cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validation of a computer-based colonoscopy simulator.

Background The computer-based colonoscopy simulator is intended to provide a realistic colonoscopic experience and feedback to operators regarding procedure skills. Advocates hope that computer-based colonoscopy simulators will enhance the mastery of colonoscopy by trainees. Before this hypothesis can be tested, the calims made for a simulator must be validated. The aims of this study were to answer the following: Does a computer-based colonoscopy simulator provide a "realistic" experience? Do computer-based colonoscopy simulators' performance parameters differentiate varying levels of experience? Methods : Ten staff gastroenterologists, 6 gastroenterology fellows, and 6 residents each performed 2 computer-based colonoscopy simulator colonoscopies and performance parameters were recorded. Staff colonoscopists then completed a 6-item survey grading the "realism" of the simulation and procedure difficulty. Survey responses and performance scores were compared with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results : Faculty found the computer-based colonoscopy simulator experience to be realistic despite the "cases" being markedly easier than actual colonoscopy. The computer-based colonoscopy simulator distinguishes subjects according to endoscopic experience with 3 of its measured parameters (total procedure time, insertion time, time in "red-out"). No significant difference in the ability to distinguish among user types was found for the other 10 computer-based colonoscopy simulator measurements for which data were analyzable. Conclusion : The computer-based colonoscopy simulator provides a favorable degree of virtual realism with regard to visual simulation and colonoscope mechanics, although the "cases" were regarded as considerably easier than actual colonoscopy. The computer-based colonoscopy simulator has only limited capability for distinguishing varying levels of competence at actual colonoscopy. These findings suggest that a study to determine the role of computer-based colonoscopy simulators in the curriculum of trainees is warranted. (Gastrointest Endosc 2003;57:214-8.)
Conceptual Contributions of New Social Movements to Development Communication Research

The field of development communication faces a critical juncture regarding its theoretical and pragmatic relevance due to both internal debates and criticisms, and external restructuring of political, economic, and social systems on a global scale. The internal debates and criticisms indicate, at best, that the field is in some degree of conceptual disarray and, at worst, that it is detrimental to the goals of improving the human condition materially and symbolically. The concomitant external changes to social systems constitute a daunting context that questions the legitimacy and rationale of development efforts while fostering new forms of social change. This article argues that the field must redirect its attention in order to respond to the persistence of substandard living conditions that demonstrate the continued relevance of development efforts in general, specifically by drawing from the findings of scholarship of new social movements, combining them with relevant areas from participatory communication for development research.
A Mechanistic Study of the Influence of Proton Transfer Processes on the Behavior of Thiol/Disulfide Redox Couples

The mechanism of the oxidation of 2-mercapto-5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole (McMT) to its disulfide dimer and its subsequent reduction has been examined with a combined approach employing experimental data and digital simulation. In order to elucidate the influence of proton transfers on these redox processes, special attention has been paid to the influence of various bases, including triethylamine, pyridine, 3-chloropyridine, lutidine and 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine, and proton donors, including methanesulfonic acid and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, on both the oxidation and reduction reactions. On the basis of detailed comparisons of the experimental data with simulations of several mechanistic models, it is found that proton transfer pathways have a pronounced influence on both the oxidative and reductive pathways. In particular, McMT oxidation is facilitated by a rapid bimolecular proton transfer from McMT to weak bases such as Py that produces McMT-, the thiolate form, which is then oxidized. There is no...
pre-CODIE: crosslingual on-demand information extraction

Our research addresses two central issues of information extraction --- portability and multilinguality. We are creating information extraction (IE) systems that take foreign-language input and generate English tables of extracted information, and that can be easily adapted to new extraction tasks. We want to minimize the human intervention required for customization to a new scenario (type of facts or events of interest), and allow the user to interact with the system entirely in English. As a prototype, we have developed the pre-CODIE system, an experimental Crosss-lingual On-Demand Information Extraction system that extracts facts or events of interest from Japanese source text without requiring user knowledge of Japanese.
Effect of Splitting Simvastatin Tablets for Control of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol

The efficacy, safety, and economics of a voluntary conversion from whole simvastatin tablets to split tablets in 6 Veterans Affairs medical centers were retrospectively evaluated in 3,787 patients who received a consistent daily dose (5 to 40 mg) of simvastatin in 1999. Baseline and final low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and average change from baseline were not significantly different between groups (p >0.05), nor were the incidence of transaminase increases (p >0.05) or measurements of patient compliance (p = 0.07). Widespread implementation of this initiative resulted in a cost avoidance of >$1.2 million in the 6 medical centers and $10.3 million across the Veterans Affairs medical system in 1999, with >$46 million avoided in 2003.
An Intelligent Fire-Detection Method Based on Image Processing

