cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cumulative summation (CUSUM) charts in the monitoring of hypospadias outcomes: A tool for quality improvement initiative

Abstract Objective Cumulative summation (CUSUM) charting is a statistical tool that allows an individual surgeon or surgical department to monitor any binary outcome and rapidly detect when complications are outside the acceptable limits. We applied CUSUM statistical analysis to hypospadias repair to utilize the results in our own quality Improvement process. Materials and methods An institutional review board-approved retrospective review of all patients who underwent hypospadias repair by a single fellowship trained pediatric urologist at a single institution between September 2004 to July 2009 was performed. To graphically represent the complication rates and to assess for unacceptable rates, the use of CUSUM control charting was employed. Results In our retrospective review, there were a total of 184 patients who underwent a total of 203 surgeries. Using CUSUM analysis, our incidence of major complications was within acceptable limits until approximately the first 150 operations had been performed, at which time the complication rate fell below the lower limit, indicating performance exceeded expectations. Conclusion CUSUM statistical charting was successfully applied to the retrospective monitoring of hypospadias outcomes at our institution. This is the first known publication in which CUSUM charts were used to evaluate complications of hypospadias repair.
Cosmopolitanism, the clash of civilizations and multiple modernities:

The article examines the three alternative conceptions of the emerging global order with special reference to the place and role of the world religions in that order. (1) Cosmopolitanism builds upo...
Laser micromachined isoelectric focusing devices on polymer substrate for electrospray mass spectrometry

A microfabricated device for isoelectric focusing (IEF) incorporating an optimized electrospray ionization (ESI) tip was constructed on polycarbonate plates using a laser micromachining technique. The separation channels on an IEF chip were 16 cm long, 50 micrometers wide and 30 micrometers deep. Electrical potentials used for IEF focusing and electrospray were applied through platinum electrodes placed in the buffer reservoirs, and which were isolated from the separation channel by molecular porous membranes. On-line ESI produced directly from a sharp `tip' on the microchip was evaluated. The results indicate that this design can produce a stable electrospray that is further improved and made more flexible with the assistance of sheath gas and sheath liquid. Error analysis of the spectral data shows that the standard deviation in signal intensity for an analyte peak was less than approximately 5% over 3 hours. The production of stable electrosprays directly from microchip IEF devices represents a step towards easily- fabricated microanalytical devices. IEF separations of protein mixtures were demonstrated for uncoated polycarbonate microchips. On-line IEF/ESI-MS was demonstrated using the microfabricated chip with an ion-trap ESI mass spectrometer for characterization of protein mixtures.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Coverage-, temperature-, and frequency-dependent broadband infrared reflectance change induced by CO adsorption on Pt(111)

Abstract We present an experimental study of the broadband IR reflectance change Δ R R induced by CO adsorption on a Pt(111) single crystal, over the frequency range 425–2800 cm −1 . CO's modification of the near-surface conductivity of the metal causes an increase in the absorption of light by the metal. Coverage-, temperature-, and frequency-dependent data are compared to a model of conduction electron scattering from randomly positioned adsorbates. The maximum magnitude of Δ R R , at room temperature and high frequency, is 0.28% ± 0.03%, a factor of three smaller than is observed for oxygen or CO on Cu(100). The scattering cross section per CO molecule is about 1 A 2 at low coverage. After increasing with coverage for low CO coverages, the magnitude of Δ R R peaks around a coverage of ϑ = 0.33 monolayers, and then decreases toward saturation coverage. Possible explanations for the nonmonotonic dependence include coherent scattering from a partially ordered overlayer or a coverage-dependent scattering cross section of the CO. The fractional reflectance change decreases when the temperature is lowered to 90 K, even though theory predicts an increase in ΔR because of the increase in the electron mean-free-path. We attribute the decrease in | Δ R R | to an increase in the clean-surface reflectance R , which is in agreement with theory. The frequency dependence is roughly consistent with predictions, but a rigorous test was not possible.
Development of a software tool for healthcare data interchange

Health Level 7 (HL7) continues to grow as the challenge of interchanging enterprise-wide healthcare data between heterogeneous systems is drawing more attention. However, many regional healthcare providers are still facing challenges in sharing data due to the different data structures, types, and definitions. This creates the need for a uniform data access framework to ensure portability between data coming from different providers. XML is a possible fit for this need as it allows developers to create their own data descriptions in a structured format. The goal of this project was to develop a software tool to facilitate electronic data interchange between healthcare providers by using XML as an intermediary between HL7 and healthcare databases.
CMGSDB: integrating heterogeneous Caenorhabditis elegans data sources using compositional data mining

