cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transporting sensor data over radio networks in a system of systems: Network and bandwidth planning

Individual optimization of sensor data transport over a fixed network or designing a network around fixed sensor data distribution requirements is less efficient than joint optimization. Simplified rules and methods of estimating bandwidth and planning networks are needed to tackle the more complex problem of joint optimization. A process of estimating and combining steady-state and burst data flows and using this information in optimizing network design and sensor data transport is presented. This includes using rules for data dissemination to bridge distinct networks, sensors, and users in a tiered network of networks environment. Overall, a system of systems approach balancing user needs and technical solutions produces optimal C4ISR technology deployment.
Adult rat spinal cord culture on an organosilane surface in a novel serum-free medium.

SUMMARY In this study, we have documented by morphological analysis, immunocytochemistry, and electrophysiology, the development of a culture system that promotes the growth and long-term survival of dissociated adult rat spinal cord neurons. This system comprises a patternable, nonbiological, cell growth‐promoting organosilane substrate coated on a glass surface and an empirically derived novel serum-free medium, supplemented with specific growth factors (acidic fibroblast growth factor, heparin sulfate, neurotrophin-3, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial-derived neurotrophic factor, cardiotrophin1, and vitronectin). Neurons were characterized by immunoreactivity for neurofilament 150, neuron-specific enolase, Islet1 antibodies, electrophysiology, and the cultures were maintained for 4‐6 wk. This culture system could be a useful tool for the study of adult mammalian spinal neurons in a functional in vitro system.
Can Evidence Impact Attitudes? Public Reactions to Evidence of Gender Bias in STEM Fields:

Our research capitalized on a naturalistic data collection opportunity to investigate responses to experimental evidence of gender bias within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We analyzed 831 written comments made by members of the public in response to three prominent articles reporting on experimental evidence of science faculty members’ gender biases. Utilizing a mixed-method approach (i.e., thematic and quantitative analysis), we identified the nature and frequency of positive and negative responses, and we investigated possible gender and professional differences in what commenters wrote. Although acknowledgment of gender bias was the most prevalent category, a wide range of positive (e.g., calls for social change) and negative (e.g., justifications of gender bias) reactions emerged. Among the subsample of 423 comments for which it was possible to code commenters’ gender, gender differences arose for the majority of categories, such that men were more likely than women to pos...
The Hippocampal-VTA Loop: Controlling the Entry of Information into Long-Term Memory

In this article we develop the concept that the hippocampus and the midbrain dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) form a functional loop. Activation of the loop begins when the hippocampus detects newly arrived information that is not already stored in its long-term memory. The resulting novelty signal is conveyed through the subiculum, accumbens, and ventral pallidum to the VTA where it contributes (along with salience and goal information) to the novelty-dependent firing of these cells. In the upward arm of the loop, dopamine (DA) is released within the hippocampus; this produces an enhancement of LTP and learning. These findings support a model whereby the hippocampal-VTA loop regulates the entry of information into long-term memory.
Snowbird Leadership Institute: Leadership Development in the Profession

What is the impact of participation in leadership development programs in terms of career progression and involvement in leadership activities? To address this issue, individuals who had participated in the Snowbird Leadership Institute from its inception in 1990 to 1998 were surveyed regarding their career progression since their participation, their involvement in leadership activities, and their perceptions of the experience’s impact on their careers. Although it is difficult to identify a direct relationship between participation in the Snowbird Leadership Institute and career progression and greater participation in leadership activities, the respondents did report an increased level of leadership activity. In addition, their perceptions of the institute’s value with regard to their careers were largely positive and indicated that many of their career paths would have been different had they not had the Snowbird experience.
Management Considerations for Giant Congenital Melanocytic Nevi in Adults

ABSTRACT Giant congenital melanocytic nevi (GCMN) are a rare type of melanocytic nevus that covers a large body surface, often with satellite nevi scattered on the rest of the skin. There are several complications associated with GCMN, including malignant melanoma and neurocutaneous melanosis. The management of GCMN is very complex because of the cosmetic appearance and the associated psychological distress, the risk of severe complications, and the need for long-term follow-up. We report a case of a 43-year-old active-duty female with a GCMN reporting new and symptomatic satellite lesions with atypical features on dermoscopy.
Pediatric Cancer Survivorship: Research and Clinical Care

