cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improvements on Corner2, a lossless layout image compression algorithm for maskless lithography systems

The Corner2 algorithm was designed to resolve the data delivery problem on maskless lithography systems. The Corner2 algorithm utilizes dictionary-based compression to handle repeated circuit components and applies a transform which is specifically tailored for layout images to deal with irregular circuit components. It obtains high compression ratios and fast encoding/decoding times while requiring limited decoder memory in the decoder hardware. Moreover, the entire decompression is simple so that it could be implemented as a hardware add-on to the lithography writer. However, there is some room for improvement in how we build the dictionary to handle frequent circuit patterns. In this paper, we introduce an improved way to discover frequent patterns from the circuit layout images based on binary integer programming. By applying this improved frequent pattern dictionary, we were able to obtain 4.5-35.8% more compression while maintaining the same Corner2 decoder. Moreover, this binary integer programming framework could be applied to other binary image compression problems with similar pattern restrictions.
Introduction and expression of an insect proteinase inhibitor in alfalfa Medicago sativa L.

As one approach to alleviating the need for insecticide spraying, our objective is to express protein insecticides in transgenic alfalfa. To initiate these studies, a cDNA encoding the protease inhibitor (PI) anti-elastase from Manduca sexta was placed under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter, inserted into pAN 70, and transferred into leaf and petiole sections of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) using Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated gene transfer. Transformation rates were 10% of all explants exposed to Agrobacterium. More than 1000 transgenic plants containing the PI have been recovered. Transgenic plants were initially identified when leaf explants from the regenerated plants formed callus in the presence of 50 μg/ml kanamycin, and subsequently the presence of the PI gene was confirmed by southern analysis. The 35S promoter-PI fusion produced up to 0.125% of total protein as PI protein in leaves, roots, and flowers. Progeny analysis demonstrated Mendelian segregation of the NPTII gene (observed as kanamycin resistance) and the PI (confirmed by southern analysis). Accumulation of the anti-elastase PI insecticide in transgenic alfalfa reduced the onset of thrip predation, suggesting that this methodology can establish insect resistance within this agronomically important legume.
Attentional resolution and the locus of visual awareness

Visual spatial resolution is limited by factors ranging from optics to neuronal filters in the visual cortex, but it is not known to what extent it is also limited by the resolving power of attention. To investigate this, we studied adaptation to lines of specific orientation, a process that occurs in primary visual cortex. When a single grating is presented in the periphery of the visual field, human observers are aware of its orientation, but when it is flanked by other similar gratings ('crowding'), its orientation becomes impossible to discern. Nevertheless, we show that orientation-specific adaptation is not affected by crowding, implying that spatial resolution is limited by an attentional filter acting beyond the primary visual cortex. Consistent with this, we find that attentional resolution is greater in the lower than in the upper visual field, whereas there is no corresponding asymmetry in the primary visual cortex. We suggest that the attentional filter acts in one or more higher visual cortical areas to restrict the availability of visual information to conscious awareness.
Student Perceptions Matter: Early Signs of Undergraduate Student Retention/attrition.

Along with the massification of higher education and increasing costs, the pressure on institutions to retain all students to degree completion has been mounting. Early identification of students w...
Nature of Disease-Producing Viruses

TWICE recently I have noticed in the columns of NATURE criticism of the hypothesis that disease-producing viruses are intermediate between molecule and living cell because no non-parasitic forms are known. Until viruses can be known other than by the effects of their parasitism, it would seem to be quite impossible to detect corresponding bodies that are not parasitic. I agree with the critics that if such bodies exist they may be much more numerous than the viruses, but until some method is devised by which the constituents of the viruses can be recognised, it would seem to be useless to look for them. For the hypothetical intermediate combining molecular structure, metabolism, and reproduction, I have been using the designation vitamol.
Comparison of Antibiotics for Dairy Calves on Two Levels of Milk Feeding

