cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative antimicrobials at cesarean section: lavage versus three intravenous doses.

worm-like segmented forms with an internal tubular structure-“adults,” and numerous intermediate forms-“larvae.” All of these structures stained distinctly and demonstrated reddish purple granules. Many of the elongated forms appeared to us to be of vegetable origin, and their internal structure showed blue and red birefringence under polarized light. All of the smears containing cotton wool clippings showed vast numbers of “worms,” and those from gauze-filtered serum showed abundant spheres and intermediate forms. These inclusions were indistinguishable microscopically from those seen in blood films made directly from patient’s blood. We concluded that “Hydatoxi luulba” is a common laboratory contaminant, cellulose fibers, especially cotton wool. The worm-like appearance of cotton fibers when sulfated and stained with toluidine blue-0 can be explained by their molecular structure. Cotton fibers are composed of almost pure strands of cellulose fibrils which in turn are composed of chains of n-glucose units, each of which contains three free hydroxl groups.’ When cotton fibers are exposed to the sulfuric acid-ether sulfation reagent, the hydroxyl groups are esterified and react with toluidine blue-0 to assume a reddish purple appearance.3 The inner structures of the artifacts are the visible cellulose macrofibrils of the cotton fibers, and the outer segmented portion is an envelope of cellulose microfibrils attached in a bottlebrush fashion to the macrofibrils. The microfibrils are about 10 nm wide and thus are invisible by light microscopy unless stained.’ The spheres, or “eggs,” are small particles of cellulose and globules of microfibrils which have sloughed off from the main cotton fiber. We believe that the objects described by Lueck et al. are artifacts created bv cotton or other cellulose fibers and are unrelated to disease. The sources of fibers are legion-laboratory coats, clothing, bandages, alcohol swabs-and are ubiquitous in a hospital environment. Careful examination of a scrupulously cleaned microscope slide will show contamination by dust particles from atmospheric sources.
IS downsizing survivor's career management attitudes

IS downsizing is a significant tool of management in the 1990's. A key element in downsizing success is how it is perceived by employees. Still, no widely published study has examined the attitudes of IS survivors to downsizing. Moreover, in the age of a new psychological contract between organizations and employees, employees have assumed responsibility for managing their careers. However, no studies of the career management strategies of IS survivors in the downsized workplace are found. In addition, studies of downsizing in the general workforce have shown that demographic differences may affect employees' responses to downsizing. Again, no study appears to have focused on Information System personnel. For all of these reasons, this study examines the attitude of IS employees toward downsizing, the career management approach of survivors, and whether demographic characteristics of IS survivors of organizational downsizing are related to their attitudes and strategies. The results of a survey indicate that IS survivors, regardless of their demographic characteristics tend to be neutral toward downsizing as a means of improving the organization. Demographic characteristics were also unrelated to internally-oriented career management strategies but were related to externally-oriented strategies.
Hemispheric Horrors: Celluloid Vampires from the 'Good Neighbor' Era

AbstractUniversal Studios's 1931 Anglophone and Hispanic adaptations of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) are placed in the context of the early sound cinema and the US 'Good Neighbor' policy. The Mexican horror and vampire cinema is analysed in connection with the emerging Hispanic Hollywood from this period. An argument is made that US and Mexican cinemas are best understood in comparative relation rather than through critiques that privilege national film cultures.
One step engineering of T7-expression strains for protein production: increasing the host-range of the T7-expression system.

Abstract The T7-expression system has been very useful for protein expression in Escherichia coli. However, it is often desirable to over-express proteins in species other than E. coli. Here, we constructed an inducible broad-host-range T7-expression transposon, which allows simple one-step construction of T7-expression strains in various species, providing the option to over-express proteins of interest in a broader host-range. This transposon contains the T7 RNA polymerase driven by the lacUV5 promoter, which is repressed by the lac-repressor. Leaky expression is prevented by the presence of T7-lysozyme on this construct. The complete T7-expression system is flanked by mariner transposon repeats of the suicidal R6Kγori plasmid, pBT20-Δbla. Stable integration of the whole system is possible by a one-step selection for a Flp-excisable GmR-marker. We showed the engineering of E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Erwinia carotovora, Salmonella choleraesuis, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and Chromobacterium violaceum strains with this construct and demonstrated the expression of the Burkholderia pseudomallei Asd protein in these hosts, by induction with isopropyl-β- d -thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG).
Potential, propensity, and categorical realism

I argue that categorical realism, contrary to what most believe today, holds for quantum (and indeed for all) objects and substances. The main argument consists of two steps: (i) the recent experimental verification of the AB effect gives strong empirical evidence for taking quantum potentials as physically real (or substantival), which suggests a change of the data upon which any viable interpretation of quantum theory must rely, and (ii) quantum potentials may be consistently taken as the categorical properties of quantum objects so that categorical realism can be restored.
Histogram and scattergram smoothing using convex quadratic programming

An algorithm, based on convex quadratic programming, is proposed to smooth sample histograms. The resulting smoothed histogram remains close to the original histogram and honors target mean and variance. The algorithm is extended to smooth sample scattergrams. The resulting smoothed scattergram remains close to the original scattergram shape and the two previously smoothed marginal distributions and honors the target correlation coefficient.
Vanilloid receptor loss in rat sensory ganglia associated with long term desensitization to resiniferatoxin.

