cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inducing gravitropic curvature of primary roots of Zea mays cv ageotropic

Primary roots of the mutant 'Ageotropic' cultivar of Zea mays are nonresponsive to gravity. Their root caps secrete little or no mucilage and touch the root only at the extreme apex. A gap separates the cap and root at the periphery of the cap. Applying mucilage from normal roots or substances with a consistency similar to that of mucilage to tips of mutant roots causes these roots to become strongly graviresponsive. Gravicurvature stops when these substances are removed. Caps of some mutants secrete small amounts of mucilage and are graviresponsive. These results indicate that (a) the lack of graviresponsiveness in the mutant results from disrupting the transport pathway between the cap and root, (b) movement of the growth-modifying signal from the cap to the root occurs via an apoplastic pathway, and (c) mucilage is necessary for normal communication between the root cap and root in Zea mays cv Ageotropic.
A procedure for the detection of multivariate outliers

Abstract Single case diagnostics are susceptible to a masking effect. This has led to the development of methods for detecting of multiple multivariate outliers. The available methods work well but may not be able to always detect outliers in data with contamination fraction greater than 35%, as reported by Rocke and Woodruff, 1996 , (J. Am. Statist. Assoc. 91, 1047–1061). In this paper we propose a new method for detection of outliers which is very resistant to such high contamination of data with outliers. The simulation results indicate that, while maintaining the nominal level, the proposed method is never worse and detects outliers better than the Rocke and Woodruff method for data highly contaminated (35–45%) with outliers. Improved performance was also noted for data with smaller contamination fraction (15–20%) when outliers were situated closer to the “good” data. Several data sets are used to illustrate the proposed procedure.
Finite Dimensional Optimal Control of Poiseuille Flow

In this paper we consider linear stabilization of plane, Poiseuille  ow using linear quadratic Gaussian optimal control theory. It is shown that we may signi cantly increase the dissipation rate of perturbation energy, while reducing the required control energy, as compared with that reported using simple, integral compensator control schemes. Poiseuille  ow is described by the in nite dimensional Navier–Stokes equations. Because it is impossible to implement in nite dimensional controllers, we implement high but  nite order controllers. We show that this procedure in theory can lead to destabilization of unmodeled dynamics. We then show that this may be avoided using distributed control or, dually, distributed sensing. A problem in high plant order linear quadratic Gaussian controller design is numerical instability in the synthesis equations. We show a linear quadratic Gaussian design that uses an extremely low-order plant model. This low-order controller produces results essentially equivalent to the high-order controller.
VEGF blocking therapy in the treatment of cancer.

It is widely accepted that tumour growth beyond a few cubic millimetres cannot occur without the induction of a new vascular supply. Inhibiting the development of new blood vessels (antiangiogenesis) is a potential approach to cancer therapy that has attracted interest in recent years. In theory, this approach should be relatively selective for tumour cells. The endothelial cells which form new vascular networks in tumours are responding to angiogenic stimuli produced by the tumour, but are themselves genetically normal. Endothelium in normal tissue, by contrast, is usually quiescent. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the best-characterised pro-angiogenic factor. It is virtually ubiquitous in human tumours, and higher levels have been correlated with more aggressive disease. Effective blockade of the VEGF pathway has been demonstrated with multiple agents: neutralising antibody, receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and ribozyme or antisense molecules targeting expression. Promising preclinical data document the potential of these agents for tumour growth inhibition and even tumour regression, yet translation of novel therapeutics targeting the VEGF pathway to the clinic has proved a substantial challenge in itself. While showing clear evidence of antitumour activity over a broad spectrum of experimental tumours, the proper selection, dose, timing and sequence of anti-VEGF treatment in human cancer is not at all obvious. Classic Phase I dose escalation trial design may need to be modified, as higher doses may not be optimal in all patients or for all tumours. In addition, alternate or secondary biological end points (e.g., non-progression) may be needed for early phase studies to document true activity, so as not to abandon effective agents. Recent studies of the neutralising antibody bevacizumab, and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU5416, demonstrate that, while unlikely to be effective as monotherapy, incorporation of VEGF blockade into cytotoxic regimens may increase overall response rates. However, incorporation may also produce new toxicities, including thromboembolic complications and bleeding. Newer oral agents, such as SU6668, SU11248, PTK787/ZK222584 and ZD6474, are particularly interesting for their potential for chronic therapy. Future clinical trials are likely to build on past experience with stricter entry criteria, supportive care guidelines and the use of surrogate markers.
Theism and infallibilism: a marriage made in heaven?

