cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biomass Treatment Strategies for Thermochemical Conversion

Biomass is among the most promising renewable resources to provide a sustainable solution to meet the world’s increasing usage of it in biochemical and thermochemical conversion technologies. Thermochemical conversion processes (pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion) thermally convert biomass into energy-dense intermediates that can be, in turn, converted to power, liquid fuels, and chemicals. The performance of the processes and quality of the intermediates are strongly affected by endogenic and technogenic inorganics. This review highlights investigations on the effect and the fate of inorganics during pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of lignocellulosic biomass and critically and comprehensively presents pre-treatment and post-treatment approaches for inorganic removal. During pyrolysis process, the inorganic contents can have significant catalytic effects and change the thermal degradation rate, chemical pathway, and bio-oil yield. During combustion process, the inorganic contents can bring va...
The Protection of Minority Investors and the Compensation of Their Losses

False disclosures on the capital market can undoubtedly lead to losses being incurred by investors and a civil liability is a conceivable remedy for the aggrieved party in those cases. This report addresses the protection of minority investors in equity and debt by public regulation and private litigation in securities law. It identifies the main factors which have an impact on private enforcement and argues that facilitating investor litigation under securities law may foster the development of capital markets.
Abstract 268: Angiotensin II Up-regulates Serum and Glucocorticoid Inducible Kinase 1 in Remodeled Blood Vessels

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a potent vasoconstrictor that activates vascular smooth muscle and in excess amounts is an important contributing factor in the development of hypertension. However, the downstream signaling pathways mediating the effects of Ang II in the vasculature is not fully known. The present study examines the regulation of serum- and glucocorticoid inducible kinase (SGK1) a serine/threonine kinase that has been implicated in hyperglycemia- and salt-induced hypertension. We hypothesized that SGK1 is up-regulated in pathologically remodeled blood vessels in the context of Ang II-induced hypertension and by Ang II in vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro . Therefore, we examined SGK1 protein expression in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASM) stimulated with increasing doses of Ang II (0-100nM) in vitro. Our results demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in SGK1 protein expression. SGK1 expression was increased approximately 10-fold following 60 minutes of stimulation with 100nM Ang II. Next, we examined SGK1 expression in the vasculature in vivo in a mouse model of Ang II-induced hypertension. Based on immunohistochemistry, our data indicated that SGK1 was up-regulated in the medial layer of the aorta in mice infused with 0.7mg/kg/day Ang II, a dose that significantly increases blood pressure. Overall, these results indicate that Ang II up-regulates SGK1 in both smooth muscle cells and blood vessels. Our results also suggest that SGK1 may be responsible for the increase in blood pressure and remodeling of the blood vessels.
A safety evaluation study of STAT-3 Decoy (NSC-741763) in cynomolgus monkeys

2222 STATs (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) are intracellular signaling proteins that are activated upon tyrosine phosphorylation and translocate from the cytosol to the nucleus where they bind to specific regions of DNA and exert transcriptional activity. STAT-3 activation has been linked to transformation and tumor progression in several types of cancers including Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN). NSC-741673, a double stranded oligonucleotide, is proposed for use in treating SCCHN via intratumoral administration. This study was conducted to provide the toxicity data required to support a Phase 0 clinical trial and to determine whether the STAT-3 activation was modulated (data not presented). Three study groups (two monkeys/sex/group) were administered (intramuscularly) vehicle or STAT-3 Decoy on Day 1, necropsies were performed on Days 2 and 15 (1 monkey/sex/group/day). Dosages were 0, 0.8, and 3.2 mg/kg with a dose volume of 0.9 mL (flat dose). Upon observation the treated animals exhibited behavior that was consistent with the vehicle control group animals. Individual animal body weight values remained within 1% of prestudy weights throughout the study. Increased reticulocyts and decreased red blood cells, hematocrit, and hemoglobin were seen throughout the study in all groups. These changes were not dose related and were attributed to the extensive blood collections throughout the study. Clinical chemistry fluctuations were considered normal and were not attributed to the test article. Based on the Bb (Complement activation breakdown product) levels, there was no activation of the alternative pathway of complement in any animal at any dose level. All Bb levels were within the normal range (0.17 -1.09 µg/mL). At necropsy, there were no gross findings attributed to STAT-3 Decoy. There were no microscopic findings with an exposure-related incidence in the routine sections. Based on these findings, the no-observable- adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) was greater than 3.2 mg/kg when administered as a single dose to male and female Cynomolgus monkeys. The maximum dose proposed for the Phase 0 trial is 1.0 mg. (supported by N01-CM42200 under the NCI RAID Program).
A weighted Jackknife method for clustered data

We propose a weighted delete-one-cluster Jackknife based framework for few clusters with severe cluster-level heterogeneity. The proposed method estimates the mean for a condition by a weighted sum...
Numerical Slenderness Approach for design of complex aluminum extrusions subjected to flexural loading

