cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circumstellar chemistry from microwave and mm-wave spectroscopy.

Abstract Stars in their late stages of evolution often shed matter in the form of a cool wind which is molecular in composition. These winds are a major source of replenishment of the interstellar gas and dust, so they furnish a large part of the raw materials for new generations of stars and planets. The chemistry of the circumstellar envelope depends strongly on the photospheric abundances of the elements, especially C and O. If C / O > 1, a rich organic chemistry is observable in the microwave and mm-wavelength emission lines of the reaction products. This paper reviews the observational evidence for the presence of organic molecules and their formation pathways in circumstellar envelopes, with special emphasis on rotational spectra at microwave and millimeter wavelengths.
Differential elastic scattering cross sections of Fe and Ni from 10 TO 700 keV

Abstract Differential elastic scattering cross sections of neutrons from natural Fe and Ni were measured in the energy region between 10 and 700 keV. The measurements were made at six angles ranging from 30° to 150°, and the differential cross sections were determined relative to the known cross sections of natural Pb. The principal angular distribution results are presented in terms of the Legendre polynomial expansion coefficients as functions of energy. Two sets of coefficients corresponding to averaged values over 20 and 50keV are given. Comparisons are made with the available data on total and differential elastic scattering cross sections. The data are consistent with the interpretation that s-wave scattering is dominant throughout the region of measurement, while p-wave scattering becomes evident above 200 keV. There seems to be appreciable d-wave contribution above 400 keV. The gross features of angular distribution coefficients are characterized by resonant structure with widths of the order of 100 keV.
Neurons responsive to face-view in the Primate Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Studies have indicated that temporal and prefrontal brain regions process face and vocal information. Face-selective and vocalization-responsive neurons have been demonstrated in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and some prefrontal cells preferentially respond to combinations of face and corresponding vocalizations. These studies suggest VLPFC in nonhuman primates may play a role in communication that is similar to the role of inferior frontal regions in human language processing. If VLPFC is involved in communication, information about a speaker's face including identity, face-view, gaze, and emotional expression might be encoded by prefrontal neurons. In the following study, we examined the effect of face-view in ventrolateral prefrontal neurons by testing cells with auditory, visual, and a set of human and monkey faces rotated through 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, and -30°. Prefrontal neurons responded selectively to either the identity of the face presented (human or monkey) or to the specific view of the face/head, or to both identity and face-view. Neurons which were affected by the identity of the face most often showed an increase in firing in the second part of the stimulus period. Neurons that were selective for face-view typically preferred forward face-view stimuli (0° and 30° rotation). The neurons which were selective for forward face-view were also auditory responsive compared to other neurons which responded to other views or were unselective which were not auditory responsive. Our analysis showed that the human forward face (0°) was decoded better and also contained the most information relative to other face-views. Our findings confirm a role for VLPFC in the processing and integration of face and vocalization information and add to the growing body of evidence that the primate ventrolateral prefrontal cortex plays a prominent role in social communication and is an important model in understanding the cellular mechanisms of communication.
Extended spectrum response with sloping vee antenna

By an optimum design method, the sloping vee traveling wave antenna spectrum response ratio is extended over a range between four and six to one while preserving a high magnitude of directivity. A modification of an optimum design method for horizontal vee traveling wave and horizontal rhombic antennas is used for the sloping vee traveling wave and sloping rhombic antennas. A comparison between examples of the design procedure and gain response over a broad frequency spectrum and several elevation angles for both a horizontal vee and sloping vee antenna at the same average height is made. A forward gain contour plot with frequency and elevation angle of each antenna design demonstrates the increase in spectral performance possible with the sloping vee antenna.
A visualization study of polyethylene terephthalate flow using a pseudohyperbolic die geometry

Flow visualization studies were made during extrusion by using a hyperbolic die, streak photography, and flow birefringence techniques. Velocity was found to be a linear function of position along the die axis. This is equivalent to a constant elongational strain rate. Considering that the hyperbolic die maintains the stretching rate achieved in the upstream over an extended time period, this profile seems to be the optimum die design for maximum chain-ordering potential. A unique analysis of the birefringence and velocity distribution data allowed determination of characteristic relaxation time for the PET melt of 5.5 × 10−3 at 285°C.
Oxidative Damage Increases and Antioxidant Gene Expression Decreases with Aging in the Mouse Ovary

