cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Analysis of Variance for Time Sequenced Samples

The 3 way nested ANOVA model yijk = μ + ai + Bij + γk + (αγ)ik + epsilonijk With α (treatment or group effects) and γ (time) both being fixed effects and B (the individual effects) random and nested within α, is introduced and explored. The problems associated with the usual approach are explained. The alternative model Is developed and a method of evaluation via the method of linear contrasts is recomended. The test statistic has the distribution of a convolution of F-distributions. Further, a method of investigating the assumptions of the model is offered and a further generalization using path spaces (of dim. K) is developed. Here again the appropriate test statistic has the distribution of a convolution of F-distributions. This combined with the method of linear contrasts offers an elegant solution to the BEHRENS-FISHER problem. yijk = fik + Bij + epsilonijk
Determination of Parameters in Absorption Spectra by Numerical Minimization Techniques

The problem of finding individual line parameters from experimental absorption spectra is reduced to the minimization of a function of N variables. The spectra may consist of overlapping, closely spaced, and broadened lines, and need not be of high resolution. It is assumed, however, that the general response function of the instrument is given and that the line shapes are known functions of wave number and of the parameter in question for each of the N lines involved. An example of the use of the method is given by outlining a successful computer program for determining half-widths in infrared spectra, and showing results of numerical tests.
A Colorimetric Determination of Streptomycin and Dihydrostreptomycin

A colorimetric method of assay is described involving the streptidine moiety of the streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin molecule. The method is simple, reproducible, and rapid. Comparative results between the chemical assay and the microbiological assay are presented.
Peroxiredoxin 5 (PRX5) Is Correlated Inversely to Systemic Markers of Inflammation in Acute Stroke

Background and Purpose—Peroxiredoxins are endogenous antioxidants that function as peroxide and peroxynitrite scavengers. Extracellular peroxiredoxins, however, are shown to initiate inflammation within the ischemic brain through activation of Toll-like receptors. Based on this observation, we hypothesized that plasma peroxiredoxin concentrations in ischemic stroke would correlate biomarkers of inflammation and predict poor outcome. Methods—In a prospective study of patients with ischemic stroke, plasma peroxiredoxin 5 (PRX5) concentrations and inflammatory biomarkers at day 3 after stroke onset were correlated and the association between PRX5 at day 3 and outcome at 3 months assessed. Results—PRX5 concentrations were available for 98 patients and were lower in those with more severe strokes (P=0.001). PRX5 was inversely correlated to biomarkers of inflammation at day 3 after stroke and did not predict 3-month outcome. Conclusions—Plasma PRX5 is decreased in severe stoke and inversely correlated to biomar...
Fuzzy analysis of pharmaceutical effects in vascular dementia

Large pharmaceutical trials are now underway to assess the effectiveness of cholinesterase drugs in slowing the cognitive decline in vascular dementia. Current trials use probability based statistics in which mean values of cognitive measures are compared between treatment and placebo groups. Several limitations exist in traditional drug study designs that impact patient selection criteria, preclude identification of potentially high efficacy subpopulations, and constrain the applicability of study results in treating the individual. We propose that fuzzy logic based mathematical methods can augment conventional methods of data analysis in pharmaceutical trials to overcome existing limitations and provide more effective treatment algorithms in drug therapy. To illustrate this possibility, we intend to analyze data from a group of patients with vascular dementia given cholinesterase drug therapy using both fuzzy and probability based methods.
Toward an integrated cognitive model of the inventor/engineer

The ‘intuitive-complex’ processes of the inventor/engineer are probed in terms of a descriptive model that is being translated into an integrated system capable of automated cognitive functioning. Neither a valid cognitive profile of the innovator nor the Artificial Intelligence (Al) program currently exists. This paper addresses: 1. The long-term research focus. 2. Research efforts to date that have resulted in first generation versions of each, i.e. profiles and computer programs. 3. The ‘immediate’ payback results to the sponsoring organizations (NASA and the Pentagon) of these efforts in terms of knowledge management aids and recommendations for job and organizational redesigns. 4. Future research directions required to improve our understanding of the inventor's cognitive profile and our ability to apply Al tools to real-world (fuzzy and ill-defined) problems.
Noncardiac Chest Pain and Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) remains an enigmatic and challenging clinical entity to manage, given its far-reaching spectrum of symptoms, chronicity, associated psychopathology, and lack of clinically available diagnostic tests. However, recent insights into the pathophysiology of FM offer hope that this condition, as with all members of the central sensitization syndromes, can be more readily diagnosed, measured, and treated. This paper presents the epidemiology features and pathogenesis of FM in the context of evaluating NCCP as a prototype among central pain sensitization syndromes. Evidence for the multimodality approach to treatment of this condition is also presented.
Notch Signaling and the Bone Marrow Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niche

