cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modelling business applications with XBRL and UML

This paper focuses on object modelling business applications using eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) data and Unified Modelling Language (UML) diagrams. An overview of these technologies and the benefits associated with their integration is explored. The potential offered by reverse-engineered XBRL financial reporting (FR) and global ledger (GL) taxonomies, schemas and instances into UML diagrams is demonstrated. The class attributes and implied relationships reflecting XBRL elements and relationships is exploited in the development of the methods necessary to implement a management appraisal application using balanced scorecard concepts. In so doing, both hierarchical and process-oriented structures implied by XBRL are utilised by developing appropriate methods of the business application objects. The usefulness of this methodology is demonstrated in using financial, customer, internal process and learning aspects of the balanced scorecard system.
Removing the Kitchen Sink from Software

We would all benefit if software were slimmer, thinner, and generally only did what we needed and nothing more. To this end, our research team has been exploring methods for removing unused and undesirable features from compiled programs. Our primary goal is to improve software security by removing rarely used features in order to decrease a pro- gram's attack surface. We describe two different approaches for "thinning" binary images of compiled programs. The first approach removes specific program features using dynamic tracing as a guide. This approach is safer than many alterna- tives, but is limited to removing code which is reachable in a trace when an undesirable feature is enabled. The second ap- proach uses a genetic algorithm (GA) to mutate a program until a suitable variant is found. Our GA-based approach can potentially remove any code that is not strictly required for proper execution, but may break program semantics in unpredictable ways. We show results of these approaches on a simple program and real-world software and explore some of the implications for software security.
The Role of Bone Allografts in the Treatment of Angular Malunions of the Distal Radius

Purpose Two cohorts of patients who had corrective osteotomies and volar platings for malunited fractures of the distal radius were compared retrospectively to determine whether the time to union and the outcome were affected by bone allograft. Methods Patients in the first group (n = 14) did not receive any bone graft; patients in the second group (n = 14) had allograft bone chips following volar plating. Indications for surgery, surgical technique, and postoperative rehabilitation were the same in both groups. Volar cortical contact was maintained using a volar locking plate in all patients. Radiographic parameters of deformity correction, time to union, wrist and forearm range of motion, grip strength, patient-rated wrist evaluation and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire were used to evaluate the outcome before and after the surgery. Average follow-up time was 36 weeks. Patients who had diabetes, who smoked, who had a body mass index of more than 35, and who required lengthening for deformity correction were excluded from the study. Results Osteotomies in both groups healed without loss of surgical correction. Final outcome and time to union revealed no significant differences, clinically or statistically, between the 2 groups. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was improved in both groups. Conclusions When volar cortical contact was maintained using a volar locked plate, bone allograft at the osteotomy site did not improve the final outcome. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic III.
A Review of Effective Interventions for Youth with Aggressive Behaviors Who Meet Diagnostic Criteria for Conduct Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder

This review summarizes the literature on interventions that have shown effectiveness with reducing disruptive and aggressive behaviors of children meeting the diagnostic criteria for CD or ODD. Studies qualified for the review only if they were evidence-based (i.e., used an experimental design with random assignment) and if they were published in a peer-reviewed journal. The interventions that qualified for the review were classified as parent training (PT), child interpersonal skills training (IPST), multimodal treatment, and family-based treatment. The selected studies indicated that behavioral interventions can produce positive effects for youth with CD or ODD but with varying degrees of effectiveness and maintenance. Also included is a brief discussion of limitations of this review and the suggestions for future research.
Flagellar rotation and the mechanism of bacterial motility.

BACTERIAL flagella are generally composed of three morphologically distinguishable regions: (a) the long flagellar filament which accounts for more than 95% of the flagellar protein; (b) the hook, which is generally 80–90 nm long and has a characteristic shape, and (c) the basal structure which is composed of an intricate set of disks and rods attaching the hook to the cell membrane and cell wall1–3.
Abstract 2014: Modulation of DNA methyltransferases in leukemia cells by curcumin and its associated anti-leukemia activities

