cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of a native legume on soil N and plant response following prescribed fire in sagebrush steppe

Woodland expansion affects grasslands and shrublands on a global scale. Prescribed fire is a potential restoration tool, but recovery depends on nutrient availability and species responses after burning. Fire often leads to long- term losses in total nitrogen, but presence of native legumes can influence recovery through addition of fixed nitrogen. We examined the effects of prescribed fire in the central Great Basin, Nevada, USA, on density, biomass and nutrient content of a native legume, Lupinus argenteus (Pursh), and the effects of Lupinus presence and prescribed fire on soil inorganic nitrogen and on neighboring plant functional groups. We examined three treatment s-1y earpost-burn, 3 years post-burn and unburned control in three replicate blocks. Extractable soil inorganic nitrogen was variable and, despite a tendency towards increased inorganic nitrogen 1 year post-burn, differences among treatments were not significant. Extractable soil inorganic nitrogen was higher in Lupinus presence regardless of time since fire. Lupinus density increased after fire mainly owing to increased seedling numbers 3 years post-burn. Fire did not affect Lupinus tissue N and P concentrations, but cover of perennial grasses and forbs was higher in Lupinus presence. The invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum had low abundance and was unaffected by treatments. Results indicate that Lupinus has the potential to influence succession through modification of the post-fire environment.
Distribution of Cholinergic Contacts on Renshaw Cells in the Rat Spinal Cord: A Light Microscopic Study

1. Cholinergic terminals in the rat spinal cord were revealed by immunohistochemical detection of the vesicular acetycholine transporter (VAChT). In order to determine the relationships of these terminals to Renshaw cells, we used dual immunolabelling with antibodies against gephyrin or calbindin D28k to provide immunohistochemical identification of Renshaw cells in lamina VII of the ventral horn. 2. A total of 50 Renshaw cells were analysed quantitatively using a computer-aided reconstruction system to provide accurate localization of contact sites and determination of somatic and dendritic surface area. Dendrites could be traced for up to 413 microm from the soma in calbindin D28k-identified Renshaw cells and up to 184 microm in gephyrin-identified cells. 3. A total of 3330 cholinergic terminals were observed on 50 Renshaw cells, with a range of 21-138 terminal appositions per cell (mean 66.6 +/- 25.56 contacts per cell). The vast majority (83.5 %) of the terminals were apposed to dendrites rather than the soma. The overall density of cholinergic contacts increased from a little above 1 per 100 microm2 on the soma and initial 25 microm of proximal dendrites to 4-5 per 100 microm2 on the surface of dendritic segments located 50-250 microm from the soma. Single presynaptic fibres frequently formed multiple contacts with the soma and/or dendrites of individual Renshaw cells. 4. VAChT-immunoreactive terminals apposed to Renshaw cells varied in size from 0.6 to 6.9 microm in diameter (mean 2.26 +/- 0.94; n = 986) and were on average smaller than the cholinergic C-terminals apposed to motoneurones, but larger than VAChT-immunoreactive terminals contacting other ventral horn interneurones. 5. The high density and relatively large size of many cholinergic terminals on Renshaw cells presumably correlates with the strong synaptic connection between motoneurones and Renshaw cells. The fact that the majority of contacts are distributed over the dendrites makes the motoneurone axon collateral input susceptible to inhibition by the prominent glycinergic inhibitory synapses located on the soma and proximal dendrites. The relative positions and structural features of the excitatory cholinergic and inhibitory glycinergic synapses may explain why Renshaw cells, although capable of firing at very high frequency following motor axon stimulation, appear to fire at relatively low rates during locomotor activity.
A dynamic model of group-size choice in the coral reef fish Dascyllus albisella

The work was funded in part by a Graduate Teaching Associateship from The Ohio State University to F.A.M., a National Science Foundation grant (DEB 9410327) to E.A.M., and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant (NA86RG0053) to E.A.M.
A multi-view approach to motion and stereo

This paper presents a new approach to computing dense depth and motion estimates from multiple images. Rather than computing a single depth or motion map from such a collection, we associate motion or depth estimates with each image in the collection (or at least some subset of the images). This has the advantage that the depth or motion of regions occluded in one image will still be represented in some other image. Thus, tasks such as novel view interpolation or motion-compensated prediction can be solved with greater fidelity. Furthermore, the natural variation in appearance between different images can be captured. To formulate motion and structure recovery, we cast the problem as a global optimization over the unknown motion or depth maps, and use robust smoothness constraints to constrain the space of possible solutions. We develop and evaluate some motion and depth estimation algorithms based on this framework.
Analysis of discontinuities in planar dielectric waveguides: an eigenmode propagation method

