cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Random encoding of quantized finite frame expansions

Frames, which in finite dimensions are spanning sets of vectors, generalize the notion of bases and provide a useful tool for modeling the measurement (or sampling) process in several modern signal processing applications. In the digital era, the measurement process is typically followed by a quantization, or digitization step that allows for storage, transmission, and processing using digital devices. One family of quantization methods, popular for its robustness to errors caused by circuit imperfections and for its ability to act on the measurements progressively, is Sigma-Delta quantization. In the finite frame setting, Sigma-Delta quantization, unlike scalar quantization, has recently been shown to exploit the redundancy in the measurement process leading to a more efficient rate distortion performance. Nevertheless, on its own, it is not known whether Sigma-Delta quantization can provide optimal rate-distortion performance. In this note, we show that a simple post-processing step consisting of a discrete, random Johnson-Lindenstrauss embedding of the resulting bit-stream yields near-optimal rate distortion performance, with high probability. In other words, it near optimally compresses the resulting bitstream. Our result holds for a wide variety of frames, including smooth frames and random frames.
Effects of Macromolecular Crowding on Protein Conformational Changes

Many protein functions can be directly linked to conformational changes. Inside cells, the equilibria and transition rates between different conformations may be affected by macromolecular crowding. We have recently developed a new approach for modeling crowding effects, which enables an atomistic representation of “test” proteins. Here this approach is applied to study how crowding affects the equilibria and transition rates between open and closed conformations of seven proteins: yeast protein disulfide isomerase (yPDI), adenylate kinase (AdK), orotidine phosphate decarboxylase (ODCase), Trp repressor (TrpR), hemoglobin, DNA β-glucosyltransferase, and Ap4A hydrolase. For each protein, molecular dynamics simulations of the open and closed states are separately run. Representative open and closed conformations are then used to calculate the crowding-induced changes in chemical potential for the two states. The difference in chemical-potential change between the two states finally predicts the effects of crowding on the population ratio of the two states. Crowding is found to reduce the open population to various extents. In the presence of crowders with a 15 A radius and occupying 35% of volume, the open-to-closed population ratios of yPDI, AdK, ODCase and TrpR are reduced by 79%, 78%, 62% and 55%, respectively. The reductions for the remaining three proteins are 20–44%. As expected, the four proteins experiencing the stronger crowding effects are those with larger conformational changes between open and closed states (e.g., as measured by the change in radius of gyration). Larger proteins also tend to experience stronger crowding effects than smaller ones [e.g., comparing yPDI (480 residues) and TrpR (98 residues)]. The potentials of mean force along the open-closed reaction coordinate of apo and ligand-bound ODCase are altered by crowding, suggesting that transition rates are also affected. These quantitative results and qualitative trends will serve as valuable guides for expected crowding effects on protein conformation changes inside cells.
Isolation of an antibiotic-resistant, lactose-fermenting strain of Proteus rettgeri.

Ein avirulenter, prompt Laktose-fermentierender, Antibiotika-resistenter Stamm vonProteus rettgeri wurde aus klinischem Material isoliert.
Spontaneous tangential discontinuities and the optical analogy for static magnetic fields. VI. Topology of current sheets

Abstract The electric surface current in a tangential discontinuity in a force-free magnetic field is conserved. The direction of the current is halfway between the direction of the continuous fields on either side of the surface of discontinuity. Hence the current sheets, i.e. the surface of tangential discontinuity, have a topology that is distinct from the lines of force of the field. The precise nature of the topology of the current sheet depends upon the form of the winding patterns in the field. Hence, invariant winding patterns and random winding patterns are treated separately. Current sheets may have edges, at the junction of two or more topological separatrices. The current lines may, in special cases, be closed on themselves. The lines of force that lie on either side of a current sheet somewhere pass off the sheet across a junction onto another sheet. In most cases the current sheets extending along a field make an irregular honeycomb. The honeycomb pattern varies along the field if the windin...
An operative proctoscope for foreign-body extraction.

THE INCIDENCE of re ta ined foreign objects wi th in the rec tum has risen d rama t i ca l l y in the last decade. Th i s is a t t r ibu tab le no t on ly to c h a n g i n g cus toms and mores in o r e social m i l i eu but also to an abso lu te increase in the n u m b e r and variety of objects a n d methods used for transrectal sexual gra t i f ica t ion. Inappropr i a t e manuevers wi th inadequa te visual izat ion and ineffective i n s t rumen t s on ly serve to c o m p o u n d the d i f f icu l t p rob l ems often encoun te red in the r emova l of fo re ign-body objects. T h e i n s t rumen t and accessories described in this r epor t were specif ical ly developed to satisfy the r equ i r emen t s for fo re ign-body extract ion. These include: 1. good visual iza t ion and o p t i m a l i l l umi -
Anisotropy of the charpy impact value of carbon steels and corrective heat treatment

