cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prospective correlation of multinational association for supportive care in cancer risk index score with outcomes in neutropenic fever

Objectives: The aim of the study was evaluate the effect of gynecologic cancer treatment on urinary incontinence symptoms. Methods: This study included 76 patients who underwent gynecologic radical surgery for endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. Preoperatively, a urogynecologic examination and Urinary Incontinence Score for Females test were performed. Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7) and Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6) were performed before treatment and at the sixth week after surgery for all patients. Results: The mean age and parity of patients were 57.7 ± 10.5 years and 2.6 ± 1.2. A total of 44 patients (57%)were diagnosedwith stress or urge incontinence by examination or Urinary Incontinence Score for Females' test. The percentages of patients with stress urinary incontinence and urge incontinence were 52.3% and 9%, respectively. The percentage of mixed incontinence was 38.7%. Twenty-four of 76 procedures (31%) were performed for ovarian cancer and 52 (69%) procedures were performed for endometrial cancer. There was no urinary tract injury during procedures. The percentage of urinary incontinence at the sixth postoperative week was 71% and the difference was significant (P b 0.05). The difference between preoperative and postoperative IIQ-7 and UDI-6 scores was significant (P b 0.05). There was no significant difference in a comparison of the items of physical activity and travel on the IIQ-7 test. Conclusions: Radical gynecologic surgery has serious adverse effects on urinary continence. Urinary symptoms could impair quality of life after surgery. Urinary incontinence is one of the important symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse. Neural injuries, muscle injuries, radiotherapy, or edema could be the source of pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence. Preventive approaches should be suggested to patients early after surgery.
Tacrolimus ointment for the treatment of psoriasis on the face and intertriginous areas

Abstract The safety and efficacy of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment for the treatment of psoriasis on the face, intertriginous areas, or both were evaluated in an open-label, clinical trial of 21 patients with psoriasis. Patients applied 0.1% tacrolimus ointment twice daily for 8 weeks. Efficacy was assessed through the investigator's evaluation of the individual signs and symptoms of psoriasis, and the physician's global evaluation of change in disease status. Assessments of cutaneous atrophy and other adverse events were made throughout the study to evaluate the safety of tacrolimus ointment. A total of 21 patients were enrolled in the study; 21 patients at least 18 years of age received study medication. Statistically significant improvement in the physician's assessment of the individual signs and symptoms was observed during the study. A total of 81% of patients (17 of 21) experienced complete clearance at day 57 (end of treatment). Only 2 patients reported adverse events, which were limited to itching and the feeling of warmth at the application site. None of the patients had atrophy, telangiectasia, or striae develop during the study. In summary, tacrolimus 0.1% ointment may be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with psoriasis on the face, intertriginous areas, or both. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2003;48:564-8.)
On the long-range correlation model of the photonuclear effect

Abstract The long-range correlation model, i.e. the hydrodynamic “second-sound” model, of the photonuclear effect predicts a splitting of the giant resonance in deformed nuclei. As a result of this, the width and the shape of the observed resonance will be different in different nuclei. The hydrodynamic model further predicts the existence of a second-sound monopole mode at roughly twice the energy of the dipole mode. However, the resonance energy is so high that this mode may be damped completely except, perhaps, in the heaviest nuclei. Observation of this mode could yield information about the energy dependence of the friction coefficient Γ of second sound in nuclear matter.
Ultrafast ultrasound and photoacoustic co-registered imaging system based on FPGA parallel processing

Co-registered Ultrasound and Photoacoustic images provide complimentary structure and functional information for cancer diagnosis and assessment of therapy response. In SPIE Photonics West 2011, we reported a system that acquires from 64 channels and displays up to 1 frame per second (fps) ultrasound pulse-echo images, 5 fps photoacoustic images, and 0.5 fps co-registered images. In this year, we report an upgraded system which acquires from 128 channels and displays up to 15 fps co-registered ultrasound and photoacoustic images limited by our laser pulse repetition rate. The system architecture is novel and it provides real-time co-registration of images, the ability of acquiring the channel RF data for both modalities, and the flexibility of adjusting every parameter involved in the imaging process for both modalities. The digital signal processor board is upgraded to an FPGA-based PCIe board that collects the data from the acquisition modules and transfers them to the PC memory at 2.5GT/s rate through an x8 DDR PCIe bus running at 100MHz clock frequency. The modules FPGA code is also upgraded to form a beam line in 90 microseconds and to communicate through ultrafast differential tracks with the PCIe board. Furthermore, the printed circuit board (PCB) design of the system was adjusted to provide a maximum of 80dB signal-to-noise ratio at 60dB gain, which is comparable to some commercial ultrasound machines. The real-time system allows capturing co-registered US/PAT images free of motion artifacts and also provides ultrafast dynamic information when a contrast agent is used. The system is built for clinical use to assist the diagnosis of ovarian cancer. However, the hardware is still under testing and evaluation stage, experimental and clinical results will be reported later.
Interaction of Bradykinin with Angiotensin, Prostacyclin, and Nitric Oxide in Myocardial Preservationa

