cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Two Multiparameter Acoustic Indices of Dysphonia Severity: The Acoustic Voice Quality Index and Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia

Summary Objectives The Acoustic Voice Quality Index (AVQI) and the Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID) are two multiparameter acoustic indices designed to objectively estimate dysphonia severity and track treatment outcomes. This study compared the performance of these two indices using a common corpus of dysphonic speakers. Method Pre- and posttreatment samples of sustained vowel and connected speech were elicited from 112 patients across six diagnostic categories: unilateral vocal fold paralysis (n = 20), adductor spasmodic dysphonia (n = 20), primary muscle tension dysphonia (n = 20), benign vocal fold lesions (n = 20), presbylaryngis (n = 20), and mutational falsetto (n = 12). Listener ratings of dysphonia severity were compared to acoustic estimates of severity derived from two iterations of the AVQI (versions 2.02 and 3.01) as well as the CSID. Results The AVQI- and CSID-estimated severity for sustained vowels, connected speech, and a combined context were strongly correlated and significantly associated with listener ratings pretreatment, posttreatment, and change observed pre- to posttreatment. However, multiple regression analysis (adjusted for age, sex, and diagnostic category) revealed that the CSID generally accounted for more variance in listener-perceived severity ratings, and the contribution of the AVQI was small and statistically insignificant when the CSID was already in a combined model. Conclusions The AVQI and the CSID were strongly correlated and both provided valid estimates of dysphonia severity. However, associations observed between the CSID- and listener-estimated dysphonia were almost uniformly stronger than either version of the AVQI, suggesting that the CSID outperformed the AVQI.
Hybrid whole-body dynamic TOF PET imaging for simultaneous estimation of compartmental and patlak parametric maps from continuous bed motion data

A number of studies have highlighted the clinical role of kinetic modelling following dynamic PET acquisition, since it is able to provide quantitative parameters, more closely related to the underlying pathology than semi-quantitative indices, such as SUV. However, due to the limited axial FOV of current PET scanners, temporally continuous dynamic data are only available for a single bed position. Therefore, full compartmental modelling is axially limited as opposed to whole body imaging protocols which are used in oncology, limiting its applicability in this field. Furthermore, if the blood activity concentration is derived from the images, similar dynamic data of a large blood pool are needed. Lately a new approach to clinical dynamic whole-body imaging has been proposed, consisting of an initial blood pool (cardiac) scan, followed by a number of whole body passes, to estimate whole-body Ki Patlak parametric images. While such an approach improves upon previous whole-body protocols for kinetic parameter estimation, it doesn't fully exploit the information that could be extracted, as well as the benefits of continuous bed motion (CBM) acquisition in dynamic imaging. In this work, we propose a modified CBM whole-body dynamic protocol to simultaneously perform full compartmental modelling in the FOV covering the initial blood pool scan as well as whole-body Patlak analysis. Furthermore, the new protocol does not restrict the initial blood pool scan, for which full compartmental modelling can be performed, to be limited over the heart region but to be chosen based on the localization of the disease within the body. Initial clinical whole-body dynamic scans are reported, along with the estimated micro- and macro-parameter maps. Initial results suggest that not only Ki images from full modelling provide superior tumor to background contrast and improved variance to Patlak Ki but additional micro-parameters are made available to the referring clinician, enabling multi-parametric evaluation of the disease within a clinically feasible dynamic imaging protocol.
Wierenga on theism and counterpossibles

Several theists, including Linda Zagzebski, have claimed that theism is somehow committed to nonvacuism about counterpossibles. Even though Zagzebski herself has rejected vacuism, she has offered an argument in favour of it, which Edward Wierenga has defended as providing strong support for vacuism that is independent of the orthodox semantics for counterfactuals, mainly developed by David Lewis and Robert Stalnaker. In this paper I show that argument to be sound only relative to the orthodox semantics, which entails vacuism, and give an example of a semantics for counterfactuals countenancing impossible worlds for which it fails.
3D modeling of chromosomes territories in normal and aneuploid nuclei

DNA is packaged into chromosomes, which occupy a specific region in the three-dimensional (3D) nuclear space known as the chromosome territories (CTs). The spatial organization (SO) of CTs within the nucleus is non-random and any disruption of this organization leads to undesired changes, such as disease states. Determining how CTs organize in the nucleus can allow us to unravel any changes occurring during aneuploidy (loss or gain of chromosomes), a hallmark of cancer. Here, we describe a 3D modeling approach to allow precise shape estimation and localization of CTs in the nucleus of human embryonic stem cells (hES) undergoing progressive but defined aneuploidy. The hES cell line WA09 acquires an extra copy of chromosome 12 in culture with increasing passages. Both diploid and aneuploid nuclei were analyzed to quantitate the differences in the localization of CTs for chromosome 12 as it transitions from euploidy to aneuploidy. The CTs were detected with chromosome specific DNA probes via multi-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in conjunction with confocal microscopy. We then employed spherical harmonic (SPHARM) surface modeling to generate a well-defined 3D surface for both the nuclei and enclosed CTs, thereby allowing precise quantification of their size and shape. The estimated models were compared across multiple cells by aligning the nuclei to a well-defined template followed by determining CT position with respect to a local landmark. Our results present evidence of statistically significant changes in the relative positioning of CTs in trisomy-12 cells when compared to diploid cells from the same population.
FDA Approval Summary: Mylotarg for Treatment of Patients with Relapsed or Refractory CD33‐Positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia

On September 2, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO; Mylotarg; Pfizer, New York City, NY) for treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in patients 2 years of age and older. GO is a CD33-directed antibody drug conjugate linked to the cytotoxic antibiotic calicheamicin. It originally received accelerated approval for treatment of older patients with relapsed CD33-positive AML in 2000, but it was withdrawn from the market in 2010 when the confirmatory trial failed to demonstrate clinical benefit among safety concerns, such as a higher rate of induction fatalities on the GO combination arm compared with chemotherapy alone. In addition, GO was associated with hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), which has substantial morbidity and mortality. Pharmacokinetic analyses suggested a lower maximum concentration of GO would result in less VOD without affecting target saturation or efficacy. A meta-analysis across dose schedules of GO in patients with R/R AML showed that a lower-dose "fractionated" schedule of 3 mg/m2 days 1, 4, and 7 was associated with less early mortality, hemorrhage, and VOD, without an apparent decrease in complete remission (CR) rate. MyloFrance 1 was a single-arm study evaluating response rates in patients with relapsed CD33-positive AML treated with the lower-dose fractionated GO regimen. The CR rate was 26% (95% confidence interval 16%-40%). Common adverse reactions were fever, infections, nausea, vomiting, constipation, bleeding, increased liver enzymes, and mucositis. There were no cases of VOD. These results supported the approval of GO as monotherapy for R/R CD33-positive AML using the lower-dose fractionated regimen. Implications for practice Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) 3 mg/m2 days 1, 4, and 7 is an active regimen for induction of remission when used to treat patients with relapsed or refractory CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia without curative intent. The risks of hepatic veno-occlusive disease and early mortality with this regimen appear to be lower than reported previously for GO 9 mg/m2 days 1 and 15. The data were not sufficient to enable conclusions about the safety of GO in children younger than 2 years of age.
Targeting Cellular Signaling for Cancer Prevention and Therapy by Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals are plant-derived compounds and have been considered as promising chemopreventive agents for decades. Phytochemicals are broadly classified as carotenoids, phenolics, alkaloids, nitrogen-containing compounds, and organosulfur compounds. These plant-derived compounds modulate the hallmark events in tumorigenesis including the control of cellular redox, cell proliferation and death, angiogenesis, and cell migration. Preclinical studies on a number of phytochemicals in mouse models support anticancer activities of these compounds. Clinical studies of some phytochemicals reveal inconsistency with preclinical findings, thus highlighting the necessity of detailed in vivo analysis of the mechanism of action of these compounds prior to initiate large-scale clinical trials. This chapter describes some of the key molecular cellular signaling that could be targeted to utilize full benefits of these phytochemicals for cancer prevention and therapy.
Contextualism, Locality and the No-Go Theorems

The no-go theorems (I have in mind the Kochen-Specker and Bell type theorems) purport to tell us that the oldest interpretive idea for quantum mechanics fails; we cannot assign definite premeasurement values to the quantum mechanical observables, in particular to pairs of non-commuting observables. In fact, the no-go theorems are less categorical than that. They are a kind of quantum economics, a cost-benefit analysis that shows the cost involved for getting the benefit of premeasurement values. Conventionally, the cost is said to be contextualism (the Kochen-Specker theorem) or non-locality (the Bell theorem). My purpose here is to show that we do not actually need to pay quite so high a price. (It is not my purpose to urge one to buy.)
Women in Applied Geography

A long time ago, in my first college geography class, I was told ‘geography is what geographers do’ and this casual remark stuck with me. Thus I have never understood die need for the term ‘applied geography.’ Geography is what geographers do, whether they do it in the classroom for the love of learning, or in government agencies for the good of the country, or in private enterprise for profit The title ‘applied geographer’ seems unnecessary; professional geographer or practitioner is more appropriate. Members of other disciplines, wherever they are employed, seem to refer to themselves simply as sociologists, anthropologists, or economists.
How Team-based Reward Interdependence Impacts Prosocial Behavior Through Justice Perceptions

Over the past 15 years, new research team-based reward systems has emerged, and yet little theoretical advancement on the topic has been put forth in that time. In particular, there has been a dear...
CHAPTER 40 – Age-related Osteoporosis and Skeletal Markers of Bone Turnover