Regardless of how one defines survivorship, more than 10 million individuals in the United States have been treated for a malignant disease; about 250,000 were younger than 21 years of age at diagnosis. Thirty years ago, pediatric oncologists recognized that children with cancer might be cured by adding chemotherapy to surgery and radiation. Studies were then begun of complications that could reduce survival or the quality of survival, and that might be associated with previous therapy. The complications were termed late effects, and studies focused on patients who were likely to be cured, or less likely to succumb to the original cancer than they were to experience disabilities. Clinical trials tested whether changes in therapy to reduce complications could maintain the same excellent survival rates. During the last 20 years, articles detailing late effects and the relationship between therapy and outcome have been published. This article reviews the progress made in understanding the outcomes reported and the efforts made to improve the quality of long-term survival for children and adolescents. Several questions remain regarding the long-term complications of therapy. Clinicians need more data regarding the effects of aging to guide them in managing former patients. Caregivers and pediatric cancer survivors who are now adults seek the optimal venue in which to receive care as independent adults. In addition, medical oncologists need to determine whether the models for research and clinical care of survivors created in pediatric oncology can be applied to survivors of adult-onset cancer.
Non-invasive assessment of cardiac contractility on a weighing scale

Myocardial contractility, the intrinsic ability of the heart muscle to produce force, has been difficult to quantify non-invasively. Pre-ejection-period (PEP), the time the ventricles spend in isovolumetric contraction, is widely accepted as a way to measure contractility. This work presents a way by which the ballistocardiogram — a readily accessible non-invasive cardiovascular signal — can be used in tandem with the electrocardiogram to obtain a parameter highly correlated to PEP and thus to myocardial contractility. This parameter is the delay from the electrocardiogram R-wave to the peak (the J-wave) of the ballistocardiogram. In this work, we showed that this delay, the RJ interval, was correlated to PEP (r2 = 3D 0.75) for 709 heartbeats across 4 subjects, with a slope of 1.11, and a y-intercept of 151 ms. This suggests that the RJ interval can be used in place of the PEP for a reliable, practical, and non-invasive assessment of myocardial contractility.
An asymptotically stable switched system visual controller for eye in hand robots

Visual servoing methods are commonly classified as image based or position based, depending on whether image features or the robot pose is used in the feedback loop of the control law. Choosing one method over the other gives stability in the chosen state but surrenders all control over the other, which can lead to system failure if feature points are lost or the robot moves to the end of its reachable space. We present a hybrid switched system visual servo method that utilizes both image based and position based control laws. Through a switching scheme we present, this method provides asymptotic stability in both the image and pose and prevent system failure.
Reliable low-power design in the presence of deep submicron noise

Scaling of feature sizes in semiconductor technology has been responsible for increasingly higher computational capacity of silicon. This has been the driver for the revolution in communications and computing. However, questions regarding the limits of scaling (and hence Moore's Law) have arisen in recent years due to the emergence of deep submicron noise. This paper describes noise in deep submicron CMOS and its impact on digital as well as analog circuits. In particular, noise-tolerance is proposed as an effective means for achieving energy and performance efficiency in the presence of DSM noise.
The resistance to oxygen transport in the capillaries relative to that in the surrounding tissue

Abstract Previous workers on mathematical analysis of oxygen transport from blood in the microcirculation have all either treated the blood as a continuum or neglected the resistance to transport in the radial direction in the capillary. In this work, an approximate analysis is given in which the red cells are approximated as cylinders which fill the lumen of the capillary such that the oxygen transport is by radial diffusion in the cell. The results indicate that the resistance to oxygen transfer in the capillaries is significantly higher than previously reported and is of approximately equal importance to the resistance in the surrounding tissue.
The obesity paradox in elderly obese patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery

We sought to determine whether the protective role of the 'obesity paradox' was present among elderly obese patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) by median sternotomy. We retrospectively analyzed 1909 consecutive patients who underwent heart surgery between January 2006 and June 2009, and identified 396 patients who were ≥ 70 years of age and had isolated CABG. Subjects were divided into three groups according to their body mass index (BMI): obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI 25-29.99 kg/m(2)) and normal (BMI 18.5-24.99 kg/m(2)). Of the 396 patients, 94 were obese, 167 were overweight, and 135 had a normal BMI. The composite of in-hospital complications and hospital mortality did not differ between the groups. Re-exploration for bleeding was required in none of the obese patients, which was statistically significant (P=0.05) compared to the other groups; otherwise there was no statistical difference for all other complications, including total length hospital stay and length of stay in the intensive care unit. Despite being labeled as higher risk candidates preoperatively, obese elderly patients undergoing CABG did not demonstrate an increased risk of postsurgical complications. We conclude that the 'obesity paradox' is present in this population, and they should not be excluded from receiving the benefits of CABG.
Projected cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination for children in Asia.

