cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TinyCNN: A Tiny Modular CNN Accelerator for Embedded FPGA

In recent years, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based methods have achieved great success in a large number of applications and have been among the most powerful and widely used techniques in computer vision. However, CNN-based methods are computational-intensive and resource-consuming, and thus are hard to be integrated into embedded systems such as smart phones, smart glasses, and robots. FPGA is one of the most promising platforms for accelerating CNN, but the limited on-chip memory size limit the performance of FPGA accelerator for CNN. In this paper, we propose a framework for designing CNN accelerator on embedded FPGA for image classification. The proposed framework provides a tool for FPGA resource-aware design space exploration of CNNs and automatically generates the hardware description of the CNN to be programmed on a target FPGA. The framework consists of three main backends; software, hardware generation, and simulation/precision adjustment. The software backend serves as an API to the designer to design the CNN and train it according to the hardware resources that are available. Using the CNN model, hardware backend generates the necessary hardware components and integrates them to generate the hardware description of the CNN. Finaly, Simulation/precision adjustment backend adjusts the inter-layer precision units to minimize the classification error. We used 16-bit fixed-point data in a CNN accelerator (FPGA) and compared it to the exactly similar software version running on an ARM processor (32-bit floating point data). We encounter about 3% accuracy loss in classification of the accelerated (FPGA) version. In return, we got up to 15.75x speedup by classifying with the accelerated version on the FPGA.
3D printed PLA Army-Navy retractors when used as linear retractors yield clinically acceptable tolerances

Modern low-cost 3D printing technologies offer the promise of access to surgical tools in resource scarce areas, however optimal designs for manufacturing have not yet been established. We explore how the optimization of 3D printing parameters when manufacturing polylactic acid filament based Army-Navy retractors vastly increases the strength of retractors, and investigate sources of variability in retractor strength, material cost, printing time, and parameter limitations. Standard retractors were printed from various polylactic acid filament spools intra-manufacturer and inter-manufacturer to measure variability in retractor strength. Printing parameters were systematically varied to determine optimum printing parameters. These parameters include retractor width, thickness, infill percentage, infill geometry, perimeter number, and a reinforced joint design. Estimated retractor mass from computer models allows us to estimate material cost. We found statistically significant differences in retractor strength between spools of the same manufacturer and between manufacturers. We determined the true strength optimized retractor to have 30% infill, 3 perimeters, 0.25 in. thickness, 0.75 in. width, and has “Triangle” infill geometry and reinforced joints, failing at more than 15X the threshold for clinically excessive retraction and costs $1.25 USD. The optimization of 3D printed Army-Navy retractors greatly improve the efficacy of this instrument and expedite the adoption of 3D printing technology in many diverse fields in medicine not necessarily limited to resource poor settings.
Is the Quality of Generic Drugs Cause for Concern

DISCLOSURES: No funding supported the writing of this article. The author has nothing to disclose.
Trends in heroin use among women of reproductive age in the United States, 2004-2017.

Abstract Opioid use during pregnancy has been linked to several adverse outcomes including stillbirth, preterm birth and neonatal abstinence syndrome. Recent data suggest that heroin use has increased in the United States (US) whereas prescription opioid use has decreased. Prevalence estimates for reproductive age women combine heroin and non-medical prescription opioid use, which might mask the increasing heroin trend. The aim of the current study is to estimate the prevalence of heroin use among US women of reproductive age, stratified by pregnancy status. For each year, a representative sample of the US civilian non-institutionalized population is recruited for the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Pregnancy status and heroin use were assessed in women 15–44 years of age (n = 277,333) using audio computerized-assisted self-interviews. From 2004 to 2017, the prevalence of past 30-day heroin use was 12 per 10,000 reproductive age women (95% confidence interval [CI] = 11, 14). Heroin use has increased from 6 per 10,000 women in 2004–05 to 18 per 10,000 women in 2016–17 (Average percent change = 20.8; 95% 11.2, 31.2). The increase was evident among non-pregnant women, but not among pregnant women. Heroin use remains uncommon among women of reproductive age, yet its prevalence has increased over time. Screening for heroin use might be needed at multiple time points including prior to pregnancy to mitigate adverse outcomes associated with use during pregnancy.
Steric effects in light-induced solvent proton abstraction.