Abstract Aluminum structural members can be extruded to various cross-sectional shapes, including additional elements projecting out of flat flanges or webs. The additional elements contribute to flexural strength increase due to local buckling strength increase. In this study, a general design approach is developed for complex extrusions, accounting for the local buckling strength increase. This approach uses numerical buckling analyses, while the overall framework of the existing specification provisions is maintained. The approach is evaluated through parametric studies of seven different kinds of cross-sections, using finite element analysis. The FEA models and the parametric study results are validated through physical tests.
360° color and depth mapping of an indoor room:: Microsoft Kinect 2.0

Students enrolled in the electrical or computer engineering program at Stony Brook University are required to complete and document a project related to the field in his or her final year under the supervision of a professor in the department. In the field of computer vision, this project attempts to implement a system to provide a 360° color and depth model of an indoor room using data captured from the Microsoft Kinect 2.0. As of the writing of this paper, this project is currently being completed under the supervision of Murali Subbarao, a professor at Stony Brook University. In preparation for the development of this system, ESE 358, a computer vision course offered at Stony Brook University, was taken in which five projects focusing on different areas of the field were completed. This report will detail these projects as well as the current state and intended development of the system.
Role of health care workers other than physicians in the control of rheumatic fever

There are not enough physicians in most underdeveloped areas to do all the work needed to prevent rheumatic fever, nor is the complex training of a physician truly necessary for many of the tasks. Therefore success depends on the cooperation, effectiveness, and dedication of persons other than physicians: paramedics, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, health program administrators, health educators, teachers, nurses, mid-wives, house health visitors, school nurses, and village health workers. Most important of all, the potential patients themselves, and their parents, must be reached and become involved. A physician, however, should motivate, educate, and coordinate the others.
Assessment of First Language Proficiency

First language (L1) testing has historically functioned to certify speakers who can achieve accuracy in the prestige standard language variety. The proliferation of multilingualism, however, militates against equating production of prestige varieties with L1 proficiency. Proficiency criteria denoting communicative functions or language processes, as in primary trait scoring for example, are most appropriate for assessing L1 listening, speaking, writing, and reading. Portfolio assessment may overcome the limitations of single-point language samples to adequately represented L1 proficiency. ‘New literacies’ are hybrid language modalities that further challenge the meaningfulness of tests of isolated language skills. Performance standards can serve to benchmark scoring of integrated language performance. Assessments with positive consequential validity can enhance the teaching of L1.
HACKING SPATIAL DATA: AN EXAMPLE OF AGGREGATION PROBLEMS

Abstract. Many applications using spatially aggregated data tend to treat the spatial units as given. For example, in the United States, analyses using the social and economic data often rely on the existing and fixed spatial units of census blocks or tracts. However, these spatial units are often aggregated arbitrarily. It is therefore important to ask this question: what if the spatial units are aggregated differently? Will the results obtained using the existing units still hold? This paper addresses questions like these. We first develop a search algorithm that can be used to find alternative aggregations with relatively equal total populations among the aggregated units. Then a number of experiments are conducted to test the algorithm and to demonstrate how alternative aggregations will affect the analysis. These experiments clearly suggest the significant effects of spatial aggregation on the analysis results.
A simple formalization of actions using circumscription

We present a simple circumscriptive method for formalizing actions with indirect effects (ramifications), and show that, in several examples, all second-order quantifiers can be eliminated from these formalizations using existing techniques for computing circumscriptions. One of the two symbolic computation methods employed here is a generalization of predicate completion and the other is based on the SCAN algorithm. The simplicity of our new approach to representing actions is due to the use of the formalism of nested abnormality theories.
Introduction to Personality Study

It is customary to introduce a subject by defining it. The study of personality, however, is so diverse that one can define it only with alternative, seemingly unrelated statements: personality as the integrated functioning of psychological components, personality as individuals' differing dispositions, and personality as processes involved in integrated functioning. More basic than the definition of personality is the question, how do we understand the diversity of the field of personality? To answer it, we need to venture into the philosophy and history of science.
Precedents of prejudice: race and gender differences in young children’s intergroup attitudes

Much of the existing literature on intergroup attitudes in preschool does not look at the intersections of race and gender. Integrating key developmental and social theories, the current study aske...
Developmental Idealism in Internet Search Data

