cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-unimodular transformations of nested loops

A linear algebraic approach to modeling loop transformations is presented which unifies apparently unrelated recent developments in supercompiler technology. The relationship between the dependence abstraction called dependence cones and fully permutable loop nests is shown. Compound transformations are modeled as matrices. Nonsingular linear transformations that subsume the class of unimodular transformations are presented. Nonunimodular transformations (with determinant>or=1) create 'holes' in the transformed iteration space. The step size of loops is changed in order to 'step aside from these holes' when traversing the transformed iteration space. For the class of nonunimodular loop transformations, algorithms for deriving the loop bounds, the array access expressions, and step sizes of loops in the nest are given. The algorithms are based on the Hermite normal form of the transformation matrix. The use of this approach in several problems such as generation of tile sets, distributed memory code generation, and dependence analysis. >
Managing a Medically and Socially Complex Life: Women Living With Lupus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a systemic autoimmune illness that affects women more frequently than men and disproportionately affects women of color. Because so little is known about living with lupus, the author undertook a qualitative study to identify salient aspects of affected women's daily experiences. Seven women with lupus participated in three interviews, each separated by 1 month, and they also maintained a daily symptom journal. In addition, 23 women recruited from the Internet submitted narrative accounts of their experiences of living with lupus. Analysis of the findings suggests that living with lupus involves managing a medically and socially complex life. The complexity of life with lupus is dimensionalized by the overlapping themes, identified as a life of uncertainty, a shifting sense of identity, and managing the financial burden of illness.
Who Exports Better Quality Products to Smaller or More Distant Markets

The role of across-firm differences in product quality and firms' competitiveness in determining the spatial patterns of within-product export unit values across destinations is examined in this paper. Using product level export data, it is shown that the average export unit value of a product shipped from the USA or Korea increases with distance and decreases with destination market's size. However, within-product average unit values for products exported from China and India decrease with distance and increase with market size. To interpret these different spatial patterns of unit values across exporting countries, model of quality heterogeneity is developed in which firms differ in their workers' skill level and higher-skilled workers show greater productivity in performing tasks that improve product quality. The model predicts that in relatively skill-abundant countries, exporting firms specialize in high-quality products using relatively cheap skilled labor, whereas, in relatively skill-scarce countries, firms that produce lower-quality products are more competitive.
A Review of: “If Only I Had Known …. Avoiding Common Mistakes in Couples Therapy”

The premise of this book is a simple one: learn by exploring the clinical errors made by others. It is also a flawed concept: to learn the art and science of therapy by understanding mistakes made ...
Breaking linkage between mating compatibility factors: Tetrapolarity in Microbotryum

Linkage of genes determining separate self-incompatibility mechanisms is a general expectation of sexual eukaryotes that helps to resolve conflicts between reproductive assurance and recombination. However, in some organisms, multiple loci are required to be heterozygous in offspring while segregating independently in meiosis. This condition, termed "tetrapolarity" in basidiomycete fungi, originated in the ancestor to that phylum, and there have been multiple reports of subsequent transitions to "bipolarity" (i.e., linkage of separate mating factors). In the genus Microbotryum, we present the first report of the breaking of linkage between two haploid self-incompatibility factors and derivation of a tetrapolar breeding system. This breaking of linkage is associated with major alteration of genome structure, with the compatibility factors residing on separate mating-type chromosome pairs, reduced in size but retaining the structural dimorphism characteristic for regions of recombination suppression. The challenge to reproductive assurance from unlinked compatibility factors may be overcome by the automictic mating system in Microbotryum (i.e., mating among products of the same meiosis). As a curious outcome, this linkage transition and its effects upon outcrossing compatibility rates may reinforce automixis as a mating system. These observations contribute to understanding mating systems and linkage as fundamental principles of sexual life cycles, with potential impacts on conventional wisdom regarding mating-type evolution.
Simple, Practical Method for Determining Station Weights Using Thiessen Polygons and Isohyetal Maps

A simple, practical method for computing station weights, which are commonly used in operational (i.e., real-time) hydrologic modeling, is presented. The weights are derived using Thiessen polygons and widely available isohyetal information. The method is shown to eliminate long-term bias associated with the difference between the spatial distribution of precipitation implied by Thiessen polygons and the more accurate spatial distribution depicted by an isohyetal map.
Integrated Filter Elements in Electric Drives

There are opportunities in electric drives for integration of filter elements. Integration can consist of utilizing existing the magnetic material for an input inductor, or using the rotor inertia for power filtering. Though integration, mass or cost, or both can be reduced. This could be particularly important for vehicular applications. An integrated inductor design is done using magnetic equivalent circuits and examined with finite element analysis. Rotor inertia is used to displace electrical passive components and thereby reduce the filter requirements of the dc-link capacitor. This is shown in permanent magnet synchronous machine drive simulation.
Contact Pheromones as Mate Recognition Cues of Four Species of Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

