus object repeatedly and consistently increased the rats' visit duration in the CZ as compared with tests when the object was absent. Locomotor activity and entries to the CZ were unaffected by the object. MK-801 induced dose dependent hyperlocomotion and increased CZ entries and, most important, a dose dependent decrease in the animal's response to the stimulus object in the CZ. The present investigation suggests that MK-801 impacts upon two major functions; (a) a blockade of processing of attentional information from the external world and (b) activation of locomotor response systems. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that blockade of glutamate neurotransmission by MK-801 impairs the flow of information from the external world to response mechanisms in the striatum. The present study also suggests that MK-801's potential as a therapeutic agent for motoric activation in the treatment for Parkinson's disease would be contraindicated by its disruptive influence upon attention processing functions.
Klippel-Feil syndrome in children: clinical features and management

A retrospective analysis of 11 children with the diagnosis of Klippel-Feil syndrome treated at the University of Minnesota Hospital over a period of 20 years is presented. The salient features of the syndrome and its associated anomalies are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on its neurological aspects, particularly the potential risks of injury to the craniocervical junction and cervical spine. Guidelines for the management of these patients are suggested.
Effects of age, education, and physician advice on utilization of screening mammography.

We investigated the utilization of mammography as a screening test for breast cancer in a middle-income Connecticut suburban community of 30,000 people. The sampling frame was community-dwelling women aged 30 years and over who had telephones. Random digit telephone survey methods were used to identify a sample of 470 eligible subjects. Of those eligible to be included, 350 or 74.4% completed the interview. Analysis of data from the 171 respondents aged 50 years or greater indicated that women aged 65-80 years had a significantly lower rate of screening mammography than did women aged 50-64 years (means 2 = 6.6, P = .01). When further analysis was done to take into account the effects of education and of income on these rates, the association of age with mammography utilization was no longer statistically significant. Among women who recalled their physician advising a mammogram, 88% had had one performed. Among women who could not recall their physician advising a mammogram, 7% had had one. The impact of physician advice was statistically significant (means 2 = 110.3, P less than .001). Physicians recommended screening mammography less for patients with low level of education (means 2 = 21.6, P less than .001), low income (X2 = 7.8, df = 2, P = .02) and greater age (means 2 = 14.2, P = .003). We conclude that utilization of screening mammography in the community studied is related more strongly to education and to income than to age. The bivariate association of mammography utilization with age may be attributable to a cohort effect, rather than an age effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sawfish left ventricle : acute myocarditis presenting with left ventricular aneurysm

A 41-year-old female patient with no previous history of cardiovascular disease nor cardiovascular risk factors was admitted to the emergency department for typical chest pain associated with diffuse non-specific ST-segment changes and an increase in CK-MB and troponin T. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed normal dimensions and function of …
Home Care for the Elderly: The New Institution

Virtually any individual, when required to assume the role of a patient, prefers home care to institutional care of any kind not only for reasons of personal comfort but because even at their best, hospitals are foreign and inimicable environments. Institutional care is associated with a loss of autonomy and control. This is dramatically highlighted by the legal considerations presently taking place over the use of feeding tubes in terminally ill individuals where even a person's right to stop a procedure that invades the body is in question in the institutional setting. The home, in striking contrast, is recognized by both patient and physician as the patient's "turf."1,2It is clear that there are many varieties of home care delineated by both patient need and reimbursement policy. Some home care is clearly "substitutional" in character; under these circumstances home care obviates the need for acute hospital care or custodial
Early Developmental Processes and the Continuity of Risk for Underage Drinking and Problem Drinking

