cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed Inductance of Vertical Grounded Antennas

Assuming a uniform current distribution along the antenna, the variation of distributed inductance along the antenna is studied.
The Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Erectile Dysfunction and the Role of Environment-Current Updates

Erectile dysfunction (ED), the inability to attain or maintain a sufficient penile erection for satisfactory sexual intercourse, is a major health issue predicted to affect 322 million people worldwide by year 2025. This chapter reviews well-known risk factors of ED including aging, vasculopathy, neuropathy, neurologic diseases, psychogenic problems, metabolic and endocrine dysregulation, and medications. Commonly consumed toxins such as tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are also discussed as are environmental factors implicated in ED ranging from chemicals used in agriculture (pesticides and DDT), industrial chemicals, lead, bisphenol A, and 4,4′-diaminostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid to arsenic. Although how these compounds cause ED is unclear, this chapter reviews the available research and current theories on how they are thought to be endocrine disrupters with antiandrogenic or estrogenic properties and neurotoxins. The chapter concludes with a discussion of what are believed to be natural solutions for sexual dysfunction (aphrodisiacs) including commonly used cooking ingredients such as honey and potentially lethal plant derivatives such as yohimbine.
Generally Recognized as Safe: Uncertainty Surrounding E-Cigarette Flavoring Safety.

Despite scientific uncertainty regarding the relative safety of inhaling e-cigarette aerosol and flavorings, some consumers regard the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) designation as evidence of flavoring safety. In this study, we assessed how college students’ perceptions of e-cigarette flavoring safety are related to understanding of the GRAS designation. During spring 2017, an online questionnaire was administered to college students. Chi-square p-values and multivariable logistic regression were employed to compare perceptions among participants considering e-cigarette flavorings as safe and those considering e-cigarette flavorings to be unsafe. The total sample size was 567 participants. Only 22% knew that GRAS designation meant that a product is safe to ingest, not inhale, inject, or use topically. Of participants who considered flavorings to be GRAS, the majority recognized that the designation meant a product is safe to ingest but also considered it safe to inhale. Although scientific uncertainty on the overall safety of flavorings in e-cigarettes remains, health messaging can educate the public about the GRAS designation and its irrelevance to e-cigarette safety.
“DOES IT BUZZ?”: IMAGE AND TEXT IN EDWARD LEAR'S LIMERICKS

The limericks of Edward Lear (1812–1888) prompted a mid-Victorian craze that flourishes to this day. Gorgeously illustrated new limericks appear in a 2015 issue of Poetry magazine (Madrid), a five-line skewering of Stalin is tucked into a recent New York Times obituary (Grimes). The newly founded Edward Lear Society celebrates at the Knowsley estate, and the keeper of the Edward Lear website adds a new feature on Lear and Comics. The British Academy's Chatterton lecturer attends to Lear's birds, including the parrot that “seized” a man's nose and the raven that “danced a quadrille” (Bevis 39, 41) – Lear's first work, it must be remembered, was the magnificent Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots (1832). Of course he is best known today as a writer of nonsense (Peck 15). The illustrated limerick, his lighthearted venture into a double genre, perennially raises questions among his admirers and scholars about the internal dynamics linking its components. Borrowing from recent discussions of various picture-poem combinations, one might call the illustrated limericks in A Book of Nonsense “picture-limericks” (Dilworth 42), “imagetexts” (Mitchell, Picture Theory 89), or “iconotexts” (Louvel). As the labels all suggest, the core issue is the proximity of two media and whether or how they converge.
Sensitization of near-infrared LnIII [Ln = Yb or Nd] ions using water-soluble, band gap tuneable 3-MPA-capped CdS nanoparticles

We synthesized 3–4 nm crystalline, cubic phase, monodisperse 3-mercaptopropionato capped CdS nanoparticles (3-MPA-NPs) with different heating reaction times. Their aqueous fluorescence emission quantum yields were in the range 2.0–3.4%, with biexponential lifetimes in the range 34–50 ns (surface states) and 303–477 ns (core states), which increased linearly with increasing heating reaction time. The NPs were then decorated with near-infrared emitting NdIII and YbIII ions through chelation to the surface carboxylato groups of 3-mercaptopropionato (3-MPA-Ln-NPs). Excitation of these NPs at their maximum absorption wavelength resulted in emission of the surface-bound LnIII ions with efficiencies in the range 0.01–0.02%. The overlap of the excitation spectra of the LnIII-containing systems, 3-MPA-Ln-NPs, with the absorption spectra of the NPs indicates that energy was transferred from the NPs to the metal ions coordinated to the surface 3-MPA.
Sustainability of fiber reinforced laminate and honeycomb composites in manufacturing industries

