cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monolithic CMOS HD radio: Architecture design and front-end implementation

This paper first addresses critical design issues and identifies key design specifications for emerging high-definition (HD) radio technology. A dual-path dual-IF receiver architecture is then proposed for potential low-power low-cost monolithic implementations. Two front-ends are tailored for AM and FM band operations, respectively, using IBM 0.18-μm CMOS process. Circuit techniques such as noise/distortion cancellation and current injection are employed. The AM front-end provides 30.4-dB maximum gain and 0.53-dBm IIP3, with 1.67-nV/√Hz input referred noise. On the FM side, it offers 27.2-dB maximum gain, 6.4-dB noise figure and 5.4-dBm IIP3.
Rapid Synaptic Transmission in the Avian Ciliary Ganglion Is Mediated by Two Distinct Classes of Nicotinic Receptors

We analyzed the kinetics and pharmacology of EPSCs in two kinds of neurons in the embryonic avian ciliary ganglion. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings revealed that the singly innervated ciliary neurons had large-amplitude (1.5–8.0 nA) EPSCs that could be classified according to the kinetics of their falling phases. Most of the neurons responded with an EPSC the falling phase of which followed a double exponential time course with time constants of ∼1 and 10 msec. The EPSCs of the remaining ciliary neurons followed a single time constant (∼8 msec). Multiple innervated choroid neurons had smaller-amplitude responses (0.2–1.5 nA when all inputs were activated) that appeared to contain only a slowly decaying component (τ = 12 msec). The fast and slow components of EPSC decay seen in most ciliary neurons could be pharmacologically isolated with two toxins against nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). The fast component was blocked by 50 nm α-bungarotoxin (α-BuTx), which binds α7-subunit-containing AChRs. The slow component was selectively blocked by 50 nm α-conotoxin MII (α-CTx-MII), which blocks mammalian AChRs containing an α3/β2 subunit interface. A combination of both α-BuTx and α-CTx-MII abolished nearly all evoked current. Similar pharmacological results were found for ciliary neurons with monoexponentially decaying EPSCs and for choroid neurons. These results suggest that nerve-evoked transmitter acts on at least two different populations of AChRs on autonomic motor neurons in the ciliary ganglion.
Dissecting and Suturing

This chapter describes the fundamental skills used to develop anatomic planes and thereby improve exposure and expedite surgery. Various types of suture material are discussed. The basic technique for constructing a two-layer gastrointestinal anastomosis is then described in detail.
Climatology: Tempests in time.

The frequency of severe hurricanes in the North Atlantic has increased during the past decade. Scrutiny of the prehistoric record left by such storms helps to assess the factors contributing to hurricane activity.
Secondary magnetizations from the Clinton-type iron ores of the Silurian Red Mountain Formation, Alabama

From 27 (out of a total of 29) sites a characteristic pre-folding magnetization has been obtained with D = 150 °, I= +20 °, ags=3.5 °, and paleopole at 38°N, 132°E. However, we conclude from a bedding-error test and a conglomerate test, as well as from descriptions of the hematite as a replacement mineral, that the magnetization is a (late) post-depositional chemical remanent magnetization. The age constraints on the magnetization, between Middle Silurian and Early Permian, can be refined by a comparison with the apparent polar wander path for cratonic North America; this comparison suggests a Late Carboniferous age for the magnetization and the hematite, which constitutes the principal component of the iron ores. Similar Late Paleozoic remagnetizations have been noted in other Appalachian and mid-continent formations and suggest a widespread, but as yet ill-defined mechanism for the remagnetization. It is tempting to correlate this event with the early phases of the Alleghenian orogeny in Carboniferous times and with possible fluid migrations resulting from the tectonism.
Asbestos Operation and Maintenance Studies on Carpet Cleaning, High Efficiency Particulate Air Vacuum Use, and Tile Buffing

Abstract The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory has conducted several research studies on the effectiveness of control measures for operation and maintenance activities in asbestos-contaminated buildings. Studies have been conducted on carpet cleaning, bag changing activities of portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter vacuums, and vinyl asbestos floor tile maintenance practices. In the carpet cleaning studies, hot water cleaning, HEPA vacuuming, and conventional vacuuming were compared. All three processes resulted in the release of asbestos into the surrounding environment as measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM); however, none of the worker levels exceeded the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard as measured by phase contrast microscopy (PCM). In the HEPA vacuum bag changing evaluation, all units tested exposed the worker to elevated asbestos concentrations, emphasizing the prudence of using protective clothin...
Development of A Loop Detector Simulator (LOOPSIM) for In-Laboratory Traffic Research and Education

