cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polarization and power scaling of harmonics from solid and targets in the /spl lambda//sup 3/-regime

Harmonic generation mechanisms are studied in the ultrafast (22 fs), relativistic regime (I/spl lambda//sup 2//spl sim/10/sup 18/ W/cm/sup 2/). Analysis of the polarization and intensity dependence of the harmonics illustrates different mechanisms of harmonic production for odd and even harmonics.
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the frontal sinus presenting as osteomyelitis

Abstract Objectives The aim of the study was to present a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) originating in the frontal sinus that presented as osteomyelitis of the frontal bone. Methods A review of a single case including radiographic, intraoperative, and pathologic findings was done, followed by a discussion highlighting relevant literature. Results A 55-year-old man presented with pain and swelling of the forehead with 8 weeks duration. He had a history of chronic rhinosinusitis and underwent endoscopic maxillary antrostomies 4 years prior. A presumptive diagnosis of frontal sinusitis with osteomyelitis was made and prolonged oral antibiotic therapy started. The patient was referred to our center after symptoms and objective findings failed to improve. Computed tomography revealed a destructive process of the frontal bone with near total opacification of the frontal sinuses. An exploratory external frontal sinusotomy was performed revealing an infiltrative soft tissue mass filling most of the frontal sinus. Dehiscence of the posterior table was noted without dural involvement. Pathology of this mass revealed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of intermediate grade. The patient underwent 6 cycles of chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone; radiotherapy to the frontal bone; and central nervous system prophylaxis via intrathecal methotrexate. Clinically, he fell into the Ann Arbor Stage II EA NHL category because of an isolated axillary lymph node. Now, 18 months after completion of therapy he is without evidence of disease based on serial positron emission tomography and computed tomography scanning. Conclusions We describe a case of NHL of the frontal sinus, which presented as osteomyelitis. We highlight important features of this patient's clinical presentation that can help differentiate an inflammatory process from a neoplastic process in the frontal bone. Timely diagnosis is critical, and neoplasms of the frontal sinus can be easily misdiagnosed as inflammatory.
A multiscale hybrid linear model for lossy image representation

This paper introduces a simple and efficient representation for natural images. We partition an image into blocks and treat the blocks as vectors in a high-dimensional space. We then fit a piecewise linear model (i.e. a union of affine subspaces) to the vectors at each down-sampling scale. We call this a multiscale hybrid linear model of the image. The hybrid and hierarchical structure of this model allows us effectively to extract and exploit multimodal correlations among the imagery data at different scales. It conceptually and computationally remedies limitations of many existing image representation methods that are based on either a fixed linear transformation (e.g. DCT, wavelets), an adaptive unimodal linear transformation (e.g. PCA), or a multi-modal model at a single scale. We will justify both analytically and experimentally why and how such a simple multiscale hybrid model is able to reduce simultaneously the model complexity and computational cost. Despite a small overhead for the model, our results show that this new model gives more compact representations for a wide variety of natural images under a wide range of signal-to-noise ratio than many existing methods, including wavelets.
High-performance Ti-indiffused LiNbO3 multifunction chip for use in fiber optic gyros

Performance of Multi—Function Chips fabricated in Ti—indiffused LiNbO3 to operate at 1.3jm is presented. Achieved polarization extinction ratios exceeding 60dB represent significant improvements over published data. Measurement techniques which isolate the various chip—performance parameters and interpretations of their influence on gyro performance will be emphasized.
Suture Plication, Thermal Shrinkage, and Sclerosing Agents Effects on Rat Patellar Tendon Length and Biomechanical Strength

BackgroundShortening or tightening of dense, collagenous tissues is often desirable in the treatment of laxity.PurposeTo compare the effect of stress-protection suture, radiofrequency thermal shrinkage combined with stress-protection suture, and a 5% sodium morrhuate sclerosing injection on the length and biomechanical strength of the rat patellar tendon.HypothesisSclerosing agents will increase tendon mechanical strength. Thermal shrinkage combined with stress-protection suture and stress-protection suture only will cause a short-term decrease in tendon strength. All 3 methods will produce equivalent shortening of the tendon.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsForty-six female retired breeder rats were split into 4 groups, each receiving 1 of the 3 aforementioned treatments plus a control group that received a saline injection. After 4 weeks’ survival, the length and biomechanical properties of the patellar tendons were measured and compared to the contralateral untreated tendon.ResultsRats tr...
Space Geodesy and Geodynamics

Space Geodesy and Geodynamics is a collection of 15 articles concerned with space-based technologies for measuring the gravity field, shape, and deformation of the Earth, and the important geophysical problems that can be studied using these technologies. This is an unusual book because it is one of the first to present these technology, geodesy, and geophysics topics under the same cover. First, to summarize the contents of the book, there are five numbered sections. Section 1 is an overview by Allen Anderson that emphasizes that space-based techniques have brought about a new field in geophysics.
Phylogenetic Analysis of Ridgewayia (Copepoda: Calanoida) from the Galapagos and of a New Species from the Florida Keys With a Reevaluation of the Phylogeny of Calanoida

