cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theories in distributed decision fusion: comparison and generalization

Distributed Decision (Evidence) Fusion (DD(E)F) exhibits some interesting characteristics which are not present in centralized, or raw data, fusion. The interesting characteristics relate to the semantic information that the decisions (in the broader sense of the term) convey which (semantic information) is not present, at least explicitly, when raw data is fused. Different theories and results related to DD(E)F have appeared in the literature. Each theory takes a different stand on the definition of how to measure evidence or combine decisions. The objective of this paper is to investigate the nature of DD(E)F and establish a comparative basis between the two most prominent theories in DD(E)F, namely the Bayesian and Dempster-Shafer theories. To that extent, the similarities and differences between the two theories that result from the semantic differences in the format of the fused information are investigated. A performance comparison between the two theories is attempted. A Generalized Evidence Processing (GEP) theory that extends the Bayesian approach into fuzzy decision making is used to compare the performance of a Bayesian soft decision making system with that of a hard decision making Bayesian system. The similarities and differences between the GEP combining rule and the Dempster's combining rule are discussed and a consistency comparison between the two rules is performed.
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy: the enduring legacy of psychoanalysis.

As psychoanalysis, in the new millennium, remains mainly a body of thought from which applications are made, and the technical practice of psychoanalysis becomes severely limited by socioecologic factors, psychoanalytic psychotherapy will continue as the main area of applied analysis and its main enduring legacy. The history of the relations between the two disciplines is reviewed. Scientific issues with respect to unity versus multiplication of theories apply equally to the derivative therapy as to its parent psychoanalysis. Analytically guided psychotherapy, as its parent source, is art, craft, but also science. The total theory I described for psychoanalysis applies to analytic therapy as well.
A Synthesis of Morphology Interventions and Effects on Reading Outcomes for Students in Grades K–12

This article synthesized the morphology intervention studies conducted in English with students in kindergarten through 12th grade between 1986 and 2006. Seven studies were identified as focusing primarily on morphology instruction, including roots and affixes, and measuring one or more reading-related outcomes (e.g., word identification, spelling, vocabulary, reading comprehension). Of those studies meeting the criteria, three studies were focused on word identification, three were focused on vocabulary acquisition, and one was focused on spelling. Although there was a wide range in effect sizes computed for the various outcome measures (−.93 to 9.13), findings indicated that stronger effects were associated with root word instruction (as opposed to affixes alone) and with morphology instruction that targeted students' reading developmental level in an age of acquisition pattern. In addition, results suggested that morphology could successfully be combined with training in other skills without adding instructional time.
Caffeine attenuates vasovagal reactions in female first-time blood donors.

The experience of vasovagal reactions during blood donation (e.g., faintness, dizziness, lightheadedness) can be a deterrent to repeat donation. Because these reactions are associated with decreases in blood pressure, caffeine was examined as a potential modulator of vasovagal reactions by virtue of its pressor effects. Using a randomized, double-blind design, 62 female undergraduate 1st-time blood donors received either 0, 125, or 250 mg of caffeine prior to blood donation. Participants who received 250 mg of caffeine had lower scores on the Blood Donation Reactions Inventory, required fewer interventions by phlebotomists for negative reactions, and reported a greater likelihood of repeat donation than participants who received placebo. These findings suggest that a moderate dose of caffeine attenuates negative reactions in novice female blood donors and may increase the likelihood of repeat donations.
A New Analysis of Neuronal Interspike Intervals Based on Inequality Tests

In an attempt to define patterns in the output of a neuron in the central nervous system, an inequality test for differences in the width of adjacent pairs of interspike intervals was performed using a digital computer. The results of the tests, whether the first interval was longer (+), shorter (-), or the same duration (0) as the second, were arranged into a conditional probability matrix which showed the sequential relationships between three adjacent intervals. The probabilities can be denned as the transition probabilities for an output of a neuron going from one state to another. Significant diagram patterns emerged.
Excretion of oleandomycin in human bile.

After oral and intravenous administration of oleandomycin, peak serum levels were observed 1 hour after the last dose and peak bile levels 6–8 hours after the last dose. Detectable amounts of oleandomycin were observed as long as 13 hours after the last dose.
Phase II trial of dasatinib for patients with acquired resistance to treatment with the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors erlotinib or gefitinib.

