cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vacuum Response to Electromagnetic Backgrounds

We investigate the vacuum state of a charged scalar field coupled to two different electromagnetic (EM) backgrounds on two different spaces. (i) is first defined on cylindrical space E2 × S1 with compact direction z ∈ S1 having circumference L3. This spatial compactification enables (but does not compel) an EM vacuum density j3 to flow around the spatial cylinder, parallel to z. However, a nonzero gauge potential A3 prefers one direction around z over the other, causing j3 to become nonzero. We analyze this situation for A3 = A3 (y) an arbitrary function of coordinate y, with A0,1,2 = 0. (ii) is next defined on Minkowski spacetime in the presence of a background EM plane wave of arbitrary shape and amplitude. As the plane wave sweeps through the charged virtual particle sea at the speed of light it locally excites or churns the sea, making the vacuum nonstationary (without producing vacuum pairs). This nonstationary excitation of the vacuum is nondissipative. A summary of recent calculations is presented. These two examples clearly display that, in gauge theory, potentials are more fundamental then fields.
The effect of body mass index on adequacy of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in US adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001 to 2006.

Purpose To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and vitamin D adequacy among US adults. Methods We used data for US adults aged 18 years or older (n = 12,927) who participated in the 2001 to 2006 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Log-binomial regression was used to estimate the strength of association between BMI categories and the prevalence of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] greater than or equal to 20 ng/mL before and after controlling for selected characteristics. An interaction term between race or ethnicity and BMI categories was tested. Results Among US adults, 67.2% had serum 25(OH)D greater than or equal to 20 ng/mL, a cut point suggested by the Office of Dietary Supplements for adequate bone and general health. Overweight and obese adults were 8% (95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.95) and 26% (95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.78), respectively, less likely to have serum 25(OH)D greater than or equal to 20 ng/mL than their normal weight counterparts after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, nativity and marital status, as well as education and income. No heterogeneity of the association between BMI categories and the prevalence of 25(OH)D greater than or equal to 20 ng/mL was observed by race or ethnicity. Conclusions The low prevalence of 25(OH)D greater than equal to 20 ng/mL among overweight and obese adults in the US population underscores the need to comparatively assess vitamin D intakes across different BMIs.
New biologic agents come to bat for cancer therapy

Biologic therapies are playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of patients with cancer. A better understanding of immune responses to tumors now exists, and more defined reagents are now available including new recombinant cytokines, cultured lymphoid cells of defined specificity, and most recently, vectors containing specific genes that can be introduced either into tumor cells or lymphoid effectors. During this past year, we have observed the reporting of new cytokines identified and tested in humans and the advent of cytokine gene therapy. The successful application of these new reagents either singly or in combination will require significant ingenuity, resources, and intuition over the next decade.
Time, space, and space-time hybrid clustering POD with application to the Burgers' equation

In this paper, we investigate new methods that make the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) more accurate in reducing the order of large scale nonlinear systems. The general framework is to apply POD locally to clusters instead of applying it to the global system. Each cluster contains relatively close in distance behavior within itself, and considerably far with respect to other clusters. We introduce three different clustering schemes in time, space and space-time. For time clustering, time snapshots of the solution are grouped into clusters where the solution exhibits significantly different features and a local basis is pre-computed and assigned to each cluster. Space clustering is done in a similar fashion for the space vectors of the solution instead of snapshots, and finally space-time clustering is applied through a hybrid clustering scheme that combines space and time behavior together. We apply our method to reduce a nonlinear convective PDE system governed by the Burgers' equation for fluid flows over 1D and 2D domains and show a significant improvement over conventional POD.
Impact of Reimbursement Systems on Child Psychiatrists: A Comparison of Canada and the United States

ABSTRACT Objective This study measured satisfaction of US and Canadian child psychiatrists with quality of care in their field and behaviors of their payers. Method US and Canadian child psychiatrists were surveyed concerning time spent on billing paperwork, waiting times for psychiatrist reimbursement and patient treatment, and their satisfaction with psychiatric services and behaviors of payers. Initial and two nonresponder follow-up mailings of the survey were sent in 1992 to all 83 Canadian members of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and a random sample of 212 US members. Results Canadians were significantly more satisfied than Americans with the quality and affordability of services for both inpatients and outpatients. Canadians were less likely to think that third-party payers were annoying or affected their clinical decision-making. Canadians spent less time on billing-related paperwork and received payment more promptly. Canadians, however, reported significantly longer waits for both inpatients and mildly ill outpatients, but not for severely ill outpatients. Conclusions Canadian child psychiatrists were significantly more satisfied with the quality of psychiatric services and the behaviors of their payers, but Canadian patients experienced longer waits.
Testicular histology after transparenchymal fixation using polytetrefluoroethylene suture: an animal model.

