cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Benchmark Active Controls Technology Model Aerodynamic Data

The Benchmark Active Controls Technology (BACT) model is a part of the Benchmark Models Program (BMP). The BMP is a NASA Langley Research Center program that includes a series of models which were used to study different aeroelastic phenomena and to validate computational fluid dynamics codes. The primary objective of BACT testing was to obtain steady and unsteady loads, accelerations, and aerodynamic pressures due to control surface activity in order to calibrate unsteady CFD codes and active control design tools. Three wind-tunnel tests in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) have been completed. The first and parts of the second and third tests focused on collecting open-loop data to define the model''s aeroservoelastic characteristics, including the flutter boundary across the Mach range. It is this data that is being presented in this paper. An extensive database of over 3000 data sets was obtained. This database includes steady and unsteady control surface effectiveness data, including pressure distributions, control surface hinge moments, and overall model loads due to deflections of a trailing edge control surface and upper and lower surface spoilers.
Is relationship between serum cholesterol and risk of premature death from coronary heart disease continuous and graded? Findings in 356,222 primary screenees of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT).

The 356 222 men aged 35 to 57 years, who were free of a history of hospitalization for myocardial infarction, screened by the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT) in its recruitment effort, constitute the largest cohort with standardized serum cholesterol measurements and long-term mortality follow-up. For each five-year age group, the relationship between serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease (CHD) death rate was continuous, gradecf, and strong. For the entire group aged 35 to 57 years at entry, the age-adjusted risks of CHD death in cholesterol quintiles 2 through 5 (182 to 202, 203 to 220, 221 to 244, and ≥245 mg/dL [4.71 to 5.22, 5.25 to 5.69, 5.72 to 6.31, and ≥6.34 mmol/L]) relative to the lowest quintile were 1.29, 1.73, 2.21, and 3.42. Of all CHD deaths, 46% were estimated to be excess deaths attributable to serum cholesterol levels 180 mg/dL or greater (≥4.65 mmol/L), with almost half the excess deaths in serum cholesterol quintiles 2 through 4. The pattern of a continuous, graded, strong relationship between serum cholesterol and six-year age-adjusted CHD death rate prevailed for nonhypertensive nonsmokers, nonhypertensive smokers, hypertensive nonsmokers, and hypertensive smokers. These data of high precision show that the relationship between serum cholesterol and CHD is not a threshold one, with increased risk confined to the two highest quintiles, but rather is a continuously graded one that powerfully affects risk for the great majority of middle-aged American men. (JAMA1986;256:2823-2828)
Structural and Elastic Properties of HF/ZR Multilayer Thin Films

We have investigated structural and elastic properties of Hf/Zr multilayer thin films by x-ray diffraction and transient piezoreflectance measurements. Similar structural and elastic behaviors have been observed in two series of samples grown at different deposition rates (1–10A/sec). Our measurements suggest different (:_ 10%) effective elastic constants between multilayers with coherent and incoherent interfaces.
Prostate cancer: Challenges in selecting the optimal therapy

The plethora of treatment options available for localized prostate cancer can make the patient's decision regarding which therapy to undergo a difficult one. A recent study has investigated the effect of using a decision aid to provide patients with enough information to make an informed decision about their therapy.
Apoptotic effects of platelet factor VIII on megakaryopoiesis: implications for a modified human FVIII for platelet-based gene therapy

Summary Background Ectopically expressed B-domainless factor VIII in megakaryocytes is stored in α-granules, is effective in a number of murine hemostatic models, and is protected from circulating inhibitors. However, this platelet (p) FVIII has different temporal–spatial availability from plasma FVIII, with limited efficacy in other murine hemostatic models. Objectives and methods We sought to improve pFVIII hemostatic efficacy by expressing canine (c) FVIII, which has higher stability and activity than human (h) FVIII in FVIIInull mice. Results and conclusions We found that pcFVIII was more effective than phFVIII at restoring hemostasis, but peak pcFVIII antigen levels were lower and were associated with greater megakaryocyte apoptosis than phFVIII. These new insights suggest that pFVIII gene therapy strategies should focus on enhancing activity rather than levels. We previously showed that modification of the PACE/furin cleavage site in hFVIII resulted in secretion of hFVIII primarily as a single-chain molecule with increased biological activity. In megakaryocytes, this variant was expressed at the same level as phFVIII with a lentiviral bone marrow transplant approach to reconstitute FVIIInull mice, but was more effective, resulting in near-normal hemostasis in the cremaster laser injury model. These studies may have implications for pFVIII gene therapy in hemophilia A.
Teacher Preferences for Middle Grades: Insights into Attracting Teacher Candidates.

