cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stereo-Electro-Encephalo-Graphy (SEEG) With Robotic Assistance in the Presurgical Evaluation of Medical Refractory Epilepsy: A Technical Note

SEEG is a method and technique which is used for accurate, invasive recording of seizure activity via three dimensional recordings. In epilepsy patients who are deemed appropriate candidates for invasive recordings, the decision to monitor is made between the subdural grids versus SEEG. Invasive neuromonitoring for epilepsy is pursued in patients with complex, medically refractory epilepsy. The goal of invasive monitoring is to offer resective surgery with the hope of allowing seizure freedom. SEEG's advantages include access to deep cortical structures, an ability to localize the epileptogenic zone (EZ) when subdural grids have failed to do so, and in patients with non-lesional extra-temporal epilepsies. In this manuscript, we present a succinct historical overview of the SEEG and report on our experience with frameless stereotaxy under robotic. An imperative step of SEEG insertion is planning the electrode trajectories. In order to most effectively record ictal activity via SEEG trajectories should be planned based upon a hypothesis of where the seizure activity originates the presumed epileptogenic zone (EZ). The EZ hypothesis is based on a standardized preoperative workup including video-EEG monitoring, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), PET (positron emission tomography), ictal SPECT (Single-photon emission computed tomography), and neuropsychological assessment. Using a suspected EZ, SEEG electrodes can be placed minimally invasively yet maintain accuracy and precision. Clinical results showed the ability to localize the EZ in 78% of difficult to localize epileptic patients.1
Calcium Electrode Measurements of Calcium Oxalate Mineralization: The Effects of Urine and other Inhibitors

In recent years, investigators in the field of nephrolithiasis have employed numerous in vitro assays to measure the kinetics of the formation and crystal growth of hydroxyapatite or calcium oxalate seed crystals in solutions supersaturated with respect to these salts 1, 2. Such assays have proven to be very accurate but their relevance to the formation and growth of urinary calculi is still uncertain. In this connection we have developed a procedure using a Ca2+- specific electrode which measures the rate and extent of calcium oxalate mineralization from initial ion-pair formation to the growth of calcium
HERACLES THE PHILOSOPHER (HERODORUS, FR. 14)

Among our earliest extant references to the word ‘philosophize’ is an unfamiliar one, from the mythographer Herodorus of Pontic Heraclea, whose son Bryson associated with Plato and Aristotle. A Byzantine compiler quotes Herodorus, probably from his book on Heracles, as saying that his hero ‘philosophized until death’ (φιλοσοφήσας μέχρι θανάτου, FGrHist 31 F 14). This is a surprising claim in light of the fifth/fourth-century b.c. view of Heracles as long-toiling but not intellectual. Euripides' Licymnius characterizes him as ‘unimpressive and unadorned, good to the greatest degree, confined from all sophia in action, unversed in talking’ (φαῦλον ἄκομψον, τὰ μέγιστ᾽ ἀγαθόν, | πᾶσαν ἐν ἔργῳ πeριτeμνόμeνον | σοφίαν, λέσχης ἀτρίβωνα, fr. 473 TGF). Heracles is thus explicitly distinguished from those who strive for dialectical understanding or theoretical knowledge.
Carbon Dynamics in the Temperate Forest

Twenty-five percent of the world’s forests are in the temperate biome. They include a wide range of forest types, and the exact boundaries with boreal forests to the north and tropical forests to the south are not always clear. There is a great variety of species, soil types, and environmental conditions which lead to a diversity of factors affecting carbon storage and flux. Temperate forests have been severely impacted by human use – throughout history, all but about 1% have been logged-over, converted to agriculture, intensively managed, grazed, or fragmented by sprawling development. Nevertheless, they have proven to be resilient – mostly second growth forests now cover about 40–50% of the original extent of the biome. Although remaining intact temperate forests continue to be fragmented by development, particularly in North America, there is no large-scale deforestation at present, nor is there likely to be in the future. The status of the temperate biome as a carbon reservoir and atmospheric CO2 sink rests mainly on strong productivity and resilience in the face of disturbance. The small “sink” status of temperate forests could change to a “source” status if the balance between photosynthesis and respiration shifts.
Oncologic applications of 18F-FDG PET/CT in pediatrics: beyond lymphoma and sarcoma