The significance of solvent structural factors in the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) reactions of Schiff bases with alcohols is reported here. We use the super photobase FR0-SB and a series of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohol solvents to illustrate the steric issues associated with solvent to photobase proton transfer. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence data show that ESPT occurs readily for primary alcohols, with a probability proportional to the relative –OH concentration. For secondary alcohols, ESPT is greatly diminished, consistent with the barrier heights obtained using quantum chemistry calculations. ESPT is not observed in the tertiary alcohol. We explain ESPT using a model involving an intermediate hydrogen-bonded complex where the proton is “shared” by the Schiff base and the alcohol. The formation of this complex depends on the ability of the alcohol solvent to achieve spatial proximity to and alignment with the FR0-SB* imine lone pair stabilized by the solvent environment.
Oncology Nurses’ Identified Educational Needs for Providing Palliative Care:

Oncology nurses are primary providers of care to persons with cancer (PWC) and play a crucial role in providing palliative care (PC) to this population. However, little is known about the educational needs of oncology nurses when providing PC to PWC. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate oncology nurses' educational needs in providing the eight domains of PC listed in the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (NCP) guidelines to PWC. A nationally representative sample of oncology nurses who are members of the Oncology Nursing Society responded to two open-ended questions. Results showed the majority of the 303 respondents defined the term "PC" as primarily being symptom management. Oncology nurses (n = 246) expressed educational needs in all eight domains of PC. These nurses need additional education in the provision of PC in order to deliver holistic, person-centered care to PWC.
Translating Expertise across Work Contexts: U.S. Puppeteers Move from Stage to Screen:

Expertise is a key currency in today’s knowledge economy. Yet as experts increasingly move across work contexts, how expertise translates across contexts is less well understood. Here, we examine h...
Sport for All: Perspectives Toward the 21st Century: 展望廿一世紀的大眾體育

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract in Chinese only.東西文化的轉換所提供的大量機會使大眾生活質量得以迅速提高。工業技術的發展增加了人民的餘暇時間，也為人們提供更多的休閑活動，使人們的生活更健康和快樂。本文作者從不同的體育社會學觀點，探討及展望未來新紀元的大眾體育。並強調體育運動是一條重要的紐帶，它跨越時空，將傳統和社會價值相聯結。它也將繼續作為一種社會的錨鏈，固定在世界 變革的大海之中，影響著個人和整個社會。
Higher diet quality relates to decelerated epigenetic aging

BACKGROUND DNA methylation-based epigenetic age measures have been used as biological aging markers and are associated with a healthy lifespan. Few population-based studies have examined the relation between diet and epigenetic age acceleration. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the relation between diet quality and epigenetic age acceleration. METHODS We analyzed data from 1995 participants (mean age, 67 years; 55% women) of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. Cross-sectional associations between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score and 3 whole-blood DNA methylation-derived epigenetic age acceleration measures-Dunedin Pace of Aging Methylation (DunedinPoAm), GrimAge acceleration (GrimAA), and PhenoAge acceleration (PhenoAA)-were examined. A mediation analysis was conducted to assess the mediating role of epigenetic age acceleration in relation to DASH and all-cause mortality. RESULTS A higher DASH score was associated with lower levels of DunedinPoAm (β = -0.05; SE = 0.02; P = 0.007), GrimAA (β = -0.09; SE = 0.02; P < 0.001), and PhenoAA (β = -0.07; SE = 0.02; P = 0.001). All 3 epigenetic measures mediated the association between the DASH score and all-cause mortality, with mean proportions of 22.1% for DunedinPoAm (Pmediation = 0.04), 45.1% for GrimAA (Pmediation = 0.001), and 22.9% for PhenoAA (Pmediation = 0.03). An interaction was observed between the DASH score and smoking status in relation to the epigenetic aging markers. The association between the DASH score and epigenetic aging markers tended to be stronger in "ever-smokers" (former and current smokers) compared to "never-smokers." The proportions of mediation were 31.3% for DunedinPoAm, 46.8% for GrimAA, and 10.3% for PhenoAA in ever-smokers, whereas no significant mediation was observed in never-smokers. CONCLUSIONS Higher diet quality is associated with slower epigenetic age acceleration, which partially explains the beneficial effect of diet quality on the lifespan. Our findings emphasize that adopting a healthy diet is crucial for maintaining healthy aging.
Plasma Source Mass Spectrometry in Experimental Nutrition

The development and commercial availability of plasma ion source, specifically inductively coupled plasma, mass spectrometers (ICP-MS) have significantly extended the potential application of stable isotopes for nutritional modeling. The status of research and commercial ICP-MS instruments, and their applications and limitations for stable isotopic studies are reviewed. The consequences of mass spectroscopic resolution and measurement sensitivity obtainable with quadrupole, sector, time-of-flight, and trap instruments on stable isotope analysis are examined. Requirements for reliable isotope measurements with practical biological samples including tissues and fluids are considered. The possibility for stable isotope analysis in chemically separated compounds (speciation) also is explored. On-line compound separations by chromatography or electrophoresis, for example, have been combined instrumentally with ICP-MS. Some possibilities and requirements are described for stable isotope speciation analysis.
Solid phase microextraction (SPME) sampling under turbulent conditions and for the simultaneous collecting of tracer gases

