cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unsteady flow analysis in a high work turbine stage with two three-dimensional Navier-Stokes codes

A comparison between two numerical flow solution methods, one based on structured grids and the other based on unstructured grids, is made by using both methods to solve for steady and unsteady flow fields in turbomachinery blade rows. Numerical results from the two different methods are compared to each other as well as to available experimental data. Both methods solve the 3D Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations using the finite volume technique, and can be run in steady-state or time-accurate unsteady modes. The structured solver uses a pressure-based method applied to hexahedral control volumes and a standard two-equation turbulence model. The unstructured solver uses a density-based method applied to tetrahedral control volumes and the one-equation Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model. The objective of the comparison is to assess the current capabilities of the unstructured flow solver relative to those of a well established structured flow solver, and to establish areas for further development to improve accuracy and economy. (Author)
Expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase in the liver of copper-deficient rats.

AbstractCopper deficiency in rats increases hepatic glutathione concentration. The present study was undertaken to determine the biochemical and molecular basis for the glutathione elevation. Weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a purified diet deficient in copper (0.4 μg/g diet) or one containing adequate copper (5.7 μg/g diet) for 4 weeks. Hepatic glutathione concentration, the activity of the rate-limiting enzyme in glutathione biosynthesis, γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), and the relative amount of mRNA for the enzyme were determined. Hepatic glutathione concentration in copper-deficient rats was significantly elevated (6.6 vs 5.6 μmol/g). The activity of hepatic γ-GCS was 1.6 times higher in the copper-deficient than in the copper-adequate rats (58.0 vs 35.9 nmol NADH/min · mg protein). The steady-state amount of mRNA for γ-GCS was increased 5-fold in the copper-deficient rat liver. The findings demonstrate that the elevated hepatic glutathione concentration in copper-deficient rats results f...
Experiment of Characteristics of Acoustic Emission During Granite Fracture Based on Moment Tensor Analysis

Based on the acoustic emission( AE) location technology and moment tensor analysis method,the experiment study of fracture mechanism and time and space distribution characteristics of the cracks during fracture process of rock specimens under uniaxial compression w as conducted. The acoustic emission events w ith different fracture mechanisms can be used to identify the forms of the cracks directly w ith the help of CAD softw are. The results show that shear failure w as more than other failure types in granite sample under uniaxial loading. How ever, the form of microcrack that may have no fixed proportion is determined by its mechanics environment. It is a phenomenon that,the brittle fracture of granite does not agree w ith the Griffith strength criterion w here the fracture is considered to be caused by tensile in brittle materials,thus clarifying the limitations of the Griffith strength criterion. AE generated by different sample types fracture, w hich is independent of the stress level,has similar trend in the increasing stress during uniaxial loading of granite.
Severity of endoscopically identified esophageal rings correlates with reduced esophageal distensibility in eosinophilic esophagitis.

Background/Aims: A grading system for the endoscopic features of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has recently been validated. The EoE Endoscopic Reference Score (EREFS) incorporates both inflammatory and remodeling features of EoE. High resolution impedance planimetry using the functional luminal imaging probe (FLIP) is a technique for quantification of esophageal remodeling. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between endoscopic severity with EREFS and esophageal distensibility as measured with the FLIP. Methods: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsies and FLIP were performed in 72 adults with EoE. Endoscopic features of edema, rings, exudates, furrows, and stricture were evaluated using the EREFS system. Esophageal distensibility metrics obtained by FLIP, including the distensibility slope and distensibility plateau, were compared with EREFS parameters. Bivariate associations between EREFS parameters and histologic eosinophil density were assessed. Results: Higher ring scores were associated with a lower distensibility plateau (r s = −0.46; P s = 0.27; P = 0.02), as well as between furrows and eosinophil density (r s = 0.49; P Conclusions: Endoscopic assessment of ring severity can serve as a marker for esophageal remodeling and may be useful for food impaction risk stratification in EoE. Eosinophil count was not significantly associated with esophageal distensibility, consistent with previous reports of dissociation between inflammatory activity and fibrostenosis in EoE. Endoscopic inflammatory features show a weak correlation with histopathology but should not replace histologic indices of inflammation.
Disturbed Sleep and Postpartum Depression

The perinatal period introduces a myriad of changes. One important but often overlooked change is an increased reporting of sleep disturbance. Although casually regarded as a consequence of pregnancy or postpartum, there is emerging evidence implicating significant sleep disturbance, characterized by insomnia symptoms and/or poor sleep quality, with adverse outcomes, such as an increase in depressive symptomatology or the development postpartum depression (PPD). Significant consequences may arise as a result including issues with maternal-infant bonding, effective care for the infant, and behavioral or emotional difficulties in the infant. This review discusses the relevant literature as to how disturbed sleep during pregnancy as well as in the postpartum may increase the risk for PPD.
Oxygen-elicited responses in calf coronary arteries: role of H2O2 production via NADH-derived superoxide

