cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Greenup and evapotranspiration following the Minute 319 pulse flow to Mexico: An analysis using Landsat 8 Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data

Abstract In the southwestern U.S., many riparian ecosystems have been altered by dams, water diversions, and other anthropogenic activities. This is particularly true of the Colorado River, where numerous dams and agricultural diversions have affected this water course, especially south of the U.S.–Mexico border. In the spring of 2014, 130 million cubic meters of water was released to the lower Colorado River Delta in Mexico. To understand the impact of this pulse flow release on vegetation in the delta’s riparian corridor, we analyzed a modified form of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI*) data. We assessed greenup during the growing period and estimated actual evapotranspiration (ETa) for the period prior to (yr. 2013) and following (i.e., yr. 2014 and 2015) the pulse flow. We found a significant increase in NDVI* from 2013 to 2014 (P
Global governance at the energy-security nexus: Lessons from UNSCR 1540

Abstract Advances in nuclear, biological, and chemical technologies have transformational potential related to the global energy supply chain. At the same time, those advances pose significant security risks because those the same technologies can be diverted for violent purposes. Recognizing this threat, the United Nations Security Council in 2004 took the unprecedented step of invoking its Chapter VII authority to pass Resolution 1540, which obligated all UN members to develop, implement, and report on a comprehensive regulatory system for tracking the production and distribution of technology related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The resolution reflected a new international commitment to preventing the proliferation of WMD and a potentially revolutionary approach to transnational regulation. In contrast to traditional approaches that rely on rigorous third-party monitoring, verification, and enforcement, UNSCR 1540 relies on a more dynamic and iterative process of norm elaboration and dissemination that strengthens the social fabric necessary to react to emerging threats. While UNSCR 1540 faces ongoing challenges, it also holds promise as a model of cooperative governance in particularly complex and sensitive issues, such as those that characterize politics at the energy-security nexus.
Systems biology approach to late-onset Alzheimer's disease genome-wide association study identifies novel candidate genes validated using brain expression data and Caenorhabditis elegans experiments.

Abstract Introduction We sought to determine whether a systems biology approach may identify novel late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) loci. Methods We performed gene-wide association analyses and integrated results with human protein-protein interaction data using network analyses. We performed functional validation on novel genes using a transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans Aβ proteotoxicity model and evaluated novel genes using brain expression data from people with LOAD and other neurodegenerative conditions. Results We identified 13 novel candidate LOAD genes outside chromosome 19. Of those, RNA interference knockdowns of the C. elegans orthologs of UBC, NDUFS3, EGR1 , and ATP5H were associated with Aβ toxicity, and NDUFS3, SLC25A11, ATP5H , and APP were differentially expressed in the temporal cortex. Discussion Network analyses identified novel LOAD candidate genes. We demonstrated a functional role for four of these in a C. elegans model and found enrichment of differentially expressed genes in the temporal cortex.
Fashion's Moral Dilemma: Exploring How a Lack of Moral Rights in the United States Disproportionately Harms Emerging Fashion Designers

The fashion industry shows the highest revenues of all creative industries exceeding those of books, movies, and music combined. However, in the United States, fashion designers are not granted the moral rights necessary to protect their works from being replicated by pirates. The objective of this study is to assess whether legislation such as the Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act (IDPPPA) will effectively protect the work of emerging designers from being misappropriated. In addition, this study compares and analyzes the artistic qualities of the creative process of fashion designers and visual artists in order to determine whether designers should be treated as artists whose medium deserves protection. Even though garment designs provide an underlying utilitarian function many fashion designs have crossed into the realm of wearable art. As a result, the primary value of these garments lies in their appearance as opposed to their inherent utility. This analysis draws from a series of interviews with art, fashion and legal professionals as well as close observations of visual artists and fashion designers. Previous works evaluating fashion law have focused on the affect of legislation to well-trademarked luxury brands. This study determined that the best way to protect the intellectual property of emerging designers is not through a passing of widespread legislation, but through the employment of “open source” licenses that contain attribution authorship to the original designer and acknowledge fashion designers as artists with sui generis moral rights.
A case study on radiated emission in a high speed microprocessor based design

One of the challenging aspects in high speed microprocessor based embedded designs is to suppress the source of radiated emission in order to achieve a good EMI/EMC performance. With many high frequency signals running across the board, it is often difficult to identify the source of emission. While we tend to focus on the critical signals, there are chances that interfaces that are not critical to the final product may be contributing to radiated emissions.
Dynamics and shocks from H α emission of nearby galaxy mergers

