cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Space-time adaptive processing for forward looking arrays

The paper applies space-time adaptive processing (STAP) to forward looking arrays. Traditionally, STAP research provides results for a side-looking array where a linear relationship exists between clutter Doppler and azimuth sine. This relationship does not hold in the forward looking case. Additionally, mainbeam clutter in the side-looking boresight case is range independent and, consequently, the clutter notch is always at zero hertz. In contrast, mainbeam clutter is range dependent in the forward looking case, resulting in multiple clutter notches for range ambiguous clutter. This range dependency corrupts the independent, identically distributed assumption required for the samples used in covariance estimation. The assumption can still be applied for a small data set, e.g., small range extent. Therefore, partially adaptive techniques with fewer degrees or freedom and correspondingly smaller sample support requirements must be used. Results are presented in the form of clutter power spectral density, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, improvement factor, antenna patterns, and detection probability.
Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation: A Quantitative Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Analysis

Background A comprehensive three-dimensional echocardiography based approach is applied to preoperative mitral valve (MV) analysis in patients with ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR). This method is used to characterize the heterogeneous nature of the pathologic anatomy associated with IMR. Methods Intraoperative real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiograms of 18 patients with IMR (10 with anterior, 8 with inferior infarcts) and 17 patients with normal MV were analyzed. A customized image analysis protocol was used to assess global and regional determinants of annular size and shape, leaflet tethering and curvature, relative papillary muscle anatomy, and anatomic regurgitant orifice area. Results Both mitral annular area and MV tenting volume were increased in the IMR group as compared with patients with normal MV (mitral annular area=1,065 ± 59 mm 2 versus 779 ± 44 mm 2 , p = 0.001; and MV tenting volume=3,413 ± 403 mm 3 versus 1,696 ± 200 mm 3 , p = 0.001, respectively). Within the IMR group, patients with anterior infarct had larger annuli (1,168 ± 99 mm 2 ) and greater tenting volumes (4,260 ± 779 mm 3 versus 2,735 ± 245 mm 3 , p = 0.06) than the inferior infarct subgroup. Papillary-annular distance was increased in the IMR group relative to normal; these distances were largest in patients with anterior infarcts. Whereas patients with normal MV had very consistent anatomic determinants, annular shape and leaflet tenting distribution in the IMR group were exceedingly variable. Mean anatomic regurgitant orifice area was 25.8 ± 3.0 mm 2 , and the number of discrete regurgitant orifices varied from 1 to 4. Conclusions Application of custom analysis techniques to three-dimensional echocardiography images allows a quantitative and systematic analysis of the MV, and demonstrates the extreme variability in pathologic anatomy that occurs in patients with severe IMR.
Should genetically modified foods be abandoned on the basis of allergenicity

In October of 2006, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged for a second green revolution in rice, encouraging scientists “[to use] the potential of biotechnology to meet the requirements of hungry people” [1]. Biotechnology, and genetic engineering in particular, has the potential to positively impact billions of lives; as Prime Minister Singh aptly highlighted, the proliferation of genetically modified rice can help the 780 million people suffering from hunger worldwide [2]. In addition to potentially reducing world hunger, genetic modification provides solutions to many of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, such as the following: combating infectious diseases, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, improving child nutrition, and ensuring environmental sustainability [3]. In short, the humanitarian profits of utilizing biotechnology are immense. Plagued with not only world hunger issues, but also the plummet in world food stocks, a viable solution to the world’s food problems is required, and quickly, to ensure the safety and sustainability of future generations [4]. As Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and father of the Green Revolution, states “we’re 6.6 billion people [worldwide] and could feed 4.4 billion. I don’t see 2 billion volunteers to give up food” [5]. More lowmaintenance crops, and, consequently, larger quantities of food, need to be produced to economically and nutritionally aid the millions of impoverished people worldwide. Borlaug advocates the use of biotechnology to solve world hunger, stating that by modifying wheat grains, he produces “the food that’s needed for the people today” [5]; in his opinion, genetically modified foods are essential in order to allow humanity to enjoy a prosperous and healthy twentyfirst century. While many people agree with the viewpoints of Prime Minister Singh and Norman Borlaug, some groups—such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth—are wary of the possible health consequences of this new genre of food [6–9]. A major concern for Greenpeace, as well as for individuals of the general public, is the possible allergenicity of genetically modified (GM) foods by the manipulation of genes and, particularly, the insertion of coding for new proteins [8]. To produce GM plants, a sequence of amino acids encoding for a protein is transposed onto the DNA of a particular plant (e.g., corn). Essentially, the genetic information encoding for a protein from one plant is transferred to another plant, thus giving the receiving plant the ability to express the desired protein [9, 10]. This particular process was highlighted in the mainstream media in 2000, when Friends of the Earth initiated a campaign against Aventis CropScience, stating that Starlink, a breed of corn originally deemed safe for only animal feed, had migrated into the human food supply [7]. The scientific significance of the levels of this corn—and its potential allergenic properties—found in mainstream food is quesAnal Bioanal Chem (2008) 392:341–346 DOI 10.1007/s00216-008-2123-8
Sea-surface temperature measured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the NASA Earth Observing System satellites Terra and Aqua include infrared bands that are designed for the accurate measurement of sea-surface temperature (SST). In addition to the conventional 'split-window' bands in the 10-12 /spl mu/m atmospheric window (similar in spectral properties to the corresponding channels of the heritage instrument, the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)) the MODIS also has three bands in the 3.5 to 4.2 /spl mu/m interval for SST measurement. We present a validation of the MODIS SSTs, derived from the conventional measurements at the 10-12 /spl mu/m window, by comparison with radiometrically-derived skin temperatures from ships, and with bulk measurements from buoys. These show the MODIS SSTs are comparable in accuracy to the AVHRR Pathfinder SST fields.
Diagnosis and management of sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents.

