cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lab-made Chemiresitor Array for Discrimination of Coffee at Different Conditions

In this paper, we report a multi-nanoparticle chemiresistor array for discrimination of three types of commercially available coffees, in both powder form and liquid form (studied under hot-brewed condition and room temperature). Four types of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were deposited on the sensor array via direct drop-casting method. Classification accuracy are compared using four different statistical methods, including linear discriminant analysis (LDA), linear support vector machine (SVM), fine k-nearest neighbors (KNN), and random forest (RF). The results demonstrated the improvement in the overall classification accuracy by using multi-nanoparticle sensing elements compared with devices using single AuNP. The study suggests a promising method to monitor the flavor or quality change of coffee products.
Teaching Textiles in 1917: The Cushman Swatch Books

Two fabric swatch books begun in 1917 are in the University of Rhode Island's Historic Textile and Costume Collection. The donors used them in classes at Technical High School in Providence, Rhode Island. At the time, the city of Providence was home to many textile factories, including print works. The swatch books, which mostly consisted of homespuns and printed calicos, were compared to recommended course content published in the Journal of Home Economics in 1911. Courses were far from standardized. One unit recommended was a survey of the industrial revolution and the transfer of production from home to factory. This unit might have been the one for which the swatch books were assembled. The textiles in the swatch books also provide clues to the story of one of the donors, Franklin Cushman, whose ancestors lived in both Providence, Rhode Island, and Charleston, South Carolina during the antebellum period. Some of the swatches were used in quilt tops in the mosaic pattern, also in URI's Historic Textile and Costume Collection. One swatch is labeled "probably for slave gowns."
Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation without Left Atrial Appendage Imaging in Patients Treated with Direct Oral Anticoagulants

Background: Many centers continue to routinely perform transesophageal echocardiograms before atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedures in patients treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs...
Genetic controls of mitochondrial development and function. Genetic analysis of subunits 6 and 9 of yeast ubiquinol-cytochrome c oxidoreductase complex.

Les genes R6 et R9 sont nucleaires et codent respectivement pour les sous-unites 6 et 9 du cytochrome bc L . Une mutation de QR6 aboutissant a une perte de la partie contenant le cytochrome de la chaine respiratoire est caracterisee ici. Le clonage de QCR9, et du gene mute, la sequence en aminoacide de la sous-unite sont egalement etudies ici
Skin Abnormalities in Disorders with DNA Repair Defects, Premature Aging, and Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Defects in DNA repair pathways and alterations of mitochondrial energy metabolism have been reported in multiple skin disorders. More than 10% of patients with primary mitochondrial dysfunction exhibit dermatological features including rashes and hair and pigmentation abnormalities. Accumulation of oxidative DNA damage and dysfunctional mitochondria affect cellular homeostasis leading to increased apoptosis. Emerging evidence demonstrates that genetic disorders of premature aging that alter DNA repair pathways and cause mitochondrial dysfunction, such as Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, Werner syndrome, and Cockayne syndrome, also exhibit skin disease. This article summarizes recent advances in the research pertaining to these syndromes and molecular mechanisms underlying their skin pathologies.
Messages That Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Willingness: Evidence From Online Experiments in Six Latin American Countries

As safe and effective vaccines become widely available, attaining herd immunity and limiting the spread of COVID-19 will depend on individuals choosing to vaccinate and doing so quickly enough to outpace mutations. Using online surveys conducted in January 2021 across six Latin American countries - where mass vaccination programs have only recently begun and are expected to continue into 2022 - we experimentally assess messages designed to counteract informational deficiencies and collective action problems that may drive hesitancy. We first find that basic vaccine information persuades around 8% of hesitant individuals to become willing to vaccinate, reduces the time individuals intend to wait before vaccinating once a vaccine is available to them by 0.4 months, and increases willingness to encourage others to vaccinate. Rather than facilitating free riding, learning, or social conformity, providing information about others’ behavior increases vaccine willingness and willingness to encourage others to vaccinate among respondents induced to expect that herd immunity will be achieved in their country. Finally, priming the social approval benefits of vaccinating also increase each dimension of vaccine acceptance, and is more effective than messages highlighting economic or altruistic benefits of vaccination. These results suggest that providing information and shaping social expectations and incentives could both be important in encouraging vaccine uptake.
Verifying phishmon: a framework for dynamic webpage classification

