cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aneurysm formation in proinflammatory, transgenic haptoglobin 2-2 mice.

Background Inflammation and macrophages in particular are believed to play a role in aneurysm formation. The haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 genotype is associated with a proinflammatory state. Objective To investigate the role of inflammation in the formation of aneurysms using a murine model of aneurysm formation in transgenic, proinflammatory Hp2-2 mice and wild-type Hp1-1 mice. Methods Carotid artery aneurysms were induced in the left common carotid artery of wild-type Hp1-1 mice and transgenic Hp2-2 mice using elastase to degrade the arterial wall of the common carotid artery and angiotensin II to induce hypertension. There were 4 experimental groups: (1) sham surgery (n = 11); (2) angiotensin II only (n = 10); (3) elastase only (n = 20); and (4) elastase + angiotensin II (n = 20). Aneurysm size was determined by measuring the outer circumference and luminal circumference of the blood vessel. Macrophages that infiltrated the aneurysm wall were quantified by immunohistochemistry. Results were analyzed using 2-way analysis of variance with a Bonferroni post-test. Results Aneurysms in Hp2-2 mice were significantly larger than aneurysms in Hp1-1 mice in the setting of vessel wall degradation and hypertension (P = .02 for outer circumference, P = .01 for luminal circumference). Furthermore, the number of macrophages infiltrating the aneurysm wall was significantly increased in Hp2-2 mice (P Conclusion Hp2-2 mice formed aneurysms that were significantly larger and had a significantly greater number of macrophages in the aneurysm wall compared with Hp1-1 mice. This suggests that the proinflammatory state associated with the Hp2-2 protein is involved in aneurysm formation and that the Hp genotype may be a useful biomarker in predicting aneurysm progression.
Knowing the crowd within: Metacognitive limits on combining multiple judgments

We investigated how decision-makers use multiple opportunities to judge a quantity. Decision-makers undervalue the benefit of combining their own judgment with an advisor’s, but theories disagree about whether this bias would apply to combining several of one’s own judgments. Participants estimated percentage answers to general knowledge questions (e.g., What percent of the world’s population uses the Internet?) on two occasions. In a final decision phase, they selected their first, second, or average estimate to report for each question. We manipulated the cues available for this final decision. Given cues to general theories (the labels first guess, second guess, average), participants mostly averaged, but no more frequently on trials where the average was most accurate. Given item-specific cues (numerical values of the options), metacognitive accuracy was at chance. Given both cues, participants mostly averaged and switched strategies based on whichever yielded the most accurate value on a given trial. These results indicate that underappreciation of averaging estimates does not stem only from social differences between the self and an advisor and that combining general and item-specific cues benefits metacognition.
Political strategies used by the US public accounting profession during auditor liability reform: The case of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

Abstract In this paper we examine the US public accounting profession’s use of political strategies during the eight-year period leading up to the passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our analysis is organized and interpreted within the framework of a recently developed theoretical model of corporate political strategy. Much prior research has addressed the question of why the US public accounting profession would promote litigation reform. However, this study is the first to provide a detailed analysis of how the US profession acted to obtain such reform. The study contributes to the development of a general model of public accounting profession political strategy––a stream of research that is of critical importance given the vital role the federal government plays in the survival of the profession, the significant resources that the profession devotes to political activities, and the recent accounting industry reforms passed by the US Congress.
Architecture for adaptive eigenstructure decomposition based on systolic QRD

Eigenstructure decomposition of correlation matrices is an important pre-processing stage in many modern signal processing applications. In an unknown and possibly changing environment, adaptive algorithms that are efficient and numerically stable as well as readily implementable in hardware for eigendecomposition are highly desirable. Most modern real- time signal processing applications involve processing large amounts of input data and require high throughput rates in order to fulfill the needs of tracking and updating. In this paper, we consider the use of a novel systolic array architecture for the high throughput on-line implementation of the adaptive simultaneous iteration method (SIM) algorithm for the estimation of the p largest eigenvalues and associated eigenvectors of quasi-stationary or slowly varying correlation matrices.
Ground‐state structural and magnetic properties of solid α and β‐O2

A pattern recognition optimization scheme coupled with a quasiharmonic lattice dynamics method is used to determine the minimum energy structures and magnetic orientations of solid oxygen. It is shown that the magnetic interaction is responsible for the stability of α-O2 with respect to β-O2 at zero temperature and pressure. The calculated α-O2 lattice parameters, magnetic orientations, and sublimation energy are in good agreement with experiment. Phonon dispersion curves are calculated at k ≠ 0 and the acoustic sound velocities are determined. The rms translational and orientational fluctuations from equilibrium are also calculated. The β-O2 phase is described by constraining the magnetic moments so that the magnetic Hamiltonian preserves the hexagonal symmetry of the crystal. The calculated lattice parameters are in good agreement with experiment and a three sublattice, quasihelical magnetic orientation is predicted from structural and energetic considerations.
Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigating the risk of postoperative infection in association with white blood cell-containing allogeneic blood transfusion: The effects of the type of transfused red blood cell product and surgical setting

