cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validity of Interval and Time Sampling Methods for Measuring Student Engaged Time in Physical Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether interval and time sampling methods of measuring student engaged time are valid for estimating the actual time students spend engaged in relevant motor performance in physical education classes. Two versions of the interval Academic Learning Time in Physical Education (ALT-PE) instrument and an equivalent time sampling method were compared with actual time students spent in motor performance. Thirty-six students enrolled in six different university physical education classes were the subjects. The actual student engaged time and engaged time as estimated by the time sampling instrument were significantly lower than the time as estimated with the two ALT-PE instruments. In addition, a class type by coding instrument interaction occurred indicating that the difference was present for all classes except where activity is continuous. This result suggests that the popularity of the ALT-PE instruments should be reexamined.
The benefit of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery before planned abdominal exploration in patients with suspected advanced ovarian cancer and moderate to large pleural effusions.

Abstract Objective . To analyze the findings and impact on the management of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) before planned abdominal exploration in patients with suspected advanced ovarian cancer and moderate to large pleural effusions. Methods . We reviewed the charts of all patients with suspected advanced ovarian cancer and moderate to large pleural effusions who underwent VATS from 10/01 to 7/03. VATS was performed under double lumen endotracheal anesthesia. A 2-cm chest wall incision was made in the fifth intercostal space on the side of the effusion. The thoracoscope was introduced and biopsies of suspicious lesions were performed through the single incision. After VATS, all patients had a chest tube placed through the incision, and those with malignant effusions underwent talc pleurodesis either intraoperatively or postoperatively. Results . Twelve patients underwent VATS during the study period. Median operative time for VATS was 31 min (range: 20–49 min) with no complications attributable to the procedure. The median amount of pleural fluid drained was 1000 ml (range: 500–2000 ml). Solid, pleural-based tumor was found in six cases (50%), with nodules >1 cm noted in four patients (33%) and nodules Conclusion . Fifty percent of patients with suspected advanced ovarian cancer and moderate to large pleural effusions who underwent VATS had solid pleural-based tumor identified, and in 33% of cases the tumor nodules were >1 cm in diameter. VATS should be considered in these cases to delineate the extent of disease, treat the effusion, and to potentially select patients for either intrathoracic cytoreduction or a neoadjuvant chemotherapy approach.
Auditory, somatic and visual input to association and motor cortex of the squirrel monkey.

Evoked responses to photic, autitory and somatic stimuli were recorded from the cerebral cortex of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) rendered unconscious by partial or complete transection of the brain stem. Stimulation of each sensory modality elicited responses in the classical primary sensory area of the modality stimulated, and in other areas outside primary cortex. Photic stimuli elicited consistent responses in parietal cortex as well as striate and prestriate areas. Less frequently, photically evoked responses were detected in motor and prefrontal areas. Nonprimary click-evoked responses were prominent in motor cortex, and were seen less consistently in parietal and prefrontal areas. Bilateral nonprimary responses to somatic stimulation appeared in motor and prefrontal areas and less frequently in parietal nonprimary cortex. Parts of parietal, motor and prefrontal areas were responsive to stimulation of all three modalities, and are thus polysensory. Demonstration of sensory input to association and motor areas, considered “silent” when examined under barbiturate anesthesia, provides a means of studying their afferent organization electrophysiologically.
Spectroscopic observations of cool degenerate star candidates

Spectroscopic observations are reported for 23 Luyten Half-Second degenerate star candidates and for 13 Luyten-Palomar common proper-motion pairs containing possible degenerate star components. Twenty-five degenerate stars are identified, 20 of which lack previous spectroscopy. Most of these stars are cool - Luyten color class g or later. One star, LP 77-57, shows broad continuum depressions similar to those in LHS 1126, which Liebert and Dahn attributed to pressure-shifted C2. A second degenerate star, LHS 290, exhibits apparent strong Swan bands which are blueshifted about 75 A. Further observations, including polarimetry and photometry, are required to appraise the spectroscopic peculiarities of these stars. Finally, five cool, sharp-lined DA white dwarfs have been observed to detect lines of metals and to determine line strengths. None of these DAs show signs of Mg b or the G band, and four show no evidence of Ca II K. The attempt to detect Ca MI in the fifth star, G199-71, was inconclusive.
Sex differences in the activity of signalling pathways and expression of G-protein-coupled receptor kinases in the neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion model of schizophrenia.

