cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors on receipt of radiation after breast conservation surgery: analysis of the national cancer database

Many eligible women with invasive breast cancer do not receive recommended adjuvant radiation (RT), despite its role in local control and overall survival. We examined trends in RT use over 10 years, and the impact of sociodemographic factors on the receipt of standard-of-care RT, using the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Women under age 70 with invasive breast cancer who underwent BCS from 2004 to 2014 were analyzed. Receipt of RT was evaluated in the whole cohort and by time period to identify temporal trends. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess associations between factors such as race, insurance status, ethnicity, and receipt of RT. A total of 501,733 patients met eligibility criteria. The percentage of patients undergoing adjuvant RT increased from 86.7% in 2004 to 92.4% in 2012, and then decreased in 2013 and 2014 to 88.9%. On univariate analysis, patients of white race were significantly more likely to receive RT compared with patients of black race (90.4% vs 86.9%, p < 0.0001), as were non-Hispanic women compared to Hispanic patients (90.2% vs. 85.3%, p < 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, race, ethnicity, insurance status, education level, and age remained significantly associated with receipt of RT. On temporal analysis, gaps remained stable, with no significant improvements over time. This analysis suggests a recent decline in guideline-concordant receipt of RT in women under 70, and persistent disparities in the use of RT after BCS by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors. These findings raise concern for a recent detrimental change in patterns of care delivery.
Communication lapses and navigation needs for non-English-speaking patients: An MSK Patient and Family Advisory Council and Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities initiative.

178Background: In 2017, 5,939 outpatients (5%) and 1,065 inpatients (9%) treated at MSK were non-English-speaking. Given the new and varying treatment paradigms combined with the need to consider c...
Potentials for Improving Economic Efficiency in Production

Enhanced competitiveness can be accomplished in many ways, with different depths of effect. But as soon as these approaches are exhausted, the question arises as to what options exist for future optimisation. For that reason, companies have to undergo a permanent improvement process in all areas. Experience at Takata-Petri AG has shown that human resources, i.e. the employees’ expertise and opportunities for their further education, involve a higher potential for the improvement of a company’s competitiveness than technical innovations.
Development and Validation of a Bayesian Network Method to Detect External Beam Radiation Therapy Physician Order Errors.

Purpose To investigate a Bayesian network (BN)-based method to detect errors in external beam radiation therapy physician orders. Methods and Materials A total of 4431 external beam radiation therapy orders from 2008 to 2017 at the authors’ institution were obtained from clinical treatment management systems and divided into 3 groups: single prescription, concurrent boost, and sequential boost. Multiple BNs were developed for each group to detect errors in new orders using joint posterior probabilities of the order parameters, given disease information. Each BN was trained with a group of orders using a Bayesian learning algorithm. A procedure was developed to select the optimal BN for each treatment site in each group and to determine site-specific parameters and error detection thresholds. Potential clinical errors, created both manually and automatically, were applied to test error detection performance. Results The average true-positive rate (TPR) and false-positive rate (FPR) of error detection were 95.72% and 1.99%, respectively, for the single-prescription cohort with 9 treatment sites. For the concurrent-boost cohort, the TPR and FPR were 92.94% and 14.53%, respectively. For the sequential-boost cohort, the TPR and FPR were 100% and 9.48%, respectively, for the prescribed dose values and 100% and 4.34%, respectively, for the remaining order parameters. For the patient simulation and imaging parameters for 9 treatment sites, the TPR and FPR were 100% and 4.96%, respectively. Conclusions The probabilistic BN method was able to perform physician order error detection at a higher accuracy than previously reported in a variety of complex prescription instances, thus warranting further development in incorporating BNs into clinical error detection tools to assist manual physician order checks.
Network Meta-Analysis Comparing the Efficacy of Therapeutic Treatments for Bronchiolitis in Children.

Background This study aims to compare placebo (PBO) and 7 therapeutic regimens-namely, bronchodilator agents (BAs), hypertonic saline (HS), BA ± HS, corticosteroids (CS), epinephrine (EP), EP ± CS, and EP ± HS-to determine the optimal bronchiolitis treatment. Methods We plotted networks using the curative outcome of several studies and specified the relations among the experiments by using mean difference, standardized mean difference, and corresponding 95% credible interval. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was used to separately rank each therapy on clinical severity score (CSS) and length of hospital stay (LHS). Results This network meta-analysis included 40 articles from 1995 to 2016 concerning the treatment of bronchiolitis in children. All 7 therapeutic regimens displayed no significant difference to PBO with regard to CSS in our study. Among the 7 therapies, BA performed better than CS. As for LHS, EP and EP ± HS had an advantage over PBO. Moreover, EP and EP ± HS were also more efficient than BA. The SUCRA results showed that EP ± CS is most effective, and EP ± HS is second most effective with regard to CSS. With regard to LHS, EP ± HS ranked first, EP ± CS ranked second, and EP ranked third. Conclusions We recommend EP ± CS and EP ± HS as the first choice for bronchiolitis treatment in children because of their outstanding performance with regard to CSS and LHS.
What Types of Employer Actions are Cognizable Under Title VII? The Ramifications of Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railroad Co. v. White

In Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railroad Co. v. White, the Supreme Court discussed two open questions regarding coverage under Title VII. Both questions relate to the kinds of employer actions that will trigger liability under Title VII’s anti-retaliation provision. First, does the employer’s retaliatory action have to be related to the plaintiff’s employment or workplace? Second, what “level” or “severity” of harm is required to trigger liability under the anti-retaliation provision? The White decision, discussed in Section II of this article, held that the retaliatory action did not necessarily have to be workplace-related and that the action had to be “materially adverse.” The decision, however, leaves open a number of questions.
The Cognitive Revolution

In the last decade, we have been witnessing the great potential of a Cognitive Revolution in Medicine that promises to completely transform surgery. Artificial intelligence, with the use of big data, modern-day compute power, novel deep learning algorithms, and increased investments, forms the foundation for this revolution. Surgery, in particular, benefits from the revolution, with recent improvements in every phase of patient care. This revolution brings with it numerous challenges, from ethical dilemmas to privacy issues, which will require thoughtful planning and policy. An exciting, and more importantly, safer, future awaits.
‘Reclaiming my time’: signifying, reclamation and the activist strategies of Black women’s language

This article explores how three Black women use the culturally grounded semantic and rhetorical strategies of their discursive practices as modes of symbolic action to negotiate alternative relationships and realities in response to white supremacist patriarchy. Placing intersectional feminist perspectives in conversation with the literature on African American Women’s Language (AAWL), this research applies critical discourse analysis to cases of signifying and resignification (semantic reclamation). The interactions are taken from contemporary US politics: Maxine Waters’ assertion ‘Reclaiming my time’, Therese Okoumou’s literal retooling of ‘We go high’ and Samirah Raheem’s reclamation of ‘slut’. Together they highlight three iterations of Black womanhood, intersectional feminist linguistic resistance and gendered, racialised defiance to engage with the inclusive scope of feminism. The application of interdisciplinary insights to the analysis of AAWL herein demonstrates the broader social significance and productive political power of language for intersectional women, people of colour and gender minoritised communities.
Lotka-Volterra equations in the presence of Mimicry

This paper studies a novel framework for understanding toxicity and nutritional value of a prey to a predator with utility. Furthermore, it introduces a novel notion of prey mimicry in a multi predator - multi prey system. In addition, the paper also analyzes the dynamics and the stability of equilibrium that arise as a result of the one or more predators inability to distinguish between certain prey. The paper is motivated by the mimicry in the context of adversarial chase involved in the evolution of multiple viral variants in the presence of multiple vaccines - possibly, in a population stratified by a diverse HLA background.
Machine Learning in Manufacturing Ergonomics: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities

The rapid development of machine learning (ML) technology has introduced substantial impact on ergonomics research in manufacturing. Numerous studies and practices have been carried out to apply ML techniques to address manufacturing ergonomics issues, which has brought extensive opportunities as well as significant challenges. To incentivize future research in this area, this letter reviews the recent advances of ML applications in manufacturing ergonomics, and discusses future research opportunities and challenges from ML, ergonomics, and manufacturing systems perspectives.
Social Innovation to Drive Corporate Sustainability

The concept of Social Innovation seems to be omnipresent in today’s corporate discussions, but deeper reflections indicate that there are significant differences in the way Social Innovation is understood and implemented. While some see it as the next big thing after CSR or CSR 3.0, for others it is simply a new term for CSR. As with most new concepts, this unclear understanding might ultimately hinder the development of a concept that, if applied seriously, might have a significant contribution to improve the way we collaborate, innovate, and ultimately have a positive impact on the world. Even when the concept is fully embraced, it can often be detected that there is a focus on only the invention, without paying too much attention to the process leading to this result and the societal and business impact. In order to advance Social Innovation concepts, basic and proven principles from the Innovation Management need to be taken into account, in addition to the needed but often overrated focus on just the big idea to solve major problems.
Direct Minimum-Knowledge Computations (Extended Abstract)

We present a protocol scheme which directly simulates any given computation, defined on any computational device, in a minimum-knowledge fashion. We also present a scheme for simulation of computation in dua1 (perfect) minimum-knowledge fashion. Using the simulation protocol, we can that one user transfers to another user exactly the result of a given computation and nothing more.
236 LOCALIZATION OF INTERFERON-TAU IN BOVINE EMBRYOS AND CUMULUS CELLS BY CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY

Interferon-tau (IFN-t) is a protein secreted by the conceptus of ruminant species and thought to be the primary signal in maternal recognition of pregnancy. Experiments were conducted to detect IFN-t in bovine oocytes, cumulus cells and embryos by use of immunocytochemistry and laser-scanning confocal microscopy. Embryos were produced by in vitro fertilization of in vitro-matured oocytes. Oocytes and embryos were fixed in formaldehyde at various stages of development, and stored in PBS until staining and microscopy. Cumulus cells were stripped from immature oocytes and cultured in M-199 (10% fetal calf serum) on coverslips treated with poly-D-lysine. They were divided into four treatment groups: (1) without hormones (control), (2) with the addition of FSH, (3) estradiol, or (4) FSH and estradiol. Bovine MBDK cells (ATCC CCL 22) and primary fibroblasts were cultured as controls on coverslips but without addition of hormones. A polyclonal antibody raised against bovine IFN-t was used, followed by a secondary conjugated antibody (AlexaFluor 488, Molecular Probes, Eugene OR). Actin was stained with phalloidin (AlexaFluor 568, Molecular Probes, Eugene OR). Cumulus, MDBK cells and fibroblasts were further stained with propidium iodine to visualize nuclei. Imaging was performed on a Leica laser-scanning confocal microscope. IFN-t was detected in hatched and unhatched Day 7 and Day 9 blastocysts, where its expression was restricted to the trophectoderm. IFN-t was also found in Day 5 and 6 morulae, but not at earlier stages. Furthermore, IFN-t was detected in the cumulus cell masses of oocytes before and after IVM, but not in the oocyte itself. Controls, in which the primary antibody was omitted, were negative regardless of developmental stage. IFN-t was also found in cultured cumulus cells regardless of whether hormones had been added to the medium;; however, the protein was localized in the nuclei of cells only if they had been cultured with FSH, whereas in cells cultured with estrogen alone or without hormones IFN-t was restricted to the cytoplasm. In contrast, no IFN-t was detected in MDBK cells or fibroblasts. These results extend previous findings by showing that IFN-t is expressed as early as the morula stage. Moreover, these results demonstrate that IFN-t is also produced by cumulus cells where FSH appears to initiate a translocation of IFN-t into the nucleus, suggesting a role in regulation of gene expression.
Doubt in Islamic law : a history of legal maxims, interpretation, and Islamic criminal law

Introduction Part I. Institutional Structures and Doubt, Seventh-Sixteenth Century CE: 1. The God of severity and lenity 2. The rise of doubt Part II. Morality and Social Context, Eighth-Eleventh Century CE: 3. Hierarchy and hudud laws, eighth-ninth century CE 4. Doubt as moral discomfort, tenth-eleventh century CE Part III. The Jurisprudence of Doubt, Eighth-Sixteenth Century CE: 5. Doubt as an element of Islamic criminal law, eighth-eleventh century CE 6. Substantive, procedural, and interpretive doubt, eleventh-sixteenth century CE 7. Strict textualism as a limitation on doubt: Sunni opponents, eighth-eleventh century CE 8. Dueling theories of delegation and interpretation: Shi'i doubt, tenth-sixteenth century CE Conclusion: doubt in comparative and contemporary context.
UNDERSTANDING ATTITUDES ABOUT WAR: MODELING MORAL JUDGMENTS

Choice 1997 Outstanding Academic BookWhy have some traditional cold warriors opposed involvement in Iraq and the former Yugoslavia, while many vocal critics of the Vietnam war supported the use of U.S. forces in Somalia, Haiti, and the Balkans? What do these debates tell us about American attitudes toward the use of military force to achieve foreign policy goals? The authors examine the ethical and moral underpinnings of U.S. international relations by exploring the attitudes of decision makers and foreign policy elites toward war. Their unique contribution is to bring together the various doctrines in the literature and to characterize them using behavioral methodologies, in an attempt to bring normative questions back into the mainstream of political science.
The Origin and Distribution of Energetic Electrons in the Van Allen Radiation Belts

The primary purpose of this paper is to present new results on the injection and distribution of the energetic electron component of the trapped radiation as a result of magnetic storms. The results described herein have been obtained with magnetic deflection electron spectrometers carried in the OGO 1 and OGO 3 satellites in elliptical orbits penetrating both the inner and outer zone regions and in the ATS 1 geostationary orbit satellite in the outer zone. Correlations with ground based magnetic and auroral measurements as well as high altitude balloons have played an important part in the interpretation of these results. The satellite instruments are similar on the various missions and details have been given in several papers and technical reports (Lezniak et al., 1967; Lezniak and Winckler, 1968; Pfitzer, 1968; Pfitzer and Winckler, 1970). The energy range extends from about 50 keV to several MeV and it is possible to study the variation of the directional flux with pitch angle, energy, and position in the trapping regions. The spectrometers on the OGO 1, OGO 3, and ATS 1 satellites now have been directly compared in orbit at appropriate times and positions in the magnetosphere and agree to better than 10% using the laboratory calibration constants.
Two micron observations of 12CO and 13CO in the red giant sources IRS 7, IRS 12, and IRS 19

