cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
KIT (CD117) Expression in a Subset of Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC) Patients

We have previously described the expression of CD44, CD90, CD117 and CD133 in NSCLC tumors, adjacent normal lung, and malignant pleural effusions (MPE). Here we describe the unique subset of tumors expressing CD117 (KIT), a potential therapeutic target. Tumor and adjacent tissue were collected from 58 patients. Six MPE were obtained before therapy. Tissue was paraffin embedded for immunofluorescent microscopy, disaggregated and stained for flow cytometry or cryopreserved for later culture. The effect of imatinib on CD117(high)/KIT+ tumors was determined on first passage cells; absolute cell counts and flow cytometry were readouts for drug sensitivity of cell subsets. Primary tumors divided into KIT(neg) and KIT+ by immunofluorescence. By more sensitive flow cytometric analysis, CD117+ cytokeratin+ cells were detected in all tissues (1.1% of cytokeratin+ cells in normal lung, 1.29% in KIT "negative" tumors, 40.7% in KIT+ tumors, and 0.4% in MPE). In KIT+/CD117(high), but not KIT+/CD117(low) tumors, CD117 was overexpressed 3.1-fold compared to normal lung. Primary cultures of CD117(high) tumors were sensitive to imatinib (5 µM) in short term culture. We conclude that NSCLC tumors divide into CD117(low) and CD117(high). Overexpression of CD117 in CD117(high) NSCLC supports exploring KIT as a therapeutic target in this subset of patients.
A mouse model for mucopolysaccharidosis type III A (Sanfilippo syndrome)

Mucopolysaccharidosis type III A (MPS III A, Sanfilippo syndrome) is a rare, autosomal recessive, lysosomal storage disease characterized by accumulation of heparan sulfate secondary to defective function of the lysosomal enzyme heparan N- sulfatase (sulfamidase). Here we describe a spontaneous mouse mutant that replicates many of the features found in MPS III A in children. Brain sections revealed neurons with distended lysosomes filled with membranous and floccular materials with some having a classical zebra body morphology. Storage materials were also present in lysosomes of cells of many other tissues, and these often stained positively with periodic-acid Schiff reagent. Affected mice usually died at 7-10 months of age exhibiting a distended bladder and hepatosplenomegaly. Heparan sulfate isolated from urine and brain had nonreducing end glucosamine- N -sulfate residues that were digested with recombinant human sulfamidase. Enzyme assays of liver and brain extracts revealed a dramatic reduction in sulfamidase activity. Other lysosomal hydrolases that degrade heparan sulfate or other glycans and glycosaminoglycans were either normal, or were somewhat increased in specific activity. The MPS III A mouse provides an excellent model for evaluating pathogenic mechanisms of disease and for testing treatment strategies, including enzyme or cell replacement and gene therapy.
A Study of Pyrite/Solution Interface by Impedance Spectroscopy

Several equivalent circuit models are considered for analysis of the ac impedance spectrum of pyrite/solution interface. These models take into account the presence of coating layers and the contributions from surface roughness and diffusion. In this paper an optimization procedure is described to estimate the parameters of the equivalent circuit, namely, the value of various resistors, capacitors, etc. The procedure can also be used to identify the equivalent circuit which best describes the measured impedance spectrum. The impedance results of a pyrite electrode in sodium carbonate and borate solutions are analyzed in terms of the parameters of the equivalent circuit which best describe the spectra obtained under several conditions. Such an analysis was used to distinguish the type of electrode processes which control oxidation behavior of pyrite.
What Is Religion

This essay considers the question: “What is religion and is it essentially violent?” Rather than answer the question directly, Martin suggests that it is a loaded question and reflects on what might motivate it. Through a comparison of the concepts of “religion” and “child abuse”–as analyzed in Ian Hacking’s work on social constructionism–Martin points to the social or political stakes of defining terms tied to normative discourses and which could be designed to pathologize certain behaviors.
Mass-Balance Model of Pulmonary Oxygen Transport

A dynamic lumped-parameter model for pulmonary gas transport has been developed to characterize the lung and predict the effect of various parameter changes. The gas side of the lung is modeled as a series and parallel arrangement of five perfectly mixed, variable-volume compartments that correspond roughly to airway and alveolar regions. The blood side of the lung is modeled as a series of perfectly mixed, constant-volume compartments that represent the pulmonary capillary bed. From nonsteady mass balances, equations are derived which yield the time course of concentration for each compartment. Model simulations indicate that the oxygen-hemoglobin reaction does not reach equilibrium in the pulmonary capillaries, an assumption commonly made in analyses of pulmonary oxygen transport. Simulations also show the extent to which breathing amplitude and rate can affect the oxygen level in the blood leaving the lung. A comparison of simulations for a normal state and chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) with identical input conditions demonstrates that the oxygen level in the blood leaving the lung is much lower in COLD. Also, the simulations are compared with experimental findings.
Treatment of vulvovaginal lichen planus.