Abstract A dose-dependent loss of vanilloid receptors (specific [3H]resiniferatoxin binding sites) was found in sensory ganglia of rats 24 h after s.c. administration of resiniferatoxin (RTX), an ultrapotent capsaicin analog. This receptor loss displayed an ED50 of 30 μg/kg both in dorsal root and trigeminal ganglia; the ED50 was 6-fold higher than the ED50 for loss of the neurogenic inflammatory response and 30–60-fold higher than the ED50 for desensitization in the standard eye-wiping (chemogenic pain) response. The receptor loss appeared later (24 h) than the loss of the physiological responses (6 h) and showed modest recovery (to 20–30% of control levels) over the following 4 weeks. This vanilloid receptor loss may represent a novel, specific mechanism for vanilloid-induced chronic desensitization.
METHOXIDE COORDINATION AT THE POCKET OF CUIITPCUM, ME AND A SIMPLE MODEL FOR THE CU CENTER OF GALACTOSE OXIDASE

An unusually negative oxidation potential is found for the tyrosine residue in the center of fungal galactose oxidase. The complex [Cu(TpCum,Me ){O(MeS)C6 H4 }] (see picture on the right; TpCum,Me =hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate) offers insight into the mode of (cysteinyl-tyrosine) coordination to the copper center, and the reason for the low oxidation potential.
BEDAM binding free energy predictions for the SAMPL4 octa-acid host challenge

The binding energy distribution analysis method (BEDAM) protocol has been employed as part of the SAMPL4 blind challenge to predict the binding free energies of a set of octa-acid host–guest complexes. The resulting predictions were consistently judged as some of the most accurate predictions in this category of the SAMPL4 challenge in terms of quantitative accuracy and statistical correlation relative to the experimental values, which were not known at the time the predictions were made. The work has been conducted as part of a hands-on graduate class laboratory session. Collectively the students, aided by automated setup and analysis tools, performed the bulk of the calculations and the numerical and structural analysis. The success of the experiment confirms the reliability of the BEDAM methodology and it shows that physics-based atomistic binding free energy estimation models, when properly streamlined and automated, can be successfully employed by non-specialists.
Constitutional politics within the interest-group model

I examine constitutional politics using the interest-group model of politics. Constitutional economics argues that rent seeking is inevitable in majoritarian democracy and genuine reform is possible only at the constitutional level. By implication the constitutional equilibrium must differ from the political equilibrium. I examine reasons that such a difference might exist but find weak prospects for a general-interest victory over the special interest in constitutional politics. Although implicit constitutional change (for example, through Supreme Court reinterpretation) and explicit violation are substitute means of altering the constitution, the former dominates the latter. This suggests that a third factor participates in constitutional politics in addition to the general and special interests, which is support for the Constitution itself. Effective rules to restrain rent seeking need to ensure the congruence of the constitutional and general interests.
Robust automatic target recognition using a localized boundary representation

Abstract A localized classification approach which includes a localized target boundary representation, a set of local features to characterize parts of a target boundary, and a feature matching method is developed to classify highly degraded targets. Each pixel on the target boundary is represented by the perpendicular Euclidean distance between the boundary pixel and the chord connecting the end-points of a window centered on the boundary pixel. The resulting localized representation is quite robust with respect to noise and missing segments in the targets. A local feature is the segment of the localized representation between two points selected on the target boundary. The two points on the boundary may be specified or randomly selected. The reference features of a hypothesized target class are compared with segments of the localized representation of the test target to determine a dissimilarity measure between the hypothesized target class and the test target. Segments of the test target may also be matched with the reference localized contour sequences of the targets. The test target is assigned to a target class using a minimum mismatch rule. Results from a series of experiments conducted on three targets show that it is possible to classify targets experiencing high levels of noise and high percentages of missing segments in partial targets.
Theory of vibration propagation in disordered media

Irregularity can have a significant impact on the vibrational behavior of elastic systems and can effect a broad range of physical properties, ranging from the acoustic scattering cross section of marine structures to the thermal conductivity of semi-conductors. In many instances, the spatial behavior of the modes of the system is fundamentally altered by the irregularity and decays exponentially with distance. This behavior is known as Anderson localization and dynamically generates a new length scale, the localization length ξ. The modeling of such systems can be quite challenging, with numerical simulations often being misleading owing to finite size effects, and analytical methods being highly specialized and inaccessible to the non-expert in many body theory. We present here an approach which has been highly successful in recent years, the self-consistent diagrammatic theory.
ArF excimer laser multiphoton-ionization mass spectrometry of organic molecules

