cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economic warriors against terrorism

What economic effects will last, or emerge, and what policies should be put in place to defend the U.S. economy, particularly economic expectations? Beyond government policies, the private enterprise system may have a role to play that is not yet obvious.
Relationship between perception (input) and execution (output).

15 brain-damaged and 9 non-brain-damaged retarded Ss were given the following visual-motor tasks: (a) the WISC Block Design subtest, (b) the WISC Block Design multiple-choice procedure presented by Birch and his associates, and (c) the MPD circle-diamond figures, incorporating pencil and block procedures. A combination of the Block Design subtest and the circle-diamond figures was successful in indicating Ss with execution (motor) or integrative dysfunctions. The multiple-choice procedure proved invalid as a technique for differentiating Ss with executive or integrative dysfunctions from Ss with visual perceptual difficulties. The results argue against the commonly held notion that perception is a unitary process. Rather, the findings suggest that failures on visual-motor tasks by mentally retarded Ss result primarily from faulty executive or integrative components.
Essential components of a medical student curriculum on chronic pain management in older adults: results of a modified delphi process.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to develop expert-based guidelines for a medical student curriculum on chronic pain evaluation and management in older adults. Methods. A modified Delphi approach was used to survey an interdisciplinary panel (N = 12) with expertise in pain assessment, pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain management, and medical student education. A list of core knowledge/attitudes/skills (KAS) competency items was developed based upon a comprehensive literature review and clinical experience. The expert panel was then asked to consider the degree to which each item should be included in a pain education curriculum, using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree with inclusion of item). Items with a mean>4.0 (agree) and a standard deviation (SD) <1 were retained, while others were discarded. Retained items were refined, and new items were added based upon panel suggestions. The new KAS list was again scored by the expert panel, and items with a mean <4.0 and SD <1 were discarded. Results. The original KAS list contained eight pain assessment knowledge, seven pain management knowledge, 12 pain attitudes, and 14 skills/abilities items. The final list, presented in this paper, consisted of 11 pain assessment knowledge, seven pain management knowledge, 12 pain attitudes, and 12 skills/abilities items. Discussion. We have developed curriculum content guidelines for educating medical students about the evaluation and management of chronic pain in older adults. Once curricula are developed, their efficacy, in particular their influence on patient outcomes, must be evaluated.
THE STATUS OF TWO-NEUTRINO AND NEUTRINOLESS DOUBLE BETA DECAY SEARCHES

Substantial progress has been made in double beta decay experiments in the past few years, including the beginning of sensitive new searches for neutrinoless double beta decay, and several additional positive detections of the two-neutrino mode by geochemical, radiochemical, and direct-counting techniques. This review discusses the recent experimental activity.
Methods for determining the survival of cultured insect cells

Described are feeder cell layer and conditioned medium techniques for assessing the long-term survival ability of TN-368 lepidopteran insect cells after virtually any experimental treatment. The procedures have been used successfully to determine cellular survival after exposure to x and gamma radiation, ultraviolet light, heat, and a variety of mutagenic and hazardous chemical agents. These methods, with minor variations, have also been used to assay for the survival of the following lepidopteran and dipteran insect cell lines: IPLB-SF-1254 (Spodoptera frugiperda), WR69-DM-1 and WR69-DM-2 (Drosophila melanogaster), ATC-10 (Aedes aegypti), RU-TAE-14 (Toxorhynchites amboinensis), and RU-ASE-2A (Anopheles stephensi). These techniques may also be used to clone cells.
Tornado Vulnerability in Texas

AbstractTornado vulnerability depends on the incidence of and societal exposure to tornadoes for a particular location. This study assesses the vulnerability of Texas counties to tornadoes using tornado incidence and societal exposure composite scores. Three different assessment methods are used to quantify tornado vulnerability and a geographical information system is used for visualization. Using multiple assessment methods facilitates different ways of viewing tornado vulnerability. Even though the three tornado vulnerability maps produced in this study are spatially diverse, some counties were repeatedly identified as highly vulnerable. The most highly vulnerable counties were located within the northern and northeastern portions of the state, specifically in the northeastern corner within the Shreveport, Louisiana, county warning area.
Variation in printed handoff documents: Results and recommendations from a multicenter needs assessment.