The mitochondrial gene cytochrome-c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and the nuclear ribosomal DNA region known as Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) are used in a phylogenetic analysis of Ridgewayia from the Galapagos Islands and of a new species, Ridgewayia tortuga, from the Florida Keys. In addition, the phylogeny of Calanoida is reconstructed based on the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. The following characters exclude R. tortuga from the three recognized species groups of Ridgewayia: the presence of only 7 setae on the terminal endopod segment of leg 2; a 20-segmented male right antennule with two geniculations, the first between segments 9 and 10 and the second between segments 16 and 17; and details of the male fifth leg, in particular the elongate, unarmed, right endopod with a bifurcated tip. The molecular analysis shows that the first half of the COI gene not only fails to differentiate the various species of Ridgewayia, but it also fails to differentiate between the families Ridgewayiidae and Pseudocyclopidae. The second half of this gene and the ITS1 region are species specific. Molecular and morphological evidence suggest that the Galapagos ridgewayiids are the result of one colonization event and that the current phylogeography of these animals can be explained by a combination of vicariance and active migration models. The 18S ribosomal RNA gene proves successful in the reconstruction of the phylogeny of Calanoida with the following main conclusions: 1) Centropagoidea is the sister branch to all other Calanoida; 2) Ridgewayiidae and Pseudocyclopidae likely share a common ancestor with Augaptiloidea; 3) Ridgewayiidae and Pseudocyclopidae should be included in the same superfamily, the Pseudocyclopoidea; and 4) Spinocalanoidea likely needs to be included in Clausocalanoidea to recover the monophyly of the latter superfamily.
A view into the subsurface of Mauna Kea volcano, Hawaii : Crystallization processes interpreted through the petrology and petrography of gabbroic and ultramafic xenoliths

intrusions; e.g. in situ and gravity-settled crystallization, extensive Xenoliths from the southern flank of Mauna Kea volcano form two differentiation, varieties of layering, mobilizations of late-stage, broad categories. (1) Ultramafic: porphyroclastic dunite, wehrlite, evolved liquids, compaction and convective disturbances in reservoirs. and olivine clinopyroxenite (Fo89·4–83·6, clinopyroxene mg-number 90·3–86·3, spinel mg-number 57–42, spinel cr-number 70–52, no plagioclase); and granular wehrlite and olivine clinopyroxenite (Fo83–76) with plagioclase (An84–69) ±orthopyroxene, and Crmagnetite. (2) Gabbroic: granular gabbro, gabbronorite, and troctolite
Faculty Transitions in Online Delivery: Make or Buy? Tips for Developing a "New to You" Online Course.

In the last few decades, teaching courses online has become a standard practice at many colleges and universities. Although technologies and pedagogies have changed rapidly during this time, developing an online course is still a labor and time-intensive undertaking. With changes in staffing and course offerings, faculty are often faced with determining the most effective and efficient ways to assume responsibilities for online courses. The authors suggest that under particular ownership expectations there are three main approaches for faculty tasked with offering a course online: 1) develop a new course, 2) modify an already existing course, or 3) adopt an existing online course as-is. Some decision guidelines and sample scenarios are offered to aid faculty in determining the best approach for launching or taking ownership of an online course offering.
Two New Species of Armoured Spiders from Malaysia and Australia (Arachnida: Araneae: Tetrablemmidae)

In this study, two new tetrablemmid species are described from both sexes, Ablemma unicornis sp. n. from Malaysia and Tetrablemma magister sp. n. from Australia. Males of A. unicornis sp. n. are distinguished from all other Ablemma species by the position of a tooth on the carapace behind the eye group and by the shape of the palpal bulb. Females of A. unicornis sp. n. are distinguished from most other Ablemma species by the profile of the carapace in lateral view and by the narrow eye field in proportion to the carapace width. Males of T. magister sp. n. are distinguished from most other Tetrablemma species by the shape of the palpal bulb and females by the rounded profile of the carapace in lateral view. Aspects of the sex-linked characters in both species and leg modifications in the male of A. unicornis sp. n. are discussed.
Micro–Computed Tomographic Evaluation of the Influence of Root Canal System Landmarks on Access Outline Forms and Canal Curvatures in Mandibular Molars

Abstract Introduction This study investigated the influence of anatomic root canal system landmarks on access outline forms of mandibular molars and correlated these to the theoretical distance of orifice relocation and changes in canal primary curvature. Methods Thirty relatively calcified human mandibular molars were selected and examined by micro–computed tomographic imaging. Three-dimensional volume reconstructions were made, root canal system landmarks identified, and plotted: canal orifices, canal position at the furcation level, and pulp horn location. Each landmark was separately projected onto the occlusal surface, and 3 access designs were respectively proposed: (1) minimally invasive, (2) straight-line furcation, and (3) straight-line radicular. For each access design, the theoretical distance of orifice relocation and canal primary curvature were determined. Data were submitted to 2-way repeated measures analysis of variance (α Results The orifice relocation distance required to obtain each type of access outline was greater for radicular-based accesses (0.97 ± 0.32 mm) than for furcation accesses (0.52 ± 0.30 mm, P P P Conclusions The use of different landmarks to establish access outline designs affected the primary angle of curvature in relatively calcified mandibular molars.
Status Deconstruction Theory: Status Conflict's Destabilization of Group Status Hierarchies

