cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visible light optical coherence tomography to quantify retinal blood oxygenation

We presented the method of using visible-light optical coherence tomography (vis-OCT) for retinal oximetry. We demonstrated for the first time in vivo OCT measurement of the arterial and venous oxygenation in retinal circulation.
Hallowed Ground, Place, and Culture: The Cemetery and the Creation of Place

Throughout most recorded history, human societies have used various types of cemeteries for burial purposes; this theme points to humanity’s need to construct a meaning behind death and reflect life into the places where the dead are interred. Whether the bodies of the deceased are placed in the ground, within elaborate tombs, or simply in the presence of ancient or contemporary monuments, their location holds symbolic meaning as well as practical historical meaning for the surrounding living community. This article explores cemetery culture and architecture and their contribution to the social construction of the cemetery landscape. After exploring the historical development of the modern cemetery, the cemeteries of New Orleans, Louisiana, are used as a case study to illustrate how the cemetery, as a place, is influenced by culture and has cultural significance.
Poly(N, N-dimethylacrylamide)s with perfluorocarbon pendent groups connected through poly(ethylene glycol) tethers give physical gels in organic solvents

The synthesis is reported of copolymers of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and methacrylates containing 1,1-dihydroperfluorononyl groups separated from the methacrylate by long PEG tethers (between 1000 and 14 000 Da). The copolymers with macromonomer contents of 1 mol % or less give gels in organic solvents such as dioxane, THF, or methanol, as well as in water, at copolymer concentrations between 1 and 8 mol %. Copolymer gel formation is enhanced in the presence of longer PEG tethers and higher comonomer contents and copolymer concentrations. These factors also increase polymer association, as indicated by steady shear viscosities. This is consistent with fluorophilic association mediated by liquid crystalline domains involving very small numbers of perfluorocarbon groups.
The Significant Role of Critical Thinking in Predicting Auditing Students' Performance.

Abstract Prior studies establish past academic performance, measured by grade point average (GPA), as a significant determinant of student performance in financial, principles, and intermediate accounting. Findings have been mixed, however, on the influence of gender and age. This study uses multiple regression analysis to assess the importance of the cognitive construct, critical thinking, in addition to the aforementioned factors, in predicting student performance in an upper-division auditing course. The results indicate that students with higher measures of critical thinking skills and past academic performance outperformed other students on both the third exam and a comprehensive final examination in auditing. Gender and age proved insignificant explanators across all auditing examination scores. Only GPA proved significant in predicting performance on the first two course exams.
Spectroscopic imaging STM studies of high-TC superconductivity

Abstract Since its discovery in 1986, understanding both the ground state and excited states of high temperature superconductivity (HTSC) has been one of the main challenges in modern condensed matter physics. One remarkable observation in HTSC cuprates is that the superconductivity appears as the localized electrons of a Mott insulator become itinerant due to carrier doping. Momentum sensitive probes like Angle Resolved Photo-Emission Spectroscopy (ARPES) and Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS) have played important roles in mapping the momentum-space properties of the cuprate electronic structure. However, considering that cuprate superconductivity develops from atomically localized electrons and shows nanoscale disorder, a purely momentum dependent description is far from sufficient. Here, we describe novel spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy (SI-STM) studies, which can probe the real-space electronic structure at the nano-scale, along with momentum-space electronic structure. We discuss a series of recent results from SI-STM studies of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ x and Ca 2- x Na x CuO 2 Cl 2 .
Sudden cardiac death in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: From bench to bedside with an emphasis on genetic markers

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cause of death in the young, particularly in young competitive athletes. Death often occurs suddenly in asymptomatic, apparently healthy individuals. Several clinical parameters as well as genetic factors have been characterized that can identify those HCM patients who are at high risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). The clinical parameters that have some predictive values for SCD in HCM patients are the following: a prior history of SCD, a family history of SCD, history of syncope, symptomatic ventricular tachycardia on Holter monitoring, inducible ventricular tachycardia during electrophysiologic studies, and myocardial ischemia in children with HCM. Recent identification of mutations in the beta myosin heavy chain gene and genotype-phenotype correlation in HCM patients have shown that the beta myosin heavy chain mutations are also prognosticators in HCM families. Several mutations such as Arg403Gln and Arg719Gln are associated with a high incidence of SCD, while Leu908Val mutation is associated with a benign course and a low incidence of SCD in HCM families. Additional genetic factors such as a polymorphism in angiotensin-converting enzyme I gene may also contribute to a high incidence of SCD in HCM families. Identification and characterization of HCM patients at high risk for SCD provide the opportunity to render prophylactic therapeutic interventions, such as implantation of defibrillators, in these individuals.
Synthesis of 1,3-Diphenyl-6-alkyl/aryl-Substituted Fulvene Chromophores: Observation of π–π Interactions in a 6-Pyrene-Substituted 1,3-Diphenylfulvene

