cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ESTIMATION OF THE MEMORY PARAMETER FOR NONSTATIONARY OR NONINVERTIBLE FRACTIONALLY INTEGRATED PROCESSES

. We consider the asymptotic characteristics of the periodogram ordinates of a fractionally integrated process having memory parameter d≥ 0.5, for which the process is nonstationary, or d≤ -.5, for which the process is noninvertible. Series having d outside the range (-.5,.5) may arise in practice when a raw series is modeled without preliminary consideration of the stationarity and invertibility of the series or when a wrong decision is made concerning the stationarity and invertibility of the series. We find that the periodogram of a nonstationary or noninvertible fractionally integrated process at the jth Fourier frequency ωj= 2πj/n, where n is the sample size, suffers from an asymptotic relative bias which depends on j. We also examine the impact of periodogram bias on the regression estimator of d proposed by Geweke and Porter-Hudak (1983) in finite samples. The results indicate that the bias in the periodogram ordinates can strongly affect the GPH estimator even when the number of Fourier frequencies used in the regression is allowed to depend on the length of the series. We find that data tapering and elimination of the first periodogram ordinate in the regression can reduce this bias, at the cost of an increase in variance for nonstationary series. Additionally, we find for nonstationary series that the GPH estimator is more nearly invariant to first-differencing when a data taper is used.
A New Motion-Planning Scheme for Overhead Cranes With High-Speed Hoisting

This paper proposes a motion-planning method for a high-performance anti-swing control of overhead cranes, where the motion-planning problem is solved as a kinematic problem. First, an anti-swing regulating control law is proposed based on the Lyapunov stability theorem, where the proposed anti-swing control drives trolley velocity regulating error asymptotically to zero while suppressing load swing rapidly to zero for given arbitrary high-speed hoisting motions. Then a motion-planning scheme is designed based on the concept of minimumtime control, the proposed anti-swing control law, and typical anti-swing crane-operation practices. The motion-planning scheme is free from the usual mathematical constraints in anti-swing control such as small swing angle, small hoisting speed, and small hoisting distance. The effectiveness of the proposed motion planning is shown by generating high-performance anti-swing trajectories with high hoisting speed and hoisting ratio.
The Effectiveness of Deepwater Release at Improving the Survival of Discarded Yelloweye Rockfish

Abstract The effectiveness of deepwater release at improving the 17-d survival of discarded yelloweye rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus was determined by comparing an estimate of survival for individuals released at depth with an estimate of submergence probability for individuals released at the water's surface. A mark–recapture study was used to generate a maximum likelihood estimate of the 17-d survival probability of yelloweye rockfish (n = 182) caught by hook and line (depth = 18–72 m) and subsequently released at depth. The average Cormack–Jolly–Seber survival probability for yelloweye rockfish released at depth was remarkably high (0.988; 95% confidence interval = 0.478–0.999) and positively correlated with individual total length. Survival probability was not significantly influenced by the range of capture depths explored in this study or by exposure to barotrauma and other capture stressors. The submergence success of yelloweye rockfish released at the water's surface was 0.221 (95% confidence interv...
Fusion of EEG Topograhic Features and fMRI Using Canonical Partial Least Squares

In this paper we present a novel method for describing the EEG as a sequence of topographies, based on the notion of microstates. We use Hidden Markov Models (HMM) to model the temporal evolution of the topography of the average Event Related Potential (ERP) and we calculate the Fisher score of the sequence by taking the gradient of the trained model parameters given the sequence. In this context, the average Event Related Potential (ERP) is described as a sequence of topographies and the Fisher score describes how this sequence deviates from the learned HMM. This alternative modeling of the ERP is used to fuse EEG information, as expressed by the temporal evolution of the topography, and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). We use Canonical Partial Least Squares (CPLS) for the fusion of the Fisher score with fMRI features. In order to test the effectiveness of this method, we compare the results of this methodology with the results of CPLS using the average ERP signal of a single channel. Using this methodology we are able to derive components that co-vary between EEG and fMRI and present significant differences between the two tasks. The results indicate that this descriptor effectively characterizes the temporal evolution of the ERP topography and can be used for fusing EEG and fMRI for the discrimination of the brain activity on different tasks.
Optimizing volume and frequency forecasts for an online video advertiser

