cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching Children the Structure of Science

Maps of the world are common in classroom settings. They are used to teach the juxtaposition of natural and political functions, mineral resources, political, cultural and geographical boundaries; occurrences of processes such as tectonic drift; spreading of epidemics; and weather forecasts, among others. Recent work in scientometrics aims to create a map of science encompassing our collective scholarly knowledge. Maps of science can be used to see disciplinary boundaries; the origin of ideas, expertise, techniques, or tools; the birth, evolution, merging, splitting, and death of scientific disciplines; the spreading of ideas and technology; emerging research frontiers and bursts of activity; etc. Just like the first maps of our planet, the first maps of science are neither perfect nor correct. Today’s science maps are predominantly generated based on English scholarly data: Techniques and procedures to achieve local and global accuracy of these maps are still being refined, and a visual language to communicate something as abstract and complex as science is still being developed. Yet, the maps are successfully used by institutions or individuals who can afford them to guide science policy decision making, economic decision making, or as visual interfaces to digital libraries. This paper presents the process and results of creating hands-on science maps for kids that teaches children ages 4-14 about the structure of scientific disciplines. The maps were tested in both formal and informal science education environments. The results show that children can easily transfer their (world) map and concept map reading skills to utilize maps of science in interesting ways.
Substrate Specificity of γ-Secretase and Other Intramembrane Proteases

γ-Secretase is a promiscuous protease that cleaves bitopic membrane proteins within the lipid bilayer. Elucidating both the mechanistic basis of γ-secretase proteolysis and the precise factors regulating substrate identification is important because modulation of this biochemical degradative process can have important consequences in a physiological and pathophysiological context. Here, we briefly review such information for all major classes of intramembranously cleaving proteases (I-CLiPs), with an emphasis on γ-secretase, an I-CLiP closely linked to the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease. A large body of emerging data allows us to survey the substrates of γ-secretase to ascertain the conformational features that predispose a peptide to cleavage by this enigmatic protease. Because substrate specificity in vivo is closely linked to the relative subcellular compartmentalization of γ-secretase and its substrates, we also survey the voluminous body of literature concerning the traffic of γ-secretase and its most prominent substrate, the amyloid precursor protein.
Chemical effects of steric strains. Part XXIII. Steric effects as a factor in the stability of addition compounds of amines with 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane†

An infrared technique was developed to establish the equilibrium involved in the reaction of 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane with representative amines under standard conditions (25.0°C, cyclohexane or THF solution): (9-BBN)2 + 2 Amine ⇌ 2 9-BBN: Amine. Coordination is complete with primary amines, even as hindered as tert-butylamine. It is complete with diethylamine, but incomplete with diisopropylamine. It is incomplete even with the simple triethylamine. However, the cyclic structure corresponding to triethylamine, namely, quinuclidine, forms a stable adduct. Pyridine is fully coordinated, but the extent of coordination decreases with increasing steric requirements of the 2-alkyl substituent, becoming essentially zero with 2-tert-butylpyridine and 2,6-dimethylpyridine. Thus the results with the unusual Lewis acid, 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane parallel closely the earlier results for the stability of addition compounds produced by the reaction of such amines with trimethyl-borane, boron trifluoride, and borane.
Heat flow is measurable from Artemia franciscana embryos under anoxia

A recent report has concluded that heat flow under anoxia from encysted embryos of the brine shrimp Artemia is unmeasurable (Hontoria et al. [1993] J. Exp. Biol., 178:149–159). This observation contrasts with two earlier communications that have reported low but measurable energy flow from these gastrulae (Hand and Gnaiger [1988] Science, 239:1425–1427; Hand [1990] J. Comp. Physiol. [B], 160:357–363). In order to re-examine this issue, up to 20 g wet mass of embryos was loaded per experiment into sealed ampoules (25- to 50-fold more tissue than in previous studies) and calorimetric analyses were conducted. Even after 50–60 h, a clearly measurable heat dissipation was recorded from these anoxic embryos (0.0128 ± 0.0007 mW·g dry mass−1; ± 1 SE, n =6). The results confirm the presence of measurable heat flow under anoxia. The rate of heat dissipation measured in this study is at the limit of detection for the instrument used by Hontoria et al. ([1993] J. Exp. Biol., 178:149–159). A second important issue is whether any of the low heat flow under anoxia is associated with processes involving ATP turnover, a point that is evaluated in this study but that remains unresolved. However, calculations suggest that macromolecular degradation may explain a significant portion of the anoxic heat flow. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evidence That Reduced Renal Medullary Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity of Dahl S Rats Enables Small Elevations of Arginine Vasopressin to Produce Sustained Hypertension

