cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Delamination sizing in composite materials using a Gauss—Hermite beam model

Abstract Non-destructive flaw sizing is an important part of the quality control of materials. In composites, problems such as delaminations can considerably reduce the effectiveness of such materials. Ultrasound is an effective method for inspection of composites. However, owing to the high degree of anisotropy in composites, ultrasonic inspection may produce false or distorted information about the delamination. In this study, an iterative sizing technique has been developed that utilizes the Gauss—Hermite beam model and Auld's reciprocity relation. The beam model compensates for excessive beam spread in certain directions in composites. In this sizing method, a line scan of a circular delamination is first obtained using the pulse-echo technique, and the resulting amplitude versus position data for a chosen frequency are fed to a computer program. The computer program computes the size for a delamination that best fits the line scan result of the experiment. The sizing technique was tested on a simulated delamination inside a unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite. The results showed significant improvement in sizing over the apparent size measurement based on the full width at the half maximum amplitude of the experimental line scan.
A replication of the amount and equivocality of information processing in organizational work units

Replicates the Daft and Macintosh (1981) research that related the amount and equivocality of information processing to the variety and analysability of work unit activities. Conducted across 38 different work units in a single Fortune 500 firm, identifies some contradictions, but confirms Daft and Macintosh’s unhypothesized findings and suggests that within an organizational context the amount of information processed by work units serves as an uncertainty reducing mechanism. Thus, more information intensive work units are able to clarify equivocal information and increase the precision and analysability of their task work.
The use of RTL descriptions in accurate timing verification and test generation (VLSI)

The authors discuss the use of high-level information in two major problems of VLSI system design: (1) accurate timing verification to eliminate false paths due to reconvergent fan-out, redundancy, and control signal constraints, and (2) testing for stuck-at-faults. The register-transfer-level (RTL) descriptions provide the set of control signals for valid data operations. Using this set of control signals, the timing verifier can perform an efficient estimation of critical path delays for only valid data transfers. This approach to critical path justification can be extended to test generation for a class of sequential circuits where all latches and memory elements can be explicitly identified. Test generation for complex VLSI circuits composed of many interconnected modules is discussed. Sequential propagation and justification of signals are carried out using the data flow information. Results based on an implementation of the algorithms are presented. >
Shaking of the intact rat and intestinal angulation diminish the jejunal unstirred layer.

Abstract A sizeable pre-epithelial diffusion barrier (unstirred layer) is present during perfusion of the rat jejunum. In the present study, three rapidly transported compounds, CO, [ 14 C]warfarin, and glucose (5.5 mmol/L), were used as probes to assess the ability of manipulations to reduce the unstirred layer. This layer was 700–800 μm thick in a 30-cm jejunal segment perfused in conventional fashion on the abdominal wall. Placement of four sharp angulations in the segment or replacement in the abdominal cavity reduced the maximal unstirred layer to 200–400 μm. Increasingly rapid shaking of the anesthetized, intact rat on a platform shaker produced progressively thinner unstirred layers. At 250 revolutions per minute, the maximal layer ranged from 32 to 68 μm for the three probes and may have been appreciably less if the epithelium offered appreciable resistance. Shaking yields a > 15-fold reduction in unstirred layer resistance and provides a means for measuring this resistance and for obtaining more accurate assessment of the true in vivo transport Michaelis constant (K m ) of any compound.
Ugo1p Is a Multipass Transmembrane Protein with a Single Carrier Domain Required for Mitochondrial Fusion

The outer mitochondrial membrane protein Ugo1 forms a complex with the Fzo1p and Mgm1p GTPases that regulates mitochondrial fusion in yeast. Ugo1p contains two putative carrier domains (PCDs) found in mitochondrial carrier proteins (MCPs). Mitochondrial carrier proteins are multipass transmembrane proteins that actively transport molecules across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Mitochondrial carrier protein transport requires functional carrier domains with the consensus sequence PX(D/E)XX(K/R). Mutation of charged residues in this consensus sequence disrupts transport function. In this study, we used targeted mutagenesis to show that charge reversal mutations in Ugo1p PCD2, but not PCD1, disrupt mitochondrial fusion. Ugo1p is reported to be a single-pass transmembrane protein despite the fact that it contains several additional predicted transmembrane segments. Using a combination of protein targeting and membrane extraction experiments, we provide evidence that Ugo1p contains additional transmembrane domains and is likely a multipass transmembrane protein. These studies identify PCD2 as a functional domain of Ugo1p and provide the first experimental evidence for a multipass topology of this essential fusion component.
Modeling the characteristics of system of systems

