cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of procainamide on plasma cholinesterase activity.

The in vitro effect of procainamide on plasma cholinesterase (PCHE) activity in the plasma often normal ASA physical status I patients was studied using a kinetic method. The mean plasma cholinesterase activity without procainamide (control) was 0.90 ± 0.09 units.ml-1 The dibucaine numbers of all the samples were in the normal range of 78 to 86, indicating normal genotypes. The mean plasma cholinesterase activity, in the presence of procainamide in concentrations of 5.0, 10.0, 20.0 and 40.0 µ.ml-1, was reduced to 0.73 ± 0.04. 0.61 ± 0.03, 0.45 ± 0.02, and 0.36 ± 0.01 units.mt-1, respectively. At therapeutic concentrations of 4 to 12 µg.ml-1, procainamide inhibited cholinesterase activity 15 to 30 per cent. The authors also showed that the concentration of procainamide required to inhibit 50 per cent of plasma cholinesterase activity was 20 µg.mt-1 (Iso). The authors conclude that procainamide when tested in vitro had a statistically significant depressant effect on plasma cholinesterase activity at all the concentrations studied.
Streetcars and Recovery An Analysis of Post-Katrina Building Permits around New Orleans Streetcar Lines

professional paper in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning
Regulation of operant ethanol-reinforced behavior is genetically independent of regulation of withdrawal severity in WSP and WSR mice.

Abstract Selectively bred withdrawal seizure prone (WSP1 and WSP2) and withdrawal seizure resistant (WSR1 and WSR2) mice were used to test the extent to which severity of ethanol withdrawal response is predictive of the reinforcing effects of ethanol. Mice were systematically introduced to ethanol under a fixed ratio 1 (FR 1) schedule using adjunctive drinking methods. There were no significant differences in ethanol consumption between the lines during training. Subsequently, responding for ethanol concentrations of 8%, 0% (vehicle control), and 8% retest under a FR 1 schedule in the absence of food induction was measured. Group data showed that ethanol did not serve as a reinforcer in the test phase within any of the four lines, and there were no significant line differences in rate of responding, intake, or blood ethanol concentrations (BEC). Mice were next tested for responding for ethanol under a FR 4 schedule. Again, ethanol did not serve as a reinforcer for any of the four groups, and there were no significant differences between the lines. However, further analysis showed that there were individual differences in responding within each group, some animals were apparently reinforced by ethanol, while others showed no reinforcement and some appeared to avoid ethanol. There was no systematic pattern within or between groups for these individual differences in responding. Thus, both the group results as well as the behavior patterns of individual animals are consistent with the conclusion that genes regulating rewarding effects of ethanol appear to be segregating randomly across groups and are independent of genes mediating ethanol withdrawal severity. These findings indicate a lack of association between propensity to develop physical dependence on ethanol and propensity to find this drug reinforcing.
Expression of mRNA for atrial natriuretic peptide receptor guanylate cyclase (ANPRA) in human retina

1. Guanylate cyclase plays an important role in the visual cycle. Here we report the mRNA expression for the atrial natriuretic peptide receptor type A form of guanylate cyclase (ANPRA) in human retina. 2. Polymerase chain reaction using two sets of primers on the cDNAs reverse-transcribed from human retinal poly(A)+ RNA amplified two products under two different reaction conditions. The primers used in the reaction were designed from the reported sequence of human placental ANPRA cDNA. 3. Sequencing of the amplified products showed 100% sequence homology to the human placental ANPRA gene. Northern blot analysis indicated the presence of a 4.4-kb ANPRA mRNA in human retina, similar to that present in human brain.
Would a “right of reply” f ix Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act?

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides immunity from defamation claims to ISPs and website owners for materials posted by third parties. However, the statute also imposes a hardship on the victims of that defamation, since they are often left without a remedy against an anonymous poster. This article proposes an amendment to Section 230 that would condition immunity on the ISP/website owner's agreement to provide the victim a “right of reply.”
Encounters on the frontier: Banteng in Australia's Northern Territory.

AbstractThis paper considers the case of an introduced species that resides in what is now a jointly managed national park in the north of tropical Australia. Banteng (Bos javanicus) are a peculiar feral nonhuman animal in that they constitute a potential environmental threat within the domestic conservation goals of the park, but they also hold the prospect of being a major genetic resource in the international conservation of the species. Thus, perspectives on the use and management of these animals are varied between different actors in the park landscape, and are subject to fluctuations over time, especially in response to wider social and political circumstances. This paper argues that seemingly objective views of these animals are actually a series of subjectivities, which have less to do with any concrete aspects of the animals themselves and more to do with the way that particular people orient themselves toward, and within, the landscape.
A papilloma of the choroid plexus in an infant