This chapter focuses on the metabolic and biochemical changes in the skeleton, which characterize age-related osteoporosis. By convention, the term osteoporosis will denote a bone mineral density lower than 2.5 standard deviations below young normal mean values, irrespective of fracture history. Age-related osteoporotic fractures will refer to either hip or spine fractures, recognizing that other sites are also susceptible to fractures. Bone turnover is increased in elderly individuals. In part, this can be related to reduced calcium and vitamin D intake, as well as other environmental variables. Age is an independent predictor of osteoporotic fracture, and there are now data to suggest that accelerated bone turnover itself may predispose an individual to future fractures, most likely as a function of changes in bone quality as well as quantity. Still, it is not clear yet that a single marker of bone turnover, or a calciotropic hormone, will be able to predict which elderly individual will sustain an osteoporotic fracture. Newer serum markers such as RANKL, OPG, and Trap 5B hold some promise as future indices of fracture risk and overall bone loss. These markers will have to be studied in large randomized trials, some of which are currently ongoing. Since the osteoporotic disorder is multifactorial in origin, there are likely to be a host of parameters that can be used to identify patients who are at greatest risk. Some of these indices will also help provide insight into the pathogenesis of this disease and could be useful in following patients undergoing treatment with antiresorptive drugs.
Phasic locus coeruleus activity regulates cortical encoding of salience information

Phasic activation of locus coeruleus (LC)-norepinephrine (NE) neurons is associated with focused attention and behavioral responses to salient stimuli. We used cell-type-specific optogenetics and single-unit neurophysiology to identify how LC activity influences neural encoding of sensory information. We found that phasic, but not tonic, LC-NE photoactivation generated a distinct event-related potential (ERP) across cortical regions. Salient sensory stimuli (which innately trigger phasic LC activity) produced strong excitatory cortical responses during this ERP window. Application of weaker, nonsalient stimuli produced limited responses, but these responses were elevated to salient stimulus levels when they were temporally locked with phasic LC photoactivation. These results demonstrate that phasic LC activity enhances cortical encoding of salient stimuli by facilitating long-latency signals within target regions in response to stimulus intensity/salience. The LC-driven salience signal identified here provides a measure of phasic LC activity that can be used to investigate the LC's role in attentional processing across species.
Brainstem spreading depolarization: rapid descent into the shadow of SUDEP.

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Brainstem spreading depolarization and cortical dynamics during fatal seizures in Cacna1a S218L mice’ by Loonen et al. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awy325 ).
Thin-Film Capacitor Technology for Improving Broadband Power Integrity

Thin-film capacitor (TF cap) technology together with chip-scale packaging (CSP) is studied as a method to achieve broadband power integrity into the gigahertz region. TF cap structures integrated into board-level supply interconnects are analyzed with transmission-line techniques. The behavior of the resulting superlow-impedance transmission lines (SLITs) is illustrated, and the role of TF metal resistance in reducing resonances is highlighted. A single 10-mil-wide-by-100-mil-long SLIT bypass structure supplying a CSP die provides an effective impedance through 6 GHz as low as $2~\Omega $ . The preliminary measured results from TF caps and SLITs realized on low-temperature cofired ceramic boards are reported, and issues for practical realizations are discussed.
Technical Justification for an Ultrasonic Inspection Procedure Applied to a Helicopter Component

For many non-destructive evaluation (NDE) applications, traditional probability of detection (POD) assessments are impractical because of the cost, time, and complexity associated with manufacturing and preparing the required specimens representative of in-service conditions. Various alternative methods have been developed to reduce the number of test specimens required for the reliability estimation.
Developmental Responses to Water and Salinity in Root Systems

Roots provide the primary mechanism that plants use to absorb water and nutrients from their environment. These functions are dependent on developmental mechanisms that direct root growth and branching into regions of soil where these resources are relatively abundant. Water is the most limiting factor for plant growth, and its availability is determined by the weather, soil structure, and salinity. In this review, we define the developmental pathways that regulate the direction of growth and branching pattern of the root system, which together determine the expanse of soil from which a plant can access water. The ability of plants to regulate development in response to the spatial distribution of water is a focus of many recent studies and provides a model for understanding how biological systems utilize positional cues to affect signaling and morphogenesis. A better understanding of these processes will inform approaches to improve crop water use efficiency to more sustainably feed a growing population.
Floodplain designation and property sale prices in an urban watershed

