cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Concurrent operation and cross-radar interference cancellation of two over-the-horizon radars

It is known that improved target characterizations can be achieved by concurrently using multiple over-the-horizon radars (OTHRs) as compared to a single OTHR operating alone. However, a key limitation with OTHR radar is the selection of an appropriate operating frequency, given the rising demand on radar waveform bandwidth commensurate with the range resolution requirements. The authors have considered concurrent operations of two OTHR systems that use the same frequency band with different chirp waveforms, and a cross-radar interference cancellation technique has been developed. The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of cross-radar interference cancellation in the presence of multiple target returns from both auto-and cross-radar reception modes. It is shown that, the interference between target returns corresponding to the same radar is negligible, whereas the residual error of cross-radar interference cancellation in the presence of signal returns corresponding to different radars takes a low value in a typical application scenario.
A perception framework for inspection and reverse engineering

A perception framework for intelligent inspection and reverse engineering is addressed. The use of discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS) to guide the sensing of mechanical parts is investigated. Dynamic recursive finite state machines (DRFSMs) are introduced as a new DEDS tool for utilizing the recursive nature of the mechanical parts under consideration. The proposed framework uses DRFSM DEDS for constructing an observer for exploration and inspection purposes. A sensing /spl rarr/ CAD interface is constructed for the automatic reconstruction of parts from visual data. A graphical interface for designing DRFSM DEDS controllers is implemented. >
Effects of administration of hydrocortisone on the renal and biliary excretion of ampicillin in the dog.

Hydrocortisone produced choleresis in anesthetized dogs receiving taurocholate and ampicillin. There was an increase in mean concentration of ampicillin in serum after infusion of hydrocortisone with no change in mean rate of biliary excretion of ampicillin. In dogs receiving creatinine in addition to taurocholate and ampicillin, hydrocortisone also produced an increase in mean levels of ampicillin in serum. The mean rate of biliary excretion and the rate of renal clearance of ampicillin were constant in these dogs. In dogs receiving creatinine, taurocholate, and ampicillin without infusion of hydrocortisone, mean concentration of ampicillin in serum, minute biliary weight, and renal clearance rate of ampicillin remained constant throughout the 150 min of study, while mean biliary concentration of ampicillin and rate of excretion decreased during the last 40 min. The increased concentrations of ampicillin in serum of dogs during and after infusion of hydrocortisone seems due to decreased diffusion of ampicillin from plasma into the hepatocyte. Preliminary chromatographic studies of rat liver supernate on Sephadex G-75 indicate that bioactivity of ampicillin appears at a position in the elution pattern where Y protein should be eluted. Y protein binds anoinic metabolites of cortisol. Competitive or noncompetitive inhibition by hydrocortisone of binding of ampicillin to Y protein could explain the increased concentrations in serum during and after infusion of hydrocortisone.
Ultrasonic multipath and beamforming clutter reduction: a chirp model approach

In vivo ultrasonic imaging with transducer arrays suffers from image degradation resulting from beamforming limitations, including diffraction-limited beamforming and beamforming degradation caused by tissue inhomogeneity. Additionally, based on recent studies, multipath scattering also causes significant image degradation. To reduce degradation from both sources, we propose a model-based signal decomposition scheme. The proposed algorithm identifies spatial frequency signatures to decompose received wavefronts into their most significant scattering sources. Scattering sources originating from a region of interest are used to reconstruct decluttered wavefronts, which are beamformed into decluttered RF scan lines or A-lines. To test the algorithm, ultrasound system channel data were acquired during liver scans from 8 patients. Multiple data sets were acquired from each patient, with 55 total data sets, 43 of which had identifiable hypoechoic regions on normal B-mode images. The data sets with identifiable hypoechoic regions were analyzed. The results show the decluttered B-mode images have an average improvement in contrast over normal images of 7.3 ± 4.6 dB. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) changed little on average between normal and decluttered Bmode, -0.4 ± 5.9 dB. The in vivo speckle SNR decreased; the change was -0.65 ± 0.28. Phantom speckle SNR also decreased, but only by -0.40 ± 0.03.
RNAs Are Packaged into Human Cytomegalovirus Virions in Proportion to Their Intracellular Concentration

