cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The efficacy of EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration for molecular testing in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background The purpose of the study was to assess the efficacy of obtaining adequate cytologic specimens by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for molecular testing of lung adenocarcinomas. Methods This was an institutional review board—approved study of all patients who had undergone EBUS-TBNA from April 2010 through March 2012 for the diagnosis, staging, or both of lung cancer. Patients with a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma were reflexively tested for molecular markers by polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). All procedures were performed with patients under conscious sedation in the bronchoscopy suite. Results Of 205 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA, 56 patients (24 male, 32 female) had a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma warranting molecular analysis. Molecular analysis was available for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Kirsten rat sarcoma (Kras) mutation, and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement. The institution's clinical protocol involved initial testing for EGFR mutation with a reflex Kras test if the EGFR test result was negative. ALK FISH molecular testing was completed if both EGFR and Kras test results were negative. A total of 52 of 56 (93%) patients had sufficient cytologic material for complete or partial molecular testing, whereas 46 of 56 (82%) patients had sufficient material for all clinically indicated testing. EGFR, Kras, and ALK analysis yielded positive results in 5 (10%), 10 (25%), and 5 (12%) tested specimens, respectively. No complications were associated with EBUS-TBNA. Conclusions EBUS–TBNA performed with the patient under moderate sedation can be expected to yield sufficient tissue for sequential molecular analysis in the majority of patients. In an era of targeted therapy for lung adenocarcinomas, EBUS-TBNA is effective in clinical practice for complete diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning in these patients.
Microbial translocation of needle-free versus traditional needle injection-enhanced beef strip loins

Abstract Our objective was to determine the effects of needle-free (NF) versus needle injection (N) enhancement on microbial translocation of generic Escherichia coli in beef strip loins. Fifteen longissimus muscles (LM) were obtained and halved. Surfaces were inoculated with generic E. coli at a level of 10 6 CFU/cm 2 (three replications of five strip loins). LM halves were injection-enhanced with a phosphate and salt solution with either NF or N injection. After injection, two cores were taken from each LM half and sliced cross-sectionally at depths of 2-mm (surface), 1, 3, and 5 cm. The paired samples were stomached, serially diluted, and plated. Surface samples from N -injected muscles had lower ( P E. coli counts (2.79 versus 3.23 log CFU/g for NF). Also, the 3- and 5-cm depth samples from N injection had the least ( P E. coli contamination (1.69 versus 2.12 CFU/g for NF). Although traditional N injection resulted in approximately 0.5 log CFU/g less microbial contamination at all depths, because the level of contamination was extremely high, the difference in the treatments could arguably be of little practical importance in terms of safety.
Evidence-based medicine in otolaryngology journals

OBJECTIVE:We set out to assess, within the context of evidence-based medicine, the levels of supporting evidence for therapeutic recommendations made in leading otolaryngology journals.DESIGN:We used a cross-sectional survey of clinical research articles published in 1999 in 4 high-circulation otolaryngology journals.OUTCOME MEASURES:We used study design methodology and level of evidence for clinical research articles with therapeutic recommendations. Outcomes were stratified by type of recommendation (positive vs negative) and by study focus (medical vs surgical therapy).RESULTS:Of the 1019 articles identified, 737 (72%) were clinical research and 268 (36%) made therapeutic recommendations. Median sample size was modest (27 subjects), with only 38% of studies reflecting planned research and 22% including an internal control or comparison group. positive studies were 20 times more prevalent than negative ones, but were 69% less likely to have an internal control group (P = .042) and 93% less likely to inc...
The current status of angiography in the evaluation of cancer patients

Angiography has maintained a central role in the preoperative evaluation of patients with both benign and malignant tumors. A great deal of experience has accumulated with the method and the angiographic appearance of most tumors is well established. Although most cancer patients are first evaluated by less invasive techniques,angiography remains the most accurate method for the diagnosis of tumors of the liver and pancreas. In those patients in whom excision of a malignancy is considered, angiograms should be used preoperatively to assess both the resectability and curability of the lesion. In patients with carcinoma of the lung or esophagus invading the azygos vein or in patients with pancreatic carcinoma invading the visceral veins, needless radical operative procedures can be avoided. Finally, as angiographers are becoming more therapy-oriented, the palliative effects of selective arterial embolization with radioactive and infarcting materials are being evaluated.
Endovascular aneurysm treatment: A proven therapy

Endovascular treatment of aneurysms is an evolving technique. Endovascular techniques for the treatment of aneurysms have been available for 10 years. During this time, we have seen major advances and improvements in our ability to embolize aneurysms via an endoluminal approach. We have continued to modify our techniques and selection of patients who would most benefit from this approach. This article summarizes the current literature and attempts to develop a management strategy toward improving patient outcome by optimizing the choice between endovascular and surgical treatment modalities.
Parasite fauna development in juvenile bluegills and largemouth bass

