cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polymeric alkenoxy amino acid surfactants: I. Highly selective class of molecular micelles for chiral separation of β‐blockers

Two amino acid-based alkenoxy micelle polymers were synthesized for this study. These include polysodium N-undecenoxy carbonyl-L-leucinate (poly-L-SUCL) and polysodium N-undecenoxy carbonyl-L-isoleucinate (poly-L-SUCIL). The polymerization time and concentration of the synthesized micelle polymers were optimized by (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) experiments. Detailed physicochemical properties ((1)H NMR, critical micelle concentration (CMC), optical rotation, partial specific volume, aggregation number, and polarity) were determined, and these molecular micelles were introduced as a pseudostationary phase in micellar electrokinetic chromatography to study the molecular recognition and to develop a method for simultaneous separation of eight chiral beta-blockers. It is found that poly-L-SUCL gives overall better chiral resolution and wider chiral window than poly-L-SUCIL. After optimizing the type of micelle polymer, injection size and temperature, simultaneous separation and enantioseparation of eight beta-blockers were achieved in less than 35 min. A comparison with the amide-type surfactants of the same polar head group and alkyl chain length showed that carbamate-type surfactants always work better than the corresponding amide-type surfactant.
Comparing order picking assisted by head-up display versus pick-by-light with explicit pick confirmation

Manual order picking is an important part of distribution. Many techniques have been proposed to improve pick efficiency and accuracy. Previous studies compared pick-by-HUD (Head-Up Display) with pick-by-light but without the explicit pick confirmation that is typical in industrial environments. We compare a pick-by-light system designed to emulate deployed systems with a pick-by-HUD system using Google Glass. The pick-by-light system tested 50% slower than pick-by-HUD and required a higher workload. The number of errors committed and picker preference showed no statistically significant difference.
To Catch a Thief: A Pedagogical Study of Retail Shoplifting.

Abstract A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to investigate two fundamental research questions: (a) Do a significant number of students exhibit ethnic bias in their perceptions of the “typical” shoplifter; and (b) can we develop a classroom exercise with which educators can effectively increase students' awareness of such ethnic biases? A survey format coupled with a videotaped manipulation was used. Results revealed significant bias in participants' perceptions of likely retail shoplifters and provided evidence that the exercise implemented in the study successfully alerted students to the limitations of using ethnicity rather than behaviors as a predictor of retail shoplifting. Research implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Regulation of the apolipoprotein E by dietary lipids occurs by transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms*

The aim of the present investigation was to study the regulation of apolipoprotein E by two dietary nutrients, saturated fat and cholesterol, known to raise plasma cholesterol levels. ApoE is a protein component of several classes of lipoproteins including VLDL and HDL, and dietary lipids may regulate VLDL and apoE-containing HDL particles through their effects on apoE gene. Male rats and mice were fed the following 4 diets: control diet (C); high cholesterol diet with 0.5% cholesterol (HC); high fat diet with 20% hydrogenated coconut oil (HF); and high fat plus high cholesterol diet with 0.5% cholesterol and 20% fat (HF/C). Plasma cholesterol levels remained unchanged on HC diet, but in mice VLDL-cholesterol increased by 31%. HF diet increased VLDL and LDL by 15–17% in rats, and 21% in mice. A combination of fat and cholesterol diet showed pronounced effects on plasma lipoprotein concentrations, raising apoB-containing particles by 21% and 44% in mice and rats, respectively. Plasma apoE levels increased significantly on all diets. The mechanism of regulation of increased plasma apoB and apoE levels was examined. Quantification of hepatic apoB mRNA showed a lack of correlation between plasma apoB and hepatic apoB mRNA levels, suggesting that posttranscriptional regulation increased plasma apoB-containing lipoproteins in animals fed saturated fat diets. Hepatic apoE mRNA levels increased significantly in animals fed cholesterol-rich diets. However, despite increased plasma apoE levels on diet containing only saturated fat, hepatic apoE mRNA did not change. Synthesis of apoE on the liver polysomes increased selectively on cholesterol-rich diets. These results suggest that cholesterol-rich diets altered apoE, in part, by transcriptional mechanism, and saturated fat-rich diets increased plasma apoE levels by posttranscriptional mechanism, possibly decreased receptor-mediated uptake of apoE-containing particles. The regulation of LDL receptor was also studied since plasma apoB and E levels may be altered by LDL receptor-mediated uptake by the hepatocytes. As expected, high cholesterol diet decreased LDL receptor mRNA by 30–40%. However, the LDL receptor protein on liver membranes did not change on any of the test diets in both animal species. Hepatic cholesterol content increased several fold selectively on high cholesterol diets. These findings suggest that: 1) both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms are important in regulating plasma apoB and E containing lipoproteins; 2) dietary cholesterol regulates apoE gene by a transcriptional mechanism anddietary saturated fat by posttranscriptional mechanism; and 3) changes in the hepatic apoE and LDL receptor mRNA are associated with the changes in intracellular cholesterol concentrations.
Scale effects on dynamic wave propagation in heterogeneous media