We examine the dynamical properties of interacting galaxies and the properties of shocked gas produced as a result of the interaction. We observed 22 galaxy mergers using the SparsePak IFU at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO). The goal of the observations was to obtain the \ha\ velocity maps over the entire luminous parts of the galaxies including the faint tidal tails and to find extended shocks and outflows. Our sample consists of major and minor galaxy mergers with mass ratios $1<\mu<8$. We fit multiple kinematic components to the \ha\ and \nii\ emission lines, develop an MCMC code to robustly estimate the error of fit parameters, and use the F-test to determine the best number of kinematic components for each fiber. We use \nii/\ha\ and velocity dispersion of components to separate star-forming (HII) regions from shocks. We use the kinematics of the \ha\ emission from HII regions and an automated modeling method to put the first-ever constraints on the encounter parameters of one of the observed systems. Besides, we roughly estimate the fraction of shocked \ha\ emission , $\text{f}_\text{shocked}$, without taking extinction into account and examine the spatial distribution of shocks. We find that close galaxy pairs have, on average, a higher shock fraction than wide pairs, and coalesced mergers have the highest average $\text{f}_\text{shocked}$. In addition, galaxy pairs with more equal mass ratio tend to have a higher $\text{f}_\text{shocked}$. Combining the dynamical models from the literature and this work, we inspect trends between $\text{f}_\text{shocked}$ and dynamical encounter parameters. Our findings are generally consistent with shocks being produced either by the direct collision of the ISM or by the chain of events provoked by the tidal impulse during the first passage.
Risk Factors for Depression: An Autobiographical Review

I have been given a priceless opportunity to reflect on my career in the remarkably productive field of risk factors for depression. Psychological research on depression exploded in the early years of my work. I try to give an account of the choices and challenges, and reflect on the influences, some calculated and some serendipitous, that determined the paths I have followed. I focus mostly on the robust depression risk factors that have influenced my research, including dysfunctional cognitions, stressful life events and circumstances, parental depression, interpersonal dysfunction, and being female, and I cover some of what I did but also the influential work of others. This is a selective review of depression research in the past 40 or so years, noting some of the big developments that set the stage for the remarkable activity that continues today. In the conclusion, there is a brief statement of aspirations for future developments in our field.
Swiss-CHAT: Citizens Discuss Priorities for Swiss Health Insurance Coverage

Background As universal health coverage becomes the norm in many countries, it is important to determine public priorities regarding benefits to include in health insurance coverage. We report results of participation in a decision exercise among residents of Switzerland, a high-income country with a long history of universal health insurance and deliberative democracy. Methods We adapted the Choosing Healthplans All Together (CHAT) tool, an exercise developed to transform complex healthcare allocation decisions into easily understandable choices, for use in Switzerland. We conducted CHAT exercises in twelve Swiss cities with recruitment from a range of socio-economic backgrounds, taking into account differences in language and culture. Results Compared to existing coverage, a majority of 175 participants accepted greater general practice gatekeeping (94%), exclusion of invasive life-sustaining measures in dying patients (80%), longer waiting times for non-urgent episodic care (78%), greater adherence to cost-effectiveness guidelines in chronic care (66%), and lower premium subsidies (51%). Most initially chose greater coverage for dental care (59%), quality of life (57%), and long-term care (90%). During group deliberations, participants increased coverage for out-of-pocket costs (58%) and mental health to current levels (41%) and beyond current levels for rehabilitation (50%), and decreased coverage for quality of life to current levels (74%). Following group deliberation, they tended to change their views back to below current coverage for help with out-of-pocket costs, and back to current levels for rehabilitation. Most participants accepted the plan as appropriate and fair. A significant number would have added nothing. Conclusion Swiss participants who have engaged in a priority setting exercise accept complex resource allocation tradeoffs in healthcare coverage. Moreover, in the context of a well-funded healthcare system with universal coverage centered on individual choice, at least some of our participants believed a fully sufficient threshold of health insurance coverage was achieved.
“Always having hope”: Father–child relationships after reentry from prison

Despite a substantial base of literature on father–child relationships, little is known about how incarceration affects these relationships, or how fathers connect with and support their children d...
Creating Inclusive Groups in the Advertising Classroom

Creating inclusive classrooms, and especially creating inclusive and diverse working groups, can be a challenge in the advertising curriculum. The ad industry values diversity, and employers in gen...
Estrogen receptor interaction with specific histones: Binding to genomic DNA and an estrogen response element