Abstract We assessed parasite prevalence (frequency of occurrence) and intensity (mean number per infected host) in juvenile bluegills Lepomis macrochirus and largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides collected from an overflow pond of the lower Mississippi River from March through December 1986. Bluegills and largemouth bass were hosts to 11 and 12 parasite taxa, 9 of which parasitized both fishes. Monogenea dominated the parasite load of all size-classes of largemouth bass, whereas Allacanthochasmus sp. (Trematoda) was the predominate parasite in bluegills under 50 mm in total length. Parasite loads increased quickly as spring progressed, and nearly all the juvenile fishes over 25 mm long supported a parasite fauna. Seasonal changes in the abundance of parasites were evident for most taxa. Increases in Monogenea intensity with host length appeared to be related to increases in gill surface area, whereas factors other than host tissue mass appeared to regulate the intensity of endoparasite infection. Diet co...
The essence‐of Pantagruelism

If the philosophy of Pantagruelism is, as Rabelais claimed, "a certain gaiety of spirit, pickled in the scorn of fortune," we may be justified in taking the protagonist of The Great And Inestimable Chronicles as the living model of his merry system of pedagogy. In Rabelais, the humanist, there is a blend of two such apparently irreconcilable philosophies as Epicureanism and Neoplatonism. In attempting to make a synthesis of his world outlook, one would even find, strangely enough, some of the less austere features of stoicism. This peculiar fusion forms the motif of Rabelais' fictional biographies of the two giants Gargantua and Pantagruel. Astute critics have extricated it from the morass of legal and mythical satire, the jargon of Renaissance professions, and Rabelais' ecclesiastical, political, and pedagogical allusions to contemporary attitudes and events, strewn throughout his work.
Interpolation problems of Pick-Nevanlinna and Loewner types for meromorphic matrix functions

Classical interpolation problems are concerned with the problem of finding an analytic function on the unit disk bounded by one which takes on prescribed values at certain prescribed points inside the disk (Pick-Nevanlinna) or on the boundary of the disk (Loewner). We consider the problem for matrix-valued functions having as many asl poles (l a nonnegative integer) inside the disk but still uniformly bounded by one on the boundary of the disk. Our technique is an adaptation of that of Sz.-Nagy and Koranyi to spaces with an indefinite inner product. The problem arises in the broadband matching problem for electrical circuits and certain multichannel scattering problems in physics.
EDITOR'S CHOICE: Confronting contingency in restoration: management and site history determine outcomes of assembling prairies, but site characteristics and landscape context have little effect

Summary 1. The outcomes of ecological restoration are notoriously unpredictable, but we have no general predictive understanding of this contingency. Management decisions can have strong effects on restoration outcomes, but in other cases may be overwhelmed by site characteristics (e.g. soil conditions), landscape context (e.g. abundance of similar habitat) or historical factors (e.g. priority effects). However, we generally cannot predict which of these four classes of drivers will affect restoration outcomes. Disparate aspects of restoration outcomes (e.g. species richness, beta diversity and community composition) and their unique responses further complicate our understanding. Finally, these four classes of drivers might differentially affect subsets of the restored community, where, for example, management might shape the abundance and distribution of species of the target community, while other species are more contingent on site, landscape or historical factors. 2. Here, we used variation partitioning to compare the relative importance of management, site, landscape and historical factors for determining the plant community outcomes of 27 prairie restorations in south-west Michigan. 3. We found that management, especially the composition, diversity and density of seed mixes applied, and history, especially site age, were the most important drivers of prairie restoration species richness, beta diversity and composition. Site and landscape factors were only rarely important for restoration outcomes. 4. Finally, we found that comparing the unique responses of sown and non-sown species typically increased our understanding of the dynamics contributing to community-wide restoration outcomes. 5. Synthesis and applications. This is, to our knowledge, the first quantitative comparison of how four major classes of drivers determine the outcome of restoration. Historical legacies and management decisions, but generally not landscape context or local site conditions, shaped plant communities at restored sites. These findings represent an important step towards developing a more predictive framework for understanding contingency in restoration outcomes.
Power over Pain: A Brief Review of Current and Novel Interventions for Endometriosis-Associated Pain:

An estimated 10%-15% of women of reproductive age suffer from endometriosis and can be plagued with one or many forms of pain. It is no mystery that endometriosis is an extremely complex disease, w...
IMPLICIT MODIFIED ENTHALPY METHOD WITH APPLICATION TO THIN FILM MELTING