Phishing attacks are the scourge of the network security manager's job. Looking for a solution to counter this trend, this paper examines and verifies the efficacy of Phishmon, a machine learning framework for scrutinizing webpages that relies on technical attributes of the webpage's structure for classification. More specifically, each of the four machine learning algorithms mentioned in the original paper are applied to a portion of the data set used by Phishmon's creators in order to verify and confirm their results. This paper expands the author's original work in two ways. First, the Phishmon framework is applied to two additional machine learning models for comparison to the first group. Furthermore, dimension reduction and algorithm parameter optimization are explored to determine their effects on the Phishmon framework's accuracy. Our findings suggest improvements to the Phishmon framework's implementation. Namely, downsizing the dataset to include an equal number of phishing and benign webpages as the model is formed appears to balance the accuracy rates achieved for both phishing and benign webpages. Furthermore, removing features with very low relative importance values may save time and processing power while preserving a vast majority of the model's information.
Activated STAT3 Is a Novel Regulator of the XRCC1 Promoter and Selectively Increases XRCC1 Protein Levels in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Base Excision Repair (BER) addresses base lesions and abasic sites induced by exogenous and endogenous stressors. X-ray cross complementing group 1 (XRCC1) functions as a scaffold protein in BER and single-strand break repair (SSBR), facilitating and coordinating repair through its interaction with a host of critical repair proteins. Alterations of XRCC1 protein and gene expression levels are observed in many cancers, including colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancer. While increases in the expression level of XRCC1 are reported, the transcription factors responsible for this up-regulation are not known. In this study, we identify the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as a novel regulator of XRCC1 through chromatin immunoprecipitation. Activation of STAT3 through phosphorylation at Y705 by cytokine (IL-6) signaling increases the expression of XRCC1 and the occupancy of STAT3 within the XRCC1 promoter. In triple negative breast cancer, the constitutive activation of STAT3 upregulates XRCC1 gene and protein expression levels. Increased expression of XRCC1 is associated with aggressiveness and resistance to DNA damaging chemotherapeutics. Thus, we propose that activated STAT3 regulates XRCC1 under stress and growth conditions, but constitutive activation in cancers results in dysregulation of XRCC1 and subsequently BER and SSBR.
Runaway transcription

A newly demonstrated defect in RNA polymerase II termination caused by 7SK snRNA knockdown may have revealed a novel mechanism uncoupling RNA processing from transcription.
Atherosclerosis of the Proximal Cervical Arteries

Atherosclerosis of the aortic arch branches is usually a multifocal disease with lesions of some degree at the origins of all three branches and in the wall of superior aspect of the aortic arch as well (Fig. 4.1). Three general observations are pertinent in defining surgical indications and in the selection of the appropriate operative approach: (1) the extent of individual artery involvement is rarely uniform; (2) except for embolization from the rare ulcerating lesions or progression to occlusion in the case of the left common carotid artery, most of the atherosclerotic lesions at this level do not produce stroke; (3) the collateral channels across the thorax, neck, and face are so voluminous that the net result of single or multiple lesions is often one of symptoms from reduction of total cerebral perfusion rather than of symptoms confined to one area of the brain.
INVESTING IN REGIONAL HIGHWAY NETWORKS

A regional, intercity, or statewide plan for ordering priorities for constructing new roads has been developed. This regional highway planning method includes solutions for the traffic generation, distribution, assignment, and road investment problems. A network operator's cost is calculated with the aid of the BPR programs. Construction costs and maintenance costs are given inputs to the system. All monetary costs are discounted to their present worth values. The optimal investment plan provides a network that satisfies the demands placed on it by the travelers and concomitantly minimizes construction costs, network operators' costs, and maintenance costs. The model is capable of handling very large networks (8,170 nodes), a large number of specified construction policies, and a large number of specified alternative network states. The planning method is application oriented.
Piercing the Corporate Veil of an Alien Parent for Jurisdictional Purposes: A Proposal for a Standard That Comports with Due Process

With the expansion of international commerce and the proliferation of multinational corporations, corporate structures that involve alien (non U.S.)1 parents and U.S. subsidiaries have become increasingly common.2 Multinational corporations often establish subsidiaries and other affiliated corporate structures to benefit from tax, accounting, legal, political, and administrative advantages benefits of having such an arrangement.3 By
Synthesis and non‐linear optical characteristics of crosslinked and linear epoxy polymers with pendant tolane chromophores

Linear and crosslinked epoxy polymers containing high concentrations (ca. 86 wt.-%) of pendant 4-(4-nitrophenylethynyl)aniline [4-amino-4′-nitrotolane] chromophores were synthesized. They exhibit a smectic phase in the bulk once heated above the glass transition temperature (ca. 70°C). The appearance of the highly scattering smectic phase could be avoided by starting the crosslinking process of thin polymer films in the presence of solvent. Application of corona poling during crosslinking resulted in a highly polar polymer, exhibiting a very large birefringence of ca. 0,17 at 633 nm. Moreover, the birefringence remained stable during annealing at 80–90°C for ca. 30 days. The electro-optic coefficient, determined from the Pockels-effect, was roughly 8 pm/V for r113 at 633 nm.
Variable model levels for power semiconductor devices

