cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploiting Geometric Restrictions in a PTZ Camera for Finding Point-orrespondences Between Configurations

A pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, fixed in location, mayperform only rotational movements. There is a class offeature-based self-calibration approaches that exploit therestrictions on the camera motion in order to obtain accuratepoint-correspondences between two configurations ofa PTZ camera. Most of these approaches require extensivecomputation and yet do not guarantee a satisfactory result.In this paper, we approach this problem from a differentperspective. We exploit the geometric restrictions on the imageplanes, which are imposed by the motion restrictions onthe camera. We present a simple method for estimating thecamera focal length and finding the point-correspondencesbetween two camera configurations. We compute pan-only,tilt-only and zoom-only correspondences and then combinethe three to derive the geometrical relationship between anytwo camera configurations. We perform radial lens distortionestimation in order to calibrate distorted image coordinates.Our purely geometric approach does not require anyintensive computations, feature tracking or training. However,our point-correspondence experiments show that, itstill performs well-enough for most computer vision applicationsof PTZ cameras.
Leak testing during the manufacture of sealed-off vacuum devices

The paper discusses the requirements for testing and location of leaks in the course of manufacture of various sealed-off vacuum devices. A number of methods are at present in use and others have been assessed in the course of experimental work. Their advantages, limitations and sensitivities as found in practice are discussed.The methods fall into two classes. The non-specific methods involve measuring differences in total gas pressure with time or at different points in a vacuum system. The specific methods detect a particular gas and are generally found to be better suited for the requirements discussed; they include the halogen detector, the hydrogen diffusion detector and various types of mass spectrometer. While more than one method can be used for large leaks, the mass spectrometer has been found the most useful for smaller leaks, using helium as the test gas. The relative merits of the conventional magnetic type, the omegatron and the linear r.f. spectrometer are discussed. The magnetic type is the most generally suitable, and various design features and precautions in use are outlined.
The Critical Path Institute: transforming competitors into collaborators

The Critical Path Institute brings scientists from regulatory agencies, industry and academia together to improve drug development and regulatory processes.
Regulation of Expression of ob mRNA and Protein by Glucocorticoids and cAMP

Regulation of obese gene (ob) expression in ob/ob and db/db mice and in cultured rat adipocytes was examined. It has been demonstrated that exogenous human OB protein (leptin) treatment reduces food intake and weight gain, as well as insulin, glucose, and corticosterone levels in ob/ob mice. In the present report we show that leptin treatment down-regulates endogenous adipose ob mRNA. However, treatment of isolated rat adipocytes with 100 ng/ml human or murine leptin had no direct effect on expression of endogenous ob mRNA, suggesting that leptin may be able to down-regulate its own expression by an indirect, non-autocrine mechanism. Glucocorticoids increased both ob mRNA levels and secreted leptin levels in vitro. Conversely, agents that increase intracellular cAMP, such as β-adrenergic agonists or Bt2cAMP itself, decreased ob mRNA expression and leptin secretion. Therefore, increased glucocorticoid levels and decreased sympathetic neural activity may contribute to the elevated ob mRNA expression observed in genetically obese, hyperglucocorticoid rodents. Furthermore, leptin might regulate its own expression through a feedback mechanism involving the hypothalamic pituitary axis.
Tetrapyrrole utilization by protoheme-synthesizing anaerobes

Protoheme-synthesizing anaerobic bacteria were grown in the presence of metal-free deuteroporphyrin IX or selected metal chelates of deuteroporphyrin IX to determine whether anaerobes that synthesize protoheme-containing cytochrome b de novo would use preformed tetrapyrroles. Characteristic reduced versus oxidized difference spectra of whole cells and pyridine hemochromogen spectra revealed thatSelenomonas ruminantium subsp.lactilytica andBacteroides succinogenes synthesized protoheme-containing b-type cytochromes de novo during growth in the presence of the manganese or magnesium chelates of deuteroporphyrin IX, but thatBacteroides ruminicola subsp.brevis synthesized deuteroheme-containing cytochrome b under the same conditions. During growth of the latter organism in the presence of the vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, or nickel chelates of deuteroporphyrin, protoheme cytochrome b was formed.Bacteroides ruminicola subsp.brevis had a unique and metal-specific ability to use preformed tetrapyrroles for cytochrome synthesis; that ability was absent in other cytochrome-synthesizing rumen bacteria.
Prediction of strongly enhanced two-dimensional ferromagnetic moments on metallic overlayers, interfaces, and superlattices.