Abstract The anisotropy of ductility, toughness, etc., of rolled steels has a great effect on the forming limit and on formability in forging or press forming. In this paper, how the anisotropy can be reduced by different heat treatments has been explored, making use of an instrumented charpy impact machine. It has been found that the presence of elongated manganese sulphide (MnS) in spherodised steels with more than 0.017% sulphur has a great effect on the anisotropy. Though the elongated MnS was modified to globular by homogenising, the array of inclusions remained and the anisotropy of the steels could not be completely removed: however, by homogenising, the anisotropy of steels with less than 0.009% sulphur could be almost completely eliminated. In the case of a specimen orientation of 22.5° (with respect to the rolling direction) for as-received and spherodising steels with more than 0.017% sulphur, the absorbed energy became remarkably high — since ductile cracks are easily initiated along the original longitudinal direction — but this did not appear for steels with large amounts of pearlite because of the effect of the latter in reducing anisotropy. It was established that the anisotropy arises chiefly from inclusions and is also influenced by pearlite, and it was found that heat treatments are available to eliminate the anisotropy.
Are species differences in maternal effects arising from maternal care adaptive

Parental care benefits offspring through maternal effects influencing their development, growth and survival. However, although parental care in general is likely the result of adaptive evolution, it does not follow that specific differences in the maternal effects that arise from care are also adaptive. Here, we used an interspecific cross-fostering design in the burying beetle species Nicrophorus orbicollis and N. vespilloides, both of which have elaborate parental care involving direct feeding of regurgitated food to offspring, to test whether maternal effects are optimized within a species and therefore adaptive. Using a full-factorial design, we first demonstrated that N. orbicollis care for offspring longer regardless of recipient species. We then examined offspring development and mass in offspring reared by hetero- or conspecific parents. As expected, there were species-specific direct effects independent of the maternal effects, as N. orbicollis larvae were larger and took longer to develop than N. vespilloides regardless of caregiver. We also found significant differences in maternal effects: N. vespilloides maternal care caused more rapid development of offspring of either species. Contrary to expectations if maternal effects were species-specific, there were no significant interactions between caretaker and recipient species for either development time or mass, suggesting that these maternal effects are general rather than optimized within species. We suggest that rather than coadaptation between parents and offspring performance, the species differences in maternal effects may be correlated with direct effects, and that their evolution is driven by selection on those direct effects.
Alterations of the Lesions of Acute Rheumatic Myocarditis during Cortisone Therapy

The changes in the cardiac lesions of a patient dying with acute rheumatic heart disease treated with cortisone are reported. The findings indicate that the effect of this hormone upon the lesions consists in an inhibition of the inflammatory reaction without demonstrable alteration of the collagen injury.
Cognitive behavioral therapy and schizophrenia: a survey of clinical practices and views on efficacy in the United States and United kingdom.

Research has shown that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective in the treatment of schizophrenia (Wykes et al. in Schizophr Bull 34(3):523–537, 2008). The majority of this research has been conducted in the United Kingdom (Beck and Rector in Am J Psychother 54:291–300, 2000) where the National Health Service recommends that CBT be delivered to all people with schizophrenia (NICE in Schizophrenia: core interventions in the treatment and management of schizophrenia in primary and secondary care (update). http://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/CG82/NiceGuidance/pdf/English, 2009). In contrast, the corresponding American Psychiatric Association guidelines describe CBT as an adjunctive technique that “may benefit” patients (Lehman et al. in Am J Psychiatry 161:1–56, 2004, p. 35). Anecdotal evidence also suggests a difference between UK and US clinicians’ use of and views on CBT with schizophrenia (Tarrier in Clinical handbook of psychological disorders: a step-by-step treatment manual. Guilford, New York, 2008). In the present study 214 clinicians in the UK and US completed an internet survey examining this apparent discrepancy. UK and US participants were equally aware that empirical research supports the efficacy of CBT with schizophrenia. However, UK participants were more likely to practice CBT, rated CBT effectiveness more highly, and were more optimistic about the chances of recovery. These findings suggest fundamental differences in the attitudes and practices of UK and US clinicians.
Metal ion inhibition of nonenzymatic pyridoxal phosphate catalyzed decarboxylation and transamination.

