cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The State and Foreign Investment: The Cases of Taiwan and Singapore

The influence of a host state on direct foreign investment attracts the attention of scholars much less than do the constraints of the latter on the former. This study addresses the impact of state regulatory policies on the roles of inward foreign investment in Taiwan and Singapore's manufacturing sector. The similarities between the two small Asian open economies are first discussed. The different roles played by the foreign investors in their economies are then compared. A review of the literature in orthodox theories and radical points of view reveals several possible explanatory variables for such differences. Through the logic of the “most similar systems” design, or method of difference, some seemingly plausible factors are ruled out, due to their similarities in the two chosen entities. It is found that some pull factors (such as geographic location, colonial legacy, external political environment, and indigenous industrial capacity) and conversion factors (such as state policies toward foreign in...
A conceptual framework for expert system description

Abstract A conceptual framework for describing expert systems is introduced. This framework takes a layered viewpoint. Based on this framework, current research directions in knowledge engineering can be organized appropriately. In this paper, we summarize this framework, and report our experiment of teaching a graduate level expert system course using this framework. Some sample projects of that course are also briefly described.
PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSES OF HIGHER HAMAMELIDIDAE BASED ON PLASTID SEQUENCE DATA

Phylogenetic relationships were examined within the ‘‘higher’’ Hamamelididae using 21 species representing eight families and related outgroups. Chloroplast DNA sequences encoding the matK gene ( ;1 kilobase) provided 258 informative nucleotide sites. Phylogenetic analysis of this variation produced one most parsimonious tree supporting three monophyletic groups. In this tree, Nothofagus was basal to a well supported clade of remaining ‘‘higher’’ hamamelids, in which Fagaceae, including Fagus, were sister to a clade of core ‘‘higher’’ hamamelids that share wind-pollination, bicarpellate flowers, granular pollen walls, and reduced pollen apertures. Within the core ‘‘higher’’ hamamelids three subclades were resolved, Myricaceae, (Casuarina-(Ticodendron-(Betulaceae))), and (Rhoiptelea-Juglandaceae). Each subclade was well supported but relationships among them were not. The basal position of Nothofagus within the matK tree is consistent with the fossil record of ‘‘higher’’ hamamelids in which Nothofagus pollen appears earlier than microfossils with affinities to other modern ‘‘higher’’ hamamelids. This placement supports the exclusion of Nothofagus from Fagaceae and suggests two hypotheses for the origin of the cupule. The cupule may be ancestral within ‘‘higher’’ hamamelids and subsequently lost in core members of the clade or there may have been two independent origins. It is suggested that the three clades (1) Nothofagaceae, (2) Fagaceae, and (3) Juglandaceae, Rhoiptelea, Myricaceae, Casuarina, Ticodendron, and Betulaceae be considered at the ordinal level and that traditional orders, such as Fagales sensu Cronquist (Fagaceae, Nothofagaceae, and Betulaceae) be abandoned. Comparative analyses of matK sequences with previously published rbcL sequences demonstrate that for the taxa considered here matK sequences produced trees with greater phylogenetic resolution and a higher consistency index.
Components of Reaction Time in Relation to Age and Sex

(1966). Components of Reaction Time in Relation to Age and Sex. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 108, No. 2, pp. 175-183.
The effect of varying levels of thyroidal stimulation on the ascorbic acid content of the adrenal cortex.

There is considerable evidence suggesting an interrelationship between the thyroid gland and the adrenal cortex. Hoskins (1910), Herring (1917), Cohen (1935), Schmidt and Schmidt (1938), Deane and Greep (1947), and others have reported that following the administration of thyroidal substances to animals, the adrenals enlarge, the hypertrophy being restricted to the cortex. Leblond and Hoff (1944) noted a decrease in the size of the adrenals in rats receiving goitrogenic sulfa drugs or thiouracil. This was confirmed by Baumann and Marine (1945) when they noted involution of the adrenals to half their former size in rats fed thiouracil for four months. From these reports it seems apparent that the functional activity of the adrenal cortex is interrelated in some manner with the thyroid secretion level. Very little information has been reported however, that specifically relates the adrenal cortical secretion to the thyroid status.
Approximability and Fixed-Parameter Tractability for the Exemplar Genomic Distance Problems

