cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brainstem lesions in neurofibromatosis type 1.

OBJECTIVE: The presence of multiple, nonenhancihg areas of hyperintensity without mass effect are well recognized on magnetic resonance imaging scans in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Focal regions of brainstem enlargement with or without contrast enhancement are considerably less frequent; the neurbimaging characteristics and natural history of these lesions in patients with NF1 are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to define the clinical and radiographic course of brainstem lesions in children with NF1. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the neuroiniaging studies of all patients with "NPT between 2000 and 2006 to determine the prevalence of brainstem lesions. Clinical features, previous treatments, and neuroimaging studies of the brainstem lesions were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 125 patients underwent neuroimaging studies; of these, 23 patients (1 8.4%) showed evidence of brainstem mass lesions and had follow-up magnetic resonance imaging scans available for review. Eight patients in this cohort received additional treatment with surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Of these, two patients under-went surgery for lesions distant from the brairistem, and six patients underwent treatment that included the brainstem and were thought to potentially affect the natural history or progression of the brainstem abnormality. With a median follow-up period of 67 months for untreated patients (17 out of 23) and 102 months for patients who received therapy (six out of 23), only one previously untreated patient experienced radiographic and clinical progression. All patients but one remain alive. CONCLUSION: We conclude that brain Stem lesions s. inNFilare prevalent and behave in a biologically indolent nature; most do not require therapeutic intervention.
‘Oh, those therapists will become your best friends’: maternal satisfaction with clinics providing physical, occupational and speech therapy services to children with disabilities

Little is known about maternal satisfaction with clinics that provide physical, occupational and speech therapy services to chronically impaired children. Because of the frequency and duration of contact between mothers and therapy clinics, this represents a significant gap in the literature on satisfaction with health care providers. This study uses a modified labelling approach to the issue of interactions between the own, the wise and the others as a framework for understanding such satisfaction. Data are drawn from a survey of 81 mothers of children regularly treated at one of three paediatric therapy clinics, and from extensive interactive interviews with seven of these mothers. Findings suggest that satisfaction with therapy clinics is a complex phenomenon that is affected by the relationships among mothers, the wise and others, in a number of ways: (1) Mothers who find it easier to interact with wise individuals than with others are more satisfied with the therapy clinic; (2) The perceived quality of the social environment is more important to overall satisfaction among mothers who do not prefer interactions with wise individuals than among those who do; (3) Among mothers who do not prefer interactions with wise individuals, perceived stigma is inversely related to overall satisfaction and moderates the relationship between the social environment and satisfaction. The greater the degree of perceived stigma, the more important the social environment of the clinic is to overall satisfaction among mothers who do not prefer interactions with the wise.
l-Dopa inhibits metoclopramide stimulation of the lower esophageal sphincter in man

Opossum lower esophageal sphincter smooth muscle contains inhibitory dopaminergic receptors. Since metoclopramide is a dopaminergic antagonist in many experimental situations, the present study was designed to investigate whether this mechanism could explain the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) stimulating action of metoclopramide in man. The interactions of (1) orall-dopa, a dopamine precursor, and metoclopramide; and (2)l-dopa and the cholinergic agent, bethanechol, on lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) in normal subjects were examined. Orall-dopa significantly inhibited LESP response to either oral metoclopramide 20 mg (P<0.05), or intravenous metoclopramide 20 mg (P<0.05). In contrast,l-dopa did not inhibit the LESP response to subcutaneous bethanechol (0.07 mg/kg). Mean basal LESP measured 50 min after ingestion of 1000 mgl-dopa, 19.3±3.1 mm Hg, was significantly less than basal LESP afterl-dopa placebo, 29.3±4 mm Hg (P<0.01). It is concluded that (1)l-dopa inhibited the metoclopramide-induced rise in LESP but not peak stimulation of LESP by bethanechol; (2) there is evidence for the possibility of LES dopaminergic inhibitory receptors in man; and (3) these data are consistent with the hypothesis that metoclopramide acts on the LES by blocking a dopaminergic pressure-lowering mechanism.
Treating thermally injured children suffering symptoms of acute stress with imipramine and fluoxetine: a randomized, double-blind study.

