cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanical ventilation strategies: what's new and what's worth keeping?

Many technologic and management strategies related to mechanical ventilation have been introduced in recent years. Strategies that avoid intubation and get patients extubated sooner decrease costs related to mechanical ventilation. In general, people solutions such as weaning protocols are preferable to technology solutions such as new ventilator modes. It must be remembered that mechanical ventilation is supportive-it is not curative-and has the potential to do harm if applied incorrectly. There is an increasing list of examples in which short-term physiologic outcomes such as improvements in blood gas values are not related to patient-important outcomes such as survival. When new mechanical ventilation technology and strategies are introduced, a question we need to ask ourselves is whether these are solutions for problems or whether these are simply solutions in search of problems.
Aggressive behavior among women sexually abused as children.

Although research shows that sexually abused children appear to be at risk of subsequent aggressive behavior, few investigations address whether such behavior persists beyond childhood. This research describes the self-reported adolescent and adult fighting behavior of 136 women sexually abused as children and examines the role of intervening variables in the risk of such behavior. The women are part of a longitudinal study of 206 primarily low-income, urban women whose abuse was documented at the time it occurred. Fighting was common, particularly during adolescence. Adult aggression was strongly associated with being a victim of violence by an intimate partner. A history of exposure to other forms of violence significantly increased the risk of fighting while strong maternal attachments mitigated the risk, primarily by reducing the likelihood of involvement in an abusive intimate relationship. Language: en
AN EVALUATION OF MARSH NITROGEN FIXATION

Reported rates of nitrogen fixation in different salt marshes vary widely. Although some of this difference results from geographical considerations, there is inherent variability in the methods used for measurement of nitrogen fixation which may contribute significantly to the observed differences. This variability may be seen in two broad areas: experimental procedure (mainly sampling) and data analysis. In sampling, the effects of spatial heterogeneity are not always considered. In a Delaware marsh system, spatial effects are pronounced in all three dimensions in the marsh sediment. Normalized fixation rates increase as sample size decreases, presumably reflecting differences in gas diffusion. Therefore, extrapolations from small samples are unlikely to generate accurate quantitative results at the system (marsh) level. Concerning data analysis, it must be kept in mind that most field studies of nitrogen fixation predominantly involve the acetylene reduction technique. Different rates of acetylene reduction can be derived from many data sets collected in fixation studies, often varying by 5-to 10-fold. There is uncertainty surrounding the conversion of these rates to equivalent nitrogen fixation rates. Many conversion factors are used, varying by 10-fold. In spite of the difficulties in quantitative measurement, marsh nitrogen fixation has emerged as a significant process. It is possible to measure relative rates in small samples accurately. It follows that studies of the physiological ecology of marsh nitrogen fixation should prove informative and useful.
Alterations in micro RNA-messenger RNA (miRNA-mRNA) Coupled Signaling Networks in Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Hippocampal CA1.

RNA sequencing, DNA microfluidic array, LED-Northern, Western immunoassay and bioinformatics analysis have uncovered a small family of up-regulated human brain enriched microRNAs (miRNAs) and down-regulated messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in short post-mortem interval (PMI) sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. At the mRNA level, a large majority of the expression of human brain genes found to be down-regulated in sporadic AD appears to be a consequence of an up-regulation of a specific group of NF-kB-inducible microRNAs (miRNAs). This group of up-regulated miRNAs – including miRNA-34a and miRNA-146a - has strong, energetically favorable, complimentary RNA sequences in the 3’ untranslated regions (3’-UTR) of their target mRNAs which ultimately drive the down-regulation in the expression of certain essential brain genes. Interestingly, just 2 significantly up-regulated miRNAs - miRNA-34a and miRNA-146a – appear to down-regulate mRNA targets involved in synaptogenesis (SHANK3), phagocytosis deficits and tau pathology (TREM2), inflammation (CFH; complement factor H) and amyloidogenesis (TSPAN12), all of which are distinguishing pathological features characteristic of middle-to-late stage AD neuropathology. This paper reports the novel finding of parallel miRNA-34a and miRNA-146a up-regulation in sporadic AD hippocampal CA1 RNA pools and proposes an altered miRNA-mRNA coupled signaling network in AD, much of which is supported by current experimental findings in the recent literature (202 words).
Abstract 30: Leveraging the Innate Immunity Pathway for Transdifferentiation of Fibroblasts to Endothelial Cells

