cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract P348: Evaluation of Check. Change. Control. in the Asian American & Pacific Islander Community

Background: Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death and stroke is #3 for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) 65 years and older. Approx. 21% of deaths among certain AAPIs are due to high bl...
Ex-urban urbanity: Prolegomena to an understanding of the architectural provision of urbanity

ABSTRACT: If happiness is associated with concepts of full-living, and if full-living is associated with city life, the tasks of architecture relative to the city assume an ethical cast. A better understanding of that nexus –full living, urbanity, city, architecture”will help inform those tasks, but the interrelation of those ideas is not obvious, and conventional presumptions regarding those relationships are inadequate. Despite conventional conflation of the two terms, cities do not guarantee urban living: even a dense, expansive city might lack or only weakly exhibit qualities associated with urbanity. A partial explanation for this non-synonymy between city and urbanity is that inasmuch as cities are physically composed of architectural works, neither does architecture guarantee urbanity: as with the city of which it is a part, a building, even if successful in other ways, might neglect or eschew provision of conditions conducive to urbanity. Much like a dining table's essentiality to certain social structures of the meal, architecture is essential to the structure, character, and perpetuation of urbanity. Of the many sets of architectural questions that emerge from those premises, two are primary. If detachable from concepts of city, how should we understand the term urbanity? And, what kinds of architectural attentions effectively engage urbanity and render it more available, more probable? In short, what is urbanity and what is its architecture? As a preliminary move toward exploring those questions, this paper turns to Sverre Fehn's Hamar Museum (1972). An unlikely building to bring to consideration of the architecture of urban life, a strong and purposeful concern for urbanity is nevertheless evident in its architect's thinking and design. Fehn's project helps inform an understanding of the nature of urbanity, and shows how an architectural concern for urban situations manifests at the scale of a building, from conceptual approach to the finest of constructed details. KEYWORDS: city, Fehn, culture, history, theory, ethics
Characterization of gray-matter multiple sclerosis lesions using double inversion recovery, diffusion, contrast-enhanced, and volumetric MRI.

Abstract Purpose To investigate gray-matter (GM) lesions in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) using double-inversion recovery (DIR) MRI, determine GM lesions prevalence, spatial distribution and characterize their contrast-enhancement, diffusion characteristics and compare them to white-matter (WM) lesions. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to investigate GM MS lesions using double-inversion recovery MRI, to determine GM lesion prevalence and location, and characterize contrast-enhancement and diffusion characteristics, compared to WM lesion characteristics in the same patients. We also correlated GM lesion counts, volume and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) with total brain, WM, and GM volumes, as well as 25-foot walk test as a clinical disability. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 44 relapsing-remitting MS patients (12M/32F, 41 ± 13 years) and 24 age-matched healthy controls (14M/10F, 36 ± 13 years). Lesions were segmented based on DIR and grouped into GM, subcortical WM, and periventricular WM lesions. ADC was tabulated for contrast-enhancing and non-enhancing lesions. Unpaired two sample t-tests were used for comparison between groups. Linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between number of GM lesions, number of total lesions, total GM lesion volume, and total WM lesion volume with brain volumes and clinical data. Results GM MS lesions were present in the majority (86.4%, 38/44) of RRMS patients based on DIR, suggesting GM damage plays an important role in MS pathogenesis. The majority of the GM lesions were located in the frontal lobe. The percentage of lesions in GM that were contrast-enhanced was similar to those in WM, suggesting that blood-brain barrier integrity is likely affected similarly in GM and WM. Contrast-enhanced GM lesions showed higher ADC. GM lesion count and volume were correlated with global and regional brain atrophy, and with more severe disability group. Conclusion This study characterized GM MS lesions using double-inversion recovery, contrast-enhanced and diffusion MRI. Understanding GM lesion pathophysiology using MRI in vivo, may prove useful for improving targeted therapy and monitoring disease progression.
Extent of cervical involvement in endometrial cancer as a predictor of outcome

e16566 Background: Endometrial cancer will affect 40,000 women this year. Extent of myometrial invasion and presence of cervical stromal disease are risk-factors for metastasis and recurrence. Uter...
SNAP Take-Up and Transaction Costs: An Analysis Using the Food Security Survey

This paper exploits panel data from the Food Security Survey to examine varying transaction costs on SNAP benefit take-up by tracking individuals eligible for SNAP benefits. Using a logistic regression model, I find SNAP-eligible households living in states with relatively low transaction costs are more likely to take up SNAP benefits than similar households in high transaction cost states.
Acoustic wave focusing by doubly curved origami-inspired arrays

Spherically focused transducers have been long relied on to target acoustic energy delivery. Yet, these structures have limitations with respect to size and mobility for medical treatment applicati...
Teaching Immunology as a Liberal Art

A complex, rapidly evolving biomedical field that is of critical relevance to human health and well-being, immunology provides important and substantive opportunities to practice and teach the central tenets of a liberal arts curriculum.
Definition und Klassifikation von Sprachstörungen

