cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The politics of development and humanitarianism in EU externalization: Managing migration in Ukraine:

This paper draws from research in Ukraine to analyze how development and humanitarianism are integral to spatial projects of migration management. As a country of origin, transit and destination fo...
Accuracy of Signs and Symptoms for the Diagnosis of Community-acquired Pneumonia: A Meta-analysis.

Background Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is an important source of morbidity and mortality. However, overtreatment of acute cough illness with antibiotics is an important problem, so improved diagnosis of CAP could help reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. Methods This was a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies of patients with clinically suspected pneumonia or acute cough that used imaging as the reference standard. All studies were reviewed in parallel by two researchers and quality was assessed using the QUADAS-2 criteria. Summary measures of accuracy included sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, the diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC) and were calculated using bivariate meta-analysis. Results We identified 17 studies, of which 12 were judged to be at low risk of bias and the remainder at moderate risk of bias. The prevalence of CAP was 10% in nine primary care studies and was 20% in seven emergency department studies. The probability of CAP is increased most by an abnormal overall clinical impression suggesting CAP (positive likelihood ratio [LR+] = 6.32, 95% CI = 3.58 to 10.5), egophony (LR+ = 6.17, 95% CI = 1.34 to 18.0), dullness to percussion (LR+ = 2.62, 95% CI = 1.14 to 5.30), and measured temperature (LR+ = 2.52, 95% CI = 2.02 to 3.20), while it is decreased most by the absence of abnormal vital signs (LR- = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.11 to 0.48). The overall clinical impression also had the highest AUROCC at 0.741. Conclusions While most individual signs and symptoms were unhelpful, selected signs and symptoms are of value for diagnosing CAP. Teaching and performing these high value elements of the physical examination should be prioritized, with the goal of better targeting chest radiographs and ultimately antibiotics.
Light nuclei production in a multiphase transport model for relativistic heavy ion collisions

Based on an improved multiphase transport (AMPT) model, which gives a good description of proton production with a smooth quark matter to hadronic matter transition in relativistic heavy ion collisions, we study deuteron and triton productions from the coalescence of nucleons at the kinetic freezeout of these collisions. For central $\mathrm{Au}+\mathrm{Au}$ collisions at center-of-mass energies $\sqrt{{s}_{\text{NN}}}$ from 7.7 GeV to 200 GeV available at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), we find that the yield ratio ${N}_{\text{t}}{N}_{\text{p}}/{N}_{\text{d}}^{2}$ of proton, deuteron, and triton is a monotonic function of collision energy. Our study confirms the results from similar studies based on different dynamic model, which have either no phase transition or a crossover transition between the quark-gluon plasma and the hadronic matter, that this yield ratio does not show any nonmonotonic behavior in its collision-energy dependence.
Excel and Data Mining

Let’s get right to the topic. Why do we need to learn Excel in our data mining endeavor? It is true that there are quite a few outstanding data mining software tools such as RapidMiner and Tableau that make the mining process easy and straightforward. In addition, programming languages Python and R have a large number of reliable packages dedicated to various data mining tasks. What is the purpose of studying data mining or machine learning through Excel?
Data Augmentation in feature-space with Generative Adversarial Networks, applied to GPR-based Buried Threat Detection

Summary In this work we consider the problem of developing algorithms for automatic buried threat detection (BTD) in ground penetrating radar (GPR) data. Many such algorithms are supervised, and perform best when they can be trained on large quantities of labeled threat and non-threat GPR data, respectively. Unfortunately, such data is costly to collect, and therefore relatively scarce. One approach to mitigate this problem is data augmentation, in which novel training data is created by applying transformations to existing data. Prior work has shown that augmentation can indeed improve the training of GPR-based BTD algorithms. In this work, we explore the use of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) for data augmentation. GANs can be trained to generate novel, but highly realistic, data after training on a real-world dataset. GANs have yielded impressive results on many types of data, but they are notoriously difficult to train. In this work, we propose an approach, entitled featureGAN, that mitigates some of the challenges training GANs. We show that augmentation using featureGAN yields improved detection performance, and yields better performance than some naive alternative augmentation strategies. We also propose a metric for quantifying the success of GAN training, called the q-metric, which was crucial to achieving good results.
A century of discovery: Mining 100 years of honey bee research

Honey bees have been an important area of research and study going back at least to the days of Aristotle in the third century B.C. The amount and breadth of this research have been steadily increa...
Double Stripping: ( He 3 , n ) Reaction

