cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
X-ray radiography of fracture flow and matrix imbibition in Topopah Spring Tuff under a thermal gradient

A method of imaging the flow of liquid in fractures and matrix imbibition in tuff using x-ray radiography has been developed and a formulation for the calculation of saturation in the matrix based on x-ray radiography is presented. Experiments were performed using different thermal gradients and hydrostatic heads. The distance that liquid penetrates the boiling region was found to be dependent on hydrostatic head: during the highest-head experiment, liquid water penetrated the entire fracture and continued to pass through the boiling region. For experiments where flow stopped at the boiling region, x-ray images indicate crystal deposition along the fracture. In some cases, when the sample was cooled, fracture flow resumed, and in other cases the fractures were sealed and flow did not continue.
Singular homologically area minimizing surfaces of codimension one in Riemannian manifolds

For n≥7, it is shown how to construct examples of smooth, compact Riemannian manifolds (N n +1,g), with non-trivial n dimensional integer homology, such that for some Γ∈H n (N,Z), the hypersurface (n-current) M, which minimizes area among all hypersurfaces representing Γ, has singularities. The singular set of M consists of two isolated points, and the tangent cone at these points can be prescribed as any strictly stable, strictly minimizing, regular cone. To my knowledge these are the first examples of codimension one homological minimizers with singularities.
A preliminary trial of a prototype Internet dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program for young women with body image concerns.

Objective: A group dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program, in which young women critique the thin ideal, reduces eating disorder risk factors and symptoms, but it can be difficult to identify school clinicians with the time and expertise to deliver the intervention. Thus, we developed a prototype Internet version of this program and evaluated it in a preliminary trial. Method: Female college students with body dissatisfaction (N 107; M age 21.6 years, SD 6.6) were randomized to the Internet intervention, group intervention, educational video condition, or educational brochure condition. Results: Internet and group participants showed greater pre-post reductions in eating disorder risk factors and symptoms than video controls ( Md s 0.47 and 0.54, respectively) and brochure controls ( Md s 0.75 and 0.72, respectively), with many effects reaching significance. Effects did not differ significantly for Internet versus group participants ( Md s – 0.13) or for video versus brochure controls ( Md 0.25). Effect sizes for the Internet intervention were similar to those previously observed for group versions of this intervention. Conclusions: Results suggest that this prototype Internet intervention is as efficacious as the group intervention, implying that there would be merit in completing this intervention and evaluating it in a fully powered trial.
The Role of Local Authorities in Lifelong Learning: The Case for a Balance between Different Forms of Social Coordination for Joint Education and Public Library Service Initiatives.

Abstract Many of the pressures for change in society are impacting in similar ways upon both libraries and schools. This gives local authorities an opportunity to coordinate both education and public library services to tackle the national goal of strengthening social cohesion through lifelong learning. This article suggests that this coordination needs to effect a balance between partnership, hierarchy and market approaches to the coordination of such initiatives and draws upon practical examples and data from work in both Southampton and West Berkshire.
DIFFERENCES AMONG CHICANO AND WHITE STUDENTS ON ITEMS OF MACHIAVELLIANISM SCALE

121 Chicano and 112 white college students showed no significant differences in their total scores on the Machiavellianism scale. But a stepwise discriminant analysis using the 20 individual items ...
Advanced Reliability Method for Fatigue Analysis

When design factors are considered as random variables and the failure condition cannot be expressed by a closed form algebraic inequality, computations of risk (or probability of failure) may become extremely difficult or very inefficient. This study suggests using a simple and easily constructed second degree polynomial to approximate the complicated limit state in the neighborhood of the design point; a computer analysis relates the design variables at selected points. Then a fast probability integration technique (i.e., the Rackwitz-Fiessler algorithm) can be used to estimate risk. The capability of the proposed method is demonstrated in an example of a low cycle fatigue problem for which a computer analysis is required to perform local strain analysis to relate the design variables. A comparison of the performance of this method is made with a far more costly Monte Carlo solution. Agreement of the proposed method with Monte Carlo is considered to be good.
Sorption nonequilibrium effects on colloid-enhanced transport of hydrophobic organic compounds in porous media

This paper presents the results of modelling and experimental investigations of factors affecting enhanced transport of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) on colloids in porous media, especially effects of nonequilibrium sorption/desorption. Simulations were performed with a model that considers equilibrium and rate-limited exchange of contaminant between the true dissolved phase, the suspended and attached colloids, and the fixed solid phase as well as the advection, dispersion, deposition, and release of colloidal particles from the porous medium. The model was also applied to laboratory column data for colloid-facilitated transport of a common HOC, phenanthrene. Simulations of colloid-enhanced transport and fitting of experimental data indicated that colloid-enhancement of hydrophobic organic contaminant transport can be significant for sufficiently high colloid concentrations, a high partition coefficient of contaminant on colloids with respect to the fixed porous medium, a low deposition efficiency of the colloids on the fixed porous medium surfaces, and a slow desorption rate of contaminant from the colloids. The last of these conditions was identified as probably the most important in enhancing transport distances of contaminants in natural systems with mobile colloids which usually occur at concentrations not exceeding a few mg/l.
Impulsive Enzymes: A New Force in Mechanobiology

