cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Techniques of Laser Lithotripsy

A tunable pulsed dye laser has been used for the treatment of 157 patients with renal and ureteral calculi. All calculi treated were too large to be extracted by ureteroscopy or were not appropriate candidates for ESWL. In 106 cases, the stone was completely fragmented with the laser. The laser was used in combination with ESWL in 34 cases. In ten cases the laser had no action on the calculus. There were three instances of machine failure. The first two patients in the series developed ureteral strictures well below the level of laser action. One required operative repair. A newly developed 7.2 Fr. semi-rigid ureteroscope has enhanced the use of the laser. The current uses of laser include lower ureteral stones, calculi in the upper ureter unable to be treated by ESWL, stones in narrow ureter unable to be traversed by larger ureteroscopes, steinstrasse, for disimpaction of UPJ stones, and for percutaneous treatment of renal calculi via the flexible nephroscope.
Electrodynamic balance for studies of cosmic dust particles

Knowledge of the formation and distribution of interstellar, interplanetary, and planetary dust grains, and their physical, chemical and optical characteristics provide valuable information about many issues dealing with the origin and formation of the solar system bodies, interplanetary and interstellar environments as well as various industrial processes. Understanding the microphysics of individual grains and their interaction with the surrounding, environment is key to properly model various conditions and interpret existing data. The theory and models of individual dust grains are well developed for environments that vary from dense planetary atmospheres to dusty plasmas to diffuse environments such as interplanetary space. However, experimental investigations of individual dust grains in equilibrium are less common, perhaps due to the difficulty of these experiments. Laboratory measurements of dust grains have primarily measured ensemble properties or transient properties of single grains. A technique developed in the 1950's for ion spectroscopy, generally referred to as a quadrupole trap has recently been employed as an electrodynamic balance to investigate single micron-sized dust grains and for atmospheric aerosol research. A description of the theoretical basis and the experimental setup of the electrodynamic balance being developed in our laboratory are given. This laboratory technique lends itself to many applications that relate to planetary atmospheres, heliospheric environments, pre-stellar and pre-planetary conditions, and industrial settings. We present results from some recent experiments carried out to investigate the equilibrium potential of dust grains exposed to far ultraviolet light or to an electron beam. Some future experiments using an electrodynamic balance to investigate the optical characteristics, and condensation process involving dust grains in various astrophysical environments are discussed.
Patterned Transfer of Metallic Thin Film Nanostructures by Water-Soluble Polymer Templates

Water-soluble polymer templates are replicated from surface patterns by spin-casting a poly(vinyl alcohol) film-forming solution that undergoes a room-temperature evaporation process to solidify in less than 1 min with lateral resolution of sub-100 nm. The patterned polymer templates are deposited with metal and coupled to substrate surfaces by methods that may include photocurable materials, two-component reaction systems, or direct bonding without an intervening adhesion layer. Water is used to dissolve the flexible polymer templates at the conclusion of the transfer process.
The Devastating Impact of Prior Crimes Evidence – And Other Myths of the Criminal Justice Process

There is abundant empirical evidence that prior criminal convictions weigh heavily in jurors’ decision about acquittal and conviction. That same evidence suggests that jurors learning that defendant has been convicted of prior crimes makes very little difference to conviction rates. This seeming paradox is examined in considerable detail. Understanding how and why it arises suggests that the tendency in American law to suppress information about priors (except under special circumstances) is a self-defeating strategy that not only lacks a convincing epistemic foundation but may also be responsible for the inadvertent conviction of innocent defendants. Arguably, it is often not the admission of priors that is unfairly prejudicial so much as their exclusion.
Soy isoflavone genistein upregulates epithelial adhesion molecule E-cadherin expression and attenuates β-catenin signaling in mammary epithelial cells

Breast cancer risk is highly modifiable by diet; however, mechanisms underlying dietary protection against mammary tumorigenesis remain poorly understood. A proportion of breast carcinomas is associated with deregulation of beta-catenin stability and amplification of c-Myc expression. We recently showed that dietary exposure to the soy isoflavone genistein (Gen) inhibited Wnt transduction in rat mammary epithelial cells in vivo. Here, we explored the role of Gen on cell adhesion protein, E-cadherin, expression to downregulate beta-catenin proto-oncogene function. In mammary glands of female rats exposed to dietary Gen, E-cadherin and beta-catenin protein levels were increased, concurrent with higher beta-casein gene expression. In HC11 mouse mammary epithelial cells, Gen diminished basal and Wnt-1-induced cell proliferation and attenuated Wnt-1 targets c-Myc and Cyclin D1 expression. Whereas, Gen had no effect on E-cadherin transcript levels, the abundance of membrane E-cadherin protein and of E-cadherin-beta-catenin adhesion complex was increased by Gen, attendant with downregulation of Wnt-1-induced free beta-catenin accumulation in cytosol. Gen inhibition of Wnt-induced c-Myc expression was mimicked by an estrogen receptor (ER)-beta-specific but not ER-alpha-specific agonist and was attenuated with loss of ER-beta expression, concordant with decreased E-cadherin expression. E-cadherin small-interfering RNA targeting eliminated Gen inhibition of Wnt-stimulated c-Myc expression and promoted Gen induction of basal c-Myc transcript levels and subsequent proliferation. Our studies identify E-cadherin as a Gen cellular target and demonstrate that the dichotomy in mammary epithelial response to Gen may be a function of cellular E-cadherin expression.
Injuries from Non-Retention in Gillnet Fisheries Suppress Reproductive Maturation in Escaped Fish