This article describes a LOOP detector SIMulator (LOOPSIM) system designed for traffic research and education. LOOPSIM is capable of simulating calls from loop detectors and testing algorithms executable in the controller. It can also be used to simulate different patterns of traffic streams and replay collected loop event data. With the aid of LOOPSIM, researchers and educators can designate traffic characteristics in line with the purpose of the testing or teaching. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 16: 45–54, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20117
Discordant β‐Blocker Effects on Clinic, Ambulatory, Resting, and Exercise Hemodynamics in Patients with Hypertension

Study Objectives. To determine the correlation between ambulatory and clinic blood pressure in assessing antihypertensive response to β-blockade, to test whether blood pressure response to metoprolol is associated with the heart rate response, and to determine whether exercise and resting heart rate responses to metoprolol are correlated. Design. Post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study. Setting. University-affiliated general clinical research center. Patients. Fifty-one patients aged 35–65 years with uncomplicated hypertension. Intervention. All patients received metoprolol at a dosage titrated to achieve a diastolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg. Measurements and Main Results. Clinic and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements were obtained and exercise treadmill testing was performed before and after metoprolol treatment. Based on ambulatory blood pressure data, 24 patients (47%) responded (defined as at least a 10% reduction in diastolic blood pressure) to metoprolol compared with 36 patients (71%) based on clinic blood pressure data (p=0.027). Clinic blood pressure was associated with a 67% false-positive rate (responsive blood pressure by clinic data that was actually nonresponsive by ambulatory data). Blood pressure responders and nonresponders exhibited similar reductions in exercise heart rate (24% and 23%, p=0.74). However, responses to metoprolol measured by exercise heart rate versus resting heart rate were not significantly correlated (r=0.24, p=0.105). Conclusion. Reliance on clinic blood pressure or resting heart rate for making β-blocker treatment decisions may yield less than optimal assessment of the antihypertensive response or degree of β-blockade.
Dimethyl(3‐methyl‐2‐butenyl)sulfonium Tetrafluoroborate

[27557-60-4] C7H15BF4S (MW 218) InChI = 1S/C7H15S.BF4/c1-7(2)5-6-8(3)4;2-1(3,4)5/h5H,6H2,1-4H3;/q+1;-1 InChIKey = ZNQBTPQLVVHRHS-UHFFFAOYSA-N (1,1-dimethylallyl (DMA) esters represent a palladium-labile protecting group for carboxylic acids that resist nucleophilic attack as would a tert-butyl ester) Alternate Names: Prenyldimethylsulfonium terafluoroborate. Physical Data: mp 67–68° C. Solubility: Sol CH2Cl2, CHCl3, EtOAc, DMF; insol hexane, Et2O, toluene. Synthesis: to a cooled solution (0° C) of 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol (0.86 g, 0.01 mol) in anhydrous dichloromethane (10 mL) was added dimethyl sulfide (6.2 g, 0.10 mol). After 10 min, HBF4 (54 wt% in diethyl ether, 0.64 mL, 0.01 mol) was added. The mixture was allowed to slowly warm to room temperature and stirred for 15. The solvent was removed under vacuum, and the brown residue was diluted with acetonitrile (30 mL). The resultant solution was washed with saturated NaHCO3 until it reached neutral pH, and the organic layer dried over Na2SO4. Removal of the solvent under reduced pressure yielded the crude product as pale brown solid that was washed with cold Et2O to give colorless crystalline (mp 67–68° C) product in 98% yield.1, 2 Analysis of Reagent Purity: mp and 1H NMR. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: store under refrigeration and protect from moisture.
A Quantitative Analysis of the Maturation of Steroid Negative Feedbacks Controlling Gonadotropin Release in the Female Rat: The Infantile-Juvenile Periods, Transition from an Androgenic to a Predominantly Estrogenic Control*

To determine what ovarian or adrenal steroid (s) are involved in restraining gonadotropin secretion in infantile female rats, several experiments were performed. Adrenalectomy of 10-day-old rats markedly decreased serum progesterone (P) and, to a lesser extent, serum estradiol (E2) levels. Androgen (A) levels were only transiently reduced, and serum dihydrotestosterone was not affected. Serum LH and FSH, on the other hand, increased only transiently after adrenalectomy. Ovariectomy (OVX) failed to decrease serum P and partially depressed serum E2, but resulted in a marked fall of both testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone. Serum LH and FSH were increased in these animals. Replacement of pre-OVX serum T levels via Silastic capsules prevented the postcastration rise in both LH and FSH, suggesting that the increase in gonadotropins that follows OVX of 10-day-old rats is, to a large extent, a consequence of the loss of ovarian T. OVX of juvenile (27 days old) rats increased serum FSH and LH 48 h later and ...
Components of height and blood pressure in childhood