Animals with the neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion (NVHL) demonstrate altered responsiveness to stress and various drugs reminiscent of that in schizophrenia. Post-pubertal onset of abnormalities suggests the possibility of sex differences in NVHL effects that may model sex differences in schizophrenia. Here we demonstrate that novelty- and MK-801-induced hyperactivity is evident in both male and female NVHL rats, whereas only NVHL males were hyperactive in response to apomorphine. Next, we examined the sex- and NVHL-dependent differences in the activity of the ERK and Akt pathways. The basal activity of both pathways was higher in females than in males. NVHL reduces the level of phosphorylation of ERK1/2, Akt, and GSK-3 in both sexes, although males show more consistent downregulation. Females had higher levels of G-protein-coupled kinases [G-protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK)] 3 and 5, whereas the concentrations of other GRKs and arrestins were the same. In the nucleus accumbens, the concentration of GRK5 in females was elevated by NVHL to the male level. The data demonstrate profound sex differences in the expression and activity of signalling molecules that may underlie differential susceptibility to schizophrenia.
Productivity, Profitability, and Firm Value

This study examines the role of productivity in the prediction of future profitability and firm valuation. The results indicate that productivity does not provide much information about future profitability incremental to that provided by current profit rate, but explains cross-sectional differences in market value incremental to that explained by book value and current profit rate.
Light therapy as treatment of dyschronosis in brain impaired children

Fourteen children aged 9 months-4 years with moderate to severe mental retardation and varying neurologic lesions were referred for severe and continuous nocturnal sleep disturbances and very abnormal day/night schedules. All children had previously been given hypnotic medications and behavioral treatments which had little or no effect on nocturnal sleep. The severity of the sleep disturbances significantly affected family life and was a major handicap to the children. All children were treated with light therapy (minimum 4000 lux). Five children responded to treatment and had normal sleep-wake cycles at the most recent post-treatment evaluation (2–5 years after the first treatment). Two of the patients' families were unable to follow the prescribed regimen. Treatment failed in 7 children. One of these seven children spontaneously improved 3 years later. In three of the failure children the neurologic problem progressively worsened, leading to death in one of them. Phototherapy is a treatment worth pursuing in children with very significant sleep/wake disruption which is unresponsive to behavioral or other treatments. It has few side-effects and may lead to normalization of the sleep-wake cycle. Recent improvement in the technology used to monitor the 24-h temperature rhythm over several days and the present commercial availability of “light boxes” should render these therapeutic trials easier than at the time of these initial investigations.
Mechanisms of earthquakes and plate motions in the east Pacific

Abstract Mechanisms of earthquakes occurring on plate boundaries have been used to determine the relative motions of lithospheric plates in the east Pacific. By using both P-wave first motions and the radiation pattern of Rayleigh waves in the focal mechanisms determinations, the uncertainty in strike is held to about ± 10°. On the Chile fracture zone and the fracture zone at 4°S on the East Pacific Rise, the direction of motion is not parallel to the trend of epicenters. This supports the hypothesis that these fracture zones are composed of series of en-echelon transform faults. Two regions were found on the East Pacific Rise, in which the slip directions probably are due to local tectonic activity, rather than motion between the Pacific and Nazca plates.
Effects of permitted effluent limits on environmental compliance levels

Abstract This paper empirically analyzes the effects of permitted effluent limits on compliance levels – discharges relative to limits – at individual polluting facilities. In particular, it constructs and employs effluent limit-related regressors that measure the differences between the actual effluent limit level imposed on a particular facility for a given month and three benchmarks: federally-mandated standard for effluent limit level, a particular facility's average effluent limit level over a specified period (e.g., entire sample period), and preceding monthly limit at a particular facility (i.e., transition to new limit). By examining the effects of effluent limit levels as measured relative to these three benchmarks, this paper explores whether limit stringency affects compliance level choices (e.g., more stringent limits undermine compliance), whether adjustments to treatment are non-smooth (“lumpy”), and whether quick adjustments are difficult. Evidence of these possibilities would have meaningful implications for environmental protection policies.
The structure of CO2 hydrate between 0.7 and 1.0 GPa

A deuterated sample of CO2 structure I (sI) clathrate hydrate (CO2·8.3 D2O) has been formed and neutron diffraction experiments up to 1.0 GPa at 240 K were performed. The sI CO2 hydrate transformed at 0.7 GPa into the high pressure phase that had been observed previously by Hirai et al. [J. Phys. Chem. 133, 124511 (2010)] and Bollengier et al. [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 119, 322 (2013)], but which had not been structurally identified. The current neutron diffraction data were successfully fitted to a filled ice structure with CO2 molecules filling the water channels. This CO2+water system has also been investigated using classical molecular dynamics and density functional ab initio methods to provide additional characterization of the high pressure structure. Both models indicate the water network adapts a MH-III “like” filled ice structure with considerable disorder of the orientations of the CO2 molecule. Furthermore, the disorder appears to be a direct result of the level of proton disorder in the water...
HIGH-POWER SWITCHING USING III-NITRIDE METAL-OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR HETEROSTRUCTURES

