cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent Developments in Integrated Optics Technology in Taiwan

The history, development status and future trends of integrated optics technology in Taiwan were summarized in this paper. Several groups including academic and industrial research manpower had engaged in the technology developments of integrated optics for seven years or more in Taiwan. So far, all the budgets were supported by government. The research contents include device simulation, device design, device fabrication and system integration on substrates of Si, GaAs (InP) and LiNb03 for electro-optics applications. The topics can be summarized as surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, electro-optics switch and modulator, integrated optics pick-up devices, design packages of optical components, optical filter and delay line. The future trends contain the optical signal processing, wavelength filter, wavelength multiplexer / demultiplexer acousto-optics and electro-optics devices and subsystems, optical coupler and system integration technologies etc. All the approaches of each topic depends on the strategy of applications.
Context Aware Data Acquisition Framework for Dynamic Data Driven Applications Systems (DDDAS)

Various dynamic data driven applications systems (DDDAS) such as battlefield monitoring, and autonomic control and management of swarms of UAVs often leverage multiple heterogeneous sensors, where the importance of a subset of sensors may increase or decrease due to the change in the execution environment. This may require adaptation of the sampling rate of different sensors accordingly. However, current solutions for optimal rate allocation do not consider the importance (or criticality) metric of sensors, which can cause the algorithms to ignore critical nodes altogether. In this paper, we address this challenge by developing a centralized algorithm that attempts to maximize the overall quality of information for the whole network given the utility functions and the importance rankings of sensor nodes. We also present a threshold based heuristic that may help system administrators to tune the algorithm to prevent omission of highly important nodes at critical times. Extensive evaluation of our algorithm in simulation for various scenarios shows that it can quickly adapt the sampling rate in response to the changed importance of sensor nodes.
The Peacekeeping–Peacemaking Dilemma

Peacekeeping has become an increasingly prominent tool for conflict management and there has been an accompanying explosion of scholarly studies on peacekeeping. Yet, such analyses typically ignore the process of getting a peace agreement itself, missing the potential impact that a peacekeeping force might have in facilitating a peace agreement between protagonists. In this paper, we explore among both enduring rivalries and civil wars whether the presence of a peacekeeping force enhances the prospects for gaining an agreement between protagonists. The academic literature suggests opposing logics: one suggesting the desirability of peacekeeping forces while the other implies that they may be counterproductive. We consider whether the presence of peacekeeping enhances or inhibits mediation and negotiation attempts. We also explore whether the success rates for international mediation and negotiation efforts in those conflicts are affected by the presence of peacekeeping forces. Our results suggest support for the pessimistic view of peacekeeping as it discourages diplomatic efforts and decreases the likelihood of achieving a settlement, although the results are clearer for interstate conflict than for civil wars.
Surgical Treatment of Melanoma Patients with Early Sentinel Node Involvement

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a standard staging procedure for many patients with clinically node negative, invasive melanoma, providing excellent prognostic information in appropriately selected patients. The broad acceptance of SLNB into clinical practice has resulted in substantial numbers of patients found to have microscopic nodal metastases. For patients with a positive sentinel node, a completion lymph node dissection (CLND) is the current standard of care. The majority of patients who undergo CLND are found to have histologically negative non-sentinel nodes, and yet are exposed to the potential morbidity of CLND, including infection, wound complications, and lymphedema. We do not yet know if there is a survival benefit from CLND that justifies its morbidity and we are currently unable to identify clinical and pathologic factors that may be associated with the likelihood of benefit from CLND. Controversy regarding the management of melanoma patients with a positive sentinel node highlights the need for continued investigation in melanoma biology, treatment, and outcomes. Patients with minimal tumor burden in their regional nodes would especially benefit from a better understanding of the appropriate management strategies. Ongoing clinical trials are aimed at determining whether CLND is superior to nodal observation and surveillance in patients with positive sentinel nodes, and at determining the outcome of patients with minimal disease in their sentinel node who forego CLND. These studies may help to resolve the uncertainties of the management in these patients. Until we have further information, CLND for melanoma patients with positive sentinel nodes remains the preferred, standard management strategy.
¿Están hablando de mí?: Challenges for multilingual organizations

Purpose – Drawing on social categorization, relational demography, and faultline theories, the purpose of this paper is to examine interpersonal relationships between Hispanic American, European-American, African-American, and Asian-American coworkers in relation to language use in the workplace (English or Spanish). Design/methodology/approach – Employed adults (n=97) participated in one of four racioethnic-specific focus groups (Hispanic American, European-American, African-American, and Asian-American) at each of four worksites in order to assess their reactions to working in a linguistically diverse environment. Interviews with onsite management and human resource directors were also conducted. Findings – Language issues created noticeable faultlines between English and Spanish speakers. In total, six themes representing issues for multilingual organizations emerged: inclusion vs exclusion, assimilation vs ingroup identification, essential communications, composition issues, utility of speaking Englis...
Ultra-low-dimensional embeddings for doubling metrics

