cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypergraph and Protein Function Prediction with Gene Expression Data

Most network-based protein (or gene) function prediction methods are based on the assumption that the labels of two adjacent proteins in the network are likely to be the same. However, assuming the pairwise relationship between proteins or genes is not complete. The information a group of genes that show very similar patterns of expression and tend to have similar functions (i.e. the functional modules) is missed. The natural way overcoming the information loss of the above assumption is to represent the gene expression data as the hypergraph. Thus, in this paper, the three un-normalized, random walk, and symmetric normalized hypergraph Laplacian based semi- supervised learning methods applied to hypergraph constructed from the gene expression data in order to predict the functions of yeast proteins are introduced. Experiment results show that the average accuracy performance measures of these three hypergraph Laplacian based semi-supervised learning methods are the same. However, their average accuracy performance measures of these three methods are much greater than the average accuracy performance measures of un-normalized graph Laplacian based semi-supervised learning method (i.e. the baseline method of this paper) applied to gene co-expression network created from the gene expression data. 
Usage‐Based Pricing Differentiation for Communication Networks: Incomplete Information and Limited Pricing Choices

This chapter focuses on “economics‐based” pricing schemes for managing communication networks. It answers two questions such as how to design simple pricing schemes to achieve the best trade‐off between complexity and performance and how does the network information structure impact the design of pricing schemes. The chapter considers the revenue maximization problem of a monopolist service provider facing multiple groups of users. Each user determines its optimal resource demand to maximize the surplus, which is the difference between its utility and payment. The chapter shows that the complete price differentiation (CP) scheme is the optimal pricing scheme to maximize the revenue under complete information. In economics, price differentiation is often categorized by the first/second/third‐degree price differentiation taxonomy.
Video background subtraction using online infinite dirichlet mixture models

Video background subtraction is an essential task in computer vision for detecting moving objects in video sequences. In this paper, we propose a novel Bayesian nonparametric statistical approach to subtract video background. The proposed approach is based on a mixture of Dirichlet processes with Dirichlet distributions, which can be considered as an infinite Dirichlet mixture model. Compared to other background subtraction approaches, the proposed one has the advantages that it is more robust and adaptive to dynamic background, and it has the ability to handel multi-modal background distributions. Moreover, thanks to the nature of nonparametric Bayesian models, the determination of the correct number of components is sidestepped by assuming that there is an infinite number of components. Our results demonstrate the merits of the proposed approach.
Pediatric Feeding Disorders

Abstract Estimates suggest that up to 25% of typically developing children and 80% of children with developmental disabilities have a feeding problem at some point in their lifetime (Manikam & Perman, 2000). In most cases, the etiology of pediatric feeding disorders is complex and involves interactions between physiological, medical, oral-motor, and environmental factors (Rommel, DeMeyer, Feenstra, & Veereman-Wauters, 2003). Therefore, an interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial to ensure the child’s safety and success with oral feeding during intervention. Currently, procedures based on applied behavior analysis have the most empirical support as treatment for pediatric feeding disorders, when a child does not eat or drink a sufficient quantity or variety of food to maintain proper nutrition. This chapter summarizes the assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders based on a functional analysis and areas for future research to indicate which treatment will be most effective and efficient.
Chapter 29 Critical care myopathies

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on critical care myopathies. Two distinct syndromes commonly develop as a consequence of critical illness: an axonal sensory-motor polyneuropathy—critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP)—and an acute myopathy—critical illness myopathy (CIM). CIM is associated with the use of high-dose corticosteroids and neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs). The clinical presentation of CIM is that of a myopathy that develops acutely but is often difficult to recognize early because of coexisting encephalopathy and/or sedation. In the setting of critical illness, the greatest risk factors for the development of CIM are high-dose corticosteroids, usually a total dose of 1000 mg of methylprednisolone or the equivalent, and nondepolarizing NMBAs. Electrophysiologic studies are essential in the evaluation of a critically ill patient with limb weakness or the person who is slow to wean from mechanical ventilation. Information provided by these studies may confirm the presence of a neuromuscular disorder and, in most circumstances, also allow differentiation among neuropathy, myopathy, or a disorder of neuromuscular transmission.
Role of Cathode in Single Chamber Sofc

The role of the catalytic activity of the cathode materials on the open circuit voltage (OCV) of single clamber solid oxide fuel cell (SC-SOFC) was investigated. Ni-cermet has been proven to be as a very efficient catalyst for fuel and used as anode. On the other hand, typical cathode materials (perovskite oxides) are also known as catalytically active for fuel oxidation and therefore affect the OCV of the cell. Cells with a mixture of doped ceria and (La, Sr)(Co; Fe)O 3 (LSCF) as cathode, and Ag as reference electrode on doped ceria electrolyte (SDC) were prepared and tasted in single chamber configuration. The OCV increased as SDC content decreased and reached values as high as 0.1V for pure LSCF. A pomer density of∼140 mW/cm 2 was obtained at 600°C using Ni-cermed anode and LSCF-10% SDC cathode.
Noticias de un país que desaparece: «raros» puertorriqueños de hoy