Abstract Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is a solvent-free method of sample collection. SPME is an appealing method for sample collection because it is designed for the sampling of trace level analytes with short sampling times in a variety of environments. Additionally, SPME can be used to directly deliver a sample to a gas chromatograph (GC) for analysis by means of thermal desorption. In this paper, the performance of SPME under dynamic conditions was investigated. Additionally, the competence of SPME sampling for the simultaneous analysis of multiple trace analytes was also evaluated. This work is discussed in the context of underground mine ventilation surveys but is applicable to any industry in which ventilation circuits must be evaluated. The results of this paper showed that the performance of the 100 μm PDMS SPME fiber was both precise and rapid under dynamic conditions. This SPME fiber was also able to simultaneously collect sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) and perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PMCH) with adequate sensitivity.
Towards automated cellular image segmentation for RNAi genome-wide screening

The Rho family of small GTPases is essential for morphological changes during normal cell development and migration, as well as during disease states such as cancer. Our goal is to identify novel effectors of Rho proteins using a cell-based assay for Rho activity to perform genome-wide functional screens using double stranded RNA (dsRNAs) interference. We aim to discover genes could cause the cell phenotype changed dramatically. Biologists currently attempt to perform the genome-wide RNAi screening to identify various image phenotypes. RNAi genome-wide screening, however, could easily generate more than a million of images per study, manual analysis is thus prohibitive. Image analysis becomes a bottleneck in realizing high content imaging screens. We propose a two-step segmentation approach to solve this problem. First, we determine the center of a cell using the information in the DNA-channel by segmenting the DNA nuclei and the dissimilarity function is employed to attenuate the over-segmentation problem, then we estimate a rough boundary for each cell using a polygon. Second, we apply fuzzy c-means based multi-threshold segmentation and sharpening technology; for isolation of touching spots, marker-controlled watershed is employed to remove touching cells. Furthermore, Voronoi diagrams are employed to correct the segmentation errors caused by overlapping cells. Image features are extracted for each cell. K-nearest neighbor classifier (KNN) is employed to perform cell phenotype classification. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can be used to identify cell phenotypes of RNAi genome-wide screens.
Bioarchaeology in the United Arab Emirates

Physical anthropology and bioarchaeology (one of the newer interdisciplinary sub-disciplines) are alive and well in the U.A.E. Older analytical approaches that rely on subjective observations and non-systematic study of human remains are being replaced with more biocultural and processual approaches that integrate biological data from human remains within a broader archaeological and cultural context. With the publication of a major synthetic work based on analysis of the human remains from Jebel al-Buhais, a new era of skeletal analysis in the U.A.E. has been heralded. This short review examines the ways that skeletal analysis can be integrated within broader archaeological contexts.
A state comparison of vocational rehabilitation support of youth with intellectual disabilities' participation in postsecondary education

In this study a secondary data analysis was conducted using the Rehabilitation Services Administration's 911 dataset. The findings provide an update on the role of Vocational Rehabilitation in promoting participation in postsecondary education for individuals with intellectual disabilities, by providing data that focuses on youth with intellectual disabilities in comparison with youth with other disabilities, and by highlighting differences across states nationwide (i.e., postsecondary education status upon exiting the VR system). Overall, this study showed that state VR programs play an important role in assisting youth with intellectual disabilities to participate in postsecondary education, although to a lesser extent than youth with other disabilities. Findings indicated that youth with intellectual disabilities were substantially less likely to participate in postsecondary education while in the VR system compared to youth with other disabilities, their participation varied substantially across states, and participation remained static, nationally, between 2006-2010, despite positive trends in several state VR programs.
Is Patent Claim Interpretation Review Deference or Correction Driven

This article examines the Federal Circuit’s review of claim constructions by lower tribunals to determine whether the Federal Circuit defers to lower court constructions or is making its own, independent determination as to the “correct” construction and ultimate result in the case.The data collected from 2010 to 2013 indicates that the Federal Circuit affirms about 75% of lower court claim interpretations. While this finding is itself surprising, even more surprising is that these reviews do not appear to be driven by deference. Instead, the Federal Circuit is unlikely to correct constructions that resulted in a patentee lose below, and the court is more likely to reverse claim constructions that resulted below in patentee wins. And this difference is magnified in cases involving electronics, information technologies, or business methods, with such patentees fairing even worse than others in claim construction appeals.These findings suggest that the Federal Circuit’s review of claim interpretations is still truly de novo and performed to correct lower court decisions (a) where patentees win and (b) especially where patents covering electronics, information technologies, and business methods succeed.
Polymer microarray technology for stem cell engineering

