cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel SNP analysis method to detect copy number alterations with an unbiased reference signal directly from tumor samples

Background Genomic instability in cancer leads to abnormal genome copy number alterations (CNA) as a mechanism underlying tumorigenesis. Using microarrays and other technologies, tumor CNA are detected by comparing tumor sample CN to normal reference sample CN. While advances in microarray technology have improved detection of copy number alterations, the increase in the number of measured signals, noise from array probes, variations in signal-to-noise ratio across batches and disparity across laboratories leads to significant limitations for the accurate identification of CNA regions when comparing tumor and normal samples.
Emotion and decision-making: affect-driven belief systems in anxiety and depression

Emotion processing and decision-making are integral aspects of daily life. However, our understanding of the interaction between these constructs is limited. In this review, we summarize theoretical approaches that link emotion and decision-making, and focus on research with anxious or depressed individuals to show how emotions can interfere with decision-making. We integrate the emotional framework based on valence and arousal with a Bayesian approach to decision-making in terms of probability and value processing. We discuss how studies of individuals with emotional dysfunctions provide evidence that alterations of decision-making can be viewed in terms of altered probability and value computation. We argue that the probabilistic representation of belief states in the context of partially observable Markov decision processes provides a useful approach to examine alterations in probability and value representation in individuals with anxiety and depression, and outline the broader implications of this approach.
Fabrication Experiments On Supersmooth Optics For Extrasolar Planet Detection

The direct detection of extrasolar planets by imaging will require reductions in scattered and diffracted light by factors in excess of 1000 within one arcsecond of a bright source. While diffraction can be reduced by a number of approaches, small angle scatter can only be reduced by controlling midspatial frequency figure errors. The surface requirements are reviewed and their meaning when compared to the data base of existing mirrors is considered. Experiments are discribed that were successful in reducing midspatial frequency figure so that the scatter level was 500 times less than diffraction for a 25-cm spherical mirror.
In Vitro Resistance Selection with Doravirine (MK-1439), a Novel Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor with Distinct Mutation Development Pathways

Doravirine (DOR, formerly known as MK-1439) is a human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) that is currently in phase 2b clinical trials. In vitro resistance selection of subtype B virus (MT4-green fluorescent protein [GFP] cells), as well as subtype A and C viruses (MT4-GFP/CCR5 cells) was conducted with DOR, rilpivirine (RPV), and efavirine (EFV) under low-multiplicity-of-infection conditions in a 96-well format. Resistance selection was performed with escalating concentrations of the NNRTIs ranging from the 95% effective concentration (1 × EC(95)) to 1,000 × EC(95) in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum. In the resistance selection of subtype B virus with DOR, a V106A mutant virus led to two mutation pathways, followed by the emergence separately of either F227L or L234I. In the resistance selection of subtype A and C viruses, similar mutation development pathways were detected, in which a V106A or V106M mutant was also the starting virus in the pathways. Mutations that are commonly associated with RPV and EFV in clinical settings were also identified in subtype B viruses such as the E138K and K103N mutants, respectively, in this in vitro resistance selection study. The susceptibility of subtype B mutant viruses selected by DOR, RPV, and EFV to NNRTIs was evaluated. Results suggest that mutant viruses selected by DOR are susceptible to RPV and EFV and mutants selected by RPV and EFV are susceptible to DOR. When the replication capacity of the V106A mutant was compared with that of the wild-type (WT) virus, the mutant virus was 4-fold less fit than the WT virus.
Coherent Conceptualization Is Useful for Many Things, and Understanding Validity Is One of Them

Murphy (2009) contends that ‘‘. . . assessments of . . . the content of tests and the content of jobs turn out to have very little to do with the validity of tests as predictors of future job performance’’ (p. 455). He goes on to conclude that ‘‘(c)ontent validation does not tell you much about validity . . .’’ (p. 460). In drawing these conclusions, he confounds the conceptual role of content validation with attempts to subject that role to empirical verification. In addition, the empirical base for his conclusions is notably insular. As a result, his criticism of content validation is unwarranted. By adopting a myopic view of content validation, focusing on one specific issue of how test batteries are assembled, and confounding predictor constructs with predictor methods, he seemingly creates a straw man argument that could cause considerable confusion for those interested in a clear understanding of validity. Our goal in this commentary
DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSE OF CHLAMYDIAL AND UREAPLASMA-ASSOCIATED URETHRITIS TO SULPHAFURAZOLE (SULFISOXAZOLE) AND AMINOCYCLITOLS

