cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Comparison of Segmental Multifrequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry for Estimating Fat Free Mass and Percentage Body Fat in an Ambulatory Population

Background Despite malnutrition being associated with increased mortality and morbidity, there continues to be great difficulty in defining criteria and implementing widespread screening. Tools used to diagnose decreased fat-free mass (FFM [sarcopenia]) should be easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and safe. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has the potential to meet these criteria, but reliability across body mass index (BMI) classes is a concern. Methods A total of 176 healthy ambulatory participants (aged 18-65 years) were recruited equally (n = 44) in 4 BMI categories: (1) 18.5-24.9, (2) 25.0-29.9, (3) 30-34.9, and (4) ≥35.0. Participants were fasting overnight and had S-MFBIA (InBody 770) measurements the next morning, with DXA being performed subsequently within 30 minutes. Results The measurement (mean ± SD) for FFM with DXA was 52.8 ± 11.0, and BIA was 53.6 ± 11.0. Delta (S-MFBIA vs DXA) was 0.8 ± 2.2 (5% limits of agreement -3.5 to +5.2), and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.97-0.98). The measurements (mean ± SD) for PBF with DXA was 37.5 ± 10.6% and S-MFBIA was 36.6 ± 11.3%. Delta (S-MFBIA vs DXA) was -0.9 ± 2.6 (5% limits of agreement 6.0 to +4.2), and CCC was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96-0.98). The CCC according to the 4 BMI groups for FFM and PBF was between 0.96-0.98 and 0.90-0.94, respectively. Conclusions FFM and PBF measured by S-MFBIA had good agreement with DXA across all BMI categories measured in the current study of ambulatory participants.
Dual-Task Gait Assessment and Machine Learning for Early-detection of Cognitive Decline

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects approximately 30 million people worldwide, and this number is predicted to triple by 2050 unless further discoveries facilitate the early detection and prevention of the disease. Computerized walkways for simultaneous assessment of motor-cognitive performance, known as a dual-task assessment, has been used to associate changes in gait characteristics to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with early-stage disease. However, to our best knowledge, there is no validated method to detect MCI using the collective analysis of these gait characteristics. In this paper, we develop a machine learning approach to analyze the gait data from the dual-task assessment in order to detect subjects with cognitive impairment from healthy individuals. We collected dual-task gait data from a computerized walkway of a total of 92 subjects with 31 healthy control (HC) and 61 MCI. Using support vector machine (SVM) and gradient tree boosting, we developed a classifier to differentiate MCI from HC subjects and compared the results with a paper-based questionnaire assessment that has been commonly used in clinical practice. SVM provided the highest accuracy of 77.17% with 81.97% sensitivity and 67.74% specificity. Our results indicate the potential of machine learning + dual-task assessment to enable early diagnosis of cognitive decline before it advances to dementia and AD, so that early intervention or prevention strategies can be initiated.
Morrey inequalities in the Monge-Ampère quasi-metric structure

Abstract Morrey-type inequalities within the Monge-Ampere quasi-metric structure are proved under various conditions on the underlying Monge-Ampere measure. A number of examples of convex functions satisfying the required assumptions are described. Applications include interior C 1 - and C 2 -estimates for solutions to Monge-Ampere equations as well as Morrey-type inequalities with respect to monomial weights.
Diffusive low optical depth particle disks truncated by planets

Two dimensional particle disks in proximity to a planet are numerically integrated to determine when a planet in a circular orbit can truncate a particle disk. Collisions are treated by giving each particle a series of velocity perturbations during the integration. We estimate the mass of a planet required to truncate a particle disk as a function of collision rate, related to the disk optical depth, and velocity perturbation size, related to the disk velocity dispersion. We find that for particle disks in the regime estimated for debris disks, a Neptune mass planet is sufficiently massive to truncate the disk. If both the velocity dispersion and the disk optical depth are low (dispersion less than approximately 0.02 in units of circular motion, and optical depth less than 10^-4) then an Earth mass planet suffices. We find that the disk is smooth and axisymmetric unless the velocity perturbation is small and the planet mass is of order or greater than a Neptune mass in which case azimuthal structure is seen near prominent mean motion resonances.
COVID-19: An analysis of social media and research publication activity during the early stages of the pandemic

