cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU‐E‐J‐256: Dual Energy Planar Image Based Localization in the Absence of On‐Board CT Images

Purpose: To develop a tool enabling soft tissue based image guidance using dual energy radiographs for cases when on-board CT is not available. Method: Dual energy planar radiographs can be applied to image guidance for targeting lung lesions because the bone based alignment only may not be sufficient as the lesions move. We acquired images of an anthropomorphic thorax phantom at 120 and 60 KVp respectively. Using a weighted logarithmic subtraction of these dual energy images, a soft tissue enhanced and a bone enhanced image were generated and they could be used for the image guidance purpose. Similar processing was also applied to a dual energy image set acquired for a patient undergoing a proton therapy. Results: The soft tissue enhanced images suppressed bones (ribs and scapula) overlying on lung, thus enabling a better visualization of soft tissue and lesion, while the bone enhanced image suppressed the soft tissue. These enhanced effects were visually apparent without further processing for display enhancements, such as using histogram or edge enhancement technique. Conclusions: The phantom image processing was encouraging. The initial test on the patient image set showed that other post processing might still be able to add value in visualizing soft tissues in addition to the dual energy soft tissue enhancement. More evaluations are needed to determine the potential benefit of this technique in the clinic.
Binary matroids and local complementation

Abstract We introduce a binary matroid M [ I A S ( G ) ] associated with a looped simple graph G . M [ I A S ( G ) ] classifies G up to local equivalence, and determines the delta-matroid and isotropic system associated with G . Moreover, a parametrized form of its Tutte polynomial yields the interlace polynomials of G .
In Vitro, In Vivo and Post Explantation Testing of Glucose-Detecting Biosensors: Current Methods and Recommendations

To date, there have been a number of cases where glucose sensors have performed well over long periods of implantation; however, it remains difficult to predict whether a given sensor will perform reliably, will exhibit gradual degradation of performance, or will fail outright soon after implantation. Typically, the literature emphasizes the sensor that performed well, while only briefly (if at all) mentioning the failed devices. This leaves open the question of whether current sensor designs are adequate for the hostile in vivo environment, and whether these sensors have been assessed by the proper regimen of testing protocols. This paper reviews the current in vitro and in vivo testing procedures used to evaluate the functionality and biocompatibility of implantable glucose sensors. An overview of the standards and regulatory bodies that govern biomaterials and end product device testing precedes a discussion of up-to-date invasive and non-invasive technologies for diabetes management. Analysis of current in vitro, in vivo, and then post explantation testing is presented. Given the underlying assumption that the success of the sensor in vitro foreshadows the long-term reliability of the sensor in the human body, the relative merits of these testing methods are evaluated with respect to how representative they are of human models.
The magnetic field of a single axon: A volume conductor model

Abstract A volume conductor model is used to determine the magnetic field associated with a propagating action potential in an isolated nerve axon. Both the forward problem of calculating the magnetic field from the transmembrane potential and the inverse problem of calculating the transmembrane potential from the magnetic field are examined. The dependence of the model on all parameters is investigated, and the model is used to study both the axial current in the axon and the ionic current through the axon membrane.
Action of micrococcal phosphodiesterase on polyribonucleotides terminated by guanylic acid.

The nature of the exo action of micrococcalhosphodiesterase was studied using polyribonucleotides terminated by guanylic acid as substrates. The final digestion products were exclusively mono- and dinucleotides. In addition to the end expected products when the degradation of the polyribonucleotide fragments begins from the 3′-phosphate end, two dinucleotides, ApGp and UpGp were observed. The reasons for their presence in the final digest are explained. The mode of degradation of ribonucleic acid by a combination of endo and exo actions of the phosphodiesterase is further discussed.
Engineering Cooperative Education: A Statistical Analysis of Employer Benefits

This article describes the methods and results of research conducted using a survey of cooperative education directors to statistically test conclusions drawn from previously conducted studies. The perspective of employers of engineering cooperative education students is examined. Benefits to employers and problems experienced by employers that support engineering cooperative education are identified and analyzed for their statistical significance. The problems experienced by employers is a new perspective that has not previously been discussed by other cooperative education studies.
Benchmarking as a strategic tool for destination management organizations: a proposed framework.

Abstract Benchmarking has been studied as a tool for comparatively evaluating the performance of tourist destinations. However, existing research is limited in that benchmarking is rarely linked with organizational strategy and thus, its potential as a management tool has yet to be fully realized. This paper argues that benchmarking should be considered as a systematic and continuous learning tool that enables destination marketing organizations to develop strategies. It also posits that, due to the unique nature of tourist destinations and the complexity of the industry environment, a set of necessary conditions must be satisfied in order to ensure the success of benchmarking. This paper concludes that under these circumstances the practice of benchmarking has the potential to foster the development of strategy-focused and change-oriented organizations.
Simulating Stm Images for the Gaas (110) Surface

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is one of the most successful experimental tools for probing the structure of semiconductor surfaces. However, care must be taken in interpreting the images at the atomistic limit. Often a “naive” interpretation of the STM image can yield an incorrect surface structure. We illustrate this situation via ab initio pseudopotential calculations for the STM image of the (110) GaAs surface. We will compare theoretical STM images to experimental images for the relaxed surface and for a surface with an As vacancy.
Hyperhydrating with glycerol: implications for athletic performance.