The eigenmode propagation method is proposed to analyze the discontinuity problems in planar dielectric waveguides. This recursive algorithm is based on the numerical mode matching method, but it uses less computation time and computer memory, which makes the analysis of multiregion, vertically stratified media much more effective. With this algorithm, the required computer memory is independent of the number of regions in the problem, and the computation time is linearly proportional to the number of regions. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for the analysis of planar waveguide discontinuities and waveguide bends. Using this method, larger problems can be analyzed which are impractical with the finite element method. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate that the computation time is linearly proportional to the number of discontinuities, while the computer memory is almost a constant independent of the number of discontinuities. >
Fentanyl HCl Patient-Controlled lontophoretic Transdermal System for the Management of Acute Postoperative Pain:

Objective:To summarize the pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, development, and clinical application of IONSYS, the fentanyl HCl patient-controlled iontophoretic transdermal system for the management of acute postoperative pain.Data Sources:Clinical literature including both primary sources and review articles was accessed through a search of the MEDLINE databases (1980–October 2006). Key search terms included cutaneous analgesia, fentanyl, IONSYS, opioid, postoperative pain, and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Additional clinical trial and drug data were supplied by the manufacturer, the ALZA Corporation.Study Selection and Data Extraction:Review articles, abstracts, and clinical studies related to patient-controlled iontophoretic transdermal fentanyl and postoperative pain management were analyzed. An evaluation of the research exploring IONSYS for the management of acute postoperative pain was conducted. Relevant information was then selected and is provided in this article.Data Synthesis:IONSYS is th...
Measurement and Analysis of Mixture Adsorption Equilibrium in Porous Solids

Most applications of adsorption involve fluid mixtures and porous solids. Three reference states with Gibbs definition of adsorption describe absolute, excess, and net adsorption frameworks. All depend on solid mass as the extensive property rather than surface area, an ambiguous concept for porous solids. Pure component isotherms by push-button apparatus are a first step to characterize adsorption, but process development also requires mixture data since models are not dependable. Mixture experiments are an order of magnitude more complicated than pure isotherms requiring careful design of apparatus and experiments. Thermodynamic relations are very useful for system and experimental design and for analysis of data. All relevant definitions and relations are explained in this paper and illustrated with a set of pure and binary mixture adsorption equilibrium data.
EPI64 regulates microvillar subdomains and structure.

EPI64 is a TBC domain–containing protein that binds the PDZ domains of EBP50, which binds ezrin, a major actin-binding protein of microvilli. High-resolution light microscopy revealed that ezrin and EBP50 localize exclusively to the membrane-surrounded region of microvilli, whereas EPI64 localizes to variable regions in the structures. Overexpressing EPI64 results in its and EBP50's relocalization to the base of microvilli, including to the actin rootlet devoid of ezrin or plasma membrane. Uncoupling EPI64's binding to EBP50, expression of any construct mislocalizing its TBC domain, or knock down of EBP50 results in loss of microvilli. The TBC domain of EPI64 binds directly to Arf6-GTP. Overexpressing the TBC domain increases Arf6-GTP levels, and expressing dominant-active Arf6 results in microvillar loss. These data reveal that microvilli have distinct cytoskeletal subdomains and that EPI64 regulates microvillar structure.
Failure Isolation for a Minimally Redundant Inertial Sensor System

The application of two-degree-of-freedom inertial sensors in a minimally redundant strapdown configuration is considered. The potential improvement in reliability which can be achieved by exploiting the failure isolation capability unique to this configuration is evaluated. A unified, statistical approach to the detection and isolation of both hard and soft sensor failures is presented. The effectiveness of this unified approach to FDI in terms of the mean time to detection, the mean time between false alarms, and the accumulated attitude error prior to detection is indicated by simulation results.
Sector Alignments of Regional Councils: Implications for Intergovernmental Relations in the 1990s:

A resurgence of interest in substate regionalism today has implications for intergovernmental relations in the 1990s. This research analyzes changes in the sector alignments of regional councils as assessed by their executive directors for a 10-year period from 1985 to 1995. It explores the alignments of regional councils to five institutional sectors: the national government, state governments, the regional sector, local governments, and the private sector. The priorities the council directors expect to place on relationships with their state governments and with the private sector increase dramatically. Finally, the lowest sector priorities are placed on relationships with the national government, even though the latter remains the councils' single largest source of fiscal support.
A Multiple Set-Point Polarization Technique for Electrochemical Corrosion Rate Measurement in Potable Water Distribution Systems

Abstract The electrochemical polarization of copper, black iron, and galvanized iron pipes was studied to evaluate methods of improving the accuracy of corrosion rate measurements made in plumbing systems. A cell configuration was chosen that uses pipe coupons as the working surface and simulates the conditions and flow characteristics of the distribution system. The cell can be used to estimate corrosion currents and to map variations in the corrosion potential across the pipe surface. Electrochemically measured corrosion rates correlate well with those measured by weight loss and vary as a function exposure duration and water quality conditions.
Optimal Quantile Principle for Selecting Variable Bandwidth in Regression Estimators