Summary A case is reported in which a presumptive diagnosis of acute hydrocephalus of tuberculous origin was based upon the history as given by the parent and the clinical signs. It was found instead to be the result of an enormous distention of the lateral ventricle caused by a papilloma of the choroid plexus which arose from the floor of the ventricle and obstructed the foramen of Monro on one side. The importance of the Schilling differential blood count, the spinal fluid examination, and the need for considerable reserve in the diagnosis of acute hydrocephalus are emphasized in this case, as well as the necessity of avoiding pitfalls of this sort that the surgeon might save a life.
Self-reported walking ability predicts functional mobility performance in frail older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To determine how self-reported physical function relates to performance in each of three mobility domains: walking, stance maintenance, and rising from chairs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of older adults. SETTING: University-based laboratory and community-based congregate housing facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred twenty-one older adults (mean age, 79.9 years; range, 60–102 years) without clinical evidence of dementia (mean Folstein Mini-Mental State score, 28; range, 24–30). INTERVENTION AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We compared the responses of these older adults on a questionnaire battery used by the Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (EPESE) project, to performance on mobility tasks of graded difficulty. Responses to the EPESE battery included: (1) whether assistance was required to perform seven Katz activities of daily living (ADL) items, specifically with walking and transferring; (2) three Rosow-Breslau items, including the ability to walk up stairs and walk a half mile; and (3) five Nagi items, including difficulty stooping, reaching, and lifting objects. The performance measures included the ability to perform, and time taken to perform, tasks in three summary score domains: (1) walking (“Walking,” seven tasks, including walking with an assistive device, turning, stair climbing, tandem walking); (2) stance maintenance (“Stance,” six tasks, including unipedal, bipedal, tandem, and maximum lean); and (3) chair rise (“Chair Rise,” six tasks, including rising from a variety of seat heights with and without the use of hands for assistance). A total score combines scores in each Walking, Stance, and Chair Rise domain. We also analyzed how cognitive/behavioral factors such as depression and self-efficacy related to the residuals from the self-report and performance-based ANOVA models. RESULTS: Rosow-Breslau items have the strongest relationship with the three performance domains, Walking, Stance, and Chair Rise (eta-squared ranging from 0.21 to 0.44). These three performance domains are as strongly related to one Katz ADL item, walking (eta-squared ranging from 0.15 to 0.33) as all of the Katz ADL items combined (eta-squared ranging from 0.21 to 0.35). Tests of problem solving and psychomotor speed, the Trails A and Trails B tests, are significantly correlated with the residuals from the self-report and performance-based ANOVA models. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the rest of the EPESE self-report items, self-report items related to walking (such as Katz walking and Rosow-Breslau items) are better predictors of functional mobility performance on tasks involving walking, stance maintenance, and rising from chairs. Compared with other self-report items, self-reported walking ability may be the best predictor of overall functional mobility.
Effect of porosity and tension-compression asymmetry on the Bauschinger effect in porous sintered steels

Abstract The Bauschinger effect is a common phenomenon in metallic materials. In this paper, the Bauschinger effect in Fe–0.85Mo–2Ni powder metallurgy (PM) steel was investigated for different porosities and as a function of loading sequence (compression–tension versus tension–compression). Both the porosity and loading sequence had a significant effect on the magnitude and asymmetry of Bauschinger effect. Compression followed by tensile loading lead to a higher Bauschinger effect than tension followed by compression. This asymmetry of Bauschinger effect was more significant for higher porosity. Crack formation and propagation, observed in this study, were the main factors influencing the asymmetry in Bauschinger effect. Finite element analysis, based on the actual microstructure of the steels, yielded good agreement with the experimental stress-strain behavior. FEM showed that both the Bauschinger effect in the steel matrix and porosity contribute to the global Bauschinger effect of the PM steels.
Narrowband OFDM power line communication challenges, standardization, and semiconductor's role

In this paper, we focus on narrowband (NB) OFDM PLC standards and associated implementations operating in frequency bands below 500 kHz. With the emergence of the Smart Grid Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI), an international PLC standards gap was identified requiring new technology to serve market needs for higher bitrates and increased robustness [1]. This paper provides a brief history of PLC technology alternatives and the emergence of NB OFDM PLC solutions that fill this “standards gap”. We discuss power line channel impairments (e.g., noise, impedance) that we have measured on power grids and in dwellings such as in high rise buildings [2]. These studies have influenced emerging international NB OFDM PLC standards [3][4] and existing NB OFDM PLC solutions[5][6]. An important topic beyond NB PLC standardization is defining how the new modems coexist with legacy PLC modems operating in the same frequency band. SGIP PAP-15 [6] has done considerable work coordinating PLC coexistence requirements with IEEE P1901.2, ITU-T G.990x standards development; and PRIME and G3-PLC Alliances. Semiconductor's role is then to provide a hardware and software platform to realize a robust communications solution that can be deployed around the world. So then another important topic addressed is computational complexity. We roughly estimate modem computations as a function of signal bandwidth. This analysis shows that NB OFDM PLC standards can be implemented in software using a simple microprocessor; and in addition the same hardware platform can be used to implement the various standards.
Hand segmentation using learning-based prediction and verification for hand sign recognition

