cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design and Development of a Flexible Multi-Purpose Controller Hardware System for Power Electronics and Other Industrial Applications

This paper proposes the concept of a universal controller hardware system for power electronics applications. With the presence of generic interfaces and communication schemes, this system can be used in various other control scenarios. A prototype hardware system incorporating a high performance floating point digital signal processor (DSP) and a powerful field programmable gate array (FPGA) has been built to demonstrate the concept of real-time hardware simulation. Prior to being deployed for control of a complete power electronics system, an intermediate step that would yield more information pertaining to system timing is the hardware simulation enabled by such a board. Extracting maximum throughput from this system with a few innovative schemes has been another goal of this project. In order to achieve this objective, the embedded peripherals of the Texas Instruments C6000 series DSP have been programmed to facilitate a higher degree of parallelism. The core of this paper deals with the different sub-systems that comprise the real-time controller (RTC) board, and their interaction with one another. One of the novel schemes proposed in this paper involves the on-board communication between the DSP and several analog-to-digital converter (ADC) chips using the multi-channel audio serial port (McASP) peripheral. The efficacy of this concept is made possible by a robust software architecture, enabled by the enhanced direct memory access (EDMA) peripheral. In addition to the DSP peripheral activity, significant processing capability is offered by the Cyclone II series FPGA. The option of universal connectivity is provided over either Ethernet or USB. The FPGA also provides a platform for developing a complete system with an embedded 32-bit processor. The RTC board prototype can be used for power electronics applications with the addition of certain interface boards, which can be readily developed.
Ecological Risk Assessment and Ecosystem Health: Fallacies and Solutions

After surveying the two main paradigms for ecological risk assessment, this commentary discusses two mistakes often associated with the paradigm based on ecosystem health. These are the beard fallacy and the pragmatist fallacy. The argument is that if you really learn from experience with quantitative (human health) risk assessment, you can avoid importing similar fallacies into ecological risk assessment. The commentary suggests strategies for avoiding each of these fallacies and thus for improving analyses of ecosystem health.
Live attenuated AIDS vaccines: hazards and hopes.

Continuing studies in neonate and adult macaques vaccinated with a live attenuated (triple–deleted) SIV vaccine confirm that this virus can cause AIDS in some neonates and adults (pages 194–203).
Fractally deformed basin boundaries of pendulum systems: New approaches in the study of swing dynamics

In this paper we analyze the effects of time-varying forcing functions on the stability boundaries of dissipative pendulum systems. In particular, we model the forcing as "exponentially decaying sinusoids" and show conditions when the stability domains start to break up. Concepts in fractal geometry are needed to better understand these special deformations.
A framework for process change

Forces such as technology change and increased competition provide opportunities and challenges that drive a firm to continuously evaluate and modify its resource capabilities. As a consequence, a firm's process change strategy is of paramount importance for sustained manufacturing success. However, fundamental elements of process change strategy are not well understood. Long term performance benefits associated with potential process change alternatives are often unclear. Moreover, uncertainty exists regarding the actual benefits that may be attained from various types of process change. Critical issues impacting the proper implementation of process change are frequently underestimated or largely ignored. Therefore, despite the improved performance sought, process change often leads to lower productivity, excessive equipment downtime, and deterioration in quality. As the authors review the relevant empirical and normative literature, a framework emerges that characterizes the salient features of a firm's process change strategy. The underlying dynamics of process change are explored and strategies are discussed to reduce the short-term disruption and enhance the long-term gain. In particular, the authors demonstrate the importance of creating and applying knowledge to improve the outcome of process change. They describe managerial actions that can be taken to reduce various sources of uncertainty associated with process change. Moreover, they identify key contributions as well as limitations of the existing normative literature on process change. Insights from the empirical literature are given that both support elements of the existing normative models and provide direction for future normative research. Thus, the authors seek to aid practicing managers and researchers alike to better understand the full scope and implications of process change.
A distributed solution to detect targets in crowds using visual sensor networks

Visual sensor networks (VSNs) have been attracting more and more research attention nowadays. This paper presents our design of a distributed solution for a VSN to detect targets in a large and crowded field. Due to ambiguities in local visual information and ubiquitous visual occlusions, obtaining accurate detection results requires fully utilizing the entire visual information acquired across the network. In our solution, a back-projecting-flooding (BPF) method is proposed to integrate related visual information, which is followed by a distributed-highest-confidence-first (DHCF) method that implements an iterative global target selection process in a distributed manner. Compared with its centralized version, this solution not only achieves equivalent detection accuracy but also reduces and balances the amount of energy consumption across the network. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of this solution.
Building Connected Neighborhood Graphs for Locally Linear Embedding

