cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis and vibration control of beams containing piezoelectric sensors and actuators

ABSTRACT A one dimensional theory is developed for modeling the analysis of beams containing piezoelec-tric sensors and actuators. The equation of motion and associated boundary conditions are derivedfor the vibrations of piezoelectrically sensored/actuated beams. The effect of coupling betweenlongitudinal deflection and bending deflection is investigated in the present study. For the practicalapplications, in accordance with the proposed beam theory, a one-dimensional finite element for-mulation is presented. Based on the above one dimensional theory, an entire treatment of designinga state feedback control system for the piezoelectrically sensored/actuated beams is also presented.The results show the proposed approach has several advantages. 1. INTRODUCTION One of the major areas of DoD, NASA, and the Air Force research in engineering involves struc-tural mechanics which is concerned with developing lighter, stronger, and more durable structuresthat can be applied to a variety of flight vehicles ranging from helicopters to interplanetary space-craft. The future direction in this area is to expand the limits ofthe vehicles' structural performancewhich are able to sense, to respond, and to control their own characteristics and states, so as toachieve much higher levels of operational performance to meet mission requirements. In general,
MMPI correlates of localized cerebral lesions.

The purpose of the present study was to examine MMPI correlates of localized structural cerebral lesions classified according to laterality and caudality dimensions and to attempt to cross-validate previous work. 59 Ss with lateralized lesions principally involving anterior or posterior cerebral areas were tested. The results indicated that people with cerebral lesions show evidence of some degree of emotional disturbance, characterized particularly by neuroticlike manifestations In contrast to a number of previous research reports, differential findings did not emerge in association with the location of cerebral lesions. Based on the present results as well as review of the literature, it was concluded that laterality or caudality of lesion, per se, as the criterion for group composition based upon pathoanatomical information does not have a major differential influence on MMPI variables when groups of patients with mixed lesion types, as those represented in the present sample, are considered.
The Galα1,3Galβ1,4GlcNAc-R (α-Gal) epitope: A carbohydrate of unique evolution and clinical relevance

Abstract In 1985, we reported that a naturally occurring human antibody (anti-Gal), produced as the most abundant antibody (1% of immunoglobulins) throughout the life of all individuals, recognizes a carbohydrate epitope Galα1–3Galβ1–4GlcNAc-R (the α-gal epitope). Since that time, an extensive literature has developed on discoveries related to the α-gal epitope and the anti-Gal antibody, including the barrier they form in xenotransplantation and their reciprocity in mammalian evolution. This review covers these topics and new avenues of clinical importance related to this unique antigen/antibody system (α-gal epitope/anti-Gal) in improving the efficacy of viral vaccines and in immunotherapy against cancer.
"Upright" orientations of forms change with subject age and with features of form

This research investigated the role of certain intrinsic features of two-dimensional nonrepresentational forms in their judged “upright” orientation. The forms were individually projected by an apparatus that allowed rotation through the 360-deg range. The subjects (from kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, 6th, college grades) were asked to place each form in “upright” orientation. For some forms, these chosen orientations were the same for all age groups, apparently reflecting the universal and equal effect of certain intrinsic features. For other forms, chosen orientation changed systematically across age, in a manner possibly reflecting the influence of reading-scansion habits that changed with age. The intrinsic features related to upright judgments were symmetry, polar axes, texture lines, taper, and flat bottoms. Results partly disconfirm the hypothesis that forms are judged “upright” with their “focal portions” at the top.
GeoVISTA studio: a codeless visual programming environment for geoscientific data analysis and visualization

The fundamental goal of the GeoVISTA Studio project is to improve geoscientific analysis by providing an environment that operationally integrates a wide range of analysis activities, including those both computationally and visually based. Improving the infrastructure used in analysis has far-reaching potential to better integrate human-based and computationally based expertise, and so ultimately improve scientific outcomes. To address these challenges, some difficult system design and software engineering problems must be overcome.This paper illustrates the design of a component-oriented system, GeoVISTA Studio, as a means to overcome such difficulties by using state-of-the-art component-based software engineering techniques. Advantages described include: ease of program construction (visual programming), an open (non-proprietary) architecture, simple component-based integration and advanced deployment methods. This versatility has the potential to change the nature of systems development for the geosciences, providing better mechanisms to coordinate complex functionality, and as a consequence, to improve analysis by closer integration of software tools and better engagement of the human expert. Two example applications are presented to illustrate the potential of the Studio environment for exploring and better understanding large, complex geographical datasets and for supporting complex visual and computational analysis.
The transition of a freshwater karst aquifer to an anoxic marine system

