cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory and design of robust direct and indirect adaptive-control schemes

A general approach for designing and the theory for analysing robust direct and indirect adaptive-control schemes for continuous-time plants is presented. The design approach involves the development of a general robust adaptive law and the use of the certainty equivalence principle to combine it with robust model reference and pole placement control structures. The global stability properties and robustness of the developed adaptive control schemes are established by using a general theory which relates the properties of signals in the mean sense over intervals of time. The developed theory and design approach are used to analyse and compare the robustness properties and performance of a wide class of robust adaptive laws which employ a dead-zone, fixed-σ, e1, and a switching-σ modification as well as their variations.
A power comparison of three tests for design effects in a random effects covariance model

A preliminary testing procedure for design ettecta in a ran-dom effects covariance model is Compared with the usual procedure to see if the power of the latter can be improved. A procedure which ignores the random covariate effects is included for comparison and for study of misspecification effects. Methodology is based on Roebruck's (1982) results for regular linear models.
DMS footprinting of structured RNAs and RNA–protein complexes

We describe a protocol in which dimethyl sulfate (DMS) modification of the base-pairing faces of unpaired adenosine and cytidine nucleotides is used for structural analysis of RNAs and RNA-protein complexes (RNPs). The protocol is optimized for RNAs of small to moderate size (< or = 500 nt). The RNA or RNP is first exposed to DMS under conditions that promote formation of the folded structure or complex, as well as 'control' conditions that do not allow folding or complex formation. The positions and extents of modification are then determined by primer extension, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and quantitative analysis. From changes in the extent of modification upon folding or protein binding (appearance of a 'footprint'), it is possible to detect local changes in the secondary and tertiary structure of RNA, as well as the formation of RNA-protein contacts. This protocol takes 1.5-3 d to complete, depending on the type of analysis used.
The past and future Office of the Surgeon General.

Some argue that changes in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Public Health Service have diminished the power of the U.S. Surgeon General over the years. In this commenta...
Phonotactic probability effects in children who stutter.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of phonotactic probability, which is the frequency of different sound segments and segment sequences, on the overall fluency with which words are produced by preschool children who stutter (CWS) as well as to determine whether it has an effect on the type of stuttered disfluency produced. Method A 500+ word language sample was obtained from 19 CWS. Each stuttered word was randomly paired with a fluently produced word that closely matched it in grammatical class, word length, familiarity, word and neighborhood frequency, and neighborhood density. Phonotactic probability values were obtained for the stuttered and fluent words from an online database. Results Phonotactic probability did not have a significant influence on the overall susceptibility of words to stuttering, but it did impact the type of stuttered disfluency produced. In specific, single-syllable word repetitions were significantly lower in phonotactic probability than fluently prod...
Ice raft formation, sediment load, and theoretical potential for ice-rafted sediment influx on northern coastal wetlands

Ice rafting is an important secondary sedimentation process that redistributes sediment form tidal flats, channel beds, and ponds to the vegetated marsh surface in northern temperate climates. Source location of ice-rafted sediment is identifiable based on distinct sediment properties. In New England salt marsh systems, ice raft thickness and entrained sediment load vary both during the season and interannually as a function of severity and duration of winter conditions; however, 97% of ice rafts carry measurable sediment loads. Thick rafts move sand or peat up to 100 m from source areas, whereas thinner rafts tend to transport mud still further onto the marsh platform, sometimes reaching the upland border. Based on these observations, we present relationships defining the theoretical sediment-carrying potential of ice rafts as well as empirical parameterizations for ice-rafted sediment with respect to ice volume. Our results suggest that ice-rafting deposits a volume of sediment contributing up to 5% of annual vertical accretion, an important input in a region where rates of vertical accretion barely compensate for sea-level rise. We provide conceptual models of ice-raft formation and sediment entrainment linking these processes to the general geomorphic evolution of northern temperate marshes, which must be understood in light of the modern acceleration in rates of sea-level rise.
Civic republicanism in the modern age: Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential campaign

This essay examines the 1952 presidential campaign as an instance of contemporary civic republicanism. The essay claims that Stevenson adapted the tenets of republicanism as a pragmatic response to the obstacles that confronted him in his race for the White House. Analysis of his campaign rhetoric reveals the strengths and limitations of republicanism as a political argument. The essay explores the complex relationship between rhetorical style, political judgment, and presidential campaign discourse.
APPARENT BRIGHTNESS TO THE CAT OF SEVERAL MONOCHROMATIC STIMULI.

