cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optical implementation of code division multiplexing for super resolution. Part II. Temporal method

In this paper the resolving ability of an imaging system is improved by using temporal orthonormal coding of information. In this technique each one of the spectral-spatial bands of the input is coded with orthonormal temporal codes. The paper presents computer simulations that validate the theory.
Continuous time parameter estimation of multi-story buildings

Two parameter estimation approaches have been developed for system modeling and health monitoring of multi-story buildings based on structural vibration responses under seismic excitation and/or applied forces. In the first approach, parameter estimation is performed in a decentralized fashion, i.e. parameters are estimated for each story individually, while in the second approach, the parameters are estimated in a centralized manner for the entire structure. In order to reduce the effect of random noise, drift with D.C. off-set as well as low-frequency disturbances in the measured data, three kinds of filter (i.e., high-pass filter, moving average filter and Kalman filter) have been used for data preprocessing. Numerical simulations based on lumped parameter models and a finite element model of a realistic building have been conducted. The results show that, the performance of the decentralized approach is better than the centralized one in the cases studied.
Effect of routine intensive care interactions on metabolic rate.

The alterations in metabolic (oxygen consumption [Vo 2 ] and carbon dioxide production [Vco 2 ]) and hemodynamic (heart rate and blood pressure) parameters caused by various common intensive care activities were examined in a group of 23 mechanically-ventilated critically-ill patients. The observed variations in metabolic rate can be classified into four categories as follows: (a) the lowest energy expenditure, which was associated with sleeping in the majority (83 percent) of instances; (b) resting, which was defined as a state where the patient was lying motionless with eyes open and responding to surrounding events, where V . o 2 and V . co 2 averaged 9.1 ± 7.5(SD) percent and 7.5 ± 7.3 percent, respectively, above the lowest values; (c) a variety of routine daily care activities (eg, bathing, performing a physical examination) that although not particularly painful, caused arousal from the resting state. During these situations, V . o 2 and V . co 2 averaged about 20 percent above lowest values; and (d) chest physical therapy, which was associated with metabolic increases of 35 percent above lowest values as well as increases in both heart rate and blood pressure. This study demonstrates that routine daily ICU activities can significantly alter metabolic rate, and thus, it is important to couple such measurements with astute observations of the patients’ activity state. In addition, we have defined an activity state—resting—that can be used in the calculation of energy expenditure as well as for intrapatient and interpatient comparisons.
Hemifacial Spasm Caused by a Venule: Case Report

The syndrome of hemifacial spasm occurs as a consequence of compression, almost universally by blood vessels, of the root entry zone of the facial nerve. The vascular compression is usually obvious at operation, but may be subtle. The author describes a case in which a venule running in an anterior-posterior direction across the caudal aspect of the root entry zone of the facial nerve, which was thought to be causing the spasm, was coagulated and divided. A small, more distal arteriole, probably not contributory, was decompressed away from the nerve. After operation, the patient improved gradually, and she remains free of facial spasm or weakness. This is the most subtle vascular compression seen by the author and his colleagues in over 400 microvascular decompressions for hemifacial spasm.
Perturbation analysis analyzed—mathematical modeling of intact and perturbed gene regulatory circuits for animal development

Gene regulatory networks for animal development are the underlying mechanisms controlling cell fate specification and differentiation. The architecture of gene regulatory circuits determines their information processing properties and their developmental function. It is a major task to derive realistic network models from exceedingly advanced high throughput experimental data. Here we use mathematical modeling to study the dynamics of gene regulatory circuits to advance the ability to infer regulatory connections and logic function from experimental data. This study is guided by experimental methodologies that are commonly used to study gene regulatory networks that control cell fate specification. We study the effect of a perturbation of an input on the level of its downstream genes and compare between the cis-regulatory execution of OR and AND logics. Circuits that initiate gene activation and circuits that lock on the expression of genes are analyzed. The model improves our ability to analyze experimental data and construct from it the network topology. The model also illuminates information processing properties of gene regulatory circuits for animal development.
Sea Level Variations along the U.S. Pacific Northwest Coast: Tectonic and Climate Controls

Abstract Analyses of the progressive multidecadal trends and climate-controlled annual variations in mean sea levels are presented for nine tide-gauge stations along the coast of the U.S. Pacific Northwest: Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. The trends in relative sea levels are strongly affected by the tectonics of this region, characterized by significant alongcoast variations in changing land elevations measured by benchmarks and global positioning system data. These combined data sets document the existence of both submergent and emergent stretches of shore. The Pacific Northwest sea levels are also affected by variations in the monthly mean seasonal cycles, with its extreme water levels occurring in the winter during strong El Ninos. To quantify this climate control and to derive improved multidecadal sea-level trends, separate evaluations of the winter and summer-averaged measured water levels have been undertaken. The resulting pair of linear regressions for each tide gauge shows a consis...
Damage in a random microstructure: Size effects, fractals, and entropy maximization