Model levels for power semiconductor devices are described. The six model levels proposed are universal in nature and can be adopted for categorization of device models in any circuit simulator or finite element (or finite difference) simulator. These levels begin with simple behavioral models, then move to physics-based models of various complexity. This work concentrates on the development and discussion of the model Levels-1, -2, and -3. As an example, the case of Integrated Gate-Commutated Thyristors (IGCT) is discussed in detail, and simulation and experimental results are provided and compared.
Failure-aware resource management for high-availability computing clusters with distributed virtual machines

In large-scale networked computing systems, component failures become norms instead of exceptions. Failure-aware resource management is crucial for enhancing system availability and achieving high performance. In this paper, we study how to efficiently utilize system resources for high-availability computing with the support of virtual machine (VM) technology. We design a reconfigurable distributed virtual machine (RDVM) infrastructure for networked computing systems. We propose failure-aware node selection strategies for the construction and reconfiguration of RDVMs. We leverage the proactive failure management techniques in calculating nodes' reliability states. We consider both the performance and reliability status of compute nodes in making selection decisions. We define a capacity-reliability metric to combine the effects of both factors in node selection, and propose Best-fit algorithms with optimistic and pessimistic selection strategies to find the best qualified nodes on which to instantiate VMs to run user jobs. We have conducted experiments using failure traces from production systems and the NAS Parallel Benchmark programs on a real-world cluster system. The results show the enhancement of system productivity by using the proposed strategies with practically achievable accuracy of failure prediction. With the Best-fit strategies, the job completion rate is increased by 17.6% compared with that achieved in the current LANL HPC cluster. The task completion rate reaches 91.7% with 83.6% utilization of relatively unreliable nodes.
Spontaneous rosette formation of rat thymus cells with guinea pig erythrocytes.

Abstract Twenty to eighty percent of thymus cells in all of six strains of adult rats tested formed spontaneous rosettes with guinea pig erythrocytes but not with erythrocytes from eight other species. Lymphoid cells from spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow did not form rosettes. In fetal rats, only about 18% of thymus cells and about 8% of spleen cells formed rosettes. After birth the adult distribution was reached by the age of 4 weeks. Rosette formation required the presence of fetal bovine serum; fetal serum from other animal species or calf serum could not be substituted. X irradiation or treatment with cortisone significantly suppressed the number of rosette-forming cells.
The Role of PPAR-gamma and Its Interaction with COX-2 in Pancreatic Cancer.

In recent years, the study of the peroxisome proliferators activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) as a potential target for cancer prevention and therapy has gained a strong interest. However, the overall biological significance of PPAR-γ in cancer development and progression is still controversial. While many reports documented antiproliferative effects in human cancer cell and animal models, several studies demonstrating potential tumor promoting actions of PPAR-γ ligands raised considerable concerns about the role of PPAR-γ in human cancers. Controversy also exists about the role of PPAR-γ in human pancreatic cancers. The current review summarizes the data about PPAR-γ in pancreatic cancer and highlights the biologically relevant interactions between the cyclooxygenase and PPAR system.
Ab initio predictions of the molecular structures and harmonic vibrational frequencies of Ga2O2 isomers

The potential energy surface of Ga2O2 is examined at the SCF and MP2 levels employing basis set of triple-ζ plus double polarization quality. Four stationary points located at the SCF level are characterized via their Hessian index. Electron correlation is important for the energy ordering and splitting of the isomers. For example, two minimum energy structures, a cyclicD 2h form and a linear Ga-O-Ga-O, separated by 25.69 kcal/mol at the SCF level have an energy difference of only 1.70 kcal/mol at the MP2 levels. Our computed harmonic vibrational frequency at 962 cm−1 for the Ga-O-Ga-O minimum structure in in good agreement with the experimental predicted value of 967 cm−1.
A MULTICRITERIA METHOD FOR TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT PLANNING

Abstract Transportation investment planning may be described as a multicriteria decision problem because planning projects typically have two or more conflicting objectives. The transportation planning process entails the evaluation of a discrete set of alternatives with respect to these conflicting objectives. This paper argues that, since under these circumstances optimal solutions do not exist, the outcome of the evaluation process should be the identification of a small set of alternatives, termed best compromise alternatives, which come closest to achieving the stated objectives. Concordance analysis, a discrete multicriteria evaluation method, is utilized to identify the best compromise alternatives, defined as those alternatives which are non-dominated across a range of objective weights. An empirical application of the method is conducted utilizing data from an Orange County, California, transportation corridor study. Empirical results show that the method identified a small set of significantly different best compromise transportation investment alternatives. A sensitivity analysis of the results is also presented.
Role of eNOS in neovascularization: NO for endothelial progenitor cells