How to explore higher efficient and more credible fire-detection system by rapid development of computer and image processing techniques has aroused public’s extensive attention. To achieve fully automatic surveillance of fires, an intelligent fire detection method based on a multi-stage decision strategy of image processing is proposed. Both static and dynamic characteristics of the fire images sequence are considered. First of all time difference is used to process the gray-scale image to obtain the moving region in the scene, secondly apply color segmentation to get the ROI of fire region, thirdly shape features such as randomness of area size, edge likelihood are calculated to avoid some interference, at last the polygonal and irregular characters of flame like sharp corners and circularity are used to identified the fire. Experimental result shows the Fire-detection method presented in this paper could detect fire in the image sequence effectively, and it is capable of distinguishing Environmental light changes, background color interference and light false identification. Multi-stage decision strategy can improve the algorithm performance and reduce false-alarm rate. The proposed method has broad application prospects in the important military, social security, forest-fire alarm, commercial applications, and so on.
Single-voice transformations: a model for parsimonious voice leading

Single-voice transformations: a model for parsimonious voice leading, by Brandon Derfler, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2010, xi + 201 pp., £39.99, US$59.99, ISBN (10) 1-4438-...
RNA-Templated Semiconductor Nanocrystals

The use of a biomolecular RNA template for the synthesis of CdS semiconductor nanocrystals is described. Transfer RNA, with a well-defined three-dimensional structure, is used as a scaffold and ligand system in the aqueous synthesis of CdS. We have found that nanocrystal structures can be modulated by the structure of the templating tRNA. When possessing a folded three-dimensional structure, tRNA-templated synthesis yields a single product. If the same tRNA is rendered unstructured through the introduction of destabilizing mutations, a range of products are observed. The results reported indicate that biomolecules can be used to systematically engineer the structures and properties of semiconductor-based materials, and that the synergy between the dimensions of nanostructures and biomolecules provides a means to tune the properties of materials with nanoscale precision.
Euler-Poisson equations on Lie algebras and the N-dimensional heavy rigid body

The classical Euler-Poisson equations describing the motion of a heavy rigid body about a fixed point are generalized to arbitrary Lie algebras as Hamiltonian systems on coad-joint orbits of a tangent bundle Lie group. the N-dimensional Lagrange and symmetric heavy top are thereby shown to be completely integrable.
Development of a wireless antenna and monitoring system for microwave based vital sign and lung water measurement

A wireless microwave based antenna monitoring system has been developed for vital signs and lung water measurements. The system employs a unique electromagnetic energy coupling sensor/antenna and is also equipped with a mobile app to display the processed values in real time and facilitate use by mobile users. New RF components have been used and this eliminated the need for a costly and bulky network analyzers. The developed system is more suitable for clinical use and for remote monitoring of remote patients. Accuracy of the developed wireless system has been validated by comparing results with traditional network analyzer measurements and excellent agreement was observed.
An Observational Technique for Preschool Children

Summary A method for direct observational study of early peer-social and objectdirect behavior for human subjects was designed to be articulated with techniques widely used in studies of social behavior in infrahuman primates. Occurrence of behavior fitting the definitions of each of six categories of object behavior and nine categories of social behavior is noted once during each 15-second interval. The number of recorded intervals in a 15-minute session provides the basic scoring unit. Observer reliabilities were estimated from paired data and four observers. Thirty-eight Negro and white children ages three through five years were observed in three child play groups. Median reliabilities of .95 (range .63 to .98) and .81 (range .69 to .94) were obtained for object and social behavior categories respectively.
The effect of defense program uncertainty on cost, schedule, and capital investment

Program instability, low levels of capital investment and uneconomical production rates have been recognized as significant problems in defense acquisition programs. In this paper, we use a dynamic programming model under uncertainty to investigate the relations among these problems. We show that capital investment and production rates that appear to be too low may be the result of cost minimizing responses by contractors to program instability. Attempts to change the level of capital investment or production rate on defense programs without regard to the nature of program instability may hinder efficient resource allocation.
Comparative statics of cell phone plans

Employing an order relation that is more restrictive than second-order stochastic dominance, our analysis reveals when increased variability in monthly usage of one's cell phone induces an increase in the base amount purchased and when it induces a decrease. We also give conditions under which increased variability leads to an increase in expected cost.
Friction model of a revolute joint for a precision deployable spacecraft structure

