cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pragmatism and the Gradual Shift from Dependency to Neoliberalism: The World Bank, African Leaders and Development Policy in Africa

Abstract The long-standing disagreement between the international community and African leaders over an appropriate development strategy has been settled by the World Bank’s Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF) and African leaders’ New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Both documents support neoliberalism and see increased global integration as the key to Africa’s development. This paper traces Africa’s journey from the dependency/neoliberalism debate in the early 1980s to the current endorsement of neoliberalism. It is argued that the overwhelming global attention and support enjoyed by NEPAD derives from its embrace of Western development ideas as well as changes in the global political economy that have made reformist ideas more acceptable. NEPAD’s success will, however, depend on how African leaders and the international community respond to the initiative.
Biotechnology for the production of modified and innovative animal products: transgenic livestock bioreactors

Abstract The ability to modify mammary gland function through genetic engineering provides an opportunity to investigate mechanism of breast cancer, enhance the nutritional quality of milk and synthesize compounds designed as medicine. It is argued that mammary glands are an ideal site for producing complex bioactive proteins that can be harvested and purified in a cost effective manner. The objective of the emerging ‘gene pharming’ industry is to produce pharmaceuticals for treating human diseases. Consequently, during the past decade, approximately a dozen companies many of them new ventures, have focused their attention on capturing an estimated 3 billion USD annual market for transgenic bioreactor-produced pharmaceuticals. Several products produced in this way are currently in various phases of human clinical trials. The potential profitability of ‘gene pharming’ looks very promising.
Statistical Geolocation of Internet Hosts

Automated geolocation of IP addresses has impor- tant applications to targeted delivery of local news, advertising and other content over the Internet. Previous measurement-based approaches to geolocation employ active probing to measure delays among a set of landmark nodes with known locations. The location of a target IP address can be approximated by that of the nearest landmark, as determined by the delay measurements. To improve geolocation accuracy, a variation of this approach uses multilateration with geographic distance constraints to obtain a continuous location space rather than the discrete set of landmark locations. Since the previous approaches are fundamentally deterministic, they can only provide relatively loose bounds on the true location of an IP address. We develop a statistical geolocation scheme based on applying kernel density estimation to delay measurements among a set of landmarks. An estimate of the target location is then obtained by maximizing the likelihood of the distances from the target to the landmarks, given the measured delays. This is achieved by an algorithm which combines gradient ascent and force-directed methods. We present experimental results on PlanetLab to demonstrate the superior accuracy of the proposed geolocation scheme compared to previous methods. Index Terms—Geolocation, delay measurements, kernel den- sity estimation, maximum likelihood estimation, force-directed algorithm.
Ca2+-dependent interaction of S100A2 with muscle and nonmuscle tropomyosins

Zero-length chemical crosslinking with 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethyl amino)propyl]carbodiimide (EDC) indicated an association of the Ca2+-binding protein S100A2 with tropomyosin (TM) in vitro. The mobility of the crosslinked product on SDS-PAGE gels indicated the formation of a 1:1 complex between S100A2 and TM and the interaction was Ca2+ dependent. Monoclonal antibodies were raised against S100A2 and used to determine its cellular localization in the porcine epithelial cell line LLC PK1. It was found that the localization of S100A2 depended on the differentiation state of the cells, being absent from actin stress fibers in sparsely seeded cultures, but present in the actin-containing microvilli characteristic of differentiated cells. Immunoprecipitations of [35S]methionine-labeled extracts using S100A2 as well as TM-specific antibodies failed to co-precipitate TM and S100A2, indicating a transient association between these two molecules in solution. Affinity chromatography of cell extracts on immobilized recombinant TMs, however, confirmed the Ca2+-dependent interaction between S100A2 and both muscle TMs as well as with high and low molecular mass nonmuscle TMs, suggesting that the binding site resides in one of the conserved regions of TM. Our data demonstrate the possible interaction of S100A2 with TM that is not bound to the microfilaments and indicate a differentiation-related function for S100A2 in LLC PK1 cells. The possible functional implications of this interaction are discussed.
Is the olfactory bulb computationally similar to the retina

The computational role of the olfactory bulb remains a mystery after 60 yr of physiological research. Recently, Fantana and colleagues proposed a new model of bulb function based on sparse inhibitory connections between glomeruli, the functional units of the bulb, rather than the existing lateral inhibition model. I present a summary of their model here and its implications along with comparison to recent work in the very similar Drosophila olfactory system.
The behavioral and neural effect of emotional primes on intertemporal decisions