To study scale-effects on wave propagation in 3-D heterogeneous media, we conducted dynamic and static laboratory experiments on seven samples of glass beads cast with epoxy. We measured P and S wave velocities and frequency dispersion by the pulse-transmission method, and static elastic Young's modulus by a uniaxial stress test. We changed the scale of the heterogeneity by varying the diameter of the glass beads in each sample, and obtained wavelength to scale ratios varying from 0.2 to 20. We observed about 22% P-wave velocity dispsersion and 15% S-wave velocity dispersion within this range of wavelength to scale ratios. We observed no scale effects on the static Young's modulus of the same seven samples. It is clear that strong wave velocity dispersion in the experiment is due to the dynamic wavelength-scale effects caused by scattering.
Chemical differences between event and weekly precipitation samples in northeastern Illinois

Abstract We examine the chemical differences between event and weekly samples of precipitation collected in northeastern Illinois from April 1980 to March 1982. Analyses were conducted for H + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , NH 4 + , SO 4 2− and NO 3 − concentrations as well as for pH and conductivity. In addition, the 1980–1981 samples, were titrated to determine the total, strong and weak acid concentrations. Although seasonal and annual precipitation amounts were different for the two years, the general pattern of event and weekly sample ion concentrations were similar. Weekly samples had significantly less [NH 4 + ] and higher laboratory pH in all seasons and more [SO 4 2− ] in every season but summer. Weekly samples had significantly more [Ca 2− ] and [Mg 2+ ] during seasons with little precipitation. Event and weekly [NO 3 − ] were never significantly different. The weekly samples had more total acidity in the spring but less in the summer. The observed differences may be attributed to chemical degradation of the weekly samples while waiting collection and during shipment between the field and the laboratory.
Extended abstract: Circuit CAD tools as a security threat

The demand for trusted and tamper-resistant computing platforms has placed security at the leading edge of research and industrial practice. Reported hardware-security breaches have already led to loss of confidential information, identity theft, intercepted cellular communications, and IP burglary. Our work demonstrates that ICs can be easily compromised by tampering with CAD tools or scripts that run these tools, suggesting that developing effective countermeasures against such attacks is a major research challenge. Our work is especially relevant to industrial uses of open-source EDA.
Strictly positive definite functions on spheres in Euclidean spaces

In this paper we study strictly positive definite functions on the unit sphere of the m-dimensional Euclidean space. Such functions can be used for solving a scattered data interpolation problem on spheres. Since positive definite functions on the sphere were already characterized by Schoenberg some fifty years ago, the issue here is to determine what kind of positive definite functions are actually strictly positive definite. The study of this problem was initiated recently by Xu and Cheney (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 116 (1992), 977-981), where certain sufficient conditions were derived. A new approach, which is based on a critical connection between this problem and that of multivariate polynomial interpolation on spheres, is presented here. The relevant interpolation problem is subsequently analyzed by three different complementary methods. The first is based on the de Boor-Ron general least solution for the multivariate polynomial interpolation problem. The second, which is suitable only for m = 2, is based on the connection between bivariate harmonic polynomials and univariate analytic polynomials, and reduces the problem to the structure of the integer zeros of bounded univariate exponentials. Finally, the last method invokes the realization of harmonic polynomials as the polynomial kernel of the Laplacian, thereby exploiting some basic relations between homogeneous ideals and their polynomial kernels.
Comparative lipid biochemistry—VI. Lipids of green and etiolated Euglena gracilis and of Blastocrithidia culicis

Abstract 1. 1. Chlorophyll, carotene, glycolipids, sulfolipid and phosphatidyl glycerol were greatly diminished or absent from etiolated forms of Euglena gracilis (Z); wax esters were increased. 2. 2. Comparisons were made with the animal flagellate Blastocrithidia culicis and with the anaerobe Clostridium butyricum with emphasis placed on the unique plasmalogen characteristics of these organisms.
Pelvic abscesses : Transvaginal US-guided drainage with the trocar method

The effectiveness of the trocar technique of catheter placement for transvaginal sonographically guided drainage of pelvic abscess was assessed in seven women who presented with pelvic pain, fever, and presumed pelvic abscess. Endovaginal ultrasound was performed to document fluid collection before drainage. All procedures were performed in less than 1 hour, without complications. Catheters were left in place for 1-3 days. Catheter placement was curative in six of seven patients (86%).
Influences of winning or losing in competitive situations on level of aspiration