Despite strong evidence that task group status hierarchy instability is dysfunctional, little research has considered the processes that lead to hierarchy instability. In this paper, we examine the destabilizing effects of dissent about the hierarchy that is expressed as status conflict in the contexts of groups with varying levels of consensus about the status hierarchy. We find that group hierarchies are least stable when there is both a high level of status conflict and low consensus about the status hierarchy. We interpret this to mean that when status conflicts are expressed in groups with high levels of consensus, other group members are motivated to defend the hierarchy to restore normative order to the group. When status conflicts occur in groups with low underlying consensus, however, the conflicts surface latent dissensus and encourage revision of the status hierarchy. We discuss the implications of our findings for theory and practice.
Preeclampsia and Inflammatory Preterm Labor Alter the Human Placental Hematopoietic Niche.

Background The human placenta is a source of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). The RUNX1 transcription factor is required for the formation of functional HSPCs. The impact of preeclampsia (PE) and preterm labor (PTL, spontaneous preterm labor [sPTL] and inflammatory preterm labor [iPTL]) on HSPC localization and RUNX1 expression in the human placenta is unknown. Methods We compared the frequency and density of HSPC in control samples from sPTL (n = 6) versus PE (n = 6) and iPTL (n = 6). We examined RUNX1 protein and RNA expression in placentas from normal pregnancies (5-22 weeks, n = 8 total) and in placentas from the aforementioned pregnancy complications (n = 5/group). Results Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells were rare cell types, associated predominantly with the vasculature of placental villi. The HSPC density was greater in the chorionic plate (CP) compared to the villi (P Conclusion Placental HSPCs likely arise from hematopoietic niches comprised RUNX1(+) mesenchyme and vascular endothelium. Pregnancy complications that result in preterm birth differentially affect placental HSPC localization and RUNX1 expression. Our results support previous findings that inflammation positively regulates hematopoiesis. We present new evidence that hemogenic endothelium may be active at later stages of human fetal development in the context of inflammation.
Use of Noncontrast Computed Tomography of the Inferior Vena Cava for Real-Time Imaging Guidance for the Placement of Inferior Vena Cava Filters

Appropriate placement of an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter necessitates imaging of the renal veins because when an IVC filter is deployed its tip should be at or below the inferior aspect of the inferiormost renal vein. Traditionally, imaging during placement of IVC filters has been with conventional cavography and fluoroscopy. Recently, intravascular ultrasound has been used for the same purpose but with additional expense. Morbidly obese patients often exceed the weight limit of fluoroscopy tables. In addition, short obese patients are at risk of falling from narrow fluoroscopy tables. For such patients, computed tomography (CT) guidance is a viable alternative to conventional fluoroscopic guidance. IVC placement was performed in the CT suite for two obese patients who exceeded the weight limits of the available fluoroscopy tables. In one case, a Vena-Tech filter (Braun Medical, Melsungen, Germany) was placed using CT fluoroscopy. In the second case, a Recovery (Bard, Murray Hill, NJ) filter was placed using intermittent limited z -axis scanning. In the first case, the filter was placed below the level of the renal veins and above the confluence of the iliac veins, which is acceptable placement. In the second case, with refinement of technique, the filter tip was placed less than 1 cm below the inferiormost renal vein, which is considered optimal placement. CT of the IVC precisely images the renal veins and can characterize their number and their confluence with the IVC. CT guidance is a viable alternative to fluoroscopic guidance for the placement of IVC filters in morbidly obese patients.
Microcoil NMR Study of the Interactions between Doxepin, β-Cyclodextrin, and Acetate during Capillary Isotachophoresis

The capillary isotachophoresis (cITP) separation of the isomers of the tricyclic antidepressant doxepin using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as a buffer additive is investigated by online microcoil NMR detection. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is also used to determine the binding constant between the doxepin E and Z geometric isomers and β-CD. Although the doxepin isomers could be easily baseline resolved by CE, their separation by cITP was more challenging due in part to the high concentration of doxepin after cITP-focusing. The use of online 1H NMR detection allows observation of changes in doxepin dynamics due to formation of the β-CD inclusion complex, changes in the fraction complexed and the intracapillary pH. It also provides novel experimental evidence that a weak complex between β-CD and acetate contributes to its active transport from the leading electrolyte through the sample band to the trailing electrolyte in this cationic cITP separation. The results of these cITP-NMR experiments provide new mechani...
The Interface Between High Tc Superconductors and Silver Contacts

Silver diffuses into the lattice of YBa2Cu307 during the annealing of silver contacts at 500°C. Depth profiles using Auger electron spectroscopy, with a focused electron beam, show an extensive diffusion zone, as well as segregation of barium and oxygen to the surface of the contact. There appears to be a slight loss of silver from the surface region, which could be explained by enhanced concentration at grain boundaries. High resolution SEM analysis of a fracture surface did not reveal the presence of silver on the grain boundaries. Diffusion rates were correlated with grain orientation by using magnetically aligned samples, and were found to be greater for the direction parallel to the C axis.
Telemedicine in anesthesia: an update.