We tested the hypothesis that contact phermones mediate mate recognition for four species of longhorned beetles, Neoclytus mucronatus mucronatus (F.), Megacyllene caryae (Gahan), Megacyllene robiniae (Forster), and Plectrodera scalator (F.). All tested males of all four species attempted to mate with females only after contacting them with their antennae. From 66.7 to 80% of tested males attempted to mate with hexane-extracted dead females treated with 0.1–1.0 female equivalents of conspecific female extracts, confirming that nonpolar compounds on the cuticle of females are essential for mate recognition in all four species. These findings are further evidence of the critical role of contact pheromones in mating systems of longhorned beetles.
DECLINING RATES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THE UNITED STATES: What Are the Contributors?

▪ Abstract This review describes current patterns and long-term trends (up to 50 years when possible) related to (a) physical activity, (b) employment and occupation, (c) travel behavior, (d) land use, and (e) related behaviors (e.g., television watching). On the basis of available data, the following trends were observed according to type of physical activity: relatively stable or slightly increasing levels of leisure-time physical activity, declining work-related activity, declining transportation activity, declining activity in the home, and increasing sedentary activity. These result in an overall trend of declining total physical activity. Large differences were noted in the rates of walking for transportation across metropolitan statistical areas. A strong linear increase existed in vehicle miles traveled per person over the past half century, coupled with a strong and consistent trend toward Americans living in suburbs. Although it is difficult to precisely quantify owing to the lack of long-term d...
Transmitter-to-Antenna Power Transfer Under Unmatched Conditions

One phase of the electromagnetic compatibility program is the determianation of the electromagnetic energy actually radiated into space by an antenna. Methods have long been established, or proposed, for measuring the power output of a transmitter, the antenna impedance, and the antenna-radiation pattern. However, very little definitive work has been published regarding the methods for computing the transmitter energy coupled to the antenna and radiated at harmonic and spurious frequencies. It is the purpose of this paper to reduce to a simple form the equations for determining the power absorbed by an antenna connected through a coaxial transmission line to a transmitter. Most discussions of transmission-line-power transfer assume the matched conditions so universally desired at the operating frequency. When harmonic and spurious frequencies are considered, both the transmitter and the antenna are likely to be poorly matched to the transmission line and to each other. This paper points out what measurements need to be made and gives the functional relations necessary to compute the power radiated under unmatched conditions. Since the actual power coupled to the antenna in a given instance may be critically dependent upon the exact length of transmission line, some means must be available to take this into account. The expressions derived give the maximum and minimum power that will be absorbed, and also give the probability that any specified intermediate power will be exceeded if a random choice of transmissionline length is used.
Combining techniques for DS-CDMA RAKE receiver

Tapped delay line RAKE receivers are commonly used to achieve path diversity gain in DS-CDMA systems: Here, a bank of correlators is used to separate the multipath components and a combiner coherently recombines the multipath energies. In this paper, the optimal combining techniques for DS-CDMA RAKE receivers (under different criteria) are introduced. Specifically, based on the maximum likelihood criteria, optimal combining techniques are derived and discussed for the following scenarios: (1) channel-fade-information is not available at the receiver; (2) a statistical characterization of the channel fades is available at the receiver, but the actual, instantaneous fade information is not; and (3) the instantaneous channel fade information is available at the receiver. This paper shows that maximum ratio combining (MRC), typically considered the optimal combining scheme when fade parameters are perfectly tracked, is sub-optimal. We present the optimal alternative to traditional MRC.
Balancing Parenthood and Academia Work/Family Stress as Influenced by Gender and Tenure Status

The present research investigated the influence of gender and tenure status in academicians’ experiences of balancing parenthood and an academic career. Men (n = 85) and women (n = 179) employed full-time in tenure-track academic positions with at least one child younger than the age of 16 responded via the Internet to a 36-item questionnaire assessing experiences and perceptions regarding work and family demands. Results revealed group differences based on gender but no differences based on tenure status alone and no significant interactions between gender and tenure status. Women reported greater academic and family stress and perceptions of less institutional support for balance of work and family as compared to men. Results are discussed in terms of the rational and role demand models of work/family stress.
Integrated multidimensional positioner for precision manufacturing

