cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indirect sensing for rotor flux position of permanent magnet AC motors operating over a wide speed range

This paper describes an indirect sensing, or sensorless, method for rotor flux position for brushless permanent magnet (BPM) motors operating over a wide speed range, while keeping maximum torque per ampere and/or maximum efficiency capabilities. The method described is particularly applicable to trapezoidal back emf type of BPM motors. The typical trapezoidal waveform of the motor internal voltages (or back emf) contains a fundamental and higher order frequency harmonics. In particular, the third harmonic component is extracted from the stator phase voltages while the fundamental and other polyphase components are eliminated via a simple summation of the three phase voltages. The resulting third harmonic signal keeps a constant phase relationship with the rotor flux for any motor speed and load condition, and is practically free of noise that can be introduced by the inverter switching, making this a robust sensing method. In contrast with indirect sensing methods based on detection of the back-emf signal that require heavy filtering, the third harmonic signal needs only a small amount of filtering to eliminate the switching frequency and its side bands. As a result, the method described here is not sensitive to filtering delays, allowing the motor to achieve a good performance over a wide speed range. Motor starting is also superior with this method since the third harmonic signal can be detected and processed at lower speeds than for the conventional method of back-emf sensing.
Pegloticase: A Novel Agent for Treatment-Refractory Gout

Objective:To evaluate efficacy and safety of pegloticase, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in September 2010 for treatment of patients with chronic treatment-refractory gout.Data Sources:Literature searches were conducted using PubMed (1948–January 2012), TOXLINE, international Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-January 2012), and Google Scholar using the terms pegloticase, puricase, PEG-uricase, gout, uricase, and Krystexxa. Results were limited to English-language publications. References from selected articles were reviewed to identify additional citations.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Studies evaluating the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of pegloticase for the treatment of chronic treatment-refractory gout were included.Data Synthesis:Pegloticase represents a novel intravenous treatment option for patients who have chronic gout refractory to other available treatments. Pegloticase is a recombinant uricase and achieves therapeutic effects by catalyzing oxidation of u...
The clinical significance of cerebral atrophy in traumatic brain injury

Abstract The neuropsychological effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) as they relate to the chronic neuropathological chang.es of cortical atrophy and ventricular enlargement are reviewed. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MR1) melhods are excellent at detecting many of these changes and results from these diagnostic methods should be incorporated in the interpretation of neuropsychological outcome in TBI patients. Several Clinical guidelines are presented on the relationship between TBI induced atrophy and neurobehavioral outcome.
Blood Pressure and Adverse Events During Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device Support

Background—Adverse events (AEs), such as intracranial hemorrhage, thromboembolic event, and progressive aortic insufficiency, create substantial morbidity and mortality during continuous flow left ventricular assist device support yet their relation to blood pressure control is underexplored. Methods and Results—A multicenter retrospective review of patients supported for at least 30 days and ≤18 months by a continuous flow left ventricular assist device from June 2006 to December 2013 was conducted. All outpatient Doppler blood pressure (DOPBP) recordings were averaged up to the time of intracranial hemorrhage, thromboembolic event, or progressive aortic insufficiency. DOPBP was analyzed as a categorical variable grouped as high (>90 mm Hg; n=40), intermediate (80–90 mm Hg; n=52), and controlled (<80 mm Hg; n=31). Cumulative survival free from an AE was calculated using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox hazard ratios were derived. Patients in the high DOPBP group had worse baseline renal function, lower angiot...
ENVIRONMENTAL DEPENDENCY IN THE EXPRESSION OF COSTS OF TOLERANCE TO DEER HERBIVORY

Plant tolerance to natural enemy damage is a defense strategy that minimizes the effects of damage on fitness. Despite the apparent benefits of tolerance, many populations exhibit intermediate levels of tolerance, indicating that constraints on the evolution of tolerance are likely. In a field experiment with the ivyleaf morning glory, costs of tolerance to deer herbivory in the form of negative genetic correlations between deer tolerance and fitness in the absence of damage were detected. However, these costs were detected only in the presence of insect herbivores. Such environmental dependency in the expression of costs of tolerance may facilitate the maintenance of tolerance at intermediate levels.
Electrocardiogram Provides a Continuous Heart Rate Faster Than Oximetry During Neonatal Resuscitation

OBJECTIVE: To compare the time required to obtain a continuous audible heart rate signal from an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor and pulse oximeter (PO) in infants requiring resuscitation. METHODS: Infants who had both ECG and PO placed during resuscitation were analyzed using video and analog recordings. The median times from arrival until the ECG electrodes and PO sensor were placed, and the time to achieve audible tones from the devices, were compared. RESULTS: Forty-six infants had ECG and PO data. Thirty infants were very low birth weight (23–30 weeks). There was a difference in the median total time to place either device (26 vs 38 seconds; P = .04), and a difference ( P 1500 g ( n = 16), the median time (interquartile range) to place the ECG was 20 seconds (14–43) whereas the time to place the PO was 36 seconds (28–56) ( P = .74). The median times (interquartile range) to acquire a signal from the ECG and PO were 4 seconds (1–6) and 32 seconds (15–40, P = .001), respectively. During the first minutes of resuscitation, 93% of infants had an ECG heart rate compared with only 56% for PO. CONCLUSIONS: Early application of ECG electrodes during infant resuscitation can provide the resuscitation team with a continuous audible heart rate, and its use may improve the timeliness of appropriate critical interventions.
Precipitants of Agoraphobia: Role of Stressful Life Events

