cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal placement of fixture clamps

This paper addresses the problem of synthesizing optimal clamping schemes on 3D parts with planar and cylindrical faces, with and without friction. Given a workpart with a pre-defined deterministic 3-2-1 location scheme, a set of polygonal convex regions on its faces are defined as areas of admissible clamp positions. A known set of one or more external disturbing wrenches are also given. The frictionless case is first considered, and a new linear program is formulated that minimizes the maximum clamping force. A transformation of the solution is presented that permits the extraction of the optimal positions of the clamps as well. Friction is introduced next, and a linear program is presented that minimizes the maximum normal clamping force. We extend the frictionless formulation to support the case of clamping contacts on cylindrical faces, resulting in a nonlinear convex formulation. Finally, we discuss a linear algebraic technique to find the lines of constant clamping force, along which the clamps can be moved while maintaining the clamping force constant.
Advertising Expenditures and the Macro-Economy: Some New Evidence

This article reinvestigates the relationship between advertising expenditures and various macro-variables using aggregate data from the United Kingdom. The analysis is based on the recently developed cointegration and causality approach. Unlike Galbraith's 1967 findings, the results fail to show evidence of any relationship between advertising activity and the level of national income, disposable income, and personal consumption expenditures. However, a strong uni-directional causality exists from advertising activity to the unemployment rate. This article raises concern about some fundamental issues in the advertising literature, and introduces a new and powerful estimation technique.
Ion clearing and photoelectron production in the 200 MeV SXLS ring

The design of the SXLS (Superconducting X-ray Lithography Source) clearing system and its behavior are presented. In normal 200 MeV operation, clearing electrode current is dominated by photoelectrons. Clearing electrodes appear essentially only in several locations but not in the dipoles. The effect of clearing voltage on the tune and the beam profile is also discussed. >
Image enhancement using the modified ICM method

A generalized version of the iterative conditional modes (ICM) method for image enhancement is developed. The proposed algorithm utilizes the characteristic of Markov random fields (MRF) in modeling the contextual information embedded in image formation. To cope with real images, a new local MRF model with a second-order neighborhood is introduced. This model extracts contextual information not only from the intensity levels but also from the relative position of neighboring cliques. Also, an outlier rejection method is presented. In this method, the rejection depends on each candidate's contribution to the local variance. To cope with a mixed noise case, a hypothesis test is implemented as part of the restoration procedure. The proposed algorithm performs signal adaptive, nonlinear, and recursive filtering. In comparing the performance of the new procedure with several well-known order statistic filters, the superiority of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated both in the mean-square-error (MSE) and the mean-absolute-error (MAE) senses. In addition, the new algorithm preserves the details of the images well. It should be noted that the blurring effect is not considered.
Mouse Anesthesia and Analgesia

Providing anesthesia and analgesia for mouse subjects is a common and critical practice in the laboratory setting. These practices are necessary for performing invasive procedures, achieving prolonged immobility for sensitive imaging modalities (magnetic resonance imaging for instance), and providing intra- and post-procedural pain relief. In addition to facilitating the procedures performed by the investigator, the provision of anesthesia and analgesia is crucial for the preservation of animal welfare and for humane treatment of animals used in research. Furthermore, anesthesia and analgesia are important components of animal use protocols reviewed by Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, requiring careful consideration and planning for the particular animal model. In this article, we provide technical outlines for the investigator covering the provision of anesthesia by two routes (injectable and inhalant), guidelines for monitoring anesthesia, current techniques for recognition of pain, and considerations for administering preventative analgesia.
Novel ultra-short and ultra-broadband polarization beam splitter based on a bent directional coupler.

A novel ultra-short polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on a bent directional coupler is proposed by utilizing the evanescent coupling between two bent optical waveguides with different core widths. For the bent directional coupler, there is a significant phase-mismatch for TE polarization while the phase-matching condition is satisfied for TM polarization. Therefore, the TM polarized light can be coupled from the narrow input waveguide to the adjacent wide waveguide while the TE polarization goes through the coupling region without significant coupling. An ultra-short ( 10dB.
An Integrated Modeling Approach to Assessing Linkages between Environment, Organism, and Phenotypic Plasticity

Many of the most interesting questions in organismal biology, especially those involving the functional and adaptive significance of organismal characteristics, intrinsically transcend levels of biological organization. These organismal functions typically involve multiple interacting biological mechanisms. We suggest that subdisciplinary advances have led both to the opportunity and to the necessity to reintegrate knowledge into a new understanding of the whole organism. We present a conceptual framework for a modeling approach that addresses the functioning of organisms in an integrative way, incorporating elements from environments, populations, individuals, and intra-organismal dynamics such as physiology and behavior. To give substance to our conceptual framework, we provide a preliminary focal case study using phenotypic plasticity in the tooth morphology of snails in the genus Lacuna. We use this case study to illustrate ways in which questions about the evolution and ecology of organismal function intrinsically span all organizational levels. In this case, and in many others, quantitative approaches that integrate across mechanisms and scales can suggest new hypotheses about organismal function, and provide new tools to test those hypotheses. Integrative quantitative models also provide roadmaps for the large-scale collaborations among diverse disciplinary specialists that are needed to gain deeper insights into organismal function.
Prion variants, species barriers, generation and propagation

