cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Factors as Design: An Attempt to Bridge the Gap between Basic and Applied Research

This paper describes a course in the human factors of the design of complex systems. The course content, methods, and source materials were chosen to emphasize the possibility of using “basic” research in the applied problem of designing complex human-machine systems. Students were required to handle interdisciplinary knowledge and work with engineers on designing a process control plant.Three important principles are proposed to enable basic research to be applied to design problems. These are the Principle of Boundary Conditions which allows false theories to be useful: the Principle of Limiting Values, which allows exact quantities collected in context free research to be used in context dependent design: and the Principle of Importance in statistics, which states that significant results which have small magnitudes should be ignored in design.The paper will describe the experience of centering human factors training on design rather than knowledge acquisition.
Theory of Antiferroelectric Crystals

An antiferroelectric state is defined as one in which lines of ions in the crystal are spontaneously polarized, but with neighboring lines polarized in antiparallel directions. In simple cubic lattices the antiferroelectric state is likely to be more stable than the ferroelectric state. The dielectric constant above and below the antiferroelectric curie point is investigated for both first- and second-order transitions. In either case the dielectric constant need not be very high; but if the transition is second order, $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ is continuous across the Curie point. The antiferroelectric state will not be piezoelectric. The thermal anomaly near the Curie point will be of the same nature and magnitude as in ferroelectrics. A susceptibility variation of the form $\frac{C}{(T+\ensuremath{\theta})}$ as found in strontium titanate is not indicative of antiferroelectricity, unlike the corresponding situation in antiferromagnetism.
Editor’s Spotlight/Take 5: CT Pulmonary Angiography After Total Joint Arthroplasty: Overdiagnosis and Iatrogenic Harm?

CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) has become the accepted standard for the evaluation of a patient with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) [3, 7]. The test is fast, relatively inexpensive, and believed to be even more sensitive (and better overall) than conventional pulmonary angiography with plain radiography — once considered the gold standard for evaluating suspected PE. But in terms of sensitivity, it may be possible to have too much of a good thing. There is some evidence [4] to suggest that in an “all-comers” population of inpatients, the use of CTPA has resulted in overdiagnosis of PE, resulting in complications one would expect from the increased use of anticoagulation. D’Apuzzo and colleagues performed a similar study in total joint arthroplasty patients, and they present their results in CORR® this month. Their results generalize well to the population of orthopaedic inpatients at large. How should physicians work up a patient presenting with nonspecific symptoms that suggest PE (moderate tachycardia or tachypnea, for example), when those same symptoms could just as easily be caused by numerous other postoperative diagnoses? This is not just a problem in arthroplasty or tumor surgery — the answer to this question, when we get it, will benefit all orthopaedic patients. Pulmonary emboli occur after ankle fractures and ACL reconstructions, too. PE can cause sudden death, and deaths from PE are almost always are unexpected. For those reasons, PE is a dreadful and important diagnosis. CTPA identifies clots, but not all the clots it finds cause problems, and the treatment for those clots can cause harm. We still do not know when to order this test, or which CTPA findings deserve our worry (and our interventions). Preliminary work has been performed in orthopaedic populations [7] to try to obtain these answers, but we know much less than we need to know to do a good job for our patients when it comes to PE. In the “Take 5” interview that follows, Dr. James Browne (Fig. 1), lead author on this important study, joins us to explore this critical topic in greater depth. Fig. 1 James A. Browne MD said physicians should balance testing for PE with its treatment risks to ensure that patients are not subjected to unnecessary iatrogenic harm
The management of locally advanced breast cancer: a combined modality approach

The prognosis for patients who have locally advanced breast cancer and are treated with conventional locoregional therapy is poor. Between 1974 and 1981, 93 evaluable patients with stages III (nine patients) and IV (84 patients) disease who had received no prior therapy were placed on a combined regimen of 5-fluorouracil, 500 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, doxorubicin (adriamycin), 50 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide, 500 mg/m2 on day 1 (FAC) every 3 weeks for three cycles or until maximum tumor reduction occurred. This treatment was followed by mastectomy, local irradiation or both. FAC chemotherapy was then resumed until a total of 450 mg/m2 of adriamycin had been given. At this time adriamycin was discontinued and replaced with methotrexate, 30 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 (CMF), in 3-week cycles until the patient had received therapy for a total of 24 months. The complete and partial response rate to initial FAC chemotherapy was 86%, allowing 89 of 93 patients who had tumors considered to be technically unresectable to become free of clinically detectable disease with subsequent local therapy. After a median follow-up of 53 months disease recurred in 47 patients, six of whom had attained a second disease-free status following local therapy. The estimated median length of survival for the whole group was 66 months, and the median disease-free interval (DFI) was 30 month. Age, race, menopausal status and the presence of supraclavicular lymphadenopathy had no effect on prognosis. In patients with stage III disease DFI and survival duration were increased, as was true also for patients with residual tumors of less than or equal to 1 cm in their mastectomy specimens. Patients in whom the tumors were estrogen receptor (ER)-positive also had longer DFI than those with ER-negative tumors. In spite of the encouraging results obtained with the combined modality approach to treating locally advanced breast cancer, future improvement should be pursued through additional hormonal therapy, optimal local radiation therapy timing and early resumption of intensive chemotherapy following locoregional treatment.
Three-Dimensional Multiphysics Coupled Field Analysis of an Integrated Thermoelectric Device