Abstract Background/Purpose: The optimal surgical technique for orchiopexy is controversial. Studies have shown that adequate fixation can be obtained using a subdartos pouch alone; however, transparenchymal suture fixation with a permanent suture frequently is used to provide additional security and for the treatment and prevention of testicular torsion. In previous studies, the suture has been placed through the tunica albuginea. This could have a detrimental effect on future spermatogenesis. Polypropylene has been shown to have the least histological change and is considered to be the suture of choice. However, polypropylene is a stiff suture and can be disconcerting for the patient when left in place. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a soft, permanent suture used widely in vascular surgery because of its handling characteristics. In this study, the authors compare the histological changes caused by PTFE and polypropylene. Methods: Bilateral orchiopexies were performed in 36 Sprague-Dawley rats. All rats were 27 to 31 days old and weighed 75 to 100 g at the time of orchiopexy. The animals were divided into 3 groups receiving polypropylene and PTFE, silk and PTFE, or polypropylene and silk. After 30 days, all rats were killed, and the testes were harvested. The testes were step sectioned and examined for histological changes. These changes were graded by a pathologist in a blinded fashion. Results: The data obtained were statistically analyzed. The superficial histological changes associated with transparenchymal fixation by polypropylene, PTFE, and silk were significantly different, but the parenchymal changes were not. Conclusions: PTFE causes no greater histological change than polypropylene. In light of the PTFE's softness and superior handling characteristics, the authors recommend the use of PTFE when a permanent suture is used in orchiopexy.
Maximal Scheduling in a Hypergraph Model for Wireless Networks

We introduce a hypergraph based interference model for scheduling in wireless networks. As a generalization of the graph model, hypergraph considers the conflicts caused by sum interference. We show in an arbitrary network, the successful transmissions under any graph model can be improved by a hypergraph. In some networks, a hypergraph can double the uniform throughput compared to the disk graph. We then analyze the capacity region of maximal scheduling in the hypergraph, where a linear programming (LP) based lower bound is formulated and proven to be tight. We also show that the maximal scheduling in hypergraph can guarantee a certain fraction of the capacity region. Simulation results show that maximal scheduling in hypergraph can achieve about 40% more uniform throughput than in graph for random networks.
Effects of Writing Instruction on Kindergarten Students' Writing Achievement: An Experimental Study.

ABSTRACTThis full-year experimental study examined how methods of writing instruction contribute to kindergarten students’ acquisition of foundational and compositional early writing skills. Multiple regression with cluster analysis was used to compare 3 writing instructional groups: an interactive writing group, a writing workshop group, and a traditional writing instruction control group. Results revealed significant differences among the 3 methods of instruction for influencing student learning of compositional writing skills. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Negative Solution of the Decision Problem for Sentences True in Every Subalgebra of

It was shown by Taiclin [6], and independently announced by Tarski [7], that the elementary theory of commutative cancellation semigroups is hereditarily undecidable. In his proof Tarski exhibited a subsemigroup of 〈 N , ·〉, the natural numbers with multiplication, whose theory is both hereditarily and essentially undecidable. (The details of his construction were published by V. H. Dyson [1].) In connection with these results, Tarski suggested to the author that it would be of interest to solve the decision problem for the theory K which consists of all elementary sentences which are true in every subalgebra (i.e. every subsemigroup) of 〈 N , +〉. The object of this note is to prove that the theory K is hereditarily undecidable.
An Exploration of First-Generation College Students' Career Development Beliefs and Experiences.

First-generation college students (FGCS) represent a large proportion of individuals seeking higher education in the United States; yet this population does not perform as well academically as, and persist to graduation at lower rates than, their peers who have more familial context for the college-going experience. Completing a college degree is clearly tied to employability and mental wellness, which makes FGCS’s plight an important issue. Although there is a significant body of research about FGCS’s academic performance and experiences, there is little research about this population’s beliefs and experiences along their career path. Using an exploratory qualitative approach (Consensual Qualitative Research) and a well-researched model of career development (Social Cognitive Career Theory), we asked 15 FGCS about external influences on, and internal beliefs about, their career development process. Three major domains emerged from the data—external influences on the career development process, understand...
Symbol Grounding and Meaning: A Comparison of High-Dimensional and Embodied Theories of Meaning

Latent Semantic Analysis (Landauer & Dumais, 1997) and Hyperspace Analogue to Language (Burgess & Lund, 1997) model meaning as the relations among abstract symbols that are arbitrarily related to what they signify. These symbols are ungrounded in that they are not tied to perceptual experience or action. Because the symbols are ungrounded, they cannot, in principle, capture the meaning of novel situations. In contrast, participants in three experiments found it trivially easy to discriminate between descriptions of sensible novel situations (e.g., using a newspaper to protect one's face from the wind) and nonsense novel situations (e.g., using a matchbook to protect one's face from the wind). These results support the Indexical Hypothesis that the meaning of a sentence is constructed by (a) indexing words and phrases to real objects or perceptual, analog symbols; (b) deriving affordances from the objects and symbols; and (c) meshing the affordances under the guidance of syntax.
A Water-Vapor Radiometer Error Model

