cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inertial Support from Offshore Wind Farms Interfaced through MTDC Grids

Extracting inertial frequency support from an offshore wind farm (OWF), which is connected to asynchronous AC areas via a Multiterminal Direct Current (MTDC) grid is studied. The OWF controls are modified to emulate the entire AC-MTDC system with OWF as N -asynchronous-area MTDC system. When an AC-side disturbance occurs, a distress signal is transmitted from the corresponding converter. The distress signal carries basic information and is transmitted through the DC lines or existing communication channels, which are used for common DC voltage-droop control. After the distress signal is received, inertial and frequency-droop controllers are activated in converters of the participating asynchronous AC areas with values that are determined ahead of time by means of a proposed design process. This ensures that apart from the inertial support provided by the OWF operating in maximum power point tracking mode, all participating asynchronous AC areas also exchange both inertial and primary frequency support in a prescribed manner, i.e, obeying a ratio-based criterion. The proposed strategies are validated through rigorous nonlinear time-domain simulation studies using a detailed model of the study system.
Beyond classical thermodynamics: Dislocation-mediated plasticity

Abstract It is suggested a thermodynamic framework to describe plastic deformation in FCC metals at low strain rates and temperatures when the major mechanism of deformation is dislocation motion. The theory involves new thermodynamic parameters: dislocation polarization tensor, stress resistance tensor, entropy and temperature of microstructure. They are linked by constitutive equations. Entropy and temperature of microstructure are associated with the rate of slip avalanches and average energy drop in slip avalanches, respectively. The theory is illustrated by comparison with experimental data.
Multiscale Spatiotemporal Habitat Selection of Northern Cottonmouths

Habitat selection is dependent on several abiotic and biotic factors which have influence at multiple spatial scales. Dependence on specific habitat characteristics for thermoregulation could make habitat selection by herpetofauna especially subtle. Enhancing knowledge of habitat selection by herpetofauna is critical for completely understanding natural histories and improving future habitat management strategies. We conducted a year-long telemetric habitat selection study on two Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) populations in northeast Texas. We used a use–availability approach and investigated intersexual differences at three spatiotemporal scales: home range selection within the study site (home range selection); habitat selection within the home range (macrohabitat selection); and fine-scale local habitat selection (microhabitat selection). The home range selection of both males and females exhibited selection for edges and avoidance of pasture. Males only exhibited macrohabitat selection in the summer, when they selected edge and wetland. Females did not exhibit any macrohabitat selection. Males and females selected microhabitats with thick vegetation in the spring and summer. However, in the fall, male microhabitat selection was influenced by lower temperatures and female microhabitat use appeared to be driven by parturition. Although our study suffered from small female sample size and a short time frame, we provide insight into the complex habitat selection of Cottonmouths in northeast Texas.
Other Patterns of Injury and Child Fatality

In addition to overt skin, head, and abdominal injuries, there are more subtle ways in which parents and caregivers physically harm their children. These are more insidious injuries to the mouth and teeth through abuse or neglect, or children can be intentionally poisoned with drugs or chemicals. In a small fraction of cases, they die as a result of maltreatment. This chapter discusses a range of injuries found in abused children, some of which are easily identified as inflicted, whereas others are less common and more easily overlooked.
Lane Management with Variable Lane Width and Model Calibration for Connected Automated Vehicles

AbstractConnected autonomous vehicles (CAVs) may be able to operate with less longitudinal and lateral spacing than traditional human-driven vehicles (HVs) due to fast and precise control technolog...
A pooled percentile estimator for parallel simulations

Percentile is an important risk measure quantifying the stochastic system random behaviours. This paper studies a pooled percentile estimator, which is the sample percentile of detailed simulation ...
Why are Vibrational Lines Narrow in Proteins

The vibrational Stark effect in proteins yields line shifts indicative of strong internal electric fields up to a few volts per angstrom. These values are supported by numerical simulations of prot...
Engineered magnetic microstructures for biological imaging and sensing

Magnetism is enjoying ever-increasing use in biomedical research. Although such fields may seem remote to spintronics, sometimes there can be surprisingly close connection, particularly relating to the magnetic microstructures used. This talk aims to introduce magnetics and spintronics researchers to some of the exciting new uses and potential opportunities of engineered magnetic microstructures in biomedical research. As one particular example, the talk will introduce how magnetic microstructures can enhance the functionality of magnetic resonance imaging, providing new forms of image contrast and multiplexing as well as new types of remote magnetic sensing of physiological and environmental conditions.
Small Local versus Non-Local: Examining the Relationship between Locally Owned Small Businesses and Spatial Patterns of Crime

In the current study, we theorized that businesses in place are subject to two processes: a crime generator effect in which they heighten crime due to increased opportunities and a crime inhibition...
Converting noise into solitons: optical self-organization through intermodal nonlinearity

