cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous Stabilization of Linear Time Varying Systems by Linear Time Varying Compensation

The problem of stabilization of a linear time-invariant plant by a linear time-invariant output feedback compensator has been one of the most important problems in system theory. However, since many of the systems considered in practice are time-varying, it is important to generalize results well known in time-invariant systems theory (see [4], [5], [6], [7]) to the time-varying case. It is for this reason we consider the following problem:
High expression of integrin αvβ3 enables uptake of targeted fluorescent probes into ovarian cancer cells and tumors.

The cell line OVCAR-4 was recently ranked as one of the most representative cell lines for high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). However, little work has been done to assess the susceptibility of OVCAR-4 cells and tumors to the more common types of molecular targeting. Proteome profiles suggest OVCAR-4 express high levels of integrin αvβ3 receptors. Using flow cytometry with fluorescent antibodies we determined that OVCAR-4 cells have high number of integrin αvβ3 receptors ([9.8 ± 2.5] × 104/cell) compared to the well-characterized cell line U87-MG ([5.2 ± 1.4] × 104/cell). However, OVCAR-4 cells also have roughly three times the surface area of U87-MG cells, so the average αvβ3 receptor density is actually lower (11 ± 3 versus 18 ± 6 receptors/µm2). A series of new fluorescent molecular probes was prepared with structures comprised of a deep-red squaraine fluorophore (∼680 nm emission) covalently attached to zero, one, or two cyclic pentapeptide cRGD sequences for integrin targeting. Microscopy studies showed that uptake of the divalent probe into cultured OVCAR-4 cells was 2.2 ± 0.4 higher than the monovalent probe, which in turn was 2.2 ± 0.4 higher than the untargeted probe. This probe targeting trend was also seen in OVCAR-4 mouse tumor models. The results suggest that clinically relevant OVCAR-4 cells can be targeted using molecular probes based on αvβ3 integrin receptor antagonists such as the cRGD peptide. Furthermore, deep-red fluorescent cRGD-squaraine probes have potential as targeted stains of cancerous tissue associated with HGSOC in surgery and pathology settings.
Profile-Tuned Heap Access

As memory latencies continue to grow, effective use of cache memories is necessary. A disproportionate number of cache misses are caused by accesses to dynamically allocated memory, and a small number of heap objects account for a large percentage of heap misses.
High School Spanish Students and Foreign Language Reading Anxiety: Déjà vu All Over Again All Over Again

Abstract: A unique anxiety for foreign language (L2) learning has been hypothesized to explain students’ problems with language learning. However, L2 anxiety instruments have been challenged on the grounds that they reflect students’ language learning ability and/or perceptions of their language learning skills. In this study, 266 U.S. high school students were administered measures of first language (L1) skills, L2 aptitude, and L2 achievement and followed through 2–3 years of Spanish courses. In 1st‐year Spanish, they were administered the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS), divided into 3 anxiety groups, and compared on the L1 and L2 measures. Findings showed that the Low Anxiety group scored significantly higher than the High Anxiety group on all L1 and L2 measures, and significantly higher than the Average Anxiety group on most L1 and L2 measures at the end of 1st‐ and 2nd‐year Spanish. Students who completed 3rd‐year Spanish displayed either low or average anxiety on the FLRAS. Results revealed negative correlations between the FLRAS and all L1 and L2 measures. Correlations between the FLRAS and the L2 achievement measures increased over time. Findings show that the FLRAS is unlikely to be measuring anxiety for language learning but more likely to be a proxy for students’ levels of L1 skill, L2 aptitude, and L2 achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The Intuitive-Override Model: Nudging Judges Toward Pretrial Risk Assessment Instruments

The development, implementation, and use of risk assessments are some of the most important and controversial issues facing criminal justice systems today. The recent push for judges to use risk assessments in their pretrial release decision making has met with resistance on several fronts, including from judges themselves. We conducted in-depth interviews with judges in a diverse set of courts that were using the Public Safety Assessment (PSA), a risk assessment developed by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. Interview questions aimed to gain insight into how judges define and assess risk, as well as how they perceive the potential for bias and disparate impacts for communities of color in the use of risk assessments. In this manuscript, we frame our analysis with Guthrie and colleagues’ intuitive-override model and suggest that risk assessment instruments can help judges engage both intuitive and deliberative models of decision making. Our findings indicate that judges perceive a tension when reconciling the actuarial aspect of the PSA and their experience-based inclination to learn about defendants’ lives as a way of assessing risk through determinations of culpability and blameworthiness. We conclude by discussing the PSA through a review of legal scholarship that challenges risk assessments on ethical and moral grounds, and recommend the creation of researcher-judge feedback loops along with increased transparency of model development as key features to improve the accuracy, adoption, and understanding of risk assessments.
Substantial Differences in the Subgingival Microbiome Measured by 16S Metagenomics According to Periodontitis Status in Older Women.

