cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Generation of ultra-stable signal twins and idler twins by coupled optical parametric oscillators: applications in remote sensing

We will summarize the progress made on investigation of coupled optical parametric oscillators using a single pair of nonlinear-optical crystals forming the twins. A single signal is split into signal twins whereas a single idler is split into two idler twins. Such twins are ultra-stable since their frequency difference is insensitive to the change of the pump wavelength and temperature fluctuation. It exhibits the inverse proportionality of the frequency separation on the length of each of the crystals and difference of the group indices of the signal and idler waves. What is unique about such coupled optical parametric oscillators lies in the fact that the frequency separation can be scaled to a few 100 GHz from a few THz by using just a single pair of the twins. Such a significant reduction opens up novel applications of such coupled optical parametric oscillators in remote sensing by heterodyning the output beams generated by the ultrastable twins in a photodiode.
The independent effect of cancer on outcomes: a potential limitation of surgical risk prediction.

Abstract Background Cancer patients are often thought to have worse surgical outcomes. There is a growing view that risk models do not adequately predict these outcomes. This study aims to compare the use of common risk models for benign versus malignant gastrointestinal disease. Materials and methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) 2005-2015 participant use files were queried for patients undergoing elective surgery for benign and malignant diseases with a primary procedure code for major colon, pancreas, or stomach resection. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of mortality and morbidity. Results We identified 264,401 cases (111,563 malignant). The gastrointestinal cancer population was disproportionately male, older than 65, nonwhite, and less functionally independent. Comorbidities more common in the cancer population included diabetes, hypertension, dyspnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cancer patients had a longer length of stay (+0.9 days), higher mortality rate (1.7% versus 1.1%), and higher complication rate (27.4% versus 23.2%). NSQIP prediction models for complications in cancer versus noncancer patients underperformed for predicting mortality (P Conclusions NSQIP prediction models less effectively evaluate the risk of death in cancer patients as compared to patients with benign disease. A diagnosis of cancer is independently associated with an increased risk of surgical complications. Incorporating cancer diagnosis into surgical risk models may better inform patient and surgeon expectations.
SketchExpress: Remixing Animations for More Effective Crowd-Powered Prototyping of Interactive Interfaces

Low-fidelity prototyping at the early stages of user interface (UI) design can help designers and system builders quickly explore their ideas. However, interactive behaviors in such prototypes are often replaced by textual descriptions because it usually takes even professionals hours or days to create animated interactive elements due to the complexity of creating them. In this paper, we introduce SketchExpress, a crowd-powered prototyping tool that enables crowd workers to create reusable interactive behaviors easily and accurately. With the system, a requester-designers or end-users-describes aloud how an interface should behave and crowd workers make the sketched prototype interactive within minutes using a demonstrate-remix-replay approach. These behaviors are manually demonstrated, refined using remix functions, and then can be replayed later. The recorded behaviors persist for future reuse to help users communicate with the animated prototype. We conducted a study with crowd workers recruited from Mechanical Turk, which demonstrated that workers could create animations using SketchExpress in 2.9 minutes on average with 27% gain in the quality of animations compared to the baseline condition of manual demonstration.
Estimating drain flow from measured water table depth in layered soils under free and controlled drainage

Abstract Long records of continuous drain flow are important for quantifying annual and seasonal changes in the subsurface drainage flow from drained agricultural land. Missing data due to equipment malfunction and other challenges have limited conclusions that can be made about annual flow and thus nutrient loads from field studies, including assessments of the effect of controlled drainage. Water table depth data may be available during gaps in flow data, providing a basis for filling missing drain flow data; therefore, the overall goal of this study was to examine the potential to estimate drain flow using water table observations. The objectives were to evaluate how the shape of the relationship between drain flow and water table height above drain varies depending on the soil hydraulic conductivity profile, to quantify how well the Hooghoudt equation represented the water table–drain flow relationship in five years of measured data at the Davis Purdue Agricultural Center (DPAC), and to determine the impact of controlled drainage on drain flow using the filled dataset. The shape of the drain flow–water table height relationship was found to depend on the selected hydraulic conductivity profile. Estimated drain flow using the Hooghoudt equation with measured water table height for both free draining and controlled periods compared well to observed flow with Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency values above 0.7 and 0.8 for calibration and validation periods, respectively. Using this method, together with linear regression for the remaining gaps, a long-term drain flow record for a controlled drainage experiment at the DPAC was used to evaluate the impacts of controlled drainage on drain flow. In the controlled drainage sites, annual flow was 14–49% lower than free drainage.
Maternal Identities and Narratives of Motherhood: A Qualitative Exploration of Women’s Pathways Into and Out of Offending:

Existing research in criminology often focuses on changes in offending behaviors over time. Yet, less is known about the role of gender in women’s offending and little consideration is directed tow...
Protein Kinase C and Apoptosis

The protein kinase C (PKC) family consists of ten structurally related serine/threonine protein kinases. PKC isoforms are critical regulators of cell proliferation and survival and their expression or activity is altered in some human diseases, particularly cancer. The development and utilization of PKC isoform specific tools, including dominant inhibitory kinases, mouse models in which specific PKC isoforms have been disrupted, and PKC isoform specific antisense/siRNA, has allowed studies to define isoform-specific functions of PKC in the apoptotic pathway. From these approaches a pattern is emerging in which the conventional isoforms, particularly PKα and PKCβ and the atypical PKCs, PKCPKCι/λ Kζ appear to be anti-apoptotic/pro-survival. The novel isoform, PKCδ is primarily pro-apoptotic, whereas PKCe in most studies appears to suppress apoptosis. The identification of both pro- and anti-apoptotic isoforms suggests that PKC isoforms may function as molecular sensors, promoting cell survival under favorable conditions, and executing the death of abnormal or damaged cells when needed.This chapter discusses what is currently known about the contribution of specific isoforms to apoptosis, and how signal transduction by PKC integrates with other molecular regulators to promote or inhibit apoptosis.
The Narrative Production of Stakeholder Engagement Processes

Narrative work is a critical aspect of producing complex stakeholder engagement processes. I demonstrate the value of attending to the effort and consequences of enactment forms of narrative work t...
Pyroelectric and electrocaloric effects in ferroelectric silicon-doped hafnium oxide thin films

Author(s): Pandya, S; Velarde, G; Zhang, L; Martin, LW | Abstract: The emergent ferroelectricity in HfO2-based systems has attracted significant attention as this simple binary high-k dielectric now offers the possibility of nonvolatile function. In this work we employ zero-field and field-dependent pyroelectricity to show that thin films of silicon-doped HfO2 do exhibit a broken-inversion symmetry and are indeed ferroelectric. In addition, the pyroelectric response is found to exhibit a wake-up behavior akin to the wake-up phenomenon observed in the ferroelectric polarization with electric-field cycling. Using polarization-electric field hysteresis measurements, this wake-up phenomenon is attributed to the presence of defect dipoles which explains the measured pyroelectric response. Finally, direct electrocaloric measurements are performed on these silicon-doped HfO2 thin films, revealing an electrocaloric coefficient ∼4 times larger in magnitude than that expected for the measured pyroelectric coefficient. This enhancement is explained using the plausible role played by defect dipoles that contribute to additional configurational or dipolar entropy.
Enhancement of Intra-chip Transmission between Wireless Interconnects using Artificial Magnetic Conductors

In this work, we have shown enhancement of intra-chip transmission between wireless interconnects, which are implemented as antenna-on-chip (AoC), using Jerusalem-Cross Artificial Magnetic Conductor (JC-AMC). AoCs are located at the center of four-quadrants of a multicore chip. For each quadrant, a zigzag monopole AoC above a JC-AMC surface is simulated to resonate at 30GHz with a return loss of −13dB. The enhancement is almost 3dB for two out of three antenna pairs. This enhancement has almost doubled the received power at the antenna with JC-AMC which is beneficial when designing on-chip integrated transceivers. For experimental validation, fabrication of the zigzag antennas with JC-AMC surfaces on silicon wafer are under progress.
Trends and outcomes of red blood cell transfusion in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the United States.

Abstract Objectives To examine temporal trends, predictors, and outcomes of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the United States. Methods We used the National Inpatient Sample databases to identify TAVR procedures performed between January 2012 and September 2015 in the United States. Patients were propensity matched (within the strata of overt and no bleeding) on the likelihood of receiving RBC transfusion, and in-hospital outcomes were compared between the 2 groups in the matched cohort. Results Among 46,710 TAVR procedures performed during the study period, rates of RBC transfusion were 17.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.1%-18.5%). RBC transfusion rates decreased significantly from 29.5% during the first quarter of 2012 to 10.8% during the third quarter of 2015 (P Conclusions RBC transfusion is associated with worse clinical outcomes in TAVR patients without bleeding, but not in those with overt bleeding. The utility and optimal threshold for RBC transfusion in TAVR patients, especially among those with overt bleeding, warrants further prospective investigation.
Spreadsheets: Laying a Foundation for Understanding Functions