III-Nitride Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Heterojunction (MOSH) structure consists of a thin dielectric layer deposited on top of a semiconductor heterostructure with a 2D electron gas at the heterojunction interface. MOSH structures are the key components for high-power low-loss, fast RF switches. The paper discusses two types of high-power switches using III-Nitride MOSH structures. The first type uses the MOSH structure as the gate region of an AlGaN/GaN HFET. The second type uses MOSH structure as a switching capacitor. In the 2GHz - 10 GHz frequency range, switching powers from 20 to 60 W/mm have been achieved with the insertion loss below 1 dB.
Activation of the nuclear receptor FXR induces fibrinogen expression: a new role for bile acid signaling

Three genes, fibrinogen-α (FBGα), -β, and -γ, encode proteins that make up the mature FBG protein complex. This complex is secreted from the liver and plays a key role in coagulation in response to vascular disruption. We identified all three FBG genes in a screen designed to isolate genes that are regulated by the farnesoid X receptor (FXR; NR1H4). Treatment of human hepatoma cells with either naturally occurring or synthetic [3-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-4-(3′-carboxy-2-chloro-stilben-4-yl)-oxymethyl-5-isopropyl-isoxazole] FXR ligands resulted in the induction of transcripts for all three genes. The induction of FBGβ mRNA in response to activated FXR appears to be a primary transcriptional response, as it is blocked by actinomycin D but not by cycloheximide. Four FXR isoforms were recently identified that differ either at their N termini and/or by the presence of four amino acids in the hinge region. Interestingly, the activities of the human FBGβ promoter-reporter constructs were highly induced by FXR isoforms that lack the four amino acid insert. The observation that all three FBG subunits are induced by specific FXR isoforms, in response to FXR ligands, suggests that bile acids and FXR modulate fibrinolytic activity.
Risk factors for cervical spine injury among patients with traumatic brain injury.

Background: Diagnosis of cervical spine injury (CSI) is difficult in patients with an altered level of consciousness as a result of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Patients with TBI and older adults are at increased risk for CSI. This study examined the various risk factors for CSI among trauma patients with TBI and whether adults who were older (≥55 years) were at higher risk for CSI when they sustained a fall-related TBI. Materials and Methods: Data used was the 2007 National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB), National Sample Project (NSP) for adults who sustained a TBI. This dataset contains 2007 admission records from 82 level I and II trauma centers. Logistic regression was used to identify potential risk factors for CSI and to test for interaction between age and injury mechanism. Additional model variables included gender, race, Glasgow Coma Score, multiple severe injuries, hypotension and respiratory distress. Results: An analysis of the NTDB NSP identified 187,709 adults with TBI, of which 16,078 were diagnosed with a concomitant CSI. In motor vehicle traffic injuries, the older age group had significantly higher odds of CSI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.26 [1.15-1.39]). In fall-related injuries the older age group did not have a higher odds of CSI compared to the younger age group. Skull/face fracture, other spine fracture/dislocation, upper limb injury, thorax injury, and hypotension were significantly associated with CSI. Pelvic injuries had an inverse association with CSI (OR = 0.60 [0.54-0.67]). Black had significantly higher odds of CSI compared to Whites (OR = 1.25 [1.07-1.46]). Conclusion: The identification of associated injuries and factors may assist physicians in evaluating CSI in patients with TBI.
Pension funds and urban investment: four models of financial intermediation

It has been often suggested that public and private pension funds should be, and could be, mobilised to invest in urban infrastructure, housing, and community development. In fact, given the apparent decline in government funding of such areas of concern, it has been suggested that pension funds may be the only 'new' sources of finance in the near future. In this paper, I assess the current state of play in the pension fund investment management industry, noting the conservatism of many fund trustees with respect to alternative investment products (AIPs) as well as noting that standard models of asset allocation hardly ever allocate significant resources to such products. It is argued that the rate of adoption and the level of funding of AIPs depend upon solutions to two basic interrelated problems associated with AIPs: the high costs of imperfect information and the lack of adequate measures of product providers' veracity. A set of four institutional solutions to these problems are reviewed, with a focus put upon the design and implementation of AIPs in relation to conventional financial markets. This leads to a consideration of the proper role of government policy with respect to AIPs and the long-term potential of AIPs with respect to product innovation in financial markets in general.
Influence of Joint Angle on EMG-Torque Model During Constant-Posture, Torque-Varying Contractions