Thermoelectric elements made of semiconductor plates laminated onto a highly electrical and thermally conductive inter-connector with a flow channel configuration can be treated as an integrated thermoelectric device (iTED). An element constructed with bulk crystalline n- and p-type (Bismuth-Telluride) semiconducting materials and copper as a conducting material is considered. In this study, the thermoelectric performance of such an element using fluid-thermoelectric coupled field numerical methods has been investigated. The iTED is subjected to constant cold temperature at the bottom and top surfaces, while the inter-connector channel walls are exposed to hot fluid flow; the remaining surfaces are kept adiabatic. The performance of the iTED element is studied in terms of heat input Q h , power output P 0, conversion efficiency η, produced electric current and Ohmic and Seebeck voltages for different load resistances, inlet hot fluid temperatures T in , semiconductor material heights d, and flow rates Re....
Abstract 1313: Anti-tumorigenic effects of phenformin in human endometrial cancer cells

Introduction: The anti-diabetic drugs, metformin and phenformin, are thought to have anti-tumorigenic benefits. Preclinical studies suggest that phenformin may be more potent for inhibiting tumor growth than metformin. Our objective was to assess the anti-tumorigenic effects of phenformin in endometrial cancer (EC) cell lines and primary cultures. Methods: The EC cell lines, ECC-1 and Ishikawa, were treated with phenformin under low glucose (2 mM), normal glucose (5.5 mM) and high glucose (25 mM) conditions. EC tumors were collected from consenting patients, at the time of surgical staging for primary culture. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. Apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin V-FITC assay. Cellometer evaluated cell cycle progression. Invasion was demonstrated by transwell invasion assay. Adhesion was assessed by ELISA. Western blotting was performed to determine expression of the downstream targets of phenformin. Results: Phenformin inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner in both EC cell lines, within 48-72 hrs of exposure (IC50=1 mM, p=0.0004-0.009). Inhibition of proliferation was seen for all glucose concentrations, but greater potency was observed under low glucose conditions. Treatment with phenformin resulted in G1 arrest, induction of apoptosis (p=0.022-0.017) and inhibition of adhesion (p=0.0053-0.0144) and invasion (p=0.0063-0.05). Phenformin increased p21 and p27 and decreased cyclin D, cyclin E2, CDK4 and CDK 6, corresponding with G1 arrest. Phenformin significantly inhibited proliferation in 62% (8/13) of the EC primary cultures, within 48-72 hrs of exposure (IC50 0.1-5mM, p=0.00001-0.016). 3 additional EC samples (23%) were significantly inhibited by phenformin but did not reach an IC50 (p=0.0003-0.018), and 2/13 (15%) had no response to phenformin. Western blot analysis demonstrated that phenformin increased phosphorylation of AMPK and decreased phosphorylation of S6 coincident with inhibition of proliferation in the EC cell lines and primary cultures. Conclusion: Phenformin potently inhibited cell growth via G1 arrest and induced apoptosis in EC cell lines and the majority of primary cultures. Inhibition of adhesion/invasion was also seen with phenformin. Continued work is needed to explore whether phenformin has superior benefits over metformin. Citation Format: Amanda L. Jackson, Joshua E. Kilgore, Haifeng Qiu, Chunxiao Zhou, Paola A. Gehrig, Victoria L. Bae-Jump. Anti-tumorigenic effects of phenformin in human endometrial cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1313. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1313
SIMILAR GLACIAL AND HOLOCENE DEEP WATER CIRCULATION INFERRED FROM SOUTHEAST PACIFIC BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL CARBON ISOTOPE COMPOSITION

We present Holocene and last glacial maximum (LGM) oxygen and carbon isotope measurements on Planulina wuellerstorfi in six southeast Pacific cores. Sedimentation rates are low in this part of the ocean, and measurements were made on individual foraminiferal shells in order to identify the Holocene and glacial individuals on the basis of their extreme δ18O. The new δ13C data were combined with previous P. wuellerstorfi data for interpretation of global thermohaline circulation. Data from the Southern Ocean were examined closely for regional coherency and a few anomalous δ13C values suspected of having productivity overprint were removed. The resulting global δ13C distributions and gradients indicate that the deep water circulation was similar during the Holocene and LGM. This interpretation brings δ13C data to a better agreement with Cd/Ca data and marks a sharp contrast with a widely held view based on δ13C measurements that the glacial Southern Ocean was the terminus of the thermohaline circulation. The proposed presence of glacial North Atlantic Deep Water does not necessarily contradict the postulated presence of Glacial North Atlantic Intermediate Water.
An immoderate view of undergraduate engineering education