Strongly enhanced two-dimensional ferromagnetic moments are predicted for $3d$ bcc transition metals as overlayers and/or sandwiches and superlattices with Au and Ag. These range (in Bohr magnetons) from (i) 3.70 for Cr/Au(001), 2.96 for Fe/Ag(001), and 2.0 for V/Ag(001) for the overlayers, to (ii) 3.10 for the Au/Cr/Au sandwich and 2.95 for the Cr/Au superlattice, and to (iii) 3.1 for Cr on Fe/Au(001) and 2.30 for Fe on Cr/Ag(001). Surprisingly, a sizable moment (0.14${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathrm{B}}$) is induced onto neighboring Au atoms. The noble metals play an optimal role as an almost ideal substrate which allows two-dimensional magnetism to occur.
Globalize The Evidence, Localize The Decision: Evidence-Based Medicine And International Diversity

Even when the evidence about outcomes and effectiveness is clear, local circumstances dictate how that evidence is translated into practice. Opportunities have recently emerged to share evidence globally about the outcomes and effectiveness of health care (globalization) and then translate that evidence into improved health care at the local level (localization). To succeed in globalizing the evidence, policymakers must realize that opportunities to do so will be tempered by three competing core values: choice, efficiency, and equity.
Tidal heating and the long-term stability of a subsurface ocean on Enceladus

Abstract Tidal dissipation has been suggested as the heat source for the south polar thermal anomaly on Enceladus. We find that under present-day conditions and assuming Maxwellian behavior, tidal dissipation is negligible in the silicate core. Dissipation may be significant in the ice shell if the shell is decoupled from the silicate core by a subsurface ocean. We have run a series of self-consistent convection and conduction models in 2D axisymmetric and 3D spherical geometry in which we include the spatially-variable tidal heat production. We find that in all cases, the shell removes more heat from the interior than can be produced in the core by radioactive decay, resulting in cooling of the interior and the freezing of any ocean. Under likely conditions, a 40-km thick ocean made of pure water would freeze solid on a ∼30 Ma timescale. An ocean containing other chemical components will have a lower freezing point, but even a water–ammonia eutectic composition will only prolong the freezing, not prevent it. If the eccentricity of Enceladus were higher ( e ⩾ 0.015 ) in the past, the increased dissipation in the ice shell may have been sufficient to maintain a liquid layer. We cannot therefore rule out the presence of a transient ocean, as a relic of an earlier era of greater heating. If the eccentricity is periodically pumped up, the ocean may have thickened and thinned on a similar timescale as the orbital evolution, provided the ocean never froze completely. We conclude that the current heat flux of Enceladus and any possible subsurface ocean is not in steady-state, and is the remnant of an epoch of higher eccentricity and tidal dissipation.
Interfirm Innovation under Uncertainty: Empirical Evidence for Strategic Knowledge Partitioning*

This paper analyzes how uncertainty and life-cycle effects condition the knowledge boundary between assemblers and suppliers in interfirm product development. Patents associated with automotive emission control technologies for both assemblers and suppliers are categorized as architectural or component innovations, and technology-forcing regulations imposed by the government on the auto industry from 1970 to 1998 are used to define periods of high and low uncertainty. Results confirm that suppliers dominate component innovation whereas assemblers lead on architectural innovation. More importantly, when facing uncertainty firms adjust their knowledge boundary by increasing the knowledge overlap with their supply-chain collaborators. Suppliers clearly expand their knowledge base relatively more into architectural knowledge during such periods. But assemblers' greater emphasis on component innovation in periods of greater uncertainty is only true as a relative deviation from an overall trend toward increasing component innovation over time. This trend results from an observed life-cycle effect, whereby architectural innovation dominates before the emergence of a dominant design, with component innovation taking the lead afterward. Thus, for assemblers life-cycle effects may dominate over task uncertainty in determining relative effort in component versus architectural innovation. This work extends research on strategic interfirm knowledge partitioning as well as on the information-processing view of product development. First, it provides a large-scale empirical justification for the claim that firms' knowledge boundaries need to extend beyond their task boundaries. Further, it implies that overlaps in knowledge domains between an assembler and suppliers are particularly important for projects involving new technologies. Second, it offers a dynamic view of knowledge partitioning, showing how architectural knowledge prevails in the early phase of the product life cycle whereas component knowledge dominates the later stages. Yet the importance of life-cycle effects versus task uncertainty in conditioning knowledge boundaries is different for assemblers and suppliers, with the former dominating for assemblers and the latter more influential for suppliers. Finally, it supports the idea that architectural and component knowledge are critical elements in the alignment of cognitive frameworks between assemblers and suppliers and thus are key for information-exchange effectiveness and resolution of task uncertainties in interfirm innovation.
Multiparameter Hierarchical Clustering Methods

We propose an extension of hierarchical clustering methods, called multiparameter hierarchical clustering methods which are designed to exhibit sensitivity to density while retaining desirable theoretical properties. The input of the method we propose is a triple (X, d, f), where (X, d) is a finite metric space and f : X → ℝ is a function defined on the data X, which could be a density estimate or could represent some other type of information. The output of our method is more general than dendrograms in that we track two parameters: the usual scale parameter and a parameter related to the function f. Our construction is motivated by the methods of persistent topology (Edelsbrunner et al. 2000), the Reeb graph and Cluster Trees (Stuetzle 2003). We present both a characterization, and a stability theorem.
Pedestrian detection using wavelet templates