Nonenzymatic pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) catalyzed decarboxylations and transaminations have been revisited experimentally. Metal ions are known to catalyze a variety of PLP-dependent reactions in solution, including transamination. It is demonstrated here that the rate accelerations previously observed are due solely to enhancement of Schiff base formation under subsaturating conditions. A variety of metal ions were tested for their effects on the reactivity of the 2-methyl-2-aminomalonate Schiff bases. All were found to have either no effect or a small inhibitory one. The effects of Al3+ were studied in detail with the Schiff bases of 2-methyl-2-aminomalonate, 2-aminoisobutyrate, alanine, and ethylamine. The decarboxylation of 2-methyl-2-aminomalonate is unaffected by metalation with Al3+, while the decarboxylation of 2-aminoisobutyrate is inhibited 125-fold. The transamination reaction of ethylamine is 75-fold slower than that of alanine. Ethylamine transamination is inhibited 4-fold by Al3+ metalation, ...
An exploration of species boundaries in turret-building tarantulas of the Mojave Desert (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Theraphosidae, Aphonopelma)

Abstract Tarantulas in the North American genus Aphonopelma are poorly known due to their challenging patterns of morphological variation and questionable taxonomy; few specimens can be confidently identified using existing keys or comparisons to original descriptions. In an effort to identify new strategies for resolving what has been characterized as a “taxonomic and nomenclatural nightmare”, we employed five different approaches for delimiting species in a group of closely related tarantulas from the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States. These methods included the application of single techniques (morphology, DNA barcoding, shared genealogical exclusivity among independent loci, and generalized mixed Yule coalescent) and an integrative approach that incorporates genealogical and ecological information. Results demonstrate that the taxonomy of these spiders as presently defined underestimates actual species-level diversity and the group is in need of revision. The number of species delimited by each approach, however, was variable and we argue that it is this discordance that emphasizes the importance of incorporating multiple lines of evidence into an integrative taxonomic framework that can be used for constructing robust taxonomic hypotheses for Aphonopelma species.
Antifungal Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

A growing body of evidence suggests that patient-to-patient variability in the pharmacokinetics of some antifungals, particularly the mold-active triazoles (itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole) may contribute to therapeutic failure or unexpected toxicity. As a result, many clinicians have recognized a need for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to individualize drug dosing in select patients with suspected or documented invasive fungal infections. However, approaches for performing and interpreting plasma concentrations are not well standardized, and logistical issues such as the turnaround time of test results can limit the clinical usefulness of testing in acutely ill patients. This article summarizes the pharmacologic rationale for TDM of antifungal agents, with a particular focus on recently published data for the newer triazoles, voriconazole and posaconazole. Practical recommendations for TDM-guided dosing are also provided, based on a critical evaluation of literature published over the past 5 years.
Ab Initio Study of the Interaction of Rhodium with Dinitrogen and Carbon Monoxide

Ab initio computations at the B3LYP/ECP level have been performed on a series of charged and neutral rhodium species containing carbon monoxide and dinitrogen ligands. The computations have been employed to predict possible oxidation states of supported Rh for new surface species detected by infrared spectroscopy during the interaction of the metal with CO and N2 in the presence of ultraviolet radiation. Specifically, it has been concluded that Rh species containing N2 ligands giving rise to low-frequency N−N stretching modes most likely contain Rh with a −1 oxidation state, the source of electrons being due to photoinduced electron transfer between supported Rh metal centers in the presence of UV irradiation. Although the computations refer to gas-phase Rh species, it is believed that computations, such as those reported herein, can be useful in predicting trends in vibrational frequencies for similar surface species and thus aid in vibrational band assignments for specific structures.
Prediction of the location and size of the stomach using patient characteristics for retrospective radiation dose estimation following radiotherapy

Following cancer radiotherapy, reconstruction of doses to organs, other than the target organ, is of interest for retrospective health risk studies. Reliable estimation of doses to organs that may be partially within or fully outside the treatment field requires reliable knowledge of the location and size of the organs, e.g., the stomach, which is at risk from abdominal irradiation. The stomach location and size are known to be highly variable between individuals, but have been little studied. Moreover, for treatments conducted years ago, medical images of patients are usually not available in medical records to locate the stomach. In light of the poor information available to locate the stomach in historical dose reconstructions, the purpose of this work was to investigate the variability of stomach location and size among adult male patients and to develop prediction models for the stomach location and size using predictor variables generally available in medical records of radiotherapy patients treated in the past. To collect data on stomach size and position, we segmented the contours of the stomach and of the skeleton on contemporary computed tomography (CT) images for 30 male patients in supine position. The location and size of the stomach was found to depend on body mass index (BMI), ponderal index (PI), and age. For example, the anteroposterior dimension of the stomach was found to increase with increasing BMI (≈0.25 cm kg(-1) m(2)) whereas its craniocaudal dimension decreased with increasing PI (≈-3.3 cm kg(-1) m(3)) and its transverse dimension increased with increasing PI (≈2.5 cm kg(-1) m(3)). Using the prediction models, we generated three-dimensional computational stomach models from a deformable hybrid phantom for three patients of different BMI. Based on a typical radiotherapy treatment, we simulated radiotherapy treatments on the predicted stomach models and on the CT images of the corresponding patients. Those dose calculations demonstrated good agreement between predicted and actual stomachs compared with doses derived from a reference model of the body that might be used in the absence of individual CT scan data.
Correlated flux creep through columnar defects in YBa2Cu3O7 crystals