The water-vapor radiometer (WVR) is used to calibrate unpredictable delays in the wet component of the troposphere in geodetic microwave techniques such as very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking. Based on experience with Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) instruments, the current level of accuracy in wet-troposphere calibration limits the accuracy of local vertical measurements to 5-10 cm. The goal for the near future is 1-3 cm. Although the WVR is currently the best calibration method, many instruments are prone to systematic error. In this paper, a treatment of WVR data is proposed and evaluated. This treatment reduces the effect of WVR systematic errors by estimating parameters that specify an assumed functional form for the error. We evaluate the assumed form by comparing the results of two similar WVR's operating near each other. Finally, we estimate the observability of the error parameters by covariance analysis.
Role of Solute Segregation at Grain Boundaries During Final–Stage Sintering of Alumina

The addition of minor amounts of MgO or NiO to Al2O3 inhibits grain growth during sintering and allows the sintering process to proceed to theoretical density by maintaining a high diffusion flux of vacancies from the pores to the grain boundaries. The inhibition of grain growth is accomplished by the segregation of solute at the grain boundaries, causing a decrease in the grain–boundary mobility. The segregation of MgO or NiO at the grain boundaries can be inferred from the results of the microhardness studies presented and is substantiated by autoradiographic experiments and also by lattice parameter determinations as a function of grain size.
Test beam results from the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter

A precision lead tungstate crystal calorimeter is being constructed by the CMS collaboration. As a key part of the future CMS detector at the LHC, the electromagnetic calorimeter will play a major role in probing electroweak symmetry-breaking and searches for new physics. In order to check that the required performance of the electromagnetic calorimeter is attainable, every prototype is tested in real conditions within a beam of particles. In 2003 two modules of the electromagnetic calorimeter featuring the final mechanical design and electronic architecture have been tested with two different versions of the front-end electronics. In this paper a review of the main results of test beam campaigns in 2002 and 2003 are given.
Building a biomedical semantic network in Wikipedia with Semantic Wiki Links

Wikipedia is increasingly used as a platform for collaborative data curation, but its current technical implementation has significant limitations that hinder its use in biocuration applications. Specifically, while editors can easily link between two articles in Wikipedia to indicate a relationship, there is no way to indicate the nature of that relationship in a way that is computationally accessible to the system or to external developers. For example, in addition to noting a relationship between a gene and a disease, it would be useful to differentiate the cases where genetic mutation or altered expression causes the disease. Here, we introduce a straightforward method that allows Wikipedia editors to embed computable semantic relations directly in the context of current Wikipedia articles. In addition, we demonstrate two novel applications enabled by the presence of these new relationships. The first is a dynamically generated information box that can be rendered on all semantically enhanced Wikipedia articles. The second is a prototype gene annotation system that draws its content from the gene-centric articles on Wikipedia and exposes the new semantic relationships to enable previously impossible, user-defined queries. Database URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Gene_Wiki
Annual and Warm Season Drought Intensity–Duration–Frequency Analysis for Sonora, Mexico

Abstract Located in northwestern Mexico, Sonora is a region affected by the North American monsoon (NAM). The region covers nearly 50% of the North American Sonoran Desert and is characterized by climatic conditions ranging from extremely arid to semiarid. The region has suffered from drought since 1995, and consequently, water supplies are threatened. The objectives of this work are to characterize the spatial and temporal variabilities of precipitation in Sonora and to conduct a meteorological drought intensity–duration–frequency analysis based on annual and warm season precipitation records. Monthly precipitation data are compiled from 76 meteorological stations located in Sonora, along with 19 stations in the neighboring American state of Arizona, for the period 1961–2004. For increased reliability, data are pooled within five plausible climatic regions. Among the results reported herein are summaries of precipitation variability, drought frequency estimates for annual and seasonal durations and retur...
Two-Dimensional Velocity Distribution in Open Channels Using the Tsallis Entropy

AbstractAssuming time-averaged velocity as a random variable, a two-dimensional (2D) velocity distribution in open channels was derived by maximizing the Tsallis entropy, subject to mass conservation. The derived distribution was tested using field data and was also compared with other two-dimensional velocity distributions. The Tsallis entropy–based velocity distribution was found to predict the velocity near the boundary well.
An application of interval analysis and optimization to electric energy markets