Abstract Introduction . For pediatric burn patients with the symptoms of acute stress disorder (ASD) a first line medication is not widely agreed upon. A prospective, randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind design was used to test the efficacy of imipramine and fluoxetine. Method . Patients 4–18 years of age with symptoms of ASD were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: imipramine, fluoxetine, or placebo for 1 week. Daily imipramine dose was 1 mg/kg, with the maximum dose being 100 mg. Daily fluoxetine dose was 5 mg for children weighing ≥40 kg; 10 mg for those weighing between 40 and 60 kg; 20 mg for those weighing >60 kg. Results . Sixty participants, 16 females and 44 males, had an average body surface area burn of 53% (S.D. = 18) and average age of 11 years (S.D. = 4). Imipramine subjects received an average daily dose of 1.00 ± 0.29 mg/kg. Fluoxetine subjects received an average daily dose of 0.29 ± 0.16 mg/kg. Between group differences were not detected. Fifty-five percent responded positively to placebo; 60% responded positively to imipramine; and 72% responded positively to fluoxetine. Conclusion . Within the parameters of this study design and sample, placebo was statistically as effective as either drug in treating symptoms of ASD.
Magnetic and structural properties of MnAl/Ag granular thin films with L10 structure

Abstract MnAl/Ag granular thin films with the L1 0 structure have been prepared by sputtering MnAl/Ag peusdo-multilayer precursors at a temperature around 200 °C. The effects of the bilayer thicknesses and post-annealing heat treatment on the particle structure, microstructure and magnetic properties were investigated.
COMMUNITAS AND THE PROBLEM OF WOMEN

AbstractFrom its earliest beginnings, political thought has grappled with the problem of those who both do and do not belong to the city, those who cannot be exactly included or excluded, that is to say, with the problem of difference. Most often this emerges first as the problem of what to do with women. Communitas is an intense engagement with central figures in the history of political thought – Augustine, Hobbes, Rousseau – but also a remarkably efficient avoidance of women and difference. Even as he deals with Augustine, who cannot stop discussing begetting and desire, and Hobbes, who insists on the maternal right of nature, Esposito's attention remains fixed on the fraternal violence rather than parental sex as the founding of community, and the result is a strangely phallic work.
Hot electrons on liquid helium

Using a model of electrons trapped in image-potential-induced surface states, I have calculated the mobility of electrons moving parallel to the liquid surface in high electric fields. To obtain agreement with experiment, it is necessary to include a large number of quantum levels of the electron motion perpendicular to the liquid surface. As the electrons are heated by the electric field they populate these higher states.
Time course of the reaction of glial fibers in the somatosensory thalamus after lesions in the dorsal column nuclei.

These experiments were designed to examine the relationship of glial hypertrophy to the time course of reactive synaptogenesis in the ventral posterolateral nucleus of the rat thalamus after lesions in the dorsal column nuclei. Because synaptogenesis is delayed for 30 days following lesions of the dorsal column nuclei, the initial hypertrophy of the glial processes in response to degeneration can be separated temporally from synaptogenesis. Glial hypertrophy was determined by measuring the relative area of neuropil occupied by profiles of glial processes on electron micrographs. The initial glial hypertrophy reached its peak 2 days after the lesion. However, at the time when synaptogenesis began, the area of neuropil occupied by glial processes was less than normal. When synaptogenesis was complete, the area of glial profiles also returned to normal. The role of glia in synaptogenesis was clearly different from its role in response to degeneration. In those systems such as the hippocampus, in which reactive synaptogenesis starts early in the recovery sequence, the relationship of glia to synaptogenesis may be masked by the glial response to degeneration. Hypertrophy of glial processes after lesions of other afferent pathways to the ventral posterolateral nucleus was compared to the hypertrophy following lesions of the dorsal column nuclei in order to see if there was a special relationship between glia and the lemniscal afferents to the ventral posterolateral nucleus. Lesions were placed in the medial lemniscus, somatosensory cortex, and the mesencephalon in addition to the dorsal column nuclei. The area of neuropil occupied by the glial processes expanded markedly after each of the lesions. The initial glial hypertrophy was relatively independent of the size of the lesion in the dorsal column nuclei, the degree of degeneration in the ventral posterolateral nucleus, the proximity of the lesion to the ventral posterolateral nucleus, and the site of the lesion.
Life in the allobiosphere.

G. Evelyn Hutchinson, whose ideas have stimulated so much of modern ecology, coined the term allobiosphere to denote regions where photosynthesis is precluded by environmental extremes of darkness, drought, heat or cold, and where life depends for sustenance on imported materials. The occupants of the allobiosphere arc living on the edge; to appreciate their circumstances is to broaden our perspective of the mainstream. Recent and continuing studies on two contrasting components of the biosphere, the ocean depths and volcanic islands, are independently giving sharper outline to what was at best a hazy sketch of the allobiosphere. My aim here is to juxtapose these radically different extremes.
Learning and classifying actions of construction workers and equipment using Bag-of-Video-Feature-Words and Bayesian network models

