cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assignment of RFLP linkage groups to chromosomes using monosomic F1 analysis in hexaploid oat

The availability of molecular genetic maps in oat (Avena spp.) and improved identification of chromosomes by C-banding are two recent developments that have made locating linkage groups to chromosomes possible in cultivated hexaploid oat, 2n=6x=42. Monosomic series derived from Avena byzantina C. Koch cv Kanota and from Avena sativa L. cv Sun II were used as maternal plants in crosses with the parents, Kanota-1 and Ogle-C, of the oat RFLP mapping population. Monosomic F1 plants were identified by root-tip cell chromosome counts. For marker analysis, DNAs of eight F2 plants from a monosomic F1 were combined to provide a larger source of DNA that mimicked that of the monosomic F1 plant. Absence of maternal alleles in monosomic F1s served to associate linkage groups with individual chromosomes. Twenty two linkage groups were associated with 16 chromosomes. In seven instances, linkage groups that were independent of each other in recombination analyses were associated with the same chromosome. Five linkage groups were shown to be associated with translocation differences among oat lines. Additionally, the results better-characterized the oat monosomic series through the detection of duplicates and translocation differences among the various monosomic lines. The F1 monosomic series represents a powerful cytogenetic tool with the potential to greatly improve understanding of the oat genome.
Lipopolysaccharide regulates cysteine-rich intestinal protein, a zinc-finger protein, in immune cells and plasma

Cysteine-rich intestinal protein (CRIP), a double zinc-finger LIM protein, is expressed in great abundance in the intestine. We have found comparable levels of CRIP mRNA in peritoneal macrophages, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and lesser amounts in thymus and spleen. Because CRIP expression was high in immune cells, rats were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to determine whether expression was altered during the acute-phase immune response. Immunocytochemistry showed that, in adherent mononuclear cells, CRIP protein was localized in the cytoplasm. CRIP mRNA levels increased over time after LPS injection in peritoneal macrophages, PBMC, spleen, and intestine. No changes in CRIP mRNA level were seen in either liver or thymus. In PBMC, the level of CRIP mRNA decreased before increasing later in the acute-phase immune response. CRIP protein was found in the plasma. Shortly after LPS administration plasma CRIP decreased, suggesting that CRIP was either passively diffused out of capillaries or was actively shunted into tissues to execute its function. Increased CRIP expression seen in response to LPS suggests that CRIP may play a role in immune cell activation or differentiation or in processes associated with cellular repair.
The relationship between college class and cigarette smoking

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation between college class and cigarette‐smoking behavior in the USA.Design/methodology/approach – National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) data were employed. Five binary and two cumulative logit equations are estimated to explore the impact of college class on: having ever tried smoking cigarettes; having smoked in the past 30 days; having ever smoked on a daily basis; whether the student currently smoked daily; whether the student had quit entirely, that is, had not smoked for the past 30 days; the number of days smoked per month; and the number of cigarettes smoked per day.Findings – The paper finds that second‐year students were more likely than other undergraduates to be current cigarette smokers. Among current smokers, first‐ and second‐year students smoked the most days per month and second‐year students smoked the most cigarettes per day. Of students who had ever smoked on a daily basis, third‐year students were least likely t...
Effective Visualization of File System Access-Control

In this paper, we present a visual representation of access control permissions in a standard hierarchical file system. Our visualization of file permissions leverages treemaps, a popular graphical representation of hierarchical data. In particular, we present a visualization of access control for the NTFS file system that can help a non-expert user understand and manipulate file system permissions in a simple and effective way. While our examples are based on NTFS, our approach can be used for many other hierarchical file systems as well.
Efficient and adaptive rank-based fits for linear models with skew-normal errors

The rank-based fit of a linear model is based on minimizing a norm. A score function needs to be selected for the fit and the proper choice leads to asymptotically efficient regression estimators, i.e., fits equivalent to the maximum likelihood estimators (mle). In this paper, we present the family of optimal scores functions for the skew-normal family of distributions. We show the easy computation of this rank-based fit using the R package Rfit. We present the results of a small simulation study comparing the rank-based estimators and the mles in terms of efficiency and validity over skew-normal and contaminated normal distributions. We also develop and present empirical results for a Hogg-type adaptive procedure for selecting among a family of these scores based on a robust initial fit.
Origin of Erosional Surfaces in the Lebanon Valley, Pennsylvania