Exploitation of fisheries resources has unintended consequences, not only in the bycatch and discard of non-target organisms, but also in damage to targeted fish that are injured by gear but not landed (non-retention). Delayed mortality due to non-retention represents lost reproductive potential in exploited stocks, while not contributing to harvest. Our study examined the physiological mechanisms by which delayed mortality occurs and the extent to which injuries related to disentanglement from commercial gear compromise reproductive success in spawning stocks of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.). We found evidence for elevated stress in fish injured via non-retention in gillnet fisheries. Plasma cortisol levels correlated with the severity of disentanglement injury and were elevated in fish that developed infections related to disentanglement injuries. We also analyzed sex steroid concentrations in females (estradiol-17β and 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one) to determine whether non-retention impairs reproductive potential in escaped individuals. We demonstrate evidence for delayed or inhibited maturation in fish with disentanglement injuries. These findings have important implications for effective conservation and management of exploited fish stocks and suggest means to improve spawning success in such stocks if retention in commercial fisheries is improved and incidental mortality reduced.
Dephosphorylation of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor and rhodopsin by latent phosphatase 2.

Recent evidence suggests that the function of receptors coupled to guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins may be controlled by highly specific protein kinases, e.g. rhodopsin kinase and the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase. In order to investigate the nature of the phosphatases which might be involved in controlling the state of receptor phosphorylation we studied the ability of four highly purified well characterized protein phosphatases to dephosphorylate preparations of rhodopsin or beta 2-adrenergic receptor which had been highly phosphorylated by beta-adrenergic receptor kinase. These included: type 1 phosphatase, calcineurin phosphatase, type 2A phosphatase, and the high molecular weight latent phosphatase 2. Under conditions in which all the phosphatases could dephosphorylate such common substrates as [32P]phosphorylase a and [32P]myelin basic protein at similar rates only the latent phosphatase 2 was active on the phosphorylated receptors. Moreover, a latent phosphatase activity was found predominantly in a sequestered membrane fraction of frog erythrocytes. This parallels the distribution of a beta-adrenergic receptor phosphatase activity recently described in these cells (Sibley, D. R., Strasser, R. H., Benovic, J. L., Daniel, K., and Lefkowitz, R. J. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 83, 9408-9412). These data suggest a potential role for the latent phosphatase 2 as a specific receptor phosphatase.
Future Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Outcomes for Children with Leukemia

The past 50 years have seen remarkable progress in improving the survival of children with cancer (Smith et al. 2010). Among the greatest of these successes are the outcomes for children with acute leukemia. To better understand the incidence and survival for children with all cancers, including leukemia, a comprehensive analysis was recently performed in the United States using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 (SEER 9) Registry (Smith et al. 2010). This data showed an increased incidence rate for all cancers in children less than 20 years of age during the years 1975 through 2006 (Fig. 13.1). The incidence rates for lymphoid leukemia increased significantly during this time period, with an annual percentage change of 0.8%. Mortality rates for all childhood cancers combined declined by more than 50%, with an estimated 38,032 childhood cancer deaths averted in the United States during this 31-year time period (Fig. 13.2). Remarkably, there was a 64% reduction in mortality rates attributable to leukemia. However, despite these significant reductions in leukemia-specific mortality rates, death due to leukemia remained the leading cause of cancer death in children in both 1975 and in 2006.
Determining Radiative Heat Transfer Through Heterogeneous Multilayer Nonwoven Materials

A theoretical equation of the combined thermal conductive, convective, and radiative heat flow through heterogeneous multilayer fibrous materials is presented. Samples whose properties are analyzed...
From cardiac repair to cardiac regeneration – ready to translate?

