cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seroprevalence of hepatitis A among hospital dietary workers: Implications for screening and immunization

Hepatitis A is a self-limited, virally mediated infection of the liver. The usual mode of transmission is by the fecal-oral route. Employees of food-service establishments who are infected with the hepititus A virus can transmit the disease when handling food products. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of the hepatitis A vaccine among dietary workers who may be at risk for contracting and spreading the disease. Because hepatitis A infection can often be a subclinical disease, the incidence of cases reported is not indicative of its true prevalence. The objective of this study was to document the seroprevalence of hepatitis A among hospital dietary workers. Dietary workers at a suburban hospital were interviewed to determine if they had been exposed to hepatitis A and if they had a history of hepatitis A infection. Serum was obtained from each subject and tested for the presence of hepatitis A antibodies. The Abbott HAVAB EIA kit was used for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM hepatitis A antibodies. Of 119 subjects, 56 (47%) were women, and 63 (53%) were men; the subjects had a mean age of 42 years (range, 20-66). Fifty-one subjects (43%) were born in the United States, and 68 subjects (57%) were born outside of the United States. Of the 119 subjects, only 2 (2%) had a known history of hepatitis A infection, yet 67 (56%) had hepatitis A titers; 52 (44%) were susceptible to the disease. One subject had received the hepatitis A vaccine. Fifty-five of 68 foreign-born subjects (81%; 95% confidence interval, 71-91%) had hepatitis A antibodies versus 12 of 51 US-born subjects (24%; 95% confidence interval, 12-36%). The foreign-born subjects had a mean age of 28 years at the time of their arrival in the United States. In conclusion, a large number of foreign-born hospital dietary workers have hepatitis A antibodies without a history of disease. Immunization of this group of dietary workers may not have any beneficial effects, nor is it cost-effective.
Seaweeds and biotechnology — inseparable companions

I may be going out on the proverbial limb by saying that most of the major advances in modern biotechnology would not have been possible without the availability of the polysaccharides from marine macroalgae, or seaweeds, but from my admittedly biased vantage point, this is a reality. A number of you who are participants in this XIIIth International Seaweed Symposium have made significant contributions, both directly and indirectly, to this effort.
Factors influencing efficiency of sliding mechanics to close extraction space: a systematic review.

Structured Abstract Authors – Barlow M, Kula K Objectives – To review recent literature to determine strength of clinical evidence concerning the influence of various factors on the efficiency (rate of tooth movement) of closing extraction spaces using sliding mechanics. Design – A comprehensive systematic review on prospective clinical trials. An electronic search (1966–2006) of several databases limiting the searches to English and using several keywords was performed. Also a hand search of five key journals specifically searching for prospective clinical trials relevant to orthodontic space closure using sliding mechanics was completed. Outcome Measure – Rate of tooth movement. Results – Ten prospective clinical trials comparing rates of closure under different variables and focusing only on sliding mechanics were selected for review. Of these ten trials on rate of closure, two compared arch wire variables, seven compared material variables used to apply force, and one examined bracket variables. Other articles which were not prospective clinical trials on sliding mechanics, but containing relevant information were examined and included as background information. Conclusion – The results of clinical research support laboratory results that nickel-titanium coil springs produce a more consistent force and a faster rate of closure when compared with active ligatures as a method of force delivery to close extraction space along a continuous arch wire; however, elastomeric chain produces similar rates of closure when compared with nickel-titanium springs. Clinical and laboratory research suggest little advantage of 200 g nickel-titanium springs over 150 g springs. More clinical research is needed in this area.
High-Precision Flame Emission Spectrometry

Abstract As flame emission and atomic absorption spectrometry become more extensively used in science and industry, the need for improved precision and accuracy becomes apparent. The relative standard deviation of flame emission methods reported in the literature varies from 1 to 5 percent (1). With the present instrumentation, a relative standard deviation of about one percent can be maintained for most elements.
How to Make It in the Urinary Tract: A Tutorial by Escherichia coli

Extra-intestinal E. coli (ExPEC) may transition from benign colonization of the enteric and vaginal tracts to cause urinary tract infections (UTIs), septicemia, and meningitis. ExPEC colonization of the lower urinary tract leads to an acute infection of the superficial bladder urothelial cells, termed cystitis. Notably, 50% of all women will experience at least one UTI during their lifetime [1]. Even though ExPEC UTI induces a robust innate immune response, 25% of women with acute cystitis experience a second UTI within 6 months [2]. This failure to mount a protective immune response may be due to host genetic factors, antibiotic use, heterogeneity among ExPEC strains, active suppression of innate and adaptive immunity by ExPEC, and the ability of ExPEC to reside within protected, quiescent reservoirs. This review highlights the different stages of the ExPEC developmental cycle in the host bladder tissue, and describes the strategies employed by both players to gain the upper hand.
The conformations and energetics of photodamaged DNA

Energy minimization techniques are used in conjunction with the results of small molecule crystallographic studies on relevant compounds to propose structural models for photodamaged DNAs. Specifically, we present models both for a DNA molecule containing a psoralen photo-crosslink and for a DNA molecule containing a thymine photodimer. In both models, significant distortions of the nucleic acid helix are observed, including kinking and unwinding at the damage site and numerous changes in the backbone torsion angles relative to their standard conformations. Both the torsion angle geometries and the energetics of the models are presented in detail.
Differential attenuation of clavicle growth after asymmetric mantle radiotherapy.