Relating the electromyogram (EMG) to joint torque is useful in various application areas, including prosthesis control, ergonomics and clinical biomechanics. Limited study has related EMG to torque across varied joint angles, particularly when subjects performed force-varying contractions or when optimized modeling methods were utilized. We related the biceps-triceps surface EMG of 22 subjects to elbow torque at six joint angles (spanning 60 $^{\circ}$ to 135 $^{\circ}$ ) during constant-posture, torque-varying contractions. Three nonlinear EMG $\sigma$ -torque models, advanced EMG amplitude (EMG $\sigma$ ) estimation processors (i.e., whitened, multiple-channel) and the duration of data used to train models were investigated. When EMG-torque models were formed separately for each of the six distinct joint angles, a minimum “gold standard” error of $4.01\pm 1.2\%~$ MVC $_{\rm F90}$ resulted (i.e., error relative to maximum voluntary contraction at 90 $^{\circ}$ flexion). This model structure, however, did not directly facilitate interpolation across angles. The best model which did so achieved a statistically equivalent error of $4.06\pm 1.2\%~$ MVC $_{\rm F90}$ . Results demonstrated that advanced EMG $ \sigma$ processors lead to improved joint torque estimation as do longer model training durations.
An introduction to gyro optical pickoffs

An optical pickoff provides a uniquely satisfactory solution to the problem of sensing the attitude of aerostatic, electrostatic, and cryomagnetic field-suspended spherical-rotor gyros that are invariably operated in the space-fixed mode. The servos in gimbaled gyros are controlled by the optical pickoff to maintain the pickoff aligned with the rotor, usually parallel to the rotor spin axis. Autocollimation permits true angle sensing uninfluenced by rotor translation, but an autocollimating pickoff requires a flat mirror on the rotor and normal to its spin axis. Alternatively, in cases where the rotor surface must be perfectly spherical, an autoreflector viewing a variable reflectivity pattern at a pole is used to sense polar translation, which is proportional to the angular misalignment of a center-fixed rotor. Field-suspended, strap-down gyros, that invariably employ spherical rotors, utilize an orthogonal set of autoreflecting pickoffs to sense the transit of a rotor surface pattern and a computer to determine the orientation of the spin axis from the pickoff signals. Autocollimator accuracy is shown to fall in the y^ to 1 arc-sec region, whereas axial autoreflector accuracy is about 1 //in.; the strap-down readout system is capable of measuring with 10 to 100 arc-sec accuracy. Autocollimator and axial autoreflector accuracies are limited principally by the pickoffs themselves, whereas strap-down readout accuracy is restricted by the precision with which the sensing pattern can be applied to the rotor.
Experiments of thermomechanical fatigue of SMAs

As SMA wires are gaining in popularity for use as actuators, one constitutive parameter that remain unknown is the thermomechanical fatigue life. Even though the effect of thermal cycles on the transformation characteristics of SMAs has been studied, these teste have not been extended to high number of cycles. In this study, a novel test frame developed to study the thermomechanical fatigue life of SMAs is described. Additionally, a testing protocol is discussed necessary to fully establish the fatigue characteristics of SMAs under various conditions. Initial results of the initial test show a substantial increase in the number of cycles to failure as the applied stress level reduces to approximately 100 MPa.
Fluid models: an empirical validation of a duality model of tcp and queue management algorithms

In this paper we validate through simulations a duality model of TCP and active queue management (AQM) proposed earlier. In this model, TCP and AQM are modeled as carrying out a distributed primal-dual algorithm over the Internet to maximize aggregate source utility. TCP congestion avoidance algorithms, such as Reno and Vegas, iterate on source rates, the primal variable. AQM algorithms, such as RED and REM, iterate on marking probability, the dual variable.
Response of superconducting weak links to photons

Abstract A theoretical study of radiation detectors using superconducting weak links has been undertaken, with the Mercereau ring interferometer as a specific example. A single photon should depress the critical current fractionally by 2 πα ≈4.6%. These detectors should possess sizeable post-detection gains, so that individual photons should be countable.
Promoting Positive Mother–Infant Relationships: A Randomized Trial of Community Doula Support For Young Mothers

Doulas, whose traditional role is to support women during labor and delivery, are being increasingly utilized within community-based programs where a primary goal is supporting mother-infant relationships. The present study investigated the effect of doula services on parenting among young, low-income mothers. A total of 248 pregnant women were randomly assigned to receive either doula services or routine medical and social services. The doulas provided prenatal home visitation, support during labor and delivery, and 3 months of postpartum home visitation. Parenting was assessed through video recordings of mother-infant interaction at 4, 12, and 24 months of child age and maternal report of parenting attitudes and stress. Intent-to-treat analyses showed that mothers who had received doula services endorsed more child-centered parenting values, showed more positive engagement with their infants, and were more likely to respond to infant distress at 4 months. Their infants were less likely to show visible upset during observed interactions. Most effects of the program on parent and child behavior faded over time. Community doula intervention is a promising practice for supporting parenting and parent-infant interaction. Integration of doulas into longer term home-visiting models might sustain the early impact of doula services and enhance parenting services offered by traditional home-visiting programs. Abstracts translated in Spanish, French, German, and Japanese can be found on the abstract page of each article on Wiley Online Library at http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imhj.
Botulinum Toxin Type B (Myobloc)