91 men with non-gonococcal urethritis (N.G.U.) were randomly treated with either sulphafurazole (sulfisoxazole), 500 mg orally q.i.d. for 10 days, or an aminocyclitol (streptomycin or spectinomycin), 2 g intramuscularity for 1 to 3 doses at 12 h intervals. Initial urethral cultures were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis (C) in 36 (40%). Ureaplasma urealyticum (U) was isolated from the urethra or urine from20 (95%) of 21 White men in a first episode of N.G.U. who had negative chlamydia cultures. Sulphafurazole, active against C. trachomatis but not U. urealyticum in vitro, produced a clinical response in 7 of 7 men with C+U- N.G.U. and 5 of 19 with C-U+ N.G.U. (P less than 0-01). Aminocyclitols, active against U. urealyticum but relatively inactive against C. trachomatis in vitro produced a clinical response in 0 of 6 men with C+U-N.G.U., 9 of 11 men with C-U+N.G.U. from whom ureaplasma was eradicated (P less than 0-01), and 0 of 8 with C-U+ N.G.U. from whom ureaplasma was not eradicated. C+U+ N.G.U. responded poorly to both antimicrobials alone. These results support the aetiological importance of both C. trachomatis and U. urealyticum in N.G.U.
Automated essay scoring: Psychometric guidelines and practices

Abstract In this paper, we provide an overview of psychometric procedures and guidelines Educational Testing Service (ETS) uses to evaluate automated essay scoring for operational use. We briefly describe the e-rater system, the procedures and criteria used to evaluate e-rater, implications for a range of potential uses of e-rater, and directions for future research. The description of e-rater includes a summary of characteristics of writing covered by e-rater, variations in modeling techniques available, and the regression-based model building procedure. The evaluation procedures cover multiple criteria, including association with human scores, distributional differences, subgroup differences and association with external variables of interest. Expected levels of performance for each evaluation are provided. We conclude that the a priori establishment of performance expectations and the evaluation of performance of e-rater against these expectations help to ensure that automated scoring provides a positive contribution to the large-scale assessment of writing. We call for continuing transparency in the design of automated scoring systems and clear and consistent expectations of performance of automated scoring before using such systems operationally.
Observations on survival and thermal inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in ravioli

Listeria monocytogenes survived in meat, cheese and egg ravioli stored at 5°C for 14 d. Ravioli were considered edible for the first 9 d of storage. Initial L. monocytogenes populations of 3 × 105 cfu/g of ravioli were reduced to non-detectable levels after heat treatment simulating that which would be used by the consumer.
Solar eclipses of Phobos and Deimos observed from the surface of Mars

The small martian satellites Phobos and Deimos orbit in synchronous rotation with inclinations of only 0.01 degrees and 0.92 degrees , respectively, relative to the planet's equatorial plane. Thus, an observer at near-equatorial latitudes on Mars could occasionally observe solar eclipses by these satellites (see ref. 1, for example). Because the apparent angular diameter of the satellites is much smaller than that of the Sun, however, such events are more appropriately referred to as transits. Transit data can be used for correcting and refining the orbital ephemerides of the moons. For example, Phobos is known to exhibit a secular acceleration that is caused by tidal dissipation within Mars. Long-term, accurate measurements are needed to refine the magnitude and origin of this dissipation within the martian interior as well as to refine the predicted orbital evolution of both satellites. Here we present observations of six transits of Phobos and Deimos across the solar disk from cameras on Mars aboard the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. These are the first direct imaging observations of satellites transiting the Sun from the surface of another planet.
Nonlinear symmetric instability and intraseasonal oscillations in the tropical atmosphere

Symmetric inertial instability (SII) is studied as a mechanism for stratospheric and tropospheric phenomena in the equatorial regions. The linear and nonlinear dynamics of SII in a two-layer, zonally symmetric model on an equatorial beta plane, in the presence of a basic flow with horizontal and vertical shear, with and without dissipative effects are investigated. Linear symmetric instabilities are, in accordance with previously published results, purely exponential, that is, nonoscillatory. Nonlinear SII, studied here for the first time on a planetary scale, can produce finite-amplitude oscillatory behavior, periodic or chaotic. The period of oscillations in the inviscid case depends on the initial data. In the presence of dissipative effects, all solutions tend to a limit cycle or to a strange attractor. The dominant period in this case, over a wide range of parameters and whether vertical shear is present or not, is in the intraseasonal, 20-30-day range. It appears therefore that nonlinear SII might be a contributing mechanism to low-frequency oscillations in the tropical atmosphere.
The Nature of Vibration in Electric Machinery