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Purpose: Curcumin, a natural product of curcuma longa and a safe and widely consumed spice, has been shown to exhibit strong in-vitro and in-vivo anti-tumor activity through the inhibition of NF-κB activity, increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and decrease of the global DNA methylation levels in leukemia cells. We investigated here the molecular mechanisms of down-regulation of DNA Methyltransferases in leukemia cells by curcumin and its associated anti-leukemia activities. Method: Leukemia cell lines MV4-11, Kasumi-1 and K562 cells and primary leukemia cells from patient with AML were treated with 1-30 μM of curcumin and MV4-11 xenografted nu/nu athymic mice was given i.p. curcumin at 100 mg/kg, and the transcription and protein levels of DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b, Sp1, p15INK4B and p21 were assessed by either RT-PCR or western blot. The inhibition of NF-κB was determined using Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assays and the disruption of Sp1-NF-κB/DNMTs promoter complex was investigated by anti-body gel supershifts. The hypomethylating activity of curcumin on the promoter of p15INK4B in MV4-11 cells in-vitro was assessed by a LC-MS/MS method for regional DNA methylation. The anti-proliferative activity of curcumin and cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were evaluated using MTS assay and flow cytometry. Results: In addition to the pre-defined direct inhibition of the enzymatic activity of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), curcumin disrupts Sp1/NF-κB complex on DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b promoter thereby decreasing the transactivation activity of these complexes and down-regulating their mRNA and protein expression levels in AML cells in vitro and in vivo. Consistent with these findings, we showed that promoter hypermethylation of silenced TSGs i.e., p15INK4B decreased while their expression was up-regulated. This results in the increase of protein function, as we showed that in association with p15INK4B re-expression, curcumin induced cell cycle arrest in the S-phase and increase in SubG1 cell fraction, thereby resulting in significant anti-leukemia activity. Conclusion: Different from nucleoside analogs (e.g., azanucleosides), curcumin is an effective S-phase independent DNA methylation inhibitor. Further evaluation of curcumin as a single agent and in combination with other epigenetic targeting compounds in human disease is warranted. Supported by NIH-NCI-R21 CA135478 [ZL], NIH-NCI-RO1 CA102031 [GM], and the BioMedical Mass Spectrometry Laboratory [KC & ZL]. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2014. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2014
An analysis of SEER data of increasing risk of secondary malignant neoplasms among long-term survivors of childhood brain tumors.

Background Advances made in treatment of a childhood brain cancer have extended the lives of many children and adolescents. Treatment success, however, brings the opportunity to assess late effects; most worrying among these are secondary malignant neoplasms (SMN). Even though the cumulative incidence is quite small, long-term follow-up is required because treatment-induced cancers can occur years after initial treatment. Procedure The purpose of this project was to determine what treatments and what host characteristics of children treated for a primary brain cancer are associated with an increase in the risk of a SMN in long-term survivors. Data were analyzed from 2,056 5-year survivors, of primary brain cancer in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database between 1973 and 1998. Thirty-nine patients developed a SMN. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the independent contribution of a number of risk factors. Results The most important risk factor for developing a SMN in 5-year survivors was the era in which the primary cancer was treated. Compared to treatment prior to 1979, patients treated between 1979 and 1984 had a 4.7-fold increase in risk (P = 0.001), while those treated after 1985 had a 6.7-fold increase in risk. (P = 0.002). Patients treated most recently carry the greatest risk of SMN development even after controlling for radiotherapy. This could be due to the increase in intensive treatment compared to earlier years. Conclusion Although the absolute excess risk of SMN remains quite low, continued surveillance is needed to evaluate long-term effects of new therapies for primary brain tumors. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Identifying Precrash Factors for Cars and Trucks on Interstate Highways: Mixed Logit Model Approach

This research investigates the factors that lead to three manners of collision (namely, rear-end, angle, and sideswipe) that occurred in the same direction of multilane interstate highways. Mixed logit (MXL) models were developed to estimate the probability of rear-end, angle, and sideswipe collisions as functions of vehicle-following attributes and other driving maneuvers immediately before collisions. The National Automotive Sampling System-General Estimates System crash data set, collected from 2005 to 2008, was used to estimate the model. This research analyzes collisions among passenger cars and trucks, with an emphasis on their vehicular characteristics. RESULTS show that driving behavior is different when vehicular characteristics are different and when roles of the striking and struck vehicles are grouped according to cars and trucks. This research contributes to a better understanding of the differences in unsafe driving acts between cars and trucks, and implications on future policies on car and truck drivers. Language: en
Extended defects in bulk GaN and III-nitrides grown on this substrate

A short review of the structural perfection of high-pressure grown bulk crystals is given. As-grown undoped and Mg-doped crystals are described. The dependence of defect arrangement and quality of the surface on growth polarity is described. A high perfection of homoepitaxial layers grown on these substrates is shown. However, growth of thick layers by HVPE may lead to the formation of differently arranged dislocations and the formation of low angle grain boundaries associated with cracks. It is shown that the introduction of dopant or growth of mismatched layers on undoped high-pressure substrates may lead to the formation of additional defects.
An experimental and modeling study on the removal of mono-chlorobenzene vapor in biotrickling filters

Removal of mono-chlorobenzene (m-CB) vapor from airstreams was studied in a biotrickling filter (BTF) operating under counter-current flow of the air and liquid streams. Experiments were performed under various values of inlet m-CB concentration, air and/or liquid volumetric flow rates, and pH of the recirculating liquid. Conversion of m-CB was never below 70% and at low concentrations exceeded 90%. A maximum removal rate of about 60 gm−3-reactor h−1 was observed. Conversion of m-CB was found to increase as the values of liquid and air flow rate increase and decrease, respectively. The effects of pH and frequency of medium replenishment on BTF performance were also investigated. The process was successfully described with a detailed mathematical model, which accounts for mass transfer and kinetic effects based on m-CB and oxygen availability. Solution of the model equations yielded m-CB and oxygen concentration profiles in all three phases (airstream, liquid, biofilm). It is predicted that oxygen has a controling effect on the process at high inlet m-CB concentrations. From independent, suspended culture, experiments it was found that m-CB biodegradation follows Andrews inhibitory kinetics. The kinetic constants were found to remain practically unchanged after the culture was used in BTF experiments for 8 months. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 59:328–343, 1998.
The Development of the English Love Lyric, 1580–1680

