cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Constructivism and collaboration on the Internet: case study of a graduate class experience

Abstract Adult learners, a growing population in higher education institutions, bring with them a variety of life experiences and interests that shape their learning. The constructivist model, which recognizes learning as active development of personal meaning through the interaction of current conceptions and ongoing experiences, presents an approach appropriate for adult learners. The Internet plays a vital role in providing a framework for adults learning at a distance to construct their learning collaboratively and actively. This research is based on the study of a graduate course that was delivered to adult students at three locations by interactive video conference and supplemented by computer conference. The students used two electronic discussion groups (EDGs) to extend the class meetings informally, to moderate discussions, and to discuss distance education issues and conduct research. Data were collected from journals, audiotaped interviews, messages on the EDGs, and evaluations of one EDG. The combination of instructor flexibility and course requirements for electronic communication among students led to the evolution of a learner-centered approach. Driving this change was the students' use of the Internet as the framework for discussion, shared information and experiences, and interpersonal negotiation. Many students felt stronger connections to the “distant” class members than in the usual videoteleconferenced class, recognizing that the way they used computer conferencing helped unify the class. Learning became a collaboration—a connection among different perspectives—in which the personal experiences of these adults served to enrich the learning situation and foster construction of personal knowledge.
Cytology of the Anterior Pituitary Gland of the Post-Menopausal Woman

THERE is abundant evidence both experimental and clinical that a close physiological interrelationship exists between the anterior lobe of the hypophysis and the ovaries. It is not surprising, therefore, that the pituitary gland should be suspected of playing some part in initiating the ovarian changes at the time of menopause. Carlson (1) expresses this point of view when he asks “if the waning of the gonads and the mammary glands is caused by an antecedent hypofunction of the pituitary?” He is properly cautious to point out that we do not have scientific evidence to enable us to answer this question. In fact, we cannot be sure whether changes in the functioning of the anterior lobe at the time of menopause result in the ovarian changes, or whether the pituitary alterations are the result of changes which for other reasons have occurred in the ovary. Since it has been well established that cytological features in secretory cells give clues to the cell's activity, it should be worth while to study careful...
Development of Soil Moisture Drought Index to Characterize Droughts

AbstractA new drought index termed the “soil moisture drought index (SODI)” is developed to characterize droughts. The premise of the index is based on how much water is required to attain soil moisture at field capacity. SODI captures variations of precipitation, temperature, and soil moisture over time. Three widely used drought indices, including the standardized precipitation index (SPI), the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), and the self-calibrated palmer drought index (sc-PDSI) are compared with SODI along with local hydrological variables such as streamflow, reservoir storage, and groundwater level for cross-validation. The result indicates that SODI reacts more evidently to relate changes in precipitation and temperature than SPI and SPEI by characterizing soil moisture over time. Results also show that SODI outperforms the existing drought indices in the sense that SODI can detect and quantify the extended severe droughts associated with climate variability and change. S...
Thrombin inhibits GnRH receptor (GnRHR) gene expression in first trimester decidual stromal cells

TRIMESTER DECIDUAL STROMAL CELLS ERROL NORWITZ, FREDERICK SCHATZ, HEE JOONG LEE, VICTORIA SNEGOVSKIKH, MICHAEL PAIDAS, CATALIN BUHIMSCHI, IRINA BUHIMSCHI, CHARLES LOCKWOOD, JOSEPH HUANG, Yale University, Ob/Gyn, New Haven, Connecticut OBJECTIVE: Hypothalamic GnRH (GnRH-I) is critical in regulating mammalian reproduction. GnRH-I, a second isoform (GnRH-II), and their cognate receptor (GnRHR) are produced also by extra-hypothalamic tissues (placenta and decidua) and have local autocrine/paracrine functions. Decidual GnRH appears to regulate trophoblast invasion. Decidual hemorrhage (abrupion) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcome. This study investigates the effects of thrombin on GnRH-I, GnRH-II, and GnRHR gene expression in first trimester decidual stromal cells (DSCs). STUDY DESIGN: First trimester decidua was identified from pregnancy termination tissues (n=3). DSCs were isolated by enzymic digestion, purified, and depleted of leukocytes. Cells were pretreated with estradiol (10-8 M [E2]) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (10-7 M [MPA]) for 7 days. After 6h incubation with or without thrombin (2.5 U/mL), RNA was extracted, cDNA synthesized and purified, and cRNAs prepared and hybridized on Affymetrix HG_U133 Plus 2.0 human chips (which screens for 47,400 human genes and ESTs) followed by fluorescence labeling and optical scanning. Raw data of 3 separate experiments without normalization were generated using Affymetrix GeneChip Operating Software v. 1.1.1 (Santa Clara, CA) and analyzed by GeneSpring software 6.1 (Silicon Genetics, Redwood City, CA). Gene readouts were normalized to 50th percentile of the distribution of all measurements in each chip. Fold ratios were derived by comparing normalized data between different groups. Data are expressed as mean (SEM). RESULTS: DSCs expressed mRNA for GnRH-I, GnRH-II, and GnRHR. Thrombin did not alter GnRH-I or -II mRNA, but significantly downregulated GnRHR gene expression by 5.5-fold (P!0.01) (Figure).
Simple and reliable determination of the modified rankin scale score in neurosurgical and neurological patients: the mRS-9Q.