1259 Objectives 18F-FDG PET/CT is a well-established imaging technique for staging, restaging and response assessment in many common pediatric malignancies such as lymphoma, bone and soft tissue sarcoma and brain neoplasm. The purpose of this exhibit is to focus on utilization of PET-CT in rare pediatric malignancies through illustrative case-examples. Methods Whole body or torso 18F-FDG PET/CTs performed at our institution were reviewed in PACS. Representative PET/CT cases and correlative images from other modalities were chosen for the exhibit. All PET/CTs were performed using standard institutional protocol with use of intravenous contrast in select cases. Results 18F-FDG PET/CT was useful for staging at initial presentation, restaging with recurrent disease and assess post-treatment response in rare pediatric neoplasms listed below. In particular, it was helpful with equivocal or indeterminate findings on other radiologic modalities and in identifying additional sites of disease. 1. Head and neck tumors: Esthesioneuroblastoma, Chordoma and Sialoblastoma 2. Lung tumors: Pleuropulmonary blastoma and inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung 3. Renal tumors: Wilms tumor, renal cell carcinoma and medullary carcinoma 4. Hepatic tumors: Hepatoblastoma 5. Gastointestinal tumors: Adenocarcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor 6. Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas 7. NUT midline carcinoma 8. Extrarenal malignant rhabdoid tumor 9. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor in the setting of Neurofibromatosis-1 Conclusions 18F-FDG -PET/CT may identify sites of disease that are not readily evident on other imaging modalities and can be useful as a problem-solving tool in guiding clinical management of rare pediatric malignancies in select patients. RESEARCH SUPPORT: None
Integrated Sub-basin Scale Exploration for Carbon Storage Targets: Advanced Characterization of Geologic Reservoirs and Caprocks in the upper Ohio River Valley

Abstract The goal of this study was to collect and analyze geologic data for assessment of CO2 storage feasibility in the parts of Appalachian Basin covering eastern Ohio and the adjacent Upper Ohio River Valley with a focus on deeper Paleozoic formations. This included detailed mapping, cross sections, and petrophysics of caprocks and reservoirs along with selected reservoir flow testing in regional injection wells to determine potential intake zones. The workflow was successful in characterizing reservoirs and advancing geologic understanding in the region, all precursors to estimating CO2 storage resources.
Amoebas and their Tropicalizations – a Survey

Let V(f) be the complex hypersurface of a Laurent polynomial f. The amoeba A(f) is the projection of V(f) under the Log-absolute map. Amoebas have countless applications and, in particular, they form a key connection between “classical” algebraic geometry and tropical geometry. There exist multiple different tropical hypersurfaces related to amoebas. In this survey, we introduce the most important of these tropical hypersurfaces and compare their relations to amoebas. Moreover, we discuss related open problems in amoeba theory.
Long-term Outcomes of Subtotal Septal Reconstruction in Rhinoplasty

ImportanceSignificant nasal septal deviation may require complex reconstruction to achieve complete correction. Subtotal septal reconstruction is a method for addressing deviations in the L-strut. ...
Self(ie)-esteem? – A manifestation of adolescent self-creating endeavours in the virtual space of Facebook

In the centre of our interest stand the manifestations of adolescent self-creating endeavours in the virtual space of the social media portal called Facebook. Frequent self-photography (selfie) making, as a pronounced cultural feature of contemporary youth, and regular activity on Facebook handled as tightly connected factors; we propose that youngsters, bearing these attributes, have a different self-esteem than those adolescents who rarely or never take any photographs of themselves. In the first, quantitative part of our research the participants (N=80) filled in the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and a questionnaire containing questions in connection with Facebook-usage (compiled by us). In the qualitative part of the research the participants took part in a half-structured interview, containing questions in connection with selfie­-making (also compiled by us). Our hypothesis was not proven by the statistical analysis, no connection could be testified between frequent selfie-making and low self-esteem. Keywords: selfie, self-esteem, adolescence, social media, Facebook
Prognostic factors in pontine haemorrhage: A systematic review:

BackgroundPontine haemorrhage comprises approximately 10% of intracerebral haemorrhages. There is a common presumption that pontine haemorrhage is inherently associated with poor outcome.PurposeThe...
Single Sign-On Demystified: Security Considerations for Developers and Users

A website of an entity (organization or enterprise) usually provides multiple services to its members. Once a user of the entity signs-on for a service, she can access all services available to her. This is known as single sign-on (SSO). For implementation of SSO, user authentication is separated, at least logically, from services. An identity provider (IDP) authenticates a user and a service provider (SP) delivers each service. Thus, a user has an active IDP session, and one active service session for each SP she is accessing. While SSO eases the life of users and system-administrators, if SSO not implemented carefully, a user may sign-out from all services but still may have an active IDP session, and users might not be aware of existence of the active IDP sessions. In this work, we use state-transition diagrams to trace the steps during a SSO activity, and then show the states that a user’s browser may maintain. We show that even after a user signs-out or timed-out from all service sessions or the IDP server session, active sessions may exist that the user maybe unaware of. This situation may happen because implementer never thought of this possibility or the user is unaware of such possibility or both. We propose some possible remedies to mitigate undesirable information-security situations we have exposed.
Precedence permutation patterns creating criticality constellations: Exploring a conjecture on nonlinear activities with continuous links