Linear, quadratic, and exponential functions, as well as polynomial functions, are the most basic mathematical expressions. Despite being among the most basic expressions in algebra, these functions are often used to approximate more complicated functions. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics provide the framework for a discussion of the basic functions presented here. To that extent, the content of this paper consists of the use of spreadsheet technology in experimentation with linear transformations in the plane; experimentation with the way quadratic functions behave; constructing and comparing linear, quadratic, and exponential models of real-life data; and automation of the computation of real zeros of polynomials where such calculations require implementation of time consuming iterative procedures. An iterative procedure based on the Rational Zeros Theorem will be used to find exact values of rational zeros of a polynomial. A second iterative procedure based on the Bounds on Zeros theorem and the Intermediate Value Theorem will be used to approximate all real zeros of a polynomial.
The prevalence of fracture extension in displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly: A pilot study.

Objective Arthroplasty is the common treatment for intracapsular femoral neck fractures in the elderly. Recent studies have shown that there may be more overall complications related to uncemented hemiarthroplasty compared to cemented, including more subsidence, intraoperative fractures, and postoperative fractures. Uncemented femoral components rely on a press fit, and the risk of these complications would be expected to increase in patients with unrecognized distal extension of femoral neck fractures. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency of fracture extension of displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly population. Methods The electronic medical record database at our institution was retrospectively reviewed to search for consecutive reports from 2005 to 2015 of patients 65 years or older that sustained an intracapsular femoral neck fracture who had computed tomography (CT) examinations of the injury. Exclusion criteria were CTs that were not fine cut (<1.5 mm cuts) or occult femoral neck fractures that were seen only on magnetic resonance imaging. This resulted in 60 patients that were included in the study. Within this subset of patients, the CT scans were reassessed to look for extension of the fracture beyond the boundaries of the femoral neck. Of particular interest, were fracture lines that extended distal to the femoral neck, since these have the potential to affect the fit of an uncemented femoral stem. Data on subject age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and bone mineral density (BMD) were also collected, and it was determined if these demographics were predictive in patients having fracture extension. Treatment and follow-up data were collected for the patients as well. Results Seven of 60 patients were identified to have fracture extension of intracapsular femoral neck fractures. The frequency of fracture extension of intracapsular femoral neck fractures distal to the femoral neck was 8.3% (5/60). All cases of fracture extension were nondisplaced or minimally displaced. 60% (3/5) of the distal fracture extensions were not diagnosed preoperatively by the radiologists or the treating orthopaedic surgeons. There was not a statistically significant difference when comparing age, gender, BMI, or BMD of the population group with distal fracture extension to that of the rest of the patient cohort. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to report the frequency of fracture extension of displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly population. The 8.3% rate of distal fracture extension in elderly femoral neck fractures may help explain the higher rate of subsidence, postoperative fracture and intraoperative fracture when applying uncemented hemiarthroplasty compared to cemented arthroplasty. It is important to be aware of the potential for this phenomenon.
Glycogen accumulation by pleomorphic cells of Streptococcus sanguis

Abstract Cells of Streptococcus sanguis undergo gross morphological changes when cultured in the presence of oxygen. These cells accumulate large amounts of an intracellular polysaccharide. The chemical nature and location of this polysaccharide were investigated and we showed that it is an intracellular polymer composed primarily of glucose in a linkage of the glycogen-amylopectin type. Glycogen accumulation appeared to coincide temporally with the onset of pleomorphism while its disappearance coincided temporally with cell death.
A high performance RF front-end for UHF RFID applications

Fixed infrastructure UHF RFID systems, particularly those capable of operating in Dense Reader Mode, impose severe technical challenges on the readers. A cost effective solution capable of solving these difficult problems would greatly accelerate the widespread use for RFID in the supply chain/warehousing application and would lead to many more application areas for the technology. This paper outlines the challenges presented by the system and describes a high performance RF front end designed to address them. (7 pages)
Ensuring the Life-Span Benefits of Newborn Screening.

