cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Was the drought really responsible? Assessing statistical relationships between climate extremes and cultural transitions

Abstract It is commonplace to assert causal relationships between episodes of extreme climate with dramatic cultural shifts. We explore the problem of statistically assessing the correspondence between episodes of extreme climate (such as droughts) and cultural events (such as depopulation) they are purported to explain. In order to do this: 1) We describe a method that permits the objective identification of climate extremes in a way that is independent of their supposed causal outcomes; 2) We discuss how we identify and date cultural transitions of interest; 3) We explore a variety of decision rules for determining whether or not there is a match between a given extreme climate interval and the interval during which a transition began; and 4) We propose an intuitive Monte Carlo approach to statistically assess the observed correspondence between the climate extremes and the cultural transitions. Our application does not indicate statistical support for a linkage between intervals of extreme climate and major transitions in any of the seven cultural traditions in the Southwest US that we examined.
Development and content validity of the behavioral assessment screening tool (BASTβ)

Purpose: Develop and establish the content validity of the Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool (BASTβ), a self-reported measure of behavioral and emotional symptoms after traumatic brain injury.Me...
Gender Matters for Literacy Research Organizations

Drawing from sociological and economic analyses of gender and work, this column explores issues of occupational gender segregation, privilege, and devaluation. Comparisons are made with increased f...
“I Don’t Want to Be a Clown Anymore”: Jimi Hendrix as Racialized Freak and Black-Transnational Icon

This chapter connects Hendrix to black-transnational vernacular traditions, a legacy of visual-cultural racial stereotypes, the sociology of racialized popular music, and multiple popular music histories. It highlights Hendrix’s place in a legacy of Hollywood racial, gender, and sexual caricatures and ways that, as the Civil Rights Movement gained steam, such African-American artists as Hendrix grew more politically aware as their music resonated with self-assertion. This chapter emphasizes Hendrix’s magnetic stage presence and image, assimilating into, while radically resisting mid-twentieth-century US and transnational racial codes and conventions by performing the role of a “circus freak,” exploiting Hendrix’s racialized, gender, and sexual difference, in an assortment of onstage visual spectacles and in his globally-routed image. The most charismatic in-concert performer of his generation, Hendrix’s onstage antics, smashing and burning his guitar, playing the guitar with his teeth, with one hand, behind his back, and between his legs, had overtly sexual implications and continued US and international freak-show legacies.
Patterns of in-hospital mortality and bleeding complications following PCI for very elderly patients: insights from the Dartmouth Dynamic Registry.

Background Very elderly patients (age ≥ 85 years) are a rapidly increasing segment of the population. As a group, they experience high rates of in-hospital mortality and bleeding complications following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the relationship between bleeding and mortality in the very elderly is unknown. Methods Retrospective review was performed on 17,378 consecutive PCI procedures from 2000 to 2015 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Incidence of bleeding during the index PCI admission (bleeding requiring transfusion, access site hematoma > 5 cm, pseudoaneurysm, and retroperitoneal bleed) and in-hospital mortality were reported for four age groups (< 65 years, 65-74 years, 75-84 years, and ≥ 85 years). The mortality of patients who suffered bleeding complications and those who did not was calculated and multivariate analysis was performed for in-hospital mortality. Lastly, known predictors of bleeding were compared between patients age < 85 years and age ≥ 85 years. Results Of 17,378 patients studied, 1019 (5.9%) experienced bleeding and 369 (2.1%) died in-hospital following PCI. Incidence of bleeding and in-hospital mortality increased monotonically with increasing age (mortality: 0.94%, 2.27%, 4.24% and 4.58%; bleeding: 3.96%, 6.62%, 10.68% and 13.99% for ages < 65, 65-74, 75-84 and ≥ 85 years, respectively). On multivariate analysis, bleeding was associated with increased mortality for all age groups except patients age ≥ 85 years [odds ratio (95% CI): age < 65 years, 3.65 (1.99-6.74); age 65-74 years, 2.83 (1.62-4.94); age 75-84 years, 3.86 (2.56-5.82), age ≥ 85 years: 1.39 (0.49-3.95)]. Conclusions Bleeding and mortality following PCI increase with increasing age. For the very elderly, despite high rates of bleeding, bleeding is no longer predictive of in-hospital mortality following PCI.
Chris Mays, Nathaniel A. Rivers, and Kellie Sharp-Hoskins, eds. Kenneth Burke + The Posthuman. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2017. 237 pages.$32.95 paperback.