Detailed clinical interviews were conducted with 58 agoraphobics to assess the precipitants of the disorder. Results supported the notion that stressful life events usually precede the development ...
How Does Islamist Local Governance Affect the Lives of Women

How do women fare under rule by Islamists? Whereas some scholarly work suggests that Islamists are effective at providing the type of social services that benefit women most, other studies contend that Islamic groups support “pro-male” policies and cultural interventions that disadvantage the well-being of women. In order to adjudicate between these views, I compare two neighborhoods in Greater Cairo that are similar on a number of dimensions but in one, a militant Islamist group came to dominate local politics, whereas in the other, strongmen ruled the streets in the absence of a strong state presence. Using an original data set of retrospective health histories for women in each neighborhood, I find that women subject to governance by the Islamic group enjoyed better outcomes related to reproductive health than a statistically matched set of women in the comparable neighborhood while being no more likely to marry early or drop out of school.
Trading Spaces: An Educator's Ethnographic Exploration of Adolescents' Digital Role-Play

In this work, the author examines a digital role-play in which participants composed an alternate version of The Hunger Games (Collins, 2008). Participants imagined characters and posted more than 400 scenes in the online collaboration. The author draws upon ethnographic methods (Merriam, 2009) to describe her participant-observer experience and discuss the digital role-play from the perspective of a classroom teacher and literacy researcher. Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, and Cain's (1998/2003) theory of figured worlds frames moments of participants' discourse to illuminate issues of identity and power that emerged. Analysis complicates the use of digital spaces with adolescent-driven literacy practices. This study provides educators with ideas about how to examine adolescents' online literacies and suggests that research of digital role-play within formal learning settings may help educators explore what it means to read and discuss texts in a digital world.
An improved oceanic budget for methyl chloride

[1] We present results that improve the estimates of the global net sea-to-air flux, global oceanic emission, global oceanic uptake, and partial atmospheric lifetime of methyl chloride (CH3Cl) with respect to oceanic loss. This study includes improved parameterizations for solubility and saturation anomaly-sea surface temperature relationships for CH3Cl, along with the use of an updated gas transfer velocity from a recent study. By measuring solubilities of CH3Cl in pure water and seawater over a temperature range from 0°C to 40°C, we obtained a new solubility function with both temperature and salinity dependencies. We also developed a new parameterization of seasonal CH3Cl saturation anomaly (∆%) as a function of both sea surface temperature and wind speed using data from 10 different cruises with an extensive coverage in the global surface ocean. Using the new solubility function and the new seasonal ∆%-(SST, wind speed) relationships, we estimated the global net sea-to-air flux of CH3Cl at 335 (210 to 480) Gg yr−1. For the first time, the global flux of CH3Cl was broken into a unidirectional gross emission and a unidirectional gross uptake, which were estimated at 700 (510 to 910) Gg yr−1 and −370 (−430 to −300) Gg yr−1. The partial atmospheric lifetime of CH3Cl with respect to the oceanic uptake was revised to 12 (10–15) years, resulting in a revision on the atmospheric lifetime of CH3Cl from the previous estimate of 1.0 year to 1.2 years.
Marsilio Ficino on Saturn, the Plotinian Mind, and the Monster of Averroes

This chapter explores some striking aspects of Marsilio Ficino’s many-sided engagement with Saturn. It focuses, however, not so much on the old god’s traditional mythological and astrological associations, though these played important roles for Ficino for both personal and medical reasons, as on Ficino’s deployment of Saturn in his exploration of Platonic metaphysics. In particular I am concerned with two interrelated problems: 1) with Ficino’s analysis of the theology of the Phaedrus’s mythical hymn with its cavalcade of gods under Zeus as the World-Soul traversing the intellectual heaven, the realm of Saturn as Mind; and 2), more startingly, with Saturn in the context of the long and intricate rejection of Averroism in Ficino’s magnus opus, the Platonic Theology, and notably in the fifteenth book which has hitherto received little scholarly attention. His goal there was to reject what he saw as the capstone of Averroes’s metaphysics and psychology as articulated in the commentary on the De anima (which he only knew in Michael Scot’s Latin version): namely the theory of the unity (unicity) of the agent Intellect, even as he identified this Intellect too with Saturn. Combined with other Saturnian motifs and interpretations, we can now see that Saturn played a signal role in Ficino’s account of ancient Neoplatonism, in his own Christian transformation of it, and in its polemical attack on the great Muslim commentator on Aristotle.
Sub-market labor adjustment and economic impulses: A note on the Ohio experience