Reliable low-cost positioning for precision manufacturing processes requiring clean-room, extreme-temperature or vacuum environments is key for microelectronics manufacturing, packaging, machine tool and high-precision inspection industries. The integrated multidimensional positioner presented herein is a major technological breakthrough and may oA er competitive advantages in both cost and performance relative to current practices. Speci® cally, this integrated positioner can generate all required ® ne and coarse motions with only one levitated moving part, namely the platen, and have potential to satisfy the dynamic performance speci® cations necessary for next-generation deep- submicron microelectronics manufacturing equipment. Absence of particulate contamination without mechanical contact between the single moving part and the machine frame makes this technology highly suited to clean-room operation. In this paper, the design concept, electromechanical design and fabrication and assembly of all the key parts in the development of this multidimensional positioner are presented. A dynamic model and feedback controllers were derived and implemented. This prototype positioner currently has a planar travelling range of 160mm £160mm with a position resolution of 30nm, position repeatability of 30nm, position noise of 10nm r.m.s. and platen dimensional stability of 32.7 mm. The maximum velocity achieved so far is 0.4m/s with 2m/s 2 acceleration. Various experimental results veri® ed the utility of this positioner in precision manufacturing applications.
The design of a pressure sensing floor for movement-based human computer interaction

This paper addresses the design of a large area, high resolution, networked pressure sensing floor with primary application in movement-based human-computer interaction (M-HCI). To meet the sensing needs of an M-HCI system, several design challenges need to be overcome. Firstly, high frame rate and low latency are required to ensure real-time human computer interaction, even in the presence of large sensing area (for unconstrained movement in the capture space) and high resolution (to support detailed analysis of pressure patterns). The optimization of floor system frame rate and latency is a challenge. Secondly, in many cases of M-HCI there are only a small number of subjects on the floor and a large portion of the floor is not active. Proper data compression for efficient data transmission is also a challenge. Thirdly, locations of disjoint active floor regions are useful features in many M-HCI applications. Reliable clustering and tracking of active disjoint floor regions poses as a challenge. Finally, to allow M-HCI using multiple communication channels, such as gesture, pose and pressure distributions, the pressure sensing floor needs to be integrable with other sensing modalities to create a smart multimodal environment. Fast and accurate alignment of floor sensing data in space and time with other sensing modalities is another challenge. In our research, we fully addressed the above challenges. The pressure sensing floor we developed has a sensing area of about 180 square feet, with a sensor resolution of 6.25 sensels/in2. The system frame rate is up to 43 Hz with average latency of 25 ms. A simple but efficient data compression scheme is in place. We have also developed a robust clustering and tracking procedure for disjoint active floor regions using the mean-shift algorithm. The pressure sensing floor can be seamlessly integrated with a marker based motion capture system with accurate temporal and spatial alignment. Furthermore, the modular and scalable structure of the sensor floor allows for easy installation to real rooms of irregular shape. The pressure sensing floor system described in this paper forms an important stepping stone towards the creation of a smart environment with context aware data processing algorithms which finds extensive applications beyond M-HCI, e.g. diagnosing gait pathologies and evaluation of treatment.
To be fully there: Psychological presence at work.

This article develops the concept of psychological presence to describe the experiential state enabling organization members to draw deeply on their personal selves in role performances, i.e., express thoughts and feelings, question assumptions, innovate. The dimensions of psychological presence are described along with relevant organizational and individual factors. The concept's implications for theory and research about the person-role relationship are described.
Optimization of Laminates' Fracture Toughness Using Design of Experiments and Response Surface

Maximization of mode I critical delamination fracture toughness (GIC) in cross ply graphite–epoxy laminates is studied using Design of Experiments and Taguchi arrays. The novel methodology proposed allows continuous and discrete factors to be considered simultaneously. Main and interactive factor effects on GIC are evaluated. Selection of factors is based on design and material criteria; the ones considered are: width, length, thickness, stacking angle and stacking sequence. A Fractional Factorial experiment is used to reduce the number of tests. Double Cantilever Beam specimens are used for all mode I experiments. Statistically significant factors are culled and a response equation (RE), based on the importance of each factor, is established. The RE is then employed to optimize GIC within the given set of restrictions. The effect of interfaces on delamination propagation is also investigated.
From Classroom to Practice: A Partnership Approach to Assessment

This chapter provides a model for bridging graduate assessment course work and divisional student affairs assessment efforts. Evidence from three years of application is provided along with considerations for implementation.
Acute Viral Hepatitis Hepatitis B

Every gastroenterologist knows that acute uncomplicated viral hepatitis B is a self-limited disease and that biopsy is not of much help in guidance for therapy. This explains why histologic confirmation is sought much less frequently in acute than in chronic hepatitis. It follows that the sequence of histologic changes and immunohistochemical features is less documented in acute viral hepatitis type B (AVHB) than in the chronic variants of the disease. This is not to say that no information is available. Several excellent reviews, which can hardly be improved, are scattered in the literature of the last 10 years.1–18
A Whole Farm Analysis of the Influence of Auto-Steer Navigation on Net Returns, Risk, and Production Practices