In the introduction to Kenneth Burke + The Posthuman, Chris Mays, Nathaniel A. Rivers, and Kellie Sharp-Hoskins acknowledge that Kenneth Burke and posthumanism may be an odd coupling. So we wonder:...
Orographically Forced Variability in the Coastal Marine Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Coastal orography can impose distinct imprints upon the structure and dynamic behavior of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL). Abrupt changes in MABL depth, wind speed, and MABL inversion strength have been noted in several over ocean field experiments adjacent to mountainous coastlines. These variations, which occur over much smaller spatial scales than that of the synoptic forcing, tend to be particularly pronounced in the vicinity oftopographic points and capes. Regions of large stress, and curl of stress, frequently appear in the lee of such coastal protrusions. Mesoscale mountain gravity waves, diurnally varying cross-coast baroclinity and supercritical flow effects can all contribute to these pronounced, localized gradients.
Range of application of ceramic prostheses for surgical implants

We shall now try to provide some uniform information concerning ceramics, with a view to evaluating their overall contribution within the framework of the current situation of orthopaedic surgery.
Factors Influencing the Stable Isotopic Content of Atmospheric N 2 O

Solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface as visible and ultraviolet radiation is re-emitted as long wave (infra-red/IR) radiation that can be absorbed by gases in the atmosphere, thus trapping this energy and warming the surface. The most important of these “greenhouse” gases are water (H 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) but a number of other trace gases have been shown to be very effective at trapping radiation in important windows of the IR spectrum. Chief among these are the naturally occurring gases, methane (CH 4 ), ozone (O 3 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and the manmade chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Nitrous oxide and the CFCs also have the unique property of their stratospheric reaction products participating in the catalytic destruction of ozone. In the case of N 2 O, the increase in globally averaged radiative forcing is estimated at 0.15 W/m 2 and accounts for nearly 5% of the total forcing due to all of the recognized greenhouse gases. Because of these direct and indirect influences on Earth's chemistry and radiation budget, it is imperative to understand how human-induced perturbations may affect the global budgets of N 2 O.
Speech coding for mobile and multimedia applications

Although speech coding has been an ongoing area of research for several decades, the recent advances in real-time DSP and the emergence of new applications have spurred a renewed interest in the area. Several speech coding algorithms have been adopted in international standards and study groups are drafting new standards for existing and emerging mobile and multimedia applications. In this paper, we provide a survey of speech coding technologies with emphasis on those methods that are part of recent communication standards. The paper starts with an introduction to speech coding and continues with descriptions of linear predictive vocoders, analysis-by-synthesis linear prediction, sub-band and transform coders, and sinusoidal analysis-synthesis systems. We conclude with a summary of this critical review paper along with a brief discussion on opportunities for future research.
A service learning project for a software engineering course

Projects for software engineering courses should provide students with practical experience in developing software which reinforces the academic material presented in the classroom. These projects are an opportunity for students to gain experience working with a team. The traditional approach is for the instructor to assign projects in which the instructor acts as the customer. We propose an alternative approach in which the project involves a service learning experience with a real customer. Student feedback indicates that this approach is an effective way to introduce them to the skills they need in the workplace.
On the Lie Algebra of a Linear Impulsive System

Recent investigations have focused on characterizing uniform exponential stability of linear impulsive systems in terms of properties of an associated Lie algebra together with familiar stability criteria. Of interest in this regard is determining whether this Lie algebra is solvable. Necessary and sufficient conditions have previously been derived that explicitly involve the system data but are nonconstructive and thus potentially difficult to verify. In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions for solvability are once again cast directly in terms of the system description, except these new conditions are constructive. Our approach is motivated by a decades-old result that addressed the problem of finding a common eigenvector of a pair of matrices.
Alkaline ceramidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of ceramides via a catalytic mechanism shared by Zn2+-dependent amidases

Human alkaline ceramidase 3 (ACER3) is one of three alkaline ceramidases (ACERs) that catalyze the conversion of ceramide to sphingosine. ACERs are the members of the CREST superfamily of integral-membrane lipid hydrolases, including the adiponectin receptors which play roles in energy metabolism. All CREST members conserve a set of three Histidine, one Aspartate, and one Serine residue. However, the structural and catalytic roles for these residues are unclear. Here, we use ACER3 as a prototype enzyme to gain insight into this unique class of enzymes. Recombinant ACER3 was expressed in yeast cells that lack endogenous ceramidase activity, and microsomes were used for biochemical characterization. Six point mutantions of the conserved CREST motif were developed that are predicted to form a Zn-dependent active site based on homology with the human adiponectin receptors, whose crystal structures were recently determined. Five mutations completely lost their activity, except for S77A, which showed a 600-fold decrease compared with the wild-type enzyme. The activity of S77C mutation was pH sensitive, with neutral pH partially recovering ACER3 activity. This suggested a role for S77 in stabilizing the oxyanion of the transition state and differs from the proposed role in Zinc coordination for the adiponectin receptors (Vasiliauskaite-Brooks et. al., Nature, 2017). Together, these data suggest ACER3 is a Zn2+-dependent amidase that uses a catalytic mechanism for ceramide hydrolysis that is similar to other soluble Zn-based amidases. Consistent with this mechanism, ACER3 was specifically inhibited by trichostatin A, an HDAC inhibitor, which is a strong chelator of Zinc.
Variation in oscillating heat pipe performance