Jewfish Sink is located in the shallow seagrass flats of the Gulf of Mexico in west central Florida. Jewfish Sink was a submarine spring until the drought of 1961–1962 when it ceased flowing. Today, the sink is an anaerobic marine basin and provides the opportunity to study the implications of saltwater intrusion in coastal karstic areas. The biogeochemistry of Jewfish Sink was studied from summer 2001 through spring 2004. A distinct feature of the sink is the uniform cold temperature (16–17°C) of the deeper anoxic water that does not match groundwater found nearshore or onshore (22–24°C). There are four zones within the sink: oxic zone, transition zone, upper anoxic zone, and anoxic bottom water. The anoxic bottom water does not mix with water from above but may be linked to deep Gulf shelf water through ancient aquifer conduits. The other three zones vary seasonally in oxygen, salinity, and temperature because of limited mixing in the winter due to cooding and sinking of surface water. The walls of the anoxic zones have characteristic microbial mats that are found in other sulfidic karstic features in the area. Bacterial activity appears to be carbon, limited in the anoxic zones where sulfate reduction appears to be the major metabolic process. The reduction of sulfate to sulfide appears to be driven by irregular influexes of organic matter including macroalgae, horseshoe crabs, and stingrays that become entrapped within the sink. Bacterial activity in the oxic zones appears to be phosphate limited. Although the system is partially isolated from the overlying marine ecosystem, organic input from above drives the bacterial anaerobic ecosystem, resulting in a sulfide pump. In this model, sulfide percolates up through the karst and removes oxygen from the overlying sediment, which has likely caused changes in the shallow benthic ecosystem. Jewfish Sink appears to be part of an extensive anoxic subterranean estuary that extends under parts of at least three coastal counties in Florida and serve as a model for the effects of rising sea levels or aquifer mining.
Degradation of tau by lysosomal enzyme cathepsin D: Implication for Alzheimer neurofibrillary degeneration

The degradation of different isoforms of human recombinant tau (R-tau; T39, T40, and T44) and fetal tau (F-tau) by cathepsin D (CD) was investigated. Gel electrophoresis and Coomassie Blue staining of different R-tau species digested at pH 3.5 showed very little differences in CD susceptibility. Immunoblotting analyses revealed that amino and carboxy termini of tau were cleaved before other regions. F-tau was most vulnerable to proteolysis at both termini. Digestion of R-tau with 0.01 unit of CD/ml at pH 3.5 resulted in cleavage between Phe8-Glu9, Met419-Val420, Thr427-Leu428-Ala429, and Leu436-Ala437 as determined by amino acid sequencing and mass spectroscopy (numbering of amino acids was based on T40). With higher concentrations of CD (1 unit/ml), additional sites of digestion were detected between amino acids 34-161, 200-257, and 267-358. The cleavage sites at amino acids 34-161 and 267-358 were observed at pH 3.5, whereas that at amino acids 200-257 was detected at pH 7.0. Our results suggest that CD cleavage of tau could generate tau fragments with intact microtubule binding domains, which could have a role in the pathogenesis of paired helical filaments (PHFs) in Alzheimer's disease. Such proteolysis might also contribute to the changes of PHF phenotype observed in intracellular and extracellular tangles.
Risk-neutral equilibria of noncooperative games

Game-theoretic solution concepts such as Nash and Bayesian equilibrium start from an assumption that the players’ sets of possible payoffs, measured in units of von Neumann–Morgenstern utility, are common knowledge, and they go on to define rational behavior in terms of equilibrium strategy profiles that are either pure or independently randomized and which, in applications, are often taken to be uniquely determined or at least tightly constrained. A mechanism through which to obtain a common knowledge of payoff functions measured in units of utility (or common priors over predetermined sets of such functions) is not part of the model. This paper describes an operational method of constructing a state of common knowledge of the key parameters of the players’ utility functions in terms of conditional small bets on the game’s outcome. When the rationality criterion of joint coherence (no arbitrage) is applied in this setting, the solution of a game is typically characterized by a convex set of correlated equilibria. In the most general case, where players are risk averse, the parameters of the equilibria are risk-neutral probabilities, interpretable as products of subjective probabilities and relative marginal utilities for money, as in financial markets. Risk aversion generally enlarges the set of equilibria and may present opportunities for Pareto-improving modifications of the rules of the game.
Diurnal activity, temperature responses and endothermy in three South American cicadas (Homoptera: Cicadidae: Dorisiana bonaerensis, Quesada gigas and Fidicina mannifera)

Abstract 1. 1. Measurements of body temperature ( T b ) in the field demonstrated that endothermic cicadas regulate T b by behavioral mechanisms as well as by endogenous heat production. 2. 2. The T b of endothermically active cicadas without access to exogenous heat is approximately the same as the T b of basking cicadas. 3. 3. Dorisiana bonaerensis (Berg) and Quesada gigas (Olivier) raise T b in the field with the heat produced in flight. 4. 4. The thermal responses of a particular species are related to its activity patterns and habitat. 5. 5. Endothermy in cicadas may serve to uncouple reproductive behavior from environmental constraints; to circumvent possible thermoregulatory problems; to permit the utilization of habitats unavailable to strictly ectothermic cicadas; to reduce predation; and to optimize broadcast coverage and sound transmission.
On the Rossby Radius of Deformation in the Ocean