Background The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is a 6-level outcome scale used to assess level of function in neurological disease. Objective We examined the interobserver reliability and intraobserver reliability of the mRS-9Q, a 9-question "yes/no" survey that measures the mRS score in neurosurgical and neurological patients. Methods The mRS-9Q was administered in person or by telephone, and a Web-based tool was used to calculate the mRS score and to perform error checking. Part 1 compared the mRS-9Q with an mRS structured interview (n = 80). Part 2 compared mRS-9Q administration by telephone and by hard copy (n = 80). Part 3 compared mRS-9Q administration by an expert interviewer with administration by a nonexpert (n = 83). Part 4 examined reproducibility of the mRS-9Q over a 2-week period (n = 84). Results Agreement was very good in all study parts. In Part 1 (mRS-9Q vs mRS with structured interview), κ = 0.80 and κw = 0.96. In Part 2 (mRS-9Q telephone vs hard copy), κ = 0.83 and κw = 0.95. In Part 3 (mRS-9Q expert vs nonexpert), κ = 0.73 and κw = 0.93. In Part 4 (mRS-9Q reproducibility), κ = 0.76 and κw = 0.93. Conclusion The mRS-9Q is a simple, easy-to-administer survey with a custom Web-based mRS calculation and error-checking tool. The mRS-9Q can reliably determine the mRS by hard copy survey or by telephone and can be administered by experts or nonmedical study personnel. The mRS-9Q can be used to measure functional outcome in a broad population of patients with neurosurgical and neurological diseases.
Readout System for Arrays of Frisch-ring CdZnTe Detectors

Frisch-ring CdZnTe detectors have demonstrated good energy resolution for identifying isotopes, <1% FWHM at 662 keV, and good efficiency for detecting gamma rays. We will fabricate and test at Brookhaven National Laboratory an integrated module of a 64-element array of 6times6times12 mm3 Frisch-ring detectors, coupled with a readout electronics system. It supports 64 readout channels, and includes front-end electronics, signal processing circuit, USB interface and high-voltage power supply. The data-acquisition software is used to process the data stream, which includes amplitude and timing information for each detected event. This paper describes the design and assembly of the detector modules, readout electronics, and a conceptual prototype system. Some test results are also reported.
Energetic Basis of Correlation Between Catch-Up Growth, Health Maintenance, and Aging

Catch-up growth, referring to infants with low birth weight reaching or exceeding normal body weight later in life, is negatively correlated to adult health outcome and life span. Life history theories have suggested that there exist trade-offs between early development and later health maintenance, but detailed mechanisms and the currency of the trade-off are unclear. In this paper, we present a general theoretical model for quantitatively elucidating the trade-off between growth rate and health maintenance in mammals from an energetic viewpoint. Based on the fundamental principles of energy conservation and organisms' energy budgets, our model analyzes the allocation of metabolic energy to growth and health maintenance in different sets of prenatal and postnatal environments. Our model also implies a relationship between growth rate and the general process of aging. Life-span predictions are supported by quantitative and qualitative empirical observations and offer theoretical frameworks for future experimental designs and data analyses.
Construction of wiretap channel codes by using sparse matrices

The aim of this paper is to construct wiretap channel codes based on the the notion of a hash property for an ensemble of functions (sparse matrices). The theorem implies that codes using sparse matrices can achieve the optimal rate. Furthermore, the fixed-rate universal coding theorem for a wiretap channel is also presented.
Analysis and Mitigation of Electromigration in RF Circuits: An LNA Case Study

Circuit reliability is an increasingly important concern. Most of the reliability studies have concentrated on digital circuits, which have typically led analog circuits in terms of technology node. This is no longer true as both RF/analog and digital components are being integrated with the leading edge manufacturing process. In this paper, we present a methodology for analyzing the parametric degradation caused by electro migration in inductors and vias at design time. We identify reliability hot spots and concentrate our efforts on these circuit components to enhance the lifetime of the circuit with low area and no performance impact.
Towards a Theory of Competitive Progression: Evidence from High-Tech Manufacturing

This study replicates and extends Ferdows and De Meyers’ observed ‘sand cone’ model of cumulative competitive capabilities by means of Roth’s related competitive progression theory (CPT). Using path analysis, we model and test the relationships among the generic competitive capability constructs of conformance quality, delivery reliability, volume flexibility, and low cost as predicted by CPT. Our results, drawn from a sample of high-tech manufacturers, provide further evidence that on average, these four capabilities are acquired both cumulatively and in that sequence. We also find that each generic capability increases operational know-how and reduces non-value-added directly and/or indirectly through the enhancement of successive capabilities in the progression, which in turn improves profitability. The paper contributes a theoretical rationale for the observed sand cone effect, describes how the competitive progression acts to influence accelerated organizational learning over an innovation cycle, and offers evidence that combinative capabilities have strategic value for high-tech manufacturers.
RDMA over Ethernet — A preliminary study