We experimentally demonstrate a pump-pulse-induced conversion of noise into solitons in multimode optical fibers. The process is based on the recently discovered phenomenon of soliton self-mode conversion, where a pump soliton in a higher-order spatial mode crafts another well-defined soliton, originating purely from noise, in a lower-order mode at a longer wavelength through intermodal Raman scattering. The lack of the need for any seed or cavity feedback demonstrates that soliton self-mode conversion is a fundamentally unavoidable, but nevertheless tailorable and hence useful, self-organizing nonlinear optical effect capable of turning noise into transform limited solitons.
Efficacy of inferior turbinate reduction in pediatric patients: a prospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic nasal congestion is a common presentation in the pediatric setting. For patients who fail to respond to maximal medical therapy and adenoidectomy, inferior turbinate reduction (ITR) may be a reasonable adjuvant surgical approach. Our objective was to prospectively evaluate nasal congestion symptoms and daily medication use in the year following ITR in children with and without allergic rhinitis (AR). METHODS: Patients younger than 18 years undergoing ITR alone or in combination with nonsinonasal procedures were enrolled. Scores from the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) survey were collected preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively from 96 patients. Number and type of pertinent daily medications utilized were also analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank and McNemar's tests. Patients with and without comorbid AR were then compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. RESULTS: Median (range) NOSE sum scores significantly improved from preoperative median of 65 out of 100 points (0-100) to 20 (0-100), (z = 7.12, p < 0.001) at 12 months postoperatively. The median number of daily medications was significantly reduced from 1 (range, 0-4) preoperatively to 0 (range, 0-5) postoperatively (z = 2.38, p = 0.017). Fifty-six (58.3%) patients had AR. AR patients received more medications preoperatively and postoperatively compared with those without AR (z = -2.96, p = 0.003; z = -2.23, p = 0.024). At 12 months, NOSE scores remained significantly greater in patients with AR compared with those without AR (s = 11.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.676-22.5; p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: Our data highlight the need for a multimodal approach to chronic nasal congestion, particularly in children with AR.
What we would (but shouldn't) do for those we love: Universalism versus partiality in responding to others' moral transgressions.

Abstract Recent work indicates that people are more likely to protect a close (vs. distant) other who commits a crime. But do people think it is morally right to treat close others differently? On the one hand, universalist moral principles dictate that people should be treated equally. On the other hand, close relationships are the source of special moral obligations, which may lead people to believe they ought to preferentially protect close others. Here we attempt to adjudicate between these competing considerations by examining what people think they would and should do when a close (vs. distant) other behaves immorally. Across four experiments (N = 2002), we show that people believe they morally should protect close others more than distant others. However, we also document a striking discrepancy: participants reported that they would protect close others far more than they should protect them. These findings demonstrate that people believe close relationships influence what they morally ought to do—but also that moral decisions about close others may be a context in which people are particularly likely to fail to do what they think is morally right.
Rational speculators and exchange rate volatility

Abstract This paper suggests a plausible microstructural connection between rational speculative activity and exchange rate volatility. When Friedman (Essays in Positive Economics, University of Chicago Press, 1953) claimed that rational speculators must smooth exchange rates, he excluded interest rate differentials from his interpretation of speculator behavior. Informed, rational speculators who consider interest differentials will magnify the exchange rate effects of interest shocks and could increase overall exchange rate volatility. This connection between speculators and volatility, which does not rely on asymmetric information, is structural because speculators affect the exchange rate's generating process. Rational speculation is stabilizing at low levels of speculative activity and destabilizing at high levels.
Estimation of Transition Distribution Function and its Quantiles in Markov Processes: Strong Consistency and Asymptotic Normality

Let X1,…,Xn+1 be the first n+1 random variables from a strictly stationary Markov process which satisfies certain additional regularity conditions. On the basis of these random variables, a nonparametric estimate of the one-step transition distribution function is shown to be uniformly (in the main argument) strongly consistent and asymptotically normal. Furthermore, for any p∈(0, 1), a natural nonparametric estimate of the p-th quantile of the distribution function just mentioned is proven to be strongly consistent. The class of Markov processes studied includes the Markov processes usually considered in the literature; namely, processes which either satisfy Doeblin’s hypothesis, or, more generally, are geometrically ergodic.
The Lobry de Bruyn-Alberda van Ekenstein transformation.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the Lobry de Bruyn-Alberda van Ekenstein transformation. The Lobry de Bruyn-Alberda van Ekenstein transformation has usually been considered to embrace both epimerization of aldoses and ketoses and aldose-ketose isomerization. Actually, Lobry de Bruyn and Alberda van Ekenstein observed all three reactions, so that an experimental basis for defining the transformation has existed from almost the time of its first recognition. The experimental limits of the transformation have never been extended beyond those established in the original investigations. The history of the mechanism of the Lobry de Bruyn-Alberda van Ekenstein transformation begins with the first description of its reactions. Thus, Lobry de Bruyn and Alberda van Ekenstein proposed that the transformation might take place by intramolecular transfer of hydrogen in hemiacetal intermediates, which they considered were formed from the aldoses by addition and removal of water. Soon after this, Wohl and Neuberg suggested the enediol intermediate for aldose-ketose isomerization. The enolization mechanism apparently won nearly immediate acceptance and it has since dominated the field. The first 30 years of the transformation seem to have been marked more by speculations on the mechanism than by experiments designed to elucidate it.
The Ying and Yang of STAT3 in Human Disease

