cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detection and diagnosis of bottle capping failures based on motor current signature analysis

Abstract Bottle capping is an important manufacturing process in many production systems. Bottle capping defects, if left unattended, will cause leakage issues during packaging and transportation. To develop a bottle capping defect detection and diagnosis system with lower cost, this paper proposes a data-driven methodology. Our approach is based on the motor current signal from the automatic capping machine, and four different capping defects, such as loose cap, cocked cap, and no cap, are considered in the experiments. Based on the current signal collected from the bottle capping machine, the signal envelope is extracted and smoothed first, and the faulty signatures are discovered subsequently. By designing and selecting appropriate features to describe the discovered fault signature, bottle capping defects can be effectively detected and isolated with the help of machine learning models. The results in the case study demonstrate that all the bottle capping defects considered in this investigation can be effectively detected and isolated.
Legal Considerations for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth

As professional bodies have developed best practices for gender-affirming health care, advocates have sought to enshrine protections for transgender and gender-diverse youth in law and policy. The politicization of transgender rights in recent years has affected the legal landscape and created both affirming and restrictive laws that healthcare providers must consider in their practices. This chapter examines some of the federal and state protections that providers should be aware of, as well as emerging legal debates around the treatment of transgender and gender-diverse youth and guiding principles of law that practitioners should follow.
How good is our diagnostic intuition? Clinician prediction of bacteremia in critically ill children

Clinical intuition and nonanalytic reasoning play a major role in clinical hypothesis generation; however, clinicians’ intuition about whether a critically ill child is bacteremic has not been explored. We endeavored to assess pediatric critical care clinicians’ ability to predict bacteremia and to evaluate what affected the accuracy of those predictions. We conducted a retrospective review of clinicians’ responses to a sepsis screening tool (“Early Sepsis Detection Tool” or “ESDT”) over 6 months. The ESDT was completed during the initial evaluation of a possible sepsis episode. If a culture was ordered, they were asked to predict if the culture would be positive or negative. Culture results were compared to predictions for each episode as well as vital signs and laboratory data from the preceding 24 h. From January to July 2017, 266 ESDTs were completed. Of the 135 blood culture episodes, 15% of cultures were positive. Clinicians correctly predicted patients with bacteremia in 82% of cases, but the positive predictive value was just 28% as there was a tendency to overestimate the presence of bacteremia. The negative predictive value was 96%. The presence of bandemia, thrombocytopenia, and abnormal CRP were associated with increased likelihood of correct positive prediction. Clinicians are accurate in predicting critically ill children whose blood cultures, obtained for symptoms of sepsis, will be negative. Clinicians frequently overestimate the presence of bacteremia. The combination of evidence-based practice guidelines and bedside judgment should be leveraged to optimize diagnosis of bacteremia.
Virtual croi 2020: Tuberculosis and coinfections in hiv infection

Due to COVID-19, this year marked the first virtual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in the conference's 27-year history. There were important studies presented that provided new insights into the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and other HIV coinfections. Highlights related to TB and HIV coinfections from this year's meeting are reviewed below.
Risk and protective factors related to alcohol and drug use amongst American Indian youth: an application of the social development model

The goal of this study is to assess the relevance of the Social Development Model (SDM) in predicting substance use across American Indian (AI) youth. We rely on self-reported data collected as par...
Resting state connectivity within the basal ganglia and gait speed in older adults with cerebral small vessel disease and locomotor risk factors

Abstract Background and Aim The basal ganglia are critical for planned locomotion, but their role in age-related gait slowing is not well known. Spontaneous regional co-activation of brain activity at rest, known as resting state connectivity, is emerging as a biomarker of functional neural specialization of varying human processes, including gait. We hypothesized that greater connectivity amongst regions of the basal ganglia would be associated with faster gait speed in the elderly. We further investigated whether this association was similar in strength to that of other risk factors for gait slowing, specifically white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Methods A cohort of 269 adults (79–90 years, 146 females, 164 White) were assessed for gait speed (m/sec) via stopwatch; brain activation during resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, WMH, and gray matter volume (GMV) normalized by intracranial volume via 3T neuroimaging; and risk factors of poorer locomotion via clinical exams (body mass index (BMI), muscle strength, vision, musculoskeletal pain, cardiometabolic conditions, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function). To understand whether basal ganglia connectivity shows distinct clusters of connectivity, we conducted a k-means clustering analysis of regional co-activation among the substantia nigra, nucleus accumbens, subthalamic nucleus, putamen, pallidum, and caudate. We conducted two multivariable linear regression models: (1) with gait speed as the dependent variable and connectivity, demographics, WMH, GMV, and locomotor risk factors as independent variables and (2) with basal ganglia connectivity as the dependent variable and demographics, WMH, GMV, and locomotor risk factors as independent variables. Results We identified two clusters of basal ganglia connectivity: high and low without a distinct spatial distribution allowing us to compute an average connectivity index of the entire basal ganglia regional connectivity (representing a continuous measure). Lower connectivity was associated with slower gait, independent of other locomotor risk factors, including WMH; the coefficient of this association was similar to those of other locomotor risk factors. Lower connectivity was significantly associated with lower BMI and greater WMH. Conclusions Lower resting state basal ganglia connectivity is associated with slower gait speed. Its contribution appears comparable to WMH and other locomotor risk factors. Future studies should assess whether promoting higher basal ganglia connectivity in older adults may reduce age-related gait slowing.
Debt Financing and Risk Management

