cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bereaved Military Dependent Spouses and Children: Those Left Behind in a Decade of War (2001-2011).

ABSTRACT Background: U.S. military service members die from a variety of causes (i.e., accidents, combat, illnesses, homicide, suicide, and terrorism) while on duty and in greater numbers during times of war, leaving behind bereaved dependent family members. Identifying characteristics of these dependent families improves our understanding of their unique needs, helps educate service providers who offer assistance to these surviving family members, and better informs policy addressing their health and well-being. This study describes deceased U.S. military service members (DSMs) who died on active duty between September 11, 2001 and September 11, 2011 and their surviving dependent spouses and children. Methods: Characteristics of DSMs (service branch, rank, and cause of death) and characteristics of spouse-with-children and spouse-only families (ages of dependents, time since loss, and distance from a military installation) were examined. Results: 15,938 DSMs died from a variety of causes (e.g., accidents...
Quantitative analysis of total reflection X-ray fluorescence from finely layered structures using XeRay.

Total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF) is a widely applicable experimental technique for studying chemical element distributions across finely layered structures at extremely high sensitivity. To promote and facilitate scientific discovery using TXRF, we developed a MATLAB-based software package with a graphical user interface, named XeRay, for quick, accurate, and intuitive data analysis. XeRay lets the user model any layered system, each layer with its independent chemical composition and thickness, and enables fine-tuned data fitting. The accuracy of XeRay has been tested in the analysis of TXRF data from both air/liquid interface and liquid/liquid interfacial studies and has been compared to literature results. In an air/liquid interface study, Ca2+ sequestration was measured at a Langmuir monolayer of 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidic acid (SOPA) on a buffer solution of 1 mM CaCl2 at pH 7.5. Data analysis with XeRay reveals that each 1 nm2 of interfacial area contains 2.38 ± 0.06 Ca2+...
Generous heathens? Reputational concerns and atheists' behavior toward Christians in economic games

Abstract Ample research demonstrates that people are more prosocial toward ingroup than outgroup members, and that religious believers (e.g., Christians) tend to be more prosocial than non-believers (e.g., atheists), in economic games. However, we identify a condition under which ingroup biases in such games are attenuated, focusing on prosociality among atheists. Specifically, we argue that atheists (but not Christians) experience unique reputational concerns due to stereotypes that their group is immoral, which in turn affect their behavior toward outgroup partners. Across three studies, when participants in a Dictator Game believed their religious identity was known to their partner, atheists behaved impartially toward ingroup and outgroup partners, whereas Christians consistently demonstrated an ingroup bias. The effects of religious identity on allocations to the outgroup were partially mediated by concerns about being perceived negatively by others and were eliminated by telling participants that their religious identity would be kept anonymous.
The Pros and Cons of Mendelian Randomization Studies to Evaluate Emerging Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Mendelian randomization (MR) is a technique that uses natural genetic variation to assess the potential causal role of a modifiable risk factor on cardiovascular disease. Advances have led to the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms linked with risk factors that act as naturally randomized instruments to investigate the risk factor-disease relationship. There are several pros and cons when using MR. It can address many limitations of observational study design including confounding, reverse causation, and demonstration of causality when a randomized controlled trial is not practical or feasible. However, several limitations do exist and include pleiotropy (multiple downstream effects of a single genetic variant), linkage disequilibrium (non-random association of genetic variation), and imprecise estimates of causal effects. MR is an important tool in cardiovascular research and has been applied to assess cardiovascular risk factors including obesity and atrial fibrillation. While these studies provide insight into disease causation, understanding the strengths and limitations of the technique is important for appropriate interpretation of results.
Governance and Incentives: Is It Really All about the Money?

Governance theories impact how corporations are run, which in turn impacts societal well-being. This dynamic is commonly accepted, as evidenced by the flood of articles exploring the links between corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (e.g., Hong et al. in J Bus Ethics 136:199–213, 2016). This article supplements current corporate governance theories with Catholic social thought (CST) to address burgeoning societal issues such as the increasing trust gap, income inequality (the compensation gap), and an overemphasis on financial compensation as the primary way to motivate senior managers. The authors propose a shift away from agency theory and stakeholder theory, both of which, with their limited depictions of the motivations of managers, have contributed to excessive executive compensation. Instead, the authors develop an alternative—justice stewardship theory—which integrates organizational justice theory, the principles of stewardship theory, and the insights of 150 years of CST.
APPLICATIONS OF FRACTAL AND CHAOS THEORY IN THE FIELD OF MULTIPHASE FLOW & HEAT TRANSFER

Abstract The elements of fractals, static & dynamic bifurcations, and chaos theory are presented and discussed. Engineering examples for the application of these analytical techniques are given for density-wave instabilities in a single-phase thermosyphon and a two-phase boiling channel.
Knowledge as a Contingency Factor in Virtual Organizations