Abstract Oscillating heat pipes have been shown to be an effective means for thermal management. However, the constant, phase-change-powered oscillation can also produce variations in performance. The goal of this research is to quantify performance variation of oscillating heat pipes through repeated tests with closed-loop flat plate oscillating heat pipes. The heat pipes were filled with two different working fluids, butane and R134a, and tested in both double-sided and single-sided cooling configurations, two or three different orientations, and four different power levels, and repeated to quantify the variation in performance, including average thermal resistance, intratest variation (repeatability), intertest variation (temperature fluctuations), and reliability (likelihood of temperature overshoot). Orientation, configuration, working fluid, and power level all influenced the level of variation in performance. In a double-sided configuration, OHPs had lower thermal resistance when oriented vertically. In a single-sided configuration, OHPs had lowest thermal resistance when the evaporator was below the condenser. OHPs were significantly more reliable and experienced smaller temperature fluctuations when in the double-sided than single-sided configuration.
Minimum Distance Estimates with Rates under ø-mixing

On the basis of the segment of observations X1,…, Xn from a ∅-mixing sequence of random variables, a minimum distance estimate \( {{\hat{P}}_{n}} \) of the probability measure P,governing the process, is constructed. Under suitable regularity conditions, it is shown that \( {{\hat{P}}_{n}} \) is weakly uniformly consistent, within the class P of assumed probability measures, at the same rate as in the independent identically distributed case. Strengthening of the underlying assumptions provides for strong consistency.
Dual functionalized liposomes for efficient co-delivery of anti-cancer chemotherapeutics for the treatment of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is a hostile brain tumor associated with high infiltration leading to poor prognosis. Anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents have limited access into the brain due to the presence of the blood brain barrier (BBB). In this study, we designed a dual functionalized liposomal delivery system, surface modified with transferrin (Tf) for receptor mediated transcytosis and a cell penetrating peptide-penetratin (Pen) for enhanced cell penetration. We loaded doxorubicin and erlotinib into liposomes to enhance their translocation across the BBB to glioblastoma tumor. In vitro cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility studies demonstrated excellent biocompatibility for in vivo administration. Co-delivery of doxorubicin and erlotinib loaded Tf-Pen liposomes revealed significantly (p < 0.05) higher translocation (~15%) across the co-culture endothelial barrier resulting in regression of tumor in the in vitro brain tumor model. The biodistribution of Tf-Pen liposomes demonstrated ~12 and 3.3 fold increase in doxorubicin and erlotinib accumulation in mice brain, respectively compared to free drugs. In addition, Tf-Pen liposomes showed excellent antitumor efficacy by regressing ~90% of tumor in mice brain with significant increase in the median survival time (36 days) along with no toxicity. Thus, we believe that this study would have high impact for treating patients with glioblastoma.
Enoxaparin Dosing for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Low Body Weight Patients.

Background:The appropriate dose of enoxaparin for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in low body weight patients is unknown.Objective:The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of enoxap...
Vaginal Cuff Closure: Tips for Ipsilateral Port Suturing

Video Objective To outline the steps and techniques for laparoscopic vaginal cuff closure with a focus on ipsilateral port suturing. Setting Female with abnormal uterine bleeding who desired definitive management with total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Interventions Laparoscopic vaginal cuff closure following hysterectomy. Conclusion Hysterectomies are one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States each year. Minimally invasive surgery has transformed this procedure with improved outcomes, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, decreased blood loss, and decreased morbidity when compared to abdominal approach. With laparoscopic hysterectomy, there are multiple techniques for vaginal cuff closure including both laparoscopic and vaginal approaches, often determined by surgeon comfort. In general, data suggests both methods are safe with no significant differences. Within laparoscopic cuff closure, there are various approaches. Intracorporeal suturing remains one of the most challenging laparoscopic tasks. However, it is also an essential skill not just for vaginal cuff closure but a variety of gynecologic minimally invasive surgeries including myomectomies and cystectomies. This video focuses on a laparoscopic suturing approach when two ipsilateral ports are used for cuff closure, which is often more ergonomic for the surgeon. The video highlights proper ergonomics, ipsilateral ports placement, techniques for suture insertion and removal and ipsilateral suture techniques with the goal to improve surgeon knowledge and comfort.
When to suspect and how to diagnose syndromic polyps and carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract: focus on Lynch syndrome and colonic hamartomatous polyposis

Abstract An estimated 130,000 individuals are diagnosed with colorectal carcinoma each year, and approximately 50,000 will die from this disease, making colorectal carcinoma the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. 1 Heritable forms of colorectal carcinoma are common. These heritable conditions may manifest as a polyposis or as colorectal carcinoma. In this review, the pathology of hamartomatous polyps will be discussed with particular emphasis on clues that should alert pathologists to the possibility of a polyposis syndrome. This review will also provide tools for pathologists to identify patients at risk for Lynch syndrome.
Introduction to Environmental Philosophy: Ethics, Epistemology, Justice