An analytical model is presented for predicting breakaway friction torque in a precision deployable spacecraft structure joint incorporating preloaded angular contact bearings. The model is based on the Todd/Johnson tribological friction model of friction within ball bearings (Todd, M. J., and Johnson, K. L., "A Model for Coulomb Torque Hysteresis in Ball Bearings," International Journal of Mechanical Science^ Vol. 29,1987, pp. 339-354) and includes the effects of Coulombic microslippage between the bearing components and material hysteretic damping. A new nondimensional parameter is developed to quantify the effects of bearing preload, geometry, and material properties. It is analytically shown that bearing friction can be minimized for a specific bearing contact angle considering both rolling and sliding friction components. Additionally, steady-state bearing friction is calculated to vary nonlinearly with assembly preload. Analytical prediction of bearing friction is correlated with measured data.
The Evolution of an Urban Intergovernmental Transportation Decision System: Portlands Investment in Light Rail Transit

The following case study analyzes the experience of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area with the interstate substitution provisions of the Federal Aid Highway Act, as amended. In deciding to build a $3II million Light Rail Transit System, the region had to hurdle a number of political, financial, and institutional obstacles. In the process of bringing the project to the construction stage, a major intergovernmental decision system was constructed de nove. The consequences of this process affected not only personal mobility in the urban area but land use, economic, and political values. The lessons of this experience underscore the need to treat such decisions as more than simply a grant seeking process and demonstrate the broad implications of large scale transportation improvements in metropolitan areas.
Dynamic Balance Force Control for compliant humanoid robots

This paper presents a model-based method, called Dynamic Balance Force Control (DBFC), for determining full body joint torques based on desired COM motion and contact forces for compliant humanoid robots. The center of mass (COM) dynamics are affected directly through contact force control to achieve stable balance. This idea is used to formulate DBFC considering the full rigid-body dynamics of the robot to produce desired contact forces. To achieve generic force control tasks, a virtual model controller, DBFC-VMC, is presented. Results presented from experiments on a force-controlled humanoid robot and simulation demonstrate the general purpose use of this control.
10B NMR studies of lithium borate glasses

10B NMR studies have been carried out on lithium borate glasses over the entire glass-forming region of the system. Using the ideas of Krogh-Moe, the relative abundances of the various structural groupings are inferred from the data by fitting computer-simulated lineshapes to the experimental spectra. Structural model are proposed which are consistent with the data: for 0.4 R < 1.0, where R = mol% Li2O/mol% B2O3, the model states that diborate and tetraborate units are proportionately destroyed to form metaborate units and loose BO4 units; for 1.0 < R < 1.86, the model states that metaborate units and loose BO4 units are destroyed linearly but not proportionately to form pyroborate and orthoborate units. These results are compared with earlier 11B NMR studies from this laboratory.
Integration of piezoelectric tunable capacitors and bonded-wire inductors for contactless RF switch and tunable filter

Abstract This paper presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of a contactless radio frequency (RF) microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch, composed of two surface-micromachined piezoelectric tunable capacitors and two bonded-wire inductors. The measured insertion loss and power isolation of the fabricated switch are 2.2 and 10.1 dB, respectively, with a capacitance variation of 4:1 over a narrow bandwidth near 2.2 GHz. This novel approach of using inductors eases the deflection requirement for the deformable bridge of the variable capacitor, and allows piezoelectric ZnO film to be used to deflect the capacitor bridge to vary the air gap, thus yielding a contactless RF switch.
FIRST-TRIMESTER DIAGNOSIS OF SMITH–LEMLI–OPITZ SYNDROME

We report here the prenatal diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz (SLO) syndrome in the first trimester by direct measurement of 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) in a chorionic villus (CV) biopsy. The proband was diagnosed clinically at birth and the diagnosis was confirmed biochemically by demonstrating elevated 7-DHC in plasma. The family pursued prenatal diagnosis in their fourth, fifth, and sixth pregnancies. The fourth pregnancy spontaneously miscarried at 9 weeks' gestation. Analysis in both direct and cultured curetting tissue (identified as similar to CV tissue) showed an abnormal tissue neutral sterol pattern with an elevated 7-DHC concentration. The fifth pregnancy also miscarried spontaneously at 9 weeks but no tissue of unequivocal fetal origin could be identified to allow biochemical investigation. In the sixth pregnancy, ultrasound examination at the time of CV sampling showed a thickened nuchal fold. Direct analysis of the CV sample revealed elevated levels of 7-DHC consistent with the diagnosis of SLO. The pregnancy was terminated and both fetal tissue and cultured fetal cells showed marked increases in 7-DHC, confirming the prenatal diagnosis.
Large-scale solar magnetic fields, coronal holes and high-speed solar wind streams

The connection between geomagnetic disturbances recurring with the 27 day synodic solar rotation period and streams of plasma emitted from particular regions on the Sun (so-called M-regions) has been one of the long-standing problems of solar-terrestrial physics. The 'plasma streams' have been identified with long-lived streams of fast solar wind, imbedded in unipolar magnetic 'sectors', for more than a decade. The solar sources of these streams have been identified unequivocally only within the past few years as large-scale coronal regions of open, diverging magnetic fields and abnormally low particle densities, observed as 'coronal holes'. The temporal evolution of holes and streams seems to reflect the evolution of the large-scale solar magnetic fields; the observed spatial pattern of holes suggests a grand three-dimensional structure of solar wind flow and interplanetary magnetic fields organized by a near-equatorial neutral sheet. The conclusion that much of the solar wind comes from coronal holes implies several important modifications of our ideas regarding the physical origins of the solar wind and any theoretical models of solar wind formation.
Improved image quality and detection of acute cerebral infarction with PROPELLER diffusion-weighted MR imaging.

