cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of a Parallel Robot for Needle-Based Interventions on Small Animals

In this paper, a novel 5-degrees-of-freedom robot for performing needle-based interventions on small animal subjects is presented. The robot can realize dexterous alignment of the needle using two parallel mechanisms, and has a syringe mechanism to insert needles to subjects. Operations on small animals require high accuracy positioning during needle insertion. The kinematic calibration procedure of the robot using an optical tracker as an external sensor is presented to enhance accuracy of the system. After the kinematic calibration, the positioning accuracy of the needle tip is measured as 0.4 mm RMS. The robot design is light weight, and has a motion bandwidth of 4 Hz. The robot can track reference trajectories with a closed-loop controller.
An Entity Stability Measure for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Due to the built-in mobility nature of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), the network topology constantly changes. Consequently, the state information for routing processes is imprecise. Examples of state information that are directly impacted by mobility are: delay, bandwidth, error rates, and jitter. The effect of mobility on the state information is critical to the extent that makes the QoS routing problem extremely complicated and inherently challenging. In this paper we provide an analytical estimation of an entity node stability measure (s n). This measure is a new preemptive stability measure that relies on predicting the lifetime of the links
A New Kind of Balancing Act: Electoral Certainty and Ticket-Splitting in the 1996 and 2000 Elections

Using data from the 1996 and 2000 American National Election Studies, this article analyzes the behavior of voters who split their tickets, voting for one party’s presidential candidate and the opposing party’s House candidate, in presidential election years. We test the hypotheses that balancing behavior is likely to occur only when the outcome of the presidential election is relatively certain, and that balancing is most likely to occur among relatively sophisticated voters who have reservations about the policy positions of their preferred presidential candidate. The results of the study support the presence of this type of balancing behavior in the 1996 election and suggest that balancing can play an important role in producing divided government.
Studies on Phosphorylase Activity in the Rat Ductus Deferens

SummaryMaximum phosphorylase a activity is induced in the d. deferens of intact and castrated rats during trimming and handling prior to assay and low levels of activity obtain following quick freezing after removing the ducts or after incubating them in vitro before freezing. The EDTA, either injected or added to the homogenates appears to increase phosphorylase a activity. The EDTA prevents a loss of phosphorylase a activity in the homogenate which normally occurs when it is not present. This can explain the apparent activating effect of EDTA on phosphorylase a in this tissue.
Hypertensive Encephalopathy in Childhood

Hypertensive encephalopathy is an uncommon but recognized complication of malignant hypertension in children. We reviewed the clinical course, laboratory studies, and outcomes of 12 patients with h...
Silencing of TMS1/ASC promotes resistance to anoikis in breast epithelial cells

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is characterized by ductal epithelial cells that have filled the luminal space of the breast duct and survive despite loss of extracellular matrix contact. In normal epithelial cells, the loss of such contact triggers a form of apoptosis known as detachment-induced apoptosis or "anoikis." TMS1/ASC is a bipartite adaptor molecule that participates in inflammatory and apoptotic signaling pathways. Epigenetic silencing of TMS1 has been observed in a significant proportion of human breast and other cancers, but the mechanism by which TMS1 silencing contributes to carcinogenesis is unknown. Here, we examined the role of TMS1 in anoikis. We found that TMS1 expression is induced in response to loss of substratum interactions in breast epithelial cells. siRNA-mediated knockdown of TMS1 leads to anoikis resistance, due in part to the persistent activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and an impaired ability to up-regulate the BH3-only protein Bim. We further show that the detachment-induced cleavage of procaspase-8, a newly described mediator of cellular adhesion, is significantly inhibited in the absence of TMS1. These data show a novel upstream role for TMS1 in the promotion of anoikis, and suggest that silencing of TMS1 may contribute to the pathogenesis of breast cancer by allowing epithelial cells to bypass cell death in the early stages of breast cancer development. This conclusion is supported by in vivo data showing that TMS1 is selectively down-regulated in the aberrant epithelial cells filling the lumen of the breast duct in a subset of primary DCIS lesions.
The role of arthroscopy in the treatment of functional instability of the ankle.

Abstract Background Ankle sprains are common, the majority resolving with functional rehabilitation. Some patients are left with symptoms of functional instability (FI). Ankle arthroscopy in those with symptoms of FI is not well covered in the literature. Our aim was to assess its role in FI of the ankle. Methods Retrospective case note analysis of patients with FI following an ankle sprain from 2005 to 2007. All underwent arthroscopy, provided mechanical instability was excluded (EUA and stress X-rays), and there were no signs of soft tissue impingement. These patients had exhausted all options of conservative therapy. Results Seventy-seven patients with a mean age of 38.1: five had true mechanical instability and were excluded. 72 underwent arthroscopy: 67 (93.1%) had significant amounts of scar tissue needing debridement, most commonly in the antero-lateral corner (58.3%). 52 patients improved (72.2%) at a minimum of 6 months follow-up. Conclusion Our study supports the role of ankle arthroscopy in the treatment of FI following trauma. It should be considered when conservative measures have failed.
Direct Fabrication and Assembly of Highly Ordered L10 Phase FePt Nanoparticles

A new physical approach and a novel technique is described to fabricate L10 phase FePt nanoparticles directly. The morphology of the L10 phase nanoparticles and their size is investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A SQUID magnetometer is used to measure the magnetic properties of these L10 FePt nanoparticles.
Fate of physical, chemical, and microbial contaminants in domestic wastewater following treatment by small constructed wetlands.