Developmental pathways to underage drinking emerge before the second decade of life. Many scientists, however, as well as the general public, continue to focus on proximal influences surrounding the initiation of drinking in adolescence, such as social, behavioral, and genetic variables related to availability and ease of acquisition of the drug, social reinforcement for its use, and individual differences in drug responses. In the past 20 years, a considerable body of evidence has accumulated on the early (often much earlier than the time of the first drink) predictors and pathways of youthful alcohol use and abuse. These early developmental influences involve numerous risk, vulnerability, promotive, and protective processes. Some of these factors are not related directly to alcohol use, whereas others involve learning and expectancies about later drug use that are shaped by social experience. The salience of these factors (identifiable in early childhood) for understanding the course and development of adult alcohol and other drug use disorders is evident from the large and growing body of findings on their ability to predict adult clinical outcomes. This review summarizes the evidence on early pathways toward and away from underage drinking, with a particular focus on the risk and protective factors and the mediators and moderators of risk for underage drinking that become evident during the preschool and early school years. It is guided by a developmental perspective on the aggregation of risk and protection and examines the contributions of biological, psychological, and social processes within the context of normal development. Implications of this evidence for policy, intervention, and future research are discussed.
Enhanced T Cell Apoptosis within Drak2-Deficient Mice Promotes Resistance to Autoimmunity

Clonal expansion of T cells is vital to adaptive immunity, yet this process must be tightly controlled to prevent autoimmune disease. The serine/threonine kinase death-associated protein kinase-related apoptosis-inducing kinase 2 (DRAK2) is a negative regulator of TCR signaling and sets the threshold for the activation of naive and memory T cells and selected thymocytes. Despite enhanced T cell activation, Drak2 −/− mice are resistant to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an autoimmune demyelinating disease that resembles multiple sclerosis. However, the basis for this autoimmune resistance is currently unknown. In this study, we show that, in the absence of DRAK2 signaling, T cells require greater tonic signaling for maintenance during clonal expansion. Following stimulation, Drak2 −/− T cells were more sensitive to an intrinsic form of apoptosis that was prevented by CD28 ligation, homeostatic cytokines, or enforced Bcl-x L expression. T cell-specific Bcl-x L expression also restored the susceptibility of Drak2 −/− mice to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and enhanced thymic positive selection. These findings demonstrate that DRAK2 is selectively important for T cell survival and highlight the potential that DRAK2 blockade may lead to permanent autoimmune T cell destruction via intrinsic apoptosis pathways.
Endothelin-1 Enriched Tumor Phenotype Predicts Breast Cancer Recurrence

Introduction. Breast cancer recurrence can develop years after primary treatment. Crosstalk between breast cancer cells and their stromal microenvironment may influence tumor progression. Our primary study aim was to determine whether endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression in tumor and stroma predicts breast cancer relapse. The secondary aim was to determine ET-1/endothelin receptor A (ETAR) role on signaling pathways and apoptosis in breast cancer. Experimental Design. Patients with histologically documented stages I–III invasive breast cancer were included in the study. ET-1 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in tumor cells and stroma was analyzed. Association between ET-1 expression and clinical outcome was assessed using multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate disease-free survival (DFS). In addition, the effect of ET-1/ETAR on signaling pathways and apoptosis was evaluated in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Results. With a median followup of 7 years, ET-1 non-enriched tumor phenotype had a significant association with favorable disease-free survival (; 95% CI 0.03–0.77; value <0.02). ER negativity, advanced stage of disease and ET-1-enriched tumor phenotype were all associated with a higher risk for recurrence. Experimental study demonstrated that ET-1 stimulation promoted Akt activation in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, silencing of ETAR induced apoptosis in both hormone receptor negative and hormone receptor positive breast cancer cells. Conclusions. We found ET-1 expression in tumor and stroma to be an independent prognostic marker for breast cancer recurrence. Prospective studies are warranted to examine whether ET-1 expression in tumor/stroma could assist in stratifying patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer for adjuvant therapy.
Clinical Trials in Cardiovascular Medicine