The optimal neighbor principle in data-driven selection of the variable window bandwidth in the Nadaraya-Watson regression estimators results in a lack of continuity of the bandwidth as a function of the conditional argument. This causes a lack of smoothness in the corresponding regression estimator which is frequently observed in samples of small or moderate size. A remedy, called the optimal quantile principle, is proposed and studied. We show that it is possible to modify the well-developed optimality theory used in choosing the smoothing parameter in Nadaraya-Watson kernel regression to give conditions under which corresponding optimality properties hold for the case of our p-th quantile estimator. Experience with computer simulations using a nonlinear regression package is reported.
Origin of far-field subcortical evoked potentials to posterior tibial and median nerve stimulation. A comparative study.

• Posterior tibial nerve (PTN) evoked potentials (EPs) at the lumbar—low thoracic level have waveforms similar to median nerve (MN) EPs at the cervical level. They consist of a short-duration negativity (N18 and N10, respectively), which reflects the afferent volley before it enters the spinal canal, and a longer-duration, later negativity (N20 and N12, respectively), which consists mainly of slow frequencies and most probably is a postsynaptic dorsal cord potential. At the neck-scalp derivation the MN EP consists of two near-field negativities (N10 and N12) that are recorded from the neck electrode and two far-field positivities (P11 and P13) that are recorded from the scalp electrode. The neck-scalp response to PTN stimulation consists of a near field potential N24 that is followed by a far-field potential P27.
Inhibition of solar wind impingement on Mercury by planetary induction currents

Analytic methods are developed for taking into account finite planetary conductivity in modeling departures from equilibrium of a magnetospheric boundary caused by solar wind stagnation pressure variations. Using the lowest suggested value of the planetary dipole moment (2.4 x 10 to the 22nd G cu cm), it is estimated that a minimum pressure of about 38 P sub 0 (where P sub 0 is the external stagnation pressure in the steady state) is required to force the standoff distance down to the subsolar surface of Mercury if the pressure change persists for at least 1 day. This value is 4.3 times that which would be predicted if Mercury had no core, and it is larger than the maximum pressure predicted at Mercury's orbit (about 25 P sub 0) on the basis of hourly averaged solar wind statistics at 1 AU.
IL-22 is induced by S100/calgranulin and impairs cholesterol efflux in macrophages by downregulating ABCG1

S100A8/9 and S100A12 are emerging biomarkers for disease activity of autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases. We demonstrated previously that S100A12 accelerates atherosclerosis accompanied by large cholesterol deposits in atherosclerotic lesions of apoE-null mice. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether S100/calgranulin influences cholesterol homeostasis in macrophages. Peritoneal macrophages from transgenic mice expressing human S100A8/9 and S100A12 in myeloid cells [human bacterial artificial chromosome (hBAC)/S100] have increased lipid content and reduced ABCG1 expression and [3H]cholesterol efflux compared with WT littermates. This was associated with a 6-fold increase in plasma interleukin (IL)-22 and increased IL-22 mRNA in splenic T cells. These findings are mediated by the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE), because hBAC/S100 mice lacking RAGE had normal IL-22 expression and normal cholesterol efflux. In vitro, recombinant IL-22 reduced ABCG1 expression and [3H]cholesterol efflux in THP-1 macrophages, while recombinant S100A12 had no effect on ABCG1 expression. In conclusion, S100/calgranulin has no direct effect on cholesterol efflux in macrophages, but rather promotes the secretion of IL-22, which then directly reduces cholesterol efflux in macrophages by decreasing the expression of ABCG1.
Step-energy barriers and particle shape changes during coarsening

Models of particle shape changes usually do not account for the step-energy barrier associated with adding or removing additional atomic planes from a faceted surface. However, the step-energy barrier can be a substantial limitation when the free energy changes that drive particle shape changes are relatively low. A good example of this is particle coarsening. The analysis presented in this article describes dislocation-free particles with surfaces that have faceted and nonfaceted regions. When the chemical potential differences responsible for shape changes are too small to overcome the step-energy barrier, atomic layers cannot be added or removed from the facets. Even with this constraint, it is possible to add or remove atoms from the particle surface; however, this can cause the particle shape to differ substantially from the traditional equilibrium shape.
IBEX Education and Public Outreach

The IBEX mission includes a comprehensive Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program that develops programs and products in exciting themes from astronomy and space physics. With the active involvement of the Principal Investigator and several science team partners, it is overseen and implemented by the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum. The program includes an internationally distributed planetarium show with accompanying informal education materials that are also accessible to individuals with special needs; a national Space Science Core Curriculum for grades 6–8 in collaboration with other NASA missions; a professional development program for teachers; and workshops that engage Hispanic and Native American students. Materials are made available for download or for order via the IBEX website: http://www.ibex.swri.edu/. Our program is developed, implemented and monitored for effectiveness by organizations with proven capabilities and experience in their respective areas of E/PO. This paper describes these program elements in detail and includes the rationale and design process for this E/PO program.
Chemical crosslinking of Plasmodium falciparum glycoprotein, Pf200 (190-205 kDa), to the S-antigen at the merozoite surface.

