cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Global Investigation of Granger Causality between Information Infrastructure Investment and Service-Sector Growth

Over the past two decades, both developed and developing countries have been investing a significant portion of their resources in the creation of an information infrastructure. However, speculation abounds regarding the efficacy of information infrastructure investments, especially when the opportunity cost for investing in information technology (IT) is measurably high among developing nations. This longitudinal study introduces and explores infrastructure development and service-sector growth as key metrics for IT investment success. It also traces the notional evidence of IT infrastructure development as mediating the causal relationship between information infrastructure investments and service-sector growth. Using data from low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries, the mediating and lagged impact of information infrastructure on service-sector growth reveals that information infrastructure development does play a significant role as a mediator. It points out that information infrastructu...
Fission in a wall-and-window one-body-dissipation model

We calculate the fission of idealized nuclei in a modified liquid-drop model. The potential energy is taken to be a combination of Coulomb energy and nuclear energy obtained by double folding a Yukawa-plus-exponential two-body potential. The collective nuclear kinetic energy is calculated by use of the Werner-Wheeler approximation to incompressible, irrotational flow. The dissipation of collective energy into internal energy is calculated from the one-body wall formula until the neck decreases to a critical size, at which point a transition is made to a combination of the one-body wall formula relative to the centers of mass of the two nascent fragments and the one-body window formula. Experimental fission-fragment kinetic energies for the fission of nuclei throughout the Periodic Table are reproduced optimally when the neck radius at the transition point is 2.5 fm. For the alternative dissipation mechanism of ordinary two-body viscosity, the experimental fission-fragment kinetic energies are reproduced equally well when the viscosity coefficient is 0.015 TP.
Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of Botrytis cinerea genes targeting plant cell walls during infections of different hosts

Cell walls are barriers that impair colonization of host tissues, but also are important reservoirs of energy-rich sugars. Growing hyphae of necrotrophic fungal pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea (Botrytis, henceforth), secrete enzymes that disassemble cell wall polysaccharides. In this work we describe the annotation of 275 putative secreted Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes) identified in the Botrytis B05.10 genome. Using RNAseq we determined which Botrytis CAZymes were expressed during infections of lettuce leaves, ripe tomato fruit, and grape berries. On the three hosts, Botrytis expressed a common group of 229 potentially secreted CAZymes, including 28 pectin backbone-modifying enzymes, 21 hemicellulose-modifying proteins, 18 enzymes that might target pectin and hemicellulose side-branches, and 16 enzymes predicted to degrade cellulose. The diversity of the Botrytis CAZymes may be partly responsible for its wide host range. Thirty-six candidate CAZymes with secretion signals were found exclusively when Botrytis interacted with ripe tomato fruit and grape berries. Pectin polysaccharides are notably abundant in grape and tomato cell walls, but lettuce leaf walls have less pectin and are richer in hemicelluloses and cellulose. The results of this study not only suggest that Botrytis targets similar wall polysaccharide networks on fruit and leaves, but also that it may selectively attack host wall polysaccharide substrates depending on the host tissue.
Comment: dynamically engineering bureaucracy

Bureaucracy has rarely been studied in the early stages of a firm's development. Focusing on the initial years of a firm's existence is critical to the study of bureaucracy because if organizational change is costly and path dependencies are strong then much of the action is found in a firm's initial choices. While Baron, Burton, and Hannan (1999) paper (hereafter referred to as BBH) presents original findings, the document primarily summarizes and discusses a stream of research that builds on a very intriguing dataset. Their research program allows scholars for the first time to identify empirical regularities concerning the adoption, intensity, and trajectory of bureaucracy in young firms. We find that two of the empirical regularities identified by BBH are particularly intriguing. First, the set of feasible organizational forms (or founders' "blueprints" as the authors' refer to them) is small. Among the firms interviewed, five different organizational structures are identified. These unique structures appear to have enduring effects on the growth of bureaucracy. Second, regardless of the founding form that is chosen, organizations become increasingly formalized and bureaucratic with organizational size and age. Hence bureaucracy appears to be a dynamic and continuing process irrespective of organizational blueprint. Empirical issues notwithstanding, the goal of our comment is to present some plausible theoretical underpinnings for these regularities, use these theories to draw implications about the dynamics of organizational change, and recommend avenues for future research. In particular, we note that founders' blueprints represent discrete structural alternatives, which is consistent with literature on discrete choice found in both economics and organization theory. The creeping formalization of bureaucracy equates to a bureaucratic momentum, which also has been identified in the literature. From these findings we draw the implications that (1) organizational change is both inevitable and very often endogenously determined and (2) successful organizational change involves discrete choices among bundles of complementary organizational el-
Effects of Purified Polychlorinated Biphenyl Analogs on Chicken Reproduction

Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds were administered in the diet to White Leghorn pullets for 10 weeks. Average embryonic mortality in eggs from pullets fed Aroclor 1242, Aroclor 1254 and 2,4,5,3′,4′,-pentachloro-biphenyl was 54.7, 59.2 and 74.0 percent, respectively, which was significantly higher (p
Tektronix color fiber optic tube for exposure of Mead Imaging's Cycolor and 3M's full-color dry silver media

The Tektronix CFOT was used to expose Mead Cycolor and 3M dry silver photosensitive media. The results are presented and compared. The color gamut time to complete exposure and discernible resolution for the media are compared. Reciprocity failure and methods of minimizing the problems associated with it are discussed. The interactions between reciprocity failure and exposure time are discussed. The color coordinates attainable on the exposed media were determined by adjusting the paper feed speed and the intensity of the CFOT to obtain a range of exposures up to and beyond complete exposure. The CIELa*b* color coordinates of the media were measured with a Minolta color meter (Chroma Meter II). The discernible resolution was measured by exposing a 32 x 32 dot matrix on the media and then shrinking the dot to dot spacing between subsequent exposures to obtain a range of dot to dot spacings corresponding to resolutions ranging from 150 to 300 DPI. The exposed media was then examined under magnification to determine where uniform color fill was achieved. 1. CATHODE RAY TUBE DESCRIPTION The CFOT is a line scan tube with a fiber optic faceplate designed for producing full color hard copy on optically sensitive media. The tube has 3 stripes of phosphor each approximately . 060 inches wide by 8 inches long. The three phosphors are red green and blue enabling full color hard copy by sequentially
Integrating library research and service : The case of internet training for small business executives

Library research and service have the potential to be complementary. This paper reports on how the desire to better serve small business users for their government information needs led to a research survey of small business executives in New Jersey and how the research findings provided further motivation, guidance, and input to a successful Internet training program. The authors’ experiences show that academic librarians could improve effectiveness in both library research and service if they seek to integrate these two aspects of their career.
Influence of alloying on the negative thermal expansion of delta plutonium

Abstract The negative thermal expansion of delta plutonium becomes less negative and finally becomes positive with increasing amounts of alloying additions of aluminum, zinc, zirconium, indium and cerium. This change in expansion can be correlated with electron concentration, η. The expansion is zero at a critical value of η ∗ = 4.74 , relative to a value of 4.82 for pure delta plutonium, and is positive in alloys whose η is less than 4.74. Several models that can be used to explain the observed behavior are discussed. A new method for estimating the metallic valence of delta plutonium is also described.
Analytical calculation of cylindrical shell modes: Implications for MRI acoustic noise

In this article we calculate the total number of modes of the cryostat inner “warm bore” cylinder in an industrial MRI system. The exactly calculated frequencies of the warm bore are needed for finding analytical solutions of cylinder vibrations as well as for applying statistical energy analysis for more complex systems. To do this we write the general equations of vibrations in Flugge's approximation without external forces. Applying the known generalized solutions consistent with boundary conditions, we find the normal modes and their vibration frequencies. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part B (Magn Reson Engineering) 25B: 60–64, 2005
Assessment of global and regional left ventricular diastolic function in hypertensive heart disease using automated border detection techniques.

Acoustic quantification (AQ) and color kinesis (CK) are techniques that involve automated detection and tracking of endocardial borders. These methods are useful for the evaluation of global and regional left ventricular (LV) systolic function and more recently have been applied to evaluating LV diastolic performance. Assessment of diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive heart disease is a relevant clinical issue in which these techniques have proven useful. The diastolic portion of left atrium and LV AQ area waveforms are frequently abnormal in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Left ventricular AQ curves consistently demonstrate reduced rapid filling fraction (RFF) and peak rapid filling rate (PRFR), elevated atrial filling fraction (AFF), peak atrial filling rate (PAFR), and reductions in the ratio PRFR/PAFR. Acoustic quantification complements traditional Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of global diastolic function. Many patients with significant LVH and normal Doppler diastolic parameters can be identified as having diastolic dysfunction with AQ. In addition, CK has allowed the evaluation of regional diastolic performance in hypertensive patients. Regional filling curves obtained from CK have demonstrated that endocardial diastolic motion is commonly delayed and heterogeneous in patients with LVH. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 20, October 2003)
Neurolymphomatosis: A Case Series of Clinical Manifestations, Treatments, and Outcomes (P04.187)