Summary.-A Siamese cat was trained to respond to the darker of paired comb~nations of seven brightness values. Each of these was then paired wich four hues, each at three intensity levels. These data produced a psychophysical cieterm~nation of the apparent brightness of each of the hues. The obtained overlap among the hues demonstrates that discrimination training involving any two of the hues would result in performance only slightly better than chance if that performance were based on a simple brightness habit. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a relevant brightness cue was operating in a current study of cat color vision (Clayton, 1963). The stimuli used in the color-discrimination study were filtered light of the following hues: red, yellow, green, and blue. The intent of that study was to maintain hue as the only relevant dimension and keep brightness irrelevant by using widely ranging intensities of each of the hues. For chis purpose three intensities for each hue were obtained by combining the colored filter wich neutral density filters. Nevertheless, Gunter (1954 a, b) has shown that cats are very sensitive to brightness differences and are particularly sensitive to the lower wavelengths. It seemed essential, therefore, to determine independently whether the color-vision problems could have been solved on the basis of brightness alone. A psychophysical stitdy of the apparent brightnesses of the same stimuli utilized in the color-vision st~tdy should provide the required data for such a determination. Stbbjec~ und Apparutgs S was a male Siamese cat approximately one year of age. The apparatus was a WGTA designed for the cat and patterned after the one described by Meier, Bunch, Nolen, and Scheidler (1960). The spectral stimuli were lights projected through Kodak Wratten gelatin filters onto food well covers on the tray of the WGTA. These filters were combined with neutral density (ND)
Unusual Aggregation of a Nonfunctional Tobacco Mosaic Virus Protein

The nonfunctional virus protein isolated from plants infected with the PM2 strain of tobacco mosaic virus aggregates to form elongated, two-stranded, open helical structures, in marked contrast with functional tobacco mosaic virus protein which aggregates into rods. This unique type of aggregation may explain why the PM2 protein is unable to combine with viral nucleic acid to form stable infectious virus particles.
Surgical management of a long efferent loop after J-pouch ileoanal reconstruction.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate a simple and effective repair of a poorly constructed ileal J-pouch with an extensive long efferent limb. METHOD: A retrospective case review was performed. RESULTS: The surgical procedure described preserves additional ileum and enlarges the ileal reservoir. The procedure succeeded in resolving the patient's complaints of partial obstruction, weight loss, and increased stool frequency. At five-month follow-up, the patient was doing well with three to six stools daily. Evaluation of the new ileal J-pouch showed no signs of inflammation, and the pouch size measured more than 20 cm compared with 12 cm preoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Repair of a long efferent limb by this simple stapling technique is feasible, simple, and effective, with an excellent clinical result. It preserves valuable small intestine and enlarges the capacity of the reservoir, leading to better functional outcome.
The Viability of Organizational Wellness Programs: An Examination of Promotion and Results

Wellness programs in contemporary organizations are increasing in number, but attendance is low and results often are difficult to track. We examined participant and program characteristics in 2 organizations that offered extensive wellness activities. One organization considered its program successful and had been in operation for 10 years, while the other organization's program ran for 2 years and ended because of a lack of funding. In the successful program, wellness program attendance showed a relationship to time employees took off for sick days, and improved fitness produced similar results. In the less successful operation, interviews were held with mangers and employees regarding promotion and program support. Suggestions are provided for future wellness programs.
Planning for groups based on their developmental phases

Abstract Knowledge about group developmental stages is used as an aid in diagnosing group and individual status and movement, in planning the course of the group, and in aiding its progress.
Ground plane effects on planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) performance

The planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is popular for portable wireless devices because of its compact size and low profile. The PIFA is designed to operate with a ground plane and the ground plane is an integral part of the antenna assembly. In fact, the ground plane size is the limiting factor for the PIFA in many applications. Some work has been reported on the performance of PIFAs mounted on a conducting box of fixed size; however, what is lacking is a parametric study on the antenna behaviour as a function of geometry or antenna position and orientation on a finite ground plane. The paper presents results from a comprehensive investigation on the performance of a conventional PIFA mounted on ground planes of various sizes and shapes. The orientation and position of the antenna on a fixed-size ground plane is analysed. The influence of ground plane geometry on resonant frequency, bandwidth, gain, and radiation patterns are presented. These results are very useful in the design of a PIFA for applications requiring a small ground plane. Specifically, the results show the trade-offs between PIFA geometry and ground plane size with electrical performance. Both numerical simulation and experimental data are presented.
The Laboratory Response Network: Before, during, and after the 2001 anthrax incident