The term system of systems (SoS) has become a quite common expression with no single accepted definition. Based on analysis [1], five characteristics have been identified from an assortment of SoS descriptions. These characteristics are named autonomy, belonging, connectivity, diversity, and emergence, whose degrees of strength determines the foundation of any SoS. To utilize these characteristics, concrete definitions are presented in context and then applied to the development of a theoretical model. The resulting model forms the basis of a generic SoS instantiated as an agent-based modeling simulation. This simulation demonstrates the appropriateness of the characteristics and can be used to explore further aspects of a SoS. Modeling and experimenting on these characteristics will contribute to the field of systems engineering by providing a means to increase our understanding of SoS.
Sentry: light-weight auxiliary memory access control

Light-weight, flexible access control, which allows software to regulate reads and writes to any granularity of memory region, can help improve the reliability of today's multi-module multi-programmer applications, as well as the efficiency of software debugging tools. Unfortunately, access control in today's processors is tied to support for virtual memory, making its use both heavy weight and coarse grain. In this paper, we propose Sentry, an auxiliary level of virtual memory tagging that is entirely subordinate to existing virtual memory-based protection mechanisms and can be manipulated at the user level. We implement these tags in a complexity-effective manner using an M-cache (metadata cache) structure that only intervenes on L1 misses, thereby minimizing changes to the processor core. Existing cache coherence states are repurposed to implicitly validate permissions for L1 hits. Sentry achieves its goal of flexible and light-weight access control without disrupting existing inter-application protection, sidestepping the challenges associated with adding a new protection framework to an existing operating system. We illustrate the benefits of our design point using 1) an Apache-based web server that uses the M-cache to enforce protection boundaries among its modules and 2) a watchpoint-based tool to demonstrate low-overhead debugging. Protection is achieved with very few changes to the source code, no changes to the programming model, minimal modifications to the operating system, and with low overhead incurred only when accessing memory regions for which the additional level of access control is enabled.
Local Heat Transfer Coefficients around Horizontal Tubes in Fluidized Beds

The local characteristics of heat transfer from horizontal tubes immersed in fluidized beds were investigated experimentally. Steady-state heat transfer measurements were obtained in air-fluidized beds of glass beads, both for a single tube and a ten-row bare tube bundle. The test results indicated that local heat transfer coefficients are strongly influenced by angular position and gas flow rate, as well as by particle size and system pressure. The heat transfer coefficients, averaged around the circumference of the tube, exhibited a general tendency to increase with decreasing particle size and increasing system pressure. The heat transfer coefficients for a tube in an inner-row position within the bundle were found to be slightly higher than those for a tube in the bottom-row. Comparison of the average heat transfer coefficient data obtained in this study with some of the existing correlations for heat transfer from horizontal tubes showed that the correlations are unsatisfactory.
Fibers from Soybean Protein and Poly(vinyl alcohol)

Bicomponent fibers were wet-spun from soybean protein and poly(vinyl alcohol). The protein core of the spun bicomponent fiber was brittle and showed a high frequency of core breakage upon drawing. Our effort was then to study the soybean protein solution, with the aim of trying to understand the cause for fiber brittleness and to determine the optimum solution conditions for fiber spinning. The effects of alkali, urea, and sodium sulfite on the viscosity of the soybean protein solution were examined. The hydrolytic stability of the soybean protein solution was examined at various pH values at two temperatures (room temperature and 60°C). Both the viscosity and gel electrophoresis were used for this purpose. The degradation of the soybean protein and the existing microgels in the protein spinning solution were thought to be the causes for the poor fiber drawability. Extent of protein denaturation will also effect the fiber
Alternatives to age for assessing occupational performance capacity.

For the past four decades, the assessment of performance of older workers has commanded considerable discussion but limited systematic investigation from industrial gerontologists. Progress has not been substantial; only recently have they concerned themselves with the legal implications of various personnel assessment strategies. This report is thus a critical examination of the concept of functional age in both psychological and legal arenas. Criticisms of this approach as well as litigation that has arisen from the difficulty of measuring older worker performance via functional age strategies receive special attention. It is suggested that intrinsic attributes serve as the basis for determination of the competence of both older and younger workers. Language: en
A coaxial probe system for measuring Z-direction electrical resistivity of conductive polymers

A novel coaxial Kelvin probe technique has been developed to measure the z-axis electrical resistivity of conductive polymer adhesives. The approach uses a very simple test structure, comprising of a sandwich of the conductive adhesive material between two Copper conductors. The coaxial probe includes an outer region through which the current is forced, and an inner probe which senses the surface voltage drop, and is hooked to a nano-voltmeter to enable micro-ohms resistance measurements with high sensitivity. This is followed by detailed finite element modeling of the sample and probe set-up configuration to extract an accurate value for the effective z-axis resistivity of the conductive adhesive, as well as its bulk and interfacial z-resistivity values. This technique has been demonstrated on two candidate conductive materials as well as solder (as a reference). It has the potential to enable rapid optimization and development of conductive polymer adhesive systems for different interfaces and for various applications.
Complex-plane methods for evaluating integrals with highly oscillatory integrands

A numerical method of evaluating integrals is presented that is based on the deformation of the contour of integration in the complex plane. (AIP)
Automated labeling of segmented hyperspectral imagery via spectral matching