In this paper a micromechanical approach to damage growth in graph-representable microstructures is presented. Damage is defined as an elastic inelastic transition in the grain boundaries and is represented in terms of a binary or ternary random field Z on the graph. A method based on the percolation theory brings out the size effects in scatter of strength, and the fractal character of damage geometry, and thus provides a basis for a multifractal model of a range of damage phenomena. The Markov property of field Z leads to a description of Z in terms of Gibbs probability measures and establishes a link between the entropy of disorder of Z and the physical entropy of damage in the ensemble of material specimens. Derivation of stochastic constitutive laws is outlined using the formalism of free energy and the dissipation function extended to random media.
MR Intervention: Indications, Technique, Correlation and Histologic

Although breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was initially hindered by the limited availability of coils, protocols, and particularly breast biopsy devices, standardized imaging and specialized equipment necessary to perform high-quality MR imaging of the breast is now readily available. Those performing breast MR imaging should also be capable of performing biopsies, or at least have a close association with a facility that does. Optimal management of patients requires a good understanding of the indications and technique of breast MR imaging biopsies. In this article the indications for breast MR interventional procedures along with the techniques used are described. In addition, the histologic process encountered and recommended strategies for patient management are discussed.
Cell orientation determines the alignment of cell-produced collagenous matrix

In healing ligaments and tendons, the cells are not aligned and collagen matrix is not organized as in normal tissues. In addition, the mechanical properties of the tissues are abnormal. We hypothesized that the lack of alignment of the collagen matrix results from random orientation of the cells seen in the healing area. To test this hypothesis, a novel in vitro model was used in which the orientation of cells could be controlled via microgrooves, and alignment of the collagen matrix formed by these cells could be easily observed. It is known that cells align uniformly along the direction of microgrooves; therefore MC3T3-E1 cells, which produce large amounts of collagen, were grown on silicone membranes with parallel microgrooves (10 microm wide x 3 microm deep) in the surface. As a control, the same cells were also grown on smooth silicone membranes. Cells on both the microgrooved and smooth silicone surfaces produced a layer of readily visible collagen matrix. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the matrix consisted of abundant type I collagen. Polarized light microscopy of the collagen matrix revealed the collagen fibers to be parallel to the direction of the microgrooves, whereas the collagen matrix produced by the randomly oriented cells on the smooth membranes was disorganized. Thus, the results of this study suggest that the orientation of cells affects the organization of the collagenous matrix produced by the cells. The results also suggest that orienting cells along the longitudinal direction of healing ligaments and tendons may lead to the production of aligned collagenous matrix that more closely represents the uninjured state. This may enhance the mechanical properties of healing ligaments and tendons.
The utilization of congruence coefficients in human communication research

This paper describes the use of congruence coefficients, which can be used to determine the similarity of factor structures (Tucker, 1951). Although this technique has been widely used, the human communication literature contains no simple explanation of how to calculate congruence coefficients. Therefore, this paper provides information on how to use factor analytic data to compute congruence coefficients. Information on testing congruence coefficients for statistical significance is also provided.
Bayesian latent variable models for clustered mixed outcomes

A general framework is proposed for modelling clustered mixed outcomes. A mixture of generalized linear models is used to describe the joint distribution of a set of underlying variables, and an arbitrary function relates the underlying variables to be observed outcomes. The model accommodates multilevel data structures, general covariate effects and distinct link functions and error distributions for each underlying variable. Within the framework proposed, novel models are developed for clustered multiple binary, unordered categorical and joint discrete and continuous outcomes. A Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling algorithm is described for estimating the posterior distributions of the parameters and latent variables. Because of the flexibility of the modelling framework and estimation procedure, extensions to ordered categorical outcomes and more complex data structures are straightforward. The methods are illustrated by using data from a reproductive toxicity study.
SOME PROPERTIES OF BINARY SERIES-PARALLEL GRAPHS

We introduce an incremental growth model for directed binary series-parallel (SP) graphs. The vertices of a directed binary SP graphs can only have outdgrees 1 or 2. We show that the number of vertices of outdegree 1 have a normal distribution (so, necessarily, the vertices of outdegree 2 have a normal distribution, too). Furthermore, we study the average length of a random walk between the poles of the graph. The asymptotic equivalent of the latter property includes the golden ratio. Polya urns will systematically provide a coding method to initiate the studies.
Modeling of nonstationary ground motion and analysis of inelastic structural response