Abstract Merozoites were isolated from Plasmodium falciparum cultures labeled with [ 3 H]mannose and [ 35 S]methionine and treated with a cleavable homobifunctional crosslinker, dithiobis(succinimidyl)propionate. The crosslinked complexes were immunoprecipitated with Mab.5B1 directed against the major merozoite surface glycoprotein, Pf200 (MW 190–205), and reduced with dithiothreitol. Crosslinked immunocomplexes did not contain the second major merozoite surface glycoprotein, Pf50 (MW 45–55 kDa), or other major [ 35 S]methionine-labeled proteins, except for a weakly labeled protein of 150 kDa. Crosslinked complexes immunoprecipitated with Mab.5B1 and then reduced with DTT were immunoblotted with antibody directed against three soluble P. falciparum antigens, a serine-rich antigen known as Pf126 or SERA, the S-antigen, and GBP-130. The 150-kDa S-antigen was readily detected in crosslinked immunocomplexes with Pf200. The SERA antigen, although crosslinked under these conditions, was not detected in association with Pf200 nor Was GBP-130.
Robust Crossfeed Design for Hovering Rotorcraft

Control law design for rotorcraft fly-by-wire systems normally attempts to decouple angular responses using fixed-gain crossfeeds. This approach can lead to poor decoupling over the frequency range of pilot inputs and increase the load on the feedback loops. In order to improve the decoupling performance, dynamic crossfeeds may be adopted. Moreover, because of the large changes that occur in rotorcraft dynamics due to small changes about the nominal design condition, especially for near-hovering flight, the crossfeed design must be 'robust.' A new low-order matching method is presented here to design robost crossfeed compensators for multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) systems. The technique identifies degrees-of-freedom that can be decoupled using crossfeeds, given an anticipated set of parameter variations for the range of flight conditions of concern. Cross-coupling is then reduced for degrees-of-freedom that can use crossfeed compensation by minimizing off-axis response magnitude average and variance. Results are presented for the analysis of pitch, roll, yaw, and heave coupling of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in near-hovering flight. Robust crossfeeds are designed that show significant improvement in decoupling performance and robustness over nominal, single design point, compensators. The design method and results are presented in an easily-used graphical format that lends significant physical insight to the design procedure. This plant pre-compensation technique is an appropriate preliminary step to the design of robust feedback control laws for rotorcraft.
When Content Matters: The Role of Processing Code in Tactile Display Design

The distribution of tasks and stimuli across multiple modalities has been proposed as a means to support multitasking in data-rich environments. Recently, the tactile channel and, more specifically, communication via the use of tactile/haptic icons have received considerable interest. Past research has examined primarily the impact of concurrent task modality on the effectiveness of tactile information presentation. However, it is not well known to what extent the interpretation of iconic tactile patterns is affected by another attribute of information: the information processing codes of concurrent tasks. In two driving simulation studies (n = 25 for each), participants decoded icons composed of either spatial or nonspatial patterns of vibrations (engaging spatial and nonspatial processing code resources, respectively) while concurrently interpreting spatial or nonspatial visual task stimuli. As predicted by Multiple Resource Theory, performance was significantly worse (approximately 5-10 percent worse) when the tactile icons and visual tasks engaged the same processing code, with the overall worst performance in the spatial-spatial task pairing. The findings from these studies contribute to an improved understanding of information processing and can serve as input to multidimensional quantitative models of timesharing performance. From an applied perspective, the results suggest that competition for processing code resources warrants consideration, alongside other factors such as the naturalness of signal-message mapping, when designing iconic tactile displays. Nonspatially encoded tactile icons may be preferable in environments which already rely heavily on spatial processing, such as car cockpits.
PRIVATE PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: SOME NEW DIRECTIONS

This article argues that teachers of environmental ethics must more aggressively entertain questions of private property in their work and in their teaching. To make this case, it first introduces the three primary positions on property: occupation arguments, labor theory of value arguments, and efficiency arguments. It then contextualizes these arguments in light of the contemporary U.S. wise-use movement, in an attempt to make sense of the concerns that motivate wise-use activists, and also to demonstrate how intrinsic value arguments miss the mark. Finally, it offers some suggestions about further directions for environmental ethics, reasoning that there is a good deal of headway to be gained for environmental ethics by accepting that nature can be owned as property, but nevertheless engaging the idea of private property critically.
Intimate-Partner Assailants Comparison of Cases Referred to a Probation Department