Abstract The Laboratory Response Network (LRN) was established in 1999 in response to the worldwide concern for the potential use of biological or chemical agents in the commission of acts of terrorism. One such example was the numerous “hoax” letters allegedly containing the agent of anthrax that were mailed to a variety of agencies, including family planning clinics. As a result of this realistic threat, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Association of Public Health Laboratories, created the LRN for the purpose of strengthening the nation's capacity to provide immediate and sustained laboratory testing and communication in the event of public health emergencies, particularly in response to acts of bioterrorism. From the time of its establishment to the present, the LRN has been successful in integrating the public and private health laboratory communities, in addition to expanding its original focus of medical laboratories to military laboratories, veterinary laboratories, agricultural laboratories, food and water testing laboratories, and international laboratories. The original designation of laboratories as Levels A, B, C, and D was revised to Sentinel, Reference, and Federal laboratories. They now function as an integrated network, with the major goal being to ensure that the nation's public health and private sector laboratories, along with other select laboratories, are prepared and equipped to respond to a biological or chemical act of terrorism in an appropriate and integrated manner. The lessons learned during the anthrax investigation in 2001 clearly demonstrated the need for an integrated network of laboratories, education, and training of technical personnel and the development of rapid detection and confirmatory technology. The American Society for Microbiology is one of many partners in the LRN and is responsible for maintaining and developing sentinel level testing protocols to either “rule out” or refer possible agents of bioterrorism. The mission of the LRN has been expanded to include not only biological and chemical terrorism, but also emerging infectious diseases and other public health threats and emergencies.
Electromagnetic diffraction of an obliquely incident plane wave field by a wedge with impedance faces

A uniform asymptotic solution is presented for the electromagnetic diffraction by a wedge with impedance faces and with included angles equal to 0 (half-plane), pi /2 (right-angled wedge), pi (two-part plane) and 3 pi /2 (right-angled wedge). The incident field is a plane wave of arbitrary polarization, obliquely incident to the axis of the wedge. The formal solution, which is expressed in terms of an integral, was obtained by the generalized reflection method. A careful study of the singularities of the integrand is made before the asymptotic evaluation of the integral is carried out. The asymptotic evaluation of the integral is performed taking into account the presence of the surface wave poles in addition to the geometrical optics poles near the saddle points. This results in a uniform solution which is continuous acros the shadow boundaries of the geometrical optics fields as well as the surface wave fields. >
Painful Passages: Traumatic Experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress among U.S. Immigrant Latino Adolescents and their Primary Caregivers

Using data from a stratified random sample of 281 foreign-born adolescents and their parents, this study provides data on migration-related trauma exposures and examines how the migration process influences the risk of experiencing trauma and developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We find that 29% of foreign-born adolescents and 34% of foreign-born parents experienced trauma during the migration process. Among those that experienced trauma, 9% of adolescents and 21% of their parents were at risk for PTSD. Pre-migration poverty combined with clandestine entry into the US increased the risk of trauma and the subsequent development of PTSD symptoms. Post-migration experiences of discrimination and neighborhood disorder further exacerbated this risk, while social support and familism mitigated it. Our results emphasize the importance of understanding how factors prior to, during, and after migration combine to influence the health of immigrants.
ASYMMETRIES IN THE USE OF VERBAL IRONY

Three experiments assessed four variables that may affect verbal irony processing: people’s expectations of events, event outcome, evaluations of outcome, and shared common ground. Reading times an...
Transitive and causative in Gorum

This paper takes up various problems of Gorum verb morphology and, more important, of its semantic categories. These relate specifically to the interconnections found between so-called causativization and transitivity. The notion 'intransitivity', is shown to be inadequate to characterize the data, and can be replaced by a semantic feature which we call affectedness of the subject NP of a primary verb in a tree. Higher sentence construction is not adequately handled by the ambiguous or various notions of causativity. What happens in Gorum can be more adequately described in terms of displacement of the head NP in a sentence, and this is shown to be directly related to transitivity, causation and perhaps volition. For, an additional distinction operating in the Gorum verbal system is that of internally motivated action versus the absence of such motivation. This distinction and its correlation with the feature affected is also touched on. I. TRANSITIVITY AND INTRANSITIVITY There are two basic verb (stem) types in the Munda language Gorum.I The two are distinguished morphologically in a variety of ways. For most verbs, the infinitival ending, -u or -nuH,2 and the incorporability of object pronominals as verb stem suffixes appear to be the crucial characteristics.3 [I] Also known as Parengi, Parenga and Pareng. It is spoken primarily in Koraput District, Orissa (India), and also in some adjacent areas of Andhra Pradesh. It is a sister language of the better-known Sora (or Savara) of Ganjam, Koraput, and neighbouring districts. The research for this article was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. I should also like to thank the following people for comments on earlier versions of the material presented here: H. Aronson, C.-J. Bailey, Gene Gragg, R. D. Munda and Norman H. Zide. [2] I use '=' to indicate morpheme boundary, '-' for stem boundary. 'H' stands for laryngealization, which often appears as a boundary marker. It patterns with -nuH, appearing as a marker for it in the past and progressive tenses, and on the contingent affix as well. [3] There is a third subtype, which is unimportant to the concerns of the discussion, and corresponds, roughly, to what is usually called the impersonal. The contingent affixes =den/=denH are affixed to verb roots,this without distinction of pronominal participants, and pattern with -ul-nuH along with similarly predictable imperative affixes or their absence.
A measurement technique and algorithm for determining the n-p-n and p-n-p alphas of a thyristor