Abstract A new stochastic model of ground excitation is proposed in which both intensity and frequency content are functions of time, and corresponding methods for estimating the model parameters based on actual earthquake records are also given. The proposed ground motion model can be efficiently applied in simulations as well as random vibration vibration and reliability studies of inelastic structures. Responses of single-mass inelastic systems and three-story space frames, with or without deterioration under the nonstationary biaxial ground excitation are investigated via the equivalent linearization method and Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the time-varying frequency content the dominant frequencies of ground excitation are close to the structural natural frequency. Also biaxial and torsional response may become significant in an unsymmetric structure.
Development of a Tunable Multiband UWB Radar Sensor and Its Applications to Subsurface Sensing

Development of a new tunable multiband ultra-wideband (UWB) radar sensor is presented. The UWB sensor integrates the transmitter, receiver, and antennas completely in a single package using microwave integrated circuits and operates over multiple pulse durations or frequency bands. The sensor can transmit pulses with duration varying from 450 to 1170 ps and peak power from 200 to 400 mW and can detect signals with a conversion gain of 6.5-9.5 dB and a dynamic range of 50dB over a 5.5-GHz RF bandwidth. It has a range resolution of around 1 in. The sensor performs well through tests of various samples, demonstrating its success for subsurface sensing. The multipulse/multiband feature allows the sensor to achieve both fine-range resolution and long operating range and enhanced target detection and classification
The maize brown midrib4 (bm4) gene encodes a functional folylpolyglutamate synthase

Summary Mutations in the brown midrib4 (bm4) gene affect the accumulation and composition of lignin in maize. Fine-mapping analysis of bm4 narrowed the candidate region to an approximately 105 kb interval on chromosome 9 containing six genes. Only one of these six genes, GRMZM2G393334, showed decreased expression in mutants. At least four of 10 Mu-induced bm4 mutant alleles contain a Mu insertion in the GRMZM2G393334 gene. Based on these results, we concluded that GRMZM2G393334 is the bm4 gene. GRMZM2G393334 encodes a putative folylpolyglutamate synthase (FPGS), which functions in one-carbon (C1) metabolism to polyglutamylate substrates of folate-dependent enzymes. Yeast complementation experiments demonstrated that expression of the maize bm4 gene in FPGS-deficient met7 yeast is able to rescue the yeast mutant phenotype, thus demonstrating that bm4 encodes a functional FPGS. Consistent with earlier studies, bm4 mutants exhibit a modest decrease in lignin concentration and an overall increase in the S:G lignin ratio relative to wild-type. Orthologs of bm4 include at least one paralogous gene in maize and various homologs in other grasses and dicots. Discovery of the gene underlying the bm4 maize phenotype illustrates a role for FPGS in lignin biosynthesis.
Where do we draw the line? A simulation approach for evaluating management of marine fish stocks with isolation-by-distance stock structure

There is no established management protocol for stocks subject to isolation-by-distance (IBD) stock structure. This study examines several management strategies for two marine fish species subject to IBD using simulation: Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) in the Aleutian Islands (AI) and northern rockfish (Sebastes polyspinis) in the Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) and AI. A one-dimensional stepping stone model was used to model IBD and was intended to mimic regions where marine species are exploited along a continental shelf. The performance of spatial assessment and management methods depended on how the range was split. Splitting anywhere within the managed area led to fewer demes falling below target and threshold biomass levels and higher yield than managing the entire area as a single unit. Equilibrium yield was maximized when each deme was assessed and managed separately and under catch cascading, in which harvest quotas within a management unit are spatially allocated based upon the distribution of surve...
Identification of Developmentally Specific Enhancers for Tsix in the Regulation of X Chromosome Inactivation

X chromosome inactivation silences one of two X chromosomes in the mammalian female cell and is controlled by a binary switch that involves interactions between Xist and Tsix, a sense-antisense pair of noncoding genes. On the future active X chromosome, Tsix expression suppresses Xist upregulation, while on the future inactive X chromosome, Tsix repression is required for Xist-mediated chromosome silencing. Thus, understanding the binary switch mechanism depends on ascertaining how Tsix expression is regulated. Here we have taken an unbiased approach toward identifying Tsix regulatory elements within the X chromosome inactivation center. First, we defined the major Tsix promoter and found that it cannot fully recapitulate the developmental dynamics of Tsix expression, indicating a requirement for additional regulatory elements. We then delineated two enhancers, one classical enhancer mapping upstream of Tsix and a bipartite enhancer that flanks the major Tsix promoter. These experiments revealed the intergenic transcription element Xite as an enhancer of Tsix and the repeat element DXPas34 as a component of the bipartite enhancer. Each enhancer contains DNase I-hypersensitive sites and appears to confer developmental specificity to Tsix expression. Characterization of these enhancers will facilitate the identification of trans-acting regulatory factors for X chromosome counting and choice.
Lanthanide chelates as magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents

Abstract Several chelates of Gd 3+ are being evaluated for use as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. This trivalent lanthanide has become the ion chosen for many MRI applications because of its large magnetic moment, long electron-spin relaxation time, and favorable water coordination number and exchange rates. The characteristics of those gadolinium chelates which appear to be safe for use in humans include thermodynamic stability and/or kinetic inertness and a low net negative charge at pH 7.4. Two of the most widely used complexes to date include Gd(DTPA) 2− and Gd(DOTA) − . These non-specific blood pool agents distribute throughout the extracellular spaces (both intra- and extravascular) before being cleared through the kidneys. Chelates may also be covalently attached to a macromolecule to restrict the paramagnetic ion in the intravascular space or target it to a particular organ or cell type. Monopropylamide derivatives of DTPA and DOTA, which serve as models for chelate-conjugated proteins, form considerably less stable complexes with Gd 3+ without the expected increase in inner-sphere water molecules. The properties of the linear and macrocyclic chelates are compared, and those factors which yield the greatest MRI contrast per dosage of Gd 3+ are discussed.
Gain measurements of quantum well intermixed hybrid silicon evanescent lasers

Using a single active material, we demonstrate hybrid silicon lasers having 4 different wavelengths spanning >100 nm. Measurements show that performance is similar for lasers operating at 1450, 1475, 1510, and 1560 nm.
A dosimetric analysis of acute gastrointestinal toxicity in women receiving intensity-modulated whole-pelvic radiation therapy.

Abstract Purpose : To identify dosimetric factors correlated with acute gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity in gynecology patients undergoing intensity-modulated whole pelvic radiation therapy (IM-WPRT). Material and methods : Fifty gynecology patients received IM-WPRT (45–1.8Gy/fraction) between 2/00 and 3/02. All patients were treated to a clinical target volume (CTV) consisting of the upper vagina, parametria, uterus, presacral region and pelvic lymph nodes. Grade 2 acute GI toxicity requiring frequent medications and grade 3–5 toxicities were designated as clinically significant and analyzed as a function of patient and dosimetric variables. The most significant volumetric factors were fit to a normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) function. Results : Fourteen women (28%) developed clinically significant acute GI toxicity. None of the patient factors were correlated with acute GI toxicity. In addition, the volume of rectum receiving 25, 50, 75, 90, 100 and 110% of the prescription dose did not reach statistical significance. In contrast, a correlation was observed between the volume of small bowel (SB) irradiated and acute GI toxicity, particularly the SB volumes receiving 90 and 100% of the prescription dose ( p =0.009 and p =0.009, respectively). Controlling for patient and other dosimetric factors, the SB volume receiving the 100% (Vol SB,100 ) of the prescription dose remained the sole significant factor on multivariate analysis ( p =0.012). Subsequently, a NTCP curve, quantifying the risk of acute GI toxicity, was generated based on the Vol SB,100 . Conclusions : The most significant factor correlated acute GI toxicity in gynecology patients undergoing IM-WPRT is Vol SB,100 .
Construction of an atomic model for tropomyosin and implications for interactions with actin.

An atomic model of tropomyosin has been constructed that includes precise information about the three-dimensional winding of the molecule in the crystal, the crystallographically determined pitch of the coiled coil, stereochemically reasonable bond lengths and angles, and intermeshed hydrophobic side-chains at the interface of the two a-helices. This model allows a visualization of the atomic structure of tropomyosin, and is useful for modeling the molecule’s interactions with troponin and actin. The length of a tropomyosin molecule is such that it spans seven actin monomers along the thin filament. On this basis, a periodic structure might be expected for tropomyosin. The long-range periodicities in the amino acid sequence of tropomyosin that Parry (1975a) and McLachlan & Stewart (1976) identified as likely actin-binding regions have now been re-examined by including three-dimensional information. In their quantitative analysis of periodicities, the molecule was treated as a linear string of amino acids, and Fourier transforms were used to measure the statistical significance of “seven-ness” or “fourteenness” of charge distributions. They concluded that the fundamental sequence repeat was 14-fold on the basis of the analysis, but go on to say that the 14 sites are divided into two alternating sets of seven sites, termed a-zones and p-zones (not to be confused with aand fi-isoforms of tropomyosin from different tissues). They further emphasize the consistent features of the a-sites relative to the p-sites. Here, we extend the quantitative analysis to include information about the relative azimuthal positions of the amino acid side-chains, and arrive at the conclusion that sevenfold periodicity is the fundamental feature.
The Morbid Cutaneous Anatomy of the Human Genome

