cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comments on "Uniformly Loaded Plates of Regular Polygonal Shape"

VW = -q M = (Mx + My)/(l + v) subject to M = 0 on the boundary and noting that Mx = My = (1 + v)M/2 at the centers. Since the preceding plate problem is analogous to the torsion of a polygonal rod, for which point-matching solutions are available, the central moments in the plate are readily obtained. It may also be mentioned that the maximum deflections in membranes with invariant tension may be written down by analogy from the third column of the authors' Table 2 of Ref. 1.
Statistical analysis for coherent optical-imaging systems with registration errors

Coherent images of diffuse objects exhibit two fundamental noise artifacts: speckle noise that is due to the use of coherent illumination and photon noise that is due to fundamental limitations in the detection of electromagnetic radiation. Because of the nature of speckle noise, slight changes in the source-scene–sensor geometry can give rise to independent speckle-noise realizations, which can, in turn, be used to form ensemble averages and reduce the speckle-induced degradations. The very nature of this procedure, however, can result in a collection of images that are not registered relative to one another, and new distortions, unrelated to the speckle effect, will be seen in the resulting images. Our goal, therefore, is to present a statistical analysis of coherent optical-imaging systems that collect and average independent, photon-limited speckle images with registration errors and to use this analysis in the derivation of mean-square-error and signal-to-noise ratio expressions that are applicable for both image-domain and spatial-frequency-domain analyses.
Lymphangiosarcoma in two cats

Cutaneous tumours consisting of irregular empty anastomosing spaces lined by spindle cells were diagnosed as lymphangiosarcoma in two cats. The tumour cells exhibited the characteristic lining up along pre-existing collagen and muscle fibres. Because of the small number of cases of lymphangiosarcoma in cats, conclusions regarding biological behaviour or breed incidence are not made.
Retention Loss of Implant Attachments: A Case Report

Smokeless tobacco in conjunction with a persistent habit pattern resulted in dramatic loss of retention with a Zest-type implant attachment. (Zest Anchors, Inc, Escondito, CA).
Shining Light and Illuminating Murine Atherosclerosis via Optical Coherence Tomography

> “Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.” > > –Saint Thomas Aquinas In vivo visualization and quantification of plaque burden and plaque macrophages are major goal in the field of atherosclerosis imaging, particularly in highly utilized mouse models of atherosclerosis. Thus far, vascular MRI has demonstrated the ability to quantify and track murine atherosclerosis at moderate resolution.1,2 In addition, molecular imaging approaches have illuminated plaque macrophages in vivo.3,4 However, only a few approaches, such as intravital fluorescence microscopy, have provided high-resolution (<100 micrometer) imaging of plaque macrophages in murine atherosclerosis.5,6 Intravital fluorescence microscopy imaging, however, is limited by light penetration and is also impractical to use for comprehensive aortic imaging, a major zone of atherosclerosis in genetically altered mice. See accompanying article on page 1150 In this issue of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, …
A two-dimensional ballistocardiographic study of 59 apparently normal persons; an analysis of the IJ segment as it relates to body surface area and the anatomic position of the heart.

Simultaneous longitudinal and transverse ballistocardiograms were obtained from 59 apparently normal persons. A highly significant correlation was found to exist between body surface area and basal longitudinal "IJ" amplitude. The significance of this is discussed. The transverse IJ amplitude is shown to be related to the rotation of the heart about the anteroposterior axis of the body.
Accuracy of linear temporomandibular joint measurements with cone beam computed tomography and digital cephalometric radiography

Introduction: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is making headway into imaging for orthodontics. The purpose of this study was to define CBCT multi-planar reformatted projections for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) examination and compare the accuracy of linear measurements of the TMJ and related structures from these projections with similar measurements made with conventional cephalograms and with the anatomic truth. Methods: Linear dimensions between 11 anatomical sites were measured with a digital caliper to assess the anatomic truth for 25 dry human skulls. The skulls were imaged with iCAT (Xoran Technologies, Ann Arbor, Mich/Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, Pa) CBCT, and cephalograms were made in all 3 orthogonal planes (lateral cephalometric [LC], posteroanterior [PA], and submentovertex [SMV]) acquired with photostimulable phosphor plates. Linear measurements were made on 7 custom CBCT reconstructions and the digital cephalograms. Modality means and the natural log of the standard deviations were compared post hoc against the actual dimensions by using analysis of variance with the Dunnett t test. Significance was set at P Results: All CBCT measurements were accurate; however, 3 of 5 LC measurements, 4 of 5 PA measurements, and 4 of 6 SMV measurements varied significantly from the truth. Intraobserver CBCT measurements were highly reliable compared with anatomic truth and significantly more reliable than measurements made from LC, PA, and SMV images. Conclusions: Custom oblique multi-planar reformatted reconstructions with iCAT CBCT provide accurate and reliable linear measurements of mandibular and TMJ dimensions.
Simulative analysis of the RapidIO embedded interconnect architecture for real-time, network-intensive applications