Newborn screening is a highly successful public health program that has led to major improvements in outcomes for a variety of conditions otherwise associated with long-term disability and even death.1 In the United States, newborn screening is provided to every newborn, regardless of circumstance, leading to the identification of >13 000 newborns with a significant condition each year.1 Most of these individuals require specialized care over their life span. However, public health involvement in newborn screening typically ends once the condition has been diagnosed. This can lead to gaps in care and impede the ability to collect the data necessary for quality improvement and assess treatment effectiveness. The public health activities in newborn screening include choosing which conditions to screen for, implementing screening and monitoring quality, and ensuring follow-up testing and referrals after positive screen results. After referral for diagnosis, the public health mandate for most states ends, and the responsibility for care rests with pediatricians and other clinicians. Unfortunately, the lifelong management of the rare conditions identified through newborn screening can break down at multiple points, even for conditions that have been included in newborn screening for decades. For example, many children with sickle cell disease do not receive life-saving antibiotic prophylaxis2; the management of children with congenital hypothyroidism may be inconsistent with recommended care, undermining optimal cognitive development3; and adults with phenylketonuria often have limited access to the specialists and medical foods necessary to protect against neurocognitive impairment.4 The complexity of follow-up care has increased with the expansion … Address correspondence to Alex R. Kemper, MD, MPH, MS, Division of Ambulatory Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Dr, LAC5411, Columbus, OH 43205-2664. E-mail: alex.kemper{at}nationwidechildrens.org
A Daily Study Comparing Alcohol-Related Positive and Negative Consequences for Days With Only Alcohol Use Versus Days With Simultaneous Alcohol and Marijuana Use in a Community Sample of Young Adults.

Background Alcohol and marijuana are psychoactive substances commonly used by young adults and are independently associated with numerous acute and long-term consequences. Many young adults engage in simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use to cross-fade (i.e., to enhance the effects of intoxication), although the extent to which alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences increase on SAM occasions compared to alcohol-only occasions is unclear. This study examines daily data among a sample of SAM users comparing SAM days to other days when young adults only used alcohol. Methods A sample of 409 young adults (age 18 to 25; Mage = 21.6, SD = 2.2; 50.9% women) who reported SAM use in the past month completed 2 bursts of 14 days of daily surveys (28 days in total) assessing alcohol use, alcohol-related consequences, and SAM use. Results Multilevel models based on alcohol-only and SAM days (n = 3,016 days; 391 individuals) indicated young adults drank more alcohol on SAM days compared to alcohol-only days (with no marijuana use). Similarly, days with SAM use were associated with more alcohol-related positive and negative consequences. The daily association between SAM use and positive consequences was statistically significant, after accounting for the amount of alcohol consumed; in contrast, the association between SAM use and negative consequences was diminished and nonsignificant. Conclusions Among young adult SAM users, days with SAM use were associated with more alcohol use and positive consequences compared to days they only drank alcohol. Further examination of the motivational context for engaging in SAM use, as well as potential physiological interactions between alcohol and marijuana use on alcohol's effects, is warranted. Alcohol interventions might benefit from addressing increased alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences as risks associated with SAM use.
Maximizing energy efficiency of islanded micro water-energy nexus using co-optimization of water demand and energy consumption

Abstract Water and energy systems are interdependent. However, at national and international levels, energy and water systems have been designed individually. To optimize the use of energy resources and have a more sustainable energy processes, a new formulation is proposed in this paper to optimize the energy consumption of water-energy systems at a community scale. More specifically, single-objective, bi-level, and co-optimization models are developed to minimize the energy consumption of a micro water distribution network concerning three scenarios: (1) standalone operation; (2) integrated with a grid-connected micro energy system with no storage unit; and (3) integrated with an off-grid micro energy system with storage units. In all conditions, a mixed integer nonlinear programming formulation is used to solve the optimization problems. Pump operations with varying statuses, flow rates, and speeds are contemplated to formulate the energy consumption of the micro water, considering a quadratic function for the pump’s energy head changing with flow rate. The micro water network is designed based on a diurnal pattern of water demand for a network including 1 reservoir, 1 water tank, 6 nodes, and 2 pumps. The micro energy system includes a microgrid with a combined heat and power plant (CHP), diesel (DS) generator, natural gas (NG) generator, renewable sources (solar and wind), and energy storage units. Several case studies are carried out to compare the performance of developed optimization models.
An FEA and DOE Analysis to Predict Deformation and Warpage of Optoelectronics Package Lids

