cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-report of chest pain symptoms and coronary artery disease in patients undergoing angiography

The relation of self-reported chest discomfort to the presence of atherosclerosis was examined, taking age and gender differences into account. Sixteen practicing cardiologists independently rated the items of a self-report questionnaire of angina pectoris (AP) symptoms according to their adjudged likelihood of being associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). Inpatients' (130 male and 82 female) responses to this questionnaire were obtained on the day prior to coronary angiography and scored according to their reporting of 12 symptoms endorsed by all 16 cardiologists, 25 symptoms endorsed by at least 90% of the cardiologists, and responses to items used in the Rose questionnaire, a brief survey tool for diagnosis of chest pain. Finally, patients' angiographic results were rated for presence of 75% or more CAD of one or more coronary arteries. Surprisingly, more symptoms were reported by patients without significant CAD, regardless of age or gender.
Polyacrylonitrile/carbon nanotube composite films.

Reinforcement efficiency of different types of carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been compared in polyacrylonitrile (PAN) films at nanotube loadings of 5, 10, and 20 wt %. The films are characterized for mechanical, dynamic-mechanical, and thermomechanical properties, electrical conductivity, as well as structural analysis. PAN/CNT composite films exhibit electrical conductivities up to 5500 S/m. Based on X-ray diffraction, PAN crystallinity was shown to increase with the presence of CNT. PAN−CNT interactions in the various composites were compared using conventional activation energy analysis. The strongest physical interaction between PAN and CNT was found in samples containing single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT). CNT surface area was also measured using nitrogen gas adsorption and correlated with PAN−CNT composite film mechanical properties, in an effort to better understand PAN−CNT interactions for different CNT morphologies. Solvent behavior of various composite films has also been investigated. The presen...
Concomitant Endothelin Receptor Subtype-A Blockade During the Progression of Pacing-Induced Congestive Heart Failure in Rabbits Beneficial Effects on Left Ventricular and Myocyte Function

Background Plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) are increased in patients and animals with severe congestive heart failure (CHF). It remains unknown, however, whether ET-1 plays a direct and contributory role in the progression of CHF. Accordingly, the present project tested the hypothesis that chronic blockade of the ETA receptor would have direct and beneficial effects on left ventricular (LV) and myocyte function in a model of CHF. Methods and Results Global LV and isolated myocyte function were examined in rabbits in the following groups (12 per group): chronic rapid ventricular pacing (RVP; 400 bpm, 3 weeks), RVP and concomitant administration of the selective ETA receptor antagonist (PD 156707 24 mg/d), and sham controls. LV fractional shortening decreased after RVP (17±5 versus 42±3%) and end-diastolic dimension increased (2.36±0.44 versus 1.24±0.18 cm) compared with controls ( P <.05). With RVP plus ETA blockade, LV fractional shortening was increased (33±6%) and end-diastolic dimension decreased (2.02±0.30 cm) compared with RVP-only values ( P <.05). Plasma norepinephrine and endothelin increased twofold in the RVP group. In the RVP plus ETA blockade group, plasma endothelin increased threefold compared with RVP values. Isolated myocyte shortening velocity declined after RVP (42±13 versus 72±10 μm/s, P <.05) compared with controls but was normalized with RVP plus ETA blockade (77±16 μm/s). Myocyte inotropic response to extracellular Ca2+, β-receptor stimulation, and ET-1 was reduced in the RVP group and returned to control levels with RVP and concomitant ETA receptor blockade. Conclusions The results from this study suggest that chronically elevated ET-1 levels and subsequent activation of the ETA receptor play a direct and contributory role in the progression of the CHF process. Thus, specific ETA receptor blockade may provide a new and useful therapeutic modality in the setting of CHF.
Specific and overlapping functions of the nuclear hormone receptors CAR and PXR in xenobiotic response

The products of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes play an important role in the detoxification of xenobiotics and environmental contaminants, and many foreign chemicals or xenobiotics can induce their expression. We have previously shown that the nuclear hormone receptor CAR (Constitutive Androstane Receptor, NR113) mediates the well studied induction of CYP2B10 gene expression by phenobarbital (PB) and 1, 4-bis-[2-(3, 5,-dichloropyridyloxy)] benzene (TCPOBOP). We have used the CAR knockout mouse model to explore the broader functions of this xenobiotic receptor. In addition to the liver, CAR is expressed in the epithelial cells of the villi in the small intestine, and this expression is required for CYP2B10 induction in response to PB and TCPOBOP in those cells. In agreement with previous observations that CAR can bind to regulatory elements in CYP3A genes, CAR is also required for induction of expression of CYP3A11 in response to both PB and TCPOBOP in liver. In males, CAR is also required for induction of liver CYP2A4 expression. In wild type animals, pretreatment with the CAR inverse agonist androstenol blocks the response of both the CYP2B10 and CYP3A11 genes to PB and TCPOBOP, and decreases basal CYP3A11 expression. CAR is also required for the response of CYP2B10 to several additional xenobiotic inducers, including chlorpromazine, clotrimazole and dieldrin, but not dexamethasone, an agonist for both the xenobiotic receptor PXR (Pregnane X Receptor NR112) and the glucocorticoid receptor. Chlorpromazine induction of CYP3A11 is also absent in CAR-deficient animals, but the responses to clotrimazole and dieldrin are retained, indicating that both of these inducers can also activate PXR (Pregnane X Receptor NR112). We conclude that CAR has broad functions in xenobiotic responses. Some are specific to CAR but others, including induction of the important drug metabolizing enzyme CYP3A, overlap with those of PXR.
Four Millennia of Cultural History in Nigeria (ca. 2000 B.C.–A.D. 1900): Archaeological Perspectives