Myobloc, known as Neurobloc in Europe, is a member of the botulinum toxin family. It has been used for a myriad of problems since its approval in the United States in December 2000. It is currently not approved for cosmetic use but has been used for this purpose. This article reviews what is currently known about botulinum toxin type B and its efficacy and safety.
Evaluating Pretest Effects in Pre–Post Studies:

This article presents a method to evaluate pretest effects on posttest scores in the absence of an un-pretested control group using published results of pretesting effects due to Willson and Putnam. Confidence intervals around the expected theoretical gain due to pretesting are computed, and observed gains or differential gains are compared with the original reported results. Examples from the American Educational Research Journal and the Journal of Educational Psychology are presented that illustrate both support for the original interpretation and evidence for reinterpretation of the results as statistically significant or nonsignificant opposite to the original conclusion. Implications for using the results of meta-analyses in substantive research are discussed.
Virtual Clusters for Grid Communities

A challenging issue facing Grid communities is that while Grids can provide access to many heterogeneous resources, the resources to which access is provided often do not match the needs of a specific application or service. In an environment in which both resource availability and software requirements evolve rapidly, this disconnect can lead to resource underutilization, user frustration, and much wasted effort spent on bridging the gap between applications and resources. We show here how these issues can be overcome by allowing authorized Grid clients to negotiate the creation of virtual clusters made up of virtual machines configured to suit client requirements for software environment and hardware allocation. We introduce descriptions and methods that allow us to deploy flexibly configured virtual cluster workspaces. We describe their configuration, implementation, and evaluate them in the context of a virtual cluster representing the environment in production use by the Open Science Grid. Our performance evaluation results show that virtual clusters representing current Grid production environments can be deployed and managed efficiently, and thus can provide an acceptable platform for Grid applications.
The application of general circulation models to the atmospheres of terrestrial-type moons of the giant planets

General Circulation models are for the first time applied to the upper atmospheres of Saturn's moon Titan and Neptune's moon Triton. Calculations reveal that solar driven day-night temperature differences are during solar maximum (minimum) around 20 (10) K on Titan and 1.5 (0.6) K on Triton, with day to night horizontal winds of up to 60 (30) m/sec on Titan and 3 (1) m/sec on Triton. Analysis of the heating terms reveals that solar heating is balanced primarily by vertical conduction on both moons and in addition by HCN rotational line cooling on Titan. Adiabatic processes are shown to be important in reducing the day-night temperature differences. The thermospheres of both moons extend into space by around 30% of the moons' radii, enhancing not only the vertical winds and adiabatic processes, but also high latitude nightside solar heating. This is particularly significant on Titan and implies that nighttime temperatures poleward of 60° differ little from the dayside values, with important implications on the global dynamics. Analysis of acceleration terms shows that dynamics driven by solar heating are characterized by the balance between pressure gradients and viscous drag. On Titan, curvature forces and horizontal advection play an important role as well. Geostrophic balance does not apply on either of the moons. Effects of energetic coupling to the magnetospheres of Saturn and Neptune and coupling to lower atmospheric waves and winds are predicted to be potentially important in altering temperatures and dynamics.
Fresnel volume georadar attenuation‐difference tomography

SUMMARY Georadar attenuation-difference tomography is a useful tool for imaging temporal and spatial changes in bulk electrical conductivity due to fluid flow and other subsurface processes. The most common method of attenuation-difference tomography employs the ray approximation where waves are assumed to propagate at infinite frequency. Ray approximation causes significant model error that generates artefacts and loss of resolution in tomographic images. In this paper we propose an efficient method of computing Fresnel volume sensitivities using scattering theory. These sensitivities account for finite frequency propagation and represent the physics of electromagnetic propagation more accurately than ray theory. As expected, Fresnel volume sensitivities provide better data prediction than ray-based sensitivities. We use singular value decomposition analysis to show how and why this physical improvement allows Fresnel volume inversions to recover localized targets and resolve bulk conductivity changes better than ray-based inversions. The model basis functions and singular values corresponding to the scattering theory sensitivity kernel are similar to the exact full-waveform basis functions and singular values. The similarity of the basis functions and singular values suggests that the scattering theory inverse estimates are close to the full-waveform estimates, but they are obtained with a significant decrease in computational effort.
Teaching Business Ethics: A Quandary for Accounting Educators

The authors discuss the pressures that accounting educators face in meeting expectations to include ethics in the accounting curriculum. Most schools still do not require discrete ethics courses for accounting students; ethics coverage is on a course-by-course basis. However, not all professors are equally comfortable or knowledgeable of models of ethics. To aid professors in that position, the authors present illustrative material that can serve as a starting point for discussion of professional ethics. They summarize 17 years of board actions taken by the Ohio State Board of Accountancy in the context of Kohlberg's theory of development of moral reasoning.
Aliasing in multiple-valued test data compaction