: This review focuses on the importance of bradykinin in myocardial preservation during ischemic arrest. Bradykinin is released from the heart spontaneously in response to ischemic stress, which may be viewed as a survival signal of the heart against ischemia. Bradykinin appears to function as a signaling molecule by controlling the release of other intracellular modulators, such as prostacyclins and nitric oxide, which also exert beneficial effects on the ischemic myocardium.
Calculating the Statistical Power of the Univariate and the Multivariate Repeated Measures Analyses of Variance for the Single Group Case Under Various Conditions

Repeated measures designs find frequent application in behavioral research. Researchers using such designs must choose between the univariate approach and the multivariate approach for a test statistic. The statistical power of these two approaches has been shown to be varyingly different depending upon the structure of the variance-covariance matrix relative to the pattern of mean differences. However, the guidelines for choosing the most powerful test for a given situation have not been well defined. A FORTRAN program is described which calculates the statistical power of the omnibus tests for the univariate and the multivariate approaches to repeated measures in the single group case. Program input, output, applications, and availability are discussed.
The spectrum of the adjoint representation and the hyperbolicity of dynamical systems

Let (M,g) denote a smooth compact Riemannian manifold. Anosov [I] defined the global hypcrbolicity of a C2 diffeomorphism (resp. a nonsingular flow f’) on M :f (resp. fr) is h yperbolic or, as we shall say, Anosov, if the tangent bundle TM splits as a sum of invariant subbundles TM = E’ ~3 E(resp. TM = B @ E@ [A’, where [X7 is th I e ine bundle spanned by S = d/dt(ft)) such that Tf exponentially contracts E+ in positive time while exponentially contracting Ein negative time. In this paper we exhibit several criteria which are equivalent to Anosov’s hyperbolicity condition. Our work continues the studies of a number of authors, which we can describe after fixing some terminology. Let C(E) denote the real Banach space of continuous sections of TM or, in the flow case, sections of TM/[X] with norm ),I 17 1) = sup(g,(~, 7) / .Y E M}. Define the adjoint representation f* off (resp. fi off’) as the bounded operator on C(E):
Is there an economic system based on sovereignty of each consumer

One could add to these examples and show that systems based on consumer sovereignty can range from some historical realizations oflaissez-faire all the way to certain conceivable forms of (Lange) socialism. In every case an analysis of the individual incentive systems that fuel and of the welfare rationale that shapes the economic and political structures would be required before actual systems could be classified in a welfare relevant sense.
Efficient optimization of plane trusses

Abstract An algorithm based on the General Geometric Programming technique is presented for minimum weight design of plane trusses of fixed geometry. The underlying concept of the approach presented in this article is to condense and subsequently linearize all the primal constraints. A cutting plane algorithm is used iteratively to solve the resulting linear programming problem. It is shown that the number of constraints required for solving the problem in the present approach is independent of the size of the truss for many practical problems.
The play of meanings in the art of teaching

(1993). The play of meanings in the art of teaching. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 32, Using the Arts to Inform Teaching, pp. 204-209.
Linking the historical roots of environmental conservation with human and wildlife health.

We examine the historical and philosophical roots of environmental stewardship and how they relate to conservation and human health. Concern for the environment in the United States derives from two distinct historical ideologies that we term “green” and “brown” environmentalism. We propose a modern-day synthesis of these ideologies that recognizes that environmental degradation and the emergence of zoonotic and epizootic diseases, affecting both humans and wildlife (i.e., pathogen pollution), are interconnected. This interconnection provides a compelling new reason to protect and preserve biodiversity.
Tumor-immune dynamics regulated in the microenvironment inform the transient nature of immune-induced tumor dormancy

Cancer in a host induces responses that increase the ability of the microenvironment to sustain the growing mass, for example, angiogenesis, but cancer cells can have varying sensitivities to these sustainability signals. Here, we show that these sensitivities are significant determinants of ultimate tumor fate, especially in response to treatments and immune interactions. We present a mathematical model of cancer–immune interactions that modifies generalized logistic growth with both immune-predation and immune-recruitment. The role of a growing environmental carrying capacity is discussed as a possible regulatory mechanism for tumor growth, and this regulation is shown to modify cancer–immune interactions and the possibility of achieving immune-induced tumor dormancy. This mathematical model qualitatively matches experimental observations of immune-induced tumor dormancy as it predicts dormancy as a transient period of growth that necessarily ends in either tumor elimination or tumor escape. As dormant tumors may exist asymptomatically and may be easier to treat with conventional therapy, an understanding of the mechanisms behind tumor dormancy may lead to new treatments aimed at prolonging the dormant state or converting an aggressive cancer to the dormant state. Cancer Res; 73(12); 3534–44. ©2013 AACR .
The electromagnetic effect on the critical ionization velocity process

