cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal feature extraction and representation for RGB-D human action recognition

A sparse coding based framework is proposed for human action recognition.The proposed CS-Mltp descriptor performs better than other descriptors on RGB videos.The proposed framework significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms.The feature- and classifier-level fusions of color and depth information are explored. The recently released low-cost Kinect opens up new opportunities to research in human action recognition, by providing both the color images and depth maps. However, how to exploit and fuse useful features from these various sources remains a very challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a novel and effective framework to largely improve the performance of human action recognition using both the RGB videos and depth maps. The key contribution is the proposition of the sparse coding-based temporal pyramid matching approach (ScTPM) for feature representation. Due to the pyramid structure and sparse representation of extracted features, temporal information is well kept and approximation error is reduced. In addition, a novel Center-Symmetric Motion Local Ternary Pattern (CS-Mltp) descriptor is proposed to capture spatial-temporal features from RGB videos at low computational cost. Using the ScTPM-represented 3D joint features and CS-Mltp features, both feature-level fusion and classifier-level fusion are explored that further improves the recognition accuracy. We evaluate the proposed feature extraction, representation, classification and fusion framework on two challenging human action datasets, MSR-Action3D and MSR-DailyActivity3D. Experimental results indicate that our approaches are repeatedly superior to state-of-the-art methods by 6 % and 7 % on the two datasets, respectively.
A British Olympics

During the summer of 1906, the British Olympic Association (BOA) came to the International Olympic Committee's late rescue by agreeing to host the Games of the IV Olympiad in London, after the Eternal City Rome was forced to officially relinquish its obligation to stage the Games. With no governmental financial assistance and less than seventeen months in which to prepare, the BOA endeavoured to stage the largest international sports gathering, at that time, in modern history. The short period leading up to the 1908 London Games again revealed the currents of British opposition to the Olympic concept, as well as the bitter internal squabbling that existed among the Home-Nations.
Prediction of the velocity at which liquid separates from a moving contact line

Liquid loss occurs at the receding contact line that forms when a substrate is withdrawn from a liquid. This behavior, often called film pulling, is fundamental to coating and cleaning processes, as well as other systems. There has been substantial prior work relative to understanding the static and dynamic behavior of the receding contact line and film pulling, but this work has focused primarily on operating conditions where the interfacial and viscous forces dominate. In the current work, experimental investigations are presented that identify a second regime, where inertial forces are dominant. These results are used to develop a semiempirical model for predicting the velocity at which an arbitrary liquid is deposited onto an arbitrary smooth substrate from the receding meniscus. The model is verified for a range of fluid properties and is accurate to within 20% mean average error.
Flavor, Bacterial and TBA Changes in Ground Turkey Patties Treated with Antioxidants

Abstract Turkey thighs (with skin) were ground, treated with two levels of each of 3 antioxidants and held at 3°C. up to 10 days. Flavor scores, bacterial numbers and TBA values were obtained. Flavor scores, as difference from reference samples, were moderately different at zero day and this difference increased only slightly during 10 days storage. Total and coliform counts were initially lowest in control samples, and coliform counts of the control samples remained considerably below antioxidant treated samples throughout storage. Bacterial numbers increased during storage, however, counts of up to 108 organisms per gram had little influence on panel flavor evaluations. TBA values were effectively controlled by all antioxidant treatments, but also appeared to have little relationship to panel flavor scores.
Characteristics of infectious complications associated with mortality after solid organ transplantation

Infection remains a common source of morbidity and mortality after solid organ transplantation. The purpose of this study was to characterize the continuously changing patterns of post-transplantation infections, analyze early post-transplantation infections, and evaluate characteristics associated with mortality. A secondary analysis was performed on prospectively collected data for all episodes of infection occurring between 10 December 1996 and 28 October 1998 on the surgery services at a university medical center. Post-transplantation infections were compared with those in non-transplantation patients randomly matched by severity of illness. Further analysis was performed on post-transplantation infections occurring during the admission of transplantation compared with those in subsequent admissions. To evaluate factors associated with mortality, episodes occurring in survivors and non-survivors were compared. The results demonstrated that infections in transplantation recipients (n = 303) were associated with a younger age and had significantly lower white blood cell counts (WBC) compared with non-transplantation patients. There was no difference in mortality (15.5 vs. 16.5%, p = 0.74). Post-transplantation infectious complications during the initial hospitalization (n = 105) occurred at 38 ± 6 compared with 695 ± 66 d (p < 0.0001) after transplantation and were associated with a longer length of stay (LOS) and increased mortality (30.5 VS. 7.6%, p < 0.0001) compared with those occurring in subsequent admissions (n = 198). Although multiple characteristics of post-transplantation infections were associated with mortality, only the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was an independent predictor of mortality. Post-transplantation infections remain a significant source of morbidity and mortality. The leukocyte response to infection was suppressed in the transplantation population. Post-transplantation infections which occur during the admission for transplantation have a markedly increased mortality.
Compact microstrip patch antenna