Cardiovascular disease is a major public health challenge in the western world. Mortality of acute events has improved, but more patients develop HF--a condition affecting up to 22 million people worldwide. Cell transplantation is the first therapy to attempt replacement of lost cardiomyocytes and vasculature to restore lost contractile function. Since the first reported functional repair after injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts into the injured heart in 1998, a variety of cell types have been proposed for transplantation in different stages of cardiovascular disease. Fifteen years of preclinical research and the rapid move into clinical studies have left us with promising results and a better understanding of cells as a potential clinical tool. Cell-based cardiac repair has been the first step, but cardiac regeneration remains the more ambitious goal. Promising new cell types and the rapidly evolving concept of adult stem and progenitor cell fate may enable us to move towards regenerating viable and functional myocardium. Meeting a multidisciplinary consensus will be required to translate these findings into safe and applicable clinical tools.
Postpneumonectomy syndrome: surgical management and long-term results

Objective Postpneumonectomy syndrome is a rare syndrome of dynamic airway obstruction caused by extreme rotation and shift of the mediastinum after pneumonectomy, resulting in symptomatic central airway compression. We have treated this syndrome by mediastinal repositioning and placement of saline-filled prostheses into the pneumonectomy space. There is a paucity of outcome data for patients treated surgically, with only a single series of 11 patients previously reported. We analyzed our recent experience with treatment of this syndrome and report on the short and long-term outcomes and quality of life assessment of the largest series ever reported of patients treated by mediastinal repositioning. Methods Records were reviewed of all patients who underwent mediastinal repositioning for postpneumonectomy syndrome between January of 1992 and June of 2006. Long-term health-related quality of life was assessed by administration of the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Results There were 18 patients (15 women and 3 men) with a median age of 44 years (range 14–67 years). Thirteen patients had undergone right pneumonectomy, and 5 patients had undergone left pneumonectomy. None of the patients in whom postpneumonectomy syndrome developed after left pneumonectomy had a right-sided aortic arch. Five patients had undergone pneumonectomy in childhood (age Conclusion Repositioning of the mediastinum with placement of prostheses for postpneumonectomy syndrome can be performed with low mortality and morbidity. Surgical repositioning provides immediate and lasting symptomatic relief to patients in whom postpneumonectomy syndrome develops.
Dyslexia: The evolution of a scientific concept

In the past 25 years, scientific understanding of dyslexia and other learning disabilities has seen rapid progress in domains involving definition and classification, neuropsychological correlates, neurobiological factors, and intervention. I discuss this progress, emphasizing the central organizing influence of research and theory on basic academic skills on identification and sampling issues. I also emphasize how neuropsychological approaches to dyslexia have evolved and the importance of an interdisciplinary perspective for understanding dyslexia.
Negative association of schizophrenia with HLA DQB1*0602: Evidence from a second African-American cohort

The authors attempted a replication of an earlier study of African-Americans, in which they detected a negative association of schizophrenia with HLA DQB1*0602. Patients with schizophrenia (n = 75, DSM-III-R criteria) and screened adult controls of African-American ethnicity (n = 66) were genotyped with respect to HLA DQB1*0602 using a combination of two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assays: amplification with sequence specific primers and a dot blot assay. A significant negative association with HLA DQB1 was not noted overall, but was present among women (female patients vs. female controls: odds ratio, OR = 0.42, 95% confidence intervals, CI = 0.32, 0.55). Reanalysis of the earlier study also revealed a gender related association. When the present and earlier samples from both genders were combined, the association persisted (OR 0.48; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.52). The present findings support an association between schizophrenia and the HLA DQB1 gene locus among African-Americans.
Two-step optimal estimator for three dimensional target tracking

This study presents an adaptation of a novel estimation methodology to the general nonlinear three-dimensional problem of tracking a maneuvering target. The two-step optimal estimator (TSE) suggests an attractive alternative to the standard extended Kalman filter (EKF). A superior performance is accomplished by dividing the estimation problem into two steps: a linear first step and a nonlinear second step. The target tracking performance of the TSE is shown to be better than the EKF implemented in either inertial or modified spherical coordinates.
Self‐Diffusion of Er in Pure and HfO2‐Doped Polycrystalline Er2O3

Using a tracer sectioning technique, the self-diffusion of Er in pure and HfO2-doped polycrystalline Er2O3 was measured at 1614° to 1900°C. Up to ≊ 10 mol% HfO2 dopant level, the Er self-diffusion coefficients followed a relation based on cation vacancies as the principal mobile defects present and available for cation diffusion. Above 10 mol% HfO2, deviation from this relation occurred, apparently due to clustering of cation vacancies and oxygen interstitials around the dopant hafnium ions. The activation energy for the self-diffusion of Er in pure Er2O3 was 82.2 kcal/mol and increased with the HfO2 dopant level present.
Cortico‐striatal contributions to feedback‐based learning: converging data from neuroimaging and neuropsychology