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites provide a lot of benefits, including strength-to-weight ratio / light weight, superior mechanical properties, low maintenance, prolonged service life, as well as corrosion, fatigue and creep resistance. However, sustainability of the FRP composites have not been studied in detail in terms of long term productions in various industries, such as aerospace, wind energy, automotive and defense. Carbon fibers are relatively expensive because of the energy intensive production systems, and lack of easy production options, which forces many companies to recycle and reuse the FRP composites in the same or different manufacturing industries. This study mainly deals with two important issues, including the disposal of composite wastes generated during the manufacturing of composite parts, and the disposal of the products at the end of their useful life. It is believed that the carbon fibers in the used composites will have still high mechanical strengths to use in different composite manufacturing after its end of life. The major manufacturing costs come from the labor and raw materials, so using the recycled carbon fibers will make sustainable composite productions in other industries. This paper presents the current status and outlook of the FRP composite recycling and re-manufacturing techniques in the same or different industries. A future vision of the FRP composites will be investigated with sustainability point of views. This study will also mention about the sustainability issues in laminate and honeycomb composites, new product design and developments and potential applications in different manufacturing industries.
Radiative and Auger recombination processes in indium nitride

InN and In-rich InGaN alloys emit in the infrared range desirable for telecommunication applications. However, the droop problem reduces their efficiency at high power. Nonradiative Auger recombination is a strong contributor to this efficiency loss. Here, we investigate radiative and Auger recombination in InN and In-rich InGaN with first-principles calculations. We find that the direct eeh process dominates Auger recombination in these materials. In the degenerate carrier regime, the Auger and radiative rates are suppressed by different mechanisms: the radiative rate is affected by phase-space filling while Auger recombination is primarily reduced by free-carrier screening. The suppression of the radiative rate onsets at lower carrier densities than that of the Auger rate, which reduces the internal quantum efficiency of InN devices. Droop in InN can be mitigated by increasing the bandgap through alloying with GaN. We demonstrate that the peak efficiency of In0.93Ga0.07N alloys (which emit at 1550 nm) is 33% higher than that of InN and occurs at higher carrier densities.
Delay in Cognitive Radio Networks

This chapter presents analysis for delays for both multihop cognitive radio networks and single-hop cognitive radio networks. For multihop cognitive radio networks, we analyze the amount of time that a packet spends to travel over the intermittent relaying links over multiple relaying hops and characterize it with the metric called information propagation speed. Optimal relaying node placement strategies are derived to maximize information propagation speed. For single-hop cognitive radio networks, we will analyze how delay is affected by multiple cognitive radio design options, including the number of channels to be aggregated, the duration of transmission, the channel separation constraint on channel aggregation, and the time needed for spectrum sensing and protocol handshake. How these different options may affect the delay under different secondary and primary user traffic loads is revealed. Methods for computing optimal cognitive radio design and operation strategy are derived.
Use of Sucralfate in Variceal Sclerotherapy-Induced Ulcerations

Injection sclerotherapy of esophageal varices has become the standard therapy for patients bleeding from these lesions. Studies have shown this technique to be superior to other nonsurgical therapies and to selective shunt surgery in terms of survival and quality of life. The efficacy of this therapy, though, has been reduced by sclerotherapy-induced ulcerations. Tissue necrosis from the necrotizing chemical injected to sclerose the varices may result in deep ulceration with both arterial and venous bleeding, occasionally with perforation of the esophagus. Sucralfate has been suggested as an agent to assist in healing of these lesions, and reduce ulcer-related bleeding.
Neurotransmitter Receptors in Developing Barrel Cortex

The whisker barrel cortex can serve as a useful model for examining the role of neurotransmitter receptors in brain development. Most of the synapses in neocortex of laboratory rats and mice are formed during the first 3–4 postnatal weeks (Wolff, 1978). During this period, synaptic remodeling takes place as thalamocortical, callosal, and intrinsic connections are sharpened and refined (Wise and Jones, 1978; O’Leary et al., 1981; Greenough and Chang, 1988). The developmental blueprint can be readily modified by neonatal whisker deafferentation, and the consequences can be well localized because of the one-to-one correspondence between major vibrissae and whisker barrels. Moreover, its location on the dorsal surface of the brain makes barrel cortex accessible to direct pharmacological manipulations.
Markov process modeling and simulation for wireless sensor network life estimation with QoS constraints

Many wireless sensor network (WSN) applications have to operate under harsh environments with high failure rates. A good WSN life estimation model will enable us to address a fundamental question, such as, how long a WSN application can operate without compromising required quality of service (QoS). In this paper, we make certain assumptions about WSN network operations that allow us to use a modified Markov process to produce a closed form model to answer this question and we then validate the model by running various simulations.
META: A Novel Method for Evaluating Pediatric Scoring Systems for Implementation.

As we move toward increased evidence-based and value-based care, health care systems place growing emphasis on using standardized protocols and pathways. Many of these pathways rely on various clinical scoring systems. As these scores have proliferated, it becomes increasingly challenging to determine which of these scoring systems to implement in your health care system. We propose a novel method for determining which scores to implement. Clinical scores are applied throughout our lives, beginning immediately after birth with the Apgar score1 and concluding with the FOUR score,2 which is used to predict imminent brain death. If an infant develops croup, …
Healthcare Utilization by Glaucoma Patients in a Team Care Model.

