cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experimental Study of Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured ABS Plastic as a Function of Layer Parameters

In this study, a preliminary effort was undertaken to represent the mechanical properties of a 3D printed specimen as a function of layer number, thickness and raster orientation by investigating the correlation between the mechanical properties of parts manufactured out of ABS using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) with a commercially available 3D printer, Makerbot Replicator 2x, and the printing parameters, such as layer thickness and raster orientation, were considered. Specimen were printed at raster orientation angles of 0°, 45° and 90°. Layer thickness of 0.2 mm was chosen to print specimens from a single layer to 35 layers. Samples were tested using an MTS Universal Testing Machine with extensometer to determine mechanical strength characteristics such as modulus of elasticity, ultimate tensile strength, maximum force and maximum elongation as the number of layers increased. Results showed that 0° raster orientation yields the highest mechanical properties compared to 45° and 90° at each individual layer. A linear relationship was found between the number of layers and the maximum force for all three orientations, in other words, maximum force required to break specimens linearly increased as the number of layers increased. The results also found the elastic modulus and maximum stress to increase as the number of layers increased up to almost 12 layers. For samples with more than 12 layers, the elastic modulus and maximum stress still increased, but at a much slower rate. These results can help software developers, mechanical designers and engineers reduce manufacturing time, material usage and cost by eliminating unnecessary layers that do not increase the ultimate stress of the material by improving material properties due to the addition of layers.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Attraction sustainability in North Carolina and its impact on decision-making

The green movement has generated an increase in research on consumer behavior related to green products and services. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence consumer choice regarding sustainable attractions and to develop a better understanding of whether the sustainable features impact visitor decision-making. Results show that the environmental practices of an attraction were not as important to visitors as other factors such as reputation, price, and the activities at the site. The results also demonstrate that when selecting among green factors, eco-furnishings and sustainability related certification play the largest role in determining the likelihood of visitation to a sustainable attraction.
Investigation on residents' relative knowledge awareness situation in the endemic area of clonorchiasis in Heilongjiang province

Objective To understand the awareness status of the knowledge,attitude and behavior on clonorchiasis in the endemic area of Heilongjiang province. Methods A retrospective questionnaire was used for on-site investigations in Shuangcheng city,Huachuan county,Tongjiang county and Dumeng county. Results 1293 valid questionnaires were collected,in which the awareness rates of the risk of clonorchiasis,clinical symptom and preventive approach were lower,the awareness rate of the separate cutting board for raw and cooked food was just 1. 62%. 89. 79% of people would voluntarily accepted medical checks and see a doctor,88. 56% of people bought medicine and got treatment actively after diagnosis. 76. 49% of people believed that behaviors change and correct medication would treat and prevent from clonorchiasis,only 48. 72% had the good drinking water habit. The main ways to get knowledge were from the billboards( leaflets) and television. Conclusions The awareness rate of clonorchiasis and the accurate rate of attitude and behavior were lower in the endemic area of Heilongjiang province. Various effective ways of communication,knowledge spreading of clonorchiasis should be done to educate people to have the medical check and good diet behavior. The joint prevention and control measures of health education and general check and treatment should be carried out for preventing from clonorchiasis prevalence.
Soft tissue tumours: the impact of cytogenetics and molecular genetics.

Cytogenetic and molecular analysis of soft tissue tumours has yielded a wealth of new information over the past 10-15 years. Many soft tissue neoplasms show specific karyotypic aberrations which have proved to be diagnostically valuable, and have also assisted in the understanding of pathogenetic mechanisms and rationalisation of classification systems (e.g. lipomatous tumours and Ewing's sarcoma/PNET). In certain clinical subsets, especially round cell sarcomas and fatty neoplasms, determination of karyotype (whether by conventional analysis, FISH or RT-PCR) has proved often to be useful in the diagnostic setting. Additionally the recognition of clonal abnormalities in both benign neoplasms as well as lesions formerly thought to be non-neoplastic (e.g. inflammatory "pseudotumour") has prompted reassessment of biologic concepts with regard to growth control. Inherited molecular genetic defects which predispose to soft tissue neoplasia (e.g. NF-1, Li-Fraumeni syndrome) have been characterised, leading to a greater understanding of tumour suppressor genes. Mesenchymal differentiation genes, the modes of action of which may help to expunge concepts of histogenesis, are being characterised. It is becoming clear that there exist growth control genes (such as the HMGI family) which, irrespective of differentiation, play an important role in a wide range of different mesenchymal tumours. Additionally it is evident that different histologic types of sarcoma (e.g. variants of liposarcoma) show quite different abnormalities of cell cycle control (notably at the G1-S checkpoint) and it seems increasingly likely that certain genetic aberrations, identifiable either at the chromosomal or individual gene level, may prove to be of prognostic relevance in sarcomas and may also open novel therapeutic avenues. While the validity of all molecular genetic data depends totally on skilled histological diagnosis and grading, there has never been a better time for close collaboration between pathologists and basic scientists in the study of soft tissue neoplasia.
Enhanced excitability and suppression of A-type K + currents in joint sensory neurons in a murine model of antigen-induced arthritis