What is wrong with the curricula in engineering schools? Is the lecture method used satisfactory? What are the problems facing the engineering graduate? Mr. La Pierre, of the Columbia University Department of Electrical Engineering, offers his suggestions for improving engineering education.
In Vitro Selection of mRNA Display Libraries Containing an Unnatural Amino Acid

The incorporation of unnatural amino acid into selectable, amplifiable peptide and protein libraries expands the chemical diversity of such libraries, thus considerably facilitating the process of obtaining ligands with improved properties (affinity, specificity, and function), particularly against therapeutically interesting targets. Here, we report that biocytin, a biotin derivative of lysine, can be inserted into an mRNA−protein fusion molecule through amber stop codon suppression. We also demonstrate that templates containing the codon corresponding to the biocytin tRNA (a UAG stop codon) can be enriched by iterative cycles of selection against a streptavidin agarose matrix.
Early manifestations of childhood depression: influences of infant temperament and parental depressive symptoms

In this longitudinal study, 83 parents of infants between 3 and 12 months completed questionnaires assessing demographic information, infant temperament, and maternal depression. When these children were at least 18 months of age, parents completed follow-up questionnaires assessing toddler temperament and depression-like symptoms. We were primarily interested in the contributions of infant temperament and maternal depression to toddler depressive problems, and the analytic strategy involved controlling for toddler temperament in order to isolate the influence of infancy characteristics. The findings indicated that lower levels of infant regulatory capacity and greater severity of maternal depression were predictive of toddler depression-like symptoms. Moderator effects of infant temperament were also examined, with the negative affectivity * maternal depression interaction emerging as significant. Follow-up analyses indicated that the risk for early manifestations of depression was attenuated for children with lower negative affectivity in infancy and parents who reported lower levels of their own depressive symptoms; conversely, children exhibiting higher infant negative emotionality had higher levels of depression-like symptoms as toddlers, regardless of their parents' level of depression. The present findings further suggest that parental depressive symptoms need not be ‘clinically significant’ to predict toddler affective problems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Rare Soft Tissue Tumor Masquerading as a Parathyroid Adenoma in a Patient with Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome and Multiple Cervical Endocrinopathies

Birt-Hogg-Dube (BHD) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder that presents with renal tumors, pulmonary cysts with spontaneous pneumothoraces, and skin hamartomas. We present a case of a 67-year-old female with multiple endocrinopathies and a history of BHD syndrome. In 2011, a thyroidectomy with a four-gland parathyroidectomy was performed for toxic multinodular goiter (TMNG) and parathyroid hyperplasia. On frozen section, a tumor was identified next to a hypercellular parathyroid. After being worked up, this tumor was determined to be an adult rhabdomyoma. This represents the first time that both TMNG and parathyroid hyperplasia have been present in a BHD patient. Additionally, this is the first adult rhabdomyoma reported in a patient with BHD syndrome. Adult rhabdomyomas have no reported associations; however, potential colocation of the mutation in BHD syndrome and translocation in adult rhabdomyomas on chromosome 17p suggests a possible connection. Further work is needed to better understand this connection.
Cellular IL-10 is more effective than viral IL-10 in decreasing venous thrombosis.

Abstract Background. Systemic administration of cellular interleukin-10 (cIL-10) and gene transfection of viral interleukin-10 (vIL-10) at thrombus induction decreases vein wall inflammation. Only cIL-10, despite sharing an 84% amino acid sequence homology with vIL-10, decreases thrombosis through mechanisms yet to be determined. Methods. C57BL/6 mice ( Mus musculus , n99) were studied. Inferior vena caval thrombosis was created by inferior vena caval ligation and the animals were sacrificed and evaluated at days 2 and 6 after ligation. At thrombus induction groups received intravenous 0.25 μg of cIL-10, 0.25 μg of vIL-10, or saline (untreated controls). Evaluations included thrombus mass and vein wall leukocyte counts, protein levels, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction mRNA levels of P- and E-selectin, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and IL-10. Groups were compared by analysis of variance and t tests. Results. Less thrombus was noted at both days 2 and 6 in animals treated with cIL-10. At day 2 only, vein wall leukocyte counts revealed a significant decrease in neutrophils in cIL-10 animals versus controls, with no significant differences for vIL-10 animals. In cIL-10-treated animals, P-selectin protein levels were decreased at day 6, along with a decreased thrombus mass, without significant differences in E-selectin, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, or IL-10 protein levels. vIL-10 treated animals showed increased E-selectin mRNA and thrombus mass versus controls on day 6. Conclusions. cIL-10 is more antithrombotic/anti-inflammatory than vIL-10. This may be the result of cIL-10 decreasing P-selectin protein expression and vIL-10 increasing E-selectin mRNA levels.
Evaluation of a hexane/isopropanol lipid solvent system for analysis of bacterial analysis of bacterial phospholipids and application to chloroform-soluble Nuclepore (polycarbonate) membranes with retained bacteria

