cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic field shaping for stereotactic radiosurgery: A modeling study

Abstract Purpose: This work assesses the relative field shaping advantages of dynamic field shaping devices for stereotactic radiosurgery using a linear accelerator. Methods and Materials: We selected 43 intracranial tumors (2.0–4.2 cm maximum dimension, 1.5–25.5 cc tumor volume) out of the first 64 intracranial tumors treated with radiosurgery at the Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. We modeled five field shaping devices, each including a fixed auxilliary circular collimator: (a) fixed circular collimator alone; (b) two independent parallel jaws; (c) four independent rectangular jaws; (d) four independent rotatable jaws; and (e) "ideal" multileaf collimator. We adjusted the model parameters until the minimum target isodose was 80% of the dose delivered to isocenter. We defined the treatment volume ratio as the target volume divided by the treatment volume (volume receiving at feast the minimum target dose). We used the treatment volume ratio to compare the five models and the actual patient treatments. Results: For 34 tumors originally treated with one isocenter, the median Treatment Volume Ratio was higher for all of the device models except the fixed circular collimator compared to the actual patient treatments. For the nine tumors originally treated with multiple isocenters, the median Treatment Volume Ratio for the actual multiple isocenter treatments was similar to that for two parallel jaws, four rectangular jaws and four rotatable jaws. Only the median "ideal" collimator treatment volume ratio was higher for these nine tumors. Conclusion: Simple field shaping devices have approximately 50% of the conformal advantage of an "ideal" multileaf collimator. Approximately 50% of typical radiosurgical tumors between 2 and 4 cm have field shaping advantages which exceed the geometrical uncertainties inherent in linear accelerator radiosurgery treatments. The three models, two parallel, four rectangular, or four rotatable independent jaws would improve current linear accelerator technology by providing homogeneous doses with equivalent field shaping for most tumors originally treated with inhomogeneous multiple isocenter plans (69 tumors in the current series).
Comparison of metals for recording the EEG.

Since metal electrodes are used extensively in biological research, it is of interest to know both if a recorded signal is influenced by the type of metal used to make the electrode, and what are some of the sources of error encountered. A discussion of this problem is presented, involving impedance mismatch, the noise level of the electrode, random artifacts, the effect of the metal on the tissues, response to fluctuations of chemical species, and spontaneous polarography. Anin vivo experiment was performed comparing the following eight metals for recording the EEG: stainless steel, gold, platinum, gold-palladium-rhodium alloy, platinum-10% iridium, platinum-10% rhodium, platinized platinum and platinized platinum-10% iridium. Statistical analysis of autospectra of ±10 per cent accuracy recorded through assemblies of different metals showed the metals to behave the same. There was also no correlation between the EEG and oxygen availability.
Sensitivity of calculated extinction strain rate to molecular transport formulation in nonpremixed counterflow flames

The counterflow flame is a commonly used geometry for experimental and chemical kinetic modeling studies of nonpremixed combustion. Because the flame structure is quasi-one-dimensional and more computationally tractable than inherently multidimensional flame geometries [1], detailed chemical kinetic modeling codes for counterflow flames have come into widespread use. An important characteristic of counterflow flames is the extinction strain rate, the maximum velocity gradient which a flame can support and still burn. At strain rates below the extinction value, there exist three solutions to the governing equations which determine the flame structure. Two of the solutions correspond to a stable flame and an essentially non-reacting cold flow, while the third branch is an unstable solution which cannot be physically realized [2]. Various computational approaches have been used to extend stable solutions onto the unstable branch, and thus determine the limits of bistability corresponding to flame extinction and autoignition [2, 3]. The extinction strain rate is important for modeling turbulent combustion using the laminar flamelet approach [4], and is a figure of merit for the effectiveness of fire suppressants in nonpremixed flames [5]. It is desirable for calculations to accurately predict extinction strain rates. Substantial variations in predicted extinction strain rates of nonpremixed methane/ air counterflow flames have been noted between different chemical kinetic mechanisms [6]. Here, the predicted extinction strain rate is found to also be sensitive to the treatment of molecular transport in the computational model. The effect of transport on premixed flame structure and extinction has been recently investigated by Paul and Warnatz [7], and by Ern and Giovangigli [8, 9]. To our knowledge, the effect of transport formalism on extinction of nonpremixed counterflow flames has not been previously reported in the literature. Furthermore, earlier studies reporting computational predictions of extinction strain rates have not always specified the manner in which the calculation handled species transport. In the present study, we employ two computer programs developed for counterflow flames incorporating the CHEMKIN program packages developed at Sandia National Laboratories. Initially, the chemical kinetics [10] and molecular transport [11] routines were applied
Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and Ignatian Pedagogy Model for Improved Learning in Master’s Level Finance Classes for Nurses