Abstract An analytical model is used to study the parameters which mainly influence the internal Rossby radius of deformation Ro, in the ocean. It is shown that Ro is proportional to N0 (the value of Vaisala frequency N, near its maximum) and the scale height 1/b0 which is the e-folding depth of N in the upper ocean. The ocean depth has only a minor influence on Ro. From the data of Emery et al. it seems that N0 increase towards the equator and 1/b0 achieves its maximum in the middle latitudes; so the increase of Ro towards the equator is due to the increase of 1/f and N0; the variation of 1/b0 inhibits this growth. The horizontal fluctuation in Ro is explained by horizontal variations of N0 and 1/b0. The seasonal variation observed in N0 and 1/b0 compensate each other and lead to almost constant Ro.
An autonomously replicating sequence for use in a wide range of budding yeasts

The initiation of DNA replication at replication origins is essential for the duplication of genomes. In yeast, the autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) property of replication origins is necessary for the stable maintenance of episomal plasmids. However, because the sequence determinants of ARS function differ among yeast species, current ARS modules are limited for use to a subset of yeasts. Here, we describe a short ARS sequence that functions in at least 10 diverse species of budding yeast. These include, but are not limited to members of the Saccharomyces, Lachancea, Kluyveromyces, and Pichia (Komagataella) genera spanning over 500 million years of evolution. In addition to its wide species range, this ARS and an optimized derivative confer improved plasmid stability relative to other currently used ARS modules.
Assessing individual contributions to groupwork by a summary of tracked computer-supported collaborative activities

Inaccurate or imprecise assessment of individual contributions by the teacher in a collaborative learning environment leaves the free-riding students and non-collaborating student groups undetected because of lack of accountability. This discourages student collaboration and student learning. To accurately evaluate students' contributions and to provide timely interventions, a teacher could use a summary of the tracked collaborative activities of the participating students. We have developed and deployed an individual contribution assessment method for the students collaborating in Clas-sroomWiki — a Web-based collaborative writing environment. Our contribution assessment method combines the (1) tracked useful textual contributions, (2) idea- and concept-related contributions, and (3) other contributions like peer-rating to generate a summary that assesses the members' individual contributions toward their groups. To test the impact of our contribution assessment method, we have used it to assess the contributions of the students participating in a collaborative writing assignment in two separate university-level courses using the ClassroomWiki environment. The results of our two-semester long deployment suggest that, using this summary, a teacher can (1) better evaluate the individual contribution of a student and (2) provide timely and proactive interventions to the non-contributing members and groups to improve collaboration and performance in the ClassroomWiki collaborative writing environment.
Nonparametric kernel estimators for image classification

We introduce a new discriminative learning method for image classification. We assume that the images are represented by unordered, multi-dimensional, finite sets of feature vectors, and that these sets might have different cardinality. This allows us to use consistent nonparametric divergence estimators to define new kernels over these sets, and then apply them in kernel classifiers. Our numerical results demonstrate that in many cases this approach can outperform state-of-the-art competitors on both simulated and challenging real-world datasets.
A guessing measure of program comprehension

An effective comprehension measure could be helpful in ranking programs on complexity. Measures involving filling in missing parts of a program can be adapted from the prose domain. For example, cloze tests have been applied to software. We evaluated a new measure based on a fill-in-the-blank exercise conducted by an automated tool. The subject is asked to guess certain characters which are missing from a sample program which is displayed on a computer screen. The value of the measure is derived on an information-theoretic basis from the number of incorrect guesses. This measure has shown promise in experimental evaluations of its ability to measure program comprehension.
Autologous bone plugs in unilateral total knee arthroplasty.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare blood loss, declines in hemoglobin (HgB) and hematocrit (HcT) levels, and required homologous transfusions for patients who either had the femoral intramedullary defect left open or filled with an autologous bone plug during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We hereby present our results of autologous bone plugs in unilateral TKA. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 55 patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) who had undergone unilateral TKA. Twenty six patients had the femoral defect filled with an autologous bone plug and 29 did not. Lateral releases and patella replacements were not performed. Drained blood was reinfused when appropriate. Results: Mean blood loss and mean blood reinfused were similar for the plugged (loss: 960.8 ± 417.3 ml; reinfused: 466.7 ± 435.9 mL) and unplugged groups (loss: 1065.9 ± 633.5 ml, P = 0.38; reinfused: 528.4 ± 464.8 ml, P = 0.61). Preoperative HgB (14.3 ± 1.4 g/dL, P = 0.93) and HcT levels (42.2 ± 4.6%, P = 0.85) were similar across plug conditions. HgB and HcT levels declined similarly for the plugged (2.7 ± 1.2 g/dl and 7.9 ± 4.0%) and unplugged groups (3.0 ± 0.9 g/dl, P = 0.16 and 9.0 ± 2.6%, P = 0.16), respectively. Of patients, one in the plugged group and none in the unplugged group required homologous transfusions ( P = 0.5). Conclusion: The autologous bone plug does not appear to reduce the need for homologous blood transfusions following unilateral TKA.
Effect of some proteolytic enzymes on the plaque titer of vaccinia and rabbitpox viruses.