Abstract Stem cells hold remarkable promise for applications in tissue engineering and disease modeling. During the past decade, significant progress has been made in developing soluble factors (e.g., small molecules and growth factors) to direct stem cells into a desired phenotype. However, the current lack of suitable synthetic materials to regulate stem cell activity has limited the realization of the enormous potential of stem cells. This can be attributed to a large number of materials properties (e.g., chemical structures and physical properties of materials) that can affect stem cell fate. This makes it challenging to design biomaterials to direct stem cell behavior. To address this, polymer microarray technology has been developed to rapidly identify materials for a variety of stem cell applications. In this article, we summarize recent developments in polymer array technology and their applications in stem cell engineering. Statement of significance Stem cells hold remarkable promise for applications in tissue engineering and disease modeling. In the last decade, significant progress has been made in developing chemically defined media to direct stem cells into a desired phenotype. However, the current lack of the suitable synthetic materials to regulate stem cell activities has been limiting the realization of the potential of stem cells. This can be attributed to the number of variables in material properties (e.g., chemical structures and physical properties) that can affect stem cells. Polymer microarray technology has shown to be a powerful tool to rapidly identify materials for a variety of stem cell applications. Here we summarize recent developments in polymer array technology and their applications in stem cell engineering.
Can't Get Ahead for Falling Behind: New Directions for Development Policy to Escape Poverty and Relief Traps

"Can't get ahead for falling behind." The entrapment and powerlessness this phrase evokes applies as much to development policy caught in a vicious circle of vulnerability, crisis and reactive aid as it does to the lives of the very people aid policies are designed to benefit. We consider these in turn, first exploring the trap of reactive aid which recent research suggests is costly of limited effectiveness, and commonly crowds out efforts to address underlying structures that create and perpetuate vulnerability. We then consider the related micro-level poverty traps that emerging analysis attributes largely to the ills of dysfunctional factor markets compounded by social exclusion. Both traps can be escaped only through a simultaneous effort to retarget development assistance to firm up factor markets and crowd-in investment. Foreign aid must be properly targeted toward remedying market deficiencies that set vulnerability traps for both the poorest and for development assistance.
Where do we go from here? A small scale observation of transfer results from chronic to skilled ventilator facilities

Abstract Purpose Skilled nursing facility ventilator units (SNF) are a recent attempt to reduce the costs of an increasing number of patients who are in acute intensive care units and are not able to be liberated from ventilators. Transfers of such patients from long-term care chronic vent units (LTCVs) to SNFs in Maryland began in 2006. The safety of these transfers needs to be assessed. Methods We retrospectively followed up all patients designated as eligible by their insurance for transfer from our LTCV units to SNF from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010 looking only at survival. Those patients who refused transfer and appealed and remained in our LTCV were compared to those who were transferred to SNF ventilator units. The analysis was by Kaplan-Meier statistics. Results There was an increased mortality ( P = .025) of those transferred to SNF ventilator facilities as compared to those remaining in the LTCV. Conclusion We recognize that bias may occur in patients choosing to remain in our LTCV compared to those accepting transfers, the magnitude of the difference in mortality indicates the need for more comprehensive well designed analysis investigating the outcome of all transfers occurring to and from LTCVs.
Indexing of powder diffraction patterns by iterative use of singular value decomposition

A fast method for indexing powder diffraction patterns has been developed for large and small lattices of all symmetries. The method is relatively insensitive to impurity peaks and missing high d-spacings: on simulated data, little effect in terms of successful indexing has been observed when one in three d-spacings are randomly removed. Comparison with three of the most popular indexing programs, namely ITO, DICVOL91 and TREOR90, has shown that the present method as implemented in the program TOPAS is more successful at indexing simulated data. Also significant is that the present method performs well on typically noisy data with large diffractometer zero errors. Critical to its success, the present method uses singular value decomposition in an iterative manner for solving linear equations relating hkl values to d-spacings.
Fluctuations of T- and B-cell subsets in basic protein-induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in long-tailed macaques

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) was induced in long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) by inoculation of autologous myelin basic protein (BP) in complete Freund's adjuvant. Natural killer (NK) cell activity and lymphocyte subsets detected by one- and two-color immunofluorescence were monitored longitudinally in these animals. A decrease in NK cell activity was detected at the onset of clinically defined disease. During the preclinical phase of EAE (5-7 days before the onset of clinical signs) the absolute number of T helper (CD4+) and T suppressor (CD8+) cells in the peripheral blood decreased significantly. Analysis of peripheral blood B cells revealed a selective depletion of IgD+ B cells and a corresponding increase in the number of IgD- B cells prior to and during the onset of clinical signs. Total B-cell numbers were not significantly different between EAE and normal groups. The increased proportion of IgD- B cells in BP-sensitized animals corresponded with the appearance of high titers of circulating anti-BP antibodies. Thus two-color analysis of B-cell subsets may be a sensitive indicator of B-cell activation and of abnormal immune status in EAE. Changes in lymphocyte subsets in macaques with EAE are compared with those in humans with multiple sclerosis.
A MULTIOBJECTIVE APPROACH TO VENDOR SELECTION