On the basis of observations supporting the functional importance of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of renal medullary function, and a reduced nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme activity in the outer medulla of the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS/Mcw) rats, we hypothesized that these inbred rats would have reduced capacity to synthesize renal medullary NO. This reduced capacity would sensitize them to the hypertensive effects of small elevations of circulating arginine vasopressin (AVP). SS/Mcw and Brown Norway (BN/Mcw) rats with implanted arterial and venous catheters were fed a 0.4% salt diet and infused intravenously for 14 days with a subpressor dose of AVP (2 ng/kg per min). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured 2 hours daily in unanesthetized rats maintained in their home cages. MAP in SS/Mcw rats increased during day 1 of AVP infusion from a control level of 127±0.9 mm Hg to an average of 147±1.6 mm Hg after 14 days. MAP did not return to control values during the 3 days after the end of AVP infusion. BN/Mcw rats showed no changes of MAP during 14 days of AVP infusion (90.4±0.6 mm Hg and 92.3±0.4 mm Hg). Northern blot analysis of renal tissue from vehicle (saline) -infused rats demonstrated that NOS I and NOS III mRNA expression was significantly less in SS/Mcw rats in the renal outer medulla compared with BN/Mcw rats. We conclude that small, normally subpressor elevations of plasma AVP can produce chronic hypertension in SS/Mcw rats and that this phenomenon is related to the reduced medullary NOS enzyme activity, which in turn reduces the AVP-stimulated NO synthesis.
Multiobjective Optimal Antenna Design Based on Volumetric Material Optimization

There is growing interest for small antennas that concurrently have higher functionality and operability. Multiobjective optimization is an important tool in the design of such antennas since conflicting goals such as higher gain, increased bandwidth, and size reduction must be addressed simultaneously. In this paper, we present a novel optimization algorithm which permits full volumetric antenna design by combining genetic algorithms with a fast hybrid finite element-boundary integral method. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a full three dimensional antenna design is pursued using concurrent shape, size, metallization as well as dielectric and magnetic material volume optimization. In comparison to previous optimization pursuits, our approach employs a wide-frequency sweep using a single geometry model, thus, enhancing speed, along with several discrete material choices for realizable optimized designs. The developed algorithm can be interpreted as a three dimensional Pareto optimization scheme and provides the designer with several choices among the best antennas, according to design goals and constraints. The final designs are associated with very thin (~0.01lambda) material substrates and yield as much as 15% bandwidth using a 0.1lambda--0.4lambda aperture subject to various gain and bandwidth requirements
Varieties of Properties

The traditional distinction between primary (observation independent) and secondary (observation dependent) qualities is not based on a difference that can be sustained in the full light of contemporary scientific understanding. An alternative division of physical and chemical properties is proposed. Like the traditional division of qualities, the alternative system has two main categories. Properties of compound particulars that result from simple combination (e.g., addition) of the properties of their component parts constitute the first class: properties that depend on details of interactions between component parts (e.g. cooperative effects) make up the second type. Application of the alternative dichotomy is considered for the cases of mass (traditionally a primary property) and color (a secondary quality, in the usual division). Both these types of properties can fall in either of the two classes of the alternate division of qualities, depending on the nature of the interaction that occurs between components. Both mass and color show that intermediate cases occur. Application of the alternative categorical scheme is straightforward, but not always simple. The proposed system shows that in chemical combination (and, perforce, in the many more complex systems common in human culture) interactions profoundly influence properties of entities that enter the interaction. This is not adequately treated by philosophical theories of wholes and parts (mereology), which should be extended to apply to such important cases.
Implementing practice guidelines: easier said than done.

Implementation of practice guidelines is a beguilingly complex activity that requires attention to the task of clinicians, the constraints they face, and the social practice of medicine. Local clinical opinion leaders can accelerate the pace of change by encouraging early adoption and modeling new practices. “Tough love” approaches to guideline adoption have a role in raising the salience of the safe practice. However, successful implementation requires a healthy respect for the challenge of enlisting frontline practitioners in integrating changes into the practice of active clinicians. The implementation of guideline-based practices for aseptic technique in neuraxial analgesia at four Israeli hospitals illustrates the challenges and opportunities associated with changing physician practice.
Multidimensional scattering of attosecond x-ray pulses detected by photon-coincidence

We propose a new photon-coincidence measurement based on the time- and wavevector-resolved detection of photons generated by the scattering of multiple x-ray pulses with variable delays. The technique directly measures multipoint correlation functions of the charge density through superpositions of valence excitations which are created impulsively by the scattering process.
Massive Caffeine Overdose Requiring Vasopressin Infusion and Hemodialysis

Introduction. Massive caffeine overdose is associated with life‐threatening hemodynamic complications that present challenges for clinicians. We describe the highest‐reported serum concentration of...
Changing Patterns of Infections in Patients with AIDS: A Study of 279 Autopsies of Prison Inmates and Nonincarcerated Patients at a University Hospital in Eastern Texas, 1984–1993