This essay was runner-up in the 2005 Literature Compass Graduate Essay Prize, Renaissance Section. In the classical and Petrarchan love lyrics’ depiction of the relationship between the desiring lover and his normatively scornful beloved, early modern poets discovered a vehicle for exploring the English social and political order as well as the boundaries between tradition and innovation. As poets from Philip Sidney onward discovered, the social, political, and gender hierarchization of early modern society could be rehearsed as well as confronted in the symbolic staging of a relationship between dominant and submissive parties of opposite sexes. At the same time, the deep enmeshment of the love lyric in the humanist practice of imitatio engendered an abiding reverence for past models while simultaneously urging authors to achieve poetic independence. In the verse of writers like Philip Sidney, John Donne, Mary Wroth, Thomas Carew, Richard Lovelace, and the Earl of Rochester, the interplay between the changing structures of English life and the individual's relation to those structures is registered in a dialectical engagement between modern verse and its models in a movement paralleling the interactions between the fictive lovers who form its subject matter.
Operational prototyping: a new development approach

The two traditional types of software prototyping methods, throwaway prototyping and evolutionary prototyping, are compared, and prototyping's relation to conventional software development is discussed. Operational prototyping, a method that combines throwaway and evolutionary prototyping techniques by layering a rapid prototype over a solid evolutionary base, is described. Operational prototyping's implications for configuration management, quality assurance, and general project management are reviewed. The application of operational prototyping to a prototype ocean surveillance terminal is presented. >
MANDATORY EMPLOYER-BASED TRIP REDUCTION: WHAT HAPPENED?

During the 1980s and 1990s, California witnessed the widespread adoption and rejection of a policy known as mandatory employer-based trip reduction (EBTR). Mandatory EBTR was implemented largely through city and county ordinances and air district rules. EBTR rules and ordinances required employers to implement programs to reduce the number of employees driving vehicles to their worksite. The programs were adopted to reduce traffic congestion, pollutant emissions, or both. However, opposition to mandatory programs from the business community led to their prohibition in California in 1995. The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of mandatory EBTR and to help answer the broad question, What happened? The research found that key factors in the demise of mandatory EBTR included issues of problem definition, goal setting, adoption and implementation process, regulatory approaches, costs, analysis of results, and context.
Frequency response from experimental nonoscillatory transient-response data

Curves are derived and presented which provide a ready means for approximating transfer functions with time constants up to three in number, and also dead time, from the experimental non-oscillatory transient response produced by a step change. The transfer function containing the time constants and dead time may be used to obtain the corresponding frequency response. These curves then are a graphical aid for converting transient response into frequency response.
The MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale: severity of alcohol abuse and parental alcoholism

The MacAndrew Alcoholism Scale (MAC), an empirically derived MMPI scale, appears to measure a relatively stable trait common to many alcoholics. The present study examined the relationship between the MAC and two potentially important sources of variation within an alcoholic population, severity of alcohol abuse and history of parental alcoholism. Study participants included 105 consecutive admissions to an alcoholism day treatment program. For both male and female patients, scores on the MAC were found to correlate with the severity of alcohol abuse and factor analytically derived subscales of the MAC were found to differentiate alcoholics with and without a history of parental alcoholism.
The Subtidal Lagrangian Current in Delaware's Inland Bays Under Low Wind Conditions

A series of field surveys were conducted in Delaware's inland bays to investigate the subtidal current in a Lagrangian framework. Drifters tracked by the LORAN-C and satellite (ARGOS) positioning techniques were released in January and April of 1992. The LORAN-C position data were first locally corrected, and then inter-compared with the concurrent ARGOS data. Subtidal currents were then examined based on LORAN-C position data obtained under low wind conditions. Current velocities, calculated from a central finite-difference algorithm, were generally less than 3·0 Cm s-1 in the bays, although larger currents (5·5 cm s-1) were observed in the vicinity of the Indian River Inlet. Correlation between the subtidal current and wind was also systematically examined. In January, subtidal current and wind were favourably correlated with a complex correlation coefficient of 0·78 and an average veering of about 3°. In April, however, a poor correlation was found between the current and wind vector time series.
U–Pb zircon geochronology of silicic tuffs from the Timber Mountain/Oasis Valley caldera complex, Nevada: rapid generation of large volume magmas by shallow-level remelting