The two-nucleon stripping reaction is examined in detail, with particular reference to the (${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$, $n$) reaction. Three models are studied and compared: (1) the plane-wave Born approximation, (2) the distorted-wave Born approximation, and (3) a simple diffraction model. Zero-range approximations are not assumed a priori. For (1) and (2), the wave functions of the two captured nucleons are taken to be eigenstates of an infinite harmonic oscillator, the strength of which is adjusted to reproduce single-particle eigenfunctions of a finite Saxon well in regions close to the nuclear surface. The first model is primarily employed to show that the modulation of the angular distribution due to the structure of ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ is also sensitive to the form and range of the stripping interaction. Model (2) is used to calculate absolute differential cross sections to various final states, in particular for ${\mathrm{C}}^{12}$, ${\mathrm{O}}^{16}$, Ni, and Sn targets with 20-MeV incident ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ ions. Comparison with experimental data is made where available and agreement is found. To further such comparisons we also compute summed cross sections to several low-lying states of the final nucleus. Spectroscopic weights are obtained for pure and mixed configurations of single-particle wave functions. Model (3) provides insight into the dominant features of the experimental and calculated [model (2)] differential cross sections. These are: (a) a strong forward peaking of the distribution especially for spin 0 to 0 transitions, but also for summed cross sections, (b) an angular distribution for such sums that is roughly independent of the atomic weight of the target nucleus, and (c) an enhancement of cross sections to higher spin states (\ensuremath{\approx} 3 or 4) of final nuclei. These features are not reproduced with model (1).
Enabling DER Participation in Frequency Regulation Markets.

Distributed energy resources (DERs) are playing an increasing role in ancillary services for the bulk grid, particularly in frequency regulation. In this paper, we propose a framework for collections of DERs, combined to form microgrids and controlled by aggregators, to participate in frequency regulation markets. Our approach covers both the identification of bids for the market clearing stage and the mechanisms for the real-time allocation of the regulation signal. The proposed framework is hierarchical, consisting of a top layer and a bottom layer. The top layer consists of the aggregators communicating in a distributed fashion to optimally disaggregate the regulation signal requested by the system operator. The bottom layer consists of the DERs inside each microgrid whose power levels are adjusted so that the tie line power matches the output of the corresponding aggregator in the top layer. The coordination at the top layer requires the knowledge of cost functions, ramp rates and capacity bounds of the aggregators. We develop meaningful abstractions for these quantities respecting the power flow constraints and taking into account the load uncertainties, and propose a provably correct distributed algorithm for optimal disaggregation of regulation signal amongst the microgrids.
C++ Math Class Library: Permutations, Partitions, Calculators, and Gaming

Getting Started Conventions and Notations FOUNDATION MODULES Binomials Compare Utility Classes GAMES Regions Trapezoidal Regions HexGrid CALCULATION MODULES Calculator Functions Applications of Function Permutations Permutation Applications Partitions Partition Applications Bibliography Index.
A Multidisciplinary Biospecimen Bank of Renal Cell Carcinomas Compatible with Discovery Platforms at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona

To address the need to study frozen clinical specimens using next-generation RNA, DNA, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) sequencing and protein analyses, we developed a biobank work flow to prospectively collect biospecimens from patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We describe our standard operating procedures and work flow to annotate pathologic results and clinical outcomes. We report quality control outcomes and nucleic acid yields of our RCC submissions (N=16) to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project, as well as newer discovery platforms, by describing mass spectrometry analysis of albumin oxidation in plasma and 6 ChIP sequencing libraries generated from nephrectomy specimens after histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3) immunoprecipitation. From June 1, 2010, through January 1, 2013, we enrolled 328 patients with RCC. Our mean (SD) TCGA RNA integrity numbers (RINs) were 8.1 (0.8) for papillary RCC, with a 12.5% overall rate of sample disqualification for RIN <7. Banked plasma had significantly less albumin oxidation (by mass spectrometry analysis) than plasma kept at 25°C (P<.001). For ChIP sequencing, the FastQC score for average read quality was at least 30 for 91% to 95% of paired-end reads. In parallel, we analyzed frozen tissue by RNA sequencing; after genome alignment, only 0.2% to 0.4% of total reads failed the default quality check steps of Bowtie2, which was comparable to the disqualification ratio (0.1%) of the 786-O RCC cell line that was prepared under optimal RNA isolation conditions. The overall correlation coefficients for gene expression between Mayo Clinic vs TCGA tissues ranged from 0.75 to 0.82. These data support the generation of high-quality nucleic acids for genomic analyses from banked RCC. Importantly, the protocol does not interfere with routine clinical care. Collections over defined time points during disease treatment further enhance collaborative efforts to integrate genomic information with outcomes.
Diagnosis of neonatal bacteremia by a microblood culture technique. A preliminary report.