Spectra have been obtained from 1.2 to 2.47 microns of the Galactic Center sources IRS 7, 12 and 19 with resolutions of 2.4, 2.4, and 4.8 cm−1 respectively. The spectra of these sources show the first overtone bandheads of 12CO and 13CO. The spectrum of IRS 7, the brightest of the sources, also shows photospheric absorptions of Ca, Na, and other common elements.
Star formation and gas phase history of the cosmic web

We present a new method of tracking and characterizing the environment in which galaxies and their associated circumgalactic medium evolve. We use a structure finding algorithm we developed to self-consistently parse and follow the evolution of poor clusters, filaments and voids in large scale simulations. We trace the complete evolution of the baryons in the gas phase and the star formation history within each structure in our simulated volume. We vary the structure measure threshold to probe the complex inner structure of star forming regions in poor clusters, filaments and voids. We find the majority of star formation occurs in cold, condensed gas in filaments at intermediate redshifts (z ~ 3). We also show that much of the star formation above a redshift z = 3 occurs in low contrast regions of filaments, but as the density contrast increases at lower redshift star formation switches to the high contrast regions, or inner parts, of filaments. Since filaments bridge the void and cluster regions, it suggests that the majority of star formation occurs in galaxies in intermediate density regions prior to the accretion onto poor clusters. We find that at the present epoch, the gas phase distribution is 43.1%, 30.0%, 24.7% and 2.2% in the diffuse, WHIM, hot halo and condensed phases, respectively. The majority of the WHIM is associated with filaments. However, their multiphase nature and the fact that the star formation occurs predominantly in the condensed gas both point to the importance of not conflating the filamentary environment with the WHIM. Moreover, in our simulation volume 8.77%, 79.1%, 2.11% of the gas at z = 0 is located in poor clusters, filaments, and voids, respectively. We find that both filaments and poor clusters are multiphase environments distinguishing themselves by different distribution of gas phases.
The Use of Semi-Active Suspensions to Reduce Pavement Damage

Multiple axle groups of heavy trucks can generate peak dynamic tire loads that are greatly in excess of their static loads. This paper reviews previous simulation studies that compare the performance of alternative suspensions (for example, 4 spring, walking beam and air suspension). In addition, the design of an electronically modulated shock absorber is presented for application on a tandem suspension. Simulation studies are then presented to compare the performance of this concept with the previously discussed suspension types. Recent laboratory data illustrating the performance of semi-active dampers to reduce dynamic tire loads will be presented. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 858780.
Density, viscosity and excess properties in the trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride ionic liquid/methanol cosolvent system

Abstract The volumetric and viscosity behaviors of binary mixtures of (trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium chloride ionic liquid + methanol) ([P14,6,6,6+][Cl−] + MeOH) have been described across the entire range of mol fraction [P14,6,6,6+][Cl−] (xIL = 0 to 1) and over a temperature range of (290.15 to 313.15) K at p = 0.1 MPa. All binary mixtures were liquids completely miscible. The experimental data was used to calculate the excess molar properties of these solutions. The variation of density was used to compute excess molar volumes, VE, and partial molar volumes of each component and the excess thermal expansion coefficients, α P E . For each of these excess parameters, the deviations were observed to be negative over the entire range of mole fraction and temperature. Viscosity deviations, Δη, from the ideal mixtures were calculated from the measured viscosities. Additionally, temperature dependent viscosities were observed to follow an Arrhenius activation model and the activation energy, Ea, of viscous flow was computed. Combined viscosity and volumetric data were used to calculate the excess Gibbs free energy, Δ G m E ∗ , of activation of viscous flow. The results from the excess solution properties behaviors have been discussed in terms of molecular interactions and support the presence of strong interactions in solution. These interactions are typical of IL aggregation. In this IL/cosolvent system the most significant changes occur up to xIL ∼ 0.4.
CONSIDERING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN THE DESIGN OF BONDED STRUCTURES: A FRACTURE MECHANICS APPROACH

The continued airworthiness of ageing aircraft and long-term durability of new airframes depends, in part, on the integrity of adhesive bonds used for repairs and joining structural components. Additionally, the advent of composite materials and advanced repair techniques incorporating composites has increased the number of adhesively bonded joints specified for use in aerospace structures. Traditionally, adhesive bonds have been analysed and designed using a dependable and rigorous stress-based approach. However, the need to address the effect of bondline flaws and to understand the fatigue characteristics of bonded joints has led to the adoption of a discipline already common in the design of metallic components-fracture mechanics. To understand the durability of bonded structures, however, it is further necessary to examine the effect of environmental exposure on the performance of the adhesive bondline. Familiarity with the stress-based and fracture mechanics analytical approaches, as well as an understanding of environmentally induced trends in bond performance is paramount to quality design. This paper will briefly discuss the attributes of the two main forms of bonded joint analysis, and will broadly outline a design approach that uses fracture mechanics and accounts for environmental effects. Experiments discussed in this paper were performed specifically to use fracture mechanics in assessing the environmental effects on a toughened epoxy adhesive. Results indicate that the Mode I fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth threshold of this adhesive are significantly reduced upon exposure to a high temperature, high humidity aircraft service environment. These results will be used to illustrate the philosophical arguments supporting the design approach.
Dynamics and control of piezotube actuators for subnanometer precision applications

