cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Control of Linear Time Varying Plants: The Case of "Jump" Parameter Variations

In this note we consider the adaptive control problem of linear, time varying, single-input singl-output plants with parameter discontinuities ("jump" parameter variations). In our formulation, the plant parameters are assumed to be uniformly bounded and piecewise continuous functions of time. Inside the intervals of continuity, the plant is assumed to satisfy some general conditions on observability, controllability and zero dynamics and the parameters are assumed to be smooth (or at least Lipschitz) but their speed of variation is not necessarily small. Under these, quite general, conditions it is established that a control law of the model reference type [5] which, in the case of know parameters, guarantees exponential and therefore internal stability of the closed loop, provided that in any time interval the average number of parameter discontinuities is small enough. In the case of partially unknown plant parameters, this control law is combined with an estimator. The resulting adaptive controller guarantees boundedness of the closed loop for bounded reference signals provided that: 1. in any time interval, the average number of parameter discontinuities is small enough and 2. inside the intervals of continuity, the functional dependence on time (or structure) of the fast time varying parameters is known up to a slowly varying component. The currently available results on the adaptive control problem of time-varying plants have been derived under stronger assumptions, typically requiring that the plant parameters are smooth and slowly time-varying [1,2,3] or piecewise continuous and slowly varying in the mean [4].
High-temperature mixed-signal ICs using silicon carbide CMOS technology

The design and fabrication of a high-temperature mixed-signal IC using silicon carbide CMOS technology is presented. The mixed-signal IC implements an intelligent gate driver circuit intended for high-power switching devices. Using temperature-insensitive comparator, several functions including over-voltage, under-voltage, short-load and open-load detection are provided, all of which are operational up to 300/spl deg/C. These ICs are ideally suited for harsh, high-temperature environments such as automotive and aircraft engines.
The character of the rural shire in New South Wales

(1968). The character of the rural shire in New South Wales. Australian Geographer: Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 488-506.
The Clinical Efficacy Assessment Project of the American College of Physicians.

Throughout the history of the development and use of medical technologies (phar-maceuticals, laboratory tests, invasive and noninvasive procedures, and medical devices), physicians and their patients have been the primary assessors of a technology's worth. If a drug, test, or procedure produces consistent beneficial effects, with little or no risk, then such a technology is commonly added to the clinician's arsenal of weapons against illness and disease. Academic researchers, however, with their keen desires to find new and better ways to diagnose, treat, and cure, are relied upon to produce evidence documenting a technology's efficacy. Others engaged in technology assessment activities—from their own perspectives—include manufacturers, who produce data showing the value of the products they hope to sell; hospitals that wish to make cost-effective purchases; and government agencies, with mandates to protect the public and to spend public dollars wisely. Still, it is the practicing physician who ultimately judges a technology's value based upon its use in individual clinical situations. Until very recently, with the apparent adequacy of these evaluative methods, medical professional societies were not required to enter the technology assessment arena.
An adaptive power-conserving service discipline for bluetooth (APCB) wireless networks

Bluetooth is a new short-range radio technology to form a small wireless system. In most of the current bluetooth products, the master polls the slaves in a round robin (RR) manner and it may waste a significant amount of power. Many solutions were proposed to reduce the power consumption of the slaves. However, these solutions cannot achieve a good balance between the power consumption and QoS provision. We propose an adaptive power-conserving scheme to address this problem. The proposed solution schedules each flow based on its predictive rate and achieves power optimization based on a low-power mode existing in the bluetooth standard. Unlike other research work related to low-power, we also consider QoS provision for each flow. Theoretical analyses verify that our scheme can achieve throughput guarantees, delay guarantees, and fairness guarantees. Simulation results demonstrate that our scheme outperforms the RR scheme and other existing works in terms of significant power saving and good QoS provision. It also shows that there exists a tradeoff between power and delay under varies traffic models.
Tamoxifen protects against 17α-ethynylestradiol-induced liver damage and the development of urogenital papillae in the rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum)

Juvenile rainbow darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) were exposed to nominal concentrations of 20 to 1,000 ng/L of 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) at 120 d posthatch and in a subsequent experiment to 200 ng/L of EE2 with 2.0 to 20,000 ng/L of tamoxifen (TMX) at 150 d posthatch to determine the threshold of estrogen-induced morphological and histological changes in a sexually dimorphic benthic fish species ecologically relevant to southern Minnesota (USA). 17α-Ethynylestradiol induced female-associated urogenital papillae in males at 200 ng/L, enlargement and development of fibrosis in male testes, enlargement of ovary and oocyte size in females, and large fatty inclusions in the liver of both sexes. Exposure to 1,000 ng/L of EE2 caused gross hypertrophy of the liver and kidneys and high mortalities, predominantly in male fish. A low incidence of ovotestes found in all treatment groups was unaffected by EE2, which may be unusual to this species or a response to unknown water contaminants present during the hatching or early development of the darters. Gonadosomatic index was not altered for either sex by any treatment. A TMX level equal to or less than that of EE2 decreased fat accumulation in the liver in both sexes, and a TMX level greater than that of EE2 appeared to prevent urogenital papilla in males. Tamoxifen did not significantly alter fibrosis caused by EE2 in testes. It appears that the presence of TMX in the environment can mask many signs of estrogen exposure, including secondary sexual characteristics, hypertrophy of ovaries and testes, and fatty infiltration of organs. Ovotestes did not prove to be a good indicator of estrogen exposure at this late stage of juvenile darter development.
Low-power on-chip communication based on transition-aware global signaling (TAGS)

