cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transoral Thyroidectomy Using A Flexible Robotic System: A Preclinical Cadaver Feasibility Study

Objectives/hypothesis Traditionally, most thyroid surgery utilizes a curvilinear cervical incision with a resulting permanent scar. Minimally invasive and remote access thyroid surgery techniques continue to evolve. Transoral approaches through a vestibular incision have been developed at several centers throughout the world, obviating the need for a cutaneous incision and optimizing aesthetics. To date this technique has been performed using rigid endoscopes or a linear robotic platform. The goal of this study was to test the feasibility of a novel flexible robotic system to perform a transvestibular thyroidectomy in a preclinical cadaver model. Study design Preclinical feasibility study. Methods Right and left thyroid lobectomies were successfully performed via a transvestibular approach in four cadavers. Results A single vestibular incision between bilateral mental nerves allowed entrance of the flexible robot in a subplatysmal plane in both male and female cadavers. The recurrent laryngeal nerves and parathyroids were identified and preserved. The flexible three-dimensional camera allowed excellent visualization and could be easily repositioned for optimal visualization of right and left structures. The flexible and wristed instruments enabled an atraumatic approach and allowed for precise surgical technique. Conclusions The transoral vestibular approach to the central neck is a promising technique for thyroidectomy with optimal cosmesis and can be successfully accomplished using this novel flexible robotic system. Improvements in visualization and access offered by this system may improve application of this technique. Level of evidence NA Laryngoscope, 129:1482-1487, 2019.
Fearful Conservatives, Angry Liberals: Information Processing Related to the 2016 Presidential Election and Climate Change:

This study focuses on motivators of information processing during the 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle in relation to two specific topics—the election itself and the issue of climate change. W...
Pricing schemes and profit-maximizing pricing for cloud services

As cloud computing rapidly penetrates enterprise computing markets, the paradigm of enterprise computing shifts from client–server data centers to cloud-based data centers. While cloud computing is leading technological innovations to a new level, it is challenging for cloud providers to make informed decisions in regard to pricing of their services. This study presents a typology of pricing schemes for cloud services and develops a decision model based on the perspectives of both cloud providers and corporate customers to maximize the total profit for cloud providers. The model is operationalized with an illustration using real pricing data. A sensitivity analysis provides valuable insights into the pricing dynamics between cloud providers and cloud customers.
The association of the ankle-brachial index, the toe-brachial index, and their difference, with mortality and limb outcomes in dialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is the most common test to diagnose peripheral artery disease (PAD). In dialysis patients, the ABI may under-diagnose PAD, due to a high prevalence of concomitant medial arterial calcification (MAC). The toe-brachial index (TBI) is not as susceptible to misclassification by MAC. Taking the ABI and TBI together in the form of their difference, the ABI-TBI, may provide a single measure for assessing both atherosclerosis and calcification. The relationship of these variables in dialysis patients has not been well studied. METHODS We identified 37 dialysis patients referred for vascular studies between 2009 and 2017 in the San Diego Veterans Administration Medical Center (SDVAMC). The ABI and TBI were performed systematically for each patient, and TBI was performed regardless of ABI or waveform. We examined associations between ABI, TBI, and the difference between them (ABI-TBI) with all-cause mortality and major adverse limb events (MALE), which includes revascularizations and amputations. FINDINGS The mean age was 65 years and 30% were African American. All patients were men, reflecting the Veterans Administration population. There were 26 deaths during follow-up and mortality was highest in patients who had low ABI and low TBI and least in those with high ABI and high TBI. Persons with TBI < 0.7 had an increased risk of all-cause mortality. The ABI-TBI, and the ABI itself, were not significantly associated with all-cause mortality although the patterns were similar. DISCUSSION Although ABI may be an important initial risk stratification tool, the TBI may be a more informative predictor of mortality in dialysis patients. Strengths of this study include a high rate of MALE and deaths. The TBI, and the difference between ABI and TBI, should be studied further in a larger cohort of persons with advanced kidney disease.
Early maturity, shortened stature, and hardship: Can life-history trade-offs indicate social stratification and income inequality in the United States?