The practice of cardiology is increasingly driven by evidence-based medicine centering around the results of clinical trials.1 In this inaugural article of Clinical Cardiology: Physician Update , I will focus on the design, analysis, and interpretation of clinical trials in cardiovascular medicine. Armed with the tools described herein, clinicians will be better equipped to understand and synthesize the results of the multitude of clinical trials appearing in the cardiology literature. A major goal of this effort is to shorten the delay between the publication of trial results and the translation of their findings into clinical practice. Trials of new therapies in cardiology typically compare the new treatment to a control. The control group receives the treatment against which the test intervention is being compared. Control and test treatments must be both medically justifiable and compatible with the healthcare needs of study patients. Either treatment must be acceptable to study patients and to the physicians administering them; there must be a reasonable doubt regarding the efficacy of the test treatment; and there should be reason to believe that the benefits will outweigh the risks of treatment. When the control treatment is a placebo, the trial is referred to as a placebo-controlled trial.2 Given the burgeoning supply of new treatments in the cardiovascular armamentarium, more and more trials compare the test therapy to a standard therapy. This is referred to as an active controlled trial.3 4 Randomized controlled trials typically involve the randomization of patients to either the control or test treatment (ie, randomized concurrent control). These trials are the gold standard for evaluating new therapies, and they form the foundation for the highest level of recommendations in practice guideline documents that stress evidence-based medicine5 (Figure 1⇓). Randomization has 3 important influences that explain why it is …
Disturbed flow induces systemic changes in metabolites in mouse plasma: a metabolomics study using ApoE⁻/⁻ mice with partial carotid ligation.

Disturbed blood flow (d-flow) occurring in branched and curved arteries promotes endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, in part, by altering gene expression and epigenomic profiles in endothelial cells. While a systemic metabolic change is known to play a role in atherosclerosis, it is unclear whether it can be regulated by local d-flow. Here, we tested this hypothesis by carrying out a metabolomics study using blood plasma samples obtained from ApoE−/− mice that underwent a partial carotid ligation surgery to induce d-flow. Mice receiving sham ligation were used as a control. To study early metabolic changes, samples collected from 1 wk after partial ligation when endothelial dysfunction occurs, but before atheroma develops, were analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry. A metabolome-wide association study showed that 128 metabolites were significantly altered in the ligated mice compared with the sham group. Of these, sphingomyelin (SM; m/z 703.5747), a common mammalian cell membrane sphingolipid, was most significantly increased in the ligated mice. Of the 128 discriminatory metabolites, 18 and 41 were positively and negatively correlated with SM, respectively. The amino acids methionine and phenylalanine were increased by d-flow, while phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were decreased by d-flow, and these metabolites were correlated with SM. Other significantly affected metabolites included dietary and environmental agents. Pathway analysis showed that the metabolic changes of d-flow impacted broad functional networks. These results suggest that signaling from d-flow occurring in focal regions induces systemic metabolic changes associated with atherosclerosis.
A computational mapping engine portal for accessing geolibraries

Computational portals can provide user customized front ends to very large geospatial image data archives. The computational portals differs from most portal technology in that it not only provides the user the interface for selecting an area and data type of interest, it can also permit the user the ability to manipulate and transform imagery data from a variety of sensors into a format most efficient for the desired end use. Portal technology allows tasks to be saved and configured as single process or as a sequence of chained processes to conduct advanced analysis on selected data for a defined area of interest. The approach offers advantages over conventional methods because it provides methods of generating and delivering data and information products the computational intricacies of which are totally transparent to the user. Mississippi State University has begun developing a computational portal for accessing a geospatial data library (geolibrary). The Computational Mapping Engine (CME) Portal at MSU began as a conventional interactive geospatial image archive and has successfully implemented computational portal technologies to address challenges in loading, storing, distributing, archiving, transforming, manipulating, and fusing remote sensing image data to facilitate the effective use of these data in research and in real-time decision making processes. This paper presents a general CME Portal architecture that can be used to develop and implement computational portals for accessing and processing remote sensing image from local or distributed geolibraries.
Identification and Isolation of a Castellaniella Species Important during Biostimulation of an Acidic Nitrate- and Uranium-Contaminated Aquifer

