cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional Integral Imaging Visualization in Scattering Medium with Baysian Estimation

We propose an image descattering method for improved image visualization in scattering medium such as heavy turbid water. The descattering method is applied to three-dimensional (3D) integral imaging (InIm). The 3D InIm pick-up process captures multiple two-dimensional images of a scene each having a different perspective of the scene, known as elemental images (EIs), and combines this information to generate a 3D reconstruction of the scene. A scattering mitigation process is applied to each EI prior to 3D reconstruction to reduce the effect of scattering. In the scattering mitigation process, we assume that the intensity of the scattering medium containing object information is a Gaussian distribution and the distribution of the scattering medium is known a priori and also follows a Gaussian distribution for the whole captured image. By computing maximum a posteriori estimates of the mean and variance of the turbid media containing object information, a Bayesian scattering mitigation process is implemented. After the scattering mitigation process, the 3D reconstruction image is calculated computationally using back propagation method. We compare the reconstructed image quality of an existing method and our proposed method using structural similarity index (SSIM), and show our proposed method achieve higher SSIM.
The good side of "stress"

Stress has both a good and bad side which are discussed in terms of the concepts of allostasis and allostatic load and overload. Stressful experiences can cause health damaging behaviors which lead to allostatic load and overload and accelerate disease processes.
The dependence of Ammonal detonation performance on cylinder test scale

Abstract For a detonation to propagate steadily, the lead shock must be supported by energy release from the chemical reaction zone. Flow divergence cools the flow behind the compression shock, slowing chemical reactions and reducing the available energy to drive the detonation forward. This results in the diameter effect and eventually detonation failure as charge size is reduced. Similarly, the energy available to perform work on adjacent materials in the product flow tends to decrease with charge size. The performance of non-ideal explosives such as ammonium nitrate blended with aluminum powder (Ammonal) are particularly sensitive to flow divergence. In this study, the effect of flow divergence on Ammonal performance is investigated through application of an analytic method to analyze cylinder expansion (CYLEX) test wall velocity profiles for tests with inner diameters of 12.7 mm up to 76.2 mm. For these tests, the detonation velocity, detonation product isentropes, and heat of detonation are reported. In addition, analysis of the velocity profiles is shown to reveal an experimental measurement of the Rayleigh line, which agrees well with the theoretical Rayleigh line for all experiments. Reaction zone times are inferred using this feature.
Healthy Ageing and Cancer in Humans

Birth and death are the only two facts of life. A person who is born has to die because all of us have an expiration date. Ageing and cancer development are related because cancer is a disease of old age. A newly born baby may have cells in her/his body (biological ageing) equivalent to the cells of a 70-year-old human (cellular ageing). Such cells acquire genetic instability due to many factors including the attrition of their telomeres, a very specialized and repeated complex region of DNA and protein, present at the termini of eutherian linear chromosomes. Telomeres are highly repeated (TTAGGG)n sequences which are conserved throughout the vertebrate genomes, including human. Cancer originates in the organ-/tissue-specific stem cells. The origin of cancer stem cells may be from the original tissue-specific normal stem cells or from the differentiated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Aneuploidy is one of the characteristic features of most human cancers, especially the solid malignancies. Our recent research shows that both primary and metastatic cancer cells in solid tumors originate from the aneuploid giant cells through the process of budding. Cancer cells activate some meiosis-associated genes to become long-lived (immortal?) and acquire stem cell-like features; thereupon, they undergo a special type of cell division called meiomitosis. It is, therefore, very important to protect the guardians, telomeres, of individual chromosomes which can be done by following a Sattvic lifestyle including vegetarian diets, Pranayama and Yoga, and a stress-free spiritual life.
S14.3 Maximizing the acceptability, feasibility and validity of sexual network studies: lessons from the field

Network studies are an increasingly important source of evidence explaining the movement of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) through at-risk populations. This design type complements traditional epidemiological measures by incorporating spatial and temporal data about people’s social and sexual connections to evaluate the spread of STIs. This applied presentation describes the speaker’s experience initiating a multi-site sexual network study of syphilis transmission among men who have sex with men (MSM) in an LGBTQ-friendly Midwestern US city. She discusses challenges and field-tested solutions specific to chain-referral network studies across multiple domains, including: 1. ethical review, which required extensive education of IRB members and changes to local IRB policy prior to approval; 2. feasibility and acceptability, which required community engagement and sensitization to assuage participant concerns about confidentiality in the use of peer referrals and with the enumeration of sexual partners using modified identifiers; and, 3. data capture, including management challenges inherent to tracking sexual partners and behaviors over time, in the context of changing relationships (e.g., evolution and devolution of relationships from anonymous to casual to primary to dissolved to reinitiated), changing disease exposure, and use of a smartphone app to capture inter-visit behavioral risk data. She describes strategies used prior to and after study initiation to develop, maintain and enhance relationships with the target community, and future plans for continued engagement around dissemination of results. Accurate measurement of sensitive or stigmatized behavior presents a challenge to the validity of nearly all STI research. Maximizing the acceptability, feasibility and validity of network studies will lead to more accurate estimates of the drivers of STI transmission and will provide more valid insights about the opportunities for interventions to prevent and control STI outbreaks. Disclosure No significant relationships.
Age-Stratified Risk of Critical Illness in Young Children Presenting to the Emergency Department with Suspected Influenza.