Abstract Purpose To determine the effects of 15 Gy on bone growth as a function of time and age by comparing clavicle length before and after asymmetric mantle irradiation in pediatric patients. Methods and materials We measured the lengths of both clavicles from radiographs made before and after radiotherapy (median follow-up, 39.6 months), in 15 children (median age, 13.3 years) with early-stage Hodgkin's disease treated with combined modality therapy. The intercepts and slopes of regression lines for individual patients were used to form an estimating regression curve for the population. Results The irradiated volume, patient age, and time elapsed after treatment influenced the measured growth. Fully irradiated clavicles grew 1.3 ± 0.3 cm, significantly less (0.5 cm; p = 0.007) than did the partially irradiated clavicles. The difference between partially and fully irradiated clavicle lengths was statistically significant, regardless of age. Also, the growth rate of partially and fully irradiated clavicles was significantly different between younger (mean age, 9.9 years) and older (mean age, 16.4 years) patients (p = 0.036). Conclusion Clavicle growth is vulnerable to radiation doses as low as 15 Gy, and patient age at the time of irradiation influences the growth rate.
New Developments in the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter Associated Infections

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLA-BSI) are one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated infections, resulting in significant morbidity and substantial excess cost. There is a growing recognition that most CLA-BSIs are preventable. Elimination of preventable CLA-BSI is the focus of a recently released CDC Guideline. Universal preventative measures include collaborative performance improvement using checklists and bundles, education of persons who insert and maintain catheters, maximal sterile barrier precautions, and chlorhexidine skin preparation. Technologic innovations including coated catheters, antimicrobial impregnated dressings, and antimicrobial lock solutions should be considered if the rate of CLA-BSI is not acceptable after application of universal precautions.
Bacterial meningitis: is there a best antimicrobial therapy?

The introduction of several cephalosporins into pediatric practice has provided the physician with a number of choices in the treatment of neonatal and childhood meningitis. Adequate studies are available to indicate that these new drugs are as effective as traditional treatments in terms of survival and major neurologic sequelae but it is not known whether the results are worse or better as far as the incidence of more subtle neurologic changes is concerned. The advantages of the cephalosporins in treatment of childhood meningitis are that they permit single drug therapy, the risks of drug toxicity are reduced, and the problems of penicillin-tolerant pneumococci and ampicillin/chloramphenicol-resistantH. influenzae are avoided. When used in the treatment of neonatal disease, the cephalosporins have the advantage of lower toxicity than the aminoglycosides, generally making blood drug level determinations unnecessary, and are effective against strains of bacteria that have become resistant to the latter drugs.
High pressure/low temperature sintering of nanocrystalline alumina

Abstract Bulknanocrystalline α-Al2O3samples with a relative density >98% and a grain size
Dual-careerism and the conjoint-career couple

This article introduces and defines the concept of conjoint-career couples, marital partners that work in the same field or profession. Drawing on the narratives of three couples with structurally varied experiences (older man/younger woman, older woman/younger man, peers), we describe and analyze some of the problems and issues confronting a growing number of academics in the current labor pool. We conclude by discussing some of the overarching patterns common to this situation and the advantages and disadvantages associated with it. Finally, we propose a variety of social policies which academic institutions may want to consider to help meet the challenge of these changing market demographics.
Loss modeling and optimization for monolithic implementation of the three-level buck converter

This paper presents parameter extraction based loss modeling to reduce the high-order design space for the three-level buck converter optimized for monolithic implementation. Loss models derived from simulation extracted parameters are presented to reduce model complexity while maintaining accurate loss predictions. The design space is reduced further by analysis of converter characteristics. An optimization approach is applied to select the inductor, the switching frequency, and the sizes of the power devices and the gate drive stages. The loss model and the optimization approach are validated for a 3.7-to-1.15 V, 4 MHz, 2 A converter through detailed circuit simulations in a 0.18 μm CMOS process.
Clocktree RLC extraction with efficient inductance modeling