A design of experiment (DOE) analysis is reported on data from warpage simulations using finite element analysis (FEA) of a lidded electronics package. Warpage in a lid of an optical electronics package can detrimentally affect the reliability of the package as well as its optical performance. The present study focuses on the variety of materials and designs of lids relevant to recent technologies in electronics packaging. The FEA formulation in this study accurately predicts deformation and warpage in the elastic region with optimal computational time achieved through a choice of boundary conditions and mesh sensitivity studies. This study mainly focuses on how warpage is affecting the lid deformation and techniques to characterize it. FEA is used to create a prototype which is similar to the actual product. The experiment is designed considering different variables such as both the design and the material of the lid. DOE and subsequent statistical analyses are applied to understand the correlation between these parameters. The most significant parameter in terms of the warpage deformation is addressed. Based on this study, the appropriate design and material are suggested for the development of the lid over the package. This becomes helpful when there is an optoelectronic package undergoing thermomechanical loading; warpage may not only adversely affect solder joints but other parts of the package as well. So, in this work, characterization of the lid of the package affected by warpage is the focus area. The analysis indicates that there is no significant interaction between the two parameters expected to affect the warpage in the lid. Material properties of the lid are found to have a greater effect on the warpage of the lid as compared to variabilities introduced in lid designs in this study. This study will be helpful for the development of technologically advanced packages associated with optoelectronics.
Inflammatory bowel disease–like conditions: radiation injury of the gut

Abstract Columnar epithelia and small vasculature in the gastrointestinal tract are sensitive to radiation injury, leading to inflammation, bleeding lesions, strictures, fistulas, and postoperative anastomotic sinus. The source of radiation injury is not limited to external beam, and the injury to the bowel may also be induced by brachytherapy in the pelvic organs. While some endoscopic features of radiation enteritis, colitis, and proctitis overlap with that in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, others are predominantly seen in the radiation injury, such as spontaneous bleeding and telangiectasia lesions. In addition, clinical history helps differential diagnosis. The association between radiation and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is reflected in other aspects, including the impact of the radiation on the disease course and differential diagnosis of IBD in those with IBD-associated colorectal cancer or extraintestinal cancer.
Differential Diagnosis of Wide QRS Tachycardias

Summary Although evaluation of the patient with a wide QRS tachycardia may be difficult, an organized systematic approach to interpreting the ECG along with review of the patient’s history and physical findings usually permits the physician to make a correct diagnosis. Failure to follow this approach may lead to a therapeutic misadventure with increased patient morbidity. The differential diagnosis of a wide QRS tachycardia includes sinus tachycardia with either pre-existing or rate-related bundle branch block, SVT with aberrant conduction, pre-excitation syndromes, VT, and ventricular fibrillation. Electrocardiographic and clinical clues will allow the anesthesiologist to distinguish between these arrhythmias in most instances.
Impact of awake proning in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study

Rationale Awake proning has been described as an effective intervention to improve oxygenation in nonintubated patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it remains unclear whether awake proning can prevent intubation in these patients. A major concern is that delaying intubation with awake proning may potentially lead to worse outcomes. Our study aimed to identify the clinical parameters indicative of successful awake proning that prevents intubation. Methods We identified 54 patients who met the criteria for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and underwent awake proning, with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 at a single center from April to August, 2020. All patients had radiographic evidence of bilateral multifocal ground-glass opacities. Acute hypoxemic respiratory failure was defined as oxygen saturations less than 88% on room air that required supplemental oxygen, high flow nasal cannula, or non-invasive positive pressure ventilation. Table 1 demonstrates a comparison between patients who did not require intubation and those who did. We used t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables and Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables for statistical analysis. Results 31 patients (57%) did not require mechanical ventilation. Baseline demographics and comorbidities were similar between the two groups. The group that did not require intubation had higher SpO2/FiO2 ratios at the beginning of awake proning and throughout the next 4 days. In contrast, the group that required intubation had a lower SpO2/FiO2 ratio at baseline, which did not improve during the next 4 days. Additionally, respiratory rate improved with awake proning in the group that did not require intubation 4 hours after awake proning started. Mortality was higher among the patients who were intubated. Serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers were elevated in both groups. However, d-dimer and lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly lower in the group that did not require intubation by day 4. Conclusions Awake proning was associated with decreased intubation rates in patients with less severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. Delaying intubation in patients with severe acute hypoxemic respiratory failure may lead to worse outcomes. Clinical parameters that may aid as decision tools to predict failure of awake proning include SpO2/FiO2 ratio, respiratory rate, and biomarkers within 4 days of initiation of awake proning.
A Bayesian networks approach to infer social changes from burials in northeastern Taiwan during the European colonization period

