cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple Biomarker Panels for Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Peripheral Blood

Detecting breast cancer at early stages can be challenging. Traditional mammography and tissue microarray that have been studied for early breast cancer detection and prediction have many drawbacks. Therefore, there is a need for more reliable diagnostic tools for early detection of breast cancer due to a number of factors and challenges. In the paper, we presented a five-marker panel approach based on SVM for early detection of breast cancer in peripheral blood and show how to use SVM to model the classification and prediction problem of early detection of breast cancer in peripheral blood. We found that the five-marker panel can improve the prediction performance (area under curve) in the testing data set from 0.5826 to 0.7879. Further pathway analysis showed that the top four five-marker panels are associated with signaling, steroid hormones, metabolism, immune system, and hemostasis, which are consistent with previous findings. Our prediction model can serve as a general model for multibiomarker panel discovery in early detection of other cancers.
Thermoregulatory effects of the specific uptake inhibitor citalopram in maturing mice.

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of a single 20 mg/kg dose of citalopram (Lu 10-171) were studied in mice aged 1–10 days. 2. 2. Body temperature measured 2 and 24 hr after treatment was decreased in treated animals as compared with saline injected littermate controls. 3. 3. Two hours after treatment, temperature preference in a thermal gradient was unchanged in animals younger than 6 days; however, in animals 6 days or older, temperature preference was increased as compared with littermate controls. 4. 4. Twenty-four hours after treatment, temperature preference was increased in citalopram-treated animals at all ages tested. 5. 5. The results are discussed in relation to nervous system maturation.
Mechanisms of uplift preceding rifting

Abstract Mareschal, J.-C., 1983. Mechanisms of uplift preceding rifting. In: P. Morgan and B.H. Baker (Editors), Processes of Continental Rifting. Tectonophysics, 94: 51–66. The feasibility of three mechanisms, that have been proposed to account for the uplifts and heat flow anomalies which might precede rifting, is examined. The conductive heating, following an increase in the heat flux at the base of the lithosphere, could result in large scale uplifts (1000 m for 15 mW/m2 change in heat flux) on a time scale of 108 years. A pulse of additional heat flow could induce a more rapid uplift but not the surface heat flow anomaly which is always delayed. The advection of heat by magma intrusion into the lithosphere could also produce the uplift and heat flow anomaly. If magmas are injected at a steady rate, an uplift of the order of 1000 m can be induced in about 50·106 years, but it requires the rate of magma injection to be equivalent to 0.3% of the total volume of the lithosphere per 106 years. A short intense episode of magma invasion could explain a rapid uplift and change in surface heat flow but it requires the replacement of about 30% of the total volume of the lithosphere. The complete replacement of the lithosphere by the rise of a diapir of lighter and hotter asthenospheric material has been modelled numerically. The model indicates that the rise of the asthenospheric diapir can take place in a very short time (3·106 years) and produce the surface uplift and the crustal thinning observed in rift systems, provided that, following heating, the lower lithosphere viscosity is reduced to ∼ 1021 Pa s.
Vitamin K‐dependent proteins and anticonvulsant medication

Certain anticonvulsant drugs, especially phenytoin and phenobarbital, interfere with vitamin K metabolism as indicated by a raised serum osteocalcin level. This finding may be of importance in the pathogenesis of side effects of these medications.
Promoting exports: the role of inward FDI in China

Abstract Since the late 1970s, exports and inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in China have risen dramatically under the open-door policy. The critical role of FDI in China's exports may be indicated by the fact that exports by foreign affiliates in China in 1998 were US$81 billion, comprising 44% of China's total exports in that year. While there is considerable evidence on the FDI export linkage in China, systematically empirical analyses have been limited. This paper investigates the issue using panel data at the provincial level in the period of 1986–1997. The findings support the widely held belief that increased levels of FDI positively affect provincial manufacturing export performance.
Regulation of prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase activities in cultured human skin fibroblasts by ascorbic acid.

Abstract Studies with confluent human skin fibroblasts maintained in 0.5% serum supplemented medium have given new insight into the regulatory influences of ascorbate. These include a reduction of prolyl hydroxylase activity, a stimulation of lysyl hydroxylase activity, and an acceleration of collagen production. The lack of parallel between prolyl hydroxylase activity and collagen production indicates that the rate of collagen synthesis is not controlled by the level of prolyl hydroxylase.
Ground-state energy and relativistic corrections for positronium hydride

Variational calculations of the ground state of positronium hydride (HPs) are reported, including various expectation values, electron-positron annihilation rates, and leading relativistic corrections to the total and dissociation energies. The calculations have been performed using a basis set of 4000 thoroughly optimized explicitly correlated Gaussian basis functions. The relative accuracy of the variational energy upper bound is estimated to be of the order of 2$\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}$10${}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$, which is a significant improvement over previous nonrelativistic results.
A Note on Stochastic Scheduling on a Single Machine Subject to Breakdown and Repair