The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a critical regulator of multiple, diverse cellular processes. Heterozgyous, germline, loss-of-function mutations in STAT3 lead to the primary immune deficiency Hyper-IgE syndrome. Heterozygous, somatic, gain-of-function mutations in STAT3 have been reported in malignancy. Recently, germline, heterozygous mutations in STAT3 that confer a gain-of-function have been discovered and result in early-onset, multi-organ autoimmunity. This review summarizes what is known about the role of STAT3 in human disease.
The norbornadiene-quadricyclene energy storage system

The potential applicability of endoergic photochemical transformations of organic molecules to the storage of solar energy is currently receiving considerable attention. Indeed the topic is the subject of three presentations in this book. Jones and his coworkers have taken the broadest perspective by considering general design principles and by investigating numerous types of systems. Mariano and coworkers have focused attention on a novel photocyclization reaction of pyridone derivatives and have explored the photochemistry of these compounds in depth. We, on the other hand, have selected one of the most promising systems currently available (the norbornadiene-quadricyclene interconversion) and have devoted considerable effort toward aspects of its development. A number of practical problems have been addressed in our work. The present account provides an assessement of the problems, an overview of our objectives, and a summary of our most recent efforts.
Stephen R. Schneider, Iced: the story of organized crime in Canada

The author is an associate professor of sociology and criminology at Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Canada. His book seeks to dispel the myth of Canada as a law-abiding society devoid of the criminal violence associated with the country's southern neighbor. He certainly achieves this goal although, as he notes, Canada's violent entrepreneurs often have important connections, if not deep roots, in the United States: The Cotroni/Rizzuto "mafia" in Quebec is part of New York's Bonanno Family and the Hell's Angels, which has chapters throughout Canada, originated in California.Iced examines more than 400 years of criminal organizations ranging from Atlantic coast pirates and privateers (the distinction is often nonexistent), to the outlaws, bank robbers, and horse thieves of Canada's wild west, to modern organized crime. He provides a fascinating look at the connection between Canada's liquor industry and U.S. crime groups during the era of Prohibition. While information in the book is... Language: en
Feasibility of Pond Production of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides, for a Filet Market

The effects of stocking density on food-size largemouth bass (LMB), Micropterus salmoides, production (>0.5 kg) were evaluated in a 2-yr study by stocking LMB fingerlings (mean weight = 57 g/fish) in 0.1-ha earthen ponds at rates of 6175, 12,350, or 18,525 fish/ha. Gross yields increased from 3989 to 9096 kg/ha as stocking density increased. No significant differences were observed in survival rates (range of 65–74%) due to density. Maximum feed consumption occurred at water temperatures of 27–30 C. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mean harvest weight were significantly different (P < 0.05) among densities, with the lowest FCR and the lowest mean weight found at the highest density (18,525 fish/ha). At harvest, LMB were considered to be in good condition with relative weight (Wr) values of 123–124. Dressout yield percentages were 61–62% for whole-dressed LMB and 34–35% for shank filets. LMB grew well and reached a size adequate for targeted shank filet sizes. However, the production costs of $7.26–$9.34/kg mean that LMB production for a filet market is unlikely to be feasible. Research to lower LMB fingerling and feed costs and improved FCR would contribute to improved economic feasibility.
A simulation study of mammalian phosphofructokinase.

Abstract A computer model of the mammalian muscle phosphofructokinase system (with associated chemical reactions) has been constructed in which 22 differential equations represent 22 chemical species involved in 42 chemical reactions. The enzyme is represented in inactive and active forms, interconversion being promoted by activators, such as fructose 1,6-diphosphate, fructose 6-phosphate (2 molecules being required), adenosine monophosphate (both 5' and cyclical, for each of which 3 molecules are required), and inorganic phosphate (5 molecules), and inactivators such as adenosine triphosphate (3 molecules) and citrate (1 molecule). The active form is assumed to have an enzymatic mechanism similar to other kinases, the approximate Km values for ATP and fructose 6-phosphate being about 2 x 10-4 and 4 x 10-5, respectively. The large numbers of activator and inhibitor molecules enable the enzyme activity to be sharply turned on and off; under appropriate circumstances it can generate pulses of product, or act as a "flip-flop" (two stable states, active and inactive). The physiological significance of these properties is discussed.
Brain-machine interfaces using thin-film silicon microelectrode arrays

