cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of Natural Convection Heat Transfer Rate in Internal Compressible Flows by Inserting Stationary Inserts

Enhancement of the natural and forced convection heat transfer has been the subject of numerous academic and industrial studies. Air blenders, mechanical agitators, and static mixers have been developed to increase the forced convection heat transfer rate in compressible and incompressible flows. Stationary inserts can be efficiently employed as heat transfer enhancement device in the natural convection systems with compressible flow. Generally, a stationary heat transfer enhancement insert consists of a number of equal motionless units, placed on the inside of a pipe or channel in order to control flowing fluid streams. These devices have low maintenance and operating costs, low space requirements and no moving parts. A range of designs exists for a wide range of specific applications. The shape of the elements determines the character of the fluid motion and thus determines thermal effectiveness of the insert. There are several key parameters that may be considered in the design procedure of a heat transfer enhancement insert, which lead to significant differences in the performance of various designs. An ideal insert for natural conventional heat transfer of compressible flow applications provides a higher rate of heat transfer and a thermally homogenous fluid with minimized pressure drop and required space. To choose an insert for a given application or in order to design a new insert, besides experimentation, it is possible to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to study insert performance. This paper presents the outcomes of the numerical studies by the authors on an industrial stationary heat transfer enhancement insert and illustrates how a heat transfer enhancement insert can improve the heat transfer in a buoyancy driven compressible flow. The numerical predictions were validated using experimental data. Using different measuring tools, the global performance of the insert and the impact of the geometrical parameters are studied in order to choose the most effective design for a given application.© 2008 ASME
Euler's Theorem for Polynomials

(1992). Euler's Theorem for Polynomials. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 65, No. 5, pp. 334-335.
Fast determination of DBS residues in disinfected dinner and drinking set

Objective:The methylene blue spectrophotometric method is one of the national standard methods for determination of DBS residues in disinfected dinner and drinking set,but it is troublesome,and time-and reagent-consuming.To simplify the operating procedure and improve the experimental method is the aim of this study.Methods:We have made many experiments that prove that it may use the 125 milliliter separatory funnel directly,disposable extract and deterge and may absorb the organic to carry on directly comparison to the color analysis.Results:The relative standard devication of the method was less than 3%(n=10),the recovery rate ranged from 91% to 100%.The results obtained from the method presented in this paper and the method given in GB5750-2006 were found to have no significant difference.Conclusion:This method is simple,rapid and accurate.
Analysis of Synthetic Testing Method for Asymmetrical Current Breaking

This paper expatiated on the necessity and specialty of asymmetrical current breaking, analyzing the related items about asymmetrical current breaking on the GB standard of synthetic testing. Introduction was made to the deficiency of using symmetrical current breaking synthetic testing (T100s) circuit or its shortcut method. Analysis was made to the transient recovery voltage of power frequency after arc extinguishing under the conditions of either major loop or minor loop with short-circuit current of larger direct component. This paper presented two kinds of equivalent, novel testing circuits, which are bears for more asymmetrical situations.
Regulated Nectar Harvesting by the Honeybee

SummaryEmpty storage combs in honeybee nests regulated the nectar-harvesting activities of occupant bees. Increased honey storage stimulated by the presence of more empty comb was associated with more intense nectar-harvesting behaviour both in and away from the hive. Foragers from hives with more comb were less likely to collect food of lower sugar concentration; however, when they did collect it, they were more likely to perform recruitment dances upon their return to the hive. Colonies with more empty comb stored more honey during major nectar flows but less during minor flows. Among colonies supplied with similar amounts of comb, those that stored more honey during major nectar flows stored less during minor ones.
Alveolar-arterial oxygen gradients after open intracardiac surgery.

Summary Arterial PO2 was determined in 23 patients before and at various times after open intracardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass. It was generally abnormally low after surgery, the deviation from normal usually being maximal about 48 hours later. Patients with tetralogy of Fallot seemed to show less abnormality in this regard than did other patients. Arterial PCO2 values were generally within normal limits. The data obtained while the patients breathed oxygen are interpreted to indicate that the main etiologic factor is the presence of perfused but nonventilated alveoli.
The Healing Edge

The Rocky Springs Healthcare system is an pretty typical American healthcare organization which owns two hospitals and a multispecialty physician group of 400 providers. Three years ago, they invested over $100 million dollars in an electronic health record (EHR) system and associated healthcare information technology (HIT) infrastructure upgrades – and their management team expected to see their baby soar! However, 2 years after implementation they were faced with abysmal results. They were taking care of fewer patients, making less money, and were not improving the quality of care they delivered. They were also mortified to find that physicians, staff and patient satisfaction levels were actually going down. This was not what all the marketing hype had promised!
The production, use and importance of flint tools in the Archaic Period and the Old Kingdom of Egypt