New rotavirus vaccines may soon be licensed and decisions regarding implementation of their use will likely be based on the health and economic benefits of vaccination. We estimated the benefits and cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Asia by using published estimates of rotavirus disease incidence health care expenditures vaccine coverage rates and vaccine efficacy. Without a rotavirus vaccination program it is estimated that 171000 Asian children will die of rotavirus diarrhea 1.9 million will be hospitalized and 13.5 million will require an outpatient visit by the time the Asian birth cohort reaches 5 years of age. The medical costs associated with these events are approximately $191 million; however the total burden would be higher with the inclusion of such societal costs as lost productivity. A universal rotavirus vaccination program could avert approximately 109000 deaths 1.4 million hospitalizations and 7.7 million outpatient visits among these children. A rotavirus vaccine could be cost-effective depending on the income level of the country the price of the vaccine and the cost-effectiveness standard that is used. Decisions regarding implementation of vaccine use should be based not only on whether the intervention provides a cost savings but also on the value of preventing rotavirus disease–associated morbidity and mortality particularly in countries with a low income level (according to 2004 World Bank criteria for the classification of countries into income groups on the basis of per capita gross national income) where the disease burden is great. (authors)
A double-blind, placebo-controlled comparison of venlafaxine and fluoxetine treatment in depressed outpatients.

Abstract This double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared venlafaxine (immediate release), the first modern serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine. Outpatients were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of treatment with venlafaxine (75–225 mg/day; n = 102), fluoxetine (20–60 mg/day; n = 104), or placebo (n = 102). Efficacy was assessed using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D21), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) scale, response and remission rates, and several other measures. Intent-to-treat analyses utilized both the last observation carried forward and ETRANK methods to account for missing data. At week 6 or study endpoint, venlafaxine (mean dose: 142 mg/day) was superior to placebo on most outcomes measures, whereas the differences between fluoxetine (mean dose: 41 mg/day) and placebo were less consistent. Final remission (defined as HAM-D ⩽ 7) rates were 32%, 28%, and 22% for venlafaxine, fluoxetine, and placebo, respectively. Few differences between the active treatments attained statistical significance. Both active therapies were generally well tolerated; however, attrition due to adverse events, incidence of selected side effects, and increases in pulse and blood pressure favored fluoxetine over venlafaxine. This study provides further evidence that venlafaxine is effective after 6 weeks of treatment compared with placebo. The efficacy profile of fluoxetine was somewhat less consistent. It is strongly recommended that future studies of comparative antidepressant efficacy be adequately powered to detect modest between-drug differences in efficacy.
The effects of pre- and post-exercise consumption of multi-ingredient performance supplements on cardiovascular health and body fat in trained men after six weeks of resistance training: a stratified, randomized, double-blind study

The cardiovascular (CV) and metabolic health benefits or risks associated with consumption of multi-ingredient performance supplements (MIPS) in conjunction with periodized resistance training (RT) in resistance-trained men are unknown. This population is a major target audience for performance supplements, and therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effect of RT and commercially available pre- and post-exercise performance supplements on CV health and body fat in resistance-trained men. Twenty-four resistance-trained men completed six weeks (three times/week) of periodized RT while either ingesting SHOT 15-min pre-exercise and SYN immediately post-exercise (multi-ingredient performance supplement group: MIPS) or an isocaloric maltodextrin placebo 15-min pre-exercise and immediately post-exercise (Placebo group). Before and after six weeks of RT and supplementation, resting heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), total body fat, android fat, gynoid fat, fat-free mass (FFM) and fasting blood measures of glucose, lipids, nitrate/nitrite (NOx), cortisol and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured. Statistical analysis was conducted using a one-way ANOVA for baseline differences and a 2 × 2 (group × time) repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests where appropriate. Significance was set at p < 0.05. There was no group × time interaction for HR, BP, blood glucose, lipids, NOx, hs-CRP, cortisol concentrations or body fat. However, there was a time effect where significant decreases in body fat (mean ± SD; MIPS: -1.2 ± 1.2%; Placebo: -0.9 ± 1.1%), android fat (MIPS: -1.8 ± 2.1%; Placebo: -1.6 ± 2.0%), and gynoid fat (MIPS: -1.3 ± 1.6%; Placebo: -1.0 ± 1.4%) for both groups were observed. FFM increased in both groups, and a group × time interaction was observed with MIPS increasing significantly more than the Placebo group (4.2% vs. 1.9%). Six weeks of MIPS ingestion and periodized RT does not alter CV health parameters or blood indices of health or body fat more than a Placebo treatment in healthy, resistance-trained men. However, MIPS significantly increased FFM more than Placebo.
Introduction to special section on Remote Characterization of Vegetation Structure: New Methods and Applications to Landscape-Regional-Global Scale Processes