Large volumes of silicic magma were produced on a very short timescale in the nested caldera complex of the SW Nevada volcanic field (SWNVF). Voluminous ash flows erupted in two paired events: Topopah Spring (TS, >1,200 km3, 12.8 Ma)–Tiva Canyon (TC, 1,000 km3, 12.7 Ma) and Rainier Mesa (RM, 1,200 km3, 11.6 Ma)–Ammonia Tanks (AT, 900 km3, 11.45 Ma; all cited ages are previously published 40Ar/39Ar sanidine ages). Within each pair, eruptions are separated by only 0.1–0.15 My and produced tuffs with contrasting isotopic values. These events represent nearly complete evacuation of sheet-like magma chambers formed in the extensional Basin and Range environment. We present ion microprobe ages from zircons in the zoned ash-flow sheets of TS, TC, RM, and AT in conjunction with δ18O values of zircons and other phenocrysts, which differ dramatically among subsequently erupted units. Bulk zircons in the low-δ18O AT cycle were earlier determined to exhibit ∼1.5‰ core-to-rim oxygen isotope zoning; and high-spatial resolution zircon analyses by ion microprobe reveal the presence of older grains that are zoned by 0.5–2.5‰. The following U–Pb isochron ages were calculated after correcting for the initial U–Pb disequilibria: AT (zircon rims: 11.7 ± 0.2 Ma; cores: 12.0 ± 0.1 Ma); pre-AT rhyolite lava: (12.0 ± 0.3 Ma); RM: 12.4 ± 0.3); TC: (13.2 ± 0.15 Ma); TS: (13.5 ± 0.2). Average zircon crystallization ages calculated from weighted regression or cumulative averaging are older than the Ar–Ar stratigraphy, but preserve the comparably short time gaps within each of two major eruption cycles (TS/TC, RM/AT). Notably, every sample yields average zircon ages that are 0.70–0.35 Ma older than the respective Ar–Ar eruption ages. The Th/U ratio of SWNVF zircons are 0.4–4.7, higher than typically found in igneous zircons, which correlates with elevated Th/U of the whole rocks (5–16). High Th/U could be explained if uranium was preferentially removed by hydrothermal solutions or is retained in the protolith during partial melting. For low-δ18O AT-cycle magmas, rim ages from unpolished zircons overlap within analytical uncertainties with the 40Ar/39Ar eruption age compared to core ages that are on average ∼0.2–0.3 My older than even the age of the preceding caldera forming eruption of RM tuff. This age difference, the core-to-rim oxygen isotope zoning in AT zircons, and disequilibrium quartz–zircon and melt-zircon isotopic fractionations suggest that AT magma recycled older zircons derived from the RM and older eruptive cycles. These results suggest that the low-δ18O AT magmas were generated by melting a hydrothermally-altered protolith from the same nested complex that erupted high-δ18O magmas of the RM cycle only 0.15 My prior to the eruption of the AT, the largest volume low-δ18O magma presently known.
Comparison of the Quantitative CT Imaging Biomarkers of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis at Baseline and Early Change with an Interval of 7 Months

Rationale and Objectives Median survival of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is 2–5 years. Sensitive imaging metrics can play a role in detecting early changes in therapeutic development. The aim of the present study was to compare known computed tomography (CT) histogram kurtosis and a classifier-based quantitative score to assess baseline severity and change over time in patients with IPF. Materials and Methods A total of 57 patients with at least baseline and paired follow-up scans were selected from an imaging database of standardized CT scans obtained from patients with IPF. CT histogram measurement of kurtosis and quantitative lung fibrosis (QLF) and quantitative interstitial lung disease (QILD) scores from a classification algorithm were calculated. Spearman rank correlations were used to assess associations between baseline severity and changes for all CT-derived measures compared to forced vital capacity (FVC) and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO) (percent predicted). Results At baseline, mean (±SD) of kurtosis was 2.43 (±1.83). Mean (±SD) values of QLF and QILD scores were 20.7% (±13.4) and 43.3% (±20.0), respectively. All baseline histogram indices and QLF and QILD scores were correlated well with baseline FVC and DLCO. When assessing associations with changes in FVC and DLCO over time, only QLF score was statistically significant (ρ = −0.57; P < .0001 for FVC and ρ = −0.34; P = .025 for DLCO), whereas kurtosis was not. Conclusions Classifier-model-derived scores (QLF and QILD), based on a set of texture features, are associated with baseline disease extent and are also a sensitive measure of change over time. A QLF score can be used for measuring the extent of disease severity and longitudinal changes.
Gas phase synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of supramolecular networks with bromocorannulene: Similarities and differences with their corannulene analogs

