cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CDM-Reliable T-Coil Techniques for a 25-Gb/s Wireline Receiver Front-End

An inherent CDM–electrostatic discharge (ESD) hazard exists in T-coil circuits due to magnetic coupling from the pad to the receiver input. An “inductance halving” technique is proposed to reduce magnetic coupling during ESD, thereby canceling voltage overshoot. Receiver circuits with continuous-time linear equalizers are placed on a 65-nm CMOS test chip to evaluate the performance of the proposed T-coil in comparison with the conventional T-coil with secondary ESD protection. From the eye diagram test using 25-Gb/s pseudorandom bit sequence data, the receiver with an inductance-halving T-coil shows 1.8× higher and 29% wider eye opening, as compared with the receiver with a T-coil protected by a secondary ESD device. In a very fast transmission line pulsing test, both schemes achieve around an 8-A failure current, which demonstrates that the proposed T-coil can effectively protect receiver circuits against CDM-like ESD stresses.
Shell-Shocked in New Orleans: A Competitive Press during a Bloody Season, January 1973

Abstract In the midst of a violent winter in New Orleans, the city was held hostage for 36 hours on January 7 and 8, 1973, when a downtown hotel was set ablaze and shots began ringing out from the roof of the high-rise. New Orleans reporters, with memories of the graphic representation of a fire that occurred five weeks prior, began producing words and images that were utilized all over the country. The present research looks at New Orleans press coverage—in particular, newspaper coverage—through the lens of Vietnamera coverage, which had pushed the envelope in its emphasis on violent content. The researcher finds that the New Orleans-produced content was certainly graphic and dramatic, but—rather than the result of economic stresses—was a human reaction to weeks of dramatic stories that had established emotional and graphic portrayals as a new norm in the New Orleans area.
An Imaging Simulation Method of SAR for Three-dimensional Targets

The imaging simulation of SAR (synthetic aperture radar) is very useful for designing and understanding SAR systems. In this paper, a fast image simulating algorithm of SAR for complex three-dimensional ground object targets is presented. The simulation parameters and echo signal expression of SAR system are presented. In the simulation testing, the imaging of a complex three-dimensional ground object target is realized.
Suspension of the Ford focus RS 500

For sporty automobiles the trend is cognizable that high-powered vehicles use a front-wheel drive. After presenting the front axle concept RevoKnuckle first in the year 2004, Ford improves this principle for the current Ford RS 500 in the generation II. The optimisation allows not only reduced lever arms but also largely retention of the otherwise excellent properties of the McPherson front axle from standard production.
Isotaphonomy in concept and practice: an exploration of vertebrate microfossil bonebeds in the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Judith River Formation, north-central Montana

Vertebrate microfossil bonebeds (VMBs)—localized concentrations of small resilient vertebrate hard parts—are commonly studied to recover otherwise rarely found small-bodied taxa, and to document relative taxonomic abundance and species richness in ancient vertebrate communities. Analyses of taphonomic comparability among VMBs have often found significant differences in size and shape distributions, and thus considered them to be non-isotaphonomic. Such outcomes of “strict” statistical tests of isotaphonomy suggest discouraging limits on the potential for broad, comparative paleoecological reconstruction using VMBs. Yet it is not surprising that sensitive statistical tests highlight variations among VMB sites, especially given the general lack of clarity with regard to the definition of “strict” isotaphonomic comparability. We rigorously sampled and compared six VMB localities representing two distinct paleoenvironments (channel and pond/lake) of the Upper Cretaceous Judith River Formation to evaluate biases related to sampling strategies and depositional context. Few defining distinctions in bioclast size and shape are evident in surface collections, and most site-to-site comparisons of sieved collections are indistinguishable (p≤ 0.003). These results provide a strong case for taphonomic equivalence among the majority of Judith River VMBs, and bode well for future studies of paleoecology, particularly in relation to investigations of faunal membership and community structure in Late Cretaceous wetland ecosystems. The taphonomic comparability of pond/lake and channel-hosted VMBs in the Judith River Formation is also consistent with a formative model that contends that channel-hosted VMBs were reworked from pre-existing pond/lake assemblages, and thus share taphonomic history.
Experimental evidence that mycorrhizal nitrogen strategies affect soil carbon

