cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Criterion for the Design of Gas-Cooled Cryogenic Current Leads

The performance of some electrical equipment such as superconducting magnets requires cryogenic temperatures. The literature therefore contains many discussions on the design of cryogenic current leads [1–6]. Earlier evaluations deal with leads that are cooled by conduction at several points, and the existence of an optimum ratio length to area which yields a lead with minimum heat leak is clearly demonstrated [5]. Leads cooled in this fashion are found to have an objectionally high heat leak, even if of the optimum design, when carrying high currents. An obvious solution to this problem is to allow some cold gas to pass over the surface of the leads, creating a device similar to a counterflow exchanger, with parallel current and gas flow. This form of lead has also received a great deal of consideration in the literature with the goal of finding an optimum ratio of length to area.
Varbench: an Experimental Framework to Measure and Characterize Performance Variability

Performance variability is a major problem for extreme scale parallel computing applications that rely on bulk synchronization and collective communication. While this problem is most prominent in the context of exascale systems, it is increasingly impacting other communities such as machine learning and graph analytics. In this paper, we present an experimental performance analysis framework called varbench that is designed to precisely measure the prevalence of performance variability in a system, as well as to support workload characterization with respect to how and when a workload generates variability. We demonstrate several of varbench's capabilities as they pertain to exascale-class systems, including its utility for discovering architectural trends, for performing cross-architectural comparisons, and for understanding key statistical properties of performance distributions that have implications for how system software should be designed to mitigate variability.
The small things can matter.

In the context of biology as a whole and of our own personal lives, seemingly small things can prove surprisingly influential. Here, I consider the powerful impact of small organisms—the inhabitants of the microbial world—and the small events that shaped my own development as a scientist. I reflect on the early days of the fields of molecular biology and microbial ecology and my own role in the origin story of what we now call “metagenomics”.
Mission in the Asian Multi-religious Context

The present moment is a time of great promise because of globalisation, technological advancement, growth in communication facilities and internet. People have come closer and become more interdependent. Yet, at the same time, increased violence, a growing forgetfulness of God, and consequent feelings of fear and insecurity have become a reality in the world over, particularly in Asia. Furthermore, such phenomena as religious fanaticism and terrorism threaten our future hopes. In this situation, we have to rediscover the meaning of the Christian mission in the emerging context. As the Church evangelises in a real world that is constantly changing, the emphasis in the activities of the church also changes with time. A new understanding of evangelization in the multiple context and new tools which should be used is the need of the time to make the Gospel relevant today.
The Nucleon's mirror image: Revealing the strange and unexpected

An extensive program of parity-violating electron scattering experiments is providing new insight into the structure of the nucleon. Measurement of the vector form factors enables a definitive stud...
A Novel Retinal Vessel Segmentation Method Using Connected Domain Merging and Improved Graph Cut

Retinal vessel segmentation is a key step in detecting diseases according to the retina, and the accuracy of blood vessel segmentation directly affects disease detection results. This paper proposes a novel algorithm to achieve fine segmentation of blood vessels, and the algorithm can also adapt to changes in the illumination of fundus images. Firstly, homomorphic filter is used to reduce the influence of non-uniform illumination. Secondly, the top-hat transform and Connected-Domain Merging are used to obtain a rough vessel segmentation and generate the candidate vessel. Finally, candidate vessel is expanded by morphological dilation to improve the contrast between target area and background area, and then improved graph cut algorithm is used to finely segment blood vessel. The proposed method is evaluated on STARE, DRIVE, and LES-AV, and the experiment result proves the effectiveness of the method.
Attentional Speech Recognition Models Misbehave on Out-of-domain Utterances

We discuss the problem of echographic transcription in autoregressive sequence-to-sequence attentional architectures for automatic speech recognition, where a model produces very long sequences of repetitive outputs when presented with out-of-domain utterances. We decode audio from the British National Corpus with an attentional encoder-decoder model trained solely on the LibriSpeech corpus. We observe that there are many 5-second recordings that produce more than 500 characters of decoding output (i.e. more than 100 characters per second). A frame-synchronous hybrid (DNN-HMM) model trained on the same data does not produce these unusually long transcripts. These decoding issues are reproducible in a speech transformer model from ESPnet, and to a lesser extent in a self-attention CTC model, suggesting that these issues are intrinsic to the use of the attention mechanism. We create a separate length prediction model to predict the correct number of wordpieces in the output, which allows us to identify and truncate problematic decoding results without increasing word error rates on the LibriSpeech task.
Size disorder as a descriptor for predicting reduced thermal conductivity in medium- and high-entropy pyrochlore oxides

Abstract High-entropy ceramics generally exhibit reduced thermal conductivity, but little is known about what controls this suppression and which descriptor can predict it. Herein, 22 single-phase pyrochlores were examined. Up to 35% reductions in thermal conductivity were achieved in medium- and high-entropy compositions with retained moduli, thereby attaining insulative yet stiff properties for thermal barrier coating applications. Notably, the measured thermal conductivity correlates well with a modified size disorder parameter δ S i z e * , thereby suggesting the importance of severe lattice distortion. Thus, this δ S i z e * is suggested as a useful descriptor for designing thermally-insulative compositionally-complex ceramics, where medium-entropy ceramics can outperform their high-entropy counterparts.
Antimalarial drugs impact chemical messenger secretion by blood platelets.