Abstract Some recent flux creep experiments performed on YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 crystals with columnar defects can be explained by the correlated creep formula developed by Chau and Cheng. The tension and pinning energies deduced are compared with their corresponding theoretical values, suggesting that flux lines are strongly pinned to the columnar defects.
Variations in the glycosylation of the collagen synthesized by chick embryo cartilage effects of development and several hormones

Cartilage from chick embryos was incubated with [14C]lysine and the relative amounts glucosylgalactosyl[14C]hydroxylysine and galactosyl[14C]hydroxylysine in the collagen of the tissue were assayed. The ratio of glucosylgalactosyl[14C]hydroxylysine to galactosyl[14C]hydroxylysine in the collagen synthesized in vitro increased with age when cartilage from 7−, 8−, 9−, and −day-old embryos was compared. The ratio was slightly less with cartilage from 12-day-old embryos than with cartilage from 10-day-old embryos. Cartilage homogenates from 8-day-old embryos were found to contain larger amounts of substrate for collagen glucosyltransferase than cartilage homogenates of 10-day embryos, indicating that the cartilage from the younger embryos contained more protein-bound galactosylhydroxylysine. Also, it was shown that homogenates of 9-day-oldchick embryos contained more collagen glucosyltransferase activity than homogenates of 8-day-old embryos, even though the homogenates contained about the same levels of collagen galactosyltransferase activity. Further experiments indicated that the ratio of glucosylgalactosyl[14C]hydroxylysine to glaactosyl[14C]hydroxylsine in the collagen synthesized by the tissue was decreased by thyroid hormones, hydrocortisone, growth hormone, and β-animo-propionitrile. The results emphasize the large heterogeneity of the collagen synthesized by the same tissue under slightly different biological condiotions.
The role of single evaluation courses in evaluation training

The single course continues to make a significant contribution to the evaluation field, but the nature of this contribution appears to have changed over time.
Parsing the Evolution of Language

While Noah Webster may have produced the earliest compendium on American English, the divergence from British English dates from much earlier. Long before the publication of Webster's Dictionary in 1806, pronunciation in America and in Britain had begun to differ ([1][1], [2][2]). The Dictionary
The influence of local search and performance heuristics on new design introduction in a new product market

Abstract This study develops and tests three sets of predictions concerning new design introduction during the initial period of ferment in a new product market. We root our predictions most directly in the evolutionary economic concepts of local search and performance heuristics. First, we argue that new entrants will introduce most designs that are new to a product market during an initial period of ferment. Second, we argue that local search will lead most product market incumbents that introduce second or subsequent designs after their entry to introduce designs that are similar to those incorporated in their existing products. Third, we argue that firms selling products based on designs that are losing aggregate share in the market will be likely to introduce products based on new designs, while firms losing market share to firms that are selling the same design are unlikely to introduce new designs. Our empirical analysis examines the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) subfield of the diagnostic imaging equipment industry between 1980 and 1986, a period that begins with the introduction of the first MRI design and ends with the emergence of widely accepted design characteristics. The results support the argument that local search and performance heuristics, along with other market factors and business characteristics, influence design introduction during a period of ferment.
The adsorption of C14-labeled stearic acid on iron

Abstract Stearic-1-C14 acid was adsorbed as a close-packed monomolecular layer on mechanically polished iron and fire-polished glass by the method of solution retraction. Measurements of the adsorbed radioactivity were made which allowed the determination of the number of adsorbed molecules per apparent unit area. Measurements of the methylene iodide contact angle on these two kinds of monolayer-covered surfaces showed that the surface-packing density of stearic acid molecules was the same in both cases. This conclusion, together with the assumption that the fire-polished glass surface had a roughness factor of unity, allowed the calculation of the area occupied per stearic acid molecule and the roughness factor of the iron surface. Desorption and exchange experiments indicated that about 60% of a complete monolayer was rather weakly adsorbed on iron while the remainder was probably chemically adsorbed. A rectilinear relationship was found between the measured contact angle and the extent of surface coverage. Surface-active impurities, which may occur in radioactive stearic acid solutions as a result of radiation damage, can be eliminated by treatment with activated adsorption alumina.
Theory of Pion Photoproduction

The photoproduction of pions from nucleons is calculated in the Tamm-Dancoff approximation to the relativistic pseudoscalar theory. The matrix elements are explicitly separated, in each partial wave, into production into plane waves and production associated with final-state scattering. These matrix elements are exhibited and compared in the energy region up to 500 Mev. The agreement between theory and experiment is fairly good if one uses the same coupling constant used to calculate scattering in this approximation. The enhancement of the $P\frac{3}{2}$, $T=\frac{3}{2}$ ($M1$) matrix element is about 2.5. A correction (applicable near threshold) for the nonconservation of isotopic spin due to the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ mass difference is evaluated.
Isosteric Heats of Adsorption from Gas Mixtures