Abstract Small decreases in hydration status can result in a dramatic decrement in athletic performance and greatly increase the risk of thermal injury. Because of its osmotic properties, which enable greater fluid retention than the ingestion of water alone, glycerol has been proposed as a hyperhydrating agent. In fact, glycerol is now commercially available and marketed as a sport supplement to be ingested with water or sport drinks; thus, dietitians need to be cognizant of this new addition to the sports nutrition table. The results of glycerol-induced hyperhydration research have been equivocal, most likely because of methodologic differences between studies, such as variations in the intensity of exercise, environmental conditions, and concentration or dose of glycerol administered. Although the suggested dosage of glycerol depends on body size and varies between manufacturers, 1 g/kg body weight with an additional 1.5 L fluid taken 60 to 120minutes before competition is standard. Some test subjects reported feeling bloated or nauseated after ingesting glycerol. This review examines glycerol-induced hyperhydration research and the safety of ingesting glycerol, discusses commercial availability of glycerol, and makes recommendations for glycerol-induced hyperhydration research. J Am Diet Assoc. 1999;99:207–212 .
On the formation and persistence of superfog in woodland smoke

Dense fogs, comparable to historical fogs in England, have been implicated in numerous roadway accidents in the southern United States. Many of the fogs have occurred in association with prescribed burning. Direct measurements of superfog (fog reducing visibility to less than 3 m) were taken during burning of forest litter on 22 March 2003. Visibility was measured at 0.1 m implying an extinction coefficient of 39 120 km−1. The number of condensation nuclei required for fog to produce the observed visibility was about 1% of the number of particles released in wood smoke as reported in the literature. A recursive non-gradient mixing model shows (1) maximum excess liquid water (LWC) released was approximately 7.0 g kg−1, 23 times the LWC in natural fog, (2) superfog can form at the site of combustion then continue to form as it drifts downwind, and (3) superfog can modify air mass stability near the ground and persist for hours until dispersed by changing wind conditions or by solar heating after sunrise. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Meeting the Challenges of Assessing Student Learning Outcomes.

Although community colleges have made significant strides in assessing student learning outcomes, there are a number of significant challenges that need to be addressed in order to realize fully the anticipated benefits of these efforts. This chapter identifies these major challenges and provides specific suggestions that can be used by community colleges, state and accrediting agencies, and universities to facilitate the development, implementation, and continued support of student learning outcomes assessment initiatives that will increase student learning and achievement.
Commercial speech, protected speech, and political public relations

Abstract Political public relations play an unique role in American democracy because it occupies a dual role of providing both political and commercial speech. However, using analysis of the First amendment, public relations have increasingly been identified as commercial speech which receives limited protection under the U.S. Constitution. This study traces the evolution of the legal framework in which political PR has become associated with commercial speech, and how this association has made Constitutional analysis of political PR more complex. Implications for public relations practitioners and PR's role in democracy are discussed.
Inhibition of growth of Bacillus subtilis by recombinant plasmid pCED3.

The present study deals with the mechanism by which plasmid pCED3 interferes with the growth of Bacillus subtilis. Plasmid pCED3 was constructed from pUB110 and pBR322 and contains the lacZ gene attached to the B. subtilis tms promoter. Plasmid derivatives that contain mutations in the tms promoter were used to examine the effect of promoter strength on cell growth, plasmid stability, the amount of plasmid DNA per cell and the activities of plasmid-encoded enzymes, i. e., β-galactosidase and kanamycin nucleotidyltransferase (KNT). Efficient lacZ transcription directed from the tms promoter resulted in reduction in growth rate and plasmid stability without an increase in β-galactosidase activity. The amount of plasmid DNA varied between 6.6 and 12.9 pmol per mg cell protein and showed no clear correlation with the strength of the tms promoter. Transcription from the tms promoter inhibited the expression of the plasmid-encoded kanamycin resistance gene resulting in the reduction of both β-galactosidase activity and growth rate in the presence of kanamycin. These results suggest that the negative effect on B. subtilis growth exerted by pCED3 results at least partly from a decrease in kanamycin resistance by plasmid-bearing cells.
The FTIR spectra of CH3CH2Br and CD3CH2Br

Abstract FTIR spectra of CH3CH2 Br and CD3CH2Br are presented, and are compared with computed spectra using the Hyper Chem program. An accidental near-equality of two moments of inertia may suggest the appearance of a symmetry that is inconsistent with the actual molecular structure.
Molten solution grown potassium sodium barium niobate crystals with a tungsten bronze-type structure

