cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corner-operated Tran-similar (COTS) Maps, Patterns, and Lattices

The planar COTS map proposed here takes the unit square to a region R bounded by four log-spiral edges. It is Corner-operated (controlled by the four corners of R) and Tran-similar (it maps translations to similarities). The tiles of the COTS map of a regular pattern are similar to each other. It may facilitate intuitive design and algorithmic optimization of procedural models of complex, possibly multi-resolution, lattices, because it affords constant-cost algorithms for Point-in-Lattice testing and for Total-Area-Calculations. We provide simple, closed-form expressions for evaluating the COTS map and its inverse from the positions of its corners. We conjecture that the COTS map may be useful in a variety of applications in Engineering, Architecture, and Art, and we provide a few illustrative examples of its possibilities. We compare it to related, previously proposed, planar maps and discuss several variations and extensions.
Ease of Extinction — An Alternative Approach to Liquid Flammability

Traditionally fluid fire resistance testing has focused on ignitability under specific test conditions. It is well known, however, that fluids of similar flashpoint can differ substantially in their abilities to sustain fire. One technique which has been used extensively to measure ease of extinction of solid plastic strips is oxygen index. This simple test has also been applied to 1000 compounds including hydraulic fluids, lubricating oils, and silicone fluids. This paper reviews data on fluids and powders and discusses how oxygen index can be used to provide additional insight into the flammability behavior of fluids.
Comparing the activPAL software's Primary Time in Bed Algorithm against Self-Report and van der Berg's Algorithm.

The purpose of this study was to compare activPAL algorithm-estimated values for time in bed (TIB), wake time (WT) and bedtime (BT) against self-report and an algorithm developed by van der Berg an...
Management of enterococcal central line-associated bloodstream infections in patients with cancer

Objective Enterococcus species are the third most common organisms causing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). The management of enterococcal CLABSI, including the need for and timing of catheter removal, is not well defined. We therefore conducted this study to determine the optimal management of enterococcal CLABSI in cancer patients. Methods We reviewed data for 542 patients diagnosed with Enterococcus bacteremia between September 2011 to December 2018. After excluding patients without an indwelling central venous catheter (CVC), polymicrobial bacteremia or with CVC placement less than 48 h from bacteremia onset we classified the remaining 397 patients into 3 groups: Group 1 (G1) consisted of patients with CLABSI with mucosal barrier injury (MBI), Group 2 (G2) included patients with either catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) as defined in 2009 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infection by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) or CLABSI without MBI, and Group 3 (G3) consisted of patients who did not meet the CDC criteria for CLABSI. The impact of early ( Results Among patients in G2, CVC removal within 3 days of bacteremia onset was associated with a trend towards a better overall outcome than those whose CVCs were removed later between days 3 to 7 (success rate 88% vs 63%). However, those who had CVCs retained beyond 7 days had a similar successful outcome than those who had CVC removal 7 days) was associated with a better success rates than catheter removal between 3 and 7 days (93% vs. 67%, p = 0.003). In non-CLABSI cases (G3), CVC retention (withdrawal > 7 days) was significantly associated with a higher success rates compared to early CVC removal ( Conclusion Catheter management in patients with enterococcal bacteremia is challenging. When CVC removal is clinically indicated in patients with enterococcal CLABSI, earlier removal in less than 3 days may be associated with better outcomes. Based on our data, we cannot make firm conclusions about whether earlier removal (
Comparison of Immediate Breast Reconstruction Outcomes in Patients With and Without Prior Cosmetic Breast Surgery

Abstract Background Skin-sparing (SSM) and nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) have significantly increased. There is limited information on complications of IBR in patients with prior cosmetic breast surgery (CBS). We compare IBR outcomes in patients undergoing SSM and/or NSM with and without prior CBS. Materials and Methods Patients undergoing mastectomy from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 were selected. Patient characteristics, surgical approach, and complications were compared between mastectomy and IBR cases for breasts with and without prior CBS. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of complications and reconstruction loss. Results 956 mastectomies were performed in 697 patients, with IBR performed for 545 mastectomies in 356 patients. Median age was 51 (range 19-83), 45.8% of patients were age Conclusion In this analysis of mastectomy and IBR, prior CBS was not associated with an increased risk of complications or reconstruction loss. In patients with prior CBS undergoing mastectomy, IBR may be safely performed.
Iterative Decoding for Compositional Generalization in Transformers.