We review studies that quantify newly discovered forces from single enzymatic reactions. These forces arise from the conversion of chemical energy to kinetic energy, which can be harnessed to direct diffusion of the enzyme up a concentration gradient of substrate, a novel phenomenon of molecular chemotaxis. When immobilized, enzymes can move fluid around them and perform directional pumping in microfluidic chambers. Because of the extensive array of enzymes in biological cells, we also develop three new hypotheses: that enzymatic self diffusion can assist in organizing signaling pathways in cells, can assist in pumping of fluid in cells, and can impose biologically significant forces on organelles, which will be manifested as stochastic motion not explained by thermal forces or myosin II. Such mechanochemical phenomena open up new directions in research in mechanobiology in which all enzymes, in addition to their primary function as catalysts for reactions, may have secondary functions as initiators of mechanosensitive transduction pathways.
The Drosophila fragile X mental retardation gene regulates sleep need

Sleep need is affected by developmental stage and neuronal plasticity, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The fragile X mental retardation gene Fmr1, whose loss-of-function mutation causes the most common form of inherited mental retardation in humans, is involved in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity, and its expression depends on both developmental stage and waking experience. Fmr1 is highly conserved across species and Drosophila mutants carrying dFmr1 loss-of-function or gain-of-function mutations are well characterized: amorphs have overgrown dendritic trees with larger synaptic boutons, developmental defects in pruning, and enhanced neurotransmission, while hypermorphs show opposite defects, including dendritic and axonal underbranching and loss of synapse differentiation. We find here that dFmr1 amorphs are long sleepers and hypermorphs are short sleepers, while both show increased locomotor activity and shortened lifespan. Both amorphs and hypermorphs also show abnormal sleep homeostasis, with impaired waking performance and no sleep rebound after sleep deprivation. An impairment in the circadian regulation of sleep cannot account for the altered sleep phenotype of dFmr1 mutants, nor can an abnormal activation of glutamatergic metabotropic receptors. Moreover, overexpression of dFmr1 throughout the mushroom bodies is sufficient to reduce sleep. Finally, dFmr1 protein levels are modulated by both developmental stage and behavioral state, with increased expression immediately after eclosure and after prolonged wakefulness. Thus, dFmr1 expression dose-dependently affects both sleep and synapses, suggesting that changes in sleep time in dFmr1 mutants may derive from changes in synaptic physiology.
Intestinal Mucosal Immunoglobulins during Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection

In intestinal fluid samples from 39 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients, IgA and IgG levels were equivalent, whereas in 10 controls, IgA levels were significantly higher than those of IgG (P < .05). Intestinal IgA in patients contained predominantly monomeric IgA1, whereas IgA1 and IgA2 subclass levels in controls were nearly equivalent and primarily polymeric. The predominance of IgG and monomeric IgA1 in mucosal fluid samples from HIV-1-infected patients suggests exudation of serum immunoglobulins into the intestine. The decreased proportion of mucosal plasma cells producing IgA and IgA2 in the HIV-1-infected patients (P < .01) may also contribute to the abnormal intestinal immunoglobulin levels. Intestinal IgG reacted with most HIV-1 antigens, whereas specific IgA was present in only 10 of 17 patients and reacted with only envelope (gp120 and gp160) and, less often, core (p17 and p24) antigens. Aberrant mucosal antibody responses and decreased integrity of the mucosal barrier may contribute to the intestinal dysfunction and infections that characterize HIV-1 infection.
Neuroanatomical technique for studying long axonal projections in the central nervous system: combined axonal staining and pre-labeling in parasagittal gerbil brain slices

A method is described for studying the morphological features of extensive axonal projections within the central nervous system of the gerbil, Meriones anguiculatus. Potentially long descending axonal projections between the auditory thalamus and lower brainstem were used as a model. The inferior colliculus (IC) in the tectum was injected in vivo with a fluorescent retrograde tracer, Fluoro-Gold, to label cells in the medial geniculate body (MGB) that had descending projections to the IC, and cells in the superior olivary complex (SOC) that had ascending projections to the IC. Another fluorescent retrograde tracer, fast blue, was injected into the cochlea to label olivocochlear (OC) cells in the SOC. Inferomedially curved parasagittal slices containing ipsilateral auditory cell groups from the thalamus to the brainstem were cut and descending axons of the pre-labeled MGB cells were traced anterogradely with Biocytin. After visualizing histologically the injected Biocytin, discretely labeled IC-projecting axons of the MGB cells were traced including their collaterals that extended further into the SOC. In the SOC, these axons terminated on pre-labeled cells including OC cells. The combination of anterograde and retrograde tracing in the slice preparations described here demonstrated extensive descending axonal projections from the thalamus to their targets in the lower brainstem that had known ascending/descending projections within the auditory system.
Making the Case for Talking to Patients about the Costs of End-of-Life Care