Large crystals of the NaBa2Nb5O15-type with K substitututions for Na have been grown in unseeded molten solutions fluxed with excess alkali carbonates. Curie temperatures and phase match temperatures of these crystals are decreased by the substitution of K for Na. Crystal compositions lie in the ternary NaNbO31bKNbO31bBaNb2O6 system and are proportionately BaNb2O6-rich as is the case for crystals pulled from nominally stoichiometric melts. The crystals exhibit 50 to 100 μ regions which are optically uniform.
Genetic diversities of four little-known species of Malesherbia (Malesherbiaceae) endemic to the arid inter-Andean valleys of Peru

Few studies of genetic variation have been conducted on plants of the Pacific coastal desert and neighboring Andes of Peru, although the region has many endemic taxa. Enzyme electrophoresis was employed to examine allozyme diversities of four species of the family Malesher-biaceae, an endemic to the arid Andes and coastal desert. One population ofMalesherbia splendens and two ofM. tubulosa, both endemics of the department of Lima, one population ofM. weberbaueri var.weberbaueri, an endemic of the Andean department Huancavelica, and the two Lima populations ofM. scarlatiflora were studied. Fifteen loci were examined for all populations and an additional seven loci were resolved forM. weberbaueri andM. splendens. Malesherbia splendens, which is known from three populations, has a low mean number of alleles per locus (A), proportion of polymorphic loci (P), and expected heterozygosity (Hs) (A=1.214, P=0.214, Hs=0.057).Malesherbia weberbaueri (A=1.231, P=0.154, Hs=0.079) andM. scarlatiflora (A=1.364, P=0.273, Ht=0.083) both have average expected heterozygosities and relatively low mean numbers of alleles per locus and proportions of polymorphic loci. InM. tubulosa, all measures of genetic diversity are high in comparison with other endemics (A=1.818, P=0.364, Ht=0.206).Malesherbia tubulosa has high interpopulation differentiation, whereasM. scarlatiflora has low among-population diversity. The relatively low allozyme diversities, restricted habitats, narrow ranges ofM. splendens andM. weberbaueri, and the morphological similarities of all four species suggest that they evolved recently by founder events. Greater allozyme diversities inM. tubulosa could be attributable to its maintenance of larger populations in a greater variety of habitats.
Exploiting the Dignity of the Vulnerable Body: Rape as a Weapon of War

When the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia convicted the Bosnian Serb soldiers who used rape as a weapon of war of violating the human right to sexual self determination and of crimes against humanity, it transformed vulnerability from a mark of feminine weakness to a shared human condition. The court's judgment directs us to note the ways in which the exploitation of our bodied vulnerability is an assault on our dignity. It alerts us to the ways in which the body of human rights law is a law of bodies; to the ways in which our desire for intimacy creates communal ties that ground our personal and social identities; to the ways in which the symbolic meanings of our bodies are integral to our sense of integrity and worth; and to the ways in which gender structures which position men as protectors of women make it possible for rape to be used as an effective and criminal weapon of war.
The mechanism of bromine exchange in the bromine-graphite lamellar compounds

Abstract The rates of exchange of normal and radioactive bromine in bromine-graphite were studied at temperatures of 20–45°C. A range of natural graphite flake sizes from 50–2000 μ were used to prepare the compounds. The dependence of the rate of exchange on particle size, a, changed abruptly from 1 a at large particle sizes to 1 a 2 at small particle sizes. The apparent activation energy varied by a factor of three over the temperature range investigated. A mechanism of exchange is proposed which explains the observed particle size dependence, temperature dependence and the form of the rate curves in terms of two consecutive surface processes and the structural features of the natural graphite flakes.
Cell density and antioxidant vitamins determine the effects of hyperoxia on proliferation and death of MDCK epithelial cells

Abstract Epithelial cells are prone to oxidant injury, which could change epithelial cell homeostasis and lead to degenerative diseases. We examined the effects of hyperoxia on death and proliferation of Madin‐Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells and antioxidant vitamin protection. Subconfluent and near‐confluent MDCK cells were cultured under normoxia or hyperoxia for two days. We measured cell number and viability, mitochondrial enzymatic activity, thymidine incorporation, necrosis [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release], and apoptosis (DNA fragmentation and morphological changes). When the cells were subconfluent, hyperoxia decreased the number of adherent cells, mitochondrial enzymatic activity, and thymidine incorporation, but neither LDH release nor apoptotic changes increased compared with normoxic controls. In normoxia, near‐confluent cells had lower nonadherent cell numbers, mitochondrial enzymatic activity, and thymidine incorporation than subconfluent cells; hyperoxia further decreased the...
On the use of wideband signal for noise robust ASR