Though convergence has been a buzzword in the networking industry for sometime now, no vendor has successfully brought out a solution which combines the ubiquitous nature of Ethernet with the low latency and high performance capabilities that InfiniBand offers. Most of the overlay protocols introduced in the past have had to bear with some form of performance trade off or overhead. Recent advances in InfiniBand interconnect technology has allowed vendors to come out with a new model for network convergence — RDMA over Ethernet (RDMAoE). In this model, the IB packets are encapsulated into Ethernet frames thereby allowing us to transmit them seamlessly over an Ethernet network. The job of translating InfiniBand addresses to Ethernet addresses and back is taken care of by the InfiniBand HCA. This model, allows end users access to large computational clusters through the use of ubiquitous Ethernet interconnect technology while retaining the high performance, low latency guarantees that InfiniBand provides. In this paper, we present a detailed evaluation and analysis of the new RDMAoE protocol as opposed to the earlier overlay protocols as well as native-IB and socket based implementations. Through these evaluations, we also look at whether RDMAoE brings us closer the eventual goal of network convergence. The experimental results obtained with verbs, MPI, application and data center level evaluations show that RDMAoE is capable of providing performance comparable to Native-IB based applications on a standard 10GigE network.
Heterogeneity of helper/inducer T lymphocytes. I. Lymphokine production and lymphokine responsiveness

Antigen-specific, Ia-restricted helper/inducer T lymphocytes consist of subsets that can be distinguished by lymphokine secretion. One, called Th1, secretes IL-2 and the other, termed Th2, produces BSF-1/IL-4 in response to stimulation by lectin or antigen receptor signals, and each uses the respective lymphokine as its autocrine growth factor. Cloned lines representing Th2 cells proliferate in response to both IL-2 and their autocrine lymphokine, BSF-1/IL-4, but this proliferation is dependent on the synergistic costimulator activity of the monokine, IL-1. In contrast, Th1 clones proliferate only in response to IL-2, are unresponsive to BSF-1/IL-4, and their growth is unaffected by IL-1. These response patterns are not attributable to variations in culture conditions but apparently reflect intrinsic properties of the two T cell subsets. Moreover, the unresponsiveness of Th1 cells to BSF-1/IL-4 may be related to lower levels of expression of surface receptors for this lymphokine. These results may explain the observed heterogeneity among bulk populations of T cells in terms of lymphokine responsiveness and requirement for accessory factors (costimulators). In addition, our findings suggest that IL-2, unlike BSF-1/IL-4, is a fully competent growth factor that is potentially involved in antigen-independent expansion of bystander T cells present at sites of immune stimulation.
Plasma growth hormone studies in normal individuals and acromegalic patients.

ABSTRACT A radioimmunoassay for HGH employing 125I-labeled HGH and a precipitating goat anti-rabbit gamma globulin antiserum has been used to measure the plasma growth hormone (PGH) concentrations in normal individuals, and in acromegalic patients before and after treatment with alpha particles to the pituitary. The assay requires no extraction or dilution of the unknown plasma. It was observed with this assay that nonfasted normal females on cyclic estrogen-progestin therapy often have extremely high PGH concentrations, whereas plasma from normal males, taken under the same conditions, reveals extremely low values with a relatively narrow range. In addition to clinical signs of improvement in acromegaly after alpha particle irradiation to the pituitary, objective evidence of improvement was obtained in all such treated patients in terms of their PGH levels. After treatment of acromegalic patients, the fasting PGH level may be the best assessment of the effectiveness of the treatment.
Analysis of electric power architectures to improve availability and efficiency of air conditioning systems

This paper analyzes different power supply architectures with the objective of mitigating efficiency and availability deficiencies in air conditioning systems for telecom and IT applications. The paper emphasizes the importance of running air conditioners with variable speed drives and discusses why DC power architectures seem to be more adequate than those with AC power. The analysis shows that well-configured microgrid-based power plants may improve both availability and energy efficiency without compromising cost. Microgrid-based design without combined heat and power (CHP) technologies might be a good compromise solution because although they may not be as good as configurations with CHP in terms of energy efficiency and cost, they could be implemented with more modular designs and they may achieve higher availability.
Table-top microscope for at-wavelength inspection of extreme ultraviolet lithography mask

Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) has been selected to print a new generation of semiconductor chips at the 22 nm half-pitch node and beyond [1]. This technology has been demonstrated at laboratory and beta-tool scales but several technological issues, including the fabrication of defect-free masks, need to be addressed before it can be implemented for mass production of chips. In support of EUVL, there is a need to develop metrology tools capable of detecting printable defects on masks and mask-blanks. The most reliable way of detecting printable defects is to image the Mo/Si coated mask at the wavelength employed in the printing process, 13.5 nm. This is key to detect absorption contrast defects in the surface of the mask as well as phase defects generated from imperfections within the layers of the resonant-reflective multilayer coating.
Cooperative learning: introduced in three different levels of electrical engineering courses at a military institution