PURPOSE: To compare periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER) multishot fast spin-echo diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with single-shot echo-planar diffusion-weighted MR imaging for image quality and visualization of acute cerebral infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy subjects (35 men, 35 women; mean age, 55 years ± 24 [SD]) who were suspected of having acute cerebral infarction (symptom duration, 2.8 days ± 2.7) underwent PROPELLER and echo-planar MR imaging (b = 1,000 sec/mm2). Two neuroradiologists compared unlabeled images for presence of artifacts, visualization of infarction, and their preference of images. Interobserver agreement and image comparison were assessed by using the κ statistic and the χ2 test, respectively. RESULTS: PROPELLER MR imaging reduced susceptibility artifacts (n = 70 subjects), which limited visualization of temporal (echo-planar, n = 64; PROPELLER, n = 0; P < .01, χ2 test), frontal (echo-planar, n = 58; P...
Current use of the EPA uncertainty factor approach in New Jersey standards and risk assessment

Abstract The derivation of the uncertainty factors used in the construction of reference doses for 61 chemicals of regulatory concern to the state of New Jersey were evaluated. Frequency of use of uncertainty factor variables was enumerated with the aim of providing a guide to existing methodology in the analysis of critical studies by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Stigma in the Time of Influenza: Social and Institutional Responses to Pandemic Emergencies

This article examines the role of stigma in social and institutional responses to infectious disease emergencies, to better understand and minimize these dynamics in the event of a pandemic of virulent influenza. In addition to their impact on human suffering, fear and stigma can seriously delay detection and treatment efforts, cooperation with contact tracing and isolation measures, and the effective distribution of resources for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. These dynamics are illustrated by the Indian plague epidemic of 1994, which occurred in a region where H5N1 influenza has been detected recently. Public fear and stigma also played a significant role in the social and institutional responses to the 1918 influenza pandemic. These historical models provide important lessons for pandemic preparedness and global health policy.
Soft error modeling and protection for sequential elements

Sequential elements, flip-flops, latches, and memory cells, are the most vulnerable components to soft errors. Since state-of-the-art designs contain millions of bistables, it is not feasible to protect all system bistables using hardening techniques that impose area, performance, and power overhead. A practical approach is to rank system bistables based on their contribution to the overall system vulnerability and protect the most problematic bistables. This analysis is traditionally performed by fault injection and simulation methods which are intractable for large designs and multi-cycle analysis. In this paper, we present an analytical framework to analyze multi-cycle error propagation behavior and then rank system bistables based on their effects on system-level soft error rate. The number of clock cycles required for an error in a bistable to be propagated to system outputs is used to measure the vulnerability of bistables to soft errors.
Outcomes of Child Sexual Abuse as Predictors of Later Sexual Victimization

The association between a history of child sexual abuse (CSA) and specific negative outcomes (attachment, feelings of power, and self-esteem) was explored as was the relationship between those negative outcomes and sexual victimization during the first semester of college. Two groups of freshman college women (67 who had experienced CSA and 55 who had not) completed measures of attachment, feelings of power, and self-esteem at the beginning of their freshman year of college. At the end of their first semester of college, participants (n = 93) provided information about whether they had been sexually assaulted during their first semester of college. The results indicated that participants in the CSA group did not differ on reported attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, feelings of power, or self-esteem as compared to the control group. However, participants in the CSA group were more like to be sexually victimized during their first semester of college. Finally, logistic regression indicated that the n...
Code optimization as a side effect of instruction scheduling

An instruction scheduler utilizes code reordering techniques for generating schedules in which instructions can be issued without delays. In order to perform code reordering across branches, code motion is performed that hoists some instructions above branches and sinks others below branches. Following code reordering, compensation code must be introduced in order to preserve program semantics. In this paper, we demonstrate that several important code optimizations can be performed as a side-effect of generating compensation code. These optimizations include partial redundancy elimination, partial dead code elimination, elimination of redundant loads and elimination of dead stores. We demonstrate how existing data-flow frameworks for these optimizations can be extended for generating optimized compensation code.
Low cost algorithms for message delivery in dynamic multicast groups

Heuristics for constructing low-cost multicast spanning trees in a dynamic environment are investigated. Two heuristic algorithms are developed that update the multicast tree incrementally as the membership changes and reduce the total bandwidth required for sending data and control messages. The broadcast tree based algorithm makes use of a tree structure in the network, and the other algorithm joins a new member to the node that is nearest to it and is already in the multicast tree. A simulation model is used to study the performance of the algorithms and to compare them with the best-known heuristic algorithm developed by D.W. Wall (1980) which computes the multicast tree structure for a given membership of the group. >
Adrenal ascorbic acid, plasma and adrenal corticoid response to fasting in young rats.