Most land plants acquire nitrogen (N) through associations with arbuscular (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, but these symbionts employ contrasting strategies for N acquisition, which may lead to different stocks of soil carbon (C). We experimentally test this hypothesis with a mesocosm system where AM and ECM tree seedling roots, or their hyphae only, could access mineral soils with 13 C- and 15 N-enriched organic matter. We quantified loss of soil C and N, plant uptake of N and new inputs of plant C to soil. We found that AM, but not ECM, seedlings reduced soil C relative to controls. Soil C loss was greater in the presence of roots relative to hyphae only for both AM and ECM seedlings, but was correlated with plant N uptake for AM seedlings only. While new plant C inputs stimulated soil C loss in both symbioses, we detected plant C inputs more frequently and measured higher rates of decomposer activity in soils colonized by AM relative to ECM seedlings. Our study experimentally demonstrates how mycorrhizal strategies for N can affect soil C and C:N, even at the scale of an individual plant. Such effects may contribute to broad patterns in soil C across terrestrial ecosystems.
Relativity of Time and Space

Chapter 2 derives the time dilation formula using, as a clock, a tube with an emitter at one end and a reflector at the other. It introduces the notions of proper time and coordinate time and applies them to such classics as the decay of muons and the effect of space travel on aging. It is shown why nothing can go faster than light and astronomical observations of superluminal speeds are explained. Length contraction is developed as an application of time dilation. It is then applied to various examples, including some unique and insightful applications to relativistic photography in anticipation of Chapter 7 . For example it is shown that the image of a circle in a pinhole camera is an ellipse elongated along the direction of motion in contrast to the expected result that it flattens along the direction of motion. The idea of “relativisticity” is introduced as the effect of relativistic treatment of ordinary objects, even at speeds that seem enormous, and it is shown that even at humanly enormous speeds, relativistic effect escapes ordinary detection. Time dilation is accompanied by a paradox: the “twin paradox.” This paradox is introduced and a partial resolution is given, with the full resolution to be given after the introduction of the spacetime triangle inequality in Chapter 4 .
A Quick Take on Windows Security Evolution

An informal analysis of changes in configuration options and default settings in recent Windows operating systems reveals how security concerns have changed over time. The results are both reassuring and alarming.
Sexual Coercion in Marriage: Narrative Accounts of Abused Mexican-American Women

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) has been relatively understudied particularly from the perspective of women of color. This study documents the experiences with partner sexual violence of te...
Density Observations from a Full-Scale, Untrafficked Test Section with Guidance for Dryback Methods

This paper presents a discussion with data on factors related to the in-place density measurement of asphalt pavements. A review of the literature traces changes to asphalt density measurement technologies over the past 60 years. Two phases of investigation then are presented in which in-place density was evaluated for an ongoing study of environmental effects at a test section in Columbus, Mississippi. A series of laboratory and field activities was performed in Phase 1. In Phase 2, studies were made of laboratory drying practices of specimens that were cored after an extended period of field aging. The key conclusion from these efforts was that ASTM D7227 might not remove sufficient moisture from some specimens to achieve accurate density measurement when pavements have been exposed to moisture for extended periods of time. This paper presents a case with an average error in air void measurement of 0.9% (measured 9.1% when 10% was correct) for specimens that were cored, dried according to ASTM D7227, an...
In What Order to Present the Material: An Overview of Part II

In Part 1 of this book, we described how uncertainty ideas can help motivated students to study. Once the students are motivated and teaching starts, we need to decide in what order we should present the material. Some courses first provide the basic ideas of all the topics, and only after all the basics are described, provide the technical details; other courses first deal with one topic, then go to another topic, etc.
Prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthases-1 and -2.

Publisher Summary The chapter compares and contrasts the structural and kinetic properties of prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase-1 (PGHS-1) and -2. It also discusses the description of the interactions of the two isozymes with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). There are three general areas of study important to understanding more about PGHS isozymes: mechanisms of catalysis, regulation of gene expression, and subcellular functional independence. The chapter also explain how is arachidonic acid specifically channeled to PGHS-2 following mobilization in cells in response to TPA and how is the localization of PGHS-2 in the nuclear envelope important for PGHS-2 functioning. The chapter also describes the structures and regulation of expression of the PGHS-1 and -2 genes. The concepts that PGHS-1 and PGHS-2 represent two separate prostaglandin biosynthetic pathways and two separate prostaglandin signaling pathways need to be tested. The chapter also discusses how the two isozymes may act independently in intact cells to mediate the formation of prostanoids destined to act on cell surface and/or nuclear targets to mediate different biological and pathobiological events.
Management of Non-melanoma Skin Cancers: Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma

With non-melanoma skin cancer on the rise, representing the most common malignancy, recognition, as well as an appropriate treatment approach is essential for management of these potentially life-threatening lesions. The growing incidence of cutaneous malignancies has heralded the need for multiple treatment options based on the aggressiveness of the lesion, as well as patient-specific factors determining risk. This chapter will start by discussing the incidence and trends of non-melanoma skin cancer. Next, risk factors for the various types of non-melanoma skin cancers, including both genetic and environmental exposures, will be highlighted. Furthermore, education and preventative factors such as sun safety and nonmelanoma skin cancer prophylaxis measures will also be discussed. The main subtypes of cutaneous pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions including actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma in situ, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma will be presented in detail. Although surgical intervention remains the mainstay treatment for the management of skin cancers, various other treatment modalities and their indications for use will be outlined in this chapter.
Tropical forests : Log'Em or leave 'Em?