Locally linear embedding is a nonlinear method for dimensionality reduction and manifold learning. It requires well-sampled input data in high dimensional space so that neighborhoods of all data points overlap with each other. In this paper, we build connected neighborhood graphs for the purpose of assigning neighbor points. A few methods are examined to build connected neighborhood graphs. They have made LLE applicable to a wide range of data including under-sampled data and non-uniformly distributed data. These methods are compared through experiments on both synthetic and real world data sets.
Early voltage in double heterojunction bipolar transistors

The Early voltage for abrupt double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs) has been calculated by using an effective junction velocity (S/sub c/) at the base-collector heterojunction. S/sub c/ is obtained by self-consistently partitioning thermionic and quantum mechanical tunneling currents. Unlike single heterojunction bipolar transistors (SHBTs), the Early voltage varies very rapidly at low reverse bias and approaches the SHBT-limit at sufficiently high reverse bias. This is attributed to the presence of an energy barrier at the b-c heterojunction. >
Intensive hypercube communication. Prearranged communication in link-bound machines

Hypercube algorithms are developed for a variety of communication-intensive tasks such as transposing a matrix, histogramming, sending a (long) message from one node to another, broadcasting a message from one node to all others, broadcasting a message from each node to all others, and exchanging messages between nodes via a fixed permutation. The algorithm for exchanging via a fixed permutation can be viewed as a deterministic analog of Valiant’s randomized routing. The algorithms are for link-bound hypercubes in which local processing time is ignored, communication time predominates, message headers are not needed because all nodes know the task being performed, and all nodes can use all communication links simultaneously. Through systematic use of techniques such as pipelining, batching, variable packet sizing, symmetrizing, and completing, for all these problems algorithms which achieve a time with an optimal highest-order term are obtained.
Characterizing Leachant Contaminants from Fuel Cell Assembly Aids, a Prelude to Effects on Performance

The role of system contaminants in the performance degradation of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells has been underappreciated to date. This work seeks to identify potential contaminants derived from balance of plant (BOP) system components with the ultimate goal of tying contaminant exposure to changes in PEMFC performance and durability. After accelerated aging of select assembly aid materials in DI water at 90{degree sign}C, the resulting leachant solutions were qualitatively and quantitatively characterized through a suite of analytical methods for organic and inorganic components. By design, the materials studied fall into a wide range of 'clean' and 'dirty' solutions. Potential routes of entry for species were examined for plausibility of identification, and determination of model compounds. Systematic identification and selection of model compounds provide the basis for in-situ and ex-situ testing to determine the potential degradation mechanisms and effects of these system contaminants on catalysis and membrane performance.
Age or Factors Associated with Aging Attenuate Testosterone’s Concentration-Dependent Enhancement of the Regularity of Luteinizing Hormone Secretion in Healthy Men

Background: Healthy older men have reduced testosterone (Te) production and frequent, small irregular LH pulses. Which is cause and which is effect are not known. Rationale: In model systems, frequent and irregular LH pulses reflect attenuated feedback inhibition by Te. Hypothesis: Factors associated with aging impair negative feedback by Te. Subjects and Setting: Healthy men at an academic medical center were studied. Methods: The study used quantification of the regularity of LH release patterns during blockade of gonadal steroidogenesis and graded transdermal Te addback in 18 healthy men aged 18–65 yr. Results: In the cohort as a whole, stepwise Te repletion repressed LH concentrations (P = 0.001) and enhanced the quantifiable orderliness of LH release patterns (P < 0.001). By regression analysis, age attenuated the capability of increasing Te concentrations to regularize LH secretion patterns (P = 0.019). However, after a fixed GnRH stimulus, the effect of Te on LH regularity was invariant of the age ...
The Endocrine System in Overtraining

Athletes typically train to enhance performance and competition goals; however, too much training with insufficient recovery can result in the athlete becoming overtrained. When the overtraining syndrome occurs, decrements in performance are the most prominent symptom, but others include fatigue, changes in mood state, competitive incompetence, and changes in sleep patterns, just to name a few. As the endocrine system is very involved in physiological adaptations and recovery to stress, two hypothesized mechanisms by which endocrine function affects exercise performance and may lead to the overtraining syndrome have been proposed, the sympathetic/parasympathetic imbalance and neuroendocrine dysfunction. The sympathetic/parasympathetic imbalance hypothesis states that during the early stages of overtraining, the sympathetic system is activated, while in the later stages of overtraining, the sympathetic system is inhibited and the parasympathetic system predominates. In the neuroendocrine dysfunction hypothesis, a disruption occurs in the anabolic (i.e., testosterone) to catabolic (i.e., cortisol) balance which affects performance and prolongs recovery. However, due to the difficulty in studying overtrained athletes, neither of these hypotheses has been supported well by the literature. Since the primary symptom of overtraining is a decrement in performance, proper exercise training planning is important which includes sufficient recovery such that overtraining does not occur as few markers of its progression have been shown to be of value.
Tropical Environments, Biodiversity, and the Origin of Crops

