cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating part designs for automatic feeding in robotic assembly systems: A geometric analysis of the nesting of polyhedral objects

One of the problems encountered by automatic feeding devices, such as vibratory bowl feeders, in robotic assembly systems is nesting which leads to inseparability of parts and jamming. In this paper, we describe a design evaluation procedure to determine whether a part is prone to nesting and to quantify the degree of nesting. The proposed methodology reduces the 3-D protrusion-hole polyhedral containment problem of nesting to a 2-D polygon containment problem by employing a loop-based feature recognition scheme. Subsequently, the 3-D containment configuration is reconstructed from that of the 2-D by using a strategy calleddrop, pull and push. In this context, we introduce the notion of axis as a characteristic direction of a feature that facilitates the analysis of generalized 3-D polyhedral containment. The algorithms are applicable to generic B-Rep CAD data, and their time and space complexities are polynomial.
What is iso and what is morphic in isomorphism

Isomorphism is not a simple concept. As a rule, the term applies to geometrical sameness. However, mathematicians use the term to denote algebriac linear, invertible relationships. Substantively there is also a problem: isomorphism may refer to the brain-experience relation, to the brain-environment relation, or to a three-way relationship of all of these. This commentary summarizes work done and discussions by the author with Wolfgang Kohler regarding these meanings of isomorphism.
A cost analysis of postoperative management in endometrial cancer patients treated by robotics versus laparoscopic approach

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study is to compare postoperative pain management and costs in endometrial cancer patients who had a robotic-assisted or laparoscopic-assisted hysterectomy. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of all endometrial cancer patients from 9/2005 to 6/2010 who had a completed robotic-assisted or laparoscopic-assisted hysterectomy. All surgeries were performed by gynecologic oncologists on the da Vinci S surgical system. Demographic data, patient-recorded pain scores, pain-management interventions, and postoperative pain medication costs were compared. Data was analyzed using Student's t-tests and Pearson's χ 2 tests in SPSS. Results Two-hundred fifteen (101 robotic and 114 laparoscopic) patients met the inclusion criteria. There were no significant differences between the groups in age, BMI, clinical stage, comorbidities, lymph nodes retrieved, and the number of narcotic vs. non-narcotic drug interventions administered. Robotic patients had a lower number of initial drug interventions (21 vs. 52; P Conclusion Endometrial cancer patients who have robotic surgery experience less initial postoperative pain and have fewer drug interventions. The cost associated for their pain management represents a savings of greater than 50%. These factors demonstrate the value of robotic surgery in regard to postoperative pain management by delivering higher quality care at a lower cost.
The Hyperfine Structures of CuCl and CuBr in Their Ground States Studied by Microwave Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

Abstract The hyperfine structure of the J = 1 ← 0 rotational transition of CuCl as well as the J = 3 ← 2, 2 ← 1, and 1 ← 0 rotational transitions of CuBr in the v = 0 vibrational level have been investigated using a microwave Fourier transform spectrometer. The molecules were produced by laser ablation of the copper halide followed by an axial supersonic expansion into a near-semiconfocal Fabry-Perot cavity. The analysis of the hyperfine structure yielded improved values of the rotational and electric quadrupole constants and determined the nuclear spin-rotation constants for the first time. The physical implications of these results are discussed.
Comparison of treatment strategies for thoracic endograft infection

Objective Endograft infection after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is associated with a substantial mortality rate that exceeds 70% in the largest published series. The aim of this study was to review all published reports on infection after TEVAR treated with either preservation of the endograft or surgical excision of the stent graft with the intention of providing a comparison of the safety, efficacy, and durability of the two different treatment strategies. Methods An extensive electronic health database search was undertaken to identify all articles that were published up to December 2013 reporting on endograft infection after TEVAR. Overall, 55 patients treated with endograft preservation (group A) and 41 patients treated with endograft explantation (group B) were included in this review. Results The most frequently isolated microorganisms were Streptococcus species (29.4%) and Staphylococcus species (29.4%). The mortality for both groups was 66.6%. The in-hospital mortality rate in group A was 42% and reached 81.8% in a mean follow-up period of 8.6 months. The in-hospital mortality rate in group B was 36.6%. Four (9.7%) further deaths due to reinfection or fistula recurrence were recorded in a mean follow-up period of 15.3 months, leading to an overall mortality of 46.3%. The meta-analysis showed a trend of better outcome with endograft explantation compared with endograft preservation (odds ratio [OR], 0.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.18-1.48). In group A, a trend of better outcome was revealed when drainage and repair of the fistula were applied (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 0.55-8.90). A trend of worse outcomes was detected in fistula patients compared with nonfistula patients (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.43-3.74). Conclusions Endograft preservation seems not a durable option. It can be offered to patients who refuse surgery or as a palliative option or bridging procedure for severely ill patients. Compared with antibiotic therapy alone, antibiotic therapy followed by drainage and repair of the fistula may control the sepsis, providing, however, mainly a temporary benefit. The presence of fistula is a predictor of dismal outcome. Endograft explantation remains the "gold standard" of treatment. The mortality rate of surgical conversion is much higher in the presence of fistula.
The structured flowchart niche: strenth of preference

