cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetoelectric Particulate Composite Transformers: Design and Characterization

We report the resonance voltage transformation effect of magnetoelectric particulate composite based transformers. The effect of transformer geometry and magnetoelectric composition was investigated to identify the range of transformation ratios. Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) was selected as the piezoelectric phase and NiFe1.9Mn0.1O4 (NFM), Ni0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4 (NZF), CoFe2O4 (CF) and Co0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 (CZF) were selected as the magnetostrictive phase for fabricating the transformer. It was found that the composition PZT – 20 NZF with cylindrical geometry exhibits a high voltage gain of 11. The magnitude of voltage gain is directly correlated with the mechanical quality factor (Qm). The results reported here present the possibility of developing magnetoelectric transformer for both step-up and step-down applications.
Mandatory Continuing Professional Education for CPAs: Is it Working?

Abstract The initial 3-year reporting period for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' new mandatory continuing professional education (MCPE) requirements came to a close on December 31, 1992. Previous studies raised the issue of the effectiveness of MCPE but did little to measure it. Two groups of certified public accountants—practitioners and educators—have been surveyed to determine their attitudes toward MCPE and its effectiveness. The results of the study indicate that an overwhelmingly large majority of CPAs think that MCPE is beneficial and that it enhances the profession's image. More important, the respondents indicate that MCPE has improved the quality of their professional work, although practitioners report greater realized benefits than do educators.
Note on difference equation approximations of laplace's equation

Abstract In the numerical solution of Dirichlet problems, one popular technique involves replacement of Laplace's equation by a difference equation approximation. This note completes a short series of papers on best difference equation approximations.
Invisibility Considered Harmful: Revisiting Traditional Principles of Ubiquitous Computing in the Context of Education

Ubiquitous computing, as a subfield of computer science, has traditionally been associated with a set of principles expressed (loosely but tellingly) with terms like transparency, invisibility, and the like: essentially, the idea is that people should be able to use ubiquitous computing artifacts while hardly being conscious that they are doing so. We argue that, as a design principle, "invisibility" has advantages in some domains; but that it has powerful, and ultimately counterproductive, connotations for educational design. We present an alternative set of potential design principles for educational ubiquitous computing, stressing values such as expressiveness, creative control, and aesthetics; and we illustrate these principles with several projects undertaken in our lab.
US Domestic Surveillance after 9/11: An Analysis of the Chilling Effect on First Amendment Rights in Cases Filed against the Terrorist Surveillance Program

After the disclosure of the US Government's Terrorist Surveillance Program, there were a series of class-action lawsuits filed by non-profits on behalf of plaintiffs who claimed mass domestic surveillance chilled their civil liberties. Most of these cases focused on Fourth Amendment privacy concerns, but three particular suits were filed with claims that the plaintiffs' First Amendment rights—to free speech, assembly, and/or press—were violated. Although the First Amendment claims in these cases received little media attention, they represent an important issue in surveillance jurisprudence: Can mass domestic surveillance create a chilling effect, which operates as a prior restraint on First Amendment rights and activities? This article examines three specific cases: (1) Hepting v ATT and (3) American Civil Liberties Union v National Security Agency . By looking at the First Amendment issues, plaintiffs' statements, and final outcomes of these cases, this article explores the Terrorist Surveillance Program's chilling effect on speech traditionally protected by the First Amendment—including during the time period the program was in operation, as well as the lasting effects that the program might have on citizens' perceptions of freedom, behaviors, and legal rights. Suite a la revelation du Programme de surveillance terroriste du gouvernement des Etats-Unis, une serie de poursuites en recours collectif ont ete intentees par des organisations communautaires pour le compte de plaignants qui affirmaient qu'une surveillance domestique de masse etait venue entraver leurs libertes civiles. La plupart des cas etaient relatifs au quatrieme amendement, c'est-a-dire a la vie privee. Neanmoins, trois plaintes particulieres avancaient des allegations selon lesquelles les droits proteges par le premier amendement, soit le droit a la liberte d'expression, d'association et/ou de presse, avaient ete atteints. Quoique ces allegations ont recu peu d'attention mediatique, elles demeurent importantes pour la jurisprudence des organes de surveillance: Est-ce qu'une surveillance domestique de masse peut creer un effet paralysant, fonctionnant comme des mesures restrictives sur les droits et les activites contenus dans le premier amendementCet article examine trois cas specifiques : 1) Hepting v. AT&T , 2) Center for Constitutional Rights v. President George W. Bush et 3) American Civil Liberties Union v. National Security Agency . En se penchant sur le premier amendement, les declarations des plaignants ainsi que le resultat final de ces affaires, cet article explore l'effet paralysant du Programme de surveillance terroriste sur la liberte d'expression, droit protege traditionnellement par le premier amendement, durant la periode de mise en oeuvre du programme. Ainsi, il est possible d'examiner les effets durables de ce programme sur la perception des citoyens en ce qui a trait a la liberte, aux comportements ainsi qu'aux droits legaux.
Model-free variable selection

computing power has encouraged the modelling of data sets of ever-increasing size. Data mining applications in finance, marketing and bioinformatics are obvious examples. A limitation of nearly all existing variable selection methods is the need to specify the correct model before selection. When the number of predictors is large, model formulation and validation can be difficult or even infeasible. On the basis of the theory of sufficient dimension reduction, we propose a new class of model-free variable selection approaches. The methods proposed assume no model of any form, require no nonparametric smoothing and allow for general predictor effects. The efficacy of the methods proposed is demonstrated via simulation, and an empirical example is given.
Distrust and aggression: an interpersonal-international analogy:

International disputes in which distrust and potentially destructive aggression figure importantly contain certain deep implications which are, I believe, analogous to those in interpersonal disputes of the same genre. This conviction has grown in me during many years of work, as a by-product of insights gained through prolonged and intensive psychotherapy of distrustful and aggressively destructive adult patients. The similarities between the interpersonal conflicts generated by the hostile patient and certain international conflicts can, I submit, be productive of the interdisciplinary application of a psychotherapeutic principle. This application would embody a deeper understanding of conflictive international encounters than is now evidenced in most negotiations. Admittedly, the psychoanalytic consulting room is a far cry from the international conference table. But the figurative distance shrinks considerably when one remembers that individual psychology does, after all, play a major role in the conduct and outcome of international conflicts (Klineberg, 1965; Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, 1964). The same psychological mechanisms can often be found at work at the international conference table as in the
The cell-free translation of Rauscher leukemia virus RNA into high molecular weight polypeptides.

Abstract Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV) 65-S RNA, 35-S mengovirus RNA and reticulocyte A-rich RNA each stimulated cell-free protein synthesis in a JLS-V5 cell-derived S-30 system. rRNA, however, was not stimulatory in this system. Of the stimulated protein products only those synthesized in response to added RLV RNA were immune-precipitable with anti-RLV rabbit serum. Furthermore, cell-free incubations with pactamycin at a concentration which specifically inhibits initiation and not elongation prevented the stimulation of amino acid incorporation in response to added RLV RNA. Analysis of the polypeptides synthesized by the cell-free system in response to reticulocyte A-rich RNA, showed them to be globin-like and, therefore, also mRNA specific. The RLV RNA-directed product included at least two classes of polypeptides (mol. wts of 140 000–185 000 and 50 000–75 000) both of which were larger than the group specific polypeptides of mature virions. None of the internal structural polypeptides of mature virions were synthesized in response to RLV RNA. The large molecular weight, viral-specific polypeptides are candidate precursor polyproteins which may represent the translational products of a polycistronic mRNA with a single initiation site.
High anterior precordial lead studies. I. Techniques and normals

Abstract In order to establish normals for reference in the electrocardiographic exploration of the surface of the chest, a large number of unipolar leads were recorded in 100 normal subjects from sites above the position of the precordial electrode employed in routine electrocardiographic studies, and the records analyzed. Among the observations made are the following: 1. 1. An R′ wave may be recorded in leads from the second and third intercostal spaces, and occasionally in leads to the right of the sternum in the fourth and fifth intercostal spaces. 2. 2. Large amplitude of the QRS complex is not uncommon in high precordial leads. 3. 3. A QRS consisting only of a Q wave, or of a Qr (sum negative), was recorded only in leads to the right of the sternum. 4. 4. Negative T waves were frequently recorded in left precordial position, usually in association with an rS pattern of the QRS complex. 5. 5. S-T segment deviation exceeding 1 mm. was not encountered. 6. 6. U waves, if present, were always upright. It is planned to employ the multiple leads used in this study in a series of patients with heart disease of various types in order to ascertain whether certain additional leads may yield additional useful information.
Gorter-Mellink scale, and critical velocities in liquid—helium-II counterflow

It is found that, in liquid—helium-II pure counterflow, the dimensionless number A=ρsAwl (where A is the Gorter-Mellink constant, w is the mean relative velocity between the two fluids, and l is a characteristic dimension of the geometry) scales the mutual friction between the two fluids. Critical relative velocities in cylindrical channels are shown to be correlated by the rule Ac≡ρsAwcπd-1.
Corrosion of Well Points and Piping in Domestic Water Near AEC Planta

Describes investigation made to determine cause of excessive corrosion of construction materials of wells supplying domestic water to communities bordering atomic energy plant in South Carolina. Corrosion resulted from natural corrosiveness of soft water with high carbon dioxide and oxygen contents. No effect from atomic energy plant was indicated.
Urban Transport Strategy for Colombo, Sri Lanka