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of rapid dissemination of scientific and medical discovery. Social media (SoMe) has become an invaluable platform in science and medicine. This study analyzed activity of SoMe (Twitter), preprints, and publications related to COVID-19 and gastroenterology (GI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data from Twitter, preprint servers and PubMed was collected and analyzed from December 2019 through May 2020. Global and regional geographic and gastrointestinal organ specific social media trends were compared to preprint and publication activity; any associations were identified. Results Over the 6-month period, there were 73,079 tweets from 44,609 users, 7,164 publications, and 4,702 preprints. Twitter activity peaked during March while preprints and publications peaked in April 2020. Strong correlations were identified between Twitter and both preprints and publications activity (p<0.001 for both). While COVID-19 data across the 3 platforms concentrated on pulmonology/critical care, the majority of GI tweets pertained to pancreatology, most publications focused on hepatology, and most preprints covered hepatology and luminal GI (LGI). There were significant associations between Twitter activity and research for all GI subfields (p=0.009 for LGI, p=0.006 for hepatology and IBD, p=0.007 for endoscopy), except pancreatology (p=0.2). Twitter activity was highest in the US (7,331 tweets) whereas PubMed activity was highest in China (1,768 publications). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the utility of SoMe as a vehicle for disseminating scientific information during a public health crisis. Scientists and clinicians should consider the use of SoMe in augmenting public awareness of their scholarly pursuits.
Cannabis Exposure Decreases Need for Blood Pressure Support During General Anesthesia in Orthopedic Trauma Surgery.

Introduction: As cannabis use continues to increase in popularity, it is important to investigate how it impacts public health in all sectors of the population, including patients undergoing anesth...
The Role of AhR in the Hallmarks of Brain Aging: Friend and Foe

In recent years, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, has been considered to be involved in aging phenotypes across several species. This receptor is a highly conserved biosensor that is activated by numerous exogenous and endogenous molecules, including microbiota metabolites, to mediate several physiological and toxicological functions. Brain aging hallmarks, which include glial cell activation and inflammation, increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular senescence, increase the vulnerability of humans to various neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, many studies have implicated AhR signaling pathways in the aging process and longevity across several species. This review provides an overview of the impact of AhR pathways on various aging hallmarks in the brain and the implications for AhR signaling as a mechanism in regulating aging-related diseases of the brain. We also explore how the nature of AhR ligands determines the outcomes of several signaling pathways in brain aging processes.
General Treatment Concepts for Stress Fractures

Stress fractures occur when the rate of new bone formation is unable to keep pace with the accumulation of microdamages from repetitive stresses. General treatment principles focus on either decreasing the demands placed on the bone or augmenting the body’s natural healing response. Identifying modifiable risk factors is a crucial step in the initial evaluation. Supplementation of calcium, vitamin D, and other pharmacotherapies are available to practitioners. Adjunctive therapies such as noninvasive pulsed ultrasound, extracorporeal shock-wave therapy, and electrical stimulation have also been introduced in order to accelerate fracture healing.
Scaling Indices: Types and Applications

Abstract The prediction of scale formation is of prime interest to those responsible for industrial water usage, potable water supplies, power generation, agricultural irrigation, process waters, and oil and gas production. The same methods can be applied to process scales such as calcium oxalate in paper production and sugar processing and even in medical applications. Predictive methods for scale precipitation and deposition are lumped under the broad category of indices. Most indices predict whether or not a particular mineral scale is likely to precipitate and cause an economically significant problem. Some indices predict the quantity of deposition that might be expected. In many cases, the review and application of the index ends with a simple scale is/isn't expected, or this much is expected to precipitate. Indices also provide the driving force for other predictions such as induction time, the time before precipitation is expected to initiate, and the scale inhibitor dosage required to prevent scale formation or growth until a water has passed through the system under study. Scale indices can be broadly classified into two categories: simple indices that rely upon total analytical values and were developed prior to the general availability of computer power for calculations and more sophisticated indices that rely upon computerized calculations to calculate free ion concentrations and correct for factors that might take weeks if calculated manually. Both categories are discussed, as well as the simplifications, assumptions, and limitations inherent in the simple indices. Scale prediction indices may also be incorporated into other models, such as predictive corrosion rate equations. This chapter discusses the history, development, and applicability of indices including the relevant chemistry. The applicability and limitations of various indices and calculation methods are discussed.
Challenging Portals in the Profession

(1947). Challenging Portals in the Profession. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 18, No. 9, pp. 647-693.
Oxidation of Low Calorific Value Gases-Applying Optimization Techniques to Combustor Design

The design of an optimal air-staged combustor for the oxidation of a low calorific value gas mixture is presented. The focus is on the residual fuel emitted from the anode of a molten carbonate fuel cell. Both experimental and numerical results are presented. The simplified numerical model considers a series of plug-flow-reactor sections, with the possible addition of a perfectly-stirred reactor. The parameter used for optimization, Z, is the sum of fuel-component molar flow rates leaving a particular combustor section. An optimized air injection profile is one that minimizes Z for a given combustor length and inlet condition. Since a mathematical proof describing the significance of global interactions remains lacking; the numerical model employs both a ''Local'' optimization procedure and a ''Global'' optimization procedure. The sensitivity of Z to variations in the air injection profile and inlet temperature is also examined. The results show that oxidation of the anode exhaust gas is possible with low pollutant emissions.
Untangling Ethics Theory from Attorney Conduct Rules: The Case of Inadvertent Disclosures