[1] This special section stems from three sessions focusing on the “Remote Characterization of Vegetation Structure” that were held at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in December 2006, San Francisco. The sessions were well attended with more than 40 abstracts covering a range of poster and oral presentations. High levels of interest in this topic have led to the establishment of a de facto regular session within Biogeosciences at the fall meeting, with a similar number of abstracts presented in 2007 and a session planned for December 2008. The goal of these sessions was to highlight how recent advances in active and passive remote sensing technology, data acquisition methods, and analytical techniques could be used to both characterize vegetation structural metrics at multiple scales, and to further understand how these measures could be used as inputs in biogeochemical, biophysical, and ecological models. The papers in this special section represent the highlights of the latter objective and include participants from the conference special sessions, along with scientists from the wider scientific community. A companion special issue focusing on the former objective has been organized in the Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing and is due to be published in the fall of 2008. In this introduction, we provide context for this special section, summarize the main results of each contribution, and include suggestions for further strategic directions and activities in this area of research.
Non-Hispanic white and Hispanic elementary school children’s self-regulation of energy intake

Background: Preschool-aged children consistently self-regulate energy intake by adjusting food intake to reflect the energy density of the diet. However, only select adults demonstrate self-regulation skills related to energy density cues. Objective: The objective was to examine the developmental characteristics of non-Hispanic white and Hispanic children's self-regulation of energy intake and to determine whether individual differences in the precision of food intake regulation were related to the children's anthropometric measures. Design: Three hundred forty-two 5-12-y-old children were recruited from 2 schools, one school that enrolled predominantly non-Hispanic white children (n = 148) and another school in a Hispanic neighborhood (n = 194). The children ate 2-part meals, which consisted of a preload and a main meal. The preloads were fruit-flavored drinks that were either high (625 kJ) or low (12.5 kJ) in energy density. The children's food intake at the meal was measured and energy intake was estimated. An eating Compensation Index (COMPX) score, which reflected the children's ability to regulate energy intake, was used to predict the children's adiposity. Results: Both non-Hispanic white and Hispanic children showed evidence of incomplete compensation, with a mean (±SEM) COMPX score of 48.6 ± 6.4%. No significant ethnicity or sex differences in the children's overall COMPX scores were observed; however, the children's COMPX scores decreased with age (P < 0.05). Maternal body mass index was the best predictor of the children's weight status. Conclusion: Children aged 5-12 y show individual variation in their responsiveness to energy density cues; the responsiveness declines with increasing age.
THE EFFECT OF PRESSURE ON THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF POLYETHYLENE FROM DILUTE SOLUTION

Abstract : Linear polyethylene was crystallized isothermally from 0.05% toluene solution at atmospheric pressure and up to 6000 atm hydrostatic pressure. At atmospheric pressure a high temperature form of unknown structure was found crystallizing above 90 C. Single crystal lamellae crystallized between 75 and 90 C. Dendrites were formed below 75 C. The temperature dividing the dendritic growth from single crystalline growth increases with increasing pressure. The thickness of crystals grown at approximately constant supercooling, but at elevated temperature and pressure increased only slightly. Determination of the morphology of the crystals and the thickness of single crystal platelets was done using an interference microscope. (Author)
Uncertainty calculation on the determination of calcium absorption in nutritional experiments with enriched stable isotopes and detection by double focusing sector field ICP-MS with a shielded torch

A new method for the measurement of calcium isotope ratios and total calcium, using a double focusing sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument equipped with a shielded torch, is presented. The method was applied for the measurement of the 44Ca/43Ca, 42Ca/43Ca and 44Ca/42Ca ratios and total calcium by isotope dilution in urine samples from two different nutritional experiments set up to determine the calcium absorption from various foods. The isotope ratios were measured with a precision of 0.25%, 0.23% and 0.05% RSD for 44Ca/43Ca, 42Ca/43Ca and 44Ca/42Ca, respectively. The precision of the 44Ca/42Ca ratio is only limited by counting statistics, whereas the precision is limited by uncertainty from the needed background and interference corrections when the minor 43Ca isotope is used for analysis. Uncertainty calculations on the determination of calcium absorption in the nutritional experiments are presented. These calculations show that, for a double stable isotope procedure (administration of enriched stable 44Ca and 42Ca), the overall uncertainty is controlled by the precision of the ICP-MS measurement of the isotope ratios (44Ca/43Ca, 42Ca/43Ca), whereas, for a mixed radioisotope–stable isotope procedure (administration of enriched stable 44Ca and the 47Ca radioisotope), the overall uncertainty is mainly controlled by the uncertainty in the measurement of total calcium by isotope dilution ICP-MS. From these results, it was concluded that, when optimizing the performance of nutritional experiments, the emphasis should be placed on different parameters depending on the exact analysis involved. The results also show that uncertainty calculations are very useful in pinpointing the critical parameters of an experiment.
How Has the US Health System Evolved