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous molecule with an astonishingly wide range of physiological and pathophysiological activities, including the regulation of vessel tone and angiogenesis in wound healing, inflammation, ischaemic cardiovascular diseases and malignant diseases. Recent data have revealed the predominant role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), an endothelial-cell-specific isoform of NO producing enzyme, in both angiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels derived from existing vessels) and vasculogenesis (blood vessel formation de novo from progenitor cells). In addition, successes in gene therapy, together with the recent development of an eNOS-specific inhibitor, suggest that the modulation of eNOS might be a potent new strategy for the control of pathological neovascularization.
Inhibition and facilitation of apparent motion by real motion

Observers viewed a CRT display which contained both real and apparent motion. When the apparent motion was in the same direction as the real motion, the strength of the apparent motion was enhanced. Real motion in the opposite direction completely cancelled apparent motion. However, the appearance of the real motion was not affected by apparent motion.
Does agent orange cause birth defects

Large quantities of the defoliant, Agent Orange, were sprayed in Vietnam during the war. Agent Orange was composed of two herbicides: 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, the latter contaminated by small amounts of a highly toxic dioxin (TCDD). The constituents of Agent Orange are capable of producing gene mutations and chromosomal aberrations, at least in some experimental circumstances. TCDD and 2,4,5-T are teratogenic in mice and perhaps in other mammals, but the teratogenicity of these chemicals has not been convincingly demonstrated in humans. There is currently no scientific evidence which indicates that men who were previously exposed to Agent Orange are at increased risk of having children with birth defects, but available data are inadequate to assess this possibility critically.
Next-generation sequencing of small non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) in equine endometrial tissue during maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP)

Since the mechanism by which equine maternal recognition of pregnancy occurs remains unknown, and gene expression evaluations have failed to uncover any obvious candidates, we have begun to explore the role of small ncRNAs. Small ncRNAs (< 200 nt) do not code for protein and are involved in regulation of RNA processing and function. We postulate these small ncRNA, i.e., microRNA (miRNA) and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), play a role in regulation of equineMRP. For example, miRNAs are known to regulate mRNA through inhibition of translation or RNA degradation. SnoRNAs are responsible for rRNA processing through methylation and / or pseudouridylation, as well as alternative splicing. Our previous data revealed differences in miRNA content in serum of pregnant versus non-pregnant mares during the period of maternal recognition of pregnancy. The objective of this study was to identify all small ncRNA present in equine endometrial tissue during maternal recognition of pregnancy. This experiment utilized a crossover design with each mare serving as a pregnant and non-mated control (n 1⁄4 3/day) at days 11 and 13 post-ovulation. Mares were randomly assigned to a collection day and each provided endometrial samples from a pregnant and non-pregnant cycle. Endometrial biopsies were snap frozen and stored until RNA isolation. Total RNA was isolated using homogenization in Tri Reagent, and precipitated with chloroform
Predicting water activity in solutions of mixed solutes.

The Ross equation is a multiplicative procedure for estimating the water activity (aw) of aqueous unprocessed food preparations that contain only solutes, only food polymers, or mixtures of solutes and polymers. Using accurate aw values of single solute solutions in the Ross equation resulted in prediction accuracies to ± 0.01 aw for 118 of 120 multiple-solute solutions. The exceptions at ±0.02 aw occurred within a range of concentrated solutions containing NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2.
Dreams and Dream Interpretation in Haiti

INCREASING interest in the field of culture and personality studies has led to an also increasing interest in dreams among various peoples, with respect both to the dreams themselves and to people's attitudes toward dreams. Recently Dorothy Eggan (1949) has suggested that dream material might be used, quite aside from the psychoanalytic interpretation of dreams, "as a form of personal document" and, again (1952), that the manifest content of dreams might yield important cultural insights. George Devereux (1951) has raised the question of a possible cultural patterning of dreams. While dreaming is undoubtedly a universal human characteristic, it would appear that cultures differ greatly in the importance they place on dreams. They differ, furthermore, in having more or less patterned methods of interpreting dreams, in the degree of reality they attribute to dream experiences, and in the class of phenomena with which dreams may be grouped. It is the aim of the present paper to indicate some general features of dreaming among Haitian peasants. To date, few reports of dreams have been made in the literature on Haiti. Some Haitian authors (e.g., Mortel 1947) apparently take it for granted that dreaming is a phenomenon of serious consequence to the peasants. Similarly, Rigaud and Denis (1947) report three very interesting dreams of one Marie-Noel without comment.
The Amaranth Debacle: Failure of Risk Measures or Failure of Risk Management?