Puerto Rican culture articulates itself as an anti-colonial resistance characterized by strategies of simulation, opacity and invisibility (disappearance) that enact an «out-of-place» in which an autonomous national and social subject is constantly reformulated. Recent expressions of «escrituras raras» (weird, strange, eccentric, difficult writing) assume difficulty of comprehension, fragmentation, and challenges to conventional modes of representation as so many out-of-places that allow a long anti-systemic and anti-colonial tradition to survive to this day.
Perceptual Adaptation with Selective Reductions of Felt Sensation

Hypnotic anesthesia was used to reduce sensation in the adapting arm during prism displacement. Magnitude of adaptation to displacement was assessed by negative aftereffects (NA), proprioceptive sh...
Lethal amounts of ricinine in green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) (Suzler) fed on castor bean plants

Abstract The green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) when fed on leaves of the castor bean plant Ricinus communis L. died 8 to 24 h later. Extraction and subsequent thin layer chromatographic (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analyses separated and showed the presence of ricinine in aphids fed on castor bean plants but not in aphids fed on leaves of Phaseolus vulgaris L. The results indicate that plant allelochemicals, which may be present in the phloem, play a role in plant defence mechanisms against aphids.
Iterative principal axes registration: A new algorithm for retrospective correlation of MR-PET brain images

Registration of Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Positron Emission Tomographic (PET) images is a crucial step in multi-modality brain image analysis. We have developed a technique which we call iterative principal axes registration (IPAR). Using this method, partial volumes of PET images can be accurately registered with complete MR scans. We will present qualitative and quantitative results of the new method. These results show that IPAR is accurate and practical as a registration method for MR-PET correlation studies.
Adsorption of closed-shell molecules on metallic surfaces: Capabilities and limitations of density functional theory

Abstract By means of density functional theory (DFT), we study the electronic structure of a benzene molecule on a (1 1 1) oriented Au surface, which is a prototypical system for closed-shell molecules adsorbed on non-reactive metallic surfaces. We show that the electronic structure of such a system is well described by the DFT approach. An inclusion of the van der Waals interaction is important only for structural details. Fixing the structure by other means, the method therefore provides adequate results for the charge density as well as the density of states.
The response of fetal sheep bladder tissue to partial outlet obstruction

Purpose: We characterized the response of fetal ovine bladder strips to stimulated contraction and relaxation, and compared this response to that of strips from the pregnant mother and those obtained after a short duration of fetal bladder outlet obstruction.Materials and Methods: Sham surgery or bladder obstruction was performed in fetal sheep at 90 days of gestation (term 147 days). Bladder tissue was obtained 3 and 5 days later. Isolated strips of full-thickness bladders from fetuses and pregnant females were mounted individually in Tyrode’s solution containing glucose. The strips were subjected to electrical field stimulation. Alternate strips were stimulated by adding carbachol, adenosine triphosphate and KCl. Each strip stimulated by carbachol also underwent field stimulation in the presence of carbachol. Relaxation was also tested using isoproterenol and nitroprusside.Results: The response of isolated strips to field stimulation showed phasic contraction or biphasic response, consisting of initial ...
Immaturity associated antigens are lost during induction for T cell lymphoblastic leukemia: implications for minimal residual disease detection

Background: Induction chemotherapy for acute leukemia often leads to antigenic shifts in residual abnormal blast populations. Studies in precursor B cell ALL (B-ALL) have demonstrated that chemotherapy commonly results in the loss of antigens associated with immaturity, limiting their utility for minimal residual disease (MRD) detection. Little information is available about the stability of these antigens in precursor T cell ALL (T-ALL) though it is presumed that CD99 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) are highly informative based on limited studies. Methods: In a longitudinal investigation, we explored patterns of lineage specific and immaturity-associated antigens in T-ALL in a large cohort of patients treated under the multicenter Children's Oncology Group (COG) protocol. All samples were analyzed using multicolor flow cytometry in a standardized fashion at a single institution. Results: We report that markers of immaturity particularly, TdT and CD99, dramatically decline on leukemic blasts during therapy. CD34 and CD10 expression is confined to a minority of pretreatment samples and is also not stable. In contrast, lineage-associated markers including CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD7, and CD8 failed to show significant trends. Conclusions: Our study strongly argues for expansion of immunophenotyping panels for T-ALL MRD to decrease reliance on immature antigens. This study represents the first demonstration of consistent immunophenotypic shifts in T-ALL. © 2010 Clinical Cytometry Society
Graphical user interface system for 3D medical image analysis