ABSTRACTPurpose: To determine the effect of a glaucoma team care model on resource utilization and efficiency in glaucoma management.Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 358 patients diagnosed an...
Food allergy: could the gut microbiota hold the key?

A new study provides evidence that colonization of germ-free mice with faecal bacteria from healthy infants can protect against signs of cow’s milk allergy in mice. The results from this and other studies raise the intriguing question of whether the gut microbiota can be manipulated for food allergy prevention and therapy.
Practical Preparation, Student Focused, Serving the Community - The Wills Clinical Lab Experience

Practical preparation, student focused, and serving the community are the essential components of the Charlotte School of Law ("CharlotteLaw") mission. With these concepts in mind, the Wills Clinical Lab ("Lab") at CharlotteLaw was launched during the spring semester of 2010. This article discusses the mechanics of the Lab, how the Lab embodies the future of legal education, and the lessons we learned along the way.
Phonon Damping of Virtual Levels in Thick Superconducting Films

By virtue of their sensitivity to incoherent scattering, virtual-state resonances observed by tunneling into thick-film elemental superconductors provide a superior probe of the electron-phonon interaction at low energies where relatively few phonon modes participate. In strong-coupling and intermediate-coupling systems, spontaneous phonon emission progressively limits quasi particle mean-free-paths with increasing energy, causing resonance amplitudes to fall below those predicted for the weak-coupling limit. Accelerated damping of virtual-state oscillations at higher junction biases provides a practical basis for experimental determination of Im{Z(ω)[ ω2−Δ2(ω)]1/2} which in turn permits α2F(ω), Im{Z(ω)} and Im{Δ(ω)} to be inferred by means of the ELIASHBERG equations. This approach has proven considerably more sensitive than the familiar tunneling method of ROWELL and McMILLAN, and generally tends to augment the latter at low energies. Experimental results obtained with very thick In films exhibit substantial phonon damping compared to those obtained with thick Al films. The coefficinet g0 appearing in α2F(ω)≐g0 ω2 determined for In by the present method is found to be substantially smaller than that inferred from earlier tunneling studies, as are the quantities Im{Z(ω)} and Im{Δ(ω)}.
The Effect of Statins on Exercise Performance and Exercise Training

Statins increase the creatine kinase release from skeletal muscle, a sign of muscle injury. This chapter discusses studies that examined the effect of statins on: (1) skeletal muscle strength, (2) aerobic exercise performance, (3) skeletal muscle and cardiac biomarkers during exercise, (4) training for athletic competition, and (5) physical activity adherence. The majority of evidence does not demonstrate a deleterious effect of statin therapy on exercise performance or training, although the populations that appear to be at greatest risk of exercise-induced statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) include older adults and athletes, especially those participating in prolonged or intense forms of exercise.
Distinct Contributions of CD18 Integrins for Binding and Phagocytic Internalization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

ABSTRACT Phagocytosis is the key mechanism for host control of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a motile Gram-negative, opportunistic bacterial pathogen which frequently undergoes adaptation and selection for traits that are advantageous for survival. One such clinically relevant adaptation is the loss of bacterial motility, observed within chronic infections, that is associated with increased antibiotic tolerance and phagocytic resistance. Previous studies using phagocytes from a leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 1 (LAD-I) patient identified CD18 as a putative cell surface receptor for uptake of live P. aeruginosa. However, how bacterial motility alters direct engagement with CD18-containing integrins remains unknown. Here we demonstrate, with the use of motile and isogenic nonmotile deletion mutants of two independent strains of P. aeruginosa and with CRISPR-generated CD18-deficient cell lines in human monocytes and murine neutrophils, that CD18 expression facilitates the uptake of both motile and nonmotile P. aeruginosa. However, unexpectedly, mechanistic studies revealed that CD18 expression was dispensable for the initial attachment of the bacteria to the host cells, which was validated with ectopic expression of complement receptor 3 (CR3) by CHO cells. Our data support that surface N-linked glycan chains (N-glycans) likely facilitate the initial interaction of bacteria with monocytes and cooperate with CD18 integrins in trans to promote internalization of bacteria. Moreover, talin-1 and kindlin-3 proteins promote uptake, but not binding, of P. aeruginosa by murine neutrophils, which supports a role for CD18 integrin signaling in this process. These findings provide novel insights into the cellular determinants for phagocytic recognition and uptake of P. aeruginosa.
Regulation of the Immune Response