In order to evaluate the efficacy of constructed wetlands for treatment of domestic wastewater for small communities located in rural areas, small-scale wetland mesocosms (400 L each) containingtwo treatment desig ns (a mixture of Typha, Scirpus, and Juncus species; control without vegetation) were planted into two depths (45 or 60 cm) with pea gravel. Each mesocosm received 19 L/day of primary-treated domestic sewage. Mesocosms were monitored (inflow and outflow samples) on a monthly basis over a 2-year period for pH, total suspended solids (TSS), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), dissolved oxygen (DO), and conductivity. Microbiological analyses included enumeration of fecal coliforms, enterococci, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, and coliphage. Significant differences between influent and effluent water quality for the vegetated wetlands (po0:05) were observed in TSS, BOD5, and TKN. Increased DO and reduction in fecal coliform, enterococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, and coliphage populations also were observed in vegetated wetlands. Greatest microbial reductions were observed in the planted mesocosms compared to those lackingvegetation. Despite marked reduction of several contaminants, wetlandtreated effluents did not consistently meet final discharge limits for receiving bodies of water. Removal efficiencies for bacteria and several chemical parameters were more apparent duringthe initial year compared to the second year of operation, suggesting concern for long-term efficiency and stability of such wetlands. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
VoIP Traffic Scheduling in WiMAX Networks

Popularity of voice over IP (VoIP) applications such as Skype, Google Talk, and MSN Messenger along with emerging deployment of WiMAX networks is making VoIP over WiMAX an attractive market and a driving force for both carriers and equipment suppliers in capturing and spurring the next wave of telecommunications innovation, though challenges remain. Optimization of the VoIP call capacity over WiMAX networks is one such crucial challenge and remains an open research issue. While conventional scheduling methods have not considered the traffic characteristics of VoIP, in this paper, we propose a traffic aware scheduling algorithm for VoIP applications in WiMAX networks. We study the performance of our proposed method and compare it with that of some conventional methods. The tradeoff between delay and bandwidth efficiency is discussed, and it is shown that using our scheduling method enhances the efficiency of VoIP over WiMAX.
Activities of Linezolid against Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria

Linezolid is an oxazolidinone available as an oral drug which has activity against most gram-positive bacteria. However, few species of the genus Mycobacterium have been studied. We tested 249 clinical isolates and 10 reference strains of rapidly growing mycobacteria for susceptibility to linezolid by broth microdilution. Clinical species included the Mycobacterium fortuitum group (n = 74), M. abscessus (n = 98), M. chelonae (n = 50), M. mucogenicum (n = 10), and M. fortuitum third biovariant complex (10). The modal MIC for M. mucogenicum was 1.0 μg/ml, and the MIC at which 90% of the isolates tested are inhibited (MIC90) was 4 μg/ml; the modal MIC for the M. fortuitum group was 4 μg/ml, and the MIC90 was 16 μg/ml; the modal MIC for the M. fortuitum third biovariant complex was 4 μg/ml, and the MIC90 was 8 μg/ml; the modal MIC for M. chelonae was 8 μg/ml, and the MIC90 was 16 μg/ml; and the modal MIC for M. abscessus was 32 μg/ml, and the MIC90 was 64 μg/ml. Based on peak levels of linezolid in serum of 15 to 20 μg/ml, we propose the following broth MIC breakpoints for these species: susceptible, ≤ 8 μg/ml; moderately susceptible, 16 μg/ml; and resistant, ≥32 μg/ml). These studies demonstrate the excellent potential of linezolid for therapy of rapidly growing mycobacteria.
Techniques for automated drafting of judicial documents

Document drafting is an essential component of judicial problem solving. This paper distinguishes several classes of judicial documents based on (1) the stage of the judicial process in which they are created, (2) the complexity of the documents, and (3) the party who drafts the documents: a judge, judicial support personnel, or a litigant. Three approaches to automated document drafting are identified and the applicability of these approaches to each class of judicial document is described. The paper concludes with a description of several implemented prototype systems for drafting judicial documents at various stages of the judicial process.
Linking management development to firm performance through competencies and capabilities