Our understanding of chronic diseases began to change at the dawn of the twentieth century and accelerated in the 1950s. Previously, individual physicians usually provided a diagnosis to explain the patient’s symptoms and an estimate of future problems and life expectancy – a prognosis. Diagnostic tests and treatments were limited by today’s standards. Patients expected little more from their physicians because this was the way it had always been, and the brighter future of more effective medicine was largely unrecognized. A physician’s esteem was derived from his “bedside manner,” wisdom, and the acuity of his diagnostic skills. I tell my patients that I have several well-controlled chronic diseases that my grandparents suffered with and died from when they were younger than my present age.
Inside-Out Antegrade Tibial Tunnel Drilling Through the Posterolateral Portal Using a Flexible Reamer in Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction using the transtibial drilling or arthroscopic tibial-inlay technique has a risk of injury to the popliteal neurovascular bundle because a pin is drilled anterior to posterior. Intraoperative fluoroscopy is used to decrease the risk of neurovascular injury. In addition, graft passage in the transtibial technique may be problematic because of a sharp turn when placing the graft into the tibial tunnel, which may damage graft fibers. In the surgical technique described in this report, the posteromedial portal is used for visualization and the posterolateral portal is used for debridement of the PCL tibial footprint and the synovial fold closest to the PCL. A curved guide is placed from the posterolateral portal to the tibial footprint, and a flexible pin is drilled across the tibia. The tibial tunnel is then created using a flexible reamer under direct visualization up to the desired length, and a graft can be positioned in the tibial tunnel through the posterolateral portal. This technique has the potential advantages of decreasing the risk of injury to the popliteal neurovascular bundle (use of anteriorly directed, inside-out drilling), avoiding a sharp turn during graft passage, and allowing accurate and anatomic tibial tunnel placement without intraoperative fluoroscopy.
Unified multi-domain decision making: cognitive radio and autonomous vehicle convergence

This dissertation presents the theory, design, implementation and successful deployment of a cognitive engine decision algorithm by which a cognitive radio-equipped mobile robot may adapt its motion and radio parameters through multi-objective optimization. This provides a proof-of-concept prototype cognitive system that is aware of its environment, its user’s needs, and the rules governing its operation. It is to take intelligent action based on this awareness to optimize its performance across both the mobility and radio domains while learning from experience and responding intelligently to ongoing environmental mission changes. The prototype combines the key features of cognitive radios and autonomous vehicles into a single package whose behavior integrates the essential features of both. The use case for this research is a scenario where a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is traversing a nominally cyclic or repeating flight path (an “orbit”) seeking to observe targets and where possible avoid hostile agents. As the UAV traverses the path, it experiences varying RF effects, including multipath propagation and terrain shadowing. The goal is to provide the capability for the UAV to learn the flight path with respect both to motion and RF characteristics and modify radio parameters and flight characteristics proactively to optimize performance. Using sensor fusion techniques to develop situational awareness, the UAV should be able to adapt its motion or communication based on knowledge of (but not limited to) physical location, radio performance, and channel conditions. Using sensor information from RF and mobility domains, the UAV uses the mission objectives and its knowledge of the world to decide on a course of action. The UAV develops and executes a multi-domain action; action that crosses domains, such as changing RF power and increasing its speed. This research is based on a simple observation, namely that cognitive radios and autonomous vehicles perform similar tasks, albeit in different domains. Both analyze their environment, make and execute a decision, evaluate the result (learn from experience), and repeat as required. This observation led directly to the creation of a single intelligent agent combining cognitive radio and autonomous vehicle intelligence with the ability to leverage flexibility in the radio frequency (RF) and motion domains. Using a single intelligent agent to optimize decision making across both mobility and radio domains is unified multi-domain decision making (UMDDM).
Should We Abandon Homografts

The paper by El-Hamamsy et al. ([1][1]) in this issue of the Journal originates from the group of the distinguished Sir Magdhi Yacoub, who has unsurpassed experience in the treatment of the diseased aortic root. This study appropriately identifies a question whose answer is unknown: specifically,
Long words in maximum entropy phonotactic grammars

A phonotactic grammar assigns a well-formedness score to all possible surface forms. This paper considers whether phonotactic grammars should be probabilistic, and gives several arguments that they need to be. Hayes & Wilson (2008) demonstrate the promise of a maximum entropy Harmonic Grammar as a probabilistic phonotactic grammar. This paper points out a theoretical issue with maxent phonotactic grammars: they are not guaranteed to assign a well-defined probability distribution, because sequences that contain arbitrary repetitions of unmarked sequences may be underpenalised. The paper motivates a solution to this issue: include a *Struct constraint. A mathematical proof of necessary and sufficient conditions to avoid the underpenalisation problem are given in online supplementary materials.
Maine seismic experiment: A study of shear waves