The utility of 3D medical images has been limited by difficulties in analyzing and making measurements on the images. To tackle these problems, interactive workstation-based systems have been devised for visualizing and quantitating structures in 3D images. Unfortunately, these systems generally demand time-consuming, subjective, error-prone human interaction. To reduce the disadvantages of purely interactive techniques, some recent efforts have combined automatic image analysis with human interaction. These efforts demonstrate that for complex 3D medical applications, a judicious combination of human interaction and automatic computer-based processing is essential. We describe a system called INTERSEG (INTERactive SEGmentation) that combines human interaction and automatic processing for 3D radiological image analysis. INTERSEG is a graphical user interface system that can be used to: (1) construct interactively defined region cues; (2) invoke automatic image analysis; and (3) peruse/visualize analyzed images. The cues, which are easy to construct, convey problem-specific information and define the image-analysis task. The paper focuses on INTERSEG's capabilities for human interaction and visualization.
The lateral cerebral peduncle: Its functional significance for the acquisition of visual and kinesthetic discriminations in the rat

Previous studies have failed to support the theory of transcortical connections as the mechanism of sensorimotor integration and a subcortical pathway has been implicated. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the significance of the lateral portion of the cerebral peduncle for the acquisition of visual pattern discrimination habits and to show its specificity for visual tasks. Twenty-two albino rats received bilateral lesions in the cerebral peduncle. Ten rats served as sham-operate controls. Following a 2-week recovery period, all Ss were overtrained on both a horizontal-vertical visual discrimination problem and an inclined-plane kinesthetic discrimination problem. A three-way analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated that the Ss did not differ with respect to the number of errors prior to the attainment of criterion on either problem. The analysis did indicate, however, that the experimental animals were inferior to the control rats in the number of days required to reach criterion, and acquisition of the visual problem required more days than acquisition of the kinesthetic problem. The Ss did not differ in the percentage of correct responses made during overtraining on either problem. It was also found that no significant relationship existed between the performance on the visual or kinesthetic problem and the amount of damage to the cerebral peduncle, substantia nigra, pedunculo-nigral area, or total damage to the brain. These results are interpreted as support of the theory of the existence of a mesencephalic mechanism for the integration of sensory, motor, attentional, and emotional-motivational systems and points to the cerebral peduncle as an important corticoreticular pathway in that system.
Multi-vehicle coordination for double-integrator dynamics under fixed undirected/directed interaction in a sampled-data setting

This paper studies the convergence of two coordination algorithms for double-integrator dynamics under fixed undirected/ directed interaction in a sampled-data setting. The first algorithm guarantees that a team of vehicles achieves coordination on their positions with a zero final velocity while the second algorithm guarantees that a team of vehicles achieves coordination on their positions with a constant final velocity. We show necessary and sufficient conditions on the sampling period, the control gain, and the communication graph such that coordination is achieved using these two algorithms under, respectively, an undirected interaction topology and a directed interaction topology. Tools like matrix theory, bilinear transformation, and Cauchy theorem are used for convergence analysis. Coordination equilibria for both algorithms are also given. Simulation results are presented as a proof of concept. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal properties and thermal instabilities of InP-based heterojunction bipolar transistors

We investigate the physical parameters which are critical to the understanding of the thermal phenomena in InP-based heterojunction bipolar transistors. These parameters include thermal resistance, thermal-electric feedback coefficient, current gain, and base-collector leakage current. We examine the thermal instability behavior in multi-finger HBTs, and observe for the first time the collapse of current gain in InP-based HBTs. Based on both measurement and modeling results, we establish the reasons why the collapse is rarely observed in InP HBT's, in a sharp contrast to AlGaAs/GaAs HBT's. We compare the similarities and differences on how InP-based HBT, GaAs-based HBT, and Si-based bipolar transistors react once the thermal instability condition is met. Finally, we describe the issues involved in the design of InP HBTs.
Evaluation of the Beckman ASTRA enzyme system.

We have evaluated the ASTRA enzyme analyzer. Six enzymes can be analyzed individually or as part of a larger profile of chemistry tests. The system can analyze all six enzymes at a rate of 35–40 specimens per hour. Within-run and day-to-day precision were comparable to that of other enzyme analyzers. A useful feature of the ASTRA enzyme analyzer permits the automatic reassay of specimens having activities that exceed certain defined limits. A comparison of methods for the ASTRA enzyme analyzer with those used on the SMA 12/60 and the ABA-100 showed good correlation with minimal random error.
Severe, Early‐Onset Emphysema with Normal α1‐Antitrypsin Levels in Nonsmokers: A Clinical Dilemma

Approximately 85% of all cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are attributed to cigarette smoking. The only other established risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that is of comparable importance is the deficiency of alpha1‐antitrypsin, a rare genetic defect that is present in less than 1% of all cases. Other risk factors are not well characterized in the literature. This article describes one patient without a significant smoking history and a normal alpha1‐antitrypsin level that developed severe early‐onset emphysema and gives a brief discussion about other genetic and environmental risk factors for the development of emphysema.
A 2D surface morphology–composition gradient panel for protein-binding assays

Abstract We designed a two-dimensional (2D) morphology–composition gradient panel, which has a gradient in surface morphology at constant chemical composition along its length and a gradient in surface chemical composition without change of surface morphology in the orthogonal direction. The panels, which exhibit a 2D gradient in surface wettability, were fabricated by thermolysis of parylene-C followed by oxygen-plasma treatment for various times. As a demonstration study, binding of three different biotinylated serum proteins (B-IgG, B-A, and B-TF) to the 2D panel was investigated. The 2D gradient panels will facilitate development of optimized binding surfaces for various biotechnological applications.
Activation in brain energy regulation and reward centers by food cues varies with choice of visual stimulus.