Objective: Our goal was to ascertain common factors to render earlier diagnosis, and prognostic factors to predict response to therapy. Background Neurolymphomatosis involves infiltration of malignant lymphocytes into the peripheral nervous system, specifically cranial nerves, roots, plexuses, and/or peripheral nerves. It is distinct from more common neurological complications related to chemotherapy, irradiation, paraneoplastic disorders, and leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. Design/Methods: We review five patients who developed neurolymphomatosis at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center between 2010 and 2011. Clinical, radiologic, and laboratory data were extracted from their medical records. Results: The average age at onset was 48 (range 26 - 76) with primary diagnosis being non-Hodgkin9s lymphoma in three (Burkitt9s, large B-cell) and leukemia in two (AML, CML). Initial symptoms included weakness (5/5), pain (3/5), and sensory change (2/5) and localized to lower extremities (3/5), upper extremities (2/5), unilateral (4/5), bilateral (1/5), and cranial nerve (1/5). Physical exam findings included weakness (5/5), sensory disturbance (5/5), atrophy (4/5), hypotonia (2/5), and hyporeflexia (5/5). Three patients demonstrated MRI abnormalities with clinical correlation, affecting neural foramina (1/5), paraspinal (2/5), or subcutaneous (1/5) regions; no patients had imaging evidence of parenchymal, spinal cord, or leptomeningeal pathology. All patients had positive EMG/NCS and diagnoses included mononeuritis multiplex, multifocal plexopathy, demyelinating polyneuropathy, and chronic axonal polyradiculoneuropathy. One patient had positive CSF cytology; PET was performed and positive in four patients and no nerve biopsies or autopsies were performed. Therapies included systemic (5/5) and intrathecal chemotherapy (4/5), immunomodulators (2/5), and plasma exchange (1/5); no patients underwent radiotherapy. Mortality was 40% with average survival from neurologic presentation 6 months (range 1–12 months); the other patients progressed despite treatment. Neither age, gender, malignancy type, recurrence, positive CSF/imaging/EMG, nor intervention correlated with worse prognosis. Conclusions: Further studies are warranted to define risk for developing neurolymphomatosis and identify factors affecting outcome. Disclosure: Dr. Gildersleeve has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hormozdi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kamiya Matsuoka has nothing to disclose. Dr. Woodman has nothing to disclose.
The rise in Clostridium difficile infection incidence among hospitalized adults in the United States: 2001-2010.

Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) incidence is a growing concern. This study provides national estimates of CDI over 10 years and identifies trends in mortality and hospital length of stay (LOS) among hospitalized adults with CDI. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the US National Hospital Discharge Surveys from 2001-2010. Eligible cases included adults aged ≥18 years discharged from a hospital with an ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for CDI (008.45). Data weights were used to derive national estimates. CDI incidence rates were depicted as CDI discharges per 1,000 total adult discharges. Results These data represent 2.2 million adult hospital discharges for CDI over the study period. CDI incidence increased from 4.5 CDI discharges per 1,000 total adult discharges in 2001 to 8.2 CDI discharges per 1,000 total adult discharges in 2010. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 7.1% for the study period. Mortality increased slightly over the study period, from 6.6% in 2001 to 7.2% in 2010. Median hospital LOS was 8 days (interquartile range, 4-14 days), and remained stable over the study period. Conclusions The incidence of CDI among hospitalized adults in the United States nearly doubled from 2001-2010. Furthermore, there is little evidence of improvement in patient mortality or hospital LOS.
Latency network theory: Scheduling of processes in sentence verification and the Stroop effect.

A method for analyzing reaction times (RTs) in tasks involving both sequential and concurrent processing is proposed. Tasks are analyzed with the method by selectively prolonging mental processes, as with the additive factor method. Falsifiable predictions about the changes in RT produced by prolonging processes are derived by drawing on the theory of scheduling. Under certain conditions, which frequently arise in practice, one can determine for a given pair of processes whether they are executed sequentially or concurrently. If one process precedes another, one can often determine which comes first. One can also construct intervals within which the process durations lie. Two experiments are analyzed using the method. One, by Holyoak, Dumais, and Moyer, is on a sentence-verification task involving associated and unassociated items. The other experiment is on the Stroop effect and supports the single-channel hypothesis that a subject makes only one decision at a time. The data suggest that in the color-naming task the decision about the word precedes the decision about the color, whereas in the word-naming task the order of the decisions is reversed.
The role of the uterus in reproductive behavior

The uterus plays a major role in reproductive physiology. Numerous studies have shown that estradiol and progesterone exert their effects by binding to receptors within the cytoplasm of uterine cells and translocating these receptors to the nuclei where they presumably alter genomic activity. The extent of the steroid-receptor interaction in the cytoplasm and the nucleus is well correlated with uterine growth. Other physiological changes that take place in the uterus are also correlated with variations in the cytoplasmic and nuclear steroid receptor levels observed during different stages of reproductive cycle. In the rat, the uterus also exerts an inhibitory effect on the hormone-induced maternal and copulatory behaviors. Hysterectomy shortens the latency for the induction of maternal behavior and enhances sexual receptivity and proceptivity in ovariectomized, hormone treated rats. The mechanism of this inhibitory effect is not fully understood; however, it seems that the steroid binding capacity of the uterus mediates its behavioral influence. Thus when this capacity is reduced, as evidenced by lower levels of cytoplasmic estrogen receptors in long-term gonadectomized animals, the uterus loses its inhibitory effect on copulatory behavior.
Computerized determination of curvature relations and contact ellipse for conjugate surfaces