1. Gale R. Burstein, MD, MPH* 2. Pamela J. Murray, MD, MPH† 1. *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 2. †Children’s Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. List biologic and physiologic reasons for the disproportionate adolescent sexually transmitted disease susceptibility. 2. Describe clinical and laboratory findings on examination of a female who has mucopurulent cervicitis. 3. Describe the causative pathogens and etiologic evaluation for vaginitis. 4. List the criteria for diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease. 5. Describe the documentation and management of urethritis. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major health problem among adolescents. The highest reported rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia are found among adolescents and young adults. Adolescent susceptibility to STDs reflects both their biologic and behavioral stages of development. The adolescent cervix is more susceptible to infection compared with the adult cervix because of the presence of cervical ectopy. The young female introitus is small and subject to more trauma and exchange of body fluids during intercourse. Adolescents who have not been sexually active for an extended period of time are less likely to have any partial protective immunity against chlamydia from prior infections. Young adolescents’ cognitive developmental stage may limit their ability to plan ahead for condom use. The adolescent personal fable, a belief of uniqueness and invulnerability, contributes to denial of STD risks. Evaluation and management of an adolescent presenting with symptoms suggestive of an STD are acute care problems that can be addressed in the pediatric office. In this article, we describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and management of common STDs among adolescents. ### Epidemiology Mucopurulent cervicitis (MPC) is characterized by mucopurulent discharge from an inflamed cervix. Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae can cause MPC, but in most cases neither organism can be isolated. Other possible infectious pathogens include herpes simplex virus and Trichomonas vaginalis. ### Clinical Presentation and Examination The adolescent who has MPC may present with complaints of vaginal discharge, vaginal itching, irregular vaginal bleeding (especially after sexual intercourse), and dyspareunia. …
Comparing Number Lines and Touch Points to Teach Addition Facts to Students With Autism

Three elementary students with autism were taught single-digit addition problem-solving skills using number and touch-point strategies. Prior to the study, all students were unable to correctly calculate single-digit addition problems. An alternating-treatments design was used to compare the acquisition performance of single-digit addition problem-solving skills. The results indicated that the touch-point strategy was more effective in teaching single-digit addition skills. The touch-point strategy was then replicated using the nonpreferred strategy's content, improving all students' addition skills.
No graded responses of finger muscles to TMS during motor imagery of isometric finger forces

Previous studies of motor imagery have shown that the same neural correlates for actual movement are selectively activated during motor imagery of the same movement. However, little is known about motor imagery of isometric force. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neural correlates involved in motor imagery of isometric finger forces. Ten subjects were instructed to produce a finger flexion or extension force ranging from 10% to 60% of maximal isometric force and to mentally reproduce the force after an eight-second delay period. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over the hand motor area during imagining the force. We measured the amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the flexor digitorum superfialis (FDS) and the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) muscles and TMS-induced forces from the proximal phalanxes. The results showed that, as compared to the rest condition, the MEP amplitude was greater in the FDS during imagining flexion forces, whereas it was greater in the EDC during imagining extension forces. MEP amplitudes were similar for motor imagery of graded flexion or extension forces. Also, TMS produced flexion forces during imagining flexion forces, whereas it produced extension forces during imagining extension forces. There was no change in the amplitude of TMS-induced forces across graded motor imagery task. These results support the notion that the same neural correlates for actual movement could be selectively activated during motor imagery of the same movement, but demonstrated that the magnitude of isometric force could not be mentally simulated.
Research on Standards for Professional Licensure and Certification Examinations