Background In children being taller is associated with higher blood pressure (BP), but few studies have divided height into its components: trunk and leg length. We examined the associations of total height, trunk length and leg length with systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and pulse pressure (PP) at early childhood and mid-childhood visits, as well as change between the two visits. Methods We obtained five measures of SBP and DBP at the early childhood visit (N = 1153, follow-up rate = 54%) and at the mid-childhood visit (N = 1086, follow-up rate = 51%) respectively, in Project Viva, a US cohort study. We measured total height and sitting height (a measure of trunk length that includes head and neck) and calculated leg length as the difference between the two. Using mixed models, we adjusted the cross-sectional analyses for leg length when trunk length was the exposure of interest, and vice versa. We also adjusted for maternal race/ethnicity, child age, sex, overall adiposity and BP measurement conditions. Results At the mid-childhood visit, total height was positively associated with SBP [0.34 (0.24; 0.45) mmHg/cm] but not with DBP [0.07 (−0.003; 0.15)]. In models examining trunk and leg length separately, each was positively associated with SBP [0.72 (0.52; 0.92) and 0.33 (0.16; 0.49) respectively]. In a fully adjusted model with both leg and trunk length, only trunk length remained associated with BP. For a given leg length, a 1-cm increment in trunk length was associated with a 0.63-mmHg (0.42; 0.83) higher SBP and a 0.17-mmHg (0.02; 0.31) higher DBP. For a given trunk length, however, the associations of leg length with SBP [0.13 (−0.03; 0.30)] and with DBP [0.002 (−0.11; 0.12)] were null. These patterns were similar at the early childhood visit. Conclusions Children with greater trunk lengths have higher BPs, perhaps because of the additional pressure needed to overcome gravity to perfuse the brain.
Object Recognition by Scene Alignment

Current object recognition systems can only recognize a limited number of object categories; scaling up to many categories is the next challenge. We seek to build a system to recognize and localize many different object categories in complex scenes. We achieve this through a simple approach: by matching the input image, in an appropriate representation, to images in a large training set of labeled images. Due to regularities in object identities across similar scenes, the retrieved matches provide hypotheses for object identities and locations. We build a probabilistic model to transfer the labels from the retrieval set to the input image. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach and study algorithm component contributions using held-out test sets from the LabelMe database.
The Campylobacter pylori Story

The Campylobacter pylori story began before the turn of the century, with early works describing ‘spirochaetes’ in the gastric mucosa of animals. Culture of the organism in 1982 enabled investigators to make sense of the many previous works concerning the microbiology, biochemistry, and histology of the gastric mucosa. Whereas some physicians remain skeptical of C. pylori's pathogenic role, those who have studied the new organism believe it is a major gastrointestinal pathogen and see the possibility of curative therapy for what is now called ‘acid peptic disease’.
Comparison of Native Light Daily Smokers and Light Daily Smokers Who Were Former Heavy Smokers

INTRODUCTION An increasing proportion of daily smokers are light smokers (≤10 cigarettes per day). Some light smokers have never smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day (native light smokers) and others smoked at higher levels but have cut down (converted light smokers). It is important that we expand our understanding of these distinct subgroups of light smokers in order to develop effective interventions. METHODS Data for this report come from a larger sample of smokers who completed a cross-sectional survey administered through an online panel survey service. The sample of 522 light smokers included 256 native light smokers and 266 as converted light smokers. The goal of the analysis was to examine demographic, smoking, and psychosocial factors that differentiate between native and converted light smokers. RESULTS Multivariable logistic regression results showed 4 variables that differentiated between native and converted light smokers. Native light smokers were more likely to be Black than White, smoke fewer cigarettes per day, smoked fewer total years, and had higher perceived risk of heart disease than converted light smokers. CONCLUSIONS Native and converted light smokers are similar in many ways and also differ on some important characteristics. Further exploration of group difference is needed and could help to inform for cessation strategies for daily light smokers.
Contextual hidden Markov models for wavelet-domain signal processing

Wavelet-domain hidden Markov models (HMMs) provide a powerful new approach for statistical modeling and processing of wavelet coefficients. In addition to characterizing the statistics of individual wavelet coefficients, HMMs capture some of the key interactions between wavelet coefficients. However, as HMMs model an increasing number of wavelet coefficient interactions, HMM-based signal processing becomes increasingly complicated. In this paper, we propose a new approach to HMMs based on the notion of context. By modeling wavelet coefficient inter-dependencies via contexts, we retain the approximation capabilities of HMMs, yet substantially reduce their complexity. To illustrate the power of this approach, we develop new algorithms for signal estimation and for efficient synthesis of nonGaussian, long-range-dependent network traffic.
Partisan Labels and Democratic Accountability: An Analysis of State Supreme Court Abortion Decisions