In this paper, we propose a new circuit structure, the transition aware global signaling (TAGS) receiver, that detects transitions at arbitrary switch points. The major performance advantage of this circuit occurs when it switches before the 50% point in the input transition. The TAGS receiver stores the next state of the line while quiet. Upon detection of a transition at the end of the line the output is temporarily driven by the stored next state. Transitions at the output of the receiver are much faster than at the end of the line since they are generated locally. Its ability to detect transitions before a standard inverter and locally generate them at its output, allows its use at the end of long interconnects with fewer repeaters for the same delay as the standard repeater paradigm. The need for fewer repeaters with the TAGS scheme results in lower power consumption for on-chip global communication, while also reducing the placement overhead involved with large buffer blocks. This is shown in the context of bus optimizations, where TAGS achieves up to 50% reduction in power compared to standard repeaters. In an industrial 0.13-/spl mu/m CMOS process, TAGS receivers enable 8-mm-long buses at 1.5-GHz clock rates without repeaters, while the traditional scheme required three repeaters on the line. An extensive analysis of crosstalk noise in the bus environment shows that TAGS can handle the noise levels produced in typical bus structures. Also, the variation of delay in the bus structure under worst-case power supply noise for the TAGS scheme is typically smaller than the delay variation using the standard repeater scheme.
Marrow emboli in acute chest syndrome: artifact or etiology?

A black man with HbSC sickle cell disease (SCD) complained of severe unrelenting chest, back, and abdominal pains for 1 hour. He had experienced several sickle cell crises in the past 2 years. Initial vital signs were BP 150/100, HR 90/ min, and RR unlabored, 30/min. He was diaphoretic, but otherwise his physical examination was unremarkable. Admitting lab values wereWBCs 9.2 x 10 9 per L, PLTs 140 x 10 9 per L, Hb 9.9 g per dL, and Hct 28.4 percent. He was given morphine. Within 24 hours after admission, his WBCs had increased to 23.1 × 10 9 per L with 17 percent bands; Hb decreased to 6.8 g per dL, Hct to 19.4 percent, and PLTs to 72 x 10 9 per L; and his peripheral blood smear contained 39 nucleated RBCs per HPF. Two units of RBCs were subsequently transfused because of his increasing anemia. His blood pH decreased to 6.9 from 7.38 within 4 hours of death while being ventilated with O 2 . He died in respiratory failure 30 hours after admission. Antibody testing for parvovirus B19 was not completed until after death, but the test was positive for the presence of both IgM and IgG antibodies to the virus. A clinical hospital autopsy was performed at the local hospital. At autopsy each lung weighed 1000 g and contained large, 4- to 10-mm macroscopic fragments of necrotic marrow, nearly obstructing several pulmonary arterial branches (Fig. A, macroimage of HE Fig. B, 4x photomicrograph of marrow embolus; Fig. C, 20x photomicrograph of megakaryocyte in necrotic marrow fragment) as well as paravertebral venous plexus vessels. Multiple large areas of necrosis were present within vertebral thoracic and lumbar medullary marrow spaces. This case was evaluated on referral of the medical record and autopsy slides. Acute chest syndrome (ACS), commonly developing in patients with HbSS and occasionally in patients with HbSC, is the leading cause of death and hospitalization in patients with SCD. Although the etiology of ACS remains unclear, pulmonary fat embolism, including microscopically sized marrow emboli, have been found. Autopsy pathologists frequently regard microscopic marrow and fat emboli to be the result of vigorous cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and consequently the finding of such emboli in a patient with ACS may be inadvertently dismissed as an incidental non-pathologic finding. ACS is associated with the triad of SCD, parvovirus infection, and marrow fat embolism. The origin of pulmonary and systemic fat emboli found in ACS, and appropriate diagnostic tests for that fat, remains speculative. Large, macroscopic necrotic emboli arising from the patient's vertebral marrow, presumably caused by vascular occlusion within his hyperplastic marrow by sickled RBCs, played a significant role in the development of ACS and his subsequent respiratory demise. In patients with SCD and parvovirus infections, sudden death from ACS can be caused by obstruction of pulmonary vessels with large macroscopic fragments of marrow, which are not artifacts of vigorous cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
A MEMS reconfigurable matching network for a class AB amplifier