Research on intertemporal behavior has emphasized trait-like variance. However, recent studies have begun to explore situational factors that affect intertemporal preference. In this study, we examined the associations between emotional primes and both behavior and brain function during intertemporal decision making. Twenty-two participants completed a dual task in which they were required to make intertemporal choices while holding an expressive face in memory. From trial-to-trial, the facial expression varied between three alternatives: (i) fearful, (ii) happy and (iii) neutral. Brain activity was recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging for 16 participants. Behavioral data indicated that fearful (relative to happy) faces were associated with greater preference for larger but later rewards. During observation of fearful faces, greater signal change was observed in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. During subsequent decision making, the fear prime was associated with greater signal increase in structures including the posterior sector of the anterior cingulate cortex. Individual differences in this activity correlated with the magnitude of the priming effect on behavior. These findings suggest that incidental emotions affect intertemporal choice. Increased farsightedness after the fear prime may be explained
Analysis of indentation creep

Finite element analysis is used to simulate cone indentation creep in materials across a wide range of hardness, strain rate sensitivity, and work-hardening exponent. Modeling reveals that the commonly held assumption of the hardness strain rate sensitivity (mH) equaling the flow stress strain rate sensitivity (ms) is violated except in low hardness/modulus materials. Another commonly held assumption is that for self-similar indenters the indent area increases in proportion to the (depth)2 during creep. This assumption is also violated. Both violations are readily explained by noting that the proportionality “constants” relating (i) hardness to flow stress and (ii) area to (depth)2 are, in reality, functions of hardness/modulus ratio, which changes during creep. Experiments on silicon, fused silica, bulk metallic glass, and poly methyl methacrylate verify the breakdown of the area-(depth)2 relation, consistent with the theory. A method is provided for estimating area from depth during creep.
Levetiracetam safety profiles and tolerability in epilepsy patients

This review discusses the safety and tolerability of levetiracetam, as presented by the available literature, with attention paid to special populations. In Phase II/III trials, the adverse effects occurring more commonly in the treatment groups versus the placebo group were; somnolence (14.8 versus 8.4%), asthenia (14.7 versus 9.1%), infection (primarily common cold) (13.4 versus 7.5%), and dizziness (8.8 versus 4.1%). Adverse events usually appear within the first month after treatment initiation, are not dose-dependent, are mostly mild-to-moderate, generally resolve without medication withdrawal, and are transient when the medication is stopped. No significant changes in haematology and chemistry profiles or weight occurred. Hypersensitivity reactions were rare and no idiosyncratic event has been reported. Open-label studies have added patient data with other epileptic syndromes and from a wider patient pool, such as children and patients with prior psychiatric history. These studies have supported ini...
Onset of convection in a gravitationally unstable diffusive boundary layer in porous media

We present a linear stability analysis of density-driven miscible flow in porous media in the context of carbon dioxide sequestration in saline aquifers. Carbon dioxide dissolution into the underlying brine leads to a local density increase that results in a gravitational instability. The physical phenomenon is analogous to the thermal convective instability in a semi-infinite domain, owing to a step change in temperature at the boundary. The critical time for the onset of convection in such problems has not been determined accurately by previous studies. We present a solution, based on the dominant mode of the self-similar diffusion operator, which can accurately predict the critical time and the associated unstable wavenumber. This approach is used to explain the instability mechanisms of the critical time and the long-wave cutoff in a semi-infinite domain. The dominant mode solution, however, is valid only for a small parameter range. We extend the analysis by employing the quasi-steady-state approximation (QSSA) which provides accurate solutions in the self-similar coordinate system. For large times, both the maximum growth rate and the most dangerous mode decay as , respectively. The instability problem is also analysed in the nonlinear regime by high-accuracy direct numerical simulations. The nonlinear simulations at short times show good agreement with the linear stability predictions. At later times, macroscopic fingers display intense nonlinear interactions that significantly influence both the front propagation speed and the overall mixing rate. A dimensional analysis for typical aquifers shows that for a permeability variation of 1—3000 mD, the critical time can vary from 2000 yrs to about 10 days while the critical wavelength can be between 200 m and 0.3 m.
Reliability and Validity of Self-Concept Scores in Secondary School Students in Trinidad and Tobago.