A new method has been developed for accurately measuring the forward-blocking characteristics of gate-turnoff (GTO) thyristors, and for converting these characteristics into plots of n-p-n and p-n-p gain as a function of anode current and anode voltage. Specifically, anode current and gate current are measured as functions of gate-to-cathode voltage at a fixed anode voltage over several orders of magni, tude of anode current. These data are used to determine the electron and hole components of anode current, which are, in turn, used to calculate α npn and α pnp over the entire range of anode current of interest. Examples are given that show how junction shorts, low minority-carrier lifetime in the n-base, and anomalously low n-p-n gain are diagnosed in GTO thyristors. These new procedures have successfully diagnosed the causes of gate insensitivity in 95 percent of the devices to which they have been applied.
Modulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated luteinizing hormone release in cultured male equine anterior pituitary cells by gonadal steroids.

The objective of the present study was to determine whether the testicular steroids, i.e., testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estradiol (E,), estrone (E,), and estrone sulfate (ES04 ), play a physiological role in regulating LH release in the male horse by direct actions at the anterior pituitary gland. Enzymatically dispersed anterior pituitary cells from stallions (n = 4) or geldings (n = 3) were cultured for 48 h in a-modified Eagle's medium containing 10% steroid-free horse medium. To determine the effects of the steroids on the LH response to GnRH, the cells were incubated for 24 h in fresh media with or without 10-' ° M E, or 10 - 8 M T or DHT followed by a 4-h incubation GnRH (10-" to 10 -7 M). Media and cells were analyzed for LH by RIA. In the stallion, GnRH increased LH release (p < 0.001) in a dose-dependent manner (ED5 GnRH = 4.5 x 10 - 9 M), and this response was unaltered by T or DHT but greatly enhanced by E 2 (p < 0.001). E 2 lowered the ED5,, for GnRH to 5 x 10-' ° M and increased the maximum LH response to GnRH by 350%. The LH release in response to a constant dose of 1 nM GnRH was unaltered by varying doses of T, DHT, or E,S04 (10-" to 10 - 7 M). In contrast, E increased GnRH-stimulated LH release maximally at 10-' ° M with an ED5,, of 2.9 x 10-" M, whereas E, was less effective with an ED,, of 10 - 8 M and an ED,o of 3 X 10 - 9 M, respectively. In the gelding, the responsiveness to GnRH (i.e., ED5,, = 2.8 0.8 x 10-'0 M) was enhanced (p < 0.01) compared to that in the stallion; however, none of the steroids, i.e., T, DHT, E,, E,, or ES04, altered GnRH-stimulated LH release. In conclusion, in the male horse, the negative feedback of the testicular androgens on LH release appears to be due to an action on the hypothalamus by inhibition of GnRH secretion rather than a direct effect at the pituitary. Furthermore, it appears that E, may be important for maintaining pituitary responsiveness to GnRH.
A Micro-power EEG acquisition SoC with integrated seizure detection processor for continuous patient monitoring

Continuous on-scalp EEG monitoring provides a non-invasive means to detect the onset of seizures in epilepsy patients, but cables from the scalp pose a severe strangulation hazard during convulsions. Since the power of transmitting the EEG wirelessly is prohibitive, a complete SoC is presented, performing lowpower EEG acquisition, digitization, and local digital-processing to extract detection features, reducing the transmission-rate by 43x. To maximize power-efficiency, the acquisition LNA operates at the lowest reported V DD (of 1V, drawing 3.5µW), but is able to reject offsets (characteristic of metal-electrodes) that are even larger than the supply voltage. Importantly, its topology simultaneously optimizes noise-efficiency and input-impedance to maximize electrode signal-integrity, and it uses switch-capacitor transformers to improve the noise and manufactureabilty of large on-chip resistors. The complete SoC generates EEG featurevectors every 2sec, consuming a total of 9µJ per feature-vector.
Vacuum Ultraviolet Circular Dichroism Studies of Peptides and Saccharides

Conventional circular dichroism (CD) spectrometers operate in the ultraviolet region to approximately 185 nm. Peptides and proteins have only two optically active backbone transitions in this region, the n-π* and the π-π* amide transitions, and even then the entire π-π* transition is not generally observable with commercial spectrometers since its envelope can extend to 175–185 nm. Vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism (VUCD) measurements are required to observe the high energy component of the π-π* transition and the two higher energy transitions near 165 nm and 145 nm, all of which have been shown to be sensitive to molecular conformation.
Improving Tax-Based incomes Policies: the Lessons of the Environmental Literature:

The intuition of the environmental control literature is employed to study the Abstract various alternative tax-based incomes policies that have been proposed. It is noted that each trades off, to some degree, flexibility in wage settlement against effectiveness in controlling inflation. Mirroring some aspects of Abba Lerner's MA P plan, a proposal that would make a tax-based penalty for excessive wage settlement dependent upon both the degree of excessiveness and the actual observed ex post inflation rate is advanced as a superior player in this tradeoff.
An integrated software testing system based on an object-oriented DBMS