Objective To investigate the risk of critical illness by age group among young children without a chronic condition presenting to the emergency department (ED) with suspected influenza. Study design Retrospective study of patients aged Results A total of 55 986 children were studied. Overall admission and ICU admission rates were 20% and 2%, respectively. After adjustment for demographic variables, infants aged Conclusions Infants aged
Integrated Genetic Improvement

Since the 1950’s, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) researchers have developed an improved understanding of the origin (Berglund-Brucher & Brucher, 1976; Brucher, 1988; Delgado Salinas et al., 1988; Gentry, 1969; Kami et al., 1995; Kaplan, 1981; Khairallah et al., 1992; Miranda Colin, 1967; Weiseth, 1954), domestication (Gepts et al., 1986; Kaplan, 1965; Koenig et al., 1990), evolution under domestication (Evans, 1980; Gepts & Debouck, 1991; Koenig & Gepts, 1989a; Koinange et al., 1996; Smartt, 1969, 1988), and the patterns of variation and organization of genetic diversity in the crop (Becerra Velasquez & Gepts, 1994; Evans, 1973; Gepts & Bliss, 1985; Khairallah et al., 1990; Koenig & Gepts, 1989b; Singh, 1989; Singh & Gutierrez, 1984; Singh et al., 1991a, b, c) and related species (Debouck & Smartt, 1995; see also Chapter 2 by Debouck). Significant advances have also been made in germplasm collection, characterization, and screening methods, including identification of useful genes and different types of markers for their direct and indirect selection. Alternative recombination and selection methods have also been developed. On the other hand, there has been a growing concern for conservation and efficient use of natural resources including agrobiodiversity, sustainable agriculture, and production and consumption of healthy and so-called organic food.
Digital games, developing democracies, and civic engagement: a study of games in Kenya and Nigeria:

The use of serious games for civic learning and engagement is an area of growing interest. However, research to date has predominately examined such games in established democratic contexts and has...
Use of expanded-criteria donors and > 85 KDPI kidneys for pediatric kidney transplantation in the United States.

Pediatric kidney transplant outcomes associated with expanded-criteria donors (ECD) and high Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) kidneys are unknown. We reviewed the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data from 1987-2017 to identify 96 ECD and 92 > 85 KDPI kidney recipients ( 85 KDPI transplants, respectively. We used Cox regression for patient/graft survival and sequential Cox approach for survival benefit of ECD and > 85 KDPI transplantationvs remaining on the waitlist. After adjustment, ECD recipients were at significantly increased risk of graft failure (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.6; P = .001) but not of mortality (aHR = 1.33; P = .15) compared with non-ECD recipients. We observed no survival benefit of ECD transplants vs remaining on the waitlist (aHR = 1.05; P = .83). We found no significant difference in graft failure (aHR = 1.27; P = .12) and mortality (aHR = 1.41; P = .13) risks between > 85 KDPI and ≤ 85 KDPI recipients. However, > 85 KDPI transplants were associated with a survival benefit vs remaining on the waitlist (aHR = 0.41; P = .01). ECD transplantation in children is associated with a high graft loss risk and no survival benefit, whereas > 85 KDPI transplantation is associated with a survival benefit for children vs remaining on the waitlist.
Nonactive-Site Mutations in S. aureus FabI That Induce Triclosan Resistance

The wide use of the antimicrobial agent/biocide, triclosan, promotes triclosan-resistant bacterial strains, including Staphylococcus aureus, as well as leads to accumulation in the aquatic and terrestrial environments. Knowledge of the molecular actions of triclosan on S. aureus is needed to understand the consequence of triclosan resistance and environmental accumulation of triclosan on S. aureus resistant strains, as well as to develop biphenyl ether analogs as antibiotic candidates. Triclosan inhibits an essential enzyme in the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway, the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)/reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent enoyl-acyl carrier protein (enoyl-ACP) reductase, or FabI. In this study, we used error-prone polymerase chain reaction (epPCR) to generate mutations in the S. aureus FabI enzyme. Instead of using an elaborate FabI enzyme activity assay that involves ACP-linked substrates to determine whether triclosan inhibits the enzyme activities of individual FabI mutants, we used an efficient and economical assay that we developed, based on thermal shift principles, to screen for triclosan binding to FabI mutants in cells. We identified four active-site mutations. More interestingly, we also identified nine triclosan-resistant mutations distant from the active site (G113V, Y123H, S166N, N220I, G227C, A230T, V241I, F252I, and H253P) but located in disparate positions in the monomer-monomer and dimer-dimer interface regions in S. aureus FabI. We suggest that these sites may serve as potential allosteric sites for designing potential therapeutic inhibitors that offer advantages in selectivity since allosteric sites are less evolutionarily conserved.
Minimum-Fuel Closed-Loop Powered Descent Guidance with Stochastically Derived Throttle Margins

