cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stability augmentation and control decoupling for the airborne remotely operated device

A control system for the Marine Corps Airborne Remotely Operated Device is described. This unmanned air vehicle is designed to provide frontline Marines with a portable, short range, aerial reconaissance capability. The chosen configuration has a single gasoline engine and propeller enclosed in an airfoil shroud with four aerodynamic control surfaces located just aft of the shroud. The control system is designed to provide stability augmentation so that a Marine with minimal training will be able to fly the vehicle. One interesting aspect of the control problem is the gyroscopic coupling between two of the control channels due to the single propellor design. The multi-input/ multi-output nature of this problem has been the motivation for the use of a linear-quadratic-regulator controller synthesis technique. Simulation time responses and a singular value analysis are employed to assess the performance of the control system. A limited flight test program has also been used to evaluate performance.
Epistatic Interaction Between the K-Homology Domain Protein HEK2 and SIR1 at HMR and Telomeres in Yeast

Abstract In budding yeast, telomeres, the ribosomal DNA array, and HM loci are transcriptionally silenced by chromatin complexes containing Sir proteins. Hek2, a protein containing three evolutionary conserved RNA-binding K-homology domains, was identified as a suppressor of telomeric silencing [telomeric position effect (TPE)]. To explore the mechanisms of Hek2p action in gene silencing, we examined its relationship with Sir proteins. This search revealed an epistatic interaction between HEK2 and SIR1 at telomeres. Both single mutations, sir1Δ and hek2Δ, enhanced TPE, whereas the effect of double mutation, sir1Δ hek2Δ, did not exceed that of the single mutations. The results of chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrate that the TPE enhancement observed in these mutants is associated with increased binding of Sir2 protein to telomeres. At the HMR locus, hek2Δ rescues the silencing defect caused by sir1Δ mutation and reverses the loss of Sir2p and Sir3p. These data suggest that the epistatic interaction of HEK2 and SIR1 reflects competition between telomeres and HMR for Sir2/3 factors where HEK2 acts to suppress silencing. Because chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis reveals the presence of Hek2p at a subtelomeric region and HMR, its silencing effects at these loci are likely direct. These observations suggest that HEK2 regulates the composition of Sir complexes at HMR and telomeres.
The locus of presumption

While the term “presumption” has been applied to the predisposition of an audience, to a legally prescribed inference, and to the inertia of the status quo, the least confusing rule and that best adapted to extra‐legal argument is simply, “He who asserts must prove.” The initiator of a dispute unavoidably assumes the burden of proof and forfeits the presumption.
Memories in the making: outcome-based evaluation of an art program for individuals with dementing illnesses.

The author presents the results of a pilot project, an outcomes-based evaluation of Memories in the Making: An art program for individuals with dementing illnesses. Sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and implemented at adult day and nursing home sites, participants in the weekly art program use paints to express themselves by creating colorful visual images on paper or fabric. The individuals experienced pleasurable, sustained activity while engaged in making art. Utilizing M.P. Lawton's conceptualization of psychological well-being as a framework, chapter staff developed an observational instrument, which measured objective and subjective indicators of the affect state and self-esteem of 41 participants in the art program. Overall, preliminary data suggests that participation in the weekly sessions contributed to the individuals' sense of well-being. However, more rigorous study is warranted using comparison groups to determine if indeed an enhanced sense of well-being can be attributed with certainty to the intervention of the Memories in the Making art program.
Factors influencing the effect of hormones on the accumulation of cyclic AMP in cultured human astrocytoma cells.

The characteristics of the effects of catecholamines, prostaglandins, and adenosine on the adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) content of human astrocytoma cells are described. Catecholamines interact with a typical beta-adrenergic receptor, i.e., the order of potency of catecholamines is isoproterenol larger than or equal to epinephrine greater than norepinephrine greater than dopamine, and propranolol is an inhibitor but phentolamine is not. The prostaglandins interact with a receptor that recognized PGE-1, PGE-2, and PGA-1 but not PGF-2-alpha. The effects of PGE-1 are blocked by 7-oxa-13-prostynoic acid, indomethacin, and meclofenamic acid in a rapid, reversible manner. The cells contain another adenylate cyclase-linked receptor that recognizes adenosine and the adenine nucleotides but not guanosine, deoxyadenosine, or adenine. Theophylline and other methylxanthines are competitive inhibitors of the effect of adenosine. Each class of effector appears to stimulate adenylate cyclase by interacting with a structure-specific receptor. This follows from the observation that the effect of each class of agonists can be blocked selectively by the various inhibitors and is consistant with the observation that co-addition of different agonists results in additive effects on accumulation of cAMP. The magnitude of the effect of any of the classes of agonists can be influenced by a variety of factors, some of which may be related to the peculiarities of growth in culture: (1) The cells secrete cAMP into the medium, and the magnitude of this secretion for a given rise in intracellular cAMP is different for different agonists. (2) The exposure of the cells to catecholamines or prostaglandins leads to a loss of responsiveness to a subsequent challenge by the same agonist. The magnitude of the agonist-induced loss of responsiveness is dependent on the concentration of the agonist and the time of exposure. The process is at least partially agonist specific in that exposure of cells to isoproterenol can lead to greater than 90% loss in catecholamine responsiveness with less than 20% loss in responsiveness to prostaglandins. (3) The responsiveness of the cells also changes as a function of the age of the culture and as a function of cell density. (4) Finally, it can be demonstrated that cells maintained in culture for prolonged periods (months to years) may lose responsiveness to specific agonists while responsiveness to other agonists remains unchanges or actually increases. The advantages and disadvantages of the use of cells in culture for studies of the regulation of cAMP metabolism are discussed.
Comparison of Scenario-Based and Interval Optimization Approaches to Stochastic SCUC