Electromagnetic effects on the critical ionization velocity (CIV) process become important when the neutral gas velocity V(n) exceeds the local Alfven speed V(A). The electron heating due to unstable lower hybrid waves necessary for CIV still occurs, but the efficiency of the electron heating is significantly reduced when the electromagnetic effect comes into play. This is verified by a series of simulation runs using two-dimensional electromagnetic particle code combined with PANIC. The significance of the electromagnetic effects for the occurrence of CIV in the comet-solar wind interaction and other space phenomena is briefly discussed. It is found that the comet environment is marginal for the excitation of CIV.
Preliminary results of polarimetry and photometry of Titan at large phase angles from Pioneer 11

The imaging photopolarimeter (IPP) aboard the Pioneer 11 spacecraft measured the linear polarization of the integrated disk of Titan in red and blue light at a variety of phase angles from 15 to 97 deg. The large polarization (54%) measured in blue light at 90 deg phase constrains the size of the aerosols near the top of Titan's atmosphere to have radii smaller than about 0.09 microns if they have a refractive index of 2.0. The polarization at 90 deg phase in red light is smaller (41%) and implies that the optical thickness of the layer of small aerosols is about 0.6 above an effectively depolarizing surface. The shape of the polarization versus phase curve in blue light suggests increasing particle size with increasing depth into the atmosphere. The limb darkening of Titan was measured at 28 deg phase by using the imaging mode of the IPP. The limb darkening observed in both colors is reasonably consistent with that given by the scattering models derived from the polarization observations.
Neurons bearing neurofibrillary tangles are responsible for selected synaptic deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract The observation that neurons containing neurofibrillary tangles are usually adjacent to neurons free of any morphological indication of disease, suggests the hypothesis that it is NFT-bearing neurons that are primarily responsible for the loss of function in AD. Quantitative Golgi postmortem studies from our laboratories have indicated that there is in many regions of the brains of nondemented humans an age-related increase in dendritic extent of single neurons. In Alzheimer's disease, this normal, age-related increase in dendritic extent was not found, leading to the hypothesis that one of the neurobiological defects in AD is a failure of neuronal plasticity. Message levels of the growth-associated protein, GAP-43, in frontal association cortex (area 9/46) indicated that AD brains with the highest density of neurofibrillary tangle-bearing neurons, showed GAP-43 message levels decreased of the order of 6-fold relative to AD brains with the lowest density of NFT. Combined immunocytochemistry to differentiate tangle-bearing from tangle-free neurons with in situ hybridization to define relative GAP-43 message levels in single neurons revealed that grain density over tangle-bearing neurons containing nuclei was reduced 3-fold compared to that over adjacent tangle-free neurons. This reduction in expression of GAP-43 message in tangle-bearing neurons was selective, because using probes for other messages showed that grain density over tangle-bearing neurons was, on average, increased or similar to that over adjacent non-tangle-bearing neurons. Message levels for the synaptic vesicle-associated protein, synaptophysin, have also been found to be reduced in tangle-bearing neurons relative to adjacent tangle-free neurons. These data demonstrating selectively reduced message levels for GAP-43 and for synaptophysin in neurons bearing NFT, relative to adjacent tangle-free neurons, place the neurofibrillary tangle and/or associated events in a central position in the pathophysiological cascade of Alzheimer's disease.
Rupture history of the 1997 Cariaco, Venezuela, earthquake from teleseismic P waves

A two-step finite-fault waveform inversion scheme is applied to the broadband teleseismic P waves recorded for the strike-slip, Cariaco, Venezuela, earthquake of 9 July 1997 to recover the distribution of mainshock slip. The earthquake is first analyzed using a long narrow fault with a maximum rise time of 20 sec. This line-source analysis indicates that slip propagated to the west with a constant rupture velocity and a relatively short rise time. The results are then used to constrain a second inversion of the P waveforms using a 60-km by 20-km two-dimensional fault. The rupture shows a zone of large slip (1.3-m peak) near the hypocenter and a second, broader source extending updip and to the west at depths shallower than 5 km. The second source has a peak slip of 2.1 meters and accounts for most of the moment of 1.1 × 1026 dyne-cm (6.6 Mww) estimated from the P waves. The inferred rupture pattern is consistent with macroseismic effects observed in the epicentral area.
Is copyright law steering the right course

The Whelan decision, a landmark copyright decision, has questioned the legality of reusing the abstractions and structures underlying software. The author argues that this is a flawed decision that could harm software-engineering practice. She discusses copyright versus patent protection, describes the Whelan case, and critiques the decision. She addresses the legal handling of software in general, arguing that it more reasonably ought to be protected by patent than by copyright. >
Fault detection for wheeled mobile robots with parametric uncertainty