If during a guided powered descent maneuver the descent vehicle deviates from the planned trajectory, then the vehicle may need to adjust the commanded thrust in order to still reach the target lan...
Performing Neoliberalism: A Synecdochic Case of Kurdish Mothers’ English Learning in a Nebraska Family Literacy Program

Adult refugees often turn to informal learning opportunities, such as family literacy programs, to learn English. These programs often promote dominant, neoliberal ideologies and invoke a deficit lens that intends to fix newcomers. This chapter looks at the learning experiences of Kurdish refugees who participated in a family literacy program in Nebraska and examines how their English learning was mediated by neoliberal ideologies. Using ethnographic methods, this case illuminates a synecdochic moment: Kurdish mothers improvised to finish a homework assignment minutes before class and were prodded by interpreters to write down ideas that later receive praise from the instructor. The assignment reflected the school’s underlying ideology of what it means to be an involved parent: one who replicates school activities with their children. The mothers’ use of the interpreter to complete this assignment indicated their understanding that achievement was connected to the school’s perception of their parenting. Findings shed light on how parents perform in the context of institutionalized family literacy and how the program personnel’s perceptions of refugees become embedded in language teaching and learning.
Isatuximab, carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Isa-Kd) for the management of relapsed multiple myeloma

The treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma remains challenging. Based on interim data from the randomized Phase III IKEMA study demonstrating a progression-free survival benefit with a combination of isatuximab (Isa, a CD38-targeted monoclonal antibody) and carfilzomib/dexamethasone (Kd) versus Kd alone, Isa-Kd recently received regulatory approval in the USA and Europe for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior line of therapy (in the USA, up to three prior lines). In this review we discuss the rationale and clinical trial experience to date with Isa-Kd. Although final IKEMA results are pending, Isa-Kd has emerged as an effective and tolerable therapy for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. Given the growing number of antibody-containing triplet regimens in this setting, potential niches and limitations for Isa-Kd are also discussed.
The Use of Triggers During High Fidelity Patient Simulations (HFPS) in Medical Physiology to Develop Non-cognitive Skills and Integrate Physiology

Non-cognitive skills (NCS) have been shown to play an integral part in academic performance and development of NCS could lead to better patient safety and facilitate learning of physiology. It is a...
Reflex inhibition of thigh muscles in knee injury causes and treatment

There are several common findings and contradictions noted in the research related to thigh muscle reflex inhibition and sequelae that occur with knee joint injury. Reflex inhibition may be measured directly by electromyography, or the sequelae of reflex inhibition may be measured, as commonly occurs in the clinic setting. Electromyography is useful in determining the causes of reflex inhibition. The most frequently cited causes of thigh muscle reflex inhibition in knee injury are pain, joint effusion and knee immobilisation. The other measurement methods described vary from thigh circumference measurement to muscle biopsy. These methods are useful in determining the magnitude and duration of the deleterious sequelae that affect the thigh muscles after reflex inhibition. Finally, there is selectivity of reflex inhibition after knee joint injury: the quadriceps versus the hamstrings, the different components of the quadriceps muscle group, and the different types of muscle fibres. In light of these findings, several suggestions have been offered for prevention of reflex inhibition and for techniques that can be applied to rehabilitate the most affected muscle group: the quadriceps femoris. Techniques used to prevent or limit the amount of reflex inhibition include cryotherapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, iontophoresis, phonophoresis, joint mobilisation, rest and proper positioning of the knee in rest and exercise. Electromyostimulation, electromyographic biofeedback and traditional exercise training are 3 methods used to rehabilitate the quadriceps.
Unnecessary Deaths nad Unnecessary Costs: Getting Patented Drugs to Patients Most in Need

Medical epidemics that are constrained in the developed world are wrecking havoc on developing countries, which are bearing the brunt of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases. Because medicines used to treat these conditions are patented, they are expensive and inaccessible to poor countries. In 1994, the United Nations established a system of international patent protection through the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and simultaneously tried to accommodate its commitment to making life-saving pharmaceuticals available to developing countries. When TRIPS failed to accomplish this goal, Article 31bis, an amendment to TRIPS, was introduced in 2003, seeking to make it easier for developing countries to acquire low-cost drugs. However, the amendment has been criticized and has largely gone unused. This Note addresses ways in which Article 31bis can be employed to deliver treatment to the neediest. In particular, this Note advocates that, whether or not the amendment is used, life-saving drugs must be provided at low-cost to developing countries.
Reliability growth planning under performance based logistics