Organizational research shows how mismatches between organizational design characteristics and contingency factors lead to lower performance. This research explores knowledge as a structural contingency factor in virtual organizations. Employing a computational organization model to generate theory driven experiments, the performance effects of different types of knowledge (i.e., tacit and explicit) interacting with organizational coordination mechanisms (e.g., direct supervision and mutual adjustment) in complex environments where multiple organizations rapidly develop reciprocal interdependencies is explored. Should managers understand how performance is affected by the interaction of knowledge types available and various coordination mechanisms? This research shows that a mutual adjustment coordination mechanism is most fit when teams are made up of people with a high level of tacit knowledge. There are interesting interaction effects across the different performance variables; hence, managers in virtual organizations faced with reciprocal interdependencies should apprise themselves of the knowledge types associated with interacting boundary spanning teams.
Religiosity, Sociology of

Religiosity is a general term that is used in the scientific study of religion to refer to the beliefs and behaviors of individuals that address ultimate or transcendent concerns. For 50 years or more, the social and behavioral sciences have conceived multiple dimensions of religiosity, theorized several types of religious orientations, and documented a range of religious experiences—all while investigating their empirical underpinnings. In addition, more recent research has explored the symbolic and meaning-enhancing functions of religious commitment, as well as the quasireligious organization and operation of national sentiment. An emerging style of faith premised on individual meanings and personal choices raises further challenges for those who would study religiosity in the twenty-first century.
Nitrogen Enriched Combustion of a Natural Gas Engine to Reduce NOx Emissions

Nitrogen enrichment of intake air is proposed as an alternative to Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). Experimental results of nitrogen enriched combustion of a Kohler M12 engine (converted to operate with natural gas) are presented in this paper. A 70% reduction in NOx emissions was observed at full load (4 kW) and ignition timing (IT) equal to −20 ATDC with 2.1% NO2 enrichment (40 slpm). However, NOx reduction was minimal at lower loads. The effect of spark or ignition timing along with nitrogen enrichment is also reported for full load. It is recognized that advancing the ignition timing from conventional values has more advantages than retarding the same. A 68% reduction in NOx and a 0.8% drop in Fuel Conversion Efficiency (FCE) were observed at −30 ATDC ignition timing. However, the maximum ignition timing advance with stable engine operation was limited to −40 ATDC. Some of the drawbacks encountered were engine misfire at higher concentrations of nitrogen-rich air and retarded spark timing resulting in poor FCE.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Explicit synchronous partitioned algorithms for interface problems based on Lagrange multipliers

Abstract Traditional explicit partitioned schemes exchange boundary conditions between subdomains and can be related to iterative solution methods for the coupled problem. As a result, these schemes may require multiple subdomain solves, acceleration techniques, or optimized transmission conditions to achieve sufficient accuracy and/or stability. We present a new synchronous partitioned method derived from a well-posed mixed finite element formulation of the coupled problem. We transform the resulting Differential Algebraic Equation (DAE) to a Hessenberg index-1 form in which the algebraic equation defines the Lagrange multiplier as an implicit function of the states. Using this fact we eliminate the multiplier and reduce the DAE to a system of explicit ODEs for the states. Explicit time integration both discretizes this system in time and decouples its equations. As a result, the temporal accuracy and stability of our formulation are governed solely by the accuracy and stability of the explicit scheme employed and are not subject to additional stability considerations as in traditional partitioned schemes. We establish sufficient conditions for the formulation to be well-posed and prove that classical mortar finite elements on the interface are a stable choice for the Lagrange multiplier. We show that in this case the condition number of the Schur complement involved in the elimination of the multiplier is bounded by a constant. The paper concludes with numerical examples illustrating the approach for two different interface problems.
Support Receipt: Effect on Postsecondary Success of Students with Learning Disabilities.

In contrast to the increase in college enrollment rates of youth with learning disabilities (LD), graduation rates have remained stagnant and low. Using propensity methods, this study examined the ...
Shifting the sacred: Rob Bell and the postconservative evangelical turn:

For sociologist Emile Durkheim, the “sacred” constitutes all those things “set apart and forbidden.” Within Evangelical Christianity, and to a lesser degree Protestantism in general, the sacred has...
Abstract 278: Dual Modulation of Microscale Tissue Engineering and Energy Metabolism for Maturation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Background: Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) represent a viable cell source for clinical application and other purposes, such as disease modeling and drug discovery for...
Deep learning based CT thermometry for thermal tumor ablation