Background Cell-based approaches to regenerate the endothelium holds promise, with one such candidate source being induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We have investigated the potential of endothelial cells (ECs) derived from iPSCs to promote the perfusion of ischemic tissue in a murine model of peripheral artery disease (PAD). However, it may be more efficient to transdifferentiate fibroblasts to ECs directly. Recent reports have suggested that direct reprogramming to ECs is feasible, however still requires the use of viral vectors encoding transcription factors, thus making them clinically unsafe. Hypothesis We recently discovered that retroviral vectors encoding the reprogramming factors, by activating the Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) pathway, make nuclear reprogramming possible by increasing epigenetic plasticity and favoring an open chromatin state (Lee & Sayed et al. Cell). Based on this recognition that innate immunity favors an open chromatin state, we hypothesized that activation of TLR3, together with external microenvironmental cues that drive EC specification, might induce transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into ECs (“iECs”). Results Intriguingly, our preliminary data showed that TLR3 agonist Poly I:C, combined with exogenous endothelial growth factors, was sufficient to transdifferentiate fibroblasts into iECs (in the absence of viral vectors or transcription factors). These iECs exhibited all the characteristics of EC phenotype comparable to HMVECs including ability to form capillary-like structures and incorporating acetylated-LDL. Moreover, loss-of function studies showed that activation of TLR3 plays a role in the efficient transdifferentiation of human cells when using Poly I:C. Furthermore, iECs significantly improved limb perfusion and neovascularization in the ischemic hindlimb compared to control groups. Conclusion This study is a first step toward development of a regenerative strategy for PAD on the use of ECs derived from small molecules and growth factors without use of viral vectors encoding transcription factors. Moreover, it has allowed us to generate a small molecule strategy for therapeutic transdifferentiation that might be applied for direct reprogramming in vivo.
Acquiring initial American Board of Radiology certification in the United States

The American Board of Radiology (ABR) is one of 24 independent national boards that are members of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). It was founded in 1934 to certify physicians in Radiology, and later in other various specialties and sub-specialties related to radiology. It is a not-for-profit organization, and its only purpose is the certification of medical professionals. In 1948, it began the certification of medical physicists. It is unusual for non-physicians to be certified by a national board that is a member of the ABMS. The ABR is currently the only national board in the US that certifies medical physicists. You can see some of the details for initial certification at this site: http://www.theabr.org/ic-rp-landing.
Human breast milk-derived exosomes attenuate cell death in intestinal epithelial cells.

Human breast milk has been shown to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Breast milk has many components (immunoglobulins, proteins, fat, and, of recent interest, exosomes), but...
A Clockface Chromatin Pattern in the Intermediate Megaloblast of Vitamin B12 or Folate Deficiency

In the fully-developed megaloblast of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, unique alterations occur in the chromatin adherent to the nuclear membrane. This chromatin is often tenuously connected to or separated from other chromatin, and gives the nucleus a clockface appearance. A clockface chromatin pattern appears only rarely in "megaloblastoid" erythroblasts from cases of refractory megaloblastic anemia. Normal erythroblasts and developing erythroblasts from a variety of anemias do not exhibit this chromatin pattern. Although the pathogenesis of the "clockface sign" is unknown, alterations in megaloblast histone might cause both the clockface chromatin pattern and subsequent chromosomal abnormalities. When the "clockface sign" appears in an intermediate megaloblast, it may provide a morphological clue to a deficiency of vitamin B12 or folate.
Elastic-Plastic Microcontact Modeling Using Dislocations

A new method for simulation of microscopic elastic-plastic contacts is developed. Microcontact plastic deformation is described in terms of nucleation and motion of discrete crystal dislocations. The new method allows elastic-plastic microcontacts to be investigated on the scales too small to apply conventional continuum mechanics methods, but still too large for atomistic simulations. The model is scale-sensitive and allows scale effects of microcontact elastic-plastic behavior to be studied theoretically. Results of several two-dimensional elastic-plastic microcontact simulations performed using the developed method are presented in this paper.
Chromatin: Methyl-CpG-Binding Proteins

Epigenetics refers to heritable patterns of gene expression that occur without alteration of DNA sequence. Cytosine methylation in the context of the CpG dinucleotide is an important epigenetic modification in higher eukaryotes that is associated with heterochromatin and repression of transcription. Cytosine methylation is implicated in diverse biological phenomena such as X-chromosome inactivation, genomic imprinting, and cell memory. The function of methylated cytosine is mediated in part by effector proteins that are members of the family of methyl-CpG-binding proteins, which in turn recruit histone-modifying enzymes to the genome and facilitate formation of heterochromatin.
Transposable Elements, Viruses, and Genomes

The importance of transposable elements as generators of mutational variability comes from the fact that they produce mutations that are unlikely to arise by any other means.
U.S. Eastern Interconnection (EI) Electromechanical Wave Propagation and the Impact of High PV Penetration on its Speed