Verzogerungen und Storungen in der Sprachentwicklung sind relativ haufig und ein Risiko fur die weitere Entwicklung eines Kindes. Da persistierende Sprachentwicklungsstorungen nicht nur die sprachliche, sondern auch die Gesamtentwicklung eines Kindes beeintrachtigen, sind eine fruhe diagnostische Absicherung und eine storungsspezifische Behandlung besonders wichtig. Die Klassifikation von sprachlichen Auffalligkeiten ist komplex und durch unterschiedliche Nomenklaturen gekennzeichnet. Storungen oder Verzogerungen der Sprachentwicklung mussen von umgebungsbedingten Sprachauffalligkeiten abgegrenzt werden. Umschriebene Sprachentwicklungsstorungen sind eine Untergruppe von Sprachentwicklungsstorungen, sie sind genetisch bedingte Storungsbilder, die im Einzelfall unterschiedliche Auspragungen auf den einzelnen sprachlichen Ebenen haben konnen. Man unterscheidet rein expressiv ausgepragte Storungen von zusatzlich vorliegenden Auffalligkeiten im rezeptiven Bereich. Storungen der Aussprache konnen Teil eines komplexeren Storungsbildes sein oder auch isoliert vorliegen.
TPrune: Efficient Transformer Pruning for Mobile Devices

The invention of Transformer model structure boosts the performance of Neural Machine Translation (NMT) tasks to an unprecedented level. Many previous works have been done to make the Transformer model more execution-friendly on resource-constrained platforms. These researches can be categorized into three key fields: Model Pruning, Transfer Learning, and Efficient Transformer Variants. The family of model pruning methods are popular for their simplicity in practice and promising compression rate and have achieved great success in the field of convolution neural networks (CNNs) for many vision tasks. Nonetheless, previous Transformer pruning works did not perform a thorough model analysis and evaluation on each Transformer component on off-the-shelf mobile devices. In this work, we analyze and prune transformer models at the line-wise granularity and also implement our pruning method on real mobile platforms. We explore the properties of all Transformer components as well as their sparsity features, which are leveraged to guide Transformer model pruning. We name our whole Transformer analysis and pruning pipeline as TPrune. In TPrune, we first propose Block-wise Structured Sparsity Learning (BSSL) to analyze Transformer model property. Then, based on the characters derived from BSSL, we apply Structured Hoyer Square (SHS) to derive the final pruned models. Comparing with the state-of-the-art Transformer pruning methods, TPrune is able to achieve a higher model compression rate with less performance degradation. Experimental results show that our pruned models achieve 1.16×–1.92× speedup on mobile devices with 0%–8% BLEU score degradation compared with the original Transformer model.
Fourteen E+A Galaxy Candidates Involved in Interactions

Galaxy mergers are a mechanism for rapid quenching of star formation. We are studying E+A galaxies (a type of post-starburst galaxy) and how they are impacted by merging. Examining E+A galaxies with companions offers insight into the evolution of E+As and the quenching process. The Y/Dim Collaboration collected a sample of E+A candidate galaxies from the SDSS DR16. Among the E+A candidates that were visually identified as interacting, 14 were spectroscopically confirmed to have companions. Our sample contained 11 pairs of galaxies and two groups of three galaxies. In one of these groups of three, there are two E+A candidates. Nine of these E+A candidates are involved in minor interactions with their companions.
Recovery of Recombinant Rotavirus Expressing Fluorescent Reporter Protein

Rotaviruses are a large and evolving population of segmented double-stranded RNA viruses that cause severe gastroenteritis in infants and young children. With the recent advent of rotavirus reverse genetics systems, it has become possible to use directed mutagenesis to explore rotavirus biology, modify and optimize existing rotavirus vaccines, and develop rotavirus multitarget vaccine vectors. In this report, we describe a simplified reverse genetics system that allows the efficient and reliable recovery of recombinant rotaviruses. The system is based on co-transfection of T7 transcription vectors expressing rotavirus (+)RNAs and a CMV vector encoding an RNA capping enzyme into BHK cells constitutively producing T7 RNA polymerase (BHK-T7). Recombinant rotaviruses are amplified by overseeding the transfected BHK-T7 cells with MA104 cells, a monkey kidney cell line that is highly permissive for virus growth. In this report, we also describe an approach for generating recombinant rotaviruses that express a separate fluorescent reporter protein through the introduction of a 2A translational stop-restart element into genome segment 7 (NSP3). This approach avoids deleting or modifying any of the viral ORFs, thus allowing the production of recombinant rotaviruses that retain fully functional viral proteins while expressing a fluorescent protein.
The Theory of Relative Utility Following the Second Austrian School