Purpose of review Advances in health information technology and broadband Internet connections provide novel opportunities for anesthesiologists to extend perioperative consultation services to remote geographic areas. Increasing economic pressures on healthcare delivery systems make initiatives such as telemedicine, which reduce costs while achieving excellent outcomes, an attractive option. Recent findings Initiatives in remote access to anesthesiology services are emerging throughout the world in the areas of preoperative evaluation, intraoperative consultation, postoperative management and critical care as well as simulation and education. Physicians caring for patients in remote areas can benefit from the expertise found in subspecialty centers. In the US a number of states provide reimbursement for telemedicine services offered in several specialties, including anesthesiology. Summary Anesthesiologists have the opportunity to develop telemedicine programs that can improve the delivery of care to patients. Current programs offer services ranging from remote preoperative evaluation to international collaboration for intraoperative management and consultation. Simulation using telemedicine services can provide educational opportunities and test the effectiveness of institutions' communications systems.
Habitat of three rare species of small mammals in juniper woodlands of southwestern Wyoming

Southwestern Wyoming constitutes the northern limit of the ranges of the cliff chipmunk ( Tamias dorsalis ), pinyon mouse ( Peromyscus truei ), and canyon mouse ( P. crinitus ). In addition to trying to determine their presence in the region, we wanted to identify habitat characteristics commonly used by each of these species. We used Sherman live-traps to sample 14 sites representing 2 distinct habitat types in 1998 and 1999: juniper-rocky slopes and juniper cliffs. Seventeen habitat characteristics were measured at capture locations for each species and compared with randomly located points. Best subsets multiple logistic regression was used to construct models that distinguish between used and available habitat for each species. The cliff chipmunk occurred in both rocky slopes and cliffs. The pinyon mouse was also captured in rocky slopes and cliffs and was most often captured in locations in the interior of the juniper woodland with high tree canopy cover, high forb cover, and low density of rock outcrops. The canyon mouse was captured only in cliffs at sites consisting of high forb cover, high rock cover, and high tree density.
Survey of Authorized Administration of Chinese Health Foods

Objective To present circumstances of authorized administration system of Chinese health foods, summarize the traits of Chinese health foods, aim to present proposers, consumers and others to know about circumstances of authorized administration of Chinese health foods with some help and references.Methods The rules and regulations on health foods, such as law, rule and act, etc. were compared and summarized.Results The differences between the Rule of Administration Law of Health Foods and the Rule of Authorized Administration Law of Health Foods were listed. The administration rules of health foods were sorted and summarized. According to the procedure of examination, the bases of techno-evaluation in primary parts were presented. According to data of products authorized in years of 2003-2005, the characteristics of prescription, materials, and functional elements and so on of Chinese health foods were summarized.Conclusion The survey indicated that the regulations and rules on health foods in China could be relatively integrated. The legislation ideas should be obviously improved.
A Representative Microbial Sampling Method for Large Commercial Containers of Raw Beef Based on Purge

The purge from beef combos ( a boxed collection of beef trimmings) was tested as a means of representatively sampling the microbial content of this raw product. In the first experiment, purge was sampled from model beef combos that had been inoculated with bovine feces.. Data from this experiment indicated a strong correlation (r = 0.94) between the total aerobic bacteria counts derived from the purge samples of a model beef combo and the total aerobic bacteria present in a rinse sample of the entire model beef combo. In a second experiment, two 500-g meat pieces were inoculated with an antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7 and place at various levels within a 75-cm meat column. The marked bacteria were retrievable from the purge of the meat column after 24 h, showing that bacteria are carried downward into the purge. During the third part of the study, 90 beef combos (approximately 900 kg beef/combo) were randomly selected at the receiving dock of a commercial grinding facility and sampled using both purge and concurrently used 11-g core samples. Purge samples from these combos recovered significantly greater numbers of mesophilic and psychrotrophic aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and E. coli than core samples from the same combos. Additionally, coliforms and E. coli were recoverable from 100% and 80%, respectively, of the purge samples taken, whereas core samples were only able to recover 60% and 40%, respectively, from the same combos. These findings indicate that a purge sample from a beef combo is a more efficacious sampling method for determining the general bacterial profile and identifying the presence of coliforms and E. coli than randomly taken core samples.
Healthcare-associated infections: what can be done to reduce risk to our patients?