Reports on autopsies of 279 persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were reviewed retrospectively to determine changes in survival rates and infections and to identify differences between prison inmates and nonincarcerated patients. The 78 cases from 1984 through 1988 were compared with 201 from 1989 through 1993, on the basis of use of antiretroviral therapy and (after 1988) prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). Risk factors for HIV infection were homosexuality/bisexuality (30%), injection drug use (IDU; 22%), transfusion (5%), heterosexual contact (4%), and combinations of the above or unknown factors (38%); 95% of patients were males and 41% were state prison inmates in Texas. IDU was more common and homosexuality/ bisexuality was less common among inmates than among nonincarcerated patients. Mean survival time was 12 months in the first period studied and 23 months in the later period (P 3 years. Antiretroviral therapy, prophylaxis for PCP, and risk factors for HIV infection appear to influence the mortality rate and prevalence of certain infections found at autopsy.
RELATIVE EQUILIBRIUM STATES AND DIMENSIONS OF FIBERWISE INVARIANT MEASURES FOR RANDOM DISTANCE EXPANDING MAPS

We show that the Gibbs states (known from [10] to be unique) of Holder continuous potentials and random distance expanding maps coincide with relative equilibrium states of those potentials, proving in particular that the latter exist and are unique. In the realm of conformal expanding random maps, we prove that given an ergodic (globally) invariant measure with a given marginal, for almost every fiber the corresponding conditional measure has dimension equal to the ratio of the relative metric entropy and the Lyapunov exponent. Finally we show that there is exactly one invariant measure whose conditional measures are of full dimension. It is the canonical Gibbs state.
Optimized Device Characteristics of Lateral Spin Valves

The lateral spin valve is a planar ferromagnet/nonmagnet/ferromagnet (F1/N/F2) structure with a resistance modulation DeltaR that derives from a nonequilibrium population of spin-polarized conduction electrons. This paper analyzes the characteristics of a future-generation all-metal device fabricated with minimum feature size f of 50 nm. Theoretical principles of operation are reviewed, and the "inverse scaling" rule is derived: Output resistance modulation varies inversely with the volume of the nonmagnetic material in the device. The thermodynamic formalism of Johnson and Silsbee is also used to study details of charge and spin transport at the F/N interface and to understand the limits of the fractional polarization of injected current. Experiments on lateral spin valves with N channels having widths of 150 nm are described. A high fractional polarization is observed for structures with low interface resistance. A survey of recent results on similar devices shows that inverse scaling is upheld over ten decades of sample volume. Using these experimentally observed parameters and extrapolating further to f = 50 nm, a spin-accumulation device that is fabricated to have an output impedance of 50 Omega and an output modulation of 50 Omega (DeltaR/R = 100%) is discussed
An Essay on Miranda’s Fortieth Birthday

Miranda v. Arizona1 has now reached its fortieth birthday, and it has grown in stature with age. After Dickerson v. United States,2 Miranda is clearly a “constitutional decision.” Forty years later, however, basic questions about Miranda’s effect remain hotly debated: Does Miranda frustrate effective law enforcement by shielding the guilty from custodial interrogations? Does it protect the innocent from false confessions and wrongful convictions? Should its warnings be modified to better serve their intended purpose? If not, what other measures should be considered if one believes, as I do, that police interrogation requires additional regulation? This essay, which grows out of my presentation at the Chapman Law Review Miranda symposium, addresses those questions.
Hydrogen Welding and Hydrogen Switches in a Monatomic Gold Nanowire

Ab initio density-functional calculations are performed to study the interaction between a monatomic gold nanowire suspended between two gold tips and hydrogen, in the molecular, quasi-dissociated,...
Occurrence of Ergot (Sugary Disease) Incited by a Sphacelia sp. on Sorghum in Mississippi in 1997.

Ergot (sugary disease) incited by a Sphacelia sp. was observed on Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench var. Sweet Leaf II at Leland and Pop-larville, MS, in October 1997. The disease was characterized by droplets of a thick, sticky, semi-transparent secretion similar to aphid honeydew. The caryopsis of infected florets was converted to relatively soft, chalky pink, tumescent, immature sclerotia (1.5 to 1.7 × 4 mm) with blunt ends. Abundant conidia (11 to 17 × 5 to 7 μm) were produced on stromatic tissue and in large numbers in the sugary secretion. This fungus is similar to that described by Zummo in West Africa (2). Velazquez-Valle et al. (1) recently reported the distribution of Claviceps africana Frederiksen, Mantle & de Milliano in the United States in 1997. The Sphacelia stage of the fungus found in Mississippi is similar to that reported from other areas of the U.S. Our report extends the range for this fungus, which is contiguous to those areas reported by Velazquez-Valle et al. (1). References: (1) R. Velazquez-Valle et al. 37th Annu. Mtg. Carib. Div., Am. Phytopa-thol. Soc., San Jose, Costa Rica, No. 77, 1997. (2) N. Zummo. 1984. Sorghum Diseases in West Africa. An Illustrated Text. USDA/USAID, Zaria, Nigeria.
Voice and deglutition functions after the supracricoid and total laryngectomy procedures for advanced stage laryngeal carcinoma.