Shortages of middle-level teacher candidates may cause teacher educators to recruit candidates by focusing on what attracts and discourages candidates about teaching at the middle level. The authors used a survey approach (n = 110) to investigate why preservice middle school and high school teachers and in-service middle school teachers chose the middle grades. The results included ten common reasons that the respondents favored the middle grades and ten major concerns about this level. Three attractions to the middle grades—student age, content level, and employment market—and common beliefs about positive teacher-student relationships and students' maturity may guide teacher educators in their efforts to increase middle grades program enrollment.
Homing behaviour of axons in the embryonic vertebrate brain.

In embryonic nervous systems, growing axons must often travel long distances through diverse extracellular terrains to reach their postsynaptic partners. In most embryos, axons grow to their appropriate targets along particular tracts or nerves, as though they were following guidance cues confined to specific pathways1–3. For example, in all vertebrates, axons from the retina invariably grow to the tectum along the well-defined optic tract4–6. Yet, transplant experiments demonstrate that retinal axons make tectal projections even though they enter the brain at locations which are distinctly off the optic tract7–11. Only recently has it become possible to label discreet growing projections in the embryonic vertebrate brain12. Thus, it is not yet known whether displaced retinal axons grow directly towards the tectum or find it accidently, through random extension. To resolve this question, pioneering axons from normal and transplanted eyes in embryonic Xenopus were labelled using a short-survival horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method4, and their orientation during growth was quantitatively assessed. The finding that the ectopic fibres head towards their distant targets implies that guidance cues are not restricted to specific pathways but are distributed throughout the embryonic brain. The significance of this result is discussed with respect to the ontogeny and evolution of the visual pathway.
The Brazilian Thumbs‐Up Gesture

The thumbs-up gesture, of probable European origin, is extremely common in Brazil where it has a variety of uses. A combined social interactional and ethnographic approach is used to show that the various uses of the thumbsup gesture are systematically related. The core paradigmatic meaning of the thumbs-up gesture is "good," "positive," or "OK," and the core syntagmatic meaning is "social obligation met." Other meanings emerge from particular contexts in which the gesture is situated.
European Captives And Craftsmen Among The Mongols, 1231–1255

Most medieval historians are aware of the fact that, after the great Mongol Invasion of Eastern Europe in 1241, Western kings and popes exchanged envoys with the rulers of the various Mongol Khanat...
Teacher commitment and its effects on student achievement in American high schools

This study explored the effects of teacher commitment on student achievement. Three teacher commitment dimensions of organizational, professional, and student commitment were derived. The three-dimensional teacher commitment measurement model was tested by a confirmatory factor analysis. Then, the relationships among individual and organizational variables, teacher commitment, and student achievement were analyzed by a 2-level hierarchical linear modeling method. As the results, the greater portions of teacher commitment and student achievement variances were within schools. The individual and organizational variables had differential impacts on each teacher commitment dimension. Finally, while teacher commitment effects on student achievement were differentially found depending on teacher commitment dimensions at the individual level, there was no evidence to support significant impacts of teacher commitment on student achievement at the organizational level.
Ecological Comparisons of Lake Erie Tributaries with Elevated Incidence of Fish Tumors

Ecological comparisons were made between two Lake Erie tributaries (Black and Cuyahoga rivers) with contaminated sediments and elevated rates of tumors in fish populations and a third, relatively unpolluted, reference tributary, the Huron River. Fish populations, benthic invertebrates, and sediments were evaluated in all three Ohio rivers. Community structure analyses indicated similar total densities but lower species diversity for fish and benthic invertebrates in the contaminated rivers when compared with the reference river. Growth rates in fish from the contaminated areas were either similar to or higher than those offish from the reference site. Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) from the two contaminated tributaries exhibited 51% (Black River) and 45% (Cuyahoga River) incidence of liver lesions (neoplastic and preneoplastic) as compared with a 4% incidence of liver lesions in brown bullhead from the reference river (Huron River). Incidence of external abnormalities on brown bullhead was 54% (Black River) and 73% (Cuyahoga River) as compared with a 14% incidence on fish from the Huron River. On a regional basis, incidence of external abnormalities on particular benthic fish species may be an effective method to quickly indicate areas for more intensive contaminant studies.
Bursting Activation of Prefrontal Cortex Drives Sustained Up States in Nucleus Accumbens Spiny Neurons In Vivo

Hippocampal inputs to the nucleus accumbens (NA) have been proposed to implement a gating mechanism by driving NA medium spiny neurons (MSNs) to depolarized up states that facilitate action potential firing in response to brief activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Brief PFC stimulation alone, on the other hand, could not drive NA up states. As these studies were conducted using single-pulse PFC stimulation, it remains possible that PFC activation with naturalistic, bursty patterns can also drive up states in NA MSNs. Here, we assessed NA responses to PFC stimulation with a pattern similar to what is typically observed in awake animals during PFC-relevant behaviors. In vivo intracellular recordings from NA MSNs revealed that brief 20-50 Hz PFC stimulus trains evoked depolarizations that were similar to spontaneous up states in NA MSNs and were sustained beyond stimulus offset. Similar train stimulation of corticoaccumbens afferents in a parasagittal slice preparation evoked large amplitude depolarizations in NA MSNs that were sustained during stimulation but decayed rapidly following stimulation offset, suggesting that activation of cortical afferents can drive MSN depolarizations but other mechanisms may contribute to sustaining up states. These data suggest that NA MSNs integrate temporal features of PFC activation and that the NA gating model can be reformulated to include a PFC-driven gating mechanism during periods of high PFC firing, such as during cognitively demanding tasks. Synapse 63:173-180, 2009. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Beta-Amyloid Deposition and the Aging Brain