Summary The striatum has been widely implicated in cognition, but a precise understanding of its role remains elusive. Here we present converging evidence for the role of the striatum in feedback-based learning. In a prior functional imaging study, healthy controls showed striatal activity during a feedback-based learning task, which was decreased when the same task was learned without feedback. In the present study, we show that individuals with striatal dysfunction due to Parkinson’s disease are impaired on the feedback-based task, but not on a non-feedback version of the same task. Parkinson’s patients and controls also used different learning strategies depending on feedback structure. This study provides direct behavioural evidence from humans that cortico-striatal systems are necessary for feedbackbased learning on a cognitive task. These findings also link between learning impairments in Parkinson’s disease and the physiological and computational evidence for the role of midbrain dopaminergic systems in feedback processing.
Timing Like a Rat: A Classroom Demonstration of the Internal Clock

Students studying animal learning often have difficulty comprehending the procedures for studying timing and the properties of the internal clock if live animal models are not available. The following demonstration provides an alternative in which students respond for reinforcement using the peak procedure. The demonstration reveals various characteristics of the internal clock, including that it: (a) can be stopped and restarted within a trial, and (b) operates by timing up as opposed to timing down. This analog of the animal experiments helps students acquire a better understanding of the characteristics of the rat's internal clock and the methods needed to study cognitive abilities in nonverbal animals.
Case Study: Radio Frequency Identification

Chapter 5 presented preparatory steps for technology integration and Chap. 6 described the tasks for project planning and execution. We have used the RFID application project as an illustrative example to help the reader understand technology integration concepts, procedures, and processes. This chapter explains the complete RFID case study that used the approach presented in Chaps. 5 and 6. Because of space limitation, this chapter will not follow the exact contents of Chaps. 5 and 6 section by section. Instead, this chapter will focus on primary activities of the case study in more details. One of the objectives of technology integration is to gain a return on investment (ROI) in a due time. Whereas successful RFID technology applications for supply chains were reported, many companies had struggled to gain the ROI in a given time. This chapter also explains how to achieve a high ROI. The case study includes a decision-making module, say, the “planner” that reads in vehicle location data from an RFID tracking system and makes shipment decisions in near real-time. The planner is built on a multi-agent computational architecture that captures associated business decision logics and optimizes the performance of vehicle shipment processes using a market-based decision algorithm. Prior to a real implementation, a simulator was developed to demonstrate the capability of the planner, which simulates operational details of shipment process and real-time characteristics of the RFID system. An experimental analysis showed how intelligent decision algorithms further improved the performance of delivery supply chain in conjunction with the RFID. A real proof-of-concept test validated the tracking benefits too.
Scanning electron microscopy of Drosophila melanogaster embryogenesis: II. Gastrulation and segmentation

Abstract The sequence of gastrulation events in Drosophila melanogaster , starting with the cellular blastoderm and culminating in a segmented embryo, have been studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Extensive use is made of dissected embryos to illustrate changes taking place within the embryo during gastrulation. During the first 15 min of gastrulation, the mesodermal portion of the germ band is established by the invagination of approximately 1000 cells through the ventral furrow. The primordia for the proctodeum and hindgut are shown to form during early gastrulation. Detailed examination of the surfaces of invaginating primordia shows similarities to other systems and suggests possible underlying mechanisms. Germ band elongation and the formation of the amnioserosa are described. At the time of segmentation, three pairs of rudimentary cephalic appendages develop posterior to the cephalic furrow. Tracheal pits invaginate on all eight abdominal segments and on the second and third thoracic segments. Modifications of the embryonic fate map are discussed.
Efficient particle filter-based tracking of multiple interacting targets using an MRF-based motion model

We describe a multiple hypothesis particle filter for tracking targets that are influenced by the proximity and/or behavior of other targets. Our contribution is to show how a Markov random field motion prior, built on the fly at each time step, can model these interactions to enable more accurate tracking. We present results for a social insect tracking application, where we model the domain knowledge that two targets cannot occupy the same space, and targets actively avoid collisions. We show that using this model improves track quality and efficiency. Unfortunately, the joint particle tracker we propose suffers from exponential complexity in the number of tracked targets. An approximation to the joint filter, however, consisting of multiple nearly independent particle filters can provide similar track quality at substantially lower computational cost.
Remote Visualization by Browsing Image Based Databases with Logistical Networking

The need to provide remote visualization of large datasets with adequate levels of quality and interactively has become a major impediment to distributed collaboration in Computational Science. Although Image Based Rendering (IBR) techniques based on plenoptic functions have some important advantages over other approaches to this problem, they suffer from an inability to deal with issues of network latency and server load, due to the large size of the IBR databases they generate. Consequently, IBR techniques have been left largely unexplored for this purppose. In this paper we describe strategies for addressing these obstacles using Logistical Networking (LoN), which is a new and highly scalable approach to deploying storage as a shared communication resource. Leveraging LoN technology and infrastructure, we developed a remote visualization system based on concepts of light field rendering, an IBR method using a 4-D plenoptic function. Our system extends existing work on light fields by employing a modified method of parameterization and data organization that supports more efficient prefetching, caching and loss-less compression. Using this approach, we have been able to interactively browse multi-gigabyte, high-resolution light field databases across the wide area network at 30 frames per second.
The Relationship between Dual-Earner Couples' Daily Work Mood and Home Affect