In this paper, we address the issue of quantifying model uncertainties in a deregulated power market. We are interested in a worst-case analysis of effects of network parameter uncertainties on optimization problems that are solved on the level of an independent system operator (ISO). The focus is on linear programming (LP) formulations because of their practical relevance. After briefly reviewing applications of different interval analysis tools (interval matrix inversion and various contractors and solvers for systems of interval equations), we propose two tailored algorithms. In the first (basic LP approach), we propose another solver for a system of linear interval equations, while in the second (power system-customized LP approach), we use features of the power system model to reduce the width of the interval solution. The interval-based results are compared with a deterministic robust noninterval matrix inversion-based solution of a model of the benchmark 68-node New England/New York interconnected power system. Presented analyzes demonstrate that even small parameter variations can have significant impact on optimization.
Calcium Binding of Two Microalgal Polysaccharides and Selected Industrial Hydrocolloids

Binding of calcium ions to polysaccharides from two freshwater microalgae, Palmella texensis (UTEX 1708) and Cosmarium turpinii (UTEX LB 1042) (PTP and CTP, respectively), and six industrial hydrocolloids was studied. The amount of bound calcium decreased with a decrease in pH below 6. Scatchard analysis showed that PTP, guar and locust bean had low calcium affinity and one type of binding site. Alginate bound calcium with the greatest affinity (k= 1.31 × 106) among the hydrocolloids examined and appeared to have one type of binding site. Gum arabic and CTP appeared to have two types of binding sites. The order of magnitude of uronic acid in each hydrocolloid did not agree with the order of calcium binding affinity as an intrinsic association constant indicating limited importance of the chemical nature of hydrocolloids to the effect of linear charge density.
Quantum confinement of Mott electrons in ultrathin LaNiO 3 /LaAlO 3 superlattices

We investigate the electronic reconstruction in (LaNiO${}_{3}$)${}_{n}$/(LaAlO${}_{3}$)${}_{3}$ ($n=3$, 5, and 10) superlattices due to the quantum confinement (QC) by dc transport and resonant soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy. In proximity to the QC limit, a Mott-type transition from an itinerant electron behavior to a localized state is observed. The system exhibits tendency toward charge-order during the transition. $\mathit{Ab}$ $\mathrm{initio}$ cluster calculations are in good agreement with the absorption spectra, indicating that the apical ligand hole density is highly suppressed, resulting in a strong modification of the electronic structure. At the dimensional crossover cellular dynamical-mean-field calculations support the emergence of a Mott insulator ground state in the heterostructured ultrathin slab of LaNiO${}_{3}$.
Work in progress - integrating energy issues and technologies into an electrical or computer engineering curriculum

Most modern electrical engineering and computer engineering programs place emphasis on low power circuits and systems. The critical energy issues now facing the United States and the world, however, are concerned with the generation and distribution of large amounts of energy using high power generation facilities and networks. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Lafayette College is exploring ways and means to integrate energy-related technical material, energy issues, and energy policy considerations into the existing Electrical and Computer Engineering degree program. This paper describes initial steps taken toward this goal, the projected curricular additions and changes, and the rationale for incorporating energy-related course material and laboratory exercises. The work in progress aims to provide an alternative to other approaches that either introduce one or two dedicated courses, or develop an entire energy course stem, to provide electrical or computer engineers with significant energy-related studies.
Sexual Harassment in School: The Public Performance of Gendered Violence

In this article, Nan Stein argues that sexual harassment in schools is a form of gendered violence that often happens in the public arena. She presents the narratives of girls and boys about their experience of sexual harassment in schools and finds parallels with cases documented in court records and depositions. While highly publicized lawsuits and civil rights cases may have increased public awareness of the issue, inconsistent findings have sent educators mixed messages about ways of dealing with peer-to-peer sexual harassment. The antecedents of harassment, she suggests, are found in teasing and bullying, behaviors tacitly accepted by parents and teachers. Stein makes a case for deliberate adult intervention and the inclusion of a curriculum in schools that builds awareness of these issues.
A GENOTYPING ASSAY TO DETERMINE PLUMAGE MORPH IN THE WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (ZONOTRICHIA ALBICOLLIS)

Abstract In alternate plumage, the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is polymorphic, such that individuals exhibit a median crown stripe that is either white or tan in color. This plumage polymorphism is believed to be caused by a chromosomal inversion and predicts many aspects of an individual’s aggressive and parental behavior, which makes this species an interesting and valuable subject for the study of the genetic basis of social behavior. Although the plumage polymorphism is well described, in practice the determination of morph for individual birds is not perfectly straightforward. Whereas morph can be assessed relatively easily in alternate plumage, birds in basic plumage tend to show coloration characteristic of both morphs. During the winter and fall, therefore, plumage morph cannot be determined with 100% accuracy by visual inspection alone. Here, we describe a genotyping assay that reliably predicts morph in alternate plumage. DNA from one drop of blood is amplified by PCR, digest...
Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation—what have we learned?