This article describes the design and development of a relatively compact microstrip patch antenna. At resonance, the length of the antenna is approximately one-eighth of the effective wavelength. The current distribution on the patch surface has been analyzed with the use of the method of moments. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hydrogel microstructures combined with electrospun fibers and photopatterning for shape and modulus control

In order to improve the sensitivity of hair cell sensors for fluid flow detection, poly-ethylene oxide acrylic macromonomer is used as a crosslinkable photo-patterned material capable of being swollen into a hydrogel of different shapes and sizes. We demonstrated that simple arrays of various hydrogel structures can be synthesized by photopatterning with photomasks. The mechanical properties of the hydrogel materials were measured to be in the range of 5–100 Pa under varying crosslinking conditions. Additional support for these high-aspect ratio hydrogel structures was provided with electrospun polycaprolactone microfibers that were deposited onto the microfabricated hairs. These fibers served as scaffolding to support the swollen hydrogel. This approach looks to integrate several key design components in order to create a highly sensitive flow sensor.
AggieAir: An Integrated and Effective Small Multi-UAV Command, Control and Data Collection Architecture

Small UAV performance depends on an effective and efficient command system architecture. Based on an existing UAV system called Paparazzi, AggieAir is a full flight system capable of handling single or multiple UAVs with single or multiple payloads per airframe. System-level block diagrams are presented and specific details about implementation and results are provided.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Ideology and deviance: The case of the debate over the biological factor

There is great concern over the present debate with regard to the presence of any inborn or biological predilection toward crime and deviance. The concerns are real: they involve, among others, the question of responsibility of the offender, the use of the data for racist or sexist purposes, their use for the dismantling of social programs. The authors contend that these issues are irrelevant to the scientific ones, but that one must proceed with caution and take preventive measures to see that findings are not misused.
Servomechanism Design Techniques and Applications

Transistorized alternating current servomechanism design offers a number of advantages over other types because of their small size, low weight, high reliability, precision accuracy, and wide range of control. These lecture notes describe a cryogenic oxygen flow control servomechanism subsystem typical for an auxiliary power unit fuel system. Three possible types of feedback for this type of subsystem are: position feedback accomplished by gear tiain and synchro-transformer, position with velocity feedback accomplished by adding a rate generator and position feedback with compensating network. Servomechanisms employing any of these three types of subsystems can provide the oxygen flow control desired. The differences in performance relate primarily to steadiness of flow with the companion heat modulation. The damping ratio parameter can be used to achieve a reasonable response time and maintain a reasonable value for overshoot. Low damping ratio gives fast response but large overshoots. High damping ratios give low overshoot but slow response. This paper discusses transistorized servomechanism design for the basic position servo, plus rate feedback or network compensation. Included are design and application considerations, step-by-step design procedures, and the solution to sample design examples
Joint Source Power Scheduling and Distributed Relay Beamforming in Multiuser Cooperative Wireless Networks

This paper considers the maximization of the sum capacity of a multiuser cooperative wireless network through the joint optimization of power allocation among source nodes and distributed beamforming weights across the relay nodes. The distributed beamforming techniques offer the capability of enhancing the sum network capacity by achieving spatial multiplexing to support concurrent communications of multiple source-destination pairs. In this paper, we consider a two-hop cooperative wireless network consisting of single-antenna nodes in which multiple concurrent links are relayed by a number of cooperative nodes. When a large number of relay nodes are available, the channels of the different source-destination pairs can be orthogonalized, yielding enhanced sum network capacity. Such an advantage is particularly significant in high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime, in which the capacity follows a logarithm law with the SNR, whereas exploiting spatial multiplexing of multiple links yields capacity increment linear to the number of users. However, the capacity performance is compromised when the input SNR is low and/or when the number of relay nodes is limited. Joint optimization of source power allocation and distributed relay beamforming is important when the input SNR and/or the number of relay nodes are moderate or wireless channels experience different channel variances. In these cases, the joint optimization of source power and distributed beamforming weights achieves significant capacity increment over both source selection and equal source power spatial multiplexing schemes.
Female genital warts: global trends and treatments

The increasing incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV-associated conditions such as genital warts in women is a global concern. Genital warts are a clinical manifestation of HPV types 6 and 11, and are estimated to affect 1% of sexually active adults aged between 15 and 49. HPV infection is also strongly associated with cervical cancer, and is prevalent in as many as 99% of cases. The psychological stress of having genital warts is often greater than the morbidity of the disease, and therefore successful treatment is crucial. Current treatments are patient-applied and provider-administered therapies. Imiquimod 5% cream, a patient-applied therapy, is an efficacious treatment with tolerable side-effects and a low recurrence rate, and has the potential to be an effective strategy for the management of genital warts.
Error probability bounds for M-PSK and M-DPSK and selective fading diversity channels