The development of next-generation neuroprosthethic systems will be propelled by improved microelectrode front-ends for providing reliable and selective neural recordings. Silicon, planar micromachined microelectrode arrays have the design space for a diverse set of neuroprosthetic applications. Recent results in which these microelectrodes have been shown to consistently and reliably record high-quality neuronal spikes over several months suggest that this technology provides an appropriate function for ongoing neuroprobe development and refinement.
Characteristics of 161-km Ultramarathon Finishers Developing Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia

This study sought to identify runner characteristics or symptoms that could distinguish those finishers developing exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH) from those not developing EAH in a 161-km ultramarathon. Of 310 finishers, 207 (67%) underwent postrace blood studies. Twelve (6%) finishers had EAH (blood sodium range 131-134 mmol/L). Experience at 161-km ultramarathons was lower (p = 0.01) and blood creatine kinase (CK) concentration was higher (p = 0.04) among those with EAH than those not developing EAH. Blood sodium and CK concentration were negatively correlated (p = 0.0015, r = -0.22). There were no group differences in age, sex, regular running experience, weekly training distance, use of sodium supplements during training, immediately postrace sodium palatability and thirst ratings, body mass change, urination frequency, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use, and various symptoms experienced during the race. These findings indicate that a clinical suspicion and measurement of blood sodium concentration remain the only viable means for determining when an ultramarathon runner has EAH.
Harnack inequality and exponential separation for oblique derivative problems on Lipschitz domains

Abstract We consider the oblique derivative problem for linear nonautonomous second order parabolic equations with bounded measurable coefficients on bounded Lipschitz cylinders. We derive an optimal elliptic-type Harnack inequality for positive solutions of this problem and use it to show that each positive solution exponentially dominates any solution which changes sign for all times. We show several nontrivial applications of both the exponential estimate and the derived Harnack inequality.
A half-century of stochastic equivalent linearization

Tom Caughey was a major pioneer in the development of the stochastic equivalent linearization procedure for estimating the mean and variance of the response of a non-linear system to random excitation. The present note describes a number of interesting episodes in the history of the linearization technique that have arisen in the past half-century. The standard procedure is described for the zero-mean case where an approximate response distribution with undetermined mean square is chosen and equivalent linearization is used to fix an optimum estimate of the mean-square response. Three linearization criteria are considered. The notion of ‘true’ linearization is discussed in light of one of Tom's widely overlooked results. It is noted that ‘true’ linearization is embedded in different criteria for oscillators and for memory-less systems. Two one-parameter families of probability shape are shown together with the resulting mean-square estimates furnished by the three criteria. Some miss-steps in the history of equivalent linearization are recounted: an early conjecture by one of the pioneers proved to be false, and an alternative to the standard procedure went unrecognized for 27 years. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Celiac Disease and Diabetes Mellitus Diagnosed in a Pediatric Patient with Hirschsprung Disease

Hirschsprung disease is a disorder of neural crest migration characterized by intestinal aganglionosis along a variable segment of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a complex disorder associated with several syndromes. Celiac disease is an autoimmune enteropathy characterized by dietary intolerance to gluten proteins and can be associated with autoimmune conditions such as diabetes mellitus. Celiac disease can mimic Hirschsprung disease when presenting with constipation and abdominal distention. We present the case of celiac disease diagnosed in a patient with Hirschsprung disease who subsequently developed type one diabetes mellitus.
Cardiac Tamponade Secondary to Chylopericardium Following Cardiac Surgery: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Only four instances of isolated chylopericardium following cardiac operation have been reported previously. We encountered this complication in a young patient who was operated on for infundibular pulmonary stenosis. The etiology appears to be related to a combination of intraoperative lymphatic injury and catheter-related subclavian vein thrombosis, the latter potentially elevating pressure within the thoracic duct and thereby resulting in an accumulation of chyle within the pericardial space. Therapy for this problem usually includes partial pericardiectomy with or without ligation of the thoracic duct.
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone metabolism in visceral organ homogenates of the rat.