During the thermal processing of thin films in which low intensity line heat sources are used, extended processing times are often required to reach steady state (˜15 sec). In addition, the melting of the film may occur some time after processing has begun, and therefore there is no initial melting condition within the film. In such cases, computer simulations may become very time consuming, and the development of an efficient computational method which incorporates the initial formation of the melt during processing is necessary. A general technique was developed to accurately model two‐dimensional heat conduction in a multilayer film structure with one‐dimensional phase change in one of the thin films. These conditions frequently exist in thin film thermal processing when the thermal gradient through the thickness of the melting film can be considered negligible. The method involves an implicit formulation of the modified enthalpy method. The solid/liquid interface energy‐balance equation is taken into ...
Catalytic Mechanism of Glycine N-Methyltransferase†,∇

Methyltransfer reactions are some of the most important reactions in biological systems. Glycine N-methyltransferase (GNMT) catalyzes the S-adenosyl-l-methionine- (SAM-) dependent methylation of glycine to form sarcosine. Unlike most SAM-dependent methyltransferases, GNMT has a relatively high value and is weakly inhibited by the product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (SAH). The major role of GNMT is believed to be the regulation of the cellular SAM/SAH ratio, which is thought to play a key role in SAM-dependent methyltransfer reactions. Crystal structures of GNMT complexed with SAM and acetate (a potent competitive inhibitor of Gly) and the R175K mutated enzyme complexed with SAM were determined at 2.8 and 3.0 A resolutions, respectively. With these crystal structures and the previously determined structures of substrate-free enzyme, a catalytic mechanism has been proposed. Structural changes occur in the transitions from the substrate-free to the binary complex and from the binary to the ternary complex. In ...
The clinical toxicology of chlordecone as an example of toxicological risk assessment for man

Safety assessment procedures still rely heavily if not exclusively on the results of tests carried out in laboratory animals, then extrapolated to man. There are few examples of environmental compounds examined extensively enough in both man and animals to permit a critical comparison of the accuracy of such risk assessment procedures. Chlordecone (Kepone) is a lipophilic, rodent liver carcinogen which now stands among the most extensively studied environmental agents in humans. More than five years of clinical investigations of workers heavily exposed to organochlorine pesticide have established the spectrum of human toxicity of Chlordecone, its dose-response relationships, tissue distribution, metabolic pathways, half-time for elimination, and the concentration at which its major toxic manifestations involving the central nervous system, the liver, and the testes are not observed (no observable effect level, NOEL). Taking advantage of this unique opportunity to proximately compare humans with experimental animals for a single compound administered at comparable doses, we find that none of the toxic effects produced in humans were unrepresented in animal testing. However, the animal testing produced numerous "false positive" results. Hence, accurately predicting the qualitative toxicity of chlordecone in man based on studies in rats would have been impossible. Indeed, proteinuria observed in rats fed small amounts of chlordecone for two years was chosen as a sensitive endpoint by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as the basis for establishing acceptable levels of human exposure. However, we never observed proteinuria even in humans whose dose of chlordecone was hundreds of times higher than that given to the rats. We conclude that greater emphasis should be placed on clinical investigation of humans exposed to environmental agents. A better understanding of the strength and also of the limitations of animal toxicity testing will improve the reliability of extrapolating results of animal testing to human exposure conditions.
The Provincial Elite in Shantung During the Republican Period: Their Successes and Failures

The 1911 revolution created a situation in China in which a major restructuring of Chinese society became inevitable. The class most capable in terms of experience, education, and recognized social leadership to accomplish these changes was the gentry. This article examines how the upper strata of the Chinese gentry in Shantung exercised political and community leadership in the period from 1850 to 1950. The Qing period (1 644-1911) saw an increasing commercial orientation of the gentry class, combined with an increasing preference for urban residence. Although rural ties became reinforced through militia organizations during the great rebellions of the mid-nineteenth century, these connections had atrophied by the end of the century. In the first decades of the twentieth century, under the impetus of the late Qing reforms, the gentry greatly expanded their political and social power, increasingly focusing their attention on the control of political and economic institutions in their own places of residence. In practice this meant centering attention in provincial capitals
Somatic recombination redux.

A mouse model for familial adenomatous polyposis has been used to distinguish between possible mechanisms leading to loss of function of the Apc tumor-suppressor gene. Somatic recombination rather than chromosome loss associated with genetic instability is the primary cause of these cancers. Moreover, the data suggest that interphase nuclear architecture is a key factor in facilitating this process.
Simultaneous NIR and SWIR wavelength-swept generation over record 329-nm range using swept-pump fiber optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate fiber-optical-parametric-oscillator-based swept-wavelength source operating simultaneously in 1.3 μm and 1.9 μm bands. Total wavelength sweep range of 329 nm/s with cumulative speed exceeding 70000 nm/s is achieved by a seeding source generating 25 nm sweep at 6000 nm/s rate.
Variation in virulence among four root-inhabiting Ophiostomatoid fungi on Pinus taeda L., P. palustris Mill, and P. elliottii Engelm. seedlings

