cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building Automated Data Driven Systems for IT Service Management

Enterprises and service providers are increasingly challenged with improving the quality of service delivery while containing the cost. However, it is often difficult to effectively manage the complex relationships among dynamic customer workloads, strict service level requirements, and efficient service management processes. In this paper, we present our progress on building autonomic systems for IT service management through a collection of automated data driven methodologies. This includes the design of feedback controllers for workload management, the use of simulation-optimization methodology for workforce management, and the development of machine learning models for event management. We demonstrate the applicability of the presented approaches using examples and data from a large IT service delivery environment.
Perspectives in Head and Neck Medical Oncology

The modern treatment of locoregionally advanced disease often requires a multimodality combination approach. A number of chemotherapeutic agents can be combined with radiation, but the platinum agent cisplatin, a potent radiation sensitizer, is best studied in head and neck cancer. Newer agents such as cetuximab can be used in combination with radiation therapy for those patients who cannot tolerate cisplatin. For chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic head and neck cancer who demonstrate a good performance status, platinum doublet regimens are commonly used. Doublet regimens generally improve response rates compared to single-agent chemotherapies, although they have not demonstrated a survival benefit over single agents and they have added toxicity. Immunotherapies, alternative cytotoxic chemotherapies, and targeted therapies are second-line options for patients with disease that has progressed on platinum-based therapy. Immunotherapy, in particular, has gained focus by enhancing the ability of the immune system to recognize and destroy malignant cells. When multimodal approaches are used, as in combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy, toxicities are increased. It is imperative that patients are followed closely in order to maximize treatment benefit while minimizing complications.
The Final Exam: You know you're a mathematician if…

(2002). The Final Exam: You know you're a mathematician if… Math Horizons: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 35-35.
Part-of-Speech Tagging for Middle English through Alignment and Projection of Parallel Diachronic Texts

We demonstrate an approach for inducing a tagger for historical languages based on existing resources for their modern varieties. Tags from Present Day English source text are projected to Middle English text using alignments on parallel Biblical text. We explore the use of multiple alignment approaches and a bigram tagger to reduce the noise in the projected tags. Finally, we train a maximum entropy tagger on the output of the bigram tagger on the target Biblical text and test it on tagged Middle English text. This leads to tagging accuracy in the low 80’s on Biblical test material and in the 60’s on other Middle English material. Our results suggest that our bootstrapping methods have considerable potential, and could be used to semi-automate an approach based on incremental manual annotation.
QCD in the Limit xF → 1 as Studied in the Reaction π-N → µ+µ-X

In Fermilab experiment E 615 wel have measured the production of high-mass muon pairs with 80- and 252-GeV pion beams. The relatively large momentum of quarks in pions allows us the study the QCD subprocess \(q\overline{q}\) → µ + µ − in the kinematic limit \(x_{\pi }^{\overline{q}}\) → 1. The data are consistent with many of the features of a higher-twist analysis, particulary the departure of the muon-pair angular distribution from the standard form 1+cos2 θ t . Analysis of J/ψ) and ψ’ production in the same data sample gives further evidence for interesting effects as xF → 1, which we attribute to the process \(q\overline{q}\) → \(c\overline{c}\).
Physical Principles and Proteinoid Experiments in the Emergence of Life

Professor Wald’s paper, to use an old cliche, is a hard act to follow. In a real sense, however, those few of us who are self- organizationalists working on the problem of the origin of life have necessarily long been following Professor Wald. Each time we make an advance in the laboratory, we are likely to find, as I have on several occasions, that George Wald (1954) had perceived and expressed the essential concept earlier.
Stochastic adaptive system theory : recent advances and a reappraisal

Progress has been made in the past year towards the solution of several long standing open problems in stochastic adaptive systems for identification, signal processing and control. We provide an account of these recent advances and a fresh reappraisal of the field.
Non-AIDS-defining malignancies

Malignancies in the setting of immunodeficiency have been well described in the literature long before the advent of the HIV epidemic.1-3. The incidence of malignancy is significantly increased in the setting of abnormal cell-mediated immunity1,3,4This increase in incidence, however, does not apply to those cancers most commonly seen in the general population. Rather, it is a narrow spectrum of more unusual tumors that are observed in these immunosuppressed individuals such as Kaposi’s sarcoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)3,4.
Abstract TMP77: Nurse-driven Bedside Swallow Screen Facilitates Identification of Dysphagia in Stroke Patients and Reduces Aspiration Pneumonia

Introduction: Dysphagia occurs in over half of patients who have sustained acute stroke, and can lead to aspiration, subsequent pneumonia, increased length of hospital stay and death. Identificatio...
The influence of surfactant and solution composition on PFAS adsorption at fluid-fluid interfaces