Abstract The recovery of phospholipid, ester-linked fatty acids and phospholipid phosphate from the eubacterium Pseudomonas atlantica was shown to be equivalent for the modified Bligh ad Dyer (chloroform/methanol/water) procedure and hexane/isopropanol (HIP) lipid extraction. In addition to its previously suggested lower toxicity, the HIP solvent system allows lipid analyses to be routinely done on chloroform-soluble materials such as Nuclepore polycarbonates, useful for well-defined size fractionation studies of bacterioplankton communities.
Theory and Doctrine of ‘Media Freedom’ as a Legal Concept

(2013). Theory and Doctrine of ‘Media Freedom’ as a Legal Concept. Journal of Media Law: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 57-78.
Determination of atherosclerotic plaque temperature in large arteries

Abstract Atherosclerotic plaques with high probability of rupture can be characterized by the presence of a hot spot in the arterial wall, which forms due to accumulation of inflammatory cells in the plaque. This paper presents calculations of the arterial wall temperature distribution of arteries affected by plaque. This analysis characterizes the factors affecting plaque temperature, such as vessel geometry, plaque size, inflammatory cell density and distribution, and blood flow pattern. Three vessel types which present high occurrence of plaque are studied: a stenotic straight artery, an arterial bend and an arterial bifurcation corresponding to a human aorta, a coronary artery and a carotid bifurcation, respectively. The atherosclerotic plaque is located in the sites of low shear stress, and a local heat generation is introduced to account for the presence of inflamed plaque. It is shown that the plaque temperature correlates positively to inflammatory cell density and layer thickness, whereas the plaque temperature varies inversely with the depth of the inflammatory cell layer or fibrous cap. From the calculations, it is observed that the best spot to measure plaque temperature is between the middle and the far edge of the plaque where maximum temperature is located. The results contribute to understanding the physical characteristics of the plaque structure and its relationships to plaque temperature, and also suggest a tool to understand the arterial wall temperature measurements obtained with novel catheters.
A Personal Commitment to Professional Accountability.

This article focuses on the relationship of accounta bility to the educator's ability to conduct inquiry into personal professional roles and to provide assist ance to professional peers who are conducting simi lar inquiries. A positive intervention model is devel oped by emphasizing the educational experience of the practitioner.
Automatic generation of social media snippets for mobile browsing

The ongoing revolution in media consumption from traditional PCs to the pervasiveness of mobile devices is driving the adoption of social media in our daily lives. More and more people are using their mobile devices to enjoy social media content while on the move. However, mobile display constraints create challenges for presenting and authoring the rich media content on screens with limited display size. This paper presents an innovative system to automatically generate magazine-like social media visual summaries, which is called "snippet," for efficient mobile browsing. The system excerpts the most salient and dominant elements, i.e., a major picture element and a set of textual elements, from the original media content, and composes these elements into a text overlaid image by maximizing information perception. In particular, we investigate a set of aesthetic rules and visual perception principles to optimize the layout of the extracted elements by considering display constraints. As a result, browsing the snippet on mobile devices is just like quickly glancing at a magazine. To the best of our knowledge, this paper represents one of the first attempts at automatic social media snippet generation by studying aesthetic rules and visual perception principles. We have conducted experiments and user studies with social posts from news entities. We demonstrated that the generated snippets are effective at representing media content in a visually appealing and compact way, leading to a better user experience when consuming social media content on mobile devices.
Modulated exchange and gate oxide thickness effects on surface roughness limited mobility

Many-body effects are modulated by the roughness of the Si-SiO2 interface of MOSFET, and act like scattering potentials. The theory of surface roughness scattering has considered only the modulation of the Hartree potential. We reformulate the theory to incorporate many-body effects, and show that exchange decreases mobility about 35% with thick gate oxide. We also calculate the dependence of mobility on the oxide thickness. This dependence is influenced by exchange significantly.
Review of Anasillomos Londt, 1983 with the description of a new species (Insecta: Diptera: Asilidae).