Lithic artefacts are an under-utilised resource for research on Pharaonic Egypt. By going beyond descriptions of artefacts, and even reconstructions of artefact production, Kobusiewicz compellingly...
Airway management for cesarean delivery performed under general anesthesia

Abstract Background With the increasing popularity of neuraxial anesthesia, there has been a decline in the use of general anesthesia for cesarean delivery. We sought to examine the incidence, outcome and characteristics associated with a failed airway in patients undergoing cesarean delivery under general anesthesia. Methods A retrospective review of airway management in women undergoing cesarean delivery under general anesthesia over an eight-year period from 2006–2013 at an academic medical center was conducted. Results During the study period, 10 077 cesarean deliveries were performed. Neuraxial anesthesia was used in 9382 (93%) women while general anesthesia was used in 695 (7%). Emergent cesarean delivery was the most common indication for general anesthesia. Failed intubation was encountered in only three (0.4%) women, who were successfully managed with a laryngeal mask airway. The overall incidence of failed intubation was 1 in 232 (95% CI 1:83 to 1:666) and general anesthesia was continued in all cases. There were no adverse maternal or fetal outcomes directly related to failed intubation. Conclusion Advances in adjunct airway equipment, availability of an experienced anesthesiologist and simulation-based teaching of failed airway management in obstetrics may have contributed to our improved maternal outcomes in patients undergoing cesarean delivery under general anesthesia.
Mechanisms of Non-canonical Inflammasome Activation by Rickettsia

Rickettsiae are Gram-negative, obligately intracellular bacteria that infect macrophages, however, the molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions of rickettsiae with macrophages remain poorly understood. We have found that R. australis activates the inflammasome in mouse primary macrophages as evidenced by caspase-1/11-dependent secretion of IL-1β as well as the cleavage of caspase-1 in both cell lysates and supernatant. In the present study, we show the cleavage of caspase-11 and the induction of pyroptosis in mouse macrophages upon infection with R. australis. Furthermore, inhibitors of caspase-4 significantly reduced the levels of IL-1β secreted by infected human macrophages. Our results suggest that rickettsiae also activate caspase-11/4-dependent noncanonical inflammasome in macrophages. We are currently investigating the role of cytosolic rickettsial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in activating noncanonical inflammasome in mouse and human macrophages and the molecular mechanisms involved . Considering the distinct features of rickettsial LPS from other obligately intracellular Gram-negative bacteria, our studies will not only provide novel activating mechanisms of noncanonical inflammasome by employing rickettsiae as an infection model, but also help us to better understand the immune pathogenesis of fatal rickettsioses.
Erdheim-Chester Disease with atrial mass and perinephric calcification.

Key Clinical Message Erdheim-Chester Disease is a multi-systemic condition characterized by non-Langerhans histiocytic infiltration. Cardiovascular involvement with pseudotumoral infiltration of the right atrium is present in approximately one-third of patients and may be asymptomatic. Although retroperitoneal fibrosis is common, perinephric dystrophic calcification has not been previously described.
Natural History of Chronic Pancreatitis

The most common form of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in the Western world is alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (ACP), which represents 70–90% of patients with CP. Nearly all of the remaining patients (10–30%) are usually designated as having idiopathic chronic pancreatitis (ICP; 1, 2, 3, 4).
“Have You Been to Walmart?” Gender and Perceptions of Safety in North Dakota Boomtowns

Between 2010 and 2015, North Dakota’s economy was out of sync with the rest of the U.S. As a result of the Bakken oil boom, unemployment registered approximately 1% in northwestern North Dakota whi...
Hadronic and Muonic Branching Ratios for Decays of Light Higgs-Bosons

A Higgs boson of mass less than m B can be produced with large probability in the decays of a B—meson 1. The Higgs boson would be detected by observing its decay products. For 2m µ < m H < 2m τ. (3.6 GeV.) the cleanest signal may be the \(H \to \mu \mathop \mu \limits^ - \) mode. But then one has to know that the BR for \(H \to \mu \mathop \mu \limits^ - \) is not too small. At the most naive quark level, for m H < 2mτ, the H will decay primarily into \(s\mathop s\limits^ - \) and\(\mu \mathop \mu \limits^ - \), with a ratio of about three to one (the color factor for \(q\mathop q\limits^ - \)) or somewhat more, depending on what one takes for ms. It was pointed out2 that heavy quarks could also contribute substantially through a virtual heavy quark loop giving H → gg with the gluons then materializing as light hadrons - in particular, as ππ. This observation was eventually refined into a low energy theorem3 (LET) for the H → ππ amplitude. The crucial feature of this result is that the amplitude contains a term proportional to \(m_H^2\) as well as one proportional to \(m_\pi ^2\). But even if one extrapolates this result well beyond its range of validity, it still leads to a BR for \(H \to \mu \mathop \mu \limits^ - \) which ranges from 40% at m H = 0.3 GeV. to 7% at m H = 2 GeV. It was then observed by Raby and West 4 that strong final state interactions could further enhance the rate for H→ ππ, and hence decrease the BR for \(H \to \mu \mathop \mu \limits^ - \). They made an estimate and claimed very large enhancements for \(H \to \pi \mathop \pi \limits^ - \). We find that their estimate is a substantial overestimate for several reasons, the most important of which is that they treated the f 0(975) (formerly, and in this paper, S*) resonance as an elastic ππ resonance.
Careers in Public Service: Internships, Scholarships, and Fellowships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