The assembly of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) virions is a complex process and involves the incorporation of viral transcripts. These RNAs are delivered to the newly infected cells and have the potential to be translated in the absence of HCMV gene expression. We have quantified the relative amount of RNAs in HCMV virions and infected cells with real-time reverse transcription-PCR and observed that viral and cellular RNAs are packaged in proportion to the amount of RNA within the cell at the time of assembly. To determine whether cis elements influenced RNA packaging, we constructed a recombinant HCMV mutant virus that expressed the yellow fluorescence protein (YFP) gene fused to the virion RNA UL21.5. We also constructed a mutant virus in which the UL21.5 transcription unit was replaced with the YFP gene. YFP RNA was incorporated into both viruses, indicating that RNA is incorporated in the absence of a virus-specific signal motif. Furthermore, with in situ hybridization, packaged transcripts were observed throughout the cytoplasm of the infected cells, including the site of virus assembly. Several proteins that nonspecifically interact with RNA, including the tegument protein pp28, were found within HCMV virions. These studies demonstrate that both viral and cellular RNAs are nonspecifically incorporated into HCMV, potentially through interactions with several virion proteins.
Adaptive multi-modal sensors

Compressing real-time input through bandwidth constrained connections has been studied within robotics, wireless sensor networks, and image processing. When there are bandwidth constraints on real-time input the amount of information to be transferred will always be greater than the amount that can be transferred per unit of time. We propose a system that utilizes a local diffusion process and a reinforcement learning-based memory system to establish a real-time prediction of an entire input space based upon partial observation. The proposed system is optimized for dealing with multi-dimension input spaces, and maintains the ability to react to rare events. Results show the relation of loss to quality and suggest that at higher resolutions gains in quality are possible.
A study of stereotype threat in computer science

A controlled study was conducted to detect stereotype threat on harder topics in introductory Computer Science. Students in the control group were asked to identify their demographic information before taking the test whereas students in the experimental group were asked to do so after completing the test. So, the control group was indirectly reminded of stereotypes before taking the test, when it could affect performance on the test, whereas the experimental group was reminded after the test when it could not affect test performance.Tests on two different loops were used, along with a partial cross-over design: a random group of students served as the control group on one test, and the experimental group on the other and vice versa. Mixed factor ANOVA analysis of the data showed that all the students scored significantly higher when not reminded of stereotypes before the test regardless of sex or race. In addition, average/below-average students scored significantly higher when not reminded of stereotypes before the test, again, regardless of sex or race. So, on harder topics in Computer Science, stereotype threat affects all the students, and in particular, the less-prepared students. In light of this, some suggestions are offered for avoiding stereotype threat during tests.
Inhibitory control deficits in childhood and risk for substance use disorders: a review.

Identification of neurobiological factors that confer risk for the development of addiction may substantially advance development of new prevention and treatment strategies to combat substance use disorders. This review focuses on the relationship between impulsivity—a behavior that is common to the clinical picture of both substance use disorders (SUD) and childhood disruptive behavior disorders—and neurobiological risk for SUD. It further examines various behaviors within the over-arching domain of impulsivity, ultimately focusing on the more narrowly defined and measurable construct of inhibitory control, and concluding that underlying deficits in inhibitory control may be central to many of the behaviors associated with high risk for SUD. Targeted cross-sectional study of the neural basis of inhibitory dyscontrol in subjects at high risk for SUD, who have not yet begun to abuse drugs, has the potential to generate important hypotheses regarding the neurobiological underpinnings of SUD risk. Hypotheses...
Detectability of inflationary gravitational waves with microwave background polarization

Inflation predicts specific relations between the amplitudes and spectral indices of the primordial spectrum of density (scalar metric) perturbations and gravitational waves (tensor metric perturbations). Detection of a stochastic gravitational-wave background is essential for identifying this unmistakable signature. Polarization of the cosmic microwave background can isolate these tensor modes in a model-independent way and thereby circumvent the cosmic-variance limit to detecting a small tensor signal with only a temperature map. Here we assess the detectability of a gravity-wave background with a temperature and polarization map. For detector sensitivities better than 10–20 μK sqrt[sec], the sensitivity to a tensor signal is always dominated by the polarization map. With a detector sensitivity of order 1 μK sqrt[sec], polarization could improve on a temperature-map sensitivity to tensor modes by two to three orders of magnitude. Even a small amount of reionization substantially enhances tensor-mode detectability. We also argue that the sensitivity of the Planck Surveyor to tensor modes is significantly improved with polarization, even taking into account the resulting degradation of the intensity determination in the high-frequency channels.
Integrated tools and techniques applied to the TES ground data system

The Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) is a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) scheduled for launch in June of 2003. Over its six-year mission, it is expected to provide three-dimensional maps of ozone and its precursors as part of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). Developing production-quality software to process large volumes of scientific data and accommodate changing requirements throughout the mission along with the need to ensure that scientific goals and objectives are met presents many challenges. The author of the paper will discuss the selection of CASE tools, a decision making process, requirements tracking and a review mechanism that leads to a highly integrated approach to software development that must deal with the constant pressure to change software requirements and design that is associated with research and development. This integrated approach of tools and techniques should provide a process and mechanism to assist in continually verifying that mission objectives are correctly expressed in software requirements and fully realized in design in order to achieve overall mission success of the ground data processing system.
Adrenomedullin Promotes Rat Trophoblast Stem Cell Differentiation