We consider the problem of embedding a metric into low-dimensional Euclidean space. The classical theorems of Bourgain and of Johnson and Lindenstrauss imply that any metric on n points embeds into an O(log n)-dimensional Euclidean space with O(log n) distortion. Moreover, a simple "volume" argument shows that this bound is nearly tight: the uniform metric on n points requires Ω(log n/log log n) dimensions to embed with logarithmic distortion. It is natural to ask whether such a volume restriction is the only hurdle to low-dimensional low-distortion embeddings. Do doubling metrics, which do not have large uniform submetrics, embed in low dimensional Euclidean spaces with small distortion? In this paper, we answer the question positively and show that any doubling metric embeds into O(log log n) dimensions with o(log n) distortion. In fact, we give a suite of embeddings with a smooth trade-off between distortion and dimension: given an n-point metric (V,d) with doubling dimension dimD, and any target dimension T in the range Ω(dimD log log n) ≤ T ≤ O(log n), we embed the metric into Euclidean space ℝT with O(log n√dimD/T) distortion.
Improving the treatment of nocturnal asthma: use of an office questionnaire to identify nocturnal asthma symptoms.

Nocturnal asthma is a major problem in many asthma patients and it is important to recognize and treat it. We previously reported the incidence of nocturnal asthma in our practice (1); the current study was done to try to improve upon the incidence of nocturnal asthma in our patients. After our previous survey, which indicated a 67% incidence of nocturnal asthma in our practice, we instituted a previsit questionnaire regarding nocturnal asthma to be filled out by all follow-up asthma patients in our office. After a period of time, we mailed a nocturnal asthma questionnaire to all asthma patients to see if the intervention had improved our incidence of nocturnal asthma. This questionnaire was identical to the one used in our prior study and was mailed to 2019 patients. We had 602 responders, 560 of whom had asthma. A total of 328 of these patients (59%) had nocturnal asthma. This was similar to the results of our previous survey, and our initial conclusion was that the new in-office questionnaire that we i...
Wave-Making by Whirligig Beetles (Gyrinidae)

Swimming whirligig beetles (Dineutes carolinus) either make no waves at all or make conspicuous circular or vee-shaped patterns of capillary waves. The beetle9s swimming speed can be determined from these wave patterns (or lack of them). Capillary waves precede the beetle for several body lengths, and their reflections may help the beetle avoid solid objects by echolocation. The gravity waves produced by a beetle are always longer than the beetle9s hull length. Hence the waves do not interact with the hull to impose an upper limit on speed as they do with conventional ships. Although the beetles swim at high speeds, they apparently do not hydroplane.
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Risk of Bladder Cancer in Men: Results from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study

Objective To understand the association between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and risk of bladder cancer in a large cohort of men. Methods Using data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we examined risk of bladder cancer in relation to severity of LUTS among 30,183 men. During the follow-up period from 1996 until 2010, 476 newly diagnosed cases of bladder cancer occurred. The Cox proportional hazards regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. Results Among men with severe LUTS, risk of bladder cancer was 64% higher (relative risk [RR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87-3.08) compared with men who reported no LUTS. Subjects with both voiding and storage dysfunction had a significantly higher risk of bladder cancer (RR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.00-2.56). Among individual urinary symptoms, urinary hesitancy was strongly associated with bladder cancer; those who experienced urinary hesitancy at least 50% of the time had more than twice the risk of bladder cancer (RR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.29-3.78). Conclusion Our findings suggest that LUTS, especially urinary hesitancy, are associated with the development of bladder cancer in men.
Suspension Culture of Differentiated Rat Heart Myocytes on Non-adhesive Surfaces

Cardiac myocytes isolated from adult rat ventricles have been maintained in a stable, differentiated state for prolonged periods by the use of suspension culture on hydrophobic tissue culture inserts or agarose-coated plates. The success of this procedure depends on the use of low-serum media to prevent myocyte-myocyte interaction and proliferation of any residual endothelial cells. Myocytes cultured in this manner retain many of their structural characteristics, suggesting that maintenance of their elongated irregular shape is not dependent on interaction with extracellular matrix. They also exclude trypan blue, can be vitally stained by the uptake and reduction of the tetrazolium dye MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide], synthesize myosin and when returned to adhesive surfaces are capable of attachment and attendant dedifferentiation. Stability of the myocytes in suspension permits their use in co-culture experiments; specifically, myocytes separated from endothelial cells by the hydrophobic membrane of the tissue culture insert stimulated proliferation of the latter cells, suggesting this to be a useful system for studying myocyte-endothelial cell interaction.
The practice research network: Research into practice, practice into research