Product support contracts that envision greater involvement and responsibility from the supplier toward achieving product reliability performance improvements are becoming more common. One type of these contracts is the performance based logistics (PBL). Under the PBL contract, the supplier is commonly asked to structure his reliability and support programs around a defined field availability and/or reliability goal. In some cases, the supplier is required to improve the product's field reliability during the course of the contract while the product is in field use. This paper describes a process for planning and estimating the cost of a reliability improvement program under a performance based logistic (PBL) contract. The process is structured around a repairable system with a fail-replace-repair-use cycles. The planning and estimation process was developed with the intent to minimize the performance and cost risks involved in the execution of the long-term PBL support contract. The process is a structured methodology utilizing past field performance information as a basis for predicting future reliability performance. The methodology makes use of the predictive results as a basis for estimating the level of effort required to satisfy the PBL contract's reliability and availability goals.
Understanding Methodological Differences to Study Convergence in Group Support System Sessions

While previous research has studied the process of group divergence extensively, little studies have been published regarding the process of group convergence. Therefore, this research answers a call for more research on group convergence to establish a better understanding of this critical group process. The goal of this study is to answer a methodological question: Does the idea set that a group processes during a convergence activity supported with a Group Support System have to be pre-defined or should it be generated by the group itself? The results of our lab experiment suggest that the results of the convergence process are not significantly affected by whether or not participants use pre-defined ideas or generate their own. This finding has implications for experimental design in collaboration research and participant selection and session design within organizations.
Deep Bench Marks in Clay and Permafrost Areas

Abstract : This paper describes the design and use of deep bench marks by the Division of Building Research Council of Canada. The bench marks consist of an inner pipe protected by an outer casing from the effects of seasonal ground movements and frost action. In sensitive clays the bench mark is installed by jacking or driving the outer casing with relatively simple equipment. In stiffer clays it is inserted in an augered hole and then turned and pushed to refusal with a drill rig. In permafrost areas, the bench mark is placed in a drilled or steamed hole to a depth at which the lower portion of the inner rod is securely anchored in the perennially frozen ground. Details of bench mark assemblies and installation techniques for soft clays, stiff clays, and frozen ground are described. (Author)
QUANTITATION OF SOME ABNORMAL HEMOGLOBINS.

A method is presented for identification and quantitation of abnormal hemoglobins. Electrophoretic fractionation with cellulose acetate is followed by elution of each fraction into Drabkin9s solution. In the presence of Drabkin9s solution hemoglobin is converted to cyanmethemoglobin and measured in any standard photometer at 540 mµ.
Chapter 47 Economic Development and the Decline of Agricultural Employment

Abstract This chapter considers the linkages between agricultural development and rural non-farm activities. The chapter is motivated by growing evidence that non-farm activities provide an increasingly important share of rural incomes in many low-income questions, questions about whether increasing agricultural productivity is a necessary precondition for raising incomes and reducing poverty in rural areas, and increased evidence of factor and commodity flows between rural and urban areas. Unfortunately, the existing literature is sparse and has not been sufficiently attentive to the underlying structures and mechanisms that drive the relationship between agricultural productivity and rural non-farm change. A particular weakness of this literature is the lack of attention given to the importance of flows of both capital and labor. The reason for this is in part due to the limitations of existing data. An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of existing data sets is thus also provided, with particular attention to panel data sets that might be useful for assessing the extent of geographic mobility. In order to clarify the relevant issues the Chapter presents a model of the rural economy that permits examination of the linkages between agricultural development and non-farm employment under different regimes distinguished by the mobility of capita and labor. Basic features of the model are then tested using newly available data from South Asia. The Chapter concludes with suggestions for future data collection efforts as well as the development of more sophisticated models of the rural economy.
How often do high school guidance counselors suggest practical nursing as a career option

The Centre for Nursing Studies provides practical nursing education in Newfoundland and Labrador. Because applications to the program from direct high school students were consistently low, in 1999 the Centre for Nursing Studies surveyed the provincial high school guidance counselors to determine their perceived knowledge level of the roles and responsibilities of Licensed Practical Nurses and the practical nursing program, the number of times they suggested practical nursing to students and characteristics they believed to be necessary for a practical nurse. There were 168 questionnaires distributed. Fifty (30%) returned questionnaires were analyzed. The results demonstrated that the majority of guidance counselors (66%) receive between 1 to 5 requests for information regarding practical nursing annually. Forty-eight percent suggest practical nursing as a career option 1 to 5 times annually, while an additional 22% suggest it 6 to 10 times. Some of the characteristics identified, by the guidance counselors, to be necessary for practical nurses include good people skills, empathy, hard working, good communication skills, a desire to help others and an interest in health care.
Heart Rate Variability Is Associated with Motor Outcome 3-Months after Stroke.