Summit elevations in the Lebanon Valley, part of the Great Valley, range from 440 o t 720 feet above msl (mean sea level). This range cannot be accounted for adequately by the peneplain concept. Although accordant summits, the chief evidence for peneplains, occur over large areas, summits are not accordant between adjacent areas within the valley. The Lebanon Valley is underlain in the south by carbonate rocks and in the north by shale. The major stream valley in the carbonate area is now partly occupied by segments of two streams, but at one time it was the location of one major stream —the ancestral Quittapahilla Creek—which was beheaded by a tributary to Swatara Creek. Landforms of the Lebanon Valley are probably the result of erosion within two separate stream systems—Swatara and ancestral Quittapahilla creeks—in which streams and interfluvial areas were in a state of erosional equilibrium. The land surface in equilibrium with the ancestral Quit-tapahilla Creek lies at a higher elevation than adjacent land surfaces that were in equilibrium with Swatara Creek. The land surface on the carbonate rocks, which is in the ancestral Quittapahilla Creek system, lies at a lower elevation than shale within the same system, but it commonly lies at a higher elevation than shale in adjacent parts of the Swatara Creek system. Accordance of summits is the result of uniform erosion of uniform rocks in basins whose discharge points are at the same elevation. Lack of accordant summits on uniform rocks is the result of erosion in basins whose discharge points differ in elevation.
SOIL AND VEGETATION PATTERNS IN BARRIER-ISLAND DUNE ENVIRONMENTS

Plant species distributions often have been attributed to landform characteristics or their associated geomorphic processes. This complicates interpretation of vegetation patterns in that geomorphic processes shape, and are shaped by, landforms. To characterize the biogeographic impacts of this interaction, I used principal components analysis (PCA) to examine hypotheses regarding the structure of variation among soil properties in active barrier-island dune systems. Dune soils and vegetation were sampled on two well-recognized barrier-island morphologies. On low-profile, wave-dominated microtidal barrier islands (South Core Banks, North Carolina) frequent overwash exerts a greater control on the distribution of soil properties. On mixed-energy mesotidal barrier islands (Sapelo Island, Georgia), overwash is less frequent, and the distribution of soil properties is shaped by a complex dune topography. Nontrivial principal components on both islands captured an equivalent amount of variance in the soil data...
REINAS instrumentation and visualization

Gives a brief system overview of REINAS (Realtime Environmental Information Network Analysis System) and some details on the instrumentation and visualization aspects. REINAS is a continuing engineering research and development system with the goal of designing, developing and testing an operational prototype system for data acquisition, data management, and visualization. As such, it includes a growing web of networked remote and in-situ instruments, a federated geographical database, and an extensible visualization interface. REINAS focuses on the needs of both oceanographers and meteorologists who monitor realtime data or analyze retrospective data that has been collected in the Monterey Bay area. This system is designed to be portable, extensible, and fault tolerant. Among the collaborators on this project are researchers from the UCSC Computer Engineering and Computer Information Sciences Departments and environmental scientists from the Naval Postgraduate School and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Reversible Block of the Calcium Release Channel/Ryanodine Receptor by Protamine, a Heparin Antidote

Channel activity of the calcium release channel from skeletal muscle, ryanodine receptor type 1, was measured in the presence and absence of protamine sulfate on the cytoplasmic side of the channel. Single-channel activity was measured after incorporating channels into planar lipid bilayers. Optimally and suboptimally calcium-activated calcium release channels were inactivated by the application of protamine to the cytoplasmic side of the channel. Recovery of channel activity was not observed while protamine was present. The addition of protamine bound to agarose beads did not change channel activity, implying that the mechanism of action involves an interaction with the ryanodine receptor rather than changes in the bulk calcium concentration of the medium. The block of channel activity by protamine could be reversed either by removal by perfusion with buffer or by the addition of heparin to the cytoplasmic side of the channel. Microinjection of protamine into differentiated C(2)C(12) mouse muscle cells prevented caffeine-induced intracellular calcium release. The results suggest that protamine acts on the ryanodine receptor in a similar but opposite manner from heparin and that protamine can be used as a potent, reversible inhibitor of ryanodine receptor activity.
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and systemicvasculitis: update of assays, immunopathogenesis, controversies, and report of a novel de novo ANCA-associated vasculitis after kidney transplantation

Abstract Objectives: To characterize antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA),their major autoantigens, disease associations, and pathophysiology in systemic vasculitides. To describe a patient with a novel de novo ANCA-associated vasculitis after kidney transplantation. Methods: We reviewed and compiled the literature on ANCA-related topicsand systemic vasculitis. Laboratory and clinical data from a cadaveric kidney transplant patient who developed necrotizing vasculitis involving glomerular capillaries, with crescent formation associated with P-ANCA and myeloperoxidase, were analyzed. Results: Large-scale multi-center testing of patient and normal sera by theEuropean ANCA Assay Standardization Project using immunofluorescence assays and enzyme immunoassays indicate the assays have good sensitivity and specificity, and diagnostic utility for ANCA-associated vasculitis. A few investigations covering basic and clinical research with ANCA remain controversial: whether endothelial cells do or do not express a 29-kd neutral serine protease termed proteinase-3 (PR-3), the target of ANCA in most individuals with Wegener's granulornatosis, and whether anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) ANCAs recognize a restricted number of epitopes on MPO. This issue has relevance for using monoclonal antibodies to treat patients with vasculitis who have adverse effects from immunosuppressive drugs. The two allelic forms of FcγRlla (H131/R131) and the two of FcγRlllb (NA1/NA2) are discussed as possible inheritable genetic elements for vasculitic disorders and for signaling responses. Stimulatory and costimulatory molecules, and cytokine profiles of T lymphocytes are characterized to show that these cells are actively involved in the ANCA-associated vasculitides. The patient described had a de novo ANCA associated small vessel vasculitis which developed after renal transplantation. Conclusions: There have been significant advances in the development ofsensitive and specific ANCA assays. The immunopathogenetic mechanism of ANCA involves the constitutive FcγRs, ligands, and signaling responses to activate cytokine-primed neutrophils. This may lead to the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates, degranulation, and secretion of intracellular granule contents, and ultimately inflammation and vasculitis.
A digital DS spread-spectrum receiver with joint channel and Doppler shift estimation