Kerry Smith V. and Patton R. A. (1971) Sub-market labor adjustment and economic impulses: A note on the Ohio experience, Reg. Studies 5, 91–93. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of the extent of economic impulses through a system of Midwestern cities as measured by King, Casetti and Jeffrey (1969). The effect of such impulses upon the homogeneous, frictionless character of five sub labor markets in Ohio is investigated. Municipal Phillips curves were estimated for each of the five labor markets. The results indicate that economic impulses significantly affect the character of the independent wage-adjustment process within the sub-markets and therefore pose problems for those who seek to identify and estimate the wage-unemployment relationships in these sub-markets.
Applied Research, Evaluation and Case Study Readings from the Seventies: Part 2 of a National Faculty Survey:

Faculty teaching in accredited graduate programs of community health education in U.S. universities were surveyed by mail to determine which articles published during the 1970's they would recommend that their colleagues read. The suggested readings were collected and abstracted and are presented herewith in annotated bibliographic form. Part 1 covering Community Health Education Policy, Theory and Social Issues appeared in the 1980-81 Volume (1:2) of this journal. Language: en
Parking Infrastructure: A Constraint on or Opportunity for Urban Redevelopment? A Study of Los Angeles County Parking Supply and Growth

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Many cities have adopted minimum parking requirements, but there is relatively poor information about how parking infrastructure has grown. We estimate how parking has grown in Los Angeles County (CA) from 1900 to 2010 and how parking infrastructure evolves, affects urban form, and relates to changes in automobile travel using building and roadway growth models. We find that since 1975 the ratio of residential off-street parking spaces to automobiles in Los Angeles County is close to 1.0 and the greatest density of parking spaces is in the urban core, while most new growth in parking occurs outside of the core. In total, 14% of Los Angeles County's incorporated land is committed to parking. Uncertainty in our space inventory is attributed to our building growth model, on-street space length, and the assumption that parking spaces were created as per the requirements.Takeaway for practice: The continued use of minimum parking requirements is likely to encourage aut...
Paleogene Xenarthra and the Evolution of South American Mammals

Recent studies show Xenarthra to be even more isolated systematically from other placental mammals than traditionally thought. The group not only represents 1 of 4 primary placental clades, but proposed links to other fossorial mammal taxa (e.g., Pholidota, Palaeanodonta) have been contradicted. No unambiguous Paleocene fossil xenarthran remains are known, and Eocene remains consist almost exclusively of isolated cingulate osteoderms and isolated postcrania of uncertain systematic provenance. Cingulate skulls are unknown until the late middle Eocene, and the oldest sloth and anteater skulls are early Oligocene and early Miocene age, respectively; there are no nearly complete xenarthran skeletons until the early Miocene. Ecological reconstructions of early xenarthrans based on extant species and the paleobiology of extinct Neogene taxa suggest the group's progenitors were myrmecophagous with digging and perhaps some climbing adaptations. The earliest cingulates were terrestrial diggers and likely myrmecoph...
Nature of the interference mechanism of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

Mugwort is a noxious perennial weed that interferes with the growth and establishment of crop species. The present study was designed to understand the role of allelopathy as a potential mechanism of interference by mugwort. Soils amended with mugwort plant material and leachates were analyzed for their chemical characteristics. The effect of amended soils on seedling growth of red clover was studied. The influence of NP fertilization and charcoal on modification of allelopathic potential of amended soils, in terms of their effect on soil characteristics and red clover seedling growth, was also investigated. In addition, red clover seedling growth was compared in sterilized and nonsterilized soils amended with mugwort leachate and NP fertilization. In general, addition of mugwort leachates and plant matter (amended soil) resulted in chemical changes in soil, including changes in available phenolics. Red clover seedling growth was reduced in amended soils, when compared to that in nonamended soils. Although the different amounts of NP fertilization in nonsterilized soil amended with mugwort leachate could not counteract its interference to red clover growth (root reduction, 67-79%; shoot reduction, 34-44%), the addition of charcoal did eliminate leachate effects on red clover growth. This indicates the probable allelopathic interference of mugwort to red clover growth. Addition of NP fertilization might have resulted in higher microbial activity, which is likely to influence qualitative and/or quantitative availability of phenolic compounds. Data on phenolic levels and red clover growth in sterilized and nonsterilized soil amended with mugwort leachate and NP fertilization indirectly indicate the significance of soil microbes in mugwort interference to red clover. Nonmenclature: Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris L. # 3 ARTVU; red clover, Trifolium pratense L. 'Kenland'.
Dynamics of Momentum-Control Systems

It is not enough to treat the momentum system as a black box, simply receiving power and control signals and imparting torque or momentum, as if it were any other element in a feedback-control block diagram. A momentum system offers unique opportunities to achieve robust and lightweight spacecraft designs, but taking advantage of these opportunities requires careful attention to rigid- and flexible-body dynamics. This chapter provides the foundational equations of motion for spacecraft with momentum-control devices and summarizes important flexible effects that drive the design of spacecraft that incorporate these actuators.
Two-dimensional mono-elemental semiconductor with electronically inactive defects: the case of phosphorus.