Knowledge is a firm resource and skillful management of that knowledge enables competitive advantage. The increasing recognition that sophisticated management of knowledge is essential to maintaining competitive advantage has increased the desire of firms to invest in strategic management development. Indeed, firms spend a significant amount on management development but these efforts are often disconnected from strategic intent. If managerial capabilities play an important role in fostering competitive advantage, we need to explore how organizations develop and nurture such capabilities. Furthermore, we need to gain a better understanding of how managerial knowledge translates into higher performance capabilities. The thesis of this paper is that by placing management development programs in the context of current strategic theories of the firm, and ideas about organizational learning and human resource management we may be able to better relate management development programs to firm performance. This paper develops the concept of management capabilities and competencies as a bridge linking management development activities and firm performance through the development of managerial capabilities and competencies.
Who chooses service providers? The spread of consumer choice, 1992-2004.

Abstract Self-determination has been a dominant theme in the movement for the enhancement of the lives of adults with developmental disabilities, but who actually chooses the careproviders funded b...
Mutation Induced Extinction in Finite Populations: Lethal Mutagenesis and Lethal Isolation

Reproduction is inherently risky, in part because genomic replication can introduce new mutations that are usually deleterious toward fitness. This risk is especially severe for organisms whose genomes replicate ‘‘semi-conservatively,’’ e.g. viruses and bacteria, where no master copy of the genome is preserved. Lethal mutagenesis refers to extinction of populations due to an unbearably high mutation rate (U), and is important both theoretically and clinically, where drugs can extinguish pathogens by increasing their mutation rate. Previous theoretical models of lethal mutagenesis assume infinite population size (N). However, in addition to high U, small N can accelerate extinction by strengthening genetic drift and relaxing selection. Here, we examine how the time until extinction depends jointly on N and U. We first analytically compute the mean time until extinction (t) in a simplistic model where all mutations are either lethal or neutral. The solution motivates the definition of two distinct regimes: a survival phase and an extinction phase, which differ dramatically in both how t scales with N and in the coefficient of variation in time until extinction. Next, we perform stochastic populationgenetics simulations on a realistic fitness landscape that both (i) features an epistatic distribution of fitness effects that agrees with experimental data on viruses and (ii) is based on the biophysics of protein folding. More specifically, we assume that mutations inflict fitness penalties proportional to the extent that they unfold proteins. We find that decreasing N can cause phase transition-like behavior from survival to extinction, which motivates the concept of ‘‘lethal isolation.’’ Furthermore, we find that lethal mutagenesis and lethal isolation interact synergistically, which may have clinical implications for treating infections. Broadly, we conclude that stably folded proteins are only possible in ecological settings that support sufficiently large populations.
Modular Multilevel Converter based induction machine drive

This paper proposes that a medium voltage level power Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) based induction machine drive. MMC replaces a two-level voltage source converter (VSC) to drive an induction motor because of its high voltage power range. A designed 5-level three-phase dc-to-ac MMC is analyzed on the circular topology. The indirect field orientated vector control (FOC) is used to control the motor. This paper also compares the vector control loops with a constant and a dynamic rotor flux as feedforward. The motor drive system is simulated in MATLAB/SimPowerSystems. The simulation results validate the control design of the motor drive with two different vector control loops.
From cradle to grave: high-throughput studies of aging in model organisms.

Aging—the progressive decline of biological functions—is a universal fact of life. Decades of intense research in unicellular and metazoan model organisms have highlighted that aging manifests at all levels of biological organization – from the decline of individual cells, to tissue and organism degeneration. To better understand the aging process, we must first aim to integrate quantitative biological understanding on the systems and cellular levels. A second key challenge is to then understand the many heterogeneous outcomes that may result in aging cells, and to connect cellular aging to organism-wide degeneration. Addressing these challenges requires the development of high-throughput aging and longevity assays. In this review, we highlight the emergence of high-throughput aging approaches in the most commonly used model organisms. We conclude with a discussion of the critical questions that can be addressed with these new methods.
Fast Projection-Based Methods for the Least Squares Nonnegative Matrix Approximation Problem

Nonnegative matrix approximation (NNMA) is a popular matrix decomposition technique that has proven to be useful across a diverse variety of fields with applications ranging from document analysis and image processing to bioinformatics and signal processing. Over the years, several algorithms for NNMA have been proposed, e.g. Lee and Seung's multiplicative updates, alternating least squares (ALS), and gradient descent-based procedures. However, most of these procedures suffer from either slow convergence, numerical instability, or at worst, serious theoretical drawbacks. In this paper, we develop a new and improved algorithmic framework for the least-squares NNMA problem, which is not only theoretically well-founded, but also overcomes many deficiencies of other methods. Our framework readily admits powerful optimization techniques and as concrete realizations we present implementations based on the Newton, BFGS and conjugate gradient methods. Our algorithms provide numerical results superior to both Lee and Seung's method as well as to the alternating least squares heuristic, which was reported to work well in some situations but has no theoretical guarantees [1]. Our approach extends naturally to include regularization and box-constraints without sacrificing convergence guarantees. We present experimental results on both synthetic and real-world datasets that demonstrate the superiority of our methods, both in terms of better approximations as well as computational efficiency. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company Statistical Analy Data Mining 1: 000-000, 2007
A hybrid zone between hydrothermal vent mussels (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) from the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge

This study provides the first example of a hybrid zone between animal taxa distributed along the mid-ocean ridge system. We examined the distribution and genetic structure of deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussels (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) along a 2888-km portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between 37 °° °° 50 ′′ N and 14 °° °° 45 ′′ N latitude. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), allozymes and multivariate -- morphometric evidence discriminated between individuals of a northern species, Bathymodiolus azoricus , and a southern species, B. puteoserpentis , that were separated by an intermediate ridge segment almost devoid of mussels. A small sample of mussels from Broken Spur, a vent locality along this intermediate zone, revealed a mixed population with gene frequencies and morphology that were broadly intermediate to those of the northern and southern species. Multilocus clines in mtDNA and allozyme frequencies were centred over the intermediate zone. We consider intrinsic and extrinsic processes that might limit genetic exchange across this hybrid zone.
THE DECAY AND BREAKDOWN OF COMMUNIST ONE-PARTY SYSTEMS

▪ Abstract The failure to anticipate the collapse of communist one-party systems stands in striking contrast to the determinism of retrospective accounts. This essay reviews accounts of the decay and breakdown of one-party systems in order to uncover the causes behind political science's inability to both anticipate these developments and provide satisfactory explanations. These causes include the deterministic character of most accounts, the absence of a theory of single-party rule, the absence or misspecification of causal links between the major building blocks of the arguments put forth, and the analytic conflation of decay and breakdown. Understanding the decay and breakdown of one-party systems requires a methodologically conscious distinction between these two processes and a specification of their links (and the links between the variables affecting each process), grounded in a theory of single-party rule.
E2 agent plugin architecture

E2 is a plugin-based, service-oriented middleware architecture. E2 extends the popular Eclipse platform's idea of building a software system entirely and dynamically from XML-interfaced plugins, adds the feature to remove and replace plugins on the fly, administers the plugin connection process, and provides a message transport plugin for distributed inter-E2 system communication. E2 introduces a generic user interface plugin that separates user interfaces and application functionality. With these extensions, E2 extends the plugin concept, with its success on the desktop, to the broader areas of distributed middleware and multi-agent systems. E2 retains compatibility with Eclipse so that it can reuse Eclipse plugins but also, via an extensible interpreter capability, adds compatibility with Web services and WSDL. This paper describes the E2 platform, implemented in Java, being used to develop the Everything is Alive agent system.
Sparseness-Controlled Adaptive Tap algorithms for partial update adaptive filters

In this paper, we present a novel adaptive tap algorithm for partial update adaptive filters used in network echo cancellation. As the channel is typically long and sparse, it is unnecessary and inefficient to update all of the taps. Although partial update algorithms can be used to solve this problem, it is difficult to predetermine a fixed number of partial-update taps without a priori knowledge of the channel. We propose a partial update strategy which adapts not only the filter coefficients but also the number of taps to be updated. A novel adaptive tap partial update algorithm, Sparseness-Controlled Adaptive Tap IPNLMS-MMAX (SC-AT IPNLMS-MMAX), is proposed which incorporates a new measure for sparseness. Simulation results show that, compared with the fully updated IPNLMS algorithm, our proposed partial update algorithm has both faster initial convergence and lower computational complexity while achieving almost the same steady-state error.
Microstrip active antennas and arrays

A description is presented of active antennas and arrays fabricated using microstrip patch antennas and Gunn diodes. Injection-locking experiments were carried out on these X-band antennas to achieve frequency coherency and to calculate the circuit Q-factor. An electronic tuning range of over 9% has been achieved for the single active patch element. A two-element active array was also developed. The output power levels from the two elements were combined in free space, resulting in higher power in the main beam. The tuning range was much narrower and the antenna pattern broke from a single beam into two separate beams as the DC bias voltage was varied. The breakup limits the practical tuning range. >
Principles and applications of active tactile sensing strategies in the rat vibrissal system

The importance of active sensing to animals suggests that it may confer significant advantages to engineered sensing systems. The rat vibrissal (whisker) system is an important model for studying tactile active sensing. To date, however, the small size and fast speeds of the whiskers have precluded characterization of the rat's exploratory strategies. We have developed novel optical instrumentation that has allowed one of the first quantifications of tactile sampling during rat exploratory behavior. Results reveal characteristics of vibrissal active sensing that may find application in artificial tactile sensing systems; for example, the morphology of the whisker array allows rats to sample at multiple spatial scales within a single sampling cycle. Here, we describe the design and implementation of the novel optical system and how it is helping to uncover sampling strategies in this biological system.
Improved matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric detection of glycosaminoglycan disaccharides as cesium salts