Scholarship on developmental idealism demonstrates that ordinary people around the world tend to perceive the level of development and the specific characteristics of different countries similarly. We build on this literature by examining public perceptions of nations and development in internet search data, which we argue offers insights into public perceptions that survey data do not address. Our analysis finds that developmental idealism is prevalent in international internet search queries about countries. A consistent mental image of national development emerges from the traits publics ascribe to countries in their queries. We find a positive relationship between the sentiment expressed in autocomplete Google search queries about a given country and its position in the global developmental hierarchy. People in diverse places consistently associate positive attributes with countries ranked high on global development indices and negative characteristics with countries ranked low. We also find a positive correlation between the number of search queries about a country and the country9s position in indices of global development. These findings illustrate that ordinary people have deeply internalized developmental idealism and that this informs their views about countries worldwide.
The Statistical Reasoning Learning Environment: A Comparison of Students’ Statistical Reasoning Ability

The purpose of this study was to study the impact of conformity to statistical reasoning learning environment (SRLE) principles on students’ statistical reasoning in advanced placement statistics c...
Quad Sampling Incremental Inductance Measurement Through Current Loop for Switched Reluctance Motor

Magnetic characteristics of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) determine the modeling accuracy, the performance of a position sensorless control, and the torque ripple reduction control. Due to double saliency structure and core saturation, the magnetic characteristics of SRM is dependent on both the rotor position and the winding current amplitude, which makes it difficult to measure the actual incremental inductance or flux linkage. This article presents the magnetic characteristics identification method. A quad current sampling technique is proposed to capture the derivative of the winding current at a specific rotor position and current amplitude. The flux linkage, co-energy, and torque are calculated from the obtained incremental inductance profile. The proposed method can be easily implemented on digital signal processor–based SRM drive without any extra circuit. The LCR meter and torque sensor measurements are provided to validate the proposed incremental inductance measurement method.
On Luck and Modality

The modal account of luck is the predominant account of luck in epistemology and ethics. In the first half of this paper, I discuss three possible interpretations of the modal account (proportional, distance, and density-based views) and raise objections to each. I then raise an objection to all plausible versions of the modal account, that is, that whether an event is lucky or the extent to which it is a matter of luck will depend on what initial conditions or features of the event one holds constant across nearby possible worlds. However, there is often reasonable disagreement about what the relevant initial conditions of an event are, and the modal account of luck has no means of determining which description of the event is correct. As such, the modal account is subject to a kind of reference class problem, and the view cannot actually tell us the extent to which certain events are a matter of luck.
Inner ear conductive hearing loss and downbeat nystagmus: A clinical case report

Abstract A 49-year-old male, with 6-month history of sudden-onset hearing loss and oscillopsia that started 2 weeks after an outpatient surgery, is described in this report. Patient had a conductive hearing loss and down beat nystagmus. The imaging studies were within normal. Computer scan results suggested dehiscence due to thinning around the geniculate on the left side which brought the possibility of dehiscense of cochlea. However, an intrathecal MRI with gadolinium revealed a more prominent lateral filling of the left Cochlear Aqueduct (CA) was observed. A direct communication between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and inner ear is considered the reason for his mix hearing loss and nystagmus. The issue in this patient seems to be caused by alternation of CSF and perilymph barrier, not the third window issue of cochlea or superior canal. Through CA and possible through Schuknecht's canaliculus of internal auditory canal, the CSF started to infiltrate into the inner ear. This altered the both cochlear and labyrinthine functions and caused his air bone gap, down beat nystagmus and episodic vertigo. As risk factors for increased intracranial pressure such as obesity and CSF leaks are more commonly seen in SSCD patients, some these of SSCD may be suffering from this mechanism explained above. In the past, similar patients were reported as “occult” inner ear dehiscence, Meniere's or as perilymphatic fistula. We believe that these conditions must be differentiated in these patients as they seem to have a different pathophysiologic mechanism.
Intimate Partner Homicide: Firearms Use in Domestic Violence

Intimate partner violence can culminate in the death of one or both individuals. Firearms have been at the center of intimate partner homicide. Studies have shown that firearms are involved in the majority of intimate partner slayings. In recent years, efforts have been made to restrict gun ownership to those previously involved in domestic violence. This has been coupled with increased advocacy and awareness for victims of intimate partner violence. Indeed, the homicide rate among intimate partners has dropped. However, aspects of this drop may be both surprising and unsettling.
Induced seismicity risk management: The problem of disappearing faults

The risk of anthropogenic earthquakes created by fluid injection and completion of horizontal wells is managed using maps of recent seismicity and by creating buffer zones around previously mapped faults. In Madison and Fayette Counties, Ohio, faults were identified in 1969 using analogue paper-recorded seismic reflection technology. These faults were located primarily by mapping a prominent “Conasauga reflector” from a shale within the subsurface Cambrian section. The faults were associated with an apparent abrupt increase of the regional dip to the east. The appearance of these faults on subsequent structural maps guides regulation of horizontal drilling activity in Ohio. A time-migrated, nominal 60-fold, mini-hole-sourced, seismic section using a digital recorder with 24-bit sigma delta technology was acquired over what was reported to be the best constrained of these faults; it revealed no detectable fault or significant change in the regional dip. A synthetic seismogram derived from a sonic log acquired at a nearby well enabled identification of a seismic facies change that was likely mistaken for faulting using the earlier technology. Regulations should consider acquisition parameters and vintage of seismic surveys used to identify faults for induced seismicity risk management.
Contributions of diffuse and directed flow in turbid media to absolute measurements of tissue perfusion and oxygen consumption using laser speckle and spatial frequency domain imaging