This paper presents a trainable object detection architecture that is applied to detecting people in static images of cluttered scenes. This problem poses several challenges. People are highly non-rigid objects with a high degree of variability in size, shape, color, and texture. Unlike previous approaches, this system learns from examples and does not rely on any a priori (hand-crafted) models or on motion. The detection technique is based on the novel idea of the wavelet template that defines the shape of an object in terms of a subset of the wavelet coefficients of the image. It is invariant to changes in color and texture and can be used to robustly define a rich and complex class of objects such as people. We show how the invariant properties and computational efficiency of the wavelet template make it an effective tool for object detection.
Effects of Maternally Administered Dexamethasone and Acute Hypoxemia at 0.7 Gestation on Blood Pressure and Placental Perfusion in Sheep

Glucocorticoid administration to women in premature labor significantly decreases preterm infant morbidity and mortality. Fetal exposure to maternally administered glucocorticoids in late gestation causes fetal hypertension. We determined the effects of a single course (4 injections at 12‐hr intervals) of dexamethasone (DM; 2 mg, a weight‐adjusted dose equivalent to one‐third the dose administered to pregnant women) or saline (S) in sheep at 103–104 days of gestation (dGA; term 149 dGA) on maternal and fetal blood pressure (BP). We also determined the BP and placental perfusion effects of acute maternal hypoxemia. Venous and arterial catheters were placed in 10 ewes and fetuses (DM = 6, S = 4) at 96 ± 1 dGA. Maternal and fetal placental perfusion was determined with fluorescent microspheres. Dexamethasone increased fetal but not maternal BP; maternal and fetal placental blood flow and vascular resistance (VR) were unchanged. At 105 dGA, hypoxemia was induced for 1 hr by maternal nitrogen gas inhalation to...
Characterization of a 2D laser scanner for mobile robot obstacle negotiation

This paper presents a characterization study of the Sick LMS 200 laser scanner. A number of parameters, such as operation time, data transfer rate, target surface properties, as well as the incidence angle, which may potentially affect the sensing performance, are investigated. A probabilistic range measurement model is built based on the experimental results. The paper also analyzes the mixed pixels problem of the scanner.
Rubrics 101: A primer for rubric development in dental education

Identifying and implementing effective methods for assessing dental student performance are ongoing challenges for dental educators. Questions related to grading and assessment are common among faculty and students alike. Faculty members who are well-trained clinicians or scientists often have little formal training in education. In addition, assessment of performance brings with it an element of subjectivity. Questions about assessment and grading are most likely to arise when expectations are unclear or the rationale for the grade awarded is not articulated. The authors propose that one solution to assessment dilemmas can be found in the use of rubrics: scaled tools with levels of achievement and clearly defined criteria placed in a grid. Rubrics establish clear rules for evaluation and define the criteria for performance. Rubrics speak to both teaching and learning expectations and outcomes and can provide faculty members with a tool that can be useful in evaluating dental student performance. Rubrics can also provide students with clear expectations of performance, an opportunity to self-assess, and timely, detailed feedback. The purpose of this article is to define a rubric, apply the steps of rubric development as described in the educational literature to dental student assessment, present two examples of rubric implementation for assessing student progress toward competence, and recommend electronic resources for rubric development.
New states above charm threshold

We revise and extend expectations for the properties of charmonium states that lie above charm threshold, in light of new experimental information. We refine the Cornell coupled-channel model for the coupling of c{bar c} levels to two-meson states, defining resonance masses and widths by pole positions in the complex energy plane, and suggest new targets for experiment.
60 GHz active phase shifter using an optimized quadrature all-pass network in 45nm CMOS

This paper presents a differential 60 GHz phase shifter based on a vector modulator approach. The inclusion of a series resistor in the all-pass I/Q greatly reduces the effect of the capacitance loading change vs. bias current and results in a wideband phase shifter. The phase shifter achieves a gain of −6+/−2 dB with IP1dB of 0–3dBm at 55GHz, and an rms phase error of &#60;11° at 40–70GHz (P DC =23 mW, V DD =1.5V). This is the first demonstration of a wideband 45nm 60 GHz phase shifter.
Feeling "Useless" A Common Component of Young and Old Adult Identities

The purpose of this research is twofold: (1) to investigate a dimension of the self-concept which appears to be shared by both young and old adults, and (2) to develop a causal model analyzing both...
Optimization of gadofosveset intravenous injection scheme for coronary MRA: the pharmacokinetics approach

Background Towards motion-free diagnostic coronary MRA, lengthy (10-15 min) sequences are required. Conventional GBCAs are unable to sustain steady-state intravascular concentrations long enough to maintain low enough T1 signal for good signal/contrast to noise levels[1]. Arterial and venous mixing of contrast takes time that cannot be used for scanning using our free-breathing self-navigated motion-corrected MRA sequence[2,3]. Gadofosveset has a high intravascular residence time and high relaxivity compared to other GBCAs; therefore, we study various injection parameters to accomplish a low T1 time for the longest period of time, as well as a quick equilibrium time with this agent using a dual bolus/slow infusion injection technique.
Higher Order Variable Extrapolation For Unstructured Finite Volume RANS Flow Solvers