In this study we examined the reliability and validity of global, mathematics and English self-concept scores from the Self-Description Questionnaire II (SDQ-II, Marsh, 1990b) in a random sample of 870 secondary school students in Trinidad and Tobago. The results provided strong evidence for the structural validity of the scores and yielded reliability estimates in the moderate to high range. There were no differences across gender and ethnic subgroups and a single grade level difference was found. The authors concluded that SDQ-II scores are useful for screening purposes, and in some cases individual decision making, in this population and recommended that the scores be examined for convergent and discriminant validity.
The Politics of Dependency Estimates: Social Security Board Statistics, 1935–1939

State theorists maintain that Social Security Board (SSB) bureaucrats managed the evolution of public welfare. Institutional politics theory more readily accepts the influences of political interest groups. SSB archival records offer an opportunity to contrast these models and explore the early measurement of old age dependency. In reports designed to protect the 1935 Social Security Act, SSB staff exaggerated the extent of dependency among elderly persons. By 1939, Board statistics clearly showed that children were more impoverished than aged persons. SSB leadership did not repudiate prior estimates and they accepted rising transfers to aged persons, largely because of the political power of interest groups interested in flat pensions. While bureaucrats attempted to control events, an institutional politics approach better explains both the pivotal role of other, political actors and the solidification of the myth of old age impoverishment.
Implementing a Distributed Tele-immersive System

We present our implementation and evaluation of TEEVE, a distributed 3D tele-immersive system. TEEVE is among the first to support multi-stream/multi-site 3D tele-immersive environments with commercial off-the-shelf hardware and software infrastructures. It promotes collaborative physical activities among geographically dispersed sites by immersing the 3D representations of remote participants into a joint 3D virtual space. In this paper, we describe our implementation of TEEVE and introduce the recent advances in its different system components. In particular, we present an implemented protocol for semantic-aware data dissemination to support multi-site remote collaboration. We evaluate the TEEVE system by deploying it on the Internet. The experimental results demonstrate that it achieves stable visual quality, soft real-time delay, and efficient resource usage.
Energy consumption modeling and optimization for SRAM's

The recent trends in portable computing technologies have established the need for energy efficient design strategies. To achieve minimum energy design goals, system designers need a technique to accurately model the energy consumption of their design alternatives without performing a full physical design and full-circuit simulation. This paper presents and compares five approaches for modeling the energy consumption of CMOS circuits. These five modeling approaches have been chosen to represent the various levels of model complexity and accuracy found in the current literature. These modeling approaches are applied to the energy consumption of SRAM's to provide examples of their use and to allow for the comparison of their modeling qualities. It was found that a mixed characterization model-using a CV/sup 2/ prediction for digital subsections and fitted simulation results for the analog subsections-is satisfactory (within /spl plusmn/1 process variation) for predicting the absolute energy consumed per cycle. This same model is also very good (within 2%) for predicting an optimum organization for the internal structures of the SRAM. Several common architectures and circuit designs for SRAM's are analyzed with these models. This analysis shows that global, rather than local improvements, produce the largest energy savings. >
WORK-FAMILY POLICIES: Corporate, Union, Feminist, and Pro-Family Leaders' Views

American leaders (N = 261) in four realms were studied to assess their views on the helpfulness to workers with family obligations of employers' policies and services. The realms were corporate management, labor unions, the pro-family movement, and the feminist movement. The data were analyzed by leadership realm and gender in relation to policies of two types: (1) scheduling and work arrangements (such as flextime, four-day weeks) and (2) services and benefits (such as child care at work and extended maternity leave). Gender accounted for the respondents' views better than class (management, labor) or social movement (pro-family, feminist) did. Except for feminist men, the men held similar views regardless of leadership realm. The pro-family women differed from the other women (and pro-family men) in failing to view most services and benefits as particularly helpful to employees. Union and corporate women's favorable views on services and benefits suggest that fundamental change in workplace supports for...
Typing Errors as Clues to Serial Ordering Mechanisms in Language Behaviour

623 typing errors produced by 5 subjects in a free typing situation were classified into two main categories : (a) spatial errors, in which a letter adjacent on the keyboard to the correct letter was typed, and (b) temporal errors, or errors in the order in which the required letters were typed. Spatial errors were mostly associated with the left hand and keyboard difficulty, while temporal errors mostly arose from language structure variables. Results were incompatible with “one stage” or “chaining” theories of serial ordering. They suggested a hierarchical or “three stage” output mechanism consisting of (a) a “determining tendency”, (b) a programming mechanism, reflected by temporal errors, and (c) a relatively separate executive mechanism, reflected by spatial errors. Some characteristics of the programming mechanism are discussed.
Influence of mesostriatal afferents on the development and transmitter regulation of intrastriatal grafts derived from embryonic striatal primordia