TRH, which is found in a number of sites outside the central nervous system, is degraded by serum and homogenates of brain, liver, and kidney. The presence of TRH deamidase activity in the brain is well documented. In view of the widespread distribution of TRH, the present study was undertaken to evaluate whether TRH deamidase activity is present in visceral organs and to determine the extent to which TRH degradation, as observed under broken cell conditions, can be accounted for by deamidation. Organs from Sprague-Dawley rats were homogenized in 150 DIM sodium maleate, pH 7, and aliquots of the 700 × g supernatant were incubated separately with equimolar amounts of synthetic TRH or the deamidated form of TRH, pGlu-His-Pro. The amount of peptide remaining and the conversion of TRH to deamidated TRH in tubes incubated with TRH were measured by specific RIAs at multiple time points. TRH deamidase activity was found in rat liver, kidney, heart, lung, pancreas, ileum, and skeletal muscle. It was time and temp...
Barium triggers rapid endocytosis in calf adrenal chromaffin cells

1. Changes in cell capacitance were monitored in whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from calf adrenal chromaffin cells using a software-based phase-tracking technique. Rapid endocytosis and exocytosis were observed in extracellular solutions containing either Ca2+ or Ba2+. 2. There was no significant difference in the magnitude or the time course of rapid endocytosis of cells stimulated in Ca2+ as compared to Ba2+. When cells were pretreated with caffeine and thapsigargin in order to deplete intracellular Ca2+ stores, rapid endocytosis in Ba2+ was not affected. This indicates that Ba2+ itself is capable of supporting rapid endocytosis. 3. The application of the calmodulin inhibitor calmidazolium via the intracellular pipette solution did not inhibit rapid endocytosis. Although our findings are inconsistent with an immediate requirement for calmodulin in rapid endocytosis, they do not rule out an involvement on a longer time scale. 4. While rapid endocytosis was not affected by the substitution of Ca2+ with Ba2+, the maximum rate of exocytosis was higher in cells stimulated in Ca2+ than in Ba2+. Since Ba2+ currents were much larger than Ca2+ currents during depolarizations to +10 mV (the test potential used in these experiments), Ba2+ appears to be less efficient at promoting exocytosis than Ca2+.
A comparative study of InAs quantum dot lasers with barriers of direct and indirect band gaps

We propose the idea of making quantum dot (QD) lasers by embedding direct-bandgap QDs in a short-period superlattice whose bandgap is indirect. In comparison with similar QD lasers with barriers of direct band gap, this technique not only reduces the temperature dependence of threshold current, but also leads to extremely small linewidth enhancement factor, making low-temperature sensitivity, low chirp, and narrow linewidth semiconductor lasers feasible.
Localization of catechol-o-methyl transferase and monoamine oxidase in fibroblasts in tissue culture

Abstract Fibroblasts obtained from a guinea pig ventricle were grown in tissue culture. The fibroblasts were assayed for catechol-O-methyl transferase and monoamine oxidase activity. Both enzymes were found to be present in the fibroblasts. Enzyme activity was inhibited by known specific inhibitors. Thin layer chromatography established the formation of the metabolites in the enzyme assays. It is suggested that the enzymes, catechol-O-methyl transferase and monoamine oxidase, are localized in fibroblasts in various sites of the body and that the fibroblast constitutes an extraneuronal site for catecholamine metabolism.
Differential effects of methylphenidate on the growth of neonatal and adolescent rats

Methylphenidate (MPH), the drug of choice in the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorders with Hyperactivity (ADD/H), has raised concern regarding its suspected potential for reducing body stature in growing patients. In a previous study we demonstrated that neonatal rats treated with MPH (35 mg/kg, SC, twice daily) showed an acute growth impairment followed by a rapid growth-rebound phenomenon. This report confirms our earlier findings in neonatal rats and extends the investigation of the growth suppressing effects of MPH to the periadolescent period of development in rats. Specifically, neonatal groups of male and female rats treated with higher and lower doses of MPH than in the original study confirmed the growth impairment and growth rebound phenomena reported earlier. Unlike neonatal rats, rats treated during the periadolescent period of development failed to show any growth impairment. These data suggest that the growth suppressing effects of MPH are the result of an acute toxicity which is readily reversible on discontinuation of the drug. Further, it is concluded that there is a low probability of long term effects on human body stature when the minimal therapeutic dose is used in clinical practice.
Movement disorders associated with the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors

Background : To review the case reports and case series of movement disorders ascribed to the use of serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Method : Reports of SSRI-induced extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) in the literature were located using a MEDLINE search and review of bibliographies. Results : Among the 71 cases of SSRI-induced EPS reported in the literature, the most common side effect was akathisia (45.1%), followed by dystonia (28.2%), parkinsonism (14.1%), and tardive dyskinesia-like states (11.3%). Among patients with Parkinson's disease treated with SSRIs, there were 16 cases of worsening parkinsonism. Patients who developed dystonia, parkinsonism, or tardive dyskinesia were older on average than patients with akathisia ; 67.6% of affected patients were females. Fluoxetine, the most commonly prescribed SSRI to date, was implicated in 53 (74.6%) of cases of SSRI-induced EPS. Several reports (57.7%) were confounded by the concomitant use of other medications that can contribute to the development of EPS. Conclusion : SSRI-induced EPS are probably related to agonism of serotonergic input to dopaminergic pathways within the CNS. Several patient-dependent and pharmacokinetic variables may determine the likelihood that EPS will emerge. Although these side effects are infrequent, clinicians should be alert to the possibility of their occurrence.
Algid malaria treated with early goal-directed therapy

