cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal copolymerization of amino acids in the presence of phosphoric acid

Abstract The effects of orthophosphoric acid on the thermal copolymerization of aspartic acid and glutamic acid, and on aspartic acid and glycine have been studied. The behaviors are quantitatively different from those in the absence of phosphoric acid. The products contain in each case less than 0.1% of phosphate.
Asymptotic Optimality of the Least-Squares Cross-Validation Bandwidth for Kernel Estimates of Intensity Functions

Abstract In this paper, kernel function methods are considered for estimating the intensity function of a non-homogeneous Poisson process. A least-squares cross-validation bandwidth for the kernel intensity estimator is introduced, and it is proven that this bandwidth is asymptotically optimal for kernel intensity estimation.
Re-thinking wastewater landscapes: combining innovative strategies to address tomorrow's urban wastewater treatment challenges

Most major cities worldwide face urban water management challenges relating to drinking supply, stormwater and wastewater treatment, and ecological preservation. In light of climate change and finite natural resources, addressing these challenges in sustainable ways will require innovative solutions arising from interdisciplinary collaboration. This article summarizes five major urban water management strategies that bridge the fields of engineering, ecology, landscape architecture, and urban planning. A conceptual implementation of these strategies is demonstrated through a design for a small constructed wetland treatment system in San Francisco, California. The proposed decentralized system described in this article consists of a detention basin, vegetated and open free water surface wetlands, and ultraviolet disinfection. In wet weather, the system would detain and treat combined sewer discharges (CSD), and in dry weather it would treat residential greywater for toilet flushing and irrigation in a nearby neighborhood. It is designed to adapt over time to changing climatic conditions and treatment demands. Importantly, this proposal demonstrates how constructed wetland engineers can incorporate multiple benefits into their systems, offering a vision of how wastewater infrastructure can be an attractive community, educational, recreational, and habitat amenity through the integration of engineering, ecology, and landscape design.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Brain Plasticity After Occipital Lobectomy

Reorganization involving residual visual pathways with unilateral damage to the primary visual cortex was previously described. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we measured water diffusion-related changes in the optic radiation contralateral to occipital lobe ablation in children with intractable epilepsy. We studied 10 children who had undergone a resection of the unilateral occipital cortex and 13 control subjects. Diffusion tensor imaging was acquired using a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner. Fiber bundles representing optic radiation were tracked. Diffusion parameters included mean fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficient, and diffusion parallel and perpendicular to the fiber tract. In the surgical group, fractional anisotropy values of optic radiation contralateral to the side of resection exhibited a significant positive partial correlation (r = 0.752, P = 0.019) with duration of time between surgery and diffusion tensor imaging acquisition, after controlling for age. The apparent diffusion coefficient and parallel diffusivity were higher in the surgical versus the control group, but did not differ among patients. After unilateral resection of the occipital lobe, the contralateral optic radiation undergoes significant changes in anisotropy. Such structural white-matter changes may represent an adaptive response because of unilateral occipital ablation, and may account for plasticity changes observed in functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Viewing the MMPI–2–RF Structure Through the Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY–5) Lens

Ben-Porath and Tellegen (2008) recommend organizing MMPI–2–RF scale interpretive information around 3 broad topics, emotional/internalizing dysfunction, thought dysfunction, and externalizing/behavioral dysfunction, and 3 additional topics labeled somatic complaints, interpersonal functioning, and interests. That organization is based primarily on structural analyses of the Restructured Clinical (RC) scales. This study reviewed the MMPI–2–RF's scale structure when the Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY–5) scales are included. Principal axis factor analyses with oblique rotation were conducted on the Restructured Clinical, PSY–5, and Special Problem (SP) scales in 2 samples, by gender. One sample was an outpatient community health center, the other a large, metropolitan inpatient psychiatric facility. The 6-factor solution evidenced each of the PSY–5 constructs plus a general somatic concerns factor. Implications of this solution in comparison to the 3-factor organizing structure recommended by Ben-Pora...
Disparity in physician perception of patients' adherence to medications by obesity status.