The deep gap states created by defects in semiconductors typically deteriorate the performance of (opto)electronic devices. This has limited the applications of two-dimensional (2D) metal dichalcogenides (MX2) and underscored the need for a new 2D semiconductor without defect-induced deep gap states. In this work, we demonstrate that a 2D mono-elemental semiconductor is a promising candidate. This is exemplified by first-principles study of 2D phosphorus (P), a recently fabricated high-mobility semiconductor. Most of the defects, including intrinsic point defects and grain boundaries, are electronically inactive, thanks to the homoelemental bonding, which is not preferred in heteroelemental system such as MX2. Unlike MX2, the edges of which create deep gap states and cannot be eliminated by passivation, the edge states of 2D P can be removed from the band gap by hydrogen termination. We further find that both the type and the concentration of charge carriers in 2D P can be tuned by doping with foreign ato...
A Contribution to the Understanding of Cockroach-Termite Affinities

The phylogenetic relationship between cockroaches and termites is considered and morphological evidence is presented which indicates that the Blattaria and Isoptera may be more closely allied than is generally recognized. The proventriculus and female genitalia are compared in the primitive wood-feeding cockroach Cryptocercus punctulatus Scudder, and the primitive termite Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt. Similar comparison is made with the cockroaches Lamproblatta albipalpus Hebard and Panesthia laevicollis Saussure, in order to clarify the phyletic position of the genus Cryptocercus within the Blattaria. The superficial similarities of Cryptocercus and panesthiine roaches are apparently due to convergence. Cryptocercus is placed in a separate family, the Cryptocercidae, which is most closely allied to the Blattidae. Five families of cockroaches are recognized.
History of Section A: Systematics, Morpholology and Evolution

The Origins of Section A, like the origins of so much else fine in the world, lie shrouded in mystery and silence. Similarly misted is most of the section's subsequent history. A few published bits of information gleam fitfully through the fog, but the memories of those once in charge have for the most pan dimmed.
The Lack of Direct Transmission Through the Egg of the Tendency to Produce Blood Spots

Abstract The question whether pullets hatched from eggs containing blood spots tend to produce a significantly greater number of blood spots than birds hatching from eggs without blood spots (hereafter referred to as clear eggs) is of two-fold importance. Firstly, should the answer to the question be a positive one, the possibility of extra-chromosomal transmission would need investigation. Secondly, the question has a bearing on the efficiency of reduction in the tendency to produce blood spots by not setting eggs which contain blood spots. In the course of our study on the inheritance of blood-spotting we have obtained some information which indicates that the answer to the question posed is in the negative. It is obvious, that since the tendency to produce blood spots is inherited, some difference between the performance of birds hatched from eggs with blood spots and those hatched from clear eggs might be expected. This is simply . . .
ID: 74: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE IN PATIENTS WITH BODY MASS INDEX ≥30

Introduction Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and although mortality is decreasing, prevalence of CAD is increasing. A number of modifiable risk factors (smoking) and non-modifiable risk factors (gender, age) have well established association with CAD, whereas other potential risk factors (such as obesity) are less well established. In this study, we evaluated the obesity as a single risk factor for CAD and evaluated the synergistic effect of obesity with the other risk factors. Method A retrospective study of 7,567 patients admitted to hospital for chest pain from 2005–2014 and underwent cardiac catheterization. Patients were divided into two groups: obese and normal with body mass index (BMI) calculated as ≥30 kg/m2 and ≤25, respectively. Patients with BMIs between 26 and 29 were excluded. We assessed the modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors in obese patients and the degree of CAD with coronary angiography as obstructive CAD (left main stenosis of ≥50% or any stenosis of ≥70%), non-obstructive CAD (≥1 stenosis ≥20% but no stenosis ≥70%) and normal coronaries. Results Of the 7,567 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization, 414 (5.5%) had a BMI ≥30. Of 414 obese patients, 332 (80%) had evidence of CAD. Obese patients displayed evidence of CAD at the age of 57 versus 63.3 in non-obese patients (p Of the 332 patients with CAD and obesity, 55.4% had obstructive CAD versus 44.6% with non-obstructive CAD. In obese patients with CAD, Male gender and history of smoking were major risk factors for development of obstructive CAD (p=0.001 and 0.01, respectively) while dyslipidemia was a major risk factor for non-obstructive CAD (p 0.01). Additionally, obese patients with more than one risk factor; developed obstructive CAD compared to non-obstructive CAD (p=0.003). Approximately 40% presented with STEMI, 30% with NSTEMI and 30% had stable angina as a primary diagnosis. Of the 332 obese patients with CAD, 24% received medical treatment, 58% underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and 18% obtained coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In a gender comparison, average age of CAD in obese males were 55 years of age compared to 59 in females (p Conclusion Having a BMI ≥30 appears to correlate as a risk factor for early development of CAD. Severity of CAD in obese patients is depicted on non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors such as the male gender and smoking or greater than one risk factor, respectively. Early lifestyle modification and education may provide benefit in striving to aid decreasing incidents of CAD and possibly lowering cardiovascular events.
Application of Plasma Ignition without Oil to Thermal Power Plant