Automated action classification of construction workers and equipment from videos is a challenging problem that has a wide range of potential applications in construction. These applications include, but are not limited to, enabling rapid construction operation analysis and ergonomic studies. This research explores the potential of an emerging action analysis framework, Bag-of-Video-Feature-Words, in learning and classifying worker and heavy equipment actions in challenging construction environments. We developed a test bed that integrates the Bag-of-Video-Feature-Words model with Bayesian learning methods for evaluating the performance of this action analysis approach and tuning the model parameters. Video data sets were created for experimental evaluations. For each video data set, a number of action models were learned from training video segments and applied to testing video segments. Compared to previous studies on construction worker and equipment action classification, this new approach can achieve good performance in recognizing multiple action categories while robustly coping with the issues of partial occlusion, view point, and scale changes.
Basic science curriculums in nuclear cardiology and cardiovascular imaging: Evolving and emerging concepts

The teaching of basic science with regard to physics, instrumentation, and radiation safety has been part of nuclear cardiology training since its inception. Although there are clear educational and quality rationale for such, regulations associated with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Subpart J of old 10 CFR §35 (Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 35) from the 1960s mandated such prescriptive instruction. Cardiovascular fellowship training programs now have a new opportunity to rethink their basic science imaging curriculums with the era of “revised 10 CFR §35” and the growing implementation of multimodality imaging training and expertise. This review focuses on the history and the why, what, and how of such a curriculum arising in one city and suggests examples of future implementation in other locations.
Circulatory defects during phenformin lactic acidosis

Detailed hemodynamic and metabolic studies were performed during the course of phenformin related lactic acidosis in two patients. Arterial blood lactate was increased to 11.5 and 26.1 mM/L and arterial blood pH was reduced to 7.05 and 6.80 units, respectively. A marked reduction in cardiac indices (0.94 and 1.15 L/min/m2), stroke volume, and stroke work were observed, with either normal or increased arterial resistance. Mild increases in pulmonary artery systolic pressure (50/11), 45/25 mmHg) were observed, but necropsy in both cases disclosed no evidence of pulmonary vascular obstruction. In the absence of increases in central venous and pulmonary artery wedge pressure, a cardiac failure was excluded as primary cause of the low output state. Hypovolemia was excluded on the basis of radioisotope dilution measurements of plasma volume and red cell mass and no increase in cardiac output followed volume expansion. Oxygen extraction from blood was not grossly impaired. These observations indicate that phenformin-related lactic acidosis may evolve as a circulatory defect characteristic of shock in which oxygen delivery rather than oxygen utilization is impaired. The hemodynamic defect is best explained by a defect in the intravascular distribution of blood volume.
Validation and Adjustment of Prior and Data for Bayesian Reliability Analysis in Engineering Design

Bayesian reliability analysis (BRA) technique has been actively used in reliability assessment for engineered systems. However, there are two key controversies surrounding the BRA: the reasonableness of the prior and the consistency among all data sets. These issues have been debated in Bayesian analysis for many years. As we observed, they have not been resolved satisfactorily. These controversies have seriously hindered the applications of BRA as a useful reliability analysis tool to support engineering design. In this paper, a Bayesian reliability analysis methodology with a prior and data validation and adjustment scheme (PDVAS) is developed to address these issues. As the part of the PDVAS development, a consistency measure is first defined that judges the level of consistency among all data sets including the prior. The consistency measure is then used to adjust either the prior or the data or both to the extent that the prior and the data are statistically consistent. This prior and data validation and adjustment scheme is developed for Binomial sampling with Beta prior, called Beta-Binomial Bayesian model. The properties of the scheme are presented and discussed that provides some insights of PDVAS. Various forms of the adjustment formulas are shown, and a selection framework of a specific formula, based on engineering design and analysis knowledge, is established. Several illustrative examples are presented, which show the reasonableness, effectiveness, and usefulness of PDVAS. General discussion of the scheme is offered to enhance the Bayesian reliability analysis in engineering design for reliability assessment. [DOI: 10.1115=1.4003841]
Brain biochemistry using magnetic resonance spectroscopy: relevance to psychiatric illness in the elderly.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows for the noninvasive study of cerebral biochemistry. It has been used to investigate cerebral metabolic changes associated with mental illness in vivo and in vitro. In this review, we will discuss the application of MRS to psychiatric illness in the elderly. Following a brief description of the basic prin ciples of MRS, the use of phosphorus (31P) and proton (1H) MRS to enable a better understanding of normal brain aging, dementia (Alzheimer's disease, multiple subcortical infarct dementia, Down syndrome, frontotemporal demen tia, vascular dementia, age-associated memory impairment, and other dementias), major depression, and electroconvulsive therapy is detailed. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1999; 12:107-117).
Segmentation, Inference and Classification of Partially Overlapping Nanoparticles