Introduction: Dual inhibition of SRC - and EGFR -dependent pathways may overcome acquired resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) for patients with lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR mutations. The SRC inhibitor dasatinib demonstrates antitumor activity in gefitinib-resistant cells lines and xenografts. Dasatinib is tolerable for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and in combination with erlotinib. Methods: We conducted this phase II study of dasatinib 70 mg twice daily in patients with EGFR -mutant lung adenocarcinoma and acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs. After a protocol amendment based on evolving data about both drugs, patients received dasatinib at a dose of 100 mg daily with continued erlotinib after developing acquired resistance. Enrolled patients either harbored an activating mutation in EGFR or experienced clinical benefit with single-agent erlotinib or gefitinib, followed by RECIST documented progression while being treated with an EGFR-TKI. Results: Twenty-one patients were enrolled, 9 under the original trial design and 12 after the protocol amendments. We observed no complete or partial responses (0% observed rate, 95% confidence interval: 0–18%). The median time to progression was 0.5 months (range, 0.2–1.8 months) in patients treated with dasatinib and 0.9 months (range, 0.4–5 months) for patients treated with dasatinib and erlotinib in combination. Pleural effusions and dyspnea were frequent toxicities. Conclusions: Dasatinib has no activity in patients with EGFR -mutant lung adenocarcinoma with acquired resistance to erlotinib and gefitinib.
High-resolution CT in the evaluation of clinically suspected Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients with normal, equivocal, or nonspecific radiographic findings.

Objective We prospectively studied AIDS patients with a high clinical pretest probability of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in whom chest radiographic findings were normal, equivocal, or nonspecific with high-resolution CT (HRCT) to determine the incidence of PCP in these patients, to assess the diagnostic accuracy of HRCT for the presence or absence of PCP, to evaluate the role of HRCT in patient management, and to determine the clinical outcome of all patients 1 month after evaluation. Subjects and methods All patients were referred to the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine for diagnosis of clinically suspected PCP. Thirty-three patients were prospectively evaluated with HRCT within 24 hr of diagnostic bronchoalveolar lavage; 18 other patients who underwent HRCT were managed according to the HRCT interpretation and followed up clinically. All HRCT scans were independently reviewed by three chest radiologists; patchy or nodular ground-glass attenuation was considered to indicate "possible PCP." Results The incidence of PCP was 12% (6/51). The sensitivity of HRCT was 100%; specificity, 89%; and accuracy, 90% (p Conclusion HRCT may allow exclusion of PCP in patients with findings that are normal, equivocal, or nonspecific on chest radiographs. Empiric therapy or immediate bronchoscopy can be avoided in many patients on the basis of the HRCT findings.
Aluminum-silicon interfaces and nanocomposites: A molecular dynamics study

Molecular dynamics is used to examine the deformation and failure of Al-Si interfaces and of nanocomposites consisting of Al and Si nanograins loaded in tension. The modified embedded atom method, is used to describe the forces and energies in the system and accounts for the directional dependence of Si bonding. Various Al/Si interfaces with a common [011] axis parallel to the interface and polycrystals of eight hexagonal grains of 5 nm diameter with [011]-oriented columnar grains with zero, one, or two Si particles are examined to understand the effect of Si additions on the deformation and failure of the material. Three main features are demonstrated. First, imperfectly-matched Al/Si interfaces have relatively high tensile strengths and fracture energies that are larger than the ideal Griffith fracture energies. Second, different mechanisms dominate the early stages of non-linear deformation in the Al polycrystal and Al-Si nanocomposites: the Al polycrystal shows a mix of grain boundary deformation and dislocation activity while the Al-Si polycrystals show significant grain boundary sliding/shearing only at the Al-Si interfaces. The grain boundary sliding/shearing in the Al-Si nanocomposite is also reduced with increasing Si content, leading to higher yield stress. Third, the failure modes differ between the polycrystal and the nanocomposite: failure in the Al polycrystal initiates at a grain boundary and propagates transgranularly whereas failure in the Al-Si composites occurs by void damage accumulation at an Al/Si interface. The composite failure stresses are lower than the strengths of the Al-Si bimaterial interfaces due to stress concentrations in the composites and non-ideality of the as-fabricated composite interfaces but the normal stresses at the particle interfaces do reach values comparable to those of the bimaterial interfaces. These results suggest that Al-Si nanocomposites can be engineered for high hardness strength. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Complications to the Use of Theta-Pinch Discharges for Quantitative Analysis

Initial analytical results are reported for the direct elemental analysis of ceramics using a theta-pinch discharge. Sampling of refractory substances, including detection of minor and trace impurities, is demonstrated. Effects of sample aging and specimen shape are shown. Changes in emission time behavior are attributed to the effects of particle size and apparent nonrepresentative sampling, and to line reversal.
Computational model for autophagic vesicle dynamics in single cells