The southern African assassin-fly genus Anasillomos Londt, 1983 is reviewed. A new species, Anasillomos juergeni sp. n., is described from the Namib desert and represents the second species in the genus. Descriptions/re-descriptions, photographs, and identification keys are provided to aid in the identification. Distribution, occurrence in biodiversity hotspots sensu Conservation International, and seasonal incidence are discussed.
Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase inhibitors. Probes for investigations of the functions of guanine nucleotide binding proteins in intact cells

Taken together, the above reports indicate that the IMP dehydrogenase inhibitors are valuable probes for investigation of the biological functions of guanine nucleotides in intact cells. While these agents have minor effects on levels of other nucleotides and enzymes, non-specific effects can be monitored by addition of guanine or guanosine to provide substrates for the salvage pathway of guanine nucleotide synthesis. The most important question yet to be resolved in employing these agents is why incomplete depletion of intracellular guanine nucleotides results in such dramatic effects on G-protein function. Since the level of GTP in resting cells is approximately 0.5 mM, even a 90% reduction in GTP levels should leave enough nucleotide to adequately activate most known G-proteins, as the latter display high binding affinities for guanine nucleotides in cell free systems. Several explanations have been proposed to account for this disparity. Much of the intracellular guanine nucleotide may be bound or compartmentalized and therefore unable to interact with certain G-proteins. Possibly, G-proteins in the intracellular environment possess a much lower affinity for GTP that they do in cell free system. It may be to the cells' advantage that relatively minor fluctuations in levels of GTP result in pronounced alterations in the biological function of G-proteins as this effect may provide a physiologically important mechanism for the regulation of G-proteins in vivo. Further studies are necessary to clarify the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the biological function of G-proteins and oncogene products by guanine nucleotides in intact cells.
Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Texas Latinos, 1995–2010: An Update

Background A previous study showed Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) rates to be higher among Latinos in Texas and highest among South Texas Latinos compared to other non-Hispanic whites (NHW) and other Latinos in the United States (U.S.). We used more recent data to assess trends in HCC among Texas Latinos and to reassess the elevated HCC incidence rate in Texas Latinos. Methods We used data from the U.S. SEER Program and the Texas Cancer Registry to calculate annual and 3-year moving average age-specific and age-adjusted HCC incidence rates, annual percent changes (APCs), and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals for Latinos and NHW in the U.S., Texas and South Texas. Results Texas Latino male and female incidence rates were 3.1 and 4.0 times higher than their NHW counterparts in SEER regions. Latino males and females in South Texas had the highest rates of HCC incidence overall; rate ratios were 3.6 and 4.2 among South Texas Latino males and females compared to SEER NHW counterparts. There are statistically significant increases in HCC incidence rates in all groups (Texas and South Texas Latinos and NHW groups) and across all age groups. The elevated HCC rates in Texas Latinos are consistent over the 1995–2010 period. Conclusions The incidence of HCC among Latinos in South Texas remains higher than elsewhere in the U.S. and warrants closer investigation of potential risk factors related to prevailing conditions unique to the population including higher obesity and diabetes rates, environmental, cultural and socioeconomic factors and possibly genetic predisposition.
Development and evaluation of tracking algorithms for cardiac wall motion analysis using phase velocity MR imaging

Phase velocity magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown considerable potential for tracking distinct regions of the myocardium throughout the cardiac cycle. Phase contrast MR imaging produces multiple images, each phase encoded for velocity in a different direction, in which individual pixels depict the local motion of the tissue. In this work we present in detail three algorithms for tracking motion based on these images. Both simulated and phantom data are used to examine some of the problems encountered in practice in tracking points based on velocity maps. Solutions to these problems are offered when possible. The impact of noise and low order phase errors in the data on each of the three tracking approaches is examined. In addition, problems due to tissue expansion and contraction, to 2D versus 3D tracking, and to round off errors from motion which is small relative to pixel size or slice thickness, are considered. An example using data obtained in vivo is included to demonstrate the efficacy of the best of the three tracking algorithms in measuring left ventricular circumferential shortening preinfarct and postinfarct in a canine model.
Total Photonuclear Cross Sections for Low Atomic Number Elements

Total photonuclear cross sections have been measured in an attenuation experiment using a scintillation pair spectrometer and an x-ray spectrum with a fixed maximum energy of 90 MeV. The cross sections as a function of x-ray photon energy for beryllium, carbon, oxygen, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, sulfur, calcium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and silver show detailed structure in many cases at x-ray energies of 15-30 MeV and display a consistent trend in shapes and magnitudes. The integrated cross sections up to 35 MeV relative to the classical dipole sum rule show a monotonic increase with atomic weight. Other analyses of the total photonuclear cross sections in terms of mean energies and of the ratios of the total cross sections to photoneutron cross sections are also presented.
Calorimetric study of a series of designed repeat proteins: modular structure and modular folding.