This letter presents the design of a reconfigurable amplifier with an adaptive matching network implemented by shunt MEMS switches. In particular, the MEMS switches are used as capacitive stubs in double-stub matching circuit designs. The effective capacitance of the switches can be varied by switch activation which results in a change of the matching configuration. The RF response of the adaptive matching network is studied and the power performance of the amplifier is presented.
Efficacy of three tourniquet types for intravenous antimicrobial regional limb perfusion in standing horses

To determine (1) if clinically useful concentrations of amikacin sulfate can be obtained in synovial fluid during regional limb perfusion (RLP) performed above the carpus in standing sedated horses and (2) to determine the efficacy of 3 tourniquet types (narrow rubber [NR], wide rubber [WR], pneumatic [PN]).Animals: Horses (n=9).Methods: Bilateral forelimb RLP with amikacin sulfate (2.5 g) were administered through the cephalic vein in standing sedated horses. Limbs were randomly assigned to the 3 tourniquet types (NR, WR, PN) applied above the carpus. Metacarpophalangeal synovial fluid was obtained 0.5 hour after perfusion. Amikacin concentration in the synovial fluid was detected using fluorescence polarization immunoassay.Results: Mean synovial concentrations of amikacin in the PN (mean 236 μg/mL; range 23-913 μg/mL) and WR (mean 64.2 μg/mL; range 7-315 μg/mL) were significantly higher (P=000 and .032, respectively) than the NR tourniquet (mean 2.1 μg/mL; range 0.9-3.3 μg/mL).Conclusions: The PN tourniquet resulted in the highest synovial fluid amikacin concentrations in all horses, although administration with PN and WR tourniquets achieved adequate amikacin concentrations. NR tourniquet is ineffective and should not be used for RLP above the carpus in the standing horse.
Children, sealants, and guardians who smoke: Trends in NHANES 2001-2002 to 2010-2012.

Objective: There are many factors influencing dental behavior. The relationship of smokers who smoked inside the home toward preventive care (measured as dental sealant placement) of the children living in their homes is examined in this study. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in 2001-2002 and in 2011-2012 were analyzed. Data included the variables of someone smoking inside the home, dental sealant placement in children ages 6-less than 20 years, and sociodemographic data. The data were obtained from a dental examination and a home interview. Results: There were 3,352 eligible participants in 2001-2002 and 2,374 in 2011-2012. The unadjusted odds ratio for not having dental sealants when there was someone who smoked inside the home as compared with not having dental sealants when there was no one who smoked inside the home was 1.57 (95%CI: 1.17, 2.10) in 2001-2002. The unadjusted odds ratio was 1.56 (95% CI: 1.20, 2.03) in 2011-2012. When the data were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance, and income to poverty ratio, the 2001-2002 adjusted odds ratio was 1.31 (95%CI: 0.97, 1.78). The adjusted odds ratio in 2011-2012 was 1.41 (95% CI:1.01, 1.95). Conclusions: Children who lived in homes in which someone smoked inside the home were more likely to not have dental sealants compared with children who lived in homes in which no one smoked inside the home. These results are important for understanding the factors related to access to dental care issues for children.
Private Engineering in Public Works

The division of the internal public engineering work load as practiced by state highway departments is considered. It has been estimated that 50% of the 41,000 mile Interstate System has been designed by private engineering firms. In some states it is considered that the highway organizations should supervise and administer adequately the expanding highway program. There is still a difference of opinion among the states about contracting outside services—between 10% for some departments, and 70% for others. Reasons for these differences depend upon the quality of performed designing jobs. The papers considered the reasons for assigning jobs to outside firms.
A prospective study of oral contraceptive use and risk of breast cancer (Nurses' Health Study, United States).

Results of previous epidemiologic studies have provided reassurance that there is little, if any, increase in risk of breast cancer with oral contraceptive (OC) use in general. However, in several studies, an increased risk of breast cancer has been observed in two subgroups, young women who used OCs for extended durations and in women who used OCs prior to a first-term pregnancy. We evaluated these relationships using data from the ongoing Nurses' Health Study cohort (United States). We documented 3,383 cases of breast cancer from 1976 to 1992 among 1.6 million person-years of follow-up. We observed no overall relationship between duration of OC use and breast cancer risk, even among women who reported using OCs for 10 or more years (multivariate relative risk [RR]=1.11, 95 percent confidence interval [CI]=0.94-1.32). Among women less than 45 years of age, the multivariate RR for using OCs for 10 or more years was 1.07 (CI=0.70-1.65) compared with never-users. The risk associated with five or more years of OC use prior to a first full-term pregnancy compared with never-use was 0.96 (CI=0.65-1.43). Among women less than 45 years of age, we observed no evidence of an increased risk with OC use before a first full-term pregnancy (use for five or more years: RR=0.57, CI=0.24-1.31). Because of the age distribution of our cohort, we were unable to evaluate these relationships among women less than 40 years of age. Our study provides considerable evidence that long-term past OC use, either overall or prior to a first full-term pregnancy, does not result in any appreciable increase in breast cancer risk in women over 40 years of age.
Labor-Force Participation: The Population Age 55 and Older