Background: The identification of genes whose mutations underlie hereditary diseases has long been a holy grail and one whose satisfaction very recently has become a reality for a surprisingly large number of dermatologic diseases. Observations: This review summarizes in brief the chromosomal localization and, where known, the gene identification for diseases expressed primarily in the skin. These vary from skin cancer genes whose products control cell growth and carry out DNA repair to skin fragility genes whose products impart mechanical stability to the skin. Conclusions: The explosion of new data in the past several years summarized herein is nearly unprecedented and bodes well for the development of new therapeutic approaches to common as well as rare skin disorders. ( Arch Dermatol. 1993;129:1417-1423) VICTOR A. McKusick, MD, published a series of review articles from 1986 through 1988, entitled "The Morbid Anatomy of the Human Genome." 1-4 By this title, he indicated that
Detection of curved robots using 3D ultrasound

Three-dimensional ultrasound can be an effective imaging modality for image-guided interventions since it enables visualization of both the instruments and the tissue. For robotic applications, its realtime frame rates create the potential for image-based instrument tracking and servoing. These capabilities can enable improved instrument visualization, compensation for tissue motion as well as surgical task automation. Continuum robots, whose shape comprises a smooth curve along their length, are well suited for minimally invasive procedures. Existing techniques for ultrasound tracking, however, are limited to straight, laparoscopic-type instruments and thus are not applicable to continuum robot tracking. Toward the goal of developing tracking algorithms for continuum robots, this paper presents a method for detecting a robot comprised of a single constant curvature in a 3D ultrasound volume. Computational efficiency is achieved by decomposing the six-dimensional circle estimation problem into two sequential three-dimensional estimation problems. Simulation and experiment are used to evaluate the proposed method.
Improving chemoradiotherapy with nanoparticle therapeutics.

Chemoradiotherapy has been a key treatment paradigm in cancer management. One of the main research objectives in cancer research has been to identify agents and strategies to improve the therapeutic index of chemoradiation. Recent development of nanoparticle (NP)-based chemotherapeutics offers a unique opportunity to improve the delivery of chemotherapy, which can in turn improve chemoradiotherapy’s efficacy while lowering toxicity. NP-based chemotherapeutics also possess several characteristics that are well suited for chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, NP chemotherapeutics hold high potential in improving the therapeutic index of chemoradiotherapy. This manuscript reviews the NP properties that are favorable for chemoradiation and the rationale to utilize nanotherapeutics in chemoradiation. This review also discusses the preclinical and clinical data on using NP therapeutics in chemoradiotherapy.
Simulation of polar ozone depletion: An update

We evaluate polar ozone depletion chemistry using the specified dynamics version of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model for the year 2011. We find that total ozone depletion in both hemispheres is dependent on cold temperatures (below 192 K) and associated heterogeneous chemistry on polar stratospheric cloud particles. Reactions limited to warmer temperatures above 192 K, or on binary liquid aerosols, yield little modeled polar ozone depletion in either hemisphere. An imposed factor of three enhancement in stratospheric sulfate increases ozone loss by up to 20 Dobson unit (DU) in the Antarctic and 15 DU in the Arctic in this model. Such enhanced sulfate loads are similar to those observed following recent relatively small volcanic eruptions since 2005 and imply impacts on the search for polar ozone recovery. Ozone losses are strongly sensitive to temperature, with a test case cooler by 2 K producing as much as 30 DU additional ozone loss in the Antarctic and 40 DU in the Arctic. A new finding of this paper is the use of the temporal behavior and variability of ClONO2 and HCl as indicators of the efficacy of heterogeneous chemistry. Transport of ClONO2 from the southern subpolar regions near 55–65°S to higher latitudes near 65–75°S provides a flux of NOx from more sunlit latitudes to the edge of the vortex and is important for ozone loss in this model. Comparisons between modeled and observed total column and profile ozone perturbations, ClONO2 abundances, and the rate of change of HCl bolster confidence in these conclusions.
Development and Survivorship of Immature Angoumois Grain Moth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on Stored Corn

Abstract Life history of immature Angoumois grain moths, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier), was studied on dent corn (Pioneer 3320) at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40°C and at 43, 53–61, 75–76, and 82–87% RH under laboratory conditions. At 10 and 40°C, none of the stages survived at any relative humidity. Temperature was the main factor affecting egg incubation period, larval-pupal development time, and egg and larval-pupal survivorship. The shortest egg development times occurred at temperatures of 30°C and higher, but they increased sharply as temperature decreased. Larval-pupal development time was shortest at 30°C. Survivorship was optimal at 20–30°C for eggs and larvae-pupae, but larval-pupal survivorship decreased sharply at 15 and 35°C. Duration of larval-pupal development did not vary with sex. Newly emerged females were twofold heavier than males, and temperature and relative humidity did not affect weight. Sex ratio of emerging adults did not differ from 1:1 at any temperature or relative humidity. ...
Endocrinology of the Ovary