Aging invokes physiological changes, such as immunosenescence and inflammation, that could increase host susceptibility to oral microbiome shifts that enable periodontitis progression in later life. At present, there is a dearth of studies specifically evaluating the oral microbiome and periodontitis in older adults. We used high-throughput untargeted sequencing methods and functional metagenomic analyses to assess and compare the subgingival biofilm of postmenopausal women (mean age 71 years) according to periodontitis status. Subgingival plaque samples were obtained from 15 postmenopausal women with no periodontitis, and from 15 women with severe periodontitis, determined by probing measures. The 16S rRNA gene (V1–V3 region) was sequenced on the 454 FLX platform. The PICRUSt technique was used to provide information on what the potential functional characteristics of microbiota might be in healthy, compared with diseased, periodontium. The subgingival microbiome associated with periodontitis showed clear differences to that associated with health. Of the 464 species identified, 22.8% had elevated abundance in disease, while only 6.3% had elevated abundance in health. Among the 12 most prevalent organisms in periodontitis, one-half have previously been recognized as periodontal pathogens by other investigators. The subgingival microbiome in periodontitis contained genes that could code for specific activities, including microbial mobility, synthesis of endotoxin, and proteolytic degradation. The healthy microbiome included genes that could code for sustaining microbial life, including encoding for transporters, glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the Krebs cycle, and protein kinases. In the present study on postmenopausal women, aged 60 and older, the subgingival microbiome differed in composition and potential function between those with and without periodontitis. Studies of functional gene expression, such as transcriptomics, are needed to definitively identify the molecules carrying out functions associated with pathogenic subgingival complexes. This, in turn, could lead to identification of targets for enhanced management of periodontitis and, possibly, other diseases, in later life.
“Savoring” buffers the association between negative emotions and suicidal behaviors in the GSM community

AbstractThis study examined the effects of “savoring the moment” (the ability to generate, maintain, and extend positive emotions) on the relationship between negative emotions and suicidal behavior in a sample of gender and sexual minorities (GSM). Savoring the moment moderated the associated effects of negative emotions on suicidal behavior; the relationship between negative emotions and suicidal behaviors ceased at higher levels of savoring the moment. Our finding offers preliminary evidence for savoring as a buffer to suicide among subpopulations of GSM individuals. Our findings also provide some insights into the use of positive psychological interventions in GSM suicide prevention efforts.
Correlation between age and corneal edema in pediatric patients with Peters anomaly

To evaluate corneal edema in different-aged pediatric patients with Peters anomaly and to correlate in vivo with ex vivo histopathologic findings. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed. The medical records of patients diagnosed with Peters anomaly who underwent examination under anesthesia (EUA) between 2011 and 2015 were reviewed. Eyes in which central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements were taken were included. The thickest point in the CCT pachymetric map was used to objectively quantify corneal edema. Correlation between CCT and age was calculated. Additionally, a retrospective review of histopathologic studies of excised corneal buttons from pediatric eyes with Peters anomaly between 2011 and 2015 was performed. Eighteen eyes of 12 children were included. Mean age was 14 ± 15 months, and mean CCT was 842 ± 304 µm. A significant inverse correlation was noted between the CCT and the age of the patients, with lower CCT values in older children (r = 0.6; P = 0.01). Seven excised corneal buttons that underwent penetrating keratoplasty were reviewed. All corneal buttons showed absence of Descemet membrane and localized absence of endothelium. However, three specimens showed presence of corneal endothelium in areas of absent or attenuated Descemet membrane. In Peters anomaly, the CCT decreases with age, possibly due to a decrease in corneal edema. Histopathologic studies show cases of endothelial expansion in areas of absent or attenuated Descemet membrane. This may contribute to improved endothelial function and decreased edema with age.
Ultra-Lightweight 548–1080 Gate 166Gbps/W–12.6Tbps/W SIMON 32/64 Cipher Accelerators for IoT in 14nm Tri-gate CMOS

A family of 32b data/64b key SIMON cipher accelerators, each reconfigurable for encrypt/decrypt modes and fabricated in 14nm tri-gate CMOS, is optimized for a range of area and performance targets: (i) a 1080-gate one round/cycle design occupying 136μm2 die area uses reconfigurable circuits for forward/reverse key generation, (ii) a 752-gate 16 cycles/round bit-serial design with a single round/key logic bit-slice lowers layout area by 38% to 85μm2, and (iii) latch-based key/text storage for the bit-serial circuit reduces area further by 22% to 66μm2 at 272 cycles/round for a 548-gate design with measured 11.4Mbps, 209μW, 750mV operation. Ultra-low voltage circuit optimizations enable peak energy efficiency from 166Gbps/W at 380mV for the bit-serial latch-based design to 12.6Tbps/W at 260mV for the parallel, one round/cycle design.
Intrinsic structure of model-derived metrics for in silico proarrhytmic risk assessment identified by global sensitivity analysis

