cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sensorless control of switched reluctance motor drive based on BEMF calculation

There have been several approaches to the problem of sensorless rotor position detection in switched reluctance motors but the great majority of them are not able to cover all the constant torque region in SRMs torque-speed profile since they are mainly based on voltage equation integration to estimate the flux or neglecting motional the back electromotive force or BEMF, in that equation. This paper proposes a method to the sensorless control of SRM to cover the specified region efficiently. A novel method to estimate the back EMF online based on the current waveform is introduced. A position estimation equation is derived based on the estimated BEMF and an analytical model for the SRM. Then a commutation strategy is designed based on the position estimation equation. The proposed sensorless method has been implemented on Texas Instrument TMS320LF2407 fixed-point digital signal processor and has been applied to a 1hp SRM test bed successfully.
Efficacy of an educationally-based cognitive retraining programme for traumatically head-injured as measured by LNNB pre- and post-test scores

Traumatic head-injuries have been described as a national ‘silent epidemic’ (Wall Street Journal [1]) and within the medical rehabilitation field it is becoming increasingly recognized that the care and service needs for this population significantly surpass the typical scope of acute rehabilitation services. From the literature, it is suggested that long-term recovery is contingent upon the person remaining within a structured, therapeutic environment. Cognitive retraining is one such area of therapeutic- service. The major goal of an educational retraining programme for traumatically head-injured students is to maximize each individual's potential for independent functioning, which is promoted through improvement in cognitive functioning, social and emotional adjustments and transitional living experiences. The pre- and post-tests results for this were analysed collectively utilizing standard T-test comparison procedures for groups with correlated means (SPSS 1983). The results of each student were then...
Trends and Disparities in TB among U.S. Born Black and White Chicago Residents, 1998 - 2008.

Objective: To describe the decline of tuberculosis (TB) cases among U.S.born non-Hispanic (NH) black and white Chicago residents. Methods: Data from the National TB Surveillance System was used to analyze trends and characteristics of reported TB cases among U.S.-born NH black and U.S.-born NH white Chicago residents from 1998-2008. Results: Chicago reported a total of 3,821 TB cases over the 11-year time period. Of these, 1,916 were U.S.-born NH black and 235 were U.S.-born NH white. The proportion of cases attributable to U.S.-born NH blacks was 63% (294/469) in 1998 and 34% in 2008 (72/213). Regression analysis for trends from 2000-2008 revealed a greater than predicted decrease in rates among U.S.-born NH blacks (p<0.05). U.S.-born NH blacks had greater odds than U.S.-born NH whites of HIV infection (OR 1.8), non-injecting drug use (OR 3.0), unemployment (OR 1.7), receiving care from the health department (OR 2.2) and receiving directly observed therapy (OR 3.0). Conclusion : Despite more TB risk factors in Chicago’s U.S.-born black population, there was a narrowing of TB case disparity in Chicago from 1998-2008. Continued focused strategies aimed at controlling TB are needed.
Loss rates from a lake phytoplankton community1

Measurements of primary productivity and phytoplankton biomass in Castle Lake are presented for an 8-month period. Primary productivity and phytoplankton carbon content under a square mctcr of lake surface exhibit similar seasonal trends and achieve maximum values in July. Phytoplankton loss rates are calculated by subtracting the rate of change of carbon content from the primary productivity, and specific loss rates are estimated by dividing loss rates by phytoplankton carbon. Specific loss rates range from more than 0.80 day-’ in May to less than 0.20 day-l in midsummer and in December. Loss rates in the spring cannot be attributed to water transport, sinking, or grazing. Cell mortality and de- composition when environmental tolerances
Recent Research on the Behavioral Effects of Tryptophan and Carbohydrate

Animal and human studies indicate that diet can alter plasma and brain concentrations of neurotransmitter precursors, with possible implications for the synthesis and release of brain neurotransmitters. The best known example is serotonin, whose synthesis is limited by the availability of its precursor, tryptophan, in the brain. Consuming tryptophan or a carbohydrate-rich, protein-poor meal increases brain levels of tryptophan and serotonin. Although a carbohydrate meal itself lacks tryptophan, the meal causes insulin to be secreted. Insulin, in turn, decreases plasma levels of large neutral amino acids that would ordinarily compete with tryptophan for transport across the blood-brain barrier. Resulting brain changes in serotonin provide a plausible mechanism whereby diet could affect behaviour. Research on human subjects suggests that ingesting tryptophan or carbohydrate can reduce subjective alertness and possibly influence some aspects of objective performance. Effects on sleep latency and on pain perception have also been detected. Behavioral effects may come about via the action of tryptophan on brain serotoninergic pathways, although other mechanisms may operate and must still be ruled out before the mechanism is certain.
PROFIT PLANNING AND CONTROL FOR DECENTRALIZED CORPORATIONS