Based on describing the principle of plasma burner,main factors influencing the plasma ignition are analyzed,i.e.the fineness of pulverized coal and the mass fraction of volatile matter.Combined with the application of plasma ignition technique to Boilers 3 and 5 in Taishan Power Plant,the problems existing in combustion adjustment are indicated along with the logical features of starting boiler under the plasma mode;solutions thereof are presented as well.
Analysis of Influenza Epidemic Situation in 2006 inAnhui

Objective To understand influenza situation in Anhui province so as to Provide basis for alarming influenza.Method Samples were screened using the flu celerity diagnoses reagent and the flu virus was isolated using tissue culture.Results 102 positive samples were screened from 330 samples with the flu celerity diagnoses reagent from February to August in 2006.Of them,1 sample was diagnosed as Influenza A virus and 101 samples were diagnosed as B flu virus.330 samples were isolated for influenza virus with tissue culture method.120 of them showed positive with red cell coagulate reaction.The positive samples were identified by blood coagulate restrain test.Of Them,1 sample was diagnosed as Influenza A virus and 119 samples were diagnosed as B flu virus which belongs to B(viatoria) system.Conclusion The virus of B(viatoria) strain was the primary virus that had prevailed during the spring of 2006 in our province and the Influenza A strain virus also existed.The flu was easy to prevail because the level of antibody against B(viatoria) virus was low in public.
Spatial Distribution Models

Spatial distribution of individuals belonging to one population or of populations belonging to one metapopulation are affected by resource availability and habitat fragmentation, and are created by natural factors such as dispersal, migration, dispersion, and human-caused factors such as habitat fragmentation. This article begins by outlining individual dispersal into and out of a population and how such movement affects population structure and its distribution in space (within a habitat). The article continues to define metapopulation and presents two basic approaches to metapopulation modeling. Levins model of metapopulation and Hanski’s expansion on the model illustrate metapopulation distribution within different habitat patches; the birth, immigration, death, emigration model explains spatial distribution among patches as a function of sources and sinks, where some (sub)populations experience population growth and individuals migrate to subpopulations experiencing population decline. Three spatially related concepts are explained in the remainder of the article. First, stochastic events are explained as important and unpredicted factors that contribute to shaping population spatial distribution, factors that are in recent years incorporated into most population modeling. Second, dispersion is explained as a concept used to describe the type of distribution of individuals within a patch. Types of dispersion patterns include random, uniform, and clumped, and there are two main methods used to identify each of the dispersion patterns. The article concludes with a description of ‘spatially explicit models’, which are used by ecologists and resource managers to relate populations to the habitats in which they live.
A biomechanical comparison study of a modern fibular nail and distal fibular locking plate in AO/OTA 44C2 ankle fractures.

A lateral approach with open reduction and internal fixation with a plate is a very effective technique for the majority of distal fibular fractures. However, this open approach for ankle fixation may be complicated by wound dehiscence and infection, especially in high-risk patients. An alternative to plating is an intramedullary implant, which allows maintenance of length, alignment, and rotation and which allows for decreased soft tissue dissection. While there has been clinical data suggesting favorable short-term outcomes with these implants, there is no current biomechanical literature investigating this technology in this particular fracture pattern. This study sought to biomechanically compare an emerging technology with an established method of fixation for distal fibular fractures that traditionally require an extensive exposure. Ten matched cadaveric pairs from the proximal tibia to the foot were prepared to simulate an Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) 44C2 ankle fracture and randomized to fixation with a distal fibular locking plate or intramedullary fibular rod. A constant 700-N axial load was applied, and all specimens underwent testing for external rotation stiffness, external rotation cyclic loading, and torque to failure. The syndesmotic diastasis, stiffness, torque to failure, angle at failure, and mode of failure were obtained from each specimen. There was no significant difference in syndesmotic diastasis during cyclic loading or at maximal external rotation between the rod and plate groups. Post-cycle external rotation stiffness across the syndesmosis was significantly higher for the locking plate than the fibular rod. There was no significant difference between the rod and plate in torque at failure or external rotation angle. The majority of specimens had failure at the syndesmotic screw. In the present cadaveric study of an AO/OTA 44C2 ankle fracture, a modern fibular rod demonstrated less external rotation stiffness while maintaining the syndesmotic diastasis to within acceptable tolerances and having similar failure characteristics.
Vibrio Infections Associated with Raw Oyster Consumption in Florida, 1981-1994.