This essay is an analysis of archaeological contributions to the understanding of Nigeria's cultural history between ca. 2000 B.C. and A.D. 1900 focusing on the following themes: the origins of food production; development and transformations in metallurgical traditions; the beginnings of social complexity; and the character of state formation and urbanism. The transformations in everyday material life as a result of the entanglement with the Atlantic commerce and ethnoarchaeological approaches to understanding material culture and archaeological contexts also receive attention. The essay provides pathways to some of the turning points in Nigeria's cultural history, shows the convergence and divergence of cultural historical developments in different parts of the country, and identifies the critical gaps in archaeological research agenda.
Merton as Harvard sociologist: Engagement, thematic continuities, and institutional linkages

In this paper I explore the significance of the initial decade of Robert K. Merton's graduate and professional career, from 1931, when he entered the new doctoral program in sociology at Harvard, until 1939, when he joined the Department of Sociology at Tulane University as an associate professor and acting chairperson. Drawing on archival sources, as well as the professional literature, I examine how Merton engaged the exceptionally rich, interdisciplinary context of Harvard in the 1930s, including both interpersonal networks and diverse intellectual perspectives. In particular, I identify connections between Merton's early writing, "oral publications" and teaching, and three locally developed and dominant paradigms of sociology. Following an assessment of the influence of Merton's works published from 1934 to 1939, I trace continuities between Merton's achievements at Harvard and his subsequent teaching and research at Tulane and Columbia. I conclude that a fuller appreciation of Merton's "less noticed" decade in Cambridge is indispensable for understanding his overall career, and that it clarifies linkages across sociological work at three universities in the mid-twentieth century.
The contribution of rodent models to the pathological assessment of flaviviral infections of the central nervous system

Members of the genus Flavivirus are responsible for a spectrum of important neurological syndromes in humans and animals. Rodent models have been used extensively to model flavivirus neurological disease, to discover host-pathogen interactions that influence disease outcome, and as surrogates to determine the efficacy and safety of vaccines and therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of flavivirus neuroinvasive disease and outline the host, viral and experimental factors that influence the outcome and reliability of virus infection of small-animal models.
Fulminant reexpansion pulmonary edema in a patient with AIDS

A 23-year-old man with AIDS presented to the emergency department with recurrent spontaneous pneumothoraces secondary to recent Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Shortly after placement of bilateral pigtail catheters for chest reexpansion, he developed fatal unilateral reexpansion pulmonary edema. The association between P carinii pneumonia and pneumothorax, and the risk factors and pathophysiology of reexpansion pulmonary edema are reviewed. Emergency physicians should recognize that reexpansion pulmonary edema is an important complication in the treatment of prolonged spontaneous pneumothorax that can lead rapidly to severe hypoxia, hypotension, and death.
Enforcement of opacity properties using insertion functions

Opacity is a confidentiality property that arises in the analysis of security properties in networked systems. It characterizes whether a “secret” of a system can be inferred by an outside observer called an “intruder.” We consider the problem of enforcing opacity in partially-observed discrete event systems modeled as automata. We propose a novel enforcement mechanism based on the use of insertion functions. An insertion function is a monitoring interface at the output of the system that changes the system's output behavior by inserting additional observable events. The insertion function must respond to the full system's output behavior. Also, the insertion function should not create new observed behavior but only replicate existing observable strings. We define the property of “i-enforceability,” when there exists an insertion function that renders a non-opaque system opaque. To synthesize insertion functions that ensure opacity, we define and construct a new structure called the “All Insertion Structure” (AIS). The AIS can be used to verify if a given opacity property is i-enforceable. The AIS enumerates all i-enforcing insertion functions in a compact state transition structure. If a given opacity property has been verified to be i-enforceable, we show how to use the AIS to synthesize an i-enforcing insertion function.
Assessment of Hyperactive Reflexes in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