Previous meta-analyses of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the association of perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) with postoperative bacterial infection included studies transfusing either autologous or white blood cell (WBC)-reduced allogeneic red blood cells (RBCs) or whole blood to the control arm, and they were unable to investigate the type of RBC product administered as an explanation for the disagreements among the studies. The availability of additional RCTs has permitted investigation of this hypothesis in a meta-analysis restricted to RCTs transfusing WBC-reduced allogeneic RBCs or whole blood to the control arm. In this analysis, across 5 RCTs comparing recipients of non-WBC-reduced versus WBC-reduced allogeneic RBCs, there was no difference ( P >.25) in the risk of postoperative infection between recipients of buffy-coat-reduced versus WBC-reduced allogeneic RBCs filtered before storage (summary odds ratio [OR]=1.19; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 0.87–1.63). In contrast, across 3 RCTs, there was an increased ( P P
An extracellular exo-beta-(1,3)-glucanase from Pichia pastoris: purification, characterization, molecular cloning, and functional expression

An extracellular exo-beta-(1,3)-glucanase (designated EXG1) was purified to apparent homogeneity from Pichia pastoris X-33 cultures by ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. The native enzyme is unglycosylated and monomeric with a molecular mass of approximately 47kDa. At its optimal pH of 6.0, the enzyme shows highest activity among physiological substrates toward laminarin (apparent Km, 3.5 mg/ml; Vmax, 192 micromole glucose produced/min/mg protein) but also hydrolyzes amygdalin and esculin, and the chromogenic substrates p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside and p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside. The P. pastoris EXG1 gene was cloned by a PCR-based strategy using genomic DNA as template. This intronless gene predicts an ORF that encodes a primary translation product of 414 amino acids. We believe that this preproprotein is processed sequentially by signal peptidase and a Kex2-like endoprotease to yield a mature protein of 392 amino acids (45,376 Da; pI, 4.46) that shares 36-64% amino acid identity with other yeast exo-beta-(1,3)-glucanases belonging to Glycoside Hydrolase Family 5. It also possesses the eight invariant residues and signature pattern [LIV]-[LIVMFYWGA](2)-[DNEQG]-[LIVMGST]-X-N-E-[PV]-[RHDNSTLIVFY] shown by all Family 5 members. Overexpression of the cloned EXG1 gene in Pichia cells, followed by Ni-CAM HC resin chromatography, yielded milligram quantities of homogeneous recombinant EXG1 in active form for further characterization studies.
Simulations of Laser-Induced Glass Formation in Ag−Cu Nanoparticles

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we have simulated the rapid cooling experienced by bimetallic nanoparticles following laser excitation at the plasmon resonance and find evidence that glassy beads, specifically Ag−Cu bimetallic particles at the eutectic composition (60% Ag, 40% Cu), can be formed during these experiments. The bimetallic nanoparticles are embedded in an implicit solvent with a viscosity tuned to yield cooling curves that match the experimental cooling behavior as closely as possible. Because the nanoparticles have a large surface-to-volume ratio, experimentally realistic cooling rates are accessible via relatively short simulations. The presence of glassy structural features was verified using bond orientational order parameters that are sensitive to the formation of local icosahedral ordering in condensed phases. As the particles cool from the liquid droplet state into glassy beads, a silver-rich monolayer develops on the outer surface and local icosahedra can develop around the silv...
AACAP 2005 Research Forum: speeding the adoption of evidence-based practice in pediatric psychiatry.

ABSTRACT Objectives: At the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the Academy's Workgroup on Research conducted a Research Forum entitled "Increasing Research Literacy Through the Adoption of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Pediatric Psychiatry." Method: Forum participants focused on speeding the adoption of EBP across five areas: EBP as the preferred heuristic for teaching research literacy, use of EBP in training programs, dissemination of EBP in clinical practice, EBP in partnership with industry, and EBP as a framework for developing practice guidelines. Results: EBP provides an easy-to-understand method for accessing and evaluating the research literature and then applying this information to decisions about patient care. Although EBP has been gaining greater visibility in pediatric psychiatry, it is far from the preferred heuristic. To move the field toward fully embracing EBP will require greater understanding of what EBP is (and is not), educating mental health professionals in EBP skills, access to EBP resources, and a commitment to apply EBP to the conceptualization and design of research protocols and practice guidelines. Conclusions: Pediatric psychiatry would benefit from a principled commitment to follow other areas of medicine in adopting EBP.
cDNA cloning of a novel rat brain cytochrome P450 belonging to the CYP2D subfamily.

