cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Achieving MIMO performance with single-antenna radios

Multiple-antenna systems have been shown to provide significant performance improvements over single-antenna systems. Theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental testing corroborate improvements in capacity and transmit power/energy savings. Unfortunately, co-located MIMO radios have numerous disadvantages compared to single-antenna radios; such as more complex RF and modem signal processing, inability to provide sufficient antenna spacing for soldier communication frequencies, increased radio size form factors and higher digital hardware power requirements. In this work, we propose to use simple and low cost single-antenna radios in “distributed groups” to form MIMO virtual arrays. Virtual arrays are created by “clusters” of single-antenna transmitters and receivers, respectively, each of which work cooperatively together and can be shown to provide many of the benefits of co-located MIMO systems. We used a 2×2 USRP-based MIMO OFDM system to perform field measurements with the objective to determine throughput and capacity performance compared to SISO OFDM. We compared performance by changing channel propagation environment, antenna spacing, RF frequency and propagation distance. In some channel environments, throughput gains (TPG) of 2X were found with range gain (RNG) of 2X compared to the same SISO OFDM system. We found that optimal antenna spacing may be environment dependent, which motivated us to develop a more general distributed MIMO system approach that could be utilized for field measurements in nearly any configuration desired. Subsequently, we developed a 2-transmit and (1–4)-receive distributed OFDM MIMO model suitable for single-antenna radios, with simulations that support a RNG of between 2.25X and 5.5X.
Microwave Sources, Sensors, and Devices

The generation of microwaves has been the main impediment to the development of microwave systems until the late 1930’s, when the first practical microwave sources were developed. Naturally, these were essentially vacuum tubes but the principles involved had to be different than those used for low frequency vacuum tubes. The limitations of interelement capacitance, for example, was one of the major problems in extending the operation of vacuum tubes to higher frequencies. The transit time of the electrons was of such orders of magnitude that it was not practical to operate beyond the lowest ranges of microwaves. The specially developed microwave tubes operate on velocity modulation of the electron beam and transition time does not play a role in these devices.
Bankable Postage for Network Services

We describe a new network service, the ”ticket server”. This service provides ”tickets” that a client can attach to a request for a network service (such as sending email or asking for a stock quote). The recipient of such a request (such as the email recipient or the stockbroker) can use the ticker server to verify that the ticket is valid and that the ticket hasn’t been used before. Clients can acquire tickets ahead of time, independently of the particular network service request. Clients can maintain their stock of tickets either on their own storage, or as a balance recorded by the ticket server. Recipients of a request can tell the ticket server to refund the attached ticket to the original client, thus incrementing the client’s balance at the ticket server. For example, an email recipient might do this if the email wasn’t spam. This paper describes the functions of the ticket server, defines a cryptographic protocol for the ticket server’s operations, and outlines an efficient implementation for the ticket server.
Coordinate-free Coverage in Sensor Networks with Controlled Boundaries via Homology

Tools from computational homology are introduced to verify coverage in an idealized sensor network. These methods are unique in that, while they are coordinate-free and assume no localization or orientation capabilities for the nodes, there are also no probabilistic assumptions. The key ingredient is the theory of homology from algebraic topology. The robustness of these tools is demonstrated by adapting them to a variety of settings, including static planar coverage, 3-D barrier coverage, and time-dependent sweeping coverage. Results are also given on hole repair, error tolerance, optimal coverage, and variable radii. An overview of implementation is given.
Carrot daucus carota hypocotyl transformation using agrobacterium tumefaciens

Daucus carota hypocotyl sections were transformed withAgrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 containing CaMV 35S promoter, β-glucuronidase coding sequence and the nopaline synthase (Nos) poly adenylation sequences in Bin 19. Sliced sterile seedling hypocotyl segments were preincubated for 2 days, co-cultivated withAgrobacterium for an additional 2 days, and then transferred to medium containing 100ug/ml of kanamycin and 400ug/ml carbenicillin. In 6 weeks kanamycin resistant calli were obtained in 5.8% of the explants from one variety. Calli were subcultured on solid medium, and in 4 weeks introduced into suspension culture. NPTII and Southern blot analysis confirmed that three selected lines were transformed with 1-3 copies of the GUSII construction. GUS activity in transformants was 5 to 250 fold over background.
Thermally induced stresses in an optical-fiber coating

Pressure at the fiber-coating interface and stresses in the coating are computing for cooling of single-coated optical fibers. For simplicity the fiber is treated as rigid, mechanically and thermally. The largest tensile stress in the coating is found to be axial. E. Suhir's (1990) analysis is extended by removal of some errors and unnecessary inconsistencies which are quantitatively, if not qualitatively, significant. The thermal stress analysis of a single-layer coating on a relatively rigid fiber is put on a consistent plain-strain basis. >
Radio frequency control system for the DUVFEL