Many philosophers ardently subscribe to what can be called the doctrine of public-world fallibilism (DPWF), i.e. the doctrine that human persons can never have infallible awareness of the truth of propositions such as that expressed by the sentence ‘There is an olive on the kitchen floor’. It has, of course, been standard to contrast such claims with epistemically tentative first-person phenomenological reports, e.g. ‘It seems to me that there is olive on the kitchen floor’. According to the DPWF, for any public-world proposition p and person N who accepts that p , there is always some epistemic possibility (it may, of course, be quite small) that N is mistaken about p . I hope to establish – in something of a Cartesian spirit – that there is eminently respectable warrant for maintaining that theism requires the falsity of the DPWF. Further, I believe that this thesis can be seen to have far more epistemological significance than might initially be supposed.
Phosphorus Compounds in Sequential Extracts of Animal Manures: Chemical Speciation and a Novel Fractionation Procedure

Pollution of water bodies by phosphorus in runoff from soil amended with animal manures is one of the greatest threats to water quality in developed countries. The environmental fate of manure phosphorus is determined in part by its chemical composition, yet extraction procedures to assess this are poorly developed and provide no structural information. We used solution 31P NMR spectroscopy to quantify phosphorus compounds in sequential extracts of three contrasting manures (broiler litter, beef-cattle manure, swine manure). Using a procedure originally developed for soils, but commonly applied to manures, phosphorus was extracted sequentially with deionized water, 0.5 M NaHCO3, 0.1 M NaOH, and 0.5 M HCl. Water and NaHCO3 extracted readily soluble compounds, including phosphate, phospholipids, DNA, and simple phosphate monoesters, which are mobile in soil and biologically available. In contrast, NaOH and HCl extracted poorly soluble compounds, including phytic acid (myoinositol hexakisphosphate). The latter is immobile in soil and of limited biological availability. Based on these results, we developed a simplified two-step fractionation procedure involving extraction of readily soluble phosphorus in 0.5 M NaHCO3 followed by extraction of stable phosphorus in a solution containing 0.5 M NaOH and 50 mM EDTA. This revised procedure separates manure phosphorus into structurally defined fractions with environmental relevance and will facilitate research on this important aspect of environmental science.
Induction as model selection

Overview of hierarchical Bayesian approach to learning structural form proposed by Kemp and Tenenbaum (3), using examples of similarities among a set of animals. (A) The data at the bottom, in the form of a feature vector for each animal, can potentially be produced by alternative forms (ring, partition, tree, order, hierarchy) that can take on many different structures (defined by nodes and edges in graph). Likelihoods constrain the possible structural forms to those consistent with the data of feature vectors (blue background), but the set of possibilities may remain large. (B) The set of possible structural forms is further constrained by the prior probability of each form and by the prior conditional probability of each structure given a form. The priors for structures conditional on forms favor simpler structures (those with fewer nodes). Bayesian inference identifies the specific structure (hierarchy in green) that has maximal probability as determined by the product of the likelihood and prior knowledge: P(S, F|D) ∝ …
Studies of the human ascending pain pathways

Chronic pain is an immense, unsolved, clinical problem. Current approaches to this condition are limited by uncertainty about mechanisms of acute and chronic pain in humans. Although much progress has been made toward understanding peripheral neural mechanisms of human nociception, we have a poor understanding of CNS pain mechanisms. Here, we review the anatomy and physiology of the ascending spinal pathways and supraspinal centers with pain-related activity. This review focuses on the primate nervous systems because there are significant differences between pain transmission in primates and other species such as cats and rats.
Correlates of Satisfaction in Older Volunteers: A Motivational Perspective

The author used motivational analysis to examine the role of satisfaction with volunteerism in a sample of older volunteers. The motivational approach proposes that volunteering serves specific needs or motives. The more the experience fulfills them, the more satisfied the individual and the greater the commitment to continue volunteering. The aim of the study was to clarify the relationship between volunteer satisfaction and motive strength, motive fulfillment, time spent volunteering, and length of service, respectively. The results supported the motivational perspective. Motive strength and fulfillment correlated with satisfaction which, in turn, predicted time spent volunteering. Less satisfied volunteers devoted fewer hours but nonetheless often remained long-term volunteers. The findings suggest that to best utilize and maintain volunteers, motivations for helping should be determined early in the process and periodically re-assessed.
Robust and physically-constrained interpolation of fluid flow fields

The authors investigate the problem of interpolating, under physical constraints, 3-D vector fields from sample vectors at random positions. This problem arises from analysis of fluid motion, but the results can also be applied to such areas as geometric modeling, approximation theory, and other types of nonrigid motion. The algorithm proposed combines the generalized multivariable quadratic interpolation and physical constraints into one step to form an overdetermined linear equation system whose solution gives the coefficients of interpolation, which are much less sensitive to noise compared to other interpolation methods. The authors utilized methods in robust statistics to detect outliers in the sample data so that the results are more stable in the presence of gross errors. The algorithm is applied to both synthesized velocity fields of fluid and empirically measured 3-D velocity fields. >
The Directed Mutation Controversy in an Evolutionary Context