Recently there has been increased interest in the regulatory interactions between osteoblasts and cells in the surrounding bone marrow microenvironment. The proximity of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with osteoblastic cells first suggested regulatory interactions, and recent data have highlighted the role of osteoblastic cells in providing a HSC niche. Reports have indicated that direct contact is necessary to mediate the osteoblastic effects and that these effects could be mediated through Notch activation. Notch signaling is important throughout development and also appears to play a critical role in cellular maturation and differentiation of osteoblastic cells and hematopoietic cells as disregulation can lead to bone loss and leukemias, respectively. In this review we discuss the current understanding of Notch signaling and how it functions in hematopoiesis, osteoblastic cells, and the interactions between HSC and their osteoblastic niche.
Immune response of the Caribbean sea fan, Gorgonia ventalina, exposed to an Aplanochytrium parasite as revealed by transcriptome sequencing.

Coral reef communities are undergoing marked declines due to a variety of stressors including disease. The sea fan coral, Gorgonia ventalina, is a tractable study system to investigate mechanisms of immunity to a natural occurring pathogen. Functional studies in Gorgonia ventalina immunity indicate that several key pathways and cellular responses are involved in response to natural microbial invaders, although to date the functional and regulatory pathways remain largely un-described. This study used short-read sequencing (Illumina GAIIx) to identify genes involved in the response of G. ventalina to a naturally occurring Aplanochytrium spp. parasite. De novo assembly of the G. ventalina transcriptome yielded 90,230 contigs of which 40,142 were annotated. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 210 differentially expressed genes in sea fans exposed to the Aplanochytrium parasite. Differentially expressed genes involved in immunity include pattern recognition molecules, anti-microbial peptides, and genes involved in wound repair and reactive oxygen species formation. Gene enrichment analysis indicated eight biological processes were enriched representing 36 genes, largely involved with protein translation and energy production. This is the first report using high-throughput sequencing to characterize the host response of a coral to a natural pathogen. Furthermore, we have generated the first transcriptome for a soft (octocoral or non-scleractinian) coral species. Expression analysis revealed genes important in invertebrate innate immune pathways, as well as those whose role is previously un-described in cnidarians. This resource will be valuable in characterizing G. ventalina immune response to infection and co-infection of pathogens in the context of environmental change.
The Automaticity of Social Life

Much of social life is experienced through mental processes that are not intended and about which one is fairly oblivious. These processes are automatically triggered by features of the immediate social environment, such as the group memberships of other people, the qualities of their behavior, and features of social situations (e.g., norms, one's relative power). Recent research has shown these nonconscious influences to extend beyond the perception and interpretation of the social world to the actual guidance, over extended time periods, of one's important goal pursuits and social interactions.
Mobility models and biased sampling problem

In studies of cellular networks, such as the performance analysis of handoff or location update, mobility models for mobile terminals play a very important role. Several mobility models have been proposed in the previous studies, each of them depicts the terminal mobility by a simple method. In this paper, the authors studied Thomas's, Hong's and Guerin's mobility models. They find that Thomas's formula for outgoing terminals can be extended to the other two models. Thus, some system performance information derived from Thomas' model can also be used in the other two models. In the next analysis of a mobility model, the probability density function (PDF) of terminal speeds is a very important condition. For a given PDF for total terminals, a subset of terminals, such as the boundary-crossing terminals of the speed-renewing terminals (if the model requires speed-renewing), may have a different PDF, which follows the "Biased Sampling" formula. The PDF of moving directions at boundaries is also biased. The proposed formulas, boundary conditions and renewal conditions can be used as the basic components for the future studies of cellular systems.
Examining the Relationship Between Flexible Resources and Health Information Channel Selection

This study examines how variations in flexible resources influence where individuals begin their search for health information. Access to flexible resources such as money, power, and knowledge can alter the accessibility of channels for health information, such as doctors, the Internet, and print media. Using the HINTS 3 sample, whether information channel utilization is predicted by the same factors in two groups with distinct levels of access to flexible resources, as approximated by high and low levels of education, is investigated. Differences in access to flexible resources are hypothesized to produce variations in channel utilization in bivariate analyses, as well as changes in coefficient strength and statistical significance in multivariate models. Multinomial logit models were used to assess how a number of variables influence the probability of using a specific information channel first in either flexible resource group. Results suggest that individuals with higher levels of education, a proxy for flexible resources, are more likely to report seeking information from the Internet first, which is consistent with research on the digital divide. It appears that diminished access to flexible resources is also associated with heightened utilization of offline channels, including doctors. A handful of differences in predictors were found between the low and high flexible resource groups when multivariate models were compared. Future research should take into account the distinctions between different offline channels while also seeking to further understand how social inequality relates to the utilization of different channels and corresponding health outcomes.
A study of propoxyphene and salicylate concentrations in human plasma following the administration of propoxyphene napsylate and aspirin.

