cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The NAFTA Preference and US‐Mexico Trade: Aggregate‐Level Analysis

This paper focuses on the US tariff preference afforded to Mexico relative to non-NAFTA trading partners and evaluates the trade effects of NAFTA in a manner consistent with the idea behind a preferential trading agreement. The estimation technique exploits the time-varying dimension of the tariff preference over 1989 to 2001. This is important because the tariff preference for Mexico into the United States market existed prior to NAFTA. Further, the NAFTA preference was phased in over time. We find that a higher US tariff preference for Mexico corresponds to increased US import demand for Mexican goods, and that a higher Mexican tariff preference for the United States corresponds to increased Mexican demand for US exports. Interestingly, import demand was more responsive to changes in the tariff preference once NAFTA was in place than it was on average.
On-Chip Optical and Analog Processing in 180nm CMOS for Holography

Digital holography generally requires multiple measurements or complex post-processing, precise optical setups, and can suffer from aliasing and high noise. In this work we present a theoretical approach for a novel sensor and a complementary off-axis optical setup, which can perform wide-field capture in a single shot with less aliasing than conventional off-axis methods. By exploiting on-chip optical and analog processing enabled by advances in chip fabrication we are able to reduce the number of measurements required, and boost the signal-to-noise ratio. Using upper metal layers of the integrated circuit, we create gratings that block or pass light at 0, π/2, π, and 3π/2 radians of phase interference, converting phase information in the light field to intensity. In the analog circuitry of the sensor, we incorporate differential readout and feedback techniques to improve SNR. We simulate reconstructions demonstrating x-y spatial reconstruction at the size of the pixel (15µm × 15µm), and compare this to two fundamental approaches – phase-stepped and off-axis holography.
Methodology for Hazard Identification and Mitigation Strategies Applied to an Overtaking Assistant ADAS

We propose a methodology for analyzing the hazards and potential mitigation of faults and failures in an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) which is applicable to individual systems and subsystems of a larger automated vehicle implementation. To illustrate the methodology, we outline the structure of an notional overtaking assistant, considering that the system would not only need internal sensors such as global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers, map data, and other motion and localization sensors and external sensors such as radars, lidars, and vision systems but also access to cooperative positioning information through a wireless connected vehicular network in order to identify the location of oncoming traffic. Then, we perform the hazard analysis of this subsystem utilizing a combination of methods. For the vehicle level hazard analysis we use Hazard Operability Study (HAZOP) and the first step of System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), and for the overall safety analysis we use Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and the second step of STPA. An overtaking assistant for automated vehicles is considered a type of Advanced Driver Assistant System (ADAS) that assists a partially or fully automated vehicle with an overtaking maneuver consisting of acceleration and steering control during a double lane change. Crash data indicates that although only 19% of the US population inhabits rural zones, 54% of the vehicular crashes happen on rural roads [1], with a high number of those events occurring during an overtaking maneuver on two-lane rural roads. While such an overtaking assistant would help to minimize these collision events, no commercial product is yet available due in part to the challenge of defining what constitutes safe navigation in these systems. The analysis performed on the system is presented and is proposed for use as a general methodology to analyze hazards in any ADAS system or subsystem. The summary of the analysis results provided here include a list of hazards and mitigation strategies for the proposed two-lane rural road scenario.
When you can't keep the goal in mind The rehabilitation of executive disorders: A guide to theory and practice. Michael Oddy & Andrew Worthington (Eds.) 2009.

Executive functions typically involve a cluster of behaviors, including initiation, planning, and monitoring goal-directed behavior. Executive functions, along with interest in the frontal lobes, h...
Tracer uptake by photoreceptor synaptic terminals: I. Dark-mediated effects

This electron microscope study examines the sites of uptake and subsequent redistribution of the extracellularly applied tracer, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), in photoreceptor synaptic terminals during dark adaptation. First, chicks are sacrificed by perfusion fixation at various intervals after the addition of tracer to in situ eyecups. It is demonstrated that when terminals contain only one tracer-labeled organelle, this may be either a synaptic or a coated vesicle. At later times vacuoles in terminals become labeled. Some of these are seen as involutions of terminal membrane and some are observed in the cell body. Therefore, it seems likely that some involutions of terminal membrane pinch off and are transported retrogradely. Second, chicks are given intraocular injections of HRP at various intervals in a 12-hr dark period and sacrificed 1 hr later. Terminals of chicks sacrificed at 1 hr into the dark period contain predominantly tracer-labled synaptic vesicles and vacuoles, whereas terminals of chicks sacrificed at 3 hr into the dark period contain tracer-labeled coated vesicles also. Diverticular membrane, thought to be the result of synaptic vesicle fusion and coalescence with the presynaptic membrane, waxes during the first hour of darkness and then wanes over a period of several hours ( N. Cooper and B. McLaughlin, 1982 , J. Ultrastruc. Res. 79, 58–73). These observations, together with those presented here, suggest that not all synaptic vesicles coalesce to form the diverticular membrane and that during the waxing stage, some synaptic vesicles are recycled rapidly without passing through a coated vesicle intermediate stage. This is discussed in the context of current models of localized synaptic vesicle membrane recycling.
Adaptive Inferential Control for Chemical Processes with Limited Measurement Problems