Neo-Darwinists have long held that random mutations produce genetic differences among individuals, and selection increases the frequency of advantageous alleles. In 1988, Cairns et al. claimed that an environmental pressure can cause advantageous mutations to occur in specific genes to alleviate that particular pressure. Directed mutation, as proposed by Cairns, has been all but eradicated from evolutionary thinking. However, more than a decade of research spurred by the Cairns et al. paper has cast doubt on three neo-Darwinian principles: (1) mutations occur independently of the environment, (2) mutations are due to replication errors, and (3) mutation rates are constant. This mini-review explores the history of the controversy and the decade of research that followed so as to place it in an evolutionary context. Several of the cellular mechanisms and models that explain the increased genetic diversity in populations experiencing adverse environmental pressure are described. In most cases it is clear that the increased genetic diversity is due to breakdowns of cellular machinery or alleles evolved for a purpose other than increasing genetic diversity, rather than to cellular systems that have been evolutionarily selected to increase the genetic diversity in times of stress.
PARSING VS. TEXT PROCESSING IN THE ANALYSIS OF DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS

We have analyzed definitions from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary using Sager's Linguistic String Parser and again using basic UNIX text processing utilities such as grep and awk. This paper evaluates both procedures, compares their results, and discusses possible future lines of research exploiting and combining their respective strengths.
Abnormal urinary sediment during therapy with synthetic salmon calcitonin.

ABSTRACT Four normal men at bed rest received daily subcutaneous injections of 100 MRC units of synthetic salmon calcitonin in gelatin-phenol vehicle. By the sixth week all four had developed abnormalities in the urinary sediment, including coarse granular casts and renal tubular epithelial cell casts. Creatinine clearance was not reduced and there was no proteinuria. After discontinuing this preparation of calcitonin, the urinary sediment became normal within four days.
Vertebral Lymphosarcoma as the Cause of Hind Limb Paresis in a Horse

A 23-month-old, 400-kg female quarterhorse was referred to the Louisiana State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for recumbency due to rear limb paresis. Eleven days earlier, the owner had noticed transient abnormal head and neck posture, but no other abnormalities were noted until the animal suddenly became recumbent 3 days prior to referral. On physical examination, the horse was alert. Cranial nerve responses were normal, as were reflexes and cutaneous sensations of the forelimbs. There was paresis of the rear limbs, but patellar and withdrawal reflexes and sensory perception were intact. Tail control and anal muscle tone were normal. A complete blood count (CBC) revealed mature neutrophilia (16,400 white blood cells/μl, 90% segmenters), hyperfibrinogenemia (800 mg/dl), and hyperproteinemia (9.0 g/dl). With the exception of a slight elevation in creatine phosphokinase, the chemistry panel was normal, including calcium levels. Cerebrospinal fluid collected from the lumbosacral space was normal. A thoracolumbar spinal cord lesion was suspected and the horse was treated accordingly. No change in condition was seen in 24 hr and the animal was euthanized. Within the vertebral canal at the level of the first lumbar vertebra was an elongated, tan-white subperiosteal mass measuring 2 x 5 cm (Fig. 1). This mass had a glistening smooth surface (periosteum) and compressed the spinal cord at that point. Cross section of the first lumbar vertebra revealed destruction of the vertebral body and replacement by soft tan-white tissue. This tissue displaced and replaced trabecular bone in the vertebral body and at the base of the dorsal spinous process. Focal destruction of the cortex presumably allowed formation of the subperiosteal mass, which protruded into the vertebral canal. The spleen weighed 22 kg and contained a 30-cm-diameter round mass (Fig. 2). The surface of the splenic mass was smooth and mottled in color from red to tan to dark purple. There were 5 thick, sessile, discoid plaques present on the splenic mass and the adjacent capsule. The plaques were pale tan, 4-8 cm in diameter, flattopped, and elevated 2-4 cm above the capsular surface. Cut section of the mass and plaques revealed multiple coalescing round nodules of moderately soft tan tissue (Fig. 3). Nodules varied in size from 0.5 to 2 cm in diameter and were occasionally separated from one another by hemorrhage, giving the tissue an overall marbled tan and red appearance. Approximately 50% of the center of the mass was necrotic, as characterized by friable yellow-tan tissue and a 9-cm-diameter area of liquification necrosis. Mesenteric lymph nodes were enlarged and many contained multiple discrete cortical nodules up to 1.5 cm in diameter.
A knowledge representation approach to understanding metaphors

This study represents an exploration of the phenomenon of non-literal language ("metaphors") and an approach that lends itself to computational modeling. Ortony's theories of the way in which salience and asymmetry function in human metaphor processing are explored and expanded on the basis of numerous examples. A number of factors appear to be interacting in the metaphor comprehension process. In addition to salience and asymmetry, of major importance are incongruity, hyperbolicity, inexpressibility, prototypicality, and probable value range. Central to the model is a knowledge representation system incorporating these factors and allowing for the manner in which they interact. A version of KL-ONE (with small revisions) is used for this purpose.
A9.15 Higher disease damage among african americans with familial versus sporadic systemic lupus erythematosus