BACKGROUND Handoffs of patient care are a leading root cause of medical errors. Standardized techniques exist to minimize miscommunications during verbal handoffs, but studies to guide standardization of printed handoff documents are lacking. OBJECTIVE To determine whether variability exists in the content of printed handoff documents and to identify key data elements that should be uniformly included in these documents. SETTING Pediatric hospitalist services at 9 institutions in the United States and Canada. METHODS Sample handoff documents from each institution were reviewed, and structured group interviews were conducted to understand each institution's priorities for written handoffs. An expert panel reviewed all handoff documents and structured group-interview findings, and subsequently made consensus-based recommendations for data elements that were either essential or recommended, including best overall printed handoff practices. RESULTS Nine sites completed structured group interviews and submitted data. We identified substantial variation in both the structure and content of printed handoff documents. Only 4 of 23 possible data elements (17%) were uniformly present in all sites' handoff documents. The expert panel recommended the following as essential for all printed handoffs: assessment of illness severity, patient summary, action items, situation awareness and contingency plans, allergies, medications, age, weight, date of admission, and patient and hospital service identifiers. Code status and several other elements were also recommended. CONCLUSIONS Wide variation exists in the content of printed handoff documents. Standardizing printed handoff documents has the potential to decrease omissions of key data during patient care transitions, which may decrease the risk of downstream medical errors. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2015;10:517–524. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine
Near-Optimal Pricing and Replenishment Strategies for a Retail/Distribution System

This paper integrates pricing and replenishment decisions for the following prototypical two-echelon distribution system with deterministic demands. A supplier distributes a single product to multiple retailers, who in turn sell it to consumers. The retailers serve geographically dispersed, heterogeneous markets. The demand in each retail market arrives continuously at a constant rate, which is a general decreasing function of the retail price in the market. The supplier replenishes its inventory through orders (purchases, production runs) from a source with ample capacity. The retailers replenish their inventories from the supplier. We develop efficient algorithms to determine optimal pricing and replenishment strategies for the following three channel structures. The first is the vertically integrated channel, where the system-wide pricing and replenishment strategies are determined by a central planner whose objective is to maximize the system-wide profits. The second structure is that of a vertically integrated channel in which pricing and operational decisions are made sequentially by separate functional departments. The third channel structure is decentralized, i.e., the supplier and the retailers are independent, profit-maximizing firms with the supplier acting as a Stackelberg game leader. We apply our algorithms to a set of numerical examples to quantify the supply chain inefficiencies due to functional segregation or uncoordinated decision making in a decentralized channel. We also gain insight into systematic differences in the associated pricing and operational patterns.
Absence of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript results in obesity in mice fed a high caloric diet.

Cart (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript) was first identified to be a major brain mRNA up-regulated by cocaine and amphetamine. The CART protein has been established as a satiety factor closely associated with the action of leptin. To assess CART’s role as an anorexigenic signal, we have generated CART-deficient mice by gene targeting. On a high fat diet, CARTdeficient and female heterozygous mice, but not male heterozygous mice, showed statistically significant increases in weekly food consumption, body weight, and fat mass compared with their wild-type littermates. Furthermore, CART-deficient and female heterozygous mice were significantly heavier when fed a high fat diet than on a regular chow diet at 17 wk of age and at the 14th wk of the feeding studies. However, wild-type or male heterozygous mice showed no weight variations attributable to caloric contents of the diet at that age. Contrary to the obese phenotypes shown in MC4R-, proopiomelanocortin-, or leptindeficient mice, our results showed that CART deficiency predisposed mice to become obese on a calorically dense diet. The results also show that CART may not be a major anorectic signal compared with proopiomelanocortin or leptin in the regulation of energy homeostasis. (Endocrinology 142: 4394–4400, 2001)
Identical twins concordant for pulmonary sequestration communicating with the esophagus and discordant for the VACTERL association

Communicating bronchopulmonary foregut malformations (CBPFMs) are unusual congenital structures composed of a segment of lung tissue connected to the foregut. We present what we believe is the first reported case of identical twins concordant for CBPFM who are discordant for the VACTERL association. Their nonfunctional lung tissue was successfully removed and the fistulae were corrected, and they are expected to live normal life spans. We review the literature concerning these malformations and the proposed theories of their etiology. This case report of concordance in identical twins suggests that a possible genetic component to CBPFMs cannot be ruled out. The discordance for the VACTERL association implies that the etiology is most likely multifactorial.
Cutting edge: Gln22 of mouse MD-2 is essential for species-specific lipopolysaccharide mimetic action of taxol.

MD-2 associates with the extracellular domain of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and greatly enhances LPS signaling via TLR4. Taxol, which mimics the action of LPS on murine macrophages, induces signals via mouse TLR4-MD-2, but not via human TLR4-MD-2. Here we investigated the molecular basis for this species-specific action of Taxol. Expression of mouse MD-2 conferred both LPS and Taxol responsiveness on human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing mouse TLR4, whereas expression of human MD-2 conferred LPS responsiveness alone, suggesting that MD-2 is responsible for the species-specificity as to Taxol responsiveness. Furthermore, mouse MD-2 mutants, in which Gln22 was changed to other amino acids, showed dramatically reduced ability to confer Taxol responsiveness, although their ability to confer LPS responsiveness was not affected. These results indicated that Gln22 of mouse MD-2 is essential for Taxol signaling but not for LPS signaling.
Non-image-forming ocular photoreception in vertebrates