Abstract Burials provide valuable information to study social structures based on the assumption that burials and associated grave goods can represent social roles and relations in a society. To study social relationships, network analysis has been increasingly applied to archaeological data to infer interactions and relationships between entities. Statistical approaches to network analysis, such as exponential random graph models (ERGMs), provide a way to test hypotheses about dynamic processes of network formation. However, computational difficulties and sensitivity to uncertainties limit the application of ERGMs. In this paper, we introduce a Bayesian framework on ERGMs that enables an efficient computational process, effective quantification of uncertainty, and robust model evaluation of network properties. We tested a hypothesis of social change relative to the arrival of Europeans by studying burial data from Kiwulan, an Iron Age site in northeastern Taiwan. The results indicate a transition among the burials from network ties based on ritual objects to wealth objects, and a more centralized structure with increased social differentiation after the European presence was established in the 17th century. Our case study demonstrates the effectiveness of Bayesian network analysis for archaeological data, and expands the use of burials in understanding the impacts of colonial presence on Indigenous groups in a pericolonial context.
Psyquandle Coloring Quivers

We enhance the psyquandle counting invariant for singular knots and pseudoknots using quivers analogously to quandle coloring quivers. This enables us to extend the in-degree polynomial invariants from quandle coloring quiver theory to the case of singular knots and pseudoknots. As a side effect we obtain biquandle coloring quivers and in-degree polynomial invariants for classical and virtual knots and links.
A deep learning model for predicting river flood depth and extent

Abstract This paper presents an innovative deep learning (DL) framework to (a) automatically identify river geometry and flood extent, and (b) predict river flooding depth. To do that, U-Net, an advanced convolutional neural network (CNN), was modified and given the designation of U-NetRiver. With the modification, the model received an input composite image with two bands of ground elevation and flooding discharge, and the output was water depth. The model was trained and validated based on the outputs from iRIC (a two-dimensional hydraulic model) for a segment of the Green River in the state of Utah. The results showed that the U-NetRiver could identify the river shape and wetted areas for flooded regions automatically. The maximum difference of predicted river depth obtained from U-NetRiver and the one obtained from the hydraulic model was 2.7 m. This result suggests a 29% improvement in prediction of the maximum flood depth in the river.
High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Immunoassay of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Its Metabolites in Urine

High performance liquid chromatographic-immunoassay (HPLC-IA) profiles of cannabinoid metabolites in urine samples were obtained using four different antisera. The urines were chromatographed on a reverse phase system using a gradient of acetonitrile in water (pH 3.3) and fractions collected every 30 s. Some urine samples were hydrolyzed with methanolic sodium hydroxide before fractionation. Peaks of immunoreactivity were detected at a fraction corresponding to 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (COOH-THC) and at an early eluting fraction; however, the profiles depended upon the specificity of the antisera used.
I’ve got a feeling: Urban and rural indigenous children’s beliefs about early life mentality

Abstract This cross-cultural investigation explored children’s reasoning about their mental capacities during the earliest period of human physical existence—the prenatal period. For comparison, children’s reasoning about the observable period of infancy was also examined. A total of 283 5- to 12-year-olds from two distinct cultures (urban Ecuador and rural indigenous Shuar) participated. Across cultures, children distinguished the fetal period from infancy, attributing fewer capacities to fetuses. However, for both the infancy and fetal periods, children from both cultures privileged the functioning of emotions and desires over epistemic states (i.e., abilities for thought and memory). Children’s justifications to questions about fetal mentality revealed that although epistemic states were generally regarded as requiring physical maturation to function, emotions and desires were seen as functioning as a de facto result of prenatal existence and in response to the prospect of future birth and being part of a social group. These results show that from early in development, children across cultures possess nuanced beliefs about the presence and functioning of mental capacities. Findings converge with recent results to suggest that there is an early arising bias to view emotions and desires as the essential inviolable core of human mentality. The current findings have implications for understanding the role that emerging cognitive biases play in shaping conceptions of human mentality across different cultures. They also speak to the cognitive foundations of moral beliefs about fetal rights.
GM-APD imaging arrays for direct imaging of exoplanets