This paper presents a method that enables automated morphology analysis of partially overlapping nanoparticles in electron micrographs. In the undertaking of morphology analysis, three tasks appear necessary: separate individual particles from an agglomerate of overlapping nano-objects; infer the particle's missing contours; and ultimately, classify the particles by shape based on their complete contours. Our specific method adopts a two-stage approach: the first stage executes the task of particle separation, and the second stage conducts simultaneously the tasks of contour inference and shape classification. For the first stage, a modified ultimate erosion process is developed for decomposing a mixture of particles into markers, and then, an edge-to-marker association method is proposed to identify the set of evidences that eventually delineate individual objects. We also provided theoretical justification regarding the separation capability of the first stage. In the second stage, the set of evidences become inputs to a Gaussian mixture model on B-splines, the solution of which leads to the joint learning of the missing contour and the particle shape. Using twelve real electron micrographs of overlapping nanoparticles, we compare the proposed method with seven state-of-the-art methods. The results show the superiority of the proposed method in terms of particle recognition rate.
Factors predicting older adults’ use of exercise and acetaminophen for osteoarthritis pain

Purpose: To identify predictors of older adults’ use of exercise and/or acetaminophen, and avoidance of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat their osteoarthritis pain. Data sources: Data were analyzed from 457 adults aged 60 and older with moderate or greater osteoarthritis pain intensity who responded to the Brief Pain Inventory between 2006 and 2007. The following predictors were entered into a logistic regression to predict use of exercise and/or acetaminophen and nonuse of NSAIDs: age, gender, ethnicity, race, education, arthritis treatment by a practitioner, pain treatment by a practitioner, pain intensity, functional interference from the pain, and percent of pain relief from current treatments. Conclusions: A total of 213 (46.6%) reported using exercise and/or acetaminophen and did not report using NSAIDs. Older adults reporting arthritis treatment by a practitioner were 2.2 (confidence interval 1.08–4.59) more likely to use recommended arthritis pain treatment, p < .03. Only 3–4% of the variance for use of recommended pain management treatment was explained by the predictors. Implications for practice: Results underscore the importance of guidance by practitioners who are knowledgeable about safe osteoarthritis pain management for older adults.
Shannon–Gabor wavelet distributed approximating functional

Abstract The Shannon sampling theorem is critically reviewed from a physical point of view. An approximate sampling formula is proposed, combining Shannon sampling with a Gabor-distributed approximating functional (DAF) window function, which results in new Shannon–Gabor wavelet DAFs (SGWDs). They are extremely smooth, decay rapidly, have simultaneous time-frequency localization, and are also generalized delta sequences (reducing to the Dirac delta function under the limit of a zero window width). Shannon's sampling theorem is recovered exactly when the window is infinitely wide.Finally, SGWDs are well-behaved L 2 ( R ) kernels, and thus can be used for solving differential equations.
CalDyx: An interactive self-study teaching program on calcium dynamics during excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle cells

Skeletal muscle cells release and resequester stored calcium ions to contract and subsequently relax. CalDyx (short for "Calcium Dynamics") is a self-contained software program that teaches the student about the major events that underlie the excitation-contraction (EC) coupling process in skeletal muscle. The program simulates changes in the concentrations of myoplasmic calcium (Ca(2+)) in three types of adult vertebrate muscle fibers (slow-twitch, fast-twitch, and superfast-twitch) in response to action potentials. The simulations are closely tied to experimental measurements of changes in the myoplasmic free Ca(2+) concentration performed with calcium indicator dyes introduced by microinjection into these fiber types. The program includes 10 exercises that guide the student through the major signaling events of EC coupling, including the release of Ca(2+) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the binding of Ca(2+) to the major myoplasmic Ca(2+) binding sites, and the return of Ca(2+) to the SR by the Ca "pump" proteins of the SR. The program is quantitatively based and should increase the student's understanding of kinetic processes within cells.
PASSIVE BILATERAL TELE-OPERATION AND HUMAN POWER AMPLIFICATION WITH PNEUMATIC ACTUATORS

In this paper a passive bilateral tele-operation between two pneumatic actuators is presented. The co-ordinated system is controlled to behave as a rigid mechanical tool that interacts with the human and other environment inputs. The input human forces when applied via a force sensor, can be amplified through the tele-operator to provide assistance for the human operator to perform the task either remotely or on-site. By ensuring that the system is energetically passive, robust stability is gauranteed during interaction with humans and various environments. Heat transfer during actuation affects the force output of a pneumatic actuator. The significance of this effect is studied by modeling the actuator dynamics for isothermal and adiabatic process. Control schemes for these two extreme cases of heat transfer are developed separately. Experimental evaluation of the controllers is done on two single d.o.f. pneumatic actuators. Results show good co-ordination between master and slave actuators, both in free motion and during hard contact. The root mean square position co-ordination error for isothermal model is 1mm in free motion and 3.5mm during hard contact. The corresponding errors for adiabatic model are 0.8mm and 2.5mm respectively. Human force amplification, and force reflection during hard contact are also experimentally demonstrated for both isothermal and adiabatic model. From these results it is apparent that the difference between isothermal and adiabatic assumptions is not very significant.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