Videology is an online advertising company with a targeted advertising platform that more efficiently connects brands with target consumers. By obtaining and utilizing user data, advertisers have targeted specific groups through a process known as behavioral targeting. This process increases the odds that a user will click on an advertisement and reduces the odds that a customer will encounter irrelevant advertisements. While Videology has grown their market share in this space, inefficient forecasts have cost several hundred thousand dollars in lost opportunity costs. This paper addresses this problem by leveraging a systems engineering approach to suggest procedures for optimizing the validity and performance of two forecast variables for Videology. The paper first analyzes a volume forecast variable: the expected number of visitors, and second, a frequency forecast variable: the number of times a visitor comes back to the same website. Research used existing data to construct a pseudo-process to replicate Videology's algorithm in order to test the validity of and make enhancements to forecasts. Videology will then utilize findings from this process to continue forecast improvements.
Gamma Knife surgery for focal brainstem gliomas

Object. Focal tumors, a distinct subgroup of which is composed of brainstem gliomas, may have an indolent clinical course. In the past, their management involved monitoring of open-ended imaging studies and shunt placement if cerebrospinal fluid diversion was required. Nonetheless, their treatment remains a significant challenge for neurosurgeons. Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) has recently been tried as an alternative to surgical extirpation. In the present study the authors assess clinical and imaging results in 20 patients who harbored focal brainstem gliomas treated with GKS between 1990 and 2001. Methods. There were 10 male and 10 female patients with a mean age of 19.1 years. Sixteen tumors were located in the midbrain, three in the pons, and one in the medulla oblongata. The mean tumor volume at the time of GKS was 2.5 cm 3 . In 10 cases a tumor specimen was obtained either by open surgery or stereotactic biopsy, securing the diagnosis of pilocytic astrocytoma in five patients and nonpilocytic astrocytoma in five others. In the remaining 10 cases, the diagnosis was based on clinical and neuroimaging findings. The prescription Gamma Knife dose varied between 10 and 18 Gy, except in three patients who were receiving a boost to a site in which external-beam radiation was previously delivered. An average of four isocenters were utilized per GKS. Patients were followed up for a mean of 78.0 months. The tumors disappeared in four patients and shrank in 12 patients. Of these patients, one experienced transitory extrapyramidal symptoms and fluctuating impairment of consciousness (from somnolence to coma) for 6 months. Another patient whose tumor disappeared 3 years following GKS died of stroke 8 years postoperatively. The rest of the patients either remained stable or improved clinically. Tumor progression occurred in four patients; of these four, one patient developed hydrocephalus requiring a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, two showed neurological deterioration, and one 4-year-old boy died of tumor progression. Conclusions. Gamma Knife surgery may be an effective primary treatment or adjunct to open surgery for focal brainstem gliomas.
String universality in ten dimensions

We show that the $\mathcal{N}=1$ supergravity theories in ten dimensions with gauge groups $U(1{)}^{496}$ and ${E}_{8}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1{)}^{248}$ are not consistent quantum theories. Cancellation of anomalies cannot be made compatible with supersymmetry and Abelian gauge invariance. Thus, in ten dimensions all supersymmetric theories of gravity without known inconsistencies are realized in string theory.
Challenging Reconciliation: Indeterminacy, Disagreement, and Canada's Indian Residential Schools' Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Abstract This article investigates some of the kinds of social work that the twinned concepts of “truth” and “reconciliation” are currently performing in Canada. Though they are intimately associated with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRCC) and Indian residential schools, it is submitted that it is important to investigate the multiple ways in which truth and reconciliation as concepts are deployed by TRCC supporters, analysts, and critics alike. I argue that there is in fact no clear consensus in what truth and reconciliation should mean for residential school survivors or for Aboriginal peoples more generally in the context of a contemporary Canada with uneasy ties to its own colonial history. Through a detailed examination of the Canadian TRCC, I demonstrate that the commission's framing of “truth” and “reconciliation” rests on a fundamental indeterminacy. It is suggested further that this indeterminacy can be seen as both problematic and productive, facilitating perspectives that ...
A discrete direct retrieval model for image and video retrieval

This paper proposes a formal framework for image and video retrieval using discrete Markov random fields (MRF). The training dataset consists of images with keywords (regions are not labeled). The model is built using a discrete vocabulary of vector quantized region or point features generated from the training images. Since performance is dependent on the size of the vocabulary, a large vocabulary of a couple of million visterms is used. Such large vocabularies cannot be generated by conventional clustering algorithms so hierarchical k-means is used to generate it. Unlike many previous techniques, our MRF based model doesn't require an explicit annotation step for retrieval. The model directly ranks all test images according to the posterior probability of an image given a query. Traditionally, most models are trained by maximizing likelihood - instead this model is trained by maximizing average precision. Image and video retrieval experiments are performed on two standard datasets (a Corel dataset and a TRECVID3 dataset) which consist of 4,500 images and about 44,100 keyframes respectively. The results show that based on a large visual vocabulary the model runs extremely fast on even very large datasets while having comparable retrieval performance to the best performing (continuous feature) models.
Methanol, formaldehyde, and sodium formate exposure in rat and mouse conceptuses: A potential role of the visceral yolk sac in embryotoxicity