Immobilization of uranium in groundwater can be achieved through microbial reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) upon electron donor addition. Microbial community structure was analyzed in ethanol-biostimulated and control sediments from a high-nitrate (>130 mM), low-pH, uranium-contaminated site in Oak Ridge, TN. Analysis of small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene clone libraries and polar lipid fatty acids from sediments revealed that biostimulation resulted in a general decrease in bacterial diversity. Specifically, biostimulation resulted in an increase in the proportion of Betaproteobacteria (10% of total clones in the control sediment versus 50 and 79% in biostimulated sediments) and a decrease in the proportion of Gammaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria. Clone libraries derived from dissimilatory nitrite reductase genes (nirK and nirS) were also dominated by clones related to Betaproteobacteria (98% and 85% of total nirK and nirS clones, respectively). Within the nirK libraries, one clone sequence made up 59 and 76% of sequences from biostimulated sediments but only made up 10% of the control nirK library. Phylogenetic analysis of SSU rRNA and nirK gene sequences from denitrifying pure cultures isolated from the site indicate that all belong to a Castellaniella species; nearly identical sequences also constituted the majority of biostimulated SSU rRNA and nirK clone libraries. Thus, by combining culture-independent with culture-dependent techniques, we were able to link SSU rRNA clone library information with nirK sequence data and conclude that a potentially novel Castellaniella species is important for in situ nitrate removal at this site.
Formative evaluation of the accuracy of a clinical decision support system for cervical cancer screening

Objectives We previously developed and reported on a prototype clinical decision support system (CDSS) for cervical cancer screening. However, the system is complex as it is based on multiple guidelines and freetext processing. Therefore, the system is susceptible to failures. This report describes a formative evaluation of the system, which is a necessary step to ensure deployment readiness of the system. Materials and methods Care providers who are potential end-users of the CDSS were invited to provide their recommendations for a random set of patients that represented diverse decision scenarios. The recommendations of the care providers and those generated by the CDSS were compared. Mismatched recommendations were reviewed by two independent experts. Results A total of 25 users participated in this study and provided recommendations for 175 cases. The CDSS had an accuracy of 87% and 12 types of CDSS errors were identified, which were mainly due to deficiencies in the system’s guideline rules. When the deficiencies were rectified, the CDSS generated optimal recommendations for all failure cases, except one with incomplete documentation. Discussion and conclusions The crowd-sourcing approach for construction of the reference set, coupled with the expert review of mismatched recommendations, facilitated an effective evaluation and enhancement of the system, by identifying decision scenarios that were missed by the system’s developers. The described methodology will be useful for other researchers who seek rapidly to evaluate and enhance the deployment readiness of complex decision support systems.
The role of savings and wealth in reducing ‘wilt’ between expectations and college attendance

‘Wilt’ occurs when a young person in high school expects to attend college but does not do so shortly after graduating. In this study we find that youth with no savings account in their own name are more likely to experience wilt than any other group examined. In multivariate analysis, young people who expect to graduate from a four-year college and have an account are approximately six times more likely to attend college than those with no account. Teens who expect to graduate from a four-year college and have designated a portion of their savings for college are approximately three times more likely to attend college than those with no account. Additionally, when savings are taken into account, academic achievement is no longer a significant predictor of college attendance. Policy implications are discussed.
Comparison of Response Cost and Timeout in a Special Education Setting

Two punishment procedures, response cost and timeout, were compared to determine their effectiveness in reducing rates of noncompliance in a class of educable mentally retarded children. Response cost consisted of taking tokens away from a child contingent upon noncompliance with teacher commands. Timeout consisted of placing noncompliant children outside of the group for 1 minute for each noncompliance. Results suggested that response cost was as effective as the response-cost-plus-timeout contingency and that it was the controlling variable in reduction of noncompliant behavior. The potential of response cost as an effective alternative to the use of timeout is discussed, and ethical and legal ramifications concerning the use of punishment in special education settings are addressed.
High-performance QuIDD-based simulation of quantum circuits

Simulating quantum computation on a classical computer is a difficult problem. The matrices representing quantum gates, and vectors modeling qubit states grow exponentially with the number of qubits. It has been shown experimentally that the QuIDD (Quantum Information Decision Diagram) datastructure greatly facilitates simulations using memory and runtime that are polynomial in the number of qubits. In this paper, we present a complexity analysis which formally describes this class of matrices and vectors. We also present an improved implementation of QuIDDs which can simulate Grover's algorithm for quantum search with the asymptotic runtime complexity of an ideal quantum computer up to negligible overhead.
Some physiological effects of Eimeria acervulina, E. brunetti, and E. mivati infections in young chickens.