Modern philosophical biology has been dominated by the idea of mechanism. Even the attempts to escape from mechanism, such as the theories of vitalism and holism, covertly assume the mechanistic hypothesis while surrounding it with an aura of mysticism. The mechanistic approach is the result of applying the methods of physics to the realm of biology. The immense prestige of physics has tended to disguise the fact that biology is a science in its own right, with autonomous principles. The purpose of the article is to develop the philosophy of organism, first systematically elaborated by Whitehead, and to seek to demonstrate that organic being is unintelligible without the concept of purposiveness and hence of value. This necessarily leads to the return of metaphysics in the form of metabiology. Resume La biologie philosophique moderne est dominee par l'idee de mecanisme. Il n'est pas jusqu'aux tentatives d'echapper au mecanisme, telle par exemple la theorie du vitalisme et celle du holisme, qui n'assument implicitement l'hypothese mecaniste tout en l'entourant d'une aura de mysticisme. La conception mecaniste resulte de l'applicatio n des methodes de la physique au domaine de la biologie. L'immense prestige de la physique a tendu a deguiser le fait pourtant reel que la biologie est une science qui jouit de sa propre souverainete et de principes autonomes. Le but de cet article est d'exposer une philosophie de l'organisme elaboree systematiquement par Whitehead pour la premiere fois et de chercher ensuite a demontrer que tout etre organique est inintelligible en dehors du concept de finalite et, par consequent, de valeur. Ceci conduit necessairement a un renouveau de la metaphysique sous forme de metabiologie.
Teaching Reading Skills through Linguistic Redundancy

The following article describes the development of a computer program which teaches high frequency vocabulary, basic syntax, and reading skills entirely through the inferring of meaning from contextual indicators (inferencing). This approach is made accessible to students wholly unfamiliar with the target language by initial reliance on a largely native language context.
A Number Sense Intervention for Low-Income Kindergartners at Risk for Mathematics Difficulties

Early number sense is a strong predictor of later success in school mathematics. A disproportionate number of children from low-income families come to first grade with weak number competencies, leaving them at risk for a cycle of failure. The present study examined the effects of an 8-week number sense intervention to develop number competencies of low-income kindergartners (N = 121). The intervention purposefully targeted whole number concepts related to counting, comparing, and manipulating sets. Children were randomly assigned to either a number sense intervention or a business as usual contrast group. The intervention was carried out in small-group, 30-min sessions, 3 days per week, for a total of 24 sessions. Controlling for number sense at pretest, the intervention group made meaningful gains relative to the control group at immediate as well delayed posttest on a measure of early numeracy. Intervention children also performed better than controls on a standardized test of mathematics calculation a...
Reliable Traffic Information Propagation in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks

In a vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET), an important application is to let moving vehicles collaborate with each other by sharing traffic information and alerting others of any emergency or accidental scenarios. To make this application possible, a security mechanism must be designed in the beginning to guarantee that no malicious vehicles or persons can intercept, manipulate, or modify traffic information propagating in a VANET without being detected. In this paper, we present a novel approach to provide reliable traffic information propagation in a VANET: two-directional data verification. Two-directional data verification approach uses vehicles in both directions of a two-way road as two separated media channels to propagate traffic data. By receiving messages from both channels, a recipient vehicle verifies the message integrity by checking if data received from both channels are matched. This approach exploits the fact that it is difficult for an adversary to have two collaborative vehicles on both driving directions in the same region. Even if an adversary can do this, it is costly and attacks can be done only in a short time period. The proposed approach is simple and readily to be implemented, requiring no complicated public-key infrastructure to protect traffic information propagation in VANET.
The role of many-particle excitations in Coulomb blockaded transport

We discuss the role of electron-electron and electron-phonon correlations in current flow in the Coulomb blockade regime, focusing specifically on non-trivial signatures arising from the breakdown of mean-field theory. By solving transport equations directly in Fock space, we show that electron-electron interactions manifest as gateable excitations experimentally observed in the current-voltage characteristic. While these excitations might merge into an incoherent sum that allows occasional simplifications, a clear separation of excitations into slow 'traps' and fast 'channels' can lead to further novelties such as negative differential resistance, hysteresis and random telegraph signals. Analogous novelties for electron-phonon correlation include the breakdown of commonly anticipated Stokes-anti-Stokes intensities, and an anomalous decrease in phonon population upon heating due to reabsorption of emitted phonons.
Measurement of Dynamic Properties of Automotive Shock Absorbers for NVH