Severe malaria complicated by circulatory shock is known as algid malaria. Cases of severe imported malaria are seen increasingly frequently in emergency departments in the United States, Europe, and other locales. The optimal volume resuscitation strategy for patients with severe malaria is not well-defined. A 20-year-old woman, who immigrated 2 weeks ago from Niger, Africa, presented to the emergency department of an urban teaching hospital with fever, hypotension, and malaise. She was resuscitated with 5.5 L of normal saline solution and norepinephrine. Thin blood smear demonstrated Plasmodium falciparum with parasitemia of 10% to 15%. She had rapid reversal of circulatory shock, cleared her parasitemia in less than 48 hours with antimalarial therapy, and was discharged home on hospital day 6 in good condition. The optimal resuscitation strategy for algid malaria is unknown, and volume restriction has been advocated as a means to prevent life-threatening cerebral and pulmonary edema. Although not identical, the late inflammatory response in severe malaria leading to capillary permeability shares many similarities with the immunologic response in bacterial sepsis. Our case report discusses a patient with severe imported malaria complicated by shock, successfully managed with large-volume fluid resuscitation, hemodynamic optimization, early antimalarial agents, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. This report questions the strategy of cautious fluid resuscitation in algid malaria and suggests that case series comparing goal-directed resuscitation to historic controls along with prospective multicenter controlled trials should be conducted to determine the best fluid resuscitation strategy.
Robust speed control of induction motors: application to a benchmark example

A non-linear robust output feedback control is designed for a sixth-order model of an induction motor. The control uses only measurement of the rotor position and stator currents. It contains two observers, a second-order observer to estimate the rotor flux from the stator current and a third-order high-gain observer to estimate the rotor speed and acceleration from its position. The control is robust to uncertainties in the rotor and stator resistances, and a bounded time-varying load torque. It guarantees that the speed tracking error can be made arbitrarily small by choice of certain design parameters. Moreover, when the speed reference and load torque and constant, it ensures asymptotic regulation. The controller is applied, via simulation, to a benchmark example. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Place ontologies and a new mobilities paradigm for understanding awareness of vulnerability to terrorism in American cities

There is increasing evidence that people interpret their risk from environmental hazards through places—such as urban neighborhoods. At the same time, heightened levels of mobility are theorized to be leading to a so-called “placeless society” and possibly nullifying theories of locality-based risk perception. The purpose of this study is to combine environmental risk-hazards scholarship with work in urban geography to explore the following question: is perception of vulnerability to terrorism influenced by place and mobility, and if it is, what is the relationship? Drawing on interviews with 93 householders in Boston, Massachusetts, I demonstrate that people perceive vulnerability via understanding the transportation environment as a place—not simply a conduit—and that these perceptions reflect larger societal structures, such as wealth and gender disparities, that combine with (im)mobility and human subjectivity to amplify or attenuate a person’s sense of vulnerability. These findings bring an understan...
Pressure transducers as a source of bacteremia after open heart surgery. Report of an outbreak and guidelines for prevention.

During four weeks in 1974, eight (26 percent) of 31 intensive care unit patients who had undergone open-heart surgery developed symptomatic Pseudomonas cepacia bacteremia in the intensive care unit one to three days after the open-heart surgery. An investigation demonstrated that operating room pressure transducers were being contaminated during cleaning with a detergent that contained P cepacia at the rate of 10 4 organisms per milliliter and that the organisms were transmitted to patients after open-heart surgery as a result of one to three days of contact with transducer-monitoring lines used in the operating room and brought to the intensive care unit with the patient. Pressure-transducer contamination, a frequently unappreciated but preventable cause of nosocomial bacteremia, can be minimized by sterilizing transducers between use on different patients by paying strict attention to aseptic technique when setting up, calibrating, and using monitoring systems; and by changing transducers, tubing, and monitoring fluid for each monitored patient at regular intervals.
Coronary autoregulation is abnormal in syndrome X: insights using myocardial contrast echocardiography.