Abstract The objective of this research is to examine the influence of surfactant and solution composition on PFAS adsorption at fluid-fluid interfaces. Surface tensions were measured for select PFAS, as well as a representative hydrocarbon surfactant. These data are supplemented with data sets collected from the literature. The influence of surfactant headgroup charge, specifically for zwitterionic PFAS, was investigated. The impacts of surfactant counterion for ionic PFAS and the influence of headgroup size for nonionic PFAS were also investigated. In addition, the influence of solution ion composition, ionic strength, and pH was examined. The impact of co-solutes, specifically ethanol, humic acid, and trichloroethene, was also examined, as well as the behavior of PFAS mixtures and fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon surfactant mixtures. The data were interpreted within the framework of a QSPR model recently developed to predict fluid-fluid interfacial adsorption coefficients (Ki) of PFAS. The results demonstrate that all of the factors investigated have some degree of impact on Ki values. Thus, the composition of soil-pore water and groundwater is likely to affect the magnitude of PFAS adsorption at air-water and organic liquid-water interfaces. However, the influence on Ki of most of the factors investigated is small for lower PFAS concentrations (less than ∼1–10 mg/L). Hence, their impacts on fluid-fluid interfacial adsorption are likely to be relatively minor at the low PFAS concentrations representative of many environmental systems, especially compared to the impact of other factors such as fluid saturations, porous-medium properties, and PFAS molecular structure. The results of this study indicate that the revised QSPR model provides reasonable first-order predictions of Ki for a wide range of PFAS in environmental systems.
Development of a Flexible Force Sensor using Additive Print Manufacturing Process

This paper reports on the development of a flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based capacitive force sensor. The force sensor was fabricated by depositing silver (Ag) ink, as electrodes, on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using additive screen-printing process. A dielectric layer was fabricated using PDMS which was prepared by mixing pre-polymer and a curing agent in a 16:1 ratio. The printed Ag electrodes were attached on either side of the PDMS. The capability of the force sensor was demonstrated by investigating its capacitive response towards varying applied forces. It was observed that the capacitance increased from 5.51 pF to 5.90 pF as the force was increased from 0 N (no load) to 10 N. A sensitivity and correlation coefficient of 0.13%N -1 and 0.9958 was calculated for the force sensor.
The chemistry of the carbon-transition metal double and triple bond: Annual survey covering the year 2018

Abstract This is a review of papers published in the year 2018 that focus on the synthesis, reactivity, or properties of compounds containing a carbon-transition metal double or triple bond. Highlights for the year 2018 include: (1) significant advances in the design of new precursors to carbene complex intermediates (e.g. alkynes, triazoles, and tosylhydrazones) that serve as safer alternatives to potentially hazardous diazo compounds, (2) continued vast employment of olefin metathesis for the synthesis of complex small molecules and polymers, including many examples of Z-selective and stereoretentive metathesis reactions, (3) development of biologically-inspired catalysts for carbene transfer reactions, (4) preparation of novel aromatic ring systems incorporating transition elements, (5) use of gold and platinum carbene-mediated transformations of alkynes in complex synthetic organic transformations, and (6) design of novel reaction pathways for capture of transition metal carbenoid intermediates.
Cocaine Use and Levamisole-Induced Vasculitis: A Multiple Case Study.

BACKGROUND Levamisole is an immunomodulatory medication previously used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and some types of cancers; it was banned for use in humans in 2000 owing to its harmful side effects. Use of levamisole-laced cocaine is associated with a life-threatening syndrome characterized by a necrotizing purpuric rash leading to tissue destruction and necrotic wounds. This Clinical Challenges article summarizes our experience with the care of 2 adult women diagnosed with levamisole-related vasculitis. CASE Case 1 is a 46-year-old woman who presented with joint pain in her hands and legs, along with bilateral ear pain, swelling, and bleeding. She was initially diagnosed with vasculitis and possible systemic lupus erythematosus. She experienced multiple recurrences and exacerbation of her condition over a period of months. She was ultimately diagnosed with levamisole-related vasculitis from recurrent cocaine use resulting in bilateral above the knee amputations. The second case is a 50-year-old woman who presented to our emergency department with redness and swelling of her bilateral lower extremities. She developed blisters and pustules that rapidly evolved into abscesses and red lesions over the course of several months. Her wounds also deteriorated despite topical therapy that occurred in a context of recurring use of cocaine. CONCLUSIONS Our experience with these cases suggests that WOC nurses should consider levamisole-induced vasculitis in all patients presenting with unexplained vasculitis-type lesions, and particularly when these lesions occur in the context of known or suspected use of illicit substances such as cocaine. Given the absence of clinical guidelines for this increasingly prevalent condition, we recommend wound care based on principles of moist wound healing, combined with judicious use of therapies with antimicrobial activity and nonadherent dressings to reduce pain. Finally, we strongly recommend that care of these patients occurs as one part of a multidisciplinary care approach that focuses on cessation of the use of cocaine and all other illicit substances.
CHAPTER 7 – Premature Ovarian Failure