Costs at the end of life disproportionately contribute to health care costs in the United States. Addressing these costs will therefore be an important component in making the U.S. health care system more financially sustainable. In this paper, we explore the moral justifications for having discussions of end-of-life costs in the doctor-patient encounter as part of an effort to control costs. As health care costs are partly shared through pooled resources, such as insurance and taxation, and partly borne by individuals through out-of-pocket expenses, we separate our defense for, and approach to, discussing both pooled and individual aspects of cost. We argue that there needs to be a shift away from formulating the options as a dichotomous choice of paying attention to end-of-life costs versus ignoring such costs. The question should be how personal costs will be managed and how societal expenditures should be allocated. These are issues that we believe patients care about and need to have addressed in a manner with which they are comfortable. Conversations about how money will be spent at the end of life should begin before the end is near. We propose discussing costs from the onset of chronic illness and incorporating financial issues in advance care planning. Through these approaches one can avoid abruptly and insensitively introducing financial issues at the very conclusion of a person's life when one would prefer to address the painful and important issues of spiritual and existential loss that are appropriately the focus when a person is dying.
Bayesian Estimation: Information-Theoretic Analysis and Applications

It is known that the optimal redundancy of a source code behaves like one half the dimension of the parameter times the log of the sample size. We give an asymptotic expression for the redundancy which is valid for smooth parametric families of distributions equipped with a prior. Important terms include one half the logarithm of the determinant of the Fisher information matrix, minus the logarithm of the prior density and a constant arising from the mean of a Chi-square distribution. The dominant terms arise from an integration by Laplace's method. Our formula can be integrated with respect to the prior distribution on the parameter, under some conditions, so as to give the average redundancy and the minimax redundancy. The minimax code uses Jeff reys' prior. The same expansion has implications for channel coding: Consider channels which have a continuous d-dimensional input alphabet and a k-dimensional output alphabet (where the coordinates of the output are conditionally independent of the input). A message for this channel is Cooperatively encoded by d transmitters and cooperatively decoded by n receivers. For a large number of receivers the mutual information behaves like (d/ 2) logk , that is, one half the number of transmitters times the log of the number of receivers. From the estimation standpoint we have approximated three forms of the cumulative risk under relative entropy loss. Our asymptotic expansions give the risk, the Bayes risk, and the minimax risk. The cumulative risk of the Bayes estimator occurs naturally as the error exponent in a hypothesis test. It also occurs naturally in proving that the standardized posterior converges to a normal.
Cooperative negotiation for soft real-time distributed resource allocation

In this paper we present a cooperative negotiation protocol that solves a distributed resource allocation problem while conforming to soft real-time constraints in a dynamic environment. Two central principles are used in this protocol that allow it to operate in constantly changing conditions. First, we frame the allocation problem as an optimization problem, similar to a Partial Constraint Satisfaction Problem (PCSP), and use relaxation techniques to derive conflict (constraint violation) free solutions. Second, by using overlapping mediated negotiations to conduct the search, we are able to prune large parts of the search space by using a form of arc-consistency. This allows the protocol to both quickly identify situations where the problem is over-constrained and to identify the appropriate fix to the over-constrained problem. From the global perspective, the protocol has a hill climbing behavior and because it was designed to work in dynamic environments, is an approximate one. We describe the domain which inspired the creation of this protocol, as well as discuss experimental results.
Database designs and metadata management for climate observations and Tsunami sea-level monitoring and quality control

Two major buoy networks have been added to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) as the result of the transition of Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Array with 55 TAO legacy buoys and the global establishment of the second-generation Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART®) network with 39 surface buoys and collocated subsurface bottom pressure recorders (BPR). Accordingly, their underlying data management systems were redesigned and implemented at NDBC. This paper illustrates practical designs that support the metadata management for both of the buoy networks as well as their specific needs for data management and quality control. Metadata life cycles and operational workflows are discussed and future ideas of web presentation of observation data and metadata via Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Sensor Model Language (SensorML) are considered.
Prevalence of immune thrombocytopenia: analyses of administrative data