International sharing of urban transport experiences may be beneficial for practice and help give form to a concept of strategy. Main problems and issues of urban transport in Colombo, Sri Lanka, were identified, and a strategy was proposed for improving the performance of the transport system for travelers and its impacts on urban development. On the streets of Colombo, buses compete for scarce space with passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and vans. Crossing bicycle riders and pedestrians have an even more difficult time. Privately operated buses dominate the passenger market, complemented by three public-sector operators, the survivors of several waves of reorganizations and reforms. Both groups of operators suffer from having to charge low fares and from increasing street congestion, but private operators freely manage their staff and vehicles and do not follow prescribed routes, stops, and frequencies. Strategic issues involve the pricing of services in the presence of two distinct markets (low-income travelers and those who own or aspire to own a vehicle) and two inconsistent regulatory regimes, the absence of reserved street space for public transport vehicles, and intergovernmental relations concerning jurisdiction and funding for urban transport modes. Pivotal propositions involve redefining the government role as regulator of public transport services; using the social assistance system to help low-income travelers (thus liberating fare making); upgrading the suburban lines of Sri Lanka Railways into a separate, high-quality, regional rapid transit network; and adopting a regionally oriented road pricing and financing system.
Coming To Terms With Postmodern: Theories and Concepts of Contemporary Culture and Their Implications for Apparel Scholars

Use of the term postmodern is increasingly evident in textiles and apparel scholarship and references to fashion and style are common in theories and analyses of postmodern culture. Postmodern is a problematic concept. It is used inconsistently to refer to a body of social theory, a style of aesthetic expression, and to various social practices and economic conditions; scholarly discussions are rife with arcane references and exclusive jargon. In this paper the scholarship of theorists, translators, interpreters, and critics is drawn on to identify and describe concepts from postmodern theory, to suggest the derivation of key principles from assumptions central to the philosophy of nihilism and to critical theory, and to indicate ways in which fashion emerges as a central concern in discussions of postmodern culture. A guide to terminology is provided. Postmodern theory is interpreted as a challenge to traditional modes of clothing scholarship and apparel scholars are asked to consider the significance of...
AIDS and the brain

Abstract Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to increase in incidence worldwide. The AIDS-associated virus selectively infects and destroys T-helper/ inducer (T4) lymphocytes, causing profound deficits in cell-mediated immune responses. Consequently, the nervous system is often affected by opportunistic infections and lymphomas. In addition, the AIDS virus itself appears neurotropic, and may be the direct cause of dementia, myelopathy, and neuropathy; these complications may precede other systemic manifestations of AIDS. This has profound implications on strategies of treatment; comparisons with immune responses of equines and ruminants to related lentiviruses bode ill for vaccine development. On the other hand, the association of a human retrovirus with progressive neurological syndromes in AIDS gives impetus to a search for retroviruses in other chronic inflammatory, degenerative or demyelinating diseases of the nervous system.
Effects of canrenone on RRM-sucrose hypertension in WKY

Ingestion of a diet high in sucrose content by WKY rats having reduced renal mass (RRM) via a unilateral nephrectomy causes a significant elevation of BP-greater than might be expected from either condition alone. The same findings occur whether the added sucrose calories replace protein or fat. The elevated BP differential remained throughout the 6 months of the study. In some ways, these results resemble a well recognized model of hypertension produced by the removal of 70–80% of renal mass plus excess salt consumption (RRM-salt). When the RRM-sucrose WKY were given canrenone, an agent which is a digoxin antagonist, the BP decreased significantly simulating previous findings in RRM-salt. Therefore, like the RRM-salt model, evidence suggests that the RRM-sucrose model is also caused, at least in part, by a digoxin-like factor (DLF).
Triassic-Liassic basins and climate of the Atlantic passive margins

As the Laurasian Plate tracked north over the New England hotspots in the LateTriassic, the heated and stretched crust failed along re-activated basement structures including micro-plate sutures, and continental extensions of transforms. This created the rifted passive margins of the Atlantic and established the tectonic and climatic setting of wrench-generated coastal ranges and detrital basins bordering vast salt flats that were overlain with waters from the Tethys Sea. In tracking north from an equatorial position in the Late Triassic to a subtropical latitude in the Middle Jurassic, the plate transgressed first humid, then savanna and finally arid climatic zones, which were then bordered by a transgressing epeiric Tethyan Sea. Within these climatic zones, monsoonal circulation profoundly affected patterns of sedimentation as tropical air masses cooled and warmed adiabatically as they crossed the coastal ranges and broad salt flats. Where the basement had been pulled apart as in the Newark-Gettysburg Basin or the Argana Basin of Morocco, plutons intruded the axis of the basin in the form of dikes, lava flows and subaqueous fissure flows. Differential horizontal shear along strike-slip faults created assymetric basins with an upthrown leading plate and a subsiding trailing plate. Strata within the basins record a history of recurrent, but alternating, transtentional and transpressional episodes in an overall wrench-tectonic regime. While the borderfault facies is marked by complex unconformities, young basin sediment, volcanics, en-echelon folds, fanglomerates, turbidites and deep-water lacustrine deposits with organic-rich black shale, sediments on the trailing plate are marked by an older suite of gently inclined fluvialdeltaic sands that rest with profound unconformity on the Hercynian — Variscan basement. Where shallow marine waters of the Tethys Ocean transgressed sagged pull-apart basins (as in the Khemisset and Berrichid Basins of Morocco) or where the basement was faulted by straignt, non-branching transforms (as in Grand Banks), vast salt flats occurred forming thick, deposits of halite and potash salt. The extent of Tethyan transgression and concomitant subsidence of these basins is marked by salt diapirs in the Baltimore Canyon Trough and in the Aaiun Basin of Africa.
On the axiom of union