Abstract A general approach is proposed for determination of direct relations between: (i) the principal curvatures and directions of two surfaces being in continuous tangency along a line at every instant, (ii) the normal curvatures and torsions of two surfaces with conditions of tangency mentioned above. The surface of relative normal curvature, its principal curvatures and directions, and the torsions are determined as well. The instantaneous contact ellipse for two elastic surfaces is determined. The proposed approach is illustrated with a numerical example of hypoid gears.
Contemporary Approaches to the Management of Neurosurgical Complications of Infective Endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis can often involve the nervous system, resulting in stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, infectious aneurysm formation, cerebral abscess, and spinal epidural infection. Many of these problems require neurosurgical attention. Modern advances in neurosurgical critical care, computerization, instrumentation, and radiologic imaging have affected the treatments available to patients with neurosurgical manifestations of infective endocarditis. This paper is a brief overview of the contemporary management of neurosurgical complications of infective endocarditis.
Molecular mechanisms of IgE regulation

Abstract IgE antibody plays an important role in allergic diseases. IgE synthesis by B cells requires two signals. The first signal is delivered by the cytokines IL-4 or IL-13, which target the Cϵ gene for switch recombination. The second signal is delivered by interaction of the B cell surface antigen CD40 with its ligand (CD40L) expressed on activated T cells. This activates deletional switch recombination. We review the molecular mechanisms of IL-4 and CD40 signaling that lead to IgE isotype switching and discuss the implications for intervening to abort or suppress the IgE antibody response. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000;105:S547-58.)
Electric field effects in graphene/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures and nanostructures

We report the development and characterization of graphene/LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures. Complex-oxide heterostructures are created by pulsed laser deposition and are integrated with graphene using both mechanical exfoliation and transfer from chemical-vapor deposition on ultraflat copper substrates. Nanoscale control of the metal-insulator transition at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, achieved using conductive atomic force microscope lithography, is demonstrated to be possible through the graphene layer. LaAlO3/SrTiO3-based electric field effects using a graphene top gate are also demonstrated. The ability to create functional field-effect devices provides the potential of graphene-complex-oxide heterostructures for scientific and technological advancement.
Oxidative degradation and detoxification of aqueous carbofuran by membrane anodic Fenton treatment.

Abstract Anodic Fenton treatment (AFT), a new Fenton technology for the treatment of pesticide wastewater, has been reported previously. The substitution of an ion exchange membrane for the salt-bridge, an improvement to the practicality of the AFT without sacrificing treatment efficiency, has also been reported. The oxidative degradation by membrane AFT of carbofuran, a heavily used and toxic carbamate insecticide, was investigated in this study. The results show that the degradation kinetics of carbofuran with different initial concentrations obeys the AFT model, and the treatment efficiency increases with increasing initial concentration. Raising the treatment temperature can result in enhanced degradation of carbofuran in solution. The pseudo-activation energy of carbofuran by membrane AFT was estimated to be 7.66 kJ mol −1 . The results also show that AFT treatment can effectively remove COD and dramatically improve the biodegradability of carbofuran in solution. GC/MS analysis found four degradation products, revealing that the carbamate branch and 3-C in the furan ring are the first and second attack targets of hydroxyl radicals. As shown by the toxicity assay, the fatal toxicity of carbofuran to earthworms can be totally removed. The degradation of carbofuran by AFT is also a detoxification process.
A novel LC-ESI-MS method for the simultaneous determination of etravirine, darunavir and ritonavir in human blood plasma.

The new potent combination of antiretrovirals etravirine, darunavir, and ritonavir requires a new bioanalytical method for clinical pharmacology investigations and potential therapeutic drug monitoring. The development and validation of a novel LC–MS method for the simultaneous quantification of the most recently FDA-approved protease inhibitor and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor is described. This novel method was developed and validated using a sub-2 μm particle column, and provides excellent chromatographic separation and peak shape for all three analytes and internal standard. The method was validated over the range of 0.002–2.0 μg/mL. Intra- and inter-day accuracy of all analytes ranged from 88 to 106%, and intra- and inter-day precision was <7%. Dilution of samples 2-, 5-, and 10-fold maintained accuracy and precision, using a sample volume as low as 10 μL. Finally, the applicability of the method was investigated with clinical samples and external quality assurance proficiency testing samples.
Effects of Aspect Ratio and Side Constraints on Elastic Buckling of Multi Wall Structures and Tubes