We obtain detailed data on bank lending agreements and derivative positions of U.S. oil and gas producers during the 1999-2019 period to study interactions between financing and hedging decisions. Using the emergence of fracking technology as an exogenous shock to firms' financing needs, we document sharp increases in debt financing accompanied by increased hedge ratios and longer hedge maturities. We document that bank lending contracts often include covenants that require hedging, with the majority specifying an explicit minimum. Our results support the interpretation that these hedge covenants are binding, and are structured to mitigate potential agency conflicts originating from the priority of derivatives in default and incentives for firms to speculate with derivatives. We also show that firms with bank-imposed hedging requirements perform better during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results support the interpretation that firms' hedging decisions should be viewed as outcomes from constrained optimization shaped in part by prior financing choices.
Sensing liminal landscapes in Puget Sound

Marine shorelines are liminal landscapes or spaces, emanating a sense of in-betweenness, ambiguity, transition, and threshold. This liminality provides distinct people–place experiences, interactions, and relationships, as evinced through coastal residents’ sense of place. As such, their management, planning, and policy reflect these distinctions, recognizing that traditional approaches or frameworks likely do not fully capture what or how shorelines benefit and contribute to coastal communities and their people–place relationships. This is particularly pertinent in coastal areas experiencing rapid change, like population growth and development or sea level rise, where not only are shorelines shifting, but likely too are the connections and fealties of residents to the coast. Building upon and coalescing recent sense of place and liminal landscape research, this paper examines residents’ sense of place to Puget Sound’s liminal shorelines in Washington State (U.S.A.). Stemming from the implementation of a 12-county regional survey of coastal residents (n = 413), this paper demonstrates that residents do have a sense of place of the region’s shoreline, notably place attachment, and a range of place meanings, including those linked to coastal liminality. Such findings offer a unique perspective for coastal research and management, which increasingly recognizes the need for community inclusion and social science approaches.
Mucinous carcinoma in a male patient: Diagnosis and management of breast cancer in male patients.

Abstract Male breast cancer is a rare but serious condition that impacts an increasing number of men each year. Due to low incidence rate, there is a current lack of established diagnostic and management practices. Here, we provide a review of the current epidemiology, classification, diagnosis, and treatment of male breast cancer. We present a rare case of mucinous breast cancer in a 74-year-old male patient detected after he presented with a retroareolar mass. The patient underwent mammography, targeted ultrasound, and ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy, which established the diagnosis. He was treated surgically with left mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy with axillary lymph node dissection, followed by post-adjuvant tamoxifen and has remained free of recurrence and metastasis since.
Modern German Midwifery, 1885–1960

Acknowledgements Preface Introduction: Authority, Expertise and German Midwifery's Contribution to Debates of Nature versus Science 1 Expertise, Authority and the Written Record: An Overview of Midwives' Evolving Role in the Public Sphere 2 From Storchtanten to Gebildete Frauen: The Roots of Modern Professionalization 3 Birthing under the Swastika: Indoctrinating Midwives into the Nazi Pro-Natalist State 4 Strong Hands and Steady Demeanour: Identifying the Characteristics of an Ideal Midwifery Student 5 Babies, Bottles and Bureaucracy: Course Curriculum, World Views and Essential Knowledge for a Midwife 6 The Art and Science of Childbirth: Constructing Midwifery and Obstetrical Textbooks Conclusion: Modern Professional Midwifery Notes Works Cited Index
Chapter 22. New Approaches to Diabetes