Faculty of Jesuit universities remain challenged on seamlessly incorporating the Ignatian Pedagogy (IP) Model into the fabric of everyday educational life in a way that is practical, understandable, and relevant to an increasingly demanding learner population. An ongoing longitudinal evaluation of nurse content retention and learner satisfaction in the nonclinical courses of economics, finance, and accounting revealed an unacceptable level of learner dissatisfaction. The generalized reflective process of the IP model was used to assess the specific gaps in expectations and knowledge between learners and faculty as identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI). The gap between contextual understanding and application of the content by learners could be tied to faculty course design and content delivery. The authors found that learner dissatisfaction could be reduced if faculty is aware of the gap in content delivery, design, and evaluation. The use of the MBTI and IP Model together helped bridge the specific IP element gaps in context and content within this specific course structure. The authors found that addressing learner assumptions prior to, and during, content delivery (using the MBTI and IP Model) enhanced the contextual awareness and relevance of content application which resulted in greater learner satisfaction.
Children with ADHD and motor dysfunction compared with children with ADHD only.

The purpose of this study was to identify group differences in children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder and motor dysfunction (ADHD-MD) and ADHD only, and to evaluate the medication responsiveness of ADHD-MD. Sixty-three children (49 males and 14 females; mean age 9 years 10 months, SD 2 years 10 months) underwent a triple blind, placebo-controlled crossover study evaluating two dose levels of methylphenidate (0.3 mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg, twice daily) and placebo. Forty-nine trials were completed. Nineteen were children with ADHD-MD, 44 had ADHD only. Behavior and functioning were assessed at home and at school. Treatment effects were assessed using the Abbreviated Symptom Questionnaire for Parents and Teachers. Children with ADHD-MD were more likely to have severe ADHD-combined type and other neurodevelopmental and behavioral problems. Both groups of children had a linear dose response to medication (placebo, low, high) and there was no evidence of a group by dose interaction or an overall group effect at home or school. The lack of group effect suggests that these children responded to medication like the other subgroups.
A method for locating the position of oxide traps responsible for random telegraph signals in submicron MOSFETs

Random telegraph signals (RTS) have been measured in the drain to source voltage of W/spl times/L=0.97/spl times/0.15 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ medium-doped drain (MDD) n-MOSFET's. The depth of the trapping center in the oxide is found from the gate voltage dependence of the emission and capture times. The difference in the drain voltage dependence of the capture and emission times between the forward and reverse modes is utilized to find the position of the trap in the channel with respect to the source.
Who are the Equal Rights Amendment Defenders and Opposers

In analyzing attitudes toward the Equal Rights Amendment 45 undergraduate males were significantly less favorable towards its passage than 89 undergraduate females. The “masculine” males held the strongest attitudes against the ERA, while the “masculine” females appeared to view it the most favorably of the four Bem sex-role classifications. It was also noted that “masculine” individuals, male and female, were significantly more likely than other sex-role types to take action in accordance with their attitudes toward the passage of the ERA.
Determining delay times for phase space reconstruction with application to the exchange rate

Abstract Economists have widely applied the correlation integral of Grassberger and Procaccia (1983) to determine the dimension of a nonlinear dynamical system. A key judgmental input into this procedure is the choice of delay time for reconstructing a possible attractor. The literature, however, lacks a rigorous procedure for choosing the delay time. In this paper, I apply a simple nonparametric test for independence developed in Mizrach (1995a) to determine the appropriate lag for reconstruction and dimension estimation. In an application to the Lorenz equations, I obtain the best estimates of the correlation dimension at the lag chosen by the test. I then use the method to uncover nonlinear structure in the FF DM exchange rate.
Mechanical signal transduction in skeletal muscle growth and adaptation

The adaptability of skeletal muscle to changes in the mechanical environment has been well characterized at the tissue and system levels, but the mechanisms through which mechanical signals are transduced to chemical signals that influence muscle growth and metabolism remain largely unidentified. However, several findings have suggested that mechanical signal transduction in muscle may occur through signaling pathways that are shared with insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. The involvement of IGF-I-mediated signaling for mechanical signal transduction in muscle was originally suggested by the observations that muscle releases IGF-I on mechanical stimulation, that IGF-I is a potent agent for promoting muscle growth and affecting phenotype, and that IGF-I can function as an autocrine hormone in muscle. Accumulating evidence shows that at least two signaling pathways downstream of IGF-I binding can influence muscle growth and adaptation. Signaling via the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T-cell pathway has been shown to have a powerful influence on promoting the slow/type I phenotype in muscle but can also increase muscle mass. Neural stimulation of muscle can activate this pathway, although whether neural activation of the pathway can occur independent of mechanical activation or independent of IGF-I-mediated signaling remains to be explored. Signaling via the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway can also increase muscle growth, and recent findings show that activation of this pathway can occur as a response to mechanical stimulation applied directly to muscle cells, independent of signals derived from other cells. In addition, mechanical activation of mammalian target of rapamycin, Akt, and other downstream signals is apparently independent of autocrine factors, which suggests that activation of the mechanical pathway occurs independent of muscle-mediated IGF-I release.
Improvement in Arterial Oxygenation by Saralasin Infusion in Man