While the problem of raw-oyster-associated Vibrio vulnificus infection is well known, less is known about other Vibrio infections associated with raw oyster consumption. Case reports of 333 patients with raw-oyster-associated infections with V. vulnificus and other Vibrio species reported in Florida from 1981 through 1994 were reviewed to define the epidemiology of these infections. The average annual incidence of raw-oyster-associated Vibrio infection was 10.1 per 1,000,000 raw oyster-consuming adults (95% confidence interval: 8.3 to 11.9). Infection resulted in gastroenteritis for 231 (69%) patients, of whom 97 (42%) were hospitalized for a mean length of stay of 4.9 days, and 2 (1%) died. Vibrio species most often identified in patients with gastroenteritis included V. parahaemolyticus (29%), V. cholerae non-Ol (28%), V. hollisae (15%), and V.mimicus (12%). The remaining 102 (31 %) patients with raw-oyster-associated Vibrio infections developed primary septicemia and 50 (49%) died. Primary septicemia resulted from infection with V. vulnificus (80%), v. parahaemolyticus (9%), V. cholerae non-O1 (8%), and V. hollisae (3%). Non- V. vulnificus species accounted for 72% of all raw-oyster-associated Vibrio infections, and differed from infections with V. vulnificus in their lack of a seasonal distribution and the absence of underlying medical conditions in infected patients. These findings emphasize that Vibrio species other than V. vulnificus are more commonly associated with raw oyster consumption, are capable of producing significant morbidity, and may not be controlled by measures such as seasonal marketing restrictions and targeted education of high-risk? consumers that have been proposed to prevent infection with V. vulnificus.
A New Calbration Method For Measuring Permittivity Of Biological Materials

This paper describes an approach to measure a material's complex permittivity using the transmission line method (TLM). The complex permittivity is derived from the imeasured reflection coefficient of a waveguide section that is partially filled with the material sample under test. To remove errors associated with imperfect waveguide flange mating, an in-situ calibration method is introduced. Initial measurement results in the W-band (from 75 to 110 GHz) show improved accuracy with the new calibration method as well as promise of scaling to higher frequencies.
The Case for Shale

Since 2000, the United States has experienced a significant surge in domestic production of oil and natural gas. This surge is due to the “shale revolution” — the discovery and implementation of technologies to extract oil and natural gas from shales and other “tight” rocks. In the last decade, however, shale production has come under severe political criticism. Critics argue that the production of oil and natural gas from shales is dirty, disruptive to local communities, threatening to climate change, and threatening to local supplies of fresh water. To date, supporters have defended shale production with simple economic statistics — like measurements of the wealth or jobs created by shale production. But supporters have not yet offered a robust moral and political account why shale production contributes to a just political order. This essay argues that it is bad policy and politics to defend shale production only on economic grounds. To fill the missing moral argument, the essay offers a justification for shale production, as the free exercise of property rights ordered to encourage the discovery and use of resources likely to contribute to the flourishing of American citizens. This moral justification has facilitated the shale revolution. Flourishing-based property principles informed the common law rules under which shale deposits are private property, and not government-owned resources as they are in most other countries. This moral justification also supplies a framework for evaluating current proposed restrictions on shale production — to determine which restrictions are carefully-tailored regulations to protect water and air quality, and which are arbitrary confiscations of property rights.
Modal coupling effect of non-classically damping

The equations of motion of a structure in undamped modal coordinates may have non-zero off-diagonal terms in the damping matrix. Although these terms are commonly neglected, studies have shown that they may have significant influence on the response to dynamic loads. To quantify and understand the influence of these damping terms, closed form analytical expressions are examined for the modal properties and harmonic and stochastic response of structures with closely spaced natural frequencies.
From Humble Bee to Greenhouse Pollination Workhorse: Can We Mitigate Risks for Bumble Bees?

Bumble bees are highly valued crop pollinators due to their ability to thermo-regulate, which enables them to forage in cooler temperatures than most other bees (Heinrich, 1975), their ability to b...
Healthful, Cultural Foods and Safety Net Use Among Cambodian and Brazilian Immigrant Communities in Massachusetts.