Pain is a dominant symptom of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its adequate treatment represents a major unmet need. However, the cellular mechanisms that drive arthritis pain are largely unexplored. Here, we examined the changes in the activity of joint sensory neurons and the associated ionic mechanisms using an animal model of antigen-induced arthritis (AIA). Methylated-bovine serum albumin (mBSA), but not vehicle challenge, in the ankle of previously immunized mice produced time-dependent symptoms of arthritis, including joint inflammation, primary mechanical hyperalgesia in the ipsilateral ankle, and secondary mechanical and heat hyperalgesia in the ipsilateral hindpaw. In vivo electrophysiological recordings revealed that Dil-labeled joint sensory neurons in AIA mice exhibited a greater incidence of spontaneous activity, mechanically evoked after-discharges, and/or increased responses to mechanical stimulation of their receptive fields, compared to control animals. Whole-cell recordings in vitro showed that AIA enhanced the excitability of joint sensory neurons. These signs of neuronal hyperexcitability were associated with a significant reduction in the density of A-type K(+) currents. Thus, our data suggest that neuronal hyperexcitability, brought about in part by reduced A-type K(+) currents, may contribute to pain-related behaviors that accompany antigen-induced arthritis and/or other antigen-mediated diseases.
Influence of Nutrition on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is sexually transmitted and is fatal; the virus primarily targets the immune system, in particular the CD4 cell. The CD4 cells manage the response of other immune system components that ultimately destroy infectious agents. HIV begins infection of the body through the reproductive systems, taking advantage of and disrupting the delicate microenvironments. In patients with HIV/AIDS, nutrition plays a great role because of the impact of the infection, specifically on the immune system, as well as the impact of the treatments. The system is unable to maintain health from within, which necessitates assistance from external components through a balance diet and vitamin supplements. The existing HIV/AIDS therapies can cause great damage through their side effects, which diminish the patient’s immune capabilities and overall health and nourishment. In this chapter, we will provide a detailed and current scientific outlook on the relationships among nutritional components, the immune system, and HIV/AIDS in both children and adults.
Adhesion-based tumor cell capture using nanotopography

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed from primary tumors, transport through the blood stream to distant sites, and cause 90% of cancer deaths. Although different techniques have been developed to isolate CTCs for cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment, the heterogeneity of expression of the target antigen and the significant size variance in CTCs limit clinical applications of antibody- and size-based isolation techniques. Cell adhesion using nanotopography has been suggested as a promising approach to isolate CTCs independent of surface marker expression or size of CTCs. However, the nanotopographies studied are mainly nanopillars; the influence of other nanotopography such as nanogratings and their dimensions on tumor cell capture remains to be investigated. This study examined capture performance of several cancer cell lines of different types, surface marker expression and metastatic status on nanotopographies of various geometries and dimensions without antibody conjugation. The cancer cells exhibited differential capture performance on the nanotopographies with an efficiency up to 52%. Compared with flat surfaces and isotropic, discrete nanopillars, nanogratings favored cancer cell adhesion, thus improving the capture efficiency. The influence of nanotopography height studied, on the other hand, was less significant. This study provides useful information to optimize nanotopography for further improvement of CTC capture efficiency.
Introduction Sex and the Colonial City

Although cities were not new to Africa and the Americas, slave trading and imperialism produced a particular phenomenon: the modern colonial city. These new sites were supposed to broadcast the pow...
High-intensity therapeutic ultrasound hemostasis system for partial nephrectomy

A partial nephrectomy, a surgery that preserves renal function, is desired for patients with small renal tumors. The system described in this paper applies high-intensity therapeutic ultrasound to obtain coagulation necroses of the renal blood vessels and hence protect the incised kidney from bleeding. The paper provides a brief description of the design and construction of the transducers, as well as presents the results of the acoustic characterization, dosimetry studies in tissue mimicking phantoms and dosimetry studies in ex vivo tissue. With optimum acoustic parameters, approximately 95% ablation was achieved during an in vivo perfused kidney study and the bleeding rate was decreased by 93%. The result suggests that the system can be used to control rapid bleeding; however, to achieve complete hemostasis consistently, more studies need to be conducted.
A solution to the single-question crowd wisdom problem