It is generally believed that the testing phases of software development consume one-third to one-half of the entire software development time and resources. To increase the productivity of the software development process, the cost and time of testing should be reduced. The integrated software testing system described in this paper allows the structural and functional description of software systems, test data and their expected results, and bug reports to be generated and stored in a software database implemented using an object-oriented database management system. The objects in the database and their relationships with each other are used to facilitate local testing and to integrate structural and functional testing approaches. The high-level, uniform user interface of the system increases the productivity of the test engineers, and reduces the cost of developing reliable software systems. The software testing system together with an existing software analysis and maintenance system together cover the software analysis, maintenance, debugging, and testing phases of the software product lifecycle. >
Detection of Hypokinesis by a Quantitative Analysis of Left Ventricular Cineangiograms

A method for detecting left ventricular hypokinesis is proposed. It involves superimposition of left ventricular silhouettes traced from 30 degree right anterior oblique cineangiograms, correcting for thoracic cage motion, descent of the aortic valve and rotation of the apex. Normal values for the percent of systolic motion of seven endocardial segments have been established from measurements in 20 patients, permitting a statistical definition of hypokinesis. The use of this quantitative method has been compared with visual inspection of ventriculograms (qualitative method), resulting in differences in definition of hypokinetic segments by the two methods in 13 of 16 patients with coronary heart disease. When the quantitative method was used, only one hypokinetic segment was found which did not correspond to an obstructive coronary lesion while six such segments were defined using the qualitative method. In four patients segments thought to be hypokinetic (qualitative method) appeared to be akinetic (quan...
Patterned metallic surfaces to realize 1-D, 2-D and 3-D ultrathin invisibility cloaks

Here we analyze in detail the concept of surface cloaking, showing that a patterned metasurface covering a given object may provide drastic scattering reduction, at the level of recently developed bulk metamaterials cloak, but with the advantage of thinner, lighter, cheaper and arguably simpler technology, and most significantly enhanced bandwidth of operation. In particular, it is shown that the currents induced on a passive metallic patterned surface may be tailored to drastically suppress the electromagnetic visibility of a given 1-D, 2-D or 3-D object, for applications spanning low-observability, camouflaging, non-invasive probing, imaging and low-interference communications.
Aminoacyl-tRNA enrichment after a flood of labeled phenylalanine: insulin effect on muscle protein synthesis.

Muscle protein synthesis in dogs measured by flooding withl-[2H5]phenylalanine (70 mg/kg) was significantly stimulated by infusion of insulin with amino acids. The stimulation of muscle protein syn...
Study of Driven Ground Rods and Four Point Soil Resistivity Tests

A series of tests has been conducted to compare the apparent soil resistivity of a driven ground rod with the soil resistivity measurements obtained by the four point method. Both uniform and non-uniform soil conditions were encountered. A theoretical analysis is performed for the two test methods in two-layer soil conditions. An equation is derived to enable the calculation of the driven rod apparent soil resistivity based on the four point soil resistivity tests.. The actual test results are analyzed based on two-layer theoretical considerations. Possible limitations of the four point test method are discussed.
Targeted optical signal processing for high-performance optical networks

Optical signal processing holds the promise of enhancing the performance and stability of optical networks. Some specific topics that will be highlighted include tunable optical delay lines and optical performance monitoring.
Marital Quality Ten Years After the Transition to Parenthood: Implications of the Timing of Parenthood and the Division of Housework

Using a sample of 180 dual-earner, nondivorced couples, this study explored how the timing of parenthood and the division of housework are related to husbands' and wives' marital quality during the childrearing years. Hypothesized to be “at risk” for negative marital evaluations were early first-birth couples who divided tasks in a less-traditional manner and delayed first-birth couples who divided tasks in a traditional manner. Analyses revealed that husbands and wives in the “risk” groups evaluated their marriages more negatively, suggesting that congruence between behaviors, background, and attitudes is important for marital quality. In addition, early first-birth couples evaluated their marriages more poorly than did the “on time” or “delayed” couples. Wives' gender-typed attitudes emerged as a significant covariate in the analyses but did not account for the effects of the timing of parenthood and the timing of parenthood × the division of housework interactions.
CT scans may not be indicated to analyze the distribution of the arteries in the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Distribution of the maxillary artery as it relates to sinus floor augmentation. Elian N, Wallace S, Cho SC, Jalbout ZN, Froum S. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2005;20(5):784-7. Level of Evidence 4 Purpose/Question To assess whether CT scans are useful in the diagnosis of the distribution of the arteries in the maxillary sinus. Source of Funding Not available Type of Study/Design Randomly selected case series
COMMENTS ON NEUBERG'S REVIEW OF CAUSALITY