A central issue in cognitive neuroscience of aging research is pinpointing precise neural mechanisms that determine cognitive outcome in late adulthood as well as identifying early markers of less successful cognitive aging. One promising biomarker is beta amyloid (Aβ) deposition. Several new radiotracers have been developed that bind to fibrillar Aβ providing sensitive estimates of amyloid deposition in various brain regions. Aβ imaging has been primarily used to study patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); however, there is now building data on Aβ deposition in healthy controls that suggest at least 20% and perhaps as much as a third of healthy older adults show significant deposition. Considerable evidence suggests amyloid deposition precedes declines in cognition and may be the initiator in a cascade of events that indirectly leads to age-related cognitive decline. We review studies of Aβ deposition imaging in AD, MCI, and normal adults, its cognitive consequences, and the role of genetic risk and cognitive reserve.
Control of energy homeostasis and insulin action by adipocyte hormones: leptin, acylation stimulating protein, and adiponectin

Adipose tissue performs complex metabolic and endocrine functions. This review will focus on the recent literature on the biology and actions of three adipocyte hormones involved in the control of energy homeostasis and insulin action, leptin, acylation-stimulating protein, and adiponectin, and mechanisms regulating their production. Results from studies of individuals with absolute leptin deficiency (or receptor defects), and more recently partial leptin deficiency, reveal leptin's critical role in the normal regulation of appetite and body adiposity in humans. The primary biological role of leptin appears to be adaptation to low energy intake rather than a brake on overconsumption and obesity. Leptin production is mainly regulated by insulin-induced changes of adipocyte metabolism. Consumption of fat and fructose, which do not initiate insulin secretion, results in lower circulating leptin levels, a consequence which may lead to overeating and weight gain in individuals or populations consuming diets high in energy derived from these macronutrients. Acylation-stimulating protein acts as a paracrine signal to increase the efficiency of triacylglycerol synthesis in adipocytes, an action that results in more rapid postprandial lipid clearance. Genetic knockout of acylation-stimulating protein leads to reduced body fat, obesity resistance and improved insulin sensitivity in mice. The primary regulator of acylation-stimulating protein production appears to be circulating dietary lipid packaged as chylomicrons. Adiponectin increases insulin sensitivity, perhaps by increasing tissue fat oxidation resulting in reduced circulating fatty acid levels and reduced intramyocellular or liver triglyceride content. Adiponectin and leptin together normalize insulin action in severely insulin-resistant animals that have very low levels of adiponectin and leptin due to lipoatrophy. Leptin also improves insulin resistance and reduces hyperlipidemia in lipoatrophic humans. Adiponectin production is stimulated by agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma; an action may contribute to the insulin-sensitizing effects of this class of compounds. The production of all three hormones is influenced by nutritional status. These adipocyte hormones, the pathways controlling their production, and their receptors represent promising targets for managing obesity, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance.
Structural model of relations among quality, satisfaction, and recommending behavior in lodging decisions

A structural model is developed and tested that relates customers' perceptions of how well lodging properties perform on multiple dimensions to customers' perceptions of lodging quality, their sati...
Tyrosine phosphorylation and inositol phosphate production: are early events in human eosinophil activation stimulated by immobilized secretory IgA and IgG?

Eosinophils play a major role in host immunity to parasite infections and allergic reactions such as bronchial asthma. 1 During such inflammatory reactions, soluble mediators released by T cells, macrophages, and other inflammatory cells induce migration of eosinophils from the blood into tissue. Subsequently, appropriate stimuli (e.g., Igcoated helminths) trigger the eosinophils to degranulate, which results in the local release of a series of cytotoxic and proinflammatory proteins such as major basic protein, eosinophil peroxidase, eosinophil cationic protein, and eosinophilderived neurotoxin (EDN)?" 2 Deposition of released granule proteins has been shown in various diseases, including bronchial asthma and parasite infections. ~ Accumulating evidence that eosinophil granule proteins are implicated in tissue damage associated with these diseases has focused interest on the regulation of eosinophil degranulation. However, at present, both the actual physiologic stimuli for eosinophil degranulation and the transmembrane signaling events for triggering degranulation from eosinophils are poorly understood. In numerous receptor systems, ligand binding triggers a rapid increase in phosphoinositide hydrolysis catalyzed by receptor-coupled phospholipase C (PLC) activity? Phosphoinositide breakdown generates at least two second-messenger molecules, inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate and 1,2-diacylglycerol, that in turn ~ increase [Ca2+]i and activate protein kinase C, respectively. 4 In mast cells, platelets, and neutrophils, exocytotic events
Soil flushing using colloidal gas aphron suspensions generated from a plant-based surfactant