Abstract Objectives This investigation compared speech and deglutition functions after alternative surgical treatments for advanced stage laryngeal carcinoma: the supracricoid laryngectomy (SCL) versus the total laryngectomy (TL). Study design and setting Cohort investigation at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Methods Quantitative studies of laryngeal biomechanics, acoustic and speech aerodynamic features, and deglutition skills of these individuals were coupled to listener and patient self-impressions of speech and voice characteristics for group comparative analyses. Results Results revealed that patients from each subgroup performed comparably relative to speech intelligibility and voice quality disturbances. Videostroboscopy of the neoglottal mechanisms in these two populations helped to explain these outcomes. Acoustic and speech aerodynamic testing demonstrated variably abnormal features in both surgical subgroups. Whereas the SCL patients eventually achieved full oral diets, they required many sessions of swallowing therapy to obtain this objective and eliminate tube feeding supplementation. The TL patients did not evidence protracted swallowing difficulties or the need for specific exercises in order to remove their feeding tubes postoperatively. References to organ preservation strategies in lieu of surgical management are included for completeness purposes. Conclusions The SCL and TL surgical procedures for advanced stage laryngeal carcinoma resulted in equivalent speech and swallowing functional outcomes.
Diagnostic utility of Plasma Thromboplastin cell block preparation in cytological evaluation of serous effusions

Background: Cell block preparations act as a useful adjunct to smear cytology for categorization of malignant and benign effusions. Plasma thromboplastin cell block technique is simple, requires less time and offers improved cytomorphological features. Aim: To study the utility of Thromboplastin-plasma cell block technique and its diagnostic significance in conjunction with conventional cytology smears in evaluation of serous effusions.Material and methods: One hundred samples were included in the study. In addition to preparation of conventional smears, fluids were subjected to cell block technique. Cell blocks were prepared using Plasma thromboplastin cell block technique. Results: Cellularity and diagnostic yield for malignancy was increased by cell block preparation.Conclusion: Plasma Thromboplastin cell block method provides high cellularity, better architectural patterns and good preservation of cellular and nuclear details, thereby, increasing diagnostic yield in the cytological evaluation of serous effusions when compared to conventional smears alone. Moreover, it is easier to apply immunomarkers and perform molecular studies on the cell blocks that can be stored indefinitely for future testing. Thus, cell blocks can act as a useful adjunct to the conventional cytosmears for evaluation of serous effusions.
Responsive environments

This paper introduces the concept of a responsive environment which perceives human behavior and responds with intelligent auditory and visual feedback. Several exhibits of responsive environments, implemented by the author, combining computer graphics, video projection and two-way video communication are described. VIDEOPLACE, an evolving exhibit which defines a conceptual telecommunication environment uniting geographically separated people in a common visual experience, is discussed at some length. Based on these examples a new art form of composed man-machine interaction is defined. Finally, practical applications are suggested for the fields of education, psychology and psychotherapy.
Leveraging Embryonic Zebrafish To Prioritize ToxCast Testing

On the basis of two pilot high-content screens of ToxCast Phase I chemicals, we previously demonstrated that exposure of zebrafish embryos to abamectin and butafenacil abolished spontaneous activity and induced severe anemia, respectively. Therefore, the objective of this study was (1) to determine whether high-throughput in vitro screening data from the ToxCast program would have prioritized abamectin and butafenacil for further testing and (2) to determine whether a single three-day zebrafish embryo assay is a strong predictor of Toxicological Priority Index (ToxPi) scores derived from ToxCast data. Using publically available ToxCast assay end point data and target information, we calculated assay hit rates, developed hazard classifications, and relied on the ToxPi Graphical User Interface to generate ToxPi charts and scores within a biological process-driven configuration. Overall, our findings suggest that embryonic zebrafish may be valuable for prioritizing ToxCast testing as well as addressing toxic...
Oats—From Farm to Fork

Oats have a long history of use as human food and animal feed. From its origins in the Fertile Crescent, the oat has adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions and geographic regions. Its unique macro-, micro-, and phytonutrient composition, high nutritional value, and relatively low agricultural input requirements makes oats unique among cereal crops. The health benefits of the oats are becoming well established. While the connection between oat β-glucan fiber in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and controlling glycemia have been unequivocally established, other potential benefits including modulation of intestinal microbiota and inflammation continue to be explored. Advances in food technology are continuing to expand the diversity of oat-based foods, creating opportunities to deliver the health benefits of oats to a larger segment of the population.
Presence of desoxyribonuclease activity in human serum.

