cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating vehicular-induced bridge vibrations for energy harvesting applications

Highway bridges are vital links in the transportation network in the United States. Identifying possible safety problems in the approximately 600,000 bridges across the country is generally accomplished through labor-intensive, visual inspections. Ongoing research sponsored by NIST seeks to improve inspection practices by providing real-time, continuous monitoring technology for steel bridges. A wireless sensor network with a service life of ten years that is powered by an integrated energy harvester is targeted. In order to achieve the target ten-year life for the monitoring system, novel approaches to energy harvesting for use in recharging batteries are investigated. Three main sources of energy are evaluated: (a) vibrational energy, (b) solar energy, and (c) wind energy. Assessing the energy produced from vehicular-induced vibrations and converted through electromagnetic induction is the focus of this paper. The goal of the study is to process acceleration data and analyze the vibrational response of steel bridges to moving truck loads. Through spectral analysis and harvester modeling, the feasibility of vibration-based energy harvesting for longterm monitoring can be assessed. The effects of bridge conditions, ambient temperature, truck traffic patterns, and harvester position on the power content of the vibrations are investigated. With sensor nodes continually recharged, the proposed real-time monitoring system will operate off the power grid, thus reducing life cycle costs and enhancing inspection practices for state DOTs. This paper will present the results of estimating the vibration energy of a steel bridge in Texas.
Three-dimensional left ventricular deformation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ejection fraction is normal or increased, and force-length relations are reduced. However, three-dimensional (3D) motion and deformation in vivo have not been assessed in this condition. We have reconstructed the 3D motion of the left ventricle (LV) during systole in 7 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and 12 normal volunteers by use of magnetic resonance tagging. METHODS AND RESULTS Transmural tagging stripes were automatically tracked to subpixel resolution with an active contour model. A 3D finite-element model was used to interpolate displacement information between short- and long-axis slices and register data on a regional basis. Displacement and strain data were averaged into septal, posterior, lateral, and anterior regions at basal, midventricular, and apical levels. Radial motion (toward the central long axis) decreased slightly in patients with HCM, whereas longitudinal displacement (parallel to the long axis) of the base toward the apex was markedly reduced: 7.5 +/- 2.5mm (SD) versus 12.5 +/- 2.0 mm, P CONCLUSIONS HCM patients had reduced 3D myocardial shortening on a regional basis; however, LV torsion was increased.
Vasomotor Symptoms and Menopause: Findings from the Study of Women's Health across the Nation

Vasomotor symptoms (VMS), or hot flashes and night sweats, are often considered the cardinal symptoms of menopause. SWAN, one of the largest and most ethnically diverse longitudinal studies of the menopausal transition, has allowed unique insights into VMS. Specifically, SWAN has helped yield important information about the prevalence of, racial/ethnic differences in, risk factors for, and implications of VMS for midlife women's mental and physical health. We have reviewed the literature on VMS, emphasizing findings that have emerged from SWAN and new areas of inquiry in the area of VMS.
Barriers to Hospice Use among African Americans: A Systematic Review

The present review was undertaken to explore recent evidence in the professional literature pertaining to use of hospice services by African Americans. The article addresses the research methods that have been used to study African American hospice use, obstacles to African American participation in hospice that have been identified, and interventions designed to increase the number of African Americans using hospice services that have been tested. Results indicate that both qualitative and quantitative methods have identified the following key factors that contribute to the underuse of hospice services by members of the African American community: personal or cultural values in conflict with hospice philosophy, lack of awareness of hospice services, concern about burdening family, economic factors, mistrust of the health care system, and expected lack of ethnic minority employees in hospice agencies. Implications for future social work research and practice with terminally ill African Americans and their families include efforts to quantitatively determine whether the identified key factors contribute significantly in the decisions they make regarding end-of-life care. In addition, social work intervention studies are recommended to offer tested interventions designed to increase the use of hospice services that are cost-effective and culturally competent.
Compressing bitmap indexes for faster search operations

We study the effects of compression on bitmap indexes. The main operations on the bitmaps during query processing are bitwise logical operations. Using the general purpose compression schemes the logical operations on the compressed bitmaps are much slower than on the uncompressed bitmaps. Specialized compression schemes, like the byte-aligned bitmap code (BBC), are usually faster in performing logical operations than the general purpose schemes, but in many cases they are still orders of magnitude slower than the uncompressed scheme. To make the compressed bitmap indexes operate more efficiently, we designed a CPU-friendly scheme which we refer to as the word-aligned hybrid code (WAH). Tests on both synthetic and real application data show that the new scheme significantly outperforms well-known compression schemes at a modest increase in storage space. Compared to BBC, WAH performs logical operations about 12 times faster and uses only 60% more space. Compared to the uncompressed scheme, in most test cases WAH is faster while still using less space. We further verified with additional tests that the improvement in logical operation speed translates to similar improvement in query processing speed.
Frequency-domain tomography of evolving light-velocity objects