This paper describes a project on the dynamic characterization of automotive shock absorbers. The objective was to develop a new testing and analysis methodology for obtaining equivalent linear stiffness and damping of the shock absorbers for use in CAE-NVH lowtomid frequency chassis models. Previous studies using an elastomer test machine proved unsuitable for testing shocks in the mid-to-high frequency range where the typical road input displacements fall within the noise floor of the elastomer machine. Hence, in this project, an electrodynamic shaker was used for exciting the shock absorbers under displacements less than 0.05 mm up to 500 Hz. Furthermore, instead of the swept sine technique, actual road data were used to excite the shocks. Equivalent linear spring-damper models were developed based on leastsquares curve-fitting of the test data. The type of road profile did not influence the stiffness and damping values significantly for the range of amplitudes and frequencies considered. Finally, sensitivity of the vehicle level responses to the shock absorber rate change was studied, to finalize whether or not an upgrade to the existing shock absorber test procedure is necessary.
State and Society in Local Governance: Lessons from a Multilevel Comparison

A generation of literature on local governance has established it to be largely a matter of relations between society and the local state. Existing typologies of national infrastructures for local governance, however, have neglected national variations in the shape of civil society to focus exclusively on governmental institutions. In this article we propose a new typology of national infrastructures of local governance that takes the structure of civil society into account. We test the typology as a predictor of local patterns of influence in a multilevel comparative analysis of data from the UDITE survey of over 4,000 local officials in fourteen OECD countries. The analysis demonstrates that certain types of national infrastructures consistently affect local power relations, as do the parallel infrastructures common to distinct sectors of policy. The effects from these infrastructures generally depend on synergies with the influence of local actors in civil society as well as in the local state.
Ungrateful predators: capture and the creation of Cofán violence

In this article, I explore the history, logic, and practice of capture among the Cofan people of Amazonian Ecuador. Rather than acting as the subjects of capture, Cofan people have primarily been its objects. Centuries of pre-Conquest, colonial, and postcolonial violence have exposed Cofan communities to repeated seizures by indigenous and non-indigenous aggressors. Although capture by enemy others is a feared prospect that typically brings disaster, it also serves as the Cofan nation's central means of acquiring violent powers, which are essential to its defence. By investigating the uncertainties of capture as a productive process, I question dominant representations of native Amazonians as wilful participants in a cosmos of generalized predation, and I issue a plea for openness when considering the diversity of the region's peoples. Predateurs ingrats : capture et creation de la violence chez les Cofan Resume L'auteur explore ici l'histoire, la logique et la pratique de la capture chez les Cofan d’Amazonie equatorienne. Dans l'histoire, les Cofan ont le plus souvent ete objets plutot que sujets de la capture. Des siecles de violence dans les temps precolombiens, coloniaux et postcoloniaux les ont exposes a des captures repetees par des agresseurs autochtones et exterieurs. Bien que la capture par des ennemis « autres » soit redoutee car le plus souvent porteuse de desastres, elle est aussi un moyen central par lequel les Cofan acquierent des pouvoirs violents indispensables a leur defense. En etudiant les incertitudes de la capture comme processus productif, l'auteur remet en question les representations dominantes des Amazoniens natifs comme des participants consentants a un cosmos de predation generalisee, et plaide pour davantage d'ouverture dans l’etude de la diversite des peuples de la region.
On the tractability of satellite range scheduling

Scheduling of contacts between several satellites and ground stations has been historically sub-optimally approached. This fact raises the question: can this problem be solved in polynomial time? Although existing literature provided optimal solutions for some simplified versions of this problem and studied some connections with general scheduling, few has been said on the complexity of more general cases. We formally characterize the complexity of the satellite scheduling problem, and provide the sufficient conditions for polynomial time solvability. We back up these results with a survey on several problem instances covering existing and new connections between these problems and those from general scheduling, which allow us to formally define how satellite scheduling relates to general scheduling. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most extensive characterization of satellite range scheduling, covering its definition, complexity and connections to general scheduling.
Overhanging interfacial gravity waves of large amplitude

Methods to investigate the existence of overhanging gravity waves of permanent form at the interface between two uniform fluids of different density are discussed. Numerical results which demonstrate their existence are presented.
Visions of the Future of (Legal) Education

One law professor takes a stab at imagining an ideal law school of the future and describing how to get there. The Essay spells out a specific possible vision, taking into account changes to the demand for legal services and changes to the economics and composition of the legal profession. That thought experiment leads to a series of observations about values and vision in legal education in general and about what it might take to move any vision forward.
Occult Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Abscesses in 2 Pediatric Patients:

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have become more common over the last decade. Recently, severe MRSA infections including necrotizing pneumonia, purpura fulminans, and rapidly progressive skin abscesses have been reported. These severe infections frequently have been associated with the virulence factor Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). Two unusual cases of occult deep tissue abscesses in children who had family members with a history of severe MRSA skin abscesses are presented in this article. Both children initially presented with fever without a focus. Deep tissue MRSA (PVL positive) abscesses evolved. Empiric antibiotic therapy for MRSA should be considered for infants and children who are hospitalized with occult fever and who have a family member with a history of MRSA infection.
A new 3D representation and compression algorithm for non-rigid moving objects using affine-octree