Abstract The absorption of propoxyphene napsylate from tablets, capsules, and a suspension formulation, as measured by concentrations in the plasma of 10 human male subjects, reveals that the tablet and capsule are equivalent solid dosage forms. The suspension affords a significantly higher plasma concentration of propoxyphene at 1 hr after ingestion than does either the tablet or capsule. This is correlated with significantly greater availability of propoxyphene from the suspension between 0 and 6 hr. Tablets of propoxyphene napsylate and aspirin with and without phenacetin and caffeine tended to produce higher plasma propoxyphene concentrations than do tablets containing only propoxyphene napsylate. Plasma concentrations of salicylate are not affected by the presence of propoxyphene napsylate in the tablet. Tablets and capsules containing propoxyphene napsylate, aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine in equal amounts yield statistically equivalent plasma concentration curves of propoxyphene and salicylate.
Design and Development of a Teaching System Based on Super Sketchpad

In this paper, the design and development of a powerful and user-friendly teaching system is introduced. Developed based on the programming environment and text instruction provided by Super Sketchpad, this teaching system is a second time development on Super Sketchpad and it encapsulate the inherent functions and instructions of Super Sketchpad, thus extending the functionality of Super Sketchpad and make it more discipline-specific. Two examples of the application of the proposed teaching system are listed, demonstrating its features and merits.
A comprehensive framework for predictive modeling of negative bias temperature instability

A quantitative model is developed for the first time, that comprehends all the unique characteristics of NBTI degradation. Several models are critically examined to develop a reaction/diffusion based modeling framework for predicting interface state generation during NBTI stress. NBTI degradation is found to be dominated by diffusion of neutral atomic and molecular hydrogen related defects. Additionally, the presence of hydrogen gettering sites such as unsaturated grain bound- aries significantly enhance NBTI degradation, whereas hydrogen sources reduce NBTI degradation. The model also suggests the possible mechanisms for saturation. The model is calibrated over a range of stress temperatures and voltages. The model captures recovery, experimental delay and frequency effects successfully.
A theoretical perspective of learning in the Pacific context: A sociocultural perspective

Resumen en: This theoretical article discusses the importance of learning approaches in sociocultural contexts. Our discussion synthesizes previous empirical researc...
Effect of Alterations in Dietary Potassium on the Pressor and Steroidogenic Effects of Angiotensins II and III

The effects of angiotensins II (All) and III (AIII) on blood pressure, serum aldosterone, and serum corticosterone were compared in conscious rats maintained on a low, normal, or high dietary potassium intake. In the three groups of rats, both peptides caused dose-related increases in mean arterial pressure, with AIII being significantly less (P < 0.001) potent than All. The pressor responses to the angiotensins were significantly reduced by alterations in dietary potassium. When compared to the normal potassium group, the low potassium intake resulted in an 82% (P < 0.01) reduction, while high potassium intake resulted in a 72% (P < 0.01) reduction in the pressor responses to the angiotensins. The basal blood pressures and the pressor esponses to norepinephrine were unaltered by changes in dietary potassium. All and AIII were of similar potency in stimulating aldosterone release in low, normal, and high potassium groups. Low potassium, however, reduced the basal aldosterone level and inhibited the aldost...
LANSCE short-pulse spallation source target upgrade

A project to upgrade the short-pulse spallation source target at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center (LANSCE) is in progress. This upgrade will reduce the target change out time from about a year to about three weeks and permit the proton beam current to be raised to 200 /spl mu/A. The project includes a new target-moderator-reflector system, a new suite of moderators for four new flight paths, improved auxiliary systems, remote handling capability, and a new crane and service building. The project has also supported calculations and experiments for target neutronics, rod-target thermo-hydraulics, and corrosion-related measurements in a proton beam. The final engineering design is now complete and the project has begun fabrication and procurement. Installation will begin in the fall of this year.
Estimating the value of urban green areas: A hedonic pricing analysis of the single family housing market in Los Angeles, CA

We analyze 20,660 transactions of single family detached houses sold in 2003 and 2004 in the city of Los Angeles, CA, to estimate the value of urban trees, irrigated grass, and non-irrigated grass areas. To deal with spatial autocorrelation and unobserved neighborhood characteristics, we contrast two models: a geographically weighted regression model, and a Cliff–Ord model with spatial lags in the dependent variable, the exogenous variables, and the disturbances as well as submarket fixed effects and an extensive set of covariates. We find that Angelenos like lawns: over 88% of the properties examined would gain value with additional irrigated grass on their parcel, and even more (89%) in their neighborhood. Although more non-irrigated grass/bare soil on parcels typically hurts property values, it often has the opposite effect at the neighborhood level. Moreover, additional parcel trees would decrease the value of almost 40% of the properties examined and they would have only a small positive impact on most of the others. By contrast, additional neighborhood trees would slightly increase the value of over 97% of the properties analyzed. This suggests that while Los Angeles residents may want additional trees, they are unwilling to pay for them. These results have implications for urban tree planting programs that rely primarily on private property owners.
Partial-modular DEVS for improving performance of cellular space wildfire spread simulation