Abstract The effect of proteolytic enzymes on the plaque titer of a suspension of poxvirus particles is examined here in two parts. Most enzymes exert a dispersive effect, breaking up virion aggregates which are usually present in substantial numbers. They may raise or lower the plaque titer depending on the nature of the virus preparation. In addition, there is the direct effect of the enzyme upon the virion. Dispersive effects in this work have been measured by electron microscopy in order that the direct effect of the enzymes may be revealed. Rabbitpox and early L-cell passage vaccinia virus, both of low plaquing efficiency, are enhanced 5- to 100-fold in this respect by brief treatment with any of several proteolytic enzymes. Extended enzyme treatment reduces the titer. High-passage vaccinia virus preparations, those with maximum plaquing efficiency, are not enhanced. They are reduced in titer. High-passage vaccinia virus, degraded by pancreatin, may be partially “reactivated” by inducing aggregation among the particles of the plaquing inoculum. This synergistic response is similar to that shown by heated virus but less than that following treatment of the virus with any of several agents including UV, X-ray, and formaldehyde.
Niobium-3-tin internally cooled cabled superconductor (ICCS) technology I

De recents travaux utilisant une gaine de tantale et d'Incoloy 903 ont montre que les supraconducteurs câbles a refroidissement interne (SCRI) peuvent etre compactes sans degradation de courant. Comparaison a ces resultats d'une gaine en Inconel 617: ce materiau pratique pour la construction mecanique possede une contraction thermique situee entre celles de l'acier inoxydable et de l'Incoloy 903
2 MICRON LASER MATERIALS FOR REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC SENSORS

At present time there is a great interest in developing a laser operating in the mid IR, eyesage region (∼ 2μm) for remote sensing measurement of wind shear from aircraft and global winds from space using doppler LIDAR. Another application is the measurement of trace gases in the atmosphere using differential absorption lidar (DIAL); shifting the wavelength of a 2μm source will extend the number of trace gases accessible in DIAL measurements. Increasing availability of high power diode lasers for pump sources offers considerable promise for these applications. A diode-laser-pumped solid-state-laser is a good candidate for space applications because it can be compact, efficient and reliable. In searching for new 2μm laser materials for these lasers, we have made comprehensive spectroscopic analysis of YAG and YLF crystals doped with various concentrations of Tm and Ho. We compared the energy transfer rates and loss mechanisms, under the excitation of pulsed dye and cw diode lasers, that would directly effect the efficiency of the laser emission in the 2μm resions from Ho. We have found significant differences in the behavior of Tm and Ho ions in YAG and YLF. The cross relaxation rates in Tm and the energy transfer rate from Tm to Ho are approximately twice as fast and losses in 2.1μm emission are 30% less in YLF than in YAG. These results indicate that if the concentrations of Tm and Ho ions are optimized for these materials, the YLF laser can operate more efficently than the YAG laser under diode laser pumping.
A Simple Colorimetric Method for the Estimation of Relative Numbers of Lactobacilli in the Saliva

This paper includes the results of an attempt to develop a simple colorimetric method for the estimation of the relative numbers of lactobacilli in the saliva as a supplementary procedure for the quantitative techniques (1, 2) used in the study of dental caries. The test was based on the assumption that since caries activity is closely correlated with the numerical rise and fall of lactobacilli in the saliva, it should be possible to demonstrate a corresponding increase and decrease in the amount of acid produced in a selective carbohydrate medium inoculated with definite amounts of saliva. Thus, significant color changes in selected time intervals could be interpreted roughly in terms of lactobacilli per c.c. of saliva as established by an adequate number of control plate counts. The present data embodies a large series of tests on specimens of saliva sent to the School of Dentistry of the University of Michigan for estimation of numbers of lactobacilli.
Preparation and characteristics of lipid vesicles.