This panel will provide undergraduate and graduate students with information on professional development and how to successfully transition into careers in public service. Focusing on the Leadership Institute for Public Service, attendees will be provided information on CBCF internships, scholarships, and fellowship opportunities. The Leadership institute prepares the next generation to take its place in community service and policy development arenas. The Leadership Institute's primary goal is to increase the pool of black leaders in community-based programs and public service careers. Participants are provided with opportunities to learn the inner workings of Congress, explore public service and public policy careers, discuss current events and policy initiatives and see close up leadership at its very best by working with and learning from Congressional Black Caucus members. CBCF's internship and fellowship programs prepare college students and young professionals to become principled leaders, skilled policy analysts, and informed advocates by exposing them to the processes by which national policies are developed and implemented on Capitol Hill and in the federal government. Attendees will be provided with information as to how they can begin preparing for these opportunities in high school and in college. Also, attendees will become familiar with the skills and experiences that are needed to be successful when applying to such programs, working on Capitol Hill, and working in other federal agencies.
On Transient Responses of a Class of PV Inverters

This letter analyzes the responses of a class of grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters to grid transients. It is observed that during most of the sudden grid transients, the PV inverter momentarily responds in a way that is opposite of the inertial response of existing synchronous generators. Although the size of these power responses is relatively small and they are fast, their aggregation can have a destabilizing effect on the grid as the level of penetration of such inverters goes up.
Convergent estimates of marine nitrogen fixation

Uncertainty in the global patterns of marine nitrogen fixation limits our understanding of the response of the ocean’s nitrogen and carbon cycles to environmental change. The geographical distribution of and ecological controls on nitrogen fixation are difficult to constrain with limited in situ measurements. Here we present convergent estimates of nitrogen fixation from an inverse biogeochemical and a prognostic ocean model. Our results demonstrate strong spatial variability in the nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio of exported organic matter that greatly increases the global nitrogen-fixation rate (because phytoplankton manage with less phosphorus when it is in short supply). We find that the input of newly fixed nitrogen from microbial fixation and external inputs (atmospheric deposition and river fluxes) accounts for up to 50 per cent of carbon export in subtropical gyres. We also find that nitrogen fixation and denitrification are spatially decoupled but that nevertheless nitrogen sources and sinks appear to be balanced over the past few decades. Moreover, we propose a role for top-down zooplankton grazing control in shaping the global patterns of nitrogen fixation. Our findings suggest that biological carbon export in the ocean is higher than expected and that stabilizing nitrogen-cycle feedbacks are weaker than previously thought. Convergent estimates of nitrogen fixation from an inverse biogeochemical and a prognostic ocean model show that biological carbon export in the ocean is higher than expected and that stabilizing nitrogen-cycle feedbacks are weaker than we thought.
Economic Analysis: Trickling Filter/Activated Sludge or Nitrifying Trickling Filter/Activated Sludge?

The performance and economic simulation and modeling are crucial for accurate and rapid designing, construction, and forecasting future economic needs of municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs). In this study, combined nitrifying trickling filter/activated sludge (NTF/AS) process was suggested for the modernization of a MWWTP and the performance and economics of MWWTPs based on the combined TF/AS process and combined NTF/AS process were analyzed and compared. In real, the performance, total project construction, total operation labor, total maintenance labor, total material, total chemical, total energy, and total amortization costs of these proposed MWWTPs were calculated and compared. Under the used design criteria and operational conditions in this study, the project construction cost of the MWWTP based on TF/AS was 15.25 % higher than that of the MWWTP based on NTF/AS. Also, MWWTP based on NTF/AS was cost effective and the material and amortization costs for both plants were higher in comparison with the operation, maintenance, energy, and chemical costs. It is necessary to note that this study is a computer simulation for a case and drawing general conclusions only on the basis of this simulation may be insufficient.
Evaluation of Cement Paste Cylinder Preparation Methods for Mechanical Property Measurements