Abstract Purchases from vendors involve significant costs for many firms. Decisions related to these purchases include the selection of vendors and the determination of order quantities to be placed with the selected vendors. Such decisions are frequently multiobjective in nature. That is, they are evaluated by more than one criterion. At least 23 criteria for various vendor selection problems have been identified. In this article, we present a multiobjective approach to systematically analyze the inherent tradeoffs involved in multicriteria vendor selection problems. The approach is motivated by, and demonstrated with, an actual purchasing problem facing a division of a Fortune 500 company.
Study of adsorption on polymer by ellipsometry

Abstract The theory of diffusion-controlled adsorption on planar surfaces is developed. The adsorption and heats of adsorption on polymers on planar surfaces were studied by ellipsometric (equilibrium and kinetic) methods and contact angle techniques. The method of planar surfaces analysis for polymer films based on an analysis of adsorption kinetics is introduced. This method offers advantages over the methods based on the analysis of adsorption equilibrium and on the contact angle technique, since it lends itself to direct study of the non-equilibrium processes on planar polymer surfaces.
Improving the Diagnostic Accuracy of the Total and Differential WBC in Early Onset Neonatal Sepsis. 1416

Cut off values for Total/Differential WBC as used for sepsis screening results in low sensitivity and low positive predictive value; and therefore it has been thought to be too restrictive. To improve the performance of the test, the total WBC, absolute neutrophil count and I/T ratio in newborns with culture proven sepsis (n=20) were compared with non-septic controls (n=31); using receiver operator curves (ROC) to determine their relative accuracy and revise the positivity (for infection) criteria.
Kinetic Alfven waves on auroral field lines

It is suggested on the basis of several observations of Alfven waves near auroral arcs that kinetic Alfven waves play a significant role in the process of particle acceleration. The characteristic properties of kinetic Alfven waves are summarized according to the theoretical classifications provided by Hasegawa and Mima (1979). The resonant coupling of large-scale surface waves to kinetic Alfven waves is also discussed. It is shown that kinetic Alfven waves can explain observations of what have previously been known as 'electrostatic' shocks.
General Effect of Envelope Normalization in Adaptive Array Control Loops

The properties of an adaptive array antenna, including transient response rate and control loop noise, depend on the intensity of the external noise field. The dependence can be reduced by a general envelope normalization. This can be done without degrading the performance of the adaptive array. Special cases of the normalization are envelope limiting, considered in [4], and one-bit digitization of the real and imaginary parts of the signal from which the envelopes are formed, considered in [5]. Another important special case is one-bit digitization of the imaginary part of the signal from which the envelopes are formed while the real part is set to zero.
Spectrophotometric studies on the reaction of cobalt with 4-(2-pyridylazo)-1,3-diaminobenzene and its halogen derivatives

Abstract Cobalt reacts with 4-(2-pyridylazo)-1,3-diaminobenzene (PADAB) and its halogen derivatives to form CoL 2 complexes. These complexes are changed into other deeply coloured monoprotonated complexes, CoL 2 H + , and diprotonated complexes, CoL 2 H 2+ 2 , by the addition of hydrochloric or other mineral acids. The diprotonated complexes have extremely high molar absorptivities; the values for PADAB and 4-[(5-bromo-2-pyridyl)azo]-1,3-diaminobenzene (5-Br-PADAB) are 1.07 and 1.17·10 5 1 mol −1 cm −1 , respectively. The CoL 2 complexes can be extracted quantitatively by 3-methyl-1-butanol or tributylphosphate, and then cobalt can be back-extracted into an acidic aqueous phase as its diprotonated complexes CoL 2 H 2+ 2 . The acid dissociation constants of the ligand, composition of the complexes, protonation constants of the complexes, and valency state of cobalt, are described in detail.
Tissue-specific regulation of IGF-I and IGF-binding proteins in response to TNFα

Abstract The circulating concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is regulated by both its rate of synthesis and its ability to form stable complexes with IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). An equilibrium between IGF-I and IGFBPs is thought to help maintain muscle protein balance. In contrast, catabolic conditions disrupt the IGF system and result in the loss of skeletal muscle protein. We have examined the mechanisms by which tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), a catabolic cytokine, alters the IGF system. Conscious rats were infused intravenously with recombinant human TNFα or vehicle for 24 h. TNFα decreased the concentration of both total and free IGF-I in the plasma (30–40%). This change was associated with a reduction in IGF-I mRNA expression in liver (39%), gastrocnemius (73%), soleus (46%) and heart (63%), but a 2.5-fold increase in the whole kidney. In contrast, TNFα did not alter IGF-II mRNA expression in skeletal muscle. TNFα also increased IGFBP-1 in the blood (4-fold) and this response was associated with an increase in IGFBP-1 mRNA expression in both liver (3-fold) and kidney (9-fold). In contrast, IGFBP-3 levels in the blood were reduced 38% in response to the infusion of TNFα. This change was accompanied by a 60–80% reduction of IGFBP-3 mRNA in liver and kidney but no significant change in muscle. Hepatic mRNA levels of the acid-labile subunit were also reduced by TNFα (46%). Finally, tissue expression of mac25 (also referred to IGFBP-related protein-1) mRNA was increased in gastrocnemius (50%) but remained unchanged in liver and kidney. These results more fully characterize the changes in various elements of the IGF system and, thereby, provide potential mechanisms for the alterations in the circulating IGF system as well as for changes in tissue metabolism observed during catabolic insults associated with increased TNFα expression.
Diffusivity of 125I-calmodulin through collagen membranes: effect of source concentration and membrane swelling ratio.

