cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of transferring parvovirus-infected fertilized pig eggs into seronegative gilts.

SUMMARY Fertilized eggs were collected from four oestrus-synchronized donor gilts 32 h after presumed ovulation and were cultured for 21 h in a synthetic culture medium containing porcine parvovirus (PPV). They were then washed and transferred into four seronegative recipient gilts. Eight days later the recipient gilts were killed. Blastocysts were recovered from three of the four recipients but many of them were dead, and those which were still alive were smaller than normal. Examination of the blastocysts by the direct fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) revealed a small number of infected cells, but retardation and death of the blastocysts could not with confidence be ascribed to this infection. All four recipient gilts seroconverted following insertion of the infected eggs, and virus was detected by FAT in their uterine lymph nodes at slaughter. Histopathological changes were seen in their reproductive tracts; in particular there were inflammatory foci in the ovaries, and a marked degeneration and exfoliation of the uterine epithelium. Although PPV was not demonstrated in sloughed epithelial debris it is nevertheless considered that the uterine damage was a direct result of PPV infection. It is also probable that retardation and death of the blastocysts was a consequence of this uterine damage rather than the direct effect of virus infection.
News on Demand

Recently scientists have been focusing on a new class of application that promises ondemand access to multimedia information such as radio and broadcast news. This chapter describes how the synergy of speech, language and image processing has enabled a new class of information on demand news systems. We will describe the ability to automatically process broadcast video 7x24 and serve this to the general public in individually tailored personalcasts. We describe several systems and identify some remaining challenging research areas.
Stability of high-dose insulin in normal saline bags for treatment of calcium channel blocker and beta blocker overdose.

Context: High-dose insulin has become a first-line therapy for treating severe calcium channel blocker and beta blocker toxicity. Insulin infusions used to treat other conditions (e.g., diabetic ke...
Mobile masculinities: An investigation of networked masculinities in gay dating apps

This study argues that hegemonic masculinity and inclusive masculinity are conciliatory when applied to networked masculinities in homosexual spaces. It contends hegemonic masculinity is a macro-level process that informs micro-level processes of inclusive masculinity. Employing a textual analysis of 500 individual profiles in gay dating apps (Scruff, GROWLr, GuySpy and Hornet), findings indicate networked masculinities informed by hegemonic masculinity. A process of “mascing” also resulted from the data.
Conjugation of Plasminogen Activators to Carrier Erythrocytes Imparts New Biological Properties to Their Soluble Counterparts.

Conjugation of plasminogen activators (PA) to carrier red blood cells (RBC) generates a new agent (RBC/PA), which selectively lyses nascent blood clots. In this work, we studied two types of RBC/PA conjugates, carrying Alteplase (tissue type plasminogen activator, tPA) or Reteplase (an engineered form of tPA, Ret). Compared to non-conjugated 125I-PA counterparts, both 125I-tPA and 125I-Ret coupled to 51Cr-RBC via biocompatible biotin-streptavidin cross-linker showed markedly prolonged circulation in rats and mice. Despite slightly faster blood clearance, RBC/tPA retained significantly higher fibrinolytic activity in circulation than RBC/Ret. In part, the higher fibrinolytic activity of RBC/tPA vs RBC/Ret in the circulation was due to its lessened susceptibility to plasma inhibitors. Analysis of amidolytic activity of RBC-coupled vs free tPA and Ret using chromogenic substrates in vitro revealed that coupling to RBC rendered Ret, but not tPA, insensitive to stimulation of fibrinolytic activity by fibrin. In vitro binding assay in cultural wells showed that RBC/tPA specifically binds to fibrin clot (6±0.2x104 RBC/tPA bound per well vs. 1±0.4x104 RBC/Ret or 7.3±0.6x103 naive RBC). RBC/tPA also bind specifically to immobilized fibrinogen and plasminogen (8±2x104 and 2±0.4x104 RBC/well), but not to non-cleavable plasminogen, collagen, fibronectin or thrombospondin (<1.1±0.3x103RBC/well). Neither RBC/Ret nor naive RBC bind to these proteins (<1.1±0.2x103 RBC/well). Therefore, RBC/PA complexes display a considerable functional diversity, a result of interplay between the pharmacokinetic features offered by carrier RBC, individual features of a given PA and alterations of the latter caused by RBC coupling. In theory, this diversity may enhance flexibility and utility of potential applications of RBC/PA for thromboprophylaxis.
Robert Frost’s “Design” as Deconstruction of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “The Rhodora”

In a recent review of a new translation of the classical Buddhist text The Tannisho into English, the reviewer notes: One reason for the popularity of the Tannisho in the American context is the pragmatic approach to behavior within a legitimate spiritual tradition. The layman in American society must contend with the hostile presence of fundamentalists on one hand, and in the “godless garden” of relativity on the other. A strange combination but a threat to religious authority and belief, nevertheless.1
Pulsating linear in situ combustion: why do we often observe oscillatory behavior?