Vibration in electric machinery is the result of a number of contributing agencies, some mechanical, others electromagnetic in origin. Features of mechanical and electrical design and construction which give rise to these agencies are discussed. The general character of the vibration which each agency produces is explained, as well as how different agencies combine to produce the resultant machine vibration. Where excessive vibration is encountered in the field, methods are outlined for ascertaining the major agencies responsible so that corrective modifications may be made which will be effective in reducing the resultant vibration. These methods are applied to motor-generator sets driven by two-pole induction motors to ascertain the cause of a particular type of vibration characterized by the vibration amplitude increasing and decreasing in uniform cycles twice during each revolution of motor slip. In this way the agencies which give rise to this particular type of vibration are explained, and methods by which they may be controlled to keep the resultant vibration to a satisfactory minimum are discussed.
Indirect measurements of the mass balance of summer Arctic sea ice with an electromagnetic induction technique

Abstract In the framework of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) study indirect, non-invasive icemass-balance measurements were carried out at a drifting station in the northern Chukchi Sea between Mayand August of 1998. Ice thickness was derived from electromagnetic-induction (EM) measurements ofapparent conductivity along 13 profiles (60 to 900 m long). As shown through sensitivity studies with a 1-D model, the apparent conductivity data from individual points can be inverted to yield estimates of icethickness and ablation with an accuracy of approximately 0.05 m (for 2 m thick level ice). Ablation ratesranged between 8 and 18 mm d -1 , with total ablation amounting to roughly 0.9 to 1.2 m. Measurements ofthickness and melt rates along different profiles in undeformed multi-year ice corresponded closely,indicating that the sampling statistics are adequate. The roughness of undeformed ice has been found toincrease during the summer due to deepening of melt ponds and enhanced bottom melt. Ice under melt pondswas disproportionately thinner, most likely a result of thicker snow cover reducing winter accretion.
In situ chemical probing of the electrode–electrolyte interface by ToF-SIMS

A portable vacuum interface allowing direct probing of the electrode–electrolyte interface was developed. A classical electrochemical system consisting of a gold working electrode, platinum counter electrode, platinum reference electrode, and potassium iodide electrolyte was used to demonstrate real-time observation of the gold iodide adlayer on the electrode and chemical species as a result of redox reactions using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS, a vacuum-based surface technique) simultaneously. This microfluidic electrochemical probe provides a new way to investigate the surface region with adsorbed molecules and the region of the diffused layer with chemical speciation in liquids in situ by surface sensitive techniques.
Capillary Formation In Microfabricated Polymer Scaffolds

One of the primary challenges for engineering thick, complex tissues such as vital organs is the requirement for a vascular supply for nutrient and metabolite transfer. Earlier work has shown that Solid Freeform Fabrication techniques such as Three-Dimensional Printing (3DP) are capable of producing biodegradable scaffolds for the subsequent formation of a wide range of tissues and organs. While this approach shows great promise as a method for constructing complex tissues and organs in vitro, the resolution of the process is currently limited to length scales larger than the narrowest capillaries in the microcirculation. In this work, microfabrication technology is demonstrated as an approach for organizing endothelial cells in vitro at the size scale of the microcirculation. Standard process techniques utilized to build MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) devices include photolithography, silicon and glass micromachining, and polymer replica molding. Photolithography is used to print a model network of blood vessels on silicon wafers; the network is designed to replicate the fluid dynamics of the vasculature of a particular tissue or organ. A reverse image of the channel network is formed either by Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) of silicon or through the use of a thick negative-polarity photoresist (SU-8). Polymeric scaffolds are formed by replica molding, using the silicon wafer as a master mold. Microfluidic chambers have been constructed from PDMS and other biocompatible polymers. Initial cell seeding experiments demonstrate that rat lung endothelial cells attach in a single layer to the walls of these structures without occluding them, providing early evidence that MEMS process technology can serve as a method for organizing capillary networks.
Redefining Rural Collectives in China: Land Conversion and the Emergence of Rural Shareholding Co-operatives:

As land conversion has led inevitably to socioeconomic dislocations in China, a variety of bottom—up reforms have been designed to mitigate and contain the resultant conflicts. This evolves the cre...
Infants' Attention and Responsiveness to Television Increases With Prior Exposure and Parental Interaction

This study examined the relation between early television exposure and parental interaction style during infant-directed television programs on 2 outcomes: infant looking time and infant responsiveness. By quasi-experimental design half of the 12- to 18-month-old infants had prior exposure to the program content and the other half did not. Cluster analysis based on parental verbalizations revealed 3 types of parental coviewing style: high, medium, and low scaffold. Looking time was significantly higher for infants previously exposed to these videos than for those who were not. Infant looking time was also significantly higher, and infants responded more, when parents provided high levels of scaffolding in the form of questions and labels or descriptions. The results suggest that both prior exposure and parental style are associated with infant attention and responsiveness to television and have important implications for both parents and television producers.
Material Property Differentiation in Indentation Testing Using Secondary Sensors