In this paper, we study the union axiom of ZFC. After a brief introduction, we sketch a proof of the folklore result that union is independent of the other axioms of ZFC. In the third section, we prove some results in the theory T:= ZFC minus union. Finally, we show that the consistency of T plus the existence of an inaccessible cardinal proves the consistency of ZFC.
Discussion of “Tractive Force Design for Sanitary Sewer Self-Cleansing” by LaVere B. Merritt

In the original paper, Merritt presents a detailed summary ofChapter 5 of the 2007 edition of the joint ASCE MOP 60-WaterEnvironment Federation (WEF) FD-5 Manual, Gravity SanitarySewer Design and Construction (ASCE-WEF 2007). He endorsesthe manual’s recommendation to use the unit tractive force (TF)method to calculate the minimum slope of sanitary sewers carryingthe minimum flow at the beginning of the design period. He alsoreproduces the method to calculate such a flow, by using criteriapresented in Chapter 3 (ASCE-WPCF 1970, 1982; ASCE-WEF2007).In Merritt’s literature review, he fails to mention that the TFmethod to attain self-cleansing in sewers carrying settleableparticles was proposed as early as 1954 by Fair and Geyer,who suggested that to have self-cleansing conditions at all flowrates, the unit tractive force must be equal to that generated in asewer running full at a minimum velocity of 0:6m∕s(Fair andGeyer 1954). This minimum velocity was considered for manyyears sufficient to provide self-cleansing in a sanitary sewer run-ning full, without regard to particle size. The unit tractive force,in this case, can be calculated by using the following equation(La Motta 1996):T ¼ 0:571464γn
The management of rhabdomyosarcoma in children and young adults

Survival rates among children with rhabdomyosarcoma have increased from approximately 20% to 70% during the past 15 years, and this improvement appears to be progressive. The major factor in this remarkable development has been the increasing effectiveness of multiple-agent, long-range chemotherapy regimens in (a) destroying micrometastasis, (b) controlling residual tumor at the sites of local excision, and (c) eliminating established metastatic tumor foci. Improved radiation therapy techniques and operative surgical procedures have been coordinated with this chemotherapeutic approach, largely in an adaptive fashion, resulting in multimodality therapy programs of increasing effectiveness. During the past decade, additional histologic variants of tumor have been identified, new techniques for accurately defining the extent of disease have been developed, and forms of vigorous supportive therapy have been employed for the first time. All of these have contributed to improvement in the results of therapy.
Surgical site infections (SSIs) after stoma reversal (SR): risk factors, implications, and protective strategies.

Stoma reversals (SRs) are commonly performed with potentially significant postoperative complications including surgical site infections (SSIs). Our aim was to determine the incidence and risk factors for SSIs in a large cohort of SR patients. We reviewed our institutional 2006–2011 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database for 30-day SSIs in patients undergoing SR. Records were additionally reviewed for 10 non-ACS-NSQIP variables. The primary outcome was SSI after SR. Secondary outcomes were additional 30-day postoperative complications and length-of-stay. Predictors of SSIs were identified using multivariable logistic regression. From 528 SR patients, 36 patients developed a SSI (6.8 %). Most patients underwent SR for loop ileostomies (76.5 %) after index operations for ulcerative colitis (38.6 %) and colorectal cancer (27.8 %). SSI patients had fewer subcutaneous drains compared to patients with no SSI and had significantly higher rates of smoking, ASA 3–4 classification and laparotomies at SR (p < 0.05). Patients with SSI had increased length-of-stay and 30-day morbidities including sepsis and returns to the operating room (p < 0.05) compared to no-SSI patients. On multivariable analysis, subcutaneous drain placement was suggestive of SSI protection (odds ratio [OR] 0.52, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.2–1.1), but only smoking was significantly associated with an increased risk for SSI (OR 2.4, 95 % CI 1.1–5.4). Smoking increased the risk of SR SSIs in patients by over twofold, and SR SSIs are associated with additional significant morbidities. Smoking cessation should be an important part of any SSI risk-reduction strategy.
Cosmic microwave background anisotropies in cold dark matter models with cosmological constant: The intermediate versus large angular scales