Oxidative stress has been implicated in various aspects of aging, but the role of oxidative stress in ovarian aging remains unclear. Our previous studies have shown that the initiation of apoptotic cell death in ovarian follicles and granulosa cells by various stimuli is initiated by increased reactive oxygen species. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that ovarian antioxidant defenses decrease and oxidative damage increases with age in mice. Healthy, wild-type C57BL/6 female mice aged 2, 6, 9, or 12 mo from the National Institute on Aging Aged Rodent Colony were killed on the morning of metestrus. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to measure ovarian mRNA levels of antioxidant genes. Immunostaining using antibodies directed against 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), nitrotyrosine (NTY), and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was used to localize oxidative lipid, protein, and DNA damage, respectively, within the ovaries. TUNEL was used to localize apoptosis. Ovarian expression of glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1) increased and expression of glutaredoxin 1 (Glrx1), glutathione S-transferase mu 2 (Gstm2), peroxiredoxin 3 (Prdx3), and thioredoxin 2 (Txn2) decreased in a statistically significant manner with age. Statistically significant increases in 4-HNE, NTY, and 8-OHdG immunostaining in ovarian interstitial cells and follicles were observed with increasing age. Our data suggest that the decrease in mRNA expression of mitochondrial antioxidants Prdx3 and Txn2 as well as cytosolic antioxidants Glrx1 and Gstm2 may be involved in age-related ovarian oxidative damage to lipid, protein, DNA, and other cellular components vital for maintaining ovarian function and fertility.
Microstructured fiber lasers

Summary form only given. Microstructured fibers and fiber lasers are providing new approaches for achieving single transverse mode guiding in large core fibers. We have successfully fabricated microstructured fibers from phosphate glass that allows the same high doping levels as in our step index fibers. We developed a two step draw-stack-redraw process that enables the realization of various microstructured cladding and multiple core designs. With our first active microstructured fibers we obtained the following important results. We fabricated and tested the first phosphate glass microstructured fiber lasers with large Er-Yb-codoped cores. For an 11-cm-long cladding-pumped fiber laser, more than 3 W continuous wave output powers has been demonstrated and single-mode beam quality was obtained for an active core area larger than 400 /spl mu/m/sup 2/. We performed, to the best of our knowledge, the first systematic study on how a negative core-cladding index difference influences microstructured optical fiber's modal behavior. Single-mode lasing has been realized for short-length cladding-pumped phosphate glass fibers with large depressed-index Er-Yb-codoped cores. Large core microstructured fibers allowed us to construct even shorter fiber lasers at Watt level output power. A 3.5 cm short microstructured fiber laser produced 5 W cw output power at a pump-to-signal conversion efficiency of 20%. To scale the output power of compact fiber lasers systems to even higher levels, we are working on phase-locked arrays of single mode fiber lasers. This work was initiated through theoretical modeling. Only recently, we were able to use the flexibility of our two-step fiber drawing process to fabricate fibers with multiple cores that can be used to test phase-locking techniques. Initial experiments in this direction has been started. As an example, a microscope image of our microstructured fiber with 12 active cores is shown. Another image demonstrates the lasing action of all 12 cores just above threshold indicating quality and homogeneity of the multi-core fiber. To avoid thermal issues, the first 2 fibers feature a 4 times lower (2 wt%) Yb/sub 2/O/sub 3/ doping level compared to our record breaking step index fibers leading to reduced pump absorption and efficiency. However, even with these test fibers we achieved more than 2 W of combined output power with more than 10% conversion efficiency in a 10 cm fiber laser.
Optoelectronic Implementation of a FitzHugh-Nagumo Neural Model

An optoelectronic implementation of a spiking neuron model based on the FitzHugh-Nagumo equations is presented. A tunable semiconductor laser source and a spectral filter provide a nonlinear mapping from driver voltage to detected signal. Linear electronic feedback completes the implementation, which allows either electronic or optical input signals. Experimental results for a single system and numeric results of model interaction confirm that important features of spiking neural models can be implemented through this approach.
Socioeconomic status and cultural predictors of male role attitudes among Mexican American men: Son más machos?

University of MissouriMale role attitudes of 130 Mexican American college men were examined. Resultsindicated that Mexican American men held signi cantly more traditional attitudestoward male roles on all nine indicators of masculinity compared to a normative sampleof U.S. men. Socioeconomic status (SES) and Mexican cultural orientation weresigni cantly related to male role attitudes, with higher SES associated with greaterendorsement of views that men should be physically tough and should not display traitscharacteristic of women. Greater endorsement of Mexican culture was associated withviews that: (a) men deserve respect from their wife and children, (b) self-assurance inmenisadmirable,and(c)thatitisessentialformentogainothersrespect.Implicationsfor practice and research are discussed.Keywords: Mexican American men, male roles, college students, socioeconomic status,acculturation
Orderly Exits from Adjustable Pegs and Exchange Rate Bands

This paper examines the exit process from adjustable pegs and exchange rate bands, and the role of capital flows in these exits. It dwells on the experience of various countries, including Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, India, Poland, and Yemen. It begins by identifying conditions under which exits are sought. Next, it discusses the prerequisites for a successful exit, factors affecting the pace of exit, and the nature of the post‐exit regime. It then examines the behavior of private capital flows, interest rates, and official reserves before and after three successful exits (Chile, India, and Poland), and draws broad policy lessons.
One Europe, One Vote?: The Political Economy of European Union Representation in International Organizations