An adaptive procedure is incorporated in the inferential control system which has been developed to address the limited measurement problem in the presence of unmeasured disturbances. A stable approximation to the inverse of a primary process model forms the basis of the inferential control law. The use of the adaptive inferential controller based on a discrete convolution model is examined and compared with one based on a discrete transfer function model. Simulation results show that the proposed adaptive inferential control system performs well and provides improvements over conventional PID and inferential control in the face of unmeasured load changes and process variations.
Globalization and Global Justice: Shrinking Distance, Expanding Obligations

Part I: Introduction: globalization and global justice 1. The human rights argument 2. The coercive global institutional system 3. Legitimacy and global justice Part II: Introduction to Part II: seeing the water for the sea 4. Libertarian obligations to the poor? 5. Empirical evidence and the case for foreign aid 6. Free trade and poverty 7. Making free trade fair Conclusion: expanding obligations.
Analysis of outer membrane ultrastructure of pathogenic Treponema and Borrelia species by freeze-fracture electron microscopy.

We analyzed the outer membrane (OM) ultrastructure of four pathogenic members of the family Spirochaetaceae by freeze fracture. The OM of Treponema pallidum subsp. pertenue contained a low intramembranous particle concentration, indicating that it contains few OM transmembrane proteins. The concave OM fracture faces of Treponema hyodysenteriae and Borrelia burgdorferi contained dense populations of particles, typical of gram-negative organisms. A relatively low concentration of particles which were evenly divided between a small and a large species was present in the concave OM fracture face of Borrelia hermsii; the convex OM fracture face contained only small particles. As for gram-negative bacteria, the convex OM fracture face particle concentrations of these pathogens were low. These spirochetes cleaved preferentially within the OM, in contrast to typical gram-negative bacteria, which tend to fracture within the inner membrane. The OM ultrastructure of T. pallidum subsp. pertenue provides an explanation for the lack of antigenicity of the treponemal surface and may reflect a mechanism by which this pathogen evades the host immune response. Images
An old approach for new investigations in the IBA symmetry triangle

Recibido el 1 de febrero de 2006; aceptado el 30 de marzo de 2006Motivated by the success of the X(5) critical point model in describing the properties of certain rare-earth nuclei, IBA-1 calculations areperformed for rare-earth isotopic chains. Contours of basic observables are discussed and used to extract parameter values. The propertiesof all low-lying positive parity excitations are well described for a wide range of nuclei and the resulting parameters are mapped intothe IBA symmetry triangle. The simple, two parameter IBA-1 calculations are also extended to the Pt isotopic chain. Both energies andelectromagnetic transition strengths are are found to be well described over the entire isotopic chain suggesting these nuclei can be describedmore simply without the need for introducing an intruder conﬁguration.
Estimating Prevalence and Severity of Caries in the Mixed Dentition: a Comparison of Two Screening Protocols

Objective: Most oral health surveys examine and record data on individual teeth or surfaces (STD), providing valid estimates of caries prevalence and severity. Simplified screening protocols based on assessments at the person level (Stop-After-First-Encounter—SAFE) have been validated for assessment of prevalence. We developed an alternative protocol (SENTINEL), which examined the 12 teeth at highest risk for caries and compared how it performed to SAFE and STD for surveillance and evaluation. Methods: We used data from the Third National Health Nutrition and Examination Survey for children aged 8 to 12 years to analyze the feasibility of assigning STD estimates of severity to children designated by SAFE as having caries. SENTINEL was tested for accuracy of estimating prevalence and severity against STD. In addition, we used subsampling to test the frequency with which SAFE and SENTINEL agreed with STD in identifying the highest risk population. Finally, we compared the mean number of teeth and the recorded data elements for each protocol. Results: Assigning national estimates of severity to SAFE provided inaccurate estimates. SENTINEL agreed with STD in identifying the survey group with the highest severity more frequently than did SAFE (96 percent vs 74 percent). SAFE on average examined nine more teeth than SENTINEL. Conclusions: Both SAFE and SENTINEL could serve as surveillance tools, depending on the system's purpose/objectives. However, it is unlikely that SAFE would provide adequate information to evaluate sealant programs.
Absolute radical density measurements in a CH4H2 d.c. discharge

Abstract A highly sensitive multi-element optical absorption technique is used to measure the absolute column density of both CH 3 and CH radicals in a d.c. hollow cathode plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system with CH 4 and H 2 used as the input gases. The plasma gas temperature is determined at different spatial points using the H 2 emission spectrum. The temperature and radical density spatial maps provide clues to the chemical processes taking place in the discharge. CH 3 and CH radical density measurements made in a hot-filament CVD system are compared with those made in the d.c. discharge CVD system.
Immunization with temperature-sensitive mutants of Salmonella typhi induces protection in mice.