Deep learning models do well at generalizing to in-distribution data but struggle to generalize compositionally, i.e., to combine a set of learned primitives to solve more complex tasks. In particular, in sequence-to-sequence (seq2seq) learning, transformers are often unable to predict correct outputs for even marginally longer examples than those seen during training. This paper introduces iterative decoding, an alternative to seq2seq learning that (i) improves transformer compositional generalization and (ii) evidences that, in general, seq2seq transformers do not learn iterations that are not unrolled. Inspired by the idea of compositionality -- that complex tasks can be solved by composing basic primitives -- training examples are broken down into a sequence of intermediate steps that the transformer then learns iteratively. At inference time, the intermediate outputs are fed back to the transformer as intermediate inputs until an end-of-iteration token is predicted. Through numerical experiments, we show that transfomers trained via iterative decoding outperform their seq2seq counterparts on the PCFG dataset, and solve the problem of calculating Cartesian products between vectors longer than those seen during training with 100% accuracy, a task at which seq2seq models have been shown to fail. We also illustrate a limitation of iterative decoding, specifically, that it can make sorting harder to learn on the CFQ dataset.
Antiplatelet therapy: thrombin receptor antagonists.

Activated platelets stimulate thrombus formation in response to rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque or endothelial cell erosion, promoting atherothrombotic disease. Multiple pathways contribute to platelet activation. Aspirin, an irreversible inhibitor of thromboxane A2 synthesis, in combination with clopidogrel, an inhibitor of P2Y12 adenosine diphosphate platelet receptors, represent the current standard-of-care of antiplatelet therapy for patients with acute coronary syndrome and for those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Although these agents have demonstrated significant clinical benefit, the increased risk of bleeding and the recurrence of thrombotic events represent substantial limitations. Thrombin is one of the most important platelet activators. The inhibition of protease-activated receptor 1 showed a good safety profile in preclinical studies. In fact, phase II studies with vorapaxar (SCH530348) and atopaxar (E5555) showed no increase of bleeding events in addition to the current standard-of-care of antiplatelet therapy. Although the results of phase III trials for both drugs are awaited, this family is a promising new addition to the current clinical practice for patients with atherothrombotic disease, not only as an alternative, but also as additional therapy.
Unusual Nernst Effect Suggesting Time-Reversal Violation in the Striped Cuprate Superconductor La 2 − x Ba x CuO 4

The striped cuprate ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{x}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$ ($x=\frac{1}{8}$) undergoes several transitions below the charge-ordering temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{co}}=54\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$. From Nernst experiments, we find that, below ${T}_{\mathrm{co}}$, there exists a large, anomalous Nernst signal ${e}_{N,\mathrm{even}}(H,T)$ that is symmetric in field $H$, and remains finite as $H\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. The time-reversal violating signal suggests that, below ${T}_{\mathrm{co}}$, vortices of one sign are spontaneously created to relieve interlayer phase frustration.
DAMAGE RESISTANCE CHARACTERIZATION OF SANDWICH COMPOSITES USING RESPONSE SURFACES.

Abstract : The influence of material configuration and impact parameters on the damage tolerance characteristics of sandwich composites comprised of carbon-epoxy woven fabric facesheets and Nomex honeycomb cores was investigated using empirically based response surfaces. A series of carefully selected tests were used to isolate the coupled influence of various combinations of the number of facesheet plies, core density, core thickness, impact energy, impactor diameter, and impact velocity on the residual strength degradation due to vertical impact. The ranges of selected material parameters were typical of those found in common aircraft applications. Quadratic response surface estimates of the compressive residual strength as a continuous function of sandwich configuration and impact parameters did not correlate as well as impact resistance because of bifurcations between failure modes. For a fixed set of impact parameters, regression results suggest that impact damage development and residual strength degradation is highly sandwich configuration dependent. Increasing the number of facesheet plies and the thickness of the core material resulted in the greatest improvement in the damage tolerance characteristics. An increase in the impactor diameter and impact energy results in a significant decrease in the estimated residual strength, particularly for those sandwich panels with thicker facesheets. The effects of impact velocity on damage formation and loss of strength were also addressed. The developed response surfaces for the compressive residual strength may have limited use, particularly as the measured data at low- energy impact levels, small impactor diameter, and thin facesheets exhibit significant scatter. Employing the methodology outlined here, it may be possible to tailor sandwich composite designs in order to obtain enhanced damage tolerance characteristics over a range of expected impacts. Such efforts may facilitate sandwich panel design by establishing
The Parabola Test for Robust Stability and Performance: A Unified Extension of the Circle and Popov Criteria

The parameter-dependent Lyapunov function framework for robust stability and performance developed in [3] is extended to provide a Riccati equation characterization for the multivariable parabola criterion. Connections to the circle and Popov criteria are also explored.
Protein Secondary Structures: Prediction

Secondary structure prediction methods are computational algorithms that predict the secondary structure of a protein (i.e. α helices, β strands and turns) from the primary structure (the amino acid sequence). Keywords: neural networks; nearest neighbour; secondary structure prediction
SWELLING BEHAVIOUR OF THE CATCH CONNECTIVE TISSUE IN HOLOTHURIAN BODY WALL