We describe the development of a perturbation-free technique to measure tissue blood flow and metabolic rate of oxygen (MRO2) using LSI and SFDI. Analytical (diffusion) and computational (Monte Carlo) models are employed to characterize the contributions of diffuse and directed flow to the measured speckle contrast. Measured flow data is combined with the deoxygenated hemoglobin concentration and a path-length factor (both obtained from SFDI) to model tissue oxygen consumption in units of M O2/min. The results of this model were comparable with values of MRO2 measured with other imaging methods (PET, MRI/MRS).
A Multiscale Model of Traumatic Brain Injury Suggests Possible Mechanisms of Post-Traumatic Psychosis

Traumatic brain injury is a devastating injury to the brain that can have permanent or fatal effects, leading to life-long deficits or death. Among these effects is psychosis and schizophrenia, sometimes reported in the population of TBI sufferers. Here we evaluate a possible mechanism of post-traumatic psychosis, shedding light on the anomalous nature of psychosis as over-activity and brain injury as destruction. Using a multiscale model of the brain to relate molecular pathology to connectomic and macroscopic features of the brain, we identify cell lysis and membrane deformation as a possible mechanism for psychosis after injury. We also evaluate the reorganisation of functional networks and cortical activation post-injury, and find the features of a simulated brain under traumatic injury correlate with recorded results on the schizophrenic functional connectome. This provides a possible mechanism for post-traumatic psychosis, as well as a proof-of-principle of advanced multiscale modelling methods in computational psychiatry and neuromedicine. It also elaborates on the relationship between structure and function in the brain, information processing, and the delicate regulation of activity in healthy brains.
Low Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis ELISA Specificity in a Dairy Herd

Johne's Disease (JD) is an important infectious disease of cattle caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). It is estimated that over 50% of US dairy herds are infected with MAP. Current JD diagnostic tests detect either an immune response to MAP or the actual organism in feces or tissues. The JD ELISA detects antibodies to MAP and is the most common assay used to detect an MAP immune response. Because of the pathogenesis of JD, the sensitivity of the JD ELISA is reported to be less than 50% when used to detect JD infected adult cattle. The specificity of the JD ELISA is reported to be greater than 90%. However, the assay specificity may vary significantly between herds. In this case study, low MAP ELISA specificity in an individual dairy herd is described.
Dual-band 2-photon excitation dual-region imaging with subcellular resolution across 25mm 2 field of view

We developed a dual-wavelength excitation, large field-of-view (25 mm2) two-photon microscope with temporal multiplexing and two completely independent scan engines coupled into the same objective for imaging in multiple areas with multiple wavelengths simultaneously.
Ventral Tonsillar Herniation Predicts Headaches in Adults With Chiari Malformation

Background Radiographic characterization of Chiari malformation (CM) has historically focused on caudal tonsillar herniation (CH) below the foramen magnum. Previously, we published evidence linking ventral tonsillar herniation (VH) and medullary symptoms in very young children. We sought to extend that investigation by studying the radiographic and clinical significance of VH in adults diagnosed with CM. Methods We retrospectively reviewed adults with cerebellar ectopia who underwent posterior fossa decompression with or without duraplasty (PFD/D) at our institution. VH was defined as tonsils crossing a line bisecting the caudal medulla at the level of the foramen magnum on axial MRI. Degree of VH was measured as distance between this bisecting line and the ventral tip of the herniated tonsil. Dorsal brainstem compression was qualitatively determined by assessing for obliteration of CSF space between the dorsal brainstem and the tonsils. Results Out of 89 cases reviewed, 54 had some degree of VH. Compared with those without VH, the VH group was significantly older in age and more likely to also present with dorsal brainstem compression and headaches. No correlation was observed between degrees of CH and VH in the VH group. The degree of VH significantly decreased 3 months after PFD/D. Conclusions VH is relatively common in CM patients and might be an important independent radiographic metric to evaluate and consider as part of the decision-making process, especially in those presenting with Chiari-like symptomatology referable to the medulla but who do not meet the traditional criteria of cerebellar ectopia greater than 5 mm.
Yesterday's Reach: How Legal Institutions Keep Pace with Technological Change