The wisdom of the crowd can be improved by using an algorithm that selects the answer that is more popular than people predict, rather than the answer that is most popular. The 'wisdom of the crowd' approach has been widely adopted in recent years as a democratic way of determining a truth, fuelled in part by an enthusiasm for online voting procedures. But the crowd is not always correct and can actually be 'unwise', partly because specialized knowledge is often not widely shared. Here Dražen Prelec and colleagues combine the virtues of a 'democratic' algorithm, allowing anyone, irrespective of credentials, to register an opinion, with an 'elitist' outcome that associates truth with the judgements of a few experts. The strategy is based on selecting the answer that is more popular than people would predict, rather than relying solely on 'most popular' or 'most confident' answers. Once considered provocative1, the notion that the wisdom of the crowd is superior to any individual has become itself a piece of crowd wisdom, leading to speculation that online voting may soon put credentialed experts out of business2,3. Recent applications include political and economic forecasting4,5, evaluating nuclear safety6, public policy7, the quality of chemical probes8, and possible responses to a restless volcano9. Algorithms for extracting wisdom from the crowd are typically based on a democratic voting procedure. They are simple to apply and preserve the independence of personal judgment10. However, democratic methods have serious limitations. They are biased for shallow, lowest common denominator information, at the expense of novel or specialized knowledge that is not widely shared11,12. Adjustments based on measuring confidence do not solve this problem reliably13. Here we propose the following alternative to a democratic vote: select the answer that is more popular than people predict. We show that this principle yields the best answer under reasonable assumptions about voter behaviour, while the standard ‘most popular’ or ‘most confident’ principles fail under exactly those same assumptions. Like traditional voting, the principle accepts unique problems, such as panel decisions about scientific or artistic merit, and legal or historical disputes. The potential application domain is thus broader than that covered by machine learning and psychometric methods, which require data across multiple questions14,15,16,17,18,19,20.
Wavefront Parallel Processing on GPUs with an Application to Video Encoding Algorithms

In this paper, we present our experiences in designing, implementing and evaluating efficient applications of the wavefront pattern for block-level motion estimation in video encoding algorithms using OpenCL™ kernels on Intel® Processor Graphics™. We implement multiple solutions exploring different performance considerations, evaluate their pros and cons, present performance data, and provide our recommendations.
Catalyst selection by transition state affinity chromatography—An assessment

Abstract A new method for catalyst selection-optimization is introduced and evaluated, transition state affinity chromatography (TSAC), based on the relative chromatographic affinity of pre-catalysts for a supported-substrate vs. a transition state analog (TSA). The affinities of a library of Zn-imine complexes on three designer HPLC affinity columns that possess either an immobilized substrate, a transition state analog or a non-binding reference compound are compared to their catalytic activities for picolinate ester hydrolysis. For those Zn-complexes whose ligands possess a hydroxyalkyl side chain the retention times on the substrate-affinity column correlate linearly with the catalyst-substrate affinity, 1/K M, derived from the kinetics of the LZn-catalyzed hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl picolinate. Additionally, the kinetically determined esterolytic catalytic activities, k cat , for the hydroxyalkyl-bearing complexes also correlate with their relative chromatographic affinity on the TSA- vs Sub-affinity columns. Zinc-complexes that lack the hydroxyalkyl arm, however, show no correlation of their chromatographic behavior with 1/K M and an inverse correlation with k cat. These results are interpreted in terms of differences in the catalytic mechanisms for the two sets of catalysts. TSAC is shown to be viable for selecting the most active esterolytic Zn-catalyst from a mixture of five complexes.
Chlorophyll a interference in phycocyanin and allophycocyanin spectrophotometric quantification

The accurate quantification of cyanobacteria phycobiliproteins is an important aspect in various research topics, such as cyanobacteria ecology and physiology studies, and especially to calibrate algorithms used in remote sensing of cyanobacterial blooms. Here we present a spectroscopic approach, exploiting spectrophotometric equations, aimed at improving the phycocyanin and allophycocyanin quantification when chlorophyll a is present in the phycobiliprotein aqueous extract.
Mesoderm specific transcript localization in the ER and ER-lipid droplet interface supports a role in adipocyte hypertrophy†

Highly variable expression of mesoderm-specific transcript (Mest) in adipose tissue among genetically homogeneous mice fed an obesogenic diet, and its positive association with fat mass expansion, suggests that Mest is an epigenetic determinant for the development of obesity. Although the mechanisms by which MEST augments fat accumulation in adipocytes have not been elucidated, it has sequence homology and catalytic peptide motifs which suggests that it functions as an epoxide hydrolase or as a glycerol- or acylglycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase. To better understand MEST function, detailed studies were performed to precisely define the intracellular organelle localization of MEST using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. Lentiviral-mediated expression of a C-terminus Myc-DDK-tagged MEST fusion protein expressed in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes/adipocytes, and ear-derived mesenchymal stem cells (EMSC) from mice was observed in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and is consistent with previous studies showing endogenous MEST in the membrane fraction of adipose tissue. MEST was not associated with the Golgi apparatus or mitochondria; however, frequent contacts were observed between MEST-positive ER and mitochondria. MEST-positive domains were also shown on the plasma membrane (PM) of non-permeabilized cells but they did not co-localize with ER-PM bridges. Post-adipogenic differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and EMSC showed significant co-localization of MEST with the lipid droplet surface marker perilipin at contact points between the ER and lipid droplet. Identification of MEST as an ER-specific protein that co-localizes with lipid droplets in cells undergoing adipogenic differentiation supports a function for MEST in the facilitation of lipid accumulation and storage in adipocytes.
FTIR-based models for assessment of mass yield and biofuel properties of torrefied wood

