cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NI-86COMBINED AWAKE BRAIN MAPPING AND LOW-FIELD INTRAOPERATIVE MRI FOR BRAIN TUMOR RESECTION

BACKGROUND: Surgery for patients with intraparenchymal brain tumors is often reported as being done with intraoperative MRI guidance or with awake mapping, but rarely with these two methods in tandem. We report our experience performing awake image-guided surgery using a compact iMRI. METHODS: Surgery in 25 patients was done using the PoleStar iMRI system (Medtronic Surgical Technologies). All patients had a glioma in the dominant hemisphere for language. Patients were divided into 4 groups depending on how mapping and imaging effected surgery: Group A: gross total resection (GTR) without imaging; Group B: GTR with the aid of iMRI; Group C: language mapping stopped surgery before further imaging; Group D: language mapping stopped surgery after iMRI revealed residual tumor. RESULTS: The number of iMRI scans acquired ranged from 1 to 5 (mean 2.6), adding an average of 1.4 hours to surgery. There were 7/25 patients in Group A, 6/25 in Group B, 3/25 in Group C, and 9/25 in Group D. Overall, intraoperative imaging led to further resection in 15/25 patients, while language mapping stopped surgery in 12/25. Gross total resection was achieved in 13 patients. A mean follow up of 16.9 months revealed no major new postoperative deficits. Minor deficits of language, calculation, contralateral weakness occurred in 12/25 patients, while language function worsened in 3 patients (12%). CONCLUSIONS: Neurosurgeons should not have to choose between these two modalities, removing the guesswork out of intracranial tumor surgery. Compact iMRI is easily integrated with awake surgery and cortical mapping to ensure accurate resection of gliomas in the dominant hemisphere, while preserving neurological function. In only a small minority of patients with such tumors can a GTR be safely achieved without the use of iMRI and/or language mapping.
Effects of estrogens on cholesterol biosynthesis and tissue distribution in rats

Studies with tissues from rats medicated orally with estrone or the estrogen, 17-(3-hydroxy-1-propmyl)-3-methoxyestra-1, 1,5(10)-17β-ol 17α-hydrocinnamate, have shown that cholesterol biosynthesis was inhibited at the decarboxylation of mevalonic acid in liver homogenates. In slices of livers from these rats inhibition also occurred at the cyclization of squalene. In contradistinction to the in vitro findings, evidence for inhibition of cholesterol synthesis could not be elicited in vivo. Labeling of the sterol pools prior to estrogen administration showed that a redistribution of cholesterol from blood to liver occurred so that the hypocholesteremia seen could best be described as due to a shift in the serum: liver cholesterol ratio.
Thermal Fracture of Ceramic Materials Under Quasi‐Static Thermal Stresses (Ring Test)

The ring test consists in heating a pile of ceramic rings, each 2 in. in outside diameter, 1 in. in inside diameter, and 1½2 in. long, from the inside by a heating element and cooling it from the outside by a calorimetric chamber. The center rings of the pile have radial heat flow. The radial temperature gradient in these center rings can be measured and also the number of calories flowing through their unit surface area. Under equilibrium conditions these measurements yield the thermal conductivity of the ring material. The radial temperature gradient produces thermal stresses in the rings. If the gradient is increased slowly so as to maintain always approximate equilibrium conditions, there will be a maximum gradient which causes failure. The maximum gradient determined by thermal fracture and the thermal conductivity can be used to compute the two thermal stress resistivity constants, R and R1, of the material. R and R1 have been determined for five ceramic materials: porous TiO2, dense TiO2, steatite, cordierite, and spodumene.
Delay-Adaptive Control for Nonlinear Systems

We present a systematic delay-adaptive prediction-based control design for nonlinear systems with unknown long actuator delay. Our approach is based on the representation of the constant actuator delay as a transport Partial Differential Equation (PDE) in which the convective speed is inversely proportional to the unknown delay. We study two different frameworks, assuming first that the actuator state is measured and relaxing afterward. For the full-state feedback case, we prove global asymptotic convergence of the proposed adaptive controller while, in the second case, replacing the actuator state by its adaptive estimate, we prove local regulation. The relevance of the obtained results are illustrated by simulations of a biological activator/repressor system.
Time of Decision and Media Use During the Ford-Carter Campaign

This paper challenges the traditional belief that a full presidential political campaign can have only "limited effects" on voting, by identifying a group of voters who make their decisions during the campaign rather than either prior to or very late in the campaign. In a panel study of Wisconsin voters in the 1976 election, 40 percent were Campaign Deciders. These voters were low in partisanship, but paid close atten- tion to the campaign and the Ford-Carter debates, and voted in accordance with campaign-specific perceptions. By contrast, both Pre-campaign Deciders and Last-
Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Depression: The Anatomy of Melancholia