The article addresses a common question: What should the rules require lawyers to do when they receive inadvertently disclosed privileged information from an adversary? Many commentators have incorrectly assumed that ethics theories, such as the zealous advocacy model, can tell us the answer. In fact, existing ethics theories should serve a more limited role: they should only tell lawyers how to behave when the rules do not offer clear guidance. To correct this mistaken reliance on conventional ethics theories as the primary generators of the positive law, this article develops an alternative model. The model suggests that, when creating professional regulations, we should draw on a wider range of values, including not only zealous advocacy, but also justice, morality, professionalism, consumer protection, consistency with other law, and the numerous considerations that go into lawmaking more generally, such as the reduction of contracting costs. By identifying and then weighing these various factors, this article concludes that the profession can provide a better framework for the development of professional regulations in general and a clearer answer to the inadvertent disclosure issue in particular. Through the creation of a framework of this sort, it becomes apparent that we need to make two significant revisions to the Model Rule in this area, which at present only obligates recipients of inadvertent disclosures to notify senders about their mistakes. First, the Rule should be revised to require lawyers to return inadvertent disclosures when the senders request such returns, but only if the senders make the request before the recipients have reviewed the documents. Second, in those cases where senders do not discover their own mistakes, the Rule should not require recipients to bring those mistakes to the senders' attention. The article contends that these proposed revisions are consistent with the wide range of policy rationales that should underlie professional rulemaking.
Small-signal modeling for digital predictive current mode control in CCM

Predictive current mode control is a promising digital current mode control technique. It has the advantages of fast transient response without knowledge of the exact value of the input voltage and inductance in the power converter. Control laws are based on an understanding of the inductor current waveform, thus providing flexibility in programming and implementation. However, only a few papers have been written about developing small-signal models for predictive current controllers. It is important to have a small-signal model to optimize the controller performance. In this paper, a small-signal s-domain model for predictive current mode control is proposed. This small-signal model is applied to two different predictive controller systems. The frequency response of the systems are compared with experimental measurements obtained with an AP300 network analyzer.
Agrarians Feeding Communities: Reconnecting Federal Farm Policy & Nutrition Assistance for a More Just Agri-Food System

Agrarians Feeding Communities (i) surveys the promise of and the obstacles facing the diverse and diffuse food movement, (ii) examines the objectives of, problems with, and politics related to past and present federal farm and food policy, and (iii) explores opportunities for using federal policy to simultaneously support farmers, nourish the hungry, reward socially and ecologically responsible practices, generate economic opportunity, and strengthen communities. This article strives to bridge the gap between federal farm policy and the food movement by identifying legitimate shared goals and looking for synergistic solutions. It recommends a holistic and coordinated approach to federal agricultural and nutrition policy based on the natural interconnectedness of producers and consumers. Finally, it advances substantial support for "responsible regional agriculture" through a market-based reform of nutrition assistance.
The value of NDBC observations during March 1993's Storm of the Century'

National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) observations from the western Gulf of Mexico Provided several early indications of more rapid cyclogenesis on 12 March 1993 than was forecast by numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Observations demostrated a closed circulation with gale-force winds shortly after the storm entered the Gulf of Mexico. Pressure measurements at two buoys off the Texas coast were 4-6 hPa lower than the 12-h NWP forecasts, a significant forecast error. Observations from NDBC's moored buoys and Coastal-Marine Automated Network stations revealed that the developing storm was significantly deeper than was indicated on the National Meteorological Center's automated surface analyses. Ocean wave observations reveal some of the steepest waves NDBC has ever measured, indicating phenomenonal wave growth and a high potential for damage to vessels and structures. A warm eddy caused sea surface temperatures (SST) to be several degrees above normal under the track of the storm, creating a strong SST gradient to the north. This provided ample energy and strengthened the baroclinity. NDBC observations showed the eddy to be somewhat larger and warmer than indicated by the most recent National Hurricane Center analysis. This event demonstrates the tremendous value of NDBC marine observations for accurately detecting the occurrence and strength of coastal cyclogenesis events.
Security and Privacy for Distributed Multimedia Sensor Networks

There is a critical need to provide privacy and security assurances for distributed multimedia sensor networking in applications including military surveillance and healthcare monitoring. Such guarantees enable the widespread adoption of such information systems, leading to large-scale societal benefit. To effectively address protection and reliability issues, secure communications and processing must be considered from system inception. Due to the emerging nature of broadband sensor systems, this provides fertile research ground for proposing more paradigm-shifting approaches. This paper discusses issues in designing for security and privacy in distributed multimedia sensor networks. We introduce the heterogeneous lightweight sensornets for trusted visual computing framework for distributed multimedia sensor networks. Protection issues within this architecture are analyzed, leading to the development of open research problems including secure routing in emerging free-space optical sensor networks and distributed privacy for vision-rich sensor networking. Proposed solutions to these problems are presented, demonstrating the necessary interaction among signal processing, networking, and cryptography.
Quantitation and determination of molecular weight distribution of residual water soluble extractable polyamines in DMP 504, a poly-alkylamine bile acid sequestrant, by aqueous high performance size exclusion chromatography.