Biofuel properties can be improved through torrefaction, whereby the biomass is treated with moderately elevated temperatures (200–300 °C) under conditions that are essentially anaerobic and at atmospheric pressure. Varying the torrefaction conditions of temperature and treatment duration, as well as any feedstock pretreatments (drying, grinding), can generate products having varying degrees of thermal degradation, thus impacting performance in subsequent biofuel applications (e.g., gasification, pyrolysis, combustion). Pulp-grade pine wood chips were processed through a laboratory-scale crucible furnace retort with the remaining solid carbonized products subjected to ultimate, proximate, and spectroscopic analyses. Compared to air-dry wood chips, lower mass yields (i.e., greater thermal degradation) resulted from oven drying or grinding pretreatments. Regarding the torrefaction conditions, the degree of thermal degradation varied to a greater extent as a function of applied temperature than treatment duration. Furthermore, mass yield explained 95% of the variation in higher heating value. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis gave plots in which sample points clustered by torrefaction temperature and time, as well as by sample type (i.e., with or without pretreatment). Partial least squares regression was able to accurately predict mass yield and to a lesser extent carbon content. Results suggest that FTIR monitoring of finely ground samples in a production environment could be used off-line as a rapid assessment technique for mass yield and therefore facilitate adjustments to process parameters of temperature and/or treatment duration.
Optimal Bayesian Kalman Filtering With Prior Update

In many practical filter design problems, the exact statistical information of the underlying random processes is not available. One robust filtering approach in these situations is to design an intrinsically Bayesian robust filter that provides optimal solution relative to the prior distribution governing the uncertainty class of all possible joint random process models. In this context, the intrinsically Bayesian robust Kalman filter has been recently introduced for the case that the second-order statistics of the observation and process noise in the state-space model are unknown. However, such a filter does not utilize the additional information embedded in the data being observed. In this paper, we derive the optimal Bayesian Kalman filter, which is optimal over posterior distribution obtained from incorporating data into the prior distribution. This filter has the same recursive structure as that of the classical Kalman filter, except that it is designed relative to the posterior effective noise statistics , which are found by employing the method of factor graphs through formulating the problem of computing the likelihood function as a message passing algorithm.
Embedded Advertising on Television: Disclosure, Deception and Free Speech Rights

In 2008, the FCC initiated a docket to determine if existing TV sponsorship regulations need to be revised to address embedded advertising. This paper first discusses current embedded advertising practices on television and the alleged problems with those practices. Then the paper explains the current legal framework applicable to the practices. Next, the paper analyzes the major reform positions that were articulated in comments to the FCC. This analysis includes a discussion of the first amendment protections for advertising as well as the creative works in which the integrated marketing is embedded, since the advertising is difficult to separate from its entertainment platform. The paper concludes with recommendations for next steps by the FCC and industry.
Teaching Creativity: Experimental Evidence of Three Strategies for Teaching Industry Standards for Creative Excellence:

Creativity is a system of relationships between individual creators, culture and a field of gatekeepers who select and validate ideas. Within the cultural community of advertising, practitioners op...
ASCRS binkhorst lecture 2004 : The search for perfect vision: Ophthalmology's holy grail?

Wavefront technology and wavefront-based vision correction are major advances but will not, in isolation, achieve the goal of perfect vision. Study of the animal kingdom teaches lessons of adaptation, leading to the conclusion that the human visual system is probably optimized for our ancestral hunter-gatherers, but today's visual demands have developed faster than the pace of evolution. Psychophysical studies of perception emphasize the importance of the visual processing system in the totality of visual function, with application today in areas such as multifocal intraocular lenses. The goal of "perfect vision" is more than optimized optics. A better understanding of visual function can be achieved only by a cooperative effort of ophthalmologists, vision scientists, and psychophysicists.
Exceptional Families and Existence Results for Nonlinear Complementarity Problem

In this paper we establish several sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution to the linear and some classes of nonlinear complementarity problems. These conditions involve a notion of the ``exceptional family of elements'' introduced by Smith [19] and Isac, Bulavski and Kalashnikov [4], where the authors have shown that the nonexistence of the ``exceptional family of elements'' implies solvability of the complementarity problem. In particular, we establish several sufficient conditions for the nonexistence as well as for the existence of the exceptional family of elements.
Adaptive and Maladaptive Regeneration in the Spinal Cord