Abstract The reactivity of bowl-shaped mono-bromocorannulene (C20H9Br) has been examined and compared with that of corannulene (C20H10). Although bromination of corannulene was shown to flatten the bowl and change its electronic properties, it has not affected the outcome of coordination reactions toward the avid Lewis acidic [Rh2(O2CCF3)4] complex. Two new products have the same composition [{Rh2(O2CCF3)4}m · (C20H9Br)n] where m:n = 1:1 (1) and 3:2 (2), as the corresponding corannulene-based analogs. The X-ray diffraction studies of 1 and 2 revealed 1D chain and 2D layered structures built on η2-coordination of rhodium(II) to rim carbon sites of the C20H9Br-bowl, similar to those of C20H10. While no essential difference is found in 2D structures, the local coordination environments of the [Rh2(O2CCF3)4] unit differ in their 1D complexes.
Modeling and Analysis of State-of-the-art VM-based Cloud Management Platforms

Virtualization is a key aspect to achieve scalability and flexibility in a cloud. Many solutions have been proposed to monitor and deploy Virtual Machines (VM) in resource pool of cloud. However, most of the cloud management systems, such as Amazon EC2 are proprietary. In the said perspective, many open source VM-based platforms have tossed for general users to research. The existing work has mainly focused on the discussion of architecture, feature-set, and performance analysis. Other important aspects, such as formal analysis, modeling, and verification are usually ignored. In this paper, we provide formal analysis, modeling, and verification of three open source state-of-the-art VM-based cloud platforms: (a) Eucalyptus, (b) Open Nebula, and (c) Nimbus. We used High-Level Petri Nets (HLPN) to model and analyze the structural and behavioral properties of the systems. Moreover, to verify the models, we have used Satisfiability Modulo Theories Library (SMT-Lib) and Z3 Solver. We modeled about 100 VM to verify the correctness and feasibility of our models. The results reveal that the models are functioning correctly. Moreover, the increase in the number of VM does not affect the working of the models that indicates the practicability of the models in a highly scalable and flexible environment.
1356 Extubation Failure in Very Low Birth Weight Preterm: Incidence and Risk Factors

A high rate (10-50%) of preterm infant, intubated shortly after birth need reintubation with associated complications (longer mechanical ventilation, hospital stay, higher mortality rate). Objectives: identify incidence and risk factors associated with failure of extubation in very low birth weight (VLBW). Population and Methods: Retrospective study including 118 preterm infants with VLBW ≤1500 grs requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) within the first 24 hours of life. Extubation failure was defined as the need for reintubation within 7 days after the first Extubation attempt. Results: 7 patients died before the first Extubation attempt. Of the remaining 111 patients, 19 (17%) failed extubation. Global mortality rate was 18,6% and was higher in the failure group than in the Successful group (47% vs 13%, p: 0,02). Comparing the two groups (Failure vs Success) with a stepwise linear regression, there was a statistically significant difference regarding birth weight (950 ± 250 grs vs 1370 ± 220 grs, ORaj: 4,5), gestational age (27 ± 1 weeks vs 29,5 ± 3 weeks, ORaj:6,1) and severe respiratory distress syndrome (53% vs 22%, ORaj: 3,1). Failure of the first Extubation attempt was associated with longer duration of mechanical ventilation and length of hospital stay (p:0,01). Conclusion: Incidence of Extubation failure in our very low birth weight preterm population (17%) is similar to the litteraturre reported rate. Main risk factors include: prematurity, very low birth weight and severe respiratory distress at admission. Implementation of Extubation strategies based on this risk factors can reduce the amount of extubation failure.
Human regulatory T cells and autoimmunity.

While suppressor T cells might have been the so-called “baby thrown out with the bath water” when molecular biology strongly influenced immunology in the 1980s, it was clear to investigators of autoimmune disease that adoptively transferred suppression by T cells could influence these diseases. Here, we will present an overview of T cells as regulators of immune responses from a human species point of view, beginning with a history of T cells as regulatory cells, followed by a discussion of how these cells critically influence human autoimmune disease. Twenty-five years ago, immunologists determined that two cellular mechanisms of dominant tolerance could mediate peripheral regulation and the phenomena of induced CD4+ T cell non-responsiveness. These two mechanisms were MHC-restricted T cell presentation of antigen to other T cells [1] and suppression via thymically derived ‘suppressor’ T cells [2]. Shortly after the discovery of MHC class II+ CD4+ T cells in human peripheral blood (these cells are present in most mammalian species excluding mice [3]) [4, 5], Kunkel and his colleagues observed that autoimmune patients have a higher percentage of these cells in peripheral blood than healthy patients [6]. Using the newly developed technique of CD4+ T cell cloning, researchers determined that MHC class II+ CD4+ T cell clones induce anergy when they present antigen to other CD4+ T cells [7]. Evidence from these studies was used to support the argument for the existence of anti-idiotypic T cell networks. ‘Suppressor’ T cells, too, were thought to recognize the antigen receptor of autologous CD4+ cells and prohibit activation with specificity directed against the suppressed cell. In the years to follow, the molecular or biochemical processes underlying these mechanisms could not be determined; MHC class II was relegated to a biomarker of late CD4+ T cell activation; many early studies of suppressor T cells were discredited or disproved; and the paradigm of idiotypic networks fell from fashion. Unfortunately, as Rolf Zinkernagel writes, “science (particularly immunology) undergoes periods of democratic, if not demagogic decisions … while populistic or experimentally biased views within science will eventually be corrected, if proven wrong this can take a long time” [8]. Although relegated to the list of immunological “not-so-good ideas” for almost fifteen years, ‘suppressor’ T cells have now been shown to play an essential role in preventing autoimmune disease and immunologists have begun to better characterize the now-called ‘regulatory’ T cells that can mediate suppression of autoimmunity. Not surprisingly, MHC class II+ CD4+ T cell have re-emerged as well, as expression of this immunomodulatory receptor was found to identify a functionally distinct subset of human ‘regulatory’ T cells (Tregs) expressing FoxP3. In this review we discuss recent advances in the characterization of human CD4+CD25high Tregs, with a focus on the impairment of these cells in human autoimmune disease.
Concordance between whole-slide imaging and light microscopy for routine surgical pathology