A whole farm economic analysis was conducted to provide a detailed assessment into the economic, risk, and production implications due to the adoption of auto-steer navigation. It was determined that auto-steer navigation was profitable for a grain farmer in Kentucky with net returns increasing up to 0.90% ($3.35/acre). Additionally, the technology could be used in reducing production risk. Adoption of the technology also alters production practices for optimal use.
Recovery phase of acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in rats corresponds to development of endothelial cell unresponsiveness to interferon gamma activation

Activation of the vascular endothelium is important in the development of inflammation. Activated endothelial cells (EC) express surface markers not expressed by quiescent EC. These surface markers augment adhesion reactions and leukocyte migration. We examined microvessel EC activation longitudinally in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Lewis rats. CNS microvessels were isolated at 0, 3, 7, 12, 20, and 30 days post-inoculation (PI). Normal and CFA-injected rat microvessels do not express activation antigens (Ag). Increased expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecule and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were detected on CNS microvessels from immunized rats at 7 days PI, prior to development of clinical signs, and at 12 days PI. Enhanced MHC class I molecule was seen only at 12 days. MHC class II molecule expression was focally expressed along microvessel fragments. By 20 days PI, EC did not exhibit increased levels of any of the markers tested. Perivascular cells (possibly pericytes), however, were found to express MHC class II molecule and ICAM-1 up to 30 days PI. During the recovery phase isolated CNS microvessels from MBP-immunized rats were unresponsive to IFN gamma-mediated endothelial activation. Unresponsiveness was independent of IFN gamma concentration. These results suggest that the endothelium is restored to functional quiescence during the recovery phase of acute EAE.
Environmental requirements trump genetic factors in explaining narrow endemism in two imperiled Florida sunflowers

The mechanisms generating narrow endemism have long been of interest to biologists, with a variety of underlying causes proposed. This study investigates the origins of narrow endemism of two imperiled Florida endemics, Helianthus carnosus and Phoebanthus tenuifolius, in relation to a widespread sympatric close relative, Helianthus radula, as well as other members of the genus Helianthus. Using a combination of population genetics and environmental niche modeling, this study compares evidence in support of potential mechanisms underlying the origin of narrow endemism, including environmental specialization versus inbreeding, loss of diversity, or other predominantly genetic factors. The two narrow endemics were found to be comparable in genetic diversity to H. radula as well as other widespread Helianthus species, with little to no evidence of inbreeding. Environmental niche modeling indicates that distributions of both narrow endemics are strongly related to temperature and precipitation patterns, and that both endemics are threatened with severe reductions in habitat suitability under projected climate change. Evidence indicates that genetic factors likely are not the cause of narrow endemism in these species, suggesting that these species are likely ecological specialists and thus historical narrow endemics. This makes both species vulnerable to climate change, and of immediate conservation concern.
Research Article: Replacing the ketogenic diet with oral β-hydroxybutyrate

Abstract The Ketogenic Diet (KD), which combines initial food deprivation with a diet high in fat, was first used to treat childhood epilepsy in the 1920s. The KD induces ketosis, producing β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), which appears to be a factor that reduces the frequency of seizures. The purpose of this study was to develop an animal model in which the direct administration of BHB produced the same effect as the KD. Techniques were developed for administering BHB by gastric gavage and measuring its levels in blood; levels were measured after periods of food given ad libitum and food deprivation. Rats fed ad libitum had average blood BHB levels of 0.06 mmol/L, while rats deprived of food for 12 hr had average levels of 0.69 mmol/L. The seizure protection range in rats begins at 0.7 mmol/L (Likhodii et al., 2000). The time necessary for the body to remove BHB from the blood was determined to be less than 1 hr. Repeated doses were given at short intervals to increase BHB levels from baseline. Repeated doses o...
Purification of Synthetic Peptides Using a Catching Full-Length Sequence by Polymerization Approach

During automated solid-phase peptide synthesis, failure sequences were capped with acetic anhydride. After synthesis, a polymerizable methacrylamide tag was attached to the full-length sequences. Peptide purification was then achieved by polymerizing the full-length sequences, washing away impurities, and cleaving the peptide product from the polymer.
Kinetic model of water and urea permeability regulation by vasopressin in collecting duct.