Managers of profitable firms frequently have a great deal of latitude in their decisions on resource allocation. Because they are often not the owners of their firms, their objectives may not be the maximum profit goal envisioned by classical economics. A more likely objective may involve a combination of profit and personal power. It is thus likely that some profits will be sacrificed to excess staff expenditures. For a large, decentralized firm such as a conglomerate, the adverse effect on profits caused by such motives in the subunit managers may be severe. However, direct intervention in subunit management may cause other deleterious effects. This paper utilizes the assignment of central office overhead as a motivating force and develops a formula for the optimal allocation of this overhead. Thus, direct intervention is minimized and the goals of subunit managers are utilized to achieve the desired result of higher profits.
Detection of infective poliovirus by a simple, rapid, and sensitive flow cytometry method based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer technology.

(FRET) upon cleavage by the viral 2A protease (2A pro ) as an indication of infection. Quantification of the infectious-virus titers was resolved by using flow cytometry, and utility was demonstrated for the detection of poliovirus 1 (PV1) infection. Engineered buffalo green monkey kidney (BGMK) cells expressing the cyan fluorescent protein (CFP)-yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) substrate linked by a cleavage recognition site for PV1 2A pro were infected with different titers of PV1. After incubation at various time points, cells were harvested, washed, and subjected to flow cytometry analysis. The number of infected cells was determined by counting the number of cells with an increased CFP-to-YFP ratio. As early as 5 h postinfection, a significant number of infected cells (3%) was detected by flow cytometry, and cells infected with only 1 PFU were detected after 12 h postinfection. When applied to an environmental water sample spiked with PV1, the flow cytometrybased assay provided a level of sensitivity similar to that of the plaque assay for detecting and quantifying infectious virus particles. This approach, therefore, is more rapid than plaque assays and can be used to detect other viruses that frequently do not form clear plaques on cell cultures.
Bimodality of Fasting and Two-hour Glucose Tolerance Distributions in a Micronesian Population

While frequency distributions of glucose concentrations in Caucasian populations are unimodal, bimodality has been described in the Pima Indians, a population with an extremely high prevalence of diabetes. Venous plasma glucose concentrations at fasting and after a 75-gm. oral glucose load were determined in 596 Nauruans, a Micronesian population with a diabetes prevalence of the same order as the Pima Indians. In both sexes and in subjects 10 to 19 years, the frequency distributions of the logarithms of the fasting and two-hour glucose values were clearly unimodal. In most sex and age groups of 20 years and older, the frequency distributions of fasting and two-hour glucose values were bimodal and consistent with a model of two overlapping Gaussian distributions. This population is characterized by marked obesity. However, there was no significant difference in the degree of obesity between subjects in the first and second curves of the bimodal distribution. This makes it unlikely that the bimodality is a consequence of the marked obesity seen in both the Pima and Nauru populations. The data show that among Nauruans, as with the Pimas, the frequency distribution of glucose concentrations can be used to separate the population into normal and hyperglycemic groups.
Nickel mutagenesis: Alteration of the MuSVts 110 thermosensitive splicing phenotype by a nickel‐induced duplication of the 3′ splice site

We investigated DNA damage caused by carcinogenic metals in a murine sarcoma virus (MuSV)-based mutagenicity assay in which mutations targeted to v-mos expression can be selected. Nickel chloride treatment of NRK cells (termed 6m2 cells) infected with MuSVts110, a retrovirus conditionally defective in viral RNA splicing and cell transformation, caused the outgrowth of transformed "revertants" with changes in the MuSVts110 RNA splicing phenotype. Cadmium and chromium treatment of 6m2 cells resulted in the selection of a second class of revertants with what appeared to be frameshift mutations allowing the translation of a readthrough gag-mos protein. In both classes of metal-induced revertants, viral gene expression was distinct from that observed in revertants arising in untreated 6m2 cultures, arguing that metal treatment did not simply enhance the rate of spontaneous reversion. In one representative nickel revertant line the operative nickel-induced mutation affecting MuSVts110 RNA splicing was a duplication of 70 bases surrounding the 3' splice site. The effect of this mutation was to direct splicing to the most downstream of the duplicated 3' sites and concomitantly relax its characteristic thermosensitivity. These data establish the mutagenic potential of nickel and provide the first example of a defined nickel-induced mutation in a mammalian gene.
Stochastic Simultation for Imaging Spatial Uncertainty: Comparison and Evaluation of Available Algorithms

Stochastic simulation has been suggested as a viable method for characterizing the uncertainty associated with the prediction of a nonlinear function of a spatially-varying parameter. Geostatistical simulation algorithms generate realizations of a random field with specified statistical and geostatistical properties. A nonlinear function (called a transfer function) is evaluated over each realization to obtain an uncertainty distribution of a system response that reflects the spatial variability and uncertainty in the parameter. Crucial management decisions, such as potential regulatory compliance of proposed nuclear waste facilities and optimal allocation of resources in environmental remediation, are based on the resulting system response uncertainty distribution.
A register file with transposed access mode

