cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Undergraduates' conflictual independence, adjustment, and alcohol use: The importance of the mother‐student relationship

This study investigated conflictual independence from parents (defined as a relationship free of anger and resentment), adjustment, and alcohol use among college students at a midwestern technical university (N = 109). Results showed that adjustment, as measured by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (1989), was associated with having achieved conflictual independence from one's parents as measured by Hoffman's (1984) Psychological Separation Inventory. Additionally, greater alcohol use was associated with having achieved less conflictual independence from parents; the most frequent and strongest relationships occurred with respect to the mother-student relationship. The results suggested that the parent-student relationship has an impact on late adolescent development and that it also may play a role in alcohol use by college students.
Public Policy and the Origins of Bureaucratic Red Tape: Implications of the Stanford Yacht Scandal

The so-called “Stanford yacht scandal” is used as a case to examine the public policy origins of bureaucratic red tape. The 1988 erroneous charge by Stanford University accountants of depreciation ...
Enhanced stimulation of 5α-reductase activity in cultured Leydig cell precursors by human chorionic gonadotropin

Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that the increase in number of Leydig cells during prepubertal maturation results, in part, from the differentiation of mesenchymal precursors between the second and fourth week of postnatal life. After conversion to immature Leydig cells, they actively synthesize testosterone, but this androgen does not accumulate because high 5α-reductase activity rapidly converts testosterone to 5α-reduced metabolites. The present studies examined whether the conversion of precursor cells to immature Leydig cells in vitro by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), as characterized by progressive increases in testosterone formation and 5-ene-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase (3β-HSD) activity, is associated similarly with an enhanced stimulation of 5α-reductase activity. We also evaluated whether this conversion occurs following blockade of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) formation by the inclusion of a 5α-reductase inhibitor during the entire treatment period. Precursor cells were isolated from immature rats using a multi-step procedure normally used to isolate highly purified Leydig cells from adult or immature rats. These cells localize in a region of lower density on Percoll gradients than Leydig cells. Although the acute (3 h) response to hCG with respect to testosterone formation, and basal 3β-HSD and 5α-reductase activities on day 1 of culture were much higher in purified Leydig cells than precursor cells from immature rats, the response of each parameter to chronic (6-day) treatment with hCG was much greater in precursor cells. Furthermore, the conversion of precursor cells to immature Leydig cells occurred in the presence of a 5α-reductase inhibitor during the entire treatment period, suggesting that this conversion occurs in the absence of DHT. These results demonstrate for the first time that in addition to increased testosterone biosynthesis and 3β-HSD activity, the conversion of precursor cells to immature Leydig cells, in vitro , in response to chronic hCG treatment, involves enhanced 5α-reductase activity.
Mm-wave phased array antenna and system integration on semi-flex packaging

60GHz technology utilizes world wide exempt 5–9GHz bandwidth to provide multi-gigabit high throughput wireless communication in WPAN and WLAN applications. One of the key challenges to enable 60GHz technology is developing mm-wave phased array antenna design and packaging integration with mm-wave ICs. This paper presents a conformal mm-wave phased array antenna design and packaging integration to provide low loss solution and flexibility for platform integration.
The Use Of Natural Constraints In Image Segmentation

Current edge detection techniques are often insensitive to some perceptually significant edges in an image. Similarly, segmentation techniques do not always segment an image into perceptually meaningful regions. Edge detection and segmentation algorithms can be improved by incorporating the natural constraints used by humans in the perception of line drawings. To uncover some of these natural constraints, psychophysical experiments were performed. The results show that the perceptibility of individual lines in a drawing depends upon the presence of particular local features. First, short lines appear to have lower contrast than long lines. Second, there is a hierarchy of three types of connections between the ends of line segments, and the perceived contrast of a line increases by different amounts, depending upon which types of end connections are present. The natural constraints uncovered in the psychophysical experiments were incorporated into a computer vision module which selectively enhances and segments line drawings. The in-put to the module is a drawing containing straight and/or curved lines, and the output is an enhanced and segmented version of the line drawing. The computations in the module are local and can be performed in parallel. They are efficient because of the simplicity of the operations involved, and because they are performed just once-no iterative relaxation is required. The use of natural constraints results in lines being enhanced in accordance with their perceptual significance. For example, lines which are part of the outer contours of objects are enhanced more than other lines, while lines that are part of object edges are enhanced more than lines which form part of textures or noise. In addition, when one object occludes another, the object in the foreground is enhanced versus the occluded object. When objects are accidentally aligned, the segmentation computed by the module agrees with the segmentation used by humans. By using the natural constraints, many tasks which previously had been thought to require domain dependent knowledge, can be performed using data driven, bottom-up processing.
An integrated electronic shutter for back-illuminated charge-coupled devices