Functional brain imaging techniques, which permit noninvasive measures of neurophysiology and neuroreceptor binding, are powerful and sensitive tools for research aimed at elucidating the pathophysiology of major depression. The application of these technologies in depression research has produced several studies of resting cerebral blood flow (BF) and glucose metabolism in subjects imaged during various phases of illness and treatment. This review examines these data and the principles relevant to their interpretation and discusses the insights they provide into the anatomical correlates of depression. Within the anatomical networks implicated in emotional processing by other types of evidence, these BF and metabolic data demonstrate that major depression is associated with reversible, mood state-dependent, neurophysiological abnormalities in some structures and irreversible, trait-like abnormalities in other structures. In some of the regions in which trait-like abnormalities appear, abnormal metabolic activity appears at least partly related to the anatomical abnormalities identified in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of depression.
Phytochelatin synthase: of a protease a peptide polymerase made

Of the mechanisms known to protect vascular plants and some algae, fungi and invertebrates from the toxic effects of non-essential heavy metals such as As, Cd or Hg, one of the most sophisticated is the enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of phytochelatins (PCs). PCs, (γ-Glu-Cys)(n) Gly polymers, which serve as high-affinity, thiol-rich cellular chelators and contribute to the detoxification of heavy metal ions, are derived from glutathione (GSH; γ-Glu-Cys-Gly) and related thiols in a reaction catalyzed by phytochelatin synthases (PC synthases, EC 2.3.2.15). Using the enzyme from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPCS1) as a model, the reasoning and experiments behind the conclusion that PC synthases are novel papain-like Cys protease superfamily members are presented. The status of S-substituted GSH derivatives as generic PC synthase substrates and the sufficiency of the N-terminal domain of the enzyme from eukaryotic and its half-size equivalents from prokaryotic sources, for net PC synthesis and deglycylation of GSH and its derivatives, respectively, are emphasized. The question of the common need or needs met by PC synthases and their homologs is discussed. Of the schemes proposed to account for the combined protease and peptide polymerase capabilities of the eukaryotic enzymes vs the limited protease capabilities of the prokaryotic enzymes, two that will be considered are the storage and homeostasis of essential heavy metals in eukaryotes and the metabolism of S-substituted GSH derivatives in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
Buckling of composite cylindrical shells under pure bending.

An analysis is presented for solving the buckling problems of laminated, long, cylindrical shells under pure bending. The coupling phenomenon between in-plane stretching and bending which may be of practical importance is investigated. vBy a^stniimg-stiitable expressions for the midsurface displacements, Flugge's differential equations of equilibrium are solved. The cylinder wall may be single-layered or composed of an arbitrary number of bonded layers, each of which may possess different thickness, orientation of elastic axes, and anisotropic properties. An effective iteration scheme has been employed so that numerical computations to yield the critical load parameters for buckling problems of the present type can be easily performed. The results of numerical calculations are presented by curves and compared with available data in the literature.
Variability in ultraviolet total optical depth during the Southern California Ozone Study (SCOS97)

Formation of photochemical air pollution is governed in part by the solar ultraviolet actinic radiation #ux, but wavelength-resolved measurements of UV radiation in polluted urban atmospheres are rarely available. As part of the 1997 Southern California Ozone Study, cosine weighted solar irradiance was measured continuously at seven UV wavelengths (300, 306, 312, 318, 326, 333 and 368 nm) at two sites during the period 1 July to 1 November 1997. The "rst site was at Riverside (260 m a.s.l.) in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which frequently experiences severe air pollution episodes. The second site was at Mt Wilson (1725 m a.s.l.), approximately 70 km northwest of Riverside, and located above much of the urban haze layer. Measurements of direct (i.e., total minus di!use) solar irradiance were used to compute total atmospheric optical depths. At 300 nm, optical depths (mean$1 S.D.) measured over the entire study period were 4.3$0.3 at Riverside and 3.7$0.2 at Mt Wilson. Optical depth decreased with increasing wavelength, falling at 368 nm to values of 0.8$0.2 at Riverside and 0.5$0.1 at Mt Wilson. At all wavelengths, both the mean and the relative standard deviation of optical depths were larger at Riverside than at Mt Wilson. At 300 nm, the di!erence between the smallest and largest observed optical depths corresponds to over a factor 2 increase in the direct beam irradiance for overhead sun, and over a factor 7 increase for a solar zenith angle of 603. Principal component analysis was used to reveal underlying factors contributing to variability in optical depths. PCA showed that a single factor (component) was responsible for the major part of the variability. At Riverside, the "rst component was responsible for 97% of the variability and the second component for 2%. At Mt Wilson, 89% of the variability could be attributed to the "rst component and 10% to the second. Dependence of the component contributions on wavelength allowed identi"cation of probable physical causes: the "rst component is linked to light scattering and absorption by atmospheric aerosols, and the second component is linked to light absorption by ozone. These factors are expected to contribute to temporal and spatial variability in solar actinic #ux and photodissociation rates of species including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde. ( 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Estimated variability of below-cloud aerosol removal by rainfall for observed aerosol size distributions