RapidIO is an emerging standard for switched interconnection of processors and boards in embedded systems. We use discrete-event simulation to evaluate and prototype RapidIO-based systems with respect to their performance in an environment targeted towards space-based radar applications. This application class makes an ideal test case for a RapidIO feasibility study due to high system throughput requirements and real-time processing constraints. Our results show that a baseline RapidIO system is well suited to space-based radar, providing significant improvements over typical bus-based architectures. Our results also show that extensions to the RapidIO protocol such as cut-through routing and transmitter-controlled flow-control would provide minimal performance improvements for the applications under study.
Rate and timing dependent plasticity in a biophysical model of synaptic plasticity.

Activity dependent synaptic plasticity is typically induced by delivering a large number (~1000) of highly regular electrical stimuli, designed to saturate the synaptic strengths. However, natural spike trains typically contain a small number of spikes with variable regularity. We investigate how spike patterns with physiologically realistic spike counts generate plasticity using a standard, biophysical model of calcium-dependent plasticity. We find that for physiological spike patterns, there exists a resonant frequency (fmax) that induces maximal firing rate dependent potentiation and periodic stimuli produce substantially more plasticity than aperiodic ones. Frequency dependent facilitation (depression) of the synapses does not affect the fmax but increases (decreases) the amount of plasticity; relative change in the amount of plasticity varies with number of spikes. The model combines the rate dependent plasticity with spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP) and shows that the direction of STDP depends both on the number of postsynaptic spikes that a single presynaptic spike is paired with and on the frequency of postsynaptic discharge. We discuss experimental tests of these results, and their functional significance for learning under natural, dynamical conditions.
Success and Predation of Bird Nests in Grasslands at Valley Forge National Historical Park

Abstract Populations of grassland birds are declining in the Northeast due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Fragmentation of grasslands can contribute to lower breeding success of grassland birds by altering local predator communities. Using miniature video cameras, I estimated nest success and identified nest predators in grassland fragments at Valley Forge National Historical Park in southeastern Pennsylvania. Estimated nest-success probability for Sturnella magna (Eastern Meadowlark) at Valley Forge was 0.25 (0.04–0.65, n = 7) and similar to estimates from the Midwest, but slightly lower than other studies in the Northeast. Nest success for Spizella pusilla (Field Sparrow; 0.77 [0.31–0.98, n = 8]) and Agelaius phoeniceus (Red-winged Blackbird; 0.48 [0.18–0.80, n = 10]) was higher than estimates from other studies. The local predator community identified at Valley Forge was less diverse than documented in other studies, with only 4 species depredating 8 of 25 monitored nests. The primary predator was ...
Experimental Model of Type II Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus-Induced Thrombocytopenia in Neonatal Calves

Thrombocytopenia has been associated with type II bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in immunocompetent cattle, but the mechanism is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to develop and characterize a model of type II BVDV-induced thrombocytopenia. Colostrum-deprived Holstein calves were obtained immediately after birth, given a BVDV-negative and BVDV antibody-negative plasma transfusion, housed in an isolation facility, and randomly assigned to either control ( n 5 4) or infected (n 5 5) groups. Infected calves were inoculated by intranasal instillation on day 3 of age with 10 7 TCID50 of the prototype type II isolate, BVDV 890, whereas control calves were sham inoculated. Blood counts and virus isolations from serum, white blood cells, and platelets were performed daily until day 12 after infection, at which time all experimental calves were euthanatized, and pathologic, virologic, and immunohistochemical examinations were performed. On physical examination, the control calves remained normal, but the infected calves developed pyrexia and diarrhea characteristic of type II BVDV infection. The platelet count decreased in all infected calves, and a statistically significant difference in the platelet count between control and infected calves was observed on days 7-12 after infection. In addition, the mean platelet volume and white blood cell counts also decreased. Examination of the bone marrow from the infected calves revealed immunohistochemical staining for BVDV antigen in megakaryocytes and evidence of concurrent megakaryocyte necrosis and hyperplasia. Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is an important pathogen of cattle, resulting in worldwide economic losses. Outbreaks of severe, peracute disease in adult cattle and calves were reported in 1993 in the United States and Canada. 8,12,27 These outbreaks, which in- volved beef, dairy, and veal operations, were charac- terized by fever, diarrhea, abortion, leukopenia, throm- bocytopenia, and death. Prior to 1993, it was generally believed that acute infections with BVDV resulted in mild disease, without considerable mortality. 2 The BVDV isolates from these outbreaks were analyzed, and the type II genotype of BVDV was identified. 8,27,30 Although type I and type II BVDV can be involved in the entire spectrum of clinical disease from subclin- ical to severe disease, the hemorrhagic disorder char- acterized by thrombocytopenia has been observed only with type II isolates of BVDV (S. R. Bolin, personal communication). Thrombocytopenia associated with type II BVDV infection has been reported under natural 30 and exper- imental conditions. 5,6,9,10,13 Although previous experi- mental studies on type II BVDV infection have char- acterized the hemorrhagic syndrome, they have been descriptive in nature, and the mechanism of the
A comparison of network coding and tree packing