Hyperactive reflexes are commonly observed in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) but there is a lack of convenient and quantitative characterizations. Patellar tendon reflexes were examined in nine SCI patients and ten healthy control subjects by tapping the tendon using a hand-held instrumented hammer at various knee flexion angles, and the tapping force, quadriceps EMG, and knee extension torque were measured to characterize patellar tendon reflexes quantitatively in terms of the tendon reflex gain (Gtr), contraction rate (Rc), and reflex loop time delay (td). It was found that there are significant increases in Gtr and Rc and decrease in td in patients with spinal cord injury as compared to the controls (P < 0.05). This study presented a convenient and quantitative method to evaluate reflex excitability and muscle contraction dynamics. With proper simplifications, it can potentially be used for quantitative diagnosis and outcome evaluations of hyperreflexia in clinical settings.
Studies of defects in the near-surface region and at interfaces using low energy positron beams

Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy (PAS) is a powerful probe to study open-volume defects in solids. Its success is due to the propensity of positrons to seek out low-density regions of a solid, such as vacancies and voids, and the emissions of gamma rays from their annihilations that carry information about the local electronic environment. The development of low-energy positron beams allows probing of defects to depths of few microns, and can successfully characterize defects in the near-surface and interface regions of several technologically important systems. This review focuses on recent studies conducted on semiconductor-based systems.
A note on the noncentral chi-square distribution

Abstract For the noncentral chi-square random variable, the density and cumulative distribution function may be computed using tables of modified Bessel functions. In the case of odd degrees of freedom, a simple exact expression is given which is computable on a hand calculator.
Cytological, flow cytometric, and molecular analysis of the rapid evolution of mammalian chromosomes containing highly amplified DNA sequences.

Transfection of a mouse dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) cDNA contained in a plasmid “expression vector” into DHFR deficient Chinese hamster cells, followed by progressive selection of cells in increasing concentrations of methotrexate (MTX), leads to marked amplification of the exogenous DHFR sequences in the recipient hamster cells. The gene amplification is evident at the cytological level, in the form of homogeneously staining chromosomal regions (HRSs), at a gene expression level, in the form of fluorescein-methotrexate binding, and at the DNA level. Flow sorting, based on variable fluorescein-MTX binding, or direct cellular cloning, followed by chromosome analysis, revealed intercellular heterogeneity of HSRs in size and distribution.
Characterizing static aberrations in liquid crystal spatial light modulators using phase retrieval

There is a significant fixed aberration in some commercial off-the-shelf liquid crystal spatial light modulators (SLMs). In a recent experiment we conducted to simulate the effects of atmospheric turbulence and correction schemes in a laboratory setting using such an SLM, this aberration was too strong to neglect. We then tried to characterize and correct the observed aberration. Our method of characterizing the device uses a measurement of the far-field intensity pattern caused by the aberration and processing based on a parameterized version of the phase retrieval algorithm. This approach uses simple and widely available hardware and does not require expensive aberration sensing equipment. The phase aberrations were characterized and compared with the manufacturer's published measurements for a similar device, with excellent agreement. To test the quality of our aberration estimate, a correction phase was computed and applied to the SLM, and the resulting far-field patterns were measured and compared to the theoretical patterns with excellent results. Experiments show that when the correction is applied to the SLM, nearly diffraction-limited far-field intensity patterns are observed.
Effect of Procaine Penicillin on Methionine Requirement of Broiler Chicks

Abstract Three 2-week battery trials were conducted with day-old broiler type chicks. They were fed three basal diets containing corn, rye, or acid autoclaved rye as the cereal grain. These three basal diets were supplemented with graded levels of methionine ranging from 0 to .2% alone or in combination with 50 ppm procaine penicillin. Procaine penicillin gave a consistent and significant improvement in body weight when the corn diet was deficient in total sulfur amino acids. In contrast, it gave an insignificant improvement in body weight when the sulfur amino acid requirement was met, indicating that penicillin reduces the methionine requirement for growth. Penicillin consistently gave a significant growth response when the diet contained rye even when the sulfur amino acid requirement was met. This suggests that rye contains a factor(s) which depresses growth and also prevents maximum response to supplemental methionine. Acid treating and autoclaving rye resulted in destruction of the factor(s) and in full utilization of supplemental methionine. Acid autoclaved rye, prepared by mixing .5N HC1 with ground rye (2:l=w/v) for 5 min and then autoclaving at 120 C for 5 min, behaved similarly to corn with regard to the penicillin growth response.
Glutaredoxin regulates nuclear factor κ-B and intercellular adhesion molecule in Müller cells : Model of diabetic retinopathy