The purpose of this article is to outline an agenda for research on standards for professional licensure and certification examinations. To avoid confusion, scores are defined as content-based decisions about the correctness of responses, and standards refer to the educational/social decisions about how many questions need to be answered correctly to pass. Standards are the focus of this article. The two major types of standards, relative and absolute, are described and the major standard-setting methods for each are presented. Some of the published results in four different areas are reviewed: (a) basis of the judgements, (b) efficiency of the process, (c) group effects, and (d) content and expertise effects. Topics for future research in all four areas are identified.
High-precision quantum thermochemistry on nonquasiharmonic potentials : Converged path-integral free energies and a systematically convergent family of generalized Pitzer-Gwinn approximations

Accurate quantum mechanical (QM) vibrational-rotational partition functions for HOOD, D(2)O(2), H(18)OOH, H(2)(18)O(2), D(18)OOH, and H(18)OOD are determined using a realistic potential energy surface for temperatures ranging from 300 to 2400 K by using the TT-FPI-ESPE path-integral Monte Carlo method. These data, together with our prior results for H(2)O(2), provide benchmarks for testing approximate methods of estimating isotope effects for systems with torsional motions. Harmonic approximations yield poor accuracy for these systems, and although the well-known Pitzer-Gwinn (PG) approximation provides better results for absolute partition functions, it yields the same results as the harmonic approximation for isotope effects because these are intrinsically quantal phenomena. We present QM generalizations of the PG approximation that can provide high accuracy for both isotope effects and absolute partition functions. These approximations can be systematically improved until they approach the accurate result and converge rapidly. These methods can also be used to obtain affordable estimates of zero-point energies from accurate partition functions-even those at relatively high temperatures.
MEASURING ERIKSONIAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE ADULT: THE MODIFIED ERIKSON PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGE INVENTORY

To measure psychosocial attributes that arise from progression through Erik Erikson's eight stages of development, a new inventory was developed by modifying the Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventor...
The neuropsychological effects of obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis of norm-referenced and case-controlled data.

Study Objectives: The research literature on the neuropsychological effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has yielded seemingly contradictory findings, and narrative reviews of this literature are prone to interpretive errors. We used sophisticated meta-analytic models to minimize such errors, with the goal of clarifying the effect of OSA on neuropsychological functioning. Design: Meta-analytic review of research through 2001. Participants: We reviewed studies of neuropsychological functioning among adults with untreated OSA. Twenty-five studies met review criteria, representing 1092 patients with OSA and 899 healthy controls. Measurements and Results: Two sets of effect sizes were generated. One compared OSA group means against those of healthy controls in case-controlled studies. The other compared all OSA group means against published normative data. Within each data set, 10 neuropsychological outcome domains were coded. In both data sets, untreated OSA was found to have a negligible impact on intellectual and verbal functioning but a substantial impact upon vigilance and executive functioning. Data were mixed with regard to visual and motor functioning; posthoc inspection of the data suggested that tests of fine-motor coordination or drawing were more sensitive to OSA than were tests of fine-motor speed or visual perception. Data were also mixed with regard to memory functioning, probably related to methodologic differences across studies. Conclusions: Etiologic models should emphasize mechanisms known to affect vigilance, executive functioning, and motor coordination but not intelligence, verbal functioning, or visual perception. Clinicians should be alert to OSA symptoms in patients with declines in vigilance, executive functioning, or coordination.
Searching Local Information in Mobile Databases

A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is a set of moving objects that communicate with each other via unregulated, short-range wireless technologies such as IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, or Ultra Wide Band (UWB). No fixed infrastructure is assumed or relied upon. An important application domain of MANETs is local resource discovery. In a local resource discovery application, a user finds local resources that satisfy specified criteria. For example, a driver finds an available parking slot in a region by receiving information generated by the parking meter, or gets the traffic conditions on a highway segment a mile ahead; a cab driver finds a near-by customer, or a participant at a convention finds another participant with a matching profile.
Ponds, Paddies and Frontier Defence: Environmental and Economic Changes in Northern Hebei in Northern Song China (960–1127)

At the end of the 10th century, the Northern Song government constructed a series of ponds in northern Hebei in order to thwart its nomadic rival, the Khitan Liao. Throughout the following one and ...
Re-Framing Requirements Engineering

Jackson's concept of "problem frame" has influenced requirements engineering (RE) by emphasizing the constituent problems that system requirements address. But RE is itself a problem, one that may be supported by implemented systems for which, presumably, RE is the real-world domain in which the system operates. Even when the intention is not to specify RE support technology, the concept of the problem frame illuminates the assumptions that inform much RE research and practitioner literature. This paper analyzes the contribution to RE of the major problem frames identified by Jackson. Notable RE papers are analyzed through the lens of problem frames, and it is shown that the research and professional community frequently talks at cross purposes because the problems being addressed are literally framed differently and the success criteria for RE are therefore defined in ways that do not permit comparison.
Social capital and access