In this paper we present an efficient yet accurate inductance extraction methodology and also apply it to clocktree RLC extraction. We first show that without loss of accuracy, the inductance extraction problem of n traces with or without ground planes can be reduced to a number of one-trace and two-trace subproblems. We then solve one-trace and two-trace subproblems via a table-based approach. We finally validate the linear cascading assumption that enables us to apply our inductance extraction approach to clocktree RLC extraction and optimization.
Death Education and Communication Apprehension regarding Dying Persons

Death-related attitudinal changes in students enrolled in a Psychology of Death and Dying course were compared to those of students enrolled in Introduction to Psychology and Introductory Communication. Results indicated that communication apprehension regarding dying persons (CA-Dying) was more highly correlated with many death-related variables than was generalized communication apprehension (CA). In addition, those in the Death and Dying class were more death accepting, and more likely to covertly express fears about death and dying than those in the remaining classes. While death acceptance and unconscious fears of Pain/Injury/Disease increased among those in the Death and Dying class, such scores decreased over a three month period of time in the Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Communication classes. These findings suggest that CA and CA-Dying are independent, and indicate that individuals' likelihood of interacting with dying persons is a factor in the reduction of death fears via dea...
Reports of bodily change in anxiety, sadness, and anger

In a series of studies, retrospective reports were used to assess differences in physiological symptoms associated with three emotions: Anxious, Angry, Sad. Symptom awareness, as measured by scores on the Autonomic Perception Questionnaire and the Somatic Perception Questionnaire, was significantly greater for Anxious than for the other emotions; reports for Angry and Sad were quantitatively similar. Qualitative analysis showed a different pattern. Sad was characterized as involving a low arousal state, while Anxious and Angry shared several distinguishing symptoms, most notably cardiac symptoms and general restlessness. Predicted gender differences were also observed. Males and females did not differ in overall reported level of awareness, but did differ in their reports of the specific symptoms constituting that awareness.
What Should JOBM Be When It Grows Up

The lead article in this issue by VanStelle et al. (2012) presents a meta-analytic review of Journal of Organizational Behavior Management (JOBM) publications during its third decade and is a follo...
Portal-venous gas unrelated to mesenteric ischemia

The aim of this study was to report on 8 patients with all different non-ischemic etiologies for portal-venous gas and to discuss this rare entity and its potentially misleading CT findings in context with a review of the literature. The CT examinations of eight patients who presented with intrahepatic portal-venous gas, unrelated to bowel ischemia or infarction, were reviewed and compared with their medical records with special emphasis on the pathogenesis and clinical impact of portal-venous gas caused by non-ischemic conditions. The etiologies for portal-venous gas included: abdominal trauma ( n=1); large gastric cancer ( n=1); prior gastroscopic biopsy ( n=1); prior hemicolectomy ( n=1); graft-vs-host reaction ( n=1); large paracolic abscess ( n=1); mesenteric recurrence of ovarian cancer superinfected with clostridium septicum ( n=1); and sepsis with Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( n=1). The clinical outcome of all patients was determined by their underlying disease and not negatively influenced by the presence of portal-venous gas. Although the presence of portal-venous gas usually raises the suspicion of bowel ischemia and/or intestinal necrosis, this CT finding may be related to a variety of non-ischemic etiologies and pathogeneses as well. The knowledge about these conditions may help to avoid misinterpretation of CT findings, inappropriate clinical uncertainty and unnecessary surgery in certain cases.
Molecular basis for ADP-induced platelet activation, I : Evidence for three distinct ADP receptors on human platelets

Acting through cell surface receptors, ADP activates platelets resulting in shape change, aggregation, thromboxane A2 production, and release of granule contents. ADP also causes a number of intracellular events including inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, mobilization of calcium from intracellular stores, and rapid calcium influx in platelets. However, the receptors that transduce these events remain unidentified and their molecular mechanisms of action have not been elucidated. The receptor responsible for the actions of ADP on platelets has been designated the P2T receptor. In this study we have used ARL 66096, a potent antagonist of ADP-induced platelet aggregation, and a P2X ionotropic receptor agonist, alpha,beta-methylene adenosine 5'-triphosphate, to distinguish the ADP-induced intracellular events. ARL 66096 blocked ADP-induced inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, but did not affect ADP-mediated intracellular calcium increases or shape change. Both ADP and 2-methylthio-ADP caused a 3-fold increase in the level of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate over control levels which peaked in a similar fashion to the Ca2+ transient. The increase in inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate was of similar magnitude to that of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. alpha,beta-Methylene adenosine 5'-triphosphate did not cause an increase in either of the inositol trisphosphates. These results clearly demonstrate the presence of two distinct platelet ADP receptors in addition to the P2X receptor: one coupled to adenylyl cyclase and the other coupled to mobilization of calcium from intracellular stores through inositol trisphosphates.
Inhibition of aldosterone synthesis in rat adrenal cells by nicotine and related constituents of tobacco smoke