CMGSDB (Database for Computational Modeling of Gene Silencing) is an integration of heterogeneous data sources about Caenorhabditis elegans with capabilities for compositional data mining (CDM) across diverse domains. Besides gene, protein and functional annotations, CMGSDB currently unifies information about 531 RNAi phenotypes obtained from heterogeneous databases using a hierarchical scheme. A phenotype browser at the CMGSDB website serves this hierarchy and relates phenotypes to other biological entities. The application of CDM to CMGSDB produces 'chains' of relationships in the data by finding two-way connections between sets of biological entities. Chains can, for example, relate the knock down of a set of genes during an RNAi experiment to the disruption of a pathway or specific gene expression through another set of genes not directly related to the former set. The web interface for CMGSDB is available at https://bioinformatics.cs.vt.edu/cmgs/CMGSDB/, and serves individual biological entity information as well as details of all chains computed by CDM.
Glycoprotein detection in polyacrylamide gel with thymol and sulfuric acid.

Glycoproteins in polyacrylamide gel were detected by a simple, sequential treatment consisting of washing, soaking in a thymol solution, and staining with sulfuric acid in ethanol. The method was selective and produced color in proportion to carbohydrate content.
Optimal taxation: Timber and externalities☆☆☆

Abstract The paper presents a model of the relationship between timber taxation and externalities. Optimal pigouvian taxation formulas are derived within this framework for common taxes. A simulation model of Douglas fir is used to estimate the size and direction of these effects. The results show that taxation policy can have a marked impact on the production of externalities, depending on tree species and land productivity.
Persuasion, psychology and public choice

Abstract There has been a division of labor in the “behavioral sciences”. This is perhaps most striking in two of the largest behavioral disciplines, economics and psychology. Since 1990, a number of economists have crossed this boundary. But James Buchanan was one of the first economists to take the problem of moral intuitions and the origins of preferences seriously, and to treat them analytically.
Predictors of mortality in alcoholic women: prospective follow-up study

An 11-year follow-up of 100 alcoholic women who were systematically interviewed and diagnosed during hospitalization found 31% dead, the majority as a result of alcohol-related causes. There were over 4 times as many deaths in alcoholic women as expected in the general population. The life span of alcoholic women was shortened by over 15 years. Only those women who had abstained during the interval following hospitalization had fewer than expected deaths. Five variables correctly predicted survival status for 79% of the subjects (80% of survivors and 77% of those who died): older age at index, onset of alcoholism before age 30, history of frequent benders, primary diagnosis of antisocial personality, and short-term drinking status. Language: en
Cracking the fungal armor.

Fungal cell-wall polymers are potent stimulators of immune responses. New findings reveal that fungi shield inflammatory cell-wall polysaccharides from immune recognition, a process that is disrupted by an antifungal compound.
Attenuated oxygen sensifitivy after prenatal nicotine exposure-evidence for a dopaminergic mechanism. † 1797

Maternal smoking is associated with the sudden infant death syndrome. Exposure to nicotine or tobacco smoke impairs hypoxic defense mechanisms in young animals and human infants. Nicotine enhances the release of the neuromodulator dopamine (DA) in the brain. Increased DA content in the carotid bodies (CB), and in the brain stem (BS) attenuates the ventilatory responses to changes in FiO2. The study hypothesis was that antenatal nicotine exposure during the last trimester decreases ventilatory responses to changes in FiO2 through a dopaminergic mechanism in CB or BS. Subjects& Methods: Hyperoxic tests (change in minute ventilation (Vdot1) to FiO2 1.0 for 10 sec or 5 breaths) were performed in 3 groups of awake, 3-14 d old lambs: 8 controls (CTRL), 6 prenatally nicotine treated (PT) and 6 pre- and postnatally treated (PPT) by implanted minipumps. Hyperoxic tests were performed during infusion of a) saline, b) domperidone (domp), a DA2 receptor blocker in CB or c) SCH 23390, a DA1 receptor blocker in the BS.
Transport Activity and Surface Expression of the Na+-Ca2+ Exchanger NCX1 Are Inhibited by the Immunosuppressive Agent Cyclosporin A and by the Nonimmunosuppressive Agent PSC833