Despite recent advances in hyperspectral image processing, automated material identification from hyperspectral image data is still an unsolved problem. In this work, we develop a technique for labeling hyperspectral imagery, which leverages segmented image data and a library of spectral signatures of materials. We define a new spectral similarity measure that considers continuum removed spectra in addition to continuum intact reflectance spectra. We show that using both of these characteristics in similarity analysis yields improved results over recently proposed similarity measures. Analysis on an AVIRIS image of an urban scene is presented.
Effects of humidity on short-term responses of stomatal conductance to an increase in carbon dioxide concentration

ABSTRACT The magnitude of the response of stomatal conductance toa change in the concentration of carbon dioxide external tothe leaf from 350 to 700 cm 3 m –3 was found to be extremelyvariable from day to day in the field in Glycine max,Hordeum vulgare and Triticum aestivum. It was found thatthe leaf-to-air water vapour pressure difference (LAVPD)during the midday measurements of the stomatal responseto carbon dioxide affected the magnitude of the response.On days when LAVPD was low, no significant change inconductance occurred with the increase in carbon dioxideconcentration. When LAVPD was higher, conductancedecreased by 24–52% with the increase in carbon dioxidewithin a few minutes. The sensitivity of conductance wasapproximately linearly related to LAVPD in wheat andbarley. Experiments with G. maxin the field indicatedthat, on days with low LAVPD, increasing the LAVPD justaround the measured portion of a leaflet made stomatalconductance responsive to increased carbon dioxide. Thisresult was also obtained under laboratory conditions withG. max , Helianthus annuus and Amaranthus retroflexus . InG. max, it was determined that leaves in which conduc-tance was not responsive to the increase in carbon dioxidecould be made responsive even at low LAVPD by the injec-tion of abscisic acid into their petioles. Because it is knownthat abscisic acid sensitizes stomata to carbon dioxide,these results are consistent with the idea that abscisic acidmay be involved in the response of stomatal conductanceto changes in LAVPD.Key-words: abscisic acid; carbon dioxide; humidity; stomatalconductance; vapour pressure deficit.
Area-Yield Crop Insurance Reconsidered

One of the more promising proposals for reforming the federal crop insurance program calls for both premium rates and indemnities to be based not on the producer's individual yield but rather on the aggregate yield of a surrounding area. Area-yield crop insurance can provide more effective yield-loss coverage than individually tailored insurance, without most of the adverse selection and moral hazard problems that have historically undermined the actuarial performance of the federal crop insurance program.
Neurotoxic Syndrome Associated with Risperidone and Fluvoxamine

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of a neurotoxic syndrome in a patient undergoing concomitant treatment with risperidone and fluvoxamine.CASE REPORT:A 24-year-old African American woman hospitalized for psychosis was unresponsive to risperidone. Because of obsessive symptoms, low doses of fluvoxamine were added to her treatment regimen. Within 2 days, she developed confusion, diaphoresis, diarrhea, hyperreflexia, and myoclonus, which then progressed to rigidity, fever, and unresponsiveness, requiring endotracheal intubation. Symptoms resolved over 10 days with discontinuation of medication, hydration, and bromocriptine 5 mg 3 × daily. Ultimately, she was treated with olanzapine and fluvoxamine without adverse effects.DISCUSSION:This represents the first reported case of a neurotoxic syndrome secondary to treatment with risperidone and fluvoxamine. Differential diagnosis between neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and serotonin syndrome (SS) could not be accurately determined because of the overlap of signs and...
A 290GHz frequency quadrupled SiGe voltage-controlled oscillator

This paper explores a common-emitter buffer-based frequency multiplier which can be applied to the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to boost the output frequency of the VCO. A VCO with a frequency quadrupler is designed and verify with this technique in 130nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The post-layout simulation shows this VCO can be tuned from 287 to 294.5GHz. The output power into a 50 Ω load is ∼ −50.9dBm. The power consumption is approximately 8.2mW. The VCO phase noise at 10MHz offset frequency is −100.7dBc/Hz. Its figure of merit (FOM) [1] is −181. Its microchip area is 550µm×500µm.
A combined frequency–severity approach for the analysis of rear-end crashes on urban arterials

Analysis of both the crash count and the severity of injury are required to provide the complete picture of the safety situation of any given roadway. The randomness of crashes, the one-way dependency of injury on crash occurrence and the difference in response types have typically led researchers into developing independent statistical models for crash count and severity classification. The Genetic Programming (GP) methodology adopts the concepts of evolutionary biology such as crossover and mutation in effectively giving a common heuristic approach to model the development for the two different modeling objectives. The chosen GP models have the highest hit rate for rear-end crash classification problem and the least error for function fitting (regression) problems. Higher Average Daily Traffic (ADT) is more likely to result in more crashes. Absence of on-street parking may result in diminished severity of injuries resulting from crashes as they may provide "soft" crash barrier in contrast to fixed road side objects. Graphical presentation of the frequency of crashes with varying input variables shed new light on the results and its interpretation. Higher friction coefficient of roadways result in reduced frequency of crashes during the morning peak hours, with the trend being reversed during the afternoon peak hours. Crash counts have been observed to be at a maximum at a surface width of 30 ft. Sensitivity analysis results reflect that ADT is responsible for the largest variation in crash counts on urban arterials.
RIPENING OF PROCESSING APPLES WITH POSTHARVEST ETHEPHON