OBJECTIVE Life-history strategies promote reproductive fitness and survival. Limited energy availability and competing energetic demands between life-history decisions may result in organismal trade-offs leading to selection for "optimal" traits that facilitate fitness and survival in present environmental conditions. Few life-history analyses have been conducted in food abundant/high resource human populations. Here, we use a life-history theory framework integrated with a biocultural approach to assess whether trade-offs between growth (height) and the onset of reproductive maturation (ages at menarche) were observed in a sample of adult women living in the United States. METHODS Adult women (18 years and older) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005 to 2006 were analyzed using complex survey regression to evaluate associations between ages at menarche, height, and biological, socio-economic, demographic, and anthropometric variables. Associations between stature, ages at menarche, and socio-economic status (household income and education level) suggest life-history trade-offs in this populations may be mitigated by access to resources and marginalization. CONCLUSIONS These study results have applied public health implications. We demonstrate that females who experience early menarche in the US population achieve short stature. Our study also demonstrates the need for implementing life-history analyses in Western affluent populations, where marginalization may result in life-history trade-offs.
College Students’ Perceptions of a Safe Spring Break Event: An Event Specific Prevention Program

The most recent National College Health Assessment (2007) revealed that college students are engaging in risky health behaviors that are putting them at risk for death, disease, and injury. Studies suggest that certain college student risk behaviors, such as consuming alcohol, increases around certain times of the year and at certain events. Event specific prevention (ESP) programs have been introduced to many college campuses in order to address these risky behaviors. ESP is a strategy designed to reduce risk behaviors around certain events or during times of the year when risk behaviors increase. The purpose of this study was to determine college students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of a Safe Spring Break ESP program. A cross sectional survey, conducted with 223 students from a large Southeastern university, revealed that 89.9% learned something new at the event and 84.5% reported the information would be helpful while on spring break. Also, many students felt the event was effective or extremely effective at increasing their knowledge regarding specific health behaviors surrounding spring break. This study encourages universities to invest in implementing ESP programs. Recommendations for student wellness, student counseling, and student services regarding ESP programs are included.
A review of research: reading and the educable mentally handicapped.

This paper reviews the literature dealing with the importance of reading to educable mentally handicapped (EMH) children, the characteristics of EMH children which influence the acquisition of read...
Transmembrane helix 6b links proton- and metal-release pathways to drive conformational change in an Nramp transition metal transporter

ABSTRACT The natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (Nramp) family encompasses transition metal and proton co-transporters found in organisms from bacteria to humans. Recent structures of Deinococcus radiodurans (Dra)Nramp in multiple conformations revealed the intramolecular rearrangements required for alternating access. Here we demonstrate that two parallel cytoplasm-accessible networks of conserved hydrophilic residues in DraNramp—one lining the wide intracellular vestibule for metal release, the other forming a narrow proton-transport pathway—are essential for metal transport. We further show that mutagenic or post-translational modifications of transmembrane helix (TM) 6b, which structurally links these two pathways, impedes normal conformational cycling and metal transport. TM6b contains two highly conserved histidines, H232 and H237. Different mutagenic perturbations for H232, just below the metal-binding site along the proton-exit route, differentially affect DraNramp’s conformational state, suggesting H232 serves as a pivot point for conformational change. In contrast, any tested replacement for H237, lining the metal-exit route, locks the transporter in a transport-inactive outward-closed state. We conclude that these two histidines, and TM6b more broadly, help trigger the bulk rearrangement to the inward-open state upon metal binding and facilitate the return of the empty transporter to an outward-open state upon metal release.
2590 Robotic Block of Uterine Vessels in Different Anatomical Locations

Video Objective Robotic block and dissection of uterine vessels in three different anatomical locations. Setting Since uterine arteries are responsible for 83% of blood flow supply to the uterine, we believe that control of uterine vessels is the most important step in the surgical procedures of hysterectomy, myomectomy or even uterus-sparing postpartum hemorrhage surgery. Interventions Our clinical experience indicates that dissection and block uterine arteries by Da Vinci Robot are best conducted at three different anatomical locations: (1) The place where the uterine artery is divided from the internal iliac artery. (2) Where the uterine artery travels across the ureter (3) the site at which the uterine artery enters the cervix. Conclusion Da Vinci robot advantageously provides 3D visualization and the rotatable endowrist, making the procedure of dissecting at different anatomical locations much easier and safer. Getting familiar with the anatomical sites can greatly help the aforementioned surgical procedures.
A System to Analyze Geometry Teachers' Questions.

THROUGH systematic observation of teacher behavior one can obtain objective data about the teaching process. A careful analysis of the data produces information that may contribute to the development of a successful teaching strategy. A tool created by investigators to gather and analyze data about teacher behavior is the "category system." One develops a category system by selecting a unit of behavior and defining a finite set of categories so that each unit can be assigned to exactly one of them. Thus, for each period of observation, one can determine the total number of units of behavior and the number assigned to each category. A large number of category systems exist. However, educators have com plained that in most cases the complexity of the system makes it unsuitable for use by all except highly trained researchers. This paper presents a category system that can be used without difficulty by the geometry teacher. The system, an application of Bloom's hierarchical model for cognitive behavior (1956), describes the level of student thought that the geometry teacher emphasizes during a class session. The Category System
Massive Scaling of MASSIF: Algorithm Development and Analysis for Simulation on GPUs

