cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Minimally invasive endoscopic surgery of the maxillary sinus

Maxillary sinus surgery for recurrent acute and chronic sinusitis is predicated on the belief of reestablishing mucociliary flow. Success involves restoring patency of the outflow tract. The technique described here successfully accomplishes this result in the vast majority of patients who do not have a primary mucous membrane defect. The technique is relatively simple and can be accomplished with a low risk of synechia or stenosis.
Polarography of meso and racemic 1,4-dihydroxy-and 1,4-dinitroxy-2,3-dibromobutane

Abstract Meso and racemic 1,4-dihydroxy-2,3-dibromobutane reduce polarographically, with half-wave potentials which differ by 0.2 V. Meso and racemic 1,4-dinitroxy-2,3-di-bromobutane also give waves for bromine reduction which differ by 0.3 V, as well as waves for nitroxy ester reduction ; at low pH, there is additional reduction which is ascribed to reduction of nitrous acid.
Flux Across Microneedle-treated Skin is Increased by Increasing Charge of Naltrexone and Naltrexol In Vitro

Purpose The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the in vitro microneedle (MN) enhanced percutaneous absorption of naltrexone hydrochloride salt (NTX·HCl) compared to naltrexone base (NTX) in hairless guinea pig skin (GP) and human abdominal skin. In a second set of experiments, permeability of the major active metabolite 6-β-naltrexol base (NTXOL) in the primarily unionized (unprotonated) form at pH 8.5 was compared to the ionized form (pH 4.5).
Striated auroral kilometric radiation emission: A remote tracer of ion solitary structures

[1] We describe the statistical properties of narrowband drifting auroral kilometric radiation (“striated” AKR) based on observations from the Cluster wideband receiver during 2002–2005. We show that the observed characteristics, including frequency drift rate and direction, narrow bandwidth, observed intensity, and beaming angular sizes are all consistent with triggering by upward traveling ion solitary structures (“ion holes”). We calculate the expected perturbation of a horseshoe electron distribution function by an ion hole by integrating the resonance condition for a cyclotron maser instability (CMI) using the perturbed velocity distribution. We find that the CMI growth rate can be strongly enhanced as the horseshoe velocity distribution contracts inside the passing ion hole, resulting in a power gain increase greater than 100 dB. The gain curve is sharply peaked just above the R-mode cutoff frequency, with an effective bandwidth ≤50 Hz, consistent with the observed bandwidth of striated AKR emission. Ion holes are observed in situ in the acceleration region moving upward with spatial scales and speeds consistent with the observed bandwidth and slopes of SAKR bursts. Hence we suggest that SAKR bursts are a remote sensor of ion holes and can be used to determine the frequency of occurrence, locations in the acceleration region, and lifetimes of these structures.
Limb lengthening combined with deformity correction in children with the Taylor Spatial Frame.

It is difficult to replicate the regular rate and rhythm described by Ilizarov while lengthening with the Taylor Spatial Frame. The purpose of the study was to examine whether this breach of Ilizarov's principles has any deleterious effect on the ability of children to make healthy regenerate bone.
Functional outcomes of adult patients with West Nile virus admitted to a rehabilitation hospital.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The clinical manifestation of West Nile Virus (WNV) varies in individuals from mild flu-like symptoms to acute flaccid paralysis. Advanced age is the most significant risk factor for developing severe neurological disease and for death. The broad range of neurologic symptoms associated with WNV infection leads to varied body structure and function limitations and participation restrictions that may require rehabilitation. The purpose of this study is to describe the functional impairments upon admission and the functional outcomes at discharge of 48 adult patients admitted with WNV to a rehabilitation facility in the Midwest from 2002 to 2009. METHODS A retrospective chart review was completed on 48 patients (29 male, 19 female) with mean age 67.8 (SD = 16.6, range = 24-91) years and median age 72.5 years, admitted to inpatient rehabilitation with a diagnosis of WNV after January 1, 2002, and discharged prior to December 31, 2009. General information (sex, age, social history, employment, and living environment), past medical history, and information specific to the current hospitalization (medical conditions, functional status and activity level on admission and discharge as measured by the Functional Independence Measure [FIM], lengths of stay [LOSs] in the acute care and rehabilitation hospital, physical therapy care, discharge destination, and follow-up care provisions) were gathered. The standardized response mean (SRM) was calculated for total, motor, and cognitive FIM scores to provide insight into the effect size and the responsiveness of the FIM for the patients with WNV in this study. RESULTS All patients were admitted to the rehabilitation hospital from acute care hospitals following LOSs ranging from 1 to 62 days. The rehabilitation hospital LOS ranged from 2 to 304 days. These patients had significant comorbidities including hypertension (43.75%), diabetes mellitus (41.67%), acute respiratory failure (37.5%), ventilator dependency/tracheostomy (33.33%), and pneumonia (29.17%). Their admission FIM scores ranged from 13 to 116 (mean = 45.8 ± 28.2) and discharge FIM scores ranged from 18 to 121 (mean = 75.1 ± 34.2). The change in FIM during inpatient rehabilitation was statistically significant (P < .001). The calculated SRM for the total (1.06) and motor (1.12) FIM indicate a large effect size, whereas the SRM for the cognitive FIM (0.79) indicates a moderate effect. The majority of patients were discharged home or to a nursing facility (46%), skilled or extended care (38%) with a need for continued rehabilitation services. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The manifestation of the WNV and functional outcomes after comprehensive rehabilitation vary from patient to patient. Higher numbers of comorbid conditions lead to more complex presentation and challenge rehabilitation professionals to design individualized plans of care to enable these patients to achieve the highest functional outcomes. Most patients require follow-up physical therapy care after discharge from rehabilitation.
Limits on the charge of a collapsed object