Background Syndrome X in women is thought to be caused by coronary microvascular dysfunction, the exact site of which is unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the microvascular site of dysfunction in these patients using myocardial contrast echocardiography. Methods Women with exertional angina, positive test results on stress imaging, but no coronary artery disease (the study group, n = 18) and age-matched control women also with no coronary artery disease ( n = 17) were enrolled. Myocardial contrast echocardiography was performed at rest and during dipyridamole-induced hyperemia. Mean microbubble velocity (β) and myocardial blood volume ( A ) were measured, and myocardial blood flow ( A · β) was computed. In addition, plasma concentrations of eicosanoids, female sex hormones, and C-reactive protein were measured. Results Rest β and myocardial blood flow ( A · β) were higher in the study compared with the control women (1.61 ± 0.68 vs 0.74 ± 0.44, P = .0001, and 157 ± 121 vs 54 ± 54, P = 0.0001, respectively) despite similar heart rates and systolic blood pressures. After the administration of dipyridamole, whereas the changes in A and A · β were not significantly different between the two groups, β reserve (the ratio of stress β to rest β) was markedly lower in the study group (1.48 ± 0.62 vs 2.78 ± 0.94, P = .0001). Blood hematocrit, eicosanoids, female sex hormones, glucose, and C-reactive protein were not different between the two groups. Conclusions Coronary autoregulation is abnormal in patients with syndrome X (higher resting β and myocardial blood flow and lower β reserve), which suggests that the coronary resistance vessels are the site of microvascular abnormality.
Target vehicle identification for border safety with modified mutual information

In recent years border security has been identified as a critical part of homeland security. The Department of Homeland Security monitors vehicles entering and leaving the country at land borders. Some vehicles are targeted to search for drugs and other contraband. Customs and Border Protection agents believe that vehicles involved in illegal activity operate in groups. If the criminal links of one vehicle are known then their border crossing patterns can be used to identify other partner vehicles. We perform this association analysis by using mutual information (MI) to identify pairs of vehicles that are potentially involved in criminal activity. Domain experts also suggest that criminal vehicles may cross at certain times of the day to evade inspection. We propose to modify the MI formulation to include this heuristic by using cross-jurisdictional criminal data from border-area jurisdictions.
From Industrial Policy to Innovation Policy: Japan's Pursuit of Competitive Advantage*

Japan faces significant challenges in encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. Attempts to formally model past industrial policy interventions uniformly uncover little, if any, positive impact on productivity, growth, or welfare. The evidence indicates that most resource flows went to large, politically influential “backwards” sectors, suggesting that political economy considerations may be central to the apparent ineffectiveness of Japanese industrial policy. Rather than traditional industrial or science and technology policy, financial and labor market reforms appear more promising. As a group, Japan's industrial firms are competitive relative to their foreign counterparts. Where Japan falls behind is in the heavily regulated service sector. The problems appear to be due less to a lack of industrial policy than to an excess of regulation. Japan may have more to gain through restructuring the lagging service sector than by expending resources in pursuit of marginal gains in the industrial sector.
Synthesis and Photophysical Characterization of Group Transfer Polymers with Pendent Aryl Chromophores

Naphthalene- and pyrene-labeled polymers (poly-3−5) prepared by group transfer polymerization of methyl 2-(2-naphthyl)acrylate, methyl 2-(1-pyrenyl)acrylate, and ethyl 5-(2-naphthyl)pentadienoate and ethyl 5-(2-naphthyl)hexadienoate, respectively, were studied as probes for backbone conformational rigidity. Excimer formation was observed in the steady-state fluorescence spectra, and the observation of biexponential decay of time-resolved fluorescence indicates two distinct environments for excimer formation. These, in turn, point to substantial conformational flexibility in the polymer backbone.
Tumor neutralization by immune in vitro‐sensitized splenocytes depends on an interaction with bone‐marrow‐derived cells

In a Winn assay, the inhibition of methylcholantherene-induced sarcoma growth by tumor-immune, secondarily in vitro-sensitized splenocytes was augmented by normal unsensitized bone-marrow cells. Bone-marrow cells augmented the effect of a fixed number of sensitized splenocytes in a dose-dependent manner, yet had no tumor-neutralizing capacity by themselves. The marrow's capacity to enhance tumor neutralization was not shared by normal splenocytes, thymocytes or lymph node cells. When two non-cross-reacting tumors were used, marrow cells were capable of augmenting tumor neutralization only if admixed with sensitized splenocytes and the sensitizing neoplasm. Equal numbers of bone-marrow cells administered intravenously to recipients of an admixture of sensitized splenocytes and tumour were unable to augment neutralization, suggesting a direct interaction between sensitized lymphocytes and normal bone-marrow cells in the inhibition of tumor growth.
Magnetic resonance coil for (31) P spectroscopy of skin over curved body surfaces.