The use of high-resolution digital images of histopathology slides as a routine diagnostic tool for surgical pathology was investigated. The study purpose was to determine the diagnostic concordance between pathologic interpretations using whole-slide imaging and standard light microscopy. Two hundred fifty-one consecutive surgical pathology cases (312 parts, 1085 slides) from a single pathology service were included in the study after cases had been signed out and reports generated. A broad array of diagnostic challenges and tissue sources were represented, including 52 neoplastic cases. All cases were digitized at ×20 and presented to 2 pathologists for diagnosis using whole-slide imaging as the sole diagnostic tool. Diagnoses rendered by the whole-slide imaging pathologists were compared with the original light microscopy diagnoses. Overall concordance between whole-slide imaging and light microscopy as determined by a third pathologist and jury panel was 96.5% (95% confidence interval, 94.8%-98.3%). Concordance between whole-slide imaging pathologists was 97.7% (95% confidence interval, 94.7%-99.2%). Five cases were discordant between the whole-slide imaging diagnosis and the original light microscopy diagnosis, of which 2 were clinically significant. Discordance resulted from interpretive criteria or diagnostic error. The whole-slide imaging modality did not contribute to diagnostic differences. Problems encountered by the whole-slide imaging pathologists primarily involved the inability to clearly visualize nuclear detail or microscopic organisms. Technical difficulties associated with image scanning required at least 1 slide be rescanned in 13% of the cases. Technical and operational issues associated with whole-slide imaging scanning devices used in this study were found to be the most significant obstacle to the use of whole-slide imaging in general surgical pathology.
Potential role of Proteus-Providencia-Morganella species in quality deterioration of beef

Proteeae Isolation Medium of Hawkey et al. (1986) was effective for isolation and enumeration of Proteus-Providencia-Morganella spp. from beef and beef products. On this medium colonies were brown, surrounded by a zone of clearing. In an examination of retail beef samples packaged and stored in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film, 5% contained these bacteria in a concentration of 10(1)-10(2) cells per gram or cm(2). Isolates from retail beef samples included P. vulgaris, P. alcalifaciens, P. rettgeri, and M. morganii. None of the retail samples packaged and stored in high oxygen barrier (HOB) film contained detectable Proteus-Providencia-Morganella spp. Steaks inoculated with Proteus-Providencia-Morganella spp. and packaged and stored at 4°C in PVC film (15 days) or in HOB film (42 days) usually had a reduced count of Proteus-Providencia-Morganella spp. during storage. Slight increases in counts occurred on steaks inculated with P. vulgaris and P. rettgeri and stored at 4°C for 15 days in PVC film.
The Characterization of a Midocean Front with a Doppler Shear Profiler and a Thermistor Chain

Abstract It is demonstrated that a data set collected by the combined use of a Doppler shear profiler and a towed thermistor chain can provide a detailed description of a midocean near-surface front. The front described was encountered in the subtropical convergence zone in the Sargasso Sea, near 31°N and 72°W, in July 1981. A cross-front temperature change of 4°C in 29 km (at a depth of 40 m) was measured with the cooler water, indicating a highly convoluted local structure, occurring on the south side of the front. The temperature difference was not apparent at the surface as the front was covered with a relatively isothermal cap in the form of a ∼25 m thick seasonal mixed layer. The Doppler data indicated that the frontal interface ran from northeast (39°T) to southwest (219°T) with southwestward flow of up to 81 cm s−1 occurring north of the front. The front was convergent with a net cross-front, flow of 16 cm s−1. The frontal interface was delineated by a shear zone with a difference of horizontal ve...
Effects of Coupled Fields on the Mechanical Response of Electrically Conductive Composites