Abstract A high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) method with refractive index detection for quantitation and molecular weight determination of extractable water soluble polyamines (SPA) in a novel proprietary polymeric pharmaceutical compound (DMP 504) is described. The extracted polyamines are synthetic impurities as well as potential degradation products of the polymer. Data for calibration, precision, solution stability, and limits of detection and quantitation are presented to validate the suitability of this method for its intended purpose. Response linearity for the poly(2-vinylpyridine) standard is demonstrated between 10 and 1000 μg ml−1, equivalent to 0.005% and 0.5% (w/w) in DMP 504. Molecular weight distributions of SPA extracted from DMP 504 are presented. No increase in SPA is detected in DMP 504 over 6 months storage at room temperature.
Synthesis and evaluation of iron-containing ordered mesoporous carbon (FeOMC) for arsenic adsorption

Abstract Recent progress in nanotechnology has resulted in numerous nanoscale structures and devices with exceptional chemical, physical and biological properties and functions. In this study, we developed an ordered nano-structured adsorbent, iron-containing ordered mesoporous carbon (FeOMC), for arsenic adsorption from water. FeOMC preparation involved in synthesis of ordered silica template SBA-15, in situ polymerization of mono acrylic acid (AA) in the silica template followed by carbonization and template removal to obtain ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC), and iron impregnation. Sample characterizations by transmission electron microcopy, X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption indicated that the prepared OMC and FeOMC had an ordered mesoporous structure with high specific surface area of 607 m 2 /g and 466 m 2 /g, respectively. Arsenic adsorption experiments showed that the maximum arsenic adsorption was primarily controlled by the amount of iron impregnated, and the molar ratio of iron and the maximum amount of arsenate adsorption was 5.53–7.97. The optimal pH values for adsorption depended on arsenic species: at an initial concentration of 9.98 mg/L arsenic, the optimal pH range was 3.0–7.0 for arsenate removal and 6.0–9.5 for arsenite. The rate of arsenic removal by FeOMC was high, suggesting that it could be potentially applied in point-of-use systems where fast adsorption kinetics is needed.
Bevacizumab and weekly taxane chemotherapy demonstrates activity in refractory ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objective. To determine the ability of patients to be treated with biweekly bevacizumab and weekly taxane chemotherapy in women with advanced, refractory ovarian cancer. Methods. Ten patients with advanced, recurrent, and refractory ovarian cancer who were treated with biweekly bevacizumab (10 mg/kg) and weekly taxane (paclitaxel or docetaxel) chemotherapy days 1, 8, 15, and 22 every 28 days were identified retrospectively. All patients were followed with serial CA125 measurements prior to each cycle of therapy; cross-sectional imaging was not used to follow response to therapy. Toxicities were assessed prior to each cycle of treatment. Results. Of the 10 patients treated with weekly taxane and biweekly bevacizumab therapy, all 9 that were evaluable had a decrease in CA125. Five patients have had an increase in CA125 after therapy after a median of three cycles (range 1–4), while 3 patients experienced normalization of CA125 and another with continued improvement in CA125. All symptomatic patients experienced rapid palliation of pain, nausea, and ascites. Side effects have been mild, with no grade 3 or 4 toxicities noted. No treatment delays or discontinuations have been necessary. Conclusion. Treatment of advanced, recurrent, refractory epithelial ovarian cancer with bevacizumab and weekly taxane chemotherapy leads to significant, albeit temporary, improvement in the cancer-related symptoms in women treated on this regimen, and short-term exposure to these agents is not associated with significant toxicity. Thus, continued investigation of bevacizumab with weekly scheduling of cytotoxic chemotherapy is imperative.
The Correlates of Farm Concentration in American Agriculture

In recent years, the most pronounced change in the structure of American agriculture has been the increasing concentration of farm production. A human ecological perspective was used to generate hypotheses about the factors related to variations in farm concentration in U.S. counties. Analysis using the 1978 and 1987 Censuses of Agriculture revealed that concentration is greatest in counties with higher levels of agricultural intensity, greater use of mechanization, and greater use of farm labor.
Imaging activity in astrocytes and neurons with genetically encoded calcium indicators following in utero electroporation