Physical access to computers does not guarantee access to the information society. To help ensure that the first type of access translates into the second, it is necessary to pay attention to how computer and Internet use can enhance social capital. Drawing on examples from technology projects in India and other countries, this paper examines the concept of social capital and its relationship to information and communication technology, focusing on the role of both micro-level and macro-level social capital.
Evolution towards automation

The evolution towards automation in manufacturing within IBM is described, taking the plant in Greenock, Scotland, as an example. A strategy was developed, looking a decade or more ahead to the point where the plant would be a high-volume low-cost facility, with full integrated automation as the goal. This may never be completely achieved, but each process is automated when it can be justified financially. Currently, a series of islands of automation exist within the total mosaic of the strategy. Increased productivity permits further phases of capital investment and, in addition, automation ensures consistent high quality.
Hypermedia Space and Global Communication Studies: Lessons From the Middle East

Global media environment that began with the advent of the Internet and accelerated with the rise of mobile devices, social networking media, and user-generated content. These developments pose a radical challenge to the theoretical frameworks that have traditionally dominated international communication scholarship, if only because serious attempts to capture contemporary media dynamics require us to leave behind the meta-theoretical frameworks of modernization, dependency and globalization, and focus sharply on case-studies that yield insight about context-bound communication processes and their social and political implications. Indeed, we argue in this essay, whereas television was the default and often unstated fulcrum of much of global communication theory, the emergent global media environment is best understood as a transnational “hypermedia space” (see Kraidy, 2006) in which so-called “old” media like television and the newspaper join emergent media like mobile devices, social media, video on the Internet, and others to create a communication space the social and political implications of which we are only beginning to discern.
On discrete weighted distributions and their use in model choice for observed data

This paper provides a brief structural perspective of discrete weighted distributions in theory and practice.. It develops a unified view of previous work involving univariate and bivariate models with some new results pertaining to mixtures, form-invariance and Bayesian inference
CONTROL OF LIPID DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH ATHEROSCLEROTIC VASCULAR DISEASE

The primary dyslipidemias are associated with an increased incidence of atherosclerotic vascular disease in coronary, cerebral, and peripheral vessels. If nonpharmacologic therapy, such as dietary changes and aerobic exercise, fails to achieve the therapeutic goal levels for serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides suggested by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel, pharmacologic intervention is indicated. The choice of the class of lipid-lowering drug(s) for initial therapy and subsequent therapy depends on the nature of the dyslipidemia, e.g., hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, suppressed HDL cholesterol levels, or combinations of these disturbances in lipid metabolism. Appropriate therapy with the highly efficacious agents currently available significantly reduces the associated morbidity and mortality related to atherosclerosis. The clinical applications of these classes of agents are discussed here.
Development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy for glioblastoma targeting epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII).

Meeting abstracts Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common brain tumor, with a poor prognosis of less than 14 months after initial diagnosis. Gene amplification and mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are frequently observed in primary GBM. The most common variant of EGFR,
Gesture for Linguists: A Handy Primer

Humans communicate using language, but they also communicate using gesture - spontaneous movements of the hands and body that universally accompany speech. Gestures can be distinguished from other movements, segmented, and assigned meaning based on their forms and functions. Moreover, gestures systematically integrate with language at all levels of linguistic structure, as evidenced in both production and perception. Viewed typologically, gesture is universal, but nevertheless exhibits constrained variation across language communities (as does language itself ). Finally, gesture has rich cognitive dimensions in addition to its communicative dimensions. In overviewing these and other topics, we show that the study of language is incomplete without the study of its communicative partner, gesture.
Sensitization of cultured Chinese hamster cells to 42 degrees C hyperthermia by pentalenolactone, an inhibitor of glycolytic ATP synthesis.

SummaryThe antibiotic pentalenolactone, a specific inhibitor of glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase, was used to investigate the effect of glycolytic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis on the survival response of aerobic and hypoxic Chinese hamster cells treated with 42°C hyperthermia. Data obtained with aerobic cells, incubated in balanced salt solutions supplemented with different substrates for ATP production, showed that 50 μm pentalenolactone blocked ATP synthesis via glycolysis but not by oxidative phosphorylation. The glycolytic inhibition was reversed upon transfer of the cells to antibiotic-free medium, and minimal cytotoxicity (< 20 per cent) was observed.Hypoxic cultures were obtained by incubating dense cell suspensions (2 × 106/ml) to produce metabolic oxygen depletion. Concomitant with the development of hypoxia, pentalenolactone-treated cells became ATP-depleted; cellular ATP levels were reduced by about 70-fold as compared to hypoxic cells in the antibiotic-free medium. The ATP-deple...
International Currencies Past, Present and Future: Two Views from Economic History