Publisher Summary Several new mechanisms for the therapy of diabetes show considerable promise for the expansion of the clinical options for the treatment of hyperglycemia. As new pharmacological classes of anti-diabetic agents emerge, optimal treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) may require combination therapies. These may be adjusted to suit individual patient needs, particularly if responsiveness to therapies is as heterogeneous as it can be expected in so large a clinical population. Insulin replacement therapy of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) may be optimized by the development of more physiological insulin replacements and correction of other secondary hormonal changes. This chapter discusses several promising new approaches that may represent the potential therapeutic breakthroughs in the treatment of hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus with emphasis on insulin, insulin release, insulin action, and counter-regulatory hormones. Therapy of IDDM or Type I diabetes attempts to replace insulin in a manner that mimics the physiologic pattern of release seen in the nondiabetic. In addition, insulin is used in the treatment of NIDDM or Type II diabetes when oral therapy alone fails. NIDDM is characterized by abnormal insulin secretion from the pancreas, increased basal glucose output by the liver, and insulin resistance in peripheral tissue. Peripheral insulin resistance significantly contributes to the hyperglycemic state of NIDDM, as proven by euglycemic insulin clamp studies that show a marked reduction in insulin stimulation of glucose disposal. Current data favor a post-receptor defect in response to insulin. A reduction of glycemia also alleviates the resistance to insulin action in peripheral tissues. These act to counter insulin's action in stimulating peripheral glucose disposal and inhibiting hepatic glucose output. Modulation of these counter regulatory hormones can impact the glycemic control and/or insulin action in diabetic patients.
Drinking norms, readiness to change, and gender as moderators of a combined alcohol intervention for first-year college students.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol interventions targeting college students and their parents have been shown to be efficacious. Little research has examined moderators of intervention efficacy to help tailor interventions for subgroups of students. METHOD: This study is a secondary data analysis of readiness to change, drinking norms, and gender as moderators of an efficacious peer- and parent-based intervention (Turrisi et al., 2009). Students (n=680) were randomized to the combined peer and parent intervention (n=342) or assessment-only control (n=338). RESULTS: The combined intervention reduced peak blood alcohol content (BAC) compared to control. Gender and norms did not moderate the relationship between the intervention and drinking. Significant interactions were found between gender, precontemplation, and intervention. Students in the combined condition with higher precontemplation had lower weekly drinking compared to those with lower precontemplation. This pattern was also found among men for peak BAC and alcohol-related consequences but not among women, indicating a three-way interaction. CONCLUSION: Interventions may need to consider readiness to change and gender to optimize effectiveness. Language: en
Electrochemical Techniques for Studying High‐temperature Subcritical and Supercritical Aqueous Solutions

The sections in this article are Introduction High-temperature Electrochemical Systems High-temperature Reference Electrodes High-temperature Indicator Electrodes Undesirable Potentials High-temperature Reference and Buffer Solutions High-temperature Potentiometry High-temperature pH Measurements High-temperature Electrokinetic Studies High-temperature Electrochemical Kinetics and Corrosion High-temperature Electrical Conductance Techniques Conclusions
Theoretical reaction kinetics of reversible living polymerization

Amplifying an early study by SZWARC and BROWN, we have investigated the mathematical problem of the reversible living polymer system without transfer or termination reactions, concentrating particularly on the molecular weight distribution. This problem is identical to that for the kinetics of BET adsorption. A complete analytical solution is obtained when the monomer concentration is kept constant. In the much harder case of polymerization in a closed system, numerical solutions of the equations are used as guides to analytical approximations, and a perturbation approach is also helpful. The time required for the initial narrow POISSON distribution to go over into the final „most probable” equilibrium or SCHULZ distribution is proportional to the square of the average chain length. For polystyrene at room temperature, the POISSON polymer is produced in a few seconds, but the final equilibration requires of the order of 100 years, although the unreacted monomer concentration very early reaches its equilibrium value. Thus the equilibrium constant for polymerization can be accurately measured long before complete equilibrium is attained in the system. In Erganzung einer fruheren Arbeit von SZWARC und BROWN hapen wir das mathematische Problem der „lebenden” reversiblen Polymerisation ohne Ubertragungsreaktion oder Abbruchsreaktion untersucht und zwar besonders hinsichtlich der Molekulargewichtsverteilungsfunktion. Dieses Problem ist genau dasselbe wie bei der Kinetik der Adsorption nach BRUNAUER, EMMETT und TELLER (BET). Eine vollstandige analytische Losung last sich fur den Fall konstanter Monomerkonzentration angeben. Bei der viel schewierigeren Frage der Polymerisation im geschlossenen System haben wir durch Anwendung numerischer Rechnungen analytische Naherungslosungen erzielt. Auch die Storungsrechnung ist ein nutzliches Hilfsmittel. Die Zeit, die fur den ubergang der Verteilung von der POISSON-schen in die SCHULZsche Form notig ist, ist dem Quadrat des Polymerisationsgrades proportional. Styrol bildet z. B. bei Zimmertemperatur das POISSONsche Polymere in wenigen Sekunden; die Einstellung des endgultigen Gleichgewichtes erfordert aber etwa 100 Jahre. Im Gegensatz zum Polymeren erreicht die Konzentration des freien Monomeren schon ganz rasch ihren Gleichgewichtswert; die Gleichgewichtskonstante fur die Polymerisations-reaktion kann deshalb bereits nach kurzer Reaktionszeit genau bestimmt werden.
Keeping the Community Posted: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Blogs and the Tobacco Epidemic