Network coding solutions and routing solutions, namely packing distribution trees, for the problem of information multicast is compared in this paper. To enable the comparison, we develop greedy tree packing algorithms that repeatedly pack the maximum-rate distribution tree and a greedy tree packing algorithm based on Lovasz' proof to Edmonds' theorem. We then investigate the potential advantages of network coding over routing. In terms of throughput, tree packing performs comparably to network coding on the network graphs of six Internet service providers. However, network coding offers additional benefits, including fewer network resources consumed, ease of management, and robustness.
Responses to microinjections of endomorphin and nociceptin into the medullary cardiovascular areas.

SUMMARY 1. Cardiovascular effects of microinjections of nociceptin and endomorphin-2 into the following medullary areas were studied in urethane-anaesthetized rats: chemoreceptor projection site (CPS), intermediate portion of the nucleus tractus solitarius (I-NTS), caudal ventrolateral medullary depressor area (CVLM) and rostral ventrolateral medullary pressor area (RVLM). 2. Microinjections of nociceptin or endomorphin-2 (0.6 mmol/L each) into the CPS and RVLM elicited depressor and bradycardic responses, whereas similar injections into the I-NTS and CVLM elicited pressor and tachycardic responses. 3. The mechanism of cardiovascular responses to microinjections of these opioid peptides into different medullary areas involved in cardiovascular function can be postulated as follows: the direct effect of nociceptin and endomorphin-2 on neurons is usually inhibitory. Because the activation of CPS and RVLM by microinjections of L-glutamate results in pressor and tachycardic responses, inhibition of these areas by nociceptin and endomorphin-2 elicits depressor and bradycardic responses. Similarly, activation of neurons in the I-NTS and CVLM by microinjections of L-glutamate elicits depressor and bradycardic responses. Therefore, inhibition of these areas by microinjections of these opioid peptides elicits an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.
Neuroleptic withdrawal psychosis in Tourette's disorder.

Upregulation of post-synaptic dopa ~ne receptors in motor areas of the basal ganglia, following prolonged blockade by neuroleptics, has been thought to underlie the development of tardive dyskinesia (Gerlach et al 1974). Chouinard et al (1978) and Davis and Rosenberg (1979) hypothesized that a parallel process, in the mesolimbic region might provoke a "'supersensitivity psychosis." Based on this analogy Chouinard (1990) proposed diagnostic criteria for the disorder, which included a minimum of 3 months treatment with oral neuroleptics, the development of psychotic symptoms within 6 weeks of the abrupt discontinuation of treatment. These symptoms may be accompanied by the development of dyskinetic movements, and those at risk for the development of supersensitivity psychosis are likely to have shown a progressive decrease in their responsiveness to neuroleptics. Neuroleptic-induced supersensitivity psychosis has been described in patients with chronic schizophrenia (Chouinard et al 1986), manic-depressive, or bipolar disorder (Witschy et al 1984; Steiner et al 1990) and possibly schizoaffective disorder (Hunt et al 1988). One problem in the interpretation of these observations is that neuroleptics were administered to treat a psychotic process. The exacerbation of the illness on withdrawal of neuruleptic may have resulted from unmasking the patient's underlying psychosis. We report a case study of a patient who had been treated with neuroleptics for a tic disorder, under the close supervision of a psychiatrist, with no history of psychotic symptoms prior to abrupt neuroleptic withdrawal. In this case the new onset of psychosis may be attributable to the changes that induce a neuruleptic withdrawal psychosis, rather than unmasking an underlying psychotic process.
Elijah Muhammad: an African American MuslimMufassir?

L'A. etudie l'arriere-plan islamique chez Elijah Muhammad, sa relation avec l'erudition islamique du Coran ainsi que son attitude envers le Coran et la Bible. Il decrit quels ont ete les passages coraniques et bibliques interpretes et comment E. Muhammad a adapte le Coran au milieu afro-americain en etudiant cinq de ses enseignements les plus importants : son mythe des origines, son eschatologie, ses regles alimentaires, sa description de la priere et sa discussion sur les incredules et les hypocrites. Pour l'A., meme si Muhammad n'est pas un mufassir typique, il peut etre considere comme tel.
Construct validity of the WISC-IV with a referred sample: Direct versus indirect hierarchical structures.