Current in vivo and in situ testing procedures are dominated by indentation. The major challenge for this testing technique is in finding a unique solution to the "inverse problem" i.e., defining an appropriate constitutive framework and obtaining material properties consistent with the indentation force-displacement data. Much of the information related to the interplay between shear and bulk compliance in the deformation field beneath the indenter is lost when capturing this single output. We propose a material testing method that follows the well proven path of conventional indentation methods, but enriches the signal by acquiring displacement data not only for the actuated indenter, but also for a set of offset, passive secondary sensors. We use finite element (FE) simulations involving three cases of materials: (a) linear elastic, (b) hyperelastic and (c) time-dependent to demonstrate the benefit of these additional sensors. The results indicate that the addition of these secondary sensors can help to discern between materials with varying degrees of compressibility.
Training ‘greeble’ experts: a framework for studying expert object recognition processes

Abstract Twelve participants were trained to be experts at identifying a set of ‘Greebles’, novel objects that, like faces, all share a common spatial configuration. Tests comparing expert with novice performance revealed: (1) a surprising mix of generalizability and specificity in expert object recognition processes; and (2) that expertise is a multi-faceted phenomenon, neither adequately described by a single term nor adequately assessed by a single task. Greeble recognition by a simple neural-network model is also evaluated, and the model is found to account surprisingly well for both generalization and individuation using a single set of processes and representations.
How Often Do Hematologists Consider Celiac Disease in Iron-Deficiency Anemia? Results of a National Survey

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is underdiagnosed, and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common presentation of CD. No guidelines exist in the literature for screening for CD among those with IDA in the United States. We surveyed hematologists to deter- mine rates of CD screening in patients with IDA. Methods: A survey was e-mailed to members of the American Society of Hematology. Results: There were 385 complete responses from 4551 e-mails. Most respondents were practicing clinicians (74%), clinical research- ers (10%), or laboratory researchers (6%). Specialists in benign hema- tology accounted for 45% of respondents, oncologists accounted for 33%, and specialists in malignant hematology accounted for 22%. The most common practice types were university-affiliated hospital (43%), private clinic (29%), community hospital (12%), and Veterans Affairs or military hospital (9%). Only 8.6% believed all patients with IDA should be screened for CD. Respondents who had completed their fellowship within 5 years were more likely than more experienced cli nicians to believe that all patients with IDA should receive CD screening (OR, 2.8; CI; 1.1-7.5; P=.04). Having a higher volume of IDA patients per month also increased the likelihood of testing (P=.01). In multivariate analysis, specialists in malignant hematology (OR, 3.2; CI, 1.1-9.5; P=.04) and oncolo- gists (OR, 3.5; CI, 1.3-9.5; P=.02) were more likely than specialists in benign hematology to screen all patients for CD, as were those who saw predominately pediatric patients with IDA vs adult patients (OR, 16.9; CI, 3.0-97.0; P=.002). Conclusions: Practicing hema- tologists infrequently screen for CD in IDA. Physicians who have recently finished their fellowship and those who see a high volume of patients with IDA are more likely to screen for CD.
Multimodal injectable sensors for neural prosthetic proprioception

A BION/sup TM/ is a miniature implant developed for Functional Electric Stimulation (FES). This paper describes a new posture sensing system designed for these implants. The new system contains three sensing modalities: 1) artificial muscle spindles; 2) a DC accelerometer; and 3) a magnetic reference frame. Because of limiting factors such as sensor size and power consumption, each sensing modality used alone provides inaccurate or incomplete information on the posture. However, signals from the individual sensors can be integrated for more accurate and complete results. First, signals from each sensor are processed separately to extract basic information. Then sensor fusion algorithms (including extended Kalman filtering) combine all the sensor signals and generate 6-D posture data. Finally the data can be used in real-time to provide command and feedback signals for the FES controller.
Effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the action of misoprostol in a regimen for early abortion

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are frequently avoided by some investigators in protocols for medical abortion because of a concern over potential inhibition of prostaglandin action on uterine contractions. To evaluate the effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on uterine cramping and resultant pregnancy expulsion, analgesic use by 449 participants with gestational age of < or = 56 days in three previously reported medical abortion trials involving methotrexate and misoprostol was reviewed. Subjects from each of the three trials were included in this analysis only if they received 50 mg/m2 methotrexate intramuscularly followed 3 or 7 days later by 800 micrograms misoprostol vaginally. Misoprostol administration was repeated if the abortion did not occur after the first misoprostol dose. A total of 416 subjects met the study criteria. For the women who took a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug after the first dose of misoprostol, 132/246 (53.7%) aborted within 24 h. For those that did not take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, 83/170 (48.8%, p = 0.38) aborted within 24 h. Similarly, 27/56 (48.2%) of the women who took a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug aborted within 24 h of the second dose of misoprostol. However, only 32/145 (22.1%, p = 0.002) of the women who did not take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug aborted. Use of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug does not interfere with the action of misoprostol to induce uterine contractions and pregnancy expulsion in women receiving methotrexate and misoprostol for early abortion.
A potential therapeutic role for aldose reductase inhibitors in the treatment of endotoxin-related inflammatory diseases