Recently studies [1, 2] have shown that about 75 to 89 percent of students in courses on data structures prefer to learn short, complex algorithms using a graphic method (structured flowcharts), while the remaining students prefer a verbal method (pseudocode). These studies have been comprehensive and properly controlled. Sixteen replications have been done at three universities and one college. A total of 571 students from 42 data-structures classes have participated. These studies only investigated the percentages of students preferring structured flowcharts over pseudocode. Knowing just these percentages is not enough. We need to know how strongly the students feel about their preferences. Thus, the primary reason for this new research is to measure the strength of that preference.This research investigates the strength of preference for a graphical method (structured flowcharts) or for a verbal method (pseudocode) when learning short, relatively complex algorithms. The research summarizes the data from four replications using 179 students of data structures and 12 data structures classes. A preference for flowcharts was hypothesized under nine conditions. Three measures of preference were used: (1) frequency of preference, (2) mean strength of preference, and (3) an index of preference. Using frequency of preference, all nine hypotheses were significant, p p p p
Color Holographic Stereograms

The cylindrical holographic stereogram, invented by Lloyd Cross, is one of the most significant developments of the last decade in commercial holography. This hologram has several technical problems, however, which have limited its application in the commercial marketplace. Two of these problems are its limited vertical viewing range and rainbow colored rather than natural colored images. This paper reviews the general problem of color holography and discusses the specific requirements for generating color images in Cross holograms. Several optical techniques are described, and experimental results obtained with one especially promising technique are presented.
Posaconazole Pharmacodynamic Target Determination against Wild-Type and Cyp51 Mutant Isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus in an In Vivo Model of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis

ABSTRACT Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a devastating disease of immunocompromised patients. Pharmacodynamic (PD) examination of antifungal drug therapy in IPA is one strategy that may improve outcomes. The current study explored the PD target of posaconazole in an immunocompromised murine model of IPA against 10 A. fumigatus isolates, including 4 Cyp51 wild-type isolates and 6 isolates carrying Cyp51 mutations conferring azole resistance. The posaconazole MIC range was 0.25 to 8 mg/liter. Following infection, mice were given 0.156 to 160 mg/kg of body weight of oral posaconazole daily for 7 days. Efficacy was assessed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) of lung homogenate and survival. At the start of therapy, mice had 5.59 ± 0.19 log 10 Aspergillus conidial equivalents (CE)/ml of lung homogenate, which increased to 7.11 ± 0.29 log 10 CE/ml of lung homogenate in untreated animals. The infection was uniformly lethal prior to the study endpoint in control mice. A Hill-type dose response function was used to model the relationship between posaconazole free drug area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)/MIC and qPCR lung burden. The static dose range was 1.09 to 51.9 mg/kg/24 h. The free drug AUC/MIC PD target was 1.09 ± 0.63 for the group of strains. The 1-log kill free drug AUC/MIC was 2.07 ± 1.02. The PD target was not significantly different for the wild-type and mutant organism groups. Mortality mirrored qPCR results, with the greatest improvement in survival noted at the same dosing regimens that produced static or cidal activity. Consideration of human pharmacokinetic data and the current static dose PD target would predict a clinical MIC threshold of 0.25 to 0.5 mg/liter.
For We Are Sold, I and My People: Women and Industry in Mexico's Frontier

Fernandez Kelly. Maria Patricia 1983 For We Are Sold,. and My People: Women and Industry in Mexico's Frontier. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Stimulus-induced reversal of information flow through a cortical network for animacy perception

Decades of research have demonstrated that a region of the right fusiform gyrus (FG) and right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) responds preferentially to static faces and biological motion, respectively. Despite this view, both regions activate in response to both stimulus categories and to a range of other stimuli, such as goal-directed actions, suggesting that these regions respond to characteristics of animate agents more generally. Here we propose a neural model for animacy detection composed of processing streams that are initially differentially sensitive to cues signaling animacy, but that ultimately act in concert to support reasoning about animate agents. We use dynamic causal modeling, a measure of effective connectivity, to demonstrate that the directional flow of information between the FG and pSTS is initially dependent on the characteristics of the animate agent presented, a key prediction of our proposed network for animacy detection.
Plasma Glutathione Peroxidase Activity is Potentially a Key Regulator of Vascular Disease-Associated Thrombosis