Embryonic striatal grafts develop a modular organization in which patches of tissue enriched in many transmitter substances characteristic of striatum (P regions) are embedded in surrounds (NP regions) expressing only low levels of these substances. Catecholaminergic fibers from the host brain, identified by their expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), grow into such grafts and selectively terminate in the striatum-like P regions. This terminal pattern suggests that cell-cell affinities between neurons of the substantia nigra and striatum may play a role either in the aggregation of the striatal cells into P regions, or in the targeting of the TH- positive fibers to the cell clusters. In the present study, we tested the first of these possibilities. Striatal grafts derived from embryonic day 15 striatal primordia were implanted into the ibotenate- damaged host striatum of rats previously treated with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to destroy TH-containing dopaminergic nigrostriatal afferents. The 6-OHDA lesions that eliminated nearly all TH-like immunostaining in the host striatum also resulted in disappearance of nearly all TH- positive fibers in the grafts. In this dopamine-depleted environment, the grafts nevertheless developed a clear modular organization. They contained striatum-like patches with neurons expressing many of the neurochemicals characteristic of striatum (ACh, ChAT, calbindin-D28KD, met-enkephalin, and dopamine- and adenosine 3′:5′-monophosphate- regulated phosphoprotein-32,000 or DARPP-32), and these patches were surrounded by graft tissue expressing few of these striatal markers. These observations suggest that the ingrowth of TH-positive fibers from the host is not obligatory for the sorting out of striatal from nonstriatal cells during the formation of P regions in embryonic striatal grafts. Despite the fact that dopaminergic denervation of the host striatum did not disrupt either the aggregation of grafted cells into P regions or the acquisition of striatal neurochemical phenotypes by cells in the P regions, there were clear differences between the staining patterns of these grafts and grafts placed into dopamine- innervated striatum. Most striking was a sharp increase of met- enkephalin-like immunostaining in the P zones of the denervated grafts. Upregulation of met-enkephalin is known to occur in the dopamine- depleted mature striatum, and was observed in the parts of host striatum surrounding the grafts on the side ipsilateral to the 6-OHDA lesions. This result suggests that functional interactions between dopaminergic and enkephalinergic systems can occur in the striatal circuits reconstructed by embryonic striatal grafting. More generally, our results suggest that TH-containing afferents from the host striatum, though not required for induction and maintenance of striatal phenotypy in striatal grafts, can chronically regulate neurotransmitter/neuromodulator expression in neurons of the striatum- like P zones in a manner similar to that found for the normal striatum.
Guidelines for Using Both Activity and Exercise

The use of activity versus exercise has been a divisive topic that has separated occupational therapists into opposing factions regarding our legitimate tools. One approach to the resolution of this conflict is to use exercise as preparation and purposeful activity as application in a treatment plan. Preparation and application are not philosophically opposed concepts--They are the two ends of a continuum. The purpose of this paper is to explore how specific continua from the biomechanical and sensorimotor frames of reference can be used to generate specific guidelines about when to use activity and when to use exercise.
Pneumomediastinum and pulmonary interstitial emphysema after tracheal taser injury

A male jail inmate in his 30s presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath after sustaining multiple shocks from a conducted electrical weapon (CEW). His exam revealed normal vitals, crepitus of the upper chest and neck and barb wounds on the abdomen, chest and anterior neck, 2 cm above the sternal notch. CT of …
Fast and compact: a simple class of congestion games

We study a simple, yet rich subclass of congestion games that we call singleton games. These games are exponentially more compact than general congestion games. In contrast with some other compact subclasses, we show tractability of many natural game-theoretic questions, such as finding a sample or optimal Nash equilibrium. For best- and better-response dynamics, we establish polynomial upper and lower bounds on the rate of convergence and present experimental results. We also consider a natural generalization of singleton games and show that many tractability results carry over.
RL-Based Queue Management for QoS Support in Multi-channel Multi-radio Mesh Networks

In this paper, we consider the important aspect of Quality of Service (QoS) in Wireless Mesh Networks, focusing on packet delays and packet drops. We observe that the options of solely focusing on throughput, and of only depending on the QoS type characterization by the application level protocol is not sufficient. We propose the use of multiple queues to hold the packets based on their QoS requirement (not necessarily corresponding to the QoS application types). We suggest the technique of reinforcement learning (RL) for the important step of assigning packet to one of the queues, and present an implementation using the TD(0) algorithm. We present various simulation results comparing our algorithm to other known algorithms and frameworks. Our results indicate that our RL-based algorithm is significantly better than previously known results in packet drop ratio.
The Puzzle Of Internationalization: An Experiential Exercise In Strategic International Human Resources