3 OH and its metabolites, formaldehyde (HCHO) and formate (HCOONa), which are produced following transit through the visceral yolk sac (VYS), via addition to culture medium, or by direct embryonic exposure through microinjection into the amnion. RESULTS: Embryonic viability, increased dysmorphogenesis, and decreased growth parameters were altered in a dose-dependent fashion for each compound. Mouse embryos were more sensitive than rat, as indicated by significant decreases in viability at comparable, lower concentrations. HCHO produced dysmorphogenesis and caused embryolethality at nearly 1000-fold lower concentrations (0.004 mg/ml) than seen with either CH 3 OH or HCOONa. All agents produced incomplete axial rotation and delayed neural tube closure in mice, but only CH 3 OH elicited similar effects in the rat. Increased growth retardation, blood pooling in the head and VYS, enlarged pericardium, accumulation of necrotic matter in the amnion, and hypoplastic prosencephalon were observed in both species with all compounds. Microinjection of compounds into the amnion produced higher mortality in mouse and rat, compared to equimolar amounts added to the culture medium. CH 3 OH did not prevent neural tube closure in the rat when microinjected. CONCLUSIONS: HCHO
Effect of phase encoding steps on 1D chemical shift imaging of lactate during brain activation

Lactate is a unique indicator of brain activation and is detectable in vivo by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Previous brain activation studies have been confined to single-voxel localization of lactate. To extend this work to 1D chemical shift imaging, computer simulation, test-object and human studies were conducted to examine tradeoffs among the number of phase encoding steps, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and resolution. An iterative algorithm was developed to reduce truncation artifacts arising from a limited number of phase encoding steps. The results indicate that the resolution and SNR attained with 8 phase encoding steps and 16 averages per step after applying the truncation reduction algorithm are approximately equal to those attained with 32 encoding steps and 4 averages per step. Thus, 32 steps are preferred since contamination is minimized with increasing steps. A human study with 32 phase encodings showed a factor of two increase in lactate in the right auditory cortex during left-ear tonal stimulation. >
Quantitative Description of Sodium and Potassium Currents and Computed Action Potentials in Myxicola Giant Axons

All analysis of the sodium and potassium conductances of Myxicola giant axons was made in terms of the Hodgkin-Huxley m, n, and h variables. The potassium conductance is proportional to n2. In the presence of conditioning hyperpolarization, the delayed current translates to the right along the time axis. When this effect was about saturated, the potassium conductance was proportional to n3. The sodium conductance was described by assuming it proportional to m3h. There is a range of potentials for which τh and h∞ values fitted to the decay of the sodium conductance may be compared to those determined from the effects of conditioning pulses. τh values determined by the two methods do not agree. A comparison of h∞ values determined by the two methods indicated that the inactivation of the sodium current is not governed by the Hodgkin-Huxley h variable. Computer simulations show that action potentials, threshold, and subthreshold behavior could be accounted for without reference to data on the effects of initial conditions. However, recovery phenomena (refractoriness, repetitive discharges) could be accounted for only by reference to such data. It was concluded that the sodium conductance is not governed by the product of two independent first order variables.
What Happens After the Alarm? Interest Group Subsidies to Legislative Overseers

A rich theoretical literature has illuminated the institutional mechanisms through which legislators influence agency policy. We focus on the behavioral ones, examining the decisions of individual legislators to intervene in agency rulemaking. We argue that interest groups play an important but incompletely understood role in the oversight process. They may sound alarms when agencies threaten harm, but they also subsidize the interventions of sympathetic overseers postalarm. We test the theory's hypotheses with data from face-to-face surveys of lobbyists involved in an EPA rulemaking to revise air quality standards. We find that public and private interest groups successfully employ this strategy but that the latter have the advantage, an advantage that does not flow from their substantial contributions to congressional campaigns.
Computer modeling approach for microsphere-packed bone scaffold

Abstract A computer modeling approach for constructing a three-dimensional microsphere-packed bone graft structure is presented. The modeling approach consists of both geometric and CAD-based computer modeling. The geometric model uses two extreme microsphere packing models (minimum-density packing and maximum-density packing) and a statistical packing model to determine the number of microspheres packed in a synthesized bone graft. The pore size of the packed internal porous structure is predicted, and a parametric study of the effect of microsphere diameter on the number of microspheres and pore size is conducted. Based on the results obtained from the geometric model, a CAD modeling approach for designing randomly microsphere-packed three-dimensional bone grafts was developed. The hierarchy of the CAD model and the steps for constructing a bone graft model are described, and application of the CAD-based bone graft model in internal structural examination, visualization, prediction and comparison with in vitro bone ingrowth is presented.
Microcracks and radioactive waste disposal

Examination of microcracks in crystalline rocks has shown that the open microcracks form a spatially continuous network that communicates with larger openings. The open cracks become filled with new minerals that often contain U and LREEs (light rare earths). The crystalline rocks most desirable as a host for a repository have low crack porosity, moderate alteration, and occur in an environment that promotes rapid sealing.
Investigating the contamination of electroencephalograms by facial muscle electromyographic activity using matching pursuit.