Abstract Diffusivity of 125l-calmodulin (MW ∼- 17 000) through collagen membranes was studied as a model for the release of macromolecules from collagen matrices. The diffusion coefficient of calmodulin through collagen membranes was determined from time-lag experiments conducted in a dialysis cell at 24°C. Based on time-lag experiments, the diffusion coefficient was observed to be a function of source concentration and membrane swelling ratio after denaturation. The dependence of the diffusion coefficient on source concentration was consistent with a model involving calmodulin immobilization by the collagen membrane. At high source concentrations the diffusion coefficient of calmodulin through collagen membranes was observed to vary from about 10−8 for uncrosslinked membranes to 10−9 cm2/s for highly crosslinked membranes. Based on theoretical calculations, the release rate from collagen matrices may be altered by a factor of three. It was concluded that the release rate of biologically active molecules from collagen matrices can be controlled by varying the extent of crosslinking and the macromolecular concentration. Further studies are necessary to characterize the release of other macromolecules from collagen matrices.
Addressing environmental concerns in closed loop supply chain design and planning

Abstract This research integrates environmental concerns in a closed loop supply chain (SC) model to improve overall SC performance in terms of sustainability and business operational metrics. The model includes modular product design for facilitating faster manufacturing, disassembly, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and repairing using new, reusable and repairable components, and modular subassemblies. The model plans sustainable module formation; production process for components and products, and transportation and distribution routes to obtain optimum business performances and address environmental concerns for harmful emissions and spent energy. The research proposes to collect end-of-life and other customer returned products through retailers by motivating retailers and customers with an incentive scheme. Refurbishing, recovery, and repair works for the components and modules are managed by the SC through a pool of service providers trained by their manufacturing plants for such recovery works. Numerical example illustrates the applicability of the approach and the model.
Complementary laminar terminations of afferents to area 17 originating in area 18 and in the lateral geniculate nucleus in squirrel monkey

The projections from area 18 and the lateral geniculate nucleus onto area 17 of the squirrel monkey (Saimiri) were investigated with retrograde (horseradish peroxidase) and anterograde (tritiated proline) labelling techniques, and the (Fink-Heimer) silver impregnation method for degenerating axons and their terminals. The association fibers from area 18 terminated in all layers of area 17 except in layer IV and in the lower aspect of layer IIIc. The greatest number of terminals were in layers I, V and VI. The bulk of geniculocortical fibers terminated in layer IV and the lower aspect of layer IIIc; a minority of the geniculocortical fibers terminated in layer VI and the lower aspect of layer IIIb. Thus, the majority of fibers from the two sources investigated terminate in a complementary laminar fashion in area 17. The portion of area 17 on the lateral surface of the hemisphere, where the central visual field is represented, received a less dense projection from the geniculate nucleus than the striate cortex in the calcarine fissure, where the peripheral visual field is represented. Ocular dominance columns were not apparent in the striate cortex. No evidence was found that the lateral geniculate nucleus projects to area 18. The results of combined injections of horseradish peroxidase and tritiated proline in area 17 indicated a point-to-point reciprocity between area 17 and the ipsilateral lateral geniculate nucleus.
Parameter comparison for low-noise Mo/Au TES bolometers

Abstract We describe a comparative investigation of the parameters of MoAu-bilayer TES bolometers designed for infrared detectors. A set of devices with variations in geometry were fabricated at the NASA/GSFC detector development facility. These detectors have different bilayer aspect ratios (providing differing normal state resistances and current densities), and have varieties of normal metal regions to study the effects of geometry on noise. These normal metal regions are oriented either parallel to or transverse to the direction of current flow, or both. The lowest noise detectors are found to have normal metal regions oriented transversely. For about a dozen different devices, we have measured a large set of parameters by means of a suite of tests. These include complex impedance measurements to derive time constants; IV curves to determine resistance and power; thermal conductance measurements; noise measurements as a function of device resistance; and direct resistance vs. temperature measurements.
Innovations in Doctoral Education: Distance Education Methodology Applied

This study evaluated the impact of a distance education program to meet the practice learning needs of first‐year doctoral students. The program, a six‐session case‐based telephonic seminar, was taught to 19 first‐year doctoral students. Evaluation of the program included self‐report quantitative and qualitative data gathered pre‐ and postseminar, as well as qualitative data gathered three months postseminar. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed increased reports of practice competencies by the conclusion of the seminar. Analysis also illustrated the importance of continued evaluation given the small sample size and pilot nature of this unique distance education program.
Eigen-space analysis of constrained adaptive radar waveform design