We demonstrated single-shot frequency-domain tomographic imaging of laser-produced refractive index structures that evolve during propagation, using multiple probe pulses multiplexed to a single spectrometer and tomographic reconstruction algorithms.
Granitic to ultramafic rock complexes of the Indian Ocean ridge system, western Indian Ocean

During five expeditions of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to the western Indian Ocean, more than 4,500,000 sq km of the Central Indian Ridge and its branching Southeast Indian Ridge and Southwest Indian Ridge were explored by bathymetric, magnetic, and seismic-reflection profiling. In some 2,800,000 sq km of this region, igneous rocks of the crust, lower crust, and possible upper mantle are exposed by faulting or volcanism. Fifty-six dredge hauls of these igneous rocks were obtained, largely from the major cross-fractures (transform faults) or clefts trending athwart the volcanically active ridges. From north to south, the cross-fractures most intensively sampled were the Vema Fracture Zone, which crosses the crestal area near 9°S, Argo Fracture Zone near 13°30′S, Marie Celeste Fracture Zone near 17°30′S, and the newly delineated “Melville Fracture Zone” trending north-south for more than 600 km near 60°30′E on the Southwest Indian Ridge. Our field and laboratory studies indicate that under a capping of young flow basalt, there is a regional complex of igneous rocks produced by magma generated under the ridges, trapped and differentiated into sill-like, podiform, and larger, crudely stratified to well-stratified sheets. Rocks from the stratiform masses include abundant Iherzolite and minor harzburgite, orthopyroxenite, olivine- and two-pyroxene gabbros, Ti-ferrogabbros, norite, and anorthosite. Some associated diabase intrusions are granophyric and are cut by late-stage dikelets of quartz monzonite and Na-rich trondhjemite. Both calc-alkaline and alkalic lines of differentiation are indicated. The granitic dikelets contain clear, doubly-terminated crystals of zircon, unusual in a terrane of large-cation–depleted rocks. The overlying basalt flows are pillowed with chemical and mineralogical characteristics typical of olivine-bearing tholeiite from the ridge-rise systems of the world oceans. The ubiquitous nature of the crustal complex found throughout the western Indian Ocean, together with data from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, suggest that similar rock complexes, dominated in their lower parts by stratiform bodies, are characteristic of most of the igneous crust throughout the world oceans.
The inquiry page: a collaboratory for curricular innovation

Learn about participatory design by engaging in an examination of the Inquiry Page; learn how to use it and related tools to support teaching and learning in diverse communities--schools, universities, libraries, museums, workplaces, and community settings; participants will come away with Inquiry Units they can use in applications of interest to them.
Über die titrimetrische Bestimmung sehr kleiner Mengen von Ammoniak. Mit besonderer Rücksicht auf Meerund Süsswasser

| 1. Es wird ein Verfahren angegeben fur die Bestimmung sehr kleiner Mengen von Ammoniak (μg N). Die Isolierung des Ammoniaks geschieht durch Abdestillieren, das quantitativ ist, wenn man 90ccm abdestilliert aus einem Anfangsvolumen von 250ccm, wenn man durch Magnesia alkalisch macht und aus 350ccm, wenn man einen grosseren Uberschuss von Natronlauge zusetzt. 2. Es werden besondere Apparate fur das Abdestillieren und Titrieren angegeben. 3. Mit Hilfe der angegebenen Methode kann man „freies” und „gebundenes” Ammoniak in Meer- und Susswasser mit einer mittleren Unsicherheit von bezw. 2,3 und 5,8 μg N bestimmen. 4. Die Bestimmung von „gebundenem” Ammoniak ist sehr zeitraubend. Wenn es sich dagegen um Bestimmungen von „freiem” Ammoniak handelt, kann man ungefahr 8 Analysen taglich ausfuhren., *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A0025399 00002
Blood-sugar levels and carbohydrate combustion in normal men.

IN A PRELIMINARY REPORT (1) we expressed the view that the level, perse, of the blood sugar is not the determining factor in the regulation of carbohydrate oxition in the intact organism; that hyperglycemia associated with the addition to the body of carbohydrate from outside sources, produces under standard conditions a rise in the proportion of energy derived from carbohydrate; that hyperglycemia of wholly endogenous origin produced by the administration of epinephrine, results in no significant change in the rate of combustion of carbohydrate; and, finally, that the rise of the blood sugar resulting from the administration of carbohydrate is merely concomitant to those stimulative processes which are initiated when the carbohydrate reserves of the body are increased. The details of our experiments are herein recorded. Detailed observations were made on 3 healthy, male, university students, ranging in age from 21 to 24 years. TwentyOne 4hour periods of continuous indirect calorime
High-voltage electrical stimulation for the management of Stage III and IV pressure ulcers among adults with spinal cord injury: Demonstration of its utility for recalcitrant wounds below the level of injury