Isosteric heats of gas-mixture adsorption required in the energy balances of adsorption process design are calculated using a thermodynamically consistent multicomponent isotherm. This isotherm and the resulting heats of adsorption possess proper limiting behavior and account for adsorbates of different sizes. Binary and ternary mixtures are used as examples. Consideration of the temperature dependence of the adsorbed phase density or alternately of the saturation capacity leads to coupling of contributions from each component to isosteric heats of adsorption of other components in the mixture. For the binary example used, this reduces the difference between isosteric heats in the mixture and corresponding pure gas heats at the same fractional loading, in comparison to predictions where the saturation capacity is assumed to be independent of temperature.
Brain Death and the Historical Understanding of Bioethics

In a 1968 Report, the Ad Hoc Committee of the Harvard Medical School to Examine the Definition of Brain Death promulgated influential criteria for the idea and practice known as "brain death." Before and since the Committee met, brain death has been a focal point of visions and nightmares of medical progress, purpose, and moral authority. Critics of the Committee felt it was deaf to apparently central moral considerations and focused on the self-serving purpose of expanding transplantation. Historical characterizations of the uses and meanings of brain death and the work of the Committee have tended to echo these themes, which means also generally repeating a widely held bioethical self-understanding of how the field appeared-that is, as a necessary antidote of moral expertise. This paper looks at the Committee and finds that historical depictions of it have been skewed by such a bioethical agenda. Entertaining different possibilities as to the motives and historical circumstances behind the Report it famously produced may point to not only different histories of the Committee, but also different perspectives on the historical legacy and role of bioethics as a discourse for addressing anxieties about medicine.
Cortical activity in the null space: permitting preparation without movement

Neural circuits must perform computations and then selectively output the results to other circuits. Yet synapses do not change radically at millisecond timescales. A key question then is: how is communication between neural circuits controlled? In motor control, brain areas directly involved in driving movement are active well before movement begins. Muscle activity is some readout of neural activity, yet it remains largely unchanged during preparation. Here we find that during preparation, while the monkey holds still, changes in motor cortical activity cancel out at the level of these population readouts. Motor cortex can thereby prepare the movement without prematurely causing it. Further, we found evidence that this mechanism also operates in dorsal premotor cortex, largely accounting for how preparatory activity is attenuated in primary motor cortex. Selective use of 'output-null' vs. 'output-potent' patterns of activity may thus help control communication to the muscles and between these brain areas.
The Western North Atlantic Shelfbreak Current System in Summer

Twelve years of historical hydrographic data, spanning the period 1990–2001, are analyzed to examine the along-stream evolution of the western North Atlantic Ocean shelfbreak front and current, following its path between the west coast of Greenland and the Middle Atlantic Bight. Over 700 synoptic sections are used to construct a mean three-dimensional description of the summer shelfbreak front and to quantify the along-stream evolution in properties, including frontal strength and grounding position. Results show that there are actually two fronts in the northern part of the domain—a shallow front located near the shelf break and a deeper front centered in the core of Irminger Water over the upper slope. The properties of the deeper Irminger front erode gradually to the south, and the front disappears entirely near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. The shallow shelfbreak front is identifiable throughout the domain, and its properties exhibit large variations from north to south, with the largest changes occurring near the Tail of the Grand Banks. Despite these structural changes, and large variations in topography, the foot of the shelfbreak front remains within 20 km of the shelf break. The hydrographic sections are also used to examine the evolution of the baroclinic velocity field and its associated volume transport. The baroclinic velocity structure consists of a single velocity core that is stronger and penetrates deeper where the Irminger front is present. The baroclinic volume transport decreases by equal amounts at the southern end of the Labrador Shelf and at the Tail of the Grand Banks. Overall, the results suggest that the Grand Banks is a geographically critical location in the North Atlantic shelfbreak system.
Randomized multi-pass streaming skyline algorithms

We consider external algorithms for skyline computation without pre-processing. Our goal is to develop an algorithm with a good worst case guarantee while performing well on average. Due to the nature of disks, it is desirable that such algorithms access the input as a stream (even if in multiple passes). Using the tools of randomness, proved to be useful in many applications, we present an efficient multi-pass streaming algorithm, RAND, for skyline computation. As far as we are aware, RAND is the first randomized skyline algorithm in the literature.RAND is near-optimal for the streaming model, which we prove via a simple lower bound. Additionally, our algorithm is distributable and can handle partially ordered domains on each attribute. Finally, we demonstrate the robustness of RAND via extensive experiments on both real and synthetic datasets. RAND is comparable to the existing algorithms in average case and additionally tolerant to simple modifications of the data, while other algorithms degrade considerably with such variation.
Relocating the Isolated Settler

Governmental economy end improved citizenship and morale may be expected from the wise use of Drelocation program.
Causal diagrams for encoding and evaluation of information bias.