Complex interactions between networks of astrocytes and neurons are beginning to be appreciated, but remain poorly understood. Transgenic mice expressing fluorescent protein reporters of cellular activity, such as the GCaMP family of genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs), have been used to explore network behavior. However, in some cases, it may be desirable to use long-established rat models that closely mimic particular aspects of human conditions such as Parkinson's disease and the development of epilepsy following status epilepticus. Methods for expressing reporter proteins in the rat brain are relatively limited. Transgenic rat technologies exist but are fairly immature. Viral-mediated expression is robust but unstable, requires invasive injections, and only works well for fairly small genes (<5 kb). In utero electroporation (IUE) offers a valuable alternative. IUE is a proven method for transfecting populations of astrocytes and neurons in the rat brain without the strict limitations on transgene size. We built a toolset of IUE plasmids carrying GCaMP variants 3, 6s, or 6f driven by CAG and targeted to the cytosol or the plasma membrane. Because low baseline fluorescence of GCaMP can hinder identification of transfected cells, we included the option of co-expressing a cytosolic tdTomato protein. A binary system consisting of a plasmid carrying a piggyBac inverted terminal repeat (ITR)-flanked CAG-GCaMP-IRES-tdTomato cassette and a separate plasmid encoding for expression of piggyBac transposase was employed to stably express GCaMP and tdTomato. The plasmids were co-electroporated on embryonic days 13.5-14.5 and astrocytic and neuronal activity was subsequently imaged in acute or cultured brain slices prepared from the cortex or hippocampus. Large spontaneous transients were detected in slices obtained from rats of varying ages up to 127 days. In this report, we demonstrate the utility of this toolset for interrogating astrocytic and neuronal activity in the rat brain.
Order review/release in the absence of adherence to formal scheduling policies

Abstract In many plants, the performance of shop floor workers is measured by accounting-based productivity criteria. Such systems encourage workers to maximize their individual performance, often at the expense of total shop performance. One such company, Union Switch & Signal, a manufacturer of railroad equipment, has decided to increase finished goods inventory in an effort to counteract poor due date performance. Management at Union Switch & Signal feel that workers not following priorities contribute significantly to this poor performance. It has been suggested that the controlled release of jobs into the shop, i.e., Order Review/Release (ORR), may provide the operations manager a vehicle for enforcing job priorities when formal dispatching rules are not strictly followed by workers. In this study, two ORR methodologies are studied in regards to their ability to offset the dysfunctional behavior by workers who seek to maximize their own individual productivity. This type of behavior was captured by simulating the phenomenon of `cherry picking'. Cherry picking occurs when a job is selected for processing based not on its formal priority but on the difference in standard allowable processing time and actual processing time. Results suggest that at least one ORR methodology is able to reduce the difference in resulting labor productivity while improving overall shop performance.
Induction of dopaminergic mesolimbic receptor supersensitivity by haloperidol

Abstract Prior exposure to neuroleptics augments the severity of apomorphine-induced stereotypy. This is regarded as a manifestation of increased sensitivity of striatal dopaminergic receptors and has been offered as a model of tardive dyskinesia. The purpose of this study was to determine if neuroleptics modify the sensitivity of mesolimbic dopaminergic receptors. Haloperidol or saline was administered to rats for four weeks. There followed a one week withdrawal period in which cannulae were placed bilaterally in the nucleus accumbens. Histological examination confirmed cannulae placement. Animals received 0, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 or 10 μg of dopamine through both cannulae beginning eight days after the discontinuation of haloperidol or saline. Locomotor activity was measured in photocell-equipped cages. Animals with a prior exposure to haloperidol had significantly more locomotor activity than control animals. These results indicate that, in the rat, haloperidol can produce a supersensitive dopaminergic mesolimbic receptor.
The Nuclear Induction Experiment

The phenomenon of nuclear induction has been studied experimentally. The apparatus used is described, both as to principle and detail. Experiments have been carried out in which the signals from protons contained in a variety of substances were observed. The results show the role played by the relaxation time, which was found to vary between about ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ second and many seconds.
Self-similar scaling of kinetic energy density in the inertial range of solar wind turbulence

[1] Probability density functions (pdfs) for time-delayed differences of the solar wind proton density np are shown to be approximately self-similar over the range of timescales from ∼90 to 1100 s with an approximate scaling exponent γ = 0.274. The density pdfs are found not to be self-similar over the expanded range of timescales from 90 to 104 s in the spacecraft frame. Pdfs for time-delayed differences of the kinetic energy density ρV2 are found not to be self-similar over either of these two time ranges. The observed self-similar scaling of the proton density is important because it implies that the nonlinear evolution of this quantity in the inertial range of the turbulence is devoid of intermittency effects. These conclusions are based on the analysis of 10 years (a) of data from the Solar Wind Experiment on board the Wind spacecraft covering the time period from 1995 to 2004 and containing approximately 2.5 × 106 data points. Two types of analyses are performed. First, a graphical analysis is used to see whether the rescaled pdfs all lie on a common curve. Then, an analysis of low-order structure functions is performed to see if the scaling properties of the structure functions are consistent with self-similar scaling. Ideally, the results of the pdf scaling analysis and the structure function analysis should both produce the same value of the scaling exponent. Because structure functions are influenced by the presence of outliers in the data, special analysis techniques have to be used to extract the scaling behavior. The special techniques employed here are found to be of limited practical utility because of difficulties in obtaining demonstrable convergence of the scaling exponents.
Minimal and Maximal Lyapunov Exponents of Bilinear Control Systems