Abstract Temperature-sensitive (TS) mutants of Salmonella typhi were isolated following mutagenesis with nitrosoguanidine and two cycles of enrichment with penicillin and d -cycloserine. Several of the TS mutants were characterized with respect to growth profiles at permissive (29°C) and non-permissive (36°C) temperatures, reversion rates, and the potential for inducing protection against challenge in an animal model. All three TS mutants tested were immunogenic in mice; antibodies measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were produced following intraperitoneal (i.p.) immunization with three different doses of each of the mutants; i.p. immunization with the same mutants also induced highly significant protection (100%) from i.p. wild-type challenge; and oral immunization with one of the mutants significantly reduced shedding of the wild-type following oral challenge.
We have never not been inhuman

This essay uses a reading of an emblem of Fortuna from George Wither's Collection of Emblemes (1635) to challenge one interpretation of Western modernity: the notion that a mathematicized theory of nature involved an unprecedented inclusion of limit cases – counterfactual or impossible states of affairs – into accounts of the real behavior of bodies. Instead of viewing the arrival of such mathematical limit cases as the beginning of a worldview that embraced the inhuman, the essay argues that pre-modern texts and cultural forms also made use of known impossibilities in the form of visual or narrative abstractions: these too were limit cases of actual experiences (rather than pure impossibilities), thus, we have never not been inhuman.
Age-related changes in aortic and mitral valve thickness: implications for two-dimensional echocardiography based on an autopsy study of 200 normal human hearts

The thicknesses at 3 sites of each aortic cusp (nodule, closing edge and middle part) and 2 sites of both mitral leaflets (closing edge and clear zone) were measured in 200 autopsy specimens of normal hearts, evenly distributed by age and sex. There were no significant correlations between valvular thickness and height, weight, heart weight or body surface area. The mean thickness at each site was not different between men and women but increased significantly with age (p less than 0.001). For 3 age groups (less than 20, 20 to 59 and greater than or equal to 60 years), the corresponding mean thicknesses (mm) of the aortic nodule were 0.67, 0.87 and 1.42; those for the anterior mitral leaflet were 1.30, 1.60 and 3.20; and those for the posterior mitral leaflet were 0.91, 1.13 and 2.04. For the aortic valve, the nodule was nearly twice as thick as the closing edge (p less than 0.001), and the closing edge was at least 25% thicker than the middle part (p less than 0.001). Furthermore, the posterior aortic cusp was thicker than the right and left cusps (p less than 0.05). For both mitral leaflets, the closing edge was thicker than the clear zone (p less than 0.05). Moreover, along the closing edges, the anterior leaflet was thicker than the posterior leaflet (p less than 0.05). These observations may be useful in echocardiographic evaluations of aortic and mitral valve sclerosis in elderly patients.
Prevalence of Treatment, Risk Factors, and Management of Atrial Septal Defects in a Pediatric Medicaid Cohort

Atrial septal defects (ASDs) vary greatly depending on their size, age at closure, and clinical management. This report characterizes the prevalence, complexity, and clinical management of these lesions in a statewide pediatric cohort and examines predictors for receiving closures. A 15-year Medicaid data set (1996-2010) from one state was analyzed. The selection criteria specified patients 17 years of age or younger with a diagnosis of ASD primum, secundum, or sinus venosus on one or more service visits to a pediatrician or pediatric cardiologist. During the 15-year period, ASDs represented a prevalence rate for treatment of 0.47/1000 CHDs identified, with 61 % presenting as complex lesions. Concomitant cardiac anomalies that might have a negative impact on prognosis were present including patent ductus arteriosus (26.1 %), pulmonary hypertension (3.8 %), and supraventricular tachycardia (2.4 %). Pharmacologic treatments, predominantly diuretics, were prescribed for 21 % of the cohort. Both surgical closures (6.3 %) and transcatheter closures (1.4 %) were used for ASD secundum cases, whereas surgical closures predominated for ASD primum (25.6 %) and sinus venosus (13.5 %) lesions. The postoperative follow-up period was two to three times longer for children with ASD primum or sinus venosus than for those with ASD secundum (average, ~1 year). Factors predicting the likelihood of having ASD closure were older age, having a concomitant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) repair, treatment with ibuprofen, having two or more concomitant CHDs, and receiving diuretics or preload/afterload-reducing agents. Care of ASDs in routine practice settings involves more complications and appears to be more conservative than portrayed in previous investigations of isolated ASDs.
Signatures of neutral currents and heavy leptons in weak inelastic processes