Multiscale computational models of heart are being extensively investigated for improved assessment of drug-induced Torsades de Pointes (TdP) risk, a fatal side effect of many drugs. Model-derived metrics (features) such as action potential duration, net charge carried by ionic currents (qN et) and others have been proposed in the past as potential candidates for classifying TdP risk. However, the criteria for selection of new risk metrics are still poorly justified, and they are often trained/tested only on small datasets. Moreover, classifiers built on derived features have thus far not consistently provided increased prediction accuracies compared to classifiers based on in vitro measurements of drug effects on ion channels (direct features). In this paper, we analyze a large population of virtual drugs to examine systematically the sensitivity of several model-derived features. The influence of different ion channels in regulation of the model-derived features is identified using global sensitivity analysis (GSA). Specifically, the analysis points to key differences in the input parameters that affect several model-derived features and the generation of early afterdepolarizations (EAD), thus opposing the idea that these features and sensitivity to EAD might be strongly correlated. We also demonstrate that previously proposed model-derived features could be well fitted by a linear combination of direct features. This well explains the observed comparable performances of classifiers built on direct features and model-derived features. Combining GSA and simple probability analysis, we also show that the odds of any linear metric constructed from direct features to perform as well as qN et is very low. Nevertheless, despite high predictive power of qN et to separate drugs into correct categories of TdP risk, the GSA results suggest that the actual mechanistic interpretation for qN et 0 s improved performance deserves further investigation. In conclusion, analyses like ours can provide more robust feature selection/construction. Improved experimental designs with increased focus on the critical model parameters indicated by GSA can potentially reduce the uncertainties of key model components and result in increased confidence of TdP risk predicted by in silico models.
Study of matrix modifiers for determination of lead content in soy sauce in GFAAS.

Samples of soy sauce were digested by microwave,and NH4NO3,Vc,oxalic acid and La(NO3)3 were used as matrix modifier in the determination of lead by GFAAS.The additive amount,charring temperature,atomization temperature and its mechanism were studied.The recovery ranged from 94.2% to 101.2%.It was concluded that matrix modifiers can eliminate salt matrix interference effectively.
Defensive Escort Teams via Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning.

Coordinated defensive escorts can aid a navigating payload by positioning themselves in order to maintain the safety of the payload from obstacles. In this paper, we present a novel, end-to-end solution for coordinating an escort team for protecting high-value payloads. Our solution employs deep reinforcement learning (RL) in order to train a team of escorts to maintain payload safety while navigating alongside the payload. This is done in a distributed fashion, relying only on limited range positional information of other escorts, the payload, and the obstacles. When compared to a state-of-art algorithm for obstacle avoidance, our solution with a single escort increases navigation success up to 31%. Additionally, escort teams increase success rate by up to 75% percent over escorts in static formations. We also show that this learned solution is general to several adaptations in the scenario including: a changing number of escorts in the team, changing obstacle density, and changes in payload conformation. Video: this https URL.
Facial Asymmetry in Unilateral Condylar Hyperplasia: Comparing Treatment for Active versus Burnt-Out Disease.

BACKGROUND Facial asymmetry caused by unilateral condylar hyperplasia requires treatment to address facial and occlusal imbalances. There is no definitive evidence to suggest that a single intervention strategy (during either active condylar overgrowth or the burnt-out phase) results in better/more symmetric correction. This study sought to quantify preoperative and postoperative facial asymmetry in unilateral condylar hyperplasia patients comparing treatment for active versus burnt-out disease. METHODS Preoperative and postoperative three-dimensional photographs were obtained. Images were compared to those of unaffected controls as a standard for normal facial symmetry. Facial asymmetry was assessed using root-mean-square deviation. Paired t tests were performed to compare the root-mean-square deviations of preoperative and postoperative images between the unilateral condylar hyperplasia groups and against controls. RESULTS Forty patients were included (11 active, nine burnt-out, and 20 controls) and 60 three-dimensional images were evaluated. Preoperatively, patients in the burnt-out group had worse asymmetry than those with active unilateral condylar hyperplasia (p = 0.011). Both groups demonstrated significantly improved symmetry postoperatively (active, p = 0.0069; burnt-out, p = 1.74E-4). However, burnt-out patients remained with some residual asymmetry (p = 4.75E-4), whereas their active counterparts showed no significant difference compared to unaffected controls (p = 0.089). CONCLUSIONS Patients with end-stage unilateral condylar hyperplasia have more severe facial asymmetry that is more difficult to normalize compared to earlier intervention during active unilateral condylar hyperplasia. These findings suggest that, if possible, corrective intervention is preferable during active unilateral condylar hyperplasia. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Risk, II.
High-Dimensional Statistics

Peter J. Bickel has made far-reaching and wide-ranging contributions to many areas of statistics. This short article highlights his marvelous contributions to high-dimensional statistical inference and machine learning, which range from novel methodological developments, deep theoretical analysis, and their applications. The focus is on the review and comments of his six recent papers in four areas, but only three of them are reproduced here due to limit of the space.
An Investigation of Peripheral and Central Cues of Online Customer Review Voting and Helpfulness through the Lens of Elaboration Likelihood Model