We formulate a necessary and invariant condition for a magnetic field to thwart neutralization of a collapsed object by charge-selective accretion. This local requirement allows for highly relativistic velocities, complementing a previously developed global criterion based on the guiding-center approximation. It is used to generalize a proof that an isolated black hole cannot increase its charge by homopolar induction. Magnetic fields also affect another process that limits the charge of a collapsed object, spontaneous pair creation. This paper expresses invariantly the rate of pair production and the region in which it can lead to discharge.
Variability of repetitive arrhythmia formation in patients with chronic ventricular arrhythmia

Abstract The statistical frequency of ventricular couplet formation was determined in 125 long-term electrocardiographic recordings obtained from patients both with and without cllnical cardiovascular disease. The repetition index, defined as the ratio of couplets to isolated premature ventricular complexes, was found to vary widely, from 0 to 333 1,000 , and was not related to the underlying frequency of premature ventricular complexes. The reproducibility of the repetition index was examined and in 19 (83 percent) of 23 patients remained either above or below 10 1,000 premature ventricular complexes on two separate electrocardiographic recordings. In electrocardiograms from patients with known cardiovascular disease, coexistent nonsustained ventricular tachycardia was noted in 8 (15 percent) of 53 with a repetition index of less than 10 1,000 premature ventricular complexes and 34 (62 percent) of 55 with a repetition index value of more than 10 1,000 (p 10 1,000 premature ventricular complexes and in 5 (71 percent) of 7 with a repetition index of more than 10 1,000 (p 10 1,000 premature ventricular complexes and in 11 (85 percent) of 13 patients whose repetition index was 10 or more/1,000 on either or both recordings (p 10 1,000 premature ventricular complexes. These observations suggest that (1) quantitative approaches to complex ventricular arrhythmia are useful, and (2) the repetition index is a reflection of some aspect of ventricular vulnerability.
Functions of remembering and misremembering emotion

SUMMARY Memory for the emotions evoked by past events guides people’s ongoing behaviour and future plans. Evidence indicates that emotions are represented in at least two forms in memory with different properties. Explicit memories of emotion can be retrieved deliberately, in a flexible manner, across situations. Implicit memories of emotion are brought to mind automatically by cues resembling the context in which an emotional event occurred. One property they share, however, is that both types of memory are subject to forgetting and bias over time as people’s goals and appraisals of past emotional events change. This article reviews the cognitive and motivational mechanisms that underlie stability and change in memory for emotion. We also address functions that remembering and misremembering emotion may serve for individuals and groups. Although memory bias is typically viewed as problematic, changes in representations of emotional experience often promote goal-directed behaviour and facilitate coping with challenging situations. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley S events that thwart those goals evoke distress. When later remembering such experiences, people retrieve, not just a dry account of the events that unfolded, but also the feelings that were associated with those events. This feature of autobiographical memory has tremendous importance. Memory for past emotion plays a vital role in daily life by informing current preferences and plans for the future. People base decisions, ranging from the trivial (which movie to rent) to the profound (which career to pursue, whether to have children, whether to negotiate with an adversary), partly on how much joy, boredom, and aggravation they felt during similar circumstances in the past. Memory for emotion is of particular significance to research psychologists and clinicians because they routinely ask people to recall the intensity and frequency of past feelings such as depression, anxiety, and anger. But what if these memories are wrong? What if people
Dynamics of Model Overfitting Measured in terms of Autoregressive Roots

. One method of describing the properties of a fitted autoregressive model of order p is to show the p roots that are implied by the lag operator. Considering autoregressive models fitted to 215 US macro series, with lags chosen by either the Bayesian or Schwarz information criteria or Akaike information criteria, the roots are found to constitute a distinctive pattern. Later analysis suggests that much of this pattern occurs because of overfitting of the models. An extension of the results shows that they have some practical multivariate time-series modelling implications.
Effect of moisture content and temperature on respiration rate of rice