Abstract. Below-cloud scavenging (BCS) coefficients of aerosols by rainfall are estimated for reported aerosol size distributions measured during field experiments in various environments. The method employed is based on explicit calculations of the efficiency of collision between a raindrop and aerosol particles. Such BCS coefficients can be used in numerical models that describe: 1) the detailed evolution of aerosol size distribution and, 2) the evolution of total aerosol mass concentration. The effects of raindrop size distribution and aerosol size distribution variability on BCS coefficients are illustrated using observed data. Results show that BCS coefficient increases with rainfall rate and has a significant dependence on aerosol size distribution parameters. Thus, BCS is important for very small particles (with diameters less than 0.01 μm) and for coarse particles (with diameters larger than 2 µm). For rainfall rate R ~ 1 mm hr-1, the 0.5-folding time of these particles is of the order of one hour. It is shown that BCS is negligible for aerosol particles in the range [0.1-1] µm if compared with in-cloud scavenging rates for low and moderate rainfall rates ( R ~ 0.1-10 mm hr-1). The results indicate that a boundary layer aerosol size distribution with coarse mode is drastically affected very shortly after rain starts (in a fraction of one hour) and consequently, the below-cloud aerosol size distribution becomes dominated by particles in the accumulation mode.
History of the sedimentary infilling of Yarimburgaz Cave, Turkey

Yarimburgaz is a double cave with slightly offset upper and lower entrance chambers, connected laterally inside the cave. Below Byzantine and modern debris, the upper cave encloses Chalcolithic to Upper Paleolithic occupations above a beach sand attributed to the Last Interglacial. Below the beach sand, strongly modified sediments contain sparse Lower Paleolithic artifacts. The lower cave preserves only Lower Paleolithic industries, but with abundant cave bear and other fauna. Lower cave sediments (.5 m thick) comprise a lower, barren section of decalcification clays interfingering with alluvial fine sands, small gravel and rounded pebbles from the cave interior, and isolated limestone blocks from the cave ceiling. These sediments have been strongly affected by secondary phosphatization that fills vugs, cements the sediments, and produces thick reaction rinds on the large blocks. The upper 2 m of the fill becomes more rocky as the evidence of human and bear utilization of the cave becomes prominent. No habitation structures or hearths were detected in the lower cave. ESR and uranium-series dating suggests an age between .160 and 390 ka for the lower cave occupations. Apparently the cave was wide open to the exterior at that time. The final phase of filling was characterized by abundant angular limestone blocks, suggestive of earthquake disturbance. © 1997
Inducible Renitence Limits Listeria monocytogenes Escape from Vacuoles in Macrophages

Membranes of endolysosomal compartments in macrophages are often damaged by physical or chemical effects of particles ingested through phagocytosis or by toxins secreted by intracellular pathogens. This study identified a novel inducible activity in macrophages that increases resistance of phagosomes, late endosomes, and lysosomes to membrane damage. Pretreatment of murine macrophages with LPS, peptidoglycan, TNF-α, or IFN-γ conferred protection against subsequent damage to intracellular membranes caused by photooxidative chemistries or by phagocytosis of ground silica or silica microspheres. Phagolysosome damage was partially dependent on reactive oxygen species but was independent of the phagocyte oxidase. IFN-γ-stimulated macrophages from mice lacking the phagocyte oxidase inhibited escape from vacuoles by the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which suggested a role for this inducible renitence (resistance to pressure) in macrophage resistance to infection by pathogens that damage intracellular membranes. Renitence and inhibition of L. monocytogenes escape were partially attributable to heat shock protein-70. Thus, renitence is a novel, inducible activity of macrophages that maintains or restores the integrity of endolysosomal membranes.
Both age and location predict survival in childhood ependymoma: A SEER study

9545 Background: Supratentorial (SUP) ependymoma in childhood has been reported in studies with limited samples to carry improved overall survival (OS) compared to infratentorial (INF) tumors, with...
Restoring Semantically Incomplete Document Collections Using Lexical Signatures

Unexpected changes create a problem when managing missing resources in a digital collection. In decentralized and distributed collections such as Walden’s Paths, a missing point or an incomplete resource is of grave importance as it can potentially interrupt the continuity in the narration and render the collection semantically incomplete. We can foresee two possible scenarios occurring when resources cannot be found. First, we have access to a copy of the missing document or to its lexical signatures, which allows us to find the missing resource. The second case is more interesting to us. What happens if we don’t have any valid metadata associated to the missing resource? To solve this problem, we used the lexical signatures of valid documents within a collection to find suitable replacements for absent resources. As results we found that traditional similarity metrics do not adequately convey the relationships between the elements in the collections. Our analyses also showed that our procedures were able to restore the semantic integrity of incomplete document collections.
Implementation of a computational tool to study psychrometric processes in mechanical engineering courses

