cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum Brain Natriuretic Peptide Level in a Patient With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Chronic Heart Failure

A 52-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure presented in respiratory distress. Physical examination could not differentiate COPD exacerbation from chronic heart failure decompensation. As her serum B-type natriuretic peptide level was 1030 pg/mL, she was initially treated for chronic heart failure decompensation. Serum B-type natriuretic peptide level fell to 308 pg/mL, but respiratory distress persisted. She was then treated with intravenous solumedrol for COPD exacerbation. Respiratory distress rapidly resolved. Serum B-type natriuretic peptide level is useful to detect heart failure in the presence of COPD but does not substitute for clinical judgment to initiate proper management.
Mass Transit Ridership and Self-Reported Hearing Health in an Urban Population

Information on prevalence and risk factors associated with self-reported hearing health among mass transit riders is extremely limited, even though evidence suggests mass transit may be a source of excessive exposure to noise. Data on mass transit ridership were collected from 756 study participants using a self-administered questionnaire. Hearing health was measured using two symptom items (tinnitus and temporary audiometric threshold shift), two subjective measures (self-rated hearing and hearing ability), and two medical-related questions (hearing testing and physician-diagnosed hearing loss). In logistic regression analyses that controlled for possible confounders, including demographic variables, occupational noise exposure, nonoccupational noise exposure (including MP3 player use) and use of hearing protection, frequent and lengthy mass transit (all forms) ridership (1,100 min or more per week vs. 350 min or less per week) was the strongest predictor of temporary threshold shift symptoms. Noise abatement strategies, such as engineering controls, and the promotion of hearing protection use should be encouraged to reduce the risk of adverse impacts on the hearing health of mass transit users.
Southscapes: Geographies of Race, Region and Literature. Thadious M. Davis. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011.

Southscapes: Geographies of Race, Region and Literature Thadious M. Davis. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011.Inventive in its terms and specific in its conditions, Thadious Davis's Southscapes is a "rethinking of the South" (21). Intertwining the discourses of geography, United States history, critical race theory, and literary criticism, Davis coins the term "southscape" which "calls attention to the South as a social, political, cultural, and economic construct but one with the 'fact of land'" (2). She re-evaluates the South under segregation and positions African American literary production as the driving force of "southern literature." For any explorer of American literature and culture, Southscapes is a literary cartography that maps the social spaces black poets and writers in the Unites States South have constructed over the last fifty years.Following Homi Bhabha (The Location of Culture, 1994) and bell hooks (Belonging: A Culture of Place, 2009), Davis extends and particularizes current scholarship on race and place by elucidating "the spatial aesthetics and spatial economies that emerge out of segregation in Mississippi and Louisiana" (4). She argues that the signposts of segregation in the Deep South region are-both literally and metaphoricallyre-appropriated by African American writers who use the spatial language of exclusion to produce inversely a rhetoric of empowerment and regional inclusion. Southscapes multifaceted literary survey is devoted to the recognizable works of Richard Wright, Ernest Gaines, and Alice Walker as well as lesser known works of Olympia Vernon, Sterling Plumpp, Etheridge Knight, Endesha Ida Mae Holland, Shay Youngblood, and Randall Kenan. Davis's expert knowledge of Southern literature also allows for a dense, intertexual idiom that spans from William Faulkner to Harryette Mullen, to countless others.These authors' aesthetic sensitivity to the demarcation of spaces spurs Davis into a reconfiguring of the passage from modernism to postmodernism in the South. She suggests that the "post-civil rights era" is a transitional period in which "the emergence of visible black artists, intellectuals, theorists, and philosophers to articulate the changing state of African American life and to deconstruct the controlling paradigms of power enabled the iteration of postmodern blackness, as in the cultural analysis of bell hooks and Cornell West" (12). Although an "underlying thread" (11) of Southscapes, this re-configuration or "paradigm shift" is highlighted in both John W. …
Physician Reentry : A Concept Whose Time Has Come

Three retrainees were accepted into an innovative program designed to refresh skills to return physicians to the obstetrics and gynecology workforce after a voluntary leave of absence. The program was constructed in such a way that it did not affect existing training opportunities for medical students and residents. A protocol for application and acceptance was developed that incorporated an admissions committee and a fellowship director. The need for such retraining programs and considerations in structuring, including candidate selection, faculty involvement and support, needs assessment and curriculum development, and a protocol for administration are presented. It is hoped that other training programs with experienced educators and a surplus of clinical cases will use our model to establish their own physician reentry programs, returning these valuable members of the physician workforce to practice.
“Adequate control theory” for human single-joint elbow flexion on two tasks