Growth studies were conducted with 96 Holstein calves to determine the effects of chlortetracycline, streptomycin, and a mixture of bacitracin and penicillin at three levels for two periods, and the effects of two levels of milk feeding. The antibiotics tended to increase the performance of the calves with greater effects on the calves fed the low milk ration. The mixture of bacitracin and penicillin was net as effective as the chlortetracycline and streptomycin except in controlling diarrhea. Calves fed 350 lb. of milk grew faster for the first seven weeks than those fed 175 lb., but the antibiotics minimized this by increasing the performance of the low-milk group. The antibiotics may have a milk-sparing effect. Editor. The early reports of Loosli and Wallace (11), Bartley et al. (2), and Rusoff (15) stimulated considerable research on the value of antibiotics in the nutrition and upon the health of the dairy calf, and this has been reviewed by Knodt (9), Reid et al. (14), and Lassiter (10). However, several papers pertinent to this study have appeared since these reviews. Swanson et al. (19) fed calves a liberal ration of milk and grain during early life and demonstrated no consistent increase in growth rate when cblortetracycline was added to the diet. The mean growth rates, however, were slightly in favor of the supplemented group. Bartley et al. (3) compared chlortetracycline with streptomycin and found streptomycin increased daily gain and feed efficiency and decreased scours somewhat, when compared with the control calves, but ~vas not as effective as chlortetracycline in regard to any of these criteria. Both 30 and 90 rag. per 100 lb. body wt. per day of streptomycin were fed, whereas only the 30-rag. level of chlortetracycline was used. No differences were noted between the two streptomycin levels. Research regarding the possibilities of antibiotics acting on calves through changes in digestibility of feed components is conflicting and incomplete. Bartley's results (4) did not indicate a consistent improvement in digestibility of any of the feed components by addi~lg chlortetracycliue to the ratioll of dairy calves at either nine or 13 weeks of age. Hogue et al. (8), however, have obtained improvement in protein digestibility and nitrogen retention when chlortetraeycline was added to the ration of calves. The same type of responses was obtained when bacitracin was used, but these responses were not as great as those observed with chlortetracyclinc. Radisson st al. (12, 13) have indicated that the effect of antibiotics may be through alteration of the intestinal flora of the dairy calf. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Referred Cutaneous Allodynia in a Migraine Patient without Simultaneous Headache

Cutaneous allodynia has been described in migraine. We report on a 39-year-old woman with migraine with aura who had cutaneous allodynia to both dynamic (brush) and static (pressure) mechanical stimulation between attacks. For both sensory modalities, the evoked pain on allodynia testing was located to the right frontal area (the location of her usual migraine headache), contralaterally to the stimulated skin area. There was no allodynia when the right frontal area was stimulated directly. We suggest the term ‘referred allodynia’ for this phenomenon and discuss possible mechanisms for its occurrence.
Mission Based Strategies for Internationalizing U.S. Business Schools

Two decades of discussion have resulted in a consensus regarding the need to internationalize business schools in the United States. However. there has been less agreement regarding particular strategies to accomplish the goal of internationalization. This paper outlines important strategies for internationalization which are appropriate to the schools' mission. In addition, this paper describes, through examples and discussion, the federally funded Centers for International Business Education and Research which are envisioned as a national resource for internationalizing U.S. business schools and promoting the teaching and research in the field of international business.
Some Features of Global-Scale 4–5 Day Waves

Abstract Routine perusal of surface maps covering tropical and subtropical regions frequently reveals the presence of large-scale patterns in the 24 h pressure tendency. Previous analyses of surface pressure, 1000 mb heights and 500 mb heights have determined that these oscillations, have a preferred frequency and are caused by a global-scale wave with a wavelength equal to the circumference of the earth and a period of about 5 days. In order to investigate this wave motion in more detail, the troughs of 60 waves were followed from eastern Africa to the western Caribbean, and both surface and upper air data were composited relative to the troughs. The surface pressure analysis shows that the wave is nearly in phase from 30°N to 30°S and that the minimum amplitude occurs near the equator. Upper air observations in the region from 10–30°N indicate that the wave features do not tilt significantly in the vertical from the surface to 70 mb. Although the amplitude of the waves in the surface pressure field is l...
Measuring Absorption Coefficients In Crystalline Materials

Absorption coefficients smaller than 0.001 cm 1 can, with more or less difficulty, be measured by several techniques. All methods can be refined to permit measurement of absorption coefficients as small as 0.00001 cm -1. Spectral data are most readily obtained by transmission (spectrophotometric) methods, using multiple internal reflection to increase effective sample length. Emissivity measurements, requiring extreme care in the elimination of detector noise and stray light, nevertheless afford the most accessible spectral data in the 0.0001-0.00001- 1cm-range. Single-wavelength information is most readily obtained with modifications of laser calorimetry. Thermocouple detection of energy absorbed from a laser beam is convenient, but involves dc amplification techniques and is susceptible to stray-light problems. Photoacoustic detection, using ac methods, tends to diminish errors of these types, but at some expense in experimental complexity. Laser calorimetry has been used for measurements of absorption coefficients as small as 0.000005 cm-1. Both transmission and calorimetric data, taken as functions of intensity, have been used for measurement of nonlinear absorption coefficients.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A stochastic reward net model for performance analysis of prioritized DQDB MAN

The performance of prioritized distributed queue dual bus (DQDB) metropolitan area network (MAN) under bursty traffic environment is studied in this article. The tagged node model is adopted to simplify the analysis. The processes of the packet arrivals to the tagged node, the empty-slot pattern from the upstream, and the request pattern from the downstream are assumed to be Markov Modulated Poisson Processes, a more general and appropriate model to capture the bursty characteristics existing in the traffic flows in high-speed networks. A stochastic reward nets model for the prioritized DQDB MAN is presented. With the help of the stochastic petri net package developed in Duke University, the steady state and as well as the transient behavior of packet loss ratio of tagged node are investigated. The influence of the burstiness of the empty-slot pattern, packet arrival and request pattern on the tagged node's performance are examined.
Encyclia altissima Schlechter (Orchidaceae), a resurrected name for the Bahama Flora

The nameEncyclia hodgeana (A. D. Hawkes) Beckner has been incorrectly applied toE. altissima Schlechter in the Bahamas.
Potentially harmful drug-drug interactions in the elderly: a review.