Prion variants faithfully propagate across species barriers, but if the barrier is too high, new variants (mutants) are selected, as shown in a recent BMC Biology report. Protein sequence alteration can prevent accurate structural templating at filament ends producing prion variants.
Insecticidal Carbamates: Comparison of the Activities of N-methyl and N,N-dimethylcarbamates of Various Phenols

A comparison was made of the toxicities of the N -methyl- and N,N -dimethylcarbamates of eight active aryl groups. In all cases the N-methyl carbamates were superior in toxicity to the house fly ( Musca domestica L.), mosquito (Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say) larva and salt-marsh caterpillar ( Estigmene acrea (Drury)) larva. The carbamates were chosen to illustrate insecticidal specificity and it was found that this was determined by the nature of the aryl-group. There was an approximately linear relationship between the logarithm of toxicity to the house fly and cholinesterase inhibition.
Zircon Fission-Track Ages of Pearlette Family Ash Beds in Meade County, Kansas

Pearlette family volcanic ash beds at two faunally important late Cenozoic localities near Meade, Meade County, Kansas, are very similar in chemical and mineralogic composition, yet their zircon microphenocrysts have markedly different fission-track ages. Zircon microphenocrysts from type B Pearlette volcanic ash underlying sediments that contain the Borchers local fauna of Hibbard are various shades of pink and have a fission-track age of 1.9 ± 0.1 m.y. In contrast, zircon microphenocrysts from type O Pearlette volcanic ash overlying sediments that contain the Cudahy local fauna of Hibbard are colorless and have a fission-track age of 0.6 ± 0.1 m.y. These fission-track ages are in good agreement with K-Ar ages on the probable source material in Yellowstone National Park.
Quantification of dopamine transporters in the mouse brain using ultra-high resolution single-photon emission tomography

Functional imaging of small animals, such as mice and rats, using ultra-high resolution positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission tomography (SPET), is becoming a valuable tool for studying animal models of human disease. While several studies have shown the utility of PET imaging in small animals, few have used SPET in real research applications. In this study we aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using ultra-high resolution SPET in quantitative studies of dopamine transporters (DAT) in the mouse brain. Four healthy ICR male mice were injected with (mean±SD) 704±154 MBq [99mTc]TRODAT-1, and scanned using an ultra-high resolution SPET system equipped with pinhole collimators (spatial resolution 0.83 mm at 3 cm radius of rotation). Each mouse had two studies, to provide an indication of test-retest reliability. Reference tissue kinetic modeling analysis of the time-activity data in the striatum and cerebellum was used to quantitate the availability of DAT. A simple equilibrium ratio of striatum to cerebellum provided another measure of DAT binding. The SPET imaging results were compared against ex vivo biodistribution data from the striatum and cerebellum. The mean distribution volume ratio (DVR) from the reference tissue kinetic model was 2.17±0.34, with a test-retest reliability of 2.63%±1.67%. The ratio technique gave similar results (DVR=2.03±0.38, test-retest reliability=6.64%±3.86%), and the ex vivo analysis gave DVR=2.32±0.20. Correlations between the kinetic model and the ratio technique (R2=0.86, P<0.001) and the ex vivo data (R2=0.92, P=0.04) were both excellent. This study demonstrated clearly that ultra-high resolution SPET of small animals is capable of accurate, repeatable, and quantitative measures of DAT binding, and should open up the possibility of further studies of cerebral binding sites in mice using pinhole SPET.
“Risky Business” Ten Years Is Not a Lifetime

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. — —Maria Robinson Although the Framingham Risk Score forms the bedrock of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk prediction, it has several limitations that have been well documented.1 The clinician is left to manage a significant proportion of patients who have “low to intermediate” estimated risk but accrue the majority of CHD events because they form the majority (≈65%) of the population. Article p 382 To address these deficiencies in the prediction of risk, several investigators have included other markers of risk such as biomarkers related to inflammation, genotypes, or imaging tests with traditional risk factors to improve CHD risk prediction. These analyses have resulted in the creation of novel risk-prediction schemes such as the Reynolds risk score, which added family history and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) to blood pressure, smoking, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hemoglobin A1C to predict risk.2 However, whether algorithms have used biomarkers such as hs-CRP, imaging tests such as coronary calcium score or carotid intima-media thickness, or novel genotypes such as the single-nucleotide polymorphism on chromosome 9p21, the improvements in risk prediction have been modest. Other investigators have suggested that anybody who is not at very low risk should get an imaging test to further stratify risk.3 On the other hand, there have been efforts to identify the “lifetime risk” of CHD for individuals in various age groups. The concept of lifetime risk was highlighted in the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III guidelines4 and is an important one, especially for individuals who are young to middle-aged. Traditional risk factors become manifest more often in the 4th and 5th decades of life when the estimated lifespan based on …
Simultaneous detection and target motion analysis from conventional passive beamforming outputs