Macroautophagy (autophagy) is a cellular recycling program essential for homeostasis and survival during cytotoxic stress. This process, which has an emerging role in disease etiology and treatment, is executed in four stages through the coordinated action of more than 30 proteins. An effective strategy for studying complicated cellular processes, such as autophagy, involves the construction and analysis of mathematical or computational models. When developed and refined from experimental knowledge, these models can be used to interrogate signaling pathways, formulate novel hypotheses about systems, and make predictions about cell signaling changes induced by specific interventions. Here, we present the development of a computational model describing autophagic vesicle dynamics in a mammalian system. We used time-resolved, live-cell microscopy to measure the synthesis and turnover of autophagic vesicles in single cells. The stochastically simulated model was consistent with data acquired during conditions of both basal and chemically-induced autophagy. The model was tested by genetic modulation of autophagic machinery and found to accurately predict vesicle dynamics observed experimentally. Furthermore, the model generated an unforeseen prediction about vesicle size that is consistent with both published findings and our experimental observations. Taken together, this model is accurate and useful and can serve as the foundation for future efforts aimed at quantitative characterization of autophagy.
High-sensitivity single-molecule fluorescence detection

The number of photons that can be obtained from a fluorescent chromophore increases with the incident light intensity and the duration of illumination. However, saturation of the absorption transition and photodestruction place natural limits on the ultimate signal-to-noise ratio that can be obtained. Equations have been derived to describe the fluorescence-to-background-noise ratio in the presence of saturating light intensities and photodestruction. The fluorescence lifetime, the extinction coefficient, and the photodestruction quantum yield are the key parameters that determine the optimum light intensity and exposure time. This theory indicates that the laser power should be selected to give a mean time between absorptions approximately equal to the fluorescence decay rate, and the transit time should be selected to be nearly equal to the photodestruction time. Using these optimum conditions we have performed experiments to detect individual molecules of phycoerythrin (PE). The photocount distribution function, the photocount autocorrelation function, and the concentration dependence from phycoerythrin clearly show that we are detecting bursts of fluorescence from individual fluorophores. A hard-wired version of this single-molecule detection system was used to measure the concentration of PE down to 1015 M. This single-molecule counter is three orders-of-magnitude more sensitive than conventional fluorescence detection systems. The approach presented here has also been used to optimize fluorescence-detected DNA sequencing gels. Using a confocal microscope configuration we have detected DNA sequencing gels at concentrations as low as i0 fluorescent DNA fragments per band.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
In Vivo Bioequivalence and In Vitro Similarity Factor (f2) for Dissolution Profile Comparisons of Extended Release Formulations: How and When Do They Match?

To investigate how likely two extended release formulations are to be bioequivalent when they demonstrate f2 similarity. Dissolution profiles were simulated using the Weibull model and varying model parameters around those of a reference profile. The f2 values were calculated for the comparisons of each simulation with the reference profile. The in vivo inputs obtained from an in vitro-in vivo correlation model were convolved with a unit impulse response function. The AUC, Cmax, and Tmax from each simulated in vivo concentration profile were compared to the reference profile. The AUCR (AUC ratio) and CmaxR (Cmax ratio) were determined. The consistency between f2 and bioequivalence was investigated. The relationships between AUCR, CmaxR, f2 and the Weibull model parameters demonstrate that the bioequivalence regions enclosed by the contour lines of 80% and 125% of AUCR and CmaxR were generally close to the regions enclosed by the f2 = 50 contour line, but did not exactly match, especially when Dmax and B deviated from the reference values. When f2 is used for in vitro dissolution profile comparison, the completeness of the dissolution profiles should not differ more than 10%, and the shapes of the dissolution profiles should not be significantly different.
Inhibition of the activation of hageman factor (factor XII) by eosinophils and eosinophilic constituents.

Several syndromes characterized by striking eosinophilia may be complicated by thrombosis. The experiments described indicate that, paradoxically, eosinophils and certain of their constituents inhibit the activation of Hageman factor (HF, factor XII). In earlier studies, suspensions of mixed types of granulocytes, other nucleated peripheral blood cells, and platelets inhibited activation of Hageman factor by ellagic acid, glass, and sulfatides. After these cells were sedimented by centrifugation, the supernatant fluids were also inhibitory. No attempt had been made earlier to distinguish among different granulocytic species. In the present study, suspensions of eosinophils and the supernatant fluid after eosinophils had been separated by centrifugation inhibited activation of Hageman factor by ellagic acid. The protein concentration of that amount of supernatant fluid that inhibited activation by about half was 16 μg/ml, approximately the same as had been described for suspensions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Activation of Hageman factor by ellagic acid was also inhibited by certain constituents of eosinophils, including eosinophil peroxidase, eosinophil major basic protein and eosinophil cationic protein. Inhibition was not specific for ellagic acid-induced activation of Hageman factor, as inhibition was also observed with sulfatide-induced activation. Inhibition was presumably related to neutralization of the negative charge of activators of Hageman factor. Thus, bismuth subgallate, a particulate activator of Hageman factor, was no longer effective after it had been exposed to eosinophil cationic protein. The observations reported here raise the question of whether in vivo eosinophils modulate certain of the defense reactions ascribed to Hageman factor. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ESTIMATION OF ENDOGENOUS RENIN IN HUMAN BLOOD