The idea that law struggles to keep pace with technological change is all too common a refrain among policymakers and pundits. Opportunistic actors, it is believed, can use technology to exploit ambiguity in the law. In practice, however, many of our seemingly most ambiguous legal institutions are remarkably resilient to technological disruption. I argue that agents’ perceptions about the nature of new technologies is shaped by the prism of their expertise. For legal professionals, legal text benchmarks argumentative credibility. This mechanism can be shown to be psychologically prior to political incentives. In this case, highly specific laws – long believed to enhance compliance – are particularly sensitive to technological surprise. To test this proposition, a sample of elite law students and graduates is randomly commissioned to write persuasive advisory briefs across 2^3 formally-motivated, factorial controlled conditions. Statistical and text analytic results strongly support the notion that the push for more international legal specificity in recent decades may actually undermine law’s durability to a rapidly changing world, and that generality may help minimize evasion, even when the political stakes are high. Implications for emerging technologies are discussed.
The hexokinase ″HKDC1″ interaction with the mitochondria is essential for hepatocellular carcinoma progression

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of death from cancer malignancies. Recently, hexokinase domain containing 1 (HKDC1), was shown to have significant overexpression in HCC compared to healthy tissue. Using in vitro and in vivo tools, we examined the role of HKDC1 in HCC progression. Importantly, HKDC1 ablation stops HCC progression by promoting metabolic reprogramming by shifting glucose flux away from the TCA cycle. Next, HKDC1 ablation leads to mitochondrial dysfunction resulting in less cellular energy which cannot be compensated by enhanced glucose uptake. And finally, we show that the interaction of HKDC1 with the mitochondria is essential for its role in HCC progression, and without this mitochondrial interaction mitochondrial dysfunction occurs. In sum, HKDC1 is highly expressed in HCC cells compared to normal hepatocytes, therefore targeting HKDC1, specifically its interaction with the mitochondria, reveals a highly selective approach to target cancer cells in HCC.
Service-Dominant Logic: Premises, Perspectives, Possibilities

In 2004, Robert F. Lusch and Stephen L. Vargo published their groundbreaking article on the evolution of marketing theory and practice toward 'service-dominant (S-D) logic', describing the shift from a product-centred view of markets to a service-led model. Now, in this keenly anticipated book, the authors present a thorough primer on the principles and applications of S-D logic. They describe a clear alternative to the dominant worldview of the heavily planned, production-oriented, profit-maximizing firm, presenting a coherent, organizing framework based on ten foundational premises. The foundational premises of S-D logic have much wider implications beyond marketing for the future of the firm, transcending different industries and contexts, and will provide readers with a deeper sense of why the exchange of service is the fundamental basis of all social and economic exchange. This accessible book will appeal to students, as well as to researchers and practitioners.
Thinking through the Body: Essays in Somaesthetics

This book provides a richly rewarding vision of the burgeoning interdisciplinary field of somaesthetics. Composed of fourteen wide-ranging but finely integrated essays by Richard Shusterman, the originator of the field, Thinking through the Body explains the philosophical foundations of somaesthetics and applies its insights to central issues in ethics, education, cultural politics, consciousness studies, sexuality and the arts. Integrating Western philosophy, cognitive science and somatic methodologies with classical Asian theories of body, mind and action, these essays probe the nature of somatic existence and the role of body consciousness in knowledge, memory and behavior. Deploying somaesthetic perspectives to analyze key aesthetic concepts (such as style and the sublime), he offers detailed studies of embodiment in drama, dance, architecture and photography. The volume also includes somaesthetic exercises for the classroom and explores the ars erotica as an art of living.
Women's Studies Journals

Abstract A subset of the ongoing survey of faculty journal reading behavior at the University of New Hampshire, specifically women's studies, was used to study the journal collection that the library subscribes to and compare it to the titles that faculty say they read but to which the library does not subscribe. The data were further compared to titles listed in the indexes most frequently used by undergraduates, and with interlibrary loan data. The analysis reveals that it would not take a great deal of money to subscribe to the titles that the data indicates would enhance the collection. It is also possible that there are titles on the women's studies subscription lists that could be canceled to make funds for different journals available.
Online query relaxation via Bayesian causal structures discovery

We introduce a novel algorithm, TOQR, for relaxing failed queries over databases, that is, over-constrained DNF queries that return an empty result. TOQR uses a small dataset to discover the implicit relationships among the domain attributes, and then it exploits this domain knowledge to relax the failed query. TOQR starts with a relaxed query that does not include any constraint, and it tries to add to it as many as possible of the original constraints or their relaxations. The order in which the constraints are added is derived from the domain's causal structure, which is learned by applying the TAN algorithm to the small training dataset. Our experiments show that TOQR clearly outperforms other approaches: even when trained on a handful of examples, it successfully relaxes more that 97% of the failed queries; furthermore, TOQR'S relaxed queries are highly similar to the original failed query.
On the origin of the Vastitas Borealis Formation in Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae, Mars