Abstract Natural surfactant solutions obtained from the fruit pericarps of Sapindus mukorossi , commonly known as Ritha or soapnut, are tested for their ability to remove hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) from soil. Colloidal gas aphron (CGA) suspensions generated using the surfactant are used in this study to flush an HOC from a representative soil. Soil is spiked with a chlorinated hydrocarbon, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), serving as a model HOC representative of contamination at a Superfund site north of Baton Rouge, LA. The recovery of HCB from soil columns using CGA suspensions was considerably larger than that for a waterflood. HCB recoveries in the effluent reached a maximum by the fifth pore volume and remained fairly constant for soils contaminated with high levels of HCB. This maximum HCB concentration in the column effluent was proportional to HCB solubility in the corresponding surfactant solutions. Natural surfactant performed marginally better in the form of conventional solutions than CGA suspensions at similar concentration in recovering HCB. HCB removal increased with increasing surfactant concentration due to increased aqueous solubility. The pressure buildup across the soil column remained fairly low when natural surfactant was used at concentrations up to 1%. Alternating the flushing media between CGA and water neither enhanced the recovery of HCB nor changed the pressure buildup across the soil column.
Enzymatic assay with detection by enhanced luminol chemiluminescence in a reversed micellar system: determination of l-amino acids and glucose

A detection system for hydrogen peroxide, i.e., luminol chemiluminescence (CL) in a hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) reversed micellar system, was coupled to enzyme reactions. The use of CTAB reversed micellar medium allows one to conduct both the oxidase enzymatic and CL detection reactions simultaneously at mild pH (l-amino acid system, pH 8.7; glucose system, pH 8.5) in the absence of any co-oxidant or catalyst. Based on this result, simple and unique determinations of l-amino acids and glucose as substrates were developed. The calibration graph for a representative amino acid, l-phenylalanine, was linear in the concentration range 4.0×10−6−200×10−6M with a relative standard deviation of 5.78% (five determinations). The method established for l-phenylalanine was also applicable for the assay of fourteen other l-amino acids. The calibration graph for glucose was linear in the concentration range 5.4×10−−540×10−6M with a relative standard deviation of 4.27% (eight determinations). This method was compared with a standard spectrophotometric method (hexokinase) and successfully applied to the determination of glucose in human serum.
Topography and biocompatibility of patterned hydrophobic/hydrophilic zein layers.

Abstract The topography and biocompatibility of zein layers adsorbed on patterned templates containing hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions were investigated. Nanopatterned templates consisting of hydrophilic lines on a hydrophobic background were drawn by dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) on gold-coated surfaces. 16-Mercaptohexadecanoic acid (COOH(CH2)15SH, MHA) was used as primary ink to generate hydrophilic lines. Unpatterned surfaces were backfilled with 18-octadecanethiol (CH3(CH2)17SH, ODT), which generated hydrophobic regions. Zein was allowed to adsorb on patterned surfaces from alcohol–water solutions. The topography of zein deposits was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Height profiles from AFM measurements revealed that zein deposits followed closely the nanopatterned templates. The biocompatibility of zein layers assembled over hydrophilic/hydrophobic micropatterned templates was investigated. Templates containing MHA lines and ODT regions were generated by micro-contact printing (μCP). Mouse fibroblasts seeded on patterned zein layers proliferated on zein deposited over MHA lines, but not on zein over ODT. The experiment indicated that fibroblast cells were able to respond to variations in the underlying surface chemistry, transmitted by the different orientation adopted by zein on the different substrates. This property may be useful in controlling the spatial distribution of cells on patterned protein layers.
Applicability of Thompson boundary conditions to obliquely incident acoustic waves

Abstract A numerical study employing the Euler equations in a two-dimensional duct flows is presented. Thompson boundary conditions imposed at the inflow/outflow boundaries indicated bounded growth of absolute error with increasing angle of incidence of oblique acoustic disturbances, supporting the suitability of these boundary conditions for acoustic propagation and noise control problems.
Problems with Searle’s Derivation?

In his paper, “How to Derive ‘Ought’ From ‘Is,’” John R. Searle made a valiant attempt to derive an ought-statement from purely descriptive statements. In a recent issue of Philosophia, Scott Hill has offered criticisms of that proposed derivation. I argue that Hill has not established any errors in Searle's proposed derivation.
The lateral cervical nucleus of cat, dog and man.