Physician perception of medication adherence may alter prescribing patterns. Perception of patients has been linked to readily observable factors, such as race and age. Obesity shares a similar stigma to these factors in society. We hypothesized that physicians would perceive patients with a higher BMI as nonadherent to medication. Data were collected from the baseline visit of a randomized clinical trial of patient–physician communication (240 patients and 40 physicians). Physician perception of patient medication adherence was measured on a Likert scale and dichotomized as fully adherent or not fully adherent. BMI was the predictor of interest. We performed Poisson regression analyses with robust variance estimates, adjusting for clustering of patients within physicians, to examine the association between BMI and physician perception of medication adherence. The mean (s.d.) BMI was 32.6 (7.7) kg/m2. Forty-five percent of patients were perceived as nonadherent to medications by their physicians. Higher BMI was significantly and negatively associated with being perceived as adherent to medication (prevalence ratio (PrR) 0.76, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64–0.90; P = 0.002; per 10 kg/m2 increase in BMI). BMI remained significantly and negatively associated with physician perception of medication adherence after adjustment for patient and physician characteristics (PrR 0.80, 95% CI: 0.66–0.96; P = 0.020). In this study, patients with higher BMI were less likely to be perceived as adherent to medications by their providers. Physician perception of medication adherence has been shown to affect prescribing patterns in other studies. More work is needed to understand how this perception may affect the care of patients with obesity.
A post-marketing evaluation of posaconazole plasma concentrations in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancy receiving posaconazole prophylaxis

Abstract This is one of the first studies to report on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of posaconazole (PCZ) for antifungal prophylaxis in patients with acute myelogenous leukaemia or myelodysplastic syndrome outside of the rigours of clinical licencing trials. A number of factors have been identified or proposed as causing poor oral absorption of PCZ. Putative PCZ concentrations have been recommended for TDM (0.5 μg/mL or 0.7 μg/mL). In this study, 19 (90.5%) of 21 patients failed to reach the higher putative target of 0.7 μg/mL, and 16 patients (76.2%) failed to reach the lower target of 0.5 μg/mL. Increasing the dose did not help four of six patients reach target concentrations. Three of the patients developed ‘proven’ or ‘possible’ fungal infections, all with PCZ concentrations
Remission of Aster Yellows Disease by Antibiotics

Suppression of symptoms of aster yellows by antibiotics supports the tentative hypothesis that the etiologic agent is a mycoplasma-or bedsonia-like organism rather than a virus. Development of symptoms was supressed by chlortetracycline, tetracycline, or chloramphenicol, but not by penicillin. When plants were treated with chlortetracycline at 1000 parts per million before symptoms appeared, symptoms developed only after cessation of the treatment. Assay of the agent of aster yellows, extracted from plants, indicated inhibition of growth of the pathogen by treatment with chlortetracycline. Plants severely affected before treatment began developed new symptomless axillary growth, including flowers; previously yellowed leaves often became green. Acquisition of the agent of aster yellows by leafhoppers was drastically reduced when infected plants were treated with chlortetracycline continuously for 1 week before exposure to the vectors. Our data, and preliminary evidence from purification studies, are consistent with a possible mycoplasma-or bedsonia-like etiology of the aster yellows disease.
Helical instability of charged vortices in layered superconductors

It is shown that the electric charge of vortices can result in a helical instability of straight vortex lines in layered superconductors, particularly Bi-based cuprates or organic superconductors. This instability may result in a phase transition to a uniformly twisted vortex state, which could be detected by torque magnetometry, neutron diffraction, electromagnetic, or calorimetric measurements.
Adsorption Modeling with the ESD Equation of State

The simplified local density approach (SLD) is extended to the Elliott−Suresh−Donohue (ESD) equation of state for the modeling of gas adsorption on activated carbon, providing significant improvement in quantitative modeling compared to the SLD approach using the Peng−Robinson equation of state or the van der Waals equation. Compared to the Peng−Robinson and van der Waals equations, the ESD equation more accurately represents the temperature dependence of adsorption.
Understanding the Epidemiology and Progression of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objectives This review examines the burden and patterns of disease in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the influence and interactions of gender, ethnicity, age, and psychosocial attributes with respect to disease progression, focusing on issues relevant to clinical practice and research. Methods PubMed literature search complemented by review of bibliographies listed in identified articles. Results An increased risk among reproductive age women is clearly seen in African Americans in the United States. However, in other populations, a different pattern is generally seen, with the highest age-specific incidence rates occurring in women after age 40 years. The disease is 2 to 4 times more frequent, and more severe, among nonwhite populations around the world and tends to be more severe in men and in pediatric and late-onset lupus. SLE patients now experience a higher than 90% survival rate at 5 years. The less favorable survival experience of ethnic minorities is possibly related to socioeconomic status rather than to ethnicity per se, and adequate social support has been shown to be a protective factor, in general, in SLE patients. Discordance between physician and patient ratings of disease activity may affect quality of care. Conclusions Our understanding of ways to improve outcomes in SLE patients could benefit from patient-oriented research focusing on many dimensions of disease burden. Promising research initiatives include the inclusion of community-based patients in longitudinal studies, use of self-assessment tools for rating disease damage and activity, and a focus on self-perceived disease activity and treatment compliance.
Micro-scale modeling of contaminant effects on surface optical properties