Numerous challenges were overcome to develop an effective approach to the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), the end result of which was the Cox-maze III procedure (1). Evaluation of outcomes following this procedure was facilitated by the consistency in lesion sets and guaranteed transmurality. Furthermore, since its inception, it has served as the foundation for the further development and evolution of contemporary techniques for surgical ablation of AF.
Roman Ingarden’s Literary Theory

Ingarden was one of the closest and most devoted disciples of Edmund Husserl.1 But this does not mean that he submitted completely to his teacher’s thinking It is characteristic of the ‘phenomenological school’ and at the same time to a much lesser degree tragic that Husserl did not have disciples who were willing to continue directly on his path. There were times, when Husserl was rightfully stating “Phenomenology, that means myself and Heidegger”; there were times when Husserl expressed his sadness about Ingarden’s philosophical disagreements with him; 2 and there were times, close to the end of Husserl’s life, when he wrote about his concern that ‘philosophy is in jeopardy’ and that only a concentration on its historical aspects would be able to save it.3 From a broader perspective, Heidegger and Ingarden are among the most prominent offspring from Husserl’s phenomenological ‘school’ which taught all its many students that one could not learn the phenomenological method from books and that one should return ‘to the objects themselves’ (zu den Sachen selbst), so that one can learn to see, observe, describe, and analyze nature’s phenomena without prejudice.
A Step Ahead? Experienced Play in the P-Beauty Game

In the "p-beauty" contest, contestants choose a number between zero and 100 and the winner is the player who selected the number that is closest to some fraction p of the average chosen by the group. The decision process in this game is widely viewed as representative of the decision process in financial markets, because both require the ability to successfully anticipate and react to average opinions faster than the general public. This study examines how players who are experienced with the game behave when competing against opponents who they know have never seen the game before. The results show that experienced players correctly anticipate the choices of inexperienced players and react accordingly.
Neuropsychological performance of a patient suspected of dementia taking lorazepam and retested 1 year later following titration

The effects of medication on neuropsychological performance have yet to be fully investigated, particularly in older patients. As such, the present case study was undertaken to examine the specific impact of benzodiazepine use on neuropsychological performance by providing a comparison of the test-retest data of an 81-year-old patient taking lorazepam. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation was conducted: (a) during the initial referral, while the patient had been taking high doses of lorazepam for approximately 3 years; and (b) 6 months after complete titration, which was 1 year after the initial evaluation. Normative scores derived from the 2 trials were compared via calculation of Reliable Change Indexes. Neuropsychological performance during both evaluations was indicative of dementia, including similar degrees of impairment in delayed memory, verbal fluency, and olfaction. However, scores obtained during the second evaluation were somewhat higher, with significant improvements observed in immediate memory, visuospatial/construction abilities, language function, abstract concept formation, and set shifting. Results of the current case study suggest that several neuropsychological domains may be particularly sensitive to chronic benzodiazepine use. Although the overall diagnostic picture in the present study remained unaltered, clinicians should be cognizant of such medication effects and the potential for these neuropsychological alterations to obscure differential diagnosis.
Wavelike Activity in Biological and Chemical Media

A variety of room-temperature aqueous solutions colorfully exhibit in two and three dimensions the excitability, signal transmission, and spontaneous oscillation more familiarly associated with biological media such as aggregating slime molds, rhythmic fungi, nerve, heart, and intestinal smooth muscle. I will refer to these chemical solutions collectively as “Z reagent” in honor of their chief developers, A. M. Zhabotinsky and A. N. Zaikin (1970). Because Z reagent is so convenient to prepare and study, it is tempting to employ it as a heuristic tool in seeking consequences of oscillation and excitability which may have escaped attention during technically more difficult experiments in living systems. My belief is that observations on Z reagent suggest at least one unexplored mode of solution to the partial differential equations used to describe excitable media, which may merit the attentions both of mathematicians and of biologists.
Documents divers ayant trait à l’Afrique

Lorsque nous allons en Afrique nous obtenons, quelquefois de facon systematique, plus souvent de facon fortuite, des documents roneotypes ou imprimes que nous gardons, souvent sans les utiliser, pour I’avenir. Des numeros epars de journaux ou periodiques, quand on les rassemble, peuvent constituer des collections presque completes.
Space and Time Resolved Photoluminescence of Defects at Dislocations in In-Alloyed GaAs Substrate Material

We report a study of dislocations in In-alloyed GaAs substrate material using space and time resolved photoluminescence (PL). PL intensity maps show that an isolated dislocation cluster is in the center of a dark region with a 50μm radius surrounded by a bright region with an outer radius of 150μm. Lifetime measurements were made in the bright and dark regions. Values as long as 3.5 ns and as short as 250 psec were observed in adjacent bright and dark regions. These measurements indicate that the PL intensity contrast is explained by lifetime variations in these features. This supports the view that the dislocation cluster acts as a source and sink for defects which govern the lifetime in the surrounding material. Temperature dependence of the lifetime indicates two different defects may be involved. Both of these produce deep levels, neither one of which is EL2. A surface passivation technique is used to show that surface recombination is not important to the PL intensity contrast.
The History of the Modern Simplified Chinese Character Originating from Qin Dynasty