A power system electromechanical wave propagates from the disturbance location to the rest of system, influencing various types of protections. In addition, since more power-electronics-interfaced generation and energy storage devices are being integrated into power systems, electromechanical wave propagation speeds in the future power systems are likely to change accordingly. In this paper, GPS-synchronized measurement data from a wide-area synchrophasor measurement system FNET/GridEye are used to analyze the characteristics of electromechanical wave propagation in the U.S. Eastern Interconnection (EI) system. Afterwards, high levels of photovoltaic (PV) penetration are modeled in the EI to investigate the influences of a typical power-electronics––interfaced resource on the electromechanical wave propagation speed.
Topical tranexamic acid in spinal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a commonly used antifibrinolytic agent for perioperative blood conservation in several surgical specialties. Although historically administered intravenously, such systemic administration may be accompanied by severe side effects. Thus, the topical usage of TXA has been established in several fields but remains poorly evaluated in spine surgery. In this study, the authors aimed to review the medical literature on topical TXA usage in spine surgery to evaluate its safety and efficacy. We reviewed manuscripts and clinical trials exploring topical TXA usage in spine surgery published by April 1st, 2018. Postoperative blood loss volumes and hospitalization lengths of stay were evaluated with separate meta-analyses. We identified five articles and one unpublished clinical trial that were placebo-controlled and comprised 218 patients receiving topical TXA in spine surgery. Patients receiving topical TXA demonstrated significantly lower postoperative blood loss as compared to the placebo group (Standardized Mean Difference [SMD] 2.21, 95% CI 0.79–3.62, p
Black Raspberry Inhibits Oral Tumors in Mice Treated with the Tobacco Smoke Constituent Dibenzo(def,p)chrysene via Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations

We previously reported that the environmental pollutant and tobacco smoke constituent dibenzo[def,p]chrysene (DBP) induced DNA damage, altered DNA methylation and induced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in mice. In the present study, we showed that 5% dietary black raspberry (BRB) significantly reduced (P 25%) between the oral tissues of mice treated with DBP and fed control diet or diet containing BRB. Among the 30 differential methylated sites (DMS) induced by DBP, we found DMS mapped to Fgf3, Qrich2, Rmdn2, and Cbarp were hypermethylated by BRB whereas hypomethylated by DBP at either the exact position or proximal sites; DMS mapped to Vamp3, Ppp1rB1, Pkm, and Zfp316 were hypomethylated by BRB but hypermethylated by DBP at proximal sites. In addition to Fgf3, 2 DMS mapped to Fgf4 and Fgf13 were hypermethylated by BRB; these fibroblast growth factors are involved in regulation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway as identified by IPA. Moreover, BRB significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the tumor incidence from 70% to 46.7%. Taken together, the inhibitory effects of BRB on DNA damage combined with its effects on epigenetic alterations may account for BRB inhibition of oral tumorigenesis induced by DBP. SIGNIFICANCE: We provided mechanistic insights that can account for the inhibition of oral tumors by BRB, which could serve as the framework for future chemopreventive trials for addicted smokers as well as non- or former smokers who are exposed to environmental carcinogens.
Cancer Progress and Priorities: Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer globally among men, although incidence and mortality rates vary greatly between countries and there are large disparities in prostate cancer incidence and mortality within countries. Despite the high burden of this disease, epidemiologic studies have
Transcriptional profiling reveals TRPM5-expressing cells involved in viral infection in the olfactory epithelium

Understanding viral infection of the olfactory epithelium is essential because smell loss can occur with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus clade 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and because the olfactory nerve is an important route of entry for viruses to the central nervous system. Specialized chemosensory epithelial cells that express the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 5 (TRPM5) are found throughout the airways and intestinal epithelium and are involved in responses to viral infection. Herein we performed deep transcriptional profiling of olfactory epithelial cells sorted by flow cytometry based on the expression of fluorescent protein markers for olfactory sensory neurons and TRPM5. We find profuse expression of transcripts involved in inflammation, immunity and viral infection in TRPM5-expressing microvillous cells and olfactory sensory neurons. These cells express the Tmprss2 transcript that encodes for a serine protease that primes the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein before entry into host cells. Our study provides new insights into a potential role for TRPM5-expressing cells in viral infection of the olfactory epithelium.
The continuing challenge of border crossing: a response to Marcelo Casals’ commentary

I was pleased to read Marcelo Casals’ ‘Supplement’ to my review essay, ‘Border Crossings and the Remaking of Latin American Cold War Studies’, published in 2019 in Cold War History, and I want to e...
Telepsychotherapy during a pandemic: A traumatic stress perspective

The coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak poses unique challenges for psychotherapists and other mental health professionals. The widespread fear, helplessness, illness and death, economic hardship, and disruption of social support caused by the pandemic will create a global need for both supportive crisis counseling and formal mental health treatment. As physical distancing aimed at reducing contagion sharply limits in-person contact, psychotherapists have suddenly been forced to adopt new technologies and learn to provide telepsychotherapy. At this same time, psychotherapists must contend with their own stressors as part of the pandemic-exposed population. We integrate several different literatures to outline how telepsychotherapy can help psychotherapists address patient needs during this pandemic. We review epidemiological literature on the mental health impact of pandemics, crisis counseling approaches developed from prior disasters, and clinical research on telepsychotherapy treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Based on this research, we provide a roadmap for ways that clinicians can use telepsychotherapy technologies for 2 levels of intervention: (1) providing strengths-based preventive interventions to help people cope with distress during a period of disruption, life-threat, and loss, and (2) delivering effective treatments to people who develop chronic conditions in response to traumatic stress.
Deployed Instrument Monocular Localization on the InSight Mars Lander

The primary purpose of the InSight Instrument Deployment System (IDS) on the Mars InSight Lander, which landed in November 2018, was to deploy three payloads: a seismometer (SEIS), a heat flow probe (HP3), and a wind and thermal shield (WTS), to the Martian surface. The system consists of the Instrument Deployment Arm (IDA), Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC) on the forearm of the IDA, and the Instrument Context Camera (ICC). A core functionality of the IDS that was critical to the success of the deployments was the ability to use only the single camera on the arm and monocular localization methods to calculate the poses of each of the instruments before and after deployment. Given that the ICC has a fisheye lens and was located under the lander, relatively far from the deployment sites, only the IDC was useful for quantitative localization. Knowledge of the exact pose of each instrument was critical for any activity that involved interacting with the instruments, such as the deployment of the WTS over SEIS to protect the instrument and reduce environmental noise. Additionally, knowledge of the instrument poses was necessary to meet the mission's science objectives, used to accept the instrument deployment sites, and to create noise models used to help scientists interpret the instrument data. While the technology was employed on this mission to allow for stereo data to be captured by moving the single camera over a known baseline, physical arm constraints, operational constraints, and a desire for independent verification necessitated robust methods of monocular localization. Two different methods of monocular localization were developed and employed for the deployment phase of the mission. Fiducial localization which used precisely measured, round single point fiducials along with more robust AprilTag fiducials that provide 5 points as well as an independent orientation from each fiducial. Along with quantitative analysis, grapple localization was developed to confirm the localization by physically lining up the IDA grapple with the hook on each instrument. This paper will discuss the motivation, implementation, and execution of each monocular localization technique employed by the IDS. Additionally, it will detail the results and error sources identified throughout the mission using downlinked images and measurements from the InSight lander and InSight Testbed.
Analysis and solutions of generalized Chagas vectors re-infestation model of fractional order type

Abstract Trypanosoma cruzi is the parasite that causes Chagas disease in which Triatomine bugs, a type of reduviid bug, are the carrier. Insecticide spraying is one of the most common measures to reduce triatomine infestation. In this paper, we propose a generalized Chagas vectors re-infestation model of fractional order type. This fractional model has been developed to study insecticide-based strategies for controlling vectors of Chagas disease. Our model considers insecticide treatment as continuous spraying where the spraying rate depends on the rate of detection of infestation and time lag between detection and application of insecticide. We incorporate two spraying rates, r (triatomines detection and only infected housing units are treated with deltamethrin insecticide) and r o (other insects detection and treatment is applied to all units). Existence and uniqueness results of solutions are proven. We prove local and global stability of the proposed model and obtain conditions for unique endemic equilibrium. Our numerical results exposed the intrinsic properties of the model using fractional derivative. Based on our results, triatomines infestation cannot be eradicated when there is migration from the sylvatic areas, control strategies aimed at reducing infestation from the sylvatic areas are highly recommended.
Trimmed Minimum Error Entropy for Robust Online Regression.

In this paper, online linear regression in environments corrupted by non-Gaussian noise (especially heavy-tailed noise) is addressed. In such environments, the error between the system output and the label also does not follow a Gaussian distribution and there might exist abnormally large error samples (or outliers) which mislead the learning process. The main challenge is how to keep the supervised learning problem least affected by these unwanted and misleading outliers. In recent years, an information theoretic algorithm based on Renyi's entropy, called minimum error entropy (MEE), has been employed to take on this issue. However, this minimization might not result in a desired estimator inasmuch as entropy is shift-invariant, i.e., by minimizing the error entropy, error samples may not be necessarily concentrated around zero. In this paper, a quantization technique is proposed by which not only aforementioned need of setting errors around the origin in MEE is addressed, but also major outliers are rejected from MEE-based learning and MEE performance is improved from convergence rate, steady state misalignment, and testing error points of view.
Experimental Approaches and Computational Workflows for Systematic Mapping and Functional Interpretation of RNA Modifications