Cooperative learning and group work should be prime teaching styles and methods for the US Naval Academy (USNA). For one thing, the students, midshipmen, are all housed in a single dormitory. They have easy access to each other for group homework and group studying, and most of them have commitments to be on campus nightly (Sunday-Friday), as well as most weekends throughout the semester. Also, the midshipmen are formally trained in leadership roles and team management throughout their four years, as part of their military requirement. So the assignment of leadership roles in group learning and their cooperative efforts should come naturally. Therefore, a comprehensive effort to introduce marry aspects of cooperative learning was attempted in three different levels of electrical engineering (EE) courses for juniors at the USNA this academic year (97-98). The Naval Academy requires every midshipman to take an EE course, to familiarize each of them with the technical terms and basic electrical systems that they may encounter in the fleet. One level of the courses was taught to the humanities majors, one level was taught to the engineering majors and another level was taught to the electrical engineering majors. This paper addresses the advantages and disadvantages of the new cooperative teaching methods, which were implemented to these three different classes of students. Richard M. Felder and Rebecca Brent introduced these learning styles to the USNA in the beginning of the fall semester in an inspiring "effective teaching workshop". A discussion is provided on how the methods matched the different classes, and on how they were assessed by the students and the professor.
A NOTE ON SOME OBSERVATIONS ON A MIGMATITIC RESIDUAL SOIL FROM RIO DE JANEIRO

ABSTRACT The Note presents results of an investigation on two principal types of a residual soil (saprolite) derived from migmatite, encountered on a 30m high cut in Rio de Janeiro. The main difference in mineralogy between the two soil types lies in the proportion of bio- tite and alkaline feldspar. A large number of drained shear tests were carried out to compare the shear strength of compacted and undisturbed samples in both partially saturated, (unsoaked tests) and saturated conditions. Unlike the type A soil consisting essentially of quartz and feldspar, the type B micaceous soil shows a distinct difference in shear strength in the compacted and undisturbed states. A number of characterization tests performed to evaluate the variation of physical properties along the weathering profile show a decrease in particle size and specific unit weight of soil grains with weathering.
Two distinct pathways for the localization of RNAs at the vegetal cortex in Xenopus oocytes

We found that there are two major pathways by which RNAs are localized at the vegetal cortex during oogenesis of Xenopus laevis. One of these, through which Xlsirts, Xcat2 and Xwnt11 are localized, involves transport during stages 1 and 2 of oogenesis via a region of the mitochondrial cloud that we call the message transport organizer or METRO. This pathway involved three steps, transport of RNA from the GV to the mitochondrial cloud, sorting of the RNAs to specific regions of the METRO, and translocation to and anchoring at the vegetal cortex. These three RNAs exhibit a distinct pattern of spatial localization within the METRO when they approach the vegetal cortex. The other pathway is used by Vg1. We detected Vg1 throughout the oocyte cytoplasm during stages 1 and 2. During stage 3 it was translocated to the vegetal cortex and associated with the cortex overlapping the region at which the Xlsirt, Xcat2, and Xwnt11 RNAs are anchored. Our results also showed that anchoring of these RNAs was dependent in part on actin microfilaments, but was independent of microtubules. These results demonstrate a novel mechanism of translocation and RNA sorting used by RNAs several of which may be involved in the establishment of the embryonic body axis.
A theory of the relaxation of tokamak discharges

La theorie utilise deux invariants de flux MHD ideaux, ∫ψ 2 d 3 x et ∫A.B d 3 x, pour contraindre la relaxation de la decharge en un etat d'energie magnetique extremum
Obama address touches on research, energy, and environmental issues

President Barack Obama's State of the Union message, delivered on 24 January, touched on the need for basic research, energy production, support for clean energy, and environmental protection, but it included just one passing reference to climate change. In addition, the speech made no note of the Administration's recent denial of a controversial application for the Keystone XL pipeline to transport crude oil from Canada to the United States and made just an elliptical reference regarding the bankrupt Solyndra Corporation, which the administration had touted as a clean energy company. Innovation “demands basic research,” Obama said, adding that Congress should not “gut these investments in our budget.” Noting that one promise for innovation is American-made energy, Obama said he is directing the administration to “open more than 75% of our potential offshore oil and gas resources.”
Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Gynecologic Cancers

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has emerged as a promising alternative to comprehensive surgical staging of endometrial, cervical, and vulvar cancers. For cervical and endometrial cancer, cervical injection of indocyanin green dye and/or radiocolloid has resulted in high rates of bilateral SLN identification. Although feasible and safe, prospective trials have not yet clearly determined the false negative rate of SLN mapping for cervical and endometrial cancers. For this reason, SLN mapping has not yet achieved widespread acceptance. In vulvar cancer, prospective trials have demonstrated the safety of SLN mapping and, in many centers, have led to the substitution of SLN mapping for completion lymphadenectomy without compromising long-term outcomes. Further study will hopefully determine whether SLN mapping can replace lymphadenectomy in a greater proportion of patients with gynecologic cancers.
The Esterase-Like Activity of Covalently Bound C3