A method is described for obtaining blood by heel-stick from high-risk neonatal infants for bacteriologic studies. Results of culture of blood collected by heel-stick are compared to those of simultaneously drawn blood from a peripheral vein. The data obtained suggest that this method may be a useful adjunct in the close surveillance for bacteremia in high-risk neonates.
Cyclohexene oxidation catalyzed by titanium modified hexagonal Y type zeolites

Summary Hexagonal NaY (Si/Al=5.1) and the dealuminated hexagonal NaY (Si/Al=63) type zeolites were modified with titanium by reacting surface silanol groups with titanocene chloride. After calcination to remove organics the resulting titanium containing hexagonal Y zeolites were found to be effective catalysts for the hydrogen peroxide based oxidation of cyclohexene. Preliminary results for XRD, UV-Vis and FT-IR characterization of the zeolite catalysts are presented.
Genetic Analysis of Stress Responses in Soil Bacteria for Enhanced Bioremediation of Mixed Contaminants

The purpose of this project is to provide fundamental knowledge on environment stress response of subsurface bacteria and a radiation-resistant bacterium (Deinococcus radiodurans). This information will be particularly useful in the development of successful bioremediation strategies. These organisms represent two phylogenetically distinct groups of soil bacteria, each of which has specific features of interest for bioremediation. The subsurface bacteria, Sphingomonas spp (Savannah River Site), have unique degradative capabilities of organic waste. The study of subsurface bacteria will serve as a model for bioremediation using indigenous bacteria. D. radiodurans exhibits high resistance to external stress such as ionizing radiation and organic solvent. The study of D. radiodurans will serve as a model for the use of genetically engineered bacteria for bioremediation.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor-1 in cerebral microvessels changes during development and influences urocortin transport across the blood-brain barrier.

In this study we tested the hypothesis that receptor-mediated transport of urocortin across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) undergoes developmental changes. Urocortin is a peptide produced by both selective brain regions and peripheral organs, and it is involved in feeding, memory, mood, cardiovascular functions, and immune regulation. In BBB studies with multiple-time regression analysis, we found that neonatal mice had a significant influx of 125I-urocortin. By contrast, adult mice did not transport urocortin across the BBB. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor (CRHR)-1 was developmentally regulated in enriched cerebral microvessels as well as hypothalamus, being significantly higher in neonatal than adult mice. This change was less dramatic in agouti viable yellow mice, a strain that develops adult-onset obesity. The level of expression of CRHR1 mRNA was 33-fold higher in the microvessels than in hypothalamic homogenates. The mRNA for CRHR2 was less abundant in both regions and less prone to changes with development or the agouti viable yellow mutation. Supported by previous findings of receptor-mediated endocytosis of urocortin, these results suggest that permeation of urocortin across the BBB is dependent on the level of CRHR1 expression in cerebral microvessels. These novel findings of differential regulation of CRH receptor subtypes help elucidate developmental processes in the brain, particularly for the urocortin system.
CHEMICALLY MODIFIED GRAPHENE SHEETS PRODUCED BY THE SOLVOTHERMAL REDUCTION OF COLLOIDAL DISPERSIONS OF GRAPHITE OXIDE

Abstract Chemically modified graphene sheets are obtained through solvothermal reduction of colloidal dispersions of graphite oxide in various solvents. Reduction occurs at relatively low temperatures (120–200 °C). Reaction temperature, the self-generated pressure in the sealed reaction vessel and the reducing power of the solvent influences the extent of reduction of graphite oxide sheets to modified graphene sheets.
Adventures in change management: getting everyone on the same page

Not so long ago at the University of Colorado Boulder the impacts of daily changes to enterprise services weren't understood by the Office of Information Technology's (OIT) own operations staff, much less the faculty, staff, or students they affected. This resulted in changes that were not well coordinated or communicated. As a result, campus constituents didn't know whether service outages were planned or unplanned contributing to a loss in faith of the services and the people who provided them. However, a change process driven by ITIL processes, a website that gives visibility to changes within the organization, a comprehensive communication plan, and regular change advisory board meetings have transformed the process of changing services and communicating their impacts. Now changes to enterprise services at CU-Boulder have visibility to the entire organization, impacts and dependencies are understood, communication to faculty, staff and students is coordinated, and surprises and unintended consequences are minimized.
Clearance Regulation of Mechanical Gas Face Seals: Part I—Modeling

A new state space model is presented for coned face flexibly mounted stator (FMS) mechanical gas face seals. The model employs an analytical representation of the linearized gas film stiffness and damping properties. States are defined for the generalized gas film force modes and the mechanical dynamic modes. The state space formulation is convenient for determining stability limits and also allows for efficient time domain simulation as compared to simulations where convolution integrals must be computed or full numerical simulations employing the Reynolds equation must be utilized. The modeling techniques are applied to a noncontacting mechanical gas face seal, the stability limit is found, and simulation results are compared to a full numerical simulation utilizing the Reynolds equation. The simulation results validate the developed model. The state space model is utilized in Part II to perform controllability and observability analyses and to design reduced order observers to estimate states that cann...
The chemical reactions of the haemagglutinins and neuraminidases of different strains of influenza viruses. II. Effects of reagents modifying the higher order structure of the protein molecule.