Abstract Mass spectra are obtained for 27 organic molecules following irradiation with focussed 193-nm (6.42-eV) photons from an ArF excimer laser. The molecules chosen represent several classes of organic compound. Comparisons between the multiphoton-ionization mass spectra and low-energy electron-impact mass spectra indicate that the dominant ionization pathway is non-resonant two-photon absorption. Data for benzaldehyde and CS 2 provide clear exceptions to this mechanism. These two molecules exhibit enhanced fragmentation owing to the presence of one-photon resonances.
Solvent isotope effects on retinal cis-trans isomerization in the dark adaptation of bacteriorhodopsin

The solvent isotope effect on the first-order rate constant for dark adaptation of bacteriorhodopsin, near neutral pH (pD), is inverse; k{sub D}/k{sub H} = 1.24. The fit of the variation of isotope effect with the atom fraction of deuterium in the solvent to the Gross-Butler equation leads to the conclusion that the proton(s) in motion is (are) less tightly bound in the reactant than in a reactive intermediate, formed prior to the rate-controlling step of cis-trans isomerization. The near-unity isotope effect on the equilibrium between the bound 13-cis- and all-trans-retinals in the dark-adapted state mixture indicates that the isotope effects on the forward and reverse rate constants for isomerization are approximately equal to each other and equal to the isotope effect on the observed rate constant for dark adaptation. The results support a previously proposed mechanism of rate-controlling Asp-212 nucleophilic catalysis of retinal cis-trans isomerication in the dark adaptation process. 27 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
The impact of urban development on hydrologic regime from catchment to basin scales

This study examines the role of urban spatial development on hydrologic response at both catchment (sub-grid) and river basin (between grid) scales in central Indiana. At the catchment scale, effective impervious area (EIA) was estimated using high density urban area and the patch size of low density urban area. The impact of urban spatial arrangement on floods was investigated using the estimated EIA for the entire White River basin, Indiana, as input to the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrology model with urban representation. A geographic information systems (GIS)-based routing scheme was introduced to the VIC model to route the total runoff. Seven theoretical scenarios were developed with equal urban area distributed in different isochrone zones. For return periods up to and including 100-year, the flood peaks at the basin outlet are largest if the travel time from urban cells is approximate to the mode of all pixels’ travel time (plus the time for runoff rate to reach its maximum in a storm event) of the basin. Flood peaks tend to be smaller and arrive earlier with urbanization if development occurs in areas with shorter travel time, so the largest impacts of urbanization are not necessarily seen immediately downstream of the development. This research demonstrated that the spatial pattern of urban development can affect the hydrologic regime by influencing the hydrologic connectivity of urban area at a catchment scale, while at the river basin scale it is the travel time of urban location that controls flood patterns.
Design and evaluation of visualization support to facilitate decision trees classification

The loosely coupled relationships between visualization and analytical data mining (DM) techniques represent the majority of the current state of art in visual data mining; DM modeling is typically an automatic process with very limited forms of guidance from users. A conceptual model of the visualization support to DM modeling process and a novel interactive visual decision tree (IVDT) classification process have been proposed in this paper, with the aim of exploring humans' pattern recognition ability and domain knowledge to facilitate the knowledge discovery process. An IVDT for categorical input attributes has been developed and experimented on 20 subjects to test three hypotheses regarding its potential advantages. The experimental results suggested that, compared to the automatic modeling process as typically applied in current decision tree modeling tools, IVDT process can improve the effectiveness of modeling in terms of producing trees with relatively high classification accuracies and small sizes, enhance users' understanding of the algorithm, and give them greater satisfaction with the task.
Preference for the interval schedule following multiple variable-ratio yoked-variable-interval schedule training

Pigeons were studied on multiple variable-ratio yoked-variable-interval schedules in which components had equal rates of food reinforcement and appeared equally often on each of two keys. Interpolated between component changes on the final multiple schedule were 10-sec probes in which both schedule stimuli were present, one on each key. During multiple schedule training, variable-ratio response rates were greater than yoked-variable-interval rates; however, response rate differences in the components were not a function of the mean ratio value for the 40-to-320-ratio range studied. During the choice probes, subjects responded more to the stimulus associated with the interval schedule than to the one associated with the ratio schedule. It was concluded that pigeons prefer interval schedules over equal reinforcement rate ratio schedules, because the former generate fewer responses per reinforcement.
Non-isothermal droplet evaporation and condensation in the near-continuum regime