Abstract The purpose of the broader project on which this report is based was to utilize a Practice Research Network, an alternative to traditional clinical studies to 1) identify demographically one practice group, namely professional counselors in the United States, 2) describe their practice patterns, and 3) identify their client population and the efficacy of their clinical work through client outcomes based on actual client reports. This article describes the development of one such nation-wide Practice Research Network (PRN) and provides some preliminary findings for each phase of the project. Use of the PRN model can help overcome the traditional “research to practice” gap and provide research results into community practice thus integrating outcomes measures into the daily practice of mental health professionals. During the early phases of this project, a software program was developed upon which the participating practitioners could identify the data elements within the parameters of the focus on...
Comment on: strict consecutive-k-out-of-nF: systems

The author comments on six papers discussing strict consecutive-k-out-of-n:F systems, which were published in the IEEE Transactions on Reliability over the past eight years. >
Exchange Rates and the Term Structure of Interest Rates

It is shown that the empirical performance of asset-market models of exchange rates for key currencies can be improved by including information about the term structure of interest rate differentials. The paper extends a portfolio-balance model by including both long- and short-term interest rates as determining variables. Estimation of the model indicates that real exchange rates for the United States, Japan, and the Federal Republic of Germany are affected both by nominal short-term interest differentials and by real long-term differentials.
Empirically derived phenotypic subgroups - qualitative and quantitative trait analyses.

The Framingham Heart Study has contributed a great deal to advances in medicine. Most of the phenotypes investigated have been univariate traits (quantitative or qualitative). The aims of this study are to derive multivariate traits by identifying homogeneous groups of people and assigning both qualitative and quantitative trait scores; to assess the heritability of the derived traits; and to conduct both qualitative and quantitative linkage analysis on one of the heritable traits. Multiple correspondence analysis, a nonparametric analogue of principal components analysis, was used for data reduction. Two-stage clustering, using both k-means and agglomerative hierarchical clustering, was used to cluster individuals based upon axes (factor) scores obtained from the data reduction. Probability of cluster membership was calculated using binary logistic regression. Heritability was calculated using SOLAR, which was also used for the quantitative trait analysis. GENEHUNTER-PLUS was used for the qualitative trait analysis. We found four phenotypically distinct groups. Membership in the smallest group was heritable (38%, p < 1 × 10-6) and had characteristics consistent with atherogenic dyslipidemia. We found both qualitative and quantitative LOD scores above 3 on chromosomes 11 and 14 (11q13, 14q23, 14q31). There were two Kong & Cox LOD scores above 1.0 on chromosome 6 (6p21) and chromosome 11 (11q23). This approach may be useful for the identification of genetic heterogeneity in complex phenotypes by clarifying the phenotype definition prior to linkage analysis. Some of our findings are in regions linked to elements of atherogenic dyslipidemia and related diagnoses, some may be novel, or may be false positives.
Endorectal ultrasound in the management of patients with malignant rectal polyps

This study was designed to determine the efficacy of endorectal ultrasound in the management of patients with malignant rectal polyps removed by snare excision during colonoscopy. A retrospective review of the medical records and endorectal ultrasound images of 63 patients with endoscopically removed rectal polyps containing invasive adenocarcinoma subsequently staged by endorectal ultrasound. Patients underwent surgery or were followed at a single institution. The polyp characteristics and ultrasound images were compared with the presence of residual tumor in the surgical specimen in patients who underwent further surgery or with recurrence in patients who did not. The morphology of the polyps was described in 31 patients (49 percent); they were sessile in 26 (41 percent) and pedunculated in 6 (9 percent). The margins were positive in 22 patients (35 percent), negative in 19 (30 percent), and not specified in 22 (35 percent). Most tumors were well or moderately differentiated; only 3 (5 percent) were poorly differentiated. Thirty-three patients underwent further surgery (3 low anterior resection, and 30 transanal excision); 30 had no further surgery. The accuracy of endorectal ultrasound in assessing the presence of residual cancer in the rectal wall in patients who had surgery was 54 percent, with a 39 percent positive predictive value and 65 percent negative predictive value. Endorectal ultrasound accurately identified metastatic lymph nodes in two of three patients who had radical surgery. Endorectal ultrasound was more useful than polyp morphologic or histologic criteria to determine the presence of residual cancer in the rectal wall. Endorectal ultrasound does not definitely exclude the possibility of residual tumor in the rectal wall or mesenteric nodes of patients who had a malignant polyp snared endoscopically. Consequently, decisions regarding the definitive management of these patients cannot be based exclusively on the endorectal ultrasound images of the polypectomy site.
Direct demonstration of D1 dopamine receptors in the bovine parathyroid gland using the D1 selective antagonist [125I]-SCH 23982.