Level of aspiration was measured in two two-person competitive situations. Ss received pre-determined performance scores such that one S won on each of three performance trials, while his competitor lost on every trial. An expectancy model was used to predict that Ss who lost, but whose performance improved would (1) have a higher level of aspiration than their competitors, and (2) have a higher level of aspiration than Ss who lost and did not improve. The results partially supported the hypotheses.
XML-based computation for scientific workflows

Scientific workflows are increasingly used to rapidly integrate existing algorithms to create larger and more complex programs. However, designing workflows using purely dataflow-oriented computation models introduces a number of challenges, including the need to use low-level components to mediate and transform data (so-called shims) and large numbers of additional “wires” for routing data to components within a workflow. To address these problems, we employ Virtual Data Assembly Lines (VDAL), a modeling paradigm that can eliminate most shims and reduce wiring complexity. We show how a VDAL design can be implemented using existing XML technologies and how static analysis can provide significant help to scientists during workflow design and evolution, e.g., by displaying actor dependencies or by detecting so-called unproductive actors.
Living donor liver transplantation: ethical considerations

Liver transplantation has become the victim of its own success. As l- and 5-year results continue to improve, blood usage, in-patient stay and morbidity are all falling, more patients are being referred for consideration of the procedure. Although many factors limit the number of patients who are able to be transplanted, scarcity of organs is of major concern. Increasing delay between acceptance and transplantation is often associated with deterioration of the patient’s status and so may reduce the success of the procedure. Attempts to increase the availability of organs have been broad: better use of the existing donor pool, more precise identification of the indications and contraindications for organ donation, splitting of livers to allow one organ to be used for two recipients and in the longer term use of animal organs. The use of living-related donors has undoubtedly been a clinical success, but has raised a number of ethical issues. As part of the series on liver transplantation, we have asked two experts to write on the pros and cons of living-related donors. We have specifically asked them to be controversial rather than give a balanced view.
Radiosynthesis of 3′-Chloro-3-nitrosalicylanilide and Determination of Its Uptake by Lamprey Larvae

Tritium radiosynthesis of 3′-chloro-3-nitrosalicylanilide was accomplished by an exchange reaction with tritiated phosphoric acid-boron trifluoride reagent. Radio-chemical purity was established by means of paper chromatography and autoradiography. Residual activity in lamprey larvae was determined at intervals of 1, 2, and 3 hr. The values observed were 3.046, 3.16, and 3.512 percent, respectively, representing a total residue of 0.0182 mg./g., 0.0186 mg./g., and 0.021 mg./g. at the stated time intervals.
Assessing the foodservice potential of muscles from the chuck

The objective of this study was to determine the foodservice potential of muscles from the chuck. US Department of Agriculture Select chucks and briskets (n = 25) were fabricated to produce the following muscles: Complexus (C), Serratus ventralis (SV), Rhomboideus (R) and Pectoralis superficialis (PS). Yield, drip loss, marinade uptake, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and proximate analysis were performed. Chef focus group (n = 12) determined the desirability for foodservice, and an economic analysis was conducted. SV had the highest yield of the chuck (13%), followed by C (7%) and R (4%). PS was 28% of the brisket. SV had higher drip loss (P 0.05). Proximate analysis differed by muscle (P < 0.05). The threshold values for the muscles chosen were $5.51/kg and $6.61/kg for R and C respectively. The breakeven price for R and C combined was $6.06/kg. Other muscles were not perceived as candidates.
Molecular connectivity of phenols and their toxicity to fish.

Reliable studies on the toxicity of a large number of compounds have recently become available to the scientific community from the Environmental Research Laboratory at Duluth, Minnesota, The Stanford Research Institute and the University of Wisconsin at Superior. This extensive database makes it possible to contact QSAR studies for the purpose of establishing structural relationships with toxicity in order to make predictions and possibly shed light on the mechanisms involved. One group of compounds, the phenols, are of particular interest due to their wide use and potential for environmental contamination. The purpose of this study is to relate the relative toxicity to the structure in an effort to make predictions about the toxic potentiality of other phenols.
Food and Dependency: P.L. 480 Aid to Black Africa

In a recent study of 90 developing countries by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation, 52 of them were found to have more than 15 per cent of their populations undernourished. This figure was determined using the F.A.O. minimum intake of 1,600 calories per day, only about half of that of the average diet of citizens in the ‘First World’. In Black Africa, 29 of the 33 independent nations included in the F.A.O. study fall into the category of undernourished. Contributions of aid in the form of food and food-production technology are therefore extremely important to this region. Obtaining an adequate supply of food for their people must be high on the priority list for governments in sub-Saharan Africa, and is the focus of this article.
Institution-building, not nation-building: a structural-functional model

By building on the essential tenets of Parsonian structural-functionalism, this article focuses on structure, process, and norms as critical to the development of enduring institutions. The contemp...
Design for model parameter uncertainty using nonlinear confidence regions