In the current issue of Circulation , Jin et al1 provide insight into how a deficiency in the activity of the primary plasma peroxide-metabolizing enzyme glutathione peroxidase-3 (GPx-3) creates a prothrombotic state with vascular dysfunction. Mice deficient in GPx-3 are shown to have elevated soluble P-selectin (a marker of platelet and prothrombotic activity) and enhanced responses to experimental conditions promoting pulmonary thromboembolism and platelet-dependent cerebral infarctions in a no-flow ischemia–reperfusion stroke model. Initial studies on the properties of platelet aggregation in 2 brothers with a cerebral thrombotic disorder identified a deficiency in plasma glutathione peroxidase activity as a key factor explaining the hyperreactivity of their platelets.2 Subsequent studies examining the consequences of promoter polymorphisms in the human GPx-3 gene associated with decreases in plasma GPx-3 expression provided evidence that it was a risk factor for ischemic stroke in young adults and children.3 A deficiency in GPx-3 has been associated with increases in extracellular peroxide-related oxidants and decreased bioavailable nitric oxide that are thought to contribute to promoting platelet activation.2,4 Thus, plasma glutathione peroxidase activity may be a key factor in determining when disease processes activating platelets result in arterial thrombosis. Article see p 1963 It is well established that increased peroxide levels in plasma promote platelet hyperreactivity, and that nitric oxide is a key mechanism for inhibiting platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction associated with thrombosis. As discussed in the article by Jin et al,1 platelet activation generates superoxide and peroxides that appear to promote aggregation by mechanisms including peroxide-mediated stimulation of intracellular calcium release, which …
2.5 Gbps Electro-optic modulator in deposited silicon

We demonstrate GHz-speed electro-optic modulation using microring resonators in a deposited layer of polycrystalline silicon. Active optical devices in a deposited microelectronic material can enable monolithic large-scale integration of photonic networks on a microelectronic chip.
Distance maps to estimate cell volume from two-dimensional plankton images

We describe and evaluate an algorithm that uses a distance map to automatically calculate the biovolume of a planktonic organism from its two-dimensional boundary. Compared with existing approaches, this algorithm dramatically increases the speed and accuracy of biomass estimates from plankton images, and is thus especially suited for use with automated cell imaging technologies that produce large quantities of data. The algorithm operates on a two-dimensional image processed to identify organism boundaries. First, the distance of each interior pixel to the nearest boundary is calculated; next these same distances are assumed to apply for projection in the third dimension; and finally the resulting volume is adjusted by a multiplicative factor assuming locally circular cross-sections in the third dimension. Other cross-sectional shape factors can be applied as needed. In this way, the simple, computationally efficient, volume calculation can be refined to include taxon-specific shape information if available. We show that compared to traditional manual microscopic analysis, the distance map algorithm is unbiased and accurate (mean difference = −0.25%, standard deviation = 17%) for a range of cell morphologies, including those with concave boundaries that deviate from simple geometric shapes and whose volumes are not well represented by a solid of revolution around a single axis. Automated calculation of cell volumes can now be implemented with a combination of this new distance map algorithm for complex shapes and the solid of revolution approach for simple shapes, with an automated decision criterion to choose the appropriate approach for each image.
Secondary education and HIV infection in Botswana

In The Lancet Global Health Jan-Walter De Neve and colleagues present exciting results from an important study of the effect of a policy change that increased access to education among junior high school students in Botswana in 1996. The policy change led to an average increase of 0.8 years of schooling among teenagers who were just young enough to benefit from this policy. Using age-specific exposure to the policy as an instrumental variable De Neve and colleagues identified increases in education that were unlikely to be correlated with other factors that also affect HIV status and then showed that individuals who gained an additional year of schooling due to the policy were 8.1 percentage points (p=0.008) less likely to test positive for HIV about a decade later when most of those exposed to the policy were then in their mid-20s. Hence De Neve and colleagues provide strong and convincing evidence that increased education in Botswana was protective against HIV infection among young adults and is even cost effective by most standards. Their results were strongest among women (11.6 percentage points per extra year p=0.046) which is especially important given the worldwide inequities in access to secondary schooling for girls especially in Africa. Although this study provides important new insights into this important global health issue it has a few limitations. First the results are generalisable only to individuals who were surveyed and provided a blood sample which could be undermined if there were important rates of mortality or migration or if education was associated with completing the survey or consenting to an HIV test. Second the study was also not able to identify effect of education on risk of HIV infection for the entire lifetime. Irrespective of these considerations increasing access to education in low-income countries should be an important priority because of the proven economic returns to such investments. The health returns from education such as its potential role in HIV and child mortality should also make it a top priority for the global health community. (Excerpts)
Fast permutation based time slot allocation for 3G WCDMA TDD systems

A novel time slot allocation algorithm called fast permutation based time slot allocation is proposed for WCDMA TDD systems. The proposed algorithm allocates time slots by exploiting the relationship between interference, available codes and fragmentation. Only a few permutations of time slots are examined to determine time slot allocation. Performance and complexity of the proposed algorithm are compared to the optimal algorithm and random algorithm.
Bead-Based Fluid Array Detection of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate: Comparison of Monoclonal vs. Llama Polyclonal Antibodies