A novel electronic shutter has been integrated into the structure of a back-illuminated frame-transfer charge-coupled device (CCD) to permit short optical exposure times and to reduce the smear that occurs during the transfer of an image from the CCD detection area. The shutter consists of an n/sup +/ shutter drain placed in the vertical channel stop regions and stepped p-type buried layers formed by a high-energy implantation (1.0-1.5 MeV) located between the CCD n-type buried channel the and p substrate. These structures create electric fields that direct the photoelectrons to either the CCD detection region or the n/sup +/ shutter drain. The ratio of photons detected with the shutter open to photons detected with the shutter closed has been measured to be greater than 75000 for wavelengths below 540 nm. The corresponding shutter rise and fall times are less than 55 ns. >
Force Budget of Ice Sheets

The forces or stresses in a glacier are separated into lithostatic and resistive components. The lithostatic component is the weight of ice and gradients in it cause glacial motion as described by the driving stress. The remaining stresses oppose the motion and in assessing glacial stability it is important to determine which of the several potential resistive forces are most important, Data relating to the stresses driving and resisting the flow of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet are discussed. The driving stress is readily calculated and it shows an almost exponential decrease from the inland ice, along Ice Stream B, and across the Ross Ice Shelf to the calving edge. Prior work shows that basal drag restrains inland ice and that the backstress on ice shelves originates at islands, shoals, and the sides. The restraints on ice streams are not at present known, but basal drag, side drag, and back-pressure from the interstream ridges where the inland ice funnels into ice streams, are potential controls.
Activity-dependence of the "safe zone" for impingement versus dislocation avoidance.

Abstract Presently, the basis for optimal cup positioning to minimize the likelihood of dislocation rests upon subjective clinical impressions. To help elucidate optimal cup positioning more objectively, and to clarify the distinction between impingement avoidance and dislocation avoidance, kinematic and kinetic inputs for seven dislocation-prone activities were applied to finite element models of a contemporary 22-mm modular total hip reconstruction. Twenty-five cup placement positions (combinations of 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70° of abduction with 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40° of anteversion) were chosen to include the conventional ‘safe zone’ of 30–50° of tilt and 5–25° of anteversion. Activities studied were: rising from a low seat (toilet) and from a normal height chair, leg-crossing while seated, tying a shoe from a seated position, bending at the hip from an erect stance to retrieve an object on the floor (stooping), a standing pivot maneuver, and rolling over in bed. Neck-on-cup impingement occurred during one or more of the dislocation-prone activities at all 25 cup positions. Of the 175 combinations of cup position and kinetic challenge, dislocation and impingement events both occurred for 51 situations, while impingement occurred in 45 instances without dislocation, and dislocation occurred in 10 instances without impingement. Neither dislocation nor impingement was observed in the 69 other combinations of cup position and loading challenge. Kappa statistics showed dislocation and impingement, as outcome measures of activity-dependent challenges, exhibit little more than chance agreement. Therefore, the use of impingement range of motion (ROM) as a predictor of a given cup position's vulnerability to dislocation should be viewed cautiously.
Study on Numerical Simulation and Performance of the Secondary Throttle Choke Used in the Oil Field

The numerical simulation method is adopted to calculate the flow field of the secondary throttle choke used in the oil field. The relationships among the flow of the secondary throttle choke, differential pressure and diameters are studied. The results of numerical simulation coincide with the experiment values, which verify that the method is correct. The results show that the flow increases with the increasing of differential pressure of the throttle choke at both ends, but the increment of the flow gradually decreases. The structure could maintain the flow not to change basically when differential pressure change in a certain scope. When the throttle diameter turns out to be small, the flow decreases, and flow-pressure curve gradually becomes aclinic. Compared with the first-class throttle diameter, the second-class throttle diameter is the main factor which effects flow changes.
Hydrogen-Bonding Networks in Heterocyclic Thioureas