This paper explores the use of a computational tool developed in Microsoft Excel to enhance the students’ understanding of the different psychrometric processes of moist air in courses such as Ther...
Celebrating three decades of excellence in pharmacy management: The John W. Webb Lecture award

Sweeping and profound changes in any profession do not come easily; they require thoughtful, focused, and persistent leadership. Over many years, key leaders and managers in the profession of pharmacy have set bold and exciting directions that have enabled health systems to better serve the needs of
Anharmonic Effects in Bulk Smectic Liquid Crystals and Other "One-Dimensional Solids"

Anharmonic corrections to the familiar harmonic description of "one-dimensional solids" (i.e., liquids which develop a one-dimensional mass-density wave) are calculated by analytic renormalization-group methods in three dimensions. The elastic constants describing the compressional and undulational modes respectively vanish and diverge logarithmically at small wave vectors. Density correlations decay as ${\mathcal{r}}^{\ensuremath{-}x}$ with $x=\ensuremath{\eta}(T){(\mathrm{ln}\mathcal{r})}^{\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\eta}}}$, where the exponent $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\eta}}$ assumes the universal value $\frac{1}{5}$.
Determination of Sodium Cyclamate in Foods by Ion Chromatography with Eluent Generator and Suppressed Conductivity Detection

Objective A method was developed for the determination of sodium cyclamate in foods by ion chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection.Method Sample was pretreated by deposition,then the filtrate was separated on Ionpc AS_(18) column(4.0 mm(i.d)×(250 mm)) using KOH eluent generator and suppressed conductivity detection.Results The concentration of sodium cyclamate had good linear relationship(r=(0.999?9))with the peak area in the range of 0.1～100.0(mg/L.) The limit of detection(LOD) was 0.030(mg/kg) and the limit of quantification(LOQ) was 0.10(mg/kg).The average recoveries ranged from 95.6% to 105.3%,with relative standard deviations RSDs from 1.3% to 2.2%.Conclusion The method is simple,rapid and reliable,and can be applied for the analysis of sodium cyclamate in the foods.
Theological and Ethical Implications of Creation Care

The purpose of this article is to provide a theological and ethical basis for creation care and to look for an area to which Christians may contribute in this matter. First, three issues on the Christian responsibility for creation care were selected and discussed within the framework of theology of creation, eschatology, and redemption. Creation theology identifies the ontological position of human beings in the created world, while the tension existing between the present and the eschatological future suggests an existential status of human beings in connecting the present life with the life to come. The fact that God’s redemption, in a diachronic and synchronic sense, involves a restoration of the creation order ensures Christians that there is a need to broaden their ministerial objectives. With regard to ethical challenges, the issue of Christian worldviews, the moral status of nature and nonhuman entities, and intraand inter-generational equity were addressed. As an alternative of ecocentrism and anthropocentrism, a theocentric perspective was suggested. In response to the valuing theory of non-anthropocentrism and non-anthropogenicism, how God generates the intrinsic value of nature was discussed. Finally, as materialism is regarded as one of the most serious dysfunctional values for the ecosystem, the author suggest how Christians are called to reorient their relationship with the material properties.
A Comparative Study of Self-Concept in Chinese and American Children

Objective:To explore the characteristic of self-concept of Chinese and American children.Method:One hundred and eighty three Chinese children (82 boys and 101 girls, aged 10-12 years old) and 160 American children (72 boys and 88 girls, aged 10-12 years old) were assessed with the Children's Self-Concept Scale. Result: The scores on all the sub-scales in Chinese children were all significantly higher than those of American children. In Chinese, girls consistently perceived themselves more positively than did girls, while American girls consistently perceived themselves less positively than did American boys. Conclusion:There is significant difference in the self-concept between Chinese and American children, and between boys and girls in both countries.
Co-sourcing with Multiple Buyers and Suppliers: Operational and Agency Models

Co-sourcing is a new type of inter-organizational relationship, that is broader, both in operational scope and in risk sharing, than traditional outsourcing relationships. Based on a number of case studies, we develop analytical models of co-sourcing which evaluate when it is optimal, and what form it should take in a particular business environment. Our models simultaneously incorporate operational, economic and information technology factors. We find that the intensity of transactions and the level of intrinsic incentive alignment are crucial to the business partner who is more risk-averse and may sometimes find it optimal to bear the larger portion of operational and market risk in the co-sourcing relationship.
Formalism, Ontology and Methodology in Bohmian Mechanics