How can our tropical forests best be saved? Chazdon discusses the answers to this question in her Perspective. The view in the 1970s that virgin forests should be preserved intact gave way to the 1980s view that forests can be sustainably managed and used. Now a report in this week9s issue by Cannon et al., which shows how diverse tree species can be supported in a logged forest in Borneo, exemplifies the newest approach to preserving our forests: management of a combination of untouched and logged forests for preservation of biodiversity.
Primary deficiencies in humoral immunity.

This article describes the properties and functions of the immunoglobulins, the primary defects in their production, and current methods of diagnosis and treatment of these disorders.
Fossil and Transcriptomic Perspectives on the Origins and Success of Metazoan Multicellularity

Multicellularity independently evolved numbers of times—many estimates are in the mid to high twenties—but it is within only two clades, Embryophyta and especially Metazoa, that the multicellular condition led to the evolution of richly diverse and morphologically disparate taxa that have so transformed the biosphere over the last half billion years. Here we first examine the fossil record of metazoans for clues to this morphological profligacy. Part of the reason for their success appears to lie in their early macroevolutionary pattern of rapid invasions of newly accessible adaptive zones followed by exploitation of the morphological possibilities inherent in their new adaptive capacities—their bodyplans–which led to the hierarchical pattern exploited by Linnaean taxonomy. The recent ability to investigate genomically the initial morphological radiation of the phyla through the comparison of ontogenetically dissected transcriptomes has revealed a genomic signature of the phylotypic stage. This suggests, in combination with the paleontologic pattern, that the phylum-level radiation of the metazoans involved the radiation of the phylotypic stages of the phyla. Further transcriptome data offer the possibility of testing evolutionary hypotheses, such as proposed heterochronies, which may be associated with the origin of major morphological novelties; for example, the possibility that the eumetazoan phylotypes descended from sponge larval developmental modules, rather than from those of adult sponges. Finally, we suggest that the morphological disparity of the metazoans (and embryophytes) may be due to their developmental architecture, which includes a mid-embryonic morphological conservatism and transcriptional complexity, and the ability to modify the transcriptome at any developmental stage.
International Real Business Cycles of the Chinese Economy: Asymmetric Preference, Incomplete Financial Markets, and Terms of Trade Shocks

ABSTRACTThis article establishes a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model of the Chinese open real economy, and aims to give a theoretical account of the empirical stylized facts of economic ...
Soft Poly-Limbs: Toward a New Paradigm of Mobile Manipulation for Daily Living Tasks

We present the design and development of the fluid-driven, wearable, Soft Poly-Limb (SPL), from the Greek word polys, meaning many. The SPL utilizes the numerous traits of soft robotics to enable a novel approach in providing safe and compliant mobile manipulation assistance to healthy and impaired users. This wearable system equips the user with a controllable additional limb that is capable of complex three-dimensional motion in space. Similar to an elephant trunk, the SPL is able to manipulate objects using a variety of end effectors, such as suction adhesion or a soft grasper, as well as its entire soft body to conform around an object, able to lift 2.35 times its own weight. To develop these highly articulated soft robotic limbs, we provide a novel set of systematic design rules, obtained through varying geometrical parameters of the SPL through experimentally verified finite element method models. We investigate performance of the limb by testing the lifetime of the new SPL actuators, evaluating its payload capacity, operational workspace, and capability of interacting close to a user through a spatial mobility test. Furthermore, we are able to demonstrate limb controllability through multiple user-intent detection modalities. Finally, we explore the limb's ability to assist in multitasking and pick and place scenarios with varying mounting locations of the SPL around the user's body. Our results highlight the SPL's ability to safely interact with the user while demonstrating promising performance in assisting with a wide variety of tasks, in both work and general living settings.
Employing Mexican American Folklore as an Educational Tool to Teach Cultural Competence

The goal of this research was to explore Mexican American cultural elements through folklore as a way of addressing cultural competence. Content analysis of 21 stories, which were collected from Me...
The incremental value of neuropsychological assessment: A critical review