The signatures of various neutrino-induced inelastic reactions are theoretically analyzed. With the aim of differentiating "muonless" reactions which proceed via neutral currents from those via an intermediate heavy lepton, we derive the expressions for their differential cross sections, including all polarization effects due to the heavy lepton. Similarly, reactions involving charged leptons in the final state are also discussed. A simple parameterization for the hadronic structure functions is used for a numerical comparison of various differential spectra. For the hadronic decay channels of the heavy lepton the vertex is phenomenologically related to ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{hadrons}$ and the observed constancy of the cross section for the latter process is incorporated. Finally, expressions for the differential spectra in the limit of vanishing transverse momenta of the final lepton or hadron state are related to the total production cross section of heavy leptons, and characteristic difference in such spectra for reactions with and without heavy leptons is pointed out and explained on the basis of a simple theorem on the decay of polarized spin-\textonehalf{} particles via a general ($aV+bA$) leptonic current.
Acute traumatic intraparenchymal hemorrhage: risk factors for progression in the early post-injury period.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the natural course of traumatic intraparenchymal contusions and hematomas (IPHs) and to identify risk factors for IPH progression in the acute post-injury period. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed on a prospective observational database containing 113 head trauma patients exhibiting 229 initially nonoperated acute IPHs. The main outcome variable was radiographic evidence of IPH progression on serially obtained head computed tomographic (CT) scans. Secondary outcomes included the actual amount of IPH growth and later surgical evacuation. Univariate and multivariate analyses (using a generalized estimate equation) were applied to both demographic and initial radiographic features to identify risk factors for IPH progression and surgery. RESULTS Overall, 10 IPHs (4%) shrank, 133 (58%) remained unchanged, and 86 (38%) grew between the first and second head CT scan. IPH progression was independently associated with the presence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-2.3), presence of a subdural hematoma (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.1-3.43), and initial size (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.21, for each cm volume). Size of initial IPH proportionately correlated with the amount of subsequent growth (linear regression, P < 0.001). Worsened Glasgow Coma Score between initial and follow-up head CT scan (OR, 8.6; 95% CI, 1.5-50), IPH growth greater than 5 cm (OR, 7.3; 95% CI, 1.6-34), and effacement of basal cisterns on initial CT scan (OR, 9.0; 95% CI, 1.5-52) were strongly associated with late surgical evacuation. CONCLUSION A large proportion of IPHs progress in the acute post-injury period. IPHs associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage, a subdural hematoma, or large initial size should be monitored carefully for progression with repeat head CT imaging. Effacement of cisterns on the initial head CT scan was strongly predictive of failure of nonoperative management, thereby leading to surgical evacuation. These findings should be important factors in the understanding and management of IPH.
Diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system involvement in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

The diagnosis of lymphoma of the central nervous system (CNS) has been facilitated by advances in neuroimaging and laboratory analysis of cerebrospinal fluid. The most common form of central nervous system CNS involvement in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is leptomeningeal disease. After a diagnosis is established, the use of intrathecal or systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy can improve survival and palliate symptoms. High-dose systemic chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an important treatment option at central nervous system relapse of NHL and for primary CNS lymphoma. The prognosis for disease-free survival and cure is better for patients who have treatment of CNS disease before transplantation than for patients who have active central nervous system disease at the time of transplant.
Structure‐Activity Models for Molar Refraction of Alkylsilanes Based on Molecular Connectivity

Structure-activity models are established using molecular connectivity indexes for the molar refraction of 115 alkylsilanes containing 10 monoalkyl-, 14 dialkyl-, 32 trialkyl-and 59 tetraalkylsilanes. In the model based only on 1χ, r = 0.997, s = 1.47, F = 20367. For the two indexes, 1χ and 2χv, r = 0.9987, s = 1.020 and for the three-variable model based on 0χv, 1χ and 2χv, r = 0.9994, s = 0.664. The quality of these models, based on the Kier-Hall valence delta formalism, suggests the adequacy of that formalism in encoding the atomic characteristics of silicon in this data set. As a further test of the formalism, a mixed data set of 46 alkylsilanes, 46 alkanes and 41 chloroalkanes was investigated. For the same three indexes, 0χv, 1χ and 2χv, r = 0.9996, s = 0.369. To reduce the intercorrelation between the two low order chi indexes, a linear transformation of these variables is introduced. The sum of a simple and valence index is used in place of the indexes themselves. The quality of the correlations is essentially the same using these sum variables. These results are compared to a proposed empirical modification of the valence delta for alkylsilanes.
A question of truth

In A Certain Ambiguity, Gaurav Suri and Hartosh Singh Bal use the thriller genre to take the reader on a journey through the history of mathematics, from Pythagoras, via non-Euclidean geometry to relativity. Nature's reviewer, Katherine Korner, seems to have enjoyed it. Though the token female's role as 'love interest' grates.
Generating strange interactions in particle suspensions