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) is one of the most frequently used intelligence tests in clinical assessments of children with learning difficulties. Construct validity studies of the WISC-IV have generally supported the higher order structure with four correlated first-order factors and one higher-order general intelligence factor, but recent studies have supported an alternate model in which general intelligence is conceptualized as a breadth factor rather than a superordinate factor (M. W. Watkins, 2010, Structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition among a national sample of referred students, Psychological Assessment, Vol. 22, pp. 782-787; M. W. Watkins, G. L. Canivez, T. James, K. & R. Good, in press, Construct validity of the WISC-IVUK with a large referred Irish sample, International Journal of School and Educational Psychology). WISC-IV core subtest data obtained from evaluations to assess learning difficulties in 345 children (224 boys, 121 girls) were examined. One through four, first order factor models and indirect versus direct hierarchical models were compared using confirmatory factor analyses. The correlated four-factor Wechsler model provided good fit to these data, but the direct hierarchical model showed statistically significant improvement over the indirect hierarchical model and correlated four-factor model. The direct hierarchical model was judged the best explanation of the WISC-IV factor structure, with the general factor accounting for 71.6% of the common variance while the first order factors accounted for 2.4-10.3% of the common variance. Thus, the results with the present sample of referred children were similar to those from other investigations (G. E. Gignac, 2005, Revisiting the factor structure of the WAIS-R: Insights through nested factor modeling, Assessment, Vol. 12, pp. 320-329; G. E. Gignac, 2006, The WAIS-III as a nested factors model: A useful alternative to the more conventional oblique and higher-order models, Journal of Individual Differences, Vol. 27, pp. 73-86; P. Golay, I. Reverte, J. Rossier, N. Favez, & T. Lecerf, 2012, Further insights on the French WISC-IV factor structure through Bayesian structural equation modeling. Psychological Assessment, advance online publication; M. W. Watkins, 2010, Structure of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition among a national sample of referred students, Psychological Assessment, Vol. 22, pp. 782-787; M. W. Watkins, G. L. Canivez, T. James, K. & R. Good, in press, Construct validity of the WISC-IV(UK) with a large referred Irish sample, International Journal of School and Educational Psychology) supporting primary interpretation of the Full Scale IQ rather than the factor index scores.
High dimensional similarity search with space filling curves

We present a new approach for approximate nearest neighbor queries for sets of high dimensional points under any L/sub t/-metric, t=1,...,/spl infin/. The proposed algorithm is efficient and simple to implement. The algorithm uses multiple shifted copies of the data points and stores them in up to (d+1) B-trees where d is the dimensionality of the data, sorted according to their position along a space filling curve. This is done in a way that allows us to guarantee that a neighbor within an O(d/sup 1+1/t/) factor of the exact nearest, can be returned with at most (d+1)log, n page accesses, where p is the branching factor of the B-trees. In practice, for real data sets, our approximate technique finds the exact nearest neighbor between 87% and 99% of the time and a point no farther than the third nearest neighbor between 98% and 100% of the time. Our solution is dynamic, allowing insertion or deletion of points in O(d log/sub p/ n) page accesses and generalizes easily to find approximate k-nearest neighbors.
The total synthesis of (±)-naphthyridinomycin. I. Preparation of a key tricyclic lactam intermediate.

Abstract A synthetic strategy for the preparation of the quinone antibiotic naphthyridinomycin is outlined. An efficient synthesis of key tricyclic intermediate 6 is described.
Modeling and analysis of the rimfire gas switch

Many accelerators at Sandia National Laboratories utilize the Rimfire gas switch for high-voltage, high-power switching. Future accelerators will have increased performance requirements for switching elements. When designing improved versions of the Rimfire switch, there is a need for quick and accurate simulation of the electrical effects of geometry changes. This paper presents an advanced circuit model of the Rimfire switch that can be used for these simulations. The development of the model is shown along with comparisons to past models and experimental results.
Incompressible Flows of an Ideal Fluid with Unbounded Vorticity

In this paper we study solutions to the Euler equations of an ideal incompressible fluid in Rn singular at the origin with a finite symmetry group. For an “admissible” class of finite groups we prove a local existence and uniqueness theorem. In even dimensions this theorem covers some symmetric flows with essentially unbounded vorticity. In arbitrary dimension (including n=3) we construct local in time solutions with vorticity that behaves, e.g., like a function of homogeneous degree zero near the origin. The symmetry condition provides necessary additional cancellations and is preserved by the evolution due to uniqueness.
Orthopedic Traumatology: A Resident's Guide

David Ip. Berlin: Springer; 2006. 571 pages. $49.95. ISBN: 978-3-540-29065-0. This slightly more than 500-page pocket-size book in outline format introduces the reader to and provides an overview of current concepts in orthopaedic trauma. It will be most widely used by residents in their early years of training, but other health-care professionals who take care of injured patients may find that a condensed style makes this book valuable as a quick reference, review, or introduction to fracture care. The book contains twelve chapters, each of which is preceded by a detailed outline of the topics covered in that chapter. In the body of the chapter, these topics …
Effect of postmastectomy radiotherapy in patients <35 years old with stage II-III breast cancer treated with doxorubicin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy.