The geologic history of the northern plains of Mars has been extensively debated. Specifically, the Vastitas Borealis Formation (VBF) represents an enigmatic surface unit that exhibits flow morphologies at its boundary, extensive surface fracturing, tens of thousands of small mounds, and unique crater morphologies. Here we test the hypothesis that the VBF in the region of Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae, Mars, originated through the compaction and later expulsion of fluid-laden sediments sourced from the shallow subsurface. We find that the morphological, thermophysical, and spectral properties of the VBF marginal unit, in addition to the recent identification of fine-grained sedimentary layers in the shallow subsurface, are all consistent with such a formation mechanism. Estimates of volume loss based on “collar-like” morphologies present on high-standing buttes suggest that a minimum fluid volume of ~13,500 km3 was expelled from the subsurface, making the VBF a significant ancient hydrologic reservoir on the Martian surface. This formation mechanism lends additional insight into the sedimentary and aqueous history of the northern plains of Mars and unites morphologic, spectral, thermophysical, and structural observations under one consistent formation hypothesis.
A Plastic Micro Injection Molding Technique Using Replaceable Mold-Disks for Disposable Microfluidic Systems and Biochips

This paper presents an innovative plastic micro injection molding technique using replaceable disk-mold for applications to microfluidic systems and biochips. Precisely patterned and microfabricated wafer-type mold inserts can be easily loaded into the injection molding machine. Processing time for one chip was as fast as 10 seconds while hot embossing techniques require at least several minutes. Less than a few urn of precise patterns were also achieved. A promising new material has also been introduced and characterized using the developed injection molding technique as well as demonstrated for a disposable biochip.
Provider and patient drivers of ototopical antibiotic prescription variability.

Abstract Objective To determine if providers prescribe more affordable topical antibacterial therapy for patients who are economically disadvantaged or come from economically disadvantaged communities. Study design Prescription drug database review. Setting Large academic hospital network. Subjects and methods Ototopical prescription records of 2416 adults and children presenting with acute and chronic otologic infections from 2009 to 2013 were reviewed. Prescription, patient, provider, and institution variables including diagnosis, prescription type, demographics, health insurance status, healthcare provider type and setting were analyzed. Results Otitis externa and acute otitis media were the most common diagnoses. Non-OHNS (Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery) providers served 82% of all patients. OHNS providers prescribed proportionally less fluoroquinolone, and more brand-name antibiotics compared to non-OHNS providers. Adults were more likely to receive a non-fluoroquinolone antibiotic and a generic prescription versus pediatric patients. Patients who self-identified as ‘white’ ethnicity received proportionally more fluoroquinolone prescriptions than patients who identified as ‘non-white,’ but there was no difference in provider type. The proportion of fluoroquinolone prescriptions was significantly higher in patients from low-poverty counties, however poverty level was not associated with patients seeing a particular provider type. The majority of our patients had commercial insurance, followed by Medicaid. Medicare patients had the lowest proportion of fluoroquinolone antibiotic prescriptions, and were less likely to receive fluoroquinolone prescriptions versus commercial insurance. Non-insured patients received proportionally more generic versus brand prescriptions than insured patients. Conclusion Our results indicate potential provider, patient demographic, and financial factors producing considerable variability in the prescribing patterns for topical antibiotics for common otologic infections.
Radio Observations of the Galactic Center

Low-resolution, radio-intensity maps of the Galactic Center are dominated by two structures: the extended, nonthermal region between l = 0°.0 and 0°.3 called Sagittarius A(East); and the bright thermal source at l = -0°.05 and b = -0°.05 called Sagittarius A(West). SgrA(East) is probably a supernova remnant. SgrA(West) is a dense, gaseous region which is the very center of our Galaxy. Within SgrA(West) is a pc-sized cluster of infrared sources — late-type stars and gas condensations — swirling about with a dispersion of 250 km s-1. The cluster contains a unique radio source with the following properties: a size not exceeding 1015 cm, a radio luminosity exceeding 1034 erg s-1, and rather stable properties on a time scale of 108 s. This compact, nonthermal object (SgrAcn below) may be surrounded by a 0.1pc infrared source. Models for SgrAcn include both 106 M⊙ black holes related to the central objects in radio galaxies and quasars (Oort 1977, van Buren 1978) and 1 M⊙ degenerate stars related to pulsars and X-ray binaries (Reynolds and McKee 1980). We present below the radio intensity spectrum as a basic datum for further development of either class of models.
Neuroanatomy of the male urethra and perineum