Abstract Chromosomal proteins that impart high affinity and specificity to the binding of the estrogen receptor (ER) to DNA are termed estrogen receptor binding factors (ERBFs). Certain partially purified chromosomal protein fractions obtained from rabbit uterine chromatin by extraction with various molarities of GdnHCl when reconstituted to double-stranded DNA demonstrated high affinity binding for the ER. We report the purification and characterization of ERBFs in the chromosomal protein fraction extracted with 4 M GdnHCl (CP4) after large scale purification. These protein fractions were further purified by CL-Sepharose 6B column chromatography which resolved fractions from CP4 that recognized the ER bound by estrogen only or antiestrogen only. Thus, these hydrophobic chromosomal proteins enhanced the binding of the ER to reconstituted chromatin. To further investigate the interaction of ERBFs with ER, gel mobility shift assays were performed. The highly purified CP4 fraction with ERBF activity in the binding assay with reconstituted chromatin caused an increase in the formation of the retarded ER-estrogen responsive element (ERE) band. Thus, chromatin contains specific ERBFs for ER bound by estrogen which enhance the binding of ER to genomic DNA and a target ERE sequence. Further purification of the CL-Sepharose fraction with ERBF activity was achieved by preparative SDS—PAGE. ERBF activity was attributed to proteins with approximate molecular weights of 16,000, 13,000, and 12,000 and a pI of >9.0. Peptides were partially sequenced by Edman degradation and were found to have identity with histones H2B and H4. A 17 kDa protein without ERBF activity was identified as H3. Since these histones were not readily extracted from chromatin with 3 M NaCl or 1–3 M GdnHCl, we postulate that some ERBFs may be histone variants or modified histones that display a very high affinity for DNA and ER.
Diflunisal tolerability in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis: a single center's experience.

Objective: Transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis is an under-recognized, progressive disease manifesting as cardiomyopathy and/or polyneuropathy. Diflunisal, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID...
THE SUM OF THE RECIPROCAL OF THE RANDOM WALK

This paper derives the limit distribution of the rescaled sum of the reciprocal of the positive part of a random walk with continuously distributed innovations, and of the rescaled sum of the reciprocal of the absolute value of a random walk with continuously distributed innovations. It also considers this statistic for the case of a simple random walk, and shows that the limit distribution is different for this case.
Physician Integrity, Templates, and the ‘F’ Word

Abstract The medical profession is increasingly dependent upon electronic health records. Along with documented benefits, a number of potential ethical abuses have been outlined. Herein, we describe an ethical abuse that has received almost no attention, namely falsified medical records. We present three cases in which the medical record cited facts from history that were not elicited and findings from physical examination that was not performed. This is fraud. Prepopulated templates were almost certainly responsible. If a template is used, it must begin free of results–a skeleton onto which flesh is placed. If coders and third-party payers insist on having information than health care providers think relevant, then we, as a profession should “push back,” but a template that has been prepopulated puts fraudulent data into electronic health record, seriously damaging physician integrity.
Impact of STEADI‐Rx: A Community Pharmacy‐Based Fall Prevention Intervention

Objectives To evaluate the effects of a community pharmacy-based fall prevention intervention (STEADI-Rx) on the risk of falling and use of medications associated with an increased risk of falling. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting A total of 65 community pharmacies in North Carolina (NC). Participants Adults (age ≥65 years) using either four or more chronic medications or one or more medications associated with an increased risk of falling (n = 10,565). Intervention Pharmacy staff screened patients for fall risk using questions from the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) algorithm. Patients who screened positive were eligible to receive a pharmacist-conducted medication review, with recommendations sent to patients' healthcare providers following the review. Measurements At intervention pharmacies, pharmacy staff used standardized forms to record participant responses to screening questions and information concerning the medication reviews. For participants with continuous Medicare Part D/NC Medicaid coverage (n = 3,212), the Drug Burden Index (DBI) was used to assess exposure to high-risk medications, and insurance claims records for emergency department visits and hospitalizations were used to assess falls. Results Among intervention group participants (n = 4,719), 73% (n = 3,437) were screened for fall risk. Among those who screened positive (n = 1,901), 72% (n = 1,373) received a medication review; and 27% (n = 521) had at least one medication-related recommendation communicated to their healthcare provider(s) following the review. A total of 716 specific medication recommendations were made. DBI scores decreased from the pre- to postintervention period in both the control and the intervention group. However, the amount of change over time did not differ between these two groups (P = .66). Risk of falling did not change between the pre- to postintervention period or differ between groups (P = .58). Conclusion We successfully implemented STEADI-Rx in the community pharmacy setting. However, we found no differences in fall risk or the use of medications associated with increased risk of falling between the intervention and control groups. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1778-1786, 2020.
Social identities, place, mobility, and belonging: Intersectional experiences of college-educated youth