Objective: The purpose of this critical review was to evaluate the current state of research regarding the incremental value of neuropsychological assessment in clinical practice, above and beyond what can be accounted for on the basis of demographic, medical, and other diagnostic variables. The focus was on neurological and other medical conditions across the lifespan where there is known risk for presence or future development of cognitive impairment.Method: Eligible investigations were group studies that had been published after 01/01/2000 in English in peer-reviewed journals and that had used standardized neuropsychological measures and reported on objective outcome criterion variables. They were identified through PubMed and PsychInfo electronic databases on the basis of predefined specific selection criteria. Reference lists of identified articles were also reviewed to identify potential additional sources. The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group's (GRADE) criteria were used to evaluate quality of studies.Results: Fifty-six studies met the final selection criteria, including 2 randomized-controlled trials, 9 prospective cohort studies, 12 retrospective cohort studies, 21 inception cohort studies, 2 case control studies, and 10 case series studies. The preponderance of the evidence was strongly supportive with regard to the incremental value of neuropsychological assessment in the care of persons with mild cognitive impairment/dementia and traumatic brain injury. Evidence was moderately supportive with regard to stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Participation in neuropsychological evaluations was also associated with cost savings.Conclusions: Neuropsychological assessment can improve both diagnostic classification and prediction of long-term daily-life outcomes in patients across the lifespan. Future high-quality prospective cohort studies and randomized-controlled trials are necessary to demonstrate more definitively the incremental value of neuropsychological assessment in the management of patients with various neurological and other medical conditions.
Student Evaluations of Professors: Does A Professors’ Gender, Race, or Age Influence Student Ratings?

Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine and describe whether students’ ratings of professors are influenced by the professor’s gender, age, and race. A survey is used to collect data. The sample (n= 319) used in this study is drawn from 16 different undergraduate classes taught by 9 different instructors. Students in this survey are enrolled in required general studies courses from a large-size public university in Southwestern United States. Using analysis of variance and frequency distribution, the findings reveal that professors’ gender, race, and age are related to how they are rated by students. The findings also indicate that female and male students differ in rating their professors. Furthermore, the research findings suggest that professors’ attitudes and interactions, as well as whether or not they post student grade, or accept students’ assignments online affects student ratings of professors.
IOL-Induced Extreme Blur to Alleviate Intractable Diplopia Secondary to Dragged-Fovea Diplopia Syndrome

A 73-year-old male presented with one year of intractable binocular diplopia and metamorphopsia in the right eye. He was unable to maintain fusion with prismatic correction, refused cosmetically noticeable forms of occlusion, and was not an occlusive contact lens candidate due to chronic neuropathy affecting his hands. The patient underwent cataract surgery with placement of a high plus intraocular lens to induce extreme blur. The uncomplicated procedure was successful in eliminating his diplopia. Cataract extraction with a high minus refractive target is an option for treating intractable diplopia associated with dragged-fovea diplopia syndrome.
Plant community composition and biodiversity patterns in urban parks of Portland, Oregon

Urban parks are biodiversity hotspots and are integral components of green infrastructure in urban areas. A variety of land use practices and environmental factors affect urban park biodiversity and vegetation structure, composition, and ecological function, but few studies have compared plant taxonomic composition, structural complexity, and species traits across different types of urban green spaces. The purpose of this study was to better understand the relationships between plant community composition, structural patterns, and environmental and species traits by using a standardized data collection method across different types of urban parks in Portland, Oregon. We examined the potential ways that different types of urban parks preserve native species and/or harbor non-native and invasive species. We used a stratified random sampling design to select 15 parks of different types based on use: 1) recreational-active use parks, 2) natural-passive use parks, and 3) multi-use parks. We found a total of 178 plant species belonging to 141 genera and 65 families. Multivariate analyses, including ordination with non-metric multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis were used to explore vegetation composition data and associations of different species assemblages with environmental variables. One-way analysis of variance was used to test hypotheses about variables associated with diversity. Statistically-significant differences in species richness and biodiversity indices were found between different park types. More native species were found in natural-passive use parks than other park types, more non-native species are found in multi-use parks than the other park types, and more invasive species were found in natural passive-use parks than in recreational-active use parks. Attributes such as natural-passive use park type, wetland habitat, steep slopes, native species origin, non-native species origin, and vine and tree plant forms were those most strongly correlated with the non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination, indicating that these attributes exert the strongest influence on species abundance and distribution with Portland’s urban parks. The findings of this study can assist park managers in their aims to promote native species cover, reduce invasive species presence, or achieve additional management goals for urban parks.
Driving Status and Religious Service Attendance among Older Americans

We investigated the relationship between driving status and religious service attendance among older Americans and how the perceived importance of religion influences the relationship. Data are fro...
Deployment Optimization Algorithm of Brigade First-Aid Stations for Battlefield Rescue

Save oneself and rescue each other in battlefield are called platinum ten minutes. Position data of brigade first-aid stations and combat units in battlefield are analyzed and studied. Based on the shortest route algorithm of graphics theory, a optimization design algorithm of first-aid station precinct is proposed, and a optimization model of place and number what needs to be added of first-aid station are built. It strongly supports the decision-making of battlefield rescue and Medical evacuation.
Preparation of spray-coated surfaces from green-formulated superhydrophobic coatings