The speculative activities of hedge funds are a hot topic among market agents and authorities. In September 2006, the activities of Amaranth Advisors, a mid-sized Connecticut hedge fund sent menacing ripples through the natural gas market. By September 22, 2006, Amaranth had lost roughly $5.85B or two thirds of its assets due to its activities in natural gas futures and options. Three months later, Amaranth funds were being liquidated. This paper presents a detailed investigation of the possible causes behind this spectacular hedge fund failure and draws lessons by assessing Amaranth's trading activities within a standard risk management framework. Even by very conservative measures, Amaranth was engaging in highly risky trades which (in addition to high levels of market risk) involved significant exposure to liquidity risk - a risk factor that is notoriously difficult to manage.
Satellite formation keeping control in the presence of gravity perturbations

The performance of linear control laws for satellite formation keeping in the presence of gravity perturbations is considered. Control using a linear quadratic regulator to minimize the error between the actual and desired relative satellite motion is assessed for its ability to maintain a particular formation geometry in the presence of the Earth oblateness gravity perturbation. The desired formation geometry is based on the solution to the linear, unperturbed relative motion equations. Specifically, a formation of satellites is chosen whose projected motion onto the Earth's tangential plane is a one kilometer circle. It is shown that the linear control laws maintain the formation within error bounds in the presence of gravity perturbations. Furthermore, simulations provide estimates of the maneuvering propellant required to maintain such a formation, providing a baseline for future studies involving formations based on less taxing desired trajectories and more carefully chosen control strategies.
Myd88 Is Required for an Antibody Response to Retroviral Infection

Although retroviruses have been extensively studied for many years, basic questions about how retroviral infections are detected by the immune system and which innate pathways are required for the generation of immune responses remain unanswered. Defining these pathways and how they contribute to the anti-retroviral immune responses would assist in the development of more effective vaccines for retroviral pathogens such as HIV. We have investigated the roles played by CD11c(+) dendritic cells (DCs) and by Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways in the generation of an anti-retroviral immune response against a mouse retroviral pathogen, Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MLV). Specific deletion of DCs during F-MLV infection caused a significant increase in viral titers at 14 days post-infection, indicating the importance of DCs in immune control of the infection. Similarly, Myd88 knockout mice failed to control F-MLV, and sustained high viral titers (10(7) foci/spleen) for several months after infection. Strikingly, both DC-depleted mice and Myd88 knockout mice exhibited only a partial reduction of CD8(+) T cell responses, while the IgG antibody response to F-MLV was completely lost. Furthermore, passive transfer of immune serum from wild-type mice to Myd88 knockout mice rescued control of F-MLV. These results identify TLR signaling and CD11c(+) DCs as playing critical roles in the humoral response to retroviruses.
Plasma norepinephrine response to tilting in essential hypertension.

A significant increase in the plasma concentration of norepinephrine on tilting 19 normal subjects from the horizontal to 60° upright is described. Evidence that this represents an increased neuroadrenergic activity to maintain cerebral circulation despite the peripheral pooling of blood has previously been reported. When 9 subjects with severe essential hypertension were similarly tilted, the rise in plasma norepinephrine concentration was insignificant. This may indicate a diminished neuroadrenergic activity in essential hypertension due to compensatory reflexes from the baroreceptor regions.
Clinical outcome of patients with lymph node-negative breast carcinoma who have sentinel lymph node micrometastases detected by immunohistochemistry.

BACKGROUND: The ideal pathologic assessment of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in patients with breast carcinoma remains controversial. The authors evaluated how detailed assessment of SLNs using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and serial sectioning would affect treatment decisions and outcomes in patients with breast carcinoma who had negative SLNs on standard hematoxylin and eosin staining. METHODS: The SLNs from patients who were treated between June 1998 and June, 1999 and who had negative lymph node status determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining (n = 84 patients) were evaluated further with serial sectioning and cytokeratin IHC. Patients were offered adjuvant therapy based on primary tumor factors. RESULTS: The median patient age was 57 years, and the median tumor size was 1.2 cm. At a median follow-up of 40.2 months, 81 patients (96%) were alive with no evidence of disease, 1 patient was alive with disease, 1 patient had died of disease, and 1 patient had died of other causes. Fifteen patients (18%) had micrometastases identified on IHC. Of the total 84 patients, information regarding adjuvant therapy was not available for 5 patients. Of the remaining 79 patients, 10 patients (13%) were not offered adjuvant chemotherapy but had positive SLN status determined by IHC. SLN status based on IHC evaluation did not correlate with age (P = 0.077), tumor size (P = 0.717), grade (P = 0.148), estrogen receptor status (P = 1.000), or lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.274). Furthermore, IHC-detected positive SLN status did not correlate with distant metastasis (P = 0.372) or overall or distant metastasis-free survival (P = 0.543 and P = 0.540, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Although the finding of SLN micrometastases by IHC may change management in > 12% of patients, preliminary results suggested that such micrometastases do not affect outcomes significantly.
X-ray streak camera with 30-fs timing jitter

We demonstrated that the shot-to-shot timing jitter of a streak camera is reduced to 30 fs when it is triggered by a standard kilohertz laser with 1.2% RMS fluctuation. Such small jitter was obtained by improving the response time of deflection plates and the rise-time of a ramp pulse generated by a photoconductive switch, and by operating the photoconductive switch at the optimum working condition. The temporal resolution of the x-ray streak camera operating in accumulation mode is better than 600 femtosecond that is not limited by the timing jitter.
HCV genotype 2 and 3 infections: what is the optimal duration for peginterferon alpha-2b and ribavirin therapy?