This paper presents a prediction-and-verification segmentation scheme wing attention images from multiple fixations. A major advantage of this scheme is that it can handle a large number of different deformable objects presented in complex backgrounds. The scheme is also relatively efficient since the segmentation is guided by the past knowledge through a prediction-and-verification scheme. The system has been tested to segment hands in the sequences of intensity images, where each sequence represents a hand sign. The experimental result showed a 95% correct segmentation rate with a 3% false rejection rate.
Probing the Carbonyl Functionality of a Petroleum Resin and Asphaltene through Oximation and Schiff Base Formation in Conjunction with N-15 NMR

Despite recent advances in spectroscopic techniques, there is uncertainty regarding the nature of the carbonyl groups in the asphaltene and resin fractions of crude oil, information necessary for an understanding of the physical properties and environmental fate of these materials. Carbonyl and hydroxyl group functionalities are not observed in natural abundance 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of asphaltenes and resins and therefore require spin labeling techniques for detection. In this study, the carbonyl functionalities of the resin and asphaltene fractions from a light aliphatic crude oil that is the source of groundwater contamination at the long term USGS study site near Bemidji, Minnesota, have been examined through reaction with 15N-labeled hydroxylamine and aniline in conjunction with analysis by solid and liquid state 15N NMR. Ketone groups were revealed through 15N NMR detection of their oxime and Schiff base derivatives, and esters through their hydroxamic acid derivatives. Anilinohydroquinone adducts provided evidence for quinones. Some possible configurations of the ketone groups in the resin and asphaltene fractions can be inferred from a consideration of the likely reactions that lead to heterocyclic condensation products with aniline and to the Beckmann reaction products from the initially formed oximes. These include aromatic ketones and ketones adjacent to quaternary carbon centers, β-hydroxyketones, β-diketones, and β-ketoesters. In a solid state cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) 15N NMR spectrum recorded on the underivatized asphaltene as a control, carbazole and pyrrole-like nitrogens were the major naturally abundant nitrogens detected.
The effects of UV-B irradiation on the corneal endothelium.

Rabbit eyes, in vivo and in vitro, were exposed to UV-B irradiation at 300 nm, from a mercury arc lamp with an 11 nm bandpass filter. Radiant exposure ranged from 0.1 J/cm2 to 0.5 J/cm2. In vivo, swelling of the cornea resulted over a 12 to 40 hr period, the extent and duration being directly related to exposure. Recovery of normal thickness was complete within four days. Corneas removed at 18 hr after exposure recovered normal thickness during a five hour perfusion period, except for those most heavily exposed. When removed at 42 hr post exposure all corneas thinned to almost normal thickness. SEM showed the endothelial cells of exposed eyes to have either exaggerated villi on the surface and a disorganized mosaic or, after higher exposures, to be devoid of villi and have loose, flap like cell borders and large “blebs.” After exposure of isolated corneas mounted for perfusion, swelling again ensued and similar changes were observed in the appearance of the cells, except that “blebs” were not found. No si...
Arthropod diversity in necrotic tissue of three species of columnar cacti (Cactaceae)

Nous comparons les especes d'insectes et d'arachnides trouvees au printemps et a l'ete dans des echantillons de tissus necrotiques de trois especes de cactus colonnaires, le cardon [Pachycereus pringlei (S. Watson) Britten et Rose], le « tuyau d'orgue » (Stenocereus thurberi Buxb.) et la senita [Lophocereus schottii (Engelm.) Britten et Rose], trois cactacees endemiques du desert de Sonora en Amerique du Nord. Au total, 9380 arthropodes appartenant a 34 especes, 23 familles, 10 ordres et 2 classes ont ete recoltes dans 36 echantillons. Les communautes d'arthropodes different par leur composition chez les trois especes hotes et varient d'une saison a l'autre. Ces differences sont sans doute fonction des variations des caracteristiques de l'hote, telles la composition chimique et les facteurs abiotiques comme le contenu hydrique et la temperature.
Privacy-preserving remote diagnostics

We present an efficient protocol for privacy-preserving evaluation of diagnostic programs, represented as binary decision trees or branching programs. The protocol applies a branching diagnostic program with classification labels in the leaves to the user's attribute vector. The user learns only the label assigned by the program to his vector; the diagnostic program itself remains secret. The program's owner does not learn anything. Our construction is significantly more efficient than those obtained by direct application of generic secure multi-party computation techniques.We use our protocol to implement a privacy-preserving version of the Clarify system for software fault diagnosis, and demonstrate that its performance is acceptable for many practical scenarios.
Magnetic Random Accessible Memory Based Magnetic Content Addressable Memory Cell Design