Conventionally, source location estimation from passive sonar beams needs three successive steps: detection, data association and tracking, and target motion analysis (TMA). An alternate approach is presented for considering the problem from a global point of view. The maximum likelihood estimator of source position is shown to consist of maximizing the integral of beamforming outputs on the bearing history. This method allows a large gain in index of detection allowing detection and TMA even on 0-dB SNR sources. Cramer-Rao lower bound and simulations are in good agreement. >
Resource Utilization of Adults Admitted to a Large Urban Hospital With Community-Acquired Pneumonia Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae

Objective To determine if penicillin-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae , among other variables, was significantly associated with greater hospital costs among patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Design Retrospective, cohort study. Setting Eight hundred ten-bed, urban, private, teaching hospital. Patients Adult patients admitted between 1999 and 2003 with CAP caused by S pneumoniae. Intervention Clinical criteria and costs (inflated to 2004 dollars) were collected from the medical charts and detailed hospital bills for each individual patient. Costs were compared according to classification by penicillin susceptibility. Multivariate linear regression was utilized to determine variables independently associated with increased hospital costs and length of stay. Results Of 168 patients included, 44 patients (26%) had CAP caused by penicillin-nonsusceptible S pneumoniae . Median total hospital costs were $8,654 (25th to 75th percentile, $5,457 to $16,027), with no difference between susceptible and nonsusceptible groups. Bed costs accounted for 55.6% of total costs, followed by laboratory (9.9%) and pharmacy (9.8%) costs. Regression analyses determined that ICU admission (p r 2 = 0.46) and increasing length of stay (adjusted r 2 = 0.30). Hospital mortality, bacteremia, and congestive heart failure were also associated with at least one of the dependent variables. Conclusion In the current era in which more potent antibiotics are empirically utilized to treat CAP, it does not appear that a simple classification of penicillin nonsusceptibility complicates the economic impact of S pneumoniae infection. Focused efforts to reduce length of stay, including minimizing prolonged and unnecessary observation of patients, should have the most profound effect on reducing total costs.
Characterization of Nanodomains in Polymer-Derived SiCN Ceramics Employing Multiple Techniques

A combination of methods, Bragg diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and transmission electron microscopy, is applied to the characterization of nanodomains and nanocrystals in polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs). Detailed study of two materials, silicon carbonitride (SiCN) and a SiCN–zirconia nanocomposite, is presented. The first contains domains which can be measured only by SAXS. However, the nanocrystallites of zirconia in the second material can be quantatively studied by all three techniques. In both instances, we find the SAXS to be particularly useful because these data provide detailed information regarding the size distribution of the domains and the crystallites. This information can be valuable in understanding the materials science of PDCs: e,g., the change in the distribution and the average size of the nanoclusters can be modeled to understand the kinetic mechanisms of coarsening at high temperatures.
Impact of technology scaling in the clock system power

The clock distribution and generation circuitry is known to consume more than a quarter of the power budget of existing microprocessors. A previously derived clock energy model is briefly reviewed while a comprehensive framework for the estimation of systemwide (chip level) and clock sub-system power as function of technology scaling is presented. This framework is used to study and quantify the impact that various intensifying concerns associated with scaling (i.e., increased leakage currents, increased interwire capacitance) will have on clock energy and their relative impact on the overall system energy. The results obtained indicate that clock power will remain a significant contributor to the total chip power, as long as techniques are used to limit leakage power consumption.
Development of NASA-TLX (Task Load Index): Results of Empirical and Theoretical Research

Abstract The results of a multi-year research program to identify the factors associated with variations in subjective workload within and between different types of tasks are reviewed. Subjective evaluations of 10 workload-related factors were obtained from 16 different experiments. The experimental tasks included simple cognitive and manual control tasks, complex laboratory and supervisory control tasks, and aircraft simulation. Task-, behavior-, and subject-related correlates of subjective workload experiences varied as a function of difficulty manipulations within experiments, different sources of workload between experiments, and individual differences in workload definition. A multi-dimensional rating scale is proposed in which information about the magnitude and sources of six workload-related factors are combined to derive a sensitive and reliable estimate of workload.
Interfacial synthesis of polyphosphonate and polyphosphate esters. V. Poly(phosphonate esters) containing thymidine, 2-deoxy-d-ribose, or xanthine

Poly(phosphonate esters) were synthesized by base-promoted interfacial polycondensation of phenylphosphonic dichloride with thymidine and with 2-deoxy-D-ribose. The products give evidence of P-Cl endgroups. The thymidine product is a high polymer with a weight-average number of repeating units, DPw, greater than 250. The 2-deoxy-D-ribose product is separable into soluble and insoluble (crosslinked) fractions having identical infrared spectra. Xanthine is also reactive in the process employed.
Chemical-inducible systems for regulated expression of plant genes.