Repeat proteins comprise tandem arrays of a small structural motif. Their structure is defined and stabilized by interactions between residues that are close in the primary sequence. Several studies have investigated whether their structural modularity translates into modular thermodynamic properties. Tetratricopeptide repeat proteins (TPRs) are a class in which the repeated unit is a 34 amino acid helix-turn-helix motif. In this work, we use differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to study the equilibrium stability of a series of TPR proteins with different numbers of an identical consensus repeat, from 2 to 20, CTPRa2 to CTPRa20. The DSC data provides direct evidence that the folding/unfolding transition of CTPR proteins does not fit a two- state folding model. Our results confirm and expand earlier studies on TPR proteins, which showed that apparent two-state unfolding curves are better fit by linear statistical mechanics models: 1D Ising models in which each repeat is treated as an independent folding unit.
Efficient geographic routeless routing protocols with enhanced location update mechanism

In this paper, we introduce and evaluate two efficient controlled routeless routing protocols: Static and Dynamic Channel Width. They combine Location-Aided Routing (LAR) and Received signal strength-Aided Flooding (RAF) protocols for effective deployment in the very challenging domain of Mobile Ad hoc Sensor Networks (MASNETs). Our new approach maintains different controlled routeless geographic routing protocols that construct a virtual broadcasting channel between source nodes and their destinations. Hence with no predefined source-destination route, i.e. routeless, only some of the sensor nodes inside the channel are allowed to contribute in forwarding packets. Promising simulation results show that our protocols are able to outperform RAF, LAR, and Beacon-less routing protocols with respect to energy consumption, packet delivery ratio and end-to-end delay.
The synthesis of TiAl intermetallic films by a rf magnetron sputtering and the mechanical properties of the microcomposites with SiC fibers

The intermetallic matrix composites reinforced with heat-resistive fibers are expected to improve the ductility and the toughness of intermetallic compounds. Titanium aluminide, TiAl, shows a unique behavior that increases the mechanical strength with increasing temperature up to 1000 K. Vapor phase processings for manufacturing near-net-shaped composites or continuous fiber-reinforced composites will be hopeful methods. The synthesis of TiAl by a magnetron sputtering using a multiple target has been successfully established, and the microcomposites with SiC fibers have been prepared. The TiAl film was evaluated by Auger electron spectroscopy and the x-ray analysis and so on. The tensile strength properties of the SiC/TiAl microcomposites, of which the interface bonding was controlled with the powers of sputtering, were estimated. The results show that the strength properties of SiC/TiAl microcomposites are decreasing with increasing the power of the sputtering, and the irradiation-cured SiC fiber has better compatibility with TiAl than the oxidation-cured SiC fiber.
Paradigmatic Framing of Protracted, Intractable Conflict: Toward the Development of a Meta-framework-II

Protracted, intractable conflicts are a form of human interaction that may very well determine our capacity to survive as a species. Their high degree of malignancy, complexity, and mercurial natures present severe challenges to our human abilities to perceive, comprehend, and intervene accurately and effectively. The applied literature in this area presents a wide variety of approaches for intervention. Each approach is based on metaphors, assumptions, and models, which frame intractable conflicts and determine a course of change that is both useful and limiting. This article outlines the processes of implicit and explicit framing of intractable conflicts and presents five major paradigms currently employed in research and practice in this area: realism, human relations, pathology, postmodernism, and systems. This article is the second in a three-part series presenting a metaframework for protracted, intractable conflict-a conceptual framework that views these paradigms and their associated intervention ...
On the interaction between universal context modeling and prediction

Investigates the use of prediction as a means of reducing the model cost in lossless data compression. The authors show that its combination with a universal code may result in a faster convergence rate to the source entropy. >
Data-Driven Constructive Induction: Methodology and Applications

Constructive induction, viewed generally, is a process combining two intertwined searches: first for the best representation space, and second for the best hypothesis in that space. The first search employs operators for improving the initial representation space, such as those for generating new attributes, selecting best attributes among the given ones, and abstracting attributes. In the methodology presented, these operators are chosen on the basis of an analysis of the training data, hence the term data-driven. The second search employs an AQ inductive learning method to the examples projected at each iteration into the newly modified representation space. The aim of the second search is to determine a generalized description of examples. Experimental applications of the methodology to text categorization and natural scene interpretation demonstrate a significant practical utility of the proposed methodology.
STUDIES ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL BASES OF MORPHOGENESIS IN FUNGI I. THE RESPIRATORY METABOLISM OF DIMORPHIC PATHOGENIC FUNGI