Declining health and food security status among low-income immigrants in the U.S. may result from limited access to healthful, cultural foods and safety net programs. We held focus group discussions with low-income Cambodian and Brazilian immigrants (11 groups, n = 84) living in Massachusetts. Cambodians and Brazilians valued healthful, cultural foods, emphasizing their beliefs that cultural foods are healthier and beneficial for weight management and aging. Although both groups could access these foods, some individuals had difficulty affording them. Cambodians reported that food quality decreased over the month due to inadequate resources. Cambodians relied on SNAP, WIC, families, and food pantries; however, Brazilians generally did not participate in safety net programs. Barriers to accessing and using safety nets appear to limit diet quality for some immigrant families. Targeted nutrition interventions should build on current knowledge of and desire for healthful, cultural foods in the context of available safety nets.
Review of Running from Office: Why Young Americans are Turned off to Politics

The 2016 presidential election raised many concerns and questions among political scientists. One of the most evident concerns in this election is the disdain that many Americans have for politicia...
Abstract WP232: Biomarkers of Atrial Cardiopathy and Atrial Fibrillation Detection on Mobile Continuous Outpatient Telemetry After Cryptogenic Stroke

Background: In population-based studies, biomarkers of atrial dysfunction or “cardiopathy” have been shown to be associated with embolic stroke risk. However, it is unclear if this risk is mediated by undiagnosed paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF). We aim to determine whether atrial cardiopathy biomarkers predict atrial fibrillation on continuous heart-rhythm monitoring after embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS). Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study including all patients who met consensus criteria for ESUS and who underwent 30 days of ambulatory heart-rhythm monitoring looking for AF between Jan 1 st , 2013 and Dec 31 st , 2015. We reviewed medical records for clinical, radiographic, and cardiac variables. The primary outcome was new diagnosis of AF detected during heart-rhythm monitoring. The primary predictors were atrial biomarkers: left atrial diameter on echocardiography, P-wave terminal force in ECG lead V1 , and PR interval on ECG. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between atrial biomarkers and AF detection. Results: Among 196 eligible patients, 23 (11.7%) were diagnosed with AF. In unadjusted analyses, patients with AF were older (72.4 vs. 61.4 years, p Conclusion: Atrial biomarkers were not associated with AF after ESUS. This suggests that previously reported associations between these markers and stroke may reflect independent cardiac pathways leading to stroke. Prospective studies are needed to investigate these mechanisms and study anticoagulation versus antiplatelet treatment for secondary stroke prevention in patients with ESUS and atrial cardiopathy.
What Is the “Thanatomicrobiome” and What Is Its Relevance to Forensic Investigations?

Abstract Is death the end of life? In some ways it is; but in regards to the thanatomicrobiome (microbiome of death) on and in human remains, there are multitudes of living microorganisms after human death that have the potential to assist in medicolegal investigations. Determination of the precise cause and time since death, or postmortem interval, are crucial data for forensic science when criminal deaths are not witnessed, or when conflicting accounts are reported. Over the past decade, advances in high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics have allowed the phylogenetic inventory of immense numbers of microorganisms in a variety of forensic applications. For example, several studies involve identifying humans using skin microbiota, determining body sample tissue sources, estimating postmortem interval, and identifying microorganisms. This chapter will discuss the current and emerging thanatomicrobiome technologies that forensically exploit microorganisms for use in criminal investigations and adjudication.
The decisions in between: a humanitarian crisis decision-making model

ABSTRACTThe end of the Cold War brought an increase in civil war, genocides and other humanitarian crises, as well as an increase in global concern and American involvement in intervention into suc...
Why Is Gyroid More Difficult to Nucleate from Disordered Liquids than Lamellar and Hexagonal Mesophases

Block copolymers, surfactants, and biomolecules form lamellar, hexagonal, and gyroid mesophases. Across these systems, the nucleation of lamellar from the disordered liquid is the easiest and the nucleation of gyroid the most challenging. This poses the question of what are the factors that determine the rates of nucleation of the mesophases and whether they are controlled by the complexity of the structures or the thermodynamics of nucleation. Here, we use molecular simulations to investigate the nucleation and thermodynamics of lamellar, hexagonal, and gyroid in a binary mixture of particles that produces the same mesophases as those of surfactants and block copolymers. We demonstrate that a combination of averaged bond-order parameters q2 and q8 identifies and distinguishes the three mesophases. We use these parameters to track the microscopic process of nucleation of each mesophase and investigate the existence of heterogeneous nucleation (cross-nucleation) between mesophases. We estimate the surfac...
Today's Use of Haploids in Corn Plant Breeding

Abstract Haploids have become one of the most effective tools in maize breeding. This chapter discusses two approaches utilizing maize haploids that have assumed great importance in commercial corn breeding. They are (1) producing and doubling the chromosomes in maternal haploids to generate double haploids (instant inbreds) and (2) utilizing paternal haploids produced utilizing the indeterminate gametophyte1 mutation to convert male-fertile lines into cytoplasmic male-sterile lines. Both approaches require only two generations, while traditional procedures require about seven to eight generations. These procedures have helped to make the breeding of corn more efficient and economical. The characteristics of maize haploids, methods to produce and select them and double their chromosomes, and the advantages of utilizing maize haploids are discussed.
Abstract A21: Modeling of oncogenic chromosomal translocations of aggressive fusion-positive sarcomas by CRISPR-Cas9 genomic engineering