Many Europeans support common European Union (EU) representation in international institutions. But such a pooling of international political influence raises complex and controversial issues. A common European foreign policy position implies compromise among EU members. The pooling of international representation thus requires, as with many internal EU policies, that member states weigh the potential benefits of a common policy against the potential costs of a policy not to their liking. There can be a tradeoff between the advantages of scale and the disadvantages of overriding heterogeneous preferences. Simple spatial models help to make this point, to clarify the circumstances in which a common European international representation is most likely, and to explain who is most likely to support or oppose a pooling of European foreign policies.
Abstract 13003: Efficacy of Cilostazol on Platelet Reactivity and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Introduction: Cilostazol overcomes high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) and reduce adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the role for triple antiplatelet therapy (TAPT) with cilostazol in addition to aspirin and clopidogrel after PCI is not well defined. Methods: We conducted a MEDLINE/EMBASE/CENTRAL search for randomized trials, until May 2014, evaluating TAPT compared with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) of aspirin and clopidogrel alone in patients undergoing PCI and reporting platelet reactivity and/or CV outcomes. The primary platelet reactivity outcome was differences in platelet reactivity unit (PRU) with secondary outcomes of %platelet inhibition and rate of HTPR. The primary CV outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), with secondary outcomes of death, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST), target lesion revascularization (TLR), and target vessel revascularization (TVR) as well as safety outcomes of bleeding and drug discontinuations. Results: In 17 trials that evaluated platelet reactivity outcomes, the mean PRU value was 47.73units lower with TAPT vs. DAPT (95% CI -61.41 to -34.04, P <0.0001; mean PRU 182.90 vs. 232.65). TAPT also reduced platelet inhibition by 12.71% (95% CI 10.76-14.67, P <0.0001), and led to a 60% reduction in the risk of HTPR (RR=0.40; 95% CI 0.30-0.53) compared with DAPT. Moreover, among the 34 trials that evaluated CV outcomes, TAPT reduced the risk of MACE (IRR=0.68; 95% CI 0.60-0.78), TLR (IRR=0.57; 95% CI 0.44-0.73), TVR (IRR=0.69; 95% CI 0.59-0.81) and stent thrombosis (IRR=0.63; 95% CI 0.40-0.98) with no difference for other outcomes including bleeding, even in trials using drug eluting stents. Drug discontinuation due to adverse effects was however higher with TAPT vs. DAPT (IRR=1.59; 95% CI 1.32-1.91). Conclusions: In patients undergoing PCI, addition of cilostazol to dual antiplatelet therapy results in decreased platelet reactivity and a significant reduction in CV outcomes including stent thrombosis, even in the drug eluting stent era.
Vibration of rotating-shaft HDD spindle motors with flexible stationary parts

Demonstrates an accurate mathematical model predicting forced vibration of rotating-shaft hard disk drive spindle motors with flexible stationary parts. The mathematical model consists of three parts: a rotating part, a stationary part, and bearings. The rotating part includes a flexible hub, a flexible shaft press-fit into the hub, and N elastic disks mounted on the hub. The stationary part can include motor bracket (stator), base casting, and a top cover. The bearings under consideration can be ball bearings or fluid-dynamic bearings (FDB). The rotating disks are modeled through the classical plate theory. The rotating part (except the disks) and the stationary part are modeled through finite-element analyses (FEA). With mode shapes and natural frequencies obtained from FEA, the kinetic and potential energies of the rotating and stationary parts are formulated and discretized to compensate for the gyroscopic effects from rotation. Finally, use of the Lagrange equation results in the equations of motion. To verify the mathematical model, frequency response functions are measured experimentally for an FDB spindle carrying two identical disks at motor and drive levels.
LA POLÍTICA HONDUREÑA Y LAS ELECCIONES DE 2005

Este articulo es un resumen de la historia politica de Honduras y un analisis de las elecciones de 2005. Honduras instalo un sistema democratico en 1982, y las elecciones son la manera aceptada para seleccionar lideres. En 2005, sin embargo, nuevas reglas electorales para nominar y seleccionar el Congreso tuvieron la posibilidad de cambiar las relaciones entre el Ejecutivo y el Congreso, y entre dirigentes de partidos y diputados.
Sequential changes in the humoral immune response of pigs to pseudorabies virus after vaccination, exposure to virulent virus, and reactivation of latent virus.