The writings on relative utility are scattered over a number of books and articles that cannot be distinguished at a glance from those on (measurable) utility. Since there are variations from writer to writer in this school, our own account will not apply equally to all of them. We will seek to indicate the most developed form of the theory found in the writings of the second Austrian School. Professor Hans Mayer is the acknowledged leader of this School, and more is to be learned about value from a study of his works than from any other economist. However, his views are highly idiosyncratic and the account we give is under more direct obligation to the writings of Dr. P.N. Rosenstein-Rodan than to those of Hans Mayer.
Structural Variations to Accommodate Functional Themes of the Isoforms of NO Synthases

Publisher Summary Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) are responsible for the enzymatic formation of nitric oxide (NO), the diatomic gas responsible for a variety of cellular signaling events in neuronal, skeletal muscle, and endothelial cells, and for the production of reactive oxygen species responsible for destruction of microorganisms and tumor cells by phagocytic cells. This chapter describes the present state of knowledge of three genetically determined isoforms of NOS. These enzymes share a strong similarity with respect to prosthetic group composition and basic chemical mechanisms, but they differ markedly in amino acid sequence, molecular mass, and regulatory control. The unique functions of the NOS as determined by their structural properties are described with reference to their locations within specific cells. While there is much to be learned of the complete structures of these isoforms, it is possible to review the pertinent literature for information leading to the understanding of the regulation of formation of NO in various organs and cell types. By determining three-dimensional structures, investigators will gain information regarding possible mechanisms for differential regulation of the NOS within the cellular milieu and insights into the design of possible therapeutic agents, which can specifically inhibit one isoform as opposed to the other.
Is Cognitive Empathy More Important than Affective Empathy? A Response to “Who Helps Natural-Disaster Victims?”

Some social science research pays more attention to affective than cognitive empathy and much of the practitioner literature advises fundraisers to privilege emotion over reason when appealing to donors. “Who Helps Natural-Disaster Victims” (Marjanovic, Struthers, & Greenglass, 2011. Who helps natural-disaster victims? Assessment of trait and situational predictors. Analyses of Social and Public Policy, on-line access.) challenges the assumption that emotions are most important and finds that cognitive empathy or perspective taking is more important than affective empathy in predicting actual helping behaviors after natural disasters. This comment argues that cognitive empathy is important because it helps potential donors avoid blaming the victim in human-caused disasters. It suggests that nonprofits can use cognitive empathy to construct fundraising appeals using arguments based on reason and justice, which may be more effective with educated donors than emotion-based appeals.
Cellular Mechanisms of Somatic Stem Cell Aging

Tissue homeostasis and regenerative capacity rely on rare populations of somatic stem cells endowed with the potential to self-renew and differentiate. During aging, many tissues show a decline in regenerative potential coupled with a loss of stem cell function. Cells including somatic stem cells have evolved a series of checks and balances to sense and repair cellular damage to maximize tissue function. However, during aging the mechanisms that protect normal cell function begin to fail. In this review, we will discuss how common cellular mechanisms that maintain tissue fidelity and organismal lifespan impact somatic stem cell function. We will highlight context-dependent changes and commonalities that define aging, by focusing on three age-sensitive stem cell compartments: blood, neural, and muscle. Understanding the interaction between extrinsic regulators and intrinsic effectors that operate within different stem cell compartments is likely to have important implications for identifying strategies to improve health span and treat age-related degenerative diseases.
Haphazard Selection: Is it Time to Change Audit Standards?

Audit standards sanction haphazard selection as a technique that may be used to obtain a representative sample. In practice this method of sample selection is commonly used owing to its simplicity and low cost. In this study we hypothesize that haphazard selection is inherently biased due to innate effort minimization behavior, visual perception artifacts, and memory effects. We also hypothesize that a lack of outcome feedback regarding sample quality precludes elimination of these biases via audit experience. Analyses of samples selected by 75 students and 53 audit seniors support these predictions that the cumulative effect of individual selection biases can be large. Coupled with results from prior studies these findings suggest that, at conventional sampling fractions, haphazard selection does not reliably yield representative samples. We conclude that audit standards should be amended to preclude use of haphazard selection.
Neurologic Involvement in Val-122 Ile Familial Amyloidosis (P1.026)