The use of postharvest application of ethephon for the early ripening of apples for processing was evaluated. Early harvested fruit were dipped in ethephon and ripened at 21.1°C. The ripe fruit was then analyzed for raw product quality and processed into sauce. We conclude that the artificial ripening of apples by postharvest application of ethephon is due to the acceleration of normal ripening processes, and is feasible when the fruit is preclimacteric and the treatment performed very shortly following harvest. Sauce made from artificially ripened early harvested fruit is much improved over sauce made from unripened fruit provided the treatment is performed from 3–5 wk prior to conventional harvest date.
Masculinities in “Safe” and “Embattled” Organizations Accounting for Pornographic and Feminist Magazines

While research shows that there are familiar forms of doing masculinity involving distancing from femininity/women or from subordinated/marginalized masculinities/men, there is less emphasis on the fact that the content of these masculine performances varies depending on the specific cultural norms and ideologies present in an organization. The author relies on a comparative case study using in-depth interviews and participant observation in the accounting departments at a heterosexual men’s pornographic magazine and at a feminist magazine to examine how organizational culture shapes the ways that men (and women)do masculinity at work. Both accounting departments support a general pattern of doing masculinity referred to as the business professional attitude, but men also utilize unique strategies of doing masculinity depending on the degree to which masculinity is “safe” or “embattled” at their workplace. The author concludes by discussing the consequences of these strategies for men’s and women’s work r...
Processing and characterization of low-cost electrospun carbon fibers from organosolv lignin/polyacrylonitrile blends

The esterification of lignin with butyric anhydride decreases both the viscosity of lignin/PAN blend spinning solutions and their glass-transition temperature compared to unmodified lignin/PAN blends. The effect of blending PAN with lignin before or after butyration on the electrospinnability, miscibility and thermal stability of precursor blend fibers was investigated by morphological, rheological, and thermal analysis. The micromorphology, carbon structure, and mechanical properties of resultant carbonized fibers (CFs) were further evaluated. This study reveals a new approach to controlling inter-fiber bonding of lignin-based carbon nanofiber mats by manipulating the molecular structure of lignin while following a standard procedure of thermo-stabilization and carbonization treatment. Characterization results indicate that inter-fiber bonding in electrospun CF mats, induced by the high thermal mobility of butyrated lignin, favorably affected their mechanical properties.
The Second Cognitive Revolution

The first cognitive revolution was the work of Jerome Bruner, George Miller and others in the mid 20th century. Bruner’s “Judas Eye” experiments seemed to show that perception, judgement, classification and so on depended not just on the stimulus received by the human organism but also on the application of pre-existing cognitive schemata. For example, his experiment on the perception of the shape of coins showed that what was seen depended not just on the image projected on the retina but also on the value of the coin to the participant. The first cognitive revolution opened the way for a wide variety of rules, schemata, conventions and so on to be proposed as the explanation of the patterns of human activity, including social life. How such schemata were involved in cognition led to the idea of the mind as an information processing device, and ultimately to the computational models of thinking, perceiving and acting inspired by the conjectures of Alan Turing.
Private Pathologies and Public Policies: Race, Class, and the Failure of Child Welfare

As scholars and journalists focus their attention on the problems of racial profiling, increased incarceration among young black men, and their effects on the larger black community,1 Professor Dorothy Roberts calls our attention to the intersections of race and gender in modern interactions with the child welfare system. In an earlier work, Killing the Black Body,2 Roberts called us to think about how black women had become ensnared in the war on drugs, and its impact on racial equality and reproductive liberty. In her latest work, Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare,3 Roberts issues a clarion call for society to take seriously the issues of race, gender, and class in the child welfare system's removal of a startling number of black children from their families and communities. In a stirring indictment of the child welfare system as a "racist institution,"4 which "disrupts, restructures, and polices Black families,"5 Roberts calls for the abolition of the system "we now call child protection and [its replacement] with a system that really promotes children's welfare."6 Roberts's central purpose is to "provide the missing voice of Black families
Abstract B139: Effect of wheat grass juice in supportive care of terminally ill solid organ cancer patients: Experience from eastern India