Plants play an important, but often insufficiently recognized. role in human societies, chiefly as providers of food, feed, and fiber, but for other uses as well such as drugs and building materials. In those cases where demand for a particular plant product exceed natural supply, humans initiated cultivation of those plants 10,000 years ago, resulting in the domestication of a limited number of species in several areas of the world, generally located in tropical and subtropical areas. Tropical and subtropical areas consist of several ecozones defined by climate, soil, and vegetation and fauna. One of the major factors distinguishing tropical ecozones is the distribution of rainfall and particularly the length of the dry season, if any. From a biological standpoint, most of biodiversity is concentrated in tropical areas. This may explain in part why the majority of crops discussed in this volume originated in either tropical or subtropical ecozones with summer rains or in the tropical ecozone with year-round rains. The fundamental contribution of genomics to plant breeding is to provide information on the genotypic basis of phenotypic variation. Based on this information, marker-assisted selection systems can be developed that can increase the efficiency at identifying agronomically useful diversity and transferring it into improved cultivars. In turn, marker-assisted selection is expected to increase the efficiency of plant breeding. To achieve this goal, however, genomic resources have to be developed, not only in model species, but especially in target species as illustrated in this volume. Having access to a diverse set of improved crops is a critical element of strategies to alleviate food insecurity and poverty, which affect disproportionately rural populations. Recently, the goal of increasing crop productivity has taken added urgency because of the combined impact of the focus on biofuels and global warming. Genomics is a crucial tool in raising crop productivity for the foreseeable future.
The Seller Against the Secured Creditor of the Purchaser

Analysis of a recent decision dealing with the priority of claims against an owner of property held by the seller and by its secured lender.
Concussion in sports: Minimizing the risk for complications

Mild traumatic brain injury, or concussion, is a common consequence of collisions, falls and other forms of contact in sports. Concussion may be defined as an acute trauma-induced alteration of mental function lasting fewer than 24 hours, with or without preceding loss of consciousness. The physician's responsibilities in assessing an athlete with concussion include determining the need for emergency intervention and offering guidance about the athlete's ability to return to play. Concussion may be complicated by cerebral edema related to the second impact syndrome, cumulative neuropsychologic deficits, intracranial bleeding or the postconcussion syndrome. The risk of complications is increased in athletes who prematurely return to play and in those with prolonged loss of consciousness or post-traumatic amnesia. An athlete with prolonged loss of consciousness or signs and symptoms that worsen or persist after a concussion should be evaluated in the emergency department. An athlete should not be allowed to resume sports participation until all symptoms of a concussion have resolved.
Simulation as a suitable education approach for medical training in marine and off-shore industries: theoretical underpinning.

Healthcare providers in marine and offshore industries must often perform high-risk procedures outside of their usual scope of practice, frequently using novel, complex telemedical technologies to perform an already unfamiliar task — often while multitasking, and sometimes in extreme environmental conditions. Given all the novelty occurring at once, the probability of medical error increases. This increase can be explained by the Cognitive Load Theory, which states that too much demand on the working memory can tax the ability of the long-term memory. This article will show that one solution to this situation is to use simulation in the medical training of offshore and marine medical practitioners. Contextualised simulation practice creates automatic schemas that reside in the long-term memory, minimising strain on the working memory — and, in a marine medical context, also minimising the risk of medical error.
Foramen Magnum Meningioma with Brainstem Compression During Pregnancy

Background Meningiomas can present during pregnancy as the result of hormonal as well as fluid changes. Foramen magnum meningiomas are particularly rare. We present the first reported case successfully treated during pregnancy. Case Description A 34-year-old female patient in her second trimester of pregnancy presented with a several-week history of neck pain, clonus, and right-sided upper extremity weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain demonstrated a 3.5-cm foramen magnum meningioma causing severe compression of the cervicomedullary junction. The patient underwent a far lateral craniotomy with successful decompression of the brainstem, resection of the tumor, and no permanent postoperative neurologic deficits. She made an excellent recovery and delivered a normal baby at 38 weeks with no complications. A small residual tumor engulfing the vertebral artery was treated with stereotactic radiosurgery 3 months postpartum. Diagnostic and treatment challenges unique to this case are discussed. Conclusions Large skull base tumors symptomatic in pregnancy can be safely treated with careful planning and close monitoring.
Distribution and Movement of Adult False Wireworms in a Wheat Field