Introduction: Aldose reductase (AR) was initially thought to be involved in the secondary diabetic complications because of its glucose-reducing potential. However, evidence from recent studies indicates that AR is an excellent reducer of a number of lipid peroxidation-derived aldehydes as well as their glutathione conjugates, which regulate inflammatory signals initiated by oxidants such as cytokines, growth factors and bacterial endotoxins, and revealed the potential use of AR inhibition as an approach to prevent inflammatory complications. Areas covered: An extensive Internet and Medline search was performed to retrieve information on understanding the role of AR inhibition in the pathophysiology of endotoxin-mediated inflammatory disorders. Overall, inhibition of AR appears to be a promising strategy for the treatment of endotoxemia, sepsis and other related inflammatory diseases. Expert opinion: Current knowledge provides enough evidence to indicate that AR inhibition is a logical therapeutic strateg...
Symbiosis-regulated expression of an acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase gene in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor

The ectomycorrhiza is a symbiotic organ generated from the intricate association of fungal hyphae and plant root. The establishment of the ectomycorrhiza is a coordinated process of cross-talk between plant and fungus, followed by metabolic, developmental, and structural changes in the fungus, resulting in its growth toward the root. The initial stages of the symbiotic association are significant, since the direction of the association is determined by the gene expres- sion level shifts that occur at this time. We have isolated a Laccaria bicolor (Maire) Orton cDNA clone corresponding to acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (Lb-AAT), which is expressed during interaction with red pine roots and is symbiosis regu- lated. Acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.9) is an enzyme of the b-oxidation pathway that degrades long-chain fatty acids to acetyl-CoA. Expression of Lb-AAT is regulated by plant presence, by glucose, and by the presence of acetate or oleate in the medium. It is proposed that the role of Lb-AAT in the symbiosis is generation of two carbon compounds from stored lipids and generation of acetoacetyl-CoA in early interaction facilitating net growth from existing cell material. These results coupled with recent microarray analysis that revealed coordinated expression of malate synthase and other lipid metabolism genes along with Lb-AAT, suggest that this role for Lb-AAT could be an important part of preinfection process in ectomycorrhizal symbiosis and in the transfer and utilization of the carbon in the fungus.
The localization of DHEA sulfotransferase in steroidogenic and steroid metabolizing tissues of the adult rhesus macaque monkey.

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate is a major secretory product of the human adrenal cortex during intrauterine development as well as during adulthood. There are few animal experimental models that share this characteristic pattern of adrenal cortical steroidogenesis, which probably accounts for the relative paucity of information about the control of development and function of the adrenal androgen secretory apparatus. Adrenal androgen production in the rhesus macaque shares many similarities with that of the human. We sought to determine the tissue distribution of the enzyme DHEA sulfotransferase (DST) in the rhesus. Tissues were harvested at the time of autopsy from 7 adult monkeys (5 M, 2 F) ranging from 8 – 15 yrs old, and were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at 5 μ thickness. Tissue sections were immunostained for DST with an anti-human liver DST antibody. DST was not detected in the testis or ovary. In the liver, immunoreactive DST was detected only in hepatocytes and...
Land, Culture and Justice: A Framework for Group Rights and Recognition*

Meet the Sorbs. They are a Slavic people in Germany who number around sixty thousand. They are not mistreated or oppressed by the German government. They live in two German states, but they are interspersed with other Germans. Do the Sorbs deserve special, group rights to help maintain their culture? The recent arguments of many theorists suggest that they do. Iris Marion Young has recently argued that all marginalized groups should have group rights. Avishai Margalit and Moshe Halbertal maintain that all cultural groups have certain rights. Will Kymlicka suggests that all ‘societal cultures’ have group rights, which might include the Sorbs.
Towards robust deconvolution of low-dose perfusion CT: Sparse perfusion deconvolution using online dictionary learning

Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) is an important functional imaging modality in the evaluation of cerebrovascular diseases, particularly in acute stroke and vasospasm. However, the post-processed parametric maps of blood flow tend to be noisy, especially in low-dose CTP, due to the noisy contrast enhancement profile and the oscillatory nature of the results generated by the current computational methods. In this paper, we propose a robust sparse perfusion deconvolution method (SPD) to estimate cerebral blood flow in CTP performed at low radiation dose. We first build a dictionary from high-dose perfusion maps using online dictionary learning and then perform deconvolution-based hemodynamic parameters estimation on the low-dose CTP data. Our method is validated on clinical data of patients with normal and pathological CBF maps. The results show that we achieve superior performance than existing methods, and potentially improve the differentiation between normal and ischemic tissue in the brain.
Nonbinary LDPC codes for optical communication systems