In this paper, we present a novel magnetic content addressable memory (MCAM) cell architecture. The proposed MCAM cell consists of four magnetic tunneling junction devices (MTJs). All previously proposed MCAM cell designs require both magnets of MTJ to be programmable. Such requirement poses a great challenge on device fabrication. This paper describe a new design based on conventional MTJs used in magnetic random accessible memory, i.e., only the top magnet is programmable while the bottom magnet is pinned. The feasibility of this design comes from the circuit connections based on the unique operation features of content addressable memory and the MTJs. The feasibility of the proposed operation has been demonstrated by numerical simulation.
US nationwide trends in carotid revascularization: hospital outcome and predictors of outcome from 1998 to 2007

Objectives The goals of the study were to assess US nationwide trends in hospital outcome following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) and to determine potential predictors of outcome. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample, constituting a 20% representative and stratified sample of non-federal US hospitals, was analyzed retrospectively from years 1998 to 2007. Results The annual number of CEA decreased (137,877–111,658) and increased for CAS (2318–14,415). Inhospital mortality following CEA decreased from 0.4% to 0.3% (P < 0.001), whereas long-term facility (LTF) discharge increased from 8.2% to 10.5% (P < 0.001). Discharge outcome improved for CAS in both categories (mortality 2–0.5%; LTF discharge 10.7–8.3%; both P < 0.001). The trend analysis revealed an increase in patient age and a worsening comorbid profile over time. Age, women, length of stay, atrial fibrillation, and carotid stenosis with infarction were important determinants of unfavorable hospital outcome. Conclusion From a nationwide practice perspective, the number of carotid revascularizations fell by 10%. CEA has resulted in stable hospital mortality rates. Meanwhile, CAS has been increasingly utilized with overall improvement in short-term outcome. Our results further suggest a decrease in the number of patients with treatment-eligible carotid disease over time. However, the increasing prevalence of high-risk comorbidity in the aging population may pose a challenge to revascularization strategies.
Private school vouchers and student achievement: A fixed effects quantile regression evaluation ☆

Fundamental to the recent debate over school choice is the issue of whether voucher programs actually improve students' academic achievement. Using newly developed quantile regression approaches, this paper investigates the distribution of achievement gains in the first school voucher program implemented in the US. We find that while high-performing students selected for the Milwaukee Parental Choice program had a positive, convexly increasing gain in mathematics, low-performing students had a nearly linear loss. However, the program seems to prevent low-performing students from having an even bigger loss experienced by students in the public schools.
The OPTIONS Model of Sexual Risk Assessment for Adolescents

Typically, clinical evaluations of adolescents' sexual risk is based on inquiring about past sexual activity, which is limited by not including an adolescent's cognitive decision making regarding their past sexual decisions. This study describes the novel OPTIONS framework for assessing adolescent sexual risk including three general categories of risk (e.g., primary, secondary, and tertiary risk), which is designed to overcome the limitation of action-based assessment of risk and improve practitioners' ability to assess the levels of sexual risk. A convenience sample of 201 older adolescents (18-19 years of age) completed an online version of the Relationship Options Survey (ROS), designed to measure the OPTIONS sexual risk assessment. Bivariate correlation among the subscales functioned in the hypothesized manner, with all correlations being statistically significant. Using the OPTIONS model, 22.4% participants were classified as high risk primary, 7.0% participants were classified as high risk secondary, and 27.4% participants were classified as high risk tertiary. The study provided preliminary evidence for OPTIONS model of sexual assessment, which provides a more tailored evaluation by including cognitive decisions regarding an adolescent's sexual actions.
High efficiency electrodes for deep brain stimulation

Deep brain stimulators are powered with primary cell batteries and require surgical replacement when they are depleted. We sought to decrease power consumption, and thereby increase device lifetime by increasing neuronal stimulating efficiency with novel electrode designs. Our hypothesis was that high-perimeter electrodes that increase the variation of current density on their surface would generate larger activating functions for surrounding neurons, hence increasing stimulation efficiency. We implemented finite element models of cylindrical DBS electrodes with conventional circular perimeters, with serpentine perimeters, and with segmented contacts. The high-perimeter electrodes significantly increased the variation of current density on the electrode surface. We randomly positioned a population of 100 model axons around the electrodes and quantified neural activation with 100 µs cathodic stimuli. Input-output curves of percentage axons activated as a function of stimulation intensity indicated that the novel electrode geometries decreased power consumption by up to ~20% for axons parallel to the electrode and up to ~35% for axons perpendicular to the electrode. Reduced power consumption achieved with these designs will reduce the costs and risks associated with surgeries to replace depleted stimulators.
Live Cell Cytotoxicity Studies: Documentation of the Interactions of Antitumor Active Dirhodium Compounds with Nuclear DNA