Wideband audio signal will be commonly used in the near future telecommunication applications. In quiet environments, the speech recognition performance increases when using a wideband signal instead of a narrowband signal. For practical ASR systems, however, we are interested in whether we can benefit from a wideband signal when recognizing noisy speech. The wideband speech signal, with respect to the narrowband speech signal, contains high frequency components, which usually have low intensity and, thus, are vulnerable to noise distortions. The robustness of the wideband feature set may be worse than that of the narrowband feature set, if the added high-frequency components are distorted. We investigate whether the addition of information from high frequencies into the ASR feature set can improve the recognition performance of noisy speech. The differences between low- and high-frequency parts of the wideband speech spectrum suggest a separate processing of these two parts. We propose an algorithm in which the separate processing scheme permits us to reuse the noise robust front-end originally designed for a narrowband signal. A low complexity processing is designed for high frequency components, which usually bear less information. The high-frequency information is added to the narrowband speech features in a form of de-noised filter-bank energies. The energies are appended after or before computing the cepstral features. In the best case, we obtained 13.96% average relative improvement when recognizing wideband noisy speech with respect to the narrowband noisy speech performance. The proposed algorithm is part of the recently adopted ETSI standard for the advanced frontend for distributed speech recognition.
Reducing load distribution overhead with message aggregation

The current best effort approach to quality of service in the Internet can no longer satisfy a diverse variety of customer service requirements, because of which there is a need for alternative strategies. A promising approach for dealing with this problem is a method called the load distribution scheme (LDS) which dynamically adjusts the traffic load at the network boundary based on feedback from the network. In order to fairly share available resources among individual flows, the load distribution scheme relies on a message exchange protocol which in certain cases may cause significant overhead in the system. We examine the issues related to the problem of the message overhead in the LDS, propose solutions to the problem, and evaluate these solutions through simulation in OPNET.
Are the Networks Biased? "Calling" States in the 2000 Presidential Election

Among the controversies arising from the 2000 Presidentialelection was the accusation that media networks called, orprojected, a winner faster in those states won by Albert Gorethan in those states won by George W. Bush. We investigatethis accusation by estimating a Tobit model of the length oftime between states' poll closing times and the times at whichCNN projected a winner. Our results support the charge ofmedia bias. After controlling for other factors that affecthow quickly a state is called, states called for Gore werecalled 14 to 18 minutes faster than those called in favor ofBush.
Neuroattenuated bunyavirus variant: derivation, characterization, and revertant clones.

after subcutaneous injection into neonatal mice, although itretained itsability toreplicate andkill suckling miceafter i.c. injection. A murineneuroblastoma line (NAcells) canbeused asan invitro surrogate fortheadult mouse brain, since clone B.5replicated toat least 1,000-fold-lower titers inNAcells thandidseveral neurovirulent California serogroupviruses. CloneB.5 replicated inBHK-21cellsat37°Ctotiters similar tothose achieved byother California serogroupviruses but was temperature sensitive (ts) since itsreplication was markedly restricted at38.9°C. Tentsrevertant clones ofB.5virus wereselected at38.9°C, andallofthemlost their tsphenotype andregained theability toreplicate tohightiter inNA cells andtokill adult miceafter i.c. injection. CloneB.5isthefirst described California serogroupvirus whichistruly attenuated after i.c. inoculation, anditsavailability will permit genetic analysis ofbunyavirus neurovirulence.
Lactic Culture Activity Tests Using pH and Impedance Instrumentation

Abstract A culture activity test was based on pH changes after .25 to 5% inoculum volumes were added to sterile reconstituted nonfat dry milk and incubated 5h at 37°C. The test predicted inoculum concentrations and time required to make Cheddar cheese. It could be used with culture concentrates such as those produced with a pH-controlled culture medium. The test successfully evaluated both proteinase-positive and proteinase-negative lactic cultures. Changes in conductance and impedance detection times could both be used in a lactic culture activity test. Two milliliters of media, inoculated at .25 to 5%, were transferred into Bactometer wells and incubated at 30°C in the processor incubator. The best response for proteinase-positive and proteinase-negative cultures, and strains with slow or fast rates of acid production, resulted when yeast extract was added to the nonfat dry milk substrate. Low correlations between change in pH and impedance detection times were due to nonlinearity associated with changes in pH at high inoculum volumes. Adequate activity estimates were available in 1h using conductance. Both methods can be used over a wide range of cell concentration, however, data with the impedance method were more linear at higher cell mass.
Towards a Unified Approach to Memory- and Statistical-Based Machine Translation

We present a set of algorithms that enable us to translate natural language sentences by exploiting both a translation memory and a statistical-based translation model. Our results show that an automatically derived translation memory can be used within a statistical framework to often find translations of higher probability than those found using solely a statistical model. The translations produced using both the translation memory and the statistical model are significantly better than translations produced by two commercial systems: our hybrid system translated perfectly 58% of the 505 sentences in a test collection, while the commercial systems translated perfectly only 40-42% of them.
Research Participation by Low‐Income and Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups: How Payment May Change the Balance