This study involves the fabrication of green-based superhydrophobic coatings, which can be applied to a surface via a simple spraying technique. The coating formulation is green as it utilizes silica extracted from rice husks (RHA) and silver particles reduced and capped by cabbage (CRS), both of which are readily available and environmentally-benign. 12.5 wt% loading of the RHA in the coating was found to yield the best superhydrophobic behavior via contact angle measurement. By further introducing CRS, which induces repulsive forces preventing particle agglomeration, the resulting RHA/CRS-coated surfaces exhibited better anti-wetting behavior and improved stability and durability. In addition, the coating was also shown to possess self-cleaning property, pH resistance, and insensitivity to any touches. All of these reveal the potential of the green-formulated RHA/CRS coating as a cheaper and friendlier alternative in the quest for superhydrophobicity.
Topological Data Analysis on Magnetic Resonance Image Biomarkers

Big data provides us the source to extract new insights in various disciplines. In healthcare, big data may help discover the pathology of a disease and new effective treatments. However, the era of big data taxes the ability of many researchers to analyze and interact with data in biomedical research. Traditional statistical methods have limitations to infer relevant features for possibly complex data. Topological Data Analysis (TDA) provides a set of new topological and geometric tools to discover the hidden relations or key features from complex data. It may help identify the key risk factors related to a given disease and reduce the noise impact from other factors. In this paper, we use TDA to analyze the multidimensional data from MRI of knee osteoarthritis patients.
Pathogenic Mechanisms of a Stroke-like attack Elicited by Epidural Steroid Injection Therapy.

Background The pathogenic mechanisms involved in a disastrous scenario, following epidural steroid injections (ESI), remain unclarified. Intra-arterial injection of steroids with needlepenetrating vascular injury would be the culprit, as particulate medicine elicits a brain or spinal cord stroke-like attack. Methods On the other hand, the limited experimental approaches simulating an accidental steroid intra-arterial injection for ESI conflicted in their results: hemorrhage vs. ischemia. Results This article dissects the potential pathogenic mechanisms at a neurovascular unit. Noticeably, a schematic representation provides an explanation of how emboli formed by particulate steroids elicit either hemorrhagic, or ischemic lesion. Conclusion In addition, the development of a rat model with intravertebral artery steroid injection is a proposal to address the unmet need in evaluating steroids and vascular injury in ESI.
Tests for the identification and isolation of Neis seria gonorrhoeae: a nationwide external quality assessment in 203 medical and healthcare facilities providing sexually transmitted disease services in 2011

Objective To make a nationwide external quality assessment of tests for isolation and identification of N.gonorrhoeae in medical and healthcare facilities at different levels,and to analyze current problems.Methods Lyophilized quality control samples were uniformly delivered to 252 medical and healthcare facilities providing sexually transmitted disease (STD) services at different levels.Test results were analyzed by the National Center for STD Control,China Center for Disease Control and Prevention,and evaluation results were fed back to participating laboratories.Results Finally,test results were received from 203 (80.56％) facilities.The comprehensive score averaged at 87.14,and facilities achieving a comprehensive score of 80 or greater amounted to 80.30％ (163/203).The coincidence rate was 53.69％ (109/203) for all of the 5 quality control samples,82.76％ (168/203) and 87.68％ (178/203) respectively for two quality control samples containing only N.gonorrhoeae,86.21％ (175/203) and 96.06％ (195/203) respectively for a sample containing Neisseria sicca and a sample containing Enterococcus faecalis,69.46％ (141/203)for a sample containing different species of Neisseria.Conclusion The external quality assessment reveals a disparity in the capability to isolate and identify Neisseria among medical and healthcare facilities providing STD services at different levels.
3D distributed and dispersed source array acquisition and data processing

Abstract Numerous field acquisition examples and case studies have demonstrated the importance of recording, processing, and interpreting broadband land data. In most seismic acquisition surveys, t...
Bariatric Surgery Is Associated With Decreased Calcineurin Inhibitor Time in Therapeutic Range After Heart Transplantation.