Swelling tests in a series of isotonic and isoionic solutions of varying calcium-tosodium ratios were conducted on isolated dermal connective tissue of the holothurian Thyonella gemmata Verrill. The tissue swelled rapidly and attained a maximum volume increase of approximately 40 % when transferred from distilled water to NaCl solution; however, the volume did not change significantly in isotonic CaCl 2 solution. At Ca 2+ /Na + ratios ≤0.04 the tissue swelled at its maximum rate. The rate decreased with increasing calcium concentration, until at Ca 2+ /Na + ≥0.40 no detectable swelling occurred. Similar results were obtained for Pentacta pygmaea Goldfuss. When tissues previously swollen in NaCl were placed in CaC 2 , the volume decreased significantly. Uniaxial tensile tests indicated that the elastic modulus of the tissue was much greater in Ca 2+ solutions than in Na + solutions. We hypothesize that dermal stiffness in holothurians is regulated by cation-sensitive crosslinks
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Brain Imaging Investigation of Phonological Awareness and Passage Comprehension Abilities in Adult Recipients of Cochlear Implants.

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine how the brains of individuals with cochlear implants (CIs) respond to spoken language tasks that underlie successful language acquisition and processing...
Genetic mechanisms underlying apimaysin and maysin synthesis and corn earworm antibiosis in maize (Zea mays L.).

C-glycosyl flavones in maize silks confer resistance (i.e., antibiosis) to corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea [Boddie]) larvae and are distinguished by their B-ring substitutions, with maysin and apimaysin being the di- and monohydroxy B-ring forms, respectively. Herein, we examine the genetic mechanisms underlying the synthesis of maysin and apimaysin and the corresponding effects on corn earworm larval growth. Using an F2 population, we found a quantitative trait locus (QTL), rem1, which accounted for 55.3% of the phenotypic variance for maysin, and a QTL, pr1, which explained 64.7% of the phenotypic variance for apimaysin. The maysin QTL did not affect apimaysin synthesis, and the apimaysin QTL did not affect maysin synthesis, suggesting that the synthesis of these closely related compounds occurs independently. The two QTLs, rem1 and pr1, were involved in a significant epistatic interaction for total flavones, suggesting that a ceiling exists governing the total possible amount of C-glycosyl flavone. The maysin and apimaysin QTLs were significant QTLs for corn earworm antibiosis, accounting for 14. 1% (rem1) and 14.7% (pr1) of the phenotypic variation. An additional QTL, represented by umc85 on the short arm of chromosome 6, affected antibiosis (R2 = 15.2%), but did not affect the synthesis of the C-glycosyl flavones.
Improved Microyield Strength in Beryllium Produced by Vapor Deposition

Beryllium is a metal of major importance in the space and nuclear industries. It has a low density, high elastic modulus, elevated melting point, high heat capacity, and good nuclear hardness. However, Be also has some intrinsic problems such as low ductility and poor fabricability, which limits it from wider applications. Be has a hcp crystalline structure and is thus highly anisotropic. Several years ago, Nieh et al. used a physical vapor deposition technique to produce thick Be deposits and found that such deposits have unique grain and crystalline texture characteristics. Specifically, the deposit consisted of columnar grains with their major axis parallel to the direction of incident adatoms. The self-shadowing mechanism was not observed to have a prevalent contribution to the development of the microstructure during the growing process. The deposits were found also to be highly anisotropic with the major axis of their columnar grains corresponding to the [001] crystallographic direction and always pointing towards the evaporation source. In this paper, the authors describe these microstructural and crystallographic characteristics, and present a technique to improve the microyield strength of Be.
Enhanced performance of natural graphite in Li-ion battery by oxalatoborate coating

Abstract We report an effect of surface modification on the performance of natural graphite in Li-ion battery. A graphite electrode was treated with a mixed solution of H3BO3 and H2C2O4 (2:3 molar ratio) in methanol, followed by condensation at 100–110 °C under vacuum. The above treatments result in formation of oxalatoborate coating on the graphite surface. It is shown that the resulting coating can effectively increase reversibility of the initial forming cycle of Li/graphite half-cell. More interestingly, such a coating significantly suppresses self-delithiation of the lithiated graphite, which hence increases the storage performance of Li-ion battery, especially at elevated temperatures. With progressive cycling, the coated graphite shows excellent capacity retention while the control one starts fast capacity fading from around 70th cycle.
Rearrangement in rDNA-bearing chromosomes in cell lines from neoplastic cells☆

Cytological hybridization in situ and karyotypic analysis have been used to investigate positional changes in rDNA, and morphological changes in rDNA-bearing chromosomes, in a series of cell lines established from patients with various proliferative disorders. Characteristic features of chromosomes in these cell lines include extreme differences in the number of rRNA genes per locus, translocations involving rDNA, and distinct rearrangements of a large portion of the rDNA complex to a q-terminal position on acrocentric chromosomes.
Modeling the structure and photostructural changes in amorphous arsenic sulfide