Previous work has shown that nicotine and related constituents of tobacco smoke inhibit selected P450 enzymes in the glucocorticoid and sex steroid synthetic pathways. Because aldosterone synthesis is also cytochrome P450 dependent, we hypothesized a similar inhibitory action on aldosterone production. In this study we examined the effects of nicotine, anabasine (a related alkaloid), and cotinine (the major metabolite of nicotine) on in vitro aldosterone synthesis. Freshly isolated rat adrenal cells were assayed for corticosterone and aldosterone production in the basal state and after stimulation with ACTH or angiotensin-II (ANG-II). The addition of nicotine, anabasine, and cotinine in concentrations up to 100 microM did not inhibit stimulated corticosterone production. However, there was a potent dose-dependent inhibitory action of all three tobacco compounds on aldosterone production. The relative inhibitory potency was: cotinine > anabasine > nicotine. When employed at a concentration of 100 microM, the three compounds inhibited ACTH-stimulated aldosterone synthesis by 75%, 44%, and 21%, respectively. ANG-II-stimulated aldosterone synthesis was inhibited by 92%, 78%, and 62%, respectively. The plasma cotinine concentration range attained in tobacco smokers is between 1-10 microM. When tested with [3H]corticosterone and [3H]progesterone as exogenous substrates, 1-10 microM cotinine caused a significant dose-dependent inhibition of ACTH- and ANG-II-stimulated aldosterone synthesis. Cotinine substantially blocked the conversion of corticosterone to 18-hydroxycorticosterone, implicating the 18-hydroxylase or corticosterone 18-methyloxidase-I (CMO-I) step as the major site of inhibition. In summary, our results indicate that tobacco compounds cause direct and specific inhibition of aldosterone synthesis, primarily at the CMO-I step. This enzymatic blockade would be expected to result in activation of the renin-angiotensin system in vivo. We postulate that chronic stimulation of the renin-angiotensin system by this mechanism might contribute to the cardiovascular damage that occurs with long term tobacco use.
Overlapping defense responses to water limitation and pathogen attack and their consequences for resistance to powdery mildew disease in garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata

Plant responses to abiotic stress can alter their response to biotic stress. We examined changes in the activity of several defense proteins in response to powdery mildew infection of garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in the greenhouse and in the field. Second, we examined the effects of water limitation on the same defense protein responses, as well as on total soluble protein and glucose concentration, plant growth, and powdery mildew disease development. Similar increases in the activity of peroxidase, chitinase, and β-1-3-glucanase were observed in leaves of plants with substantial powdery mildew disease in both greenhouse- and field-grown plants. In the greenhouse, activities of chitinase and peroxidase as well as total soluble protein and glucose concentrations generally increased with the degree of water limitation. In turn, leaf growth and powdery mildew symptom development decreased as the degree of water limitation increased. This study revealed that plant chemical responses to water limitation and powdery mildew disease can overlap to a large extent, which, in addition to changing microenvironmental conditions and other indicators of plant quality, may underlie the ability of water limitation to inhibit powdery mildew disease symptom development in this wild plant pathosystem.
Substrate Recognition and Catalysis by the Cofactor-Independent Dioxygenase DpgC†,‡

The enzyme DpgC belongs to a small class of oxygenases not dependent on accessory cofactors for activity. DpgC is in the biosynthetic pathway for the nonproteinogenic amino acid 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine in actinomycetes bacteria responsible for the production of the vancomycin/teicoplanin family of antibiotic natural products. The X-ray structure of DpgC [Widboom, P. W., Fielding, E. N., Liu, Y., and Bruner, S. D. (2007) Nature 447, 342−345] confirmed the absence of cofactors and defined a novel hydrophobic dioxygen binding pocket adjacent to a bound substrate analogue. In this paper, the role specific amino acids play in substrate recognition and catalysis is examined through biochemical and structural characterization of site-specific enzyme mutations and alternate substrates. The results establish the importance of three amino acids, Arg254, Glu299, and Glu189, in the chemistry of DpgC. Arg254 and Glu189 join to form a specific contact with one of the phenolic hydroxyls of the substrate, and this int...
13C pathway analysis of biofilm metabolism of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Biofilm metabolism of Shewanella was analyzed via 13C tracing experiments for the first time. The activity of C1 metabolism in the biofilm cells was found to be interestingly higher than that in planktonic cells, which could be related to utilizing C1 metabolites as electron donors when growing Shewanella in biofilms.
Smart assembly: industry needs and challenges