Abstract Ophiostomatoid fungi have been implicated in root disease of pines in the southeastern United States. To understand more about their virulence, inoculation studies were conducted on loblolly (Pinus taeda), longleaf (Pinus palustris), and slash pine (Pinus elliotii). One-year-old bareroot seedlings, after being planted and established for 11 weeks, were wound-inoculated with one of four prominent North American ophiostomatoid fungal species. After three months, a darkened lesion, extending from the point of inoculation was observed for all species. Grosmannia huntii (L. huntii) caused the greatest lesion and occlusion length in loblolly pine and slash pine. Leptographium procerum and L. terebrantis caused similar lesion and occlusion lengths and were the least virulent among the fungi tested. These studies indicate clear virulence differences among the four North American fungi. Grosmannia huntii, previously not known to be pathogenic, was observed causing significant damage compared with other we...
Why are Hox genes clustered

The evolutionarily conserved genomic organization of the Hox genes has been a puzzle ever since it was discovered that their order along the chromosome is similar to the order of their functional domains along the antero-posterior axis. Why has this colinearity been maintained throughout evolution? A close look at regulatory sequences from the mouse Hox clusters suggests that enhancer sharing between adjacent Hox genes may be one reason. Moreover, characterizing the activity of one of these mouse enhancers in Drosophila illustrates that despite many similarities, not all Hox clusters are built in the same way.
Radiative cooling rate of 9-cyanophenanthrene ions by time-resolved photodissociation thermometry

Abstract Hot ions of 9-cyanophenanthrene were produced by multiphoton ionization at 193 nm. The radiative cooling rate of the hot ions was measured thermometrically using time-resolved photodissociation (TRPD) as the internal energy probe. In this application of the TRPD technique two-photon dissociation of the ions at 355 nm was used to measure the rate for the C 2 H 2 loss channel as a function of cooling time following the ionization laser pulse. Since the TRPD rate depends on the ion internal energy the dissociation rate measurements gave a cooling curve for the initially hot ions. The radiative cooling time constant was measured as 330 ms. The cooling rate observed here is faster than the radiative cooling rates of comparable nonpolar ions. This enhancement of radiative cooling is attributed to high vibrational transition dipole moments associated with the polar CN group.
Studies on Psychrophilic Bacteria. I. Distribution in Stored Commercial Dairy Products

Summary Psychrophilic microorganisms capable of dominating the population in commercially pasteurized samples of milk, cream, chocolate drink, and cottage cheese after storage at 4° C. were isolated and characterized. Of 586 cultures, 70.6% were species of the genera Pseudomonas , 7.9% Alcaligenes , 9.2% Achromobacter , and 0.7% Flavobacterium ; 10.8% were coliform bacteria and 0.8% yeasts. Distribution among the products, and between summer and winter samplings, was substantially uniform. Some factors underlying the discrepancies evident in the literature on the nature and distribution of the psychrophilic microflora of dairy products are discussed.
in vitro cortisol biosynthesis by a testicular tumor

Abstract Incubation of a testicular tumor with progesterone-4- 14 C resulted in the isolation and identification of cortisol and cortisone as well as the tentative identification of seven other compounds. It is concluded that this tumor of the testis represents adrenocortical cell rests and was activated by prolonged elevated levels of ACTH.
Factors associated with subsequent arch reintervention after initial balloon aortoplasty in patients with Norwood procedure and arch obstruction.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether there are identifiable factors associated with increased risk for aortic arch reintervention in patients who have undergone balloon aortoplasty (BD) for aortic arch obstruction (COA) after the Norwood procedure (NP). Background BD has been shown to be an effective acute therapy for COA after the NP. However, recurrent obstruction requiring repeat intervention is not uncommon. Methods All patients who underwent BD as the initial intervention for COA after the NP from to January 1993 to May 2009 were retrospectively analyzed (n = 116). Results The median age at initial BD was 4.5 months. The median follow-up period was 3.4 years. Procedures were considered acutely successful in 92% of patients, with a median gradient reduction overall from 24 to 3 mm Hg (p Conclusions Despite a high acute success rate, a significant proportion of patients treated with BD for post-NP COA underwent reintervention during follow-up. The risk for arch reintervention is highest in patients with proximal arch obstruction, those age
What has pressure done to superconductivity after the IXth AIRAPT conference

Abstract Some studies on the superconductivity of elements and compounds employing the high pressure techniques developed after IXth AIRAPT Conference held in 1983 are summarized and reviewed. The effectiveness of high pressure to the study of superconducting topics of current interest is demonstrated. Further studies are suggested.
The development and differentiation of Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum) during colonization of wheat