Purpose Postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) improves locoregional control (LRC) in patients with high-risk features after mastectomy. Young age continues to evolve as a potentially important risk factor. The objective of this study was to assess the benefits of PMRT in patients Patients and Methods We retrospectively analyzed 107 consecutive breast cancer patients Results Despite more advanced disease stages, the patients who received PMRT ( n = 80) had greater rates of LRC (5-year rate, 88% vs. 63%, p = 0.001) and better overall survival (5-year rate, 67% vs. 48%, p = 0.03) than patients who did not receive PMRT ( n = 27). Conclusion Among breast cancer patients
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND TRANSIMS MICROSIMULATION MODEL: PREPARING FOR THE TRANSITION

The Transportation Analysis and Simulation System (TRANSIMS) was developed as a replacement for the four-step travel demand model. The goal was to provide a simulation system that could analyze issues facing transportation planners such as sustainable development, environmental impacts of proposed projects, and intelligent transportation systems deployment. Because TRANSIMS represents a significant shift from the current state of the practice, the transportation planning community will need to spend significant human and capital resources preparing for the transition. Some insight into these transitional issues is provided on the basis of lessons learned from research on actual calibrated transportation networks in Texas. An overview of TRANSIMS in terms of its main components along with a brief comparison with the four-step model are supplied, followed by a discussion of the data requirements with specific reference to the current data needs associated with the four-step model. The challenges inherent in converting databases that have been developed for four-step models are also discussed on the basis of the conversion of existing traffic network files. Next, the TRANSIMS traffic flow theory is described, and the challenges for transportation planners are illustrated using calibrated networks from two highway corridors in Houston, Texas, and one diamond interchange network in College Station, Texas. Last, the capabilities of TRANSIMS with respect to output analysis are described.
Perspective: Linking Design Thinking with Innovation Outcomes through Cognitive Bias Reduction

“Design thinking” has generated significant attention in the business press and has been heralded as a novel problem-solving methodology well suited to the often-cited challenges business organizations face in encouraging innovation and growth. Yet the specific mechanisms through which the use of design, approached as a thought process, might improve innovation outcomes have not received significant attention from business scholars. In particular, its utility has only rarely been linked to the academic literature on individual cognition and decision-making. This perspective piece advocates addressing this omission by examining “design thinking” as a practice potentially valuable for improving innovation outcomes by helping decision-makers reduce their individual level cognitive biases. In this essay, I first review the assumptions, principles, and key process tools associated with design thinking. I then establish its foundation in the decision-making literature, drawing on an extensive body of research on cognitive biases and their impact. The essay concludes by advancing a set of propositions and research implications, aiming to demonstrate one particular path that future research might take in assessing the utility of design thinking as a method for improving organizational outcomes related to innovation. In doing so, it seeks to address the challenge of conducting academic research on a practice that is obviously popular in management circles but appears resistant to rigorous empirical inquiry because of the multifaceted nature of its “basket” of tools and processes and the complexity of measuring the outcomes it produces
Context Matters: How Should We Conceptualize Equity in Mathematics Education?

Focusing on contexts of learning reminds us that no category of teachers or students is homogeneous. It also helps clarify equity – a necessary clarification, given the lack of consensus on what it is. Equity means fairness, not sameness. As such, this chapter elaborates on equity by highlighting four dimensions in mathematics education. ‘Access’ to tangible resources dominated equity discussions in the 1980s and continues in ‘opportunity to learn’ research. ‘Achievement’ refers to participation in quality mathematics classes and success in them. It is paramount in standardized tests and ‘achievement gap’ discourses. ‘Identity’ refers to supporting students in becoming better persons in their own eyes, which requires attention to their roots and a balance between attention to self and others. The ‘power’ dimension takes up issues of social transformation at many levels. Access and achievement are positioned as the dominant axis of equity. Identity and power form the critical axis.
Fracto-Emission from Filled and Unfilled Elastomers

Abstract We have tried to show a variety of EE and PIE results on a number of systems involving fracture of filled and unfilled elastomers and consider some of the parameters that influence this emission. The need for careful studies of the physics and chemistry of these phenomena is obvious. The usefulness of FE as a tool for investigation of failure mechanisms and fracture phenomena in elastomers requires a broad-based attack combining fracture mechanics, materials science, and fundamental fracto-emission studies on well characterized elastomer. Since the field is relatively unexplored, we will conclude by speculating on some potential areas of usefulness of FE, many of which depend critically on further understanding of FE itself.
Grandmaster: Interactive Text-Based Analytics of Social Media