Abstract Bariatric surgery (BSg) is an effective treatment for morbid obesity, but little is known about the outcomes of BSg patients who undergo orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). The aim of this study was to determine if BSg alters calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) level variability after OHT. Data were collected from 58 consecutive patients who underwent OHT at a single center from 1/2018 to 4/2019: 4 with BSg prior to OHT (BSg + OHT) and 54 without prior BSg (OHT). CNI level, cardiac biopsy, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) data were collected during the first 6 months post-OHT. Comparisons were made for 3 measures of CNI variability: coefficient of variation, time in therapeutic range (TTR), and TTR by the Rosendaal method. A Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the relationship between CNI TTR, episodes of rejection, and LVEF. The results show TTR was lower in BSg + OHT compared to OHT (12.5% vs 31.3%, P
A Journal of the Plague Year: Rapid-Response Archiving Meets the Pandemic

Pandemics challenge the foundations of social life, pushing us apart even as we yearn for human contact. A Journal of the Plague Year: An Archive of COVID-19 (JOTPY) emerged as effort by historians...
New up-conversion luminescence in molecular cyano-substituted naphthylsalophen lanthanide(iii) complexes.

A new naphthylsalophen and its 3 : 2 ligand-to-lanthanide sandwich-type complexes were isolated. When excited at 380 nm, the complexes display the characteristic metal-centred emission for NdIII, ErIII and YbIII. Upon 980 nm excitation, in mixed lanthanide and the Er complexes, Er-centred upconversion emission at 543 and 656 nm is observed, with power densities as low as 2.18 W cm−2.
Pulmonary Complications of Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis

Publisher Summary This chapter describes pulmonary complications of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are rare inflammatory myopathies of unknown etiology that may give rise to systemic or pulmonary manifestations. Major criteria for the diagnosis of PM include: symmetric proximal muscle weakness; a muscle biopsy showing inflammatory cell infiltrates and necrosis; elevated muscle enzymes (e.g., creatinine (CK) and aldolase); and a characteristic nelectromyogram (EMG). The chapter explores that proximal muscle weakness is the most common feature of PM, present in more than 80% of patients at the onset of illness. In addition, patients with PM and a typical rash are considered to have DM. The rash of DM often exhibits a violaceous discoloration of the upper eyelids (heliotrophic rash) with periorbital edema or an erythematous to violaceous scaly rash (Gottron's papules) involving the knuckles, knees, elbows, or trunk. Further the chapter illustrates that the pulmonary complications and malignancy are the most common causes of death in PM or DM.
Empirical trends of minority carrier recombination lifetime vs proton radiation for rad-hard IR detector materials

The continuous effort to improve space-based infrared (IR) detectors has led to a search for greater fundamental understanding of radiation damage phenomena effects on key material properties. The material parameter of interest in this paper is the minority carrier recombination lifetime (MCRL), which is directly related to detector performance and can be empirically determined. As radiation damage is incurred upon a detector structure, the MCRL can be significantly affected, and tracking this in a step-wise, in-situ fashion at a radiation source can reveal rates of defect introduction. This has been accomplished by the development of a portable MCRL measurement system employing time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) while maintaining operational temperatures. Using this methodology is more insightful than the so-called ‘bag tests’ (i.e. characterization before and after a single 100krad dosage) due to complex parameter changes witnessed with annealing as temperatures change. In addition to the system description, MCRL data on IR detectors from its inaugural deployments at a proton radiation source are analyzed and reveal a linear relationship between inverse MCRL and proton fluence.
Children's Hospital Nuclear Warhead Bomb

To the Editor.— I appreciate the liberal editorial attitude displayed by your and your staff that has enabled me to publish: 1 cartoon 1 poem and 1 scholarly article during the past several years in Pediatrics. The following article from Time magazine (March 4, 1985) has stimulated my creative interests into a new direction. Bigger bucks for smarter bombs. Missile-guidance computer programs so complex that they can be written and tested only by other computer programs.
Self-assembled micro-reflectors for signal enhancement in fluorescence microscopy

Three-fold enhancement of fluorescent light collection in low numerical aperture optical systems is demonstrated using self-assembled micro-reflectors around individual micro-particles.
Cofiring Wood and Coal to Stoker Boilers in Pittsburgh

The prime objective of the University of Pittsburgh's overall wood/coal cofiring program is the successful introduction of commercial cofiring of urban wood wastes into the stoker boilers of western Pennsylvania. Central to this objective is the demonstration test at the Pittsburgh Brewing Company. In this test the project team is working to show that two commercially-available clean wood wastes - tub-ground pallet waste and chipped clearance wood - can be included in the fuel fed daily to an industrial stoker boiler. Irrespective of its economic outcome, the technical success of the demonstration at the brewery will allow the local air quality regulation agency to permit a parametric test at the Bellefield Boiler Plant. The objective of this test is to obtain comprehensive data on all key parameters of this operational boiler while firing wood with coal. The data would then be used for thorough generic technical and economic analyses. The technical analysis would be added to the open literature for the general planning and operational guidance for boiler owners and operators. The economic analysis would gage the potential for providing this stoker fuel commercially in an urban setting and for purchasing it regularly for combustion in an urban stoker boiler.
Vegetation in deserts: II. Environmental influences on regional abundance