Objective: To develop a non-invasive method of studying brain mechanisms involved in energy homeostasis and appetite regulation in humans by using visual food cues that are relevant to individuals attempting weight loss. Design: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare brain activation in regions of interest between groups of food photographs. Participants: Ten healthy, non-obese women who were not dieting for weight loss. Measurements: Independent raters viewed food photographs and evaluated whether the foods depicted should be eaten by individuals attempting a calorically-restricted diet. Based on their responses, we categorized photographs into 'non-fattening' and 'fattening' food groups, the latter characterized by high-caloric content and usually also high-fat or high-sugar content. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response was measured by fMRI while participants viewed photographs of 'fattening' food, 'non-fattening' food, and non-food objects. Results: Viewing photographs of fattening food compared with non-food objects resulted in significantly greater activation in the brainstem; hypothalamus; left amygdala; left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; left orbitofrontal cortex; right insular cortex; bilateral striatum, including the nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, and putamen; bilateral thalamus; and occipital lobe. By comparison, only the occipital region had greater activation by non-fattening food than by object photographs. Combining responses to all food types resulted in attenuation of activation in the brainstem, hypothalamus, and striatum. Conclusion: These findings suggest that, in non-obese women, neural circuits engaged in energy homeostasis and reward processing are selectively attuned to representations of high-calorie foods that are perceived as fattening. Studies to investigate hormonal action or manipulation of energy balance may benefit from fMRI protocols that contrast energy-rich food stimuli with non-food or low-calorie food stimuli.
Modeling power forward prices for power with spikes: a non-Markovian approach

We obtain an analytical expression for the power forward prices in the case when the dynamics of the power spot prices with spikes are described by the non-Markovian stochastic process proposed earlier by the author. We also show how the power forward prices far from the maturity time of the forward contracts on power do not exhibit spikes while the power spot prices do.
A Critical Analysis of Innovations in Construction Manager-at-Risk Project Delivery

Construction Manager-at-Risk (CMR) is an integrated delivery approach to the planning, design, and construction of civil engineering projects. CMR is well accepted in the building industry and is beginning to emerge as a viable delivery method for transportation projects. This paper correlates a comprehensive literature review documenting the advantages and disadvantages of CMR innovation with the output of 19 case studies involving structured interviews of project practitioners in the U.S. building, highway, airport, and rail transit sectors. The primary topical areas include the cost, scheduling, and quality aspects of CMR. The paper concludes that the innovations reported in the literature are not actually applicable to all types of projects. While the case study interviews confirmed at least one instance of each cited advantage, the primary innovation that can reshape construction practice lies in the constructability, biddability, and sustainability input that the constructor makes during the preconstruction services phase of a CMR contract. The paper recommends that owners leverage this advantage by carefully synchronizing both the design contract and the CMR preconstruction services contract.
A simple, three-parameter equation of state for calculating the limit of superheat of a liquid

Abstract A simple, three-parameter equation of state is proposed which provides excellent predictions of the limit of superheat or spinodal temperature of liquids. The equation is a special case of a more complicated equation of state and corrects a problem with unrealistic second virial coefficient predictions.
Carleman inequalities for the Dirac and Laplace operators and unique continuation

On demontre les meilleures inegalites de type Carleman possibles dans le cas de l'operateur de Dirac. On obtient la propriete de prolongement unique pour D+V, ou V∈L loc γ(R n ), γ=(3n-2)/2, (n≥3)
X-ray scattering study of the conversion of poly(p-phenylene vinylene precursor to the conjugated polymer

Abstract We have studied the transition of the highly oriented precursor of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) [PPV] to the conjugated PPV by using X-ray scattering. The conversion was achieved by thermal treatment of oriented precursor polymer films. The data show an increase in the crystallinity with conversion. The evolution of the scattering linewidths suggests that the PPV crystal domains formed during conversion grow in size with further thermal treatment. While conversion reduces the interchain distances, the longitudinal unit cell length increases. At higher conversions, packing of the crystal domains seems to promote orientational ordering.
Avalanche breakdown in silicon diffused junctions