The promising antitumor activity of dirhodium complexes has been known for over 30 years. There remains, however, a general lack of understanding of their activity in cellulo. In this study, we report the DNA interactions and activity in living cells of six monosubstituted dirhodium(II,II) complexes of general formula (Rh2(µ-O2CCH3)2(η 1 -O2CCH3)(L)(CH3OH)) + , where L ) bpy (2,2'-bipyridine) (1), phen (1,10- phenanthroline) (2), dpq (dipyrido(3,2-f:2',3'-h)quinoxaline) (3), dppz (dipyrido(3,2-a:2',3'-c)phenazine) (4), dppn (benzo(i)dipyrido(3,2-a:2',3'-c)phenazine) (5), and dap (4,7-dihydrodibenzo(de,gh)(1,10)phenanthroline) (6). DNA interactions were investigated by UV/visible spectroscopy, relative viscosity measurements, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. These measurements indicate that compound 5 exhibits the strongest interaction with DNA. Compound 5 also causes the most damage to DNA after cellular internalization, as evaluated by the alkaline comet assay. Compound 5, however, is not the most effective at inhibiting cell viability of the human cancer cells HeLa and COLO-316. The greater hydrophobicity of 5 as compared to that of 4, which is the most effective compound in the series, hinders its ability to reach its cellular target(s). Data from modulation studies of glutathione using N-acetylcysteine and L-buthionine-sulfoximine indicate that changes in glutathione levels do not affect the activity of these particular dirhodium complexes. These results suggest that glutathione is not the only agent involved in the deactivation of these dirhodium complexes.
Landbird Migration in the American West: Recent Progress and Future Research Directions

Abstract. Our knowledge of avian behaviors during the nonbreeding period still lags behind that of the breeding season, but the last decade has witnessed a proliferation in research that has yielded significant progress in understanding migration patterns of North American birds. And, although historically the great majority of migration research has been conducted in the eastern half of the continent, there has been much recent progress on aspects of avian migration in the West. In particular, expanded use of techniques such as radar, plasma metabolites, mist-netting, count surveys, stable isotopes, genetic data, and animal tracking, coupled with an increase in multi-investigator collaborations, have all contributed to this growth of knowledge. There is increasing recognition that migration is likely the most limiting time of year for migratory birds, increasing the importance of continuing to decipher patterns of stopover ecology, identifying critical stopover habitats, and documenting migration routes ...
Everybody's talking: using entertainment–education video to reduce barriers to discussion of cervical cancer screening among Thai women

Although Southeast Asian women are at exceedingly high risk for cervical cancer, low rates of the Pap testing necessary for early detection and successful treatment continue among this group. Previous research suggests that discussions about Pap testing with important people in a woman's life, particularly her doctor, may increase the likelihood of screening; therefore increasing women's discussions about cancer screenings is an important step toward behavior change. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive, seven-minute video intervention in reducing barriers to discussions about Pap tests among Thai women. This unique video presented Thai actors, speaking in Thai, in a soap opera format. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at 3-month follow-up. The comparison group received an educational pamphlet. Although the results indicated that both groups experienced reductions in barriers to communicating with others about Pap tests, the intervention group had significantly stronger outcomes than the comparison group for communicating about Pap tests in general as well as to doctors. These findings suggest that intermediate communication effects such as self-efficacy, collective efficacy and perhaps interpersonal communication may reduce barriers to discussion and positive decision making regarding Pap tests.
Seeking the wisdom of crowds through challenge-based competitions in biomedical research.

“Challenge-based competitions” refers to a framework for addressing fundamental research questions in which the community is presented with a challenge, the data to address the challenge, and independent, unbiased assessment to rank submitted solutions. Although the typical result of such efforts is a robust performance evaluation of diverse methodologies, challenge-based competitions reach far beyond algorithm assessment. Here, we discuss the impact of challenge-based competitions in the areas of organizing and building communities and driving innovation. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2013); 93 5, 396–398. doi:10.1038/clpt.2013.36
Undoped semi-insulating LEC GaAs: a model and a mechanism

Undoped semi-insulating GaAs grown by the high-pressure liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) method has been produced for use in direct ion implantation in several laboratories. A clear understanding of the factors controlling impurity transport and compensation in these materials has been lacking to date. In this work, detailed characterization has been performed on undoped semi-insulating crystals grown from both SiO2 and PBN crucibles followed by a proposed impurity model and compensation mechanism.
Cognitive radios power control game under Rayleigh slow fading channel

In cognitive radio networks, power control is considered to be a very important concern where secondary users, which are equipped with cognitive radios, try to access the unused spectrum of licensed primary users in an opportunistic way. Cognitive radios enable the secondary users to sense the presence of primary users and tune the channel (spectrum band) which is not in use at any time for its use. However, the interactions between secondary users are the only parameters which have been considered in most of the existing studies in this space, and the impact of primary user behaviors has been ignored. Hence, a novel realistic primary-secondary game-theoretic scheme is proposed in this study which rewards primary user for sharing its spectrum and allows secondary users to achieve energy-efficient transmissions. In general, the additive white Gaussian noise channel model is considered to be poor to describe the transmission channel and one must resort to more precise and realistic models such as fading channels. The proposed work here extends the fast flat fading models investigated in [1] and [2] to consider slow flat fading channels, where Rayleigh slow flat fading channel is analyzed and a closed-form expression is derived for the average utility functions. The existence and uniqueness of Nash equilibrium are also shown. Finally, detailed simulation results are presented to verify the performance of the scheme under realistic channel conditions compared to AWGN channel model.
Hematologic Disorders and Bone Marrow–Peripheral Blood Dynamics