Minorities are underenrolled in clinical research trials, and one-third of trials are underenrolled overall. The role of payment has not been studied at the national level as an explanation for enrollment patterns. Our objective was to examine the distribution of self-reported previous research participation across different sociodemographic groups; to assess the public's perception of fair payment for a low-risk medicine trial and the association between requested payment and sociodemographic characteristics; to estimate the amount of payment for a medication trial to achieve proportional representation of minorities and different socioeconomic groups. This was a cross-sectional study with nationally representative data collected in 2011 by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. To determine the relationship between perceived fair payment and individual-level characteristics, we used multivariable linear regression. With 60% participation rate, in a sample of 2,150 respondents 11% (n = 221) of the sample had previously participated in medical research. Requested payment differed significantly by racial/ethnic group with Hispanics requesting more payment than non-Hispanic whites (0.37 [95%CI 0.02, 0.72]) In contrast to payment at $49, $149, and $249, payment at $349 yielded proportional representation of racial/ethnic minority groups. Hispanics requested higher payment for research participation, suggesting a possible explanation for their underenrollment.
Functional Profiling to Select Chemotherapy in Untreated, Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background/Aim: To assess the impact of drug selection upon the treatment of advanced and metastatic non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we applied a functional platform that measures drug-induced cell death in human tumor primary-culture micro-spheroids isolated from surgical specimens. Patients and Methods: At diagnosis, microspheroids isolated by mechanical and enzymatic disaggregation were examined for drug-induced cell-death by morphology and staining characteristics. Drugs were administered using standard protocols. Thirty-one patients, who received at least one cycle of therapy, were evaluable. All patients signed informed consent. Results: Twenty out of 31 patients responded (64.5%), 1 completely and 19 partially, providing a two-fold improvement over historical control of 30% (p=0.00015), a median time-to-progression of 8.5 months and a median overall survival of 21.3 months. Conclusion: This functional platform is feasible and provides a favorable objective response rate, time-to-progression and survival in advanced, metastatic, untreated NSCLC, and warrants further evaluation. Bronchogenic carcinoma is the leading cause of cancer- related death in the US with 160,340 estimated deaths in 2012. The majority of patients present with non-small cell lung cancer. While the 1-year survival for advanced lung cancer has improved from 35% to 42% over the past 3 decades (1), the 5-year survival for stage III & IV disease
Worldwide uncertainty assessments of ladar and radar signal-to-noise ratio performance for diverse low altitude atmospheric environments

In this study of atmospheric effects on laser ranging and detection (ladar) and radar systems, the parameter space is explored using the Air Force Institute of Technology Center for Directed Energy's (AFIT/CDE) High Energy Laser End-to-End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS) parametric one-on-one engagement level model. The expected performance of ladar systems is assessed at a representative wavelength of 1.557 µm at a number of widely dispersed land and maritime locations worldwide. Radar system performance is assessed at 95 GHz and 250 GHz. Scenarios evaluated include both down looking oblique and vertical engagement geometries over ranges up to 3000 meters in which clear air aerosols and thin layers of fog, locally heavy rain, and low stratus cloud types are expected to occur. Seasonal and boundary layer variations are considered to determine optimum employment techniques to exploit or defeat the environmental conditions. Each atmospheric particulate/obscurant/hydrometeor is evaluated based on its wavelength-dependent forward and off-axis scattering characteristics and absorption effects on system interrogation. Results are presented in the form of worldwide plots of notional signal to noise ratio. The ladar and 95 GHz system types exhibit similar SNR performance for forward oblique clear air operation. 1.557 µm ladar performs well for vertical geometries in the presence of ground fog, but has no near-horizontal performance under such meteorological conditions. It also has no performance if low altitude stratus is present. 95 GHz performs well for both the fog and stratus layer cases, for both vertical and forward oblique geometries. The 250 GHz radar system is heavily impacted by water vapor absorption in all scenarios studied; however it is not as strongly affected by clouds and fog as the 1.557 µm ladar. Locally heavy rain will severely limit ladar system performance at these wavelengths. However, under heavy rain conditions ladar outperforms both radar systems.
Rao-Blackwellized Particle Filtering for Mapping Dynamic Environments

A general method for mapping dynamic environments using a Rao-Blackwellized particle filter is presented. The algorithm rigorously addresses both data association and target tracking in a single unified estimator. The algorithm relies on a Bayesian factorization to separate the posterior into: 1) a data association problem solved via particle filter; and 2) a tracking problem with known data associations solved by Kalman filters developed specifically for the ground robot environment. The algorithm is demonstrated in simulation and validated in the real world with laser range data, showing its practical applicability in simultaneously resolving data association ambiguities and tracking moving objects.
Cheating, intention, and punishment from an equity theory perspective