The inaugural challenge of the 2016 Creative Construction Conference has posed two related questions on how many possible criticality constellations with different behaviors for delays and acceleration exist and how said constellations can occur for nonlinearly and monotonously progressing activities that have continuous relations. This paper systematically solves these questions by performing a thorough literature review, assembling theoretical foundations for link constellations, performing a computer simulation of all possible permutations, and providing a mathematical proof by contradiction. It is found that (for the initially assumed self-contained activities in a network schedule that exhibit only a linearly growing production), three newly hypothesized criticality constellations cannot exist. Nonlinear activity constellations with diverging or converging relative pro­ductivities are examined next. Lags in networks become buffers in linear schedules. It is found that a nonlinear curvature of the progress may induce middle-to-middle relations besides those between start and finish. If multiple curvatures are allowed, then partial segments can form relations, which increase the number of criticality constellations. This paper is extended from the 2017 Procedia Engineering conference version.
Initial Exploration of Therapeutic Presence Pedagogy in Counselor Education.

A qualitatively modified Delphi approach was used to operationalize therapeutic presence so that it can be further studied as it relates to counselor training and therapeutic outcomes. A total of 12 counselors and counselor educators with over 200 combined years of experience in counselor education participated in this study. The results include a definition of therapeutic presence geared toward counselors-in-training, 13 recognizable signs of students’ expressed therapeutic presence in session, and 17 suggestions for counselor educators to help students develop therapeutic presence. We also discuss implications and recommendations for further investigation.
3D unsteady Navier–Stokes problem with memory and subdifferential boundary condition

Abstract We consider a mathematical model which describes the motion of a 3D unsteady fluid flow governed by the Navier–Stokes system, and subjected to mixed boundary conditions with a given velocity on one part of the boundary and nonlinear slip conditions with a memory term reminiscent of Coulomb's friction law on the other part. We establish first some regularity properties and estimates for a simplified model. Then we prove the existence of a solution to our problem by using a successive approximation technique and compactness arguments based on Helly's theorem for the velocity field.
Cultural factors influencing safety need to be addressed in design and operation of technology.

Cultural factors which influence aviation safety in aircraft design, air traffic control, and human factors training are examined. Analysis of the Avianca Flight 052 crash in New York in January, 1990, demonstrates the catastrosphic effects cultural factors can play. Cultural factors include attitude toward work and technology, organizational hierarchy, religion, and population stereotyping. Language: en
Mental Health Service Preferences and Utilization Among Women Veterans in Crisis: Perspectives of Veterans Crisis Line Responders

Women military veterans are at increased risk of suicide compared to non-veterans, but little is known about the mental health service preferences and needs of women veterans in crisis. This study used qualitative, secondary source key informant interviews to ascertain the experiences of women veterans in crisis from 54 responders working at the Veterans Crisis Line. Responders indicated that women veterans reported different experiences with Veterans Administration (VA) and non-VA care, though drivers of satisfaction or dissatisfaction were similar. Availability of specialty care, sensitivity to veterans' issues or Military Sexual Trauma, strong provider relationships, and continuity of care contributed to satisfaction; lengthy appointment wait times, limited service options, and insensitivity to veterans' issues contributed to dissatisfaction. Responders suggested that barriers limiting VA access for women veterans are perceived as similar to non-VA care. Findings suggest that caller experiences with providers drive satisfaction with VA and non-VA mental health services.
Automated Hidden Sensor Detection in Sensor-Rich Spaces

The emerging ubiquity of IoT devices with mon- itoring capabilities has resulted in a growing concern for user privacy. Our work focuses on detecting IoT devices that are being used to spy on users’ activity. We have developed a framework for affecting the physical environment to induce a corresponding signal in the digital environment in order to determine what devices are observing our activity. We will demonstrate an implementation of this framework focused on video streaming. We will demonstrate that our approach produces both high true positives and low false positives despite a variety of changing environmental factors such as background movement and placement of the IoT device. Our demo is implemented on a stock Android phone and only requires a second wireless adapter if the phone is not rooted.
The Most Influential Publications in Odontoid Fracture Management.

Objective Management of odontoid fractures has improved and evolved due to advancing diagnostic guidelines and understanding of long-term outcomes. The aim of this study was to quantify the most frequently cited publications pertaining to odontoid fractures and determine their validity as a tool to practice evidence-based medicine. Methods A Clarivate Analytics Web of Science search was used to identify all articles related to odontoid fractures. The 50 most cited articles were reviewed. Criteria included the frequency of citation, year of publication, countries of origin, journal, levels of evidence (LOE), article types, and supporting authors and institutions. Results The top 3 most cited papers were “Radiological and anatomical evaluation of the atlantoaxial transarticular screw fixation technique” (Madawi 1997), “Atlantoaxial fixation using, plate and screw method: A report of 160 treated patients” (Goel 2002), and “The anatomical suitability of the C1-2 complex for transarticular screw fixation” (Paramore 1996). Spine (n = 13; 26%) was the most common journal, and the most frequent decade was 2000–2009 (n = 18; 36%). The United States was associated with the greatest number of publications, and the most common article type was clinical outcomes (n = 16; 32%). The most recurring LOE was IV (n = 20; 40%). Conclusions This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the historical literature pertaining to odontoid fracture management. There is a paucity of high LOE publications regarding this topic, and clinicians should strive to provide more high-level studies. This article can help practitioners navigate the vast body of literature about this topic and identify high-impact publications.
A Mixed-Mode Variable Gain Amplifier for Hearing Aid Devices