People use social media resources like Twitter, Facebook, forums etc. to shareand discuss various activities or topics. By aggregating topic trends acrossmany individuals using these services, we seek to construct a richer profileof a person's activities and interests as well as provide a broader context ofthose activities. This profile may then be used in a variety of ways tounderstand groups as a collection of interests and affinities and anindividual's participation in those groups. Our approach considers that muchof these data will be unstructured, free-form text. By analyzing free-form text directly, we may be able to gain an implicit grouping ofindividuals with shared interests based on shared conversation, and not onexplicit social software linking them. In this paper, we discuss aproof-of-concept application called Grandmaster built to pull short sections oftext, a person's comments or Twitter posts, together by analysis andvisualization to allow a gestalt understanding of the full collection of allindividuals: how groups are similar and how they differ, based on theirtext inputs.
Analog Divider

A two quadrant analog divider is described. Based on the Gilbert cell, it maintains an accuracy of better than 1% over three decades of denominator voltages, with the fraction |N|/D?1; an overrange for |N|/D?2 is available, if reduced accuracy and speed at the extreme ends of the scale are tolerated. An alternative mode of operation yields the normalized difference (VA-VB)/(VA+VB) of the two inputs VA and VB.
Evaluating Measures to Assess Soil Health in Long-Term Agroecosystem Trials

Monitoring soil health is an important component of any land management system that sustains soil resources. As metrics of soil health, we evaluated surface soil organic matter (SOM) properties from five field experiments ranging from 2 to 30 yr old and representing diverse agroecosystems across the inland Pacific Northwest (iPNW). The SOM properties measured included soil organic C (SOC), total N, acid nonhydrolyzable C (NHC), acid nonhydrolyzable N (NHN), acid-hydrolyzable C (HC), acid-hydrolyzable N (HN), microbial biomass C (MBC), microbial biomass N (MBN), carbon mineralization (Cmin), permanganate oxidizable C (POXC), ion exchange membrane N (IEM N), and potential N mineralization (PNM). We further evaluated these SOM metrics and the Haney soil health index (SHᵢₙdₑₓ) relative to the following seven criteria as a framework to judge the effectiveness of soil health tools: (i) evidence based, (ii) sensitive to change, (iii) logistically sensitive, (iv) cost effective, (v) accurate and precise, (vi) performed in situ, and (vii) valued for management decisions. Measures of active SOM were highly variable, particularly 1-d Cmin (CV, 3–53%), IEM N (CV, 9–55%), and SHᵢₙdₑₓ (CV, 4–37%) and subsequently not highly sensitive to management. Permanganate oxidizable C displayed sensitivity to more stabilized SOM, indicated by strong correlations to NHC (r = 0.84) and NHN (r = 0.80), and coupled with IEM N provided complimentary information important to soil health. Using these seven criteria to gauge soil health metrics, POXC scored the highest and should be considered as a component for soil health assessment within the iPNW.
Clinical diagnosis, treatment and pathological changes in 105 cases of brain tumor apoplexy

Objective To improve the diagnostic and therapeutic ability by retrospective reviewing the clinical and pathological characteristics of tumor apoplexy. Method 105 cases of tumor apoplexy were analyzed operatively and pathologically. Result The pathological types and cases included 49 cases of pituitary adenoma, 18 astrocytomas, 11 metastatic tumors, 7 oligodendrogliomas, 5 glioblastomas, 4 medulloblastomas, 2 meningiomas, 2 CPA Schwannomas, 2 germinomas, 2 melanomas, 1 malignant lymphoma, 1 ependymoma and 1 choroid plexus papilloma.The clinical presentations of brain tumor apoplexy were intracerebral hematomas, intraventrical hemorrhage, subdural hematomas and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusions Intratumoral vascular changes are the basic factor of tumoral apoplexy, CT scan provides the significance to the diagnosis and treatment of tumor apoplexy. The tumor apoplexy should be differentiated from other hemorrhagic diseases in brain.
Animal Models of Autoimmunity

Recently, animal models of some human diseases have been criticized as not accurately reflecting the pathogenic mechanism and host response of the human disease which they model, resulting in prediction of therapeutic targets that fail in the clinic. While the merits and generalizability of these arguments have been rebutted in detail elsewhere, these critiques have reignited an important broader debate within the biomedical science community (as well as the general public) as to the relative value of basic animal research compared to research on humans subjects or tissues. Nonetheless, small animal preclinical research has unquestionably advanced our knowledge of fundamental biology and provided important insights into mechanisms of disease, including human autoimmune disease, that would not have been possible from clinical studies alone. Here we discuss the major categories of animal disease model and review the advantages and disadvantages of several commonly used murine models of autoimmune diseases, with a focus on systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.
The effectiveness of a low-chemical, low-protein medical glove to prevent or reduce dermatological problems.