Exoplanet detection and characterization is one of NASA's main science goals. Current missions, such as Kepler, are identifying exoplanet candidates for further study at an unprecedented pace. The upcoming Wide Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission is the top-ranked large space mission in the New World New Horizons decadal survey, and will “settle essential questions” in exoplanet research. This paper evaluates photon-counting Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GM-APD) imaging arrays for use in the WFIRST Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets (AFTA) mission design, specifically in the area of direct imaging of exoplanets. A review of both current and state-of-the-art performance for GM-APD devices is presented, including the effects of radiation damage on device performance. Projected performance for next-generation devices is presented based on preliminary testing and state-of-the-art benchmarks for the technology. Simulated data for typical exoplanet signals is used to compare GM-APD performance with a state-of-the-art electron-multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD), a current candidate for the WFIRST-AFTA mission.
Phenotypic and Functional Delineation of Murine CX3CR1+ Monocyte-Derived Cells in Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian tumor progression is marked by the peritoneal accumulation of leukocytes. Among these leukocytes, an immunosuppressive CD11b + CD11c + population has been identified in both human and ovarian tumors. The use of transplantable models of murine ovarian tumors has demonstrated that this population promotes ovarian tumor growth, whereas elimination of this population has been shown to inhibit ovarian tumor progression. Despite the demonstrated importance of these cells to ovarian tumor progression, the mechanisms by which these cells are recruited to the peritoneal tumor are largely unknown. Therefore, this study analyzes the mechanisms these cells use to migrate to the peritoneum with the goal of therapeutically blocking their recruitment and subsequent immunosuppressive activity. Recent studies have identified that CX 3 CR1, Gr-1, and CCR2 delineate phenotypic and functional murine monocyte subsets. Here, we report that CX 3 CR1 lo Gr-1 hi cells dominate the population of peritoneal CD11b + leukocytes early in murine tumor development; however, the CX 3 CR1 hi population of cells present in the peritoneum dramatically increases in both total numbers and percentage during tumor progression. Functional analyses reveal that both of these CX 3 CR1 subsets are immunosuppressive to naive CD8 + and CD4 + T-cell responses. Importantly, we demonstrate that CCR2 is a critical functional facilitator of leukocyte recruitment to the ovarian tumor microenvironment, and its genetic deletion results in a reduced tumor burden compared with wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that subsets of immunosuppressive leukocytes are recruited to the ovarian tumor environment through the CCR2 pathway, which offers a viable therapeutic target to inhibit their migration to the tumor site.
Vaccination against mastitis.

Abstract Immunization of lactating dairy cows with bacterin-toxoid vaccines is a potential method of increasing a cow's resistance to bacterial invasion of the udder. Challenge experiments with mice, guinea pigs, goats, and dairy cows indicate that vaccination during lactation and during the nonlactating state will decrease the rate of new infections by Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus and lessen the severity of clinical attacks. In contrast, field studies with commercial dairy herds have shown that immunization with bacterin-toxoid vaccines does not decrease the new infection rate caused by streptococcal and staphylococcal bacteria. Commercial vaccines have limited value against clinical mastitis since an autogenous vaccine is essential. Therefore, vaccination against mastitis in the lactating dairy cow is of limited value because 1) new infections are not prevented; 2) protection against severe clinical attacks requires an autogenous vaccine and repeated injections; 3) cost of vaccines is high. Further research is necessary on antigens, route of administration, and other factors to make vaccination a feasible management tool.
Why is Torture Different and How Different Is It

Almost every serious commentator to address the moral and legal question of torture has taken for granted the proposition that the infliction of torture is a sufficiently grave evil to require a distinctly demanding moral scrutiny, one that categorically sets torture apart from other terrible things (including killing) that human beings do to one another. To paraphrase the Supreme Court's death penalty jurisprudence, most people agree that torture is "different."Under the Eighth Amendment, the fact that death is different does not rule out its application; it simply alters the relevant procedural standards. By contrast, many scholars believe torture should be entirely out of the question, and positive law gives effect to this view. This Article asks why. Why does torture merit its own moral category when killing does not?The Article first asks whether torture is in fact "different" at all. To this end, the Article sets out a novel hypothetical case in which a torturer acts in true self-defense. It thereby demonstrates that when circumstances are truly identical, and the "self-defense" characterization is accurate, the use of torture becomes no more troubling than the use of lethal force.The Article then turns to the "ticking bomb" scenario and asks what makes this case different enough from genuine self-defense to engender such division among those who support the right to justifiable homicide. Having demonstrated that the distinction between torture and killing fails to account for the distinction, the Article develops a series of hypothetical examples that produce three criteria that will justify the use of torture and/or lethal force: First, torture or killing must be used against a wrongdoer; second, the force must be an effective means of saving innocents; and third, the status of the person to be killed or tortured as a wrongdoer must be closely tied to the utility of selecting him. It cannot, in other words, be a coincidence that the person whose torture will save lives also happens to be a wrongdoer.Unlike other work on the subject of torture, this Article does not attempt to persuade the reader of the legality, illegality, morality, or immorality of torture under particular circumstances. Instead, it attempts to explain the nature of the debate and shed light on its evident intractability. The Article concludes that disagreements over the morality of torture are likely to persist, because one can make a fairly persuasive case both for and against the satisfaction of the third criterion I unearth - the tightness of fit between a subject's wrongdoing and the utility of torturing him - in the case of the "ticking bomb" case.
Hablar como el Estado: Flujos de drogas y discursos estatales del control