Online consumer reviews (OCRs) have become an important part of online consumers’ decision-making to purchse products. Consumers use OCRs not only to get a better understanding of the characteristics of products but also to learn about other customers’ experiences with them. Drawing upon Elaboration Likelihood Model, this research investigates the predictors of popularity and helpfulness of OCRs. The results of the study show that longer reviews, as well as those with extreme star ratings, are more popular. Moreover, the amount of hedonic and utilitarian cues in a review and its sentiment significantly influence perceptions of online consumers regarding its helpfulness. The results also show how product type moderates the effect of utilitarian and hedonic cues on helpfulness. Our results can be used by online review websites to develop more efficient methods for sorting OCRs.
Sex and Stride Impact Joint Stiffness During Loaded Running

This study determined changes in lower limb joint stiffness when running with body-borne load, and whether they differ with stride or sex. Twenty males and 16 females had joint stiffness quantified when running (4.0 m/s) with body-borne load (20, 25, 30, and 35 kg) and 3 stride lengths (preferred or 15% longer and shorter). Lower limb joint stiffness, flexion range of motion (RoM), and peak flexion moment were submitted to a mixed-model analysis of variance. Knee and ankle stiffness increased 19% and 6% with load (P < .001, P = .049), but decreased 8% and 6% as stride lengthened (P = .004, P < .001). Decreased knee RoM (P < .001, 0.9°-2.7°) and increased knee (P = .007, up to 0.12 N.m/kg.m) and ankle (P = .013, up to 0.03 N.m/kg.m) flexion moment may stiffen joints with load. Greater knee (P < .001, 4.7°-5.4°) and ankle (P < .001, 2.6°-7.2°) flexion RoM may increase joint compliance with longer strides. Females exhibited 15% stiffer knee (P = .025) from larger reductions in knee RoM (4.3°-5.4°) with load than males (P < .004). Stiffer lower limb joints may elevate injury risk while running with load, especially for females.
Parent-Child influences on child eating self-regulation and weight in early childhood: A systematic review.

Abstract Individual differences in child eating self-regulation are associated with excess weight gain and may be explained, in part, by the family feeding environment and a child's general propensity to self-regulate outside of the context of eating (i.e., general self-regulation). Several studies have examined the associations between food parenting behaviors, child eating and general self-regulation, and child weight separately. However, there are a paucity of data on whether and how these factors interact to confer risk for weight gain in early childhood. The current systematic review identified 32 longitudinal studies that examined unidirectional or bidirectional associations among one or more of the following paths: food parenting behaviors and child eating self-regulation (path 1); child eating self-regulation and child weight (path 2); child eating self-regulation and child general self-regulation (path 3); food parenting behaviors and child general self-regulation (path 4); and child general self-regulation and child weight (path 5). Results indicated relationships of food parenting behaviors to child eating self-regulation, child weight to child eating self-regulation, and child general self-regulation to child weight. However, there were scant longitudinal data that examined paths 3 and 4. Further research on the developmental correlates of child eating self-regulation is needed to identify parent and child targets for early childhood obesity prevention.
N-(phosphonacetyl)-L-aspartate, a potent transition state analog inhibitor of aspartate transcarbamylase, blocks proliferation of mammalian cells in culture.

Abstract N-(phosphonacetyl)-l-aspartate (PALA) is an analog of the activated complex for the reaction catalyzed by aspartate transcarbamylase and has previously been shown to be a potent and specific inhibitor of the enzymes from Escherichia coli and mouse spleen. PALA is now shown to be a potent inhibitor of de novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis in five lines of mammalian cells in culture. When the concentration of PALA in the medium is 10-4 m, simian virus 40-transformed hamster cells do not divide and, within about 2 days, have detached from the culture dishes and appear dead. The toxicity of 10-4 m PALA is prevented completely if 10-4 m uridine is present in the medium, showing that PALA inhibits uridylic acid biosynthesis specifically. The same effect can be observed with the other cell lines. When the external concentration of radioactive PALA is in the range 10-4 to 10-5 m, its concentration in the cytosol is approximately equal to the external concentration. Most of the PALA recovered from cells remains undegraded. In crude cell extracts, the Ki for PALA is about 1 x 10-9 m at 37° and pH 7.5. Addition of 1 x 10-7 m PALA in vitro to an extract of transformed hamster cells inhibits by 60% the incorporation of radioactivity from CO2 into UMP and CMP; approximately 10-6 m PALA is required to give comparable inhibition of incorporation from carbamyl-P. Higher concentrations give virtually complete inhibition in both cases. These results suggest that PALA may find clinical use in suppressing cellular proliferation. A small number of the virus-transformed hamster cells become resistant to 10-4 m PALA in culture and retain resistance after they are grown for many generations in the absence of the drug. Resistance is accompanied by a large increase in aspartate transcarbamylase activity.
Comparison of Accumulated Allele Loss between Primary Tumor and Lymph Node Metastasis in Stage II Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma: Implications for the Timing of Lymph Node Metastasis and Prognostic Value