Abstract With existing methods, estimates of endogenous renin in human serum or plasma differ widely, in part due to technical differences. In a new relatively simple and less time-consuming method the essential technical details are the use of purified, angiotensinase-free substrate added to angiotensinase-free serum, incubation for a prolonged period, and control assays of increasing quantities of a standard preparation of human renin added to the serum. Under these conditions, the yield of angiotensin increases linearly with the concentration of the added renin, and the concentration of endogenous renin in the serum can be calculated from the slope of the line, which represents the quantity of angiotensin produced per unit of added renin, and the intercept, which represents the amount of angiotensin produced without added renin. A precise assay of renin expressed in terms of an internationally acceptable standard preparation of human renin can thus be achieved.
Depressed mood and lateralized prefrontal activity during a Stroop task in adolescent children

Negative affective style and depressive disorders share a common pattern of brain activation asymmetry in adults, characterized by reduced left relative to right prefrontal activation. It is not clear whether a similar pattern of asymmetry is related to depressive mood state during the period of adolescence, an important stage of emotional and brain development. We correlated Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores from 16 adolescents with prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and amygdala activity during functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) of the Stroop Interference task. Depressed mood correlated positively with activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate gyrus, and negatively with activity in the right DLPFC. When interpreted from a compensatory recruitment perspective, findings suggest that affective lateralization in adolescents is consistent with that seen in adulthood.
Nealtican, Mexico: A Peasant Community That Rejected the ‘Green Revolution’

. The ‘Green Revolution’ designates the application of Mendelian principles to seed selection and crossing beginning in the 1940s to establish new plant varieties affording higher-yielding crops. Its technology and products failed to win acceptance in some less developed countries. The case of Nealtican, Mexico, helps to explain why. Its rejection is seen, given the specific circumstances of the cultural and physical environment, as a rational response. The policy problem is to overcome site-specific constraints—when scientific investigation has determined what they really are.
Age and Race as Factors in Craniofacial Growth and Development

Large samples of adult American black and white males are being studied to determine the extent to which age and race are important factors in craniofacial mophology and growth. It is shown that a number of dentofaical dimensions continue to change throughout adulthood and that the amount and direction of these changes may be race-specific. Applications in orthodontics and prosthetic dentistry are indicated.
The benefit of the doubt: Testing an informational theory of the rally effect

In this article I investigate the apparent tension between liberal theories that highlight the foreign policy benefits of domestic accountability and the observation that the public tends to reflexively support a leader during an international crisis. Previous theories of the process by which the public rallies around their leader tend to highlight the emotional and automatic nature of citizens' responses to threats. Using a simple signaling model, I show that the political and operational circumstances that increase the probability of post hoc verification and punishment for privately motivated policy enhance the credibility of a leader's choices and transmit information on the benefits of action to the public. I derive several observable hypotheses from the informational model, linking the costliness of the signal, the presences of divided government, election years, active term limits, political insecurity, changes in freedom of information laws, and trust in government to the size of the rally in the United States. A battery of empirical tests offer strong support for the informational model and suggest that a public rally is a rational response to numerous international crisis circumstances. Observing a rally need not imply an emotional or irrational public.The author would like to thank Eric Chang, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Henk Goemans, Burt Monroe, Joachim Rennstich, Ken Bickers, Steve Chan, Tom Hammond, and Brian Silver for comments and constructive criticism. Three reviewers and the editorial staff at IO also deserve considerable thanks for contributing to the coherence of the article. As always, the remaining faults solely reflect the faults of the author.
Web-Based Service Exchange System for Agents and Humans Alike

Semantic Web research aims at bridging the gap between how humans and agents process information readily available on the Internet. One of the great challenges to this goal lies in the fact that humans, contrary to agents, can extract the meaning of words based on its context. This work introduces a service exchange system for the Web that allows agents to intelligently process information, as would humans. This is achieved by the use of thesauri to help agents resolve semantic heterogeneity in the information being processed. The framework for the exchange system has been realized under the aglet platform on the secure aglet server SAS, thus providing it with a secure execution environment. This article discusses the exchange system and presents a prototyped pharmaceutical marketplace built using the exchange system framework. The prototype showcases the ability of the system to support intelligent information processing by agents and humans alike.
Automated test-data generation from formal models of software