Abstract Youth are commonly understood to be a crucial population for the future viability and vibrancy of rural communities. Thus, researchers often focus on the migration intentions and patterns of youth to better understand rural community sustainability and well-being. However, the role of social identities in young people's relationship to place and the perspectives of college students are not well-represented in the literature. This paper addresses these gaps by highlighting the intersectional qualities of social identities and place and how these intersections relate to college-educated young adults' perspectives on mobility. The paper is based on data from focus groups with college students and interviews with college-educated young adults living in the Appalachian region of the United States where many communities are in economic transition following long-term declines in the coal industry. The sample was purposefully built to include a diverse representation of genders, sexual orientations, and racial identities, and the data were analyzed through an intersectional lens in order to access information about the connections among social identities, place, mobility, and belonging. The data show that the navigation of mobility and social identities has the potential to strengthen young people's relationship with place despite limiting factors. Furthermore, experiences of mobility along with institutional support can help foster this connection. Overall, this paper argues that social identities are essential components for understanding the potentially limiting and liberating aspects of the mobility imperative in the context of metronormativity.
Benefits and tradeoffs of reduced tillage and manure application methods in a Zea mays silage system

A critical question is whether there are agricultural management practices that can attain the multiple management goals of increasing yields, preventing nutrient losses, and suppressing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. No-till and manure application methods, such as manure injection, can enhance nutrient retention, but both may also enhance emissions of nitrous oxide (N2 O), a powerful GHG. We assessed differences in soil N2 O and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions, nitrate and ammonium retention, and crop yield and protein content under combinations of vertical-till, no-till, manure injection, and manure broadcast without incorporation in a corn (Zea mays L.) silage system. During the growing seasons of 2015-2017, GHG emissions and soil mineral nitrogen (N) were measured every other week or more frequently after management events. Crop yield and protein content were measured annually at harvest. No-till reduced CO2 emissions but had no impact on N2 O emissions relative to vertical-till. Manure injection increased N2 O and CO2 emissions, with the magnitude of this effect being greatest for 1 mo post-application. Manure injection also increased soil ammonium and nitrate but did not increase yield or crop quality relative to broadcast application. Similarly, tillage did not affect crop yield or protein content. Despite the tradeoffs between mineral N retention and elevated GHG emissions, manure injection in no-till systems benefits farmers by reducing soil carbon losses as CO2 , retaining mineral N, and maintaining crop yields and quality.
Artificial neural network-based online defect detection system with in-mold temperature and pressure sensors for high precision injection molding

Injection molding is widely used for mass production of thermoplastic parts with complex geometry and tight dimensional tolerance. However, due to the unavoidable shrinkage and uncontrollable process condition variations, defective parts may occur. Thus, dimensional control and online defect detection are extremely important for quality control, particularly for high precision injection molding. The conventional monitoring and control are based on machine setting parameters, but it may not capture the molding condition variations under the unchanged machine settings. This paper develops an artificial neural network (ANN)-based online defect detection system with the real-time data extracted from in-mold temperature and pressure sensors. Both multilinear linear regression (MLR) and ANN models were developed based on the real-time data, but the ANN model is much better than the MLR model. The ANN model has a high prediction accuracy of 98.34% with the coefficient of determination R2 of 91.37%. When applied to defect detection, the ANN model has a defect detection accuracy of 94.4% in consideration of type I and type II errors. This research demonstrates the feasibility of integrating such an ANN-based expert system to injection molding process, to improve online dimensional monitoring. The ANN model also can be easily adapted for detecting other quality characteristics of injection moldings, which would be helpful for the advances in intelligent injection molding.
Engagement and Affective Communication During Pediatric Nephrology Clinic Visits: Associations with Medication Adherence

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether engagement and affective communication among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic kidney disease (CKD), caregivers, and pediatric nephrology providers during outpatient clinic visits predicts antihypertensive medication adherence. Methods AYAs (n = 60, M age = 15.4 years, SD = 2.7, 40% female, 43% African American/Black) and caregivers (n = 60, 73% female) attended audio-recorded clinic visits with pediatric nephrologists (n = 12, 75% female). Recordings were analyzed using global affect ratings of the Roter Interactional Analysis System. Antihypertensive medication adherence was monitored electronically before and after clinic visits. A linear regression model evaluated associations between affect ratings and post-visit adherence. Results AYAs took 84% of doses (SD = 20%) pre-visit and 82% of doses (SD = 24%) post-visit. Higher AYA engagement (β = 0.03, p = .01) and the absence of provider negative affect (β=-0.15, p = .04) were associated with higher post-visit adherence, controlling for pre-visit adherence, AYA sex, age, and race, and clustered by provider. Conclusions Post-visit adherence was higher when AYAs were rated as more engaged and providers as less negative. Practice Implications AYAs with lower engagement may benefit from further adherence assessment. Communication strategies designed to more actively engage AYAs in their care and diminish provider conveyance of negative affect during clinic visits may positively influence adherence among AYAs with CKD.
Propensity score analysis in patients with and without previous isolated coronary artery bypass grafting who require proximal aortic and arch surgery.