The optical properties of a surface may change significantly in response to contaminants from the environment and/or human activity. We utilize a first principles, physics-based radiometric ray tracing software package to evaluate the spectral polarimetric bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of the virgin and contaminated surfaces. In the absence of contaminants, we find the simulated reflectance properties of randomly rough Gaussian surfaces to be well represented by micro-facet based polarimetric BRDF models. However the addition of contaminants introduces phenomenology that falls outside the basic assumptions of the micro-facet BRDF models. We present results of BRDF simulations of painted surfaces with liquid and solid contaminants.
Methods to analyze treatment effects in the presence of missing data for a continuous heavy drinking outcome measure when participants drop out from treatment in alcohol clinical trials

BACKGROUND: Attrition is common in alcohol clinical trials and the resultant loss of data represents an important methodological problem. In the absence of a simulation study, the drinking outcomes among those who are lost to follow-up are not known. Individuals who drop out of treatment and continue to provide drinking data, however, may be a reasonable proxy group for making inferences about the drinking outcomes of those lost to follow-up. METHODS: We used data from the COMBINE study, a multisite, randomized clinical trial, to examine drinking during the 4 months of treatment among individuals who dropped out of treatment but continued to provide drinking data (i.e., "treatment dropouts;" n = 185). First, we estimated the observed treatment effect size for naltrexone versus placebo in a sample that included both treatment completers (n = 961) and treatment dropouts (n = 185; total N = 1,146), as well as the observed treatment effect size among just those who dropped out of treatment (n = 185). In both the total sample (N = 1,146) and the dropout sample (n = 185), we then deleted the drinking data after treatment dropout from those 185 individuals to simulate missing data. Using the deleted data sets, we then estimated the effect of naltrexone on the continuous outcome percent heavy drinking days using 6 methods to handle missing data (last observation carried forward, baseline observation carried forward, placebo mean imputation, missing = heavy drinking days, multiple imputation (MI), and full information maximum likelihood [FIML]). RESULTS: MI and FIML produced effect size estimates that were most similar to the true effects observed in the full data set in all analyses, while missing = heavy drinking days performed the worst. CONCLUSIONS: Although missing drinking data should be avoided whenever possible, MI and FIML yield the best estimates of the treatment effect for a continuous outcome measure of heavy drinking when there is dropout in an alcohol clinical trial. Language: en
A Power Spectral Estimate which is Insensitive to Transients

We indicate an estimate of the power spectrum, of a stationary time series of interest, that is insensitive to brief transient signals imposed on the series. In the case that no transient is imposed, all that one loses by computing the estimate is two degrees of freedom, asymptotically. The estimate may be computed using existing cross-spectral programs.
The organization of financial exchange markets: Theory and evidence

Abstract This article presents theory and evidence regarding the organization of financial exchange markets. It derives conditions under which (1) a member-owned exchange has a monopoly over the trade of a particular financial contract and its close substitutes, and (2) exchange members earn economic rents. Given these conditions, low cost suppliers of financial services form an exchange that is large enough to deter entry by competing exchanges but which is smaller than optimal. However, exchanges trading differentiated products may not merge to exploit all scope economies. Furthermore, exchanges that offer a variety of products may allow some members to trade only a subset of these products in order to preserve member rents. The evidence regarding exchange market shares, rents, and membership policies is broadly consistent with these predictions.
Learning Multisensory Integration and Coordinate Transformation via Density Estimation

Sensory processing in the brain includes three key operations: multisensory integration—the task of combining cues into a single estimate of a common underlying stimulus; coordinate transformations—the change of reference frame for a stimulus (e.g., retinotopic to body-centered) effected through knowledge about an intervening variable (e.g., gaze position); and the incorporation of prior information. Statistically optimal sensory processing requires that each of these operations maintains the correct posterior distribution over the stimulus. Elements of this optimality have been demonstrated in many behavioral contexts in humans and other animals, suggesting that the neural computations are indeed optimal. That the relationships between sensory modalities are complex and plastic further suggests that these computations are learned—but how? We provide a principled answer, by treating the acquisition of these mappings as a case of density estimation, a well-studied problem in machine learning and statistics, in which the distribution of observed data is modeled in terms of a set of fixed parameters and a set of latent variables. In our case, the observed data are unisensory-population activities, the fixed parameters are synaptic connections, and the latent variables are multisensory-population activities. In particular, we train a restricted Boltzmann machine with the biologically plausible contrastive-divergence rule to learn a range of neural computations not previously demonstrated under a single approach: optimal integration; encoding of priors; hierarchical integration of cues; learning when not to integrate; and coordinate transformation. The model makes testable predictions about the nature of multisensory representations.
Exploring the 'behavior space' of a nonlinear model for the stretch reflex