Abstract Purpose: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people are more likely to use tobacco products than heterosexual people. This results in disproportionate death and disability for LGBT communities. Yet, addressing the tobacco epidemic is generally low on the agenda of LGBT community organizations, and LGBT individuals report lower levels of support for some evidence-based tobacco prevention and control policies than heterosexuals. Informed by agenda-setting theory, this study investigated coverage of the tobacco epidemic in LGBT news blogs. Methods: Sixteen blogs and 105 tobacco-related posts from 2003 to March 9, 2013, were identified, and a quantitative content analysis was conducted. Results: Coverage of the tobacco epidemic was primarily concentrated in four blogs and focused on the epidemiology of the epidemic and on tobacco-related policies. Little coverage focused on the tobacco industry, addiction, or health effects. A substantial minority of coverage focused on socially conservati...
Phase transitions in gene knockdown networks of transitive RNAi

Since gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) has been observed when inexact matches exist in siRNA-mRNA binding, the number of mismatched nucleotides allowed by nature becomes an important quantity in characterizing RNAi specificity. We use scale-free graphs to model the knockdown interactions among different genes and estimate the allowable flexibility by examining transitive RNAi, which amplifies siRNA and cyclically silences targets. Simulation results in S. pombe indicate that continually increasing the number of mismatches risks transcriptome-wide knockdown and eventually turns RNAi from defensive to self-destructive. At the phase transition, the number of mismatches indicates a critical value beyond which tRNAi would cause an organism instable. This critical value suggests an upper limit of no more than 6 nt mismatches in the binding.
PatZip: pattern-preserved spatial data compression

This paper presents a compression method, PatZip, to improve the efficiency of spatial pattern mining methods. PatZip can avoid overcompression and stop automatically before pattern is destroyed. Compared with existing compression methods, PatZip is deterministic and its result is reproducible, and original data can be easily recovered. The compression process is data-driven and parameter-free, and requires only O(nlogn) time for n data points.
Hybrid Electric Vehicles: A 2011 Update

This case is an addendum that updates HBS Case No. 502-025, "The Future of Hybrid Electric Cars." It covers the 10 years, 2001 to 2011.Learning Objective: This case should be used in conjunction with HBS Case No. 502-025, "The Future of Hybrid Electric Cars," to look at how a complex product gets adopted in the marketplace.
Reduction of Salmonella on alfalfa seeds using peroxyacetic acid and a commercial seed washer is as effective as treatment with 20 000 ppm of Ca(OCl)2

Aims: The efficacy of a commercial seed washer and 1 and 3% peroxyacetic acid or 20 000 ppm calcium hypochlorite for reducing Salmonella on alfalfa seeds was investigated. Methods and Results: Alfalfa seeds were inoculated with Salmonella Stanley to achieve c. 5 log CFU g−1. Seeds were then treated with 1 or 3% peroxyacetic acid or 20 000 ppm calcium hypochlorite for 15 min in a commercial seed washer that uses air to enhance contact of the sanitizer with the seed. Experiments were also conducted using industry and laboratory methods. An c. 1-log reduction in number of Salm. Stanley was demonstrated regardless of the chemical treatment or method of treatment. Although this 1-log reduction was significant (P 0·05). Conclusions: These results suggest that under conditions tested, 1 or 3% peroxyacetic acid solutions are equally effective as 20 000 ppm of Ca(OCl)2 in the reduction of Salm. Stanley on alfalfa seed when used in conjunction with a commercial seed washer. Significance and Impact of the Study: A 1% peroxyacetic acid solution could potentially be used in place of 20 000 ppm of Ca(OCl)2 for treatment of seeds used for sprouting. The commercial seed washer did not enhance removal of Salm. Stanley from alfalfa seeds, but did facilitate removal of excess soil from seeds.
Enveloping Spectral Surfaces: Covariate Dependent Spectral Analysis of Categorical Time Series.

Motivated by problems in Sleep Medicine and Circadian Biology, we present a method for the analysis of cross-sectional categorical time series collected from multiple subjects where the effect of static continuous-valued covariates is of interest. Towards this goal, we extend the spectral envelope methodology for the frequency domain analysis of a single categorical process to cross-sectional categorical processes that are possibly covariate dependent. The analysis introduces an enveloping spectral surface for describing the association between the frequency domain properties of qualitative time series and covariates. The resulting surface offers an intuitively interpretable measure of association between covariates and a qualitative time series by finding the maximum possible conditional power at a given frequency from scalings of the qualitative time series conditional on the covariates. The optimal scalings that maximize the power provide scientific insight by identifying the aspects of the qualitative series which have the most pronounced periodic features at a given frequency conditional on the value of the covariates. To facilitate the assessment of the dependence of the enveloping spectral surface on the covariates, we include a theory for analysing the partial derivatives of the surface. Our approach is entirely non-parametric, and we present estimation and asymptotics in the setting of local polynomial smoothing.
Topology Transparent Support for Sensor Networks