This paper compares applications of scenario-based and interval optimization approaches to stochastic security-constrained unit commitment (Stochastic SCUC). The uncertainty of wind power generation is considered in this study to compare the two approaches, while other types of uncertainty can be addressed similarly. For the simulation of uncertainty, the scenario-based approach considers the Monte Carlo (MC) method, while lower and upper bounds are adopted in the interval optimization. The Stochastic SCUC problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MIP) problem and solved using the two approaches. The scenario-based solutions are insensitive to the number of scenarios, but present additional computation burdens. The interval optimization solution requires less computation and automatically generates lower and upper bounds for the operation cost and generation dispatch, but its optimal solution is very sensitive to the uncertainty interval. The numerical results on a six-bus system and the modified IEEE 118-bus system show the attributes of the two approaches for solving the Stochastic SCUC problem. Several convergence acceleration options are also discussed for overcoming the computation obstacles in the scenario-based approach.
New evidence for eusociality in the sphecid wasp Microstigmus comes

Abstract A study of colony genetic structure in a putative eusocial sphecid wasp was undertaken to clarify the social status of this species. High female nestmate relatedness and simple colony genotype distributions suggest that colonies may often comprise matrifilial monogynous families. These families are multi-generational groups in which reproduction is evidently limited to a single mother ‘queen’. A population-level analysis of successful reproductive females indicates the existence of a size-structured reproductive division of labour in the study population, supporting the claim that this wasp exhibits fully eusocial behaviour.
Synthesis & characterization of N-amino-glyphosate as a potent analog inhibitor of E. coli EPSP synthase.

Abstract All previous attempts to identify glyphosate analogs which retain their potency against the known biological target, EPSP synthase, have been unsuccessful. Consequently, the glyphosate binding site was thought to be extremely specific in this system. Here we report the novel N-amino glyphosate analog 3 as the first successful modification of the glyphosate skeleton which exhibits inhibitor properties comparable to glyphosate.
Room-Temperature Stimulated Emission from AlN at 214 nm

We report the first ever room temperature (RT) stimulated emission at 214 nm using high quality AlN layers that were grown over patterned sapphire substrates by pulsed lateral epitaxial overgrowth (PLOG) process. The PLOG process yielded fully coalesced layers with total thicknesses in excess of 10 µm resulting in a reduction in the threading dislocation density by several orders. The stimulated emission was achieved at 214 nm under pulsed optical pumping at RT. The RT threshold optical power density was approximately 9 MW/cm2 and the stimulated edge-emission signal was strongly polarized with E∥c.
The electrocardiographic effects of elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure: Wolff-Parkinson-White type of conduction disturbance☆

Abstract Cerebrospinal fluid pressure was elevated in 14 dogs and an ECG was recorded before elevation of CSF pressure, 5 and 10 minutes after CSF pressure elevation to 100 mm. Hg, 5 and 10 minutes after CSF pressure elevation to 200 mm. Hg, and 10 minutes after CSF pressure returned to control levels. In 10 of the 14 studies, the ECG exhibited what appeared to be anomalous A-V conduction with a short P-R and widened QRS. This usually occurred in alternate complexes but occasionally a phasic, cyclical pattern was observed with progressive shortening of P-R and widening of QRS. With the short P-R, the QRS consistently assumed a left axis deviation with rightward directed terminal forces and distinct delta waves were inscribed in the anomalous left precordial complexes. Systemic blood pressure, heart rate, and serum glucose were significantly elevated during CSF pressure of 200 mm. Hg. These data suggest that WPW-like anomalous conduction may result from neurohumoral factors and need not be dependent on abnormal anatomical pathways.
An improved error analysis of finite element solutions for postbuckled plates