It has been accepted for a hundred years or more that rods and cones are the only photoreceptive cells in the retina. The light signals generated in rods and cones, after processing by downstream retinal neurons (bipolar, horizontal, amacrine and ganglion cells), are transmitted to the brain via the axons of the ganglion cells for further analysis. In the past few years, however, convincing evidence has rapidly emerged indicating that a small subset of retinal ganglion cells in mammals is also intrinsically photosensitive. Melanopsin is the signaling photopigment in these cells. The main function of the inner-retina photoreceptors is to generate and transmit non-image-forming visual information, although some role in conventional vision (image detection) is also possible.
Creating a culture of assessment within an engineering academic department

EC2000 changes to ABET accreditation have emphasized outcomes-based assessment in engineering courses and curricula. All faculty in an engineering department have some responsibility for assessment, but few have the time, training or resources to do it as well as wepsilad like. In this paper, we review the literature on developing a culture of assessment, including characteristics of well-known assessment cultures (e.g., at Alverno and Rose-Hulman). Then, we describe a procedure that departments without a longstanding culture of assessment can use to address local concerns and promote faculty buy-in for new policies. Specifically, we present systematic analysis of faculty interviews using qualitative research data analysis coding procedures. All instructors were asked about assessment priorities and current efforts to collect and pool assessment data. Assessment priorities within the department were identified from this input, and recommendations were made for developing data collection and archiving procedures, updating department policies, and distributing assessment responsibilities across department instructors, administrators and appropriate committees. This paper presents the procedure for gathering input from instructors as a transferable model to other departments and institutions while providing a concrete example of outcomes to expect from it.
Computer Simulation of the Electron-Bunch Widening as Due to Self-Bunching

Several theories1-10 have been proposed to explain anomalous bunch lengthening and widening in particle storage rings.11-13 All these theories either assume a modification of the accelerating potential well or a high frequency self-bunching mechanism similar to the one proposed for proton bunches.8,10,14,15 Some of the theories assume interaction between several modes of self-bunching which leads then to "turbulence". In most cases it is possible to derive a stability condition in terms of bunch current and impedance, but then the assumption is made that the bunch will blow up its width to a value which matches the stability condition. To check how valid is this assumption we carried out a computer simulation of the beha-viour of a high-intensity electron bunch. We adopted a very special case of impedance model which is a constant and real impedance for any frequency. In this case the space charge effect is simply proportional to the local current.
Determinants of survival in pediatric continuous hemofiltration.

Continuous hemofiltration (CH) is being used in increasing numbers of pediatric intensive care unit patients. Experience with 114 CH treatments in 98 critically ill children from March 1988 to March 1993 is presented in this study. Ages ranged from 1 day to 23 yr (mean +/- SE = 7.1 +/- 0.7 yr), and 54% of patients were male. Seventeen percent of all treatments were performed in neonates under 1 month of age. The most common primary diagnoses were sepsis and adult respiratory distress syndrome (11 patients each), liver transplantation and hypoplastic left heart syndrome (10 patients each), and hemolytic uremic syndrome (9 patients). The most frequent indications for CH were fluid overload and acute renal failure (42% each). Choices for CH included: continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration (CAVH, 50%), continuous arteriovenous hemodiafiltration (CAVH, 23%), continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH, 18%), and continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVH-D, 9%). Choices for anticoagulation included: none (47%), regional (49%), and systemic (4%). Treatment duration ranged from 1 to 25 days (mean = 5.3 +/- 0.4 days). Mean filter life span for 363 filters was 0.94 +/- 0.1 filters/patient per day. Despite an overall survival rate of 43%, survival to discharge varied greatly (0 to 100%) among the 24 diagnostic groups: tumor lysis syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus (3/3 patients each, 100%), hemolytic uremic syndrome (8/9 patients, 89%). This compares with: bone marrow transplantation (0/6 patients, 0%), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (2/10 patients, 20%), and leukemia (1/4 patients, 25%). Survival to hospital discharge was better in patients who did not receive pressors (P
Extending an Information Processing Model of Language Intensity Effects.

The information processing model of persuasion was used as the basis for a mathematical model of language intensity effects. The model proposes that attitude change is a product of message discrepancy, source evaluation, and message strength. The results show strong support for the model. The salient source evaluation dimension was perceived trustworthiness. Language intensity enhanced attitude change directly, by acting as a multiplier of message strength, and indirectly, by increasing message discrepancy. These effects held for female as well as male sources. Path analysis indicated the presence of source evaluation heuristics. Intensity enhanced source ratings through a positively linked causal chain from intensity to dynamism to expertise to trustworthiness. Intensity also had negative effects on post‐message expertise and trustworthiness unmediated by dynamism.
Characteristic 20th and 21st century precipitation and temperature patterns and changes over the Greater Horn of Africa