Abstract Background Advances in antimalarial drug development are important for combating malaria. Among the currently identified antimalarial drugs, it is suggested that some interact directly with the malarial parasites while others interact indirectly with the parasites. While this approach leads to parasite elimination, little is known about how these antimalarial drugs impact immune cells that are also critical in malarial response. Methods Herein, the effects of two common antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and quinine, on platelets were explored at both the bulk level, using high performance liquid chromatography, and the single cell level, using carbon-fiber microelectrode amperometry, to characterize any changes in chemical messenger secretion. Results The data reveal that both drugs cause platelet activation and reduce the number of platelet exocytosis events as well as delay fusion pore opening and closing. Conclusions This work demonstrates how chloroquine and quinine quantitatively and qualitatively impact in vitro platelet function. General significance Overall, the goal of this work is to promote understanding about how antimalarial drugs impact platelets as this may affect antimalarial drug development as well as therapeutic approaches to treat malarial infection.
Allergy testing in dermatology and beyond

Allergy is a broad term referring to an acquired alteration of the immune system in reaction to an antigen and can affect every organ system including the skin. Patients, dermatologists, and nondermatologist physicians may use this term in a variety of ways that do not necessarily refer to the same biological process or clinical presentation, which creates difficulty in adequate communication and expectation setting regarding workup and management of allergic conditions. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief background on the pathophysiology of common presentations of allergic disease; discuss routinely used allergy tests and their indications; and provide a more detailed review of patch testing, the most frequently used allergy test in dermatology.
Effects of an urban sanitation intervention on childhood enteric infection and diarrhoea in Mozambique

Background. Onsite sanitation serves more than 740 million people in urban areas, primarily in low-income countries. Although this critical infrastructure may play an important role in controlling enteric infections in high-burden settings, its health impacts have never been evaluated in a controlled trial. Methods. We conducted a controlled before and after trial to evaluate the impact an onsite urban sanitation intervention on the prevalence of bacterial and protozoan infection (primary outcome), soil transmitted helminth (STH) re-infection, and seven-day period prevalence of diarrhoea among children living in informal neighborhoods of Maputo, Mozambique. A non-governmental organization replaced existing shared latrines in poor condition with engineered pour-flush toilets with septic tanks serving household clusters. We enrolled children aged 1-48 months at baseline and measured outcomes before the intervention and at 12 and 24 months following intervention. We measured outcomes concurrently among children served by the sanitation improvements and those in a comparable control arm served by existing poor sanitation. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02362932. Findings. At baseline, we enrolled 454 children from 208 intervention clusters and 533 children from 287 control clusters. We enrolled or re-visited 462 intervention and 477 control children 12 months 60 after intervention and 502 intervention and 499 control children 24 months after intervention. Despite nearly exclusive use of the intervention, we found no evidence that engineered onsite sanitation affected the overall prevalence of any measured bacterial or protozoan infection (12-month adjusted prevalence ratio 1.05, 95% CI [0.95-1.16]; 24-month adjusted prevalence ratio 0.99, 95% CI [0.91-1.09]), any STH re-infection (1.11 [0.89-1.38]; 0.95 [0.77-1.17]), or diarrhoea (1.69 [0.89-3.21]; 0.84 [0.47-1.51]) after 12 or 24 months of exposure. Among children born into study sites after the intervention and measured at the 24-month visit, we observed a reduced prevalence of any STH re-infection of 49% (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.51 [95% confidence interval 0.27 - 0.95]), Trichuris of 76% (0.24 [0.10 - 0.60]), and Shigella infection by 51% (0.49 [0.28-0.85]) relative to the same age group at baseline. Interpretation. The intervention did not reduce the overall prevalence of enteric infection and diarrhoea among all enrolled children but may have substantially reduced the prevalence of STHs and Shigella among children born into clusters with sanitary improvements.
An upper limb mirror therapy environment with hand tracking in virtual reality