Cyclosporin A (CsA) treatment of HEK 293 cells expressing the rat heart RHE-1 (NCX1.1, EMBL accession number ) or the rat brain RBE-2 (NCX1.5, GenBank(TM) accession number ) Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger inhibited their transport activity in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibition was detectable at 2 microm CsA, and exposure of the cells to 20 microm CsA resulted in a decrease of the Na(+)-dependent Ca(2+) uptake to about 20% relative to that of untreated cells. Determination of the surface expression of the exchanger protein revealed a parallel concentration-dependent reduction in the amount of the immunoreactive protein. No reduction was detected in the amount of total immunoreactive exchanger protein in CsA-treated cells relative to untreated ones. Among the different drugs tested, only PSC833, an analog of cyclosporin D, mimicked the effects of CsA. Exposure of the transfected cells to the chemically related cyclosporin D and macrolide drugs (FK506 or rapamycin) had no effect on the transport activity or the surface expression of the Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger. Co-expression of the human multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein (of which both drugs are modulators) with the cloned Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger revealed that transport activity and surface expression of each transporter in the co-transfected system were similar to those of each transporter alone in both the presence and absence of CsA or PSC833. CsA and PSC833 inhibited the surface expression of the NCX1 protein but did not alter the surface expression of P-glycoprotein. Unlike some P-glycoprotein endoplasmic reticulum-retained mutants (Loo, T. W., and Clarke, D. M. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 709-712), CsA did not rescue RBE-2/F913-->Stop, an endoplasmic reticulum-retained function-competent mutant of the Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger (Kasir, J., Ren, X., Furman, I., and Rahamimoff, H. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 24873-24880) and did not induce its kinesis to the surface membrane, further demonstrating molecular differences between P-glycoprotein and NCX1 mutants for interaction with CsA.
A modified model for predicting the performance of a compact artificial kidney.

Abstract A modified urea transfer model is presented in this work for predicting the urea removal in a compact artificial kidney. The modified model represents a departure from the previous one in two aspects. A simpler plug flow equation instead of a general dispersion one is employed for describing the urea transport in the blood flow. This is justified by the rather large Peclet number for the present system. Furthermore, the internal and external urea diffusion resistances in the microencapsulated urease particle are incorporated into the urea balance equations in this work. Results of numerical simulation indicate that the urea diffusion resistances play a dominating role in the determination of urea removal from the artificial kidney. Effects of other physical parameters, such as the urea concentration in microencapsule, the membrane thickness and the partition coefficient between the membrane and the urease solution, on the performance of the artificial kidney are found to be of less significance.
Influence of prenatal and postnatal lead exposure on discrimination learning in rats.

Abstract The animals in this study were the offspring of dams, who, from 21–99 days of age, were exposed to 1000 mg/kg of lead acetate via a daily restricted watering schedule with exposure continuing throughout gestation and nursing. Control dams received distilled water under the same watering schedule. Offspring were weared at 21 days of age and did not receive lead treatment from that point. Testing began at 30 days of age with animals receiving 10 trials/day for 10 days on a brightness discrimination task conducted in a water-escape T-maze. This task was followed by a shape discrimination problem in the same apparatus. Analysis of results revealed that the lead-exposed pups made significantly more errors than the controls but had significantly shorter swimming times on both the brightness and shape discrimination tasks. The failure to attend to relevant discriminative cues may account for the observed deficits in lead-exposed animals.
Adult presentation of giant retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma: Case report

This case describes the rare presentation of a retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma in a 35 year old female patient. The lymphangioma ultimately progressed to the point of inducing clinical symptoms, thus requiring surgical removal - which was accomplished without incident. The relevant clinical pictures are included for educational value.
Large-scale atomistic study of core structures and energetics of dislocations in hexagonal close packed metals

Using two different kinds of many-body potentials as well as the Lennard-Jones potential for hexagonal close packed metals, we have found that c +a edge dislocations with dislocation lines along 1 00 can split onto the basal plane, forming a non-planar sessile structure. The `type I' undissociated dislocation core, observed in previous papers, is shown to be stable only for small simulations. The observed dissociated core structure has a large distorted region that we interpret as a (11 1) twin nucleus, which may help the formation of (11 1) tension twins. We also find that this core structure is lower in energy than the previously observed glissile `type II' configuration, dissociated on the (11 2) plane. The sessile splitting of the core gives rise to non-Schmid behaviour, with the twin nucleus expanding under c -axis tension, and contracting under compression.
Effect of fouling on stability of adiabatic packed bed reactors

The effect of catalyst fouling on the stability and operation of adiabatic packed bed reactors was investigated for two poisoning mechanisms. The effect of fouling was found to be most predominant for packed beds in which nonunique pseudo steady states can exist. Fouling may cause the reactor to misbehave suddenly, with a violent temperature rise, after a long period of pacific operation.
Aerosol synthesis of porous particles using simple salts as a pore template.