This nucleus was identified in four cats, four dogs and nine human spinal cords, but was not identifiable in seven other human specimens. In all three species the nucleus extends rostrally into the lower third of the medulla. Cell measurements of the perikarya yielded a mean diameter of 34.1 μ in the dog, 26.7 μ in the cat, and 15.7 μ in man. Nuclear diameters as well as the nucleus-cytoplasm and volume ratios were determined. The lateral cervical nucleus is considered to be rudimentary in man and was a well-defined structure in only 2 of 16 specimens. In one of these two cases a total of 5173 cells were counted in the nuclei of both sides at the C1 and medullary levels. The pertinence of these observations to the preservation of tactile sensation after injury of the dorsal columns in man, is discussed.
Recurrence and irreversibility in radiationless transitions

Abstract Damped oscillatory decay of an excited state in a molecule is related to the vibrational properties of the molecule. It is shown qualitatively that a simple description of Poincare recurrence patterns can be obtained by choosing the proper approximate representation for the non-emissive vibrational manifold, yielding partial recurrences associated with directly coupled approximate vibrational eigenstates.
Electrodeposition Through a Low-Polarity Liquid

Within the last two decades increased commercial application of electrodeposition has occurred (electropainting and ``wet process'' photocopiers). The suspension used was prepared by ball milling the solid phase powder, a mixture of ortho- and para-toluenesulphonamide, into a dispersant-heptane solution. The dispersants used were aluminum dresinate and a lauryl methacrylate-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate copolymer.
Wind‐driven variability in sea surface temperature front distribution in the California Current System

Simultaneous satellite-derived observations from 2002 to 2009 are used to quantify the relation between sea surface temperature (SST) fronts and ocean winds in the California Current System (CCS). An edge-detection algorithm is applied to SST observations to generate monthly maps of frontal probabilities. Empirical orthogonal decompositions reveal that the seasonal evolution of fronts in the CCS is strongly related to the seasonal evolution of coastal alongshore wind stress. The seasonal development of SST fronts is remarkably different to the north and to the south of Cape Mendocino, however. While fronts to the north of the cape extend for hundreds of kilometers from the coast peaking during summer and fall, when upwelling winds are stronger off northern California and Oregon, the region to the south of Cape Mendocino is characterized by high frontal activity during spring in a much narrower band close to the coast. Throughout the region, anomalies in the intensity of upwelling-favorable wind stress are followed by anomalies in frontal activity. The width and speed of the widening of the region of high frontal activity are also related to coastal alongshore wind stress. Interannual variability in the timing of the widening of the region of high frontal activity in the lee of Cape Blanco compared to the timing of the spring transition to upwelling-favorable winds may be related to the wind stress curl distribution in the lee of the cape. Stronger upwelling-favorable wind stress curl anomalies lead to early widening of the region of high frontal activity.
Improved Grasp Force Sensitivity for Prosthetic Hands Through Force-Derivative Feedback

Sensitivity of applied grasp force is improved for a myoelectrically controlled prosthetic hand under force control through normal force-derivative feedback. Benchtop experiments and results from 12 human test subjects indicate that normal force-derivative feedback can be used in prosthetic hands to help prevent accidental damage to delicate objects.
Multimodality imaging of an adult with Shone complex

Shone complex is a rare combination of valvular or supravalvular aortic stenosis, supra-valvular mitral membrane, parachute mitral valve, and coarctation of the aorta. This article presents an unusual case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with a history of progressive dyspnea. We describe the main imaging features and protocol used for visualizing this syndrome using various imaging modalities.
Hypertension Produced by Reductions in Uterine Perfusion in the Pregnant Rat: Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are elevated in preeclamptic women and are thought to be an important link between placental ischemia and endothelial dysfunction. The p...
The changing landscape of practice patterns regarding unsedated endoscopy and propofol use : a national Web survey

Background Lower reimbursements for endoscopic procedures and increasing demand for screening endoscopy over the past decade have spurred efforts to increase efficiency in the performance of endoscopic procedures. Two dichotomous approaches have emerged: (1) unsedated endoscopy and (2) propofol sedation. The aim was to determine national practice patterns of unsedated endoscopy and propofol sedation, and to assess endoscopists' attitudes toward unsedated screening with an electronic survey. Methods A short survey was developed and then was converted to a Web-based format. All national members of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) were invited via electronic mail (e-mail) to participate. Survey data were collected electronically. Results Two e-mails elicited responses to the Web survey from 18% (724) of national ASGE members contacted, within 2 weeks. Of the respondents, 45% do not routinely offer unsedated EGD and colonoscopy, and only 15% of those respondents plan to incorporate unsedated endoscopy into their practice in the next year. Of the 55% who currently perform unsedated endoscopy, 85% do no more than 25 unsedated procedures per year. Lack of patient acceptance was the most common reason cited for not offering unsedated endoscopy. Most endoscopists felt that the availability of unsedated esophagoscopy or colonoscopy would not significantly increase screening for Barrett's esophagus or colonic polyps/colorectal cancer, respectively. Routine use of propofol sedation for EGD, colonoscopy, and ERCP/EUS was reported by 19%, 22%, and 19%, respectively. Community practitioners were more likely to use propofol than those at academic centers (p Conclusions Electronic surveys allow for rapid distribution and data collection but suffer from a limited response rate. The survey suggests that unsedated endoscopy has limited acceptance in the United States, and, without a major intervention that affects endoscopists' attitudes, its use is not likely to increase significantly. Unsedated endoscopy will not have a great impact on endoscopic screening. In contrast, propofol sedation has already gained acceptance in the community, and the routine use of propofol in endoscopy units will likely increase in the future.
High temperature peroxidase activities of HRP and hemoglobin in the galleries of layered Zr(IV)phosphate