SummaryThe addition of Mg++ in a final, optimal, concentration of 0.003 M to human serum leads to distinct and readily measurable desoxyribonuclease activity. The average value of this activity in ...
Activity, Movement, and Distribution of Roosevelt Elk during Rut

Activity and movement patterns of Roosevelt elk, Cervus elaphus roosevelti , during rut (August–November) were studied at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Humboldt Co., California, in 1973. Elk inhabited open dunes adjacent to creeks and marshes and were primarily grazers. Activities of sex and age classes of elk were highly synchronized and tended to be crepuscular. Rates and types of behavioral acts performed by master bulls and their lower rate of feeding were related to their loss of physical condition during rut. Elk traveled a mean distance of 2.4 km per 24-h period. Their home range was 400 ha. Climatic factors and tourists had little influence upon elk activities.
The oxidation mechanism of Ni3Al containing yttrium

The high-temperature oxidation behavior of Ni3Al (Ni-13.2 wt.% Al) with and without additions of 0.5 wt.% yttrium has been studied over the range of 900–1200°C in air. None of the commonly accepted rate laws were followed by the kinetics. Although the weight gains of samples containing yttrium were consistently 10–20% greater than those without yttrium, the steady-state scaling rates were identical. A quantitative x-ray diffraction technique was used to determine the kinetics of growth of the protective alpha-alumina layer (one of several oxides formed). The alumina growth followed the parabolic rate law under all conditions studied. The rate-controlling transport process in alumina was the enhanced diffusion of oxygen down grain boundaries. The presence of yttrium as nickel-rich intermetallics promoted the formation of nickel aluminate (spinel). A marked increase in scale adherence was observed for short times. At longer times, however, the outer layer of spinel and unreacted nickel oxide spalled off along with some of the inner alumina layer. Loss of adherence was caused by a complex yttrium-aluminum oxide which formed by the solid-state reaction of yttria and alumina. The poor scale adherence on Ni3Al was due to the formation of voids at the alloy-oxide interface. These voids concentrated the athermal stresses above the oxide-to-metal adherence strength. The voids were produced as a result of the selective oxidation of aluminum resulting from a “Kirkendall” effect in the substrate. During the selective oxidation process, a vacancy flux directed from the matrix to the metaloxide interface resulted in a supersaturation of vacancies. Equilibrium was maintained by the condensation of excess vacancies. The presence of yttrium as either nickel-rich intermetallics or internal oxide prevented the voids from forming. The yttrium-rich particles relieved the matrix of vacancy supersaturation by providing vacancy sinks. The chemical nature of the particles does not seem important. A necessary and sufficient condition for an effective vacancy sink appears to be the presence of an incoherent boundary between particle and matrix.
Notes on the Biology of Ischnodemus oblongus and I. fulvipes with Descriptions of the Immature Stages (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)

The habitat and host-plant relationships of Ischnodemus fulvipes and oblongus are discussed. The immature stages of both species are described and the 5th instar I. oblongus is illustrated.
Baryonic distributions in galaxy dark matter haloes - I. New observations of neutral and ionized gas kinematics

We present a combination of new and archival neutral hydrogen (HI) observations and new ionized gas spectroscopic observations for sixteen galaxies in the statistically representative EDGES kinematic sample. HI rotation curves are derived from new and archival radio synthesis observations from the Very Large Array (VLA) as well as processed data products from the Westerbork Radio Synthesis Telescope (WSRT). The HI rotation curves are supplemented with optical spectroscopic integral field unit (IFU) observations using SparsePak on the WIYN 3.5 m telescope to constrain the central ionized gas kinematics in twelve galaxies. The full rotation curves of each galaxy are decomposed into baryonic and dark matter halo components using 3.6$\mu$m images from the Spitzer Space Telescope for the stellar content, the neutral hydrogen data for the atomic gas component, and, when available, CO data from the literature for the molecular gas component. Differences in the inferred distribution of mass are illustrated under fixed stellar mass-to-light ratio (M/L) and maximum disc/bulge assumptions in the rotation curve decomposition.
Preliminary investigation on the role of Nitric Oxide Synthase in smoking-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

? Objective In order to study the role of Nitric Oxide Synthase(NOS) in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,we developed an animal model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) in hamsters by chronic smoke inhalation and observed the expression of the NOS in pulmonary tissue.Methods 25 male hamsters were studied:normal controls( n =10), hamsters intoxicated for 3 months( n =15).The exposed animals were intoxicated 2 times(10 cigarettes per each time) a day,5 days a week.Pulmonary and bronchial morphological changes were observed by light and electron microscopy after 3 months of smoking.The quantitative pathological examination by image analysis was also performed.The expression of inducible NOS(iNOS)and endothelial NOS(eNOS) in pulmonary tissue was observed by immunohistochemical technique.Results 3 months after smoking the animals presented obvious chronic bronchitis and emphysema.iNOS immunoreactivity in bronchial epithelia and macrophages was stronger than that in normal control.eNOS immunoreactivity in endothelia of pulmonary arteriole was weaker than that in normal control.Conclusions Smoking can induce over expression of iNOS in bronchial epithelia and alveolar macrophages and weak expression of eNOS in endothelia of pulmonary arterioles.The former might result in lung injury and COPD,and the latter might relate to pulmonary hypertension. 〔
A Data Association Algorithm Based on Improved KFCM Clustering