For functionally appropriate neural pathways to be re-established after spinal transections, severed axons must sprout, regrow across the lesion, and then find and re-innervate their appropriate postsynaptic targets. Although spinal axons can regenerate, the formation of a dense glial scar at the lesion effectively blocks regrowth in adult mammals. However, implantation of peripheral nerve grafts between the cut ends of the cord has been effective in permitting some axons to re-grow completely across the lesion. In lower vertebrates, spinal regeneration occurs without surgical intervention, facilitating studies of the subsequent synaptogenesis. New synapses are formed by regenerating axons, but the axons often occupy novel regions of the cord and they reconnect with novel targets. Little evidence is available concerning the specificity or appropriateness of these new connections.
A study of comment abstraction, coupling, and placement

Some program comprehension techniques involve analyzing comments and identifiers in software. Other techniques analyze the code itself. Biggerstaff et al. noted a difference in abstraction level between comments and code. Comments are domain-related, whereas code is lower-level task-oriented. We are currently researching a combined automated approach that incorporates both code and comment understanding, using similar knowledge-based techniques. Part of this effort, includes an analysis of the degree to which comments match the associated code. We perform a complete analysis of how well and to what degree, in practice, comments match code. It is also important to determine the types of statements that need comments, and which ones are typically supplied with comments. In this paper, we present a study of abstraction level and coupling. We also examine comment placement, including the kinds of statements inline comments are attached to, and their relative position.
Transforming Taxonomic Interfaces: "Arm?s Length" Cooperative Work and the Maintenance of a Long-lived Classification System

If scientific research can be described as "arm's length'' cooperative work, then the sciences engaged in the creation and maintenance of cooperatively built classification systems might be said to require extremely long arms; workers must reach across great distances of time, space and awareness to independently contribute to the creation and maintenance of a conceptual infrastructure. This is particularly the case for the field of biological taxonomy, in which researchers across the globe have, for more than three hundred years, cooperatively developed a massive knowledge organization system describing all life on earth. As taxonomists move from paper-based workflows to born-digital, data-first modes of publishing, new tools and approaches are needed to support their work. In this paper, we present research conducted as part of the "Transforming Taxonomic Interfaces" project aimed at improving interfaces for taxonomic software. We describe biological taxonomy in the context of CSCW, and identify key strategies taxonomists deploy to facilitate loosely coupled cooperative work. We also contribute a discussion ofsemantic refactoring, a unique kind of "articulation work'' entailed in developing, maintaining, and migrating classification systems. This work has implications for the design and study of knowledge organization systems and infrastructure, classification research, and for the development of general semantic web tools and software as well as those specifically for biological taxonomy.
Fungal extracts stimulate solitary chemosensory cell expansion in noninvasive fungal rhinosinusitis

BACKGROUND Solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs) are rare epithelial cells enriched in nasal polyps and are the primary source of interleukin-25 (IL-25), an innate cytokine eliciting T-helper 2 (Th2) immune response. Although it is proposed that SCCs are stimulated by antigens released by upper airway pathogens, the exogenous triggers of human SCCs remain elusive. We studied patients with noninvasive fungal rhinosinusitis to determine whether extracts of Aspergillus fumigatus and Alternaria alternata stimulate SCC proliferation as an early event in type 2 inflammation. METHODS Multicolor flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and enzyme-linked immunoassay were used to interrogate mucosa from patients with mycetomas and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) for SCCs and IL-25. Primary sinonasal epithelial cells from AFRS patients and noninflamed inferior turbinates were stimulated with fungal extracts for 72 hours, and SCC population frequency as well as mitotic activity were quantified using flow cytometry. RESULTS SCCs producing IL-25 are enriched in inflamed mucosa compared with intrapatient noninflamed control tissue (38.6% vs 6.5%, p = 0.029). In cultured sinonasal epithelial cells from AFRS nasal polyps, Aspergillus fumigatus and Alternaria alternata stimulated higher SCC frequency compared with controls (27.4% vs 10.6%, p = 0.002; 18.1% vs 10.6%, p = 0.046), which led to increased IL-25 secretion in culture media (75.5 vs 3.3 pg/mL, p < 0.001; 32.3 vs 3.3 pg/mL, p = 0.007). Ki-67 expression was higher in SCCs grown in fungal stimulation conditions compared with controls. CONCLUSION Although fungal antigens are known to potentiate immune response through innate cytokines, including IL-25, the early expansion of SCCs in the presence of fungus has not been described. This early event in the pathogenesis of noninvasive fungal rhinosinusitis may represent a target for intervention.
Dynamics of shear band instabilities in cutting of metals