In today's security conscious environment rapid detection of explosives, such as pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), the high energy material common in plastic explosives, is of critical importance. We evaluated two monoclonal antibodies and a rabbit polyclonal antibody, developed for the detection of PETN. Although these antibodies showed binding to bioconjugates of PETN as well as the hapten, PETN-succinate, we did not observe binding by free PETN. For demonstration of a competitive bead based fluid array immunoassay for PETN detection, we developed llama polyclonal antibody for the detection of free PETN. Our ultimate goal is developing anti-PETN single domain antibodies.
Physiological Osmotic Induction of Leptospira interrogans Adhesion: LigA and LigB Bind Extracellular Matrix Proteins and Fibrinogen

Transmission of leptospirosis occurs through contact of mucous membranes and abraded skin with freshwater contaminated by pathogenic Leptospira spp. Exposure to physiological osmolarity induces leptospires to express high levels of the Lig surface proteins containing imperfect immunoglobulin-like repeats that are shared or differ between LigA and LigB. We report that osmotic induction of Lig is accompanied by 1.6- to 2.5-fold increases in leptospiral adhesion to immobilized extracellular matrix and plasma proteins, including collagens I and IV, laminin, and especially fibronectin and fibrinogen. Recombinant LigA-unique and LigB-unique repeat proteins bind to these same host ligands. We found that the avidity of LigB in binding fibronectin is comparable to that of the Staphylococcus aureus FnBPA D repeats. Both LigA- and LigB-unique repeats interact with the amino-terminal fibrin- and gelatin-binding domains of fibronectin, which are also recognized by fibronectin-binding proteins mediating the adhesion of other microbial pathogens. In contrast, repeats common to both LigA and LigB do not bind these host proteins, and nonrepeat sequences in the carboxy-terminal domain of LigB show only weak interaction with fibronectin and fibrinogen. A functional role for the binding activity of LigA and LigB is suggested by the ability of the recombinants to inhibit leptospiral adhesion to fibronectin by 28% and 21%, respectively. The binding of LigA and LigB to multiple ligands present in different tissues suggests that these adhesins may be involved in the initial colonization and dissemination stages of leptospirosis. The characterization of the Lig adhesin function should aid the design of Lig-based vaccines and serodiagnostic tests.
Water Table Depth, Surface Saturation, and Drought Response in Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) Wetlands

The bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii )i s known to select wetland areas that are near water with deep mud, but water table dynamics in their habitats have not been well described. We installed and monitored shallow groundwater wells to evaluate hydrology over a continuous 28-month period on six wetlands known to be frequently used by bog turtles and six similar wetlands not known to be used. Overall, water tables remained high, with mean monthly depth to the water table for all 12 wetlands varying between −1 cm and −35 cm below the soil surface. Wetlands frequently used by bog turtles had higher mean water tables and surface saturation than wetlands not known to be used, particularly during summer months. Differences in mean water table (17 cm) and saturation (25 %) were greatest during southwestern Virginia's 2008 drought. A differential remained after the resumption of normal rainfall, demon- strating the importance of groundwater recharge to bog turtle wetlands. Relatively small differences in water table hydrology have the potential to affect bog turtle biology and wetland use because bog turtles primarily use the top 15 cm of the soil and select saturated locations even when the availability of saturated soil is limited.
Effect of Polyriboinosinic-Polyribocytidylic Acid and Antibody on Infection of Immunosuppressed Mice with Vaccinia Virus

The effects were studied of polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C) and specific antiviral antibody on the course of fatal systemic vaccinia virus infection in immunosuppressed mice. Administration of a single dose of vaccinia-immune serum was more effective in protecting Cytoxan-treated mice on day 3 or day 4 after infection with vaccinia virus than were four daily doses of poly I:C begun on the same day. An antiviral effect of poly I:C, as determined by lower levels of viremia, was present within 24 hr after initiation of therapy with poly I:C. Combined therapy with poly I:C and antibody was considerably more effective than therapy with either of these agents alone when administered late in the course of this systemic infection. This suggests that combined therapy with an inducer of interferon and specific antibody to the virus might be effective in immunologically incompetent hosts with severe viral infections.
Studying Individual Differences in Reading

Perhaps as much as any other natural human activity, reading is a very complex process. Those of us who take an analytic attitude toward reading tend to think of it as a process that emerges from several simpler component information processing activities. We speak of the processes that control the movements of the eyes, guiding them to the the successive points of fixation in the text, and of the processes of letter and word identification. Some researchers stress the importance of phonological encoding processes, and syntactic processes are obviously important. Finally, we speak of the semantic processes that result in the comprehension of what is read, integrating the incoming information with information already stored in the reader’s memory. An analytic approach may be necessary if we are to make progress toward an understanding of the reading process. At the same time, however, we should not lose sight of the fact that reading is not merely the concatenation of the components into which we divide it for the sake of analysis. In the fluent reader, it is clear that the components are all highly interdependent (Rumelhart, 1977).
A private group practice utilizing capitation prepayment.

A dental student looks at the group-practice of dentistry combined with plans for prepayment.
Significant retinal capillary basement membrane thickening in hyperglycemic and normoglycemic diabetic-prone (DP) BB Wistar rats.