Our previous studies in isolated endothelium-removed calf pulmonary arteries suggest that PO2-elicited responses are primarily mediated through modulation of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate via changes in the generation of H2O2 originating from superoxide anion (O2-.) produced by NADH oxidase activity. In the present study we examined the importance of this mechanism in PO2-elicited responses of endothelium-removed calf coronary arteries. NADH oxidase activity was found to be the major source of O2-. in the homogenate of endothelium-removed calf coronary arteries detected by lucigenin-elicited chemiluminescence. Precontracted endothelium-removed calf coronary arteries show a relaxation to hypoxia, and reoxygenation causes a transient additional relaxation before the recovery of normoxic levels of force. Under these conditions the detection of O2-. was decreased by hypoxia and a transient overproduction was observed during reoxygenation. The relaxation to reoxygenation, but not to hypoxia, was significantly inhibited by a scavenger of O2-. that prevents the formation of H2O2 (nitro blue tetrazolium), an inhibitor of NAD(P)H oxidases and other O2(-.)-generating flavoproteins (diphenyliodonium), and inhibition of the stimulation of soluble guanylate cyclase (LY-83583). A scavenger of O2-. that promotes H2O2 formation (Tiron) did not inhibit the PO2-elicited responses examined. Hypoxia and diphenyliodonium (but not Tiron) decreased the metabolism of endogenous H2O2 by catalase (as measured by the H2O2-dependent co-oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde by catalase), and reoxygenation caused a stimulation of H2O2 metabolism by catalase. The presence of endothelium resulted in minor modifications of the PO2 responses, which were partially mediated via prostaglandins and nitric oxide on the basis of the effects of indomethacin and nitro-L-arginine, respectively. These results suggest that in calf coronary arteries the stimulation of guanylate cyclase via H2O2 originating from NADH-derived O2-(.) production contributes to the transient relaxation to posthypoxic reoxygenation, but not the response to hypoxia.
Incremental, Probabilistic Decision Making for En Route Traffic Management

En route airspace congestion, often due to convective weather, causes system-wide delays and disruption in the US National Airspace System (NAS). Present-day methods for managing congestion are mos...
Implementing Design for Reliability and Producibility in the Corporate Computer-Aided Design Strategy

As computer-aided-design enters almost all phases of the design process, reliability, quality, and producibility must be designed into the product through the utilization of computer-aided-design application software. This paper presents results of a cooperative research effort between The University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Instruments, Inc., and the U.S. Naval Material Command. The objective of this project is to identify methods and design elements in the design process for insuring product reliability and quality. The paper will review the various design elements for implementation into computer-aided-design software database.
A cloud-based large-scale distributed video analysis system

Digital content consumption is exploding thanks to the advances of the distributed cloud-computing infrastructures and the consumer electronics. Further challenges have been posed to engineers and researchers to satisfy the ever increasing user needs not only for high quality video delivery, but also for richer experience. In order to support various video analysis tasks in addition to transcoding, a software platform is designed based on the Google cloud computing infrastructure with the features to be flexible, scalable, robust, and secure. In this paper, we discuss the scope, requirements, constraints, features of such a system, the problems we met and how they are resolved.
Core References in Introductory Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology Textbooks.

The purpose of the present study was to identify the core references in introductory textbooks in two sub-disciplines of psychology: social psychology and developmental psychology. One research que...
Three-phase inverter modeling using multifrequency averaging with third harmonic injection

Models of converters based on averaging have been used widely with numerous benefits. Multifrequency averaging (MFA) model can predict both the fundamental and switching behavior of converters and has the faster simulation run times associated with average-value models. Third harmonic injection is commonly used in the modulation signal for three-phase inverters to increase the inverter maximum output voltage while avoiding overmodulation. Herein, an MFA model for three-phase pulse width modulation inverters with third harmonic injection is proposed. The quasi-Fourier-series representation of the switching functions with third harmonic injection is necessary for constructing three-phase inverter MFA model. The third harmonic injection does not change the fundamental and third harmonic components of the state variables in a balanced three-phase system, but it changes the higher-order harmonics. As a result, the quasi-Fourier-series representation of the switching functions for three-phase inverters with third harmonic injection must include the third harmonics. The proposed MFA model is demonstrated in simulation, and the simulation results show that this model has high accuracy (including the switching behavior) and fast run times.
A moving control volume approach to computing hydrodynamic forces and torques on immersed bodies