VOLUME 93 NO. 9 SEMPTEMBER 2010 Approximately two million patients develop a hospital-acquired infection each year in the USA, contributing to approximately 100,000 deaths. To put this into perspective, there are an estimated 70,000 deaths in the US each year due to accidents of all causes. Thus, hospital-acquired infections are one of the leading causes of death in the US. Until recently, there was little in the public domain regarding the scope of the problem and a limited amount of federal funding to improve our understanding of why such infections occur and how to prevent them. Nevertheless, most states, including Rhode Island, now mandate public reporting of hospital-acquired infections (http:// www.apic.org/scriptcontent/custom/ dyncontent/legislation/index.cfm? section=government_advocacy). In October 2008, the Centers & Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) started a program of non-payment for some hospital-acquired infections, and some non-federal insurance plans are following suit. Yet hospitals have not felt the full impact of this intervention, in part due to inaccurate ICD-9 coding for hospital-acquired infections. Today, an ever increasing number of hospital-acquired infections are caused by multi-drug resistant microbes. Some of these pathogens are resistant to most, if not all, FDA-approved antibiotics. In this era of Andromeda strains of microbial pathogens, prevention of hospital-acquired infections is of paramount importance. There is convincing evidence that hospitalwide, statewide, and national coordinated efforts implementing evidencebased infection control initiatives can reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Most hospital epidemiologists know what to do to mitigate risk. The challenge remains to do the job in the current economic climate with competing priorities and limited dollars. Healthcare-Associated Infections: What Can Be Done To Reduce Risk To Our Patients?
Precise film dosimetry for stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiotherapy quality assurance using Gafchromic™ EBT3 films.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dosimetric uncertainty associated with Gafchromic™ (EBT3) films and establish a practical and efficient film dosimetry protocol for Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT). EBT3 films were irradiated at each of seven different dose levels between 1 and 15 Gy with open fields and standard deviations of dose maps were calculated at each color channel for evaluation. A scanner non-uniform response correction map was built by registering and comparing film doses to the reference ion chamber array-based dose map delivered with the same doses. To determine the temporal dependence of EBT3 films, the average correction factors of different dose levels as a function of time were evaluated up to 4 days after irradiation. An integrated film dosimetry protocol was developed for dose calibration, calibration curve fitting, dose mapping, and profile/gamma analysis. Patient specific quality assurance (PSQA) was performed for 83 SRS/SBRT treatment plans, and analysis of the measurements and calculations are presented here. The scanner response varied within 1 % for the field sizes less than 5 × 5 cm2, and up to 5 % for the field sizes of 10 × 10 cm2 for all color channels. The scanner correction method was able to remove visually evident, irregular detector responses for larger field sizes. The dose response of the film changed rapidly (~10 %) in the first two hours and became smooth plateaued afterwards, ~3 % change between 2 and 24 h. The uncertainties were approximately 1.5, 1.7 and 4.8 % over the dose range of 3~15 Gy for the red, green and blue channels. The green channel showed very high sensitivity and low uncertainty in the dose range between 10 and 15 Gy, which is suitable for SRS/SBRT commissioning and PSQA. The difference between the calculated dose and measured dose of ion chamber measurement at isocenter was −0.64 ± 2.02 for all plans, corresponding to a 95 % confidence interval of (−1.09, −0.26). The percentage of points passing the 3 %/1 mm gamma criteria in absolute dose, averaged over all tests was 95.0 ± 4.2. We have developed the EBT3 films based dosimetry protocol to obtain absolute dose values. The overall uncertainty has been established to be 1.5 % for SRS and SBRT PSQA.
Effects of natural posture imbalance on posture deviation caused by load carriage