Chemical regulation of transgene expression presents a powerful tool for basic research in plant biology and biotechnological applications. Various chemical-inducible systems based on de-repression, activation and inactivation of the target gene have been described. The utility of inducible promoters has been successfully demonstrated by the development of a marker-free transformation system and large-scale gene profiling. In addition, field applications appear to be promising through the use of registered agrochemicals (e.g. RH5992) as inducers.
Dopey's seizure.

Angelman syndrome is a neurogenetic condition namely characterized by developmental delay, virtual absence of expressive verbal language, peculiar organization of movement, seizures and happy demeanor. This syndrome has been recognized since 1965, but it seems that Walt Disney presented an original depiction of it in his first full-length animated film, including myoclonic jerks and an apparently generalized tonic-clonic seizure.
Test Use and Abuse.

AbstractThe ubiquitous use of standardized test results to make varied judgments about educators, students, and schools within the public school system raises concerns of validity. If the test results have not been validated for making multiple determinations, then the decisions made about educators, students, schools, and school districts based on the results could be flawed. The author discusses specific standards that guide the research-based uses of test results.
The Effect of an Oxidative-Caustic Environment on Graft Copolymer Membranes

This paper discusses the accumulated results of a continuing study on the long-term effect of the environment in a Ag-Zn battery on a separator material prepared from thin films of crosslinked polyethylene grafted with poly (potassium acrylate), the acrylate content being usually approximately 40 wt % These materials have been prepared for JPL by Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas (Ref. l). This type of separator membrane is considered for spacecraft applications because of its relative stability and the ability to withstand heat sterilization at 135°C.
Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft

Hydrogen is the most abundant species on Earth. It may be obtained from a variety of sources and may be compressed to cryogenic temperatures for ease of handling and distribution. The only products resulting from the combustion of liquid hydrogen are nitrogen oxides and water vapor whose effects on climate may be mitigated by optimizing cruising altitudes and mixture conditions in the combustion chamber. As such, hydrogen is a promising aviation fuel that addresses both the environmental and air quality problems associated with conventional jet fuels and the depletion of fossil resources. Nevertheless, several technical challenges remain. Although liquid hydrogen has a greater specific energy density compared to conventional jet fuels, it also has a four times smaller volumetric energy density. This poses a unique challenge for the efficient design of hydrogen-powered aircraft and associated fuel systems. Finally, the wide use of liquid hydrogen as an aviation fuel requires further development of materials and tanks for its efficient distribution and storage at cryogenic temperatures, the development of heat exchange systems for engine cooling, and the efficient control of thermal stresses on structural components. Keywords: hydrogen aircraft design; hydrogen combustion; hydrogen distribution; hydrogen infrastructure; hydrogen production; hydrogen propulsion; hydrogen storage
The Master's Degree in HCI at 20: Issues and Trends

Over the past 20 years, professional HCI programs at the Master's level have emerged and evolved at a number of universities, providing academic training to future HCI practitioners. Demand for these programs by students and demand for graduates by industry has increased considerably. In this SIG, representatives from such programs, current students, alumni, and representatives from hiring companies will discuss emerging trends, tools and technologies that will influence the future structure of these programs. Industry attendees will identify how current programs meet their needs and identify where gaps exist. Attendees will also consider ways to build a community of support for those involved in delivering HCI education at the Master's level.
Urosonography in spinal cord injury patients.

AbstractUrosonography, ultrasound of the urinary tract, is a noninvasive imaging method used to evaluate renal masses, renal parenchymal disease, hydronephrosis, bladder volume and calculi. The applicability of ultrasound was studied in 54 spinal cord injury patients by correlating uroradiological examinations with ultrasound. Emphasis was placed on ultrasonic imaging of ureterectasis and vesicoureteral reflux. Ultrasound confirmed all positive radiographic findings of renal and bladder abnormalities (renal calculi, chronic pyelonephritis, trabeculated bladder and bladder calculi), and yielded additional information in 27 per cent of the kidney and 13 per cent of the bladder studies. Ultrasound was used to confirm vesicoureteral reflux in 56 per cent of the patients and ureterectasis in 33 per cent. It is recommended that spinal cord injury patients undergo a baseline excretory urogram followed by periodical ultrasound examinations to detect hydronephrosis, renal parenchymal disease, and renal and bladder...
Iatrogenic Hip Subluxation After Surgical Dislocation Successfully Treated with Periacetabular Osteotomy: A Case Report.