Summary. Background: The prevalence of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in the USA is unknown. The paucity of data makes clinical trial design and resource allocation challenging. Objectives: We aimed to quantify the prevalence of ITP in one state and to report on utilization of resources. Methods: The Maryland Health Care Commission supplied utilization data on all privately insured Maryland residents in 2002. We identified patients having two claims, separated by at least 30 days, for International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 287.3 (expected to be predominantly ITP). We excluded patients with concurrent diagnoses that made ITP unlikely. In sensitivity analyses, we varied the required visit interval between 14 and 180 days. We quantified ITP prevalence, resource utilization, and prevalence of concurrent autoimmune illnesses. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of ITP was 9.5 per 100 000 persons (10.5 per 100 000 when requiring a minimum 14-day interval and 4.5 per 100 000 with a 180-day interval). There was a predominance of males in childhood and of females in the middle-adult years, with an overall prevalence rate ratio of 1.9 for females to males. Twenty per cent of these patients were hospitalized, but emergency department use was rare, as was splenectomy. A concurrent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was 25 times more prevalent than anticipated. Conclusions: We conclude that the prevalence of ITP in one populous state in the USA is comparable with that which has been reported in Europe. The suggested co-occurrence of ITP and multiple sclerosis in children merits further investigation.
MDCT and Obesity

Although multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) is widely available, its use is curtailed in three groups of patients: pediatric patients, pregnant patients, and the morbidly obese.
Metal‐Mediated Self‐Assembly of π‐Bonded Benzoquinone Complexes into Polymers with Tunable Geometries

Coordination of Mn(CO)3+ to the π system in hydroquinone facilitates proton loss to afford benzoquinone complexes. Subsequent σ coordination of the benzoquinone oxygen atoms to added metal ions results in neutral one-, two-, or three-dimensional quinoid polymers. The geometrical requirements of the metal ion and the presence of added "spacer" ligands dictate the type of polymer formed.
PRO-MOTION: management of mobile transactions

In order to provide data consistency in the presence of failures and concurrency, database methods will continue to be important to the processing of shared information in a mobile computing environment. It is important, therefore, that we develop transaction processing systems that accommodate the limitations of mobile computing, such as frequent disconnection, limited battery life, low-bandwidth communication and reduced storage capacity, so that we can migrate existing database applications to mobile environments. In this paper, motivated by these needs, we propose a mobile transaction processing system that supports disconnected transaction processing in a mobile client-server environment. The proposed system employs compacts, which encapsulate access methods, state informationand consistency constraints, to allow for local management of database transactions. Finally, we discuss the basic infrastructure needed to support this transaction processing system.
Network flow formulation of optimal perimeter sensory coverage problem

In this article, the perimeter detection optimization problem in field surveillance and target tracking are discussed. The detection range of sensors is assumed to be circular or elliptical. Sensors are also assumed to be associated with a cost factor reflecting their operational characteristics and power usage. We show that the problem of optimal sensor selection can be reduced to a network flow problem and can then be solved using any existing classical methodology. This significantly reduces the computational time of sensory selection problem which in many cases needs to be solved in almost real time basis, every time that the dynamics of the field changes. The field dynamics could change due to such events as wind direction change and sensor failures.
Novel Inflammatory Pathways in Periodontitis

New insights into the biological mechanisms involved in modulating periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss are paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies for periodontitis. The neutrophil adhesion cascade for transmigration in response to infection or inflammation is a key paradigm in immunity. Developmental endothelial locus-1 (Del-1) is one of several newly identified endogenous inhibitors of the leukocyte adhesion cascade. Del-1 competes with intercellular adhesion mole-cule-1 (ICAM-1) on endothelial cells for binding to the LFA-1 integrin on neutrophils, thereby regulating neutrophil recruitment and local inflammation. In animal periodontitis models, Del-1 deficiency resulted in severe inflammation and alveolar bone loss, but local treatment with recombinant Del-1 prevented neutrophil infiltration and bone loss. The expression of Del-1 is inhibited by the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17. Nucleic-acid-receptor-mediated inflammatory responses may be important in periodontal disease pathogen...
Improving Customer Service: A TQM-Oriented Approach to Sensitivity-Based Management

Abstract The article presents a framework for implementing a TQM-oriented management process that can enable an organization to achieve continuous quality enhancements at minimal cost while simultaneously increasing the marketability of the service. The modeled framework demonstrates how such quality improvements can be made possible by heightening employees' sensitivity towards details pertaining to the many aspects of the service delivery process. The incidence of customer dissatisfaction resulting from sheer insensitivity towards detail during the delivery of service is established through real-world examples of actual customer experiences with numerous services. The severity of the implications of customer dissatisfaction and defection on a firm's bottom line are highlighted. The role of nonverbal communication and the many relevant forms of such communication are examined. A nonverbal communication feedback-response process model is presented that can help align the service with the expectations of t...
Possible Role of a Cell Surface Carbohydrate in Evolution of Resistance to Viral Infections in Old World Primates