The relationship between mathematical formalism, physical interpretation and epistemological appraisal in the practice of physical theorizing is considered in the context of Bohmian mechanics. After laying outthe formal mathematical postulates of thetheory and recovering the historical roots ofthe present debate over the meaning of Bohmianmechanics from the early debate over themeaning of Schrodinger's wave mechanics,several contemporary interpretations of Bohmianmechanics in the literature are discussed andcritiqued with respect to the aim of causalexplanation and an alternative interpretationis proposed. Throughout, the over-arching aimis to exhibit the connections betweenmathematical, ontological and methodologicalquestions in physical theory and to reflect onthe rationality of physical theorizing in lightof the present case.
The regulation and organization of thyroid stimulating hormone genes.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the regulation and organization of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) genes. The chapter discusses the development of highly sensitive and specific radioimmunoassays for each subunit after the dissociation of human TSH and purification of the α and β subunits. In an experiment described in the chapter, subunit secretion and regulation in clinical studies in humans were observed. In addition, extracts of normal human pituitary glands obtained postmortem were prepared, and the extracts were fractionated by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-100. In spite of variability in subunit content among normal pituitaries, a consistent excess of free α subunits relative to the sum of all free pituitary β subunits was demonstrated in each normal pituitary, with an α-to-β subunit ratio ranging from 1.3 to 8.3. These studies supported the concept that biosynthesis of the unique β subunits was limiting in the production of complete glycoprotein hormones.
Analysis of Microsurgical Penile Revascularization Results by Etiology of Impotence

AbstractWe reviewed the results of microsurgical penile revascularization, with or without a combined procedure to correct cavernosal venous leakage, in 50 consecutive patients with vasculogenic impotence. All patients underwent an extensive preoperative evaluation, including dynamic infusion cavernosography and cavernosometry, and selective penile arteriography. Overall 48% (24 patients) had an excellent postoperative result, 40% (20 patients) were improved and 12% (6 patients) failed, with a median followup of 24 months (range 19 to 56). Furthermore, these results appear durable with no significant difference in length of followup between groups irrespective of surgical outcome (p >0.05). Analysis of surgical outcomes by preoperative etiology of impotence (pure arterial versus arterial combined with corporeal venous dysfunction) revealed a statistically significant advantage of an excellent surgical outcome in patients with pure arterial impotence compared to those with mixed etiology with results of 67...
Crystal plasticity FE modeling of Ti alloys for a range of strain-rates. Part I: A unified constitutive model and flow rule

Abstract The deformation and failure response of many polycrystalline metallic materials is strongly dependent on the strain-rate. For an applied strain-rate, different points in the material microstructure can undergo strain-rates that differ by orders of magnitude depending on location and deformation history. Dislocation motion in metals is governed by the thermally-activated and drag-dominated processes under low and high rates of deformation, respectively. Commonly used flow rules, e.g the phenomenological power law or the linear viscous drag models are generally applicable to a limited range of strain-rates, without transcending these rates. To enable this transition in a seamless manner, this two part paper develops a unified constitutive model and an image-based crystal plasticity finite element model for polycrystalline hcp metals. The first part develops a dislocation density-based crystal plasticity constitutive relation with a unified flow rule by combining the thermally-activated and drag-dominated stages of dislocation slip, suitable for modeling deformation at a wide range of strain-rates. The model is explicitly temperature-dependent, making it appropriate for simulating high rate deformations, where temperature increases locally with plastic deformation due to the adiabatic heating. The unified model is used to study rate-sensitivity of flow stress in single crystal and polycrystalline titanium alloy, Ti-7Al. An elastic overshoot, followed by a stress relaxation is observed at high strain-rates in single crystals. For the polycrystalline simulations, the model effectively captures the increase in rate sensitivity at high strain-rates.
Technical Note: A novel interdigital transparent thin-film detector for medical dosimetry.

Purpose A new type of thin-film interdigital detector (TFID) for medical dosimetry is investigated. The focus of this study was to characterize the detector response as a function of detector geometry in an attempt to optimize it and to understand the underlying radio-electrical effects leading to signal formation. Methods We characterize the detector response to kilovoltage x-ray beams used in fluoroscopy and computed tomography. Each element (pixel) of the detector is composed of conductive inter-combing digits deposited on a thin-film dielectric substrate by nanofabrication or using a printing process. The detector is practically transparent to x-ray radiation, yet it generates sufficient signal for many types of medical dosimetry and quality assurance tasks. The thin-film detector has negligible surface mass density (about 2.5mg/cm2 for a 1μm-thick Cu TFID on 12.5μm-thick Kapton substrate) and it is conformable to curved geometries found in the medical x-ray equipment or on patient skin surface. The prototype detectors were made using glass and Kapton substrates with copper-copper and copper-aluminum interdigits. Although in principle the detector can be operated without any external bias voltage when the digits are made of disparate materials (e.g. Cu-Al), we also characterized the detector properties under small electric fields via its current-voltage curve (IV-curve). Results Using 120kVp, 25mA x-ray beam with 10V external bias the Cu-Cu detector response was about 0.2nA/cm2. We also measured a one-dimensional transmitted dose profile for a phantom under fluoroscopic x-rays and found relatively good agreement with a commercial photodiode (XR R12-0191, IBA Dosimetry). Conclusions We demonstrated the potential of TFID detectors for kilovoltage dosimetry and we defined its optimal geometry. For digits made of the same material and for digit width equal to the separation between them we found that the thin-film detector has optimal performance when the distance between the digit centers is about 1mm, while in the fixed digit width cases we observed that the signal is higher when their edge-to-edge separation is as small as possible. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Extending the Fixed-Points Technique for Optimum Design of Rotational Inertial Tuned Mass Dampers