Sequential changes in the humoral immune response of pigs to pseudorabies virus (PRV) after each of several exposures to the virus were evaluated by determining virus neutralization (VN) and radioim- munoprecipitation (RIP) activities of sera collected at selected intervals. Pigs were vaccinated intramuscularly with live attenuated virus (6 pigs), inactivated attenuated virus (6 pigs), or inactivated virulent virus (6 pigs). All pigs were challenged oronasally with virulent virus 3 weeks later and 12 (4 pigs of each vaccine group) were subsequently treated with dexamethasone in an attempt to reactivate latent virus. The relatively low serum titers of VN antibody that were raised by vaccination (titers ranged from 2 to 32) increased markedly (at least 16-fold) for all pigs after exposure to virulent virus. After dexamethasone treatment, the VN titers of 2 pigs increased 16-fold, whereas those of the other 10 dexamethasone-treated pigs and the 6 nontreated pigs either remained the same or increased only minimally (i.e., no more than 2-fold). The results of RIP using 35 S-methionine-labeled viral proteins were initially similar to those of VN in that the low levels of serum RIP activity detected after vaccination increased markedly after subsequent exposure to virulent virus. In contrast to VN, however, most pigs (11 of 12) treated with dexamethasone had a clear increase in serum RIP activity. The increase was particularly striking for viral proteins of relatively low (<46K) molecular weight. Precipitating activity for 14 C-glucosamine-labeled viral glycoproteins was not detected until after pigs were exposed to virulent virus. The increase in RIP activity detected after dexamethasone treatment was likely due to an additional antigenic stimulus associated with virus reactivation. However, virus was isolated from nasal swabs of only 4 of the 12 treated pigs. None of the results appeared to be affected appreciably by the type of vaccine used for initial immunization.
Young English language learners making thinking and language visible

This paper aims to provide teachers with a resource to assist them in understanding the inner workings of young English Language Learners (ELLs) and how they externalize their thoughts in either their first or second language. This article not only analyzes how teachers can help children acquire a second language without sacrificing their first language and motivation, but also focuses on language processing in bilingual children through providing an understanding of both the interplay between language and cognition and the role of the environment. Results from an action research project implementing Harvard Project Zero's Visible Thinking ideas serve as evidence to discuss the benefits of creating a culture of thinking in the classroom to promote additive bilingualism in young children.
Power-delay tradeoff analysis for communication over fading channels with feedback

Information theory has shown that feedback can greatly improve the error probability performance of communication channels. In practical communication systems with random message arrivals and queuing, however, this error improvement may come at the expense of longer delay and additional burstiness caused by the retransmissions. In this paper, we assess the benefits using feedback from an integrated information-theoretic and queuing-theoretic perspective. In particular, we characterize policies which achieve the optimal tradeoff between transmission power and packet queuing delay for communication over fading channels with feedback. It is shown that the use of feedback yields substantial improvements in the power-delay tradeoff over systems without feedback.
THE STRANGE CASE OF 133P/ELST-PIZARRO: A COMET AMONG THE ASTEROIDS

We present a new investigation of the comet-asteroid transition object 133P/(7968) Elst-Pizarro. We find mean optical colors (BV =0 .69� 0.02, VR =0 .42� 0.03, RI =0 .27� 0.03) and a phase-darkening coefficient (� =0 .044� 0.007 mag deg � 1 ) that are comparable both to other comet nuclei and to C-type asteroids. As in 1996, when this object's comet-like activity was first noted, data from 2002 show a long, narrow dust trail in the projected orbit of the object. Observations over several months reveal changes in the structure and brightness of this trail, showing that it is actively generated over long periods of time. Finson-Probstein modeling is used to constrain the parameters of the dust trail. We find optically dominant dust particle sizes of ad � 10 � mr eleased with low ejection velocities (vg � 1.5 m s � 1 ) over a period of activity lasting at least 5 months in 2002. The double- peaked light curve of the nucleus indicates an aspherical shape (axis ratio a/b � 1.45 � 0.07) and rapid rotation (periodProt = 3.471 � 0.001 hr). The practical identification of 133P/Elst-Pizarro as a comet (i.e., a mass-losing body) is not in doubt, but the origin of the mass loss is unclear. The 1996 trail has been previously explained as debris released by a chance impact, but our discovery of recurrent activity renders this interpretation implausible. We consider two hypotheses for the activity in 133P/Elst-Pizarro. The ejection of particles is naturally explained if the object is a barely active Jupiter-family comet that has evolved into an asteroid-like orbit, perhaps under the prolonged action of nongravitational forces due to asymmetric mass loss. In this case, the orbital similarity to the Themis family must be considered coincidental. Alternatively, 133P/Elst-Pizarro could be a true member of the Themis family on which buried ice has been recently excavated by impact.
Structure independent velocity estimation