Abstract Selected physiological effects of coccidiosis in young chickens were studied in a series of nine trials involving three species of Eimeria. Four-week-old chicks were inoculated individually with a number of sporulated oocysts sufficient to cause morbidity with minimum mortality. Eight to ten inoculated and an equal number of uninoculated chicks were examined at pre-determined intervals for 18 to 21 days. Weight gains of the chicks infected with E. acervulina were depressed from the fifth day postinoculation until the termination of each of two trials. There was no significant difference between average total weight gains of chicks infected with E. brunetti and control chicks at the termination of two trials. The effect of E. mivati infection upon weight gain was, in general, less severe than that of either E. brunetti or E. acervulina. Each species of Eimeria caused a decrease in light absorbance of the plasma of infected chicks. E. acervulina had a more severe effect upon light absorbance of the plasma than did either E. brunetti or E. mivati. All three species studied caused an increase in acidity of the digestive tract at the principal site of infection. Chicks infected with E. acervulina had the lowest intestinal pH values recorded. Significant differences between the erythrocyte sedimentation rates and packed erythrocyte volume of infected chicks and control chicks were observed in individual trials; however, when data from the series of three trials conducted with each species were combined and analyzed, no significant differences between means representing control and infected chicks were found. Increased buffy blood coat values caused by E. acervulina infection were less than those caused by E. brunetti but greater than those caused by E. mivati. Infection of E. mivati had little effect on buffy blood coat values.
A Simple Method for the Analysis of Particle Sizes of Forage and Total Mixed Rations

A simple separator was developed to determine the particle sizes of forage and TMR that allows for easy separation of wet forage into three fractions and also allows plotting of the particle size distribution. The device was designed to mimic the laboratory-scale separator for forage particle sizes that was specified by Standard S424 of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. A comparison of results using the standard device and the newly developed separator indicated no difference in ability to predict fractions of particles with maximum length of less than 8 and 19 mm. The separator requires a small quantity of sample (1.4 L) and is manually operated. The materials on the screens and bottom pan were weighed to obtain the cumulative percentage of sample that was undersize for the two fractions. The results were then plotted using the Weibull distribution, which proved to be the best fit for the data. Convenience samples of haycrop silage, corn silage, and TMR from farms in the northeastern US were analyzed using the forage and TMR separator, and the range of observed values are given.
The Best Years of Their Lives: A Portrait of a Residential Home for People With AIDS

The article results from 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted at the “Tahitian Islander,” an apartment building in Florida for people with AIDs. This essay offers stories of three longtime residents as a way of describing and interpreting discourse that creates and maintains a sense of self and place. By using a narrative form that is built around dialogue, the author offers examples of how people with AIDS (PWAs) talk about themselves and talk to each other. Through the particulars of daily practice and conversation, this essay shows us that PWAs are actively and continually engaged in the production of identity and community.
Optimizing the power delivery network in dynamically voltage scaled systems with uncertain power mode transition times

With the increasing demand for energy-efficient power delivery network (PDN) in today's electronic systems, configuring an optimal PDN that supports power management techniques, e.g., dynamic voltage scaling (DVS), has become a daunting, yet vital task. This paper describes how to model and configure such a PDN so as to minimize the total energy dissipation in DVS-enabled systems, while satisfying total PDN cost and/or power conversion efficiency constraints. The problem of configuring an energy-efficient PDN under various constraints is subsequently formulated by using a controllable Markovian decision process (MDP) model and solved optimally as a policy optimization problem. The key rationale for utilizing MDP for solving the PDN configuration problem is to manage stochastic behavior of the power mode transition times of DVS-enabled systems. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed technique ensures energy savings, while satisfying design goals in terms of total PDN cost and its power efficiency.1
Learning convergence in the cerebellar model articulation controller

A new way to look at the learning algorithm in the cerebellar model articulation controller (CMAC) proposed by J.S. Albus (1975) is presented. A proof that the CMAC learning always converges with arbitrary accuracy on any set of training data is obtained. An alternative way to implement CMAC based on the insights obtained in the process is proposed. The scheme is tested with a computer simulation for learning the inverse dynamics of a two-link robot arm. >
Interhospital variation in reperfusion rates following endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke

Background Patients who have successful reperfusion following endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke have improved clinical outcomes. We sought to determine if the chance of successful reperfusion differs among hospitals, and if hospital site is an independent predictor of reperfusion. Methods Nine hospitals recruited patients in the Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution Study 2 (DEFUSE 2), a prospective cohort study of endovascular stroke treatment conducted between 2008 and 2011. Patients were included for analysis if they had a baseline Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) score of 0 or 1. Successful reperfusion was defined as a TICI reperfusion score of 2b or 3 at completion of the procedure. Collaterals were assessed using the Collateral Flow Grading System and were dichotomized as poor (0–2) or good (3–4). The association between hospital site and successful reperfusion was first assessed in an unadjusted analysis and subsequently in a multivariate analysis that adjusted for predictors of successful reperfusion. Results 36 of 89 patients (40%) achieved successful reperfusion. The rate of reperfusion varied from 0% to 77% among hospitals in the univariate analysis (χ 2 p Conclusions Reperfusion rates vary among hospitals, which may be related to differences in treatment protocols and patient characteristics. Additional studies are needed to identify all of the factors that underlie this variability as this could lead to strategies that reduce interhospital variability in reperfusion rates and improve clinical outcomes.
Thermoradiotherapy with combined interstitial and external hyperthermia in advanced tumours in the head and neck with depth ≫3 cm

Advanced tumours in the head and neck 3–6 cm depth are too deep to be completely heated by external 915 MHz microwaves. A preliminary study was performed using interstitial plus external hyperthermia combined with external beam radiation therapy to heat tumours to depths ≫ 3 cm. Nine advanced metastatic lesions of squamous cell carcinoma located in the head and neck were treated between 1987 and 1990 with the combined hyperthermia technique and radiation doses of 38–60 Gy (mean of 49 ≫3 Gy). The mean tumour volume was 58 ≫ 9 (SE) cm3 (range 24–94 cm3) with a mean tumour depth of 3≫9 ≫ 0≫3 cm (range 3–5≫5 cm). The deeper aspects of the tumour were heated by interstitial 915 MHz microwave antennas and the superficial aspects heated by external 915 MHz applicators. A single plane of polyurethane closed-end catheters, 16 Ga, were inserted under local anaesthesia approximately 1≫5–2 cm apart in parallel arrays at the base of a lesion behind the sternomastoid muscle, or an equivalent site in a dissected neck, e...
Parent-Child Dynamics and Emerging Adult Religiosity: Attachment, Parental Beliefs, and Faith Support

Parental religiosity has been shown to predict child and adolescent religiosity, but the role of parents in emerging adult religiosity is largely unknown. We explored associations among emerging adult religiosity, perceived parental religiosity, perceived similarity to mother’s and to father’s religious beliefs, parental faith support, and parental attachment. Participants were 481 alumni of two Christian colleges and completed surveys online. Emerging adult religiosity (measured by Christian orthodoxy and intrinsic religiosity) was high and similar to parents’ religiosity. Perceived similarity to parents’ religious beliefs, faith support, and attachment to fathers predicted emerging adult religiosity. However, parental religiosity alone was a weak predictor and functioned as a negative suppressor variable when combined with similarity to parents’ beliefs and faith support. Findings underscore the importance of parental support and parent– child relationship dynamics more than the level of parental religiosity and point to possibly unique roles for mothers and fathers in emerging adult religiosity.
Oceanographic Studies of Epi-Pelagic Ammonium Distributions: The Ross Sea NH4+ Flux Experiment