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore posture deviation variability caused by load carriages depending on natural posture imbalance to provide information about a carrying habit exaggerating an individual's posture imbalance. All people exhibit some imbalance from the standard anatomical pose which assumes alignment with the frontal and median planes. In this study natural posture imbalance is the starting point for determining posture deviation which is posture imbalance resulting from an activity, carrying an item. Methods Seventeen female participants, 19–37 years old, were recruited from university staff, faculty members, and students. Participants were each scanned wearing their own underwear (bra and panties) in: (a) the anatomical pose (P1) face forward and feet placed at shoulder width without carrying an item, (b) carrying a backpack (P2), (c) carrying a shoulder bag on the right shoulder (P3R) and the left shoulder (P3L), (d) carrying a bag cross-body with a strap placed on the left shoulder to place the weight at the hip level on the right side (P4R) and the strap and handbag placed in the opposite direction (P4L), and (e) carrying a bag with the right hand (P5R) and the left hand (P5L). The bag weight was approximately 10% of a participant's body weight. Five body angles were obtained in each scanning position (eight positions total) for all participants and statistical analyses were conducted for posture assessment. Three statistical test methods were used: (a) Paired t -test to determine posture changes in each loaded position compared to natural posture in P1. (b) Paired t -test to identify differences of the degree of posture changes between right-side load (R) and left-side load (L) positions to determine a posture deviation tendency with asymmetrical load carriages. (c) Bivariate (Pearson) correlation test to examine how natural posture imbalance and posture deviation co-vary. Results (a) Asymmetrical load positions exhibited greater changes on shoulder and spine posture than a symmetrical load position, exhibiting obvious changes in P3 and P4 rather than P5. (b) The degrees and directions of posture deviation resulting from an asymmetrical load carriage varied depending on those of an individual's natural posture imbalance. When a participant exhibited great posture imbalance in P1, significant differences of posture deviation on the shoulder and spine between R and L positions were observed in P3 and P4. (c) Significant correlations between natural posture imbalance and posture deviation resulting from load carriages were found for most body angles. Conclusions People need to be aware of their natural posture imbalance and try to avoid carrying heavy handbags or any type of carriages making their posture imbalance worse to prevent possible further distortion. Relevance to Industry Although this study used handbags and a backpack as the load carrying devices, the way a person carries a load of any type is relevant in many industries and in the military.
Robotically Assisted Laparoscopic Ovarian Transposition in Women with Lower Gastrointestinal Cancer Undergoing Pelvic Radiotherapy

Pelvic radiotherapy (RT) is a standard component of the management for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer or squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. Pelvic RT leads to permanent and irreversible ovarian failure in young women. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of robotically assisted laparoscopic ovarian transposition (OT) before RT in women with rectal or anal cancer who wanted to preserve normal ovarian function. The study reviewed the medical records of all patients treated at our institution from August 2009 to October 2014 who received robotically assisted laparoscopic OT for rectal or anal cancer before RT. Clinical and hormonal data were abstracted to determine ovarian function. The study identified 22 women with rectal (n = 20) or anal (n = 2) cancer. The median age of the women was 39 years (range 26–45 years). For one patient, OT was technically not feasible. The postoperative course was uneventful in all but one case. Follow-up data on ovarian function were unavailable for 3 patients. The median times from RT initiation to the last gynecologic or hormonal evaluation were 9 months (range 5–47 months) and 10.5 months (range 5–47 months), respectively. At the last gynecologic or hormonal follow-up visit, ovarian function was preserved in 12 (67%) of 18 evaluable patients, including 9 (90%) of 10 patients 40 years of age or younger and 3 (38%) of 8 patients older than 40 years (P = 0.07). Robotically assisted laparoscopic bilateral OT is safe and can lead to preservation of ovarian function in two-thirds of patients with low gastrointestinal cancer undergoing pelvic RT. It should be considered in this setting, especially for women age 40 years or younger, to avoid premature menopause and its associated sequelae.
Circulatory Glycan-Modifying Enzymes As Systemic Regulators In Blood Cell Development

Regulating blood cell production is crucial to meeting physiologic demands and to maintaining hematopoietic equilibrium. Elucidating the systemic factors and how they contribute to the interaction of hematopoietic progenitors with their bone marrow microenvironments is crucial to the mechanistic understanding of hematopoietic regulation and development of novel therapeutic strategies. Glycosyltransferases are enzymes that normally reside within the intracellular secretory apparatus to assemble glycans on nascent proteins and lipids in transit, but they are also present in abundance in the extracellular spaces, especially in systemic circulation. One such blood-borne enzyme is the ST6Gal-1 sialyltransferase that mediates the attachment of sialic acids in a6-linkages to glycoproteins. By virtue of their presence on cell surfaces, sialyl-glycans, which are conserved structures in mammals, occupy the critical interphase between cells and their external environment. We hypothesize that remodeling of these cell surface glycans can drastically modulate the communication of systemic cues among marrow hematopoietic cells. A mouse model genetically modified for low circulating ST6Gal-1 has increased numbers of hematopoietic progenitors, increased ability to produce inflammatory cells upon acute challenge, and faster recovery from cyclophosphamide-induced myelosuppression. In ex vivo cultures, addition of ST6Gal-1 strikingly delays expansion and differentiation of murine LSK (Linneg sca-1pos cKitpos) and human CD34pos cells. We developed a subcutaneously implantable B16-F10 model genetically modified to overexpress circulatory ST6Gal-1 (B16st6gal1). Mice bearing B16st6gal1 had >10-fold elevation in circulating ST6Gal-1 levels, accompanied by >50% reduction in marrow granulocyte and B cell populations. B16st6gal1 bearing mice also had 2-fold increase in the number of Linneg cells, suggesting a blockade in development of progenitors into end-effector cells. Murine LSK cell surfaces are decorated with a6-sialic acids but they do not endogenously express ST6Gal-1. Bone chimeras show that the a6-sialic acids on LSK surfaces require the distally synthesized ST6Gal-1 enzyme in circulation. Taken together, our data indicates the glycan-modifying enzyme, the ST6Gal-1 in circulation, is a potent systemic regulator of hematopoiesis by remodeling of cell surface glycan architecture of marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitors. (Funded by NIH Program of Excellence in Glycosciences award P01HL107146 and NIH R01AI56082) Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Framework for an Evidence-Based Physical Activity Intervention: Promoting Healthy Communities