Although the Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the most effective predictor of survival, the clinical outcome of patients at each stage is variable on an individual case basis. We tested the value of incorporating information about the tumor heterogeneity of NSCLC into microsatellite allelotyping in a cohort of 48 node-positive stage II patients (T1N1M0 and T2N1M0). Microsatellite allelotyping involved microdissection of the invasive component of primary tumor and lymph node metastasis at multiple target sites followed by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis at specific regions on chromosomes 1p, 3p, 5q, 7q, 8q, 9p, 10q, 17p, and 18q using 16 markers. All microsatellites manifested LOH ranging from 44 to 76% in primary tumor and showed various degree of heterogeneity between primary tumor and lymph node metastasis. LOH on 3p and 5q in the lymph node metastases was associated significantly with shortened survival of the patients (P = 0.033 and 0.004, respectively), whereas no single LOH in the primary tumors showed association with prognosis. For the analysis of the accumulated load of allele loss, fractional allele loss (FAL) was calculated for each sample. The maximal FAL of lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than that of primary tumor (P = 0.0015), possibly reflecting the early lymphatic spread. High maximal FAL of lymph node metastasis was significantly correlated with an adverse outcome (P = 0.012), whereas maximal FAL of primary tumor did not show any prognostic significance (P = 0.552). A composite mutational profile for each patient based on the allelotyping of the primary tumor and lymph node deposits may make a significant contribution to a more accurate prognosis of stage II NSCLC.
A dimension inequality for Cohen-Macaulay rings

The recent work of Kurano and Roberts on Serre's positivity conjecture suggests the following dimension inequality: for prime ideals p and q in a local, Cohen-Macaulay ring (A, n) such that e(Ap) = e(A) we have dim(A/p) + dim(A/q) < dim(A). We establish this dimension inequality for excellent, local, Cohen-Macaulay rings which contain a field, for certain low-dimensional cases and when R/p is regular.
Solubilization and phase equilibria of water-in-oil microemulsions: I. Effects of spontaneous curvature and elasticity of interfacial films

Abstract The solubilization and phase equilibria of w/o microemulsions have been shown to be dependent on two phenomenological parameters, namely the spontaneous curvature and elasticity of the interfacial film, when interfacial tension is very low. The spontaneous curvature of an interface is basically determined by the geometric packing of surfactant and cosurfactant molecules at the interface, whereas the interfacial elasticity is related to the energy required to bend the interface. The droplet size and solubilization of microemulsions is mainly determined by the radius of spontaneous curvature, and is further influenced by interfacial elasticity and interdroplet interactions. A w/o microemulsion with a highly curved and relatively rigid interfacial film can exist in equilibrium with excess water at the solubilization limit due to the interfacial bending stress. Increasing the natural radius and fluidity of the interface can increase the droplet size and hence the solubilization in the microemulsion. On the other hand, a w/o microemulsion with a highly fluid interfacial film can exist in equilibrium with an excess oil phase containing a low density of microemulsion droplets due to attractive interdroplet interaction. Increasing the interfacial rigidity and decreasing the natural radius in this case can increase water solubilization in the microemulsion by retarding the phase separation process. Thus, a maximum water solubilization in a w/o microemulsion can be obtained by minimizing both the interfacial bending stress of rigid interfaces and the attractive interdroplet interaction of fluid interfaces at an optimal interfacial curvature and elasticity. The study of phase equilibria of microemulsions can serve as a simple method to evaluate the property of the interface and provide phenomenological guidance for the formulation of microemulsions with maximum solubilization capacity.
Peircean Foundations for a Theory of Context

Contexts have become a topic of major interest in linguistics, philosophy, and artificial intelligence, but no one has been able to give a definitive definition of context that is widely accepted. Yet the basic ideas for a theory of context were all present in Peirce's writings in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This paper shows how Peirce's work provides a foundation that unifies ideas on context that are scattered in modern research on logic, philosophy, linguistics, and artificial intelligence.
Isolation and Purification of Human Intestinal Macrophages

The gastrointestinal mucosa contained within the lamina propria is the largest reservoir of macrophages in the human body. The isolation and study of this population of cells is important for understanding host defense and the pathogenesis of inflammation in the gastrointestinal mucosa. This unit describes methods that can be used to isolate and purify intestinal macrophages. Sources of intestinal tissue that can be used for this isolation include human subjects undergoing gastrojejunostomy for obesity, organ-transplantation donors, or the noninflamed margin of resected segments of small intestine from subjects undergoing resection for surgically indicated reasons.
A unified framework for joint segmentation, nonrigid registration and tumor detection: application to MR-guided radiotherapy