Simulation of wildfire spread remains to be a challenging task. In previous work, a cellular space fire spread simulation model has been developed based on the discrete event system specification (DEVS) formalism. There is a need to improve simulation performance of this model for simulating large scale wildfires. This paper develops a partial-modular implementation of the DEVS-based cellular space model that eliminates the large number of inter-cell message exchanges for improving simulation performance. Both the modular and partial-modular approaches are presented and experiment results are provided. The results show that the partial-modular implementation can significantly improve simulation performance of the cellular space wildfire spread model.
Pathobiology of biliary epithelia and cholangiocarcinoma: Proceedings of the Henry M. and Lillian Stratton basic research single-topic conference

In June 2008, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) sponsored the Henry M. and Lillian Stratton Basic Research Single-Topic Conference on the Pathobiology of Biliary Epithelia and Cholangiocarcinoma, which was held in Atlanta, GA. Attendees from 12 different countries participated in this conference, making it a truly international scientific event. Both oral and poster presentations were given by multidisciplinary experts, who highlighted important areas of current basic and translational research on biliary epithelial cell biology and pathophysiology, and on the etiology, cellular and molecular pathogenesis, and target-based therapy of cholangiocarcinoma. The specific goals and objectives of the conference were: (1) to advance knowledge of basic and molecular mechanisms underlying developmental and proliferative disorders of the biliary tract; (2) to foster a better and more comprehensive understanding of mechanisms regulating biliary epithelial (cholangiocyte) growth and transport, signaling, cell survival, and abnormalities that result in disease; and (3) to understand basic mechanisms of cholangiocarcinoma development and progression, with the added goal of identifying and exploiting potentially critical molecular pathways that may be targeted therapeutically. A number of interrelated themes emerged from the oral and poster sessions that affected current understandings of the complex organization of transcriptional and signaling mechanisms that regulate bile duct development, hepatic progenitor cell expansion, cholangiocyte secretory functions and proliferation, and mechanisms of cholangiocarcinogenesis and malignant cholangiocyte progression. Most notable were the critical questions raised as to how best to exploit aberrant signaling pathways associated with biliary disease as potential targets for therapy. (HEPATOLOGY 2008;48:2040-2046.)
Wangara, Akan and Portuguese in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries. II. The Struggle for Trade

Until 1471 the Wangara had enjoyed a monopolistic position in the Akan gold trade, consigning bullion to the markets of the Western Sudan (see the first part of this paper). The Portuguese entered the trade in the late fifteenth century, but experienced difficulty in deflecting gold to the coast. The strong demand for labour in the Akan country obliged them to import slaves from other parts of West Africa in order to achieve competitiveness. In 1477 Jenne – the principal northern outlet for Akan gold – fell to the Songhay, and for a time the Wangara were induced to do at least some of their business with the Portuguese. Subsequently the Wangara found markets for their gold as far west as the Gambia river. In the mid-sixteenth century the ruler of Mali, his frontiers crumbling on all sides, made a bid to take control of the Wangara gold trade. His troops occupied Bitu or Bighu, the Wangara entrepot on the edges of the Akan forest country, and he may (just possibly) have ordered an attack on Elmina, the principal Portuguese post on the coast to the south. If there was such a move against Elmina, it certainly failed, and at least some of the troops in Bitu did not return to Mali but set up their own state locally: Gonja. The developing Atlantic economy, built around new supplies of gold and new demands for slaves, eclipsed the older Mediterranean economy of which West Africa had been a geographically peripheral but commercially central part. The decline of Mali, and with it Bitu, was irreversible.
A small-scale operating system foundation for microprocessor applications

Sound engineering methodology, which has long been valued in hardware design, has been slower to develop in software design. This paper uses a case study of a small real-time system to discuss software design philosophies, with particular emphasis on the abstract machine view of systems. It demonstrates how the currently popular software design axioms of generality and modularity can be used to produce a software system that meets severe space constraints while remaining relatively portable across a family of microcomputers. These sorts of constraints have often been used to justify ad hoc design approaches in the past. The results of the project suggest that the use of such techniques actually make the meeting of many constraints easier than would a less organized approach. In addition, the reliability and maintainability of the resultant product is likely to be better.
Volume sculpting

We present a modeling technique based on the metaphor of interactively sculpting complex 3D objects from a solid material, such as a block of wood or marble. The 3D model is represented in a 3D raster of voxels where each voxel stores local material property information such as color and texture. Sculpting is done by moving 3D voxel-based tools within the model. The affected regions are indicated directly on the 2D projected image of the 3D model. By reducing the complex operations between the 3D tool volume and the 3D model down to primitive voxel-by-voxel operations, coupled with the utilization of a localized ray casting for image updating, our sculpting tool achieves real-time interaction. Furthermore, volume sampling techniques and volume manipulations are employed to ensure that the process of sculpting does not introduce aliasing into the models.
A model problem for a supersonic gas jet from a moon