Mirror therapy, the rehabilitative technique that uses a mirroring illusion to induce cognitive responses, could benefit by performing the task in a virtual world. This research is aimed to build an effective virtual reality environment with gesture-level hand tracking and determine its viability when compared to traditional mirror therapy. A total of 24 healthy participants were recruited to perform a block stacking task in both the physical and virtual environments, with and without mirroring, using their dominant arm. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to measure activation of the flexor carpi radialis (FCR), extensor digitorum (ED), biceps brachii (BB) and triceps brachii (TB) in both arms. The virtual environment was shown to decrease task completion speed due to the added difficulty of control in that environment. Significant differences in muscle activity between conditions for the non-dominant arm were not achieved; however, there were significant differences in muscle activity between conditions for the dominant arm. Difficulty and weight discrepancies between the physical and virtual tasks may have contributed to this significance.
Epigenetics: An overview of CpG methylation, chromatin remodeling, and regulatory/noncoding RNAs

Abstract The field of epigenetics represents the study of the collection of potentially heritable changes in gene expression resulting from modifications “above” (epi-) the genome (genetics). Epigenetic mechanisms are responsive to intrinsic and environmental stimuli and collectively modify chromatin architecture and/or gene expression processing machinery, contributing to the regulation of gene expression without altering the underlying DNA nucleotide sequence. As critical determinants of gene expression levels and cellular function, understanding changes in epigenetic programming in response to chemical and nonchemical stressors continues to advance toxicology and environmental health research. Current insight into the biogenesis and roles of epigenetic modifications has been elucidated, in part, through scientific inquiry in a variety of model organisms. The following chapter provides an overview of the literature surrounding three prominent epigenetic regulators: CpG methylation, chromatin remodeling, and regulatory/noncoding RNAs. In addition to describing current understanding of the mechanisms underlying epigenetic control, the role of each modification in cellular processes is highlighted.
Disentangling wealth effects on fertility in 64 low- and middle-income countries

Studies have shown mixed associations between wealth and fertility, a finding that has posed ongoing puzzles for evolutionary theories of human reproduction. However, measures of wealth do not simply capture economic capacity, which is expected to increase fertility. They can also serve as a proxy for market opportunities available to a household, which may reduce fertility. The multifaceted meaning of many wealth measures obscures our ability to draw inferences about the relationship between wealth and fertility. Here, we disentangle economic capacity and market opportunities using wealth measures that do not carry the same market-oriented biases as commonly used asset-based measures. Using measures of agricultural and market-based wealth for 562,324 women across 111,724 sampling clusters from 151 DHS surveys in 64 countries, we employ a latent variable structural equation model to estimate (a) latent variables capturing economic capacity and market opportunity and (b) their effects on completed fertility. Market opportunities had a consistent negative effect on fertility, while economic capacity had a weaker but generally positive effect on fertility. The results show that the confusion between operational measures of wealth and the concepts of economic capacity can impede our understanding of how material resources and market contexts shape reproduction.
An efficient and effective method to identify significantly perturbed subnetworks in cancer

The identification of key functional biological networks from high-dimensional genomics data is pivotal for cancer research. Here, we introduce FDRnet, a method for the detection of molecular subnetworks in cancer, which addresses several challenges in pathway analysis. FDRnet detects key subnetworks by solving a mixed-integer linear programming problem, using a given upper bound of false discovery rate (FDR) as a budget constraint, and minimizing a conductance score to find dense subgraphs around seed genes. A large-scale benchmark study was performed on both simulation and cancer genomics data. FDRnet outperformed other methods in the ability to detect functionally homogeneous subnetworks in a scale-free biological network, to control FDRs of the genes in detected subnetworks, to improve computational efficiency and to integrate multi-omics data. By overcoming the limitations of existing approaches, FDRnet can facilitate the detection of key functional pathways in cancer and other genetic diseases. The FDRnet method addresses several issues in cancer pathway analysis, including those related to detecting functionally homogeneous subnetworks, controlling the false discovery rate of the genes and handling the computational complexity.
Frequency of Thyroid Hormone Replacement After Lobectomy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

Abstract Objective To determine the frequency of levothyroxine (LT4) supplementation after therapeutic lobectomy for low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Methods This retrospective cohort study enrolled adult patients with low-risk DTC confirmed using surgical pathology who underwent therapeutic lobectomy at a single institution from January 2016 through May 2020. The outcome measures were postoperative serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and the initiation of LT4. The predictors of a postoperative TSH level of >2 mU/L and initiation of LT4 were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results Postoperative TSH levels were available for 115 patients (91%), of whom 97 (84%) had TSH levels >2 mU/L after thyroid lobectomy. Over a median follow-up of 2.6 years, a postoperative TSH level of >2 mU/L was associated with older age (median 52 vs 37 years; P = .01), higher preoperative TSH level (1.7 vs 0.85 mU/L; P 2 mU/L (hazard ratio [HR] 1.53, P = .003). Among patients with a postoperative TSH level of >2 mU/L, 66 (68%) were started on LT4 at a median of 74 days (interquartile range 41-126) after lobectomy, with 51 (77%) undergoing at least 1 subsequent dose adjustment to maintain compliance with current guidelines. Conclusion More than 80% of the patients who underwent therapeutic lobectomy for DTC developed TSH levels that were elevated beyond the recommended range, and most of these patients were prescribed LT4 soon after the surgery.
An aggressive and expanded phenotype in a kindred with a c.57delG SDHD mutation