We develop a new method for wheeled mobile robot (WMR) fault detection. Specifically, we develop kinematic and dynamic models of the WMR in the presence of faults such as a change in the wheel radius (e.g., deformation, broken spoke, flat tire) or general kinematic disturbances that model slipping or skidding faults. Utilizing the WMR models, we employ a torque filtering technique to develop a prediction error based fault detection residual. The structure of the prediction error allows for fault detection despite parametric uncertainty in the WMR model.
Pediatric cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation: Visual acuity outcome when measured at age four years and older

Purpose Assessment of visual outcome of pediatric eyes that underwent cataract extraction with primary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation at a single center. Methods A retrospective review of charts of 510 consecutive pediatric patients that underwent cataract extraction was performed. Exclusion criteria were traumatic cataract, secondary IOL implantation, retinopathy of prematurity, severe developmental delay, age less than 4 years at last follow-up, and follow-up less than 6 months. In bilateral cases, only right eye data were included. Results One hundred thirty-nine eyes met inclusion criteria. Median age at surgery was 5.12 years (range, 0.03-16.92); median age at last follow-up was 9.05 years, and median follow-up was 3.65 years. Sixty-six of 139 (47.5%) patients had unilateral cataracts compared with 73/139 (52.5%) bilateral cases. The median visual acuity of all eyes was 20/30, with median visual acuity of unilateral and bilateral cases being 20/40 and 20/25, respectively. Older patients achieved better visual acuity (unilateral cases: p = 0.003; bilateral cases: p = 0.07). Eyes with a greater interocular axial length difference achieved poorer visual acuity. Forty-five patients had a final visual acuity worse than 20/40. Of these, 34 (76%) had a diagnosis of amblyopia as the sole cause. Nineteen of 139 (13.7%) eyes had final visual acuity worse than 20/200. Eighteen patients required strabismus surgery, and 22 required additional intraocular surgery. Conclusions Better visual acuity was associated with bilateral cataract, older age at surgery, and normal interocular axial length difference. Amblyopia was the major cause of residual visual deficit.
Correlation of Transforming Growth Factor-β Messenger RNA (TGF-β mRNA) Expression with Cellular Immunoassays in Triamcinolone-Treated Captive Hybrid Striped Bass.

Abstract Assessing fish immune status with molecular markers has been hampered by a lack of specific reagents. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method (reverse transcription quantitative–competitive PCR, RT-qcPCR) for measuring transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) transcription from a broad range of teleost fish has recently been developed. The quantitative PCR now permits monitoring production of this important immunosuppressive cytokine in response to immunomodulating agents and conditions. We examined anterior kidney and spleen mononuclear cells from hybrid striped bass (female striped bass Morone saxatilis × male white bass M. chrysops) for production of TGF-β messenger RNA (mRNA) in response to administration of the synthetic glucocorticoid triamcinolone. We also compared TGF-β transcription with anterior kidney macrophage bactericidal activity and splenic lymphocyte blastogenesis. Anterior kidney mononuclear cell TGF-β mRNA levels decreased, whereas bactericidal activity increased. Spl...
Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Treatment: Lessons From Nancy Cruzan

Life is a journey, and the end of the journey has, for many people, become more difficult. Clinical conditions that just 25 years ago would have signified imminent death now prompt "life-sustaining treatment." On occasion, such treatment permits dramatic recovery. At other times, "life sustaining" becomes "death prolonging"; patients do not recover, nor do they die. Instead, they become prisoners of technology, despite the intentions of physicians, the hopes of families, or the fears of patients. Consider Nancy Cruzan. In January 1983, an automobile accident on a deserted Missouri road almost ended Nancy Cruzan's life. A state police officer declared her dead, and when emergency personnel arrived she had no pulse. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation restored her respirations and heartbeat, but not consciousness. She existed in a persistent vegetative state supported by food and water given through a gastrostomy tube. After several years, all of her physicians and consultants agreed that she
Arabidopsis Rho-Related GTPases: Differential Gene Expression in Pollen and Polar Localization in Fission Yeast

The Rho small GTP-binding proteins are versatile, conserved molecular switches in eukaryotic signal transduction. Plants contain a unique subfamily of Rho-GTPases called Rop (Rho-related GTPases from plants). Our previous studies involving injection of antibodies indicated that the pea Rop GTPase Rop1Ps is critical for pollen tube growth. In this study we show that overexpression of an apparent Arabidopsis ortholog of Rop1Ps, Rop1At, induces isotropic cell growth in fission yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) and that green fluorescence protein-tagged Rop1At displays polar localization to the site of growth in yeast. We found that Rop1At and two other Arabidopsis Rops, Rop3At and Rop5At, are all expressed in mature pollen. All three pollen Rops fall into the same subgroup as Rop1Ps and diverge from those Rops that are not expressed in mature pollen, suggesting a coupling of the structural conservation of Rop GTPases to their gene expression in pollen. However, pollen-specific transcript accumulation for Rop1At is much higher than that for Rop3At and Rop5At. Furthermore, Rop1At is specifically expressed in anthers, whereas Rop3At and Rop5At are also expressed in vegetative tissues. In transgenic plants containing the Rop1At promoter:GUS fusion gene, GUS is specifically expressed in mature pollen and pollen tubes. We propose that Rop1At may play a predominant role in the regulation of polarized cell growth in pollen, whereas its close relatives Rop3At and Rop5At may be functionally redundant to Rop1At in pollen.
A fast hybrid analytical and numerical physical optics analysis of very large cylindrical reflectors with linear feed arrays