We obtain predictions for cosmic microwave background anisotropies at angular scales near 1 deg in the context of cold dark matter models with a nonzero cosmological constant, normalized to the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) Differential Microwave Radiometer (DMR) detection. The results are compared to those computed in the matter-dominated models. We show that the coherence length of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropy is almost insensitive to cosmological parameters, and the rms amplitude of the anisotropy increases moderately with decreasing total matter density, while being most sensitive to the baryon abundance. We apply these results in the statistical analysis of the published data from the UCSB South Pole (SP) experiment (Gaier et al. 1992; Schuster et al. 1993). We reject most of the Cold Dark Matter (CDM)-Lambda models at the 95% confidence level when both SP scans are simulated together (although the combined data set renders less stringent limits than the Gaier et al. data alone). However, the Schuster et al. data considered alone as well as the results of some other recent experiments (MAX, MSAM, Saskatoon), suggest that typical temperature fluctuations on degree scales may be larger than is indicated by the Gaier et al. scan. If so, CDM-Lambda models may indeed provide, from a point of view of CMB anisotropies, an acceptable alternative to flat CDM models.
Experimental high-resolution electron microscopy of polymers

Abstract High-resolution imaging of ordered polymers is described both theoretically and experimentally. The relationship between the actual three-dimensional specimen structure and the resultant two-dimensional image intensity distribution is developed using the multislice formalism. The influence of the electron optical conditions on the image is demonstrated with experimental data, as well as with image simulations. Practical details of specimen preparation, as well as the effects of specimen structural defects on the image, are presented. A significant challenge for polymer microscopists is to minimize the deleterious effects of electron beam damage and to identify image artifacts resulting from damage. Future applications of ultrahigh-resolution capabilities are illustrated with respect to direct imaging of the anisotropic potentials present in covalently bonded materials.
Identification of passive elastic joint moment–angle relationships in the lower extremity

The purpose of this study was to develop a method for identifying subject-specific passive elastic joint moment-angle relationships in the lower extremity, which could subsequently be used to estimate passive contributions to joint kinetics during gait. Twenty healthy young adults participated in the study. Subjects were positioned side-lying with their dominant limb supported on a table via low-friction carts. A physical therapist slowly manipulated the limb through full sagittal hip, knee, and ankle ranges of motion using two hand-held 3D load cells. Lower extremity kinematics, measured with a passive marker motion capture system, and load cell readings were used to compute joint angles and associated passive joint moments. We formulated a passive joint moment-angle model that included eight exponential functions to account for forces generated via the passive stretch of uni-articular structures and bi-articular muscles. Model parameters were estimated for individual subjects by minimizing the sum of squared errors between model predicted and experimentally measured moments. The model predictions closely replicated measured joint moments with average root-mean-squared errors of 2.5, 1.4, and 0.7 Nm about the hip, knee, and ankle respectively. We show that the models can be coupled with gait kinematics to estimate passive joint moments during walking. Passive hip moments were substantial from terminal stance through initial swing, with energy being stored as the hip extended and subsequently returned during pre- and initial swing. We conclude that the proposed methodology could provide quantitative insights into the potentially important role that passive mechanisms play in both normal and abnormal gait.
Mechanosensitivity of the cardiac muscarinic potassium channel. A novel property conferred by Kir3.4 subunit.

Abstract Muscarinic potassium channels are heterotetramers of Kir3.1 and other Kir3 channel subunits and play major roles in regulating membrane excitability in cardiac atrial, neuronal, and neuroendocrine tissues. We report here that rabbit atrial muscarinic potassium channels are rapidly and reversibly inhibited by membrane stretch, possibly serving as a mechanoelectrical feedback pathway. To probe the molecular basis for this phenomenon, we heterologously expressed heteromeric Kir3.1/Kir3.4 channels in Xenopusoocytes and found that they possess similar mechanosensitivity in response to hypo-osmolar stress. This could be attributed in part, if not exclusively, to the Kir3.4 subunit, which reproduced the mechanosensitivity of the heteromeric channel when expressed as a homomeric channel in oocytes. Kir3.4 is the first stretch-inactivated potassium channel to be identified molecularly. Physiologically, this feature may be important in atrial volume-sensing and other responses to stretch.
High-brightness photoelectric field-emission cathodes for free-electron laser applications

Abstract Field emission from very fine needles in an electric field is characterized by a very small energy spread, less than 1 eV, and emittance of the order of 10−8π m rad, normalized. In microsecond pulses, total currents in excess of 6 A have been observed, corresponding to normalized brightness of the order of 1015 A/m2 str, which is four orders of magnitude higher than conventional sources. Recently, photoemission has been observed from needles operating in fields too small for significant field emission. Total currents as high as 10 A have been observed in nanosecond pulses. The quantum efficiency is of the order of unity. Using e-beams of such high brightness, single-pass FELs can operate at very long and very short wavelengths, with very low total e-beam current. In the FIR, it is possible to construct Cerenkov FELs with enough gain (e20) to reach saturation in a single pass using only 10 mA total electron-beam current. In the UV, it is possible to build single-pass Compton-backscatter FELs operating at total current less than 300 mA.
The geometry of predator avoidance by the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun

A model is proposed to explain the pattern of escape orientation of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) in the intertidal zone of sandy beaches. The model states that a crab should select the escape heading that maximizes its distance offshore before being intercepted by a pursuing predator. Predictions of the model were evaluated with observations of escape responses elicited by my approach. Fleeing crabs swam offshore, but the heading they chose was influenced by the approach heading of the observer. The distribution of crab escape headings as a function of observer approach heading was symmetrical about the onshore-offshore axis. Crab escape heading was independent of the approach distance (distance between the observer and the crab at the start of the escape response). Finally, crabs did not assess relative speed (crab speed/predator speed) when selecting an escape heading. By testing the predictions of the model it is demonstrated that the escape orientation of blue crabs in the intertidal zone is a compromise between swimming away from a potential enemy and swimming offshore for refuge. The assumptions of the model are discussed and the use of models in understanding the dynamics of predator avoidance is considered.
Lead me by the hand: evaluation of a direct physical interface for nursing assistant robots

When a user is in close proximity to a robot, physical contact becomes a potentially valuable channel for communication. People often use direct physical contact to guide a person to a desired location (e.g., leading a child by the hand) or to adjust a person's posture for a task (e.g., a dance instructor working with a dancer). Within this paper, we present an implementation and evaluation of a direct physical interface for a human-scale anthropomorphic robot. We define a direct physical interface (DPI) to be an interface that enables a user to influence a robot's behavior by making contact with its body. Human-human interaction inspired our interface design, which enables a user to lead our robot by the hand and position its arms. We evaluated this interface in the context of assisting nurses with patient lifting, which we expect to be a high-impact application area. Our evaluation consisted of a controlled laboratory experiment with 18 nurses from the Atlanta area of Georgia, USA. We found that our DPI significantly outperformed a comparable wireless gamepad interface in both objective and subjective measures, including number of collisions, time to complete the tasks, workload (Raw Task Load Index), and overall preference. In contrast, we found no significant difference between the two interfaces with respect to the users' perceptions of personal safety.
SU-E-I-21: The Effects of MV Scatter on Image Quality of Cone Beam Scans Acquired Asynchronously during Rotational Delivery

Purpose: To effectively integrate image‐guidance into single dose (24 Gy) SBRT to bony targets, we propose to deliver the treatment in 6 consecutive VMAT arcs and simultaneously acquire a CBCTimage during each arc. This would provide a means to check and correct for intra‐fractional target motion subsequent to the 1st arc. We investigate the effect of the MV scatter on CBCTimage quality and report on the feasibility of simultaneous SBRT / CBCT for intra‐fractional imaging. Methods: The CatPhan and anthropomorphic Rando phantoms were irradiated with 360° arcs using a static 10×10 cm field, and kV CBCT projections were acquired simultaneously. To investigate the effect of MV scatter on CBCTimage quality, we varied the phantom size, MV dose and dose rate, CBCT mAs, and the SSD of the kV detector. In addition, a CBCT reconstruction algorithm that reduced the detrimental effects of scattered MV radiation was studied. Results: : Scattered MV radiation added noise to reconstructed images, decreasing low contrast resolution while reducing Hounsfield Unit (HU) accuracies. Increasing the size of the phantom magnified these effects since the scatter‐to‐primary ratio is increased. In part, this could be compensated for by increasing the CBCT exposure (mAs), and by increasing the separation between the isocenter and the kV detector from 50 to 80 cm. The new CBCT scatter correction algorithm was shown to offer promise of increasing HU accuracies. With the combined methods to increase SNR, good quality CBCTimages that clearly visualize bony targets were obtained, even when 750 MU was delivered in an arc treatment. Conclusions: For the proposed clinical application, kV‐CBCT scans are acquired concomitantly with MV radiation delivery. These images, if automatically registered to the planning CT scan, provide monitoring of possible intra‐fractional motion, and allow, if necessary, for corrections to be made. Supported in part by Varian Medical Systems
Regulation of genotoxic and carcinogenic impurities in drug substances and products

Abstract While the use of pharmaceuticals is always a balance of risks and benefits, the same is not true for impurities in pharmaceuticals; impurities carry only risk. A number of international guidelines and regional guidance documents instruct drug developers and regulatory agencies on how to evaluate and to control impurities in drug substances and drug products. These guidelines explicitly identify triggers for reporting, identifying and qualifying impurities. In addition, the guidelines provide direction on the assays that should be used to determine if impurities are genotoxic. However, the guidelines fail to provide direction on how levels of genotoxic impurities should be controlled. This article discusses practical and theoretical methods for controlling levels of genotoxic impurities in drug substances and drug products.
Utility Analysis for Multiple Selection Devices and Multiple Outcomes