Micromechanical Analysis of Stress-Strain Inhomogeneities with Fourier transforms (MASSIF) is a large-scale Fortran-based differential equation solver used to study local stresses and strains in materials. Due to its prohibitive memory requirements, it is extremely difficult to port the code to GPUs with small on-device memory. In this work, we present an algorithm design that uses domain decomposition with approximate convolution, which reduces memory footprint to make the MASSIF simulation feasible on distributed GPU systems. A first-order performance model of our method estimates that compression and multi-resolution sampling strategies can enable domain computation within GPU memory constraints for 3D grids larger than those simulated by the current state-of-the-art Fortran MPI implementation. The model analysis also provides an insight into design requirements for further scalability. Lastly, we discuss the extension of our method to irregular domain decomposition and challenges to be tackled in the future.
Abstract 16244: Point of Care Ultrasound of the Jugular Venous Pulse in the Upright Position (u2 Jvp) Predicts Elevated Right Atrial Pressure and Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure on Right Heart Catheterization in Obese and Non-obese Patients

Introduction: Accurate intravascular volume status assessment is central to heart failure management, but current non-invasive bedside techniques remain a challenge. The visual inspection of jugula...
Reflections of two systems ecologists on modelling coupled human and natural (socio-ecological, socio-environmental) systems

Abstract Systems ecology emerged as a discipline in the 1960's as ecologists identified the “systems approach” as a useful method for addressing problems dealing with complex systems. Today systems ecologists are interacting increasingly with physical and social scientists to study coupled human and natural (socio-ecological, socio-environmental) systems (SES). Our premise is that modellers of SES, regardless of their disciplinary background, in all share common roots in General Systems Theory (GST). In support of this premise, we offer our idiosyncratic epistemology of SES modelling and reflect upon some of our personal experiences collaborating with social scientists and physical scientists to model SES. We then describe two theoretical schemes for the unification of all knowledge proposed by scientists with different disciplinary backgrounds, one a half century after the other, and place both within the context of GST. We suggest that “the path forward” for multi-disciplinary SES modelling teams is to “look backward” toward their common roots in GST to find points of mutual familiarity from which scientifically productive conversations can begin. We further suggest that to suppose a general theoretical SES framework would contain a degree of specificity suitable for application to any particular real-world problem is folly. Rather, a “general theoretical framework” should connote a common template for the construction of a “spectrum” of theories, each of which, in turn, would provide a guide for developing SES models embodying the appropriate mix of generality and content for the problem at hand. For us, GST has provided such a framework.
Evaluation of effects the ocular metrics (eye movements and ocular aberrations) have on image quality of in vivo retinal optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA)

Accurate and reproducible OCT angiography (OCTA) measurements are highly dependent on the overall phase stability of the sample. Raster-scanning OCT systems are vulnerable to eye motion, which makes phase correlation impossible if the retinal displacement is too large. Numerical methods exist to correct components of phase shifts due to the axial movement, but that due to lateral movement bigger, then imaging spot are not generally correctable. Real-time eye tracking provides a method to reduce the phase shifts caused by lateral eye movement. Here we report the advancements on monitoring ocular metrics during OCTA acquisition and its effects on image quality.
Bonnie Strong at Inditex

Inditex, Zara's parent company, is known for its success in “fast fashion,” the ability to respond quickly to changes in the retail apparel industry. This case examines the reasons for its success by tying its strategy to its design, production, distribution, and retailing practices from both a process and people perspective. The links between this strategy and performance measures such as ROE and ROA can be discussed. Inditex's strategy can be directly linked to retail apparel industry challenges such as long lead times, fickle customers, and constantly changing fashions. Links among customers, capabilities, control, coordination, competition, context, culture, community, and cash (profitability) can be emphasized. Excerpt UVA-OM-1558 Rev. May 11, 2018 Bonnie Strong at Inditex Bonnie Strong had only been working at Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A. (Inditex), at the company's Arteixo, Spain, headquarters for two months in June 2016 when the email popped into her in-box one morning. It was an invitation to be a breakfast speaker at the Darden School of Business's Spanish alumni meeting and describe her experiences working for Inditex. In one week. With the dean in attendance! Strong set down her coffee and began to type a response. Her mind was already racing with ideas for a presentation for the alumni breakfast. Strong worked in the product store team for Zara, Inditex's flagship “chic cheap” clothing store, which accounted for 65% of Inditex sales and 67% of its EBIT. (See Exhibit1 for Inditex income statements and balance sheets.) In 2015, Inditex opened 77 net new Zara stores. Due to Zara's unique focus on store-level sales trends and an iron grip on each stage of its supply chain, the fast-fashion company was able to migrate product designs to its stores in three to five weeks—something that took the typical retailer six to nine months. This meant fewer fashion misses, fewer markdowns, and happier customers. Over the previous decade, this strategy had driven enormous global growth for Zara and parts of the promising business model had been replicated in seven other retail brands Inditex owned. Optimism—and opportunity—was high for customers, stockholders, and employees. At 28, Strong was young for someone holding such an important role at Inditex—responsibility over the Zara stores in the East Coast region of the United States—but she felt ready. While she had only been store manager at the New York Zara store on an interim basis for one year before heading to Darden for an MBA, Strong's passion for retail and her natural leadership abilities had convinced Inditex to take a chance on her. The breakfast meeting was Strong's chance to synthesize all she had learned and to show Darden that it should be proud of her as a graduate. Armed with the analytical tools gained at business school, Strong hoped to impress the alumni chapter with her take on the company's logistics, marketing, design, manufacturing, supply chain, and financial performance. She had a lot of work to do to prepare. . . .
Potential Implications of a Type 1 Interferon Gene Signature on COVID-19 Severity and Chronic Inflammation in Sickle Cell Disease