Abstract For a bilinear control system with bounded and unbounded controls x = A 0 (u 0 ) x + [GRAPHICS] u i A i (u 0 ) x in R d , where u0(t) ∈ Ω ⊂ R l compact, ui(t) ∈ R for i = 1, ..., m, the extremal exponential growth rates of the solutions x(·, x0, u) are analyzed: If λ(x0, u) = lim supt→∞ (1/t) log |x(t, x0, u)|, then K = supu ∈ U supx0 ≠ 0 λ(x0, u) and K * = infu ∈ U infx0 ≠ 0 λ(x0, u) are the maximal (and minimal, respectively) Lyapunov exponents of the system. This paper gives several characterizations of these rates, together with the corresponding uniform concepts (with respect to the initial value or the control). We describe the situations, in which K = +∞ and K * = −∞, and characterize the sets of initial values, from which K and K * can actually be realized. The techniques are applied to high gain stabilizalion. and the example of the linear oscillator with parameter controlled restoring force is treated in detail. Finally we indicate how the results can be used for feedback stabilization of linear systems, when the feedback is allowed to be time varying, but restricted to certain types of (bounded) gain matrices.
CHARACTERIZATION OF DERMATOLOGIC CHANGES IN GERIATRIC RHESUS MACAQUES

Nonhuman primates are frequently used for aging studies. We observed a high prevalence of skin disease among a group of geriatric rhesus monkeys (mean age = 25 years; n = 9) used in aging behavioral studies. Gross and histopathologic changes in the skin of these geriatric rhesus were compared with skin from control adult monkeys (mean age = 10; n = 4) and sun-exposed monkeys (mean age = 11; n = 4) to characterize age-related skin changes. Biopsy specimens were taken from four specified skin locations (lateral to bridge of nose, ventral midline, dorsal midline, perineal area) and from additional areas where skin lesions were present. Samples were routinely processed and evaluated by light microscopy. Blood samples were collected and tested for estrogen, thyroid-stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine thyroxine, and cortisol levels. The axilla was swabbed and samples were obtained for bacterial culturing. All nine of the geriatric monkeys had notable dermal lesions, while one of the control monkeys and one of the sun-exposed monkeys had abnormal findings. Major gross findings included increased areas of erythematous skin, wrinkling, focal skin scaling, thinning of hair, foot calluses, and exudative lesions. Histologic skin changes included subacute dermatitis, acanthotic dermatitis, and a lesion resembling an early solar lentigo in the sun-exposed animal. These changes were not associated with hormonal abnormalities or bacterial pathogens. Histologic changes are compatible with nonspecific skin changes observed in elderly humans. This study establishes a baseline of dermatologic changes of the aging rhesus macaque.
Algorithms for the compilation of regular expressions into PLAs

The language of regular expressions is a useful one for specifying certain sequential processes at a very high level. They allow easy modification of designs for circuits, like controllers, that are described by patterns of events they must recognize and the responses they must make to those patterns. This paper discusses the compilation of such expressions into specifications for programmable logic arrays (PLAs) that will implement the required function. A regular expression is converted into a nondeterministic finite automaton, and then the automaton states are encoded as values on wires that are inputs and outputs of a PLA. The translation of regular expressions into nondeterministic automata by two different methods is discussed, along with the advantages of each method. A major part of the compilation problem is selection of good state codes for the nondeterministic automata; one successful strategy and its application to microcode compaction is explained in the paper.
Metabolic and molecular heterogeneity of marrow ferritin

Abstract Two isotopes of iron were utilized to label erythroblast and reticuloendothelial cell ferritin in rabbit marrow in vivo . 59 Fe was administered by way of the transferrin pathway and 55 Fe as heat-damaged labeled reticulocytes. Following clearance of these isotopes from the circulation, the marrow ferritin was isolated and submitted to analytical procedures. The results indicate that erythroblast ferritin, identified by the 59 Fe label, can be distinguished from reticuloendothelial-cell ferritin tagged with 55 Fe. In comparison with reticuloendothelial-cell ferritin, erythroblast ferritin has (1) a more electronegative character by electrophoresis and ion-exchange chromatography, (2) larger molecular size by gel filtration and (3) lesser iron content by density-gradient centrifugation.
Frameless stereotaxy-assisted clipping of distal anterior cerebral artery aneurysm: technical note and case series.

Objective: Microsurgery for the clipping of cerebral aneurysms requires a working knowledge of the anatomy of the cerebral vasculature and its relationship to landmarks on the surface of the brain and along the skull base. However, for more distally located aneurysms of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), locating the lesion can prove frustrating and may require much more extensive interhemispheric dissection than is otherwise needed for proximal control, exposure of the aneurysm, and clip application. We report a case series of five patients in which frameless stereotaxy and CT angiographic data sets were used to minimize the extent of surgery required to clip distal ACA aneurysms.Clinical presentations: Five patients were found to have distal ACA aneurysms during the work-up of subarachnoid hemorrhage or other neurologic symptoms. The patients comprised two with subarachnoid hemorrhage, one with dizziness, one with stroke, and one with migraines and polycystic kidney disease. Each patient was found to h...
Differential effects of inorganic lead and δ-aminolevulinic acid in vitro on synaptosomal γ-aminobutyric acid release