The results of treatment of influenza virus strains with chemical reagents acting on the higher-order structure of protein molecules shows that both the haemagglutinating and enzymic activities are susceptible to these agents but there are considerable differences between the different strains and the neuraminidase activity is more sensitive than the haemagglutinating activity.The neuraminidase activity of A and A1 strains is destroyed by urea, guanidine, urea+dithiothreitol and mercuric chloride. The haemagglutinin of the PR 8 and SWINE strains is resistant to urea and mercuric chloride but destroyed by guanidine and by urea+dithiothreitol. The haemagglutinin of the DSP strain of virus A and the A1 strains is resistant to urea, guanidine and mercuric chloride but is destroyed by urea+dithiothreitol.The neuraminidase activity of the A2 strains is more resistant than that of the A and A1 strains. It is resistant to mercuric chloride and partially resistant to urea but is destroyed by guanidine and by urea+dithiothreitol. The A2 haemagglutinin is resistant to urea, urea+dithiothreitol, and mercuric chloride but is destroyed by guanidine.The LEE virus neuraminidase is resistant to urea and partially resistant to guanidine but is destroyed by urea+dithiothreitol and mercuric chloride. The LEE haemagglutinin is resistant to urea, guanidine and mercuric chloride but is destroyed by urea+dithiothreitol.It is suggested that the surface projections of the virus particle are protein polymers each made up of three or four monomers which are the components of the V antigen complex. Antigenic activity is a function of the primary or secondary structure of the monomers, haemagglutinin activity is a function of the tertiary structure of the monomers, while neuraminidase activity is a function of the quaternary structure of the polymer.From studies of the chemical reactions of their haemagglutinins and neuraminidases strains of influenza virus A can be classified into groups. These groups are very similar to but not precisely identical with groupings made by serological methods.
Profile of patients enrolled in a new movement disorder clinic.

To assess the need for a regional expertise in movement disorders, the numbers of patients, clinic visits, and medication changes for a new movement disorder clinic were recorded. During 3 1/2 years, 355 patients were seen, with 1,329 clinic visits. Idiopathic Parkinson's disease was the most common diagnosis, comprising 36% of the population, followed by dystonia (17%), tremor (12%), parkinsonism (i.e., Parkinson's plus syndromes, drug-induced parkinsonism, etc.) (10%), chorea (10%), Tourette's syndrome (6.5%), and tardive dyskinesia (3.4%). Distribution of follow-up visits was similar, with Parkinson's disease (52%) being most frequent and Tourette's syndrome (3.1%) least frequent. The relative utilization of medical care by each patient group was assessed by determining the number of medication changes and the number of clinic visits per follow-up year. No differences in these measures were found using a one-way analysis of variance. Of the Parkinson's disease patients, 67% had Hoehn and Yahr stages III-IV and 77% of the clinic visits were made by this subgroup. When considered in light of the prevalence of each of the diseases, these data show a need for an expertise in movement disorders for a population base of the size we have served.
The Politics of Advocacy in Education

This article provides an overview to this special issue on advocacy and education. It describes three key areas of advocacy in education, including 1) Congress, states, and the courts, 2) Think tanks and philanthropies, and 3) Sociopolitical movements. It also discusses the emerging politics of advocacy within these three areas and introduces the articles that explore these advocacy terrains.
Fabrication and characterization of metal oxide semiconductor capacitor based on layer-by-layer self-assembled thin films

Metal–oxide–semiconductor-capacitor arrays are fabricated on both P and N type silicon wafers using layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembled insulating layers. The vertical dimension of the self-assembled thin film can be precisely controlled as well as the molecular order. Unlike the conventional process, the LbL self-assembly allows one to obtain the thin films for a semiconductor device with a dramatically lower temperature, lower cost and shorter processing time. The deposited thin film is stable and can grow on any substrate other than silicon. The conventional lithographic technique is employed to pattern the self-assembled thin films, resulting in an extremely high reproducibility. This enables the possibility of industrial applications to fabricate devices with this simplified and versatile technique. A CCD camera was used to produce the image of the pattern, and a white light interferometric microscope was used to measure the dimension and surface roughness of the produced device. The quartz crystal microbalance served to monitor the growth of the self-assembled thin films.
Hating God: the Untold Story of Misotheism, by Bernard Schweizer, Oxford University Press: New York, 2010, 256 pp. ISBN 978-0-19-975138-9, US$ 29.95 (hbk)

Hating God: the Untold Story of Misotheism, by Bernard Schweizer, Oxford University Press: New York, 2010, 256 pp. ISBN 978-0-19-975138-9, US$ 29.95 (hbk) Misotheism? God-hatred. I had never heard ...
Analytical IC Metal-Line Capacitance Formulas (Short Papers)

In semiconductor IC technology, capacitance formed by the multilevel interconnection metal lines usually dominate circuit performance. However, for lack of accurate formulas, a numerical method usually has to be used to determine these capacitances. Two analytical capacitance formulas were derived using approximate conformal mapping techniques. One formula gives the capacitance of a finite-thickness metal line over a conducting ground plane, or over a silicon surface. The other formula gives the capacitance of the same metal line, but with an additional conducting metal line over it. The formulas are most accurate for metal lines whose width exceeds the dielectric thickness; accuracy increases with Iinewidth. They are accurate to 1 percent for a metal line whose width is comparable to the dielectric thickness. With these simple formulas, statistical distribution of the metal-line capacitances can be easily determined in a few seconds of computer time.
Miniature Carbon Monoxide Detector Based on Nanotechnology