This paper presents a new 3D representation for non-rigid objects using motion vectors between two consecutive frames. Our method relies on an Octree to recursively partition the object into smaller parts for which a small number of motion parameters can accurately represent that portion of the object. The partitioning continues as long as the respective motion parameters are insufficiently accurate to describe the object. Unlike other Octree methods, our method employs an affine transformation for the motion description part, which greatly reduces the storage. Finally, an adaptive thresholding, a singular value decomposition for dealing with singularities, and a quantization and arithmetic coding further enhance our proposed method by increasing the compression while maintaining very good signal-noise ratio. Compared with other methods like tri-linear interpolation or Principle Component Analysis (PCA) based algorithm, the Affine-Octree method is easy to compute and highly compact. As the results demonstrate, our method has a better performance in terms of compression ratio and PSNR, while it remains simple.
Neutron displacement damage cross sections for SiC

Abstract Calculations of neutron displacement damage cross sections for SiC are presented. We use Biersack and Haggmark's empirical formula in constructing the electronic stopping power, which combines Lindhard's model at low PKA energies and Bethe-Bloch's model at high PKA energies. The electronic stopping power for polyatomic materials is computed on the basis of Bragg's Additivity Rule. A continuous form of the inverse power law potential is used for nuclear scattering. Coupled intergro-differential equations for the number of displaced atoms j, caused by PKA i, are then derived. The procedure outlined above gives partial displacement cross sections, displacement cross sections for each specie of the lattice, and for each PKA type. The corresponding damage rates for several fusion and fission neutron spectra are calculated. The stoichiometry of the irradiated material is investigated by finding the ratio of displacements among various atomic species. The role of each specie in displacing atoms is also investigated by calculating the fraction of displacements caused by each PKA type. The study shows that neutron displacement damage rates of SiC in typical magnetic fusion reactor first walls will be ~ 10–15 dpa MW−1 m2; in typical lead-protected inertial confinement fusion reactor first walls they will be ~ 15–20 dpa MW−1 m2. For fission spectra, we find that the neutron displacement damage rate of SiC is ~ 74 dpa per 1027 n/m2 in FFTF, ~ 39 dpa per 1027 n/m2 in HFIR, and 25 dpa per 1027 n/m2 in NRU. Approximately 80% of displacement atoms are shown to be of the carbon-type.
Bordetella pertussis Isolates with a Heterogeneous Phenotype for Erythromycin Resistance

Erythromycin is currently being used for both prophylaxis and treatment of pertussis infections. Erythromycin resistance was first recognized in Bordetella pertussis in Arizona in 1994, and since then, three additional resistant isolates have been identified in the United States. To better assess the potential public health impact of erythromycin-resistant B. pertussis, we used the disk diffusion assay to evaluate the frequency of erythromycin resistance among 1,030 recently circulating U.S. isolates and found the rate of occurrence to be <1%. We also describe a novel heterogeneous phenotype, with erythromycin-resistant colonies appearing only after a 7-day incubation period. To optimize patient management, we recommend that clinicians be alert to potential treatment failures and that laboratorians use a 7-day incubation period when screening for resistance. Our ongoing national surveillance will continue to monitor for resistant B. pertussis isolates and their potential association with changing pertussis epidemiology.
Development of an intelligent robotic aid to the physically handicapped

The design and implementation of an intelligent robotic system to assist physically handicapped people are presented. The system uses artificial-intelligence-based task planning and vision sensors. Emphasis is on flexibility and a model-based approach. The vision system has been designed to be modular and is built in three levels: low-level image acquisition, intermediate-level segmentation and feature extraction, and high-level object recognition. Once the object is recognized, its state (position and orientation) and other relevant features are transferred to the task planner. The task planner works in a hierarchy of two abstraction spaces by first generating a rough plan devoid of all unnecessary details from a user-defined goal and then refining and producing a sequence of robot-level commands. The advantage of the approach is that by first ignoring detail planning, it is possible to effectively reduce the number of subgoals to be accomplished in any given abstraction space, thus greatly reducing computation. The system was implemented on a unique robotic arm called the Soft Arm. The results of two example runs, PICKUP SPOON and FEED ME SOUP, are also shown. >
The use of latent semantic analysis in operations management research

In this article, we introduce the use of Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) as a technique for uncovering the intellectual structure of a discipline. LSA is an emerging quantitative method for content analysis that combines rigorous statistical techniques and scholarly judgment as it proceeds to extract and decipher key latent factors. We provide a stepwise explanation and illustration for implementing LSA. To demonstrate LSA's ability to uncover the intellectual structure of a discipline, we present a study of the field of Operations Management. We also discuss a number of potential applications of LSA to show how it can be used in empirical Operations Management research, specifically in areas that can benefit from analyzing large volumes of unstructured textual data.
Abnormal accumulation of sulphated materials in lens tissue of mice with the aphakia mutation.