The diabetic-prone BioBreeding Wistar (BB/DP) rat is an autoimmune model of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Approximately 90% of the animals (BB/DPh) are hyperglycemic by 90–120 days of age, while the remaining ~10% (BB/DPn) and diabetes-resistant rats (BB/DR) are normoglycemic for life. The transmission electron microscope data from this study demonstrate expected significant age- and diabetes-related increases in retinal capillary basement membrane (RCBM) widths in (BB/DPh) rats relative to BB/DR animals. However, the data show, for the first time, an unexpected significant RCBM thickening in (BB/DPn) rats compared to BB/DR animals at 6 months and 1 year post-onset of hyperglycemia.
A Continuum-Mechanical Theory for Nematic Elastomers

We develop a continuum theory for the mechanical behavior of rubber-like solids that are formed by the cross-linking of polymeric fluids that include nematic molecules as elements of their main-chains and/or as pendant side-groups. The basic kinematic ingredients of this theory are identical to those arising in continuum-level theories for nematic fluids: in addition to the deformation, which describes the trajectories of material particles, an orientation, which delineates the evolution of the nematic microstructure, is introduced. The kinetic structure of our theory relies on the precept that a complete reckoning of the power expended during the evolution of a continuum requires the introduction of forces that act conjugate to each operative kinematic variable and that to each such force system there should correspond a distinct momentum balance. In addition to conventional deformational forces, which expend power over the time-rate of the deformation and enter the deformational (or linear) momentum balance, we, therefore, introduce a system of orientational forces, which expend power over the time-rate of the orientation and enter an additional orientational momentum balance. We restrict our attention to a purely mechanical setting, so that the thermodynamic structure of our theory rests on an energy imbalance that serves in lieu of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. We consider only nematic elastomers that are incompressible and microstructurally inextensible, and a novel aspect of our approach concerns our treatment of these material constraints. We refrain both from an a priori decomposition of fields into active and reactive components and an introduction of Lagrange multipliers; rather, we start with a mathematical decomposition of the dependent fields such as the deformational stress based on the geometry of the constraint manifold. This naturally gives rise to active and reactive components, where only the former enter into the energy imbalance because the latter automatically expend zero power in processes consistent with the constraints. The reactive components are scaled by multipliers which we take to be constitutively indeterminate. We assume constitutive equations for the active components, and the requirement that these equations be consistent with the energy imbalance in all processes leads to the active components being determined by an energy density response function of the deformation gradient, the orientation, and the orientation gradient. We formulate the requirements of observer independence and material symmetry for such a function and provide, as a specialization, an expression that encompasses the energy densities used in the Mooney-Rivlin description of rubber and the Oseen-Zocher-Frank description of nematic fluids.
Measures of Spread

In the previous topic you explored important numerical measures of the center of a distribution. In this topic you will investigate similar numerical measures of a distribution’s variability. These measures will also lead you to dis¬cover another visual display (the boxplot) and a very important technique (standardization) which will appear throughout the text.
Derivatives: The Calculus Approach

1. Find derivatives of constant, power, trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. 2. .Develop rules for finding the derivative of a combination of functions 3. Use derivatives to analyze functional behavior.
Discordant 99mTc sulfur colloid and 67Ga-citrate scintigrams in Aspergillus splenic abscesses.

A 43-year-old man with acute undifferentiated leukemia developed high fever and stomatitis followed by severe abdominal pain after completion of a first course of chemotherapy. A 99mTc-sulfur colloid (SC) scan showed multiple, irregular defects in an enlarged spleen. A 67Ga-citrate scan showed uniform tracer distribution except for a large defect in the upper portion of the spleen. The size of the spleen in the 67Ga-scan was much larger than in the SC scan. At surgery an abscess cavity was found between the spleen and the greater gastric curvature with multiple smaller abscesses on the splenic capsule and throughout the splenic parcnchyma. A hematoma was present in the upper pole of the spleen. The disparate splenic size and seemingly discordant distribution patterns of tracer in the 99mTc- and 67Ga-scans were fully explained by histopathological study of the surgically resected spleen.
Understanding the adsorption interface of polyelectrolyte coating on redox active nanoparticles using soft particle electrokinetics and its biological activity.

The application of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) for therapeutic purposes requires a stable dispersion of nanoparticles in a biological environment. The objective of this study is to tailor the properties of polyelectrolyte coated CNPs as a function of molecular weight to achieve a stable and catalytic active dispersion. The coating of CNPs with polyacrylic acid (PAA) has increased the dispersion stability of CNPs and enhanced the catalytic ability. The stability of PAA coating was analyzed using the change in the Gibbs free energy computed by the Langmuir adsorption model. The adsorption isotherms were determined using soft particle electrokinetics which overcomes the challenges presented by other techniques. The change in Gibbs free energy was highest for CNPs coated with PAA of 250 kg/mol indicating the most stable coating. The change in free energy for PAA of 100 kg/mol coated CNPs was 85% lower than the PAA of 250 kg/mol coated CNPs. This significant difference is caused by the strong adsorption ...
Characterizing degree of lung injury in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Objective:Although all definitions of acute respiratory distress syndrome use some measure of hypoxemia, neither the Berlin definition nor recently proposed pediatric-specific definitions proposed by the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference utilizing oxygenation index specify which PaO2/
Hippo: A Fast, yet Scalable, Database Indexing Approach.