Buckling of plates and tubes plays an important role in structural safety and energy absorption. Although buckling of plates and tubes has been studied theoretically and experimentally in the past, the effects of aspect ratio and side constraint on buckling of multi-wall structures and tubes has not been investigated systematically. In this work, finite element simulations have been carried out to investigate the buckling behavior of multi-wall structures and tubes. A series of one- to three-panel walls and square tubes with various aspect ratios were simulated. The critical aspect ratios causing buckling mode transition were obtained and compared with theoretical predictions available in the literature. Effects of wall angle and side constraint on buckling behavior were investigated. The relevance of research findings to honeycomb-like structures was discussed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Lung collagen cross-links in rats with experimentally induced pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract Rats were intratracheally instilled with bleomycin or with silica (quartz) dust to induce lung fibrosis. Several weeks later, purified collagen chains (or collagen digests) were isolated from the lungs of these animals and from age-matched controls instilled intratracheally with saline solution, and the ratios of hydroxylysine to lysine and of the difunctional cross-links DHLNL to HLNL were quantified. Collagen from fibrotic lungs had significantly higher ratios of DHLNL:HLNL than did control lungs, 15.5 ± 4.8 and 17.1 ± 4.8 vs. 2.3 ± 0.5 for the silica-instilled and the bleomycin-instilled animals, respectively. The hydroxylysine:lysine ratio was significantly increased for the α1(I) chain, to a value 170% of that of lung collagen from control animals, and for several of its constituent CNBr peptides. Lung tissue was exhaustively digested with collagenase and specific cross-linked peptides were isolated and characterized. The cross-linked α 1( I ) × α 1( I ) peptide linked by the residues 87 × 16 C , with a ratio of DHLNL:HLNL of 17:1, demonstrated that the increased hydroxylation of the difunctional cross-links in fibrotic lung collagen could be accounted for in part by increased hydroxylation of the lysine residue at position 16 C of the C-terminal telopeptide of the collagen α1(I) chain. It proved impossible to locate the corresponding N-terminal cross-linked fragment from α 1( I ) × α 1( I ) chains, 9 N × 930, possibly due to further reactions of this material to form the material referred to as poly(CB6). Isolated poly(CB6) accounted for more than half of the total α1(I)CB6 peptide expected in lung collagen, and had a hydroxylysine:lysine content 2.8 times greater in bleomycin-treated animals than in their age-matched controls. Evidence was also found for a cross-linked α 1( III ) × α 1( I ) peptide linking residue 87 from the α1(III) chain with residue 16 C from the α1(I) chain; it also had an increased ratio of DHLNL:HLNL. We conclude that the increased hydroxylation of lysine observed in two different animal models of lung fibrosis occurs preferentially at the N- and C-terminal nonhelical extension peptides of the α1(I) collagen chains, and that this apparent specificity of overhydroxylation of fibrotic collagen may have important structural and pathological consequences.
A computer-based blood inventory and information system for hospital blood banks as part of a regional blood-management program.

The feasibility of establishing computerized networks between hospital blood banks and regional blood distribution centers is being tested. A portion of this system is described which serves the individual hospital blood bank directly and eventually will feed its data into the total regional system. Information is entered via a teletypewriter by blood bank personnel. Reports can be generated that can serve as accession, reservation, and transfusion logs, reproduce the blood bank history of a patient or a unit of blood, indicate the status of the entire inventory or a single unit of blood, and highlight units about to outdate. Statistical summaries of various blood bank activities can be derived readily from the data base created. Analysis of a data base created from the blood bank records of two large metropolitan New York hospitals reveals significant differences in the amounts of blood used on the various services (medical, surgical, emergency, special) and for certain major medical conditions (gastrointestinal bleeding, renal dialysis). The probability that units requested actually will be transfused was calculated for one major medical category and a tentative age-matching policy for the selection of bloods to be reserved was suggested. Attention is called to the necessity of considering standards of compatibility between present and future computer-based systems for blood banks, that they can be merged into regional networks that will benefit the community, the donor, and the patient-recipient.
Ranibizumab in patients with dense cataract and proliferative diabetic retinopathy with rubeosis

Background: To evaluate the safety of ranibizumab as a surgical adjunct during cataract surgery in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with rubeosis, and to evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of ranibizumab in treating PDR with rubeosis. Materials and Methods: Three intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg ranibizumab were administered on day-1, months-1 and -2 with cataract surgery 6-16 days after first injection. Retreatments with ranibizumab injections and pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) were given if recurrence or persistence of PDR was noted between months-3 and -11. Safety observation visits occurred at months-12, -18 and -24. Primary end points were incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs) that were related to both cataract surgery and treatment of PDR with rubeosis through month -12. Results: Of six patients screened, four (mean age 61.3 years) were enrolled. No AEs were noted with either cataract surgery or treatment of PDR. Neovascularization of iris (NVI) promptly regressed by 4 days after first ranibizumab injection, prior to cataract surgery in three of four patients (one had significantly regressed NVI by post-injection day-3 visit); NVI was not noted in any patient at 2 weeks after first ranibizumab injection. Recurrence of rubeosis or NVA after 3 monthly injections was not observed in any. At month-12, PDR was not present when assessed clinically and by fluorescein angiogram (FA). Only one patient developed neovascularization of disc and neovascularization elsewhere and required retreatments at months-5 and -9. Conclusions: Multiple intravitreal injections of ranibizumab may be a safe, effective treatment adjunct for PDR and diabetes-related rubeosis.
The effects of foot geometric properties on the gait of planar bipeds walking under HZD-based control