Ultraviolet matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric (UV-MALDI-MS) analysis of highly acidic, thermally labile species such as glycosaminoglycan-derived oligosaccharides is complicated by their poor ionization efficiency and tendency to fragment through the loss of sulfo groups. We have utilized a systematic approach to evaluate the effect of alkali metal counterions on the degree of fragmentation through SO3 loss from a highly sulfated model compound, sucrose octasulfate (SOS). The lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium salts of SOS were analyzed by UV-MALDI-time-of-flight (TOF)MS using an ionic liquid matrix, bis-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidinium α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate. The positive-ion and negative-ion MALDI mass spectra of five alkali metal salts of SOS were compared in terms of the degree of analyte fragmentation through the SO3 loss and the absolute intensity of a molecular ion signal. Experimental results demonstrate that the lithium, sodium, and potassium salts of SOS undergo some degree of fragmentation through the loss of SO3, whereas the fragmentation through the loss of SO3 in the rubidium and cesium salts of SOS is suppressed. A high detection sensitivity associated with the stability of sulfate half-esters was achieved for the cesium salt of SOS using positive-ion detection. Finally, the cesium salt of chondroitin sulfate A disaccharide was successfully analyzed using UV-MALDI-TOFMS. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nursing knowledge about alcohol use and alcohol problems in women: a review of the literature.

In this article, the authors review the nursing empirical literature on alcohol and women’s health published over the past 5 years (2005-2010). A total of 36 data-based articles authored by nurse i...
Tendon reflexes for predicting movement recovery after acute spinal cord injury in humans.

Objective: Use the tendon reflex to examine spinal cord excitability after acute spinal cord injury (SCI), relating excitability findings to prognosis. Methods: We conducted repeated measures of reflex responses to mechanical taps at the patellar and Achilles tendons of the lower limbs, and the wrist flexor tendons of the upper limbs in persons with acute SCI, beginning as early as the day of injury. The single largest EMG response (peak-to-peak) for each site was recorded. Subjects were compared based on level of injury and final neurologic status of lower limb motor function (i.e. absence of any voluntary recruitment in a lower limb muscle: motor-complete; voluntary recruitment in 1 or more lowerlimb muscles: motor-incomplete). Results: We studied 229 subjects with acute SCI. Persons with injury to the cervical or thoracic spinal cord and who were (or became) motor-incomplete showed large tendon responses, even at the time of initial evaluation. In combination with larger tendon response amplitudes, the presence of the ‘crossed-adductor’ response to patellar tendon taps at the acute stage was highly predictive of functional motor recovery following SCI. In marked contrast, tendon responses were small (e.g. , 0.1 mV) or absent in persons with acute, motorcomplete injury (and which remained motor-complete), and the crossed-adductor response was never seen. Reflex amplitudes and the incidence of the crossed-adductor response increased somewhat over time in persons with motor-complete SCI, but did not approach the values seen in motor-incomplete subjects. Conclusions: Taken together, tendon response amplitude and reflex spread were sensitive and specific indicators of preserved supraspinal control over lower limb musculature in subjects with acute SCI. A simple algorithm using these outcome measures predicted a ‘motorcomplete’ status with 100% accuracy, and a motor-incomplete status with accuracy exceeding 91%. q 2004 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Functional modeling of RSFQ circuits using Verilog HDL

Circuit level simulation is too slow to be used for verification of function and timing of large RSFQ circuits. The alternative, known from semiconductor digital circuit design, is simulating at the logic (gate) instead of the circuit (transistor or junction) level. Using a hardware description language (HDL) such as Verilog, it is possible to write functional model of each of the RSFQ basic gates. A large RSFQ circuit composed of hundreds gates and thousands Josephson junctions can then be simulated using standard semiconductor industry CAD tools. We have developed a library of Verilog models for over 15 basic RSFQ gates. We describe in detail our model for the DRO RSFQ cell. We show how this model can be generalized for other more complex cells. Our library has been verified by employing it in the design of timing for three large RSFQ circuits.
Germplasm preservation: objectives and needs

Germplasm is the hereditary message which dictates the development of plants and animals. This biological information is passed from generation to generation in an unbroken chain of living cells. Unlike other resourses, once cell life is lost, the germplasm is lost, therefore for all practical purposes it is stored only in living systems. For convenience germplasm resources can be grouped into several levels of usefulness and management: 1. Varieties and breeds in current use, 2. Obsolete cultivars and minor breeds, 3. Primitive cultivar/landraces and folk breeds of indigenous agriculture, 4. Wild and weedy/feral taxa and near relatives of useful animals and crops, 5. Special genetic stocks which are the tools of breeders, 6. Special coadapted genetic stocks where two or more taxa have a symbiotic relationship (pollinator, nodule forming bacteria etc.) and 7. Lastly organisms of no apparent immediate usefulness but which are part of the web of life.
Unusual Outflow Tract Ventricular Tachycardia