The trade-space of performance gain versus implementation cost is an important topic in transmit-adaptive radar processing. For signal design, one must be concerned with the signal-to-noise and interference ratio (SINR) gain, hardware needs for waveform synthesis (including bandwidth requirements, power constraints, etc.), and the shape of the ambiguity function when compared against a traditional non-adaptive signal (e.g. linear frequency modulated signal). We investigate the attendant performance degradation when constraints are imposed relating to the aforementioned issues. We explore the effect of these constraints on the objective function performance as a function of signal length, interference complexity and training data support. Numerical results using Monte Carlo simulations are presented.
Cognitive and psychiatric variability in three brothers with fragile X syndrome.

ABSTRACT Three brothers were determined to have the fragile X syndrome. While sharing physical characteristics, their developmental and behavioral characteristics were diverse, as was the severity of the disorder. Each brother had evidence of developmental problems but demonstrated heterogeneity of presentation in the same sibship.
Removable singularities of the differential equation rt - s2 = 1

It is proved that exceptional sets of vanishing linear Hausdorff measure are removable singularities for the solutions of the differential equations in the title, provided that the first derivatives of the latter are continuous.
Intent to Exit: Why Do US Federal Employees Leave?

This study examines factors that may influence an employee to exit an organization. Factors that are considered to influence exit are derived primarily from Hirschman’s model of exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect. Other variables considered are public service motivation, job satisfaction, pay satisfaction, gender, race, supervisory status, and agency. The study evaluates the relationships between these variables using data obtained from the United States’ 2010 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Overall, the data suggest that there is a slight tendency of public employees to be intrinsically motivated.
The effect of terminal nitro and amino groups on the electronic spectra of conjugated hydrocarbon systems

Abstract The effect of terminal nitro and amino groups of absorbing conjugated systems on the corresponding K-bands and, in particular, its dependence on the length of the substituted hydrocarbon system is discussed. It is confirmed that the position of a K-band is almost exclusively determined by the charge migration in one direction along the conjugated system. The interaction between a p-amino and a p-nitro group in the ground state of the p-nitro p′-amino derivatives of diphenyl, stilbene, and similar compounds (transmitted through the conjugated hydrocarbon system) decreases with the length of the conjugated system.
An application of the cox proportional hazards model to bank failure

The purpose of this study is to present the Cox proportional hazards model and to apply this model to the prediction of bank failures. The Cox model, which has been used extensively in biomedical applications, has not been previously employed in the finance literature. The principal advantage of the Cox model over other classification techniques is that it models the expected time to failure. Results of the study indicate that total classification accuracy of the Cox model is similar to that of discriminant analysis, although the Cox model produces somewhat lower type I errors. In a comparison of actual and predicted times to failure, the Cox model tends to identify bankruptcies prior to the actual failure date.
Perception and recognition memory of words and werds: Two-way mirror effects

We examined associative priming of words (e.g., toad) and pseudohomophones of those words (e.g., tode) in lexical decision. In addition to word frequency effects, reliable base-word frequency effects were observed for pseudohomophones: Those based on high-frequency words elicited faster and more accurate correct rejections. Associative priming had disparate effects on high- and low-frequency items. Whereas priming improved performance to high-frequency pseudohomophones, it impaired performance to low-frequency pseudohomophones. The results suggested a resonance process, wherein phonologic identity and semantic priming combine to undermine the veridical perception of infrequent items. We tested this hypothesis in another experiment by administering a surprise recognition memory test after lexical decision. When asked to identify words that were spelled correctly during lexical decision, the participants often misremembered pseudohomophones as correctly spelled items. Patterns of false memory, however, were jointly affected by base-word frequencies and their original responses during lexical decision. Taken together, the results are consistent with resonance accounts of word recognition, wherein bottom-up and top-down information sources coalesce into correct, and sometimes illusory, perception. The results are also consistent with a recent lexical decision model, REM-LD, that emphasizes memory retrieval and top-down matching processes in lexical decision.
Research Note: Alignment of Elongated Nassella pulchra Plants with Hill-Slope Contours

On 10 sloped grassland sites, 175 Nassella pulchra plants were randomly selected and their basal geometry measured. Plants were not circular ( p < 0.001) with an average elongation of 30.3% + 20.7 and 89% of the plants had greater than 10% elongation. Sixty-six percent of the plants had the elongation oriented along the contours. Elongation was correlated with slope steepness ( p = 0.003, r 2 = 0.06), but unrelated to the angle the long axis was deflected from the slope fall line ( p = 0.21, r 2 = 0.02). This elongation and orientation potentially reduced overland flow compared to circular plants.
Repeated Rescue of a Broviac Catheter: Fixation of Exposed Cuff by a Skin Flap