I am grateful to Professor Neuberg for taking the time to study my book Causality and for summarizing its main ideas in a language familiar to readers of Econometric Theory. I will comment on several issues that I believe warrant further discussion. First, I will summarize in my own style what economists can learn from Causality, and, second, I will correct several inaccuracies in the summary of Professor Neuberg.
Hierarchical Curve Reconstruction. Part I: Bifurcation analysis and Recovery of Smooth Curves

Conventional edge linking methods perform poorly when multiple responses to the same edge, bifurcations and nearby edges are present. We propose a scheme for curve inference where divergent bifurcations are initially suppressed so that the smooth parts of the curves can be computed more reliably. Recovery of curve singularities and gaps is deferred to a later stage, when more contextual information is available.
Central Venous Catheter Access in Children on HD

Central venous catheters (CVC) remain a frequently used form of vascular access in children receiving chronic hemodialysis (HD). Whereas standard dual-lumen catheters (DL) are used in many centers, the Tesio catheter has proven to be superior to the DL catheter in terms of catheter survival and infection rates in at least one pediatric study (Sheth RD et al. Am J Kidney Dis. 2001). Recently, the Ash Split catheter became available which, while similar to the Tesio internally, being comprised of 2 separate catheters, may be preferable because of the requirement for only one skin puncture for placement vs. two for the Tesio. However, no pediatric data pertaining to the Ash Split catheter have been published to date. Therefore, we reviewed and compared our experience with a small number of Ash Split (# 16) and Tesio (# 8) catheters used for semipermanent vascular access in our chronic HD population with reference to survival, infectious complications, patency, and dialysis adequacy. The results of this experience are as follows: Tesio Ash Split Survival >3 months 6/8 12/15 Sepsis (epi/catheter mo) 1/30 1/25 Exit-site infection (epi/catheter mo) 1/8.6 1/19 sp Kt/V urea 1.67 1.88 % sp Kt/V urea >1.2 100 90 Reasons for the removal of Tesio catheters were transplant (4), sepsis (1), deterioration of tubing (1), and accidental (1). Ash Split catheter removal resulted from sepsis (2), fistula placement (4), thrombosis (1), and accidental (2). This preliminary experience reveals similar outcome data for the Tesio and Ash Split catheters when used in pediatric HD patients. Definitive statements regarding the superiority of either catheter awaits additional data collection and analysis.
DNA-dependent protein kinase and DNA repair: relevance to Alzheimer's disease

The pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the leading cause of senile dementia, involves region-specific neuronal death and an accumulation of neuronal and extracellular lesions termed neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques, respectively. One of the biochemical abnormalities observed in AD is reduced DNA end-joining activity. The reduced capacity of post-mitotic neurons for some types of DNA repair is further compromised by aging. The predominant mechanism to repair double-strand DNA (dsDNA) breaks (DSB) is non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which requires DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) activity. DNA-PK is a holoenzyme comprising the p460 kDa DNA-PK catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and the Ku heterodimer consisting of p86 (Ku 80) and p70 (Ku 70) subunits. Ku binds to DNA ends first and then recruits DNA-PKcs during NHEJ. However, in AD brains, reduced NHEJ activity has been reported along with reduced levels of DNA-PKcs and the Ku proteins, indicating a potential link between AD and dsDNA damage. Since age-matched control brains also show a reduction in these protein levels, whether there is a direct link between NHEJ ability and AD remains unknown. Possible mechanisms involving the role of DNA-PK in neurodegeneration, a benchmark of AD, are the focus of this review.
Imagery in Sport: An Historical and Current Overview

The subject of imagery is receiving a great deal of attention in applied sport psychology. The purpose of this overview is to trace the development of the field of imagery, synthesize theories explaining how it affects performance, and then relate how it may best be used today. In the first section imagery is defined and the history of its use discussed, followed by explanations for how imagery affects physical and psychological skills. The use of imagery in sport is then described, and the scientific literature pertaining to the effectiveness of imagery in developing physical and psychological skills is examined.
Intraluminal Release of an Antifungal β-Peptide Enhances the Antifungal and Anti-Biofilm Activities of Multilayer-Coated Catheters in a Rat Model of Venous Catheter Infection.