We present a moving control volume (CV) approach to computing hydrodynamic forces and torques on complex geometries. The method requires surface and volumetric integrals over a simple and regular Cartesian box that moves with an arbitrary velocity to enclose the body at all times. The moving box is aligned with Cartesian grid faces, which makes the integral evaluation straightforward in an immersed boundary (IB) framework. Discontinuous and noisy derivatives of velocity and pressure at the fluid–structure interface are avoided and far-field (smooth) velocity and pressure information is used. We re-visit the approach to compute hydrodynamic forces and torques through force/torque balance equations in a Lagrangian frame that some of us took in a prior work (Bhalla et al., 2013 [13]). We prove the equivalence of the two approaches for IB methods, thanks to the use of Peskin's delta functions. Both approaches are able to suppress spurious force oscillations and are in excellent agreement, as expected theoretically. Test cases ranging from Stokes to high Reynolds number regimes are considered. We discuss regridding issues for the moving CV method in an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) context. The proposed moving CV method is not limited to a specific IB method and can also be used, for example, with embedded boundary methods.
Abstract LB-178: The impact of the gut microbiome on the antitumor effects of radiotherapy

The sheer enormity of the microbial biomass in the human intestinal tract, the co-evolution between humans and the microbiota, and the established function of the gut microbes in regulating normal host physiologic functions, are all consistent with the idea that alterations in gut microbial ecology play a role in the pathophysiology of several conditions including cancer. Radiotherapy (RT) is an established curative and palliative cancer treatment regimen, with approximately half of cancer patients with solid tumors receiving RT some time during their disease. Mounting evidence also suggests that high-dose (hypofractionated) radiation exerts potent immune modulatory effects, prompting immunological active tumor cell death inducing tumor associated antigen (TAA) cross priming with elicitation of anti-tumor CD8+ T cells, and abscopal effects. Although there have been groundbreaking responses to immunotherapy in certain malignancies such as lung cancer and melanomas, so far, immunotherapy is effective only in a portion of patients19. This raises the issue of whether there are additional important regulators of T cell function that are relevant to tumor control and could be harnessed to enhance radiotherapy. In support of this hypothesis, we have generated preliminary results demonstrating that: a) Treatment with vancomycin, an antibiotic with action in the gut mostly against Gram+ bacteria, significantly increased the presence of overall tumor infiltrating T cells or cytotoxic CD8+ cells in tumors from mice treated with RT/vancomycin combination compared to RT alone; b) vancomycin caused a significant enhancement of the tumor inhibitory effect of targeted radiation. c) Vancomycin enhanced the ability of RT to increase the expression of IFN-g in CD8+ infiltrating T cells and antigen presentation in the tumor draining lymph nodes and d) the observed synergy between vancomycin and RT in eliciting an anti-tumor immune response and inhibiting tumor growth was abrogated in IFN-g KO animals or by CD8+ cell depletion. Citation Format: Andrea Facciabene, Stavros Rafail, Mireia Uribe-Herranz, Stefano Pierini, Kile Bittinger, Iannis Verginadis, Costas Koumenis, Amit Maity. The impact of the gut microbiome on the antitumor effects of radiotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-178. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-LB-178
John Stuart Mill and Political Correctness

This article will examine Mill’s arguments in favor of unrestrained freedom of speech and his objection to the social censorship of speech. It will then discuss the origins and impact of what is now characterized as political correctness. The article will then define the concept of social censorship and attempt to distinguish pure social censorship from private tangible punishment of speech. Next, the article will examine the ways in which social censorship serves important social goals and promotes free speech as well as the ways in which it undermines free speech. It will especially focus on the damage to intellectual autonomy and development that so troubled Mill. The article will consider how the struggle between freedom of speech and social censorship/political correctness is ultimately a battle over the social norm defining the boundary between socially acceptable and unacceptable speech focusing on how social norms, especially in the area of speech, are created, maintained and adjusted. Finally, the article will explain how Mill’s norm of a robust culture of free speech can be defended and preserved against attempts at restriction.
Can, cup, or bottle? The influence of beverage vessel on taste and willingness to pay

Abstract This study examines the influence of beverage service vessel on taste evaluations and willingness to pay through two experiments, each with four conditions: an aluminum can, a glass cup, a plastic cup, and a glass bottle. Study 1, a virtual scenario-based design with 141 participants, showed that taste expectations and willingness to pay were lowest for the beverage served in the aluminum can and that taste expectations mediated the effect of beverage vessel on willingness to pay. Study 2, a lab-based experiment with 82 participants, assessed taste perceptions and willingness to pay. Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1 in a live context with real consumption, extending the findings from expectations to actual perceptions. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.
Customs of the River: Governing the Commons within a Nineteenth-Century Steamboat Economy