The distribution and movement of 5 species of false wireworms were determined in a winter wheat field in western South Dakota by using a mark-and-recapture technique. The beetles proved to be long-lived and had the capability to move between fields within a locality. Eleodes opaca (Say) was found in greatest numbers on tops of slopes and tended to be more plentiful within the field than near the edge; Eleodes suturalis (Say) occupied the top of slopes but was found more frequently near the field edge; Eleodes tricostata (Say) was found on the sides of hills more frequently than near the tops and in larger numbers in the bordering grassland than in the wheat field; and Eleodes obsoleta (Say) occupied the middle and top portions of slopes as well as the field edge. Embaphion muricatum Say was found abundantly only in the mark-and-recapture portion of the study.
Direct Photocatalysis by Plasmonic Nanostructures

Recent reports have shown that plasmonic nanostructures can be used to drive direct photocatalysis with visible photons, where nanostructures act as the light absorber and the catalytic active site. These reports have showcased direct plasmon driven photocatalysis as a route to concentrate and channel the energy of low intensity visible light into adsorbed molecules, enhancing the rates of chemical transformations, and offering pathways to control reaction selectivity. In this perspective, we will discuss the fundamental photophysics of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) excitation in the context of driving chemical transformations. The various demonstrated chemical conversions executed using direct plasmonic photocatalysis will be reviewed. Experimental observations, such as the dependence of photocatalytic rate on illumination intensity and photon energy, will be related to microscopic mechanisms of photocatalysis. In addition, theoretical treatments of various mechanisms within the process of d...
Dominant-negative Gα subunits are a mechanism of dysregulated heterotrimeric G protein signaling in human disease.

Auriculo-condylar syndrome (ACS), a rare condition that impairs craniofacial development, is caused by mutations in a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway. In mice, disruption of signaling by the endothelin type A receptor (ETAR), which is mediated by the G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein) subunit Gαq/11 and subsequently phospholipase C (PLC), impairs neural crest cell differentiation that is required for normal craniofacial development. Some ACS patients have mutations in GNAI3, which encodes Gαi3, but it is unknown whether this G protein has a role within the ETAR pathway. We used a Xenopus model of vertebrate development, in vitro biochemistry, and biosensors of G protein activity in mammalian cells to systematically characterize the phenotype and function of all known ACS-associated Gαi3 mutants. We found that ACS-associated mutations in GNAI3 produce dominant-negative Gαi3 mutant proteins that couple to ETAR but cannot bind and hydrolyze guanosine triphosphate, resulting in the prevention of endothelin-mediated activation of Gαq/11 and PLC. Thus, ACS is caused by functionally dominant-negative mutations in a heterotrimeric G protein subunit.
Ulnocarpal Impingement and Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Tears

Ulnocarpal impingement syndrome is a common reason for ulnar-sided wrist pain in athletes. Clinical history, imaging, and physical examination are important when diagnosing and formulating a management plan. Gymnasts and baseball and racket playing athletes are at higher risk for ulnocarpal (UC) impingement because of repetitive wrist pronation and gripping. Overloading of the UC joint can progress to ulnar head chondromalacia, triangular fibrocartilage complex tears, and lunotriquetral ligament damage. Treatment options for UC impingement range from rest and splinting to operative intervention. Splints that limit wrist pronation and supination prevent the ulna from being driven distally into the lunate. Ulnar shortening osteotomy remains the gold standard for UC joint unloading, but other interventions including arthroscopic debridement with the ulnar wafer procedure can be effective. Recovery time and complication rates vary between each operative procedure and should be taken into consideration when managing athletes.
Studies on the Calliphoridae in Hebei province

Objective To investigate the species and distribution of the Calliphoridae in Hebei province.Methods Using entomogical classification principle and method.Results 58 species,21 genera,4 races,4 subfamily were recognized in Hebei Province.Conclusion The complicated nature and geography enviroment decided complexity of Calliphoridae species.
Epidemiological analysis of hand,foot and mouth disease in Yongxing county in Hunan Province between 2008-2011