The problem of non-isothermal quasi-steady state evaporation and condensation of aerosol spheres is examined to determine the rates of simultaneous heat and mass transport in the Knudsen (transition) regime. New expressions for the mass and heat 5uxes are obtained that show explicitly the dependence of the rate processes on the Knudsen number, the accommodation coe6cients for mass and energy transport and on the molecular weight ratio of the vapor and gas molecules. The analysis, based on the solution of the Boltzmann equation by the method of Grad for Maxwellian molecules, is shown to yield results in the continuum regime (Kn1) in reasonable agreement with classical methods based on continuum theory and with measured water droplet evaporation rates in dry air. Computations of heat and mass transport rates for ice sublimation for upper tropospheric and stratospheric conditions for sizes that correspond to the continuum and transition regimes show that the process is very nearly isothermal. Parametric studies explore the e<ects of temperature, humidity and accommodation coe6cients on the heat and mass transport processes. Although the method of Grad is known to fail in the free-molecule regime, the results agree with more rigorous theoretical solutions for isothermal processes in the near-continuum regime and with an earlier solution for hard sphere molecules in the near-continuum regime. It is shown that 5ux-matching or resistance models used for the transition regime do not show the correct dependence on the Knudsen number and other parameters. c
The family of glycogen phosphorylases: structure and function.

(1989). The Family of Glycogen Phosphorylases: Structure and Functio. Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 69-99.
Hardware support for code integrity in embedded processors

Computer security becomes increasingly important with continual growth of the number of interconnected computing platforms. Moreover, as capabilities of embedded processors increase, the applications running on these systems also grow in size and complexity, and so does the number of security vulnerabilities. Attacks that impair code integrity by injecting and executing malicious code are one of the major security issues. This problem can be addressed at different levels, from more secure software and operating systems, down to solutions that require hardware support. Most of the existing techniques tackle the problem of security flaws at the software level, but this approach lacks generality and often induces prohibitive overhead in performance and cost, or generates a significant number of false alarms. On the other hand, a further increase in the number of transistors on a single chip enables integrated hardware support for functions that formerly were restricted to the software domain. Hardware-supported defense techniques have the potential to be more general and more efficient than solely software solutions. This paper proposes four new architectural extensions to ensure complete run-time code integrity using instruction block signature verification. The experimental analysis shows that the proposed techniques have low performance and energy overhead. In addition, the proposed mechanism has low hardware complexity, and does not impose either changes to the compiler or changes to the existing instruction set architecture.
Neurodevelopmental effects of the FMR-1 full mutation in humans.

Brain dysfunction is the most important sequelae of the fragile X (FMR-1) mutation, the most common heritable cause of developmental disability. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quantitative morphometry, we have compared the neuroanatomy of 51 individuals with an FMR-1 mutation with matched controls and showed that subjects with an FMR-1 mutation have increased volume of the caudate nucleus and, in males, the lateral ventricle. Both caudate and lateral ventricular volumes are correlated with IQ. Caudate volume is also correlated with the methylation status of the FMR-1 gene. Neuroanatom-ical differences between two monozygotic twins with an FMR-1 mutation who are discordant for mental retardation are localized to the cerebellum, lateral ventricles and subcortical nuclei. These findings suggest that the FMR-1 mutation causing the fragile X syndrome leads to observable changes in neuroanatomy that may be relevant to the neurodevelopmental disability and behavioural problems observed in affected individuals.
Performance degradation due to extrinsic base encroachment in advanced narrow-emitter bipolar circuits. II. Non-threshold logic circuits

For pt.I see ibid., vol.36, no.9, p.1751-6 (1989). In the steady state, the extrinsic base encroachment is shown to force the current to flow through the center of the emitter, resulting in higher current density and more severe base stretching at the center of the emitter. During the switching transient, the current flows predominantly through the emitter edge, and the turn-on delay is governed mainly by the perimeter thick base at the emitter edge. The extrinsic base encroachment also limits the overdrive (and hence the speed) of the nonthreshold logic circuit when a speed-up capacitor is used. The base stretching at the center of the emitter is shown to be enhanced by the speed-up capacitor. Because of the modification of the emitter Gummel number near the emitter edge by the extrinsic base encroachment and the transient edge conduction mechanism, significantly more holes are injected into the emitter during the switching transient than in the steady state. This back injection is shown to be further enhanced by the speed-up capacitor. The design considerations for scaled-down devices are discussed. >
Burn injury impairs second-set rejection and CTL reactivity in mice primed by cultured keratinocyte allografts