As determined by electron microscopy, lipid sonicated in buffer initially forms large vesicles which may be multilamellar. Prolonged sonication results in a population of vesicles of smaller, but not uniform diameters. These vesicles are bounded by only one bilayer. The lipid suspension can be partially fractionated according to size by column chromatography. A fraction of the eluate has been selected for further study. The weight-average vesicle weight and average radius of gyration are obtained by lightscattering measurements. The volume of buffer enclosed by the vesicles is determined using14C- or3H-labelled sugars as a marker. These values are in reasonable agreement with the corresponding values calculated from the size distribution of the vesicle fraction obtained by electron microscopy.
Interpreting the spatio-temporal patterns of sea turtle strandings: Going with the flow

Knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of specific mortality sources is crucial for management of species that are vulnerable to human interactions. Beachcast carcasses represent an unknown fraction of at-sea mortalities. While a variety of physical (e.g., water temperature) and biological (e.g., decomposition) factors as well as the distribution of animals and their mortality sources likely affect the probability of carcass stranding, physical oceanography plays a major role in where and when carcasses strand. Here, we evaluate the influence of nearshore physical oceanographic and wind regimes on sea turtle strandings to decipher seasonal trends and make qualitative predictions about stranding patterns along oceanfront beaches. We use results from oceanic drift-bottle experiments to check our predictions and provide an upper limit on stranding proportions. We compare predicted current regimes from a 3D physical oceanographic model to spatial and temporal locations of both sea turtle carcass strandings and drift bottle landfalls. Drift bottle return rates suggest an upper limit for the proportion of sea turtle carcasses that strand (about 20%). In the South Atlantic Bight, seasonal development of along-shelf flow coincides with increased numbers of strandings of both turtles and drift bottles in late spring and early summer. The model also predicts net offshore flow of surface waters during winter – the season with the fewest relative strandings. The drift bottle data provide a reasonable upper bound on how likely carcasses are to reach land from points offshore and bound the general timeframe for stranding post-mortem (< two weeks). Our findings suggest that marine turtle strandings follow a seasonal regime predictable from physical oceanography and mimicked by drift bottle experiments. Managers can use these findings to reevaluate incidental strandings limits and fishery takes for both nearshore and offshore mortality sources.
The Traditions of Communication Research and Their Implications for Telecommunications Study.

L'A. analyse l'evolution actuelle de la recherche en communication vers une integration des telecommunications dans les programmes et les departements traditionnels de recherche. Il etudie les aspects de la recherche traditionnelle en communication, son implication progressive dans les etudes des telecommunications et les consequences pour la recherche en general
Improved fault coverage for adaptive fault tolerant filters

Adaptive fault tolerance (AFT) has been developed for achieving reliable performance of FIR adaptive filters in the presence of certain types of hardware failures. Previous studies limited the use of AFT to one-dimensional FIR filter structures with simple "stuck-at" fault models that account for errors introduced into the adaptive process by faulty coefficients that cease to adjust properly. This paper considers a broader class of hardware errors which, in addition to "stuck-at" errors in the multiplier inputs, can be modeled by errors in the outputs of both multipliers and adders. By including a simple circuit that removes erroneous induced constants in the output of the adaptive filter, adaptive fault tolerance can be extended to a broader class of hardware failures.
Postdischarge problems identified by telephone calls to an advice line.

BACKGROUND Problems experienced after hospital discharge can result in rehospitalizations and unscheduled urgent and emergent care. OBJECTIVE To identify opportunities for improving discharge processes by examining calls to an advice line (AL). DESIGN Prospective cohort. SETTING A 500-bed, university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS Patients who called an AL between September 1, 2011 and September 1, 2012 and reported being hospitalized within 30 days. INTERVENTION None MEASUREMENTS Caller characteristics, timing of calls, nature of reported problems. RESULTS Over 1 year the AL received calls from 308 unique patients who were hospitalized or had outpatient surgery within 30 days preceding the call. Thirty-one percent and 47% of calls occurred within 24 or 48 hours of discharge, respectively. Sixty-three percent came from surgery patients despite surgery patients accounting for only 38% of the discharges. The most common issues were uncontrolled pain, questions about medications, and aftercare instructions (eg, the care of surgical wounds). The rates of 30-day readmissions and urgent or emergent care visits were higher for patients who called the AL than for those who did not (15% vs 4% and 30% vs 7%, respectively, both P < 0.0001), but sample sizes were too small to accommodate robust matching or multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS Problems described in calls by patients to an AL identified several aspects of our discharge processes that needed improvement. Patients calling an AL following discharge may be at increased risk for 30-day rehospitalization and urgent or emergent care visits. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2014;9:695–699. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine
The tightrope to e-business project success