It has been widely recognized and previously reported that electrical fields from facial muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity can contaminate the electroencephalogram (EEG), even when closely spaced, bipolar electrode configurations are used (personal observations). We suspected that EEG signals evoked in response to pressure changes in the upper airway may include EMG contamination subsequent to muscle reflexes triggered by the stimuli. We evaluated the potential contamination of the background EEG by voluntary activation of a facial muscle by obtaining simultaneous recordings in human subjects of the EEG (from Cz-C4) and masseter muscle EMG (from a bipolar surface electrode pair) before (quiet) and after voluntary tensing (VTen). Matching pursuit analysis permitted identification of different time-frequency patterns for each signal during the quiet period because the EMG signal has mostly atoms above 30 Hz compared to the EEG signal. However, the EEG showed periods of low-frequency activity unmatched in the EMG TF pattern below 30 Hz. During the tensing, most of the atoms of both the EEG and EMG shifted to the higher frequency regions above 100 Hz, making the separation difficult. These results further suggest that the matching pursuit method may not separate the background EEG from phasic EMG signals, both of which are nonstationary in nature.
Surprisingly Easy to Swallow

Despite aggressive medical and surgical interventions, stroke remains a devastating disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Many clinicians suggest that the most effective treatment is passive: observation and the tincture of time. Titsworth and colleagues would disagree. In a recent study, the group reports the results of an initiative to improve dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) screening in acute stroke patients admitted to a large, tertiary care medical center. Titsworth et al . conducted a single-center prospective interrupted time series trial to test the effects of implementation of a dysphagia-assessment protocol composed of a nurse-administered bedside screen and a reflexive rapid clinical swallow evaluation by a speech pathologist. The investigators enrolled 2334 patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke admitted to their institution over a 42-month interval and assessed the impact of the protocol on institutional screening compliance and prevalence of hospital-acquired pneumonia. The study was divided into a 31-month ( n = 1686 patients) preintervention and an 11-month ( n = 648 patients) postintervention period. The relation between quarterly dysphagia screening percentage and pneumonia prevalence was assessed with Pearson product moment correlation. Logistic regression analysis with pneumonia as the primary outcome controlled for relevant confounders. The dysphagia initiative increased the percentage of stroke patients screened from 39.3 to 74.2% ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, initiative implementation was associated with a decrease in hospital-acquired pneumonia from 6.5 to 2.8% of acute stroke patients ( P < 0.001). Many acute stroke treatments focus on opening blocked blood vessels or protecting “at risk” brain tissue. Titsworth et al . implemented a straightforward screening protocol that aims to decrease the incidence of in-hospital pneumonia in a high-risk patient group. Although this study may lack the “home run” appeal of many current therapeutic trials, it succeeds where others have failed: demonstrating a tangible improvement in patient outcomes. As quality-assessment measures gain increased importance in health care delivery, standardized initiatives such as this one will be critical in achieving and benchmarking improved patients outcomes. W. L. Titsworth et al. , Prospective quality initiative to maximize dysphagia screening reduces hospital-acquired pneumonia prevalence in patients with stroke. Stroke , published online 20 August 2013 (STROKEAHA.111.000204). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/08/20/STROKEAHA.111.000204.abstract
Responsive Music Interfaces for Performance

In this project we have developed reactive instruments for performance. Reactive instruments provide feedback for the performer thereby providing a more dynamic experience. This is achieved through the use of haptics and robotics. Haptics provide a feedback system to the control surface. Robotics provides a way to actuate the instruments and their control surfaces. This allows a highly coordinated “dance” between performer and the instrument. An application for this idea is presented as a linear slide interface. Reactive interfaces represent a dynamic way for music to be portrayed in performance.
High-speed polarization sensitive optical frequency domain imaging with frequency multiplexing

Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) provides a cross-sectional image of birefringence in biological samples that is complementary in many applications to the standard reflectance-based image. Recent ex vivo studies have demonstrated that birefringence mapping enables the characterization of collagen and smooth muscle concentration and distribution in vascular tissues. Instruments capable of applying these measurements percutaneously in vivo may provide new insights into coronary atherosclerosis and acute myocardial infarction. We have developed a polarization sensitive optical frequency domain imaging (PS-OFDI) system that enables high-speed intravascular birefringence imaging through a fiber-optic catheter. The novel design of this system utilizes frequency multiplexing to simultaneously measure reflectance of two incident polarization states, overcoming concerns regarding temporal variations of the catheter fiber birefringence and spatial variations in the birefringence of the sample. We demonstrate circular cross-sectional birefringence imaging of a human coronary artery ex vivo through a flexible fiber-optic catheter with an A-line rate of 62 kHz and a ranging depth of 6.2 mm.
Trapping MBD5 to understand 2q23.1 microdeletion syndrome

Despite genetic evidence implicating MBD5 as the only overlapping gene between various 2q23.1 microdeletions, the function of MBD5 and its causality to 2q23.1 microdeletion syndrome, a disorder characterized by developmental delay and autistic features, has yet to be determined. In this issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, Camarena et al generate an Mbd5 gene-trap mouse model and show for the first time that mice with reduced MBD5 expression develop behavioral abnormalities with neuronal function deficits, mimicking symptoms in 2q23.1 microdeletion syndrome, thus supporting a causal role for MBD5 haploinsufficiency in the disorder.
Disrupting neoliberal discourse in critical sustainability education: a qualitative analysis of intentional language framing

While education for sustainability is a critical task that is gaining ground in a plethora of educational contexts, it is frequently rendered ineffective in the face of neoliberal practice and discourse. Here we examine the pervasive impacts of neoliberalism on education for sustainability, looking specifically at discursive formations that shape our understandings of humans in and as nature. Throughout ecological texts, root metaphors carry forward specific cultural histories that serve neoliberal agendas by positioning nature as commodity and humans as consumers. We sought to systematically understand how manipulating a root metaphor in the creation of instructional texts might disrupt neoliberal discourse and foster critical sustainability. Using a thought-listing technique to explore student response patterns qualitatively allowed for insights into the power of discourse in educational contexts. Data support the notion that intentional framing may be a powerful tool in education for sustainability. We...
A Persistence Climatology for Interior and Coastal Southern New England

Abstract One method of evaluating forecast skill is to compare probability forecasts of temperature and precipitation to a “persistence climatology” (CLIMO) for a given location. In the absence of such data, forecasters at Central Connecticut State University have been using the CLIMO developed for Albany, New York by Bosart (1975) as the benchmark for skill in ongoing daily forecasting of minimum temperature and precipitation. Over thirty years of local climatological data have been analyzed and a persistence climatology for both interior (Windsor Locks, Connecticut) and coastal (Bridgeport, Connecticut) regions has been developed and interpreted with respect to both synoptic and climatological situations. The probabilities of colder than normal minimum temperatures and measurable precipitation are quite similar at both locations. In addition, these probabilities are similar to those for Albany in spite of the geographic differences among the three locales.
Parallel Prediction Lines: A Test for Interaction

AbstractIn searching for a model that will demonstrate how aptitude and instructional systems can interact, educators have traditionally used analysis of variance (AOV). This usually results in a loss of information, since most aptitude measures are continuous (such as IQ) and AOV forces categorization. This paper discusses an alternative procedure for interaction testing which allows for a continuous aptitude measure. The test is based on a regression model, and since it requires only the use of a regression computer package, it is as accessible as
Beyond Compliance: Helping Nations Cooperate

This article – a chapter in a collective volume on compliance and the role of non-binding norms in the international legal system – raises questions regarding the usefulness of the concepts of compliance and “soft law”, each of which underlies a number of the contributions appearing elsewhere in the collective volume. In particular, the author suggests that: (1) approaching issues of the international normative order from the perspective of “compliance” risks obscuring or distorting an understanding of how international norms actually help to structure international order and cooperation; (2) the idea of “compliance with international soft law” may blur and impair the very useful distinction that states traditionally have drawn between legally binding and non-legally binding normative techniques in constructing their normative arrangements; (3) in studies of the international normative order, our primary emphasis and objective should be helping nations cooperate rather than simply “making them behave.”Drawing upon his experience as an attorney in the Office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State, the author proposes, in some detail, a possible alternative model of how foreign office and other officials involved in foreign policy decisions take account of arguably relevant international norms and think about issues of compliance. This alternative model suggests, inter alia, that such officials’ attitudes and behavior regarding situations raising international normative issues may often be conditioned by considerations such as: (1) their recognition of the legitimacy of tentative and incomplete obligations; (2) their perception that different obligations may reflect varying “densities” of commitment; (3) their efforts to balance their desire to retain their own flexibility and freedom of maneuver with their desire for certainty and predictability on the part of other states or international actors; (4) their awareness of the parties’ tacit acceptance that there may be ranges of permissible flexibility around the “core” obligations of a norm; and (5) their recognition of the legitimate expectation – varying impact of events and pressures arising subsequent to the emergence of a norm. This alternative model also suggests that the whole bias of the international normative system, and particularly of that involving non-binding norms, is in practice more towards accommodation than “legalistic” contention.Finally, the author: (1) joins others in questioning the coherence of the concept of “soft international law”, at least as applied to legally non-binding norms and instruments; (2) expresses his concern that an emphasis on compliance may point towards a backward-looking and overly-legalistic focus on state “misbehavior”, rather than a more productive enquiry into devising and deploying better techniques and arrangements to facilitate international cooperation; and (3) suggests types of studies, going beyond a study of compliance alone, to explore more deeply the relation between international norms and state behavior.
Synergistic Smart Morphing AIleron: Capabilites Identification