Worldwide, one of the most devastating pathogens of small grains is the head blight fungus, Gibberella zeae. Ascospore-laden perithecia of this fungus develop on mature cereal crops and crop debris and provide the primary inoculum of the disease. We characterize the process of colonization of wheat tissue that leads to perithecium production. Stems were colonized systemically and extensively following inoculation of the wheat head. Haploid mycelia moved down the vascular system and pith and then colonized the stem tissue radially. Dikaryotic hyphae developed at two distinct stages: in the xylem, in support of radial hyphal growth and in the chloremchyma, in support of perithecium development. Perithecium formation was initiated in association with stomatesand silica cells. Vascular occlusions prevented mycelia from colonizing the stem in 25% of inoculated plants. Implications of these findings are discussed for developing resistant cultivars and improving chemical control of the disease.
FPGA based design of a novel enhanced error detection and correction technique

With the increase of data transmission and hence sources of noise and interference, engineers have been struggling with the demand for more efficient and reliable techniques for detecting and correcting errors in received data. Although several techniques and approaches have been proposed and applied in the last decade, data reliability in transmission is still a problem. In this paper we propose a high efficient combined error detection and correction technique based on the Orthogonal Codes Convolution, Closest Match, and vertical parity. This method has been experimentally implemented and simulated using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Simulation results show that the proposed technique detects 99.99% of the errors and corrects as predicted up to (n/2-1) bits of errors in the received impaired n-bit code.
Sources of uncertainty and error in the simulation of flow in porous media

We are concerned here with the analysis and partition of uncertainty into component pieces, for a model prediction problem for flow in porous media.
SYMMETRIC COUPLING OF GALERKIN BOUNDARY ELEMENTS WITH FINITE ELEMENTS

This paper examines the efficient symmetric coupling of a Symmetric Galerkin Multi-zone Boundary Element Analysis (SGMZBEA) method with a Finite element method. Existing collocation based multi-zone boundary element methods are not symmetric. Thus, when they are coupled with FEM, it is very difficult to achieve symmetry, increasing the computational work to solve the problem. This paper uses a fully symmetric multizone Galerkin based boundary element approach that is coupled to FEM in a completely symmetric fashion. It converts the boundary zones into equivalent "macro finite elements" so that symmetry in the coupling is retained. This computationally efficient and fast method can be used to solve a wide range of problems. Three elasticity problems are presented that explore the efficacy of the approach.
Defining Diastolic Dysfunction

The human intellect has an almost irresistible urge to categorize and simplify. Thus, over the years, heart failure has been classified as forward or backward, right or left, compensated or decompensated. These distinctions, which were made primarily on the basis of data obtained from the history and physical examination, provided a conceptual framework for thinking about heart failure and for rationalizing therapeutic decisions (eg, digitalis to increase cardiac output in “forward” failure). As information routinely available to the clinician has been extended from the history and physical examination to now include precise, noninvasive characterization of ventricular volumes and aortic flow, it has been increasingly recognized that the pathophysiology of heart failure cannot be assessed adequately by the older classifications. For example, it is now appreciated that “backward” heart failure with elevated ventricular filling pressures and consequent pulmonary or peripheral edema can result from either systolic or diastolic ventricular dysfunction. In fact, epidemiological and case-control studies of individuals presenting with clinical heart failure have estimated that 40% to 50% of such patients have normal systolic function and presumed diastolic heart failure.1 2 3 4 For example, Senni et al,1 from the Mayo Clinic, reported that 43% of patients with clinical congestive heart failure and adequate echocardiographic assessment of ejection fraction show normal/preserved left ventricular function. Although the prognosis of patients with heart failure and preserved systolic function has generally been regarded as intermediate between normal subjects and patients whose heart failure is associated with depressed systolic function, the recent Mayo study1 calls this into question, showing both systolic and diastolic heart failure to have a similar prognosis, at least over the first 3 to …
A new low-stress buck-boost converter for universal-input PPC applications

In converters for power-factor-correction (PFC), universal-input capability (ability to operate from any AC line voltage, world-wide) comes with a heavy price in terms of component stresses and losses, size of components, and restrictions on the output DC voltage. A new two-switch topology is proposed to offer very significant performance improvements over the single-switch buck-boost converters (including flyback, SEPIC, and Cuk topologies) and conventional two-switch buck-boost cascaded converters. The proposed converter has buck-boost conversion characteristic, switch conduction losses comparable to the boost converter, no inrush current problem, and potential for smaller inductor size compared to the boost converter.
Modular production networks: a new American model of industrial organization

This paper uses the case of contract manufacturing in the electronics industry to illustrate an emergent American model of industrial organization, the modular production network. Lead firms in the modular production network concentrate on the creation, penetration and defense of markets for end products—and increasingly the provision of services to go with them—while manufacturing capacity is shifted out-of-house to globally operating turn-key suppliers .T he modular production network relies on codified inter-firm links and the generic manufacturing capacity residing in turn-key suppliers to reduce transaction costs, build large external economies of scale and reduce risk for network actors. Itest the modular production network model against some of the key theoretical tools that have been developed to predict and explain industry structure: Joseph Schumpeter’s notion of innovation in the giant firm; Alfred Chandler’s ideas about economies of speed and the rise of the modern corporation; Oliver Williamson’s transaction cost framework; and a range of other production network models that appear in the literature. Iargue that the modular production network yields better economic performance in the context of globalization than more spatially and socially embedded network models. Iview the emergence of the modular production network as part of a historical process of industrial transformation in which nationally specific models of industrial organization co-evolve in intensifying rounds of competition, diffusion and adaptation.
Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicles: Who's Driving?