Abstract Reversible S-glutathionylation of proteins is a focal point of redox signaling and cellular defense against oxidative stress. This post-translational modification alters protein function, and its reversal (deglutathionylation) is catalyzed specifically and efficiently by glutaredoxin (GRx, thioltransferase), a thioldisulfide oxidoreductase. We hypothesized that changes in glutaredoxin might be important in the development of diabetic retinopathy, a condition characterized by oxidative stress. Indeed, GRx protein and activity were increased in retinal homogenates from streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Also, incubation of rat retinal Muller cells (rMC-1) in normal glucose (5 mm) or diabetic-like glucose (25 mm) medium led to selective upregulation of GRx in contrast to thioredoxin, the other thioldisulfide oxidoreductase system. Under analogous conditions, NF-κB (p50-p65) translocated to the nucleus, and expression of ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1), a transcriptional product of NF-κB, increased. Proinflammatory ICAM-1 is increased in diabetic retinae, and it is implicated in pathogenesis of retinopathy. To evaluate the role of GRx in mediating these changes, intracellular GRx content and activity in rMC-1 cells were increased independently under normal glucose via infection with an adenoviral GRx1 construct (Ad-GRx). rMC-1 cells exhibited adenovirus concentration-dependent increases in GRx and corresponding increases in NF-κB nuclear translocation, NF-κB luciferase reporter activity, and ICAM-1 expression. Blocking the increase in GRx1 via small interfering RNA in rMC-1 cells in high glucose prevented the increased ICAM-1 expression. These data suggest that redox regulation by glutaredoxin in retinal glial cells is perturbed by hyperglycemia, leading to NF-κB activation and a pro-inflammatory response. Thus, GRx may represent a novel therapeutic target to inhibit diabetic retinopathy.
Nerve growth factor treatment after brain injury prevents neuronal death

Cholinergic neuronal degeneration after axotomy has been proposed to be due to the loss of a retrogradely transported neurotrophic factor, possibly nerve growth factor (NGF). To test this hypothesis, NGF was continuously infused into the lateral ventricles of adult rats that had received bilateral lesions of all cholinergic axons projecting from the medial septum to the dorsal hippocampus. After 2 weeks of NGF treatment, identification of cholinergic neurons by the presence of the biosynthetic enzyme choline acetyltransferase revealed a dramatic increase (350%) in the survival of the axotomized septal cholinergic neurons. Thus, NGF or an NGF-like molecule can act as a neurotrophic factor for these neurons.
Extracranial-intracranial vein graft bypass for giant intracranial aneurysm surgery for pediatric patients: two technical case reports.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Herein we describe two cases of extracranial-intracranial vein graft bypasses for the treatment of giant intracranial aneurysms in prepubertal pediatric patients. One patient is, we think, the youngest patient reported in the literature to have been successfully treated in such a manner, with a good long-term outcome. Such grafts seem to enlarge longitudinally during the growth spurt, making such techniques reasonable long-term therapeutic options for the management of complex intracranial aneurysms in pediatric patients. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: Patient 1, a 13-year-old boy, presented with headaches and rapidly progressive right cavernous sinus syndrome. Computed tomography and cerebral angiography revealed a giant, fusiform, right intracavernous internal carotid artery aneurysm. Patient 2, a 23-month-old girl, was discovered to harbor an asymptomatic, recurrent, giant, fusiform, left M1 middle cerebral artery aneurysm 1 year after presenting with seizures related to subarachnoid hemorrhage from the aneurysm, for which she had been treated with clipping and an M2-M2 anastomosis. INTERVENTION: Both patients underwent craniotomies, with sacrifice of the proximal parent vessel (the distal cervical internal carotid artery and the proximal middle cerebral artery, respectively), combined with cerebral revascularization through extracranial-intracranial saphenous vein bypass grafts. Both patients experienced excellent long-term clinical outcomes, have undergone significant growth, and exhibit excellent long-term graft patency and aneurysm obliteration. CONCLUSION: These two cases highlight the safety and efficacy of extracranial-intracranial vein graft bypasses among prepubertal pediatric patients. The indications for bypass procedures to treat giant intracranial aneurysms are discussed, and the technical aspects of maximizing vein bypass graft patency are reviewed.
W. M. Keck Observatory operations

The operations model of the Keck Observatory and the factors that allow it to operate with unprecedented scientific success while maintaining the lowest operating cost to capital ratio of the 8m-10m class of telescopes are examined. We describe matching of resources to operating requirements and steps taken to optimize the effectiveness of the overall operation. We describe how strategic goals, operating philosophy and detailed planning mesh to match science objectives with technological capability. We conclude by examining how operations design drives both long term operating cost and realization of the potential inherent in the initial capital investment.
Integrins in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis

Blood vessels promote tumour growth, and both blood and lymphatic vessels facilitate tumour metastasis by serving as conduits for the transport of tumour cells to new sites. Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are regulated by integrins, which are members of a family of cell surface receptors whose ligands are extracellular matrix proteins and immunoglobulin superfamily molecules. Select integrins promote endothelial cell migration and survival during angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, whereas other integrins promote pro-angiogenic macrophage trafficking to tumours. Several integrin-targeted therapeutic agents are currently in clinical trials for cancer therapy. Here, we review the evidence implicating integrins as a family of fundamental regulators of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.
Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) identification of photooxidative degradates of crystalline and amorphous MK‐912