Although a number of studies have examined arrest, prosecution, and treatment of intimate-partner assailants, a few studies have focused on those sentenced to probation. This study aims at comparing and analyzing the characteristics and interventions of intimate-partner assailants at a probation department. This research analyzed a random sample of 108 records from cases of assault and battery referred to a district court in Michigan, from January to December 1992. Major findings revealed that 76% of the cases of assault and battery occurred between male and female intimate partners. The variables of gender and deferred prosecution demonstrated to have significant relationships (p < 0.004) with the variable of intimate relationship. The results suggested that in a significant percent of cases nonintimate partner assailants received the same punishment as intimate-partner assailants.
Management of Anesthesia for the Pregnant Surgical Patient

ESTIMATES suggest that 1% or 2% of pregnant women undergo anesthesia for surgical procedures unrelated to delivery in the United States, but pregnancy may be unrecognized at the time of surgery, and there are no formal reporting mechanisms for data collection. Cerclage procedures for cervical incompetence typically are performed at the end of the first trimester. Most nonobstetric procedures result from circumstances common for the maternal age group, such as appendicitis, cholelithiasis, ovarian cysts or ovarian torsion, breast tumors, trauma, and more rarely for life-threatening cardiac or neurosurgical conditions or organ transplantation. Anesthetic considerations for surgery during pregnancy include concern for the safety of two patients, the mother and fetus. Alterations in maternal anatomy and physiology induced by pregnancy have clinical anesthetic implications and present potential hazards for the mother and fetus undergoing anesthesia. The fetus may be subjected to hazard by (1) the risk of intraoperative hypoxemia or asphyxia caused by reduced uterine blood flow, maternal hypotension, excessive maternal mechanical ventilation or maternal hypoxia, depression of the fetal cardiovascular system or central nervous system from placental passage of anesthetic agents; (2) exposure to teratogenic drugs; and (3) the risk for preterm delivery as a consequence of the surgical procedure or drugs administered. In most circumstances, the fetus is a passive recipient of anesthesia administered to the mother, suffers no blood loss, and undergoes passive changes rather than direct stress or hemodynamic alterations caused by surgery (fig. 1).
Heavy-Ion Radiobiology: Cellular Studies

LBL~11861 Preprintc MAY 17 LIBRARY AND To be published as a chapter in ADVANCES IN RADIATION BIOLOGY, Spring/Summer 1983, J.T. Lett, ed., Academic Press, New York, NY HEAVY-ION RADIOBIOLOGY: CELLULAR STUDIES Eleanor A. Blakely, Frank Q.H. Ngo, Stanley B. Curtis, and Cornelius A. Tobias February 1983 This a Library Circulating Copy which may be two weeks. a personal Division)' Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC03-76SF00098
Implications of student health problems on achievement and engagement

Healthy students are better learners. Establishing positive school climates where students are healthy, engaged, and prepared to learn is a critical component in increasing student engagement and closing the achievement gap. As such, educators need to be aware of the impact of education-related outcomes on student outcomes and schools' ability to provide support to students in order to maximize their ability to be successful. The purpose of the current paper is to present prevalence data on student health problems, discuss the effects of student health problems on student achievement and engagement, and present recommendations for school psychologists and educators to address student health problems within the school setting.
Pilot plant test of the advanced flash stripper for CO2 capture

Alternative stripping processes have been proposed to reduce energy use for CO2 capture, but only a few have been applied to pilot-scale experiments. This paper presents the first pilot plant test results of one of the most promising stripper configurations, the advanced flash stripper with cold and warm rich solvent bypass. The campaign using aqueous piperazine was carried out at UT Austin in 2015. The advanced flash stripper improves the heat duty by over 25% compared to previous campaigns using the two-stage flash, achieving 2.1 GJ per tonne CO2 of heat duty and 32 kJ mol−1 CO2 of total equivalent work. The bypass control strategy proposed minimized the heat duty. The test successfully demonstrated the remarkable energy performance and the operability of this advanced system. An Aspen Plus® model was validated using the pilot plant data and used to explore optimum operating and design conditions. The irreversibility analysis showed that the pilot plant performance has attained 50% thermodynamic efficiency and further energy improvement should focus on the absorber and the cross exchanger by increasing absorption rate and solvent capacity.
Eye Movements When Viewing a HMD Under Vibration

With improvements in Helmet-Mounted-Display (HMD) technology, they have become an essential element of many military systems. However, vibration and the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) continue to influence the utility of these displays. When a human’s head experiences low-frequency motion, the VOR stabilizes the eye with respect to the external environment. However, this response blurs the perceived image on an HMD as the display moves with the user’s head. This research investigated the VOR as a function of whole-body, low-frequency vibration. An HMD was developed to allow a user to perform visual tasks, while recording eye movements via Electro-OculoGraphy (EOG). This experiment explored the effect of vibration on eye movements while performing tasks chosen to isolate specific eye motions. The magnitude of vertical eye movement during target fixation was greatest between 4 and 6 Hz, while the addition of target motion significantly increased the magnitude of unintended vertical eye movements at peak freq...
Peer Review and Quality Assurance for Lawyers

Lawyers can learn from Quality Assurance efforts in other professions. Providing a forum for client complaints apart from the disciplinary process would help forestall a public crisis that could bring more official regulation. Voluntary and rewarded efforts to develop and implement quality criteria should be encouraged.
Short-term and long-term results of experimental wrapping techniques for bronchial anastomosis.