The control of distance and speed during single-joint human elbow flexion is accomplished by different modes of activating the motoneuron pools. Distance is controlled by modulating the duration of activation, while speed is controlled by modulating the intensity. The experiments reported on here compare movements of different distances under two sets of instructions: subjects moved either as fast and accurately as possible or in a specified time. The first task showed duration modulation, whereas the second, which required simultaneous control of distance and speed, showed both duration and intensity modulation. These results are interpreted in the context of a model for motor control, predicated on the existence of movement plants that use prior knowledge of the dynamics of the movement task to generate muscle activation patterns that produce joint torques. These plans use a simple algorithm based upon parameters of the task such as distance, load, and speed. From this plan, the kinematic trajectory emerges.
Processor performance and issues: 2002–2007

Abstract This manuscript presents the author's views on the future of processor technology as presented in the text of the transparencies shown at Lattice 2002. The full text and several figures selected by the editors are reproduced in these proceedings. The original version of the talk may be found on the web.
Broad-band microwave measurements with transient radiation from optoelectronically pulsed antennas

A broadband microwave measurement technique based on picosecond transient radiation from optoelectronically pulsed antennas is described. It is performed with exponentially tapered coplanar stripline antennas which are integrated with the photoconductive devices used for ultrafast pulse generation and sampling. The signal analysis required for deriving the desired physical properties from the measured time-domain waveforms is discussed. This is a coherent technique that independently determines both the real and the imaginary parts of the dielectric constants of materials, from 10 to 130 GHz, in a single experiment. Some representative results are presented. >
Possible decay modes of a light neutral lepton produced by neutral currents

If one assumes that the outgoing lepton produced in a neutral-current event ..nu.. + N ..-->.. ..nu..' + X is massive, it might be possible to identify it by its decay products. If the experimental lower limit on the lifetime of ..nu..' is about 10/sup -9/ sec, upper limits for its mass are given which depend on the form of the neutral current. (AIP)
Transient drying during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM): Analysis of paleosols in the bighorn basin, Wyoming

Abstract The Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was a transient episode of global warming that occurred at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary. The event is marked by a sharp decline in carbon isotope values that is globally recognized from marine and continental sections. The negative isotope excursion has been attributed to the release of methane hydrates from oceanic sediments. Although studies concur that temperatures rose during the PETM, changes in precipitation are not well understood. Alluvial paleosols in the Bighorn Basin that span the PETM interval contain a continuous and highly resolved record of climate including information on precipitation. They show a significant but transient decrease in precipitation at the onset of the PETM but a gradual return to pre-PETM levels by the end of the interval. The paleosols also show additional, although less dramatic, wet/dry cycles within the PETM interval that may correspond to precessional cycles that have been identified in the marine record of the PETM. This study counters interpretations of increased precipitation for Wyoming at this time and shows the importance of detailed case studies of continental strata to test climatic generalizations and models that have been developed for PETM precipitation patterns.
A New North American heterozerconid, Narceoheterozercon ohioensis n. g., n. sp., with first description of immatures of heterozerconidae (Acari: Mesostigmata)

Abstract Narceoheterozercon ohioensis n. g., n. sp., an associate of the millipede Narceus annularis (Rafinesque), is described for all instars. This represents the first description of immatures in the infraorder Heterozerconina. In contrast to the heavily sclerotized adults, which have short setae, are hypertrichous, and possess characteristic ventral opisthosomal suckers, the immatures are soft bodied, have long idiosomal setae in a holotrichous pattern, and lack ventral suckers.
Chromosome pairing via multiple interstitial interactions before and during meiosis in yeast

Abstract Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis reveals that homologous chromosomes are paired in yeast cells about to enter meiosis. Pairing involves multiple interstitial interactions, one per ∼ 65 kb. These observations exclude several classes of models for somatic/premeiotic pairing. The number of t=0 pairing interactions is about the same as the number of subsequent meiotic recombination events. As cells enter meiosis, pairing disappears concomitant with DNA replication and then reappears, independent of synaptonemal complex. Mutant phenotypes suggest that formation of an individual meiotic pairing connection does not require a meiosis-specific double-stranded break (DSB). Mutants defective in recombination before or after DSBs exhibit pairing defects. These and other observations can be united by a model in which premeiotic pairing and early meiotic pairing occur by closely related paranemic DNA-DNA interactions between intact duplexes, with early meiotic interactions subsequently converted directly to plectonemic recombination intermediates via DSBs.
Tilting at Nodal Windmills: Planar Cell Polarity Positions Cilia to Tell Left from Right

Nodal flow orients the left-right axis in some vertebrates, and is generated by clockwise-rotating cilia that are tilted posteriorly. In a recent paper, Song et al. add to mounting evidence that the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway coordinates posterior positioning of cilia and subsequent determination of left-right asymmetry.
Spectroscopy and collisional quenching rates for A¯ C2H2 (ν′3 = 0, 1, 2)

Laser-excited fluorescence excitation and dispersed fluorescence spectra have been recorded for the origin and ν′3 = 1 and 2 levels of A¯ C2H2. Fluorescence decay rates were obtained as a function of pressure at room temperature. The slopes of the Stern-Volmer plots gave quenching rate constants for the A¯ C2H2 ν′3 = 0,1, and 2 levels in collisions with C2/N2, O2, He, and Ar; the intercepts gave zero-pressure fluorescence lifetimes. The results are compared to available information on acetylene spectroscopy and kinetics.
How Do CTAs' Return Distribution Characteristics Affect Their Likelihood of Survival?