This chapter introduces the section of Linking Ecology and Ethics for a Changing World on Ethics, Epistemology and Justice, three of the major concerns of environmental philosophy. It provides an overview of the chapters that constitute this section by Palmer, Longino, Hayward, Northcott, Eliot, and Mallory and picks out important themes that link these chapters. In particular, this chapter focuses on questions of scientific knowledge, the role values play in science (as discussed in Longino’s paper) and what kinds of things in the environment might be thought of as being valuable (discussed in Palmer’s and Eliot’s papers). The chapter also provides an outline of different approaches to global environmental justice as developed by Hayward, Northcott and Mallory. Hayward focuses on the idea of ‘ecological space’, Northcott on climate injustice, and Mallory on the importance of recognizing issues of gender and race in any discussion of environmental justice.
The potential of rearing juveniles of bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, in a biofloc system

Abstract Biofloc technology (BFT) can potentially enhance growth and provide supplemental nutrition to some fish species, but this has not been investigated in bluegill Lepomis macrochirus juveniles. In this study, L. macrochrius juveniles were cultured in a clear-water (CW) system versus BFT when using either corn starch (BFT-Sta) or sucrose-sugar (BFT-Sug) for 32 days at a carbon (C) to nitrogen (N) ratio of 15. After 32 days, water composition of cultivable bacteria were identified using molecular techniques while the survival, growth, histopathology, biochemical composition, and contribution of C and N from bioflocs (based on stable isotope analysis) to L. macrochrius were determined. In the CW system, Escherichia coli was detected but not in the BFT tanks, whereas Aeromonas hydrophila was present in the BFT tanks but not in CW. Fish obtained C and N from bioflocs at 4.11 % and 9.5 % in the BFT-Sta treatment, respectively, and 18.8 % and 1.4 % in the BFT-Sug treatment, respectively. A temporary loss of aeration in the BFT treatments led to dissolved oxygen (DO) plummeting, leading to 50 % mortality, which is indicative of the risk involved when using BFT but also the tolerance of L. macrochrius to temporary low DO. BFT also significantly reduced L. macrochrius growth, which was likely compounded by consistently elevated ammonia and reduced feed intake/feeding activities. The nutritional contribution of bioflocs to L. macrochirus along with no abnormal gill histopathology suggests BFT could have great potential for this species.
Epidural vs Regional Blocks for VATS and Thoracotomy

Thoracic surgery is associated with significant postoperative pain, which can impair recovery. Local anesthetic should be a part of every multi-modal approach to analgesia after surgery, though the best route of administration can depend on the patient and their operation. In this chapter, we review the evidence in support of well-established techniques such as thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) and paravertebral blocks (PVB) in VATS and thoracotomy surgery. We also discuss the available evidence for some newer regional techniques such as Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) and Serratus Anterior Plane (SAP) blocks. Most authors view TEA as the “gold standard” for analgesia, though PVBs may offer comparable benefit with fewer side effects such as hypotension and urinary retention. Both techniques have similar contraindications, which opens a window for some of the newer regional techniques. Although interfascial plane techniques such as SAP and ESP blocks do not have the same quantity or quality of data as TEA or PVB, the favorable safety profile and encouraging available results suggests that SAP and ESP blocks may be suitable for patients in whom TEA or PVB is an undesirable choice.
Hierarchical porous SiOC via freeze casting and self-assembly of block copolymers

Abstract Surface area, permeability, and mechanical robustness are particularly crucial for porous ceramics utilized in filter and catalyst support applications. Unfortunately, these desirable properties are often inversely related to one another via porosity and pore size, creating a serious challenge in the optimization of these materials. To address this challenge, we propose a hierarchical porous composite, fabricated by freeze casting preceramic polymers and re-infiltrating with a self-assembling preceramic polymer/block copolymer blend. The resulting pyrolyzed SiOC hierarchical solid displayed a bimodal pore size distribution with macropores from the freeze-cast structure and mesopores in the self-assembled coating. Neither permeability, compressive strength, nor Young's modulus of the porous composite were compromised with the mesoporous conformal coatings. With the presented hierarchical structure, a better filtration material is expected with higher throughput and reaction rates. Furthermore, by adopting a two-step process, macropores and mesopores can be individually tuned to optimize structures for desired applications.
A 1024-Element Ku-Band SATCOM Phased-Array Transmitter With 45-dBW Single-Polarization EIRP

This article presents a 1024-element Ku-band phased-array transmitter for mobile satellite communications. The array is based on eight-channel transmit (TX) SiGe beamformer chips. Dual-polarized stacked-patch antennas enable the array to synthesize linear, rotated-linear, and left- and right-hand circular polarization. The array consists of four quadrants of 256-element subarrays, each of which has 64 beamformer chips and a driver chip assembled on a printed circuit board (PCB). The array achieves an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 75 dBm per polarization (78-dBm circular polarization) and scans to ±75° in all planes. This is achieved using an antenna spacing of $\lambda $ /2 at 14.4 GHz in an equilateral triangular grid. The array also results in 30-dB cross-polarization rejection up to 60° scan angles. Measured error vector magnitude (EVM) for 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-MBd QPSK and 8 phase-shift keying (8PSK) waveforms results in at most 1.5%rms and 2.5%rms at $P_{1\textrm {dB}}$ and $P_{\mathrm{ sat}}$ , respectively, at 14 GHz over all scan angles. Also, the adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) was measured as −32 dB for 200- and 500-MBd QPSK and 8 phase-shift keying (8PSK) waveforms at $P_{1\textrm {dB}}$ at 14 GHz. To the authors’ knowledge, this work presents a state-of-the-art planar phased-array system with high EIRP for Ku-band satellite communication (SATCOM) mobile transmitter terminals.
A Momentous Time for Humankind — Chapter 1, Rewriting Nature