Objectives The primary objective of this paper was to determine whether heart rate variability (HRV) acquired upon admission to inpatient rehabilitation is associated with motor outcome 3 months after stroke. The secondary objective of this paper was to determine whether HRV shows a strong association with the motor outcome 3 months after stroke in individuals with severe initial motor impairments. Methods We recruited 13 patients with acute stroke from an acute inpatient rehabilitation hospital. A Holter monitor was placed upon admission and Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity and Lower Extremity Subscales were used to assess the movement of the affected upper and lower extremities 3 months after admission. The standard deviation of R-R intervals was used to quantify HRV. Results A Spearman rank correlation revealed a strong positive and significant correlation between HRV upon admission and movement of the affected upper extremity ( r = .70, P = .01) and affected lower extremity ( r = .60, P = .03) at 3 months. For patients with severe initial motor impairments, HRV showed a strong positive association with the movement of the affected upper ( r = .61, P = .04) and lower ( r = .70, P = .04) extremities at 3 months. Conclusion HRV is strongly associated with motor outcome after stroke and provides a promising marker to explore the mechanisms associated with motor recovery after stroke.
Intrinsic Differences in Donor CD4 T Cell IL-2 Production Influence Severity of Parent-into-F1 Murine Lupus by Skewing the Immune Response Either toward Help for B Cells and a Sustained Autoantibody Response or toward Help for CD8 T Cells and a Downregulatory Th1 Response

Using the parent-into-F1 model of induced lupus and (C57BL/6 × DBA2) F1 mice as hosts, we compared the inherent lupus-inducing properties of the two parental strain CD4 T cells. To control for donor CD4 recognition of alloantigen, we used H-2(d) identical DBA/2 and B10.D2 donor T cells. We demonstrate that these two normal, nonlupus-prone parental strains exhibit two different T cell activation pathways in vivo. B10.D2 CD4 T cells induce a strong Th1/CMI pathway that is characterized by IL-2/IFN-γ expression, help for CD8 CTLs, and skewing of dendritic cell (DC) subsets toward CD8a DCs, coupled with reduced CD4 T follicular helper cells and transient B cell help. In contrast, DBA/2 CD4 T cells exhibit a reciprocal, lupus-inducing pathway that is characterized by poor IL-2/IFN-γ expression, poor help for CD8 CTLs, and skewing of DC subsets toward plasmacytoid DCs, coupled with greater CD4 T follicular helper cells, prolonged B cell activation, autoantibody formation, and lupus-like renal disease. Additionally, two distinct in vivo splenic gene-expression signatures were induced. In vitro analysis of TCR signaling revealed defective DBA CD4 T cell induction of NF-κB, reduced degradation of IκBα, and increased expression of the NF-κB regulator A20. Thus, attenuated NF-κB signaling may lead to diminished IL-2 production by DBA CD4 T cells. These results indicate that intrinsic differences in donor CD4 IL-2 production and subsequent immune skewing could contribute to lupus susceptibility in humans. Therapeutic efforts to skew immune function away from excessive help for B cells and toward help for CTLs may be beneficial.
The use of charts and models to facilitate a physician's testimony in court

The results of a survey of pediatricians who are members of the Sections on Child Abuse and Emergency Medicine of the American Academy of Pediatrics indicated that the most stressful task, relative to child maltreatment involvement, was appearance in court. Physicians may refrain from recognizing and reporting child abuse to avoid this perceived stress. If the physician approaches testimony as a teacher who is prepared to communicate with a lay audience, this familiar role may help to decrease stress and assure that the judge and jury comprehend complex medical findings. Increased understanding also should assure that justice is served. Charts and models that have been found useful in explaining medical aspects of physical and sexual abuse during court testimony are described. Meeting with attorneys prior to court appearance and review of feedback about the quality of testimony from attorneys can be used to improve testimony.
Iterated function systems and the code space

Abstract The code space plays a significant role in the study of self-similar fractals. It is used to give coordinates to the points of a self-similar set. The code space also plays an important role in dynamical systems as well. The shift map on the code space is a valuable an example of a dynamical system. The shift map restricted to certain invariant subspaces is also important. The subshifts of finite type are used to analyze many common dynamical systems. This is the basis for the theory of symbolic dynamics. There is a particularly useful metric on the code space. With this metric the dimension of the code space and the subshifts of finite type can be computed using results of K. Falconer on sub-self-similar sets. We show that the code space can be embedded in Euclidean space, R n , by a map which is bi-Lipschitz. The shift or subshift of finite type on this embedded image can be extended to a C∞-map F : R n → R n having the embedded set as a maximal compact invariant set which contains the nonwandering set of F in this case. The map F restricted to this set will be equivalent to a power of the shift or the subshift of finite type. The Hausdorff dimension of the invariant set, the Lyapunov exponents of F at various points in the invariant set, and the topological entropy of F can all be computed. This provides a general method of constructing examples in which the relationship between these quantities can be studied.
Randomness efficient identity testing of multivariate polynomials