A digital spread-spectrum receiver design is presented for communication over multipath channels with severe Doppler shifts. The characteristics of the underwater channel relevant to spread-spectrum system design are discussed, and a channel model for short-range communications (less than 10 km) is defined. The receiver considered uses a digital coherent RAKE combiner, coupled with an extended Kalman filter (EKF)-based estimator for channel parameters and pseudonoise code delay. Receiver performance is evaluated by computing average bit-error rate (BER) versus iterations of the EKF joint estimator, using both fixed and time-varying channels. It is shown that the BER obtained using the EKF joint estimator closely tracks the optimum BER obtained when the channel, delay, and Doppler parameters are known exactly. Finally, the Cramer-Rao lower bound for time-invariant joint channel, delay, and Doppler estimation is derived, and compared with the ensemble averaged mean-squared error of the EKF estimator. >
Solving superposition of motor unit action potential waveforms through a cross-time-frequency based methodology

The identification of the timing of the discharges of groups of muscle fibers (motor units) is of utmost importance in research into the strategies employed by the central nervous system in producing muscle force as well as in the clinical diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases. The process involves the recognition of unique shapes (action potentials) contributed by different motor units at random times throughout a muscle contraction. This paper addresses a specific aspect of the identification process: the decomposition of the compound signal when the action potentials of two or more motor units are superimposed. We propose a cross-time-frequency-based procedure to identify which two (out of a previously identified collection of waveforms) are included in a superposition. The procedure also determines the relative delay of the two waveforms.
Experimental studies and modeling of an information embedded power system

This paper develops a model of an electrical power system, with its inherent embedded communication system, for the purpose of studying the characteristics of power system measurement errors due to communication delays. This model is referred to as an "information embedded power system" to emphasize the inclusion of information variables that represent measurements that have been delivered across the communication system and observed at a control center. These information variables are added to the standard power system model for the energy balance within the power system. A stochastic system model is developed, which is composed of both the physical infrastructure of the power system as well as the embedded computer network communication infrastructure. This type of analysis is an extension of traditional observability approaches, which usually only assume steady-state conditions in the power system and do not consider time delays in delivering measurements. An experimental platform has also been designed to validate the developed model.
Failure of the hypotensive provocative test during temporary balloon test occlusion of the internal carotid artery to predict delayed hemodynamic ischemia after therapeutic carotid occlusion

BACKGROUND Extensive experience and critical evaluation of the efficacy of a pharmacologic hypotensive challenge during conventional balloon test occlusion (BTO) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is lacking. This prompted us to review our institution's most recent experience with this adjunctive provocative test before planned therapeutic balloon occlusion of the ICA. METHODS Twenty consecutive cases of endovascular therapeutic balloon occlusion of the ICA were retrospectively reviewed. Conventional BTO under normotension and with hypotensive challenge were performed within a standardized protocol. RESULTS Sixteen patients underwent provocative testing, of which 13 had BTO with hypotensive challenge. All patients in this group tolerated these maneuvers without acute neurologic deficit. Two (15%) of these patients developed delayed permanent neurologic deficits, which seemed to be attributable to hemodynamic ischemia. One of seven patients not undergoing hypotensive challenge also developed transient neurologic deficits after carotid occlusion. CONCLUSIONS Despite the conceptually attractive and early positive experience of the hypotensive challenge in attempting to increase sensitivity and specificity of risk for developing delayed hemodynamic ischemia, we have found two significant false-negative results. This experience is reviewed in the context of risks of permanent balloon occlusion of the carotid artery after balloon test occlusion.
A Tropical Rain Forest Site in Belize

Nestled in Belize’s lush tropical rain forest, the Chan site was long known to local farmers who still farm the area around the archaeological site. The area was noted by archaeologists in 1994 who were working on a regional settlement survey. The Chan project, a collaborative, international, multidisciplinary research project, began in 2002, bringing together a team of over 120 foreign and local archaeologists, botanists, geologists, geographers, chemists, computer scientists, artists, students, workers, volunteers, and local community residents from Belize, the USA, England, Canada, and China (Robin 2012).
An active life extension strategy for power switches in interleaved converters