Research on managed futures performance continues to debate the impact of survivor bias on the performance of the commodity trading advisor (CTA). In an article in the previous issue, the actual performance of survivor and non-survivor samples was analyzed. The empirical evidence suggests that survival is associated with performance, but that performance is not necessarily associated with survival. As a result, ignoring survival issues in the selection of managed futures programs may result in reduced performance. In this follow-up article, the actual models of survival potential are discussed and presented.
The association between breast cancer prognostic indicators and serum 25-OH vitamin D levels.

Background Studies show that women with low vitamin D levels have an increased risk of breast cancer (BC) incidence and mortality, but there is a lack of research examining vitamin D levels and prognostic variables in BC patients. The aim of this study is to examine 25-OH vitamin D levels between BC cases and controls and by prognostic indicators among BC cases.
Smallpox: Gone but not forgotten

Smallpox represents both the acme of man's efforts to combat infectious diseases and one of his greatest fears. The disease emerged in prehistoric times to spread throughout the world causing blindness and death in millions of people. An acute infection caused by variola virus, one of the Orthopoxviruses, with skin eruption and marked toxemia had an average case fatality rate of 30%. Variola minor, a milder form of the disease, had a case fatality of one percent. Humans are the sole host, and survival confers lifelong immunity. Immunization was practiced since ancient times by inoculation with the variola virus until Jenner's demonstration of the efficacy and safety of vaccination with vaccinia virus. Following an intensive eradication effort by the World Health Organization, the world was declared to be free of smallpox in 1979. The decision to destroy all remaining stocks of variola virus in 1999 has met with some controversy.
Line force, charge and dislocation in angularly inhomogeneous anisotropic piezoelectric wedges and spaces

The Stroh formalism is elegant and powerful in solving two-dimensional deformations of anisotropic elastic solids. It has been extended to anisotropic piezoelectric materials. The formalism, however, does not apply to inhomogeneous materials. A different approach is employed here to solve the problems of an angularly inhomogeneous piezoelectric material subjected to a line force, line charge and line dislocation at the centre of the material. It is shown that the basic solution, in a real form, is identical in expression with the basic solution for homogeneous piezoelectric materials.
The friction characteristics of paper

Abstract The friction between data processing card stock and steel was determined to be a function of normal load, contact configuration, and surface roughness. The most significant parameter was surface roughness. It was concluded that the friction is primarily due to adhesion and abrasion, with only a minor contribution by hysteresis losses in the card stock.
Asymptotic Completeness for Quantum Mechanical Potential Scattering

A new (geometrical) proof is given for the asymptotic completeness of the wave operators and the absence of a singular continuous spectrum of the Hamiltonian for potentials which decrease faster than in the Coulomb case, the space dimension is arbitrary.
Application of Clearance and Volume of Distribution to the Plateau Principles of Drugs

Abstract The concentration of drug in plasma after continuous administration (plateau concentration, C ∞ ) has been defined as the realationship of the dosage per unit time and the half‐life of elimination ( t 1/2 ) to the volume of distribution ( V d ) of a drug. The C ∞ determinants, V d and t 1/2 , have been determined in single‐dose and continuous‐infusion experiments. The data derived have been used to predict C ∞ for a series of substances when administered by continuous intravenous infusion. Alterations in V d and t 1/2 of a drug may occur under clinical situations. This is reflected in changes in the plateau concentration, despite a constant dosage per unit time. An experimental example of deoxycholic acid decreasing the volume of distribution of bromsulfophthalein is given.
Towards fully automated phototransfection

Flexible automation technologies have been applied to the manual phototransfection procedure on fibroblast and astrocyte cells.We have designed and implemented a framework for increased throughput of the entire process. Integrated image processing, laser target position calculation, and stage movements show a throughput increase of ≫ 23X over the current manual method while the potential for even greater throughput improvements (≫ 110X) is described. A software tool for automated single cell morphological measurements has also been constructed and shown to be able quantify changes in the cell before and after the process, successfully characterizing them, using metrics such as cell perimeter, area, major and minor axis length, and eccentricity values.
RAPID GM1 GANGLIOSIDE LATEX AGGLUTINATION SLIDE TEST FOR CHOLERA TOXIN

In conventional latex-particle agglutination tests, latex beads are either coated with antibody and clump if antigen is present in a sample or are coated with antigen and clump if an antibody is present in a sample. Ligands other than antigen and antibody have not been used previously for latex-particle agglutination tests. We report here a new variation, a sandwich latex-particle agglutination test in which interactions between GM1 gangliosides, antigen (cholera toxin) and anticholera antibody are used to affect agglutination. the principles that are described can be applied to develop tests for the rapid detection of other small ligands.
A modified nitrogen budget for temperate deciduous forests in an advanced stage of nitrogen saturation