Accumulating data suggest that adrenomedullin (ADM) regulates the trophoblast cell growth, migration, and invasion. However, the effect of ADM on trophoblast differentiation is poorly understood. In this study, we hypothesized that ADM promotes the differentiation of trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) into trophoblast giant cells (TGCs). Using rat TSCs, Rcho-1 cells, we investigated the effect of ADM on TSC differentiation into TGCs in differentiation or stem cell media, respectively, and explored the effect of ADM on the mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) signaling in trophoblast cell differentiation. The results include: 1) in the presence of differentiation medium, 10⁻⁷ M ADM, but not lower doses, elevated (P < 0.05) Prl3b1/Esrrb (i.e., the ratio of mRNA levels) by 1.7-fold compared to that in control; 2) the supplementation of ADM antagonist, regardless of the concentration of ADM, reduced (P < 0.05) Prl3b1/Esrrb by 2-fold, compared to control group, while the supplementation of CGRP antagonist, regardless of the concentration of ADM, did not change Prl3b1/Esrrb; 3) in the presence of stem cell medium, ADM did not alter the expression of TSC and TGC marker genes, however, the ratio of Prl3b1/Esrrb was reduced (P < 0.05) by ADM antagonist compared to that in control; and 4) ADM increased (P < 0.05) phosphorylated MTOR proteins and the ratio of phosphorylated to total MTOR proteins by 2.0- and 1.7-fold, respectively. The results indicate that ADM promotes but does not induce the differentiation of TSCs to TGCs in a dose-dependent manner and MTOR signaling may play a role in this process.
Monitoring glutamine in animal cell cultures using a chemiluminescence fiber optic biosensor

Together with flow injection analysis (FIA), a chemiluminescence (CL) fiber optic biosensor system has been developed for determining glutamine in animal cell cultures. Glutaminase (GAH) and glutamate oxidase (GLO) were onto separate porous aminopropyl glass beads via glutaraldehyde activation and packed to form an enzyme column. These two enzymes acted in sequence on glutamine to produce hydrogen peroxide, which was then reacted with luminol in the presence of ferricyanide to produce a light signal. An anion exchanger was introduced on-line to eliminate interfering endogenous glutamate in view of its negative charge at pH above 3.22 (isoelectric pH). Among several resins tested, the acetate form was most effective, and this type of ion exchanger also effectively adsorbed uric acid, acetaminophen, and aspartic acid. There was an excellent linear relationship between the CL response and standard glutamine concentration in the range 1 to 100 μM. A complete analysis could be performed in 2 min, including sampling and washing with a good reproducibility (± 4.4%). Both the bi-enzymic and ion exchange columns were useful for at least 500 analyses when the biosensor system was applied for the glutamine determination in murine hybridoma cell cultures and insect cell cultures. The values obtained compared well with those of HPLC, thus validating the applicability of the CL fiber optic system. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Femtosecond Single-Pulse Absorption in Semiconductors with varying Dopant Concentration

The influence of dopant concentration on the absorption of femtosecond mid-IR pulses is described. The measured results are compared to a theoretical absorption model. Summary Bulk material modification based on focused femtosecond irradiation has attracted wide interest for the fabrication of photonics devices such as waveguides [1], Fresnel optics [2], active on-chip devices [3] or micro-fluidic structures [4]. Besides its true 3D structuring capabilities[5], simple implementation of device changes and cost-reduction for small value production are some of this technology’s advantages. However, so far it has mainly been applied to dielectric host-materials, such as transparent glasses or crystals. Full integration towards silicon photonics has not been achieved. Extending 3D femtosecond laser direct write (FLDW) technology from such dielectric materials towards semiconductor materials could enable new applications for micro-electronic processing. Adoption of 3D FLDW technology for semiconductor processing requires a fundamental understanding of the differences of the irradiation requirements, and possible modification processes in this host material. In addition, due to the two- to three-fold increase in refractive index of semiconductors compared to dielectrics, challenges regarding focusing and aberrations have to be addressed and overcome. In this presentation we show results of our investigation of the modification threshold of crystalline silicon, and its dependence on wavelength and dopant concentration.. Differences in the absorption behavior of this new host material will be explained based on theoretical models. In addition we describe a new measurement technique to extract the material response in bulk semiconductors will be given.
Remote Voice Acquisition in Multimodal Surveillance