Models of the atomic structure and the photostructural changes of amorphous arsenic sulfide, a-As 2 S 3 , are discussed and compared with experiment. It is shown that structural units involving two coupled AsS 3 pyramids surrounding a shared S atom provide elements of intermediate range order, IRO, sufficient to describe available data. These elements are shown to be configured such that the dihedral angle relationships defined by the two bonds of the shared S-atom make helical and bridging S-atom sites identifiable. Reversible photostructural changes are modeled in terms of these units.
The Use of Corn Sugar in the Manufacture of Sweetened Condensed Skimmilk

Summary (1) Corn sugar is slightly more efficient than cane sugar in preserving power. (2) There is no difference in the types of organisms associated with condensed skimmilk sweetened with either dextrose or sucrose. (3) Corn sugar may be substituted for one-half of the usual amount of sucrose with no danger of crystallization of dextrose. (4) The tendency of corn sugar to cause physical thickening is probably due to the effect of the sugar on the protein. There is also a possibility that the sugar may react with the mineral salts to change the physical stability of the protein. (5) Physical thickening may be largely avoided by forewarming the milk and sugar separately. (6) The brown discoloration of sweetened condensed skimmilk and possibly many other food products is due to sugar protein condensation products instead of caramelization. Caramelization plays no role in the discoloration of dairy products. (7) Corn sugar should be added in a concentrated solution at the end of the condensing period.
Uptake of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Conjugated with DNA by Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been proposed to have great therapeutic potential. SWCNTs conjugated with drugs or genes travel in the systemic circulation to reach target cells or tissues following extravasation from microvessels although the interaction between SWCNT conjugates and the microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) remains unknown. We hypothesized that SWCNT-DNA conjugates would be taken up by microvascular ECs and that this process would be facilitated by SWCNTs compared to facilitation by DNA alone. ECs were treated with various concentrations of SWCNT-DNA-FITC conjugates, and the uptake and intracellular distribution of these conjugates were determined by a confocal microscope imaging system followed by quantitative analysis of fluorescence intensity. The uptake of SWCNT-DNA-FITC conjugates (2 μg/mL) by microvascular ECs was significantly greater than that of DNA-FITC (2 μg/mL), observed at 6 hrs after treatment. For the intracellular distribution, SWCNT-DNA-FITC conjugates were detected in the nucleus of ECs, while DNA-FITC was restricted to the cytoplasm. The fluorescence intensity and distribution of SWCNTs were concentration and time independent. The findings demonstrate that SWCNTs facilitate DNA delivery into microvascular ECs, thus suggesting that SWCNTs serving as drug and gene vehicles have therapeutic potential.
Electromagnetic modeling of buried objects

In this paper, radar cross section (RCS) models of buried dipoles, surface steel pipe, and buried steel pipes are dicussed. In all these models, the ground is assumed to be a uniform half space. The calculated results for the buried dipoles and the surface steel pipe compare favorably with those measured in the 1993 Yuma ground penetration radar (GPR) experiment. For the buried dipoles, a first-order RCS model is developed. In this model, a solution for an infinitely long conducting cylinder, together with a mirror image approximation (which accounts for the coupling between the dipole and the ground-air interface) is used to calculate the dipole RCS. This RCS model of the buried dipoles explains the observed loss of dipole RCS. For the surface steel pipe, a geometrical optics model, which includes the multipath interaction, is developed. This model explains the observed multipath gain/loss. For the buried steel pipes, a zero order physical optics model is developed. Also discussed is desert radar clutter statistics as a function of depression angle. Preliminary analysis, based on samples of Yuma desert suface profiles, indicates that simple rough-surface models cannot explain the observed average backscatter from desert clutter.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Daily pain variations among patients with hand, hip, and knee osteoarthritis.

Summary Objective This study examined within-day osteoarthritis (OA)-related pain patterns and associated patient characteristics. Methods Participants with physician diagnoses and self-reported symptoms of hand ( N =40), hip ( N =32), and knee ( N =85) OA recorded pain using a handheld computer on one weekday and one weekend day, with ratings beginning immediately after waking, then approximately every 2h following. Pain was rated on a sliding visual analog scale with hidden coding of 1–100. Multivariable linear mixed models examined associations of patient demographic characteristics, enrollment site (Durham VA Medical Center vs Duke University Medical Center), joint site, body mass index, and pain medication use with within-day pain range (maximum minus minimum pain rating) and area under the curve (AUC) of pain ratings, which incorporates the magnitude of all pain measurements. Results Pain patterns differed substantially across individuals. The sample means of the average, maximum, and minimum weekday pain scores were 35.3, 54.4, and 17.9, respectively. The mean pain range was 36.4, and the mean pain AUC was 564.3 (possible range: 16–1600). Pain scores were similar on weekends. In multivariable mixed models, both knee and hip OA were associated with a greater within-day pain range than hand OA. Only VA enrollment site was associated with a significantly greater pain AUC. Conclusion There is substantial within-day range in OA-related pain. Both pain range and overall within-day magnitude vary according to patient characteristics. Patients' records of within-day pain patterns could be used in clinical encounters to tailor recommendations for the timing of medication use and behavioral strategies.
Dispositional implementation solves the superfluous structure problem