Young (80 g) rats anesthetized with Nembutal and unilaterally adrenalectomized after a 3-day fast, failed to show a decrease in the adrenal ascorbic acid (AAA) when tested one hour later. In the experiments reported here, rats, similarly fasted, were studied before and at intervals up to one hour after an acute stress (splenectomy). The AAA, adrenal corticoids (AC), and plasma corticoids (PC) were determined. The following observations were made: As a result of fasting the AC and PC levels were elevated and seemed to be directly proportional to the percent weight loss of the animal. The injection of Nembutal resulted in a marked decrease in AC and PC with no change in AAA concentration. Acute stress caused a decrease in AAA which was inversely proportional to the body weight loss to 30%. In animals which had lost more than 30% of their body weight, no significant decrease in AAA resulting from acute stress could be observed. Acute stress increased the AC approximately three-fold in 15 minutes; the highest...
Spatially distributed temperatures at the base of two mountain snowpacks measured with fiber-optic sensors

Snowpack base temperatures vary during accumulation and diurnally. Their measurement provides insight into physical, biological and chemical processes occurring at the snow/soil interface. Recent advances in Raman-spectra instruments, which use the scattered light in a standard telecommunications fiber-optic cable to infer absolute temperature along the entire length of the fiber, offer a unique opportunity to obtain basal snow temperatures at resolutions of 1 m, 10 s, and 0.18C. Measurements along a 330 m fiber over 24 hours during late-spring snowmelt at Mammoth Mountain, California, USA, showed basal snow temperatures of 0 � 0.28C using 10 s averages. Where the fiber- optic cable traversed bare ground, surface temperatures approached 408C during midday. The durability of the fiber optic was excellent; no major damage or breaks occurred through the winter of burial. Data from the Dry Creek experimental watershed in Idaho across a small stream valley showed little variability of temperature on the northeast-facing, snow-covered slope, but clearly showed melting patterns and the effects of solar heating on southwest-facing slopes. These proof-of-concept experiments show that the technology enables more detailed spatial and temporal coverage than traditional point measurements of temperature.
Estrogen receptor and neurotensin/neuromedin-N gene expression in the preoptic area are unaltered with age in Fischer 344 female rats.

The sensitivity of hypothalamic centers to estrogenic regulation may be impaired with age and contribute to the loss of reproductive function in female rats. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that aging is associated with alterations in the level of expression of the estrogen receptor (ER) gene and/or the neurotensin/neuromedin-N (NT/N) gene in the preoptic area (POA) of female rats. We have used in situ hybridization histochemistry and quantitative autoradiography to compare ER gene expression and NT/N gene expression in the POA of ovariectomized and ovariectomized/estradiol-treated female rats at 3, 11, and 20 months of age. We found no evidence for an age-related impairment of either ER or NT/N gene expression in two subdivisions of the POA: the anterior medial preoptic nucleus and the medial preoptic nucleus. Likewise, estrogenic regulation of both ER messenger RNA levels and NT/N messenger RNA levels did not differ across age groups. These results indicate that transcription of the ER gene within t...
Alcohol Interventions in emergency medicine: referral makes a difference