The synthesis, structural, and electronic properties of nine 1,3-diphenyl-6-alkyl/aryl substituted pentafulvenes were studied. Pyrene ring π–π interactions were revealed from analysis of the experimental crystal packing of 1,3-diphenyl-6-(1-pyrene)fulvene and supporting DFT calculations. Photophysical properties derived from UV–vis and fluorescence emission measurements demonstrated tunable and low HOMO–LUMO band gaps for the series. The presented results point to a model synthetic approach for incorporation of extended π systems and donor-π-acceptor groups for fulvene-based electronic materials.
Ion scattering from strong turbulence with long-range correlations

Abstract Colliding plasmas can excite strong Langmuir turbulence in which collective correlations affect the probability distribution P ( E ) of the electric microfield. This can be modeled by including long-range correlations but not dynamics over lengths ⪢ λ D . Earlier work yielded a characteristic distribution P ( E ) ∝ E d−1 exp (− E 2 /〈 E 2 〉), with d the dimensionality of the electric field and 〈 E 2 〉 proportional to the square of the correlated particle density. Ions scatter from this localized strong turbulence at rates greatly exceeding classical collisions for solar coronal conditions, while laboratory ion beams have no appreciable scatter beyond the Coulomb rate.
Apparent alteration in properties of arl mutants of Escherichia coli.

Abstract The published properties of λ phages grown in Escherichia coli arl mutants, and plasmids maintained in them, included increased homologous recombination, decreased DNA-cytosine methylation, and increased sensitivity of DNA to nuclease S1. Some of these properties now appear altered; others remain approximately as published.
The Oil Circuit Breaker Situation from an Operator's Viewpoint

This paper is an outline of the oil circuit breaker situation from the operator's standpoint, particularly with reference to interrupting duty, as it appears today to the author. It is not an original study, but rather an assembly of previously existing information, and is arranged by topics with a view to bringing out amount of discussion, in the hope that it may result infurther clarifying the very complex problem of interrupting electric currents. The topics taken up are as follows: I Factors determining interrupting capacity, namely, intensity and duration of the arc. II-III Essential features of breaker design and their functions. IV Factors affecting interrupting duty, with especial emphasis on effect on same of system and fault grounding conditions. V Relations between interrupting ratings and costs. VI Status of interrupting ratings with reference to maximum nature of such ratings and facts upon which they are based; relative ratings on different operating duties and desirable modifications in method of rating. VII Applications, particularly possibilities for improved practise in future, and necessity of adequate maintenance on all breakers in service.
A hierarchical recurrent neuro-fuzzy model for system identification

Neuro-fuzzy systems are by now well established in data analysis and system control. They are well suited for the development of interactive data analysis tools, which enable the extraction of rule-based knowledge from data and the introduction of a priori knowledge in the process of data analysis and system identification. Despite the successful application of feed-forward models in diverse areas, its recurrent variants are still rarely used. However, recurrent models are able to store information of prior system states internally and could be therefore more appropriate for the analysis of dynamic systems. In this paper a hierarchical recurrent neuro-fuzzy model is presented which was developed for application in time series prediction and analysis of dynamic systems. It has been implemented in a tool for the interactive design of hierarchical recurrent fuzzy systems.
Effect of dietary brussels sprouts with increased selenium content on mammary carcinogenesis in the rat

Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea, L; Jade cross E, hybrid cultivar) were cultivated with inorganic selenium added to the plant growth medium. Sprague-Dawley, female, weanling rats were divided into groups and fed 20% brussels sprouts diets containing either 0.03, 0.58, 1.29, or 6.71 ppm of selenium naturally occurring in the sprouts. These diets were fed 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after a single dose of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), and the rats were then placed on a low selenium basal diet for an additional 25 weeks. All brussels sprouts diets reduced the incidence of DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis. Increased dietary levels of naturally occurring selenium did not further depress mammary tumorigenesis. The time periods of selenium feeding may have been too brief to observe any additional tumor reductions.
Variation in the retention and excretion of 137Cs with age and sex.