Background Studies in Caucasian cohorts have found no significant clinical or serologic differences in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with a family history of SLE compared to those with no family history. Using a unique cohort of African Americans with SLE and a high prevalence of multipatient families, we examined whether having a family history of SLE would impact autoantibodies, age at SLE diagnosis, ACR criteria, and disease damage. Methods Utilizing data from a cohort of African Americans with SLE, familial SLE was defined as having a confirmed family history of SLE versus sporadic SLE defined as no known family history of SLE. SSA, SSB, ds-DNA, anticardiolipin, and lupus anticoagulant were tested. Cumulative damage was measured using the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI). Chi-square testing was used for comparing categorical and Student’s t-test used for comparing continuous variables. The association between familial vs. sporadic SLE and SDI was modeled using Poisson regression adjusting for covariates. Two-sided p-values Results 400 African American females had SLE, 55 of who were familial SLE cases. Mean age of familial cases was 47.1 + 13.9 years vs. 43.3 + 14.7 for sporadic cases (p = 0.08). Mean age at diagnosis was 28.1 + 11.5 years for familial vs. 31.0 + 13.0 for sporadic (p = 0.13). Mean disease duration was 18.7 + 9.1 years for familial vs. 12.3 + 7.1 for sporadic (p Conclusion Consistent with Caucasian SLE cohorts, we found African American SLE familial and sporadic cases had similar serologic and clinical profiles. However, familial SLE cases had significantly higher SDI scores compared to sporadic cases, even after adjusting for age at diagnosis and disease duration. Further studies are underway to elucidate the causes of higher disease damage in familial versus sporadic SLE.
Nonlithographic semiconductor nanoscale devices

Summary form only given. We have developed a thin film template based nanostructure synthesis technique that is applicable for the development of high performance electronic and photonic devices on silicon, glass and other planar substrates. The technique is based on the anodization of a thin film of aluminum to form an alumina template;. synthesizing the active material inside these nanoscale pores then forms the nanostructures. We are currently using the above template-based technology for the fabrication of a variety of devices including (i) nanostructure-based solar cells, (ii) narrowband optical detectors, (iii) electro-optic modulators and (iv) Coulomb-blockade devices.
An architectural evaluation of Java TPC-W

The use of the Java programming language for implementing server-side application logic is increasingly in popularity yet there is very little known about the architectural requirements of this emerging commercial workload. We present a detailed characterization of the Transaction Processing Council's TPC-W web benchmark, implemented in Java. The TPC-W benchmark is designed to exercise the web server and transaction processing system of a typical e-commerce web site. We have implemented TPC-W as a collection of Java servlets, and present an architectural study detailing the memory system and branch predictor behavior of the workload. We also evaluate the effectiveness of a coarse-grained multithreaded processor at increasing system throughput using TPC-W and other commercial workloads. We measure system throughput improvements from 8% to 41% for a two context processor, and 12% to 60% for a four context uniprocessor over a single-threaded uniprocessor despite decreased branch prediction accuracy and cache hit rates.
Lymphatic Malformations of the Head and Neck: A Proposal for Staging

Objective: To propose a staging system for patients with lymphatic malformations of the head and neck. Design: Retrospective chart review. Patients: Fifty-six patients were treated for lymphatic malformations from 1983 to 1993 at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, Wash. The charts were reviewed for anatomic location of the lesion, preoperative and postoperative complications, number of procedures to control disease, long-term sequelae, and persistence of disease. Lesions were characterized as being unilateral or bilateral and suprahyoid and/or infrahyoid. The five patient groups were then compared with respect to the above categories. Results: Preoperative complications reviewed include preoperative infection, respiratory embarassment necessitating airway intervention, and feeding difficulties. Postoperative complications assessed were cranial nerve injury, wound infection, and seroma formation. Long-term sequelae included malocclusion, speech delay, and cosmetic deformity. The rate of persistent disease was also assessed. A staging system was developed based on a progression of extent of disease. Stage I patients (n=12) had unilateral infrahyoid disease and a 17% incidence of complications overall. Stage II patients (n=17) had unilateral suprahyoid disease and a 41% incidence of complications. Stage III patients (n=15) had unilateral suprahyoid and infrahyoid disease and a complication rate of 67%. Stage IV patients (n=5) with bilateral suprahyoid disease had a complication rate of 80%, while stage V patients (n=6) with bilateral suprahyoid and infrahyoid disease had a 100% incidence of complications. Conclusion: Anatomic location of lymphatic malformations of the head and neck can be used to predict prognosis and outcome of surgical intervention. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1995;121:577-582)
A Gas-Capture Buoy for Measuring Bubbling Gas Flux in Oceans and Lakes