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the clinical features, prevalence, evaluation, and treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF). POF generally describes a syndrome consisting of primary or secondary amenorrhea, hypoestrogenism, hypergonadotropinism, with age under 40 years at the time of onset. To define the clinical spectrum of women with POF, data from 115 sequential affected women, seen between 1978 and 1988, is compiled. In more than 75% of the patients, symptoms of estrogen deficiency were evident, but these symptoms were far more common in women with secondary amenorrhea. Estimation of the prevalence of POF in the general population is difficult. The major point of these estimates is that POF is sufficiently common that most clinicians will see individuals who are present with this disorder. Young women with hypergonadotropic amenorrhea should be evaluated to identify specific, potentially treatable causes and other potentially dangerous associated disorders. It is important to make the diagnosis in a timely manner. The first challenge in providing appropriate treatment to women with POF is informing the patient of the diagnosis in a sensitive manner. It is reasonable to treat all young women with POF with exogenous estrogen whether they are interested in childbearing or not. The accelerated bone loss often accompanying this disorder may well be prevented by the administration of exogenous estrogens.
Employability and Transitions towards Work: MSc Degree Programme in Educational Planning and Human Resource Development, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Brescia

The acceleration of changes underlines the need to enhance our efforts to adapt education to the dynamics of the current economic situation and the issue of employment. In the framework of the circular economy, pedagogy, which is based on the educability of individuals, takes into consideration forms of educational planning to identify a long-lasting balance between economic prosperity, social wellness, and environmental development. The challenge of the future is the possibility of increasing youth employment; this calls for pedagogical expertise and organizational planning to ensure that everyone’s development is authentic and holistic. To this end, the MSc Degree programme in Educational Planning and Human Resource Development offered by the Catholic University trains graduates to become professional figures with expertise in coordinating and managing the development of human resources (guidance, selection, personal services); the professional training and retraining of project managers in social and educational contexts for both academic and corporate spheres. The guiding vision behind the MSc in Educational Planning and Human Resource Development is fully in line with the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart’s educational project, to support a culture of responsibility and creativity, entrepreneurism and collaboration, multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills, and scientific research for the purpose of holistic human development. Educational planning, in a period of socio-economic and social change, involving the whole planet in many respects, can relaunch an ‘integral model of development’, based on long-term wellbeing, technological innovation, ‘human development’, and the dignity of work
Can Patients With Isolated Mandibular Fractures Be Treated as Outpatients

Purpose Treating mandibular fractures urgently is controversial. The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare the rates of postoperative inflammatory complications (POICs) in patients with isolated mandibular fractures treated in a nonurgent manner by an outpatient protocol versus a traditional, urgent inpatient protocol. Patients and Methods We implemented a retrospective cohort study and enrolled a sample of patients with isolated mandibular fractures treated with open reduction–internal fixation (ORIF). The primary predictor variable was the treatment protocol: outpatient (elective) or inpatient (urgent). The outpatient group was treated with closed reduction and intermaxillary fixation, discharged, and scheduled for definitive treatment as outpatients. The inpatient group was admitted to the hospital, and the fracture was treated with ORIF as soon as possible. The primary outcome variable was POIC (present or absent). Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression statistics were computed to measure the association between the treatment protocol and POICs, with statistical significance set at P Results The study sample was composed of 193 patients, with 82 in the outpatient group and 111 in the inpatient group. The frequency of POICs was 17.1% and 18.9% in the outpatient and inpatient groups, respectively (P = .13; relative risk, 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62 to 1.0). The time to ORIF was not significantly associated with POICs (P = .71). After adjustment for treatment group, fracture location, and time to fracture stabilization, smoking (P = .04, odds ratio, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.0 to 5.1) and intraoral incision with a transbuccal trocar (P = .02, odds ratio, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.2 to 9.8) were associated with an increased risk of POICs. Length of stay was 0.6 ± 0.8 days in the outpatient group compared with 2.7 ± 2.0 days in the inpatient group (P Conclusions An outpatient model to treat isolated mandibular fractures was not associated with an increased risk of POICs. This outpatient care model reduced the hospital length of stay without increasing the risk of POICs.
The Retrograde Approach to Chronic Total Occlusion PCI

Retrograde CTO PCI has become increasingly popular among a growing number of interventionalists as the technologies and procedural methodologies have improved. It is clear in the current CTO PCI era, retrograde techniques are critical to achieving a high degree of success and efficiency. As the number of “retrograde” operators and the understanding of this procedure grow, we expect this will become a standard technique for the treatment of CTOs.
Angiographic patency after robotic beating heart totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting facilitated by automated distal anastomotic connectors.