It has been hypothesized by many that foot design can influence gait. This idea was investigated in both simulation and hardware for the five-link, planar biped ERNIE controlled under the Hybrid Zero Dynamics paradigm. The effects of walking speed, foot radius, and foot center of curvature location on gait efficiency and kinematics were investigated in a full factorial study of gaits optimized using a work-based objective function. In most cases, the simulation correctly predicted the trends observed in hardware, indicating that simulation can be used for foot design. As expected, increasing walking speed decreased the energetic efficiency. The dominant effect of speed on joint kinematics was to alter the timing of the peak hip flexion. Increasing foot radius up to the length of the shank improved the energetic efficiency and increased the range of motion of the hip and knee joints. Shifting the foot center of curvature location forward altered the energetic efficiency in a manner that interacted with changes in foot radius. The energetically optimal foot center of curvature location was coincident with the shank for a large foot radius and shifted far in front of the shank for a small foot radius. In all cases, the forward shift increased the range of motion of the hip and knee joints. Therefore, a robot designer can achieve similar energetic benefits across a range of speeds with either a larger radius foot or a smaller radius foot whose center of curvature is located forward of the shank.
Theory of E.P.R. in low-spin ferric haemoproteins

Difficulty is found in fitting experimental g values for low-spin ferric haemoproteins to formulae based on a pure t 2 5 configuration. This is discussed and it is shown that it is almost certainly mainly due to neglect of configuration interaction with excited t 2 4 e states, a mechanism which was originally discussed by Thornley [8] for octahedral iridium complexes.
Teaching Students with Autism to Read Pictures.

Abstract This study examined the use of teaching three students with autism how to comprehend pictures. Students were elementary-aged, did not speak, and needed communication training. Students were provided systematic visual literacy instruction. Visual literacy instruction consisted of comprehending familiar people, objects, actions, and sequences through motor demonstration. Students successfully acquired how to read pictures and generalize its understanding. Visual literacy skills were maintained at a 100% level for up to nine weeks.
Comparison of Graft Content and Efficiency of T Cell Depletion in Bone Marrow and Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Grafts After Manipulation by Three Negative or Positive CD34+ Selection Strategies

s / Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 19 (2013) S313eS341 S314 lines: Raji-2R and Raji-4RH (P< .001). However, there was no significant difference against CD20control cells: RS4;11 and Jurkat. Consistently, intracellular CD107a degranulation was enhanced in CAR+ exPBNK compared to CARexPBNK in response to CD20+ Ramos. MIC expressionwas significantly increased in Ramos (P< .05) and in NALM-6 (P < .001) after romidepsin treatment. CD20 expression was significantly increased in NALM-6 (P < .001) after romidepsin treatment. CAR+ exPBNK in vitro cytotoxicity was significantly enhanced against romidepsin treated Ramos (P< .02) and NALM-6 (P< .01) compared to untreated targets. Conclusion: Anti-CD20 CAR expression in exPBNK cells results in significant and specific in vitro cytotoxicity against CD20+ B-L/L. Romidepsin increases MICA/B and CD20 expression in B-L/L. CAR exPBNK significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against romidepsin treated B-L/L. Future directions include examining the combination effect of CAR exPBNK and Romidepsin against B-L/L in xenograft mice.
Some semantic prerequisites for a model of language.

Abstract The researcher involved in the neurological basis for the linguistic functioning of the brain must be aware of the total linguistic system which the brain mechanisms are capable of. Work on the semantic component of this system has led to the description of such major semantic phenomena as referential and non-referential use of language, entailment, etc., which must be taken into account in the characterization of both normal and deviant language. Certain aspects of these phenomena are characterized.
Time-resolved rheometry

Applicability and limits of time-resolved rheometry have been analyzed for polymers which undergo change during a theological measurement. Processes such as gelation, phase transition, polymerization or decomposition affect the molecular mobility in these polymers and therefore the rheological experiment. We propose to choose the well known effect of heating (or cooling) during the relaxation and analyze it as a paradigm for rheometry on samples with changing molecular mobility. The temperature change does not cause permanent changes in sample structure, but it affects the molecular mobility and it significantly interferes with the measurement if the temperature changes occur too fast. In this study, time-resolved mechanical spectroscopy (TRMS) was used to experimentally investigate the effect of heating on the relaxation behavior of a typical polycarbonate sample. Each data point in a cyclic frequency sweep (CFS) was taken at a different state of the material; the data were interpolated using an interactive computer program. In this fashion, a single TRMS experiment yielded a master curve over eight decades. A model for relaxation under non-isothermal conditions showed the limitations of TRMS. It could be demonstrated that TRMS worked well for sufficiently small mutation numbers, i.e., for sufficiently small changes during the measurement. A critical mutation number of 0.9 was determined for the non-isothermal case beyond which the material response became non-linear. This corresponds to a calculated relative change of the shear stress amplitude of about 90%.
The acute effects of static stretching on peak torque, mean power output, electromyography, and mechanomyography.