The fixed-points technique is an approximate version of H-infinity optimization and one of the most common methods used for the design of tuned vibration absorbers. The fixed-points technique is based on the existence of fixed points on the system’s frequency response curve that are independent of the system’s damping level and are thus at the same location during both the zero and infinite damping conditions. Optimum tuning parameter of tuned mass dampers (TMDs) have been obtained by equalizing the magnitude of the response at these fixed-points. This technique has been previously investigated for the optimal design of conventional TMDs and extended for various types of other TMDs. Recently, by replacing the damper in the TMD with combination of a tuning spring, viscous damper, and a small physical mass connected to a mechanism which converts translational motion to the rotational motion of that small mass, rotational tuned mass dampers (RITMDs) have been developed. However, the fixed-points technique has not been extended previously for RITMDs, which have one additional degree-of-freedom compared to TMDs. In this paper, the fixed-points technique is extended, via algebraic solution, for selecting the optimum tuning and damping values of RITMDs. Comparison of the response of the system with the optimum design values determined from the proposed method and numerical results in the literature demonstrates the validity of the assumptions and procedures of the proposed optimization method. Additionally, the performance of the system, in comparison to a conventionally optimized TMD via the fixed-points technique, shows that the RITMDs can be more effective at reducing the underlying system’s maximum displacement response.
Video-Based Group Instruction for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Case of Intervention Development

Abstract Social interaction skills are critical indicators of positive life outcomes across multiple domains of functioning for adolescents diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, intervention research has provided very few community-based social skills treatment options for service providers of adolescents with ASD. This chapter documents a case example of intervention development designed to address the gap in empirically supported social skills training programs for the aforementioned subgroup of adolescents with ASD while following recent guidelines from implementation science (Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005) and contextually based ASD intervention development (Dingfelder & Mandell, 2011; Kasari & Smith, 2013). We describe an iterative process of contextually driven development of a social skills instruction program for adolescents with ASD in a public high school, which can serve as a model for the development of sustainable intervention.
Keppi: A Tangible User Interface for Self-Reporting Pain

Motivated by the need to support those managing chronic pain, we report on the iterative design, development, and evaluation of Keppi, a novel pressure-based tangible user interface (TUI) for the self-report of pain intensity. In-lab studies with 28 participants found individuals were able to use Keppi to reliably report low, medium, and high pain as well as map squeeze pressure to pain level. Based on insights from these evaluations, we ultimately created a wearable version of Keppi with multiple form factors, including a necklace, bracelet, and keychain. Interviews indicated high receptivity to the wearable design, which satisfied additional user-identified needs (e.g., discreet and convenient) and highlighted key directions for the continued refinement of tangible devices for pain assessment.
Computer simulations of Jupiter's deep internal dynamics help interpret what Juno sees

We describe computer simulations of thermal convection and magnetic field generation in Jupiter's deep interior: that is, its convective dynamo. Results from three different simulations highlight the importance of including the dynamics in the very deep interior, although much of the convection and field generation seems to be confined to the upper part of the interior. A long-debated question is to what depth do Jupiter's zonal winds extend below its surface. Our simulations suggest that, if global latitudinally banded patterns in Jupiter's near-surface magnetic and gravity fields were detected by Juno, NASA's orbiting spacecraft at Jupiter [Bolton S, et al. (2017) Science 356:821-825], they would provide evidence for Jupiter's zonal winds extending deep below the surface. One of our simulations has also maintained, for a couple simulated years, a deep axisymmetric inertial wave, with properties at the surface that depend on the size of the model's small rocky core. If such a wave was detected on Jupiter's surface, its latitudes and oscillation frequency would provide evidence for the existence and size of Jupiter's rocky core.
The Eigenproblem and Invariant Subspaces: Perturbation Theory

In this collection of papers, Pete Stewart established the foundations for the perturbation theory of invariant subspaces. He introduced two crucial concepts that allow a systematic approach toward such a perturbation theory: subspace rotation and operator separation. These two concepts form the guiding principle in most of these papers.
Applying for Training, Career Development, and Early-stage Research Grants

This chapter presents an overview of training, career development, and early-stage research applications and grants. This overview is followed by eight basic steps that should be followed when applying for one of these grants. Each Institute and Center (IC) at NIH has specific policies for training, career development, and early-stage research applications and grants. Not all NIH ICs offer all of the grants described in this chapter, and some offer additional types of grants. Even though each IC funds different types of training, career development, and early-stage research grants, there is one universal – each IC wants to fund the development of people who will become independent scientists conducting research pertinent to its mission. After reading this chapter, potential applicants will have a framework for understanding each IC’s specific information about training, career development, and early-stage research applications and grants.
An Improved TCP for Reduced Packet Delay in IEEE 802.11s-Based Smart Grid AMI Networks