We propose a class of moderate-length nonbinary low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes for long-haul high-speed optical transmission systems. In particular, we present an LDPC code with 12.59% redundancy that achieves a 9.9-dB coding gain at a bit-error rate of 10/sup -10/. A similar coding gain is obtained for a long nonbinary LDPC code with a redundancy of only 6.7%.
Exploiting visual constraints in the synthesis of uncertainty-tolerant motion plans. II. The nondirectional backprojection

It is shown how the backprojection approach to fine-motion planning can be extended to exploit visual constraints. Specifically, by deriving a configuration space representation of visual constraint surfaces, visual constraint surfaces can be included as boundaries of the directional backprojection. An implemented backprojection planner for C=R/sup 2/ that is based on a plane-sweep algorithm for computing the directional backprojection is described. The effects of visual constraints on the asymptotic time complexity of the modified algorithm are discussed. >
The All Boron Carbide Diode Neutron Detector: Experiment and Modeling Approach

Boron carbide diode detectors, fabricated from two different polytypes of semiconducting boron carbide, will detect neutrons in reasonable agreement with theoretical expectations. The performance of the all boron carbide neutron detector differs, as expected, from devices where a boron rich neutron capture layer is distinct from the diode charge collection region (i.e. a conversion layer solid state detector). Diodes were fabricated from natural abundance boron (20% {sup 10}B and 80% {sup 11}B.) directly on the metal substrates and metal contacts applied to the films as grown. The total boron depth was on the order of 2 microns. This is clearly not a conversion-layer configuration. The diodes were exposed to thermal neutrons generated from a paraffin moderated plutonium-beryllium source in moderated and un-moderated, as well as shielded and unshielded experimental configurations, where the expected energy peaks at at 2.31 MeV and 2.8 MeV were clearly observed, albeit with some incomplete charge collection typical of thinner diode structures. The results are compared with other boron based thin film detectors and literature models. (authors)
Ultrafast Raman spin rotations of electrons in quantum wells

Short pulses detuned below the absorption edge of GaAs quantum wells are used to rotate electron spins through a Raman process. Faraday rotation measurements demonstrate significant rotations with negligible excitation of electrons and holes.
Design of a nasal support for a cleft palate appliance

Cleft lip and palate is the most common facial malformation occurring in infants. Associated with cleft lip are nasal deformities that are not aesthetically pleasing. Creating a nasal support for a current cleft palate appliance is important in pre-surgically correcting nasal deformations and may present an airway obstruction. The aim of this project is to therefore create a nasal support for a cleft palate appliance. Utilizing two design alternatives the appliance will be verified in order to prove the safety and efficacy of the appliance.
NXG05-5: Shared-Memory Combined Input-Crosspoint Buffered Packet Switch for Differentiated Services

Combined input-crosspoint buffered (CICB) packet switches with dedicated crosspoint buffers require a minimum amount of memory in the buffered crossbar of N2 ldr k ldr L bytes, where N is the number of ports and k is the crosspoint buffer size, which is defined by the distance between the line cards and the buffered crossbar, and L is the cell (packet) size in bytes, to avoid buffer underflow under high-speed data flows. To support P traffic classes with different priorities, CICB switches requires N2 ldrkldrLldrP bytes to avoid blocking of high priority cells. In this paper, we study a shared-memory crosspoint buffered packet switch that uses small crosspoint buffers and no speedup to support differentiated services and long distances between the line cards and the buffered crossbar in practical implementations. The proposed switch requires 1/m of memory amount in a CICB switch to achieve similar throughput performance.
Nasal resistance, skeletal classification, and mouth breathing in orthodontic patients

Abstract 1. 1. A subjective classification of the breathing pattern of each of fifty-one patients presenting for orthodontic treatment reveals that thirty-one were nasal breathers and twenty were mouth breathers. 2. 2. The skeletal classification by the AB difference method was considered to be reliable in this study. 3. 3. The magnitude of nasal resistance and the subject's skeletal classification were found to be independent of each other. 4. 4. The breathing pattern and the skeletal classification of the subject were also found to be independent of each other. 5. 5. In the thirteen subjects with nasal resistance above 4.5 cm. H2O/liter/second, a deviation of the nasal septum was noted in six, injection of the turbinates in two, and allergic rhinitis in two. Three subjects were considered within normal limits. 6. 6. The incidence of clinically observable mouth breathing was found to be greater among the subjects with a nasal resistance above 4.5 cm. H2O/liter/second (77 per cent) than among those with a nasal resistance below this value (26 per cent).
THE REPRODUCTIVE AND PARENTAL RIGHTS OF INCARCERATED MOTHERS