We introduce a new register file architecture that provides both row-wise and column-wise accesses, thus allowing partitioned instructions to be used in column-wise processing without transposition overhead. This feature can accelerate 2D separable image and video processing algorithms, such as 2D convolution and 2D discrete cosine transform (DCT), by eliminating the transposition steps.
The Digital IdeaKeeper: integrating digital libraries with a scaffolded environment for online inquiry

Online inquiry is an important way of engaging learners in information--rich activities using online sources to explore questions in different fields, such as science. Online inquiry involves a set of interrelated activities, such as planning an investigation; seeking, analyzing, and making sense of online information; and synthesizing information into a final argument. However, learners may encounter several obstacles in trying to tackle an open--ended, complex process like online inquiry. Therefore, using a learner--centered design approach, we are developing the Digital Idea Keeper environment to extend digital libraries by integrating different tools and incorporating different scaffolding approaches to help learners effectively engage in online inquiry.
Upper bound on the coarsening rate for an epitaxial growth model

We study a specific example of energy-driven coarsening in two space dimensions. The energy is ∫|∇∇u|2 + (1 - | ∇u|2)2; the evolution is the fourth-order PDE representing steepest descent. This equation has been proposed as a model of epitaxial growth for systems with slope selection. Numerical simulations and heuristic arguments indicate that the standard deviation of u grows like t1/3, and the energy per unit area decays like t-1/3. We prove a weak, one-sided version of the latter statement: The time-averaged energy per unit area decays no faster than t-1/3. Our argument follows a strategy introduced by Kohn and Otto in the context of phase separation, combining (i) a dissipation relation, (ii) an isoperimetric inequality, and (iii) an ODE lemma. The interpolation inequality is new and rather subtle; our proof is by contradiction, relying on recent compactness results for the Aviles-Giga energy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Engineering of the nonradiative transition rates in nonpolar modulation-doped multiple quantum wells

The feasibility of population inversion, by impurity-scattering enhancement of the acoustic-phonon-limited lower-laser-level intersubband relaxation rate, is theoretically investigated in nonpolar three-level SiGe/Si systems. The dependence of the acoustic-phonon depopulating rate on the barrier thickness and the effect of the position of a δ-doped region on the impurity scattering are treated rigorously. A 10-A-doped region with a 1010 or a 5×1010 cm-2 sheet carrier density enhances the acoustic-phonon-limited depopulating rate by more than one or two orders of magnitude, respectively. Thus for equal barrier widths between the depopulating and the lasing levels, the depopulating rate becomes at least an order of magnitude (1010 cm-2 doping) or a factor of 2–4 (5×1010 cm-2 doping) faster than the lasing transition's acoustic- or optical-phonon limit, respectively. This allows for the design of nonpolar intersubband lasers, in which population inversion between discrete valence-band states is achieved by impurity-scattering enhancement of the acoustic-phonon-limited depopulating rate.
On the τ-Lepton in general relativity

Earlier studies of elementary-particle physics from general relativity revealed that 1) fermion matter fields in a curved spacetime occur naturally in mass doublets, determined explicitly by geometrical fields that represent other matter in the domain of the « observed » particle, and 2) in the asymptotic limit toward (though not reaching !) a flat space-time, the masses of all fermion fields lie in an (approximately) discrete spectrum. Within the context of this theory, the electron-muon masses were calculated as an elementary mass doublet and the muon lifetime was determined. It was found that the theoretical predictions agree with the data when the muon is an electron in the neighborhood of single, electromagnetically excited particle-antiparticle pair; the lifetime of the muon is then that of the excited neighboring pair in a dens « physical vacuum » of other background pairs. In this paper, the po sibility is considered that the empirical data on the τ-lepton relate to a higher-valued mass eigenvalue in general relativity, physically achieved by the simultaneous excitation of two pairs in the vicinity of the « observed » electron. It is found that with this model of the τ-lepton, the ratio of its lifetime to that of the muon relates inversely to their mass ratio as Tτ/Tμ= (mμ/mτ)5, in approximate agreement with the empirical data. It is predicted further that higher-mass leptons must also exist,t′ t″, ..., corresponding to simultaneous excitations of three pairs, four pairs, ... in the vicinity of the observed electron, with lifetime ratiosTτ′/Tμ, Tτ″/Tμ, ... that depend on inverse mass ratios as(mμ /mτ′)8,(mμ/mτ′11, ... in such a specific sequence of powers of these ratios.
239 mac-t cells as a tool to examine genome editing using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (crispr)