The presence of D1 dopamine receptors in the parathyroid gland has been proposed based on the demonstration of dopaminergic regulation of adenylate cyclase activity and parathyroid hormone release in dispersed bovine parathyroid cells. Using a radioiodinated D1 selective antagonist (125I)-SCH 23982, we have now directly labeled and characterized the D1 dopamine receptors in bovine parathyroid gland membranes. (125I)-SCH 23982 binds in a saturable manner with high affinity and low nonspecific binding to membranes prepared from bovine parathyroid glands. D1 dopamine receptors are present in this preparation at a concentration of approximately 130 fMoles/mg protein and (125I)-SCH 23982 binding increases with increasing protein concentration in a linear fashion. Determination of the Kd using the association (k1) and dissociation (k-1) rate constants revealed good agreement with the Kd determined by saturation analysis (390 pM vs. 682 pM, respectively). Inhibition of 0.3 nM (125I)-SCH 23982 binding by a series of dopaminergic antagonists verified the D1 nature of this binding site, exhibiting appropriate affinities and rank order of potency. The competition curves of all antagonists exhibited Hill coefficients that were not significantly different from 1. Inhibition of (125I)-SCH 23982 binding by dopamine and other dopaminergic agonists revealed the presence of high and low affinitymore » agonist binding sites. Addition of 200 microM GppNHp effected a complete conversion of high affinity dopamine binding sites to a homogeneous population of low affinity dopamine sites. The D1 receptors identified in the parathyroid gland with (125I)-SCH 23982 appear to be pharmacologically identical with those previously characterized in the central nervous system.« less
Language acquisition and categorical perception with particular reference to /r/ and /l/

Abstract This paper addresses the question of nature vs. nurture in language acquisition with particular reference to the phonemic contrast between /r/ and /l/. Categorical perception, production, and motor coordination were measured in groups of 3 1/2-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 13-year-olds, and adult controls. Both identification and discrimination performance were found to improve between 3 1/2 and 8 years of age, although identification shows less of an improvement than discrimination. Among 3 1/2-year-olds, discrimination performance is almost random. By 8 years old, it has reached the level of adult performance. A marked improvement in speech production coincides with an increase in speed of finger movements between ages 3 1/2 and 8 years. These results, therefore, indicate a positive correlation, among 3 1/2-year-olds, between fine motor coordination and production of the /r/ — /l/ contrast. No correlation was found between performance on perceptual and production tasks, although data from older children suggest that deficient performance in one domain may be accompanied by deficient performance in the other. Fine motor coordination and perceptual ability were not found to be correlated.
DNA variants with telomere probe enable genetic mapping of ends of mouse chromosomes.

Dde I-digested DNA fragments from 11 inbred mouse strains were separated by electrophoresis, blotted and probed with a labeled oligomer, TELO, containing five repeats of the consensus mammalian telomere sequence, TTAGGG. Each strain produced a unique set of hybridizing fragments. Segregation analysis of TELO-hybridizing fragments from the BXD RI strains indicated that each fragment segregated as expected for a single gene. One fragment from strain DBA/2J was genetically linked to locusXmv-9, previously mapped near the distal end of the map of chromosome (Chr) 4 and three fragments toCck, near the distal end of Chr 9, suggesting that these fragments are telomeric and represent the ends of the chromosome maps. Confirmation of these map positions was obtained from a backcross. Fragments associated with the short arm of the Y Chr were found in DNA from strains C57BL/6J and DBA/2J. TELO-hybridizing fragments from DBA/2J were digested by the exonuclease Bal 31, under conditions in which fragments hybridizing to a cDNA probe for themetallothioneine locus, located at the middle of mouse Chr 8, remained intact. Thus both biochemical and genetic tests indicate that several TELO-hybridizing fragments fromDde I-digested DNA are at the ends of chromosomes and probably derive from mouse telomeres. Using this approach should allow the mapping of genes relative to the ends of other mouse chromosomes.
Acute ethanol alters calcium signals elicited by glutamate receptor agonists and K+ depolarization in cultured cerebellar Purkinje neurons.

Abstract The effect of acute ethanol on Ca2+ signals evoked by ionotropic (iGluR) and metabotropic (mGluR) glutamate receptor (GluR) activation and K+ depolarization was examined in cultured rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons to assess the ethanol sensitivity of these Ca2+ signaling pathways. Mature Purkinje neurons ∼3 weeks in vitro were studied. iGluRs were activated by (RS)-α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5 methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA; 1 and 5 μM) and domoate (5 μM). mGluRs were activated by (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD; 300 μM) and (R,S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG; 200 μM). These agents and K+ (150 mM) were applied from micropipettes by brief (1 s) microperfusion pulses. Ca2+ levels were monitored at 2–3 s intervals during pre- and post-stimulus periods using microscopic digital imaging and the Ca2+ sensitive dye fura-2. iGluR and mGluR agonists and K+ produced abrupt increases in intracellular Ca2+ that slowly recovered to baseline resting levels. Acute exposure to ethanol at 33 mM (150 mg%) and 66 mM (300 mg%) significantly reduced the amplitude of the Ca2+ signals to iGluR agonists and K+ with little or no effect on Ca2+ signals to mGluR agonists. In contrast, acute ethanol at 10 mM (45 mg%) had no effect on the Ca2+ signals to the iGluR agonist AMPA but significantly enhanced the Ca2+ signals to the mGluR agonist DHPG. These results show that ethanol modulates Ca2+ signaling linked to GluR activation in a receptor subtype specific manner, and suggest that Ca2+ signaling pathways linked to GluR activation and membrane depolarization may be important mechanisms by which ethanol alters the transduction of excitatory synaptic signals at glutamatergic synapses and thereby affects intercellular and intracellular communication in the CNS.
Utility of object-oriented programming in complex system modeling