Hematologic disorders such as the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are discussed. The lingering controversies related to various diseases are highlighted. A simple biomathematical model of bone marrow - peripheral blood dynamics in the normal state is proposed and used to investigate cell behavior in normal hematopoiesis from a mathematical viewpoint. Analysis of the steady state and properties of the model are used to make postulations about the phenomenon of massive apoptosis in MDS. Simulations of the model show situations in which homeostatic equi- librium can be achieved and maintained. Consequently, it is postulated that hematopoietic growth factors may possess the capabilities of preventing oscillatory dynamics and enhancing faster evo- lution towards homeostatic equilibrium.
Uncertainty in Evaluating Landslide Hazard and Risk

In many countries landslides are widespread in space and time as to constitute the natural disaster which generates a yearly loss of property greater than that derived from any other catastrophe such as earthquakes, tornadoes and floods. This is largely true for Italy where the interaction of geological, geomorphological and climatic factors has led to a geomorphic evolution of the slopes mainly controlled by mass-movement. Hence, throughout the hilly and mountainous areas of the country, every year hundreds of failures take place damaging lifelines, dwellings and crop yields (Cotecchia, 1978; Canuti, 1982).
Changes in biomass and root:shoot ratio of field-grown Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), a noxious, invasive weed, with elevated CO2: implications for control with glyphosate

Abstract Canada thistle was grown under field conditions in 2000 and 2003 at ambient and elevated (∼ 350 μmol mol−1 above ambient) carbon dioxide [CO2] to assess how rising [CO2] alters growth, biomass allocation, and efficacy of the postemergent herbicide glyphosate. By the time of glyphosate application, approximately 2 mo after emergence, elevated CO2 had resulted in significant increases in both root and shoot biomass. However, the relative positive effect of [CO2] was much larger for root, relative to shoot growth, during this period (2.5- to 3.3-fold vs. 1.2- to 1.4-fold, respectively) with a subsequent increase in root to shoot ratio. Glyphosate was applied at 2.24 kg ae ha−1 in 2000 and 2003. Subjective classification of leaf damage in shoots after spraying indicated no significant difference in the extent of necrosis in aboveground tissue as a function of CO2 concentration. After a 6-wk regrowth period, significant reductions in shoot and root biomass relative to unsprayed plots were observed und...
Anishinaabe Artists, of the Great Lakes? Problematizing the Exhibition of Place in Native American Art

This article discusses the relationship between Native American art and place as a curatorial strategy in the recent exhibition Before and After the Horizon: Anishinaabe Artists of the Great Lakes. It is argued that while the Anishinaabe connection to the Great Lakes region as a spiritual, cultural, and epistemological center is essential to the art of the exhibition, the curators present this place as timeless and unchanging. The result is an interpretation of the Native American relationship to place that is idealized, ahistorical, and inaccurate to the tumultuous legacy of colonialism. Rather, as the art on display makes clear despite the curatorial context, the relationship to place is dynamic and changing. Other recent exhibitions of indigenous art show that these curatorial decisions were not unavoidable and that Native American art can be exhibited to show that its relationship to place has adapted and changed while still being maintained.
Decentering the Ego in Emily Dickinson's NARROW FELLOW

Harvard's 1951 and 1998 editions of Emily Dickinson's poetry detail the poet's objections to the way her work was misrepresented when it was published anonymously and without her authorization in t...
Reorganization in awake rat auditory cortex by local microstimulation and its effect on frequency-discrimination behavior.

In common with other sensory cortices, the mammalian primary auditory cortex (AI) demonstrates the capacity for large-scale reorganization following many experimental situations. For example, train...
Energy-Efficient Active Reflectors with Improved Mechanical Stability

Active reflectors use an array of distributed actuators to control static surface deformations. In addition to meeting mission requirements with lower mass and lower costs, an active reflector adds robustness to a mission design by allowing for correction of unexpected orbital deformations. To control the wavefront of an active reflector, first the surface aberration is measured (via, e.g., a Shack-Hartmann sensor, direct imaging of the reflector surface, interferometric metrology, imagebased PSF estimation, or other methods). Based on an actuator sensitivity matrix, a voltage profile is calculated that best reduces the observed aberration. In addition to controlling the static wavefront, piezoelectric actuators can easily be used to control structural vibrations in the frequency ranges of interest for active reflectors (50 to 2000Hz). Operational vibrations (e.g., microdynamics, ACS-induced vibrations, slew, thermally-induced stick-slip events) can effectively be rejected from the reflector system. Launch load vibrations are typically drivers for structural requirements, and typical mission concepts would have reflector actuators unpowered or shorted during launch. By incorporating a vibration control system into the actuator power circuitry, launch loads on the fragile reflector structure can be significantly reduced. By improving the electromechanical coupling and deliberately operating in a new nonlinear piezoelectric regime, we have optimized the surface correction and use the same actuators developed for surface control as structural control elements. This has yielded improved performance in terms of power draw and also enabled vibration suppression for launch load and operational disturbances.
Acute general edema of the brain in children with head injuries.