A mixed mode variable gain amplifier for hearing aid application is presented. It consists of main amplifier stage and a gain control circuit. Based on the output of microphone, voltage levels are categorized into two gain regions and designed circuit automatically sets the close loop gain of main amplifier. Main amplifier consists of opamp with feedback resistors and gain control circuit consists of peak detector, high speed comparator and XNOR gate. Due to high speed digital control circuitry, attack and release time are as small as 60µSec which is 33 times faster than temporal resolution of human hearing. Along with preamplifier, proposed circuit achieves a gain range of 45dB to 65dB and offers an input referred noise of 0.13µVrms, with peak SNR of 77dB and consumes a power of 172µW from 1.8V supply. Circuit is designed in 0.18µm CMOS process and occupies an area of 493µm × 184µm.
Deleting a UBE3A substrate rescues impaired hippocampal physiology and learning in Angelman syndrome mice

ABSTRACT In humans, loss-of-function mutations in the UBE3A gene lead to the neurodevelopmental disorder Angelman syndrome (AS). AS patients have severe impairments in speech, learning and memory, and motor coordination, for which there is currently no treatment. In addition, UBE3A is duplicated in >1-2% of patients with autism spectrum disorders – a further indication of the significant role it plays in brain development. Altered expression of UBE3A, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is hypothesized to lead to impaired levels of its target proteins, but identifying the contribution of individual UBE3A targets to UBE3A-dependent deficits remains of critical importance. Ephexin5 is a putative UBE3A substrate that has restricted expression early in development, regulates synapse formation during hippocampal development, and is abnormally elevated in AS mice, modeled by maternally-derived Ube3a gene deletion. Here, we report that Ephexin5 is a direct substrate of UBE3A ubiquitin ligase activity. Furthermore, removing Ephexin5 from AS mice specifically rescued hippocampus-dependent behaviors, CA1 physiology, and deficits in dendritic spine number. Our findings identify Ephexin5 as a key driver of hippocampal dysfunction and related behavioral deficits in AS mouse models. These results demonstrate the exciting potential of targeting Ephexin5, and possibly other UBE3A substrates, to improve symptoms of AS and other UBE3A-related developmental disorders.
Degrees of Freedom: Exploring Agency, Narratives, and Technological Affordances in the #TakeAKnee Controversy:

This study extends current research into social media platforms as counterpublic spaces by examining how the social media narratives produced by the #TakeAKnee controversy negotiate technological a...
Pulmonary Risk Assessment and Management

Postoperative pulmonary complications are common, costly, and associated with substantial perioperative morbidity and mortality. Thus, physicians must be vigilant for patient- and procedure-related risk factors that contribute to postoperative pulmonary complications, as well as opportunities to prevent them.
Ensemble Kalman Filter for Assimilating Experimental Data into Large-Eddy Simulations of Turbulent Flows

Data assimilation techniques are investigated for integrating high-speed high-resolution experimental data into large-eddy simulations. To this end, an ensemble Kalman filter is employed to assimilate velocity measurements of a turbulent jet at a Reynolds number of 13,500 into simulations. The goal of the current work is to examine the behavior of the assimilation algorithm for state estimation of turbulent flows that are of relevance to engineering applications. This is accomplished by investigating the impact that localization, measurement uncertainties, assimilation frequency, data sparsity and ensemble size have on the estimated state vector. For the flow configuration and computational setup considered in this study an optimal value of the localization radius is identified, which minimizes the error between experimental data and state vector. The impact of experimental uncertainties on the state estimation is demonstrated to provide solution bounds on the assimilation algorithm. It is found that increasing the number of ensembles has a positive impact on the state estimation. In comparison, decreasing the assimilation frequency or reducing the experimental data available for assimilation is found to have a negative impact on the state estimation. These findings demonstrate the viability of assimilating measurements into numerical simulations to improve state estimates, to support parameter evaluations and to guide model assessments.
Numerical calculation with detailed chemistry of effect of ammonia co-firing on NO emissions in a coal-fired boiler