To overcome the shortcomings of traditional data association algorithm based on fuzzy C-mean(FCM) clustering,a novel data association algorithm based on improved kernel fuzzy C-mean(KFCM) clustering was proposed.The robustness of system was improved by loosing the constraints of clustering.Then entropy was integrated into KFCM clustering for determining the number of targets automatically,as the preparation of data association.After that the improved KFCM clustering algorithm was introduced in Joint Probabilistic Data Association(JPDA).By avoiding the probability calculation of composite events and matrix splitting,the proposed algorithm can implement correct data association and real-time tracking for multiple targets.Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is rational and valid.
Text-Based Clustering and Analysis of Intelligent Argumentation Data

Argumentation is a method by which stakeholders exchange their viewpoints and rationale in the form of arguments in an organized manner in order to conduct collaborative decision making. Many online systems have been implemented in order to provide geographically distributed stakeholders with a structured method of argumentation. However, as these systems collect large amounts of arguments; it can be difficult to readily assess the major concerns which drive the discussion. This work presents a method for clustering and classifying a set of arguments, collected through an online argumentation tool, in order to model major concerns in an argumentation process. These clusters are further analyzed to provide a qualitative understanding of the influence they have on the decision making process.
Life History Theory: Basics

There is a deep connection between population dynamics and life history, since populations are comprised of individuals. ‘Population dynamics’ refers to a time series of population size (and structure). ‘Life history’ refers to the timing of ‘key events’ across the life cycle of individuals. Population projection matrices can be decomposed into a sum of two matrices, one for single time-step fates of already existing individuals and another for single time-step production of new individuals. Matrices are clearly related to age-specific survivorship and fertility schedules of life tables, directly for age-structured populations and through Markov chain analysis for stage-structured populations.
The Effects of Director Fluctuations on Nuclear Spin Relaxation

Collective motions of mesogenic molecules, normally referred to as director fluctuations, and their impact on nuclear spin relaxation are discussed. We present a review of the basic formalism for the hydrodynamic model of director fluctuations as well as of the models for combining director fluctations with reorientational motion of individual molecules. The success and failure of such stochastic Markow models for describing nuclear spin relaxation are illustrated by attempts to explain the relaxation behaviour of the same deuteriated spin probe in two different theromotropic liquid crystals, both with nematic and smectic phases.
Accounting for the influence of inflammation on retinol-binding protein in a population survey of Liberian preschool-age children.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is an important contributor to child morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of VAD, measured by retinol-binding protein (RBP) or retinol, is overestimated in populations with a high prevalence of inflammation. We aimed to quantify and adjust for the effect of inflammation on VAD prevalence in a nationally representative survey of Liberian children 6 to 35 months of age. We compared five approaches to adjust RBP for inflammation and estimate VAD prevalence (defined as RBP 5 mg/L or alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) >1 g/)L; (3) multiplying each individual's RBP by an internal correction factor; (4) by an external correction factor; and (5) using regression (corrected RBP = exp(InRBP - β1 (lnCRPobs -lnCRPref ) - β2 (lnAGPobs -lnAGPref )). Corrected RBP was based on a regression model where reference lnCRP and lnAGP were set to the maximum of the lowest decile. The unadjusted prevalence of VAD was 24.7%. Children with elevated CRP and/or AGP had significantly lower RBP concentrations than their apparently healthy peers (geometric mean RBP 0.79 µmol/L (95% CI: 0.76, 0.82) vs. 0.95 µmol/L (95% CI: 0.92, 0.97), P < 0.001). Using approaches 2-5 resulted in a prevalence of VAD of 11.6%, 14.3%, 13.5% and 7.3%, respectively. Depending on the approach, the VAD prevalence is reduced 10-17 percentage points when inflammation is taken into account. Further quantification of the influence of inflammation on biomarkers of vitamin A status from other national surveys is needed to compare and recommend the preferred adjustment approach across populations.
Urinary Tract Cytology

The urinary tract is commonly subjected to stressors that can result in atypical and suspicious findings in a voided urine specimen (see Table 8.1). The most common stressors include indwelling catheters, various toxins, ischemic changes, calculi, bladder and kidney infections, immune mediated cystitis, and inflammatory reactions to radiation therapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
Think Global, Act Local: A Buffer Cache Design for Global Ordering and Parallel Processing in the WAFL File System