This paper examines recent U.S. Census Bureau data on labor-force participation among Americans age 55 and older. The first section uses annualized data on labor-force participation from the Current Population Survey (available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site). However, these data provide only an overall picture, not specific demographic details. In order to examine demographic trends of the U.S. population, the second section uses data from the March Current Population Survey. The PDF for the above title, published in the June 2007 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another June 2007 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: "Tax Expenditures and Employee Benefits: Estimates from the FY 2008 Budget."
Rosiglitazone attenuates inflammation and CA3 neuronal loss following traumatic brain injury in rats

Rosiglitazone, a potent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ agonist, has been shown to confer neuroprotective effects in stroke and spinal cord injury, but its role in the traumatic brain injury (TBI) is still controversial. Using a controlled cortical impact model in rats, the current study was designed to determine the effects of rosiglitazone treatment (6 mg/kg at 5 min, 6 h and 24 h post injury) upon inflammation and histological outcome at 21 d after TBI. In addition, the effects of rosiglitazone upon inflammatory cytokine transcription, vestibulomotor behavior and spatial memory function were determined at earlier time points (24 h, 1-5 d, 14-20 d post injury, respectively). Compared with the vehicle-treated group, rosiglitazone treatment suppressed production of TNFα at 24 h after TBI, attenuated activation of microglia/macrophages and increased survival of CA3 neurons but had no effect on lesion volume at 21 d after TBI. Rosiglitazone-treated animals had improved performance on beam balance testing, but there was no difference in spatial memory function as determined by Morris water maze. In summary, this study indicates that rosiglitazone treatment in the first 24 h after TBI has limited anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in rat traumatic injury. Further study using an alternative dosage paradigm and more sensitive behavioral testing may be warranted.
Grain Boundaries, Trace Elements, and Fracture of Intermetallic Compounds

Even though single crystals of Ni{sub 3}Al are quite ductile when tested in ambient conditions, polycrystalline material is very brittle due to grain boundary failure. The tendency for grain boundary failure is greatly exacerbated by atmospheric water vapor. A number of studies have shown that within the sensitivity of Auger spectroscopy, grain boundary failure is not accompanied by any measurable segregation of a third element, therefore grain boundaries in Ni{sub 3}Al appear to be intrinsically weaker than the bulk. A major breakthrough in this problem occurred in 1979 when Aoki and Izunii showed that small additions of B can greatly improve the ductility. This has led to a world-wide interest in how B strengthens the grain boundaries. It was later shown by Liu and coworkers that there is an optimal amount of B in Ni{sub 3}Al for the purpose of increasing the ductility. Polycrystalline Ni-rich, B-free Ni{sub 3}Al produced by the usual casting and working processes shows almost no ductility at room temperature, and failure is completely intergranular. With the addition of 0.02 wt. % B the tensile elongation increases dramatically to over 40% and failure becomes transgranular by microvoid coalescence for fine grained materials and stepped/faceted for large grainedmore » materials. Thus the central questions raised by these observations are: (1) Why is B-free Ni{sub 3}Al intergranularly weak and (2) how does B improve the grain boundary strength? In this paper the authors will describe the trends of the research on these two topics in recent years and concentrate on the intrinsic properties of the grain boundaries, correlating structure with brittleness, and also incorporating considerations of test environment and B addition.« less
Evidence that the Common Rough or Pimply Egg Shell Condition is not Disease-Related

Abstract Eggs from two pathogen-free flocks were found to have a rough, pimply texture similar to that observed commonly in commercial, non pathogen-free flocks. This observation as well as the progressive increase in shell roughness through the laying year indicates that the common, rough, pimply shell is not the result of common infectious diseases.
Homophily Matters: The Impact of Minority Group Homophily on the Performance of MBEs

Minority business enterprises (MBEs) in the U.S. are significantly outpacing the growth rate of non-minority-based businesses. A look at the changing demographics reveals that America’s competitive...
A Benchmark for Preservation of Normal Pituitary Function After Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery for Pituitary Macroadenomas.