The recognition of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)1 as a cause of prearthritic hip disease has resulted in dramatic increases in the treatment of this condition2. A detailed history, physical examination, and comprehensive radiographic evaluation are important for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning, including the differentiation of mild acetabular dysplasia and FAI. We report a case of iatrogenic hip subluxation that occurred after surgical dislocation with acetabuloplasty. The patient was treated with a corrective periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) and had an excellent clinical outcome two years postoperatively. She was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and she provided consent. A thirty-one-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with persistent left hip pain after surgical dislocation. Initially, the patient had presented to an outside institution with a three-year history of progressive left groin pain that failed to improve with conservative treatment. Preoperative imaging had included an anteroposterior pelvic radiograph, a false-profile radiograph, and a magnetic resonance arthrogram (MRA) (Figs. 1-A through 1-E). The patient had undergone a surgical dislocation of the left hip with acetabuloplasty, labral refixation, and femoral osteochondroplasty for pincer impingement at an outside hospital one year prior to presenting at our clinic. Fig. 1 The preoperative anteroposterior pelvic radiograph ( Fig. 1-A ) and the coned-down anteroposterior pelvic radiograph ( Fig. 1-B ) demonstrate borderline acetabular dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle of 20°) and apparent acetabular retroversion (relative inlet view). The preoperative false-profile radiograph ( Fig. 1-C ) demonstrates anterior undercoverage with an anterior center-edge angle of 16°. Coronal ( Fig. 1-D ) and axial ( Fig. 1-E ) MRA images demonstrate acetabular dysplasia (without subluxation) and a hypertrophic acetabular labrum. Postoperatively, the patient had noted worsening of the hip pain. Three months postoperatively, radiographs had demonstrated mild subluxation of the femoral head and delayed union of the greater trochanter osteotomy site (Fig. 2). The patient …
Sex Steroids and Growth Hormone Secretion

The increase in growth velocity seen in puberty is the visible effect of the interaction between sex steroids and growth hormone secretion (GH) and action. This chapter reviews the effects of sex steroids on various aspects of the GH axis. Disease states associated with GH deficiency, hypogonadism, receptor mutations, and enzyme deficiencies have aided the investigation of the mechanisms of action of sex steroids. The rise in testosterone and estrogen during puberty is associated with increase in GH secretion, mediated through the estrogen receptor. Effects on IGF-I production are variable with testosterone increasing GH responsiveness, but estrogen apparently causing dose-related variability in IGF-I production. At the level of the bone, sex steroids likely induce local IGF-I production, and maturation of the epiphyseal region appears to be estrogen dependent. The combined effect of the interactions between sex steroid and the growth GH axis results in an appropriate growth spurt through puberty with a sexual dimorphism in adult height, though the reasons for this difference remain unclear.
Cationic zinc clusters with mean formula Zn5.46.9+ in the sodalite cavities of zeolite Y (FAU)

Abstract Now that the occurrence of monatomic Zn + at extraframework positions in zeolites has been established, a reevaluation of a crystal structure reported in 1992 indicates that cationic zinc clusters of mean formula Zn 5 . 4 6 . 9 + had formed in the sodalite cavities of zeolite Y (FAU), Zn ca.43 Si 137 Al 55 O 384 per unit cell. Their mean Zn–Zn bond length is 3.14(2) A, and their two mean Zn–Zn–Zn angles are 77.0(4)° and 101.6(4)°. To minimize the number of Zn–Zn intercationic approaches, and to distribute positive charge relatively evenly over the anionic zeolite framework, these clusters are likely to be cyclic (Zn 6 ) and a segment of a cycle (Zn 5 ). The even, four-electron clusters cyclo - Zn 6 8 + and Zn 5 6 + are proposed. Each sodalite cavity may host one of these clusters. cyclo - Zn 6 8 + would have three atoms at site I′ and three at site II′, alternating, with symmetry 3 m . Zn 5 6 + would be like cyclo - Zn 6 8 + but with one atom at site I′ missing, and symmetry m .
What is an Instructional Context? An Exploratory Analysis of Conversational Shifts Across Time

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an exploratory analysis of what an instructional context is and what are the rules for functioning communicatively within and across each context. Study of teaching is ultimately the study of the development of social contexts of the classroom. Because teaching is primarily a communicative process, knowledge about the social contexts can be obtained through the analysis of how people communicate, that is, how people interact with and act upon the messages of others to achieve the social and instructional goals of the classroom. The identification and interpretation of specific cognitive and structural cues is not the whole story in the child's task of identifying context and enacting the correct social rule. The need for retrospective evaluation of teacher/child interaction in educational settings has been recognized by researchers concerned with the study of teaching and teacher effectiveness.
Low-level background absorption in durable window materials