Abstract Objective The risk posed by previous isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients who require proximal aortic or aortic arch surgery is unclear. We compared outcomes of ascending aortic and arch procedures in patients with and without previous CABG. Methods Using propensity scores, we created 2 matched groups of patients who underwent proximal aortic surgery, including total arch repairs, at our institution: 126 patients who underwent isolated CABG before the index operation and 126 without previous CABG. Forty-four percent of aortic operations were emergency procedures. Eighty-six patients had a patent previous left internal mammary graft. We compared outcomes between the 2 groups and calculated Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Results The following outcomes were recorded for the patients with previous isolated CABG versus no CABG: operative mortality, 15.9% versus 11.1% (P = .3); 30-day mortality, 13.5% versus 7.1% (P = .1); persistent stroke, 6.3% versus 4.8% (P = .6); and renal failure necessitating hemodialysis at discharge, 7.9% versus 4.0% (P = .2). Previous CABG did not independently predict any adverse outcome, even though patients who underwent previous CABG more frequently needed intra-aortic balloon support (P Conclusions This is one of the largest studies yet reported to examine the impact of previous isolated CABG on proximal aortic or arch surgery outcomes. Although these results may be specific to aortic centers of excellence, in this complicated patient cohort, previous isolated CABG did not independently predict any adverse outcome. These results could serve as a benchmark for assessing future endovascular therapies.
Simple, general, realistic, robust, analytic tokamak equilibria. Part 2. Pedestals and flow

Part 1 described a wide range of analytic tokamak equilibria modelling smooth limiter surfaces, double- and single-null divertor surfaces, arbitrary aspect ratio, elongation, triangularity and beta. Part 2 generalizes the analysis to further include edge pedestals and toroidal flow. Specifically, edge pedestals are allowed in the pressure, pressure gradient and toroidal current density. Also, an edge-localized contribution to the bootstrap current is treated. In terms of flow, analytic solutions are obtained for two cases: a incompressible energy conservation relation.
Radiolabeling and biodistribution studies on a triphenylphosphonium-conjugated peptide nucleic acid

1895 Objectives: The triphenylphosphonium cation is a lipophilic cation that can permeate membrane bilayers and accumulates in cells via a mechanism driven by the plasma membrane potential. Significantly, previous reports have suggested that conjugation of the triphenylphosphonium cation to peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), as well as other normally membrane-impermeant molecules, can similarly drive their uptake into cells. As a result of these observations we synthesized an [125I]triphenylphosphonium-conjugated PNA and examined its effect on the in vivo biodistribution of this macromolecule. Methods: Synthesis of the [125I]triphenylphosphonium-conjugated PNA was achieved by the relatively novel approach of first synthesizing and radioiodinating a triphenylphosphonium-tyrosine prosthetic group and then secondarily conjugating this to a 15-mer PNA still attached to its resin support. This solid phase radiolabeling approach ensured that only the terminus of the PNA was labeled and avoided problems of poor solubility and low radiolabeling efficiency that were encountered when trying radioiodinate the PNA in solution. For a control PNA a desthiobiotin-tyrosine prosthetic group was used in place of the triphenylphosphonium-tyrosine prosthetic group and conjugated to the PNA using the same procedure. Results: For the biodistibution studies the [125I]triphenylphosphonium PNA and the control PNA were injected into female mice via a tail vein and the mice sacrificed 1h later. With the triphenylphosphonium-conjugated PNA highest uptake was observed in the liver (20 ± 3 % ID/g, n=6), followed by the intestine, lungs, uterus and heart, respectively. For the control PNA highest uptake was observed in the intestine (5 ± 1 % ID/g, n=6) followed by the liver, lungs, uterus and heart. Both tissue and blood levels of the [125I]triphenylphosphonium PNA were on average about 3 times that observed with the control PNA. In a second study, mice were sacrificed 24 h after intravenous administration with the triphenylphosphonium PNA. In this case highest levels of radioactivity were still observed in the liver (6 ± 1 % ID/g, n = 4) with levels in other organs much lower ( Conclusions: Conjugation of a triphenylphosphonium cation to a 15mer PNA considerably affects the biodistribution of the PNA in vivo, dramatically increasing both tissue and blood levels of the radiolabeled molecule. Conjugation of this lipophilic cation to other peptide or nucleic acid-based macromolecules may similarly result in a positive effect on their in vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetic properties for nuclear medicine applications Research Support (if any): Supported by DOE OBER
Giver's Impatience: A Self-Other Decision Model of Intertemporal Choices