A new variable extrapolation formulation for unstructured finite volume codes is developed which closely resembles the MUSCL-scheme used within structured flow solvers. This new formulation is based on information currently available to the unstructured flow solvers, namely the variable information and the gradient information, and as such, it is trivial to implement within most finite volume flow solvers. This new variable extrapolation formulation represents a one-parameter family of equations and under certain circumstances, it is fully equivalent to the MUSCL-scheme, which is also a one-parameter family. A wide variety of results are presented, including theoretical analysis of the truncation error and numerical analysis of the truncation error for a one-dimensional problem, using the method of manufactured solutions, as well as for a two-dimensional problem. Inviscid three-dimensional results are presented which demonstrate that the numerical viscosity can be greatly decreased via this formulation, and the viscous results for a variety of cases indicate that the drag is better predicted and that the vortical structures within the flow field are captured more accurately and further downstream of their origination. Finally, the observed improved convergence levels and stability of the new formulation are discussed, as well as the issues involved with extending this approach to achieve third-order spatial accuracy for 2D and 3D grids.
Knee Injuries in Downhill Skiers: A 6-Year Survey Study

Background:Knee injuries account for approximately one third of injuries in skiers. Researchers have proposed several mechanisms of knee injury in skiers. However, the frequencies of these mechanisms have varied in different studies.Purpose:To identify the most common knee injury mechanisms in recreational downhill skiers and to assess injury frequencies across several demographics.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:Over 6 ski seasons, 541 patients with acute knee injuries completed a survey. Patients selected 1 of 6 injury classifications; age, sex, height, weight, years of experience, ability level, and ski binding release were also recorded.Results:The overall injury distribution was valgus–external rotation (32.9%), phantom foot (22.5%), hyperextension (19.0%), boot induced (7.8%), collision (2.2%), and other (15.6%). The phantom foot mechanism was most common in ages 30 to 40 years (36.3% of all injuries within this mechanism; P < .01). Children and adults showed no significant diffe...
Trajectory planning of tracked vehicles

The motions of planar tracked vehicles are governed by three force and moment equations. The force equation perpendicular to the tracks represents a dynamic nonholonomic constraint which is explicitly dependent on vehicle speed. It couples path planning with trajectory planning. The nominal track forces required to follow a specified data at desired speeds are determined. The problem is reduced to computing vehicle orientations along the path that are consistent with the nonholonomic constraint. The computation of vehicle orientations is formulated as a parameter optimization that minimizes the violation of the equality constraint. The method is demonstrated for planar motions along a circular path on plate and inclined planes. >
Separation and quantitation of long-chain free fatty acids in human serum by high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid, simple and highly sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the separation and quantitation of fatty acids in human serum using a very reactive fluorescent labeling reagent, 9-anthryldiazomethane. Quantitative esterification proceeds at room temperature without heat or catalysis. Baseline separation of nineteen select fatty acids from a standard mixture was achieved on two C18-bonded silica columns connected in tandem using stepwise gradient elution of an acetonitrile-methanol-water mobile phase. The eluent was monitored by a fluorescence detector (maximum excitation wavelength, 365 nm; maximum emission wavelength, 412 nm). The procedure was applied to the analysis of both saturated and unsaturated long-chain free fatty acids (C8 to C22) extracted from human serum. Sera from fasting and non-fasting subjects were analyzed to show the applicability of this assay to biological samples. Detection limit and recovery of free fatty acids in serum were 92%, respectively.
INFRARED STUDY OF WATER SORPTION ON Na-, Li-, Ca-, AND Mg-EXCHANGED (SWy-1 AND SAz-1) MONTMORILLONITE

An environmental infrared microbalance (EIRM) cell was used to study H2O sorption on two montmorillonite samples as a function of water content and type of exchangeable cation. The vibrational spectra showed that H2O sorbed to the clay at low-water content was strongly influenced by the exchangeable cation and by the close proximity to the clay surface. At water contents <6 H20 molecules per exchangeable cation, the H-O-H bending mode of H2O (v2 mode) shifts to a lower frequency and is characterized by an increase in molar absorptivity. In contrast, the positions of the asymmetric and symmetric OH-stretching modes of sorbed water (v1 and v3 modes) shift to higher energies. These observations indicate that H2O molecules sorbed to the clay surface at low-water content are less hydrogen bonded than in bulk H2O. In addition, the vibrational-stretching and bending bands of the structural OH groups of the 2:1 layer are also strongly influenced by H2O content and type of exchangeable cation. By using the EIRM cell, the molar absorptivities of the structural OH-bending vibrations were measured as a function of H2O content. The position and molar absorptivity of the structural OH-bending bands at 920, 883, and 840 cm-1 are strongly influenced by H2O content and type of exchangeable cation. The molar absorptivity of the 920-cm-1 band, which is assigned to the AlAlOH group, decreased strongly at low-H2O content. This reduction in intensity is assigned to a dehydration-induced change in orientation of the structural OH groups resulting from the penetration of H2O molecules into siloxane ditrigonal cavities that are not associated with a net negative charge from isomorphous substitutions.
A Second-Order Achievable Rate Region for Gaussian Multi-Access Channels via a Central Limit Theorem for Functions