A new RF control system was designed and implemented to support short pulse High Gain Harmonic Generation (HGHG) experiments, which require subpicosecond synchronization between the laser and the accelerating RF fields. This control system consists of a 81 MHz crystal oscillator to drive both the Ti::Sapphire laser and a 2856 MHz synthesizer, direct vector modulators that control the amplitude and phase of the klystron drive and vector de-modulators for amplitude and phase measurement. RF and electron beam based measurement results of the RF to laser jitter are presented as well as experimental results of synthesizing the RF directly from the 81.6 MHz pump laser pulse train.
MODELING AND INFORMATION IN THE DESIGN PROCESS

This paper examines how models and information are used in engineering, and especially in the engineering design process. Model use and information content are both important and strongly coupled, if only because models are used to develop information upon which basis engineering decisions are made and outcomes achieved. Classical decision theory suggests that the quality of a decision-making process is independent of the outcome, and yet models are used to obtain the best information possible in order to achieve the best outcome. This paper considers definitions of models, the implications of the information content of engineering models, and the role(s) models play in design decision making. It is suggested that a taxonomy of design models may be useful to the extent that it connects to both the type and quality of information it imparts, and to the quality of the outcome desired. The type of model is important for self-evident reasons; the quality of information is also important because design models must be predictive in ways that enable design. The quality of the outcome is important since that is the underlying point of a design process.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Phase II clinical trials on investigational drugs for the treatment of pancreatic cancers.

Introduction: Despite some recent advances in treatment options, pancreatic cancer remains a devastating disease with poor outcomes. In a trend contrary to most malignancies, both incidence and mortality continue to rise due to pancreatic cancer. The majority of patients present with advanced disease and there are no treatment options for this stage that have demonstrated a median survival > 1 year. As the penultimate step prior to Phase III studies involving hundreds of patients, Phase II clinical trials provide an early opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of new treatments that are desperately needed for this disease.Areas covered: This review covers the results of published Phase II clinical trials in advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma published within the past 5 years. The treatment results are framed in the context of the current standards of care and the historic challenge of predicting Phase III success from Phase II trial results.Expert opinion: Promising therapies remain elusive in pancreatic ca...
University start-up formation and technology licensing with firms that go public: a resource-based view of academic entrepreneurship

Abstract Although academic entrepreneurship is a topic receiving some attention in the literature, higher education's appetite for expanding technology transfer activities suggests that more research is needed to inform practice. This study investigates the effects of particular resource sets on two university commercialization activities: the number of start-up companies formed and the number of initial public offering (IPO) firms to which a university had previously licensed a technology. Utilizing multisource data on 120 universities and a resource-based view of the firm framework, a set of university financial, human capital, and organizational resources were found to be significant predictors of one or both outcomes.
Uncertainty in allometric exponent estimation : A case study in scaling metabolic rate with body mass

Many factors could influence the allometric scaling exponent b estimation, but have not been explored systematically. We investigated the influences of three factors on the estimate of b based on a data set of 626 species of basal metabolic rate and mass in mammals. The influence of sampling error was tested by re-sampling with different sample sizes using a Monte Carlo method. Small random errors were introduced to measured data to examine their influence on parameter estimations. The influence of analysis method was also evaluated by applying nonlinear and linear regressions to the original data. Results showed that a relative large sample size was required to lower statistical inference errors. When sample size n was 10% of the base population size (n ¼ 63), 35% of the samples supported b ¼ 2/3, 39% supported b ¼ 3/4, and 15% rejected b ¼ 0.711, even though the base population had a b ¼ 0.711. The controversy surrounding the estimation of b in the literature could be partially attributable to such small sample sizes in many studies. Measurement errors in body mass and base metabolic rate, especially in body mass, could largely increase alpha and beta errors. Analysis methods also affected parameter estimations. Nonlinear regressions provided better estimates of the scaling exponent that were significantly higher than these commonly estimated by linear regressions. This study demonstrated the importance of the quantity and quality of data as well as analysis method in power law analysis, raising caution in interpreting power law results. Meta-data synthesis using data from independent studies seems to be a proper approach in the future, but caution should be taken to make sure that such measurements are made using similar protocols.
A comparative analysis of swallowing accelerometry and sounds during saliva swallows