When a soft magnetic particle suspension is subjected to a vertical uniaxial magnetic field the particles polarize, the positive dipolar interactions causing particle chain formation. If instead an audio-frequency rotating magnetic field is applied in a horizontal plane, the particles experience an average interaction that to first order is a negative dipolar interaction, causing particle sheet formation in the biaxial field plane. When a vertical unaixial field and a horizontal biaxial field are simultaneously applied with the field amplitudes balanced, the positive and negative dipolar interactions cancel to first order, and one might expect no dipolar interactions at all. But in this balanced triaxial field an isotropic second-order dipolar interaction of surprising magnitude remains. This classical triaxial interaction can be attractive or repulsive, and exhibits strong many-body interactions that lead to a variety of unexpected effects, including stable clusters with molecular geometries, the emergence of a particle foam, and the production of vortices in the fluid. By manipulating the triaxial field, a variety of particle structures can be made that cannot be produced by any other known means.
The narrative of desire: Boccaccio and the French Decamerons of the 15th and 16th centuries

Analyse de la representation du desir a travers le Decameron, Cents Nouvelles Nouvelles et L'Heptameron
Anatomy and Physiology of the Right Ventricle

Under normal baseline conditions the unique anatomy, myocardial ultrastructure, and coronary physiology of the right ventricle (RV) reflect a high-volume low-pressure pump. Early work described the RV as a passive conduit with minimal pumping capability. It is now appreciated that through a mechanism of ventricular interdependence, RV systolic function and diastolic load are extremely important in the prognosis and treatment of congestive heart failure, cardiac transplantation, pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease, and left ventricle assist devices. Magnetic resonance imaging with three-dimensional analysis has shown the complex geometry of the RV and the interaction of both ventricles within the pericardium.
Simulation evaluation of three models for correlated binary data with covariates specific to each binary observation

Binary data from human reproductive studies occur naturally in clusters and often exhibit strong intracluster correlation which results in overdispersion. Although several methods for analyzing clustered data, particularly those with covariates specific to each binary outcome, have been proposed recently, the properties of many of these models have not been rigorously evaluated in simulation studies, nor have they been compared amongst each other. In this paper, three such models which are applicable to the analysis of spontaneous abortions in humans are evaluated. In all three cases, the maximum likelihood estimates of effect are biased. In addition, naive logistic regression to the whole data set of simulated pregnancy outcomes, ignoring intracluster correlation, is shown to be biased toward the null in the presence of an effect.
Sex differences in the familial transmission of mood disorders.

Abstract Background Mood disorders exhibit familial transmission due to both environmental and genetic risk factors. Mood disorders are more common in women, yet the role of gender in the familial transmission of mood disorders is unclear. This study examines rates of mood disorder transmission to offspring based on the sex of affected parent, sex of offspring and role of clinical factors, such as childhood abuse history, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and traits of aggression and impulsivity. Methods Risk of transmission of mood disorder to offspring from females and males was compared in a sample of 272 probands with a major mood disorder using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Demographic and clinical characteristics of all male and female probands were compared. Characteristics that differed in probands were entered into the model to obtain an unbiased test of gender differences in transmission rate. Multivariate GEE models, one for male probands and one for female probands, were used to test for risk factors in transmission of mood disorder. Results Familial transmission rate of mood disorders from female probands was almost double that of males. There was no difference in transmission to male or female offspring. For male probands, offspring mood disorder was independently associated with earlier age of proband mood disorder onset, greater number of proband years ill, and proband history of childhood abuse. For female probands, offspring mood disorder was associated with higher aggression scores in probands. Limitations We did not directly interview offspring and also had limited data on psychopathology in co-parents. This is a cross-sectional study and cannot account for emergence of illness in offspring in the future. Conclusions The two-fold higher rate of maternal transmission of mood disorder may reflect differences in regulation of maternal and paternal transmission of mood disorder. Future studies need to determine the relative contribution of genetic and non-genetic factors and identify the factors responsible for higher rates of transmission of mood disorders by females with a mood disorder.
Broadband arrayed waveguide gratings on InP

Broadband arrayed waveguide gratings on InP are presented using a novel S-shape design. This design was utilized to accommodate the large free spectral range required for broadband operation. Four and eight channel AWGs with a wavelength channel spacing of 18 nm are discussed. The output peaks of the AWGs have a wide FWHM of 11 nm which provides insensitive operation to polarization, temperature fluctuations, and chromatic dispersion.
Flexible dv/dt and di/dt control method for insulated gate power switches

Active gate control techniques are introduced in this paper for flexibly and independently controlling the dv/dt and di/dt of insulated gate power devices during hard-switching events. In the case of dv/dt control, the output voltage dv/dt can be controlled over a wide range by electronically adjusting the effective gate-to-drain (-collector) capacitance (i.e., Miller capacitance). For di/dt control, similar techniques are applied for electronically adjusting the output current di/dt over a wide range using voltage feedback from a small inductor connected in series with the switch's source (emitter) terminal. Both techniques are designed to maximize their compatibility with power module implementations that combine the power switch and its gate drive, including integrated circuit gate drives. Simulation and experimental results are included to verify the desirable performance characteristics of the presented dv/dt and di/dt control techniques.
CarbonRecorder: A Mobile-Social Vehicular Carbon Emission Tracking Application Suite