History will mark the twenty-first century as the dawn of the age of precise genetic manipulation. Breakthroughs in genome editing are poised to enable humankind to fundamentally transform life on Earth. Those familiar with genome editing understand its potential to revolutionize civilization in ways that surpass the impact of the discovery of electricity and the development of gunpowder, the atomic bomb, or the Internet. Significant questions regarding how society should promote or hinder genome editing loom large in the horizon. And it is up to humans to decide the fate of this powerful technology. REWRITING NATURE is a compelling, thought-provoking interdisciplinary exploration of the law, science, and policy of genome editing. The book guides readers through complex legal, scientific, ethical, political, economic, and social issues concerning this emerging technology, and challenges the conventional false dichotomy often associated with science and law, which contributes to a growing divide between both fields.
A qualitative study of provider burnout: do medical scribes hinder or help?

Objective Provider burnout is a crisis in healthcare and leads to medical errors, a decrease in patient satisfaction, and provider turnover. Many feel that the increased use of electronic health records contributes to the rate of burnout. To avoid provider burnout, many organizations are hiring medical scribes. The goal of this study was to identify relevant elements of the provider-scribe relationship (like decreasing documentation burden, extending providers' careers, and preventing retirement) and describe how and to what extent they may influence provider burnout. Materials and methods Qualitative methods were used to gain a broad view of the complex landscape surrounding scribes. Data were collected in 3 phases between late 2017 and early 2019. Data from 5 site visits, interviews with medical students who had experience as scribes, and discussions at an expert conference were analyzed utilizing an inductive approach. Results A total of 184 transcripts were analyzed to identify patterns and themes related to provider burnout. Provider burnout leads to increased provider frustration and exhaustion. Providers reported that medical scribes improve provider job satisfaction and reduce burnout because they reduce the documentation burden. Medical scribes extend providers' careers and may prevent early retirement. Unfortunately, medical scribes themselves may experience similar forms of burnout. Conclusion Our data from providers and managers suggest that medical scribes help to reduce provider burnout. However, scribes are not the only solution for reducing documentation burden and there may be potentially better options for preventing burnout. Interestingly, medical scribes sometimes suffer from burnout themselves, despite their temporary roles.
SYNERGY: Building Task Bots at Scale Using Symbolic Knowledge and Machine Teaching

In this paper we explore the use of symbolic knowledge and machine teaching to reduce human data labeling efforts in building neural task bots. We propose SYNERGY, a hybrid learning framework where a task bot is developed in two steps: (i) Symbolic knowledge to neural networks: Large amounts of simulated dialog sessions are generated based on task-specific symbolic knowledge which is represented as a task schema consisting of dialog flows and task-oriented databases. Then a pre-trained neural dialog model, SOLOIST, is fine-tuned on the simulated dialogs to build a bot for the task. (ii) Neural learning: The fine-tuned neural dialog model is continually refined with a handful of real task-specific dialogs via machine teaching, where training samples are generated by human teachers interacting with the task bot. We validate SYNERGY on four dialog tasks. Experimental results show that SYNERGY maps task-specific knowledge into neural dialog models achieving greater diversity and coverage of dialog flows, and continually improves model performance with machine teaching, thus demonstrating strong synergistic effects of symbolic knowledge and machine teaching.
Relationship of atrial fibrillatory wave amplitude to left atrial size and etiology of heart disease. An old generalization re-examined.

Abstract It is commonly stated that coarse f waves in atrial fibrillation suggest the presence of rheumatic heart disease and large left atrial size, whereas fine f waves indicate non-rheumatic disease and small left atrial size. Using echocardiography as a more reliable indicator of left atrial size, 37 consecutive patients with chronic atrial fibrillation were evaluated. The correlation coefficients between left atrial size and maximum f wave amplitude was −0.12 and −0.07, using average f wave amplitude. Only 53 per cent (9 of 17) of patients with rheumatic heart disease had f wave > 1 mm. and 56 per cent (10 of 18) of patients with f wave size ≤ 1 mm. had non-rheumatic disease. This study refutes the contention that the f wave amplitude in atrial fibrillation is correlated with either left atrial size or etiology of heart disease. It is possible that an intra-atrial conduction defect is responsible for coarse f wave morphology.
Intracellular oxygen sensing using a tunable UV-visible-NIR fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy system

We present a fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy system capable of excitation from UV to NIR wavelengths, developed for time-resolved biological fluorescence imaging. Intracellular ruthenium-based oxygen sensing is presented as an application.
Liquid Nitrogen as an Energy Source for an Automotive Vehicle

It has been estimated that the demand for automotive fuels in 1985 will reach 19 × 1015 Btu/yr, while the production of petroleum-based automotive fuel may only reach 4 × 1015 Btu’s in that year [1]. Given such projected shortfalls, the growing shortage of petroleum, and petroleum-based products, and the skyrocketing cost of petroleum, there is a clear and pressing need to develop automotive power systems that are independent of petroleum-based fuels.
Nucleotide sequence of the iucD gene of the pColV-K30 aerobactin operon and topology of its product studied with phoA and lacZ gene fusions.