We present a randomized polynomial time algorithm to determine if a multivariate polynomial is zero using O(\log mnδ) random bits where n is the number of variables, m is the number of monomials, and δ is the total degree of the unknown polynomial. All other known randomized identity tests (see for example [7, 12, 1]) use ω(n) random bits even when the polynomial is sparse and has low total degree. In such cases our algorithm has an exponential savings in randomness. In addition, we obtain the first polynomial time algorithm for interpolating sparse polynomials over finite fields of large characteristic. Our approach uses an error correcting code combined with the randomness optimal isolation lemma of [8] and yields a generalized isolation lemma which works with respect to a set of linear forms over a base set.
Dissipation in adiabatic shear bands

Abstract In the present study of adiabatic shear banding in metals, the region of interest is modelled as a two-material two-temperature body. Specific material laws governing thermoviscous plasticity and heat transfer are ascribed to the shear-band zone. Momentum and energy balance lead to a system of one-dimensional ordinary differential equations describing the dynamics of the shear localization process. The propagating shear band is viewed as having two distinct regions. The first is the shear-band tip process zone within which adiabatic heating, thermal softening and all shear dissipation are considered to occur. The second is the late-time quasi-steady zone in which the shear stress and dissipation rate are close to zero. The analysis provides the width and displacement of the shear-band process zone. In addition, criteria for assessing material shear-banding resistance are investigated in terms of a shear-band dissipation rate, or a shear-band toughness. Shear-band dissipation and shear-band toughness for a number of metals are calculated and compared.
Minimum power loss control — thermoelectric technology in power electronics cooling

This paper investigates the possibility of using thermoelectric cooling (TEC) modules to improve the power density of power electronics systems. A simple test setup served for comparison purposes is built. The result shows that, through the use of TEC modules to actively cool power electronics devices, the power handling capability is improved versus that of an identical passively cooled system. Then a minimum power loss control strategy for TEC is proposed. Experimental results are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
Comparative Study Among Hybrid Ground Source Heat Pump System, Complete Ground Source Heat Pump and Conventional HVAC System

In this paper, a hotel with hybrid geothermal heat pump system (HyGSHP) in the Pensacola is selected and simulated by the transient simulation software package TRNSYS [1]. To verify the simulation results, the validations are conducted by using the monthly average entering water temperature, monthly facility consumption data, and etc. And three types of HVAC systems are compared based on the same building model and HVAC system capacity. The results are presented to show the advantages and disadvantages of HyGSHP compared with the other two systems in terms of energy consumptions, life cycle cost analysis.
Interleukin-1β regulates the inducible cyclooxygenase in amnion-derived WISH cells

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of enhanced prostaglandin synthesis in amnion-derived WISH cell cultures when stimulated by interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Confluent monolayer cultures of WISH cells were incubated with human recombinant IL-1β (0.001–10 ng/ml) for 0–24 hours, while control cells received medium alone. PGE 2 production was measured by specific radioimmunoassay. IL-1β enhanced the production of PGE 2 in a dose- and time-dependent manner with enhanced production detectable by 2 h following exposure. Immunoblot analysis using isoform-specific antibodies showed that the inducible cyclooxygenase enzyme, i.e., COX-2, was expressed by 2 h in IL-1 treated cells, while the constitutive COX-1 remained unaltered in its expression. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that COX-2 mRNA expression was not detected in untreated cells, but became evident after a 30-min exposure to IL-1β (10 ng/ml). COX-1 mRNA was detected under basal conditions and did not increase significantly following IL-1β treatment. The close parallel between the kinetics of COX-2 mRNA and protein expression and PGE 2 accumulation in the medium, as well as the constitutive, unregulated nature of the COX-1 isoform, indicates that cytokine-driven PGE 2 formation in WISH cells may be mediated by de novo expression of the novel COX-2 enzyme.
Manometric evaluation of achalasia in the elderly.

Summary Background : The effect of ageing on oesophageal motility in patients with achalasia is not well described. Oesophageal contraction amplitude is decreased in otherwise healthy elderly subjects. Aim : To evaluate whether ageing influences the motor function of the oesophagus in achalasia. Methods : Initial manometry studies of patients with achalasia were reviewed and findings (lower oesophageal sphincter basal and residual pressures and oesophageal body contraction amplitudes) were compared between two groups of patients, those 65 years of age or older (49 patients) and those younger than 65 years (68 patients). The older group was further divided into those ≥70 years and those <70 years. Results : Patients 65 years and older had significantly higher lower oesophageal sphincter basal pressures compared with younger patients (65.6 ± 4.9 vs. 52.3 ± 2.7, P = 0.02). At an age cut-off of 70 years, older patients had significantly higher basal (70.7 ± 1.6 vs. 53.0 ± 2.4, P = 0.02) and residual (19.7 ± 1.6 vs. 15.9 ± 0.7, P = 0.03) lower oesophageal sphincter pressures compared with younger patients. Amplitude of oesophageal contractions was not different between the groups. Across all age groups, there was no linear correlation between age and basal or residual lower oesophageal sphincter pressures (r = 0.28 and 0.12, respectively). Conclusions : Older patients with achalasia have higher lower oesophageal sphincter pressures, however there is no linear correlation between age and lower oesophageal sphincter pressures. Unlike healthy subjects, advanced age is not associated with a decrease in oesophageal contraction amplitude in patients with achalasia.
Quantitation Of Gas Production In Laser Angiosurgery With An Optically-Shielded Laser Catheter