Abstract A remote-sensing approach was used in conjunction with field measurements to examine local and regional-scale environmental processes that covary with the abundance and distribution of vegetation in a semiarid ecosystem. Images of the fractional abundances of vegetation and soils were constructed by spectral mixture analysis of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite images, covering a 150-km segment of Owens Valley, California. These images, along with a TM image of the radiant temperature, a digital elevation image and ground-based measurements of precipitation and evapotranspiration, were examined to isolate the effects on vegetation of the covarying factors, net radiation, temperature, elevation, soil type, and precipitation. On a regional scale the abundance of desert scrub on the bajadas of Owens Valley appears to be influenced most by the mean annual precipitation. Also regionally, vegetation cover is sensitive to the differences between the gravelly fanglomerates of the bajadas and the alluvium of the valley floor. Other edaphic and ground-water effects are important but localized, and are most pronounced on the valley floor. They produce patterns in vegetation abundance that are independent of and superposed on the regional precipitation-controlled pattern. Temperature covaries with vegetation less well than precipitation, and appears not to be the major influence on either the amount of vegetation or the boundaries between major vegetation communities. The image-derived measure of vegetation cover correlates closely with ground-based measurements of evapotranspiration. The study demonstrates that local observations cannot be extrapolated safely to the regional scale, and that a combination of local field measurements and the regional measurements provided by remote sensing is required to determine the environmental factors that control vegetation distribution.
Enhancing regional lymph nodes from endoscopic ultrasound images

ABSTRACT Esophageal ultrasound (EUS) is particularly useful for isolating lymph nodes in the N-staging of esophagealcancer, a disease with very poor overall prognosis. Although EUS is relatively low-cost and real time, and itprovides valuable information to the clinician, its usefulness to less trained users including opportunities forcomputer-aided diagnosis is still limited due to the strong presence of spatially correlated interference noisecalled speckles. To this end, in this paper, we present a technique for enhancing lymph nodes in EUS imagesby rst reducing the spatial correlation of the specular noise and then using a modied structured tensor-basedanisotropic lter to complete the speckle reduction process. We report on a measure of the enhancement andalso on the extent of automatic processing possible, after the speckle reduction process has taken place. Also, weshow the limitations of the enhan cement process by extracting relev ant lymph node features from the despeckledimages. When tested on ve representative classes of esophageal lymph nodes, we found the despeckling processto greatly reduce the specularity of the original EUS images, therefore proving very useful for visualizationpurposes. But it still requires additional work for the complete automation of the lymph node characterizingprocess.Keywords: Ultrasound, Deconvolution, Anisotropic Diusion, Structured Tensor
Vascular leakage in chick embryos after expression of a secreted binding protein for fibroblast growth factors.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) have been implicated in a variety of physiologic and pathologic processes from embryonic development to tumor growth and angiogenesis. FGFs are immobilized in the extracellular matrix of different tissues and require release from this storage site to trigger a response. Secreted FGF-binding proteins (FGF-BPs) can release immobilized FGFs, enhance the activity of locally stored FGFs and can thus serve as an angiogenic switch molecule in cancer. Here, we report on the effect of human FGF-BP transgene expression in chicken embryos. To establish the transgenic model, plasmid-based reporter vectors expressing luciferase, β-galactosidase or green fluorescent protein were introduced through different routes into 4- to 5-day-old embryos grown outside their egg shell on top of the yolk sac. This allows for easy manipulation and continuous observation of phenotypic effects. Expression of human FGF-BP induced dose-dependent vascular permeability, hemorrhage and embryonic lethality. Light and electron microscopic studies indicate that this hemorrhage results from compromised microvascular structure. An FGF-1 expression vector with an added secretory signal mimicked this vascular leakiness phenotype whereas wild-type FGF-1 required coexpression of a threshold amount of FGF-BP. This model is a powerful tool for real-time monitoring of the effects of transient transgene expression during embryogenesis.
Vasopressin and memory: I. The vasopressin analogue AVP4–9 enhances working memory as well as reference memory in the radial arm maze

Abstract The present study examined the effects of vasopressin on memory. Healthy rats were injected with the arginine vasopressin fragment AVP 4–9 and the AVP antagonist [ β -mercapto- β , β -cyclopentamethylenepropionyl 1 ,O-Et-Pyr 2 ,Val 4 ,Arg 8 ] and were tested in an eight-arm radial maze for 60 sessions. All injections were given s.c. 30 min prior to testing. AVP 4–9 enhanced radial arm maze performance. AVP 4–9 treated animals showed enhancement in performance as well as increases in the rate of learning, indicating that they learned the task faster. Furthermore, the overall memory enhancement was due to improved working memory as well as to improved reference memory. These results cannot be explained in terms of changes in locomotor activity because an open field test revealed no differences between groups for both of these compounds. The AVP antagonist did not impair performance in the radial maze. It is concluded that AVP 4–9 has a more general effect on memory, one that is not limited to a specific type of memory.
Parental protection of extremely low birth weight children at age 8 years.