Distinguishing premature ventricular contractions/ventricular tachycardia from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) versus the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) can be difficult by electrocardiogram (ECG) findings alone, particularly when the origin is above the aortic valve, because of their close anatomic relationships. When the ECG shows a left bundle branch block morphology with an inferior axis and an R-wave transition at or later than V3 to V4, mapping first in the RVOT is reasonable. When ablation in the RVOT is unsuccessful despite early activation signals, mapping of the LVOT in the aortic cusps should be considered. A thorough understanding of the outflow tract anatomy as well as a systematic and meticulous approach to mapping of the ventricular outflow regions and great vessels increases the success rate and decreases the risk of damage to adjacent structures and the conduction system. The use of multimodality imaging, particularly real-time intracardiac echocardiographic guidance, is essential for defining anatomy, ensuring adequate catheter contact, and minimizing risks.
Predicting Clinical Phenotype Using OTU-Based Metagenome Representation

We demonstrate a computational method to predict theclinical phenotypes of a patient from raw metagenomic sequenceread data. We compared two state of the art programs forannotating the sequence data, UCLUST and Kraken, and usingtheir output for feature generation. We apply these programs to aset of over 1.3 million reads from 904 patients, some of whom haveliver cirrhosis, encephalopathy due to liver cirrhosis, or neitherdisease. Once the reads have been processed by UCLUST orKraken, we use Support Vector Machines to setup the clinicalphenotype prediction problem. We find that too many falsenegatives are being predicted by the classifier. In order to addressthe issue, we scale features to improve the classification model andevaluate the end results on a held-out test set. We demonstrate ourapproach works quickly and accurately with an 85.64% successrate when we use the UCLUST representation. We also findthat UCLUST generally performs better than Kraken, with thelatter having an 80.66% success rate. We also test our classifieron several subsets of the data, with success rates ranging from69.81% to 96.72%.
Manufacturing in South Carolina, 1815–60 1

The development of industry in South Carolina to 1860 is analyzed carefully, using information culled from manuscript census returns and the correspondence of businessmen. The failure of manufacturing to grow more rapidly is ascribed to a shortage of capital and skilled management, an unfortunate geography, competition for factors of production by local agriculture, and competition in the product markets by Northern industry.
The Family and Medical Leave Law: Feminist Social Policy?

This essay asks whether the Family and Medical Leave Law (1993) is feminist social policy, as it was touted to be by its political supporters. The study takes three approaches to feminism outlined by Lorber in her 2001 text, Gender Inequality: Feminist Theories and Politics, which considers women in their roles as mothers and workers. Data taken from a Department of Labor FMLA utilization study are then analyzed in the context of these three approaches to feminism. I conclude that the FMLA is not feminist in a substantive way despite its symbolic value.
Predicting response before initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer using new methods for the analysis of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE MRI) data

The pharmacokinetic parameters derived from dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI have shown promise as biomarkers for tumor response to therapy. However, standard methods of analyzing DCE MRI data (Tofts model) require high temporal resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and the Arterial Input Function (AIF). Such models produce reliable biomarkers of response only when a therapy has a large effect on the parameters. We recently reported a method that solves the limitations, the Linear Reference Region Model (LRRM). Similar to other reference region models, the LRRM needs no AIF. Additionally, the LRRM is more accurate and precise than standard methods at low SNR and slow temporal resolution, suggesting LRRM-derived biomarkers could be better predictors. Here, the LRRM, Non-linear Reference Region Model (NRRM), Linear Tofts model (LTM), and Non-linear Tofts Model (NLTM) were used to estimate the RKtrans between muscle and tumor (or the Ktrans for Tofts) and the tumor kep,TOI for 39 breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). These parameters and the receptor statuses of each patient were used to construct cross-validated predictive models to classify patients as complete pathological responders (pCR) or non-complete pathological responders (non-pCR) to NAC. Model performance was evaluated using area under the ROC curve (AUC). The AUC for receptor status alone was 0.62, while the best performance using predictors from the LRRM, NRRM, LTM, and NLTM were AUCs of 0.79, 0.55, 0.60, and 0.59 respectively. This suggests that the LRRM can be used to predict response to NAC in breast cancer.
Investigation into the Sources of Biochar Water-Soluble Organic Compounds and Their Potential Toxicity on Aquatic Microorganisms