During 16–23 January 1982, an interdisciplinary oceanographic study was carried out in the southwestern Ross Sea, supported by a grid of hydro-stations spaced along 175°E, 173°E, 171°E and 169°E at 5 min latitude intervals from 76° 50′S to the Ross Ice Shelf. To extend previous studies of oceanic nutrient dynamics and pathways of biogeochemical nutrient cycling we sought to define summer-time scales of spatial variability in water-column NH 4 + in relation to water-mass characteristics, geostrophic flow, distance from ice edges, and plankton biomass. Near-surface NH 4 + was correlated negatively with near-surface chlorophyll and with distance from ice edges. Lowest concentrations (0.05–0.35 µg at. NH 4 + 1−1) occurred at open water stations north of 77° 10’S along transects 173°E and 175°E. Highest concentrations (0.50–1.35 µg at. NH 4 + 1−1) occurred close along the Ross Ice Shelf, and at stations west of 171°E and within 50 km of a transition from open water to pack-ice. Ammonium maxima underlying the mixed layer clustered into 2 groups of sigma-theta density, reflecting local melting of continental, NH 4 + -rich ice of the Ross Ice Shelf and a net biological regeneration and accumulation of NH 4 + under pack-ice. At locations and/or times where internal wave activity and the passage of meso-scale eddies flux this sub-surface NH 4 + into the mixed layer, it is taken up preferentially to NO3 and may help promote or maintain high chlorophyll standing stocks that are characteristic of mid-summer in this part of the Ross embayment.
Just-in-Time Justice: Globalization and the Changing Character of Law, Order, and Power

This article examines how economic globalization has dialectically interacted with the nation-state and legal order to facilitate the production of “just-in-time justice”—the increasingly flexible character of law, order, and power. Utilizing Chambliss’s analytic strategy, particularly his dialectical approach to lawmaking, I first examine the relationship between the global social order, economic globalization, and the changing architecture of nation-states. I then explore ways that the legal order has been flexibilized, including the creation of “states of exception,” the privatization of social control functions of the state, the development of transnational spaces for governance, and the widespread use of surveillance. My analysis of these transformations suggests that the greatest danger in the contemporary moment may be what we do not know, what is hidden from public accountability, beyond the public gaze. Importantly, this analysis also highlights that law continues to matter—or else there would not be such a press to ensure its disappearance.
Patterns of bird-window collisions inform mitigation on a university campus

Bird-window collisions cause an estimated one billion bird deaths annually in the United States. Building characteristics and surrounding habitat affect collision frequency. Given the importance of collisions as an anthropogenic threat to birds, mitigation is essential. Patterned glass and UV-reflective films have been proven to prevent collisions. At Duke University's West campus in Durham, North Carolina, we set out to identify the buildings and building characteristics associated with the highest frequencies of collisions in order to propose a mitigation strategy. We surveyed six buildings, stratified by size, and measured architectural characteristics and surrounding area variables. During 21 consecutive days in spring and fall 2014, and spring 2015, we conducted carcass surveys to document collisions. In addition, we also collected ad hoc collision data year-round and recorded the data using the app iNaturalist. Consistent with previous studies, we found a positive relationship between glass area and collisions. Fitzpatrick, the building with the most window area, caused the most collisions. Schwartz and the Perk, the two small buildings with small window areas, had the lowest collision frequencies. Penn, the only building with bird deterrent pattern, caused just two collisions, despite being almost completely made out of glass. Unlike many research projects, our data collection led to mitigation action. A resolution supported by the student government, including news stories in the local media, resulted in the application of a bird deterrent film to the building with the most collisions: Fitzpatrick. We present our collision data and mitigation result to inspire other researchers and organizations to prevent bird-window collisions.
Cross Sections for 239Pu(n, f) and 241Pu(n, f) in the Range En = 0.01 eV to 200 MeV

The 239Pu and 241Pu neutron-induced fission cross sections have been measured from subthermal energies to 200 MeV. These measurements are part of a campaign to measure fission cross sections with h...
Undocumented Latino Youth: Migration Experiences and the Challenges of Integrating into American Society

This descriptive qualitative study explored the challenges that undocumented and unaccompanied Latino youth face in their migration and their attempt to integrate into American society after crossing the US–Mexican border. In-depth interviews were conducted with undocumented and unaccompanied Latino youth in Texas. Data were analyzed for patterns and themes. The findings indicate that youth are more prone to personal failures across several domains, which can lead to a life of crime. The descriptions are categorized under themes that correlate to familial makeup, migration and border crossing experiences, and experiences as unaccompanied and undocumented youth living on the US–Mexican border. These results help to contextualize the immigration debate as related to undocumented Latino youth and crime. They indicate that most of the undocumented Latino youth were victims of crimes more so than perpetrators of crime. Their victimizations included exposure to pervasive violence and other challenges that made realizing their full potential difficult.
Calves Weaned and Backgrounded on Pasture Respond to Pasture Nutritive Value and Supplements