Accelerometry (the measurement of vibrations) and auscultation (the measurement of sounds) are both non-invasive techniques that have been explored for their potential to detect abnormalities in swallowing. The differences between these techniques and the information they capture about swallowing have not previously been explored in a direct comparison. In this study, we investigated the differences between dual-axis swallowing accelerometry and swallowing sounds by recording data from adult participants and calculating a number of time and frequency domain features. During the experiment, 55 participants (ages 18-65) were asked to complete five saliva swallows in a neutral head position. The resulting data was processed using previously designed techniques including wavelet denoising, spline filtering, and fuzzy means segmentation. The pre-processed signals were then used to calculate 9 time, frequency, and time-frequency domain features for each independent signal. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were utilized to compare feature values across transducers and patient demographics, respectively. In addition to finding a number of features that varied between male and female participants, our statistical analysis determined that the majority of our chosen features were statistically significantly different across the two sensor methods and that the dependence on within-subject factors varied with the transducer type. However, a regression analysis showed that age accounted for an insignificant amount of variation in our signals. We conclude that swallowing accelerometry and swallowing sounds provide different information about deglutition despite utilizing similar transduction methods. This contradicts past assumptions in the field and necessitates the development of separate analysis and processing techniques for swallowing sounds and vibrations.
An Impetus to Move the Field Forward: A Look at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Participants’ Views of the Prospects for Change

In September 2009 key stakeholders convened for the invitation-only Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS): Issues and Solutions conference. This paper provides a brief synopsis of the key high points and issues in children’s mental health (CMH) and describes the process by which participants collectively brainstormed the priorities and distilled the four key foci for the new action agenda, and summarizes the key outcomes. In addition, this paper offers participants’ perspectives on the conference. Based on observation notes and post-conference qualitative interviews, this paper reports conference participants’ feedback on the event, their views on the prospects for change generated by the conference and suggestions for follow-up.
Diagnostic Utility of Craving in Predicting Nicotine Dependence: Impact of Craving Content and Item Stability

INTRODUCTION Craving is useful in the diagnosis of drug dependence, but it is unclear how various items used to assess craving might influence the diagnostic performance of craving measures. This study determined the diagnostic performance of individual items and item subgroups of the 32-item Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU) as a function of item wording, level of craving intensity, and item stability. METHODS Nondaily and daily smokers (n = 222) completed the QSU on 6 separate occasions, and item responses were averaged across the administrations. Nicotine dependence was assessed with the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives. The discriminative performance of the QSU items was evaluated with receiver-operating characteristic curves and area under the curve statistics. RESULTS Although each of the QSU items and selected subgroups of items significantly discriminated dependent from nondependent smokers, certain item subgroups outperformed others. There was no difference in discriminative performance between use of the specific terms urge and crave or between items assessing intention to smoke relative to those assessing desire to smoke, but there were significant differences in the two major factors represented on the QSU and in craving items reflecting more intense relative to less intense craving. Stability of the item scores was strongly related to the discriminative performance of craving. CONCLUSIONS Items indexing stable, high-intensity aspects of craving that reflect the negative reinforcing effects of smoking will likely be most useful for diagnostic purposes. Future directions and implications are discussed.
Analysis of the sheep genome

The identification of genes controlling several traits of interest in sheep has been accomplished by positional candidate cloning. In these studies, the trait is first mapped to a specific chromoso...
Working Mothers and the Work of Culture in a Papua New Guinea Society

Issues of mothering and work, though often spoken about in practical terms, express deeper concerns about the transmission and acquisition of cultural values and the part mothering plays in the creation of the self in society. Based on a case study of the Murik of Papua New Guinea and recent insights into intersubjectivity and recognition of the motherchild relationship, I argue that Murik mothers deploy their capacity for subject-subject interaction in ways that teach children crucial cultural schemas related to work, food, and recognition. In negotiating intersubjectivity, mother and child establish the broad outlines of a competent self in a cultural world.
RN transitions: frustration, inhibition or aversion?

Three groups of rats were trained and extinguished (Phase I) in an alley, and retrained and extinguished (Phases II and III) under RN, NR, and RR reward schedules. An exhaust system was operative in the alley in Phases I and III but inoperative in Phase II. The results show that with the simple schedules employed, odors do not appear to mediate the running responses. Ss which received the RN schedule were generally less resistant to extinction than Ss receiving the other schedules. Following Phase III, Ss in Group RN were retrained and extinguished under the NR sequence, and Ss in Group NR were shifted to the RN sequence. The results showed that if S received an NR sequence at some point in training later behavior was much more influenced by this schedule than the previous RN sequence. Also, it appeared that RN schedules are aversive, perhaps like the “Time-out” phenomenon.
Comparison of Pentoxifylline Pharmacokinetics Between Smokers and Nonsmokers