Abstract Background Elderly patients are vulnerable to drug interactions because of age-related physiologic changes, an increased risk for disease associated with aging, and the consequent increase in medication use. Objective The purpose of this narrative review was to describe findings from rigorously designed observational cohort and case-control studies that have assessed specific drug interactions in elderly patients. Methods The PubMed and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts databases were searched for studies published in English over the past 10 years (December 2000–December 2010) using relevant Medical Subject Headings terms ( aged; aged, 80 and over; and drug interactions ) and search terms ( drug interaction and elderly ). Search strategies were saved and repeated through September 2011 to ensure that the most recent relevant published articles were identified. Additional articles were found using a search of review articles and reference lists of the identified studies. Studies were included if they were observational cohort or case-control studies that reported specific adverse drug interactions, included patients aged ≥65 years, and evaluated clinically meaningful end points. Studies were excluded if they used less rigorous observational designs, assessed pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties, evaluated drug-nutrient or drug-disease interactions or interactions of drug combinations used for therapeutic benefit (eg, dual antiplatelet therapy), or had inconclusive evidence. Results Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. Sixteen studies reported an elevated risk for hospitalization in older adults associated with adverse drug interactions. The drug interactions included: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and potassium-sparing diuretics, ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, benzodiazepines or zolpidem and interacting medications, calcium channel blockers and macrolide antibiotics, digoxin and macrolide antibiotics, lithium and loop diuretics or ACE inhibitors, phenytoin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, sulfonylureas and antimicrobial agents, theophylline and ciprofloxacin, and warfarin and antimicrobial agents or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. One study reported the risk for breast cancer-related death as a function of paroxetine exposure among women treated with tamoxifen. Conclusions Several population-based studies have reported significant harm associated drug interactions in elderly patients. Increased awareness and interventions aimed at reducing exposure and minimizing the risks associated with potentially harmful drug combinations are needed.
The Effect of Molecular Size, Concentration in Nutrient Solution, and Exposure Time on the Amount and Distribution of Polyethylene Glycol in Pepper Plants

Pepper plants Capsicum annuum L. var. California Wonder were grown in nutrient solutions of either -3.0 or -5.0 bars osmotic potential, using polyethylene glycol with molecular weights of 400, 600, 1000, 1540, or 4000 as osmotica. Polyethylene glycol with molecular weights of 1000 or 1540 proved most satisfactory as osmotica to decrease the water potential of nutrient solutions.There was no relationship between the small amount of polyethylene glycol accumulated in the plants and the amount of water transpired. The concentration of polyethylene glycol in the expressed sap of the leaves and the total accumulated was inversely related to molecular weight of polyethylene glycol, was greater at lower osmotic potential of nutrient solution, and increased with time in solution. Except for plants grown in polyethylene glycol 4000, there was more polyethylene glycol in leaves than roots. The indications were that, when the concentration of polyethylene glycol reached a value of 1 to 2 mg per ml, any additional quantity absorbed was transferred to the leaves. The major proportion of polyethylene glycol 4000 absorbed was retained in the roots.The results of Sephadex gel chromatographs showed that the passage of polyethylene glycol through the plants did not alter the average molecular weight. This indicated that there was no selective absorption of small molecules that might be present as contaminates in the commercial product.
The Brite Side of TRPV1: Novel Role in Browning of White Adipocytes