Abstract We study the dynamics of flow instability and shear localization in cutting using direct high-speed imaging and low melting point alloy as a model material system. The onset of instability and departure from steady laminar flow is triggered by nucleation of shear band at the tool tip and subsequent propagation towards the free surface. The stress at the onset of shear band formation is found to be constant and a physical characteristic of the material. The shear band velocity and inhomogeneous strain field arising from the banding are quantitatively characterized using an image correlation method.
Applications of Higher Order Statistics in Electroencephalography Signal Processing: A Comprehensive Survey

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a noninvasive electrophysiological monitoring technique that records the electrical activities of the brain from the scalp using electrodes. EEG is not only an essential tool for diagnosing diseases and disorders affecting the brain, but also helps us to achieve a better understanding of brain's activities and structures. EEG recordings are weak, nonlinear, and nonstationary signals that contain various noise and artifacts. Therefore, for analyzing them, advanced signal processing techniques are required. Second order statistical features are usually sufficient for analyzing most basic signals. However, higher order statistical features possess characteristics that are missing in the second order; characteristics that can be highly beneficial for analysis of more complex signals, such as EEG. The primary goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive survey of the applications of higher order statistics or spectra (HOS) in EEG signal processing. Therefore, we start the survey with a summary of previous studies in EEG analysis followed by a brief mathematical description of HOS. Then, HOS related features and their applications in EEG analysis are presented. These applications are then grouped into three categories, each of which are further explored thoroughly with examples of prior studies. Finally, we provide some specific recommendations based on the literature survey and discuss possible future directions of this field.
Reversal of Rituximab-Resistant AIDS-B-NHL Clone to Chemotherapeutic Drug-Induced Apoptosis by Bortezomib and DHMEQ.

Abstract The mechanisms underlying the failure of B-NHL cancer patients to respond to treatment with rituximab, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, are not known. In efforts to address this issue, we have generated rituximab-resistant clones of the AIDS NHL cell line, (2F7RR). Recent findings have demonstrated that treatment of the wild type (wt) 2F7 with rituximab sensitized the tumor cells to various chemotherapeutic drug-induced apoptosis. Chemosensitization was the result of rituximab-mediated inhibition of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and the selective inhibition of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 gene product (Vega et. al., Oncogene 23:4993, 2004). Analysis of one clone, 2F7RR1, revealed that the cells have diminished surface CD20 expression and failed to respond to CDC and to apoptosis following cross-linking. In addition, the cells were resistant to rituximab-mediated chemosensitization. In contrast to wt2F7, molecular analysis of the 2F7RR1 clone revealed that rituximab failed to inhibit p-Lyn, p38-MAPK, BclXL, and Bcl-2. In addition, rituximab failed to inhibit the transcription factors NF-κB, YY1, SP-1, and STAT3. Noteworthy, 2F7RR1 exhibited higher resistance to drug-induced apoptosis compared to wt2F7 and showed overexpression of Bcl-2. Previous findings with the wt2F7 demonstrated that Bcl-2 was responsible for chemoresistance. Accordingly, we examined whether inhibition of Bcl-2 in 2F7RR1 can reverse chemoresistance. Since Bcl-2 is under the transcriptional regulation of NF-κB, we examined the effect of the NF-κB inhibitors Bortezomib and DHMEQ (DHMEQ was a kind gift from Dr.K. Umezawa Keio University, Japan) (Kikuchi, et al., Cancer Review, 2003, 63:107). The findings revealed that treatment of 2F7RR1 with these inhibitors resulted in the reversal of resistance to a number of chemotherapeutic drugs (examples: taxol, vincristine, ADR, CDDP, VP16, etc.). The chemo-sensitization by Bortezomib and DHMEQ was equivalent and the combination treatment of each of these inhibitors with the drug was synergistic. These studies present evidence that rituximab and drug-resistant tumor cells may be sensitized to chemotherapeutic drug-induced apoptosis via inhibition of NF-κB or Bcl-2. These findings also suggest that Bortezomib and DHMEQ may be clinically relevant in the treatment of rituximab and drug-resistant AIDS-B-NHL.
Quality Improvement and Population Management in Adult Primary Care

Initial efforts to define quality metrics in the ambulatory setting were hampered by the lack of tools for population management. With the advent of electronic health records, standardized data capture, and clinical decision support, the tools for measuring and tracking quality metrics have made quality improvement and population management feasible. The patient-centered medical home provides an organizational model to conduct population management, utilizing the whole team, including nursing, medical assistants, frontline staff, information technologists, and administrators to achieve quality goals, and unburdening the primary care provider from administrative tasks.
A pitfall of using offer quantity limits

Retailers may wish to foster high, but not excessively high, consumer purchase quantities of a product. Purchase quantity limits can be used to try to walk that fine line. Two commonly used approac...
Using the right tool for the job: the difference between unsupervised and supervised analyses of multivariate ecological data