The accurate calculation of stresses at boundaries and interfaces where FEM analysis may be unreliable is presently undertaken by an error analysis that derives a continuous approximation to discrete finite-element data, which can be differentiated to compute continuous stresses for component-failure predictions. An evaluation is conducted of this approximation in the context of the nonlinear PDEs. A novel interpolation formula which is a simple modification of the double Fourier sine series is used to reduce truncation errors near the rectangular plate boundary by means of an 'extended grid'. Results are presented from a FEM solution, a conventional double-Fourier series' continuous approximation, and a solution applying interpolation on the extended grid, which yields superior convergence properties near the plate boundaries.
Improved tumour response prediction with equivalent uniform dose in pre-clinical study using direct intratumoural infusion of liposome-encapsulated 186Re radionuclides

Crucial to all cancer therapy modalities is a strong correlation between treatment and effect. Predictability of therapy success/failure allows for the optimization of treatment protocol and aids in the decision of whether additional treatment is necessary to prevent tumour progression. This work evaluated the relationship between cancer treatment and effect for intratumoural infusions of liposome-encapsulated 186Re to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma xenografts of nude rats. Absorbed dose calculations using a dose-point kernel convolution technique showed significant intratumoural dose heterogeneity due to the short range of the beta-particle emissions. The use of three separate tumour infusion locations improved dose homogeneity compared to a single infusion location as a result of a more uniform radioactivity distribution. An improved dose?response correlation was obtained when using effective uniform dose (EUD) calculations based on a generic set of radiobiological parameters (R2 = 0.84) than when using average tumour absorbed dose (R2 = 0.22). Varying radiobiological parameter values over ranges commonly used for all types of tumours showed little effect on EUD calculations, which suggests that individualized parameter use is of little significance as long as the intratumoural dose heterogeneity is taken into consideration in the dose?response relationship. The improved predictability achieved when using EUD calculations for this cancer therapy modality may be useful for treatment planning and evaluation.
Orientation of oxide films formed on gamma phase uranium alloys

Highly oriented oxide films were found to form when two cold-rolled, gamma-phase (7 wt% Mo and 10 wt% Nb) alloys of uranium were oxidized in water vapor. Dodecahedral planes of UO/sub 2/ were formed parallel to the specimen surface, as in unalloyed uranium. An epitaxial relationship between the UO/sub 2/ and the niobium alloy could be deduced. The relevance of this work to Chirigos' theory of corrosion cracking in such gamma phase alloys is discussed. (auth)
TH‐A‐220‐02: Improving Localization of Lung Cancer Targets for Radiotherapy Using Semi‐Deformable Featurelet Registration

Purpose: To assess errors in online localization of deforming and regressing target structures, and to evaluate potential error reduction using rigid registration of individual featurelets distributed on the target surface. Methods: Fifteen patients with locally advanced non‐small‐cell lungcancer received weekly CT scans throughout treatment under active breathing control. The primary gross tumor volume (GTV) was contoured on each image by a physician, including two GTVs for one patient. To eliminate patient setup errors during image acquisition, secondary images were manually registered to the reference image using bony anatomy. Initial errors were computed as the distance between centroids of the GTV from reference and secondary images in this alignment. Six separate rigid registrations were then performed to align featurelets contained by the left, right, anterior, posterior, superior, and inferior subvolumes of the GTV, including a 1 cm margin. A final translation was computed by averaging the two registrations along each patient axis. Residual errors were defined as the remaining distance between centroids of the GTV from reference and secondary images in this final orientation. Improvements were gauged relative to bony alignment and to standard whole‐target registration. Results: The mean (standard deviation) of the absolute value of initial errors was 3.0 (2.7) mm, 3.8 (3.7) mm, and 3.6 (3.4) mm in the lateral, anterior‐posterior, and superior‐inferior directions, respectively. Whole‐target registration reduced corresponding errors to as low as 1.6 (1.5) mm, 1.8 (2.0) mm, and 2.4 (2.3) mm. Featurelet registration provided the lowest absolute mean residual errors of 1.5 (1.3) mm, 1.4 (1.2) mm, and 1.9 (1.6) mm. Conclusions: Featurelet registration demonstrated improved tumor centroid reproducibility compared to bony‐anatomy and whole‐target alignments. Future work includes automation and optimization of featurelet detection and subvolume definition. Supported in part by NIH R01CA116249
Rectal sleeve advancement: Repair of rectovaginal fistula associated with anorectal stricture in Crohn's disease

Successful repair of rectovaginal fistula in patients with Crohn's disease has been reported when these patients have a normal appearing rectum. We report the performance of stricturectomy in conjunction with circumferential rectal sleeve advancement for patients who have a rectovaginal fistula arising from an anorectal stricture secondary to Crohn's disease. This technique provides for repair of rectovaginal fistula and correction of the anal stricture and maintains continence.
Evolutionary stability of reciprocity in a viscous lattice