Cultured keratinocyte (CK) allografts have limited antigenicity and have been used as a skin replacement in patients with massive thermal injury. Recent data indicate that CK grafts are more immunogenic than previously believed and could compromise wound healing in the immunocompetent host. The purpose of this study was to determine if the immunosuppression of burn injury might affect the alloantigen response and minimize sensitization to CK allografts. CBA mice received a 0%, 20%, or 40% burn that was partially excised three days later and grafted with a full-thickness (FT) skin allograft, CK allograft, or CK autograft. Two weeks postburn, mice received FT tail skin allografts, which were observed for rejection. We observed that FT and CK allografts primed the unburned host with equal efficacy. However, burn injury selectively minimized priming by CK allografts, resulting in delayed rejection of second-set allografts. With evidence that burn injury inhibits host sensitization to CK allografts, we then examined the effect of burn size on CTL alloreactivity. Additional CBA mice underwent burn injury, excision, and grafting as described above. Host splenocytes were harvested two weeks later and tested on radiolabeled targets for allospecific cytotoxicity. CTLs from unburned mice primed with FT allografts demonstrated the greatest CTL lysis, followed next by CTLs from unburned mice covered with CK allografts. Burn injury inhibited CTL activity as a function of wound size. Activity of CTLs from burned mice primed with CK allografts improved after in vitro allostimulation but remained below that of CTLs from unburned, unprimed mice. We conclude that burn injury selectively inhibits the allospecific response to CK allografts. The decreased immunogenicity of CK allografts, when used for burn wound coverage, may improve the long-term survival of allogeneic keratinocytes, enhancing their potential as a biologic skin replacement.
Tratamiento de la disección aislada, sintomática, de arterias viscerales: ¿Es aconsejable su corrección urgente?

La diseccion espontanea de una arteria visceral sin diseccion aortica asociada es excepcional, aunque, recientemente, se han publicado un mayor numero de casos gracias a los progresos en las tecnicas diagnosticas. No se han dilucidado los factores de riesgo, causas y la historia natural de la diseccion aislada, espontanea. Se ha propuesto tratamiento quirurgico abierto, la implantacion de una endoprotesis con tecnica endovascular o tratamiento anticoagulante; sin embargo, no se ha alcanzado un consenso sobre el tratamiento optimo. Presentamos tres casos de diseccion espontanea y aislada de arterias viscerales. La diseccion afecto a la arteria mesenterica superior en un paciente y al tronco celiaco en dos. Los tres pacientes presentaron dolor abdominal agudo pero sin irritacion peritoneal. Todos ellos fueron tratados de forma no quirurgica con anticoagulacion o antiagregacion plaquetar. El seguimiento con tecnicas por imagen demostro una mejoria de la diseccion en dos pacientes y ningun cambio en el otro. Durante un seguimiento medio de 17 meses todos permanecian asintomaticos. El tratamiento no quirurgico con observacion estrecha es una estrategia aceptable para la diseccion aislada, espontanea, de arterias viscerales. En pacientes sintomaticos sin pruebas de isquemia o hemorragia intestinal aguda no es obligatorio efectuar una intervencion con caracter urgente.
Novel Structural Principles in Magnesium Thiolate Chemistry: Monomers, Trimers, and the First Magnesiate Thiolate

The synthesis and characterization of a family of magnesium thiolates [Mg(SR)2(donor)n]m (R = C6H5, C6F5, -2-NC5H4; n = 1−4; m = 1, 3) and the first magnesiate thiolate [cat]2[Mg(SC6F5)4] are descr...
A +100dB gain, rail-to-rail output, low distortion, low noise amplifier in BiCMOS technology

This paper describes a rail to rail output low noise, highly linear operational amplifier implemented in 0.5 mum BiCMOS technology. A novel gain boosting technique applied to a folded cascode input stage allows a low frequency gain of over 100 dB to be achieved with a two stage design, while additionally allowing the input to sense common mode ground. The disadvantage incurred in the relatively high DC current consumption of the folded cascode input stage is somewhat mitigated by a novel interstage coupling technique allowing bias current to be shared. Two further distortion reducing features of the output stage are the compensation technique and the presence of complementary emitter followers.
Design of Tunneling Field-Effect Transistors Using Strained-Silicon/Strained-Germanium Type-II Staggered Heterojunctions

Heterojunction tunneling field-effect transistors (HTFETs) that use strained-silicon/strained-germanium type-II staggered band alignment for band-to-band tunneling (BBT) injection are simulated using a nonlocal quantum tunneling model. The tunneling model is first compared to measurements of gate- controlled BBT in previously fabricated strained SiGe diodes and is shown to produce good agreement with the measurements. The simulation of the gated diode structure is then extended to study HTFETs with an effective energy barrier of 0.25 eV at the strained-Si/strained-Ge heterointerface. As the band alignment, particularly the valence band offset, is critical to modeling HTFET operation, analysis of measured characteristics of MOS capacitors fabricated in strained-Si/strained-Ge/relaxed Si0.5Ge0.5 hetero- junctions is used to extract a valence band offset of 0.64 eV at the strained-Si/strained-Ge heterointerface. Simulations are used to compare HTFETs to MOSFETs with similar technology parameters. The simulations show that HTFETs have potential for low-operating-voltage (Vdd < 0.5 V) application and exhibit steep subthreshold swing over many decades while maintaining high ON-state currents.
Looking Outward: Exploring the Intersections of Sociocultural Theory and Gifted Education