THE biological behaviour of 137Cs is important in measuring the dose received by the general population from fallout as well as that received by an individual from a specific uptake. Estimates of biological half-life1–4 differ because only small population groups were studied. A correlation between 137Cs concentrations (with respect to K) in milk and in the body indicates that 137Cs in children between 5 and 11 has a much shorter biological half-life5. This article reports a four-year study to determine the biological behaviour of 137Cs in 110 people representing a cross-section of the general population. The study population was grouped as shown in Table 1. The content of 137Cs in the body was measured in the whole body counter at the Savannah River Laboratory. Adults were counted monthly; adolescents and children were counted every other month. A urine sample was collected from each subject within several days after their whole body count and analysed for 137Cs and 40K. The combined body counts and analysis of the urine provided a material balance between assimilation, retention and excretion of 137Cs. To provide a common denominator and eliminate the inconvenience of obtaining 24-h urine samples, 137Cs content is expressed per g of potassium, a chemically similar element.
Morphology of olfactory epithelium in humans and other vertebrates.

Human olfactory epithelium is similar in organization and cell morphology to that of most vertebrate species. The epithelium has a pseudostratified columnar organization and consists of olfactory neurons, supporting and basal cells. Near the mucosal surface there are also microvillar cells. These cells have neuron-like features and may be chemoreceptors. Human olfactory epithelium is not a uniform sensory sheet. Patches of non-sensory tissue often appear in what was thought to be a purely olfactory region. The significance of these patches has not been determined, but they could reflect exposure to environment agents or changes that occur during the normal aging process. In order to better understand the human olfactory system, further knowledge of the normal structure is necessary. This review addresses the morphology of the human olfactory epithelium and the remarkable plasticity of the vertebrate olfactory system. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Physical properties and processing conditions correlations of the ldpe/lldpe tubular blown films

Experiments are carried out to verify a theory developed to correlate the strain history of the polymer during film blowing to the ultimate physical properties of the film. The theory predicts that the amount of strain put into the film once it starts to freeze, defined as strain in the amorphous region and the plastic strain, has a dominant effect on the film properties. Two grades of low and linear low density polyethylene, experimental resins supplied by Mobil chemical company, were used to produce the blown film yielding a 1.25 mil film at the for all experimental runs. Film surface and bulk temperatures, along the machine direction and around the bubble, were measured using the infra-red techniques to identify the points where film starts to crystallize. A video digitization technique was used to measure the bubble kinematics. Film properties were measured using standard ASTM methods. The results indicate a correlation between the amount of strain and a measure of stress with ultimate physical properties of the blown film. This principle leads to the correlation of both the machine and transverse film properties on the same surface. The results obtained can potentially be exploited by designing the blown-film equipment and processing conditions such that optimal bubble stretching produces desired film properties.
The impact of random noise on seismic wavelet estimation

Deterministic seismic wavelet (or source signature) estimation is a mature subject, and is commonly accomplished by deconvolution using surface seismic amplitude data and borehole wireline log data. The seismic wavelet is important to reservoir geophysics/quantitative interpretation for use in inversion, synthetic seismograms, wavelet processing, etc. Hence, the quality of the wavelet estimate is of interest. Many factors affect wavelet uncertainty, including both seismic and well-log data quality, the latter which in turn affects the reflection coefficients estimate.
End of life care in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

End of life care for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has become increasingly complex because of new technologies, changes in medical personnel over periods of time, emergence of home health care systems, and increasing patient and family autonomy in decision-making. In this review, we discuss the medical problems, particularly respiratory and cardiac failure, faced by DMD patients. Current concepts concerning the evaluation and options for treatment of these problems are presented as well as the ethical issues involved in the care of the DMD patient. These issues include the medical indications for treatment, patient preferences, quality-of-life issues, and contextual features related to legal, institutional, religious, geographic, cultural, social, and financial factors. We also present our experience at Loma Linda University Medical Center over the past 10 years in the development of a home mechanical ventilation program for DMD patients and an algorithm for the evaluation of these patients. Many patients with DMD do well on long-term ventilation, but some find that their quality of life is less than desirable and choose to discontinue this method of life-prolongation. Many of these new options are very expensive, making the decision to use them a difficult one. Ultimately, these are societal issues that require clear reflection on matters of resource allocation that should be performed by health care professionals, citizens, and health planners.
Early Mother-Infant Contact and Infant Temperature Stabilization

Thirty-four healthy mother-infant dyads were divided into two groups to determine the eJecl of postdelivery skin-to-skin contact on infant temperature stabilization. Nineteen control infants were placed in heated cribs, while 15 study infants were given immediate and extended physical contact with their mothers. Axillary and rectal temperatures were measured five minutes after birth and one hour after the infants left the delivery room. The results indicate that separating normal newborns from their mothers for the purpose of stabilizing temperature may not be necessary.
Engaged Anthropology: Research Essays on North American Archaeology, Ethnobotany, and Museology, Papers in Honor of Richard I. Ford

Engaged Anthropology: Research Essays on North American Archaeology, Ethnobotany, and Museology, Papers in Honor of Richard I. Ford. Michelle Hegmonand B. Sunday Eiselt, eds. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2005. 263 pp.
The Business Vocabulary of the Field of Human Services – Current Transformations