Consciousness supervenes on activity; computation supervenes on structure. Because of this, some argue, conscious states cannot supervene on computational ones. If true, this would present serious difficulties for computationalist analyses of consciousness (or, indeed, of any domain with properties that supervene on actual activity). I argue that the computationalist can avoid the Superfluous Structure Problem (SSP) by moving to a dispositional theory of implementation. On a dispositional theory, the activity of computation depends entirely on changes in the intrinsic properties of implementing material. As extraneous structure is not required for computation, a system can implement a program running on some but not all possible inputs. Dispositional computationalism thus permits episodes of computational activity that correspond to potential episodes of conscious awareness. The SSP cannot be motivated against this account, and so computationalism may be preserved.
Money, expectations, and interest rates

Abstract This paper employs a model of nominal interest rate determination in a framework of rational expectations of inflation. Hypotheses are developed with respect to relative impacts of predictable and unpredictable changes in money supply. These hypotheses are tested using quarterly Italian data from 1966–1975. The nominal monetary base is the measure of money employed and one private and two government bond rates measure nominal interest rates. The results are insensitive to variations in estimation procedure and specification of adjustment processes (and even predictive functions for the monetary base). The rational expectations formulation is well supported in every case.
Rab GTPases, Membrane Trafficking and Diseases

The Rab family of GTPases contains over 60 genes in the human genome and contributes to regulation of intracellular membrane trafficking along endocytic and exocytic pathways as well as specialized pathways in specific cell types. It has become increasingly clear that disruption of the intracellular membrane trafficking system at different stages can cause various diseases. In the past decade, altered expression levels and mutations of Rab GTPases have been associated with such diseases as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and various genetic disorders. This review discusses the specific Rab GTPases and their involvement in the diseases.
''It's Harder than We Thought It Would be": A Comparative Case Study of Expert---Novice Experimentation Strategies

Scientific inquiry is a complex skill. Aspiring physicians need to learn these skills so that they can be educated consumers of medical research as well as being collaborators in different kinds of clinical trials. But school science often fails to provide the kind of authentic tasks needed to help students develop appropriate reasoning skills and epistemological beliefs. In this study, we compared a group of expert cancer researchers with four groups of fourth year medical students (the "novice" groups) engaged in the task of designing a clinical trial to test a new cancer drug using a computer-based modeling tool, the Oncology Thinking Cap. Although the experts and novices reached similar end- points, their reasoning processes differed considerably. For the experts, this was a task that required learning about the drug they were testing. The novices needed to learn about de- signing clinical trials, particularly about how variables interacted with each other, as well as learning about the drug. One of the major lessons learned by the novice student groups was just how complex clinical trial design really is. C
Ellipsometry—LEED study of the adsorption of oxygen on (011) tungsten

Abstract The direct combination of ellipsometry and low-energy-electron diffraction (LEED) techniques has been extended to a study of room temperature oxygen adsorption on (011) tungsten. It is shown that, by use of a special continuous data-taking method, ellipsometry is easily capable of detecting small fractions of a monolayer of adsorbed oxygen on this metal crystal face. From the partial correlation of LEED and ellipsometry data, average sticking probability for oxygen adsorption in the first 1 2 monolayer of atoms is deduced to be 0.2 or 0.4, depending on the choice of adsorption model. The experimental ellipsometry results are not understandable in detail in terms of existing ellipsometry theory. However, in view of the LEED results, it is tentatively concluded that the present results support a previously published complicated adsorption model involving oxygen atom-tungsten atom rearrangements.
Vortex simulation of three-dimensional mixing layers

Spanwise structures of 'nominally' two-dimensional (2D), spatially growing, turbulent mixing layers are simulated numerically by a three-dimensional (3D) vortex method. Small-amplitude 3D disturbances are introduced into an otherwise 2D flow field. Results show that a large-scale spanwise variation of the flow field is produced because of amplification of initial disturbances. Pairs of counterrotating streamwise vortices are formed as a result of stretching of primary spanwise vortices. The streamwise vortices are formed at a fixed spanwise location which depends on initial disturbances. The calculated magnitude of streamwise vorticity is close to that of the spanwise vorticity. The results also suggest that the presence of background disturbances may be essential for the formation of streamwise vortices. The results are in good qualitative agreement with experiments.
A leaner nativist solution to the origin of concepts