Background Epidemiologists and clinical researchers usually classify bias into three main categories: confounding, selection bias and information bias. Previous authors have described the first two categories in the logic and notation of causal diagrams, formally known as directed acyclic graphs (DAG). Methods I examine common types of information bias – disease-related and exposure-related – from the perspective of causal diagrams. Results Disease or exposure information bias always involves the use of an effect of the variable of interest – specifically, an effect of true disease status or an effect of true exposure status. The bias typically arises from a causal or an associational path of no interest to the researchers. In certain situations, it may be possible to prevent or remove some of the bias. Conclusions Common types of information bias, just like confounding and selection bias, have a clear and helpful representation within the framework of causal diagrams.
Simplified channel estimation for OFDM systems with multiple transmit antennas

Multiple transmit-and-receive antennas can be used in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems to improve communication quality and capacity. In this paper, we present two techniques to improve the performance and reduce the complexity of channel parameter estimation: optimum training-sequence design and simplified channel estimation. The optimal training sequences not only simplify the initial channel estimation, but also attain the best estimation performance. The simplified channel estimation significantly reduces the complexity of the channel estimation at the expense of a negligible performance degradation. The effectiveness of the new techniques is demonstrated through the simulation of an OFDM system with two-transmit and two-receive antennas. The space-time coding with 240 information bits per codeword is used for transmit diversity. From the simulation, the required signal-to-noise ratio is only about 9 dB for a 10% word error rate for a channel with the typical urban- or hilly-terrain delay profile and a 40-Hz Doppler frequency.
The Vital Nature of Environment

The nursing perspective includes the environment of a person, family, or community and there is global acceptance of environment as a disciplinary boundary. However, there are important distinctions among the conceptual models of nursing with regard to the meaning of the term. These differences spring from the worldview and philosophy that tailor its focus and fit.
A full diagonal bandwidth gaussian kernel SVM based ensemble learning for hyperspectral chemical plume detection

Recently, a sparse kernel-based SVM ensemble learning technique has been introduced by the authors for hyperspectral plume detection/classification. This technique first randomly selects spectral feature subspaces from the input data. Each individual SVM classifier then independently conducts its own learning within its corresponding spectral feature space using a Gaussian kernel with a single bandwidth parameter. Each classifier constitutes a weak classifier. The sub-classifiers are sparsely weighted and aggregated to make an ensemble decision. In this paper, in order to further improve the generalization performance of the ensemble classifier, Gaussian kernel with full diagonal bandwidth parameter matrix is used for each sub-classifier where the parameters are optimally learned by minimizing a bound of the generalization error estimate using a gradient descent algorithm. A performance comparison between the aggregating techniques - sparse kernel-based technique and majority voting with single bandwidth and full diagonal optimized bandwidth parameters as applied to hyperspectral chemical plume detection is presented in the paper.
Defect Tolerance Based on Graceful Degradation and Dynamic Reconfiguration for Digital Microfluidics-Based Biochips

Defect tolerance is an important design consideration for microfluidics-based biochips that are used for safety-critical applications. The authors propose a defect-tolerance methodology based on graceful degradation and dynamic reconfiguration. A tile-based biochip architecture is first introduced, which is scalable for large-scale bioassays. A clustered defect model is used to evaluate the graceful-degradation method for tile-based biochips. The proposed schemes ensure that the bioassays mapped to a droplet-based microfluidic array during design can be executed on a defective biochip through operation rescheduling and/or resource rebinding. Real-life biochemical procedures, namely polymerase chain reaction and multiplexed in vitro diagnostics on human physiological fluids, are used to evaluate the proposed defect-tolerance schemes
Progression of disease in HIV infected children slowed after the first year of life.