Multimodal surveillance systems using visible/IR cameras and other sensors are widely deployed today for security purpose, particularly when subjects are at a large distance. However, audio information as an important data source has not been well explored. One of the reasons is because audio detection using microphones needs installation close to the subjects in monitoring. In this paper, we investigate a novel "optical" sensor, called Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV), for capturing voice signals in a very large range to realize a truly remote and multimodal surveillance system. Speech enhancement approaches are studied based on the characteristics of LDV Audio. Experimental results show that remote voice detection via an LDV is promising when choosing appropriate targets close to human subjects in the environment.
The Changing Impact of Family Size on Adolescents’ Schooling: Assessing the Exogenous Variation in Fertility Using Twins in Brazil

Researchers have long been interested in the influence of family size on children’s educational outcomes. Simply put, theories have suggested that resources are diluted within families that have more children. Although the empirical literature on developed countries has generally confirmed the theoretical prediction that family size is negatively related to children’s education, studies focusing on developing societies have reported heterogeneity in this association. Recent studies addressing the endogeneity between family size and children’s education have also cast doubt on the homogeneity of the negative role of family size on children’s education. The goal of this study is to examine the causal effect of family size on children’s education in Brazil over a 30-year period marked by important social and demographic change, and across extremely different regions within the country. We implement a twin birth instrumental variable approach to the nationally representative 1977–2009 PNAD data. Our results suggest an effect of family size on education that is not uniform throughout a period of significant social, economic, and demographic change. Rather, the causal effect of family size on adolescents’ schooling resembles a gradient that ranges from positive to no effect, trending to negative.
Ranking Issues for Information Integration

Ranking of query/search answers, although introduced by early information retrieval systems, has become mandatory for Internet searches. When the answers of a query or search are varying in quality and are large in numbers, it is necessary to rank/order these answers based on some criteria. From a users' viewpoint, ranking is extremely useful especially when associated with the retrieval of a few (top-k) answers. Currently, the notion of ranking is being applied to database query answers (ordering based on user criteria) in order to retrieve top-k answers. One of the challenges is to push ranking computation into the query processing stage to make it efficient and eliminate post processing operations. In this paper, we argue that top-k answers and ranking will become mandatory as well for searches that involve integration of information from heterogeneous domains. However, it is not clear how ranking can be supported as sources are autonomous and support different characteristics and capabilities. We analyze possible alternatives for supporting ranking while answering queries in this context and propose potential approaches. The discussion is in the context of InfoMosaic. a framework proposed by the authors for information integration.
Iron distributions in the equatorial Pacific: Implications for new production

Several recent studies have shown that phytoplankton growth rate and production at 0”, 14O”W is physiologically limited by iron. Therefore, changes in iron supply to the euphotic zone will result in variations in phytoplankton growth. We show that the flux of iron to this region is dominated by upwelling of the iron-rich Equatorial Undercurrent waters. Variations in the depth and strength of upwelling and changes in iron concentrations at the base of the euphotic zone will account for variations in primary and new production in this region. We determined dissolved and particulate iron profiles for the upper water column of the eastern equatorial Pacific including a vertical section from 9”N to 3”s along 14O”W. One of the more prominent features of the section was a peak in dissolved and particulate iron associated with the Equatorial Undercurrent. The possible lithogenic origin of this iron is substantiated by the vertical section of particulate aluminum and manganese, which is consistent with a shallow hydrothermal source in the western equatorial Pacific. A simple one-dimensional model was used to calculate iron fluxes into the euphotic zone at the equator. Upwelling rates and dissolved iron concentrations were coupled to estimate the upwelling iron flux at 120 m (0.1% light level). Diffusive and atmospheric inputs of iron were also considered but were less significant than the upwelling flux. Iron-based potential new production was estimated to be lo-82 mmol C rnd2 d-l with C : Fe ratios of lOO,OOO500,000: 1. In a similar manner, nitrate-based potential new production was 99-106 mmol C m-2 d-l. This demonstrates that iron supply limits new production to only 9-83% of the nitrate-based potential.
Parallel double error correcting code design to mitigate multi-bit upsets in SRAMs

The range of SRAM multi-bit upsets (MBU) in sub-100 nm technologies is characterized using irradiation tests on two prototype ICs, developed in 90 nm commercial processes. Results reveal that MBU, as large as 13-bit, can occur in these technologies, limiting the efficacy of conventional SEC-DED error-correcting codes (ECC). A double-error correcting (DEC) ECC implementation technique suitable for SRAM applications is presented. Results show that this DEC scheme reduces errors by 98.5% compared to only 44% reduction by conventional SEC-DED ECC.
Emμcode: Masking hard faults in complex functional units