Abstract In silicon erfc or gaussian diffused junctions, as well as in linearly graded and step junctions, avalanche breakdown voltage is given approximately by VB = (5.8 × 104) XT0.84 where XT is total depletion-layer thickness in cm and VB is breakdown voltage in volts. This expression holds to ±9 per cent for plane junctions in the range 15 V to 1 kV, as indicated in Fig. 6, and should be useful to the practical device designer. The quantity XT for a diffused junction of the erfc type can be obtained from Fig. 3, which extends the range of previously published curves and is somewhat easier to read as well. This chart and Fig. 4, which gives peak field E M , can be used to estimate quantitatively the departure of such a diffused junction from pure step or pure graded behavior. The generalized VB-XT relationship is based in part on the results of Sze and Gibbons. When their expressions for VB in step and linearly graded junctions are recast in terms of XT (instead of doping NB and gradient a, respectively) these reduce to power-law expressions differing only in numerical coefficient (∼ 10 per cent difference). The expression's upper range, 300–1000 V, is based upon the recent diffused-junction data of van Overstraeten and de Man, and the lower range, 15–300 V, is also consistent with the experimental data of Miller on step junctions and Carlson on diffused junctions. Carlson's observations were made in about 1959 on large numbers of commercial diodes and have not previously been generally available. These sets of experimental data are compared with the calculated results of the workers mentioned above, plus the diffused-junction results of Kennedy and O'Brien.
Expressive timing in Schumann’s ‘‘Träumerei:’’ An analysis of performances by graduate student pianists

Statistical analyses were conducted on the expressive timing patterns of performances of Schumann’s ‘‘Traumerei’’ by ten graduate student pianists who played from the score on a Yamaha Disclavier after a brief rehearsal. A previous study of acoustic recordings of ‘‘Traumerei’’ by 24 famous pianists [B. H. Repp, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 92, 2546–2568 (1992)] provided ‘‘expert’’ timing data for comparison. In terms of group average timing pattern, individual shaping of ritardandi, and within‐performance consistency, the students turned out to be quite comparable to the experts. This demonstrates that precision in expressive timing does not require extensive study and practice of the music at hand, only general musical and technical competence. Subsequent principal components analyses on the students’ timing patterns revealed that they were much more homogeneous than the experts’. Individual differences among student pianists seemed to represent mainly variations around a common performance standard (the first principal component), whereas expert performances exhibited a variety of underlying timing patterns, especially at a detailed level of analysis. Experienced concert artists evidently feel less constrained by a performance norm, which makes their performances more interesting and original, hence less typical. Since the norm may represent the most natural or prototypical timing pattern, relatively spontaneous performances by young professionals may be a better starting point for modeling expressive timing than distinguished artists’ performances.
Influence of dopamine synthesis on methamphetamine-induced changes in striatal and adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase activity.

Methamphetamine in large doses decreases striatal tyrosine hydroxylase activity. This effect is prevented by neuroleptic agents such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol which would suggest that released dopamine may be involved in the response. To test this hypothesis, we have altered dopamine synthesis with α-methyl-p-tyrosine and l-Dopa and found that dopamine synthesis is necessary for the observed depression of striatal TH activity by methamphetamine. In the adrenal gland, however, the increase in TH activity by methamphetamine is not prevented by inhibition of catecholamine synthesis. It is possible that released dopamine may be inhibiting TH activity by activation of pre- or postsynaptic dopamine receptors in the neostriatum resulting in activation of the neuronal feedback pathway or released dopamine may act on dendrodendritic autoreceptors in the substantia nigra.
Necrosis of the ileum in a diabetic adolescent

A 17-year-old boy with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus developed ketoacidosis and transitory shock. After resolution of his metabolic imbalance, he developed an acute abdomen prompting exploratory surgery. A section of necrotic ileum was found and resected.
High-spin states in /sup 210/Rn: The effect of the neutron holes on the four-proton configurations

High-spin states in /sup 210/Rn were observed with the aid of the /sup 204/Pb(/sup 9/Be,3n)/sup 210/Rn reaction. ..gamma..-..gamma.. coincidence, excitation function, ..gamma..-ray angular distribution, and pulsed beam lifetime measurements were used to construct a decay scheme. Mean lives of four levels were deduced and multipolarities of ..gamma..-ray transitions and level spins were inferred.
Radon-222 concentration in groundwater and cancer mortality in North Carolina.

In a geographic correlation study, we explored the possibility that residential exposure to radon in groundwater may be related to cancers other than lung cancer. Measurements of radon in groundwater and 1978–1982 cancer mortality data from North Carolina, USA were used to investigate this relationship. Counties were categorized in two levels of radon exposure according to measured radon concentration and geology. In the lower exposure group (unexposed) county mean radon concentrations ranged from 0–228 pCi/1 (0–8436 Bq/m3), and in the upper group (potentially exposed) the range of county average concentrations was 229–10892 pCi/1 (8473–403004 Bq/m3), (median 1375 pCi/1 (50875 Bq/m3)). Adjusted mortality ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for selected cancers, including leukemias, gastro-intestinal tract cancers, and respiratory tract cancers excluding lung cancer. In contrast to other ecologic studies, we found no consistent association between radon level and cancer mortality.
A power- and area-efficient integrated power management system for inductively-powered biomedical implants