A method is described for obtaining tight closed-form bounds on the probability of error for M-ary phase-shift keying (M-PSK) and M-ary differential phase-shift keying (M-DPSK) on fading diversity channels. The channels exhibit doubly selective fading and have specular components. In addition, the random impulse responses of the diversity channels may be correlated; and the probability distributions for the fading on different diversity channels need not be the same. Error probability expressions are given for binary DPSK, 8-DPSK, and 16-DPSK modulation as examples of the application of the general method described. >
Changes in Intense Precipitation over the Central United States

AbstractIn examining intense precipitation over the central United States, the authors consider only days with precipitation when the daily total is above 12.7 mm and focus only on these days and multiday events constructed from such consecutive precipitation days. Analyses show that over the central United States, a statistically significant redistribution in the spectra of intense precipitation days/events during the past decades has occurred. Moderately heavy precipitation events (within a 12.7–25.4 mm day−1 range) became less frequent compared to days and events with precipitation totals above 25.4 mm. During the past 31 yr (compared to the 1948–78 period), significant increases occurred in the frequency of “very heavy” (the daily rain events above 76.2 mm) and extreme precipitation events (defined as daily and multiday rain events with totals above 154.9 mm or 6 in.), with up to 40% increases in the frequency of days and multiday extreme rain events. Tropical cyclones associated with extreme precipit...
The Development of a RFID Based Mixed Signal ASIC for the Wireless Measurement of Intraocular Pressure

The initial development of a wireless transponder for an IOP monitor capable of performing uninterrupted measurement for 24 hours a day is presented. This work eliminates the need for a permanent power and data link between an external reader and the ophthalmic implant, thereby greatly reducing the required patient interaction. The transponder consists of a custom developed Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), pressure sensor, FRAM memory, and a super capacitor based power module. The ASIC was fabricated using a 0.5-µm CMOS process and implements a RFID-based inductively coupled front-end operating at 13.56 MHz. The data logging circuit is designed to sample pressure once every 10 minutes. Power consumption of the transponder operating at VDD=2.8 V and FCLK=140 kHz is estimated at 30 µA during data logging read/write phases and 12 µA for timing operations.
Smoking bans in public places result in a reduced incidence of acute myocardial infarction.

Since 2004, when Sargent, Shepard and Glantz published the first results of a community smoking ban in Helena (MT, USA) [1] that observed a 40% decrease in the incidence of acute myocardial infarct...
Seismic tomography of crustal P and S across Eurasia

SUMMARY In this paper, we present inversion results for regional Pg and Sg phases for the Eurasian continent to explore its use for understanding upper crustal velocity structure. Tomographic inversion of traveltimes from first arriving compressional and shear waves for velocity structure has been applied with great success at all length scales, ranging from the laboratory benchtop to the entire Earth, while inversion of later arriving phases has been much more limited. Our inversion is performed using a damped, smoothed LSQR implementation that solves for site and event terms as well as for velocity along great circle paths between the source and receiver. Results are broadly consistent with published upper crustal velocities for Eurasia, with predominantly high velocities in cratonic regions. Generally, but not always, lower velocities are observed in orogenic and extensional areas and in deep sedimentary basins. A spotcomparison of VP/VS from local and regional studies compares well with the ratio of observed Pg to Sg velocities from our study where resolution is high. Resolution is determined through the use of checkerboard tests, and these suggest that in regions where data density is high we can resolve features down to at least 2 ◦ , with 4 ◦ possible over broader areas. rms residual reductions are on the order of 25 per cent for Sg and 30 per cent for Pg.
Coulomb formation conservation laws using differential orbit elements

AbstractRecently, the concept of controlling the relative motion of spacecraft using electrostatic charging (Coulomb forces) has been proposed. For tight spacecraft formations with separation distances ranging from 10–100 m, the Coulomb forces between the spacecraft can be exploited to provide an extremely fuel and power efficient means of propulsion. As the charge of a single craft is varied, the relative motion of the entire formation is affected. The Coulomb force vector a craft experiences is restricted to be directed along the relative position vectors, which results in constraints being imposed on how the Coulomb force can be used to control a formation. This paper investigates how the conservation of angular momentum and the formation centre of mass limits the types of relative orbits that can be controlled. Considering the spacecraft formation to be a system of N particles, the formation internal Coulomb force cannot change the inertial system angular momentum vector. The centre of mass definition...
Color/font/text size: developing standards for video podcast