Abstract In randomly mixing populations, reciprocity cannot resist invasion by appropriate concurrent multiple mutants (Boyd and Lorberbaum 1987). Here I show how reciprocity can resist such invasion when the clustering (“viscous”) population structure necessary for the emergence of reciprocity in a world of defection is retained after reciprocity has saturated the population. A mutation heuristic is introduced under which only forgiving reciprocity can resist Boyd/Lorberbaum invasion in viscous populations; this provides a selective basis for forgiveness and extends TIT FOR TAT's collective stability to evolutionary stability under multiple mutation. The results are generalized to n -person games, where Boyd/Lorberbaum invasion is precluded among insular commons, whether or not reciprocators are forgiving. Non-insular commons are, however, invadable, providing a selection rationale for the maintenance of in/out group distinctions under n -person social ecologies.
Evaluating the Impact on Pharmacy Practices of a Law Requiring the Posting of Drug Prices

Posting price lists of most frequently purchased retail drugs under Section 4333 of the California Pharmaceutical Law offers consumers the opportunity to make more effective price comparisons. The same information also permits examination of the pricing structure of an entire local market, and it was just such an examination which was undertaken in the present study for 100 items on sale at 24 pharmacies in the northern region of the San Francisco Bay area. Wide price differentials were found to exist. Pharmacies charging higher prices were found to do so across their entire product line: the higher prices were not related to better service but primarily to monopolistic practices. It was also concluded that if posting has so far failed to bring about lower prices, it may be due to token compliance. The study examined computer simulation techniques for measuring the effectiveness of small, unsophisticated pharmaceutical price surveys, and the accuracy of such surveys was shown to be extremely high.
Using concept maps to provide an integrative framework for teaching the cost or managerial accounting course

Abstract Accounting students often perceive their beginning cost or managerial course as lacking a framework with which they can organize the material. They have usually completed a beginning Financial Accounting course recently where the accounting equation provides such a framework. This makes the lack of a framework in their next course even more problematical. This paper provides a framework for integrating topics in the cost/managerial course to enhance learning. The framework uses hierarchical concept maps as the integrating mechanism. Concept maps provide a visual presentation method based on the theories of learning and knowledge. Assimilation learning theory posits that the difference between meaningful learning and rote learning depends upon whether or not the new information is integrated with, and connected to, existing knowledge. Meaningful learning takes place most easily when broader concepts are presented first and detailed ones that provide support are furnished later. Hierarchical concept maps are organized in such a fashion, with the more general, inclusive concepts at the top of the map, and progressively more specific concepts arranged below them. Concept maps are a way to develop logical thinking and study skills by revealing connections and helping students see how individual ideas form a larger whole. The paper provides a detailed discussion of how to proceed with the concept maps as building blocks in the course. This can help the instructor organize their presentation in a logical manner aimed at enhancing student learning. We also provide a comprehensive numerical example to reinforce the process over the course of the semester.
Influence of Occupational Information Giving on Cognitive Complexity in Decided versus Undecided Students.

Abstract Some research in the area of vocational counseling has focused on information-processing variables of subjects, such as the cognitive complexity-simplicity dimension. Because much vocational counseling consists of giving occupational information to the client, researchers have investigated the effect of information giving on the processing styles of subjects. Bodden and James ( Journal of Counseling Psychology , 23 , 280–282, 1976 ) found that giving occupational information to subjects caused them to become more cognitively restricted; they concluded that the practice of giving occupational information in counseling should be reexamined. The present study attempts to replicate that work while additionally controlling for the decided/undecided status of the subjects. Ninety-three subjects were administered the Career Decision Scale and the Cognitive Differentiation Grid at pretest. Subjects were then randomly assigned to the experimental-information condition or the control-no-information condition and were tested 48 hr later on the Cognitive Differentiation Grid. No significant differences were found between decideds and undecideds as a result of vocational information that they were given, and the results failed to replicate the Bodden and James (1976) findings. Implications of the results are discussed and further necessary research is specified.
First trimester prenatal diagnosis of chondroectodermal dysplasia (Ellis-van Creveld syndrome) with ultrasound.

Chondroectodermal dysplasia (Ellis–van Creveld syndrome) is an autosomal recessive condition characterized by short-limb dwarfism, postaxial polydactyly, ectodermal defects, and congenital heart disease. This condition is most prevalent in the Amish population of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, occurring in 1/5000 births and in 1/60 000 births in the general population. This report presents a case of ultrasonographic detection of chondroectodermal dysplasia at 12 weeks of gestation. Copyright © 2001 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Nucleotide sequence of an abundant rice seed globulin: homology with the high molecular weight glutelins of wheat, rye and triticale.