The possibility of using multivalued instead of binary linear multiple input shift registers (MISRs) for output compaction of multiple-valued logic circuits is discussed. The use of multivalued MISRs avoids the need for decoding the signals. A framework for examining aliasing in multiple-valued circular MISRs is presented. The exact aliasing probability is obtained for ternary and quaternary MISRs under an independent error model for an arbitrary test length. It is shown that multivalued MISRs perform better than their binary counterparts. >
Preincubation of cumulus-oocyte complexes before exposure to gonadotropins improves the developmental competence of porcine embryos matured and fertilized in vitro.

Abstract The objectives of the present study were to examine whether delayed exposure of porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) to gonadotropins affects the diameter of oocytes, the nuclear morphology of the germinal vesicle, the rate of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), and the embryonic developmental rate of inseminated oocytes following maturation and fertilization in vitro (IVM/IVF). After preincubation (experimental) or no preincubation (control) in BSA-free NCSU23 medium containing 1096 porcine follicular fluid for 12 h, COCs were cultured for maturation in the same medium supplemented with gonadotropins for 20 h and then without those gonadotropins for 20 h. During the preincubation period, the nuclear morphology of the germinal vesicles became more homogeneous. Incidence of GVBD after 20 h of maturation culture was not different between the control and experimental group. When cultured in NCSU23 medium for 7 d following IVF, the incidence of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage (23.1 ± 3.1%) was higher in the experimental group than in the control group (8.7 ± 1.2%). Blastocysts in the experimental group had a larger number of cells than control blastocysts. Following embryo transfer into the oviduct of recipient gilts, IVM/IVF embryos had elongated by Day 12 of gestation. These results indicate that preincubation of porcine COCs, before exposure to gonadotropins to induce the resumption of meiosis, increases the rate of development of IVM/IVF embryos to the blastocyst stage.
Fuzzy membership optimization via the extended Kalman filter

The generation of membership functions for fuzzy systems is a challenging problem. In this paper, we present a new scheme for optimizing Mamdani fuzzy controllers. We optimize the membership functions with an extended Kalman filter. We describe the algorithm and compare it with gradient descent optimization of fuzzy membership functions. The methods discussed in this paper are illustrated on a simple automotive cruise control problem. We demonstrate that the Kalman filter can be an effective tool for improving the performance of a fuzzy controller.
Oscillations in power systems via Hopf bifurcation

The classical swing equation model of a synchronous generator is augmented to include the effects of variable damping, nonlinear frequency dependence of the input torque, and lossy transmission lines. In each case oscillations are shown to occur for certain parameter values. These oscillations are due to a Hopf bifurcation.
Associative/Dissociative Cognitive Strategies in Sustained Physical Activity: Literature Review and Proposal for a Mindfulness-Based Conceptual Model

We reviewed and summarize the extant literature on associative/dissociative cognitive strategies used by athletes and others in circumstances necessitating periods of sustained attention. This review covers studies published since a prior publication by Masters and Ogles (1998), and, in keeping with their approach, offers a methodological critique of the literature. We conclude that the distinction between associative and dissociative strategies has outlived its usefulness since initially proposed in an earlier era of ground-breaking research by Morgan and Pollock (1977) that was influenced to some extent by psychodynamic thinking. In recent years there has been an evolutionary shift in concepts of sustained attention toward mindfulness—moment-by-moment attention—that has had a significant impact on conceptual models and clinical practice in diverse areas including stress management, psychotherapy, and athletic performance. We propose that future research on cognitive activity in sustained performance set...
Social Network Characteristics and the Evolution of Investor Sentiment

This paper creates a bare bone model to understand how network characteristics such as the richness of the information environment, tendency for investors to extrapolate past data and social influence affect the transmission and evolution of investor sentiment within the network. Our results replicate qualitatively the empirical characteristics of actual investor sentiment documented by [1].
Integral expressions for tail probabilities of the negative multinomial distribution

An alternative simple derivation is given for some integral expressions for tail probabilities of the negative multinomial distribution obtained by Olkin & Sobel [3] inBiometrika. The new derivation is based on the fact that the negative multinomial distribution is a certain mixture of the multiple Poisson distribution and on a well known integral expression for the distribution function of the univariate Poisson distribution.
Dose verification for patients undergoing IMRT