Simultaneous hemodynamic and blood gas measurements were performed in 26 hypertensive adults, who were cigarette smokers, before and after a 30-minute infusion of saralasin ( µ g/kg/min) which is a highly specific competitive antagonist of angiotensin II (AII). The arterial pressure fell in nine, rose in seven and was unchanged in ten patients. The mean cardiac index for the entire group remained unchanged. Pulmonary arterial or wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, arterial Pco 2 and pH did not change. Unrelated to the hemodynamic changes, the mean arterial oxygen pressure (PaO 2 ) increased from 68.6 ± 2.2 mm Hg to 73.9 ± 2.1 mm Hg (P 2 and lacking a hemodynamic explanation, the mechanism for the rise in PaO 2 is speculative at this stage. The possibility of an improvement in the distribution of ventilation by saralasin infusion is under investigation.
A novel modeling approach for express package carrier planning

Express package carrier networks have large numbers of heavily-interconnected and tightly-constrained resources, making the planning process difficult. A decision made in one area of the network can impact virtually any other area as well. Mathematical programming therefore seems like a logical approach to solving such problems, taking into account all of these inter- actions. The tight time windows and nonlinear cost functions of these systems, however, often make traditional approaches such as multicommodity flow formulations intractable. This is due to both the large number of constraints and the weakness of the linear programming (LP) relaxations arising in these formulations. To overcome these obstacles, we propose a model in which variables represent combinations of loads and their corresponding routings, rather than assigning individual loads to individual arcs in the network. In doing so, we incorporate much of the problem complexity implicitly within the variable definition, rather than explicitly within the constraints. This approach enables us to linearize the cost structure, strengthen the LP relaxation of the formulation, and drastically reduce the number of constraints. In addition, it greatly facilitates the inclusion of other stages of the (typically decomposed) planning process. We show how the use of templates, in place of traditional delayed column generation, allows us to identify promising candidate variables, ensuring high-quality solutions in reasonable run times while also enabling the inclusion of additional operational considerations that would be difficult if not impossible to capture in a traditional approach. Computational results are presented using data from a major international package carrier. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 55: 670-683, 2008
How do Adolescents Perform on a Statewide Minimum Competency Test

The purpose of this research was to compare the performance of mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped students on a test designed to measure functional literacy in math and communication skills. Random samples of 300 students were drawn from performance data available for all students participating in a statewide assessment program. Separate item scores as well as percentages of mastery on specific skills and standards were analyzed. Performance of students with individual handicapping conditions on the two standards (communication and mathematics) was compared across exceptional student groups and with the performance of nonhandicapped peers. A high percentage (87.0%) of non-handicapped students demonstrated mastery levels of performance on the communication and mathematics items. Students classified as emotionally handicapped (EH) and learning disabled (LD) achieved mastery within 5% of one another on the communication and mathematics items and performance of students classified as educably mentally hand...
Campaign Advertising and Voter Turnout: New Evidence for a Stimulation Effect

Recent controversy over campaign advertising has focused on the effects of negative ads on voters. Proponents of the demobilization hypothesis have argued that negative ads turn off voters and shrink the size of the electorate. We argue that negative campaign charges are just as likely to engage potential voters, leading to a stimulation effect when it comes to turnout. Drawing on a new source of ad-tracking data from the 1996 presidential election, combined with the 1996 National Election Study, we generate estimates of the probability that voters were exposed to positive and negative political advertising. With this new, more precise approach, we find unambiguous evidence that exposure to negative campaign ads actually stimulates voter turnout.
Methodologies in the Microsequencing

In the second edition of “The Proteins” Caufield and Anfinsen commented that “the rather tedious business of amino acid sequence determination will become increasingly automated over the coming years, and such efforts may eventually become the province of well-trained machine operators.” This prediction has become nearly true due to the availability of a highly successful automated sequenator for stepwise degradation and computerized instrumentation for quantitative identification of released amino acid derivatives. Commenting on this prediction, Niall (1) stated“...the present author does not believe, or at least would prefer not to admit that protein sequence determination has yet become a mere technical operation requiring a minimum of intellectual input….” and correctly foresaw the need for continued intellectual involvement in the field of protein sequence analysis. This realization was conceived at the molecular level answers community began seeking at the molecular level answers to questions such as tissue graft rejections; cell-cell interactions; biological functions.
DETERMINING THE OPTIMUM SCHEDULE FOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Each time preventive maintenance is performed on an item a cost is incurred. However, if the item fails before preventive maintenance is performed, the cost associated with the failure is higher than the cost of the preventive maintenance necessary to p..
High gain, high efficiency vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifiers

Highly efficient long wavelength vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifiers (VCSOAs) are presented. A carrier confining structure was introduced by etching mesas in the active region. The carrier confinement resulted in increased efficiency and amplifier gain. The efficiency was increased by a factor of 3 as compared to previous devices made from the same active region material. 17 dB fiber-to-fiber gain was measured and the internal gain was estimated to be 24 dB. This is the highest reported amplifier gain for a long wavelength VCSOA to date.
Measuring the Impact of Nonignorable Non-Response in Panel Data with Non-Monotone Missingness

The analysis of panel data with non-monotone nonresponse often relies on the critical and untestable assumption of ignorable missingness. It is important to assess the consequences of departures from the ignorability assumption. Non-monotone nonresponse, however, can often make such sensitivity analysis infeasible because the likelihood functions for alternative models involve high-dimensional and difficult-to-evaluate integrals with respect to missing outcomes. We develop an extension of the local sensitivity method that overcomes computational difficulty and completely avoids fitting alternative models and evaluating these high-dimensional integrals. The proposed method is applicable to a wide range of panel outcomes. We apply the method to a Smoking Trend dataset where we relax the standard ignorability assumption and evaluate how smoking trend estimates in different groups of U.S. young adults are affected by alternative assumptions about the missing-data mechanism. The main finding is that the standard estimate in the black-male group is sensitive to nonignorable missingness but those in other groups are reasonably robust.
The 1000 Genomes Project

Following the publication of the draft human genome sequence in 2001 (IHGSC 2001; Venter et al. 2001), human geneticists embarked on efforts to categorize genomic differences between individuals in a systematic fashion. Multiple studies were initiated with the aim of investigating human genetic variation (Pennisi 2007), most prominently the Human Genome Diversity Project (Jakobsson et al. 2008; Li et al. 2008; Cavalli-Sforza 2005) and the International HapMap Project (2005, 2007). Many of these studies used DNA microarrays to genotype common polymorphisms across individuals from a number of populations from around the world. However, since the conclusion of these projects, direct sequencing of many human genomes has become practical and cost effective through technological improvements in massively parallel short-read sequencing methods (Metzker 2010; Lander 2011). Whole-genome sequencing allows for the discovery of previously unknown polymorphisms, including de novo, rare, or length variations, as well as genotyping of known polymorphisms.
Revisiting the Factor Structure of the White Bear Suppression Inventory in Adolescents: An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract The White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI; Wegner & Zanakos, 1994), a measure of thought suppression, has been translated into numerous languages and widely used in experimental paradigms and clinical research. However, little is known about the psychometric properties of the measure in adolescents. Further, there is debate as to whether the WBSI is a single-factor measure or a two-factor measure assessing unwanted intrusive thoughts and thought suppression. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the WBSI in a diverse sample of 261 adolescents using exploratory structural equation modeling. Results supported a two-factor structure assessing the correlated factors of Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts and Thought Suppression ( r = .64), and factors demonstrated adequate to good internal consistency. Structural equation modeling provided evidence of differential patterns of associations between each factor and self-reported symptoms of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and depressive disorders, with intrusive thoughts more strongly associated with reported symptoms of psychopathology than thought suppression.
CARDIORESPIRATORY DISEASE MORTALITY AMONG BRITISH AND NORWEGIAN MIGRANTS TO THE UNITED STATES

Mortality rates for coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic non-specific lung disease (CNSLD), and lung cancer for ages 45-74 years were studied for British and Norwegian migrants to the U.S. and for sample of U.S. native-born. The observed order for CHD and lung cancer was as anticipated, with native-born experiencing the highest CHD rate, British migrants the highest lung cancer rate, and, in each instance, Norwegian migrants experiencing the lowest rates. For CNSLD, contrary to national comparisons, the British migrant rates were about equal to the U.S. native-born although Norwegian migrant rates were lowest, as expected. Migrants who were younger than 15 years of age at migration experienced the highest CHD mortality levels, but a decreasing gradient in mortality level with increasing age at migration did not materialize. Due to inherent limitations in the data, results for CNSLD and lung cancer mortality levels with respect to age at migration remain uncertain. Data on cigarette smoking status indicated substantial excess mortality for cigarette smokers compared to non-smokers and occasional smokers for all groups studied.
The Alabama Presidential Primary Law

The provincial legislature of Ontario in 1923 passed an act which enables railway employees and commercial travelers who expect to be absent on the day of the annual municipal election to vote before the regular polling. Instead of providing for a system of voting by mail, the Ontario law requires a poll to be held at the city or town hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for three days (Sundays excepted) immediately preceding the election.23 P. O. RAY. Northwestern University.
Wood Adhesives: Vital for Producing Most Wood Products