Obesity foreshadows metabolic syndrome. Sedentary life style and high calorie intake lead to obesity. Therefore, a strategy to prevent obesity and facilitate weight-loss is an urgent need. In an effort to achieve this goal, we report that dietary capsaicin (CAP; 0.01%) inhibited weight gain in high fat diet (HFD; 60% calories from fat)-fed wild type mice but not those genetically lacking transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1-/-), without modifying ad libitum food or water intake. HFD inhibited TRPV1 expression, activity and facilitated fat accumulation in white adipose tissue (WAT) while dietary CAP antagonized the effects of HFD. Furthermore, introduction of CAP in diet suppressed HFD-induced weight gain in wild type mice. Analyses of mechanisms by which CAP antagonized HFD-induced obesity revealed that HFD suppressed TRPV1 expression and activity in adipocytes and CAP ablated this. Also, CAP significantly increased the expression of (1) brown fat marker genes - uncoupling protein-1, bone morphogenetic protein 8b and peroxysome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPAR) coactivator-1 (PGC-1); (2) sirtuin 1 (SiRT1; NAD-dependent protein deacetylase - a gene that increases fat metabolism) and (3) PRDM-16 (a gene that regulates browning of white fat and promotes energy expenditure) in WAT of wild type but not TRPV1-/- mice. Consistently, dietary CAP increased metabolic activity of wild type mice. The increase in SiRT1 was associated with a concurrent decrease in acetylated PPAR in inguinal and epididymal adipose tissues, which is important for the recruitment of PRDM-16 to PPAR to induce browning of white adipose tissues. CAP also increased the expression of SiRT1 and PRDM-16 in brown adipose tissue. Collectively, we demonstrate that dietary CAP antagonizes obesity by stimulating the browning of WAT. Our work uncovers the emergence of TRPV1 agonists as new drug candidates to combat obesity.
Microwear and Metric Analysis of Threshing Sledge Flints from Greece and Cyprus

Abstract Flaked stone implements formed an important part of the agricultural tool assemblage in the Eastern Mediterranean from the origins of domestication to the 20th century. The identification of specific tool function commonly has depended on morphological and macroscopic traits visible on these lithics. Over the past two decades, examination of lithics using the high power (up to 500×) incident light microscopy technique has revealed the presence of use–wear traces (striations, polish, and edge damage) that are diagnostic of direction and duration of motion, and material worked. The present study analyses a collection of threshing sledge flints collected from several areas of Greece to isolate the wear patterns that are unique to these lithics and that distinguish them from other tools, such as sickle elements, used to cut plants. These ethnographic examples provide the experimental control sample against which pieces collected from a survey in Cyprus can be compared. The paper also considers the implications for agricultural production of the introduction of threshing sledges in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Sympathetic nerve trajectories to rat orbital targets: role of connective tissue pathways.

The trajectories of sympathetic nerves projecting to orbital targets were determined in adult rats with intact innervation and following acute sympathetic denervation, neonatal unilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy, or unilateral ganglionectomy on postnatal day 30. Sympathetic nerves were identified by using immunofluorescence for the noradrenergic transmitter enzyme dopamine β-hydroxylase and by using catecholamine histofluorescence. In rats with intact innervation, sympathetic fibers travel to the orbit in association with the abducens, trochlear, and Vidian nerves. Within the retroorbital and retroocular connective tissue, the fibers redistribute to become associated with sensory-nerve branches of the trigeminal nerve, the orbital vasculature, and the periorbital sheath. Fibers reach their targets by traversing variable amounts of connective tissue of the periorbitum, the orbital septa, and the striated muscle epimysia. Following neonatal ganglionectomy, intracranial fibers of contralateral origin enter the orbit by traveling through connective tissue of the optic nerve meninges and lining the anterior lacerated foramen. These fibers travel independent of the trochlear, abducens, and Vidian nerves, but, otherwise, they use the same orbital pathways as those employed in the intact animal. In animals ganglionectomized on postnatal day 30, fibers enter the posterior portion of the orbit primarily via the optic foramen; they travel only short distances and end blindly in the periorbital sheath. These findings indicate that fascial structures are a major component of the pathways that guide sympathetic fibers to their appropriate targets both in normal development and during reinnervation following neonatal ganglionectomy. Because orbital connective tissues are termination sites of abortive fiber sprouting in older rats, developmental changes in the properties of these tissues may contribute to the absence of pathway formation in the mature animal. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ethnicity and Peripheral Arterial Disease The San Diego Population Study

Background— Previous studies have indicated higher rates of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in blacks than in non-Hispanic whites (NHWs), with limited information available for Hispanics and Asians. The reason for the PAD excess in blacks is unclear. Methods and Results— Ethnic-specific PAD prevalence rates were determined in a randomly selected defined population that included 4 ethnic groups; NHWs, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians. A total of 2343 participants aged 29 to 91 years were evaluated. There were 104 cases of PAD (4.4%). In weighted logistic models with NHWs as the reference group and containing demographic factors only, blacks had a higher PAD prevalence than NHWs (OR=2.30, P<0.024), whereas PAD rates in Hispanics and Asians, although somewhat lower, were not significantly different from NHWs. Blacks had significantly more diabetes and hypertension than NHWs and a significantly higher body mass index. Inclusion of these variables and other PAD risk factors in the model did not change the effec...
Individually-addressable parylene microneedle arrays with integrated microchannels for retinal prosthesis study