The acronym UCAV is typically associated with Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicles, but it might alternatively stand for Unspecified, Collaborative, Adaptive, and Vulnerable. This paper considers Ras...
Robust Tracking Control for a Piezoelectric Actuator

In this paper, a hysteresis model-based nonlinear robust controller is developed for a piezoelectric actuator, utilizing a Lyapunov-based stability analysis, which ensures that a desired displacement trajectory is accurately tracked.
Minimum description length and clustering with exemplars

We propose an information-theoretic clustering framework for density-based clustering and similarity or distance-based clustering with objective functions of clustering performance derived from stochastic complexity and minimum description length (MDL) arguments. Under this framework, the number of clusters and parameters can be determined in a principled way without prior knowledge from users. We show that similarity-based clustering can be viewed as combinatorial optimization on graphs. We propose two clustering algorithms, one of which relies on a minimum arborescence tree algorithm which returns optimal clustering under the proposed MDL objective function for similarity-based clustering. We demonstrate clustering performance on synthetic data.
On locally optimal breaking of complex cyclic vertical constraints in VLSI channel routing

Existing theory has supported deterministic polynomial time procedures for locally optimal breaking (LOB) of two classes of directed circuits (DC) in the vertical constraint graph, the classes of vertex disjoint DCs, and of couples of connected DCs. New LOB theory is reported that supports procedures for LOB of any number of DCs sharing a common vertex, or a common path, and of DCs in uniform ladder VCGs. A significant aspect of the new theory is that it relies on procedures for couples of connected DCs as tools for breaking more complex structures of connected DCs. Application of the theory in genetic channel routers is reported elsewhere.
Relationship of sentinel and axillary level I-II lymph nodes to tangential fields used in breast irradiation

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the volume of nodal irradiation associated with breast-conserving therapy, we defined the anatomic relationship of sentinel lymph nodes and axillary level I and II lymph nodes in patients receiving tangential breast irradiation. Methods and Materials: A retrospective analysis of 65 simulation fields in women with breast cancer treated with sentinel lymph node surgery and 39 women in whom radiopaque clips demarcated the extent of axillary lymph node dissection was performed. We measured the relationship of the surgical clips to the anatomic landmarks and calculated the percentage of prescribed dose delivered to the sentinel lymph node region. Results: A cranial field edge 2.0 cm below the humeral head the sentinel lymph node region was included or at the field edge in 95% of the cases and the entire extent of axillary I and II dissection in 43% of the axillary dissection cases. In the remaining 57%, this field border encompassed an average of 80% of cranial/caudal extent of axillary level I and II dissection. In 98.5% of the cases, all sentinel lymph nodes were anterior to the deep field edge and 71% were anterior to the chest wall-interface, whereas 61% of the axillary dissection cohort had extension deep to the chest wall-lung interface. If the deep field edge had been set 2 cm below the chest wall-lung interface, the entire axillary dissection would have been included in 82% of the cases, and the entire sentinel lymph node would have been covered with a 0.5-cm margin. The median dose to the sentinel lymph node region was 98% of the prescribed dose. Conclusions: By extending the cranial border to 2 cm below the humeral head and 2 cm deep to the chest wall-lung interface, the radiotherapy fields used to treat the breast can include the sentinel lymph node region and most of axillary levels I and II.
God is a Negro: The (Rhetorical) Black Theology of Bishop Henry McNeal Turner

AbstractIn this essay, I argue that Henry McNeal Turner was doing something way more complex than just declaring “God is a Negro” when he uttered this iconic statement. It is my belief he was offering a deep theological analysis on God-talk, language and hermeneutics, in addition to providing a radical version of a contextual theology that predates our modern understanding of the term. In addition, Turner's editorial also offers a critique to the hegemonic Christian interpretation of his day, namely, asking African Americans to see and experience God in a new and affirming way. I have accomplished this task by offering a rhetorical analysis of this statement, arguing that Turner engaged in what some scholars call rhetorical theology. By maintaining that all theology is at its core a form of argument, “rhetorical theology” places emphasis on how a speaker or writer situates language in order to persuade its hearers to a certain position. In other words, when Turner spoke and wrote “God is a Negro,” he was ...
LAND TENURE AND OCCUPATION OF VACANT HOME RANGES BY BOBCATS (LYNX RUFUS)