A highly sensitive miniature carbon monoxide (CO) gas detector is introduced. The detector makes use of the very high catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles are deposited on the surfaces of an array of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The CO gas is transformed into CO2 as it comes in contact with the nanoparticles, and free electrons are released. The extra free electrons result in a measurable reduction in the resistivity of the CNT array. The detector has proved to be very sensitive at room temperature to CO gas concentrations as low as 100 parts per million. It is characterized by a very small size and can be easily powered with a battery.
Comparative immunocytochemical characterization of neurofibrillary tangles in experimental maytansine and aluminum encephalopathies

The neurofibrillary tangles induced by maytansine and aluminum are stained by the peroxidase-anti-peroxidase method, using antibodies raised against the 68, 150 and 200 kdaltons polypeptide subunits of normal neurofilaments. The immunoreaction with each of the 3 antisera occurs regardless of the location of the neurofilament accumulation, whether in perikarya, dendrites or axons. It is very likely that the filaments of the neurofibrillary tangles induced by both aluminum and maytansine contain all the 3 neurofilament subunits.
Cervical spine instability following axial compression injury: a biomechanical study

Abstract Background Axial compression injuries of the cervical spine occur during contact sports, automobile collisions, and falls. The objective of this study was to use flexibility tests to determine biomechanical instability of the cervical spine due to simulated axial compression injuries. Hypothesis We hypothesized that the axial compression injuries cause severe biomechanical instability throughout the cervical spine. Materials and methods The injuries were simulated using 2.4 m/s head-first impacts of a cadaveric cervical spine model ( n = 10) mounted horizontally to a torso-equivalent mass on a sled and carrying a surrogate head in protruded posture. Intact and post-impact flexibility tests were performed up to 1.5, 3, and 1.5 Nm in flexion-extension, axial torque, and lateral bending, respectively. Instability parameters of range of motion (RoM) and neutral zone (NZ) were determined for injured spinal levels and statistically compared ( P Results The sagittal instability parameters indicated extension-compression injuries at the upper and middle cervical spine and flexion-compression injuries at the lower cervical spine. Increases in extension RoM were 14.9° at the upper cervical spine and 24.9° ( P Discussion Multidirectional instability of the upper cervical spine caused by atlas and dens fractures was evidenced by increases between 36% and 53% in RoM and NZ due to the impacts. The sagittal RoM of injured spinal levels of the middle and lower cervical spine exceeded a proposed threshold for clinical instability by between 67% and 114%. The instability documented throughout the cervical spine was consistent with clinical observations of cord injuries and paralysis in patients. Level of evidence Level IV, controlled laboratory investigation.
AIDS-talk and the constitution of cultural models

Abstract In a village in rural Haiti, a cohort of 20 adults was interviewed annually in order to trace the development of a cultural model of AIDS. It was possible to document the initial lack of a cultural model of AIDS followed by the elaboration over time of a widely shared representation of the new disorder. A number of steps important to this process were identified: exposure to illness or rumor of it; a high ranking in a hierarchy of percieved stress leading to sustained attention; and the generation of illness stories. It is argued that these stories provide the matrix within which nascent representations were anchored. The significance of intercurrent ‘large-scale’ political changes in the process of narratization is also underlined.
Learning for intelligent mobile robots

Unlike intelligent industrial robots which often work in a structured factory setting, intelligent mobile robots must often operate in an unstructured environment cluttered with obstacles and with many possible action paths. However, such machines have many potential applications in medicine, defense, industry and even the home that make their study important. Sensors such as vision are needed. However, in many applications some form of learning is also required. The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of recent technical advances in learning for intelligent mobile robots. During the past 20 years, the use of intelligent industrial robots that are equipped not only with motion control systems but also with sensors such as cameras, laser scanners, or tactile sensors that permit adaptation to a changing environment has increased dramatically. However, relatively little has been done concerning learning. Adaptive and robust control permits one to achieve point to point and controlled path operation in a changing environment. This problem can be solved with a learning control. In the unstructured environment, the terrain and consequently the load on the robot’s motors are constantly changing. Learning the parameters of a proportional, integral and derivative controller (PID) and artificial neural network provides an adaptive and robust control. Learning may also be used for path following. Simulations that include learning may be conducted to see if a robot can learn its way through a cluttered array of obstacles. If a situation is performed repetitively, then learning can also be used in the actual application. To reach an even higher degree of autonomous operation, a new level of learning is required. Recently learning theories such as the adaptive critic have been proposed. In this type of learning a critic provides a grade to the controller of an action module such as a robot. The creative control process is used that is “beyond the adaptive critic.” A mathematical model of the creative control process is presented that illustrates the use for mobile robots. Examples from a variety of intelligent mobile robot applications are also presented. The significance of this work is in providing a greater understanding of the applications of learning to mobile robots that could lead to many applications.
Fish oil increases peripheral capillary blood cell velocity in humans