An accurate method presented accounts for uncertain model parameters in nonlinear process optimization problems. The model representation is considered in terms of algebraic equations. Uncertain quantity parameters are often discretized into a number of finite values that are then used in multiperiod optimization problems. These discrete values usually range between some lower and upper bound that can be derived from individual confidence intervals. Frequently, more than one uncertain parameter is estimated at a time from a single set of experiments. Thus, using simple lower and upper bounds to describe these parameters may not be accurate, since it assumes the parameters are uncorrelated. In 1999 Rooney and Biegler showed the importance of including parameter correlation in design problems by using elliptical joint confidence regions to describe the correlation among the uncertain model parameters. In chemical engineering systems, however, the parameter estimation problem is often highly nonlinear, and the elliptical confidence regions derived from these problems may not be accurate enough to capture the actual model parameter uncertainty. In this work, the description of model parameter uncertainty is improved by using confidence regions derived from the likelihood ratio test. It captures the nonlinearities efficiently and accurately in the parameter estimation problem. Several examples solved show the importance of accurately capturing the actual model parameter uncertainty at the design stage.
Temporal Aspects of Psychosocial Predictors of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Adults with Severe Obesity: Mediation by Physical Activity

Effective and reliable obesity treatments are lacking because of a poor understanding of the health behavior change process. Community-based organizations with the capacity to train existing staff members are particularly well-positioned to implement evidence-based treatment protocols to impact obesity-related behaviors such as unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity. The aim of this study was to assess temporal aspects of psychosocial predictors (self-regulation, mood, and self-efficacy) on increased fruit and vegetable intake in adults with severe obesity, while also accounting for mediation by physical activity volume. A 6-month, randomized field investigation was conducted. Severely obese adults volunteered for behavioral support of physical activity coupled with nutrition education (n = 73) or cognitive-behavioral methods for nutrition change (n = 71). Improvements in self-regulation, mood, self-efficacy, fruit and vegetable intake (FV), and physical activity (PA) were significant, with significantly greater self-regulation at month 6 for the cognitive-behavioral group. Increase in FV was predicted by changes in the above psychosocial variables over 6 months, with mood change over 3 months also a significant predictor. Change in PA mediated the above relationships, with a reciprocal effect between changes in PA and FV. Findings have implications for the large-scale behavioral treatment of obesity.
Diagnosis of borderline cartilage lesions of bone.

Abstract Cartilage lesions of bone are the most difficult ones for the pathologist to classify. The reasons for this are discussed. The borderline cartilage lesions Include osteochondroma, enchondroma, chondrosarcoma, chondroblastoma, chondromyxoid fibroma, juxtacortical chondroma and chondrosarcoma, clear cell chondrosarcoma, and the peripheral chondrosarcoma. Specific differential points are provided with illustrative material and a summary table in order to ease the pathologist's task.
Design for Crashworthiness of Vehicle Structures via Equivalent Mechanism Approximations and Crush Mode Matching

This paper presents a 3D extension to our previous work on vehicle crashworthiness design that utilizes “equivalent” mechanism models of vehicle structures as a tool for the early design exploration. An equivalent mechanism (EM) is a network of rigid links with lumped masses connected by prismatic and revolute joints with nonlinear springs, which approximate aggregated behaviors of structural members during crush. A number of finite element (FE) models of thinwalled beams with typical cross sections and wall thicknesses are analyzed to build a surrogate model that maps the beam dimensions to nonlinear spring properties. Using the surrogate model, an EM model is optimized for given design objectives by selecting the nonlinear springs among the ones realizable by thin-walled beams. The optimum EM model serves to identify a good crash mode (CM), the time history of collapse of the structural members, and to suggest the dimensions of the structural members to attain it. After the optimization, the FE model of an entire structure is “assembled” from the suggested dimensions, which is further modified to attain the good CM identified by the optimum EM model. A case study of a 3D vehicle front half body demonstrates that the proposed approach can help obtain good designs with far less computational resources than the direct optimization of a FE model.
Eclectic Research and Construct Validation

Consider the following situation: You have a fixed budget and would like to measure causal relationships in a study involving buyer behavior. How would you go about allocating the budget for this study? This paper outlines two possible research strategies - intensive research and eclectic research. Each strategy utilizes the budget in a different manner. The intensive approach involves allocating the budget to a single study, and the eclectic approach divides the budget among a series of smaller-scale studies that differ markedly from one another. Intensive research is called for when problems of reliability are of utmost concern; eclectic research is called for when problems of construct validity are paramount. Since we believe that problems of construct validity deserve more attention than they currently receive for problems in non-experimental research, we advocate stronger emphasis on eclectic research.
Robust Stability Analysis of 'Structured' Convex Combinations of Matrices with Aerospace Applications