We have studied simplified, pulsating, one-dimensional, in situ combustion processes. For two cases, with different reaction stoichiometry, oscillations in temperature, flue gas rate, and flue gas composition are demonstrated and the parameter space resulting in oscillatory behavior is identified. To understand the role of different parameters, linear stability of the problem is studied. Because linear stability analysis requires the solution of uniform front propagation, we investigated an asymptotic analytical solution of the problem. We found an original formula for the front propagation velocity. The analytical solution enabled us to define four dimensionless parameters including Zeldovich (Ze) number, Damkohler (Da) number, a specialized air-fuel ratio (B), and a ratio incorporating air and rock heat capacities (Δ1). Using linear stability analysis, we show that the stability of the problem is also governed by these four parameters. Because Δ1 ≈ 1 for typical laboratory conditions, the set of (Ze, Da, B) is used to construct the stability plane; consequently, several important design considerations are suggested. Both larger air injection rate and air enriched in oxygen increase the front propagation speed but push the system toward oscillatory behavior. Conversely, the introduction of catalysts and metal additives, that decrease the activation energy of reactions, increases the front speed and stability. Similarly, increasing the amount of fuel available for the combustion makes the design more stable and drives the combustion front to propagate more quickly.
Application of Composite Hydrogels to Control Physical Properties in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

The development of biomaterials for the restoration of the normal tissue structure–function relationship in pathological conditions as well as acute and chronic injury is an area of intense investigation. More recently, the use of tailored or composite hydrogels for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine has sought to bridge the gap between natural tissues and applied biomaterials more clearly. By applying traditional concepts in engineering composites, these hydrogels represent hierarchical structured materials that translate more closely the key guiding principles required for improved recovery of tissue architecture and functional behavior, including physical, mass transport, and biological properties. For tissue-engineering scaffolds in general, and more specifically in composite hydrogel materials, each of these properties provide unique qualities that are essential for proper augmentation and repair following disease and injury. The broad focus of this review is on physical properties in particular, static and dynamic mechanical properties provided by composite hydrogel materials and their link to native tissue architecture and, ultimately, tissue-specific applications for composite hydrogels.
The DBA Function

The data base concept offers many advantages to organizations that adopt it. The pooling of formerly diverse data files into an integrated data base can reduce redundancy of data and promote consistency in the reports and processes that use the data base. The use of generalized software to store and access the data base can reduce the duplication in application programming and system development that existed when these tasks were the province of each individual system. Finally, the existence and use of dbms-related software, such as query languages and data dictionaries, makes the data base more available and more accessible to both programmers and end users of the data.
Slowly oscillating functions and a generalization of quasi-monotone coefficients

We first state a conjecture due to Yong concerning equality of two classes of functions, and then give examples to disprove the conjecture. Later we extend some theorems concerning integrability of Fourier series.
Status Updates through Networks of Parallel Servers

A source submits status updates to a network for delivery to a destination monitor. Updates follow independent routes such that updates may arrive out of order. Each network route is modeled as a memoryless preemptive last-come-first-served queue. Using a stochastic hybrid systems approach, we evaluate the average age of information at the monitor, including a simplified characterization of the benefits of route and server diversity.
Do Nonprofessional Investors Care About How and When Data Breaches are Disclosed

ABSTRACT While prior research suggests that the market responds negatively to data breach disclosures, how nonprofessional investors assess factors surrounding these disclosures has only been asses...
Feasibility of Ecological Momentary Assessment of Negative Emotion in Girls With ADHD: A Pilot Study:

This study explores the feasibility of using mobile phone ecological momentary assessment to evaluate negative emotion in adolescent girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A total of 13 girls with ADHD, ages 12-16 years old (38.5% with comorbid depression), and their mothers completed several daily surveys assessing the intensity and variability of youth negative emotion using mobile phone-based ecological momentary assessment for approximately one week. The rate of response to survey prompts by youth and maternal reports was examined. In addition, associations between girls' and mothers' ratings of negative emotion were calculated. Finally, the severity and fluctuation in negative emotion were compared between girls with and without depression. Girls and their mothers demonstrated a high level of compliance with assessment procedures, and maternal and youth ratings were significantly correlated. In addition, girls with comorbid depression and their mothers endorsed significantly more intense and variable negative emotion compared to girls with ADHD alone. These preliminary findings show that ecological momentary assessment is a feasible and valid method for collecting information on emotion regulation among girls with ADHD and their mothers that can be applied to future work aimed at collecting ecologically valid assessments of functioning in girls with ADHD.
Sleep and weight loss in low-income overweight or obese postpartum women