Even though existing database indexes (e.g., B+-Tree) speed up the query execution, they suffer from two main drawbacks: (1) A database index usually yields 5% to 15% additional storage overhead which results in non-ignorable dollar cost in big data scenarios especially when deployed on modern storage devices like Solid State Disk (SSD) or Non-Volatile Memory (NVM). (2) Maintaining a database index incurs high latency because the DBMS has to find and update those index pages affected by the underlying table changes. This paper proposes Hippo a fast, yet scalable, database indexing approach. Hippo only stores the pointers of disk pages along with light weight histogram-based summaries. The proposed structure significantly shrinks index storage and maintenance overhead without compromising much on query execution performance. Experiments, based on real Hippo implementation inside PostgreSQL 9.5, using the TPC-H benchmark show that Hippo achieves up to two orders of magnitude less storage space and up to three orders of magnitude less maintenance overhead than traditional database indexes, i.e., B+-Tree. Furthermore, the experiments also show that Hippo achieves comparable query execution performance to that of the B+-Tree for various selectivity factors.
Improved feedback amplifier for electromagnetic induction sensors

A method using feedback is presented that reduces several measurement errors inherent in electromagnetic induction sensors. Errors associated with coupling between receive coils and errors associated with operating near magnetic soils will both be reduced. The method uses feedback that is directly injected into the receive coils and does not require secondary coils. A simple circuit is introduced to perform the feedback and is optimized to reduce the errors and make the circuit stable. Experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the feedback.
Detection of phosphatidylglycerol in frozen amniotic fluid by rapid assay of fetal lung maturity

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to analyze the accuracy of the antibody-mediated rapid assay slide agglutination AmnioStat-FLM (Irvine Scientific, Santa Ana, CA) test in detecting the presence or absence of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) in amniotic fluid samples that have been frozen. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective blinded evaluation was performed in which fresh samples of amniotic fluid were initially analyzed for PG by the rapid assay (AmnioStat-FLM) test and the results reported for patient management. The specimens were then coded, patient identification was removed and specimens were then frozen. The samples were then thawed and the AmnioStat-FLM test was performed a second time with the laboratory technicians blinded to the original test result. Neonatal outcome and the source of the sample, including the presence of blood and meconium, were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 200 specimens were evaluated with 197 (98.5%) concordant between the initial test result and the result after the freeze-thaw process regarding the reporting results of either the presence or absence of PG (95% CI 94-99%). The result also was not affected by the source of the specimen or the presence of blood or meconium. CONCLUSION: Freezing and thawing of amniotic fluid had minimal affect on the antibody-mediated rapid assay slide agglutination (AmnioStat-FLM) test resuit.
Thirteen shortcuts in office surgery.

Since surgeons rarely write articles about simple minor operations that are easily performed in the office, there is a great reliance on techniques learned in medical school or from other surgeons. Some of these techniques are cumbersome and make relatively major procedures of operations that can be performed quite simply.
The Evolution and Fate of Super-Chandrasekhar Mass White Dwarf Merger Remnants

We present stellar evolution calculations of the remnant of the merger of two carbon-oxygen white dwarfs (CO WDs). We focus on cases that have a total mass in excess of the Chandrasekhar mass. After the merger, the remnant manifests as an $L \sim 3 \times 10^4 L_\odot$ source for $\sim 10^4$ yr. A dusty wind may develop, leading these sources to be self-obscured and to appear similar to extreme AGB stars. Roughly $\sim 10$ such objects should exist in the Milky Way and M31 at any time. As found in previous work, off-center carbon fusion is ignited within the merger remnant and propagates inward via a carbon flame, converting the WD to an oxygen-neon (ONe) composition. By following the evolution for longer than previous calculations, we demonstrate that after carbon-burning reaches the center, neutrino-cooled Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction leads to off-center neon ignition in remnants with masses $\ge 1.35 M_\odot$. The resulting neon-oxygen flame converts the core to a silicon WD. Thus, super-Chandrasekhar WD merger remnants do not undergo electron-capture induced collapse as traditionally assumed. Instead, if the remnant mass remains above the Chandrasekhar mass, we expect that it will form a low-mass iron core and collapse to form a neutron star. Remnants that lose sufficient mass will end up as massive, isolated ONe or Si WDs.
Portrait of Transcendent Relator

Jean has subtly expressive facial features and a quiet but discerning presence. Her family is of Irish, Welch, French and Cherokee descent. As a result of that heritage, she has developed a special way of saying a great deal with few words.
Three-photon fluorescence adaptive optics for in-vivo mouse brain imaging