When I sat down to write this chapter, I was reminded of the story of how three blind men attempted to describe an elephant (Fig. 1). All of their descriptions were accurate yet no one, hearing these descriptions, would conjure up the vision of an elephant. So it is with a book such as this. Each chapter provides accurate descriptions of a portion of the whole yet it may not leave any of us with an overall view of the “principles of clinical cellular immunology.” Thus, several “basic” chapters, including this one, have been written in an attempt to provide the reader with an understanding of the basic immunological phenomena that have led to the advances illustrated in the more clinically oriented chapters and to the concepts of clinical cellular immunology to which this book is addressed.
SoIC for Low-Temperature, Multi-Layer 3D Memory Integration

A low-temperature System-on-Integrated- Chip (LT-SoIC) technology has been successfully applied to multi-layer 3D memory cube integration, which enables high bandwidth, low power and small footprint memory for future HPC applications. In addition, using the technology, each memory layer can be thinned to required thickness to maintain total height while supporting more layer counts.Two LT-SoIC processes were presented. One is through-via reveal last and the other one is through-via reveal first. The through-via revealing of each stacked die is one of the most critical process steps. Various conditions of planarization on chip backside after the through-via revealing were studied to mitigate the corner or edge rounding issue, as it may cause poor bonding. By improving the back-side revealing process, we can achieve good bonding for multi-layer stacking, including DRAM stacking with 4-Hi/ 8-Hi/ 12-Hi, and SRAM stacking with 4-Hi, using the LT-SoIC technology.The bonding quality of the LT-SoIC is measured using I-V curve and shear stress equipment. Linear I-V curve was obtained to show it is an Ohmic contact and the bonding strength of >2.5J/m2 was measured to show good bonding force. The through-via chain resistances for 4-Hi SRAM and 4/8/12-Hi DRAM and the breakdown voltage for 8/12- Hi DRAM were measured, too. Reliable results were obtained to indicate the integrity of the through-via chains. After that, the bandwidth density and power consumption between typical 3D memory and the SoIC memory were compared. High bandwidth density and low power consumption are obtained in the SoIC memory. Clear advantages of the SoIC CoW stacking technology are realized for multi-layer memory stacking at low temperature.
Abstract 4140: Dissecting the structural basis for rational inhibitor design: Crystal and solution structures of human oncoprotein Musashi-2 N-terminal RNA recognition motif 1

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are key regulators of cellular functions, especially in post-transcriptional regulations. Dysregulation of RBPs is implicated in many diseases including cancer. One of the RBPs that is overexpressed in a variety of human cancer is Musashi-2 (MSI2). Elevated MSI2 expression is associated with ectopic oncogenic pathways including but not limited to NUMB/Notch, PTEN/mTOR, TGF-β/SMAD3, making MSI2 a promising therapeutic target for cancer. Protein structure is critical for drug discovery and structure-based rational design. Both MSI1 and MSI2 proteins contain two N-terminal RNA recognition motifs and play roles in post-transcriptional regulation of target mRNAs. We have identified several inhibitors of MSI1, all of which bind to MSI2 as well. In order to design MSI2 specific inhibitors and compare the differences of binding mode of the inhibitors, we set out to solve the structure of MSI2-RRM1, the key motif that is responsible for the binding. Here we report the crystal structure and the first NMR solution structure of MSI2-RRM1, and compare these to the structures of MSI1-RBD1 and other RNA binding proteins. A high degree of structural similarity was observed between the crystal and solution NMR structures. MSI2-RRM1 shows a highly similar overall folding topology to MSI1-RBD1 and other RNA binding proteins. The structural information of MSI2-RRM1 will be helpful for understanding MSI2-RNA interaction and for guiding rational design of MSI2 specific inhibitors. Citation Format: Lan Lan, Minli Xing, Maithri Kashipathy, Justin Douglas, Philip Gao, Kevin Battaile, Robert Hanzlik, Scott Lovell, Liang Xu. Dissecting the structural basis for rational inhibitor design: Crystal and solution structures of human oncoprotein Musashi-2 N-terminal RNA recognition motif 1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 4140.
Temperature dependence of nickel ion release from nitinol medical devices.

Nitinol exhibits unique (thermo)mechanical properties that make it central to the design of many medical devices. However, nitinol nominally contains 50 atomic percent nickel, which if released in sufficient quantities, can lead to adverse health effects. While nickel release from nitinol devices is typically characterized using in vitro immersion tests, these evaluations require lengthy time periods. We have explored elevated temperature as a potential method to expedite this testing. Nickel release was characterized in nitinol materials with surface oxide thickness ranging from 12 to 1564 nm at four different temperatures from 310 to 360 K. We found that for three of the materials with relatively thin oxide layers, ≤ 87 nm nickel release exhibited Arrhenius behavior over the entire temperature range with activation energies of 80 to 85 kJ/mol. Conversely, the fourth ''black-oxide'' material, with a much thicker, complex oxide layer, was not well characterized by an Arrhenius relationship. Power law release profiles were observed in all four materials; however, the exponent from the thin oxide materials was approximately 1/4 compared with 3/4 for the black-oxide material. To illustrate the potential benefit of using elevated temperature to abbreviate nickel release testing, we demonstrated that a > 50 day 310 K release profile could be accurately recovered by testing for less than 1 week at 340 K. However, because the materials explored in this study were limited, additional testing and mechanistic insight are needed to establish a protective temperature scaling that can be applied to all nitinol medical device components.
A 94.1% Efficiency 20-180W GaN-Based Full-Bridge Wireless Power Receiver for High-Power Wireless Chargers