Characteristic patterns and changes in precipitation and temperature over the Greater Horn of Africa during the 20th and 21st century are analysed based on a sample of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project version 3 (CMIP3) models output. Analysis of the 11 CMIP3 models indicates that the equatorial eastern Africa region (including the entire Greater Horn of Africa (GHA)) have been experiencing a significant increase in temperature beginning in the early 1980s, in both A1B and A2 scenarios. All the Atmosphere Ocean Global Circulation Models (AOGCMs) analysed represent the correct mean annual cycle of precipitation, but there is a fairly large spread among the models in capturing the dominant bimodal peaks. In particular, all the models tend to overestimate the peak of the October–November–December (OND) season, while at the same time the peak of the March–April–May (MAM) season tends to be centered on May in the models instead of April as observed. The projected changes and probability distribution of minimum (Tmin) and maximum (Tmax) temperatures over the GHA sub-region based on PDFs constructed from daily values showed very diverse distributions for the present (1981–2000) and future (2046–2065; 2081–2100) periods. Whereas in the reference (1981–2000) the probability distribution functions (PDFs) constructed for both Tmin and Tmax, and during all the seasons had a near normal (but narrow) distribution, those of the future periods were quite diverse but generally very elongated, with significant shifts toward the positive tail. This generally implies that there is consensus among models and the ensemble mean about high likelihood of increase in extreme warmer Tmin and Tmax (more so Tmin) in the future over the GHA region. Our results also show significant increase in the number of days with Tmin and Tmax greater the 2 °C (above 1981–2000 average) by the middle as well as the end of 21st century in both the A1B and A1 scenarios. This is especially so during the June, July, and August (JJA) season where all the 92 days of the season indicate projected minimum temperature to increase by more than 2 °C above the 1981–2000 average by the end of 21st century in both scenarios. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Tendon friction rubs in early diffuse systemic sclerosis: prevalence, characteristics and longitudinal changes in a randomized controlled trial

Objectives. To characterize the baseline tendon friction rubs (TFRs) in early dcSSc and to evaluate the association of change in TFR over 6 and 12 months with changes in modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) and HAQ-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) over 12 and 24 months, respectively. Methods. We analysed data from the D-Pen study, a 2-year study in early dcSSc (418 months from first non-Raynaud’s symptom). TFR was scored as present/absent at seven anatomical sites at baseline and every 6 months thereafter. Multivariable linear regression models assessed associations between TFR and change in MRSS, and change in the HAQ-DI, over 12 and 24 months, respectively. Covariates included baseline TFR, change in the TFR over 6 and 12 months, age, sex, duration of SSc, MRSS, and tender joint count and swollen joint count (SJC). Results. Forty-nine (37%) of 134 patients had TFR at baseline, 50% had resolution of their TFR, whereas 21% developed new TFRs. Patients with baseline TFRs were likely to be Caucasian (86 vs 58%) and had a higher HAQ-DI score (P = 0.008). In regression analyses, change in TFR (P = 0.04) and baseline MRSS (P = 0.03) predicted change in MRSS over a 12-month period (Model R 2 = 0.14). For the HAQ-DI model, independent predictors were change in TFR at 6 months (P = 0.008) and baseline SJC (P = 0.04, Model R 2 = 0.19). Results were similar for 24-month models. Conclusions. We document the presence of TFR very early in the course of dcSSc. Changes in TFR over 6 and 12 months predict changes in MRSS and HAQ-DI over 12 and 24 months, respectively.
The primary and inverse instabilities of directional viscous fingering

Consider two infinitely long cylinders of different radii with one inside the other but off-centred. The gap between the two cylinders is partially filled with a viscous fluid. As the cylinders rotate with independent velocities U 1 and U 2 , a thin liquid film coats each of their surfaces all the way around except in the region where the viscous fluid completely fills the gap. Interface conditions that connect solutions of averaged equations in the viscous fluid region with solutions in the thin film region are derived. For the two-interface problem analysed here, two types of instabilities occur depending on the amount of viscous fluid between the cylinders. For large fluid volume, the primary supercritical instability occurs when the front interface becomes unstable as the cylinder velocities are increased. For small fluid volume, the back interface passes through the region where the gap width is a minimum to the same side as the front interface. Steady state solutions with straight interface edges exhibit a turning point with respect to the cylinder velocities. The back interface becomes unstable at the turning point; this inverse instability is subcritical.
Heat and Moisture Transfer in a Glass Fiber Roof-Insulating Material

The transport of heat and moisture has been investigated in a medium density wetted insulation. Experimental and analytical investigations were made on samples up to 50 mm thick with fixed average moisture concentrations. Moisture and temperature distributions were measured under transient and steady conditions. The experiments were conducted in a guarded hot plate test chamber with moist test specimens sealed inside highly impermeable vapor barriers to simulate the thermal response of wet roof insulation. Experimental apparatus, procedures, and problem areas associated with measuring moisture and temperature distributions under representative conditions are described. The experiments consisted of subjecting uniformly wetted and initially isothermal test specimens to a fixed applied temperature difference. It was observed that up to several weeks could be required to approach a steady-state moisture distribution, while the temperature distribution approached a ''quasi-steady'' condition in a few hours. The thermal conductance of the specimens was more strongly dependent on moisture distribution than on the mean moisture content. The results obtained were compared with existing simplified theories for the ''effective'' thermal conductance of wetted materials. An analytical model was developed for correlating the experimental results and investigating dominant transport phenomena. For moderate liquid contents, the primary moisture transfer mechanism resultedmore » from the applied temperature difference and consisted of evaporation, vapor diffusion, and condensation. Conduction and latent heat effects were the important energy transfer mechanisms. The experimental observations supported the analytical results that transient effects are significant in applications where temperature boundary conditions vary with time.« less
Loneliness and depression in caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders

Secondary analysis of data from a sample of 242 husbands, wives, and daughters providing care for Alzheimer's disease family members was conducted to examine the relationships among loneliness and ...
NREL Advanced Research Turbine (ART) Aerodynamic Design of ART-2B Rotor Blades

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) installed two Advanced Research Turbines (ART) at the National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colorado, to use as full-scale test beds for ongoing research efforts, including three-dimensional blade aerodynamics and the effects of various control methods on turbine loads and performance. The Westinghouse WWG-0600 was selected as a baseline configuration for the ART turbines. The first turbine, ART-1, is currently operational and has been used to collect a baseline set of performance and loads data. A second turbine, ART-2A, incorporates several major modifications and may be upgraded further to a configuration designated aRT-2B. Possible features of the ART-2B turbine include a multi-degree of freedom hum and newly designed rotor blades. Global energy concepts, L.L.C. provided engineering support to NREL in designing the components for the ART-2B turbine. This document provides a summary of work performed by GEC on the aerodynamic design of ART-2B rotor blades.
The management of superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder

Superficial transitional cell carcinomas (TCC) of the urinary bladder, defined as those that are restricted to the mucosa or the lamina propria, represent a common condition with a wide spectrum of biologic significance. High-grade superficial TCC, particularly in the presence of lamina propria invasion, has a significant risk of occult or subsequent progression to muscle-invasive or metastatic disease. Such high-risk lesions merit aggressive therapy with repeat resection followed by intravesical therapy, usually in the form of bacille Calmette-Guerin. Criteria for failure of intravesical therapy are not well defined, but persistent cytologic or cystoscopic abnormalities at 6 months are worrisome. Salvage intravesical therapy may sometimes be successful, but early cystectomy should be strongly considered, especially in younger patients. Close surveillance of patients with high-risk superficial TCC is essential.
Economic importance and statistical significance: Guidelines for communicating empirical research

Abstract A critical objective for many empirical studies is a thorough evaluation of both substantive importance and statistical significance. Feminist economists have critiqued neoclassical economics studies for an excessive focus on statistical machinery at the expense of substantive issues. Drawing from the ongoing debate about the rhetoric of economic inquiry and significance tests, this paper examines approaches for presenting empirical results effectively to ensure that the analysis is accurate, meaningful, and relevant for the conceptual and empirical context. To that end, it demonstrates several measurement issues that affect the interpretation of economic significance and are commonly overlooked in empirical studies. This paper provides guidelines for clearly communicating two distinct aspects of “significance” in empirical research, using prose, tables, and charts based on OLS, logit, and probit regression results. These guidelines are illustrated with samples of ineffective writing annotated to...
Effects of Microwave, Steam and Water Blanching on Freeze‐Dried Spinach

Microwave energy was demonstrated to be a convenient and effective method of blanching. Compared to steam or water, microwave blanching was superior in retention of ascorbic acid. The texture of rehydrated, microwave blanched spinach was firm, chewy and highly acceptable. Water blanching ruptured the cells and destroyed fine cellular structure as compared to steam blanching which caused less cellular disruption and greater retention of tissue structure. Microwave blanching resulted in coagulated protoplasmic material surrounding the cell walls. Cell and tissue structure remained intact which resulted in h gh rehydration ratios and acceptable textural characteristics. Microwave blanching yielded a superior freezedried product as compared to water and steam blanching.
How hard can it be to place a ballot into a ballot box?: usability of ballot boxes in tamper resistant voting systems

End-to-end verifiable voting methods are an emerging type of voting system, and a number of new designs are being actively developed. Many of these systems try to mirror current paper voting methods and use a paper ballot that can be scanned and then placed into a ballot box. Previous research has shown that having separate scanner and ballot box components lead to failures, as many users fail to either scan or place their ballot in the box, both of which are required to cast a vote that will be counted. In our study, we examined the usability of two different ballot box configurations designed to eliminate these kinds of errors. Results showed that both configurations were equally usable, but that specific design aspects of the scanner itself significantly affected the ability of voters to cast their votes, with only 37.5% of the voters able to do so. Based on the results of this research, implications for usable ballot box design are discussed.
The Influence of Reserpine on Plasma Cholesterol, Hemodynamics and Arteriosclerotic Lesions in the Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey

Abstract ARTERIOSCLEROSIS of aves is similar to that seen in humans (Katz and Stamler, 1953). The normal spontaneous development of avian arteriosclerosis and the ease with which cholesterol can induce this condition have promoted the study of arteriosclerosis in birds. Lofland and Clarkson (1959) studied spontaneous atherosclerosis in pigeons. These workers found Racing Homers and Show Racers to be resistant to atherosclerosis while the White Carneau and Silver King had a high incidence of spontaneous atheromatous lesions in the aorta. The weight and cholesterol content of the aorta paralleled the severity of the disease while the serum cholesterol level was unrelated to the incidence and severity. Aortic rupture, a condition of considerable importance in Broad Breasted Bronze (BBB) turkeys, involves spontaneous aortic atherosclerosis as a possible contributing agent in its development (Carnaghan, 1955). Hemodynamic changes (Ringer and Rood, 1959) have been implicated as contributory agents in the aortic rupture syndrome. Katz …
Is Mathematics to Be Useful? The Case of de la Hire, Fontenelle, and the Epicycloid

The epicycloid is the path of a point on a circle rolling on another circle. Philippe de la Hire (1640–1718) developed mathematical properties of the epicycloid in a 1694 work. Further, according to Bernard de Fontenelle’s Eloge de M. de la Hire, where the shape of gear teeth had earlier been “abandoned to the fantasies of workmen,” M. de la Hire showed “that these teeth, in order to have all the perfection possible, should be in the form of an arc of the epicycloid.” However, despite words praising the utility of mathematics, La Hire’s work itself suggests a mathematician with a solution in search of a problem as much as the reverse motivation. La Hire’s mathematics is examined, together with the views of Fontenelle and de la Hire on the role of science and mathematics.
The Design and Analysis of Parameters in LLC Resonant Converter

The method of parameters in LLC resonant converter is introduced.In order to satisfy the demand of high efficiency and high power density,a method of parameters optimization in LLC resonant converter is elaborated on the base of taking an investigation of the effect on operation or performance.The experimental results have verify the va-lidity of the proposed design and optimization method.
Relationship between pulse pressure,pulse pressure index and atherosclerosis in elderly patients with essential hypertension

Objective To study the relationship between pulse pressure(PP),pulse pressure index(PPI) and atherosclerosis in elderly patients with essential hypertension.Methods The 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed in a total of 124 elderly patients with essential hypertension.day-time and night-time average PP,PPI were calculated,which were divided into four groups: PP≤60(mm Hg) group,PP60(mm Hg) group,PPI≤(0.40) group,PPI(0.40) group.Atherosclerosis in neck artery,extremity artery and kidney artery was examined by echocardiography.Results The change of PPI((0.203)±(0.026)) was less than that of PP((0.327)±(0.034))(t=(2.534),P(0.05)).There was significant difference in PPI between the day-time((0.420)±(0.074)) and nighttime((0.433)±(0.077))(P(0.05)).There was significant difference in age,SBP,DBP,PPI between PP≤60(mm Hg) group and PP60(mm Hg) group(t=(4.13),P(0.05));in age,TC,HDL,LDL,PP,SBP,DBP,atherosclerosis rate between group PPI≤(0.40) group and PPI(0.40) group(P(0.05)).Conclusion PPI was a good parameter in evaluation of atherosclerosis,which overcame the defect of PP,and it was more sensitive and rational than PP.
Sequencing the Human Genome

By 2005, or sooner, the three billion code letters of a representative human genome will be known, along with the locations of all of its genes. Even today, however, the work is greatly accelerating identification of disease-related genes. One outcome will be tests for genetic components of risk in the majority of common illnesses. In the longer run, genetic discoveries will surely lead to new treatments.
An Epidemiologic Study on Ageing and Dysphagia in the Acute Care Geriatric-Hospitalized Population: A Replication and Continuation Study.

United States census data project dramatic increases in the geriatric population ageing demographics by 2060 with concomitant health-care consequences. The purpose of this replication and continuation study was to collect new 2014 demographic data relative to ageing, swallow evaluation referral rates, and oral feeding status in geriatric-hospitalized patients for comparison with published data from 2000 to 2007. This was a planned data acquisition study of consecutive hospitalized patients referred for swallow assessments. Swallow evaluation referral rates for 2014 were described according to inpatient discharges, age range 60–105 years grouped by decade, gender, admitting diagnostic category, results of swallow evaluations, and oral feeding status. Determination of aspiration risk status was made with the Yale Swallow Protocol and diagnosis of dysphagia made with fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). There were 1348 referrals and 961 patients ≥60 years of age participated. Overall swallow evaluation referral rates increased an average of 63 % between the comparison years 2007 and 2014 with consistent increases corresponding to the decades, i.e., 60–69 (46 %), 70–79 (68 %), 80–89 (53 %), and 90+ (222 %). A total of 75 % of participants resumed oral alimentation and oral medications. Swallow evaluation referral rates increased by 63 % for 60–90+ year-old acute care geriatric-hospitalized participants despite only a 23 % increase in inpatient discharges for the years 2007 versus 2014. This corroborated previously reported increases for individual years from 2000 to 2007. For timely, safe, and successful initiation of oral alimentation, it is important to perform a reliable swallow screen for aspiration risk assessment with the Yale Swallow Protocol and, if failed, instrumental testing with FEES. More dysphagia specialists are needed through 2060 and beyond due to projections of continued population ageing resulting in ever increasing referral rates for swallow assessments.
Structural Transformation-Based Obfuscation