OBJECTIVE: Describe new phenotype in familial amyloid cardiomyopathy. BACKGROUND: Late onset cardiomyopathy with heart failure is the phenotype of familial amyloidosis, which occurs in African Americans (AA) in the United States at a rate 4 times that of whites after the age of 60. 3.9% of AA are heterozygous for the amyloidogenic allele where isoleucine substitutes for valine at position 122 (Val- 122-Ile) of the serum carrier protein transthyretin (TTR). We report on our observed neurologic changes in addition to the cardiomyopathy. DESIGN/METHODS: case series, retrospective review, academic tertiary care hospitals. RESULTS: Six patients with the TTR 122 Ile gene mutation had amyloid staining on myocardial biopsies. All had symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Causes of a peripheral neuropathy other than amyloid were excluded. All six patients had axonal dominant peripheral neuropathy, confirmed by NCV and EMG. One patient had a superimposed painful (narcotic requiring), lumbar radiculopathy, by EMG, without corresponding structural MRI abnormalities. One patient had multiple entrapment neuropathies (bilateral wrists and elbows), as well as, a prominent small fiber neuropathy documented by reduced intraepidermal nerve fiber density and autonomic nerve abnormalities with reduced sweat gland nerve fiber density. CONCLUSION: Val-122 Ile patients who are known to have amyloid cardiomyopathy may also have a peripheral neuropathy possibly due to amyloid deposition in the nerve. Clinical symptoms of radiculopathy confirmed by EMG may be explained by dural amyloid infiltration. Prospective studies of this phenotype are warranted to confirm these findings and to determine whether the peripheral neuropathy occurs earlier than the cardiomyopathy. Study Supported by: Not supported Disclosure: Dr. Khella has received personal compensation for activities with Pfizer Inc. as a member of a scientific advisory board. Dr. Drachman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Divito has nothing to disclose. Dr. Polydefkis has received personal compensation for activities with Johnson & Johnson as a consultant, and Biogen Idec as a scientific advisory board member. Dr. Brannagan has received personal compensation for activities with Grifols, Pfizer Inc., Biomarin Pharmaceutical, and Depomed, Inc. Dr. Judge has received personal compensation for activities with Pfizer Inc., Onyx Pharma, and Array Biopharma as a scientific advisor. Dr. Judge has received royalty payments from Genzyme Corp. Dr. Judge has received research support from Pfizer Inc. Dr. Maurer has received personal compensation for activities with Pfizer Inc. Dr. Maurer has received research support from Pfizer Inc.
The relation of mineral composition to slagging, fouling and erosion during and after combustion

Abstract Inorganic matter in coal has been a major cause of problems in fuel-burning energy-conversion systems since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Even in the earliest days, hand-fired boilers were limited in their steaming capacity by the formation of clinkers in the fuel bed. Today, many large coal-burning power plants are restricted in steam generation by accumulations of coal ash on heat-receiving surfaces. These deposits not only decrease the rate of heat transfer but they also plug gas passages and lead to metal wastage by erosion and corrosion. As a result, coal-burning boiler furnaces must be appreciably larger, and hence more costly, than gas- or oil-fired steam generators, and operating practices are more critical when coal is the source of energy rather than “cleaner” fluid fuels. The intent here is to describe the characteristics of the mineral matter in coal, to show how the non-combustible material behaves at the high temperatures of boiler furnaces, to explain how coal ash can lead to metal wastage by erosion and corrosion, and to review problems in the collection of flyash attributable to ash composition.
Valvular interstitial cell seeded poly(glycerol sebacate) scaffolds: toward a biomimetic in vitro model for heart valve tissue engineering.

Abstract Tissue engineered replacement heart valves may be capable of overcoming the lack of growth potential intrinsic to current non-viable prosthetics, and thus could potentially serve as permanent replacements in the surgical repair of pediatric valvular lesions. However, the evaluation of candidate combinations of cells and scaffolds lacks a biomimetic in vitro model with broadly tunable, anisotropic and elastomeric structural–mechanical properties. Toward establishing such an in vitro model, in the current study, porcine aortic and pulmonary valvular interstitial cells (i.e. biomimetic cells) were cultivated on anisotropic, micromolded poly(glycerol sebacate) scaffolds (i.e. biomimetic scaffolds). Following 14 and 28 days of static culture, cell-seeded scaffolds and unseeded controls were assessed for their mechanical properties, and cell-seeded scaffolds were further characterized by confocal fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy, and by collagen and DNA assays. Poly(glycerol sebacate) micromolding yielded scaffolds with anisotropic stiffnesses resembling those of native valvular tissues in the low stress–strain ranges characteristic of physiologic valvular function. Scaffold anisotropy was largely retained upon cultivation with valvular interstitial cells; while the mechanical properties of unseeded scaffolds progressively diminished, cell-seeded scaffolds either retained or exceeded initial mechanical properties. Retention of mechanical properties in cell-seeded scaffolds paralleled the accretion of collagen, which increased significantly from 14 to 28 days. This study demonstrates that valvular interstitial cells can be cultivated on anisotropic poly(glycerol sebacate) scaffolds to yield biomimetic in vitro models with which clinically relevant cells and future scaffold designs can be evaluated.
X-ray imaging: Ultrafast diffract-and-destroy movies

Combining optical and X-ray lasers enables imaging with high temporal and spectral resolution. By taking pictures of a succession of exploding targets, a movie can be made charting the dynamics of the solid material on a 10-ps timescale.
MOS Solid-State Detector Arrays For X-Ray Imaging