In recent years globalization has radically changed the nature of manufacturing (including manufacturing engineering), with an increasing emphasis on the management of complex, dynamic, interconnected supply chains. Manufacturing has become information and knowledge intensive, requiring the sharing of information accurately, inexpensively, and seamlessly throughout the extended enterprise and supply chain. Vertical integration is declining as a competitive advantage, and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are instead focusing on managing core technologies and critical assets, emphasizing systems integration, assembly, service and marketing. To an increasing extent, part fabrication is globally outsourced, but there remains a business case for placing final assembly close to the customer."Smart Assembly" is about re-inventing assembly processes (engineering and operations) to succeed in this new environment. Smart Assembly may be a key aspect of future, thriving manufacturing enterprises.General Motors (GM), in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL), is developing a broad industry definition and vision for Smart Assembly, and is beginning to develop the technology and business process "roadmaps" that will provide a framework to focus and prioritize both current and future research and development (R&D) in this area.In this paper, we will:• Present a high-level business case for the importance of manufacturing in general, and Smart Assembly in particular.• Present a working definition of Smart Assembly, and a vision of what Smart Assembly might look like in the future• Describe efforts to increase awareness of Smart Assembly, through the creation of a smart assembly working group, which is hoping to refine the vision, scope, business case scenarios and roadmaps for what we hope will ultimately be a National Smart Assembly activity.• Describe how Smart Assembly is being considered in the context of MEL's strategic planning.
Food plant specificity in neotropical rain-forest acridids

Food selection patterns of acridids in wet tropical forests are discussed in relation to the plant species diversity, and an expected feeding pattern as generalists is suggested. Findings in practice indicated that, on the contrary, the acridids of lowland and lower montane Costa Rican forest are in fact narrow specialists. It is presumed that the high diversity of secondary chemicals, paralleling that of the plant species, makes a generalist strategy impractical. The actual feeding strategy is discussed in relation to other aspects of the life history, and in particular, to problems of mate finding, dispersion, and associated adaptations thought to be related to food-plant rarity. RESUME SPECIFICITE DES PLANTES-ALIMENTS CHEZ LES ACRIDIDES NEOTROPICAUX Dans les forets tropicales humides, presque toutes les especes vegetales ne sont representees que par un petit nombre d'individus. Immediatement apres l'eclosion, les larves d'acridides doivent trouver leur plante-aliment et chez la plupart des especes les adultes ne volent pas; leur mobilite est donc tres limitee pendant toute leur vie. Cela amene a l'hypothese que la strategie alimentaire la plus avantageuse pour un acridide des forets devrait etre generaliste de facon a maximiser la probabilite de trouver une plantealiment acceptable. Contrairement a cette hypothese, les acridides des forets des plaines et des faibles altitudes a Costa Rica sont etroitement specialises et la plupart des especes vegetales n'ont pas de predateur acridide. Les familles de plantes choisies comme aliments sont relativement peu nombreuses, et il y a une convergence considerable sur certaines familles meme chez des genres d'acridides sympatriques. On suppose que la grande diversite des substances chimiques secondaires, parallele a celle des especes vegetales, rend impraticable une strategie generaliste. Parmi les differents facteurs ayant pu determiner le choix de la plante-aliment au cours de l'evolution, il semble probable que les plus importants aient ete les caracteres visuels et chimiques distinctifs (pour aider a trouver la plante) et peut-etre la teneur nutritive. La combinaison de la rarete de la plante-aliment et de la specialisation alimentaire des insectes diminue beaucoup leurs chances de trouver soit leur nourriture soit un individu du sexe oppose si les adultes s'eloignent de la plante dont ils se sont nourris quand ils etaient des larves, ou de leur parente, car ces insectes n'ont pas de methode de communication intraspecifique de longue portee et s'en remettent a des rendez-vous sur la plante-aliment pour rencontrer des congeneres. Le systeme de comportement qui en resulte produit des animaux aux couleurs vives ayant un comportement visuel bien developpe, une tendance a se grouper et une coloration specifique a l'age de l'insecte. Il semble probable que les taux de dispersion soient faibles et que les especes soient divisees en petites populations statiques et consanguines.
In situ monitoring of mechanical properties during photopolymerization with particle tracking microrheology

Abstract Microrheology was employed to perform in situ monitoring of the liquid-to-gel transition during free-radical photopolymerization. Photosensitive acrylate resins were exposed to ultraviolet light, while the Brownian motion of micrometer sized, inert fluorescent tracer particles was tracked via optical videomicroscopy. Statistical analysis of particle motion yielded the rheological properties of the embedding medium as a function of time and location, thereby relating UV exposure to the progress of polymerization and gelation. Microscopy enabled a detailed study of three-dimensional gelation profiles; other experimental parameters that were varied include photoinitiator concentration, monomer composition, the presence of oxygen and light intensity. Significant changes in gelation time were observed with increasing distance from the illuminated surface into the sample under all conditions. The results were used to test the accuracy of the standard energy threshold model, which is often used to empirically predict the outcome of photopolymerization reactions.
The geometry of sintering wires