Abstract Male college students were given the opportunity to deliver aversive noise to a partner (confederate) contingent on the partner's “mistakes” in a learning task. Subjects were either not informed about a reward or told that they, their partner, or a charity would receive a monetary reward for speedy learning. Half of the subjects observed the confederate cheat, while half did not observe any deceptive behavior. The intensity of punitive behavior seemed to vary in accordance with predictions derived from equity theory. That is, cheating for a charity, a “good cause” resulted in less intense punishment than did cheating for selfish gain. On the other hand, mistakes, uncomplicated by cheating, which deprived a charity were punished more intensely than were mistakes whose only result accrued to the confederate himself.
On the Capacity of Energy Harvesting Communication Link

We consider an energy harvesting point-to-point communication system where the transmitter is powered by an energy arrival process and is equipped with a battery of finite capacity $B_{\max}$ , which could be used for saving energy for future use. We assume a discrete i.i.d. energy arrival process where at each time step, energy of amount $A_i$ is harvested with probability $p_i$ $\forall i \in \{1, 2, \ldots, K\}$ independent of the other time steps. We provide upper and lower bounds on the capacity of this channel. These bounds are shown to be within a constant gap for $K\le 3$ for all parameters, and for $K > 3$ when the battery capacity $B_{\max}$ is small or large enough, where this constant does not depend on any energy or battery parameters.
A mutation causing Brugada syndrome identifies a mechanism for altered autonomic and oxidant regulation of cardiac sodium currents.

Background—The mechanisms of the electrocardiographic changes and arrhythmias in Brugada syndrome (BrS) remain controversial. Mutations in the sodium channel gene, SCN5A, and regulatory proteins th...
Antenna beam control using finite reactive surface ground planes for automotive windshield applications

The use of reactive surface ground planes for controlling the antenna beam pointing direction off of a vehicle windshield is presented. An analytical and numerical study of quarter-wave monopoles with reactive surface ground planes demonstrated that the beam pointing direction was dependent upon the magnitude of the surface reactance. Experimental studies using various frequency selective surface (FSS) ground planes to realize reactive surfaces confirmed the beam control capability of this approach.
THE SURGICAL PATIENT WITH DIABETES.

Abstract A few rules we have found helpful in managing the surgical diabetic are: 1. 1. All diabetic patients over 35 years of age, but especially the obese, are potential candidates for vascular accidents during or following surgery. 2. 2. Patients with long term inadequate control of the diabetes, especially if they have been losing weight not attributable to dietary restrictions, are substandard surgical risks. 3. 3. Crystalline insulin is the one of choice during acute emergencies. It permits optimal control of the diabetes during crises when oral agents are ineffective. The combination of long-acting insulin with crystalline insulin is confusing and increases the likelihood of hypoglycemic reaction. 4. 4. If large amounts of insulin are necessary in preparation for surgery, the danger of hypoglycemia is prevented by administering dextrose or invert sugar slowly during the operative procedure. 5. 5. Overvigorous control of the diabetes is unwarranted immediately prior to and during the first few postoperative days. 6. 6. Blood sugar and qualitative plasma ketone determinations twice daily (8:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M.) are indicated during critical surgical periods. 7. 7. Staphylococcal infections in diabetics are usually due to organisms resistant to penicillin. 8. 8. Abdominal pain complicating diabetic coma in the presence of fever, abdominal rigidity and leucocytosis, is usually due to atony and distention of the stomach and is relieved by emptying it of its contents. If relief is not prompt, the likelihood of an abdominal surgical condition is increased, and, indeed, it may be the precipitating cause of coma. 9. 9. Diabetics are prone to have a paucity of symptoms in acute disorders of the gallbladder and appendix. 10. 10. A surgeon and an internist, both with an abiding interest and experience with diabetic patients and working together, give these patients the greatest promise of best results.
Optimal Power Flow for a System of Microgrids with Controllable Loads and Battery Storage

Microgrids are systems that integrate distributed renewable energy sources, controllable loads, and energy storage in a more economic and reliable fashion. In this paper we model the load and generation of two microgrids with wind farms to implement optimal power flow (OPF) using particle swarm optimization (PSO). The objectives are to achieve optimal dispatch of controllable loads and generators as well as effectively utilizing the battery storage of each microgrid. This optimal dispatch is price sensitive and shows how microgrids can reduce costs by selling stored energy at high prices and shave peak loads of the larger system.
Declining incidence of contralateral breast cancer in the United States from 1975 to 2006.