There must be innate conceptual machinery, but perhaps not as much as Carey proposes. A single mechanism of Perceptual Meaning Analysis that simplifies spatiotemporal information into a small number of conceptual primitives may suffice. This approach avoids the complexities and ambiguities of interactions between separate dedicated analyzers and central concepts that Carey posits, giving learning a somewhat larger role in early concept formation.
Anxiety and Optimism Associated with Gestational Age at Birth and Fetal Growth

Psychosocial factors such as anxiety or optimism may be related to the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, but the evidence is conflicting. We investigated the relation between maternal anxiety, optimism, gestational age and infant birth weight in a cohort of 667 nulliparous women from the Prenatal Exposures and Preeclampsia Prevention study, Pittsburgh PA. Women completed the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Life Orientation Test at 18 weeks gestation. Linear and logistic regression models assessed the relation of anxiety and optimism to gestational age, birth weight centile, preterm delivery (<37 weeks) or small for gestational age (<10th percentile) births. After adjustment for age, race, preeclampsia, and smoking, higher anxiety was associated with decreasing gestational age (−1.6 days per SD increase in anxiety score, P = 0.06). This relationship was modified by maternal race (P < 0.01 for interaction). Among African American women, each SD increase in anxiety was associated with gestations that were, on average, 3.7 days shorter (P = 0.03). African American women with anxiety in the highest quartile had gestations that were 8.2 days shorter, and they had increased risk for preterm birth after excluding cases of preeclampsia (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.08, 2.64). There was no association between anxiety and gestational age among White women. There was also no relation between anxiety, optimism and birth weight centile. Trait anxiety was associated with a reduction in gestational age and increased risk for preterm birth among African American women. Interventions that reduce anxiety among African American pregnant women may improve pregnancy outcomes.
Comparing the Validity of Automated and Human Scoring of Essays.

Automated, or computer-based, scoring represents one promising possibility for improving the cost effectiveness (and other features) of complex performance assessments (such as direct tests of writing skill) that require examinees to construct responses rather than select them from a set of multiple choices. Indeed, significant advances have been made in applying natural language processing techniques to the automatic scoring of essays. Thus far, most of the validation of automated scoring has focused appropriately (but too narrowly, we contend) on the correspondence between computer-generated scores and those assigned by human readers. Far less effort has been devoted to assessing the relation of automated scores to independent indicators of examinees' writing skills. This study examined the relationship of scores from a graduate level writing assessment to several independent, non-test indicators of examinees' writing skills—both for automated scores and for scores assigned by trained human readers. The...
Mechatronics: the future of mechanical engineering; past, present, and a vision for the future

Mechatronics is the synergistic integration of precision mechanical engineering, electronics, computational hardware and software in the design of products and processes. Mechatronics, the term coined in Japan in the '70s, has evolved to symbolize what mechanical design engineers do today worldwide. The revolutionary introduction of the microprocessor (or microcontroller) in the early '80s and ever increasing performance-cost ratio has changed the paradigm of mechanical design forever, and has broadened the original definition of mechatronics to include intelligent control and autonomous decision-making. Today, increasing number of new products is being developed at the intersection between traditional disciplines of Engineering, and Computer and Material Sciences. New developments in these traditional disciplines are being absorbed into mechatronics design at an ever-increasing pace. In this paper, a brief history of mechatronics, and several examples of this rapid adaptation of technologies into product design is presented. With the ongoing information technology revolution, especially in wireless communication, smart sensors design (enabled by MEMS technology), and embedded systems engineering, mechatronics design is going through another step change in capabilities and scope. The implications of these developments in mechatronics design in the near future are discussed. Finally, deficiencies in our engineering curriculum to address the needs of the industry to cope up with these rapid changes, and proposed remedies, will also be discussed.
Adsorbed IgG: a potent adhesive substrate for human macrophages.

Previous reports from our laboratory have demonstrated qualitatively that preadsorbed IgG can enhance long-term macrophage adhesion in vitro. This investigation further characterizes and quantifies the biological effect of adsorbed human IgG on human macrophages and probes the potential mechanisms. Ten-day human monocyte/macrophage cultures on Plastek M (PM), a normally poor cellular substrate for macrophages, confirmed the ability of preadsorbed IgG to dramatically enhance long-term macrophage adhesion. An adsorption solution concentration of 200 μg/mL of IgG was necessary to provide a consistent, optimal cellular response. 125I adsorption studies indicated Langmuir-style IgG adsorption at low concentrations; however, no adsorption maximum was observed. Additional adsorption analysis revealed that the IgG fragments Fab, F(ab')2, and Fc adsorb at levels only 20–40% that of the whole molecule. Despite the lower adsorption levels, both preadsorbed Fab and F(ab')2 were shown to be as effective as whole molecule IgG at enhancing long-term macrophage adhesion. Surprisingly, the preadsorbed Fc fragment demonstrated no IgG-like activity, thereby eliminating the possibility of an Fc receptor-based mechanism. Other possible mechanisms, such as macrophage lectins, novel macrophage Fab receptors, and complement activation by adsorbed IgG and IgG fragments, are discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 50, 281–290, 2000.
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Initiatives Improve the Education of Cardiology Fellows