The ovary is a complex endocrine organ with both a cortex and a medulla. The medulla contains primarily loose connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves, but few follicles. The ovarian cortex is composed of primordial and developing follicles, corpora lutea, and corpora albicantia distributed in loose connective tissue known as the interfollicular stroma (Fig. 1).
Determining Number of Active Sites and TOF for the High-Temperature Water Gas Shift Reaction by Iron Oxide-Based Catalysts

This study demonstrates, with C16O2/C18O2 isotope switch and H2-TPR experiments, for the first time that (i) the high-temperature water–gas shift (HT-WGS) reaction by copper–chromium-iron oxide catalysts follows a redox mechanism dominated by the surface layer, (ii) the number of catalytic active sites can be quantified by the isotopic switch, and (iii) the turnover frequency (TOF) can be determined from knowledge of the number of sites. The quantitative TOF values reveal that chromium is only a textural promoter, whereas copper is a chemical promoter.
Distinct Effects of Humic Acid on Transport and Retention of TiO2 Rutile Nanoparticles in Saturated Sand Columns

The distinct effects of humic acid (HA, 0-10 mg L(-1)) on the transport of titanium dioxide (rutile) nanoparticles (nTiO(2)) through saturated sand columns were observed under conditions of environmental relevance (ionic strength 3-200 mM NaCl, pH 5.7 and 9.0). Specifically, the transport of nTiO(2) was dramatically enhanced in the presence of HA at pH 5.7, even at a low HA concentration of 1 mg L(-1). The mobility of nTiO(2) was further increased with greater concentrations of HA. In contrast, this enhancement of the nTiO(2) transportability due to the presence of HA was limited at pH 9.0 because of the negligible adsorption of HA onto nTiO(2), regardless of the concentrations of HA examined in this study. The distinct effects can be explained by the adsorption behaviors of HA to nTiO(2) and sand surfaces and the resulting interactions between nTiO(2) and sand surfaces under different conditions, which resulted in a large variation of the nTiO(2) transport and deposition behaviors at various conditions. In addition, theoretical interaction energy calculations and additional elution experiments indicate that the secondary energy minimum played an important role in controlling the nTiO(2) transport and deposition in porous media observed in this study. Moreover, the interaction energy calculations suggest that at pH 5.7, HA affected nTiO(2) transport by increasing the negative surface charge of nTiO(2) at low HA adsorption densities; whereas, combinations of increased electrostatic and steric interactions due to the presence of HA were the main mechanisms of enhanced transportability of nTiO(2) at high HA adsorption densities. Overall, results from this study suggest that natural organic matter and solution pH are likely key factors that govern the stability and mobility of nTiO(2) in the natural aquatic environment.
Contrail Reduction Strategies Using Different Weather Resources

weather conditions. The concept of contrail frequency index is used to quantify the severity of contrail formation and is modied with additional weather information. The contrail frequency index is dened as the number of aircraft ying through regions that would form contrails during a period of time. When the weather forecast indicates that there were already clouds in the regions, the index is discounted. The index is used to identify the air trac control centers and altitudes with high potential for contrail formation in the next few hours. This is so that dierent strategies can be used to reduce the contrail formation in the entire airspace by altering the aircraft cruising altitudes. When severe weather is present, the feasibility of the strategies will be evaluated. For the day tested, contrail frequency index was discounted by 14% when taking into account the eect of cloud coverage. The contrail reduction strategy achieves a 63.7% contrail reduction taking into account the weather impact if the aircraft are allowed to alter their cruising altitude by 2,000 feet, and a 92.6% reduction if by 4,000 feet. The proposed contrail reduction strategies are suitable for reducing contrail formation in the entire airspace with the presence of dierent weather conditions.
Robotic Assistive Device for Phlebotomy

Phlebotomy is a routine task, performed over a billion times annually in the United States alone, that is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment. We designed and constructed Phlebot, a robotic assistive device that uses a novel combination of near-infrared (NIR) monocular imaging and force-feedback to guide a needle into a forearm vein for blood sample collection or intravenous catheterization. Through initial validation on phantoms, we show that our approach offers a feasible and reliable method to automate phlebotomy. We envision the device to be a first major step towards more affordable point-of-care testing and diagnostic healthcare systems. In the long term, we expect that Phlebot will expedite healthcare delivery and drastically reduce needle stick injuries, instances of hemolysis, and infections caused by blood-borne pathogens.© 2015 ASME
In Memoriam: Arnold M. Katz, MD: 1932-2016.