As scholars in the field of gifted education continue to explore ways of improving the educational services provided to gifted and talented students, attention must be paid to the infinite amount of potential that an interdisciplinary theory offers. To this end, the following essay explores the intersections of sociocultural theory and gifted education. More specifically, it extends sociocultural theory to the field of gifted education by proposing a new lens for not only expanding the responsibilities of the field in terms of its ability to properly identify gifted students, but also for educating new teachers of the gifted.
Evaluating the added predictive ability of a new marker: From area under the ROC curve to reclassification and beyond

Identification of key factors associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and quantification of this risk using multivariable prediction algorithms are among the major advances made in preventive cardiology and cardiovascular epidemiology in the 20th century. The ongoing discovery of new risk markers by scientists presents opportunities and challenges for statisticians and clinicians to evaluate these biomarkers and to develop new risk formulations that incorporate them. One of the key questions is how best to assess and quantify the improvement in risk prediction offered by these new models. Demonstration of a statistically significant association of a new biomarker with cardiovascular risk is not enough. Some researchers have advanced that the improvement in the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) should be the main criterion, whereas others argue that better measures of performance of prediction models are needed. In this paper, we address this question by introducing two new measures, one based on integrated sensitivity and specificity and the other on reclassification tables. These new measures offer incremental information over the AUC. We discuss the properties of these new measures and contrast them with the AUC. We also develop simple asymptotic tests of significance. We illustrate the use of these measures with an example from the Framingham Heart Study. We propose that scientists consider these types of measures in addition to the AUC when assessing the performance of newer biomarkers.
Predicting Women's Perceptions of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Agency Helpfulness: What Matters to Program Clients?

Study goals were to assess if community agency interactions, the characteristics of services provided by staff, and the combinations of services received can predict women's perceptions of victim service helpfulness around domestic violence and sexual assault. Data were collected from agency representatives in 26 communities, and both women who used services and others living in the community (n = 1,509 women). Women found nonprofit victim services more helpful based on staff behavior in those agencies and the extent to which women felt control when working with staff; helpfulness of services was enhanced when agencies interacted with the legal system and other community agencies.
Ranking Mortgage Origination Applications Using Customer, Product, Environment and Workflow Attributes

In this paper, we analyze the performance of an end-toendMortgage Origination (MO) process. The process beginswith the submission of a mortgage application by anapplicant to a lender and ends with one of the followingoutcomes: closing, i.e., loan approved by the lender andaccepted by the applicant or non-closing, i.e., loan eitherrejected by the lender, or approved by the lender and notaccepted by the applicant. Ranking mortgage applicationsby their predicted likelihood of closing at various steps inthe process is useful for process efficiency and identificationof actionable insights to convert applications likely tonon-close into those that are likely to close.To build models for ranking applications at any step ofthe MO process, we take into account customer and productspecific attributes of the applications as well as environmentattributes and the history of the applications or workflow.The large state-space of the workflow makes the rankingproblem challenging. We propose two workflow attributes,each with a state-space of dimension one, based on the numberof visits to any step and a particular step (re-work) respectively.We find that incorporating these workflow attributesinto the density modeling technique that we developresults in improvement of 4:8 percent in Average Precisionover models that only incorporate customer, product andenvironment attributes. The simple and scalable densitymodeling technique allows for easy identification of applicationsthat are likely to non-close and consequent correctiveaction such as change in the attributes of the mortgageproduct being offered. Further, our results indicate that themodel is comparable to Support Vector Machines and superiorto Logistic Regression for ranking.
Bridging the information gap: material tracking and consumer labels to encourage sustainable computing

A major barrier to encouraging sustainability in the computer industry is the absence of accurate information on material flow through the industry supply chain. We propose a system for developing, sharing, and communicating information about the material contents and energy use of computers and other electronic devices. The simplest electronic components will be analyzed for content of materials of interest, and the component will be entered into a computer database system. Companies assembling larger devices from a number of components will use the database system to indicate which subcomponents they use, and the computer system will generate an entry for their new product by adding up the material contents of each subcomponent in the supply chain. Eventually this system will be able to estimate the complete contents of any electronic product on the market. The computer system will also include metrics for the recyclability and environmental hazards posed by different materials. This data could be used for many purposes. A "production facts" label could provide consumers with information about a computer's potential environmental impact and recyclability. This will help consumers put market pressure on the computer industry to develop more sustainable products by facilitating side-by-side comparisons.
Ultrastructure of camel (Camelus dromedarius) spermatozoa.