A nonlinear model for the stretch reflex has recently been used to study the interactions between voluntary and reflex controls during fast, targeted movements. This study explores the topography of a behavior space associated with the model parameters. Such a space is generally defined by a set of behavioral characteristics. Any model can therefore be considered a mathematical map from the parameter space to a behavior space. The authors chose a one-dimensional behavior space defined by the RMS error between a simulation output and a set of experimental data and explored it in three stages. The results allow them to compare quantitatively the different possible neurological control strategies for executing fast, targeted movements. >
Anatomy of a Meteorite Impact Crater: West Hawk Lake, Manitoba, Canada

West Hawk Lake is a near-circular, 11,700-ft -wide, deep lake located 110 mi east of Winnipeg, Canada. The lake now completely submerges an ancient meteorite impact crater. A central drillhole passes through nearly 1080ft of slump and fallback breccia into 655 ft of rupture zone bedrock below a well-defined crater base. Petrographic analysis of core from this hole, a hole near the original crater rim, and an off-center hole reveals numerous shock features which, supplementing earlier geophysical studies, demonstrate an impact origin for this structure. These results are significant: (1) The original crater was approximately 8000 ft wide; the rim has recessed by erosion; the target rock consists of steeply dipping units of metasediments and metavolcanics. (2) Microscope criteria for shock include: abundant planar features in quartz; diagnostic parallel extension fractures; extensive isotropization of tectosilicates in quartz-mica schists (analcite is a common product of recrystallization of the isotropized phases); variable decomposition of biotite and actinolite; abundant glassy fragments and matrix-binding “melt,” now generally devitrified; shock-induced twinning and granulation in pre-impact carbonates. (3) Distribution of shock features is strongly dependent on mineral composition and particle size. Unless intensely shocked, amphibole-rich rocks are usually devoid of shock evidence, even where fragments are intermixed with shocked schistose metasediments. (4) The vertical distribution within the central hole core of intensity of shock in the breccias, as plotted on a shock log, is notably erratic. (5) Autobrecciation, cataclastic fragmentation, and injection of shocked breccia into open fractures account for observed effects in the rupture zone. (6) Zoisite and secondary calcite develop extensively within the breccia lens by solution and neo-mineralization; serpentine var. antigorite forms with the breccia matrix, and in a network of veinlets in fragments and in the rupture zone; sodium-calcium zeolites form in possibly replaced melt material at the crater base. (7) Analysis of strongly shocked rock fragments from the breccias by infrared absorption, X-ray fluorescence, electron microprobe, and argon loss methods demonstrates significant changes in the crystal structure and chemistry of constituent minerals in these materials as compared with unshocked equivalents collected off-structure. West Hawk Lake is compared with the Brent structure, the best-studied model of a simple impact crater in crystalline rocks.
Adaptive Load Balancing for Long-Range MD Simulations in A Distributed Environment

Molecular dynamics, a computationally intensive application is used by researchers in various fields. The inherent parallelism (Plimpton and Hendrickson, 1994) in the computations involved with this application can be exploited in parallel and distributed environments. However, in distributed environments such as the grid (Foster et al., 2001), the available resources, namely the network and computational power, are continually changing with respect to every available node. To optimally utilize these dynamic resources, a scheduler should be able to continually adapt to the changes and suitably vary the load scheduled to every available node. We propose one such scheduling algorithm. The proposed scheduling algorithm builds and continually updates a model of the distributed system, which it then uses to make decisions about how to optimally redistribute the load in the system at every time step of the MD simulation. The scheduling algorithm can additionally handle dynamic changes in the number of nodes available for computation at runtime. We then demonstrate the efficiency of our scheduling algorithm when applied to MD simulations in a distributed environment
HMG-CoA reductase and terpenoid phytoalexins : molecular specialization within a complex pathway

Terpenoid phytoalexins and other defense compounds play an important role in disease resistance in a variety of plant families but have been most widely studied in solanaceous species. The rate-limiting step in terpenoid phytoalexin production is mediated by 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR), which catalyzes mevalonic acid synthesis. HMGRs are involved in the biosynthesis of a broad array of terpenoid compounds, and distinct isoforms of HMGR may be critical in directing the flux of pathway intermediates into specific end products. Plant HMGRs are encoded by a small gene family, and genomic or cDNA sequences encoding HMGR have been isolated from several plant species. In tomato, four genes encode HMGR, these genes are differentially activated during development and stress responses. One gene, hmg2, is activated in response to wounding and a variety of pathogenic agents suggesting a role in sesquiterpene phytoalexin biosynthesis. In contrast, expression patterns of tomato hmg1 suggest a role in sterol biosynthesis and cell growth. Other plant species show an analogous separation of specific HMGR isoforms involved in growth and/or housekeeping function and inducible isoforms associated with biosynthesis of phytoalexins or other specialized «natural products.» We are applying a variety of cell and molecular techniques to address whether subcellular localization and/or differential expression of these isoforms are key factors in determining end product accumulation during development and defense
Assessment of student learning behaviors to guide the integration of technology in curriculum reform