[1] Recent advances in ecosystem descriptions associated with nitrogen (N) saturated forests allowed us to revise and improve a model of ecosystem productivity to reflect advanced N saturation. We introduce a new description of nitrogen cycling for a forest that is in stage 2 of N saturation on the basis of recent literature. We compared the accuracy of this new description to the conventional N cycling construct by assessing the degree to which each N cycle description predicted observations in a 100-year-old Nsaturated watershed in the Fernow Experimental Forest. The new literature-based model of saturation outperformed the original model by more accurately predicting aboveground net primary productivity, foliar N, and stream NO3 . Regional estimates of forest productivity and terrestrial carbon sequestration have generally overlooked variable N availability as a vector for forest growth changes. New findings about N-saturated ecosystem processes refine productivity models and improve estimates of regional ecosystem changes in response to N saturation.
Gastric mucosal calcinosis: a rare cause of bleeding.

A52-year-old man with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis presented with coffee-ground emesis and black stools. The physical examination revealed pale conjunctivae but was otherwise unremarkable. The laboratory analysis was significant for hemoglobin 4.4 g/dL, creatinine 7.8 mg/dL, and normal calcium and phosphorus (8.7 mg/dL and 2.5 mg/dL, respectively). The esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed multiple smooth, nonbleeding nodules measuring 3–5 mm in diameter, extending radially in linear rows throughout the antrumwith an overlying clot (Figure A). Two similar lesions were noted in the second portion of the duodenum (Figure B). Biopsies showed benign gastric and small bowel mucosa with calcinosis (Figure C). The bone scan demonstrated radiotracer within the region of the stomach, also compatible with calcinosis. The computed tomography scan was significant for mitral annular calcification and scattered pancreatic parenchymal calcifications. The patient did not have any risk factors for chronic pancreatitis. A review of laboratory studies over the past year revealed a persistently elevated parathyroid hormone as well as frequent hyperphosphatemia with occasional hypercalcemia. Two sessions of argon plasma coagulation, 14 days apart, were performed on the gastric lesions. No other endoscopic therapy was undertaken. After 8 months of follow-up, the patient did not have further bleeding. Gastric mucosal calcinosis (GMC) is a rare disorder typically encountered incidentally on routine biopsy or at autopsy. Metastatic calcification is the most common cause of GMC and occurs in the setting of abnormal calcium-phosphate metabolism. Hypercalcemia and/or hyperphosphatemia cause the deposition of calcium salts
Bondability of TC410 composites: the surface analysis and wetting properties of an atmospheric plasma-treated siloxane-modified cyanate ester composite

Atmospheric plasma treatment (APT) has been used on a number of composite systems as an effective surface preparation technique for adhesive bonding. Recently, a new class of siloxane-modified polycyanurate resin systems (TC410) has been developed for use as a matrix material in composites utilized for space applications. The effect of APT on a TC410/M55J fiber composite was evaluated. Contact angle measurements exhibited a sharp reduction in wetting angle with exposure. An increase in the polar surface energy component with treatment coincides with Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results, which verify the formation of an oxidized carbonate species formed on the composite surface. A solvent rinse removes the majority of the oxidized species and results in an increase in contact angle, due to the removal of a fine ash. XPS and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy verify the distribution of a siloxane component throughout the resin, which was oxidized during APT and for...
The Planar Shape of Rock Joints

Knowing the planar shape of discontinuities is important when characterizing discontinuities in a rock mass. However, the real discontinuity shape is rarely known, since the rock mass is usually inaccessible in three dimensions. Information on discontinuity shape is limited and often open to more than one interpretation. This paper discusses the planar shape of rock joints, the most common discontinuities in rock. First, a brief literature review about the shape of joints is presented, including some information on joint-surface morphology, inferences from observed trace lengths on different sampling planes, information based on experimental studies, and joint shapes assumed by different researchers. This review shows that joints not affected by adjacent geological structures such as bedding boundaries or pre-existing fractures tend to be elliptical (or approximately circular but rarely). Joints affected by or intersecting such geological structures tend to be rectangular. Then, using the general stereological relationship between trace length distributions and joint size distributions developed by Zhang et al. (Geotechnique 52(6):419–433, 2002) for elliptical joints, the effect of sampling plane orientation on trace lengths is investigated. This study explains why the average trace lengths of non-equidimensional (elliptical or similar polygonal) joints on two sampling planes can be about equal and thus the conclusion that rock joints are equidimensional (circular) drawn from the fact that the average trace lengths on two sampling planes are approximately equal can be wrong. Finally, methods for characterizing the shape and size of joints (elliptical or rectangular) from trace length data are recommended, and the appropriateness of using elliptical joint shapes to represent polygonal, especially rectangular, joints is discussed.
Comprehensive evaluation of medium and long range correlated density functionals in TD-DFT investigation of DNA bases and base pairs: gas phase and water solution study