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of static stretching on peak torque (PT), the joint angle at PT, mean power output (MP), electromyographic (EMG) amplitude, and mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude of the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles during maximal, voluntary concentric isokinetic leg extensions at 60 and 240°·s-1 of the stretched and unstretched limbs. Twenty-one volunteers [mean age (SD) 21.5 (1.3) years] performed maximal, voluntary concentric isokinetic leg extensions for the dominant and non-dominant limbs at 60 and 240°·s-1. Surface EMG (μVrms) and MMG (mVrms) signals were recorded from the VL and RF muscles during the isokinetic tests. PT (Nm), the joint angle at PT, and MP (W) were calculated by a dynamometer. Following the initial isokinetic tests, the dominant leg extensors were stretched using four static stretching exercises. After the stretching, the isokinetic tests were repeated. PT decreased (P≤0.05) from pre- to post-stretching for the stretched limb at 60 and 240°·s-1 and for the unstretched limb at 60°·s-1. EMG amplitude of the VL and RF also decreased (P≤0.05) from pre- to post-stretching for the stretched and unstretched limbs. There were no stretching-induced changes (P>0.05) for the joint angle at PT, MP, or MMG amplitude. These findings indicated stretching-induced decreases in force production and muscle activation. The decreases in PT and EMG amplitude for the unstretched limb suggested that the stretching-induced decreases may be due to a central nervous system inhibitory mechanism.
A simple suture-retrieval device for the placement of u-stitches during laparoscopic gastrostomy.

Abstract Background: During minimally invasive operations, it is sometimes necessary to retrieve the end of a suture or a suture needle and bring it out through the abdominal wall. Methods: Using a standard needle and a length of suture, we have developed a simple device that allows the retrieval of a suture end during minimally invasive operations that require the placement of U-or stay stitches. Results: The author has used the device described during more than 100 laparoscopic gastrostomy placement procedures and other operations involving the placement of U- or stay stitches with excellent results and no complications. Conclusions: Using a beveled hollow-bore needle and a loop of polypropylene suture, one can construct a simple device that allows the retrieval of a suture from within a body cavity during minimally invasive surgery, making the placement of U- and stay stitches easier and more precise.
A Model of the Hyperkalemia Produced by Metabolic Acidosis

In both humans and animals, mineral acids predictably result in hyperkalemia, whereas plasma K + remains normal or may even decrease during organic acidosis. The purpose of these studies was to define the mechanism for these effects in the opossum kidney cell, an established epithelial cell line derived from the renal cortex of the opossum. This cell was chosen because the acid/base transport pathways in this cell type are well defined and because it is one of the few cells known to express K/H antiport, the transport pathway that has been proposed to mediate the hyperkalemia of acidosis. Cell K + at pH 7.4 averaged 988 ± 48 nmol/mg protein. Relative to this value (100%), cell K + increased when buffer pH was increased to pH 8.4 with NaOH (108% ± 3%) and decreased when buffer pH was acidified with HCI to pH 6.4 (93% ± 4%), producing a highly significant correlation of cell K + with buffer pH: cell K + (% of baseline at pH 7.4) = 6.9 (cell pH) + 49 ( r = 0.5, P + (115% ± 4% and 110% ± 2%, respectively, both P v 7.4 or HCI value). Cell pH acidified in response to HCI at a rate of 0.0053 ± 0.0007 pH U/s, a significantly slower rate than in response to lactic acid or butyric acid (0.0071 ± 0.0007 and 0.0091 ± 0.0007 pH U/s, respectively). Unidirectional ouabain-sensitive 42 K + influx was significantly inhibited by HCI acidosis and less so by the organic acids. Bariumsensitive 42 K + efflux was depressed by the organic acids more than HCI, but not significantly. There was no evidence that K/H antiport participated in the response of these cells to either type of acid. These findings establish that HCI results in K + loss in these cells primarily by inhibiting K + entry via Na,K-ATPase. Cell K + was maintained during organic acidosis because K + efflux was depressed, and the Na,K-ATPase inhibition was less intense than with HCI. We propose that the differential response to the organic acids reflects the ability of the undissociated acid to rapidly enter the cell, thereby producing different effects on K + transport mediated by both H + and secondary changes of cell Na + .
Join and capture: a model for nomadic interaction