This paper presents a practical, computationally aware ‘vertex solution’ to the problem of checking the stability of families of matrices described by convex combinations of Hurwitz stable ‘vertex’ matrices. The convex combinations resulting from the interval parameter matrix family are labeled as ‘structured’ convex combinations to distinguish them from the so called ‘unstructured’ convex combinations which are convex combinations of ‘user specified’ Hurwitz stable vertex matrices. In this paper, we first present a motivation for solving this problem using an application in aerospace flight vehicle dynamics. Then, for the first time in the literature, in this paper, explicit expressions for the convex combination coecients in terms of the interval parameters are derived. These expressions help to clarify and explain the misconceptions that currently exist in the research community about the nature of the convex combination coecients induced by the interval parameters and shed significant insight into the ‘correct’ scenario for this case. A previously presented ‘vertex algorithm’ by the author for this tough problem was derived under the misunderstood mapping of the parameter space to the matrix element space that currently exists in the literature (in the absence of the explicit expressions derived in this paper). Based on the correct mapping presented in this paper, a computationally aware vertex solution is oered which accounts for the ‘discrepancy’ in the results for some ‘ill-conditioned’ problems because the eigenvalues which are supposed to be calculated in the noncompact matrix element space are calculated using the hitherto held assumption of a compact matrix element space. This ‘discrepancy’ arises for some ill-conditioned problems because in the noncompact matrix element space, the theoretically present coupling between real eigenvalues and complex (real part) eigenvalues, is destroyed or weakened. In this paper, this ‘practical, computationally aware’ algorithm is presented in its ‘final’ form. Several examples are given which clearly demonstrate eectiveness of the new algorithm, even for ill-conditioned problems. It is concluded that with this new insight provided by the correct mapping presented in this paper, in a future paper it is possible to present a more elegant vertex algorithm that takes into account the noncompactness of the new mapping.
Perspectives in Organizations: Resource Dependence, Efficiency, and Population

Three perspectives on organizations recently have been the object of increasing interest: the resource dependence, efficiency, and population perspectives. This paper reviews the driving force, organizational concept, assumptions, and literatures of each, then identifies three points of integration across the three perspectives. The suggested meta-theoretical framework within which the perspectives can be interpreted as selection processes may provide the basis for more elaborate theory development by enhancing debate and confrontation among different theoretical perspectives.
Contractor Process Improvement for Enhancing Construction Productivity

This paper presents a regression model that relates job site productivity to process improvement initiatives (PIIs) executed both before and during construction. Applied during early project stages, this model helps industry practitioners to predict the expected value of labor productivity based on certain inputs related to preconstruction planning and construction execution. The model demonstrates the strong relationship of project performance to a variety of PIIs including design completeness, definition of a project vision statement, testing oversight, and project manager experience and dedication. The correlational research methodology targeted 75 projects representing approximately $274.53 million in civil construction. The data collection effort considered 45 PIIs (independent variables) using quantitative and qualitative measures. The modeling technique involved the use of multiple linear regression, a method that exploits available data from multiple, independent sources to focus on specific outcomes. The model was developed directly from contractor specific information and subjected to rigorous statistical analysis. The model provides project managers as front line industry practitioners with a deliberate yet practical approach to project management and productivity enhancement. The modeling results include verification analysis and a discussion of the model's usefulness and limitations.
Two-photon fluorescence cross-section measurements calibrated with hyper-Rayleigh scattering

The intensity of two-photon-excited fluorescence measured relative to the intensity of hyper-Rayleigh scattering in the same apparatus was used to determine the two-photon-excited fluorescence cross sections of the xanthene dyes Rhodamine B, Rhodamine 6G, and Fluorescein. The measured cross sections at λ0=1064 nm are σ2PF(2)=1.5±0.3×10-50 cm4 s,2.0±0.4×10-50 cm4 s, and 1.4±0.3×10-52 cm4 s, for the three dyes, respectively. The two-photon-excited fluorescence cross section of Rhodamine B was also calibrated with one-photon-excited fluorescence in this apparatus. The result, σ2PF(2)=2.3±0.7×10-50 cm4 s, is in reasonable agreement with the result calibrated by hyper-Rayleigh scattering. The results for Rhodamine B are 1.5–6 times smaller than previous results calibrated by one-photon-excited fluorescence.
COMPENSATORY HYPERTROPHY OF THE SUPRARENAL GLANDS IN THE RAT

Compensatory hypertrophy of the remaining suprarenal gland after unilateral adrenalectomy has been noted by various investigators, but the amount and character of this hypertrophy are in several respects still somewhat uncertain. An experimental study of this question was therefore undertaken.
Desensitization Procedures in Dealing with Female Sexual Dysfunction

Systematic desensitization of anxiety responses is a common element of many behavior therapies. In this chapter Busted discusses the use of desensitization in cases of female sexual dysfunction involving anxiety as a factor.
On coefficient-quantization and computational roundoff effects in lossless multirate filter banks