Tomographically measuring the temperature distribution inside a human body has important and immediate clinical applications - including thermal ablative and hyperthermic treatment of cancers, and will enable novel solutions such as opening the blood-brain barrier for therapeutics and robotic surgery in the future. A high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) device can heat tumor tissues to 50-90 °C locally within seconds. Thus, accurate, real-time control of the thermal dose is critical to eliminate tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. This study investigates the feasibility of using deep learning to improve the accuracy of low-dose CT (LDCT) thermometry. CT thermometry relies on thermal expansion coefficients, which is prone to inter-patient variability, and is also affected by image noise and artifacts. To demonstrate that deep neural networks can compensate for these factors, 1,000 computer-generated CT phantoms with simulated heating spots were used in training both a “divide and conquer” and “end to end” approach. In the first strategy, the first encoder-decoder network corrected for beam hardening and Poisson noise in the image domain, while a second fine-tuned differences between predicted and ground truth heat maps. The second strategy is identical to the first, except only a single convolutional autoencoder was used as the CT images were not pre-cleaned. Ultimately, the two-part divide and conquer network increased thermal accuracy substantially, demonstrating exciting future potential for the use of deep learning in this field.
Ecological perspectives on implementing multilingual pedagogies in adult foreign language classrooms – a comparative case study

Multilingual pedagogies draw on learners’ prior language knowledge and can offer considerable advantages in learning the target language. Yet language instruction, particularly in foreign language ...
Three Kinds of Competitive Excellence

I call the trait that makes for a good or great competitor, the trait that makes its possessor compete well, ‘competitive excellence’. We seem to be of two minds about this trait: on the one hand, ...
Chemistry of Band Structure Engineering

The band structures of transparent conductors are explored using simple chemistry based concepts. Both n-type and p-type materials are explored with emphasis on oxides. Consideration is given to s, p, and d bands.
Ethnic variation of oral microbiota in children

Despite widely used preventive measures such as sealant programs to control caries prevalence, disparities are seen among ethnic groups. Supragingival plaque harbors hundreds of bacterial species, playing a significant role in oral health and disease. It is unknown whether the ethnic variation influences the supragingival microbiota in children. In our study, variations in microbiota of the supragingival plaque was investigated from 96 children between 6 and 11 years old in four ethnic groups (African American, Burmese, Caucasian, and Hispanic) from the same geographic location by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We found that the microbial alpha and beta diversity of supragingival microbiota significantly differed between ethnic groups. The supragingival plaque microbiota had the most complex microbial community in Burmese children. Within-group microbiota similarity in Burmese or Caucasian children was significantly higher than between-groups similarity. We identified seven ethnic group-specific bacterial taxa after adjusting for dental plaque index, decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) and the frequency of brushing. Children with high plaque index and high DMFT values were more similar to each other in the overall microbial community, compared to low plaque index or low DMFT groups in which inter-subject variation is high. Several bacterial taxa associated with high plaque index or high DMFT were ethnic group-specific. These results demonstrated that supragingival microbiota differed among ethnicity groups in children.
Clinical Development of Gene Therapies: The First Three Decades and Counting.

In the past three decades the field of gene therapy has made remarkable progress, surging from mere laboratory experiments to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved products that bring significant reduction in disease burden to patients who previously had no therapeutic options for their serious conditions. Herein, we review the evolution of the gene therapy clinical research landscape and describe the gene therapy product development programs evaluated by the FDA in Investigational New Drug applications received in 1988–2019. We also discuss the clinical development programs of the first six oncolytic and gene therapy products approved in the United States.
Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls: The Intrepid, Pioneering, White Water Paddler's Right to Stop on Private Land

Exciting rapids and waterfalls are white water paddlers’ natural playground. Challenging rapids and waterfalls attract white water paddlers, equipped to run steep rivers, creeks, and streams that many people believe no one can safely navigate. Skilled paddlers with swift water rescue training and modern boat design make the impossible possible for today’s white water paddler. Today, whitewater paddling adventures take paddlers to remote, private places where landowners rarely saw paddlers before. In response to increased and unexpected paddling activity, some angry land owners along rivers, creeks, and streams have sued paddlers for trespass. They have also taken the law in their own hands, shooting at paddlers and stringing barbed wire across creeks and streams to stop paddlers from navigating downstream. But the United States Supreme Court and most state courts agree that most of America’s waters are navigable, and they are navigable for recreational users including paddlers. In the United States, paddlers may legally float most surface waters. Paddlers’ rights on land, however, are more questionable and more difficult for private landowners to understand. The article attempts to balance paddlers’ rights and private landowners’ rights by suggesting that paddlers’ space for non-safety related, incidental activities, should remain very close to the water. But the inherent nature of white water paddling requires more when rescues and safe paddling are at issue. Paddlers necessarily get out of their kayaks or canoes to safely scout waterfalls or rapids, portage waterfalls or rapids, swim to safety, or rescue fellow paddlers from land. In everyday situations on white water, there are significant risks to life that result if trespass laws purport to preclude paddlers from taking necessary safety precautions on private lands.
Chronic food restriction enhances dopamine-mediated intracranial self-stimulation