The synthesis of heterocyclic thioureas from heterocyclic amines with phenyl- or methylisothiocyanate or CS2 is described. Seven new X-ray crystal structures are reported: In N-(3-pyridyl)-N′-phenylthiourea (Pna21, a = 10.1453(3), b = 17.6183(5), c = 6.4787(2), V = 1158.02(6), Z = 4) hydrogen-bonding results in formation of a 3D network consisting of helices, which form channels parallel to the c-axis. In N-(4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylthiourea (P21/c, a = 16.9314(3), b = 10.3554(2), c = 13.5152(3), β = 106.5080(10), V = 2271.96(8), Z = 4, two independent molecules) hydrogen-bonding results in N–H···S bridged dimers and N–H···Py chains, forming a 2D sheet network. In N-(2-pyrimidyl)-N′-phenylthiourea (P21/c, a = 5.45900(10), b = 13.8559(2), c = 14.3356(3), β = 94.9800(10), V = 1080.24(3), Z = 4) and N-(2-pyrimidyl)-N′-methylthiourea (P21/c, a = 8.8159(5), b = 11.2386(5), c = 7.7156(4), β = 95.629(2), V = 760.76(7), Z = 4) pairs of intra- and intermolecular N–H···N interactions produce dimers. Dimer formation through N–H···S occurs for N-(2-thiazolyl)-N′-methylthiourea (C2/c, a = 17.9308(3), b = 7.78260(10), c = 10.8686(2), β = 105.3740(10), V = 1462.42(4), Z = 8). Two symmetrically disubstituted thioureas were examined: N,N′-bis(2-pyridyl)thiourea (Fdd2, a = 15.1859(2), b = 30.1654(3), c = 9.44130(10), V = 4324.95(8), Z = 16) forms intra- and intermolecular N–H···Py hydrogen-bonds, forming a 1D zigzag chain and N,N′-bis(3-pyridyl)thiourea (P21/c, a = 13.2461(2), b = 6.26170(10), c = 12.3503(2), β = 96.0160(10), V = 1018.73(3), Z = 4) forms intermolecular N–H···Py hydrogen-bonds, resulting in 2D sheets. Hydrogen-Bonding Networks in Heterocyclic Thioureas. Aakarsh Saxena and Robert D. Pike* The synthesis and hydrogen bonded structures of various pyridyl-, pyrimidyl-, and thiazolyl-substituted thioureas is presented.
A Review of the Use of Angiotensin Receptor Blockers for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Essential Hypertension Without Compelling Indications

OBJECTIVETo review the role of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) for the prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with essential hypertension without other compelling indications.DATA SOURCESPeer-reviewed clinical trials, review articles, and relevant treatment guidelines were identified from MEDLINE and Current Content database (both 1966-November 15, 2012) using the search terms angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), azilsartan, candesartan, eprosartan, irbesartan, losartan, olmesartan, telmisartan, valsartan, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and cardiovascular outcomes. Results were limited to human trials published in English. Citations from articles were also reviewed for additional references.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONThe focus was on clinical trials evaluating cardiovascular end points of ARBs used in patients with essential hypertension without compelling indications.DATA SYNTHESISData supporting the use of ARBs for reducing cardiovascular events in pat...
The Dantzig selector and generalized thresholding

The Dantzig selector is a recently introduced technique for near-optimal estimation of sparse signals from a limited set of measurements. This paper offers an interpretation of the Dantzig selector as a generalized thresholding operator. This interpretation ties together two seemingly disparate phenomena: the fact that we can estimate sparse signal accurately, and the fact that we can compute this estimation efficiently using a homotopy algorithm.
Localization for indoor wireless networks using minimum intersection areas of iso-RSS lines

We present a new method for localization in wireless networks based on the measurement of the received signal strength (RSS) from multiple access points in an indoor setting. Our approach starts by learning a smoothed RSS surface for each of the access points from a set of training data. We then extract the isometric lines of the RSS surface (iso-RSS lines) for each access point. To perform the localization, the user measures the incoming signal strength of each access point and identifies the corresponding iso-RSS line. Ideally, the exact location would be the common intersection point of these lines. However, noise and measurement imperfections make the lines not intersect in a single point. We search for the smallest rectangular area which is intersected by all the selected iso-RSS lines. This rectangle is interpreted as the most likely location of the user; the area of the rectangle is an estimate of the localization error. We describe an efficient method for finding the minimal intersection area based on recursive grid partitioning. Through experiments over multiple indoor data sets we show that our approach provides a better localization accuracy than existing localization algorithms.
Risk Management and the Cost of Capital for Operating Assets

This article attempts to clarify the effect of risk management on a company's cost of capital in the spirit of the traditional M&M/CAPM model. The traditional cost of capital model can and should be used to find the hurdle rate for a company's operating assets, since it can be applied regardless of the composition of the firm's non-operating assets or its risk management policy. The author's main message is that if a firm manages idiosyncratic risk, the correct cost of capital for the operating investment is not the firm's enterprise WACC, but rather the required return on the assets being funded. Using the case of a company with a single line of business that is evaluating an investment opportunity, the author demonstrates how to adjust the firm's overall WACC to find the cost of capital for the operating assets to be acquired.
Item Selection Methods for the Adolescent Domain Screening Inventory

Objective: The purpose of this article is to describe the method of item selection tested in the development of the Adolescent Domain Screening Inventory. Method: The convenience sampling frame used for these analyses consisted of 26,781 Communities That Care Youth Surveys. The three item selection methods were used to assess known instrument, convergent construct, and concurrent criterion validities. Results: Method 3, multiple regression on 30-day use, performed the best on the correlations with outcome scales and was indistinguishable from the others on the correlations with the original. Conclusions: This study suggests that the dominant method of short-form item selection, factor analysis loading, might not be only method a researcher can employ and may not be best for all purposes.
The Blue-Light Receptor YtvA Acts in the Environmental Stress Signaling Pathway of Bacillus subtilis