A novel hybrid combination of asymptotic high frequency analysis with the numerical physical optics (PO) procedure is introduced for the fast and accurate prediction of the far field scattering from a very large perfectly conducting cylindrical reflector with slowly varying but otherwise arbitrary cross section. This reflector is fed by stacked linear periodic phased arrays of electric point currents to simplify the array modeling for the present. The application of this study is to predict the performance of a large spaceborne cylindrical scanning reflector being built by Harris Corporation under the ISAT program.
On the maximum exceedance of a sequence of random variables over a renewal threshold

In this paper we study the tail behavior of the maximum exceedance of a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables over a random walk. For both light-tailed and heavy-tailed cases, we derive a precise asymptotic formula, which extends and unifies some existing results in the recent literature of applied probability.
Development of Specifications for the UM-D's Low Mass Vehicle for China, India and the United States

This paper presents results of a research project conducted to develop a methodology and to refine the specifications of a small, low mass, low cost vehicle being developed at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The challenge was to assure that the design would meet the needs and expectations of customers in three different countries, namely, China, India and the United States. U.S, Chinese and Indian students studying on the university campus represented customers from their respective countries for our surveys and provided us with the necessary data on: 1) Importance of various vehicle level attributes to the entry level small car customer, 2) Preferences to various features, and 3) Direction magnitude estimation on parameters to size the vehicle for each of the three markets. Our specification process involved: a) Development of a generic vehicle level Quality Function Deployment (QFD) analysis to relate customer needs to engineering attributes, b) Conducting a literature survey of various existing requirements and regulations on vehicles, c) Using importance ratings on various customer needs and vehicle attributes obtained from our subjects from the three countries, d) Sizing the vehicle for respective markets from the direction magnitude scaling, and e) Selecting base and optional feature content for the three markets from the customer ratings. The results of the analyses showed that: 1) Low vehicle cost emerged as the single most important vehicle level attribute from the QFD chart. 2) Fuel efficiency, durability and serviceability, from the customer importance rating survey, were the most important vehicle attributes, 3) One vehicle configuration would not be suitable for all the three markets without some modifications to satisfy the significant differences observed among the three countries. For example, a HVAC system was absolutely necessary to 94% of U.S. customers, but Indian customers had no need for it. Fog lamps were absolutely necessary to about 76% of Chinese customers but only less than 16% of U.S. customers and only about 6% of Indian Customers wanted them. 4) Indian customers wanted smaller wheelbase as compared to the U.S. and Chinese customers.
SynapticDB, Effective Web-based Management and Sharing of Data from Serial Section Electron Microscopy

Serial section electron microscopy (ssEM) is rapidly expanding as a primary tool to investigate synaptic circuitry and plasticity. The ultrastructural images collected through ssEM are content rich and their comprehensive analysis is beyond the capacity of an individual laboratory. Hence, sharing ultrastructural data is becoming crucial to visualize, analyze, and discover the structural basis of synaptic circuitry and function in the brain. We devised a web-based management system called SynapticDB (http://synapses.clm.utexas.edu/synapticdb/) that catalogues, extracts, analyzes, and shares experimental data from ssEM. The management strategy involves a library with check-in, checkout and experimental tracking mechanisms. We developed a series of spreadsheet templates (MS Excel, Open Office spreadsheet, etc) that guide users in methods of data collection, structural identification, and quantitative analysis through ssEM. SynapticDB provides flexible access to complete templates, or to individual columns with instructional headers that can be selected to create user-defined templates. New templates can also be generated and uploaded. Research progress is tracked via experimental note management and dynamic PDF forms that allow new investigators to follow standard protocols and experienced researchers to expand the range of data collected and shared. The combined use of templates and tracking notes ensures that the supporting experimental information is populated into the database and associated with the appropriate ssEM images and analyses. We anticipate that SynapticDB will serve future meta-analyses towards new discoveries about the composition and circuitry of neurons and glia, and new understanding about structural plasticity during development, behavior, learning, memory, and neuropathology.
Non-State Actors from the Perspective of the Policy-Oriented School: Power, Law, Actors and the View From New Haven