This paper presents an integrated power management unit (PMU) to improve the power and area efficiencies of the transcutaneous power transmission in biomedical implants. An auto-reconfigurable multi-ratio SC DC-DC regulator is developed within the PMU not only to maintain high system power efficiency under coupling variations but also to reduce the number of required capacitors and power transistors in the system. Implemented in a 0.35-µm CMOS process, the PMU can take an AC input with the signal amplitude of 1.9 V – 3.5 V and provide a regulated output voltage of 4V. Simulation results show that the proposed PMU can deliver a maximum output current of 10 mA and achieve the peak power efficiency of 83%.
Church records as a source of data on Mexican migrant networks: a methodological note.

Marriage records from churches serving migrant communities are examined as a source of data on migration from Mexico to the United States. In particular "this article discusses the methodological issues in the study of Mexican migration initiated by Cornelius and others....It addresses two problems: the need to locate strategic regions in Mexico before field-work is begun; and the need to develop techniques for longitudinal studies of migration networks." The data used in the analysis are from the records of a church in Santa Ana California and cover the period 1947-1979. (EXCERPT)
Predictors of HIV Risk Among Hispanic Farm Workers in South Florida: Women Are at Higher Risk Than Men

This study examined factors associated with being at risk of sexually acquiring HIV among a community sample of 244 Hispanic migrant and seasonal farm workers. Bilingual staff interviewed respondents anonymously at worksites, camps, and other public venues in South Florida during the 2002 winter/spring growing season. The following variables were positively associated with being at risk of sexually acquiring HIV in multivariable analyses: being female; being married; having “some” or “a lot” of knowledge about HIV transmission, having ever used marijuana, having two or more sex partners in the last 12 months, and having had a sexually transmitted infection. The findings heighten the importance of recognizing women's elevated risk of HIV infection and conducting further studies to examine the factors associated with this increased risk. The study is an important first step toward developing tailored HIV prevention interventions for this at-risk, understudied population.
Electrophysiological response of the right atrium to ibutilide during typical atrial flutter.

Background— The efficacy of ibutilide in conversion of atrial fibrillation and flutter (AFL) has been demonstrated. However, its electrophysiological effects on human atria have not been fully studied. Methods and Results— Twelve patients with typical AFL were studied. Electrograms were recorded from the anterolateral right atrium, His bundle position, and coronary sinus. During AFL, we measured the conduction time, CTi, through the isthmus between the tricuspid annulus and eustachian ridge and the conduction time, CTni, through the remainder of the right atrium. Resetting response curves and atrial effective refractory periods were determined with single extrastimuli delivered in the tricuspid annulus–eustachian ridge isthmus. After infusion of ibutilide (2 mg over 15 minutes), AFL cycle length (CL) increased from 260±30 to 295±39 ms (P<0.0003) because of an increase in either CTi, CTni, or both. Effective refractory periods increased from 149±16 to 208±26 ms (P<0.001). AFL CL variability increased, with...
Purification and characterization of glycolic acid oxidase from pig liver.

1. 1. A procedure for the isolation of glycolic acid oxidase (glycolate:O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.3.1) from pig liver is described. The enzyme has been crystallized and the amino acid composition has been determined. 2. 2. Glycolic acid oxidase binds a variety of anions. Sulfate, sulfite, chloride, heptanoate, oxalate and phosphate each cause characteristic changes in the visible absorption spectrum of the enzyme. Studies on these effects have suggested that the FMN prosthetic group may be near one or more positively charged groups and also a hydrophobic region of the protein. 3. 3. The pK for the ionization of the 3-imino nitrogen in free FMN (pK = 10.3) is shifted to about pH 8 in FMN bound to glycolic acid oxidase. The observed pK is increased (to pH 9.3) when the enzyme titration is performed in the presence of oxalate. 4. 4. Glycolic acid oxidase contains a second chromophore which has not yet been identified. FMN can be selectively removed from the protein to give a flavin-free protein which is green in color. This green material has absorption maxima at 328,425, and 600 mμ and a fluorescence emission maximum at about 450 mμ. 5. 5. The visible absorption of glycolic acid oxidase is bleached in an autogenous reaction. This reaction, which is spectrally similar to the bleaching that occurs when sulfite is added to the enzyme, has been partly characterized. 6. 6. The unusual absorption spectrum of pig liver glycolic acid oxidase and possibly other glycolic acid oxidases is due, at least in part, to anion binding, the presence of the unidentified green chromophore, and autogenous bleaching.
Effect of fiber properties on plastic behavior of 2 × 2 biaxial braided composites