In this paper, a 6.78MHz GaN-based full-bridge active rectifier with enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) and voltage conversion ratio (VCR) is proposed. The design features a bootstrap driver to actively switch the high-side GaN transistors, as well as real-time calibration loops to automatically compensate the circuit delays in the low-side control paths, such that the PCE and VCR are maximized with eliminated reverse current and optimal conduction time. The proposed active rectifier is designed and simulated in a 180nm BCD process, and verified under process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations with power capacity from 20 to 180 W. Thanks to the proposed calibration loops, up to 25% and 20% PCE and VCR improvements, respectively, are observed under various PVT and loading conditions, with a peak PCE of 94.1% at 90-W output power and a peak VCR at 98% at 20-W output power.
Impact of UHPC Tensile Behavior on Steel Reinforced UHPC Flexural Behavior

AbstractUltrahigh-performance concrete (UHPC) typically contains short steel fibers with a fiber volume of 2% or larger. This relatively high fiber volume leads to high UHPC tensile strength, typic...
Clearing the Smoke: The Legitimation of Judicial Power at the WTO

What role, if any, does the search for judicial legitimacy play in judgments rendered by the WTO dispute settlement system (DSS)? And with which audiences, and through which judicial means does the WTO DSS try to communicate in order to sustain its legitimacy? Empirical evidence generated through semi-structured interviews with WTO practitioners demonstrate that since its inception, the interstate WTO DSS has been engaged in a continuing quest for legitimacy amidst multiple audiences, well beyond WTO Member states. This quest—prominent in the dispute-category known as ‘trade-and’ disputes—has manifested itself in both the rhetorical, procedural, and substantive judicial choices taken by WTO adjudicators. Also, this quest has not been static, but rather dynamic in nature, whereas in response to some audiences’ demands, jurisprudential, procedural and rhetorical readjustments have been made along the way. The article demonstrates these assertions through discursive analysis of the recent US-Clove Cigarettes dispute, while revisiting several earlier jurisprudential milestones on the DSS’ road to legitimacy. Coupling this analysis with insiders’ views, the article sheds a novel empirical light on how the DSS’ legitimacy challenges in ‘trade-and’ disputes are experienced ‘from within’, and the manner in which they are subsequently weaved into the choices taken by WTO adjudicators in their strategic judicial space.
A Usability Inspection of Medication Management in Three Personal Health Applications

We present the findings of a cognitive walkthrough inspection on three Personal Health Applications (PHAs). Two of the PHAs, Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault, are general purpose PHAs that are freely available to the general public. The last PHA, Colorado Care Tablet, is a prototype PHA that was designed specifically for older adults to manage their medication information. Older adults need a way to manage medications and share this information with their caregivers and healthcare providers to avoid complications during transitions of care. PHAs provide people with the ability to collect and share health information. However, given the problems older adults have with navigating applications and web pages, we needed to inspect currently available PHAs and identify problems older adults may have when using them for medication management before conducting user studies. Based on our findings, we encourage the design community to place more of an emphasis on interface consistency and tightly coupling information with links.
Serum akerfeldt test for schizophrenia in children

Summary 1. A modified Akerfeldt test was done on the sera of 150 unselected hospitalized children. There were 45 positives (30 per cent), 5 doubtfuls (3 per cent), and 100 negatives (67 per cent). 2. The sera of two female identical twins with childhood schizophrenia gave positive reactions. 3. The factors which may be concerned in the positive reactions are briefly discussed.
Feature fusion and degradation using self-organizing map

Successful prognostics is based on effective feature exaction and correct feature selection processes. Feature map is one of the widely used performance assessment and degradation detection methods. By continuously tracking the trajectories, degradation detection and prognostics in feature space can be conducted. The challenge is how to construct a feature space that can consistently exemplify the degradation pattern. In this paper, a Self Organizing Map (SOM) neural network based method is proposed to address the problem of the construction of feature space and degradation detection. Roller bearing run-to-failure tests are conducted to generate full life cycle degradation data, by which the proposed method is validated. The results demonstrate that SOM-based performance assessment and degradation detection approach provides a means of enhancing the condition monitoring of the roller bearing. It is able to provide a comprehensible indication of current operation state. Degradation detection can be fulfilled by monitoring the trajectories. Robust and quantitative performance assessment is achieved by the Minimum Quantization Error (MQE) calculation. It provides solid foundation for the development of the rolling bearing prognostic method.
Assessing the consistency of response metrics of the invertebrate benthos: a comparison of trait‐ and identity‐based measures