B139 Background The solid content of juice made from wheat grass is 70% chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is often referred to as “The blood of plant life” and has almost the same chemical structure as hemoglobin. Chlorophyll cleanses the blood by improving the supply of oxygen to the circulatory system. Wheat grass is also a complete protein with about 30 enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Wheat grass juice has been proven over many years to benefit people in numerous ways, building the blood, restoring balance in the body, removing toxic metals from the cells, nourishing the liver and kidneys and restoring vitality. The aim of our study was to see the effect of wheat grass juice in terminally ill cancer patients to improve the quality of life. Methods During period from January 2003 to December 2007 we selected 600 solid organ cancer patients in our palliative care unit of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute to see the effect of wheat grass on improvement of hemoglobin level, serum protein and performance status on terminally ill cancer patients. The age range of the patients was 22 year to 87 year (median age 42 years). The different types of cancers were lung (25%), breast (20%), esophagus (11%), colon (9%), ovary (8%), hepatocellular carcinoma (6%), stomach (6%) and others (15%) respectively. We cultivated wheat grass on our campus. When the grasses were 5 days old we took the fresh leaves including roots and made fresh juice out of that and gave 30 ml of juice to all our 400 cancer patients for 6 continuous months. Result The mean levels of hemoglobin, serum total protein, albumin and performance status were 8 gm%, 5.4 gm%, 2.2 gm% and 50%. Fifty patients required transfusion support and those patients were excluded from the study. Other 348 patients are evaluated 6 months after receiving wheat grass juice. The mean values for hemoglobin, total protein and albumin were improved significantly (p value Conclusion We concluded that wheat grass juice is an effective alternative of blood transfusion. It’s use in terminally ill cancer patients should be encouraged. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):B139.
Invited Editorial Comment: Treasury Floating-Rate Government Securities

1. Kevin Gaffney 1. is a portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments in Boston, MA . (kevin.gaffney{at}fmr.com) 2. Karthik Ramanathan 1. is senior vice president and director of bonds at Fidelity Investments in Boston, MA . (karthik.ramanathan{at}fmr.com) On January 29, 2014, after
High angle-of-attack characteristics of three-surface fighter aircraft

As part of a research program aimed at providing information on the high angle-of-attack characteristics of three-surface fighter concepts incorporating a close-coupled canard, an investigation is being conducted on two specific configurations based on the F-18 and F-15 designs. The study configurations are being subjected to a wide range of tests including wind-tunnel tests, dynamic model tests, and piloted simulation. This paper summarizes the results obtained to date in this study. High-alpha results in the areas of static stability, damping, and control characteristics are reviewed and some of the more significant aerodynamic phenomena are identified.
Fluorescence Anisotropy Measurements of Fluoroscein Mixed with Ficoll Solutions

We have conducted fluorescence anisotropy measurements of fluorescein fluorophores embedded in Ficoll solutions. Ficoll, a highly branched, hydrophilic polysaccharide, is used as a model crowding agent for studies of the effects of crowding on the behavior of nanoparticles. Fluorescein is a bright fluorophore with well-known fluorescence spectrum. We have collected the measurements with an ISS K2 frequency-domain fluorometer (470-nm excitation wavelength and 1-100 MHz modulation frequency), and determined the fluorescence lifetime, the fluorescence anisotropy, and the rotational correlation coefficient of the fluorescein as a function of ficoll concentration (up to 1200 mg/ml.) As the ficoll concentration is increased, the lifetime of the fluorophores show little change from 4.08 in water to 4.23 in 1200 mg/ml ficoll. However, the rotational correlation coefficient measurements show significant changes. At low ficoll concentrations no measureable interactions was observed. As the ficoll concentration is increased, two rotational modes emerge for better fitting of the data, which can be associated with free fluorophores and fluorophore-ficoll interactions. Above 1000 mg/ml ficoll solutions the data can be fit with a single rotational mode due to slowing down of the rotation of fluorophores. We compare the results from the fluorescence anisotropy and lifetime measurements with those from viscosity measurements and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy measurements, the latter being related to the translation diffusion.
The analysis of the clinical characteristics of cryptococcal meningitis in children

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and the methods of early diagnosis, and the causes of the misdiagnosis in children with cryptococcal meningitis.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 15 patients with cryptococcal meningitis.Results In this study, 14 children with cryptococcal meningitis misdiagnosed were found before being hospitalized into our hospital. The changes of cerebrospinal fluid in children with cryptococcal meningitis was similar to those with tubercular meningitis.Conclusion The characteristic manifestation of cryptococcal meningitis in children mainly include fever and intracranial hypertension. The age of the onset of cryptococcal meningitis has a tendency to become younger than that of which mentioned in the initial references.The rate of misdiagnosis is very high.It is helpful to make an early diagnosis, and to have this disease prevent from misdiagnosis by examination of cerebrospinal fluid performed repeatedly.
APPLICATIONS OF IMMOBILIZED MICROORGANISM TECHNOLOGY ON HIGH AMMONIA NITROGEN BREEDING WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Immobilized microorganism technology was used on high ammonia nitrogen breeding wastewater.The running result showed that the CODcr and ammonia nitrogen removal was 98% and 94%,respectively.The quality of water leakage could reach the standard of(DB33/ 593-2005).The process has the characteristics of high nitrogen removal,strong impact load and stable running.
Inhibition of gastric and pancreatic secretion in dogs by CGRP: role of somatostatin.