Introduction We report a contemporary consecutive series of 80 patients operated on for benign pituitary macroadenomas, followed endocrinologically for at least 3 months postoperatively. These patients were systematically evaluated preoperatively by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging designed to detect the position of normal gland relative to the lesion. The rate of preservation of normal pituitary was critically analyzed using this strategy combined with endoscopic transsphenoidal resection. Methods This is a retrospective review of 46 women and 34 men with mean postoperative follow-up of 14 months (range, 3–30 months). The lesions encountered consisted of 80 pituitary macroadenomas (55 nonfunctioning, 18 acromegaly, 5 prolactinoma, 1 Cushing, one thyroid-stimulating hormone). Pituitary endocrine status was determined preoperatively and at most recent follow-up, and categorized as normal or impaired, based on laboratory studies showing new hormone deficiency or the need for pituitary hormone replacement therapy. Results Fifty-three patients (66.3%) had normal endocrine function preoperatively; 3 (5.7%) had loss of function postoperatively (1 transient). Twenty-seven patients (33.8%) had impaired function preoperatively; postoperatively 20 (74.1%) were unchanged, and 5 (18.5%) were worse; 2 (7.4%) recovered lost pituitary function. Of 80 patients undergoing resection, 5 (6.3%) had worsened pituitary function postoperatively. Patients with recurrent lesions ( n = 5, 6.3%) and those presenting with pituitary tumor apoplexy ( n = 5, 6.3%) were more likely to become further impaired. Other endocrine sequelae included 2 patients with permanent postoperative diabetes insipidus and 3 with transient symptomatic syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. Conclusions The preservation and restoration of hormonal function are essential to assessing the outcome of surgery and to the patient's quality of life. Careful analysis of the anatomy of the pituitary lesions and their effect on the anatomy and physiology of the pituitary gland are crucial to success and allow modern technological advances to provide fewer complications of therapy and improved outcomes for our patients. The benchmarks provided in this article are a stimulus for even better results in the future as we take advantage of technical and conceptual advances and the benefits of multidisciplinary collaboration.
Lipopolysaccharide enhances CD11b/CD18 function but inhibits neutrophil aggregation

Human neutrophils are primed in the presence of complexes of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with its serum binding protein (LBP) in a manner dependent on CD14. Cellular consequences of priming include increased responsiveness, the upregulation of surface proteins including the adhesive integrin CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1), the increased binding of certain ligands to CD11b/CD18, and the concurrent shedding of the L-selectin homing receptor. Because expression of both CD11b/CD18 and L-selectin is obligatory for formyl peptide-stimulated neutrophil aggregation in vitro (Simon et al, Blood 82:1097, 1993), we have examined the consequences of bacterial endotoxin on the expression of neutrophil adhesive molecules. We observed that the exposure of neutrophils to LPS/LBP, while enhancing the surface numbers and adhesive function of CD11b/CD18 for latex particles, did not induce aggregation. In contrast, as the LPS/LBP concentration increased (ED50 = 30 ng/mL LPS/LBP), the ability of neutrophils to aggregate decreased in parallel with the shedding of L-selectin. Moreover, when L-selectin adhesive activity was blocked by treatment with Fab fragments of Dreg- 200, aggregation was inhibited to an extent roughly proportional to the available L-selection. Blocking of LPS/LBP with CD14-specific monoclonal antibodies suppressed L-selectin shedding and preserved formyl peptide-stimulated aggregation. Taken together, the data suggest that inhibition of neutrophil aggregation by LPS/LBP is related to the expression of L-selectin via CD14 rather than LPS inhibition of CD11b/CD18 function during cellular stimulation.
An Anaplastic Carcinoma of Liver: A Possible Poorly Differentiated Primary Hepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

We present an interesting case of undifferentiated carcinoma of liver with anaplastic features, thought to be a possible poorly differentiated primary hepatic cholangiocarcinoma (PDPHC). A 67-year-old man had recurrent diarrhea alternating with constipation and dark stool and urine for 1 month. Conjugated billuribin, INR, CEA, and …
Finding low error clusterings

A common approach for solving clustering problems is to design algorithms to approximately optimize various objective functions (e.g., k-means or min-sum) defined in terms of some given pairwise distance or similarity information. However, in many learning motivated clustering applications (such as clustering proteins by function) there is some unknown target clustering; in such cases the pairwise information is merely based on heuristics and the real goal is to achieve low error on the data. In these settings, an arbitrary c-approximation algorithm for some objective would work well only if any c-approximation to that objective is close to the target clustering. In recent work, Balcan et. al [7] have shown how both for the k-means and k-median objectives this property allows one to produce clusterings of low error, even for values c such that getting a c-approximation to these objective functions is provably NP-hard. In this paper we analyze the min-sum objective from this perspective. While [7] also considered the min-sum problem, the results they derived for this objective were substantially weaker. In this work we derive new and more subtle structural properties for min-sum in this context and use these to design efficient algorithms for producing accurate clusterings, both in the transductive and in the inductive case. We also analyze the correlation clustering problem from this perspective, and point out interesting differences between this objective and k-median, k-means, or min-sum objectives.
A 12Gb/s, 8.6µApp input sensitivity, monolithic-integrated fully differential optical receiver in CMOS 45nm SOI process

A high-sensitivity, fully-differential optical receiver for high-density photonic interconnects is presented. To realize fully-differential operation, a 3-dB power splitter and SiGe photodetector are integrated with the receiver, all in a CMOS 45nm SOI process. The proposed receiver improves sensitivity by suppressing common-mode and supply noise through fully-differential (FD) operation, achieving 12Gb/s at BER PP while consuming 4.3mW. To understand the effectiveness of the proposed solution, we compare it to a conventional single-ended (SE) receiver on the same test-chip. Measured sensitivity is >2× better than the closest state-of-the-art design, achieving same energy per bit at higher data-rate.
Hierarchical Task Representation: Task Files and Response Selection

Human behavior is remarkably complex—even during the performance of relatively simple tasks—yet it is often assumed that learned associations between stimuli and responses provide the representatio...
Disseminated herpes zoster in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients treated with B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors.