Ultrasonic spray pyrolysis has been used as a facile aerosol route to macroporous SiO2 particles using simple inorganic salts as a pore template and colloidal SiO2 as building blocks to the larger porous particles. As we found, the use of template salts with low melting points was vital to macroporous particle synthesis, as a dynamic droplet phase can be maintained throughout product formation. Otherwise, relatively compact particles are produced. Significantly, this approach avoids the need for post-isolation elimination of the template, instead permitting aqueous removal during product collection. Produced particles were characterized by SEM, TEM, and surface area and pore size measurements, while the influence of the selected salts on the reactivity between the building block SiO2 colloids is discussed.
Strategies for Radiology Reporting and Communication Part 3: Patient Communication and Education

Changes in healthcare technology, economics, legislation, and societal expectations have collectively altered medical service delivery and communication. At the forefront of these changes is the patient who has become increasingly empowered and is now demanding greater access to their healthcare data and involvement in decision-making [1–3]. While radiology practice has traditionally limited communication of medical imaging report data between radiologists and referring clinicians, increasing emphasis is being placed on direct radiologist–patient communication, which has been mandated in breast imaging with the passage of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) [4]. While radiology literature is replete with calls for obligatory communication of radiology report findings to patients [5–8], no practical solution has been offered to address the resulting workflow and workload challenges such communication requirements would entail if allocated to the interpreting radiologist. The existing communication paradigm used for MQSA mandates has largely delegated responsibilities to radiology department clerical staff, which in effect serve as proxies for the radiologist. The principle method of communication currently used is analog—with the use of standardized letters mailed to patients by certified mail (in order to document receipt), notifying them of the clinical significance and follow-up recommendations contained within the radiology report. While this approach serves to minimize radiologist workload, it does not address current economic, clinical, and educational deficiencies. If one was to attempt to expand the current radiology report communication model to include all medical imaging exams, existing deficiencies would become exponentially magnified and likely result in failure. The solution therefore is not to give up on the intended goal of improved and expanded patient communication, but instead creating a new communication model which effectively leverages computerized technologies for enhanced automation, data integration, operational efficiency, and workflow optimization.
Strategy-Proofness versus Efficiency in Exchange Economies: General Domain Properties and Applications

We identify general domain properties that induce the non-existence of efficient, strategy-proof, and non-dictatorial rules in the 2-agent exchange economy. Applying these properties, we establish impossibility results in several restricted domains; for example, the intertemporal exchange problem (without saving technology) with preferences represented by the discounted sum of a temporal utility function, the “risk sharing problem” with risk averse expected utility preferences, the CES-preference domain, etc. None of the earlier studies applies to these examples.
Let's start at the very beginning: addressing the goal of service to the community.

All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.12.005 A cademic medical centers often are located in urban areas, and a proportion of their patients may live in the shadow of these institutions. Unfortunately, the children in those cities often are, paradoxically, medically underserved, as well as challenged by poor schools, unsafe neighborhoods, and a variety of other threats to their health and well-being. As one of those cities, Baltimore can be a challenging urban environment for children, and West Baltimore, the location of the University of Maryland Medical Center, is no exception. In Baltimore, many indicators of child health are concerning, including the teen birth rate (64.4/100 000 in 2011 vs 31.3/100 000 nationally) and the infant mortality rate (13.4/100 000 in 2009 vs 6.39/100 000 nationally). Caring for the local children should be a priority of the institutions that dominate the landscape, but, for many historical reasons, that has not always been the case. Many academic pediatric departments have successfully become integral parts of their local communities, and looking to their examples is instructive. One of the best examples of true community-based pediatrics emanating from an academic department comes from the University of Rochester. The department, led by Robert Haggerty, MD, stated as its mission to address the health of children in a defined area, and then conducted a needs assessment to determine the major health concerns among its citizens with regard to their children. They took advantage of opportunities that were presented in real time, paid close attention to measurable outcomes, such as hospitalization rates in children served by their inner-city community health center, andworked across disciplines to address the children’s needs. They incorporated all of this into their training program so that their residency graduates would be more likely to continue such efforts in their own careers. These steps mirror the four pillars of “the bridge from bedside to neighborhood” described by Sanders et al: (1) collaboration with the community in defining a specific short-term goal; (2) identification of best practices in achieving that goal; (3) collaboration with the community to adapt the best practices to their local needs; and (4) evaluation of the intervention using appropriate measures. Although efforts such as those at Rochester are inspiring, they are also daunting. For a department of pediatrics that has not historically had a large presence in its local community, how does one even begin? The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland decided to take the challenge, and has begun several efforts that might provide ideas for other departments or institutions with similar dilemmas.
Phase diagram for the dimerizing hard-core Yukawa fluid

The liquid-gas phase diagram for the dimerizing hard-core Yukawa fluid is calculated. The model consists of the one-site hard-sphere dimerizing model of Wertheim with an additional Yukawa attraction included into the nonassociating part of the interaction. The thermodynamic properties of the model are obtained from the analytical solution of the associative mean spherical approximation. Predictions of the theory are consistent with qualitative trends in the behaviour of the phase equilibrium of associating liquids.
Spectral aerosol radiative forcing at the surface during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX)