Due to inactivation of the α1,3-galactosyltransferase gene (GGTA1, or the α1,3GT gene) approximately 28 million years ago, the carbohydrate αGal (Galα1,3Galβ1,4GlcNAc) is not expressed on the cells of Old World monkeys and apes (including humans) but is expressed in all other mammals. The proposed selective advantage of this mutation for these primates is the ability to produce anti-Gal antibodies, which may be an effective immune component in neutralizing αGal-expressing pathogens. However, loss of α1,3GT expression may have been advantageous by providing natural resistance against viral pathogens that exploited the α1,3GT pathway or cell surface αGal for infection. Infections of paired cell lines with differential expression of α1,3GT showed that Sindbis viruses (SINV) preferentially replicate in α1,3GT-positive cells, whereas herpes simplex viruses type 1 and type 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) preferentially grow in cells lacking α1,3GT. Viral growth and spread correlated with the ability of the different viruses to successfully initiate infection in the presence or absence of α1,3GT expression. GT knockout (KO) suckling mice infected with SINV strains (AR339 and S.A.AR86) experienced significant delay in onset of disease symptoms and mortality compared to wild-type (WT) B6 suckling mice. In contrast, HSV-2-infected GT KO mice had higher viral titers in spleen and liver and exhibited significantly more focal hepatic necrosis than WT B6 mice. This study demonstrates that α1,3GT activity plays a role in the course of infections for certain viruses. Furthermore, this study has implications for the evolution of resistance to viral infections in primates.
Ultrastructural development of Rohon-Beard neurons: loss of intramitochondrial granules parallels loss of calcium action potentials

We have examined the ultrastructure of the cell body of a vertebrate spinal neuron, the Rohon-Beard cell of Xenopus laevis, at four stages during its development (Nieuwkoop and Faber stages: 22, 29/30, 37/38 and 42). At this time it has attained its electrical excitability and the action potential mechanism in the cell body is maturing through a sequence of stages in which the inward current is carried by Ca++ (stages 20-25), later by Ca++ and Na+ (stages 25-40), and finally by Na+ (stages 40-51) (Spitzer and Baccaglini, '76; Baccaglini and Spitzer, '77). There is a change in the abundance and distribution of the organelles in the perikaryon during this period, characteristic of other developing neurons. Mitochondria and Golgi apparatus become localized progressively more in the interior of the cells, and rough endoplasmic reticulum progressively more to the periphery where it often appears in orderly tiers parallel to the plasma membrane. The mitochondria contain dense intramitochondrial granules which are known in other cells to contain concentrations of divalent cations. The number of granules declines over the course of the developmental period studied. The presence of the intramitochondrial granules was examined quantitatively because electrophysiological data indicate that the amount of Ca++ entering the cells in early stages should raise the internal Ca++ concentration by several orders of magnitude, and that Ca++ is rapidly sequestered (Baccaglini and Spitzer, '77). A minimum of 200 mitochondrial profiles from at least four Rohon-Beard cells were scored for the presence of dense intramitochondrial granules at each stage studied. In stage 22 Rohon-Beard cells 75 +/- 5% (mean +/- SD, n = 4) of the mitochondrial profiles scored contained granules; in stage 29/30, 56 +/- 10% (n = 7); in stage 37/38, 3 +/- 3% (n = 5); and in stage 42, 0.5 +/- 0.25% (n = 4). Therefore, dense intramitochondrial granules, an indication of calcium accumulation in mitochondria, decrease in parallel with the loss of the Ca++ component of the inward current of the action potential in Rohon-Beard neurons.
Characterization of the Lateral Control Performance by Human Drivers on Highways

The characterization of human drivers' performance is of great significance for highway design, driver state monitoring, and the development of automotive active safety systems. Many earlier studies are restricted by experimental scope, the number and diversity of human subjects, and the accuracy and extent of measured variables. In this work, driver lateral control performance on limited-access highways is quantified by utilizing a comprehensive naturalistic driving database, with the emphasis on measures of vehicle lateral position and time to lane crossing (TLC). Normative values at various speed ranges are reported. The results represent a statistical view of baseline on-road naturalistic driving performance, and can be used for quantitative studies such as driver impairment and alertness monitoring, the triggering of lane departure warning systems, and highway design. Â© 2008 SAE International.
Isoenzyme Polymorphism in Flowering Plants

A total of 21 esterase, 3 acid phosphatase and 2 leucinc aminopeptidase isoenzymes, in addition to peroxidases and catalases, were demonstrated in onion seedlings by starch-gel electrophoresis. In seedlings two weeks old, the root tip and the differentiated zone show very little enzymatic activity, whereas the secondary roots, hypo-cotyl and cotyledon are enzymatically very active. These differences are correlated with the intensity of cell division. Some esterase isoenzymes are apparently restricted to root, others to shoot tissues. At pH 8.1, anodically moving peroxidases are totally absent from shoot tissues. A developmental study of esterase isoenzyme patterns indicated that no great differences exist between primary root tips from roots 6–18 mm long and seeds germinated for three days, whereas a sudden decrease in enzymatic activity occurs in root tips after seven days' germination when the roots are about 25 mm long. This coincides with the decrease in mitotic Frequency. Actinomycin D and gamma irradiation decreased mitotic frequency almost to zero but did not significantly affect the esterase isoenzyme pattern in root tips. This shows that the activity of these isoenzymes, at least, is not necessarily dependent on cell division but may well be a prerequisite for it.
The optimal design of robot drive system--Actuator gains