This paper uncovers a lost world indigenous to the legal history of the United States, a place where law was "used" as an instrument not in a way familiar to readers of Willard Hurst, as a means to identify natural resources as private property to be allocated for exploitation by the highest bidder, but instead as a means to preserve landscapes as common property sustainably enjoyed by a multiplicity of actors for commercial ends. Focusing upon a single suit brought in 1854 to assign liability for a steamboat collision, where the issue became whether pilots followed the "customs of the river" at a particular bend in the Ohio River, the paper relates how through the "customs of the river" inquiry, Jacksonian judges in the 1830s and 1840s permitted a wild, unimproved river to speak at trial in order to keep American environments open to the "disorganized public" as a whole. By the 1850s, pressed by insurers seeking standardized commercial rules of the road, federal administrators promoted a more uniform, state-managed vision. To maintain the river’s status as a "common highway" with the "customs" inquiry now out of fashion, Humphrey Leavitt, the Jacksonian judge in this case, eventually developed new rules that shared the costs of navigation between private actors in a way that maintained the Ohio River as a privately-ordered common space.
Ethics in the gutter: empathy and historical fiction in comics

Ethics in the Gutter: Empathy and Historical Fiction in Comics is an inspiringly interdisciplinary approach to historical representation in comics. Blending narratology and psychology to pinpoint s...
Neurologic challenges in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome often come to medical attention due to signs and symptoms of neurologic dysfunction. It is imperative to understand the expected neurologic development of patients with this diagnosis in order to be alert for the potential neurologic complications, including cortical malformations, tethered cord, epilepsy, and movement disorders. We present an update of brain imaging findings from the CHOP 22q and You Center, a review of the current literature, and our current management practices for neurological issues.
Can English Language Skills in Business Curriculum Help in Aacsb Accreditation

Globalization has had a significant impact on management education and curriculum across the world. To assess and guarantee quality education different accreditation bodies have come into existence. In business education, AACSB International (Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business) is highly popular, with a total of 655 accredited institutions out of which 165 are outside of the United States. Its popularity can be attributed to its emphasis on quality standards pertaining to research, mission oriented strategic planning, faculty and student achievements. Globalization and internationalization of curriculum is also an important component integrated within these accreditation standards. Business schools have responded in a variety of ways to meet this global accreditation requirement, schools have study abroad programs, student and faculty exchange programs, international business as one of the business courses on its curriculum, and integration of international dimensions and issues within its business courses. This paper will examine a business school located outside USA and how one of its mandatory graduation requirement for its business students can be considered as internationalization of curriculum.
Effects of Information Channels across Skill and Product Quality Groups: Evidence from Trade-Migration Nexus

Immigrants can foster host-country trade flows by using their information network. However, the heterogeneity in skill level and increasing diversification in terms of both origin and destination of the immigrants have added complexity to this issue. This paper examines the causal linkage between immigrant driven ethnic networks and bilateral trade across different skill groups of immigrants and quality levels of products. I extend the Eaton-Kortum (2002) model for disaggregated product qualities and incorporates ethnic network in the model to establish the theoretical framework. Using a panel dataset of 19 high-income OECD countries and 99 low-income countries over the period of 1990-2005 and a newly available export quality index, I find that higher level of human capital provides high-skilled migrants with opportunities to work in high quality export oriented industries and trigger more high quality trade than the low-skilled migrants. Low-skilled migrants also use their home country knowledge to their advantage and penetrate the low quality export-oriented industry to trigger more of low quality trade compared to their counterpart. In addition, this paper demonstrates a positive indirect effect of secondary ethnic networks of third party nature on trade, with the effect stronger for low quality products and more so through low-skilled migrants.
Arguments en faveur d’une recherche à l’interface Marketing–Finance:

ResumeCet article discute cinq themes dominants et les resultats importants dans la literature recente sur l’integration des disciplines de marketing et de finance.
Phonological markedness and short term recall

Abstract: In the short term recall of verbal materials, error responses tend to sound like the correct responses. The notion of phonological markedness makes it possible to examine such errors in a new way. Phonological markedness implies a scale of complexity for speech sounds. On the basis of this scale of complexity, two hypotheses about the recall of nonsense utterances were stated. (1) The more complex sounds should be more difficult to recall under memory-taxing conditions. (2) The erroneous recall of a less marked for a more marked sound should occur more frequently than the converse error. Nonsense utterances of the form CVC and CVCVC were constructed in order to test these predictions. The consonants were the English obstruents /p b t d c ǰ k g f v θ ð s z ʃ Ʒ/, and the vowels were the three tense vowels /i e α/. Random permutations insured balanced distribution of the consonants and vowels. The utterances were recorded in lists of three. Twenty-four naive listeners heard the lists and attempted to recall them. All responses were spoken aloud and tape recorded. Frequencies of successful and erroneous recall were used to estimate the probabilities of different kinds of responses. Most of the predictions of differentia! ease of recall were strongly supported in the analysis. These results constitute psychological evidence in favor of phonological markedness. The expected differences in the relative frequencies of particular kinds of error, however, were not found.
Poly[bis-(acetonitrile-κN)bis-[μ(3)-bis(tri-fluoro-methane-sulfonyl)-imido-κO,O':O'':O''']dilithium].