Abstract Effects of ammonia (NH3) co-firing on NO emissions in a coal-fired boiler are investigated by zero-dimensional calculation with detailed chemistry. A commercial 1000 MWe boiler system is simplified and expressed as a network of Perfectly Stirred Reactors (PSRs) to calculate emissions in flue gas. The reactor network is composed of burner zone, over-fire zone, and downstream zones. As a result of varied injection positions of NH3, lower NO emission than the coal-fired case was obtained by NH3 injection into flame zone in burner zone. As a result of analysis, NH3 injection causes NH3-rich condition and decrease of temperature in flame zone. Amount of yield of NO including thermal-NO could become relatively less. In addition, since original temperature in flame zone is higher than 2000 K, supplied NH3 is immediately dissociated and converted into NO prior to char oxidation. Since there exists abundance of NO derived from supplied NH3 and more amount of left char, effect of reduction of NO by char becomes greater than the case of coal firing. Supplied NH3 is almost completely consumed, so that it was suggested that decreasing both CO2 and NO emissions in coal-fired boilers could be realized by the NH3 co-firing in a safe way.
What is the most reliable radiographic method to evaluate the longitudinal foot arch? Application in subjects with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Abstract Background The foot arch is known to be altered in subjects with postural malalignment. Foot arch morphology can be studied simultaneously with body's balance by measuring foot radiographic parameters on full-body biplanar x-rays. There is no consensus on which is the most reliable method to use to draw the foot axes. The aim was to determine the most reliable methods to draw the main foot axes and apply these findings in order to study the difference of foot parameters between AIS and control subjects. Hypotheses (1) distant and clear anatomical landmarks are needed to draw the foot axes accurately; (2) foot longitudinal arch parameters differ between AIS and controls. Methods Ninety AIS patients and 36 controls have undergone full body biplanar X-rays from which 3D spino-pelvic and postural parameters were collected for each patient. Six radiological foot angles were evaluated on the 2D lateral radiographs: calcaneal pitch (CPA), talar declination (TDA), first metatarsal declination (FMDA), talo-calcaneal (TCA), calcaneal first metatarsal (CFMA) and Meary. Angles were calculated based on three major axes of the foot: talar, calcaneal, and first metatarsal. Two to three methods were used to draw each axis and the reliability of each method was assessed (three operators, 2-times each). Then, differences of the foot parameters between AIS and controls, and determinants of these differences among 3D spino-pelvic and postural parameters were evaluated. Results The most reliable methods for drawing the three axes of the foot were those using distant and clear anatomical landmarks on talus, calcaneum and first metatarsal and used for the subsequent analysis. The AIS group showed a significantly lower TDA (22° vs. 24°, p = 0.014) and CFMA (141° vs. 144°, p = 0.045), and higher FMDA (18° vs. 15°, p = 0.008) and Meary's angle (−5° vs. −9°, p = 0.005) when compared to controls. Differences were found to be determined mainly by the center of auditory meatus sagittal plumbline. Discussion This is the first study to evaluate the most reliable method to draw foot axes on the lateral radiograph of biplanar X-rays in order to assess radiological foot arch parameters. AIS patients were shown to have more elevated foot arch compared to controls.
Cervical Cancer: 2018 Revised International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Staging System and the Role of Imaging

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to review the epidemiologic aspects of cervical cancer, the 2018 revised International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system, and the role of imaging in the staging of cervical cancer. CONCLUSION. Cervical cancer has many prognostic factors, some of which, such as lymph node metastasis, were not included in the original FIGO staging system. FIGO has issued a revised staging system that encompasses additional prognostic factors to facilitate adequate management.
The Network Link Outlier Factor (NLOF) for Fault Localization

We describe and experimentally evaluate the performance of our Network Link Outlier Factor (NLOF) for locating faults in communication networks. The NLOF is a unique outlier score assigned to each link in a network. It is computed using four distinct stages in a data analytics pipeline. The input to the pipeline are flow records (e.g., NetFlow) and network topology data (e.g., Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP)). In the first stage, flow record throughput values are clustered in two sub-stages: using Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) and then our novel domain-specific ThroughPut Cluster (TPCluster) technique. In the second stage, flow outlier scores are determined within each cluster using a measure of proximity to a selected performance exemplar. In the third stage, flows are associated with network links using topology data. Finally, in the fourth stage the flow outliers are used to compute the outlier factor or score for each network link. The network link outlier scores are used with a detection rule to locate faults. We present the results of a wide set of Mininet experiments that appraise the fault detection/localization performance of NLOF. We find that NLOF allows for the detection of errors on edge links with a simple detection rule and the detection of errors on core links with a rule that includes topology relationships. NLOF is also compared to an abrupt change detection technique; while both have roughly the same detection power, the precision of NLOF is 42% higher and NLOF required 40% less time to detect failures on average.
Polypharmacy and the senior citizen: the influence of direct-to-consumer advertising