AbstractWe have used two types of MOS detector arrays to sense directly patterns of soft x -rays, in theLawrence Livermore Laboratory experimental laser -fusion program. A linear self -scanning photodiode array (SSPA) is used in a wave -length- dispersive spectrometer. A frame transfer charge -coupled device (CCD)facilitates the use of an x -ray microscope. Measurements and calculations of the x -ray sensitivity ofthese devices will be presented. Their linearity and dynamic range will be discussed, as well as datarecovery systems for each detector. We will describe our experiences in using these devices to detect pulses of x -rays in laser -fusion experiments. IntroductionIn the experimental laser- fusion program of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, microscopic targetscontaining mixtures of deuterium -tritium fuel are heated and compressed by high -brightness laser beamsto initiate inertially- confined thermonuclear reactions. The most intensely- heated portions of the targets radiate soft x -rays.
Promoting improved utilization of laboratory testing through changes in an electronic medical record: experience at an academic medical center

This case study over time describes five years of experience with interventions to improve laboratory test utilization at an academic medical center. The high-frequency laboratory tests showing the biggest declines in order volume post intervention were serum albumin (36%) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (17%). Introduction of restrictions for 170 high-cost send-out tests resulted in a 23% decline in order volume. Targeted interventions reduced mis-orders involving several “look-alike” tests: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; manganese, magnesium; beta-2-glycoprotein, beta-2-microglobulin. Lastly, targeted alerts reduced duplicate orders of germline genetic testing and orders of hepatitis B surface antigen within 2 weeks of hepatitis B vaccination.
Risk Factors for Below-the-Knee Amputation Failure Requiring Above-the-Knee Revision

Black/African American (ref 1⁄4 white) 1.21 1.04-1.41 .014 Procedure (ref 1⁄4 carotid) Ref Ref <.001 EVAR 1.06 0.85-1.32 .616 Open AAA 1.53 1.18-1.98 .001 Other 1.49 1.24-1.80 <.001 Peripheral 1.93 1.59-2.34 <.001 Amputation 1.24 0.99-1.53 .057 Disposition (reference 1⁄4 home) Ref Ref <.001 Nursing facility (prior) 1.54 1.13-2.10 .007 Facility/rehab (new) 1.30 1.12-1.50 <.001 Hypoalbuminemia 1.35 1.18-1.55 <.001 Pulmonary comorbidity 1.35 1.17-1.56 <.001 Cardiac comorbidity 1.28 1.13-1.44 <.001 Renal comorbidity 1.24 1.02-1.50 .033 VTE prior to discharge 1.83 1.00-3.36 .050 Graft failure prior to discharge 2.07 1.03-4.134 .040
On the Size Range of Active Nucleation Cavities on a Heating Surface

The importance of surfare condition on nucleate boiling has long been recognized. It has also been known that only cavities of a narrow size range can be active nucleation sites. In order to define the size range of active cavities as a function of wall temperature or heat flux, a model is proposed. The model pictures a bubble nucleus at a site enveloped by a warm liquid. The nucleus will begin to grow into a bubble only when the surrounding liquid is sufficiently superheated. The time required for the liquid to attain this superheat is called the waiting period. The transfer of heat from the superheated liquid into the bubble is considered to be a transient conduction process. A cavity is considered effective only if the waiting period is finite. This criterion gives the limiting sizes of effective cavities. The equations show that maximum and minimum sizes of effective cavities are functions of subcooling, pressure of the system, physical properties, and the thickness of the superheated liquid layer. Comparison of theoretical prediction with experimental data from several sources was made. The fluids considered were ether, pentane, and water, with water under various degrees of subcooling. The theory did predict the incipience of boiling and size range of cavities successfully.
Chemistry (intrinsic) and inclusion (extrinsic) effects on the toughness and Weibull modulus of Fe-based bulk metallic glasses

Systematic changes in composition were employed to increase the notch toughness of a variety of Fe-based Bulk Metallic Glasses (BMGs). The Fe50Mn10Mo14Cr4C16B6 BMG possessed very high hardness (e.g. 12 GPa) but very low notch toughness (e.g. 5.7 MPa m1/2) at room temperature, consistent with fracture surface observations of brittle features. Many of the other Fe-BMG variants, created to change the Poisson's ratio via systematic changes in alloy chemistry, exhibited higher toughness but more scatter in the data, reflected in a lower Weibull modulus. SEM examination revealed fracture initiation always occurred at inclusions in samples exhibiting lower toughness and/or Weibull modulus for a given chemistry. Implications of these observations on reliability of BMGs are discussed.
An approach to stereo-point cloud registration using image homographies

A mobile robot equipped with a stereo camera can measure both the video image of a scene and the visual disparity in the scene. The disparity image can be used to generate a collection of points, each representing the location of a surface in the visual scene as a 3D point with respect to the location of the stereo camera: a point cloud. If the stereo camera is moving, e.g., mounted on a moving robot, aligning these scans becomes a difficult, and computationally expensive problem. Many finely tuned versions of the iterative closest point algorithm (ICP) have been used throughout robotics for registration of these sets of scans. However, ICP relies on theoretical convergence to the nearest local minimum of the dynamical system: there is no guarantee that ICP will accurately align the scans. In order to address two problems with ICP, convergence time and accuracy of convergence, we have developed an improvement by using salient keypoints from successive video images to calculate an affine transformation estimate of the camera location. This transformation, when applied to the target point cloud, provides ICP an initial guess to reduce the computational time required for point cloud registration and improve the quality of registration. We report ICP convergence times with and without image information for a set of stereo data point clouds to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.
Approximating the matrix Fisher and Bingham distributions: applications to spherical regression and Procrustes analysis