Even though U.S. businesses spend half of their business equipment budgets on IT, only one out of six software projects is successful. Annually, this adds up to about $75 billion a year in failed projects, $22 billion in cost overruns, and another $175 million for systems that deliver less than they claim [9]. The elusivity of success is rooted in organizations’ inability to manage—or even recognize—the unexpected. Inattention to the emergent gap between what’s delivered and what’s finally needed, not technical incompetence, is what stumps even the best of intentions. Code, however good, cannot compensate for poor conceptualization. A new philosophy that views software as a medium in which knowledge is embedded rather than a product is emerging in some circles of the software community [2, 8]. Proponents of this view encourage embedding accurate knowledge into the design of a system over trying to manage requirements. Software project execution is like walking a tightrope from idea to implementation. It takes just the right balance between methodology and imagination, and following rules and knowing when to break them. Either excess slack or inflexibility guarantee a fall. We conducted a field study to assess the merits of this view and determine whether embedding knowledge in software design influences how well a project adapts to changing technology, unstable business needs, and customers who cannot seem to make up their mind. We found strong support for this emerging perspective: project teams that excel at knowledge integration best manage the unexpected to successfully execute innovation-intensive software projects. This article discusses the implications of our findings for software practice. From Engineering Imagination to Imagination Engineering The most difficult part of building a new system is determining what to build. Determining that is clearly a process of reducing ignorance about customer needs, technology, and a project’s business context [3]. A system is the byproduct of such knowledge. When that knowledge itself is incomplete, a project is built on an architecture of misunderstood business needs.
Positioning to prevent or reduce shoulder range of motion impairments after stroke: a meta-analysis

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of positioning on range of motion of the paretic shoulder following stroke.Data sources: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, PEDro, Cochrane Controlled Trails Register and article reference lists.Review methods: Randomized controlled trials reporting range of motion outcomes of shoulder positioning programmes for patients with stroke were examined independently by the two authors. Studies reporting external rotation range of motion outcomes were abstracted and their quality was rated.Results: Five studies, all published in 2000 or later, were included. Shoulder external rotation range of motion was lost by control groups (mean = 11.0—18.4°) and experimental (positioning) groups (mean = 6.1° to 19.2 °) in every study.The standardized mean difference between groups was -0.216 (95% confidence interval -0.573 to 0.141). These findings and the demonstration of homogeneity between and within groups do not support positioning (as practised) as an eff...
Effect of chronic amiodarone therapy on defibrillation energy requirements in humans.

Amiodarone Effect on Defibrillation Energy Requirement. Introduction: The effect of oral amiodarone therapy on defibrillation energy requirements in patients with an implantable defibrillator has not been established. Methods and Results: Twenty-one consecutive patients with implantable biphasic waveform defibrillators underwent a step-down determination of the defibrillation energy requirement 211 ± 12 days before and 73 ± 22 days after initiation of amiodarone therapy (mean total dose 26.7 ± 11.1 g). Serum amiodarone and desethylamiodarone concentrations were measured at the time of defibrillation energy requirement determination. The mean defibrillation energy requirement before amiodarone therapy was 9.9 ± 4.6 J. After initiation of amiodarone therapy, the mean defibrillation energy requirement increased to 13.7 ± 5.6 J (P = 0.004). A linear relationship between the amiodarone (P = 0.02, r = 0.6), desethylamiodarone (P = 0.02, r = 0.6), and combined amiodarone-desethylamiodarone concentrations (P = 0.001, r = 0.6) and the defibrillation energy requirement was noted. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that the combined amiodarone-desethylamiodarone concentration was the only independent predictor of increase in the defibrillation energy requirement. Conclusion: Chronic oral amiodarone therapy increases the defibrillation energy requirement by approximately 62% in patients with an implantable defibrillator. The combined amiodarone-desethylamiodarone concentration is directly related to the increase in the defibrillation energy requirement.
Alleviating the Negative Impact of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Leaks on the Physical and Psychological Health of Ethnic Minority Immigrants: A Vietnamese Case Study

The disproportionate impact of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico on ethnic minorities, particularly the English literacy–challenged populations (e.g., Vietnamese) is an important public health concern. An understanding of the etiology and manifestation of disaster-induced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) promotes community resiliency. In emergency situations, socioeconomically marginalized ethnic minorities who are not fluent in English are at a disadvantage. These individuals often face economic and social barriers due to their limited-English-proficient (LEP) communication with government personnel, lack of scientific knowledge about the environmental hazards, and limited access to mental health care during postdisaster events. The objective of this commentary is to examine the potential impact of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Leaks on the physical and psychological health of Vietnamese ethnic minority residents living in the emergency-impact area. The article first provides a...
Soft-decision decoding of Reed-Muller codes: a simplified algorithm

Soft-decision decoding is considered for general Reed-Muller (RM) codes of length n and distance d used over a memoryless channel. A recursive decoding algorithm is designed and its decoding threshold is derived for long RM codes. The algorithm has complexity of order nlnn and corrects most error patterns of the Euclidean weight of order radicn/lnn, instead of the decoding threshold radicd/2 of the bounded distance decoding. Also, for long RM codes of fixed rate R, the new algorithm increases 4/pi times the decoding threshold of its hard-decision counterpart
Gene regulation of UDP-galactose synthesis and transport: potential rate-limiting processes in initiation of milk production in humans