Objective To analyze the incidence dynamics and characteristics of hand,foot and mouth disease(HFMD) in Yongxing county between 2008-2011,so as to provide evidence for the prevention and control of HFMD.Methods Descriptive epidemiology was used to analyze time,place and population distribution of HFMD epidemics.Results A total of 2010 cases were reported with the average annual incidence rate of 85.468 cases per 100 thousand people,of whom 20 were severe cases and 3 died.The incidence in 2011 was the highest,and the differences among different years were significant(χ2=583.192,P=0.000).Cases were reported in towns,and more cases in Matian,Chengguan,Zhangshu,Bailin and Xiangyindu.HFMD most commonly occurred between April and July(a clear and stable incidence peak) and around October(an unclear incidence peak).Children under the age of 5 were mostly affected,accounting for 94.826% of the total incidence number.The incidence rate in males was higher than that in females and the difference between them was significant(RR=2.051,95%CI 1.860～2.253).Conclusions HFMD occurring in Yongxing county between 2008-2011 is widely distributed and shows an increasing trend.The differences in time,place and popu-lation are significant.HFMD has become a major local infectious disease,and efforts in its prevention and treatment should be strengthened.
Role of coagulation factor XII in unexplained recurrent abortions in the Greek population.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of congenital factor XII (FXII) deficiency in the South-European Caucasian (Greek) population in a cohort of women with recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSAs). STUDY DESIGN One hundred women with a history of > or =2 RSAs of unexplained nature were compared to 100 age-matched, healthy controls with no history of thrombotic disease or adverse pregnancy outcomes, regarding FXII activity. Women were included in the RSA group if they had normal coagulation parameters and no congenital or acquired thrombophilia. RESULTS Fifteen of 100 women with RSA had reduced FXII activity, whereas all controls had normal FXII activity. FXII activity was significantly lower in the RSA than in the control group (median 100.5, range 10-150 vs. median 104.2, range 58.3-143.2, p < 0.016 by Mann-Whitney test). FXII activity was positively correlated with age in both the RSA and the control groups (r = +0.1, p = 0.04 and r = +0.04, p = 0.2, respectively), but this correlation reached statistical significance in the RSA group only. A negative correlation between FXII activity and the number of abortions in the RSA group was found (r = -0.2, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION Congenital FXII deficiency is strongly associated with RSA in the Greek population.
The Physician and the Adolescent with Cancer

The emotional support of the adolescent with cancer depends upon the establishment of an atmosphere in which he can feel free to discuss his concerns and get honest answers. Teenage children can tolerate the knowledge that they have cancer. Such knowledge affords them an opportunity to share their experiences, and is crucial to the development of a relationship of trust and confidence with the physician.
Grapes and Vision

Cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration are frequent causes of blindness worldwide particularly in the elderly population. Continuous exposure to deleterious chemical agents in addition to an inadequate diet enhances oxidative stress in several tissues of the human eye and contributes to these and other ocular dysfunctions. Grapes contain a wide variety of phytochemicals that can function as cellular antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Increased dietary intake of grapes or grape compounds may thus be effective in preventing or delaying the progression of these eye diseases. In this review, we focus on recent experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies that support such beneficial properties of grape components on vision.
General Valeriano Weyler, the Spanish “Reconcentración Policy,” and American Calls for Military Intervention into Cuba

As noted in Chapter 1, an increasing number of interdisciplinary scholars3 and journalists4 are recognizing the role that argumentative strategies and tactics play in colonial camp cultural contexts.5 As George Steinmetz noted in his defense of comparative research methods, critical scholars who are extending the work of Michel Foucault, Edward Said, and others are doing their best to get at the “multivocality” that can be found in both discourses and colonial “fields” of power,6 and researchers are constantly comparing the rhetorics that are deployed to justifying military and humanitarian interventions with the actual consequences of these practices.
What next for human gene therapy

The high hope of genetic medicine for 30 years has been to develop a way of using recombinant DNA techniques to treat patients through the genes involved in their diseases. As Richard Roblin, scientific director of the Council on Bioethics of the President of the United States, put it in 1979: “There is something aesthetically compelling about cutting to the heart of the problem, by treating the disease at the molecular level, where it originates.“1 Since 1990, this vision has generated a modest industry of bench research and animal studies, culminating in almost 1000 clinical trials in humans around the world, for a wide variety of diseases.2 In the past few years, however, the field has learned that in genetic medicine, as in war, the “surgical strike“ is rarely as clean and effective as theory implies it should be.
Does Early Lymphocyte Recovery Predict Superior Survival in Children and Young Adults Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction: Early lymphocyte recovery predicts outcome in adults undergoing high dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation for a variety of malignancies (Porrata et al; 2001, 2002, 2005). Whether rate of lymphoid recovery is predictive of outcome post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children and young adults has not been studied. Objective: To explore the association between early ALC recovery and survival in children and young adults undergoing allogeneic and autologous (HSCT) for leukemia or lymphoma. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed for all consecutive patients (age 6 months to 21 years) undergoing first HSCT for hematologic malignancies and lymphomas at Mayo Clinic, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology from 1995 to 2004. Day 15 and day 28 ALC were calculated for all patients. The primary end point was 1-year relapse free (RFS) and overall survival (OS). To explore the association between ALC and primary outcome, patients were stratified in 2 groups: ≥ or < than median ALC and Kaplan Meier survival curves were generated for both the groups and compared with the log-rank test. Matched related donor (MRD), matched unrelated donor (MUD) and haploidentical (as one group) and autologous transplantations were analyzed separately. Results: There were a total of 50 patients. 28 received MRD, 2 MUD, 10 haploidentical and 10 autologous transplant. The underlying malignancies were AML n =25, Biphenotypic Leukemia n=1, ALL n =7, NHL n=3, HD n=7, JMML n=5, CML n=2, CLL n=1). No patient was lost to follow up during that time and data was available for all except (day 28 ALC) for one patient. The 1-year RFS and OS rate was the same; 81% for the MRD, 50% for MUD and haploidentical and 70% for autologous transplant populations, respectively. In patients receiving MRD transplants, higher ALC at either day 15 or day 28 post transplantation was associated with better, albeit statistically non-significant, RFS/OS rates at 1 year (85% for ≥ median (0.23) vs. 78% for < median p=0.69 and 86% for ≥ median (0.47) vs. 77% for < median p= 0.59 respectively). Opposite results were observed for MUD and Haploidentical transplantation group (33% for ALC ≥ median (0.05) at day 15 vs. 67% for < median p=0.2, 33% for ALC ≥ median (0.35) at day 28 vs. 66% for < median p=0.28) and for autologous transplantations (67% for ALC ≥ median (0.23) at day 15 vs. 75% for < median p=0.68, 40% for ALC ≥ median (0.48) at day 28 vs. 100% for < median p=0.07). Conclusions: Our data generated conflicting findings of the association between ALC and RFS/OS in different patient populations undergoing HSCT. However, our results are limited by the small sample size. Further collaborative studies are needed to explore this association.
Research and Educational Programs in the Marketing of Livestock