For the purpose of scanning probe microscope (SPM) design and control, the piezotube actuator dynamics were modeled as a simple forced bar/beam vibration with a mass attached at the end. Based on the model, a high speed and high precision displacement sensor (piezoelectric sensor) was proposed using an observer design. Experimental data are also shown to support the presented model.
Representation of Women in News and Photos: Comparing Content to Perceptions

This study uses a feminist framework of masculine cultural hegemony to examine the representation of women in two newspapers-a medium-sized newspaper (Study 1) and a larger newspaper (Study 2). Surveys gauged news staff and news reader perceptions of female representation in news content to determine if perceptions matched content-analysis findings. Content-analysis results revealed a greater proportion of males than females in both content and photos for both studies. Female staffers were more likely than their male counterparts to perceive this disparity, and news readers perceived an even greater disparity than the news staff. News staffs were less likely to perceive disparities in the editorial, travel, and entertainment sections. We discuss the findings in relation to cultural hegemony and the representation of women in the news.
Detection of the toxic marine diatom Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries using the RuBisCO small subunit (rbcS) gene in two real-time RNA amplification formats

Abstract The marine diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia includes species that produce domoic acid, a neurotoxin responsible for illness and mortality in both humans and marine wildlife. Because of the expertise and time required for the microscopic discrimination of species, molecular methods that monitor environmental concentrations of Pseudo-nitzschia provide a rapid alternative for the early detection of blooms and prediction of toxin accumulation. We have developed a nucleic acid sequence-based amplification with internal control RNA (IC-NASBA) assay and a quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assay for the detection of the toxic species Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries targeting the ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase small subunit ( rbcS ) gene. Both methods use RNA amplification and fluorescence-based real-time detection. Due to a limited rbcS sequence database, primers were designed and used to sequence this gene from 14 strains of Pseudo-nitzschia (representing six species) and 19 other marine diatoms. The IC-NASBA and qRT-PCR assays had a limit of detection of one cultured cell of P. multiseries and were linear over four and five orders of magnitude, respectively ( r 2 ≥ 0.98). Neither of the assays detected closely related organisms outside the Pseudo-nitzschia genus, and the qRT-PCR assay was specific to P. multiseries . While cross-reactivity of primers with unknown species prevented reliable detection of P. multiseries in spiked environmental samples using IC-NASBA, the qRT-PCR assay had positive detection from 10 7 cells/L to 10 3 cells/L. Nearly a 1:1 relationship was observed between predicted and calculated cell concentrations using qRT-PCR. Based on a diel expression study, the rbcS transcript copy number per cell ranged from 2.16 × 10 4 to 5.35 × 10 4 , with the highest expression during early to mid photoperiod. The rbcS qRT-PCR assay is useful for the detection and enumeration of low concentrations of P. multiseries in the environment.
Mate selection criteria among Muslims living in America

There is a lively literature on sex differences in mate preferences primarily in Western cultures. The few cross-cultural studies that exist are limited, as they ignore the role of religion on mate preferences. In this article, we randomly selected 500 personal advertisements placed by Muslims who live in the United States. Content analysis revealed that there were no significant sex differences in seeking a physically attractive mate. However, women mentioned their physical attractiveness more than men did, while men, more than women, sought mates younger than themselves. Women preferred financially secure partners and placed a higher value on finding partners who were emotionally sensitive and sincere than did the men. Furthermore, women significantly, more than men, advertised their religiosity and sought religious partners.
Unrecognised epidemic of anencephaly and spina bifida

Summary Delivery-books kept by the Boston Lying-In and Providence Lying-In Hospitals enabled the identification of children with anencephaly or spina bifida back to the opening dates of both hospitals—1832 and 1885, respectively. During the period 1890–1920, rates were about 2 per 1000 births—levels comparable to those observed since 1950. Between 1920 and 1949 there was a succession of high rates which peaked in the years 1929–1932, when rates were more than three times those preceding or following the epidemic period. There are superficial correspondences in time between this epidemic and two major socioeconomic events in the United States —the great depression and the duration of the Eighteenth (Prohibition) Amendment to the Constitution. However, there are discrepancies that must be accounted for if ˦tiological factors associated with either are to be invoked.
Bilabial Contact Pressure and Oral Air Pressure during Tracheoesophageal Speech

Objectives:This study compared bilabial contact pressure (CPsp) and oral air pressure (Po) for /p/, /b/, and /m/ produced by tracheoesophageal (TE) versus laryngeal speakers. Nonspeech maximum bilabial contact pressures (CPmax) were measured to calculate the percentage of the range utilized for bilabial phonemes.Methods:Ten TE speakers and 10 laryngeal speakers produced syllables and sentences loaded with bilabial phonemes. The CPsp was measured with a miniature pressure transducer on the lower lip while the Po was simultaneously measured with a catheter in the corner of the mouth coupled to a differential pressure transducer. The speakers completed a non-speech lip-press task with the contact pressure transducer in place.Results:The TE speakers produced bilabial phonemes with significantly higher CPsp and Po than did laryngeal speakers. There was no difference in CPmax between the groups. The percentage of the contact pressure range utilized for bilabial phonemes was significantly higher for TE speakers....
Ego-identity: Can it be reconstituted after a brain injury?