Objectives Robotic totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) on the beating heart has been facilitated in our experience using distal coronary anastomotic connectors. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed graft patency in all robotic TECAB patients who underwent formal angiography at our current institution over a 5-year period. Methods Between July 2013 and June 2018, 361 consecutive patients underwent robotic beating-heart TECAB. Of these patients, 121 had a follow-up angiogram, which assessed graft patency. Eighty-four patients had an angiogram as part of planned hybrid procedures and 37 patients underwent an unplanned angiogram for clinical indications. Retrospective analysis of angiographic patency and clinical outcomes was performed. Results The mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality was 1.8%. Single-vessel bypass was performed in 40 (33%) patients and multivessel grafting in 81 (67%). Average flow (ml/min) and pulsatility index in the grafts was 74.7 ± 39.1 and 1.42 ± 0.52, respectively. The number of grafts evaluated was 204 (130 left internal mammary artery and 74 right internal mammary artery grafts). The median time to angiography was 1.0 and 16.0 months and graft patency was 98% and 91% in the hybrid and non-hybrid groups, respectively. Overall graft patency was 95.6% (left internal mammary artery = 96%; right internal mammary artery = 93%). Left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending artery graft patency was 97%. Clinical follow-up was available for 316 (88%) patients at mean 22.5 ± 15.1 months. Freedom from major adverse cardiac events at 2 years was 92%. Conclusions In this consecutive series of patients undergoing formal angiography after robotic single and multivessel TECAB, we found satisfactory graft patency and 2-year clinical outcomes. Longer-term follow-up is warranted.
Validation of the Impact Index: can we measure disease effects on quality of life in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis?

To validate the Impact Index, a short, publicly available scale that measures the extent to which a respondent’s health problem adversely impacts their quality of life. Secondary analysis of patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis surveyed after visiting a surgeon at baseline (N = 322) and about 6 months after the visit (N = 283). Patients responded to the Impact Index and previously validated questionnaires about overall health, pain, and function. The Impact Index includes four questions that ask how much the respondent is bothered, worried, limited, or in pain due to their health condition over the past 30 days. Total scores range from 0 to 12; higher scores indicate more deleterious impact. Patients were mostly female (55%), majority white (95%), had an average age of 65 (SD = 9), and most had surgery (64%). The baseline Impact Index score was 9.48 (SD = 2.63); at follow up 4.75 (SD = 3.54). Impact Index was related to overall health at baseline (r = − 0.49). For knee patients at baseline, Impact Index was negatively related to their knee symptoms (r = − 0.49) and knee pain (r = − 0.67). For hip patients at baseline, Impact Index was negatively related to the Harris Hip score (r = − 0.62). Scale directions varied; however, the signs of all correlations were as hypothesized. The Impact Index was predictive of surgical choice (p − 3.4) and Guyatt Responsiveness Statistics (> − 2.3). The Impact Index demonstrated strong evidence of validity, reliability, and responsiveness in hip or knee osteoarthritis patients.
The Changing Visions of Chymistry at Seventeenth-Century Jena: The Two Brendels, Rolfinck, Wedel, and Others.

The University of Jena was an important locus for chymistry teaching in Germany throughout the seventeenth century. Zacharias Brendel the Elder and the Younger, Werner Rolfinck, and Georg Wolfgang ...
Transition from Pediatric to Adult Epilepsy Care: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach (401)

Objective: To describe preliminary data from a pilot program for transition of pediatric patients with epilepsy to adult care. Background: There are numerous barriers to successful transition, particularly for those with special needs. After over a decade of effort, widespread implementation of health care transition for youth with special health care needs has not been fully realized. Design/Methods: In collaboration with colleagues regionally and nationally, a pilot program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) was launched to ensure an effective transition of care (for youth and adolescents) to an adult epilepsy care model. As a part of this initiative, patients were seen in a multi-disciplinary visit by both a pediatric and adult neurologist. Transition readiness was assessed using the Child Neurology Foundation’s Transitions Tools including the Transition Readiness Assessment. Results: A consecutive cohort of 10 patients treated in the transitions clinic was examined. The average patient age was 19 years (min: 15 years, max: 21 years). Patients demonstrated a wide spectrum of ability to participate in medical decision making and care for self. Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) were variable with average number of 1.5 AEDs per patient. 4/10 patients (40%) had medically intractable epilepsy. 3/10 patients had a generalized epilepsy syndrome including 2 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Patients and caregivers who completed a Transition Readiness Assessment (5/10) rated the importance of caring for one’s own health a 9 (average) on a scale of 1 (not important) to 10 (very important) and rated their confidence in caring for self a 6.8 (average) on a scale of 1 to 10. Conclusions: Youth and adolescents with epilepsy have a wide range of abilities and will benefit from an individualized assessment to foster independence and promote medical decision making. The CNF’s Transitions Tools are a valuable resource and can assist providers in identifying the needs of individual patients. Disclosure: Dr. Zecavati has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tirol has nothing to disclose.
A Theoretical Performance Analysis of Bayesian and Information Theoretic Image Segmentation Criteria

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the performance characteristics of image segmentation objective functions that model the image as a Markov random field corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise, or equivalently, use Rissanen’s Minimum Description Length criterion. The analysis is decoupled into the problems of false alarm region detection, parameter selection, detection threshold, and a priori boundary structure analysis. The various aspects of the problem are analyzed by standard methods of signal detection and estimation.
Swimming against the tide: strategies for improving equity in health