ABSTRACT One cause of yellowing or stackburn of rice may be elevated respiration rates caused by storage at either high moisture content (MC) or temperature. The effect of MC and temperature on the respiration rate of Oryza sativa L. ‘Bengal’ and ‘Cypress’ rice harvested in the fall of 1998 was investigated. For respiration rate measurement of rough rice at different temperatures, rice samples at high, medium, and low MC were sealed in quart jars and equilibrated to temperatures of 20–80°C. The respiration rate was quantified by measuring the rate of CO2 accumulation in the free air space. To determine the effect of MC on respiration rate, rough rice was tested at 12–25% MC. Respiration was greatly affected by MC and temperature. The response of respiration to temperature was dependent on MC and varied between rice cultivars. Respiration rates increased as MC increased from ≈15 to 25%. Maximum respiration was at 50°C when MC was high (20–25%). At 15% MC, respiration increased from 20 to 70°C, while respir...
On the use of 1-butene double-bond isomerization as a probe reaction on cesium-loaded zeolite X

Abstract Oxides of cesium and potassium were synthesized in the supercages of zeolite X by impregnation and decomposition of acetate precursors. The alkali-loaded zeolites were characterized by N 2 adsorption, CO 2 adsorption microcalorimetry and stepwise TPD of CO 2 . For a loading of about two alkali metal atoms per zeolite supercage, the majority of CO 2 adsorption sites at 373 K were characterized by a −Δ H ads of about 80–100 kJ mol −1 . The initial turnover frequency (TOF i ) for 1-butene isomerization, based on excess cesium atoms, followed the order CsOx/CsX, CsOx/KX, KOx/KX, which parallels the expected ranking of base strength based on composition. For CsOx/CsX, the TOF i was independent of Cs loading, which suggests that active sites were non-interacting and that heat and mass transfer artifacts were absent in the kinetic data. Studies of catalyst deactivation showed that trace impurities in the feed were the likely cause of activity loss with time on stream. Selective poisoning of active sites with CO 2 indicated that only about 5% of the sites counted by CO 2 adsorption at 373 K were active for butene isomerization. Evidently, the very low active site density made these catalysts vulnerable to trace impurities in the feed.
Deconstructing the problem of comparing the conflicting imperatives of technology and sustainability

This paper shows how systems science can clarify the debate and outline the basic differences between technology and sustainability. Deconstruction is a process by which the various meanings of a concept are ascertained. It is used to draw the characteristics of technology and sustainability. Each of these two concepts is driven by imperatives which are in conflict with each other. The discussion infers how they can be reconciled. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ARIES-I fusion-power-core engineering

Abstract The ARIES research program is a multi-institutional project, the goal of which is to determine the economic, safety, and environmental potential of tokamak fusion reactors. The ARIES-I steady-state tokamak reactor is a conceptual, DT-burning, 1000 MWe reactor with a major radius of 6.75 m, a minor radius of 1.5 m, and an average neutron wall loading of 2.5 MW/m2. The ARIES-I plasma operates in the first MHD stability regime with a toroidal beta of 1.9%. The choice to operate in the first stability regime, with a high aspect ratio and with a low plasma current, leads to the need for high magnetic field to achieve adequate fusion power density (β2B4). The toroidal field at the plasma center is 11 T and the maximum field at the coil is 21 T. Nonetheless, it is found that the maximum stress in the structural material of these magnets is ∼ 700 MPa and industrially available alloys can be used. The impurity-control and particle-exhaust system is based on a high recycling double-null divertor system. The low-activation silicon-carbide (SiC) composite is used as structural material. The breeder material, Li2ZrO3, and the multiplier material, Be, are both sphere-packed between poloidally nested SiC-composite shells. The divertor plates consist of SiC-composite tube shells protected with 2 mm-thick tungsten armor. The first wall, blanket, shield, and divertor are all helium cooled with an inlet coolant temperature of 350°C at a pressure of 10 MPa. The high helium-outlet temperature of 650°C ensures a relatively high gross thermal efficiency of 49%. The ARIES-I design has demonstrated that tokamak reactors have the potential to achieve a high level of safety coupled with a Class-C waste-disposal rating.
Relationship between 100% juice consumption and nutrient intake and weight of adolescents.

Abstract Purpose This study investigated the associations among 100% juice consumption, nutrient intake, and measures of weight in adolescents. Design A cross-sectional secondary analysis of data from adolescents aged 12 to 18 years (n = 3939) participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2002 was conducted to assess nutrient and weight in categories of 100% juice consumption. Methods Least square means and logistic regression analyses were generated, and were adjusted for gender, age, ethnicity, and energy intake. Analyses were Bonferroni corrected with an effective p value of .0125. Results Twenty-eight percent of adolescents (51% male, 42% Hispanic, 25% non-Hispanic white, 29% non-Hispanic black) consumed 100% juice the day of the recall. The mean amount of 100% juice consumed was 3.7 ounces (2.2% of energy intake). Compared with non–juice consumers, carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins C and B6, folate, potassium, copper, magnesium, and iron intakes of juice consumers were high...
Electronic structure and optical polarization anisotropy of self-organized InAs/GaAs quantum dots