Various literatures indicate that partisan labels increase the accountability of elected officials. Correspondingly, advocates of nonpartisan elections claim that this procedure helps liberate officials from political influence. These arguments have been prominent in recent debates regarding the selection of judges in U.S. state courts. We suggest, conversely, that on salient issues nonpartisan elections encourage popular judicial decisions, particularly given recent developments in judicial campaigns. To test this hypothesis, we assemble a dataset that revolves around state supreme courts’ decisions on abortion cases between 1980 and 2006. The analysis—which controls for a variety of factors and uses gubernatorial decisions as a comparative tool—provides strong support for the hypothesis.
Small‐angle neutron scattering resolution with refractive optics

The resolution of small-angle neutron scattering instruments is investigated for the case where refractive optics (lenses or prisms) are used. The appropriate equations are derived to describe the position and the spatial variance of the neutron beam at the detector in the horizontal and vertical directions, and the minimum value of the scattering vector. This is given for the spectrometer without any additional optics, and with the insertion of converging lenses or prisms. The addition of the lenses decreases the sample-aperture contribution to the resolution to enable an increase of neutron current at the sample. They also reduce the size of the penumbra of the beam at the detector, thereby lowering the minimum value of the scattering vector. The prisms correct the effect of gravity on the vertical beam position, and make the beam spot less asymmetric.
Exploring Big Data with Scalable Soft Clustering

Sky surveys for Astronomy are expected to generate 2.5 petabytes a year. Electronic medical records hold the promise of treatment comparisons, grouping patients by outcomes but will be contained in petabyte data storage. We can store lots of data and much of it wont have labels. How can we analyze or explore the data? Unsupervised clustering, fuzzy, possibilistic or probabilistic will allow us to group data. However, the algorithms scale poorly in terms of computation time as the data gets large and are impractical without modification when the data exceeds the size of memory. We will explore distributed clustering, stream data clustering and subsampling approaches to enable scalable clustering. Examples will show that one can scale to build good models of the data without necessarily seeing all the data and, if needed, modified algorithms can be applied to terabytes and more of data.
Effect of Sama Veda and Hard Rock Music on Growth of Human Cancer Cell Lines In Vitro

Sound affects the human physiology. Cells vibrate dynamically and may transmit information via harmonic wave motions. We compared the effects of 'primordial sounds' (Sama Veda from the Ayurveda system of natural health care), or hard rock music (AC/DC, "Back in Black"), and no sound on the growth of cells in culture. Five human tumor cell lines (lung, colon, brain, breast and skin) and one normal cell line (fibroblasts) were tested in triplicate for each of an average of four experiments. The recordings of Sama Veda and "Back in Black" were normalized to maintain the same maximum amplitudes, with no significant effect on the results. Primordial sound significantly decreased the average growth across cell lines (p = 0.005 ANOVA). In the presence of hard rock music, growth of cells was significantly increased (p = 0.03) but the effect was not consistent. We conclude that sound has an effect on the growth of neoplastic and normal human cells in vitro.
American History of Inheritance Law

This essay, written for the Encyclopedia of Legal History, summarizes and examines the history of inheritance law in the United States, from colonial times to the present day. The essay suggests that while British statutory and common law was the main source of American inheritance law - as one would expect in British colonies, inhabited by English settlers - American lawmakers began to go their own way in some respects from the very beginning, deviating from British rules of probate jurisdiction, intestacy, and will formalization and substituting rules that better suited colonial conditions. The American Revolution freed Americans to deviate as widely as they wished from British law. Still, following a burst of inheritance legislation inspired by republican values, such as the abolition of entails, the law in this area changed only gradually and in relatively small ways over the course of United States history. Although increased protection from disinheritance for a surviving spouse represents one abiding theme, American inheritance law has always been, and remains, marked by a robust freedom of testation that distinguishes our law from that of modern Britain and other countries in the western world.
Industry consortium for new era of automotive electronics with entire system-on-package vision at Georgia Tech

The new trends in automotive electronics such as autonomous driving, in-car smartphone-like infotainment, privacy and security, and all electric cars, require an entirely different vision than is pursued today. Georgia Tech sees unprecedented challenges and opportunities to address these needs because of disparate set of technologies that hitherto fore thought to be impossible to integrate. It proposes a systematic approach to system scaling, heterogeneous integration and innovative package architectures as the new era in electronics hardware with particular focus in electrical, mechanical and thermal designs and new digital, RF, sensors, millimeter wave and power technologies. The Georgia Tech team proposes a transformative and yet a strategic approach to automotive electronics, called System Scaling, leading to entire automotive system-on-a package. Such a system must integrate many disparate technologies such as high speed digital, optical, RF and wireless sensing and data processing from 100s of sensors as well as ultrahigh power electronics. Georgia Tech proposes a highly innovative large panel-based, ultra-thin glass packaging in 3D double-side architecture with many, many innovations in designs, materials, processes, wiring lithography, fine-pitch and highly conductive through-vias for thermal management and system integration. Such an approach is proposed to lead to highly-functional systems with disparate set of technologies at lowest cost, in smallest ultra-miniaturized size with shortest interconnections with lowest power consumption. Georgia Tech views this approach to be superior to current approaches such as chip-first or wafer fanout or chip-last organic, leadframe and molded packaging technologies.
The Role of Energetic Costs in the Evolution of Begging Behavior of Nestling Passerines