Abstract Two cDNA clones designated 2d-29 and 2d-35 encoding a novel P450 belonging to the P450 2D subfamily were isolated from control and imipramine-treated rat train Libraries,respectively. cDNA 2d-29 and 2d-35 contained 1786 and 2754 bp nucleotides each. Although their 5′- and 3′-untranslated sequences were different from each other, their open reading frames were identical, encoding a protein which had 5 substitutions of amino acids in the C-terminal region compared with P450 2D4. Northern blot analysis showed that the expression levels of 2d-29 and 2d-35 in the brain were lower than that of P450 2D4 in the liver. However, it is noteworthy that the expression of 2d-35 was not detected in the fiver but in the brain. These results suggest that a novel P450 is expressed in the brain under different regulation.
Optically imaged maps of orientation preference in primary visual cortex of cats and ferrets

Feature maps in the cerebral cortex constitute orderly representations of response features created within the cortex; an example is the mapping of orientation-selective neurons in visual cortex. We have compared the properties of orientation maps in area 17 of cats and ferrets, obtained by optical imaging of intrinsic signals. Orientation maps in both species contain a quasi-periodic distribution of iso-orientation domains that are organized into a lattice of pinwheels. However, the spatial density of orientation domains and of pinwheels in ferret area 17 is nearly twice that in cat area 17. The ferret map also contains more discontinuities, or fractures, where orientation changes abruptly. The size of orientation domains scales with interdomain spacing, so that the ratio of the two is approximately the same in both species. Consistent with this finding, the orientation tuning width of individual pixels is similar in the two. The magnitude of orientation preference, however, is much lower in ferret compared to cat. The greater incidence of fractures in ferret appears to be due to proportionately greater overlap between domains of different orientations, particularly along fracture lines that link pinwheel centers. We hypothesize that a key determinant of orientation maps, the relationship between orientation domain size and spacing, expresses an anatomical link between sizes of thalamocortical arbors and horizontal intracortical connections in area 17.
The Effect of Roughness on the Impact Dynamics and Heat Transfer of Cryogen Droplets Impinging Onto Indented Skin Phantoms

Laser dermatological surgery (LDS) is the preferred therapeutic modality for various dermatoses, including port wine stain (PWS) birthmarks. LDS is commonly used in conjunction with cryogen spray cooling, which is an auxiliary procedure that pre-cools the superficial skin layer (epidermis) prior to laser irradiation to avoid non-specific and excessive epidermal heating. Clinical observations show that skin indents markedly during spray deposition due to the large momentum of cryogen droplets. Furthermore, the human skin surface is far from smooth. Therefore, with the objective to provide some insight into the interaction between cryogen sprays and the rough and deformable human skin surface, the impingement dynamics and heat transfer induced by single cryogen droplets falling on rough and indented skin phantoms are present in this paper. Epoxy skin phantoms with a constant semispherical indentation of depth and radius of 2.44 mm and 6.34 mm, respectively, were used to simulate indented skin. Each phantom had a different surface roughnesses varying from 0.5 µm to 50 µm. The experiments were carried out within a pressurized chamber to control or eliminate droplet evaporation. A high-speed camera and the temperature sensors placed on the upper surface of the skin phantoms were synchronized to record the impact dynamics and temperature changes as cryogen droplets fell on them. The results show that the surface roughness affects the impact dynamics and heat transfer during single droplet impingement. As the surface roughness (Ra) increasing, the heat flux decrease. NOMENCLATURE As maximum covered area of spread [mm 2 ]
Transcriptional Induction of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in the Chondrocyte and Synoviocyte Cells Is Regulated via a Novel Mechanism: Evidence for Functional Cooperation between Serum Amyloid A-Activating Factor-1 and AP-1

Increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) by IL-1beta and TNF-alpha is regarded as a key factor in the degradation of cartilage during arthritis. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of this induction process especially in the cells of the joint capsule remains elusive. Chondrocytes and synoviocytes, the resident cells of joint capsule, markedly increase transcription of MMP-9 in response to IL-1beta- and TNF-alpha-mediated stimulation. Using progressively deleted and mutant promoter constructs of MMP-9, we show that serum amyloid A-activating factor (SAF)-1, a novel transcription factor, and the AP-1 family of proteins cooperatively regulate cytokine-mediated induction of MMP-9 in the resident cells of the joint capsule. In the MMP-9 promoter, SAF-1 and AP-1 DNA-binding elements are present in close proximity with only 14 nucleotides apart. SAF-1 DNA-binding activity is increased in both cytokine-stimulated cells as well as in osteoarthritic cartilage tissues. Although overexpression of SAF-1 could increase expression of the MMP-9 promoter and endogenous MMP-9 gelatinolytic activity, for maximal induction of MMP-9 gene concurrent participation of SAF-1 and AP-1 is required. Mutation of either one of these two elements resulted in a severe reduction in cytokine responsiveness of MMP-9 promoter and compromised the transactivation potential of both SAF-1 and AP-1. Simultaneous requirement for two distinct DNA-binding elements suggests that SAF-1 and AP-1 function in a mutually beneficial manner acting as essential coactivators to drive cytokine-mediated transcriptional activation of MMP-9.
Recombination of Univalent Subunits Derived from Rabbit Antibody