This paper contrasts two views of international currency status: an “old view” in which network increasing returns are sufficiently strong that one currency dominates international markets at any point in time, versus a “new view” in which networks are open and several international currencies can coexist. It marshals historical evidence in favor of the “new view” and suggests that several national currencies, most plausibly the U.S. dollar and Chinese renminbi, are likely to share this international currency role in the not-too-distant future.
Germination Inhibition in Stigma Extracts of Tobacco and Identification of MeABA, ABA, and ABA-β-D-Glucopyranoside

Extracts of various flower tissues of tobacco with 70% methanol inhibited tobacco seed germination differently. Among them, extracts of stigma and anther were very inhibitory. When the extracts were partitioned between ethyl acetate and water, the activity of the ethyl acetate layer was stronger than that of the water layer. Stigmas and anthers had more abscisic acid (ABA) than the other floral tissues, which matched the results of the germination tests well. Guided by a bioassay using the inhibitory effects on tobacco seed germination, MeABA, ABA, and ABA-β-Dglucopyranoside were isolated and identified from stigmas. All of the MeABA isolated did not seem to be an artefact produced by esterification with the solvent, for MeABA was detected even when stigmas were extracted with other solvents than methanol. MeABA and ABA did not inhibit tobacco pollen germination and elongation in vitro.
Quantile Regression Analysis of Censored Wealth Data

(1994). Quantile Regression Analysis of Censored Wealth Data. Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History: Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 149-165.
Burn-induced alterations in cardiac beta-adrenergic receptors.

Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that burn injury (45% total body surface area, 3rd-degree scald burn) diminishes contractile and relaxation function in the isolated perfused gu...
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Hydration Effects on Solvation, Diffusivity, and Permeability in Chitosan/Chitin Films

The effects of hydration on the solvation, diffusivity, solubility, and permeability of oxygen molecules in sustainable, biodegradable chitosan/chitin food packaging films were studied via molecular dynamics and confined random walk simulations. With increasing hydration, the membrane has a more homogeneous water distribution with the polymer chains being fully solvated. The diffusivity increased by a factor of 4 for oxygen molecules and by an order of magnitude for water with increasing the humidity. To calculate the Henry’s constant and solubility of oxygen in the membranes with changing hydration, the excess chemical potential was calculated via free energy perturbation, thermodynamic integration and direct particle deletion methods. The simulations predicted a higher solubility and permeability for the lower humidity, in contradiction to experimental results. All three methods for calculating the solubility were in good agreement. It was found that the Coulombic interactions in the potential caused th...
Evolution of a Mock Oral Board Examination Program in Surgery.

This paper describes the evolution of a Mock Oral Board Examination Program for surgical residents in a university-affiliated community setting. The Mock Oral Board Examination Program has familiarized residents with the process of the Certifying Examination, assisted program directors in improving their training programs and creating a scholarly environment, and improved our community exchange of information through this collaborative effort
Real-time monitoring of thermal and mechanical response to sub-therapeutic HIFU beams in vivo

We present first in vivo results of realtime 2D imaging of thermal and mechanical response to sub-therapeutic HIFU beams in a small-animal tumor model. A 2.5 MHz focused transducer with f number = 1.05 was used to generate short (≈ 1.5 sec) exposure in LNCap tumors implanted in the hindlimb of nude mice with power levels suitable to produce 4–6 °C rise in tissue (based on results in thermally-calibrated tissue mimicking phantoms). Beamformed RF data was collected at 99 frames per second to allow for capturing tissue displacements due to both temperature and breathing cycles. To ascertain the system's capability to cover an adequate range of periodic tissue motion, the sub-therapeutic HIFU beams were sinusoidally modulated at frequencies higher than the pulsatory frequency in the mouse model. Results from our previously published 2D temperature imaging algorithm demonstrate the capture of strains due to temperature change, pulsatory motions near arteries, and sinusoidal oscillations due to acoustic radiation force effects due to the HIFU-beam modulation. To reduce the effects of mechanical strains due to motion and ARF modulation, an iterative image reconstruction algorithm was used. The method employs alternating projections that employ the non-negativity constraints (TΔ(r, t) ≥ 0) and a multi-dimensional time-varying Gaussian filter derived from the spatio-temporal impulse response of the transient bioheat transfer equation (tBHTE) in each iteration. This method of projection onto convex sets (POCS) allows for the removal of artifacts inconsistent with the temperature evolution model in tissue media while preserving real temperature data until convergence is achieved. Our in vivo results show that the POCS algorithm achieves significant reduction in the temperature artifacts due to breathing and pulsations while preserving true temperature profiles with excellent spatial and temporal resolution. These results clearly demonstrate the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound thermography to the spatially-confined sub-therapeutic HIFU beams. This performance is unmatched by other noninvasive methods for imaging temperature.
Understanding the Value of Reputation Systems in Enterprise Social Media (ESM)-Mutual Influence Between Online and Offline Performance