The general stress response of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis is regulated by a partner-switching mechanism in which serine and threonine phosphorylation controls protein interactions in the stress-signaling pathway. The environmental branch of this pathway contains a family of five paralogous proteins that function as negative regulators. Here we present genetic evidence that a sixth paralog, YtvA, acts as a positive regulator in the same environmental signaling branch. We also present biochemical evidence that YtvA and at least three of the negative regulators can be isolated from cell extracts in a large environmental signaling complex. YtvA differs from these associated negative regulators by its flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-containing light-oxygen-voltage domain. Others have shown that this domain has the photochemistry expected for a blue-light sensor, with the covalent linkage of the FMN chromophore to cysteine 62 composing a critical part of the photocycle. Consistent with the view that light intensity modifies the output of the environmental signaling pathway, we found that cysteine 62 is required for YtvA to exert its positive regulatory role in the absence of other stress. Transcriptional analysis of the ytvA structural gene indicated that it provides the entry point for at least one additional environmental input, mediated by the Spx global regulator of disulfide stress. These results support a model in which the large signaling complex serves to integrate multiple environmental signals in order to modulate the general stress response.
Prescription pattern of antimicrobial drugs in pediatrics outpatient department of a tertiary care teaching hospital of North India

Background: The pediatric population comprises of 20-25% of the total world population, and numerous acute and chronic diseases can effect this sub population. Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed classes of medications for children. Methods: The study is prospective interventional study carried out in the pediatric outpatient of the MIMS for a period of 3 months (September-November 2013+1 month for analysis). Results: Most (84%) children were given single antimicrobial agent and 16% were given more than one antimicrobial or fixed dose combination of the antimicrobial agent. Amoxicillin (48%), erythromycin (20%) and cefixime (16%) were found to be the most frequently used antibiotics. Conclusions: The high percentage of prescriptions involving antimicrobials observed in MIMS requires rational use of antimicrobials and judicious prescribing. It should be followed by the appropriate use of the selected medicine from the NLEM with frequent update of information. The implementation of antibiotic policy and treatment guidelines with periodic assessment of the clinical pharmacologist in the study area is very important in order to monitor the clinical use of these medications.
Understanding NF‐κB signaling via mathematical modeling

Mammalian inflammatory signaling, for which NF-κB is a principal transcription factor, is an exquisite example of how cellular signaling pathways can be regulated to produce different yet specific responses to different inflammatory insults. Mathematical models, tightly linked to experiment, have been instrumental in unraveling the forms of regulation in NF-κB signaling and their underlying molecular mechanisms. Our initial model of the IκB–NF-κB signaling module highlighted the role of negative feedback in the control of NF-κB temporal dynamics and gene expression. Subsequent studies sparked by this work have helped to characterize additional feedback loops, the input–output behavior of the module, crosstalk between multiple NF-κB-activating pathways, and NF-κB oscillations. We anticipate that computational techniques will enable further progress in the NF-κB field, and the signal transduction field in general, and we discuss potential upcoming developments.
Heterogeneity of bronchial endothelial cell permeability.

In vivo models of airway inflammation suggest that most protein transudation occurs from bronchial microcirculation. However, due to technical limitations in the isolation and culture of bronchial ...
Towards composable distributed real-time and embedded software

The complexity of building and validating software is a growing challenge for developers of distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) applications. While DRE applications are increasingly based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software elements, substantial time and effort are spent integrating these elements into applications. Integration challenges stem largely from a lack of higher level abstractions for composing complex applications. As a result, considerable application-specific "glue code" must be rewritten for each successive DRE application. This paper makes three contributions to the study of composing reusable middleware from standard components in DRE applications: it (1) describes the limitations of current approaches in middleware composition, (2) discusses the minimum set of requirements required of reusable middleware components, and (3) presents recurring patterns for software composition as applied to CIAO (Component-Integrated ACE ORB), our open-source component model implementation.
Digital Asset Management

Facial plastic surgeons are accumulating massive digital image databases with the evolution of photodocumentation and widespread adoption of digital photography. Managing and maximizing the utility of these vast data repositories, or digital asset management (DAM), is a persistent challenge. Developing a DAM workflow that incorporates a file naming algorithm and metadata assignment will increase the utility of a surgeon's digital images.
White Paper: Options for a Treaty on Business and Human Rights