At Emory Clinic intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was started by using dynamic multileaf collimators (dMLC) as electronic tissue compensators in August 1998. Our IMRT program evolved with the inclusion of a commercially available inverse treatment planning system in September 1999. While the introduction of electronic tissue compensators into clinical use did not affect the customary radiation oncology practice, inverse treatment planning does alter our basic routines. Basic concepts of radiation therapy port designs for inverse treatment planning are different from conventional or 3D conformal treatments. With inverse treatment planning, clinicians are required to outline a gross tumor volume (GTV), a clinical target volume (CTV), critical normal structures, and to design a planning target volume (PTV). Clinicians do not designate the volume to be shielded. Because each IMRT radiation portal is composed of many beamlets with varying intensities, methods and practice used to verify delivered dose from IMRT portals are also different from conventional treatment portals. Often, the validity of measured data is in doubt. Therefore, checking treatment planning computer output with measurements are confusing and fruitless, at times. Commissioning an IMRT program and routine patient dose verification of IMRT require films and ionization chamber measurements in phantom. Additional specialized physics instrumentation is not required other than those available in a typical radiation oncology facility. At this time, we consider that routine quality assurance prior to patient treatments is necessary.
Economical evolution to high availability networks

In this paper, we consider dual-link failure restorability and propose shared mesh path restoration schemes to optimize the spare capacity bandwidth for mesh and hybrid ring-mesh network scenarios. We show that when a limited amount of spare capacity in a shared mesh configuration is deployed in conjunction with existing ring architectures, high availability services can be provided with complete dual-failure restorability.
Intrinsic value and the supervenience principle

An important constraint on the nature of intrinsic value---the “Supervenience Principle” (SP)---holds that some object, event, or state of affairs ϕ is intrinsically valuable only if the value of ϕ supervenes entirely on ϕ's intrinsic properties. In this paper, I argue that SP should be rejected. SP is inordinately restrictive. In particular, I argue that no SP-respecting conception of intrinsic value can accept the importance of psychological resonance, or the positive endorsement of persons, in explaining value.
An algebraic approach for simultaneous solution of process and molecular design problems

The property integration framework has allowed for simultaneous representation of processes and products from a properties perspective and thereby established a link between molecular and process design problems. The simultaneous approach involves solving two reverse problems. The first reverse problem identifies the property targets corresponding to the desired process performance. The second reverse problem is the reverse of a property prediction problem, which identifies the molecular structures that match the targets identified in the first problem. Group Contribution Methods (GCM) are used to form molecular property operators that will be used to track properties. Earlier contributions in this area have worked to include higher order estimation of GCM for solving the molecular design problem. In this work, the accuracy of the property prediction is further enhanced by improving the techniques to enumerate higher order groups. Incorporation of these higher order enumeration techniques increases the efficiency of property prediction and thus the application range of the group contribution methods in molecular design problems. Successful tracking of properties is the key in applying the reverse problem formulation for integrated process and product design problems. An algebraic technique has been developed for solving process and molecular design problems simultaneously. Since both process and molecular property operators target the same optimum process performance, the set of inequality expressions can be solved simultaneously to identify the molecules that meet the desired process performance. Since this approach is based on an algebraic algorithm, any number of properties can be tracked simultaneously.
The Mechanism of the Growth-Promoting Action of Growth Hormone

The mechanism of the growth-promoting action of growth hormone has been under investigation for many years. Freud et al. in 1939 found that in vivo administration of partially purified growth hormone preparations were able to increase the width of the tibial epiphysis (1). Ellis et al. in 1953 demonstrated that the stimulatory action of growth hormone was associated with an increase in the incorporation of sulfate into glyco-saminoglycans (2). Although unable to elicit a direct stimulatory effect of growth hormone on sulfate incorporation into cartilage in vitro, Salmon and Daughaday in their 1957 pioneering discovery showed that there resided in serum a growth hormone-dependent activity, designated “sulfation factor,” which possessed this property (3). They observed that the serum of hypophysectomized (hypox) rats contained very little sulfation activity, but serum from hypox rats treated with growth hormone contained increased amounts. Although the name sulfation factor was changed in 1972 to somatomedins, these observations were the birth of the somatomedin hypothesis: The growth-promoting effect of growth hormone is mediated by the somatomedins.
The firearm-disability dilemma: property insights into felon gun rights

In 2001, Leroy Miller took Ricky Fines onto his northern Indiana farm as a boarder. Due to Miller and Fines's mutual interest in guns, the pair began purchasing, refurbishing, and selling firearms as business associates. After three years of uneventful gun refurbishment, federal agents executed a search warrant at the farm in April 2004. The agents discovered and seized three weapons in Miller's home and thirty-one located in a nearby shed, all purportedly belonging to Miller. Absent any aggravating circumstances, Miller's constructive possession of these thirty-four firearms would have been completely legal and unsuspicious. Unfortunately for Miller, Fines was a convicted felon, and Miller knew it.... Language: en
Clark Nevus and Dysplastic Nevus