Complex systems are difficult to model due to the specification of many variables and their interactions. They are prevalent in medicine and in other areas of natural science such as ecology, agronomic systems and zoology. The fundamental issue in simulating complex systems is understanding and modeling interactions explicitly. Difficulty in modeling ecosystem behavior results from ecosystem complexity and the architecture imposed by the programming language. Simulation models coded in procedural languages are often difficult to represent due to inherent deficiencies in these languages, such as linear flow of control and separation of data and procedures. Object-oriented programming (OOP) provides an alternative approach for complex system modeling. Data and methods (operations) are encapsulated in objects and may be accessed only by receiving messages sent from other objects. The interaction among simple objects results in complex system behavior. A nitrogen dynamics simulation modeling system was implemented using Smalltalk-8O, an OOP language. Objects defined include: Compound, Microbe, Soil, Organic Matter, Crop, and their subclasses. By isolating and unifying the data and behavior of individual components of an ecosystem in the form of independent objects, complex system models are additive, and simulations are configured at run-time. This paper compares the procedural and object-oriented paradigms for addressing the problem of simulating complex system behavior.
The convolution theorem for estimating linear functionals in indirect nonparametric regression models

Abstract Nonparametric regression—directly or indirectly observed—is one of the important statistical models. On one hand it contains two infinite dimensional parameters (the regression function and the error density), and on the other it is of rather simple structure. Therefore, it may serve as an interesting paradigm for illustrating or developing abstract statistical theory for non-Euclidean parameters. In this paper estimation of a linear functional of the indirectly observed regression function is considered, when a deterministic design is used. It should be noted that any Fourier coefficient of an expansion of the regression function in an orthonormal basis is such a functional. Because the design is deterministic the observables are independent but not identically distributed. Local asymptotic normality is established and applied to prove Hajek's convolution theorem for this functional. Pertinent references are Beran [1977. Robust location estimates. Ann. Statist. 5, 431–444] and McNeney and Wellner [2000. Application of convolution theorems in semiparametric models with non-i.i.d. data. J. Statist. Plann. Inference 91, 441–480]. For purposes explained above, however, the paper is kept self-contained and full proofs are provided.
Comparative Study Of Artificial Intelligence Techniques As Applied To The Location Of Address Blocks On Mail Pieces

Rule-based reasoning when applied to locating destination addresses on mail pieces can enhance system performance and accuracy. One of the critical steps in the automatic reading and sorting of mail by machine is in locating the block of text that is the destination address on a mail piece. This is complicated by the variation of global structure on mail piece faces, e.g., return and destination addresses can be anywhere on the mail piece, in any orientation and of any size. Compounding the problem is the addition of extraneous text and graphics such as advertising.
CT detection of mandibular invasion by squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of CT in detecting mandibular invasion by squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Forty-nine patients who had squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity that was clinically fixed to the mandible were treated with mandibulectomy. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced CT (contiguous 3-mm-thick sections) through the primary site before surgery. All studies were reconstructed with bone algorithm. These studies were retrospectively reviewed by a neuroradiologist for evidence of mandibular invasion. The imaging results were compared with the histologic findings in all cases.RESULTS. CT correctly revealed 25 of 26 cases with mandibular invasion. CT correctly excluded mandibular invasion in 20 of 23 cases without invasion. The diagnostic accuracy of CT for detecting mandibular invasion was as follows: sensitivity, 96%; specificity, 87%; positive predictive value, 89%; and negative predictive value, 95%.CONCL...
Family Stress Theory and the Impact of Divorce on Children.