At the onset of the corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, there were concerns that patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) might be especially vulnerable to severe sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While two reports support this conclusion, multiple studies have reported unexpectedly favorable outcomes in patients with SCD. However, mechanisms explaining these disparate conclusions are lacking. Here, we review recent studies indicating that the majority of patients with SCD express elevated levels of anti-viral type 1 interferons (IFNα/β) and interferon stimulated genes, independent of COVID-19, during their baseline state of health. We also present our data from the pre-COVID-19 era, illustrating elevated expression of a well-characterized interferon stimulated gene in a cohort of patients with SCD, compared to race-matched controls. These type 1 interferons and interferon stimulated genes have the potential to contribute to the variable progression of COVID-19 and other viral infections in patients with SCD. While the majority of evidence supports a protective role, the role of IFNα/β in COVID-19 severity in the general population remains an area of current investigation. We conclude that type 1 interferon responses in patients with SCD may contribute to the variable COVID-19 responses reported in prior studies. Additional studies investigating the mechanisms underlying IFNα/β production and other clinical consequences of IFNα/β-mediated inflammation in SCD disease are warranted.
Enemy Combatant: Honoring Ben Davis, Scholar Activist of the Forever War

My colleague Ben Davis was the kind of scholar-activist who got people thinking about things they should be thinking about and got people upset about things that should upset them. This essay reflects on the contributions Professor Davis made to the University of Toledo, his faculty colleagues and many students, to the community, and to the world, drawing on a particularly unusual anecdote from Ben's career.
Some Current Theoretical Insights on DIET

An overview of selected post-DIET IV advances in the theoretical treatment and/or understanding of photon and electron induced molecular processes at surfaces will be given.
Franchises and Fetishes: Critiquing State Power in Arundhati Roy's Nonfiction

(2008). Franchises and Fetishes: Critiquing State Power in Arundhati Roy's Nonfiction. South Asian Review: Vol. 29, No. 2, pp. 56-82.
Use of electroporation in genetic analysis of enterococcal virulence

We present two methods for electroporation for the gram positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis that can also be used as guidelines for work with other gram positive species. We demonstrate the use and the advantages of this technique for investigating genes, both chromosomal and plasmid-linked, encoding surface structures. Electroporation was used to deliver constructs created on shuttle vectors for insertional inactivation of a chromosomal gene involved in binding substance formation as well as for the expression of Aggregation Substance in strains with different chromosomal backgrounds. The influence of defects in lipoteichoic acid synthesis and the expression of Aggregation Substance on virulence was shown in a rabbit endocarditis model.
Providing access to online government documents in an academic research library collection: A case study in the geosciences

SUMMARY This article provides an overview of the move to online federal government documents and the problems associated with maintaining access to government documents in the online environment. In addition, the impact of the shift to online government documents on an academic research library collection in the geosciences is examined by assessing whether or not items from one publication series of the U.S. Geological Survey are included in several traditional library research tools. The results of this analysis and some recommendations for dealing with hidden online government documents are also discussed.
Pre‐forming Metal Sheets in U.S.A.: Description of an Entirely New Method of Rolling Plates to Double Curvatures

ALL‐METAL construction, mainly in aluminium alloy and with thin sheet covering or skin, has been nigh universal in the American aeroplane industry for a number of years. This industry has now to face three difficult problems. First, the utilization of sheet metal in building larger land and water aircraft than ever before attempted. Second, in meeting the transition stage from the production of smaller aeroplanes in, small quantities only, to moderate mass production. Third, in keeping down costs in the face of sharp rises in the price of materials and wages of labour. These problems have led in turn to important improvements and radical innovations in the methods of handling sheet metal. A brief review of modern American practice may therefore be of interest to British constructors, before describing a new method of rolling sheet and double curvatures in a special machine.
Endodontic surgery on a maxillary central incisor via a lingual approach. Report of a case