SUMMARY Univalent 3.5 S fragments of rabbit antibody have been re- combined in good yield by oxidation to give 5 S protein that again has the capacity to form specific precipitates. The fragments were prepared by successive treatments of specifically purified antiovalbumin or antibovine gamma globulin with pepsin and 0.01 M mercaptoethylamine at 37”. The sedimentation co- efficient after reoxidation was almost identical to that observed before reduction, suggesting that the reconstituted antibody is bivalent. Upon reduction of the recombined material, break- down to -3.5 S occurs once again. The amino acid composition of the 5 S protein formed by peptic digestion is consistent with previous evidence indicating that this fragment consists es- sentially of Porter’s fractions I and II. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. REFERENCES PORTER, R. R., Nature, 182, 670 (1958).
Cattell—Horn—Carroll Cognitive Abilities and Reading Achievement

Structural equation modeling procedures are applied to the standardization sample of the Woodcock—Johnson III to simultaneously estimate the effects of a psychometric general factor (g), specific cognitive abilities, and reading skills on reading achievement. The results of this study indicate that g has a strong direct relationship with basic reading skills until about sixth grade. Also, g is found to have a strong indirect effect on reading fluency and comprehension across grade levels. Basic reading skills has a strong direct effect on reading fluency across grade levels. The effect of cognitive processing speed (Gs) on reading fluency increase with age. Reading fluency initially has a strong direct effect on reading comprehension, but this effect is reduced with age. Conversely, the direct effect of crystallized intelligence or knowledge (Gc) on reading comprehension increase with age.
Improving Policy for Stormwater Management: Implications for Climate Change Adaptation

Abstract Lack of local information on climate change impacts is increasingly recognized as an important barrier to progress in adaptation. However, simply providing decision makers with higher-resolution climate information will not ensure successful adaptation. In order for there to be appropriate information uptake and use, it is essential to understand the political constraints and conditions under which decision makers operate. A detailed examination of the current regulatory context in relation to climate and weather impacts can provide insight into the barriers and obstacles affecting decision makers in adaptation endeavors. This study examines the experiences of the municipalities of Tompkins County, New York, as they attempt to manage stormwater in compliance with federally mandated regulations. The current policies fail to adequately address the fundamental problems affecting local government in New York: fragmented jurisdiction, interagency communication, inability to cope with unfunded mandates...
A lenslet-based device for measuring oxygen saturation in the retina

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes affecting up o 80% of all diabetic patients. DR can lead to blindness and reduced quality of life. Some authors have hypothesized that changes in the flow dynamics associated with DR as well as changes in retinal oxygenation can lead to macular edema. Measurements of oxygen saturation in the retina could help understand the real mechanisms behind this condition. We present a novel spectroscopic imaging device to measure oxygen saturation in the retina. Our system uses a lenslet array to spatially and spectrocopically divide a fundus image. A three wavelengths algorithm is used to calculate oxygen saturation in small vessels. Only wavelengths in the 500 - 580 nm range are considered in order to minimize the wavelength dependence of the scattering from erythrocytes. Preliminary testing on healthy subjects showed values of oxygen saturation comparable to the one reported in the literature.
Free energy perturbation calculations on parallel computers: demonstrations of scalable linear speedup

A coarse-grain parallel implementation of the free energy perturbation (FEP) module of the AMBER molecular dynamics program is described and then demonstrated using five different molecular systems. The difference in the free energy of (aqueous) solvation is calculated for two monovalent cations ΔΔGaq(Li+ Δ Cs+), and for the zero-sum ethane-to-ethane′ perturbation ΔΔGaq(CH3methylX → XmethylCH3), where X is a ghost methyl. The difference in binding free energy for a docked HIV-1 protease inhibitor into its ethylene mimetic is examined by mutating its fifth peptide bond, ΔG(CONH → CHCH). A potassium ion (K+) is driven outward from the center of mass of ionophore salinomycin (SAL−) in a potential of mean force calculation ΔGMeOH(SAL− · K+) carried out in methanol solvent. Parallel speedup obtained is linearly proportional to the number of parallel processors applied. Finally, the difference in free energy of solvation of phenol versus benzene, ΔΔGoct(phenol → benzene), is determined in water-saturated octanol and then expressed in terms of relative partition coefficients, Δ log(Po/w). Because no interprocessor communication is required, this approach is scalable and applicable in general for any parallel architecture or network of machines. FEP calculations run on the nCUBE/2 using 50 or 100 parallel processors were completed in clock times equivalent to or twice as fast as a Cray Y-MP. The difficulty of ensuring adequate system equilibrium when agradual configurational reorientation follows the mutation of the Hamiltonian is discussed and analyzed. The results of a successful protocol for overcoming this equilibration problem are presented. The types of molecular perturbations for which this method is expected to perform most efficiently are described. © 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The financial crisis and hedge fund returns