A FEW months ago I presented to the New England Surgical Society some observations1 based on a series of 7 children, varying in age from ten months to eleven years, who had presented symptoms and signs strongly suggestive of extradural hemorrhage, but whose recovery without operation was so rapid and complete as to cast doubt on this diagnosis. In most cases the child fell and struck his head on the floor or ground, and in about half, there was initial unconsciousness with fairly prompt recovery from this state. Only 2 of the children suffered from traumatic shock. At an interval . . .
Primary Cosmetic Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is difficult to learn to do well and, once learned as a surgical technique, is difficult as far as maintaining consistently satisfying results. It requires mastery of a complicated, blind technique; the ability to predict distant results; and artistic taste —the recognition of what looks good and what does not.
A mother who refuses to vaccinate her child.

Physicians may find it incredible that some parents are reluctant to immunize their children despite the tremendous successes of vaccines in decreasing the morbidity and mortality of childhood diseases.
Obstetrician call schedule and obstetric outcomes among women eligible for a trial of labor after cesarean

Background Reducing cesarean deliveries is a major public health goal. The low rate of vaginal birth after cesarean has been attributed largely to a decrease in the likelihood of choosing a trial of labor after cesarean, despite evidence suggesting a majority of women with 1 prior low transverse cesarean are trial of labor after cesarean candidates. Although a number of reasons for this decrease have been explored, it remains unclear how systems issues such as physician call schedules influence delivery approach and mode in this context. Objective The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between obstetricians' call schedule and obstetric outcomes among women eligible for a trial of labor after cesarean. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of the likelihood of attempting a trial of labor after cesarean and achieving vaginal birth after cesarean among women with 1 prior low transverse cesarean delivery and a term, cephalic singleton gestation based on the delivering provider's call schedule. Attending obstetrician call schedules were classified as traditional or night float call. Night float call was defined as a schedule in which the provider had clinical responsibilities only for a day or night shift, without other clinical responsibilities before or after the period of responsibility for laboring patients. Call schedules are determined by individual provider groups. Bivariable analyses and random-effects logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between obstetricians' call schedule and the frequency of trial of labor after cesarean. Secondary outcomes including frequency of vaginal birth after cesarean and maternal and neonatal outcomes also were assessed. Results Of 1502 eligible patients, 556 (37%) were delivered by physicians in a night float call system. A total of 22.6% underwent a trial of labor after cesarean and 12.8% achieved vaginal birth after cesarean; the vaginal birth after cesarean rate for women attempting a trial of labor after cesarean was 56.5%. Women were more likely to undergo a trial of labor after cesarean (33.1% vs 16.5%, P P P = .03), chorioamnionitis (4.3% vs 1.7%, P = .002), postpartum hemorrhage (7.6% vs 4.8%, P = .03), and neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (6.8% vs 3.9%, P = .01), these associations did not persist when the population was limited to women attempting trial of labor after cesarean. Conclusion Although physicians working on a night float call system were significantly more likely to have patients with a prior cesarean undergo trial of labor after cesarean and achieve vaginal birth after cesarean, their patients also were more likely to experience maternal and neonatal morbidity. However, these differences did not persist when limiting analyses to women attempting a trial of labor after cesarean. Using a night float call schedule may be an effective measure to promote a trial of labor after cesarean and vaginal birth after cesarean.
Sodium and Water Homeostasis

Regulation of body fluid composition requires the integrated regulation of total body sodium balance and the osmolal distribution of water between the intracellular and extracellular water compartments. This review outlines the different afferent and efferent mechanisms that are involved in sodium and water metabolism and the clinical diagnosis and treatment of disturbances in sodium and water homeostasis.
A Novel Six-Bar Mechanism for Executing Motion Trajectories of Sit-to-Stand Transformation in a Multifunctional Mobility Assist Device

This paper presents a novel six-bar Sit-to-Stand (STS) linkage mechanism integrated in a multi-functional assistive device1, that helps improve mobility of individuals with lower extremity weaknesses. The six-bar linkage follows the J-shaped trajectory of the shoulder-joint and maintains orientation of the supporting bar for the comfort and ergonomics. An overall goal was to design a device that is comfortable to the user during STS transformation, compact, light-weight, portable and one that requires minimum number of external actuators. By following the natural posture and movement of certain joints, a biomechanically correct STS motion is achieved. A natural motion ensures minimum stresses on joints and muscles and if the user can move their legs, they can undergo ambulation therapy and stimulate functional neural pathways. Dynamic analysis is done on the mechanism to design a frame and to select actuators for lifting a person weighing 300lbs. The device was tried by individuals with lower extremity weaknesses and the results showed that it lifts users well and also helps balance and stabilize them during ambulation.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Validity of Pitch Velocity and Strike Percentage to Assess Fatigue in Young Baseball Pitchers