Abstract Fish oils containing n − 3 fatty acids have been shown in humans to decrease platelet aggregation in vitro, lower plasma triglycerides, and to increase bleeding time. The in vivo effects of fish oils on microcirculatory blood flow in humans has not been studied to date. Twenty-one male subjects were randomly assigned to either olive oil (n =10) or fish oil (n = 11) supplemented groups to determine the effects of these oils on capillary blood flow velocity (CBV) in the nailfold area. The subjects were given the oils for three weeks (1.5 g oil/10 kg b.wt./day) in a single blind study design. In addition to CBV plasma lipid profiles, blood viscosity, blood pressure and platelet and erythrocyte fatty acids were also determined prior to and after the dietary intervention. Fish oil supplementation significantly increased CBV, by 1.75-fold (0.144 ± 0.069 to 0.253 ± 0.147 mm/s). The olive oil group remained unchanged. Increased levels of n − 3 fatty acids were noted in platelets and erythrocytes of the fish compared to olive oil-supplemented groups. Blood visocity was unaltered in both groups, however, blood pressure in the olive oil supplemented group was significantly decreased. Plasma triglycerides were significantly decreased in the fish oil supplemented group. These observations suggest that increases in CBV after fish oil supplementation are due to changes in vascular tone and not to alterations in blood pressure or blood viscosity.
Effects of growth hormone treatmentin children with Prader-Willi syndrome

Short stature, decreased muscle mass (hypotonia), increased body fat, decreased bone mineral density and other somatic abnormalities are major causes of morbidity and social limitation in individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome. Detailed studies indicate that two major endocrine pathologies may account for many of these somatic abnormalities. A true deficiency of the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor axis is a principal cause of the short stature and is probably a major contributor to the decreased muscle mass and osteopenia. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is the probable primary cause of osteopenia and osteoporosis. No other endocrine abnormalities have been specifically identified in Prader-Willi syndrome, although there may be increased risks of premature adrenarche and type 2 diabetes mellitus, both secondary to obesity. GH replacement therapy is effective in normalizing linear growth and also has positive effects on muscle mass and function, and on bone mineralization. Judicious gonadal steroid replacement may be effective in treating the osteopenia and preventing osteoporosis. GH and gonadal steroid replacement therapy should be considered for all patients with Prader-Willi syndrome.
Distribution of Variances of Single Molecules in a Disordered Lattice

Single molecule spectroscopy in disordered lattice is investigated from a theoretical point of view. We consider energy fluctuations of the molecule due to dipolar interactions with two level syste...
Lessons in successful Somali governance

‘Somalia’ is often portrayed as the quintessential ungovernable, failed state – with pirates, terrorists and humanitarian crises as a consequence. This article tells how Somalis in Somaliland and Puntland today have realised a degree of successful governance in the Horn of Africa.
Respiratory-related evoked potentials in children with life-threatening asthma.

Respiratory-related evoked potentials (RREPs) have been elicited by inspiratory occlusion and recorded over the somatosensory cortex. The first positive peak (P1) amplitude has been correlated with the magnitude of inspiratory loads. Since children with life-threatening asthma (LTA) have a decreased perceptual sensitivity of inspiratory loads, we hypothesized that a subpopulation of patients with LTA have an impaired ability to sense mechanical loads, and that these patients would have an abnormal RREP. The RREP was recorded from CZ –C3 and CZ –C4 in three groups: LTA asthmatic, control asthmatic, and nonasthmatic children. Two inspiratory-interruption occlusions trials and a control trial were recorded. All the evoked potentials were analyzed after the averaged control trial was subtracted from the averaged occlusion trials. The RREP P1 peak was observed in all 14 nonasthmatic children and in 14 of 15 control asthmatic children. The RREP was absent in 6 of 11 patients with LTA. When present, there were n...
Lifestyle adjustments of adults with long-term implantable left ventricular assist devices: A phenomenologic inquiry

Abstract Objective To explore and describe the lifestyle adjustments made by adult recipients of a long-term implantable left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Methods A phenomenologic inquiry was used to uncover the lifestyle adjustments of 7 men and 2 women, ages 31 to 70 years, who had an LVAD for more than 3 months after hospital discharge. Results An overarching theme, “adjustment takes time,” represents the lifestyle adjustments of the study participants. Early adjustment was highlighted by participants’ concerns with physical, psychologic, and environmental aspects, whereas late adjustment was highlighted by behaviors associated with acceptance of the LVAD as an integral component of their bodies and lives. Conclusion This study provides insight into the patient’s perspective regarding the challenges faced in living with an LVAD. The findings inform health care providers in the acute and critical care settings in assisting patients to positively adjust with the lifestyle imposed by an LVAD.
Canonical and non-canonical JAK–STAT signaling