The financial crisis has focused the lens of politicians and regulators on hedge funds as a source of systemic and operational risk in asset markets. We examine the extent to which available data can provide useful information regarding the impact of hedge funds on the financial system. Using data from January 1994 through September 2008, we find dramatic changes in the exposures of hedge funds to risk factors, accompanied by a significant and widespread increase in correlation between hedge fund and factor returns. Lastly, the discontinuity at zero in the cross-sectional distribution of hedge fund returns persists throughout the sample.
Multiple conceptions of character-based interactive installations

This paper presents ways of approaching the design of successful character-based interactive installations. We rationalize our arguments within the context of both Disney's "illusion of life" and Daniel Dennett's "intentional stance". We present six perspectives from which intentional characters can be viewed: as interactors on a variety of time scales; as reciprocal interactors with each other, as entities exhibiting a dynamic expressive range, as creatures with life cycles; as a combination of allusions to existing media, and as a collection of well-balanced components. By conceptualizing characters in these ways, creators can generate installations that enable participants to read the desires, beliefs, and actions of the characters. This approach forms the basis of a successful character-based interactive installation.
All-additive ink-jet-printed display backplanes: Materials development and integration

— Methods used to deposit and integrate solution-processed materials to fabricate TFT backplanes by ink-jet printing are discussed. Thematerials studied allow the development of an all-additive process in which materials are deposited only where their functionality is required. The metal layer and semiconductor are printed, and the solution-processed dielectric is spin-coated. Silver nanoparticles are used as gate and datametals, the semiconductor used is a polythiophene derivative (PQT-12), and the gate dielectric is an epoxy-based photopolymer. The maximum processing temperature used is 150°C, making the process compatible with flexible substrates. The ION/IOFF ratio was found to be about 105−106, and TFT mobilities of 0.04 cm2/V-sec were obtained. The influence of surface treatments on the size and shape of printed features is presented. It is shown that coffee-stain effects can be controlled with ink formulation and that devices show the expected pixel response.
Delay-optimal technology mapping by DAG covering

We propose an algorithm for minimal-delay technology mapping for library-based designs. We show that subject graphs need not be decomposed into trees for delay minimization; they can be mapped directly as DAGs. Experimental results demonstrate that significant delay improvement is possible by this new approach.
Enteral Nutrition in Short Bowel Syndrome

Enteral nutrition in pediatric short bowel syndrome is a key component in facilitating a child's growth and development. In addition, aggressive use of enteral nutrition is not only one of the most important factors in promoting intestinal adaptation; it as well avoids the numerous complications associated with long-term parenteral nutrition. This manuscript will review the appropriate enteral nutrition for a child with short bowel syndrome. Issues to be addressed include appropriate enteral formula selection, solid food intake, enteral administration routes, and devices. Information presented is based on current research as well as experience with a large population of pediatric short bowel syndrome patients.
Active Vision in Marmosets: A Model System for Visual Neuroscience

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a small-bodied New World primate, offers several advantages to complement vision research in larger primates. Studies in the anesthetized marmoset have detailed the anatomy and physiology of their visual system (Rosa et al., 2009) while studies of auditory and vocal processing have established their utility for awake and behaving neurophysiological investigations (Lu et al., 2001a,b; Eliades and Wang, 2008a,b; Osmanski and Wang, 2011; Remington et al., 2012). However, a critical unknown is whether marmosets can perform visual tasks under head restraint. This has been essential for studies in macaques, enabling both accurate eye tracking and head stabilization for neurophysiology. In one set of experiments we compared the free viewing behavior of head-fixed marmosets to that of macaques, and found that their saccadic behavior is comparable across a number of saccade metrics and that saccades target similar regions of interest including faces. In a second set of experiments we applied behavioral conditioning techniques to determine whether the marmoset could control fixation for liquid reward. Two marmosets could fixate a central point and ignore peripheral flashing stimuli, as needed for receptive field mapping. Both marmosets also performed an orientation discrimination task, exhibiting a saturating psychometric function with reliable performance and shorter reaction times for easier discriminations. These data suggest that the marmoset is a viable model for studies of active vision and its underlying neural mechanisms.
Rethinking Kashmir’s History from a Borderlands Perspective