Horseradish peroxidase, and met hemoglobin, when intercalated in the galleries of α-Zr(IV) phosphate, show peroxidase activities at elevated temperatures (86–90 °C) and the rates increased to 2–3.6 times the rates observed at room temperature.
Exploring the effect of in‐group and out‐group race‐related stressors on anxiety among Asian Pacific Islander American students

This cross-sectional study examined (a) the impact of in-group (own-group conformity pressure) and out-group (perceived discrimination, stereotype confirmation concern) race-related stressors; (b) the direct effect of 2 in-group- (private regard, centrality) and 1 out-group-oriented (public regard) racial identity factors; and (c) the potential protective role of these identity factors on the impact of stressorsontheanxietyof AsianPacificIslanderAmerican(API)collegestudentsattending a racially diverse university. As predicted, positive feelings toward one’s own racialgroup(i.e.,privateregard)hadasignificantnegativerelationshipwithanxiety. PrivateregardprotectedAPIsfromown-groupconformitypressuresandstereotype confirmation concerns. Findings address the diverse university context that may create acculturative pressures or stereotype confirmation concern conditions.
Privacy Preserving Back-Propagation Neural Network Learning Made Practical with Cloud Computing

To improve the accuracy of learning result, in practice multiple parties may collaborate through conducting joint Back-Propagation neural network learning on the union of their respective data sets. During this process no party wants to disclose her/his private data to others. Existing schemes supporting this kind of collaborative learning are either limited in the way of data partition or just consider two parties. There lacks a solution that allows two or more parties, each with an arbitrarily partitioned data set, to collaboratively conduct the learning. This paper solves this open problem by utilizing the power of cloud computing. In our proposed scheme, each party encrypts his/her private data locally and uploads the ciphertexts into the cloud. The cloud then executes most of the operations pertaining to the learning algorithms over ciphertexts without knowing the original private data. By securely offloading the expensive operations to the cloud, we keep the computation and communication costs on each party minimal and independent to the number of participants. To support flexible operations over ciphertexts, we adopt and tailor the BGN "doubly homomorphic" encryption algorithm for the multiparty setting. Numerical analysis and experiments on commodity cloud show that our scheme is secure, efficient, and accurate.
The Role of Stability Testing in Heterogeneous Application Environment

This paper presents an approach to system stability tests performed in Motorola private radio networks (PRN) department. The stability tests are among crucial elements of the department's testing strategy, such as functional testing, regression testing and stress testing. The gravity of the subject is illustrated with an example of a serious system defect: memory leak, whicht was detected in Solaris operating system during system stability tests. The paper provides technical background essential to understand the problem, as well as emphasizes the role of the tests in the problem solving. The following approaches to memory leaks detection are discussed: code review, memory debugging and system stability tests. The article presents several guidelines on stability test implementation and mentions the crucial elements of the PRN Department testing strategy: load definition, testing period and the system monitoring method.
Linear parameter-varying lean burn air-fuel ratio control for a spark ignition engine