Abstract Several studies have shown that inorganic lead added in vitro does not alter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release from rat brain synaptosomes. The decrease in GABA release observed following chronic neonatal in vivo lead exposure has been proposed to be an indirect effect mediated by the increase in δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) accompanying chronic lead exposure. In the present study the effect of both lead and ALA in vitro on several aspects of [3H]GABA release from superfused rat cortical synaptosomes are examined. The present study demonstrates that lead (1–30 μ m ) added in vitro induces [3H]GABA release from preloaded cortical synaptosomes in a dose-dependent manner. This lead-induced increase in spontaneous [3H]GABA release does not appear to be mediated by inhibition of the membrane Na-K ATPase. ALA also induces a dose-dependent [3H]GABA release, but only at concentrations equal to or greater than 30 μ m . Exposure to a combination of 3 μ m lead and 100 μ m ALA results in an increase in spontaneous [3H]GABA release that is greater than either treatment separately. The depolarization-evoked release of [3H]GABA resulting from a 1-sec exposure to 61 m m potassium chloride is reduced by lead (3 and 10 μ m ), whereas ALA (30–300 μ m ) does not alter depolarization-evoked release. These findings indicate that an indirect action of lead (elevated ALA concentrations) need not be proposed to explain the alterations in GABA release observed following chronic lead exposure.
Essential fatty acid for the mosquito Culex pipiens: arachidonic acid.

A nutrient associated with animal-derived phospholipids has previously been found essential for newly-emerged adults of the mosquito Culex pipiens to fly and survive more than a few days. Pure arachidonic acid was completely effective in supporting the emergence of viable flying adults; in combination with synthetic dipalmitoyl lecithin, which slightly improves larval growth rate without inducing adult flight, it wholly adequately replaces animal phospholipids. Linoleic and linolenic acids, which have satisfied the needs of all insects hitherto shown to require an essential fatty acid, were ineffective for C. pipiens, with or without synthetic lecithin. An optimal effect on adult flight was obtained with 0.05 mg of arachidonic acid per 100 ml of dietary medium, a concentration much lower than the linoleic/linolenic concentrations needed by other insects with an essential fatty acid requirement. The relationship of this unique mosquito fatty acid requirement to the essential fatty acid needs of both vertebrates and insects in general is discussed.
Interaction of IgE with rat basophilic leukemia cells--V. Binding properties of cell free particles.

Abstract Particulate material from sonicated rat basophilic leukemia cells was isolated and examined for its 125 I-IgE binding properties by a rapid filter assay. The binding was saturable and was stoichiometrically inhibited with unlabeled IgE. Binding parameters (at 37°C) were similar to those observed with intact cells though the forward rate constant was up to 2 × higher (2 × 10 5 M −1 sec −1 while the backward rate constant was 2–3 × smaller (∼5 × 10 −6 sec −1 ) yielding an estimated K a of ∼4 × 10 10 M −1 . The binding activity was irreversibly lost after brief exposure to temperatures above 50° and at pH's above 9 or below 5. The activity was largely resistant to proteolytic enzymes and neuraminidase, but not to phospholipase C. Non-ionic detergents led to apparent disruption of the particles.
Management of Zone of Apposition in Parachute Left Atrioventricular Valve in Atrioventricular Septal Defect

Background The management of the zone of apposition (ZOA) in patients with atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) and parachute left atrioventricular valve (LAVV) is controversial. Methods Between 1977 and 2010, 28 patients with parachute LAVV associated with AVSD were reviewed. The median age at operation was 10 months (range, 36 days to 14 years). Sixteen (57%) patients had complete AVSD and 12 (43%) had partial AVSD. Thirteen (46%) patients had moderate to severe LAVV regurgitation. Results The ZOA was managed with complete closure in 6 (22%), partial closure in 10 (36%), and no closure in 11 (39%) patients One patient underwent LAVV replacement for dysplastic leaflets. Dismissal echocardiogram demonstrated moderate LAVV regurgitation in 10 (36%) patients; 7 patients had no closure of ZOA, and 3 had partial closure. Mild or moderate LAVV stenosis was present in all 6 patients with complete closure of ZOA and 1 patient with partial closure. Median follow-up was 9 years (maximum, 22 years). Eight patients had progression of LAVV regurgitation through the unsutured ZOA; 6 patients subsequently underwent LAVV replacement. Of the 7 patients who had LAVV stenosis, 1 patient required opening of ZOA 1 month after surgery. The other 6 patients had a decrease in mean gradient. There was 1 late death after the fourth redo LAVV replacement. Conclusions Progression of LAVV regurgitation from the unsutured ZOA was the main indication for reoperation in parachute LAVV with AVSD. The ZOA in parachute LAVV should be partially or completely closed at the time of AVSD repair. Although mild LAVV stenosis appeared to improve with time, life-long surveillance is essential.
Alkene Coupling through Triflic Acid Elimination on Platinum(II)