Objective To describe the topography of the perineal nerves from their pudendal origin to their course into the male genitalia, with specific attention on the course of the perineal nerve along the ventral penis, including branches into bulbospongiosus muscle and corpus spongiosum. Materials and methods The study comprised 18 normal human fetal penile specimens at 17.5-38 weeks of gestation (determined by fetal heel-to-toe length). Specimens were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin wax and serially sectioned at 6 micro m. The penile specimens contained the whole penis from the glans to the crural bodies, beneath the pubic arch and the perineum up to the anal verge. Immunocytochemistry was assessed on selected sections with antibodies against the neuronal markers S-100 and nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). Three-dimensional computer reconstruction of serial sections allowed an in-depth analysis of the neuroanatomy of the fetal penis, perineum and surrounding structures. Results After the pudendal nerve leaves the pudendal canal it gives rise to the perineal nerve branches in the ischiorectal fossa. Perineal nerves travel alongside the ischiocavernous and bulbospongiosus muscles and before reaching the latter, nerve branches course into the bulbospongiosus muscle. During its pathway within this muscle, fine nerve fibres course into the corpus spongiosum by piercing through the junction of the muscle. At the penoscrotal area, the perineal nerves give branches to the scrotum, funnelling into the interscrotal septum. Perineal nerves continue their pathway over the ventral side of penis covering the ventral surface of corpus spongiosum. Branches of the dorsal nerve of the penis at the junction of corpus cavernosum and corpus spongiosum assemble into a network with the perineal nerves. All perineal nerves from their main trunk at the ischiorectal fossa until their interaction with dorsal nerve of penis at the base of penis were nNOS negative. After the interaction with the dorsal nerve of penis, they become nNOS positive. Conclusion Integrating neuroanatomical knowledge about the perineal nerves and their communication with the dorsal nerve of penis should facilitate a strategic approach to reconstructive procedures on the penis. Special care should be taken at the junction between the corpora cavernosa and spongiosa, where the dorsal nerve joins the perineal nerve, and at the proximal bulbospongiosus muscle, thereby protecting the fine nerves piercing into the cavernosa spongiosa.
Suzuki polycondensation and post-polymerization modification toward electro-optic perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) aryl ether polymers: Synthesis and characterization

Abstract Suzuki polycondensation (SPC) as an alternative strategy has been utilized for the first time to readily yield functional perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) aryl ether polymers, which are difficult to obtain via the traditional [2+2] thermal cyclopolymerization strategy. Using two reactive PFCB aryl ether molecules as monomers, the biphenyl PFCB aryl ether polymer without any functionality was first prepared and exhibited good thermal stability, up to 450 °C at 8% weight loss (N2). By choosing appropriate functional monomers, aldehyde-functionalized PFCB aryl ether polymer precursor was also successfully prepared. Post-polymerization modification of this polymer precursor via Knoevenagel condensation yielded three distinct PFCB aryl ether polymers containing thermally stable triarylamine-based electro-optic chromophores.
GRAB: generalized region assigned to binary

Scale is one of the major challenges in recognition problems. For example, a face captured across large distances is considerably harder to recognize than the same face at small distances. Local binary pattern (LBP) and its variants have been successfully used in face detection, recognition, and many other computer vision applications. While LBP features are shown to be discriminative in face recognition, the pixel level description of LBP features is sensitive to the change in scale of the images. In this work, we extend the utility of a generalized variant of LBP feature descriptor called generalized region assigned to binary (GRAB), previously introduced in an article below, and show that it handles the challenges due to scale. The original LBP operator in another article is defined with respect to the surrounding pixel values while the GRAB operator is defined with respect to overlapping surrounding regions. This gives more general description and flexibility in choosing the right operator depending on the varying imaging conditions such as scale variations. We also propose a way to automatically select the scale of the GRAB operator (size of neighborhood). A pyramid of multi-scale GRAB operators is constructed, and the operator at each scale is applied to an image. Selection of operator’s scale is performed based on the number of stable pixels at different levels of the multi-scale pyramid. The stable pixels are defined to be the pixels in the images for which the GRAB value remains the same even as the GRAB operator scale changes. In addition to the experiments in the former article, we apply basic LBP, Liao et al.’s multi-scale block (MB)-LBP, and GRAB operator on face recognition across multiple scales and demonstrate that GRAB significantly outperforms the basic LBP and is more stable compared to MB-LBP in cases of reduced scale on a subsets of a well-known published database of labeled faces in the wild (LFW). We also perform experiments on the standard LFW database using strict LFW protocol and show the improved performance of GRAB descriptor compared to LBP and Gabor descriptors.
Simultaneous EEG-Correlated Noninvasive Imaging of Epilepsy Using Fast Diffuse Optical Tomography

We present a dynamic, noninvasive and functional diffuse optical brain imaging method that is done simultaneously with hippocampus CA1 LFP recordings for anesthetized rats under resting conditions and during acute chemoconvulant provoked seizures.
A Model for the Distribution of Pore Sizes in Cement Paste