Abstract Increasing urbanization, and the projected effects of climate change on urban streams, will put more people and properties at risk of flooding. Our study uses a repeat sales model to estimate the effect of floodplain location on single-family residential sale prices for a highly urbanized part of the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The most common approach used in the existing literature uses tax lot boundary to determine if a property is in a floodplain. However, flood insurance is only required in the United States if a homeowner has a federally-backed mortgage and if the residence, or a structure attached to the residence, is inside or intersects a 100-year floodplain. Using this “building footprint” approach we estimate that properties sell for, on average, 21.5% less than properties in the rest of the study area while the “tax lot” approach leads to an average estimated decline of 8.6%. A second model estimates separate effects for properties with a building footprint in or intersecting a floodplain and properties where only the tax lot is in the floodplain. Estimated effects for “tax lot only” properties in the 100-year floodplain are positive, which may be due to the amenities of stream proximity and no requirement to purchase flood insurance, while estimated coefficients for building footprint properties are negative. Using building footprint as the basis for determining if a property is in a 100- year floodplain is a much clearer signal of risk and capitalization than approaches used in the existing literature.
Impact of Patient Frailty on Morbidity and Mortality after Common Emergency General Surgery Operations.

Abstract Background Frailty has been increasingly recognized as a modifiable risk factor prior to elective general surgery. There is limited evidence regarding the association of frailty with perioperative outcomes after specific emergency general surgery procedures. Material and methods A retrospective cohort study of 57,173 patients older than 40 y of age from 2010 to 2014 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program underwent appendectomy, cholecystectomy, large bowel resection, small bowel resection, or nonbowel resection (lysis of adhesion, ileostomy creation) on an emergent basis. Preoperative modified frailty index (mFI) was determined for each patient and was used in a multivariable logistic regression to determine the association with perioperative morbidity, mortality, and discharge destination. Results A total of 57,173 patients (46% men, mean [SD] age 60 [13] y) underwent an emergency appendectomy (n = 26,067), cholecystectomy (n = 8138), large bowel resection (n = 12,107), small bowel resection (n = 6503), or nonbowel resection (n = 4358). Among them, 14,300 (25.0%) experienced any perioperative complication, and 12,668 (22.2%) experienced a serious complication with an overall 30-d mortality of 5.1%. Highly frail patients had a 30-d mortality of 19.0% across all five operations. In multivariable analysis, mFI was associated with any complication and 30-d mortality in a step-wise fashion for each emergency operation. Intermediate and high mFI were also inversely associated with discharge home for each operation. Conclusions Frailty is associated with increased perioperative morbidity and mortality in common emergency general surgery operations. Frailty should be assessed by surgeons to inform decisions on operative intervention and to inform patients/families on expected outcomes.
Prognostic Value of N-Terminal Pro-form B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Patients With Moderate Aortic Stenosis

Plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and its N-terminal pro-form, NT-proBNP, can predict outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). However, their prognostic value in moderate AS is currently unknown. The present study included 261 patients diagnosed with moderate AS (1.0 888 pg/dl). During a median follow up of 2.7 years, there were 136 (52%) deaths. Mortality rate was much higher in patients with higher-median NT-pro BNP compared to those with lower-median NT-pro BNP levels (p <0.001). Higher-median NT-pro BNP level was significantly associated with higher mortality rate (hazard ratio 3.11; 95% confidence interval 1.78 to 5.46, p <0.001) even after adjusting for confounders. Aortic valve replacement (AVR) was performed in 82 (31%) patients and median time to AVR was 2.1 years. Patients with higher-median NT-pro BNP had higher mortality rate compared to patients with lower-median NT-pro BNP even after AVR (p <0.01). In conclusion, higher NT-proBNP level is associated with higher mortality rates in patients with moderate AS even among those undergoing AVR.
Two-Level Systems in Proteins: Thermodynamic and Dynamic Effects

The evidence for two level systems (TLS) in compact proteins such as myoglobin is reviewed, and a model of conformational sub- states based on strongly-interacting TLS is suggested. Thermal and dynamical properties of this model are explored.
Targeting the PLK1-FOXO1 pathway as a novel therapeutic approach for treating advanced prostate cancer.

The forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) is considered to be a key tumor suppressor due to its involvement in a broad range of cancer-related functions, including cellular differentiation, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and DNA damage. Given that inactivation of FOXO1 has been reported in many types of human cancer, we sought to investigate whether restoration of the pro-apoptotic activity of FOXO1 may be used as a new promising strategy for cancer treatment. Our previous study revealed that Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a serine/threonine kinase that is essential for cell cycle progression, is a novel and major regulator of FOXO1 in the late phases of the cell cycle. Here, we provided evidence that PLK1-dependent phosphorylation of FOXO1 induces its nuclear exclusion and negatively regulates FOXO1′s transcriptional activity in prostate cancer (PCa). Blocking the PLK1-dependant phosphorylation of FOXO1 restored the pro-apoptotic function of FOXO1 in PCa. Combining PLK1 inhibition with nocodazole (to induce mitotic arrest) had synergistic antitumor effects in vitro, with minimal effect on normal prostate epithelial cells. These findings shed light on a novel approach to reactivate apoptotic pathways in advanced PCa and support targeting PLK1-FOXO1 pathways as a novel approach for treating advanced PCa.
A Dual-Mode Microwave Resonator for Liquid Chromatography Applications