We present a mathematical model describing the kinetics of water-channel and urea-carrier regulation by vasopressin in the apical membrane of collecting duct cells. The rate of change of the number of activated channels or carriers in the apical membrane is modeled as a balance between the rate of activation (or exocytic insertion) and the rate of inactivation (or endocytic retrieval) of transporters. In a three-state version of the model, transporters are assumed to be partitioned into three physical states, i.e., an "activated" state that imparts a permeation pathway to the apical membrane, an "inactivated" state, and a "reserve" state. Both activation and inactivation are represented by first-order kinetic equations describing transition from reserve to activated transporters and from activated to inactivated transporters, respectively. A simplified two-state model is derived from the three-state model, with the assumption that the transformation from inactivated to reserve transporter occurs rapidly relative to the other state transitions. Simulated time courses obtained by solving model equations are compared with experimentally determined time courses to test whether the response to vasopressin in isolated inner medullary collecting duct segments can be explained by direct effects on the rate constants for activation or inactivation. The results indicate that, for both transporters, it must be assumed that vasopressin directly regulates rate constants for both activation (exocytosis) and inactivation (endocytosis) to account for the experimentally determined dynamic responses to vasopressin and its withdrawal. These studies provide a theoretical basis on which to design further experimental studies.
Fractional Derivatives and Leibniz Rule

(1971). Fractional Derivatives and Leibniz Rule. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 78, No. 6, pp. 645-649.
Pregnancy outcome following uterotubal implantation: a comparison of the reamer and sharp cornual wedge excision techniques.

The present study reviews the pregnancy outcome in 52 patients treated with uterotubal implantation for intramural or isthmic obstruction. Twenty-six patients were treated with the sharp cornual wedge technique, four of whom conceived for a pregnancy rate of 15%. Within this group, 20 patients had the isthmic portion and 6 patients had the ampullary portion of the fallopian tube implanted into the uterus. The pregnancy rates were 15% and 17%, respectively. An additional 26 patients were treated by the reamer technique, 11 of whom (42%) conceived. Of the 26 patients treated with the reamer technique, 15 had the isthmic portion of the fallopian tube implanted into the uterus and 11 patients had the ampullary portion of the fallopian tube implanted. Pregnancy rates were 27% and 64%, respectively. Over-all, 52 patients were treated with uterotubal implantation, 15 of whom conceived for a pregnancy rate of 29%. Eight patients (15%) had pregnancies which resulted in living children. The reamer technique (implanting the ampullary portion of the fallopian tube) appeared to give the best results in achievement of pregnancy, although this did not reach a level of statistical significance. Adhesion formation involving the fallopian tube and ovary noted at the time of uterotubal implantation was categorized according to a classification based on the extent and the site of the adhesion formation. Pregnancy was less likely to occur in those patients with fixation of the ovary and tube and obliteration of the cul-de-sac (P
Pilot Learning and Teaching Management in Thailand

Pilot learning is a peer-led-team learning. With the worldwide expansion of aviation industry, good pilots are in great demand. The objectives of this research article are to analyze and present the status, procedures, and guidelines to improve the effectiveness of pilot learning and teaching management in Thailand. This qualitative and mixed research, utilizes both secondary and primary data, sourced from documents, observation and in-depth interview of personnel in airlines business. The data gathered from a sample group of 322, comprising pilots and co-pilots, who graduated from Aviation Training Center, Thailand was statistically treated. Pilot learning and teaching management course is taught by both private and government institutions in the country. The students of the program avail both airlines’ and private scholarships for their education. Their qualification meets the airlines’ requirements and the general effectiveness of teaching-learning process is impressive. However, it is suggested that in order to sustain and improve the effectiveness of pilot learning and teaching in, development of new teaching equipment, more aviation training centers, program management guidelines and body checkups for students are required.
Deregulation of the OsmiR160 Target Gene OsARF18 Causes Growth and Developmental Defects with an Alteration of Auxin Signaling in Rice

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control gene expression as key negative regulators at the post-transcriptional level. MiR160 plays a pivotal role in Arabidopsis growth and development through repressing expression of its target AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) genes; however, the function of miR160 in monocots remains elusive. In this study, we found that the mature rice miR160 (OsmiR160) was mainly derived from OsMIR160a and OsMIR160b genes. Among four potential OsmiR160 target OsARF genes, the OsARF18 transcript was cleaved at the OsmiR160 target site. Rice transgenic plants (named mOsARF18) expressing an OsmiR160-resistant version of OsARF18 exhibited pleiotropic defects in growth and development, including dwarf stature, rolled leaves, and small seeds. mOsARF18 leaves were abnormal in bulliform cell differentiation and epidermal cell division. Starch accumulation in mOsARF18 seeds was also reduced. Moreover, auxin induced expression of OsMIR160a, OsMIR160b, and OsARF18, whereas expression of OsMIR160a and OsMIR160b as well as genes involved in auxin signaling was altered in mOsARF18 plants. Our results show that negative regulation of OsARF18 expression by OsmiR160 is critical for rice growth and development via affecting auxin signaling, which will advance future studies on the molecular mechanism by which miR160 fine-tunes auxin signaling in plants.
Dyspnea in the Elderly