The research on non-invasive incipient fault diagnosis of power converters is very critical to avoid strenuous periodic check-ups and costly interruptions. In many of the research studies, on-state resistance of power MOSFETs is identified as the fault precursor, and suggested to be monitored online for prognosis. In this paper, a condition monitoring algorithm is proposed for power MOSFETs of interleaved converters and integrated with the conventional current loops. The proposed technique utilizes on-state resistance information of the switches to adjust the current reference of each interleaving leg. Thus, the thermal stress on the aged device can be reduced and the overall lifetime of the converter can be extended. The proposed approach is verified on two-leg interleaved dc/dc and ac/dc converters.
Review of A Novel Approach to Politics: Introducing Political Science through Books, Movies, and Popular Culture

If instructors are looking for an introduction to politics text that will engage students—this is it. Douglas Van Belle and Kenneth Mash introduce the topic of politics in an unparalleled way using...
Ultrasound Therapy of Subacromial Bursitis A Double Blind Trial

Ultrasound (US) is used widely to treat patients with supraspinatus tendinitis, subacromial bursitis, or adhesive capsulitis (SSA). No double blind studies of US in the treatment of SSA, however, have been conducted. This study was designed to determine whether the addition of US can further decrease pain and increase range of motion in those receiving the usual courses of ROM exercises and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or ROM exercises in patients with SSA. Twenty patients with SSA were randomized to receive true or sham US three times a week for four weeks. All other aspects of treatment remained constant (ROM exercises and NSAIDs or ROM exercises). The physician, the physical therapist, and the patients were blinded throughout the study regarding the delivery of the true or sham US. Of the multiple variables analyzed (pain, ROM, and function), no significant difference was found between the sham or true US groups. Although the study group was small, the results suggest that US is of little or no benefit when combined with ROM exercises and NSAIDs or ROM exercises in the treatment of SSA.
Cellular Growth and Differentiation during Embryogenesis and Fetal Development

Vitamin D2 and D3, the biologically significant forms of the vitamin, are produced in plants (D2 and D3) and skin (D3) from ultraviolet irradiation of ergosterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol respectively (DeLuca, 1980; Horst, 1985; Reichel et al., 1989; DeLuca et al., 1990). Once taken up from the skin (D3) or absorbed from the diet (D2 and D3), vitamin D is carried in the circulation bound to the vitamin D binding protein (DBP) and albumin (Haddad, 1979), and rapidly converted in the liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) (Ponchon and DeLuca, 1969), the primary circulating form of the vitamin, through mitochondrial and microsomal cytochrome P-450 reactions that are weakly regulated by calcium and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) (Djorkhem et al., 1980; Baran and Milne, 1983; Hayashi et al., 1986). 25-Hydroxyvitamin D acts as substrate for synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D, the most biologically active hormonal form of the vitamin (Reichel et al., 1989). Although 1,25(OH)2D synthesis has been demonstrated in bone cells, keratinocytes, placenta, embryonic intestine, aortic endothelial cells, activated macrophages and various abnormal cells (Dusso et al., 1990) the primary if not sole source of circulating 1,25(OH)2D in the nonpregnant animal is the kidney (Gray et al., 1971). During pregnancy placental and/or fetal production of 1,25(OH)2D can contribute to the maternal serum pool (Gray et al., 1971).
Abstract 370: Upregulation of Renal D5 Dopamine Receptor Ameliorates Hypertension in D3 Deficient Mice

D 3 dopamine receptor (D 3 R) deficient mice have renin-dependent hypertension but the hypertension is mild and is not associated with oxidative stress. In order to determine if any compensatory mechanism in the kidney is involved in the regulation of blood pressure with disruption of D 3 R, we measured the renal protein expression of dopamine receptors in D 3 R homozygous (D 3 -/-) and heterozygous (D 3 +/-) knockout mice and their wild type (D 3 +/+) littermates. D 5 dopamine receptor (D 5 R) (169±23%, reported as % of D 3 +/+, n=5/group) expression was increased but D 4 dopamine receptors protein expression (59±8%) was decreased, while no significant changes were found with D 1 and D 2 dopamine receptors. Immunocytochemistry showed a stronger renal staining of D 5 R but without a change in renal tubule cell distribution in D 3 -/- relative to D 3 +/+ mice. D 5 R abundance was also increased in D 3 +/- (205±30%, n=5/group) relative to D 3 +/+ mice, while D 1 R abundance was similar between D 3 +/- and D 3 +/+ mice. The increase in D 5 R expression was abolished while blood pressure was increased further in D 3 -/- mice fed a high salt diet. Treatment of the D 1 -like (including D 1 and D 5 receptors) antagonist, SCH23390, increased the blood pressure to a greater extent in anesthetized D 3 -/- mice than in D 3 +/+ mice (n=4/group), suggesting that the upregulation of D 5 R may modulate the hypertension in mice caused by the disruption of D 3 R. Since dopamine inhibits the NADPH oxidase-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via the D 5 R, we also measured the protein expression of NOXs in the kidney and isoprostane in the urine. No NADPH oxidase subunit was increased in D 3 -/- and D 3 +/- mice relative to D 3 +/+ mice fed a normal or salt high salt diet, and urinary isoprostane excretion was also similar in D 3 -/- and D 3 +/+ mice. Our findings suggest that the upregulation of D 5 R may minimize the hypertension and prevent oxidative stress in D 3 -/- mice.
Detecting large cohesive subgroups with high clustering coefficients in social networks