We conducted secondary data analyses to examine the associations between sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep disturbance and ≥ 5% of weight loss in low-income overweight or obese postpartum women enrolled in a community-based lifestyle behavior intervention study aimed at prevention of weight gain. Participants were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Michigan. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep duration, sleep quality, and sleep disturbance. All participants were assessed and weighed at baseline (T1, 569 participants), 4-month (T2, 367 participants), and 7-month from T1 (T3, 332 participants). Descriptive statistics and mixed-effects regression analysis were performed. Participants reported longer sleep duration (p = 0.048), better sleep quality (p = 0.003) and less sleep disturbance (p < 0.001) over time. There were no significant mean body weight changes at T2 and T3. However, a significantly higher proportion of women lost ≥5% of body weight at T3 (23.1%) than T2 (12.5%, p = 0.001). Sleep duration, quality, and disturbance were not significantly associated with ≥5% of weight loss. Improvements in sleep duration, sleep quality and sleep disturbance over time were not associated with ≥5% of weight loss in low-income overweight or obese postpartum women. Clinical Trials NCT01839708 ; retrospectively registered February 28, 2013.
Person-Centered Care for Older Adults With Kidney Disease: Core Curriculum 2019.

This Core Curriculum article models a person-centered approach to care for older adults with kidney disease. We provide background information on the principles of person-centered care and outline ways in which this approach contrasts with the more disease-based approaches that dominate current medical education and practice. Using hypothetical cases, we discuss 3 clinical scenarios that arise commonly when caring for older adults with kidney disease: (1) a moderate reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate, (2) new-onset nephrotic-range proteinuria, and (3) the prospect of starting dialysis. For each scenario, we summarize relevant available evidence and model what a person-centered approach might look like. In discussing each scenario, we highlight: (1) the considerable heterogeneity in clinical presentation, circumstances, priorities, and values that exist among older adults with kidney disease; (2) the importance of interpreting available evidence and clinical practice guidelines in the context of what is relevant to each patient; (3) methods for grounding discussions about care and treatment options in the realities of each patient's situation and what is most meaningful to them; and (4) the importance of setting aside one's own biases and practice style to ensure that patients' own values and goals guide their care.
"Would I Do This All Over Again? Mid-Career Voices in Political Science"

This report by the APSA Presidential Task Force on Women’s Advancement in the Profession is based on personal and confidential semi-structured interviews with individuals from three graduate programs who entered graduate school around the same time (the early 1990s) about their educational and career experiences from the decision to pursue the PhD to the present—regardless of whether or not the individuals completed the degree or work in the profession today. How do people experience the profession of political science? What explains differences in individual trajectories—both within and outside the academy? How do climate, efforts to diversify the academy, and policies such as family leave impact individual careers? What policies and practices help graduate students on the job market, and faculty on the tenure-track? What are the tradeoffs in academic and non-academic pursuits? And what is the value of the Ph.D.—inside and outside the academy?
Channel Cracking and Interfacial Delamination of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) Nano-Sized Films on Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Substrates: Experiments and Modeling

Our research objective was to obtain a fundamental understanding of how ITO thin films layered on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates fail due to tensile, shear, and bending loading conditions. In our approach, we employed a nonlinear finite-element (FE) approach coupled with dislocation-density crystalline and hypoelastic material models and fracture approaches tailored for channel (film) cracking and interfacial delamination. These predictions were validated with mechanical experiments and characterization at different physical scales. Failure to strain and fracture predictions were used to account for interrelated mechanisms, such as channel and interfacial cracking nucleation and propagation along cleavage planes, interfaces, and within layers. Our predictions indicate that interfacial delamination occurred when channel cracks transitioned to interfacial cracks at the ITO/PET interface for tensile loading conditions. Furthermore, the thin film system, when subjected to three-point bending and shear loading conditions was more resistant to failure in comparison to systems subjected to tensile loading conditions.
Lagrangian investigation of pseudo-turbulence in multiphase flow using superposable wakes

A method is introduced for approximating the fully resolved flow through a monodisperse array of spheres using only the locations of the spheres and the volume-averaged Reynolds number. A pseudoturbulence stress model is proposed for use in a Lagrangian framework.
The rhetorical functions of syntactically complex sentences in social science research article introductions