In the title compound, [Li2(CF3SO2NSO2CF3)2(CH3CN)2]n, two Li+ cations reside on crystallographic inversion centers, each coordinated by six O atoms from bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI−) anions. The third Li+ cation on a general position is four-coordinated by two anion O atoms and two N atoms from acetonitrile mol­ecules in a tetra­hedral geometry.
Spread through air spaces-positive T1 lung adenocarcinoma: is lobectomy associated with better outcomes than sublobar resection?

The gold standard for operative management of early-stage, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is resection by anatomic lobectomy (1). There exists persistent debate, however, regarding the potential for oncologic equivalence of sublobar resections (wedge or segmentectomy) versus lobectomy for small, peripheral, early-stage NSCLC (2). A parenchymal-sparing resection strategy is appealing, particularly for patients with significant comorbidities, or prohibitively poor lung function that would otherwise preclude resection by lobectomy. Attempts to identify the appropriate cohorts of patients for sublobar resection have included risk stratification by a multitude of factors; including tumor size, histologic subtype, and radiographic characterization (e.g., solid versus ground-glass appearance on cross-sectional imaging), among others (3). The pursuit of parenchymal-sparing options remains at the forefront of investigators’ aims to codify oncologic outcomes with extent of surgical resection, yet there persists a lack of certainty regarding which clinicopathologic features contribute to outcome and therefore should be utilized to dictate that operative decision.
Update on Trigeminal Neuralgia

To review current treatments for trigeminal neuralgia, with an emphasis on determining which patients may benefit from neurosurgical procedures. A detailed history is the most helpful tool for diagnosing trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and predicting response to neurosurgical treatments. Patients with classic trigeminal neuralgia will describe severe, unilateral, intermittent facial pain that is triggered by innocuous sensory stimuli. In most cases, pain is caused by compression of the trigeminal nerve by a blood vessel near the brainstem. Magnetic resonance imaging is necessary to rule out TN secondary to multiple sclerosis or tumor. Modern high-resolution T2 images may demonstrate neurovascular contact, particularly when analyzed by a neurosurgeon with expertise in TN. Initial management involves a trial of medication, usually carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine. Microvascular decompression (MVD) is safe and effective surgery, for patients with classic TN related to neurovascular compression. For patients with TN secondary to multiple sclerosis, and for patients who are otherwise poor candidates for MVD, neurosurgical options include percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy and radiosurgery. Neurosurgical procedures are less effective in relieving atypical facial pain. In the clinical evaluation of a patient with facial pain, it is important to distinguish classic trigeminal neuralgia from atypical facial pain. A patient with classic trigeminal neuralgia would benefit from neurosurgical consultation. The advent of high-resolution MRI and MRA sequences now allows a neurosurgeon to detect when neurovascular compression is likely, and select the optimal procedure for treatment.
High power direct energy conversion by nuclear batteries

The literature on direct conversion of radioisotope energy to electricity is reviewed. Considerations of the choice of radioisotope, converter, and device design are discussed. Recommendations for maximum specific power, energy, and lifetime based on available radioisotopes are made. It is found that nuclear batteries have the potential to achieve specific powers of 1–50 mW/g. Devices that utilize the beta emitter titanium tritide (TiT2) as the isotope are found to have the most potential in the short term to meet the combined performance objectives. TiT2 based devices have a specific power of 0.83 mW/g. Higher specific powers are achievable with the alpha emitter Am241 but with significantly reduced operational lifetime. In order to realize the full operational potential of Am241, radiation resistant converter materials will need to be developed.
Interaction of beta-lactoglobulin and bovine serum albumin with iron oxide (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles in the presence and absence of pre-adsorbed phosphate

Protein adsorption onto mineral nanoparticle surfaces is critical to the function and fate of biological compounds in environmental and industrial systems. However, adsorption kinetics, coverage, and conformation of biological macromolecules are poorly understood, particularly in the presence of ubiquitous oxyanions. In this study, the adsorption of two proteins, beta-lactoglobulin (β-LG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), onto hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles was investigated in the presence and absence of pre-adsorbed phosphate. Using solution and temporal solid-phase attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, our results show dynamic changes in the secondary structure of both proteins when adsorbed onto nanoscale α-Fe2O3 surfaces, compared to their unbound conformations. However, these differences were attenuated in the presence of adsorbed phosphate. Adsorbed phosphate significantly reduced the protein surface coverage on iron oxide nanoparticle surfaces, and impacted protein adsorption kinetics. The latter was observed to be protein-specific, with β-LG exhibiting a higher adsorption rate and sigmoidal kinetics compared to slower, more Langmuir-type kinetics of BSA adsorption. Our results reveal the importance of phosphate on protein–mineral adsorption kinetics and conformation, a critical driver of protein function, in complex environmental systems.
Genetic variation and evolution of equine infectious anemia virus rev quasispecies during long term persistent infection