Excessive Green House Gas emission and high fuel consumption from vehicles has become not only an environmental but also an economic issue. This work demonstrates CarbonRecorder, a mobile-social application suite that is designed to enable individuals to track their daily vehicular carbon emission, and share them on social networks. It is intended to not only raise social awareness of vehicular carbon emission and encourage more efficient driving behavior, but also serve as a platform for data collection for research in vehicular traffic management, carbon emission, and user behavior analysis in social network based applications.
Rhabdomyoma of the eyelid

In a man of sixty-six years, a swelling of the lower lid had been treated with some kind of caustic by the family physician. The growth was lumpy, firm but not hard, and the lower lid was drawn down, exposing the conjunctiva. Microscopically the excised tumor consisted of a subepithelial thick layer of dense connective tissue, with deeper layers of striated muscle fibers separated by dense masses of connective tissue. In the fibrous tissue there were many groups of lymphocytes and plasma cells, mostly around capillaries. From the eye clinic of Washington University dispensary.
Effect of unit and operatory lights on the consistency of light-activated composites.

Abstract The extent to which the flow of composite resin is reduced when exposed to dental lights was studied. Samples were exposed to operating lights of various intensities for varying periods of time. After exposure each sample was placed under a fixed load and the resulting average diameter was calculated. Data from the testing of samples exposed to dental lights were analyzed by a two-way analysis of variance with subsequent Tukey multiple comparison test. Diameter comparisons were significant (p
Sparse MIMO radar with phase mismatch

In this paper we propose a sparse model to accurately estimate target locations in a distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system with phase mismatches at transmitters and receivers. We formulate the localization problem based on maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation. To reduce the effect of phase mismatches we develop a novel alternating minimization approach based on sparse signal recovery and structured matrix perturbation. Using numerical simulations, we show that our algorithms significantly improve the performance of the distributed MIMO radar system.
2×2 Suspended Silica Splitter on Silicon

We have successfully fabricated a novel suspended silica splitter with two input and output ports on a silicon substrate. The splitter was shown to be able to split power evenly with low crosstalk.
Leptin upregulates caveolin-1 expression: implications for development of atherosclerosis.

Objective To determine the role of hyperleptinemia on caveolin-1 expression and leptin signaling.
PO-0141 Overview On The Physiology Of Longitudinal Intestinal Lengthening And Tailoring In Short Bowel Syndrome

Background Multidisciplinary treatment of short bowel syndrome (SBS) has been a success story for paediatric surgery. Longitudinal intestinal lengthening and tailoring (LILT) is the archetypal autologous gastrointestinal reconstruction procedure, but despite it being performed routinely in intestinal rehabilitation departments, the physiological basis behind it is poorly understood. We attempt to analyse the features that improve intestinal adaptation and offer a LILT theoretical model. Methods Based on our clinical experience on 59 LILT procedures over 30 years, we set up a concise theoretical model that describes post-LILT bowel adaptation in a holistic way. Results Intestinal adaptation is affected by many factors, including remaining bowel length, the presence of the ileocaecal valve and colon, underlying disease process, nutritional status, hepatobiliary function, and bacterial flora. Lengthening techniques do not affect the absorptive surface, although changes in the microvilli have been observed in animal models. Dilated dysmotile intestinal segments benefit from tapering because reduction in the intestinal lumen calibre allows better peristalsis, as demonstrated by improvements in intestinal transit time. Tapering also helps prevention of stasis and subsequently reduction of bacterial overgrowth. Additionally, reduction in bowel diameter decreases the volume to surface ratio, theoretically allowing for more effective contact of the chime with the absorptive surface. Conclusions LILT has become an essential component in the management of SBS. The physiological principles described above provide a theoretical basis that explains the absorptive advantage offered by the LILT. Further research is necessary to quantify the effect of these procedures on the microscopic and hormonal levels.
Multiple-electrode radiofrequency ablation creates confluent areas of necrosis: in vivo porcine liver results.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate, in vivo in pigs, an impedance-based multiple-electrode radiofrequency (RF) ablation system for creation of confluent areas of hepatic coagulation. Materials and Methods: The study was preapproved by the institutional research animal care and use committee. A prototype multiple-electrode RF system that enables switching between three electrically independent electrodes at impedance spikes was created. Forty-two coagulation zones (18 with single, 12 with cluster, and 12 with multiple [three single electrodes spaced 2 cm apart] electrodes) were created at laparotomy in 15 female pigs. Half the ablations were performed for 12 minutes, and half were performed for 16 minutes. The coagulation zones were excised and sliced into approximately 3-mm sections for measurement. Analysis of variance and two-sample t tests (with Bonferroni correction, α = .0033) were used to assess for differences between groups. Results: At 12 minutes, the mean multiple-electrode coagulation was signi...
Individual and Situational Factors That Influence Managers' Ethical Judgments: A Comment