Abstract There have been increasing calls for research attention to the linguistic realizations of rhetorical functions in academic writing. Research in this area has so far focused primarily on lexical and phraseological features. While numerous studies have investigated the relationship of syntactic complexity to language proficiency, development, and writing quality, research examining the rhetorical functions of complex syntactic structures is scant. This study analyzes the rhetorical functions of syntactically complex sentences in the Corpus of Social Science Research Article Introductions, which contains the introduction sections of 600 published research articles in six social science disciplines. All samples were annotated for rhetorical moves and steps using an adapted version of Swales’ (2004) revised Create a Research Space model, and all sentences were assessed for syntactic complexity using multiple measures of global complexity, finite subordination, clausal elaboration, and phrasal complexity. Results revealed significant variation in syntactic complexity among sentences realizing different rhetorical functions and expert writers’ employment of complex structures to realize different rhetorical goals. The implications of our findings for academic writing research, pedagogy and assessment are discussed.
TASER Conducted Electrical Weapons

Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEW), of which TASER® is the most prominent brand, function to incapacitate subjects by delivering an electrical current that disrupts voluntary control of muscles causing neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI). CEW have successfully saved many lives by offering a less-lethal option for law enforcement officers to use when confronting violent subjects while reducing risk of injuries for both and decreasing the duration of these violent encounters. However, CEWs are a less-lethal weapon and have been associated with injuries and occasionally, deaths. Probe penetration usually leads to minor wounds but can cause more significant injuries depending the site of penetration. Falls secondary to muscle incapacitation have resulted in various traumatic injuries. Claims that CEW use leads to clinically significant acidosis or rhabdomyolysis in humans are not supported by the literature. There have been case reports of CEW use temporally related to cardiac arrest and sudden death. This chapter will review the injuries, theoretical risks, and fallacies associated with CEW use with a detailed review of the literature.
Nationwide Study of County Health Rankings and Lung Transplant Outcomes

Purpose There is limited information about whether social determinants of health affect lung transplant outcomes. In this study we aimed to examine associations between nationwide County Health Rankings (CHR) and its domain specific sub-ranks and lung transplant graft and patient survival. Methods United Network for Organ Sharing and CHR datasets were linked by using transplant recipient's zip code of residence. Patient- and county-level characteristics were assessed for all adult lung transplant recipients from 2010-2018. CHR were calculated across all 3149 US counties and averaged across the eight study years and counties were assigned to a tertile for each of two overall ranks and six domain-specific sub-ranks. Mixed effects Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations between County Health Rankings and graft survival and patient survival post-lung transplant. Results Out of 15909 Lung Transplant recipients, 7084 resided in best, 6072 in middle and 2753 in worst terile. The Health Outcomes rank, Length of Life sub-rank, Quality of Life sub-rank, Clinical Care sub-rank, Social and Economic Factors sub-rank, and Physical Environment sub-rank were independently associated with both graft and patient survival (between 7 and 15% increased risk among counties in the worst tertiles compared to the best). However, these associations did not remain statistically significant when models were adjusted for all relevant patient characteristics, center lung transplant volume, and random effects for transplant center and county. Conclusion While county-level differences do affect lung transplant outcomes, these differences are largely accounted for by individual patient and transplant-specific characteristics. Further research is needed to ascertain whether these factors act as mediator factors.
The effect of resistive forces in variable recruitment fluidic artificial muscle bundles: a configuration study

The use of soft, compliant actuators has recently gained research attention as a potential approach to improve human-robot interaction compatibility. Fluidic artificial muscles, or McKibben actuators, are a popular class of soft actuator due to their low cost and high force-to-weight ratio. However, traditional McKibben actuators face efficiency problems, as in most actuation schemes, the actuator is sized for the largest possible load, resulting in energy loss when operating at lower force regimes. To address this issue, our group has developed a bio-inspired actuation strategy called variable recruitment. In variable recruitment, actuators are placed within a bundle and can be sequentially activated depending on the required load. This strategy mimics the hierarchical architecture of mammalian muscle tissue and improves system efficiency and bandwidth while allowing for variable stiffness properties. Previous variable recruitment models and controllers assume that the force output of each actuator is independent and that these forces sum to provide the total bundle force. However, our recent work has shown that there is significant interaction between actuators within a bundle, particularly at lower recruitment states. This is because at these states, inactive or partially activated actuators resist bundle motion and reduce total force production. In this paper, we study these resistive effects at low recruitment states by considering two different variable recruitment configurations: a fixed-end configuration (with resistive forces) and a tendon configuration (designed with tendons to eliminate resistive forces). We then assess the tradeoffs between the two configurations. We found that while using the tendon configuration eliminates resistive forces, if we consider both configurations with the same overall system length, the tendon configuration has less overall system free strain because its FAMs have to be shorter than those of the fixed-end configuration. However, despite this difference in free strain, our results still show that the tendon configuration can have higher maximum load capacity and efficiency than the fixed-end configuration and that the specific application and system requirements will dictate the proper configuration choice.
Validity Estimates for the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale.