The geometries of various sintering wire compacts are determined for both surface- and bulk-transport controlled processes. The results indicate very little difference in the geometries during the initial stage of sintering. However, significant differences become apparent when the latter stage of sintering is approached. Under the action of a bulk-transport mechanism, compact shrinkage is expected. The present calculations of shrinkage versus neck size are compared favourably with previously published data. As a result, the relation between shrinkage and neck size is modified. Finally, the specific surface area variation with neck growth is determined for both forms of mass transport, indicating this may be an alternative measure of sintering progression.
Implementation of ℋ ∞ Modified Positive Position and Velocity Feedback controllers for active vibration control of flexible structures in multimode

In this paper, ℋ ∞ Modified Positive Position Feedback (HMPPF) and ℋ ∞ Modified Positive Velocity Feedback (HMPVF) controllers are developed as two novel controllers for active vibration suppression in flexible structures. The controllers use the concept of positive feedback and are enhanced by the powerful optimization ability of the ℋ ∞ to provide effective vibration suppression. After performing the numerical simulations, an aluminum cantilever beam is used to experimentally evaluate the performances of the two controllers. The objective of the HMPPF controller is to suppress vibration displacement amplitude, when all fundamental modes are active. In this case, considering the first three modes of the flexible structure, overall vibration displacement is reduced to 38% of the uncontrolled value. The HMPVF on the other hand, uses the control energy to reduce the vibration velocity to the lowest possible value in order to prevent the fatigue failure. Vibration velocity amplitude is reduced to almost half using HMPVF for the multimode experiment, which is a satisfactory result for suppression of velocity in multimode.
A submicron accuracy magnetic levitation micromachine with endpoint friction

Abstract This paper describes the unique design, fabrication and control of a one-dimensional magnetic levitation micromachine with endpoint friction. The flat manipulator, which is driven by six air-core solenoids fixed in the workspace, supports three rare earth permanent magnets in the vertices of its equilateral triangular structure. The manipulator moves from one position to another by making contact with a solid surface under the solenoids after every step, but it does not contact the surface during a lateral step motion. Noncontact measurements of the manipulator movement were made using LED-phototransistor pairs. The 0.21 g manipulator was controlled with 0.5 μm position accuracy over a 100 μm range with a very simple monitored open-loop control strategy. The accuracy and motion range can be improved with large-range high-resolution linear optical sensors.
Asymmetry of the Structural Brain Connectome in Healthy Older Adults

Background: It is now possible to map neural connections in vivo across the whole brain (i.e., the brain connectome). This is a promising development in neuroscience since many health and disease processes are believed to arise from the architecture of neural networks.Objective: To describe the normal range of hemispheric asymmetry in structural connectivity in healthy older adults.Methods: We obtained high-resolution structural magnetic resonance images (MRI) from 17 healthy older adults. For each subject, the brain connectome was reconstructed by parcelating the probabilistic map of gray matter into anatomically defined regions of interested (ROIs). White matter fiber tractography was reconstructed from diffusion tensor imaging and streamlines connecting gray matter ROIs were computed. Asymmetry indices were calculated regarding ROI connectivity (representing the sum of connectivity weight of each cortical ROI) and for regional white matter links. All asymmetry measures were compared to a normal distribution with mean=0 through one sample t-tests.Results: Leftward cortical ROI asymmetry was observed in medial temporal, dorsolateral frontal and occipital regions. Rightward cortical ROI asymmetry was observed in middle temporal and orbito-frontal regions. Link-wise asymmetry revealed stronger connections in the left hemisphere between the medial temporal, anterior and posterior peri-Sylvian and occipito-temporal regions. Rightward link asymmetry was observed in lateral temporal, parietal and dorsolateral frontal connections.Conclusions: We postulate that asymmetry of specific connections may be related to functional hemispheric organization. This study may provide reference for future studies evaluating the architecture of the connectome in health and disease processes in senior individuals.
Affordances, motivations, and the world graph theory

O'Keefe and Nadel (1978) distinguish two paradigms for navigation, the "locale system" for map-based navigation and the "taxon (behavioral orientation) system" for route navigation. This article models the taxon system, the map-based system, and their interaction, and argues that the map-based system involves the interaction of hippocampus and other systems.We relate taxes to the notion of an affordance. Just as a rat may have basic taxes for approaching food or avoiding a bright light, so does it have a wider repertoire of affordances for possible actions associated with immediate sensing of its environment. We propose that affordances are extracted by the rat posterior parietal cortex, which guides action selection by the premotor cortex and is influenced also by hypothalamic drive information.The taxon-affordances model (TAM) for taxon-based determination of movement direction is based on models of frog detour behavior, with expectations of future reward implemented using reinforcement learning. The sp...
Transection of preganglionic axons leads to CNS neuronal plasticity followed by survival and target reinnervation