HCV genotype 2 and 3 infections: what is the optimal duration for peginterferon α-2b and ribavirin therapy?
The use of standardized neonatal mortality ratios to assess the quality of perinatal care in Colorado

Neonatal mortality in Colorado in the 3-year period 1977–1979 has been analyzed by means of standardized neonatal mortality ratios derived from birth weight-specific mortality for every obstetric facility. The standardized neonatal mortality ratios adjusted for the percentage of neonatal deaths due to untreatable disorders are presented as one possible method for comparing the neonatal outcome in obstetric populations of dissimilar risk. We have suggested that facilities with adjusted standardized neonatal mortality ratios significantly above 1 are those that might benefit from an in-depth review of perinatal services.
Highlights in surgery of brain tumours

The largest possible and safe removal of the lesion (also malignant) is the best first step of treatment. The extra-axial benign lesions do require the best possible surgical treatment, ideally a complete resection of the lesion without endangering the surrounding neural and/or vascular structures. The most frequent extra-axial intracranial tumours are: pituitary tumours, craniopharyngiomas, central skull base meningiomas, chordomas, chondrosarcomas, trigeminal schwannomas, and schwannomas of the CNs VIII. The outmost surgical reduction of the size of the lesion is highly welcome regardless of whether the tumour is intra-axial and/or extra-axial. Complementary treatment can be much more effective following a successful surgical resection of the lesion. There is no doubt that biological treatments will eventually replace the present day surgical interventions. But at the moment, this is still most effective and the only treatment which can be offered to the patients with intracranial tumours.
Optimal binary image design for optical lithography

we apply combinatorial optimization techniques to binary mask design for optical lithography. The mask is optimized in such a way as to pre-compensate the distortions due to diffraction of the optical system. Mean squared error (MSE) criterion is used to formulate the problem as a binary linear programming (LP) one which is then solved via branch and bound and simplex algorithms. Variation of the optimal mask as a function of the optical system bandwidth is discussed. Examples involving corners squares bars and crosses are presented. 1.
George Henry Lewes: a man of his time.

The twentieth century has not been kind to the memory of George Henry Lewes. At best, he is remembered as the husband of George Eliot, the novelist. Nevertheless, Lewes remains a fascinating figure in nineteenth-century intellectual history. Fluent in both French and German, he was attuned to every change, Literary and scientific, on the Continent. Carlyle called him "the prince of journalists," but Lewes was much more than that; he was one of the most important middlemen of ideas in the nineteenth century, in the best sense of that term. Until he was about forty, Lewes spent his adult life writing for various literary journals. His early affiliation with positivism had, however, engendered in him a deep love for scientific knowledge. The positivist penchant for specific laws that bind the universe together had convinced Lewes, living in an intensely scientific age, that these laws were to be discovered in the sciences in general, and in the biological sciences in particular. As early as 1846, writing in 7he Biographical History of Philosophy, Lewes had seen the change in philosophical thought as a progressive step. The development of philosophy was to culminate, Lewes felt, in scientific philosophy, or, in other words, in a knowledge bound by the limits of scientific laws. In this paper I attempt to reveal the correspondence between the transformation of ideas in the work of a single amateur scientist and the simultaneous change in the general scientific attitude of the age. I argue that the dependence of nineteenth-century science upon metaphysics for its paradigms diminished after the advent of the Darwinian theory of evolution. And I also show that this early reluctant movement of the age is clearly revealed in the work of G. H. Lewes, a lesser-known scientist of the period, a point exemplifying George Herbert Palmer's dictum that "tendencies of an age appear more distinctly in its writers of inferior ranks than [in] those of commanding genius."' It appears likely that the same reasons which prevailed upon the age to adopt the
Zener transitions and energy dissipation in small driven systems.

We consider the dynamics of an electron in a finite one-dimensional system, subject to a uniform electric field (or an electron in a ring; subject to an emf induced by a time-dependent magnetic flux). In the presence of elastic scattering due to localized potentials the driving source does not supply energy to the system in the steady state. The dissipation in the presence of inelastic scattering is evaluated. The Ohmic resistance of the system depends crucially on the inelastic rate even in the weak-localization limit.
Automatic synthesis of uncertain models for linear circuit simulation: A polynomial chaos theory approach