This work presents a microwave microfluidic sensor for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) applications. The sensor is based on a modified square ring loaded resonator (SRLR), where a transmission line and a ring are electrically shorted with a center gap. A microfluidic channel is bonded above the gap for liquid-under-test (LUT) measurement. When the dielectric constant of LUT is above a threshold value, two degeneration modes of the resonator are separated, resulting in two transmission-zero frequencies. The threshold dielectric constant can be easily tuned by the gap size. High sensitivity is achieved when LUT dielectric constant is close to the threshold value. These features enable the proposed resonator to be optimized for different microfluidic applications. To validate the design, three resonators with $10~\mu \text{m}$ , $30~\mu \text{m}$ and $90~\mu \text{m}$ gap sizes are built and tested with water-methanol solutions in various volume fractions. Additionally, the sensor is connected in series with HPLC system for caffeine and sucrose detection. The detection linearity is characterized by measuring water-caffeine samples from 0.77 ppm to 1000 ppm. A 0.231 ppm limit of detection (LOD) is achieved, revealing a comparable sensitivity with commercial ultraviolet (UV) detectors. The compatibility of the proposed sensor to gradient elution is also demonstrated.
Reflection Electron Microscopy

Reflection electron microscopy (REM) is now well established as a technique for the study of the structure of surfaces of crystals. Resolutions of better than 1 nm are possible and clear images can be obtained of surface steps 0.1 to 0.2 nm high. The image intensities are influenced only by the top few layers of atoms, and surface layers consisting of a fraction of a monolayer of foreign atoms can give high contrast. The images may be correlated with data from diffraction patterns from the surface and with microanalysis of the surface performed by use of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and, sometimes, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). When the images are obtained in the scanning mode, with an electron beam of small diameter focussed on the specimen, the diffraction and microanalysis data may be obtained from very small regions of the surface. In this chapter, we give accounts of the current status of the techniques involved and of some recent applications.
Epigenomic patterns reflect irrigation and grafting in the grapevine clone ‘Chambourcin’

Abstract Although DNA methylation has largely been shown to be stable in plants, mounting evidence indicates methylation patterns may reflect environmental sensitivity. Perennial plants experience seasonal and inter-annual environmental variation, and clonal replicates of some long-lived plants, including many perennial crops, survive in a broad range of environments. This makes perennial crops a compelling study system to investigate links between the plant epigenome and environmental variation. In this study, we used whole genome bisulfite sequencing and small RNA sequencing to characterize the epigenome in 12 clonal replicates of the winegrape cultivar ‘Chambourcin.’ We asked whether DNA methylation varied in response to a full factorial combination of irrigation and grafting treatments. We found signatures of both irrigation and grafting in the ‘Chambourcin’ epigenome, as well as compelling evidence for a unique interaction effect whereby grafting appeared to override or mitigate epigenomic changes associated with irrigation in ungrafted vines. These findings indicate that the epigenome responds to environmental and agronomic manipulations, suggesting the epigenome might be a mechanism underlying how long-lived, clonal plants respond at the molecular level to their environment. Further research is needed to assess the potential relevance of variation in DNA methylation to plant form and function, and to address the implications of environmentally-inducible patterns of DNA methylation on the adaptive capacity of long-lived woody perennials in nature and under cultivation.
Are Analyst Recommendations Biased? Evidence from Corporate Bankruptcies

We test whether a bias exists in analyst recommendations for firms that file for bankruptcy during 1995-2001. We fail to find overoptimism in analyst recommendations, including those of affiliated analysts. Our multivariate analysis of the market reaction to changes in analyst recommendations indicates that prior affiliation exerts no impact on either returns or trading volume. We find that the market does not view recommendation upgrades by affiliated analysts as biased since there is no price reversal following these recommendation changes. Overall, our results suggest that recently passed legislation to reduce analysts' conflicts of interest might be an overreaction.
‘Thrills Sweep Like Electric Currents through Multitudes’: Spectacle, Sociality, and Media Competition in Mid-Century America

This article analyses contemporaneous debates over the competing screen formats, venues, and technological platforms designed to deliver moving images to domestic and public audiences in mid-twenti...
Comparative health services research across populations: the unused opportunities in big data.