In this week’s Lancet, Mike Crawford and colleagues report that a group of patients in the emergency department (ED) who were referred to an alcohol-health worker had lower alcohol consumption and fewer revisits to the ED at followup than a group not referred. Also, the subset of referred patients who kept their appointment with the alcohol-health worker drank less than those who did not keep their appointment, although this result was not statistically significant. These findings provide evidence for the efficacy of point-ofcare referrals for ED patients with alcohol problems. The measured effects suggest the simple act of referring a patient with alcohol problems for further treatment might itself have preventive benefits. A physician-prescribed follow-up visit to an alcohol-health worker underscored concern about the patient’s drinking behaviour. In effect, referral was an intervention. Conversely, the absence of a physicianarranged appointment for control patients might have attenuated the influence of other messages in the ED about alcohol problems. In effect, a health-information leaflet was not as powerful as direct communication with a physician about the need for follow-up after the ED visit. The findings reported by Crawford and colleagues raise the question of why the visit to the alcohol-health worker was associated with drinking less, a benefit that was not statistically significant. A possible explanation is that the sample size was too small. Alternatively, the benefit does not exist. Yet another possibility is that the group who kept the appointment had more severe alcohol problems, so the effect of the visit was smaller or non-existent. The findings also raise the question of what comprises a clinically significant benefit for alcohol problems. At 6 months, those who kept their appointment with an alcohol-health worker were drinking 60 units of alcohol a week, which is excessive. Nonetheless, such use might be substantially below baseline consumption. Unfortunately, comparisons with alcohol consumption at baseline are not possible because these data were not collected. For an efficacy trial, this was a major methodological limitation. Without these data, we cannot fully evaluate individual response to the intervention. There is also the possibility that differences in group consumption documented at follow-up also existed at baseline. Crawford and colleagues attempt to allay concerns about this potential selection bias by presenting the similarities in available baseline data for patients followed up or not. Although analyses based on individuallevel baseline data would have addressed this issue more conclusively, it may be less of a shortcoming in a pragmatic trial.
Preconditioner and Convergence Study for the Quantum Computer Aided Design (QCAD) Nonlinear Poisson Problem Posed on the Ottawa Flat 270 Design Geometry

A numerical study aimed to evaluate different preconditioners within the Trilinos Ifpack and ML packages for the Quantum Computer Aided Design (QCAD) non-linear Poisson problem implemented within the Albany code base and posed on the Ottawa Flat 270 design geometry is performed. This study led to some new development of Albany that allows the user to select an ML preconditioner with Zoltan repartitioning based on nodal coordinates, which is summarized. Convergence of the numerical solutions computed within the QCAD computational suite with successive mesh refinement is examined in two metrics, the mean value of the solution (an L{sup 1} norm) and the field integral of the solution (L{sup 2} norm).
“Colonized Body,” “Oriental Machine”: Debating Race, Railroads, and the Politics of Reconstruction in Germany and East Africa, 1906–1910

The years 1906–1910 were a period of crisis and unstable consensus in German colonial history. In contrast to the debates of the previous two decades following Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's 1884 decision to establish overseas protectorates, colonial discourse in Germany after 1905 shifted decisively away from abstract considerations of the desirability of colonies for economic and imperialist expansion to focus on the more practical matters of colonial policy and long-term developmental reform. Indeed, given the fact that by 1905 the German colonial empire covered a sprawling expanse of land six times the size of the German state, including territories in Africa, the South Pacific, and a naval base (Tsingtao) on the coast of China, the enormous challenges of managing its far-flung and costly possessions were becoming increasingly difficult to meet. For better or for worse, the Kaiserreich had become a de facto colonial power, and German society was increasingly and uncomfortably being forced to recognize the hazards and burdens of its fledgling global empire.
Talking about Homosexuality: The Views of Mainline Protestant Clergy

Homosexuality is one of the most divisive issues within mainline Protestantism today. In this article we portray the many sides of mainline Protestantism’s debates about homosexuality through the lens of statements clergy made about the issue in early 2000. In interviews with 62 mainline Protestant clergy across the United States, 40 volunteered their views on homosexuality without being prompted. We describe the frames through which clergy understand and articulate issues related to homosexuality in the midst of contentious denominational debate about the subject. The majority of clergy who discussed homosexuality focused on the issue in their churches instead of in society at large, and in their denominations rather than in their own congregations. Moreover, virtually none of the clergy interviewed took hard and fast stands on the issue of homosexuality. Most approach the issue in a pragmatic, rather than prophetic, way. Our interviews also show that pastors who choose to speak on homosexuality tend to frame the issue in terms of the diffuse notion of “homosexuality,” rather than talking about gay men and lesbians as people.
The effect of magnet geometry on electric motor vibration

A principal source of vibration in permanent magnet (PM) motors and generators is the traveling forces on the stator induced by the rotating permanent magnets. These forces are transmitted through the stator and to the surrounding system. The magnetic forces were calculated from the flux density by finite element methods (FEMs). The dynamic reactions at the motor mounting points, which provide the forcing function to the base system, were also calculated by FEMs. The vibration characteristics and the transmissibility of each frequency component were investigated using Fourier decomposition of the traveling magnetic force. The results showed that for a radially centered rotor the frequency components of the magnetic force were integer multiples of the rotor speed multiplied by the number of magnetic poles. Higher harmonics were more difficult to transmit, except when stator structure resonance occurred. The edge shape of the PM determined the shape of the magnetic force and the magnitude of the frequency components. By proper shaping of the magnetic edges, the composition of the magnetic force spectrum can be assigned to higher frequencies, reducing the overall transmission to the base system. >
Anemia in preterm infants.