The goals of the present study were to investigate the changes in sympathetic preganglionic neurons following transection of distal axons in the cervical sympathetic trunk (CST) that innervate the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and to assess changes in the protein expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor TrkB in the thoracic spinal cord. At 1 week, a significant decrease in soma volume and reduced soma expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the intermediolateral cell column (IML) of T1 spinal cord were observed, with both ChAT-ir and non-immunoreactive neurons expressing the injury marker activating transcription factor 3. These changes were transient, and at later time points, ChAT expression and soma volume returned to control values and the number of ATF3 neurons declined. No evidence for cell loss or neuronal apoptosis was detected at any time point. Protein levels of BDNF and/or full length TrkB in the spinal cord were increased throughout the survival period. In the SCG, both ChAT-ir axons and ChAT protein remained decreased at 16 weeks, but were increased compared to the 10 week time point. These results suggest that though IML neurons show reduced ChAT expression and cell volume at 1 week following CST transection, at later time points, the neurons recovered and exhibited no significant signs of neurodegeneration. The alterations in BDNF and/or TrkB may have contributed to the survival of the IML neurons and the recovery of ChAT expression, as well as to the reinnervation of the SCG.
Breast-feeding problems in the first week postpartum

Pre- and perinatal variables commonly found to predict breast-feeding duration were examined to see whether they also predicted breast-feeding problems in the first week postpartum. One hundred and twenty-eight families who prenatally committed to breast-feeding for at least 6 weeks comprised the sample. The families were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a group in which bottle feedings would be avoided in Weeks 2-6 postpartum and a group in which approximately one bottle per day would be given during the same period. Breast-feeding events most commonly experienced as problems in previous studies were also reported by mothers in this sample. Multiple regression analyses revealed that bottle use in the hospital, lower satisfaction with first breast-feeding, and group assignment were weakly predictive of the Breast-feeding Problem Score at 1 week, R2 = .154, p = .0004. The negative effect of hospital bottle use was greater for women in the bottle-restricted group than for women in the planned-bottle group.
On sample sizes for non-matched-pair IR experiments

Abstract The problem of determining an adequate sample size, for an information retrieval experiment comparing two systems on separate samples of requests, is discussed. Minimal sample sizes under different assumptions are derived. It is concluded that such experiments are very likely to require samples of considerable size.
Traumatic Eagle's syndrome: Report of a case and review of the literature

A case of a styloid process fracture, or traumatic Eagle's syndrome is reported, and a review of the literature is provided. Although most patients with this rare type of fracture are treated with conservative therapy, some require surgical removal of the fractured process to alleviate their symptoms. This was necessary in the patient described.
Genetic Mapping of Sexual Isolation Between E and Z Pheromone Strains of the European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis)

The E and Z pheromone strains of the European corn borer (ECB) provide an exceptional model system for examining the genetic basis of sexual isolation. Differences at two major genes account for variation in female pheromone production and male behavioral response, components of the pheromone communication system known to be important for mate recognition and mate choice. Strains of ECB are morphologically indistinguishable, and surveys of allozyme and DNA sequence variation have revealed significant allele frequency differences at only a single sex-linked locus, Tpi. Here we present a detailed genetic linkage map of ECB using AFLP and microsatellite markers and map the factors responsible for pheromone production (Pher) and male response (Resp). Our map covers 1697 cM and identifies all 31 linkage groups in ECB. Both Resp and Tpi map to the Z (sex) chromosome, but the distance between these markers (>20 cM) argues against the hypothesis that patterns of variation at Tpi are explained by tight linkage to this "speciation gene." However, we show, through analysis of marker density, that Tpi is located in a region of low recombination and suggest that a second Z-linked reproductive barrier could be responsible for the origin and/or persistence of differentiation at Tpi.
Comparison of Large Margin Training to Other Discriminative Methods for Phonetic Recognition by Hidden Markov Models

In this paper we compare three frameworks for discriminative training of continuous-density hidden Markov models (CD-HMMs). Specifically, we compare two popular frameworks, based on conditional maximum likelihood (CML) and minimum classification error (MCE), to a new framework based on margin maximization. Unlike CML and MCE, our formulation of large margin training explicitly penalizes incorrect decodings by an amount proportional to the number of mislabeled hidden states. It also leads to a convex optimization over the parameter space of CD-HMMs, thus avoiding the problem of spurious local minima. We used discriminatively trained CD-HMMs from all three frameworks to build phonetic recognizers on the TIMIT speech corpus. The different recognizers employed exactly the same acoustic front end and hidden state space, thus enabling us to isolate the effect of different cost functions, parameterizations, and numerical optimizations. Experimentally, we find that our framework for large margin training yields significantly lower error rates than both CML and MCE training.
Managing the Student‐Parent Dilemma: Mothers and Fathers in Higher Education