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can require adaptation to large changes in flight condition but are restricted by their size. Hybrid actuation systems that excel at both long timescale trim conditions and short timescale deviations, e.g. gusts, can be utilized to augment UAVs controllability. Previously, the Synergistic Smart Morphing Aileron (SSMA) system, a camber-morphing airfoil system utilizing two smart-material actuators operating over different timescales, was introduced and characterized without positional controllers. The combined SSMA system utilizes the comparatively high blocking force of shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires to augment static displacement under high aerodynamic loads while maintaining high-bandwidth tip displacement from the faster piezo-driven MFC actuator. Static aeroelastic simulations have shown that the concept can achieve superior control over flow separation through reflex actuation under aerodynamic loading. This current work further identifies performance capabilities of the SSMA concept that are synergistic in nature, and thus extended beyond that of the constituent actuators in isolation. Dynamic URANS simulations show that allowing the comparatively faster MFC-driven actuator to compensate for the slower SMA wires by actuating through reflex camber mimics the forces of a faster monotonic actuator. By implementing position controllers, an experimental demonstrator is used to initially validate both the static and dynamic benefits of synergistic force control through a hybrid morphing system. Although specific to this configuration, this study exposes how a multi-material, multi-timescale morphing concept can be leveraged to improve steady and unsteady flow control.
The Asian Future of Evolutionary Psychology

Asia's population, wealth, cognitive capital, and scientific influence are growing quickly. Reasonable demographic, economic, and psychometric projections suggest that by the mid-21st century, most...
Auditory evoked responses in the management of acutely brain-injured children and adults.

In recent years, the role of auditory evoked responses (AERs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting has expanded dramatically for both pediatric and adult brain-injured patient populations. AERs have unique value in early identification and evaluation of peripheral auditory dysfunction that can result directly from head trauma or as a consequence of intensive medical therapy (such as prolonged intubation and ototoxic drugs). AERs can also be applied in evaluating and monitoring neurologic status during the acute period following a severe brain injury, similar to their common intraoperative use as a neurophysiologic monitor. This paper reviews factors influencing measurement of AERs in the ICU, including the effect of (1) intensive medical therapy (e.g., neuromuscular blockers, sedatives, barbiturates, aminoglycosides, and loop diuretics); (2) coma; and (3) computed tomography confirmed temporal bone fracture. The rationale for monitoring neurologic status with AERs in this setting is presented and supported with original group data. Important points are illustrated with selected case reports.
Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Mild Human Hypertension

1. Some of the haemodynamic abnormalities in mild (borderline) human hypertension appear to be neurogenic, since they can be completely abolished by pharmacological autonomic blockade. 2. The cardiac output is elevated in 30% of patients through increased sympathetic drive and decreased parasympathetic inhibition. 3. In the remainder, the higher blood pressure is maintained by increased total peripheral vascular resistance. 4. In approximately 30% of this latter group, the higher vascular resistance is maintained solely by increased alpha-adrenergic tone. 5. Elevated plasma renin activities in a proportion of cases are probably due to generalized increase in sympathetic nervous activity. 6. Patients with mild hypertension thus show increased sympathetic drive to the heart and arterioles as well as decreased cardiac parasympathetic inhibition. It is presumed that the increased plasma renin is also neurogenic. 7. Such a widespread distribution of altered autonomic tone suggests aberration of the function of the integrative centres of cardiovascular control. 8. Evidence is presented of a possible psychosomatic origin of these changes in some cases.
Limited Liability and the Defense of Southeast Asia, 1950–54