The purpose of this study was to characterize medical students' learning behaviors and preferences related to information technology (IT) and assess their educational needs related to advances in IT and simulation in order to optimize curriculum and educational space design. An online survey was administered to all medical students enrolled in graduate medical education at Emory University School of Medicine. The survey assessed subjects' demographic data, current technology usage, and experiences and preferences related to: informatics, facilities, online learning, staff support and simulation. The response rate was 49% (214 of 440). 95% of respondents reported computer use of greater than 6 hours per week, and 75% reported owning and regularly using a laptop computer. Despite regularly seeking computer-based learning modalities, 55% of students reported being underprepared for the application of clinical informatics in their practice. 49% of students prefer group learning and prioritize large group learning areas with large desks. Health science libraries designed to address the preferences for portable technology and group learning may encourage the incorporation of the library into the medical student learning experience, allowing librarians to assume formal and informal roles in the curriculum as students learn to search and apply information resources.
Detection enhancement and control of jump-linear systems

Jump-linear systems are dynamic systems with abrupt switches among several linear models, conditioned on an underlying finite state Markov process. This paper is concerned with implementable control schemes for jump-linear systems when the discrete state is not directly observable. A stabilizability condition is discussed. Also, the feasibility of improving the control cost through more thorough probing of the system is considered.
Cloning of the Glutamyl-tRNA Synthetase (gltX) Gene from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

The glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (gltX) gene from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified. A plasmid containing a 2.3-kb insert complemented the temperature-sensitive gltX mutation of Escherichia coli JP1449, and GltX activity was demonstrated. The inferred amino acid sequence of this gene showed 50.6% identity with GltX from Rhizobium meliloti.
The (nonvacuous) semantics of TE-linkage in Japanese"

Japanese TE-linkage, a translational equivalent of English and-linkage, is compatible with diverse semantic relations. Whenever such a relation is understood, however, it is always inferable solely from the conjuncts themselves. Moreover, these relations are cancellable and thus can be regarded as conversational implicatures. Most researchers, therefore, have considered TE-linkage to be primarily a syntactic device that in itself conveys little semantic information: the semantic relations associated with TE-linked sentences are worked out from the meanings of the conjuncts alone. The fact that some 'implicated' meanings must be regarded as properties of TE-linkage, and thus should properly be described in its semantics, challenges the conventional dichotomy of semantics and pragmatics. I will argue that TE-linkage indeed has its own inherent meanings, and demonstrate that these meanings cannot be stated in terms of traditional semantic relations but can only be understood in cognitive terms.
Does Patient Perception of Pain Control Affect Patient Satisfaction Across Surgical Units in a Tertiary Teaching Hospital

In this study, the relationship between patients' perceptions of pain control during hospitalization and their overall satisfaction with care was examined. Satisfaction data were collected from the federally mandated Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey for 4349 adult patients admitted to any surgical unit over an 18-month period. Patients' perceptions of pain control and staff's efforts to control pain were associated with their overall satisfaction scores. These perceptions varied widely among services and nursing units. Interestingly, patient satisfaction was more strongly correlated with the perception that caregivers did everything they could to control pain than with pain actually being well controlled. The odds of a patient being satisfied were 4.86 times greater if pain was controlled and 9.92 times greater if the staff performance was appropriate. Hospitals may improve their patients' satisfaction by focusing on improving the culture of pain management.
Evolving neural network optimization of cholesteryl ester separation by reversed-phase HPLC

Cholesteryl esters have antimicrobial activity and likely contribute to the innate immunity system. Improved separation techniques are needed to characterize these compounds. In this study, optimization of the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography separation of six analyte standards (four cholesteryl esters plus cholesterol and tri-palmitin) was accomplished by modeling with an artificial neural network–genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) approach. A fractional factorial design was employed to examine the significance of four experimental factors: organic component in the mobile phase (ethanol and methanol), column temperature, and flow rate. Three separation parameters were then merged into geometric means using Derringer’s desirability function and used as input sources for model training and testing. The use of genetic operators proved valuable for the determination of an effective neural network structure. Implementation of the optimized method resulted in complete separation of all six analytes, including the resolution of two previously co-eluting peaks. Model validation was performed with experimental responses in good agreement with model-predicted responses. Improved separation was also realized in a complex biological fluid, human milk. Thus, the first known use of ANN-GA modeling for improving the chromatographic separation of cholesteryl esters in biological fluids is presented and will likely prove valuable for future investigators involved in studying complex biological samples.
New York City's Fight Over Calorie Labeling

ABSTRACT: In 2006, New York City's Health Department amended the city Health Code to require the posting of calorie counts by chain restaurants on menus, menu boards, and item tags. This was one el...
Lipids and Extracellular Materials