This article discusses the evaluation and management of stable and unstable elderly patients with dyspnea. Several of the changes in the elderly that alter cardiopulmonary physiology are discussed. A review of common presenting illnesses and their evaluation and management are highlighted. The reader should be left with a better understanding of this unique population and the overall evaluation and treatment.
Electromyographic analysis of the intermittent modifications occurring during the acquisition of a novel throwing skill

Recently, several authors have published evidence that muscle action potentials are modified during the acquisition of a novel motor skill. Most agree that practice results in an improvement in the coordination or the timing of muscle response (Finley, Wirta, and Cody, 1968; Hobart, 1972; Kamon and Gormley, 1968; Payton and Kelley, 1972; Person, 1958). The changes in the integrated electrical activity attributable to practice have been investigated by several authors, with each producing different results. Brush (1966) found no changes attributable to practice; Finley et al. (1968) found an increase; and Payton and Kelley (1972) found a decline in the integrated electrical activity of one muscle and no change in another. Finley and Wirta (1967), supported by Hobart (1972), suggested that a shift in the electrical activity of the muscles may occur because of practice. Some muscles increase their activity, others decrease, each contributing to a smoother performance of the task.
Intraocular Candidiasis in Patients with Candidemia: Clinical Implications Derived from a Prospective Multicenter Study

Purpose: Intraocular infection caused by Candida species can have devastating visual consequences. With the emergence of Candida as a major nosocomial pathogen, the authors investigated the prevalence of ocular lesions in patients with candidemia and evaluated risk factors for eye involvement. Methods: This study is a prospective, multicentered, observational design. One hundred eighteen patients with candidemia were evaluated by the infectious disease service and received indirect ophthalmologic examination within 72 hours of a reported positive blood culture. Ocular findings were classified on the basis of objective, predetermined criteria. Candida chorioretinitis was defined as the presence of focal, white, infiltrative chorioretinal lesions without vitreal involvement. Candida endophthalmitis was defined as chorioretinitis with extension into the vitreous or intravitreal "fluff balls." Results: In contrast to previous studies of patients with candidemia citing prevalence rates of endophthalmitis approaching 40%, no patients were shown to have endophthalmitis. Candida chorioretinitis was seen in 9% of the patients, all of whom received antifungal agents. The observation that chorioretinitis never progressed to endophthalmitis suggests that systemic antifungal agents provided adequate ocular therapy. Risk factors for Candida chorioretinitis include fungemia with Candida albicans (versus nonalbicans species), multiple positive blood cultures, visual symptoms, and immunosuppression. Twenty percent of patients had nonspecific ocular lesions not directly related to infection. Conclusion: Patients with candidemia who have the risk factors noted above warrant formal ophthalmologic examination.
Price-based demand response of energy storage resources in commercial buildings

This paper presents a closed-loop model in which commercial building aggregators (CBAs) minimize their operating costs in a wholesale electricity market, considering wind power uncertainties that are modeled as contingencies using a set of forecast error scenarios. Specifically, the CBAs determine the optimal energy consumption and reserve deployment of variable speed heat pumps (VSHPs) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in response to locational marginal prices (LMPs). A two-stage stochastic optimization problem is formulated to model the price-based demand response (DR) of the CBAs. Simulated case studies are performed to estimate variation in the operational costs of the CBAs under various conditions, as determined by the room temperature control methods and the building energy storage resource penetrations.
A Framework to Support Generation and Maintenance of an Assurance Case

One of the greatest challenges in software intensive systems such as safety critical systems is to ensure software quality assurance (called software assurance for brevity) which encompasses some quality-related attributes such as reliability and security as well as functionality and performance. To this end, engineers prefer a safety case or an assurance case, via Goal Structuring Notation (GSN) to convey the information about software assurance in a system during its development. An assurance case, similar to a legal case, lays out an argumentation-structure with supporting evidence to claim that software assurance in a system is achieved. However, due to complexity of software intensive applications especially heterogeneity of artifacts used as evidence, the creation and management of an assurance case become a challenging issue facing the safety critical domains. In this report, we present a novel framework to automatically generate an assurance case via a safety pattern and further support the maintenance of an assurance case during a system's evolution. Last, we use the Wheel Brake System (WBS) for an aircraft as a case study to illustrate the construction and maintenance of a safety case during a system's evolution.
Antioxidants and Redox-Based Therapeutics in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressing neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and their axon terminals in the striatum. Although the etiology of PD is not completely understood and is believed to be multifactorial, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are widely considered major contributors offering important clues about disease mechanisms. Given the relevance of oxidative stress in PD, a new class of antioxidant therapeutics, including mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, has been receiving attention as a possible treatment for PD. Here we summarize the recent discoveries of potential antioxidant compounds for modulating oxidative damage in PD.
AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF IS STRATEGY AND IS CONTRIBUTION TO FIRM PERFORMANCE