The lack of precise information regarding the shape of self-organized InAs/GaAs QDs has been a key obstacle in the development of optoelectronics technology based upon these structures. This knowledge is necessary to quantitatively model the electronic structure, optical spectra, and relaxation dynamics -- all key parameters in the design of QD-based optoelectronic devices. We have recently determined the shape of self-organized InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs), based upon an intensive study utilizing RHEED, TEM and atomic force microscopy. Our results indicate that the bounding facets of InAs/GaAs quantum dots are of the {136} family. The resulting pyramidal structure possesses a parallelogram base that is substantially elongated along [1-10] and thus is characterized by C2v symmetry, quite different from square-base pyramidal or lens-shaped geometries which have been previously assumed. In this paper the relationship between the shape and the optical properties of self-organized InAs quantum dots is discussed. PL spectra exhibit multiple excited state transitions, each of which are linearly polarized, an experimental fact which is inconsistent with previous shape models of InAs/GaAs QDs. A coupled-band electronic structure calculation of {136}-bounded QDs is presented to show that the optical polarization anisotropy can be understood quantitatively by consideration of the true shape of the QD structures. Our main conclusion is that the spectral polarization anisotropy provides a signature which is uniquely sensitive to shape; polarization measurements provide a more stringent test of electronic structure models than simple comparison to PL peak positions.
ACOUSTIC SENSOR FUSION APPROACH FOR RAPID MEASUREMENT OF MODULUS AND HARDNESS OF CHEDDAR CHEESE

This article describes the acoustic sensor fusion approach for measurement of the Young’s modulus and hardness of Cheddar cheese. A new piezoelectric sensor system was developed to investigate the characteristics of the resonance frequency change of a PZT (lead zirconate titanate) probe with the mechanical properties of Cheddar cheese. In addition to the piezoelectric sensor measurement, ultrasound velocity and spectrum analysis were performed using the pulse–echo and through–transmission technique to evaluate the ultrasound propagation velocity through the sample and the corresponding spectrum. The squared correlation (R 2 ) values for the prediction of Young’s modulus and hardness were 0.834 and 0.506 using the piezoelectric sensor and 0.827 and 0.850 using the ultrasound velocity. Fusion of the measurements from piezoelectric and ultrasound sensor into a multi–layer neural network model resulted in improved predictions for Young’s modulus and hardness of Cheddar cheese with an accuracy of 97.5 and 98.4%, respectively. Results demonstrated that acoustic sensor fusion approach has a potential for rapid determination of Young’s modulus and hardness of Cheddar cheese.
Space Application Of Fiber Optics Systems

Fiber optics offers many advantages over conventional wire systems; they include low weight, large bandwidth capacity, simple architecture for data bussing, EMI invulnerability, and cost effectiveness. However, present-day fiber optic technology cannot meet the requirements of the most adverse space environments. The adverseness of the environment is primarily attributable to high-dose radiation and temperature extremes in a space vehicle. The technology to compensate for these problems is presently available, but developmental money would be needed, since commercial applications do not require survivability in such an environment. Initial development costs, along with the lack of sufficient reliability data, are deterring the adoption of fiber optics in space programs.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Lead contamination associated with snowmobile trails.

Lead associated with one season's use of a snowmobile trail was determined by atomic absorption. Pb in the snow and, particularly, in the associated soil/particulate matter was extremely high, ranging upward to 136 μg-atom Pb/m2 where the trail narrows to approximately 2 m. In comparison to these levels, the lead present in field soil due to automobile traffic on nearby roads was found to be negligible. Some possible environmental effects of this lead source are also discussed.
An infrared study of the bending region of acetylene

Abstract Acetylene spectra observed with instrumental resolutions of 0.0025 and 0.005 cm−1 were obtained at The National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, Arizona using the FTS spectrometer at the National Solar Observatory McMath telescope facility. These resolutions are factors of 6 and 3 times, respectively, that of the best prior study in the literature. The higher resolution allowed the assignment of many more low-J Q-branch transitions. The range of optical densities available in this study also allowed the extension of observed and assigned transitions to significantly higher J-values than reported in prior studies. Availability of improved standard lines resulted in high quality transition wavenumbers which are accurate to approximately ±0.0001 cm−1. Using proven combination difference techniques and analysis software, this study produces the best available molecular parameters for the ν4 and ν5 states of acetylene. In addition, because acetylene has no permanent dipole moment, this study extends the precision of available ground state parameters B0 and D0 and produces for the first time an estimator of H0. In addition to H0 values for both isotopic species treated, we have obtained for the first time a value for H5 for the dominant isotopmer. The value of H5 for the 13C12CH2 was not determined and thus thought to be significantly smaller than H5 for 12C2H2. This study also obtains l-doubling parameters for both degenerate fundamental states in the lesser isotopmer for the first time as well as H4 for both isotopmers and B4 and D4 for the lesser isotopmer.
Crystal structure of nonsuperconducting Pb2(Sr0.94Nd0.06)2(Nd0.76Sr0.24)Cu3O8

Abstract The crystal structure of Pb2(Sr0.94Nd0.06)2(Nd0.76Sr0.24)Cu3O8 was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound was found to be orthorhombic (Cmmm) with a = 5.437(3), b = 5.472(2), c = 15.797(7)A and Z = 2. In the structure double layers of CuO square pyramids are separated by (Nd, Sr) oxygen deficient layers which are stacked between (PbO)Cu(PbO) slabs. The oxygen in the Pb planes is shifted toward a pair of Pb atoms resulting in an orthorhombic distortion of the tetragonal unit cell. The possibilities for modulations and superlattices are discussed as is the role of the PbO planes in superconductivity.
The role of culture in second language pedagogy