Purpose: Identifying best practices in successful community based intervention programs is critical to improving the health concerns that currently afflict our nation. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a community-based physical activity (PA) intervention program in order to share an evidence-based framework that can be used in community settings, including academic communities. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the effectiveness of a community based PA intervention program, specifically noting changes in perceived levels of (a) self-esteem, (b) body size satisfaction, (c) frequency of physical activity and (d) commitment levels the longer a participant engaged in the program. Method: The cross-sectional, quantitative self-report survey design utilized a 29-item web-based questionnaire. A sample of participants ( N = 383 ( M age = 43 years; SD = 7 years; 100% women) from the Mullica Hill Women’s Triathlon Club self-selected to participate. Results: Independent sample t -tests ascertained that the longer a participant engaged in the program, the more her perceived self-esteem improved and the more committed she became to PA. Chi square goodness of fit analyses further demonstrated that a woman’s age impacted her level of satisfaction with her body. Conclusions: Opportunities to participate in a community based intervention program should be extended throughout all communities in an effort to improve holistic well-being. Further, type and duration as well as point of data collection of such programs should be differentiated in future research.
Biochemical and physiological characterization of the urinary bladder in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by inherited abnormalities of connective tissue.1,2 The main clinical manifestations of this disease are skin fragility, skin hyperextensibility and joint hypermobility. More than 10 subtypes of EDS have been defined based on clinical, genetic and biochemical criteria. Recent molecular studies of EDS have identified genetic defects responsible for several subtypes of this disease; however, for others, the molecular defect remains unknown.
Pulsed Laser Deposition

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of pulsed layer deposition (PLD) technology. It uses a high-energy pulsed laser as an external power source to ablate the source or target material. An important capability of PLD is the deposition of films in a reactive environment. Gas inlets are usually located just behind the vacuum window through which the laser beam transmits. This serves the dual purpose of introducing reactive gas and preventing condensation of evaporants on the window, which can reduce its optical transmission. The flexibility of PLD has brought out many system modifications. Most of them are designed to activate reactive gas to achieve better stoichiometry and lower growth temperature. Oxide films are the most logical material of choice for PLD, especially “simple oxides” referring to those containing only one type of cation. To be successful, PLD must compete against E-beam deposition and sputtering, in particular radio frequency magnetron sputtering.
Conversations with an intelligent agent: modeling and integrating patterns in communication among humans and agents

There is an overwhelming variation in the ways an intelligent agent can rationalize communication with a conversational partner. This variation presents many incompatibilities that lead to the specialization of conversational capabilities. This has produced a plethora of models and ideas on how an intelligent agent should understand, interact with, and incorporate communication from a human conversational participant. This dissertation approaches this problem with the thesis that there exists a language between that of human natural language and the behavioral reasoning of an intelligent agent, and that this language is capable of not only unifying the various models used in literature, but also provides the foundation for a theoretical framework for an engineering methodology for building such models. A theory of practical communication language is developed, including the introduction of the meaning-action concept, an expressive and powerful representation based on speech-act and dialogue-act theories, but extended with notions of behavioral operators as well as signatures that allow the operators to incorporate structured and well-defined concepts. An engineering methodology is presented for the construction of concepts, operators and rules that create the language and model of a specific domain, including methodology for the verification and validation of that language and model. The resultant practical communication language methodology, based on the combination of rational communication and meaning-action concepts, will introduce several major enhancements to dialogue management. These enhancements include the use of meaning-action concepts as a shared medium and the introduction of a shared concept graph. This methodology will be used along with various dialogue models from human-human, human-agent and agent-agent communication to construct a task-oriented language and model called the task communication language framework. This framework is then implemented within an intelligent agent in a real-time resource management simulation. A sample output listing from actual human interaction with that implementation is used to demonstrate that the resulting framework does indeed incorporate many of the disparate models of communication and their corresponding capabilities including command and control, information seeking, notification and bother, clarification, explanation, discussion, negotiation, mutual planning, interruption, feedback, adjustable autonomy and corrective dialogues.
VISION | Optic Tectum

The optic tectum forms the roof of the midbrain and is the primary visual center in fishes. The retina and input from other sensory modalities (auditory, lateral line, somatosensory, electrosensory) are mapped topographically over tectum, where the locations of objects and events in body-centered space are represented. Tectum, via its connections to premotor centers, controls eye movements, approach, and avoidance movements. In teleosts especially tectum is a highly developed neural processor, indispensible for the sensory discrimination and rapid decisions required for behavioral reactions necessary for survival and reproduction. Its function is discussed in relation to afferent and efferent brain structures.
What Is the Relationship Among Religiosity, Self-Perceived Problematic Pornography Use, and Depression Over Time?