Due to their energy and performance limitations and unpredictable deployment strategies, sensor networks pose difficult engineering challenges for link configuration and topology coordination. This paper presents a novel, topology transparent technique for automatic time slotted link management in sensor networks. Our approach relies on the use of mutually orthogonal latin squares to determine transmission schedules between sensor nodes. We present three different protocols which, when compared to other approaches, significantly reduce or completely eliminate control message overhead. Our approach is probabilistic in the sense that it does not entirely guarantee either complete transmission collision freedom or sensor area coverage. However, we show through analysis and extensive simulation that by proper choice of system parameters we obtain excellent performance and coverage results.
Elevated NEV due to Triplen Harmonics: Modeling and Results

Modern single-phase loads contain significant harmonic components, particularly triplen harmonics. These harmonics are generated by the proliferation of electronic devices as well as electromagnetic devices (e.g., single-phase induction motors) that operate somewhat saturated. The growth of these non-linear loads has caused an increase of neutral current in the utility system at harmonic frequencies. Since the neutral conductor is grounded to the earth at multiple points, neutral currents flow in the power system neutral, the earth, and other parallel utilities. In a simple system with no parallel utilities, the return currents flow in both the neutral and the earth. Any disparity in the voltage drops caused by these currents results in a voltage difference between the neutral conductor and earth. Attempts to predict the NEV through modeling have proven difficult due to lack of parallel earth and neutral conductor models and representative interconnection between the two circuits. This paper has presented a model of a feeder that incorporates both return paths as well as a more accurate representation of the interconnection between the two systems
Neointima formation after acute vascular injury. Role of counteradhesive extracellular matrix proteins.

Abstract Restenosis currently limits the long-term beneficial effects of balloon coronary angioplasty. Two important cellular events in the development of clinically significant luminal narrowing after angioplasty are 1) increased production of extracellular matrix proteins and 2) acquisition of a motile phenotype by vascular smooth muscle cells. In this paper, smooth muscle cell responses that produce a fibrocellular neointima after acute vascular injury are reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on specialized extracellular matrix proteins implicated in cell movement and tissue repair. Tenascin and thrombospondin are large, modular extracellular matrix glycoproteins; they possess both adhesive and counteradhesive domains and are expressed at high levels during smooth muscle cell migration and neointima formation after balloon injury to rat carotid artery. The ability of both tenascin and thrombospondin to down-regulate the assembly and activity of focal adhesions (points of cell-extracellular matrix adhesive interactions) may be important in the conversion of stationary, quiescent smooth muscle cells to cells that are able to move and divide within the strongly adhesive vessel wall. Moreover, tenascin is present in the extracellular matrix as a large 6-armed oligomer (a hexabrachion) that contains both cell-binding and matrix protein-binding domains in each of the hexabrachion arms. The large size and multidomain structure of tenascin and thrombospondin suggest that these proteins may be particularly well suited to form a nascent provisional matrix at sites of 1) neointima formation after acute vascular injury, 2) new growth and expansion within primary atherosclerotic plaques, and 3) intimal repair and luminal narrowing in restenosis after angioplasty.
In vivo depletion of CD4+CD25hi regulatory T cells is associated with improved antiviral responses in cats chronically infected with feline immunodeficiency virus

Abstract Regulatory T (Treg) cells are activated and suppress immune responses during infection, and are characterized as CD4 + CD25 hi FOXP3 + . Ex vivo studies demonstrate that Treg cells potentially suppress anti-HIV-1 T cell responses. Lentivirus-induced CD4 + CD25 hi Treg cells were first described in feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected cats. In the present study we demonstrate that anti-feline CD25 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy depletes Treg cells in FIV-infected cats for 4 weeks and does not exacerbate viral replication or proinflammatory cytokine production. Significant FIV-specific immune responses are revealed in Treg cell-depleted cats. These anti-FIV effector cells exist prior to Treg cell depletion and are not expanded while Treg cells are depleted. Importantly, cats receiving the Treg cell-depleting mAb are able to produce a robust humoral response to new antigen. We propose that short-term in vivo Treg cell depletion during chronic HIV-1 infection could provide a window of opportunity for therapeutic vaccination in individuals with controlled viral replication.
Surviving the First Three Months as a Community College Library Director

Abstract The experiences of a first-time community college library director during the initial three months on the job are detailed. The process of automation software migration is used as a vehicle for demonstrating activities performed to improve knowledge. Marketing, customer service, and identification of core library supporters are addressed. Concern for preparation paths of 2-year college library directors and the ability to attract quality applicants is expressed.
GluR1 controls dendrite growth through its binding partner, SAP97.