Dopamine-mediated reinforcement and behavioral adaptation is essential to survival. Here, we test the effects of food restriction on dopamine-mediated learning and reinforcement using optical intracranial self-stimulation (oICSS), an optogenetic version of conventional electrical ICSS (also known as brain stimulation reward, BSR). Using mouse genetic lines to express channelrhodopsin selectively in midbrain dopamine neurons, we demonstrate that genetically expressed channelrhodopsin can mediate optically evoked dopamine release and support self-stimulation in a lever-pressing paradigm. Using this midbrain dopamine oICSS preparation, we compare acquisition and rate of pressing in ad libitum versus food restricted mice. Food restriction facilitated both more rapid acquisition of self-stimulation behavior and higher rates of responding; reversing food status after acquisition modulated response vigor in already established behavior. These data suggest that food restriction enhances both the acquisition and expression of dopamine-reinforced self-stimulation responding. These data demonstrate the utility of oICSS for examining changes in reinforcement learning concomitant to neuroadaptations induced in dopamine signaling by experimental manipulations such as food restriction.
Enhanced biological motion perception in deaf native signers.

Abstract We conducted two studies to test how deaf signed language users perceive biological motions. We created 18 Biological Motion point-light displays (PLDs) depicting everyday human actions, and 18 Scrambled control PLDs. First, we conducted an online behavioral rating survey, in which deaf and hearing raters identified the biological motion PLDs and rated how easy it was for them to identify the actions. Then, we conducted an EEG study in which Deaf Signers and Hearing Non-Signers watched both the Biological Motion PLDs and the Scrambled PLDs, and we computed the time-frequency responses within the theta, alpha, and beta EEG rhythms. From the behavioral rating task, we show that the deaf raters reported significantly less effort required for identifying the Biological motion PLDs, across all stimuli. The EEG results showed that the Deaf Signers showed theta, mu, and beta differentiation between Scrambled and Biological PLDs earlier and more consistently than Hearing Non-Signers. We conclude that native ASL users exhibit experience-dependent neuroplasticity in the domain of biological human motion perception.
Oxidative respiration through the bd-I and cbb3 oxidases is required for Vibrio cholerae pathogenicity and proliferation in vivo

Vibrio cholerae respires both aerobically and anaerobically and, while oxygen may be available to it during infection, other terminal electron acceptors are proposed for population expansion during infection. Unlike gastrointestinal pathogens that stimulate significant inflammation leading to elevated levels of oxygen or alternative terminal electron acceptors, V. cholerae infections are not understood to induce a notable inflammatory response. To ascertain the respiration requirements of V. cholerae during infection, we used Multiplex Genome Editing by Natural Transformation (MuGENT) to create V. cholerae strains lacking aerobic or anaerobic respiration. V. cholerae strains lacking aerobic respiration were attenuated in infant mice 10 5 -fold relative to wild type, while strains lacking anaerobic respiration had no colonization defect, contrary to earlier work suggesting a role for anaerobic respiration during infection. Using several approaches, including one we developed for this work termed Comparative Multiplex PCR Amplicon Sequencing (CoMPAS), we determined that the bd-I and cbb3 oxidases are essential for small intestinal colonization of V. cholerae in the infant mouse. The bd-I oxidase was also determined as the primary oxidase during growth outside the host, making V. cholerae the only example of a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen in which a bd-type oxidase is the primary oxidase for energy acquisition inside and outside of a host.
The Art of Caesar's Bellum Civile: Literature, Ideology, and Community

Introduction. Between ancient and modern approaches: admirers and detractors of Caesar 1. The swift and the slow: Caesar's art of characterization 2. The great contest: constantia, innocentia, pudor, and virtus 3. Redefining loyalty 4. The limits and risks of Caesar's leniency 5. The barbarization of the enemy 6. Two army-communities and their effect on the Roman people 7. Shaping the future of Rome: the architecture of the Bellum Civile Appendix 1. Chronology of the Civil War (pre-Julian calendar) and narrative structure of the Bellum Civile Appendix 2. Composition, publication and genre of the Bellum Civile Appendix 3. The manuscript tradition of the Bellum Civile. Opening, end and book division.
Impact of the Missouri Middle Mathematics Project on the Preparation of Prospective Middle School Teachers.

The goal of the project was to improve the teaching and learning of middle school mathematics through collaborative Standards-based mathematics curriculum investigations. The project not only contributed to the improvement of teaching mathematics in the participants’ classrooms, but it also significantly affected the program for prospective middle school mathematics teachers at the University of Missouri-Columbia. This teacher education program is described in this article. An essential ingredient in the successful transition to Standards-based practice at the middle school level is the development of teacher education programs that reflect the fundamental principles of the NCTM Standards (1989). In particular, the mathematical preparation of prospective middle grade teachers, which traditionally had been integrated into the programs for elementary teachers, needs careful consideration. The Mathematical Association of America, in A Call for Change (MAA, 1991), outlined recommendations for the mathematical preparation of middle grade teachers. These recommendations differ significantly from recommendations for the preparation of elementary teachers and provide guidance to those developing new programs for middle grade mathematics teachers. Currently, as in the case of the M 3 Project, much attention is being focused on the improvement of the knowledge and instructional skills of inservice teachers. This is important in order to stimulate immediate and substantive change. However, it is imperative that preservice education be simultaneously improved, so that new teachers entering the field are knowledgeable and can collaborate with their more experienced colleagues in transforming the classrooms in which middle grade students study mathematics. In response to this urgency, college and university faculty throughout the nation are examining and restructuring their teacher preparation courses and programs. These academic activities have created
Dilute Acid Hydrolysis of Softwoods