It is shown that FIR lossless transfer matrices in multirate analysis/synthesis systems having the perfect reconstruction property can be implemented such that the lossless property (and hence perfect reconstruction) can be retained regardless of coefficient quantization. Such a result was previously shown to be true only for two-channel filter banks. A noise gain result is presented for lossless systems which finds application in analyzing roundoff noise in multirate filter banks. >
Challenges in Mesoscale Prediction of a Nocturnal Stratocumulus-Topped Marine Boundary Layer and Implications for Operational Forecasting

Abstract A numerical study using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) was performed to assess the impact of initial and boundary conditions, the parameterization of turbulence transfer and its coupling with cloud-driven radiation, and cloud microphysical processes on the accuracy of mesoscale predictions and forecasts of the cloud-capped marine boundary layer. Aircraft, buoy, and satellite data and the large eddy simulation (LES) results during the Dynamics and Chemistry of Marine Stratocumulus field experiment (DYCOMS II) in July 2001 were used in the assessment. Three of the tested input fields (Eta, NCEP, and ECMWF) show deficiencies, mainly in the thermodynamic structure of the lowest 1500 m of the marine atmosphere. On a positive note, the simulated marine-layer depth showed good agreement with aircraft observations using the Eta fields, while using the NCEP and ECMWF datasets underestimated the marine-layer depth by about 2...
Single-stage treatment of sternal wound complications in heart transplant recipients in whom pectoralis major myocutaneous advancement flaps were used

Treatment of sternal wound complications is controversial, particularly in immunosuppressed heart transplant recipients. Regardless of the severity of infection, we combine immediate, aggressive debridement with bilateral pectoralis major myocutaneous advancement flaps in a single procedure. Compared with management with pectoralis major turnover flaps or distant pedicled muscle flaps, treatment of these sternal wounds with pectoralis major myocutaneous advancement flaps is simpler and quicker and provides better aesthetic results. Furthermore, because pectoralis major myocutaneous flaps are based on the thoracoacromial arteries, whether or not the internal mammary arteries have previously been harvested for coronary grafts is irrelevant. Twenty consecutive heart transplant recipients with sternal wound complications were treated with this technique. No intraoperative or perioperative deaths occurred. The morbidity rate was 30%, with seroma treated by needle aspiration in four patients (20%) being the most common complication. Only one patient had a postoperative wound infection. All patients had excellent functional and aesthetic results.
Independence, Measurement Complexity, and Classification Performance

If f(x) and g(x) are the densities for the N-dimensional measurement vector x, conditioned on the classes c1 and c2, and if finite sets of samples from the two classes are available, then a decision function based on estimates f(x) and ?(x) can be used to classify future observations. In general, however, when the measurement complexity (the dimensionality N) is increased arbitrarily and the sets of training samples remain finite, a ``peaking phenomenon'' of the following kind is observed: classification accuracy improves at first, peaks at a finite value of N, called the optimum measurement complexity, and starts deteriorating thereafter. We derive, for the case of statistically independent measurements, general conditions under which it can be guaranteed that the peaking phenomenon will not occur, and the correct classification probability will keep increasing to value unity as N ? ?. Several applications are considered which together indicate, contrary to general belief, that independence of measurements alone does not guarantee the absence of the peaking phenomenon.
A 160 MHz analog equalizer for magnetic disk read channels

This paper presents a 160-MHz five-tap adaptive analog equalizer for magnetic recording disk drive read channels. The design is based on a direct form finite impulse response (FIR) architecture which includes four key features: signal shuffling in the analog domain to improve noise performance, use of a master sample-and-hold stage to improve the dynamic performance and clock jitter of the clock recovery loop, use of an additional sample-and-hold stage to accommodate settling time requirements and reduce power, and use of a time interleaved sign-sign LMS algorithm which permits coefficient adaptation at low power and area. This equalizer occupies 1.36 mm/sup 2/ and consumes only 240 mW with 5-V supply voltage. It is fabricated in BiCMOS technology with 0.8-/spl mu/m CMOS and 0.72-/spl mu/m/sup 2/ NPN, 3LM, and DP capacitor.
Mechanical stability of collagen fibril networks

Thin films of type 1 collagen fibril networks fabricated on alkanethiol-functionalized surfaces have been previously shown to provide an excellent protein matrix for cultured cells in applications such as drug toxicity studies and studies of cell signaling pathways. Cell phenotypic parameters, including cell morphology and rate of proliferation, can depend on the processing conditions used for fabrication of the protein films. The mechanical characteristics of the collagen fibril network appear to be particularly important, and as such, understanding the mechanical properties of individual fibrils, as well as their interactions with each other and the underlying substrate is critical for assuring a predictable response from cells. In this study, scanning probe microscopy and instrumented indentation are used in conjunction with small force metrology to examine the mechanical properties of these collagen fibrils and fibril networks.
GCF extraction from multivariable polynomials using indirect Padé approximation