Major complications of bronchial anastomoses for either transplantation or sleeve resection include early leak, fistula formation, granulation tissue, and stenosis. To evaluate the impact of technique on these complications, we designed a nonimmunocompromised canine model with a totally ischemic bronchial segment. We wished to discover the prevalence of early and late complications of a telescoping anastomosis and if wrapping techniques modify them. We autotransplanted 25 mm of left main-stem bronchus by telescoping 1 mm of proximal into distal bronchus sutured with interrupted 4-0 polyglactin sutures. The animals were divided into four groups: no wrap; omental pedicle wrap; detached-free omental wrap; and Gelfoam sponge soaked in porcine omental extract. Weekly bronchoscopic studies assessed airway patency. After the animals were put to death at 70 days, the luminal areas of the proximal anastomoses were compared with the origin of the left main bronchus. No air leak, bronchial disruption, or infection occurred in any group at any time. Luminal narrowing occurred in all four groups but was most pronounced in the three groups in which wrapping techniques were used. We conclude that wrapping of a telescoped anastomosis is not necessary to prevent early complications. However, no method completely eliminates stenosis. Further experiments should determine the effects of immunomodulation in this model. (J T horac C ardiovasc S urg 1992;103:763-6)
Lost Species at La Suerte (Costa Rica) and Ometepe (Nicaragua): Facts from Over 10 Years of Research, Some Speculations, Liabilities, and a Very Grim Future Outlook to Resolve

On the one hand, it is a moot point to speculate about the past, what potentially occurred there, and how well certain species and people all fared, or not. Many species are gone, specifically during the last 100 years. We know this general trend, but we live today and we all make decisions for the future. Species go consistently extinct, it is part of nature. Many researchers have tried to understand those dynamics for several centuries, going as far back to scientists like C. Darwin, A. von Humboldt, and more recently, E. Quammen, J. Diamond, etc. (see Sale 1993 for the environmental culture). It led to such essential findings that the earth presents us with plate tectonics, that we have the Big Bang (or several of those events in concert), that for some species Central America is the cradle of life (e.g., tetrapods; see Chap. 12 of this book), that a large asteroid hit earth (Chicxulub crater at Yukatan/Mexico, 65 million years ago) potentially contributing to the loss of most dinosaurs, and that Central American species were heavily affected by the Great American Faunal Interchange approximately 20 million years ago. The theory of biogeography and sources and sinks are part of these study concepts dealing with extinctions and immigration. By now, they represent a foundation of modern science, of conservation research and policy, and occupy a large group of institutions, agencies, zoos and NGOs, many of them fueled by corporate industry money to get at just that very question: extinction; why and which species disappeared, when and how, and with what impacts? By now, it is almost an obsolete question that can hardly be disputed for its causes.
Preventing Corporate Fiascos: Beyond the Institutions

We developed the tetrahedron model for fiasco prevention in the human-institution component in a systemic framework. The problem and solution is in the set-theoretic domain. The problem can be expressed as σ-algebra for the finding of the optimum decision subset, called generated σ(Δ) where Δ is the subset which hurts the institution. The conceptual model of institution-exception-decision-Oversight unit can be now extended to market and economy, where the institution is part of the market or economy. Beyond the institution level the problem is quite different due to the heavily networked structure of the market and the economy, even though hierarchies of structures exist. We argue that the conceptual model will still work for market and economy components.
Planning for Hemodialysis

Decisions regarding the initiation of RRT – whether HD, PD, kidney transplantation or palliative care is chosen – are critical in the relationship between nephrologists, patients, family members and other health personnel. The transition between CKD and ESRD requires the nephrologist to have a clear understanding of the disease trajectory in the individual patient, and to function as a teacher for the patient and the important members of his or her family, professional and social network. These functions involve understanding the patient both as an individual and a member of a social milieu, as well as an appreciation of the patient’s belief system. Although the various modalities have advantages and disadvantages, many of the steps in the transition are common to all the choices. In particular, recent advances in clinical trials science allow the nephrologist to advise patients regarding timing of initiation of RRT, and factors related to successful creation of vascular access which will promote the best health outcomes. The nephrologist, while delivering complex care at the time of a crucial transition, can play a key role in determining whether the start of RRT with HD will be characterized by a “smooth landing” or a “crash landing” by serving as a coordinator of education.
The author and the book