This study explored the spillover and crossover paradigms as explanations for associations between work mood and affect in the home setting. Data from two consecutive work days for 59 dual-earner couples provided evidence for both work-to-home and home-to-work effects. The spillover hypothesis was supported primarily in the effect of work fatigue on later moods at home and the effect of positive home affects on subsequent work moods. The crossover hypothesis was seen in the effect of wives' negative work mood and work fatigue on husbands' reactions at home and spouses' home affect on partners' subsequent work mood. Work-home linkages and gender roles are discussed.
Asymptotic Optimal Policies for the Stochastic Sequential Assignment Problem

Certain sets of numbers {ain}, i = 0,..., n, n = 1, 2,..., are known characterize an optimal sequential assignment policy. In this paper the limiting behavior as n → ∞ of the ain's is studied.
A 200 GHz tripler using a single barrier varactor

The authors present results for a tripler to 200 GHz using a single barrier varactor (SBV). The performance of the tripler, over an output frequency range from 186 to 207 GHz, has been measured in a crossed waveguide mount. The theoretical performance of the device and the tripler mount have been calculated using large signal analysis. An overall efficiency of 2% was achieved with efficiency at the device of above 5%. A comparison of theoretical and measured results and a discussion of various losses in the mount and the varactor are also presented. >
On TC0 Lower Bounds for the Permanent

In this paper we consider the problem of proving lower bounds for the permanent. An ongoing line of research has shown super-polynomial lower bounds for slightly-non-uniform small-depth threshold and arithmetic circuits [1,2,3,4]. We prove a new parameterized lower bound that includes each of the previous results as sub-cases. Our main result implies that the permanent does not have Boolean threshold circuits of the following kinds. 1 Depth O(1), poly − log(n) bits of non-uniformity, and size s(n) such that for all constants c, s (c)(n) < 2 n . The size s must satisfy another technical condition that is true of functions normally dealt with (such as compositions of polynomials, logarithms, and exponentials). 2 Depth o(loglogn), poly − log(n) bits of non-uniformity, and size n O(1). 3 Depth O(1), n o(1) bits of non-uniformity, and size n O(1).
Inferring the Root of Isoëtes: Exploring Alternatives in the Absence of an Acceptable Outgroup

The ancient divergence between the lycopsid genus Isoetes and its closest living relative (Selaginella) has resulted in considerable morphological and genetic disparity, yet within Isoetes there is remarkable morphological and genetic uniformity. This has made it difficult to identify the phylogenetic root of the genus. In this study, we addressed this problem and characterized the early branching patterns within Isoetes using an expanded set of taxa and three molecular markers. We assessed the saturation in the molecular data sets, tested for differences in evolutionary rate, determined the stability of the ingroup topology, and evaluated the applicability of the molecular clock. We then explored three alternative rooting approaches: outgroup, midpoint, and maximum likelihood under the assumption of a molecular clock. Attempts to infer the root of Isoetes using the outgroup approach were severely hindered by the effects of saturation, but the results from midpoint rooting and the enforcement of the molecular clock were highly consistent among the data sets. We identify the root of Isoetes to be located among three major, highly supported clades.
Innate cytokines associate with exosomes in plasma of HIV-1+ individuals (P6205)

Purpose: Our group and others have demonstrated a potential role for exosomes in HIV pathogenesis. Exosomes secreted from HIV-infected cells were shown to contain coreceptors for HIV. We have shown HIV Nef-containing exosomes from HIV-infected cells induced apoptosis in bystander CD4+ T cells. This suggests that exosomes from HIV-infected cells could drive CD4 depletion and immune activation contributing to HIV pathogenesis. Thus, exosomes from HIV-1+ viremic individuals were investigated for protein content. Methods: Exosomes were isolated from plasma of ARV naive, HIV+ and negative control individuals by differential centrifugation followed by iodixanol density gradient ultracentrifugation. Biochemical characterization included AChE activity, flotation in iodixanol gradients, and Western analysis for exosomal markers. Plasma and purified exosomes were also tested for levels of 30 cytokines and chemokines by multiplex assay. Results: The concentrations of 10 innate cytokines (IL-15, IP-10, FasL, CD40L, IFNα, IFNβ, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, TNFα, and ICAM-1) were found to be associated with and significantly elevated in exosomes from HIV+ individuals relative to negative controls, suggesting a contributing role in generalized chronic immune inflammation. Conclusion: This is the first demonstration of innate cytokines in exosomes of HIV+ individuals. It suggests a potential mechanism for HIV-1 driven immune modulation and propagation of HIV via activation of bystander target cells.
Prozeß-Erlebnisorientierte Psychotherapie – Ein Überblick: Teil 2