We demonstrate for the first time three-photon fluorescence adaptive-optics for in-vivo mouse brain imaging based on 1675-nm femtosecond pulses and MEMS spatial-light-modulator. We improve images of neurons and blood vessels up to 1-mm depth.
Alumina-promoted synthesis of N-aryl-1,2,4-triazoles from substituted hydrazines and imides

Herein we report the highly efficient, environmentally friendly alumina-promoted synthesis of N-aryl-1,2,4-triazoles with a wide variety of substitution patterns from commercially available hydrazines with symmetrical and unsymmetrical imides. Aromatic hydrazines with a variety of substitution patterns provided the corresponding 1,2,4-triazoles in very high yields. Unsymmetrical imides with a wide variety of functional groups also provide the respective triazoles with high yield and complete regioselectivities. The high productivity and mild conditions allow for the large-scale preparation of 1,2,4-triazoles.
The Representation of Belief

I derive a novel sufficient condition for a belief set to be representable by a probability function: if at least one comparative confidence ordering of a certain type satisfies Scott's axiom, then the belief set used to construct that ordering is representable. This provides support for Kenny Easwaran's project of analyzing doxastic states in terms of belief sets rather than credences.
Grundbegriffe aus der technischen Wärmelehre

Die Verbrennungsmotoren mit hin- und hergehendem Kolben besitzen im Indikator ein vortreffliches Hilfsmittel, um den Druckverlauf im Zylinder wahrend des Betriebes zu beobachten. Dieses schon von James Watt an seiner Dampfmaschine benutzte Gerat gibt uns nicht nur die an den Kolben ubertragene Arbeit, sondern mit ihm kann der Einflus der Steuerung auf den Prozes erkannt werden, insbesondere last sich die Wirkung der Verbrennung auf den Druckverlauf verfolgen.
Adenotonsillectomy outcomes in patients with Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective To review the literature for studies examining polysomnography (PSG) outcomes in patients with Down syndrome (DS) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) following adenotonsillectomy (T&A), and to review our experience with these patients. Data Sources PubMed-NCBI, Scopus, Ovid, EBSCO, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases; tertiary academic center medical records. Review Methods A systematic review of the medical literature identified articles reporting objective outcomes following T&A for OSA treatment in patients with DS. Articles were critically appraised to assess level of evidence and bias, and the results of articles were summarized. A case series of confirmed patients with DS and OSA was conducted, evaluating T&A efficacy by comparing pre- and posttreatment PSG data. Results Six articles were identified, which demonstrated some improvement after TA however, subjects frequently had persistent disease. At our institution, preoperative Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) improved from 13.75 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.65–23.43) to 3.5 (IQR = 1.96–9.63) postoperatively; P = 0.004. Ten percent of patients had preoperative AHIs < 5; this proportion increased to 60% following surgery. Twenty percent of patients had postoperative AHIs < 1. Conclusion There is little objective data in the medical literature addressing T&A efficacy in treating OSA in patients with DS patients. Patients show objective improvement in sleep parameters following T&A for OSA. Adenotonsillectomy should be suggested as a first-line treatment for children with DS and OSA, keeping in mind that monotherapy may be insufficient. Future studies utilizing objective measures are required to further quantify the effect in this patient population. Level of Evidence Laryngoscope, 127:1465–1470, 2017
Abstract 009: Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Reduces Mean Arterial Blood Pressure and Hypothalamic Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Independent of Body Weight in Mice

Bariatric surgery, such as vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), results in remission of hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes. The mechanism(s) by which this occurs remain elusive, but reduction in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a central concept. For example, VSG-induced reductions in ER stress in peripheral tissues contribute to improved insulin sensitivity. ER stress in the hypothalamus promotes development of HTN; however, brain ER stress has not been assessed in the context of bariatric surgery. Therefore, we hypothesized that VSG would ameliorate high fat diet (HFD)-induced HTN and this would be associated with reductions in hypothalamic ER stress. We have validated a mouse model of VSG that exhibits body weight-independent improvements in glucose homeostasis and peripheral ER stress. Here, male C57 mice (8 wks) were placed on a HFD (60%), which was maintained throughout the study. These mice underwent sham (n=4) or VSG (n=6) surgery and radiotelemeter implantation at 16 wks of age. Sham mice were food restricted to match their body weight to VSG mice (S-WM), to study the body weight-independent effects of VSG. At 2.5 months after surgery mice were fasted (6 hrs) and euthanized for tissue collection. Energy intake and body weight were reduced by ~25% after VSG compared with pre-operative values (39 ± 2 vs 30 ± 2g; P<0.01). Energy intake, body weight and adiposity did not differ between groups. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured by telemetry at 2 and 6 wks after surgery. VSG mice exhibited lower MAP compared with S-WM (S-WM = 112.2 ± 1.4, VSG = 99.5 ± 2.3mmHg; P<0.01). Strikingly, the percent decrease in MAP from 2 to 6 wks after surgery was 4-fold greater in VSG compared with S-WM (%ΔMAP: S-WM = 9.3 ± 2.8, VSG = -5.2 ± 2.6; P<0.001). We assessed the PERK pathway of ER stress and inflammation in the hypothalamus by immunoblotting. Normalized PERKThr980 phosphorylation, downstream eIF2αSer51 phosphorylation and TNFα were reduced by 35%, 29% and 55% in VSG compared with S-WM, respectively (pPERK/PERK (AU): S-WM = 1.2 ± 0.2, VSG = 0.8 ± 0.1; peIF/eIF: S-WM = 1.2 ± 0.1, VSG = 0.8 ± 0.1; TNFα/tubulin: S-WM = 1.4 ± 0.3, VSG = 0.6 ± 0.1; P<0.05). Therefore, VSG produces body weight-independent reductions in MAP which may be due to VSG-induced reductions in hypothalamic ER stress.
Planning Dynamically Feasible Trajectories for Quadrotors Using Safe Flight Corridors in 3-D Complex Environments