Motivated by the growing application of multi-access networks with stringent delay constraints, we investigate the Gaussian multiple-access channel (MAC) in the finite blocklength regime. By applying central limit theorem (CLT) approximations to non-asymptotic information-spectrum inner bounds, we obtain second-order achievable rate regions for the Gaussian MAC with a positive average error probability and per-codeword power constraints. Our achievability results use spherical inputs uniformly distributed on the power shells, which lead to summations of dependent information random variables. However, we conduct the analysis through a convenient yet powerful form of the CLT, called the CLT for functions.
A phase 1 study of everolimus + weekly cisplatin + intensity modulated radiation therapy in head-and-neck cancer.

Purpose Elevated expression of eukaryotic protein synthesis initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) in histologically cancer-free margins of resected head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) is mediated by mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and has been associated with increased risk of disease recurrence. Preclinically, inhibition of mTORC1 with everolimus sensitizes cancer cells to cisplatin and radiation. Methods and Materials This was single-institution phase 1 study to establish the maximum tolerated dose of daily everolimus given with fixed dose cisplatin (30 mg/m 2 weekly × 6) and concurrent intensity modulated radiation therapy for patients with locally and/or regionally advanced head-and-neck cancer. The study had a standard 3 + 3 dose-escalation design. Results Tumor primary sites were oral cavity (4), salivary gland (4), oropharynx (2), nasopharynx (1), scalp (1), and neck node with occult primary (1). In 4 of 4 cases in which resected HNSCC surgical pathology specimens were available for immunohistochemistry, elevated expression of eIF4E was observed in the cancer-free margins. The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse event was lymphopenia (92%), and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were mucositis (n=2) and failure to thrive (n=1). With a median follow up of 19.4 months, 2 patients have experienced recurrent disease. The maximum tolerated dose was everolimus 5 mg/day. Conclusions Head-and-neck cancer patients tolerated everolimus at therapeutic doses (5 mg/day) given with weekly cisplatin and intensity modulated radiation therapy. The regimen merits further evaluation, especially among patients who are status post resection of HNSCCs that harbor mTORC1-mediated activation of eIF4E in histologically negative surgical margins.
Strong recoverability in multidatabase systems

A multidatabase system (MDBS) consists of a number of multiple autonomous database management systems (DBMSs) in which global transactions are executed under the control of the MDBS, and local transactions are executed under the control of a local DBMS. Each local DBMS ensures local serializability. The function of the MDBS is to ensure global serializability. The major difficulty in ensuring global serializability stems from the fact that in the presence of local transactions, and without any restrictions on the local concurrency control of the participating local DBMSs., even serial execution of global transactions does not guarantee global serializability. These difficulties could be avoided if the serialization order of transactions were always the same as their commitment order. The authors study the class of transaction scheduling mechanisms in which transaction serialization order can be determined by controlling their commitment order. They use these results to design a multidatabase transaction management scheme that ensures global serializability. >
The heat capacity of fluorinated propane and butane derivatives by differential scanning calorimetry

The constant pressure liquid-phase heat capacities of 21 hydrogen containing fluorinated propane and butane derivatives and one fluorinated ether (CF3OCF2H) with boiling points ranging from -34.6° to 76.7°C have been measured to 3% accuracy by differential scanning calorimetry at 40°C. The measurements are needed to help identify alternative refrigerants and blowing agents that do not deplete the stratospheric ozone layer. The DSC method has two significant advantages for this purpose, which are: (i) only small samples (less than 100 mg) are required, and (ii) the instruments are available in many laboratories and can be used for the heat capacity measurement of liquids with subambient boiling points without modification or special accessories.
Intranasal Vaccinations with the trans-Sialidase Antigen plus CpG Adjuvant Induce Mucosal Immunity Protective against Conjunctival Trypanosoma cruzi Challenges