Abstract How and why the chemical stability of amorphous solid is different from crystalline solid is an important problem. In this study, this problem is addressed by evaluation of the photodegradation of both crystalline and amorphous MK‐912 (an α‐2 adrenoceptor antagonist) according to the photostability tests of the ICH (International Conference on Harmonization) guidelines. Under the ICH conditions, the photodegradation rate of the amorphous MK‐912 was ∼40 times faster than that of the crystalline MK‐912. The photodegradation yielded isomeric, oxidative degradates. Three keto‐degradates (molecular weight of 14 Da over MK‐912) were observed for both forms. But, whereas five alcohol and one N ‐oxide degradates (molecular weight of 16 Da over MK‐912) were observed for the amorphous form, only one alcohol degradate was observed for the crystalline form. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and LC/MS/MS were applied to identify these low‐level photodegradates. A thorough analysis of the MS/MS data of protonated MK‐912 was the key to the identification, and the special MS/MS features of the degradates due to the structural modifications from degradations were also important. Following this strategy, the structures of all the photodegradates were proposed. The structural identification of the photodegradates of MK‐912 shed light on the different photostabilities between the crystalline and amorphous MK‐912. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 90:833–844, 2001
Temperature Control of a Liquid Helium Propulsion System

Two spacecraft, gravity probe B (GP-B) and the satellite test of the equivalence principle (STEP), incorporating onboard liquid helium cryogenic systems are scheduled to fly around the turn of the century. Effective propulsion systems can be implemented for these spacecraft by directing the helium gas which boils off from the cryogenic systems in specific directions through a set of thrusters. Due to extensive development and testing work, the ultra low flow rate helium thrusters for such a propulsion system are now considered proven technology. This article is concerned with implementing these thrusters into an effective overall propulsion system. A thermodynamic model relating the temperature, pressure, and flow rate of the propulsion system is derived. Based on this model a controller is developed which regulates the liquid helium supply temperature and pressure by varying the net heliqm mass flow rate through the thrusters. We show how the net mass flow rate can be controlled independently from the desired output thrust. The manifold pressure upstream of the thrusters is shown to remain remarkably stable even with fairly large flow rate variations. Using the GP-B spacecraft as an example we conclude that it is feasible to build a liquid helium based propulsion system with a very stable supply temperature and pressure.
Aorto‐Right Atrial Fistula Following Transseptal Catheterization and Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Aorto-cameral fistula, either congenital or acquired, is an abnormal connection between the ascending aortic root and one of the cardiac chambers. We report a case of a 61-year-old male with history of atrial fibrillation and 2 radiofrequency ablation procedures, referred to us for surgical Cox Maze procedure. Preoperative cardiac computerized tomography revealed a fistulous connection between the aortic root and the right atrium. Later, the patient underwent successful surgical closure of the fistula during the Cox Maze procedure. In this paper, we also discuss the clinical presentation, natural history, anatomy of the interatrial septum, and management of aorto-cameral fistula.
FROM WHITE BULLETS TO BLACK MARKETS AND GREENED MEDICINE: THE NEUROECONOMICS AND NEURORACIAL POLITICS OF OPIOID PHARMACEUTICALS

Synthetic opiates (opioids) have created among the most profitable markets worldwide. Two decades ago, FDA approval of Oxycontin® as a “minimally addictive” opioid pain reliever fueled an unprecedented rise in prescription opioid abuse. This was followed by a little known act of U.S. Congress enabling general physicians to use an opioid maintenance medication, buprenorphine, for addiction treatment in their private practices, leading to enormous growth in the U.S. addiction treatment market. Based on participant-observation and interviews among pharmaceutical executives, policy makers, patients and prescribers, this article describes the neuroeconomics and neuropolitics of new opioid maintenance treatments. This article contrasts the historical emergence of methadone clinics from the 1960s to the 1980s as a treatment for the Black and Latino urban poor, with the current emergence of buprenorphine, a maintenance opioid approved for prescription on doctor's offices, as a treatment for white, middle-class prescription opioid abusers. The article then traces the counterintuitive result of bringing addiction pharmaceuticals into the medical mainstream in an effort to reduce the stigma of addiction: a two tiered system of addiction treatment that reinforces stigma among the urban poor, and enhances the biological, political, and economic dependence of all classes on opioid markets, both legal and illegal.
Evaluation of Airborne Particulates and Fungi During Hospital Renovation

This study was conducted over 30 weeks on a hospital floor undergoing partial renovation. Some patients housed on the floor were immunosuppressed, including bone marrow transplant recipients. The construction zone was placed under negative pressure and was separated from patient rooms by existing hospital walls and via erection of a temporary barrier. Other control measures minimized patient exposure to airborne materials. Air sampling was done for 3 weeks prior to construction, 24 weeks during construction, and 3 weeks after renovation was completed. Airborne particulate concentrations, total spore counts, particle size, and fungal species were assessed. At the beginning of the renovation there were increases in airborne particulates (from 0.2 to 2.0 mg/m3) and fungal spores (from 3.5 to 350 colony forming units (CFU)/m3), but only in the construction zone. Throughout the remainder of the renovation, particulate and fungal spore levels fluctuated inside the construction zone but remained close to baselin...
Intelligent off‐road navigation algorithms and strategies of Team Desert Buckeyes in the DARPA Grand Challenge 2005