Some celestial bodies such as planets, moons and comets (here referred to as moons for simplicity) emit jets of material at speeds that in some instances are large enough to escape gravity. Previous investigations have shown this problem to be highly complex, e.g. involving multi-phase flows, phase changes, radiation and gas rarefaction effects. In order to learn from exploring a manageable parameter space, and to provide a limiting case, the present study considers a much simpler model situation in which the material of the jet is an inviscid, non-heat-conducting, perfect gas that issues radially at the surface of the moon with sonic velocity. Theoretical considerations show that the escape velocity of a gas is much smaller than that of a solid body. An analytical solution is obtained for the maximum height reached by a jet in steady flow. A computational parameter study of unsteady, inviscid, axisymmetric flow, including the effect of an atmosphere, provides a rich picture of the features and behaviour of the model jet. The deficit of the computed maximum steady-state penetration height below the isentropic theoretical value may be explained by the effect of the atmosphere and of dissipation in shock waves that occur in the computed flows. Many of the features of the gas jet are qualitatively mirrored in an experiment using a water flow analogy in which the gravitational field is simulated by a surface of suitable shape.
The Moderating Effect of Managerial Sales Orientations on Salespersons’ Role Stress-Job Satisfaction Relationships

How a sales manager perceives top management sales orientation, and how sales-oriented the sales manager is, affect the sales manager’s behavior with both top management and salespersons. We take a...
Detection of Leaf EWT by Calculating REWT from Reflectance Spectra

The spectral characteristics and the interaction between leaf and light were analyzed based on the optical absorption coefficients of foliar biochemical contents,and the method and equation to calculate the radiative-equivalent water thickness(REWT) of leaves were presented based on the reflectance difference between 945nm and 975nm bands.Because of surface direct reflectance and multi-scatter in the leaf,the REWT derived from Beer principle was quite different from the biochemical equivalent water thickness(EWT).The leaves spectra of different species at different water status were measured by our experiment and Lopex93,and the REWT values at 975nm band were calculated based on the presented method.The relation between leaves' EWT and REWT was analyzed and tested from our experimental dataset and Lopex93 dataset.The REWT was 3.3 times larger than EWT with a significant correlation coefficient(R2) of 0.80 for our dataset and 0.86 for Lopex93 dataset.The results show that:(1) the REWT can be calculated from the reflectance difference between 945nm and 975nm,and it was reliable and significantly correlated with EWT;(2) the relation between REWT and EWT reflected the leaf internal light transfer,and multi-scatter path-length in near-infrared bands was quite different from leaf thickness.
Crystal structures of the SpoIID lytic transglycosylases essential for bacterial sporulation

Bacterial spores are the most resistant form of life known on Earth and represent a serious problem for (i) bioterrorism attack, (ii) horizontal transmission of microbial pathogens in the community, and (iii) persistence in patients and in a nosocomial environment. Stage II sporulation protein D (SpoIID) is a lytic transglycosylase (LT) essential for sporulation. The LT superfamily is a potential drug target because it is active in essential bacterial processes involving the peptidoglycan, which is unique to bacteria. However, the absence of structural information for the sporulation-specific LT enzymes has hindered mechanistic understanding of SpoIID. Here, we report the first crystal structures with and without ligands of the SpoIID family from two community relevant spore-forming pathogens, Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium difficile. The structures allow us to visualize the overall architecture, characterize the substrate recognition model, identify critical residues, and provide the structural basis for catalysis by this new family of enzymes.
The Spanish Tragedy: Doom and the Exile of Justice

Mangled judgements litter the first act of Thomas Kyd’s celebrated revenge play. In the tragedy’s Induction, the Ghost of Don Andrea reveals that the underworld’s three judges have been unable, as of yet, to ‘doom’ him — unable, that is, to ascertain his precise moral status and thereby determine where his soul should pass eternity (1.1.53). As a consequence they have sent him on to Pluto, whose wife Proserpine has in turn dispatched him back to earth, accompanied by the laconic figure of Revenge. There he will see his former lover, Bel-imperia, murder the ‘author’ of his terrestrial demise, the Portuguese prince Don Balthazar (1.1.87–9). The Ghost appears to be satisfied with this arrangement, and it is a curious fact that the confusion manifested by the supreme court of Hades is mirrored by Andrea’s own initial ignorance that blood vengeance seems demanded by the occasion of his death. Indeed, from the standpoint of the audience, the desire for revenge emanates not from Andrea but from Proserpine, who smiles when the Ghost first kneels before her. Significantly, then, the multiplication of perspectives for which this play is famous begins even before we leave the first scene — even before the frame of Andrea’s revenge has been fixed around the ongoing events in the Spanish court.1
NGF and BDNF Gene Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