Communist victory in China presented Indochina, Siam, and Burma with threats from both Communist-backed guerrilla movements and invasion by Chinese forces. To meet these threats, defense officials in London and Singapore concurrently pursued two objectives intended to deter Communist aggression or contain it if deterrence failed. The first objective was to provide either unilaterally or in con- junction with the United States all possible material and training assis- tance to Malaya’s buffer states in order to bolster their ability to resist. The second, in keeping with British efforts to develop regional economic and defense cooperation, was to pursue regional defense planning as a means to commit the United States to the defense of Southeast Asia. The British achieved these objectives by the end of 1954. Although the Communists gained control of Tonkin after the Geneva Conference, the role of Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnam, Siam, and Burma as buffers was thereafter theoretically guaranteed by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty underwritten by the United States.
Homeownership and the Achievement Gap. A Research Synthesis

This paper investigates the potential efficacy of policies designed to increase homeownership as a means of narrowing the achievement gap by synthesizing the empirical literature linking homeownership and academic performance and reviewing relevant theory. Overall, the literature yields mixed results that offer a strong theoretical basis for, but weak empirical evidence of, such a relationship. Just over half of all models find statistically significant positive effects of homeownership on academic performance, but results are less positive when predicting achievement instead of attainment, using quasi-experimental rather than correlational models, and/or controlling for residential stability. The larger question that remains unanswered is where, when, and for whom homeownership will yield positive results. Despite the mixed results, significant reason exists to believe that increasing homeownership could narrow the achievement gap if the right policies are put in place at the right times in the right places for the right people.
Infantile Localization-Related Epilepsy

Videotaped seizures recorded from 23 infants aged 2 to 24 months with localization-related epilepsy were analyzed at the Cleveland Clinic, OH.
Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms: when genetics and environment collide.

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms occur as a late complication following chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy administered for a primary condition. In this Review, McNerneyet al. discuss recent studies that have improved our understanding of the aetiology of this disease. Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MN) arise as a late effect of chemotherapy and/or radiation administered for a primary condition, typically a malignant disease, solid organ transplant or autoimmune disease. Survival is measured in months, not years, making t-MN one of the most aggressive and lethal cancers. In this Review, we discuss recent developments that reframe our understanding of the genetic and environmental aetiology of t-MN. Emerging data are illuminating who is at highest risk of developing t-MN, why t-MN are chemoresistant and how we may use this information to treat and ultimately prevent this lethal disease.
Filtration as a Barrier to Passage of Cysts in Drinking Water

Numerous outbreaks of waterborne giardiasis have occurred in the United States since 1973. Generally, the causes have been inadequate disinfection or inadequate filtration (perhaps none), or sometimes both. Even though research on water filtration for Giardia cyst removal is expected to continue in the future, sufficient information on water filtration for cyst removal is available now to provide some guidance for engineers who design filtration plants and for operators who run them.
NBCe1-a regulates proximal tubule ammonia metabolism under basal conditions and in response to metabolic acidosis

Renal ammonia metabolism is the primary mechanism through which the kidneys maintain acid-base homeostasis, but the molecular mechanisms regulating renal ammonia generation are unclear. In these studies, we evaluated the role of the proximal tubule basolateral plasma membrane electrogenic sodium bicarbonate cotransporter 1 variant A (NBCe1-A) in this process. Deletion of the NBCe1-A gene caused severe spontaneous metabolic acidosis in mice. Despite this metabolic acidosis, which normally causes a dramatic increase in ammonia excretion, absolute urinary ammonia concentration was unaltered. Additionally, NBCe1-A deletion almost completely blocked the ability to increase ammonia excretion after exogenous acid loading. Under basal conditions and during acid loading, urine pH was more acidic in mice with NBCe1-A deletion than in wild-type controls, indicating that the abnormal ammonia excretion was not caused by a primary failure of urine acidification. Instead, NBCe1-A deletion altered the expression levels of multiple enzymes involved in proximal tubule ammonia generation, including phosphate-dependent glutaminase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and glutamine synthetase, under basal conditions and after exogenous acid loading. Deletion of NBCe1-A did not impair expression of key proteins involved in collecting duct ammonia secretion. These studies demonstrate that the integral membrane protein NBCe1-A has a critical role in basal and acidosis-stimulated ammonia metabolism through the regulation of proximal tubule ammonia-metabolizing enzymes.
Prevalence and Correlates of Low Pain Interference Among Patients With High Pain Intensity Who Are Prescribed Long-Term Opioid Therapy