Abstract A generalized and automated process for the evaluation of system uncertainty using computer simulation is presented. Wiener–Askey polynomial chaos and generalized polynomial chaos expansions along with Galerkin projections, are used to project a resistive companion system representation onto a stochastic space. Modifications to the resistive companion modeling method that allow for individual models to be produced independently from one another are presented. The results of the polynomial chaos system simulation are compared to Monte Carlo simulation results from PSPICE and C++. The comparison of the simulation results from the various methods demonstrates that polynomial chaos circuit simulation is accurate and advantageous. The algorithms and processes presented in this paper are the basis for the creation of a computer-aided design (CAD) simulator for linear networks containing uncertain parameters.
Examining How Learner-Centered Professional Development Influences Teachers’ Espoused and Enacted Practices

ABSTRACT Prior professional development studies have identified discrepancies between what teachers’ report (espoused practices) and demonstrate (enacted practices) during classroom teaching. This has proven particularly evident in studies examining classroom implementation of standards-based practices such as learner-centered instruction. The authors examined the enacted and espoused practices of 2 elementary school teachers during a yearlong professional development project focusing on supporting implementation of learner-centered pedagogies in their classrooms. The convergence of video analysis of classroom teaching evidence and teacher interviews confirm little alignment between participants’ espoused and enacted practices. However, enacted teaching practices became increasingly consistent with learner-centered professional development practices when adopting a project activity or coplanning the lesson with an experienced professional developer. Implications for the design and research of learner-cent...
Marine bioluminescence estimation algorithms for in-situ irradiance measurements

Two simple algorithms are examined for estimating the volumetric generation rate of a bioluminescent light field in the upper ocean from measurements of the irradiance and scalar irradiance at two depths beneath the surface of seawater. Both algorithms require that in situ irradiance and scalar irradiance measurements be made and that the absorption coefficient be known. Radiative transfer calculations have been done to numerically test the sensitivity of the algorithms, and the one based on the principle of photon conservation is shown to work well when searching for the presence of a source and for estimating the source magnitude.
Dilute Acid Pretreatment of Douglas Fir Forest Residues: Pretreatment Yield, Hemicellulose Degradation, and Enzymatic Hydrolysability

Two Douglas fir (D. fir) forest residues were evaluated for fermentable sugar production by dilute acid pretreatment and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis in comparison with a clean D. fir wood chip sample. Detailed mass balances of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin fractions presented in D. fir samples during pretreatment and enzyme hydrolysis processes were determined. The presence of higher bark and lignin content in D. fir forest residues lowered substrate hydrolysability by 25–36 % compared to clean D. fir wood chips. A significant variation in biomass recalcitrance between the two forest residues toward biomass pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was also found and reflected by a significant difference in final glucose yield (by ~20 %). Applying ball-milling treatment of pretreated D. fir residues prior to enzyme hydrolysis can significantly enhance their hydrolysability. Both chemical composition and physical property factors (i.e., bulk density) contributed to the recalcitrant nature of forest residues.
Implementation of a rapid HIV testing programme favourably impacts provider opinions on emergency department HIV testing

Objective To assess staff knowledge of Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, attitudes and barriers towards emergency department (ED) HIV testing before and after implementing an ED rapid HIV testing programme (EDRHTP). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional pre/post survey at an urban academic medical centre. In March 2009, ED registered nurses (RNs) and doctors (MDs) participated in an anonymous survey. An EDRHTP was established in September 2009, and in March 2011, the survey was redistributed to ED staff. Differences before and after programme implementation were assessed using χ2 statistics or Fisher9s exact test. Results Respondents reported greater familiarity with CDC guidelines after programme implementation (44% vs 59%, p=0.04) and more believed that HIV testing should be offered to all ED patients (44% vs 79%, p Conclusions Overall support for ED HIV testing increased after establishment of a rapid testing programme.
The impact of physical and verbal abuse on delivery outcomes among pregnant women

Purpose This five-year prospective cohort study examined the relationship between physical and verbal abuse of pregnant women and subsequent delivery by cesarean section. Methods Data were compiled on 506 pregnant women from two counties in Alabama followed for the duration of their pregnancies. Inclusion criteria included age (12–34), ethnicity (black, white), Medicaid eligible status, and the gestational age of the infant at the first prenatal visit (1–20 weeks). Women were interviewed twice during pregnancy (first and third trimesters) and asked whether they experienced physical and verbal abuse prior to pregnancy and throughout their pregnancy. Cesarean section was determined through a medical chart review of each participant after childbirth. Results Eighteen percent of the women in the sample underwent cesarean section during childbirth, and 43% stated they had been physically and verbally abused. Adjusted logistic regression analysis indicated that women who were physically and verbally abused were more than two times more likely to require a cesarean section during childbirth than women who had no history of abuse (odds ratio = 2.05; 95% confidence interval = 1.16–3.66). Conclusion Findings indicate that women who have a history of physical and/or verbal abuse are at a higher risk of cesarean section during childbirth. Recommendations include identifying pregnant women experiencing abuse, possible intervention during the course of the pregnancy to eliminate the physical stressor of abuse and subsequent risk of cesarean section, and close monitoring of this group of higher risk women during the third trimester of pregnancy to avoid delivery complications.
Control of Flexible Aircraft Executing Time-Dependent Maneuvers