A great deal of research has been done focusing on font, text size, and background colors for use with PowerPoint and on Web pages; but no research has been done to aid in the development of PowerPoint presentations for use on small screen devices such as the iPod.In this study, the researcher developed a PowerPoint that tested font size and clarity, text color against background, as well as clarity of images and graphs and found that much of what works in a quality PowerPoint presentation for computer screens does not work for small screens. This paper presents the result of this study and suggests some guidelines that can be used to create video podcasts that can be viewed in a variety of settings; thereby making the video podcast a useful extension of the classroom PowerPoint.
A coding theory approach to error control in redundant residue number systems. II. Multiple error detection and correction

For pt.I see ibid., vol.39, no.1, p.8-17 (1992). The coding theory approach to error control in redundant residue number systems (RRNSs) is extended by deriving computationally efficient algorithms for correcting multiple errors, single-burst-error, and detecting multiple errors. These algorithms reduce the computational complexity of the previously known algorithms by at least an order of magnitude. >
Reduction in V1 activation associated with decreased visibility of a visual target

The perception of a brief visual target stimulus can be affected by another visual mask stimulus immediately preceding or following the target. The link of this visual masking illusion, with visual cortical activation, offers insights into the neural mechanisms for visual perception. The present study investigated the association of the visibility of a target with cortical activation in humans using psychophysical testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A visual masking protocol that was suitable for an fMRI study was developed. The event-related fMRI was used to measure activation in primary visual cortex (V1) during visual masking and unmasking stimulation. We found that the visibility of the target stimulus was reduced in the masking condition, due to the presence of mask stimuli, but not in the unmasking condition. We also found that the activation in V1 was modulated by the temporal separation of the mask stimuli from the target and was associated with the visibility of the target that was recorded during psychophysical testing and fMRI. These findings are consistent with what has been observed in the primate visual cortex of monkeys, i.e., the transient on-response and after-discharge of V1 neurons to the target stimulus were suppressed by forward and backward mask stimuli, respectively.
Flow reactor studies of non-equilibrium plasma-assisted oxidation of n-alkanes

The oxidation of n-alkanes (C1C7) has been studied with and without the effects of a nanosecond, non-equilibrium plasma discharge at 1atm pressure from 420 to 1250K. Experiments have been performed...
Molecular probes in Photodynamic Therapy

Advances in optical technologies combined with targeted molecular probes enable therapeutics optimization by earlier disease detection or by therapy monitoring. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is exceptional in that the same molecule may serve as the therapeutic and diagnostic agent. Development and use of targeted probes in DT will be discussed. PDT will be discussed.
At the Bedside: The emergence of group 2 innate lymphoid cells in human disease

ILC2s have been primarily identified at environmental-mucosal interfaces and can be activated quickly by environmental antigens and pathogens to produce large quantities of IL-5 and IL-13. As a result of the production of these cytokines, ILC2s have been implicated in the host response to allergens, viruses, and parasites. However, the exact role of ILC2s in any human disease state is presently unknown, as specifically eliminating these cells is not possible, given that potentially targetable cell-surface markers are shared with other immune cells. Likewise, selectively and completely inhibiting ILC2 activation is also not currently possible, as several activating cytokines, IL-25, IL-33, and TSLP, act in redundancy or are not specific for ILC2 stimulation. Therefore, at this point, we can only identify the relative abundance of ILC2s in organs and tissue identified as being involved in specific diseases, and the contribution of ILC2s in human disease can only be inferred from mouse studies. Given these limitations, in this article, we will review the studies that have examined the presence of ILC2s in human disease states and speculate on their possible role in disease pathogenesis. The intent of the review is to identify priority areas for basic research based on clinical research insights.
An improved fermentation method for rapid identification of Candida species.

There are six Candida species commonly isolated from humans: C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. pseudotropicalis, C. krusei, C. parakrusei, and C. guilliermondi. Some authors recognize a seventh one: C. stellatoidea (Martin et al, 1937; Conant, 1940; Jones and Peck, 1940; MacKinnon and Artagaveytia, 1945; Nickerson, 1953; Conant et al, 1954; Thjotta and Torheim, 1955). Morphology, biochemical reactions, serology, and pathogenicity tests are used to separate the species. References may be found in the classic papers by Benham (1931), Martin et al (1937), Langeron and Guerra (1938), and Skinner (1947). Some authors rely chiefly on morphological characteristics for identification (DeLamater, 1954; Bakerspigel, 1954a and b), while others have stressed biochemical reactions (Drouhet and Couteau, 1954a and b; Thjotta and Torheim, 1955). Methods for the rapid recognition of C. albicans have served as the theme for numerous other papers (Gordon et al, 1952; Weld, 1952; Nickerson and Mankowski, 1953; Haley et al, 1955; Liu and Newton, 1955; Shapiro et al, 1956). The literature is replete with methods for testing the fermentation reactions of Candida species. Since the methods vary it is not surprising that results are often at variance, too. The need, therefore, still exists for a simple, rapid, and reproducible method for testing the fermentation reactions of Candida species; i.e., the production of carbon di-
Transitioning to optimized correction with the WaveLight ALLEGRETTO WAVE: case distribution, visual outcomes, and wavefront aberrations.