This study quantitates the amount of gas produced when firing an optically shielded argon ion laser into 0.9% saline solution and blood alone, and into atheromatous aorta in either a blood or 0.9% saline medium. Energies from 0.25 to 4 J were used at powers of 2, 5, and 8 watts. We found that total volume of gas produced is small not only at equilibrium (0.3 + 0.1 ul/J when firing in blood alone and also firing in aorta in blood or saline medium), but also at peak (2.5 + 0.2 ul/J firing in blood alone and 1.0 + 0.1 ul/J or 0.9 + 0.1 ul/J when ablating aorta in saline or aorta, respectively). The peak gas volume when firing in blood alone was significantly greater than the other chamber environments. This is thought to be due to increased absorption of argon laser light by hemoglobin. The gas volumes produced by lasing aorta in 0.9% saline or blood were not statistically different. This finding is attributed to the catheter design which has a quartz tip surrounding the optical fiber that acts to displace the media from the lasing field. This catheter design negates the effect the medium might have on the laser light/target interaction.
Viral hepatitis markers in Soviet and American blood donors.

A cooperative study was undertaken to compare the frequency of hepatitis viral antigens and antibodies among blood donors in the Soviet Union and the United States. Age- and sex-stratified blood donors were identified and their sera tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), antibody to the hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), and antibody to the hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV). A total of 994 Soviet blood donor sera from five different regions and 1,178 American donor sera from six different regions were tested in the USA. Among the Soviet donors, 450 (45%) had some marker of exposure to the hepatitis B virus; while among the American donors, 94 (8%) did. Of the Soviet donors 848 (85%) were positive for anti-HAV, compared with 403 (34%) of the American donors. For 1,977 serum samples that were evaluated in both countries for HBsAg, techniques in the USSR identified 36 HBsAg-positive samples, while the technique in the USA found 38 HBsAg-positive samples; however, only 24 were judged to be HBsAg-positive by assays in both countries. Testing of these same 1,977 sera for anti-HBs revealed that the radioimmunoassay used in the USA identified many more antibody-positive donors than the immuno-autoradiography technique used in the Soviet Union. When a portion of the sera were tested by similar radioimmunoassay techniques in each country, there was comparability of results for anti-HBs, as well as for anti-HAV, and anti-HBc. The results permit calculation of age and sex prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis A serologic markers for blood donors within and between each country. They also allow comparison, on the same sera, of test methodologies in use in the Soviet Union and in the United States.
Studies on overdrive stimulation of canine cardiac Purkinje fibers: maximal diastolic potential as a determinant of the response.

The effects of overdrive stimulation were studied on preparations of isolated canine cardiac Purkinje fibers using standard microelectrode techniques. Preparations were made from false tendons, the subendocardial right bundle branch and 24 hour infarct zone Purkinje fibers. Three types of automaticity were recognized: high potential automaticity occurred in fibers with maximal diastolic potentials greater than -70 mV, intermediate potential automaticity occurred in fibers with maximal diastolic potentials between -61 and -70 mV and low potential automaticity occurred in fibers with maximal diastolic potentials less than - 60 mV. Short periods of overdrive (15 seconds or 30 beats) resulted in marked suppression of high potential automaticity, slight suppression of intermediate potential automaticity and little or no suppression of low potential automaticity. The extent of postoverdrive suppression of intermediate potential automaticity was related to the rate and duration of the overdrive train and the amount of hyperpolarization that occurred in the pacemaker fiber. Finally, in three experiments on Purkinje fibers from 24 hour infarct zones, delayed afterdepolarizations occurred. In two of these preparations, overdrive stimulation resulted in biphasic responses (postoverdrive enhancement followed by postoverdrive suppression). The results of this study suggest that it may be possible to design simple electrophysiologic tests to determine whether an automatic arrhythmia is being caused by normal or partially depolarized ectopic pacemakers.
Evaluation of true vocal fold growth as a function of age.

ObjectiveTo evaluate change in true vocal fold length as a function of age.Study DesignProspective study.SettingTertiary aerodigestive center.Subjects and MethodsIn total, 205 patients (aged 1 mont...
Volume-grating Stokesmeter based on photonic bandgap structures

An inherent polarization sensitivity of a volume grating, in general, can be used to determine all the Stokes parameters of input beams. We demonstrate the polarization-dependent bandgap in a photonic crystal in principle at any wavelength using the finite-difference time-domain method. We show how this bandgap can be used to realize a volume-grating Stokesmeter. We also present an explicit design for a high-speed version of such a Stokesmeter and identify design constraints that arise in this context. Finally, we describe a spectrally resolved volume-grating Stokesmeter based on the tunability of a photonic bandgap material.
Critical conductivity exponent for Si:B.