This article examines how business language has been incorporated in health service organizations. The purpose of this article is not to debate the virtues and drawbacks of NPM but rather, to emphasize the role of language and communication as critical components for public administration in its day-to-day contact with the business sector. It draws upon a self-administered survey to reach the conclusion that business language is being used in health and human service organizations. By the same token this study shows that instituting these actions have been consistent with government language and have not endangered traditional democratic values.
SCHISM: a new approach to interesting subspace mining

High dimensional data pose challenges to traditional clustering algorithms due to their inherent sparseness and data tend to cluster in different and possibly overlapping subspaces of the entire feature space. Finding such subspaces is called subspace mining. We present SCHISM, a new algorithm for mining interesting subspaces, using the notions of support and Chernoff-Hoeffding bounds. We use a vertical representation of the dataset, and use a depth first search with backtracking to find maximal interesting subspaces. We test our algorithm on a number of high dimensional synthetic and real datasets to test its effectiveness.
A neurocomputational model of automaticity and maintenance of abstract rules

Rule-guided behavior is essential in quickly adapting to one's ever-changing environment. In particular, learned rules can quickly be used in new contexts or applied to new stimuli (which confers an advantage over restricting learning to perceptual - motor associations). Here, we propose a new neurocomputational model of automaticity in rule-guided behavior. The proposed model assumes two parallel neural pathways corresponding to “naive” and “expert” rule use. The development of automaticity is characterized by a transfer of control of rule-guided behavior from a pathway mediated by the prefrontal cortex to a direct parietal - premotor pathway. The model includes differential equations that describe voltage changes in the relevant brain areas and difference equations that describe the Hebbian learning. A simulation shows that the model accounts for some critical single-cell recording data from several key brain areas as well as some important behavioral results.
Telephone reporting of the results of cardiac procedures: feasibility and primary care physician preferences.

Abstract PURPOSE: We evaluated the feasibility and time required for routine telephone communication with primary care physicians after cardiac procedures and surveyed primary care physicians as to their preferences for the method and content of reports of cardiac procedures. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A phone call was made within 1 day of the procedure during normal working hours to the primary care physician for all 414 patients who underwent cardiac catheterizations or interventions during a 1-year period. Subsequently, all 211 primary care physicians were mailed a questionnaire on the effectiveness of phone calls as compared with other communication methods. RESULTS: The primary care physician was reached with one call for 51% of patients and could not be contacted with up to five calls to office, clinic, or hospital for 32% of patients. Mean (±SD) phone time per patient was 4.1 (±2.0) minutes. Surveys were returned by 119 (56%) of 211 referring physicians. Telephone communication was rated as "very helpful" by 69%. Most primary care physicians (86%) were "very" or "a little pleased" to receive phone calls. Survey respondents identified the summary of the results and the recommendations for treatment as the most important parts of the report. Respondents preferred personal phone calls or faxed reports to phone messages left with office staff, reports sent by electronic mail, or mailed written reports. CONCLUSIONS: Most primary care physicians find personal phone calls helpful and desirable, but the effectiveness of routine phone calls is limited by the availability of primary care physicians during working hours and the time required for phone reporting.
Contesting “Law and Order”: Immigrants’ Encounters with “Rule of Law” in Postcolonial Hong Kong

This article investigates the “rule of law” as a sociocultural concept that has concrete effects on the lives of newly arrived Chinese mainland immigrants in postcolonial Hong Kong. I investigate a seeming paradox: how in Hong Kong the “rule of law”—seen as a key symbol of freedom—acted as a vehicle of oppression, and not just belonging, for recently arrived immigrants from mainland China. Through this discussion of how “law” served as a vehicle for immigrants’ both belonging to and contestation of the state, I also show how immigrants began to question the basic assumptions of freedom and fairness believed to be inherent to the practice of the rule of law in Hong Kong—as they grappled with novel understandings of the law and new possibilities of exercising rights-based claims.
The Practical Behavior of Various Edge-Diffraction Formulas

The scalar knife-edge diffraction (KED) solution is a workhorse for RF and optics engineers who regularly encounter practical diffraction phenomena. However, the approximate, polarization-independent KED result is formulated in a way that does not provide direct physical insight. In this article, we demonstrate how the KED formula contains similar underlying physics to other more-rigorous half-screen diffraction solutions, allowing engineers to apply common geometrical theory of diffraction (GTD) formulations for all screen diffraction problems. The underlying geometrical behavior of the scalar KED solution sheds new light on these old problems, revealing why it is so useful for solving real-word problems in radiowave propagation.
The HPA axis and cocaine reinforcement.