The robot drive system has been previously designed to achieve optimal performance in the acceleration space by matching the gear ratios and actuator impedances. In this paper, the design effort on the robot drive system is continued to achieve the optimal performance measured in the velocity and angular velocity space. Design variables are first identified to be actuator gains. Then, the speed hull geometry of a design is analyzed and an appropriate performance measurement of this design is explored. To locate the optimal design, efficient algorithms dedicated to speed hull constructions are identified and the steepest descent direction, is derived to assist in searching for the optimal design. It is found that the objective function of the optimal design problem is not convex and a local optimal design shouldn't be mistaken as the global optimal design. However, for drive systems built with low gear ratios, the nonlinear effects are negligible and the objective function is convex. Therefore, a local optimal design is the global optimal design.
Root Cause Analysis and Subsequent Intervention to Improve First Dose Antibiotic Turnaround Time for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients

Abstract OBJECTIVE Antibiotic timing is used as a quality standard for hospital accreditation and is an important quality measure. The study aim was to identify barriers in the process of first dose antibiotic administration on the pediatric floors at a tertiary healthcare center and carry out and test an intervention to improve turnaround time to less than one hour. METHODS We conducted a quasi-experimental pre-post study of hospitalized pediatric patients up to 18 years of age initiated on intravenous antibiotics. Every order for a first dose intravenous antibiotic was assessed on all pediatric floors (10/2008). Orders that did not meet the overall turnaround time goal of ≤ 1 hour were identified. A root cause analysis (RCA) was performed to identify reasons for delayed antibiotic administration. Barriers identified in the RCA were used to develop interventions (03/2009) to improve compliance, and the proportion of orders that met the goal was compared pre- (10/2008–02/2009) and post-intervention (04/20...
Levels of 56Ni from the reaction 58Ni(p,t)56Ni at 28 MeV

Abstract Tritons were observed from the (p,t) reaction on 58 Ni leading to the ground state of 56 Ni with a Q of −13.987±0.018 MeV and to excited states of 5 Ni ar excitations (±0.05 MeV) of 2.71, 3.94, 4.97, 5.35 and 6.62 MeV. The ground state result from L = 0 pickup by comparison with other angular distributions for known 0 + →0 + (p,t) reactions. Angular distributions for the stronger excited state transitions have been measured.
Radiofrequency Linear Ablation Using Looped Multipolar Catheters

The goal of catheter-based ablation of atrial fibrillation (Afib) should be safe minimal tissue destruction allowing for the restoration of sinus rhythm under autonomic nervous system control combined with recovery of atrial mechanical transport to prevent the development of a thromboembolic event and provide hemodynamic benefits for the patient. Because the atrial chambers are globular, elastic, and only a few millimeters thick, we hypothesized that a catheter system that creates adjustable loops which create dynamic contact with the atrial walls is most likely to be able to adapt to the atrial structure and create good contact for ablating and recording. This chapter summarizes our experience using a catheter technology that was designed to create linear contiguous lesions in both atria.
Diabetes insipidus during pregnancy

Diabetes insipidus (DI) in pregnancy is a heterogeneous syndrome, most classically presenting with polyuria and polydipsia that can complicate approximately 1 in 30,000 pregnancies. The presentation can involve exacerbation of central or nephrogenic DI during pregnancy, which may have been either overt or subclinical prior to pregnancy. Women without preexisting DI can also be affected by the actions of placental vasopressinase which increases in activity between the 4th and 38th weeks of gestation, leading to accelerated metabolism of AVP and causing a transient form of DI of pregnancy. This type of DI may be associated with certain complications during pregnancy and delivery, such as preeclampsia. Management of DI of pregnancy depends on the pathophysiology of the disease; forms of DI that lack AVP can be treated with desmopressin (DDAVP), while forms of DI that involve resistance to AVP require evaluation of the underlying causes.
Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide versus conventional graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis in mismatched unrelated donor haematopoietic cell transplantation

Post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is an effective strategy to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after haploidentical haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We determined the efficacy of PTCy-based GVHD prophylaxis in human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched unrelated donor (MMUD) HCT. We analysed 113 adult patients with high-risk haematological malignancies who underwent one-antigen MMUD transplantation between 2009 and 2013. Of these, 41 patients received PTCy, tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for GVHD prophylaxis; 72 patients received conventional prophylaxis with anti-thymocyte globulin, tacrolimus and methotrexate. Graft source was primarily bone marrow (83% PTCy vs. 63% conventional group). Incidence of grade II-IV (37% vs. 36%, P = 0·8) and grade III-IV (17% vs. 12%, P = 0·5) acute GVHD was similar at day 100. However, the incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD by day 30 was significantly lower in the PTCy group (0% vs. 15%, P = 0·01). Median time to neutrophil (18 days vs. 12 days, P < 0·001) and platelet (25·5 days vs. 18 days, P = 0·05) engraftment was prolonged in PTCy group. Rates of graft failure, chronic GVHD, 2-year non-relapse mortality, relapse, progression-free survival or overall survival were similar. Our results demonstrate that PTCy, tacrolimus and MMF for GVHD prophylaxis is safe and produced similar results as conventional prophylaxis in patients with one antigen HLA-MMUD HCT.
Relationship between endogenous antidiuretic hormone activity and ACTH release in man.