The coexistence of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and somatostatin (SS) within the stomach and pancreas and the potent inhibitory effects of both peptides on exocrine secretions from these organs suggest that they are functionally related. To assess the potential role of SS in the mediation of CGRP action, the effects of intravenous human CGRP (64, 132, and 264 pmol.kg-1.h-1) and somatostatin-14 (SS-14; 100, 400, and 800 pmol.kg-1.h-1) on plasma levels of SS immunoreactivity (SS-IR) and on pentagastrin-stimulated gastric and pancreatic secretion were compared in conscious dogs. CGRP caused significant inhibition of gastric acid (85-102%), pancreatic protein (63-86%), and pancreatic bicarbonate (74-89%) outputs and a simultaneous dose-related rise (40-102 fmol/ml) in plasma SS-IR. Cessation of CGRP infusion resulted in prompt return of plasma SS-IR to basal levels and an increase in gastric and pancreatic secretion. Although CGRP is a potent releasor of SS into the circulation, its inhibitory action on gastric acid secretion cannot be explained solely by a rise in plasma SS-IR. In the pancreas, in contrast to the stomach, inhibition appears to be more closely related to a rise in circulating level of SS-IR.
Neural Network Based Agents for Coordination of Interaction

Recent research on neural network-based agents for coordinating and filtering information is presented. Neural net agents have advantages over rule-based agents because they can be easily adapted to the information needs of the user through the learning capabilities of neural networks. Three application areas for these agents are discussed: electronic bulletin boards, Group Decision Support System (GDSS) meetings, and electronic mail (e-mail). This paper reports accuracy results of the network for electronic bulletin boards and meeting messages. The agents could accurately filter messages, under optimal conditions, in the range of 85% to 99%. Interface designs for incorporating these agents in GDSS and e-mail systems were discussed and illustrated. The advantages of neural network-based agents over rule-based agents were discussed.
Ethical considerations in gene therapy.

Dr Martin McKneally, a bioethicist at the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, reminds us that “ethics” is a plural word, and that there is no correct “ethic.” Physicians come to ethic...
Contact urticaria caused by the Apple Watch – A case report

Abstract Smart watches are an upcoming trend that provide quick access to smartphone notifications on the wearer’s wrist. Metal portions of the Apple Watch contain small amounts of nickel, however, the interchangeable bands can be made of a variety of different materials including methacrylate polymers and fluoroelastomer synthetic rubber. There are multiple reports in non-peer reviewed literature such as social media and blogs of the Apple Watch causing skin irritation. Here we present a case report of a patient presenting to Wake Forest Baptist Dermatology clinic with a skin rash following use of an Apple Watch with a synthetic rubber watch band. The patient presented with a pruritic erythematous rash distributed in a 2 cm band on the medial flexor aspect of the left wrist that developed after weeks of daily use of an Apple Watch . The presence of a rash focally under the band suggest contact urticaria, irritant contact dermatitis secondary to sweat and friction, or an allergic contact dermatitis process related to the metal of the watch or synthetic rubber of the band. The patient’s report that the rash resolves within hours of removal supports contact urticaria over a contact dermatitis process.
Towards Efficient Spectrum Sharing

One hundred years of spectrum sharing based on fixed frequency allocations have led to fracturing and poor utilization. Present methods of frequency allocation combined with a reliance on fixed infrastructure threaten to halt this growth. An additional consequence is the deployment of fundamentally less robust systems, prone to disruption in major disasters or overload. This paper outlines a vision of a system that, by enabling the secondary use of spectrum on an opportunistic basis and by establishing collaboration between the users, would enable a realization of ubiquitous, robust and agile wireless systems that are able to support further traffic growth and changing demands in traffic.
Multi-tiered Visual Interfaces for Book Search with Digital Library Systems

Through the digitization of text corpora, information previously unavailable has become increasingly common. Among this information, the table of contents and index have been under-utilized for book search. This information can be represented visually, making it easier for the user to analyze the data efficiently and intuitively. By gradually narrowing in focus, from a large repository, to a few books, to finally the underlying content, the user can quickly find information relevant to their interests. We present a multi-tiered visualization system which incorporates this information, with the goal of guiding the user more effectively towards information that is directly related to their interests.
Drift macroalgae in the Patos Lagoon Estuary (southern Brazil): effects of climate, hydrology and wind action on the onset and magnitude of blooms