This paper considers a single machine and n jobs. The machine is subject to breakdown and repair. Job j has a weight wj, a random processing time Xj, and is available for processing from a random time Rj on. The jobs may be subject to precedence constraints. We are interested in optimal policies that minimize the following objective functions: (i) the weighted sum of the completion times; (ii) the weighted sum of an exponential function of the completion times; and (iii) the weighted number of late jobs having due dates.
Azidotetrafluorophenyl retinal analogue: Synthesis and bacteriorhodopsin pigment formation

The retinal derivative, all-trans-9-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl)-3,7- dimethyl-2,4,6,8-nonatetraenal, was synthesized by two routes as a potential photoactivatable cross-linking agent for studies in bacteriorhodopsin (BR) of the chromophore interaction with its apoprotein. The retinal analogue formed a stable, moderately functional BR pigment confirming that the ring cavity of the retinal binding site has a significant tolerance for derivatization on that portion of the molecule. Attempts to cross-link the azido chromophore to the protein by photoactivation were unsuccessful. The electron delocalization effect of the conjugated polyene side chain of the retinal appears to interfere with the formation or reactivity of the nitrene intermediate to the extent that photoactivated cross-linking is not achieved. These results demonstrate a limitation to the use of fluorinated aryl azides as photoaffinity reagents.
Laryngeal aerodynamics associated with oral contraceptive use: preliminary findings.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine possible differences in laryngeal aerodynamic measures during connected speech associated with oral contraceptive (OC) use. Eight women taking an OC, and eight others not taking an OC, participated in the study. Three trials of syllable /p /repetitions were obtained using a circumferentially vented face mask and small translabial tube. All participants were recorded on or near days 7 and 14 of their menstrual cycle. Subglottal pressure (PSG) and average airflow rates were obtained to determine laryngeal airway resistance. Glottal airflow measures of peak flow, minimum flow, alternating flow, as well as relative sound level (RSL) were obtained. PSG was obtained from the pressure peak associated with/p/. All airflow parameters and RSL were obtained from the vowel portion. No significant differences were found related to day of recording or OC use, indicating that OC use does not significantly affect laryngeal airflow regulation. Learning outcomes The reader will better understand the effects of hormones and oral contraceptives on the female voice, as well as the specific changes in vocal function that may occur in conjunction with the use of oral contraceptives.
A Mass-Flux Scheme View of a High-Resolution Simulation of a Transition from Shallow to Deep Cumulus Convection

In this paper, an idealized, high-resolution simulation of a gradually forced transition from shallow, nonprecipitating to deep, precipitating cumulus convection is described; how the cloud and transport statistics evolve as the convection deepens is explored; and the collected statistics are used to evaluate assumptions in current cumulus schemes. The statistical analysis methodologies that are used do not require tracing the history of individual clouds or air parcels; instead they rely on probing the ensemble characteristics of cumulus convection in the large model dataset. They appear to be an attractive way for analyzing outputs from cloud-resolving numerical experiments. Throughout the simulation, it is found that 1) the initial thermodynamic properties of the updrafts at the cloud base have rather tight distributions; 2) contrary to the assumption made in many cumulus schemes, nearly undiluted air parcels are too infrequent to be relevant to any stage of the simulated convection; and 3) a simple model with a spectrum of entraining plumes appears to reproduce most features of the cloudy updrafts, but significantly overpredicts the mass flux as the updrafts approach their levels of zero buoyancy. A buoyancy-sorting model was suggested as a potential remedy. The organized circulations of cold pools seem to create clouds with larger-sized bases and may correspondingly contribute to their smaller lateral entrainment rates. Our results do not support a mass-flux closure based solely on convective available potential energy (CAPE), and are in general agreement with a convective inhibition (CIN)-based closure. The general similarity in the ensemble characteristics of shallow and deep convection and the continuous evolution of the thermodynamic structure during the transition provide justification for developing a single unified cumulus parameterization that encompasses both shallow and deep convection.
Time-on-Task and Reading Performance in Underachieving Children.