Summary 1. The use of species traits to interpret biological changes in invertebrate assemblages across environmental gradients has been suggested as a method to improve discrimination over existing species composition methods. One reason for greater potential discrimination and predictive ability is the assumed universality of traits across a range of spatial and temporal scales. We explore this assumption by comparing the consistency of stressor–response relationships of a trait characteristic (percent clinging taxa) and a common taxonomy-based metric [percent Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT)] over a stressor gradient of increasing benthic fine sediment. 2. We use invertebrate assemblage and environmental data from three large-scale surveys that cover the western United States, eastern United States and the Mid-Atlantic Highlands of the US. These three datasets allow us to compare stressor–response relationships in terms of geographic position (west versus east) and spatial scale (entire east versus a sub-region of the east). We compare the slopes and intercepts of the two measures of assemblage response. 3. Trait characteristics exhibited more consistent stressor–response relationships than identity characteristics. Stressor–response relationships generated for clinging invertebrate richness had statistically similar slopes over sediment gradients, regardless of spatial scale or geographic location. In contrast, slopes were significantly different for relationships generated with EPT richness over sediment gradients. 4. Results of this study support the hypothesis that trait-based measures have a more consistent response to a stressor gradient than identity-based assemblage measures. Choosing consistent measures of community response will facilitate comparisons among assemblages across large spatial scales.
Real-time synchronization protocols for shared memory multiprocessors

A priority-based synchronization protocol that explicitly uses shared-memory primitives is defined and analyzed. A solution that has been proposed for bounding and minimizing synchronization delays in real-time systems is briefly reviewed. The waiting times introduced by synchronization requirements in multiple-processor environments are identified, and a set of goals for priority-based multiprocessor synchronization protocols is derived. The underlying priority consideration for a shared memory synchronization protocol are studied and priority assignments to be used by the protocol are derived. >
Improving learning and adaptation in security games by exploiting information asymmetry

With the advancement of modern technologies, the security battle between a legitimate system (LS) and an adversary is becoming increasingly sophisticated, involving complex interactions in unknown dynamic environments. Stochastic game (SG), together with multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), offers a systematic framework for the study of information warfare in current and emerging cyber-physical systems. In practical security games, each player usually has only incomplete information about the opponent, which induces information asymmetry. This work exploits information asymmetry from a new angle, considering how to exploit local information unknown to the opponent to the player's advantage. Two new MARL algorithms, termed minimax-PDS and WoLF-PDS, are proposed, which enable the LS to learn and adapt faster in dynamic environments by exploiting its private local information. The proposed algorithms are provably convergent and rational, respectively. Also, numerical results are presented to show their effectiveness through two concrete anti-jamming examples.
Can the Lung Cancer Pie Be Divided into Angiogenic Slices

There are no validated markers for predicting benefit from angiogenesis inhibitors or classifying tumors with distinct angiogenic phenotypes. In patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with bevacizumab and erlotinib, Franzini and colleagues find that angiogenesis- and hypoxia-associated gene expression signatures predict tumor response and/or clinical outcome, and may define distinct angiogenic patterns.
Soliton quantization in gauge theories

Abstract A collective coordinate method is developed to construct a perturbation expansion for the single soliton sector of a gauge theory. As a preliminary, in order to illustrate the details of the method, it is first used in the context of a simple two-dimensional Abelian gauge model. It is then applied to the study of the spectrum of charged monopole states in the SU(2) Yang-Mills model with a triplet of Higgs scalars.
Cooperatives, Politics, and Development in Rural Paraguay

Although national politics and policies strongly influence how cooperatives function, cooperative organizations and advisors increasingly envision cooperatives as primarily economic organizations and avoid direct political engagement and social mobilization. In this paper, we discuss and challenge the depoliticization of cooperatives based on research into how two Paraguayan cooperatives dealt with the aftermath of a debt forgiveness law for small farmers. The law was a major victory for peasant political organizations, but its benefits did not extend to all smallholders, generating discontent that threatened both cooperatives and their development strategies. The cooperatives' differing responses to these challenges underscore how policy effects and development strategies are shaped by local level decision making based on organizational histories and emergent opportunities. To conclude, we discuss the advantages and challenges of politicizing cooperatives and offer reflections on how these challenges mig...
The 60 HZ Performance of Superconducting Power Transmission Cables Rated for 333 MVA Per Phase

For the past year two 115 meter-long superconducting power transmission cables have been tested at Brookhaven. These cables are the culmination of about a decade of development and are the largest application of superconductivity to power engineering up to the present. Performance data for 60 Hz excitation up to 6000 A and 110 kV are given.
A Bayesian graphical model for integrative analysis of TCGA data