Image guided external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for the treatment of cancer enables accurate placement of radiation dose to the cancerous region. However, the deformation of soft tissue during the course of treatment, such as in cervical cancer, presents significant challenges. Furthermore, the presence of pathologies such as tumors may violate registration constraints and cause registration errors. In this paper, we present a unified MAP framework that performs automatic segmentation, nonrigid registration and tumor detection simultaneously. It can generate a tumor probability map while progressively identifing the boundary of an organ of interest based on the achieved transformation. We demonstrate the approach on a set of 30 T2-weighted MR images, and the results show that the approach performs better than similar methods which separate the registration and segmentation problems. In addition, the detection result generated by the proposed method has a high agreement with the manual delineation by a qualified clinician.
Delivery mechanisms of cash transfer programs to the poor in Bangladesh

This study carries out an analysis of the practical issues and the financial costs relative to the transfer of cash benefits from source to recipients and the cost effective way of transferring funds to the beneficiaries. The study analyzes and compares three alternative delivery mechanisms: The Income Generation Vulnerable Group Development (IGVGD), the Primary Education Stipend Program (PESP) and the Rural Maintenance Program (RMP). This study also looks into targeting and leakage issues that affect delivery mechanism. A field level survey has been conducted to assess beneficiaries view on the existing delivery mechanism and on the prospect of using technologically advanced alternative delivery mechanisms in the rural setup. This study reveals that the potential of using rural bank branches to deliver cash benefits is not fully utilized. Introducing advanced technology to rural banks for improving the efficiency of delivery of benefits is viable, subject to cost and capacity constraints. At the same time, reducing targeting failure and leakages can further enhance delivery efficiency. This study also shows that there are too many unnecessary agents at various levels of delivery and points to the need for appropriate delivery supervision.
The integration of behavioral accounting in graduate accounting curricula

Abstract This paper reports the results of a survey of the administrators of graduate accounting programs in 186 accredited business schools on the incorporation of behavioral accounting materials in graduate accounting curricula. The majority of respondents (57.7%) reported that their accounting programs do incorporate behavioral accounting materials. A greater number of respondents (84.2%) favored inclusion of behavioral accounting in the future. Teaching behavioral accounting in a hybrid course is the most popular approach, and managerial accounting and auditing courses are most likely to include behavioral accounting materials.
When Advertising and Public Relations Converge: An Application of Schema Theory to the Persuasive Impact of Alignment Ads

Brand ads that incorporate social issues are becoming more prevalent. A subset of these messages can be referred to as alignment ads to reflect the organizational alignments that spawn them, often between the advertised brand and a charitable organization. This research applies schema theory to explore how viewers respond to these ads. Findings indicate that placing an issue in an ad offers important advantages for advertisers. Consistent with predictions from schema theory, congruent issue information elicits more positive affective and conative responses than incongruent issue information. Further, the inclusion of congruent issues in ads prompts greater recall of issue information. On the downside, however, results indicate that placing an issue in an ad may detract from information remembered about the brand. Finally, alignment ads performed similarly to publicity that linked a brand to an issue of social importance.
Production of O2- in photolyzed water demonstrated through the use of superoxide dismutase.

Abstract— The photolysis of water has been studied using ferricytochrome c as the detector of reducing radicals and ferrocytochrome c as the detector of oxidizing radicals. Mannitol was used as a scavenger of hydroxyl radicals and superoxide dismutase was used to expose the specific involvement of superoxide radicals. Aerobic photolysis caused a reduction of ferricytochrome c, which was inhibited by superoxide dismutase and was enhanced by mannitol. Aerobic photolysis also caused the oxidation of ferrocytochrome c, which was inhibited by mannitol and augmented by superoxide dismutase. The presence of superoxide dismutase also eliminated the effects of mannitol on the aerobic oxidation of ferrocytochrome c. Photolysis in the absence of oxygen also caused the reduction of ferricytochrome c and the oxidation of ferrocytochrome c, but under these anaerobic conditions neither mannitol nor superoxide dismutase exerted significant effects. An explanation of these observations is offered in terms of the reactivities of H., OH. and O-2 radicals.
Thigmomorphogenesis: calibration of the parameters of the sensory function in beans.

An instrument has been built which reproducibly exerts measured amounts of force in an up and down rubbing motion to bean plant stems (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Cherokee Wax). The thigmostimulator has, for the first time, permitted an accurate determination of the relationship between the amount of mechanical stimulus or stress (MS) and the resulting elongation of the plant (E). Over the stress range used, the analyzed relationship is best expressed by the equation: E = m In MS + b, where m is the slope of the line and b is the E-intercept. The sensory function is saturated at very low forces (e.g. 2 rubs at 3.59 N). Reciprocity between force and the number of stimuli holds only at low forces and numbers of stimuli (e.g. 12 rubs at 0.97 N to four rubs at 2.92 N). Analysis using linear regression and differential calculus reveals that for five 1-cm rubs, the sensory system is saturated at 6 N and that there is a threshold of 0.3 N below which no response occurs. Using the thigmostimulator for calibration, two 1-cm rubs given by hand are equivalent to a force of 4.41 ± 0.60 N. The thigmostimulator also allows equivalent calibration of other types of mechanical perturbations.
Genetic p53 Deficiency Partially Rescues the Adrenocortical Dysplasia Phenotype at the Expense of Increased Tumorigenesis