The debate over the simplified and traditional Chinese characters never fades.Some opponents focus on the issues that simplified Chinese characters go against character-forming law,do damage to the glyph and meaning of character,and block the cultural inheritance.Most of the current simplified Chinese characters stems from simplified and folk characters in all dynasties,many of which originated from ancient cursive script,running script and clerical script,or even from ancient original characters and interchangeable characters.The study,focusing on ancient characters which stems from Qin and Han dynasty and current simplified characters transformed from ancient characters,can effectively explain the long history and deep base of the simplified Chinese character which is the symbol of life and reflects the charater's stability and cultural heredity.
Analysis on Epidemiological Characteristics of Hand-foot-mouth Disease and Risk Factors of the Severe Cases in Shimen County, Hunan Province in 2011-2012

Objective To summarize and analyze the epidemiological features of hand- foot- mouth disease(HFMD)in Shimen County from 2011 to 2012, and provide a strong basis for developing prevention and control measures. Methods According to the statistical data about the incidence of HFMD in China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention(CISDCP), descriptive epidemiological method was used to analyze the case information on HFMD in Shimenn County during2011- 2012. Results A total of 1,881 cases of HFMD were reported in the county in 2011- 2012, which showed a typical bimodal distribution. The incidence in 2012 was 39.01% higher than 2011. The peak incidence occurred ahead of time; moreover, the peak increased. There were 16 towns with the increasing cases reported, with a maximal increase slope in Zao Town.The age distribution at onset of HFMD was mainly in age group 0- 4 years. Male patients were more than female ones. And most of the patients were scattered children and preschool children. Rash or herpes on hand, foot, and mouth was the main clinical manifestation. Coxsackievirus A16(CoxA16)was the main pathogen in 2011, while enterovirus 71(EV71)was in 2012.There were 15 severe cases occurred during 2011- 2012. The risk factors for severe casesin Shimen County were initial diagnosis in individual clinic, initial misdiagnosis, age, EV71 infection, summer, and scattered children living in rural hilly areas following Baiyun. Conclusions The incidence of HFMD in Shimen County has obvious regional, seasonal, occupational, age, and gender characteristics. CoxA16 and EV71 are the main alternate pathogens. More attention should be paid to the key areas, the key period, and the key population in prevention and control of HFMD.
An integrated system for health supervision.

Description of a protocol for implementation of a supervised system of well child care using pediatric nurse practitioners and other paraprofessionals in an effort to provide more comprehensive and better integrated health care.
Recent advances with chemotherapy for NSCLC: The ECOG experience

Management of disseminated non-small-cell lung cancer has changed over the past 10 years. Newer agents, such as vinorelbine (Navelbine) and paclitaxel (Taxol), have been shown to modestly improve survival in patients with advanced disease when administered in conjunction with cisplatin (Platinol). Compared with older regimens consisting of cisplatin and a Vinca alkaloid or a podophyllotoxin, the newer regimens yield a 10- to 15-week improvement in median survival and an additional 10% to 15% in 1-year survival. Based on these results derived from randomized trials, it appears that metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer patients with good performance status should be treated with regimens containing either vinorelbine or paclitaxel in conjunction with cisplatin.
Löwenheim-Skolem Theorems

A cardinal constellation is a map c defined on a set X such that for each x ∈ X, c(x) is a non-zero cardinal number. The constellation of a modal structure 𝕬= , c 𝕬, is that constellation c with domain K such that for k ∈ K, c(k) = card (|𝒜 k |). Let c and c′ be constellations with domains X and X′, respectively. We write c⊆c′ iff X ⊆ X′ and c′| X = c′, and we write c≤c′ iff X = X′ and for all x ∈ X, c(x) ≤ c′(x). We define card (ML) to be the card inality of the set of all formulas of ML. A cardinal constellation c with domain including K is said to be appropriate for 𝔄 if for all k, k′ ∈ K, k R k′ implies c(k) ≤ c(k′) and if 𝔄 is a structure for ML, then card(ML) ≤ c(k) for all k ∈ K.
Communication Skills Assessment Using Human Avatars: Piloting a Virtual World Objective Structured Clinical Examination

AbstractIntroduction: Proficiency in communication skills is a core competency of residency training. We evaluated the feasibility, acceptability and applicability of a virtual world objective structured clinical examination that enables practice based learning and assessment of resident communication skills.Methods: A virtual clinical encounter situated in 2 practice settings was developed that uses a human avatar physician and a standardized patient. Following an online tutorial house staff participated in 4 communication tasks, including shared decision making, delivering bad news, obtaining informed consent and disclosing a medical error. Validated instruments and semistructured interviews were used to assess house staff acceptability and applicability of the platform. Three faculty members used ACS (Affective Competency Scale) and communication specific assessment instruments to evaluate house staff performance.Results: A total of 12 urology house staff completed the simulation. Direct costs were app...
Mechanotransduction Dynamics at the Cell-Matrix Interface