Traditional utility analysis only calculates the value of a given selection procedure over random selection. This assumption is not only an inaccurate representation of staffing policy but also leads to overestimates of a device's value. This paper presents a more accurate method for computing the validity of a selection battery for when there are multiple selection devices and multiple criteria. Application of the method is illustrated using previous utility analysis work and an actual case of administrative assistants with eight predictors and nine criteria. A final example also is provided that includes these advancements as well as other researchers' advances in a combined utility model. Results reveal that accounting for multiple criteria and outcomes dramatically reduces the utility estimates of implementing new selection devices.
Surface Delta Interaction and Single-Closed-Shell Nuclei

The surface delta interaction has been applied in a calculation of the energy levels of isotopes of Pb, Sn and Ni, ${\mathrm{Po}}^{210}$, and nuclei belonging to the 82-neutron shell. The Bogoliubov-Valatin method combined with the Tamm-Dancoff approximation has been utilized. In certain cases, exact shell-model calculations have also been performed. The comparison between the results obtained in these two ways shows that the approximation method works quite well for the two-particle case. For more than two particles outside closed shells, the approximation works relatively well only for the ${2}_{1}$+ and ${4}_{1}$+ states. The agreement with experiment is fairly good in general. For ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{206}$ the results are even slightly better than those of True and Ford. For ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{204}$ and ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{202}$ it was found necessary to reduce the strength of the interaction about 10%. In Ni and in the 82-neutron nuclei the results are fairly good, but in the isotopes of Sn and in ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{210}$ the 2+ and 4+ states lie somewhat too high.
Role of surgery in management of acute bacterial epididymitis

In this article we trace the history of the surgical management of epididymitis and define the role of surgery for these patients
Prediction of death after percutaneous coronary interventional procedures

Background The prediction and comparison of procedural death after percutaneous coronary interventional procedures is inherently difficult because of variations in case mix and practice patterns. The impact of modern, expanded patient selection criteria, and newer technologic approaches is unknown. Our objective was to determine whether a risk equation based on patient-related variables and derived from an independent data set can accurately predict procedural death after percutaneous coronary intervention in the current era. Methods and Results An analysis was made of the Mayo Clinic Coronary Interventional Database January 1, 1995, to October 31, 1997. Expected mortality rate was calculated with the use of the New York State multivariate risk score. In 3387 patients, 3830 procedures (55.1% stents) were performed, with an expected mortality rate of 2.32% and observed mortality rate of 2.38% (P = not significant). The risk score derived from the New York multivariate model was highly predictive of death (chi-square = 213.8; P <.0001). The presence of a high-risk lesion characteristic such as calcium, thrombus, or type C lesion was modestly associated with death. Conclusions The New York State multivariate model accurately predicted procedural death in our database. (Am Heart J 2000;139:1032-8.)
Genetic counseling issues in predictive genetic testing for familial adult-onset neurologic diseases

Genetic counseling is important in any genetic testing situation in order to address the various issues related to obtaining a genetic diagnosis. Presymptomatic testing for adult-onset neurodegenerative disease, in particular, presents a complex counseling scenario. It is imperative to discuss the potential impact of test results on patients' family dynamics, insurability and employability, family planning, and future health in addition to ascertaining a complete understanding of recurrence, inheritance, and testing parameters. The Huntington disease presymptomatic testing protocol is well-defined and has been used for more than 10 years. These guidelines, which protect both patient and provider, can now be applied to other diseases as further presymptomatic testing capabilities are realized.
Writing and Publishing in a Blended Learning Environment to Develop Students’ Scholarly Digital Ethos

How do educators leverage students’ fluency with ubiquitous information and communication sources to foster a scholarly digital ethos? This article describes a blended learning environment designed to engage first-year students in 21st-century emerging forms of scholarship and publication. The authors describe an effort to reverse the millennials’ passive attitude and practices when conducting online research, described in previous studies, into a scholarly digital ethos characterized by the use of high-quality, relevant sources of information, effective academic research, and critical evaluation of information for the purpose of scholarly online writing and for establishing a credible online presence.
Assembly of Colloidal Crystals at Electrode Interfaces

We describe a theory for a new type of colloid behavior whereby particles deposited on a surface by electrophoresis are manipulated to form two-dimensional crystals. Since the particles are equally charged, the clustering is opposite that expected from electrostatic considerations. Such behavior is consistent with migration due to electrohydrodynamic flows associated with polarization layers and ion currents. Provided colloid stability is maintained, the assembly processes take place with both dc and ac fields and may be modulated by adjusting the field strength or frequency. No migration is present at frequencies above 1 MHz. Two-dimensional fluid and crystalline states can be formed on the electrode surface. Experiments with patterned electrodes demonstrate the presence of the electrohydrodynamic flow. A mathematical model of the electrohydrodynamics provides insight into the assembly process.
Factor VIII tolerance: is more better?