In 2050, the expected size of the human population is 9 billion, the demand for food will increase, and the demand for milk will increase along with it. Genetically modifying animals is a tool that can be used to meet this growing demand. In the United States, Holstein is the leading breed for milk production and Holsteins produce on average 24 291 pounds of milk per year, whereas Jerseys, the other major dairy breed, produce on average 16 997 pounds. Their ability to produce large quantities of milk is linked to 2 mutations. These mutations are on the α-lactalbumin (α-lac) gene; the α-lac exon (+1) corresponds to the transcription start point of α-lac, (+15) and (–1689) are the positions corresponding to the single nucleotide polymorphism associated with increased milk production. Holstein cows have an adenine at both of these positions in contrast to the other cattle breeds with lower milk production, which have either a cytosine or guanine at either position. Inserting an adenine at position (+15) and (–1689) in cows without this mutation could lead to increased milk production and a better response to market demands. The purpose of this experiment was to test the cutting efficiency of candidate clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) that will later be used in knock-in experiments. CRISPRs were used because the CRISPR-Cas9 system is inexpensive, easily programmed, and efficient. In this preliminary study, we worked with Holstein MAC-T cells, which already contain the mutation at both positions. CRISPRs were used on this cell line to cut the DNA at a site near the mutation. Based on the genomic DNA sequence of these MAC-T cells, 3 guide RNAs were designed. Cells were then transfected with the designed CRISPRs by a variety of transfection methods, including Fugene™ (Promega, Madison, WI, USA), electroporation, and Lipofectamine (ThermoFisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). Green fluorescent protein was used to determine the efficiency of transfection; 30% efficiency was seen for Fugene™, whereas electroporation and Lipofectamine™ had 70% efficiency. To select for successfully transfected cells, puromycin selection was applied. The DNA was later extracted and sent in for sequencing. Next, the website TIDE was used to compare the transfected MAC-T cells to normal MAC-T cells. The TIDE software measures the editing efficiency and looks for major insertions or deletions in pools of DNA by comparing 2 sequences to quantify the editing efficacy of CRISPR-Cas9. Our results showed that CRISPRs successfully cut the DNA near the α-lac mutation region with a total efficiency of 13.8%. The desired next step will be to insert a single-strand oligonucleotide (ssODN) donor to make a single basepair mutation. The ultimate aim of this research would be to insert these mutations into other cattle species in order to increase their milk production.
A phase I study of vorinostat in combination with bortezomib in refractory solid tumors

2531 Background: Vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, SAHA) is an oral histone deacytlase (HDAC) inhibitor that has anti-tumor activity in hematologic malignancies and advanced solid tumors...
Modality neutral techniques for brain image understanding

With the influx of available multi-modality neuroimaging data, the need to mine large databases for interesting features in a modality neutral way across many brain disorders is of interest. In this paper I present some examples of applying models originating in the computer vision and text mining communities to neuroimaging data which are not tuned for a particular imaging modality and are agnostic to the underlying brain disorder.
Chemosignals and Reproduction in Adult Female House Mice

Whitten (1958, 1959) first reported in detail that odors from male and female mice could influence the timing of estrous cycles and reproduction in adult conspecifics. Urinary chemosignals from male mice enhance female cycles, whereas urinary chemosignals from other females retard female cycles. Chemosignal modulation of ovarian cyclicity has been documented for a broad range of mammals (see summary in McClintock, 1983). Vandenbergh (1969) first reported that urinary chemosignals from conspecifics influenced the onset of puberty in young female mice. Several decades of research have produced a rather thorough understanding of the manner in which urine from male and female mice influences the sexual development of young females (Vandenbergh, 1983; Vandenbergh and Coppola, 1986; Drickamer, 1986a). The release of these puberty-influencing urinary chemosignals by wild mice has been documented in both the laboratory and under field conditions (Drickamer, 1979; Massey and Vandenbergh, 1980, 1981). In recent tests conducted in outdoor field pens, we have shown that urinary chemosignals affect adult reproduction, puberty in young mice and the size of mouse populations (Drickamer and Mikesic, 1990).
Risking Retroactive Punishment: Modifications of the Supervised Release Statute and the Ex Post Facto Prohibition

The Constitution bars both state and federal legislatures from passing ex post facto laws. This prohibition includes laws that increase punishments for crimes already committed. However, whether a change in a sentencing system actually increases punishment is often a close question. This Note uses the 1994 modifications of the federal supervised release statute and the ensuing confusion among the circuit courts about the ex post facto implications of these changes as an example of the difficulties the prohibition can cause. The Note argues that courts holding that the changes in the supervised release system do not increase punishment have misapplied Supreme Court precedents, which require lower courts to evaluate the risk that a statutory change will result in harsher punishments. Further, the Note argues that the Supreme Court should clarify its risk test by providing guidelines rooted in the original purposes of the ex post facto prohibition.
Atmospheric pressure microwave-powered microplasma source

Portable low cost microplasma sources have various applications such as Bio-MEMs sterilization, chemical analysis systems and small scale materials processing. The application of microplasmas at atmospheric pressure is particularly attractive as it avoids the need for vacuum systems. Further, by using higher frequency energy (rf and microwave) to power the microplasma discharge, the erosion of electrodes can be reduced.
Alteration of RES Phagocytic Function by Pyrogen Contaminated Colloidal Carbon.