This article reports the case of a maxillary right central incisor with a periapical lesion and an associated periodic palatal swelling of more than 12 years' duration, during nonsurgical root canal treatment, the root canal exhibited persistent suppuration. Upon palpation, the buccal plate of bone appeared to be intact. The lesion appeared to be associated with the palatal surface. A palatal surgical approach was used in an attempt to prevent a through-and-through defect.
The Gap Between Golgi and Cajal

Nerve Endings . The Discovery of the Synapse. By Richard Rapport . Norton, New York, 2005. 240 pp. $23.95, C$33. ISBN 0-393-06019-5. Writing for a broad audience, the author describes the researches of Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Camillo Golgi that culminated in the discovery of the synapse.
Primary interaction between antibody and components of Alternaria: II. Antibodies in sera from normal, allergic, and immunoglobulin-deficient children

Abstract Antibodies in sera from normal, allergic, and immunoglobulin-deficient children were studied for binding to radiolabeled components of Alternaria tenuis . Significant binding levels were found in 103 of 105 sera from normal children. The levels were age-dependent, rising from a low point in the 7- to 12-month age group to adult levels by the age of 8 years. Levels of binding to two antigens, a culture filtrate derivative ( 125 I-CLF) and a mycelial derivative ( 125 I-IIS), were similar. Sera from asthmatic children with strong immediate skin test reactions to Alternaria extracts bound significantly higher levels of 125 I-CLF than did sera from allergic children with negative skin tests or from control children. Binding levels in sera from children with hypogammaglobulinemia were significantly less than binding levels in sera from normal children in any age group. Sera from children with selective IgA deficiency bound 125 I-CLF at normal levels. The almost universal occurrence of anti- Alternaria antibodies in children was partly explained by the finding of partial cross-reactivity and/or shared antigens among several fungal species, including A. tenuis , Stemphylium sp. , Curvularia sp. , and Aspergillus fumigatus . The biological significance of these antibodies is not clear, but the procedures described lend themselves to further investigations.
Dental Caries: Prospects for Prevention

Combined utilization of measures now available or imminent could reduce caries of the crowns of the teeth to the point of negligibility as a public health problem, if public desire were great enough to motivate changes in some of our habits (64). Universal optimum application of fluoride and substitution of starchy foods for sugary ones (or even simply judicious consumption of sugar) would alone do most of the job. Sealing of susceptible occlusal areas with adhesive polymers promises to protect the sites where fluoride evidently cannot be maximally effective. It seems unlikely that any single measure will be found sufficient to control this multifactorial disease. Consequently, we must continue the search for new means to increase the caries resistance of teeth, to reduce the cariogenicity of foodstuffs, and to check the deleterious activities of cariogenic bacteria. Anticaries food additives and antibacterial agents for intraoral use seem to be approaching practicability. Past performance warrants expectation that ongoing fundamental investigations will produce leads for future development and application.
Hydrolysis of N-acylated glycerophospholipids by phospholipases A2 and D: a method of identification and analysis.

We have previously identified N-acylethanolamine phospholipids in infarcted dog heart and in normal fish brain by chemical and enzymatic degradation. We now report that hydrolysis with phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus removes N-acylethanolamine from N-acylethanolamine phospholipids and lyso N-acylethanolamine phospholipids, or N-acylserine from lyso N-acylserine phospholipids. At acidic pH, a phosphatase present in the phospholipase D preparation further hydrolyzes the resulting phosphatidic acid (PA) or lyso-PA to diacyl- or monoacylglycerol. Because N-acylserine phospholipids are a poor substrate for the phospholipase D, pretreatment with phospholipase A2 (Trimeresurus flavoviridis venom) is used to remove the 2-O-acyl group. Thus, both types of N-acylated phospholipids can be analyzed by consecutive phospholipase A2 and phospholipase D treatment. Reaction products, i.e., free fatty acids, monoacylglycerols and N-acylethanolamine or N-acylserine, are separable by thin-layer chromatography. Both N-acyl components can be further characterized by conversion to the t-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives. The method was used to identify and analyze the N-acylserine phospholipids of bovine brain.
Effects of Doping on the Vibrational Properties of C60 from First Principles: K6C60.