ABSTRACTEphemeral macroalgal blooms have been increasing in frequency and abundance worldwide. We investigated the variability of drift macroalgae abundance in a shallow bay of the Patos Lagoon Estuary (PLE) in southern Brazil to determine the influence of climate and hydrology on the onset and magnitude of blooms. During the study period (January 2004 to May 2007), three growth cycles were observed and differed in timing, magnitude and persistence. Macroalgal biomass (mostly Ulva species) varied annually and interannually (3 g DW m−2 to 432.7 g DW m−2), peaking during the spring and summer. On an annual scale, macroalgal blooms occurred after reductions in freshwater discharge and associated decreases in water level and increases in salinity and retention. These hydrological parameters were influenced by precipitation which, in turn, is affected by the El Nino Southern Oscillation. On an interannual scale, the largest bloom was observed during a weak-moderate El Nino year. No direct relationship was foun...
A Test for Exogeneity in the Presence of Nonlinearities

We provide a command, locmtest, that implements a test for exogeneity that is robust when the true relationship between the outcome variable and a discrete potentially endogenous variable is nonlinear. This test was developed in Lochner and Moretti (2015, Review of Economics and Statistics 97: 387–397), and it can be implemented even when only a single valid instrument is available. We present the motivation and general idea of the test. We also describe locmtest, which calculates the test, and provide empirical applications of the test and the command.
Reading is Cool: The Benefits of Organizing a Student Reading Group

The purpose of this presentation is to introduce how a student reading group can be implemented at various colleges and universities in curricular and co-curricular programs while also meeting important and universal learning objectives. More importantly, the purpose of this presentation is to unite reading groups across the country in hopes for a larger conversation amongst diverse students across apparel and textile disciplines.
Bevacizumab (BEV) use in disseminated choroid plexus papilloma (DCCP).

e13039 Background: Choroid plexus papilloma (CCP) is a rare primary neuro-ectodermal tumor of the choroid plexus, representing less than 1% of intracranial tumors in adults. The most common locatio...
Intensive Reading Interventions for Inadequate Responders in Grades K-3: A Synthesis.

A subset of students fail to respond adequately to reading interventions. This synthesis systematically reviews studies in which students in grades K–3 responded inadequately to a Tier 2 reading in...
From Policies to Principles: The Effects of Campus Climate on Academic Integrity, a Mixed Methods Study

This mixed methods study examines how college students’ perceptions and experiences affect their understanding of academic integrity. Using qualitative and quantitative responses from the Personal and Social Responsibility Institutional Inventory (PSRI), both quantitative and qualitative results demonstrate that while campuses may see a reduction in overall levels of cheating when punitive academic integrity policies are present, students may develop higher levels of personal and academic integrity through the use of more holistic and community-focused practices.
The Oxford Handbook of Names and Naming

A sizeable tome at 832 pages, The Oxford Handbook of Names and Naming is a much needed resource that will prove not only beneficial to scholars of names but also attractive to more general names en...
Cerebral organoid proteomics reveals signatures of dysregulated cortical development associated with human trisomy 21

SUMMARY Human trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, and is associated with complex perturbations in protein expression during development. Brain region-specific alterations in neuronal density and composition originate prenatally in trisomy 21 individuals, and are presumed to underlie the intellectual disability and early onset neurodegeneration that characterizes Down syndrome. However, the mechanisms by which chromosome 21 aneuploidy drives alterations in the central nervous system are not well understood, particularly in brain regions that are uniquely human and thus inaccessible to established animal models. Cerebral organoids are pluripotent stem cell derived models of prenatal brain development that have been used to deepen our understanding of the atypical processes associated with human neurobiological disorders, and thus provide a promising avenue to explore the molecular basis for neurodevelopmental alterations in trisomy 21. Here, we employ high-resolution label-free mass spectrometry to map proteomic changes over the course of trisomy 21 cerebral organoid development, and evaluate the proteomic alterations in response to treatment with harmine, a small molecule inhibitor of the chromosome 21 encoded protein kinase DYRK1A. Our results reveal trisomy 21 specific dysregulation of networks associated with neurogenesis, axon guidance and extracellular matrix remodeling. We find significant overlap of these networks show significant overlap with previously identified dysregulated gene expression modules identified in trisomy 21 fetal brain tissue. We show that harmine leads to partial normalization of key regulators of cortical development, including WNT7A and the transcription factors TBR1, BCL11A, and POU3F2, pointing to a causative role for DYRK1A over-expression in neurodevelopmental effects of human trisomy 21.
Emergency Department Visits Within Thirty Days of Discharge After Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Hidden Quality Measure.