This paper presents Emμcode, a technique for masking hard faults in modern microprocessors that provides graceful performance degradation. Emμcode employs microcode traces with control flow that replace an original instruction once a fault is detected. Emμcode adds lightweight microarchitectural hardware to assist in correcting hard faults in larger structures, such as SIMD execution units found in contemporary microprocessors, where replication is infeasible. Key challenges in implementing microcode traces include maintaining proper architectural state and the optimization of trace code. We are able to significantly optimize traces by exploiting dynamic trace behavior and by performing minor modifications to the microarchitecture. We find that removing hard to predict branches is important for optimizing traces. Emμcode uses partial predication, new microcode operations, and the full use of the microcode's flexibility and visibility to create fast traces. This paper studies the viability of implementing SIMD floating point arithmetic operations found in modern x86 processors using Emμcode traces. Our results show that for programs with 1 to 5 percent of the dynamic instructions replaced by Emμcode, a graceful performance degradation of only 1.3x to 4x is achievable.
Hormones and Sexual Differentiation

One of the most profound questions that can be asked about the animals around us concerns the developmental mechanisms that enable a single fertilized egg to become a functional adult with all its diverse tissues and behavioral capabilities. Sexual differentiation, in which initially undifferentiated embryos come to realize one of two distinct morphological and behavioral outcomes, is a particularly interesting reflection of the basic developmental phenomenon of differentiation, especially because of the involvement of sex hormones.
Serine 574 phosphorylation alters transcriptional programming of FOXO3 by selectively enhancing apoptotic gene expression

Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) is a multispecific transcription factor that is responsible for multiple and conflicting transcriptional programs such as cell survival and apoptosis. The protein is heavily post-translationally modified and there is considerable evidence that post-transcriptional modifications (PTMs) regulate protein stability and nuclear-cytosolic translocation. Much less is known about how FOXO3 PTMs determine the specificity of its transcriptional program. In this study we demonstrate that exposure of hepatocytes to ethanol or exposure of macrophages to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent phosphorylation of FOXO3 at serine-574. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), mRNA and protein measurements demonstrate that p-574-FOXO3 selectively binds to promoters of pro-apoptotic genes but not to other well-described FOXO3 targets. Both unphosphorylated and p-574-FOXO3 bound to the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) promoter, but the unphosphorylated form was a transcriptional activator, whereas p-574-FOXO3 was a transcriptional repressor. The combination of increased TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) and decreased Bcl-2 was both necessary and sufficient to induce apoptosis. LPS treatment of a human monocyte cell line (THP-1) induced FOXO3 S-574 phosphorylation and apoptosis. LPS-induced apoptosis was prevented by knockdown of FOXO3. It was restored by overexpressing wild-type FOXO3 but not by overexpressing a nonphosphorylatable S-574A FOXO3. Expression of an S-574D phosphomimetic form of FOXO3 induced apoptosis even in the absence of LPS. A similar result was obtained with mouse peritoneal macrophages where LPS treatment increased TRAIL, decreased Bcl-2 and induced apoptosis in wild-type but not FOXO3(-/-) cells. This work thus demonstrates that S-574 phosphorylation generates a specifically apoptotic form of FOXO3 with decreased transcriptional activity for other well-described FOXO3 functions.
Combating iodine deficiency: lessons from China, Indonesia, and Madagascar.

This study investigated the factors contributing to a successful and sustainable elimination of iodine-deficiency disorders drawing from salt fortification experiences in China Indonesia and Madagascar. Government officials salt farmers salt producers and wholesalers were interviewed to collect data during field visits. Analyses used in the study include simple correlation and wherever data permit regression. The study found that measures crucial for combating iodine deficiency include raising public awareness of the disorders ensuring easy access to iodated salt promoting compliance in the salt industry and monitoring and enforcement. Factors that ensure a reliable supply of iodated salt are equally important as those that create the demand for it. Governments must ensure that surveillance and enforcement mechanisms are functioning right from the time that salt iodation is made compulsory. For sustainability during later years the adequacy of iodine in iodated salt must be monitored and incentives must be modified as needed to increase compliance rates in the salt industry. Once national coverage of iodated salt reaches over 90% the government can concentrate on fine-tuning and targeting resources at areas with a low consumption of iodated salt. Elimination of micronutrient deficiencies has a long-term impact on public health; moreover poorer segments of the population who are more vulnerable to such deficiencies have more to gain from fortification programs. Thus lessons from the successful elimination of iodine-deficiency disorders are valuable for future similar micronutrient activities. (authors)
Book Review: Shooting The Messenger