Testing cement paste (CP) cylinders for thermal, mechanical, or both properties has gained some recent traction, with thermal methods (e.g., the recently completed ASTM C1753) being more developed than mechanical property assessments. CP contains water, cementitious materials, and sometimes admixtures; no sand or aggregates. Currently there is no standard production method for CP cylinders. As such, the objectives of this article are to assess the variability of CP mechanical properties from multiple methods and then recommend a CP cylinder preparation method considering overall properties and variability. The recommended method prepares specimen tops in a similar manner to one common method for concrete cylinders (i.e., strike off the specimen top). The rationale for selecting this approach was this method produced essentially the same average compressive strength as existing approaches but with slightly less variability and no extra effort. The proposed method had compressive strength coefficients of variations of 17 % or less when specimens were tested within 0.5 hours of removal from moist curing. The proposed method is able to produce specimens with density and moisture content coefficients of variation of less than 1 %.
Visual Interaction Including Biometrics Information for a Socially Assistive Robotic Platform

This work introduces biometrics as a way to improve human-robot interaction. In particular, gender and age estimation algorithms are used to provide awareness of the user biometrics to a humanoid robot (Aldebaran NAO), in order to properly react with a specific gender/age behavior. The system can also manage multiple persons at the same time, recognizing the age and gender of each participant. All the estimation algorithms employed have been validated through a k-fold test and successively practically tested in a real human-robot interaction environment, allowing for a better natural interaction. Our system is able to work at a frame rate of 13 fps with 640\(\times \)480 images taken from NAO’s embedded camera. The proposed application is well-suited for all assisted environments that consider the presence of a socially assistive robot like therapy with disable people, dementia, post-stroke rehabilitation, Alzheimer disease or autism.
A Novel Teaching Strategy Through Adaptive Learning Activities for Computer Programming

Contribution: This article presents the instruction of computer programming using adaptive learning activities considering students’ cognitive skills based on the learning theory of the Revised Bloom Taxonomy (RBT). To achieve this, the system converts students’ knowledge level to fuzzy weights, and using rule-based decision making, delivers adequate learning activities regarding their kind and complexity degree. Background: Tutoring through adaptive learning activities can be a powerful tool to support learners in practical courses, like computer programming. However, published results from pertinent literature are not oriented to the adaptivity of the domain knowledge in terms of the volume, kind, and complexity of the learning activities delivered to students. There is scope for a lot of improvement to this direction. Intended Outcomes: Combining learning theories with adaptive tutoring enhances student-centered learning, promotes student engagement, and improves knowledge acquisition. Application Design: An adaptive tutoring system was developed for supporting undergraduate students in the C# programming language course for an academic semester. The system delivers adaptive learning activities to students’ cognitive skills using the technology of fuzzy weights in a rule-based decision-making module and the learning theory of a RBT for designing the learning material. Findings: At the end of the academic semester, students’ data have been collected and a detailed evaluation was conducted. The results showed that the presented approach outperforms others which lack adaptivity in domain knowledge and learning theories, improving significantly the students’ learning outcomes.
Smart lighting for smart cities

Abstract The concept of smart cities is relatively new. However, “smart lighting” has been around for a decade or more. Smart lighting allows a “precious balance” of lighting to be applied at the location it is needed, when it is needed and only in the correct amount. Smart lighting makes the urban environment safe for humans at night while improving quality of life both night and day while enabling a more harmonious existence of technology, humans, flora, and fauna that cannot be achieved with traditional technology. Finally, a smart lighting infrastructure provides a network ubiquitous through a city that can be the initial backbone for smart-city services and technologies. This chapter discusses what “smart lighting” is and the benefits of such a system. Smart lighting consists of dimmable light emitting diode (LED) luminaires with sensor and controller interfaces, a controlling system, and support infrastructure. The control system is comprised of luminaire nodes, a communication network with one or more luminaire node controllers, and a human interface. Smart lighting, when adaptive lighting is implemented, can reduce lighting energy usage by as much as 50% while providing higher-quality light for improved safety. Lastly, the usage of smart lighting infrastructure as a jumping off point for smart-city devices and services is introduced. Usage of the excess power available in the lighting power lines is discussed as well as usage of the controller network for additional services or data collection and transmission. Smart lighting is available and offers significant potential benefits to cities. Smart lighting seems to be the logical starting point of any smart-city plan.
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy: A Review of Clinical Applications

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an emerging treatment modality aimed at improving the therapeutic ratio for traditionally difficult to treat tumors. BNCT utilizes boronated agents to preferentially deliver boron-10 to tumors, which, after undergoing irradiation with neutrons, yields litihium-7 and an alpha particle. The alpha particle has a short range, therefore preferentially affecting tumor tissues while sparing more distal normal tissues. To date, BNCT has been studied clinically in a variety of disease sites, including glioblastoma multiforme, meningioma, head and neck cancers, lung cancers, breast cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma, sarcomas, cutaneous malignancies, extramammary Paget's disease, recurrent cancers, pediatric cancers, and metastatic disease. We aim to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the studies of each of these disease sites, as well as a review on the challenges facing adoption of BNCT.
World Histories of Big Data Policing