Many commonly used velocity estimation procedures assume that the reflectors are horizontal. Because of this, their performance tends to degrade as the reflectors become curved or discontinuous. Much of this degradation can be traced to the fact that data recorded over nonhorizontal reflectors need not resemble in detail the subsurface in the area where they were recorded. Diffraction and scattering are the major complicating factors.Beginning with the scalar wave equation and using a small dip assumption, approximate wave equations which quite accurately model both near- and wide-angle reflections generated by one or more sources can be found. Finite difference formulations of these equations can be used to demonstrate that surface recorded seismic reflections which have been downward continued to the depth of their source reflectors must resemble those reflectors in detail.This property of downward continuation can be exploited to improve velocity estimates by using downward continuation as a preprocessor for velocity estimation techniques. Both synthetic and field data examples show that estimates based on downward continued data do not exhibit diffraction effects and are not dependent upon reflector dip. Synthetic data examples also illustrate that the use of downward continuation allows accurate velocity estimates to be made from no record data recorded over an earth in which the reflectors are random functions of the horizontal and vertical coordinates. For reasonable data parameters, theoretical considerations indicate that the coherence of properly downward continued random reflector data measured along the true velocity hyperbolic should be greater than a similar measure on the corresponding surface data. This coherence increase should make velocity estimates based on downward continued random reflector data less susceptible to noise than estimates based on surface recorded data.
State-of-the-art percutaneous pulmonary valve therapy

Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement is one of the most exciting recent developments in the treatment of patients with congenital heart disease and is being used to treat both stenotic and regurgitant valves within previously placed surgical conduits. Although limited somewhat by both patients and available valve sizes, ongoing attempts are being made to extend this technology to native right ventricular outflow tracts. If achieved, this will represent a significant advancement in attempts to prevent morbidity and mortality secondary to the chronic effects of right ventricular volume loading. This review deals with the development, current status and future endeavors of this approach.
Multi-scale tunable filter covering a frequency range of 6.5:1

A multi-scale filter topology is proposed in the form of a switched comb-line structure loaded by varactors. This topology is capable of implementing a tunable frequency response with consistent performance over very large tuning ranges. Two prototype filters of orders two and four have been fabricated in a coplanar geometry. The filters are tunable in a 6.5:1 frequency range.
Religion and Politics in Heian‐Period Japan

The religious culture of Japan's Heian period (794–1185), like that of other times and places, was structured by power differentials; it can therefore fruitfully be understood as political. Combining kami worship (popularly known as Shinto), esoteric and exoteric Buddhism, spirit possession, and local traditions, as well as moral and ritual practices derived from Confucianism and Daoism, Heian religious life was characterized by multiple religious affiliations and a syncretic outlook. From the era of the statutory (ritsuryō) state, through the court-centered polity (ōchō kokka), to the Fujiwara regency (sekkan seiji) and rule by retired emperors (insei), religion proved indispensible to sovereignty, political authority, and power relations. Rhetoric of the ideal Buddhist monarch shaped political ideology, while rites of kami worship portrayed the emperor as a sacral king. Gender politics structured differences in men and women's religious practice and expression at the same time that patronage and pilgrimage served as important means for lay people to legitimate themselves and compete politically. By amassing landholdings in the form of manorial estates (shōen), religious institutions came to exercise juridical and economic control of extensive natural and human resources. Known as “power blocs,” institutions of this type shared in rights and functions conventionally viewed as being proper to the state.
Asymmetric amino acid compositions of transmembrane β-strands

In contrast to water-soluble proteins, membrane proteins reside in a heterogeneous environment, and their surfaces must interact with both polar and apolar membrane regions. As a consequence, the composition of membrane proteins’ residues varies substantially between the membrane core and the interfacial regions. The amino acid compositions of helical membrane proteins are also known to be different on the cytoplasmic and extracellular sides of the membrane. Here we report that in the 16 transmembrane β-barrel structures, the amino acid compositions of lipid-facing residues are different near the N and C termini of the individual strands. Polar amino acids are more prevalent near the C termini than near the N termini, and hydrophobic amino acids show the opposite trend. We suggest that this difference arises because it is easier for polar atoms to escape from the apolar regions of the bilayer at the C terminus of a β-strand. This new characteristic of β-barrel membrane proteins enhances our understanding of how a sequence encodes a membrane protein structure and should prove useful in identifying and predicting the structures of trans-membrane β-barrels.
The K/T event and infaunality: morphological and ecological patterns of extinction and recovery in veneroid bivalves

Although the causes of mass extinctions have been studied in detail, recoveries have received little attention until recently. In this study, I examine the influence of extinction versus recovery intervals on ecological patterns across the end-Cretaceous (K/T) event in veneroid bi- valves. Systematic and stratigraphic data were collected for 140 subgenera of veneroids, ranging from the Late Cretaceous through Oligocene of North America and Europe. Morphological data were collected for 1236 specimens representing 101 subgenera. Extinction selectivity and differ- ential recovery were assessed with respect to morphology, and by extension, burrowing ecology in these bivalves. Eighty-one percent of veneroid subgenera went extinct at the K/T and diversity did not return to preextinction levels until 12 million years later. Despite the severity of the K/T extinction, I found little evidence of morphological or ecological selectivity. The K/T recovery, in contrast, was strongly biased toward taxa with deep pallial sinuses (i.e., toward deeper burrowers). For veneroids, the morphological and ecological effects of the K/T event are not tied to the ex- tinction itself, but to the recovery that followed. The K/T recovery initiated a trend toward deeper burrowing that helped to establish veneroids as one of the most abundant and successful groups of modern marine bivalves.
A Review of the Performance of Available Integrated Circuit Components Under the Constraints of LowPower Operation