This paper describes one aspect of our approach in developing an intelligent off-road autonomous vehicle, the Intelligent Off-road Navigator (ION), as team Desert Buckeyes from the Ohio State University for the DARPA Grand Challenge 2005. The real-time navigation is one of the critical components in an autonomous ground vehicle system. In this paper, we focus on the navigation module, whose main responsibility is to generate smooth and obstacle-free local paths with appropriate speed setpoints. For the smooth path generation, we introduce a polynomial interpolation method. To generate obstacle-free paths, a steering controller utilizing a fuzzy obstacle avoidance algorithm is presented. A speed fuzzy controller is introduced to generate the speed setpoints. These two fuzzy controllers collaborate with each other to guide our vehicle ION to the goal safely. The obstacle avoidance algorithm proposed in this paper was also tested in simulations and on small robots successfully. Other issues related to the navigation module are discussed in the paper as well, such as the vehicle’s system structure and its finite state machine. As a result, ION achieved great performance in the National Qualification Event (NQE), covered about 30miles in the Nevada Desert with complete autonomous operations, and finished 10th in the Grand Challenge 2005.
The Return of the Monday Effect in European Currency Markets: An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of the Economic Crisis on Market Efficiency

This paper examines the relationship of multiple currencies, coupled with the Euro, to examine if there is evidence of the return of the Monday effect as a result of the recent global economic crisis. Each currency pair, which consists of the US dollar, Japanese yen, Great British pound, Canadian dollar, and Australian dollar, is compared with the Euro to find evidence to support the presence of the Monday effect. The currency pairs are tested in 1999–2004 as the first time period, again in 2005–2009 as the second time period, and then finally in 2010–2012 as the final time period, which represents the period impacted by the economic crisis. It is the authors' contention that the economic crisis that occurred after 2008 had a significant impact in the currency markets and that the Monday effect has become more pronounced because of a weakening of market efficiency. The results provide evidence that in the 2010–2012 period three currency pairs exhibit a statistically significant Monday effect. This Monday effect was not evident in either the 1999–2004 or the 2005–2009 periods, according to our analysis. This leads the authors to postulate that the economic crisis resulting from the mortgage meltdown has had a statistically verifiable effect on currency markets throughout the world. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Altruism, selfishness, and spite in traffic routing

In this paper, we study the price of anarchy of traffic routing, under the assumption that users are partially altruistic or spiteful. We model such behavior by positing that the "cost" perceived by a user is a linear combination of the actual latency of the route chosen (selfish component), and the increase in latency the user causes for others (altruistic component). We show that if all users have a coefficient of at least β > 0 for the altruistic component, then the price of anarchy is bounded by 1/β, for all network topologies, arbitrary commodities, and arbitrary semi-convex latency functions. We extend this result to give more precise bounds on the price of anarchy for specific classes of latency functions, even for β
Asymmetric quantum codes: constructions, bounds and performance

Recently, quantum error-correcting codes have been proposed that capitalize on the fact that many physical error models lead to a significant asymmetry between the probabilities for bit- and phase-flip errors. An example for a channel that exhibits such asymmetry is the combined amplitude damping and dephasing channel, where the probabilities of bit and phase flips can be related to relaxation and dephasing time, respectively. We study asymmetric quantum codes that are obtained from the Calderbank–Shor–Steane (CSS) construction. For such codes, we derive upper bounds on the code parameters using linear programming. A central result of this paper is the explicit construction of some new families of asymmetric quantum stabilizer codes from pairs of nested classical codes. For instance, we derive asymmetric codes using a combination of Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem (BCH) and finite geometry low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. We show that the asymmetric quantum codes offer two advantages, namely to allow a higher rate without sacrificing performance when compared with symmetric codes and vice versa to allow a higher performance when compared with symmetric codes of comparable rates. Our approach is based on a CSS construction that combines BCH and finite geometry LDPC codes.
Ice, oceans, and isotopes

New ideas on high rates of glaciation and deglaciation have suggested changes in currently accepted ideas about the glacial periods and their causes. At the same time, new studies are being done on deep ocean isotope fractionation phenomena. These phenomena are similar to those defining glacial periods, and the new studies have raised questions about paleoclimate analysis for the time span just preceding the glaciers. The broad variety of explanations for the glacial epochs in the northern hemisphere beginning about 15 million years ago and the lack of sufficient data on the epochs appear to be the result of low precision in correlation between land and ocean methods. Among the many correlations are factors related to the oxygen isotope temperature scale obtained from analysis of marine invertebrate specimens.
A notion of solutions and equilibrium points for non smooth systems