The understanding and characterization of low level absorption in window materials is important for applications involving high energy lasers and hot windows in front of detectors. Low concentration impurities are important as well as disorders and defects. Such mechanisms can produce weak absorption that can manifest itself as background continuum absorption between the band gap and the multiphonon absorption edges. This so called weak absorption tail has been characterized in amorphous semiconductors and glasses, but not as completely in crystalline or polycrystalline materials that are typical durable window materials. Low-level absorption in the visible and near infrared has been reported for single crystal o-ray sapphire and a limited set on other crystalline based material. A survey of reported measurements in regions of high transparency for such materials is presented.
Drivers of Early Internationalizing Firm Performance: A Systematic Review of Empirical Literature

Although research on early internationalizing firms (EIFs) or born global firms was novel a decade ago, there is now increased interest in this topic given that there is an abundance of such firms ...
The role of RAPD markers in breeding for disease resistance in common bean

Diseases are regarded as the leading constraint to increased common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production worldwide. The range in variability and complexity among bean pathogens can be controlled with different single gene and quantitative resistance sources. Combining these resistance sources into commercial cultivars is a major challenge for bean breeders. To assist breeders, a major effort to identify RAPD markers tightly linked to different genes was undertaken. To date, 23 RAPD and five SCAR markers linked to 15 different resistance genes have been identified, in addition to QTL conditioning resistance to seven major pathogens of common bean. We review the feasibility of using marker-assisted selection (MAS) to incorporate disease resistance into common bean. Indirect selection of single resistance genes in the absence of the pathogen and the opportunity afforded breeders to pyramid these genes to improve their longevity and retain valuable hypostatic genes is discussed. The role of markers linked to the QTL controlling complex resistance and the potential to combine resistance sources using marker based selection is reviewed. Improving levels of selection efficiency using flanking markers, repulsion-phase linkages, co-dominant marker pairs, recombination-facilitated MAS and SCAR markers is demonstrated. Marker-assisted selection for disease resistance in common bean provides opportunities to breeders that were not feasible with traditional breeding methods.
Symmetry Breaking in Haloscope Microwave Cavities

Axion haloscope detectors use microwave cavities permeated by a magnetic field to resonate photons that are converted from axions due to the inverse Primakoff effect. The sensitivity of a detector is proportional to the form factor of the cavity’s search mode. Transverse symmetry breaking is used to tune the search modes for scanning across a range of axion masses. However, numerical analysis shows transverse and longitudinal symmetry breaking reduce the sensitivity of the search mode. Simulations also show longitudinal symmetry breaking leads to other undesired consequences like mode mixing and mode crowding. The results complicate axion dark matter searches and further reduce the search capabilities of detectors. The findings of a numerical analysis of symmetry breaking in haloscope microwave cavities are presented.
Effects of feeding hulled and hull-less barley with low- and high-forage diets on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, and milk fatty acid composition of lactating dairy cows

The objective of this study was to evaluate lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, and milk fatty acid composition of high-producing dairy cows consuming diets containing hulled or hull-less barley as the grain source when feeding low-forage (LF) or high-forage (HF) diets. Eight primiparous (610 ± 40 kg of body weight and 72 ± 14 d in milk) and 16 multiparous (650 ± 58 kg of body weight and 58 ± 16 d in milk) Holstein cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments and 21-d periods. Cows were assigned to squares based on parity (1, 2, and ≥3) and days in milk. Diets were formulated to contain on a dry matter basis (1) 45% forage and hulled barley as the sole grain source, (2) 65% forage and hulled barley as the sole grain source, (3) 45% forage and hull-less barley as the sole grain source, and (4) 65% forage and hull-less barley as the sole grain source. Dry matter intake tended to be lower for the diet with 65% forage and hulled barley than for the rest of the diets (24.4 vs. 26.6 kg/d). Neither the type of barley nor the forage-to-concentrate ratio affected milk yield (41.7 kg/d). Barley type did not affect milk fat or protein concentrations. Feeding LF diets decreased milk fat concentration from 3.91% to 3.50%. This decrease was less than anticipated and resulted in a 7% decrease in milk fat yield relative to cows consuming HF diets (1.60 and 1.49 kg/d for HF and LF diets, respectively). Feeding LF diets increased the concentration of C18:1 trans-10 in milk fat, suggesting that feeding LF diets may have marginally altered rumen function. In conclusion, LF diets containing barley grains can marginally decrease milk fat concentration. Overall, and based on the conditions of this study, there is limited evidence to anticipate a dramatic or acute milk fat depression when feeding hull-less barley as the grain source in diets for high-producing dairy cows.
MRI analysis to map interstitial flow in the brain tumor microenvironment