1978, Wallace Clark and his colleagues set forth a hypothesis that still has some controversial aspects – the idea that a set of fi ndings in nevi of members of families with a tendency to develop melanoma comprise a clinicopathological entity, representing an intermediate step between the “common nevus” and melanoma. While few would dispute that the clinical phenotype of many large, atypical appearing nevi is a marker for an increased risk of melanoma and tends to be inherited, many of the melanomas in these patients arise de novo rather than in preexistent lesions. Just how distinctive these nevi are and whether they pose a risk for the development of melanoma within the lesions themselves that is different from that of other nevi are still debated. Clark and his colleagues coined the term dysplastic nevus to highlight their belief that the lesions in question were partially transformed neoplasms, within the same realm of precancerous alterations found in other organs.
Risk of Herpes Zoster in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases: Implications for Vaccination.

Objective The herpes zoster (HZ) vaccine is recommended for adults in the US ages ≥60 years who do not have weakened immune systems. It is unclear how the risk of HZ varies according to age and disease conditions in younger patients with autoimmune or inflammatory (AI) diseases. This study was undertaken to evaluate the age-stratified incidence of HZ in patients with AI diseases as compared to older adults for whom the HZ vaccine is currently recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Methods Using linked data obtained from patients who were insured by US commercial and government health care plans during the period 2007–2010, 7 cohorts of patients with AI diseases were assembled: systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), psoriasis (PsO), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and gout. Two comparator cohorts were also assembled as controls: adult patients with diabetes and adult subjects without AI diseases or diabetic conditions. HZ was identified using diagnostic codes. Age-specific incidence rates (IRs) of HZ were calculated and compared to the IRs of HZ in control subjects ages 61–70 years who were without AI diseases or diabetic conditions. Results After review of the linked data, the following number of enrollment periods were identified: 8,395 for patients with SLE, 7,916 for patients with IBD, 50,646 for patients with RA, 2,629 for patients with PsA, 4,299 for patients with PsO, 1,019 for patients with AS, 58,934 for patients with gout, 214,631 for control patients with diabetes, and 330,727 for control subjects without AI diseases and diabetic conditions. The respective highest and lowest IRs of HZ during the study were 19.9 per 1,000 person-years in the SLE cohort and 6.8 per 1,000 person-years in the gout cohort, as compared to an IR of 5.3 per 1,000 person-years in control subjects without AI diseases or diabetic conditions. The age-specific IRs of HZ in patients with RA and those with SLE ages ≥40 years were 1.5–2 times greater than those observed in older healthy adults (IR 8.5 per 1,000 person-years), for whom the vaccine is currently recommended. Conclusion SLE, IBD, and RA are AI diseases associated with a higher risk of HZ compared to that in older adults for whom vaccination is currently recommended, suggesting that individuals with these conditions who are as young as age 40 years could potentially benefit from the HZ vaccine.
Standardization and Independence: The Founding Objectives of the SMPTE

The founding, in 1916, of the SMPTE (SMPE then) not only benefited the young film industry but proved valuable for mass production and technological progress as well. Its formation as an independent organization was in response to the factional problems of the film industry, which had tried at least twice before to set up standardizing committees within what proved to be short-lived trade associations. The background of the Society's formation is presented here.
Social Welfare Maximization Oriented Admissions Control over Delay-Sensitive Media Streams

The performance of most real-time streaming media applications is sensitive to transmission delays. This paper describes a distributed admissions control method to ensure the required sending rates for the real-time media streams. A utility function is first developed to model the satisfaction of delay-sensitive media streams. Then, the optimal admissions control on streams are formulated into a social optimum oriented network utility maximization (NUM) problem. A distributed admissions control method can be developed based on the dual decomposition of the primal problem. The construction of this distributed admissions control method follows the DiffServ approach.
Research of computer electromagnetism interruption

This paper discusses the form of electromagnetism interrupt of computer system from the external and internal com-putere. The form of interruption's coupling is also discussed here. And also, this paper analyses the normal methods for the refrain and insulation of electromagnetism interruption in computer project. Finally, it gives a systematical solution to the electromagnetism compatible system for power supply, grounding and lighting arresting.
Update in atherothrombotic disease.

Crucial advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of atherothrombosis, defined as atherosclerosis and its thrombotic complications, have been achieved during the past two decades. The historical hypothesis of pathogenesis ("lipid accumulation") has evolved to integrate several factors contributing to the initiation and evolution of this complex disease. Endothelial dysfunction is considered to be the earliest event in atherogenesis. Inflammation and apoptosis play critical roles in its progression and onset. Tissue factor is postulated to be a central actor in determining plaque thrombogenicity. A hyper-reactive state of the blood ("vulnerable blood") may be responsible for one-third of all the acute coronary syndromes. This review will discuss emerging concepts in the pathogenesis of and therapeutic approaches to atherothrombotic disease.