Familial paraganglioma syndrome type 1 (PGL-1) is maternally imprinted, caused by SDHD mutations on the paternally inherited allele, and presents with paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas that are usually benign. We describe a kindred with a germline c.57delG SDHD mutation that demonstrates an aggressive and possibly expanded phenotype. Eight individuals across four generations were heterozygous for the c.57delG SDHD mutation. The three with known paternal inheritance were clinically affected. The aggressive phenotype was manifested by a neck paraganglioma with distant metastases, and to a lesser degree a neck paraganglioma infiltrating into local connective tissue and a pheochromocytoma presenting at age 8 y. A pulmonary capillary hemangioma may expand the SDHD phenotype. We conclude that the c.57delG SDHD mutation may confer a more aggressive and possibly expanded phenotype than other SDHD mutations. Learning points The c.57delG SDHD mutation may confer a more aggressive phenotype than other mutations associated with familial paraganglioma syndrome type 1. A capillary hemangioma, a component of other pseudohypoxia states, was observed in the lung of a single member of the c.57delG SDHD kindred. This report supports the hypothesis of others that mutations found near the beginning of the SDHD open reading frame are more likely to demonstrate an aggressive phenotype. Patient Demographics: Paediatric, Male, Female, White, United States Clinical Overview: Adrenal, Adrenal Related Disciplines: Oncology Publication Details: Unique/unexpected symptoms or presentations of a disease, March, 2021 Background Pseudohypoxia is a state of dysregulated cellular respiration that contributes to the hypoxic phenotype in the absence of hypoxemia. The pseudohypoxia state is caused by germline mutations in SDHB, SDHD, SDAF2, SDHC, VHL, NF1, HIF1/HIF2A, and IDH1/IDH2, and the phenotype is manifested by pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (1, 2, 3). SDHD mutations cause the PGL-1 syndrome that is maternally imprinted and presents with sympathetic and parasympathetic paragangliomas of the head, neck, thorax and abdomen, and with pheochromocytomas (4, 5). We describe a kindred with a germline c.57delG SDHD mutation with an aggressive and expanded phenotype.
Management of Anemia in Children Receiving Chronic Dialysis

In 1839, the Scottish physician Robert Christison noted that anemia was a common feature of kidney disease, writing that “no other natural disease came as close to hemorrhage for impoverishing the red particles of the blood” [1, 2]. Anemia is a comorbidity affecting nearly all children treated with chronic dialysis, and its management remains challenging for clinicians. The emergence of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) more than 30 years ago revolutionized anemia management in the dialysis population and eliminated dependence on red blood cell transfusions for most patients. Increased understanding of the molecular regulation of EPO production and iron metabolism has opened the door for the development of novel erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) and renal anemia therapies.
Effect of the short time fourier transform on the classification of complex-valued mobile signals

Wireless devices identify themselves using media access control (MAC) addresses which can be easily intercepted and mimicked by an adversary. Mobile devices also have a unique physical fingerprint represented by perturbations in the frequency of broadcasted signals caused by differences in the manufacturing process of their hardware components. This unique fingerprint is much more difficult to mimic. The short time Fourier transform (STFT) is used to analyze how the frequency content of a signal changes over time, and may provide a better representation of mobile signals in order to detect their unique fingerprint. In this paper, we have collected wireless signals using the 802.11 a/g protocol, showing the effect on classification performance of applying the STFT when varying the choice of window lengths, augmenting the data with complex Gaussian noise, and concatenating STFTs of different frequency resolutions, achieving state-of-the-art performance of 99.94% accuracy in the process.
Dissolution of 2D Molybdenum Disulfide Generates Differential Toxicity among Liver Cell Types Compared to Non-Toxic 2D Boron Nitride Effects

2D boron nitride (BN) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) materials are increasingly being used for applications due to novel chemical, electronic, and optical properties. Although generally considered biocompatible, recent data have shown that BN and MoS2 could potentially be hazardous under some biological conditions, for example, during, biodistribution of drug carriers or imaging agents to the liver. However, the effects of these 2D materials on liver cells such as Kupffer cells (KCs), liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, and hepatocytes, are unknown. Here, the toxicity of BN and MoS2 , dispersed in Pluronic F87 (designated BN-PF and MoS2 -PF) is compared with aggregated forms of these materials (BN-Agg and MoS2 -Agg) in liver cells. MoS2 induces dose-dependent cytotoxicity in KCs, but not other cell types, while the BN derivatives are non-toxic. The effect of MoS2 could be ascribed to nanosheet dissolution and the release of hexavalent Mo, capable of inducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation and caspases 3/7-mediated apoptosis in KUP5 cells. In addition, the phagocytosis of MoS2 -Agg triggers an independent response pathway involving lysosomal damage, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, caspase-1 activation, IL-1β, and IL-18 production. These findings demonstrate the importance of Mo release and the state of dispersion of MoS2 in impacting KC viability.
Caregiver-reported outcomes of pediatric transplantation: Changes and predictors at 6 months post-transplant