CHAPTER I. GENERAL INTRODUCTION Dissertation organization Introduction Overall goal References CHAPTER 2. SEQUENCE VARIATION IN EQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA VIRUS REV CORRELATES WITH VARIABLE STAGES OF CLINICAL DISEASE IN AN EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED PONY Abstract Introduction Materials and methods Results Discussion Acknowledgments References CHAPTER 3. CAGE: CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF GENETIC EVOLUTION Abstract Introduction Systems and methods Algorithm Implementation Discussion and conclusion Acknowledgments References CHAPTER 4. EVOLUTION OF VIRAL QUASISPECIES IN VIVO: CO-EXISTENCE OF TWO DISTINCT POPULATIONS Abstract Introduction Materials and methods Results Discussion Acknowledgments References V
Son Preference, Fertility Decline, and the Nonmissing Girls of Turkey

Couples in Turkey exhibit son preference through son-biased differential stopping behavior that does not cause a sex ratio imbalance in the population. Demand for sons leads to lower ratios of boys to girls in larger families but higher ratios in smaller families. Girls are born earlier than their male siblings, and son-biased fertility behavior is persistent in response to decline in fertility over time and across households with parents from different backgrounds. Parents use contraceptive methods to halt fertility following a male birth. The sibling sex composition is associated with gender disparities in health. Among third- or later-born children, female infant mortality is 1.5 percentage points lower if the previous sibling is male. The female survival advantage, however, disappears if the previous sibling is female. Having an older female sibling shifts the gender gap in infant mortality rate by 2 percentage points in favor of males. The improvement in infant mortality is strongest in favor of males who have no older male siblings.
Critical Tax Theory: Taxation and the Family: A Fresh Look at Behavioral Gender Biases in the Code

Current tax reform proposals for fighting gender discrimination misguidedly focus on who wins and who loses, suggesting that government simply tax equal-income couples equally or tax single and married individuals at the same rates. This Article provides a fresh perspective by looking at how tax laws provide behavioral incentives that affect: (1) whether to marry; (2) whether to form a one- or two-earner household; and (3) whether to work full- or part-time. In order to combat the marginalization of women in the workplace, a reformulated tax policy which reinstates a two-earner deduction and encourages secondary-earner labor participation is needed.
Evaluating for a geospatial relationship between radon levels and thyroid cancer in Pennsylvania.

Objectives/Hypothesis To determine whether there is an association between radon levels and the rise in incidence of thyroid cancer in Pennsylvania. Study Design Epidemiological study of the state of Pennsylvania. Methods We used information from the Pennsylvania Cancer Registry and the Pennsylvania Department of Energy. From the registry, information regarding thyroid incidence by county and zip code was recorded. Information regarding radon levels per county was recorded from the state. Poisson regression models were fit predicting county-level thyroid incidence and change as a function of radon/lagged radon levels. To account for measurement error in the radon levels, a Bayesian Model extending the Poisson models was fit. Geospatial clustering analysis was also performed. Results No association was noted between cumulative radon levels and thyroid incidence. In the Poisson modeling, no significant association was noted between county radon level and thyroid cancer incidence (P = .23). Looking for a lag between the radon level and its effect, no significant effect was seen with a lag of 0 to 6 years between exposure and effect (P = .063 to P = .59). The Bayesian models also failed to show a statistically significant association. A cluster of high thyroid cancer incidence was found in western Pennsylvania. Conclusions Through a variety of models, no association was elicited between annual radon levels recorded in Pennsylvania and the rising incidence of thyroid cancer. However, a cluster of thyroid cancer incidence was found in western Pennsylvania. Further studies may be helpful in looking for other exposures or associations. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 125:E45–E49, 2015
Actinide production in Xe 136 bombardments of Cf 249

The production cross sections for the actinides from $^{136}\mathrm{Xe}$ bombardments of $^{249}\mathrm{Cf}$ at energies 1.02, 1.09, and 1.16 times the Coulomb barrier were determined. Chemical fractions of the individual actinide elements were prepared and the gamma, alpha, and spontaneous fission activities of the actinide isotopes were measured. The cross section distributions are presented and compared with those from other heavy ion bombardments of actinide targets. Conclusions are drawn as to the utility of these heavy ion bombardments for producing unknown isotopes in the actinide region. It is shown that for new neutron-rich actinide isotopes with atomic numbers smaller than that of the target these very heavy ion bombardments are perhaps the best method of production, and when using the most neutron-rich targets available new neutron-rich isotopes should be produced in quantities sufficient for their identification and study.
Optimal Motion Planning for Collision Avoidance of Mobile Robots in Non-stationary Environments