Background. Polypharmacy, or taking five or more medications daily, can lead to poor medication compliance and an increased risk for adverse drug-to-drug interactions that may eventually lead to death. The study was designed to explore the questions of how age, the relationship between the physician and patient, and television, radio, magazines and modern electronic technology, such as the Internet, affect patients’ understanding of their medical care. Two main areas addressed in this research study included the pharmaceutical industry’s influence on consumer decisions to ask a physician for a particular medication, and the prescribing practices of the physician. Methods. This qualitative phenomenological study began with prescreening volunteer residents in a nursing home to discover potential participants who met the criteria of using five or more medicines daily. We then interviewed 24 participants who met the criteria, using semi-structured interview questions. Results. Four core themes emerged from this study: professional trust, professional knowledge, communication deficit, and direct-to-consumer advertising. Participants reported trusting their doctors and taking medications without question, but most knew why they were taking the medications. Participants also reported seeing ads for medications, but only one reported asking a physician to prescribe the medication. Conclusions. The findings from this research study showed that consumers may be becoming wiser with modern technology at their fingertips. The consumers appear to be searching for a higher level of ownership regarding their health care and seeking more of a partnership-type of relationship with their physicians.
3D Scanning of the Forearm for Orthosis and HMI Applications

The rise of rehabilitation robotics has ignited a global investigation into the human machine interface (HMI) between device and user. Previous research on wearable robotics has primarily focused on robotic kinematics and controls but rarely on the actual design of the physical HMI (pHMI). This paper presents a data-driven statistical forearm surface model for designing a forearm orthosis in exoskeleton applications. The forearms of 6 subjects were 3D scanned in a custom-built jig to capture data in extreme pronation and supination poses, creating 3D point clouds of the forearm surface. Resulting data was characterized into a series of ellipses from 20 to 100% of the forearm length. Key ellipse parameters in the model include: normalized major and minor axis length, normalized center point location, tilt angle, and circularity ratio. Single-subject (SS) ellipse parameters were normalized with respect to forearm radiale-stylion (RS) length and circumference and then averaged over the 6 subjects. Averaged parameter profiles were fit with 3rd-order polynomials to create combined-subjects (CS) elliptical models of the forearm. CS models were created in the jig as-is (CS1) and after alignment to ellipse centers at 20 and 100% of the forearm length (CS2). Normalized curve fits of ellipse major and minor axes in model CS2 achieve R 2 values ranging from 0.898 to 0.980 indicating a high degree of correlation between cross-sectional size and position along the forearm. Most other parameters showed poor correlation with forearm position (0.005 < R 2 < 0.391) with the exception of tilt angle in pronation (0.877) and circularity in supination (0.657). Normalized RMSE of the CS2 ellipse-fit model ranged from 0.21 to 0.64% of forearm circumference and 0.22 to 0.46% of forearm length. The average and peak surface deviation between the scaled CS2 model and individual scans along the forearm varied from 0.56 to 2.86 mm (subject averages) and 3.86 to 7.16 (subject maximums), with the peak deviation occurring between 45 and 50% RS length. The developed equations allow reconstruction of a scalable 3D model that can be sized based on two user measures, RS length and forearm circumference, or based on generic arm measurements taken from existing anthropometric databases.
Varieties of Self-Reference

The motivation to do philosophy seems to come from a need to grasp the most basic, the most general, features of the intelligible world. During the last half century, an increasingly encompassing perspective has developed due to this motivation. Theory of reference began as a comparatively narrow and specialized examination of elementary linguistic forms, such as definite descriptions and proper names. Much work in theory of reference still reflects this focus. At the same time, there is a growing realization in technical literature in the field that referring is not wholly reducible to linguistic mechanisms. Without a wide range of abilities to refer, we would be bereft of thoughts, memories, and sensations: The world as we perceive it, remember it, and conceptualize it would, in the absence of appropriate referring capacities, collapse into impossibility. All that we are, have been, and would be receives its form and sense in terms of a multitude of ways of referring which together make it possible for our individual worlds to possess an order, for us to contact others, interpret events, and identify a structure of common experience.
The physics of boundary lubrication at the head/disk interface

This paper presents a review of the state of understanding of the physics of molecularly-thin films of perfluoropolyether lubricant coated on magnetic disks. The need for long term reliability at extremely low head/disk spacing (10–20 nm) requires a fundamental knowledge of polymer/surface interactions that affect wear, evaporation, spin-off and other important characteristics. This review first describes the thermodynamics of the liquid film/disk surface system that affect stiction, wetting and evaporation. In this section, the important concept of disjoining pressure will be discussed. The second section is devoted to the dynamic aspect of the system, with ramifications for lubricant replenishment, spin-off and interactions with the flying slider.
Vouchers and Religious Schools: Why Some Religious Schools May Refuse to Participate

With the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision (Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, 2002), upholding the vouchers portion of an Ohio-based scholarship program, interest in vouchers is at an all-time high. Will the availability of voucher programs create an exodus of students from public schools? Will private schools open their doors and classrooms to respond to the increasing need? Several problems remain before voucher programs can become widespread, and even then some private and religious schools may opt not to participate. This article discusses the autonomy of religious schools, summarizes relevant court cases, and explores three possible reasons why some private and religious schools may not be willing to accept vouchers.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Machining Damage in Silicon‐Nitride Ceramic Valves