Ecologists often collect data with the aim of determining which of many variables are associated with a particular cause or consequence. Unsupervised analyses (e.g. principal components analysis, PCA) summarize variation in the data, without regard to the response. Supervised analyses (e.g., partial least squares, PLS) evaluate the variables to find the combination that best explain a causal relationship. These approaches are not interchangeable, especially when the variables most responsible for a causal relationship are not the greatest source of overall variation in the data-a situation that ecologists are likely to encounter. To illustrate the differences between unsupervised and supervised techniques, we analyze a published dataset using both PCA and PLS and compare the questions and answers associated with each method. We also use simulated datasets representing situations that further illustrate differences between unsupervised and supervised analyses. For simulated data with many correlated variables that were unrelated to the response, PLS was better than PCA at identifying which variables were associated with the response. There are many applications for both unsupervised and supervised approaches in ecology. However, PCA is currently overused, at least in part because supervised approaches, such as PLS, are less familiar.
Finite Element Boundary Element Hybrid via Direct Domain Decomposition Method

A hybrid Finite Element-Boundary Element Method (FE-BE) is presented which employs a Direct Domain Decomposition Method (D3M) solver. The method is based on the ‘PECfication’ idea, where all electric field unknowns are eliminated by forming the FE Schur complement.
PAX8, an Emerging Player in Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian Cancer is one of the most lethal and widespread gynecological malignancies. It is the seventh leading cause of all cancer deaths worldwide. High-Grade Serous Cancer (HGSC), the most commonly occurring subtype, alone contributes to 70% of all ovarian cancer deaths. This is mainly attributed to the complete lack of symptoms during the early stages of the disease and absence of an early diagnostic marker.
Biomechanics of immature human cortical bone: A systematic review.

Abstract The whole bone geometry, microstructure, and mechanical properties of mature human bone are widely reported; however, immature bone (0–18 years) has not been similarly robustly characterized. There is an interest in analyzing and predicting the mechanical loading conditions associated with long bone diaphyseal fractures attributed to trauma in children. Thus, understanding the mechanical properties of immature bone in a temporal reference frame is an essential first step to understand diaphyseal fractures of pediatric long bones. The purpose of this systematic review was to ask, what is the state of knowledge regarding the 1) evolution of whole bone geometry and microstructure of immature pediatric bone as a function of maturation and 2) cortical bone density and experimental quasi-static mechanical properties at the tissue level in the diaphyseal region of immature pediatric long bones? The systematic search yielded 36 studies of the whole bone geometry, microstructure, and mechanical properties of immature pediatric long bones. The elastic modulus, yield stress, and ultimate stress were shown to generally increase with maturation, whereas the yield strain was approximately invariant; however, the specific year-to-year progression of these properties could not be characterized from the limited studies available. The results of this systematic search indicate there is a dearth of knowledge associated with the biomechanics of cortical bone from immature pediatric long bones; it also provides a basis for computational studies of immature human long bones. Additional biomechanical studies of immature human bone are necessary to develop a robust catalogue, which can be used in broad applications to understand fracture mechanics, bone pathologies, and athletic injury in the pediatric setting.
Systemic delivery of a targeted synthetic immunostimulant transforms the immune landscape for effective tumor regression.

Summary Promoting immune activation within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a promising therapeutic strategy to reverse tumor immunosuppression and elicit anti-tumor immunity. To enable tumor-localized immunotherapy following intravenous administration, we chemically conjugated a polyspecific integrin-binding peptide (PIP) to an immunostimulant (Toll-like receptor 9 [TLR9] agonist: CpG) to generate a tumor-targeted immunomodulatory agent, referred to as PIP-CpG. We demonstrate that systemic delivery of PIP-CpG induces tumor regression and enhances therapeutic efficacy compared with untargeted CpG in aggressive murine breast and pancreatic cancer models. Furthermore, PIP-CpG transforms the immune-suppressive TME dominated by myeloid-derived suppressor cells into a lymphocyte-rich TME infiltrated with activated CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, and B cells. Finally, we show that T cells are required for therapeutic efficacy and that PIP-CpG treatment generates tumor-specific CD8+ T cells. These data demonstrate that conjugation to a synthetic tumor-targeted peptide can improve the efficacy of systemically administered immunostimulants and lead to durable anti-tumor immune responses.
Mexican-Origin Children's Educational Expectations and Academic Performance: Disparities Across Maternal Legal Status and Children’s Immigrant Generation