Elementary school pupils identified as being a year or more behind in reading achievement and who were observed as spending low percentages of time- on-task-were selected for participation in a short-term, highly structured program designed to increase task oriented behavior. Two different groups of approximately ten children each participated in each of three separate eight-week intervention phases. For each phase, a comparison group of approximately ten children remained in the regular classroom. Following the intervention, participating pupils were found to spend significantly more time-on-task and to achieve at a significantly higher level in reading than their comparison counterparts. These advantages in reading achieve- ment performance were maintained over a period of four months after their return to regular classrooms on a full-time basis. In 1963, John B. Carroll introduced a model of school learning that attempted to explain the role of the time variable and its relationship to learning rate and achieve- ment performance. Since that time, a number of studies have produced results which encourage the conclusion that the amount of time pupils spend actively engaged in learning is related to their achievement outcomes (Anderson, 1973; Berliner & Rosen- shine, 1977; Bloom, 1974, 1976; Good & Beckerman, 1978; Guthrie, Martuza, & Seifert, 1976; McKinney, Mason, Perkerson, & Clifford, 1975; Rosenshine, 1977; Walker & Buckley, 1968; Walker & Hops, 1976; Wiley & Harnishchfeger, 1974). These reported relationships between amount of learning time and achievement lead logically to speculation about the effects upon reading performance of increasing the proportion of instructional time pupils spend on-task. The importance of the time variable to learning is explicit in Carroll's model. The critical variables in the model are (1) time needed to achieve a task; and (2) time ac- tually spent on the task. These variables determine the degree of learning. The rela- tionship among these variables is expressed in the formula: , .,
Space Interferometry Mission flight software management challenges and lessons

The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) under development at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been an ambitious project which when completed will determine the positions and distances of stars several hundred times more accurately than any previous program. This accuracy will allow SIM to determine the distances to stars throughout the galaxy and to probe nearby stars for Earth-sized planets. [1] However, it has been a roller coaster in terms of funding. After several false starts, the flight software development team finally ramped up in early 2004. The flight software development team built prototype programs for timing benchmarks, designed a new architecture, implemented a core infrastructure usable by a variety of future missions, and successfully developed and infused new technology along the way, before being disbanded due to funding cuts at the beginning of 2007.
On Saying What Will Be

In the face of ontic (as opposed to epistemic) openness of the future, must there be exactly one continuation of the present that is what will happen? This essay argues that an affirmative answer, known as the doctrine of the Thin Red Line, is likely coherent but ontologically profligate in contrast to an Open Future doctrine that does not privilege any one future over others that are ontologically possible. In support of this claim I show how thought and talk about “the future” can be made intelligible from an Open Future perspective. In so doing I elaborate on the relation of speech act theory and the “scorekeeping model” of conversation, and argue as well that the Open Future perspective is neutral on the doctrine of modal realism.
Enigmatic pruritus in a kidney transplant patient

Pruritus is a common problem following a kidney transplant and is usually attributable to new medications related to transplantation. We present an unusual case of pruritus that began several months after kidney transplantation. After changing several immunosuppressive medications, numerous clinical visits and consideration by the patient of stopping immunosuppression, scabies was diagnosed as the cause. Treatment with oral ivermectin and topical permethrin resulted in complete resolution of symptoms within 1 week. Transplant physicians should consider common causes of pruritus unrelated to transplantation; diagnostic skin lesions of scabies may be absent.
Development and Validation of an ECG Algorithm for Identifying Accessory Pathway Ablation Site in Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

ECG Localization of Accessory AV Pathways. Introduction: Delta wave morphology correlates with the site of ventricular insertion of accessory AV pathways. Because lesions due to radiofrequency (RF) current are small and well defined, it may allow precise localization of accessory pathways. The purpose of this study was to use RF catheter ablation to develop an ECG algorithm to predict accessory pathway location. Methods and Results: An algorithm was developed by correlating a resting 12-lead ECG with the successful RF ablation site in 135 consecutive patients with a single, anterogradely conducting accessory pathway (Retrospective phase). This algorithm was subsequently tested prospectively in 121 consecutive patients (Prospective phase). The ECG findings included the initial 20 msec of the delta wave in leads I, II, aVF, and V1 [classified as positive (+), negative (-), or isoelectric (±)] and the ratio of R and S wave amplitudes in leads III and V1 (classified as R ≥ S or R < S). When tested prospectively, the ECG algorithm accurately localized the accessory pathway to 1 of 10 sites around the tricuspid and mitral annuli or at subepicardial locations within the venous system of the heart. Overall sensitivity was 90% and specificity was 99%. The algorithm was particularly useful in correctly localizing anteroseptal (sensitivity 75%, specificity 99%), and mid-septal (sensitivity 100%, specificity 98%) accessory pathways as well as pathways requiring ablation from within ventricular venous branches or anomalies of the coronary sinus (sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%). Conclusion: A simple ECG algorithm identifies accessory pathway ablation site in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. A truly negative delta wave in lead II predicts ablation within the coronary venous system.
GcvR interacts with GcvA to inhibit activation of the Escherichia coli glycine cleavage operon

The Escherichia coli glycine cleavage enzyme system, encoded by the gcvTHP operon, catalyses the oxidative cleavage of glycine to CO(2), NH(3) and a one-carbon methylene group. Transcription of the gcv operon is positively regulated by GcvA and negatively regulated by GcvA and GcvR. Using a LexA-based system for analysing protein heterodimerization, it is shown that GcvR interacts directly with GcvA in vivo to repress gcvTHP expression. Several mutations in either gcvA or gcvR that result in a loss of gcv repression also result in a loss of GcvA/GcvR heterodimerization. Finally, it is shown that the C-terminal half of GcvA is involved in its interaction with GcvR, whilst the entire GcvR protein appears to be necessary for heterodimerization.
Thermal effects in the necking of polymers