Verification and Validation (V&V) of software for critical embedded control systems often consumes upto 70% of the development resources. Testing is one of the most frequently used V&V technique for verifying such systems. Many regulatory agencies that certify control systems for use require that the software be tested to certain specified levels of coverage. Currently, developing test cases to meet these requirements takes a major portion of the resources. Automating this task would result in significant time and cost savings. The objective of this paper is to automate the generation of such test cases. We propose an approach where we rely on a formal model of the required software behavior for test-case generation, as well as, an oracle to determine if the implementation produced the correct output during testing.
The Effect of Payment Schemes on Inventory Decisions: The Role of Mental Accounting

Does the payment scheme have an effect on inventory decisions in the newsvendor problem? Keeping the net profit structure constant, we examine three payment schemes that can be interpreted as the newsvendor's order being financed by the newsvendor herself scheme O, by the supplier through delayed order payment scheme S, and by the customer through advanced revenue scheme C. In a laboratory study, we find that inventory quantities exhibit a consistent decreasing pattern in the order of schemes O, S, and C, with the order quantities of scheme S being close to the expected-profit-maximizing solution. These observations are inconsistent with the expected-profit-maximizing model, contradict what a regular or hyperbolic time-discounting model would predict, and cannot be explained by the loss aversion model. Instead, they are consistent with a model that underweights the order-time payments, which can be explained by the “prospective accounting” theory in the mental accounting literature. A second study shows that the results hold even if all physical payments are conducted at the same time, suggesting that the framing of the payment scheme is sufficient to induce the prospective accounting behavior. We further validate the robustness of our model under different profit conditions. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the psychological processes involved in newsvendor decisions and have implications for supply chain financing and contract design. This paper was accepted by Christian Terwiesch, operations management.
Opt-In Detection Based on Call Detail Records

Opt-in phone calls or emails refer to promotional phone calls or emails that have been requested by the people receiving them. In this paper we propose a model based on dynamic sliding windows to detect opt-in phone calls based on mobile phone call detail records. This work is useful for detecting unwanted calls (e.g., spam) and commercial purposes. For validation of our results, we used actual call logs of 100 users collected at MIT by the Reality Mining Project group for a period of 8 months. The experimental results show that our model achieves good performance with 91% accuracy.
GATA Family Transcription Factors Activate Lactase Gene Promoter in Intestinal Caco-2 Cells

The GATA family of transcription factors regulate tissue-specific patterns of gene expression during development. We have characterized the interaction between GATA proteins and the lactase gene promoter. Nuclear protein bound to the lactase gene GATA region cis element (-97 to -73) was analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and supershift assays with GATA antibodies. Lactase promoter activities were assayed in Caco-2 cells transfected with wild-type and mutated luciferase promoter-reporter constructs and GATA-4/5/6 expression constructs. EMSA with the GATA region probe yields a specific DNA-protein complex that requires the GATA factor binding site WGATAR. The complex is recognized by GATA-4- and GATA-6-specific antibodies. GATA-4/5/6 expression constructs are able to activate transcription driven by the wild-type promoter, but not by a promoter in which the GATA binding site is mutated, in Caco-2 and nonintestinal QT6 cells. GATA factor binding to the lactase cis element correlates with functional promoter activation. We conclude that each of the GATA family zinc finger proteins expressed in the intestine, GATA-4, -5, and -6, can interact with the lactase promoter GATA element and can function to activate the promoter in Caco-2 cells.
Parent Perspectives of Diabetes Management in Schools

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate parent reports of the diabetes care support their children receive in school, their concerns about diabetes management in school, and their knowledge of federal laws that protect children with diabetes. In addition, the study explores ethnic and socioeconomic status differences in diabetes management in school.Methods An ethnically heterogeneous sample of 309 parents of children with diabetes was recruited from a community-based and a university-based diabetes outpatient clinic. Parents completed a survey assessing supports their child's school provides for diabetes care, worries about diabetes care in school, and awareness of federal laws that pertain to children with diabetes.Results Many children did not have a written care plan or a nurse at school, but significantly more white children had these supports than Hispanic or black children. Most children were not allowed to check blood glucose levels or administer insulin in class. Most parents were wor...
X-ray lithography effects on MOS oxides

N- and p-channel MOSFETs were subjected to hot-carrier injection to compare the reliability of devices with and without exposure to simulated X-ray lithography. No significant electrical effects due to hot-carrier injection under realistic operating conditions were observed. This result suggests that neutral electron trap charging may not be as serious a problem as has been previously thought. >
Neural stem cells for Parkinson's disease: To protect and repair