Die Prozes-erlebnisorientierte Psychotherapie ist eine neohumanistische Behandlungsform, in der versucht wird, eine kreative Verbindung zwischen einer eher klientzentrierten, echten, wertschatzenden und empathischen Beziehung und einem eher aktiven, aufgabenorientierten und prozes-direktiven Stil der Gestalt-Psychotherapie herzustellen. Diese Therapieform ist wissenschaftlich fundiert (im Sinne von Grawe 1997). Ihre Krankheitslehre wurde durch Beitrage aus der modernen psychologischen Theorie erganzt. Die Behandlung umfast eine Reihe wesentlicher therapeutischer Aufgaben, die charakterisiert sind durch spezifische Hinweise oder Zeichen auf Klientenseite, Losungsstufen, verschiedene Schritte, die ein Klient auf dem Weg zur Losung der Aufgaben durchlauft und therapeutische Interventionen, die den Klienten auf diesem Weg unterstutzen. In diesem zweiten Teil der Ubersicht werden spezifische therapeutische Aufgaben beschrieben. Schlieslich werden praktische Implikationen diskutiert und Ergebnisse zum Therapieeffekt berichtet.
Polymorph Control of Micro/Nano-Sized Mefenamic Acid Crystals on Patterned Self-Assembled Monolayer Islands

The nucleation of organic molecular compounds is a stochastic process and is difficult to control. The problem becomes even more complex when the compound has two or more polymorphic forms that can concomitantly nucleate. In this work, patterned self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are employed, on which a large number of identical experiments can be conducted. SAMs can be an effective way to induce heterogeneous nucleation and were used in this work to generate the desired polymorphic form based on the chemical interactions. Seven different self-assembled monolayers were employed to study the nucleation behavior of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug mefenamic acid [MA, N-(2,3-xylyl)anthranilic acid]. The results show that SAMs forming a strong interaction with the −COOH group of MA molecules preferably produced form II. The effects of temperature, solvent, droplet size, and concentration on the nucleation kinetics of MA were also explored. The ability to prepare crystalline MA as small as ∼300 nm while ...
Cognitive and Age-Related Differences in the Ability to Use Nutritional Information in a Complex Environment:

Results from three experiments indicate how age, cognitive style, and perceptual aid affect consumers’ use of nutritional information. In experiments 1 and 2, age and perceptual aid influence accur...
Level of self-esteem and size of human figure drawing as a function of group vs individual administration.

Since the publication of Karen Machover's book ( 3 ) , considerable data relating level of self-esteem and size of human figure drawings has been amassed. Machover proposed that large figures were related to high self-esteem, whereas small figures were indicative of low self-esteem. This relationship has been studied in a variety of settings using various subjects (4, 5 ) . Even a cursory glimpse of this literature indicates inconsistency. One interesting aspect of this inconsistency was brought out by Hollings ( 2 ) who found significantly more significant results, i.e., results supportive of the relationship proposed by Machover ( 3 ) , were obtained in studies that utilized individual, rather [han group, administration of the figure-drawing task. The present study directly invesc~gared this. A total of 212 undergraduate college students were initially admin~srcrccl [he Texas Social Behavior Inventory ( 1 ) to ascertain level of self-esteem. The mean and standard deviation was computed and a cut-off point of +/one standard deviation was used to determine subjects of high and low self-esteem. These subjects were randomly assigned to individualor group-administration (Phase Two) of the Draw-a-Person task. Both tests were administered in the regular classroom. For the drawing task subjects were given, face down, three sheets of 8%x 11-in. white paper stapled together, with one of the three words, MAN, WOMAN, MYSELF, on each sheet, and a No. 2 pencil with an eraser. The sheets were randomly arranged. both between and within subjects. The subjects were instructed "to draw the picture that should go on eachgage," lfot to draw stick figures or profiles. N o time limit was imposed. Subjects in the in lv~dual admlnlstratron condition were seated alone in the testing room. Subjects in the group-administration condition were tested in groups that ranged from 3 to 12 and were seated at small tables formed into a circle. Using an 8Yzx 11-in. cm grid each of the three figures drawn by each subject was scored on three indicators, body height (excluding artifacts), body width (excluding artifacts), and area (height X width). Each indicator was subjected to analysis of variance. Under individual administration subjects high in self-esteem drew significantly taller (Ms = 18.37 cm vs 15.03 cm) and larger-area (Ms = 140.54 un vs 118.09 cm) figures than did subjects low in self-esteem. These significant, positive relationships support Machover's contention that the size of the figure drawn reflects level of self-esteem. Results of data from group administration yielded significance ( p < .05) only for the intrraction of level of selfesteem by figure on height of figure. Further investigation (Tukey's procedure) of this interaction indicated that subjects low in self-esteem drew the WOMAN figure significantly ( p < .05) larger than did subjects high in self-esteem (Ms = 15.85 crn vs 12.07 cm). Thus, admin~stration of the test in a group situation had the effect of greatly reducing the difference berween those subjects with high and low self-esteem.
Deep-sea mining real-time dispatch control system based on multiple processors