The design, calibration, and deployment of a buoy and gas-capture assembly for measuring bubbling gas flux in oceans and lakes are described. The assembly collects gas in a chamber while continuously measuring the position of the gas‐water interface that forms as gas accumulates. Interface position is determined from the differential pressure between the chamber and ambient seawater. A spar buoy provides flotation and stability to reduce vertical motion from surface waves. The gas-collection assembly and spar, referred to as a flux buoy, is suitable for deployment from small boats under conditions of light wind and small waves. The flux buoy is being used to determine the spatial distribution of natural hydrocarbon seepage off the south-central California coast. Hydrocarbon seepage from continental shelves may be an important source of atmospheric methane.
Satlink v2.5: an interactive, user-friendly computer workstation tool for satellite network evaluation

A user-friendly, highly visual computer workstation-based satellite network evaluation tool is described. It is capable of providing end-to-end performance statistics in response to the specification of a wide variety of network geometries, modulation types, and routing protocols. A description of the algorithm structure and program flow is given. The software provides a highly interactive, visual, user-friendly tool for determining certain link statistics for a broad range of orbital and communication parameter options. >
Rheo-Optical Studies of Rubbers

Abstract It is evident that optical techniques can provide much information about the morphology, orientation, and phase transformations of homogeneous rubbers, rubber blends, copolymers, and composites. While no one method offers complete characterization, it is believed that the combination of these techniques can be of great value in the elucidation of these useful materials.
Multiple PEG Chains Attached onto the Surface of a Helix Bundle: Conformations and Implications

We investigate the conformations of multiple poly ethylene glycol (PEG) chains conjugated to the exterior surface of a three-helix coiled coil using all-atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in ...
Some notes on data analysis for nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Nuclear Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (NRIXS) is a spectroscopy method to study atomic vibrations and dynamics, currently done with synchrotron radiation at a few high energy third generation facilities. It finds a wide range of applications in condensed matter physics, materials science, chemistry, biophysics, geosciences, and high-pressure researches. Many atomic dynamics and lattice thermodynamics information can be derived from NRIXS measurements. Phonon Density of States (DOS) characterizes lattice dynamics of a material and can be derived under the quasi-harmonic approximation. Combined with modeling and simulations, results from NRIXS can provide unique and clarifying insights into many fields of research. As for a spectroscopic technique, in order to be able to provide reliable information, close attention should be paid to many issues during experiments and data analysis afterwards. Here we discuss several issues relevant to its data analysis, namely, those of multiple sites, background treatments, and error estimates for some derived quantities.
Asymmetric Fluorination of Enamides: Access to α-Fluoroimines Using an Anionic Chiral Phase-Transfer Catalyst

The use of a BINOL-derived phosphate as a chiral anionic phase-transfer catalyst in a nonpolar solvent allows the enantioselective fluorination of enamides using Selectfluor as the fluorinating reagent. We demonstrate that a wide range of stable and synthetically versatile α-(fluoro)benzoylimines can be readily accessed with high enantioselectivity. These compounds have the potential to be readily elaborated into a range of highly stereodefined β-fluoroamines, compounds that constitute highly valuable building blocks of particular importance in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals.
Growth hormone for short stature not due to classic growth hormone deficiency.

The unlimited availability of recombinant DNA-derived human growth hormone has led to the broader use of this agent in short stature syndromes not due to classic growth hormone deficiency. Short- and long-term studies have shown that administration of growth hormone has resulted in improvements in the growth rates and predicted heights of children with isolated short stature, Turner syndrome, chronic renal failure, and other short stature syndromes. However, concerns remain regarding the long-term efficacy of this therapy, especially with respect to final, adult height.
UNE APPROCHE RADIO-CHIRURGICALE COHERENTE, BASEE SUR LE PSA, POUR LA PRISE EN CHARGE DU CANCER DE LA PROSTATE

The presence of cancer of the prostate does not mean that a patient will succumb to the disease. In fact, prior to the advent of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, the cause of death in 50% of men with detectable extraglandular cancer was intercurrent disease. No studies have conclusively demonstrated a definitive benefit of surgery or radiation over simple observation; therefore treatment complications must absolutely be restricted to a bare minimum while demonstrating curative effect. This review presents a balanced perspective on the management of prostate cancer which results from non-adversarial, extensive, and continuous interactions between two very active Departments (Urology and Radiation Oncology). Such a multidisciplinary approach fosters relevant research projects and ultimately benefits patient care.
Ultrasonography for the diagnosis and staging of blunt scrotal trauma.