A middle-range theory is presented that describes the potential impact of divorce on children. Concepts from family stress theory are integrated with research findings from the divorce literature to accomplish this goal. The proposed theoretical model is concerned especially with variations in the "definition of the situation" assigned to the crisis of divorce by children and custodial parents. Substantial attention is devoted to relationships that children from divorcing families experience with custodial and noncustodial parents. The model also emphasizes that family stress theory must accommodate both "individual" and "relationship" variables to adequately explain the complex influences of divorce on children.
Thickness effects in ADF STEM zone axis images

Abstract Quantitative measurements of intensities in annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscope images of (100) indium phosphide are reported. Fourier analysis of the experimental images gives the lattice fringe intensities which are related to the intensities of individual atomic columns. Electron energy loss measurements of the plasmon intensities provide a thickness. Analysis of simulated images for the same instrumental conditions provides a comparison that is consistent with an earlier prediction that electrons channel for considerably different distances along atomic columns of differing atomic number. This effect has considerable implications for image interpretation and analytical studies. The measurements indicate that reasonable partial coherence effects give rise to serious limitations on imaging at the highest resolution levels.
Strategies for Planned Change

This article presents a review of the book “Strategies for Planned Change,” by Gerald Zaltman and Robert Duncan.
Learning Interactions for Social Prediction in Large-scale Networks

Social networks have already emerged as inconceivably vast information repositories and have provided great opportunities for social connection and information diffusion. In light of these notable outcomes, social prediction is a critical research goal for analyzing and understanding social media and online social networks. We investigate underlying social theories that drive the characteristics and dynamics of social networks, including homophily, heterophily, and the structural hole theories. We propose a unified coherent framework, namely mutual latent random graphs (MLRGs), to exploit mutual interactions and benefits for predicting social actions (e.g., users' behaviors, opinions, preferences or interests) and discovering social ties (e.g., multiple labeled relationships between users) simultaneously in large-scale social networks. MLRGs introduce latent, or hidden factors and coupled models with users, users' actions and users' ties to flexibly encode evidences from both sources. We propose an approximate optimization algorithm to learn the model parameters efficiently. Furthermore, we speedup this algorithm based on the Hadoop MapReduce framework to handle large-scale social networks. We performed experiments on two real-world social networking datasets to demonstrate the validity and competitiveness of our approach.
Mechanisms of population regulation in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta: an experimental study

Summary 1 We tested for density-dependent regulation of biomass in a population of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta and examined the mechanisms of population recovery following replicated colony removals. 2 All colonies were killed within the core area (1018 m2) of six plots, while six additional plots served as undisturbed controls. Over the next 5 years, colonies were mapped several times per year and the biomass of each colony was estimated from the volume of the nest-mound. 3 The average biomass and density of colonies within the removal areas gradually converged on those of control plots and were no longer detectably different after two years. Thereafter, ant biomass on experimental and control plots showed nearly identical seasonal and yearly fluctuations. 4 Territories of colonies surrounding the removal areas rapidly expanded following the deaths of neighbours, while average territory size on control plots showed little short-term change. 5 Significantly more new colonies were established within core areas of experimental plots than within core areas of control plots during the first year following removals. 6 The per-colony probability of movement and the net influx of colony biomass were significantly higher in central regions of the experimental plots than in control plots during the first year. The directions of colony movements were clustered towards the centres of experimental plots in the first 2 years, but did not show significant directional trends on control plots. 7 In all 5 years of the study, annual mortality rates were lower for larger colonies, but the size-specific risk of mortality was not significantly affected by the experimental removal of competitors. 8 The growth rates of colonies, adjusted for initial size, were significantly higher in central regions of experimental plots than in control plots during the first two years of the study. In all years, colony growth rates declined with increasing colony size. 9 These results indicate that populations of S. invicta are regulated by competition among neighbouring colonies. Due to large intraspecific variation in colony size, the dynamics of ant populations are described more accurately by measures of total ant biomass than by colony density alone.
Nutrient intake and peripheral artery disease in adults: key considerations in cross-sectional studies.

Summary Background & aims There are limited studies of nutrient intake and peripheral artery disease (PAD). Some studies have not accounted for the functional consequences of PAD, potentially leading to biased results. To determine the associations between intakes of dietary fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E, and B6 and PAD. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of 6534 adults aged 40 years and older in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2004, including measurement of ankle-brachial index (ABI) and nutrient intake by 24-h dietary recall. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models to determine odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results The prevalence of PAD (ABI p ≥ 0.1). Conclusions In this sample, dietary fiber, folate, and vitamins B6, C, and E were not associated with PAD after accounting for energy intake and activity. Adjustment for energy and physical activity are essential to avoid bias due to reverse causation in cross-sectional studies of diet and PAD.
The Bifrequency Binaural Interaction Component of the Auditory Brainstem Response

The binaural interaction component of the auditory brainstem response was investigated in three stimulus conditions, 1000-Hz tone pips to both ears, 3000-Hz tone pips to both ears, and 1000-Hz tone...
Biogenerics: the hope and the hype

The US Congress is likely this year to create a clearly defined pathway for the development and regulatory approval of generic copies of ‘biological’ drugs* – drugs obtained from living cells and often manufactured with the newest techniques of biotechnology (recombinant DNA and monoclonal antibody technologies). But the inevitability of extensive pre-marketing clinical testing means that the appearance of these generics will not be the panacea for high drug costs that some have predicted.
EMG activity with the jaw fixed of orbicularis oris superior, orbicularis oris inferior and masseter muscles of articulatory disordered children.