Large population registries present opportunities to understand the epidemiology of disease, study patters of care, and compare the effectiveness of different care practices. While these ‘big data’ tempt investigators to examine all available individuals, a targeted approach that restricts the study to an optimal sub-population may yield more relevant insights. We discuss how researchers might adapt their studies existing literature to generate additional insights.
Catharsis and Community: Divergent Motivations for Audience Participation in Online Newspapers and Blogs

This article examines political talk practices in two different contexts: online newspapers and blogs. It draws on a mixed-methods study that combines a survey of participants in both spaces with interviews with bloggers and moderators at news websites. The survey indicates that participants have divergent motivations to contribute to both online forums. Whereas participating in blogs was mostly linked to discussion and socialization motives, posting comments in online newspapers was usually associated with selfexpression needs. In turn, interviews revealed that bloggers welcome interaction with readers and appreciated their comments, whereas newspaper moderators did not participate and had a low opinion of the quality of users‘ contributions. These findings suggest that online discussion is a multifaceted phenomenon shaped by the motivations and practices of participants and facilitators.
Thermophysical properties data on graphite/polyimide composite materials

Experimental data for the thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, specific heat, and emittance of laminates of HTS/NR 150B2 and HTS/PMR 15 are presented. Measurements were made over the temperature range 116 K to 588 K. Results for the two materials were similar with some differences attributable to laminate quality. Higher expansion coefficients for the HTS/PMR 15 specimens in the resin-dominated directions indicate a higher coefficient for PMR 15 than NR 150B2.
Computer Vision for the Blind

During the past half century, considerable efforts have been devoted to the study of improving the hazardous and discouraging world of the blind. In this attempt, the needs of the blind both from the social point of view and from the scientific and technological end of the spectrum were defined and explored. Advances have been made in the areas of social adjustment, rehabilitation, communication, and learning skills. However, relatively little progress has been made in the areas of research on guidance aids for the blind. Today, mobility needs of the blind are still met by the traditional cane and the dog-guide. In the words of Zahl (24), “a civilization with such skills as target detection, remote guided aircraft, etc. should be able to develop guidance aids for the blind more knowing than the cane, more dependable than the dog.”
Maternal smoking and childhood asthma.

According to a substantial literature, passive smoking by children is associated with an increased incidence of lower respiratory illness and diminished pulmonary function. The relationship between passive smoking and childhood asthma, however, is not clear. Data from the Child Health Supplement to the 1981 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed with information about 4331 children aged 0 to 5 years to study the relationship between maternal smoking and (1) the prevalence of childhood asthma, (1) the likelihood of taking asthma medication, (3) the age of onset of children9s asthma, and (4) the number of hospitalizations among children with and without asthma. An odds ratio for asthma of 2.1 was shown by multivariate logistic regressions among children whose mothers smoke 0.5 packs of cigarettes or more per day compared with children of nonsmokers (P = .001). In similar analyses maternal smoking of 0.5 packs per day was identified as an independent risk for children9s use of asthma medications (odds ratio 4.6, P = .0006) and for asthma developing in the first year of life (odds ratio 2.6, P = .0006). Maternal smoking is also associated with increased numbers of hospitalizations by its association with an increased risk of asthma as well as by contributing to hospitalizations independently of a child having asthma. Among children with asthma, however, maternal smoking is not associated with increased numbers of hospitalizations. It was concluded that maternal smoking is associated with higher rates of asthma, an increased likelihood of using asthma medications, and an earlier onset of the disease. These findings have implications for renewed efforts to discourage smoking in families, especially during pregnancy and the first 5 years of children9s lives.
Examining the effects of room response in oversampled, subband acoustic echo cancelers

We examine the effects of the room response on the convergence of oversampled, subband acoustic echo cancelers. Specifically, we have observed that spectral features of the room response such as peaks or nulls have definite and measurable effects an the convergence of the subband MSE which in turn has an effect on the reconstructed MSE. These effects can be traced back to slow converging spectral components located at the analysis filter band edge.
Principles of Chemical Separations with Environmental Applications

Chemical separations are of central importance in many areas of environmental science, whether it is the clean up of polluted water or soil, the treatment of discharge streams from chemical processes, or modification of a specific process to decrease its environmental impact. This book is an introduction to chemical separations, focusing on their use in environmental applications. The authors first discuss the general aspects of separation technology as a unit operation. They also describe how property differences are used to generate separations, the use of separating agents, and the selection criteria for particular separation techniques. The general approach for each technology is to present the chemical and/or physical basis for the process and explain how to evaluate it for design and analysis. The book contains many worked examples and homework problems. It is an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses on environmental separations or environmental engineering.
Harmonic Analysis of the Moon’s Shape and Gravitational Field

Detailed studies of the existing control systems and comparison of the results obtained from each one with the expected values for the second zonal harmonic show that all systems leave something to be desired in accuracy. Out of them, the ACIC (1965) system can be said with certainty to be closer to the required accuracy, whereas the quality of the new (1966) system has definitely dropped. The quality of the new system by SCHRUTKA-RECHTENSTAMM (1966) is low if compared with his earlier system (1958); this seems to be due to the unsuitable photography used.
Causation in Tort: General Populations vs. Individual Cases