Steady state operation of engineering systems is generally around a stable equilibrium point. The concept of an equilibrium point for a dynamic system is well-established as a constant solution in the time domain. In other words, the system is at steady state at an equilibrium point when all time derivatives are equal to zero. In numerous text books, the standard mathematical definition of an equilibrium point x* for the dynamical system x/spl dot/=f(x) is that it satisfies the equation f(x*)=0. But it has been shown that this definition may be inadequate from an engineering point-of-view. The aim of the paper is to formally propose a rigorous definition for solutions and equilibrium points, which is also intuitively appealing. Here the concept of an equilibrium point is developed mathematically as a constant solution for the dynamic system, by first precisely defining the notion of an order of a solution. The basic motivation for the proposed definition of an order of a solution comes from the "continuity" concept of solutions in the state space. Order 1 equilibria correspond to the traditional definition of equilibrium points. But such points need not be equilibria in the real system. It is shown that the origin for the classical example x/spl dot/=x2/3 is physically not an equilibrium point, but behaves like a regular point. Other phenomena such as the presence of impasse points and unbounded higher order time derivatives can also be associated with conventional equilibrium points which hence are weak in scope. Several examples are presented in the paper to show the versatility of the new definition. The implications of the definition for special cases such as when the function f is smooth are established and are shown to be consistent with the existing notions. It is hoped that the proposed definitions will allow a rigorous extension of the results for equilibria of smooth systems to non smooth systems, but no such attempt is made in this paper. >
Emotional Consumption: Mapping Love and Masochism in an Exotic Dance Club

This article introduces and explores the concept of emotional consumption through an analysis of an exotic dance club in the New England area. Through understanding how regular customers consume the services offered in an exotic dance club, I show how consuming service labor differs dramatically from consuming objects of exchange. Emotional consumption involves psychosocial dynamics, which emerge from the intersubjective relationships between the consumer and the dancer who is providing a service. In this exchange, the consumer engages in an interaction where the boundary between pure economic exchange begins to merge with a sense of relationality.
On Composite Leakage Current Maximization

Sub-threshold, gate and reverse biased junction band-to-band tunneling leakage currents depend on the logic inputs of a CMOS circuit. In this paper, we consider all leakage currents together and generate pattern with the objective of maximizing the overall leakage current to avoid any optimism in leakage current estimation. The computation involves Boolean reasoning on a pre-characterized set of interconnected gates. This problem is known to be computationally intractable. We propose a heuristic with reduced complexity by looking for a lower and an upper bound instead. The bounds tighten progressively with computation and converge asymptotically on a provably exact solution. By appropriately setting the objective function, the same algorithm may also be applied to find the pattern that minimizes the leakage power in the system idle state, which is considered to be ~50% of the total power consumed in the current technology generations.
Diffuse Veno-Occlusive Dysfunction: The Underlying Hemodynamic Abnormality Resulting in Failure to Respond to Intracavernous Pharmacotherapy

AbstractPurpose: We established hemodynamic predictors of response to intracavernous pharmacotherapy.Materials and Methods: Specific characterization and quantification of hemodynamic abnormalities of the cavernous arterial inflow and corporeal veno-occlusive mechanism associated with failure to respond to intracavernous pharmacotherapy were performed retrospectively in 69 patients with nonendocrinological impotence. We investigated atherosclerotic vascular risk factors, duplex ultrasonography peak systolic and end diastolic velocities (10 microgram prostaglandin E1), and dynamic infusion cavernosometry and cavernosography parameters (60 mg. papaverine and 6 mg. phentolamine).Results: The patients were stratified by severity of the various hemodynamic parameters encountered and mean dose required for response. Response subsequently was characterized as excellent (75 percent or greater rigid erections) in 36 patients, adequate (erections sufficient for intromission) in 17 and poor or absent in 16. Psychoge...
A System for Monitoring Proton Losses from the NAL Main Accelerator

The National Accelerator Laboratory (NAL) Main Ring Beam Loss Monitor System employs 200 inexpensive liquid scintillation detectors distributed evenly around the accelerator circumference to measure radiation created when protons strike vacuum chamber walls, obstructions, magnets, etc. The detectors are interfaced to the computer control system through 10 channel "sample and hold" electronics which also integrate and amplify incoming pulses. Since the computer system can arbitrarily select the times during a machine cycle when sampling will occur, it is possible to generate real time graphs of radiation loss versus time, radiation loss versus machine circumference, or a three dimensional histogram combining the two.
Peptide ligands targeting integrin α3β1 in non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and is the leading cause of cancer death. We wish to identify peptide ligands for unique cell surface receptors of non-small lung cancer with the hope of developing these ligands as diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Using the method of 'one-bead one-peptide' combinatorial chemistry, a library of random cyclic octapeptides was synthesized on polystyrene beads. This library was used to screen for peptides that promoted attachment of lung adenocarcinoma cells employing a 'cell-growth-on-bead' assay. Consensus peptide sequences of cNGXGXXc were identified. These peptides promoted cell adhesion by targeting integrin alpha3beta1 over-expressed in non-small lung cancer cells. These peptide beads can be applied to capture cancer cells in malignant pleural fluid for purpose of diagnosis of lung cancer.
Prediction of incidence effects on oscillating airfoil aerodynamics by a locally analytical method