Pentoxifylline is a synthetic xanthine derivative and is hepatically cleared. The natural dimethylxanthines theobromine and theophylline have been shown to have enhanced metabolism in smokers when compared with nonsmokers. Subsequently, the effect of smoking on pentoxifylline plasma concentrations was investigated. Twenty healthy volunteers (10 smokers and 10 nonsmokers) received pentoxifylline 400 mg as a controlled-release tablet every 8 hours for 17 doses. Several blood samples were collected for 8 hours after the final dose. These samples were assayed for pentoxifylline and its metabolites. The mean values of the smokers were compared with those of the nonsmokers. With respect to pentoxifylline, no statistically significant differences in maximum concentration and time of maximum concentration were observed between the two groups. Although no statistical differences in plasma concentrations and area-under-the-curve at steady state (AUCss) were observed, the oral clearance of pentoxifylline among the smokers (.22 +/- .08 L/minute/kg) was significantly greater (P < .05) than that among the nonsmokers (0.15 +/- 0.06 L/minute/kg) when corrected for body weight. With respect to the pentoxifylline metabolite 1-(5-hydroxy-hexyl)-3,7-dimethylxanthine (MI), the maximum concentration and AUCss of the smokers were significantly decreased when compared with the nonsmokers. The AUCss of the smokers was 1438 +/- 819 ng.hour/mL and of the nonsmokers was 2864 +/- 1375 ng.hour/mL (P < .02). The results of this trial suggest that smoking tends to reduce pentoxifylline plasma concentrations and significantly reduces MI plasma concentrations.
Microarray analysis of virulence gene profiles in Salmonella serovars from food/food animal environment

Introduction: Rapid, accurate and inexpensive analysis of the disease-causing potential of foodborne pathogens is an important consideration in food safety and biodefense, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the use of a robust and inexpensive microarray platform to assay the virulence gene profiles in Salmonella from food and/or the food animal environment, and then use ArrayTrack TM for data analysis. Methodology: The spotted array consisted of 69 selected Salmonella-specific virulence gene probes (65bp each). These probes were printed on poly-L-lysine-coated slides. Genomic DNA was digested with Sau3AI, labeled with Cy3 dye, hybridized to the gene probes, and the images were captured and analyzed by GenePix 4000B and ArrayTrack TM , a free software developed by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) researchers. Results: Nearly 58% of the virulence-associated genes tested were present in all Salmonella strains tested. In general, genes belonging to inv, pip, prg, sic, sip, spa or ttr families were detected in more than 90% of the isolates, while the iacP, avrA, invH, rhuM, sirA, sopB, sopE or sugR genes were detected in 40 to 80% of the isolates. The gene variability was independent of the Salmonella serotype. Conclusions: This hybridization array presents an accurate and cost-effective method for evaluating the disease-causing potential of Salmonella in outbreak investigations by targeting a selective set of Salmonella-associated virulence genes.
1. On the Assignment of Individuals to Latent Classes

Consider an m-way cross-classification table (for m = 3, 4, …) of m dichotomous variables that describes (1) the 2m possible response patterns to a set of m questions (where the response to each question is binary), and (2) the number of individuals whose responses to the m questions can be described by a particular response pattern, for each of the 2m possible response patterns. Consider the situation where the data in the cross-classification table are analyzed using a particular latent class model having T latent classes (for T = 2, 3, …), and where this model fits the data well. With this latent class model, it is possible to estimate, for an individual who has a particular response pattern, what is the conditional probability that this individual is in a particular latent class, for each of the T latent classes. In this article, the following question is considered: For an individual who has a particular response pattern, can we use the corresponding estimated conditional probabilities to assign this...
Black Mexicans, Conjunctural Ethnicity, and Operating Identities Long-Term Ethnographic Analysis

This article draws on more than 15 years of research to analyze “Black Mexicans,” phenotypically “Mexican-looking” youth who identified as Black during adolescence, used this identity to become upwardly mobile, and then abandoned it in early adulthood. Black Mexicans are potentially iconic cases among emerging varieties of U.S. ethnic and racial life, given Mexicans’ status as a key, usually negative, case in assimilation theory. Most such theory posits that assimilation into Black, inner-city culture leads to downward mobility. To explain how and why this did not happen for Black Mexicans, I propose a sensitizing framework using the concepts of conjunctural ethnicity, emphasizing analysis of racial and ethnic identity in local, historical, and life course contexts; and operating identity, which analyzes identities in interactions and can accommodate slippage in informants’ understanding or use of ethnic and racial categories. Some Mexicans used a Black culture of mobility to become upwardly mobile in the...
What Do Stakeholders Add to Identification of Conservation Lands

The Highlands Conservation Act of 2004 (H. R. 1964) mandated a comprehensive review of five conservation values throughout Pennsylvania's Highland region. Generally, experts conduct such work and routinely dismiss stakeholder input as unnecessary because the latter lack the level of understanding and knowledge held by those “who really understand the issues.” In this article, we compare the lands identified by experts to those identified by stakeholders in Pennsylvania's Highlands and present the process used and correspondence between places identified by the experts and stakeholders. Findings indicate the stakeholders were very capable of identifying important conservation areas. Future efforts should recognize the capacity of stakeholders to contribute to such processes and efforts.
Effects on Mitochondrial K Flux of pH, K Concentration, and N-Ethyl Maleimide