PURPOSE This study investigated the effectiveness of a low-chemical, low-protein, powder-free latex medical glove to reduce or prevent hand dermatitis in a group of oral healthcare workers who had a self-reported history of hand irritation from medical glove use. METHODS Dental hygienists who had previously reported dermatological conditions from routine use of medical gloves were invited to participate in this study to test a new medical glove. All subjects completed baseline information and 85 subjects participated in the study. Subjects wore the gloves routinely for six weeks unless complications developed. Postuse questionnaires were sent to the 85 participants. Dermatological signs and symptoms were measured at both times and subjects' perceptions of change in dermatological conditions were measured postuse. Data were analyzed by frequency distributions, paired t-test, and McNemar's chi-square statistic. RESULTS For the 85 participants, the reduction in number of dermatological signs and symptoms was statistically significant (t = 3.46; p = 0.001) from a mean of 2.5 (sd = 2.8) to a mean of 1.3 (sd = 2.6) symptoms. A statistically significantly (chi-square = 7/8; p = 0.005) greater proportion of subjects were symptom-free at postuse (61.2%) than at baseline (41.2%). Almost 90% of the oral healthcare workers perceived that the number of dermatological signs and symptoms, the intensity of signs and symptoms, and the area involved stayed the same or decreased. CONCLUSIONS The medical gloves used in this study were effective in reducing the number of dermatological problems associated with routine medical glove use by oral healthcare workers with self-reported histories of problems with medical gloves.
Interaction of cytochrome P-450 with antibodies raised against a solubilized P-450 preparation from hepatic microsomes.

Soluble cytochrome P-450 prepared from microsomes of rat liver or from livers of chick embryos was shown to be capable of eliciting an immunological response in rabbits. The γ-globulin fraction from sera of immunized rabbits reacted with soluble P-450 of the same species. Precipitating reactions were obtained when antibody and antigen were incubated in the fluid phase, as well as by agar diffusion techniques. Lack of cross-reactivity between species was demonstrated when antibody to rat cytochrome P-450 was allowed to react with soluble P-450 from chick embryo livers and when antibody to chick cytochrome P-450 was allowed to react with soluble P-450 from rat liver. The Precipitate obtained upon reaction of antibody and antigen from the same species showed a typical CO difference spectrum with an absorption maximum at 450 nm and a type II difference spectrum with aniline. However, no type I difference spectrum could be obtained after the addition of sodium hexobarbital to the antibody-antigen complex, suggesting that the binding site of the immune complex may be at or near the type I binding site.
Epidemiological and genetic determinants of mammographic density

B104 Mammographic dense breast tissue, characterized by an increase in the proliferation of epithelial cells and stromal fibrosis is considered a significant breast cancer risk factor. There is evidence that genetic susceptibility accounts for approximately 60% of the variation in mammographic density. We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate the effect of epidemiological factors on the relationship between genetic factors and percent density. We assessed mamographic percent density using a validated computer-assisted thresholding method among 396 cancer-free women at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Participant’s DNA was genotyped for 107 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes associated with breast cancer risk as part of a case-control study assessing genetic factors associated with breast cancer risk. Detailed information on breast cancer risk factors was collected. We used the recursive partitioning approach to identify epidemiological predictors as well as SNPs in candidate genes potentially associated with percent density. Among all participants, epidemiological factors associated with increased percent density included premenopausal status (p
How to Undermine Tax Increment Financing: The Lessons of ProLogis v. City of Chicago

This article examines the level of appropriate level of constitutional protection against outside governments that condemn property located within a given local municipality that use tax increment financing to fund local improvements The standard TIF arrangement does not provide the TIF lenders with liens against any particular asset, because to do so would be to abandon the tax exempt status of the municipal bonds that are issued. Yet these agreements guarantee that the local government that issued the bonds will take no steps to compromise their repayment from (incremental) tax dollars. These protections allow TIF bonds to trade in ordinary financial markets. The bonds may, however, prove vulnerable to loss when the private and public property within the local municipal district are condemned by an outside governments, as happened in Chicago v. Prologis, now before the Illinois Supreme Court. I believe that these TIF bonds should in general be counted as property under the takings clause and not be treated as a mere “expectation” devoid of constitutional protection. This topic opens the way for a larger consideration of how to value divided interests in real property under the takings clause as a matter of modern finance theory in light of the powerful public choice issues at stake.
Climate-Optimized Planting Windows for Cotton in the Lower Mississippi Delta Region