Abstract Clique relaxations are used in classical models of cohesive subgroups in social network analysis. Clustering coefficient was introduced more recently as a structural feature characterizing small-world networks. Noting that cohesive subgroups tend to have high clustering coefficients, this paper introduces a new clique relaxation, α-cluster, defined by enforcing a lower bound α on the clustering coefficient in the corresponding induced subgraph. Two variations of the clustering coefficient are considered, namely, the local and global clustering coefficient. Certain structural properties of α-clusters are analyzed and mathematical optimization models for determining α-clusters of the largest size in a network are developed and validated using several real-life social networks. In addition, a network clustering algorithm based on local α-clusters is proposed and successfully tested.
Important Contributions to the Interventional Radiology Dialysis Literature, 2014-2015.

Dialysis access interventions remain a vital component of long-term care for the dialysis population. Several advances have been published in the past two years, including both advances in the creation of accesses as well as treatment of specific processes leading to dialysis access failures. Advances in tools and other techniques used in dialysis access maintenance have also led to significant improvements in outcomes in this patient population. The purpose of this article is to provide synopses of some of the most important literature published in 2014–2015, and to provide objective data for the reader to make their own decisions regarding interventions performed in this patient population.
GrowingChange: Media Products as Therapy for Adjudicated Youth

GrowingChange is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving the futures of teenage males in the juvenile justice system. The group is working to reclaim an abandoned prison in Wagram, North Carolina in order to convert it into a sustainable farm and agricultural center for the local community. If successful, GrowingChange hopes to institute a national model for converting closed prison sites into community centers across the country. Youth involved in the program undergo unique forms of therapy to reset their paths toward more promising futures. A core therapeutic component of GrowingChange is teaching youth in the program about ways to provide food and food-related products to impoverished populations in surrounding communities. As the fledgling organization grows, its founder, Noran Sanford, has discovered that promotional media endeavors provide additional therapeutic benefits for the adjudicated youth of GrowingChange.
Detection of tumor cells in bladder washings by a monoclonal antibody to human bladder tumor-associated antigen.

Abstract We have conducted two studies to evaluate the efficacy of using a specific monoclonal antibody (McAb) to detect exfoliated tumor cells in bladder washings. This is a preliminary step toward the development of immunological methods to improve the cytologic detection of bladder carcinoma. In this study, McAb 3G2-C6 was used. The McAb reacts to a bladder tumor-associated cell-surface antigen expressed in bladder tumors of various grades. Bladder washings from patients with and without carcinoma were stained with the McAb using two different indirect immunofluorescence methods (Methods A and B). The results of the immunological studies were compared with those obtained from the cytology laboratory and these in turn, were evaluated against the histopathological diagnosis of respective patients at the time the samples were taken. Immunofluorescence method A detected positive cells in 87% (56/64) of specimens from bladder cancer patients, including 18 of 19 from patients with grade 1 tumor. This method also had a low false-positive rate; only one of 17 specimens from patients with other urinary disorders had positively reacting cells. Immunofluorescence method B, evaluating a second group of specimens, detected positive cells in 68% (15/22) of specimens from patients with carcinoma, and in only one of 17 controls. However, it also identified positive cells in specimens from patients with chronic cystitis and urinary calculi. Overall the results of these studies indicate that the McAb method is superior to the routine cytology in detecting tumor cells in bladder washing specimens. More work must be done, however, to improve the specificity of the method before it can be used as an aid for routine tumor detection. (J. Urol., 140: 672-677, 1988)
English inversions as constructional alloforms

This paper analyzes English inversion as an 'alloform' (Birner 2013) of both preposing and postposing. Birner 1996b analyzes inversion as subject to a negative constraint, disallowing new before old information. The need for this constraint vanishes, however, if inversion is viewed as being an alloform of preposing in cases where the preposed information is discourse-old, and an alloform of postposing in cases where the postposed information is discourse-new. Cases that satisfy both constraints are ambiguous between preposing and postposing, the infelicity of cases that satisfy neither constraint falls out automatically, and additional properties of inversion are readily explained.
Diaphragmatic Dysfunction after Thoracic Operations