Background It is widely assumed that pediatric solid organ transplantation results in better caregiver-reported outcomes, including reduced caregiver psychological distress and increased child health-related quality of life (HRQOL), yet little empirical evidence of this expectation exists. The current investigation aims to fill this gap and identify key clinical course factors predictive of caregiver-reported outcomes. Methods Forty-nine caregivers of children (Mage = 10.30 years, SD = 5.43) presenting for kidney, liver, or heart transplant evaluation reported on their psychological distress levels (anxiety, depression, somatization, and global psychological stress) and their children's HRQOL at children's pretransplant evaluations and 6 months post-transplant. Clinical course factors were abstracted via medical chart review. Results Caregivers did not report significant changes in their psychological distress from pre- to post-transplant but reported significantly improved child HRQOL across most domains (ds = -.45 to -.54). Higher post-transplant caregiver global psychological distress was predicted by older child age, shorter time since diagnosis, and lower pretransplant caregiver-reported child HRQOL even after controlling for pretransplant caregiver psychological distress. Lower post-transplant child total HRQOL was predicted by more post-transplant hospitalizations even after controlling for pretransplant child total HRQOL. Conclusions These preliminary results indicate pediatric solid organ transplantation was associated with some improved caregiver-reported outcomes, specifically children's HRQOL, but not caregivers' psychological distress. Linear regression models identify several clinical course and pretransplant factors associated with transplantation outcomes. Characterizing how caregivers view their psychological distress levels and children's HRQOL across the transplantation process could inform family-centered holistic care and support caregiver adaptation to transplantation.
Noncompete Clauses, Job Mobility, and Job Quality: Evidence from a Low-Earning Noncompete Ban in Austria

I study the effect of noncompete agreements on low-earning workers using a noncompete ban in Austria. The ban increased treated workers’ annual job-to-job transition rate by 0.3 percentage points (a two percent increase). This effect was driven by within-industry job transitions. The reform also disproportionately increased transitions to higher-quality firms and transitions accompanied by earnings gains. However, I do not find that the ban increased treated workers' overall earnings growth rates. This evidence shows that noncompetes in Austria restricted low-earning workers’ job mobility but that their impact was not large enough to affect overall mobility or earnings trends.
Remittance flows from healthcare workers in toronto, canada

Previous research indicates that Canadian healthcare workers, particularly long-term care (LTC) workers, are frequently composed of immigrant and racialized/visible minorities (VM) who are often precariously employed, underpaid, and face significant work-related stress, violence, injuries, illness, and health inequities. Few studies, however, have analyzed the contributions and impact of their labor in international contexts and on global communities. For instance, it is estimated that over CAD 5 billion-worth of remittances originate from Canada, yet no studies to date have examined the contributions of these remittances from Canadian workers, especially from urbanized regions consisting of VM and immigrants who live and/or work in diverse and multicultural places like Toronto. The present study is the first to investigate health and LTC workers’ roles and behaviors as related to remittances. The rationale for this study is to fill important knowledge gaps. Accordingly, this study asked: Do health/LTC workers in the site of study send remittances? If so, which workers send remittances, and who are the recipients of these remittances? What is the range of monetary value of annual remittances that each worker is able to send? What is the purpose of these remittances? What motivates the decision to send remittances? This mixed-methods study used a single-case design and relied on interviews and a survey. The results indicate that many LTC workers provided significant financial support to transnational families, up to CAD 15,000 annually, for a variety of reasons, including support for education and healthcare costs, or as gifts during cultural festivals. However, the inability to send remittances was also a source of distress for those who wanted to assist their families but were unable to do so. These findings raise important questions that could be directed for future research. For example, are there circumstances under which financial remittances are funded through loans or debt? What are the implications for the sustainability and impact of remittances, given the current COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effect of dampening incomes and wages, worsening migrants’ health, wellbeing, and quality of life, as well as adversely affecting recipient economies and the quality of life of global communities?
A computer navigation system using Kalman filter smoothing

A general shipboard data collection system for the R/V Endeavor is described. The collection system is implemented on a DEC MicroVax II running VMS. The authors describe the computer software comprising the navigation data collection portion of the overall system. The navigation software collects, logs, and processes information from a diverse set of electronic navigation aids. A smoothed best guess set of navigation parameters is continuously produced using a Kalman filter system. >
A Multiple Index Analysis of Real Estate Cycles and Structural Change