During biochar production, a number of pyrolysis intermediates recondense on the surface of biochar where potentially they may play an interesting role in soil and freshwater environments. This study investigated the sources of biochar water-soluble organic compounds (WSOC) as a function of biomass materials including cellulose and lignin and also as a function of pyrolysis temperature from 300 to 500 °C in relation to their potential toxicity to freshwater blue-green algae, Synechococcus. The amount of WSOC extracted from biochar, irrespective of biomass starting material, decreased significantly as a function of pyrolysis temperature. For biochars produced at pyrolysis temperatures below 400 °C, algal bioassays and advanced mass spectrometry analyses revealed that toxic WSOC extracted from pinewood-derived biochar was most likely due to mono-, di-, and trisubstituted phenolic compounds derived from lignin, while toxic WSOC extracted from cellulose-derived biochar was acidic and bio-oil like in nature. F...
ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITORS AND ANGIOTENSIN RECEPTOR BLOCKERS IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS: A META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS

Data from randomized-controlled trials regarding the efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in patients at risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) are inconclusive. Current guidelines support their use in this population, extrapolating the
Queer studies and religion

This article provides an introductory guide to queer scholarship in religious studies and theology. It also outlines approaches to queer studies and how they have been, and might be, appropriated i...
The Release of Taoist Holy Spirit of Politic Wisdom——Psychological Interpretation of Taoist Culture in Li Bai’s Poems

This paper holds that Li Bai’s poems hold in store the connotation of Taoism, and reveal the bourn of human life, while the bourn of Taoism lies in the exploration and understanding of the value of human life. The essence of Taoism-keeping quite and self-introspection-is to transcend our human desires, to realize our value of life, and therefore to achieve the harmony of our hearts and eventually to make the goal of “confining to Taoism” come true. All the personal experiences displayed in Li Bai’s poems demonstrate Taoism. After probing into Li Bai’s poems, we find that his thoughts were not the combination of Confucianism and Taoism, but a blueprint based on Taoism. Li Bai pursued the rule of “rendering outstanding service and being reclusive” throughout his whole life, whichis the soul of Taoism. It was based on the actual situation that Li Bai absorbed Taoist philosophy. His poems are practical and effective. He was one of those who had a better understading of Taoist philosophy and also one of those who could make practical use of it.
On the Cross-Domain Reusability of Neural Modules for General Video Game Playing

We consider a general approach to knowledge transfer in which an agent learning with a neural network adapts how it reuses existing networks as it learns in a new domain. Networks trained for a new domain are able to improve performance by selectively routing activation through previously learned neural structure, regardless of how or for what it was learned. We consider a neuroevolution implementation of the approach with application to reinforcement learning domains. This approach is more general than previous approaches to transfer for reinforcement learning. It is domain-agnostic and requires no prior assumptions about the nature of task relatedness or mappings. We analyze the method’s performance and applicability in high-dimensional Atari 2600 general video game playing.
Colonization and demographic expansion of freshwater fauna across the Hawaiian archipelago

It is widely accepted that insular terrestrial biodiversity progresses with island age because colonization and diversification proceed over time. Here, we assessed whether this principle extends to oceanic island streams. We examined rangewide mtDNA sequence variation in four stream-dwelling species across the Hawaiian archipelago to characterize the relationship between colonization and demographic expansion, and to determine whether either factor reflects island age. We found that colonization and demographic expansion are not related and that neither corresponds to island age. The snail Neritina granosa exhibited the oldest colonization time (~2.713 mya) and time since demographic expansion (~282 kya), likely reflecting a preference for lotic habitats most prevalent on young islands. Conversely, gobioid fishes (Awaous stamineus, Eleotris sandwicensis and Sicyopterus stimpsoni) colonized the archipelago only ~0.411-0.935 mya, suggesting ecological opportunities for colonization in this group were temporally constrained. These findings indicate that stream communities form across colonization windows, underscoring the importance of ecological opportunities in shaping island freshwater diversity.
Jonathan Edwards's Reformed doctrine of theosis

Amid a scholarly rediscovery of Protestant forms of theosis, questions of whether Jonathan Edwards developed a theotic account of redemption have received increased attention. Ironically, however, interest in Edwards's doctrine of theosis has emphasized the philosophical rather than the theological bases in ways that seem to set him outside the boundaries of Reformed orthodoxy. Yet if we shift our attention away from the neo-Platonic explanations of Edwardsian theosis and place it instead where Edwards himself focused—on the communicable nature of the triune God within the economy—we see that his notions of theosis rest on firmly Protestant foundations and result in recognizably Reformed conclusions. But to say that attention to Edwards's trinitarian and incarnational theology reveals an orthodox form of theosis is not to say that his theotic soteriology lacked distinctive and even innovative elements. Unlike other theologians whose accounts of theosis bifurcated God's communicable nature from the creatures’ relational participation among the divine persons, Edwards's theology made room for and insisted on both.
Spectroscopic investigation of macrocyclic poly (9,9-dimethyl-2-vinylfluorene) as an artificial light harvester