As an increasing number of organizations engage in the process of internationalization, there is a growing need to educate managers and future managers on the strategic decisions involved in going international, and the resultant impact on human resource management practices. This experiential exercise for students in international management classes demonstrates three major issues in the evolution of the multinational enterprise: geographic scope, choices for entry, and global mindset. In addition, human resource issues facing companies in each phase of globalization are highlighted.
Francis Bacon and Science in the Mother Tongue

Francis Bacon in his Novum Organum (1620) put forward a new path for science which has feed the highly successful British global colonial outreach when he disagreed with reliance on Aristotelian syllogism as the foundation of knowledge. Bacon asserted that there is no true science but of the concrete. He reiterated that the value and justification of science consisted in its practical application and utility. Its function is to extend the dominion of the human race over nature. He criticized Aristotle’s inductionism as antithetical to the advance of science. Aristotle’s approach, like fabricated notions of culture, has driven man in the society to go within self to worship fabricated idols rather than forced man to go out of himself to observe and conquer nature. Bacon insisted that Aristotle’s inductionism has deterred the growth of science as practical knowledge. Inductionism has lead to the entrenchment of knowledge as rituals to be performed in the worship of four Idols—The Idols of the tribe, the den, the market place and theatre. These idols are replicated in the traditional responses of some contemporary Africans and some of their sponsors who have been made to believe that African culture and its traditions cannot domesticate science. Like Bacon, the author believes that there is no science but of the concrete, that the five senses are the source of knowing and that mathematics, logic in symbols, is the language of science. To the extent that rationality makes possible the processing of symbols is the extent to which every rational human being can do science.
Cost-Benefit Analysis at Independent Regulatory Agencies: Remarks to Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference on the Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act

Although the prospect of increased rationality in rulemaking makes legislation, such as Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act (S. 1173), facially appealing, there are a number of reasons to be wary of such efforts to impose OMB-supervised regulatory review on independent regulatory agencies. For example, S. 1173 would reduce the independence of these agencies from the White House, making them more vulnerable to political pressures; would impair their ability to fulfill core statutorily-mandated functions; would delay rules; and may make many rules less rational, due to entrenched but faulty cost-benefit analysis methodologies required by OMB/OIRA.
Role of NF-E2 Related Factor (Nrf2) in Hyperoxic Lung Injury: Implications for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Hyperoxia contributes to the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the molecular mechanism of oxygen mediated lung injury. Innate anti-oxidant mechanisms in the cells play an important role in the protection against oxygen toxicity and recent studies have suggested that genetic variants (e.g. single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of …
Paranormal Belief and College Grade Point Average

The Paranormal Belief Scale and a self-report item concerning college grade point average were given to 307 introductory psychology students. As hypothesized, greater reported belief in both Supers...
High rate capability of hydrogen annealed iron oxide-single walled carbon nanotube hybrid films for lithium-ion batteries.

A facile and effective hydrogen annealing method has been demonstrated to synthesize iron oxide/SWNT hybrid films involving the thermal reduction of rhombohedral Fe2O3 to cubic Fe3O4 through the phase transformation while maintaining the morphological integrity of the films. The poor rate capability and cyclic stability of the original α-Fe2O3/SWNT hybrid films have been significantly improved by H2 annealing. The prepared iron oxide/SWNT hybrid films have a high capacity of 786 mA h g–1 at a high current density of 4 A g–1 with a prolonged lifetime. The enhancement of the electrochemical performance is attributed to the presence of highly conductive Fe3O4, accelerated charge-transfer kinetics, and the increased Li+ diffusivity confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectra and galvanostatic intermittent titration.
An Evaluating Method for Generation Investment Within an Emission Trading Scheme

Generation investment decision-making is a very complicated problem in the electricity market environment due to various kinds of uncertainties. The enforcement of the energy-saving and emission reduction policy as well as the emissions trading scheme will make the problem even more complicated especially for coal-fired generation units. Against such a background,a new approach is developed for evaluating the value of a generation investment project in a power industry environment with the emission trading enforced. A real option based model for this purpose is proposed,and the project value and optimal investment timing obtained by the least-squares Monte-Carlo method. The impact of market factors and the regulating policy on generation investment decision-making are illustrated by a numerical example with different scenarios.
Study on Establishment and Operation Mechanism of Long-term Epidemic Prevention Team after Wenchuan Earthquake Disaster