We have determined the critical exponent which characterizes the approach of the zero-temperature conductivity to the insulating phase from measurements down to 60 mK of the resistivity of a series of just-metallic uncompensated p-type Si:B samples with dopant concentrations near the critical concentration for the metal-insulator transition. Our results indicate a critical exponent for Si:B of 0.${65}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}0.14}^{+0.05}$, which is close to the ``anomalous'' values near 1/2 found for the uncompensated n-type silicon-based semiconductors Si:P, Si:As, and Si:Sb. This implies that, despite strong spin-orbit scattering, Si:B belongs to the same universality class as other silicon-based systems.
Disconnection events (DEs) and sector boundaries: the evidence from comet Halley 1985–1986

Abstract Cometary and solar wind data from December 1985 to April 1986 are presented for the purpose of determining the solar wind conditions associated with comet plasma tail disconnection events (DEs). The cometary data are from The International Halley Watch Atlas of Large-Scale Phenomena (Brandt et al. , University of Colorado, Boulder, 1992). In addition, we present the kinematic analysis of four DEs, those of Dec 13.5 and 31.2, 1985, and Feb 21.7 and 28.7, 1986. The circumstances of these DEs clearly illustrate the need to analyze DEs in groups. In situ solar wind measurements from IMP-8, ICE and PVO were used to construct the variation of solar wind speed, density and dynamic pressure during this interval. Data from these same spacecraft plus Vega-1 were used to determine the time of 48 current sheet crossings. These data were fitted to heliospheric current sheet curves (Hoeksema, Adv. Space Res. 9 , 141, 1989) extrapolated from the corona into the heliosphere in order to determine the best-fit coronal source surface radius for each Carrington rotation. Comparison of the solar wind conditions and 16 DEs in Halley's comet (the four DEs discussed in this paper and 12 DEs in the literature) leaves little doubt that DEs are associated primarily with crossings of the heliospheric current sheet and apparently not with any other property of the solar wind. If we assume that there is a single or primary physical mechanism and that Halley's DEs are representative, efforts at simulation should concentrate on conditions at current sheet crossings. The mechanisms consistent with this result are sunward magnetic reconnection (Niedner and Brandt, Astrophys. J. 223 , 655, 1978) and tailward magnetic reconnection (Russell et al., J. geophys. Res. 91 , 1417, 1986), if tailward reconnection can be triggered by the sector boundary crossing.
Alteration of the effects of cancer therapy agents on breast cancer cells by the herbal medicine black cohosh

Recent studies have revealed that many, perhaps most, patients receiving cancer therapy are simultaneously self-medicating with one or several complementary and alternative medicines, often without discussing the use of these agents with their physicians. The effects of these agents on the efficacy and toxicity of standard anticancer therapy have not been studied. The experiments described in this report used a well characterized mouse breast cancer cell line to ask whether commercially available extracts of black cohosh, an herb widely used by breast cancer patients, altered the response of cancer cells to radiation and to four drugs commonly used in cancer therapy. The black cohosh extracts increased the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and docetaxel and decreased the cytotoxicity of cisplatin, but did not alter the effects of radiation or 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC), an analog of cyclophosphamide which is active in cell culture. These data sound a warning that the herbal medicines being used by patients undergoing cancer therapy can have effects on cancer cells that alter their response to the agents commonly used to treat breast cancer.
Associations among active transportation, physical activity, and weight status in young adults

Objective: To describe prevalence of active, public, and car transit by overweight status and amount of leisure-time physical activity in a nationally representative cohort of ethnically diverse young adults. Research Methods and Procedures: Questionnaire data on patterns of transportation were collected from U.S. adolescents enrolled in Wave III (2001) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 10, 771). Measured height and weight data were used to calculate BMI and classify adults by overweight status (BMI ≥ 25). Self-reported physical activity data were used to classify adults into those who achieved ≥ 5 bouts of weekly moderate-vigorous physical activity and those who did not. Results were stratified by overweight and physical activity status. Results: The vast majority of young adults used car transit (work, 90.4%; school, 74.7%). A small proportion of young adults used active means of transportation to work (8.1%) and school (26.7%), and fewer used public transportation to work or school (<10%). The proportion of individuals using active transportation was higher among the nonoverweight traveling to work (9.2%) and school (29.7%) and among the more active traveling to work (15.2%) and school (37.0%) relative to the overweight and less active young adults. Discussion: The vast majority of young adults of all racial/ethnic backgrounds, particularly blacks and Hispanics, did not use active transportation to school and/or work. Active transportation was more common among nonoverweight and more active young adults, of high socioeconomic status, particularly full-time students. Population-level efforts (and environmental supports) to increase non-leisure physical activity, particularly active transportation, are sorely needed as a means of supporting and promoting overall physical activity.