There is extensive literature on using convex optimization to derive piece-wise polynomial trajectories for controlling differential flat systems with applications to three-dimensional flight for Micro Aerial Vehicles. In this work, we propose a method to formulate trajectory generation as a quadratic program (QP) using the concept of a Safe Flight Corridor (SFC). The SFC is a collection of convex overlapping polyhedra that models free space and provides a connected path from the robot to the goal position. We derive an efficient convex decomposition method that builds the SFC from a piece-wise linear skeleton obtained using a fast graph search technique. The SFC provides a set of linear inequality constraints in the QP allowing real-time motion planning. Because the range and field of view of the robot's sensors are limited, we develop a framework of Receding Horizon Planning , which plans trajectories within a finite footprint in the local map, continuously updating the trajectory through a re-planning process. The re-planning process takes between 50 to 300 ms for a large and cluttered map. We show the feasibility of our approach, its completeness and performance, with applications to high-speed flight in both simulated and physical experiments using quadrotors.
The Health and Working Conditions of Women Employed in Child Care.

Over one million women are employed in child care and are among the lowest wage workers in the US. The health and working conditions of 674 child care workers (118 administrators and 556 staff) from 74 centers is described using baseline data from a larger intervention trial. Participants were 39.9 (±13.0) years old; 55.4% African American, 37.1% Caucasian, and 5.3% of Hispanic ethnicity. Seventy-six percent reported having an Associate’s degree or less; 42% were classified as at or below poverty (<$20,000); and exhibited many health risks such as excess weight, insufficient activity, poor diet, and inadequate sleep. We investigated potential differences by income and job category. Lower income participants were significantly more likely to be current smokers (19.9% vs. 11.7%), drink more sweetened beverages (1.9 vs. 1.5), and report higher depressive symptoms (15.5 vs. 12.6). Administrators worked more hours weekly compared to staff (46.4 vs. 40.6), are less active (100 vs. 126 min/week), more sedentary (501 vs. 477 min/day), and reported higher job demands (13.3 vs. 12.5). Given the numerous health issues and challenging work conditions, we hope our results serve as a call to action for addressing low wages and the work environment as a means of influencing the health and well-being of child care workers.
Chapter 4.2 – Carbon (13C) MRS

In the last 25 years 13C MRS has been established as the only noninvasive method for measuring glutamate neurotransmission and cell-specific neuroenergetics in humans. Although technically and experimentally challenging, 13C MRS has already provided important new information on the relationship between neuroenergetics and neuronal function, the energy cost of brain function, the high neuronal activity in the resting brain state, and how neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling are altered in neurological and psychiatric disease. In this chapter the current state of 13C MRS as it is applied to study neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling in health and disease in humans is reviewed. The focus is predominantly on recent findings in humans regarding metabolic pathways, applications to clinical research, and the technical status of the method. Results from in vivo 13C MRS studies in animals are discussed from the standpoint of validation of MRS measurements of neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling and where they have helped identify key questions to address in human research. Controversies concerning the relation of neuroenergetics and neurotransmitter cycling and factors impacting accurate determination of fluxes through mathematical modeling are addressed. We further touch upon different 13C-labeled substrates used to study brain metabolism, before reviewing a number of human brain diseases studied using 13C MRS.
Self-concept and Academic Performance of Adolescents Affected by HIV/AIDS in Atteridgeville, South Africa

The study investigated the relationship between self-concept and academic performance of adolescents affected by HIV and AIDS. Purposive sampling was used to select a secondary school where 60 (30 ...
Reasoning About Sensing Uncertainty in Decision-Making for Self-adaptation

Self-Adaptive systems are expected to adapt to unanticipated run-time events using imperfect information about their environment. This entails handling the effects of uncertainties in decision-making, which are not always considered as a first-class concern. This paper contributes a formal analysis technique that explicitly considers uncertainty in sensing when reasoning about the best way to adapt, possibly executing uncertainty reduction operations to improve system utility. We illustrate our approach on a Denial of Service (DoS) attack scenario and present some preliminary results that show the benefits of uncertainty-aware decision-making with respect to using an uncertainty-ignorant approach.