Acknowledging the explosive growth in the number of incarcerated women in the United States, this Note critically examines the current treatment of mothers and expectant mothers in the U.S. prison system. This Note highlights the severe inadequacy of current prison policies and accompanying maltreatment of incarcerated women and their children, especially with regard to the frequent separation of mothers from their children and the poor health care available to expectant mothers. The damage inflicted by current prison policies must be comprehensively redressed through the creation of prison nursery programs, halfway houses, the provision of optimal prenatal care, and the elimination of the draconian practice of shackling pregnant women. Such reforms will not only benefit incarcerated women and their children, but will also deter recidivism and promote the welfare of the community at large.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MOUSE PANCREATIC/MAMMARY GLAND CHOLESTEROL ESTERASE-ENCODING CDNA AND GENE

Pancreatic cholesterol esterase (CEase) is involved in cholesterol ester hydrolysis and transport of cholesterol into intestinal cells. Isolation and sequencing of the mouse CEase cDNA indicates that the murine enzyme is very similar to the human enzyme, with the exception of the highly repeated C-terminal Pro-rich repeats. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis reveals that the message is synthesized in the pancreas of mice, but not in the liver.
Bargaining within the family can generate a political gender gap

Consider spouses who engage in Nash bargaining to allocate resources between them. The person with a higher income when unmarried enjoys a larger share of the joint income, and benefits less from an increase in joint income. This difference can cause spouses who have the same utility functions and the same family incomes to differ in their benefits from governmental tax and spending policies, and to cast opposing votes. In particular, these incentives can generate a gender gap, with women more supportive than men of governmental taxes and spending.
Consolidation Characteristics of Dredging Slurries

With the population growth and the industrial development of a given region, the sediments dredged from the harbors and channels have become increasingly polluted. As an alternative to open water disposal, many of these dredgings are deposited behind dikes in areas near harbors; although more expensive than open water disposal, this latter scheme has been found to satisfactorily prevent the polluted sediment from reaching the open waters. Since dredging wastes usually contain a substantial amount of clay-like, or organic materials or both, with high water content, the effectiveness and economy of associated landfill operations are strongly related to the consolidation characteristics of the dredging slurries. In this work, special equipment is used to consolidate several typical dredging slurries that are too soft, or too fluid or both, to test by conventional means, and the resulting data are analyzed.
Dynamic interdependence of sovereign credit default swaps in BRICS and MIST countries

ABSTRACTThis article examines the interactions of emerging markets sovereign credit default swaps (CDS). Using a generalized vector autoregressive framework and principal component analysis, we find significant spillover effects within the two groups of emerging markets under study. Using the principal component analysis, we show that global financial market factors are important drivers of BRICS and MIST sovereign CDS spreads variability. Focusing on the forecast error variance decomposition, most of the spillover effects are documented among the emerging markets CDS. Brazil and Mexico contribute the largest net directional spillovers to the other emerging markets studied.Highlights: There exist significant CDS spillover effects for MIST and BRICS countries.Mexico dominates the spillover effects within the MIST group while Brazil dominates the spillover effects within the BRICS group.As determined by principal component analysis, global financial market factors are important drivers of BRICS and MIST sov...
Bifocals Fail to Improve Stereopsis Outcomes in High AC/A Accommodative Esotropia

Purpose To assess whether stereopsis outcomes of patients with accommodative esotropia with high accommodative convergence/accommodation relationship (AC/A) were improved after treatment with bifocal glasses compared with single-vision lenses. Design Retrospective cohort study. Participants Patients with high AC/A accommodative esotropia; evidence of stereopsis, binocularity (on Worth 4-dot testing), or improvement in near angle with +3.00 D lenses; and at least 4 years of records available for review, who were seen in the Department of Ophthalmology at Boston Children's Hospital between 2006 and 2014. Methods Use of bifocal or single-vision glasses. Charts were reviewed retrospectively. Stereopsis was log transformed for statistical analysis. Linear (for stereopsis) or logistic (for surgery) regression was used to control for confounders. Main Outcome Measures Stereopsis at final follow-up, difference in stereopsis between final and initial visits, and progression to strabismus surgery. Secondary outcomes included final near and distance deviations. Results Of the 180 patients who met inclusion criteria, 77 used bifocals and 103 used single-vision lenses. Bifocals did not improve stereopsis outcomes compared with single-vision lenses. In both groups, stereopsis was similar at the initial and final visits, with similar improvement in both groups. Children in the bifocal group had a 3.6-fold higher rate of strabismus surgery than children in the single-lens group ( P = 0.04.) Additionally, children in the bifocal group had near deviations 4 PD larger than those with single lenses at final follow-up, even after controlling for age and initial deviation ( P = 0.02). These results did not change if surgical patients were eliminated or in the subgroup with initial distance deviation of 0 PD in full hyperopic correction. Conclusions Despite their widespread use, there is no evidence that bifocals improve outcomes in children with accommodative esotropia with high AC/A. In our retrospective review, children with bifocals had higher surgical rates and a smaller improvement in near deviation over time. Although our results suggest that eliminating bifocals could reduce the cost and complexity of care while potentially improving quality, prospective, randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether a change in practice is warranted.
Regulatory Mechanism of Glutathione Reductase Activity in Human Red Cells