A certain fraction of the mechanical work performed on a specimen is converted into heat during necking of plastic material. A method for measuring this fraction is proposed when specimens are drawn in two different surroundings, air and water. Differences in the heat transfer coefficients of these two media influence the temperature rise during necking. The fraction (α) of mechanical work converted into heat can be calculated using data determined at only one draw rate. The value of α calculated for polypropylene is 0.55 and for polyethylene it is 0.48.
Measurements of erythemal energy

With the the growing popularity of solaria and increasing public acceptance of sources generating erythemal ultraviolet, there is a definite need in the field for a rugged, compact direct-reading meter that will measure the E-Vitons per square foot in the same way that a footcandle meter measures lumens/square foot. E-Vitons are the unit to express the health and erythema value of radiations above 2,800 Angstrom units. The design of such a meter is discussed.
Intergeneric Communication in Dental Plaque Biofilms

Dental plaque is a complex biofilm that accretes in a series of discrete steps proceeding from a gram-positive streptococcus-rich biofilm to a structure rich in gram-negative anaerobes. This study investigated information flow between two unrelated plaque bacteria, Streptococcus cristatus and Porphyromonas gingivalis. A surface protein of S. cristatus caused repression of the P. gingivalis fimbrial gene (fimA), as determined by a chromosomal fimA promoter-lacZ reporter construct and by reverse transcription-PCR. Signaling activity was associated with a 59-kDa surface protein of S. cristatus and showed specificity for the fimA gene. Furthermore, P. gingivalis was unable to form biofilm microcolonies with S. cristatus. Thus, S. cristatus is capable of modulating virulence gene expression in P. gingivalis, consequently influencing the development of pathogenic plaque.
DIMENSIONS OF COLLABORATION AND FAMILY IMPACTS

Decentralized, market-based service systems provide services recipients with opportunities to choose services and service providers. Yet, for some service recipients, finding and arranging for services is so difficult that they do not receive the services they need. Collaboration between service providers and service recipients may reduce the costs and confusion of decentralized service delivery. This study explores the effects of interagency collaboration and collaboration between agencies and families on families’ experiences finding and arranging service to help them and their children with disabilities. It uses data collected from 317 randomly sampled families participating in the State of Michigan’s Early On program (Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Higher levels of interagency collaboration were associated with increases in the quantity and quality of services provided. Different forms of collaboration between agencies and families were associated with more mixed service d...
COMPARISON OF METHODS FOR DETERMINING DOMINANCE RANK IN MALE AND FEMALE PRAIRIE VOLES (MICROTUS OCHROGASTER)

Dominance ranks in male and female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) were determined from 6 measurements that mimicked environmental situations that might be encountered by prairie voles in communal groups, including agonistic interactions resulting from competition for food and water and encounters in burrows. Male and female groups of 6 individuals each were tested against one another in pairwise encounters (i.e., dyads) for 5 of the measurements and together as a group in a 6th measurement. Two types of response variables, aggressive behaviors and possession time of a limiting resource, were collected during trials, and those data were used to determine cardinal ranks and principal component ranks for all animals within each group. Cardinal ranks and principal component ranks seldom yielded similar rankings for each animal across measurements. However, dominance measurements that were conducted in similar environmental contexts, regardless of the response variable recorded, ranked animals similarly. Our results suggest that individual dominance measurements assessed situation- or resource-specific responses. Our study demonstrates problems inherent in determining dominance rankings of individuals within groups, including choosing measurements, response variables, and statistical techniques. Researchers should avoid using a single measurement to represent social dominance until they have first demonstrated that a dominance relationship between 2 individuals has been learned (i.e., subsequent interactions show a reduced response rather than an escalation), that this relationship is relatively constant through time, and that the relationship is not context dependent. Such assessments of dominance status between all dyads then can be used to generate dominance rankings within social groups.
Efficient reactivation of Xenopus erythrocyte nuclei in Xenopus egg extracts