Abstract A cDNA clone corresponding to a 19 kD salt-soluble globulin of rice (Oryza sativa L.) was isolated by screening a λgt11 expression library of endosperm mRNA with antibodies raised against the purified rice seed α-globulin. The cDNA contained a single large open reading frame encoding a putative globulin precursor of molecular weight of 21 kD. The polypeptide consists of 182 amino acids and is devoid of lysine residues. Computer analysis of the NH2-terminal sequence of the globulin precursor protein indicated the presence of an 18 amino acid signal peptide. Segments of the amino acid sequence of the rice globulin were homologous with sequences in high molecular weight glutelins of wheat. Antibodies specific for rice seed globulin also cross-reacted with seed proteins from wheat, rye and triticale.
Repeat urethrolysis after failed urethrolysis for iatrogenic obstruction.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Bladder outlet obstruction is a potential complication of all stress incontinence surgery. Urethrolysis successfully relieves 65% to 93% of cases. We determined the success of repeat urethrolysis after failed initial urethrolysis to relieve obstruction.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the charts of 24 women who underwent repeat urethrolysis for iatrogenic obstruction after at least 1 previous attempt. Aggressive repeat urethrolysis was performed via a retropubic or transvaginal route depending on the clinical scenario and surgeon discretion. Outcomes measured were patient ability to void spontaneously without catheterization, decreased post-void residual urine and resolution of lower urinary tract symptoms, particularly urge incontinence.Results: Mean patient age was 55 years (range 38 to 80). The initial incontinence procedure was a pubovaginal sling in 10 cases, retropubic suspension in 9, needle suspension in 4 and anterior colporrhaphy in 1. A total of 23 patients had previously und...
Evaluation of the Impact of a tele-ICU Pharmacist on the Management of Sedation in Critically Ill Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Background:An organized and uniform approach to managing sedation in critically ill patients has been associated with improved outcomes, but the most effective means of optimizing sedative medication use in clinical practice has not been fully determined. Pharmacist interventions directed at improving sedation guideline compliance have been shown to reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation.Objective:To determine the impact that pharmacy staffing configurations that include a tele-ICU pharmacist have on compliance with an intensive care unit (ICU) sedation guideline in critically ill mechanically ventilated patients requiring continuous-infusion sedative medications.Methods:Compliance with an established ICU sedation guideline, the performance of daily sedative interruptions, and the number of sedative medication–related interventions were evaluated before and after expansion of the ICU pharmacist staffing model to include comprehensive off-hours pharmacist coverage supported with established tele-ICU...
Mechanisms Underlying the False Consensus Effect The Special Role of Threats to the Self

The current studies investigated the role of self-serving motivations in the False Consensus Effect (FCE). There were two major goals. First, the studies tested whether consensus estimates would be increased when judges receive threats to self in the form of failure feedback about their performance on an experimental task. The second goal of the studies was to investigate whether self-knowledge plays a special role in the FCE beyond the use of the self as simply a single available case in memory. The current findings indicated that judges indeed use the behavior of an available case (whether the self or an other) in making inferences about a target group. Moreover, under success conditions, the available case information was sufficient to account for the extent of perceived consensus. However, under failure feedback, a judge's own behavior increased estimates above and beyond the effect of information about an available individual When the self is threatened, perceptions of consensus may be increased by a...
Assessment of renal oxygenation during partial nephrectomy using hyperspectral imaging.

Purpose: DLP® hyperspectral imaging is a technology that can be used to construct a highly sensitive, noninvasive, real-time tissue hemoglobin saturation map. This almost video rate technology may be a tool to monitor renal perfusion/oxygenation during hilar occlusion and kidney recovery. We describe our initial experience using hyperspectral imaging to assess renal hemoglobin saturation parameters during open partial nephrectomy for renal cortical tumors in humans.Materials and Methods: Hyperspectral images were collected intraoperatively during open partial nephrectomy. The kidney was actively illuminated using a hyperspectral imaging camera with visible light consisting of a chemometrically predetermined spectrum (520 to 645 nm) for hemoglobin. Spectroscopic reflectance images were captured by a focal plane array, which were digitally processed to visualize the percent of oxyhemoglobin at each image pixel.Results: Hyperspectral imaging was done in 21 patients with a mean age of 56 years who were underg...
Low‐lying energy isomers and global minima of aqueous nanoclusters: Structures and spectroscopic features of the pentagonal dodecahedron (H2O)20 and (H3O)+(H2O)20