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction What Exactly Is Low Power? Semiconductor Choice Active Devices Passive Devices Bandwidth and Noise Considerations Conclusions This chapter contains sections titled: References ]]>
Optimizing leader proportion and behavior for evacuating buildings

We demonstrate how to combine the Helbing Social Force Model with algorithms for faciliatating collision avoidance and high-level wayfinding to accurately simulate the evacuation of high-occupancy buildings. Our simulation demonstrates appropriate emergent behavior and can be used to make conjectures about how leader behavior affects evacuation success. In particular, we find that an evacuee to leader ratio of 20:1 is optimal and that leaders should guide rather than lead agents out of the building. Providing leaders with real-time communication and surveillance can help them optimize evacuee flow, especially in large buildings. These results are consistent with previous research and guidelines set by the confirms the leader proportion guidelines set by the Occupational Safety and Health Adminstration.
Using RTK-based GPS guidance for planting and inverting peanuts

GPS guidance of farm machinery has been adopted by increasingly larger segments of the farming community over the past decade because of the inherent gains in efficiency that it provides. The study was conducted for two consecutive years (2010 and 2011) on a working farm in Georgia, USA. The goal of our study was to quantify the yield benefit of using RTK-based automated steering (auto-steer) to plant and invert peanuts under a variety of terrain conditions. When all data are grouped together, auto-steer outperformed conventional by 579 kg/ha in 2010 and 451 kg/ha in 2011.
Motion Planning and Differential Flatness of Mechanical Systems on Principal Bundles

Mechanical systems often exhibit physical symmetries in their configuration variables, allowing for significant reduction of their mathematical complexity arising from characteristics such as underactuation and nonlinearity. In this paper, we exploit the geometric structure of such systems to explore the following motion planning problem: given a desired trajectory in the workspace, can we explicitly solve for the appropriate inputs to follow it? We appeal to results on differential flatness from the nonlinear control literature to develop a general motion planning formulation for systems with symmetries and constraints, which also applies to both fully constrained and unconstrained kinematic systems. We conclude by demonstrating the utility of our results on several canonical mechanical systems found in the locomotion literature.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Effect of pentoxifylline in rabbit pulmonary circulation: Influence of age and vasomotor tone

We determined the influence of vasomotor tone and age on pentoxifylline (PTX) effects in rabbit lungs. Lungs of adult, juvenile, and neonatal rabbits were isolated and perfused with blood at constant flow in zone 3. In adult lungs only, pressures were measured in 20- to 50-microns-diameter subpleural arterioles and venules (by micropuncture) to partition the circulation into arteries, microvessels, and veins during baseline, after PTX infusion (20 mg/kg), and terminally, after treatment with papaverine. In some adult and juvenile lungs, vasomotor tone was elevated with KCl, and some adult lungs were pretreated with indomethacin to inhibit cyclooxygenase. We found that PTX's vasodilator effect was influenced by age; it was approximately 52, approximately 65, and approximately 82% as effective as papaverine in untreated neonatal, juvenile, and adult lungs, respectively, and approximately 49 and approximately 93% as effective as papaverine in KCl-constricted adult and juvenile lungs, respectively. The site(s) of PTX action depended on basal vasomotor tone; in lungs with moderate tone, PTX dilated arteries only, and in lungs with high tone, PTX dilated both arteries and veins. Cyclooxygenase inhibition did not attenuate PTX effects. We conclude that, in rabbit lungs, PTX dilates arteries and veins and that the magnitude of PTX effect is dependent on age and basal vasomotor tone.
A contextual model for reproductive health education: fertility and family planning in Jordan.

A high fertility rate combined with relatively low infant mortality rates and high levels of immigration make the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan one of the fastest growing countries in the world. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan commonly referred to simply as Jordan is a developing country in the Middle East with a relatively high fertility rate (3.6) and an infant mortality rate of 31/1000. Because Jordan is strategically positioned both geographically and politically and has been a consistently positively and moderate force in a region that is fragmented by conflicts it has also attracted high numbers of immigrants. The primarily Sunni Muslim (92%) country of Jordan has become a centre for Palestinian refugees (1.4 million) creating a period population influx that has increased the demands for an already strained health care system scarce water resources and limited employment. There are indications that this immigrant population is also contributing to Jordans high birthrate. Although there are no statistics that separate the fertility rate of Palestinians from native Jordanians Palestinians in the Palestinian Territories have a fertility rate of 5.9. Given Jordans scarce water and economic resources and an annual growth rate of 2.8% a more effective family planning strategy seems essential for Jordans future development. (excerpt)
Considering Exosomal miR-21 as a Biomarker for Cancer.