Candida albicans is the most prevalent cause of hospital-acquired fungal infections and forms biofilms on indwelling medical devices that are notoriously difficult to treat or remove. We recently demonstrated that the colonization of C. albicans on the surfaces of catheter tube segments can be reduced in vitro by coating them with polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) that release a potent antifungal β-peptide. Here, we report on the impact of polymer structure and film composition on both the inherent and β-peptide-mediated ability of PEM-coated catheters to prevent or reduce the formation of C. albicans biofilms in vitro and in vivo using a rat model of central venous catheter infection. Coatings fabricated using polysaccharide-based components [hyaluronic acid (HA) and chitosan (CH)] and coatings fabricated using polypeptide-based components [poly-l-lysine (PLL) and poly-l-glutamic acid (PGA)] both served as reservoirs for the loading and sustained release of β-peptide, but differed substantially in loadi...
Understanding 'Hardship' and Other Particularities of Project Finance Deals in Latin America

This paper provides common law trained lawyers working on Latin American deals some insights on the hardship clause and how this theory might be conceived by a Latin American practitioner, in the hope that a greater understanding of this issue will help promote amicable solutions to potential conflicts, if not avoid them altogether.
Abstract 18: Impact of Malpractice Damage Caps on Cardiac Stress Testing and Medicare Spending

Objective: Physicians report that they often order tests to reduce medical malpractice liability risk. We test the hypothesis that caps on non-economic damages (the most stringent commonly adopted reform) will decrease cardiac testing rates, or healthcare spending more generally, using patient-level data for the Medicare population. Methods: We fit a difference-in-differences model on a 5% random sample of Medicare claims between 1999 and 2012. Treatment states (n=9) were those that introduced damage caps during the “third wave” of medical malpractice reform between 2002 and 2005. The remaining states were controls. We compared rates of cardiovascular stress testing and overall spending per enrollee before and after damage caps were adopted. Our model incorporates extensive covariates: individual and zip-code fixed effects; calendar quarter dummies; patient age; the 17 elements of the Charlson comorbidity index, and county-level demographic, socioeconomic, and health care characteristics. Results: Damage ...
A label propagation approach for detecting buried objects in handheld GPR data

Detection of buried landmines and other explosive objects using ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been investigated for almost two decades and several classifiers have been developed. Most of these methods are based on the supervised learning paradigm where labeled target and clutter signatures are needed to train a classifier to discriminate between the two classes. Typically, large and diverse labeled training samples are needed to improve the performance of the classifier by overcoming noise and adding robustness and generalization to unseen examples. Unfortunately, even though unlabeled GPR data may be abundant, labeled data are often available in small quantities as the labeling process is tedious and can be ambiguous for most of the data. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for detecting landmines and buried objects that uses unlabeled data to help labeled data in the classification process. Our algorithm is graph-based and propagates the nodes labels to neighboring nodes according to their proximity in the feature space. For labeled data, we use a set of prototypes that are extracted from a small set of labeled training samples. For unlabeled data, we use a collection of signatures that are extracted from the vicinity of the alarm being tested. This choice is based on the assumption that many spatially close signatures are expected to have similar features and thus, unlabeled samples can create dense regions that link different regions of the labeled samples and propagate their labels to test samples. In other words, unlabeled samples are explored to create a context for each test alarm. To validate the proposed label propagation based classifier, we use it to detect buried explosive objects in GPR data collected by an experimental hand held demonstrator. We show that our approach is robust and computationally efficient to be used for both target discrimination and prescreening.
Model-Based Clustering of Social Vulnerability to Urban Extreme Heat Events

Geodemographic classification methods are applied to Denver Colorado to develop a typology of social vulnerability to heat exposure. Environmental hazards are known to exhibit biophysical variations (e.g., land cover and housing characteristics) and social variations (e.g., demographic and economic adaptations to heat mitigation). Geodemographic model-based classification permits a more extensive set of input variables, with richer attributions; and it can account for spatial context on variable interactions. Additionally, it generates comparative assessments of environmental stress on multiple demographic groups. The paper emphasizes performance of model-based clustering in geodemographic analysis, describing two stages of classification analysis. In so doing, this research examines ways in which high heat exposure intersects with socioecological variation to drive social vulnerability during extreme heat events. The first stage classifies tract-level variables for social and biophysical stressors. Membership probabilities from the initial (baseline) classification are then input to a second classification that integrates the biophysical and social domains within a membership probability space to form a final place typology. Final place categories are compared to three broad land surface temperature (LST) regimes derived from simple clustering of mean daytime and nighttime land surface temperatures. The results point to several broad considerations for heat mitigation planning that are aligned with extant research on urban heat vulnerability. However, the relative coarseness of the classification structure also reveals a need for further investigation of the internal structure of each class, as well as aggregation effects, in future studies.
Body size-trophic position relationships among fishes of the lower Mekong basin.