This article introduces the Lipids and Extracellular Materials theme of the Annual Review of Biochemistry, Volume 83.
On the possibility of extinction in a class of Markov processes in economics

Abstract We analyze the possibility of eventual extinction of a replenishable economic asset (natural resource or capital) whose stocks follow a stationary Markov process with zero as an absorbing state. In particular, the stochastic process of stocks is determined by a given sequence of i.i.d. random variables with bounded support and a positive-valued transition function that maps the current level of the stock and the current realization of the random variable to the next period’s stock. Such processes arise naturally in stochastic dynamic models of economic growth and exploitation of natural resources. Under a minimal set of assumptions, the paper identifies conditions for almost sure extinction from all initial stocks as well as conditions under which the stocks enter every neighborhood of zero infinitely often almost surely. Our results emphasize the crucial role played by the nature of the transition function under the worst realization of the random shock and clarifies the role of the “average” rate of growth in the context of extinction.
Higher order asymptotic boundary condition for the finite element modeling of two-dimensional transmission line structures

The general form of the solution to Laplace's equation is used to derive a higher-order asymptotic boundary condition. The boundary condition is then implemented in the finite element scheme to model two-dimensional transmission line structures operating in the quasi-TEM mode. The boundary condition is generalized and made valid for an arbitrary outer boundary. The operator is applied on a rectangular outer boundary because that is the most conformable outer boundary for the structures considered. The numerical results of two- and six-conductor configurations showed that the higher-order asymptotic boundary condition yielded a significant improvement over the simple asymptotic boundary condition. >
A novel method of photonic band-gap lithography of porous silicon heterostructures

A method to modulate the local optical properties of porous silicon photonic crystals is reported. The porous silicon photonic crystals are fabricated by electrochemical etching in a hydrofluoric acid-based electrolyte. Local oxidation was performed using either a UV lamp or 532 nm laser to irradiate selective regions of the photonic crystal. The sample was then soaked in an alcohol solution. Unmasked regions of the porous silicon photonic crystal exhibited significant spectral degradation and loss of the microcavity resonance. The region of the porous silicon photonic crystal protected by the oxide exhibited no significant changes in the reflectance spectrum. This simple photolithographic technique can be used to fabricate a variety of spatially localized silicon-based structures such as photonic bandgap mirrors, optical filters, waveguides and optical switches.
Tactile sensing and control for the Utah/MIT hand

Despite recent advances in robot hand design and tactile sensing technology, dextrous robot hands with a comprehensive sense of touch are rare. The few existing dextrous touch systems universally exhibit problems of reliability, sensory coverage, bandwidth, or included volume. In an effort to establish a design methodology for dextrous tactile systems, this chapter will explore the obstacles that must be overcome in order to reliably acquire data from a large number of sensors on a dextrous robot hand. This work emphasizes the often overlooked difficulties of collecting tactile data in a practical and reliable way. After reviewing fundamental features of tactile systems for dextrous hands, we will discuss the ways in which these features affect hand performance, and which methods of addressing tactile sensors are effective and which are not. The design of a robust sensory architecture will be described, and progress on the development of a tactile sensing system for the Utah/MIT Dextrous Hand will be reported.
Quantification of Electrophilic Activation by Hydrogen-Bonding Organocatalysts

A spectrophotometric sensor is described that provides a useful assessment of the LUMO-lowering provided by catalysts in Diels–Alder and Friedel–Crafts reactions. A broad range of 33 hydrogen-bonding catalysts was assessed with the sensor, and the relative rates in the above reactions spanned 5 orders of magnitude as determined via 1H- and 2H NMR spectroscopic measurements, respectively. The differences between the maximum wavelength shift of the sensor with and without catalyst (Δλmax–1) were found to correlate linearly with ln(krel) values for both reactions, even though the substrate feature that interacts with the catalyst differs significantly (ketone vs nitro). The sensor provides an assessment of both the inherent reactivity of a catalyst architecture as well as the sensitivity of the reaction to changes within an architecture. In contrast, catalyst pKa values are a poor measure of reactivity, although correlations have been identified within catalyst classes.
Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Findings in a Case of Follicular Dendritic Cell Tumor

Follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) are non-lymphoid immune accessory cells found in follicles of lymph nodes. Tumors purported to arise from FDCs have recently been described and are considered rare. Histologically, these tumors show an admixture of large, spindled cells and benign lymphocytes. The large cells display a syncytial growth pattern, have delicate chromatin, and, in part, are defined by their expression of complement receptors. The authors recently observed the fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytologic findings in a case that was subsequently proven to be a FCD tumor. Direct smears exhibited a dimorphic cellular pattern composed of large pale cells admixed with small lymphocytes. The large cells had delicate chromatin, inconspicuous nucleoli, and nuclear membrane infoldings, including occasional cytoplasmic protrusions into the nucleus. The cells were arranged singly and in syncytial groups. These cytologic findings may be characteristic enough to suggest the diagnosis of FDC tumor. Immunocytochemical confirmation should be sought in such cases.
Infantile cortical hyperostosis - a report of Saudi family