The interconversions of mycelial and yeast-like forms (M ⇌ Y) in Blastomyces dermatitidis and in Blastomyces brasiliensis are characterized as examples of thermal dimorphism since the phenomena are apparently dependent only on the temperature of incubation of these two species. The change in morphology consequent upon Y → M conversion is considered to result from the selective inhibition of cell division, without the simultaneous inhibition of growth. Such selective inhibition is viewed in a wider context as an example of the differential operation of the physicochemical apparatus of the cell in the control of form development by an organism. To analyze this differential operation, which is here dependent only on temperature, we have studied the effect of temperature on oxygen consumption by each of the dimorphic forms. In the absence of external substrate the yeast forms consume 5 to 6 times more oxygen per unit dry weight than do the M forms.The Y forms exhibit an exogenous oxidation of acetate and of glucose, as well as an oxidative assimilation of these substrates, whereas the M forms exhibit no exogenous metabolism in either a resting or starved condition. A study of the effect of a wide range of temperatures on oxygen consumption by the M forms indicates the operation of two rate-limiting processes: (a) one with an activation energy of 13,250 calories/gm. molecule over the range 5–30°, and (b) reversible enzyme inactivation; the latter process assuming importance in the higher temperature range. On abrupt, large changes in temperature the balance between these two rate-limiting reactions (which it is suggested characterizes the steady state) is apparently disrupted as a result of a lag in the assumption of a rate of reversible enzyme inactivation characteristic of the new temperature. This disruption of balance is evidenced in overshoot phenomena. The effect of an analogous disruption of balance, and of increasing enzymic inactivation; on a competition between enzyme systems, competing for substrate for cell elongation and for cell division, is considered in explanation of the observed dependence of the cell division mechanism on the maintenance of an elevated temperature.
The Use of Touch in Counseling: An Ethical Decision-Making Model.

Although some counselors have advocated for the limited use of touch in counseling, others have argued that touch has no place within the counseling relationship. Despite the controversy, the use of touch has been shown to have a number of therapeutic benefits; however, there are few ethical decision-making models that are appropriate for considering the use of touch in counseling. The authors discuss the controversy surrounding the use of touch and the benefits/contraindications of touch. The 5 ethical principles of counseling are also examined; a new ordering of the principles is presented as a useful ethical decision-making model when considering the use of touch in counseling.
Tolerance—Is It Worth It?

We are entering an exciting time in the study of immunologic tolerance. Several cellular and molecular strategies have been developed that show promise in nonhuman transplant models and these approaches are just now appearing in clinical trials. Tolerance strategies that prevent immune rejection and obviate the need for immunosuppressive medications (with inherent risk of cancer, infection, and organ toxicity) would improve both graft and patient survival. Each tolerance protocol brings its own set of associated risks. As the results of these trials become available, we must continue to evaluate their successes and failures. The balance of these outcomes will help us answer the question: "Tolerance-Is it worth it?"
FOLLOW-UP NEUROLOGICAL EVALUATION IN PATIENTS WITH SMALL CELL LUNG CARCINOMA TREATED WITH PROPHYLACTIC CRANIAL IRRADIATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY

Abstract The safety of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) has recently been questioned, based on reports of computerized tomographic abnormalities mainly seen in children, who received PCI and chemotherapy, primarily for acute lympbocytic leukemia. In order to clarify the significance of these findings, we examined a series of adult patients who were long term survivors (18–48 months, median 26 months, after all treatment). These patients were treated with combination radiotherapy and chemotherapy for small cell lung carcinoma and received cranial irradiation in the absence of known brain involvement by tumor. Patients were divided into three groups: three patients who received PCI + intrathecal metbotrexate (MTX) (Group 1), and ten who received only PCI (Group 2). An additional three patients (Group 3) were identified as long term survivors (41–70 months after all treatments) of a similar treatment program without any central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis. All patients received an extensive evaluation of a variety of clinical parameters, EEG, and computer tomography (CT). Although CT abnormalities were detectable (mild cerebral atrophy in eight patients, encephaiomalacia in one of the 13 patients with CNS prophylaxis, and wild atrophy in two of the three patients without CNS prophylaxis~ so significant clinical abnormalities or EEG changes were detectable. While this group of patients is small, it is a unique cohort: adults who have received cranial irradiation in the absence of known brain tumor with long term follow-up. The precise role of CNS prophylaxis in the etiology of CT abnormalities is unclear, and the lack of clinically significant changes would suggest no contraindication to PCI when indicated.
Video-based Animal Behavior Analysis From Multiple Cameras

It has become increasingly popular to study animal behaviors with the assistance of video recordings. The traditional manual human video annotation is a time and labor consuming process and, the observation results vary between different observers. Hence an automated video processing and behavior analysis system is desirable. We propose a framework for automatic video based behavior analysis systems, which consists of four major modules: behavior modeling, feature extraction from video sequences, basic behavior unit (BBU) discovery and complex behavior recognition. In this paper, we focus on BBU discovery using the affinity graph method on the feature data extracted from video images. We present a simple yet effective way of fusing information from multiple cameras in BBU discovery, and we present and analyze results on artificial mouse video using single, stereo and three cameras. Overall the results are encouraging.
Rapid spectroscopic separation of three Canadian softwoods