To establish a resident epidemic prevention team which can undertake the long-time disease prevention is an urgent requirement after the earthquake disaster. According to epidemic prevention situations after earthquake, the local government integrated multiform resources, applied the organization form which included grade responsibility system, dividing up the work and assigning a part to each individual or group, unit and individual responsibility system, enhanced the capability of community workers and foreign aid teams, adopted the working mechanism of the combination of center for disease control and prevention, institute for health inspection and community. With operation mechanisms which included partial operation, community implementation, key attack, follow supervision, internal inspection, immediate feedback of information and convenient supply of drugs and instruments, a local-based epidemic prevention team which can effectively undertake the responsibility for the region disease prevention work had been established, the feasible operation mechanism was explored and set up, which can effectively protect the life and health of people in disaster area.
Characters and rational exploitation of underground water resources in Red beds area of northeast of Sichuan

According to the analysis of the strata,rock types,geological structures,physiognomy characteristics and the underground water condition the underground water can be divided two major types as the quaternary loose rock hole water and the basement rock fracture water.This paper analyzed the impact factors and evaluated for the under ground water resources for the development and utilization of the under ground water on Red beds area.We should based on the condition of the topography physiognomy,and hydrogeological conditions.
Airway complications in the lung transplant recipient

Airway complications are a common source of morbidity and mortality following lung transplantation. Ischemia, infection, or technical issues may all contribute. We discuss surgical techniques to avoid airway complications, management of anastomotic strictures, and treatment options for post-anastomotic bronchial stenosis. Additional potential complications discussed include dehiscence and malacia, as well as management options for each.
Textile fiber composites: Testing and mechanical behavior

Abstract Mechanical properties of textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) materials such as strength, stiffness, and ductility are determined through standard or novel tests conducted under uniaxial or multiaxial conditions. By documenting the nature of cracking and damage evolution, the mechanisms that contribute to enhanced ductility in composites can be studied. This is achieved through closed-loop procedures to detect the incipient failure as the load is being applied and control the test accordingly, such that a constant rate of deformation is applied. Strain-hardening behavior is a characteristic response in TRC materials and is attributed to the gradual decrease of sample stiffness as parallel microcracking takes place. Load-carrying capacity increases with an increase in strain; however, widening of cracks in a tensile stress field results in delamination and fiber pullout modes of damage. The interpretation of the stress–strain curve thus obtained is not straightforward because it is influenced significantly by the specimen size, geometry, control mode of test and loading setup. Moreover, the deformation is not homogenous but is localized within a narrow zone that undergoes progressive damage and cracking. The strain-hardening response demonstrates the behavior of the specimen in terms of its ductility and energy-absorption capacity and parameters that contribute to it. A series of mechanical properties tests developed address tension, flexure, compression, pullout, drop-weight impact, and high-speed tension. Characteristic material responses obtained include elastic properties, stiffness, toughness, stress–strain curves, fracture toughness, ultimate tensile strength, crack width, crack spacing, and moment-curvature relationship.
Understanding the Relationships Between Inspection Results and Risk of Foodborne Illness in Restaurants.

Abstract Restaurants are important settings for foodborne disease outbreaks and consumers are increasingly using restaurant inspection results to guide decisions about where to eat. Although public posting of inspection results may lead to improved sanitary practices in the restaurant, the relationship between inspection results and risk of foodborne illness appears to be pathogen specific. To further examine the relationship between inspection results and the risk of foodborne disease outbreaks, we evaluated results of routine inspections conducted in multiple restaurants in a chain (Chain A) that was associated with a large Salmonella outbreak in Illinois. Inspection results were collected from 106 Chain A establishments in eight counties. Forty-six outbreak-associated cases were linked to 23 of these Chain A restaurants. There were no significant differences between the outbreak and nonoutbreak restaurants for overall demerit points or for the number of demerit points attributed to hand washing or cros...
ECoG data analyses to inform closed-loop BCI experiments for speech-based prosthetic applications

Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) assist individuals with motor disabilities by enabling them to control prosthetic devices with their neural activity. Performance of closed-loop BCI systems can be improved by using design strategies that leverage structured and task-relevant neural activity. We use data from high density electrocorticography (ECoG) grids implanted in three subjects to study sensory-motor activity during an instructed speech task in which the subjects vocalized three cardinal vowel phonemes. We show how our findings relate to the current understanding of speech physiology and functional organization of human sensory-motor cortex. We investigate the effect of behavioral variations on parameters and performance of the decoding model. Our analyses suggest experimental design strategies that may be critical for speech-based BCI performance.
Comparative Tests on Experimental Draft-Tubes

This paper gives the results of tests, made at the Alden Hydraulic Laboratory, on twelve model draft-tubes, to determine the relative efficiencies of drafttubes of different types under the hydraul...
Theory-Based Formative Research on an Anti-Cyberbullying Victimization Intervention Message.