The evidence shows that government spending for health in many developing countries benefits the well-to-do more than the poor. However, a combination of favorable political forces and sound public policies can shift the focus of government expenditures toward the poor. Doing this is an essential part of any effective poverty reduction program in developing countries.
Repartnering and Stepchildren

This article examines three issues. These include (a) the role of children in the likelihood their parents repartner (considering different effects for men and women); (b) the role of such children on the fertility of the unions formed, and (c) the effect of stepchildren on union dissolution.
Bursting Bealer's Bubble: How the Starting Points Argument Begs the Question of Foundationalism Against Quine

2 Bealer's explicit motive in attacking this sort of empiricism is to provide some initial support for a form of (moderate) rationalism (see Bealer [2000]), and these sorts of arguments have had considerable influence in the contemporary resurrection of rationalism as many of the essays in Boghossian and Peacocke (2000) attest to. Also, see Bonjour (1998), Kaplan (1994), and Siegel (1984) for very similar arguments against this sort of empiricism.
Urine Extractives in Cancer

The study of the experimental production of malignant tumors by tar has led in recent years to the isolation and synthesis of numerous aromatic polycyclic compounds, for the most part hydrocarbons, whose specific ability to produce tumor growth has earned them the designation “carcinogens” (1). The structure of some of them bears a formal relationship to the sterids or cyclopentenophenanthrene derivatives, and potent carcinogens, such as methylcholanthrene, have been derived experimentally from bile acids. This structural resemblance of several potent carcinogenic hydrocarbons to cyclopentenophenanthrene, which forms the cyclic portion of cholesterol, bile acids, and steroid hormones, has given rise in recent years to speculations which center in the following ideas: ( a ) the cell proliferation which characterizes the estrous state is in some respects reminiscent of the early stages of malignant growth; ( b ) the series cholesterol—bile acids—progesterone—adrenal cortex hormones—male sex hormones constitutes the stages of oxidative degradation of the sterol molecule, leading to numerous physiologically important substances. After complete degradation of the side chain the same trend for dehydrogenation is manifested, yielding aromatic rings in estrin and equilenin. It is argued that this hypothetical trend may exceed the bounds of physiological usefulness and that exaggerated dehydrogenation may lead to the formation of such powerful aromatic carcinogens as methylcholanthrene, which may play a part in the etiology of spontaneous tumors. These assumptions are further made plausible by observations of definite estrogenic action of some carcinogens and noticeable carcinogenic action of sex hormones, at least in large amounts under special conditions. On the other hand, Reichstein (2) has proposed the hypothesis that the first step in the synthesis of steroid compounds may be a condensation of three-carbon sugars. He considers the various active and inactive steroid substances with high oxygen content, isolated from adrenal cortex, as possible intermediates, and the more reduced sterids he regards as secondary products of bio-reduction. This assumption makes a genetic connection between sterids and carcinogens appear improbable.
A note on the flows of inhomogeneous fluids with shear-dependent viscosities

Inhomogeneous fluids have not been studied with the intensity that they deserve. In fact, many studies that are supposedly concerned with the response of inhomogeneous fluids are not directed at inhomogeneous fluids, and this stems from not recognizing the fact that the properties of a fluid varying in its current configuration does not mean that the fluid is inhomogeneous. Here, we show that mild variations in the properties of the fluid which might warrant it being approximated as a homogeneous fluid with average properties could lead to significant errors in the computation of both global and local quantities, associated with the flow.
Slowing the Spread of Grapevine Leafroll-Associated Viruses in Commercial Vineyards With Insecticide Control of the Vector, Pseudococcus maritimus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae).

Vineyards were surveyed for grapevine leafroll-associated viruses and their insect vectors in New York State’s Finger Lakes region in 2006–2008. Grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus (Erhorn) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), European Fruit Lecanium, Parthenolecanium corni (Bouche), and Cottony Maple Scale, Pulvinaria acericola (Walsh and Riley) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) were identified as vector species in this region. An increase in the incidence of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1 (GLRaV-1) and GLRaV-3 was observed in 8 of the 20 vineyards surveyed, which implies transmission by these insect vectors. Two of the vineyards for which a temporal increase in disease incidence was documented were then used to evaluate the efficacy of foliar applications of horticultural oil and two classes of insecticides for control of P. maritimus and for slowing virus spread over 2 years of vine protection. Delayed dormant applications of horticultural oil contributed to control of early season crawlers; however, this was not the case for control of summer populations. Applications of acetamiprid and spirotetramat achieved control in summer populations; however, spirotetramat outperformed acetamiprid in percent reduction of treated compared with control vines and in a side-by-side trial. Vines treated with spirotetramat had a lower percentage of new vines testing positive for GLRaV-1 than control vines after 2 years, while no other spray program altered the increase in incidence of GLRaV-1 or -3.
European Managers' Interpretations of Participation: A Semantic Network Analysis.