Glioblastoma (GBM), a highly aggressive form of brain tumor, is a disease marked by extensive invasion into the surrounding brain. Interstitial fluid flow (IFF), or the movement of fluid within the spaces between cells, has been linked to increased invasion of GBM cells. Better characterization of IFF could elucidate underlying mechanisms driving this invasion in vivo. Here, we develop a technique to noninvasively measure interstitial flow velocities in the glioma microenvironment of mice using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a common clinical technique. Using our in vitro model as a phantom "tumor" system and in silico models of velocity vector fields, we show we can measure average velocities and accurately reconstruct velocity directions. With our combined MR and analysis method, we show that velocity magnitudes are similar across four human GBM cell line xenograft models and the direction of fluid flow is heterogeneous within and around the tumors, and not always in the outward direction. These values were not linked to the tumor size. Finally, we compare our flow velocity magnitudes and the direction of flow to a classical marker of vessel leakage and bulk fluid drainage, Evans blue. With these data, we validate its use as a marker of high and low IFF rates and IFF in the outward direction from the tumor border in implanted glioma models. These methods show, for the first time, the nature of interstitial fluid flow in models of glioma using a technique that is translatable to clinical and preclinical models currently using contrast-enhanced MRI.
Two major tertiary folding transitions of the Tetrahymena catalytic RNA

The L-21 Tetrahymena ribozyme, an RNA molecule with sequence-specific endoribonuclease activity derived from a self-splicing group I intron, provides a model system for studying the RNA folding problem. A 160 nucleotide, independently folding domain of tertiary structure (the P4-P6 domain) comprises about half of the ribozyme. We now apply Fe(II)-EDTA cleavage to mutants of the ribozyme to explore the role of individual structural elements in tertiary folding of the RNA at equilibrium. Deletion of peripheral elements near the 3' end of the ribozyme destabilizes a region of the catalytic core (P3-P7) without altering the folding of the P4-P6 domain. Three different mutations within the P4-P6 domain that destabilize its folding also shift the folding of the P3-P7 region of the catalytic core to higher MgCl2 concentrations. We conclude that the role of the extended P4-P6 domain and of the 3'-terminal peripheral elements is at least in part to stabilize the catalytic core. The organization of RNA into independently folding domains of tertiary structure may be common in large RNAs, including ribosomal RNAs. Furthermore, the observation of domain-domain interactions in a catalytic RNA supports the feasibility of a primitive spliceosome without any proteins.
Effect of manual mobilization with movement on pain and strength in adults with chronic lateral epicondylitis.

Lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, is a painful musculoskeletal condition that often limits strength and function. Manual therapy, specifically mobilization with movement (MWM), is a treatment intervention to help decrease pain and improve strength of those with lateral epicondylitis. This clinical scenario places the therapist in an outpatient, orthopedic clinic where a 35-year-old male tennis player presents with lateral epicondylitis of 7 weeks’ duration. His lateral elbow pain has become unbearable and significantly limits his participation in tennis and other functional, gripping activities. He has been referred to physical therapy by his primary-care physician and has an immediate goal of decreasing his lateral elbow pain and increasing his strength. He hopes to play in a tennis tournament in 3 weeks.
Response to fragmentation by avian communities is mediated by species traits

AIM: The hypothesis that habitat fragmentation negatively influences biodiversity stems from island biogeography and metapopulation theory which predict negative impacts of decreasing patch size on richness and distribution patterns. Empirical support of this idea is weak in terrestrial systems, though tests of fragmentation effects are typically confounded with landscape composition and potentially obscured by imperfect detection. Here, we used multispecies occupancy models and a mensurative experimental design to test competing hypotheses about how forest fragmentation influences distributions of breeding forest bird species and communities. LOCATION: Southern Indiana, USA. METHODS: During the breeding seasons of 2011–2013, we recorded over 80,000 bird detections in 202 forest fragments using a sampling design that isolated the effects of patch size per se from the effects of forest amount within a 2 km radius, edge distance, local vegetation and sampling area. We modelled the effects of these covariates on distributions of individual species categorized by ecological trait groups (i.e., forest, forest interior or forest edge), and evaluated how forest loss and fragmentation impact species richness. RESULTS: Though our results indicated little effect of patch size on total species richness, decreasing patch size had a negative effect on interior species, and a positive effect on edge species. The effects of total forest amount were much more variable, and surprisingly had a negative influence on many species, particularly cavity nesters. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support theoretical predictions that forest patch size should positively influence bird species richness. However, composition of bird communities shifted towards edge species from interior species with decreasing patch size. Maintaining large forest patches is thus critical for supporting forest interior species, which tend to be of the greatest conservation concern.
Hamlet on the Couch: What Shakespeare Taught Freud