A new generation of aircraft, namely, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and, in particular, autonomous UAVs, are expected to carry out very critical maneuvers, well in excess of what pilots are able to tolerate. A newly developed theory for the dynamics and control of maneuvering flexible aircraft is ideally suited for the analysis and design of such aircraft. The state equations for maneuvering flexible aircraft are nonlinear and of high dimension. With due consideration to the way aircraft are flown, the problem can be separated into one for the generally large aircraft motions on a given flight path and another one for small perturbations from the flight path and elastic vibration, where the second problem receives inputs from the first. The case in which the flight path represents a time-dependent maneuver, so that the system of perturbation equations is time varying is studied. Several developments designed to facilitate the treatment of time-varying systems are provided. In particular, included are 1) an explicit derivation of the matrices defining the state equations, 2) a new approach to the control of the perturbations from the flight path and the elastic vibration, and 3) expressions for the implementation of the controls in discrete time. Computer solutions for the system response can be carried out conveniently by the use of MATLAB® and MATHEMATICA. A numerical example illustrates the approach for the case of a flexible aircraft executing a pitch maneuver.
Direct observation of the compositional disordering of Ni3Al in the vicinity of grain boundaries using high resolution electron microscopy techniques

The ordered compound Ni/sub 3/Al is potentially useful as a high temperature structural material, since its yield stress increases with increasing temperature up to --650/sup 0/. The major obstacle to the structural use of polycrystalline Ni/sub 3/Al is its tendency to fail intergranularly. The ductility of Ni/sub 3/Al can be improved by the addition of small amounts of boron to a slightly Ni-rich compound. The boron is found to segregate to the grain boundaries, and changes the fracture mode from intergranular to transgranular by a mechanism which is not yet understood. Possible explanations for the presence of a/2 -type dislocations are: (i) the dislocations are imperfect, with the associated antiphase boundary contrast not visible, or (ii) the Ni/sub 3/Al is disordered in the vicinity of the interface, resulting in a thin layer of f.c.c. material at the boundary, and the dislocations then have the expected f.c.c. Burgers vector. In support of the possibility of disordering are atom-probe field ion microscopy observations which showed that the boundary region is Ni-rich, with deviations from the average alloy composition of up to 5 at % Ni. It is reasonable to predict that the thickness of the disordered layer will be a function of temperature,more » and so the contribution of the disordered layer to the mechanical properties may also be temperature dependent. It can be speculated that the solubility of boron, and any other impurities that are present, will be different in disordered and ordered Ni/sub 3/Al.« less
Red-cell organic phosphates in patients with chronic renal failure on maintenance haemodialysis.

Summary. The red cells of 17 patients with chronic renal failure and anaemia were studied after a mean duration of 4 hr haemodialysis; red-cell 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) showed a significant fall whereas red-cell adenosine triphosphate (ATP) remained unchanged. During the same period arterial blood pH showed a significant rise and in 10 out of 17 instances, reached frankly alkalotic values (> 7.45). Serum inorganic phosphate (Pi) fell by 40% during this time and may have been a factor in the fall of 2, 3-DPG. This fall in 2, 3-DPG in red cells was more pronounced in four patients who were given transfusions of banked blood during the haemodialysis period. There was no correlation between 2, 3-DPG and arterial blood pH or between ATP and pH. There was no correlation between the degree of change of 2, 3-DPG and the predialysis serum Pi or the degree of change, although the mean value of both declined after dialysis. Similarly, no correlation was observed between ATP and predialysis Pi. Constantly occurring complex biochemical alterations may be limiting factors responsible for this lack of expected relationship between these measurements. These changes might result in decreased oxygen delivery to tissues in uraemic patients since the haemoglobin oxygen affinity may be increased after haemodialysis by the dual effect of a fall in red-cell 2, 3-DPG and an increase in blood pH.
Hedging your bets and assessing the outcome

Abstract Hedging offsets the risk of an existing stake by counterbalancing it with a new stake—for example, complementing a bet on the race favorite with another bet on a promising upstart. In three experiments, the authors find that rather than assessing the hedge as a whole, people tend to react to the hedging outcome by focusing on either the original stake or the new one. The authors show that the hedger's focus is linked to a psychological motivation of whether to pursue safety and security by minimizing losses, known as a “prevention orientation,” or to pursue growth and advancement by maximizing gains, known as a “promotion orientation.” When the context is gambling, prevention-oriented people fixate on what happens to the status quo stake, whereas promotion-oriented people attend to the new stake (Experiment 1). The same conclusion emerges from a stock-investing context (Experiments 2a and 2b). Moreover, because selective attention to status quo and change is the mechanism at work, the authors fin...