This essay reviews Ward Churchill's On the Justice of Roosting Chickens: Reflections on the Consequences of U.S. Imperial Arrogance and Criminality (2003). One of the most talked about - but least read - books of recent years, On the Justice of Roosting Chickens documents a long history of U.S. wars, invasions, and violations of international law on the way to concluding that when the terrible events of 9/11 took place, the U.S. deserved and should have expected retribution. In popular language, we "had it coming." As the reader may recall, when Hamilton College rescinded Churchill's invitation to speak in the winter of 2004, it set in motion a cascade of events including further such cancellations, efforts in Colorado to dismiss him from his tenured position, and nightly discussion on Fox News. The review evaluates Churchill's argument that the U.S. is an outlaw nation, as well as his "little Eichmanns" corollary that the investment bankers and stockbrokers who perished in the conflagration were complicit with the U.S. war machine and thus legitimate targets of the Muslim suicide bombers. It breaks his argument down into its component parts or premises, shows which ones are moral and which ones factual, and evaluates each one's plausibility and cogency. The review also addressed the author's treatment at the hands of Colorado authorities and the implications of that treatment for academic freedom.
Designing Automated Aids for Patient Monitoring Systems in Intensive Care Units

This study investigated the challenges faced by care givers in using patient monitoring systems, specifically focusing on the needs for automation support in patient monitoring tasks. User interactions with monitors in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were studied through field observation, interviews, and cognitive task analysis. Results show that physicians are primarily interested in the patient health trends and progress, while the nurses prefer more routine operating abilities. Based on these results, two automation aids were developed in support of (1) CRG (cardiorespirography) trends retrieval (an information integration task), and (2) alarm limits adjusting (a decision making task). Future studies will involve evaluation and refinement of the designs through both heuristic evaluation and simulation experiments to further improve the monitor’s functions. This work has implications on the design of patient monitoring systems in intensive care units as well as other medical environments.
Economic impact analysis of inland waterway disruption response

ABSTRACTNavigable inland waterways connect inland ports with the global supply chain by providing a low-cost, reliable, and environmentally friendly freight transportation mode. In this article, we present the results from a simulation-based approach that estimates the potential economic impacts of inland waterway disruption response. Predicting economic impacts of inland waterway disruption response enables system stakeholders to increase their preparedness and potentially reduce economic losses. Our approach is implemented on an illustrative case study of the McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The approach is generalizable to navigable inland waterways throughout the United States to support economic resilience of these systems.
Molecular Simulations of Tilted Chain Crystal - Amorphous Interfaces in Polymers

Semi-crystalline polymeric materials exhibit metastable interfaces which must simultaneously feature molecular connectivity through chain bonding and disorder across the interface. To address this, off lattice molecular simulations have been constructed to capture the structure and properties of crystal-amorphous interfaces in polyethylene with freely rotating chains. Monte-Carlo simulations were performed on systems having {001 }, {201} and {502} interfaces (polymer chains tilted to the lamella normal by 0°, 34.4° and 41° respectively.) Results of the simulations reveal changes in interfacial structure with variation in the chain-tilt angle. The degree of tight folding decreases with increasing tilt, from predominantly [110] loops in the {001} interface to [200] and [310] loops on the other interfaces. The topology shifts towards an increase in loosely folded loops along with longer bridges and tails. The results also compare well with a Gaussian chain length distribution model. The {201} interface exhibits the lowest interfacial energy, in apparent agreement with experimental data.
Enactments in Psychoanalysis: Therapeutic Benefits

The therapeutic benefits of enactments are addressed. Relevant literature reveals disparate conceptions about the nature and use of enactments. Clarification of the term is discussed. This analyst's theoretical and technical evolution is addressed; it is inextricably related to using enactments. How can it not be? A taxonomy of enactments is presented. The article considers that enactments may be fundamental in the evolution from orthodox to contemporary analytic technique. Assumptions underlying enactments are explored, as are guidelines for using enactments. Finally, the article posits that enactments have widened the scope of analysis and contributed to its vitality.
What's Really Happening Here? Effectively Using Surveys to Learn About Organizations

ABSTRACTScholars and practitioners of public management need reliable data as they strive to understand public organizations. This article considers various sources of data and how they can be effectively leveraged to learn about organizations and their employees. Common problems associated with archival and survey data are identified, and several recommendations regarding survey design and administration are offered, including a consideration of who (clients, managers, or front-line employees) might provide the best information about various topics that may be of interest to researchers or practitioners conducting surveys. Finally, two examples of effective data-collection efforts are briefly discussed.
Final results of 2-dose fractionation of 177Lu-J591 for progressive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

5022Background: Phase 1 and 2 studies of single dose 177Lu-J591 are published. We hypothesized dose fractionation may improve safety and efficacy. Methods: Patients with progressive mCRPC; no selec...
Winning Isn't All

(1953). Winning Isn't All. Journal of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation: Vol. 24, No. 8, pp. 17-47.
I. Environmental Contamination and Biochemical Relationships

Mercury is naturally concentrated in geographical belts, but geological cycling has distributed the element in all strata of the earth. Natural concentrations of mercury are approximately 100 ppb in soil, 0.06 ppb in fresh water, 0.01–0.30 ppb in sea water, and 0.003–0.009 μg/m3 in air. Concentrations vary, being highest near mineral deposits. The concentration of mercury in some areas has been significantly increased by human carelessness. An epidemic among Japanese fishing families, death of Swedish wildlife, and discovery of elevated mercury levels in American fish focused attention on this problem. The discovery that certain species are capable of methylating inorganic mercury indicates pollution with any chemical form of mercury is dangerous. Alkylmercurials are the most dangerous form of mercury in the environment. Alkylmercurials are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, diffuse across the blood-brain carrier, and pass through the placental membrane in significantly higher proportions than othe...
Forest recreation in Ireland: a close-up of the neighbour wood scheme and sculpture in woodland.