In 2003, U.S. consumed about 20 million barrels of oil per day. The gasoline for cars and light trucks accounts for 45% of the total oil consumption. Lean burn technology for gasoline engines has drawn great attention during the past decade, largely due to its potential for improving fuel economy and reducing CO2 emissions 1. A lean burn engine is designed to operate at high intake manifold pressure with an air-fuel ratio greater than 10 and less than 23. Consequently, combustion efficiency can be improved through reduced pumping losses and enhanced thermodynamic efficiency. Compared to the conventional port fuel injection PFI engine, the gasoline lean burn engine presents a new set of challenges to the engine control community. The main challenge for lean burn technology is that, under lean operating conditions, the conventional three-way catalyst TWC system is no longer effective in reducing NOx pollutants. A special TWC with NOx trapping and conversion capabilities, known as lean NOx trap LNT, has to be used downstream of the conventional TWC to meet the government emission standards. During the lean operation, NOx in the feed gas is stored in the LNT. When the stored NOx reaches a certain threshold, the trap must be purged by switching to rich operation for a short period of time to regenerate the storage capacity and recover the efficiency. The NOx released from the LNT during the purge period is converted into non-polluting nitrogen by the rich air-fuel mixture 2‐5. Properly managing the storage and purge cycles is critical for achieving the fuel economy and NOx emission control targets of the lean burn gasoline engine. The desired tailpipe air-fuel ratio profile reference air-fuel ratio is defined by the LNT purge control 6,7, with the objectives of optimizing fuel economy while satisfying emission constraints. Therefore, it is necessary to design a controller to regulate the tailpipe air-fuel ratio to follow the air-fuel reference for both the NOx storage phase lean operation and the purge phase rich operation in order to accomplish the LNT purge control. In this paper, we concentrate on the air-fuel ratio control for the storage phase, that is, the design of the “outer-feedback loop” air-fuel ratio controller is considered. A linear universal exhaust gas oxygen UEGO sensor is used downstream of the LNT to measure the tailpipe air-fuel ratio. The air-fuel ratio controller to be designed is used to generate the commanded air-fuel ratio for the fuel injection system. During the storage phase when the engine is operating under lean conditions, the air-fuel ratio is selected to i meet the driver’s demand, ii maximize fuel economy, and iii satisfy other constraints, such as lean burn limit 7. These requirements dictate the set-point selection, and the optimal choice for the air-fuel ratio in the storage phase is usually a constant set-point for steady state operation.
Perceptual Bias for Forward-Facing Motion

When an occluded horizontal row of shapes is shifted laterally, apparent motion can be experienced in either the leftward or the rightward direction. Four experiments provide evidence for a motion bias in the direction that shapes appear to face. The bias tended to be largest when directionality was specified geometrically (e.g., triangles), next largest when it was specified biologically (e.g., mice), and absent when it was specified calligraphically (e.g., letter R). The bias increased parametrically as a function of triangle pointedness and was consistent with the directional interpretation of an ambiguous duck-rabbit. The results support the existence of a cognitively specified forward-facing attribute that can influence experienced direction of motion.
Legal Systems and Variance in the Design of Commitments to the International Court of Justice

This paper explores the relationship between domestic legal systems and the design of commitments to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Empirical analyses demonstrate that civil law states are more willing to recognize the compulsory and compromissory jurisdiction of the World Court than common law or Islamic law states. Common law states place the highest number of reservations on their optional clause declarations, with the majority of those restrictions relating to specific areas of international law. Civil law states typically embed compromissory clauses in multilateral treaties, while common and Islamic law states prefer recognition of the ICJ's jurisdiction through bilateral treaties.
Understanding the Morphology of PTB7:PCBM Blends in Organic Photovoltaics

The structure–property relationships of PTB7-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)-based organic photovoltaics are investigated. The morphology is investigated in an active layer setting where a multi-length-scale morphology is observed using a solvent additive-assisted fi lm processing. This multi-length-scale structure consists of a phase separated morphology with a characteristic length scale of ≈30 nm, which is critical for producing large currents in devices; a second length scale of ≈130 nm, arises from face-on PTB7 crystalline aggregates. This latter morphological feature is also observed in fi lms prepared without the use of an additive. By observing the structure formation in situ during solvent evaporation for blade coated thin fi lms, the additive is found to promote the formation of ordered domains of the PTB7 at an earlier stage during the solvent evaporation, which is critical in the development of the fi nal morphology. In studies on PTB7/PCBM bilayers, PCBM is found to diffuse into the PTB7 layer. However, the performance of devices prepared in this manner is low. This diffusion leads to a swelling of the PTB7 and a reduction in the crystallinity of the PTB7, refl ecting the strong miscibility of PCBM with PTB7. The morphology resulting from the interdiffusion is single-length-scale with slightly large phase separation. This leads to devices with poor performance.
Perspectives of Medication Management Practices of Diverse, Low Income, Older Adults

Purpose: To explore the perspectives of medication management practices among a racially/ethnically diverse sample of low-income older adults. Methods: This qualitative study included 11 focus groups with 105 low income older adult participants. We recruited a stratified purposeful sample of older adults from community settings over a 5 month period (11/2007-3/2008). Focus group discussions centered on participants’ perceptions about their medications, medication-taking habits, and adherence. The discussions were audio recorded and professionally transcribed. Our interdisciplinary project team engaged in an iterative immersion crystallization group data analysis process. Results: Participants made varying yet concerted decisions about taking their medications differently than prescribed, they usually did not disclose these modifications to their physicians, and they did not recognize the potential dangers to their health that can ensue. The burden of taking so many medications influenced decisions to stop taking medications or to skip doses. Remembering to take evening doses was more problematic than morning doses. Conclusions: Use of multiple prescription medications and non-adherence to prescription instructions were common among diverse, low-income older adults. Taking medications “regularly” does not necessarily translate into taking medications as prescribed. Few participants stated that they reported their medication non-adherence to their physician.
Successful treatment of agitation and aggression with prazosin in an elderly patient with dementia and comorbid heart disease