Abstract Gene iucD of the aerobactin operon of the Escherichia coli plasmid ColV-K30 encodes a membrane-bound enzyme synthesizing N6-hydroxylysine, the first product of the aerobactin biosynthesis pathway. The entire nucleotide sequence of the cloned iucD gene was determined, from which the primary and some aspects of the secondary structure of the encoded peptide were deduced. E. coli cells harboring multicopy plasmid pVLN12 (iucD+) hyperproduced an approximately 50-kilodalton peptide which was purified and identified as the product of the gene by examination of its amino-terminal sequence. Two iucD'-'lacZ gene fusions were constructed in vitro and four iucD'-'phoA gene fusions were generated in vivo by mutagenesis of iucD with transposon TnphoA (Tn5 IS50L::phoA). Analysis of the corresponding fusion proteins suggested at least two domains of attachment of the IucD protein to the inner side of the cytoplasmic membrane. The first apparent membrane-bound domain was found within the first 25 amino acids of the protein and showed a sequence which resembled that of the signal peptides.
High-Intensity Tasks with External Load in Military Applications: A Review

ABSTRACT This article provides a synopsis of the limited investigations examining the impact of external load (EL) on performance of high-intensity tasks under load (HITL), EL training intervention effects on HITL performance, and injuries from EL training. Repetitive lifting tasks and initiation of locomotion, such as rapidly moving from a prone position to sprinting appear to be more hindered by EL than maximal sprinting velocity and may explain why training with EL does not improve obstacle course or prolonged (200–300 yard shuttle) drills. EL training appears to offer very little if any benefit for HITL in lesser trained populations. This contrast results of multiple studies incorporating ≥3 weeks of prolonged hypergravity interventions (wearing EL during daily activities) in elite anaerobic athletes, indicating EL training stimulus is likely only beneficial to well-trained soldiers. Women and lesser trained individuals appear to be more susceptible to increased injury with EL training. A significant ...
Damage influence on Bauschinger effect of a cast A356 aluminum alloy

The Bauschinger effect is interpreted as anisotropic work hardening that arises upon reverse loading from internal backstresses that are attributed to dislocations accumulating at obstacles. Studies to describe the Bauschinger effect have either focused on continuum mechanics modeling or on analyzing dislocation build-up at a microscopic scale. In continuum mechanics, the focus often is on the relationship of the ratio of kinematic (anisotropic) hardening to isotropic hardening. In materials science, the focus is often on determining mechanisms related to dislocation arrangement. Few have studied both aspects together and fewer yet have considered cast Al-Si-Mg aluminum alloys. To the author`s knowledge, no studies have examined the effect of void damage with regard to second phase particles on the Bauschinger effect for a cast A356 aluminum alloy that was mechanically tested in tension-followed-by-compression and compression-followed-by-tension up to different moderate prestrain levels.
Ordered designs and Bayesian inference in survey sampling

Many sampling designs, such as simple random sampling without replacement, can in principle be extended in a natural way so that the units continue to be selected until the population is exhausted. These designs impose a random order on the population. Here we show how such ordered designs can be used to define prior distributions over the population. For such priors the Bayesian analysis uses information that in standard frequentist methods is incorporated in the sampling design. The resulting methods will often have good frequentist properties.
An entirely endovascular approach to the repair of an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm

1. David TE, Feindel CM. An aortic valve–sparing operation for patients with aortic incompetence and aneurysm of the ascending aorta. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1992;103:617-21. 2. Leyh RG, Schmidtke C, Sievers HH, Yacoub MH. Opening and closing characteristics of the aortic valve after different types of valve-preserving surgery. Circulation. 1999;100:2153-60. 3. De Paulis R, De Matteis GM, Nardi P, Scaffa R, Bassano C, Chiariello L. Analysis of valve motion after the reimplantation type of valvesparing procedure (David 1) with a new aortic root conduit. Ann Thorac Surg. 2002;74:53-7. 4. Demers P, Miller DC. Simple modification of “T. David-V” valvesparing aortic root replacement to create graft pseudosinuses. Ann Thorac Surg. 2004;78:1476-81. 5. Cochran RP, Kunzelman KS, Eddy AC, Hofer BO, Verrier ED. Modified conduit preparation creates a pseudosinus in an aortic valvesparing procedure for aneurysm of the descending aorta. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1995;109:1049-58.
The mixing of the gamma vibrational and ground state bands in 160Dy