Whole tree chips obtained from softwood forest thinnings were converted to ethanol via a two-stage dilute acid hydrolysis followed by yeast fermentation. The chips were first impregnated with dilute sulfuric acid, then pretreated in a steam explosion reactor to hydrolyze, more than 90% of the hemicellulose and approx 10% of the cellulose. The hydrolysate was filtered and washed with water to recover the sugars. The washed fibers were then subjected to a second acid im pregnation and hydrolysis to hydrolyze as much as 45% of the reamining cellulose. The liquors from both hydrolysates were combined and fermented to ethanol by a Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast that had been adapted to the inhibitors. Based on available hexose sugars, ethanol yields varied from 74 to 89% of theoretical. Oligosaccharide contents higher than about 10% of the total available sugar appear to have a negative impact on ethanol yield.
From Hierarchy to Unity between Men and Women Managers

As the workforce evolves in the twenty‐first century, more women are entering higher‐level management positions. The traditional hierarchical structure associated with male‐dominated management ranks is inadequate to accommodate properly this trend. Looks at alternative management structure theories which support the view of a genderless management structure. Recommends that managers should begin to adopt an androgynous style which will not only foster a blend of so‐called masculine and feminine behaviours, but also lead to better managers.
Case Report: Waardenburg Syndrome

ABSTRACT Purpose: A case of Waardenburg syndrome type 1 is described and relevant literature is reviewed to raise awareness about this rare syndrome, including the classification of each subtype and the differentiating clinical manifestations. Case Report: A 44-year-old African-American female presented for a routine evaluation with hearing loss, dystopia canthorum (W index = 2.74), and almost complete gray hair. In addition, she presented with heterochromia irides, different fundus pigmentation between eyes. The patient did not have any upper limbs defect, cranial skeletal abnormalities, or intestinal disorders. Conclusion: Facial abnormalities and a white forelock are prominent features difficult to overlook during a routine ophthalmological examination. A careful medical history in patients with suspected Waardenburg syndrome is important to accurately classify this rare condition and to identify potential systemic implications associated to each subtype. The associated systemic complications can be ad...
Toxicity of Low and Moderate Multiplicities of Chlamydia psittaci for Mouse Fibroblasts (L Cells)

When mouse fibroblasts (L cells) were infected in suspension or in monolayer with 10 to 100 50% infectious doses (ID(50)) of Chlamydia psittaci (6BC) per host cell, they showed signs of damage 24 to 48 h later. Host-cell injuries were termed multiplication dependent when both the ingestion and subsequent reproduction of C. psittaci were required; when only ingestion but not replication was needed, the injuries were considered to be multiplication independent. The time that the injury was first apparent, as well as its final magnitude, was proportional to the multiplicity of infection. When L cells ingested infectious or ultraviolet-inactivated C. psittaci, damage was manifested by failure to exclude trypan blue, by leakage of lactic dehydrogenase, by inhibition of reproduction as measured by ability to form colonies, by inhibition of protein and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, and eventually by cell disintegration. Infectious, but not ultraviolet-killed, chlamydiae stimulated host-cell glycolysis. Heat-killed chlamydiae were without measurable toxicity. The time of appearance of host-cell injury was always earlier, and its terminal magnitude always greater, with infectious inocula than with ultraviolet-inactivated ones. The multiplication-independent toxicity of ultraviolet-killed C. psittaci disappeared with inocula of less than 10 ID(50) per L cell, but an inoculum of only a single ID(50) of infectious chlamydiae per host cell injured most of the cells it infected, as evidenced by increased trypan blue staining and decreased efficiency of colony formation. The toxicity of multiplicities of infection between 10 and 100 ID(50) of infectious C. psittaci per host cell was the sum of both multiplication-dependent and -independent components. The effects of chloramphenicol and isoleucine deficiency on the ability of C. psittaci to injure L cells suggested that some synthesis of protein by both parasite and host may be essential for expression of multiplication-independent chlamydial toxicity. The failure of infectious chlamydiae to stimulate host-cell glycolysis in the presence of cycloheximide suggested that this multiplication-dependent consequence of chlamydial infection was also dependent on protein synthesis by the host.
Development in genetic mosaics of aristapedia, a homoeotic mutant of Drosophila melanogaster.