We rely on a hierarchical approach to identify the low-lying isomers and corresponding global minima of the pentagonal dodecahedron (H2O)20 and the H3O+(H2O)20 nanoclusters. Initial screening of the isomers is performed using classical interaction potentials, namely the Transferable Interaction 4-site Potential (TIP4P), the Thole-Type Flexible Model, versions 2.0 (TTM2-F) and 2.1 (TTM2.1-F) for (H2O)20 and the Anisotropic Site Potential (ASP) for H3O+(H2O)20. The nano-networks obtained with those potentials were subsequently refined at the density functional theory (DFT) with the Becke-3-parameter Lee–Yang–Parr (B3LYP) functional and at the second order Moller–Plesset perturbation (MP2) levels of theory. For the pentagonal dodecahedron (H2O)20 it was found that DFT (B3LYP) and MP2 produced the same global minimum. However, this was not the case for the H3O+(H2O)20 cluster, for which MP2 produced a different network for the global minimum when compared to DFT (B3LYP). The low-lying networks of H3O+(H2O)20 correspond to structures having 9 ‘free’ OH bonds and the hydronium ion on the surface of the nanocluster. The IR spectra of the various networks are further analysed in the OH stretching (‘fingerprint’) region and the various bands are assigned to structural arrangements of the underlying hydrogen bonding network. © 2012 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
Integrating a Nanologic Knowledge Module Into an Undergraduate Logic Design Course

This work discusses a knowledge module in an undergraduate logic design course for electrical engineering (EE) and computer science (CS) students, that introduces them to nanocomputing concepts. This knowledge module has a twofold objective. First, the module interests students in the fundamental logical behavior and functionality of the nanodevices of the future, which will motivate them to enroll in other elective courses related to nanotechnology, offered in most EE and CS departments. Second, this module can be used to let students analyze, synthesize, and apply their existing knowledge of the Karnaugh-map-based Boolean logic reduction scheme into a revolutionary design context with majority logic. Where many efforts focus on developing new courses on nanofabrication and even nanocomputing, this work is designed to augment the existing standard EE and CS courses by inserting knowledge modules on nanologic structures so as to stimulate student interest without creating a significant diversion from the course framework.
Influenza Matrix Protein 2 Alters CFTR Expression and Function through its Ion Channel Activity

The human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cyclic AMP-activated chloride (Cl−) channel in the lung epithelium that helps regulate the thickness and composition of the...
Mitotic Exit in the Absence of Separase Activity

In budding yeast, three interdigitated pathways regulate mitotic exit (ME): mitotic cyclin–cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inactivation; the Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) network, including a n...
China's Local Political Budget Cycles

This article examines the political budget cycles in Chinese counties. The shift to a more performance-based cadre evaluation and mobility system during the reform era has created an incentive structure for local leaders to increase government spending at strategically important time points during their tenure to enhance the prospect of official promotion. Such expenditures help local leaders to impress their superiors with economic and political achievements, especially those visible and quantifiable large-scale development projects. At the same time, economic and fiscal decentralization increased the capacity of local leaders to influence government budget expenditures as the need rises. The hypothesized curvilinear relationship between a leader's time in office and increased spending was tested using a comprehensive data set of all Chinese counties from 1997 through 2002. The panel data analysis shows that growth in local government spending per capita is the fastest during a leader's third and fourth years in office.
Feudalism in Japan — a Reassessment

The question of whether Japan can rightly be said to “have had feudalism” is by no means settled. Although Westerners have been writing about “Japanese feudalism” for well over a hundred years, the acceptability of this practice is still a matter of controversy among professional historians, notably among those who make the study of medieval Europe their specialty. To a long line of Western historians ending with Herbert Norman, however, there was no question about the appropriateness of placing the feudal label on Japan. Nor does the contemporary Japanese historian question a term which has become so important a part of his professional as well as everyday vocabulary. In a Japan in which the reading public is daily reminded that the “struggle against feudalism” is still being waged, feudalism seems a present reality which by its very nature cannot be denied to have existed in Japan's past.
Doxazolidine induction of apoptosis by a topoisomerase II independent mechanism.

The mechanism of doxorubicin is compared with that of doxazolidine, a doxorubicin−formaldehyde conjugate. The IC50 for growth inhibition of 67 human cancer cell lines, but not cardiomyocytes, is 32...
Developing domain-specific simulation objects for modeling clinical laboratory operations

Clinical laboratories play a critical role in patient diagnosis, treatment planning and prevention of disease, but, as with all elements of healthcare, they are under increasing pressure to improve performance and reduce costs. Although clinical laboratories reflect many aspects of traditional production systems, the medical profession is, as are most specialized areas of practice, much more willing to entertain analytical methods that describe their systems with domain-appropriate terminology and semantics. In this paper we discuss the development of a framework for creating domain-specific simulation objects for modeling clinical laboratories; we demonstrate their applicability in projects undertaken with the chemistry laboratory at Seattle Children's Hospital. The primary objective of our work is to improve the efficiency of building clinical laboratory discrete-event simulation models.
Chaotic motions from intermittency mechanisms in a simple power system model