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) social organization has been studied extensively, and a land tenure system based on prior residence appears to influence home range selection and maintenance. However, few studies have presented information about home range vacancies and the pattern of replacement by other bobcats. We documented 10 cases in which home ranges of deceased male and female resident bobcats were filled by transient or neighboring bobcats, and quantified the extent to which home ranges of new bobcats were similar to those of prior residents. For males (n = 5) and females (n = 5), respectively, an average of 85% and 79% of each replacement's home range and 89% and 74% of their point locations overlapped with the former resident's home range. This extensive overlap suggests that a land tenure system exists for bobcats and that home range vacancies are filled by transients or neighboring residents of the same sex. Although our results generally support the land tenure concept, we suggest that bobcat social organization may be more complex than previously reported.
Modeling location uncertainty for eavesdroppers: A secrecy graph approach

In this paper, we consider end-to-end secure communication in a large wireless network, where the locations of eavesdroppers are uncertain. Our framework attempts to bridge the gap between physical layer security under uncertain channel state information of the eavesdropper and network level connectivity under security constraints, by modeling location uncertainty directly at the network level as correlated node and link failures in a secrecy graph. Bounds on the percolation threshold are obtained for square and triangular lattices, and bounds on mean degree are obtained for Poisson secrecy graphs. Both analytic and simulation results show the dramatic effect of uncertainty in location of eavesdroppers on connectivity in a secrecy graph.
Zonal load estimation studies in radial power distribution networks

This paper presents further investigation into load estimation in unbalanced, radial power distribution networks given limited real-time measurements. The authors' previous method (2000) is improved and detailed simulation results are provided on a 394-bus power distribution network. Comments on the properties of the measurement Jacobian are included to justify the proposed zonal method. Results are evaluated using different proposed performance indices. Convergence of the proposed algorithm and effects of meter placement on load estimates are also addressed.
The Insulin-like Growth Factor Signaling Pathway as a Target for Treatment of Colorectal Carcinoma

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), IGF1 and IGF2, are peptide hormones that bind to the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and cause intracellular signaling that ultimately results in cellular growth and proliferation. Evidence from epidemiologic and preclinical studies suggests that IGF signaling may be of importance in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). In recent years, agents that target the IGF1R pathway have been developed. These agents are currently under evaluation for the treatment of CRC.
The Effects of Remotely Sensed Plant Functional Type and Leaf Area Index on Simulations of Boreal Forest Surface Fluxes by the NCAR Land Surface Model

Abstract The land surface models used with atmospheric models typically characterize landscapes in terms of generalized biome types. However, the advent of high–spatial resolution satellite-derived data products such as land cover and leaf area index (LAI) allow for more accurate specification of landscape patterns. In this paper, the authors report on the use of 1-km land-cover [converted to plant functional type (PFT)] and LAI datasets developed from the Boreal Ecosystem–Atmosphere Study (BOREAS) to develop and to test a methodology for incorporating satellite data into the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) land surface model. In this approach, the landscape is composed of patches of PFTs, each with its own LAI, rather than as biomes. Large differences in PFT fractional cover between the remotely sensed and standard model representations were found for the BOREAS region. Changes in the needleleaf evergreen PFT fraction were the most extensive both in terms of spatial distribution and magni...
CT defined atherosclerotic plaque type and severity: using the results of the diagnostic microscope to sharpen the clarity of peering through the prognostic telescope.

In the 1960s hit television show The Outer Limits , the following (paraphrased) introduction was meant to focus our minds on what we see and then make an interpretation: There is nothing wrong with your television set … . We are controlling the transmission. We will control the horizontal. We
The Labor Arbitration Workshop: An Experiential Approach

Using court and arbitration decisions as well as supplementary materials and problems, this textbook encourages students to discuss the role of the advocate, the relationship between arbitration and the judicial system, issues of arbitrability, evidence and procedure, as well as a variety of substantive contractual issues normally addressed in arbitration, such as seniority, fringe benefits, wages and hours, subcontracting and union security. In particular, it focuses on "just cause" discharge and discipline cases. Using transcripts and simulations provided in a supplementary website, students using this textbook will draft an arbitration brief based on a transcript of a hearing and participate in an arbitration simulation using witnesses and documentary evidence.
Less Can Be More: Unintelligent Tutoring Based on Psychological Theories and Experimentation

This chapter reexamines the goals of learning technology use. A technologically simple tutoring environment is shown to provide valuable support for a domain traditionally considered difficult for both human and computer instruction. The system has no student model or expert module to guide learning or feedback. Its power lies in its theoretical and pedagogical foundation. At its core is the ability of the system to engage the student’s intelligence as a means to encourage solution assessment and instructional feedback.
On-chip optical clocking signal distribution

SiOxNy waveguide-based optical clocking signal distributions with 64 nodes were fabricated in 3mmx5mm Silicon chip area. The network circuitry consists of 3-levels of waveguide H-trees with decreasing bending radii. A novel splitter structure demonstrates < 3% loss at split and 49:51 power splitting uniformity.
A polymorphism in the gene encoding CART is not associated with obesity in Pima Indians