SummaryEvidence is presented that a special preparation of colloidal carbon (C11 1431a), which is used widely in studies of phagocytic function of the reticuloendothelial system, contains pyrogen. The carbon preparation induced febrile responses in adult rabbits with characteristics of endotoxin; this activity was eliminated by treatment with alkali. Repeated injections of the preparation stimulated its rate of clearance. Young rabbits showed minimal fever responses to the preparation and exhibited enhanced clearance rates in comparison with adults. Cortisone treated adult rabbits showed clearance rates and fever responses similar to that of young rabbits. It is suggested on the basis of these altered responses that pyrogen contained in the carbon preparation can influence tests in which it is used.
Laboratory Studies of Relative Toxicity of Selected Insecticides to the False Wireworm Eleodes suturalis

Larvae of the false wireworm Eleodes suturalis (Say) were treated in the laboratory with 21 insecticides. LD50 values for heptachlor, Shell 4072® (2-chloro-l-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)vinyl diethyl phosphate), lindane, dieldrin, aldrin, and diazinon indicated that these insecticides would be of some value in control. Results of laboratory soil-insecticide tests with these compounds showed that heptachlor and lindane, applied in water at a rate equivalent to 2 lb/acre, gave satisfactory control of both large and small larvae.
Excise taxes, over-shifting, cross-elasticity, and tax revenue

ABSTRACTThis article examines cross-elasticity effects in excise taxation for markets characterized by monopolistic competition and over-shifting. Extending the constant elasticity demand model to consider cross-elasticity leads to notably different results regarding tax revenue maximization. With nonzero but weak cross-elasticity effects relative to the price elasticity, we derive a higher optimal tax-price ratio compared to prior research. With strong cross-elasticity, revenue can continually be increased by raising the excise tax. Overall, the study offers government greater incentive to use excise taxes to obtain revenue.
Analysis of neonatal death during 2003-2008 in Ningbo

Objective:To explore death causes of newborn in Ninbo city in recent years to provide reference for its interventioin.Methods:Choosing and statistically analyzing the data of newborn deaths from 2003 to 2008,which is based on International classification of Diseases(ICD-10).Results:The neonatal mortality was 3.51‰ in Ningbo during 2003-2008.Early neonatal deaths accounted for 0.69.Perinatal factors,congenital malformations,variability and chromosomal abnormalities was a major factor in neonatal deaths.The mortality declining annually in 6 years.In which the decline of early neonatal mortality and factor of birth trauma asphyxia and premature immature more than the overall neonatal.The difference was statistically significant(P0.05).Incidence of mortality for congenital malformation and chromosomal abnormalities has dropped was very limited.Conclusion:With the development of the maternity and child health care and medical technology,the city's neonatal mortality rate was faster decline in.In order to better reduce the neonatal mortality and improve the quality of the population we will requires a broad effort.Emphasis should be placed on prenatal screening and prenatal diagnosis to early detection and prevent fatal birth defects in birth.
Characterization and identification of interleukin 1 receptors on bovine neutrophils

Interleukin 1 (IL-1) has been shown to modulate various functional activities of neutrophils, presumably by first binding to cell surface IL-1 receptors. In this study, we characterized and identified IL-1 receptors on bovine neutrophils using direct and competitive receptor binding studies and affinity cross-linking analysis. The results of direct binding studies demonstrated that bovine neutrophils bound 125I-labeled bovine IL-1 by a single affinity binding site (Kd = 4.6 nM, 5600 binding sites per cell). Competitive receptor binding studies demonstrated that unlabeled recombinant bovine IL-1 beta, murine IL-1 alpha, and human IL-1 beta competitively blocked neutrophil binding of 125I-labeled bovine IL-1 beta. In contrast, the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) demonstrated no detectable binding to bovine neutrophils as judged by direct and competitive receptor binding assays. Affinity cross-linking of 125I-labeled bovine IL-1 beta to neutrophils was used to identify cell surface IL-1 receptors. Two specific cross-linked products were observed with molecular sizes of 89 kd (a deduced receptor size of 71.5 kd) and more than 200 kd. The latter may indicate a complex of IL-1 receptor-associated signal-transducing components, IL-1 receptors, and IL-1. The presence of 100 nM unlabeled bovine, murine, or human IL-1 during the receptor binding and cross-linking reactions prevented the formation of cross-linked complexes of 125I-labeled bovine IL-1 beta and its receptor. In contrast, the IL-1ra failed to inhibit the formation of cross-linked complexes of 125I-labeled bovine IL-1 beta and its receptor.
Nosocomial bacteriuria: estimating the potential for prevention by closed sterile urinary drainage.