In addition to four nucleotides in mRNA modified nucleotides are an essential addition to the standard genetic code in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Epitranscriptomics has emerged as a new field to study nucleotide modifications in mRNA and examine their impact on gene expression. Systematic analysis of their occurrence and functions of RNA modifications is still a challenge. Most of the RNA modifications are low in abundance and technical limitations to study multiple modifications at a time, however, add more challenges in studying RNA modifications. Antibody-based selective methods played a major role in identifying global maps of modified nucleotides in mRNA and noncoding RNA, but limit to modifications with known antibodies. Long read sequencing introduced by Oxford Nanopore and PacBio now promise to overcome such limitations. We summarize here recent progress in experimental and computational methods to detect RNA modifications at single site and transcriptomic level and posit that emerging technologies would enable high-resolution tissue-specific spatial maps of epitranscriptomes in years to come.
A comparison of gear tooth bending fatigue lives from single tooth bending and rotating gear tests

Gear tooth bending fatigue failures are instantaneously catastrophic to gear drive power transmission systems. For this reason, gear designers must understand the limits of their design with respect to the desired application and service time. Fatigue testing on gear specimens has been preferred metric on which to base future designs. Single Tooth Bending test (STB) or a Rotating Gear (RG) test methodologies have been used for this purpose. STB type tests generally form the large majority of gear fatigue testing due to cost and availability but does not fully simulate the actual operating conditions of rotating gears in service. As RG evaluations are costly and time-consuming, it is desirable to quantify how a stress-life (SN) relationship regressed through STB testing compares to that produced in RG testing. In this study, both STB and RG test methodologies are employed to test the same specimen design. Matrices of fatigue tests are executed and statistical regression techniques are used to estimate bending fatigue lives as a function of stress for both sets of data. The resultant SN curves are compared to determine any differences in allowable stress. Techniques are then employed using single set data (STBF or RG individually) to demonstrate the calculation of correlation coefficients, which can approximate the total difference determined between the two data sets.
Unexpected Linearly Stable Orbits in $3$-Dimensional Billiards

In this work, we construct linearly stable periodic orbits in $3$-dimensional domains with boundaries containing focusing components (small pieces of a sphere) where we place these components arbitrarily far apart. It demonstrates that we cannot directly implement the construction methods of planar billiards with focusing boundaries and chaotic properties into $3$-dimensional billiards.
Enhancing the Power of Channel Leaders

Effective leaderships necessary to maintain efficiency and cooperation within a marketing channel. Power is the major variable in determination of the channel leader. Institutional economics provides concepts which enhance the traditional marketing concepts of power. Using a case study, the concepts of social traps, boundaries, ordering the agenda, and transaction costs are used to elaborate upon the application of the traditional power sources.
Congestion-aware rate allocation for multipath video streaming over ad hoc wireless networks

For multipath video streaming over ad hoc wireless networks, received video quality is influenced by both the encoder performance and the delayed packet arrivals due to limited bandwidth. We propose a rate allocation scheme to optimize the expected received video quality based on simple models of encoder rate-distortion performance and network rate-congestion tradeoffs. Given the embedded bit-streams of a group of video frames and the cross traffic condition on a given set of paths, a gradient descent method is used to determine the amount of bits to be transmitted over the multiple paths for each frame. Two rate allocation strategies, layered representation and partial repetition are also investigated. Simulation results of video streaming over a 15-node wireless ad hoc network demonstrates the benefit of performing rate allocation optimization over a simple heuristic scheme. It is also shown that while layered representation is more efficient for mild delay constraints, partial repetition is more robust against packet losses.
The Problem of Modern Human Origins

Like many other scientific fields, paleoanthropology has been revolutionized by the late twentieth-century breakdown and reformulation of traditional disciplinary boundaries. Human paleontologists, who once dominated the field, must now draw increasingly on research by molecular geneticists, geochronologists, archeologists, and other specialists to address major paleoanthropological questions. As illustrated by the contributions to this volume, the multidisciplinary approach has especially influenced the fascinating and highly controversial issue of modern human origins. With these contributions in mind, my purpose here is to summarize the major competing explanations for modern human origins and to outline how genetics, geochronology, and archeology can help to choose between them.
A Model of Unsignalized Intersection Capacity Based on Erlang-3 Gap Distribution

A methodology is developed for the analysis of traffic flow at unsignalized intersections. Formulas for the estimation of the capacity of the minor street are derived analytically. The procedure can be applied to “T” intersections, as well as to four leg intersections with two lane major and /or two lane minor street, or minor street with a right turn bay.
Leveraging Metadata in No SQL Storage Systems