A MAIN ROUTE FOR THE EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF WOOD RESOURCES IS TO RE- DUCE WOOD TO SMALL PIECES AND THEN BOND THEM TOGETHER (FRIHARTAND HUNT 2010). ALTHOUGH HUMANKIND HAS BEEN BONDING WOOD SINCE EARLY EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATIONS, THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF BONDED WOOD PRODUCTS HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ADHESIVES AND WOOD PRODUCTS.
Isolated Multi-Channel Current Output Transducer Signal Conditioning System

A multi-channel isolated transducer signal conditioning system was designed.It is applied in current output-type transducer.It includes I/V conversion circuit,amplifier circuit,filter circuit.It can convert the 4 mA to 20 mA current signals into voltage analog signals which can be collected by A/D sampling cards.Through experimental verification,the system with higher signal transfer precision,good stability and strong anti-interference ability,has been applied in engineering practice.
Change of Hemodynamic Parameters and Plasma Catecholamine Level during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

In the last decade, advances in laparoscopic equipment have allowed the development of laparosopic surgical treatment for gynecologic affection. Intraabdominal endoscopy can be extended safely for cholecystectomy. Patients undergoing laparoscopy under general anesthesia exhibit various hemodynamic and blood gas change. To analyze the physiologic mechanisms of these hemodynamic effect of laparoscopic surgery during general anesthesia, the change of mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, end tidal carbon dioxide and plasma catecholamine were studied. Ten patients undergoing cholecystectomy by means of laparoscopy were selected randomly. Measurements of the above parameters were made about 10 minutes after tracheal intubation when the conditon of the patients stabilized(control), shortly after completion of insufflation of peritoneal cavity with carbon dioxide, 30 minutes after insufflation of carbon dioxide and after deflation of carbon dioxide. There were significantly increased mean arterial pressure, end tidal carbon dioxide, plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine during CO2 insufflation into peritoneaf cavity and increased there after with deflation of CO from the peritoneal cavity in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In conclusion, these hemodynamic parameter changes seem to be correlated to the increased catecholamine release which was caused by sympathetic stimulation during the laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
High doses of intravenous Ig inhibit in vitro uptake of C4 fragments onto sensitized erythrocytes

We have recently reported that intravenous Ig (IVIg) inhibits uptake of activated C3 fragments onto antibody-sensitized red blood cells (RBCs). To elucidate the mechanism by which IVIg exerts its effect on the complement system, we examined the possible interference with the C4 step of the classical complement cascade. We examined the capacity of autologous serum containing high concentrations of human IVIg to deposit C4 fragments onto model targets (guinea pig and/or human erythrocytes sensitized with rabbit anti-guinea pig/human erythrocytes IgG antibody). C4 binding was quantified with radiolabeled anti-C4. Guinea pig serum with added IVIg suppressed C4 uptake onto IgG- sensitized guinea pig erythrocytes at all time points (0, 5, 15, and 30 minutes). Using sera of guinea pigs treated with increasing doses of IVIg, this effect was shown to be dose-responsive. Serum from a patient treated with IVIg showed reduced C4 uptake onto sensitized homologous RBCs. In comparison with the serum from the same patient before IVIg therapy was administered, levels were decreased almost to background. C4 functional titers in those two samples were not different. C3 uptake was studied in parallel with C4 to compare the degree of inhibition using sera with increasing doses of IVIg in both the human and guinea pig system. C3 and C4 inhibition curves completely overlapped. Our findings suggest that IVIg is an effective inhibitor of deposition of early complement activation products (C4b, C3b) onto target surfaces and may indicate interference of IVIg with multiple sites of complement activation.
Migraine and migrainous variants in pediatric patients.

Children suffer from migraine and migraine variants which occasionally present problems with regard to diagnosis, often being mistaken for epilepsy or structural brain disease. Criteria for classification and diagnosis are presented, methods of differential diagnosis are proposed, and two possible approaches to treatment are suggested.
Process Metrics and the Ergodic Decomposition

Given two probability measures, say p and m, on a common probability space, how different or distant from each other are they? Similarly, given two random processes with distributions p and m, how distant are the processes from each other and what impact does such a distance have on their respective ergodic properties? The goal of this final chapter is to develop two quite distinct notions of the distance d(p,m) between measures or processes and to use these ideas to delve further into the ergodic properties of processes and the ergodic decomposition. One metric, the distributional distance, measures how well the probabilities of certain important events match up for the two probability measures, and hence this metric need not have any relation to any underlying metric on the original sample space. In other words, the metric makes sense even when we are not putting probability measures on metric spaces. The second metric, the ρ-distance (rho-bar distance) depends very strongly on a metric on the output space of the process and measures distance not by how different probabilities are, but by how well one process can be made to approximate another. The second metric is primarily useful in applications in information theory and statistics.
Proof of Space from Stacked Expanders