During fetal life, hemoglobin concentration increases from a level of 9 g/dL at l0 weeks9 to 14 to 15 g/dL at 22 to 24 weeks9 gestation. By the middle of the third trimester, concentrations close to those observed at birth (16 to 17 g/dL) are reached, and little additional change occurs. As a result, cord hemoglobin concentrations in term and preterm newborns are very similar, with the possible exception of the most extremely preterm infants. Immediately after birth, the hemoglobin concentration begins to rise from the combined effects of placental transfusion and the postnatal readjustment of plasma volume. At approximately 8 to 12 hours of life, the hemoglobin plateaus at levels 1 to 2 g/dL above those observed at birth (about 18 g/dL).
Chromatin and epigenetic regulation of pre-mRNA processing

New data are revealing a complex landscape of gene regulation shaped by chromatin states that extend into the bodies of transcribed genes and associate with distinct RNA elements such as exons, introns and polyadenylation sites. Exons are characterized by increased levels of nucleosome positioning, DNA methylation and certain histone modifications. As pre-mRNA splicing occurs co-transcriptionally, changes in the transcription elongation rate or epigenetic marks can influence exon splicing. These new discoveries broaden our understanding of the epigenetic code and ascribe a novel role for chromatin in controlling pre-mRNA processing. In this review, we summarize the recently discovered interplay between the modulation of chromatin states and pre-mRNA processing with the particular focus on how these processes communicate with one another to control gene expression.
Chronic iritis associated with cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis.

ABSTRACT Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) is a systemic condition that can be associated with iritis. LCV is characterized as a small-vessel vasculitis of the cutaneous area. The disease demonstrates purple lesions on the skin due to the destruction of small cutaneous blood vessels. These lesions are palpable and most often coalesce forming larger patches on the surface of the skin. During early stages of LCV, the disease can be undetected due to the infrequency and small size of the skin lesions. As such, the patient might go undiagnosed for years while having symptoms of LCV or iritis of unknown etiology. This article discusses the correlation seen with LCV and iritis. We report a case on a patient that presented to our clinic with a history of bilateral chronic iritis. After extensive laboratory testing, we concluded that the chronicity of her iritis was due to her LCV. The correlation between LCV and iritis was not evident for several years in our patient. We also discuss the correlation wi...
International Tax Reform Comment Letter to House Ways and Means Committee - Whya Worldwide Full-Inclusion System is Far Better for Our Country and Society than a Territorial System

I am commenting on the form that International Tax Reform should take. In brief, the Territorial System strongly lobbied for by the U.S.-based multinational corporations (MNCs) standing to benefit from such a system is not what’s best for our country or our society. It is bad tax policy in today’s environment where it is so easy for MNCs with their extensive resources to shift profits from the U.S. and into low-tax countries. Rather than implementing a Territorial System such as that proposed in the October 26, 2011 Ways and Means Discussion Draft (W&MDD) or continuing our current Deferral System, our country, its people, and yes even our MNCs would best be served by implementing a Worldwide Full-Inclusion System (WFI System). Such a system would actually eliminate or severely curtail the strong motivation (even stronger under a Territorial System) that MNCs now have to shift profits out of the U.S. and into low-taxed countries, thereby achieving "double non-taxation". Profit shifting motivation disappears when achieving double non-taxation is no longer possible because there’s a current federal tax on all earnings and that tax cannot be eliminated through any tax schemes and creative avoidance. So, this is what is needed: A taxation system that eliminates the present strong motivation to achieve double non-taxation through operating, owning assets, and bearing risks outside the U.S. These efforts, which shift profits and jobs out of the U.S., distort the business and investment decisions of our MNCs. International Tax Reform must put in place a new taxation system that will leave our MNCs free to make their business decisions based solely on business and investment factors such as location of raw materials and customers, employee wage rates, transportation costs, availability of qualified personnel, etc. Only the WFI System accomplishes this.
X-ray Analysis of Ni/Ti Multilayers

The structure, composition and strain in Ni/Ti multilayers are analyzed using x-ray diffraction theories. The repeat period of the multilayers used in this study ranges from 1.3 to 12.8 nm. The composition modulation is obtained by using a kinematical theory of x-ray diffraction. A sine wave for the shorter repeat period and a rectangular wave for the longer repeat period are predicted for the composition modulation. The strain within each atomic layer is found by iteratively fitting the experimental x-ray diffraction pattern with the simulated one from a dynamical theory of x-ray diffraction. The strain at the interface is tensile in Ni and compressive in Ti with a complete relaxation of the strain at a distance away from the interface.
Effect of positive end‐expiratory pressure on blood loss during retropubic and robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