The immigrant generation of children (1st, 2nd, or 3rd +) is an important predictor in children’s academic outcomes in previous assimilation models. However, little is known about how maternal legal status may interact with the effect of children’s generational status. Using a sample of 604 Mexican-origin children (aged 9–17) from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study, this study examined children’s academic disparities across maternal legal status and children’s immigrant generation. Specifically, we examined 1) any academic score differences by maternal legal status (documented vs. undocumented) for each generation; 2) any academic score differences by children’s immigrant generation among children of undocumented mothers (first vs. second generation); and 3) the extent to which children’s educational expectations explained their academic disparities. Results showed that second-generation children of undocumented mothers had lower reading scores than second-generation children of documented mothers. Unexpectedly, first-generation children of undocumented mothers performed as well as first-generation children of documented mothers; they also performed as well as second-generation children of undocumented mothers. Net of covariates, the low educational expectations of first-generation children of undocumented mothers provided only a limited explanation for their reading disadvantages compared to second-generation children of documented mothers and third-plus generation children. This research provides policy implications for more effectively integrating immigrant-origin youths.
HIERARCHICAL SUPERVISION AND LOSS OF CONTROL

This chapter discusses the models of hierarchical supervision and loss of control in an organization. The models allow theorizing the economic and technical conditions that might limit the size of an organization. Beckmann's model of hierarchical supervision formulates the theory of management production functions and used these to explore the limits of firm size. Williamson's model assumes that there is an exogenous loss of control at each level and sheds light on the optimal number of management tiers in a firm. The model of Calvo and Wellisz gives explanations of the underlying informational situations that may or may not lead to limited firm size through loss of management control. The output of the hierarchical firm can be found by composition of the supervision production functions. The larger the span of control, the more subordinates a manager must supervise. The span of control of the entrepreneur rises when the size of the work force doubles.
Graphite Nanoreinforcements for Aerospace Nanocomposites

New advances in the reinforcement of polymer matrix composite materials are critical for advancement of the aerospace industry. Reinforcements are required to have good mechanical and thermal properties, large aspect ratio, excellent adhesion to the matrix, and cost effectiveness. To fulfill the requirements, nanocomposites in which the matrix is filled with nanoscopic reinforcing phases having dimensions typically in the range of 1nm to 100 nm show considerably higher strength and modulus with far lower reinforcement content than their conventional counterparts. Graphite is a layered material whose layers have dimensions in the nanometer range and are held together by weak Van der Waals forces. Once these layers are exfoliated and dispersed in a polymer matrix as nano platelets, they have large aspect ratios. Graphite has an elastic modulus that is equal to the stiffest carbon fiber and 10-15 times that of other inorganic reinforcements, and it is also electrically and thermally conductive. If the appropriate surface treatment can be found for graphite, its exfoliation and dispersion in a polymer matrix will result in a composite with excellent mechanical properties, superior thermal stability, and very good electrical and thermal properties at very low reinforcement loadings.
Water-soluble lipophilic MR contrast agents for cell membrane labeling

Long-term cell tracking using MR imaging necessitates the development of contrast agents that both label and are retained by cells. One promising strategy for long-term cell labeling is the development of lipophilic Gd(III)-based contrast agents that anchor into the cell membrane. We have previously reported the efficacy of monomeric and multimeric lipophilic agents and showed that the monomeric agents have improved labeling and contrast enhancement of cell populations. Here, we report on the synthesis, characterization, and in vitro testing of a series of monomeric lipophilic contrast agents with varied alkyl chain compositions. We show that these agents disperse in water, localize to the cell membrane, and label HeLa and MCF7 cells effectively. Additionally, these agents have up to tenfold improved retention in cells compared to clinically available ProHance®.
Biochemical and genetic studies of recombination proficiency in Escherichia coli K12. IV. Analysis of recombinants formed by a recombination deficient (recB21 recC22) strain.

Residual genetic recombination is carried out by recB - recC - mutants of E. coli. Recombinants (for one gene) formed by a recB - recC - parent were shown to be as recombination deficient as their parent, when recombination of a second gene is measured. Therefore the resididual recombination cannot be attributed to a genetically recombination proficient fraction of the parent recB - recC - culture. I conclude that each recB - recC - parent cell is capable of carrying out genetic recombination. This conclusion is consistent with the existence of an alternate (and minor) recombination mechanism in E. coli K12, independent of the recB + recC + mediated steps.
Oral dexamethasone for treatment of persistent middle ear effusion.

A double-blind controlled study of oral dexamethasone (in a 2-week tapering dose from .15 mg/kg/d) v placebo in 49 pediatric patients (mean age 3.7 years) with persistent asymptomatic middle ear effusion of three or more weeks duration was conducted. Middle ear effusion resolution was determined by a myringotomy-validated algorithm that combined pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry. Four weeks after completing treatment, 1/26 (4%) patients receiving dexamethasone and 2/23 (9%) patients receiving placebo had completely cleared their middle ear effusion (95% confidence interval -0.05 +/- 0.14). Five of 26 (19%) patients receiving dexamethasone and 6/23 (26%) patients receiving placebo had improved their hearing in all affected ears by 10 dB or more (95% confidence interval -0.07 +/- 0.23). Oral dexamethasone as used in this study was not effective in treating persistent middle ear effusion in children.