Intertemporal choices represent one of the most common and fundamental trade-offs in consumer decision-making. How do intertemporal choices made for another person differ from similar choices made for oneself? To examine this question, the present research introduces the first integrative self-other decision model and experimentally tests five model derived hypotheses. This model distinguishes between the psychological processes associated with vicarious versus reactive utility and highlights the pivotal role of anticipated affective reaction in interpersonal decision-making. Seven experiments and two additional replications reveal consistent results supporting model predictions. In particular, the results show that an intertemporal choice for a specified other person tends to reveal more impatience than an otherwise identical choice for oneself, contrary to what has previously been assumed, predicted, and reported in studies using abstract and unspecified others as recipients. This “giver’s impatience” is moderated by decision characteristics, including the anticipated timing of the recipient’s affective reaction, the affective value of the choice options, and decision responsibility. This research provides critical insights and opens new avenues for research into intertemporal choices and interpersonal decision-making.
The Great Depression: Catalyst for Change in America's Game

The Great Depression devastated countries around the world socially, culturally, and economically. In the United States, nearly all aspects of culture were affected, including leisure and recreation. America's pastime, baseball, was hit hard by the decrease in attendance that resulted from widespread unemployment and financial difficulties. In response to the downturn, professional baseball made several innovations to the game in an attempt to bring in more revenue. In this essay, I will attempt to prove that the Great Depression, though economically devastating, resulted in the modernization of the game of baseball.
Stress-dependent elastic wave velocity of microfractured sandstone

SUMMARY A model for the stress-dependent elastic wave velocity response of fractured rock mass is proposed based on experimental evidence of stress-dependent fracture normal and shear stiffness. Previously proposed models and previous experimental studies on stress-dependent fracture stiffness have been reviewed to provide a basis for the new model. Most of the existing stress-dependent elastic wave velocity models are empirical, with model parameters that do not have clear physical meanings. To propose the new model, the rock mass is assumed to have randomly oriented microscopic fractures. In addition, the characteristic length of microfractures is assumed to be sufficiently short compared to the rock mass dimensions. The macroscopic stress-dependent elastic wave velocity response is assumed to be attributed to the stress dependency of fracture stiffness. The stress-dependent fracture normal stiffness is defined as a generalized power law function of effective normal stress, which is a modification of the Goodman's model. On the other hand, the stress dependency of fracture shear stiffness is modeled as a linear function of normal stress based on experimental data. Ultrasonic wave velocity responses of a dry core sample of Berea sandstone were tested at effective stresses ranging from 2 to 55 MPa. Visual observation of thin sections obtained from the Berea sandstone confirms that the assumptions made for microstructure of rock mass model are appropriate. It is shown that the model can describe the stress-dependent ultrasonic wave velocity responses of dry Berea sandstone with a set of reasonable material parameter values. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
An approach to combine progressively captured point clouds for BIM update

Building information models (BIMs) provide opportunities to serve as an information repository to store and deliver as-built information. Since a building is not always constructed exactly as the design information specifies, there will be discrepancies between a BIM created in the design phase (called as-designed BIM) and the as-built conditions. Point clouds captured by laser scans can be used as a reference to update an as-designed BIM into an as-built BIM (i.e., the BIM that captures the as-built information). Occlusions and construction progress prevent a laser scan performed at a single point in time to capture a complete view of building components. Progressively scanning a building during the construction phase and combining the progressively captured point cloud data together can provide the geometric information missing in the point cloud data captured previously. However, combining all point cloud data will result in large file sizes and might not always guarantee additional building component information. This paper provides the details of an approach developed to help engineers decide on which progressively captured point cloud data to combine in order to get more geometric information and eliminate large file sizes due to redundant point clouds.
Autonomic neural control of heart rate during dynamic exercise: revisited.

The accepted model of autonomic control of heart rate (HR) during dynamic exercise indicates that the initial increase is entirely attributable to the withdrawal of parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) activity and that subsequent increases in HR are entirely attributable to increases in cardiac sympathetic activity. In the present review, we sought to re-evaluate the model of autonomic neural control of HR in humans during progressive increases in dynamic exercise workload. We analysed data from both new and previously published studies involving baroreflex stimulation and pharmacological blockade of the autonomic nervous system. Results indicate that the PSNS remains functionally active throughout exercise and that increases in HR from rest to maximal exercise result from an increasing workload-related transition from a 4 : 1 vagal–sympathetic balance to a 4 : 1 sympatho–vagal balance. Furthermore, the beat-to-beat autonomic reflex control of HR was found to be dependent on the ability of the PSNS to modulate the HR as it was progressively restrained by increasing workload-related sympathetic nerve activity. In conclusion: (i) increases in exercise workload-related HR are not caused by a total withdrawal of the PSNS followed by an increase in sympathetic tone; (ii) reciprocal antagonism is key to the transition from vagal to sympathetic dominance, and (iii) resetting of the arterial baroreflex causes immediate exercise-onset reflexive increases in HR, which are parasympathetically mediated, followed by slower increases in sympathetic tone as workloads are increased.
Medium diagnostics for a 10-kW CW HF chemical laser