Summary1) The hypothesis that ADH is the neurohormone responsible for ACTH release has been investigated in normal human subjects by simultaneous determination of urine osmolality and plasma hydroc...
A Research and Implementation for Snapshot in SAN

Traditional backup technology can ensure the security and usability of data,but its cast and efficiency can not meet the need of some special use.This paper analyses the snapshot technology,a low cast and efficient disk backup technology,which is a popular backup technology in SAN recently.Furthermore,the author also describes the architecture designs of snapshot and provides the key technology.
Use of B-Scan and Gray Scale Imaging in the Diagnosis of Benign Cystic Teratoma

One of the indications for diagnostic ultrasound is the clinical suspicion of an ovarian tumor on pelvic examination. Even when such masses are easily palpable beside the uterus, it is generally impossible to distinguish purely cystic ovarian neoplasms from those with either multiloculation or a solid component. B-scan ultrasound, especially when combined with grayscale processing, affords excellent visualization of the internal structure of such masses and may allow pre-operative diagnosis of the lesion. For this presentation, the benign cystic teratoma, or dermoid, is discussed as an example of an ovarian neoplasm with both solid and cystic components which has a characteristic appearance on the ultrasound scan.
Atherogenesis: Hemodynamics, vascular geometry, and the endothelium

The evidence for a hemodynamic involvement and possible mechanisms by which hemodynamic-related events could influence the arterial wall, and in particular the vascular endothelium, are reviewed and used to speculate on the role of fluid mechanics in atherogenesis and specifically in lesion localization. The evidence presented suggests that it is vascular geometry, and the way it influences the local detailed flow properties, which is the primary determinant of a hemodynamic effect on the arterial wall and in the initiation of atherosclerosis.
Clinical applications of capillary electrophoresis

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a new powerful separation technique that often exhibits higher resolution and shorter analysis times than high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or agarose electrophoresis (AE). The separation can be accomplished based on charge as well as on size, hydrophobicity, and stereospecificity. In addition to high resolution, the most significant features of CE are ease of use, low cost of operation, and the speed of the analysis thus suitable for stat work. Examples of the application of CE in the field of clinical diagnosis which are discussed include: therapeutic drug monitoring, proteins (serum, urinary and cerebrospinal fluid), and hemoglobins. This technique can reveal compounds which are not routinely analyzed in the lab thus opening a new area for the clinical investigator.
Discrimination in International Trade: The Policy Issues, 1945–1965

(1967). Discrimination in International Trade: The Policy Issues, 1945–1965. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 1, No. 1-2, pp. 122-123.
Congenital Pouch Colon: Review of Current Clinical and Molecular Studies

Congenital Pouch Colon [CPC] is a condition in which whole or part of the colon is replaced by a pouch like dilatation and communicates with urogenital tract through a fistula. It is a variant of Anorectal Malformation [ARM]. CPC differs from normal colon both structurally and functionally. It is a common congenital anomaly in the Indian Subcontinent. The literature is replete with the clinical and histopathology studies of CPC. However there is paucity of molecular studies. The present review provides the insight of current trends in management and molecular research of CPC.
Recurrence patterns in patients with stage IIIC1 versus IIIC2 endometrial adenocarcinoma.

e15501 Background: To identify differences in recurrence patterns between stage IIIC1 and IIIC2 endometrial adenocarcinomas. Methods: A retrospective review was performed with IRB approval of all p...
The weight of work: the association between maternal employment and overweight in low- and middle-income countries