Ab initio calculations of the phonon spectrum of ${\mathrm{K}}_{6}{\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ are presented, based on the local-density approximation of density-functional theory and on linear response theory. The effects of doping on frequencies and infrared intensities are identified and their physical origin discussed in detail for optically allowed modes. Whereas structural relaxation is primarily responsible for the frequency changes, and especially for the softening of tangential modes, the change in infrared relative intensities is a direct consequence of the electron transfer. The potassium vibrations are found to lie within $60--100{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and are well decoupled from ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ intramolecular modes.
Development of under bump metallizations for flip chip bonding to organic substrates

Several under bump metallization (UBM) schemes using CuNi alloys as the solderable layer were investigated. Nickel slows down dissolution of the UBM into the solder and formation of intermetallics during reflow. To study the intermetallic reaction, CuNi foils of different concentrations were immersed in a eutectic PbSn solder bath for reaction times ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. It was observed that when 10% and 20% Ni is added into copper, the intermetallic forms a continuous layer, instead of the discrete scallops seen in pure Cu/solder interfaces. However, the thickness of the intermetallic remained about the same. For 30% and 45% Ni alloys a definite decrease in the intermetallic thickness was observed compared to the lower Ni alloys. Actual under bump metallizations were also made on Si wafers to study the reactions when there is a limited supply of CuNi available. Cr or Ti was used as the adhesion layer, and the solderable layer was a copper-nickel alloy, instead of pure copper used in the conventional UBM scheme. The metal layers were deposited on a wafer by evaporation and patterned into contact pads. Eutectic PbSn solder balls were reflowed on top of the pads. SEM micrographs of the intermetallic that forms at the UBM/solder interface show the refining effect of Ni in the interfacial microstructure. Since nickel metallizations often have high stresses, stress in the UBMs was measured by the wafer curvature method. Stress vs Ni content plots show that while stresses increase somewhat with the Ni content, the adhesion layer under the CuNi layer has a much larger effect on the stress. UBMs with Cr/CrCu adhesion layer had stresses ranging from about 300 to 600 MPa, while the stresses in UBMs with Ti/TiNi layers were between 70 and 350 MPa.
An adaptive self-organizing fuzzy sliding mode controller for a 2-DOF rehabilitation robot actuated by pneumatic muscle actuators

Abstract Pneumatic muscle actuators have the highest power/weight ratio and power/volume ratio among actuators of all types. Therefore, they can be used not only in rehabilitation engineering, but also as actuators in robots, including industrial robots and therapy robots. It is difficult to achieve excellent control performance using classical control methods because the compressibility of gas and the nonlinear elasticity of bladder containers cause parameter variations. An adaptive self-organizing fuzzy sliding mode control (ASOFSMC) is developed in this study. Its fuzzy sliding surface can help reduce the number of fuzzy rule. The self-organizing learning mechanism is employed to modify fuzzy rules on-line. The model-matching technique is then adopted to adjust the scaling factors. Finally, the Lyapunov theory is employed to prove the stability of the ASOFSMC. Experimental results show that this control strategy can attain excellent control performance.
Density estimation for time series by histograms

Abstract Histogram estimates of the density of time series are studied. optimal bin widths which asymptotically minimize integrated mean square errors are derived. Uniform strong consistency of the estimates and their rates of convergence are obtained. Histogram estimates can achieve the uniform optimal rate of convergence (n−1logn) 1 3 for appropriate choices of the bin widths. The time series are assumed to satisfy some strong mixing or absolute regularity conditions.
Dose‐response studies with genetically homogeneous lines of mice as a teratology testing and risk‐assessment procedure

Current teratology testing procedures are mainly focused on qualitative considerations and, hence, largely ignore the variability in responsiveness to exogenous agents that may exist within species. An example is given of a test using genetically homogeneous lines of animals, which shows how extensive intraspecies variability can be. Pregnant females of six strains of mice were given single doses of 12.5 to 1200 mg/kg cortisone acetate by four routes on 4 days of gestation. The frequency of cleft palate and of fetal resorption were evaluated for their dose-response relations. The range of responses was extremely wide; in one series the malformation ED50 of the most responsive strain was about 16 times greater than that of the least responsive one. By indicating that a range of sensitivities may be possessed by species, and by approximating the limits of that range, inbred lines can reveal mild degrees of responsiveness that are frequently overlooked in using outbred stocks, and hence are of value in assessing risk.
Managing student workers: how to effectively schedule and supervise student workers in a dynamic environment

A web-based scheduling system with a graphical user interface was created at Texas A&M University in the department of Computing & Information Services which allowed student workers to request when they wanted to work, when they were willing to work, and when they were unable to work. Additional tools were created allowing students to view individual student worker schedules, view daily schedules, and trade hours. In addition to the ease of scheduling via the web, day-to-day supervision has been simplified. Benefits for the lab supervisors include immediate email notification of schedule changes from trading of hours, an up-to-date daily schedule showing where potential problems may occur, and when to expect students to arrive at work. This paper will describe the evolution of the web-based scheduling system from a simple method of gathering students’ schedule information to a complex application for trading hours between labs. With student worker input this process of evolution has become a team effort.
African and Southeast Asian Chalicodoma (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): New Subgenus, New Species, and Notes on the Composition of Pseudomegachile and Largella