Rapid genome replication is one of the hallmarks of the frog embryonic cell cycle. We report here that complete reactivation of quiescent somatic cell nuclei in Xenopus egg extracts depends on prior restructuring of the nuclear substrate and prior preparation of cytoplasmic extract with the highest capacity to initiate and sustain DNA synthesis. Nuclei from mature erythrocytes swell, replicate their DNA efficiently, and enter mitosis in frozen/thawed extracts prepared from activated Xenopus eggs, provided the nuclei are first treated with trypsin, heparin, and an extract prepared from unactivated, meiotically arrested, eggs. Optimal replicating extracts are prepared from large batches of unfertilized eggs that are synchronously activated into the cell cycle for 28 minutes (at 20 degrees C). Because the Xenopus cell cycle progresses so rapidly, extracts prepared just a few minutes before or after this time have substantially lower DNA synthetic capacities. At the optimal time and temperature, eggs have just reached the G1/S boundary of the first cell cycle. This fact was revealed by injecting and replicating an SV40 plasmid in intact unfertilized eggs as described previously. We estimate that under optimal conditions approximately 6.14 × 10(9) base pairs of DNA/per nucleus are synthesized in 30–40 minutes, a rate that rivals that observed in the zygotic nucleus. The findings reported here are one step in our long term effort to develop a new in vitro/in vivo approach to nuclear transplantation. Nuclear transplantation in amphibian embryos has been used to establish that the genomes of many types of differentiated somatic cells are pluripotent. But very few such nuclei have ever developed into advanced tadpoles or adult frogs, probably because somatic nuclei injected directly into activated eggs fail to reactivate quickly enough to avoid being damaged during first mitosis. We have already shown that unfertilized eggs can be injected prior to activation of the first cell cycle. Future experiments will reveal whether in vitro reactivated somatic cell nuclei transplanted into such eggs reliably reach advanced stages of development.
Complexity analysis of multicarrier and single-carrier systems for very high-speed digital subscriber line

A complexity analysis of discrete multitone (DMT) and single-carrier modulation (SCM) in the context of a very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) is presented in this paper. In addition to the traditional arithmetic complexity measures such as the number of multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) operations, we also compute the memory requirements. Furthermore, we normalize these metrics with respect to the number of information bits transmitted (rate normalized) and scale with respect to data path precision (precision scaled) in order to obtain more comprehensive metrics. The analysis shows that the number of MAC's per transmitted information bit (N/sub MACb/) for SCM is greater than that for DMT for all distances of interest in VDSL. The number of MACs per information bit and scaled with respect to precision (B/sub MAC/), i.e., NB/sub MACb/ = N/sub MACb/B/sub MAC/, was found to be clearly smaller for SCM in loops shorter than approximately 2 kft. This metric was found to be clearly smaller for DMT in loops longer than approximately 3.25 kft. At all lengths, DMT was found to have smaller memory requirements per information bit, as well as smaller precision-scaled memory requirements.
Central-tendency estimation and nearest-estimate classification of multi-channel evoked potentials

By modeling evoked potentials (EPs) as random vectors in which the EP samples are random variables, a generalized strategy is introduced to determine multivariate central-tendency estimates such as the arithmetic mean, geometric mean, harmonic mean, median, tri-mean, and trimmed-mean. Additionally, a generalized strategy is introduced to develop minimum-distance classifiers based on central tendency estimates. Furthermore, procedures are developed to fuse the decisions of the nearest-estimate classifiers for multi-channel EP classification. The central-tendency estimates of real EPs are compared and it is shown that although the mathematical operations to compute the estimates are quite different, the EP estimates are similar with respect to their overall waveform shapes and latencies. It is also shown that by fusing the classifier decisions across multiple channels, the classification accuracy can be improved significantly when compared with the accuracies of individual channel classifiers.
Organizational Slack and Response to Environmental Shifts: The Impact of Resource Allocation Patterns:

This study examines whether slack resources have differential effects on the extent of a firm’s response to environmental shifts. Using a sample of 30 airlines during the transitional period of industry deregulation, we found that the relationship between slack resources and the extent of a firm’s environmental response is contingent on the firm’s pattern of resource allocations. Specifically, our results show that as firms allocate more resources toward activities which enhance external market effectiveness, increases in slack increase the extent of their environmental response. Conversely, as firms allocate more resources to activities that enhance internal efficiency, increases in slack decrease the extent of their environmental response. The implications of these findings are discussed. In particular, we examine these findings relative to the ongoing debate concerning the role slack plays in organizational adaptation processes.
Temporal Synchrony Detection and Associations with Language in Young Children with ASD

Temporally synchronous audio-visual stimuli serve to recruit attention and enhance learning, including language learning in infants. Although few studies have examined this effect on children with autism, it appears that the ability to detect temporal synchrony between auditory and visual stimuli may be impaired, particularly given social-linguistic stimuli delivered via oral movement and spoken language pairings. However, children with autism can detect audio-visual synchrony given nonsocial stimuli (objects dropping and their corresponding sounds). We tested whether preschool children with autism could detect audio-visual synchrony given video recordings of linguistic stimuli paired with movement of related toys in the absence of faces. As a group, children with autism demonstrated the ability to detect audio-visual synchrony. Further, the amount of time they attended to the synchronous condition was positively correlated with receptive language. Findings suggest that object manipulations may enhance multisensory processing in linguistic contexts. Moreover, associations between synchrony detection and language development suggest that better processing of multisensory stimuli may guide and direct attention to communicative events thus enhancing linguistic development.
Failure To Detect Muramic Acid in Normal Rat Tissues but Detection in Cerebrospinal Fluids from Patients with Pneumococcal Meningitis