HE cornerstone of any good educational program in regard to the marketing of livestock is laid by a carefully organized research program. Each Experiment Station must not only develop such an individual program but must cooperate frequently on regional and national problems with other states as well as with federal and private institutions. Only by such well-planned research programs is it possible to avoid the trial and error method of improving the livestock marketing system. Any research program designed to include all aspects of livestock marketing must contain a series of systematically developed research projects coordinated throughout the nation. Only studies of a general nature can, at present, be carried beyond the state levels as research programs in livestock marketing in most states have not as yet been developed to the point where results can be coordinated on a state, let alone on a regional or national basis. The greatest weakness of research and educational programs of most institutions is their vagueness. Too often research agencies are hindered in carrying out planned research or educational programs because of the necessity to conduct research or some educational program requested by a pressure group, or to carry on emergency work necessitated by some unusual condition, or because of the loss of trained personnel. In addition to this, the characteristics of the livestock industry make the planning of an educational and research program in livestock marketing difficult and workers too often start on some individual project without formulating an overall program. The character of the livestock industry requires an exceedingly complex marketing system. Any discussion of the marketing system must take into consideration the following distinctive features of the livestock industry: 1. The wide distribution of production on thousands of farms and ranches; 2. Transportation requirements in assembling the livestock; 3. The large amount of
The Neuropsychology (Broadly Conceived) of Multiple System Atrophy, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and Corticobasal Degeneration.

Objective To review the cognitive and behavioral features of the different atypical parkinsonian syndromes in which motor symptoms dominate early clinical symptomology: multiple systems atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). The impact of cognitive and behavioral deficits on quality of life, associations between neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric findings and brain imaging, and cognitive and behavioral symptom management are also discussed. Method A review of the available MSA, PSP, and CBD literature was conducted, with emphasis given to studies investigating the cognitive and behavioral features of the syndromes. Results Although the three reviewed atypical parkinsonian syndromes share many similarities to each other and PD from a neuropsychological perspective, differences in prevalence and severity of cognitive impairment and patterns of performance on neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric measures exist in the research literature. Conclusions Cognitive and behavioral features are early and pervasive aspects of MSA, PSP, and CBD.
Effects of Phytophthora ramorum on volatile organic compound emissions of Rhododendron using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Phytophthora ramorum is an invasive and devastating plant pathogen that causes sudden oak death in coastal forests in the western United States and ramorum blight in nursery ornamentals and native plants in various landscapes. As a broad host-range quarantine pest that can be asymptomatic in some hosts, P. ramorum presents significant challenges for regulatory efforts to detect and contain it, particularly in commercial nurseries. As part of a program to develop new detection methods for cryptic infections in nursery stock, we compared volatile emissions of P. ramorum-inoculated and noninoculated Rhododendron plants using three gas chromatography–mass spectrometry methods. The first used a branch enclosure combined with headspace sorptive extraction to measure plant volatiles in situ. Seventy-eight compounds were found in the general Rhododendron profile. The volatile profile of inoculated but asymptomatic plants (121 days post-inoculation) was distinguishable from the profile of the noninoculated controls. Three compounds were less abundant in inoculated Rhododendron plants relative to noninoculated and mock-inoculated control plants. A second method employed stir bar sorptive extraction to measure volatiles in vitro from leaf extractions in methanol; 114 volatiles were found in the overall profile with 30 compounds less abundant and one compound more abundant in inoculated Rhododendron plants relative to mock-inoculated plants. At 128 days post-inoculation, plants were asymptomatic and similar in appearance to the noninoculated controls, but their chemical profiles were different. In a third technique, volatiles from water runoff from the soil of potted healthy and inoculated Rhododendron plants were compared. Runoff from the inoculated plants contained four unique volatile compounds that never appeared in the runoff from mock-inoculated plants. These three volatile detection techniques could lead to innovative approaches that augment detection and diagnosis of P. ramorum and oomycete pathogens in nurseries and other settings.
Model order reduction for finite difference modeling of cardiac propagation using DMD modes