Arnold M. Katz was born in Chicago. His mother was a piano teacher; his father, Louis N. Katz, was an internationally renowned cardiologist and cardiovascular physiologist who received a Lasker award and was President of both the American Physiological Society and the American Heart Association. As an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, Arnold spent a summer at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where he participated in a study of the physico-chemical properties of skeletal muscle. As a medical student, he spent 2 summers in his father’s laboratory at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago studying control of and interactions between coronary blood flow, left ventricular volume, and the energetics of the heart. In 1955, he first authored his first paper in Circulation Research on this subject.1 Thus, even before completing medical school, he had already worked in 2 areas—muscle chemistry and control of ventricular performance—to which he devoted much of his life as an investigator. After receiving his MD cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1956, Katz trained in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He spent 2 years in the Laboratory of Nobel Prize–winning biochemist Christian B. Anfinsen Jr, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he trained in and conducted research on protein chemistry. A paper on peptide separation and analysis, published in 1959 with Anfinsen, was identified by Current Contents as a Citation Classic.2 He then trained in clinical cardiology with Paul Wood, considered the leading clinical cardiologist of the era, at the Institute of Cardiology in London, followed by a 3-year advanced fellowship in muscle biochemistry with another distinguished scientist, W.F.H.M. Mommarets, at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Thus, after training in basic science, clinical …
Stress removal and stress addition in Spanish

In Spanish function words and expressions can be classified as lexically stressed or unstressed. Unstressed function words are usually realized without word-level prominence. There is also a contrast between compounds with stress on all their components and compound with a single stress, on the last member. Both in the case of function words and in the case of compounds, the facts are idiosyncratic in some respects. In this paper, these facts are presented in some detail and an analysis along the lines of Liberman & Sproat’s (1992) proposal for English is made. In this analysis, unstressed elements join in a single prosodic word with following elements. Interestingly, Spanish differs from English in being right-dominant in both word- and phrase-level prosodic domains. Within each prosodic word only the stress of the last element is realized. I also discuss the nature of secondary stress in Spanish. It is tentatively proposed that two different secondary stress phenomena should be distinguished.
Genomic Integration of High-Risk HPV Alters Gene Expression in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

High-risk HPV (hrHPV) is the leading etiologic factor in oropharyngeal cancer. HPV-positive oropharyngeal tumors generally respond well to therapy, with complete recovery in approximately 80% of patients. However, it remains unclear why some patients are nonresponsive to treatment, with 20% of patients recurring within 5 years. In this study, viral factors were examined for possible clues to differences in tumor behavior. Oropharynx tumors that responded well to therapy were compared with those that persisted and recurred. Viral oncogene alternate transcripts were assessed, and cellular sites of viral integration were mapped and sequenced. Effects of integration on gene expression were assessed by transcript analysis at the integration sites. All of the tumors demonstrated active viral oncogenesis, indicated by expression of HPV E6 and E7 oncogenes and alternate E6 splicing. In the responsive tumors, HPV integration occurred exclusively in intergenic chromosome regions, except for one tumor with viral integration into TP63. Each recurrent tumor exhibited complex HPV integration patterns into cancer-associated genes, including TNFRSF13B, SCN2A, SH2B1, UBE2V2, SMOC1, NFIA, and SEMA6D . Disrupted cellular transcripts were identified in the region of integration in four of the seven affected genes. Implications: Integration of transcriptionally active hrHPV into cellular intergenic regions associates with tumor behavior by altering gene expression. Mol Cancer Res; 14(10); 941–52. ©2016 AACR .
Intended and Unintended Consequences of Educational Technology on Social Inequality.

While much has been written in the field of educational technology regarding educational excellence and efficiency, less attention has been paid to issues of equity. Along these lines, the field of educational technology often does not address key equity problems such as academic achievement and attainment gaps, and inequality of educational access and opportunity. In this paper, we survey research regarding persistent inequality issues related to (a) educational access and (b) educational opportunity in the U.S. education system. Furthermore, we discuss intended and unintended consequences of educational technology on social equality. We then conclude with a discussion of how educational technology researchers and practitioners should consider the broader social context in which their work is conducted and the intended and unintended consequences it might have on social inequality.
Resilience-based post-disaster recovery strategies for road-bridge networks

This paper presents a novel resilience-based framework to optimise the scheduling of the post-disaster recovery actions for road-bridge transportation networks. The methodology systematically incor...
The Cost of Internal Control and Corporate Governance in Latin America

As organizations hope to take advantage of Thomas Friedman’s flattened world, they must increasingly recognize that corporate governance and internal controls are no longer tools that are solely important for large multinational corporations in the European Union and the United States. This paper explores the interplay between Country Governance and Corporate Governance and how this interplay is critical for successful economic development in Latin America. In particular, it investigates the degree to which the impact of government corruption on the development of disclosure practices by both Multinational Corporations and Small and Medium sized Entities (SMEs) impacts on foreign direct investment. Moreover, these policies often affect the relationships that foreign corporations can facilitate under laws such as the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Internal control and Corporate Governance are examined as tools that organizations implement rather than merely talk about.
Using Iterative Group Presentations in an Introductory Biology Course to Enhance Student Engagement and Critical Thinking