The ability of cells to sense and respond to mechanical cues from the surrounding environment has been implicated as a key regulator of cell differentiation, migration, and proliferation. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an oft-overlooked component of the interface between cells and their surroundings. Cells assemble soluble ECM proteins into insoluble fibrils with unique mechanical properties that can alter the mechanical cues a cell receives. In this study, we construct a model that predicts the dynamics of cellular traction force generation and subsequent assembly of fibrils of the ECM protein fibronectin (FN). FN fibrils are the primary component in primordial ECM and, as such, FN assembly is a critical component in the cellular mechanical response. The model consists of a network of Hookean springs, each representing an extensible domain within an assembling FN fibril. As actomyosin forces stretch the spring network, simulations predict the resulting traction force and FN fibril formation. The model accurately predicts FN fibril morphometry and demonstrates a mechanism by which FN fibril assembly regulates traction force dynamics in response to mechanical stimuli and varying surrounding substrate stiffness.
FRAP Analysis of Chemosensory Components of Dictyostelium

Dictyostelium discoideum is a useful cell model for studying protein-protein interactions and deciphering complex signaling pathways similar to those found in mammalian systems. Many of these interactions were analyzed using classical in vitro biochemical techniques. However, with the accessibility of fluorescently tagged proteins, extensive protein networks are now being mapped out in living cells using a variety of microscopic techniques. One such technique, fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), has been used in Dictyostelium to investigate a number of cellular processes including actin and cytoskeleton dynamics during chemotaxis and cytokinesis (J. Muscle Res. Cell Motil. 23:639-649, 2002; Biophys. J. 81:2010-2019, 2001; Mol. Biol. Cell 16:4256-4266, 2005), to follow trafficking of proteins to organelles such as the membrane, nucleus, and endoplasmic reticulum (Development 130:797-804, 2003; J. Cell Biol. 154:137-146, 2001), and to understand the role of proteins in cell adhesion during motility and division (Mol. Biol. Cell 18:4074-4084, 2007; J. Cell Sci. 120:4302-4309, 2007). FRAP is a powerful tool that should provide a vast amount of information on the mobility of a number of proteins, not only in Dictyostelium, but in many organisms. This study will lay out the methods of conducting FRAP experiments in Dictyostelium and discuss the large amount of knowledge which can be gained by adopting this as a common technique.
Advances in and utilization of nickel(0)-catalyzed coupling in the synthesis of functional polymeric materials

A short, simple, versatile methodology was developed for the synthesis of poly(2,5benzophenone containing coil-rod-coil triblock copolymers. After a model study, poly(2,5benzophenone macroinitiators were synthesized via endcapping the Ni(0)-catalyzed polymerization of 2,5-dichlorobenzophenone followed by functionalization of the chain ends utilizing phase transfer chlorination. Varying molecular weights of polystyrene-6-poly(2,5benzophenone)-e-polystyrene were synthesized using the macroinitiators in the atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene. The materials were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, and transmission electron microscopy. Applications were explored through dynamic mechanical analysis and the construction of a distributed junction photovoltaic device.
A privileged role for neuronal Na+ channels in regulating ventricular [Ca2+] and arrhythmias

In cardiac myocytes, electrical signaling and Ca2+ signaling are closely coupled. Electrical signals, in the form of action potentials, produce periodic increases and decreases in intracellular [Ca2+]—so-called “Ca2+ transients”—and these Ca2+ signals can, in turn, influence action
Fecal Contamination in Urine Amino Acid Screening: Artifactual Cause of Hyperaminoaciduria

The analysis of urine in order to identify errors of amino acid metabolism is now a widely employed procedure. Currently the most popular methods utilize urine samples and the technic of paper chromatography, with various modifications of the unidimensional and bidimensional systems originally described by Consden and associates. A handicap in these methods, however, is the frequent difficulty in obtaining urine specimens from neonates or young infants. This problem is especially acute when large numbers of these infants are tested in a screening program. To obviate this, the urine screening program for metabolic disorders currently being conducted in Massachusetts, by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in a cooperative project with the Massachusetts General Hospital, utilizes a method of urine collection that involves placing a 5by 2.5-cm. strip of Whatman No. 3MM filter paper* inside the diaper. The urine-impregnated strip is then analyzed by unidimensional paper chromatography according to the technic of Efron and colleagues. Since the inception of the urine screening program, an occasional specimen has revealed an increased quantity of many of the amino acids normally present in urine, as well as an increased quantity of the imino acid, proline, but not of hydroxyproline. Repeat specimens from infants with this amino and imino acid pattern have invariably yielded normal chromatograms, and inspection of the original filter papers has
The Human Neurotropic Virus, JCV, and Its Association with CNS Tumors