Urinary tract infections associated with the temporary use of indwelling bladder catheters remain a vexing problem in acute care hospitals. The appreciable morbidity and mortality from these infections are still under active investigation. Because of the large numbers of patients at risk, increased attention is also being given to the costs for prevention, detection, treatment, and follow-up of catheter-associated infections.Before the advent of commercially available systems for maintaining closed sterile urinary drainage, infection was believed to be inevitable. In the past 25 years, the successful prevention of infection in 70% to 80% of catheterized patients by aseptic methods has undoubtedly prevented thousands of deaths from gram-negative bacteremia and stimulated efforts to further reduce the infection rate.
Dilemmas of Assistant Principals in Their Supervisory Role: Reflections of an Assistant Principal:

Attention is focused, in this article, on the dilemmas of the supervisory role and the shift from a bureaucratic to a collegial culture. This article, based on practitioner reflection, provides ane...
Demand and Competition-oriented Pricing

The above comments from the Advertising Age shed some light on the problems attendant on pricing in today’s business world. Costs are important, and so too are the consumer and product variables present in a given market.
Conventional Macro Models and Aggregate Economic Choice

Frequent references to economic analysis as the “theory of choice” notwithstanding, macroeconomists generally take a severely limited view of the degree of choice available to private economic agents. Portrayed as price takers buffeted by the dictates of a policy authority, private agents in conventional macro models directly decide only the quantities of labor, privately-produced goods and nonmonetary financial assets. A fictitious auctioneer announces all wages, prices, and interest rates while an outside policy authority determines the levels of government-produced goods, taxes, and the stock of nominal money. Furthermore because existing models typically prohibit private agents from engaging in transactions until the auctioneer has set all wages and prices at their “market clearing” levels, they cannot explain the existence of involuntary unemployment if wages and prices are free to vary. Consequently several assumptions underlying conventional macro models drastically reduce their ability to explain important aggregate economic phenomena.
Chimeric peptide-mediated siRNA transduction to inhibit HIV-1 infection.

AbstractPersistent human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection provokes immune activation and depletes CD4+ lymphocytes, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Uninterrupted administration of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in HIV-infected patients suppresses viral replication to below the detectable level and partially restores the immune system. However, cART-unresponsive residual HIV-1 infection and elusive transcriptionally silent but reactivatable viral reservoirs maintain a permanent viral DNA blue print. The virus rebounds within a few weeks after interruption of suppressive therapy. Adjunct gene therapy to control viral replication by ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene silencing strategy that could suppress residual HIV-1 burden and overcome viral resistance. Small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs) are efficient transcriptional inhibitors, but need delivery systems to reach inside target cells. We investigated the potential of chimeric p...
Comments on Reduction (Lecture in a Graduate Seminar ~1975)

There appear to be two kinds of theories on the nature of numbers, distinguished by the way they interpret their results.
Additive manufactured bipolar plate for high-efficiency hydrogen production in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is capable of fast and low-cost prototyping from complex 3D digital models. To take advantage of this technology, a stainless steel (SS) plate with parallel flow field served as a combination of a cathode bipolar plate and a current distributor; it was fabricated using selective laser melting (SLM) techniques and investigated in a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell (PEMEC) in-situ for the first time. The experimental results show that the PEMEC with an AM SS cathode bipolar plate can achieve an excellent performance for hydrogen production for a voltage of 1.779 V and a current density of 2.0 A/cm 2 . The AM SS cathode bipolar plate was also characterized by SEM and EDS, and the results show a uniform elemental distribution across the plate with very limited oxidization. This research demonstrates that AM method could be a route to aid cost-effective and rapid development of PEMECs.
Associations Between Slower Walking Speed and T1ρ Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Femoral Cartilage Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Objective To determine whether walking speed, collected at 6 and 12 months following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), is associated with inter-extremity differences in proteoglycan density, measured via T1ρ magnetic resonance imaging, in tibiofemoral articular cartilage 12 months following ACLR. Methods Twenty-one individuals with a unilateral patellar-tendon autograft ACLR (10 women and 11 men, mean ± SD age 23.9 ± 2.7 years, mean ± SD body mass index 23.9 ± 2.7 kg/m2 ) were recruited for participation in this study. Walking speed was collected using 3-dimensional motion capture at 6 and 12 months following ACLR. The articular cartilage of the medial femoral condyle (MFC) and lateral femoral condyle and medial and lateral tibial condyles was manually segmented and subsectioned into 3 regions of interest (anterior, central, and posterior) based on the location of the meniscus in the sagittal plane. Inter-extremity mean T1ρ relaxation time ratios (T1ρ ACLR extremity / T1ρ contralateral extremity) were calculated and used for analysis. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to determine associations between walking speed and inter-extremity differences in T1ρ relaxation time ratios. Results Slower walking speed 6 months post-ACLR was significantly associated with higher T1ρ relaxation time ratios in the MFC of the ACLR extremity 12 months following ACLR (posterior MFC, r = -0.51, P = 0.02; central MFC, r = -0.47, P = 0.04). Similarly, slower walking speed at 12 months post-ACLR was significantly associated with higher T1ρ relaxation time ratios in the posterior MFC ACLR extremity (r = -0.47, P = 0.04) 12 months following ACLR. Conclusion Slower walking speed at 6 and 12 months following ACLR may be associated with early proteoglycan density changes in medial femoral compartment cartilage health in the first 12 months following ACLR.
Assessment of canine health and preventative care outcomes of a community medicine program.