Nervous system growth factors have extensive effects on neuronal function and survival. Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) prevents the death and stimulates the function of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in correlational models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), leading to its translation to Phase 1 and 2 human clinical trials. Separately, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) influences the survival and function of entorhinal cortical and hippocampal neurons in several animal models of AD, including transgenic mutant APP-expressing mice, aged and lesioned rats, and aged and lesioned primates. These beneficial effects occur independent of detectable alterations in beta amyloid load. We are currently examining the extended safety and tolerability of BDNF gene delivery to the entorhinal cortex in animal studies, leading to specific targeting of short-term memory loss in upcoming human AD trials. Collectively, a large body of research suggests that growth factor therapy represents an alternative to amyloid-modifying drugs for preventing neuronal degeneration and stimulating neuronal function in Alzheimer’s disease, with the potential to reduce disease progression.
Using Query Performance Predictors to Improve Spoken Queries

The goal of query performance prediction is to estimate a query’s retrieval effectiveness without user feedback. Past research has investigated the usefulness of query performance predictors for the task of reducing verbose textual queries. The basic idea is to automatically find a shortened version of the original query that yields a better retrieval. To date, such techniques have been applied to TREC topic descriptions (as surrogates for verbose queries) and to long textual queries issued to a web search engine. In this paper, we build upon an existing query reduction approach that was applied to TREC topic descriptions and evaluate its generalizability to the new task of reducing spoken query transcriptions. Our results show that we are able to outperform the original spoken query by a small, but significant margin. Furthermore, we show that the terms that are omitted from better-performing sub-queries include extraneous terms not central to the query topic, disfluencies, and speech recognition errors.
Preoperative Pulmonary Nodule Localization: A Comparison of Methylene Blue and Hookwire Techniques.

OBJECTIVE. Small pulmonary nodules are often difficult to identify during thoracoscopic resection, and preoperative CT-guided localization performed using either hookwire placement or methylene blue injection can be helpful. The purpose of this study is to compare the localization success and complication rates of these two techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS. One hundred two consecutive patients who underwent a total of 109 localization procedures performed with CT fluoroscopic guidance were analyzed. The procedures included 52 hookwire insertions and 57 methylene blue injections. The localization success and complication rates associated with the two groups were compared. RESULTS. All nodules in both groups were identified intraoperatively, except for those in two patients in the hookwire group who did not proceed to undergo same-day surgery, including one with a massive systemic air embolus that resulted in death. Hookwires were dislodged in seven of 52 cases (13%), but the surgeons were still able to lo...
Prototype and model of passive tropical fruit dryer utilizing a flexible transpired solar collector

We explore a novel drying system to preserve tropical fruits, motivated by the needs of a rural farming co-op in Haiti. Most solar drying technologies rely on glazed collectors, but these are not readily accessible in rural communities. A low cost and low maintenance prototype drying system is designed, built and tested. The system comprises a transpired solar absorber made from cheap landscape fabric, a drying chamber, and a chimney. The drying chamber houses the fruit and the chimney induces airflow. In tests on thinly sliced bananas, the novel collector efficiency regularly exceeds 50% with an average temperature rise from inlet to outlet of the device of over 20°C. In one test, 4kg of banana slices per square meter of absorber area are dried from an average moisture content of 73wt% to 8wt% over two days. A preliminary mathematical model for the entire drying system is developed that agrees favorably with experiments.
Binding of CIB1 to the αIIb tail of αIIbβ3 is required for FAK recruitment and activation in platelets.

Background It is believed that activation of c-Src bound to the integrin β3 subunit initiates outside-in signaling. The involvement of αIIb in outside-in signaling is poorly understood. Objectives We have previously shown that CIB1 specifically interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of αIIb and is required for αIIbβ3 outside-in signaling. Here we evaluated the role of CIB1 in regulating outside-in signaling in the absence of inside-out signaling. Methods We used αIIb cytoplasmic domain peptide and CIB1-function blocking antibody to inhibit interaction of CIB1 with αIIb subunit as well as Cib1-/- platelets to evaluate the consequence of CIB1 interaction with αIIb on outside-in signaling. Results Fibrinogen binding to αIIbβ3 results in calcium-dependent interaction of CIB1 with αIIb, which is not required for filopodia formation. Dynamic rearrangement of cytoskeleton results in CIB1-dependent recruitment of FAK to the αIIb complex and its activation. Disruption of the association of CIB1 and αIIb by incorporation of αIIb peptide or anti-CIB1 inhibited both FAK association and activation. Furthermore, FAK recruitment to the integrin complex was required for c-Src activation. Inhibition of c-Src had no effect on CIB1 accumulation with the integrin at the filopodia, suggesting that c-Src activity is not required for the formation of CIB1-αIIb-FAK complex. Conclusion Our results suggest that interaction of CIB1 with αIIb is one of the early events occurring during outside-in signaling. Furthermore, CIB1 recruits FAK to the αIIbβ3 complex at the filopodia where FAK is activated, which in turn activates c-Src, resulting in propagation of outside-in signaling leading to platelet spreading.
Physicochemical stability and transfection efficiency of cationic amphiphilic copolymer/pDNA polyplexes for spinal cord injury repair