Dramatic advances have been made in our understanding of how elaborate traits and signals, such as the begging behavior of nestling passerines, might evolve. Some of the most fruitful theoretical advances have involved the assumption that such traits must carry a high cost. One of the clearest statements of the importance of this assumption is by Harper (1986), who assumes that begging is costly either in terms of increased predation risk or increased energy expenditures. Most models of begging share the assumption that begging is costly. In an earlier paper (McCarty 1996), I presented results of measurements of the metabolic rates of begging nestlings and found the scope of activity to be 1.05 times resting metabolic rate (RMR) in European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and 1.27 times RMR in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). As begging generally has been thought to result in a large increase in energy consumption (e.g. 3.5 x RMR, Beauchamp et al. 1991; or comparable to calling in frogs and insects [6 to 30 x RMR], Redondo and Castro 1992), and because other avian displays have been found to involve increases in metabolic rate as high as 3.9 to 15 x RMR (Vehrencamp et al. 1989, Eberhardt 1994), I concluded that the cost of begging was "surprisingly low" compared with costs of other activities, and that the assumption that begging was an energetically extravagant trait was not supported. The commentaries by Verhulst and Wiersma (1997) and by Weathers et al. (1997) question my conclusions and make several interesting suggestions for future research. Weathers et al. propose the intriguing hypothesis that energetic costs accrued through anaerobic metabolism may actually make begging an expensive display. Anaerobic metabolism is thought to be most important in terrestrial birds after work rates exceed the ability of aerobic metabolism to sustain activity (estimated to be >5 x BMR in adult birds; Weathers and Sullivan 1989), but the aerobic capacity of nestling passerines is virtually unknown. Although it will be interesting to learn about the use of anaerobic metabolism by nestling passerines in general, I think it is unlikely that its role in fueling begging will be found to change my conclusions. Accumulation of lactic acid in tissues during anaer-
REVIEW OF TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT BETWEEN THE YEARS 2012 AND 2013: NATIONWIDE INPATIENT SAMPLE DATA ANALYSIS

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is the newer modality recently approved by FDA for patients with severe aortic stenosis deemed inoperable or high risk for open heart surgery. This study was done to review TAVR procedures done in the United States for years 2012 and 2013. We used
The challenge to the group psychotherapist created by a society in flux.

(1970). The Challenge to the Group Psychotherapist Created by a Society in Flux. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 423-434.
Effects of intra-fraction motion on IMRT treatments with low monitor unit segments

Purpose: Intra-fraction motion can affect the delivered dose distribution in radiotherapy. This is a concern in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) because of potential interplay between the delivered fluence pattern and the patient’s breathing pattern. In the present study we assess if breathing compromises the radiotherapy treatment with IMRT segments delivering only few monitor units, where the delivery time of the segments will be of the order of the breathing period.
Refah Party and the City Administration of Istanbul: Liberal Islam, Localism and Hybridity

As Islam becomes an increasingly salient element of political life in various countries around the world, there is a growing need to make sense of the new forms and meanings Islam assumes in its various manifestations. It is obvious by now that complex mechanisms surrounding the politics of Islam cannot be adequately understood by the employment of such broad and overgeneralizing categories as “reactionism”, “fundamentalism” or “conservatism.” Political Islam, far from being a unified social movement with a coherent political aim, is a fragmented, multi-faceted phenomenon which cannot, therefore, be adequately understood through singular categories.
“Hollywood in Madrid”: The Franco Regime and the American Film Industry

Francisco Franco was a seemingly unlikely patron of Hollywood film production. Yet from the early 1950s through the end of the 1960s and beyond, independent American filmmakers would trek to Spain to enlist his regime’s cooperation in producing big-budget motion pictures. These producers and the Spanish dictatorship developed a symbiotic relationship that made Spain a major film center in the 1960s. Beleaguered by television and anti-trust rulings, Hollywood studios relied on independent producers who shaved costs by working outside the US. Spain was an attractive option, and the Franco regime welcomed Hollywood with an abrazo,as in the case of tourism, for both reputation-building and economic reasons. Local American filmmaking efforts held a significant value in helping to cultivate a positive image for a government with an image problem, through positive portrayals of Spain and Spaniards, and the imprimatur of both glamour and “normality” conferred by Hollywood operations in the country. Moreover, the regime craved the access to dollars the Yanqui movie makers offered, which would flow from both production expenditures and the tourism that would be spurred by widely disseminated film depictions of Spain’s history, culture and scenery.
Prospective Evaluation of Genetic Variation in Platelet Endothelial Aggregation Receptor 1 Reveals Aspirin‐Dependent Effects on Platelet Aggregation Pathways