Unique, variable summer climate of the lower Mississippi (MS) Delta region poses a critical challenge to cotton producers in deciding when to plant for optimized production. Traditional 2–4 year agronomic field trials conducted in this area fail to capture the effects of long-term climate variabilities in the location for developing reliable planting windows for producers. Our objective was to integrate a four-year planting-date field experiment conducted at Stoneville, MS during 2005–2008 with long-term climate data in an agricultural system model and develop optimum planting windows for cotton under both irrigated and rainfed conditions. Weather data collected at this location from 1960 to 2015 and the CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton v4.6 model within the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) were used. The cotton model was able to simulate both the variable planting date and variable water regimes reasonably well: relative errors of seed cotton yield, aboveground biomass, and leaf area index (LAI) were 14%, 12%, and 21% under rainfed conditions and 8%, 16%, and 15% under irrigated conditions, respectively. Planting windows under both rainfed and irrigated conditions extended from mid-March to mid-June: windows from mid-March to the last week of May under rainfed conditions, and from the last week of April to the end of May under irrigated conditions were better suited for optimum yield returns. Within these windows, rainfed cotton tends to lose yield from later plantings, but irrigated cotton benefits; however, irrigation requirements increase as the planting windows advance in time. Irrigated cotton produced about 1000 kg·ha−1 seed cotton more than rainfed cotton, with irrigation water requirements averaging 15 cm per season. Under rainfed conditions, there is a 5%, 14%, and 27% chance that the seed cotton production is below 1000, 1500, and 2000 kg·ha−1, respectively. Information developed in this paper can help MS farmers in decision support for cotton planting.
Reliability of a Kid's Activity and Nutrition Questionnaire for School-Based SNAP-Ed Interventions as Part of a Tiered Development Process.

US Department of Agriculture SNAP-Ed; Arizona Department of Health Services [ADHS16-099661]; Arizona Department of Economic Security
Effect of intraoperative radiotherapy in the treatment of retroperitoneal sarcoma

Current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for the treatment of retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) endorse surgical resection, but the role of radiotherapy (RT) is less clear. We investigate the utilization and benefits of intraoperative RT (IORT) in the treatment of RPS. We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (1988–2013) for the utilization of IORT and perioperative external beam RT (EBRT) in patients who underwent surgical resection of RPS. Groups were defined as any IORT (aIORT), IORT alone (IORT−), IORT with EBRT (IORT+) and preoperative and/or postoperative EBRT without IORT (EBRT). Demographics, tumor characteristics, extent of disease, and survival were compared between groups. We identified 908 patients with RPS who underwent surgical resection with perioperative RT. Demographics of age, sex, and race were similar between groups. There was no difference in baseline tumor characteristics of mean size, tumor grade, or histological subtype between groups. A higher percentage of patients receiving aIORT had tumors >20 cm in size, and extension beyond local tissues. Liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma were the most common subtypes overall and in each subgroup. Patients with liposarcoma undergoing IORT and EBRT (IORT+) demonstrated a survival benefit over both IORT alone (IORT−) and EBRT alone. IORT was used infrequently for RPS but generated equivalent outcomes compared to EBRT, despite being utilized more often for larger tumors and those with peri-tumoral soft-tissue invasion. Patients with the most common subtype (liposarcoma) may benefit from combination IORT with adjuvant EBRT versus other regimens.
Bond Activation and Hydrogen Evolution from Water through Reactions with M3S4 (M = Mo, W) and W3S3 Anionic Clusters.

Transition metal sulfides (TMS) are being investigated with increased frequency because of their ability to efficiently catalyze the hydrogen evolution reaction. We have studied the trimetallic TMS cluster ions, Mo3S4–, W3S4–, and W3S3–, and probed their efficiency for bond activation and hydrogen evolution from water. These clusters have geometries that are related to the edge sites on bulk MoS2 surfaces that are known to play a role in hydrogen evolution. Using density functional theory, the electronic structures of these clusters and their chemical reactivity with water have been investigated. The reaction mechanism involves the initial formation of hydroxyl and thiol groups, hydrogen migration to form an intermediate with a metal hydride bond, and finally, combination of a hydride and a proton to eliminate H2. Using this mechanism, free energy profiles of the reactions of the three metal clusters with water have been constructed. Unlike previous reactivity studies of other related cluster systems, the...
The Utility of GNSS for Earthquake Early Warning in Regions with Sparse Seismic Networks

Abstract Real‐time Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data are on their way to being well integrated into earthquake early warning (EEW) systems. The strength of GNSS data lies in the resolution of large dynamic and static displacements. Because of the limits in precision, GNSS data alone cannot resolve small ground displacements due to, for instance, P waves. Therefore, their use is currently limited to refining early warnings with more precise earthquake characteristics, such as magnitudes or ground‐motion predictions. Here, we analyze 1‐Hz Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the 24 January 2016 M w 7.1 Iniskin earthquake, which ruptured 125 km under Cook Inlet in Alaska, to motivate the inclusion of GNSS‐derived S ‐wave measurements into the trigger algorithms of EEW systems in regions lacking dense early‐warning instrumentation networks. We derive a relationship between earthquake depth and distance to help determine whether GNSS S ‐wave observations could expedite warnings to specific locations. Because the Iniskin earthquake was deep, by the time the S wave reached the surface, the P wave had already been observed over a wide region, limiting the potential for unique contributions from GNSS data to this event. For the same earthquake occurring near the surface, however, S waves derived from GNSS data have the potential to increase the warning time. Regardless of the depth, the Iniskin earthquake is an excellent example of the utility of GNSS in rapidly assessing the magnitude, improving predictions of ground shaking, and estimating the area of impact for the earthquake.