Abstract Scientists have been aware of the existence of a complex relationship between stress and the subsequent activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the endocrine and neurobehavioral effects of cocaine for many years now. Our research program has focused on the involvement of HPA axis activation in cocaine reinforcement using the intravenous self-administration model. Behaviorally, there are at least three general phases in the etiology of drug self-administration to consider: acquisition, maintenance and reinstatement. We have investigated the role for the HPA axis during each of these three phases. Corticosterone is necessary during acquisition; self-administration does not occur unless this stress-related hormone is increased above a threshold critical for reward. Sensitivity to low doses of cocaine falling on the ascending limb of the acquisition dose-response curve can be augmented by increasing circulating levels of corticosterone, but similar treatments do not affect responding maintained by higher doses. In a similar vein, ongoing, low-dose cocaine self-administration is decreased by drugs affecting the synthesis and/or secretion of corticosterone. When higher doses falling on the descending limb of the cocaine dose-response curve are self-administered, plasma corticosterone can still reach this hypothetical reward threshold even when synthesis is inhibited, and drug intake is not affected. On the other hand, the self-administration of doses falling on both the ascending and descending limbs of the cocaine dose-response curve can each be attenuated by drugs that block central corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptors. Finally, corticosterone and CRH are also critical for the stress- and cue-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-seeking behavior, demonstrating an involvement of the HPA axis in the relapse to cocaine use as well. Continued investigations into how stress and the subsequent activation of the HPA axis affect cocaine self-administration will likely result in the identification of more effective and efficient treatment for cocaine addiction.
Costs, charges, and revenues for hospital diagnostic imaging procedures: differences by modality and hospital characteristics

Purpose This study examined financial data reported by Florida hospitals concerning costs, charges, and revenues related to imaging services. Methods Financial reports to the Florida Hospital Uniform Reporting System by all licensed acute care facilities for fiscal year 2002 were used to calculate four financial indices on a per procedure basis. These included charge, net revenue, operating expense (variable cost), and contribution margin. Analysis, stratified by cost center (imaging modality), tested the effects of bed size, ownership, teaching status, and urban or rural status on the four indices. Results The mean operating expense and charge per procedure were as follows: computed tomography (CT): $51 and $1565; x-ray and ultrasound: $55 and $410; nuclear medicine (NM): $135 and $1138; and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): $165 and $2048. With all four modalities, for-profit hospitals had higher charges than not-for-profit and public facilities. Excepting NM, however, the difference by ownership disappeared when considering net revenue. Operating expense did not differ by ownership type or bed size. Conclusions Operating expense (variable cost) per procedure is considerably lower for CT than for MRI. Consequently, when diagnostically equivalent, CT is preferable to MRI in terms of costs for hospitals. If the cost structure of nonhospital imaging is at all similar to hospitals, the profit potential for performing CT and MRI seems to be substantial, which has relevance to the issue of imaging self-referral.
Comprehensive toxicology drug screening data in a pediatric population.

The paper by Kyle et al. 1 intrigued us to analyze our pediatric experience with comprehensive drug screens from our hospital and many area hospitals for which we serve as a referral laboratory. Si...
Stribeck Effect in the Frictional Viscoelastic Contact of Rough Surfaces

Using a nonlinear model of a two disk brake system, coupled equations of motion are found for their frictional interaction. The mathematical formulation relates the tribological events at micron scale and the macroscopic scale vibration response of a two-disk brake system. This is accomplished by a viscoelastic account of interaction at the micron scale, its statistical quantification through the approximate analytical representation of the statistical expectation of contact force and the introduction of the contact force into the macroscale dynamics of the two-disk system. Steady-state analysis of the system establishes the relation between friction torque and speed and supports observed behavior of many mechanical systems with friction. It is shown that, as a result of coupling of the macrosystem’s dynamics and contact, there are combinations of parameters at the micro- and macroscale that yield negative slope in friction torque/sliding speed relation, a well known source of dynamic instability. This results in an effective negative damping that tends to decrease with decrease in the normal load and/or increase in structural damping of the system.© 2008 ASME
Formation of Forsterite by Silicification of Dolomite during Contact Metamorphism