Hamlet on the Couch weaves a close reading of Shakespeare’s Hamlet with a large variety of contemporary psychoanalytic and psychological theory, looking at the interplay of ideas between the two. Hamlet can be read almost as a psychoanalytic case study and be used to understand and illustrate a range of core psychoanalytic concepts. Covering such basic psychoanalytic concepts as identity, transference and countertransference, the ‘good-enough’ mother, the compulsion to repeat and the death instinct, James E. Groves shows how Hamlet can shed new light on understanding psychoanalytic theory, and how psychoanalysis can in turn enrich our understanding of Shakespeare’s work. Perhaps the most radical feature of psychoanalysis is its tradition of self-examination. Mirroring it, the book throughout uses an eclectic, subjective critical approach to study how the poetry of Hamlet creates its realistically flawed and believably complex characters. Combining deep, insightful knowledge of Shakespeare and of psychoanalysis, Hamlet on the Couch will be of great interest to psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists, as well as literary scholars.
The Incidence and Definition of Crohn's Disease of the Pouch: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background A subset of patients who undergo total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) creation for ulcerative colitis (UC) will later develop Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch, which has been associated with significant morbidity. We aimed to analyze the incidence of CD of the pouch and to review the existing diagnostic criteria utilized. Methods A systematic search performed through March 1, 2018, identified 12 studies that reported the incidence of CD of the pouch after IPAA for UC or indeterminate colitis (IC). We compiled all diagnostic criteria utilized in these studies and then performed a meta-analysis using random effects modeling to estimate the overall incidence of CD of the pouch in this population. Results Among 4843 patients with an IPAA for UC or IC, 10.3% of patients were ultimately diagnosed with CD of the pouch (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.1%-15.4%). The most commonly reported diagnostic criteria were (1) presence of fistula/fistulae, (2) stricture involving the pouch or prepouch ileum, and (3) presence of prepouch ileitis. In a secondary analysis, excluding those studies that included patients with a preoperative diagnosis of IC, the incidence of CD of the pouch was 12.4% (95% CI, 9.0%-16.1%). Conclusions The estimated incidence of 10.3% will assist gastroenterologists and surgeons in preoperative counseling regarding the potential to develop CD of the pouch. There is an unmet need for common diagnostic criteria for a more standardized approach to the diagnosis of CD of the pouch.
WATCHMAN COMPLICATIONS REPORTED IN THE MANUFACTURER AND USER FACILITY DEVICE EXPERIENCE DATABASE

Stroke prevention in the setting of atrial fibrillation has been traditionally managed with the use of chronic anticoagulation. Multiple trials have assessed non-inferiority, superiority, and safety profile of Watchman device compared to warfarin. General population complications are now reported by
Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD: Overlapping Phenomenology, Diagnostic Issues, and Treatment Considerations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are both increasing in prevalence and commonly co-occur with each other. The goal of this review is to outline what has been published recently on the topics of ASD, ADHD, and the comorbid state (ASD+ADHD) with a particular focus on shared phenomenology, differential diagnosis, and treatment considerations. ASD and ADHD have shared genetic heritability and are both associated with shared impairments in social functioning and executive functioning. Quantitative and qualitative differences exist, however, in the phenotypic presentations of the impairments which characterize ASD and ADHD. For ASD interventions to be maximally efficacious, comorbid ADHD needs to be considered (and vice versa). The research on ASD and ADHD suggests some overlap between the two disorders yet enough differences to indicate that these conditions are sufficiently distinct to warrant separate diagnostic categories.
Digital Game Enjoyment: A Literature Review.

A review of the literature on digital game enjoyment or what makes digital games enjoyable is presented, organized by topic. A literature search resulted in 61 relevant peer-reviewed research articles or papers. No limits were put on the research methods used or date of publication. The reviewed literature spanned from 1980 to 2017. The research was organized into the following topics: Measuring and Understanding Digital Game Enjoyment, Uses and Benefits of Digital Game Enjoyment, Flow, Immersion and Engagement, Challenge and Competition, Player Experience of Need Satisfaction and Self Determination Theory, Motivations to Play Games, Games User Research Methods, Game Design, Game Player Demographics, Game Addiction, and Violence in Games.
Comorbid Traumatic Brain Injury and Visual Impairment: Vocational Rehabilitation Service Provision and Agency-Level Outcomes:

Introduction:The purpose of this study was to investigate how services are provided to state–federal vocational rehabilitation consumers with comorbid traumatic brain injury (TBI) and visual impair...
Small Molecule Binds with Lymphocyte Antigen 6K to Induce Cancer Cell Death

Elevated gene expression of Lymphocyte antigen 6K (LY6K) in cancer cells is associated with poor survival outcomes in multiple different cancer types including cervical, breast, ovarian, lung, and head and neck cancer. Since inhibition of LY6K expression inhibits cancer cell growth, we set out to explore whether pharmacological inhibition of LY6K could produce the same effect. We screened small molecule libraries for direct binding to recombinant LY6K protein in a surface plasmon resonance assay. We found that NSC243928 directly binds to the full-length and mature forms of LY6K and inhibits growth of HeLa cells that express LY6K. NSC243928 did not display binding with LY6D or LY6E. Our data demonstrate a first-time proof of principle study that pharmacological inhibition of LY6K using small molecules in cancer cells is a valid approach to developing targeted therapies against LY6K. This approach will be specifically relevant in hard-to-treat cancers where LY6K is highly expressed, such as cervical, pancreatic, ovarian, head and neck, lung, gastric, and triple-negative breast cancers.