Abstract Just as the influence of intralingual overgeneralization and linguistic universals is now acknowledged in contemporary second language acquisition research, this article attempts to argue for the importance of overgeneralization and universals in helping to explain the impact of culture on second language learning. Research from applied linguistics, as well as examples of the various effects of culture on the language acquisition process, are presented from the following four perspectives: people, language, cognition, and emotions.
Development of a Diffusion Limited Microfluidic Module for DNA Purification via Phenol Extraction

Purification of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by organic-aqueous liquid extraction, also called phenol extraction, is a standard technique commonly utilized in biology laboratories. In order to minimize interaction energies, membrane components and proteins naturally partition to the organic (phenol) phase while the DNA stays in the aqueous phase, where it can be easily removed. In recent years, microfluidics has become a driving force toward more efficient and autonomous platforms for fluid based diagnostics, chemical reaction chambers, separation and preparation of biological materials. In this work, fabrication, and performance of a long microfluidic device for DNA extraction are presented. The devices were fabricated using soft lithography to transfer lithographically defined features into a PDMS structure via replica molding. Stratified-flow experiments using a rhodamine dye conjugated bovine serum albumin protein (BSA) in an aqueous phase were conducted to demonstrate the ability to remove proteins from the aqueous phase into the phenol phase. Additionally, the study of BSA partitioning and DNA isolation in a two-phase system under stratified flow condition were presented, separately and conjunctly. Finally, protein partitioning and DNA recovery obtained with this device could be compared with other types of mixing and extraction such as mixing by droplet formation and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) instability.© 2008 ASME
Thermal Expansion Anomaly Regulated by Entropy

Thermal expansion, defined as the temperature dependence of volume under constant pressure, is a common phenomenon in nature and originates from anharmonic lattice dynamics. However, it has been poorly understood how thermal expansion can show anomalies such as colossal positive, zero, or negative thermal expansion (CPTE, ZTE, or NTE), especially in quantitative terms. Here we show that changes in configurational entropy due to metastable micro(scopic)states can lead to quantitative prediction of these anomalies. We integrate the Maxwell relation, statistic mechanics and first-principles calculations to demonstrate that when the entropy is increased by pressure, NTE occurs such as in Invar alloy (Fe3Pt, for example), silicon, ice and water and when the entropy is decreased dramatically by pressure, CPTE is expected such as in anti-Invar cerium, ice and water. Our findings provide a theoretic framework to understand and predict a broad range of anomalies in nature in addition to thermal expansion, which may include gigantic electrocaloric and electromechanical responses, anomalously reduced thermal conductivity and spin distributions.
Usefulness of right ventricular pulse pressure as a potential sensor for hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia

Abstract The automatic implantabte cardioverter defibrillator has had a major impact on the management of patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Future devices will offer tiered therapy for ventricular arrhythmias, based on a sensor capable of discriminating hemodynamically stable from unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT). We studied 27 patients with sustained VT/ventricular fibrillation during 70 episodes of sustained ventricular arrhythmias (>30 seconds or requiring cardioversion). In this study, phasic arterial pressure (mm Hg), VT cycle length (ms) and right ventricular (RV) pulse pressure (mm Hg) were measured before, during the first 30 beats and after each episode of VT. During the first 10 beats of 23 episodes of unstable VT, the mean (± standard error of the mean) decrease in RV pulse pressure from baseline was 22 ± 1.8 mm Hg; it was 13.8 ± 2A mm Hg during the first 10 beats of 47 episodes of stable VT, (p = 0.01, stable vs unstable). For the next 20 beats of VT, RV pulse pressure decreased from baseline by 22 ± 2.5 mm Hg during unstable and by 12.0 ± 2.5 mm Hg during stable VT (p = 0.0001, stable vs unstable). The percent decrease of RV pulse pressure correlated well with the percent decrease in mean arterial pressure and percent decrease in systolic arterial pressure (r = 0.70; r = 0.69, respectively; p
Ryle and Intentionality

After some opening comments on how I think one should approach the philosophy of mind, I look at what relatively little Gilbert Ryle had to say explicitly about intentionality, that occurring almost exclusively in his several papers on phenomenology. Then, I discuss the notion of intentionality with respect to the doctrines of The Concept of Mind, although neither the word nor the idea, strictly speaking, appears anywhere in the book. Following more exposition of my own views, including an argument I have made for a certain specific theory of intentionality, I close with some reflections on Ryle as a modern-day Aristotelian.
Maximum Likelihood Based Channel Delay Estimation with Limited Number of Samples Using Diagonal Matrix Approximation