Textbook presentations of U.S. policing name the present as new stage of professionalization: the homeland security era, where the application of “big data” promises “smarter” policing. Within this framework of gradual progress, liberal police scholarship has become the official criticism of big data policing to organize a project of liberal reform. Of course, this scholarship is being in written in the context of both militant social movements within the United States and the terminal decline of U.S. global hegemony. To clarify the stakes of this moment, this paper connects the Marxist anti-security perspective and anti-racist critiques of surveillance and big data policing from within the Black radical tradition. It argues that the emergence of big data policing is the latest development in on-going processes of pacification that have expanded, organized, and reproduced the colonial/modern world-system over the longue duree. The paper extends and elaborates conceptualizations of hegemonic cycles in relation to work on the maturation of intelligence tradecraft, focusing on two interrelated developments: (1) two information revolutions that reorganized social relations and (2) the police-wars that shaped the rise and decline of the United States as a world hegemonic power. It concludes that big data policing is the latest outgrowth of the imperial epistemology that organized and continues animate the work of pacification and obscure the politics of anti-systemic struggle.
A phase I trial of sorafenib with whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in breast cancer patients with brain metastases and a correlative study of FLT-PET brain imaging.

Sorafenib has demonstrated anti-tumor efficacy and radiosensitizing activity preclinically and in breast cancer. We examined sorafenib in combination with whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and explored the [18F] 3′deoxy-3′-fluorothymidine (FLT)-PET as a novel brain imaging modality in breast cancer brain metastases. A phase I trial of WBRT + sorafenib was conducted using a 3 + 3 design with safety-expansion cohort. Sorafenib was given daily at the start of WBRT for 21 days. The primary endpoints were to determine a maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and to evaluate safety and toxicity. The secondary endpoint was CNS progression-free survival (CNS-PFS). MacDonald Criteria were used for response assessment with a correlative serial FLT-PET imaging study. 13 pts were evaluable for dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). DLTs were grade 4 increased lipase at 200 mg (n = 1) and grade 3 rash at 400 mg (n = 3). The MTD was 200 mg. The overall response rate was 71%. Median CNS-PFS was 12.8 months (95%CI: 6.7-NR). A total of 15 pts (10 WBRT + sorafenib and 5 WBRT) were enrolled in the FLT-PET study: baseline (n = 15), 7–10 days post WBRT (FU1, n = 14), and an additional 12 week (n = 9). A decline in average SUVmax of ≥ 25% was seen in 9/10 (90%) of WBRT + sorafenib patients and 2/4 (50%) of WBRT only patients. Concurrent WBRT and sorafenib appear safe at 200 mg daily dose with clinical activity. CNS response was favorable compared to historical controls. This combination should be considered for further efficacy evaluation. FLT-PET may be useful as an early response imaging tool for brain metastases. Trial registration numbers and dates: NCT01724606 (November 12, 2012) and NCT01621906 (June 18, 2012).
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diabetic Macular Edema Patient Outcomes at a Tertiary Care Veterans Affairs Hospital

Purpose : Retina clinic volumes declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there have been limited studies on how this impacted patient outcomes. Optimal management of diabetic macular edema (DME) requires adherence to regular treatment schedules. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on visual and anatomic outcomes in patients with DME requiring anti-VEGF injections at our institution. Methods : Data was collected from the retina clinic at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Patient charts from April 2020 were compared to April 2019 to determine changes in attendance. To evaluate outcomes, we reviewed DME patients with appointments scheduled from April 1 - 30, 2020. Data from the last visit prior to April 1, 2020 was compared to the first follow-up visit between April 1, 2020 to December 1, 2020. Ocular surgery or absence of injections within the 3 months prior to scheduled appointment excluded patients from this study. Central foveal thickness (CFT) was measured from optical coherence tomography images and Snellen visual acuity (VA) measurements were obtained from the medical record. Poor outcome was defined as VA decrease of one or more lines or a CFT increase of 10% or more. Analysis included the eye with the worse VA from each patient. Results : Total visits to the retina injection clinic decreased by 54% from 533 patient visits in April 2019 to 247 visits in April 2020. Of 562 unique patients scheduled for April 2020, 185 patients were on anti-VEGF injection schedules for DME treatment. 51 patients were excluded. Of the remaining 134 patients, the mean age was 64.7 ± 8.8 years. 86% (115/134) were rescheduled, and of these, 26/115 were lost to follow-up until the end of our study period. The remaining 89/115 were seen with an average follow-up interval of 115.2 ± 50.0 days. At follow-up, 37/89 (42%) had worsened vision, 24/89 (27%) had worsened edema, and 54% (48/89) had a poor outcome of either worsened vision or worsened edema. Conclusions : Pandemic related rescheduling of patients with DME delayed follow-up care and treatment. On average, patients were rescheduled to a visit that was 2.4 months later than their usual visit and about half the patients experienced worsening of vision or edema. Additional studies are needed to identify patients at highest risk of vision loss so that those patients can be triaged and evaluated appropriately.
Joint hypothesis testing of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the Youden index.