The greatest common factor (GCF) is extracted from multi-variable polynomials using an `indirect´ method for computing generalised Pade-type approximations of multivariable rational functions. The algorithm is computationally easy and conceptually very simple. An example is given to illustrate the method.
Modification of Brain Ischemia Due to Embolic Stroke by Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator With and Without Heparin in a Rabbit Model

This communication presents the results of an assessment of the ability of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), with and without heparinization, to modify the volume of ischemic brain tissue resulting from the introduction into the anterior cerebral circulation of the rabbit model of an embolus of standard size composed of white thrombus [5].
Roman Jakobson and the birth of linguistic structuralism

The term “structuralism” was introduced into linguistics by Roman Jakobson in the early days of the Linguistic Circle of Prague, founded in 1926. The cluster of ideas defended by Jakobson and his colleagues can be specified but differ considerably from the concept of structuralism as it has come to be understood more recently. That took place because from the 1930s on it became customary to equate structuralism with the ideas of Ferdinand de Saussure, as expounded in his posthumous Cours de linguistique generale (1916). It can be shown, however, that Jakobson’s group rejected Saussure’s theory for ideological reasons. As the term “structuralism” became more widely used it came to be associated with positivist approaches to linguistics rather than with the original phenomenological orientation that had characterized the Linguistic Circle of Prague. The purpose of this paper is to clarify these different approaches and to suggest that because of its extreme porosity the word “structuralism” is an example of a “terminological pandemic”. More research on the varied uses to which the key terms “structure” and “structuralism” were put will undoubtedly further elucidate this important episode in 20th-century intellectual history.
Targeting constitutively active androgen receptor splice variants in castration resistant prostate cancer.

In the castration-resistant state, androgen receptor (AR)-signaling remains a critical driver of prostate cancer cell growth. This realization led to the development of the next-generation AR-direc...
Predictors of activity level and retention among African American lay health advisors (LHAs) from The National Witness Project: Implications for the implementation and sustainability of community-based LHA programs from a longitudinal study

Lay health advisor (LHA) programs are increasingly being implemented in the USA and globally in the context of health promotion and disease prevention. LHAs are effective in addressing health disparities when used to reach medically underserved populations, with strong evidence among African American and Hispanic women. Despite their success and the evidence supporting implementation of LHA programs in community settings, there are tremendous barriers to sustaining LHA programs and little is understood about their implementation and sustainability in “real-world” settings. The purpose of this study was to (1) propose a conceptual framework to investigate factors at individual, social, and organizational levels that impact LHA activity and retention; and (2) use prospective data to investigate the individual, social, and organizational factors that predict activity level and retention among a community-based sample of African American LHAs participating in an effective, evidence-based LHA program (National Witness Project; NWP). Seventy-six LHAs were recruited from eight NWP sites across the USA. Baseline predictor data was collected from LHAs during a telephone questionnaire administered between 2010 and 2011. Outcome data on LHA participation and program activity levels were collected in the fall of 2012 from NWP program directors. Chi-square and ANOVA tests were used to identify differences between retained and completely inactive LHAs, and LHAs with high/moderate vs. low/no activity levels. Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to identify variables that predicted LHA retention and activity levels. In multivariable models, LHAs based at sites with academic partnerships had increased odds of retention and high/moderate activity levels, even after adjusting for baseline LHA activity level. Higher religiosity among LHAs was associated with decreased odds of being highly/moderately active. LHA role clarity and self-efficacy were associated with retention and high/moderate activity in multivariable models unadjusted for baseline LHA activity level. Organizational and role-related factors are critical in influencing the retention and activity levels of LHAs. Developing and fostering partnerships with academic institutions will be important strategies to promote successful implementation and sustainability of LHA programs. Clarifying role expectations and building self-efficacy during LHA recruitment and training should be further explored to promote LHA retention and participation.
The Effect of Curanderismo on Chronic Non-malignant Pain: A Case Report