Although borders haunt its historical and recent past as well as its contemporary political situation, Kashmir has rarely been theorized as a borderland. This article examines the perspective of borderlands as conceptualized in North American, Asian and African borderlands scholarship. It argues that the application of this perspective – in which borderlands are defined as middle grounds where imperial competition and negotiations among a variety of imperial and indigenous actors led to the production of distinct political cultures – to rethinking Kashmir’s history has the potential to liberate the region from the imperatives of national borders that misread its history, while also reinvigorating South Asian borderlands scholarship.
What Do You Need Besides HTML

Cet article propose quelques suggestions concernant ce dont on aura besoin apres avoir ecrit des pages en HTLM sur le reseau World Wide Web. Ces suggestions sont regroupees en trois categories : les realites politiques, les besoins des consommateurs et les besoins des proprietaires de sites sur le Web
Stochastic evolution: a fast effective heuristic for some generic layout problems

There are two canonical optimization problems, namely, NETWORK BISECTIONING (NB) and TRAVELING SALESMAN (TS), that emerge from the physical design and layout of integrated circuits. In this paper, we use an analogy between iterative techniques for combinatorial optimization and the evolution of biological species to obtain the Stochastic Evolution (SE) heuristic for solving a wide range of combinatorial optimization problems. We show that SE can be specifically tailored to solve both NB and TS. Experimental results for the NB and TS problems show that the SE algorithm produces better quality solutions and is faster than the Simulated Annealing algorithm in all instances considered.
THE TRAUMA OF ULTRASOUND DURING A PREGNANCY FOLLOWING PERINATAL LOSS

ABSTRACT This article explores how grief and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are relived during the ultrasound examination following perinatal loss. The research and testimonials of both mothers and fathers show how it is imperative that health care providers consider PTSD symptoms a normal phenomenon under these circumstances. Moreover, it is critical that parents be prepared for memories to resurface during this time. Staying in the present while being mindful of past trauma helps the focus remain on the current pregnancy and lessens the risk of PTSD.
Partitioning Work Centers for Group Technology: Analytical Extension and Shop-Level Simulation Investigation*

This paper investigates the effects of partitioning job shop work centers to implement cellular manufacturing. Analytical models are utilized to show that partitioning leads to adverse effects on flow characteristics. The setup reduction introduced in partitioned systems has to overcome these adverse effects before leading to the benefits associated with cellular manufacturing. It is shown that partitioned systems with an insufficient degree of setup reduction are inferior to unpartitioned systems. Two new parameters relevant to this context, the breakeven setup reduction factor and flow ratio, are introduced for the design of viable cellular manufacturing systems. These insights are verified using a shop-level simulation experiment, assuming non-Markovian conditions. The experimental factors include lot size, setup reduction factor, cell size and allowance of inter-cell movements. It is shown that the results are consistent with analytical insights in indicating the range of parameters in which cellular manufacturing may compare favorably with the best of the functional-layout systems.
EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in squamous cell lung cancer

Lancet Oncology, The - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since mardi 7 juillet 2015
An experimental and numerical investigation of premixed combustion in a vortex in a laboratory dump combustor

A one-dimensional acoustic model was used to predict the resonant modes of the Caltech pulsed combustion facility. The model accurately predicted pressure amplitude spectra found through experiments for the 2.5 and 7.6 cm duct height configurations. Heat addition locations were found to have only marginal effects on shifting the location of the facility’s acoustic modes. A detailed experimental analysis of the reacting vortex structures shed from a rearward-facing step was also performed using high speed shadowgraph and CCD cinematography. Premixed vortical combustion was found to have two ignition mechanisms depending on the prior status within the combustor. In the first, burning was initiated at the surface and proceeded toward the center while in the second ignition was initiated near the center and the flame propagated outward. Time delays measured from the start of vortex shedding to subsequent ignition or to the corresponding maximum burning intensity were found to vary inversely with combustor pressure during injection (shedding) and with combustor pressure during burning. Reducing the height of the combustor increased interactions between the burning vortex and the wall, inhibited vortex growth, and produced longer axial burning regions and higher overall straining throughout the structure’s cycle. Vortex straining was defined in two ways: first, based on the growth rate of the core diameter of the structure and second, based on the effective length of the streamline separating hot combustion products and cold reactants. Straining provided a sufficient delay mechanism to shift vortex shedding from 237 to 188 Hz for the 5.1 cm duct height case.
Social Network and Privacy