Trypanosoma cruzi is an intracellular protozoan parasite capable of infecting through mucosal surfaces. Our laboratory has previously elucidated the anatomical routes of infection after both conjunctival and gastric challenge in mice. We have shown that chronically infected mice develop strong immune responses capable of protecting against subsequent rechallenge with virulent parasites through gastric, conjunctival, and systemic routes of infection. We have also shown that intranasal immunizations with the unique T. cruzi trans-sialidase (TS) antigen protect against gastric and systemic T. cruzi challenge. In the current work we have investigated the ability of purified TS adjuvanted with CpG-containing oligonucleotides to induce immunity against conjunctival T. cruzi challenge. We confirm that intranasal vaccinations with TS plus CpG induce TS-specific T-cell and secretory IgA responses. TS-specific secretory IgA was detectable in the tears of vaccinated mice, the initial body fluid that contacts the parasite during infectious conjunctival exposures. We further show that intranasal vaccinations with TS plus CpG protect against conjunctival T. cruzi challenge, limiting local parasite replication at the site of mucosal invasion and systemic parasite dissemination. We also provide the first direct evidence that mucosal antibodies induced by intranasal TS vaccination can inhibit parasite invasion.
Post-CMOS-Compatible Aluminum Nitride Resonant MEMS Accelerometers

This paper describes the development of aluminum nitride (AlN) resonant accelerometers that can be integrated directly over foundry CMOS circuitry. Acceleration is measured by a change in resonant frequency of AlN double-ended tuning-fork (DETF) resonators. The DETF resonators and an attached proof mass are composed of a 1-mum-thick piezoelectric AlN layer. Utilizing piezoelectric coupling for the resonator drive and sense, DETFs at 890 kHz have been realized with quality factors (Q) of 5090 and a maximum power handling of 1 muW. The linear drive of the piezoelectric coupling reduces upconversion of 1/f amplifier noise into 1/f 3 phase noise close to the oscillator carrier. This results in lower oscillator phase noise, -96 dBc/Hz at 100-Hz offset from the carrier, and improved sensor resolution when the DETF resonators are oscillated by the readout electronics. Attached to a 110-ng proof mass, the accelerometer microsystem has a measured sensitivity of 3.4 Hz/G and a resolution of 0.9 mG/radicHz from 10 to 200 Hz, where the accelerometer bandwidth is limited by the measurement setup. Theoretical calculations predict an upper limit on the accelerometer bandwidth of 1.4 kHz.
Emerging Roles in Health and Healthcare

Healthcare has reached a tipping point where incremental change is not achieving the required improvements in healthcare quality, population health and affordability. The desired state of hyper-collaboration, team based, person-centered and health focused care enabled by big data and advanced analytics is described. However, gaps currently exist between the current and future states that provide opportunities for new roles both within and outside existing healthcare professions. The most significant new role will belong to informed, engaged, and activated consumers of health and healthcare pursing their desired states of health and resilience through strategies that are evidence-based, consistent with their values, goals, and preferences, and effective in their personal and social milieus. Empowered and technology savvy individuals as well as the underserved should receive the best evidence based and personalized care across the continuum of care. New team based care models require new roles and revision of existing ones to improve care and lower costs. Community Connectors, Health Coaches, Mobile Health Application Developers, Data Scientists, Informaticians and Care Experience roles are described. Virtual reality and avatars will be integrated into training and motivation of both caregivers and care receivers, and augment the health and resilience of all population segments. The roles of physicians and nurses will change in fundamental ways and become increasingly specialized and reliant on virtual care. Existing leadership roles will shift to address new values, new competencies, emerging trends and demands for consumers as co-designers of care.
Experimental hypertension increases spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhages in a mouse model of cerebral amyloidosis

Hypertension and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) are major risk factors for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH); however the mechanisms of interplay between the two are not fully understood. We investigated the effect of hypertension in a transgenic mouse model with Alzheimer’s-like pathology (Tg2576) treating them with angiontensin II and L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester. A similar increase in systolic blood pressure was observed in both Tg2576 and control mice; however Tg2576 mice developed signs of stroke with a markedly shorter latency. Cerebral deposition of amyloid beta promotes the hypertension-induced ICH, thus supporting the notion that hypertension is a risk factor for ICH among patients with CAA.
Health and condition in fish: the influence of lipids on membrane competency and immune response

Traditionally fisheries biologists have used various metrics to indicate the condition and, by implication, health of fish. These indices are usually based on relationships between length and weight (Anderson and Neumann 1996). Although such metrics can, under some circumstances, provide a quick estimate of a fish’s condition, their ability to shed light on the underlying cause-and-effect relationship(s) governing a fish’s health and nutritional status are limited. Biochemical measures (e.g. lipids including fatty acids (FA) and sterols, proteins and their constituent amino acids, and trace elements) offer complimentary measures to assess, in a more specific way, the condition and underlying health of fish. Fatty acids and other lipids affect the health of fish in many ways; including, but not limited to, their effects on growth, reproduction, behavior, vision, osmoregularity, membrane fluidity (thermal adaptation), and immune response. In this review, we focus on the latter two roles that lipids play in mediating the health and condition of fish.
A Skeptical Look at Document Imaging

Despite the growing popularity of document imaging, organizations should he skeptical of applications involving the actual imaging of some business documents and records. It appears that many imaging applications are treating the symptoms (excess paper handling and storage) rather than the disease (bad processes and fragmented organizations).
Of Competing Claims to Excess Letter of Credit Proceeds

The author examines transactions in which a letter of credit beneficiary draws on the credit for an amount that ultimately exceeds the amount to which the beneficiary has a valid claim, and analyzes who is entitled to these overdrafts. The author concludes that, generally, the letter of credit applicant (or its trustee in bankruptcy) has the superior claim to the excess payment held by the beneficiary, superior to claims of the beneficiary and to claims of the bank issuer - and arguably to third parties, whose claims to the excess are derivative of the applicant's rights.
Focused Ultrasonic Propulsion of Kidney Stones.