Three-dimensional crystal structures for the light harvesting antenna complexes of photosynthetic bacteria have recently been resolved [1]. This has led to a more profound understanding of how nature harvests sunlight in an efficient fashion. The antenna complex (LH2) is highly symmetric and the deployment of chromophores is cyclic. It is therefore of interest whether this architecture is important for the very rapid and efficient energy transfer - excitation hopping times at room temperature of ~100 fs have been reported [2]. In our investigations, the ring-like structure of LH2 is mimicked by novel two-dimensional macrocyclic polymers, which have recently been synthesized [3]. Such poly-vinyl aromatic polymers can be prepared with 10 – 50 chromophore groups (here the chromophore is 9,9 dimethylfluorene) that are pendent to the polymer backbone. In this report, the steady state and time-resolved spectroscopic properties of the macrocyclic polymers are compared with their linear analogs.
Localized Sympathectomy Reduces Mechanical Hypersensitivity by Restoring Normal Immune Homeostasis in Rat Models of Inflammatory Pain.

Some forms of chronic pain are maintained or enhanced by activity in the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), but attempts to model this have yielded conflicting findings. The SNS has both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects on immunity, confounding the interpretation of experiments using global sympathectomy methods. We performed a “microsympathectomy” by cutting the ipsilateral gray rami where they entered the spinal nerves near the L4 and L5 DRG. This led to profound sustained reductions in pain behaviors induced by local DRG inflammation (a rat model of low back pain) and by a peripheral paw inflammation model. Effects of microsympathectomy were evident within one day, making it unlikely that blocking sympathetic sprouting in the local DRGs or hindpaw was the sole mechanism. Prior microsympathectomy greatly reduced hyperexcitability of sensory neurons induced by local DRG inflammation observed 4 d later. Microsympathectomy reduced local inflammation and macrophage density in the affected tissues (as indicated by paw swelling and histochemical staining). Cytokine profiling in locally inflamed DRG showed increases in pro-inflammatory Type 1 cytokines and decreases in the Type 2 cytokines present at baseline, changes that were mitigated by microsympathectomy. Microsympathectomy was also effective in reducing established pain behaviors in the local DRG inflammation model. We conclude that the effect of sympathetic fibers in the L4/L5 gray rami in these models is pro-inflammatory. This raises the possibility that therapeutic interventions targeting gray rami might be useful in some chronic inflammatory pain conditions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sympathetic blockade is used for many pain conditions, but preclinical studies show both pro- and anti-nociceptive effects. The sympathetic nervous system also has both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects on immune tissues and cells. We examined effects of a very localized sympathectomy. By cutting the gray rami to the spinal nerves near the lumbar sensory ganglia, we avoided widespread sympathetic denervation. This procedure profoundly reduced mechanical pain behaviors induced by a back pain model and a model of peripheral inflammatory pain. One possible mechanism was reduction of inflammation in the sympathetically denervated regions. This raises the possibility that therapeutic interventions targeting gray rami might be useful in some inflammatory conditions.
Nonrepudiation Protocols Without a Trusted Party

A nonrepudiation protocol from party S to party R performs two tasks. First, the protocol enables party S to send to party R some text x along with sufficient evidence (that can convince a judge) that x was indeed sent by S. Second, the protocol enables party R to receive text x from S and to send to S sufficient evidence (that can convince a judge) that x was indeed received by R. Almost every published nonrepudiation protocol from party S to party R involves three parties: the two original parties S and R, and a third party that is often called a trusted party. A well-known nonrepudiation protocol that does not involve a third party is based on an assumption that party S knows an upper bound on the computing power of party R. This assumption does not seem reasonable especially since by violating this assumption, party R can manipulate the nonrepudiation protocol so that R obtains all its needed evidence without supplying party S with all its needed evidence. In this paper, we show that nonrepudiation protocols that do not involve a third party can be designed under reasonable assumptions. Moreover, we identify necessary and sufficient (reasonable) assumptions under which these protocols can be designed. Finally, we present the first ever \(\ell \)-nonrepudiation protocol that involves \(\ell \) parties (none of which is trusted), where \(\ell \) \(\ge \) 2.
Resilient autonomous systems: Challenges and solutions

Advances in the technology of autonomous systems calls for an examination of the factors that confer resilience on the human-machine system. We identify challenges for teaming between human operators and autonomous systems associated with cognitive demands, trust and operator self-regulation. Solutions to these challenges partly require designing systems for effective signaling of capabilities and “intent” to the human operator. They also require selection and training of operators to team with systems that may simulate intelligent, social behaviors, as well as diagnostic monitoring of operator neurocognitive status. Implementing such solutions supports resilience at a systems level, so that machine and human can compensate for each other's limitations in challenging circumstances.