In this paper, we present a survey of the approximability and fixed-parameter tractability results for some Exemplar Genomic Distance problems. We mainly focus on three problems: the exemplar breakpoint distance problem and its complement (i.e., the exemplar non-breaking similarity or the exemplar adjacency number problem), and the maximal strip recovery (MSR) problem. The following results hold for the simplest case between only two genomes (genomic maps) ${\cal G}$ and ${\cal H}$, each containing only one sequence of genes (gene markers), possibly with repetitions. 1 For the general Exemplar Breakpoint Distance problem, it was shown that deciding if the optimal solution value of some given instance is zero is NP-hard. This implies that the problem does not admit any approximation, neither any FPT algorithm, unless P=NP. In fact, this result holds even when a gene appears in ${\cal G}$ (${\cal H}$) at most two times. 1 For the Exemplar Non-breaking Similarity problem, it was shown that the problem is linearly reducible from Independent Set. Hence, it does not admit any factor-O (n *** ) approximation unless P=NP and it is W[1]-complete (loosely speaking, there is no way to obtain an O (n o (k )) time exact algorithm unless FPT=W[1], here k is the optimal solution value of the problem). 1 For the MSR problem, after quite a lot of struggle, we recently showed that the problem is NP-complete. On the other hand, the problem was previously known to have a factor-4 approximation and we showed recently that it admits a simple FPT algorithm which runs in O (22.73k n + n 2) time, where k is the optimal solution value of the problem.
Special Section: Topological representation and reasoning in design and manufacturing

The word “topology” is derived from the Greek word “topos,” which means “position” or “location.” A simplified and thus partial definition has often been used (Croom, 1989, page 2): “topology deals with geometric properties which are dependent only upon the relative positions of the components of figures and not upon such concepts as length, size, and magnitude.” Topology deals with those properties of an object that remain invariant under continuous transformations (specifically bending, stretching, and squeezing, but not breaking or tearing). Topological notions and methods have illuminated and clarified basic structural concepts in diverse branches of modern mathematics. However, the influence of topology extends to almost every other discipline that formerly was not considered amenable to mathematical handling. For example, topology supports design and representation of mechanical devices, communication and transportation networks, topographic maps, and planning and controlling of complex activities. In addition, aspects of topology are closely related to symbolic logic, which forms the foundation of artificial intelligence. In the same way that the Euclidean plane satisfies certain axioms or postulates, it can be shown that certain abstract spaces—where the relations of points to sets and continuity of functions are important—have definite properties that can be analyzed without examining these spaces individually. By approaching engineering design from this abstract point of view, it is possible to use topological methods to study collections of geometric objects or collections of entities that are of concern in design analysis or synthesis. These collections of objects and or entities can be treated as
Stationary pulses of light in an atomic medium

Physical processes that could facilitate coherent control of light propagation are under active exploration1,2,3,4,5. In addition to their fundamental interest, these efforts are stimulated by practical possibilities, such as the development of a quantum memory for photonic states6,7,8. Controlled localization and storage of photonic pulses may also allow novel approaches to manipulating of light via enhanced nonlinear optical processes9. Recently, electromagnetically induced transparency10 was used to reduce the group velocity of propagating light pulses11,12 and to reversibly map propagating light pulses into stationary spin excitations in atomic media13,14,15,16. Here we describe and experimentally demonstrate a technique in which light propagating in a medium of Rb atoms is converted into an excitation with localized, stationary electromagnetic energy, which can be held and released after a controllable interval. Our method creates pulses of light with stationary envelopes bound to an atomic spin coherence, offering new possibilities for photon state manipulation and nonlinear optical processes at low light levels.
Identification of DNA sequences required for transcription of the human α1-globin gene in a new SV40 host-vector system

Abstract We have developed a rapid and simple method for studying the transcription of cloned eucaryotic genes, which involves transfecting SV40-transformed monkey cell lines (COS cells) with derivatives of the plasmid pBR322 that contain the SV40 viral replication origin but lack regions necessary for viral transcription (SV-ORI vectors). Because COS cells produce SV40 T antigen and are permissive for SV40 viral replication, transfected SV-ORI plasmids replicate to a high copy number. SV-ORI plasmids carrying a human α-globin gene are also replicated in COS cells. Moreover, the α-globin gene is faithfully transcribed to produce high levels of RNA, which is accurately processed to produce authentic α-globin mRNA. We have used this transcription system to demonstrate that a sequence located between 55 and 87 base pairs upstream from the mRNA capping site is required for efficient transcription of the α-globin gene in COS cells.
Planar Er:Yb glass ion exchanged waveguide laser

A planar, single-transverse-mode waveguide laser has been fabricated in erbium-ytterbium codoped silicate glass using potassium ion exchange. The laser operates at 1536.8 nm, has a slope efficiency of 5.5%, and exhibits a launched pump power threshold of 14.8 mW when pumped at 966.6 nm.
The N‐terminal ATPase AT‐hook‐containing region of the Arabidopsis chromatin‐remodeling protein SPLAYED is sufficient for biological activity