Abstract Shear waves recorded at five stations in the Maine Seismic Experiment of 1961 are studied to find a possible velocity distribution. Possibilities in various cases are examined based on time, apparent velocity and amplitude, and compared with the results from P . Flat layer models are rejected and the continuous velocity change is the only possible case except for some more complicated structure. The range of possible distribution of S velocity and Poisson9s ratio are obtained. The P and S wave crustal models cannot be reconciled with a constant Poisson9s ratio. The Poisson9s ratio is 0.255-0.27 at the surface and is constant or slightly decreasing up to 15 km deep. Beyond 20 km it increases continuously with depth up to 0.30-0.32 at the bottom of the crust. This implies the continuous change in material in the lower crust.
A Sealed-Accelerator-Tube Neutron Generator for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Application

Radio-frequency (RF) driven ion sources are being developed in Lawrence Berke- ley National Laboratory (LBNL) for sealed-accelerator-tube neutron generator applica- tions. By using a 2.5-cm-diameter RF-driven multicusp source and a computer designed 100keV accelerator column, peak extractable hydrogen current exceeding 1A from a 3-mm-diameter aperture, together with H+ yields over 94% have been achieved. These experimental findings together with recent moderator design will enable one to develop compact l4MeV neutron generators based on the D-T fusion reaction. In this new neutron generator, the ion source, the accelerator and the target are all housed in a sealed metal container without pumping. With a l20keV and 1A deuteron beam, it is estimated that a treatment time of ~45 minutes is needed for boron neutron capture therapy.
Studies on the Growth of the Osmophilic Fungus Eremascus Albus

Eremascus albus Eidam may be termed an obligate osmophil since it did not grow in medium containing 5% sugar, but grew best in media containing sucrose of initial concentration of 1.2-2.1 M dependi...
Just What is the Relation between the Manifest and the Scientific Images

AbstractRobert B. Brandom’s From Empiricism to Expressivism ranges widely over fundamental issues in metaphysics, with occasional forays into epistemology as well. The centerpiece is what Brandom calls ‘the Kant-Sellars thesis about modality’ (and a related thesis about normativity). This is ‘[t]he claim that in being able to use ordinary empirical descriptive vocabulary, one already knows how to do everything that one needs to know how to do, in principle, to use alethic modal vocabulary – in particular subjunctive conditionals’ (p. 26). (For the equivalent thesis about norms, simply substitute ‘normative’ for ‘alethic modal’ and drop the mention of subjunctives.) Despite claiming descent from Sellars, Brandom defends here a version of modal realism and tries hard to limit Sellarsian nominalism, all in the service of elaborating Brandom’s own version of pragmatism. The range of issues Brandom addresses defies adequate consideration in a critical notice, so I confine myself here to a single issue: What is...
Tailoring (bio)chemical activity of semiconducting nanoparticles: critical role of deposition and aggregation.

The impact of deposition and aggregation on (bio)chemical properties of semiconducting nanoparticles (NPs) is perhaps among the least studied aspects of aquatic chemistry of solids. Employing a combination of in situ FTIR and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and using the Mn(II) oxygenation on hematite (α-Fe2O3) and anatase (TiO2) NPs as a model catalytic reaction, we discovered that the catalytic and sorption performance of the semiconducting NPs in the dark can be manipulated by depositing them on different supports or mixing them with other NPs. We introduce the electrochemical concept of the catalytic redox activity to explain the findings and to predict the effects of (co)aggregation and deposition on the catalytic and corrosion properties of ferric (hydr)oxides. These results offer new possibilities for rationally tailoring the technological performance of semiconducting metal oxide NPs, provide a new framework for modeling their fate and transport in the environment and living organis...
Resisting democracy assistance: Who seeks and receives technical election assistance?

Why are some developing countries less open to technical election assistance than to election observation? My argument about who seeks and receives technical election assistance is two-fold, taking into account the incentives of recipients and providers. On the recipient side, governments are less likely to request technical assistance when the political costs are high (autocracy) or the benefits low (strong electoral institutions). On the provider side, international organizations are less likely to provide such technical assistance when the government appears to lack political will for reform and full project implementation is unlikely. Statistical analyses of global data on technical election assistance by the United Nations covering 130 countries from 1990 to 2003 support this argument about political cost-benefit calculations in considering technical assistance. Case examples from Guyana, Indonesia, Haiti, and Venezuela illustrate some of these dynamics. My findings suggest that seemingly complementary international interventions (observation and technical support) can create different incentives for domestic and international actors. This helps explain why some countries tend to agree more often to election observation than to technical election assistance.
Clinical Observation of Yupingfeng San as Adjuvant on Children with Cough-variant Asthma