Previous studies suggest that religious people are more likely than nonreligious people to perceive their pornography use as problematic. For our 6-month longitudinal study, we recruited a sample o...
Electro-optic liquid crystal device employing two-dimensional WSe2 as the planar-alignment layers

Two-dimensional (2D) tungsten diselenide (WSe2) nanosheets were transferred onto indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass slides. Two such 2D WSe2-covered ITO glass slides were placed together to fabricate an electro-optic liquid crystal (LC) cell. A nematic LC inside this WSe2-based device obtains uniform planar-alignment. The coherent overlay of the LC molecules along the armchair direction on the WSe2 lattice leads to this planar-alignment at the molecular scale. This WSe2-based LC device exhibits the typical electro-optical effect on the application of an electric field. A sharp Freedericksz transition of the nematic director from this electro-optical effect confirms that the 2D WSe2 provides sufficient planar anchoring energy in the device. Finally, the WSe2/ITO slide exhibits more optical transparency than a standard polyimide alignment layer/ITO slide.
In situ, in vivo, and in operando imaging and spectroscopy of liquids using microfluidics in vacuum

This review offers a succinct overview of the development of a vacuum-compatible microfluidic reactor system for analysis at the liquid vacuum interface (SALVI), and its diverse applications in in situ, in vivo, and in operando imaging of liquid surfaces as well as the air-liquid (a-l), liquid-liquid (l-l), and solid-liquid (s-l) interfaces in the past decade. SALVI is one of the first microfluidics-based reactors that has enabled direct analysis of volatile liquids in vacuum surface tools such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Its integration into ambient and vacuum spectroscopy and microscopy is illustrated. Several applications are highlighted including (1) imaging nanoparticles in liquid using in situ SEM; (2) mapping the evolving l-l interface using in situ x-ray absorption spectroscopy and ToF-SIMS; (3) following complex a-l interfacial oxidation reaction products using in situ ToF-SIMS; (4) capturing biological interfaces of cells and microbes via in vivo multimodal and correlative imaging; and (5) monitoring the dynamic solid electrode and liquid electrolyte interface using in operando molecular imaging. Finally, outlook and recommendations are presented. Besides showing the holistic information volume obtained by real-time multiplexed imaging, this review intends to convey the importance of tool development in revolutionizing surface and interface analysis using vacuum platforms previously limited to solid surfaces. Microfluidics is manifested to be not limited to ambient conditions in many examples in this review. Moreover, fundamental interfacial phenomena underpinning mass and charge transfer can now be pursued in real time via innovated chemical imaging and spectroscopy.
Linear Periodic Systems. General Theory

Suppose L:. R × C →Rn is the function defined in (32.1), satisfies the conditions of Section 32 and, in addition, \( {\rm{L}}\left( {{\rm{t}} + \omega ,\varphi } \right) = {\rm{L}}\left( {{\rm{t}},\varphi } \right) \) for all t,ϕ. In this section we consider the system $${\rm{\dot x}}\left( {\rm{t}} \right) = {\rm{L}}\left( {{\rm{t}},{\rm{x}}_{\rm{t}} } \right)$$ (35.1) and the extent to which a Floquet theory for (35.1) exists.
Brief Announcement: What's Live? Understanding Distributed Consensus

Distributed consensus algorithms such as Paxos have been studied extensively. Many different liveness properties and assumptions have been stated for them, but there are no systematic comparisons for better understanding of these properties. This paper systematically studies and compares different liveness properties stated for over 30 prominent consensus algorithms and variants. We introduced a precise high-level language and formally specified these properties in the language. We then create a hierarchy of liveness properties combining two hierarchies of the assumptions used and a hierarchy of the assertions made, and compare the strengths and weaknesses of algorithms that ensure these properties. Our formal specifications and systematic comparisons led to the discovery of a range of problems in various stated liveness properties. We also developed TLA+ specifications of these liveness properties, and we used model checking of execution steps to illustrate liveness patterns for Paxos.
China between Empires: The Northern and Southern Dynasties – By Mark Edward Lewis

This is the second in a projected six‐volume series covering the major Chinese dynastic periods, and one of three written by Mark Edward Lewis, proving he is a skilled synthesizer as well as a form...
Effect of imperfect CSI on iteratively decoded BICM over Nakagami fading channels

We investigate the impact of imperfect channel state information (CSI) on the bit error rate (BER) performance of uncoded and coded modulation schemes over Nakagami fading channels using the model proposed in C. Polprasert and JA Ritcey (2005). The analytical and asymptotic BER performance of uncoded M-PSK modulation is evaluated and verified by the simulation. For coded modulation, the error free feedback bound (EF bound) of the bit-interleaved coded modulation with iterative decoding (BICM-ID) for both perfect and imperfect CSI is developed. We show that asymptotically, the error floor generated due to imperfect CSI depends on the fading parameter and the power correlation coefficient between the fading coefficient and its estimate.