A 2-weeks-old Saudi neonate was apparently well till the 10th day of life when a swelling of the right groin was noted accompanied by irritability and fever, without history of trauma. On examination: the girl was irritable and febrile, the mass was firm, ill defined, fixed and tender. The state of the underlying skin was normal. There was family history of 3 siblings with similar swellings in the neonatal period and one of them had recurrence of the condition till the age of 7 year. The radiological findings indicated diaphysis hyperostosis, sparring of the epiphysis and the benign course of the disease. With exclusion of syphilis, osteomyelitis and trauma, the likely diagnosis would be infantile cortical hyperostosis. Such diagnosis should not be overlooked when faced by bony swellings in neonates.
Firm Ownership,Trade Organizational Structure and China-U.S.Trade Imbalance:A Study Based on an Integrated Equilibrium Model of Two Countries

This paper combines the Grossman-Hart-Moore theory of property rights and the Helpman-Krugman methods of integrated equilibrium to explain China-U.S trade imbalance (CUTI) from the perspective of firms. We find that the final good producer's arrangement of the ownership of the processing firms and its choice of trade organizational structure are the root of the CUTI. Our empirical analysis supports this result. The implication of our results is that CUTI is just the manifestation of international production and trade.
An effective 3-fingered augmenting exoskeleton for the human hand

Every year, thousands of Americans suffer from pathological and traumatic events that result in loss of dexterity and strength of the hand. Although many supportive devices have been designed to restore functional hand movement, most are very complex and expensive. The goal of this project was to design and implement a cost-effective, electrically powered exoskeleton for the human hand that could improve grasping strength. A 3-D printed thermoplastic exoskeleton that allowed independent and enhanced movement of the index, middle and ring fingers was constructed. In addition, a 3-D printed structure was designed to house three linear actuators, an Arduino-based control system, and a power supply. A single force sensing resistor was located on the lower inner-surface of the index fingertip which was used to proportionally activate the three motors, one motor per finger, as a function of finger force applied to the sensor. The device was tested on 4 normal human subjects. Results showed that the activation of the motor control system significantly reduced the muscle effort needed to maintain a sub-maximal grasp effort.
Book Review of Title: 'Media Innovations: A Multidisciplinary Study of Change' (edited by Storsul, Tanja and Arme Krumsvik)

This book is a very timely addition to the growing field of media innovation studies. Thanks to the recent advancements in the information and communication technologies (ICTs) and subsequent growth in various web-based commercial and social media outlets, innovations in production and delivery of media contents has spurred. In the process, the definition of media is being constantly evolved. This is undoubtedly the high time for undertaking of multidisciplinary research on this topic.This book is composed of three sections titled ‘concepts’, ‘structure and management’, and ‘services and users’ respectively. Each of these sections contains several thematically cohesive papers each presented as a separate chapter.As the editors’ forewords suggest, the book is all about the contemporary topic of media innovation and contains some of the best papers presented in the 1st International Symposium on media Innovation held in Oslo, Norway in early 2012. As a reader, I found the chapters of this book to be very contemporary and intriguing as they analyze some very important and fast emerging aspects of media innovation. The papers are all relevant, and cohesive to central theme. This 280 page book is a nice, compact document of multidisciplinary studies on this important topic. With thanks to the editors for their great, timely undertaking, I would like to share couple of suggestions for future editions/sequel of the book. First, a slight increase in the font size may provide greater ease of reading. Second, incorporation of a paper or two regarding the impact of recent innovations in Wi-Fi technology on overall media innovation frontiers may further enrich multidisciplinary research prospects of this important and ever expanding subject.
Regio- and Stereospecific C- and O-Allylation of Phenols via π-Allyl Pd Complexes Derived from Allylic Ester Carbonates

Two complementary strategies have been developed for the C- and O-allylation of phenols via a common π-allyl Pd complex. While O-allylation of phenols by this method is a well-recognized reaction of general utility, the associated para-selective C-allylation reaction is still in its infancy. Cationic π-allyl Pd intermediates, derived from allylic ester carbonates and palladium(0) catalyst, were found to undergo the Friedel–Crafts-type para-selective C-allylations with nine different phenols. Both C- and O-allylated products were obtained in good to excellent yields following a metal-catalyzed regio- and stereospecific substitutive 1,3-transposition. Conditions were also identified that control access to either allylated product. Finally, a study of the equilibrium established between the two allylation products revealed that the O-allylated compound was the kinetic product and the C-allylated compound the thermodynamic product.
CRT-600.09 Controlling Blood Pressure to Reduce Mortality and Cardiovascular Events from 2000 to 2014 for Patients in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System