(2001) Pediatrics 108, 116. The European Collaborative Study. . Fluctuations in symptoms in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children: the first 10 years of life. . Jul; . : . –22 . [OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] QUESTION: In children with HIV infection at birth, who received differing treatment protocols, what are the clinical and immunological manifestations during the first 10 years of life? Cohort study with a median of 5.8 years of follow up. 11 paediatric centres in 7 European countries. 170 HIV infected children who were born to mothers known to be infected with HIV at the time of delivery. Children were categorised into 3 cohorts according to the treatment policy at the time of birth. Cohort 1 consisted of children born from 1985–8 when no recommendations for treatment existed; cohort 2 consisted of children born from 1989–94 when the treatment policy was restricted to monotherapy for symptomatic children; and cohort 3 consisted of children born from 1995–9 when the initiation of combination therapies was recommended at an early stage. Children were allocated to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categories for clinical manifestations (N = asymptomatic, A = mildly symptomatic, B = moderately … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPediatrics%26rft.stitle%253DPediatrics%26rft.issn%253D0031-4005%26rft.aulast%253DThe%2BEuropean%2BCollaborative%2BStudy%26rft.auinit1%253D%2B%26rft.volume%253D108%26rft.issue%253D1%26rft.spage%253D116%26rft.epage%253D122%26rft.atitle%253DFluctuations%2Bin%2BSymptoms%2Bin%2BHuman%2BImmunodeficiency%2BVirus-Infected%2BChildren%253A%2BThe%2BFirst%2B10%2BYears%2Bof%2BLife%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1542%252Fpeds.108.1.116%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F11433063%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=pediatrics&resid=108/1/116&atom=%2Febnurs%2F5%2F1%2F25.atom
The Absence of African-American Men in Higher Education and Veterinary Medicine

Many studies have consistently indicated that the educational outcomes of Black men and boys are not on par with those of their White and female counterparts. Recent data suggest the same holds true for Black men in veterinary medicine. Drawing on national statistics and findings from an analysis of National Educational Longitudinal Study data, I present several recommendations for future policy and practice that can help combat the absence of Black men in the profession.
The Health Effects of Economic Decline

Political pronouncements and policy statements include much conjecture concerning the health and behavioral effects of economic decline. We both summarize empirical research concerned with those effects and suggest questions for future research priorities. We separate the studies into groups defined by questions asked, mechanisms invoked, and outcomes studied. We conclude that although much research shows that undesirable job and financial experiences increase the risk of psychological and behavioral disorder, many other suspected associations remain poorly studied or unsupported. The intuition that mortality increases when the economy declines, for example, appears wrong. We note that the research informs public health programming by identifying risk factors, such as job loss, made more frequent by economic decline. The promise that the research would identify health costs and benefits of economic policy choices, however, remains unfulfilled and will likely remain so without stronger theory and greater m...
Antidepressant Efficacy and Cardiovascular Safety of Venlafaxine in Young Vs Old Patients with Comorbid Medical Disorders

Objective: To determine whether venlafaxine exerts a differential effect on blood pressure in young versus old depressed patients. Method: We compared thirty-four consecutive patients treated with 50-250 mg/day venlafaxine for major depressive disorder or another major mood disorder at our medical college's ambulatory neuropsychiatry program. We obtained baseline and follow-up blood pressure measurements. Each patient also received a baseline and final Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) score; global improvement was determined by consensus of two clinicians. Results: Sixteen nongeriatric patients (age, 13 to 56 years) were compared with eighteen elderly patients (age, 65 to 86 years). Most patients (88%) had serious medical comorbidities or histories. Despite a higher mean daily venlafaxine dosage for patients in the young group, no significant changes in systolic blood pressure were noted in either group. For the older group, we found a non-statistically significant 4.7 mm Hg mean increase in diastolic blood pressure. No patient became hypertensive. We also found a negative correlation between baseline diastolic blood pressure and change in diastolic blood pressure during treatment with venlafaxine. This inverse relationship was statistically significant in the older patients. Conclusions: Venlafaxine was not associated with significant, sustained changes in blood pressure in any patient receiving dosages of 50-250 mg/day. Minimal changes in diastolic blood pressure were no more likely to occur in older venlafaxine-treated patients than in younger ones. Higher baseline diastolic blood pressure in older patients, but not in younger ones, seemed to protect against diastolic adrenergic blood pressure effects of venlafaxine.
On the variation of fatigue-crack-opening load with measurement location

The work presented here evaluates the validity of using the load at the point of linearity on the displacement load curve, as suggested by Elber, as an experimental measure of the crack-tip-opening Displacement-load behavior was investigated for a fatigue-cracked modified compact specimen of a nickel-base superalloy. Displacements were determined at the notch mouth using a standard clip-on gage, along the crack sufrace using a laser-interferometric displacement gage and, in the plastic zone ahead of the crack, using an optical- interferometry technique. Acoustic-emission monitoring was employed as a means to detect potential crack extension during measurement-load cycles and to detect physical- crack closure. The magnitude of the crack-tip-opening as determined from these measurements, is dependent on the distance from the crack tip at which the measurement is made. As an additional means of evaluating the crack-tip-opening load, crack-surface profiles are constructed from the displacement- load measurements made behind the crack tip. A discussion is given concerning the significance of these results in evaluating the validity of using the toad at the point of linearity as a para- meter to quantify crack closure.
Long-term follow-up of patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, without and with monoclonal gammopathy