The paper designs and realizes a deep-sea mining real-time dispatch control system based on multiple processors.The system combining with real-time operating system uC/OS-II divides deepwater robot's basic tasks such as trajectory planning and barrier avoidance.The divided tasks used HVF Scheduling Algorithm based on priority table to realize whole dynamic scheduling on multiprocessor system.The author proved the algorithm design in deep-sea mining control system.The study investigated embedded system that was applied to deep-sea mining.
Clinical manifestations and genetic background in Japanese patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), or Rendu-Weber-Osler syndrome, is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by epistaxis, telangiectases, and vascular dysplasia such as artetiovenous malformation (AVM) in multiple organs. The two major types of disease, HHT1 and HHT2, are caused by mutations in the ENG ( endoglin ) and ACVRL1 genes, respectively. Another type of disease is a combined syndrome of juvenile polyposis and HHT (JPHT) caused by mutated MADH4 gene. We analyzed clinical manifestations and genetic background of 18 Japanese individuals with HHT who were either genetically verified or clinically definite HHT according to the Curacao criteria. Among 18 patients (4 men and 14 women; age 18-74, mean 49.4 years old), 16 had family histories, and all presented epistaxis. Four individuals had a mutation of the endoglin gene, three had that of the ACVRL1 gene, and one JPHT patient had a MADH4 gene mutation, respectively. Radiological examinations, which included at least brain magnetic resonance imaging and lung computed tomography, identified pulmonary AVMs in 13 individuals (5 were solitary, and 8 were multiple), hepatic AVMs or vascular dysplasia in 8, and cerebral vascular dysplasia in 2, respectively. For pulmonary AVMs, interventional transcatheter embolization using metallic coils was applied in 6 patients, and surgical resection was performed in 3. Pulmonary AVMs tended to be present in HHT1, while hepatic AVMs were predominantly detected in HHT2. In summary, clinical manifestations of Japanese patients with HHT are likely related to the genotype, and therefore the final typing of the disease is dependent on genetic analysis.
Early Post-Transplant Minimal Residual Disease Assessment Improves Risk Stratification in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract We studied if the inclusion of early post–stem cell transplantation (SCT) minimal residual disease (MRD) assessments improved prognostication in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Two hundred sixty-nine AML patients in morphological complete remission (CR) who underwent a first SCT were included if they had evaluable pre-SCT MRD assessment by multiparametric flow cytometry. Post-SCT MRD assessments were performed at days +30, +100, and +180. The primary outcome was 1-year relapse incidence (RI). Of 269 patients in CR, 83 (30.8%) had detectable MRD pre-SCT. Post-SCT, during routine disease assessment time points, 9 of 241 evaluable patients (3.7%) at day +30, 6 of 191 evaluable patients (3.1%) at day +100, and 4 of 133 evaluable patients (3%) at day +180 were MRD positive while in CR. MRD positivity at day +30 predicted the highest risk of relapse at 1 year (group 1, 1-year RI 78%). Among MRD-negative patients at day +30, either adverse risk category by European Leukemia Net (ELN) or intermediate risk who were aged ≥60 years and/or pre-SCT MRD-positive represented the intermediate-risk group (group 2, 1-year RI 29%). The remaining patients represented the low-risk group (group 3, 1-year RI 5%). For patients in CR beyond day +30 post-SCT, detectable MRD at any time point predicted impending relapse within 2 months. Early post-SCT MRD assessment—combined with pre-SCT MRD assessment, ELN risk category, and age—improves risk stratification for relapse in AML patients post-transplant. Studies aimed at preventing impending relapse in this high-risk population are urgently needed.
Spatially correlated MIMO broadcast channel: Analysis of overlapping correlation eigenspaces

Antenna correlation is prevalent in higher frequencies as well as in massive MIMO, thus the study of correlated MIMO broadcast channels is becoming a subject of increasing interest. This paper explores the fundamental limits of such systems, focusing on cases where correlation eigenspaces are neither independent nor identical, so that known beam-space division techniques do not directly apply. We begin by introducing a simple but novel tight outer bound on the degrees of freedom of noncoherent point-to-point MIMO channels under transmit antenna correlation. We then analyze the performance of a two-user MIMO broadcast channel when one correlation eigenspace is a subspace of the other. We extend the result to K-user MIMO broadcast channel. Our results show that it is possible to exploit the differences between the correlation structure of transmit antennas towards different receivers to extract degrees of freedom gains out of the system. The extent of these gains are highlighted via several examples.
Analysis of Non-Pivotal Bioequivalence Studies Submitted in Abbreviated New Drug Submissions for Delayed-Release Drug Products.