In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) serves as an overall measure of diagnostic accuracy. Another popular ROC index is the Youden index (J), which corresponds to the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity minus one. Since the AUC and J describe different aspects of diagnostic performance, we propose to test if a biomarker beats the pre-specified targeting values of AUC0 and J0 simultaneously with H0 : AUC ≤ AUC0 or J ≤ J0 against Ha : AUC > AUC0 and J > J0 . This is a multivariate order restrictive hypothesis with a non-convex space in Ha , and traditional likelihood ratio-based tests cannot apply. The intersection-union test (IUT) and the joint test are proposed for such test. While the IUT test independently tests for the AUC and the Youden index, the joint test is constructed based on the joint confidence region. Findings from the simulation suggest both tests yield similar power estimates. We also illustrated the tests using a real data example and the results of both tests are consistent. In conclusion, testing jointly on AUC and J gives more reliable results than using a single index, and the IUT is easy to apply and have similar power as the joint test.
Diasporic Chinese (Huaqiao 華僑) or Multicultural Malaysian? The Challenges of Being Chinese and Christian in Malaysia Today

Malaysian Chinese Christians are confronted with the challenges and implications of hybridities, divided loyalties and multiple belongings, and multiple border crossings in their daily lives as they negotiate a socio-cultural and political landscape that is a minefield of linguistic and religious restrictions, racial and religious tensions. This chapter explores what it means to be Malaysian, Chinese, and Christian today as the Malaysian Chinese community transitions from being a diasporic Chinese (huaqiao) community to a full-fledged Malaysian community.
Explorations in Giftedness: Identifying the Gifted

How are the gifted identified? In Chapter 1 we presented the pentagonal theory for identifying the gifted (Sternberg & Zhang, 1995). In this chapter we will review the methods most frequently used in the United States. There are many different techniques, but one of the most widespread is through the use of standardized tests. We will then present in some detail three studies in which we used alternate methods of assessment. STANDARDIZED TESTS A standardized test is a test given to many individuals, often across the nation, to develop appropriate content and scoring comparisons. It is administered and scored according to uniform procedures. Uniform, or standardized procedures are the key to the definition of a standardized test. Constructors of these tests try to assure that every student taking the test has a similar experience. Standardized tests are usually purchased from test publishers. They sell the tests only to those qualified to use them. Not all tests purchased from publishers are standardized. For example, textbook publishers often offer banks of test questions. The publisher, in this case, does not try to standardize the experience of every student who is tested. Teacher-made tests are not standardized. Instead, they are created by, or for, individual teachers who use them on only a limited number of students. Each teacher scores the tests he or she creates in an individual way. Ideally, all tests of achievement should be closely tied to the learning that students have done (Dochy & McDowell, 1997).
High- and Low-Frequency Decrement Contribution to Spectral Enhancement

Purpose The relative benefit of a single, flanking, high- or low-frequency decrement was assessed to better understand properties of spectral enhancement that may aid in algorithm design. Method Detection thresholds were measured for intensity increments applied to a narrow target band of frequencies embedded in a broadband signal while 400-Hz-wide, 9- or 12-dB-deep intensity decrements were placed above, below, or on both sides of the target band. A mono condition with no decrements was used as a control. Eight participants with normal hearing and 8 participants with hearing impairment took part in this experiment. Results Performance improved in the presence of decrements for both groups and was equivalent for both high- or low-frequency decrements. Comparison with individually measured auditory filters revealed that participants with normal hearing made use of energy cues available within these filters, whereas some participants with hearing impairment, despite improved increment detection, underutiliz...
Titration of T cell help into epitope-based self-assembling vaccines (VAC12P.1017)