In this article, I explore how student-parents draw on cultural discourses associated with parenthood and education when talking about their child care choices and schooling experiences. Unlike many other studies, I include the voices of both fathers and mothers. College students have extraordinary demands on their time, and their instructors do not generally expect them to be parents. Some students feel that in fact they are expected to be bad parents, bad students, or both. The use of accounts allows student-parents to assert they are good parents even as they spend less time with their children and make their schoolwork a priority some of the time. As they modify their understandings of their capabilities as parents and students in this setting, they come to see themselves differently. They potentially change others' understandings of what good parents and good students are as well. Both the parent identity and the student identity change in the context of the university.
TwitApp: in-product micro-blogging for design sharing

We describe TwitApp, an enhanced micro-blogging system integrated within AutoCAD for design sharing. TwitApp integrates rich content and still keeps the sharing transaction cost low. In TwitApp, tweets are organized by their project, and users can follow or unfollow each individual project. We introduce the concept of automatic tweet drafting and other novel features such as enhanced real-time search and integrated live video streaming. The TwitApp system leverages the existing Twitter micro-blogging system. We also contribute a study which provides insights on these concepts and associated designs, and demonstrates potential user excitement of such tools.
Validation of the RTOG recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classification for small-cell lung cancer-only brain metastases

Purpose: The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) developed a prognostic classification based on a recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) of patient pretreatment characteristics from three completed brain metastases randomized trials. Clinical trials for patients with brain metastases generally exclude small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) cases. We hypothesize that the RPA classes are valid in the setting of SCLC brain metastases. Methods and Materials: A retrospective review of 154 SCLC patients with brain metastases treated between April 1983 and May 2005 was performed. RPA criteria used for class assignment were Karnofsky performance status (KPS), primary tumor status (PT), presence of extracranial metastases (ED), and age. Results: Median survival was 4.9 months, with 4 patients (2.6%) alive at analysis. Median follow-up was 4.7 months (range, 0.3–40.3 months). Median age was 65 (range, 42–85 years). Median KPS was 70 (range, 40–100). Number of patients with controlled PT and no ED was 20 (13%) and with ED, 27 (18%); without controlled PT and ED, 34 (22%) and with ED, 73 (47%). RPA class distribution was: Class I: 8 (5%); Class II: 96 (62%); Class III: 51 (33%). Median survivals (in months) by RPA class were: Class I: 8.6; Class II: 4.2; Class III: 2.3 ( p = 0.0023). Conclusions: Survivals for SCLC-only brain metastases replicate the results from the RTOG RPA classification. These classes are therefore valid for brain metastases from SCLC, support the inclusion of SCLC patients in future brain metastases trials, and may also serve as a basis for historical comparisons.
Listeria monocytogenes – Threat to a Safe Food Supply: A Review

Abstract Listeria monocytogenes can cause circling disease, encephalitis, meningitis, septicemia, and mastitis in dairy cattle. Shedding of the pathogen from the udder or contamination from the environment can lead to presence of L. monocytogenes in raw milk. Surveys indicate the pathogen is in about 4% of US raw milks. Although HTST pasteurization commonly inactivates L. monocytogenes , evidence suggests that under unusual circumstances minimal survival is possible. The pathogen grows well in liquid dairy products at 4 to 35°C and achieves higher populations in chocolate than in unflavored milks. When present in cheese milk, growth of L. monocytogenes may be retarded but not stopped by lactic starter cultures. The pathogen is concentrated in the curd with only a small fraction of cells in milk appearing in whey. Once in curd, the behavior of the pathogen ranges from growth (feta cheese making) to death of most but not all cells (cottage cheese making). During ripening of cheese, the numbers of L. monocytogenes decrease gradually (as in Cheddar or Colby cheese), decrease precipitously early during ripening, and then stabilize (as in blue cheese) or increase markedly (as in Camembert cheese). Consumption of foods containing L. monocytogenes can lead to listeriosis in susceptible humans (adults with a compromised immune system), pregnant women, and infants). In large outbreaks of human listeriosis, mortality rates of ca. 30% are common.
Constructing a sparse convolution matrix for shift varying image restoration problems

Convolution operator is a linear operator characterized by a point spread functions (PSF). In classical image restoration problems, the blur is usually shift invariant and so the convolution operator can be characterized by one single PSF. This assumption allows one to use fast operations such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to perform a matrix-vector computation efficiently. However, as in most of the video motion deblurring problems, the blur is shift variant and so the matrix-vector multiplication can be difficult to perform. In this paper, we propose an efficient method to construct the convolution matrix explicitly. We exploit the submatrix structure of the convolution matrix and systematically assigning values to the nonzero locations. For small to medium sized images, the convolution matrix gives superior speed than some state-of-art convolution operators.
THE ROBUSTNESS OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL SIGNALLING EQUILIBRIA

Abstract This paper demonstrates upper hemi-continuity of a multidimensional signalling equilibrium correspondence.