In its native state, C3, the third complement protein contains an internal thiolester (1). This unique group is located in the a chain of C3 in the sequence -Gly-Cys-Gly-Glu-Glu-Asn-Met- (2). Activation by enzymic or non-enzymic means (3,4) causes a large conformational change (5), and the thiolester is either hydrolyzed, or undergoes a transacylation reaction in the presence of hydroxyl or amino groups of cell surface macromolecules (6) or small molecules (7–9); the result is either the formation of inactive C3 or the formation of a covalently-linked complex (internal acyl ester or amide bond)(7–9).
Expanding options for EGFR targeting in lung cancer

The discovery of response to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patient with activating mutations in the EGFR gene in 2004 dramatically altered the approach to the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (1,2). However, the path to the current treatment paradigm for the use of EGFR TKIs in patients with NSCLC has been circuitous. The first (and to date only) regulatory approval of EGFR inhibitors for NSCLC in the United States was based on data from the BR.21 trial.
The Role of Estrogens in the Endocrine and Paracrine Regulation of the Efferent Ductules, Epididymis and Vas Deferens

Testosterone is considered the primary sex steroids in man and its metabolite, 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is recognized as the primary hormone that regulates epididymal functions (Orgebin-Crist et al, 1975; Robaire and Viger, 1995). However, estrogen is produced in the male and is found in high concentrations in the semen. Estrogen in the rete testis fluid is now thought to be derived from the conversion of testosterone to estradiol by P450 aromatase found in germ cells of the testis and spermatozoa traversing the reproductive tract. This luminal source of estrogen is thought to be targeting the estrogen receptors (ER) present in the epithelium that lines the male reproductive tract, and in particular the efferent ductule region, where ERα is abundant. However, ERα & ERβ are both found in various regions of the epididymal duct and vas deferens. So, what does estrogen do in the male reproductive system? An answer to this question remains incomplete at this time, as we are only now beginning to reveal some of the potential functions through the use of the transgenic estrogen receptor knockout mice (αERKO and βERKO) and pure antiestrogen compounds. This chapter will cover the following basic topics: 1) the sources of estrogen, 2) the presence of ERα & ERs in the reproductive tract, 3) estrogens and development, 4) data showing that estrogen regulates fluid reabsorption in the efferent ductules, and 5) possible functions in the epididymis and vas deferens.
Optical geometry calibration method for free-form digital tomosynthesis

Digital tomosynthesis is a type of limited angle tomography that allows 3D information to be reconstructed from a set of x-ray projection images taken at various angles using an x-ray tube, a mechanical arm to rotate the tube about the object, and a digital detector. Tomosynthesis reconstruction requires the precise location of the detector with respect to each x-ray source, forcing all current clinical tomosynthesis systems to use a physically coupled source and detector so the geometry is always known and is always the same. This limits the imaging geometries and its large size is impractical for mobile or field operations. To counter this, we have developed a free form tomosynthesis with a decoupled, free-moving source and detector that uses a novel optical method for accurate and real-time geometry calibration to allow for manual, hand-held tomosynthesis and even CT imaging. We accomplish this by using a camera, attached to the source, to track the motion of the source relative to the detector. Attached to the detector is an optical pattern and the image captured by the camera is then used to determine the relative camera/pattern position and orientation by analyzing the pattern distortion and calculating the source positions for each projection, necessary for 3D reconstruction. This allows for portable imaging in the field and also as an inexpensive upgrade to existing 2D systems, such as in developing countries, to provide 3D image data. Here we report the first feasibility demonstrations of free form digital tomosynthesis systems using the method.
DNA is structured as a linear "jigsaw puzzle" in the genomes of Arabidopsis, rice, and budding yeast.

Knowledge of how a genome is structured and organized from its constituent elements is crucial to understanding its biology and evolution. Here, we report the genome structuring and organization pattern as revealed by systems analysis of the sequences of three model species, Arabidopsis, rice and yeast, at the whole-genome and chromosome levels. We found that all fundamental function elements (FFE) constituting the genomes, including genes (GEN), DNA transposable elements (DTE), retrotransposable elements (RTE), simple sequence repeats (SSR), and (or) low complexity repeats (LCR), are structured in a nonrandom and correlative manner, thus leading to a hypothesis that the DNA of the species is structured as a linear “jigsaw puzzle”. Furthermore, we showed that different FFE differ in their importance in the formation and evolution of the DNA jigsaw puzzle structure between species. DTE and RTE play more important roles than GEN, LCR, and SSR in Arabidopsis, whereas GEN and RTE play more important roles tha...
Improved Mechanical Strengths of Epoxy Composites Obtained from Ion Beam Treated Carbon Fibers