Whiles some use the internet basically for commerce, other use for educational purposes whiles to others, it is all about entertainment. The internet can therefore be likened to a blank check, which serves different purposes as and how a person wants to define it. The user variety of the internet notwithstanding, recent studies have actually confirmed that an aspect of internet usage that seem to have caught up with over 70% of all internet users is the phenomenon of social media networking (Compaine and Gomery, 2011). The research paper was conducted with the aim of finding the privacy risks associated with the use of social networking sites and for the practice of social media networking. To realize this aim, five major objectives were set, based on which research questions were developed. The research questions became a guide for the researcher to collect primary and secondary data, with particular emphasis on primary data collection, where a questionnaire was prepared for 50 respondents selected from a university campus. All 50 respondents were users of social networking sites and had strong academic background in journalism and communication, putting them in a position to provid well informed answers to the questions to the respondent. The primary data collection emphasized largely on the attitude of the respondents towards privacy issues whiles using social networking sites. The primary data collection exercise was also committed to knowing the depth of knowledge on privacy issues with social media networks. Through secondary data collection also, the researcher had the opportunity of knowing what the hosts of social networking sites are doing to protect the privacy of users.
fMRI of the sensorimotor system

This chapter focuses on a key characteristic of the somatosensory as well as the motor system, that is, its somatotopic organization. The good spatial resolution of functional MRI (fMRI) as compared to previous functional neuroimaging approaches such as positron emission tomography has allowed noninvasive studies at hitherto unknown spatio-anatomical precision. While early fMRI studies mostly were confirmatory of previously known features of sensorimotor organization, recent studies are shaping a new concept of cortical representations. Besides the somatotopic arrangement, they also take into account the pronounced overlap of body representations, that is, its network characters, particularly for functional units such as the hand. In addition to elucidating general features of sensorimotor neurophysiology, fMRI is ideally suited for identifying individual neuroplasticity. It allows to monitor the cerebral effects of learning processes, such as learning to play an instrument, but also the reaction to pathological events such as peripheral and central lesions to the nervous system.
From a high mortality regime to a high morbidity regime: is culture everything in sickness?

The author comments on an article by S. R. Johansson concerning the cultural determinants of the health transition. He asserts that "Johansson wishes to assign to cultural forces a leading or even an exclusive role without first showing how far changes in behaviour and belief go toward explaining rising sickness rates....Cultural forces may have played a role in prolonging the average duration of sickness episodes but that role appears to be much smaller than the part played by medical advances which have deferred death in fatal diseases and in old age and by the wide-ranging forces that have added new survivors to the population." (EXCERPT)
Coulomb-driven terahertz-frequency intrinsic current oscillations in a double-barrier tunneling structure

We investigate time-dependent, room-temperature quantum electronic transport in GaAs/AlGaAs double-barrier tunneling structures (DBTSs). The open-boundary Wigner-Boltzmann transport equation is solved by the stochastic ensemble Monte Carlo technique, coupled with Poisson's equation and including electron scattering with phonons and ionized dopants. We observe well-resolved and persistent terahertz-frequency current-density oscillations in uniformly doped, dc-biased DBTSs at room temperature. We show that the origin of these intrinsic current oscillations is not consistent with previously proposed models, which predicted an oscillation frequency given by the average energy difference between the quasibound states localized in the emitter and main quantum wells. Instead, the current oscillations are driven by the long-range Coulomb interactions, with the oscillation frequency determined by the ratio of the charges stored in the emitter and main quantum wells. We discuss the tunability of the frequency by varying the doping density and profile.
Who is Your Preferred Neighbor? Partisan Residential Preferences and Neighborhood Satisfaction:

Do people specifically seek to live among political co-partisans when they relocate? Does the partisan composition of the neighborhood affect their level of residential satisfaction? Drawing on sur...
RENAL HEMODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF HYPERTONIC MANNITOL INFUSIONS.

SummaryThe effects of intravenous administration of 5 ml/min of a 20% mannitol solution to operated anesthetized dogs was investigated. In normotensive animals the infusion resulted in a prompt fall in the extraction ratio of PAH, an increase in renal blood flow, and a reduction in glomerular filtration rate. In dogs made hypotensive by bleeding, administration of the mannitol solution, either prevented the marked renal vasoconstriction usually accompanying hemorrhagic hypotension, or restored renal blood flow and to a lesser extent glomerular filtration rate toward control values. The observed effects of the infusion are believed to be the result of renal vasodilation, especially of the efferent arterioles. The mechanism whereby hypertonic mannitol infusion produces this effect is unknown. It is suggested that it operates by blocking humoral vasoconstriction that accompanies anesthesia, trauma, or hemorrhage.
Diagnostic Parasitology:Direct Detection Methods and Serodiagnosis