The United Nations Human Rights Council decided in June 2014 to establish an Intergovernmental Working Group to “elaborate an international legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises.” The first meeting of the Working Group took take place in Geneva in July 2015.The Council did not further specify what sort of instrument should be drafted. The Center for Human Rights of the American Bar Association and the Law Society of England and Wales asked the present authors to prepare a “White Paper” on possible options for a treaty on business and human rights.The Paper takes no position for or against a treaty, or any particular form or content of a treaty. It is purely informational. It represents the views only of its authors, not necessarily those of the American Bar Association or its Center, or of the Law Society. Although other experts provided helpful comments on earlier drafts, the authors are solely responsible for the content.The Paper begins by summarizing the context of the treaty process and current international law on business and human rights. It then addresses three main topics:• Treaty Options: The wide variety of forms and content a treaty could take;• Templates: Forms of treaties that enjoy broad support in international law, which could serve as templates for a treaty on business and human rights; and• Cross-cutting Issues: Issues of international law and policy that drafters may need to address, regardless of the form and content of a treaty (companies covered; applicable rights; law governing civil damages suits; geographic scope of State duties; parent company responsibilities; and whether to impose duties only on States or directly on business).
Lexical Semantics: Overview

Lexical semantics is the study of both word meaning and the manner in which words mediate between our concepts and linguistic form. Words are not mere bundles of semantic features but, rather, are structured and active participants in the grammatical and compositional operations inherent in language. The principal areas of concern to this end are ambiguity and polysemy, the semantic relation between words and the types they denote, and the mapping to syntax from semantic forms. Lexical semantics is both the interface between conceptualization and language and the building block for compositional semantics.
Schools Illustrate Progress in the Use of Wood

Historically, from the days of the “little red schoolhouse," wood has been the accepted material for such structures. With modern advances in adaptation, fittings, and design, timber has again asse...
Mechanical Dyssynchrony: A Risk Factor but not a Target

This editorial refers to ‘Association of persistent or worsened echocardiographic dyssynchrony with unfavourable clinical outcomes in heart failure patients with narrow QRS width: a subgroup analysis of the EchoCRT trial’[†][1], by J. Gorcsan et al. , on page 49. Among patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 140 ms) and, more specifically, left bundle branch block have emerged as predictors of treatment benefit.5–8 Imaging-based assessments of the timing of LV regional contraction—termed intraventricular mechanical synchrony—including numerous M-mode, Doppler, tissue Doppler and strain-based measures, were developed out of a desire to better understand the physiologic underpinnings of LV dyssynchrony and to better identify patients most likely to benefit from CRT. The relationship between electrical … [1]: #fn-2
More evidence of unpublished industry studies of lead smelter/refinery workers

Background:Lead smelter/refinery workers in the US have had significant exposure to lead and are an important occupational group to study to understand the health effects of chronic lead exposure in adults. Recent research found evidence that studies of lead smelter/refinery workers have been conducted but not published. This paper presents further evidence for this contention.Objectives:To present further evidence of industry conducted, unpublished epidemiologic studies of lead smelter/refinery workers and health outcomes.Methods:Historical research relying on primary sources such as internal industry documents and published studies.Results:ASARCO smelter/refinery workers were studied in the early 1980s and found to have increased risk of lung cancer and stroke in one study, but not in another.Conclusions:Because occupational lead exposure is an on-going concern for US and overseas workers, all epidemiologic studies should be made available to evaluate and update occupational health and safety standards.
FAILURE OF NEUTRON TRANSPORT APPROXIMATIONS IN SMALL CELLS IN CYLINDRICAL GEOMETRY

In previous calculations of the thermal neutron flux fine structure in fuel-element cells, Pn and Sn approximatione to the Boltzmann equation were used rather than diffusion theory P/sub 1/ approximatinne. It was found that in cylindrical geometry, approximations such as P/sub 3/, S/sub 4/, and S/sub 8/ can be poorer than P/sub 1/, especially for tightly packed lattices with a low- density coolant. Methods used to compute the fire structure in these cells having a coolant source in the coolant are described. Results suggested that the anomalously large values of the disadvantage factor in higherorder approximatians in cylyndrical geometry may be a consequence of the boundary conditions at the cell houndary. (M.C.G.)
Eutrophication mediates a common off-flavor compound, 2-methylisoborneol, in a drinking water reservoir.

Off-flavors, such as 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) and geosmin, cause drinking water to have earthy or musty tastes and odors. Humans can detect such compounds at minute concentrations (10 and 30 ng/L for MIB and geosmin, respectively), and, although not a health risk, off-flavors can promote consumer distrust. Removal of these compounds is costly and often unreliable or only suitable under certain conditions. Minimizing off-flavor production at the watershed-scale may be more cost-effective in addition to improving ecosystem health and aesthetics. Cyanobacteria are considered to be the primary drivers of off-flavors in freshwater systems. Due to their ability to produce toxins, cyanobacteria have been under particular scrutiny, and environmental factors promoting cyanobacterial blooms are relatively well-studied. Using this body of literature, we conducted a seven-week, limnocorral experiment where we manipulated nitrogen and nitrogen-to-phosphorus concentrations to influence phytoplankton community structure and off-flavor production. The addition of a single nutrient across broad ranges (nitrogen or phosphorus) had no effect on MIB. However, the addition of both nitrogen and phosphorus promoted high concentrations of MIB relative to treatments that received no nutrients (448% increase) or only nitrogen or phosphorus (722% increase). Interestingly, cyanobacteria waned during the experiment and were replaced by diatoms, which were the dominant taxa by the end of the experiment. Our findings clearly show that eutrophication affects MIB production, but mechanisms leading to the production of this compound may differ from what has been previously predicted.
Active Flow Control for High Lift Airfoils: Dynamic Flap Actuation