Lactose synthesis is believed to be rate limiting for milk production. However, understanding the molecular events controlling lactose synthesis in humans is still rudimentary. We have utilized our established model of the RNA isolated from breast milk fat globule from seven healthy, exclusively breastfeeding women from 6 h to 42 days following delivery to determine the temporal coordination of changes in gene expression in the carbohydrate metabolic processes emphasizing the lactose synthesis pathway in human mammary epithelial cell. We showed that milk lactose concentrations increased from 75 to 200 mM from 6 to 96 h. Milk progesterone concentrations fell by 65% at 24 h and were undetectable by day 3. Milk prolactin peaked at 36 h and then declined progressively afterward. In concordance with lactose synthesis, gene expression of galactose kinase 2, UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase 2 (UGP2), and phosphoglucomutase 1 increased 18-, 10-, and threefold, respectively, between 6 and 72 h. Between 6 and 96 h, gene expression of UDP-galactose transporter 2 (SLC35A2) increased threefold, whereas glucose transporter 1 was unchanged. Gene expression of lactose synthase no. 3 increased 1.7-fold by 96 h, whereas α-lactalbumin did not change over the entire study duration. Gene expression of prolactin receptor (PRLR) and its downstream signal transducer and activator of transcription complex 5 (STAT5) were increased 10- and 2.5-fold, respectively, by 72 h. In summary, lactose synthesis paralleled the induction of gene expression of proteins involved in UDP-galactose synthesis and transport, suggesting that they are potentially rate limiting in lactose synthesis and thus milk production. Progesterone withdrawal may be the signal that triggers PRLR signaling via STAT5, which may in turn induce UGP2 and SLC35A2 expression.
Single-event effects on ultra-low power CMOS circuits

Operating circuits in the subthreshold region is a simple method to lower total power consumption. The lower supply voltages decrease the electric fields present in the devices (resulting in lower charge collection), but increase the time required to remove the charge. These two competing mechanisms are characterized through two-photon absorption experiments for single-events to show that single-event vulnerability does not show a linear relationshiop with power supply voltage, as would be expected, in the subthreshold region. Single-event characterization is carried out using higher harmonic oscillation in ring oscillators with large numbers of stages over a wide range of supply voltages.
Grafting energy-harvesting leaves onto the sensornet tree

ABSTRACT We study the problem of augmenting battery-powered sensornet trees with energy-harvesting leaf nodes. Our results show that leaf nodes that are smaller in size than today's typical battery-powered sensors can harvest enough energy from ambient sources to acquire and transmit sensor readings every minute, even under poor lighting conditions. However, achieving this functionality, especially as leaf nodes scale in size, requires new platforms, protocols, and programming. Platforms must be designed around low-leakage operation, offer a richer power supply control interface for system software, and employ an unconventional energy storage hierarchy. Protocols must not only be low-power, but they must also become low-energy, which affects initial and ongoing synchronization, and periodic communications. Systems programming, and especially bootup and communications, must become low-latency, by eliminating conservative timeouts and startup dependencies, and embracing high-concurrency. Applying these principles, we show that robust, indoor, perpetual sensing is viable using off-the-shelf technology.
Quality Of Life Measurement Clarifies The Cost-Effectiveness Of Helicobacter Pylori Eradication In Peptic Ulcer Disease And Uninvestigated Dyspepsia

OBJECTIVES: Previous economic studies of Helicobacter pylori eradication in dyspepsia and peptic ulcer disease have not measured quality of life using utilities (preference probabilities), which are needed to compare the cost-effectiveness of such treatment to other health care interventions. The goals of this study were to measure quality of life in patients with dyspepsia or peptic ulcer and apply these measurements to published models of disease management to determine cost-effectiveness in dollars per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. METHODS: Utilities for dyspepsia and peptic ulcer disease were measured in adult patients (n 5 73) on chronic acid suppression for peptic ulcer or ulcer-like dyspepsia. Median utility values were applied to the results of published costeffectiveness analyses and a previously validated dyspepsia model. Cost-utility ratios for early H. pylori eradication in uninvestigated dyspepsia and peptic ulcer disease were then computed. RESULTS: The total disutility, or lost quality of life, for an ulcer was 0.11 QALY, of which 0.09 QALY was attributed to dyspeptic symptoms. After these results were incorporated into published studies, cost-utility ratios for ulcer treatment varied from $3,100 to $12,500 per QALY gained, whereas estimates for uninvestigated dyspepsia management ranged from $26,800 to $59,400 per QALY. Sensitivity analyses indicated a range of $1,300 to $27,300 per QALY for management of duodenal ulcer and $15,000 to $129,700 per QALY for dyspepsia. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies that emphasize early H. pylori eradication were cost-effective for patients with peptic ulcer and possibly cost-effective for patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia, relative to other medical interventions. Dyspeptic symptoms cause significant disutility that should be incorporated in future cost-effectiveness analyses of treatment strategies. (Am J Gastroenterol 2001;96:338 ‐347. © 2001 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology)
Introduction to the Theme: Outcomes of Climate Literacy Efforts (Part 1)

Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of sno...
Image Gently: improving health literacy for parents about CT scans for children.