Body size is frequently claimed to be a major determinant of animal trophic interactions, yet few studies have explored relationships between body size and trophic interactions in rivers, especiall...
The same picture through different lenses: quantifying the effects of two preservation pathways on Green River Formation insects

Abstract. Insects in the fossil record are generally preserved in lacustrine shales or in amber. For those in lacustrine shales, preservation is usually via keroginization or mineralization. Given the extended period of microbial decay required to generate ions for mineralization, there is a predicted inherent bias toward lower preservation quality for this pathway by most taphonomic indices compared with keroginization. This study tests this hypothesis by comparing multiple measures of preservation quality between sites with similar sedimentology in the Eocene Green River Formation of Colorado. Here, insects are either mineralized in iron oxides (likely after pyrite) at the Paleoburn site or keroginized at the Anvil Points site. Generally, the prediction that keroginization preserves soft-bodied fossils with higher preservational quality than mineralization is affirmed, but with some caveats. Beetles, known for their robust cuticles, are proportionately more abundant at the Paleoburn site, but eight of t...
Reconfigurable Ultrathin Beam Redirecting Metasurfaces for RCS Reduction

A reconfigurable metasurface concept is proposed for dynamically tuning the direction of the maximum radar cross section (RCS). The basic unit cell of this metasurface is a loaded mushroom-type structure. By capacitively loading the unit cells, the reflection phase across the metasurface can be controlled, thus allowing incident plane waves to be scattered in any arbitrary direction. As a consequence, the RCS of the metasurface can be considerably reduced for the specular direction. Unlike previous static design approaches that yield fixed beam patterns, the reconfigurable aspect of the metasurface allows dynamic control over the placement of the RCS peaks and/or nulls.
Cardiovascular mortality among liver transplant recipients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in the United States-a retrospective study.

Background Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) has become an increasingly important indication for liver transplantation (LT), and there has been a particular concern of excessive cardiovascular-related mortality in this group Methods Using the United Network for Organ Sharing-Standard Transplant Analysis and Research (UNOS-STAR) dataset, we reviewed data on 56,995 adult transplants (January 2002 through June 2013). 3,170 NASH liver-only recipients were identified and were matched with 3,012 non-NASH HCV+ and 3,159 non-NASH HCV- controls [matched 1:1 based on gender, age at LT (±3 years), and MELD score (±3)] Results Cox regression analysis revealed significantly lower hazard of all-cause (HR 0.669; p<0.0001) and cardiovascular-related mortality (HR 0.648; P<0.0001) in the NASH compared to the non-NASH group after adjusting for diabetes, BMI, and race. Relative to the non-NASH HCV-positive group, NASH group has lower hazard of all-cause (HR 0.539; p<0.0001) and cardiovascular-related mortality (HR 0.491; p<0001). A lower hazard of all-cause mortality (HR 0.844; p=0.0094) was also observed in NASH patients compared to non-NASH HCV- negative group, but cardiovascular mortality was similar (HR 0.892; p=0.3276) Conclusion LT recipients with NASH have either lower or similar risk of all-cause and cardiovascular-related mortality compared to its non-NASH counterparts after adjusting for diabetes, BMI, and race. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Distribution patterns of the introduced encrusting bryozoan Conopeum chesapeakensis (Osburn 1944; Banta et al. 1995) in an estuarine environment in upper San Francisco Bay

Abstract The factors shaping the distributions of nonindigenous species (NIS) are of particular interest for understanding their success and potential impacts within their invaded ranges. In the San Francisco Bay estuary, the encrusting bryozoan Conopeum chesapeakensis (Osburn, 1944; Banta et al., 1995) occurs in peak abundances in lower salinity hard substrate habitats, with lower abundances upstream and downstream; however, little is known about the factors that control its distribution. To investigate several hypotheses about what allows this broadly tolerant invader to be numerically dominant in this region, a field transplant experiment was conducted across three sites in upper San Francisco Bay estuary. Colonies settled on PVC plates in the peak abundance zone and transplanted to upstream and downstream treatment sites, or returned to the settlement site, which served as a control. Salinity, temperature, chlorophyll a levels, and the abundance of interspecific competitors varied at each site and were measured throughout the experiment. Mixed effects models incorporating these measurements compared net growth rate and zooid size observed across treatment sites. Colonies transplanted upstream experienced high barnacle settlement, a potential competitive threat, and decreased salinity, and exhibited an average net growth rate of 6.60 zooids/day. Colonies at the control site faced almost no potential interspecific competition, intermediate salinity, and had an average net growth rate of 4.96 zooids/day. At the downstream site, colonies grew an average of 4.62 zooids/day and experienced high potential competition from serpulid polychaete settlement and the highest salinity of all sites. The best-fit models indicated that overall abundance of potential competitors, especially the serpulid Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923), was negatively correlated with the net growth rate of C. chesapeakensis colonies. Zooid size was also negatively correlated with F. enigmaticus abundance and temperature, though the relationship weakened over time. Many colonies at both the upstream and downstream transplant sites experienced fast initial growth following transplantation, but then experienced partial colony loss corresponding with an increase in the abundance of potential competitors. In contrast, colonies at the control site showed slow but continuous growth throughout the study in absence of interspecific competitors. These results suggest that the numerical dominance of C. chesapeakensis in upper-estuary habitat may be partly explained by a lack of potential interspecific competitors. As San Francisco Bay and other estuaries face high invasion pressure in brackish upper-estuarine regions, understanding which factors influence the distribution of NIS can help predict impacts to resident communities.