Abstract. A new subgenus, Lophanthedon subg. nov., is described and figured for five species of distinctive Southeast Asian bees in the genus Chalicodoma Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau (Megachilinae: Megachilini). Two new species of the subgenus Pseudomegachile Friese from Africa, Chalicodoma, (Pseudomegachile) strangei sp. nov., and C. (P.) gibbsi sp. nov., and one of the subgenus Largella Pasteels from Malaysia, C. (Largella) donbakeri sp. nov., are described and figured. The subgenus Neochalicodoma Pasteels, consisting of the two African species C. pseudolaminata Pasteels and C. pseudocincta Pasteels, is synonymized with Pseudomegachile (syn. nov.). Chalicodoma pseudocincta, is newly placed in synonymy with C. (P.) scindularia (Buysson), syn. nov. The morphological diversity of Pseudomegachile is briefly discussed in an attempt to highlight useful characters for recognizing natural species groups and inferring floral hosts. Revised diagnoses as well as information on the species composition of Largella an...
A STATISTICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE UCKRON-1 REACTION MODELS

Abstract As an extension of the Denver AICHE Meeting in August 1983, a hypothesized true reaction expression based on an artihcial reaction mechanism was developed. This modeling procedure was based on known kinetic laws. Based upon the hypothesized true expression, experiments were simulated by adding a 5% random error term. Participants developed kinetic models to fit the simulated data. A proposed models fit and application to empirical data is characterized by two properties. First is its actual fit to the observations based on the adjusted residual sums of squares. Second, is the model's dependency on the particular observed data set which we refer to as stability. Statistics to assess these properties have been proposed (Borowiak (1987)). In this paper, five of the eighteen submitted entries are examined using the assessment statistics proposed by Borowiak. In particular, statistics which measure the overall efficiency of the proposed models as well as assessment at each location (or data point) are...
Hunting for the function of Huntingtin

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder, afflicting three to ten individuals per 100,000 in Western Europe and North America ([Gil and Rego, 2008][1]). In 1993, the gene responsible for HD ( HTT ) was cloned, representing a major breakthrough in the field. HTT encodes
Widespread but tissue-specific patterns of interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3, FRAGILIS, MIL-1) in the mouse gastrula.

Abstract Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3; FRAGILIS; MIL-1) is part of a larger family of important small interferon-induced transmembrane genes and proteins involved in early development, cell adhesion, and cell proliferation, and which also play a major role in response to bacterial and viral infections and, more recently, in pronounced malignancies. IFITM3, together with tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), PRDM1, and STELLA, has been claimed to be a hallmark of segregated primordial germ cells (PGCs) ( Saitou et al., 2002 ). However, whether IFITM3, like STELLA, is part of a broader stem/progenitor pool that builds the posterior region of the mouse conceptus ( Mikedis and Downs, 2012 ) is obscure. To discover the whereabouts of IFITM3 during mouse gastrulation (∼E6.5-9.0), systematic immunohistochemical analysis was carried out at closely spaced 2-4-h intervals. Results revealed diverse, yet consistent, profiles of IFITM3 localization throughout the gastrula. Within the putative PGC trajectory and surrounding posterior tissues, IFITM3 localized as a large cytoplasmic spot with or without staining in the plasma membrane. IFITM3, like STELLA, was also found in the ventral ectodermal ridge (VER), a posterior progenitor pool that builds the tailbud. The large cytoplasmic spot with plasma membrane staining was exclusive to the posterior region; the visceral yolk sac, non-posterior tissues, and epithelial tissues exhibited spots of IFITM3 without cell surface staining. Colocalization of the intracellular IFITM3 spot with the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, or endolysosomes was not observed. That relatively high levels of IFITM3 were found throughout the posterior primitive streak and its derivatives is consistent with evidence that IFITM3, like STELLA, is part of a larger stem/progenitor cell pool at the posterior end of the primitive streak that forms the base of the allantois and builds the fetal-umbilical connection, thus further obfuscating practical phenotypic distinctions between so-called PGCs and surrounding soma.
THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF SEXUALITY AND GENDER IN ALTERNATIVE HARD ROCK An Analysis of Intersectionality

This article provides an empirical example and an analytic argument for how queer theory can be useful for sociological inquiries of gender relations. Using data collected through participant observation of a rock music subculture, the author addresses the importance of conceptualizing sexuality and gender as analytically distinct. There are five major findings drawn from this analysis. First, members of this subculture queered sexuality despite identifying as heterosexual. Second, there is a dissonance between how members talked about sexuality and how they enacted sexuality. Third, queering sexuality opened space for subverting hegemonic gender relations. Fourth, some forms of gender resistance relied on and reinscribed hegemonic sexual relations. Fifth, only by analyzing sexuality at multiple levels of analysis was this play of resistance and hegemony revealed. Both empirical and theoretical implications are suggested.
Effects of the proximal home environment on language and behavioral outcomes in children prenatally exposed to cocaine