The XWeb architecture delivers interfaces to a wide variety of interactive platforms. XWeb's SUBSCRIBE mechanism allows multiple interactive clients to synchronize with each other. We define the concept of Join as the mechanism for acquiring access to a service's interface. Join also allows the formation of spontaneous collaborations with other people. We define the concept of Capture as the means for users to assemble suites of interactive resources to apply to a particular problem. These mechanisms allow users to access devices that they encounter in their environment rather than carrying all their devices with them. We describe two prototype implementations of Join and Capture. One uses a Java ring to carry a user's identification and to make connections. The other uses a set of cameras to watch where users are and what they touch. Lastly we present algorithms for resolving conflicts generated when independent interactive clients manipulate the same information.
Can Family Socioeconomic Resources Account for Racial and Ethnic Test Score Gaps

Summary This article considers whether the disparate socioeconomic circumstances of families in which white, black, and Hispanic children grow up account for the racial and ethnic gaps in school readiness among American preschoolers. It first reviews why family socioeconomic resources might matter for children’s school readiness. The authors concentrate on four key components of parent socioeconomic status that are particularly relevant for children’s well-being—income, education, family structure, and neighborhood conditions. They survey a range of relevant policies and programs that might help to close socioeconomic gaps, for example, by increasing family incomes or maternal educational attainment, strengthening families, and improving poor neighborhoods. Their survey of links between socioeconomic resources and test score gaps indicates that resource differences account for about half of the standard deviation—about 8 points on a test with a standard deviation of 15—of the differences. Yet, the policy implications of this are far from clear. They note that although policies are designed to improve aspects of “socioeconomic status” (for example, income, education, family structure), no policy improves “socioeconomic status” directly. Second, they caution that good policy is based on an understanding of causal relationships between family background and children outcomes, as well as cost-effectiveness. They conclude that boosting the family incomes of preschool children may be a promising intervention to reduce racial and ethnic school readiness gaps. However, given the lack of successful large-scale interventions, the authors suggest giving only a modest role to programs that address parents’ socioeconomic resources. They suggest that policies that directly target children may be the most efficient way to narrow school readiness gaps.
Multiplication of Basal Plane Dislocations via Interaction with c-Axis Threading Dislocations in 4H-SiC

Silicon carbide (SiC) substrates with chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown epilayers have been characterized by synchrotron white beam X-ray topography (SWBXT). Large numbers of circular basal plane dislocation loops (BPDs) were observed in the substrate which were anchored by threading screw dislocations (SDs). Threading edge dislocations (TEDs) are not observed to play an important role in the multiplication of BPDs. A SD-assisted “conservative climb” model is proposed to explain the multiplication of BPDs during growth and/or post-growth processes. BPDs are shown to multiply on adjacent parallel basal planes via single SD-assisted as well as opposite sign SD-pair-assisted “conservative climb”.
Revised Criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment May Compromise the Diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease Dementia

Objective To evaluate the potential impact of revised criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), developed by a work group sponsored by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association, on the diagnosis of very mild and mild Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia. Design Retrospective review of ratings of functional impairment across diagnostic categories. Setting Alzheimer's Disease Centers and the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Participants Individuals (N = 17 535) with normal cognition, MCI, or AD dementia. Main Outcome Measures The functional ratings of individuals with normal cognition, MCI, or AD dementia who were evaluated at Alzheimer's Disease Centers and submitted to the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center were assessed in accordance with the definition of “functional independence” allowed by the revised criteria. Pairwise demographic differences between the 3 diagnostic groups were tested using t tests for continuous variables and χ 2 for categorical variables. Results Almost all (99.8%) individuals currently diagnosed with very mild AD dementia and the large majority (92.7%) of those diagnosed with mild AD dementia could be reclassified as having MCI with the revised criteria, based on their level of impairment in the Clinical Dementia Rating domains for performance of instrumental activities of daily living in the community and at home. Large percentages of these individuals with AD dementia also meet the revised “functional independence” criterion for MCI as measured by the Functional Assessment Questionnaire. Conclusions The categorical distinction between MCI and milder stages of AD dementia has been compromised by the revised criteria. The resulting diagnostic overlap supports the premise that “MCI due to AD” represents the earliest symptomatic stage of AD.
Using normal flow for detection and tracking of limbs in color images

Humans are articulated objects composed of non-rigid parts. We are interested in detecting and tracking human motions over various periods of time. We describe a method of detecting and tracking human body parts in color video sequences. The dominant motion region is detected using normal flow; expectation maximization, uniform sampling, and a shortest path algorithm are used to find the bounding contour for the moving arm. An affine motion model is fit to the arm region; residual analysis and outlier rejection are used for robust parameter estimation. The estimated parameters are used for the prediction of the location of the moving limb in the next frame. Detection and tracking results are combined to account for the deviations from the affine flow model and increase the robustness of the method. We demonstrate our method on several long image sequences corresponding to different limb movements.