*Summary The SNF2-like chromatin-remodeling ATPase SPLAYED (SYD) was identified as a co-activator of floral homeotic gene expression in Arabidopsis. SYD is also required for meristem maintenance and regulates flowering under a non-inductive photoperiod. SNF2 ATPases are structurally and functionally conserved from yeast to humans. In addition to the conserved protein features, SYD has a large unique C-terminal domain. We show here that SYD is present as two forms in the nucleus, full-length and truncated, with the latter apparently lacking the C-terminal domain. The ratio of the two forms of endogenous SYD differs in juvenile and in adult tissues. Furthermore, an SYD variant lacking the C-terminal domain (SYDDC) rescues the syd null mutant, indicating that the N-terminal ATPase AT-hook-containing region of SYD is sufficient for biological activity. Plants expressing SYDDC show molecular and morphological phenotypes opposite to those of the null mutant, suggesting that the construct results in increased activity. This increased activity is at least in part due to elevated SYD protein levels in these lines. We propose that the C-terminal domain may control SYD accumulation and/or specific activity in the context of the full-length protein. The presence of the C-terminal domain in rice SYD suggests that its role is probably conserved in the two classes of flowering plants.
The Wish To Regress in Patient and Analyst

The analyst's wish to regress is used as a paradigm of the “forbidden” topic of what analysts want from their analysands. The aim is to expand the subjective domain of analysts' awareness so that t...
Improved method for the isolation and sub-typing of avian influenza viruses from oropharyngeal samples of ducks.

SUMMARY. Waterfowl are the natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses (AIVs), from which the virus can spread to other species including humans, poultry, and swine. For the surveillance of AIV in their natural reservoir, most laboratories initially screen the samples using real-time reverse-transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction because of its high speed and sensitivity. Thereafter, virus isolation is used to isolate viruses from positive samples. Although many studies point to the need of testing both cloacal and oropharyngeal (OP) samples in AIV surveillance programs, most laboratories focus only on cloacal samples. This study was undertaken to determine the utility of OP samples as target samples in AIV surveillance programs under a strict cold chain of samples from the field to the laboratory. A total of 16 AIV (15.1%) were isolated from the 106 OP samples examined. Upon subtyping, four hemagglutinin subtypes (H1, H3, H4, and H6) and three neuraminidase subtypes (N1, N2, and N8) were detected in n...
The development of tilt-controlled narrow ground vehicles

Narrow commuter vehicles can address congestion, parking and pollution issues associated with urban transportation. In order for narrow commuter vehicles to become acceptable to the driving public, they must be easy to drive and perceptibly provide the same level of safety as bigger passenger vehicles. This requires that they be relatively tall in spite of being narrow. Tall vehicles tend to overturn during tight cornering. The driver of a narrow vehicle such as a motorcycle must tilt the vehicle into the curve to compensate for the tilting moment due to the lateral acceleration generated by the tires. The use of an active tilt control system to assist the driver in balancing the vehicle (as well as in automatic tilting while cornering) is expected to greatly enhance the acceptability of narrow vehicles. This paper concentrates on the development of a prototype narrow commuter vehicle with automatic tilt control. The prototype narrow vehicle built at the University of Minnesota is presented. A dynamic model for the prototype vehicle is developed. The challenges in the development of a reliable tilt control system are discussed and control system design for control with two different types of actuators is analyzed.
Windowing functions for the average magnitude difference function pitch extractor

This paper describes the fundamental properties of the Average Magnitude Difference Function, (AMDF) when used for pitch extraction on human speech, such as the ability to work in the absence of the fundamentals, and responses to pitch and formant resonances. Requirements for the algorithm's correct functioning are discussed, including reasonable bounds on window size and requirements on a nonlinear post processor. Finally, three experiments are described: 1) comparison of rectangular window versus exponential window AMDF, 2) comparison of the accuracy of the indicated pitch versus window length, and 3) effects of inverse filtering on the AMDF.
Alliances, Armed Conflict, and Cooperation: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Evidence:

Alliances are subject to many scholarly inquiries in international relations and peace research because they are major instruments of foreign and security policies. Since the early work on alliance...
Theory of the Amplitron

The Amplitron device is analyzed from a normal mode viewpoint based on predominance of the reentrant character of the stream; the analysis is therefore valid for devices with short electron recirculation times and moderate signal levels. The nature of the space charge deduced from the above hypothesis is that of a rotating set of identical spokes having equal angular spacing in the interaction space. The induction effects of this space charge configuration upon the delay line are calculated, accounting for the periodic nature and the short length of the delay line. It is found that both forward-and backward-traveling waves are appreciable and must be considered. The fields in the interaction space are resolved into Fourier component traveling waves. The amplitude of the synchronously interacting wave is related to 1) the input signal, 2) the forward-traveling wave resulting from space charge induction, and 3) the backward-traveling wave resulting from space charge induction. Use is made of the phase relation (adiabatic theory) between the space charge and the synchronously traveling wave to obtain a consistent solution determining the phase relation between the input wave and the space charge. The above relationship between the space charge and the input signal allows the calculation of complex (vector) gain of the Amplitron. It is thus shown that the Amplitron is a nonlinear, or saturated, amplifier. A limit to the gain is observed; the backward-traveling wave is essential in determining it. Phase-dependence on operating RF level, or RF phase pushing, is noted; this type of phase variation does not exceed 90°. Calculations as a function of frequency show the bandwidth to be expected. It is found that conditions may lead to oscillation; feedback mechanisms reside in the backward-traveling wave and in the stream reentrance. The degree of input mismatch of the operating tube is discussed.
Constituents of marsh grass: Survey of the essential oils in Juncus roemerianus