PURPOSE: To describe the outcomes of the first 285 eyes receiving LASIK or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) using an optimized ablation profile at a refractive surgery practice experienced with customized ablation. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who underwent refractive treatments using the ALLEGRETTO WAVE Eye-Q platform (Alcon Laboratories Inc) between September 2008 and July 2009. Patients were divided into LASIK and PRK treatments, then further subdivided based on pre- and targeted postoperative refraction. Pre- and postoperative measures of uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity, manifest refraction, keratometry, and wavefront values were taken and compared, and the average changes in keratometry and higher order aberrations were calculated. RESULTS: At 3 months postoperative, 92% of myopes and 63% of hyperopes undergoing LASIK with a target of emmetropia achieved UDVA of 20/20. Of PRK eyes targeted for emmetropia, 80% of myopic eyes achieved UDVA of 20/20 (the hyperopic subgroup was too small to analyze). In both LASIK and PRK subgroups, total wavefront aberrations decreased, as did some higher order aberrations. CONCLUSIONS: This group of patients, who all achieved excellent postoperative UDVA, represents our initial surgical experience with the ALLEGRETTO WAVE, using only a standard (global surgeon) nomogram. These results may serve as an estimate of what a practice could expect in terms of initial outcomes with this system.
Rethinking traditional methods for measuring intellectual capital.

Historically, approaches to measuring intellectual capital have included both conventional accounting-based measures, such as variants of the market-to-book ratio, and more progressive measures, such as the measurement of intangible assets found in approaches such as the Balanced Scorecard and Human
Action of a smooth flat charged punch on the piezoelectric half-space possessing symmetry of class 6

Abstract The paper focuses on the problem of indentation of a piezoelectric half-space of symmetry of class 6 by a flat charged indenter of arbitrary shape accompanied by frictionless sliding. The research is motivated by needs in scanning probe microscopy for bone tissue and its components. The problem is solved using method of potential functions. First we solve the auxiliary problem about action of point forces normal and tangential to the boundary of the half-space and point electric charge. Solution is compared with the known one for symmetry class 6 mm. Then this result is used to construct explicit solution for a flat charged punch of arbitrary shape. To the best of our knowledge, analytical solution of this kind has never been constructed for piezoelectric materials of the symmetry class 6—only for the particular case of symmetry 6 mm.
Study on the Genus Fannia (Diptera:Fanniidae) with a Description of a New Species from Sichuan,China

The genus Fannia Robineau-Desvoidy,1830 belongs to Fanniidae,Calyptratae,Cyclorrhapha,Diptera. About 300 species are known in the world,and 91 species of them (including a new species) have been found in China. There are 37 species distributed in Sichuan Province,of which 19 new species have been named in recent years,and 25 known species are endemic to Sichuan Province. In this paper,a key to 37 known species of the genus Fannia in Sichuan is given and a new specie,Fannia hesperia Feng,sp.nov.,is described and illustrated. The type specimens of the new species are deposited in the Entomological Museum,Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology Ecology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Shanghai,China. Fannia hesperia Feng sp.nov. (Figs. 1～4) Male:This new species belongs to the F. canicularis subgroup of F.canicularis group,and it resembles F. indica Chillcott,1961,but differs from the latter by the arista bare; parafacia without microchaeta; thorax and abdomen covered with blue-grey pollinosity; abdomen with bright dark median vitta; hind tibia with one pd of seta. Female:Unknown. Holotype♂,Mingshan (Cheling,30°04'N,103°14'E,alt. 560 m),Sichuan Prov.,27 June 1984,coll. by FENG Yan; paratypes 2 ♂♂,same as holotype. Etymology,The specific name was derived from the Greek words "hesper" and "ia" ,referring the type specimen locality in western Sichuan Province.
On Some Countermeasures about the Further Education for Library Staff in"Project 211"Universities

Based on the self-building,functional change and staffing structure of the"Project 211"university libraries in Jiangsu province,the article points the main content of further education for library staff,including,strengthening profession- al ethics education,intensifying the learning of new knowledge and technologies,and highlighting the development of inno- vative capabilities.As with building a long-term mechanism for further education and make staff appraisal in line with it,the article also points the libraries should work out talents plan and build the training quality evaluation system.
Local Search in Problem and Heuristic Space for Job Shop Scheduling Genetic Algorithms

In this paper, two novel, surrogate search spaces are presented which, when combined with Genetic Algorithms (GA’s), show much promise for sequencing and scheduling problems. In particular, GA’s based on the new “problem space” search space are developed for three important job shop scheduling problems. Computational experiments are conducted for each problem with encouraging results.
Reductionism Revisited: Return of the Biomedical Model