Cancer is a fatal human disease. Early diagnosis of cancer is the most effective method to prevent cancer development and to achieve higher survival rates for patients. Many traditional diagnostic methods for cancer are still not sufficient for early, more convenient and accurate, and noninvasive diagnosis. Recently, the use of microRNAs (miRNAs), such as exosomal microRNA-21(miR-21), as potential biomarkers was widely reported. This initial systematic review analyzes the potential role of exosomal miR-21 as a general biomarker for cancers. A total of 10 studies involving 318 patients and 215 healthy controls have covered 10 types of cancers. The sensitivity and specificity of pooled studies were 75% (0.70–0.80) and 85% (0.81–0.91), with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), while the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.93. Additionally, we examined and evaluated almost all other issues about biomarkers, including cutoff points, internal controls and detection methods, from the literature. This initial meta-analysis indicates that exosomal miR-21 has a strong potential to be used as a universal biomarker to identify cancers, although as a general biomarker the case number for each cancer type is small. Based on the literature, a combination of miRNA panels and other cancer antigens, as well as a selection of appropriate internal controls, has the potential to serve as a more sensitive and accurate cancer diagnosis tool. Additional information on miR-21 would further support its use as a biomarker in cancer.
Co60 Vit. B12 binding capacity of normal human cerebrospinal fluid.

Conclusions1. Normal human cerebrospinal fluid has the capacity to bind Co60 Vit. B12. 2. This capacity to bind Vit. B12 increases as concentration of radiovitamin is increased. 3. Relationship of Co60 B12 binding capacity to protein content is higher for normal cerebrospinal fluid than for normal human serum.
Optimization of energy saving and operation plan for large scale oilfield injection system

In oilfield injection system,the system efficiency is low and energy consumption is high.With the minimum of injection energy consumption as the objective function,the hydraulic equilibrium,injection rate and injection pressure as the constrained conditions,an operation plan optimization mathematic model for oilfield injection system is constructed.The model is a hybrid optimization design with disperse and continuous variables.According to its characteristics,a solving method for hybrid genetic simulated annealing algorithm which combines GA,SA and separated optimization is worked out.0-1 coding for chromosome,improved adaptive intercross and variation mode in operation and optimized reservation strategy are adopted.The application in an injection system indicates that the injection unit loss drops by 0.32 kW·h·m~(-3),and electricity power is saved by 2.32×10~4 kW·h·d~(-1).
Epidemiology of hand foot and mouth disease in Xiangyang,2011

Objective To provide a scientific basis for preventing the outbreak of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) by analyzing the epidemic characteristics in Xiangyang city,2011.Method Epidemiological data of patients with HFMD was analyzed by descriptive analysis,using Excel 2007 statistics program.Results 16 598 cases were reported,141 severe cases and 15 death cases,with an incidence rate of 275.30/10 million.April-June,October-December had a peak of incidence mainly among children under 4 years old,accounting for 94.22% .Virus of type EV71 was more likely to cause severe and even death cases.Conclusion HFMD incidences were significantly differences in different time,region and sex.We should take measures to monitor,analyzing,standardize treatment and heath education for prevention.
Being Mindful of Work–Family Issues: Intervention to a Modern Stressor

Recently, mindfulness research has grown quickly, particularly as an avenue to increase productivity and alleviate modern workers' growing stress levels (Hyland, Lee, & Mills, 2015). In a parallel but largely separate literature, work–family1 conflict has received expansive research attention in the last several decades as an important modern stressor. Work–family researchers have repeatedly called for practical interventions and individual strategies such as coping (e.g., Eby, Casper, Lockwood, Bordeaux, & Brinley, 2005; Kossek, Baltes, & Matthews, 2011). As a potential remedy for modern stress with demonstrated utility in the workplace, mindfulness is ideally suited to facilitate workers' efforts to balance their work and personal life domains. The purpose of this commentary is to explore numerous ways through which bridging mindfulness and work–family literatures will advance organizational science and practice.
Bioenergetic profiling of platelet mitochondria during storage: 4°C storage extends platelet mitochondrial function and viability.