[1] We describe a radiation experiment performed at the Kaashidhoo Climate Observatory (KCO), Republic of Maldives, during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) field campaign in February through March 1999. Both the total solar broadband (0.3 to 3.81 μm) and visible spectral narrowband (seven spectral channels in the region from 0.4 to 0.7 μm) quantities were measured for the total (hemispherical), direct solar, and diffuse (including forward scattering) components of the radiation field. The aerosol optical depth at 500 nm, obtained from one of the narrrowband spectral channels, ranged from approximately 0.2 to 0.7 during the period encompassing the intensive field phase (IFP) of INDOEX. The diurnally averaged atmospheric forcing efficiencies determined for the total solar broadband and visible spectrum are −72.2 ± 5.5 W m−2 and −38.5 ± 4.0 W m−2, respectively. Model simulations driven by in situ measurements and realistic aerosol optical properties infer a single scattering albedo of 0.874 ± 0.028 at 500 nm.
God-Mediated Control and Psychological Well-Being in Late Life:

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between feelings of God-mediated control and psychological well-being in a nationally representative sample of older adults. In the process, race differences in the relationship between God-mediated control and well-being are evaluated. The findings reveal that older people with a strong sense of God-mediated control tend to have greater life satisfaction, more optimism, a higher sense of self-worth, and lower levels of death anxiety. Pervasive race differences also emerged from the data. Specifically, older Blacks reported higher levels of God-mediated control than older Whites. In addition, the relationship between God-mediated control and all the well-being outcome measures was stronger for older Blacks than older Whites.
The Effects of Spirituality and Religiosity on Child Neglect in Substance Use Disorder Families.

ABSTRACT The role of spirituality and religiosity in neglect etiology is unknown. Further, the effects of these factors may be influenced by existing familial substance use disorder (SUD). This study examined the role of spirituality as conceptualized multidimensionally, in parental child neglect. A sample of 100 (40 SUD; 60 Control) intact families were given measures of spirituality, religiosity, and multiperspective measures of child neglect. Results demonstrated significant direct protective effects for both paternal and maternal neglect of several religious and spiritual dimensions. Interestingly, several other spirituality dimensions were significant risk factors for child neglect. Discussion of implications is included.
Mission Planning for Space-Based Surveillance with the Space-Based Visible Sensor

The Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) satellite was built and launched to make phenomenologicalmeasurements of backgrounds in space and targets under realistic scenarios. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lincoln Laboratory built a broadbandvisible wavelength sensor called the Space-Based Visible (SBV) sensor that is on the satellite. The primary motivation for the SBV sensor has been to demonstrate surveillance of satellites from a space-based platform.Historically, space surveillance has been conducted from ground-based sensors. The satellite was primarily designed for experiments with a long lead time for planning. However, it was essential to retain the  exibility to plan the actual space surveillance data collection events at the daily level while still abiding by the six-week planning cycle. Additionally, the system had to be automated to reduce the operational cost. Signi cant challenges were the design of a language for experiment design, the monitoring of the resource cost of experiments, and the signi cant pointing constraints on the satellite. The mission planning system that was set up for space surveillance experiments and its operational success are described.
An unsupervised hierarchical clustering based heuristic algorithm for facilitated training of electricity consumption disaggregation systems

Provision of training data sets is one of the core requirements for event-based supervised NILM (Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring) algorithms. Due to diversity in appliances' technologies, in-situ training by users is often required. This process might require continuous user-interaction to ensure that a high quality training data set is provided. Pre-populating a training data set could potentially reduce the need for user-system interaction. In this study, a heuristic unsupervised clustering algorithm is presented and evaluated to enable autonomous partitioning of appliances signature space (i.e. feature space) for applications in electricity consumption disaggregation. The algorithm is based on hierarchical clustering and uses the characteristics of a cluster binary tree to determine the distance threshold for pruning the tree without a priori information. The algorithm determines the partition of a feature space recursively to account for multi-scale nature of the binary cluster tree. Evaluation of the algorithm was carried out using metrics for accuracy and cluster quality (proposed in this study) on a fully labeled data set that was collected and processed in a real residential setting. The algorithm performance in accurate partitioning of the feature space and the effect of different feature extraction techniques were presented and discussed.
Commissioning of the ion beam buncher and cooler for LEBIT

A radiofrequency-quadrupole ion accumulator and buncher has been set-up for the low-energy-beam and ion-trap (LEBIT) facility, which is in its final commissioning phase at the NSCL/MSU. The buncher is a cryogenic system with separated cooling and accumulation stages, optimized for excellent beam quality and high performance. The completed set-up of the LEBIT ion buncher is presented as well as first experimental results on pulse forming and beam properties.
Laboratory testing for HER2/neu in breast carcinoma: an evolving strategy to predict response to targeted therapy.