An extensive series of small-scale wind tunnel tests was conducted at the Illinois Institute of Technology as part of the Boeing/DARPA/AFRL/NASA-sponsored ADVINT program. Various methods of Active Flow Control (AFC) were applied to a high-lift airfoil with a highly-deflected simple flap. The major goal of the program is to significantly increase aerodynamic performance during takeoff and landing by utilizing an affordable, easily maintainable simplified flap system that relies on AFC to control separation at high flap deflections, and enables the development of next generation extreme short takeoff and landing (XSTOL) transport aircraft. A small but important subset of these tests, presented here, investigated unsteady flap effects on the performance of the AFC system. The model was modified to allow dynamic deflection of the simple flap at controlled rates. The primary objective of this test series was to investigate the effectiveness of AFC applied to the simple flap as it deflects from a high-drag to a high-lift deflection angle as part of a conceptual takeoff maneuver for future XSTOL aircraft. By studying the behavior of the pressure coefficient at key locations on the airfoil under these unsteady flow conditions, it was found that the lift enhancement due to the effective control of flow separation and globalcirculation enhancement for the static-flap case, is also realized when the same control is applied to a dynamically deflecting flap, and that the AFC performance is generally independent of flap deflection rate. However at high deflection angles, when the flap transitions to a flow regime where the AFC system can no longer maintain separation control, any local flow effects of the AFC that develop on the static flap may be lost during the dynamic flap deployment.
Rationale and design of a multicenter echocardiographic study to assess the relationship between cardiac structure and function and heart failure risk in a biracial cohort of community-dwelling elderly persons: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.

Background— Heart failure is an important public health concern, particularly among persons >65 years of age. Women and blacks are critically understudied populations that carry a sizeable portion of the heart failure burden. Limited normative and prognostic data exist on measures of cardiac structure, diastolic function, and novel measures of systolic deformation in older adults living in the community. Methods and Results— The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study is a large, predominantly biracial, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–sponsored epidemiological cohort study. Between 2011 and 2013, ≈6000 surviving participants, now in their seventh to ninth decade of life, are expected to return for a fifth study visit during which comprehensive 2-dimensional, Doppler, tissue Doppler, and speckle-tracking echocardiography will be performed uniformly in all cohort clinic visit participants. The following objectives will be addressed: (1) to characterize cardiac structural and functional abnormalities among the elderly and to determine how they differ by sex and race/ethnicity, (2) to determine the relationship between ventricular and vascular abnormalities, and (3) to prospectively examine the extent to which these noninvasive measures associate with incident heart failure. Conclusions— We describe the design, imaging acquisition and analysis methods, and quality assurance metrics for echocardiography in visit 5 of the ARIC cohort. A better understanding of the differences in cardiac structure and function through the spectrum of heart failure stages in elderly persons generally, and between sexes and racial/ethnic groups specifically, will deepen our understanding of the pathophysiology driving heart failure progression in these at-risk populations and may inform novel prevention or therapeutic strategies.
Effect of treating infant cytomegalovirus hepatitis with ganciclovir

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of treating infant cytomegalovirus hepatitis with ganciclovir.Methods: Forty three infant patients with cytomegalovirus hepatitis were divided into two groups,study group(23 cases) and control group(20 cases),patients in study group were treated with ganciclovir,patients in control group were treated with conventional regimen,the clinical data were analyzed with statistics.Results: Some examinations of patients in the study group after therapy were: total serumbilirubin,ALT and GGT decreased,enlarged liver and spleen shrank to normal,compared them with those before therapy,there were significant differences(P0.01;AKP decreased,there was no significant difference between the two groups before and after therapy.After therapy,the negative rate of CMV-lgM in study group and control group were 78.26% and 30.0% respectively.Conclusion: Treating infant cytomegalovirus hepatitis with ganciclovir is safe and effective,can obviously decrease total serum bilirubin and protect liver function.
6 kV Cascade STATCOM Controller Design Based on FPGA

In view of the problems of DSP existing in the design of the STATCOM controller,such as fewer I/O points and easy to be interfered by external environment,this paper proposes that FPGA with function of DSP should be used in the design of the STATCOM controller. Using the master-slave control mode,the paper designs the hardware of each of the major components,giving full play of the strong anti-interference ability of FPGA to enhance the operation reliability of STATCOM.Finally,the corresponding experiment is made to prove correctness of the design.
Post-Haemorrhagic Hydrocephalus: Outcome of Shunting