We previously demonstrated differences in presentation and initial clinical course between patients with idiopathic chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP-I) and those in whom CIDP was associated with a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (CIDP-MGUS). We now report the long-term follow-up of 69 patients with CIDP-I and 25 patients with CIDP-MGUS. (i) The clinical course was progressive in most of the CIDP-MGUS patients. CIDP-I patients were more likely to have a monophasic or relapsing course. (ii) Impairment developed more slowly in CIDP-MGUS than CIDP-I patients, with a longer time from onset of deterioration to peak impairment for each episode. (iii) Patients with CIDP-MGUS experienced less severe functional impairment and a lesser degree of measured weakness during their worst episode than did patients with CIDP-I. The primary source of functional impairment in many CIDP-MGUS patients was sensory. In contrast, the deficits in most patients with CIDP-I were primarily motor. (iv) CIDP-MGUS patients experienced a smaller degree of improvement to a poorer functional level after each episode than did patients with CIDP-I. (v) Most patients had a good outcome. However, the strength and functional scores at the time of last follow-up were significantly poorer in CIDP-MGUS than in CIDP-I patients. (vi) The disease was reclassified in seven patients; some patients with CIDP-I developed an MGUS, while some with CIDP-I or CIDP-MGUS developed multiple myeloma or a related malignant lymphoproliferative disease. These findings have implications for patient counselling and long-term prognosis, and underscore the need for long-term clinical and immunological monitoring.
Community occupancy of herpetofauna in roadside ditches in a managed pine landscape

Abstract Aquatic habitat types embedded in managed forest can contribute ecological services and suitable conditions for numerous species despite departing from historical baselines. Although prevalent in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, roadside ditches adjacent to pine plantations have had few surveys of vertebrate diversity and little is known about local and landscape level effects of silvicultural activities on species assemblages. Our goal was to investigate richness and occupancy of amphibians and reptiles in an intensively managed forest landscape with a history of silvicultural alterations of aquatic habitat types, including ditching, draining, and periodic maintenance of ditches for optimizing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) growth. We selected 15 roadside ditches that were maintained 3–17 years earlier and were embedded in a matrix of pine plantations in eastern North Carolina, USA. We conducted repeated, visual encounter surveys of roadside ditches during 2012–2013 and detected 25 species of amphibians and reptiles 447 times including five species of statewide conservation concern. We used a Bayesian, hierarchical, community occupancy model with group-specific hyper-parameters to estimate occupancy probabilities and species richness while accounting for imperfect detection. With our model, we examined effects of time since ditch maintenance, amount of nearby mature forest, and amount of adjacent wetlands on species richness and occupancy. We predicted species would respond positively to an intermediate period of time since ditch maintenance and positively to landscape covariates related to mature forest and wetlands. Our model estimated species richness of anurans from 0.9 to 7.4 species/ditch segment, snakes and lizards from 0.8 to 9.0 species/ditch segment, and turtles from 0.9 to 5.1 species/ditch segment. Contrary to our predictions, occupancy of herpetofauna showed no evidence of a relationship to time since ditch maintenance, and landscape metrics only influenced occupancy of one turtle species. Detection probabilities were influenced by season for several anurans, snakes, and lizards, but not turtles. Our results indicate that aquatic habitat types embedded in managed forests that were hydrologically and structurally altered for silviculture can support local occupancy of a relatively diverse herpetofaunal community and that temporal proximity to ditch maintenance had little effect on occupancy or richness.
Economy of Corrosion-Resistant Steel in Highway Bridges

Cost studies indicate that corrosion-resistant high strength low alloy steels have definite economic possibilities for use in short and medium length highway bridges. A nickle-copper type of high strength low alloy steel should be used due to its better resistance to atmospheric corrosion. Analytical cost comparisons are made of the superstructures of typical short span concrete slab and rolled wide flange steel stringer highway bridges fabricated from nickel-copper high strength low alloy steel with those fabricated from ASTM A7 and A373 steels. Cost comparisons are made for welded I-section stringers with concrete deck for short and medium length highway bridges. These structures are designed in accordance with standard practice and specifications. Cost comparisons are made of the use of high strength steels in forms for highway bridges independent of standard design specifications. A precast high strength concrete deck is designed to act integrally with a one or a three cell steel box girder. A design procedure is presented for the composite box superstructure.
A new approach to the semantics of model diagrams

Sometimes, a diagram can say more than a thousand lines of code. But, sadly, most of the time, software engineers give up on diagrams after the design phase, and all real work is done in code. The supremacy of code over diagrams would be leveled if diagrams were code. This paper suggests that model and instance diagrams, or, which amounts to the same, class and object diagrams, become first level entities in a suitably expressive programming language, viz., type theory. The proposed semantics of diagrams is compositional and self-describing, i.e., reflexive, or metacircular. Moreover, it is well suited for metamodelling and model driven engineering, as it is possible to prove model transformations correct in type theory. The encoding into type theory has the additional benefit of making diagrams immediately useful, given an implementation of type theory.