“Stem cells” and “Parkinson's disease” are four words that signify some of the most important translational research in neuroscience. The imagination of scientists has been captured by the notion that there exists a single “stem” cell, a mother or queen of all cells, with the ability to self-renew and to generate all other cells in an organism. In other words, stem cells are capable of generating various committed progenitor cells and ultimately differentiating into mature cells. Although many investigators have found numerous multipotent and pluripotent cell lines from a variety of sources, it is absolutely critical that we begin to develop the clinical technology to actually use those cells in disease. For Parkinson's disease, it will take significant experimental studies in primate models to demonstrate safety and efficacy prior to human clinical trials.
The neurocognitive underpinnings of diminished expressivity in schizotypy: what the voice reveals

Diminished expressivity is a characteristic feature of schizophrenia-spectrum pathology. However, attempts to elucidate the neurobiological underpinnings of diminished expressivity have yielded limited information. The present study posited that diminished expressivity was associated with a right, but not left-hemispheric dysfunction. Diminished expressivity was measured in separate groups of controls and psychometrically-identified individuals with schizotypic traits using 1) acoustic analysis of natural speech during a controlled laboratory procedure, and 2) self-report of expressivity. A state measure of emotional experience was also employed. For the most part, the schizotypy and control groups performed similarly on the neurocognitive measures. Within the schizotypy group diminished expressivity, measured using acoustic analysis, was significantly correlated with right hemispheric but not left hemispheric deficits. Conversely, the self-report measures of emotional expressivity and experience were relatively unrelated to the neurocognitive measures. These results highlight the role of the right hemisphere in diminished expressivity and support the use of acoustic analysis of speech as a sensitive means for researching diminished expressivity. The discussion focuses on placing the present findings in the larger context of understanding the neuropathology of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
SPC09-4: A Hardware Impairment Compensation Scheme with Cascaded Adaptive Filters

In addition to channel distortion and additive noise, hardware impairment at receivers is an important problem in modern communication system design. An effective receiver needs to compensate for the distortion caused by the propagation channel and by the hardware impairment separately so that receiver still can work in a time varying environment as if there were no receiver impairment. Adaptive filter in cascade form is a good candidate but previous analysis shows its multiple solutions prevent it from separate compensation. Our analysis shows that the cascaded filter has a convex cost function if multiple propagation channels are available and the expectation can be taken over the channels. Simulation shows good convergence performance. The separate compensation capability of the cascaded filters enables effective compensation of receiver impairments.
A theory of corporate spin-offs ✓

Abstract We develop a new rationale for corporate spin-offs, and for the performance and value improvements following them, based on corporate control considerations. We consider a firm with multiple divisions, with incumbent management having different abilities for managing these divisions. If the incumbent loses control to a more able rival, it benefits all shareholders (including the incumbent) by increasing equity value, but involves the incumbent losing his private benefits of control. We show that a spin-off increases the incumbent's chance of losing control to such a rival. This, in turn, motivates the incumbent either to work harder at managing the firm (in order to avoid any loss of control), or to relinquish control of one of the firms resulting from the spin-off (either immediately following the spin-off, or subsequently in a control contest). We show that spin-offs will be associated with positive announcement effects and increases in long-term operating performance. Further, certain categories of spin-offs will exhibit long-term positive abnormal stock returns.
Universal number partition problem with divisibility

We examine a version of the Universal Number Partition Problem with a divisibility property referred to as the Universal Shelf Packing Problem (USPP). We show that if a shelf length is a product of powers of two primes the USPP is always partitionable. In the case where the shelf length is a product of three distinct primes we propose an efficient scheme to determine when such a case is not partitionable. We also show that a shelf length that is a product of powers of four or more primes always has at least one partition failure. Our analysis uses elementary number theory, known results related to the linear Diophantine Frobenius problem, and a new result on Frobenius gaps.
A NOVEL CYCLIC BETA -1,2-GLUCAN MUTANT OF RHIZOBIUM MELILOTI

The periplasmic cyclic beta-1,2-glucans produced by bacteria within the Rhizobiaceae family provide functions during hypo-osmotic adaptation and plant infection. In Rhizobium meliloti, these molecules are highly modified with phosphoglycerol and succinyl substituents, and it is possible that the anionic character of these glucans is important for their functions. In the present study, we have used a thin-layer chromatographic screening method to identify a novel R. meliloti mutant specifically blocked in its ability to transfer phosphoglycerol substituents to the cyclic beta-1,2-glucan backbone. Further analysis revealed that the cyclic glucans produced by this mutant contained elevated levels of succinyl substituents. As a result, the overall anionic charge on the cyclic beta-1,2-glucans was found to be similar to that of wild-type cells. Despite this difference in cyclic beta-1,2-glucan structure, the mutant was shown to effectively nodulate alfalfa and to grow as well as wild-type cells in hypo-osmotic media.
Manifest Anxiety-Defensiveness Scale: First Factor of the MMPI Revisited:

A 63-item form for men and 59-item form for women of the Manifest Anxiety-Defensiveness (MAD) scale resulted from three separate item analyses performed on a 243-item composite scale obtained by po...
Multiplexed acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) spectral imaging microscopy

In contrast to existing methodologies employed for multispectral imaging based on filter wheels, prisms or gratings, the acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) provides significant advantages. The AOTF is digitally accessible providing wavelength selection and rapid optical switching in a compact instrument. In addition, AOTFs can be employed as multiplexed polychromators in which several wavelengths are tuned at the same time by injecting multiple rf signals into the AOTF simultaneously. We apply spectral multiplexing for Raman microscopy in which the integrated image on the CCD detector is the linear combination of scattered radiation corresponding to several vibrational modes. Hadamard transform mathematics govern the multiplexing sequence allowing efficient recovery of the spectrum. In this manner, the optical throughput of the AOTF is increased and spectral images can be collected rapidly.
Smartphone Applications for Patients' Health and Fitness.

Abstract Healthcare providers are often looking for ways to objectively monitor and improve their patients' health and fitness, especially in between patient visits. Some insurance companies are using applications data as incentives to improve health and lower premiums. As more and more people start to use smartphones, they may provide a tool to help improve a patient's health and fitness. Specifically, fitness applications or "apps" on smartphones are programs that use data collected from a smartphone's inbuilt tools, such as the Global Positioning System, accelerometer, microphone, speaker, and camera, to measure health and fitness parameters. The apps then analyze these data and summarize them, as well as devise individualized plans based on users' goals, provide frequent feedback, personalized coaching, and additional motivation by allowing milestones to be shared on social media. This article introduces evidence that apps can better help patients reach their health and fitness goals. It then discusses what features to look for in an app, followed by an overview of popular health and fitness apps. Last, patient scenarios with app recommendations, limitations of apps, and future research are discussed.
Functional Assessment in End-Stage Renal Disease: Enhancing Quality of Life

Why do functional assessments in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) matter? Multiple studies show that new dialysis patients undergo a substantial decline among activities of daily living. Moreover, poor functional status in ESRD patients is associated with early morality. That is why CMS has developed new criteria to assess ESRD patients in regards to their functional, psychologic, and cognitive capabilities. Functional assessments by health providers have been used in field of Rehabilitation Medicine for over 50 years; rehabilitation physicians have found them effective in establishing goals and monitoring improvement. Assessments can provide guidance by identifying the needs and types of intervention most suited for patients. Impairments can be addressed with referrals to physical therapy for gross motor issues, occupational therapy for self-care problems, psychiatry for mental disorders, and neurology for cognitive deficits. The more accurate the assessments over time, the more targeted and effective the therapies become. We believe that the new CMS goals to assess functionality will improve ESRD patient's quality of life, longevity, and long-term healthcare costs.
Multivariate mutation-selection balance with constrained pleiotropic effects.

A multivariate quantitative genetic model is analyzed that is based on the assumption that the genetic variation at a locus j primarily influences an underlying physiological variable y(j), while influence on the genotypic values is determined by a kind of ``developmental function'' which is not changed by mutations at this locus. Assuming additivity among loci the developmental function becomes a linear transformation of the underlying variables y onto the genotypic values x, x = By. In this way the pleiotropic effects become constrained by the structure of the B-matrix. The equilibrium variance under mutation-stabilizing selection balance in infinite and finite populations is derived by using the house of cards approximation. The results are compared to the predictions given by M. Turelli in 1985 for pleiotropic two-character models. It is shown that the B-matrix model gives the same results as Turelli's five-allele model, suggesting that the crucial factor determining the equilibrium variance in multivariate models with pleiotropy is the assumption about constraints on the pleiotropic effects, and not the number of alleles as proposed by Turelli. Finally it is shown that under Gaussian stabilizing selection the structure of the B-matrix has effectively no influence on the mean equilibrium fitness of an infinite population. Hence the B-matrix and consequently to some extent also the structure of the genetic correlation matrix is an almost neutral character. The consequences for the evolution of genetic covariance matrices are discussed.
Korean Immigrant Women’s Health Care Utilization in the United States A Systematic Review of Literature