An optimal control formulation of the problem of collision avoidance of mobile robots moving in general terrains containing moving obstscles is presented. A dynamic model of the mobile robot and the dynamic constraints are derived. Collision avoidance is guaranteed if the minimum distance between the robot and the objects is nonzero. A nominal trajectory is assumed to be known from off-line planning. The main idea is to change the velocity along the nominal trajectory so that collisions are avoided. Furthermore, time consistency with the nominal plan is desirable. A numerical solution of the optimization problem is obtained. A perturbation control type of approach is used to update the optimal plan. Simulation results verify the value of the proposed strategy.
Data-driven measures of functional connectivity

Studying interactions within the brain leads to an emerging field: functional connectivity. Functional connectivity between two brain units (neuron columns, recording sites, regions) can be defined as the temporal correlation between their time courses. Correlation between time courses of brain units are measured in different ways, e.g., Data-driven and/or Model-based approaches. This paper focuses on the former. The commonly used measures in Data-driven approach include, but are not limited to Coherence, Synchronization, Mutual Information, Nonlinear correlation coefficient, and Phase-Locking Values. We first describe the underlying reasons why these measures originated from distinctive fields of science and engineering can be applied to assess functional connectivity; then give the quantitative evaluation to each measure and indicate what are the limitations and conditions when they are applied, finally demonstrate the relations between these measures that may provide a basis for consistent assessments and interpretations on functional connectivity under investigation.
Fine needle aspiration cytology of a low grade myxoid renal epithelial neoplasm: A case report

BACKGROUND Recently, several case reports have described a rare but distinct subtype of renal tumor, referred to as a "low grade renal epithelial neoplasm," that appears to have a better prognosis than conventional renal cell carcinoma does. This report describes the cytologic features of this tumor as determined by fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. CASE A 53-year-old woman with a history of lymphoma had a renal mass incidentally discovered on an abdominal computed tomographic scan performed for lymphoma restaging. Results of an FNA biopsy showed relatively uniform, medium-sized tumor cells with moderate amounts of finely vacuolated or wispy cytoplasm and indistinct cell borders. The nuclei were primarily round with coarse chromatin and had prominent nucleoli. In the cell block preparation, the tumor cells showed a tubular architecture and an abundant myxoid matrix. The patient underwent a partial nephrectomy. The tumor was classified as a low grade myxoid renal epithelial tumor. CONCLUSION This unusual kidney tumor appears to have distinctive cytomorphologic features, including a uniform population of epithelial cells with round nuclei, an abundant myxoid matrix and tubular architecture.
Thrombocytopenia after a single test dose of methotrexate

Low dose methotrexate (MTX) can cause numerous gastrointestinal, pulmonary, central nervous system, and hematologic toxicities. Risk factors include folate deficiency, decreased renal function, older age, increased mean corpuscular volume or concomitant use of trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, probenecid, or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We describe a case of isolated thrombocytopenia after a single oral dose of MTX in a 36-year-old woman with sarcoidosis. She had rheumatoid arthritis and her only other medications included NSAIDs. One week after her first oral dose of 7.5 mg MTX, diffuse petechiae developed on her chest, abdomen, and extremities; she had a platelet count of 25,000/mm3. Nine days after discontinuation of both MTX and the NSAID, her platelet count increased to 189,000/mm3.
Prognostic value of myoclonus status in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest

Generalized myoclonus status is common in comatose patients after cardiac resuscitation, but its prognostic value is uncertain. We studied the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings in 107 consecutive patients who remained comatose after cardiac resuscitation. Myoclonus status was present in 40 patients (37%). Features more prevalent in patients with myoclonus status were burst suppression on electroencephalograms, cerebral edema or cerebral infarcts on computed tomography scans, and acute ischemic neuronal change in all cortical laminae. All patients with myoclonus status died. Of 67 patients without myoclonus, 20 awakened. We conclude that myoclonus status in postanoxic coma should be considered an agonal phenomenon that indicates devastating neocortical damage. Its presence in comatose patients after cardiac arrest must strongly influence the decision to withdraw life support.
Effective fractal dimensions

Classical fractal dimensions (Hausdorff dimension and packing dimension) have recently been effectivized by (i) characterizing them in terms of real-valued functions called gales, and (ii) imposing computability and complexity constraints on these gales. This paper surveys these developments and their applications in algorithmic information theory and computational complexity theory. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
An application of Strong's validity criteria to basic interest scales

Abstract E. K. Strong, Jr.'s ( Vocational interests of men and women , Stanford, Calif.: Stanford Univ. Press, 1943) four propositions for interest-inventory validity and J. L. Holland's ( Making vocational choices: A theory of careers , Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1973) hexagonal classification system were synthesized in order to adapt a traditional procedure for determining the construct validity of occupational interest scales to the validation of basic interest scales. The procedure was tested using a sample of 4035 males and 3671 females whose interest inventory results as high school students and whose majors as college seniors could be assigned Holland codes. Results of the study indicate that this procedure can be used to assess the construct validity of inventories using basic interest scales.
Kinetic Ising model in an oscillating field: Avrami theory for the hysteretic response and finite-size scaling for the dynamic phase transition