Abstract In this work, the possibility for improvement of impact resistance of electric-current-carrying composite structures in the presence of an electromagnetic field is investigated. Governing equations describing the electro-magneto-mechanical interactions in anisotropic materials and the corresponding two-dimensional approximation for transversely isotropic plates are discussed. An efficient numerical procedure is developed to solve the resulting nonlinear boundary value problem for a long transversely isotropic current-carrying plate subjected to impact and pulsed electromagnetic loads. The numerical results show that the dynamic response of the plate highly depends on the magnitude and direction of the electromagnetic loads.
Feasibility of determining myocardial transient ischemic dilation from cardiac CT by automated stress/rest registration

Transient ischemic dilation (TID) of the left ventricle measured by myocardial perfusion Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and defined as a the ratio of stress myocardial blood volume to rest myocardial blood volume has been shown to be highly specific for detection of severe coronary artery disease. This work investigates automated quantification of TID from cardiac Computed Tomography (CT) perfusion images. To date, TID has not been computed from CT. Previous studies to compute TID have assumed accurate segmentation of the left ventricle and performed subsequent analysis of volume change mainly on static or less often on gated myocardial perfusion SPECT. This, however, may limit the accuracy of TID due to potential errors from segmentation, perfusion defects or volume measurement from both images. In this study, we propose to use registration methods to determine TID from cardiac CT scans where deformation field within the structure of interest is used to measure the local volume change between stress and rest. Promising results have been demonstrated with 7 datasets, showing the potential of this approach as a comparative method for measuring TID.
Pairwise trade, asset prices, and monetary policy

Abstract We construct a search-theoretic model where fiat money coexists with real assets, and all assets can be used as a media of exchange. The terms of trade in bilateral matches are determined by a pairwise Pareto-efficient pricing mechanism. We do not have to appeal to exogenous liquidity constraints to generate asset prices that are consistent with the following facts: (i) fiat money can be valued despite being dominated in its rate of return; (ii) real assets with identical dividend flows can have different rates of return; and (iii) an increase in inflation raises asset prices, lowers their returns, and widens the rate-of-return differences between assets. On the normative side we show that there is a range of inflation rates that implement the first-best allocation.
Outsourcing timing, contract selection, and negotiation

This paper examines outsourcing contracts subject to irreversible outsourcing investment and cost uncertainty. We consider three common outsourcing contracts (fixed-price, cost-plus, and gain-sharing) and address issues of when to outsource and which contracts to select. Motivated by both practical importance and lack of academic research in this area, this paper compares and analyses these contracts’ utilities and outsourcing options’ values and assists managers in timing of outsourcing and selection and negotiation of outsourcing contracts.
Success in social marketing

Abstract In a series of articles, Philip Kotler, first with Sidney Levy [11], then with Gerald Zaltman [12], and then singularly [8], has significantly broadened the scope of marketing management. Marketing strategy, according to Kotler, is pertinent in numerous areas in addition to its business application. This article is concerned with one particular area for the expanding application of the marketing concept— social marketing. The use of marketing strategy to achieve social objectives produces both similarities and differences to business applications. Comparing these similarities and differences should produce some insight about the potential success of social marketing.
The end-of-life family meeting in intensive care part I: Indications, outcomes, and family needs.

Abstract This is a three-part article that reviews the literature on end-of-life family meetings in intensive care, focused on situations when the patient cannot participate. Family meetings in end-of-life care, especially when conducted prophylactically or proactively, have been shown to be effective procedures for improving family and staff satisfaction and even reducing resource utilization. The first part of the article outlines the family needs that should be addressed in such meetings, including clinician availability, consistent information sharing (especially of prognosis), empathic communication and support, facilitation of bereavement, and trust. The second part addresses family-centered, shared decision making and sources of conflict, as well as related communication and negotiation skills and how to end the meeting. Families and clinicians differ in 1) their understanding of the patient's condition and prognosis; 2) the emotional impact of the illness, particularly the personal meaning of purs...
Tracing the clay source of Nasca polychrome pottery: results from a preliminary raw material survey

This paper describes the results of the first season of a survey in which clays suitable for the production of Nasca polychrome pottery were collected in an effort to (1) determine the geological variability of clay sources in the Nasca region and (2) match clays compositionally to paste groups from previous provenance analyses. Clays were collected, processed, fired, and analyzed using neutron activation. The results demonstrate that clays in the region were compositionally heterogeneous, and that the clay source for the majority of Nasca polychrome pottery sampled thus far can be traced to lower valleys in the region near the ancient ceremonial center Cahuachi. The results have implications for understanding the nature of polychrome pottery production in the Nasca region, and suggest centralized production near the ceremonial center of the majority of painted ceramics consumed in the Southern Nasca Region.
Response of Pediatric Low Grade Gliomas to Chemotherapy