NoSQL systems have grown in popularity for storing big data because these systems offer high availability, i.e., Operations with high throughput and low latency. However, metadata in these systems are handled today in ad-hoc ways. We present Wasef, a system that treats metadata in a NoSQL database system, as first-class citizens. Metadata may include information such as: operational history for a database table (e.g., Columns), placement information for ranges of keys, and operational logs for data items (key-value pairs). Wasef allows the NoSQL system to store and query this metadata efficiently. We integrate Wasef into Apache Cassandra, one of the most popular key-value stores. We then implement three important use cases in Cassandra: dropping columns in a flexible manner, verifying data durability during migrational operations such as node decommissioning, and maintaining data provenance. Our experimental evaluation uses AWS EC2 instances and YCSB workloads. Our results show that Wasef: i) scales well with the size of the data and the metadata, ii) minimally affects throughput and operation latencies.
A self-organizing fuzzy logic control for friction compensation in feed drives

This paper introduces a new friction compensation strategy which utilizes a rule-based fuzzy logic controller whose parameters are self-tuned according to the previous performance of the controller and a friction model in the low-velocity range. The proposed controller as well as a conventional fuzzy logic controller and a PID controller were simulated and implemented on a 3-axis milling machine for contour milling. The simulations and experiments show that the proposed self-organizing fuzzy logic controller has superior performance in terms of the contour accuracy compared with the other two controllers.
Nonlinear stabilization of a spherical particle trapped in an optical tweezer

We describe the nonlinear equations of motion of a spherical particle trapped in an optical tweezer and outline the use of nonlinear feedback control to achieve global asymptotic stability of the origin. Control algorithms are derived for both an inertial system model and for a reduced order non-inertial model. The latter is well-suited for practical implementation and computer simulations show that the non-inertial control algorithm achieves not only global asymptotic stability, but also a faster settling time than the open loop system. We also show that the controller is very effective in reducing random position fluctuations due to thermal noise.
Coplanar striplines for THz frequencies: design, fabrication and measurements

We investigate the feasibility of coplanar striplines (CPS) in conjunction with infrared (IR) detectors. Since attenuation and dispersion issues dominate at IR, the analytical formulas for transmission line parameters valid below a few hundred GHz are not applicable at IR. Therefore, we perform numerical modeling to determine these parameters at 28.3 THz. Comparison of modeling with measured voltage response is presented.
Signal transduction: Why Ras needs Rho

The Rho protein is a small GTPase that, among its many functions, helps another small GTPase called Ras to transform cells to an oncogenic state. But which of Rho's functions is needed for this transformation? It turns out that Rho helps Ras by inhibiting another protein p21Waf1/Cip1. This protein normally inhibits the cell cycle, so, by preventing it from doing this, Rho enables Ras to carry out its function — driving cells into the cell cycle.
Kinetic Energy Release in Fission of U 238 , U 235 , Th 232 , and Bi 209 by High Energy Neutrons

The ionization produced by single fission fragments was observed in an ionization chamber using electron collection. If fission is induced by 90-Mev neutrons, the distribution of kinetic energy of the fission fragment versus the number of fragments is found to have a single peak in contrast to the double-peaked curve corresponding to the fission made by thermal neutrons. Fission induced by 45-Mev neutrons gives a distribution in which two peaks appear. The dip between the two peaks is about twenty percent of the height of the peaks. The mean kinetic energy is found to be 80\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2 Mev for ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$, 83\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5 Mev for ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$, 82\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2 Mev for ${\mathrm{Th}}^{232}$, and 71\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2 Mev for ${\mathrm{Bi}}^{209}$ in the case of fission produced by 90-Mev neutrons. The mean kinetic energy is 79\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3 Mev for ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$ and 84\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3 Mev for ${\mathrm{Th}}^{232}$ if 45-Mev neutrons are used. The most probable kinetic energy of the fragment is 83 Mev for ${\mathrm{U}}^{238}$, 80 Mev for ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$, 83 Mev for ${\mathrm{Th}}^{232}$, and 75 Mev for ${\mathrm{Bi}}^{209}$ in the case of fission produced by 90-Mev neutrons. The bearing of these observations on the mechanism of fission is discussed.
Calculating the response of an oscillator to arbitrary ground motion

In computing the response of a simple oscillator to arbitrary ground motion it is necessary to use arithmetical or graphical methods of solution. A direct arithmetical or graphical solution of the differential equation of motion will give the response of the oscillator, but the method given by Lord Rayleigh affords a considerable saving in labor.
Productivity and the search for congruence