Structural transformation-based obfuscation is an approach to avoid the manipulation of the state transition graph of design, thus avoiding the state explosion problem. An obfuscation is called best-possible if the obfuscated design leaks no more information than any other design of the same function. It is first shown that any best-possible obfuscation of a sequential circuit can be accomplished by a sequence of four operations: retiming, resynthesis, sweep, and conditional stuttering. Then a Key-Locked OBfuscation (KLOB) scheme is developed to protect hardware IP against piracy. Starting with an original circuit, KLOB first adds stuttering with conditions both on key checking and on the original circuit and then obfuscates the conditionally stuttered circuit by a sequence of retiming , resynthesis, and sweep. With the correct key, the circuit will run in the original speed; otherwise, it will run much slower. Potential attacks and the countermeasures are thoroughly discussed.
Testing Ethnological Theories on Prehistoric Kinship

Although not a new topic, there is a growing trend in ethnology to interpret changing kinship terminology, social organization, and marriage practices deep into prehistory. These efforts are largel...
Frühe Hörerfahrung und sensible Entwicklungsphasen

In dieser Ubersicht uber Studien zu funktionellen Defiziten im auditorischen Kortex kongenital gehorloser Tiere erfolgt deren Vergleich mit Bildgebungs- und psychophysischen Daten pralingual ertaubter Menschen. Es zeigt sich dabei, dass die Entwicklung des auditorischen Kortex von der fehlenden Horerfahrung beeinflusst wird. Bei Menschen gibt es zum Erlangen des Horens nach angeborener Gehorlosigkeit eine sensible Phase von 4 Jahren, doch schon in dieser Phase nimmt die kortikale Plastizitat mit zunehmendem Alter ab. Die sensible Phase beruht auf entwicklungsbedingter Anderung der synaptischen Plastizitat, Modifizierung der Synaptogenese und des Synapsenabbaus sowie der Vernetzung des auditorischen Kortex, auserdem sind dafur auch fehlende Top-down-Einflusse von ubergeordneten auditorischen Arealen wesentlich. All dies tragt bei zur Abnahme der Fahigkeit zur kortikalen Plastizitat wahrend der postnatalen Entwicklung bei. Daher ist aus neurophysiologischer Sicht die Fruherkennung einer Schwerhorigkeit eine wichtige Voraussetzung fur die wirksame Therapie.
Scientific Discovery, Contextual Factors, and Cardiometabolic Health Research: Back to the Future.

Precision medicine typically addresses questions related to person, and population health commonly addresses questions related to place; however, neither approach emphasizes the role of time, such as the environmental context during critical time windows and associated biological mechanisms that have the potential to impact cardiometabolic health across the life cycle and generations. We use the epidemic of overweight and obesity to illustrate the case for needing to attend to contextual factors during critical time windows in discovery science, and we conclude that we need to look back to early in life and across generations if we want to impact the future. Scientific discovery has long accelerated the generation and translation of knowledge, and recent efforts to promote precision medicine and population health research seek to shorten the pipeline to interventions that reduce the burden of cardiometabolic diseases.1,2 It has been suggested that progress in addressing the health needs of patients and populations requires an increased focus on precision in both medicine and public health.3 Although there is an on-going debate about whether precision medicine will improve population health, with compelling arguments on both sides of the issue, it has also been suggested that precision medicine and population health researchers combine their knowledge and efforts to improve population health.4 Although these issues are important, they do not address a frequently overlooked characteristic that limits discovery science and merits increased attention. Specifically, precision medicine typically addresses questions related to person, and population health commonly addresses questions related to place; however, neither approach emphasizes the role of time, such as the environmental context during critical time windows and associated biological mechanisms that have the potential to impact cardiometabolic health across the life cycle and generations. In this viewpoint, we suggest that reimagining the focus of precision medicine and …
Peirce’s pragmatist portrait of deliberative rationality