A prominent challenge in fusion-positive sarcoma research is that the oncogenic driver is typically a chimeric transcription factor. Although considered the disease-specific molecular drivers, these chimeric transcription factors remain challenging to target pharmacologically. An alternative approach is the elucidation of molecular pathways controlled by the oncogenic transcription factor, with the aim of identifying druggable targets. However, many fusion-driven sarcomas have a paucity of suitable genetic models, with some lacking any patient-derived cell lines. In the situations where patient-derived cell lines are available, most have been passaged for decades, potentially adding further complexity and bias. Therefore, development of faithful model systems of oncogenic chromosomal translocations is of principal importance for these aggressive translocation-driven pediatric sarcomas. Here, we describe a novel approach that combines CRISPR-Cas9 genomic editing technology, with homology-directed repair (HDR) to engineer, capture, and modulate the expression of chromosomal translocation products in a human cell line. We have applied this approach to the genetic modeling of t(11;22)(q24;q12) and t(11;22)(p13;q12), translocation products of the EWSR1 gene and its 3 fusion partners FLI1 and WT1, present in Ewing9s sarcoma and desmoplastic small round cell tumor, respectively. Our approach establishes an innovative platform for constructing isogenic and conditionally inducible biologically relevant models for a variety of sarcomas driven by chromosomal translocations. Citation Format: Lee Spraggon, Luciano Martelotto, Julija Hmeljak, Tyler Hitchman, Jiang Wang, Lu Wang, Emily Slotkin, Pang-Dian Fan, Jorge Reis-Filho, Marc Ladanyi. Modeling of oncogenic chromosomal translocations of aggressive fusion-positive sarcomas by CRISPR-Cas9 genomic engineering [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Conference on Advances in Sarcomas: From Basic Science to Clinical Translation; May 16-19, 2017; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(2_Suppl):Abstract nr A21.
Privacy-Preserving Dynamic Learning of Tor Network Traffic

Experimentation tools facilitate exploration of Tor performance and security research problems and allow researchers to safely and privately conduct Tor experiments without risking harm to real Tor users. However, researchers using these tools configure them to generate network traffic based on simplifying assumptions and outdated measurements and without understanding the efficacy of their configuration choices. In this work, we design a novel technique for dynamically learning Tor network traffic models using hidden Markov modeling and privacy-preserving measurement techniques. We conduct a safe but detailed measurement study of Tor using 17 relays (~2% of Tor bandwidth) over the course of 6 months, measuring general statistics and models that can be used to generate a sequence of streams and packets. We show how our measurement results and traffic models can be used to generate traffic flows in private Tor networks and how our models are more realistic than standard and alternative network traffic generation~methods.
Internet addiction: When the positive emotions are not so positive

Abstract Internet Addiction has emerged as a universal issue affecting a multitude of people. Internet addiction may be brought about by the simple fact of using coping in combination with internet technologies to escape from the negative emotions of daily live and promote more positive emotions. Drawing on this coping theory, this manuscript reports the results of a study designed to explore the relationships between internet addiction and positive/negative emotional states. Internet users were surveyed about their internet usage patterns and some basic emotions. These survey results were then analyzed using PLS. The results showed significant relationships between internet addiction and the emotional states. Specifically, internet addiction is found to concurrently increase the negative emotional states and decrease the positive emotional states. This is troubling as internet usage has been steadily increasing. The findings show that if the usage is from an Internet addict, the usage can decrease the positive and increase the negative emotional states.
Point of care technologies for sepsis diagnosis and treatment

Sepsis is a rapidly progressing, life threatening immune response triggered by infection that affects millions worldwide each year. Current clinical diagnosis relies on broad physiological parameters and time consuming lab-based cell culture. If proper treatment is not provided, cases of sepsis can drastically increase in severity over the course of a few hours. Development of new point of care tools for sepsis has the potential to improve diagnostic speed and accuracy, leading to prompt administration of appropriate therapeutics, thereby reducing healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes. In this review we examine developing and commercially available technologies to assess the feasibility of rapid, accurate sepsis diagnosis, with emphasis on point of care.
Redundant actuators to achieve minimal vibration trajectory tracking of flexible multibodies: Theory and application

We address the problem of inverse dynamics for flexible multibodies, which arises, in trajectory tracking control of flexible multibodies such as space manipulators and articulated flexible structures. Previous research has resolved this trajectory tracking problem by computing the system inputs for feedforward control of actuators at the joints. Recently, the use of distributed actuators like electro-strictive actuators in flexible structures has introduced a new dimension to this trajectory tracking problem. In this paper we optimally utilize such actuators to aid joint actuators for tracking control, and introduce a new inverse dynamics scheme for simultaneously (1) tracking a prescribed trajectory and (2) minimizing ensuing elastic deflections. We apply this scheme for trajectory tracking of a two-link two-joint planar manipulator with joint motors and distributed electro-strictive actuators. Experimental results are presented to contrast our new scheme with other existing methods.