The results of concurrent and discriminant validity studies only partially supported the construct validity of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale, and the use of individual subscales pr...
Conversion of an Unsupervised Anomaly Detection System to Spiking Neural Network for Car Hacking Identification

Across industry, there is an increasing availability of streaming, time-varying data, where it is important to detect anomalous behavior. These data are found in an enormous number of sensor-based applications, in cybersecurity (where anomalous behavior could indicate an attack), and in finance. Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) have come under the spotlight for machine learning applications due to the extreme energy efficiency of their implementation on neuromorphic processors like the Intel Loihi research chip. In this paper we explore the applicability of spiking neural networks for in vehicle cyberattack detection. We show exemplary results by converting an autoencoder model to spiking form. We present a learning model comparison that shows the proposed SNN autoencoder outperforms a One Class Support Vector Machine and an Isolation Forest. Furthermore, only a slight reduction in accuracy is observed when compared to a traditional autoencoder.
Energy Estimation Based on Path Tracking for a Differential Drive Wheeled Mobile Robot

To improve the energy efficiency of mobile robots and increase their time of operation, a comprehensive energy model is needed. Having such a model requires a lot of complex analysis and design time. There has been a lot of research into optimizing the power consumption of mobile robots but have not benefited from the advantages of languages to model complex cyber-physical systems. In this work, we used the Simscape™ MATLAB® environment to simplify and speed up the design of an energy consumption model of a differential drive mobile robot. We also estimated the energy consumption of the mobile in a different path tracking scenario. Our results show that is possible to obtain a good accuracy of path following with acceptable energy consumption.
Effects of resistance training interventions on muscular strength in adults with intellectual disability: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Muscular strength is critical for adults with an intellectual disability (ID) to promote their mobility, cardiovascular capacity, and performance of daily living/recreational/vocational activities....
Ultrasound of the Optic Nerve Does Not Appear to Be a Consistently Reliable or Generalizable Method to Monitor Changes in Intracranial Pressure

Objective:Invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is the gold standard, but is not always readily accessible or practical. Ultrasound of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) has been prop...
Organic Osmotic Effectors in Cartilaginous Fishes

The osmoregulatory system of the elasmobranchs (cartilaginous fishes) has often been regarded as a physiological oddity. As far back as 1858, the muscles of sharks were found to contain the waste product urea at concentrations a 100-fold those of other animals; and in 1909 unusually high levels of the methylamine compounds betaine and trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) were discovered in muscle also. In the early 1900’s, Fredericq, Hoppe-Seyler, H. Smith, and others demonstrated that these compounds form the basis of an osmoregulatory system that appears to differ greatly from those of the rest of the animal kingdom (reviewed by Smith 1936). Figure 1 shows some relatively recent analyses of extracellular (E) and intracellular muscle (I) fluids of two cartilaginous fishes, a shark and a chimaera (holocephalan). As can be seen, these fishes are isosmotic or slightly hyperosmotic to seawater (SW) (Fig. 1), quite unlike the majority of marine vertebrates, which are markedly hypo osmotic (represented by the teleost flatfish, Fig. 1). In this respect elasmobranchs are more like marine invertebrates; however, about one-half the osmotic pressure in the former is due to urea and TMAO in both blood and cell, distinct from the universal use of inorganic ions (extracellular) and free amino acids (intracellular) among the latter organisms (see Clark, this volume).
Experiential Learning and “Selling” Geriatrics

Many factors contribute to the declining popularity of geriatric medicine. These include professional, personal, and training factors. Professional factors include those related to practice, such as job satisfaction, prestige, lifestyle, and income. Personal factors include those related to the trainee, such as background, culture, socioeconomic class, and predisposition toward certain areas of medicine. Training factors include those related to learners’ exposure, to explicit and implicit priorities of training programs, and faculty role modeling. Psychologically, experiential learning interacts with each of these factors in ways that ultimately shape trainees’ perceptions of geriatric care. This chapter describes several examples of experiential learning in medical training and highlights the importance and challenge of framing elder care in a non-stereotypical manner that learners view as personally gratifying and relevant.
Potential for In Situ Bioremediation of a Low-pH, High-Nitrate Uranium-Contaminated Groundwater

The potential for stimulating microbial U(VI) reduction as an in situ bioremediation strategy for uranium-contaminated groundwater was evaluated in uranium-contaminated sediment from the FRC, Oak R...
Il progetto CIPE to OCLC

Guido Badalamenti (University of Siena) and Renato Tamburini (CIPE) discuss in this short interview about the “CIPE to OCLC” project. The goals, the problems encountered and the results obtained of one of the largest projects ever done in Italy to upload entire libraries catalogues in OCLC WorldCat.
Knowing and Being Known: Parents' Experiences with Rural Schools