It has become quite fashionable over the course of the past two decades, in many clinical circles, to repudiate the biomedical model (BMM) and, in its stead, to embrace the biopsychosocial model (BPSM) in medicine. The impetus for this significant shift in conceptual allegiance amongst medical practitioners is commonly traced most directly to the work of George L. Engel, M.D. (1977) who is widely believed to have successfully undermined the BMM in a seminal essay which appeared in the prestigious journal Science. As medical sociologist David Armstrong (1987) conceptualizes it, the biopsychosocial ideology as developed by Engel “was intended to save psychiatrists, who were then (and largely still are) torn between pursuing a biological reductionist model of mental illness...and [pursuing] a more psychosocial approach.” (p 1213). Although the seeds for such a conceptual shift predated Engel’s published work,1 it was Engel’s influence which most forcefully propelled biopsychosocial ideology into the psychiatric and general medical arenas.
Ontogenesis of the pituitary-gonadal axis in the chick embryo.

The results of the present investigation constitute the first direct evidence of a difference in steroid hormone synthesis between gonads of intact and hypophysectomized chick embryos, as indicated by differences in the activity of histochemically demonstrable Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (Δ5-3β-HSD), a key enzyme in steroidogenesis. This change is first observed on Day 13.5 of incubation, and is interpreted as demonstrating that the pituitary-gonadal axis first becomes functional at this time in the embryonic development of the chick. It has also been shown in the present study that Δ5-3β-HSD is histochemically demonstrable in the cells of the genital ridge of the chick embryo as early as Day 2.0 of incubation. The presence of Δ5-3β-HSD activity in the undifferentiated gonad would appear to indicate that this organ has the enzymatic capacity to synthesize sex hormones prior to its morphological differentiation in either the male or female direction. Thus, steroid hormones produced at this early age might possibly be responsible for the process of gonadal differentiation itself.
Optical characterization of layer-tilted structure in surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal devices

Based on a collective switching model and a layer-tilted free-energy model with surface interactions, the authors have determined the cone, the layer-tilt, the quiescent state azimuthal angles, the director twist angles at quiescent states, and the ratio of polar to nonpolar interaction coefficients of surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal devices as a function of temperature by an optical method. Using the equation of total free energy, they have proved that only splay states, can be stabilized in layer-tilted geometry, but bistable devices can still be obtained. The observation of stable and quasi-stable quiescent states is explained by introducing a nonequivalent polar surface interaction at both surfaces in the free-energy model. >
Rapid Genotyping of SNPs Influencing Warfarin Drug Response by SELDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry

Abstract The anticoagulant drug Warfarin exhibits significant inter-individual variability in dosing requirements. Different responses to Warfarin therapy are partly attributed to the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that influence either Warfarin drug action (VKORC1) or drug metabolism (CYP2C9). Rapid genotyping of these SNPs is essential for clinicians to choose appropriate initial doses in order to quickly achieve anticoagulation effects and to prevent the complications associated with Warfarin overdoses. In this study, we explore the utility of surface-enhanced laser desorption and ionization time-of- flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry in the rapid genotyping of SNPs that control Warfarin drug sensitivity. The DNA containing the targeted SNPs is first amplified by polymerase chain reactions and then underwent the single base extension to generate specific SNP product. Afterwards, genetic variants displaying different masses are bound to Q10 anionic proteinChips and genotyped using a SELDI-TOF mass spectrometer in a multiplexed fashion. SELDI-TOF mass spectrometer offers a unique property of on-chip sample enrichment and clean-ups. Therefore, this genotype method eliminated many tedious experimental steps, such as sample desalting and concentrating, that are required prior to detection by standard mass spectrometers. The turnaround time for genotyping three known Warfarin sensitivity SNPs, CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, VKORC1, is less than five hours. The analytical accuracy of genotyping detected by SELDI mass spectrometer has been confirmed by DNA sequencing. In summary, we have devised a novel multiplex genotyping method using a SELDI-TOF mass spectrometer. This test is fast, accurate, and therefore provides a superb clinical laboratory platform to promote the personalized health care in Warfarin therapy.
Aspects of mandibular ontogeny in Australopithecus afarensis