A systematic literature review was performed to review empirical evidence, published between 1946 and 2015, regarding Korean immigrant women’s health care utilization and factors affecting their health care utilization in the United States. Andersen’s behavioral model of health services utilization was used as a framework and was expanded to analyze the pattern of health services utilization and to identify characteristics of access to health care. A total of 32 reports were included. Variables were categorized into 1 of 5 individual determinants: cultural, enabling, predisposing, need, and reinforcing factor. A total of 423 relationships were found between individual determinants and health care utilization. All reinforcing variables were effective in increasing Korean immigrant women’s health care utilization in a positive way. Interventions targeting multiple factors were strongly effective in encouraging Korean immigrant women to utilize health services for cancer screening. However, these studies yie...
Magnetic Nanoparticles for Targeting and Imaging of Stem Cells in Myocardial Infarction

Stem cell therapy has broad applications in regenerative medicine and increasingly within cardiovascular disease. Stem cells have emerged as a leading therapeutic option for many diseases and have broad applications in regenerative medicine. Injuries to the heart are often permanent due to the limited proliferation and self-healing capability of cardiomyocytes; as such, stem cell therapy has become increasingly important in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Despite extensive efforts to optimize cardiac stem cell therapy, challenges remain in the delivery and monitoring of cells injected into the myocardium. Other fields have successively used nanoscience and nanotechnology for a multitude of biomedical applications, including drug delivery, targeted imaging, hyperthermia, and tissue repair. In particular, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) have been widely employed for molecular and cellular imaging. In this mini-review, we focus on the application of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in targeting and monitoring of stem cells for the treatment of myocardial infarctions.
Public reputation and organised crime: explicating the relationship between racket subcultures and informal social control

This paper examines the influence of traditional organised crime on informal social control in community areas that once had a presence of organised crime while controlling for neighbourhood attachment, satisfaction with the police, social and organisational ties, and tolerance of deviance. The data comes from the Community Survey of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. The comparative quantitative method was used to analyse the data. The findings indicate that neighbourhoods with an historic reputation for organised crime can report higher levels of informal social control when compared to current racket areas in the city of Chicago. These findings have important implications for the study of deviance. Not only do they suggest that criminals can play an important role in controlling street crime, the findings also suggest that this public reputation remains long after organised crime activities have ceased in the area.
Cholesterol-induced suppression of membrane elastic fluctuations at the atomistic level

Applications of solid-state NMR spectroscopy for investigating the influences of lipid-cholesterol interactions on membrane fluctuations are reviewed in this paper. Emphasis is placed on understanding the energy landscapes and fluctuations at an emergent atomistic level. Solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy directly measures residual quadrupolar couplings (RQCs) due to individual C–2H labeled segments of the lipid molecules. Moreover, residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) of 13C–1H bonds are obtained in separated local-field NMR spectroscopy. The distributions of RQC or RDC values give nearly complete profiles of the order parameters as a function of acyl segment position. Measured equilibrium properties of glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids including their binary and tertiary mixtures with cholesterol show unequal mixing associated with liquid-ordered domains. The entropic loss upon addition of cholesterol to sphingolipids is less than for glycerophospholipids and may drive the formation of lipid rafts. In addition relaxation time measurements enable one to study the molecular dynamics over a wide time-scale range. For 2H NMR the experimental spin-lattice (R1Z) relaxation rates follow a theoretical square-law dependence on segmental order parameters (SCD) due to collective slow dynamics over mesoscopic length scales. The functional dependence for the liquid-crystalline lipid membranes is indicative of viscoelastic properties as they emerge from atomistic-level interactions. A striking decrease in square-law slope upon addition of cholesterol denotes stiffening relative to the pure lipid bilayers that is diminished in the case of lanosterol. Measured equilibrium properties and relaxation rates infer opposite influences of cholesterol and detergents on collective dynamics and elasticity at an atomistic scale that potentially affects lipid raft formation in cellular membranes.
Study on biological characteristics and molecular typing of Salmonella enteritidis from food poison

Objective:To study biological characteristics and molecular typing of Salmonella enteritidis from food poisoning.Methods:Strains isolated,biochemical identification and determining the serotype are done by referring to GB/T4789.4-2008 methods,VITEK-32 automatic identification system was used for detecting strains of drug sensitivity,real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used for detecting the invA gene in Salmonella,PFGE was used for molecular typing.Results:Ten S.enteritidis are found from the seventy specimens;Analysis of the drug the strains with 100% sensitive are ampicillin,ampicillin/sulb,cefazolin,ceftazidime,with nitrofurantoin resistance by 70.0%,A total of 10 strains S.enteritidis possessed invA gene;Ten strai-ns of S.enteritidis were found in 10 specimens from patient and smear.The belt-line types of the ten S.enteritidis strains were the same by PFGE molecular typing,that′s indicated that the ten S.entreitidis strains came from the same sources.Conclusion:The invA gene detection was a molecular method for the detection of Salmonella.PFGE is an effective method of molecular typing and can be used to analyse the hom-ology of the Salmonella from food poisoning.