Given the important impact that an IS strategy has on the potential value IS brings to an organization, we develop and test a model of IS Strategy and Performance. Our survey-based study provides strong evidence that firms with defined IS strategies perform better than those without defined IS strategies. Our study also provides evidence that the two IS defined strategies -- IS Innovator and IS Conservative -- contribute in very different ways to firm performance: the IS Innovator strategy contributes to strategic growth whereas the IS Conservative strategy contributes to firm efficiency. Organizations without a clearly defined IS strategy experienced a negative contribution of IS to firm performance. The different types of performance had differing affects on satisfaction with the IS department and satisfaction with the CIO such that CIOs overseeing an Innovator strategy experience lower satisfaction from their organizations than do CIOs overseeing a Conservative strategy. The lowest performance and satisfaction levels were seen in firms with no IS strategy. Firms with no IS strategy should realize the negative outcomes of such a lack of strategy and work to extricate themselves before a consistent pattern of investing in IS without clear organizational benefit develops.
Apolipoprotein E variants and genetic susceptibility to combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: a meta-analysis.

BackgroundApolipoprotein E (APOE) has recently been studied as a risk factor for association with developing combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the military population. These studies have yielded inconsistent findings. The present study carried out a meta-analysis to establish w
Pleasure and Danger: An Appreciation of Muriel Dimen

ABSTRACTIn this essay I recall a 40-year experience knowing and working with Muriel Dimen. This is a reminiscence of a shared activist life in the late 1970s and 1980s and later our lives emerging in psychoanalysis and relational psychoanalysis after the mid-1980s. It is an appreciation of the particular turns and potent hot spots in Muriel Dimen’s evolving theorizing of sexuality and power, body and gender and culture from this point in the mid-1980s to her death in 2016.
ASYMMETRIES IN THE AMERICAS AND THE QUEST FOR UNITY

In his text the author contends that in spite of the fact that the whole hemisphere or the Americas, as I will refer to it in my lecture, was once “the new world” pure and simple, it is like Europe today “a Humpty Dumpty” hemisphere that has to be reconstructed. The question is, I believe, how we go about it, considering that as important as the knowledge of history is, the examination of the present is vital if we are going to be able to plan any future at all.
A Perspective from the Field: The Disconnect between Abstinence-Based Programs and the Use of Motivational Interviewing in Treating Substance Use Disorders

Motivational Interviewing was first introduced nearly three-and-a-half decades ago and has been used to treat a range of problems, including substance use disorders (SUDs). Treating SUDs is complex...
Predictive value of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) signature and PARP-1 in prostate cancer radioresistance.

Introduction Epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) has been previously identified as a contributor to prostate cancer progression to metastasis and therapeutic resistance to antiandrogens and radiotherapy. In this study we conducted a retrospective analysis to investigate the significance of radiation-induced EMT and consequential changes to the tumor microenvironment in biochemical recurrence and response to radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients. Methods Expression profiling and localization for EMT effectors, E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin, β-catenin and Vimentin was assessed in human prostate tumor specimens pre- and post-radiotherapy and correlated with biochemical recurrence. In addition, immunoreactivity of the DNA repair enzyme, polymerase (PARP-1) and the cytoskeletal-remodeling regulator, cofilin was evaluated in prostate tumor specimens pre- and post-radiotherapy and correlated with pre-treatment prostate-specific antigen levels (PSA). Results Our findings identified that characteristic changes associated with the EMT phenotype and its reversal to mesenchymal-epithelial-transition (MET) within the tumor microenvironment correlate with biochemical recurrence and resistance to radiotherapy among prostate cancer patients. Moreover, elevated PARP-1 expression among the tumor cells undergoing EMT implicates that DNA repair mechanisms may potentially reverse the cytotoxic effects of radiotherapy-induced DNA breaks. Conclusions Our results suggest that EMT programming effectors, integrated with the actin cytoskeleton regulator cofilin and mesenchymal PARP-1 expression profile provide a signature of potential predictive significance of therapeutic response to radiotherapy in a subset of prostate cancer patients.
Effects of irradiation on the interface between U-Mo and zirconium diffusion barrier