Retinal prostheses promise to provide artificial vision to the blind. Retinal implant based on electrical stimulation has limitations such as electrode corrosion, water hydrolysis, and generation of toxic radicals due to the large stimulation current. The more naturalistic chemical stimulation is able to effectively address these limitations of electrical stimulation. This paper reports the development of out-of-plane parylene microneedle arrays that can be individually addressed by integrated microchannels. The individually-addressable microneedle arrays were fabricated using silicon molds formed by DRIE, isotropic silicon etching of XeF 2 , and the conformal coating of parylene. Both rigid and flexible devices were developed. These devices enable the delivery of chemicals with controlled temporal and spatial patterns and allow us to study neurotransmitter-based retinal prostheses.
How Much Context Is Enough? Two Cases of Span-Conditioned Stem Allomorphy

Greek voice and aspect jointly condition verbal stem allomorphy, including suppletion. Negation and tense in English do likewise. These cases show that stem allomorphy cannot be restricted to cases where the conditioning element is structurally adjacent to the element that displays allomorphic variation. But neither is contextual allomorphy entirely free from locality constraints: allomorphy can be conditioned only by a span, a contiguous set of heads in an extended projection.
Impact of Ibrutinib and Idelalisib on the Pharmaceutical Cost of Treating Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia at the Individual and Societal Levels

Although ibrutinib and idelalisib are profound treatment advances, they will dramatically increase individual out-of-pocket and societal costs of caring for patients with CLL.
Matrix Models, String Field Theory and Topology

This conference has been devoted to what might be called completely integrable string theories. The last year has seen a proliferation of exact solutions of simple string models (more properly: resummation of the perturbation series around simple solutions of the classical string equations of motion). These models all have one and two dimensional target spaces, a fact directly connected to their solubility. Indeed, it is easy to show that all of the matrix chain models can be rewritten in terms of free fermions which in some sense live on a two dimensional target space. The easiest way to demonstrate this is to write the Mehta et. al.[1] formula for the partition function for a matrix chain with general nearest neighbor transfer matrix1 $$Z = \int {{d^N}} {\lambda _F}{d^N}{\lambda _I}\Delta \left( {{\lambda _F}} \right)\Delta \left( {{\lambda _I}} \right){e^{U({\lambda _F}) + U({\lambda _I})}}\prod\limits_{i = 1}^N { } $$ (1.1) $${\Gamma _K}(\lambda ,k) = {e^{ck\lambda + {V_K}(\lambda ) + {V_K}(k)}}$$ (1.2) and use a Grassmann integral representation of the Vandermonde determinants: $$Z = \int {{d^N}} \varphi F{d^N}\varphi I{e^{\left[ {\varphi _F^i{D_{jk}}\varphi _I^k} \right]}}$$ (1.3)
Real-time cine and myocardial perfusion with treadmill exercise stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients referred for stress SPECT

Background To date, stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has relied on pharmacologic agents, and therefore lacked the physiologic information available only with exercise stress.
Segmenting actions in velocity curve space

Reliable segmentation of actions performed by objects, is critical to the understanding of semantic content in a video. Deciding which portion of object motion sequence is a distinct action unit, however, is often difficult, even for humans. We seem to hierarchically compose actions by noting characteristic changes in the nature of motion. This paper present an action segmentation algorithm that mimics these characteristics of action perception. Specifically, we show that significant curvature changes in the spatiotemporal curve formed from average velocity of the object, represent action boundaries. A hierarchical description of action is generated using a scale-space representation of this velocity curve. A method of automatic scale selection is also proposed to enable an optimal data-driven action segmentation. The technique is extensively evaluated on several different action types and comparison with human judgment of segments is reported.
Epistemic conceptions of begging the question

A number of epistemologists have recently concluded that a piece of reasoning may be epistemically permissible even when it is impossible for the reasoning subject to present her reasoning as an argument without begging the question. I agree with these epistemologists, but argue that none has sufficiently divorced the notion of begging the question from epistemic notions. I present a proposal for a characterization of begging the question in purely pragmatic terms.
REACTION OF DIFFERENT CLAY MINERALS WITH SOME ORGANIC CATIONS

Selected pure samples of kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite were washed with 0.05 N HCl until free from replaceable bases, washed with water or methanol, and then reacted with sufficient KOH to saturate the exchange complex with K+ at pH 7. These K clays were given variable dosages of n-butylamine acetate, dodecylamine acetate, and ethyldimethyloctadecenylammonium bromide. The conclusions are as follows: (1) additions of amines or other organic cations in amounts less than equivalent to the base-exchange capacity of the clay are rather. completely adsorbed in base-exchange reactions; amounts of large organic cations added in excess of the base-exchange capacity of the clay tend to be adsorbed by a different reaction, probably dependent on the action of the van der Waals' forces; and (2) the ability of clays to absorb water is greatly reduced by treating the‘clays with certain compounds that furnish a large organic cation.
The evolution of a bioinstrumentation course