Ibrutinib and idelalisib are new targeted therapies that are changing the landscape of treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). With an increased use of these agents, a rise in opportunistic in...
The role of herpes simplex virus glycoproteins in immune evasion.

Viruses have evolved mechanisms that favor their own survival by modifying the effectiveness of the host immune response. Although viral strategies for immune evasion are varied, many members of the herpesvirus family encode proteins that have immunoregulatory functions. Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) encodes a protein that shares homology with the heavy chain of the major histocompatibility complex class I molecule (Beck and Barrell 1988). This protein interacts with β 2-microglobulin and may interfere with cytotoxic T cell recognition of infected cells (Browne et al. 1990). BCRF1, a protein encoded by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), is a homologue of interleukin-10 and inhibits synthesis of cytokines by activated T helper cells (Hsu et al. 1990).
The hidden problem of Facebook and social media at work: What if employees start searching for other jobs?

Abstract Companies are increasingly encouraging employees to use Facebook and other social media to interact with coworkers in order to empower collaboration and knowledge sharing. Yet, there is a hidden problem that has been neglected by managers. The more employees interact with coworkers through social media to facilitate their work in the organization, the more likely they are to learn about and become interested in other companies via social media, form new work connections outside the organization, and engage in job search behaviors. The use of social media to facilitate work and benefit organizations could paradoxically risk fostering withdrawal intentions and turnover, which damage organizations. This article provides evidence of this paradox from an empirical study. After having identified the problem, the article proposes both the solutions to avoid and the solutions to adopt, illustrating best practices from successful companies, comparing their benefits and costs, and indicating the situations in which each solution is best implemented. To conclude, I offer 10 recommendations to turn the problem into an opportunity and use social media as an innovative recruitment tool.
Chapter 20 – Non-Medical Prescribing

Publisher Summary According to the DOH, the supplementary prescribing program is designed “to ease the burden on doctors and improve access to medicines.” Supplementary prescribing involves a voluntary partnership between an independent prescriber, who must be a doctor or dentist, and a supplementary prescriber to implement an agreed patient-specific clinical management plan (CMP) with the patient's agreement. Before supplementary prescribing can take place, it is obligatory for an agreed CMP to be in place, relating to a named patient and to that patient's specific condition(s) to be managed by the supplementary prescriber. This should be included in the patient record. In March 2006, the DOH announced that later in the year, it would introduce legislation to allow Extended Formulary Nurse Prescribers (and pharmacist-independent prescribers) to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition. The Extended Formulary will then cease to exist. The nurse prescribers will be known as Independent Nurse Prescribers. Under the new scheme, the nurses prescribing from the Nurse Prescribers Formulary for District Nurses and Health Visitors will in future be called Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribers.
Hydrogen production rates with closely-spaced felt anodes and cathodes compared to brush anodes in two-chamber microbial electrolysis cells

Abstract Flat anodes placed close to the cathode or membrane to reduce distances between electrodes in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) could be used to develop compact reactors, in contrast to microbial fuel cells (MFCs) where electrodes cannot be too close due to oxygen crossover from the cathode to the anode that reduces performance. Graphite fiber brush anodes are often used in MECs due to their proven performance in MFCs. However, brush anodes have not been directly compared to flat anodes in MECs, which are completely anaerobic, and therefore oxygen crossover is not a factor for felt or brush anodes. MEC performance was compared using flat felt or brush anodes in two-chamber, cubic type MECs operated in fed-batch mode, using acetate in a 50 mM phosphate buffer. Despite placement of felt anodes next to the membrane, MECs with felt anodes had a lower hydrogen gas production rate of 0.32 ± 0.02 m3-H2/m3-d than brush anodes (0.38 ± 0.02 m3-H2/m3-d). The main reason for the reduced performance was substrate-limited mass transfer to the felt anodes. To reduce mass transfer limitations, the felt anode electrolyte was stirred, which increased the hydrogen gas production rate to 0.41 ± 0.04 m3-H2/m3-d. These results demonstrate brush electrodes can improve performance of bioelectrochemical reactors even under fully anaerobic conditions.
US Newspapers’ Portrayals of Home Invasion Crime