Recently, proof of space PoS has been suggested as a more egalitarian alternative to the traditional hash-based proof of work. In PoS, a prover proves to a verifier that it has dedicated some specified amount of space. A closely related notion is memory-hard functions MHF, functions that require a lot of memory/space to compute. While making promising progress, existing PoS and MHF have several problems. First, there are large gaps between the desired space-hardness and what can be proven. Second, it has been pointed out that PoS and MHF should require a lot of space not just at some point, but throughout the entire computation/protocol; few proposals considered this issue. Third, the two existing PoS constructions are both based on a class of graphs called superconcentrators, which are either hard to construct or add a logarithmic factor overhead to efficiency. In this paper, we construct PoS from stacked expander graphs. Our constructions are simpler, more efficient and have tighter provable space-hardness than prior works. Our results also apply to a recent MHF called Balloon hash. We show Balloon hash has tighter space-hardness than previously believed and consistent space-hardness throughout its computation.
Environmentalism and Economic Justice: Two Chicano Struggles in the Southwest

Ecological causes are championed not only by lobbyists or hikers. While mainstream environmentalism is usually characterized by well-financed, highly structured organizations operating on a national scale, campaigns for environmental justice are often fought by poor or minority communities. Environmentalism and Economic Justice is one of the first books devoted to Chicano environmental issues and is a study of U.S. environmentalism in transition as seen through the contributions of people of color. It elucidates the various forces driving and shaping two important examples of environmental organizing: the 1965-71 pesticide campaign of the United Farm Workers and a grazing conflict between a Hispano cooperative and mainstream environmentalists in northern New Mexico. The UFW example is one of workers highly marginalized by racism, whose struggle--as much for identity as for a union contract--resulted in boycotts of produce at the national level. The case of the grazing cooperative Ganados del Valle, which sought access to land set aside for elk hunting, represents a subaltern group fighting the elitism of natural resource policy in an effort to pursue a pastoral lifestyle. In both instances Pulido details the ways in which racism and economic subordination create subaltern communities, and shows how these groups use available resources to mobilize and improve their social, economic, and environmental conditions. Environmentalism and Economic Justice reveals that the environmental struggles of Chicano communities do not fit the mold of mainstream environmentalism, as they combine economic, identity, and quality-of-life issues. Examination of the forces that create and shape these grassroots movements clearly demonstrates that environmentalism needs to be sensitive to local issues, economically empowering, and respectful of ethnic and cultural diversity.
Feasibility, Safety, and Prediction of Complications for Minimally Invasive Myomectomy in Women With Large and Numerous Myomata.

Abstract Objective To assess perioperative outcomes and identify predictors of complications for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) myomectomy in a cohort of women with large and numerous myomata. Design Case-control study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting Academic tertiary care medical center. Patients Women undergoing MIS myomectomy performed by 3 high-volume surgeons between April 2011 and December 2014. Interventions Characteristics were compared between women who experienced complications and those who did not. Factors predictive of complications were then identified. Measurements and Main Results A total of 221 women underwent an MIS myomectomy, 47.5% via a laparoscopic approach and 52.5% via robotic surgery. The mean ± SD specimen weight was 408.1 ± 384.9 g, uterine volume was 586.1 ± 534.1 cm 3 , dominant myoma diameter was 9.6 ± 5.1 cm, and number of myomata removed was 4.5 ± 4.1. The most common complications were hemorrhage >1000 mL (8.6%) and blood transfusion (4.1%). The conversion rate was 1.8%. A dominant myoma diameter of ≥12 cm and a uterine volume of ≥750 cm 3 increased the odds of complications (odds ratio [OR], 7.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.03–31.84; p = .004 and OR, 6.15; 95% CI, 1.55–30.02; p = .014 respectively). A receiver operating characteristic curve considering dominant myoma diameter and uterine volume had an area under the curve of 0.81. A combination of dominant myoma diameter of ≥10 cm and uterine volume of 600 cm 3 predicted complications with 79% sensitivity and 79% specificity. Conclusion Our cohort had large and numerous myomata with high specimen weights, but complications were comparable to those reported in previous studies of MIS myomectomy with less complex pathology. Hemorrhage and transfusion accounted for the majority of complications, and a combination of dominant myoma diameter and uterine volume was predictive of complications. Both factors can be easily defined before surgery and may be used to guide patient counseling, referrals, and implementation of preventative measures for hemorrhage and transfusion.
Availability of patient decision aids for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: A systematic review.