Hysteresis is studied for a two-dimensional, spin- (1) /(2) , nearest-neighbor, kinetic Ising ferromagnet in a sinusoidally oscillating field, using Monte Carlo simulations and analytical theory. Attention is focused on large systems and moderately strong field amplitudes at a temperature below T{sub c}. In this parameter regime, the magnetization switches through random nucleation and subsequent growth of {ital many} droplets of spins aligned with the applied field. Using a time-dependent extension of the Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami theory of metastable decay, we analyze the statistical properties of the hysteresis-loop area and the correlation between the magnetization and the field. This analysis enables us to accurately predict the results of extensive Monte Carlo simulations. The average loop area exhibits an extremely slow approach to an asymptotic, logarithmic dependence on the product of the amplitude and the field frequency. This may explain the inconsistent exponent estimates reported in previous attempts to fit experimental and numerical data for the low-frequency behavior of this quantity to a power law. At higher frequencies we observe a dynamic phase transition. Applying standard finite-size scaling techniques from the theory of second-order equilibrium phase transitions to this {ital nonequilibrium} transition, we obtain estimates for the transition frequency and the critical exponentsmore » ({beta}/{nu}{approx}0.11,thinsp{gamma}/{nu}{approx}1.84, and {nu}{approx}1.1). In addition to their significance for the interpretation of recent experiments on switching in ferromagnetic and ferroelectric nanoparticles and thin films, our results provide evidence for the relevance of universality and finite-size scaling to dynamic phase transitions in spatially extended nonstationary systems. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}« less
Enhanced Field of View via Nonlinear Digital Holography

All imaging systems have limitations to their field of view. Here, we introduce a nonlinear element into the optical path and experimentally demonstrate that wave mixing due to spatial nonlinearity enables wider views.
Notes on the German Theatre Crisis

The early 1990s, with the collapse of the German Democratic Republic and the reunification of Germany, resulted in the most radical shake-up of German theatre since 1933. German theatre remains in a state of crisis, haunted by constant threats of cutbacks and closures. What is this German “theatre crisis” from the macroeconomic, political, and social perspectives? How might it be mitigated?
Improved energy model for membrane electroporation in biological cells subjected to electrical pulses.

A self-consistent model analysis of electroporation in biological cells has been carried out based on an improved energy model. The simple energy model used in the literature is somewhat incorrect and unphysical for a variety of reasons. Our model for the pore formation energy $E(r)$ includes a dependence on pore population and density. It also allows for variable surface tension, incorporates the effects of finite conductivity on the electrostatic correction term, and is dynamic in nature. Self-consistent calculations, based on a coupled scheme involving the Smoluchowski equation and the improved energy model, are presented. It is shown that $E(r)$ becomes self-adjusting with variations in its magnitude and profile, in response to pore population, and inhibits uncontrolled pore growth and expansion. This theory can be augmented to include pore-pore interactions to move beyond the independent pore picture.
The relative variability of state income and sales taxes over the revenue cycle

The cyclical variability of state income and sales taxes is examined for each state by estimating the degree to which each tax follows the state's overall revenue cycle. Income taxes are found to be consistently more cyclically variable, and less predictable, than sales taxes. Factors explaining differences in cyclical variability across states are then identified in a regression model. States without income taxes have less cyclically variable revenues than states with both income and sales taxes, suggesting that cyclical variability in states without income taxes could not be reduced by broadening the tax base to include an income tax.
Integrated-Light Spectroscopy of Globular Clusters at the Infrared CA II Lines

Integrated-light spectroscopy has been obtained for 27 globular clusters at the Ca II IR triplet. Line strengths and radial velocities have been measured from the spectra. For the well-studied clusters in the sample, the strength of the Ca II lines is very well correlated with previous metallicity estimates. Thus, the triplet is useful as a metallicity indicator in globular cluster integrated-light spectra. The greatly reduced effect of interstellar extinction at these wavelengths (compared to the blue region of the spectrum) has permitted observations of some of the most heavily reddened clusters in the Galaxy. For several such clusters, the Ca II triplet metallicities are in poor agreement with metallicity estimates from IR photometry by Malkan (1981). The strength of an interstellar band at 8621A has been used to estimate the amount of extinction towards these clusters. Using the new metallicity and radial-velocity data, the metallicity distribution, kinematics, and spatial distribution of the disk globular cluster system have been analyzed. Results very similar to those of Zinn (1985) have been found. The relation of the disk globulars to the stellar thick disk is discussed.