To establish causation, a tort plaintiff must show that it is "more probable than not" that the harm would not have occurred if the defendant had followed the relevant standard of care. Statistical evidence, based on aggregate data, is sometimes introduced to show that the defendant's conduct created a statistically significant increase in the likelihood that the harm would occur. But there is a serious problem with the use of such evidence: It does not establish that in the particular case, the injury was more likely than not to have occurred because the defendant behaved negligently. Under existing doctrine, a plaintiff should not be able to establish liability on the basis of a showing of a statistically significant increase in risk. This point has general implications for the use of statistical evidence in tort cases. It also raises complex issues about the relationship between individual cases and general deterrence: Optimal deterrence might be obtained by imposing liability on defendants who engage in certain behavior, even though a failure to engage in such behavior cannot be connected with the plaintiff's harm by reference to the ordinary standards of causation.
Comparison of survival outcomes among standard radiotherapy regimens in limited-stage small cell lung cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiation

Abstract Objectives The optimal radiotherapy dose in concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is controversial. We compared the effectiveness of several high-dose chemoradiation regimens using a large national dataset. Materials and methods Patients with non-metastatic SCLC treated with concurrent CRT were identified in the National Cancer Database base. Overall survival (OS) of patients receiving dose-fractionation regimens, matching those in the ongoing CALGB 30610 trial [45Gy in 30 fractions (Fx) (45Gy/30Fx), 70Gy in 35 fractions (70Gy/35Fx), and 61.2Gy in 34 fractions (61.2Gy/34Fx)], were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results We included 1228 patients treated between 1998 and 2006 with CRT. Mean age was 62 years and 50% of patients were women. Radiotherapy dose-fractionation was 45Gy/30Fx in 707 (57.6%), 70Gy/35Fx in 53 (4.3%), and 61.2Gy/34Fx in 468 (38.1%). Overall survival was similar among patients treated with 45Gy/30Fx, 70Gy/35Fx, and 61.2Gy/34Fx, with median survival times of 21.5, 21.5, and 20.2 months, respectively ( p =0.438). Older age, male sex, larger tumor size, and more advanced stage were associated with inferior OS on Kaplan–Meier (all p p =0.815). Conclusions We observed equivalent OS among patients with limited-stage SCLC being treated with three dose-fractionation regimens of concurrent CRT. This supports the use of any one of these regimens while awaiting the results of ongoing randomized trials.
Obedience, Self-Control, and the Voice of Culture

Milgram's obedience studies dramatically demonstrated how obeying authority can have grim consequences. Nevertheless, we propose that obedience to legitimate authority is a vital aspect of human culture. Among other things, obedience to authority can encourage individuals to set aside their selfish desires for the good of their group. Often, such selfish desires are violent in nature. Thus, obedience can function to limit violence. We challenge the notion that people typically respond to the commands of authority with blind obedience. Last, we suggest that the implications of Milgram's findings have in some cases been overstated.
MIP-1alpha and TGF-beta production in CD34+ progenitor-stromal cell coculture systems: effects of progenitor isolation method and cell-cell contact.

ABSTRACT Macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) is a C-C chemokine which has antiproliferative effects on early hematopoietic progenitors and stimulatory effects on later progenitors. It also possesses chemotactic and activating properties for monocytes, macrophages, and T-cells. CD34+ progenitors isolated utilizing an avidin-biotin immunoadsorption column produced significant amounts of MIP-1alpha from 24 h onward when cultured in medium with 10% fetal calf serum (>200 pg/ml). Such production persisted through 96 h of culture and was greater when such progenitors were cocultured with a preformed marrow stromal layer (4000 pg/ml at 24 h). The production of MIP-1alpha declined over time of coculture with stromal layers, and stromal layers themselves produced minimal MIP-1alpha as detected by ELISA: <100 pg/ml. In contrast, CD34+ cells isolated by flow cytometry or by magnetic bead adsorption produced minimal MIP-1alpha (0-30 pg/ml). MIP-1alpha production also increased when cells isolated by these two methods were cocultured with stromal layers. The difference in MIP-1alpha production could not be accounted for by differences in purity of the CD34+ population between isolation methods nor on the basis of monocytic or lymphocytic contamination as assessed by the presence of CD14 or CD3 positive cells. CD34+ cells isolated by immune adsorption had increased expression of endothelial and mesenchymal associated antigens, however, suggesting that this subpopulation might account for the MIP-1alpha production observed. Freshly isolated CD34+ cells expressed MIP-1alpha message as assessed by RT-PCR and by in situ hybridization. Coculture of CD34+ cells isolated by any means with stromal cells increased transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) production, in this case by the stromal layer itself. Both MIP-1alpha and TGF-beta have been found to influence cell cycle status and proliferation status of early hematopoietic progenitors, and both have potential effects on accessory cell function. These studies indicate that progenitor-stromal cell interactions may influence local cytokine output, thus potentially influencing progenitor cycling status and accessory cell activation. The method of isolation of CD34+ progenitors may influence secretion of certain cytokines and chemokines.
Three-dimensional molecular distribution in single cells analysed using the digital imaging microscope