The supersonic free jets of an arc-driven 10-kW cw HF chemical laser were studied for fixed-flow conditions with and without lasing. A spatially, spectrally, rapidly scanning spectrograph and a spatially scanning stagnation and static pressure probe were used in the diagnosis. The average static temperature and average HF(3) populations were deduced for a very large number of positions in the flow. Salient results include the capability of evaluating the uniformity of reaction in the jet, especially along the cavity axis near the nozzle exit plane, and a qualitative evaluation of the degree of consumption of lasant reactant in the cavity region. A significant local cooling effect resulting from power extraction was observed. Spatial scans of stagnation and static pressures were made for the zero-power case, and Mach numbers and local mass densities were deduced.
Electron microscopic study of the effects of tissue culture on human endometrium

Abstract Fragments of human endometrium were held in tissue culture for several days and then examined by light and electron microscopy. Specimens originally in proliferative and late secretory phase developed cytoplasmic features of secretory activity during tissue culture in the absence of progesterone. However, these same specimens did not develop the ultrastructural nuclear feature characteristic of active secretory endometrium in vivo, namely, the nuclear basket. These findings suggest that although progesterone is not essential for the development of secretory activity, it may well be necessary for the development of nucleolar baskets. Further, nucleolar baskets do not appear to be essential to the development of cytoplasmic secretory activity.
Vocalizations by a sexually dimorphic isolated larynx: peripheral constraints on behavioral expression

The clawed frog Xenopus laevis uses sexually dimorphic vocalizations, mate calling and ticking, to advertise reproductive state. The basic unit of vocalization is a brief click, produced by the movement of cartilagenous disks located within the larynx. The rate of click production in the male-specific mate call (71 Hz) is an order of magnitude faster than the rate of click production in female typical ticking (6 Hz). To determine if vocalization rate is constrained by the periphery, male and female larynges were isolated and response of the muscles to nerve stimulation was studied. Laryngeal muscle response is markedly dimorphic in the 2 sexes, both in the amplitude potentiation of electromyograms and in the rate at which discrete tension transients can be produced. At 6 Hz (ticking), both sexes generate discrete tension transients in response to each stimulus pulse. In response to nerve stimulation at 71 Hz (mate calling), male laryngeal muscle generates discrete tension transients while female laryngeal muscle does not. Since expression of sex-specific vocalizations is regulated by androgenic hormones, responses of laryngeal muscle to nerve stimulation in androgen-treated adult females and castrated adult males were also examined. The responses of laryngeal muscle from castrated and intact males are similar. Androgen-treated female larynx is partially masculinized but does not produce tension transients at the mate call rate. These physiological results are in close agreement with behavioral observations. Sounds produced by the isolated larynx were nearly identical in spectral properties to those produced by an intact male. We determined that the production of a discrete tension transient is prerequisite to click production. Thus, one reason females do not mate call, even when treated with androgens, is that female laryngeal muscle cannot produce discrete tension transients at a rapid rate.
A balloon-occludable T-tube for cholangiography and quantitative collection and reinfusion of bile in man.

Abstract Addition of a reinfusion lumen to the balloon-occludable Baldwin T-tube enabled maintenance of the enterohepatic circulation in man during quantitative collection of bile. This modified Baldwin T-tube was used without adverse sequelae in 4 patients, and has obviated the use of a nasointestinal tube for reinfusion of bile. Injection of sodium diatrizoate demonstrated the competence of bile duct occlusion by the distended balloon and yielded excellent radiographs of the proximal and distal biliary tree. This technique assures postoperative visualization of the proximal biliary tree that cannot always be accomplished by standard T-tube cholangiography.
On the load capacity of the hydromagnetically lubricated slider bearing

Abstract The load capacity of liquid metal lubricated slider bearings subject to an applied magnetic field transverse to the film is investigated. The optimum profile is determined and found to be the Rayleigh step form with the riser location and step height ratio dependent on the strength of the magnetic field. Load capacity is favored by large magnetic fields, small film thicknesses and electrically insulating bearing surfaces. Only modest load increases can be obtained from conventional magnets of reasonable size. Substantial load increases could be accomplished by the recently developed superconducting electromagnets.
Canonically quantized gravity: Disentangling the super-Hamiltonian and supermomentum constraints.