Carbon fibers derived from various sources are surface modified by oxygen and nitrogen ion beams generated from a low voltage ion source. The surface analyses by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that the ion treatment produces large abundances of various surface functional groups which are dependent on impinging ion energies and irradiation times. In the oxygen beam, the hydroxyl moiety is a dominant surface functionality, but in the nitrogen beam, various moieties containing oxygen and nitrogen are observed. The transverse tensile stresses of the epoxy composites made from the ion treated fibers are found to increase two to four times. The ion beam process yields the highest adhesive strength among all surface treatment methods.
Histopathological differences utilizing the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score criteria in diabetic (type 2 diabetes mellitus) and non-diabetic patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Histopathological differences utilizing the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score criteria in diabetic (type 2 diabetes mellitus) and non-diabetic patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
A Phase Ib Study of Alpelisib (BYL719), a PI3Kα-Specific Inhibitor, with Letrozole in ER+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Purpose Alpelisib, a selective oral inhibitor of the class I PI3K catalytic subunit p110α, has shown synergistic antitumor activity with endocrine therapy against ER+/PIK3CA-mutated breast cancer cells. This phase Ib study evaluated alpelisib plus letrozole's safety, tolerability, and preliminary activity in patients with metastatic ER+ breast cancer refractory to endocrine therapy. Experimental design Twenty-six patients received letrozole and alpelisib daily. Outcomes were assessed by standard solid-tumor phase I methods. Tumor blocks were collected for DNA extraction and next-generation sequencing. Results Alpelisib's maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) in combination with letrozole was 300 mg/d. Common drug-related adverse events included hyperglycemia, nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, and rash with dose-limiting toxicity occurring at 350 mg/d of alpelisib. The clinical benefit rate (lack of progression ≥6 months) was 35% (44% in patients with PIK3CA-mutated and 20% in PIK3CA wild-type tumors; 95% CI, 17%-56%), including five objective responses. Of eight patients remaining on treatment ≥12 months, six had tumors with a PIK3CA mutation. Among evaluable tumors, those with FGFR1/2 amplification and KRAS and TP53 mutations did not derive clinical benefit. Overexpression of FGFR1 in ER+/PIK3CA mutant breast cancer cells attenuated the response to alpelisib in vitro CONCLUSIONS: The combination of letrozole and alpelisib was safe, with reversible toxicities. Clinical activity was observed independently of PIK3CA mutation status, although clinical benefit was seen in a higher proportion of patients with PIK3CA-mutated tumors. Phase II and III trials of alpelisib and endocrine therapy in patients with ER+ breast cancer are ongoing. Clin Cancer Res; 23(1); 26-34. ©2016 AACR.
Response of red blood cell control materials to altered testing conditions

While many features are regularly considered in selecting control reagents, the responsiveness of these products to methodologic errors is frequently overlooked. To address this issue with regard to commercially prepared whole blood cell controls, mean cell volume (MCV) determinations were performed on several preserved red blood cell controls and fresh blood in the presence of various artifacts. The effects contaminating the isotonic diluent with water, saline, or bleach were compared. Although our results indicate that preserved and fresh RBCs generally behave similarly, large differences were observed in the responses to hypotonic stress among controls and between controls and fresh specimens. As this may have clinical relevance, our data highlight the need for testing the responsiveness of controls to commonly encountered methodologic variables as part of the routine evaluation of these products.
Building Structured Personal Health Records from Photographs of Printed Medical Records

Personal health records (PHRs) provide patient-centric healthcare by making health records accessible to patients. In China, it is very difficult for individuals to access electronic health records. Instead, individuals can easily obtain the printed copies of their own medical records, such as prescriptions and lab test reports, from hospitals. In this paper, we propose a practical approach to extract structured data from printed medical records photographed by mobile phones. An optical character recognition (OCR) pipeline is performed to recognize text in a document photo, which addresses the problems of low image quality and content complexity by image pre-processing and multiple OCR engine synthesis. A series of annotation algorithms that support flexible layouts are then used to identify the document type, entities of interest, and entity correlations, from which a structured PHR document is built. The proposed approach was applied to real world medical records to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability.
Technical note: sampling technique and drying method effects on chemical composition of tall fescue or fescue-ladino clover pasture samples.