This paper describes the evolution of the bioinstrumentation course at the University of Hartford. Initially developed to instruct the students about instrumentation and data acquisition, the course now contains 3 main sections, data acquisition, medical instrumentation, and research instrumentation. The course has been offered jointly to University of Hartford and Trinity College Bioengineering. The current course begins with units on Biostatistics, Error Analysis, Curve Fitting, and Data Reporting, followed by units on the fundamentals of data acquisition and laboratories using hardware and software from Dataq, Labjack and National Instruments (Labview). Clinical Medical Instruments are then discussed using the data acquisition techniques used to implement a Simple EKG and instrument a Pacemaker. Fundamentals of medical imaging, image reconstruction, and instrumentation found in a Biotechnology Instrumentation lab are discussed. The course concludes with a unit on Electrical Safety for Biomedical Devices. This paper also reports the alignment of this course with Bioengineering Program Objectives, the assessment of Program Outcomes, and discusses the students' reaction to the course during the past 5 years.
Crosswords: Language, Education and Ethnicity in French Ontario.; Chtimi: The Urban Vernaculars of Northern France.; A Reader in French Sociolinguistics.

Crosswords: Language, Education and Ethnicity in French Ontario. Monica Heller. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 1994. 252 pp. Chtimi: The Urban Vernaculars of Northern France. Timothy Pooley. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters, 1996. 318 pp. . Reader in French Sociolinguistics. Malcolm Offord. ed. New York: Multilingual Matters Ltd., 1996. 213 pp.
Secular variations in Precambrian seawater chemistry and the timing of Precambrian aragonite seas and calcite seas: Comment and Reply REPLY

In her comment on my paper on secular variations in Precambrian seawater chemistry, Dr. Sumner has argued that aragonite pseudomorphs are abundant in the 2.5–2.6 Ga Campbellrand-Malmani carbonates of the Transvaal Basin, South Africa, occurring mainly as fibrous cements replaced by calcite
l-Arginine–Induced Conducted Signals Alter Upstream Arteriolar Responsivity to l-Arginine

Our purpose was to determine whether L-arginine was involved in vascular communication between downstream and upstream locations within a defined microvascular region. Arteriolar diameter was measured for the branches along a transverse arteriole in the superfused cremaster of anesthetized (pentobarbital sodium, 70 mg/kg i.p.) hamsters (N = 53). The upstream branch arterioles dilated significantly to locally applied L-arginine (100 mumol/L pipette concentration) only if the downstream branches (approximately 1400 microns away) were preexposed. With exposure order downstream to upstream, diameter change was last branch, -3.8 +/- 1.5% (of baseline); third, +58.1 +/- 27%; first, +92 +/- 26% (n = 5); with exposure order upstream to downstream: first branch, -0.4 +/- 3%; third, +5 +/- 11%; last, -5.6 +/- 7.5% (n = 4). Thus, downstream preexposure to L-arginine altered the responsivity upstream to locally applied L-arginine. Downstream-applied L-arginine also induced a conducted vasodilation (+17.8 +/- 2.8%; n = 14) 1327 +/- 166 microns upstream. This response was completely blocked by simultaneous sucrose (600 mOsm), halothane (0.0345%), or N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 100 mumol/L) exposure to the feed vessel (second micropipette) midway between the downstream site of L-arginine exposure and the upstream observation site. An acetylcholine-induced conducted vasodilation (+18.1 +/- 2.6%, n = 8) was also completely blocked by sucrose, halothane, or L-NNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Immune Function in Alcoholism: A Controlled Study

Several studies have shown an increased risk for infection and cancer in alcoholic patients. The mechanisms for such observations remain largely unknown. In an effort to investigate the possibility of immunological dysfunction in alcoholism, we studied three immune parameters in 47 hospitalized chronic alcoholic patients and 47 age- and sex-matched normal controls. The immune measures were: (1) lymphocyte phenotyping, with estimates of percentages of T cells, B cells, T helpers, T suppressors, natural killer (NK) cells, and cells carrying the activation markers IL2R1 and I2; (2) NK cell activity; and (3) lymphokine-activated killer cell activity. Results indicate a significant increase in the IL2R and I2 lymphocyte markers in alcoholic patients compared with matched controls. We also found a nonsignificant trend for a decrease in the percentage of suppressor T cells in the alcoholic group, as well as a trend for a negative correlation between the percentage of T suppressor cells and age. There were no significant differences in either NK or lymphokine-activated killer cell activities between the two groups. Furthermore, there were no significant associations between duration and intensity of alcohol consumption and any of the immune measures. These results suggest subtle alterations in immune regulation in alcoholic patients that cannot be explained solely on the basis of duration and/or amount of alcohol consumed.
Evolutionary dynamics and tissue specificity of human long noncoding RNAs in six mammals