AbstractOf 19 patients with blunt testicular trauma diagnosed and staged correctly by physical examination and ultrasonography 10 were explored surgically and 9 were managed nonoperatively (treatment was supported by ultrasonography). Fractured testicles occurred in 5 of the 10 explored patients and were repaired surgically, and in 2 of the 9 conservatively managed patients. These 2 patients refused an operation.Ultrasonography can show disruption of the testicle as evidenced by intratesticular lucencies representing hematoma, extruded testicular parenchyma or a fragmented testicle. The tunica albuginea is too thin to be defined consistently and, thus, it could not be used as a parameter for disruption in the 10 patients who were explored surgically.Ultrasonography used in conjunction with a thorough physical examination is highly accurate, readily available, noninvasive and gives minimal discomfort. This modality can be used to follow nonoperative scrotal injury to resolution. With the availability of hi...
Research into seismic retrofit of reinforced concrete bridge columns

Structural deficiencies in flexural and shear strength, and in ductility capacity of reinforced concrete columns of Californian bridges have required the development of effective and economic retrofit solutions. The paper describes relevant research at the University of California San Diego, and presents design recommendations based on rather extensive test results.
Iteration Theorems for Deterministic Families of Languages

In this paper, we consider the problem of finding iteration theorems for various subfamilies of deterministic languages. Because deterministic languages are constrained in their generation, it is not possible to merely "pump substrings" as in the general context free case. We lay out, in detail, a collection of techniques for proving theorems of this type for deterministic context free languages.
¿El derecho en el diván del analista?: los usos de la teoría psicoanalítica en la academia estadounidense contemporánea

In the U.S. legal context, psychoanalysis is viewed by most scholars (and most judges) as outdated, even unscientific, and there is little room for psychoanalytic expertise in U.S. courts of law. However, there are some scholars who continue to do theoretical work in the conventional Freudian tradition, as well as numerous critical legal theorists who have appropriated the psychoanalytic conceptions of Jacques Lacan in their critiques of the law. This is a brief survey of how these scholars conceive of the law in psychoanalytic terms. Is it the judge being analyzed? Is it the lawyers, or the law students? Is the law itself viewed as subject with an unconscious and with symptoms? Or is it an analysis of legal texts as having an unconscious dimension that is hidden like an ideology? I identify examples of all four frameworks, and conclude that these scholars, notwithstanding their theoretical orientation, have practical goals for law in mind.
Under the Mistletoe

Walk straight for a certain distance. Then turn to the left, making an angle θ with your previous walk. Walk a certain percentage further than last time, and then turn the same angle left. Continuing in this way, you will make a with segments in geometric progression.
Estimating object hardness with a GelSight touch sensor

Hardness sensing is a valuable capability for a robot touch sensor. We describe a novel method of hardness sensing that does not require accurate control of contact conditions. A GelSight sensor is a tactile sensor that provides high resolution tactile images, which enables a robot to infer object properties such as geometry and fine texture, as well as contact force and slip conditions. The sensor is pressed on silicone samples by a human or a robot and we measure the sample hardness only with data from the sensor, without a separate force sensor and without precise knowledge of the contact trajectory. We describe the features that show object hardness. For hemispherical objects, we develop a model to measure the sample hardness, and the estimation error is about 4% in the range of 8 Shore 00 to 45 Shore A. With this technology, a robot is able to more easily infer the hardness of the touched objects, thereby improving its object recognition as well as manipulation strategy.
Multi-core optical fibers realizing high-density/-capacity transmissions

This talk will review the design factors related to the optical/mechanical characteristics of multi-core fibers, and our recently proposed 125¼m-cladding multi-core fibers for short-reach high-density transmissions and ultra-long-haul high-capacity transmissions.
Effect of androgen supplementation on 24-hour activity-rest patterns of aged male rhesus macaques.

Like elderly men, old male rhesus macaques show attenuated circulating levels of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and many of them also show reduced levels of daytime activity. It is unclear, however, if this age-associated behavioral change is causally related to the underlying decrease in circulating androgen levels. To test this possibility, old male rhesus macaques were given daily supplements of testosterone and DHEA for 6 months, designed to mimic the mean 24-hour circulating hormone patterns of young adults. Compared with the young adults, the old controls showed attenuated daytime activity levels. However, there was no difference between the androgen-supplemented old animals and the aged-matched controls, even after 6 months of treatment. The data suggest that age-associated decreases in circulating androgen levels are unlikely to be a primary reason for altered activity-rest patterns in elderly men, and that androgen supplementation paradigms might not provide any obvious therapeutic benefit.
Guidelines for supporting a pregnant patient with brain death: A case discussion and literature review

Brain death implies irreversible cessation of the brainstem function. While it is generally considered unethical and futile to continue to support vital organs once a diagnosis of brain death has been made, patients who are both pregnant and brain dead complicate this issue because the appropriateness of continuing maternal somatic support to prolong gestation to delivery is still debated. This article will review the literature, and open up dialogue, about the need for guidelines and recommendations in anesthesia care, including the ethics, legality, and cost of supporting the mother’s life to save an unborn child, when somatically supporting pregnant patients who are brain dead, are in a persistent vegetative state (PVS), or are in a coma due to irreversible brain injury. Making a case for or against supporting such patients is outside the scope of this paper. This review finds that the need for guidelines to assist healthcare professionals in providing care to somatically supported mother is necessary.
CHI4Good or Good4CHI