Kenneth D. Mackenzie. author. distinguished professor. and business consultant. is president of OSI (Organizational Systems Inc.). He presently holds the Edmund P. Learned Distinguished Professorship in the School of Business at the University of Kansas. He is a consultant to a number of diverse firms in manufacturing. banking. savings and loan. service. wholesale distribution. and other. Dr. Mackenzie's consulting services have included personal counseling to the top executives of several multinational firms in the areas of executive succession. enhancement of corporate hierarchy and strategy development. Dr. Mackenzie is the author of four books and over 40 published works on organizational structure and behavior. He is also series editor for "Organizational Behavior" for AHM Publishing Company. He received his Ph.D. in Business Adminstration from the University of California at Berkeley. 1964. Since then. he has served as a professor at CarnegieMellon. Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. University of Waterloo. and the University of Kansas . . He is a member of many professional organizations including Operations Research Society of America. Institute of Management Sciences. American Psychological Association. American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Management Association. He is associate editor for the journal. Management Science. in the area of Organization Design and serves on the Editorial Board of Human SySlems Management. His work, and the work of his colleagues are nationally and internationally published. He is a speaker to various companies. universities and conferences across the U.S. He was recently invited to present a major position paper for the American Productivity Center's Conference on Productivity Research. Dr. Mackenzie presented a paper entitled "Manpower Waste" to a joint national meeting of ORSA/ TIMS. and CORS in Toronto. Ontario in May 1981. He has collaborated with two colleagues from Canada on another paper "Human Resource Planning and Organizational Design" presented at the NATO Symposium in West Germany in June 1981.
Why Do White Americans Support the Death Penalty

This article explores the roots of white support for capital punishment in the United States. Our analysis addresses individual-level and contextual factors, paying particular attention to how racial attitudes and racial composition influence white support for capital punishment. Our findings suggest that white support hinges on a range of attitudes wider than prior research has indicated, including social and governmental trust and individualist and authoritarian values. Extending individual-level analyses, we also find that white responses to capital punishment are sensitive to local context. Perhaps most important, our results clarify the impact of race in two ways. First, racial prejudice emerges here as a comparatively strong predictor of white support for the death penalty. Second, black residential proximity functions to polarize white opinion along lines of racial attitude. As the black percentage of county residents rises, so too does the impact of racial prejudice on white support for capital pu...
Evidence of multiple vicariance in a marine suture-zone in the Gulf of Mexico

Aim Our aim was to assess whether single or multiple vicariance event(s) have occurred in a marine suture-zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We estimated the divergence time of two genetically distinct groups of lane snapper (Lutjanus synagris), distributed on either side of this zone, and compared it to the timing of other vicariance events described previously in the area. Location The northern Gulf of Mexico from the Texas coastline to the Atlantic coast of South Florida, USA. The marine suture-zone is proximal to Mobile Bay in Alabama. Methods A Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach was used to estimate mutation-corrected divergence and genetic migration between eastern and western groups of lane snapper, based on genotypic differences at 13 nuclear-encoded microsatellites obtained previously from 77 and 171 individual samples, respectively. A second estimate of divergence time for eastern and western groups of lane snapper was generated, based on 590 base pairs of DNA sequence from the mitochondrially encoded NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4) obtained previously from 45 and 93 individual samples, respectively. Results Both classes of genetic markers (microsatellites and mtDNA) indicated a fairly recent divergence. Confidence intervals for microsatellite-based estimates suggested that divergence began less than 21 thousand years ago (ka), while confidence intervals for mitochondrial DNA-based estimates suggested divergence began less than 130 ka. These estimates were not consistent with vicariance events in the literature, which are hypothesized to have occurred well before 135 ka. Main conclusions These results indicate that the marine suture-zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico features multiple vicariance events and may be characterized by a complex geological/environmental history. We suggest that processes during or after the Wisconsin glaciation (c. 110–18 ka) may have created a previously unrecognized barrier for lane snapper and possibly other species as well.
Studies with mustards. Iv. Effects of nitrogen mustard treatment of deoxyribonuclease and deoxyribonucleic acid upon the enzymic degradation of deoxyribonucleic acid.

Abstract Treatment of either deoxyribonuclease or deoxyribonucleic acid with nitrogen mustard caused a decrease in the rate of enzymic degradation of deoxyribonucleic acid, and the treatment of the nucleic acid caused a greater decrease than treatment of the enzyme. The significance of this finding is discussed.
A linear accelerator monitor unit totalizer

An independent primary dose counter or totalizer has been developed for our linear accelerator. This counter is reset independently of the control console and thus will totalize the number of monitor units (MUs) delivered to the patient. This is especially useful for patients being treated at extended distances when it is necessary to reset the control console several times. The independent totalizer does not load down the control console dosimetry circuit and can be adapted to the digital logic used. The details of the system will be presented.
Antimicrobial properties of nisin after glycation with lactose, maltodextrin and dextran and the thyme oil emulsions prepared thereof.