Rastatter and DeJarnette (1) noted that articulatory disordered children exhibit less than normal variance for the orbicularis oris inferior muscle when repeating a series of rapid syllable trains in free speech. There remains a need to examine motor equivalence of these children under disrupred speech conditions to test the compensatory nature of the speech motor-control system. The present study assessed muscle activity patterns of the lips and jaw in normal and arriculacory disordered children under a bite-block speaking condition. The subjects and experimental procedures (including calibration tasks, elearomyography, speech sample, amplitude measurements and standard error of measurement) have been described in derail ( 1 ) . For this experiment, however, each subject produced the series of 30 consonant-vowel [p ze] tokens under a bite-blodr speaking condition in which the mandibIe was fixed with a 12-mm acrylic bite-block held between the two upper and two lower molars on the left side. Means and standard deviations for peak EMG magnitude and coefficients of variation for the three muscles for each group of subjects are presented below. These results
Measurement of χe in ISX-B beam-heated discharges by heat pulse propagation

New measurements of the electron thermal diffusivity coefficient ?e for beam-heated (0?1.6 MW) discharges in the Impurity Study Experiment (ISX-B) tokamak confirm the numerical values and trends, with beam power inferred earlier from power balance considerations, and thus support the conclusion that the confinement deterioration with increasing beam power is due to enhanced electron heat conduction losses.
AluI-resistant chromatin of chromosome 18: classification, frequencies and implications.

The pericentric chromatin of chromosome 18 was found to be far more heterogeneous for restriction endonuclease AluI (5′ ··· AG ↓ CT···3′) than previously thought. The extent of such heterogeneity was characterized using 50 normal Caucasians and 5 cases of trisomy 18 or Edwards' Syndrome. The AluI-resistant chromatin can arbitrarily be classified into at least five sizes by comparison with the length of the short arm (p) of chromosome 18. They are: negative (1), small (2), medium (3), large (4) and very large (5) with incidences of 11.30%, 19.13%, 29.57%, 29.57% and 10.43%, respectively. In addition the location of the chromatin can be classified into four types depending upon the position relative to the primary constriction. For example: Type I (absent); Type II (present on p arm only); Type III (present on q arm only); Type IV (present on centromere and extending into both p and q arms). The incidences of types I, II, III, and IV were 11.30%, 62.61%, 0.87%, and 25.22%, respectively. Based on limited data, AluI-resistant chromatin was found to be predominantly “large” and “very large” in Edwards' Syndrome samples. In addition, no case with negative Alu-resistant chromatin was noted. Therefore, it is tempting to speculate that the amount of chromatin present on the centromere might play a role in non-disjunction in Edwards' Syndrome cases. Although the variation observed in the present study is continuous, the proposed classification has some important implications for future investigations.
Effects of Feed Restriction on Growth and Metabolism of Replacement Pullets

Abstract The effects of feed restriction on lipogenesis, carcass composition, and protein utilization were investigated. Two feed restriction programs were used: 1) restricted duration of feeding (RDF) whereby pullets had access to feed for 7 or 9 hr/day and 2) restricted access to feed (ADF) in which feed was available on alternate days. A control group received the same diet as the restricted groups but on an ad libitum basis. The feeding programs were applied to a white egg and brown egg strain of commercial laying hens from 1 until 5 weeks of age or from 3 days (RDF) or 10 weeks (ADF) until 19 weeks of age. The ADF restriction resulted in 12 to 25% decrease in body weights at 5 weeks and 5 to 11% decrease in body weights at 18 or 19 weeks. The RDF depressed body weights 24% at 5 weeks and 2% at 18 weeks. The RDF and ADF increased hepatic malic enzyme and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activities in both age groups. Plasma uric acid and hepatic glutamic pyruvic transaminase were affected, but not consistently, by ADF. It is hypothesized that ADF and RDF lead to increased lipogenesis and increased utilization of amino acids as sources of energy. Under conditions of mild restriction, this may result in increased carcass fat content.
Principal Compliance and Robust Optimal Design

The paper addresses a problem of robust optimal design of elastic structures when the loading is unknown and only an integral constraint for the loading is given. We propose to minimize the principal compliance of the domain equal to the maximum of the stored energy over all admissible loadings. The principal compliance is the maximal compliance under the extreme, worst possible loading. The robust optimal design is formulated as a min-max problem for the energy stored in the structure. The maximum of the energy is chosen over the constrained class of loadings, while the minimum is taken over the design parameters. It is shown that the problem for the extreme loading can be reduced to an elasticity problem with mixed nonlinear boundary conditions; the last problem may have multiple solutions. The optimization with respect to the designed structure takes into account the possible multiplicity of extreme loadings and divides resources (reinforced material) to equally resist all of them. Continuous change of the loading constraint causes bifurcation of the solution of the optimization problem. It is shown that an invariance of the constraints under a symmetry transformation leads to a symmetry of the optimal design. Examples of optimal design are investigated; symmetries and bifurcations of the solutions are revealed.
Liquid-crystal television optical neural network: architecture, design, and models