Background/aims: Increasing signal-to-noise ratio for skin spectroscopy means increasing area, but increased area usually means resorting to Fourier window techniques to prevent overwhelming muscle contamination. The aim of this work was to develop a simple coil that would allow large areas of skin to be sampled while limiting muscle contamination simply by the coil's geometry. Methods: The coil design was arrived at by using simulations that were calibrated by phantom tests with prototype units. It was then fabricated by using an etched circuitboard technique and tested on three volunteers for comparison with predicted performance. Results: The new coil acquires magnetic resonance signals from a 140 cm2 contoured layer of surface tissue with sufficient selectivity that 81% of the signal comes from tissue less than 1.9 mm deep. For skin and fat thicknesses of 1.1 and 3.1 mm, respectively, tending toward a worst case in-vivo situation, muscle contamination is only 3.3%. With the new coil, in 1 h, it was possible to directly acquire 31P skin spectra comparable to those formerly obtained in 4 h in two separate acquistions that then had to be subtracted to obtain the desired skin spectra. Conclusion: Increasing the area of skin sampled while maintaining selectivity to limit muscle contamination, relying simply on coil geometry, is practical using a parallel configuration of long narrow strip coils.
k-Centralities: local approximations of global measures based on shortest paths

A lot of centrality measures have been developed to analyze different aspects of importance. Some of the most popular centrality measures (e.g. betweenness centrality, closeness centrality) are based on the calculation of shortest paths. This characteristic limits the applicability of these measures for larger networks. In this article we elaborate on the idea of bounded-distance shortest paths calculations. We claim criteria for k-centrality measures and we introduce one algorithm for calculating both betweenness and closeness based centralities. We also present normalizations for these measures. We show that k-centrality measures are good approximations for the corresponding centrality measures by achieving a tremendous gain of calculation time and also having linear calculation complexity O(n) for networks with constant average degree. This allows researchers to approximate centrality measures based on shortest paths for networks with millions of nodes or with high frequency in dynamically changing networks.
Poly-α-cyanostyrene

The monomer α-cyanostyrene polymerized at a very slow rate under the influence of free-radical initiators. Rapid polymerization to high molecular weight material was achieved by using anionic initiators (tri-n-butylphosphine and tetrakisdimethylaminotitanium). The polymer made at −78°C. was colorless, fusible, soluble, and had a number-average molecular weight of over 5,000. The polymer prepared at 0°C. was brown, insoluble, and infusible. None of the polymer showed order in the x-ray diagram. The rate of dimerization of α-cyanostyrene under a wide variety of conditions was measured. Two new derivatives of the intermediate, 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)-2-phenylpropionitrile were prepared: the methiodide, m.p. 242–245°C. (decomp.), and the picrate, m.p. 116.5–117.5°C.
The effect of periodic habitat fluctuations on a nonlinear insect population model

Laboratory data show that populations of flour beetles (Tribolium), when grown in a periodically fluctuating volume of flour, can exhibit significant increases in numbers above those attained when grown in a constant volume (of the same average). To analyze and explain this phenomenon a discrete stage-structured model of Tribolium dynamics with periodic environmental forcing is introduced and studied. This model is an appropriately modified version of an experimentally validated model for flour beetle populations growing in a constant volume of flour, in which cannibalism rates are assumed inversely proportional to flour volume. This modeling assumption has been confirmed by laboratory experiments. Theorems implying the existence and stability of periodic solutions of the periodically forced model are proved. The time averages of periodic solutions of the forced model are compared with the equilibrium levels of the unforced model (with the same average flour volume). Parameter constraints are determined for which the average population numbers in the periodic environment are greater than (or less than) the equilibrium population numbers in the associated constant environment. Sample parameter estimates taken from the literature show that these constraints are fulfilled. These theoretical results provide an explanation for the experimentally observed increase in flour beetle numbers as a result of periodically fluctuating flour volumes. More generally, these integrated theoretical and experimental results provide the first convincing example illustrating the possibility of increased population numbers in a periodically fluctuating environment.
On Sampford's Procedure of Unequal Probability Sampling without Replacement

Abstract Among the unequal probability sampling without replacement procedures applicable for arbitrary sample size, those of Goodman and Kish and of Sampford are relatively simple to operate besides satisfying the criterion that the inclusion probability of each population unit is proportional to its size. Considering the Horvitz-Thompson estimator for estimating the population total, we show in this paper that Sampford's procedure is more efficient than the Goodman and Kish procedure. Our result is a generalization of Rao's result wherein he compared Durbin's procedure with that of Goodman and Kish.
Transplantation into the Long-term Defunctionalized Bladder

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated the outcome of transplantation into a long-term defunctionalized bladder.Materials and Methods: Since 1985 we performed transplantation in 5 dialysis dependent patients after excision of the ileal conduit and native kidneys. The bladder was evaluated before transplantation with cystoscopy, voiding cystography, urodynamics and demonstration of continence. Bladder rehabilitation was accomplished by cycling through a suprapubic tube or urethral catheter, and no bladder augmentation was done. All patients received antibiotic prophylaxis for several years.Results: Five male recipients underwent transplantation at ages 22, 29, 30, 31 and 55 years, and they had had a defunctionalized bladder for 15, 17, 23, 25 and 26 years. All patients were alive with a functioning allograft at 6, 84, 90, 112 and 120 months after transplantation. Current serum creatinine values are 1.2, 1.6, 1.8, 2.3 and 2.5 mg./dl. Median urodynamic values before and after transplantation were bladder capacity 60 ...