This article presents the first known analysis of US newspaper portrayals of ‘home invasion’ crime by quantitatively investigating over 1,000 cases of home invasion drawn from 15 geographically spread city newspapers. In line with the concept of moral panic, descriptive statistics suggest a recent marked increase in the usage of the term ‘home invasion’ among newspapers. Additionally, regression analyses predicting levels of coverage suggest that a market‐driven model of news production, invoking a fearful worst‐case scenario, prevails. Victim or suspect fatalities, the number of victims or suspects, and the type of weapon reported, all generally predict the word count of initial articles and the likelihood of a follow‐up article. Analyses also partially support the hierarchy of victimisation hypothesis. We conclude by cautioning that citizens and legislators should consider these findings when calling for new legislation and appeal to criminologists to produce comprehensive empirical analyses on home invasion crime.
The role of PRKG2 in Angus dwarfism

iv CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 3 THESIS ORGANIZATION 3 REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE 5 HISTORY OF BOVINE DWARFISM 5 DETECTION OF MAJOR GENE MUTATIONS 7 BONE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 21 FORMS OF SKELETAL DISEASE 30 CURRENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF PRKG2 37 ABBREVIATION KEY 45 REFERENCES 46 CHAPTER 2. A NONSENSE MUTATION IN CGMP-DEPENDANT, TYPE II, PROTEIN KINASE (PRKG2) CAUSES DWARFISM IN AMERICAN ANGUS CATTLE 64 ABSTRACT 64 INTRODUCTION 65 MATERIALS AND METHODS 67 RESULTS 74 DISCUSSION 79 CONCLUSIONS 85 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 85 REFERENCES 86 FIGURES AND TABLES 89 CHAPTER 3. BEAP: THE BLAST EXTENSION AND ALIGNMENT TOOL PROGRAM FOR CONTIG CONSTRUCTION AND EXTENSION OF LOW PASS SEQUENCED GENOMES-APPLICATION TO FINE-MAPPING OF THE ANGUS DWARFISM LOCUS 106 ABSTRACT 106 INTRODUCTION 107 MATERIALS AND METHODS 109 RESULTS 113 DISCUSSION 117 CONCLUSIONS 122 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 123 REFERENCES 123 FIGURES AND TABLES 124
Transforming Growth Patterns for Sustainable Development

Growth matters for poverty reduction and the achievement of other MDGs, but the pattern of growth matters more. This paper, based on the MDG experience, identified and analysed a large number of economic policy measures which can make growth more sustained, inclusive and equitable, so as to be more effective in promoting the achievement of MDGs. The paper also indicated that the pattern of “sustained, inclusive, and equitable growth”, which was found to be effective in the MDG period, would need to be transformed into “sustainable, inclusive, and equitable growth” for promoting the achievement of SDGs in post-2015. The paper discussed some key elements for this transformation.
Decentralization, Regional Parties, and Multilevel Governance in Spain

This paper contributes to the literature on parliamentary government and intergovernmental relations by introducing a territorial logic of national minority governance in multilevel states. Spain has 17 powerful regional governments and several regional parties that gain representation at the national and regional levels. The paper evaluates the hypothesis that the governing situation of a regional party at the regional level, specifically the type of governing cabinet to which it belongs or whether it is in opposition, affects its support for a national minority government. Using qualitative interviews and a dataset of national parliamentary alliances in the Spanish Congress during the minority government of Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (2008–2011), it finds support for the proposition that regional governing dynamics affect national minority governance; in particular, regional parties governing in minority at the regional level are the regional parties most likely to support a national minority government.
Motor asymmetry over time in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Background Motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are usually asymmetric at onset. The literature on change in asymmetry over time has mixed results, with some studies suggesting a retained asymmetry and others suggesting a progression towards symmetry. The aim of this study was to assess change in asymmetry over time. Methods Charts of 109 consecutive patients who had been followed in a movement disorders clinic for routine PD care were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had been treated for PD symptoms and had been seen during at least 2 annual time points over 5 years. Interval absolute differences in Unified PD rating scale (UPDRS) scores for bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor between the right and left sides were calculated for annual time points. Results Neither bradykinesia, rigidity, nor tremor became more symmetric over a 5-year period; there was not a statistically significant change in asymmetry at any annual time point for these motor symptoms. Conclusions The lack of observed change in UPDRS score difference suggests that motor symptoms in PD patients remain asymmetric. This is important to consider clinically when predicting the natural course of PD and considering alternative diagnoses to PD. These results may also be important in developing hypotheses for disease progression.
A Fast Quasi-Static Time Series (QSTS) Simulation Method for PV Impact Studies Using Voltage Sensitivities of Controllable Elements