ABSTRACT:Objective:To examine parent protection and its correlates among 8-year-old ELBW children compared with normal birth weight (NBW) controls.Methods:The population included 217 eight-year-old ELBW children born 1992–1995 (92% of the surviving birth cohort; mean birth weight, 811 g; mean gestat
Design of Acoustic Filters Using Acoustic and Elastic Resonators

Recently, investigators have experimentally demonstrated that high transmission loss at low frequencies can be obtained using membrane type resonators. Mass loaded membranes have been shown to produce high transmission loss at the anti-resonance frequency [1], while an array of membranes has been experimentally demonstrated to exhibit a cut-off frequency below which all waves are attenuated [2]. Also, an array of side holes on a cylindrical tube has been shown to exhibit a similar cut-off frequency [3].Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Modeling Dose and Local Control in Radiotherapy

Abstract We discuss models for predicting local control (prevention of tumor recurrence) after therapeutic radiation in cancer patients. The probability of control is first formulated from theoretical precepts. Biophysical principles dictate that the three factors in therapy that most universally influence outcome are total dose, number of sessions in which the dose is administered, and total time under treatment. We show that these principles also suggest the scale, or link function, on which local control probability for a tumor of given size is a linear function of these predictors. The probabilities are given clinical relevance by assigning a mixing distribution to tumor size; effective size, the number of actively dividing cells in a tumor, is an unmeasurable but of course quite influential quantity. We show in this case that a gamma distribution on tumor size induces linearity on a subset of the class of links first proposed by Burr. Next, we discuss methods of modeling control by a finite follow-up...
Chapter 1 of Austriaco's Biomedicine and Beatitude: Four Crucial Issues

Biomedicine and Beatitude: An Introduction to Bioethics by Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, O.P., is a very important and valuable book. His presentations and discussions of the major bioethical iss...
Genetic association of cotton yield with its component traits in derived primitive accessions crossed by elite upland cultivars using the conditional ADAA genetic model

Boll number, lint percentage, and boll weight are three component traits for lint yield of upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. Selecting high yielding lines or hybrids depends on the ability to dissect the genetic relationship of lint yield with these component traits. In this study, 14 day-neutral lines with desirable fiber quality derived from primitive accessions were top crossed with five commercial cultivars. The F2 populations and parents were grown in one location in 1998 and two locations in 1999 at Mississippi State, MS. The F3 populations and parents were grown in two locations in 2000. Lint yield and three component traits were measured and analyzed by the ADAA genetic model with the mixed model based conditional approach. Results showed that boll number or boll number with lint percentage or boll weight contributed to the majority of the phenotypic variance and variance components for lint yield. Boll number was more important than the other two component traits in terms of various genetic effects. The results also showed that the combination of boll number and boll weight greatly increased the contribution to lint yield even though boll weight itself had no significant contribution to lint yield compared to boll number alone. The genetic contribution effects were also predicted due to single component traits or their combinations for parents and crosses. The results revealed that the balanced selection of boll weight and boll number should be considered to obtain high yielding hybrids or pure lines.
Nonlinear Predictability of Stock Returns Using Financial and Economic Variables

Inspired by the linear predictability and nonlinearity found in the finance literature, this article examines the nonlinear predictability of the excess returns. The relationship between the excess returns and the predicting variables is recursively modeled by a neural-network model, which is capable of performing flexible nonlinear functional approximation. The nonlinear neural-network model is found to have better in-sample fit and out-of-sample forecasts compared to its linear counterpart. Moreover, the switching portfolio based on the recursive neural-network forecasts generates higher profits with lower risks than both the buy-and-hold market portfolio and the switching portfolio based on linear recursive forecasts.
Mathematical programming for deliberation scheduling in time-limited domains

Deliberation scheduling is the process of scheduling decision procedures to maximize overall performance. In this paper, we present novel mathematical programming algorithms for scheduling deliberations, and illustrate them through several increasingly complex classes of deliberation scheduling problems. In comparison to previous work, our algorithms are able to optimally or near-optimally solve deliberation scheduling problems for decision procedures that have more general performance profiles, and are applicable in complex domains with uncertainty. We also illustrate that, thanks to the mathematical programming form illation, our algorithms can be easily extended to model additional system aspects.
Quasilinear evolution equations in nonclassical diffusion

After describing the motivation leading to some nonclassical diffusion equations, we formulate a general abstract nonlinear evolution equation and establish existence of solutions. Then we return to the original equation and discuss particular initial-boundary value problems.