Although esophageal extrusa is the most readily accepted representation of forage consumed by grazing ruminants, esophageal sampling is demanding from the standpoint of animal care and maintenance and extrusa processing. This experiment was conducted with a split-plot design to evaluate the effects of pasture type, pasture sampling technique and drying method on estimation of grazed forage composition. Ten esophageally fistulated steers grazed pastures of either tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) or tall fescue interseeded with ladino clover (Trifolium repens L.); steers were closely observed during four collection periods to determine their exact grazing location. Forage samples were collected either directly from the esophageal fistula (E) or hand-gathered (HG) from the immediate perimeter of the grazed area. Samples of E and HG from each steer were divided and oven-dried at 40 degrees C or lyophilized. Fescue samples had lower (P less than .01) N and ADF N concentrations than fescue-ladino clover samples, and E-collected fescue samples had lower (P less than .05) in vitro digestible OM than E-collected fescue-ladino clover samples. Sampling x drying method interactions were detected (P less than .01) for OM, NDF, ADF, hemicellulose (HEMI), ADL, alkaline peroxide lignin (APL), ADFN and indigestible ADF (IADF). Oven-dried E had higher (P less than .05) NDF, ADF, HEMI, ADL, APL and ADF N than lyophilized E; ADF N and IADF were higher from oven-dried HG than from lyophilized HG. In vitro digestible OM was not modified by oven drying. Hand-gathered samples, whether lyophilized or oven-dried, did not simulate E dried by lyophilization. Standardized collection techniques and drying procedures should be implemented to minimize damage to fibrous components.
The impact of a participant-based accounting cycle course on student performance in Intermediate Financial Accounting I

ABSTRACTThe authors investigated whether students in an Intermediate Financial Accounting I course who took a 1-credit, participant-based accounting cycle course performed better than students who did not take the accounting cycle course. Results indicate a higher likelihood of earning a better grade for students who took the accounting cycle course even after controlling variables known to be associated with student performance. The questionnaire results indicate that students who took the accounting cycle course were satisfied with the quality of the course, felt that it was helpful in preparing them for future accounting courses, and would recommend it to their peers, suggesting that the course adds value to accounting students.
Simulation with Validation of Mixing Effects in Continuous and Fed-Batch Reactors

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the effects of scale-up of stirred reactors on product yield for competitive reactions with various rate constant ratios, for two impeller types, and for continuous and fed-batch modes of operation, by numerical simulation. Many of the chemical reactions that are simulated, have been studied experimentally, so comparisons under identical reaction conditions are used to validate the numerical method. The simulations are done using FLUENT as the transport computation engine with added subroutines to simulate mixing rates and chemical reaction rates as a function of the degree of mixing. The closure used for the chemical component mass balances is the Paired-Interaction (P-I) Model. The P-I model treats component segregation (lack of mixing) as a conserved quantity requiring a balance equation for its production, dissipation and transport. The chapter also explores typical strategies for scaling-up the mixing power for stirred chemical reactors: constant power per unit volume and constant impeller tip speed. Most of the simulations are for continuous flow reactions since they require about one-tenth of the time to compute than simulations for fed-batch reactions. Some of the cases simulated are for fed-batch operation, which generally give higher yields than continuous flow operation for the same mixing rates, and concentrations, but directional effects for changes in size, feed location, and impeller rotation rate are usually the same for the two modes.
Gfi1-N382S Mutants from Human Severe Congenital Neutropenia Patients Function through a Transcriptional Dominant Negative Mechanism.

The Growth factor independence 1 (Gfi1) zinc finger transcriptional repressor is a T cell leukemia oncoprotein that also plays a crucial role in granulopoiesis in both mice and humans. A single point mutation in the amino terminal SNAG repressor domain (P2A) is able to ablate both Gfi1 transcriptional repression activity and linked oncogenic activity in T lymphoctyes. Mice deleted for Gfi1 are lymphopenic, but also lack mature neutrophils. Gfi1−/− mice display a profound block to myeloid differentiation and abnormal promyelocytes accumulate in the blood. Humans with Severe Congenital Neutropenia (SCN) with heterozygous mutations in Gfi1 have similar abnormal promyelocytes. We introduced the SCN patient Gfi1N382S DNA-binding-deficient mutation into murine Gfi1 and overexpressed it in primary murine bone marrow cells. While expression of the wild type Gfi1 resulted almost exclusively in mature granulocyte differentiation, forced expression of the N382S mutant resulted almost exclusively in monocytic differentiation. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a population of N382S-expressing cells with markers of both monocytes and neutrophils resembling the atypical Gfi1−/− promyelocytes. To determine if mutation of the N382 residue is uniquely able to block Gfi1 function, we constructed a virtual model of Gfi1 zinc fingers 3, 4 and 5 interacting with DNA. The model revealed several possible protein-DNA interactions. In order to validate the model we mutated those residues to alanine and performed EMSA with in vitro transcribed/translated proteins. The same alanine substitution mutants were expressed in primary murine bone marrow and tested for their ability to control myelopoiesis. Lack of DNA binding in EMSA tightly correlated with impaired granulopoesis in our in vitro model, suggesting the necessity of intact DNA binding for proper Gfi1 function. These data suggested that the non-DNA binding mutants were able to inhibit repression by wild type endogenous Gfi1, perhaps through the sequestration of limiting corepressor proteins. The Gfi1P2A mutant is unable to repress transcription. We therefore tested the effect of Gfi1P2A expression on myelopoiesis and found that it blocked granulopoiesis equivalently to Gfi1N382S. To rigorously determine whether the titration of limiting corepressors was the cause of N382S neutropenia, we constructed a compound mutant containing both N382S and P2A and expressed it in primary murine bone marrow cells. Expression of Gfi1P2A-N382S had little effect on myelopoiesis. We conclude that SCN patients with heterozygous Gfi1 mutations have blocked granulopoiesis because the non-DNA binding mutant protein competes with the wild type allele for titratable associated cofactors.
A Year of Extravagance in Legal Publishing