The author provides a few comments on the results presented by Bass and Hebert (1995) in a study of marketing managers' responses to an ethical scenario.
“Learned Helplessness,” “Learned Hopefulness,” and “Learned Obsessiveness”: Effects of Varying. Contingencies on Escape Responding

Two types of outcome appearing in most research on learned helplessness were studied. Subjects performing under an extinction, i.e., non-occurring, programmed outcome evidenced “learned helplessness.” Contrary to learned helplessness theory, however, most subjects given response-independent outcomes developed superstitious behavior and reported perceived control of events. Subjects in a third group whose responses were reinforced during a 50-trial “training” phase showed response “excesses” during 10 subsequent “test” trials. These results have important implications for the theory of learned helplessness and the relevance of laboratory phenomena to human behavioral disorders.
Prediction of common folding structures of homologous RNAs

We have developed an algorithm and a computer program for simultaneously folding homologous RNA sequences. Given an alignment of M homologous sequences of length N, the program performs phylogenetic comparative analysis and predicts a common secondary structure conserved in the sequences. When the structure is not uniquely determined, it infers multiple structures which appear most plausible. This method is superior to energy minimization methods in the sense that it is not sensitive to point mutation of a sequence. It is also superior to usual phylogenetic comparative methods in that it does not require manual scrutiny for covariation or secondary structures. The most plausible 1-5 structures are produced in O(MN2 + N3) time and O(N2) space, which are the same requirements as those of widely used dynamic programs based on energy minimization for folding a single sequence. This is the first algorithm probably practical both in terms of time and space for finding secondary structures of homologous RNA sequences. The algorithm has been implemented in C on a Sun SparcStation, and has been verified by testing on tRNAs, 5S rRNAs, 16S rRNAs, TAR RNAs of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and RRE RNAs of HIV-1. We have also applied the program to cis-acting packaging sequences of HIV-1, for which no generally accepted structures yet exist, and propose potentially stable structures. Simulation of the program with random sequences with the same base composition and the same degree of similarity as the above sequences shows that structures common to homologous sequences are very unlikely to occur by chance in random sequences.
Generalized transmission scheduling problem: Scheduling of nondiscriminatory transmission services in the mixed pool-bilateral systems

Nondiscriminatory transmission services are an essential requirement of open access and constitute a basic premise for the smooth functioning of competitive electricity markets. This requirement is particularly critical when there are bilateral transactions coexisting side-by-side with the centralized day-ahead electricity markets in which the so-called pool players participate as buyers and sellers. The nondiscriminatory allocation of transmission services to the pool players and the bilateral transactions is synonymous with the determination of the market outcomes and the provision of transmission services to the bilateral transactions. We propose the formulation of a generalized transmission scheduling problem (GTSP) to simultaneously accomplish this objective. The proposed GTSP formulation not only captures more appropriately the social welfare and market efficiency loss, but also results in more efficient market outcomes than the conventional transmission scheduling problem (TSP) formulations in the presence of transmission congestion. In addition, the GTSP solutions determine more appropriate locational marginal prices (LMPs) and, consequently, LMP differences for computing the congestion charges and the payoffs for the financial transmission rights (FTR). We assess the capabilities of the proposed GTSP formulation and quantify the improvements over conventional TSP solutions. These improvements become particularly important as the load served by the bilateral transactions constitute an increasingly large portion of the total load in the system. We illustrate quantifiable benefits of the GTSP solutions on a wide range of systems including the IEEE 118-bus network. The representative numerical results in the paper provide persuasive support for the effectiveness of the proposed formulation and the superiority of its solutions over those of the conventional TSP.
A low-resolution structural model for cubic glucagon based on packing of cylinders

A model for the crystal structure of cubic glucagon (space group P213, a = 47·91A, n = 12) as seen at low resolution is proposed in the form of a packing of cylinders representing the molecules. The model is derived by study of the three-dimensional Patterson function, followed by trial-and-error refinement of the seven parameters of the structure, using the diffraction data for spacings ≥ 6 A. The criterion of refinement is that the discrepancy factor R should have a minimum at approximately the same values of the parameters when calculated for separate sets of data covering different ranges of interplanar spacings. The derived model agrees well with the diffraction data for spacings ≥ 8·5 A, and fails progressively with shorter spacings. The dimensions and packing distances of the cylinders in the derived model are compatible with the hypothesis that the glucagon molecules are α-helical in the crystal. The pattern of intermolecular contacts is described; each molecule forms two end-to-end and four lateral contacts with neighboring molecules.
Female Political Participation: A Cross-Cultural Explanation