This paper analyzes chaotic motions which result from exotic intermittency mechanisms in a simple power system model. The evolution of chaotic motions is illustrated by suitable time domain simulations. The global dynamic structure of the power system model is described and the intermittency induced chaotic motions are examined in detail. It is shown that extremely rich steady state phenomena exist in this power system model which originate from complicated intermittency mechanisms involving several chaotic limit sets and periodic orbits.
Complications of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin

Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is an important treatment for the management of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer because of its proven efficacy and favourable safety profile. The most common complications associated with BCG treatment are relatively minor. They include urinary frequency, cystitis, fever, and hematuria. Although serious complications are rare, patients can develop severe, life-threatening sepsis with disseminated mycobacterial infection. We report a rare case of periurethral diverticulum formation after intravesical BCG and review the literature on the potential complications of this treatment modality.
Let's come together: social navigation behaviors of virtual and real humans

In this paper, we present a game-like scenario that is based on a model of social group dynamics inspired by theories from the social sciences. The model is augmented by a model of proxemics that simulates the role of distance and spatial orientation in human-human communication. By means of proxemics, a group of human participants may signal other humans whether they welcome new group members to join or not. In this paper, we describe the results of an experiment we conducted to shed light on the question of how humans respond to such cues when shown by virtual humans.
Application of Kalman filtering to gyroless attitude determination and control system for environmental satellites

A highly accurate, gyroless, attitude determination and control system for advanced environmental satellites is developed and validated by analysis and simulation. The features of this approach include an algorithm to determine satellite rates directly from the apparent motion of the stars on the focal plane and an extended square root Kalman filter algorithm to estimate attitude. This system is appropriate for satellites with slowly varying attitude dynamics and high priority accuracy. Missions of this variety are meteorology, Earth resources, communication and surveillance. Appropriate attitude control techniques are reaction wheel and bias momentum system providing three-axis pointing control. The simulation results of the attitude estimation with various noise statistics on the star data are shown. The results of this approach are also compared with the gyro-aided system in accuracy of the attitude estimation process. The results show that the concept presented in the paper does work and that the accuracy would meet a large variety of satellite mission requirements. The major result of this research is the realization of a space-capable stellar attitude determination system which does not require a rate gyro package.
Test generation in circuits constructed by input decomposition

The logic synthesis tool FACTOR generates circuits by finding the best decomposition of the inputs to minimize the communication complexity. It tries to minimize the number of connections in the circuit, instead of the number of gates, for area optimization. In addition to the area optimization, FACTOR also has the feature of generating circuits for which test vectors can be easily generated. Because it tries to find an input partitioning which provides the minimal number of connections between subcircuits, the generated circuits are tree-type with restricted reconvergent fanouts. It is shown how improved testability can be achieved at the same time as area optimization by presenting an efficient test generation algorithm for the restricted tree-type circuits generated by FACTOR using a single stuck-type fault model. >
Landscape, System, and Identity in the Post-Conquest Andes

Abstract This article synthesizes the broad impact of Spanish introductions in the New World for the Central Andes (Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia). Beginning in 1531, the Spaniards brought, from Iberia and Middle America, material elements of their culture which in time were acquired by native people through both imposition and free choice. Plants, animals, and tools were selectively integrated into native agropastoral systems and architectural elements into settlement patterns. Of the screens that filtered the array of Old World rural traits, keeping some out, permitting others to successfully pass and be adopted, the most significant were conditions that the highland environment imposed and competition from existing elements of the already well-developed Andean agricultural complex. Depopulation disrupted the native agroecosystem, and in the restructuring that followed, European goods and practices were adopted along with the indigenous. About a dozen crop introductions became important among peasants out ...
A multiscale control volume finite element method for advection–diffusion equations

Summary We present a new stabilized method for advection–diffusion equations, which combines a control volume FEM formulation of the governing equations with a novel multiscale approximation of the total flux. The latter incorporates information about the exact solution that cannot be represented on the mesh. To define this flux, we solve the governing equations along suitable mesh segments under the assumption that the flux varies linearly along these segments. This procedure yields second-order accurate fluxes on the edges of the mesh. Then, we use curl-conforming elements of the same order to lift these edge fluxes into the mesh elements. In so doing, we obtain a stabilized control volume FEM formulation that is second-order accurate and does not require mesh-dependent stabilization parameters. Numerical convergence studies on uniform and nonuniform grids along with several standard advection tests illustrate the computational properties of the new method. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Sexual dimorphism and developmental regulation of substantia nigra function.