Abstract The essential oil of Juncus roemerianus was isolated by steam distillation with a yield of 0·01 % of the fresh grass. Analysis by combined GLC-MS gave evidence for the presence of 78 compounds. They included 13 benzene derivatives, 11 polycyclic (mostly naphthalene type) compounds, 8 cyclohexyl compounds, 32 acyclic compounds, 9 terpenoids, and 6 furan derivatives. In total, these compounds accounted for 46·6% of the oil. Due to the presence of tetrachlorobenzene and benzyl cyanide, other halogenated compounds and alkaloids can be anticipated.
XPS and FESEM/STEM Surface Characterization of Activated Carbon, Carbon Black, and Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon-containing nanoparticles, such as activated carbon, carbon black, and carbon nanotubes, are finding an increasing number of industrial and scientific applications. Activated carbons are used as adsorbents for impurities in liquids and gases, as catalyst supports for the active phases, and as catalysts on their own. Carbon blacks are primarily used as reinforcing agents in the rubber industry. Carbon nanotubes have unique physicochemical, mechanical, and electronic properties and accordingly have many new potential applications in catalysis, electronics, optics, and other fields. The surface chemistry and other surface properties of carbon-based materials influence how they react with other substances and therefore play an important role in their behavior and ultimate performance. Greater knowledge of the surface chemistry and morphology of carbon-containing nanoparticles will allow the development of more specific and effective materials for a given product or process.
Attention to Language: Lessons Learned at the Dinner Table

The ordinary discourse of parents, and to a lesser degree young children, includes a surprising amount of attention to language. The dinner table conversations of 22 middle class families, each with a child between 2 and 5 1 /2 years of age, were recorded. Transcripts of these conversations were analyzed for the presence and function of language-focused terms, words such as say, ask, tell, and speak. More than 11% of mothers’, 7% of fathers’, and 4% of children’s utterances contained a languagefocused term. Metalinguistic uses (e.g., reporting and commenting on speech) exceeded pragmatic uses (e.g., controlling when and how speech occurs). Mothers more than fathers, and fathers more than children, talked about language. Mothers’, but not fathers, use of language-focused terms was positively correlated with children’s use of language-focused terms. The findings suggest that in the course of routine social interactions, parents provide children with potentially important information about the communicative functions of language.
Chronic Nicotine Administration Differentially Affects Neurotransmitter Release from Rat Striatal Slices

The objective of these experiments was to determine whether the chronic administration of nicotine, at a dose regimen that increases the density of nicotine binding sites, alters the nicotine-induced release of [3H]-dopamine ([3H]DA), [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE), [3H]-serotonin ([3H]5-HT), or [3H]acetylcholine ([3H]ACh) from rat striatal slices. For these experiments, rats received subcutaneous injections of either saline or nicotine bitartrate [1.76 mg (3.6 mumol)/kg, dissolved in saline] twice daily for 10 days, and neurotransmitter release was measured following preloading of the tissues with [3H]DA, [3H]NE, [3H]5-HT, or [3H]choline. Chronic nicotine administration did not affect the accumulation of tritium by striatal slices, the basal release of radioactivity, or the 25 mM KCl-evoked release of neurotransmitter. Superfusion of striatal slices with 1, 10, and 100 microM nicotine increased [3H]DA release in a concentration-dependent manner, and release from slices from nicotine-injected animals was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than release from saline-injected controls; release from the former increased to 132, 191, and 172% of release from the controls following superfusion with 1, 10, and 100 microM nicotine, respectively. Similarly, [3H]5-HT release increased in a concentration-related manner following superfusion with nicotine, and release from slices from nicotine-injected rats was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that from controls. [3H]5-HT release from slices from nicotine-injected rats evoked by superfusion with 1 and 10 microM nicotine increased to 453 and 217%, respectively, of release from slices from saline-injected animals. The nicotine-induced release of [3H]NE from striatal slices was also concentration dependent but was unaffected by chronic nicotine administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Comorbid Forms of Psychopathology: Key Patterns and Future Research Directions