Abstract Plasticity induced non-linear behavior of 2 × 2 braided composites was analyzed using a two scale modeling approach based on Hill’s yield function for orthotropic materials. Two ±25° biaxial braided composites that used same resin (EPON 9504) but different fibers (AS4 carbon and E-glass) were analyzed under uniaxial tensile loading. The resin was chosen to be the same so that the effect of fiber type on the degree of plasticity induced non-linearity could be characterized. Characteristics such as macroscopic stress–strain behavior, stress distributions, and plastic zone locations and sizes were examined. Conclusions about the effect of fiber type on the degree of plasticity induced non-linearity depend on the parameters chosen to quantify the plasticity. The results suggest that a glass braid tow is probably more susceptible to initiation of fatigue damage than a carbon braid tow of a geometrically similar braid.
Prostitution and the military: Planning AIDS intervention in Belize

Abstract First world militaries based in ‘third world’ countries offer an appropriate context for developing AIDS intervention models that are keyed to large-scale population movements and regional differences in HIV infection. In this work, the ethnographic concept of ‘social interface’ replaces the epidemiological concept of ‘risk group’ to allow for a more dynamic analysis of the particular forms of interactions between groups that may be linked to the sexual transmission of HIV. The social interface between military and sex workers in Belize displays two distinct forms of organization: (1) ‘recognized prostitution’ in health-regulated brothels, and (2) ‘quasi-prostitution’ in non-health regulated public sites such as bars and hotels. These two forms are also distinguised by the ethnicity, national origin, and professional identity of sex workers. Based on survey-form participant-observation in Belize and cross-cultural data on condom use, the social identity of sex workers emerges as a factor crucial to understanding how public health information is incorporated by heterosexuals who put themselves at risk for HIV in different social contexts. The scope of analysis shifts between the personal and transnational; discussion of the possibilities for inter-governmental negotiations regarding AIDS policy issues is included.
PLASMA CORTISOL CONCENTRATIONS AND LUNG DISEASE IN PREMATURE INFANTS.† 1934

Plasma cortisol concentrations are known to be relatively low at birth in premature infants and to be suppressed by antenatal betamethasone therapy. It has been suggested that low cortisol levels in the newborn period reflect adrenal insufficiency and are associated with respiratory disease. To further examine this relationship we determined plasma cortisol levels during the first 2 weeks of life in infants ≤32 wk gestation enrolled in an ongoing, blinded multi-center trial of antenatal thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH). Women in premature labor at ≤30 wk gestation received betamethasone and either TRH or placebo and clinical data were obtained on the infants. Blood was collected at birth (cord) and postnatally from 145 infants ≤32 wk gestation at 8 participating sites and cortisol was assayed by immunoassay using enhanced chemiluminescence (Nichols Inst.). Natural log values for the data were used to evaluate correlations with lung disease. The geometric mean cortisol concentration in cord blood was 2.4 μg/dl (2.3 and 2.8 μg/dl for male and female infants, respectively), and there was a significant positive correlation with gestational age. Cortisol levels increased after birth with levels of 6.5, 11.2, 8.5, 8.2 and 6.4 μg/dl at 2 h and 1, 3, 7, and 14 days of age, respectively. Cortisol concentrations were significantly higher in infants with RDS at 2 h, 1 day and 3 days but not in cord blood(maximal levels on day 1, mean 13.6 vs 7.6 μg/dl, p=0.003). Levels were not significantly different at all time points for infants with and without chronic lung disease (CLD) at 28 days (ongoing requirement for oxygen or ventilator), CLD at 36 wk postconceptional age, or adverse outcome (death or CLD) at 36 wk postconceptional age. We conclude that very low birth weight infants exposed to betamethasone treatment in utero increase their plasma cortisol after birth and in response to the stress of RDS; low postnatal cortisol concentrations do not appear to be a predictor of CLD.
Skitovich–Darmois Theorem for Discrete and Compact Totally Disconnected Abelian Groups

The classic Skitovich–Darmois theorem states that the Gaussian distribution on the real line can be characterized by the independence of two linear forms of n independent random variables. We generalize the Skitovich–Darmois theorem to discrete Abelian groups, compact totally disconnected Abelian groups, and some other classes of locally compact Abelian groups. Unlike the previous investigations, we consider n linear forms of n independent random variables.
Particle orbits in model current sheets with a nonzero By component

The problem of charged particle motions in magnetotaillike model current sheets is revisited with the inclusion of a nonzero dawn-dusk magnetic field component. Three cases are examined considering both trapped and escaped orbits. The results show that a nonzero B(y) component disturbs the particle orbits by destroying orbit symmetry in the phase space about the z = 0 plane. It also changes the bounce frequency of particle orbits. The presence of B(y) thus modifies the Speiser orbits, particularly near the ejection phase. The process of ejected particle such as ejection direction, ejection velocity, and pitch angles are shown to depend on the sign of the charge.
Semiparametric proper efficiency conditions and duality models for a class of constrained multiobjective fractional variational problems containing arbitrary norms