Comment on Hausl et al, page [3415][1] Immune tolerance protocols have been used to eliminate factor VIII inhibitors for more than 20 years, but the mechanism for tolerance induction is not well understood. Hausl and colleagues provide mechanistic insights in this issue of Blood. Inhibitor
Rapamycin: The Cure for all that Ails

Target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling stimulates cell growth by regulating protein synthesis in response to a variety of stimuli in a wide range of species and is inhibited by rapamycin, a naturally occurring antifungal compound produced by bacteria and discovered on Easter Island or in the local vernacular, Rapa Nui (rapamycin's namesake). Recently, rapamycin was shown to extend life span for mice, even when administered late in life, suggesting that inhibiting the mammalian TOR pathway may improve health span for people.
Obstacles to Effective Psychiatric Liaison

Abstract Some of the obstacles to liaison with non-psychiatrists are outlined, and methods are suggested for eliciting the cooperation and enthusiasm required for effective patient care.
System identification via generalized block pulse operational matrices

Owing to the elegant properties of generalized block pulse operational matrices, a SID (system identification) matrix can be derived to identify transfer function coefficients of a linear time-invariant system from the unit step response data. The identification algorithm performs in a least-squares sense and can be recursive according to previous work. This approach not only yields satisfactory results but also provides a more precise and efficient method for the system identification problem.
Regeneration of Plants from Embryogenic Callus, Cell Suspensions, Protoplasts, and Cryopreserved Cell Suspension Cultures of Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureumSchum.)

Summary Plants of napiergrass or elephantgrass ( Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) were regenerated from embryogenic calli derived from leaf and inflorescence segments, cell suspensions, protoplasts, and cryopreserved cell suspension cultures. The induction of somatic embryogenesis in segments of young leaves was found to be under developmental control, allowing a zone of cells competent for somatic embryogenesis to be mapped along the length of young leaves. Somatic embryogenesis was also initiated in segments of immature inflorescences. Factors important for the development of embryogenic suspension cultures were investigated. The starting callus tissues and gradual change of liquid medium were found to be critical for establishing embryogenic suspension cultures, which provided a critical source of protoplasts for the regeneration of plants. Plants regenerated from suspensions as well as protoplasts isolated from them grew to maturity in the field with normal morphology and chromosome numbers. Plants were also regenerated from cryopreserved cells after two and a half years of cryogenic storage, and established in soil.
Treatment With Weak Electromagnetic Fields Attenuates Carbohydrate Craving in a Patient With Multiple Sclerosis

Pharmacological studies have implicated serotonergic (5-HT) neurons in the regulation of food intake and food preference. It has been shown that the urge to consume carbohydrate rich foods is regulated by 5-HT activity and that carbohydrate craving is triggered by 5-HT deficiency in the medial hypothalamus. Ingestion of carbohydrate foods stimulates insulin secretion which accelerates the uptake of tryptophan, the precursor of 5-HT and melatonin, into the brain and pineal gland, respectively. Thus, carbohydrate craving might be considered a form of “self medication” aimed at correcting an underlying dysfunction of cerebral 5-HT and pineal melatonin functions. A 51 year old woman with remitting-progressive MS experienced carbohydrate craving during childhood and adolescence and again in temporal association with the onset of her first neurological symptoms at the age of 45. Carbohydrate craving, which resembled the pattern observed in patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), was attenuated by a ser...
Concentrations and source characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in pine needles from Korea, Mexico, and United States

Abstract Pine needle samples were collected from Korea, Mexico, and the United States (total 9 sites) to compare the concentrations and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Total PAH concentrations ranged from 31 to 563 ng g −1 (wet wt.) and showed clear differences between rural (clean) and urban/industrialized (contaminated) sites. The lowest and highest concentrations were found in samples from a rural site in Korea and northern part of Mexico City, respectively. The PAH distribution patterns and the ratio of the sum of combustion specific PAHs (∑COMB) to total PAHs (∑PAHs) in samples from Korea and United States were similar, implying similar sources. At these sites, three-ring PAHs accounted for 63–73% of the total PAHs and phenanthrene was the predominant compound. Samples from Mexico City, however, had different PAH patterns and much higher ∑COMB/∑PAHs ratios (0.70 and 0.73). Four-ring PAHs were dominant (∼50%) and pyrene was the most abundant compound. Phenanthrene to anthracene and fluoranthene to pyrene ratios may provide an additional indication of different sources. The ratios of methylphenanthrene to phenanthrene suggest that the contribution of diesel-operated vehicles to the signature of PAHs is more significant in samples from Mexico City than other sites. Enriched high molecular weight PAHs and the ratios of some selected compounds found in Mexico City samples may be the results of more extensive combustion activities and a higher proportion of non-catalyst-equipped vehicles. This study confirms the usefulness of pine needles for source characterization as well as atmospheric organic contaminants monitoring on large spatial scales (e.g., national or global).