Development of the homoeotic mutation, aristapedia (ssa), was investigated by means of genetic mosaics. The wild-type alleles of aristapedia and the bristle markers yellow, singed, and forked were removed from cells at different times in development by X-ray induced somatic crossing-over. The phenotype of the resulting clones was examined in order to ascertain whether it was leg or antenna. The y sn f; ssa clones showed a leg phenotype if induced before the mid-third instar, but showed an antennal phenotype if induced after this time. Late non-expression of ssa may be due either to an influence of surrounding ss+ tissues on the small ssa clones, or to a persistence of the effect of ss+ for one or two cell generations after it is removed from a cell line.
A fast method for identifying graphical objects in large engineering drawings

Document processing and understanding is important for a variety of applications such as office automation, creation of electronic manuals, online documentation and annotation etc. However the understanding and identifying of graphical objects in large engineering drawings which often can be of the order of 10000/spl times/10000 pixels using traditional methods can be a very challenging and time consuming task due to the sheer size. We describe a method that circumvents that by using a hierarchical top-down approach for recognizing graphical objects. The speedup is almost of the order of 1000 and this is achieved by following a strategy that exploits the characteristics of such diagrams such as low pixel density.
Genetic induction of phosphate toxicity significantly reduces the survival of hypercholesterolemic obese mice

Abstract Objective The adverse effects of metabolic disorders in obesity have been extensively studied; however, the pathologic effects of hyperphosphatemia or phosphate toxicity in obesity have not been studied in similar depth and detail, chiefly because such an association is thought to be uncommon. Studies have established that the incidence of obesity-associated nephropathy is increasing. Because hyperphosphatemia is a major consequence of renal impairment, this study determines the in vivo effects of hyperphosphatemia in obesity. Methods and results We genetically induced hyperphosphatemia in leptin-deficient obese (ob/ob) mice by generating ob/ob and klotho double knockout [ob/ob-klotho−/−] mice. As a control, we made ob/ob mice with hypophosphatemia by generating ob/ob and 1-alpha hydroxylase double knockout [ob/ob-1α(OH)ase−/−] mice. Compared to the wild-type mice, all three obese background mice, namely ob/ob, ob/ob-klotho−/−, and ob/ob-1α(OH)ase−/− mice developed hypercholesterolemia. In addition, the hyperphosphatemic, ob/ob-klotho−/− genetic background induced generalized tissue atrophy and widespread soft-tissue and vascular calcifications, which led to a shorter lifespan; no such changes were observed in the hypophosphatemic, ob/ob-1α(OH)ase−/− mice. Significantly, in contrast to the reduced survival of the ob/ob-klotho−/− mice, lowering serum phosphate levels in ob/ob-1α(OH)ase−/− mice showed no such compromised survival, despite both mice being hypercholesterolemic. Conclusion These genetic manipulation studies suggest phosphate toxicity is an important risk factor in obesity that can adversely affect survival.
Computational lithography platform for 193i-guided directed self-assembly

We continue to study the feasibility of using Directed Self Assembly (DSA) in extending optical lithography for High Volume Manufacturing (HVM). We built test masks based on the mask datatprep flow we proposed in our prior year’s publication [1]. Experimental data on circuit-relevant fin and via patterns based on 193nm graphoepitaxial DSA are demonstrated on 300mm wafers. With this computational lithography (CL) flow we further investigate the basic requirements for full-field capable DSA lithography. The first issue is on DSA-specific defects which can be either random defects due to material properties or the systematic DSA defects that are mainly induced by the variations of the guiding patterns (GP) in 3 dimensions. We focus in studying the latter one. The second issue is the availability of fast DSA models to meet the full-chip capability requirements in different CL component’s need. We further developed different model formulations that constitute the whole spectrum of models in the DSA CL flow. In addition to the Molecular Dynamic/Monte Carlo (MD/MC) model and the compact models we discussed before [2], we implement a 2D phenomenological phase field model by solving the Cahn-Hilliard type of equation that provide a model that is more predictive than compact model but much faster then the physics-based MC model. However simplifying the model might lose the accuracy in prediction especially in the z direction so a critical question emerged: Can a 2D model be useful fro full field? Using 2D and 3D simulations on a few typical constructs we illustrate that a combination of 2D mode with pre-characterized 3D litho metrics might be able to approximate the prediction of 3D models to satisfy the full chip runtime requirement. Finally we conclude with the special attentions we have to pay in the implementation of 193nm based lithography process using DSA.
Thinking of a word under different retrieval constraints