AbstractContextPatients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have many factors that are associated with pressure ulcer formation, including paralysis, loss of sensation, poor nutrition, anemia, and skin maceration related to incontinence. Treatment of these ulcers involves relieving pressure, improving nutrition and skin hygiene, treating infections, removing necrotic tissues, and applying the appropriate dressings. However, some cases are not responsive to the above treatment. Electrical stimulation (ES) is thought to enhance soft tissue healing through promotion of protein synthesis, inhibition of bacterial growth, facilitation of epithelial tissue migration, improvement of blood flow, and tensile strength. This data is mainly based on evidence from animal studies and very few rigorously controlled studies conducted in humans.ObjectiveTo demonstrate the effectiveness of ES in the treatment of recalcitrant pressure ulcers.MethodsRetrospective case series describing the care of adults with SCI and recalcitrant p...
Liberty in a Divided and Experimental Culture: Respecting Choice and Enforcing Connection in the American Family

This Essay examines the need to expand our societal vocabulary to better describe the varieties of family relationships present within society. After first describing the ability of language to form notions of liberty, the author focuses on the need to have our official language adequately describe the connections and choices made in familial lives. Focusing on the societal celebration of autonomy of choice and experimentation in family relationships, including the recognition of relationships between same-sex partners and other non-traditional forms of family connections, she argues that both the Right and the Left fail to recognize this autonomy of choice by the creation of legal vocabulary. Coming from a societal tradition of experimentation and a recognition of "eccentricity" in our Constitutional jurisprudence, those forming domestic units at the edge of family definitions are trying to bring a vocabulary representing both choice and connection into the public dialogue. The author describes the necessity for such a public vocabulary to change to provide adequate recognition to the new forms of family; indeed, the public dialogue has already started to recognize such terms as "non-custodial parent." Finally, she argues that such a public vocabulary is essential for the self-definition of children living within these new familial units.
Cache designs with partial address matching

One critical aspect in designing set-associative cache at high clock rate is deriving timely results from directory lookup. In this paper we investigate the possibility of accurately approximating the results of conventional directory search with faster matches of few partial address bits. Such fast and accurate approximations may be utilized to optimize cache access timing, particularly in a customized design environment. Through analytic and simulation studies we examine the trade-offs of various design choices. We also discuss few other applications of partial address matching to computer designs.
Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection after ranitidine bismuth citrate, metronidazole and tetracycline for 7 or 10 days.

Background : We assessed the efficacy, tolerance, and compliance of twice-daily triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori with ranitidine bismuth citrate, metronidazole and tetracycline for 7 or 10 days. Methods : 105 subjects with H. pylori infection documented by the 13C-urea breath test were randomly assigned to a 7 or 10-day course of ranitidine bismuth citrate 400 mg b.d., metronidazole 500 mg b.d. and tetracycline 500 mg b.d. Subjects returned at the end of therapy for assessment of side-effects and pill count. A repeat 13C-urea breath test was obtained 4 or more weeks after completion of therapy and cure of infection was defined as a negative test result. Results : Poor compliance (< 80% of medications) was seen in 2% of subjects randomized to 7 days of therapy and in 10% randomized to 10 days of therapy (P = N.S.). Intention-to-treat eradication rates were 56% for 7-day and 60% for 10-day therapy (P = N.S.). Per protocol eradication rates were 58% for 7-day and 61% for 10-day therapy (P = N.S.). The 10-day intention-to-treat eradication rate for males was 78% and 32% for females (P < 0.01) and per protocol eradication rates were 79% and 31%, respectively (P < 0.01). Conclusions : Despite excellent compliance and tolerance, neither 7 nor 10 days of therapy with twice-daily ranitidine bismuth citrate, metronidazole and tetracycline are adequate as a treatment of H. pylori infection.
Statistical Analysis of CFD Solutions from the Drag Prediction Workshop

A simple, graphical framework is presented for robust statistical evaluation of results obtained from N-Version testing of a series of RANS CFD codes. The solutions were obtained by a variety of code developers and users for the June 2001 Drag Prediction Workshop sponsored by the AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Technical Committee. The aerodynamic configuration used for the computational tests is the DLR-F4 wing-body combination previously tested in several European wind tunnels and for which a previous N-Version test had been conducted. The statistical framework is used to evaluate code results for (1) a single cruise design point, (2) drag polars and (3) drag rise. The paper concludes with a discussion of the meaning of the results, especially with respect to predictability, Validation, and reporting of solutions.
Constant density spanners for wireless ad-hoc networks