The perioperative management of diaphragmatic weakness and phrenic nerve dysfunction is complex, due to varied etiologies and clinical presentations. The factors leading to diaphragmatic weakness may culminate after the operation with transient or persistent respiratory failure. This review discusses diaphragmatic disorders and postoperative respiratory failure caused by unilateral or bilateral diaphragmatic impairment. The origins of neuromuscular weakness involving the diaphragm are diverse, and often lie within the domains of different medical specialties, with only a portion of the condition related to surgical intervention. Consideration of underlying etiologies for any individual patient requires thorough multidisciplinary review. The most important clinical scenarios compounding diaphragmatic weakness, including acute myasthenic states, persistent neuromuscular blockade, and surgical injury to the phrenic nerve or diaphragm, are accessible to attentive surgeons. Awareness of the signs and symptoms of undiagnosed weakness, preoperative pursuit of its diagnosis, knowledge of surgical alternatives to phrenic nerve resection, and cooperative skills in the multidisciplinary management of myasthenia all are crucial to improve patient outcomes.
General Methods for Access Control Policy Verification (Application Paper)

Access control systems are among the most critical of computer security components. Faulty policies, misconfigurations, or flaws in software implementations can result in serious vulnerabilities. To formally and precisely capture the security properties that access control should adhere to, access control models are usually written, bridging the gap in abstraction between policies and mechanisms. Identifying discrepancies between policy specifications and their intended function is crucial because correct implementation and enforcement of policies by applications is based on the premise that the policy specifications are correct. As a result, policy specifications represented by models must undergo rigorous verification and validation through systematic verification and testing to ensure that the policy specifications truly encapsulate the desires of the policy authors. Verifying the conformance of access control policies and models is a non-trivial and critical task, and one important aspect of such verification is to formally check the inconsistency and incompleteness of the model and safety requirements of the policy, because an access control model and its implementation do not necessarily explicitly express the policy, which can also be implicitly embedded by mixing with direct access constraints or other access control models.
Towards online characterization of autonomously navigating robots in unstructured environments

Autonomous platforms are confronted by a diversity of challenges in unstructured environments, which make monitoring performance a non-trivial task. Some of these environments are so complex that they preclude persistent, nearby operator oversight. This absence of oversight motivates the need for an online monitoring system, specifically for robots operating in difficult environments. We develop a test methodology and set of online monitoring metrics by extending methods for characterizing robotic-systems using offline metrics. We implement this test methodology in an unstructured, outdoor environment and show the resulting performance information gained from our online monitoring solution. This online monitoring approach is generalizable such that it characterizes any robotic system that meets our set of hardware and software criteria.
Game theoretic defense approach to wireless networks against stealthy decoy attacks

Wireless networks implementing dynamic channel assignment mechanisms are vulnerable to stealthy decoy attacks that aim to disrupt natural network operation by creating cascading channel conflicts. This paper develops a game-theoretic defense strategy in which a network administrator makes judicious adjustments of the transmission footprint of the various nodes, thereby continuously adapting the underlying network topology. The defense strategy is a mixed-strategy Nash equilibrium of a formulated 2-player zero-sum game between the admin and the attacker. As the space of strategies of the admin grows exponentially with the size of the network, a scalable decomposition-based approach is developed yielding a defense strategy whose performance is shown to closely approach the Nash equilibrium of the non-decomposed game. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategies against various attack policies under different attack costs and initial conflict sizes.
Meson-resonance production in π + p interactions at 15 GeV/ c

We report on a study of 15-GeV/c ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p$ interactions of all topologies using the SLAC 82-in. hydrogen bubble chamber. A description is given of the automatic pattern-recognition techniques used to measure the events. Cross sections are given for meson-resonance production in all topologies. Evidence is presented for a new resonance decaying to five pions. A measurement is made of the branching ratios of the $g$ meson. A study is made of low-mass enhancements in the diffractively produced $\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{\pi}$, $f\ensuremath{\pi}$, and $g\ensuremath{\pi}$ channels, and a search is made for nondiffractive production of the ${A}_{1}$ meson.
Choosing the Right Oral Contraceptive Pill for Teens

Oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) continue to be the most commonly used form of prescription contraceptives used by adolescents in the United States. With proper use, oral contraceptives provide safe and effective birth control. Broad categories of OCPs include progestin-only pills (POPs) and combined oral contraceptive pills (COCs). Certain types of progestins have more potent antiandrogenic properties and are more effective in treating acne, hirsutism, and polycystic ovary syndrome. This article reviews types of OCPs, discusses risks and benefits of OCPs, and provides guidance for how to choose the most beneficial and appropriate OCP for individual adolescent patients.
Bilirubin Prevents Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation in Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Deficient Mice by Inhibiting Endothelial VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 Signaling.