Cyberbullying is a common byproduct of the digital revolution with serious consequences to victims. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of empirically based methods to confront it. This study used social cognitive theory to design and test an intervention message aimed at persuading college students to abstain from retaliation, seek social support, save evidence, and notify authorities—important victim responses identified and recommended in previous research. Using a posttest-only control group design, this study tested the effectiveness of an intervention message in changing college students’ perceived susceptibility to and perceived severity of cyberbullying as well as their self-efficacy, response efficacy, attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward each recommended response in future episodes of cyberbullying. Results indicated that the intervention message caused participants in the experimental condition to report significantly higher susceptibility, but not perceived severity, to cyberbullying than ...
Automated Optimal Architecture of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Image Recognition

Recent advancements in deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have led to impressive progress in computer vision, especially in image classification. CNNs involve numerous hyperparameters that identify the network's structure such as depth of the network, kernel size, number of feature maps, stride, pooling size and pooling regions etc. These hyperparameters have a significant impact on the classification accuracy of a CNN. Selecting proper CNN architecture is different from one dataset to another. An empirical approach is often used in determining the near optimal value of these hyperparameters. Some recent works have tried optimization techniques for hyperparameter selection as well. In this paper, we develop a framework for hyperparameter optimization that is based on a new objective function that combines the information from the visualization of learned feature maps via deconvolutional networks, and the accuracy of the trained CNN model. Nelder-Mead Algorithm (NMA) is used in guiding the CNN architecture towards near optimal hyperparameters. Our proposed approach is evaluated on CIFAR-10 and Caltech-101 benchmarks. The experimental results indicate that the final architecture of a CNN obtained by our objective function outperforms other approaches in terms of accuracy. It is shown that our optimization framework contributes to increase in the depth of network, shrinks the size of stride and pooling sizes to obtain the best CNN architecture.
Cine-CMR partial voxel segmentation demonstrates increased aortic stiffness among patients with Marfan syndrome.

Background: Standard cine-cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is commonly used to evaluate cardiac structure, geometry and function. Prior studies have shown that automated segmentation via partial voxel interpolation (PVI) accurately quantifies phantom-based cardiac chamber volumes and necropsy left ventricular myocardial mass. Despite this, the applicability and usefulness of PVI in the determination of physiologic parameters of the aorta such as aortic stiffness has yet to be investigated. Methods: Routine CMR was conducted with a 1.5T (GE) scanner with pulse sequences similar to that of standard CMR (parameters: TR 3.4 msec, TE 1.14 msec, flip angle 60°, temporal resolution ~30–40 msec). Views were obtained in standard cardiac-oriented longitudinal or axial views (2, 3 and 4 chambers). Within non-dilated regions of the descending thoracic aorta, aortic area was quantified via a novel PVI automated process (LV-METRIC), which discerns relative amounts of blood pool in each voxel. Aortic stiffness, as calculated from brachial artery pulse pressure and aortic area at maximal and minimal dimensions, was evaluated in 60 total segments (one segment per patient). All segments were in the descending aorta and were not aneurysmal. Results: Sixty patients in total were studied, including 50 that had genetically-related aortic disorder [35 bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), 15 Marfan syndrome (MFS)]. Ten normal controls without aortic disease were included for comparison purposes. All patients (n=60) had evaluable CMR images for assessment of the descending aorta with use of automated segmentation. Patients with BAV and MFS were similar to controls in age, systolic blood pressure, brachial artery pulse pressure, smoking status or hypercholesterolemia (all P=NS). There were more women (P Conclusions: The application of PVI to standard CMR imaging can assess abnormal descending aorta functional indices in normal caliber segments in MFS subjects. Future prospective studies with larger subject populations are warranted to further determine the overall utility of automated aortic segmentation as a possible early biomarker of aortic dysfunction before overt dilatation.
Concurrent bariatric surgery and paraesophageal hernia repair: comparison of sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Abstract Background Paraesophageal hernia (PEH) is a common condition that bariatric surgeons encounter. Expert opinion is split on whether bariatric surgery and PEH repair should be completed concurrently or sequentially. We hypothesized that concurrent bariatric surgery and PEH repair is safe. Objectives We examined 30-day outcomes after concomitant PEH repair and bariatric surgery. Setting National database, United States. Methods Using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2011–2014), we identified patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) with or without PEH repair. A propensity score-matching algorithm was used to compare patients who underwent either LRYGB or LSG with PEH repair. The primary outcome was overall morbidity. Secondary outcomes included mortality, serious morbidity, readmission, and reoperation. Results Of the 76,343 patients in this study, 5958 (7.80%) underwent PEH repair concurrently with bariatric surgery. The frequency of bariatric operations that included PEH repair increased over time (2.14% in 2010 versus 12.17% in 2014, P P P P Conclusions A PEH repair at the time of bariatric surgery does not appear to be associated with increased morbidity or mortality. A concurrent approach to treat patients with severe obesity and PEH appears safe.
The Evolving Role of MCDM in Risk Management