Abstract We obtain approximations to the distribution of the exponent in the matrix Fisher distributions on SO ( p ) and on O ( p ) whose density with respect to Haar measure is proportional to exp(Tr GX 0 t X ). Similar approximations are found for the distribution of the exponent in the Bingham distribution, with density proportional to exp( x t Gx ), on the unit sphere S p −1 in Euclidean p -dimensional space. The matrix Fisher distribution arises as the exact conditional distribution of the maximum likelihood estmate of the unknown orthogonal matrix in the spherical regression model on S p −1 with Fisher distributed errors. It also arises as the exact conditional distribution of the maximum likelihood estimate of the unknown orthogonal matrix in a model of Procrustes analysis in which location and orientation, but not scale, changes are allowed. These methods allow determination of a confidence region for the unknown rotation for moderate sample sizes with moderate error concentrations when the error concentration parameter is known.
Control of systems described by population balance equations—I. Controllability analysis

Abstract The controllability of systems described by population balance equations through the use of lumped manipulated variables is addressed. A comprehensive model is first presented and then simplified in order to make some general results possible. More detailed analysis is undertaken for several specific systems: human population dynamics, emulsion polymerization, and crystallization. These encouraging controllability results for particulate processes suggest that the application of appropriate control stategies for the control of the particle size distribution through the manipulation of feed concentrations could be successful in practical situations.
Data and safety monitoring during randomized controlled trials of nursing interventions.

Conclusion: The multiple scientific, ethical, safety, recruitment, intervention, and budgetary responsibilities of a principal investigator can be complex. The role of the DSMB is crucial and offers independent evaluation to ensure participant safety and good science.
A note on self-dual gravitational fields

In this note we give two new simple derivations of the “good-cut” equation, the equation which governs (complex) self-dual asymptotically flat gravitational fields. One of these derivations is remarkably simple, involving only a few lines. Our main point of interest, however, is in the second derivation. Though it is slightly more complicated, this method of derivation is almost certainly generalizable to cover real asymptotically flat space-times and thus lead to a generalization of the good-cut equation.
Quantification of temporal, procedural, and hardware-related factors influencing radiation exposure during pediatric cardiac catheterization.

Purpose To quantify the impact of relocation to a purpose built pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory, on patient radiation dose and fluoroscopy time. To provide guide values for radiation exposure during common structural interventions. Material and methods Design: A retrospective review of common structural cardiac interventions performed over 10-years. The era comprised two 5-year periods before and after relocation using different catheter laboratories. Multivariable analysis adjusted for the following variables: era (pre- and post-move), year, operator seniority, patient age, procedure type. Setting: A quaternary referral congenital cardiac centre. Patients: All patients <18 yrs (n = 756) in whom one of 6 common structural interventions were undertaken between 2000 and 2009. Main outcome measures: Radiation dose and fluoroscopy time. Results The move to the new laboratory (latter era) was associated with a dramatic reduction in multivariable-adjusted radiation dose, ranging from 64% (aortic coarctation stenting) to 87% (patent arterial duct closure). There was also a year upon year increase in radiation dose of 5.2% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6–10.0%], which persisted after the relocation. However, this was associated with a 5.1% yearly decrease in fluoroscopy time (95% CI: −7.9 to −2.2%). Conclusion Use of state-of-the-art catheter equipment is associated with a dramatic reduction in radiation exposure. However, the surprising finding of year upon year increase in exposure (despite the new equipment) combined with decreased fluoroscopy time suggests a temporal decrease in hardware efficiency. This has major implications for hardware replacement. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multiple multiple-exposure hologram

The number of holograms that can be linearly superimposed on one photographic plate has two fundamental limits; one is the finite extent of the characteristic amplitude transmittance vs energy-of-exposure (Ta − E) film curve, and the other is holographic reciprocity law failure [ K. M. Johnson L. Hesselink J. W. Goodman , Appl. Opt.23, 218 ( 1984)], the chronological decrease in brightness of reconstructed images in a multiple-exposure hologram. In this paper a multistep hologram, called the multiple multiple-exposure hologram, is presented which increases the number of holograms that can be linearly superimposed on one photographic plate and reconstructs images of equal brightness. The brightness of the reconstructed images in the final display hologram is a function of the reference-to-object beam ratio K in the intermediate and final steps of the multiple multiple-exposure hologram. By choosing different values for K in each step of this technique, a cross section can be displayed with the same diffraction efficiency in the initial multiple-exposure holograms and the final multiple multiple-exposure hologram. The trade-off between the maximum number of holograms that can be linearly superimposed on one photographic plate and the signal-to-noise ratio in the final display hologram is also discussed.
Electron paramagnetic resonance probing of macromolecules: a comparison of structure/function relationships in chymotrypsinogen, α-chymotrypsin and anhydrochymotrypsin