In this paper I seek to understand societal-level mechanisms associated with gender-based inclusion and exclusion from political life. The analysis finds two conceptually and statistically independent forms of female political participation: involvement in decision making, and the existence of organizations and/or positions controlled by, or reserved for, women. A multivariate analysis of data from 90 preindustrial societies identifies social structural, psychocultural, and behavioral variables affecting female inclusion and exclusion, and their role in a theory of female political participation is discussed.
An efficient spatial publish/subscribe system for intelligent location-based services

The advance in wireless Internet and mobile computing brought the booming of intelligent Location-Based Services(LBS), which can actively push location-dependent information to mobile users according to their predefined interest. The successful development of push-based LBS applications relies on the existence of a publish/subscribe middleware that can handle spatial relationship. This paper presents an efficient spatial publish/subscribe system that can serve as the middleware for intelligent LBS applications. The basic models, including spatial event model, spatial subscription model and notification model, are introduced and the over-all architecture is presented. Two kinds of spatial predicate that can meet most common requirement of intelligent location aware applications are also discussed. Furthermore, we propose a novel spatial event processing approach that dispatches the spatial subscriptions to self-positioning mobile devices. By leveraging client-side computing resource and decreasing the communication times, the server-side workload is relieved and the communication cost is reduced. Experimental results clearly demonstrate the efficiency of our approach.
A comparison of secondary and tertiary amides as directors of ortho and adjacent benzylic lithiation and of asymmetric induction in ortho lithiated benzamides

Abstract Comparisons are made between the influence of secondary and tertiary amides on ortho and adjacent benzylic metallations of benzamides. In the intramolecular competition offered by N,N-diethyl-N-ethylterephthalamide (1) the tertiary amide is the more effective director of ortho lithiation, while the secondary amide is better in the intermolecular competitions offered by the pairs N-ethyl-(9): N,N-diethylbenzamide(10) and N-isopropyl-(11):N,N-diisopropylbenzamide(12). Both secondary and tertiary amides are found to direct metallation ortho to the amide in the 2-isopropylbenzamides 25 and 26; however, benzylic metallation is observed with secondary 2-ethyl- and 2-methylbenzamides 21 and 22 and with the tertiary 2-ethylbenzamide 19. Magnetic non-equivalence is noted for the anti-N-methylene group of 19. The reaction of an ortho lithio (S)-O-methyl-N-benzoylleucinol (34) with 1-naphthaldehyde-1-d gives, after lactonization, 3-(1-naphthyl-1-d)-phthalide with 10% enantiomeric excess. The phthalide can be obtained in high enantiomeric purity by separation of the diastereoisomers prior to cyclization. Control experiments establish that the observed asymmetric induction is attributable to diastereomeric transition states. The corresponding tertiary benzamide is ineffective in inducing asymmetry. Structural and mechanistic rationales are offered for these observations.
A note on chemiluminescence in low-pressure hydrogen and methane-nitrous oxide flames

Abstract Absolute OH(A) and CH(A) concentrations were determined in low-pressure H 2 –air and CH 4 –N 2 O flames, respectively, by measuring absolute chemiluminescence yields at 310 and 430 nm. From spatial profiles and intensities in these and other flames, we deduce that two reactions are responsible in each case, and derive rate constants for all.
Measurement of Freely Dissolved PAH Concentrations in Sediment Beds Using Passive Sampling with Low-Density Polyethylene Strips

To assess hydrophobic organic chemical (HOC) contamination in sediments, a method was developed using polyethylene (PE) passive samplers inserted directly in the intact sediment beds to measure freely dissolved HOC concentrations. Performance reference compounds (PRCs: d10-phenanthrene, d10-pyrene, and d12-chrysene), impregnated into the PE before use, allowed porewater concentrations to be deduced after exposure times much shorter than would be required for sampler equilibration (days instead of months). Three diverse sediments were used in the laboratory, and PE-deduced porewater concentrations of six native PAHs (phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz(a)anthracene, and chrysene) matched results from air-bridge testing and from direct porewater extractions after correcting for colloid effects. PE strips, deployed from a boat in Boston Harbor, yielded concentrations that were like those measured in porewaters from a sediment core collected nearby. Notably, equilibrium partitioning (EqP) est...
Noncanonical autophagy promotes the visual cycle

Summary Phagocytosis and degradation of photoreceptor outer segments (POS) by retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is fundamental to vision. Autophagy is also responsible for bulk degradation of cellular components, but its role in POS degradation is not well understood. We report that the morning burst of RPE phagocytosis coincided with the enzymatic conversion of autophagy protein LC3 to its lipidated form. LC3 associated with single-membrane phagosomes containing engulfed POS in an Atg5-dependent manner that required Beclin1, but not the autophagy preinitiation complex. The importance of this process was verified in mice with Atg5-deficient RPE cells that showed evidence of disrupted lysosomal processing. These mice also exhibited decreased photoreceptor responses to light stimuli and decreased chromophore levels that were restored with exogenous retinoid supplementation. These results establish that the interplay of phagocytosis and autophagy within the RPE is required for both POS degradation and the maintenance of retinoid levels to support vision.