To achieve fast and computationally simplified channel estimation, we propose a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) based ``diagonal matrix approximation'' (DMA) scheme which provides an effective solution to overcome the conflict between estimation accuracy, acquisition time, and complexity. Together with over sampling, the proposed scheme exhibits a performance approaching the Cramer-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB), while keeping computational complexity linear to the signal dimensions. The DMA scheme can still perform well even when the sample estimate of the covariance matrix, due to insufficient number of observation samples, is singular. Therefore, the proposed scheme is a viable solution for fast channel estimation.
Living Polymerization of Naturally Renewable Butyrolactone-Based Vinylidene Monomers by Ambiphilic Silicon Propagators

Naturally renewable butyrolactone-based vinylidene monomers, α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MBL) and γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MMBL), have been successfully polymerized in a rapid and living fashion, using ambiphilic silicon propagating species consisting of both the nucleophilic silyl ketene acetal (SKA) initiating moiety and the electrophilic silylium catalyst. Uniquely, the R3Si+ catalyst is derived directly from the SKA initiator upon in situ oxidative activation with a catalytic amount of the trityl borate activator. Investigations into effects of SKA (thus the resulting R3Si+ catalyst) and activator (thus the resulting counteranion) structures have revealed that the Me2C═C(OMe)OSiiBu3/Ph3CB(C6F5)4 combination is the most active and controlled system for (M)MBL polymerizations. Thus, under ambient conditions and with a low catalyst loading (0.05 mol % relative to monomer), this polymerization system rapidly (within 10 min) and completely converts MMBL to PMMBL with controlled low to high (M...
On static quark anti-quark potential at non-zero temperature

Abstract We study Wilson loops at non-zero temperature and extract the static quark potential from them. The extracted potentials are larger than the singlet free energies and do not show screening for T 190 MeV .
Fibronectin matrix-mediated cohesion suppresses invasion of prostate cancer cells

Invasion is an important early step in the metastatic cascade and is the primary cause of death of prostate cancer patients. In order to invade, cells must detach from the primary tumor. Cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions are important regulators of cohesion - a property previously demonstrated to mediate cell detachment and invasion. The studies reported here propose a novel role for α5β1 integrin - the principle mediator of fibronectin matrix assembly (FNMA) - as an invasion suppressor of prostate cancer cells. Using a combination of biophysical and cell biological methods, and well-characterized prostate cancer cell lines of varying invasiveness, we explore the relationship between cohesion, invasiveness, and FNMA. We show that cohesion is inversely proportional to invasive capacity. We also show that more invasive cells express lower levels of α5β1 integrin and lack the capacity for FNMA. Cells were generated to over-express either wild-type α5 integrin or an integrin in which the cytoplasmic domain of α5 was replaced with that of α2. The α2 construct does not promote FNMA. We show that only wild-type α5 integrin promotes aggregate compaction, increases cohesion, and reduces invasion of the more aggressive cells, and that these effects can be blocked by the 70-kDa fibronectin fragment. We propose that restoring capacity for FNMA in deficient cells can increase tumor intercellular cohesion to a point that significantly reduces cell detachment and subsequent invasion. In prostate cancer, this could be of therapeutic benefit by blocking an early key step in the metastatic cascade.
The Effects of Systemic Magnesium Sulfate Infusion on Brain Magnesium Concentrations and Energy State During Hypoxia-Ischemia in Newborn Miniswine

The mechanism of neuroprotection associated with systemically administered magnesium remains unclear. This investigation examined the acute effects of systemically administered MgSO4 on brain extracellular ([Mg]ecf) and intracellular ([Mg]i) fluid Mg concentrations, specific brain phosphorylated metabolites, and brain intracellular pH. Miniswine were studied with P-31 magnetic resonance spectra, to derive [Mg]i, and brain microdialysis probes, to measure [Mg]ecf. Animals were infused with MgSO4 (n = 5, 275 mg/kg over 30 min followed by 100 mg/kg over 30 min, designated MgHI) or Na2SO4 (n = 5, designated NaHI), and both groups underwent hypoxia-ischemia (HI) over the last 15 min of the infusions. Groups differed in plasma [Mg] at the completion of HI (9.1 +/- 1.5 versus 1.1 +/- 0.6 mM for MgHI and NaHI, respectively, p < 0.05). MgHI had elevations of [Mg]ecf (0.23 +/- 0.11 and 0.40 +/- 0.14 mM at control and completion of HI, respectively), and [Mg]ecf was unchanged for NaHI (p < 0.05 versus MgHI). At the completion of HI, MgHI had greater decreases in nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) (48 +/- 6% of control), and more brain acidosis after HI (6.01 +/- 0.07) compared with NaHI (NTP, 70 +/- 3% of control; brain pH, 6.51 +/- 0.14, both p < 0.05 versus MgHI). [Mg]i increased to elevated values during HI in both MgHI and NaHI (p < 0.05 versus control of each group) and remained higher in MgHI over the next 25 min (p < 0.05 versus NaHI). There were inverse correlations during HI between [Mg]i and brain NTP (r2 = 0.73 and 0.59 for MgHI and NaHI, respectively), and brain acidosis (r2 = 0.85 and 0.85 for MgHI and NaHI, respectively) in each group. These findings indicate complex effects of Mg on the brain. Elevation of [Mg]ecf may be beneficial with regards to excitatory neurotransmitters. However, greater disturbance of brain NTP concentration, more acidosis, and the increase in [Mg]i may offset any benefit. The results warrant further investigation using indicators of neuronal injury to determine whether Mg supplementation provides neuroprotection.
Sonographic Evaluation of a Cavoportal Hemitransposition Liver Transplant: A Case Series