In this article, the third in a four-part series on diagnostic parasitology, we review the current state of immunodiagnosis of human infections with parasites. The availability of antibody detection tests and commercial reagents are discussed.
Development of a Mesoscale Pulsed Discharge Helium Ionization Detector for Portable Gas Chromatography

Miniaturization of gas chromatography (GC) instrumentation enables field detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for chembio-applications such as clandestine human transport and disease diagnostics. We fabricated a mesoscale pulsed discharge helium ionization detector (micro-PDHID) for integrating with our previously described mini-GC hardware. Stainless steel electrodes fabricated by photochemical etching and electroforming facilitated rapid prototyping and enabled nesting of inter-electrode insulators for self-alignment of the detector core during assembly. The prototype was ∼10 cm(3) relative to >400 cm(3) of a commercial PDHID, but with a comparable time to sweep a VOC peak from the detector cell (170 ms and 127 ms, respectively). Electron trajectory modeling, gas flow rate, voltage bias, and GC outlet location were optimized for improving sensitivity. Despite 40-fold miniaturization, the micro-PDHID detected 18 ng of the human emanation, 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid with <3-fold decrease in sensitivity relative to the commercial detector. The micro-PDHID was rugged and operated for 9 months without failure.
Research on the key technologies for internet of vehicles based on 4G mobile communication system

The internet of vehicles is the development direction of future vehicles,and also the necessary requirement of the information-based society. The key wireless channel resources are provided by 4G mobile communication system for the internet of vehicles. In order to make the internet of vehicles into practice quickly,the application mode and system structure of the internet of vehicles are studied,and the vehicle terminal and information center of the internet of vehicles were designed. The technology principle and implementation scheme for the vehicles applications(intelligent navigation,intelligent traffic management,information publishment and inter-vehicle communication) are proposed,and the system prototype was development. The experiment with the prototype proves that the system can provide a variety of information services,improve the information level of vehicles effectively,and enhance the passing efficiency of the roads and management level of the vehicles.
Chapter 1 – Ruth L. Kirschstein—The Woman and Her Legacy

Although thousands of people apply for the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) training grants every year, few people actually know who Ruth was, what she accomplished in her career, and why these grants serve as her ongoing legacy to scientific training. This chapter provides a brief biography of Ruth L. Kirschstein including information about how her upbringing shaped her ambition and drive, her detail-oriented work as a pathologist leading to the creation of quality control standards for the polio vaccine, her dedication to mentoring and minority issues, her time at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as the first woman to serve as a director of an NIH institute and as acting director of the NIH, and the lasting changes she implemented during her time at the NIH. A brief section is included describing the five different types of NRSA training grants (F30, F31, F31 Diversity, F32, and F33).
Corrosion of aluminum alloy 2024 caused by Aspergillus niger

Corrosion of aluminum alloy 2024 (AA 2024-T3) exposed to fungus Aspergillus niger cultured on glucose containing potato dextrose agar was studied in a high humidity and sterile atmospheric environment. The biofilm evaluation, weight loss measurement, quantitative pit analysis and corrosion product characterization were carried out. Results showed that, under this condition, the presence of A. niger accelerated corrosion process. The corrosion rate of AA 2024-T3 by A. niger was more than 4 times of that exposed to NaCl. Also, severe pitting corrosion, comparable to AA 2024-T3 exposed to NaCl, and aluminum depletion accompanied with copper enrichment were observed. Furthermore, the corrosion morphology was found to be related to the biofilm thickness. The dominant metabolite of A. niger under our experimental condition was identified to be oxalic acid, an aggressive corrodent that causes similar corrosion rate and corroded pit morphology as those observed in this study. Therefore, oxalic acid produced by A. niger under our specific experimental condition is believe to be the main cause for the corrosion of AA 2024-T3.
Prevalence and Predictors of Gastroesophageal Reflux Complications in Community Subjects

Predictors of erosive esophagitis (EE) and Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and the influence of number of risk factors in the community are not well defined. Rates of BE and EE among community residents identified in a randomized screening trial were defined. The risk of EE and BE associated with single and multiple risk factors (gender, age, GERD, Caucasian ethnicity, ever tobacco use, excess alcohol use, family history of BE or EAC, and central obesity) was analyzed. Sixty-eight (33 %) of 205 subjects had EE and/or BE. BE prevalence was 7.8 % with dysplasia present in 1.5 %. Rates were comparable between subjects with and without GERD. Male sex and central obesity were independent risk factors. The odds of EE or BE were 3.7 times higher in subjects with three or four risk factors and 5.7 times higher in subjects with five or more risk factors compared with those with two or less factors. EE and BE are prevalent in the community regardless of the presence of GERD. Risk appeared to be additive, increasing substantially with three or more risk factors.