Aberrant activation of the JAK–STAT pathway has been implicated in many human cancers. It has widely been assumed that the effects of STAT activation are mediated by direct transcriptional induction of STAT target genes. However, recent findings in Drosophila have identified a non-canonical mode of JAK–STAT signaling, which directly controls heterochromatin stability. This indicates that the JAK–STAT pathway also controls cellular epigenetic status, which affects expression of genes beyond those under direct STAT transcriptional control. Given the evolutionary conservation of the canonical pathway among different species, the non-canonical mode of JAK–STAT signaling might also operate in vertebrates. In this review, canonical versus non-canonical JAK–STAT signaling and the implications for gene regulation and cancer formation are discussed.
On the heterogeneity of the deoxyribonucleic acid associated with crystalline yeast cytochrome b2

Abstract 1. 1. The buoyant density of cytochrome b2 DNA before and after heating and quick-cooling suggests considerable helicity, and observations on the action of Escherichia coli exonucleases I and III on the DNA support this interpretation. 2. Enzymic and chemical investigation of the 3′- and 5′-phosphoryl and 3′- and 5′-hydroxyl end groups of the DNA indicate that these ends are heterogeneous. An average molecular weight range of 20 000–80 000 is estimated from these studies. 3. Cytochrome b2 DNA serves as a primer for E. coli DNA polymerase, thereby permitting a study of overall nearest-neighbor base frequencies. Also, by the use of Mn2+, a single ribonucleotide is incorporated in place of the corresponding deoxyribonucleotide in the product; alkaline hydrolysis of this product releases fragment which can be analyzed for base sequence. Both approaches support the conclusion that the cytochrome b2 DNA is a heterogeneous population of molecules of the size indicated above or else that to be homogeneous in nucleotide sequence its weight must exceed 100 000.
Effects of sodium butyrate and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine on the synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin in human placental cells transformed by tsA mutants of simian virus 40.

The synthesis of hCG and its subunits was studied in simian virus 40 (SV40) tsA mutant-transformed human first trimester and term placental cells at 33 C (the temperature at which the cells have the transformed phenotype) and 40 C (the temperature at which the temperature-sensitive tsA transformants regain their nontransformed phenotype). In the presence of sodium butyrate at 33 C, synthesis of both hCG and hCGa was greatly induced in the tsA transformants. At 40 C, hCG synthesis was induced by sodium butyrate, although to a lesser extent than at 33 C. Yet, hCGa synthesis was inhibited by sodium butyrate at 40 C. In the presence of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd) at 33 C, hCG synthesis was not affected in the transformed first trimester placental cells and was induced in the transformed term placental cells. In the presence of BrdUrd at 40 C, hCG synthesis was induced in both forms of placental cells. The synthesis of the free hCG α-subunit appeared to be controlled differently. At 33 C, hCGα synthesis w...
TU‐A‐217A‐02: Radiographic Tomosynthesis: Reconstruction Algorithms

Digital tomosynthesis is a form of limited angle tomography, in which section (slice) images are produced from a series of discrete projection images acquired at different angles. The simplest form of tomosynthesisreconstruction is the shift‐and‐add technique, whereby the projection images are shifted with respect to one another and then summed to render a particular section of the patient. While this technique is efficient, it also leaves blurry artifacts from structures that are outside of the plane of interest. High quality tomosynthesisreconstruction therefore requires some means of reducing these blurry artifacts. Three approaches have been widely reported for tomosynthesisreconstruction with blur removal: (1) filtered backprojection, (2) matrix inversiontomosynthesis, and (3) various iterative reconstruction schemes. Fundamentals of these three approaches will be discussed, along with the advantages and limitations of each. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the basics of tomosynthesisreconstruction 2. To understand the mathematical background and implementation strategies for filtered backprojection, matrix inversiontomosynthesis, and iterative reconstruction schemes 3. To understand the relative advantages and disadvantages of the three reconstruction algorithmsResearch sponsored in part by NIH and GE Healthcare.
Tidal flushing of an estuarine embayment subject to recurrent dinoflagellate blooms

A rhodamine dye tracer study was conducted over eight tidal cycles to investigate mixing and tidal exchange processes in Perch Pond, a Cape Cod embayment subject to recurrent blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate, Gonyaulax tamarensis. Dye injected at the inlet to Perch Pond during flood tide became well-mixed within the pond in one day and was removed at an effective first order rate of 0.36 d−1, equivalent to a 70% utilization of the maximum possible tidal exchange. This relatively high flushing efficiency can be attributed to a density-driven circulation within the pond, consisting of a subsurface inflow of high salinity dense water on the flood tide followed by removal of lighter surface layers through the shallow inlet during ebb tide. The formation of a frontal convergence near the inlet on flood tide is consistent with the observed distribution of G. tamarensis cysts and shelifish toxicity. It is also clear that phytoplankton like G. tamarensis, whose maximum growth rates approximate the rate of tidal flushing, can only bloom within the embayment by avoiding the outflowing surface waters. Mixing within the pond is probably less efficient and population losses greater during dry periods when the pond salinity is higher and the stratification weaker.
Morbidity and Mortality in Heart Transplant Candidates Supported With Mechanical Circulatory Support Is Reappraisal of the Current United Network for Organ Sharing Thoracic Organ Allocation Policy Justified