Extensive portal vein thrombosis is no longer considered a contraindication for liver transplantation. With cavoportal hemitransposition (portal diversion) or other surgical techniques, patients with portal vein thrombosis who would otherwise succumb to their liver disease are able to receive a transplant. A series of three cases is presented describing the evaluation and liver transplant procedures in patients with portal vein thrombosis. Sonography is shown to be an important tool both for diagnosing portal vein thrombosis and evaluating the portal system following transplantation.
Sentence context influences the interpretation of word meaning by Alzheimer patients

This study examined whether, in Alzheimer patients, verbal context selectively activates elements of a word's meaning that are relevant to the context. Subjects were shown a sentence ending in a target noun, followed by a question about an attribute of that target. The sentence primed either the attribute in the question, a different attribute, or no attribute. Both normals and AD patients answered the question faster when the target had appeared in a context priming that particular attribute. These results suggest that Alzheimer patients retain knowledge of semantic attributes and that these attributes are susceptible to contextual activation.
Fusing optical flow and stereo in a spherical depth panorama using a single-camera folded catadioptric rig

We present a novel catadioptric-stereo rig consisting of a coaxially-aligned perspective camera and two spherical mirrors with distinct radii in a “folded” configuration. We recover a nearly-spherical dense depth panorama (360°×153°) by fusing depth from optical flow and stereo. We observe that for motion in a horizontal plane, optical flow and stereo generate nearly complementary distributions of depth resolution. While optical flow provides strong depth cues in the periphery and near the poles of the view-sphere, stereo generates reliable depth in a narrow band about the equator. We exploit this principle by modeling the depth resolution of optical flow and stereo in order to fuse them probabilistically in a spherical panorama. To aid the designer in achieving a desired field-of-view and resolution, we derive a linearized model of the rig in terms of three parameters (radii of the two mirrors plus axial separation from their centers). We analyze the error due to the violation of the Single Viewpoint (SVP) constraint and formulate additional constraints on the design to minimize the error. Performance is evaluated through simulation and with a real prototype by computing dense spherical panoramas in cluttered indoor settings.
MIP-based detailed placer for mixed-size circuits

By modifying an existing Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) model for optimizing the placement of cells in sliding windows, we develop a detailed placer for large-scale mixed-size circuits. To make it possible to optimize the placement of larger sliding windows in reasonable time, we reduce the number of integer variables in the modified MIP model such that when compared with the original complete MIP model, the solution time is shortened greatly while the solution quality does not degrade much. Experimental results on DAC12 benchmark circuits show that our detailed placer manages to further reduce half-perimeter wirelength (HPWL) of the placement results generated by many other existing detailed placement techniques. Moreover, by making use of a commercial router, we also evaluate the routability of the placement results before and after the application of our detailed placer. Both the routed wirelength and the number of vias in routing solutions are reduced, while the number of design rule violations does not change much for most circuits, implying the routablity of placement results are not perturbed.
Pattern and Predictors of Early Rejection After Lung Transplantation

• BACKGROUND Most lung transplant recipients experience improvement in their underlying pulmonary condition but are faced with the threat of allograft rejection, the primary determinant of long-term survival. Several studies examined predictors of rejection, but few focused on the early period after transplantation. • OBJECTIVES To describe the pattern and predictors of early rejection during the first year after transplantation to guide the development of interventions to facilitate earlier detection and treatment of rejection. • METHODS Data for donor, recipient, and posttransplant variables were retrieved retrospectively for 250 recipients of single or double lung transplants. • RESULTS Most recipients (85%) had at least 1 episode of acute rejection; 33% had a single episode; 23% had recurrent rejection; 3% had persistent rejection; 13% had refractory rejection; and 14% had clinicopathological evidence of chronic rejection. Serious rejection (refractory acute rejection or chronic rejection) developed in 27% of recipients. Compared with other recipients, recipients who had serious rejection had more episodes of acute rejection (P = .004), and the first acute episodes occurred sooner after transplantation (P = .01) and were of a higher grade (P = .002). • CONCLUSIONS Recipients who experienced higher grades for their first episode of acute rejection (P = .03) and higher cumulative rejection scores (P = .004) were significantly more likely than other recipients to have serious rejection during the first year after transplantation. (American Journal of Critical Care.
Emergent leaders as managers of group emotion