Abstract To clarify the reported conflicting antimicrobial activities of nisin after glycation, nisin was glycated with lactose, maltodextrin, and dextran at 70 °C and 50% relative humidity for 1–24 h. Nisin before and after glycation was studied for the first time to prepare thyme oil emulsions. The activity of glycated nisin and the thyme oil emulsions was tested in both tryptic soy broth (TSB) and 2% reduced fat milk. Results showed that nisin glycated with a smaller saccharide for a longer duration had a higher degree of glycation and the reduced number of positive charges lowered its antibacterial activity. The emulsified thyme oil had an additive effect with either glycated or native nisin against Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and Bacillus subtilis in TSB and 2% reduced fat milk. However, emulsions were less effective against L. monocytogenes Scott A in milk than same units of native nisin and same concentration of free thyme oil, likely due to the reduced availability of thymol and carvacrol, the main components of thyme oil. These results showed that glycation of nisin cannot broaden its antimicrobial activity and nisin is not a good compound to prepare emulsions of essential oils.
High-frequency wireless charging system study based on normally-off GaN HEMTs

The Gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) has become popular in the power electronics industry as it offers the possibility to reach lower switching loss and higher switching frequency compared to Si devices. This paper adopts a normally-off GaN HEMT in the wireless power transfer (WPT) system to charge a 48V battery pack on the E scooter. 178W power was delivered to the battery pack with 813 kHz switching. A simulation model of GaN HEMT is also built in LTspice to itemize the system loss. At the end some thoughts of improving the system efficiency were proposed.
User interfaces for electronic product catalogs

The number of Internet users and goods sold over the Internet is increasing rapidly. To keep this momentum user interfaces for electronic shops have to adapt to and anticipate the changing needs of buyers and merchants on the Internet. A CHI98 workshop on future interfaces for e-commerce [1] confirmed that electronic product catalogs are a a rapidly evolving area where advanced HCI techniques can play an important role in the creation of successful product catalogs.Only recently these catalogs have started to evolve from a static set of inter-linked web-pages into dynamic interfaces that better exploit the possibilities of the computational and networked medium. There are a number of driving forces for this development:• Increased competition between catalog operators makes it important to design catalogs in such a way that they attract customers, keep customers exploring, and make customers return.• Marketing new types of products requires new types of interfaces. For example selling complex products electronically will require additional support for buyers to make them confident in their choice.• The increased number of products, product options, product reviews, and supplier evaluations create the challenge of organizing this information in a way that is useful for the needs of individual buyers.• With the increased number of Internet users, new classes of buyers with very different needs and expectations become apparent. For example, a catalog that wants to attract shoppers that mainly come for entertainment will be different from a catalog that wants to attract bargain hunters. Some of these buyers might also be interested in new ways of buying like auctions and request-for-proposals, that were traditionally only available for professionals.A number of HCI techniques have been applied to electronic product catalogs. Among them direct manipulation, information visualization, personalization, user modeling, and anthropomorphic interface agents.The goal of this SIG is to deepen the understanding of the challenges that have to be approached by electronic product catalogs, collect information about prototypical systems, and to share experiences gained with applying HCI techniques to improve electronic product catalogs.
Evaluation of photoacid generators in chemically amplified resists for x-ray lithography using an on-wafer photoacid determination technique

This paper reports an on-wafer photoacid determination technique that can be used to quickly screen materials that function as photoacid generators (PAGs). The technique includes adding a small amount of a pH-sensitive fluorophore into the resist and exposing the resist to x-rays. The acid generated during exposure reacts with the fluorophore and quenches the fluorescence. The efficiency of photoacid generation is evaluated by comparing the degree of fluorescence quenching. This technique is nondestructive, fast, and does not significantly change the resist chemical properties given the low concentration of the added fluorophore. Six compounds that can generate hydrogen halides as potential PAGs were evaluated using this on-wafer technique and the lithographic performance was evaluated for comparison. The commercial resist, Shipley SAL 605, is used as a reference for comparison. The result showed that TBBPA gave higher photoacid generation efficiency that TCBPA and PBP, but lower than that in SAL 605. The results of fluorescence measurements agree with the results obtained using normalized remaining thickness measurements. The advantages, however, of this fluorescence technique are that it is simple, fast, and requires fewer processing steps.
The role of complement C3 in intracerebral hemorrhage-induced brain injury

Activation of the complement cascade contributes to brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). However, a recent study found that complement C5 deficient mice had enhanced ICH-induced brain injury. The present study, therefore, investigated the role of complement C3 (which is upstream from C5) in ICH. Male complement C3 deficient and sufficient mice had an intracerebral infusion of 30-muL autologous whole blood. The mice were killed and the brains were sampled for edema, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and histologic analysis. Behavioral tests including forelimb use asymmetry test and corner turn were also performed before and after ICH. Compared to complement C3 sufficient mice, C3 deficient mice had less brain edema, lower hemeoxygenase-1 levels, less microglia activation and neutrophil infiltration around the clot after ICH. In addition, the C3-deficient mice had less ICH-induced forelimb use asymmetry deficits compared with C3-sufficient mice. These results suggest complement activation may affect heme metabolism and the inflammatory response after ICH suggesting that complement C3 is an important factor causing ICH-induced brain injury.