Recent years have seen an increased focus on the role of Ireland’s woodlands and forests as a recreational resource. Numerous initiatives have emerged, including the Forest Service Neighbour Wood Scheme and Sculpture in Woodland. The Neighbour Wood Scheme provides funding for the development of "close-to-home" woodland amenities for regular use by local people, through partnerships involving local authorities and communities. Numerous critical success factors underpinning successful projects are identified and explored, as they will have relevance to similar projects elsewhere. Sculpture in Woodland in Devil’s Glen, Co. Wicklow, is an example of a project that received support under the Neighbour Wood Scheme. This project represents a partnership between foresters and artists in the development of a sculpture collection in the forest. An overview of the development of the project, and the opportunities and challenges experienced, will be of relevance to similar projects involving foresters and other groups focused on enhancing the recreational use of Irish forests.
Design of a Delay-based Controller for Fast Stabilization in a Network System with Input Delays via the Lambert W function

Abstract Study of networks with multiple agent dynamics has been a central focus in systems and control community, with numerous results. Among them is the study of how time delays in sensing and actuation could affect network stability, and/or control design for the agents. However, little is known in published work regarding how to design agents’ protocols analytically to achieve fast stability reaching. Here, an approach is developed to optimize the rightmost roots of a class of large scale LTI network dynamics via Lambert W function, in order to accomplish this. Results indicate that a delay explicitly present in the controller as a coefficient can create conditions for arbitrary rightmost root assignment. This feature is scalable, can be implemented with ease, and applied effectively for relatively large/small delays.
Mitochondrial Function is Dynamically Regulated during Ovarian Cancer Progression through Alterations in Fusion/Fission

Ovarian cancer continues to be the most deadly gynecological malignancy. A large proportion of patients are diagnosed at late stage, when significant metastasis has occurred through the intraperitoneal (IP) cavity. Preliminary work suggests that changes in mitochondrial function play important roles in tumor growth, metastasis and chemoresistance, and that this can be dynamically regulated dependent on tumor stage. Our data suggest that under proliferative attached conditions the high-grade serous adenocarcinoma cell line OVCA420 can shut-down mitochondrial function by altering its fission/fusion dynamics. Significant hyperfusion is associated with increased reliance on glycolysis and specific expression patterns of Drp1 splice variants, the GTPase responsible for mitochondrial fission. Of clinical relevance, a subgroup of cancer cells derived from patients diagnosed with late stage disease show similar patterns of Drp1 expression and mitochondria dysfunction. Characterization of these Drp1 splice variants is underway to determine their role as dominant negative fission proteins in ovarian cancer. Interestingly, we find that expression of Drp1 variants is dynamically regulated during different stages of ovarian cancer metastasis. Expression of Drp1 variants with apparent dominant negative function are decreased when cells are cultured as cellular spheroid aggregates, which models anchorage-independent survival and cells detaching from the primary tumor into the IP cavity during transcoelomic spread. This is accompanied by restoration of mitochondrial fission/ fusion dynamics and increased auto/mitophagy, suggesting that cancer cells in anchorage-independent conditions alter their fission protein expression to maintain a healthy pool of mitochondria, while expression of dominant negative Drp1 is associated with a highly proliferative cellular phenotype. In conclusion, dynamic Drp1 expression switching between the dominant-negative and functional Drp1 fission proteins may be a novel way for cancer cells to regulate fission/fusion, mitochondrial quality control and metabolism.
Synthesis and Characterization of MgCr2S4 Thiospinel as a Potential Magnesium Cathode

Magnesium-ion batteries are a promising energy storage technology because of their higher theoretical energy density and lower cost of raw materials. Among the major challenges has been the identification of cathode materials that demonstrate capacities and voltages similar to lithium-ion systems. Thiospinels represent an attractive choice for new Mg-ion cathode materials owing to their interconnected diffusion pathways and demonstrated high cation mobility in numerous systems. Reported magnesium thiospinels, however, contain redox inactive metals such as scandium or indium, or have low voltages, such as MgTi2S4. This article describes the direct synthesis and structural and electrochemical characterization of MgCr2S4, a new thiospinel containing the redox active metal chromium and discusses its physical properties and potential as a magnesium battery cathode. However, as chromium(III) is quite stable against oxidation in sulfides, removing magnesium from the material remains a significant challenge. Earl...
Role of Melanoma-Associated Antigens