Background Atrial fibrillation is a common irregular heart rhythm that increases patients' risk of stroke. Aspirin, warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants, and an implantable device can reduce this risk. Given the availability of multiple comparable options, this decision depends on patient preferences and is appropriate for the use of decision aids and other efforts to promote shared decision making. The objective of this review was to examine the existence and accessibility of, as well as select outcomes associated with, published, formally evaluated patient decision aids for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. Methods Six databases were searched from inception to March 2016 with a research librarian. Two authors independently reviewed potential articles, selected trials meeting inclusion criteria, and assessed outcome measures. Outcomes included patient knowledge, involvement, choice, and decisional conflict. Results The search resulted in 666 articles; most were excluded for not examining stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and 7 studies were eventually included. Six decision aids displayed combinations of aspirin, warfarin, or no therapy; 1 included a direct oral anticoagulant. Interventions were associated with increased patient knowledge, increased likelihood of making a choice, and low decisional conflict. Use of decision aids in this review was associated with less selection of warfarin. None of the tested decision aids are currently available. Discussion Published patient decision aids for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation are not accessible for clinical use. Given the availability of multiple comparable options, there is a need to develop and test new patient decision aids in this context.
Human Mars mission design study utilizing the adaptive deployable entry and placement technology

The Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT) is being considered as an entry, descent and landing (EDL) system to enable Human Mars class missions. ADEPT is a mechanically deployable decelerator that makes use of a 3 d woven carbon fabric as both heat shield and primary structure. The Human Mars Mission design study is focused, in part, on assessing the viability of ADEPT and identifying technical challenges, operational constraints, and critical risk mitigation activities. Study inputs included definition of the ground rules and assumptions, associated mission timelines and high level functional requirements. These inputs enabled the clarification of the concept of operations along with the design constraints and environments. Subsystem trades, mass sizing and integrated flight performance assessments enabled determination of a feasible mission architecture. Key outputs from the design study include a parametric mass model, driving requirements, key performance parameters and critical risks. These findings enable us to determine strategies for technical maturation and risk mitigation that can be assessed against resource and programmatic constraints to aid in advanced planning for human exploration of Mars.
Anchor installation on porous polymer networks (PPNs) for high CO2 uptake

Abstract Porous polymer networks (PPNs) is an emerging category of advanced porous materials that are of interest for carbon capture due to their high physicochemical stability and convenient functionalization process. Herein, a series of alkylamine tethered PPN-200 (PPN-200-DETA, PPN-200-TETA and PPN-200-TAEA) were prepared through a novel post-synthetic strategy. Due to the presence of alkylamine groups, PPN-200-TAEA has CO2 uptakes of 42 cm3/g (at 298 K and 0.15 bar) and 55 cm3/g (at 298 K and 1 bar), and a calculated CO2/N2 selectivity of 289, which demonstrate its potential in postcombustion carbon capture application.
Effects of Pectin Molecular Weight Changes on the Structure, Dynamics, and Polysaccharide Interactions of Primary Cell Walls of Arabidopsis thaliana: Insights from Solid-State NMR

Significant cellulose–pectin interactions in plant cell walls have been reported recently based on 2D 13C solid-state NMR spectra of intact cell walls, but how these interactions affect cell growth has not been probed. Here, we characterize two Arabidopsis thaliana lines with altered expression of the POLYGALACTURONASE INVOLVED IN EXPANSION1 (PGX1) gene, which encodes a polygalacturonase that cleaves homogalacturonan (HG). PGX1AT plants overexpress PGX1, have HG with lower molecular weight, and grow larger, whereas pgx1-2 knockout plants have HG with higher molecular weight and grow smaller. Quantitative 13C solid-state NMR spectra show that PGX1AT cell walls have lower galacturonic acid and xylose contents and higher HG methyl esterification than controls, whereas high molecular weight pgx1-2 walls have similar galacturonic acid content and methyl esterification as controls. 1H-transferred 13C INEPT spectra indicate that the interfibrillar HG backbones are more aggregated whereas the RG-I side chains are...
Common ALL with pre-B-cell features showing (8;14) and (14;18) chromosome translocations

A 21-yr-old man presented with inguinal lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. The peripheral blood showed a high blast cell count. The morphological and immunologic features of the blast cells were consistent with the diagnosis of common acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with 15% pre-B-cells. Banded karyotype analysis of the blood and the marrow cells, using the technique of methotrexate synchronization, revealed the presence of (8;14) and (14;18) chromosome translocations, a finding that has not been previously documented. The significance of these findings is discussed.
Statistical analysis of vibration characteristics of power transformers with different voltage levels