The US FDA’s rule on “Requirements for Submission of Bioequivalence Data” requiring submission of all bioequivalence (BE) studies conducted on the same formulation of the drug product submitted for approval was published in Federal Register in January 2009. With the publication of this rule, we evaluated the impact of data from non-pivotal BE studies in assessing BE and identified the reasons for failed in vivo BE studies for generic oral delayed-release (DR) drug products only. We searched the Agency databases from January 2009 toDecember 2016 to identify Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) submitted for DR drug products containing non-pivotal BE studies. Out of 202 ANDAs, 43 ANDAs contained 102 non-pivotal BE studies. Forty-nine non-pivotal BE studies were conducted on the to-be-marketed (TBM) formulation and 53 were conducted on formulations different from the TBM formulation. These experimental formulations primarily differed in the ratio of components of the enteric coating layer and/or amount (i.e., %w/w) of enteric coating layer. Of the 49 non-pivotal BE studies conducted on the TBM formulation, 41 failed to meet the BE acceptance criteria. The majority of failed non-pivotal BE studies on the TBM DR generic products had insufficient power, which was expected as these studies are exploratory in nature and not designed to have adequate power to pass the BE statistical criteria. In addition, among the failed non-pivotal BE studies on the TBM DR generic products, the most commonly failing pharmacokinetic parameter was C max . The data from these non-pivotal BE studies indicate that inadequate BE study design can lead to failure of the BE on the same formulation. Also, the non-pivotal BE studies on formulations different from the TBM formulation help us link the formulation design to the product performance in vivo . This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW . Registered readers (see “For Readers”) may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue’s contents page.
Range likelihood tree: A compact and effective representation for visual exploration of uncertain data sets

Uncertain data visualization plays a fundamental role in many applications such as weather forecast and analysis of fluid flows. Exploring scalar uncertain data modeled as probability distribution fields is a challenging task because the underlying features are often more complex, and the data associated with each grid point are high dimensional. In this work, we present a compact and effective representation, called range likelihood tree, to summarize and explore probability distribution fields. The key idea is to decompose and summarize each complex probability distribution over a few representative subranges by cumulative probabilities, and allow users to consider the roles that different subranges play in understanding the probability distributions. In our method, the value domain is first partitioned into subranges, then the distribution at each grid point is transformed according to the cumulative probabilities of the point's distribution in those subranges. Organizing the subranges into a hierarchical structure based on how these cumulative probabilities are spatially distributed in the grid points, the new range likelihood tree representation allows effective classification and identification of features through user query and exploration. We present an exploration framework with multiple interactive views to explore probability distribution fields, and provide guidelines for visual exploration using our framework. We demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of our approach in exploratory analysis using several representative uncertain data sets.
Spiking Convolutional Deep Belief Networks

Understanding visual input as perceived by humans is a challenging task for machines. Today, most successful methods work by learning features from static images. Based on classical artificial neural networks, those methods are not adapted to process event streams as provided by the Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS). Recently, an unsupervised learning rule to train Spiking Restricted Boltzmann Machines has been presented [9]. Relying on synaptic plasticity, it can learn features directly from event streams. In this paper, we extend this method by adding convolutions, lateral inhibitions and multiple layers. We evaluate our method on a self-recorded DVS dataset as well as the Poker-DVS dataset. Our results show that our convolutional method performs better and needs less parameters. It also achieves comparable results to previous event-based classification methods while learning features in an unsupervised fashion.
Making Informed Decisions: The Role of Information Literacy in Ethical and Effective Engineering Design

Engineering designers must make evidence-based decisions when applying the practical tools and techniques of their discipline to human problems. Information literacy provides a structure for determ...
Non-delivery Obstetric Procedures

Cervical incompetence complicates up to 1% of all pregnancies. It is characterized by premature dilation of the internal cervical os and shortening of the cervix from the internal os to the uterine cavity. It is associated with early pregnancy loss and premature birth. Cervical cerclage is a procedure performed at least 23,000 times annually in the United States.
Equality and Other Fundamental Rights of States

Vattel is generally considered as the author whose conception of the so-called fundamental rights of States exercised a strong influence on jurists, statesmen, and politicians during the last two centuries. After him, many publicists in the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries felt it their duty to disclose some new fundamental rights of States without which a State could not exist as a subject of international law. However, already at the beginning of our century, an important division could be established between publicists who consider fundamental rights essential for the existence of a State, on the one hand and, on the other, those publicists for whom the fundamental rights are simply the foundation of international law or fundamental principles of that law. The first category of publicists maintains that the fundamental rights are absolute, inalienable, inviolable, which the State itself can either renounce or change without harming its essential interests or even without its self-annihilation and disappearance as a State under international law. The absolute character of the fundamental rights was stressed with the utmost insistence by the partisans of the doctrine of the absolute sovereignty of States.