Preconditioning reduces stress, maintains health, and adds value to feeder calves. Calf response to pasture nutritive value and supplementation was studied on 17 farms in 2002, 8 farms in 2003, and 9 farms in 2004. Calves were weaned in late August and backgrounded on pasture to mid-October. Calves were fed a commercial concentrate (0.0 to 1.5% bodyweight [BW]), hay, and on some farms haylage, ground shelled corn (Zea mays L.), or soybean (Glycine max L.) hulls. Calf average daily gain (ADG) was evaluated across farms relative to animal, pasture, and supplement characteristics using multiple regressions. Commercial supplement intake, corn intake, and pasture total digestible nutrient (TDN) or pasture neutral detergent fiber (NDF) significantly influenced calf ADG. Based on regression coefficients, 4.4 lb of commercial supplement or 4.1 lb of corn were required to produce 1 lb of additional gain. Increasing pasture TDN or decreasing pasture NDF by 10 percentage units increased ADG 0.86 or 0.48 lb/day, respectively. Regressions were tested against 2004 data. Regression-estimated gains were not significantly different from measured ADG 67% of the time. Calf performance during backgrounding can be cost effective when management ensures adequate pasture quantity and nutritive value and supplements are used judiciously relative to their cost and the value of calf gain.
DESIGN AND CONTROL OF A SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY WIRE BUNDLE ACTUATOR

In this paper, the design and control of a novel shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator that possesses impressive payload lifting capabilities are presented. The actuator consists of 48 nickel-titanium SMA wires mechanically bundled in parallel forming one powerful artificial muscle. This new linear actuator can apply up to 100 lbf (445 N), which is approximately 300 times its weight, over a maximum distance of 0.5 in. (1.27 cm). The actuator was tested in two different loading configurations - linear displacement and operation of a revolute joint. A PID based controller with the addition of an input shaping function was developed for each loading configuration with excellent results, maintaining steady state error within ± 0.004 in. (0.1 mm) for linear motion and ± 1o for revolute joint rotation. This powerful, compact, and lightweight actuator shows promise for use in space, medical, and other macro-robotic applications.
Efficacy and safety of adrenocorticotropic hormone treatment in glomerular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background There is growing evidence that adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) may be effective in treating various forms of glomerular diseases. However, the efficacy of treatment and frequency of adverse effects associated with the use of ACTH in glomerular diseases are unknown. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was performed.
New analytical solutions to the two-phase water faucet problem

Abstract The one-dimensional water faucet problem is one of the classical benchmark problems originally proposed by Ransom to study the two-fluid two-phase flow model. With simplifications, such as massless gas phase and no wall and interfacial frictions, analytical solutions had been previously obtained for the transient liquid velocity and void fraction distribution. The water faucet problem and its analytical solutions have been widely used for code assessment, benchmark, and numerical verification. In this work, we present a new set of analytical solutions to the water faucet problem at the steady-state condition, with the gas-phase density’s effect on pressure distribution considered. This new set of analytical solutions is used in a rigorous numerical verification process from which the anticipated second-order spatial accuracy is achieved for a second-order spatial discretization scheme. On the contrary, the same anticipated order of accuracy could not be obtained using the Ransom solutions as the reference. In addition, extended Ransom transient solutions for the gas-phase velocity and pressure are derived with the assumption of decoupled liquid and gas pressures. Numerical benchmark on the extended Ransom solutions is also presented.
A comparison of the respiratory depressant effects of dextropropoxyphene and codeine in man

Twelve volunteers were given placebo and graded doses of codeine and dextropropoxyphene to determine the relative respiratory potency of oral dextropropoxyphene and oral codeine. Carbon dioxide response curves were prepared from data accumulated with a rebreathing technique. The relative respiratory potency, p, was calculated as 0.33. According to this calculation, 180 mg. of dextropropoxyphene administered orally produces respiratory depression equal to that of 60 mg. of codeine orally.