Abstract Introduction: Our research group is studying a noninvasive transcutaneous ultrasound device to expel small kidney stones or residual post-treatment stone fragments from the kidney.1–3 The ...
Gastroschisis Complicated by Septo-Optic Dysplasia: Two Distinct Anomalies with a Common Origin.

Introduction Gastroschisis is considered to be an isolated abdominal wall defect that is infrequently associated with other anomalies. Case This case describes an infant with gastroschisis who developed refractory shock after an uncomplicated surgery for bowel atresia. He was found to have adrenal insufficiency secondary to septo-optic dysplasia with panhypopituitarism. Conclusion Gastroschisis and septo-optic dysplasia arise from vascular disruptions, therefore presence in the same infant can be more than just a coincidence. While this is not a common occurrence, our case illustrates the need for a high index of suspicion with an unusual clinical course.
The Long Arm of Calculus

Ethan Berkove (ae5450@usma.edu) holds a Davies Associateship, which combines teaching at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, with research at the Army Research Labs. At the University of Michigan he majored in mathe? matics and Japanese, and his Ph.D. (1996) is from the University of Wisconsin under Alejandro Adem. Besides dabbling in applications of mathematics, he enjoys origami and his favorite application of physics: rock climbing.
Great Expectations – Geophysics And Geotechnics

How could 20 years have passed since the first SAGEEP and the groundwork that conference laid for the formation of the Environmental and Engineering Society? Looking back is an interesting and sometimes informative exercise and in this situation, it provides for this “pioneer” a reassuring hope for the future.
Ceramics and long-distance trade in early Mesopotamian states

Abstract This study evaluates the extent of trade in ceramic vessels (and their contents) throughout Mesopotamia during the later Uruk period of the 4th millennium BCE using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The emergence of the first cities and states in Mesopotamia during the 4th millennium BCE is now well documented, both in the Uruk culture of southern Iraq and the more recently recognized Late Chalcolithic culture of northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey. During the second half of the 4th millennium BCE, people moved out of southern Iraq and into surrounding areas in what Guillermo Algaze (1993) has termed the Uruk expansion. Algaze explained this expansion as a quest for raw materials and proposed a relatively centralized model in which settlements were organized to facilitate trade back to the urban centers of southern Mesopotamia. This explanation has not found universal support. To evaluate the extent of trade in ceramic vessels throughout Uruk Mesopotamia, we sampled and analyzed 385 samples of ceramics and clays from Jebel Aruda and Tell Hadidi in the Euphrates Valley of Syria; Tell Brak in northeastern Syria; Nineveh on the Tigris River; sites in the Susiana Plain of southwestern Iran; and sites surveyed on the Mesopotamian plain. The study showed that it is possible to identify distinct chemical signatures of clays from different parts of Mesopotamia. It also showed that there was virtually no trade in ceramic vessels (large or small) among sites in the vast network of the Uruk expansion, indicating that we need to examine other explanations to account for the near uniformity of Uruk ceramics. While ceramics are not a proxy for all types of exchange, this result suggests that settlements in the Uruk expansion may not have been closely connected by regular exchange.
Large-Area Epitaxial Graphene: Effect of Strain and Thickness on Electronic Properties

The recent success of graphene transistor operation in the giga-hertz range has solidified the potential of this material for high speed electronic applications. Realization of a graphene technology on the production scale; however, requires the ability to synthesize large area graphene, and rapidly characterize the material's structural and electronic quality. We report a direct link between carrier mobility and Raman topography of epitaxial graphene grown on silicon carbide. We have examined epitaxial graphene with mobility values of 25 - 1100 cm2/V-s, and show that the Hall mobility of epitaxial graphene on the Si-face of SiC (SiC(0001)) is not only highly dependent on thickness uniformity, but also on mono-layer strain uniformity. It is not until the thickness and strain uniformity is approaches 50% of the device width that one is able to achieve mobility values higher than 1000 cm2/V-s.
Commentary: Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

This chapter provides a nice overview of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). It brings the reader up to date on current state of knowledge; however it also points out a number of areas in which further work is necessary to answer currently unresolved questions.
An efficient implementation of the EMICM algorithm for the interval censored NPMLE