The purpose of this review is to systematically appraise the peer-reviewed literature about clustered forms of psychopathology and to present a framework that can be useful for studying comorbid psychiatric disorders. The review focuses on four of the most prevalent types of mental health problems: anxiety, depression, conduct disorder, and substance abuse. The authors summarize existing empirical research on the distribution of concurrent and sequential comorbidity in children and adolescents and in adults, and they review existing knowledge about exogenous risk factors that influence comorbidity. The authors include articles that used a longitudinal study design and used psychiatric definitions of the disorders. A total of 58 articles met the inclusion criteria and were assessed. Current evidence demonstrates a reciprocal, sequential relation between most comorbid pairs, although the mechanisms that mediate such links remain to be explained. Methodological concerns include the inconsistency of measurement of the disorders across studies, small sample sizes, and restricted follow-up times. Given the significant mental health burden placed by comorbid disorders, and their high prevalence across populations, research on the key risk factors for clustering of psychopathology is needed.
Life-threatening allergic vasculitis after clipping an unruptured aneurysm: Case report, weighing the risk of nickel allergy.

Background: This case report represents one of the estimated 17,000 aneurysms clipped annually in the United States, often with nickel-containing clips. The authors highlight the development of life-threatening allergic vasculitis in a 33-year-old woman after aneurysm clipping.
Zum Phänomen der Entelektrisierung in kleinen leitenden Körpern in einem ausgedehnten elektromagnetischen Hochfrequenzfeld

Der aus der Elektrostatik gelaufige Ansatz fur das Entelektrisierungsfeld wird auf den Fall eines leitenden Korpers ubertragen, dessen Abmessungen sowie Eindringtiefe des Skineffektes klein sind gegen die Wellenlangen eines elektromagnetischen Hochfrequenzfeldes innerhalb und auserhalb des Korpers. Es werden Stromdichte und inneres Feld in Abhangigkeit vom auseren Feld unter wenig spezialisierten Annahmen uber den Leitfahigkeitsmechanismus im Korper berechnet. Die Ergebnisse werden fur einen Germaniumkorper in einem Temperaturbereich von 0−200° C und eine Wellenlange von 1,24 cm des auseren Feldes diskutiert.
Neural networks in pharmacodynamic modeling. Is current modeling practice of complex kinetic systems at a dead end

Neural networks (NN) are computational systems implemented in software or hardware that attempt to simulate the neurological processing abilities of biological systems, in particular the brain. Computational NN are classified as parallel distributed processing systems that for many tasks are recognized to have superior processing capability to the classical sequential Von Neuman computer model. NN are recognized mainly in terms of their adaptive learning and selforganization features and their nonlinear processing capability and are considered most suitable to deal with complex multivariate systems that are poorly understood and difficult to model by classical inductive,logically structured modeling techniques. A NN is applied to demonstrate one of the potentially many applications of NN for modeling complex kinetic systems. The NN was used to predict the effect of alfentanil on the heart rate resulting from a complex infusion scheme applied to six rabbits. Drug input-drug effect data resulting from a repeated, triple infusion rate scheme lasting from 30 to 180 min was used to train the NN to recognize and emulate the input-effect behavior of the system. With the NN memory fixed from the 30- to 180-min learning phase the NN was then tested for its ability to predict the effect resulting from a multiple infusion rate scheme applied in the subsequent 180 to 300 min of the experiment. The NN's ability to emulate the system (30–180 min) was excellent and its predictive extrapolation capability (180–300 min) was very good (mean relative prediction accuracy of 78%). The NN was best in predicting the higher intensity effect and was able to identify and predict an overshoot phenomenon likely caused by a withdrawal effect from acute tolerance. Current modeling philosophy and practice is discussed on the basis of the alternative offered by NN in the modeling of complex kinetic systems. In modeling such systems it is questioned whether traditional modeling practice that insists on structure relevance and conceptually pleasing structures has any practical advantages over the empirical NN approach that largely ignores structure relevance but concentrates on the emulation of the behaviorof the kinetic system. The traditional searching for appropriate models of complex kinetic systems is a painstakingly slow process. In contrast, the search for empirical models using NN will continue to improve, limited only by technological advances supporting the very promising NN developments.
Control for mobile robots in the presence of moving objects

The problem of collision-free navigation and guidance for mobile robots is essential to the survival of unmanned terrain vehicles. This communication adds complexity to the guidance problem by introducing moving objects that may cross the desired navigational path of an autonomous vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with sensors that report locations of the moving objects. Speed and direction of each moving object are modeled as random walk processes. An optimization approach that provides for the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle is developed, as is the duration of the time for which this control must be applied to avoid a collision with moving objects. The constraints on the objective function are given in terms of collision probabilities, and simulation results are presented for a collision-free environment. Implications of this approach for autonomous vehicles are given in terms of the flexibility of path planning. >
Facial action and emotional language: Erp evidence that blocking facial feedback selectively impairs sentence comprehension