Members of rural communities tend to be well acquainted with each other. This phenomenological study examines what it is like for parents to know and be known by others in rural schools. The main themes characterizing their experiences are that parents know the teachers and principal, it is common knowledge whenever a child has a problem at school, and what happens at school can change relationships.
The Economics of Evidence‐Based Practice in Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence

Economics has much to offer in understanding whether and how clients receive evidence-based treatment. Many steps are required between first determining efficacy, then effectiveness, and making a service or treatment widely available. At each step, economic incentives and effects likely inform decisions and/or can facilitate or block a policymaker's efforts to have those treatments delivered. This chapter reviews the tools of economic analysis. These tools could be used to determine whether an efficacious intervention is cost-efficacious or subsequently that an effective one is cost-effective. The chapter then turns to the economics of dissemination. The contribution of economics at this stage reflects broader considerations raised by health economics. In particular, the chapter outlines whether and how incentives can be used to induce economic agents to change their behavior. It discusses the role of economics from the perspectives of three important stakeholders: the payers, the providers, and the consumers. The discussion is illustrated using the Incredible Years Series, an EBP targeting young children with emotional and behavioral problems. Keywords: economics; evidence-based practice; economic incentives; cost-effectiveness; incentives; Incredible Years
Multiply balanced edge colorings of multigraphs

In this article, a theorem is proved that generalizes several existing amalgamation results in various ways. The main aim is to disentangle a given edge-colored amalgamated graph so that the result is a graph in which the edges are shared out among the vertices in ways that are fair with respect to several notions of balance (such as between pairs of vertices, degrees of vertices in both the graph and in each color class, etc.). The connectivity of color classes is also addressed. Most results in the literature on amalgamations focus on the disentangling of amalgamated complete graphs and complete multipartite graphs. Many such results follow as immediate corollaries to the main result in this article, which addresses amalgamations of graphs in general, allowing for example the final graph to have multiple edges. A new corollary of the main theorem is the settling of the existence of Hamilton decompositions of the family of graphs K(a1, …, ap;λ1, λ2); such graphs arise naturally in statistical settings. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bose Condensate made of Atoms with Attractive Interaction is Metastable

Recent experiments with trapped cooled atoms have produced evidences for Bose-Einstein condensation. Among the atoms used are $^7Li$ ones, with attractive low energy interaction. Stability of their condensate is studied, with a conclusion that for a number of atoms below the critical value there exist a metastable minimum, separated from collapse by a potential barrier. The lifetime due to tunneling is estimated: it is unlikely to happen in the present experiment. Although in experimental conditions most of the atoms are not in the condensate, we argue that they only slightly affect the stability conditions for the condensate evaluated at T=0.
Trajectory tracking control of a pneumatic muscle system using fuzzy logic

Pneumatic muscle (PM) system was first developed by McKibben in the 1950's as soft actuators in artificial limbs and became commercially available in the 1980's. They have since been used as actuators in high-tech robotic applications and in physical therapy for functional recovery since they are extremely safe in human presence compared to electric and hydraulic actuators. A high power to weight and power to volume ratios make the PM a very light yet powerful actuator. However, PM is highly nonlinear in nature due to its construction and mechanical properties and hence, they are difficult to control using a linear controller. Fuzzy logic is a good nonlinear modeling approach, since it uses fuzzy rules to handle nonlinearities. A fuzzy logic based feedforward controller (inverse dynamics) and feedback linearizing control schemes are proposed in this paper. Controllers are designed using data obtained from the PM system, and the design does not require a mathematical model. The PM parameters can change over time and varying operating conditions. Hence, an adaptive fuzzy algorithm is used to tune the fuzzy models to capture the parameter changes. The proposed control schemes are tested for its trajectory tracking capabilities and are found to yield excellent results.
The North–South Divide and International Studies: A Symposium

This symposium on the North–South Divide encompasses a sample of papers delivered at the 2006 annual meeting of the International Studies Association in San Diego, California. Our intention is not to exhaustively catalogue all aspects of this structured dimension in international relations. Nor do we seek to resolve the issues at risk. Rather, our thesis is that North–South issues have already become prominent and they are likely to become even more prominent in the future. We would all do well to recognize them more explicitly and to focus more analytical attention on North–South questions as they move toward the center of the world stage. Economic history is not a destiny but it has been a powerful factor in shaping the nature of international relations over the past several centuries. Precisely where one should break into a very long story of economic development is debatable, but many analysts would be comfortable in beginning with the British Industrial Revolution in the late eighteenth century. Innovations in producing iron and textiles led to the creation of a technological edge for the innovating pioneers and were followed by subsequent waves of further radical innovations (steam, electricity, gasoline engines, computers) in production and transportation and the uneven diffusion of the capability to emulate, absorb, and improve upon the industrial armature of modern economic growth. The consequent distribution of technological edge and emulation created an increasingly unequal world in which the economies that could work with the new technologies became highly affluent and those that could not did not nor were they able to prosper anywhere near the same extent. Highly structured inequality also created greater incentives for late developers to try to catch up with the pioneers as quickly as possible. In turn, these incentives contributed importantly to two world wars and a Cold War …
Application of an SO 2-denuder for continuous measurement of sulfur in submicrometric aerosols.