The fundamental task that faces risk managers at all levels of decision making is the need, ability, and sometimes the courage, to make the required trade-offs among risks of various nature and among their associated costs and benefits. Quantifying multifarious risks and determining the acceptability level of each risk and its associated costs and benefits are the critical challenges at the heart of the Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) field.
Ethnocentrism among Free Methodist Leaders and Students

An ethnic awareness survey was used to evaluate ethnocentrism in a national sample of denominational lay leaders, clergy, and college students of the Free Methodist Church of North America Those fo...
Artifacts in Shear Wave Elastography Images of Thyroid Nodules.

Abstract The purpose of the study described here was to evaluate the presence and types of artifacts seen in color elastograms in thyroid elastography using shear wave elastography. This Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)-compliant study was approved by the ethics committee of our institution, and all patients provided written informed consent. One hundred seventy-eight patients (40 men and 138 women; mean age, 49 y; range, 19–84 y) were enrolled for a total of 241 thyroid nodules. After a short ultrasound (US) examination, SWE images were acquired at multiple levels in the nodule in transverse and longitudinal orientations. A total of 1297 images were obtained from 241 nodules for an average of 5.4 ± 2.7 (mean ± standard deviation) images per nodule. A retrospective review of all images was performed by one reviewer experienced in thyroid elastography. Two hundred eighty images (21.6%) were rated as good quality, and 112 (8.6%) were rated as moderate quality without artifacts. A total of 905 (69.8%) images had some artifact present, though most of these images (73.4%) were still interpretable. Two hundred forty-one images (18.6% of all images) were considered uninterpretable because of artifact. The most common types of artifacts were due to operator error (44.6% of all images), primarily compression (36.5% of all images). Other artifacts seen were due to anatomy (presence of carotid pulsation or adjacent to thyroid or location in isthmus, 11% of all images), nodule characteristics (cystic and calcified nodules or large nodules with lack of penetration, 17% of all images) and other artifacts that could not be explained by the prior mentioned causes (13% of all images). Our study indicates that artifacts are common in elastography images. Operator error was the most common type of artifact we saw. This should be easily correctable by adequate knowledge and recognition with subsequent correction of the artifacts.
How Good Ideas Die: Understanding Common Pitfalls of Medtech Innovation

Abstract Success in medical technology innovation is rare; the path is longer, more convoluted and more expensive than ever before. Three principles that seem to increase the probability of success are consistent among successful centers of innovation: a culture of both collaboration and innovation, a systematic commitment to technology transfer, and an adjacent ecosystem of real world experts. Conversely, we identify five key points of failure: the lack of a deliberate process, the assumption that invention = innovation, an incomplete or flawed team, inadequate resources, and the lack of cultural support. These principles alone do not create a formula for success; however, awareness and cultivation may increase the probability of success.
Recent thoughts on the immunotherapy of infectious diseases including HIV infection.

The treatment of infections with immunostimulating drugs has been termed by us a “prohost” approach since the therapy is designed to increase host resistance rather than directly kill the pathogen. The origins of this approach go back into history to the use of Chinese traditional herbal medicines to strengthen the host (“stimulate the yin”). At the turn of the century Metchnikoff advocated stimulating the phagocytes to enhance host resistance. More recently, vaccine development has been employed to specifically prepare the host for pathogen challenge.
Inconsistency, Generic Modeling, and Conceptual Change in Science

Traditionally inconsistency, as viewed from the perspective of logic, is held to be something detrimental in reasoning processes. From the perspective of the history of scientific development, though, inconsistency can be seen to play significant heuristic roles in the processes of conceptual change in science. I have argued in previous work that various forms of “model-based reasoning” specifically, analogical modeling, visual modeling, and thought experimenting—figure centrally in concept formation and change. In these forms of reasoning, physical and formal inconsistencies can serve as the basis for model revision in an effort to eliminate them, such as is the case when thought experimenting reveals an inconsistency in a representation. However, they also can be ignored in provisional models and the representations derived from them in the service of exploration and progress in a domain. That reasoning can be productive under these circumstances presents a problem for classical logic since once one has discovered an inconsistency in a model or representation all inferences from it are meaningless. Here we will consider a case of productive reasoning in concept formation involving inconsistencies: Maxwell’s construction of the electromagnetic field concept.