Training cardiovascular specialists in the present era is highly complex. The list of topics and procedures continues to grow; the required knowledge base for providing cutting-edge clinical care and passing examinations is increasing; and technologies and research are advancing rapidly. Cardiology fellows face a changing template of demands from training programs, governing bodies, professional societies, and potential employers. At the completion of the cardiovascular fellowship training process, it is imperative that graduates are highly capable and complete physicians. Certainly, strict accreditation and adjudication of the fellowship training process are necessary to ensure the highest-quality training of cardiologists and other healthcare providers. Response by Bashore and Wang p 531 Established in 1981, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is a private, not-for-profit organization that evaluates, accredits, and oversees >100 000 postgraduate medical trainees in nearly 8400 training programs representing 126 specialties and subspecialties in the United States. Cardiovascular fellowship programs represent a large portion of these trainees. There are presently 177 general cardiology fellowship programs with 2362 filled positions. In addition, there are 95 electrophysiology and 130 interventional subspecialty cardiology fellowship programs with 173 and 290 filled spots, respectively. The member organizations of ACGME include the American Board of Medical Specialties, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Council of Medical Specialty Societies. Each member organization appoints 4 members to the Board of Directors, which also includes 2 resident members, 3 public directors, the chair of the Council of Review Committee Chairs, and a federal representative. The ACGME has 28 review committees: 1 committee for each of the 26 specialties, 1 for the 1-year transitional-year program, and 1 for institutional review. Before the ACGME, postgraduate medical training was managed by the Liaison Committee for Graduate Medical Education, which was established in 1972. The …
Framing the Questions of E-Government Ethics: An Organizational Perspective

Scholars have suggested that the delineation of a field’s “big” questions is critical for its cohesive and practical intellectual growth. Instilling a habitual practice of focusing inquiries on fundamental questions is particularly warranted for fledgling areas of research. Currently, while there is already a rich body of literature that addresses administrative, computer, information, and cyber ethics, only a limited number of writings discuss ethical problems specifically within the e-government context. It can be argued that the e-government condition introduces a distinctive type of ethical problems; questions regarding which have yet to be properly framed. This article suggests five critical questions of e-government ethics at the organizational level that justify notable academic attention.
Original papers: A data-driven model simulating primary infection probabilities of cucumber downy mildew for use in early warning systems in solar greenhouses

Treatment during the primary infection phase is essential for controlling cucumber downy mildew in solar greenhouses. An early warning model applicable to this phase would represent a foundation for early warning systems for managing the disease and reducing pesticide usage. Based on the input parameters that were both readily available and appropriately limited in number, EWMPICDW (early warning model for primary infection of cucumber downy mildew in solar greenhouses) was developed based on monitoring data, early warning theory and plant disease epidemiology. The elaboration of this model included clarification of the meaning of warning, monitoring the warning indicators, forecasting the warning situation, tracing the warning sources and controlling the warning situation. The definition of warning included disease occurrence (yes or no) and probability. Because the leaf wetness duration (LWD) played an important role in disease warning systems for crops in solar greenhouses and was difficult to monitor, the leaf wetness sensor and RH threshold model were investigated and combined to form a practical estimation solution for LWD. Within the warning situation forecasting model system, the infection condition and incubation early warning submodels received the most attention. The infection condition early warning submodel was developed by using a threshold method based on the combination of LWD and mean temperature in LWD. The temperature was chosen as the warning indicator for incubation, and the incubation early warning submodel was defined using nonlinear regression methods. The warning sources traceability algorithm was developed in relation to expert knowledge and in terms of a mode of disaster mitigation that involved cutting the disaster chain from the headstream. The method for controlling the warning situation was based on good agricultural practices (GAP). The early warning model was implemented as a system and was evaluated using data for 4 years at two sites in Beijing, China. The warnings can be provided more than 2 d before symptoms appear. Using EWMPICDW, a positive early warning is associated with a change in the chance of disease occurrence from 0.68 to 0.96. Accordingly, the probability of disease occurrence calculated for the early warning model was 96%. These results demonstrate that the data-driven model will support the development of early warning systems for primary infection by cucumber downy mildew in solar greenhouses.
Enzymatic Activity of a Genetically Altered Tryptophan Synthetase in Neurospora crassa