The neuromotor outcome of 33 survivors of grade 3 or 4 neonatal post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus assessed at a mean age of 4.7 years is reported from the Department of Paediatric Neurology, The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh and the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.
Production and thermomechanical characterization of wool–geopolymer composites

Load-bearing and thermal insulating wool waste/geopolymer composites with fire-resistant properties were produced and characterized. Two formulations, with different amounts of wool fibers, corresponding in the final composites to about 23 vol% and 31 vol%, were tested. The composites exhibited an average density of 1.0 g/cm3, with a thermal conductivity of 0.2 W/mK, and compressive and flexural strength around 9 and 5 MPa, respectively. The flexural strength and fracture behavior were improved by the presence of the fibers, which promoted the onset of a toughening mechanism in the material. Results showed that a geopolymer matrix loaded with 23 vol% of wool fibers is suitable as flame-resistant barrier, as reaction to fire is in class A2 (UNI-EN 13501-1), and as insulating structural partition in buildings because it ensures a consistent load-bearing ability coupled with thermal insulating properties, similarly to other man-made fiber products, with a considerable gain in terms of cost and environmental impact.
IL-10 improves cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction by stimulating M2 macrophage polarization and fibroblast activation

Inflammation resolution is important for scar formation following myocardial infarction (MI) and requires the coordinated actions of macrophages and fibroblasts. In this study, we hypothesized that exogenous interleukin-10 (IL-10), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, promotes post-MI repair through actions on these cardiac cell types. To test this hypothesis, C57BL/6J mice (male, 3- to 6-month old, n = 24/group) were treated with saline or IL-10 (50 μg/kg/day) by osmotic mini-pump infusion starting at day (d) 1 post-MI and sacrificed at d7 post-MI. IL-10 infusion doubled plasma IL-10 concentrations by d7 post-MI. Despite similar infarct areas and mortality rates, IL-10 treatment significantly decreased LV dilation (1.6-fold for end-systolic volume and 1.4-fold for end-diastolic volume) and improved ejection fraction 1.8-fold (both p < 0.05). IL-10 treatment attenuated inflammation at d7 post-MI, evidenced by decreased numbers of Mac-3-positive macrophages in the infarct (p < 0.05). LV macrophages isolated from d7 post-MI mice treated with IL-10 showed significantly elevated gene expression of M2 markers (Arg1, Ym1, and Tgfb1; all p < 0.05). We further performed RNA-seq analysis on post-MI cardiac macrophages and identified 410 significantly different genes (155 increased, 225 decreased by IL-10 treatment). By functional network analysis grouping, the majority of genes (133 out of 410) were part of the cellular assembly and repair functional group. Of these, hyaluronidase 3 (Hyal3) was the most important feature identified by p value. IL-10 treatment decreased Hyal3 by 28%, which reduced hyaluronan degradation and limited collagen deposition (all p < 0.05). In addition, in vivo IL-10 treatment increased fibroblast activation (proliferation, migration, and collagen production), an effect that was both directly and indirectly influenced by macrophage M2 polarization. Combined, our results indicate that in vivo infusion of IL-10 post-MI improves the LV microenvironment to dampen inflammation and facilitate cardiac wound healing.
Sacroiliac joint fusion

Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pathology can be a potential source of low back pain. However, diagnosis of pain coming from the SIJ could not be easily distinguished from pain coming from other sources (such as the spine or hip joint) based on history or imaging alone. No single physical examination test has been shown to be pathognomonic for SIJ pain. Performing a composite of tests adds to the validity of the provocative examinations. Fluoroscopic- or CT-guided injection is currently the accepted reference standard for confirming the diagnosis of SIJ pain. If physical findings and diagnostic injections are consistent with SIJ pathology, nonoperative treatment regimen should be initiated. Surgery can be considered if conservative treatment has failed. Minimally invasive techniques of sacroiliac joint fusion have been predominantly used recently. Multiple prospective studies have demonstrated favorable and durable outcomes of minimally invasive SIJ fusion.
Higher order longitudinal guided wave modes in axially stressed seven-wire strands

This paper investigates the effect of axial stress on higher order longitudinal guided modes propagating in individual wires of seven-wire strands. Specifically, an acoustoelastic theory for a rod is used to predict the effect of stress on the phase velocity of guided modes in a strand. To this end, the exact acoustoelastic theory for an axially stressed rod is adapted for small deformations. Aside from the exact theory, approximate phase velocity changes (derived from both theory and experiment) are proposed, without the need to solve for dispersion curves. To validate the use of rod theories for strands, a custom-built prestressing bed was designed to apply axial load (up to 50% of yield) to a strand while conducting guided wave measurements. Higher order modes were excited in individual wires, and their phase velocity change under stress is compared to the exact acoustoelastic theory. Furthermore, it is shown that the proposed approximate phase velocity changes derived from theory and experiment only differ by roughly 2% from their exact counterparts. Higher order modes are shown to have stable stress dependence near their peak group velocity, which is beneficial for stress measurement. Additionally, linear stress dependence is observed, which is predicted by rod theories. Due to the unavailability of third order elastic constants for the steel strand, constants for a steel with similar Carbon content (0.6% C Hecla 17) were used as representative values in the theory. Using the Hecla 17 constants, roughly 15% mismatch in the slope of the linear stress dependence was observed when compared to the measurements on a steel strand.
Correlation networks: Biologically driven relationships from gene expression data