Muramic acid serves as a marker for the presence of bacterial cell wall debris in mammalian tissues. There have been a number of controversial and sometimes conflicting results on assessing the levels of muramic acid in health and disease. The present report is the first to use the state-of-the art technique, gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, to identify and quantify the levels of muramic acid in tissues. Muramic acid was not found in normal rat brain or spleen. However, when tissues were spiked with muramic acid, it was readily identified. The detection limit was
The role of robotics in freshmen engineering curricula

The paper is based on the author's experience gained from developing and teaching an interdisciplinary hands-on freshmen-level Introduction to Engineering course at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Robotics experiments, projects, lectures and computer lab activities currently occupy 15-25% of the course's total curriculum. These include programming of industrial robots, construction of LEGO/sup /spl reg// Mindstorms/spl trade/ mobile robots and image processing. The paper describes all these activities and their educational objectives. It contrasts the objectives of the robotics activities with the overall course objectives. The paper identifies the sources of these robotics activities, relating these to more advanced activities pursued in several senior-level courses at FAU.
Novel Adaptive Codebook-Based Limited Feedback Techniques for Multi-User MIMO-OFDM Systems

To mitigate the sum rate ceiling problems, high-resolution quantization and feedback schemes for the channel state information (CSI) are highly demanded in multi-user (MU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. In this paper, we investigate three adaptive codebook-based limited feedback techniques for MU-MIMO-OFDM broadcast systems. Using the channel covariance and mean respectively, adaptive codebook techniques I and II are extensions of two adaptive codebook techniques proposed for single-user MIMO single-carrier systems. Technique III is a totally novel proposal wherein both channel covariance and mean are exploited in the adaptive codebook construction. Numerical results show that the adaptive codebook approaches have significant sum rate gain compared to the fixed codebook solution and technique III outperforms techniques I and II.
On the Convolution Powers of Complex Functions on \mathbb {Z}

The local limit theorem describes the behavior of the convolution powers of a probability distribution supported on $$\mathbb {Z}$$ . In this work, we explore the role played by positivity in this classical result and study the convolution powers of the general class of complex valued functions finitely supported on $$\mathbb {Z}$$ . This is discussed as de Forest’s problem in the literature and was studied by Schoenberg and Greville. Extending these earlier works and using techniques of Fourier analysis, we establish asymptotic bounds for the sup-norm of the convolution powers and prove extended local limit theorems pertaining to this entire class. As the heat kernel is the attractor of probability distributions on $$\mathbb {Z}$$ , we show that the convolution powers of the general class are similarly attracted to a certain class of analytic functions which includes the Airy function and the heat kernel evaluated at purely imaginary time.
A Comprehensive Clinicopathologic Analysis Suggests that Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is the Most Likely Mediator of Periosteal New Bone Formation (PNBF) Associated with Diverse Etiologies

Periosteal new bone formation (PNBF) is the means by which appositional bone growth normally takes place on the surfaces of compact bone. Alterations in the periosteal microenvironment trigger complex interactions between osteoblasts and endothelial cells to promote PNBF. Physiologic processes like mechanical stress result in normal PNBF; but, a variety of pathologic processes result in excessive PNBF. The production of sufficient bone to be detectable by conventional radiography is a common feature of diverse etiologies, including infection; inflammation; prostaglandin E2 administration for ductal-dependent congenital heart disease; metabolic and hormonal abnormalities; neoplasms; fracture repair; systemic hypoxia; and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. While the clinical settings and distribution of affected bone sites in these conditions are different, the histopathology of the PNBF is essentially identical; so, it seems logical that a common pathway might mediate them all. By combining the observations and insights gained from osseous research and studying the clinical pathology of these diverse conditions, we constructed a comprehensive pathway to explain PNBF. In doing so, it seems likely that Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is the most likely common mediator of the pathways that lead to PNBF.
Diuretics and Glaucoma

Publisher Summary Glaucoma is a series of eye diseases characterized by increased intraocular pressure, optic nerve degeneration, and visual field defects. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. The incidence of this disease increases with advancing age and ranges from 1% to 5% of adults over the age of 40. The disease is insidious in its origin and most patients are asymptomatic until late in the course of illness. By the time the diagnosis of glaucoma is made, permanent visual loss often has already occurred. The primary basis of glaucoma is an increase in intraocular pressure leading to progressive deterioration of the optic nerve. The mechanism of the increased intraocular pressure is an obstruction to aqueous humor outflow: from the posterior chamber, from the anterior chamber through the trabecular meshwork on the way to the canal of Schlemm into the venous drainage system, or via drainage through uveal vessels and the sclera. There are multiple classification schemes, and according to them glaucoma can be classified into congenital glaucoma, primary glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma.
Maintaining Low Voiding Solder Die Attach for Power Die While Minimizing Die Tilt