REFLECTIONS ON THE ROAD FROM LONDON TO BRISTOL The state of mind of the twenty-two-year-old David Hume as he was jostled up and down in the stagecoach traveling the rough road from London to Bristol in March of 1734 is not difficult to imagine. He had plenty of time on the fifteen-hour-long journey to reflect back on his young life and think about what the future might bring. He must have felt some sadness, having left his family and friends back in Scotland a few weeks earlier. At the same time, Hume was on his way to take up a position with a sugar merchant in Bristol and would have felt the excitement of a young man on a new adventure, traveling alone far from home for the first time in his life. Nevertheless, this was not the life that he had set out for himself five years earlier, and it was with some regrets that he had made this decision. The truth of the matter was that he had made himself ill by the studious way of life that he had adopted, and he had decided to set aside his books and writing for a time until he recovered his health. He believed that this would be best accomplished through an “active” life in business. Thus he was heading toward the major port city of western England to take up a position with a “considerable Trader” to whom he had been recommended.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Creation and Maintenance of Hemodialysis Access

Ultrasound is a valuable tool for assessing patients at all phases of dialysis access creation and maintenance. This chapter specifically covers point-of-care (POC) applications and focuses on clinician-performed ultrasound examinations for the purpose of guiding decision-making and interventions.
Fast band diagram simulation of 2D periodic scatterers using surface integral equations with broadband Green's function

A novel approach of broadband Green's function with low wavenumber extraction (BBGFL)has recently been developed to calculate the band diagrams of two dimensional (2D) periodic structures using surface integral equations [1–3]. The surface integral equation takes the periodic Green's function as the propagator, provides the exact multiple scattering solution to the problem. A low wavenumber component is extracted from the periodic Green's function, leaving the remaining part fast convergent with respect to the number of Bloch waves needed in spectral domain. The periodic Green's function is only evaluated once at the selected low wavenumber. The choice of the low wavenumber is shown to be robust. The remainder, designated as the broadband periodic Green's function, has very simple and separable wavenumber dependence, can be readily evaluated over a broad band of wavenumbers. The surface integral equation is then discretized using the method of moments (MoM) and subsequently converted into a linear eigenvalue problem. The eigenvalues of the linear system correspond to multiple bands of the periodic structure and are solved all at once. The application of MoM makes the approach applicable to any shape of the geometry, any dielectric contrast, and any scatterer filling ratio. The boundary representation of the scatterer significantly reduces the number of unknowns comparing to volumetric discretization as in the finite element method (FEM) and is free of staircase representation errors as encountered in the plane wave expansion method [4] and the finite difference method in time domain (FDTD). The plane wave method is also reported to converge slowly with high permittivity contrast and filling ratio [5].
An enhanced identification test monitoring procedure for MIMO systems relying on uncertainty estimates

An important practical consideration in system identification is the judicious use of information for input signal design. Typically, only limited process knowledge is available a priori; hence the input design parameters are not always optimally selected. The quality of the data substantially improves if input design parameters can be refined during experimental execution. The purpose of this paper is to present an enhanced identification test monitoring procedure for multivariable systems that incorporates these ideas to achieve experiments with the shortest possible duration and that are adequately informative for identification purposes. This is enabled by “on-the-go” manipulation of amplitude, duration, and/or frequency content of the input signals. The decision to continue, modify, or halt the experiment is achieved by a stopping criterion based on a robust control metric that is developed in the paper. These computations are performed using an orthogonal-in-frequency spectral input design, and relying on a computational method that estimates transfer functions (and associated uncertainties) taking into account the system noise and transient behavior. Results are evaluated through a simulation study using a chemical process system under diverse realistic noise structures.
The impact of CD34+ cell dose and comorbidities on engraftment following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT).

7046 Background: The minimum CD34+ cell dose needed to ensure hematopoietic recovery following ASCT is 2x106cells/kg. Recent studies suggest that 5x106cells/kg or 8x106cells/kg is the optimal dose ...
Impact of proximity to NCI- and NCCN-designated cancer centers on outcomes for patients with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy.