Abstract An elderly male with dementia was admitted for increasing aggression and agitation. He was initially treated with risperidone, citalopram, and memantine, as well as nonpharmacological interventions such as behavioral approaches, environmental modifications, and maintaining sleep routines without improvement. He was treated with the addition of the alpha-1 adrenoreceptor antagonist prazosin, with a subsequent reduction in the number of doses of antipsychotic medication needed to maintain appropriate behavior. Prazosin was well tolerated in this patient who had a significant history of heart disease and poor systolic function. Prazosin may represent a relatively safe and effective medication for the treatment of agitation and aggression in patients with dementia, including patients with comorbid cardiac conditions. In this patient, prazosin was better tolerated than the other medications utilized.
Analytic Methods for Pulsed Signal Interaction with Layered, Lossy Soil Environments and Buried Objects

Inverse algorithms for processing data due to wave scattering from complex environments can be strengthened by incorporating relevant robust wave physics in the inversion scheme. Because of the complexity of the target-background environment for ground penetrating radar (GPR) applications, the GPR processing strategy generally relies heavily on numerical, model-based and statistical techniques. A model is proposed here which injects wave-based analytic techniques to reduce the size and(or) complexity of the overall problem. The model is structured around high resolution pulsed-beam propagators for transporting the incident signal to and from the target through lossy dispersive soil environments. Attention is given to those portions of an overall problem which are good candidates for wave-based analytic methods and those portions which are better served by other methods.
Wavelet transforms of some equations of fluid mechanics

This paper explores the application of wavelet transforms to equations rather than to data sets. An entire class of wavelets, obtained from recursive shifts and changes in scale of Gaussian filters, transforms Laplacians into first order derivatives in the scale factor. As a result, parabolic and elliptic equations are transformed into first-order wave equations or into ordinary differential equations. Examples are given for the diffusion, Burgers, Poisson and Navier-Stokes equations, which are formally integrated by the method of characteristics. It is also shown that the even-indexed Gaussian wavelets decompose a function into the local spectral contributions to its amplitude as well as to its variance. This gives a simpler inversion formula and a new form of the convolution of wavelet transforms.
Design of a paired patient-caregiver support application for people coping with cancer

Smart medical interfaces have the potential to address the unique health needs of each individual user. However, they must be carefully designed and tested to provide a supportive and non-stressful experience for users who are ill or overloaded. This paper documents a design methodology used to develop such an application, describing issues that can be encountered during the development process. The paper also illustrates the use of patient-entered data to drive multiple processes, showing how a smart medical interface can mediate among multiple stakeholders.
Secretory Functions of the Mononuclear Phagocyte

The functional properties of mononuclear phagocytes include their well-known capacities for phagocytosis and pinocytosis. Work in recent years has provided greater understanding of the effector functions of these cells; in particular, their secretory nature. The versality of the macrophage has been a surprise; over 50 secretory products including mediators, cytocidal factors, and growth-promoting agents have been identified and triggers for some activities described.
Transport of Charged Particles

Charged particles that play an important role in radiotherapy include electrons, positrons, protons, and carbon ions. Other ions with relatively small atomic numbers are presently being considered as possible alternatives to proton and carbon-ion beams. Charged heavy recoils can also be produced in nuclear reactions. This effect can be significant and should be accounted for in dose calculations for hadrontherapy.
A Geometry and Size Dependent Fracture Resistance Curve

A general form fracture resistance curve, R-curve, is presented in this paper based upon the energy criterion of crack propagation determined by strain energy release rate. The R-curve is derived, in general, as the envelope of a set of strain energy release rate curves of same size and geometry but with different initial crack lengths.
A General Existence Theorem

If W is any subset of the vertex-set V (G) of a graph or multigraph G, we write G — W to denote the graph constructed by deleting from G all vertices in W and all edges touching then. One can discuss the components of G — W; they are either odd (have an odd number of vertices) or even. Let Φ G (W) denote the number of odd components of G — W.
Impact of distance education via interactive videoconferencing on students' course performance and satisfaction.

The impact of distance education via interactive videoconferencing on pharmacy students’ performance in a course was assessed after implementation of a distance campus. Students filled out a “Stude...
A psychobiosocial model for assessment, treatment, and relapse prevention for female sexual interest/arousal disorder

With the DSM-5 now recognizing Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (FSIAD), it is imperative that researchers and clinicians have a comprehensive understanding of FSIAD and how to effectively t...
COMPARATIVE VALUE AND THE WEIGHT OF REASONS

One view of practical reasoning is that it involves the weighing of reasons. It is not clear, however, how the weights of reasons combine, especially given the logical and substantive relations among different reasons. Nor is it clear how the weighing of reasons relates to decision theoretic maximization of expected value. This paper constructs a formal model of reasons and their weight in order to shed light on these issues. The model informs philosophical debates about reasons, such as the question of whether reasons or values are more fundamental and the opposing doctrines of atomism and holism about reasons.