This study explores cultural variations in managers’interpretations of a key communicative process: worker participation. Semantic patterns derived from structural analyses indicate cultural differences in the meanings that managers attach to the term participation. The interpretive data are consistent with two of Hofstede's dimensions of cultural variability: Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance. Managers from 5 European Community nations—Denmark, England, France, Holland, and Germany—discuss participation in highly diverse yet systematic ways. The implications of these findings for international management are discussed.
Fantasies, Micro-Identity, and Web 2.0

This essay discusses how socialnetworking site-styled “adult” websites facilitate online socialization throughshared “fantasies.” Moreover, and perhaps more crucially, this essay alsoexplores how users on these websites construct identity online. I argue thatthe development of Web 2.0 has changed significantly changed the form and useof Internet pornography, and those who engage in “Porn 2.0” are part of asignificant (if impossible to accurately measure) Web 2.0 community.Furthermore, I seek to interrogate the limits involved with the performance ofmicro-identity on the Porn 2.0 stage—focusing on sites that largely providepornographic video and live web chats—while also taking into account the ethicalconsiderations that accompany the Porn 2.0 landscape.
Efficient BRDF importance sampling using a factored representation

High-quality Monte Carlo image synthesis requires the ability to importance sample realistic BRDF models. However, analytic sampling algorithms exist only for the Phong model and its derivatives such as Lafortune and Blinn-Phong. This paper demonstrates an importance sampling technique for a wide range of BRDFs, including complex analytic models such as Cook-Torrance and measured materials, which are being increasingly used for realistic image synthesis. Our approach is based on a compact factored representation of the BRDF that is optimized for sampling. We show that our algorithm consistently offers better efficiency than alternatives that involve fitting and sampling a Lafortune or Blinn-Phong lobe, and is more compact than sampling strategies based on tabulating the full BRDF. We are able to efficiently create images involving multiple measured and analytic BRDFs, under both complex direct lighting and global illumination.
Rapid Isocratic Reversed Phase HPLC of Taxanes on New Columns Developed Specifically for Taxol Analysis

Abstract We describe a new HPLC method for detection of taxanes from crude extracts, using new specialty columns developed for HPLC analysis. Taxol [1] and cephalomannine [2] were separated in 13 minutes using an isocratic elution. Additionally, there is baseline separation between cephalomannine [2], 7-epi-10-deacetyl-taxol [3], and taxol [1]. Elution of 7-epi-taxol [4] occurs in 20 minutes. We compared chromatography of taxanes on specialty, C18, and phenyl columns. This isocratic HPLC method permits rapid analysis of large numbers of crude extracts, with excellent resolution of taxanes, enabling the detection of 7-epitaxol [4] in 20 minutes.
Value of the Maller Controlled Association Test as a Screening Device

(1946). Value of the Maller Controlled Association Test as a Screening Device. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 37-43.
Chemoenzymatic synthesis of PSGL-1 glycopeptides: Sulfation on tyrosine affects glycosyltransferase-catalyzed synthesis of the O-glycan

PSGL-1 is the primary glycoprotein ligand for P-selectin during the inflammatory response. Interestingly, the N-terminal sequence, containing both a site of tyrosine sulfation and an O-glycan, has been shown to bind to P-selectin with an affinity similar to full-length PSGL-1. To further characterize this system, the synthesis of glycopeptides from PSGL-1 was undertaken. The synthesis involved both solution- and solid-phase synthesis, as well as enzymatic transformations. During the synthesis, notable reactivity differences of the glycosyltransferases toward sulfated and unsulfated versions of the same glycopeptides were observed.
Orientational behavior of thermotropic liquid crystals on surfaces presenting electrostatically bound vesicular stomatitis virus.

We report the orientational behavior of nematic phases of 4-cyano-4‘-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) on cationic, anionic, and nonionic surfaces before and after contact of these surfaces with solutions containing the negatively charged vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). The surfaces were prepared on evaporated films of gold by either adsorption of poly-l-lysine (cationic) or formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) from HS(CH2)2SO3-(anionic) or HS(CH2)11(OCH2CH2)4OH (nonionic). Prior to treatment with virus, we measured the initial orientation of 5CB (Δe = e∥ − e⊥ > 0) to be parallel to the cationic surfaces (planar anchoring) but perpendicular (homeotropic) after equilibration for 5 days. A similar transition from planar to homeotropic orientation of 5CB was observed on the anionic surfaces. Only planar orientations of 5CB were observed on the nonionic surfaces. Because N-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline (MBBA, Δe = e∥ − e⊥ < 0) exhibited planar alignment on all surfaces, the time-dependent alignment of 5...
Visual-mediated regulation of retinal CaMKII and its GluR1 substrate is age-dependent