Multiple age-related and injury-induced characteristics of the adult central nervous system (CNS) pose barriers to axonal regeneration and functional recovery following injury. In situ gene therapy is a promising approach to address the limited availability of growth-promoting biomolecules at CNS injury sites. The ultimate goal of our work is to develop, a cationic amphiphilic copolymer for simultaneous delivery of drug and therapeutic nucleic acids to promote axonal regeneration and plasticity after spinal cord injury. Previously, we reported the synthesis and characterization of a cationic amphiphilic copolymer, poly (lactide-co-glycolide)-graft-polyethylenimine (PgP) and its ability to efficiently transfect cells with pDNA in the presence of serum. We also demonstrated the efficacy of PgP as a therapeutic siRhoA carrier in a rat compression spinal cord injury model. In this work, we show that PgP/pDNA polyplexes provide improved stability in the presence of competing polyanions and nuclease protection in serum relative to conventional branched polyethylenimine control. PgP/pDNA polyplexes maintain bioactivity for transfection after lyophilization/reconstitution and during storage at 4 °C for up to 5 months, important features for commercial and clinical application. We also demonstrate that PgP/pDNA polyplexes loaded with a hydrophobic fluorescent dye are retained in local neural tissue for up to 5 days and that PgP can efficiently deliver pβ-Gal in a rat compression SCI model.
Proximate Time-Optimal Control of a Harmonic Oscillator

This paper considers near-time-optimal setpoint tracking of a second-order oscillator. First, the time-optimal setpoint tracking feedback law is derived by recasting the problem as a regulator problem in the error coordinates with shifted control limits. This result is used to construct a derated approximation of the optimal control. Initially, the control law is derived as a regulator controller. This result is then extended to include setpoint tracking. Global stability is proven for the setpoint tracking controller in the zero-damping case. A scaling method is developed, which allows an efficient implementation of the control laws using a single lookup table. Both the damped and undamped controllers are validated experimentally.
Nucleon form factors in dispersively improved Chiral Effective Field Theory II: Electromagnetic form factors

We study the nucleon electromagnetic form factors (EM FFs) using a recently developed method combining Chiral Effective Field Theory ($\chi$EFT) and dispersion analysis. The spectral functions on the two-pion cut at $t > 4 M_\pi^2$ are constructed using the elastic unitarity relation and an $N/D$ representation. $\chi$EFT is used to calculate the real functions $J_\pm^1 (t) = f_\pm^1(t)/F_\pi(t)$ (ratios of the complex $\pi\pi \rightarrow N \bar N$ partial-wave amplitudes and the timelike pion FF), which are free of $\pi\pi$ rescattering. Rescattering effects are included through the empirical timelike pion FF $|F_\pi(t)|^2$. The method allows us to compute the isovector EM spectral functions up to $t \sim 1$ GeV$^2$ with controlled accuracy (LO, NLO, and partial N2LO). With the spectral functions we calculate the isovector nucleon EM FFs and their derivatives at $t = 0$ (EM radii, moments) using subtracted dispersion relations. We predict the values of higher FF derivatives with minimal uncertainties and explain their collective behavior. We estimate the individual proton and neutron FFs by adding an empirical parametrization of the isoscalar sector. Excellent agreement with the present low-$Q^2$ FF data is achieved up to $\sim$0.5 GeV$^2$ for $G_E$, and up to $\sim$0.2 GeV$^2$ for $G_M$. Our results can be used to guide the analysis of low-$Q^2$ elastic scattering data and the extraction of the proton charge radius.
Assessment of the Risk Analysis Index for Prediction of Mortality, Major Complications, and Length of Stay in Patients who Underwent Vascular Surgery.