One major concern that organizations face when deploying Enterprise Social Media (ESM) platforms is that of how to encourage employees' engagement within the system. Reputation systems that gamify the adoption process are incorporated into many ESM to inculcate employee engagement with the ESM. This study seeks to understand the dynamic between employees' online and offline performance by examining the research question: What are the impacts of reputation systems on the mutual influence between employees' online performances in ESM and their offline performances such as job performance? We take a performative view of online and offline identities and utilize "embodied entities" to connect the offline performance and online performance. The research will conduct a mixed-method case study to examine ESM and reputation system use in a large international organization. This RIP will present the motivations, theoretical framework, research model, and intended research design. (Less)
Sensitive simultaneous quantitation of testosterone and estradiol in serum by LC–MS/MS without derivatization and comparison with the CDC HoSt program

Abstract Background Very sensitive measurements of serum estrogens and testosterone are important in adult and pediatric endocrinology and immunoassays are known to lack the required performance at very low levels. Our aim was to develop a sensitive HPLC–MS/MS assay for both estradiol (E 2 ) and testosterone (Te) in serum without the need for chemical derivatization and using commercially available calibrators. Methods Serum samples were prepared by the addition of internal standards followed by extraction using hexane:ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a C 18 column and mass spectrometry was performed in both positive and negative ion modes. Results The lower limits of quantitation (LLOQs) of E 2 and Te were 5 pg/mL and 1 ng/dL, respectively. The analytical measurement range (AMR) for E 2 was 5–600 pg/mL and 1–1,170 ng/dL for Te. Assay accuracy was determined both by comparison with a LC–MS/MS method performed at a national laboratory and the CDC HoSt program. Comparison with samples analyzed by both methods showed excellent correlation. Within-day (N = 10) and between-day (N = 20) CVs at concentrations spanning the AMR were less than 7% for both analytes. Conclusion We have developed an accurate and highly sensitive assay to measure E 2 and Te levels in serum by HPLC–MS/MS without chemical derivatization and using commercially available calibrators.
Rooting Performance of Hardwood Stem Cuttings from Herbicide-treated Nursery Stock Plants

Abstract Bed-grown nursery stock was treated with preemergence herbicides semiannually for 3 years at maximum label use rates. Herbicides included Devrinol, Pennant, Ronstar, Southern Weedgrass Control, Surflan, Treflan, Ornamental Herbicide 2, Rout, and XL. Hardwood cuttings were taken after two and four herbicide applications (‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly), or after two and six applications (shore juniper, Pfitzer juniper, glossy privet). Herbicides did not affect rooting of cuttings or growth of stock plants of the taxa tested.
Fuzzy Object Skeletonization: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications

Skeletonization offers a compact representation of an object while preserving important topological and geometrical features. Literature on skeletonization of binary objects is quite mature. However, challenges involved with skeletonization of fuzzy objects are mostly unanswered. This paper presents a new theory and algorithm of skeletonization for fuzzy objects, evaluates its performance, and demonstrates its applications. A formulation of fuzzy grassfire propagation is introduced; its relationships with fuzzy distance functions, level sets, and geodesics are discussed; and several new theoretical results are presented in the continuous space. A notion of collision-impact of fire-fronts at skeletal points is introduced, and its role in filtering noisy skeletal points is demonstrated. A fuzzy object skeletonization algorithm is developed using new notions of surface- and curve-skeletal voxels, digital collision-impact, filtering of noisy skeletal voxels, and continuity of skeletal surfaces. A skeletal noise pruning algorithm is presented using branch-level significance. Accuracy and robustness of the new algorithm are examined on computer-generated phantoms and micro- and conventional CT imaging of trabecular bone specimens. An application of fuzzy object skeletonization to compute structure-width at a low image resolution is demonstrated, and its ability to predict bone strength is examined. Finally, the performance of the new fuzzy object skeletonization algorithm is compared with two binary object skeletonization methods.
Abstract TP193: Antihypertensive Therapy in Patients With Pre-morbid Hypertension Does not Modify Short-term Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Hypertension is a recognized risk factor for ischemic stroke. Recent studies have suggested that patients with acute hypertension on admission for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) have worse...
Comprehensive home-based care coordination for vulnerable elders with dementia: Maximizing Independence at Home-Plus—Study protocol:

IntroductionDespite availability of effective care strategies for dementia, most health care systems are not yet organized or equipped to provide comprehensive family-centered dementia care managem...
A novel MINLP model of front-end crude scheduling for refinery with consideration of inherent upset minimization

Abstract In this paper, a new methodology has been developed to deal with the front-end crude scheduling (FECS) problems with the consideration of inherent upset minimization (IUM). Specifically, the primary and secondary inherent upsets (IUs) have been defined and modeled to, respectively, address flowrate fluctuations of feeding crude distillation units and the long-distance pipeline (LDPL). Based on such IU characterizations, a new MINLP model with the unit-based continuous time representation is developed to determine the optimal FECS solution by minimizing the overall operating cost and instability along the entire scheduling time horizon. In addition to the IUM, another two merits are also included in this study: (i) the trans-mixing (TM) issue along with crude transportation inside the LDPL has been modeled; (ii) multiple types of crudes with multiple key properties have been simultaneously considered. The developed FECS MINLP model is solved by the ANTIGONE solver to obtain the global optima. The efficacy of the proposed methodology and the FECS model, and the effect of IUM have been investigated through various case studies.
The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Left-Wing Populism in Socialist Venezuela

Gill shows how Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s populist style of governance both inspired opposition to U.S. imperialism and drew the ire of many powerful domestic and foreign groups, contributing to the country's current economic malaise.
Visualizing Neural Networks for Pattern Recognition

Understanding how a machine learns is a pressing topic as machine learning becomes more complex enabled by more powerful computers. This paper presents a visualization of neural networks to make them trackable during the operation of learning for pattern recognition, as well as testing for patterns. Specifically, our implementation includes fully connected neural networks, convolutional neural networks, and networks with memories. This will help us understand the insight of neural networks for pattern recognition to ensure full human control of the machines and to eliminate public's concern of recent leap in AI and machine learning. The visualization also helps to measure and identify performance bottleneck for future improvement.
Power Series for Solutions of the 3 ${mathcal D}$ -Navier-Stokes System on R 3

In this paper we study the Fourier transform of the $$3 \mathcal{D}$$ -Navier-Stokes System without external forcing on the whole space R 3. The properties of solutions depend very much on the space in which the system is considered. In this paper we deal with the space $$\Phi (\alpha , \alpha )$$ of functions $$v(k ) \, = \, \frac{c(k)}{|k|^\alpha}$$ where $$\alpha = 2 + \epsilon , \, \epsilon > 0$$ and c (k) is bounded, $$\sup_{k \in R^3 \, \smallsetminus \, 0} \; | c ( k ) | < \infty$$ . We construct the power series which converges for small t and gives solutions of the system for bounded intervals of time. These solutions can be estimated at infinity (in k-space) by $$\exp \{ - {\rm const} \, \sqrt{t} | k |\}$$ .
Perceiving gaze from head and eye rotations: An integrative challenge for children and adults

Gaze is an emergent visual feature. A person's gaze direction is perceived not just based on the rotation of their eyes, but also their head. At least among adults, this integrative process appears to be flexible such that one feature can be weighted more heavily than the other depending on the circumstances. Yet it is unclear how this weighting might vary across individuals or across development. When children engage emergent gaze, do they prioritize cues from the head and eyes similarly to adults? Is the perception of gaze among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) emergent, or is it reliant on a single feature? Sixty adults (M = 29.86 years-of-age), thirty-seven typically developing children and adolescents (M = 9.3 years-of-age; range = 7-15), and eighteen children with ASD (M = 9.72 years-of-age; range = 7-15) viewed faces with leftward, rightward, or direct head rotations in conjunction with leftward or rightward pupil rotations, and then indicated whether the face was looking leftward or rightward. All individuals, across development and ASD status, used head rotation to infer gaze direction, albeit with some individual differences. However, the use of pupil rotation was heavily dependent on age. Finally, children with ASD used pupil rotation significantly less than typically developing (TD) children when inferring gaze direction, even after accounting for age. Our approach provides a novel framework for understanding individual and group differences in gaze as it is actually perceived-as an emergent feature. Furthermore, this study begins to address an important gap in ASD literature, taking the first look at emergent gaze perception in this population.
Pregnancy Intention, Ambivalence, and Contraceptive use in Community Health Center (CHC) Populations