Abstract Chymotrypsinogen, chymotrypsin and anhydrochymotrypsin have been covalently spin-labeled by an analog of bromoacetamide, and the latter two proteins have been labeled by an analog of 1-chloro-3-tosylamido-4-phenyl butanone. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the labeled proteins indicate protein conformational changes accompanying (1) activation of the zymogen and (2) the binding of protons and substrates by the native and anhydro enzymes, and tertiary structural differences between these protein forms which are at once informative and predictable. A spin-label linked to the thioether side-chain of methionine 192 in Chymotrypsinogen may be in contact with a hydrophobic surface. This interaction is lost upon zymogen activation with little change in the isotropic rotational freedom of the nitroxide group. The rotational freedom of the group increases sigmoidally with pH; a spectral dependence upon an ionizing group (p K a = 8.9) is demonstrated. The binding of indole to the labeled enzyme raises the p K a of the ionizing group to 10.2. A spin-label linked to histidine 57 in chymotrypsin senses both indole binding and pH changes directly; the same label in anhydrochymotrypsin responds directly only to changes in pH. Neither histidine-labeled derivative exhibits enzymic activity. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of these two labeled proteins at high pH indicate a decrease in the motional freedom of the spin label. The spectral data show that the conformational state of the labeled zymogen is not similar to the high-pH conformational state of the labeled enzyme. Furthermore, the pH-dependent conformational transition of labeled chymotrypsin requires neither the serine 195 hydroxyl nor the histidine 57 imidazole, since the transition occurs normally in derivatized and chemically modified protein forms. The chemical reactivity of histidine 57 in anhydrochymotrypsin is evaluated and the catalytic activities of two histidine alkylated enzymes are compared.
Sustainable development, climate change and human health in the arctic

Presentation and recommendations made to an international experts meeting: “Sustainable Developmentin the Arctic in the Face of Global Climate Change: Scientific, Social, Cultural and EducationalChallenges,” Monte Carlo, Monaco, 3–6 March 2009.The statements and positions contained in this report represent the proceedings of the meeting.They are those of the presenter and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC orthe symposium’s sponsors. International Journal of Circumpolar Health 69:1 2010
Fabrication and test of an optical magnetic mirror

Traditional mirrors at optical wavelengths use thin metalized or dielectric layers of uniform thickness to approximate a perfect electric field boundary condition. The electron gas in such a mirror configuration oscillates in response to the incident photons and subsequently re-emits fields where the propagation and electric field vectors have been inverted and the phase of the incident magnetic field is preserved. We proposed fabrication of sub-wavelength-scale conductive structures that could be used to interact with light at a nano-scale and enable synthesis of the desired perfect magnetic-field boundary condition. In a magnetic mirror, the interaction of light with the nanowires, dielectric layer and ground plate, inverts the magnetic field vector resulting in a zero degree phase shift upon reflection. Geometries such as split ring resonators and sinusoidal conductive strips were shown to demonstrate magnetic mirror behavior in the microwave and then in the visible. Work to design, fabricate and test a magnetic mirror began in 2007 at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) under an Internal Research and Development (IRAD) award Our initial nanowire geometry was sinusoidal but orthogonally asymmetric in spatial frequency, which allowed clear indications of its behavior by polarization. We report on the fabrication steps and testing of magnetic mirrors using a phase shifting interferometer and the first far-field imaging of an optical magnetic mirror.
Free convection heat transfer in a partially divided vertical enclosure with conducting end walls

Abstract A numerical study has been made of natural convection in an enclosure with perfectly conducting horizontal end walls and finitely conducting baffles. Results obtained using the Boussinesq model for density variation show good agreement with reported measurements of natural convection in a partitioned enclosure. Except at low Rayleigh numbers, a separation bubble is observed behind the baffle. The strength of the separation bubble increases while the strength of the main flow (moving up the hot wall and down the cold one) decreases with increasing baffle conductivity. The average Nusselt number for the enclosure is significantly smaller in the presence of the baffles. Except at low Rayleigh numbers (where baffle conductivity has little influence) the Nusselt number values decrease with increasing baffle conductivity.
Differences in kinematic control of ankle joint motions in people with chronic ankle instability.