Abstract A method is described for the continuous measurement of total sulfur in submicrometric aerosols suspended in air containing sulfur dioxide. The aerocolloid is passed through a tube coated internally with lead dioxide. The gaseous sulfur dioxide diffuses to the surface of the tube and reacts irreversibly to form lead sulfate. The aerosol is not significantly removed in the tube. The total sulfur in the aerosol is determined by a hydrogen-air flame photometric detector. A sulfur balance has been demonstrated for the sulfur dioxide-ozone-olefin reaction system, which produces aerosols containing sulfur.
Hardware/software co-design of physical unclonable function based authentications on FPGAs

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) enable the generation of device-unique, on-chip, and digital identifiers by exploiting the manufacturing process variation. The past decade has seen an extensive effort in PUF design. Yet, most PUF constructions are regarded as stand-alone hardware building blocks. In contrast, we propose PUF constructions that are tightly integrated into the design of a micro-processor. The proposed PUFs are essentially a collection of time-to-digital converters that are integrated into the custom instruction or memory-mapped interface of a processor. Therefore, the processor can issue the PUF challenges and collect the associated responses using instruction executions. This integration enables practical, run-time physical authentication and it allows flexible post-processing mechanisms using software. In this article, we describe the design, implementation, and the performance analysis details of such hardware/software co-designed authentication mechanisms on FPGAs. We propose two variants of the PUF architecture: a synchronous module that requires minimal place and route constraints utilizing the common clock of the SoC, and an asynchronous alternative that is independent of the clock but realized with a controlled placement. We implemented the synchronous architecture on the Altera Cyclone-IV FPGAs and performed a large-scale characterization on 55 boards. The asynchronous design is realized on the Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs and tested on 100 boards. Measurements reveal that the proposed solutions can authenticate trillions of devices and provide better performance than the ring oscillator based alternative.
Hybrid laparoscopic flexure takedown and open procedure for rectal resection is associated with significantly shorter length of stay than equivalent open resection.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic-assisted, sphincter-saving resection (largest incision <7 cm) of the middle and distal rectum is technically very difficult and, with regard to cancers, has not been demonstrated to be oncologically safe. The hypothesis of this retrospective study is that a hybrid operation that combines laparoscopic and open methods would be associated with short-term outcome benefits compared with open surgery results for patients undergoing sphincter-saving proctectomy. METHODS: A total of 31 hybrid and 25 fully open rectal resection patients were compared in this retrospective review. All patients had splenic flexure takedown and rectal anastomosis. The hybrid approach consisted of laparoscopic splenic flexure takedown (with or without partial rectal mobilization and devascularization) followed by completion of the procedurevia infraumbilical midline laparotomy. The indication was neoplasm in 87 percent of hybrid patients and in 68 percent of open patients. The majority of tumors were located between 4 and 10 cm from the dentate line. RESULTS: Fifty-eight percent of hybrid and 68 percent of open patients had low anterior or coloanal resections, and 48 percent of hybrid and 64 percent of open patients underwent temporary diversionvia ileostomy. The mean hybrid midline incision length was 11 cm compared with 24 cm for open patients (P <0.0001). The neoplastic specimens were similar with regard to margins and lymph node harvest. Similar complication rates were noted in both groups. Nonsignificant benefits for hybrid patients (0.9–1.2 days) were seen with regard to length of time until toleration of liquid or solid diet and first flatus. Hybrid patients experienced their first bowel movements 4.1 daysvs. 5.7 days for the open group (P=0.03). Mean length of stay was significantly shorter for hybrid patients (6.1. days) than for open patients (11.1 days;P=0.0006). CONCLUSION: This preliminary retrospective study suggests that a combined hybrid laparoscopic and open approach to sphincter-saving proctectomy permits a similar resection as open methods and may be associated with a length-of-stay benefit and more rapid return of bowel function. Prospective studies will be needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
All in the Family: The Realignment of American Democracy since the 1960s. By Robert O. Self. (New York, NY: Hill and Wang, 2012. Pp. vii, 518. $30.00.)