Publisher Summary The human polyomavirus JCV shows significant neurotropism to cells from the central nervous system (CNS) and productively infects human oligodendrocytes, the myelin-producing cells of the brain. This virus causes tumors when intracerebrally inoculated at high titer into developing rodents. JCV is the only polyomavirus to cause brain tumors in nonhuman primates. Tumorigenecity is most likely induced by the viral early gene product, T-antigen, as is demonstrated by the occurrence of tumors in T-antigen transgenic animals. T-antigen interacts with p53 and the pRb family of proteins, and results in the stimulation of S-phase specific genes via E2F-1. The possibility that JCV is involved in human brain tumors has been raised by the occurrences of these tumors coincident with productive JCV infection of the brain and leading to the demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The recent findings of both JCV DNA and T-antigen in human brain tumor samples points to a strong association of JCV with some forms of human brain tumors, namely, medulloblastoma. The chapter describes the molecular structure of the JCV genome and the experimental model wherein JCV polyomaviruses are inoculated into rodents.
Endoscopic Pericranial Flap Repair of Occipital-Frontal Electrode Erosion.

Introduction Occipital-frontal nerve stimulation is an off-label therapy for treating chronic refractory migraine and orofacial pain. Though effective, patients experience a high rate of complications including lead migration and erosion through the overlying skin. Case Description We present a case of frontal electrode erosion that was revised via pericranial flap repair. The patient presented with multiple lead migrations, necessitating multiple revision surgeries with eventual frontal wound dehiscence. The choice was made to wrap the electrode in a pericranial flap to prevent recurrent lead migration. Two weeks postoperatively, the wound was well healed and the patient reported that the midline electrode was functioning properly. Discussion Pericranial flap revision confers little additional risk when compared with simple wound closure, and the surgeon can proceed without total electrode removal, additional incisions, or lead tunneling. The flap provides a highly vascular additional layer of stability to the electrode, reducing the likelihood of further lead exposure without compromising the efficacy of the device. These results suggest that endoscopic pericranial flap revision is a viable technique for the repair of occipital nerve stimulation lead erosions.
Tools of the Game: The Gendered Discourses of Peripheral Advertising

In this chapter, we take as a case study the web advertising for Razer with a focus on how the company’s keyboards and keypads, mice, and controllers are promoted to consumers on its website. Using ideological discourse analysis, we identify how ideologies related to identity are structured into and articulated through the text and images of Razer peripheral advertising. We argue that, while some language and imagery on the site point to an effort to be more inclusive, its overall ideological tone suggests a reification of the white male gamer identity through its discursive construction of a particular model of masculinity grounded in combat/war, mastery over the game, and the gaining of unfair advantages. Based on our analysis, we suggest that Razer’s peripherals are articulating a larger struggle in the industry between a historic connection of gaming with young, white males and an emerging recognition of the diversity of those who play video games.
Chapter 4 – Microwave Radiometry

Microwave radiometers are very sensitive instruments that measure the power of the thermal noise emitted by bodies at a physical temperature larger than 0K. The first part of this chapter is devoted to the study of this noise power, which is a function of a number of geophysical parameters, such as soil moisture, vegetation optical depth, snow, wind speed over the ocean, ice, rain, etc., and it can be used to infer them. The second part describes the main types of microwave radiometers, including the novel synthetic aperture ones, their main figures of merit (i.e., radiometric sensitivity and spatial resolution), calibration, and image reconstruction.
Using Screen Recording Platforms to Increase Instructor Presence in an Online Classroom

Recent advances such as video and audio conferencing, online real-time chat and instant messaging features have created synchronous learning opportunities in online classrooms. Use of screen recording tools specifically, provide the ability to make short recordings, which provide a quick and personal way to respond to individuals or groups. Additionally, when utilized for feedback purposes, screen recordings enhance instructor presence in the classroom, provide one-to-one, teacher-student exchanges reducing the virtual distance between instructors and students.
Lagrange Interpolation and New Asymptotic Formulae for the Riemann ZetaFunction

An asymptotic representation for the Riemann zeta function ζ(s) in terms of the Lagrange interpolation error of some function f s,2N at the Chebyshev nodes is found. The representation is based on new error formulae for the Lagrange polynomial interpolation to a function of the form \(f(y) ={ \int \nolimits \nolimits }_{\mathbb{R}} \frac{\varphi (t)} {t-iy}\mathrm{d}t.\) As the major application of this result, new criteria for ζ(s)=0 and ζ(s)≠0 in the critical strip 0<Re s<1 are given.
Picando Piedras: Picking at the Rocks of Social Justice under the Nonprofit Industrial Complex

In the Nonprofit Industrial Complex (NPIC) is the contemporary manifestation of social service provision in the United States. The question of how activists persist in their work despite the struct...