Yearlong quasi-static time series (QSTS) simulations at second-level granularity are required to accurately model controller devices and determine the impact of PV resources on distribution systems. However, the computational time for running such simulations takes 10 to 120 hours for a realistic-sized distribution feeder. This long simulation time is preventing widespread adoption of QSTS simulation for PV impact studies and more generally impact studies needed for all types of distributed energy resources (DERs). This paper proposes a fast QSTS simulation approach by substantially reducing the number of power flow solutions used during the simulation. The proposed method uses voltage sensitivities to model the control logic and behavior of system regulators and capacitors, accurately predicting the control actions of system controllers without having to solve all the power flows through time. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated on the IEEE 13-bus test case with 100 times faster comnutational time.
Restenosis Rates After Drug-Eluting Stent Treatment for Stenotic Small-Diameter Renal Arteries

To determine primary rates in small-diameter renal arteries, including complex bifurcation lesions, treated with drug-eluting stents (DES) in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. This is a retrospective single-institution study. A total of 37 patients with 39 stented renal arteries were included. Patient and procedural data were obtained from the electronic medical record. Survival free from restenosis was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method with patients stratified into two groups based on renal artery diameters (≤ 3.5 mm or > 3.5 mm). Univariate Cox proportional models were used to estimate hazard ratios associated with clinical and angiographic variables. Average renal artery diameter at time of treatment was 3.4 mm ± 0.4 mm. The median survival free from restenosis was 992 days, with 11 out of 37 (29.7%) developing an in-stent restenosis. Renal arteries 3.5 mm (P = 0.33). The 1-, 2-, and 5-year patency rates were 71%, 63%, and 38%, respectively. History of stroke was the only comorbidity to portend a significantly greater rate of restenosis (hazard ratio 3.77; 95%CI, 1.05–13.6; P = 0.04). Medications did not statistically alter the risk of restenosis. Revascularization of renal arteries with DES achieved similar primary patency rates irrespective of renal artery diameter. Stent configuration was not associated with time to renal replacement therapy or all-cause mortality. Level 3, Cohort Study.
P171 A Follow-Up Outcome Evaluation of Alabama SNAP-Ed's Social Marketing Campaign

Background In 2017, Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University (ACES) contracted Altarum to conduct outcome and formative evaluations of its Live Well Alabama social marketing campaign. Based on Altarum's findings, ACES updated the three core messages and accompanying images for its billboard campaign that relaunched in early 2018. Objective To measure campaign exposure and assess dietary and health behaviors among selected Alabama Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) parents. Study Design, Settings, Participants Altarum conducted an outcome evaluation using measures from the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework. An updated telephone survey was utilized to collect data from parents of third grade Body Quest students in spring 2018. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Descriptive statistics described the sample population and outcome variables. Significant differences between groups were estimated using 95% confidence intervals. Differences between the 2017 and 2018 evaluations were noted. Results A total of 366 surveys were completed. About half (51%) of respondents were exposed to at least one billboard message, a significant increase from 2017 (38%). Repeated exposure to billboards was strong with 39%, 41%, and 56% of all exposed respondents reporting seeing the Fruit and Vegetable, Physical Activity, and Water billboards five or more times, respectively. Exposed respondents reported that viewing the billboards led them to drink more water (38%); eat more fruits and vegetables (37%); think about making healthier food choices (33%); plan healthy meals (32%); and buy more fruits and vegetables (31%). Respondents exposed to billboards consumed significantly more cups of fruit than those unexposed (1.7 and 1.3 cups, respectively) and were significantly more likely to report consuming water two or more times per day than those unexposed. Similar to 2017 results, lack of time was reported as the primary barrier to increasing vegetable consumption and physical activity. Conclusion ACES successfully revised and relaunched its billboard social marketing campaign in 2018 that was recognized by over one-half of the surveyed target audience.
SOARCA uncertainty analysis of a short-term station blackout accident at the Sequoyah nuclear power plant

Abstract The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission initiated the state-of-the-art reactor consequence analyses (SOARCA) project to develop realistic estimates of the offsite radiological health consequences for potential severe reactor accidents. The SOARCA analysis of an ice condenser containment plant was performed because its relatively low design pressure and its reliance on igniters make it potentially susceptible to early containment failure from hydrogen combustion during a severe accident. The focus was on station blackout accident scenarios where all alternating current power is lost. Accident progression calculations used the MELCOR computer code and offsite consequence analyses were performed with MACCS. The analysis included more than 500 MELCOR and MACCS simulations to account for uncertainty in important accident progression and offsite consequence input parameters. Consequences from severe nuclear power plant accidents modeled in SOARCA are smaller than previously calculated. The delayed releases calculated provide more time for emergency response actions. The results show that early containment failure is very unlikely, even without successful use of igniters. The modeled behavior of safety valves is very important to this conclusion, but there is sparse data and a lack of established expert consensus on the failure rates under severe accident conditions. Even for scenarios resulting in early containment failure, the calculated individual latent fatal cancer risks are very small. Early and latent-cancer fatality risks are one focus of this paper. Regression results showing the most influential parameters are also discussed.