Laboratory testing of HER2/neu in breast carcinoma has become vital to patient care following the approval of trastuzumab as the first therapy to target the HER2/neu oncoprotein. Initial clinical trials used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to test for HER2/neu overexpression in order to select patients for therapy. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), which tests for gene amplification, is more specific and sensitive than IHC when either assay is compared with HER2/neu overexpression as determined by Northern or Western blot analysis. Many weak overexpressors on IHC testing are not gene amplified on FISH analysis. Such weak overexpressors may be considered false-positives and raise the question of how best to test for HER2/neu.The literature was surveyed regarding testing for HER2/neu overexpression in breast carcinomas and alternative testing strategies.False-positive results are a significant problem when IHC is exclusively used to test for HER2/neu overexpression. The false-positives are overwhelmingly confined to the group of 2+ positives and do not respond to targeted therapy. In contrast, concordance between IHC and FISH is high when immunostaining is interpreted as either negative or strongly positive (3+). Whereas some recent studies have suggested that FISH may better predict response to anti-HER2/neu therapy than IHC, others have indicated that IHC is as effective a predictor as FISH. IHC is less technically demanding and costly than FISH.IHC analysis of HER2/neu in breast carcinoma is a useful predictor of response to therapy with trastuzumab when strongly positive. Negative immunostaining is highly concordant with a lack of gene amplification by FISH. Most weakly positive overexpressors are false-positives on testing with FISH. Thus, screening of breast carcinomas with IHC and confirmation of weakly positive IHC results by FISH is an effective evolving strategy for testing HER2/neu as a predictor of response to targeted therapy.
Firm size, strategic advantage, and profit rates in US retailing

Abstract Recent industrial economics and marketing strategy literature focuses on the importance of firm size in explaining cross-sectional variations in profit rate. Porter (Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, Free Press, New York, 1985; and Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, Free Press, New York, 1998) argues that advantages accrue to large and small firms, while mid-sized rivals often find themselves “stuck in the middle”. For the general merchandize, apparel and restaurant industries, estimation of a cubic relationship between firm size and return on assets reveals the positive, negative, positive pattern for the linear, squared and cubed firm size terms that is consistent with Porter's hypothesis. Moreover, model coefficients indicate an increased dominance of large firms in certain retail markets.
Dynamics and control of an electro-hydraulic fully flexible valve actuation system

As the internal combustion engine moves into the 21/sup st/ century, fully flexible valve actuation (FFVA) systems are being proposed as an enabling technology for advanced internal combustion engine concepts. This paper focuses on exploring the dynamics and control of an electro-hydraulic fully flexible valve actuation system. Challenges and approaches for developing variable valve actuation systems are first outlined and discussed. Dynamic model of the electro-hydraulic actuator was obtained based on experimental data. A robust repetitive controller is then designed and implemented using a dSpace system. We are able to achieve valve profile tracking errors within 140 microns for a 9.5 mm lift at engine speed up to 3000 rpm. To demonstrate the flexibility and robustness of the system, we show real-time valve-lift profiles used to explore advanced combustion technologies.
A New Perspective on the Biology of C-Reactive Protein

See related article, pages 690–697 C-reactive protein (CRP), composed of 5 23-kDa subunits, was traditionally viewed as one of the acute phase reactants.1 More recently, CRP has risen in statue to subsume the role of the “best” marker of inflammation useful in the prediction of future cardiovascular risks.2 However, the clinical utility of CRP measurement in cardiovascular risk prediction is still not well defined. Furthermore, there is an intense debate on whether CRP is merely a marker of inflammation or a direct participant.1 The finding reported by Dr Janos Filep’s group in this issue of Circulation Research provides additional insights into the current CRP debate.3 In this editorial, I will focus my discussion on 2 main issues. Where is CRP produced? And, is CRP biologically active? CRP was traditionally thought to be produced by the liver in response to inflammatory cytokines. Several recent studies, however, clearly showed that CRP can be produced by nonhepatic tissues. Two studies have shown that both epithelial cells of the respiratory tract and renal epithelium can produce CRP under certain circumstances.4,5 Moreover, neuronal cells also seem to be capable of synthesizing acute phase reactants involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer disease.6 These new sources of CRP production pointed to a more systemic generation of CRP in our body. However, these new sources provided only tenuous link to atherosclerosis. CRP has been shown to colocalize with the terminal complement …
Thermal activation and switching in c-axis aligned barium ferrite thin film media

The thermal activation volume and the magnetic switching volume were measured in c-axis uniaxially in-plane oriented barium hexaferrite thin film magnetic recording media. Excellent agreement among the experimental data obtained independently from the magnetic viscosity measurements and the measurements of the time dependence of coercivity implies that the thermally driven process is the cause of both phenomena. The presence of incoherent switching during magnetization reversal is indicated by the in-plane angular dependence of coercivity and is believed to cause the much smaller activation volume and switching volume than the grain size as determined from a TEM micrograph.
Instinct-Based Mating in Genetic Algorithms Applied to the Tuning of 1-NN Classifiers