ABSTRACTThe EMICM algorithm is an established method for computing the interval-censored NPMLE, a generalization of the Kaplan Meier curves for interval censored data. The novel contribution in this work is an efficient implementation, allowing each iteration to be computed in linear time. Using simulated data, it is shown that this new implementation is significantly faster than alternative EMICM implementations or other competing algorithms, allowing for analyses of datasets orders of magnitude larger than previously available.
Thoreau: A Purely Sensuous Heaven

Emerson’s movement towards a metaphoric, horizontal view of relationships must, however, be seen in the context of his statement that ‘[t]he thought and the form are equal in the order of time, but in the order of genesis the thought is prior to the form’. Thought’ is maintained as an elemental quality in the process of original expression. It is here that Emerson seeks to locate the progress of American Literature. And yet ‘Experience’ reveals the difficulty he had in sustaining that sense of elemental power when he includes what seems an accidental utterance: ‘Do you see that kitten so prettily chasing her own tail?’ Whether image or fact, the kitten forces its way into Emerson’s thoughts and ‘Experience’ closes with the hope for ‘the transformation of genius into practical power’. It is this division between genius and mundanity, thought and form, which Emerson could identify and then find so difficult to balance.
A blended continuous-discontinuous finite element method for solving the multi-fluid plasma model

Abstract The multi-fluid plasma model represents electrons, multiple ion species, and multiple neutral species as separate fluids that interact through short-range collisions and long-range electromagnetic fields. The model spans a large range of temporal and spatial scales, which renders the model stiff and presents numerical challenges. To address the large range of timescales, a blended continuous and discontinuous Galerkin method is proposed, where the massive ion and neutral species are modeled using an explicit discontinuous Galerkin method while the electrons and electromagnetic fields are modeled using an implicit continuous Galerkin method. This approach is able to capture large-gradient ion and neutral physics like shock formation, while resolving high-frequency electron dynamics in a computationally efficient manner. The details of the Blended Finite Element Method (BFEM) are presented. The numerical method is benchmarked for accuracy and tested using two-fluid one-dimensional soliton problem and electromagnetic shock problem. The results are compared to conventional finite volume and finite element methods, and demonstrate that the BFEM is particularly effective in resolving physics in stiff problems involving realistic physical parameters, including realistic electron mass and speed of light. The benefit is illustrated by computing a three-fluid plasma application that demonstrates species separation in multi-component plasmas.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Grandparents can become primary caregivers due to a wide range of reasons and circumstances. This entry addresses the factors for grandparents raising their grandchildren, discussing who is included in this portion of the population, the challenges that they face, theories of grandfamilies, and their strengths. Keywords: aging; children; family
‘Unwomanly practices’: poaching crime, gender and the Female offender in nineteenth-century Britain

Studies of poaching in the nineteenth century have tended to understate the involvement of women in this archetypal rural crime. This article will suggest that female offending was both more significant and more widespread than previously assumed, but it will also highlight how in a variety of complex ways dominant conceptions of gender shaped perceptions of female poachers and often influenced their treatment before the courts. It will argue that alongside more widely effectual assumptions about appropriate male and female spheres and behaviours, the response of the authorities to female poachers was also shaped by powerful and increasingly culturally embedded notions about the sexually exclusive nature of hunting.
“Without Which Nothing”: Public Law As the Sine Qua Non of Public Administration:

Without public law, there is and can be no public administration in a nation that is a constitutional republic founded on the rule and supremacy of law. Public law is the basis for authority and a ...
Relapse of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) Is Associated with Increased Methylation of the Retinoic Acid Receptor-Beta2 (RARβ2) Gene Promoter.

Increased methylation of the tumor suppressor and all- trans retinoic acid (ATRA) target gene RARβ2 has been reported in a variety of neoplasias. In APL, this has been related to the recruitment of DNA methyltransferases (DNmts) by PML-RARα to the RA response element-containing RARβ2 gene promoter (Di Croce, et al, Science295, 1079, 2002). In this study, we applied a highly quantitative method, pyrosequencing of bisulfite-converted DNA, to precisely measure the level of methylation (% of total dinucleotides;dnts) at each of 14 CpG dnts in the RARβ2 promoter from APL cases with de novo vs 1st relapse vs ≥2nd relapse disease. Additionally, we assessed whether patients with PML-RARα mutations at relapse, which increase binding to the co-repressor complex and might secondarily increase DNmt recruitment to this complex, are associated with increased methylation of this ATRA target gene. Non-parametric 2-sided Wilcoxon tests were utilized to evaluate potential differences in median values. Surprisingly, the methylation value for de novo APL cells (N = 10) was only slightly greater than that for normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (N=4) (medians of sums of all 14 dnts were 95.9 and 68.9, respectively; p = 0.14). However, in a matched set of pretreatment and 1st relapse samples from 7 patients treated on intergroup protocol INT0129/E2491, the methylation level was significantly higher in the relapse samples at 6/14 dnts (p de novo APL cells and suggest that increasing methylation is frequently associated with disease progression and with mutations in PML-RARα.