A cutaneous infection exposed the cuff of a Broviac catheter employed for home-TPN in a 3-month-old child with ultra-short bowel syndrome. In order to avoid removal of the catheter, sepsis was abated by antibiotic administration through its lumen, then the exposed cuff was covered and fixed by a skin flap. The advantages proceeding from this sort of “emergency rescue” of the Broviac catheter have been: (1) to avoid a new cutdown in a child already submitted to several attempts of cannulation with sacrifice of major vessels; (2) to resume home total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in a short time, being the patient strictly dependent upon his parenteral intake and to spare a well-functioning catheter. Ten months after the last cuff covering by skin flap, the catheter is safely fixed in place and currently employed for home TPN. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 11:486–487,1987)
GISAXS Characterization of Order in Hexagonal Monolayers of FePt Nanocrystals

Hexagonally close-packed monolayers of FePt nanocrystals were deposited on silicon substrates by Langmuir−Blodgett, Langmuir−Schafer, or spin-coating techniques and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The extent of order in each nanocrystal film is quantified based on the GISAXS data and compared. The LB technique provided the most ordered superlattice films.
Postforming of Thermoplastic Composite I-Beams

The use of composite materials for structural members has been restricted by the lack of data on the use of these composites, by the inherent brittleness of many of these materials, and by the expensive manufacturing methods associated with their fabri cation. This study examines a new process to postform a constant cross section structural section (I-beam) from a straight section to a bent or contoured section. The structural pieces were tested for stiffness and compared with finite element analysis to determine the net change, if any, due to the bending. Statistical analysis of these results indicated that the bending procedure had little or no significant effect on the stiffness of the samples. This process may, therefore, result in a method of using preformed, standard shaped composite structural members and postforming those members for specific applications.
Effects of Acute Asphyxia and Deep Hypothermia on the State of Binding of Lysosomal Acid Hydrolases in Canine Cardiac Muscle

The amount and state of binding of three lysosomal acid hydrolases, acid phosphatase, cathepsin, and β-glucuronidase, were studied in canine cardiac muscle following severe asphyxia and deep hypothermia. The studies were done on adult mongrel dogs anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. Asphyxia was produced by tracheal occlusion, and was maintained until the onset of cardiac arrest (6 to 10 min). Hypothermic conditions were achieved by placing the heart on partial bypass through a heat exchanger. The heart was cooled to 6 to 10°C and held at this temperature for 30 min while circulation and respiration were maintained by artificial means. Control dogs were subjected to similar surgical procedures. Immediately following the experiments, the whole hearts were removed, cooled to 0 to 4°C, homogenized, and fractionated into supernatant and lysosomal fractions. The levels of bound and free acid hydrolases were estimated in the whole homogenates and fractions. Asphyxia produced a large shift of acid hydrolase activity from a bound form to a free form, as evidenced by elevated ratios of free to bound activity in the whole homogenates and elevated ratios of supernatant to lysosomal activity with respect to the fractions. Hypothermia did not alter the binding status of the lysosomal enzymes. These findings suggest that lysosomal enzymes play a major role in asphyxic damage to the heart.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Nuclear Translocator (ARNT) Promotes Oxygen-independent Stabilization of Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1α by Modulating an Hsp90-dependent Regulatory Pathway

Abstract Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a potent cellular survival factor contributing to tumorigenesis in a broad range of cancers. The functional transcription factor exists as a heterodimeric complex consisting of HIF-1α and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT). Association of HIF-1 with ARNT is required for its activity; however, no other role has been ascribed to this interaction. We demonstrated previously that pharmacologic inhibition of Hsp90 by geldanamycin (GA) impairs HIF transcription and promotes VHL (Von Hippel-Lindau)-independent degradation of the protein, thus implicating Hsp90 as an essential interacting partner for HIF. In this study, we further explore the physiological role for Hsp90 in HIF function. We establish that the PAS (Per-ARNT-Sim) domain of HIF is required both to promote association with Hsp90 and confer sensitivity to GA. Coincidentally, this domain also associates with ARNT. Overexpression of ARNT in a VHL-deficient background resulted in substantially increased HIF-1 protein concomitant with increased protein stability. Conversely, down-regulation of endogenous ARNT protein by RNA interference decreased the steady-state HIF protein. ARNT-mediated stabilization of HIF is specific for the Hsp90-dependent pathway, as ARNT was unable to protect HIF from VHL-mediated degradation. We establish that the ability of ARNT to up-regulate HIF and diminish HIF sensitivity to GA is due to its ability to compete for the Hsp90 binding site on HIF. These data elucidate novel functions for ARNT and Hsp90 in regulating HIF function and further illustrate that cofactor association may significantly impact upon the sensitivity of Hsp90 clients to chaperone inhibitors.