The behavior of the genetic algorithm (GA), a popular approach to search and optimization problems, is known to depend, among other factors, on the fitness function formula, the recombination operator, and the mutation operator. What has received less attention is the impact of the mating strategy that selects the chromosomes to be paired for recombination. Existing GA implementations mostly choose them probabilistically, according to their fitness function values, but we show that more sophisticated mating strategies can not only accelerate the search, but perhaps even improve the quality of the GA-generated solution. In our implementation, we took inspiration from the "opposites-attract” principle that is so common in nature. As a testbed, we chose the problem of 1-NN classifier tuning where genetic solutions have been employed before, and are thus well-understood by the research community. We propose three "instinct-based” mating strategies and experimentally investigate their behaviors.
A PC-based educational tool for teaching the design of electric and magnetic portions of power transformers

The authors describe a single-phase transformer design suitable for classroom use. The scope of this design is limited to the specification for the core and coils of the transformer. Both shell and core configured transformers are designed in the present work. A computer program has been developed for the purpose of illustrating the design procedure and demonstrating how it works. The software is interactive and can be used with ease. >
A New Model to Calculate Friction Coefficients and Shear Stresses in Thermal Drilling

A new analytical model for thermal drilling (also known as friction drilling) has been developed. The model distinguishes itself from recent work of other investigators by improving on two aspects: (1) the new model defines material plastic flow in terms of the yield in shear rather than the yield in compression, and (2) it uses a single, variable friction coefficient instead of assuming two unrelated friction coefficients in fixed values. The time dependence of the shear stress and friction coefficient at the hole walls, which cannot be measured directly in thermal drilling, can be calculated using this model from experimentally measured values of the instantaneous thrust force and torque. Good matches between the calculated shear strengths and the handbook values for thermally drilling low carbon steel confirm the model’s validity.
Of truth and pathways: chasing bits of information through myriads of articles

Knowledge on interactions between molecules in living cells is indispensable for theoretical analysis and practical applications in modern genomics and molecular biology. Building such networks relies on the assumption that the correct molecular interactions are known or can be identified by reading a few research articles. However, this assumption does not necessarily hold, as truth is rather an emerging property based on many potentially conflicting facts. This paper explores the processes of knowledge generation and publishing in the molecular biology literature using modelling and analysis of real molecular interaction data. The data analysed in this article were automatically extracted from 50000 research articles in molecular biology using a computer system called GeneWays containing a natural language processing module. The paper indicates that truthfulness of statements is associated in the minds of scientists with the relative importance (connectedness) of substances under study, revealing a potential selection bias in the reporting of research results. Aiming at understanding the statistical properties of the life cycle of biological facts reported in research articles, we formulate a stochastic model describing generation and propagation of knowledge about molecular interactions through scientific publications. We hope that in the future such a model can be useful for automatically producing consensus views of molecular interaction data.
Molecular phylogeny of the antiangiogenic and neurotrophic serpin, pigment epithelium derived factor in vertebrates

Pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF), a member of the serpin family, regulates cell proliferation, promotes survival of neurons, and blocks growth of new blood vessels in mammals. Defining the molecular phylogeny of PEDF by bioinformatic analysis is one approach to understanding the link between its gene structure and its function in these biological processes. From a comprehensive search of available DNA databases we identified a single PEDF gene in all vertebrate species examined. These included four mammalian and six non-mammalian vertebrate species in which PEDF had not previously been described. A five gene cluster around PEDF was found in an approximate 100 kb region in mammals, birds, and amphibians. In ray-finned fish these genes are scattered over three chromosomes although only one PEDF gene was consistently found. The PEDF gene is absent in invertebrates including Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster), Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), and sea squirt (C. intestinalis). The PEDF gene is transcribed in all vertebrate phyla, suggesting it is biologically active throughout vertebrate evolution. The multiple actions of PEDF are likely conserved in evolution since it has the same gene structure across phyla, although the size of the gene ranges from 48.3 kb in X. tropicalis to 2.9 kb in fugu, with human PEDF at a size of 15.6 kb. A strong similarity in the proximal 200 bp of the PEDF promoter in mammals suggests the existence of a possible regulatory region across phyla. Using a non-synonymous/synonymous substitution rate ratio we show that mammalian and fish PEDFs have similar ratios of <0.13, reflecting a strong purifying selection of PEDF gene. A large number of repetitive transposable elements of the SINE and LINE class were found with random distribution in both the promoter and introns of mammalian PEDF. The PEDF gene first appears in vertebrates and our studies suggest that the regulation and biological actions of this gene are preserved across vertebrates. This comprehensive analysis of the PEDF gene across phyla provides new information that will aid further characterization of common functional motifs of this serpin in biological processes.
Custom Made Versus Ready to Wear Treatments; Behavioral Propensities in PhysicianAS Choices