This article explores real estate cycles and structural change at an overall industry level, focusing on three key questions. First, are real estate cycle stages distinct and observable? Second, ca...
DETERMINATION OF CAUSE OF DAMAGE TO AN AUTOMOBILE

Two cases in which there was unusual damage sustained by vehicles during a collision sequence are presented and discussed. The specific causes of the vehicular damage are identified, and the relationship between the analysis of the damage and the stated sequence of events is presented. An accurate understanding of the actual events that occurred in the collision sequences was obtained through the photographic and collision deformation analyses conducted.
Dormant season grazing may decrease wildfire probability by increasing fuel moisture and reducing fuel amount and continuity

Mega-fires and unprecedented expenditures on fire suppression over the past decade have resulted in a renewed focus on presuppression management. Dormant season grazing may be a treatment to reduce fuels in rangeland, but its effects have not been evaluated. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of dormant season grazing (winter grazing in this ecosystem) by cattle on fuel characteristics in sagebrush (Artemisia L.) communities at five sites in south- eastern Oregon. Winter grazing reduced herbaceous fuel cover, continuity, height and biomass without increasing exotic annual grass biomass or reducing bunchgrass basal area or production. Fuel moisture in winter-grazed areas was high enough that burning was unlikely until late August; in contrast, fuels in ungrazed areas were dry enough to burn in late June. Fuel biomasson perennial bunchgrasses was decreased by 60% with winter grazing, whichmayreduce the potential for fire-induced mortality. The cumulative effect of winter grazing from altering multiple fuel characteristics may reduce the likelihood of fire and the potential severity in sagebrush communities with an understorey dominated by herbaceous perennials. Dormant season grazing has the potential to reduce wildfire suppression expenditures in many rangelands where herbaceous fuels are an issue; however, increasing woody vegetation and extreme fire weather may limit its influence. Additional keywords: fuel management, sagebrush, sage-grouse habitat, wildfire suppression, winter grazing.
Timing acquisition for transmitted reference DS-UWB signals

We investigate the timing acquisition problem for transmitted reference (TR) ultrawideband (UWB) systems employing direct sequence (DS) spreading. We show that a two-level DS signaling is essential to achieve good acquisition performance. We propose a two stage acquisition scheme which exploits the TR signal structure to achieve a significant improvement in the mean detection time performance when compared to a conventional single stage acquisition scheme.
Fuzzy controller implementations with fewer than ten transistors

Evolutionary algorithms (EA) offer good promise for automated design of analog circuits as well as for adaptation and automatic reconfiguration of programmable devices. In particular, EAs facilitate the design of analog circuits for very specific requirements, such as those related to the implementation of fuzzy operators, or even of complete fuzzy systems. The paper starts with a brief overview of the evolutionary process applied to circuit design and of a family of analog programmable devices that support on-chip evolution. As a case study, we describe the evolutionary design of a fuzzy controller, using re-configurable analog chips models and unstructured representation. We were able to achieve a circuit that approximates the control surface of a 2-input fuzzy controller, mapping thus a full fuzzy system in only seven transistors. The paper presents evidence that EA can provide very compact solutions for implementation of fuzzy systems, and that programmable analog devices are an efficient and rapid solution for rapid deployment of fuzzy systems.
Interplay between self-focusing and high-order multiphoton absorption

We study the distortion of optical beams that is due to the combined effects of strong self-focusing and three- and four-photon absorption, a situation that exists, for example, in the polydiacetylene bis-paratoluene sulfonate (PTS). The characteristic nonlinear distances were defined for each process. Theoretical analysis of the beam propagation leads to two distinct limits, one limit dominated by self-focusing and the other by higher-order absorption. Propagation was studied analytically and numerically for cw and pulsed beams in these two limits and for cases in which both nonlinear effects are important. It was found that beam distortion caused by multiphoton absorption and refraction leads to situations in which diffraction plays an important role, even for input beams whose diffraction length is much larger than the sample length. It was concluded that, for the typical intensities used in Z-scan measurements, nonlinear processes and diffraction contribute simultaneously to beam distortion and must be taken into account.
Stereopsis, cyclovergence and the backwards tilt of the vertical horopter