A comprehensive analysis of the performance of the TD-DFT method using different density functionals including recently developed medium and long-range correlation corrected density functionals have been carried out for lower-lying electronic singlet valence transitions of nucleic acid bases and the Watson–Crick base pairs in the gas phase and in the water solution. The standard 6-311++G(d,p) basis set was used. Ground state geometries of bases and base pairs were optimized at the M05-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level. The nature of potential energy surfaces (PES) was ascertained through the harmonic vibrational frequency analysis; all geometries were found to be minima at the respective PES. Electronic singlet vertical transition energies were also computed at the CC2/def2-TZVP level in the gas phase. The effect of state-specific water solvation on TD-DFT computed transition energies was considered using the PCM model. For the isolated bases the performance of the B3LYP functional was generally found to be superior...
Sn-Ag-Cu solders and solder joints: Alloy development, microstructure, and properties

Slow cooling of Sn-Ag-Cu and Sn-Ag-Cu-X (X = Fe, Co) solder-joint specimens made by hand soldering simulated reflow in surface-mount assembly to achieve similar as-solidified joint microstructures for realistic shearstrength testing, using Sn-3.5Ag (wt.%) as a baseline. Minor substitutions of either cobalt or iron for copper in Sn-3.7Ag-0.9Cu refined the joint matrix microstructure, modified the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic phase at the copper substrate/solder interface, and increased the shear strength. At elevated (150°C) temperature, no significant difference in shear strength was found in all of the alloys studied. Ambient temperature shear strength was reduced by largescale tin dendrites in the joint microstructure, especially by the coarse dendrites in solute poor Sn-Ag-Cu.
Recent progress with microtubule stabilizers: new compounds, binding modes and cellular activities

Covering: late 2008 to August 2013 Nature has yielded numerous classes of chemically distinct microtubule stabilizers. Several of these, including paclitaxel (Taxol) and docetaxel (Taxotere), are important drugs used in the treatment of cancer. New microtubule stabilizers and novel formulations of these agents continue to provide advances in cancer therapy. In this review we cover recent progress in the chemistry and biology of these diverse microtubule stabilizers focusing on the wide range of organisms that produce these compounds, their mechanisms of inhibiting microtubule-dependent processes, mechanisms of drug resistance, and their interactions with tubulin including their distinct binding sites and modes. A new potential role for microtubule stabilizers in neurodegenerative diseases is reviewed.
Nonlinear Robust Robot Control in Cartesian Coordinate

Many assembly tasks such as gear mating, fine polishing or deburring need to use both force and position control in the cartesian coordinate to avoid damaging parts and achieve the desired smoothness. It is ineffective to control force variable in the joint coordinate. In the past, several position control methods in the cartesian coordinate were proposed. However, none of them can maintain fast and accurate motion control in the face of modeling errors and external disturbance. In this paper, we propose a new nonlinear robust control scheme for robot motion control in the cartesian coordinate. The control input of this scheme consists of a nonlinear and a linear part. The nonlinear part decouples and stabilizes the robot dynamics in the cartesian coordinate. The linear part utilizes the robust servomechanism theory to suppress effects of modeling errors or unknown external disturbance. This scheme is used in the control of a two-joint, SCARA-type robot, and simulation results demonstrate that this nonlinear robust control scheme can achieve fast and yet precise tracking control in the cartesian coordinate even at the presence of severe modeling errors.
Diversification in a biodiversity hot spot: landscape correlates of phylogeographic patterns in the African spotted reed frog

The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot is known for microendemism and exceptional population genetic structure. The region's landscape heterogeneity is thought to limit gene flow between fragmented populations and create opportunities for regional adaptation, but the processes involved are poorly understood. Using a combination of phylogeographic analyses and circuit theory, I investigate how characteristics of landscape heterogeneity including regional distributions of slope, rivers and streams, habitat and hydrological basins (drainages) impact genetic distance among populations of the endemic spotted reed frog (Hyperolius substriatus), identifying corridors of connectivity as well as barriers to dispersal. Results show that genetic distance among populations is most strongly correlated to regional and local hydrologic structure and the distribution of suitable habitat corridors, not isolation by distance. Contrary to expectations, phylogeographic structure is not coincident with the two montane systems, but instead corresponds to the split between the region's two major hydrological basins (Zambezi and East Central Coastal). This results in a paraphyletic relationship for the Malawian Highlands populations with respect to the Eastern Arc Mountains and implies that the northern Malawian Highlands are the diversity centre for H. substriatus. Although the Malawian Highlands collectively hold the greatest genetic diversity, individual populations have lower diversity than their Eastern Arc counterparts, with an overall pattern of decreasing population diversity from north to south. Through the study of intraspecific differentiation across a mosaic of ecosystem and geographic heterogeneity, we gain insight into the processes of diversification and a broader understanding of the role of landscape in evolution.
Learning Event Durations from Event Descriptions