Abstract Background People with chronic ankle instability display different ankle joint motions compared to healthy people. The purpose of this study was to investigate the strategies used to control ankle joint motions between a group of people with chronic ankle instability and a group of healthy, matched controls. Methods Kinematic data were collected from 11 people with chronic ankle instability and 11 matched control subjects as they performed a single-leg land-and-cut maneuver. Three-dimensional ankle joint angles were calculated from 100 ms before, to 200 ms after landing. Kinematic control of the three rotational ankle joint degrees of freedom was investigated by simultaneously examining the three-dimensional co-variation of plantarflexion/dorsiflexion, toe-in/toe-out rotation, and inversion/eversion motions with principal component analysis. Findings Group differences in the variance proportions of the first two principal components indicated that the angular co-variation between ankle joint motions was more linear in the control group, but more planar in the chronic ankle instability group. Frontal and transverse plane motions, in particular, contributed to the group differences in the linearity and planarity of angular co-variation. Interpretations People with chronic ankle instability use a different kinematic control strategy to coordinate ankle joint motions during a single-leg landing task. Compared to the healthy group, the chronic ankle instability group's control strategy appeared to be more complex and involved joint-specific contributions that would tend to predispose this group to recurring episodes of instability.
Elevation of CA 125 and CA 19-9 in patients with end-stage liver disease.

BackgroundThe serum tumor markers CA 19–9 and CA 125 are the serologic markers used for the monitoring of biliopancreatic and ovarian cancer, respectively. They are reported to be elevated in a var...
Avian Consciousness in Don DeLillo's The Body Artist

ABSTRACTThe Body Artist, DeLillo's 2001 novel, focuses on a character who, through the mediating forces of language and sensory perception, enters into a space little explored in DeLillo's fiction—the consciousness of a bird. The novel continually pays close attention to the groups of birds that frequent the feeders that the title character has placed in her yard. The sensory experience of birds, and its differences from human sensory experience, gets much attention in the novel. The Body Artist, while investigating literary language and human perception, invents a way of bridging the distance between human and animal consciousness that helps an interspecies awareness to emerge. One of the founding scientists of cognitive ethology, Donald Griffin, writes that “the challenging scientific question is, how widespread among animals is conscious awareness?” This question undoubtedly has scientific import, but it also has import in a broader sense of how humans live in the world as they interact with other form...
Heavy tails and earthquake probabilities

The 21st century has already seen its share of devastating earthquakes, some of which have been labeled as “unexpected,” at least in the eyes of some seismologists and more than a few journalists. A list of seismological surprises could include the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Islands; 2008 Wenchuan, China; 2009 Haiti; 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand; and 2011 Tohoku, Japan, earthquakes. Depending on where you live, you might also include smaller events such as the M∼5 earthquakes that occurred last year in Colorado, Virginia, and Oklahoma. In all of these cases the possibility of those earthquakes occurring was neither widely acknowledged beforehand in the public discourse on earthquake hazards, nor considered very likely in probabilistic seismic hazard models. > Being rare is not the same as being an outlier that invalidates a particular probability model or overturns a methodology. As rare an occurrence as each might have been, does that mean that our models are wrong and should be abandoned? Do our models require a fundamental overhaul? Readers of this column have been treated to a spirited debate on these questions in recent months (Stein et al. 2011; Aster 2012; Stirling 2012). Rather than join the fray (I endorse testing of models), I’d rather consider why such events stand out against the background of business-as-usual earthquakes. The big quakes mentioned above might be considered “black swans” (Taleb 2010 …
Jews, Turks, and infidels

Borden reveals the ways in which many mainstream Protestants worked to maintain preferential treatment for Christians in common law, state constitutions, and federal practices, even attempting through interpretation and amendment to alter the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. Even though religious freedom was guaranteed by the constitution in 1788, it took the sustained efforts of vigilant Jews during the nineteenth century to fulfill the constitution's promise of religious equality.Originally published in 1984.A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
A study of the fish community in the vicinity of a thermal discharge in the James River, Virginia

The size, species composition and structure of the fish community in a 9.6 km stretch of the James River in the Piedmont Province of Virginia were analyzed. Twenty collections were made by electrofishing from October 1972 through September 1973 from both the north side of the river, which received a thermal discharge from an electric power station (ΔT4-14C at outfall), and the south side where temperatures were ambient. Parameters investigated were number of species, total number of individuals and the Shannon-Wiener and evenness indices of species diversity. Differences were found to exist in community structure among seasons within both the ambient and thermally influenced zones. In the ambient zone all parameters showed significant seasonal change with values lower in the winter. At the outfall station significant seasonal change occurred for only the diversity and evenness indices with values lower in the summer. Average total abundance remained lower within all seasons at the outfall station than in the ambient zone. As temperatures declined downstream from the point of effluent discharge parameter values more closely approached those on the unheated side of the river.
Computer recognition of figures through decomposition

A method for computer recognition of plane figures is described. For each figure, its integral projection along a certain direction is defined. This is obtained by intersecting the figure with a set of lines parallel to the chosen direction and considering the lengths of the connected segments of the intersections as a function of the location of the lines. Discontinuities in the integral projections reveal in general the existence of strokes along the corresponding directions and this way a figure can be decomposed into certain basic strokes. The information whether certain strokes appear or not in a given figure and their relative position can be used for the classification of the figure. This method was implemented and tested on multifont lower-case typewritten letters. Recognition rates around 98% were achieved on the testing sets.