Semiparametric necessary and sufficient proper efficiency conditions are established for a class of constrained multiobjective fractional variational problems containing arbitrary norms. Moreover, using the forms and contents of these proper efficiency results, eight semiparametric duality models are formulated and appropriate duality theorems are proved. These proper efficiency and duality criteria contain, as special cases, similar results for a related class of multiobjective fractional variational problems involving square roots of positive semidefinite quadratic forms
Fluctuations and light scattering from anisotropic interfaces

Abstract The normal modes of fluctuations in an interface, separating two fluid phases, which possess both viscoelasticity and optical anisotropy, are determined. The modes separate into the following four groups if the two surrounding fluids are the same: shear; twist; dilatation and ordering; and transverse vibration and splay modes. In the limit of strong coupling between orientation and transverse vibration, the main effect of molecular alignment is to increase the apparent surface tension by a term proportional to q 2 , where q is the momentum transfer in the surface fluctuations. The intensity and frequency spectrum of coherent light scattered from the thermal fluctuations are calculated. By measuring the depolarization in a suitable geometry and the frequency spectrum, contribution from both the orientation effect and the various viscosity coefficients can be determined. Applications to artificial and biological membranes are briefly discussed.
Recombination by resolvase is inhibited by lac repressor simultaneously binding operators between res sites.

Abstract The Tn3 resolvase requires that the two recombination ( res ) sites be aligned as direct repeats on the same molecule for efficient recombination to occur. To test whether resolvase must contact the DNA between res sites as predicted by tracking models, we have determined the sensitivity of recombination to protein diffusion blockades. Recombination between two res sites is unaffected either by lac repressor or bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase being bound between them. Yet recombination is inhibited by lac repressor if the res site is bounded by a lac operator on both sides. We demonstrate that lac repressor will bind to more than one DNA site under the conditions used to assay recombination. This result suggests that lac repressor can inhibit resolvase by forming a DNA loop that isolates a res site topologically. These results do not support a tracking model for resolvase but suggest that the structure and topology of the DNA substrate is important in the formation of a synapse between res sites.
Histochemical Adaptation of Aryl lodosoacetates

IT has been possible to obtain cleavage of the 1,2 glyool linkage in tissue sections with a solution of phenyl iodosoacetate in glacial acetic acid1, thus duplicating histochemically the chemical studies of Criegee and Beucker2. However, to establish definitely the reliability of aryl iodosoacetates as histochemical reagents, it was felt that several other compounds of this type should be examined in a similar manner.
Deformation of Pores in Viscoplastic Soil Material

Changes in soil pore volume and shape in response to internal and external mechanical stresses alter key soil hydrologic and transport properties. The extent of these changes is dependent on details of pore shape and size evolution. We present a model for quantifying rates of deformation and shape evolution of idealized spheroidal pores as functions of macroscopic stresses and soil rheological properties. Previous solutions for shrinkage of spherical pores embedded in a viscoplastic matrix under isotropic stress were extended to spheroidal pore shapes and biaxial stresses using Eshelby's classical theory. Bulk soil behavior was obtained from upscaling of detailed single pore deformation. Results show that pore closure rates increase with decreasing initial aspect ratio (i.e., oblate pores close faster than spherical pores), and with higher deviatoric stress. Incomplete pore closure is attributed to soil hardening due to pore shape accommodation under biaxial stresses. The model provides a means for approximating pore deformation as input to predictive models for soil hydraulic properties.
Map of the partial sequence homology between DNA molecules of Bacillus subtilis bacteriophages SPO2 and φ105

Abstract Sequence homology between the DNA molecules of the two temperate Bacillus subtilis bacteriophages, SPO2 and φ105, has been mapped by electron microscope observation of heteroduplexes. There is a region of partial homology covering about 14% of the genome (3.8 × 10 6 daltons) close to the center of the heteroduplex molecule, flanked by completely non-homologous regions of lengths about 1.2 × 10 7 and 1.0 × 10 7 daltons on the two sides. Within the central homologous region there is a characteristic pattern of duplex regions and single-strand loops. The amount of duplex decreases as the denaturing power of the solvent used for preparing the electron microscope grids increases; this indicates that the DNA molecules of the two phages are only partially homologous within the homology region. The heteroduplex patterns show that there are no completely homologous nor completely non-homologous gene size sequences within the central region of partial homology. Since the phages are serologically related, we conclude that the antigenic determinants for serological cross-reactivity in the phage tails are coded for by genes in the central region of homology. This conclusion is consistent with available genetic data. Comparison of genetic and physical data indicates that the genes for DNA synthesis and for clear plaque formation in the two phages are non-homologous. The molecular weights of SPO2 DNA and φ105 DNA are both calculated as 26.3 (± 0.3) × 10 6 daltons, from length measurements relative to φX174 RFII DNA. Both DNA's have cohesive ends and are capable of reversible cyclization; the joined ends dissociate more readily than do those of λ DNA. Our physical studies show that each phage DNA consists of a unique linear sequence and is not circularly permuted, in agreement with the conclusion from genetic studies that both phage maps are linear.