The objective of this study was to assess if use of a community based veterinary medical program (the Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic) was related to indicators of canine health and well-being in a low-income community through the provision of low-cost preventative care. Participants were 177 low-income dog owners; 63 were repeat wellness/preventative care clients of the Tufts at Tech clinic, 46 were new or urgent care clients of the Tufts at Tech clinic, and 68 were a comparison sample of owners who had not used the clinic but did attend an outreach clinic in a community setting. Participants were asked to complete a survey that assessed owner demographic information, indicators of canine health and quality of life, pet attachment, and barriers that limit access to veterinary care. Results indicated that clients of the Tufts at Tech clinic were more likely to be White/Caucasian and female. In addition, there were significant positive differences on several indicators of canine health and preventative care for the Tufts at Tech wellness clients including monthly heartworm use (p < .001), use of veterinary services for both wellness (p < .001) and illness/injury (p = .001), and vaccination status (p = .003). There were no significant differences in spay/neuter status (p = .48), use of flea/tick preventative (p = .17), use of obedience training (p = .75), problem behaviors (p = .05), canine quality of health (p = .74) or attachment (p = .63). The Tufts at Tech clients reported lower rates of several barriers to accessing care, including cost. These findings provide important information regarding who is using low-cost clinics such as the Tufts at Tech model, the potential benefits of repeated preventative care on dog health, and suggestions for reducing barriers to accessing veterinary services.
Accounting for systematic risk in benefit-cost analysis: a practical approach

Circular A-94 specifies how analysts should discount costs and benefits of government projects, and thus how to account for risk. In this paper, we argue that the methods mandated by A-94 properly account for non-systematic and term risk, but not for systematic risk. A numerical example illustrates how improper accounting for systematic risk produces misleading results and social welfare loss. We conclude by proposing a simple modification of A-94’s procedures that would allow analysts to at least partially account for systematic risk.
Gene Expression Profiling and Somatic Genome Changes

Prostate cancer is the most common visceral malignancy in US men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. It is estimated that in 2010 more than 215,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and almost 32,000 will die of this disease. Prostate cancer is extremely heterogeneous in its clinical behavior, ranging from indolent disease to aggressive metastatic cancer with rapid mortality. Over the last 20 years, there have been intensive efforts to elucidate the underlying genetic and epigenetic alterations and associated gene expression changes that lead to prostate cancer. The goal of these studies has been to understand the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, identify therapeutic targets, and to better guide treatment of this disease. Over this timeframe, there have been tremendous advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of prostate cancer, facilitated by continuous improvements in technology and bioinformatics. This chapter will focus on somatic genomic changes and high-throughput gene expression analysis, and, as will be shown below, these topics are intimately related.
Ground-Level Measurements of oil-fog Emitted from a Hundred-Meter Chimney

The meteorological control program instituted at Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1947 includes a complete study of dispersion from an elevated source by means of an oil-fog test effluent. Measurements of oil-fog concentrations at ground-level have been made during a wide variety of meteorological conditions. The data accumulated in the first forty-six tests are summarized in this paper, together with pertinent meteorological information. A brief description of terrain, facilities, and procedure is also included.
The International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine (ICIBM) 2018: systems biology on diverse data types.

Between June 10–12, 2018, the International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine (ICIBM 2018) was held in Los Angeles, California, USA. The conference included 11 scientific sessions, four tutorials, one poster session, four keynote talks and four eminent scholar talks that covered a wide range of topics in 3D genome structure analysis and visualization, next generation sequencing analysis, computational drug discovery, medical informatics, cancer genomics and systems biology. Systems biology has been a main theme in ICIBM 2018, with exciting advances presented in many areas of systems biology, covering various different data types such as gene regulation, circular RNAs expression, single-cell RNA-Seq, inter-chromosomal interactions, metabolomics, proteomics and phosphoproteomics. Here, we describe ten high quality papers to be published in BMC Systems Biology.
Choosing the right pharmacotherapeutic strategy for HIV maintenance in patients with alcohol addiction.