Vulvovaginal lichen planus is a chronic condition characterized by complex mucocutaneous findings. Patients may be asymptomatic or may have severe pain and itching. Findings vary from erythema, erosions, and white striae to severe scarring. Goals of treatment are to relieve symptoms and to minimize potential scarring. A multidisciplinary approach is advised for patients with widespread involvement to maximize treatment success (dermatologists, gynecologists, dentists, physical therapists, ophthalmologists, gastroenterologists, urologists, neurologists, anesthesiologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists).
Cyclic amplification and selection of targets (CASTing) for the myogenin consensus binding site.

Abstract The consensus binding site for the muscle regulatory factor myogenin was determined from an unbiased set of degenerate oligonucleotides using CASTing (cyclic amplification and selection of targets). Stretches of totally random sequence flanked by polymerase chain reaction priming sequences were mixed with purified myogenin or myotube nuclear extracts, DNA-protein complexes were immunoprecipitated with an antimyogenin antibody, and the DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Specific binding was obtained after four to six cycles of CASTing. The population of selected binding sites was then cloned, and a consensus was determined from sequencing individual isolates. Starting from a pool with 14 random bases, purified myogenin yielded a consensus binding site of AACAG[T/C]TGTT, while nuclear extracts retrieved the sequence TTGCACCTGTTNNTT from a pool containing 35 random bases. The latter sequence is consistent with that predicted from combining an E12/E47 half-site (N[not T]CAC) with the purified myogenin half-site ([T/C] TGTT). The presence of paired E boxes in many of the sequences isolated following CASTing with nuclear extracts proves that myogenin can bind cooperatively with other E-box-binding factors.
Fluorescence bronchoscopic surveillance in patients with a history of non-small cell lung cancer.

Background Second lung primaries occur at a rate of 2&#37; per patient per year after curative resection for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of fluorescence bronchoscopy using the Xillix&#174; LIFE-Lung Fluorescent Endoscopy SystemTM (LIFE-Lung system) in the surveillance of patients for second NSCLC primaries after resection or curative photodynamic therapy (PDT).
MORPH: a system architecture for robust high performance using customization (an NSF 100 TeraOps point design study)

Achieving 100 TeraOps performance within a ten-year horizon will require massively-parallel architectures that exploit both commodity software and hardware technology for cost efficiency. Increasing clock rates and system diameter in clock periods will make efficient management of communication and coordination increasingly critical. Configurable logic presents a unique opportunity to customize bindings, mechanisms, and policies which comprise the interaction of processing, memory, I/O and communication resources. This programming flexibility, or customizability, can provide the key to achieving robust high performance. The Multiprocessor with Reconfigurable Parallel Hardware (MORPH) uses reconfigurable logic blocks integrated with the system core to control policies, interactions, and interconnections. This integrated configurability can improve the performance of local memory hierarchy, increase the efficiency of interprocessor coordination, or better utilize the network bisection of the machine. MORPH provides a framework for exploring such integrated application-specific customizability. Rather than complicate the situation, MORPH's configurability supports component software and interoperability frameworks, allowing direct support for application-specified patterns, objects, and structures. This paper reports the motivation and initial design of the MORPH system.
Management of the controversial aspects of the antiphospholipid syndrome pregnancies: a guide for clinicians and researchers