Four samples that experienced the infiltration-driven reaction 2 dolomiteþ SiO2(aq)1⁄4 forsteriteþ 2 calciteþ 2 CO2 exhibit correlations among forsterite crystal morphology, size, number density (number of Fo crystals per cm Fo), and oxygen isotope ratio (dO).The dO of coexisting forsterite, calcite, and dolomite were determined by in situ ion microprobe analysis with a spatial resolution of 15 mm. Sample KP1L from the Twin Lakes pendant, Sierra Nevada, California, contains blocky forsterite with the largest average crystal size and the lowest crystal number density. Forsterite and calcite are uniform in dO with the measured fractionation consistent with equilibrium at the temperature inferred for the reaction (5958C). Sample B4L from the Beinn an Dubhaich aureole, Scotland, contains tabular forsterite with intermediate average size and number density. Forsterite and calcite are uniform in dO but the measured fractionation is smaller than the equilibrium value at the temperature inferred for the reaction (6808C). Samples B1W and B43A from the Beinn an Dubhaich aureole contain rounded forsterite with the smallest average size and largest number density. Forsterite has variable dO differing among grains by up to 7·4o in single samples and by up to 3·1o within a single grain, precluding isotope equilibrium with calcite and dolomite. Crystal morphology, size, number density, dO(Fo), and O(Cal^Fo) can be understood in terms of the interplay between reaction affinity (A) and Peclet Number (Pe) during formation of forsterite (KP1L: low A, high Pe; B4L: intermediate A and low Pe; B43A: high A, low Pe; B1W: high A, increasing Pe). Differences in A were controlled by variations in XCO2 in the infiltrating fluid. Differences in Pe were controlled by variations in fluid flux and/or width of the reaction zone. If the infiltrating fluid is initially quartz-saturated, phase equilibria require that development of forsterite and periclase from dolomite during contact metamorphism must be preceded by reactions that produce diopside, wollastonite, and/or other skarn minerals upstream.
Simultaneous Registration and Parcellation of Bilateral Hippocampal Surface Pairs for Local Asymmetry Quantification

In clinical applications where structural asymmetries between homologous shapes have been correlated with pathology, the questions of definition and quantification of "asymmetry" arise naturally. When not only the degree but the position of deformity is thought relevant, asymmetry localization must also be addressed. Asymmetries between paired shapes have already been formulated in terms of (nonrigid) diffeomorphisms between the shapes. For the infinity of such maps possible for a given pair, we define optimality as the minimization of deviation from isometry under the constraint of piecewise deformation homogeneity. We propose a novel variational formulation for segmenting asymmetric regions from surface pairs based on the minimization of a functional of both the deformation map and the segmentation boundary, which defines the regions within which the homogeneity constraint is to be enforced. The functional minimization is achieved via a quasi-simultaneous evolution of the map and the segmenting curve, conducted on and between two-dimensional surface parametric domains. We present examples using both synthetic data and pairs of left and right hippocampal structures and demonstrate the relevance of the extracted features through a clinical epilepsy classification analysis
Fuzzy logic force control for a biped robot

A variable gain fuzzy logic control method for a biped robot in the double-support phase is developed, and it is shown that the proposed system can be used to balance the robot statically. The characteristics of the biped in the double-support phase are formulated, and the basic structure of the fuzzy logic controller is reviewed. The proposed variable gain fuzzy control system is derived. A hardware implementation and experimental results are described. >
Structures, Energetics, and Reactivity of Metal Clusters and Metal-Ligand Species in the Gas Phase

A review of experimental techniques to study the structures, energetics and reactivity of metal clusters and metal-ligand species in the gas phase is presented. The techniques reviewed include laser vaporization in supersonic expansion or continuous flow, laser induced fluorescence, resonant two-photon ionization, photoionization efficiency, pulsed-field-ionization zero-electron-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectroscopy, mass-analyzed threshold ionization, and photodepletion. Several examples will be used to illustrate the power and drawbacks of these techniques. The principles underlying kinetic studies in a fast flow reactor will also be reviewed and illustrated with several relevant examples. Future directions in the field of gas phase cluster science, and organo- and inorganometallic chemistry will be mentioned.
Oral Health–Related Quality of Life in Children with Orofacial Clefts:

Objectives: To determine the impact of orofacial clefts on the oral health–related quality of life of affected children and whether the oral health–related quality of life of children with orofacial clefts differs among different age groups. To assess whether the responses of children with orofacial clefts differ from the caregivers' perceptions of their child's oral health–related quality of life and compare with data from a control group. Design: Cross-sectional study. Patients/Setting: A total of 75 subjects with cleft lip and/or cleft palate (mean age, 13.0 years) from the Nationwide Children's Hospital Craniofacial Anomalies Clinic, as well as their caregivers, and 75 control subjects (mean age, 13.9 years). Main Outcome Measure: Self-reported oral health–related quality of life measured with the Child Oral Health Impact Profile, a reliable and valid questionnaire designed for use with children and teenagers. Results: Children with orofacial clefts had statistically significant lower quality of life ...
Comprehension of hazard communication: effects of pictograms on safety data sheets and labels.