This paper discusses some aspects of canonically quantized gravity as viewed in the Wheeler-DeWitt formalism. (2+1)-dimensional quantum gravity is described in great detail, with particular emphasis on the role played by the moduli space of Riemann surfaces. Wheeler's superspace in this case decomposes into a product of conformal deformations and moduli. A general treatment of the conformal mode of the (spatial) $d$-metric relevant to ($d+1$)-dimensional quantum gravity is exhibited. The super-Hamiltonian constraint for 2+1 gravity is disentangled into independent constraints on the conformal mode and on the moduli. Finally, some suggestions are made on how these ideas might be applied to give some information about the physically interesting (3+1)-dimensional case.
Breast edema in patients treated conservatively for stage I and II breast cancer.

Abstract Breast edema was evaluated in 45 patients with Stage I or II breast cancer (including two with simultaneous, bilateral disease), who were treated by breast-preserving treatment approaches. Multiple variable statistical analysis revealed that bra cup size was the only factor significantly related to the appearance of breast edema. Breast edema occurred in 3 of 20 breasts (15%) with bra cup size A or B, as compared to 13 of 27 breasts (48%) with bra cup size C, D or DD ( p
Match Coats and the Military: Mass-Produced Clothing for Native Americans as Parallel Markets in the Seventeenth Century

AbstractCloth, rather than metals or guns, was the product of European technology in greatest demand among all of the Native Americans in the north-eastern Woodlands region and far beyond. The textile trade, which had the greatest volume and most significant value, began with units of woven goods as the basic items traded for pelts. In the vast documentary record revealing all aspects of these economic interactions, the term 'match coat' appears most frequently. This English term derives from an Algonquian root word (cf. Ojibwa majigoode) originally used for skin robes or mantles. During the early seventeenth century the English homonym 'match coat' became used for these skin garments, and later applied to lengths of woollen cloth cut from a bolt, generally about two metres long (a 'fathom'), traded to the natives. These 'blankets', worn as loosely wrapped cloaks, replaced native-made skin garments as soon as indigenous peoples could afford them.By the 1670s the term 'match coat' also was used to refer to...
Perfect Parallel Parking Via Pontryagin’s Principle

Parallel parking of an automobile can be a frustrating exercise for the driver. A simple, on vehicle control augmentation design for parallel parking is described in the paper. Using a steering control model, parking is cast as an optimal control problem. The minimization of a path length objective function, which was constrained by the bounds on the steering control angle, provided the setting for the problem definition. Pontryagin's maximum principal was employed to discover a family of optimal trajectories that guaranteed perfect parallel parking. A bang-bang controller logic was shown to result. The design was experimentally tested using a light duty truck outfitted with a drive-by-wire capability
Role of parents in paediatric emergencies: Tradition, conflict or improvement?

La medicina, como ciencia, esta evolucionando a pasos agigantados. Los nuevos descubrimientos, el acceso a informacion, el diagnostico temprano de enfermedades complejas y las nuevas modalidades de tratamiento, son el origen de cambios muy beneficiosos para los pacientes que visitan nuestros centros sanitarios. Sin embargo, muchos pacientes, administradores y observadores del proceso medico, opinan que somos una «sociedad cientifica» que esta muy arraigada en tradiciones que dificultan la integracion en la practica clinica de los nuevos descubrimientos, con la velocidad necesaria para que los pacientes se beneficien de ellos. Otros, incluyendo miembros del equipo de salud, no se pueden explicar como se ha llegado al diseno, aun vigente de muchos de los sistemas hospitalarios. Por ejemplo, tomemos el concepto de «Urgencias» para explicar el por que usamos la palabra «Tradicion». Usando una definicion sencilla, podriamos describir a la urgencia como la «seccion de los hospitales donde se atiende a los enfermos y heridos graves que necesitan cuidados medicos inmediatos». En pocas palabras, el area en donde son evaluados los pacientes que han experimentado un suceso imprevisto ----independientemente de la gravedad---que requiere una atencion especial y una solucion rapida. A esto debemos anadir que el medico de urgencias no conoce a los pacientes que esta tratando, que el diagnostico puede
Pause adjustment mechanism and measurement system (PAMMS)

A system is described whereby silent interval duration may be studied as a parameter in the perception of speech pauses under controlled conditions. PAMMS (pause adjustment mechanism and measurement system) provides the S (or the E) with the unique capability of directly manipulating a pause which is then automatically measured electronically. The system includes electronic devices which provide for a specialized switching and dubbing procedure by means of which test tapes are generated.
Citizen Participation and Environmental Risk: A Survey of Institutional Mechanisms:

Standard approaches to defining and evaluating environmental risk tend to reflect technocratic rather than democratic values. One consequence is that institutional mechanisms for achieving citizen participation in risk decisions rarely are studied or evaluated. This article presents a survey of five institutional mechanisms for allowing the lay public to influence environmental risk decisions: public hearings, initiatives, public surveys, negotiated rule making, and citizens review panels. It also defines democratic process criteria for assessing these and other participatory mechanisms.