This paper addresses work to minimize voiding and die tilt in solder attachment of a large power die, measuring 9.0 mm × 6.5 mm × 0.1 mm (0.354″ × 0.256″ × 0.004″), to a heat spreader. As demands for larger high power die continue, minimizing voiding and die tilt is of interest for improved die functionality, yield, manufacturability, and reliability. High-power die generate considerable heat, which is important to dissipate effectively through control of voiding under high thermal load areas of the die while maintaining a consistent bondline (minimizing die tilt). Voiding was measured using acoustic imaging and die tilt was measured using two different optical measurement systems. 80Au-20Sn solder reflow was achieved using a batch vacuum solder system with optimized fixturing. Minimizing die tilt proved to be the more difficult of the two product requirements to meet. Process development variables included tooling, weight and solder preform thickness.
Abstract 666: Monoclonal Anti-marinobufagenin Antibody Alters Profile Of Expression Of Profibrotic Genes In Aorta In Hypertensive Dahl-S Rats

Elevated levels of cardiotonic steroid marinobufagenin (MBG) are implicated in pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension in Dahl-S rats (DS), and induce cardiac fibrosis in rats with experimental uremic cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that in hypertensive DS immunoneutralization of MBG with a monoclonal antibody (Mab) would affect expression of profibrotic genes and would exhibit anti-remodeling effects. We studied following groups (n=6 each): (1) DS on a low salt (0.3% NaCl) diet (LS); (2) DS on a high salt (8% NaCl) diet for 7 weeks (HS); (3) DS on a high salt diet for 7 weeks, following 3E9 anti-MBG Mab treatment for 5 days (HSAB). Levels of MBG, and levels of mRNA expression in aorta (microarray analysis, Illumina) were assessed. In HS vs. LS, BP increased by 78 mmHg (p Table . Z-ratio of paired analysis of gene expression in aorta:
Russia's New Land Code: A Two Percent Solution

On October 25, 2001, President Vladimir Putin signed the Land Code of the Russian Federation into law. Factions in the Duma extensively debated the proposed Land Code during the 1990s. The communists and agrarians essentially had argued for a throwback to the bad old days. The new law only applies to 2% of all the land in Russia – but a very valuable 2%, i.e., urban land and dacha property. The Code provides opportunities for great success or failure. It is partly a zoning law, an environmental law, an eminent domain law, a historical preservation law, a “Superfund” law, a private trespass law, and a nuisance law. The Code also reflects Russia’s traditional concern for agriculture. It establishes principles of federalism in land matters by delineating the respective regulatory authorities of the Russian Federation, the regions, and municipalities. The new Land Code recognizes principles of private ownership that include the right to sell land – necessary conditions to its efficient use. The Soviet system of state ownership rejected these principles. Much of the new Land Code does not create any new or unfamiliar principles. However, the very breadth of the Code should sweep within its scope, or sweep away, any number of federal, republic, and local laws. In subtle ways, the Code acknowledges various shortcomings of local government officials. This article provides a first look at the new Land Code, reviews its provisions, and raises some legal and practical questions that will need resolution.
Observations on Crop and Gizzard Movements in the Cockroach, Periplaneta Fulginosa (Serv.).

With the exception of a few incidental observations, the literature appears to contain no detailed description of movements occurring in the insect alimentary tract observed in situ . Vigorous movements of the proventriculus or gizzard (honey stopper) have been observed in the bee by Cheshire (1) and by Whitcomb and Wilson (2) among others. Hobson (3) and Ten Cate (4) have made studies on the effects of various drugs and electrolytes on the isolated fore-gut of Dytiscus, but such studies are comparatively few and usually do not include observations made upon the uninjured animals. The present paper is a report of observations on the movements of the alimentary tract, especially of crop and gizzard, of the intact cockroach, Periplaneta fulginosa (Serv.).[1][1] [1]: #fn-1
Forecast of Commercial Bank Loaning Risk Based on BP Model

In the field of the prevention of financial risks, it is the key to forecast the risks of commercial banks. Commercial bank loaning is a complex and nonlinear system, and it is difficult for the linear theory to reflect the general laws, thus this paper adopts artificial neural network to research them. In virtue of back-propagation network (BP), the operating capacity of the loan can be forecasted, therefore the commercial bank loaning risk will be within a controllable range. The results through forecasting a typical company as a representative reveal that the established prediction model is capable of predicting risk.
Review of effects of anti-VEGF treatment on refractive error

To examine the effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents on refractive error in the setting of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) through a review of the literature, a PubMed search was performed of appropriate search terms, and the results of all relevant studies were extracted and compiled. Eleven relevant articles were identified in the literature, totaling 466 eyes, treated with varied anti-VEGF agents (bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept) with mean spherical equivalent refractions ranging from +0.75 D to −3.57 D, with prevalence of high myopia ranging from 0 to 35%. Anti-VEGF monotherapy for ROP leads to low levels of myopia, and there may be a differential effect of specific anti-VEGF agents utilized on refractive outcomes.
Pyogenic infectious spondylitis in children. The evolution to current thought.