This case study describes the effects of the use of curanderismo, an indigenous healing modality combining techniques in massage, sound, and aromatherapy, on a patient with chronic pain. Despite being a commonly used health practice in certain populations, little is reported in the medical literature about the use of curanderismo. Case report as part of a larger randomized trial of curanderismo for chronic pain. Setting was a community-based hospital affiliated primary care clinic. An adult patient with chronic, opioid dependent back pain following an injury, and subsequent spinal fusion was treated. Intervention was the patient received 33 curanderismo treatment sessions over 10 months in addition to ongoing conventional treatment at a community-based chronic pain management clinic. Main outcomes measures were self-reported assessments of pain, functional ability, mood, insomnia, and narcotic usage. Secondary outcome measure was qualitative interview. Although there was no change in quantitative self-reported pain measures, the patient reported improved function, mood, and sleep as well as decreased narcotic usage. Curanderismo, in addition to conventional pain management, improved patient reported symptoms and functional ability, led to healthy lifestyle changes, and decreased narcotic usage. Controlled studies are needed to confirm the benefit of curanderismo as safe, non-interventional, and cost-effective adjunct for chronic pain management.
Overexpression and relationships of HER-2/neu, epidermal growth factor receptor, p53, Ki-67, and tumor necrosis factor alpha in epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency and possible relationships of overexpression of oncogenes, cytokines, and cellular proliferation proteins in ovarian cancer. METHODS Sixty-four epithelial ovarian cancer specimens were obtained from the GOG tumor bank. Using immunocytochemistry, tumors were stained for overexpression of HER-2/neu, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p53, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and Ki-67 (a marker of cellular proliferation). RESULTS Twenty-one tumors were Stage I/II and 43 were Stage III/IV. HER-2/neu was overexpressed in 7 cases (11%), EGFR in 12 cases (19%), and p53 in 32 cases (50%). Ki-67 was expressed in all but one case, and high indices (expression in over 50% of cells) were seen in 18 cases (28%). TNF alpha was expressed in all but one case. Comparison between Stage I/II and Stage III/IV cases revealed no difference in the expression of these oncoproteins. Comparison by histologic grade also revealed no difference in the expression of the oncoproteins, except for EGFR, which was overexpressed only in Grade 3 tumors (p = 0.01). Comparison between tumors that did or did not overexpress p53 revealed insignificant differences in the expression of HER-2/neu, EGFR and TNF alpha. In addition there were no differences with respect to stage, grade, or histology when tumors where analyzed with respect to p53 overexpression. There was a trend towards an association between p53 overexpression and high levels of Ki-67 (p = 0.10). Comparison of tumors with high Ki-67 indices to those with lower indices also revealed no association with the expression of HER-2/neu, or EGFR, and there were no differences in stage or grade distribution. CONCLUSION Ki-67 and p53 were frequently overexpressed in this representative sample of ovarian cancers from the GOG tumor bank; however, their expression was not associated with stage, grade, histology, or overexpression of other oncoproteins. Lack of a recognizable pattern of oncogene overexpression emphasizes the underlying biologic complexity of ovarian cancer.
A nanobiosensor for dynamic single cell analysis during microvascular self-organization

The formation of microvascular networks plays essential roles in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Nevertheless, the self-organization mechanisms underlying the dynamic morphogenic process are poorly understood due to a paucity of effective tools for mapping the spatiotemporal dynamics of single cell behaviors. By establishing a single cell nanobiosensor along with live cell imaging, we perform dynamic single cell analysis of the morphology, displacement, and gene expression during microvascular self-organization. Dynamic single cell analysis reveals that endothelial cells self-organize into subpopulations with specialized phenotypes to form microvascular networks and identifies the involvement of Notch1-Dll4 signaling in regulating the cell subpopulations. The cell phenotype correlates with the initial Dll4 mRNA expression level and each subpopulation displays a unique dynamic Dll4 mRNA expression profile. Pharmacological perturbations and RNA interference of Notch1-Dll4 signaling modulate the cell subpopulations and modify the morphology of the microvascular network. Taken together, a nanobiosensor enables a dynamic single cell analysis approach underscoring the importance of Notch1-Dll4 signaling in microvascular self-organization.
Optimistic and realistic perspectives on cognitive biases

Numerous papers have tried to explain cognitive biases, such as optimism and overconfidence, from an evolutionary perspective. The attempts have met with mixed success. I identify why some approaches are more successful than others in explaining sub-optimal behaviours. I conclude that some evolutionary explanations of cognitive biases can be successful; the relevant explanation will depend on the particular bias being studied. In particular, I highlight the need to incorporate internal costs when considering the evolution of mental mechanisms, and how this can provide adaptive explanations of sub-optimal behaviours.
V-band planar single-layer circularly-polarized Fabry-Pérot cavity antennas

Three novel designs of single-layer circularly-polarized Fabry-Perot Cavity antennas are proposed. The performance of each design is studied using fullwave simulations.
The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society, 1870–1940

An innovative examination of American society, culture, and politics, The Age of Charisma argues that the modern relationship between American leaders and followers grew out of a unique group of charismatic social movements prominent in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Drawing on hundreds of letters and testimonials, Jeremy C. Young illustrates how 'personal magnetism' in public speaking shaped society by enabling a shift from emotionally-inaccessible leadership to emotionally-available leadership. This charismatic speaking style caused a rapid transformation in the leader-follower relationship, creating an emotional link between speakers and listeners, and the effects of this social transformation remain with us today. Young argues that, ultimately, charismatic movements enhanced American democracy by encouraging the personalization of leadership - creating a culture in which today's leaders appeal directly to Americans through mass media.