Summary Telomere dysfunction and shortening induce chromosomal instability and tumorigenesis. In this study, we analyze the adrenocortical dysplasia ( acd ) mouse, harboring a mutation in Tpp1/Acd . Additional loss of p53 dramatically rescues the acd phenotype in an organ-specific manner, including skin hyperpigmentation and adrenal morphology, but not germ cell atrophy. Survival to weaning age is significantly increased in Acd acd/acd p53 −/− mice. On the contrary, p53 −/− and p53 +/− mice with the Acd acd/acd genotype show a decreased tumor-free survival, compared with Acd +/+ mice. Tumors from Acd acd/acd p53 +/− mice show a striking switch from the classic spectrum of p53 −/− mice toward carcinomas. The acd mouse model provides further support for an in vivo role of telomere deprotection in tumorigenesis.
The self-energy of a confined quark

Abstract We present the results of a numerical calculation of the O(α s ) self-energy for a massless quark confined to a spherical cavity.
Frequency characteristics of some pressure transducer systems

Abstract Various air-filled, water-filled, and blood-filled pressure transducer systems using different sizes of needles and connecting tubing were studied. Using the frequency characteristic as a criterion, it was shown that, for optimal reproduction of the human pulse wave, air-filled systems are best. However, where liquid filling is necessary, water- (or saline-) filled systems are to be preferred to blood-filled systems.
Molecular phylogeny of Harpactorini (Insecta: Reduviidae): correlation of novel predation strategy with accelerated evolution of predatory leg morphology

Much research and discussion have focused on the effects of key innovations on lineage diversification, whereas little has been done to investigate their role in morphological evolution using phylogenetic approaches. Here we present the first comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the Harpactorini (Insecta: Reduviidae), the largest assassin bug tribe, sampling 229 terminal taxa and using five gene segments (28S D2, D3-D5, 16S, COI, and Deformed). Employing comparative phylogenetic methods, we demonstrate the correlation of a putative key innovation, the sticky trap predation strategy, with accelerated rates of morphological evolution of the predatory fore leg in assassin bugs. We show that bugs exhibiting sticky trap predation have evolved more slender and longer fore femora than non-sticky bugs. Using phylogenetically independent contrast analyses, we document correlated evolution between femoral thickness and length. We argue that the novel sticky trap predation strategy may allow sticky bugs to alleviate functional constraints on the fore femur and thus to attain a higher rate of evolution than other Harpactorini or Reduviidae. We discuss the possibility that sticky bugs represent a case of adaptive radiation. We also test historical supra-generic groups within the Harpactorini, and show that most of them are not monophyletic. We confirm the paraphyly of Harpactorini with respect to Rhaphidosomini.
Radioimmunoassay for retrovir, an anti-human immunodeficiency virus drug

Abstract A direct radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the quantitation of Retrovir® (zidovudine, azidothymidine, AZT) in biological fluids has been developed. The assay is sensitive with an I50 value of about 30 nM and with a lower limit of detection of about 3 nM. Intra-assay precision gave sample coefficients of variation that ranged from 1.77 to 8.65% for the standard curve with human plasma. Inter-assay precision and accuracy were within acceptable limits. The RIA was validated by comparing results obtained from the analysis of rat plasma samples by both this RIA and a high-performance liquid chromatography method. None of the crossreactivities recorded should interfere with the assay system. The affinity constant of the antibody chosen for use was 1.4 × 109 L/mol.
Pharmacological modulation of abnormal involuntary DOI-induced head twitch response in male DBA/2J mice: I. Effects of D2/D3 and D2 dopamine receptor selective compounds.

Because of the complexity and heterogeneity of human neuropsychiatric disorders, it has been difficult to identify animal models that mimic the symptoms of these neuropathologies and can be used to screen for antipsychotic agents. For this study we selected the murine 5HT2A/2C receptor agonist-induced head twitch response (HTR) induced by the administration of 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI), which has been proposed as an animal model of symptoms associated with a variety of behavioral and psychiatric conditions. We investigated the DOI-induced HTR in male DBA/2J mice using a panel of D2-like (D2, D3 and D4) and D2 dopamine receptor selective compounds. When DBA/2J mice were administered a daily dose of DOI (5 mg/kg), tolerance to the DOI occurs. However, administrations of the same dose of DOI every other day (48 h) or on a weekly basis did not lead to tolerance and the ability to induce tolerance after daily administration of DOI remains intact after repeated weekly administration of DOI. Subsequently, a panel of D2-like dopamine receptor antagonists was found to effectively inhibit the DOI-induced HTR in DBA/2J mice. However, the benzamide eticlopride, which is a high affinity D2-like antagonist, was a notable exception. SV 293, SV-III-130s and N-methylbenperidol, which exhibit a high affinity for D2 versus the D3 dopamine receptor subtypes (60- to 100-fold binding selectivity), were also found to inhibit the HTR in DBA/2J mice. This observation suggests a functional interaction between dopaminergic and serotonergic systems through D2 dopamine receptors and the 5-HT2A serotonin receptors in vivo.
A letter to the 44th president of the United States