Abstract They γ-ray spectra accompanying the β − decay of 160 Tb to levels in 160 Dy has been studied using Ge(Li) detectors. Coincidence measurements were made in order to separate unresolved transitions. Five reduced E2 transition probability ratios for transitions between the gamma and ground state band were computed from the measured γ-ray energies and intensities. The band mixing parameters deduced from each ratio are determined to be mutually inconsistent. The values, z 2 × 10 3 , are: 49.5±4.0, 18.7±2.8, 29.24±2.1, 30.5±4.7 and 55.8±5.6. A critical inconsistency with internal conversion data is pointed out.
Habits—A Repeat Performance

Habits are response dispositions that are activated automatically by the context cues that co-occurred with responses during past performance. Experience-sampling diary studies indicate that much of everyday action is characterized by habitual repetition. We consider various mechanisms that could underlie the habitual control of action, and we conclude that direct cuing and motivated contexts best account for the characteristic features of habit responding—in particular, for the rigid repetition of action that can be initiated without intention and that runs to completion with minimal conscious control. We explain the utility of contemporary habit research for issues central to psychology, especially for behavior prediction, behavior change, and self-regulation.
In vitro assessment of nucleoside analogs in multiple myeloma.

To identify nucleoside analogs that may be effective for multiple myeloma (MM), we tested fludarabine, clofarabine, arabinosylguanine, cytarabine, troxacitabine, and gemcitabine in MM cell lines. We employed biologic and biochemical assays in MM cell lines to evaluate the clinical potential of these nucleoside analogs. Among these purine and pyrimidine nucleoside analogs, fludarabine, clofarabine and gemcitabine were the most potent. MM cell lines, resistant to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for this disease, were more sensitive to gemcitabine with an IC50 in the nanomolar range. The greater cytotoxicity of gemcitabine in MM cells was consistent with greater accumulation of gemcitabine triphosphate, the major cytotoxic metabolite of this drug. MM.1S cells accumulated >100 μM gemcitabine triphosphate but accumulated <20 μM of the other analogs as the respective triphosphates. In addition incubation with gemcitabine resulted in inhibition of DNA synthesis. Incubation with 25, 50 or 100 nM gemcitabine resulted in a dose- and time-dependent increase in the cell population with a subG1 DNA content indicative of apoptosis. These results suggest that gemcitabine is a potent nucleoside analog in MM cell lines including cell types resistant to other chemotherapeutic agents. The greater activity of gemcitabine compared to other analogs seems to be due to favorable metabolism of this agent.
Repeatability of Dynamic Strength Tests

The repeatability of dynamic strength tests was examined by calculating coefficients of variations (CV) for the forces exerted on lifting tests using the legs, torso and arms. Static strengths were also measured and compared to dynamic strengths. The CV for dynamic strengths, was in fact slightly lower than for static strengths, 9.79% vs. 10.6%. The correlations between the two types of strength measurements were large (r=.8l) and significant, indicating that along with good repeatability dynamic tests are an acceptable form of employee strength measurement.
Electronic states around and within the bandgap for clusters on GaAs

Abstract Recently two types of states have been observed for Sb, Bi, and other adsorbates on GaAs(110). For ordered overlayers, photoemission and inverse photoemission show adsorbate-induced states of the kinds that one might expect for systems with good two-dimensional order. On the other hand, scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements also show states associated with various types of imperfections. The former states are consistent with no Fermi-level pinning, whereas the latter states can provide a mechanism for Fermi-level pinning. Here we report theoretical studies of the electronic states associated with Sb and Bi clusters, around and within the GaAs band gap. Incomplete bonding leads to gap states, but the Sb clusters with the most nearly complete adatom-adatom bonding show semiconducting behavior.
Accessing Postsynthetic Modification in a Series of Metal-Organic Frameworks and the Influence of Framework Topology on Reactivity

2-Amino-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (NH2−BDC) has been found to be a compatible building block for the construction of two new metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have structures isoreticular to reported MOFs that use 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (BDC) as a building block. DMOF-1-NH2 (DABCO MOF-1-NH2) is a derivative of a previously studied MOF that contains two-dimensional square grids based on NH2−BDC and zinc(II) paddle-wheel units; the grid layers are connected by DABCO (1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) molecules that coordinate in the axial positions of the paddlewheel secondary-building units (SBUs). UMCM-1-NH2 is an NH2−BDC derivative of UMCM-1 (University of Michigan Crystalline Material-1), a highly porous MOF reported by Matzger et al., and consists of both NH2−BDC and BTB (BTB = 4,4′,4′′-benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tribenzoate) linkers with Zn4O SBUs. The structure of UMCM-1-NH2 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. By using NH2−BDC to generate these MOFs, the pendant amino groups can serv...
Indirect Determination of Hydroxyl Radicals in Fine Particle Mist Generated from an Odor Control Technology via HPLC

Size distribution analysis of microsized water particle mist generated from an odor control technology showed the majority of particles to be in the low micron range. The indirect detection and determination of hydroxyl radicals generated by their reaction with benzene to produce phenol was performed through UV-Vis spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These techniques gave verification of the presence of hydroxyl radical species in the water samples collected via this odor control technology. This technology is currently being utilized at various wastewater treatment plants.
Health Reform: What Will It Take To Pass?