Law needs Power for enforcement of its rules; Power utilizes Law for creating conditions of stability that enhance its salience. Yet when the New Haven school tries to include international law in its power-oriented view of international relations, it ends up with a misleading two-dimensional descriptivism.
Auction Advisor: an agent-based online-auction decision support system

Online auctions are proving themselves as a viable alternative in the C2C and B2C marketplace. Several thousand new items are placed for auction every day and determining which items to bid on or when and where to sell an item are difficult questions to answer for online-auction participants. This paper presents a multiagent Auction Advisor system designed to collect data related to online auctions and use the data to help improve the decision making of auction participants. A simulation of applied Auction Advisor recommendations and a small research study that used subjects making real purchases at online auctions both indicate that online-auction buyers and sellers achieve tangible benefit from the current information acquired by and recommendations made by the Auction Advisor agents.
Sensorless manipulation using massively parallel microfabricated actuator arrays

This paper investigates manipulation tasks with arrays of microelectromechanical structures (MEMS). We develop a geometric model for the mechanics of microactuators and a theory of sensorless, parallel manipulation, and we describe efficient algorithms for their evaluation. The theory of limit surfaces offers a purely geometric characterization of microscale contacts between actuator and moving object, which can be used to efficiently predict the motion of the object on an actuator array. It is shown how simple actuator control strategies can be used to uniquely align a part up to symmetry without sensor feedback. This theory is applicable to a wide range of microactuator arrays. Our actuators are oscillating structures of single-crystal silicon fabricated in a IC-compatible process. Calculations show that these actuators are strong enough to levitate and move, for example, a piece of paper. >
Highly efficient uneven multi-level linc transmitter

To improve power efficiency in a transmitter, a novel method is proposed, this being an uneven multi-level linear amplifier with a nonlinear component (UMLINC). Compared to a normal multi-level LINC (MLINC), the UMLINC employs a new uneven multi-level signal component separator (UMSCS) that significantly improves transmitter efficiency.
Cramer-Rao bounds for matched field tomography and ocean acoustic tomography

Matched field and ocean acoustic tomography concern the estimation of parameters for models of ocean environments using acoustics. Both require full field representations for the observed signals since waveguide effects are important. The authors present Cramer-Rao lower bounds for the attainable accuracy of both methods. These bounds are expressed in terms of the Green's function for the propagation between source and receivers.
Triangulating Nucleic Acid Conformations Using Multicolor Surface Energy Transfer.

Optical ruler methods employing multiple fluorescent labels offer great potential for correlating distances among several sites, but are generally limited to interlabel distances under 10 nm and suffer from complications due to spectral overlap. Here we demonstrate a multicolor surface energy transfer (McSET) technique able to triangulate multiple points on a biopolymer, allowing for analysis of global structure in complex biomolecules. McSET couples the competitive energy transfer pathways of Forster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) with gold-nanoparticle mediated Surface Energy Transfer (SET) in order to correlate systematically labeled points on the structure at distances greater than 10 nm and with reduced spectral overlap. To demonstrate the McSET method, the structures of a linear B-DNA and a more complex folded RNA ribozyme were analyzed within the McSET mathematical framework. The improved multicolor optical ruler method takes advantage of the broad spectral range and distances achievable when usi...
When the Price of Settlement is Ethically Prohibitive: Non-Disparagement Clauses that Apply to Lawyers

At last! You have lived with this case for many years, and you are now on the verge of finalizing the terms of a settlement agreement. All the contentious issues have finally been resolved, so you thought, when the defendant leans over the table and says, "Just one more thing. We want you and your client to sign a non-disparagement clause as part of the settlement." Yes, non-disparagement clauses have been frequently used as a controversial reputational shield in high-conflict divorces, sensitive employee terminations and contentious consumer actions. However, barely discussed is whether lawyers are ethically able to suggest or be bound by disparagement clauses. This column will address the ethical considerations that lawyers should consider before suggesting or agreeing to sign a non-disparagement clause.
Areawide Cattle Treatments on Populations of Horn Flies (Diptera: Muscidae)

Six hundred mature cattle on 960 km2 of New Mexico rangeland were treated with two ear tags, each tag containing 8% fenvalerate (Ectrin®). This treatment resulted in inhibition of reproduction of Haematobia irritans (L.) in the treatment area. After the removal of ear tags on Cattle in the center of the treatment area, 6–8 km isolation was demonstrated as insufficient to prevent reinfestation since a reproducing infestation was established within 30 days. Within 60 days, counts equalled those on untreated cattle. Treatment of all mature animals in late summer-early fall resulted in the elimination of an overwintering diapausing population and thus a delayed spring population increase of horn flies. The treatments available, in conjunction with the manipulation of treatment later to control diapausing populations, will provide areawide control of horn flies.
Atomic-Scale Picture of the Ion Conduction Mechanism in a Tetrahedral Network of Lanthanum Barium Gallate