An important problem for wireless ad hoc networks has been to design overlay networks that allow time- and energy-efficient routing. Many local-control strategies for maintaining such overlay networks have already been suggested, but most of them are based on an oversimplified wireless communication model.In this paper, we suggest a model that is much more general than previous models. It allows the path loss of transmissions to significantly deviate from the idealistic unit disk model and does not even require the path loss to form a metric. Also, our model is apparently the first proposed for algorithm design that does not only model transmission and interference issues but also aims at providing a realistic model for physical carrier sensing. Physical carrier sensing is needed so that our protocols do not require any prior information (not even an estimate on the number of nodes) about the wireless network to run efficiently.Based on this model, we propose a local-control protocol for establishing a constant density spanner among a set of mobile stations (or nodes) that are distributed in an arbitrary way in a 2-dimensional Euclidean space. More precisely, we establish a backbone structure by efficiently electing cluster leaders and gateway nodes so that there is only a constant number of cluster leaders and gateway nodes within the transmission range of any node and the backbone structure satisfies the properties of a topological spanner.Our protocol has the advantage that it is locally self-stabilizing, i.e., it can recover from any initial configuration, even if adversarial nodes participate in it, as long as the honest nodes sufficiently far away from adversarial nodes can in principle form a single connected component. Furthermore, we only need constant size messages and a constant amount of storage at the nodes, irrespective of the distribution of the nodes. Hence, our protocols would even work in extreme situations such as very simple wireless devices (like sensors) in a hostile environment.
Ventricular assist devices and anesthesia.

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) have revolutionized longterm care for patients with congestive heart failure. These patients represent about 1% of the adults in the United States, considering that heart failure is a contributing factor in more than 250,000 deaths annually. It has been estimated that about 60,000 patients per year in the United States could benefit from heart transplantation or long-term mechanical support. Because of the short supply of donor hearts for transplant, assist devices have become of great value. At least four assist devices are clinically available, and two other devices are being investigated. Because cardiopulmonary bypass is required for implantation of these devices, anesthetizing these critically compromised patients requires extensive monitoring, skillful anesthetic management, and expert postoperative care.
Maximal biflow in an undirected network

In this network flow problem we deal with two distinct commodities, each commodity being identified by a pair of source and sink nodes. The problem consists of maximizing the total flow (biflow) of the two commodities. It is solved by an inductive algorithm which starts with a maximal multiterminal flow from the set of sources to the set of sinks in the network, yields the value of the maximal biflow and terminates with the construction of the maximal biflow itself. Computational experience shows that this algorithm can also be used in the three-commodity flow problem to obtain a good lower bound for the value of a maximal threecommodity flow.
Rat GST 8-8 is expressed predominantly in myeloid origin cells infiltrating the gravid uterus

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown a relatively high expression of rGST8-8 in uterine tissues. This GST isozyme displays relatively high glutathione-peroxidase activity towards lipid-hydroperoxides and towards toxic 4-hydroxyalkenals generated from lipid peroxidation. Since the uterus is a unique organ, subject to oxidative stress due to infiltration by immune effector cells during gestation and because this infiltration is readily identifiable histologically, the studies reported herein were performed to localize the cell specific expression of rGST8-8 to determine whether immune effector cells infiltrating the pregnant rat uterus specifically expressed rGST8-8. A 75 bp end-radiolabeled cRNA probe was prepared from the full length mGSTA4-4 cDNA from the region which is highly homologous with rGST8-8. This cRNA probe was used for in situ hybridization studies to localize rGST8-8 in specific cell types of gravid rat uterus. Results of these studies indicate that this GST isozyme is selectively expressed in myeloid origin cells such as monocytes/macrophages, and neutrophils infiltrating the uterine endometrium and in vascular walls. Selective expression of rGST8-8 in the myeloid origin cells, which are known to generate higher levels of reactive oxygen species, suggests that this GST isozyme plays an important role in the protection mechanisms against lipid peroxidation.
Thermal behaviour and reliability of solidly mounted Bulk Acoustic Wave Duplexers under high power RF loads

In this paper, the reliability requirements, thermal behaviour and failure mechanisms of solidly mounted Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) filters are studied. High power RF stress measurements are presented where the evolution of the surface damage of the BAW filters as a function of stress time is analysed by optical height profiling. Two different metal stacks were used. The main failure mechanism for BAW filters during high RF power stress is proposed to be acoustomigration. By comparing the stress measurements to the requirements, excellent reliability of NXP's BAW duplexers is proven.
Decitabine Induces Delayed Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Accumulation in Leukemia Cells and Induces the Expression of ROS Generating Enzymes