We integrate three TCGA data sets including measurements on matched DNA copy numbers (C), DNA methylation (M), and mRNA expression (E) over 500+ ovarian cancer samples. The integrative analysis is based on a Bayesian graphical model treating the three types of measurements as three vertices in a network. The graph is used as a convenient way to parameterize and display the dependence structure. Edges connecting vertices infer specific types of regulatory relationships. For example, an edge between M and E and a lack of edge between C and E implies methylation-controlled transcription, which is robust to copy number changes. In other words, the mRNA expression is sensitive to methylational variation but not copy number variation. We apply the graphical model to each of the genes in the TCGA data independently and provide a comprehensive list of inferred profiles. Examples are provided based on simulated data as well.
Adolescent Access to Online Health Services: Perils and Promise

Abstract Purpose Many health care institutions provide online health services to adult patients and proxy access to parents of young children. Many of the benefits and barriers to providing such services to adolescent patients remain unclear. Methods The present work is based on a literature review and expert opinion synthesis. Results Potential benefits of providing online health services to adolescents include improved health care access, health literacy, and ongoing care. Potential barriers include information complexity, confidentiality concerns, legal issues, and management priorities. Conclusions Although barriers exist to implementing adolescent access to online health services, the potential benefits are significant. Overcoming these barriers will involve invoking legal and policy strategies and refocusing priorities on adolescent health.
An integrated approach to research and manuscript development

Purpose A stepwise process for planning, writing, and submitting a research manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal is described. Summary The research project and writing-related activities should be conducted concurrently along a clear timeline developed with input from all members of the writing team. Issues of conformance to standards of scholarly publishing (e.g., ordering of the author list, contributor acknowledgments, disclosure statements) should be resolved and agreed on by all authors before manuscript development begins. After deciding on an appropriate hypothesis or research question, members of the writing team should meet to craft a detailed manuscript outline and identify a target journal. In addition to writing or coordinating the writing of the various manuscript sections, one designated team member (typically the lead, or primary, author) should be responsible for ensuring consistency of data presentation and overall article cohesion. Before submitting the manuscript to a journal, the writing team should solicit internal and external review and feedback from colleagues with expertise in statistical analysis and the research topic. Once an article is accepted by a journal, the corresponding author has primary responsibility for communicating with editors and coordinating the team’s response to peer reviewer concerns and requests for revisions. Conclusion The process of writing and securing journal acceptance of manuscripts should proceed along a well-defined pathway integrating all research and writing tasks. Close adherence to the target journal’s instructions for authors and prompt response to reviewer comments help avoid delays in the publication of accepted articles.
Plant Safety and Risk with Temporary Equipment

Temporary equipment may be brought onto a plant site for a variety of process needs. The risk profile of the facility is altered by use of such temporary equipment, but since the time durations of temporary equipment usage are generally small, usually fewer than 90 days per year, the risk increase is also small and is typically not modeled in a probabilistic risk assessment. This article describes some risk issues with temporary equipment in long-term use, gives a case study of a temporary, diesel-driven air compressor under extended use at the Idaho National Laboratory, and suggests the need to model temporary equipment in the facility risk assessment if the equipment is used more than a few months. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2006
Technique and explanatory concepts of short-term group psychotherapy.

(1949). Technique and Explanatory Concepts of Short-Term Group Psychotherapy. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 369-381.
Continuous Wave Argon Laser Iridectomy in Angle-Closure Glaucoma

Utilizing a continuous wave argon laser in a multiburn fashion, successful iridectomies were achieved in 42 of 45 phakic eyes with either acute or chronic angle-closure glaucoma. Five of the successful procedures required multiple sittings on different days or abandonment of the primary treatment site in favor of an alternate site to attain patency. Within the immediate postoperative period, ten eyes needed further treatment to eliminate moderate pigment proliferation at the perforation site. The procedure was performed on an outpatient basis under topical anesthesia, usually required less than one-half hour for completion, and resulted in only minimal complications. Therefore, CWAL iridectomy appears to present an alternative to surgical iridectomy for the definitive treatment of angle-closure glaucoma, although long-term evaluation of this modality of therapy is presently unavailable.
High performance, accelerometer-based control of the Mini-MAST structure

Many large space system concepts will require active vibration control to satisfy critical performance requirements such as line of sight pointing accuracy and constraints on rms surface roughness. In order for these concepts to become operational, it is imperative that the benefits of active vibration control be shown to be practical in ground based experiments. The results of an experiment shows the successful application of the Maximum Entropy/Optical Projection control design methodology to active vibration control for a flexible structure. The testbed is the Mini-Mast structure at NASA-Langley and has features dynamically traceable to future space systems. To maximize traceability to real flight systems, the controllers were designed and implemented using sensors (four accelerometers and one rate gyro) that are actually mounted to the structure. Ground mounted displacement sensors that could greatly ease the control design task were available but were used only for performance evaluation. The use of the accelerometers increased the potential of destabilizing the system due to spillover effects and motivated the use of precompensation strategy to achieve sufficient compensator roll-off.
Prostaglandin E2 inhibition of glucagon-induced hepatic gluconeogenesis and cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate accumulation