Subjects were given, as stimuli, either letters or bigrams and asked to think of a word beginning with those stimuli. Words emitted were to be 3, 4, or 5 letters in length. Each of the six groups contained 100 Ss. Subjects were given 60 sec per stimulus to produce a word. Response measures were the number of words emitted, latency of response, and language frequency of emitted words. It was found that responses were fewer, latencies were longer, and word frequencies were lower for bigram than for letter stimuli, and for longer vs. shorter word lengths. It was pointed out that the effective pool of acceptable words is smaller for bigram than for letter stimuli and is probably smaller for longer than for shorter words. The findings with all response measures were interpreted leager terms of a greater difficulty in thinking of words as pool size is reduced.
The health care system of Kuwait: the social paradoxes.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the major paradoxes of the health care system of the rich and developing Sheikhdom of Kuwait. With the recent economic affluence that is experienced in the new rich countries of the world, the question is raised “How does such economic affluence affect health care?” Kuwait is a land of paradoxes. It is where the symbols of wealth, modernization and urbanization, conflict with the social behaviors that are the result of a still lingering desert life style. A newcomer to the country is dazzled by such symbols and thoroughly confused by actions that are incongruent with the symbols. Therefore, to understand the health care system of the country, an analysis of pertinent social and demographic properties of the country will be considered in conjunction with the major dimensions of health care system in Kuwait. The interaction between and among the social demographic properties of the country and the health care dimensions has created several major paradoxes that profoundly affect the health care in Kuwait. While citizens of Kuwait have developed individual strategies to deal with such paradoxes, it is only through collective awareness of such paradoxes that an organized governmental effort could be developed to deal with the paradoxes.
The synthesis and cyclic voltammetry of select ferrocene piano-stool isocyanide complexes

Abstract Ferrocene piano-stool isocyanide complexes ([CpFeL 3 ] + , Cp = η 5 -C 5 H 5 , L = tert-butyl isocyanide ( 1 ), cyclohexyl isocyanide ( 2 ), and 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide ( 3 )) are formed by chemical oxidation of ferrocene in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of isocyanide ligand (1:3). The complexes are characterized by elemental analysis, routine spectroscopic methods (IR, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and UV–Vis), and cyclic voltammetry.
The melting behavior of small clusters of atoms

Abstract The melting transition of small clusters composed of 13 particles interacting via the Lennard-Jones 6-12 potential has been investigated by means of extensive Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations. The results indicate that whereas the cluster evaporates in vacuum, in a confined pore the cluster undergoes a smooth melting transition from an icosahedral microcrystal to an inhomogeneous liquid phase, with a specific heat peak centered at 39 K. No evidence was found to support the suggestion of a solid-liquid transition in vacuum at 29 K.
Challenges Facing Institutions of Higher Education Preparing Inclusive Educators.

Our schools will need to hire more than two million teachers in the next decade for classrooms that already face shortages of qualified teachers, particularly in high-poverty communities. Many districts hire teachers on substandard licenses. New teachers often enter classrooms underprepared for the challenges they will face and are given insufficient support in their first years. For teachers in the classrooms, opportunities to strengthen their skills and knowledge remain largely disjointed, unfocused, and unconnected to classroom practice. (Riley, 2000, p. iii).
Subsampling Reduces Sorting Effort for Waterfowl Foods in Salt-Marsh Core Samples

Abstract Waterfowl researchers often use soil core samples to estimate food availability in foraging habitats, and these estimates are needed for bioenergetic models of carrying capacity. However, core sampling is frequently a time- and resource-intensive process, and some researchers have suggested that subsampling may be a valuable way to reduce processing time. We evaluated whether 10% and 25% by mass subsampling are appropriate techniques for reducing core-sorting effort while maintaining precision for samples taken in six separate habitat types along the Delaware bayshore. We found no significant difference between biomass found in 100% sorted cores and estimated biomass obtained by 10% and 25% subsampling. We found that 10% subsampling offered the greatest time savings, reducing mean sorting times by 77% (from 13.7 hours to 3.3 hours) from 100% sorted cores. We recommend that researchers consider subsampling to reduce core-sorting effort and cost, particularly when processing large numbers of cores.
Simultaneous occurrence of dermoid and heterotopic intestinal cysts in the floor of the mouth of a newborn

Congenital cysts of the floor of the mouth are rare. The simultaneous appearance in a newborn of two different types of epithelial-lined cysts is reported. It is the first such case to be reported in the literature.
Serum phosphorus levels predict clinical outcome in fulminant hepatic failure

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the incidence of hypophosphatemia and its association with clinical outcome in fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). Patients with FHF referred for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) between January, 1991 and May, 2002 were identified. FHF was defined as the development of coagulopathy and encephalopathy within 8 weeks of onset of jaundice. Demographic and laboratory data, including serum phosphate, calcium, magnesium, creatinine, and PT/INR were obtained from medical records. Clinical outcomes (death, OLT, or hepatic recovery) and associated morbidities (renal failure, bleeding, and sepsis) also were noted. Thirty-eight patients, 8 men and 30 women, aged 34 +/- 4 years, were included in the study. Hypophosphatemia ( 2.5 mg/dL was a predictor of mortality, and when used alone, was equivalent to the King's College Criteria. In conclusion, hypophosphatemia occurred frequently in patients with FHF. Lower serum phosphorus levels were observed in patients who recovered as compared with those who died or required OLT, and may be associated with recovery of hepatic function. The greater decline in serum phosphorus level in those who recover hepatic function may represent cellular use of phosphorus during hepatocyte regeneration.
ERCP-directed radiofrequency ablation and photodynamic therapy are associated with comparable survival in the treatment of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma

Background Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy with a poor 5-year survival rate (5%-10%). ERCP-directed radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or photodynamic therapy (PDT) can be performed as palliative therapy for unresectable CCA. ERCP with PDT is associated with improved survival compared with stent placement alone. However, ERCP-directed RFA has not been directly compared with PDT in patients with CCA. Objective To compare overall survival in patients with unresectable CCA who underwent palliative ERCP-directed RFA versus PDT. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary-care academic medical center. Patients Forty-eight patients with unresectable CCA who underwent ERCP-directed ablative therapy for palliation of unresectable CCA. Interventions ERCP-directed RFA or PDT. Main Outcome Measurements Overall survival by Kaplan-Meier analysis after initial treatment with either RFA or PDT. Results Patients who underwent RFA (n = 16) demonstrated an overall survival similar to that of those who underwent PDT (n = 32), with a median survival of 9.6 versus 7.5 months, respectively ( P = .799). Patient age ( P = .45), sex ( P = .52), and lead time ( P = .59) from presentation to initial RFA or PDT had no significant association with survival. The presence of distant metastasis was inversely associated with survival (hazard ratio 3.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-9.77; P = .014). Patients who underwent RFA (compared with PDT) had a lower mean number of plastic stents placed per month (0.45 vs 1.10, P = .001) but also had more episodes of stent occlusion (0.06 vs 0.02, P = .008) and cholangitis (0.13 vs 0.05, P = .008) per month. Limitations Retrospective, single-center design. Conclusions Survival after ERCP-directed RFA and PDT was not statistically different in patients with unresectable CCA. A randomized, controlled trial is warranted to validate these preliminary results.
Nuclear data sheets for A = 132

Abstract All information concerning nuclei with A = 132 received prior to January 1975 has been evaluated and compiled. This report supersedes the 1961 version of Nuclear Data Sheets for A = 132 .
Introducing personal genomics to college athletes: potentials and pitfalls.

As Professor Callier (2012) observes, a growing number of college students are exposed to personal genomics through their academic institutions. And, as noted specifically in her article, in some i...
Preoperative thrombus volume predicts sac regression after endovascular aneurysm repair.

Purpose:To examine whether preoperative aneurysm thrombus volume correlated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sac regression following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).Methods:Clinical record...
A Multi-Objective Sliding Mode Approach for the Energy Saving Control of Pneumatic Servo Systems

This paper proposes a variation on a sliding mode control approach that provides significant energy savings for the control of pneumatic servo systems. The control methodology is formulated by first decoupling the standard four-way spool valve used for pneumatic servo control into two three-way valves, then using the resulting two control degrees of freedom to simultaneously satisfy both the sliding mode sliding condition and a dynamic constraint that minimizes airflow. The control formulation is presented, followed by experimental results that indicate significant energetic savings with essentially no compromise in tracking performance relative to a standard four-way spool valve approach. Specifically, relative to standard four-way spool valve pneumatic servo actuator control, the experimental results indicate energy saving of 27 to 45%, depending on the desired tracking frequency.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Predicting interactions of winged-helix transcription factors with DNA.

Determining protein–DNA interactions is important for understanding gene regulation, DNA repair and chromatin structure. Unfortunately, the structures of DNA-bound complexes are often difficult to obtain experimentally, so the development of computational methods that provide good models of these complexes would be valuable. Here, we present a rigid-body docking approach using the computer program DOT. DOT performs a complete, six-dimensional search of all orientations for two rigid molecules and calculates the interaction energy as the sum of electrostatic and van der Waals terms. DOT was applied to three winged-helix transcription factors that share similar DNA-binding structural motifs but bind DNA in different ways. Docking with linear B-form DNA models accomplished several objectives; it (1) distinguished the different ways the transcription factors bind DNA, (2) identified each protein's DNA-binding site and the DNA orientation at the site and (3) gave at least one solution among the three best-ranked that shows the protein side chain–DNA base interactions responsible for recognition. Furthermore, the ensemble of top-ranked, docked linear B-DNA fragments indicated the DNA bending induced upon protein binding. Docking linear B-DNA to structures of the transcription factor FadR suggests that the allosteric, conformational change induced upon effector binding results in loss of the ability to bend DNA as well as loss of sequence-specific interactions with DNA. The electrostatic energy term calculated by DOT is comparable to the electrostatic binding energy calculated by Poisson–Boltzmann methods. Our results show rigid-body docking that includes a rigorous treatment of the electrostatic interaction energy can be effective in predicting protein–DNA interactions. Proteins 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.