.Long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) play diverse regulatory roles in human development and disease, but little is known about their evolutionary history and constraint. Here, we characterize human lincRNA expression patterns in nine tissues across six mammalian species and multiple individuals. Of the 1898 human lincRNAs expressed in these tissues, we find orthologous transcripts for 80% in chimpanzee, 63% in rhesus, 39% in cow, 38% in mouse, and 35% in rat. Mammalian-expressed lincRNAs show remarkably strong conservation of tissue specificity, suggesting that it is selectively maintained. In contrast, abundant splice-site turnover suggests that exact splice sites are not critical. Relative to evolutionarily young lincRNAs, mammalian-expressed lincRNAs show higher primary sequence conservation in their promoters and exons, increased proximity to protein-coding genes enriched for tissue-specific functions, fewer repeat elements, and more frequent single-exon transcripts. Remarkably, we find that ~20% of human lincRNAs are not expressed beyond chimpanzee and are undetectable even in rhesus. These hominid-specific lincRNAs are more tissue specific, enriched for testis, and faster evolving within the human lineage.
Issues and Trends in Instructional Technology: Lean Times, Shifts in Online Learning, and Increased Attention to Mobile Devices

Comprised of four sections: overall developments; corporate training and development; higher education; and K-12 education, this chapter synthesizes the findings of major annual reports including ASTDs, State of the Industry Report; the, EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2008 Summary Report; The ECAR study of undergraduate students and information technology; Education Week’s, Technology Counts 2010; The New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networkings’ The 2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition; Project Tomorrow’s Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update; and The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds. The authors describe the economy’s impact on instructional technology and comment on the importance of online learning mobile devices, the current state of online learning, and the continued interest in and use of Web 2.0 and social networking sites for educational purposes.
Educational Tourism Empowerment: Implications for Flexible Learning and Digital Equity

This paper discusses the main characteristics of critical factors commonly associated with how educational tourism foundations might empower individuals and economies in global communities in a digital age society. Educational tourism is a lifeline to empowering individuals, world economies and educational communities. What factors or conditions are associated with supporting empowerment through educational tourism? The central question is what is the empowering connection between educational tourism, flexible learning and digital equity? The purpose of this narrative is to describe critical factors commonly associated with how educational tourism empowers individuals and economies in world communities in a digital age society. This affirmation is expanded in this article to include a potentially disenfranchised segment of groups who may be unintentionally cut-off from the benefits of educational tourism in an increasingly digital society. Before digital equity can evolve, basic access to information technology must flow to or be diffused into educational tourism systems and communities within poorer societies, thus emerges the conceptual role of educational tourism. Educational tourism involves events that are aligned with the World Tourism Organization definition. Educational tourism enables flexible learning, which in turn empowers individuals by enacting the principles of digital equity. Transformational leadership and resource management are fundamental to expand flexible learning and equity through educational tourism in a digital society.
Early operative outcomes and learning curve of robotic assisted giant paraesophageal hernia repair.

Background We have previously described our technique of robotic-assisted giant paraesophageal hernia repair (RA-GPEHR). The purpose of this study was to report our initial experience, early outcomes and learning curve with RA-GPEHR using a four-arm robotic platform. Methods 24 consecutive patients presenting with symptomatic giant paraesophageal hernias (GPEH) underwent RA-GPEHR from April 2011 to February 2014. Peri-operative data and short-term patient outcomes were assessed by retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database. Results Median age was 62 years (range 44–84). 15 (63%) patients underwent fundoplication and 9 (37%) gastropexy. Median procedure time was 277 min (range: 185–485) and decreased steadily over the experience. There were no intra-operative complications or surgical mortality. No patients experienced dysphagia in the early post-operative period. Conclusions RA-GPEHR is safe, with reported short-term operative and functional outcomes similar to conventional laparoscopic approaches. The initial learning curve appears relatively short for experienced minimally invasive esophageal surgeons. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solvent effects on hydrogen bond formation

Enthalpies of solution have been used to calculate transfer enthalpies for phenol, pyridine, and DMSO between the solvent cyclohexane and the solvents CCl4, benzene, and CHCl3. By use of model compounds, enthalpies due to interactions with phenol, pyridine, and DMSO have been determined. These enthalpies are used to calculate the effect of solvation relative to cyclohexane on hydrogen bonded complexes in CCl4 and benzene solvents. Correlations with enthalpies due to interactions and frequency shifts for the hydroxyl stretch in these solvents have also been made.
Dielectric Properties and Application of BaTiO3-Sr2Bi4Ti5O18 Composition

The dielectric composition BaTiO3-Sr2Bi4Ti5O18 fired at 1000°-1050°C has excellent C-V characteristics and a high insulation resistance at 125°C. The composition 95mol% BaTiO3-5mol% Sr2Bi4Ti5O18 exhibits a 1800 relative dielectric constant, a 1.0% dissipation factor and so weak temperature dependence of capacitance that designates EIA (Electronic Industries Association)-X7R. The fracture surface of the multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) using this dielectric composition and 70Ag/30Pd internal electrode shows grain boundaries between the internal electrodes, while that of this dielectric body itself does not show. Consequently the insulation resistance of the MLCC fired at air atmosphere degraded in the accelerated humidity load test. The use of Pt for the electrode at MLCC is effective to prevent the influence of Ag/Pd on the dielectric body. It is found even if electrode is formed with 70Ag⋅30Pd material, when the MLCC is fired in weak reducing atmosphere, the above influence of the metal on the dielectric body is prevented.
Thermo-, Photo-, and Chemo-Responsive Shape-Memory Properties from Photo-Cross-Linked Metallo-Supramolecular Polymers