The historic evolution of pyogenic infectious spondylitis from its initial descriptions to its current characterization illustrates the degree to which our means of perception and evaluation influence our understanding of an illness. As new concepts resulting from medical innovations challenge traditional beliefs regarding the etiology and optimum treatment of pyogenic infectious spondylitis in children (commonly termed discitis), controversies have arisen. This review attempts to clarify these issues by reconstructing their historic basis and delineating the limitations of our current knowledge. In our opinion, this exercise demonstrates the similarities between pyogenic infectious spondylitis in children and adults and provides support for the management of this illness at all ages with parenteral antibiotics, cast or brace immobilization when needed for symptomatic relief, and, rarely, operative debridement.
Radiative Transfer in the Atmosphere and Ocean: Transmission in Spectrally Complex Media

Introduction Having established some concepts of absorption and line-broadening processes in Chapters 3 and 4, we may now discuss more practical aspects of determining the transmission and radiative transfer within spectrally complex media. We first consider how radiation is transmitted through a medium characterized by absorption within a single, spectrally isolated line. This introduces the historically important quantity, the equivalent width. A generalization of this notion to include progressively more realistic absorption properties brings us to the various parameterizations of complex transmission processes, known as molecular band models. A large number of such models have been introduced over the years, all attempting to replace a very messy transmission problem with one or more analytic functions having a minimum number of parameters. These band parameters are derived from either comparisons with laboratory data or, since the advent of fast computers, with accurate line-by-line (LBL) computations. Since these classical methods are limited in accuracy, and cannot generally accommodate the simultaneous effects of scattering and absorption, it has been a goal in the field for many years to improve these descriptions. Many attempts have been made toward this end, and considerable progress has been made. Since many other references have covered band-model theory, we will provide only a few examples, before discussing the more modern methods, with emphasis on performing calculations for realistic inhomogeneous gaseous media. There are two basic reasons why the absorption properties of a molecular gas depend very strongly upon wavenumber: (1) The line strengths can vary drastically over a given band, and (2) within a given line, the absorption coefficient changes many orders of magnitude over small wavenumber intervals.
Balancing the Budget Revenues

The fact that the problem of revenues is dealt with here in a separate chapter should not be taken to suggest that appropriations and revenues are in any way separable or mutually exclusive problems. To the contrary, the two are inextricably linked, although perhaps to a lesser degree in the United Nations than in governmental budgeting. During the various phases of the authorization, formulation, examination, and appropriation processes, the revenue problem is ever-present, often explicitly and always implicitly. Conversely, in the search for revenue, much emphasis is placed on the size and nature of the appropriations which have to be matched. Furthermore, decision-making on both expenditure and income is carried on more or less simultaneously; while the Advisory Committee is examining the budget, the Contributions Committee is formulating the scale of assessments, and ultimately, both measures must be considered side by side in the Fifth Committee and the Assembly.
Posterior Fossa Dermoids

Three children with dermoid cysts of the posterior fossa are reported from the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifen, and Hadassa Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
Does Craigslist Reduce Waste? Evidence from California and Florida

Abstract There is much discussion but little research on the environmental impacts of online platforms associated with the sharing economy. Economic theory suggests that falling transaction costs in secondhand markets increase incentives for people to exchange rather than discard used goods. This paper uses difference-in-difference methods to estimate Craigslist's effect on solid waste by exploiting a natural experiment in how the platform expanded across California and Florida. The econometric results suggest that Craigslist reduced daily per capita solid waste generation by about one third of a pound, though the estimates are not very precise. A plausibility analysis of the weight of items posted on Craigslist concludes that the 200 million annual for-sale posts created by Californians and Floridians can reasonably account for waste reductions of roughly this magnitude.
Development of hybrid notification systems for use in storm-based warnings in rural communities.

AbstractThis case study compares capabilities of existing emergency alert sirens and the wireless emergency alert (WEA) system in Calhoun County, Alabama, using storm-based warning polygons. Using ...
Gli-fully Halting the Progression of Fibrosis.

Activating triggers, selective markers, and the residual regenerative potential of scar-forming myofibroblasts are largely determined by their origin. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Schneider et al. report that bone marrow myofibroblasts derive from Gli1+ mesenchymal stromal cells and that a Gli inhibitor targets them for elimination in mice and humans, ameliorating fibrosis.