Numerical simulations of cardiac electrophysiology are now considered a valuable tool for medical research. To study and explore the cardiac electrical propagation, it is essential to develop and study techniques that allow efficient simulation as well as retain accuracy. The finite difference method has been a popular method for solving the governing equation in the monodomain model of cardiac propagation due to its simplicity and low computational overhead. The inhomogeneous and anisotropic conductive anatomy of the three-dimensional cardiac tissue represents a complex system which involves spatial and temporal derivatives as well as a nonlinear ionic current term. This makes the simulation computationally intensive, and consequently, the development of an efficient computational technique is required to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the simulations. In this paper, a model order reduction technique has been developed which provides low-dimensional approximations for the full-dimensional cardiac monodomain system by using dynamic mode decomposition method. Numerical results show that the reduced order approximations reduce the CPU time by a factor of 5.9, while its RMS difference with original model is 0.9443 mV.
The paradox of the contented female manager: an empirical investigation of gender differences in pay expectation in the hospitality industry.

Abstract Gender differences in pay expectation for self and others and its mediators were tested with a sample of 116 hospitality majors. As hypothesized, women had lower pay expectations at both career entry and career peak than men. The best predictor of gender differences in self-pay expectations at career entry were job facet factors including cooperative coworkers and supervisors for women and high status for men. The best predictor at career peak was comparison standards or pay expectations for others. In addition, psychological empowerment fostered high pay expectation for men and women at career peak, with the most dramatic effect found among men.
Characterization of a novel glutathione S-transferase isoenzyme from mouse lung and liver having structural similarity to rat glutathione S-transferase 8-8

In mouse lung, glutathione S-transferase (GST, EC 2.5.1.18) isoenzymes belonging to the three major known classes, Alpha, Mu and Pi, have been previously characterized, along with an isoenzyme (pI 5.7) that could not be identified with the Alpha, Mu or Pi classes of GSTs. In the present studies we have demonstrated that this isoenzyme is also expressed in liver. Its structural, kinetic, and immunological properties have been determined and compared with those of the three classes of GSTs. GST 5.7 has a subunit molecular mass of 23 kDa, which is intermediate between that of the previously characterized Alpha (25 kDa) and Pi (22.5 kDa) class GST subunits of mouse lung. Comparison of peptide maps of GST 5.7 with those representative of Alpha, Mu and Pi class GST isoenzymes of mouse lung showed that it had a distinct peptide fragmentation pattern. Kinetic and immunological properties of GST 5.7 were also distinct from other mouse GST isoenzymes belonging to the Alpha, Mu or Pi classes. N-Terminal amino-acid-sequence analysis of a 6 kDa fragment generated by CNBr digestion of mouse lung GST 5.7 revealed a 15-residue sequence that was distinct from sequences of known Alpha, Mu and Pi class mouse GSTs. The sequence, however, matched with the sequence of rat GST 8-8 between amino acid residues 106 and 120 with a 73% identity. The 6 kDa and 12 kDa fragments generated by CNBr digestion of mouse liver GST 5.7 also gave sequences which matched with those of rat GST 8-8 between positions 106 and 120 and 167 and 186, with a high degree of identity. These studies suggest that mouse GST 5.7 structurally corresponds to rat GST 8-8 and belongs to the Alpha class.
Idea generation in biomedical engineering courses using Design Heuristics

With increasing demand for improved medical equipment and healthcare, next-generation biomedical engineers need strong design skills. Equipping biomedical engineering students with tools for idea g...
COMPARATIVE STUDY FOR ADSORPTION OF HYDROGEN-METHANE MIXTURES ON ACTIVATED CARBON AND 5A MOLECULAR SIEVE