It is generally recognized that the vertical horopter has a backwards tilt such that it passes through the fixation point and a point near the feet of the observer. The basis of the tilt has been attributed to either a shear in binocular retinal correspondence along the vertical meridian or the presence of cyclovergence eye movements. In an attempt to determine empirically the mechanisms underlying the tilt of the vertical horopter, retinal correspondence along the vertical meridian was investigated as a function of viewing distance. In addition, binocular measurements of torsional eye position were made in the same observers under similar viewing conditions. The vertical horopter was determined using two criteria. In the first instance, increment depth discrimination thresholds for both crossed and uncrossed disparities were measured as a function of retinal eccentricity along the vertical meridian, up to 5 degrees superiorly and inferiorly, and the horopter was defined by the region in space which had the lowest stereo-threshold. Secondly, subjective alignment of dichoptically presented nonius lines defined the horopter by identical visual directions. Both criteria were used to determine the horopter at 2 m while only the criterion of identical visual direction was used at the nearer distance of 50 cm. The vertical horopter showed a backwards tilt that decreased from an average of about 12 degrees at 2 m to 3 degrees at 50 cm, with some variability between observers. Torsional eye position did not change significantly between fixation distances. These results confirmed the geometric relation between the backwards tilt in the vertical horopter and fixation distance and support Helmholtz's original contention that the tilt is a consequence of a shear in retinal correspondence in the vertical meridian.
STUDIES ON EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALOMYELITIS : IV. INFECTION IN THE MOUSE WITH FRESH AND FIXED VIRUS.

A fresh strain of equine encephalomyelitis virus is infectious for adult mice in high dilutions by all modes of peripheral inoculation. A fixed strain has very limited invasive power when injected peripherally unless virus is placed in fairly close contact with nerve cell bodies, as in the intranasal or intraocular routes. For fixed virus the effectiveness of the mode of inoculation may be graded in the following descending order: intracerebral, intraocular and intranasal, intravenous, intraperitoneal, intramuscular, subcutaneous. Fixed virus has a very limited power of invading the central nervous system along the axones of peripheral nerves even when injected directly into the nerve. Infants are more susceptible to infection than are adults. But even for infants, intraperitoneal inoculation with fixed virus is significantly less effective than similar inoculations with fresh virus. Brain trauma does not increase the effective titer of fresh or fixed viruses but may shorten the incubation period for fresh virus. With fixed virus injected intramuscularly, a pronounced facilitating effect may be produced by the simultaneous intraperitoneal injection of 0.20 to 0.25 cc. of 50 per cent glycerine. Other irritants tried are without effect.
Real-time robust line detection in microscopy images

We discuss an algorithm to detect lines in low contrast images in the presence of noise. The image we consider are orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) images of metal surfaces. The objective is to locate lines (boundaries between grains) in the OIM images and use that information to determine where three grains intersect (triple junctions). We use a novel method for fusion edge enhancement and a new fast skeletonization procedure using a new and efficient hit and miss transform (HMT) that produces lines of one pixel width.
Controlling Decoherence in Rydberg Quantum Bits

Pulsed electric fields and the entanglement of electron spin and orbital angular momentum are exploited to create arbitrary qbits in Li Rydberg atoms. Periodic application of a quantum NOT operation preserves these qbits against decoherence.
Patterns of morbidity and resource consumption associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a VA medical center

Abstract Background.The generally low incidence of morbidity and reduced rate of health care resource consumption commonly associated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) have been established from studies of patient populations which are distinct from that served by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. We sought to assess the outcomes of this procedure when performed on VA beneficiaries. Materials and methods.Demographic and perioperative data for all patients undergoing attempted LC in our facility were recorded in a prospective database beginning 1 January 1993. The information in this registry was analyzed to determine the demographics of the treated population, the spectrum of biliary tract disease encountered, and patterns of morbidity and resource consumption. Results.LC was attempted in 141 cases. Median patient age was 62 years. The indication for surgery was either acute cholecystitis or biliary pancreatitis in 63 cases (45%). Thirteen patients (9%) developed major complications. These patients were significantly older (mean age 68 vs 59 years) than patients whose course was uncomplicated. Twenty-seven cases (19%) required conversion to an open procedure, most commonly for acute cholecystitis. Progressive cholecystitis was associated with a conversion rate of 64%. Both conversion and the development of a major complication produced significant increases in length of stay. Conclusions.The population undergoing attempted LC in the VA system is characterized by relatively advanced age and high incidences of comorbid illness and complicated biliary tract disease. These attributes increase the frequency of major morbidity and of conversion to open cholecystectomy, which in turn increase resource consumption. Comparisons between the outcomes of attempted LC in VA centers and “benchmark” results obtained in other settings should be controlled for these factors.
Consumer perceptions of resort fees and their impact on hotel selection.