Abstract The pain experience may vary greatly among individuals reporting equally high levels of pain. We sought to examine the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with pain interference in patients with high pain intensity. Among patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain who were prescribed long-term opioid therapy and who were recruited from 2 health care systems, we identified a subset who reported high pain intensity (n = 189). All individuals completed self-report assessments of clinical and demographic factors. Analyses examined characteristics associated with pain interference. Within this group of patients with high reported pain intensity, 16.4% (n = 31) had low pain interference, 39.2% (n = 74) had moderate pain interference, and 44.4% (n = 84) had high pain interference. In bivariate analyses, patients with lower pain interference had fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, less pain catastrophizing, a better quality of life, and greater self-efficacy for managing pain. In multivariate analyses, variables most strongly associated with low pain interference, relative to high interference, were depression severity (odds ratio 0.90; 95% confidence interval 0.82-0.99) and pain self-efficacy (odds ratio 1.07; 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.12). Study results suggest that chronic pain treatments that address symptoms of depression and enhance pain self-efficacy may be prioritized, particularly among patients who are prescribed long-term opioid therapy. Perspective: This article describes the prevalence and correlates of pain interference categories (low, medium, and high) among patients with high pain intensity who are prescribed long-term opioid therapy. Findings reveal that 16.4% of participants with high pain intensity had low impairment. Multivariate analyses indicate that variables significantly associated with low pain interference were lower depression scores and greater pain self-efficacy.
Bladder diverticuli following injection of onabotulinum toxin A in a patient with multiple sclerosis and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Abstract Urinary incontinence due to neurogenic detrusor overactivity is common in patients with disorders of lower motor neurons controlling the bladder. Multiple sclerosis is a major cause of neurogenic detrusor overactivity, which negatively impacts quality of life. Bladder wall injection of onabotulinum toxin A can diminish spontaneous bladder contraction, urinary urgency, and urge incontinence. Herein we report a 61-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with bladder trabeculation developing after repeated injections of onabotulinum toxin A.
Dietary Intervention Strategies: Validity, Execution and Interpretation of Outcomes

Experimental research designs that use single chemical entities have been the cornerstone of careful scientific research. Therefore the use of total diet patterns, or whole foods, which contain hundreds of chemical components, would appear to lack sufficient control to yield productive information. However, cancer prevention and control may be an area where well-designed diet intervention strategies may be an efficient research approach. This chapter will present arguments for the necessity of diet and whole food supplementation research studies and descriptions of strategies for their implementation. Additionally, the components of effective diet intervention studies will be discussed. Whether the research involves cell media, animal diets or human diets, the whole diet should be considered an important factor in any research design where the ultimate aim is cancer prevention and control.
Transcriptional regulation of the oxytocin receptor gene.

Oxytocin receptors (OTR) are abundantly expressed in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) in the rat brain. While expression of these receptors is estrogen-dependent, OTRs present in the central nucleus of the amygdala do not appear to be. We have isolated an OTR gene from a rat genomic library and analyzed its promoter region for response elements. Several regulatory elements of interest were identified, including a cAMP response element (CRE), a serum response element (SRE), several activator protein-1 elements (AP-1) in addition to a palindromic estrogen response element (ERE). In transfection assays, PKC and PKA activation by phorbol ester and forskolin treatment optimally enhanced transcription of the OTR gene. These results were further confirmed by Western blot analyses showing induction of endogenous OTRs in MCF7 cells with similar treatments.
Dopamine Receptor Alternative Splicing

The five dopamine receptor subtypes (D1–D5) are members of the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (see also Chapter 1). Dopamine receptors. have been known since 1978 to be divided between two families differing in biochemical and pharmacological properties (1). Although the G protein and second messenger systems affected by dopamine receptors in vivo have not been clearly established, in vitro D1-family receptors (D1 and D5) couple to Gs stimulatory proteins, activating adenylyl cyclase, whereas D2- family receptors (D2, D3, D4) couple to Gi inhibitory proteins, inhibiting adenylyl cyclase. Dopamine receptors couple effectively to a wide range of signaling cascades in vitro, including calcium channels, phospholipase C, potassium channels, arachidonic acid release, Na+/H+ exchangers, Na+-H+-ATPase, and cell growth and differentiation pathways (reviewed in ref. 2), suggesting that dopamine may mediate a complex array of neural signaling pathways in vivo. Dopamine systems are believed to exert functional effects through these second-messenger signaling pathways via modulation of the activity of more rapidly acting ionotropic glutamatergic, GABAergic, and nicotinic cholinergic neuronal systems (3).
Design Theory and Methods — An Interdisciplinary Approach

Designing is different from problem solving, though to design one must solve problems. Designs are not always works of art, though designing demands the exercise of creativity. And though the artifacts of engineers and of architects stand alone, ideally expressing something akin to an organic unity, most designs are the productions of groups of individuals with different interests and responsibilities. Our premise in researching design theory and methods is that the nature of designing requires an interdisciplinary approach.