Genetic variation in the platelet endothelial aggregation receptor 1 (PEAR1) gene, most notably rs12041331, is implicated in altered on-aspirin platelet aggregation and increased cardiovascular event risk. We prospectively tested the effects of aspirin administration at commonly prescribed doses (81, 162, and 324 mg/day) on agonist-induced platelet aggregation by rs12041331 genotype in 67 healthy individuals. Prior to aspirin administration, rs12041331 minor allele carriers had significantly reduced adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation compared with noncarriers (P = 0.03) but was not associated with other platelet pathways. In contrast, rs12041331 was significantly associated with on-aspirin platelet aggregation when collagen and epinephrine were used to stimulate platelet aggregation (P < 0.05 for all associations), but not ADP. The influence of PEAR1 rs12041331 on platelet aggregation is pathway-specific and is altered by aspirin at therapeutic doses, but not in a dose-dependent manner. Additional studies are needed to determine the impact of PEAR1 on cardiovascular events in aspirin-treated patients.
Natural Mentoring Relationships as a Protective Factor for Victims of Bullying

ABSTRACTSchool bullying is associated with a host of unfavorable psychosocial outcomes, even as victims enter college. Thus, the identification of modifiable protective factors remains an important goal of psychological research in the context of resilience theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of natural mentoring relationships (NMRs) on the association between peer victimization and college adjustment. Participants were 239 undergraduate students from a rural Midwestern university. Results indicated that higher levels of past peer victimization were associated with higher levels of depression and interpersonal problems. The presence of NMRs moderated the relationship between past peer victimization and interpersonal problems. Though further study is necessary, NMRs among school-aged students who experience bullying may be beneficial.
Combining Control Lyapunov and Barrier Functions for constrained stabilization of nonlinear systems

In combination with Control Lyapunov and Control Barrier Functions (CLF and CBF), Quadratic Programming (QP) has been considered for control design for nonlinear system and has been successfully applied to robotic and automotive systems. This approach could be considered an extension of the CLF based point-wise minimum norm controller to constrained nonlinear systems. In this paper we modify the original QP problem in a way that guarantees local asymptotic stability under the standard (minimal) assumptions on the CLF and CBF. We also remove the assumption that the CBF has uniform relative degree one. The two design parameters of the new QP setup allow us to control how aggressive the resulting control law is when trying to satisfy the two control objectives. The paper presents the controller in a closed form making it unnecessary to solve the QP problem on line and facilitating the analysis that actually led to the final form of the QP problem presented here.
Red-Black Response Matrix Acceleration by Transformation of Interface Variables

Red-black algorithms for solving response matrix equations in one- and two-dimensional diffusion theory are examined. The definition of the partial currents in terms of the scalar flux and net currents is altered to introduce an acceleration parameter that modifies the values of the response matrix elements while leaving the flux and net current solutions unchanged. The acceleration parameter is selected for response matrices derived analytically for slab geometry and from the variational nodal method for both slab and x-y geometries to minimize the spectral radius of the red-black iteration matrix for homogeneous media. The optimal value is shown to be independent of the mesh spacing in the fine mesh limit and to be a function only of c, the scattering-to-total cross section ratio. The method is then generalized to treat multiregion problems by formulating an approximate expression for the optimum acceleration parameter and demonstrated for a series of benchmark diffusion problems.
Generating Creativity, Ideas and Inventions: Developing Creative People

(1975). Generating Creativity, Ideas and Inventions: Developing Creative People. Research Management: Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 14-18.
How Fast is the Fourier Transform

The average running time for several FFT algorithms is analyzed. The Cooley-Tukey algorithm is shown to require about n1.61 operations. The chirp algorithm always works in 0(n log n) operations. Examples are given to show that padding by zeros to the nearest power of 2 can lead to real distortions.
Infestation of Research Zebra Finch Colony with 2 Novel Mite Species

Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are increasingly popular as animal models in biomedical research, especially in the fields of neurobiology and behavior.2,7 Many investigators using these birds maintain inhouse, closed breeding colonies. When birds need to be imported, they are provided by colleagues or are obtained from a limited number of pet-bird dealers that often buy zebra finches from ‘backyard’ breeders. A primary concern about any outside supplier, as has been noted by other authors,1 is that little (if any) health monitoring of the birds might be done prior to shipment. Birds can arrive at research institutions infected with various parasites and potentially pathogenic bacteria, among other agents. Depending on many factors, such as parasite burden, infections can cause immediate morbidity and mortality or can be clinically silent. This report describes an epizootic of feather mites that presumably went undetected for some time. The 2 mite species observed in the finches had not previously been described by entomologists, and the most prevalent mite was sufficiently novel to justify the assignment of a scientific name. The infestation reinforces why vigilant diagnostic testing, and perhaps prophylactic treatment, of newly arrived zebra finches should occur before their release into the regular colony and why continued health surveillance of an established group of zebra finches is invaluable.
The mucosal mast cell and its role in gastrointestinal allergic diseases.

To summarize, the evidence presented points to a distinct role for mucosal mast cells in many hypersensitivity reactions occurring in the gastrointestinal tract. Many features of the mechanisms controlling activation and degranulation known to occur in the rat peritoneal mast cell may well be common to the mucosal cell, but there are obvious differences that produce a functional heterogeneity between mucosal and connective tissue mast cells. Future attempts to elucidate the role of mast cells in such conditions as ulcerative colitis, and the development of therapies for gastrointestinal allergies, must take this heterogeneity into consideration, and they should ideally be based on studies of the detailed functional properties of mucosal mast cells from defined locations.
Social media engagement in the digital age: Accountability or threats:

An online survey of newspaper journalists (N = 1,063) shows engagement is a mediator between social media instructions in newsrooms and perceptions or attitude toward social media. The more journal...
When to Suspect an Aortoenteric Fistulae

Aortoenteric fistulas are rare, but it is a life-threatening condition which should be suspected early whenever a patient has a history of aortic surgery, known as aortic aneurysm, or unexplained massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage. There are two types of aortoenteric fistulas, primary and secondary. Primary fistulas are likely to present with a preceding minor gastrointestinal bleed known as a herald bleed. Secondary fistulas occur after abdominal aortic surgery.
High- ${Q}$ GaN Varactors for mm-Wave Applications: A Physics-Based Simulation Study

Varactors, with its capacitance tunable by the applied voltage, are enabling components for reconfigurable RF systems. The performance of a varactor could be characterized by its ${Q}$ -factor and the capacitance tuning ratio. In this article, we seek to develop a new varactor with very high ${Q}$ -factor and large tuning ratio, enabling reconfigurable RF systems with large bandwidth. There were two main innovations in varactor diode design. One was the use of the fin structure, in which the electrodes were placed on two opposite sidewalls of the mesa structure instead of one on top and the other at the bottom or next to the mesa. This design eliminates the extrinsic series resistance in the conventional varactor diode designs, leading to substantially increased ${Q}$ -factor. The other was the use of a multichannel structure. The structure was composed of multiple AlGaN/GaN heterojunctions with high-mobility 2-D electron gas. The high-mobility electron gas helped lowering the intrinsic series resistance, thereby further improving the ${Q}$ -factor.
Postoperative outcomes in patients with treatment-emergent central sleep apnea: a case series

Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea (TECSA) is a central sleep-related breathing disorder, characterized by either the persistence or emergence of central sleep apnea during the initiation of positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. The purpose of this study was to review the perioperative course of patients diagnosed with TECSA. We reviewed medical records of patients with TECSA who had a procedure or surgery with general anesthesia between January 1, 2009 and May 1, 2018. We describe postoperative outcomes including respiratory complications, unplanned intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and other postoperative outcomes. We identified 150 (116 male, 34 female) patients with TECSA. Of these, 39 (26%) had their anesthesia recovery associated with moderate to profound sedation, 22 (14.7%) required unplanned transfer to ICU (8 for hypoxemia). Compared to patients without ICU admissions, patients with unplanned ICU admissions had higher rates of cardiovascular disease, Charlson comorbid scores, and perioperative benzodiazepines. Within the first 30 postoperative days there were 23 (16%) hospital re-admissions, and 7 (4.6%) deaths. Patients with TECSA have high rates of postoperative complications, characterized by an increased rate of unplanned intensive care admissions and both high 30-day readmission and mortality rates. When dealing with these patients perioperative physicians should implement an increased level of respiratory monitoring, and early postoperative use of their home prescribed non-invasive ventilation devices.
Non-contact vapor detection of illicit drugs via atmospheric flow tube-mass spectrometry