A complete mathematical model is formulated to analyze the effects of mean-flow incidence angle on the unsteady aerodynamics of an oscillating airfoil in an incompressible flow field. A velocity potential formulation is utilized. The steady flow is independent of the unsteady flow field but coupled to it through the boundary conditions on the oscillating airfoil. The numerical solution technique for both the steady and unsteady flow fields is based on a locally analytical method. The flow model and solution method are then verified through the excellent correlation obtained with the Theodorsen oscillating-flat-plate and Sears transverse-gust classical solutions. The effects of mean flow incidence on the steady and oscillating airfoil aerodynamics are then investigated.
Pediatric arteriovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a bridge to cardiac transplantation.

Abstract Background: Since 1990, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used as a bridge to cardiac transplantation in 47 patients. Methods: A review of the ECMO database, approved by the Arkansas Children's Hospital institutional review board, forms the basis of this report. We made statistical comparison using Fisher's exact probability testing. The ECMO circuitry was a roller occlusion pump with computer-assisted perfusion system technology. Results: Thirty-two (68%) patients underwent transcatheter septostomy for cardiac decompression. Diagnosis at presentation was either congenital heart disease (CHD, n = 15) or cardiomyopathy ( n = 32). Ages ranged from 1 day to 22 years old (median, 18 months old), and weight ranged from 2.9 to 100 kg (median, 10 kg). The average duration of support was 242 hours (range, 22–1,078 hours). Overall long-term survival was 47%, with 16 (34%) patients successfully bridged to cardiac transplantation (of which 9 [56%] survived) and 13 (28%) successfully weaned from ECMO. Patients undergoing ECMO after cardiotomy had 31% survival. Survival was improved significantly ( p p Conclusions: Patients with cardiomyopathy has a better prognosis than did those with CHD when using ECMO as a bridge to transplantation or survival. Complications are significant and increase with the duration of support. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for salvage and subsequent transplantation in this high-risk group of patients requires critical review. Alternative support options must be developed in the pediatric population that will allow improved outcomes, comparable with outcomes achieved in the adult population.
Dissociation and the Parent-Infant Dialogue: a Longitudinal Perspective From Attachment Research

Two longitudinal attachment studies of families at social risk have now followed their cohorts of infants to late adolescence. Several key findings have emerged related to outcomes of interest to psychoanalysts. First, data from both studies indicate that disorganized attachment behaviors in infancy are important precursors of later dissociative symptomatology. Second, this early vulnerability is related to patterns of parent-infant affective communication, particularly quieter behaviors like emotional unavailability or role reversal, and does not appear to reside in the infant alone. Finally, the results suggest that the quality of the attachment relationship may in part account for why some people exposed to later trauma develop dissociative symptoms and others do not. To paraphrase Dori Laub (1993), the mother's seeing and not knowing in infancy may be a precondition of her child's knowing and not knowing in late adolescence. It remains unclear, however, whether the early relationship is predictive due primarily to the onset of an internal defensive process in infancy or whether its predictive power resides primarily in enduring patterns of parent-child dialogue that continually reinforce the child's segregated and contradictory mental contents.
MCA: a rate-based end-to-end multicast congestion avoidance scheme

We propose MCA, a rate-based end-to-end multicast congestion avoidance scheme. Congestion avoidance is different from congestion control in the sense that our scheme detects and responds to network congestion without necessarily inducing packet loss. Our scheme is a single-rate scheme and operates end-to-end, i.e., it goes at the rate allowed by the worst congested receiver and does not expect packet marking or other support from intermediate bottlenecks. Congestion is detected autonomously at receivers using the concept of "accumulation" and simple thresholding techniques proposed in our previous unicast work. Congestion feedback to senders can be in the form of single-bit congestion indication (CIs) or as a multi-bit output rate measure. The feedback is sparse in the sense that at most one feedback is generated per measurement period (unlike multiple loss indications generated during packet loss). The source implements two key blocks: a filtering block to discriminate between competing feedback from receivers, and a congestion response block which implements a rate-increase/decrease policy. The two different feedback models (bit-based or explicit rate-based) leads to two different schemes: bit-based and explicit rate-based schemes. Simulation results show that both schemes avoid the drop-to-zero problem and are fair with unicast congestion avoidance schemes.
A note on the multivariate multisample rank sum and median tests

The muitivariate nonparametric tests analogous to the univar-iate rank sum test and median test are contained in Puri and Sen (1970). These tests provided a practical alternative for the analysis of multivariate data when the assumptions of parametric methods are not satisfied. In this paper maximum values for LNthe asymptotic chi-Square test statistic for both the Multivariate Multisample Rank Sum Test (MMRST) and the Multivariate Multisample Median Test (MMMT) are developed.