There is a lively and theoretically important debate about whether, how, and when embodiment contributes to language comprehension. This study addressed these questions by testing how interference with facial action impacts the brain's real-time response to emotional language. Participants read sentences about positive and negative events e.g., "She reached inside the pocket of her coat from last winter and found some cash/bugs inside it." while ERPs were recorded. Facial action was manipulated within participants by asking participants to hold chopsticks in their mouths using a position that allowed or blocked smiling, as confirmed by EMG. Blocking smiling did not influence ERPs to the valenced words e.g., cash, bugs but did influence ERPs to final words of sentences describing positive events. Results show that affectively positive sentences can evoke smiles and that such facial action can facilitate the semantic processing indexed by the N400 component. Overall, this study offers causal evidence that embodiment impacts some aspects of high-level comprehension, presumably involving the construction of the situation model.
Percutaneous renal cryoablation

Percutaneous renal cryoablation (PRC) has been gaining acceptance as a minimally invasive option for the treatment of patients with solid renal masses. Herein, we reviewed the historical development of PRC, relevant contemporary clinical data, and future directions of percutaneous approaches to renal masses. Early experience suggests that PRC has the potential to offer an alternative treatment for patients with small renal masses, with the advantages of decreased treatment-associated morbidity and spared renal function. Ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron-emission tomography have all been explored as potential solutions to the challenges of image guidance and follow-up; distinct advantages and disadvantages of each are reviewed here. Encouraging early results regarding oncologic efficacy, rate of complications, and overall costs support the continued evaluation of PRC. Longer-term oncologic follow-up is essential if the potential application of this minimally-invasive technique to a broader spectrum of patients with renal masses is to be determined.
Individual Differences in Dispositional Pessimism, Stress, and Coping as a Function of Task Type

Individual differences in dispositional pessimism and choice of coping strategy on performance and stress, in target detection were investigated. The results were consistent with prior research ind...
ICAM-1-CD18 interaction mediates neutrophil cytotoxicity through protease release.

Interaction of the β2-integrin complex on the polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) with intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) has been implicated in PMN-mediated cytotoxicity. This study examine...
MyGene.info: gene annotation query as a service

Biomedical knowledge is often represented as annotations of biological entities such as genes, genetic variants, diseases, and drugs. For gene annotations, they are fragmented across data repositories like NCBI Entrez, Ensembl, UniProt, and hundreds (or more) of other specialized databases. While the volume and breadth of annotations is valuable, their fragmentation across many data silos is often frustrating and inefficient. Bioinformaticians everywhere must continuously and repetitively engage in data wrangling in an effort to comprehensively integrate knowledge from all these resources, and these uncoordinated efforts represent an enormous duplication of work. We previously released MyGene.info (http://mygene.info) to enable bioinformatics developers to gain programmatic access to gene annotation data through our high-performance web services. This article focuses on the updates to MyGene.info since our last paper (2013 database issue). With the completely re-factored system, MyGene.info now expands the support from the original nine species to over 14K species, covering >17M genes with >50 gene-specific annotation types. Two simple web service endpoints provides high-performance query access to all these aggregated gene annotations. The infrastructure underlying MyGene.info is highly scalable, which offers both high-performance and high-concurrency, and makes MyGene.info particularly suitable for the use cases of real-time applications and analysis pipelines.
Hardware support for production run diagnosis of performance bugs

Performance bugs cannot be easily debugged in the same way correctness bugs are debugged. They are debugged mostly by analyzing execution profiles which is slow, tedious, and heavily involved. As a result, even for a mature program, performance bugs often slip into production systems. This paper presents a hardware based approach, called Prometheus, that detects loop related performance bugs during production runs with negligible overhead. Prometheus works by detecting redundant memory read accesses in loop iterations. If many loop iterations access the same set of memory locations and the same set of values, then Prometheus reports a performance bug. Prometheus detects the redundant accesses in hardware using bloom filter based signatures. Prometheus is automatic and does not require a programmer to analyze large execution profiles. Moreover, Prometheus is parameterized to achieve different levels of accuracy and detection ability. Prometheus is the first hardware based scheme for automatically detecting performance bugs related to redundant accesses. This paper presents a detailed design and implementation of Prometheus hardware. Prometheus is evaluated on a variety of real world performance bugs. It detects 8 out of 10 performance bugs. Once the bugs are fixed, Prometheus does not falsely detect any bug except in one case. It has a negligible execution overhead of 1.87%. Last but not the least, Prometheus requires only (≈) Kbyte of extra hardware structures.
Serial Issue Evidence for the Risk-Structure, Maturity Relation: A Decomposition Methodology