My overarching purpose is to offer a pragmatist sketch of deliberative rationality derived from collated texts in C. S. Peirce’s voluminous corpus. Though in some instances, the formulations are mine, not Peirce’s. But this does not make my effort an instance of ventriloquism (a case of putting my words into his mouth): the position regarding rationality is his, not (in the first instance) mine. My thesis is that, for Peirce, reason is at bottom a more or less integrated set of habits enabling agents to be deliberative. That is, deliberation is for him the heart of rationality. This is fundamentally an agential capacity: it pertains first and foremost to agents, theoretical knowers being a distinctive role played by deliberative agents. What I hope to show in this paper is why this portrait of reason is distinctively pragmatic and truly Peircean. What I also hope to show is how Peirce’s position entails what in contemporary philosophy is identified by Christine Korsgaard as self-constitution, Sabrina Lovibond as self-formation, and other theorists by other designations. Deliberative agents are, in Peirce’s account, radically responsible agents. They are responsible for the very criteria by which reasonableness and responsibility are defined and developed. The question of maturity and the relationship between being moral and being mature are central to Peirce’s account of rationality. His pragmatist portrait of deliberative rationality is, in my judgment, not only a tenable but also a compelling one. Above all, this is what I hope to show in this essay.
A trapezoid CMOS image sensor with 2% detection accuracy for traffic monitoring

In this paper, a new multi-resolution CMOS imager sensor with trapezoid pixel array, called TZOID, is presented. It was designed for traffic monitoring to detect the speed and location vehicles approaching a signized intersection. It composes of significantly less number of pixels than a comparable image sensor used in similar application. The unique trapezoid image sensor design eliminates computationally expensive coordinate mapping to extract necessary speed and location information. The TZOID imager approach simplifies the traffic monitoring camera system achieving lower communication bandwidth, low-power consumption and smaller frame memory. A prototype TZOID chip was fabricated in a 0.18μm CMOS process with a 40×152 multi-resolution trapezoid pixel array. The imager achieves 2% accuracy while extracting object location, length and speed information in scaled laboratory testbed.
Implementation of Bond-Slip Performance Models in the Analyses of Non-Ductile Reinforced Concrete Frames Under Dynamic Loads

ABSTRACTNon-ductile reinforced concrete frames have seismic vulnerabilities due to inadequate reinforcing details. Adequately characterizing the performance of these details is critical to the deve...
Quasi-Reversible Networks and Product Form Distributions

This chapter addresses the following question for a Markov network process. Under what conditions is the stationary distribution of the process a product of stationary distributions associated with the nodes? We consider a network in which the state of each node may contain more information than the number of units at the node, and a network transition may be triggered by an internal node change as well as by a unit moving from one node to another. The network process is viewed as a linkage of certain artificial Markov “node processes” that mimic the operation of the nodes as if they were operating in isolation. The main results are necessary and sufficient conditions under which the stationary distribution of the network is a product of the stationary distributions of the individual node processes.
Oxidation-reduction titration of two cytochromes b in Azotobactervinelandii

Abstract Two b -type cytochrome components, differing in their mid-point redox potentials as well as their reactivities toward CO, are demonstrated in the membrane particle of Azotobacter vinelandii by potentiometric titration. The low redox component is revealed to be CO-reactive while the higher redox component is not. Accordingly, the later cytochrome is believed not to be directly involved in the reduction of oxygen while the former component is the cytochrome o of Azotobacter .
Information and Distance in Hilbert Space

The main result of the paper can be summarized as follows. The number of distinguishable quantum states in a 2-dimensional Hilbert space is proportional to the square root of the number of identical copies of each state measured and to the total length of the angle intervals occupied by the state vectors. Surprisingly, it does not depend on the position of the arcs comprising the range on the unit circle. These results can be generalized for the N-dimensional Hilbert space of states of a quantum system.As in the 2-dimensional case, the unit sphere can be reduced to the non-negative orthant of the unit sphere in the real N-dimensional Euclidean space.It turns out [6] that the number of distinguishable states depends only on the area Ω of the domain on the unit sphere from which the states can be chosen, but does not depend on the shape and position of this domain. The optimal distribution is uniform over the domain in angular (polar) coordinates, and the number of distinguishable states is \( W(n,\Omega ) = \Omega (cn)^{\tfrac{{N - 1}} {2}} \) where c is a constant.
Produktion und Einsatz von Holzpaletten in USA

Die Holzpalettenproduktion in den USA stieg von 1960 bis 1984 auf das funffache, d. h. uber 300 Millionen Stuck mit einem Verkaufswert von mehr als 2400 Millionen US Dollar. Holzpaletten spielen also eine bedeutende Rolle in der nordamerikanischen Wirtschaft, sowohl aus okonomischer wie auch verfahrenstechnischer Sicht. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt die Vielfalt der eingesetzten Palettenarten und Palettengrosen, ihre Bauweise und die verwendeten Materialien. Sie geht ferner auf Tests ein, in denen die Zweckmasigkeit der Palettenkonstruktion gepruft wurde. Wie sich zeigte, fuhren bestimmte Bauweisen unter Einsatz spezieller Verbindungsmittel zu einem hoheren Gebrauchswert der Paletten. Eine kurze Ubersicht uber einschlagige US-Normen und die aktuelle Spezialliteratur wird gegeben.