Activity-dependent dendrite elaboration influences the pattern of interneuronal connectivity and network function. In the present study, we examined the mechanism by which the GluR1 subunit of AMPA receptors controls dendrite morphogenesis. GluR1 binds to SAP97, a scaffolding protein that is a component of the postsynaptic density, via its C-terminal 7 aa. We find that elimination of this interaction in vitro or in vivo (by deleting the C-terminal 7 aa of GluR1, GluR1Δ7) does not influence trafficking, processing, or cell surface GluR1 expression but does prevent translocation of SAP97 from the cytosol to membranes. GluR1 and SAP97 together at the plasma membrane promotes dendrite branching in an activity-dependent manner, although this does not require physical association. Our findings suggest that the C-terminal 7 aa of GluR1 are essential for bringing SAP97 to the plasma membrane, where it acts to translate the activity of AMPA receptors into dendrite growth.
Evaluating presidential runoff elections

Abstract This paper develops two criteria for institutional evaluation—necessity and convenience—and applies them to the analysis of 76 presidential elections in Latin America between 1979 and 2002. Over the last 20 years, a majority of Latin American countries have adopted presidential runoff electoral systems, but the empirical evidence suggests that both the necessity and convenience of this institution can be questioned. The need for runoff elections is dubious when the most voted candidate in the first round has obtained enough votes to become a legitimate winner, and their convenience is questionable when the candidate elected in the runoff election lacked enough political support to rule. The latter problem has been most visible when the front-runner in the first round was defeated in the runoff (i.e., when the electoral system produced an inversion of the initial outcome) in a context of low party system institutionalization.
Genome-wide identification and characterization of functional neuronal activity-dependent enhancers

Experience-dependent gene transcription is required for nervous system development and function. However, the DNA regulatory elements that control this program of gene expression are not well defined. Here we characterize the enhancers that function across the genome to mediate activity-dependent transcription in mouse cortical neurons. We find that the subset of enhancers enriched for monomethylation of histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4me1) and binding of the transcriptional coactivator CREBBP (also called CBP) that shows increased acetylation of histone H3 Lys27 (H3K27ac) after membrane depolarization of cortical neurons functions to regulate activity-dependent transcription. A subset of these enhancers appears to require binding of FOS, which was previously thought to bind primarily to promoters. These findings suggest that FOS functions at enhancers to control activity-dependent gene programs that are critical for nervous system function and provide a resource of functional cis-regulatory elements that may give insight into the genetic variants that contribute to brain development and disease.
Shear strength and sliding at a metal–ceramic (aluminum–spinel) interface at ambient and elevated temperatures

Abstract We show that the shear strength of aluminum–spinel (Al–MgAl 2 O 4 ) interfaces at room temperature, as measured by the periodic cracking method, increases by a factor of 2 when the interface is annealed at 625 °C for 1 h. The same method was used to measure the interfacial sliding resistance at elevated temperatures, following the work of Jobin et al. on copper–silica interfaces. A simplified analysis for studying diffusional sliding by the periodic cracking technique is presented. The crack spacing distributions at ambient temperature and at elevated temperature are quite different. While the ambient temperature spacing is bounded by a factor of 2 (as predicted), the distribution is much broader at elevated temperature. This discrepancy is tied to the time-dependent evolution of the interfacial tractions when the experiment is carried out at a high temperature.
Comparison of fueling efficiency from different fueling locations on DIII-D

Abstract Fueling with gas and pellet injection from several different locations has been used on the DIII-D tokamak to study core fueling and transport in H-mode and L-mode plasmas. Specific experiments have been carried out to examine the fueling efficiency into DIII-D H-mode plasmas that have periodic edge localized modes (ELMs). The fueling efficiency, defined as the total increase in number of plasma electrons divided by the number of input fuel atoms, is determined by measurements of plasma electron density profiles before and after a fueling pulse. We have found previously that there is a significantly higher fueling efficiency for pellets injected from the inner wall [J. Nucl. Mater. 290 (2001) 398] versus outside midplane pellet injection or gas puffing. In this study we extend this work to include the investigation of gas puffing from the same inner wall injection locations as the pellets to determine if a similar effect may exist. The mechanism for the improved pellet fueling from the inner wall is hypothesized to be a ∇B induced polarization of the pellet cloud leading to an E×B drift [ Phys. Plasmas 7 (2000) 1968 ] in the major radius direction. The possibility of similar physics playing a role in gas puff fueling is examined in these experiments and does not appear to be a significant effect.
Dirichlet series whose partial sums of coefficients have regular variation

We study pairs of Dirichlet series $$A(s) = \sum {_{n = 1}^\infty a(n)n^{ - s} } $$ and $$P(s) = \sum {_{n = 2}^\infty p(n)n^{ - s} } $$ in whicha(n) counts the number of objects of “size”n of some class of objects which is closed under formation of direct products and extraction of irreducible factors, andp(n) counts the number of objects of “size”n which are irreducible in this class. We prove Dirichlet series analogues of certain results about power series and use these results to prove some conjectures of Burris concerning first-order 0–1 laws.
Surgery of chronic pancreatitis: Chronicle of confusion and despair