Near Infrared (NIR) and Fluorescence (FS) spectroscopy were investigated for their ability to rapidly separate three Canadian softwoods: balsam fir, western hemlock, and white spruce. NIR and FS spectral data were used to develop classification models using soft independent modeling of class analogies (SIMCA) method. For each wood species, spectra of 90 wood specimens were collected over a wavelength window of 800–2,500 nm for NIR spectral data and a wavelength range of 380–540 and 380–705 nm for FS spectral data. Raw spectra and first-derivative-transformed spectra were used to develop NIR calibration models to separate the three wood species using the wavelength ranges, 800–2,500, 1,100–2,200, and 1,300–2,000 nm, by the SIMCA method. Similarly, FS raw spectral data were also used to develop FS calibrations using wavelength ranges of 380–540 and 380–705 nm. Principal component analysis models were made for each class from the calibration set consisting of 65 specimens of each of the three wood species. Specimens not present in the calibration set (27 specimens of each wood species) were tested for classification according to the SIMCA method at a 5 and 25% significance level. Type I error associated with the models developed with NIR spectral data ranged from 0 to 19 and 0 to 52% for the 5 and 25% significance levels, respectively, while type II error ranged from 2 to 50 and 0 to 19%, respectively. When tested at a 5% significance level, there was no significant improvement in NIR models developed with first-derivative-transformed spectra over models developed with raw spectra. Type I error associated with the models developed with Fluorescence spectral data ranged from 0 to 4 and 7 to 30% for the 5 and 25% significance levels, respectively, while type II error ranged from 1 to 9 and 0 to 1%, respectively. There were no significant differences in performance of FS models developed with spectra using wavelength ranges of 380–540 and 380–705 nm.
Two-Dimensional Problems

We consider second-order partial differential equations which involve the scalarvalued dependent variable u = u(x, y). A simple example of the equations of this type is the Poisson’ equation. We will present some examples of solving Poisson’ and Laplace equations using the linear triangular and bilinear rectangular element.
MMSE detection in asynchronous CDMA systems: an equivalence result

The analysis of linear minimum mean-square error (MMSE) detection in a band-limited code-division multiple-access (CDMA) system that employs random spreading sequences is considered. The key features of the analysis are that the users are allowed to be completely asynchronous, and that the chip waveform is assumed to be the ideal Nyquist sinc function. It is shown that the asymptotic signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) at the detector output is the same as that in an equivalent chip-synchronous system. It is hence been established that synchronous analyses of linear MMSE detection can provide useful guidelines for the performance in asynchronous band-limited systems.
How Shall We Study Comprehensive, Collaborative Services for Children and Families?

Researchers and evaluators confront difficult challenges in studying comprehensive, collaborative services for children and families. These challenges appear in the interaction of multiple professional perspectives, specification of independent and dependent variables, attribution of effects to causes, and sensitive nature of the programmatic treatment. Given limited knowledge about these complex interventions, they will best be understood through studies that are strongly conceptualized, descriptive, comparative, constructively skeptical, positioned from the bottom up, and (when appropriate) collaborative.
Performance Modeling of Emerging HPC Architectures

Current state-of-art HPCMP performance modeling techniques primarily rely on combining a performance profile of an application on a well-known HPC architecture, and the machine characteristics of an emerging architecture to project an application's performance on the emerging architecture. Existing profiling and tracing tools on well-known architectures are typically used to collect the necessary performance data by executing applications and benchmarks on available systems. Since the performance enhancing features of novel processing devices may be significantly different from a conventional microprocessor system, current performance modeling schemes have limited applicability on systems like the Cray X1E vector supercomputer and parallel systems with accelerator devices like Cray XD1, which contains FPGAs. We employ an application modeling paradigm that allows a user to develop not only "architecture aware" but also "application aware"performance models. We extend the modeling assertions (MA) framework that permits a user to develop multi-resolution, parameterized symbolic models. We demonstrate the application of our modeling scheme by augmenting the MA models with performance enhancing attributes of the Cray X1E Multistrearning Processors (MSPs). Using the extended MA framework, we develop symbolic performance models of critical code blocks of an HPCMP 71-06 benchmark called HYCOM - an ocean modeling code. By representing the code characteristics of the critical code blocks in terms of both unique architectural attributes and key input parameters of the HYCOM application, we manage to reduce and sustain performance prediction error rates to less than 30%
Ductile deformation zones in Blue Ridge basement rocks and estimation of finite strains

The deformation of basement massifs in orogenic belts presents several fundamental problems—what is their mechanical response to deformation, how does the strain vary through them, and how does one explain the “missing” basement suggested by palinspastic reconstructions? The Blue Ridge anticlinorium in northern Virginia has at its core Precambrian granitic basement deformed during the late Paleozoic orogeny; there is a major cleavage fan across this anticlinorium. The deformation in the basement is inhomogeneous, being concentrated along narrow zones of ductile deformation where rocks are mylonitized. These zones may range in size from microscopic dimensions to tens of metres wide, and they tend to develop preferentially in certain basement rock types. Narrow deformation zones in coarse granitic rocks often occur in conjugate sets whose bisector is the regional cleavage. Integration of strain across these zones added to the penetrative strain, calculated from the rotation of these zones, and the shortening due to displacement on thrust faults, give the total shortening of the basement. Such shortening must be taken into account in attempting any kind of geologic reconstructions.