An adaptive optical neural network (ONN) using inexpensive pocket-size liquid crystal televisions (LCTVs) and containing 8 X 8 equals 64 neurons was constructed by a group of graduate students in the Electro-Optics Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University. By the limited resolution of the LCTV, the current optical architecture can be easily extended to 16 X 20 equals 320 neurons. The major advantages of this LCTV architecture as compared with other reported ONNs are low cost and the flexibility to operate. To test the performance, several neural network models are implemented, in which are interpattern association, hetero- association, and unsupervised learning algorithm. The system design considerations and experimental demonstrations of the neural network models are given.
Effect of Residual Mercury Content on Creep in Dental Amalgams

Research on amalgam that is compacted three minutes after trituration is analogous to use in clinical practice. It is suggested that many small mixes, rather than a single large one, be used for large amalgam restorations.
Mitochondria, Oxidative Damage, and Inflammation in Parkinson's Disease

The pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains obscure, but there is increasing evidence that impairment of mitochondrial function, oxidative damage, and inflammation are contributing factors. The present paper reviews the experimental and clinical evidence implicating these processes in PD. There is substantial evidence that there is a deficiency of complex I activity of the mitochondrial electron transport chain in PD. There is also evidence for increased numbers of activated microglia in both PD postmortem tissue as well as in animal models of PD. Impaired mitochondrial function and activated microglia may both contribute to oxidative damage in PD. A number of therapies targeting inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction are efficacious in the MPTP model of PD. Of these, coenzyme Q(10) appears to be particularly promising based on the results of a recent phase 2 clinical trial in which it significantly slowed the progression of PD.
SU-E-T-183: Managing and Assessing Patients Receiving Radiotherapy with Implantable Cardiac Devices.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of the management of patients with cardiac electronic implantable devices (CEIDS) receiving radiotherapy.Method and Materials: In 2005, a formal communication process was established between RadiationOncology and CardiacElectrophysiology (EP) for the management of patients with permanent, implantable cardiac devices receiving radiotherapy. The process requires a pre‐treatment consult with EP. This information is provided to a medical physicist, who works with the primary radiationoncologist and dosimetrist. Based on the estimated dose to the device, EP and RadiationOncology will determine the appropriate oversight required for treatment. To assess the effectiveness of this program, a retrospective analysis of patients with implantable cardiac devices receiving radiotherapy between the years 2005 and 2011 was performed. Results: Sixty‐nine patients with CEIDs (19 implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and 50 pacemakers) were treated in RadiationOncology between 2005 and 2011. Patients were treated to a variety of sites, including 21 patients treated to multiple sites. Doses were estimated prior to radiotherapy, and in vivo measurements were obtained for patients near or exceeding our institutional device tolerance (ICDs = 1 Gy and ICPs = 2 Gy), or if the device was less than 10 cm from the edge of a treatment field. Of the patients evaluated, there were only two patients with ICD devices which had a partial reset of diagnostic data during their treatment. There were no major device failures of arrhythmia detection or treatment.Conclusions: Our multi‐disciplinary team has worked together to develop a process to manage the care of patients with permanent implantable cardiac devices. There have been few device events noted in our patient cohort. The team will continue to follow our institutional management methodology to assess the appropriate amount of EP care necessary during radiation therapy. Laura Horwood is on the speakers bureau for Medtronic. Frank Pelosi is on the advisory board for Boston Scientific Corp and St. Jude Medical, is receiving an educational grants from Medtronic, St Jude, Boston Scientific, Biotronik, and a research grants from Medtronic.
Optical emission spectroscopy study of premixed C2H4/O2 and C2H4/C2H2/O2 flames for diamond growth with and without CO2 laser excitation

Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements were carried out to study premixed C 2 H 4 /O 2 and C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 2 /O 2 combustion flame for diamond deposition with and without a CO 2 laser excitation. Strong emissions from radicals C 2 and CH were observed in the visible range in all the OES spectra acquired. By adding a continuous-wave CO 2 laser to irradiate the flame at a wavelength of 10.591 μm, the common CO 2 laser wavelength, it was discovered that the emission intensities of the C 2 and CH radicals were increased due to the laser beam induced excitation. OES measurements of the C 2 and CH radicals were performed using different gas combinations and laser powers. The rotational temperatures in the flame were determined by analyzing the spectra of the R-branch of the A 2 Δ→X 2 Π (0, 0) electronic transition near 430 nm (CH band head). Information obtained from the OES spectra, including the emission intensities of the C 2 and CH radicals, the intensity ratios, and the rotational temperatures, was integrated into the study of diamond deposition on tungsten carbide substrates for mechanism analysis of the laser induced vibrational excitation and laser-assisted diamond deposition.