Cognitive alterations are frequently observed and studied in persons who present with psychiatric and neurological disorders. Recently an increased number of investigations on the self and attendant processes have interested psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists, particularly when a person has suffered brain damage that upsets their daily function in economic, social, personal, behavioural, and emotional ways. At the same time, many theories have been developed to explain the observable changes in ego‐identity of persons with brain injury as well as diverse rehabilitation programs centred on the re‐establishment of the ego‐identity changes. The present article focuses on: (1) the elucidation of the construct of self in current personality theoretical formulations; (2) the major negative effects of brain impairments on the cognitive, neurobehavioural, emotional, and personality functions of persons with brain injuries; (3) the conceptual underpinnings of Kurt Goldstein's views on the neurops...
Community Reinvestment Legislation and Access to Housing Finance in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Using legislation as one of its main tools, the apartheid government provided white South Africans with abundant resources and economic opportunities. Correlated with the opportunities provided to whites was the systematic denial of opportunity to members of other groups. Since 1994, the African National Congress- (ANC-) led government has worked to remedy the effects of apartheid through legislative means. South Africa's Department of Housing has attempted to use community reinvestment legislation as part of this effort. This paper assesses the various political and economic factors that led to the failure of South Africa's reinvestment legislation process. These fall into two categories: extra-legislative factors and factors internal to the process itself that, even should other inhibitions not have existed, might still have undermined South Africa's reinvestment legislation process. The paper relies largely on analysis of interviews conducted with South African bankers, government officials, community ...
Functional Necessity and Physicochemical Characteristics of the [2Fe−2S] Cluster in Mammalian Ferrochelatase

The recently discovered [2Fe−2S] cluster in mouse liver ferrochelatase has been characterized using UV−vis, EPR, and Mossbauer spectroscopic techniques. Studies are reported here for the recombinant protein purified from an overproducing transformed Escherichia coli strain. A positive correlation is observed between the presence of the [2Fe−2S] cluster and the enzymatic specific activity and demonstrates the necessity of this cofactor. Chemical analysis revealed that the preparations contained up to 1.3 Fe/molecule and indicated a 1:1 stoichiometry between Fe and acid−labile sulfide. The [2Fe−2S] cluster in the as-isolated ferrochelatase exhibits a UV−vis spectrum indicative of a [2Fe−2S]2+ cluster and is EPR-silent. The 8 T Mossbauer spectrum of the 57Fe-enriched as-isolated protein is well simulated by parameters ΔEQ = 0.69 ± 0.03 mm/s and δ = 0.28 ± 0.02 mm/s and confirms the presence of a diamagnetic ground state. Upon reduction with sodium dithionite, ferrochelatase shows a near-axial EPR spectrum wi...
Laparoscopic left pancreatectomy: complication risk score correlates with morbidity and risk for pancreatic fistula.

Surgeons are performing laparoscopic left pancreatectomy (LLP) with increasing frequency; however, determinants of perioperative outcome after LLP are not well defined. We evaluated factors contributing to morbidity after LLP. Records from patients undergoing LLP from 2000 to 2008 from nine academic medical centers were evaluated to assess risk factors for perioperative complications. Extent of pancreatic resection was determined by the length of the gross pancreatic specimen. Complications and pancreatic fistula rates were assessed, and a model was developed to identify those at risk of postoperative adverse events. Among the 219 LLP cases, indications were cystic neoplasms in 122 (56%), solid neoplasms in 83 (38%), and chronic pancreatitis in 14 (6%). Thirty-day morbidity and mortality were 39% and 0, respectively. Major complications occurred in 11%. Pancreatic fistulae were detected in 23%, with clinically important fistulae (International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula Definition grade B/C) seen in 10%. On multivariate analysis, only greater estimated blood loss (EBL), higher body mass index (BMI), and longer length of resected pancreas were associated with major complications. A complication risk score consisting of 1 point each for BMI >27, pancreatic specimen length >8 cm, or EBL ≥150 mL predicted an increased risk of complications and pancreatic fistulae. The risk of major complications after LLP is 11%, with clinically important pancreatic fistulae occurring in 10%. A complication risk score incorporating BMI, extent of pancreatic resection, and EBL correlates with all end points evaluated. The complication risk score should be used when quality outcome measures are evaluated.
Fair or Not? the Taxation of E-Commerce