Several hotel companies have identified resort fees as an opportunity to add revenue while providing a higher level of amenities to guests. Conversely, some hospitality organizations see these mandatory fees as a disservice to customers and choose to market their “no resort fee” strategy to gain a larger market share. Results of a survey (N = 161) of Las Vegas tourists’ attitudes on resort fees and the impact resort fees had on resort selection decisions are presented. In addition, the study identifies respondents’ preferences of amenities to be included when charged a mandatory resort fee. Practical implications for hotel operators are also discussed.
Influence of shifting flow paths on nitrogen concentrations during monsoon floods, San Pedro River, Arizona

Hydrologic flow paths control transport, and therefore are a major constraint on the cycling and availability of nutrients within stream ecosystems. This control is particularly evident in semiarid streams, where hydrologic connectivity between stream, riparian, and upland systems increases greatly during storms in the rainy season, We measured chloride concentrations in base flow, precipitation, soil water, and stream water to quantify the hydrologic connectivity and solute flux between soil water, groundwater, and the stream channel during six summer floods in 2001 (a wet year; 25 cm winter rain) and 2002 (a dry year; 5 cm winter rain) in the San Pedro River, southeastern Arizona. This hydrologic information was used to evaluate observed patterns in nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in floods. The first floods of each year showed increased stream nitrate concentration that was approximately two orders of magnitude higher than base flow concentration. DOC consistently doubled to tripled during storm events, while DON in 2001 showed no response and showed a marked increase in 2002. A chloride mixing model indicated that soil and groundwater contributions to storm water discharge were related to antecedent conditions and to flood magnitude. Soil and groundwater contributions were the highest early in the 2001 monsoon season following the wet winter, much lower early in 2002 following a dry winter, and lowest during the largest floods of the 2002 monsoon season when flows were derived primarily from precipitation and overland flow. Stream water nitrate-N concentrations during floods were consistently 0.2-0.5 mg/L higher in 2002 than during 2001, suggesting greater over-winter accumulation of soil nitrate during the drier year. This result is consistent with higher mean nitrate-N concentrations in soil water of the riparian zone in 2002 (3.1 mg/L) than in 2001 (0.56 mg/ L). These data highlight the importance of seasonal and interannual variability of hydrology in semiarid regions, and the role of water availability in driving patterns of soil nutrient accumulation and their transport to the stream. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.
Outcomes using a bioprosthetic mesh at the time of permanent stoma creation in preventing a parastomal hernia: a value analysis

Abstract Purpose/methods A retrospective review of the medical records of all patients who had a prosthetic placed at the time of stoma creation for the prevention of a parastomal hernia was performed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of bioprosthetics. Results A bioprosthetic was used in 16 patients to prevent the occurrence of a parastomal hernia. The median follow-up was 38 months. There were no mesh-related complications, and no parastomal hernias occurred. On value analysis, to be cost-effective, the percentage of patients who would have subsequently needed surgical repair of a parastomal hernia would have to be in excess of 39% or the bioprosthetic would have to cost less than $2,267 to $4,312. Conclusions These data show the safety and efficacy of using a bioprosthetic at the time of permanent stoma creation in preventing a parastomal hernia and defines the parameters for this approach to be cost-effective.
The Technological Age: The Effects of Perceived Age in Technology Training

The purpose of this study was to investigate if chronological age sparks negative expectancies thus initiating a self-fulfilling prophecy in technology training interactions. Data were obtained from undergraduate students (age ≤ 30) paired in 85 trainer–trainee dyads and examined through the actor-partner interdependence model. Trainer and trainee age (younger or older) were manipulated in this laboratory experiment by presenting pre-selected photographs coupled with voice enhancing software. As compared to younger trainees, ostensibly older trainees evoked negative expectancies when training for a technological task, which ultimately manifested in poorer training interactions and trainer evaluations of trainee performance. Identifying a connection between chronological age and negative expectancies in technology training advances our theoretical understanding of sources contributing to older trainees’ poorer performance in workforce training programs. This study provides evidence of a negative relationship between trainees’ chronological age and trainers’ expectations for trainee success and subsequent training evaluations. Such knowledge offers initial support for a “train-the-trainer” intervention through educating trainers on the potential dangers of age-based stereotypes, which could help to reduce age-based performance discrepancies. This is the first study to manipulate age during training thus isolating the influence of age-based stereotypes on training experiences. Given that potential age-related performance decrements in capability and motivation can be eliminated as explanations, this evidence of poorer interactions and outcomes for older workers is critical.
Analysis of tool sharing in an FMS: a simulation study

Abstract This research concentrates on the impact of tool request selection and tool dispatching rules in a tool sharing environment. Request selection rules are invoked when more than one request for a tool are pending. Tool selection rules, on the other hand, come into play when there are more than one copy of tools in the system. A “look ahead” method has been used to determine the requirement of tools. Various rules for tool sharing have been studied with makespan and tool transporter utilization as performance measures. Simulation was used for modeling the system. The impact of factors such as product mix and duplication of tools have also been addressed. Design of experiments techniques were used to analyze simulation outputs. The analysis of results indicated that the tool selection rules significantly affect the performance of the tool transporter while the request selection rules do not affect the system. Request selection rules affect the makespan of the system when the number of tool copies is one. Factors such as product mix and duplication of tools also affect the system.