The dynamic interaction between malignant melanoma cells and the host’s immune system has a profound influence on the development and progression of disease. Numerous studies have documented the therapeutic potential of immunological manipulation in patients with melanoma, and many tumorassociated antigens have been studied as possible targets of melanoma-specific immunotherapy. This chapter outlines the most significant melanoma-associated antigens, highlighting those with the greatest potential for influencing future treatment modalities. Specific antigens defined by T- and B-cells are discussed, and how these antigens are recognized, processed, and manipulated by the host’s immune system is explained. The role of gangliosides in distinguishing different stages of melanocyte differentiation is described, and a 90-kDa tumor-associated glycoprotein antigen which has considerable promise as a marker of melanoma tumor burden is introduced. Finally, this chapter reviews technological advances in assays used to detect various melanoma-associated antigens.
Workers’ Compensation Programs in 13 Nations: More Details

The preceding two chapters have summarized the characteristics of the workers’ compensation programs of 136 nations throughout the world. This chapter discusses in more detail the programs of 13 of these nations.
Extreme Physical Information as a Principle of Universal Stability

The EPI principle for finding a scientific law arises as follows. A coherent universe requires stable scientific laws. Each such law is a dual system AB consisting of a theoretical system A, in a state a, that interacts with a system B that may be an observer. Both A and B are assumed to be real systems. The interaction is via a probe particle, which carries information about a to B, and in doing so perturbs the total system AB in two ways – (1) It perturbs the information flow from A such that a is observed by B as y = a+ x, where x is an unknown number obeying a frequency law p(x). And (2) the law is likewise perturbed, as δ p(x). The law, a characteristic of the total system effect AB, is to be found. The above requirement of a stable law requires that the change I − J in information about a from A to B remain invariant to the perturbations, i.e., δ (I − J)/δ p(x) = 0. This is mathematically equivalent to I − J = extremum, and is the EPI principle that may be used to find p(x). Interestingly, the extremum is usually a minimum, meaning that, despite the unknown perturbations x and δ p(x), the output information I J. That is, observation tends to agree with reality, as demanded of a coherent universe. Moreover, the entire observation-interaction procedure has physical reality, meaning that the output physical law is created ‘on the spot.’ In applications of EPI, information functional I is always of one known form (Fisher’s). Also, the epistemic nature of EPI allows a degree of prior knowledge about a to be used to form J(a). In descending order of accuracy in the resulting outputs p(x), these forms of prior knowledge are called (a) abduction (highest quality, with perfect outputs), (b) deduction (next highest) and (c) induction (lowest, giving merely smooth outputs). Numerous applications of EPI are given. B.R. Frieden College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA e-mail: roy.frieden@optics.Arizona.edu F. Emmert-Streib, M. Dehmer (eds.), Information Theory and Statistical Learning, 355 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-84816-7 15, c © Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2009
Early trajectory features and the course of psychotherapy

AbstractObjective: We investigated the relationship between psychotherapy outcome and trajectory variables measured during the first five treatment sessions. Method: In a psychotherapy training cli...
College students’ peer-helping behaviors and stigma of seeking help: Testing a moderated mediation model

AbstractObjective: College students are most likely to seek psychological help from their peers. Internalized public stigma (ie, personal stigma) may prevent peer-helpers from aiding others, and su...
Effects of Medicare Medical Reviews on Ambiguous Short-Stay Hospital Admissions.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of Medicare's Medical Review (MR) program on short-stay inpatient hospitalization. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING One Hundred percent of Medicare Part A and Part B claims and the Master Beneficiary Summary File (2007-2010). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective observational study using a difference-in-differences approach. We examined six primary intake diagnoses, we believed likely to be targeted by MR. We stratified by hospital profit structure, bed size, system membership, and inpatient admission rate to test for differential effects. The comparison group was hospital visits occurring in those MACs that had yet to implement, as well as those that did not implement during the period of interest. DATA COLLECTION None. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Medical Review significantly reduced the likelihood of inpatient admission for patients with an intake diagnosis of "Non-Specific Chest Pain" by 1.29 percentage points (p < .001). This effect was stronger in larger hospitals (-2.03, p < .001), nonsystem hospitals (-2.54, p < .001), and those with a lower inpatient rate (-1.86, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS Short inpatient hospitalizations were emphasized by MR, and our results show that MR modestly reduced their prevalence among certain patients and certain hospitals. Future work should examine whether this resulted in adverse patient outcomes.