The development of E-commerce has revolutionized our way of doing business around the globe, bringing with it a whole new set of challenges. One issue for U.S. government bodies is who to tax and how. This article examines the current tax situation regarding E-commerce primarily from a U.S. stakeholder perspective.
Inferring the Meaning of Work From the Effects of Unemployment

Questionnaire data from 148 unemployed individuals were analyzed to investigate the meaning for work. Both economic and experiential functions of work were examined. The data revealed that, as predicted, increasing length of unemployment was associated with increasing economic and experiential deprivation. Economic deprivation, in turn, was associated with both more experiential deprivation and lower subjective well-being. Unexpectedly, experiential deprivation was not related to subjective well-being. The results indicate the importance of the economic functions of work in people's lives.
A low cost, multithreaded processing-in-memory system

This paper discusses die cost vs. performance tradeoffs for a PIM system that could serve as the memory system of a host processor. For an increase of less than twice the cost of a commodity DRAM part, it is possible to realize a performance speedup of nearly a factor of 4 on irregular applications. This cost efficiency derives from developing a custom multithreaded processor architecture and implementation style that is well-suited for embedding in a memory. Specifically, it takes advantage of the low latency and high row bandwidth to both simplify processor design --- reducing area --- as well as to improve processing throughput. To support our claims of cost and performance, we have used simulation, analysis of existing chips, and also designed and fully implemented a prototype chip, PIM Lite.
Proliferating hospital testing devices: Too much monitoring could be hazardous to a patient's health

The rapid development of instruments for use in hospitals and clinics has created problems in various areas of the medical field. The majority of these problems are caused by the large number of instruments used. Physically, the mass or mess of cables and tubes can be confusing, be hard to untangle, and require patience. The number of alarms that could ring at any time are very intimidating and difficult to distinguish from one another. The overlapping of information given by the instruments often seems to waste time and also adds to the confusion.
Elastic behavior of chitosan films

The thermoelastic behavior and equilibrium stress–strain properties of chitosan films lightly crosslinked with gluteraldehyde and swollen with water were studied. Precautions were taken to preclude changes in the swelling ratio of swollen sample films during the experiment. The results indicate that at relatively low extensions the elastic behavior of the biopolymer is entropic in origin. The equilibrium stress–strain isotherms of chitosan did not obey Mooney–Rivlin equation because of sharp increases in stress with extension ratio at high extensions. This is attributed mainly to interchain hydrogen-bonded interactions, but a possible contribution due to strain–induced crystallization cannot be ruled out. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Improving an Object Detector and Extracting Regions Using Superpixels

We propose an approach to improve the detection performance of a generic detector when it is applied to a particular video. The performance of offline-trained objects detectors are usually degraded in unconstrained video environments due to variant illuminations, backgrounds and camera viewpoints. Moreover, most object detectors are trained using Haar-like features or gradient features but ignore video specific features like consistent color patterns. In our approach, we apply a Super pixel-based Bag-of-Words (BoW) model to iteratively refine the output of a generic detector. Compared to other related work, our method builds a video-specific detector using super pixels, hence it can handle the problem of appearance variation. Most importantly, using Conditional Random Field (CRF) along with our super pixel-based BoW model, we develop and algorithm to segment the object from the background. Therefore our method generates an output of the exact object regions instead of the bounding boxes generated by most detectors. In general, our method takes detection bounding boxes of a generic detector as input and generates the detection output with higher average precision and precise object regions. The experiments on four recent datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach and significantly improves the state-of-art detector by 5-16% in average precision.
Dynamic Crack Growth Past a Stiff Inclusion: Optical Investigation of Inclusion Eccentricity and Inclusion-matrix Adhesion Strength

Interactions between a dynamically growing matrix crack and a stationary stiff cylindrical inclusion are studied optically. Test specimens with two different bond strengths (weak and strong) and three crack-inclusion eccentricities (e = 0, d/2 and 3d/4, d being inclusion diameter) are studied using reflection mode Coherent Gradient Sensing (CGS) and high-speed photography. These variants produce distinct dynamic crack trajectories and failure behaviors. A weaker inclusion-matrix interface attracts a propagating crack while a stronger one deflects the crack away. The former results in a propagating crack lodging (‘key-hole’) into the inclusion-matrix interface whereas in the latter the crack tends to circumvent the inclusion. When the inclusion is in the prospective crack path, the maximum attained crack speed is much higher in the weakly bonded inclusion cases relative to the strongly bonded counterparts. For a crack propagating towards a weakly bonded inclusion, the effective stress intensity factor (K e) value remains constant for each inclusion eccentricity considered. But these constant K e values increase with increasing eccentricity. A distinct drop in K e occurs when the crack is near the inclusion. In strongly bonded inclusion cases, on the other hand, monotonically increasing K e before the crack reaches the inclusion is observed. A drop in K e is seen just before the crack reaches the inclusion. The mode-mixity estimates are of opposite signs for weakly and strongly bonded inclusions in case of the largest eccentricity studied, confirming the observed crack attraction and deflection mechanisms.
Fluorine substitutions in an antigenic peptide selectively modulate T-cell receptor binding in a minimally perturbing manner