BackgroundNumerous epidemiological studies support an inverse association between serum bilirubin levels and the incidence of cardiovascular disease; however, the mechanism(s) by which bilirubin ma...
Abstract NS9: ARN Professional Rehabilitation Nurse Competency Model: Application to Stroke Care

As the nursing profession continues to become more specialized, there have been more models developed to define specific practice areas. Rehabilitation nursing is practiced in diverse settings alon...
Enhancing interferometer phase estimation, sensing sensitivity, and resolution using robust entangled states

With the goal of designing interferometers and interferometer sensors, e.g., LADARs with enhanced sensitivity, resolution, and phase estimation, states using quantum entanglement are discussed. These states include N00N states, plain M and M states (PMMSs), and linear combinations of M and M states (LCMMS). Closed form expressions for the optimal detection operators; visibility, a measure of the state’s robustness to loss and noise; a resolution measure; and phase estimate error, are provided in closed form. The optimal resolution for the maximum visibility and minimum phase error are found. For the visibility, comparisons between PMMSs, LCMMS, and N00N states are provided. For the minimum phase error, comparisons between LCMMS, PMMSs, N00N states, separate photon states (SPSs), the shot noise limit (SNL), and the Heisenberg limit (HL) are provided. A representative collection of computational results illustrating the superiority of LCMMS when compared to PMMSs and N00N states is given. It is found that for a resolution 12 times the classical result LCMMS has visibility 11 times that of N00N states and 4 times that of PMMSs. For the same case, the minimum phase error for LCMMS is 10.7 times smaller than that of PMMS and 29.7 times smaller than that of N00N states.
Reduced Risk of Acute Exacerbation of COPD After Bariatric Surgery: A Self-Controlled Case Series Study.

Background Obesity is common among individuals with COPD and associated with increased COPD morbidities. However, little is known about the impact of weight reduction on COPD-related outcomes in patients who are obese. Methods Using the population-based ED and inpatient sample in three US states (California, Florida, and Nebraska), we performed a self-controlled case series study of 481 adults who were obese (40-65 years of age) with COPD who underwent bariatric surgery. The primary outcome was an ED visit or hospitalization for acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) from 2005 through 2011. We compared each patient's risk of the outcome during sequential 12-month periods using presurgery months 13 through 24 as the reference period. Results During the 13 to 24 months before bariatric surgery (ie, reference period), 28% (95% CI, 24%-32%) of patients had an ED visit or hospitalization for AECOPD. In the subsequent 12-month presurgery period, the risk did not change materially (31%; 95% CI, 27%-35%), with an adjusted OR (aOR) of 1.16 (95% CI, 0.88-1.53; P = .29). By contrast, during the first 12 months after bariatric surgery, the risk declined significantly (12%; 95% CI, 9%-15%; aOR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.25-0.49; P Conclusions The risk of an ED visit or hospitalization for AECOPD substantially decreased after bariatric surgery in patients who are obese. This observation suggests the effectiveness of substantial weight reduction on COPD morbidity.
Impact of EPOC adjustment on estimation of energy expenditure using activity monitors

Purpose: To examine the accuracy of activity monitors in estimating energy expenditure (EE) during activities of varying mode and intensity and to evaluate the impact of including energy expended d...
Neutrino Physics in the Light of WMAP

We investigate the implications of recent cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) and large scale structure (LSS) results the neutrino background and mass. We use the recent WMAP data, together with previous CBI data and 2dF matter power spectrum, to constrain the effective number of neutrino species N eff and the neutrino mass in a general Cosmology. We find that N eff=4.08 with a 95 per cent C.L. 1.9≤N eff≤6.62. The curvature we derive is still consistent with flat, but assuming a flat Universe from the beginning implies a bias toward lower N eff, as well as artificially smaller error bars. We analyze and discuss the degeneracies with other parameters, and point out that probes of the matter power spectrum on smaller scales, accurate independent σ8 measurements, together with better independent measurement of H 0 would help in breaking the degeneracies. As for the neutrino mass, we show that CMB and matter power spectrum at the present time are unable to constrain the neutrino mass below 0.4 eV, unless a strong assumption on the bias parameter is assumed. Adding constraints on σ8 significantly reduces the uncertainty on the neutrino mass.
Examining the Effect of Maternal High-Fat Diet Consumption on the Physiology and Pancreas Development of Fetal and Juvenile Nonhuman Primate Offspring

i Dedication iii Acknowledgments iv List of Tables viii List of Figures ix List of Abbreviations xi Chapter 1: Background and Introduction
Microstructure of aragonite grown at an air–liquid interface

Aragonite particles dispersed in a bioresorbable polymer matrix are considered to be a good candidate for bone prosthesis materials. It is important to characterize the microstructure of synthetic aragonite used for biomedical applications, since the microstructure may influence its integration, resorption and replacement by bone. We studied late stages of aragonite growth, at an air–liquid interface, from a solution not doped with additives. Comparison was made between the types of synthetic aragonite microstructure and that of aragonite which is found in nature (mollusc shells, gallstones, Earth's crust). The microstructure of natural aragonite is unique to certain classes of living organisms and the understanding of its structure/function relationships may help to select the types of synthetic aragonite for specific biomedical applications. Three types of synthetic aragonite were observed based on grain size and grain morphology.
A Compact, Broadband, Two-Port Slot Antenna System for Full-Duplex Applications