Abstract Introduction The United Nations has proposed the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals to make hazard communication more uniform and to improve comprehension. Method Two experiments were conducted to test whether the addition of hazard and precautionary pictograms to safety data sheets and product labels would improve the transfer of information to users compared to safety data sheets and product labels containing text only. Additionally, naive users, workers, and experts were tested to determine any potential differences among users. Results The effect of adding pictograms to safety data sheets and labels was statistically significant for some conditions, but was not significant across all conditions. One benefit of the addition of pictograms was that the time to respond to the survey questions decreased when the pictograms were present for both the SDS and the labels. GHS format SDS and labels do provide benefits to users, but the system will need further enhancements and modifications to continue to improve the effectiveness of hazard communication. Impact on industry The final rule to modify the HCS to include the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals announced by OSHA (2012b) will change the information content of every chemical SDS and label used in commerce. This study suggests that the inclusion of GHS hazard pictograms and precautionary pictograms to SDS and labels may benefit the user.
Structures and Phase Transitions in Physisorption: Molecular‐Axis Orientational Ordering in Nitrogen and Carbon Monoxide Monolayers on Graphite

Molecular axis-orientational ordering occurs at temperatures below 40 K for monolayers of molecular nitrogen and carbon monoxide physisorbed on the graphite basal plane. The method by which the type of structure has been inferred from the symmetries observed in low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) measurements is briefly reviewed. The information available about the molecular-axis orientational order-disorder transitions from LEED, neutron diffraction, X-ray diffraction, and heat capacity measurements is reviewed and qualitatively compared with theoretical expectations.
Use of Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine in US Travel Medicine Practices in Global TravEpiNet

Few data regarding the use of Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine in clinical practice are available. We identified 711 travelers at higher risk and 7,578 travelers at lower risk for JE who were seen at US Global TravEpiNet sites from September of 2009 to August of 2012. Higher-risk travelers were younger than lower-risk travelers (median age = 29 years versus 40 years, P < 0.001). Over 70% of higher-risk travelers neither received JE vaccine during the clinic visit nor had been previously vaccinated. In the majority of these instances, clinicians determined that the JE vaccine was not indicated for the higher-risk traveler, which contradicts current recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Better understanding is needed of the clinical decision-making regarding JE vaccine in US travel medicine practices.
A self-synchronized, crystal-less, 86µW, dual-band impulse radio for ad-hoc wireless networks

An 86µW, 150Kbps, self synchronizing 3.5–4.5GHz UWB IR transceiver is presented. Synchronous receiver duty cycling of 0.5% is enabled without a crystal through a pulse coupled oscillator (PCO) network that establishes timing and allows multi-node multi-hop communication. The synchronization scheme is supported by implementation of low power oscillator and timing circuits to control duty-cycling. Our FCC compliant transceiver uses OOK modulation and has a receiver sensitivity of −86dBm.
Rocket observation of the NII 2143 A emission in an aurora

Using a rocket-mounted spectrometer with a multichannel detector, the existence of the N II 2143 A doublet in the auroral ultraviolet spectrum was confirmed. The measured intensity is in agreement with previous auroral observations and is consistent with a peak electron-impact cross section of 1-2 x 10 to the -18th sq cm. By comparing an altitude profile of the 2143 A emission to the N2(+) 3914 A emission, a deactivation rate for the N(+)(5S) state was obtained. The most likely quencher is N2, although the possibility of a reaction with O2 cannot be ruled out. For N2, the deduced value of the quenching coefficient equals 5.5 x 10 to the -10th cu cm/s.
Phonon Scattering in Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 Superlattice

Ultrafast time-resolved measurements were conducted to investigate scattering mechanism of coherent optical and acoustic phonons in Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 superlattice (SL) films. Strong phonon scatterings in the Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 SLs are attributed to the interfaces of their hetero-structures. Moreover, decreases of acoustic phonon velocity are observed in SLs, coming from phonon folding and softening. Our results show that both the enhanced interface scattering and the reduced phonon velocity contribute to suppressing the heat transport in SLs.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The Effect of Homeownership on Unemployment Spells: Evidence from US Data

This paper provides new evidence on the effect of homeownership on unemployment spells by disaggregating exit from unemployment into full-time and part-time employment using the March Current Population Survey (CPS) data from 1990 to 2013. Using duration models, I find that when transition from unemployment to different types of employment is ignored, homeownership decreases the exit rate from unemployment. However, when the transition to different types of employment is considered, homeowners have lower rates of exit into full-time employment than renters but have higher rates of exit into part-time employment. Competing risk model that simultaneously modeled the transition into full-time and part-time employments also have similar estimates. These results are robust to different specifications and have policy implications.
Work–Family Conflict and Health Among Working Parents: Potential Linkages for Family Science and Social Neuroscience