The evolution of surgery for pancreatitic disease has been arduous owing to the technical difficulties of addressing the organ and the lack of understanding the mechanisms of the disease processes involving it. In particular, the tardy advance of surgery in the management of chronic pancreatitis exemplifies these problems. Because no specific target has been identified, mechanical intervention has for the most part reflected intuitive or creative attempts to address perceived pathologic issues such as sphincter disease, calculi, and fibrotic masses. The past and present remain a confusion of etiologies and diagnoses. Treatment remains for the most part a dramatically disappointing scenario, and both patients and their physicians are frustrated. Although the remarkable technologic progress exhibited by the odyssey of operative strategy from simple drainage, to ductal drainage, to the complex refinements of extensive resection is a testimonial to surgical skill and determination, it has been nullified to a large extent by the inability to address the initiating factors of the disease or alter those that engender progress of the pathology. It is not unreasonable to recognize that we are facing an enigmatic disease process generically classified as “chronic pancreatitis” for want of any more specific terminology. In the light of our current knowledge and experience, intervention should probably be modest in the extreme and limited to centers and individuals with expertise or who are involved in specific studies to determine the precise criteria and techniques necessary for optimum intervention. It is important that when charting such a course future surgeons involved in the management of chronic pancreatitis have an understanding of the historical evolution of the subject. As Theodor Billroth, the greatest of the surgical innovators remarked: “An awareness of the past is necessary to comprehend the present, and without it no consideration of the future is possible.”
Target Site Search Strategy Of Gene Regulatory Proteins

Gene expression is orchestrated by a host of regulatory proteins that coordinate the transcription of DNA to RNA. Regulatory proteins function by locating specific binding sequences of DNA and binding to these sequences to form the transcription initiation complex. In many instances, these regulatory proteins only have several hundred copies that must efficiently locate target sequences on the genome-length DNA strand. The non-specific binding of regulatory proteins to random sequences of DNA is believed to permit the protein to slide along the DNA in a stochastic manner. Periodically, a thermal kick or an interaction with another bound protein will disengage the regulatory protein from the DNA surface, leading to three-dimensional diffusion. Eventually, the protein will reattach to the DNA at some new location that is dictated by both the diffusivity of the protein and the DNA configuration. Cycling through these random events constitutes a search strategy for the target site. We build a reaction-diffusion theory of this search process in order to predict the optimal strategy for target site localization. The statistical behavior of the DNA strand acts as a necessary input into the theory, and we consider several governing behaviors for the DNA strand. We explore the impact of DNA configuration on target site localization in order to predict how protein expression will vary under different experimental conditions.
Superresolution Microscopy Reveals Nanometer-Scale Reorganization of MG53 Associated with Membrane Repair

Repair of acute damage to the plasma membrane is an important aspect of normal cellular physiology and disruption of this process can result in pathophysiology in a number of human diseases. MG53, a tripartite motif family protein discovered in our lab, is an essential component of the acute membrane repair machinery. It functions as a sensor of oxidation that occurs at the injured cell membrane sites. Upon membrane damage, intracellular vesicles containing MG53 translocate and accumulate to the injured sites to form membrane repair patches. When cells are at resting states, MG53 distributes both in the cytoplasm and at the cell surface through the phosphatidylserine (PS) binding motif. Through the use of superresolution single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, we showed that MG53 is organized in nanometer-scale clusters of ∼25 nm at the surface of resting cells. At the resealed membrane injury sites, clusters that are as big as 100 nm are observed with higher local protein density, consistent with our previous biochemical studies that MG53 forms oligomers upon oxidation. We also investigate two mutant forms of MG53 - the Cys242 point mutation (C242A) and the leucine zipper motif mutant (LZ12), both of which show defective membrane repair capability due to the disrupted disulfide bond formation and impaired oligomerization respectively. Both C242A and LZ12 mutants show decreased cluster size and local protein density at the surface of resting cells.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the TMJ disc in asymptomatic volunteers

Forty-two temporomandibular joints (TMJs) in 21 asymptomatic volunteers were visualized by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The subjects, 12 males and nine females, were between 23 and 43 years of age and had no history of TMJ pain, joint noise, limited opening, or previous treatment for TMJ disorder. A cephalometric head-holder was designed to position the TMJ in an accurate and reproducible manner and multisection parasagittal images were obtained perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the condyle. MR images depicted anterior disc position in 32% of the asymptomatic joints (8/24 males, 5/18 females). Anterior disc position in asymptomatic subjects may be a predisposing factor to TMJ dysfunction or simply an anatomic variant whose prevalence must be considered when evaluating TMJ dysfunction.
An affine projection-based algorithm for identification of nonlinear Hammerstein systems