Purpose: Azanucleoside DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitors are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome. The relative contributions of DNMT inhibition and other off-target effects to their clinical efficacy remain unclear. Data correlating DNA methylation reversal and clinical response have been conflicting. Consequently, it is necessary to investigate so-called off-target effects and their impact on cell survival and differentiation. Experimental Design: Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation analysis. Gene expression analysis was performed using real-time PCR. DNA methylation was detected by methylation-specific PCR. Mitochondrial membrane potential was analyzed using JC-1 dye staining. Western blotting was used for quantitative protein expression analysis. Results: 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (DAC) induced cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. p53 expression was dispensable for DAC-induced apoptosis. DAC induced delayed ROS accumulation in leukemia cells but not in solid tumor cells and p53 expression was dispensable for ROS increase. ROS increase was deoxycytidine kinase dependent, indicating that incorporation of DAC into nuclear DNA is required for ROS generation. ROS accumulation by DAC was caspase-independent and mediated the dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential. Concordantly, ROS scavengers diminished DAC-induced apoptosis. DAC induced the expression of different NADPH oxidase isoforms and upregulated Nox4 protein expression in an ATM-dependent manner, indicating the involvement of DNA damage signaling in Nox4 upregulation. Conclusion: These data highlight the importance of mechanisms other than DNA cytosine demethylation in modulating gene expression and suggest investigating the relevance of ROS accumulation to the clinical activity of DAC. Clin Cancer Res; 20(5); 1249–58. ©2014 AACR .
THE NORMAL STRESS EFFECT AND EQUILIBRIUM FRICTION COEFFICIENT OF ARTICULAR CARTILAGE UNDER STEADY FRICTIONAL SHEAR

During creep or stress relaxation, articular cartilage exhibits a time-dependent friction coefficient which has been shown to reach an equilibrium value, mu eq, as the tissue deformation equilibrates. This study investigates the frictional properties of articular cartilage explants under steady frictional shear and constant compressive strain after the tissue reaches stress-relaxation equilibrium. The two parameters measured are the normal force and frictional torque, from which the friction coefficient was then calculated. It is shown in this experimental study that: (1) Under a prescribed infinitesimal compressive strain, cartilage supports higher compressive normal stress under steady shear than it does in the absence of frictional shear. Furthermore, the normal stress increases with increasing sliding velocity, resulting in a velocity-dependent value of mu eq. The observed normal stress effectively increases the compressive stiffness of cartilage by a factor up to 3.1. (2) Under a prescribed steady frictional shear both the normal stress and frictional shear stress increase, though not proportionally, with increasing compressive strain, producing a decreasing friction coefficient. (3) This velocity-dependent normal stress effect is also shown to result, at least partly, from intrinsic properties of cartilage. The normal stress effect has not been previously reported for articular cartilage, and represents an intriguing mechanical response not commonly encountered in solids, though common in non-Newtonian fluids.
PET IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION USING ANATOMICAL INFORMATION THROUGH MUTUAL INFORMATION BASED PRIORS: A SCALE SPACE APPROACH

We propose a mutual information based prior for incorporating information from co-registered anatomical images into PET image reconstruction. The prior uses mutual information between feature vectors that are extracted from the anatomical and functional images using a scale space approach. We perform simulations on a realistic 3D phantom generated by replicating a 2-D autoradiographic cross section of a mouse labelled with F18-FDG. A digital photograph of the cryosection of the same slice is used to generate the anatomical image. The images are registered using mutual information based rigid registration. PET data are then simulated from the autoradiography based phantom. We use a preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm to compute the PET image that maximizes the posterior density. The performance of this method is compared with that using a Gaussian quadratic penalty, which does not use anatomical information. Simulation results indicate that the mutual information based prior can achieve reduced standard deviation at comparable bias compared to the quadratic penalty
Is accurate forecasting of economic systems possible

Structural constancy, both across time and across variable conditions, is a necessary precondition for accurate forecasting. Physical systems exhibit structural constancy, but economic and social systems generally do not. In this paper we examine the effects of policy, technology, and price volatility in commodity markets on the relationship between soybean oil and petroleum prices. An early Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast of soy-based biodiesel price projected a simple relationship between soybean oil demand and price into the future—a relationship that has little explanatory power over the recent price volatility in oilseed markets. We propose that structural inconstancy and new trading behavior better explain price movements in soybean oil, and we further argue that forecasters must invent new ways of addressing the fundamental epistemological challenge of structural inconstancy in economic and social systems.
Centroamerica y Belgica: curiosas interferencias a nivel de jefatura de Estado... (entre la suerte y el destino asumido)

Comparo Costa Rica y Belgica en ciertos puntos. Algo tiene de inusual porque las corrientes geopoilticas actuates los alejan. Sin embargo, entrelazado con reflexion sobre la tematica de la suerte versus el determinismo, presento una serie de curiosas interferencias entre los dos paises, partiendo del hecho de haber tenido en mas de una oportunidad una misma jefatura de Estado.
Lipopolysaccharide-induced priming of the murine macrophage-like cell line J774A.1 for enhanced production of reactive oxygen intermediates is blocked by antiserum to murine interferon β

Previously, we have shown that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can prime murine macrophage-like J774A.1 cells for an enhanced production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The goal of this study was to determine if cytokines produced and secreted by LPS-treated J774A.1 cells were involved in priming for enhanced production of ROI. This was accomplished by neutralizing cytokine activity using specific anti-cytokine antiserum added to the LPS-treated J774A.1 cells.
The effect of heat on the calcium salts and rennet coagulability of cow's milk.