In this paired article the authors review research on paid work, parenting, and health in order to isolate fundamental questions and issues that remain unaddressed. Next, consistent with the theme of this special issue, the authors introduce social neuroscience and highlight how this emerging multidisciplinary science offers substantial promise for advancing key unresolved issues in the paid work, parenting, and health literature. The article concludes with suggestions for promising areas of research wherein family scientists and social neuroscientists could build collaborative research to address gaps in the work–family literature.
A primer on potential impacts, management priorities, and future directions for Elodea spp. in high latitude systems: learning from the Alaskan experience

Invasive species introductions in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems are growing as climate change manifests and human activity increases in high latitudes. The aquatic plants of the genus Elodea are potential invaders to Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems circumpolar and at least one species is already established in Alaska, USA. To illustrate the problems of preventing, eradicating, containing, and mitigating aquatic, invasive plants in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems, we review the invasion dynamics of Elodea and provide recommendations for research and management efforts in Alaska. Foremost, we conclude the remoteness of Arctic and Subarctic systems such as Alaska is no longer a protective attribute against invasions, as transportation pathways now reach throughout these regions. Rather, high costs of operating in remote Arctic and Subarctic systems hinders detection of infestations and limits eradication or mitigation, emphasizing management priorities of prevention and containment of aquatic plant invaders in Alaska and other Arctic and Subarctic systems.
Research on Frequency Stability Control Measures of the Isolated Grid Operation of Regional Grid with Small Capacity

As the third defense line of the power network,over-frequency generator tripping and under-frequency load shedding are very important for maintaining safe operation and avoiding system collapse.By considering such characteristics as small capacity and inertia of the regional power network and its frequency fluctuation,an effective configuration scheme is proposed according to over-frequency generator tripping configuration principles for small capacity regional grid.The improvement measures for coordinating system reactive support by generator and other stability control devices are proposed through the checking of the underfrequency load shedding scheme.The results show that the over-frequency generator tripping and under-frequency load shedding can effectively solve the frequency problems after the splitting of the small capacity grid with the main network,which is reference for frequency stability control of the isolated grids in other areas.
Intestinal microvascular exchange during lipid absorption.

The forces and membrane coefficients governing transcapillary and lymphatic fluid fluxes were measured in the cat jejunum before and during perfusion of the gut lumen with oleic acid (5 mM) solubil...
Tutorial on Intelligent Optimization and Control for Power Systems: An Introduction

The purpose of this tutorial is to provide with basic knowledge of recent advances in intelligent optimization and control techniques, and how they are combined with knowledge elements in computational intelligence systems. Applications to power problems are stressed, and example applications are presented. The tutorial is composed of three parts: The first part gives an overview of particle swarm optimization and ant colony search algorithm. The second part deals with differential evolution and Pareto multi objective optimization. Finally, the third part covers neural dynamic programming and adaptive critic design technique
High-Resolution Optical Tweezers Combined With Single-Molecule Confocal Microscopy

We describe the design, construction, and application of an instrument combining dual-trap, high-resolution optical tweezers and a confocal microscope. This hybrid instrument allows nanomechanical manipulation and measurement simultaneously with single-molecule fluorescence detection. We present the general design principles that overcome the challenges of maximizing optical trap resolution while maintaining single-molecule fluorescence sensitivity, and provide details on the construction and alignment of the instrument. This powerful new tool is just beginning to be applied to biological problems. We present step-by-step instructions on an application of this technique that highlights the instrument's capabilities, detecting conformational dynamics in a nucleic acid-processing enzyme.
Droplet-based microfluidics detector for bioaerosol detection

ABSTRACTDetection of bioaerosols is important in fields ranging from environmental health monitoring to biosurveillance, and current detector weaknesses have motivated the development of new technologies. In this work, a detector was built, which applies the principles of droplet microfluidics to bioaerosol detection. Droplet microfluidics is a subfield of microfluidics based on the creation of monodisperse microdroplets with compartmentalized reagents and supports enhanced assays and fluidic manipulations. The bioaerosol detector operates by aerodynamically focusing aerosols directly into these droplets to harness the benefits of the microreactor environment. A breadboard detector system, which consisted of an aerodynamic focusing lens, aerosol-focusing capillary, microfluidic droplet chip, and optical microscope, was constructed. Computational fluid dynamic simulations and Lagrangian particle tracking modeling were conducted to identify the optimal conditions for focusing. Preliminary experiments, where...
Generalized States on Residuated Structures

We introduce two kinds of generalized states; namely we define generalized states of type I and II, we study their properties and we prove that every strong type II state is an order-preserving type I state. We prove that any perfect FL w -algebra admits a strong type I and type II state. Some conditions are given for a generalized state of type I on a linearly ordered bounded Rl-monoid to be a state operator.