We have constructed a corpus of news articles in which events are annotated for estimated bounds on their duration. Here we describe a method for measuring inter-annotator agreement for these event duration distributions. We then show that machine learning techniques applied to this data yield coarse-grained event duration information, considerably outperforming a baseline and approaching human performance.
Design and relay-based control of a novel linear magnetostrictive motor

Design and relay-based control of a novel linear magnetostrictive motor is presented in this paper. The magnetostrictive material used here is Terfenol-D, an alloy of the formula Tb 0.3 Dy 0.7 Fe 1.9 . In response to a traveling magnetic field inside the Terfenol-D element, it moves in the opposite direction with a peristaltic motion. The proposed design offers the flexibility to operate the motor in various configurations including local and conventional three-phase excitation. In this paper, we demonstrate that the power consumption can be reduced significantly by the local-excitation approach. A new force transmission assembly incorporates spring washers to avoid the wear due to its sudden collision with the Terfenol-D element. The closed-loop control system was implemented using relay control which resulted in an optimal closed-loop performance. The magnetostrictive motor has demonstrated 410-N load capacity with a travel range of 45 mm, and the speed is around 9 mm/min currently. The low speed is due to the local three-phase operation mode, and it could be increased to 60 mm/min by using the conventional three-phase operation. The maximum power consumption by the motor is 95 W.
Principles of Continuous Price Determination In An Experimental Environment With Flows Of Random Arrivals And Departures

A new experimental market environment is developed. Continuously arriving incentives replace the traditional period structure. The issue posed is whether classical principles of market behavior apply when the environment is constantly changing. Three broad results emerge. (1) Natural “flow” generalizations of the laws of demand and supply exist and dictate much of the market behavior. (2) Two different classes of laws operate: the “temporal equilibrium”, which is based on the parameters that exist in the market at a moment and the “flow competitive equilibrium,” which reflects the probabilistic structure of the parameters. (3) The markets exhibit extraordinarily high levels of efficiency.
Teed Off Cardiac Conduction System Development Requires T-box Transcription Factors

See related article, pages 1340–1349 In this issue of Circulation Research , Bakker et al1 report that the T-box transcription factor Tbx3 is required for development of the mouse atrioventricular conduction system. This study adds to the increasingly complex roles for T-box genes in the regulation of cell lineage maturation and proliferation in the developing heart. Previous studies from this same group have implicated Tbx3 in control of mouse sinoatrial node development and pacemaker activity.2 A closely related factor Tbx2 also contributes to atrioventricular (AV) canal specification by repressing genes expressed in the chamber myocardium.3,4 Mutations in human TBX5 cause Holt–Oram syndrome, which includes conduction system disease, and mice with heterozygous mutations in Tbx5 develop progressive AV block and other conduction anomalies.5–7 Additional T-box factors including Tbx1, Tbx20, and Tbx18 are expressed in distinct compartments of the heart and have critical functions in cardiac cell lineage maturation, proliferation, and morphogenesis.8 It is becoming increasingly apparent that multiple T-box transcription factors are important regulators of conduction system differentiation and patterning while also contributing to many other aspects of heart cell lineage development and morphogenesis. Bakker et al1 report that Tbx3 is required for maturation of the atrioventricular conduction system based on loss of function studies in mice. Mice lacking Tbx3 do not survive past embryonic day (E)14.5 and exhibit abnormal gene expression in conduction system progenitor cells, as well as severe structural malformations, including double outlet right ventricle and ventricular septal defects. Particular attention was paid to the crest of the interventricular septum, where the AV bundle components of the central conduction system will develop. In normal mice, the myocytes in the crest of the interventricular septum diversify from the rest of the septum myocardium with increased expression of Tbx3 , Tbx5 , …
CTC Pitfalls/Limitations