TCR (T-cell receptor) recognition of antigenic peptides bound and presented by MHC (major histocompatibility complex) molecules forms the basis of the cellular immune response to pathogens and cancer. TCRs bind peptide–MHC complexes weakly and with fast kinetics, features which have hindered detailed biophysical studies of these interactions. Modified peptides resulting in enhanced TCR binding could help overcome these challenges. Furthermore, there is considerable interest in using modified peptides with enhanced TCR binding as the basis for clinical vaccines. In the present study, we examined how fluorine substitutions in an antigenic peptide can selectively impact TCR recognition. Using a structure-guided design approach, we found that fluorination of the Tax peptide [HTLV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus)-1 Tax11-19] enhanced binding by the Tax-specific TCR A6, yet weakened binding by the Tax-specific TCR B7. The changes in affinity were consistent with crystallographic structures and fluorine chemistry, and with the A6 TCR independent of other substitutions in the interface. Peptide fluorination thus provides a means to selectively modulate TCR binding affinity without significantly perturbing peptide composition or structure. Lastly, we probed the mechanism of fluorine's effect on TCR binding and we conclude that our results were most consistent with a ‘polar hydrophobicity’ mechanism, rather than a purely hydrophobic- or electrostatic-based mechanism. This finding should have an impact on other attempts to alter molecular recognition with fluorine. Abbreviations: CDR, complementary-determining region; HLA, human leucocyte antigen; HTLV, human T-cell lymphotropic virus; ITC, isothermal titration calorimetry; MHC, major histocompatibility complex; pMHC, peptide–MHC complex; RMSD, root mean square deviation; RU, response units; SPR, surface plasmon resonance; Tax, HTLV-1 Tax11-19 peptide; Tax-Y5F3,4FF, Tax peptide with 3,4-difluoro-phenylalanine at postion five; Tax-Y5F4F, Tax peptide with 4-fluoro-phenylalanine at postion five; TCR, T-cell receptor
Influence of management on equine digestion

The management schemes for horses can directly influence their ability to digest and absorb nutrients from their feeds. Amounts fed and times that the meals are offered can alter digestion and utilization of a variety of nutrients as can the types and forms of feeds offered. Exercise will also directly impact feed digestion/utilization. This presentation will review what is known to date and offer some practical recommendations for maximization of digestive efficiency.
BEE AWARE, an expert system for honey bee diseases, parasites, pests and predators

Abstract The BEE AWARE expert system for the diagnosis and management of honey bee diseases, pests, parasites and predators has been developed and tested as a new means of transferring up-to-date information to beekeepers. Funding for government agencies traditionally responsible for the control of honey bee diseases is being reduced in many states, and completely eliminated in others. Extension positions and budgets for apiculture programs are also being cut. With the introduction of two new parasitic mites and incidents of disease on the rise, there is increasing need to make up-to-date information readily available to beekeepers. BEE AWARE consists of educational information, diagnosis, and other information on the control and management of diseases, pests, predators and parasites of honey bees. The program has been tested with users for a year and is available commercially for minimal cost.
Inactivated lassa virus elicits a non protective immune response in rhesus monkeys

We attempted to protect three rhesus monkeys from Lassa fever by vaccination with a preparation of purified whole Lassa virus which had been inactivated by gamma irradiation. The vaccinated monkeys developed antibodies against the three major viral proteins of Lassa virus demonstrated by radioimmunoprecipitation. When the three vaccinated monkeys and two unvaccinated control monkeys were challenged all five became severely ill and died. Prior to death a secondary, high-titer antibody response to Lassa virus was observed in the three vaccinated monkeys, whereas the two unvaccinated monkeys developed a primary, low-titer antibody response. Though titers of Lassa virus in serum reached peak levels earlier following challenge in the non vaccinated, at the time of death serum and organ virus titers did not differ significantly. Changes in platelet aggregation, leukocyte counts, and liver enzymes, abnormalities of which have been associated with severity of Lassa fever, were found to be comparable in the two groups. The humoral antibody response measured in these animals following vaccination, although of the same magnitude as found in humans recovered from Lassa fever, was insufficient to protect the animals from this fatal disease. Evidence is now accumulating that the cell-mediated immune response must be activated in order to protect against challenge with arenaviruses.
Measurement of the optical activity of highly scattering solutions

The ratio of two intensities has been used to determine the optical activity of highly scattering solutions. A modified Brice light-scattering photometer was used for this purpose. The difficulty introduced by the presence of the depolarized scattered radiation was eliminated by the imposing of a measurable rotation on the system. The imposed rotation was achieved by the incorporation of an adjustable polarizer between the analyzer and the phototransducer linked to an angular scale. The optical rotation of scattering systems having a transmission of less than 10% have been determined with an accuracy of a few hundredths of a degree, the precision being limited by the improvised angular scale.