In a pivotal report issued in 2004 (Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion), the Institute of Medicine discussed the critical need for improved health literacy for the 90 million American adults who have difficulty understanding basic health information. Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic information and services needed to make appropriate decisions regarding their health” [1]. The report indicates that “over 300 studies have shown that health information cannot be understood by most people for whom it was intended.” This report stressed the need for a concerted effort by all stakeholders to improve educational opportunities for patients and their families. Patients often have a poor concept of the radiation dose and risk associated with CT [2]. In a study by Larson et al. [3], only 13% of parents understood that there is a theoretical risk that the radiation associated with CT might increase the risk of cancer. Some experts believe that parents may contribute to the increasing demand for CT as they seek rapid diagnosis and decision making without understanding the potential risks [4]. The purpose of this commentary is to discuss the importance of informing caretakers of children undergoing CT examinations about the potential radiation risk and describe some educational tools, developed by the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, that are now available for hospitals, practices, and parents on the Image Gently and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) websites. CT is an invaluable diagnostic and management planning tool for health-care providers treating children and adults [5]. Since its introduction in the 1970s, CT use has risen from 2 million studies per year to over 65 million with 7 million CT scans obtained in children in 2007 [6]. The potential radiation risk from CT scans is receiving considerable attention in both the medical literature and lay press [7–11]. The effect of low-level radiation remains controversial with data supporting several differing perspectives [12–15]. Some leading experts propose that low-level radiation has no effect (that there is a threshold below which no harm occurs). Many scientific organizations and experts, however, advocate that radiation even at low levels has a harmful effect and support the concept of a linear, nothreshold model for ionizing radiation risk of cancer induction [16–20]. Because of decreased body fat, increased radiosensitivity and longer life expectancy, children are at increased risk [21–23]. As the true risk from lowPediatr Radiol (2009) 39:112–116 DOI 10.1007/s00247-008-1101-9
Influence of renal sympathetic nerve stimulation on renal function in the primate

In anesthetized Macaca fascicularis monkeys renal sympathetic nerves were stimulated electrically while changes in renal function were measured. The range of stimulation frequencies was 0.25-4.0 Hz. In the primate the stimulation threshold for changes in renal vascular resistance at a renal perfusion pressure of 100 mmHg was between 1 and 2 Hz. Vascular resistance increased progressively at higher stimulation frequencies. The threshold for changes in sodium reabsorption was somewhat lower (between 0.5 and 1 Hz). At higher stimulation frequencies sodium excretion was dramatically reduced. Renin secretion was not significantly affected at 0.25 and 0.5 Hz stimulation and rose significantly only at stimulation frequencies of 1.0 Hz or above. Thus renal sympathetic nerves in the primate appear to influence renal vascular resistance and electrolyte excretion in a manner that is quantitatively similar to that seen in other species. However, in the primate it was not possible to stimulate renin secretion in the absence of changes in renal blood flow and sodium reabsorption.
Microbial signatures of cadaver gravesoil during decomposition.

Genomic studies have estimated there are approximately 10(3)-10(6) bacterial species per gram of soil. The microbial species found in soil associated with decomposing human remains (gravesoil) have been investigated and recognized as potential molecular determinants for estimates of time since death. The nascent era of high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the conserved 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene region of gravesoil microbes is allowing research to expand beyond more subjective empirical methods used in forensic microbiology. The goal of the present study was to evaluate microbial communities and identify taxonomic signatures associated with the gravesoil human cadavers. Using 16S rRNA gene amplicon-based sequencing, soil microbial communities were surveyed from 18 cadavers placed on the surface or buried that were allowed to decompose over a range of decomposition time periods (3-303 days). Surface soil microbial communities showed a decreasing trend in taxon richness, diversity, and evenness over decomposition, while buried cadaver-soil microbial communities demonstrated increasing taxon richness, consistent diversity, and decreasing evenness. The results show that ubiquitous Proteobacteria was confirmed as the most abundant phylum in all gravesoil samples. Surface cadaver-soil communities demonstrated a decrease in Acidobacteria and an increase in Firmicutes relative abundance over decomposition, while buried soil communities were consistent in their community composition throughout decomposition. Better understanding of microbial community structure and its shifts over time may be important for advancing general knowledge of decomposition soil ecology and its potential use during forensic investigations.