Genes that share transcription factors are biologically driven to show a more likely measurable correlation in their gene expression. No modern method of visualization displays these intricate co-expression and correlation patterns better than a graph. Structural observations about a co-expression graph can reveal the secrets of the biological system that it models, but experimentally validated co-expression graphs are pain-staking work to produce. Present day correlation network analysis shows potential for drawing conclusions from large volumes of biological systems data in an inexpensive and easy-to-produce way; however, work remains to confirm the appropriateness and scope of such methods for specific, scientific application. Toward this effort, we generated a Pearson correlation network from gene expression data available to the public from the National Center for Biotechnology Information's Gene Expression Omnibus repository. From this dataset, we predicted shared transcription factor regulation among cliques of genes sharing upstream genomic motifs. Finally, our predictions, and thus the model itself, was contrasted against experimentally confirmed gene co-regulation data. Our process tested the hypothesis that the incorporation of correlation networks can enhance the prediction of transcription factor co-regulation from gene expression and upstream sequence data. Ultimately, our experimental results did not show a larger portion of true positive results when compared to a randomized control. These initial results indicate that correlation networks may not be an appropriate outlet for detecting co-expression motifs. Work remains to see if correlation networks can be constructed and normalized in a way that brings them closer to representing true co-expression.
Fitting N-mixture models to count data with unmodeled heterogeneity: Bias, diagnostics, and alternative approaches

Abstract Monitoring animal populations is central to wildlife and fisheries management, and the use of N-mixture models toward these efforts has markedly increased in recent years. Nevertheless, relatively little work has evaluated estimator performance when basic assumptions are violated. Moreover, diagnostics to identify when bias in parameter estimates from N-mixture models is likely is largely unexplored. We simulated count data sets using 837 combinations of detection probability, number of sample units, number of survey occasions, and type and extent of heterogeneity in abundance or detectability. We fit Poisson N-mixture models to these data, quantified the bias associated with each combination, and evaluated if the parametric bootstrap goodness-of-fit (GOF) test can be used to indicate bias in parameter estimates. We also explored if assumption violations can be diagnosed prior to fitting N-mixture models. In doing so, we propose a new model diagnostic, which we term the quasi-coefficient of variation (QCV). N-mixture models performed well when assumptions were met and detection probabilities were moderate (i.e., ≥0.3), and the performance of the estimator improved with increasing survey occasions and sample units. However, the magnitude of bias in estimated mean abundance with even slight amounts of unmodeled heterogeneity was substantial. The parametric bootstrap GOF test did not perform well as a diagnostic for bias in parameter estimates when detectability and sample sizes were low. The results indicate the QCV is useful to diagnose potential bias and that potential bias associated with unidirectional trends in abundance or detectability can be diagnosed using Poisson regression. This study represents the most thorough assessment to date of assumption violations and diagnostics when fitting N-mixture models using the most commonly implemented error distribution. Unbiased estimates of population state variables are needed to properly inform management decision making. Therefore, we also discuss alternative approaches to yield unbiased estimates of population state variables using similar data types, and we stress that there is no substitute for an effective sample design that is grounded upon well-defined management objectives.
Transanal Endoscopic Surgery (TES)

There has been a significant evolution of the transanal excision technique over the past 3–4 decades. In 1983, Gerhard Buess introduced a disruptive technique in colorectal surgery, transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). The initial results comparing TEM to the standard of care, transanal excision (TAE), revealed that TEM was associated with superior quality of resection demonstrated by the higher rate of achieving negative margins. Longer-term results revealed that TEM resection of rectal lesions also resulted in a lower local recurrence rate compared to TAE. TEM is one of the first colorectal surgical techniques with superior operative outcomes compared to the standard of care at the time (TAE). Over the last decade, multiple transanal platforms have been developed, and new techniques and terminology such as TAMIS (transanal minimally invasive surgery) have broadened the utility and applications of TEM. More broadly, the various terminologies used to describe the transanal endoluminal resection irrespective of the transanal access platform is TES (transanal endoscopic surgery). This chapter reviews the history and evolution of TES as well as comparing it to new endoluminal techniques such as EMR (endoscopic mucosal resection) and ESD (endoscopic submucosal dissection) for rectal lesions.