The risk structure of interest-rates literature shows that coupon effects can cause changes in yield spreads as maturity lengthens. These effects make it difficult to empirically isolate the default-risk component of the spread for coupon paying bonds. Attempts to calculate zero-coupon risk structures suffer from the relative scarcity of zero-coupon corporate bonds. We show that yield spreads for coupon-paying bonds that are identical except for default risk decompose into a relative duration component, a premium-discount coupon component, and a default component. We present closed-form solutions for measuring the first two components so that the default-risk portions can be isolated as residuals. We further present an empirical application of the decomposition metrics for sixteen different exchange-traded serial issues, and nonparametrically examine the relation between the default premia and maturity. Various maturity relations are found.
Diversity Management Content in Introductory Human Resource Management Textbooks

versity management courses due to resource constraints. We view diversity management as encompassing HR activities that encourage the inclusion of all groups in the workplace for competitive or ethical motives. For the review we carefully read and compared introductory HR textbooks and thoroughly debated the reliability, representativeness, and fairness of the methods. Specifics of our method are as follows: Initially we identified 23 introductory HR textbooks with a copyright date of 2005 or later by scanning the websites of major academic publishers serving the higher education market.1 This method resulted in a list of HR textbooks written primarily by U.S. authors for an intended audience of U.S. workers or managers, or perhaps for those working for U.S. companies in other countries.2 We limited this resource review to 14 of the initial 23 introductory HR textbooks that contained eight or more full pages
The Theory of the Cheshire Cat

(1934). The Theory of the Cheshire Cat. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 41, No. 6, pp. 361-368.
Under the Medical Tent at the Boston Marathon

When the bombings brought unexpected patients into the medical tent in Copley Square, many professionals present felt a combined sense of futility and surreality. As they tended to injuries with minimal supplies, the severely wounded passed through to waiting ambulances.
Survey on Basic Situation of Nurseries and Kindergartens in Baoshan District of Shanghai in 2010

[Objective]To understand the allocation of hardware and software in nurseries and kindergartens,provide the basis for preventing the transmission of infectious disease,standardizing the management of nurseries and kindergartens,and making health and safety measures.[Methods]With the questionnaire for basic situation of nurseries and kindergartens which designed by Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention,the mass screening was conducted in nurseries and kindergartens in this district,and the survey was performed with questionnaire on field.[Results]Among 203 nurseries and kindergartens in this district,124(61.08%) was registered class,and 79(38.92%) was non-registered class.The ratio of children to staff,arrangement of isolating room and indoor ventilation in nurseries and kindergartens with registered class was better than that in nurseries and kindergartens with non-registered class.[Conclusion]Because this district locates in city and countryside intersection,the resources of child care is insufficient,most of nurseries and kindergartens are non-registered class,which the allocation of hardware and software is poor because of insufficient investment,and staff lack professional prevention knowledge,it is easy to cause the transmission of infectious disease in the nurseries and kindergartens.The examination for school running of nurseries and kindergartens should be strengthened,and supervision and monitoring should be improved.
Risk factors for relapse in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infected adults with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Uganda has high incidence rates of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV-1 infection. In that context researchers at the Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration in Kampala investigated which clinical microbiologic and radiographic factors are associated with the risk of relapse in HIV-infected adults treated for initial episodes of pulmonary TB. Findings are based upon 119 patients aged 18-50 years who completed therapy and the median follow-up duration for all subjects was 22.3 months. Subjects in this randomized prospective clinical trial were treated with either 2 months of daily streptomycin thiacetazone (T) and isoniazid (H) followed by 10 months of daily T and H or 2 months of daily isoniazid rifampicin (R) and pyrazinamide followed by 7 months of daily H and R. 10 patients relapsed a median of 12.7 months (range 5-33.4 months) after the end of therapy 7 of whom were initially treated with the T-containing regimen. Each relapse case was matched to 4 controls by length of follow-up after initial TB treatment. Univariate analysis found that the risk of relapse was associated with treatment with the T-containing regimen being age 30 years or older and irregular compliance. Baseline anergy on Mantoux tuberculin skin testing cavitary disease radiographic extent of disease and sputum bacillary burden 2-month culture negativity and residual cavitary disease at the end of treatment did not differ between relapses and controls.
Clinical presentation and outcomes in patients with advanced pheochromcytoma/paraganglioma: Evidence of temozolomide efficacy.

e15157 Background: The clinical course and treatment options for patients with advanced pheochromocytoma (PCC) and paraganglioma (PGL) remain poorly defined. Few antitumor therapies have been developed for patients with this condition. Currently available regimens include radiolabeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG), or treatment with a combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dacarbazine. Methods: We identified patients with locally unresectable or advanced PCC/PGL enrolled in a prospective clinical outcomes study of neuroendocrine tumor patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute between 2003 and 2010. We reviewed patient demographics, clinical symptoms, and treatment outcomes. Results: We identified 28 patients who presented to the institution with PCC/PGL, of whom 25 had recurrent or metastatic disease. Among these 25 patients, the most common signs and symptoms at presentation with metastatic disease were local pain, hypertension, and headache. Hypertension and headache were the dominant sy...
Cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition of stimulant users: A baseline analysis of the STRIDE cohort.