Given the enormous disparity in access speeds between main memory and storage media, modern storage servers must leverage highly effective buffer cache policies to meet demanding performance requirements. At the same time, these page replacement policies need to scale efficiently with ever-increasing core counts and memory sizes, which necessitate parallel buffer cache management. However, these requirements of effectiveness and scalability are at odds, because centralized processing does not scale with more processors and parallel policies are a challenge to implement with maximum effectiveness. We have overcome this difficulty in the NetApp Data ONTAP WAFL file system by using a sophisticated technique to simultaneously allow global buffer prioritization while providing parallel management operations. In addition, we have extended the buffer cache to provide a soft isolation of different workloads' buffer cache usage, which is akin to buffer cache quality of server (QoS). This paper presents the design and implementation of these significant extensions in the buffer cache of a high-performance commercial file system.
Tribological and Sealing Performance of Laser Pocketed Piston Rings in a Diesel Engine

The tribological and sealing performance of a piston ring with specially designed textured surface in a diesel engine are investigated experimentally. For this purpose, a motorized engine test rig is used to assess the frictional characteristics of compression piston rings with surface-texture pockets with optimum geometries fabricated on their surfaces. Experimental results show that lasered pockets led to a reduction of up to about 15 % in the total friction between cylinder liner and piston assembly over a wide range of operating speed. Further, the results of compression tests with pocketed textures show a slight improvement in the sealing performance compared to untextured piston rings.
Development of human factors design guidelines for advanced traveler information systems (ATIS)

Past research has established that human factors guidelines following traditional formats for presenting information are not useful and are often ignored by designers. Within the human factors community, there is considerable uncertainty and concern regarding the nature and utility of human factors handbooks and guidelines materials. The objective of this paper is to describe and discuss three critical issues associated with the development of human factors design guidelines for advanced traveler information systems (ATIS). These three issues are: (1) the lack of human factors design criteria; (2) developing selection criteria for data sources used to produce guidelines; and (3) variability in the user population of human factors design guidelines. Within the context of these issues, some of the limitations, trade-offs, constraints, and options associated with the development of human factors design guidelines for ATIS are presented.
Power flow controller for state of charge equalization of embedded storage among different distributed nodes in a communication power system

This paper presents a hierarchical control framework with power flow controller for state of charge (SOC) equalization of the embedded storage systems among different active power distribution nodes(APDNs) in a communications power plant that uses local distributed generation resources. Communications power plant configured with APDNs can provide numerous advantages in DC enabled microgrids. A multi-input multi-output (MIMO) structure of APDN and an embedded storage system directly connected to the common DC link provide enhanced flexibility and availability. To improve the life cycle of batteries, a power flow controller is proposed for SOC equalization of the embedded battery system among different APDNs. The proposed control method is described, and the performance of the control framework is verified by experiments.
Accidental Epidural Injection of Rocuronium in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Accidental administration of non-epidural drugs into the epidural or subarachnoid spaces may be associated with unexpected pain, morbidity, adverse effects, increased level of care, prolonged hospital stay, and mortality. We describe a 12-month-old admitted for secondary-stage hypospadias reconstruction. General anesthesia was induced with sevofiurane and a peripheral catheter was placed. Instead of ropivacaine, rocuronium (80 mg; 6.3 mg/kg) was injected into the epidural space by the caudal route. Surgery was uneventful and was completed 160 minutes after rocuronium was given. The patient exhibited paralysis with 1 of 4 twitches to the train-of-four with some posttetanic potentiation at the end of surgery. He was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit for supportive ventilation and recovery. He did not experience oxygen desaturation or hypoventilation between the time of rocuronium administration and intubation. He was hemodynamically stable, without respiratory insufficiency, and his neurologi...
3D-templated, fully automated microfluidic input/output multiplexer for endocrine tissue culture and secretion sampling

A fully automated, 16-channel microfluidic input/output multiplexer (μMUX) has been developed for interfacing to primary cells and to improve understanding of the dynamics of endocrine tissue function. The device utilizes pressure driven push-up valves for precise manipulation of nutrient input and hormone output dynamics, allowing time resolved interrogation of the cells. The ability to alternate any of the 16 channels from input to output, and vice versa, provides for high experimental flexibility without the need to alter microchannel designs. 3D-printed interface templates were custom designed to sculpt the above-channel polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in microdevices, creating millimeter scale reservoirs and confinement chambers to interface primary murine islets and adipose tissue explants to the μMUX sampling channels. This μMUX device and control system was first programmed for dynamic studies of pancreatic islet function to collect ∼90 minute insulin secretion profiles from groups of ∼10 islets. The automated system was also operated in temporal stimulation and cell imaging mode. Adipose tissue explants were exposed to a temporal mimic of post-prandial insulin and glucose levels, while simultaneous switching between labeled and unlabeled free fatty acid permitted fluorescent imaging of fatty acid uptake dynamics in real time over a ∼2.5 hour period. Application with varying stimulation and sampling modes on multiple murine tissue types highlights the inherent flexibility of this novel, 3D-templated μMUX device. The tissue culture reservoirs and μMUX control components presented herein should be adaptable as individual modules in other microfluidic systems, such as organ-on-a-chip devices, and should be translatable to different tissues such as liver, heart, skeletal muscle, and others.
Containing Environmentalism: Risk, Rationality, and Value in the Wake of the Exxon Valdez