Combined experimental study of impedance spectroscopy, neutron powder diffraction, and quasielastic neutron scattering was performed to shed light onto the atomic-scale ion migration processes of protons and oxide ions in La0.8Ba1.2GaO3.9. This material consists of tetrahedral GaO4units, which are rather flexible, and rocking motion of these units promotes the ionic migration process. The oxide ion (vacancy) conduction takes place on channels along the c axis, involving a single elementary step, which occurs between adjacent tetrahedra (intertetrahedra jump). The proton conduction mechanism consists of intratetrahedron and intertetrahedra elementary processes. The intratetrahedron proton transport along the c axis is the rate-limiting process, with activation energy of 0.44 eV. The intertetrahedra proton transport has the activation energy of 0.068 eV.
Design of Cluster-free Polymer Electrolyte Membranes and Implications on Proton Conductivity

Nanoscale ionic aggregates are ubiquitous in copolymers containing charged and uncharged monomers. In most cases, these clusters persist when these polymers are hydrated and ion-conducting channels percolate through the sample. We argue that these clusters impede ion motion due to (1) the requirement that ions must hop across ion-free regions in the channels as they are transported from one cluster to the next, and (2) increased counterion condensation due to proximity of fixed acid groups in the clusters. Block copolymers wherein the size of the ion-containing microphase is 6 nm or less provides one approach for eliminating the clusters.
Whole Joint Models of Articular Injury and Articular Fracture

A variety of whole joint models have been reported to study the effects of articular injury. This chapter reviews whole joint injury models in both human cadavers and animal models. These injury models include articular loading without fracture, fracture (osteotomy) creation without loading, and articular fracture creation with impact loading. In most cases these models were developed to study specific questions of fracture fixation, or tissue-specific effects of an injury mechanism. Only recently have models been developed that allow investigators to study the effects of an articular injury on the joint as an organ system. This chapter reviews these experimental models for the benefit of current and future investigators interested in PTA research.
Plague prevention and control in Shigatse during the construction of Lhasa to Shigatse section of Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Objective To summarize the plague prevention and control work in Shigatse area during the construction of QinghaiTibet Railway( Lhasa to Shigatse section). Methods We Summarized and analyzed the work of plague monitoring,publicity and education,prevention and control measures in the area of Shigatse along Qinghai-Tibet Railway( Lhasa to Shigatse section) from 2010 to 2013. Results No animal or human plague ℃ curred within the area of Shigatse during the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway( Lhasa to Shigatse section) from 2010 to 2013. Conclusion The practice of the plague prevention and control in the area of Shigatse along Qinghai-Tibet Railway( Lhasa to Shigatse section) has played a positive role in the railway construction,and is worth referring to for plague hygiene evaluation in later large scale construction project.
Method of Mobility Calculation for a Coupled Mechanism Based on Independent Motion Shunting Measurement

An improved method based on screw theory for constraint and mobility analysis of complex coupled multi-loop mechanisms is proposed. The innovation is the proposition of motion shunting measure,by which the complex multi-loop coupled mechanisms can be split into several independent elements. The relative motion of the coupled-nod link in each element was analyzed and replaced by a generalized kinematic chain. The coupled mechanism was ultimately regarded as a common parallel mechanism. Limb twist systems and limb constraint systems of the equivalent parallel mechanism were analyzed and the characteristic of the output mobility was identified. With the proposed method,a typical Hoberman Switch-Pitch ball was analyzed,which shows the validity and simplification of the new method.
On Penetrating Direction of Airplane under Electronic Jamming

In low altitude penetration combat, air defense system provides completely closed protection to important position,and how to increase the survivability of fighter plane when crossing the threatening area is the key-point in current research.We established a radar detection model based on radar terrain masking blind space.Considering the change of Radar Cross Section(RCS) of the aircraft during its movement in the threatening area, we obtained the radar detection probability.On which basis and the penetration time index, the penetrating direction function was established,and penetrating direction was determined according to the different missions.To enhance the survivability of airplane, blanket jamming was implemented to decrease the threatening of radar.The result of the software simulation demonstrates that selecting a specified penetrating direction and using blanket jamming will enable airplane to avoid radar threatening detection and improve the survivability of it.
Prolactin response after gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the polycystic ovary syndrome * †

The administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has been shown to stimulate prolactin (PRL) release under certain conditions. The authors compared PRL responses after GnRH in normoprolactinemic patients with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) with those of normal ovulatory women in the follicular phase. Seven of 15 patients had a significant increase in PRL after GnRH, whereas none of the control subjects had a positive response. After 1week of oral L-dopa, the responders no longer exhibited this positive response. Baseline PRL levels in responding patients with PCO were similar to levels in control subjects, whereas nonresponding patients with PCO had higher PRL levels. Baseline follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) /luteinizing hormone (LH) ratios were higher in patients with a positive response. The positive PRL response after GnRH was not correlated with baseline serum LH, the LH/FSH ratio, delta maximum LH responses, serum testosterone (T), unbound T, or baseline PRL. The positive response correlated positively with serum levels of unbound estradiol ( P P
When Theory Fails: The Importance of a Learner's Theoretical Knowledge for Transfer