Objective:To discuss the effects of using the combination of inhaled glucocorticoid and Chinese traditional medicine Yupingfeng San to cure the recurrence of children's Cough-variant Asthma.Method:95 cases of Cough-variant Asthma children patients treated in the clinic from February 2006 to December 2008 were divided randomly into the observation group and the control group.Two groups had the same regular treatment of the inhaled glucocorticoid,which included 20 0μg/d for twice and continued for three months.Besides the regular treatment,the observation group used the decoction of Yupingfeng San for three months continuously.After six months,the treatment was stopped on both groups and the further observation of recurrence.Results:The recurrence rate of the observation group was 23.52%;whereas the recurrence rate of the control group was 72.72%.The difference between the two groups was significant.(P0.001).Conclusion:Chinese traditional medicine Yupingfeng San can be used as adjuvant on for children with cough-variant asthma to lower the recurrence rate.
Research of live working on 500 kV compact transmission lines in high altitude area

As for the compact transmission lines, the compact size of the tower head, and the smaller phase-to-phase distance bring a variety of limits to live working. From 1996 to 1998, due to the first 500 kV compact transmission line in China called Chang-Fang trans- mission line, systemic research of live working was held in North China Electric Power Research Institute (NCEPRI), and finally live working on 500 kV compact transmission line under 1 000 m altitude area was realized. In this paper, through the experiments on mimic real configuration tower of the existing 500 kV compact transmission line, over-voltage calculation, dangerous rate checking and live working methods were determined in 1 000～2 100 m high altitude area.
Risk for cardiac involvement in essential hypertension.

Left ventricular hypertrophy is a frequent finding in patients with essential hypertension. Increased afterload is the most important factor governing this hypertrophy. Systolic myocardial function is normal, and observed diastolic functional abnormalities are of uncertain importance. Measurement of left ventricular mass by echocardiography is useful for the diagnosis and management of patients with essential hypertension.
The pharmacological management of chronic pain in the paraplegic patient.

(1986). The Pharmacological Management of Chronic Pain in the Paraplegic Patient. The Journal of The American Paraplegia Society: Vol. 9, No. 3-4, pp. 41-50.
Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: new options for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

There is accumulating evidence that tumor necrosis factor plays a major role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Recent biotechnological advances have allowed for the development of agents that directly target TNF, a proinflammatory cytokine. In the last 2 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union's Commission of the European Communities have approved two biological agents for the treatment of refractory RA, etanercept and infliximab. Etanercept is a fusion protein, composed of the Fc portion of immunoglobulin G1 and the extracellular domain of a TNF receptor (p75). Infliximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody composed of murine variable and human constant regions. In placebo-controlled trials, both agents have proven to be effective and well tolerated in RA patients.
Order-disorder and α − γ transitions in FeCo

Electrical resistivity ($\ensuremath{\rho}$) measurements in an FeCo alloy (with 47.63-wt.% of Co) in the temperature range of 500-1350 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K are reported. Special attention is given to the temperature regions of 900-1100 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 1160-1300 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. A change in the slope of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ vs $T$ curve, associated with the order-disorder transition, yields a $\ensuremath{\lambda}$-type anomaly in $\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\rho}}{\ensuremath{\partial}T}$ with maximum at $T\ensuremath{\simeq}1006$ \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Comparison with the specific heat $C(T)$ data of Orehotsky and Schr\"oder shows that $\frac{\ensuremath{\partial}\ensuremath{\rho}}{\ensuremath{\partial}T}$ is proportional to $C(T)$ in the critical region similar to the observations in $\ensuremath{\beta}$ brass. Near 1230 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, a discontinuous change in resistivity of about 20% with hysteresis of about 12 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, is observed. This first order transition is associated with the $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ transition.
Dynamic Metamaterials at Terahertz Frequencies

Metamaterials fabricated for operation at terahertz frequencies are presented. Optical excitation enables control of the metamaterial resonance amplitude and frequency
Adaptive Estimation of Active Contour Parameters Using Convolutional Neural Networks and Texture Analysis

In this paper, we propose a generalization of the level set segmentation approach by supplying a novel method for adaptive estimation of active contour parameters. The presented segmentation method is fully automatic once the lesion has been detected. First, the location of the level set contour relative to the lesion is estimated using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The CNN has two convolutional layers for feature extraction, which lead into dense layers for classification. Second, the output CNN probabilities are then used to adaptively calculate the parameters of the active contour functional during the segmentation process. Finally, the adaptive window size surrounding each contour point is re-estimated by an iterative process that considers lesion size and spatial texture. We demonstrate the capabilities of our method on a dataset of 164 MRI and 112 CT images of liver lesions that includes low contrast and heterogeneous lesions as well as noisy images. To illustrate the strength of our method, we evaluated it against state of the art CNN-based and active contour techniques. For all cases, our method, as assessed by Dice similarity coefficients, performed significantly better than currently available methods. An average Dice improvement of 0.27 was found across the entire dataset over all comparisons. We also analyzed two challenging subsets of lesions and obtained a significant Dice improvement of 0.24 with our method (p <0.001, Wilcoxon).
The ups and downs of the thyroxine pro-hormone hypothesis