Abstract In this study, we examined two types of group presentation assignments for use in a large, introductory biology course. Students were placed into groups of 6 to 8 members, and tasked with researching a topic and preparing a 10-minute inclass presentation. The assignments varied by course section; in the control section, each group's topics were selected to complement the course topic, whereas in the iterative sections, each group's topic would derive from the previous group's presentation. Students' critical thinking skills were assessed before and after the semester's presentations, and exit surveys were conducted. Results show that students in the iterative group performed better than control on exam questions, and overall interest in biology was high in both groups as a result of the presentations. Overall, performing group presentations in an iterative style enhanced learning by mimicking the scientific process of inquiry and discovery.
A mathematical model of treatment of cancer stem cells with immunotherapy

Using the work of Shelby Wilson and Doron Levy (2012), we develop a mathematical model to study the growth and responsiveness of cancerous tumors to various immunotherapy treatments. We use numerical simulations and stability analysis to predict long-term behavior of passive and aggressive tumors with a range of antigenicities. For high antigenicity aggressive tumors, we show that remission is only achieved after combination treatment with TGF-β inhibitors and a peptide vaccine. Additionally, we show that combination treatment has limited effectiveness on low antigenicity aggressive tumors and that using TGF-β inhibition or vaccine treatment alone proves generally ineffective for all tumor types considered. A key feature of our model is the identification of separate cancer stem cell and tumor cell populations. Our model predicts that even with combination treatment, failure to completely eliminate the cancer stem cell population leads to cancer recurrence.
Higher education: the quest for the sustainable campus

(2009). Higher education: the quest for the sustainable campus. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 1-8.
Old Style Management

The Industrial Revolution was brought to India by British capitalists who were attracted by India’s industrial potential. However, these people were faced with one major dilemma: they did not want to live and tend personally to their investments in India. In order to surmount this problem, these men invented a unique system of absentee management. They formed and registered their companies in England to do business in India, but the directors of these companies did not assume the direct responsibility for the companies’ operation and management. Instead, they contracted out these functions to interested Britishers who were either living in India or were willing to go there. This system of management by proxy came to be known as the “managing agency system.”1
Structural and Control Optimization with Weight and Frobenius Norm as Performance Functions

A simultaneous structural and control optimization approach of flexible structures is presented. The constraints are imposed on the closed-loop eigenvalue distribution and the damping parameters. The design variables are the cross-sectional areas of the members. The effect of minimizing the weight of the structure and the Frobenius norm of the control gains is investigated. An ACOSS-FOUR structure is designed for numerical comparison.
Temporal trends of PCBs and DDTs in Great Lakes fish compared to those in air.

Abstract Regulations designed to lower the concentrations of PCBs and DDTs in the environment have been in place since the 1970s, but the levels of PCBs are still high enough to cause fish consumption advisories for Great Lakes fish. The levels of PCBs and DDTs have been tracked in these fish since about 1975, and the rates at which these age-adjusted concentrations have been decreasing over the period 1999–2014 have been recently been estimated. This paper compares these rates to ones estimated from the entire data set (~1975–2014) and to rates estimated from changes in atmospheric concentrations, which have been tracked since 1992. In general the halving times (9–17 years for PCBs and 7–10 years for DDTs) estimated from the full fish dataset are similar to those estimated from the atmospheric data, suggesting that the atmospheric and the fish levels are coupled. The more recent, age-adjusted rates are sometimes significantly faster than those from the full fish and atmospheric datasets, suggesting that the air-water dynamic may now be changing.
What drives merger outcomes

Abstract Our study investigates the role that corporate strategy and negotiating procedure play in driving merger outcomes. The term merger outcome refers not only to how a merger announcement affects the combined wealth of the acquiring- and target-firm shareholders, but also to how the managers distribute the gain. We find that expanding the acquiring-firm’s operation geographically and negotiating one-on-one transactions lead to higher combined gains. With regard to the distribution of the gain, we find that acquiring-firm shareholders often receive less of the combined gain when managers initiate acquirer-to-target negotiations. We also find that the percentage of the combined gain that is captured by acquiring-firm shareholders is related positively (negatively) to the size of the acquiring (target) firm.
Isolation and Adoptive Transfer of High Salt Treated Antigen-presenting Dendritic Cells

Excess dietary salt intake contributes to inflammation and plays a vital role in the development of hypertension. We previously found that antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) can sense elevated extracellular sodium leading to the activation of the NADPH oxidase and formation of isolevuglandin (IsoLG)-protein adducts. These IsoLG-protein adducts react with self-proteins and promote an autoimmune-like state and hypertension. We have developed and optimized state-of-the-art methods to study DC function in hypertension. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for isolation, in vitro treatment with elevated sodium, and adoptive transfer of murine splenic CD11c+ cells into recipient mice to study their role in hypertension.