BACKGROUND Thirty-day hospital readmissions following total hip arthroplasty (THA) have received increasing scrutiny by policy makers and hospitals. Emergency department (ED) visits may not necessarily result in an inpatient readmission but can be a measure of performance and can incur costs to the health system. The purpose of this study is to describe the following: (1) the frequency and subsequent disposition; (2) patient characteristics; (3) reasons; and (4) potential risk factors for ED visits that did not result in a readmission within 30 days of discharge after THA. METHODS All primary THAs performed at a large healthcare system between 2013 and 2015 were identified. Patients who received unplanned hospital services for complications within 30 days following surgery were identified and analyzed. A multiple regression analysis was utilized to identify risk factors predisposing for returning to the ED without readmission. RESULTS From a total of 6270 primary THAs, 440 patients (7%) had an unplanned return to the hospital within 30 days. Of those, 227 (3.6%) patients presented to the ED and were not readmitted. Higher percentage of African Americans was noted among patients who returned to the ED versus those who did not (20.2% vs 9.8%, P < .01). The most common medical diagnoses were nonspecific medical symptoms (24.8%) followed by minor gastrointestinal problems (10.5%). The most common surgery-related diagnoses were pain and swelling (35%), followed by wound complications (12%) and hip dislocations (7.3%). Nearly 50% of wound complications and 40% of hip dislocations were managed and discharged from the ED without a readmission. Both African Americans (odds ratio 2.28, 95% confidence interval 1.55-3.36) and home discharge (odds ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval 1.28-2.82) were independent risk factors for return to the ED without readmission. CONCLUSION ED visits that do not result in hospital readmissions, many of which may be due to serious complications, are more frequent than inpatient readmission. This is extremely relevant to policy makers and quality metrics, especially as comprehensive and bundled payment initiatives become more prevalent.
Using spatial interpolation to determine impacts of annual snowfall on traffic crashes for limited access freeway segments

Snowfall affects traffic safety by impacting vehicle performance, driver behavior, and the transportation infrastructure. Depending on intensity snowfall can reduce visibility, pavement friction performance, vehicle stability and maneuverability. Based on this premise, the objective of this study was to use spatial interpolation to analyze the effects of annual snowfall on crash occurrence at non-interchange freeway segment locations in Michigan. Using the geostatistical method of Ordinary Kriging, site specific historical snowfall values were estimated based on data obtained from a series of weather stations during the primary winter months (December, January, and February) for the years of 2004 through 2014 along Michigan's entire limited access freeway network. These weather data were spatially matched with historical crash data and roadway inventory data for each freeway segment. A Negative Binomial regression model was developed to quantify the effects of snowfall on crashes. Explanatory variables included annual average daily traffic, segment length, horizontal curvature, and snowfall. The results indicated that annual snowfall has a statistically significant positive effect on winter crashes for all types of crashes analyzed. With respect to vehicle type, crashes involving a truck or bus experienced the strongest relationship with annual snowfall. Considering crash severity, property damage crashes possessed a stronger relationship with snowfall as opposed to injury crashes.
Fibrosis–Inflammation of the Cardiovascular System

In recent years, inflammation has been revealed as a crucial underlying mechanism implicated in most cardiovascular diseases. Extracellular matrix remodeling and pathological fibrous formation (quantitative and qualitative) have been recognized as maladaptive tissue responses to most cardiovascular complications. Systemic inflammation plays an important role in the modulation of extracellular matrix degradation and regeneration. Left ventricular fibrosis and adverse remodeling in cardiomyopathies, in heart failure, and following myocardial infarction are major clinical conditions where inflammation is an essential mediator. Classical and novel treatments have been introduced to eliminate the interaction between inflammation and fibrosis in cardiovascular diseases.
Retrospective Assessment of the Efficacy of Modified Progressive Tinnitus Management Skills Education in a Military Medical Treatment Facility.

INTRODUCTION The number-one service-connected disability is tinnitus. Tinnitus currently has no cure, but the functional impact of tinnitus has been shown to be mitigated by Progressive Tinnitus Management (PTM), a multi-level management approach. The duration of PTM Level 3 skills education (PTM-SE) and the inclusion of mental health providers have been identified as barriers to implementation of PTM-SE in Department of Defense (DOD) medical treatment facilities. The goal of this study was to determine if a version of PTM-SE modified for use in DOD medical treatment facilities resulted in positive changes in tinnitus-related outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study was conducted by examining the medical records of patients who attended modified PTM-SE appointments. The study was approved by the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Institutional Review Board. The study sample included 130 patients who completed modified PTM-SE between January 2015 and June 2016. Primary outcome measures were tinnitus awareness and tinnitus annoyance; secondary outcome measures were effect on life and self-perceived coping ability. Outcome measures were analyzed with nonparametric statistics and logistic regression. RESULTS Modified PTM-SE resulted in clinically significant improvements in the primary outcome measures (awareness, p < 0.0001; annoyance, p < 0.0001). The proportion of patients who indicated an improvement in coping with tinnitus was similar to other published data with similar modifications to PTM-SE. CONCLUSIONS The evidence supports the assumption that PTM is a flexible program of tinnitus management that even when modified to be suitable for use in a DOD medical treatment facility provides meaningful reductions in tinnitus awareness and annoyance and improves tinnitus coping ability among military beneficiaries. These findings should encourage audiologists to modify PTM to work within their military medical treatment facility.