Spermatozoa collected from the caudae epididymidis of six camels were examined by phase contrast, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. A comparison of the morphology of the camel spermatozoa with that of other domestic animals is presented.
Radial scar/complex sclerosing lesions: a clinicopathologic correlation study from a single institution ☆ ☆☆

Radial scars (RSs) or complex sclerosing lesions (CSLs) of the breast are benign radiologic and histologic entities. With the introduction of population-based screening programs, their incidence has increased to 0.03% to 0.09% of all core needle biopsies (CNBs). They can pose diagnostic difficulty because their radiologic and histologic appearances mimic carcinoma. We retrospectively searched for and reviewed all cases of RS/CSL diagnosed on image-guided CNB from January 1, 1994, to August 31, 2013, at a single institution. We also assessed the pathologic reports from excisional biopsies to identify cases upstaged to atypia or neoplasm. After exclusions, 100 CNBs were identified from 97 women, which showed RS/CSL without concomitant atypia. Mean age of the women was 52.9 years. Thirty-five women (38/100 CNBs, 38%) had follow-up excision. The median size of the excised RS/CSLs was 1.2 cm; 69% were larger than 1.0 cm. Almost all excised cases (92%) showed radiologic and pathologic concordance, and 79% were designated as suspicious for malignancy (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System level 4). The most common findings of 38 follow-up excisional biopsies were residual RS (22 [58%]), atypical lobular hyperplasia (5 [13%]), and no residual lesion (5 [13%]). Eleven excisional biopsies (29%) were upstaged to invasive or in situ carcinoma or to atypical hyperplasia. Follow-up excisional biopsy is warranted for RS/CSLs, specifically those larger than 1.0 cm with worrisome radiographic findings or with radiologic and pathologic discordance. Approximately 29% of cases were upstaged to in situ or invasive carcinomas or other high-risk lesions in our study.
The Generality—Specificity Issue in Infants' Emotion Responses: A Comment on Bennett, Bendersky, and Lewis (2002)

Bennett, Bendersky, and Lewis (2002) highlighted a need for revision, or at least clarification, of aspects of differential emotions theory (DET) that relate to the development of facial expressions of discrete emotions. Their article reveals a need for a better theoretical integration of propositions about the emergence of discrete emotions, the generality and flexibility of emotion responding, and issue of specificity in event-emotion relations. Bennett et al. tested and partly disconfirmed a hard version of an event-emotion hypothesis that predicts a specific discrete emotion expression for a specific stimulus at a particular age (4 months). They noted that some statements of DET supported their hypothesis, whereas others did not. I clarify the relevant theoretical issues and formulate a soft hypothesis of event-emotion relations. I suggest methodological changes that may prove necessary to verify or disconfirm hypotheses relating to infants' capacity to encode a specific discrete emotion expression at...
Sortases and pilin elements involved in pilus assembly of Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

Summary Corynebacterium diphtheriae SpaA pili are composed of three pilin subunits, SpaA, SpaB and SpaC. SpaA, the major pilin protein, is distributed uniformly along the pilus shaft, whereas SpaB is observed at regular intervals, and SpaC seems to be positioned at the pilus tip. Pilus assembly in C. diphtheriae requires the pilin motif and the C-terminal sorting signal of SpaA, and is proposed to occur by a mechanism of ordered cross-linking, whereby pilin-specific sortase enzymes cleave precursor proteins at sorting signals and involve the side-chain amino groups of pilin motif sequences to generate covalent linkages between pilin subunits. We show here that two elements of SpaA pilin precursor, the pilin motif and the sorting signal, are together sufficient to promote the polymerization of an otherwise secreted protein by a process requiring the function of the sortase A gene (srtA). Five other sortase genes are dispensable for SpaA pilus assembly. Further, the incorporation of SpaB into SpaA pili requires a glutamic acid residue within the E box motif of SpaA, a feature that is found to be conserved in other Gram-positive pathogens that encode sortase and pilin subunit genes with sorting signals and pilin motifs. When the main fimbrial subunit of Actinomyces naeslundii type I fimbriae, FimA, is expressed in corynebacteria, C. diphtheriae strain NCTC13129 polymerized FimA to form short fibres. Although C. diphtheriae does not depend on other actinomycetal genes for FimA polymerization, this process involves the pilin motif and the sorting signal of FimA as well as corynebacterial sortase D (SrtD). Thus, pilus assembly in Gram-positive bacteria seems to occur by a universal mechanism of ordered cross-linking of precursor proteins, the multiple conserved features of which are recognized by designated sortase enzymes.
Chi-p distribution: characterization of the goodness of the fitting using L p norms

This paper derives (1) the Chi-p distribution, i.e., the analog of Chi-square distribution but for datasets that follow the General Gaussian distribution of shape p, and (2) develops the statistical test for characterizing the goodness of the fitting with L p norms. It is shown that the statistical test has double role when the fitting method is induced by the L p norms: For given the shape parameter p, the test is rated based on the estimated p-value. Then, a convenient characterization of the fitting rate is developed. In addition, for an unknown shape parameter and if the fitting is expected to be good, then those L p norms that correspond to unlikely p-values are rejected with a preference to the norms that maximized the p-value. The statistical test methodology is followed by an illuminating application.
Decoupling HZSM‐5 Catalyst Activity from Deactivation during Upgrading of Pyrolysis Oil Vapors