A broadband common-aperture, and dual-polarized sub-array of Cavity-Backed Slot Antenna (CBSA) with two ports having a very high level of isolation is presented in this paper. The antenna is designed for wideband full-duplex wireless communication and FMCW radar systems. The antenna is composed of a thin rectangular cavity on which four cross-slots are cut out for radiation. The radiating cross-slots are fed by two concentric orthogonal slots on the back wall of the cavity. One polarization is excited by an end-launch coaxial to waveguide transition which is used to excite the cavity through a feeding slot. A two-pronged microstrip line symmetrically crossing over another feeding slot, oriented orthogonal to the feeding slot, is used to excite the other polarization. The microstrip line is designed such that each prong would couple to the waveguide feed out-of-phase and as a result, a very high isolation level is achieved between channels over a very wide bandwidth. Designed to be compatible with metal 3D printing, the devised antenna is fabricated out of aluminum using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology. This sub-array slot antenna with dimensions smaller than 1. 28 λ L ×1.28 λ L ×0. 27 λ L (where λ L is the wavelength at the lowest frequency), provides a minimum gain of 10 dB for both channels and exhibits a polarization isolation better than 20 dB within the main beam and a channel isolation above 54 dB over 40% fractional bandwidth.
Sensitivity analysis and Taguchi optimization procedure for a single-shoe drum brake:

Drum brakes have dominated the braking industry for many years and will most likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future due to their low cost and adequate operating performance. Basic equations for conventional brake are presented, while complicated analysis has been published using finite element methods to predict brake squeal and instability. This paper seeks to step away from the complexity of numerical models to consider the fundamental braking phenomenon of a single-shoe drum brake, using nondimensional, closed-form analysis and a Taylor series expansion to examine the effects of perturbing dimensionless design parameters. In addition, an optimal design for the conventional brake is achieved using Taguchi method. In conclusion, this paper shows that the braking torque is dependent upon only four dimensionless groups, and that two of these groups dominate the physics of braking. Furthermore, it is shown that adjustments to these two dominating groups have a direct impact on the contact press...
The Presence of a Transporter-Induced Protein Binding Shift: A New Explanation for Protein-Facilitated Uptake and Improvement for In Vitro-In Vivo Extrapolation.

Accurately predicting hepatic clearance is an integral part of the drug-development process, and yet current in vitro to in vivo (IVIVE) extrapolation methods yield poor predictions, particularly for highly protein-bound transporter substrates. Explanations for error include inaccuracies in protein-binding measurements and the lack of recognition of protein-facilitated uptake, where both unbound and bound drug may be cleared, violating the principles of the widely accepted free drug theory. A new explanation for protein-facilitated uptake is proposed here, called a transporter-induced protein binding shift. High-affinity binding to cell-membrane proteins may change the equilibrium of the nonspecific binding between drugs and plasma proteins, leading to greater cellular uptake and clearance than currently predicted. The uptake of two lower protein-binding organic anion transporting polypeptide substrates (pravastatin and rosuvastatin) and two higher binding substrates (atorvastatin and pitavastatin) were measured in rat hepatocytes in incubations with protein-free buffer versus 100% plasma. Decreased unbound Km values and increased intrinsic clearance values were seen in the plasma incubations for the highly bound compounds, supporting the new hypothesis and mitigating the IVIVE underprediction previously seen for highly bound transporter substrates.
Transitioning parenthood & transitioning schools: TransGeneration, a book review

From the moment a pregnancy is announced, the parents are always asked, “Are you having a boy or a girl?” Children are gendered from early pregnancy, sometimes even before sex organs are able to be...
Switched Systems With Multiple Equilibria Under Disturbances: Boundedness and Practical Stability

This paper addresses robustness to external disturbances of switched discrete and continuous systems with multiple equilibria. First, we prove that if each subsystem of the switched system is input-to-state stable (ISS), then under switching signals that satisfy an average dwell-time bound, the solutions are ultimately bounded within a compact set. The size of this set varies monotonically with the supremum norm of the disturbance signal. These results generalize existing ones in the common equilibrium case to accommodate multiple equilibria. Then, we relax the (global) ISS conditions to consider equilibria that are locally exponentially stable (LES), and we establish practical stability for such switched systems under disturbances. Our motivation for studying this class of switched systems arises from certain motion planning problems in robotics, where primitive movements, each corresponding to an equilibrium point of a dynamical system, must be composed to obtain more complex motions. As a concrete example, we consider the problem of realizing safe adaptive locomotion of a three-dimensional biped under persistent external force by switching among motion primitives characterized by LES limit cycles. The results of this paper, however, are relevant to a much broader class of applications, in which composition of different modes of behavior is required.