This is a review and explanation of the Green Bag's first year of extravagant presentations of history and developments in the law, including a towel, a bag, an old-style chapbook, and a new series of Supreme Court trading cards.
Exploring U.S. Retail Employees’ Experiences of Corporate Hypocrisy

ABSTRACTCorporate hypocrisy (CH) exists when people believe that firms are not what they claim to be. Much of the previous research has focused on how consumers may perceive firms as hypocritical and how that might affect firms’ sales and profits, but little has been researched on CH as experienced by employees. This study explored CH experienced by employees in the U.S. retail sector, which is predominantly comprised of part-time, low-income personnel. Through in-depth interviews of 16 retail employees, the study revealed that for participants, inconsistencies in both supervisors’ and corporate claims and actions resulted in perceived CH in employees. This, in turn, seemed to be related to participants’ feelings and future employment intentions. The study findings offer important implications for leaders and managers of U.S. retail companies, as they show how employees perceive, feel about, and act in response to CH.
Why the Supreme Court Should Deny Certiorari in King Drug

Since the Supreme Court’s decision in FTC v. Actavis, the question that has received the most attention is whether “payment” is limited to cash or encompasses non-cash forms of consideration. The courts, including the Third Circuit in the "King Drug" case, have consistently held that payment includes non-cash transfers. Despite this uniformity, the settling parties sought Supreme Court review of the King Drug decision, and indicating its serious consideration, the Court has requested the views of the Solicitor General.This article, which builds on a letter submitted to the Solicitor General on behalf of 61 professors, offers four reasons why the Court should not grant certiorari: (1) drug patent settlements are not immune from antitrust scrutiny, (2) the arrangement at issue can induce delayed generic entry, (3) this is not an exclusive license, and (4) there is no circuit split or difficult issue presented.Among the complex issues courts have considered after Actavis, the question of whether payment is restricted to cash (and, relatedly, whether an “exclusive license” is immune from antitrust scrutiny) is easy. Rather than opening a completely avoidable can of worms that could lead to mischief by which drug companies disguise anticompetitive settlements in unwitting court-blessed packages, the Court should deny certiorari in King Drug.
The effect of firefighter protective garments, self-contained breathing apparatus and exertion in the heat on postural sway.

AbstractFire suppression wearing thermal protective clothing (TPC) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) challenges a firefighter’s balance and may explain firefighter falls. Postural control based on force plate centre of pressure (COP) was compared for healthy subjects wearing TPC and SCBA before and after 20 min of heavy physical exertion in hot conditions. Baseline measures with and without TPC and SCBA (two different SCBA cylinder masses) were compared before and after exertion that included elements of fire suppression activities in an environmental chamber. COP excursion and variability increased with exertion for TPC and SCBA conditions compared to non-stressed conditions. The two different cylinder masses had no significant effect. Wearing TPC and SCBA when physically stressed in a hot environment increases postural sway and exacerbates postural control. Subjects compensated for the extra mass and adjusted to control postural sway with the addition of TPC and SCBA, but the stress protocol...
The Complex Genetics of Psychiatric Disorders

Unlike many single-gene neurological disorders such as Huntington’s disease, neurofibromatosis, and Rett syndrome, most psychiatric illnesses are etiologically complex. It is this complexity that stands as the major obstacle hindering risk-gene identification in psychiatry, and all of the diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive advances that such discoveries might engender. Linkage and association analyses will probably be able to resolve some of the genetic complexity of many psychiatric conditions; but it is also likely that emerging disciplines, such as systems biology and functional genomics, will inform traditional genomic methods to hasten the compilation of a full catalog of susceptibility genes for psychiatric illness.
The Business and Government Interface

This chapter covers the interface of business and government in terms of their specific, but not necessarily matching, goals. While there may be differences in private and social goals there is a possibility for a congruous relationship between business and government. In this regard, public-private partnerships are examined with an eye toward how far government regulation can and should extend into the marketplace. Public-private partnerships play an important role in the policy-making process of supply chain security. Indeed, they help to mitigate a complete top-down approach to government and its regulation of the marketplace. Efforts to establish centers of excellence at private institutions are shown to help create a bottom-up effect in the regulatory process. Finally, this chapter outlines the reasons for businesses to consider outsourcing parts of their security to other organizations.
Representation of Linear Viscoelastic Behavior by Spectral Response Functions

The fundamental equations of the linear theory of viscoelastic behavior, \(\bar \sigma ({\text{s}}) = {\bar{\text{Q}}}({\text{s}})\bar \varepsilon ({\text{s}})\) and \(\bar \varepsilon ({\text{s}}) = \bar{\text{U}}({\text{s}})\bar \sigma ({\text{s}})\), can be condensed into one by writing Open image in new window