This chapter focuses on the importance of theoretical knowledge in transfer of learning. Theoretical knowledge creates the constraints or balancing feedback , and acts as a hedge against a runaway system of thinking. Theoretical knowledge provides simultaneously, with a rule to guide the transfer, and a framework to constrain runaway transfer. It is necessary for creating coherence out of a bunch of novel or otherwise disconnected experiences and is more likely to be transferred to new situations. Not only adults but children carry theories around in their heads, and these theories operate either explicitly or implicitly. Implicitly erroneous theories influence learning and have serious consequences for teaching and transfer. Studies have shown that the erroneous theories about scientific phenomena that students come into the classroom with block their learning of science. Studies consistently demonstrate that naive or beginning physics and biology students hold fundamentally erroneous theories about these subjects that negatively influence their learning and transfer.
Gene Expression, Cell Determination, and Differentiation

This chapter focuses on determination and differentiation of skeletal muscle as a paradigm for how tissues differentiate in development and regeneration. Classical embryological concepts that emerged from descriptive embryology are explained and cast in genetic and molecular biological terms. An understanding of the mechanistic basis of embryonic commitment to a unique developmental pathway, and the subsequent realization of the adult phenotypes, are essential for understanding stem cell behavior and how stem cells might be manipulated for therapeutic purposes. The importance of satellite, or stem cells, in skeletal muscle formation and regeneration of skeletal muscle and the role of microRNAs and transcription factors in these processes are illustrated. The challenge of regeneration of anatomic muscles to repair damage from disease and trauma requires an understanding of fundamental mechanisms in skeletal muscle formation.
Embedded rubber sandals: trade and gifts across the Sino–Kyrgyz border

ABSTRACTHow does a group of Uyghur traders from a village in Atush (Xinjiang, China) end up with a stock of unsellable rubber sandals in Kadamjay (Batken, Kyrgyzstan), and why don’t they compete according to market principles? This article explores the social investments of the traders and their families, and reveals their behaviour to be rational, both economically and socially. It illuminates the business and daily life of Uyghur traders in southern Kyrgyzstan, an environment that is increasingly challenging and uncertain. The examination of exchange relations between their households explains why the traders cooperate as they do and also why they do not cooperate more. Economic rationales and social obligations prove to be mutually embedded. This insight expands and deepens a nascent analytical approach that recognizes social motivation for economic activities in Central Asia alongside undeniable economic incentives. This approach has much to gain from being more explicitly reconnected to classical ant...
On utility optimization in distributed multiple access over a multi-packet reception channel

This paper considers distributed medium access control in a wireless multiple access network with an unknown number of users. A multi-packet reception channel is assumed in which all packets should be received successfully if and only if the number of users transmitting in parallel does not exceed a known threshold. We propose a transmission adaptation approach, where, in each time slot, a user estimates the probability of channel availability from the viewpoint of a virtual user and adjusts its transmission probability according to its utility objective and a derived user number estimate. A sufficient condition under which the system should have a unique equilibrium is obtained. Simulation results show that the proposed medium access control algorithm does help users to converge asymptotically to a near optimal transmission probability.
A method for cross talk reduction in crossed strip waveguides

In this paper, cross talk reduction is achieved by using a resonant cavity at the intersection area between two crossed strip waveguides formed in a square photonic crystal structure. Simulation results show that reducing the separation distance between the waveguide and the cavity resulted in cross talk reduction.
Modern Endovascular Treatment of Ischemic Disease

Acute ischemic strokes still account for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide despite decades of research aimed at reducing the burden of this disease. Since the establishment of intravenous thrombolysis as the standard of care, advances in device technology have rapidly progressed while randomized clinical trials have struggled to keep pace. Early trials were hampered by inconsistent use of technology and poor patient selection, leading to overall futility. However, a string of recent studies utilizing the most modern technology has unequivocally proven the superiority of endovascular treatment for acute ischemic strokes caused by large vessel occlusion in select patients. We describe the sequential progression of this therapeutic paradigm in parallel with the clinical trials that have proven its efficacy and identify clinical questions that remain yet unanswered.
CTRP7 deletion attenuates obesity-linked glucose intolerance, adipose tissue inflammation, and hepatic stress

Chronic low-grade inflammation and cellular stress are important contributors to obesity-linked metabolic dysfunction. Here, we uncover an immune-metabolic role for C1q/TNF-related protein 7 (CTRP7...
Oral spore-based probiotic supplementation was associated with reduced incidence of post-prandial dietary endotoxin, triglycerides, and disease risk biomarkers

Oral spore-based probiotic supplementation was associated with reduced incidence of post-prandial dietary endotoxin, triglycerides, and disease risk biomarkers