Purpose Contralateral breast cancer (CBC) is the most frequent new malignancy among women diagnosed with a first breast cancer. Although temporal trends for first breast cancers have been well studied, trends for CBC are not so well established. Patients and Methods We examined temporal trends in CBC incidence using US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1975 to 2006). Data were stratified by estrogen receptor (ER) status of the first breast cancer for the available time period (1990+). We estimated the annual percent change (EAPC) in CBC rates using Poisson regression models adjusted for the age at and time since first breast cancer diagnosis. Results Before 1985, CBC incidence rates were stable (EAPC, 0.27% per year; 95% CI, −0.4 to 0.9), after which they declined with an EAPC of −3.07% per year (95% CI, −3.5 to −2.7). From 1990 forward, the declines were restricted to CBC after an ER-positive cancer (EAPC, −3.18%; 95% CI, −4.2 to −2.2) with no clear decreases after an ER-negative canc...
Towards chemical applications of Dempster-Shafer-type approach: Case of variant ligands

In many practical situations, molecules can be obtained from a “template” molecule like benzene by replacing some of its hydrogen atoms with ligands (other atoms or atom groups). There can be many possible replacements of this type. To avoid time-consuming testing of all possible replacements, it is desirable to test some of the replacements and then extrapolate to others — so that only the promising molecules, for which the extrapolated values are desirable, will have to be synthesized and tested. For this extrapolation, D. J. Klein and co-authors proposed to use a Dempster-Shafer-type poset extrapolation technique developed by G.-C. Rota from MIT. One of the limitations of this approach is that this technique has been originally proposed on a heuristic basis, with no convincing justification of its applicability to chemical (or other) problems. In our previous paper, we showed that for the case when all the ligands are of the same type, the poset technique is actually equivalent to a more familiar (and much more justified) Taylor series extrapolation. In this paper, we show that this equivalence can be extended to the case when we have variant ligands.
ANCIENT DNA EVIDENCE OF PROLONGED POPULATION PERSISTENCE WITH NEGLIGIBLE GENETIC DIVERSITY IN AN ENDEMIC TUCO-TUCO (CTENOMYS SOCIABILIS)

We traced a population of Ctenomys sociabilis, a highly endemic South American tucotuco, through 1,000 years to assess its response to climatic change and recent human disturbance. Samples were obtained from a late-Holocene raptor roost in Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, Argentina, which produced a diverse and abundant rodent fauna, with .10 genera extending from the present to 950 6 50 years ago (CAMS-45936). The site (Estancia Nahuel Huapi locality 1) was located near the center of the present geographic range of C. sociabilis, which occurs throughout 8 of 9 stratigraphic levels in the site. To examine genetic structure through time, we extracted ancient DNA from 16 teeth at those levels and from 1 modern tooth at the surface for a total of 17 specimens. Cytochrome-b sequences from ancient and modern specimens were compared with a modern tuco-tuco sequence from the extant local population. Our results show that of those 17 specimens, all but 1 had identical sequences. Further, these sequences were identical to a representative of the modern population. Thus, that population has remained genetically identical for at least 1,000 years in the face of climatic change, human disturbance, and proximity of other tucotuco species (C. haigi, C. maulinus) with adjacent geographic distributions. Our findings indicate that a population bottleneck contributing to low genetic diversity of C. sociabilis occurred before 1,000 years ago and that late-Holocene climatic change occurred without a corresponding impact on the genetic diversity of this species.
Secondary Structural Studies of Bovine Caseins: Structure and Temperature Dependence of β-Casein Phosphopeptide (1-25) as Analyzed by Circular Dichroism, FTIR Spectroscopy, and Analytical Ultracentrifugation

The defining structural feature of all of the caseins is their common phosphorylation sequence. In milk, these phosphoserine residues combine with inorganic calcium and phosphate to form colloidal complexes. In addition, nutritional benefits have been ascribed to the phosphopeptides from casein. To obtain a molecular basis for the functional, chemical, and biochemical properties of these casein peptides, the secondary structure of the phosphopeptide of bovine beta-casein (1-25) was reexamined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies. Both methods predict secondary structures for the peptide which include polyproline II elements as well as beta-extended sheet and turn-like elements. These structural elements were highly stable from 5 degrees to 70 degrees C. Reexamination of previously published 1H NMR data using chemical shift indices suggests structures in accord with the CD and FTIR data. Dephosphorylation showed little or no secondary structural changes, as monitored by CD and FTIR, but the modified peptide demonstrated pronounced self-association. The polymers formed were not highly temperature sensitive, but were pressure sensitive as judged by analytical ultracentrifugation at selected rotor speeds. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrated relatively large volume changes for the dephosphorylated peptide, in accord with the pressure dependent aggregation observed in the analytical ultracentrifuge data. In contrast the native peptide in MD remained relatively rigid. The physical properties of the peptide suggest how phosphorylation can alter its biochemical and physiological properties.
Outpatient Management of Delayed Graft Function Is Associated With Reduced Length of Stay Without an Increase in Adverse Events