Madam/Mr. President, I urge you to think broadly and systemically about improving education in the United States. Use your authority to create a plan that provides all children and adolescents with access to well-funded, desirable schools that orient their learning toward the future. Enable them to flourish because they are healthy, they have a balanced and engaging curriculum, and they are working with good teachers—who themselves are encouraged to continue their education. Make it possible for all education professionals to have access to the latest research on teaching and learning and the time to think through how the research can and should inform practice. Encourage schools, colleges, and universities to establish cross-institutional cultures wherein professors, teachers, and administrators work in partnership to review the latest research and to contribute to the knowledge base through collaborative research and through practitioner research and other forms of research in their own classrooms, scho...
Categorical relations in shape perception

Abstracet-Many researchers have proposed that objects are perceived as structural descriptions, which specify the configuration of an object's features (or parts) in terms of their categorical relations to one another. Others have proposed that objects arc perceived as views, which specify the configuration of an object's features in terms of their coordinates, in particular 2D views. This paper presents five experiments testing these competing accounts of the perception of the configuration of an object's features. Subjects learned to recognize a set of target objects and were tested for their ability to distinguish them from various distractors that differed either in their categorical relations or their coordinates. Subjects were consistently more likely to confuse both 2D and 3D objects that were similar in their parts' relations to each other than to confuse objects similar in their parts' coordinates (in any reference frame). This effect persisted when subjects were allowed to view the objects as long as they wished and when they were explicitly trained to distinguish them from the distractors. These findings suggest that we perceive an object's features in terms of their categorical relations to one another. A preliminary model of the findings is presented.
Undergraduates’ use of examples in online discussions

Abstract Recent literature has examined undergraduate example use and production in response to researcher-generated generalizations, which did not include nested there-exist quantifiers. This article explores undergraduate students’ example use or production in response to a task in which students must develop their own claims, which at times involved nested quantifiers. The study uses on-line conversations of undergraduates in pursuit of a shared goal to identify constructive uses not necessarily directly linked to proof production. Findings include that undergraduates voluntarily used examples constructively to develop shared understandings of tasks and definitions, communicate approaches, express disagreements, and satisfy there-exist quantifiers nested in definitions and generalizations.
Re-examination of multiple-quantum-barrier for semiconductor heterostructure lasers

We have shown that the enhancement of carrier confinement by introducing a multiple-quantum-barrier into the cladding region of semiconductor heterostructure lasers is substantially less than what was previously predicted, because the reflectivity of an electron incident on a multiple-quantum-barrier depends on its transverse momentum, thereby limiting the expected improvement in laser characteristics.
Optical Systems, Singularity Functions, Complex Hankel Transforms

Two-dimensional singularity functions are discussed and used to determine the point spread of an optical system from its line spread. Certain properties of Fourier, Hankel and Hilbert transforms are developed and applied in the study of two-dimensional systems.The notion of the complex Hankel transform is introduced in terms of the Struve function, defined as the Hilbert transform of the Bessel function. As an application, a simple derivation of the Schlomilch series is given.
GASTRIC OUTLET SYNDROME CAUSED BY A GALLSTONE : REPORT OF A CASE

An extremely unusual case of gastric outlet syndrome, otherwise known as Bouveret’s syndrome, caused by a large gallstone impacted in the duodenum due to a cholecystoduodenal fistula (CDF), is described herein. Another large gallstone impacted in the CDF itself was also detected. As endoscopic extraction of the gallstone from the duodenum proved unsuccessful, and a laparotomy was required. Our patient, being 88 years old, is probably the oldest patient recorded in the literature of this syndrome. The methods of establishing a correct diagnosis by endoscopy and recent therapeutic strategies are discussed following the case report.
Cyclic AMP and calcium as potential mediators of stimulation of cultured Schwann cell proliferation by axolemma-enriched and myelin-enriched membrane fractions

Abstract The roles of cyclic AMP and calcium in the transduction of the mitogenic effects of central nervous system axolemma and myelin-enriched fractions on cultured Schwann cells were examined. Cyclic AMP levels were not elevated in axolemma or myelin-stimulated Schwann cells, but were increased when stimulated with cholera toxin, an adenyl cyclase activater. The mitogenicity of axolemma and myelin was markedly reduced by 2.5 mM citrate, a calcium chelator, and 10 uM trifluoroperazine, an inhibitor of calmodulin. Treatment of Schwann cells with several tumor-promoting phorbol esters caused significant enhancement of the mitogenicity of the axolemma and myelin preparations. These data suggest that the mitogenic effects of axolemma and myelin are not mediated by cyclic AMP, but may be mediated by calcium ions.