Abstract: The health care reform debate has begun in earnest, but the outcome for 1994 is highly uncertain. Divisions among Democrats on health care reform are very serious, with conservative Democrats closer to mainstream Republicans than to their own congressional leadership on the key issues of spending limits, price controls, and employer mandates. Because 1994 is an election year, and given the commitment of the president to reform, passage of legislation that is somewhere between a less regulatory form of managed competition and incremental reform is possible. But because of the divisions within Congress and the president's overly ambitious starting point, near-term passage is not inevitable.
Deterministic Computer-Controlled Polishing Process for High-Energy X-Ray Optics

A deterministic computer-controlled polishing process for large X-ray mirror mandrels is presented. Using tool s influence function and material removal rate extracted from polishing experiments, design considerations of polishing laps and optimized operating parameters are discussed
On the Likelihood Ratio Test for the Number of Factors in Exploratory Factor Analysis

In the exploratory factor analysis, when the number of factors exceeds the true number of factors, the likelihood ratio test statistic no longer follows the chi-square distribution due to a problem of rank deficiency and nonidentifiability of model parameters. As a result, decisions regarding the number of factors may be incorrect. Several researchers have pointed out this phenomenon, but it is not well known among applied researchers who use exploratory factor analysis. We demonstrate that overfactoring is one cause for the well-known fact that the likelihood ratio test tends to find too many factors.
Initialization of a modeled convective storm using Doppler radar-derived fields

A method is developed to initialize convective storm simulations with Doppler radar-derived fields. Input fields for initialization include velocity, rainwater derived from radar reflectivity, and pressure and temperature fields obtained through thermodynamic retrieval. A procedure has been developed to fill in missing wind data, followed by a variational adjustment to the filled wind field to minimize 'shocks' that would otherwise cause the simulated fields to deteriorate rapidly. A series of experiments using data from a simulated storm establishes the feasibility of the initialization method. Multiple-Doppler radar observations from the 20 May 1977 Del City tornadic storm are used for the initialization experiments. Simulation results are shown and compared to observations taken at a later time. The simulated storm shows good agreement with the subsequent observations, though the simulated storm appears to be evolving faster than observed. Possible reasons for the discrepancies are discussed.
Counting labeled transitions in continuous-time Markov models of evolution

Counting processes that keep track of labeled changes to discrete evolutionary traits play critical roles in evolutionary hypothesis testing. If we assume that trait evolution can be described by a continuous-time Markov chain, then it suffices to study the process that counts labeled transitions of the chain. For a binary trait, we demonstrate that it is possible to obtain closed-form analytic solutions for the probability mass and probability generating functions of this evolutionary counting process. In the general, multi-state case we show how to compute moments of the counting process using an eigen decomposition of the infinitesimal generator, provided the latter is a diagonalizable matrix. We conclude with two examples that demonstrate the utility of our results.
Polynomial root-finding with matrix eigen-solving

Numerical matrix methods are increasingly popular for polynomial root-finding. This approach usually amounts to the application of the QR algorithm to the highly structured Frobenius companion matrix of the input polynomial. The structure, however, is routinely destroyed already in the first iteration steps. To accelerate this approach, we exploit the matrix structure of the Frobenius and generalized companion matrices, employ various known and novel techniques for eigen-solving and polynomial root-finding, and in addition to the Frobenius input allow other highly structured generalized companion matrices. Employing polynomial root-finders for eigen-solving is a harder task because of the potential numerical stability problems, but we found some new promising directions, particularly for sparse and/or structured input matrices.
Probabilistic tensor voting for robust perceptual grouping

We address the problem of unsupervised segmentation and grouping in 2D and 3D space, where samples are corrupted by noise, and in the presence of outliers. The problem has attracted attention in previous research work, but non-parametric outlier filtering and inlier denoising are still challenging. Tensor voting is a non-parametric algorithm that can infer local data geometric structure. Standard tensor voting considers outlier noise explicitly, but may suffer from serious problems if the inlier data is also noisy. In this paper, we propose probabilistic Tensor Voting, a Bayesian extension of standard tensor voting, taking into consideration both probabilistic and geometric meaning. Probabilistic tensor voting explicitly considers both outlier and inlier noise, and can handle them simultaneously. In the new framework, the representation consists of a 2nd order symmetric tensor, a polarity vector, and a new type 2 polarity vector orthogonal to the first one. We give a theoretical interpretation of our framework. Experimental results show that our approach outperforms other methods, including standard tensor voting.
Automatic Tip Vortex Core Profiling for Numerical Flow Simulations of Rotorcraft in Hover

An automated approach is presented that extracts visual and quantitative data from vortex cores produced by Navier-Stokes simulations of rotorcraft in hover mode. This approach extracts contiguous rotor tip vortex-core trajectories, cross-flow velocity profiles, and vortex-core diameter variation with wake age (azimuth angle). This automated approach is faster and more accurate than a conventional manual approach. Moreover, this new approach allows for an efficient way to quantitatively compare vortex-core profiles from different flow simulations, e.g., grid resolution studies, and validate computed results with experimental data