Real-time, non-contact detection of illicit drugs is a desirable goal for the interdiction of these controlled substances, but the relatively low vapor pressures of such species present a challenge for trace vapor detection technologies. The introduction of atmospheric flow tube-mass spectrometry (AFT-MS), which has previously been demonstrated to detect gas-phase analytes at low parts-per-quadrillion levels for explosives and organophosphorus compounds, also enables the potential for non-contact drug detection. With AFT-MS, direct vapor detection of cocaine and methamphetamine from ∼5 μg residues at room temperature is demonstrated herein. Furthermore, thermal desorption of low- to sub-picogram levels of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin is observed via AFT-MS using a carrier flow rate of several L min-1 of air. These low levels can permit non-contact sampling through collection of vapor, effectively preconcentrating the analyte before desorption and analysis. Quantitative evaluation of the thermal desorption approach has yielded limits of detection (LODs) on the order of 10 fg for cocaine and fentanyl, 100 fg for methamphetamine, and 1.6 pg for heroin. The LOD for heroin was lowered to 300 fg by using tributyl phosphate as a dopant to form a proton-bound heterodimer with heroin. When used with AFT-MS, the intentional formation of specific drug-dopant adducts has the potential to enhance detection limits and selectivity of additional drug species. Species that are prone to form adducts present a challenge to analysis, but that difficulty can be overcome by the intentional addition of a dopant. Molecules unlikely to form adducts will remain essentially unimpacted, but the adduct-forming species will interact with the dopant to compress the analyte signal into a single peak. This approach would be valuable in the application of non-contact screening for illicit substances via vapor collection followed by thermal desorption for analysis.
Methodology to improve Safety Critical SoC based platform: a case study

Machine Hazard Risk is possible and becomes dangerous if the failure affects humans. To create a fail-safe system, industry practice is either adding redundancy in the platform or embedding a safety sensing entity inside a System on Chip (SoC). Different systems require Safety Integrity Level (SIL) certification that varies across different domains. This paper describes a systematic methodology to designing SIL compliant appliances that use SoC without safety entity paired with safety micro-controller as a platform solution. Important system level considerations and learning range from Basic Input Output System (BIOS) enhancement to platform level connectivity choices to monitors are identified and failure prediction is covered in the paper. Conference participants will learn about the methodology through a proof of concept done on a Core platform and Arduino micro-controller.
Contemporary Pure Laparoscopic vs Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy: Is the Transition Worth It?

Introduction: The proportion of robotic procedures continues to rise. The literature reinforces that robotic procedures take longer and are often more costly. We compared cost and perioperative out...
The interview issue

‘The Interview Issue’ marks the first time the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics has dedicated an entire issue to the voice of the cartoonist. When we were asked to become American Editors of th...
Appying Shape from Lighting Variation to Bump Map Capture

We describe a system for capturing bump maps from a series of images of an object from the same view point, but with varying, known, illumination. Using the illumination information we can reconstruct the surface normals for a variety of, but not all, surface finishes and geometries. The system allows an existing object to be rerendered with new lighting and surface finish without explicitly reconstructing the object geometry.
A New Document Watermarking Algorithm Based on Hybrid Multi-scale Ant Colony System

This paper proposes and tests an improved method for a document image watermarking system. We first introduce a novel robust document image watermarking algorithm based on the concept of the weight-invariant partition in the spatial domain. The improvement of the proposed technique lies in reduction of the involved image partition problem to a combinatorial optimization problem. To solve this optimization problem, we propose a new hybrid multi-scale ant colony algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the improved method, especially that the resulting partitions are more secure and can lead to higher capacity.
Life Testing of the Vapor Compression Distillation Urine Processing Assembly (VCD/UPA) at the Marshall Space Flight Center

Wastewater and urine generated on the International Space Station will be processed to recover pure water. The method selected is vapor compression distillation (VCD). To verify the long-term reliability and performance of the VCD Urine Processing Assembly (UPA), accelerated life testing was performed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) from January 1993 to April 1996. Two UPAS, the VCD-5 and VCD-5A, were tested for 204 days and 665 days, respectively. The compressor gears and the distillation centrifuge drive belt were found to have an operating life of approximately 4800 hours. Precise alignment of the flex-spline of the fluids pump is essential to avoid failure of the pump after about 400 hours of operation. Also, leakage around the seals of the drive shaft of the fluids pump and purge pump must be eliminated for continued good performance. Results indicate that, with some design and procedural modifications and suitable quality control, the required performance and operational life can be met with the VCD/UPA.
Self electro-optic effect on an optical fiber

A He-Ne laser beam is guided through an optical fiber, with an audio modulating electric field directly applied to a small part of a relatively long optical fiber. The photodetected lightwaves are modulated by the modulating electric field. The effect of varying the length of the interaction region between the lightwaves inside the fiber and the applied electric field on the observed photodetected signal is investigated. The effect of varying the modulating electric field strength and frequency on the observed nonlinear interaction between the lightwaves and the applied modulating field is also investigated. Results and discussion of the observed effects are presented.