Este ensayo es una reflexion sobre la emergencia historica y el desafio metodologico de usar categorias de Estado cuando hablamos de drogas ilicitas. En primer lugar, el ensayo se enfoca en la emergencia historica de las "drogas" en el comercio global, y en las ventajas de examinar los flujos de drogas desde una perspectiva de las "mercancias". En segundo lugar, se observan las multiples conexiones entre las fronteras del Estado y el control moderno de las drogas. Tercero, se analiza la aparicion de discursos del control de drogas en el siglo XX, los cuales realizan el trabajo cultural de separar las "drogas" proscriptas de otras sustancias medicinales y recreacionales y al mismo tiempo justificar el estado de "guerra" declarada. Tomando el concepto de "ver como un Estado" de James Scott, este ensayo sugiere posibilidades para que los investigadores eviten las distorsiones y los peligros de utilizar un vocabulario y una gramatica estatal para hablar de drogas.
The lag phase factor in bone healing and suggested application to marrow grafting.

An analysis of the age and lag phase factor in human bone healing has been conducted utilizing histological and histochemical techniques, based on an effective number of sixtyfive biopses from subjects screened to eliminate medical disorders or nutritional deficiencies that might have interferred with normal healing. The time required for most active regeneration appeared to depend on the subject's age: a mean of approximately 10 days for subjects in the second decade of life and a mean of approximately 20 days for individuals in the sixth decade or older. It is postulated on the basis of this study and from interpolation from previous, preliminary studies in the rat, that it would be more advantageous to transplant marrow at its most actively regenerating stage rather than at its maturity and that the most actively regenerating time period depends on the age of the individual.
Self-tuning control of planar two-link manipulator with non-rigid arm

The control of the motion of a two-link manipulator with a flexible arm is studied. The first link is rigid, and the second link has a flexible part as an extension of a rigid part. The motion of the manipulator takes place on a horizontal plane. The dynamics of the manipulator are determined in Lagrange's formulation. The positions (output) of specified points on the flexible link are obtained in the Cartesian base coordinate system using strain-gage and joint-variable measurements. The inputs are applied to the actuators of the revolute and prismatic joints. For the controller design, a time-series multivariate model of the autoregressive exogeneous (ARX) type is used to describe the input-output relation. The discounted least-square method is used to estimate parameters of the time-series model. A self-tuning controller (STC) is designed so that the positions of specified points on the flexible link track the given trajectory points. The controller operates on the Cartesian coordinates, specifying the positions of the chosen discrete points on the flexible link. Simulation results as well as laboratory experiments on a Stanford/JPL arm controlled by an STC are presented to illustrate the approach. >
Random MOSFET parameter fluctuation limits to gigascale integration (GSI)

Intrinsic fluctuations in threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and drain current of ultra-small-geometry MOSFET's due to random placement of dopant atoms in the channel are examined using novel physical models and a Monte-Carlo simulator. The characteristics of these intrinsic random device parameter fluctuations are shown to be strongly influenced, even without extrinsic channel length or oxide thickness variations, by the degree of DIBL in the target MOSFET. Limitations to level of integration in sub-0.1 /spl mu/m GSI technology are projected.
Radiofrequency speckle in mountainous terrain

We report the results of several field experiments to characterize broadband UHF radiofrequency propagation through mountainous terrain and into deep shadow zones. Utilizing an existing digital broadcast television station (center frequency 497 MHz with a standard 6 MHz bandwidth) as our signal source, we performed spectrum analyzer surveys to determine both spatial and spectral characteristics of signals present within deep shadow zones. Directional surveys revealed that RF power within shadow zones arrives primarily via adjacent topographic reflectors and that these reflected signals suffer significant frequency selective fading. Translational surveys within shadow zones showed slow changes in the reflected spectrum for longitudinal translations and rapid spectrum changes for transverse translations. The frequency selective fading and translation direction dependence of the reflected spectra suggest a phenomenon analogous to laser speckle, caused by the coherent scattering of the RF signal from the rough surface of adjacent topographic reflectors.
KL0→π0ℓℓ¯ Searches at KTeV

There has been renewed interest in the CP violating rare decay modes K L 0 → π 0 l l ¯ . Recent measurements, such as the BR ( K S 0 → π 0 l + l − ) modes, along with theory have led to improved estimates of the CP violating (indirect and direct) and CP conserving contributions to the K L 0 modes. The KTeV fixed-target experiment at Fermilab has conducted searches for the K L 0 → π 0 l l ¯ modes; current status of these upper limits along with the present status of the predicted branching ratios will be presented.