Thirteen patients with low grade astrocytomas were treated with alkylating agent or platinum-based chemotherapy regimens. Eleven of these patients received chemotherapy as their initial postoperative treatment modality, and 2 others as treatment for progessive disease postradiation therapy. Responses were objectively determined using CT or MRI. One patient had a complete response (CR), 6 had partial responses (PR), and 3 others had stable disease (SD) as their best response. Clinical responses paralleled those determined objectively. Chemotherapy was well tolerated with the exception of ototoxic-ity in 4 patients treated with cisplatin. Despite good initial responses, 5 of 6 patients who received no further treatment postchemotherapy (4 PR, 1 SD) developed progressive disease 5–13 months after completing chemotherapy. The remaining 4 patients with objective responses or stable disease (1 CR, 2 PR, 1 SD), all received further postchemotherapy treatment with radiation therapy or surgery, and have not demonstrated disease progression. Our experience suggests that alkylator or platinum-based chemotherapy can successfully delay the growth of these locally infiltrative neoplasms, and should be considered in their primary management. Despite the experience of others, further therapy appears necessary in patients with residual CT or MRI abnormalities postchemotherapy.
Automated discrimination of lower and higher grade gliomas based on histopathological image analysis.

Introduction: Histopathological images have rich structural information, are multi-channel in nature and contain meaningful pathological information at various scales. Sophisticated image analysis tools that can automatically extract discriminative information from the histopathology image slides for diagnosis remain an area of significant research activity. In this work, we focus on automated brain cancer grading, specifically glioma grading. Grading of a glioma is a highly important problem in pathology and is largely done manually by medical experts based on an examination of pathology slides (images). To complement the efforts of clinicians engaged in brain cancer diagnosis, we develop novel image processing algorithms and systems to automatically grade glioma tumor into two categories: Low-grade glioma (LGG) and high-grade glioma (HGG) which represent a more advanced stage of the disease. Results: We propose novel image processing algorithms based on spatial domain analysis for glioma tumor grading that will complement the clinical interpretation of the tissue. The image processing techniques are developed in close collaboration with medical experts to mimic the visual cues that a clinician looks for in judging of the grade of the disease. Specifically, two algorithmic techniques are developed: (1) A cell segmentation and cell-count profile creation for identification of Pseudopalisading Necrosis, and (2) a customized operation of spatial and morphological filters to accurately identify microvascular proliferation (MVP). In both techniques, a hierarchical decision is made via a decision tree mechanism. If either Pseudopalisading Necrosis or MVP is found present in any part of the histopathology slide, the whole slide is identified as HGG, which is consistent with World Health Organization guidelines. Experimental results on the Cancer Genome Atlas database are presented in the form of: (1) Successful detection rates of pseudopalisading necrosis and MVP regions, (2) overall classification accuracy into LGG and HGG categories, and (3) receiver operating characteristic curves which can facilitate a desirable trade-off between HGG detection and false-alarm rates. Conclusion: The proposed method demonstrates fairly high accuracy and compares favorably against best-known alternatives such as the state-of-the-art WND-CHARM feature set provided by NIH combined with powerful support vector machine classifier. Our results reveal that the proposed method can be beneficial to a clinician in effectively separating histopathology slides into LGG and HGG categories, particularly where the analysis of a large number of slides is needed. Our work also reveals that MVP regions are much harder to detect than Pseudopalisading Necrosis and increasing accuracy of automated image processing for MVP detection emerges as a significant future research direction.
An Evaluation of Barrier Efficacy and Cognitive Evaluation Theory as Predictors of Exercise Attendance

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the barrier efficacy and cognitive evaluation theory with regard to predicting exercise attendance. Participants consisted of 189 undergraduates attending not-for-credit fitness classes at a regional comprehensive university in the Midwest. A revised 17-item version of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was used to assess exercise enjoyment and the three components of self-determination theory (competence, autonomy, and relatedness). A modified version of the Self-Efficacy Scale was used to assess self-efficacy. Attendance was significantly correlated with competency and selfefficacy. Regression results revealed that class, relatedness, and competence accounted for a significant amount of variance in attendance. Future research should examine the effects of competence-enhancing strategies on exercise adherence. Although the physical and psychological benefits of regular exercise are well documented, close to 50% of those who begin an exercise program will drop out within the first 6 months (Dishman, 1982). Additionally, physical activity involvement continues to decline each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “more than 50% of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits. Twenty-five percent of adults are not active at all in their leisure time” (CDC, 2004a, ¶ 3). Further, the percentage of the population who do not get sufficient exercise or who are inactive exceeds 70% (CDC, 2004a). Further evidence of the critical need for increased physical activity is the alarming increase in obesity prevalence rates occurring in the United States. Specifically, “In 2002, 18 states had obesity prevalence rates of 15‐19 percent; 29 states had rates of 20‐24 percent; and 3 states had rates over 25 percent” (CDC, 2004b, ¶ 1). Therefore, it is essential to understand which factors are the strongest predictors of exercise adherence in order for the next step to be taken to investigate physical activity interventions. Despite a substantial amount
Manufacturing defects testing of a multi-chip-module using IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan test and embedded built-in test software

This paper describes the use of boundary scan based tests and embedded built in test (BIT) software in the manufacturing defects testing of a 100 MHz, high density, surface mount multi-chip-module, parallel processing computer. >