Human and ape mandibles differ in the proportion of adult size attained at equivalent dental emergence stages; for most dimensions human mandibles are more advanced. These dissimilarities in pattern of growth underlie the vastly different adult mandibular morphologies of these taxa. Australopithecus mandibles represent a third distinctive mandibular morphology, but the pattern of its mandibular growth remains underexplored. The Australopithecus afarensis sample from the Hadar site, Ethiopia, ca. 3.4–3.0 Ma, is represented by three infant (pre-M1 emergence) and two juvenile (pre-M3 emergence) mandibles. A recently recovered mandible, A.L. 1920-1, though edentulous, appears to capture an A. afarensis individual during M2 emergence, thus bridging these developmental stages. In this chapter, we (1) describe three new infant/juvenile A. afarensis mandibles and confirm that the suite of features used to distinguish A. afarensis from other taxa is present early in ontogeny, and (2) investigate how the A. afarensis mandible changes in size and shape throughout growth in comparison to humans and chimpanzees . Our results indicate that A. afarensis resembles humans more than chimpanzees in its percentage of adult corpus breadth attained at successive stages of dental emergence. A. afarensis is also more similar to humans in corpus cross-sectional shape changes throughout ontogeny. We suggest that canine reduction may have had an important influence on the growth trajectory of the A. afarensis mandibular corpus such that, as in humans, it achieved adult values relatively early. Our results underscore the importance of considering the influence of the developing dentition on both juvenile and adult mandibular morphology.
D -Amino Acid Levels in Perfused Mouse Brain Tissue and Blood: A Comparative Study

The l-enantiomer is the predominant type of amino acid in all living systems. However, d-amino acids, once thought to be “unnatural”, have been found to be indigenous even in mammalian systems and increasingly appear to be functioning in essential biological and neurological roles. Both d- and l-amino acid levels in the hippocampus, cortex, and blood samples from NIH Swiss mice are reported. Perfused brain tissues were analyzed for the first time, thereby eliminating artifacts due to endogenous blood, and decreased the mouse-to-mouse variability in amino acid levels. Total amino acid levels (l- plus d-enantiomers) in brain tissue are up to 10 times higher than in blood. However, all measured d-amino acid levels in brain tissue are typically ∼10 to 2000 times higher than blood levels. There was a 13% reduction in almost all measured d-amino acid levels in the cortex compared to those in the hippocampus. There is an approximate inverse relationship between the prevalence of an amino acid and the percentage ...
Neurologic Complications of Organ System Failure

Summary Neurologic manifestations of organ failure are common and occasionally represent a major portion of the morbidity associated with the primary illness. Largely, the neurologic sequelae can be divided into three groups. The first group includes metabolic disorders and is mainly manifested by encephalopathy. Encephalopathy crosses organ systems in terms of primary disease processes, and the underlying mechanism is as yet unresolved. The second group is related to structural abnormalities, mainly hemorrhage, due to hematologic or coagulation defects secondary to the primary illness. These lesions will frequently require surgical intervention with subsequent resolution of the neurologic signs. The third category consists of cerebral ischemia either regional or global. Symptoms and signs correlate well with the time interval and location of the ischemia. Therapy is directed toward reducing ischemic time, thereby reducing morbidity.
Bacterial Endosymbionts of the Psyllid Cacopsylla pyricola (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in the Pacific Northwestern United States.

Insects often have facultative associations with bacterial endosymbionts, which can alter the insects' susceptibility to parasitism, pathogens, plant defenses, and certain classes of insecticides. We collected pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Forster) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), from pear orchards in Washington and Oregon, and surveyed them for the presence of bacterial endosymbionts. Adult psyllids were collected on multiple dates to allow us to assay specimens of both the summer ("summerform") and the overwintering ("winterform") morphotypes. Two endosymbionts, Arsenophonus and Phytoplasma pyri, were detected in psyllids of both morphotypes in both states. A separate survey revealed similar associations present in psyllids collected in 1987. Arsenophonus was present in 80-100% of psyllids in all growing regions. A slightly lower proportion of summerform than winterform psyllids harbored the bacterium. Arsenophonus was present in the bacteriomes and developing oocytes of most psyllids, indicating that this endosymbiont is transovarially transmitted. This bacterium was also observed in the salivary glands and midguts of some psyllids. Phytoplasma pyri was present in a greater proportion of pear psylla from orchards near Yakima, WA, than from other regions, and was present in a higher proportion of winterforms than summerforms. We did not detect Wolbachia, Profftella, or Liberibacter europaeus, which are associated with other psyllid pests, including other species of Cacopsylla. Our study is the first to survey North American populations of C. pyricola for endosymbionts, and provides a foundation for further research on how bacterial associations may influence the ecology and management of this pest.
A Revealed-Preferences Ranking of Law Schools