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) can handle packet losses by retransmitting them when the corresponding acknowledgement (ACK) packets are not received within a certain time interval. This time interval is referred to as retransmission timeout (RTO) and setting its value is critical to reduce the packet delay in Smart Grid Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) networks. In this paper, we propose a novel mechanism to set the RTO of each smart meter (SM) to improve the performance of TCP in IEEE 802.11s-based AMI networks in terms of packet delay. The idea is based on using the location of the SMs in the network topology and assign an RTO based on its distance from the gateway. In addition, we propose eliminating the doubling of RTO value when ACK packets are not received. The simulation results under ns-3 simulator indicate that the delay performance can be improved at least 40% with the use of these mechanisms.
The Multicultural Masculinity Ideology Scale: Validation from Three Cultural Perspectives

The Multicultural Masculinity Ideology Scale(MMIS) measures an individual's adaptation andinternalization of a culture's norms about how menshould act. This study extends previous research onmasculinity ideology by generating a scale representingmultiple cultural perspectives using 190 Chilean, 283Anglo-American, and 296 African-American undergraduates.The psychometric properties of the MMIS were established using principal components analysis, convergentvalidity tests, and internal-consistency and test-retestreliability. Two components consistent across culturesemerged: Hypermasculine Posturing and Achievement. In addition, there were culturally-specificcomponents: Toughness, Pose, and Responsibility amongChileans; Sensitivity among Anglo-Americans; and SexualResponsibility among African-Americans. Results indicate that the MMIS can be useful forexamining a variety of research questions relating toculture and masculinity.
Typical carcinoids, goblet cell carcinoids, mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas, neuroendocrine carcinomas and adenocarcinomas of the appendix: a comparative analysis of survival profile and predictors.

Background: Goblet cell carcinoids (GCC) and other atypical neuroendocrine tumors (NET) of the appendix as well as appendiceal adenocarcinoma are usually managed with the same algorithm as colon cancers. This study investigates clinicopathological features that are predictive of survival outcomes for appendiceal NET and adenocarcinoma. Survival profiles for the histologic subtypes of appendiceal NET and adenocarcinoma were compared. Methods: A retrospective review of appendiceal NET and adenocarcinoma for patients who are 18 years and above in the SEER database from 2010 to 2014. Results: Females outnumbered males in a 1.3 to 1 ratio in the NET subgroup and 1.1 to 1 ratio in the adenocarcinoma group. The mean age at diagnosis for all NET was 50.3±17 years while that of adenocarcinomas was 60.8±14.1 years. Within the NET subgroups, the mean ages for typical carcinoids (TC), GCC, NEC and MANEC were 42.9±17.3, 56.7±13.7, 45.6±17.4 and 59.7±12.8 years, respectively. Overall survival for adenocarcinoma was 86.3%, 73.5%, 65.7%, and 57.6% for 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year OS, respectively. For NET, TC showed better survival profile with 1- and 4-year overall survival of 97.4% and 95.7%, respectively while MANEC had the worst survival outcome with 1- and 4-year OS of 88.6% and 62.2%, respectively. GCC had a better 1-year OS compared to NEC (95.5% versus 92.9%) but showed slightly worse 4-year OS (82% versus 84.8%). Age at diagnosis (HR 1.03), African-American race (HR 1.47) and stage IV disease (HR 9.58) were independent predictors of survival for appendiceal adenocarcinoma. For NET, advanced age at diagnosis, advanced disease stage and the African-American race were identified as negative independent predictors of survival. Conclusions: While prior studies have suggested that atypical NET (GCC, NEC and MANEC) are more likely to present at more advanced stages, this study showed that most cases of GCC, MANEC and NEC were diagnosed at stages I and II. Appendiceal adenocarcinoma, on the other hand, presented mostly at stage IV. With respect to OS, atypical histologic subtypes of NET have worse outcome compared to TC. Although better OS was noted for GCC, NEC and MANEC when compared to adenocarcinoma, this benefit was lost in stage IV disease where adenocarcinoma recorded better 1- and 4-year OS. Prospective and randomized studies which provide granular details of treatment are needed to better define treatment algorithm for appendiceal NET.
Choice Structuring Properties of Natural Resource Theft: An Examination of Redwood Burl Poaching

ABSTRACTCoast redwoods are the tallest living tree species and one of the longest-living organisms on Earth, with lifespans that can extend 2,500 years. Burl poaching from a living tree leaves a wo...
Arithmetic coding

The earlier introduced arithmetic coding idea has been generalized to a very broad and flexible coding technique which includes virtually all known variable rate noiseless coding techniques as special cases. An outstanding feature of this technique is that alphabet extensions are not required. A complete decodability analysis is given. The relationship of arithmetic coding to other known nonblock codes is illuminated.
A computational framework for quantifying and analyzing system flexibility