Cellular changes in molecular distribution are believed to underly a wide range of cell functions. In order to investigate changes in molecular distribution in single cells utilizing fluorescent probes we have developed a digital imaging microscope. The system, consisting of both hardware and software, automatically acquires 3-D data sets consisting of optical sections and then processes such data to facilitate the analysis of molecular distribution in single cells. The first major step in processing reverses distortion introduced principally by the optics of the fluorescent microscope. Various procedures for accomplishing this task are compared and a method based on regularization theory is shown to give superior results for several different 3-D images. Following this step features of interest are automatically extracted from 3-D images utilizing an artificial 3-D visual system. This artificial visual system utilize a system of spatial filters to identify regional characteristics of images, the information obtained from these filters being used to identify and characterize clusters of molecules within the image. This information is then utilized to construct a 3-D graphical model of molecular distribution in single cells. Such models are displayed in 3-D and may further analysed utilizing interactive 3-D computer graphics. These methods are illustrated by results obtained regarding alpha-actinin distribution in single smooth muscle cells.
Processing of frequency-modulated sounds in the lateral auditory belt cortex of the rhesus monkey.

Single neurons were recorded from the lateral belt areas, anterolateral (AL), mediolateral (ML), and caudolateral (CL), of nonprimary auditory cortex in 4 adult rhesus monkeys under gas anesthesia,...
Diversity of multi-hop cluster-based routing with arbitrary relay selection

Clustered multi-hop wireless networks have attracted significant attention for their robustness to fading, hierarchical structure, and ability to exploit the broadcast nature of the wireless channel. The authors propose an opportunistic routing (or relay selection) algorithm for such networks. In contrast to the majority of existing approaches to routing in clustered networks, the algorithm presented in this study only requires channel state information in the final hop, which is shown to be crucial for reaping the diversity offered by the channel. In addition to exploiting the available diversity, our simple cross-layer algorithm has the flexibility to simultaneously satisfy an additional routing objective such as the maximisation of network lifetime. The authors demonstrate through analysis and simulation that our proposed routing algorithm attains full diversity under certain conditions on the cluster sizes, and its diversity is equal to the diversity of more complicated approaches that require full channel state information.
Restrictive policies of the mass media

Increasing numbers of news organizations have formal codes of ethics for their personnel. This paper looks at the content of media ethics codes, how these codes are written and what comprises a news organization's fixed value system. Results show that many written policies were devised in recent years, and a noticeable number of other news organizations said they have firmly established unwritten policies. The written codes represented in this survey clearly draw lines around certain activities and label them as acceptable or unacceptable for journalists. Teaching, unpaid appearances (such as on a television talk show), and participation in charitable activities are outside interests more acceptable than political activities in behalf of another person, or holding elected or appointed office. Certain activities which remain as unfinished business include: uniformity of enforcement, management ethics, financial interests, and spouse or friend conflict of interest.
An Integrative Approach to University Visual Identity and Reputation

This study focuses on the concepts of university identity and university reputation as they relate to a large private university in the Northeast United States. In the first part of the study, the concept of university identity was investigated. We used methodology to find the most distinctive visual identities of the university among students. In the follow-up study, the authors explored the concept of university reputation, using survey methodology. The implications of the study on the practice of branding – specifically, branding a university – are discussed.
The use of tryptophan depletion to evaluate central serotonin function in depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders

The results from these and other studies provide an opportunity to critically re-examine the role of brain monoamine function in the pathophysiology of depression and the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs. The following observations are most salient: 1. Tryptophan depletion, which reduces brain serotonin function, reverses the therapeutic effects of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) but not drugs which potently inhibit noradrenaline reuptake. In contrast, depletion of noradrenaline and dopamine, as a consequence of AMPT administration, reverses the remission induced by noradrenaline (desipramine) and dopamine (mazindol) reuptake inhibitors, but not SSRIs. These data suggest that the efficacy of antidepressant drugs may not be due to a common mechanism involving a single monoamine system. SSRIs and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors may work via primary actions on serotonin and noradrenaline function, respectively. Alternatively, these two classes of antidepressant drugs may exert their therapeutic properties by affecting the function of an, as yet, unknown neuronal system that is regulated by these monoamine systems; 2. In both drug-free depressed patients and healthy subjects, tryptophan depletion and AMPT do not produce marked alterations in depressed mood. These results suggest that alterations in serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline systems may not reflect the primary pathology causing depressive illness. An alternative explanation is that in depressed patients these systems are maximally dysfunctional such that further manipulations do not worsen depressive systems. 3. Clinical experience and the results from several controlled studies indicate that the efficacy of SSRIs and noradrenaline inhibiting drugs are approximately equal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)