In this study, we investigated machining-induced damage in silicon-nitride ceramic valves intended for use in diesel and natural-gas engines. A high-speed automated laser-scattering system was developed for the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of several SN235P valves that were subjected to a coarse and a finish machining process. The valves were then tested in a bench rig. The NDE system scans the entire valve surface and generates a two-dimensional scattering image that is used to identify the location, size, and relative severity of subsurface damage from the machining process and from the rig tests. Machining damage in coarse-machined valves was significant. In particular, severe damage at the edge of the keeper groove caused premature failure of a valve under the rig test. After finish machining, it was found that most of the initial damage in the valves was removed. The data were analyzed and compared with surface photomicrographs.
Differential Expression of Clusterin in the Testis and Epididymis of Postnatal and Germ Cell Deficient Mice

Clusterin is found in a wide variety of tissues and is expressed in a number of physiological and pathological contexts. It is expressed constitutively in the adult male reproductive tract, specifically the testes and caput of the epididymis. The gene is also induced during apoptotic cell death in the kidney and hormone-dependent tissues such as the prostate and mammary gland. The mechanisms controlling the expression of clusterin gene expression in these tissues are still unknown, although it has been suggested that interactions between the Sertoli cells and germ cells in the testis, or epithelial cells and germ cells in the epididymis, may be required for clusterin expression. To investigate the importance of germ cells in the induction of clusterin expression in these tissues, we have used in situ hybridization to determine the developmental regulation and germ cell dependence of clusterin expression in the reproductive tract of the normal and germ cell deficient male mice. Clusterin mRNA is present in the supporting cells in the testes of normal mice and in both atrichosis (at) and dominant spotting mutant (W v ) mice, both of which are germ cell deficient. On the other hand, the expression of clusterin in the epididymis appears to be at least partially dependent of the presence of germ cells, because segmental localization of clusterin mRNA within the caput of the epididymis that is seen in normal mice is disrupted in the at and W v mutants. In these germ cell deficient mutants, the steady-state level of clusterin mRNA, which is repressed in segment 1 and 2 of the adult wild type mouse, is expressed at levels similar to those seen at days 7 and 17 during the development of the normal epididymis.
Discrimination and adjustment for Mexican American adolescents: A prospective examination of the benefits of culturally-related values

Mexican American adolescents face disparities in mental health and academic achievement, perhaps in part because of discrimination experiences. However, culturally-related values, fostered by ethnic pride and socialization, may serve to mitigate the negative impact of discrimination. Guided by the Stress Process Model, the current study examined risk and protective processes using a 2-wave multi-informant study with 750 Mexican American families. Specifically, we examined two possible mechanisms by which Mexican American values may support positive outcomes in the context of discrimination; as a protective factor (moderator) or risk reducer (mediator). Analyses supported the role of Mexican American values as a risk reducer. This study underscores the importance of examining multiple mechanisms of protective processes in understanding Mexican American adolescent resilience.
Alkalinization of the lysosomes is correlated with ras transformation of murine and human fibroblasts

The pH of the intralysosomal compartment of fibroblasts in culture was monitored by measuring the fluorescence emission intensity at 530 nm of fluid phase pinocytosed fluorescein-conjugated dextrans (FITC-dextrans) excited at 488 and 457 nm. Following the procedure of Ohkuma and Poole (Ohkuma, S., and Poole, B. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. (1978) 75, 3327-3331), a relationship was established between the fluorescence emission intensity of the FITC-dextrans and pH. This correlation was used to determine the intralysosomal apparent pH (pHapp) of a series of fibroblast cultures. The mean intralysosomal pHapp values of nontransformed mouse 3T3 fibroblasts and an infinite life-span human fibroblast cell strain, designated MSU-1.1, was 5.0. In distinction that of 3T3 fibroblasts transformed to the malignant state by Kirsten murine sarcoma virus and MSU-1.1 cells transformed by transfection of the v-Ki-ras or T24 H-ras oncogene was 6.1. These measurements suggest that ras transformation results in a significant perturbation of lysosomal pH.
Nursing Interim Care: A Novel Practice Concept

The transition of elderly psychiatric patients from the inpatient milieu to the outpatient follow-up clinic at a community mental health center is frequently a critical period for future compliance with longer term care. The paper describes a novel practice concept that provides a temporary extension of the hospital support. Nursing Interim Care is based on the primary nurse model of an established therapeutic alliance. The continuity of care offered may present a viable remedy for patients' failure to connect with aftercare, and thus help to reduce early recidivism.
Disparities in healthy food zoning, farmers’ market availability, and fruit and vegetable consumption among North Carolina residents