Based on published evidence that cation transport in mitochondria is not significantly dependent on a membrane potential, it is suggested that the process of mitochondrial cation transport may be nonelectrogenic. These experiments focused on the possibility that K+ flux into rat liver mitochondria may be directly coupled, via an energy-linked carrier mechanism, to OH− influx or H+ efflux. The dependence of the unidirectional K+ influx on the external K+ concentration indicates involvement of a saturable mechanism. Increasing the external pH from 7.0 to 8.0 increases the apparent Vmax of the K+ influx without significantly altering the apparent Km for K+. The pH dependence is greater in the presence of N-ethyl maleimide, a known inhibitor of the mitochondrial Pi/OH− exchange mechanism. N-Ethyl maleimide decreases the apparent Vmax at pH 7.0 and increases it at pH 8.0. Evidence indicates that both N-ethyl maleimide and a high external Pi concentration may stimulate the K+ influx at alkaline external pH (8.0...
Mode ordering in tuning fork structures with negative structural coupling for mitigation of common-mode g-sensitivity

This paper reports a method of mode ordering in tuning fork structures, effectively inducing a negative coupling stiffness between the resonant proof masses. The coupling mechanism selectively stiffens the undesirable in-phase resonance mode and softens the desirable out-of-phase resonance, thus widening the frequency separation between the desirable and undesirable modes of vibration in tuning fork structures. In gyroscopes, the approach leads to improved robustness to fabrication imperfections and immunity to environmental vibrations, while at the same time enhancing the scale factor and reducing the noise. Advantages of the method are illustrated on a Quadruple Mass Gyroscope (QMG) architecture, which was previously reported. It is experimentally demonstrated that the common-mode g-sensitivity can be reduced by over 20 times with design modifications resulting in mode re-ordering.
Millimeter and sub-millimeter radiation from a unique compact oscillator

We propose a new technique to produce millimeter and sub-millimeter radiation. By mingling two electron beams of slightly different energies, the well-known two-stream instability will develop. This instability can be controlled by properly modulating the beams near their inception, allowing such a device to act as an oscillator at a selectable radiation frequency in the millimeter and sub-millimeter ranges. Preliminary simulations of this device indicate amplification of 100-GHz radiation, with convenient scaling up to 1 THz. Additionally, an experiment merely requires two low-voltage, low-current electron beams and straightforward beam and millimeter-wave optics; The total beamline length can easily fit under a meter. Initial predictions of this simple and compact device can generate up to 100 W of 1-THz radiation.
Spawning Site Fidelity, Catchment, and Dispersal of Common Snook along the East Coast of Florida

AbstractA population's fidelity to spawning sites and variation in the strength of site fidelity among individuals are influential components of fish population dynamics. The literature on fidelity to aggregation sites is dominated by studies on marine species, whereas less is known about the fidelity of euryhaline species to spawning aggregation sites. We used passive acoustic telemetry to quantify intra-annual and interannual site fidelity and resident habitat associated with spawning sites (inlets) for 280 sexually mature Common Snook Centropomus undecimalis through an array of more than 200 receivers deployed in rivers, estuaries, inlets, and nearshore waters along 320 km of Florida's Atlantic coast. Fish were detected four times as often at and made twice as many trips to a primary spawning inlet than to secondary inlet sites. Fish displayed interannual site fidelity, returning to the primary inlet for as many as five consecutive reproductive seasons. Overall, individuals returned to their primary in...
A Novel Integrator-less Robust Adaptive Control Scheme for Aerospace Tracking Applications

This paper presents an optimal control scheme to help track a reference command and if necessary a dynamic model with desirable transient characteristics. A nominal model-following controller for the linearized system is designed using LQR with an error feedback. Typically, integrators are augmented to the state space for non-zero reference tracking by error feedback. In this case, the control at steady state based on the known system dynamics is pre-calculated and is used to modify the performance index. This formulation allows error feedback without necessitating the addition of an integral state and the solution of the algebraic Riccati equation can be used to obtain the tracking controller gains. However in the presence of unmodeled dynamics and nonlinearities, the steady state control needs to be redefined. This is done by using neural network based observers to identify the unknown quantities and update the control. The system stability is analyzed and Lyapunov based weight update rules are applied to the neural networks to guarantee the boundedness of the error in estimation and weights. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, the simulation results for a 2-DOF helicopter tracking problem and the short period dynamics of a fighter aircraft are presented.
The development of a Spanish language instrument to measure genetic knowledge of diabetes mellitus type 2.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to develop a Spanish-language measure of genetic knowledge relevant to type 2 diabetes for use with members of the ethnically heterogeneous U.S. Latino community. DESIGN Review of the literature and expert content analysis guided initial instrument development. The instrument was pretested in three cognitive interview waves with 36 Latinos representative of Mexican, Central and South American, and Cuban heritage. Interview analysis indicated potential sources of response error and guided an iterative process of instrument refinement. RESULTS Difficulties associated with item interpretation, grammatical structure, and comprehension were identified. Analysis indicated that revisions improved item quality and enhanced cultural and linguistic appropriateness of the instrument. CONCLUSIONS Field testing suggested initial validity of a Spanish-language instrument to measure genetic knowledge relative to type 2 diabetes. IMPLICATIONS A Spanish-language measure of genetic knowledge can guide nursing interventions that support culturally appropriate integration of genetics into health care.
Surveillance analysis on residents death causes in Ping'an county of Qinghai province in 2011