Abstract Introduction: Understanding the complexity of pregnancy intentions and resulting behaviors is essential to ensuring high quality, patient-centered reproductive health services that meet the needs of women and their partners. Community Health Centers (CHCs) play an important role in providing family planning care for traditionally underserved women, who may be at increased risk of experiencing unintended pregnancy. This study presents emerging findings on pregnancy intentions, ambivalence, and contraceptive behaviors among patients in CHC settings. Methods: This study employed a national survey (n=1,557) of women of reproductive age (18-44 years), sampled from 19 different CHC sites. The survey gathered information on patient characteristics, experiences with care, decision-making criteria and utilization of contraceptive services. Pregnancy intention was measured using the One Key Question®. Results: Approximately 12% of women reported that they wanted to become pregnant in the next year, while 88% were not actively seeking to become pregnant. Nearly 30% of those who did not desire a pregnancy reported not using contraception at the time of the survey. 1-in-4 women were pregnancy ambivalent and used contraception at approximately the same rates as women seeking to become pregnant. Conclusions: Women who express pregnancy ambivalence use contraception at similar rates to those who intend to become pregnant in the next year, potentially increasing their risk for unintended pregnancy. Understanding the characteristics and behaviors of underserved patients across different pregnancy intentions may help ensure that women receive the information, services, and support they need to achieve their reproductive health goals. Keywords: pregnancy intentions, family planning, community health centers, CHC, One Key Question®
Adjuvant radiation therapy in node-positive vulvar cancer.

5609 Background: Adjuvant radiation (RT) has been demonstrated to improve overall survival (OS) in vulvar cancer patients with 2+ positive lymph nodes, but its role in patients with one positive ly...
Abstract 544: microRNA181c Activates Mitochondrial Calcium Uptake by Regulating Micu1 in the Heart

Translocation of miR-181c into heart-mitochondria downregulates the mitochondrial gene, mt-COX1. miR-181c/d-/- hearts experience less oxidative stress during I/R and are protected against I/R injur...
Review of Structural Condition Assessment by Robert T. Ratay

Structural Condition Assessment is a compilation of knowledge from 32 of the leading experts in the fields of structural engineering, materials, business practices, law, and building technology who served as contributing authors. The result is a comprehensive reference on structural engineering assessment for buildings and civil engineering structures. Edited by Robert T. Ratay, a wellknown consulting structural engineer and educator, the book reflects the extensive practical experience of the individuals who participated in the writing. The material in the book is well focused and centered primarily on nonresidential construction including buildings, stadiums, parking garages, bridges, transmission towers, and other civil engineering structures. Much of the overall focus in the book is on serviceability issues and the assessment of performance items ranging from deterioration to material performance to the evaluation of the execution of the original design. In Ratay’s own words, the book is intended to “. . . instruct the novice and guide the experienced engineer . . .” and it is written in such a manner that it will meet that goal. Consisting of over 700 pages, the book is organized into four major parts, making up a total of 21 separate chapters.
Mammalian Carnivores of Florida

Florida is home to several species of animals in Order Carnivora, a group of mammals with teeth adapted to allow them to eat meat. Many of them, like panthers, you probably know about, and some, like raccoons, you may see regularly. But did you know Florida hosts two separate species of foxes? Two different skunks? Weasels? This 20-page fact sheet written by Raoul Boughton, Bethany Wight, Elizabeth Pienaar, and Martin B. Main and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation provides an overview of the mammalian carnivores of Florida from panthers to mink.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw464
A three-phase qualitative study of dual-certified vision education professionals in the Southwestern united states

Abstract: The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a comprehensive understanding of the roles and responsibilities of vision education professionals who are dual-certified as teachers of students with visual impairments and orientation and mobility specialists. Through three phases, the study combined interviews and observations of the vision professionals with interviews with their administrators. ********** Little research has been conducted on the roles and responsibilities of orientation and mobility (OM they found that the primary roles and functions of O&M specialists included O&M assessment and instruction, low vision assessment and training, and case management. The authors suggested that future investigations focus on the changing roles and functions of O&M specialists. Griffin-Shirley, McGregor, and Jacobson (1999) surveyed 212 dual-certified vision professionals to determine their roles, responsibilities, and satisfaction with their jobs and personnel preparation programs. These professionals reported spending more time in the role of a teacher of students with visual impairments than in the role of an O&M specialist. They described their caseloads as including students with multiple disabilities in addition to blindness and low vision. The professionals also expressed a need for professional development that would focus on working with students with low vision and additional disabilities, including infants, as well as how to manage the nuances of itinerant teaching. The results of the survey showed that there was a need for dual-certified professionals. The authors suggested that future research on the roles and responsibilities of dual-certified personnel needed to be conducted using mixed methods. In 2006, 72 dual-certified vision professionals in Texas were surveyed to ascertain the number of these professionals within the state, their job duties, why they pursued a second certification, and if they were functioning as both teachers of students with visual impairments and O&M specialists. …
How current and potential pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users experience, negotiate and manage stigma: disclosures and backstage processes in online discourse.

Research on stigma as a barrier to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake for reducing risk of HIV infection has focused on the experience of stigma—othering, shaming and blaming and the associated...