Delayed graft function (DGF) is a common and costly complication of kidney transplantation. In July 2011, we established a multidisciplinary DGF clinic managed by nurse practitioners to facilitate early discharge and intensive management of DGF in the outpatient setting. We compared length of stay, 30-day readmission, acute rejection, and patient/graft survival in 697 consecutive deceased donor kidney transplantations performed between July 2009 and July 2014. Patients were divided into three groups: no DGF (n = 487), DGF before implementation of the DGF clinic (n = 118), and DGF clinic (n = 92). Baseline characteristics including age, gender, panel reactive antibody, retransplantation rates, HLA mismatches, induction, and maintenance immunosuppression were not significantly different between pre- and post-DGF clinic groups. Length of stay was significantly longer in pre-DGF clinic (10.9 ± 6.2 vs. 6.1 ± 2.1 days, p < 0.001). Thirty-day readmission (21% vs. 16%), graft loss (7% vs. 20%), and patient death (2% vs. 11%) did not differ significantly between pre- and post-DGF clinic. Patients in the DGF clinic were less likely to develop acute rejection (21% vs. 40%, p = 0.006). Outpatient management of DGF in a specialized clinic is associated with substantially shorter hospitalization and lower incidence of acute rejection without significant difference in 30-day readmission or patient and graft survival.
The Thermodynamics Workbench: A Simulation Support System for Research and Education

ABSTRACT A restatement of traditional thermodynamics has been developed to make it more amenable to computer solution. The Thermodynamics Workbench is a computer program designed for modeling thermodynamic problems. It incorporates and demonstrates this approach to thermodynamics and is designed to simplify the creation and use of thermodynamic models. The Workbench is unique in its ability to handle thermodynamic problems in which a generalized approach to equilibrium is required, and its power comes from its unique representation of thermodynamics.
The financial burden of out-of-pocket expenses in the United States and Canada: How different is the United States?

Background:This article compares the burden that medical cost-sharing requirements place on households in the United States and Canada. It estimates the probability that individuals with similar demographic features in the two countries have large medical expenses relative to income.Method:The study uses 2010 nationally representative household survey data harmonized for cross-national comparisons to identify individuals with high medical expenses relative to income. Using logistic regression, it estimates the probability of high expenses occurring among 10 different demographic groups in the two countries.Results:The results show the risk of large medical expenses in the United States is 1.5–4 times higher than it is in Canada, depending on the demographic group and spending threshold used. The United States compares least favorably when evaluating poorer citizens and when using a higher spending threshold.Conclusion:Recent health care reforms can be expected to reduce Americans’ catastrophic health expe...
Optimal Arrival and Departure Sequencing on a Runway System

This work proposes a framework to compute the optimal flight sequencing and runway assignment for arrivals and departures of a general runway system in any configuration. Towards this, an algorithm to compute the minimum makespan defined as the time difference between the start and end of a given set of operations, is proposed. The proposed algorithm is based on a branch-and-bound technique and allows for the efficient computation of the best runway assignment and sequencing of arrival and departure operations that minimizes the makespan at a given airport. The lower and upper bounds of the cost of each branch for the best first search in the branchand-bound algorithm are computed based on the minimum separation standards between arrival and departure operations set by the Federal Aviation Administration. The optimal objective value is mathematically proved to lie between these bounds and the algorithm uses these bounds to efficiently find promising branches and discard all others and terminate with at least one sequence with the minimal makespan. The proposed algorithm is analyzed and validated through real traffic operations data at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
A Proactive Response to Prescription Opioid Abuse

The FDA has committed to working with other agencies, health care providers, industry, and patients and families to deal proactively with the opioid abuse crisis, while safeguarding appropriate access to vitally important pain medications for the patients who need them.
Detection and manipulation of live antigen-expressing cells using conditionally stable nanobodies

The ability to detect and/or manipulate specific cell populations based upon the presence of intracellular protein epitopes would enable many types of studies and applications. Protein binders such as nanobodies (Nbs) can target untagged proteins (antigens) in the intracellular environment. However, genetically expressed protein binders are stable regardless of antigen expression, complicating their use for applications that require cell-specificity. Here, we created a conditional system in which the stability of an Nb depends upon an antigen of interest. We identified Nb framework mutations that can be used to rapidly create destabilized Nbs. Fusion of destabilized Nbs to various proteins enabled applications in living cells, such as optogenetic control of neural activity in specific cell types in the mouse brain, and detection of HIV-infected human cells by flow cytometry. These approaches are generalizable to other protein binders, and enable the rapid generation of single-polypeptide sensors and effectors active in cells expressing specific intracellular epitopes.
Beyond Simplicity: Focused Realism and Computational Modeling in International Relations

International relations faces an important choice: whether to employ formal or empirical methods that simplify our analysis or to rely on descriptive realism at the expense of focus. Facing this dilemma, many scholars have opted for focused simplicity. When this leads to over simplification, however, particularly when it leads us to ignore underlying processes and concentrate exclusively on predicting outcomes, the cost is great. Computational modeling enjoys many of the advantages of other formal approaches, while relaxing some of the technical restrictions. Thus, it allows focused realism —the representation of complex structures and processes without losing all-important analytic focus. This essay describes and illustrates the computational approach, reviews the existing international relations applications divided into three categories (dynamic simulations, knowledge-based models, and machine learning), and evaluates the capacity of computational models to achieve focused realism.