Objective To explore the level of mortality as well as life expectancy,find out the main death causes in national surveillance sites,so as to provide the scientific evidence for health policy making in Qinghai province. Methods Data of death cause network report was collected from Ping'an county in 2011,analyzed the main death causes. Results The life expectancy of local residents is 71. 21,which of male and female is68. 87 and 74. 29 respectively; The crude mortality rate of local residents is 489. 85 /100000,which of male and female is 542. 60 /100000 and 435. 94 /100000 respectively. The standardized mortality rate of local resident is 466. 52 /100000. The top 5 death causes are circulatory system diseases,cancer,respiratory system diseases,Trauma and digestive system diseases respectively; the top 5 single death causes are cerebrovascular disease,stomach cancer,Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,traffic accident and liver disease. Conclusions The deaths caused by the chronic and non-communicable diseases are main death causes in Ping'an county,comprehensive intervention aimed at their risk factors is in urgent need.
Facial resurfacing with the Limberg flap.

The Limberg flap is a valuable tool in teaching the art of local flap design. It is a versatile addition to the armamentarium of any surgeon for it provides a precise mathematical design for closure of both the primary and secondary (donor) defects.
Significance of Echocardiographically Detected Central Venous Catheter Tip–Associated Thrombi

Abstract Purpose To explore significance, management, and outcomes of central venous catheter (CVC) tip–associated thrombi incidentally detected on echocardiography. Materials and Methods Echocardiogram data from all patients with CVCs from October 2009 to June 2011 were reviewed (N = 170). Patients with CVC tip–associated thrombi were selected (n = 49). Echocardiograms were reviewed for ejection fraction, presence of patent foramen ovale (PFO), presence of other intracardiac shunts, and mean thrombus size. Management decisions, thrombus extension, pulmonary embolism, paradoxical emboli, and stroke within 3 months were recorded. Results Mean thrombus size was 2.1 cm (range, 0.5–5.7 cm). Of patients with thrombi, 11 (22%) were already on anticoagulation, and there was no change in management. Anticoagulation was started without complications in 17 (35%) patients, the catheter was removed in 4 (8%) patients, and no new treatment was initiated in 17 (35%) patients. Of these 17 patients, 16 (94%) developed no complications. One (6%) patient with a PFO and right-to-left shunt experienced a stroke before PFO closure. After surgical closure of the PFO, the same patient developed catheter tip–associated thrombus without complication. There were no pulmonary emboli, strokes, or other detected embolic phenomena. Conclusions In this sample with CVC tip–associated thrombi but without PFO or other intracardiac shunts, no embolic or other complications were detected, regardless of anticoagulation status. These data suggest a benign course for such thrombi and that anticoagulation, catheter removal, thrombectomy, and thrombolysis may be unnecessary when catheter tip–associated thrombi are incidentally detected on echocardiography.
Catheter Ablation in Pediatric Patients

Although pediatric patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RCA) share many features with their adult counterparts, numerous important differences also exist. These differences (outlined in substantial detail in Chapter 133 of the second edition 1 and Chapter 114 of the third edition of this textbook 2 ) are not discussed in their entirety in this chapter, but the salient points are emphasized. Also, as in the previous editions, updated data from the ongoing Pediatric RCA Registry will be used in the various sections of the chapter.
Sources of altered biodistribution in FDG-PET and potential impact on SUV quantification

2020 Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the etiology and impact of altered FDG biodistribution on SUVmax. Methods Twenty-five patients with altered biodistribution were identified and the medical history including information provided by the patient was reviewed to determine the source. SUVmax was performed on large muscle groups, heart, liver, and tumors when present. In addition, 11/25 patients also had one scan with a normal biodistribution, and the respective SUVmax were compared between the normal and altered biodistribution groups using the Wilcoxon non-parametric test. Results Sources of altered biodistribution included use of growth hormones (2/25), steroids (6/25), less than 6-hour fast (4/25), diabetes (5/25), recent muscle exertion (3/25), and unknown source (5/25). Muscle SUVmax was significantly increased in patients with altered biodistribution (mean relative difference = +63.6%, p Conclusions Significant increases in muscle SUVmax and decreases in liver SUVmax were seen in patients with altered biodistribution. This may confound the interpretation of changes in tumor SUVmax and particularly tumor-to-background ratios. Therefore, attention to scheduling, education, preparation and treatment of patients undergoing FDG-PET should be part of routine clinical practice
Source diversity for contrast transfer function imaging