This study examines the role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in modulating hormonal control of hepatic gluconeogenesis. The effects of PGE2 (2.8 × 10−6 M), administered alone and in combination with glucagon (1.4 × 10−9 M), on gluconeogenesis from 20 mM sodium lactate and on cyclic AMP (cAMP) concentration were studied in isolated livers of rats fasted for 24 hr and perfused with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate (KRB) solution containing 3% albumin and 100 mg/dl of glucose. Samples of perfusate and liver were taken at frequent intervals between 1 and 60 min after KRB (control), PGE2, glucagon, and PGE2 + glucagon infusion (ten experiments in each group). Glucagon stimulated more glucose production [45–60 min increment = 80 ± 7 mg/100 ml (mean ± standard error)] than did PGE2 (35 ± 5 mg/100 ml) or KRB (49 ± 8 mg/100 ml) (P < 0.01). Concomitant infusion of PGE2 with glucagon inhibited the glucagon-induced gluconeogenesis (56 ± 6 mg/100 ml) (P <0.01). Glucagon increased hepatic cAMP concentration approximately 4-fold (control = 354 ± 29 pmoles/g, maximal stimulation = 1881 ± 380 pmoles/g). PGE2 + glucagon reduced cAMP accumulation to approximately 2-fold (control = 365 ± 31 pmoles/g, maximal stimulation = 806 ± 99 pmoles/g) (P < 0.05). The data show that PGE2 inhibits glucagon-mediated gluconeogenesis from lactate. It remains to be determined whether the antigluconeogenic action of PGE2 is causally related to the inhibition of cAMP content.
Bulk growth of high quality nonlinear optical crystals of L-arginine tetrafluoroborate (L-AFB)

Abstract Bulk single crystals of L-arginine tetrafluoroborate (L-AFB) a new semiorganic nonlinear optical material has been successfully grown from solution by the temperature lowering method. Solubility of L-AFB was measured in various solvents such as ethanol, methanol, acetone and water. L-AFB was found to have extremely low solubility in acetone, ethanol and methanol. Therefore, it was not feasible to grow L-AFB single crystals using these solvents. However, high quality crystals of L-AFB were successfully grown from aqueous solution by the temperature lowering method, even though the mother liqueur became viscous. Large single crystals of L-AFB were grown with dimensions 78×50×35 mm 3 in eight weeks. Growth rate and effects of seed orientation on morphologies of L-AFB crystals were studied. L-AFB crystals belong to a class of organic–inorganic complexes in which the high optical nonlinearity of a pure organic compound is combined with the favorable mechanical and thermally stable properties of an inorganic compound. Bulk single crystals of L-AFB are potential materials for applications in blue–green wavelength region.
Role of linguistic input in third person singular -s use in the speech of young children.

Purpose To examine the role of linguistic input in how young, typically developing children use the 3rd person singular –s (3S) inflection. Method Novel verbs were presented to 16 young children in...
Up or down? A male economist's manifesto on the toilet seat etiquette

This paper develops an economic analysis of the toilet seat etiquette. I investigate whether there is any efficiency justification for the presumption that men should leave the toilet seat down after use. I find that the “down rule” is inefficient unless there is a large asymmetry in the inconvenience costs of shifting the position of the toilet seat across genders. I show that the “selfish” or the “status quo” rule that leaves the toilet seat in the position used dominates the down rule in a wide range of parameter spaces including the case where the inconvenience costs are the same. (JEL D7, H4)
The role of the iliotibial band during the pivot shift test

Several studies have suggested that the iliotibial (IT) band plays a role in knee laxity and that it may affect the magnitude of the pivot shift observed. However, the extent of the role played by the IT band, as well as its mechanism of action, is not currently known. This cadaveric study aimed to quantify the effect of the IT band and the hip abduction angle on the magnitude of anterior tibial translation (ATT) during the pivot shift. Six fresh-frozen hip-to-toes specimens were used. Serial sectioning of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the IT band was performed. Lachman and mechanized pivot shift manoeuvres were employed at each stage, and ATT of the lateral and medial compartments was measured using navigation. Three hip abduction angles were tested for each condition: 0°, 15° and 30°. Sequential sectioning of the ACL and the IT band resulted in a significant increase in ATT in both the lateral (Intact = 0 ± 0.5 mm; ACL deficient = 8.1 ± 0.2 mm; ACL + IT deficient = 10.8 ± 0.3 mm) and medial (Intact = 6.7 ± 0.4 mm; ACL deficient = 8.4 ± 0.3 mm; ACL + IT deficient = 9.9 ± 0.3 mm) compartments. No significant increase in ATT was observed after changing the hip abduction angle at each stage. An increase in the magnitude of the pivot shift and the Lachman was observed as the constraint of the IT band was removed. Additionally, it was shown that the hip abduction angle at which the pivot shift test was performed did not significantly affect the magnitude of ATT in this cadaveric model.