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) is a hypothalamic peptide that may be involved in the regulation of food intake. We screened the human CART gene and identified a novel C-->G substitution in the 3'-untranslated region of exon 3. This polymorphism was genotyped in a total of 68 Pima Indians with extremes of BMI. The frequencies for alleles C and G were 0.76 and 0.24, respectively. There was no evidence of an association between the genotype frequency at this variant and extremes of BMI in this group of Pima Indians. The results of this study do not suggest a significant role for this variant in exon 3 of CART as a determinant of obesity in Pima Indians.
Epidemiological study and trend analysis of occupational diseases in Yichang city( 2003-2012)

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of occupational diseases in Yichang City from 2003to 2012,and provide basis for the prevention and control of occupational diseases. Methods Statistical analysis was performed for the reported data on occupational diseases in Yichang city from 2003 to 2012. Results A total of 1042cases of occupational diseases( 25 types,7 classes) were diagnosed and reported from 2003 to 2012. Among the cases of occupational diseases,pneumoconiosis and acute occupational were 91. 75% and 4. 32% respectively. 43. 57% of the cases were in state-owned enterprises,while 48. 85%,in private enterprises. Occupational diseases were reported in l2 districts of Yichang,mostly in Changyang( 22. 46%),Yiling( 20. 36%),Yuanan( 15. 74%) and Yidu( 14. 20%). 65. 55% of the cases were in the small-and medium-sized enterprises. Conclusion Occupational diseases inYichang City showed a slight upward trend from 2003 to 2012,and also showed a shorter history from exposure to onset in pneumoconiosis patients.Occupational poisoning caused by benzene and phosphonium,occupational skin diseases and occupational deafness were the main occupational hazards in Yichang. The state-owned enterprises and private sectors should be the focus of occupational health control and surveillance.
Especies Taladas, Volumen de Madera Extraído y un Árbol Endémico Raro (Haptanthus) de un Bosque Hondureño de Tierras Bajas

Por mas de un siglo, el area de los bosques naturales en las tierras bajas de America tropical ha ido disminuyendo. Una de las razones es el aprovechamiento de la madera. En Honduras es poco comun que la extraccion de madera este asociada con expediciones botanicas para identificar las especies maderables y no maderables. Este articulo es unico porque documenta los nombres comunes y cientificos de los arboles maderables aprovechados en un bosque hondureno entre 1972 y 1979. Durante estos 9 anos, mas de 50 especies de arboles fueron aprovechadas y mas de 68,900 m 3 de madera fueron extraidos. Los origenes de los nombres comunes de unos arboles son discutidos. Los arboles mas extraidos fueron dos especies de Virola ( V. koschnyi y V. guatemalensis ) que sumaban el 54% del volumen de la madera extraida. En segundo lugar fue la Ceiba pentanda con mas del 23% de la madera extraida. Huertea cf. cubensis y Sterculia mexicana fueron cortados y utilizados para madera antes de que fueran conocidos en la flora de Honduras. Un arbol endemico desconocido y raro fue recolectado por la primera vez en 1980 en esta zona. Esta especie tiene caracteristicas de una angiosperma primitiva y fue descrita como Haptanthus hazlettii (Buxaceae) in 1989. Este arbol, que fue considerado extinto por varias decadas, fue recolectado de nuevo en el 2010. El descubrimiento original, el interes subsecuente y el estado actual de 44 individuos existentes de este arbol son discutidos. Este articulo tambien resume las caracteristicas primitivas e incluye la primera descripcion botanica completa (con frutos) de esta especie monotipica endemica en peligro critico de extincion. Otras plantas endemicas de esta zona que son poco conocidas, especialmente especies con usos etnobotanicos estan discutidas. El bosque aprovechado en la decada de 1970 muy fragmentado. Por lo tanto, la sobrevivencia de muchas especies endemicas de esta zona esta amenazada.
Effect of the Implementation of Barcode Technology and an Electronic Medication Administration Record on Adverse Drug Events

Abstract Background: Hospitals have attempted to reduce adverse drug events (ADEs) by investing in new technologies, but data regarding their efficacy are lacking. Objectives: This study evaluates the effects of the implementation of barcode medication administration (BCMA) and electronic medication administration record (eMAR) technology on the profile of ADEs in a hospital setting. Methods: We conducted a before-and-after study examining the effects of the implementation of BCMA and eMAR technology on the profile of ADEs at a 400-bed academic medical center by using incident reports. We compared reported ADEs in pre- and post-implementation periods of 5 months to determine whether there was a reduction in the rate of ADEs within medication use phases. We further examined the severity of errors and described changes in the distribution of types of errors. Results: A total of 775 electronic error-reporting system reports were included in this study: 397 (51%) in the pre-implementation period and 378 (49%)...