The Veterans Affairs (VA) Electronic Health Record (EHR), operational since 1998 has all elements of patient care in 124 VA Medical Centers and 820 VA clinics. Vital signs contain blood pressure with clinical reminders to assure a blood pressure recording at least once a year and on each visit if
A novel metric to study the performance of sectorized fractional frequency reuse techniques in LTE

LTE Femtocells are designed to increase capacity and coverage especially for the indoor and cell-edge mobile users. Typically, they are deployed to offload the macrocell. However, due to co-location of femtocells in macrocell coverage, the co-tier and cross-tier interferences are high. Fractional Frequency Reuse mechanism (FFR) is one of the most effective femtocell interference avoidance techniques. In this paper, we propose a new metric to determine optimal inner region radius and frequency allocation which optimizes the total cell throughput and serves as many number of users in the network. We already know that FFR technique is designed to better serve cell edge users. With introduction of new metric, we extend that idea to serve as many users in the network. The new metric is applied to sectorized FFR configurations and their performance is evaluated under different network conditions.
Outcome and Treatment of Antenatally Diagnosed Nonimmune Hydrops Fetalis

Introduction: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the outcome of nonimmune hydrops fetalis in an attempt to identify independent predictors of perinatal mortality. Material and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including all cases of nonimmune hydrops from two tertiary care centers. Perinatal outcome was evaluated after classifying nonimmune hydrops into ten etiological groups. We examined the effect of etiology, site of fluid accumulation, and gestational age at delivery on postnatal survival. Neonatal mortality and hospital discharge survival were compared between the expectant management and fetal intervention groups among those with idiopathic etiology. Results: A total of 142 subjects were available for analysis. Generally, nonimmune hydrops carried 37% risk of neonatal mortality and 50% chance of survival to discharge, which varies markedly based on the underlying etiology. Ascites was an independent predictor of perinatal mortality ( p value = 0.003). There was nonsignificant difference in neonatal mortality and hospital discharge survival among idiopathic cases that were managed expectantly versus those in whom fetal intervention was carried out. Discussion: The outcome of nonimmune hydrops varies largely according to the underlying etiology and the presence of ascites is an independent risk factor for perinatal mortality. In our series, fetal intervention did not offer survival advantage among fetuses with idiopathic nonimmune hydrops.
Assessment of Relative Bioavailability of Moroctocog Alfa and Moroctocog Alfa (AF-CC) in Subjects With Severe Hemophilia A.

An open-label, single-dose, randomized, two-period, crossover study comparing the pharmacokinetics of factor VIII activity in plasma (FVIII:C) after administration of an albumin-free presentation of moroctocog alfa (test) and moroctocog alfa manufactured using the previous technique (reference) was conducted in 30 (25 evaluable) male subjects who had severe hemophilia A (FVIII:C < 1 IU/dL). Blood samples were collected for 48 h after administration of each dose. FVIII C was assayed using a chromogenic substrate assay. The FVIII:C pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using noncompartmental analysis. The presentations would be bioequivalent if the 90% confidence limits of the ratio of the geometric mean values of AUCinf and recovery fell within the interval of 80-125%. The bioequivalence criteria were met. A total of 10 treatment-related adverse events were observed in a total of nine subjects. All were mild and none was determined to be related to administration of study medication.
A 1.8 $\mu$ W −65 dB THD ECG Acquisition Front-End IC Using a Bandpass Instrumentation Amplifier With Class-AB Output Configuration

This brief presents a power-efficient, highly linear front-end (FE) integrated circuit (IC) for electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition applications. Compared to typical FE architectures, the proposed FE uses only one bandpass instrumentation amplifier (IA) to reduce the chip area and dc power consumption. To achieve high linearity, the bandpass IA is composed of a high-gain two-stage amplifier in a capacitive-feedback configuration. Miller compensation and the class-AB output stage are utilized to incorporate the filtering and buffering functions within the IA without the need for additional circuit stages. The FE IC is fabricated in 0.13- ${ \mu }\text{m}$ CMOS technology, and occupies only a 0.16-mm2 chip area. The measured input-referred noise is 3.2 ${ \mu }$ Vrms with a midband gain of 34.6 dB, and a bandwidth that extends from 0.9 to 350 Hz. A total harmonic distortion of −65 dB is measured at an input signal of 5.5 mV $_{{pp}}$ , with a dc power consumption of 1.8 ${\mu }\text{W}$ . In a real-time measurement, the proposed FE IC is capable of detecting high-fidelity ECG waveforms.