This paper is a commentary on the place of social good within the context of human-computer interaction, specifically the CHI community. I propose three ways of looking at recent CHI research in this space -- application research, crossover work, and community-centric research, and suggest that the structural constraints of the CHI conference impact these differently. Tracing the history social-good-related research at CHI, I contextualize this to the construction of the designer and the technology industry as driven by a social mission. In conclusion, I propose that Good4CHI is a better characterization of the direction of value than conference themes such as CHI4Good.
EUS-guided drainage of peripancreatic fluid collections with lumen-apposing metal stents and plastic double-pigtail stents: comparison of efficacy and adverse event rates

Background and aims Transmural drainage with double-pigtail plastic stents (DPPSs) was the mainstay of endoscopic therapy for symptomatic peripancreatic fluid collections (PPFCs) until the introduction of lumen-apposing covered self-expanding metal stents (LAMSs). Currently, there are limited data regarding the efficacy and adverse event rate of LAMSs compared with DPPSs. Methods A retrospective analysis of EUS-guided PPFC drainage at a single tertiary care center between 2008 and 2015 was performed. Patients were classified based on drainage method: DPPSs and LAMSs. Adverse event rates, unplanned endoscopic procedures/necrosectomies, and PPFC resolution within 6 months were recorded. Significant bleeding was defined as necessitating transfusion or requiring endoscopic treatment/radiographic embolization. Subsequent endoscopic procedures were defined as unplanned procedures; stent removals were excluded. Results A total of 103 patients met inclusion criteria (84 DPPSs, 19 LAMSs). PPFCs were classified as walled-off necrosis (WON) in 23 (14 DPPSs, 9 LAMSs). There were significantly more bleeding episodes in the LAMS group (4 [19%]: 2 splenic artery pseudo-aneurysms, 1 collateral vessel bleed, 1 intracavitary variceal bleed; P = .0003) than in the DPPS group (1 (1%]: stent erosion into the gastric wall). One perforation occurred in the DPPS group. Unplanned repeat endoscopy was more frequent in the LAMS group (10% vs 26%, P = .07). Among retreated LAMS patients in with WON, 5 (56%) had obstruction by necrotic debris. In patients for whom follow-up was available, 67 of 70 (96%) with DPPSs and 16 of 17 (94%) with LAMSs had resolution of PPFCs within 6 months (P = .78). Conclusions DPPSs and LAMSs are effective methods for treatment of PPFCs. In our cohort, use of LAMSs was associated with significantly higher rates of procedure-related bleeding and greater need for repeat endoscopic intervention.
Bender's decomposition algorithm for model predictive control of a modular multi-level converter

In this paper, we consider an optimization problem solving for model predictive control (MPC) of a modular multilevel converter (MMC). An MMC consists of a large number of submodules. The objective of the MPC is to determine the best switching sequences for the submodules in the MMC to track the phase current references for T time horizons. The MPC is formulated as a nonlinear mixed-integer programming (MIP) problem with the on/off status of submodules as binary decision variables and MMC dynamic states such as phase currents, circulating currents and submodule capacitor voltages as continuous decision variables. With a large number of submodules and a large number of time horizons, the dimension of the nonlinear MIP problem becomes difficult to handle. Our contribution is to formulate this problem and solve this problem using Bender's decomposition. An example 5-level single-phase MMC is demonstrated for the proposed algorithm.
Emotions, Threat Perception, and Political Participation

Earlier research has offered much debate as to how anger, anxiety, and enthusiasm promote distinct tendencies toward threat perception, risk assessment, and political interest. Drawing on this research, this chapter experimentally tests whether the three targeted emotions cause different judgments concerning risk, perceived threat, and political learning. In line with the ongoing debate in political participation studies, this chapter also introduces internal efficacy as a moderating factor of emotions in political participation.
Cardiac Insulin Signaling Regulates Glycolysis Through Phosphofructokinase 2 Content and Activity.