Robert O. Self argues that a fundamental transformation of American democracy occurred during the second half of the twentieth century. The author makes this transformation most visible through a f...
Blood flow in the ascending and descending aorta in term newborn infants

Abstract The combination of 2-dimensional real-time and pulsed Doppler echocardiography provides a noninvasive method of measuring blood flow and has been used to study blood flow at the lower thoracic level in the descending aorta of the human fetus. Using these techniques, we evaluated the proportion of cardiac output distributed through the descending aorta in 20 healthy term newborn infants at 1–6 days of age. Blood flow in the ascending aorta was 759 ±135 ml/min (mean ±S.D.) and in the descending aorta 482 ±92 ml/min indicating that 63.8% of the left ventricular output is distributed through the descending aorta. Peak systolic and mean blood flow velocities were comparable at the two sites, whereas the diameter of the descending aorta was 19% smaller than that of the ascending aorta. The changes in aortic blood flow were correlated with the changes in aortic diameter.
Human resource planning and the older worker: developing a retirement intentions model

Making predictions about the age at which employees will retire has become increasingly difficult over the past ten years. Recent legislation has elevated the minimum age for compulsory retirement from 65 to 70 years and in some cases, has outlawed mandatory retirement based on age entirely (e.g. California). The impact of this legislation on employees' retirement behaviour has not yet been determined as contradictory forces are present which compound the prediction problem. Labour statistics indicate that the average age at retirement continues to decline (Walker and Lazer, 1978) but that this pattern may cease or even reverse itself in light of current inflationary and recessionary economic conditions (Walker and Price, 1976; Chruden and Sherman, 1980). Indeed, assuming the continuation of current demographic trends, the ratio of nonworking dependents to employed persons is projected to rise, increase income transfers to dependent population members (e.g. Social Security), and independently add to the inflation problem as the total demand for goods increases without an increase in the supply (Stagner, 1979; Muchinsky and Morrow, 1980). A recent national poll noted that nearly half (48 per cent) of the employed respondents between 50 and 64 intended to continue working instead of retiring at the usual time (Harris and Associates, 1979). Some retirement experts feel that doubts about the adequacy and viability of the Social Security system are inducing workers to postpone retirement (e.g. Stagner, 1979). The end result of these mixed signals is that human resource planners and pension plan administrators are perplexed by their inability to make projections about future retirement trends (Chruden and Sherman, 1980).
Nitrogenase X: Mössbauer and EPR studies on reversibly oxidized MoFe protein from Azotobacter vinelandii OP. Nature of the iron centers.

Under anaerobic conditions the molybdenum-iron protein (MoFe protein) from Azotobacter vinelandii can be reversibly oxidized with thionine. Electron paramagnetic resonance studies reveal that the oxidation proceeds in two distinct phases: the MoFe protein can be oxidized by four electrons without loss of the EPR signal from the S = 32 cofactor centers. A second oxidation step, involving two electrons, leads to the disappearance of the cofactor EPR signal. In order to correlate the events during the thionine titration with redox reactions involving individual iron centers we have studied the MoFe proteins from A. vinelandii and Clostridium pasteurianum with Mossbauer spectroscopy. Spectra were taken in the temperature range from 1.5 K to 200 K in applied magnetic fields of up to 54 kG. Analysis of the Mossbauer data allows us to draw three major conclusions: (1) the holoprotein contains 30 ± 2 iron atoms. (2) Most probably, 12 iron atoms belong to two, apparently identical, iron clusters (labeled M) which we have shown previously to be structural components of the iron and molybdenum containing cofactor of nitrogenase. The M-centers can be stabilized in three distinct oxidation states, MOXe−⇌ MNe−⇌ MR . The diamagnetic (S = 0) state MOX is attained by oxidation of the native state MN with either thionine or oxygen. MR is observed under nitrogen fixing conditions. (3) The data strongly suggest that 16 iron atoms are associated with four iron centers which we propose to call P-clusters. Each P-cluster contains four spin-coupled iron atoms. In the native protein the P-clusters are in the diamagnetic state PN, yielding the Mossbauer signature which we have labeled previously
Cross-Linked Conjugated Polymer Fibrils: Robust Nanowires from Functional Polythiophene Diblock Copolymers

A series of poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT)-based diblock copolymers were prepared and examined in solution for their assembly into fibrils, and post-assembly cross-linking into robust nanowire structures. P3HT-b-poly(3-methanol thiophene) (P3MT), and P3HT-b-poly(3-aminopropyloxymethyl thiophene) (P3AmT) diblock copolymers were synthesized using Grignard metathesis (GRIM) polymerization. Fibrils formed from solution assembly of these copolymers are thus decorated with hydroxyl and amine functionality, and cross-linking is achieved by reaction of diisocyanates with the hydroxyl and amine groups. A variety of cross-linked structures, characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), were produced by this method, including dense fibrillar sheets, fibril bundles, or predominately individual fibrils, depending on the chosen reaction conditions. In solution, the cross-linked fibrils maintained their characteristic vibronic structure in solvents that would normally disrupt (dissolve) the structures.