Abstract This article proposes a new role for emergent group leaders, that of the manager of group emotions. This description of leadership suggests that individual group members take leadership by providing certainty and direction during times of ambiguity. They are able to assume a leadership role by making an interpretation of the emotional response that best serves the group's needs, and then modeling that response. By modeling a particular emotional response, the leader resolves ambiguity and catalyzes the group to act. Simultaneously, they are able to increase group solidarity by creating shared emotion within the group and communal action. The idea of leadership as group emotional management is not tied to one specific individual, but rather, allows leadership to be enacted by different group members at different times. Leader emergence and leader success would be subject to several conditions, such as the emergent leader's degree of empathy, group norms of emotional expression, and ambiguous feedback regarding the group's performance. Qualitative analysis of group observation reveals several examples of group emotional management that are used to develop the concept. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Pectus bar repair of pectus excavatum in patients with connective tissue disease

Purpose: Few studies address the surgical correction of pectus excavatum (PE) in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD). We have identified the preoperative characteristics, postoperative complications, and outcomes of patients with CTD undergoing bar repair of PE and compared these outcomes to a control group without CTD. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing primary repair of PE with a bar procedure from 1997 to 2006 identified 22 patients with CTD. Of those, 20 (90.9%) had their bars removed. We identified 223 patients of similar age without CTD whose bars were removed. Data collected included demographics, preoperative symptoms, operative characteristics, and postoperative outcomes. Results: Among those with CTD, the median age at repair was 15.5 years, with a mean pectus index of 4.0 ± 1.4. Three patients (13.6%) experienced bar displacement or upper sternal depression requiring surgical revision. Only 1 patient recurred after bar removal. Rates of bar displacement, upper sternal depression, and recurrence were not statistically different than those in the comparison group. Conclusions: Patients with CTD benefit from primary bar repair of PE and experience excellent operative outcomes after repair, with complication rates being no different than those found in similarly aged control patients.
Daily stress, closeness, and satisfaction in gay and lesbian couples

A daily diary analysis of the associations among stress, closeness, and relationship and sexual satisfaction was conducted with a sample of 40 gay male and 55 lesbian couples. Using interdependence theory as a guide, both actor and partner effects of stress, closeness, and their interaction were investigated. As predicted, it was found that participants' own feelings of closeness toward their partners buffered the negative association between stress and satisfaction but that when participants' partners felt particularly close on a stressful day their closeness exacerbated associations between stress and reduced satisfaction. These contrasting effects of closeness underscore the importance of considering the daily processes of both partners contributing to relationship quality.
Measurement Based Physical Layer Modeling for Wireless Network Simulations

Simulation methods have become an integral part of almost all aspects of networking research and particularly in the area of wireless networks. Any new protocol or methodology that is proposed for wireless networks almost always will be demonstrated using simulations. However, there is little evidence that existing models of physical layer signal propagation and signal strength calculations produce realistic or meaningful results. Indeed, there have been a number of empirical studies that have shown little predictability in measured signal strength and packet receipt probability for deployed networks. Common assumptions used in simulation models about the behavior of the wireless signal have been shown to often be invalid. These prior works motivated us to design a stochastic model for wireless signal propagation in our GTNetS simulator. Our model is based on a detailed empirical measurement study and uses random variations to produce more realistic behavior for wireless packet transmissions and reception modeling.
Acid-base balance in a canine model of cardiac arrest

Our study was performed to determine the pattern of arterial, venous, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) acidosis in a canine model of cardiac arrest and resuscitation; and the effect of bicarbonate treatment on arterial, venous, and CSF acidosis. Animals were instrumented to sample arterial blood, mixed venous blood, and CSF through a cisternal catheter. Following six minutes of ventricular fibrillation, manual CPR efforts were begun and continued for 30 minutes of cardiac arrest. Arterial, mixed venous, and CS fluids were sampled at baseline, six, 12, 18, 24, 27, and 30 minutes. Ten experimental dogs received sodium bicarbonate (2 mEq/kg) at 20 minutes of cardiac arrest, while ten animals in the control group received no alkali treatment. The experimental group showed a significantly higher arterial (7.79 ± 0.20 vs 7.46 ± 0.16 at 30 minutes) and venous pH (7.34 ± 0.12 vs 7.19 ± 0.10 at 24 minutes) following bicarbonate administration. This higher pH occurred despite a concomitant increase in arterial (31 ± 10 vs 19 ± 9 mm Hg at 27 minutes; 31 ± 9 vs 10 ± 8 at 30 minutes) and venous (104 ± 30 vs 63 ± 10 mm Hg at 24 minutes) pCO 2 . CSF analysis showed a gradually worsening acidosis. However, CSF pH (7.12 ± 0.14 vs 7.16 ± 0.23 at 30 minutes) and pCO 2 were not significantly changed by the administration of bicarbonate.
Angiomata of skeletal muscle

Abstract Functionally, angiomata may be considered as malignant vascular tumors. Pathologically, there are simple, plexiform, and cavernous types. Pure types of the first two are not often seen, which suggests to some that they are a stage in the development of the cavernous type. The symptom of pain, and the sign of swelling are the patient's complaints. The treatment of choice is radical resection. In the extensive ones, x -ray and/or radium application may retard the growth sufficiently to avoid amputation or prolong the time before it becomes necessary.