BackgroundThe healthy heart has a dynamic capacity to respond and adapt to changes in nutrient availability. Diabetes mellitus disrupts this metabolic flexibility and promotes cardiomyopathy throug...
The Speed of Ductile-Crack Propagation and the Dynamics of Flow in Metals

In this paper the connection between the speed of ductile-crack propagation and the dynamic-flow properties of metals is examined. A theoretical analysis based on a dynamic solution for the Dugdale crack model and employing descriptions of 1) the strains within the plastic zone, 2) the rate dependence of the flow stress, and 3) a simple criterion for ductile fracture is developed. The calculations are found to compare favorably with observed crack speeds of 1.6 to 410 ft/sec in 0.00175-in.-thick steel foil. It is concluded that ductile-crack speed is limited by the increased resistance to plastic flow at high strain rates. The key factors determined in the analysis are used to show that flow stress data for strain rates exceeding 104 sec−1 can be extracted from ductile-crackpropagation experiments.
Quinolone neurotoxicity: How to avoid or minimize the risk

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics have activity against a wide range of gram-positive, gramnegative, and atypical bacteria.
Student Perceptions of a One-to-one iPad Program in an Urban High School

The iPad, which came out in 2010, was introduced in one-to-one initiatives in schools to replace the laptop, or simply as a new technology. Schools that incorporated tablets reported an increase in student-led learning, increased collaboration, and increased communication. Following a one-to-one iPad implementation at an urban high school for one year, juniors and seniors (n=76) participated in focus groups about their use of iPads for learning and their perceptions of the one-to-one iPad implementation. Students reported changes in communication, collaboration, learning strategies, as well as accountability and independence when learning with iPads. They also described several challenges of learning in an Internet-accessible one-to-one environment. The results highlight the importance of student support for tablet adoption when implementing one-to-one initiatives.
Integrating and mining distributed customer databases

Large corporations often have different subunits sharing common customers, yielding distributed customer databases. Corporate risk and marketing functions seek areas where there is unusually high risk, or where one can target market. We present a three-phase process to solve this problem. First, we merge the distributed databases using decision tree induction into a database of unique customers, labeled by location, industry code, and financial parameters. Second, we reduce the customer table to three explanatory business factors and various outcome measures. An ANOVA Model identifies outstanding effects and outliers. By incorporating both main and interaction effects, this approach identifies outliers that are more likely to be "interesting" than would be found using only main effects. Third, we display the aberrations as peaks or valleys so a user can isolate opportunities. This framework approximates an "interestingness filter."
Trait anxiety impairs cognitive flexibility when overcoming a task acquired response and a preexisting bias

Individuals with high trait anxiety tend to be worse at flexibly adapting goal-directed behavior to meet changing demands relative to those with low trait anxiety. Past research on anxiety and cognitive flexibility has used tasks that involve overcoming a recently acquired rule, strategy, or response pattern after an abrupt change in task requirements (e.g., choice X led to positive outcomes but now leads to negative outcomes). An important limitation of this research is that many decision making situations require overcoming a preexisting bias (e.g., deciding whether to withdraw a historically winning investment that has experienced recent losses). In the present study we examined whether anxiety differences in the ability to overcome an acquired response extend to the ability to overcome a preexisting bias, when the bias produces objectively disadvantageous decisions. High anxiety (n = 78) and low anxiety participants (n = 76) completed a commonly used measure of cognitive flexibility, reversal learning, and a novel Framed Gambling Task that assessed the extent to which they could make advantageous decisions when the normatively correct choice was inconsistent with a preexisting framing bias. High anxiety participants showed the expected diminished reversal learning performance and also had poorer ability to make advantageous choices that were inconsistent with the framing bias. Worse performance in the Framed Gambling Task was not driven by poor knowledge of risk contingencies, because high anxiety participants reported the same explicit knowledge as low anxiety participants. Instead, the results suggest high anxiety is associated with general deficits in resolving interference from prepotent responses.
Impacts of gestational age uncertainty in estimating associations between preterm birth and ambient air pollution.

Background Previous epidemiologic studies utilizing birth records have shown heterogeneous associations between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth (PTB, gestational age <37 weeks). Uncertainty in gestational age at birth may contribute to this heterogeneity. Methods We first examined disagreement between clinical and last menstrual period-based (LMP) determination of PTB from individual-level birth certificate data for the 20-county Atlanta metropolitan area during 2002 to 2006. We then estimated associations between five trimester-averaged pollutant exposures and PTB, defined using various methods based on the clinical or LMP gestational age. Finally, using a multiple imputation approach, we incorporated uncertainty in gestational age to quantify the impact of this variability on associations between pollutant exposures and PTB. Results Odds ratios (OR) were most elevated when a more stringent definition of PTB was used. For example, defining PTB only when LMP and clinical diagnoses agree yielded an OR of 1.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04, 1.14) per interquartile range increase in first trimester carbon monoxide exposure versus an OR of 1.04 (95% CI = 1.01, 1.08) when PTB was defined as either an LMP or clinical diagnosis. Accounting for outcome uncertainty resulted in wider CIs-between 7.4% and 43.8% wider than those assuming the PTB outcome is without error. Conclusions Despite discrepancies in PTB derived using either the clinical or LMP gestational age estimates, our analyses demonstrated robust positive associations between PTB and ambient air pollution exposures even when gestational age uncertainty is present.