BACKGROUND Platelets (PLTs) are stored at room temperature (RT) to preserve in vivo circulation time, but PLT quality is degraded. The PLT storage lesion is mitigated by refrigeration, but questions remain regarding effects of cold storage (4°C) on mitochondrial function. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation may adversely affect PLT function and viability during storage, and refrigeration may mitigate these effects. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS PLTs were stored under two temperature conditions (RT, 20-24°C; or 4°C, 1-6°C) and four storage durations (baseline [BL] and Days 3, 5, and 7). Mitochondrial respiration and maximal oxygen utilization were assessed with high-resolution respirometry. Mitochondrial ROS generation was assessed using a superoxide stain. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) was performed at BL and on Day 5 to assess PLT function. Collagen-induced PLT aggregation was measured by impedance aggregometry. RESULTS Mitochondrial ROS in 4°C-stored samples were lower compared to RT and retained a greater capacity to generate ROS after activation. Mitochondrial respiration and maximal mitochondrial utilization was conserved in PLTs stored at 4°C. ROTEM data demonstrated that net maximum clot firmness was higher in 4°C samples compared to RT and prevented fibrinolysis. The aggregation response to collagen was preserved in the 4°C samples versus RT-stored PLTs. Aggregation impairment correlated well with attenuated mitochondrial respiration and elevated production of intracellular mitochondrial ROS in the RT PLTs. CONCLUSION Mitochondrial damage and ROS production may contribute to loss of PLT viability during storage, whereas cold storage is known to preserve PLT function. Here we demonstrate that 4°C storage results in less oxidant stress and preserves mitochondrial function and potential compared to RT.
Prevention of post-disaster sequelae through efficient communication planning: analysis of information-seeking behaviours in Montana and Alabama

•Differences in media reliance are important for increasing preparedness.•Radio is the most commonly used information source during emergencies.•Socio-economic determinants of health influence access and expectations for media sources during an emergency.
Autoimmune encephalitis in the age of neuronal surface antigens

Since anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis was first described almost a decade ago, the family of disorders associated with antibodies against neuronal surface antigens is one of the most rapidly expanding categories of neurologic disease. With this growth comes a paradigm shift in neurology—autoimmune encephalitis has evolved from an often vaguely defined clinical syndrome to a group of precisely delineated disorders associated with specific autoantibodies.
Image-set matching using a geodesic distance and cohort normalization

An image-set based face recognition algorithm is proposed that exploits the full geometrical interpretation of Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). CCA maximizes the correlation between two linear subspaces associated with image-sets, where an image-set is assumed to contain multiple images of a person's face. When these linear subspaces are viewed as points on a Grassmann manifold, then geodesic distance on the manifold becomes the natural way to compare image-sets. The proposed method is tested on the ORL data set where it achieves a rank one identification rate of 98.75%. The proposed method is also tested on a subset of the Face Recognition Grand Challenge Experiment 4 data. Specifically, 82 probe and 230 gallery subjects with 32 images per probe and gallery image-set. Our algorithm achieves a rank one identification rate of 87% and a verification rate of 81% at a false accept rate of 1/1;000. These results on FRGC are significantly better than the well-known image-set matching algorithm, Mutual Subspace Method (MSM), which does not use geodesic distance. Another important finding is that cohort normalization boosts verification performance by 50% when used in conjunction with image-set matching. These results suggest that excellent levels of face recognition performance are possible when using image-sets, geodesic distance and cohort normalization. Finally, the proposed approach is generic in the sense that no training is required.
Optimizing methods and dodging pitfalls in microbiome research

Research on the human microbiome has yielded numerous insights into health and disease, but also has resulted in a wealth of experimental artifacts. Here, we present suggestions for optimizing experimental design and avoiding known pitfalls, organized in the typical order in which studies are carried out. We first review best practices in experimental design and introduce common confounders such as age, diet, antibiotic use, pet ownership, longitudinal instability, and microbial sharing during cohousing in animal studies. Typically, samples will need to be stored, so we provide data on best practices for several sample types. We then discuss design and analysis of positive and negative controls, which should always be run with experimental samples. We introduce a convenient set of non-biological DNA sequences that can be useful as positive controls for high-volume analysis. Careful analysis of negative and positive controls is particularly important in studies of samples with low microbial biomass, where contamination can comprise most or all of a sample. Lastly, we summarize approaches to enhancing experimental robustness by careful control of multiple comparisons and to comparing discovery and validation cohorts. We hope the experimental tactics summarized here will help researchers in this exciting field advance their studies efficiently while avoiding errors.
Image-Based Phenotypic Screening with Human Primary T Cells Using One-Dimensional Imaging Cytometry with Self-Tuning Statistical-Gating Algorithms:

The parallel microfluidic cytometer (PMC) is an imaging flow cytometer that operates on statistical analysis of low-pixel-count, one-dimensional (1D) line scans. It is highly efficient in data collection and operates on suspension cells. In this article, we present a supervised automated pipeline for the PMC that minimizes operator intervention by incorporating multivariate logistic regression for data scoring. We test the self-tuning statistical algorithms in a human primary T-cell activation assay in flow using nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) translocation as a readout and readily achieve an average Z' of 0.55 and strictly standardized mean difference of 13 with standard phorbol myristate acetate/ionomycin induction. To implement the tests, we routinely load 4 µL samples and can readout 3000 to 9000 independent conditions from 15 mL of primary human blood (buffy coat fraction). We conclude that the new technology will support primary-cell protein-localization assays and "on-the-fly" data scoring at a sample throughput of more than 100,000 wells per day and that it is, in principle, consistent with a primary pharmaceutical screen.