The Pt(II) complexes (1,5-COD)Pt(OTf)2 and [(COD)Pt(THF)(OTf)]OTf react readily with alkenes (ethylene, cyclopentene, norbornenes) to give coupling products via HOTf elimination. With propylene a simple allyl complex is obtained.
A ratio ergodic theorem for increasing additive functionals

Let B be a 1-dimensional Brownian motion. In this paper ratios of the form A+(t)/A-(t), where A+ is the (0, ∞)-occupation time functional of B and A-is a local time integral of an infinite (but locally finite) measure m with support in (-∞, 0), are studied. Conditions on m are given which ensure that such a ratio will be unbounded a.s. (or go to zero a.s.) as t»∞.
A pattern for efficient parallel computation on multicore processors with scalar operand networks

Systolic arrays have long been used to develop custom hardware because they result in designs that are efficient and scalable. Many researchers have explored ways to exploit systolic designs in programmable processors; however, such efforts often result in the simulation of large systolic arrays on a general purpose platforms. While simulation can add flexibility and problem size independence, it comes at a cost of greatly reducing the efficiency of the original systolic approach. This paper presents a pattern for developing parallel programs using systolic designs to execute efficiently (without resorting to simulation) on modern multicore processors featuring scalar operand networks. This pattern provides a compromise solution that can achieve high efficiency and flexibility given appropriate hardware support. Several examples illustrate the application of this pattern to produce parallel implementations of matrix multiplication and convolution.
Developing a physical BIM library for building thermal energy simulation

Abstract Insufficient interoperability resulting from complex data exchange between architectural design and building energy simulation prevents the efficient use of energy performance analyses in the early design stage. This paper presents the development of a Modelica library for Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based building energy simulation (ModelicaBIM library) using an Object-Oriented Physical Modeling (OOPM) approach and Modelica, an equation-based OOPM language. By using the ModelicaBIM library, our project investigates system interfaces between BIM and energy simulation, which can perform semi-automatic translation from the building models in BIM to building energy modeling (BEM) using a BIM's authoring tool's Application Programming Interface (API). The ModelicaBIM library consists of OOPM-based BIM classes and OOPM-based BIM structure. OOPM-based BIM classes represent building component information. OOPM-based BIM structure consists of test case models that demonstrate (i) how building information in BIM can be transformed to OOPM and (ii) how design operations in BIM, such as changing a building geometry and editing building components, can be translated into BEM. A case study for simulation result comparisons has been conducted using (i) OOPM-based BIM models in the ModelicaBIM library and (ii) LBNL Modelica Buildings library (a Modelica-based building thermal simulation library developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). Our implementation shows that the ModelicaBIM library enables (i) objects in BIM to be translated into the OOPM-based energy models and (ii) existing OOPM library to be utilized as a simulation solver for BIM-based energy simulation.
Lost in cyberspace: ethical decision making in the online environment

In this study, a 20-item questionnaire was used to elicit undergraduates' (N = 93) ethical judgment and behavioral intention regarding a number of behaviors involving computers and internet usage. Machiavellianism was found to be uncorrelated with both ethical judgment and behavioral intention. Gender was found to be negatively correlated with both ethical judgment and behavioral intention, such that females judged the behaviors as being less ethical than males, and were less likely to engage in the behaviors than males. A disconnect was found between ethical judgment and behavioral intention, for both males and females, such that the ethical judgment mean for a number of issues was significantly lower (towards the "unethical" end of the continuum) than the behavioral intention mean (towards the "more likely to engage in" end of the continuum). The study raises questions regarding ethical awareness of technology-related issues, and the authors make suggestions for future research.
The Siriono of eastern Bolivia: A reexamination

The Siriono Indians of eastern Bolivia have one of the simplest cultures on record. In a famous ethnography, Allan Holmberg explained Siriono cultural poverty mainly with a psycho-functional model, in which the demands of the food quest were said to have prevented the elaboration of most aspects of Siriono culture. This article reexamines the cultural status of the Siriono in terms of population decimation, flight into a new ecological niche, acculturation to Whites and to other Indians and Afro-Americans, and a strategic but culturally corrosive shift from patrilocal to matrilocal residence. The article concludes that the reexamination of all past ethnographic work, and perhaps especially of the “classic,” or more influential ethnographies, is one of the most urgent tasks facing cultural anthropology.
Nonlinear parametric oscillations in certain stochastic systems: A random van der Pol oscillator

Astochastic model for some class ofnonlinear oscillators, which includes a van der Pol-type oscillator with random parameters, is analyzed in thediffusion limit. That is, small random fluctuations and long time are considered, while the nonlinearity is also assumed to be small. We show that there existstationary distributions, independent of the phase of the oscillator, a result proved earlier by R. L. Stratonovich assuming the random perturbations of the frequency to be delta correlated. The time behavior of the moments of the displacement of the oscillator from its rest position is also investigated and the results are compared with the corresponding ones for the linear random oscillator. A numerical study is also performed for the first two moments and plots are given.