Abstract Introduction Relatively little has been reported about the physical characteristics, such as cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and body composition, of stimulant users. Identifying risk factors associated with the physical health of stimulant users is an important public health issue as new treatments should better address the entire range of health concerns experienced by this population. Methods We examined cross-sectional data gathered at baseline from the STimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) study, a multisite randomized clinical trial that examined exercise as an adjunct to treatment as usual for individuals in residential treatment programs (RTPs). Clients were approached after intake to the RTP. Prior to randomization, eligible individuals underwent a comprehensive screening process that included medical screening, where CRF was assessed through a maximal exercise test (time on treadmill), and a series of baseline examinations assessing domains of substance use and mental health. Results Data from 295 individuals with recent stimulant use disorders were analyzed. The mean body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) and for all participants was 27.8±5.7kg/m 2 and 93.5±14.2cm, respectively, while the mean time on treadmill was 13.7±2.9min. Few significant associations were observed between CRF, BMI, or WC and substance use and mental health measures. Conclusions Stimulant users in this study presented with low CRF levels and would be considered overweight based on their BMI. These individuals would likely benefit from interventions that address both their stimulant use, as well as their physical health.
Central Office Supports for Data-Driven Talent Management Decisions: Evidence from the Implementation of New Systems for Measuring Teacher Effectiveness.

School districts increasingly push school leaders to utilize multiple measures of teacher effectiveness, such as observation ratings or value-added scores, in making talent management decisions, in...
Intelligent control of arc welding process

Abstract Weld joint penetration is crucial in generating sound welds. Successful control of penetration requires accurate measurement of back-side width of the weld pool. For practical application, the sensor used should be attached to the welding torch. The back-side bead width is thus invisible. It is known thatskilled operators can estimate joint penetration based on the geometry of the weld pool. In this work, a neurofuzzy system is developed to infer the back-side width from pool geometry. Both the back-side and weld-face widths of the weld pool can therefore be feedback controlled. Welding current and welding speed are selected as the control variables. The controlled 2-input 2-output non-linear process is described using a neurofuzzy model. Based on the neurofuzzy dynamic model, a predictive control algorithm is designed. Experimentation verified the effectiveness of the developed system.
Occupational factors related to slips, trips and falls among home healthcare workers

Abstract Objectives Slip, trip and fall (STFs) injuries are a significant problem in all industries, yet there are no significant prior reports assessing the relationship between occupational factors and STFs among home healthcare workers (HHCWs) who represent an ever increasing number of workers in the healthcare sector. The unpredictable nature of the work environment specific to HHCWs may lead to an increase in injuries from STFs. The purpose of this study was to quantify associations between occupational factors and STFs among HHCWs. Methods This cross-sectional study of 870 HHCWs assessed relationships between 12-month period prevalence of falls and occupational factors. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results Nearly 18% (N = 152) of HHCWs reported at least one fall in 12 months. Nurses were significantly more likely to have had a fall (OR = 3.33). Years worked in HHC, and near miss accidents were also related to falls. Patient care factors related to falls included feeling rushed or hurried, increasing number of patients, patient’s weight bearing status, combative patients, and issues of patient’s homes (e.g. dangerous animals, problems with access to beds or toilets). Conclusions Numerous work organizational and patient care factors are associated with increased risk of falls among HHCWs. Many of these are readily modifiable and should be a focus for intervention.
Profiles in Science for Science Librarians: Ruth Hubbard, Scientist and Social Activist

Ruth Hubbard (1924–2016) is known for her groundbreaking research on the biochemistry and photochemistry of the eye and for her social activism. In 1974, she was the first woman to be tenured in bi...
Impact of individual and neighborhood factors on disparities in prostate cancer survival.

Abstract Background We addressed the hypothesis that individual-level factors act jointly with social and built environment factors to influence overall survival for men with prostate cancer and contribute to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic (SES) survival disparities. Methods We analyzed multi-level data, combining (1) individual-level data from the California Collaborative Prostate Cancer Study, a population-based study of non-Hispanic White (NHW), Hispanic, and African American prostate cancer cases (N = 1800) diagnosed from 1997 to 2003, with (2) data on neighborhood SES (nSES) and social and built environment factors from the California Neighborhoods Data System, and (3) data on tumor characteristics, treatment and follow-up through 2009 from the California Cancer Registry. Multivariable, stage-stratified Cox proportional hazards regression models with cluster adjustments were used to assess education and nSES main and joint effects on overall survival, before and after adjustment for social and built environment factors. Results African American men had worse survival than NHW men, which was attenuated by nSES. Increased risk of death was associated with residence in lower SES neighborhoods (quintile 1 (lowest nSES) vs. 5: HR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.11–2.19) and lower education ( Conclusion Both individual- and contextual-level SES influence overall survival of men with prostate cancer. Additional research is needed to identify the mechanisms underlying these robust associations.