Background Frailty is a risk factor for adverse postoperative outcomes. We aimed to test the performance of a prospectively validated frailty measure, the Risk Analysis Index (RAI) in patients who underwent vascular surgery and delineate the additive impact of procedure complexity on surgical outcomes. Methods We queried the 2007–2013 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to identify 6 major elective vascular procedure categories (carotid revascularization, abdominal aortic aneurysm [AAA] repair, suprainguinal revascularization, infrainguinal revascularization, thoracic aortic aneurysm [TAA] repair, and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm [TAAA] repair). We trained and tested logistic regression models for 30-day mortality, major complications, and prolonged length of stay (LOS). The first model, “RAI,” used the RAI alone; “RAI-Procedure (RAI-P)” included procedure category (e.g., AAA repair) and procedure approach (e.g., endovascular); “RAI-Procedure Complexity (RAI-PC)” added outpatient versus inpatient surgery, general anesthesia use, work relative value units (RVUs), and operative time. Results The RAI model was a good predictor of mortality for vascular procedures overall (C-statistic: 0.72). The C-statistic increased with the RAI-P (0.78), which further improved minimally, with the RAI-PC (0.79). When stratified by procedure category, the RAI predicted mortality well for infrainguinal (0.79) and suprainguinal (0.74) procedures, moderately well for AAA repairs (0.69) and carotid revascularizations (0.70), and poorly for TAAs (0.62) and TAAAs (0.54). For carotid, infrainguinal, and suprainguinal procedures, procedure complexity (RAI-PC) had little impact on model discrimination for mortality, did improve discrimination for AAAs (0.84), TAAs (0.73), and TAAAs (0.80). Although the RAI model was not a good predictor for major complications or LOS, discrimination improved for both with the RAI-PC model. Conclusions Frailty as measured by the RAI was a good predictor of mortality overall after vascular surgery procedures. Although the RAI was not a strong predictor of major complications or prolonged LOS, the models improved with the addition of procedure characteristics like procedure category and approach.
Correlation of a Flexible Late Day Policy with Student Stress and Programming Assignment Plagiarism: (Abstract Only)

A flexible late submission policy can be used to help address breaches of academic integrity and student stress as they relate to programming assignments. To this end, we examine the use of late days -- earned, penalty free deadline extensions -- during our large format, two-semester introductory programming sequence. In particular, we examine correlations between patterns of student assignment submission and student plagiarism. Lexical-analysis-based techniques are used to identify probable cases of plagiarism across student submissions. Furthermore, we present metrics for estimating student stress at submission time. Our metric utilizes the automated grading score of the student"s current and previous submission attempts, the imminence of the assignment"s deadline, and the availability of late days. We corroborate these patterns with self-reported student surveys conducted at the end of the academic year.
Graphs: Visiting Vertices

Some special types of graphs, such as paths, cycles and bipartite graphs are defined. We discuss subgraphs of graphs. The problem of visiting all towns in an area exactly once each—Hamilton’s problem—and the problem of doing so as cheaply as possible—the traveling salesman problem—are introduced.
Forecasting Numeric Data Using Regression Models

In the previous Chaps. 7, 8, and 9, we covered classification methods that use mathematical formalism to address everyday life prediction problems. In this Chapter, we will focus on specific model-based statistical methods providing forecasting and classification functionality. Specifically, we will (1) demonstrate the predictive power of multiple linear regression; (2) show the foundation of regression trees and model trees; and (3) examine two complementary case-studies (Baseball Players and Heart Attack).
Moran model of spatial alignment in microbial colonies

Abstract We describe a spatial Moran model that captures mechanical interactions and directional growth in spatially extended populations. The model is analytically tractable and completely solvable under a mean-field approximation and can elucidate the mechanisms that drive the formation of population-level patterns. As an example we model a population of E. coli growing in a rectangular microfluidic trap. We show that spatial patterns can arise as a result of a tug-of-war between boundary effects and growth rate modulations due to cell–cell interactions: Cells align parallel to the long side of the trap when boundary effects dominate. However, when cell–cell interactions exceed a critical value, cells align orthogonally to the trap’s long side. This modeling approach and analysis can be extended to directionally-growing cells in a variety of domains to provide insight into how local and global interactions shape collective behavior.
Forty-five good things: a prospective pilot study of the Three Good Things well-being intervention in the USA for healthcare worker emotional exhaustion, depression, work-life balance and happiness.

Objectives High rates of healthcare worker (HCW) burn-out have led many to label it an ‘epidemic’ urgently requiring interventions. This prospective pilot study examined the efficacy, feasibility and evaluation of the ‘Three Good Things’ (3GT) intervention for HCWs, and added burn-out and work–life balance to the set of well-being metrics. Methods 228 HCWs participated in a prospective, repeated measures study of a web-based 15-day long 3GT intervention. Assessments were collected at baseline and 1, 6 and 12-month post-intervention. The primary measure of efficacy was a derivative of the emotional exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The secondary measures were validated instruments assessing depression symptoms, subjective happiness, and work–life balance. Paired samples t-tests and Cohen’s d effect sizes for correlated samples were used to examine the efficacy of the intervention. Results 3GT participants exhibited significant improvements from baseline in emotional exhaustion, depression symptoms and happiness at 1 month, 6 months and 12 months, and in work–life balance at 1 month and 6 months (effect sizes 0.16–0.52). Exploratory subgroup analyses of participants meeting ‘concerning’ criteria at baseline revealed even larger effects at all assessment points (0.55–1.57). Attrition rates were similar to prior 3GT interventions. Conclusion 3GT appears a promising low-cost and brief intervention for improving HCW well-being. Ethics and dissemination This study is approved by the Institutional Review Board of Duke University Health System (Pro00063703). All participants are required to give their informed consent prior to any study procedure.