Abstract Previous studies have shown that multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and one of its substrates, the glutamate receptor, are key players in experience-driven synaptic plasticity in several areas of the central nervous system (CNS). To determine if CaMKII and the glutamate receptor are regulated by visual activity in the retina, we compared dark-reared (DR; 1 week) rats with control rats raised in a diurnal light–dark cycle (LD), at the following ages: postnatal day 12 (P12d), 2-month (2m) and 6-month (6m) old. The mRNA levels of CaMKIIα and β were determined by a competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (competitive RT-PCR) method. The protein levels of these two subunits were evaluated by immunoblots. The data show that the mRNAs for CaMKIIα and β were increased about 8-fold and 10-fold, respectively, in the retinae of DR P12d rats. As for the proteins, 2- and 2.6-fold elevations for CaMKIIα and β, respectively, were evident. The GluR1 subunit of the AMPAR (AMPAR-GluR1) was also evaluated in antibody-treated blots and found to be increased about 2-fold after 1 week of dark rearing in the retinae of P12d rats. This type of experience-driven molecular change was age-dependent, showing less increase in 2m old rats and not present in 6m old rats. Returning DR 2m old rats to the LD environment for 1 week was sufficient to restore the dark-induced changes to the levels of the age-matched LD controls. Based on the data, a theoretical model for activity-dependent modulation of the developing retinal synapses is proposed.
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND RNA SYNTHESIS DURING MITOSIS IN ANIMAL CELLS.

Protein synthesis and RNA synthesis during mitosis were studied by autoradiography on mammalian tissue culture cells. Protein synthesis was followed by incubating hamster epithelial and human amnion cells for 10 or 15 minutes with phenylalanine-C14. To study RNA synthesis the hamster cells were incubated for 10 minutes with uridine-C14. Comparisons of the synthetic capacity of the interphase and mitotic cells were then made using whole cell grain counts. The rate of RNA synthesis decreased during prophase and reached a low of 13 to 16 per cent of the average interphase rate during metaphase-anaphase. Protein synthesis in the hamster cells showed a 42 per cent increase during prophase with a subsequent return to the average interphase value during metaphase-anaphase. The human amnion cells showed no significant change at prophase but there was a 52 to 56 per cent drop in phenylalanine incorporation at metaphase-anaphase as compared to the average interphase rate. Colcemide was used on the hamster cells to study the effect of a prolonged mitotic condition on protein and RNA synthesis. Under this condition, uridine incorporation was extremely low whereas phenylalanine incorporation was still relatively high. The drastic reduction of RNA synthesis observed under mitotic conditions is believed to be due to the coiled condition of the chromosomes. The lack of a comparable reduction in protein synthesis during mitosis is interpreted as evidence for the presence in these cells of a relatively stable messenger RNA.
Palladium-Catalyzed Coupling of Ethynylated p-Carborane Derivatives: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Modular Ethynylated p-Carborane Molecules.

Methodology leading to a new class of rodlike p-carborane derivatives is described, involving the palladium-catalyzed coupling of B-iodinated p-carboranes with terminal alkynes. The products of these reactions contain an alkyne substituent at a boron vertex of the p-carborane cage. Reaction of closo-2-I-1,12-C2B10H11 (1) with closo-2-(C⋮CH)-1,12-C2B10H11 (3) in the presence of pyrrolidine and catalytic quantities of bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium dichloride and cupric iodide yields 1,2-(closo-1‘,12‘-C2B10H11-2‘-yl)2 acetylene (4). Oxidative coupling of 3 in the presence of cupric chloride in piperidine affords 1,4-(closo-1‘,12‘-C2B10H11-2‘-yl)2-1,3-butadiyne (5). Reaction of 2 molar equiv. of closo-2,9-I2-1,12-C2B10H10 (6) with closo-2,9-(C⋮CH)2-1,12-C2B10H10 (7) in the presence of pyrrolidine and catalytic quantities of bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium dichloride and cupric iodide yields closo-2,9-(closo-2‘-I-9‘-C⋮C-1‘,12‘-C2B10H10)2-1,12-C2B10H10 (8), a rigid, iodine-terminated carborod trimer in whic...
Neuronal remodeling in retinal circuit assembly, disassembly and reassembly

Developing neuronal circuits often undergo a period of refinement to eliminate aberrant synaptic connections. Inappropriate connections can also form among surviving neurons during neuronal degeneration. The laminar organization of the vertebrate retina enables synaptic reorganization to be readily identified. Synaptic rearrangements are shown to help sculpt developing retinal circuits, although the mechanisms involved remain debated. Structural changes in retinal diseases can also lead to functional rewiring. This poses a major challenge to retinal repair because it may be necessary to untangle the miswired connections before reconnecting with proper synaptic partners. Here, we review our current understanding of the mechanisms that underlie circuit remodeling during retinal development, and discuss how alterations in connectivity during damage could impede circuit repair.
The Application of Non-Crossing Partitions to Improving Percolation Threshold Bounds