Abstract Equilibrium adsorption isotherms were obtained experimentally by a static method for a binary component hydrogen-methane mixture on activated carbon and 5A molecular sieve adsorbents. The temperature range 303-333 K and pressure range 0 - 4 MPa were examined. Methods for predicting gas-mixture equilibrium adsorption data from the pure-component isotherms were evaluated. Extended Langmuir model correlated the adsorption of binary mixtures fairly well. In all cases mutual interference was found, that is, the amount of a given gas adsorbed at a given partial pressure was always less in the mixture than it would have been if the other gaseous component had not been present. It was found that the amount adsorbed of gases per unit bulk volume for 5A molecular sieve was higher than for activated carbon. Furthermore, 5A molecular sieve showed better adsorption characteristics than activated carbon in mass transfer properties, affinity, selectivity and heat of adsorption.
An event study in relative prices and choice of loan term

Abstract Longer amortization timelines help lower the monthly cost of a home mortgage, but the longer term and interest rate premium lead to higher cumulative costs over the life of the loan. A variety of factors may influence the choice of amortization schedule, including the relative price of different loan terms. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) reduced mortgage insurance premiums in early 2015 for mortgages with loan terms greater than 15 years, while leaving the premiums for shorter-term loans unchanged. The large, sudden change in relative prices creates a natural experiment in choice of loan term. We find that the number and share of FHA-insured mortgages with longer loan term increased after the premium reduction. Although there is some evidence of a reduction in shorter-term refinances, however, we find no evidence of a decline in shorter-term home purchase originations. That is, the change in relative prices did not cause homebuyers to substitute longer-term mortgages for shorter-term mortgages. These results have implications for the effectiveness of policies designed to encourage building equity faster through shorter-term loans.
Group plus "mini" individual pre-test genetic counselling sessions for hereditary cancer shorten provider time and improve patient satisfaction.

Genetic counselling (GC) is an integral component in the care of individuals at risk for hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes (CPS). In many jurisdictions, access to timely counselling and testing is limited by financial constraints, by the shortage of genetics professionals and by labor-intensive traditional models of individual pre and post-test counselling. There is a need for further research regarding alternate methods of GC service delivery and implementation. This quality improvement project was initiated to determine if pretest group GC followed immediately by a ‘mini’ individual session, would be acceptable to patients at risk for hereditary breast and colon cancer. Patients on waitlists for GC at the Provincial Medical Genetics Program in St. John’s, NL, Canada (n = 112), were contacted by telephone and offered the option of a group counselling session (GGC), followed by a “mini” individual session, versus (TGC) traditional private appointments. GGC sessions consisted of a cancer genetics information session given to groups of 6–20 followed by brief 20 min “mini” individual sessions with the patient and genetic specialist. TGC individual appointments provided the same cancer genetics information and counselling to one patient at a time in the classic model. All but 2 participants selected group+mini session. A de-identified confidential 12-item, Likert scale survey was distributed at the conclusion of mini-sessions to measure perceptions of GGC and satisfaction with this counselling model. Sixty participants completed questionnaires. The majority of participants strongly agreed that they were comfortable with the group session (58/60); the explanation of cancer genetics was clear (54/59); they understood their cancer risks (50/60); and they would recommend such a session to others (56/59). 38/53 respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that they would prefer to wait for a traditional private appointment. All 5 participating genetic counselors reported a preference for this model. At the end of the pilot project, the waitlist for counselling/testing was reduced by 12 months. Group pre-test genetic counselling combined with immediate “mini” individual session is strongly supported by patients and reduces wait times. Additional formal investigation of this approach in larger numbers of patients is warranted.
Developmental regulation of cell type-specific transcription by novel promoter-proximal sequence elements

Cell type-specific transcriptional programs that drive differentiation of specialized cell types are key players in development and tissue regeneration. One of the most dramatic changes in the transcription program in Drosophila occurs with the transition from proliferating spermatogonia to differentiating spermatocytes, with >3000 genes either newly expressed or expressed from new alternative promoters in spermatocytes. Here we show that opening of these promoters from their closed state in precursor cells requires function of the spermatocyte-specific tMAC complex, localized at the promoters. The spermatocyte-specific promoters lack the previously identified canonical core promoter elements except for the Inr. Instead, these promoters are enriched for the binding site for the TALE-class homeodomain transcription factors Achi/Vis and for a motif originally identified under tMAC ChIP-seq peaks. The tMAC motif resembles part of the previously identified 14-bp β2UE1 element critical for spermatocyte-specific expression. Analysis of downstream sequences relative to transcription start site usage suggested that ACA and CNAAATT motifs at specific positions can help promote efficient transcription initiation. Our results reveal how promoter-proximal sequence elements that recruit and are acted upon by cell type-specific chromatin binding complexes help establish a robust, cell type-specific transcription program for terminal differentiation.
Understanding Russia: The holy fool in Russian Culture

(1988). Understanding Russia: The holy fool in Russian Culture. The Social Science Journal: Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 242-244.