Abstract We present a computational framework for analyzing and quantifying system flexibility. Our framework incorporates new features that include: general uncertainty characterizations that are constructed using composition of sets, procedures for computing well-centered nominal points, and a procedure for identifying and ranking flexibility-limiting constraints and critical parameter values. These capabilities allow us to analyze the flexibility of complex systems such as distribution networks.
Plantwide Control of a Compact Modular Reconfigurable System for Continuous- Flow Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

This article considers the design of plantwide control for a portable modular reconfigurable system for the on-demand continuous-flow production of pharmaceuticals. The existing physical system has a regulatory control layer that is designed to control key states such as reactor temperatures at specified setpoint values, but lacks a higher level control system for the control of plantwide objectives such as overall yield and production rate. This article presents the design of a model predictive control-based plantwide control system, whose online optimization enables on-demand changing of plantwide control objectives while satisfying operational constraints. The controller was applied to a simulated plant based on the physical system. Strong dynamic nonlinearities that arise when operating the system near optimality complicate the design of a model predictive control system based on a linear process model. Two strategies for obtaining linear input-output models for model predictive control design are proposed that provide highperformance control, in spite of the large dynamic nonlinearities between the manipulated and controlled variables.
Measuring variables of social identification affecting brand equity using the social identity-brand equity model: A case study of Thai professional football clubs

The formation of sport team brand equity was studied by testing the social identity- brand equity (SIBE) model in the context of fans of Thai professional football clubs. The model proposes the marketplace characteristics used to enhance one’s social identity, which is presumed to have a positive influence on team brand equity. Professional football teams in Thailand were the focus because of the increasing numbers of football fans, more money circulating in the market, and the high competitive advantage of teams. A paper-based survey was administered to 755 football fans of four professional football teams in the Thai Premier League. The questionnaire consisted of separate parts covering demographic data and market constructs using 5-point scales. A structural equation model was applied to test the research hypotheses. The results were gathered through confirmatory factor analysis which was adjusted into five dimensions: ritual and tradition, team management, experience, coach and manager, and facilities and venue. In addition, a standard multiple regression analysis revealed the relationships among dimensions. The prediction of brand equity by direct and indirect effects was tested. The findings suggested managerial implications; for example, the need for activity creation and for events involving fans to build a strong fan identity, and enhancement of the levels of team brand equity for Thai professional football clubs.
The New York Inclusive Value Ledger: A Peer-to-Peer Savings & Payments Platform for an All-Embracing and Dynamic State Economy

Many units of government see a need for more inclusive money, payment, and retail banking systems for the generation, accumulation, and free transfer of spendable value among their constituents. This document sketches a smart-device-accessible peer-to-peer (‘P2P’) savings and payments platform – the ‘New York Inclusive Value Ledger’ – which, thanks to new digital technologies, can easily be instituted and administered by any unit of government in the State of New York that wishes to supply this critical productive, commercial and financial infrastructure to all of its constituents. The resulting ‘Public Venmo’ will enable the monetization, hence the production, saving, and spending, of far more value than the state’s economy allows at present. Inclusive monetization will combine with inclusive economic participation to generate the most dynamic state economy New York has ever known.
Gradual tax reforms: If you like it, you can keep it

Abstract One of the key practical challenges facing by tax reforms are their short-run welfare consequences. In this paper I focus on a consumption-based tax reform for which, despite long-run welfare gains it generates, welfare for some groups such as retirees, or the working poor, falls during transition between steady states. Using a life-cycle model with heterogeneous households, I show how to devise a transition path from the current U.S. Federal tax system to a consumption-based tax system that improves the welfare of current as well as future generations. In a nutshell, all households alive at the time of the policy change can choose when they want to switch to the new tax system, or whether they want to switch at all. I find that implementing a tax reform with this feature improves the welfare of 95% of population in the short-run, compared to less than a quarter of population in the conventional case with no choice. It takes about twenty years for half of the population to pay their taxes under the new tax code.
Low-Power Switching through Disorder and Carrier Localization in Bismuth-Doped Germanium Telluride Phase Change Memory Nanowires.

One of the major problems with phase change memory (PCM) is the high current density required for the crystal–amorphous transformation via a melt-quench process. However, alternative low-energy pat...
Cardiac point-of-care ultrasound reveals unexpected, life-threatening findings in two children.

The diagnosis of pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade can at times be elusive in pediatric patients since it is relatively uncommon. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can readily be performed at the bedside to assess for the presence of a pericardial effusion, tamponade, and can occasionally yield unexpected results. Two cases where POCUS unexpectedly identified pericardial effusions, with one patient who also had an anterior mediastinal mass. Though underutilized, cardiac POCUS in children can be immediately life-saving and drastically change the clinical management at the patient’s bedside.