Objectives To study the effect of end-expiratory pressure used during anesthesia on blood loss during radical prostatectomy. Methods We evaluated 247 patients who underwent either radical retropubic prostatectomy or robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy at a single institution from 2008 to 2013 by one of four surgeons. Patient characteristics were compared using t-tests, rank sum or χ2-tests as appropriate. The association between positive end-expiratory pressure and estimated blood loss was tested using linear regression. Results Patients were classified into high (≥4 cmH2O) and low (≤1 cmH2O) positive-end expiratory pressure groups. Estimated blood loss in radical retropubic prostatectomy was higher in the high positive end-expiratory pressure group (1000 mL vs 800 mL, P = 0.042). Estimated blood loss in robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy was lower in the high positive end-expiratory pressure group (150 mL vs 250 mL, P = 0.015). After adjusting for other factors known to influence blood loss, a 5-cmH2O increase in positive end-expiratory pressure was associated with a 34.9% increase in estimated blood loss (P = 0.030) for radical retropubic prostatectomy, and a 33.0% decrease for robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (P = 0.038). Conclusions In radical retropubic prostatectomy, high positive end-expiratory pressure was associated with higher estimated blood loss, and the benefits of positive end-expiratory pressure should be weighed against the risk of increased estimated blood loss. In robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy, high positive end-expiratory pressure was associated with lower estimated blood loss, and might have more than just pulmonary benefits.
New correlations for CO2-Oil solubility and viscosity reduction for light oils

This paper presents the development of new empirical correlations for (1) CO2 solubility in dead oil and (2) oil viscosity reduction ratio due to CO2 saturation. These correlations are specifically developed for light oils, i.e., with oil gravities less than 0.9 (greater than 26° API). The new correlations are developed to be simple equations and dependent only on reservoir temperature and pressure while maintaining a relatively high level of accuracy. The new correlations developed in this work can be used as a tool for better performance evaluation of CO2 injection into depleted oil fields and/or CO2 sequestration.
Temporal changes in insulin resistance and secretion in 24-h-fasted conscious pregnant rats

To determine the temporal sequence of pregnancy-induced changes in insulin action and secretion, awake midpregnant (11-12 days) and late pregnant (19-20 days) rats underwent a two-step euglycemic h...
Replacing the elbow joints

Publisher Summary Replacement arthroplasty of the elbow is in constant evolution. Although it was initially used mainly in patients with inflammatory arthritis, its indications were expanded to other conditions that place higher demands on the implants. Elbow arthroplasty presents some unique peculiarities. Compared with the hip and knee joints, the elbow is relatively small and its stability depends greatly on ligamentous integrity. Linked semi-constrained elbow arthroplasties became popular in the United States and central Europe; these inherently stable implants raise the concern of increased contact pressures on the already thin polyethylene. Unlinked arthroplasties, popular in the United Kingdom and Asia, might have better tribological properties but are at risk for instability and decreased elbow extension. Elbow arthroplasty is further complicated by the need to violate the extensor mechanism for exposure, the increased risk of infection, the role of the radial head, and potential clinical problems related to the ulnar nerve. Present and future innovations might include the use of linkable implants, alternative bearing surfaces, uncemented fixation, distal humerus hemi-arthroplasties, unicompartmental arthroplasties and improved revision systems.
Quantifying the Effect of Temporomandibular Joint Intra-Articular Steroid Injection on Synovial Enhancement in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Purpose To quantify the effect of intra-articular steroid injections (IASIs) on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) using gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods The present study was a retrospective study of children with JIA who had undergone TMJ IASIs at Boston Children's Hospital. The patients were included if they had undergone contrast-enhanced MRI both before and after IASI and if the pre-IASI MRI had demonstrated synovitis (enhancement ratio [ER] >1.55). Patients with TMJ pathology or pain unrelated to JIA or a history of facial trauma were excluded. The predictor variables were age, gender, JIA subtype, exposure to medications for arthritis, and a family history of autoimmune disease. The primary outcome variable was the ER. Additional outcome variables included patient-reported pain and the maximal incisal opening (MIO). Results Twenty-nine subjects (83% female) with a total of 50 injected TMJs were included. The average age at JIA diagnosis and at IASI was 6.8 ± 1.7 years and 12.1 ± 1.9 years, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 22.9 ± 4.3 months (range 5 to 48). The ER decreased in all injected joints, with a mean reduction of 1.05 ± 1.01 (P < .001). The post-IASI ER was less than the normal threshold (1.55) in 18% of the injected TMJs. IASI was associated with an elimination of pain in 89% of the subjects (P < .001) and in augmentation of the MIO by 5.8 ± 2.6 mm (P < .001). Conclusions In children with JIA and TMJ synovitis, TMJ IASI was associated with a reduction in synovial enhancement, decreased pain, and an increased MIO. Only 18% of injected joints, however, experienced complete resolution of synovitis. These results support the use of IASI in the management of the pain and dysfunction associated with TMJ synovitis. Further study is required to determine the efficacy of IASI in limiting inflammation and future joint destruction.