Distinct ratios of T effector cells are necessary for effective protective immunity. T cell epitope content plays a critical role in determining T effector cell outcome, but its effects are nonlinear and difficult to predict when designing vaccines. Here, we developed a precise experimental approach to generate vaccines with optimized antibody and CD4+ T cell responses, using non-covalent self-assembly of peptides to titrate a high-affinity universal T cell epitope (PADRE) into a nanoparticulate vaccine. Co-assembly of a B cell epitope (B peptide) from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with PADRE produced a modular vaccine that resembled a traditional protein conjugate, requiring cognate T-B interactions to raise an antibody response. Varying the PADRE concentration over nearly three orders of magnitude, from 5 μM to 1 mM, elicited bell-shaped dose-response curves for the anti-B peptide titers and PADRE-specific CD4+ cells, but these peaked at 10-fold different concentrations (0.05 and 0.005 mM, respectively). The antibody titer correlated with a peak in the T follicular helper response, while the total PADRE-specific T cell count reflected a peak in the Th1 and Th2 cells. Peak titers and affinities were similar to those obtained from an alum-adjuvanted B peptide-conjugate vaccine, indicating that titrating the T cell epitope provides a means to optimize the T effectors cells and generate strong responses in chemically precise vaccines.
A Coordinated Episode of AGB Star Production at Large Galactocentric Distances in the Andromeda Galaxy

Stars in the halo of M31 are enriched with heavy elements a factor of ten more than the Milky Way halo. Many M31 globular clusters show high metallicities and enhanced nitrogen abundance, as does the M31 nucleus and near-nuclear regions. The bulk of the nitrogen comes from mass-loss in intermediate-mass asymptotic giant branch stars, a fairly quiescent process incapable of driving enriched gas out of a galaxy. We weigh the relative merits of supernova-wind-driven turbulent mixing versus in-situ large-galactocentric-radius enrichment to explain the observations.
The Place of Farm Animal Species in the New Genomics World of Reproductive Biology

Reproductive studies on farm animal species have been part of the underpinnings that have led to the ready availability of low cost, safe, and nutritious food in the developed world. They have also made a significant contribution to reproductive medicine. Yet at a time when world demand for food is increasing and the National Institutes of Health budget is on course to double between 1998 and 2003, funding for animal agriculture remains low, erratic, and politically vulnerable. There are also those who question whether the food animals have value any longer as comparative models for studying reproduction as it relates to human health and well being. In this paper I describe how such research is presently funded at the federal level and discuss why support for agricultural science is in decline, despite many unmet needs. I then suggest that the human genome project and the developing areas of comparative gene mapping and functional genomics are beginning to provide new impetus to studies on farm animal species. Finally I argue that although rodents and, above all, the mouse, with all its genetic advantages, occupy lofty positions as models for studying reproductive processes and their abnormalities in the human, there will continue to be a need to take a broader comparative approach that will inevitably involve farm animals.
Emotions and social relationships for breast and gynecologic patients: a qualitative study of coping with recurrence

In contrast to the large literature on patients’ coping with an initial diagnosis of cancer, there have been few quantitative or qualitative studies of patients coping with recurrence. A qualitative study was undertaken to aide in the development of a tailored intervention for these patients. Individuals (N=35) receiving follow-up care for recurrent breast or gynecologic cancer at a university-affiliated cancer center participated in an individual or a group interview. Transcripts of interviews were analyzed using a coding format with two areas of emphasis. First, we focused on patients’ emotions, as there is specificity between emotions and the corresponding ways in which individuals choose to manage them. Secondly, we considered the patients’ social environments and relationships, as they too appear key in the adjustment to, and survival from, cancer. Patients identified notable differences in their responses to an initial diagnosis of cancer and their current ones to recurrence, including the following: 1) depressive symptoms being problematic; 2) with the passing years and the women’s own aging, there is shrinkage in the size of social networks; and, 3) additional losses come from social support erosion, arising from a) an intentional distancing by social contacts; b) friends and family not understanding that cancer recurrence is a chronic illness, and/or c) patients’ stemming their support requests across time. The contribution of these findings to the selection of intervention strategies is discussed.
Release Rates of Solid Drug Mixtures Dispersed in Inert Matrixes IV: Binary Mixture of Amphoteric Drugs Released into Reactive Media

This study was a critical examination of the physical model approach to the understanding of release of interacting drug mixtures from an inert matrix into reactive media. The experimental system selected was the sulfapyridine-sulfadiazine mixture dispersed in a polyvinyl chloride matrix. Drug release rates in acetate, phosphate, and tromethamine buffers and in hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions were investigated. The data were analyzed by appropriate models based upon the consideration of simultaneous equilibria and transport of all species in the system. The experimental results were generally found to be in good agreement with theory. A point of special interest was that it was necessary to consider the precipitation of drug in the matrix during drug release in alkaline buffers in order to obtain satisfactory agreement between experiment and theory.
Muscle Relaxants in the Intensive Care Unit