Background—Survival of patients on left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) has improved. We examined the differences in risk of adverse outcomes between LVAD-supported and medically managed candidates on the heart transplant waiting list. Methods and Results—We analyzed mortality and morbidity in 33 073 heart transplant candidates registered on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list between 1999 and 2011. Five groups were selected: patients without LVADs in urgency status 1A, 1B, and 2; patients with pulsatile-flow LVADs; and patients with continuous-flow LVADs. Outcomes in patients requiring biventricular assist devices, total artificial heart, and temporary VADs were also analyzed. Two eras were defined on the basis of the approval date of the first continuous-flow LVAD for bridge to transplantation in the United States (2008). Mortality was lower in the current compared with the first era (2.1%/mo versus 2.9%/mo; P<0.0001). In the first era, mortality of pulsatile-flow LVAD patients w...
Regulation of exocytosis in neurons and neuroendocrine cells

Neurons communicate with one another through the release of molecules from synaptic vesicles and large dense core granules through the process of exocytosis. During exocytosis, molecules are released to the extracellular space through a fusion pore, which can either dilate, resulting in full fusion, or close, resulting in incomplete exocytosis, often referred to as 'kiss and run' exocytosis. Recently, there has been much interest in the regulation of this process in both neurons and neuroendocrine cells. There has been much recent work that addresses the existence of incomplete exocytosis in neurons and neuroendocrine cells, as well as recent work probing the molecular components and modulation of the fusion pore.
Intuitive procedure for constructing geometrically complex objects using cyclides

Abstract In the past, cyclide surfaces have been used effectively for the variable radius blending of natural quadric intersections. However, attempts to use cyclides for constructing realistic, freeform composite surfaces met with rather limited success. The paper presents a simple procedure for creating and manipulating geometrically complex objects using tubular cyclide pieces. The method described is intuitive from the designer's point of view, and it is based on the fundamental definitions and properties of the cyclide. Various practical issues involved in this design procedure are discussed, several extensions of the basic technique are described, and implemented examples are provided.
Ab Initio MO Study of the Unimolecular Decomposition of the Phenyl Radical

The unimolecular decomposition of the C6H5 radical has been studied by ab initio molecular orbital and statistical-theory calculations. Three low-energy decomposition channels, including the commonly assumed decyclization/fragmentation process yielding n-C4H3 + C2H2, have been identified. With a modified Gaussian-2 method of Mebel et al. (ref 17), the energy barrier for the decyclization of C 6H5 was calculated to be 66.5 kcal/mol with the corresponding recyclization energy of 5.6 kcal/mol. The two open-chain 1-dehydrohexa1,3-dien-5-yne radicals (with HCC œ H cis and trans structures) may undergo further fragmentation reactions producing n-C4H3 + C2H2 and l-C6H4 (1,5-hexadiyn-3-ene) + H with the predicted barriers of 44.0 and 36.1 kcal/mol, respectively. The dominant decomposition channel of C6H5 was found to take place barrierlessly by C-H breaking, producing o-C6H4 (o-benzyne) + H with the predicted endothermicity of 76.0 kcal/mol. RRKM calculations have been carried out for the production of n-C4H3 + C2H2, l-C6H4 + H, and o-C6H4 + H with the coupled multichannel mechanism, which includes the reversible decyclization/recyclization reactions. The results of the calculations indicate that at T < 1500 K o-C6H4 is the major product of the decomposition reaction. Above 1500 K, the formation of l-C6H4 becomes competitive with its cyclic isomer. However, the formation of the commonly assumed n-C4H3 + C2H2 products was found to be least competitive. Rate constants for all three product channels from C6H5 as well as those from the bimolecular reaction of n-C4H3 with C2H2 producing C6H5, o-C6H4 + H, and l-C6H4 + H have been calculated as functions of temperature and pressure for practical applications.
Measurement of Quality of Life in Men With Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer continues to be one of the most common cancers diagnosed in men. In light of the excellent survival rates for prostate cancer, quality of life is a primary concern during and following prostate cancer treatment. Quality of life is defined and determined in multiple ways. This article explores quality of life in men with prostate cancer. Quality-of-life dimensions, measurement tools, and implications of quality of life with prostate cancer on clinical practice for oncology nurses will be presented.
The Psychology of risk

The essay contrasts the scientific approach to analyzing and making decisions about risk with the ways that ordinary people perceive and respond to risk. It highlights the importance of trust as a determiner of perceived risk. It describes relatively new research on "risk as feelings" and the "Affect Heuristic". Finally reflects on the importance of this work for risk communication and concludes with some observations about human rationality and irrationality in the face of risk.