We describe how non-crossing partitions arise in substitution method calculations. By using efficient algorithms for computing non-crossing partitions we are able to substantially reduce the computational effort, which enables us to compute improved bounds on the percolation thresholds for three percolation models. For the Kagome bond model we improve bounds from $0.5182 \leq p_c \leq 0.5335$ to $0.522197 \leq p_c \leq 0.526873$, improving the range from 0.0153 to 0.004676. For the $(3,12^2)$ bond model we improve bounds from $0.7393 \leq p_c \leq 0.7418$ to $0.739773 \leq p_c \leq 0.741125$, improving the range from 0.0025 to 0.001352. We also improve the upper bound for the hexagonal site model, from 0.794717 to 0.743359.
A Systematic Family-wide Investigation Reveals that ∼30% of Mammalian PDZ Domains Engage in PDZ-PDZ Interactions

Summary PDZ domains are independently folded modules that typically mediate protein-protein interactions by binding to the C termini of their target proteins. However, in a few instances, PDZ domains have been reported to dimerize with other PDZ domains. To investigate this noncanonical-binding mode further, we used protein microarrays comprising virtually every mouse PDZ domain to systematically query all possible PDZ-PDZ pairs. We then used fluorescence polarization to retest and quantify interactions and coaffinity purification to test biophysically validated interactions in the context of their full-length proteins. Overall, we discovered 37 PDZ-PDZ interactions involving 46 PDZ domains (∼30% of all PDZ domains tested), revealing that dimerization is a more frequently used binding mode than was previously appreciated. This suggests that many PDZ domains evolved to form multiprotein complexes by simultaneously interacting with more than one ligand.
Influence of various underlayers on [001] texture and magnetic properties in FePt and FexNi1 − xPt thin films

Abstract Perpendicular magnetic recording thin films require proper crystallographic growth to ensure that the magnetic easy-axis is aligned normal to the growth plane. The texture and in situ growth stresses of (001) FePt and Fe x Ni (1 − x) Pt thin films on various underlayer combinations are studied. These were correlated with the magnetic properties allowing self consistent direct comparisons of the various parameters to be made. It was found that the (001) texture, L 1 0 chemical ordering and perpendicular magnetic alignment was improved with the smaller lattice misfit that accompanied a combination of Pt/Cr multilayered and compositionally graded underlayers on a (001) MgO substrate. A Cr underlayer allowed the Pt film to deposit in a relatively strain-free lattice condition from which the FePt based films could grow in a similar strain-free epitaxial condition. In situ stress measurements confirmed that these underlayers reduced the intrinsic compressive growth stresses to approximately one-fifth the FePt stress value for being directly deposited onto the MgO surface. The incorporation of Ni to the (001) growth of FePt facilitated in-plane and out-of-plane c-variant growth for the L 1 0 structure. Finally, a linear compositional gradient Fe x Ni 0.48 − x Pt 0.52 (0
Single-source multi-coil transcranial magnetic stimulators for deep and focused stimulation of the human brain

Summary form only given. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a tool for non-invasive stimulation of neuronal tissue for research in cognitive neuroscience and treating neurological disorders. In TMS, one or more coils located near the scalp produce magnetic fields that induce electric fields and eddy-currents in the conductive brain tissue. When the spatial gradient of the electric field aligns with a nerve fiber, an action potential is generated. Many TMS applications require excitation of specific target regions in the brain while minimizing stimulation elsewhere. Unfortunately, electric fields generated by present TMS coils diffuse rapidly as they penetrate into the brain and stimulate relatively large regions of tissue near the brain surface. This is especially true for the two most commonly used single-source systems, viz. the `figure-8' and `Hessed' coils (Cohen L. et al., Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol, vol.7, no.75, pp.1-4, 350-7; Roth Y. et al., J Clin Neurophysiol, vol.19, no.4, pp. 361-370. Aug. 2002). To broaden the scope of present TMS applications, new coils that focus fields deeper into the brain while limiting the volume of excited tissue are called for. This study concerns the design of planar or conformal, single-source (i.e. uniformly fed) coil arrays. Past efforts at using coil arrays for TMS were held back by the lack of robust design tools and the need to feed the array with multiple sources. Our contributions are two-fold. (i) We propose a Pareto genetic algorithm (PGA) that, for a given array layout, determines array driving currents that minimize the volume of the excited head region V required to achieve a prescribed penetration depth d-both quantities are defined in terms an electric field excitation threshold (typically chosen to be 150 V/m). The PGA ensures feasibility of the design by safeguarding against electric fields that exceed a safety threshold (typically chosen to be 450V/m) and controlling the L1 norm of the vector of coil currents. (ii) We develop a methodology for converting the multi-source arrays that results from (i) into a single-source coil without affecting its performance. First, each single-turn coil in the multi-channel array is replaced by a multi-turn coil comprising variable-radius loops that produce the same magnetic dipole moment when driven by a fixed current (that is chosen identically for all array elements). Next, these multi-turn coils are series-connected using a carefully designed, nonradiating feed network. Preliminary results indicate that a 10 x 10 square array of multi-turn circular loops of diameter <; 14mm is capable of exciting fields d = 27mm into the head-a depth often targeted when TMS is used for treating depression-while using 1/50th the current and exciting 3 times less volume than figure-8 TMS coils.