Maternal employment has increased in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is a hypothesized risk factor for maternal overweight due to increased income and behavioral changes related to time allocation. However, few studies have investigated this relationship in LMIC. Using cross-sectional samples from Demographic and Health Surveys, we investigated the association between maternal employment and overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 kg/m2) among women in 38 LMIC (N = 162,768). We categorized mothers as formally employed, informally employed, or non-employed based on 4 indicators: employment status in the last 12 months; aggregate occupation category (skilled, unskilled); type of earnings (cash only, cash and in-kind, in-kind only, unpaid); and seasonality of employment (all year, seasonal/occasional employment). Formally employed women were largely employed year-round in skilled occupations and earned a wage (e.g. professional), whereas informally employed women were often irregularly employed in unskilled occupations and in some cases, were paid in-kind (e.g. domestic work). For within-country analyses, we used adjusted logistic regression models and included an interaction term to assess heterogeneity in the association by maternal education level. We then used meta-analysis and meta-regression to explore differences in the associations pooled across countries. Compared to non-employed mothers, formally employed mothers had higher odds of overweight (pooled odds ratio [POR] = 1.3; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.2, 1.4) whereas informally employed mothers, compared to non-employed mothers, had lower odds of overweight (POR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.81). In 14 LMIC, the association varied by education. In these countries, the magnitude of the formal employment-overweight association was larger for women with low education (POR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.9) compared to those with high education (POR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0, 1.3). Formally employed mothers in LMIC have higher odds of overweight and the association varies by educational attainment in 14 countries. This knowledge highlights the importance of workplace initiatives to reduce the risk of overweight among working women in LMIC.
The uncanny nature of the cinematic image

In Death 24x a Second: Stillness and the Moving Image, Laura Mulvey explores the temporality of motion imaging in terms of notions of the uncanny, as set forth by Wilhelm Jentsch and Sigmund Freud....
Approaches to Improving the Reading Skill of The Bilingual Student

There are vast differences in how language learners acquire the ability to read in L1 and in L2. However, many of the principles employed in improving reading skills in L1 can also be employed in improving reading skills in L2 once an elementary (low proficiency) level of reading competence has been attained. The major factors which can contribute to such improvement are more reading speed, greater vocabulary expansion, and better comprehension skills. The learner must be brought through stages from grapheme recognition to whole word recognition to whole word comprehension and so on, to phrase and sentence levels in the grammatical hierarchy. In order to facilitate this process, materials have been produced by classroom teachers; some of these materials have appeared in published form. They are included as references. This discussion is a step by step procedure which can be followed when improving reading skills after initial teaching stages have begun to bear fruit.
Exploring the practicing-connections hypothesis: using gesture to support coordination of ideas in understanding a complex statistical concept

In this article, we begin to lay out a framework and approach for studying how students come to understand complex concepts in rich domains. Grounded in theories of embodied cognition, we advance the view that understanding of complex concepts requires students to practice, over time, the coordination of multiple concepts, and the connection of this system of concepts to situations in the world. Specifically, we explore the role that a teacher’s gesture might play in supporting students’ coordination of two concepts central to understanding in the domain of statistics: mean and standard deviation. In Study 1 we show that university students who have just taken a statistics course nevertheless have difficulty taking both mean and standard deviation into account when thinking about a statistical scenario. In Study 2 we show that presenting the same scenario with an accompanying gesture to represent variation significantly impacts students’ interpretation of the scenario. Finally, in Study 3 we present evidence that instructional videos on the internet fail to leverage gesture as a means of facilitating understanding of complex concepts. Taken together, these studies illustrate an approach to translating current theories of cognition into principles that can guide instructional design.
A rare case of pulmonary cement embolism in a lung transplant patient.

Abstract Pulmonary cement embolism (PCE) is a complication of percutaneous vertebral augmentation techniques. PCE in lung transplant patient population has not been reported. We report a case 57-year-old male patient with double lung transplant secondary to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis presented with shortness of breath after vertebroplasty. CTA chest showed thin dense opacities within the bilateral pulmonary arteries consistent with pulmonary cement embolism. The patient was treated with therapeutic enoxaparin and remained stable at one year follow up.
Brain imaging for neural tissue health assessment

Optical neuroimaging technologies aim to observe neural tissue structure and function by detecting changes in optical signals (scatter, absorption, etc…) that accompany a range of anatomical and functional properties of brain tissue. At present, there is a tradeoff between spatial and temporal resolution that is not currently optimized in a single imaging modality. This work focuses on filling the gap between the spatio-temporal resolutions of existing neuroimaging technologies by developing a coherent optics-based imaging system capable of extracting anatomical and functional information across a measurement volume by leveraging a coherent optics-based approach that provides both magnitude and phase information of the sample. We developed a digital holographic imaging (DHI) system capable of detecting these optical signals with a spatial resolution of better than 50 μm over a twenty-five mm2 field of view at sampling rates of 300 Hz and higher. The DHI system operates in the near-infrared (NIR) at 1064 nm, facilitating increased light penetration depths while minimizing contributions from overt changes in oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentration present at shorter NIR wavelengths. This label-free imaging method detects intrinsic signals driven by tissue motion, allowing for innately spatio-temporally registered extraction of anatomical and functional signals in vivo. In this work, we present in vivo results from rat whisker barrel cortex demonstrating signals reflecting anatomical structure and tissue dynamics.
What’s to come is more complicated: feminist visions of peace in Colombia

The years following the Colombian Congress’ 2016 approval of peace accords with the country’s oldest and largest guerrilla army have brought into stark relief Cynthia Enloe’s assertion that “wars d...