14Background: National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)-designated cancer centers (CCs) offer patients state-of-the-art treatment. We sought to identify whether proximity to NCI/NCCN CCs was associated with survival outcomes for prostate cancer patients who undergo radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods: A total of 12,478 total patients diagnosed with clinical stage T1 or T2 prostate cancer between 2004–2011 using linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data were included. Multivariable regression analyses were used to quantify overall survival and use of secondary therapies for RP patients according to proximity to NCI/NCCN CCs. Cox proportional hazards models were used to quantify the association between survival outcomes and access to NCI/NCCN CCs. Results: Patients with proximity to ≥ 2 NCI centers and those diagnosed in 2011 enjoyed a statistically significant overall survival advantage when compared to no access to an NCI center (Hazard ...
Stabilization of long, deployed optical fiber links for quantum networks

We implemented an active feedback loop to compensate path-length drift on a deployed ∼84-km-long optical fiber link between Lincoln Laboratory and MIT to enable quantum networking measurements and applications.
On Random Dynamic Voltage Scaling for Internet-of-Things: A Game-Theoretic Approach

Security is one of the top considerations in hardware designs for Internet-of-Things (IoT), where embedded cryptosystems are extensively used. Traditionally, random dynamic voltage scaling technology has been shown to be very effective in improving the resistance of cryptosystems against side-channel attacks. However, in this paper we demonstrate that the resistance can be undermined by providing lower off-chip power supply voltage. In order to address this issue, we then further propose to monitor the off-chip power supply voltage, and trigger an alarm to protect valued information once the power supply voltage is lower than the expected voltage (threshold voltage). However, considering both maintenance cost of IoT devices and the environment noise on power supply voltage, we first formulated this problem as a nonzero sum game model, and the attacker and the circuit supplier (defender) are the players of this game. The analysis of the Nash equilibria in this game show interesting guideline to the defender about the choice of threshold voltage, which is based on parameters of cryptosystem including the value of information, denial-of-service cost in IoT, etc.
Low-dose-rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer: outcomes at >10 years of follow-up

Objective To examine biochemical control, survival, and late morbidity with definitive low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) for patients with prostate cancer surviving for >10 years after treatment. Patients and methods We identified 757 men with localised prostate cancer who underwent definitive LDR-BT in the period 1990-2006 and were followed for >10 years at our institution. Biochemical failure-free survival (BFFS), distant metastases-free survival (DMFS), prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS), and overall survival (OS) were selected as study endpoints. Survival was examined using the log-rank test, Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression modelling. Urinary, quality of life (QoL), and potency scores at baseline and last follow-up were recorded. Results The median follow-up was 12.5 years (range, 10.1-21.8 years). At the time of analysis, 88.6% of patients were alive, 1.5% died from prostate cancer and 13.9% developed biochemical failure, with 82% of failures occurring in the first decade of follow-up. Overall, 2.3% developed distant metastases. On multivariate analyses, stage T3a-T3b, prostate-specific antigen level of >20 ng/mL, intermediate- and high-risk disease predicted worse BFFS; whereas age >70 years at diagnosis and stage T3a-T3b predicted worse OS. A total biologically effective dose of ≥150 Gy and androgen-deprivation therapy were associated with improved BFFS, but not OS. The overall 17-year rates for BFFS, DMFS, PCSS, and OS were 79, 97, 97, and 72%, respectively. Respective 17-year BFFS rates for low-, intermediate- and high-risk patients were 86, 80, and 65% (P Conclusions LDR-BT yields excellent survival rates, with a 17-year PCSS rate of 97%. In all, 18% of patients with biochemical relapse failed at >10 years after implantation, which justifies their continued follow-up.
US Democracy Promotion

This chapter builds on the discussions of the previous chapters and argues that Islam was securitized by the Bush administration so that they can justify the “crusade” for democracy promotion in the Middle East, the war on terror, and the invasion of Iraq. It compares US policy of democracy promotion in the Balkans—namely, Bosnia and Kosovo during the Clinton administration—and Middle East, during the Bush administration. Both of the regions where the US intervened had a Muslim majority, and democracy promotion was a policy in both cases. Yet, they had opposite results, and how the USA viewed Islam played an important role in having two opposite results.
A W-band comet-jet Doppler radar prototype

A 95 GHz Doppler radar prototype has been developed with a design guided by requirements for potential space flight missions to comets or icy moons of the outer planets in order to probe ice- and dust-filled jets and plumes. The radar operates in a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) mode with a bandwidth, pulse repetition interval, and coherent integration time chosen to achieve better than 10 m range resolution, 0.1 m/s velocity resolution, 5.1 km maximum unambiguous range, and 46 m/s maximum unambiguous velocity span. With an ultra-high transmit/receive isolation exceeding 85 dB, the radar operates with thermal-noise-limited sensitivity even with 1 Watt of continuous transmit power and a 540 K noise-temperature receiver sharing a single, 15 cm diameter monostatic aperture. Experimental testing has verified the radar's range-Doppler remote sensing capabilities using a developing rain shower as a dynamic and distributed target.
Acoustic Microscopy — A Tool for Medical and Biological Research

During the past few years the field of acoustic microscopy has changed dramatically. It has moved from a concentration on development into the realm of application. This is not to say that the process of development has ended. There will undoubtedly be major improvements and innovations in the future. But the presently existing instruments are beginning to open a few doors. The most important function of these prototype instruments is to show what can be learned at present and to indicate what may be learned in the future.