The U.S. News & World Report “Best Law Schools Rankings” defines the market for legal education. Law schools compete to improve their standing in the U.S. News rankings and fear any decline. But the U.S. News rankings are controversial, at least in part because they rely on factors that are poor proxies for quality, like peer reputation and expenditures per student. While many alternative law school rankings exist, none have challenged the market dominance of the U.S. News rankings. Presumably the U.S. News rankings benefit from a first-mover advantage, other rankings fail to provide a clearly superior alternative, or some combination of the two. In theory, the purpose of ranking law schools is to provide useful information to prospective law students. Rankings can provide different kinds of information for different purposes. Existing law school rankings seek to provide information that will help prospective law students decide where to matriculate. However, objective rankings can provide useful information only if they measure factors that are salient to prospective law students, and different factors are salient to different students. This article provides the first subjective ranking of law schools. It describes a method of ranking law schools based on the revealed preferences of matriculating students. Law school admission depends almost entirely on an applicant’s LSAT score and undergraduate GPA, and law schools compete to matriculate students with the highest possible combined scores. Our method of ranking law schools assumes that the “best” law schools are the most successful at matriculating the most desirable students. Accordingly, this article provides a “best law schools ranking” based exclusively on the LSAT scores and undergraduate GPAs of matriculating students. In contrast to objective rankings of law schools, which attempt to tell prospective law students which law school they should attend, this article provides a subjective ranking of law schools, by asking which law schools prospective law students actually choose to attend. This “revealed-preferences” method of ranking law schools may help identify which factors are actually salient to prospective law students.
Assembly Queries: Planning and Discovering Assemblies of Moving Objects Using Partial Information

Consider objects moving in a road network (e.g., groups of people or delivery vehicles), who may be free to choose routes, yet be required to arrive at certain locations at certain times. Such objects may need to assemble in groups within the network (friends meet while visiting a city, vehicles need to exchange items or information) without violating arrival constraints. Planning for such assemblies is hard when the network or the number of objects is large. Conversely, discovering actual or potential assemblies of such objects is important in many surveillance, security, and law-enforcement applications. This can be hard when object arrival observations are sparse due to inadequate sensor coverage or object countermeasures. We propose the novel class of assembly queries to model these scenarios, and present a unified scheme that addresses both of these complementary challenges. Given a set of objects and arrival constraints, we show how to first obtain the set of all possible locations visited by each moving object (the travel corridor), and then determine all possible assemblies, including the participants, locations, and durations. We present a formal model for various tracking strategies and several algorithms for using these strategies. We achieve excellent performance on these queries by preprocessing the network, using Contraction Hierarchies. Experimental results on real-world road networks show that we can efficiently and rapidly infer assembly information for very large networks and object groups.
Understanding the rapid increase in life expectancy in shanghai, China: a population-based retrospective analysis.

Life expectancy at birth (LE) is a comprehensive measure that accounts for age-specific death rates in a population. Shanghai has ranked first in LE in China mainland for decades. Understanding the reasons behind its sustained gain in LE provides a good reflection of many other cities in China. The aim of this study is intended to explore temporal trend in age- and cause-specific gains in LE in Shanghai and the probable reasons lay behind. Joinpoint regression was applied to evaluate temporal trend in LE and the long time span was then divided accordingly. Contributions to change in LE (1973–2015) were decomposed by age and cause at corresponding periods. LE in Shanghai could be divided into four phases ie., descent (1973–1976), recovery (1976–1998), rapid rise (1998–2004) and slow rise (2004–2015). The growing LE was mainly attributed to reductions in mortality from the elderly populations and chronic diseases such as cerebrovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, and gastrointestinal cancers (stomach, liver and esophageal cancer). The four-decade sustained gain in LE in Shanghai is due to the reductions in mortality from the elderly and chronic diseases such as cerebrovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, and gastrointestinal cancers. Further growth momentum still comes from the elderly population.
An Analysis of Accreditation and Its Impact on Receiving Funding in Mental Health Hospital

This paper examines the accreditation of mental health facilities and sources of funding. The funding sources examined are Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration, private insurance, and client fees. Other factors included are the type of ownership of the facility. The conclusion is that accreditation is important. Different accreditations are important for different funding sources. The most important accreditations are state accreditations. Type of ownership is important, but relatively the least important.
Early Pulse Oximetry Data Improves Prediction of Death and Adverse Outcomes in a Two-Center Cohort of Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

Background We previously showed, in a single-center study, that early heart rate (HR) characteristics predicted later adverse outcomes in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. We sought to improve predictive models by adding oxygenation data and testing in a second neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods HR and oxygen saturation (SpO2) from the first 12 hours and first 7 days after birth were analyzed for 778 VLBW infants at two NICUs. Using multivariate logistic regression, clinical predictive scores were developed for death, severe intraventricular hemorrhage (sIVH), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), treated retinopathy of prematurity (tROP), late-onset septicemia (LOS), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Ten HR-SpO2 measures were analyzed, with first 12 hours data used for predicting death or sIVH and first 7 days for the other outcomes. HR-SpO2 models were combined with clinical models to develop a pulse oximetry predictive score (POPS). Net reclassification improvement (NRI) compared performance of POPS with the clinical predictive score. Results Models using clinical or pulse oximetry variables alone performed well for each outcome. POPS performed better than clinical variables for predicting death, sIVH, and BPD (NRI > 0.5, p Conclusion Analysis of early HR-SpO2 characteristics adds to clinical risk factors to predict later adverse outcomes in VLBW infants.