Propagation-based phase retrieval using the contrast transfer function (CTF) allows images at any propagation distance to be used when recovering the phase of slowly-varying objects. The CTF suffers from artifacts due to nulls in the transfer function at low spatial frequency and at higher, propagation-distance-dependent frequencies, though the latter can be alleviated by combining measurements at multiple distances. We demonstrate that the use of extended sources can improve low frequency performance. In addition, this method offers source shape as a parameter that can be used when optimizing combinations of measurements to produce robust phase reconstructions.
Toward Meaningful Interdisciplinary Education: High School Teachers’ Views of Mathematics and Science Integration

Numerous national initiatives call for interdisciplinary mathematics and science education, but few empirical studies have examined practical considerations for integrated instruction in high school settings. The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold. First, the study sought to describe how and to what extent teachers integrate mathematics and science curricula in their classrooms after having participated in an intervention to promote and support mathematics and science integration. Second, the study was intended to expand our understanding of the barriers to and factors that enable integrated approaches in high school classrooms. The theoretical component of this study builds on and adapts previous models of science and mathematics integration to introduce the Intradisciplinary, Cross-disciplinary, Mutlidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary (ICMI) framework for identifying and defining classroom integration strategies. Findings include a description of several distinct practices high school teachers related to integrated instruction as well as the trade-offs teachers considered when making decisions related to integrated curricula. The implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed. Finally, we propose the conceptualization of “interdisciplinary pedagogical content knowledge” in mathematics and science as an area of focus that will enable teachers to successfully move toward interdisciplinary instruction.
84 Dispossessing firearms from domestic violence perpetrators: does it matter for workplace intimate partner homicides?

Statement of Purpose Workplace homicide (WPH) is the number one cause of death among female workers. Workplace Intimate Partner Homicide (WP-IPH) accounts for a large portion of female WPH. Greater than 80% of all-type WPH involve a firearm. State laws that include firearm dispossession provisions within their Domestic Violence Restraining Order (DVRO) legislation are associated with reduced rates of intimate partner homicide (IPH). We sought to determine, at the state-level, if differences between firearm and non-firearm WP-IPH exist by presence of firearm dispossession provisions. Methods We ascertained counts of firearm and non-firearm female WP-IPH occurring from 2011–2015 from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. We calculated state-specific rates of WP-IPH per million female workers using Bureau of Labour Statistics labour force estimates. Presence of firearm dispossession provisions were determined using legal research. We used a I‡2 test for statistical independence to examine differences. We compared rates of WP-IPH within mechanism of death using rate ratios. Results Findings from this study will ascertain if there are statistical differences between WP-IPH committed by firearms versus non-firearms by the presence of firearm dispossession provisions. Rate ratios will determine if the rates of WP-IPH committed by firearms are similar across states with and without firearm dispossession provisions. Conclusion/Significance This is the first study to examine DVRO firearm dispossession provisions and WP-IPH. Results will be relevant for policy makers interested in worker safety and health.
Framework for evaluating and optimizing algae façades using closed-loop simulation analysis integrated with BIM

Abstract According to the U.S. Department of Energy, about 40% of U.S. energy was consumed by the building sector in 2015. Among building components, the facade is critical for minimizing cooling load and optimizing thermal comfort. Related to energy efficiency improvements and waste treatment capabilities, algae facades have been studied to improve the performance of building envelopes. In 2013, an algae facade was applied to a building in Germany, but further applications have not been implemented and its feasibility is still questionable. This study presents a framework to explore the critical factors when deploying algae facades in buildings, analyze energy and waste stream encompassing algae facades, and evaluate the performance considering various building contexts. This research aims to present a framework of closed-loop simulation analysis based on Building Information Modeling (BIM). The framework is composed of: 1) the algae facade is integrated in BIM as one of components, 2) closed-loop energy and waste streams are modelled through a system dynamics model (SDM) for evaluating the impact of algae facades and considering by-product recycling, and 3) algae facade data in BIM is retrieved to be used in the SDM. Contributions from this research are related to promoting more integrated design and construction processes by integrating algae facade components in BIM. Energy and waste flows from the algae facade will be evaluated in a more reliable manner through closed-loop simulation analysis. This framework can also contribute to determine feasibility when the algae facade is applied differently in a building and/or applied in various buildings by running the BIM-integrated SDM simulation iteratively.
Developing Multicenter Registries to Advance Quality Science