SummaryIt is shown that the partial fixation of the calcium salts of milk by pasteurization or boiling is readily explained simply on the grounds of the effect of heat on colloidal solutions of CaH...
RADON INVERSION-VARIATIONS ON A THEME

(1982). Radon Inversion–Variations on a Theme. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 89, No. 6, pp. 377-423.
Decision-Making in School Racial Conflict: Challenges of Leadership for Social Justice.

The following case portrays administrator, faculty, and student responses to a race-related incident that occurred in a predominantly White, wealthy, suburban high school. Reports of the story took...
Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction for Employed Adults With Multiple Sclerosis

Given the high unemployment rates of adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the importance of job satisfaction as a predictor of turnover intention and job tenure, this investigation examined the relationship of perceived job satisfaction to social cognitive career theory and ecological model constructs. Highly compatible, the two formulations suggest that extent of job satisfaction is a function of personal or demographic, contextual or extrinsic, disability/health status, and self-perceived vocational situation variables. Based on responses to a national survey by 628 employed adults with MS, a four-block, hierarchical logistic regression analysis examined the extent to which the four variable groupings contributed to the prediction of job satisfaction. The following variables were retained in the regression equation: racial/ethnic status, satisfaction with current financial status, satisfaction with housing accessibility, illness duration, extent of job/person match, appropriateness of current work ho...
Conventional Energy Sources and Alternative Energy Sources and the Role of Sol-Gel Processing

Energy is an ever-present concern. Materials are in some cases a limiting factor in energy production. It is necessary to improve the available materials for energy storage, energy conversion and energy distribution. One way to address some of these materials issues is sol-gel processing. This chapter briefly introduces the role of sol-gel processing for energy applications.
Studies of the pattern of light emitted from waveshifting, scintillating, and waveguide fibers used in detectors for particle physics

Scintillating, waveshifting, and waveguide fibers are used as particle detectors and light detection and transport elements in particle physics experiments. A study of light emission from such structures is being carried out for the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN. For CMS, the fibers used are polystyrene core with a double-cladding and a diameter of 940 microns and lengths of up to several meters. Currently, the light produced and transported by such structures is detected by a conventional photo-detectors called hybrid photodiodes (HPD). The experiment is planning to replace the HPDs with a new photo-detectors known as a Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) with the possibility of each fiber having its own SiPM element for readout. Due to the thermal and electrical characteristics of SiPMs, and specifically their high thermal noise rate, it is best to keep the cross sectional area of the SiPM as small as possible. When light exits a fiber there is a distribution of the photons at various angles caused by: the differences in index of refraction of the core (n=1.59) and outer cladding (n=1.43) of the fiber; how and where in the fiber the initial light was created and the dominant transmission characteristics of the fiber/waveguide. This light distribution sets the size and placement of the SiPM devices. To study this, experimental measurements are being carried out using waveshifting and clear optical waveguide fibers that are used in CMS. Light is produced within such fiber core by exciting them through their cladding using UV light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LED light penetrates into the fiber and is waveshifted. On one end (called the readout end) is placed up against a fiber-optically-coupled CCD camera. The opposite end is either mirrored (with aluminum) or unmirrored and also read out using another CCD. Initial studies of attenuation and the profile of emergent light are discussed.
Integrating simulation modeling and mobile technology to improve day-of-surgery patient care

Past studies have shown that there are communication and coordination delays that can disrupt delivery of care to the patient on the day of surgery. Hospitals have introduced information technology to improve the ability of staff to react in a timely fashion, but with mixed success. The research team is developing a mobile application that tracks patient progress, allowing staff to retrieve/send status instantly, and provide updates to others responsible for specific patients. In this paper, the researchers present how a detailed day-of-surgery simulation model (previously used for process improvement) has been integrated to communicate with the mobile app to provide day-of-surgery scenarios for user-testing the app at the hospital. This advancement in simulation capability is expected to provide significant research benefits resulting from the ability to test the app's usability and train staff without having to disrupt the actual delivery of care.
Derivation and Evaluation of Putative Adverse Outcome Pathways for the Effects of Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors on Reproductive Processes in Female Fish.

Cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors are ubiquitous in aquatic systems and have been detected in fish tissues. The exposure of fish to these pharmaceuticals is concerning because COX inhibitors disrupt the synthesis of prostaglandins (PGs), which modulate a variety of essential biological functions, including reproduction. In this study, we investigated the effects of well-characterized mammalian COX inhibitors on female fathead minnow reproductive health. Fish (n = 8) were exposed for 96 h to water containing indomethacin (IN; 100 µg/l), ibuprofen (IB; 200 µg/l) or celecoxib (CX; 20 µg/l), and evaluated for effects on liver metabolome and ovarian gene expression. Metabolomic profiles of IN, IB and CX were not significantly different from control or one another. Exposure to IB and CX resulted in differential expression of comparable numbers of genes (IB = 433, CX = 545). In contrast, 2558 genes were differentially expressed in IN-treated fish. Functional analyses (canonical pathway and gene set enrichment) indicated extensive effects of IN on PG synthesis pathway, oocyte meiosis, and several other processes consistent with physiological roles of PGs. Transcriptomic data were congruent with PG data; IN-reduced plasma PG F2α concentration, whereas IB and CX did not. Five putative AOPs were developed linking the assumed molecular initiating event of COX inhibition, with PG reduction and the adverse outcome of reproductive failure via reduction of: (1) ovulation, (2) reproductive behaviors mediated by exogenous or endogenous PGs, and (3) oocyte maturation in fish. These pathways were developed using, in part, empirical data from the present study and other publicly available data.
Safe Use of Acoustic Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potential Stimuli: Protocol and Patient-Specific Considerations.

BACKGROUND Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are commonly used clinical assessments for patients with complaints of dizziness. However, relatively high air-conducted stimuli are required to elicit the VEMP, and ultimately may compromise safe noise exposure limits. Recently, research has reported the potential for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) from VEMP stimulus exposure through studies of reduced otoacoustic emission levels after VEMP testing, as well as a recent case study showing permanent sensorineural hearing loss associated with VEMP exposure. PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to review the potential for hazardous noise exposure from VEMP stimuli and to suggest clinical parameters for safe VEMP testing. RESEARCH DESIGN Literature review with presentation of clinical guidelines and a clinical tool for estimating noise exposure. RESULTS The literature surrounding VEMP stimulus-induced hearing loss is reviewed, including several cases of overexposure. The article then presents a clinical calculation tool for the estimation of a patient's safe noise exposure from VEMP stimuli, considering stimulus parameters, and includes a discussion of how varying stimulus parameters affect a patient's noise exposure. Finally, recommendations are provided for recognizing and managing specific patient populations who may be at higher risk for NIHL from VEMP stimulus exposure. A sample protocol is provided that allows for safe noise exposure. CONCLUSIONS VEMP stimuli have the potential to cause NIHL due to high sound exposure levels. However, with proper safety protocols in place, clinicians may reduce or eliminate this risk to their patients. Use of the tools provided, including the noise exposure calculation tool and sample protocols, may help clinicians to understand and ensure safe use of VEMP stimuli.
Role of Anatomic Pathology in Skeletal Evaluations: Applying INHAND Diagnostic Criteria

In animal studies, light microscopic examination remains an important tool in the detection and characterization of effects on the skeleton. In the case of both anticipated and unanticipated effects on bone histology, pathologists must carefully select terminology that accurately conveys skeletal morphology without overstating what information can be derived from a standard decalcified paraffin-embedded section. The International Harmonization of Nomenclature and Diagnostic Criteria (INHAND) project issued standardized nomenclature for toxicologic pathologists to use with respect to the skeleton. Consistent with general INHAND principles, the nomenclature emphasizes a descriptive approach to classifying lesions, rather than using terms that imply a specific pathogenesis or disease process. This article, which is based on a presentation at the Society of Toxicologic Pathology's 36th Annual Symposium, will discuss the role of anatomic pathology evaluation in the context of skeletal evaluation in toxicity studies. The integration of anatomic pathology data with quantitative bone end points is reviewed. An overview of the INHAND diagnostic scheme is provided and accompanied by case examples in which the INHAND terminology has been applied. In addition, this review summarizes key considerations for toxicologists and pathologists assigning adversity designations when considering bone end points.
ELASTIC CLOUD COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE AND SYSTEM FOR HETEROGENEOUS SPATIOTEMPORAL COMPUTING

Abstract. Spatiotemporal computation implements a variety of different algorithms. When big data are involved, desktop computer or standalone application may not be able to complete the computation task due to limited memory and computing power. Now that a variety of hardware accelerators and computing platforms are available to improve the performance of geocomputation, different algorithms may have different behavior on different computing infrastructure and platforms. Some are perfect for implementation on a cluster of graphics processing units (GPUs), while GPUs may not be useful on certain kind of spatiotemporal computation. This is the same situation in utilizing a cluster of Intel's many-integrated-core (MIC) or Xeon Phi, as well as Hadoop or Spark platforms, to handle big spatiotemporal data. Furthermore, considering the energy efficiency requirement in general computation, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) may be a better solution for better energy efficiency when the performance of computation could be similar or better than GPUs and MICs. It is expected that an elastic cloud computing architecture and system that integrates all of GPUs, MICs, and FPGAs could be developed and deployed to support spatiotemporal computing over heterogeneous data types and computational problems.
Intuity Elite Valve Implantation Technique