There are numerous pitfalls and artifacts in computed tomography colonography (CTC) interpretation. One must be cognizant of these in order not to overcall pathology and refer patients for unnecessary optical colonoscopies (OC). This chapter will demonstrate the most common pitfalls and artifacts associated with CTC interpretation and provide ways to best analyze and accurately assess these findings. At a minimum, a combined 3-D and 2-D analysis is required to adequately analyze and accurately interpret a CTC. In order to minimize artifacts, one must start with the best 3-D model possible. Many interpretation pitfalls and image artifacts can be avoided when attention is paid to proper patient preparation and image acquisition. A diagnostic quality CTC requires an adequate bowel cleansing prep, stool and fluid tagging with barium and water-soluble contrast agents, adequate patient hydration, mechanical CO2 insufflation of the colon, and optimal distension of all colon segments (Fig. 8.1a–d).
Abstract TMP40: Revascularization in Patients With Moyamoya Decreases Abnormally High Posterior Circulation Arterial Flows Measured by Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Introduction: Moyamoya disease and syndrome are well known to affect the anterior cerebral circulation by progressive steno-occlusive disease of the supraclinoid internal carotid arteries. Less attention has been paid to changes in posterior arterial circulation hemodynamics in this condition. We sought to better understand the latter by using a relatively novel non-invasive imaging technique: quantitative magnetic resonance angiography (qMRA). Hypothesis: We assessed the utility of qMRA to detect changes in arterial posterior arterial circulation flows before and after surgical revascularization. Methods: Retrospective review of patients who met the following inclusion criteria: (1) diagnosis of moyamoya disease or syndrome with revascularization surgery at the Stanford University between September 2008 and March 2012; (2) preoperative and postoperative qMRA scans on record within a two-year time frame; and (3) high-quality qMRA images without motion artifact. Cerebral blood-vessel flow was quantified after non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging through the use of a commercially available software tool: non-invasive optimal vessel analysis (NOVA, VasSol, Chicago, USA). Results: A total of 191 patients underwent 281 surgeries in this period of time. Of these, a cohort of 64 patients (78% female, mean age 38.5 years, 55% unilateral disease) had preoperative and postoperative qMRA studies. Preoperative arterial flows in the posterior circulation were markedly elevated compared to normative data. These flows significantly decreased after revascularization (94% direct STA-MCA bypass): right posterior cerebral artery 145 ml/min pre-surgery, 123 ml/min post-surgery, p=0.005; basilar artery 264 ml/min pre-surgery, 222ml/min post-surgery, p=0.0038. Conclusion: Quantitative MRA shows that posterior circulation arterial flows are markedly increased in patients with moyamoya. After revascularization, there is an overall decrease in these flows that is significant in the basilar artery and right posterior cerebral artery. Further use of qMRA might be warranted to better understand moyamoya hemodynamics before and after surgery.
The Effect of Tree Cover and Vegetation on Incidence of Childhood Asthma in Metropolitan Statistical Areas of Texas

The number of asthma cases in children has increased significantly in the last couple of decades. Studies on links between outdoor air pollutants and asthma have had mixed results, suggesting the need for more focused studies. An increase in tree plantings for urban areas is now being called upon as a solution to the higher heat indexes and pollution rates for more densely populated areas. Green spaces and trees could further benefit some urban areas by providing an effective means to improve air conditions. The purpose of this study was to assess whether there is a relationship between levels of vegetation and reported rates of childhood asthma in Texas. Childhood asthma data were collected from the Center for Health Statistics and the Texas Department of State Health Services for the years 2005 and 2006. The asthma rates for each metropolitan statistical area (MSA) were mapped and inserted into a corresponding vegetation map using geographical mapping software. A comparison of vegetation rates and asthma rates in metropolitan areas was used to investigate whether vegetation and tree cover led to higher or lower incidences of childhood asthma rates. Asthma data, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and canopy cover data were analyzed using statistical software. Regression analysis and correlations were calculated to analyze the data for the tree coverage/vegetation rates and asthma rates variable. No statistically significant relationships between NDVI, canopy cover, and asthma were found in this study.
A Historical Survey of Solution by Functional Iteration

A colleague once joked that the development of any idea could be traced back to the " primordial slime" if one were determined to do so. In this article we take the idea of solution of equations by iteration techniques and attempt to verify his claim. Alas, we do not succeed. We do, however, show that solution by iteration has a very long history indeed, and we attempt to outline that history. This article began when we read Bateman [1], Bruins [2], and Traub [3]. The majority of the references (especially the primary sources) were found in these works or by searching backward from them. We acknowledge our indebtedness to these authors. No attempt will be made to mention one or more of them explicitly each time a source was so discovered. It should also be pointed out that Goldstine [4] is relevant to the topic. Even though the topic is an elementary one, it is still not universally a part of the mathematics curriculum. Therefore, to refresh the reader's memory and to define the particular type of iteration techniques to be considered, we begin with a quick review of the general technique as well as an example. Given an equation f(x) = 0 the standard procedure is to introduce a new function (D having the property that 4>(x) = x implies f(x) = 0. A solution to the equation 4>(x) = x is then approximated by choosing xl in some manner and defining x4 1 = (D(xn). Under proper choice of (D, or x1, or both, one may be able to obtain convergence of the sequence { x, }. If {x,j -> x0 it must be the case that 1D(x0) = x0 if (D is continuous at x0. To illustrate the foregoing we solve f(x) = 0 when f(x) = 2x3 + 4X2 2x 5. Note first that
η3-Propargyl/Allenyl Complexes of Platinum and Palladium of the Type [(PPh3)2M(η3-CH2CCR)]+