Films exhibiting multiresponsive shape-memory properties have been accessed using covalently cross-linked metallo-supramolecular polymers. Low molecular weight poly(butadiene) was end-capped with 4-oxy-2,6-bis(N-methylbenzimidazolyl)pyridine (−OMebip) ligands that upon addition of metal salts spontaneously formed high molecular weight metallo-supramolecular polymers. The addition of a tetra-functional thiol along with a photoinitiator results in mechanically stable films via solution-casting. These films consist of a soft poly(butadiene) phase and a hard metal–ligand phase. Photo-cross-linking of the poly(butadiene) soft phase, via the thiol–ene reaction, upon exposure to relatively low intensity light, allows access to a diverse range of permanent shapes. Investigations into the temporary shape fixing and recovery of these materials were undertaken to determine the effects of cross-link density and the nature of the metal salts. The key component in fixing and releasing the temporary shape is the metal–l...
Dislocation Dissociation in MgQnAl2O3 Spinels

The structure of low-angle tilt boundaries in magnesium-aluminate spinel has been studied by transmission electron microscopy. Special low-angle boundaries have been prepared from bicrystals but also boundaries in polycrystalline spinels were studied. The dislocations were all dissociated into partials. Their dissociation widths were found to increase with deviation from stoichiometry. Observations at lattice dislocations indicate that the composition at the boundaries may be different from the nominal composition.
The Emergence of Urban Society in Rural Massachusetts, 1760–1820

CITIES, as Americans commonly think of them, are associated with massive concentrations of people, cement pavements, skyscrapers. Within recent decades great metropolitan centers have absorbed the majority of the population. Cities have become the focus of American social and economic life. Notwithstanding its vast territory and superabundant agriculture, the United States has become preeminently an urban nation. Urban historians have directed primary attention to cities during the industrial era, when the physical character of today's city developed. The preindustrial origins of American urban development and the transition from rural to urban society have so far received little attention. When one seeks out urban studies in the preindustrial era, the works of Carl Bridenbaugh, which chronicle the emergence of five seaboard cities, and Richard Wade, who describes the rise of five inland cities, stand almost alone.' Moreover their methodology, essentially that of the urban biographer, has dominated the literature since Bridenbaugh's first major work appeared in 1938. Only in the last several years have alternative lines of analysis been explored, and the most important of these has come not from a historian but from a geographer, James T. Lemon.2 Working on eastern Pennsyl-
A New^Scheme for the Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations Employing Alternating-Direction Operator Splitting and Domain Decomposition

This paper extends earlier research in numerical analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to obtain a novel finite element method for transient 3-D incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, along with efficient, parallelizable algorithms to cary out an implementation of the method in such a fashion as to be useful in mainstream industrial settings. The approach is based on a flexible operator-splitting technique due to one of the authors that allows the introduction of increasingly complex physics one step at a time. The approach should also allow treating potential flow, Euler flow, and Navier-Stokes flow simultaneously in different parts of the flow region. Parallelization is achieved through domain decomposition techniques. A new type of Eulerian time discretization is employed to increase accuracy and maintain computational efficiency. This new finite element procedure employs alternating-direction operator splittings in conjuction with Strang-type splittings to model problems of increasing complexity in a step-by-step and natural manner. Later, it can be extended to include additional operators e.g. for turbulence modeling, chemical reactions, etc. In addition to being practical from the standpoint of software design and of engineering analysis, its development and implementation allows the use of specialized numerical methods for the solution of each phys
Adolescent Summer Camp Volunteers' Attitudes Toward Peers with Disabilities

ABSTRACTThis study explored the malleability of adolescent attitudes toward their peers with disabilities after volunteering in a summer day-camp. The Contact with Disabled Persons Scale (CDP) and the Multi-Dimensional Attitude Scale (MAS) were used to collect data in order to determine the association between volunteering in a recreation-based summer day camp and adolescent attitudes toward disability. After a covariate-adjusted regression analysis, contact with individuals with disabilities was found to significantly predict change in attitudes toward disability. Dyadic interviews were held after camp participation to provide additional sources of data with potential for deeper understanding of the camp experience for volunteers. The data suggested that participants perceived camp as a setting for the development of relationships with peers who have disabilities. These relationships further framed participants' understanding of the experience as fun, difficult, and resulting in perceived personal change...