Background: Context and purpose of the study. To examine (1) associations between county-level zoning to support farmers’ market placement and county-level farmers’ market availability, rural/urban designation, percent African American residents, and percent of residents living below poverty and (2) individual-level associations between zoning to support farmers’ markets; fruit and vegetable consumption and body mass index (BMI) among a random sample of residents of six North Carolina (NC) counties. Methods: Zoning ordinances were scored to indicate supportiveness for healthy food outlets. Number of farmers’ markets (per capita) was obtained from the NC-Community Transformation Grant Project Fruit and Vegetable Outlet Inventory (2013). County-level census data on rural/urban status, percent African American, and percent poverty were obtained. For data on farmers’ market shopping, fruit and vegetable consumption, and BMI, trained interviewers conducted a random digit dial telephone survey of residents of six NC counties (3 urban and 3 rural). Pearson correlation coefficients and multilevel linear regression models were used to examine county-level and individual-level associations between zoning supportiveness, farmers’ market availability, and fruit and vegetable consumption and BMI. Results: At the county-level, healthier food zoning was greater in more urban areas and areas with less poverty. At the individual-level, self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with healthier food zoning. Conclusions: Disparities in zoning to promote healthy eating should be further examined, and future studies should assess whether amending zoning ordinances will lead to greater availability of healthy foods and changes in dietary behavior and health outcomes.
Synoptic flow patterns and decadal variations of wind-induced mixing over western Long Island Sound

This study describes the large-scale atmospheric flow patterns that favor mixing events within western Long Island Sound (wLIS) and how interannual and interdecadal variations in surface winds relate to bottom dissolved oxygen (DOb) variability. DOb data from the wLIS Coastal Observing System buoy were used in conjunction with the surface winds at La Guardia Airport and National Buoy Data Center buoy to identify criteria for water column ventilation and mixing from June to September. It is shown that mixing for a 36 h period after onset is favored when a majority of the surface wind observations for a day (starting at 00 UTC) are from 30° to 110° (NE to ESE) and ≥ 4 m s−1. This criterion was used to develop a synoptic climatology and the trend in potential mixing events from 1950 to 2009. These mixing events were categorized based on three synoptic patterns: high pressure, low pressure, and a hybrid high and low. High-pressure patterns, which include a hybrid system with a high building from the north/west and low to the south, result in the largest percentage of potential mixing events (76.9%). The number of potential mixing events increases from the 1950s to 1990s (full season and July–August) primarily from an increasing number of high-pressure systems; however, the seasonal DOb decreased during this period. There was a slight decrease in the number of July–August potential mixing events from 1990 to 2009, mainly from a decrease in the number of low-pressure systems.
The ROK as a Middle Power: Its Role in Counterinsurgency

A power transition period in North Korea, following the hypothetical collapse of the regime of Kim Jong Il, is very likely to promote sudden insurgencies in a similar way as the Iraq and Afghanistan insurgencies. In such a scenario, how should the Republic of Korea's (ROK) counterinsurgency (COIN) forces deal with the inevitable mission ahead? Historically, the ROK's COIN forces achieved remarkable successes in Vietnam and Iraq, using “hard” and “soft” approaches. The interplay among four actors—the COIN forces, the domestic public in South Korea, the insurgents, and the local population of the insurgency-affected country—explains how ROK's armed forces as a middle power military achieved tactical successes there. It offers an insight into planning for a strategic success in potential North Korean insurgencies. The findings show that an approach characterized by initial soft remedies, followed by hard remedies, will be effective under a flexible-type military organization.
Too Many Cooks Spoil the Profits: Investment Club Performance

We report our analysis, using account data from a large discount brokerage firm, of the common stock investment performance of 166 investment clubs from February 1991 through January 1997. The average club tilted its common stock investment toward high-beta, small-cap growth stocks and turned over 65 percent of its portfolio annually. The average club lagged the performance of a broad-based market index and the performance of individual investors. Moreover, 60 percent of the clubs underperformed the index.
Secondary Science Teachers, the Internet, and Curriculum Development: A Community of Explorers:

The Community of Explorers Project studied how secondary-school science teachers applied desk-top access to Internet resources in their science curricula. During the project, high school teachers and students engaged in scientific problem solving using advanced network technology and innovative pedagogy. One of the lessons that the project offers is that a professional community involves adaptation to options and constraints encountered through interaction in everyday work settings. An initial research expectation was that the teachers would quickly adopt e-mail as an efficient means of communicating and collaborating with their colleagues. However, the use of e-mail for collaborative curriculum development did not follow expectations. The project resulted in the development of a different type of community than initially envisaged. While neither the researchers nor the teacher-participants could precisely control the nature of the community, their respective forms of participation distributed information...
Estimating Markov transition matrices using uncertain observed states

We give three methods for estimating Markov transition matrices when observed state probabilities are not all either zeros or ones and a simulation–based comparison of the performance of the estimators. Best performing was the least squares estimator with the constraint that elements be non-negative. Another estimation method resembles a method proposed for analyzing fuzzy time series that is also a generalization of the traditional zero–one Markov estimation technique. This estimator performs well for small sample sizes but is not consistent. The third estimator, the least squares estimator, does not always perform better with increasing sample size. Surprisingly, there is a sample size for which discarding an observation selected at random improves the performance of the least squares estimator