With the advent of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (AVR) and expanding treatment populations, there has been significant impetus to innovate the standard surgical AVR, particularly through minimally invasive approaches. Minimal invasive surgical aortic valve replacement (MIS AVR) is associated with improved cosmesis, decreased bleeding, reduced ventilation times, shorter intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay, and improved early and long-term survival when compared with conventional full sternotomy AVR. However, MIS AVR is also associated with prolonged aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times, reflecting the increased technical complexity of these operations. Using knowledge gained from the transcatheter experience, several rapid deployment and sutureless aortic valves have been developed to facilitate minimally invasive approaches and reduce operative times. These devices have been employed for several years in Europe and have recently achieved regulatory approval in the United States. Rapid deployment and sutureless valves have been associated with significantly reduced cardiopulmonary bypass times, excellent hemodynamics, and acceptable rates of pacemaker implantation and paravalvular leak. Herein, we discuss the technical details for MIS AVR using the Intuity Elite rapid deployment valve system (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA).
Modulating optically active signals in a chiral metamaterial with varied input intensities

Here we report an optical metamaterial with tailored chiroptical effects in the nonlinear regime, which exhibits a pronounced shift in its circular dichroism spectrum under a modest level of excitation power. Strong nonlinear optical rotation is observed at key spectral locations.
Gene expression profiling to predict platinum-sensitivity in ovarian cancer.

2248 Objective: Gene expression profiling by cDNA microarrray can be used to accurately predict response to combination chemotherapy. We hypothesize that the profile of primary ovarian cancer will outperform all currently used clinical parameters in predicting disease outcome and identify those patients most likely to benefit from consolidation treatment. Methods : Twelve fresh-frozen epithelial ovarian cancer specimens obtained at primary surgical debulking were studied. All were advanced-stage, high grade and papillary serous histology. Postoperatively, patients received platinum-based chemotherapy and clinical outcome data was prospectively entered into a database. Those women with clinically-evident disease progression during primary chemotherapy or recurrence 6 months were considered “platinum-sensitive”. Five normal controls from patients undergoing surgery for benign reasons were analyzed for comparison. 5-10 μg of total RNA was isolated from all 17 cases, and the quality was confirmed by the Aligent 2100 Bioanalyzer. Each sample was profiled for mRNA expression levels of > 22,000 unique genes using the Affymetrix HG U133A Gene Chip. Array data was imported into MATRIX 1.23.1 and Gene Spring to identify over- and underexpressed genes in each group. Additional cases are being studied and will be presented. Class prediction profiles for platinum-sensitivity and platinum-resistance will then be determined by dividing tumors into “training” and “test” sets and cross-validated by the leave-one-out method. Results: Five platinum-sensitive and seven platinum-resistant ovarian cancers were compared to five normal controls. 633 genes were up-regulated at least 2 fold in the platinum-resistant group compared to the two other groups, and 83 of these showed at least a >4 fold difference (i.e. endomucin-2 (11 fold), Calpain 3 (8 fold), IGF-1 (8 fold)). 652 genes were down-regulated at least 2 fold. Sample clustering correlated well within each subset. Conclusion: Our preliminary findings suggest that gene expression profiling has the potential to predict platinum-sensitivity in ovarian cancer. This strategy has the potential to identify those patients most likely to benefit from novel or consolidation therapy. It also allows identification of possible targets to direct future novel therapy.
Lymphoproliferative Diseases and Kaposi’s Sarcoma in Homosexual Males

On July 3, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia reported ten cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and 22 cases of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) in previously healthy young homosexual men (1). A syndrome of acquired immunodeficiency (AIDS) underlies the appearance of these often fatal illnesses in this subpopulation of male homosexuals (2–9). The problem has reached epidemic proportions with 1.2 new cases being reported to the CDC daily. More men have died as a consequence of this syndrome than the combined total of all deaths from toxic shock syndrome and the initial outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease. With the recognition of AIDS in heterosexual patients predominantly intravenous drug abusers, Haitian nationals and refugees, and a few hemophiliacs (10,11) — investigations to define the etiology of the underlying immune dysfunction have been intensified. Clustering of cases in the homosexual community has implied a transmissible agent is responsible for AIDS (12). A viral etiology seems most plausible. The possibility of an underlying genetic predisposition to aberrant handling of a common viral infection is reminiscent of the model of Purtilo’s X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (13–16).