The substantia nigra is an important brain nucleus involved in the expression of movement disorders and seizures. The two most common movement disorders affecting the substantia nigra, Parkinson's disease and Tourette syndrome, show gender differences and age-related onset. To assess the substrates for the gender and age specificity of substantia nigrarelated disorders, we determined the functional properties of the substantia nigra γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA A ) system along its anterior-posterior axis, using localized microinfusions of muscimol (a GABA A agonist) and susceptibility to motor seizures in rats. In the substantia nigra, there are sex-specific differences in the topographic segregation and functionality of GABA A systems. In mature male rats there are two distinct regions mediating opposite effects on seizures; in female rats there is only one region that can affect seizures. In the neonatal period, the presence of circulating testosterone is essential for the development of a substantia nigra region that exerts proconvulsant effects throughout the rat's life, a unique feature of the male substantia nigra. The final maturation of the substantia nigra occurs in the peripubertal period, and is in part regulated by testosterone as well. The recognition of the existence of distinct sex- and age-specific substantia nigra features can be translated into new cures of disorders affecting the substantia nigra.
Genetic Factor in Etiology of Febrile Seizures

Investigators from Istanbul, Turkey, studied R43Q mutations of the gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor (GABRG2) gene, located on the long arm of chromosome 5, in 44 children with febrile seizure (FS) and 49 without.
Nutriceuticals in Sexual Health

There are certain comments derived from ­observational clinical research and television commercials that are almost beginning to sound cliche in the urologic world and this is remarkable if one looks back just a few years on the ­educational progress that has occurred in the area of sexual health. For example, the relationship between erectile dysfunction (ED) and the ­potential for a first cardiovascular disease (CVD) event is now well known that I do not even need to really provide a medical reference after ­stating this fairly obvious relationship pick a study-Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) l… [1]. However, these correlative findings seem to promote more intervention compared to education and prevention in my opinion. Health care professionals need to sell the concept of lifestyle changes and dietary supplement additions and deletions to promote sexual health first as much as pharmacologic intervention in my opinion. I often tell patients that it has become an adage that they can reiterate over and over to say that “when diet and exercise do not work there is …!” However, this should be true of every aspect of preventive medicine and not just heart disease. For example, when diet and exercise does not work there is …. This is the simple goal of this chapter.
Seasonal Variation in Sea Turtle Density and Abundance in the Southeast Florida Current and Surrounding Waters

Assessment and management of sea turtle populations is often limited by a lack of available data pertaining to at-sea distributions at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions. Assessing the spatial and temporal distributions of marine turtles in an open system poses both observational and analytical challenges due to the turtles’ highly migratory nature. Surface counts of marine turtles in waters along the southern part of Florida’s east coast were made in and adjacent to the southeast portion of the Florida Current using standard aerial surveys during 2011 and 2012 to assess their seasonal presence. This area is of particular concern for sea turtles as interest increases in offshore energy developments, specifically harnessing the power of the Florida Current. While it is understood that marine turtles use these waters, here we evaluate seasonal variation in sea turtle abundance and density over two years. Density of sea turtles observed within the study area ranged from 0.003 turtles km-2 in the winter of 2011 to 0.064 turtles km-2 in the spring of 2012. This assessment of marine turtles in the waters off southeast Florida quantifies their in-water abundance across seasons in this area to establish baselines and inform future management strategies of these protected species.
Efficient Recurrence Quantum Distillation Algorithm for Phase-Damping Channel

Quantum entanglement among remote agents is a key enabler for many important quantum communication operations. To establish entanglement between two remote agents, one agent can locally generate entangled qubit pairs and transmit one of the qubits in each pair to the other agent through quantum channels. However, the transmitted qubits will inevitably be contaminated by the noise inherent in the quantum channels. To address this challenge, quantum entanglement distillation (QED) algorithms have been developed to generate highly-entangled qubit pairs from many contaminated ones. Nevertheless, existing algorithms either have low efficiency or require large-scale quantum circuits. This paper focuses on phase-damping channel and proposes an efficient QED algorithm that only require small- scale quantum circuit.
Unmanned Aircraft and the Applicability of Military Flying Qualities Standards

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have a growing role in military aviation, but are not addressed in the flying qualities standard for military aircraft, MIL-STD-1797B. This deficiency is gradually being recognized, but there is little published work assessing MILSTD-1797B as a standard for unpiloted (or remotely piloted) aircraft. The simulations performed in this study serve as test cases to demonstrate the need for revisions of the standard that specifically address UAVs. The study was limited to lateral-directional flying qualities assessments, and a gust during landing approach was used as the stressing case. Four different sizes of UAVs were simulated responding to a discrete gust at approach speeds, 100 feet above the field. The results showed that roll-mode time constant requirements for gust recovery are strongly dependent on the size of the UAV and can be larger or smaller than the 1797B standard. They also showed that roll control effectiveness requirements could be significantly relaxed (assuming low-altitude gust recovery is the most stressing lateral control task). Additionally, it was found that a revised classification system is necessary in order to apply requirements to a diverse group of military UAVs. This research reveals the need for a new or revised standard. Further research and accumulation of flight test data will be required to create a flying qualities standard that is applicable to all UAVs.