To customize treatments to individual patients entails costs of coordination and cognition. Thus, providers sometimes choose treatments based on norms for broad classes of patients. We develop behavioral hypotheses explaining when and why doctors customize to the particular patient, and when instead they employ "ready-to-wear" treatments. Our empirical studies examining length of office visits and physician prescribing behavior find evidence of norm-following behavior. Some such behavior, from our studies and from the literature, proves sensible; but other behavior seems far from optimal.
Acoustic sensing using radio frequency detection and capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers

Broadband acoustic sensing over several decades of frequency has traditionally been difficult to achieve. Conventional condenser and electret microphones depend on membrane and cavity resonances to achieve their maximum sensitivity. However, such resonant phenomena are inherently narrowband and limit the applicable frequency range of the acoustic sensor. New microphones using capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) technology and radio frequency (RF) detection achieve a relatively flat acoustic frequency response from frequencies below one hertz to hundreds of kilohertz. In this detection method, a high-frequency carrier signal is launched down a capacitively-loaded transmission line consisting of capacitive micromachined membranes and interconnects. The resulting phase modulation of the carrier due to impinging sound pressure can be measured. Preliminary experiments demonstrate microphone sensitivities of 50 dB/Pa/Hz/spl plusmn/3 dB over a frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 300 kHz. Calculations reveal that sensitivities on the order of 100 dB/Pa/Hz greater than the sensitivity of the human ear, may be possible with a 1 cm/sup 2/ device and a carrier frequency of several gigahertz.
Preoperative Assessment of Chest Wall Deformities

Anterior chest wall anomalies vary by age at presentation, signs, and symptoms as well as evaluation and subsequent surgical treatment. The most common abnormalities include pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum, and Poland syndrome.
Hotlist or Bibliography? A Case of Genre on the Web

Bibliography — the collection, description, and arrangement of information items — is a vibrant activity and a popular form of expression on the internet. Yet, fashionable forms of list making are rarely, if ever, considered bibliography. This is a missed opportunity. In this paper, we examine how the traditions of bibliography and collection development can be used to inform the creation of genre support systems and to inform evaluation of a research into bibliographies. Then, we extend the traditional view of bibliography for the internet and show how this new definition can be used to clarify new systems. This work is a small step towards reinvigorating the practices of bibliography and applying its conceptual power to clarify and undergird information systems for selecting, arranging, and accessing links.
A NEGLECTED ASPECT OF FORWARD EXCHANGE THEORY AND POLICY

THERE EXISTS A LONG list of publications dealing with the subject of forward exchange rates.' Practically all these writings, starting with the pioneering work of Keynes and Einzig in the thirties, were prompted by the potential usefulness of forward exchange policy in meeting two problems of international finance, which have begun to become increasingly bothersome in the sixties. These two problems are the speculative runs on exchanges and the excessive flow of interest arbitrage funds between countries whose interest rates are pegged for the attainment of a maximum degree of domestic stability. Practically all academic writers reached the conclusion that forward exchange policy is indeed a useful tool in the struggle to combat purely speculative runs on currencies and alleviate the dilemma associated with the pegging of interest rates for domestic
History of manic and hypomanic episodes and risk of incident cardiovascular disease: 11.5 year follow-up from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study

Background While several studies have suggested that bipolar disorder may elevate risk of cardiovascular disease, few studies have examined the relationship between mania or hypomania and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study is to examine history of manic and hypomanic episodes as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) during an 11.5 year follow-up of the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Follow-up Study.
The Monitoring Method of Driver's Fatigue Based on Neural Network

This paper presents a new method of detecting driver's alertness level and fatigue. The system incorporates a function for detecting the positions of the driver's eyes and mouth from the entire facial image and a function for detecting drowsy driving by monitoring changes both in the open or closed state of the eyes and mouth by using their feature points. Put all the feature points into BP neural networks, adopts area matching arithmetic to recognize driver's alertness level, fatigue monitor system can recognize that the driver is in decreased alertness state when he/she yawns more times than normal, then the system gives off alarm signal, and awakes the driver; the system can also recognize that the driver is in drowsy state when driver's eyes blink frequency is lower than standard value, then it gives sharp alarm signal to wake the driver up. It has the characteristic of real time, accuracy. The detection performance of the system was evaluated in laboratory tests and actual driving tests using the alertness index as the criterion. Software was devised for adapting a drowsy driving detection system. Test results confirmed that the effectiveness of an algorithm for detecting drowsy driving on the basis of BP neural network was verified in laboratory tests and driving tests. The recognise accuracy rate reaches to 91.8%. This driver fatigue monitoring system has significant effect to reduce traffic accident.