Alcohol use is prevalent among HIV-positive individuals or people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Alcohol abuse is associated with poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) [1], which in turn ca...
The analysis of modeling small signal and adding a current sensing resistor of 0.1 ohm for a boost converter

A significant transfer function of a boost converter is essentially analyzed and computed on a small-signal modelling by adding a current sensing resistor of 0.1 ohm through this work. The effects of various resistances are explored through the circuit. Furthermore, a peak-current mode controller of a boost converter is basically constructed thoroughly. Moreover, the effects of the output voltage, duty ratio, and the dc level of COMP is generally analyzed. The waveforms of the output voltage and the inductor current have been simulated by using Simulink.
Assessing public awareness and use of medical abortion via mobile phone survey in India

Abstract Objective We assess the feasibility of measuring awareness and use of medical abortion via a mobile phone survey on social attitudes in India. Study design In 2018, we conducted a mobile phone survey with 3455 married men and women in Bihar and Maharashtra, two of India’s most populous states. As part of a broader survey on social inequality, welfare programs, and health, we asked respondents about their awareness of medical abortion and whether they (or their wife) had ever had a medical abortion. Results Among men and women in Bihar and Maharashtra, one fifth to one third of respondents said that they had heard of medical abortion. In Bihar, men were more likely than women to report having heard of pills that can be used to end a pregnancy. Awareness of medical abortion was positively associated with education and with women’s status within the household. Consistent with results from representative face-to-face surveys, reported use of abortion medications was low. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that respondents are willing to answer abortion-related questions via mobile phone survey and reveal differences in reported awareness of medical abortion according to region, sex, education, and household status. Implications Inclusion of abortion-related questions in a large-scale, social attitudes phone survey is a feasible option for assessing public awareness of medical abortion in India.
On free play and tribal gaming taxes.

There are a total of 243 Native Indian tribes which collectively have 512 tribal casinos. A majority of tribal casinos offer loyalty cards and free play, and many tribal casinos spend millions of dollars per year on this form of marketing. Tribal operators argue that the full face value of all free-play offers should be considered a marketing expense, but taxing authorities in many states are not in agreement, and argue that some percentage or all of Free Play should not be considered an expense item by the casinos. In this article, we provide a very brief history of tribal gaming, explain how Free Play affects house advantages and other performance indicators of casino slot floors, include a discussion on the structure of state taxation in the U.S., and also show how tribal casinos in different states stack up in terms of gross gaming revenue and taxes.
Clock Variation Impact on Digital Control System Performance

Digital controls have become the primary form of control in numerous applications due to the advancements in semiconductor industry and lower cost. Digital control algorithms implemented on digital signal processors (DSPs) or microcontrollers execute the algorithm at a specified clock frequency. Discrete time algorithms such as digital filters and digital PID controllers require the sampling period in the controller design, which is directly related to the microcontroller clock frequency. Due to aging, manufacturing process defects and environment conditions cause the clock frequency to drift from the specification. Such variation affects the discrete time algorithm performance deviate from expected performance.
Evaluating air traffic controllers' workload through computer simulations

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) has become one of the key technologies in modern-izing the National Airspace System (NAS) by enhancing air traffic surveillance and improving situational awareness. In this study, we used the Global Oceanic Model - a fast-time computer simulation tool- to evaluate the potential workload of air traffic controllers (ATC) using satellite-based ADS-B and reduced separation standards in the North Atlantic (NAT) oceanic airspace. This study uses two metrics to quantify the potential ATC workload. First, the number of tactical resolution maneuvers (changing flight levels, changing Mach number and lateral deviations) used by ATC to resolve potential conflicts. Second, the number of events that ATC need to monitor when aircraft pairs are located within a protection boundary of 50% above the separation minima. Our results show that equipping aircraft with ADS-B technologies can reduce the ATC workload and increase the efficiency and capacity in the NAT airspace.
Insights Into the Pathophysiology of Cellulite: A Review.

Background The etiology of cellulite is unclear. Treatment of cellulite has targeted adipose tissue, dermis, and fibrous septae with varying degrees of success and durability of response. Objective Results from clinical trials that target different anatomical aspects of cellulite can provide insights into the underlying pathophysiology of cellulite. Materials and methods A search of the PubMed database and ClinicalTrials.gov website was conducted to identify clinical trials that have investigated treatments for cellulite. Results A lack of trial protocol standardization, objective means for quantification of improvement and reported cellulite severity, and short-term follow-up, as well as variation in assessment methods have made comparisons among efficacy studies challenging. However, the lack of durable efficacy and inconsistency seen in clinical results suggest that dermal or adipose tissue changes are not the primary etiologies of cellulite. Clinical studies targeting the collagen-rich fibrous septae in cellulite dimples through mechanical, surgical, or enzymatic approaches suggest that targeting fibrous septae is the strategy most likely to provide durable improvement of skin topography and the appearance of cellulite. Conclusion The etiology of cellulite has not been completely elucidated. However, there is compelling clinical evidence that fibrous septae play a central role in the pathophysiology of cellulite.