Vibration signal analysis is an effective live method to detect transformer winding and core mechanical condition, but the vibration characteristics of transformer is complicated. Therefore, it is very important to analyze the vibration signal of transformer with different voltage levels. Based on the analysis of transformer core and winding vibration mechanism, the vibration signals of 77 power transformers running in the field are measured by the vibration measurement system, and then the statistics are carried out. The voltage levels of tested transformer covers 110kV∼750kV. The change rules of vibration parameters, including fundamental vibration amplitude, main frequency, fundamental frequency proportion and the spectrum complexity, are analyzed. Based on lots of test data, the range and probability distribution of vibration parameter for different voltage-levels transformer are obtained. In this paper, the vibration characteristics of transformers with different voltage levels are given, and the research results are of great significance to the application of vibration signal analysis method in the field.
Immune networks: A topological view

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a topological view of immune networks. The basic defense cells of the immune system are a class of white-blood cells known as lymphocytes. B lymphocytes are the cells that make antibody molecules. The other class of lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, is involved in cell–cell interactions. Immunological recognition is governed by chemical interactions between molecules. For an antibody or B cell receptor to recognize an antigen, it must bind it. Binding between antigen and antibodies generally involves short-range non-covalent interactions based on electrostatic-charge, hydrogen-binding, van der Waals interactions. For molecules to approach each other over an appreciable portion of their surfaces requires a complementarity in three-dimensional space of portions of the antigen and antibody. Both shape and charge distributions, as well as the existence in the appropriate complementary positions of chemical groups that can form hydrogen bonds and interact in other ways, are properties of antigens and antibodies that are important in determining the interactions between these molecules.
Epidemiology of Primary Neoplasms of Lymphoid Tissues in Animals

This chapter will discuss the occurrence of lymphoid tumors of animals other than man to acquaint the interested reader with the epidemiology and etiology of these tumors. The term lymphosarcoma (LSA) will be used to describe tumors arising from lymphoid tissues that result in either discrete solid tumor masses or the diffuse infiltration of tissues and organs by neoplastic lymphocytes. The presence of neoplastic lymphocytes in the peripheral blood will be considered a manifestation of LSA, and will be termed a leukemic blood profile. This usage is somewhat different from the common usage in human medicine.
Homogeneity Assessment of Cell Populations for High Content Screening Platforms

The main thrust of this work is to develop a bioinformatics tool for the automated evaluation of cell population homogeneity, which can be implemented on high content screening platforms. For that we employed Kullback-Leibler (K-L) divergence as a measure of similarity of multidimensional DNA codistribution patterns extracted from cell nuclei, and assigned analyzed cells into four categories. The resulting cell population homogeneity is determined as the ratios of cell quantities in the respective similarity categories. We evaluated our approach on human prostate cancer cells treated with an anticancer drug in comparison to untreated cells. A difference in homogeneities measured in these two populations was influenced by strong changes induced into DNA distribution patterns by treatment process vs. the occurrence of naturally more diverse groups of DNA patterns in the naive cells.
A Review of Research on Speech Training Aids for the Deaf

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the research development on speech training aids for the deaf. The majority of speech training aids that have been developed have consisted of displays of acoustic or articulatory characteristics of speech. These displays have been used primarily in an attempt to increase the effectiveness of teacher therapy. Theoretically, an accurate, consistent display should be extremely useful because it would allow a clinician to verify subjective judgment by objective measurements and ensure the accuracy of feedback provided to a student. However, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of this role of speech training aids on the basis of past research. In most studies, intelligibility was measured only before and after training with an aid, and a control group of subjects trained only by a teacher was not included. In the studies that included a control group, training procedures used with this group were often limited to those procedures that could be used with the aid, or procedures were unspecified, or not well designed. This problem has been aggravated by the paucity of research on the effectiveness of speech training techniques used by teachers
Wakeful rest benefits memory when materials can be rehearsed

Wakeful rest is a brief (e.g., 10 minutes), quiet period of minimal stimulation, which has been shown to facilitate memory performance, compared to a distractor task. Researchers have argued that this benefit is driven by automatic consolidation during the wakeful rest period. However, prior studies have not fully ruled out a controlled rehearsal mechanism, which might also occur during wakeful rest. In the current study, we attempted to replicate the wakeful rest effect under conditions that more strictly limit the possibility of rehearsal. Across six experiments, we manipulated parameters of a standard wakeful rest paradigm, including the type of target materials (word lists or abstract shapes), intentionality of encoding (incidental or intentional), and final retrieval delay (immediate or delayed). Additionally, we tested both younger and older adults to test whether these effects are consistent across the adult lifespan. Importantly, we observed the expected wakeful rest memory benefit in recall for verbal targets, which are easily rehearseable, but not for abstract shapes, which cannot be readily rehearsed. This pattern occurred in both younger and older adults. These results place constraints on the generalizability of wakeful rest memory benefits and suggest that the effect may be at least partly driven by rehearsal processes, rather than an automatic consolidation process.