This article revisits regulatory debates about environmental valuation following the Exxon Valdez oil spill to argue that the spill can be seen as a constitutive moment in the rise of neoliberalism...
Novel propofol derivatives and implications for anesthesia practice

Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is the most commonly used intravenous agent for induction of anesthesia. It is also used for maintenance of anesthesia and sedation in both Intensive Care Units and outpatient procedural settings. Its success in the clinical setting has been a result of its rapid onset, short duration of action, and minimal side effects despite disadvantages associated with its oil emulsion formulation. Early attempts to alter the standard emulsion or to develop new formulations with cyclodextrins and micelles to resolve issues with pain upon injection, the need for antimicrobial agents, and possible hyperlipidemia have mostly failed. With these challenges in the foreground, attention has now shifted to the use of more prodrugs and exogenous alternatives, the success of which is yet to be determined. These new agents must offer significant clinical advantages over the well-entrenched, generic propofol oil emulsion to justify higher costs and to be well received in the increasingly cost-conscious healthcare marketplace.
The influence of nozzie-to-plate spacing on the circular hydraulic jump of water jet impingement

Heat transfer and hydrodynamics of a free water jet impinging a flat plate surface are experimentally investigated. The effects of the nozzle-to-plate spacing, which is equal to or less than one nozzle diameter (H/d = 0.08 − 1), on the Nusselt number, hydraulic jump diameter, and pressure at the stagnation point are considered. The results show that the normalized stagnation Nusselt number, pressure, and hydraulic jump diameter are divided into two regions: Region I) jet deflection region (H/d ≤ 0.4) and Region II) inertia dominant region (0.4 < H/d ≤ 1). In region I, the normalized stagnation Nusselt number and hydraulic jump diameter drastically increase as the nozzle-to-plate spacing decreases, since the stagnation pressure increases due to the jet deflection effect. In region II, the effect of the nozzle-to-plate spacing is negligible on the normalized stagnation Nusselt number and hydraulic jump diameter since the average velocity of the jet is constant, which means the jet deflection effect disappears.
Endometrial Carcinoma: Precursor Lesions and Molecular Profiles

Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynecological malignancy in females. It has been categorized into 2 groups based on histopathology, clinical findings and outcome and molecular findings. The biology of these tumors is underpinned by genetic and molecular features. This dichotomy in clinical, pathological and molecular features validates a dualistic classification of endometrial carcinoma, which includes Type I and Type II cancers. Type I lesions include endometrioid carcinoma and its subtypes, while serous carcinoma is a prototype of Type II. The dualistic model of carcinogenesis have identified varying molecular aspects underlying the morphological and clinical differences between Type I, and Type II carcinomas. These differences have also been identified at the precursor level. These differences and molecular variations will be further studied in this chapter.
Anesthesia for Pulmonary Endarterectomy

Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the treatment of choice for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), a disease that is increasingly being identified as a complication of acute pulmonary embolism. It is a complex surgical procedure involving the removal of obstructive material (including the intima and superficial media) from the pulmonary vasculature and requires cardiopulmonary bypass along with periods of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Complications include reperfusion pulmonary edema, pulmonary arterial steal, and persistent pulmonary hypertension, in addition to those common to other open-heart procedures. While PEA is still considered a high-risk surgery performed by only a small number of experienced medical centers, patient morbidity and mortality has significantly improved over the years. Surgical success is greatly dependent not only on surgical expertise, but also on the perioperative care delivered by an experienced cardiac anesthesiologist. This chapter reviews the pathophysiology of CTEPH as well as the pre-, intra-, and post-operative considerations for the anesthetic management of these patients.
Participant Observation Procedures in Marital and Family Assessment

The term participant observation, in its general usage, refers to assessment procedures in which the observer is clearly visible to the person being observed (Wiggins, 1973). The observer may maintain a passive, noninteractive role or may directly interact with the person being observed. In the marital and family literature, that definition covers three types of observation procedures. First, there have been direct observations by noninteractive and uninvolved trained coders, that is, objective observations by a “blend-into-the-woodwork” type of observer (e.g., Patterson, 1982). Second, there are observations that family members make of one another during the natural course of daily interactions. Techniques that record these observations also have been referred to as quasi-observational or quasi-behavioral (Weiss & Margolin, 1986), because the observer’s objectivity is affected by the extensive and intensive interaction that has occurred and continues to occur between himself or herself and the person being observed. Third are observations in which the person doing the reporting is also the target of the observation (or is one of several targets). This type of observation is an example of self-monitoring.