Thyroxine (T4) is the major thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland and the circulation. However, it is widely accepted on the basis of abundant evidence that 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) is responsible for most, if not all, of the physiological effects of TH in extrathyroidal tissues, and T4 functions as the pro-hormone. Whether T4 has any intrinsic activity per se or is merely a pro-hormone that must be converted to T3 in order to exert any TH action has yet to be resolved. Although there are some physiological actions of T4 that are mediated by receptors at the cell membrane (non-genomic effects), the vast majority of the physiological effects of the THs identified to date involve the binding of T3 to specific nuclear receptors to regulate gene expression (genomic effects). This review examines how the role of T4 in genomic TH action has been viewed and debated during the hundred years since it was first isolated in 1914.
Cytokines in the pathogenesis of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children

Cytokines and cellular immunity play a major role in the pathogenesis of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP).Studies have shown that mycoplasma pneumoniae infection,the concentrations of interleukin(IL)-4,interferon-γ,IL-6 and IL-13 increased,but the concentration of IL-10 decreased.The concentrations of IL-2,IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α have various results which still need further discussion.Through clinical monitoring of a variety of cytokines by the changes of concentrations,it can confirm the diagnosis of MPP,determine the severity of infection,provide the basis for prognosis and provide the theoretical basis for immunotherapy of MPP. Key words: Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia; Pathogenesis; Cytokines; Children
3D reconstruction of irregular spaced LIDAR

Preprocessing techniques are proposed for the development of a 3D Reconstruction algorithm designed for autonomously reconstructing three dimensional models from urban and residential buildings depicted in raw LIDAR data. First, a greedy insertion triangulation algorithm, modified with a novel noise filtering technique, triangulates the raw LIDAR data. Second, the normal vectors of the triangulated raw LIDAR data are then passed to an unsupervised clustering algorithm - Fuzzy Simplified Adaptive Resonance Theory (Fuzzy SART). Fuzzy SART returns a rough grouping of the coplanar triangles. Then, a proposed multiple regression algorithm further refines the coplanar grouping by further removing outliers and deriving an improved planar segmentation of the raw LIDAR data. Finally, further refinement is achieved by calculating the intersection of the best fit roof planes and moving nearby points close to that intersection to exist at the intersection, resulting in straight, straight roof ridges.
Factors influencing parasite populations

According to Scott and Dobson (1989), ‘regulation occurs through the action of processes that tend to reduce the per capita survival or reproduction of the members of a population as the density of that population increases.’ In other words, regulation implies the influence of density-dependent forces. Probably, however, most parasite infra-populations are not regulated by density-dependent constraints. Instead, they are mostly affected by density-independent factors such as temperature or other general climatic conditions and by some biotic factors, primarily those associated with host behaviour.
Astaxanthin Attenuated Increased Mitochondrial Respiration And Decreased Glycolysis During the Activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common chronic liver disease in the United States. Chronic liver injury causes inflammation, matrix deposition, parenchymal cell death, and angiogenesi...
Quantization of acoustic-phonon shear modes in a nanowaveguide

Acoustic energy trapping in a thin non-piezoelectric plate is studied. The confinement of resonant acoustic fields is described for the case where energy trapping is caused by thickening the center region of the plate. The elastic continuum mechanics model is used to determine the quantized acoustic-phonon modes in an isotropic nanowaveguide. The acoustic-phonon amplitudes and relative frequency dispersion relations are obtained analytically and presented for both the odd symmetry shear modes and even symmetry shear modes. The acoustic-phonon modes in the non-piezoelectric nanowaveguide are quantized. Furthermore, the limit of the quality factor and frequency (fQ) product achievable by a resonator is theoretically discussed and calculated in silicon resonators for three different orientations.
Labeling glycans on living cells by a chemoenzymatic glycoengineering approach

Structural glycobiology has traditionally been a challenging field due to a limited set of tools available to investigate the diverse and complex glycan molecules. However, we cannot ignore that glycans play critical roles in health as well as in disease, and are present in more than 50% of all proteins and on over 80% of all surface proteins. Chemoenzymatic glycoengineering (CGE) methods are a powerful set of tools to synthesize complex glycans, but the full potential of these methods have not been explored in cell biology yet. Herein, we report the labeling of live Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by employing three highly specific glycosyltransferases: a sialyltransferase, a galactosyltransferase, and an N-acetyl-glucosaminyl transferase. We verified our results by bio-orthogonal blots and further rationalized them by computational modeling. We expect CGE applications in cell biology to rise and their implementation will assist in structural-functional discoveries in glycobiology. This research will contribute to this effort.