Partially purified preparations of certain tryptophan-requiring mutants of Neurospora crassa, which contain a protein (CRM) antigenically related to wild-type tryptophan synthetase, possess indole glycerol phosphate-synthesizing activity. This activity can be inhibited by anti-CRM sera. It is suggested that CRM in such mutants represents a damaged tryptophan synthetase lacking the capacity to react with l-serine.
Interparental ratings of temperament for high and low risk infants

Relatively high interparent agreement was demonstrated for parents of both high- and low-risk infants on the easy-difficult dimension of the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire (RITQ). These findings were interpreted as indices of adequate reliability on this aspect of the RITQ. Although high and low-risk infants were rated similarly on the easy-difficult profile ratings, high-risk babies were given more rhythmic and less approaching ratings than the low-risk infants. We have noted that these specific temperament differences require further corroboration. While suggesting the utility of investigating infant temperament within an interactive framework.
Impact of timing of antenatal corticosteroid exposure on neonatal outcomes

Objective. To evaluate morbidities among neonates with a history of remote antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) exposure compared to those with recent exposure.Study Design. This is a retrospective-cohort study of neonates born at 30–33 6/7 weeks gestational age. The primary outcome was newborn respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) defined by the persistent need for oxygen at 24 h of life. Maternal chart review established timing of ACS exposure. Data were stratified by the time interval of ACS administration to delivery: none or 7 days (Remote). Perinatal outcomes were compared between groups.Resuts. Five hundred and twenty-four infants were included: 273 Incomplete/Unexposed, 120 Recent and 131 with Remote ACS exposure. RDS was significantly less frequent with Recent vs. Remote exposure (RR: 1.73 [1.01–3.02]p = 0.04). This finding persisted in a logistic regression model.Conclusions. Infants delivering more than 1 week after ACS exposure have a higher f...
LIFSHITZ' LAW FOR THE VOLUME OF A TWO-DIMENSIONAL DROPLET AT ZERO TEMPERATURE

We study a simple model of the zero-temperature stochastic dynamics for interfaces in two dimensions-essentially Glauber dynamics of the two-dimensional Ising model atT=0. Using elementary geometric considerations, we show that the (rescaled) volume of an initially square droplet decreases linearly to zero as a function of (rescaled) time.
The Association of Investment Model Variables and Dyadic Patterns of Physical Partner Violence A Study of College Women

Previous research has examined the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization experiences and investment model variables, particularly with relation to leaving intentions. However, research only has begun to explore the impact that various dyadic patterns of IPV (i.e., unidirectional victimization, unidirectional perpetration, bidirectional violence, and non-violence) have on investment model variables. Grounded in behavioral principles, the current study used a sample of college women to assess the impact that perpetration and victimization have on investment model variables. Results indicated that 69.2% of the sample was in a relationship with no IPV. Among those who reported IPV in their relationships, 11.9% reported unidirectional perpetration, 10.6% bidirectional violence, and 7.4% unidirectional victimization. Overall, the findings suggest that women’s victimization (i.e., victim only and bidirectional IPV) is associated with lower levels of satisfaction and commitment, and th...
Low energy helium ion texturization of titanium and relevance to biomedical applications

Abstract Helium irradiation of metals has long been studied in efforts to understand the damaging aspects associated with applications in fusion reactors and tritium storage. This work examines the possibility of using low energy helium ion bombardment as a method of producing a beneficial surface texturization to promote bone growth on orthopedic implants. Using 300 eV helium ions, two unique porous titanium surfaces were created when substrates were held at temperatures of roughly 450 °C and 600 °C. The surfaces were physically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning white light interferometry. A week long hFOB 1.19 cell culture was performed using an untreated titanium control to evaluate the suitability of these surfaces for orthopedic implants. Cell health and viability were evaluated by calcein AM live cell staining, MTT assay, and SEM. The results show that helium texturizations promote cellular activity and have no detrimental effect on cell health.
The Traditional Brickmaking Industry and the Rural Economy of Vietnam

This article analyzes the rural brickmaking industry in Vietnam. The article is based on the results of survey data collected from brick factory owners in 2000 and 2001 and uses this data to develop a model factory based on traditional brickmaking technology. It describes the labor processes associated with this technology, generates income estimates for the different categories of brickmaking jobs, and analyzes the importance of these incomes in the context of overall living standards and poverty levels in Vietnam. The article also looks at the continued ties of brick factory workers to the rural agricultural sector of the economy. It makes the argument that, in many important respects, the brickmaking industry is an ideal rural industry for the largely agricultural population of Vietnam: it is highly labor intensive, and its production schedule and labor processes fit well with the seasonal demands of the agricultural sector. However, because of environmental concerns and technological advances in both agriculture and industry, traditional brickmaking in Vietnam is also confronted with real threats to its survival over the next 10 years. The article looks at some of the potential consequences of the loss of this type of rural industry in terms of household income levels and living standards.