SUMMARY Sulphated materials were tested for in the eyes of late gestational and postnatal normal mice and mice with the aphakia mutation using Spicer's high iron diamine staining method. Qualitative identification of these materials was attempted with bovine testicular hyaluronidase and nitrous acid digestion methods. The grossly abnormal morphology of the aphakia lens made it necessary to confirm identification of lens-derived tissue by testing for lens crystallins using standard immunohistological methods. As seen in normal mouse lens maturation, accumulated inter- and intracellular sulphated materials were observed in aphakia lens tissue from just before birth through juvenile maturation. Large cyst-like structures consisting of lens-derived tissue were commonly seen in the eyes of young postnatal mutant mice. Sulphated materials formed basal lamina-like structures on many of these lens-derived units, but a well-defined lens capsule never formed. Abnormal fibrillar structures rich in sulphated materials were seen in the intraocular cavity in many older mutant specimens, most of which were largely resistant to both digestion methods. These results indicate that the potential to elaborate sulphated materials qualitatively similar to those seen in normal mouse lens maturation is present in the aphakia mutant, although the mode of accumulation is grossly disturbed.
Integrated Weighted Correlation Network Analysis of Mouse Liver Gene Expression Data

This chapter describes a case study and R code for carrying out an integrated weighted correlation network analysis of mouse gene expression, sample trait, and genetic marker data. It describes how to (a) use sample networks (signed correlation networks) for detecting outlying observations, (b) find co-expression modules and key genes related to mouse body weight and other physiologic traits in female mice, (c) study module preservation between female and male mice, (d) carry out a systems genetic analysis with the network edge orienting approach to find causal genes for body weight, and (e) define consensus modules between female and male mice. We also describe methods and software for visualizing networks and for carrying out gene ontology enrichment analysis.
Boards for a New Venture: Putting Together Boards and Working with Them

This note teaches students at all levels how to establish a board for a new venture, explaining why it is necessary, how to attract the right members, how to compensate them, how to distinguish advisors versus directors, how to deal with board conflicts.
Cerebral anoxia tolerance in turtles: regulation of intracellular calcium and pH.

To investigate mechanisms of cerebral anoxia tolerance, cerebrocortical intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and pH (pHi) regulation were compared in turtles (Trachemys scripta) and laboratory rats. [Ca...
Control of a Brain-Computer Interface Using Intracranial Electrodes

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a device that uses brain signals to provide a non-muscular communication channel [1], particularly for individuals with severe neuromuscular disabilities. One of the most promising signals for controlling a BCI are event-related potentials (ERPs) such as the P300. The P300 event related potential is an evoked response to an external stimulus that has been traditionally observed in scalp-recorded electroencephalography (EEG). The scalp-recorded P300 response has proven to be a reliable signal for controlling a BCI using the P300 Speller paradigm [2]. Recent studies have demonstrated that the P300 Speller has the potential to serve as an effective communication device for persons who have lost or are losing the ability to write and speak.© 2011 ASME
Electrostatic effect of the ribosomal surface on nascent polypeptide dynamics

The crucial molecular events accompanying protein folding in the cell are still largely unexplored. As nascent polypeptides emerge from the ribosomal exit tunnel, they come in close proximity with the highly negatively charged ribosomal surface. How is the nascent polypeptide influenced by the ribosomal surface? We address this question via the intrinsically disordered protein PIR and a number of its variably charged mutants. Two different populations are identified: one is highly spatially biased, and the other is highly dynamic. The more negatively charged nascent polypeptides emerging from the ribosome are richer in the extremely dynamic population. Hence, nascent proteins with a net negative charge are less likely to interact with the ribosome. Surprisingly, the amplitude of the local motions of the highly dynamic population is much wider than that of disordered polypeptides under physiological conditions, implying that proximity to the ribosomal surface enhances the molecular flexibility of a subpopu...
Resistance of Cotton Strains with High Gossypol Content to Heliothis Spp.

Experimental lines of Upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.), with a high gossypol content were evaluated against the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and the tobacco budworm, H. virescens (F.), in laboratory and cage tests. Line XG-15 (average content of gossypol 1.7% dry weight basis) had significantly reduced populations of tobacco budworms in a large replicated field-cage test. Bioassays with lyophilized cotton square tissue incorporated in larval diet gave reliable estimates of the resistance of experimental lines to both species of Heliothis .