There are parametric and non-parametric methods for adaptive Hammerstein system identification. The most commonly used method is the non-parametric. In reality, the linear subsystem of a Hammerstein system is not of finite impulse response and non-parametric adaptive algorithms require large matrices and therefore increase computational complexity. The objectives of this paper are to identify the Hammerstein system adaptively based on the affine projection criterion using a parametric algorithm. We also develop a bound for control of step size of the proposed algorithm and derive an expression for its mean square error performance. The error surface of the nonlinear Hammerstein filter was determined by examining the non-quadratic nature and the global and local minima of the mean square error cost function. A bound was determined for the adaptive step size and an expression was derived for the mean square error convergence based on energy conservation theory. Simulations of system identification applications showed that convergence speed of the proposed algorithm was faster and the convergence was superior to previously existing Hammerstein algorithms. Applying the new algorithm to the identification of the human muscles stretch reflex dynamics showed good convergence results. The proposed algorithm is of practical value in real life situations.
The utilization of expert opinion in decision-making

This is a review of the state-of-the-art of rational and primarily quantitative approaches to the utilization of expert opinion in the inexact sciences, among which the engineering sciences must be included. Of primary concern is the decision-maker's utilization of one or more experts, and the criteria and scoring rules used to evaluate their performance. Also reviewed are certain game-theoretic strategies used by experts to maximize their own goal satisfaction. With this review, it is hoped that chemical engineers, when acting as decision-makers, will be able to utilize expert opinion more effectively and will better understand the function of experts when it is necessary for them to adopt such roles themselves.
Tumor vascular responses following irradiation

Abstract Vascular responses of the hamster malignant neurilemmoma, grown in the transparent cheek pouch chamber, were studied following single 3000-R exposures to ionizing radiation. Variable degrees of edema and extensive reduction in blood flow occurred during the first 24–30 hr, with subsequent restoration toward normalcy accompanied by small focal hemorrhaging. Inhibition of both tumor growth and neovascularization occurred during the first 3 to 5 days. Subsequent regrowth, as indicated by newly vascularizing foci of tumor cells, occurred earliest in the perimeter of the tumor where radiosensitivity is thought to be greatest. Return of cellular proliferation within the tumor was characterized by progressive increase in caliber of persisting tumor capillaries and the formation of a new capillary network. There was no obvious correlation between the changes observed and the probability of tumor regression or regrowth.
Molecular recognition with designed peptides and proteins.

The design of proteins and peptides as molecular receptors is a rapidly growing area of research. Two primary approaches have been utilized, involving the minimization of known protein binding motifs or the de novo design of binding pockets within well-folded protein structures. These approaches are complementary and help define the minimum requirements necessary for biomolecular recognition. Recent advances in this area include the design of cavities within helix bundles for the binding of anesthetics, the design of β-hairpins for the recognition of nucleotides and oligonucleotides, the redesign of protein binding sites for unique ligands, and the design of mini-proteins via protein grafting for the recognition of proteins and DNA. These advances provide exciting new opportunities to develop novel biosensors, de novo designed catalysts, exogenously triggered synthetic signal transduction cascades, and novel approaches to therapeutic treatments.
Computer-aided search method and machine-readable data banks developed and used by IBM Germany patent documentation

Abstract The subsequent article describes the development of IBM Germany Patent Documentation which began more than 20 years ago with a descriptor system and intellectual analysis and which for the past 14 years has been successfully performing full text searches without intellectual analysis, using patent claims and abstracts as reference material. Several years ago, the IBM STAIRS program was introduced for searching. The data banks employed for searching were built up mainly with machine-readable data carriers from Wila Verlag and Derwent. The data recorded by IBM are limited to internal reports and memoranda which are not available from these sources. It has been found that the problem of handling vast numbers of patent documents could be solved only by full text searching without intellectual analysis. Our data banks presently contain more than 600 000 documents in English and German consisting of bibliographies, titles and abstracts.
Statistical Packages for Group Sequential Methods

Abstract EaSt, Version 2 Primary developers: Kyungman Kim, Cyrus Mehta, Sandro Pampallona, Anastasios Tsiatis, and Shailesh Vasundhra. Available from Cytel Software Corporation, 675 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 98195. Standard price $895; academic price $695. PEST3 (Planning and Evaluation of Sequential Trials), Version 3 Primary developers: Hazel Brunier and John Whitehead. Available from the MPS Research Unit, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 6FN, United Kingdom. Standard price £700 (approx. $1,124); academic price £400 (approx. $642).
Theoretical Solutions for Combined Forced and Free Convection in Horizontal Tubes with Temperature-Dependent Viscosity

A boundary layer solution is presented for fully developed laminar flow in a horizontal circular tube, assuming large Prandtl number and temperature-dependent viscosity and density. The solution is given by Nu = C1 Ra1/4 , where C1 is a function of a nondimensional viscosity parameter and the heat flux boundary condition. The heat transfer predictions for large values of the viscosity parameter are 50 percent above the constant viscosity predictions. The present analysis is in good agreement with experimental data for water and ethylene glycol flowing in electrically heated tubes which approximate the boundary conditions assumed in the analysis.
Using Divergent Thinking Exercises Within Supervision to Enhance Therapist Creativity

(2000). Using Divergent Thinking Exercises Within Supervision to Enhance Therapist Creativity. Journal of Family Psychotherapy: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 67-73.