A study is reported on the synthesis, spectroscopic properties, molecular structure, and reaction chemistry of η3-propargyl/allenyl complexes of platinum and palladium of the type [(PPh3)2M(η3-CH2CCR)]+ (M = Pt, R = Ph (1a), Me (1b); M = Pd, R = Ph (2a), Me (2b)). Complexes 1a,b were obtained by each of the following methods: (i) reaction of trans-(PPh3)2PtBr(η1-CH2C⋮CPh) with AgO3SCF3; (ii) treatment of (PPh3)2Pt(η2-PhC⋮CCH2OMe) with BF3·OEt2; (iii) addition of RC⋮CCH2OS(O)2C6H4Me-p to (PPh3)2Pt(η2-C2H4) in solution. Complexes 2a,b resulted upon (i) abstraction of Br- from trans-(PPh3)2PdBr(η1-CH2C⋮CR)/trans-(PPh3)2PdBr(η1-C(R)CCH2) with AgBF4 and (ii) treatment of Pd2(dba)3·CHCl3 with PPh3 and RC⋮CCH2OS(O)2C6H4Me-p. The structures of 1a(OTf)·CH2Cl2 (Tf = O2SCF3) and 2a(BF4) were determined by X-ray diffraction techniques. Both cationic metal complexes show remarkably similar structures, the salient features being the attachment to the metal of all three propargyl/allenyl carbon atoms of the nonlinear C...
Meta-analysis of the Impact of Patient Characteristics on Estimates of Effectiveness and Harms of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 in Lumbar Spinal Fusion.

STUDY DESIGN Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in lumbar spinal fusion. OBJECTIVE To determine how patient characteristics impact estimates of effectiveness and harms of rhBMP-2 versus iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) in lumbar spinal fusion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Patient characteristics are thought to impact rates of fusion in spinal fusion surgery, but no analyses examining the effect of patient characteristics on efficacy and safety of rhBMP-2 as compared with ICBG have been conducted. METHODS Using individual patient data obtained from the Yale Open Data Access Project, the impact of patient characteristics on the effects of rhBMP-2 on fusion, overall success, and harms were assessed using linear and generalized linear mixed effects models. RESULTS Ten industry-sponsored randomized controlled trials of rhBMP-2 were included in the analysis. There is preliminary support for an association between rhBMP-2 and improved outcomes for smokers (P = 0.01), individuals under the age of 60 years (P < 0.01), and patients of normal weight (P = 0.03), but not in patients who are nonsmokers, over the age of 60 years, obese or severely obese. RhBMP-2 usage was associated with decreased harms in individuals with no previous back surgeries but this was not seen in individuals with a previous back surgery (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Effects of rhBMP-2 may vary according to patient characteristics. Future studies of rhBMP-2 should include planned subgroup analysis in patients over 60 years, smokers, patients that are obese and severely obese, and individuals with previous back surgeries to better identify those most likely to benefit. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 1.
Experiments in Financial Democracy: Corporate Governance and Financial Development in Brazil, 1882–1950

1. Introduction 2. Financial development in Brazil in the nineteenth century 3. The stock exchange and the early industrialization of Brazil, 1882-1930 4. The foundations of financial democracy: disclosure laws and shareholder protections in corporate bylaws 5. Voting rights, government guarantees, and ownership concentration, 1890-1950 6. Directors, corporate governance, and executive compensation in Brazil, c.1909 7. Bond markets and creditor rights in Brazil, 1850-1945 8. Were bankers acting as market makers? 9. What went wrong after World War I? 10. The rise of concentrated ownership in the twentieth century 11. Conclusion.
Research the Influence of Small-load Generators for 220kV Grid Transient Stability

In order to advance the effectuality and adaptability of grid safe reliable analysis,selecting Anqing area,the paper studies specially the influence about the small-load generators used excitation system based on detailed models to the 220kV main grid through the BPA soft and theory reasoning .The result shows that the small-load used excitation system based on detailed models can hardly influence the transient stability of 220kV main grid,and it can improve the transient stability of the 110kV area grid apparently.
Research on Quantization System of Weapon Equipment Combat Capability

Weapon equipmen combat capability quantity is a primary data engineering in the field of war game.As the basic element of weapon equipmen combat capability,"five kinds capability" is decomposed into some factors reasonably.Through the scientific and reasonable partition of weapon equipmen combat capability quantization level,the framework of weapon equipmen combat capability quantization is set up.Finally,the main works and interrelated methods about index system setting up and model system designing is introduced simply.
ROLE OF KUPFFER CELLS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF HEPATIC REPERFUSION INJURY

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of Kupffer cell activation in the pathogenesis of reperfusion injury. In a blood-free liver perfusion model, pericentral hypoxia and reperfusion injury occurred. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) release, oxygen uptake, and trypan blue staining were assessed. Within the first 10 min of reflow, LDH and MDA release reached maximal values of 44 U.g-1.h-1 and 115 nmol.g-1.h-1, respectively. Trypan blue cell staining was confined to pericentral regions of the liver lobule. When Kupffer cells were inactivated with GdCl3, release of enzymes and MDA was reduced significantly by > 50%, and hepatic cell death was almost completely absent. Since increases in MDA suggested involvement of free radicals, livers were perfused with phenyl N-t-butylnitrone (5 mM), a spin-trapping agent. Analysis of liver tissue by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a typical six-line spectrum, providing direct evidence that carbon-centered radicals were generated on reflow. GdCl3 treatment decreased radical adduct formation by approximately 50%. Collectively, these results strongly support the hypothesis that activation of Kupffer cells plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatic reperfusion injury.