Proximal environmental variables illustrate aspects of the environment that are experienced directly and specifically by the child. The current study examined the associations between three proximal environmental variables: (1) quality of the home environment, (2) regularity of family routines and (3) frequency of parenting daily hassles and cognitive, language and behavioral outcomes in 36‐month‐old children who were prenatally exposed to cocaine and participating in an early intervention program. The quality of the home environment predicted expressive language and internalizing behavior problems, while daily hassles and family routines only predicted internalizing behavior problems. The results suggest that interventions aimed at changing proximal environmental variables may have positive implications for children who are at‐risk for developmental delay.
Decaffeinated green tea and voluntary exercise induce gene changes related to beige adipocyte formation in high fat-fed obese mice

We have previously reported that decaffeinated green tea extract (GTE) in combination with voluntary exercise (Ex) reduces metabolic syndrome in high fat-fed C57BL/6J mice. Here, we examined for the first time the effect of treatment with 77 mg/g GTE, Ex, or both (GTE + Ex) on genes related to the conversion of white adipose tissue (WAT) to brown fat-like adipose tissue (BLAT) in this model. GTE+Ex induced genes related to lipolysis (hormone sensitive lipase [3.0-fold] and patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 2 [2-fold]), mitochondrial β-oxidation (NADH dehydrogenase 5 [2.3-fold], cytochrome B [2.0-fold], and cytochrome C oxidase III [1.9-fold increase]), and adipose tissue browning (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α [1.8-fold], bone morphogenetic protein 4 [2.6-fold], and phosphatase and tensin homolog [2.6-fold]) in visceral WAT compared to HF-fed mice. These results suggest that GTE+Ex function in part by inducing the conversion of WAT to BLAT and provides novel mechanistic insight into this combination.
Why digital entertainment drives the need for speed

By aggressively maneuvering to seize and expand their market share, the entertainment industry's biggest players are shaping a 21st century in which consumer demand for entertainment will drive computing innovation. Private sector research and development spending, which now accounts for 75 percent of total US R&D, will increase to about $187.2 billion in 2000, up from an estimated $169.3 billion in 1999, according to Battelle Memorial Institute's annual R&D forecast. The significant and expanding role entertainment technologies play in the development of computer hardware and software implies that this sector can provide insights into the directions our industry will take in the coming years.
Detailed Analysis of Patients with Bilateral Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

To better understand anatomic and other possible predisposing factors for anterior cruciate ligament injuries, we retrospectively studied 31 patients with noncontact, bilateral injuries of this ligament. The 31 patients were carefully matched by age, sex, height, weight, and activity level with 23 control subjects who had no history of knee injury. All 54 subjects underwent a full clinical knee examination, joint hypermobility tests, a hamstring tightness assessment, a computerized tomography scan analysis, and a plain view radiographic analysis, and were asked to provide a complete immediate-family history of knee ligament injury. In addition, the 31 patients in the experimental group underwent a KT-1000 arthrometer knee laxity examination and were also asked to provide an injury profile, including mechanism of injury, treatment received for each injury, and the time interval between injuries. Measurements obtained from the computerized tomography scan analysis demonstrated a significantly wider lateral femoral condyle in the experimental group compared with the control group, indicating that certain anatomic factors may predispose people to anterior cruciate ligament injury. A significant difference was also found in the incidence rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury in the family history of the experimental group compared with the control group, indicating a possible congenital aspect of this injury.
The preparation and properties of N,N′-bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)tetramethylcyclodisilazane and its derivatives

Abstract N,N ′-Bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)tetramethylcyclodisilazane, which is obtained along with minor proportions of 1,3-dichloro-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazane, 1,5-dichloro-1,1,3,3,5,5-hexamethyltrisilazane, and N -(chlorodimethylsilyl)- N ′-(3-chloro-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazanyl)tetramethylcyclodisilazane by heating dichlorodimethylsilane and 2,2,4,4,6,6-hexamethylcyclotrisilazane at 175°, can be converted to its amino, methylamino, dimethylamino, diethylamino, piperidino, anilino, hydride, methyl, phenyl, methoxy, ethoxy, isopropoxy, phenoxy, phenyldimethylsiloxy, hydroxy, and acetoxy derivatives. Substances in this series are readily characterized by the Si 2 N asymmetric stretch frequencies in the IR and the methylsilyl proton chemical shifts in the NMR spectra. They do not undergo thermal disproportionation reactions, but the hydroxy, amino, and methylamino derivatives undergo thermal decomposition with the cleavage of the cyclodisilazane ring, particularly in the presence of an acid catalyst.
The Philosophy of Motion Pictures by Noël Carroll. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2008

Prolific film theorist Noel Carroll's latest book tackles, at length, the artistic phenomena of the moving picture. It marks the second in a new series, “Foundations of the Philosophy of the Arts,”...