The mechanism by which glutathione reductase (GR) activity is regulated in relation to flavin metabolism was studied in red cells of normal adults, cord blood, and patients with severe metabolic disorders using spectrophotometric, fluorometric, and radiochemical methods. The increased activity of GR in red cells of adult patients with severe hepatic cirrhosis, chronic uremia, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency is related to the increased per cent saturation of GR with flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and increased red cell flavin level. The per cent saturation of GR with FAD correlates with (1) the degree of clinical severity in hepatic cirrhosis or chronic uremia, and (2) total flavin level in red cells. Thus, the increased GR activity in these patients may be regulated actively or passively by the increased flavin level in red cells. This suggests that the increased requirement for enhanced activity of the pentose phosphate pathway may affect GR metabolism secondarily, leading to the association of GR with FAD through an increased uptake of riboflavin. In contrast to the results in adult red cells, cord erythrocytes show an unexpected metabolic pattern of GR and flavin metabolism. Although the total GR activity of cord red cells is considerably higher than in adult red cells, cord red cell GR is only partly saturated with FAD even in the presence of a significantly increased flavin level in cord red cells. Thus, cord red cells may have an additional control mechanism of GR activity.
Discharge Destination After Revision Total Joint Arthroplasty: An Analysis of Postdischarge Outcomes and Placement Risk Factors

Abstract Background Given the rising incidence of revision total joint arthroplasty (RJR), bundled payments will likely be applied to RJR in the near future. This study aimed to compare postdischarge adverse events by discharge destination, identify risk factors for discharge placement, and stratify RJR patients based on these risk factors to identify the most appropriate discharge destination. Methods Patients that underwent revision total hip or knee arthroplasty from 2011 to 2013 were identified in the American College of Surgeon's National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Analysis of risk factors was assessed using preoperative and intraoperative variables. Results A total of 9973 RJR patients from 2011 to 2013 were included for analysis. The most common discharge destination included home (66%), skilled nursing facility (SNF; 23%), and inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF; 11%). Bivariate analysis revealed higher rate of postdischarge 30-day severe adverse events (6.1% vs 4.1%, P P P ≤ .01), respectively. After stratifying patients by number of significant risk factors and discharge destination, IRF patients consistently had significantly higher rates of unplanned 30-day readmission than home patients ( P ≤ .05). Conclusion RJR patients who are discharged to SNF or IRF have significantly increased risk for unplanned readmissions as compared with patients discharged home. Across risk levels, home discharge destination (when feasible) is the optimal strategy compared with IRF, although the distinction between SNF and home is less clear.
Determination of fluorescence energy loss from an electron-beam pumped KrF laser

The intrinsic efficiency of an electron-beam pumped laser is defined to be a ratio of the laser output energy to the energy deposited into the gas by the pulsed electron beam. This is a critical parameter in the design of large laser drivers, since tor a given output energy it impacts the ultimate size of the system and hence Its cost. It is, therefore, essential that accurate measurements of the intrinsic efficiency be made to compare with kinetics code predictions. Although the laser output energy can be measured accurately (assuming the detector is calibrated), it is much more difficult to determine the deposited energy.
The Silence of the Llano: Notes from the Author

The process by which a literary work is created intrigues us. Some readers feel that if we can understand something of that process we might understand the very origin of the spark of creativity. A complete understanding of the writer's creative impulse will always elude us, but perhaps we can catch intimations of that creative drive as we read the individual notes and works of writers. In these notes I would like to
Granular Versus Spray Formulations of Endrin for Control of the Sugarcane Borer in Louisiana

The effectiveness of granular and spray formulations of endrin against second- and third-generation sugarcane borers, Diatraca saccharalis (F.), on sugarcane was compared in large-plot tests in which aerial and ground methods of applications were utilized. Good control was obtained with both types of formulations. Sprays appeared to be less detrimental than the granules to predacious ant populations. However, the effect of endrin on predator populations should be studied further.