The independent evaluation of catalyst activity and stability during the catalytic pyrolysis of biomass is challenging because of the nature of the reaction system and rapid catalyst deactivation that force the use of excess catalyst. In this contribution we use a modified pyroprobe system in which pulses of pyrolysis vapors are converted over a series of HZSM-5 catalysts in a separate fixed-bed reactor controlled independently. Both the reactor-bed temperature and the Si/Al ratio of the zeolite are varied to evaluate catalyst activity and deactivation rates independently both on a constant surface area and constant acid site basis. Results show that there is an optimum catalyst-bed temperature for the production of aromatics, above which the production of light gases increases and that of aromatics decrease. Zeolites with lower Si/Al ratios give comparable initial rates for aromatics production, but far more rapid catalyst deactivation rates than those with higher Si/Al ratios.
Results of the Post-U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Approval Study With a Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device as a Bridge to Heart Transplantation: A Prospective Study Using the INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support)

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether results with the HeartMate (HM) II left ventricular assist device (LVAD) (Thoratec Corporation, Pleasanton, California) in a commercial setting are comparable to other available devices for the same indication. Background After a multicenter pivotal clinical trial conducted from 2005 to 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the HM II LVAD for bridge to transplantation (BTT). A post-approval study was required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine whether results with the device in a commercial setting are comparable to other available devices for the same indication. Methods The study was a prospective evaluation of the first 169 consecutive HM II patients enrolled in the national INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) who were listed for transplant or likely to be listed. Patients were enrolled from April through August 2008 at 77 U.S. centers and followed for at least 1 year after implant. A comparison group (COMP) included all patients (n = 169 at 27 centers) enrolled in the INTERMACS registry with other types of LVADs (79% HeartMate XVE, 21% Implantable Ventricular Assist Device [Thoratec Corporation]) for the same BTT indication in the same time period. Survival rates, adverse events, and quality of life with the EuroQol EQ-5D visual analog scale were obtained in the INTERMACS registry. Results Baseline characteristics were similar, but creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were lower in the HM II versus COMP groups, and there were fewer patients in the highest-risk INTERMACS patient profile Number 1 (24% for HM II vs. 39% for COMP). Adverse event rates were similar or lower for HM II versus COMP for all events. Bleeding was the most frequent adverse event for both groups (1.44 vs. 1.79 events/patient-year). Operative 30-day mortality for HM II was 4% versus 11% for COMP. The percentage of patients reaching transplant, cardiac recovery, or ongoing LVAD support by 6 months was 91% for HM II and 80% for COMP, and the Kaplan-Meier survival for patients remaining on support at 1 year was 85% for HM II versus 70% for COMP. Quality of life was significantly improved at 3 months of support and sustained through 12 months in both groups compared with baseline. Conclusions The results in a post-market approval, actual patient care setting BTT population support the original findings from the pivotal clinical trial regarding the efficacy and risk profile of the HM II LVAD. These data suggest that dissemination of this technology after approval has been associated with continued excellent results.
A Game Theoretic DSA-Driven MAC Framework for Cognitive Radio Networks

The game theoretic dynamic spectrum allocation (DSA) technique is an efficient approach to coordinate the cognitive radios to share the spectrum. However, existing game based DSA algorithms lack a platform to support the game process. On the other hand, existing medium access control (MAC) protocols for cognitive radio (CR) networks do not fully utilize the adaptability and intelligence of the cognitive radio (CR) to achieve efficient spectrum utilization, let alone fairness and QoS support. Therefore it is necessary to develop a DSA-driven MAC protocol with the game theoretic DSA embedded into the MAC layer. In this paper, based on the analysis of challenges for the game theoretic DSA in realistic applications, we conclude that a unified game theoretic DSA-driven MAC framework should constitute of four integral components: 1)DSA algorithm, which derives the steady strategy of each radio to guide the channel access for data communication; 2) negotiation mechanism, which coordinates game players to exchange game information and update their strategies in the right game timing; 3) clustering algorithm, which limits the negotiation of game players in one cluster to solve the scalability issue; 4) cluster based collision avoidance mechanism, which is to avoid collisions among negotiations in different clusters. Subsequently, we design each component to construct an effective DSA-driven MAC framework with low cost. Our proposed game theoretic DSA- driven MAC framework can fulfill the merits of game theoretic DSA algorithms including high spectrum utilization, collision- free channel access for data communication, QoS and fairness support. Through simulations, the merits of the DSA-driven MAC framework are demonstrated.