Although coaches chart pitch velocity (PV) and strike percentage (SP) to assess pitcher fatigue levels, the validity of these tools has not been quantified in young pitchers. The purpose of this st...
MICROPROCESSOR IMPLEMENTED SUB-OPTIMUM SMITH CONTROLLERS FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL

Abstract The Smith dead time compensator is configured to operate with the Dahlin or the dead-beat controller. The innovation suggested in this paper is to avoid the estimation of the process dead time which is needed in the conventional Smith predictor scheme. This feature is believed to be a practical asset in real life applications where the estimation of the dead time may prove to be difficult. As expected, elimination of the dead time estimation increases the output variance. Further contribution of the paper is to show that the initially designed Smith compensator can always be made stable by placing a low pass filter in the feedback path and adjusting the bandwidth of the filter. The intuitive argument behind this approach is to make the overall system less sensitive to high frequency noise. Finally, these concepts are demonstrated on a pilot scale temperature control system.
Influences of Gravity Waves on Convectively Induced Turbulence (CIT): A Review

Thunderstorms are known to produce turbulence. Such turbulence is commonly referred to as convectively induced turbulence or CIT, and can be hazardous to aviation. Although this turbulence can occur both within and outside the convection, out-of-cloud CIT is particularly hazardous, since it occurs in clear air and cannot be seen by eye or onboard radar. Furthermore, due to its small scale and its ties to the underlying convection, it is very difficult to forecast. Guidelines for out-of-cloud CIT avoidance are available, but they are oversimplified and can be misleading. In the search for more appropriate and physically based avoidance guidelines, considerable research has been conducted in recent years on the nature of the phenomenon, and in particular, its connection to gravity waves generated by the convection. This paper reviews the advances in our understanding of out-of-cloud CIT and its relation to convective gravity waves, and provides several detailed examples of observed cases to elucidate some of the underlying dynamics.
Solid-state bonding of silicon chips to copper substrates with graded circular micro-trenches

Silicon (Si) chips of 5 mm × 5 mm were bonded directly to copper (Cu) substrates using solid-state process at 300 °C without using any die-attach materials. A static pressure of 6.9 MPa was applied. To deal with the large mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between Si and Cu, graded circular micro-trenches were fabricated on the Cu substrates. The micro-trenches provide space for Cu material to move into during the bonding process where the Cu surface incurs plastic deformation to conform to Si bottom surface for intimate contact. The micro-trenches also help relax stresses on the bonding interface caused by the fact that Cu contracts significantly more than Si during cooling down. The results obtained are encouraging, implying that the concept of using micro-trenches work. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images on cross sections of bonded structures show that Si chips were well bonded to Cu substrates without voids or defects on the interface and without any cracks on Si chip. Shear test were performed on six samples. It turned out that, of all six samples, the Si chip fractured first and the entire Si bottom surface was stilled well bonded to the Cu substrate. The average breakage force of Si chips on six samples is 13.5 Kgf. The breakage force of the joint cannot be determined but is certainly higher than 13.5 Kgf, which is more than twice of the specification American Military Standard. The new chip bonding structure with solid-state process reported in this paper eliminates the use of die-attach materials and the thermal resistance associated with the die-attach. It also removes the operating temperature limit constrained by the melting temperature of die-attach materials. We except this new bonding structure design to be a valuable alternative to high power and high temperature devices.
A Tunable, High-Gain, Very Low-Profile Composite Monopole Antenna for Low-Frequency Applications

This paper presents an extremely low-profile frequency-tunable composite antenna with enhanced gain and an omnidirectional radiation pattern. The antenna is based on a recently developed very short two-legged monopole antenna and consists of one driven element and eight identical parasitic coupled elements. By utilizing the mutual coupling between elements, the radiation resistance of the antenna is significantly increased, leading to considerable gain enhancement and better matching performance. The composite antenna has the same height as the single monopole ( $\lambda _{0}/150$ ) but a larger lateral dimension ( $\lambda _{0}/16$ ). The performance of the proposed antenna is compared with that of a single monopole antenna. It is shown that the peak gain of the composite antenna is about 10 dB higher than that of the monopole antenna. The design is then modified for frequency tunability to achieve frequency agility and higher bandwidth for certain modulations like frequency hopping spread spectrum. The fractional bandwidth of the tunable antenna is 3.32%, and the gain is further improved at higher frequencies. A new method of effectively measuring a monopole antenna with an electrically small ground plane using cascaded transformers is also presented and discussed.