Abstract Irradiated fuel plates were characterized by microscopy that focused on the interface between U–Mo and Zr. Before irradiation, there were three major sub-layers identified in the U–Mo/Zr interface, namely, UZr2, Mo2Zr, and U with low Mo. The typical total thickness of this U–Mo/Zr interaction is 2–3 μm. The UZr2 sub-layer formed during fuel plate fabrication remains stable after irradiation, without large bubbles/porosity accumulation. However, this sub-layer becomes increasingly discontinuous as burnup increases. The low-Mo sub-layer exhibits numerous sub-micron bubbles/porosity at low burnup. Larger, interconnected porosity in this sub-layer was observed in a medium-burnup fuel specimen. However, at higher burnup, regions with the extra-large bubbles/porosity (i.e., larger than 5 μm) were observed in the U-Mo fuel foil at least 5 μm away from the original location of this sub-layer. The mechanism for the formation of the extra-large bubbles/porosity is still unclear at this time. In general, the U–Mo/Zr interface in monolithic U–Mo fuels is relatively stable after irradiation. No large detrimental defects, such as large interfacial bubbles or cracks/delamination, were observed in the fuel plates characterized.
Calculating free energy profiles using entropy as a reaction coordinate: Application to water nucleation

Abstract We identify the nucleation pathway for a liquid droplet of a water-like system. In order to calculate the free energy barrier associated with the droplet formation, we use the recently developed μ VT - S simulation method to unravel the nucleation process. We analyze the interdependence between droplet size, entropy and free energy of nucleation. Three key features emerge: the droplet size increases as entropy decreases during the process, the nucleation free energy increases as supersaturation decreases, and the nucleation free energy increases as T decreases. This method can be readily applied to calculate free energy barriers of activated events with entropy as the reaction coordinate.
Archaeal Viruses from High-Temperature Environments

Archaeal viruses are some of the most enigmatic viruses known, due to the small number that have been characterized to date. The number of known archaeal viruses lags behind known bacteriophages by over an order of magnitude. Despite this, the high levels of genetic and morphological diversity that archaeal viruses display has attracted researchers for over 45 years. Extreme natural environments, such as acidic hot springs, are almost exclusively populated by Archaea and their viruses, making these attractive environments for the discovery and characterization of new viruses. The archaeal viruses from these environments have provided insights into archaeal biology, gene function, and viral evolution. This review focuses on advances from over four decades of archaeal virology, with a particular focus on archaeal viruses from high temperature environments, the existing challenges in understanding archaeal virus gene function, and approaches being taken to overcome these limitations.
Sample-to-answer palm-sized nucleic acid testing device towards low-cost malaria mass screening.

Abstract The effectiveness of malaria screening and treatment highly depends on the low-cost access to the highly sensitive and specific malaria test. We report a real-time fluorescence nucleic acid testing device for malaria field detection with automated and scalable sample preparation capability. The device consists a compact analyzer and a disposable microfluidic reagent compact disc. The parasite DNA sample preparation and subsequent real-time LAMP detection were seamlessly integrated on a single microfluidic compact disc, driven by energy efficient non-centrifuge based magnetic field interactions. Each disc contains four parallel testing units which could be configured either as four identical tests or as four species-specific tests. When configured as species-specific tests, it could identify two of the most life-threatening malaria species (P. falciparum and P. vivax). The NAT device is capable of processing four samples simultaneously within 50 min turnaround time. It achieves a detection limit of ~0.5 parasites/µl for whole blood, sufficient for detecting asymptomatic parasite carriers. The combination of the sensitivity, specificity, cost, and scalable sample preparation suggests the real-time fluorescence LAMP device could be particularly useful for malaria screening in the field settings.
Deep-P encapsulated 4H-SiC trench MOSFETs with ultra low R on Q gd

Deep-P encapsulated 4H-SIC trench MOSFET was proposed. The fabricated MOSFET with a blocking voltage of 1800V demonstrated a ultra low RonQgd of 133 nCmΩ. The structure optimization was carried out for switching-loss reduction. The improved switching characteristics were obtained by the balanced JFET resistance and the gate-drain capacitance.
Image Construction Rules for Visualizing the Non-Visual Managerial Data

Data representations and their impact on decision making performance have been a subject of Information Systems research for a long time [Benbasat et al. 86, DeSanctis 84, DeSanctis & Jarvenpaa 89, Vessey 91]. The graphical representations in most studies in this area are common business charts, such as pie, line, bar, among others. These charts are not necessarily designed to support any specific decision tasks or processes. Thus the focus of these studies has been limited to simple decision tasks with small data volume and simple data relationships. To date, visualization of large-amount, multi-dimensional managerial data for decision-making support is nearly nonexistent. Most existing visualization tools, such as IBM Data Explorer, AVS, and IRIS Explorer, are designed for scientific visualization purposes and are very difficult to use for visualizing managerial data. Considering the manufacturing production planning problems at the Electronic Card Assembly and Test plant (ECAT) at IBM Austin, Texas, the presented research studied the characteristics of the managerial data, then developed special visualization techniques for constructing visual representations to support planners to develop superior production plans. A visualization prototype VIZ_planner was designed and implemented, and empirically evaluated [Zhang 95]. Hundreds of products, thousands of components, and many other factors can be visualized to provide planners with production planning insight.