There are several benefits to clinical registries as an information repository tool, ultimately lending itself to the acquisition of new knowledge. Registries have the unique advantage of garnering much data quickly and are, therefore, especially helpful for niche populations or low-prevalence diseases. They can be used to inform on the ideal structure, process, or outcome involving an identified population. The data can be used in many ways, for example, as an observational tool to reveal associations or as a basis for framing future research studies or quality improvement projects.
A View of Revival of Mathematical Logic in Warsaw, 1945–1975

This is a (biased) account of the revival of Foundations of Mathematical Logic, and more generally Foundations of Mathematics after WWII. The perspective is limited to years 1945–1975. This coincided with the activities of Professor Andrzej Mostowski, the principal leader of the foundational research in Poland during the reported time. Moreover, in this text, we focus on the development of Foundations in Warsaw, which misses an important aspect of the foundational research in Poland of the time, specifically in Wroclaw. Even the description of the Warsaw efforts is incomplete, not covering Foundations of Geometry. We focus on activities of three main researchers: Andrzej Mostowski, Helena Rasiowa and Andrzej Grzegorczyk.
Comparison of enhanced visual and haptic features in a virtual reality-based haptic simulation

An experiment was conducted to compare the learning effects following motor skill training using three types of virtual reality simulations. Training and testing were presented using virtual reality (VR) and standardized forms of existing psychomotor tests, respectively. The VR training simulations included haptic, visual and a combination of haptic and visual assistance designed to accelerate training. A comparison of performance test results prior to and following training revealed conditions providing haptic assistance to yield lower scores related to fine motor skill training than the visual-only aiding condition. Similarly, training in the visual condition resulted in comparatively lower cognitive skill scores. The present investigation incorporating healthy subjects was designed as part of an ongoing research effort to provide insight on the design of VR simulations for rehabilitation of motor skills in patients with a history of mTBI.
Transparency of industry payments needed in clinical practice guidelines.

The Evidence-Based Medicine Manifesto1 outlines steps to develop more trustworthy evidence. These steps include reducing conflicts of interest and producing better, more usable clinical practice guidelines. Here, we argue that self-disclosure of industry payments by guideline panellists is inadequate and often inaccurate. The international community should come together to require open and transparent reporting of all industry payments made to physicians by drug and device companies. Such an initiative would accomplish many things, including better policies and verification of conflicts of interests for guideline panel members. In the USA, the Open Payments Program—established as part of the Affordable Care Act—catalogues payments made to physicians by pharmaceutical and device companies and classifies payments by type. General payments include consulting fees, honoraria, gifts, food and beverage, and travel; research payments include funds received for basic and applied research or product development; associated …
Applications of Very Fast Inorganic Crystal Scintillators in Future HEP Experiments

Future HEP experiments at the energy and intensity frontiers require fast inorganic crystal scintillators with excellent radiation hardness to face the challenges of unprecedented event rate and severe radiation environment. This paper reports recent progress in application of fast inorganic scintillators in future HEP experiments, such as thin layer of LYSO crystals for a shashlik sampling calorimeter and a precision TOF detector proposed for the CMS upgrade at HL-LHC, undoped CsI crystals for the Mu2e experiment at Fermilab and yttrium doped BaF_2 crystals for Mu2e-II. Applications of very fast crystal scintillators for Gigahertz hard X-ray imaging for the proposed Marie project at LANL will also be discussed.
Predictors and Sequelae of Postoperative Delirium in Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients.

Introduction:Perioperative delirium in elderly hip fracture patients has been correlated with significant morbidity. The purpose of this study was to determine the preoperative risk factors for and...
Finite Element Modeling of Production-Induced Compaction and Subsidence in a Reservoir along Coastal Louisiana

ABSTRACT Zhou, Y. and Voyiadjis, G.Z., 2019. Finite element modeling of production-induced compaction and subsidence in a reservoir along coastal Louisiana. Journal of Coastal Research, 35(3), 600–...
Revision Endoscopic Surgery of the Sphenoid Sinus

• Revision sphenoid sinus surgery is usually most easily performed after a complete ethmoidectomy.
Hypothetical Control of Heart Rate Variability.

In the last three decades, the analysis of heart rate variability by nonlinear methods demonstrated the complexity of cardiovascular regulation. Additionally to the observations of periodic heart rate regulation by the autonomic nervous system, the long-term statistics of the heart rate has been determined to reminisce a tempered Levy process. A number of heuristic arguments have previously been made to support a tempering conjecture, using exponentially truncated waiting times for the time intervals between heart beats. Herein we use the fractional probability calculus to frame our arguments and to parameterize the control process that tempers the Levy process through a collective-induced potential. We also determine that the hypothesis of a self-induced nonlinear potential control resulting in such a tempered Levy process is consistent with the hypothesis of disease being the loss of physiologic complexity made over 25 years ago.