The administration of muscle relaxants to patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a widespread practice. In general, when administered for a short period of time, the pharmacology of muscle relaxants in ICU patients is similar to that in patients in the operating room setting. For short-term (<2 days) administration to patients in the ICU, drug doses, contraindications and complications will be broadly similar to those which apply in the operating room setting. However comparatively little is known about the pharmacology of muscle relaxants when administered for long periods of time, and many complications have been associated with their long-term use [1]. I will give clinical guidelines for the rational use of muscle relaxants, both short-term and long-term, in patients in the ICU. In addition, I will discuss the complications, particularly of long-term use, as these can have a serious impact on patient outcome.
Determination of the Yield Stress of Semi‐Liquid Foods from Squeezing Flow Data

The yield stress of tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise was determined from the thickness vs time relationships of squeezed samples having constant area under constant force. The results were virtually independent of the force imposed and the initial thickness of the samples. The readings were in agreement with values determined from shear flow using a coaxial viscometer.
Electric-field-induced morphologies in polystyrene/poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) blends

Orientation and an apparent sphere-to-cylinder transition are observed in polystyrene/poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) blend samples cast under applied fields up to ca. 10 kV/cm. More unexpected was the observation that phase separation of a micellar block copolymer was induced in films cast in an electric field of 2 kV/cm. These observations are discussed and explanations of the molecular processes involved in the phase separation, orientation and sphere-to-cylinder transitions are offered
Future beam experiments in the magnetosphere with plasma contactors: How do we get the charge off the spacecraft?

The idea of using a high-voltage electron beam with substantial current to actively probe magnetic field line connectivity in space has been discussed since the 1970s. However, its experimental realization onboard a magnetospheric spacecraft has never been accomplished because the tenuous magnetospheric plasma cannot provide the return current necessary to keep spacecraft charging under control. In this work, we perform Particle-In-Cell simulations to investigate the conditions under which a high-voltage electron beam can be emitted from a spacecraft and explore solutions that can mitigate spacecraft charging. The electron beam cannot simply be compensated for by an ion beam of equal current, because the Child-Langmuir space charge limit is violated under conditions of interest. On the other hand, releasing a high-density neutral contactor plasma prior and during beam emission is critical in aiding beam emission. We show that after an initial transient controlled by the size of the contactor cloud where the spacecraft potential rises, the spacecraft potential can settle into conditions that allow for electron beam emission. A physical explanation of this result in terms of ion emission into spherical geometry from the surface of the plasma cloud is presented, together with scaling laws of the peak spacecraft potential varying the ion mass and beam current. These results suggest that a strategy where the contactor plasma and the electron beam operate simultaneously might offer a pathway to perform beam experiments in the magnetosphere.
Endoscopic embolization and resection of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNAs) are rare tumors found exclusively in adolescent boys. Over the last 10 years, endoscopic approaches for resection of JNAs have been used, yielding acceptable results and relatively low recurrence rates. Endoscopic resection preceded by embolization has been shown to be superior to open approaches from a blood loss and hospital stay standpoint. We have performed the first direct intratumoral embolization using the new liquid embolic substance Onyx in cooperation with neurosurgery through endoscopic visualization of the tumor. This article describes our technique for embolization and endoscopic resection of JNAs.
An optimal O(N 2 ) algorithm for computing the min-transitive closure of a weighted graph

Abstract We obtain an optimal O (N 2 ) algorithm for computing the min-transitive closure of a weighted undirected (symmetric) graph G on N nodes, which improves the previous bound of O (N 3 ) . The algorithm is based on the observation that a connected graph G has a spanning tree T such that the min-transitive closure of G is the same as that of T .
Harmaline-induced tremor and impairment of learning are both blocked by dizocilpine in the rabbit

Harmaline is known to produce tremors and retard acquisition of the rabbit's nictitating membrane response. These actions have been demonstrated to depend on the ability of harmaline to activate the inferior olive which gives rise to climbing fibers that project directly onto Purkinje cells in cerebellar cortex. However, the precise receptor systems involved in harmaline's actions remains unknown. This study examined the role of the NMDA receptor in harmaline's actions. Harmaline (10 mg/kg, s.c.) produced intense tremors and impaired the acquisition of conditioned responses. Both of these effects of harmaline were significantly blocked by the prior administration of the noncompetitive NMDA channel blocker, dizocilpine (0.01 mg/kg, s.c. given 20 min prior to the administration of harmaline). This dose od dizocilpine had no effect on acquisition of conditioned responses when given alone. A higher dose of dizocilpine (0.1 mg/kg s.c.) completely blocked the tremorogenic effects of harmaline (10 mg/kg, s.c.). Dizocilpine had no effect on motor behavior when given alone. It was suggested that the blockade of harmaline's actions by dizocilpine may be occurring at NMDA channels within the inferior olive. Regardless of the site of action, these data demonstrate that harmaline's ability to activate the interior olivary nucleus depends on the normal activity of the NMDA receptor.