The pore size distribution in cement paste over the range of pore sizes interrogated by high pressure mercury intrusion porosimetry may be described by a mixture of two lognormal distributions. The compound distribution of pore sizes may be given as: $${\rm{p(x)}}\,{\rm{ = }}\,\frac{{\rm{f}}}{{{\sigma _1}{\rm{x}}\sqrt {2\pi } }}\exp - [\frac{{{(\log \,{\rm{x} - {{\rm{\mu}}_1})}^2}}}{{2\sigma _1^2}}] + \frac{{(1 - {\rm{f}}}}{{{\sigma _2}{\rm{x}}\sqrt {2\pi } }}\exp - [\frac{{{{(\log \,x - {{\rm{\mu }}_2})}^2}}}{{2\sigma _2^2}}]$$ where p(x) is the probability density function of pores of size x, f and (1−f) are the weights of sub-distributions, μ1 and μ2 are the location parameters of sub-distributions, and σ1 and σ2 are the shape parameters of sub-distributions. These two sub-distributions may represent the larger and smaller capillary pores respectively. The changes in the sub-distributions and the compound distribution as functions of curing age and water-to-cement ratio are discussed.
Host specificity assessment and potential impact of Megamelus scutellaris (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) on waterhyacinth Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiales: Pontederiaceae)

Abstract The delphacid Megamelus scutellaris Berg was evaluated for host specificity and potential impact as part of a biological control program targeting Eichhornia. crassipes. Survival and development of adults and nymphs were used as metrics with no-choice, two-choice, nymph transfer, and sustainability tests conducted under quarantine conditions. A total of 69 plant species were tested including 12 from the Pontederiaceae (including E. crassipes). Additionally, 27 native and 5 exotic associated wetland species and 11 economic species were tested. Megamelus scutellaris exhibited a high level of oviposition and developmental fidelity to E. crassipes by failing to sustain populations on any non-target test plant past the F1 generation. Nymph transfer tests which simulated potential spill-over events found that survival was virtually non-existent on associated wetland plants, regardless of taxonomic relatedness, including on Pontederia cordata, an important and widespread native species. Eichhornia crass...
The Early Puritanism of Lancelot Andrewes

It is a commonplace that young radicals become old conservatives. Not only does this principle apply in modern life but it also finds illustrations in the history of party movements in earlier times. The English Puritans, who were the progressive group of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries in their country, experienced this regular defection of some of their most promising young adherents. The two famous bishops of the English Church in Ireland, James Ussher and William Bedell, were strongly inclined towards Puritanism in their early years. Samuel Ward, the great Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and delegate of the English Church to the Synod of Dort, was another who became more moderate with the years. In the tributes which have been written to the memory of Lancelot Andrewes as a great High Churchman, court preacher, stylist and Anglican devotional writer, the fact that he also passed through such a stage in his development has been generally neglected. Nevertheless such was the case, and during his early years, Andrewes made an important contribution to the development of one of the most characteristic Puritan doctrines, that of the Sabbath.
The Effectiveness of Medicare Part B Medical Review: Issues and Alternatives:

The part B medical review methods currently used by Medicare carriers to control resource use suffer from a series of problems including failure to reward deter rence of unnecessary claims, failure to detect substitu tion of nonreviewed claims, reliance on average rather than marginal measures of performance, excessive fo cusing of reviews, and the inability to measure effective ness separately from the intervention. This article de scribes these problems and proposes a series of alternative strategies for review that may improve these problems.
Morphology and function of sternal glands in polistine wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The morphology of sternal glands and associated cuticular specializations are described for female polistine social wasps. Their distribution among 25 of the 28 genera of the subfamily is examined in light of what is known of the functions of these glands. Species in which queens found colonies independently of workers (four genera plus part of Ropalidia) have clusters of ducted gland cells on the sixth (terminal) gastral sternite. In all species examined the gland cells open into a tuft of long setae which probably functions as a reservoir/applicator brush. There is at least circumstantial evidence for all five genera that this gland produces an ant repellent substance that is smeared onto the nest petiole, where it serves as a defensive barrier against ants. The remaining genera (20 plus part of Ropalidia) consist of species in which queens are accompanied by a swarm of workers in the initiation of a new colony. In 12 of these genera females have a gland of ducted cells on sternite 5 (penultimate), associated with cuticular sculpturing of various types. Experimental or circumstantial evidence for several of these genera indicates that the product of this gland is used to lay an odor trail that guides the swarm from the parent nest to a new nest site. One genus has a similar gland on the sixth sternite, another has glands on both the fifth and the sixth, and the remaining six genera lack any evidence of sternal glands. The independent-founding species of Ropalidia have a sixth sternal gland associated with a tuft of setae, while the swarm-founding species have the tuft but lack the gland. Our interpretation of this is that the gland produces an ant repellent substance in the independent-founding species, but in the swarm-founding Ropalidia such a substance is of little value and so the gland has been lost.