Background. Recommendations for the treatment of aPL-positive patients with pregnancy morbidity are based on a limited number of welldesigned clinical trials. However, the management of pregnant aPL-positive women still displays several open questions. Objective. To determine the practice patterns of experienced physicians in the management of the controversial aspects of aPL pregnancies. Methods. A questionnaire reproducing debated conditions was initially sent to the Advisory Board members (ABMs) of the 12th Congress of aPL and the Fifth Conference on Sex Hormones, Pregnancy and Rheumatic Diseases (Florence, Italy, April 2007), and then the same questionnaire was posted at the Hospital for Special Surgery (www.hss.edu) website and all attendees (ATS) of the above meetings were invited to participate via e-mail. Answers have been collected and analysed in a descriptive fashion and responses of the two groups evaluated by Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. Results. As a whole 75 responses from the ABMs and ATS were included in the analysis. In general, there was no significant difference between the opinions of two groups. Conclusions. Management recommendations displayed reasonable consistence: (i) for the use of low-dose aspirin and low-molecular weight heparin during pregnancy and during ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization; (ii) against oestrogen-containing oral contraceptives; and (iii) for the use of anticoagulants in the post-partum period.
Soil Moisture Smart Sensor Web Concept Using Data Assimilation and Optimal Control

We present a new concept for a smart sensor web technology for measurements of soil moisture that include spaceborne and in-situ assets. The objective of the technology is to enable a guided/adaptive sampling strategy for the in-situ sensor network to meet the measurement validation objectives of the spaceborne sensors with respect to resolution and accuracy. The sensor nodes are guided to perform as a macro-instrument measuring processes at the scale of the satellite footprint, hence meeting the requirements for the difficult problem of validation of satellite measurements. The science measurement considered is the surface-to-depth profiles of soil moisture estimated from satellite radars and radiometers, with calibration/validation using in-situ sensors. Satellites allow global mapping but with coarse footprints. The total variability in soil-moisture fields comes from variability in processes on various scales. Installing an in-situ network to sample the field for all ranges of variability is impractical. However, a sparser but smarter network can provide the validation estimates by operating in a guided fashion with guidance from its own sparse measurements. The feedback and control take place in the context of a data assimilation system. The design and demonstration of the smart sensor web including the control architecture, assimilation framework, and actuation hardware are the building blocks of this concept and will be introduced in the presentation. This technology, once developed, enables a guided/adaptive sampling strategy for generating optimal, statistically unbiased, calibration/validation data for space-based measurements.
Collective hydrodynamics of deformable drops and bubbles in dilute low Reynolds number suspensions

Deformation due to hydrodynamic interactions between two deformable buoyant drops may result in the alignment and coalescence of horizontally offset drops. Three-dimensional boundary integral calculations are presented for systems containing two, three or four drops and it is argued that the interactions which occur between three drops or four drops may be characterized qualitatively by the two-drop interactions. In a dilute monodisperse suspension, the rate of coalescence of deformable drops is calculated using far-field analytical results and is found to be proportional to the Bond number. The rate of coalescence in a dilute polydisperse suspension of bubbles in corn syrup is determined by performing a large number of laboratory experiments for Bond numbers based on the larger bubble radius 15 < [Bscr ] < 120. The rate of coalescence is enhanced (by a factor of 10 for [Bscr ] = 10), owing to the effects of deformation, compared to the predictions of models which include hydrodynamic interactions and van der Waals forces among spherical bubbles. The rate of coalescence is greater than the rate predicted by the Smoluchowski model which ignores all hydrodynamic interactions. The experimental results are used to calculate the evolution of the bubble size distribution in suspensions using a standard one-dimensional population dynamics model; deformation affects the size distribution in suspensions, resulting in a wider range of bubble sizes.
73.2: A 3D Cover Glass for Mobile Devices

A thermal process has been developed to create 3D cover glass for mobile device applications. After forming, the glass is ion-exchanged to make a strong, damage-resistant structure. The response of this glass to stress and damage events is equivalent to that of 2D Corning® Gorilla® Glass.
The potential of fruit trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico

Migration routes used by Nearctic migrant birds can cover great distances; they also differ among species, within species, and between years and seasons. As a result, migration routes for an entire migratory avifauna can encompass broad geographic areas, making it impossible to protect continuous stretches of habitat sufficient to connect the wintering and breeding grounds for most species. Consequently, ways to enhance habitats converted for human use (i.e. for pasture, crop cultivation, human settlement) as stopover sites for migrants are especially important. Shelterbelts around pastures and fields, if planted with species targeted to support migrant (and resident) bird species that naturally occupy mature forest habitats and that are at least partially frugivorous, could be a powerful enhancement tool for such species, if the birds will enter the converted areas to feed. I tested this approach for Nearctic migrant birds during the spring migration through an area in Chiapas, Mexico. Mature forest tree species whose fruits are eaten by birds were surveyed. Based on life form, crop size and fruit characteristics, I selected three tree species for study: Cymbopetalum mayanum (Annonaceae), Bursera simaruba (Burseraceae) and Trophis racemosa (Moraceae). I compared the use of fruits of these species by migrants and residents in forest with their use of the fruits of isolated individuals of the same species in pasture and cropland. All three plant species were useful for enhancing converted habitats for forest-occupying spring migrants, although species differed in the degree to which they entered disturbed areas to feed on the fruits. These tree species could probably enhance habitats for migrants at sites throughout the natural geographic ranges of the plants; in other geographic areas for other target bird groups, other tree species might be more appropriate.
Photoluminescence comparison analysis of patterned and self-assembled quantum dots by MOCVD

Power-, temperature-dependent, time-resolving, and micro-photoluminescence studies are performed to characterize patterned and self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) to understand the band structure. Carrier filling, relaxation, recombination and lifetime are different for these two QD growth modes.
Neighborhood views on the definition and etiology of child maltreatment.

Objective: The purpose of this study, as part of a larger study on neighborhoods and child maltreatment, was to determine how parents residing in neighborhoods with differing profiles of risk for child maltreatment reports defined child abuse and neglect and viewed its etiology. Method: Parents (n = 400) were systematically selected from neighborhoods (n = 20) with different profiles of risk for child maltreatment report rates. As part of a larger interview, parents were asked to generate lists of behaviors that they would define as child abuse and neglect and to rate 13 etiological factors on a 10 point scale as to their contribution to the occurrence of child maltreatment. Results: While there were differences in definitional emphases, with African-American parents including behaviors of neglect and European-American parents including behaviors of physical abuse, there was marked congruence on the catalogue of behaviors that parents would define as child abuse and neglect. Four factors were identified that explained almost two-thirds of the variance in parents’ etiological explanations: poverty and family disruption, substance abuse and stress; lack of moral and family values; and individual pathology. These factors were related to neighborhood conditions, individual perceptions of neighborhood and individual characteristics. Conclusions: Community-based programs aimed at preventing or ameliorating child maltreatment must have at their very core an understanding of how populations being served define child maltreatment and why they believe that it occurs.
Transient weight misadjustment properties for the finite precision LMS algorithm

Implementation of the least mean squares (LMS) algorithm in finite precision (FP) arithmetic introduces degradations in performance compared to the infinite precision (IP) implementation. This paper derives a new and more accurate analytical result for the expected misadjustment in the LMS weight vector due to FP effects. Whereas previous results have been applicable only during steady state, the results of this present paper are applicable to both the transient adaptation period and steady state. Experimental data are then presented which show the new analytical results to be valid for approximating the weight misadjustment during the transient adaptation period over a wide range of filter and data values.
Direct hydroxide attack is a plausible mechanism for amidase antibody 43C9.

Direct hydroxide attack on the scissile carbonyl of the substrate has been suggested as a likely mechanism for esterase antibodies elicited by phosphonate haptens, which mimic the transition states for the alkaline hydrolysis of esters. 1 The unique amidase activity of esterase antibody 43C9 has been attributed to nucleophilic attack by an active-site histidine residue. 2 Yet, the active site of 43C9 is strikingly similar to those of other esterase antibodies, particularly 17E8. We have carried out quantum mechanical calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and free energy calculations to assess the mechanism involving direct hydroxide attack for 43C9. Results support this mechanism and suggest that the mechanism is plausible for other antiphosphonate antibodies that catalyze the hydrolysis of (p-nitro)phenyl esters.
Modeling a transport layer protocol using first-order logic

We use a hybrid model based on the first-order logic to specify and verify a transport layer protocol. In this model we specify a protocol as a set of state machines. Time expressions are used to describe the temporal relations of transitions. Given the specification of a protocol, we verify its properties by logical deduction. Reasoning techniques such as decomposition and abstraction are used to reduce the verification complexity.The transport protocol consists of an active process, a passive process, and two communication channels. Each of these components is specified by this model. An outline of verification of this protocol is given.
Scattering Matrix and Doubling Equations for the Scattering and Transmission Functions

Abstract In a series of papers given by Redheffer, Peebles and Plesset, Wang, Aronson and Yarmush, Grant and Hunt, the scattering matrix method has been applied to the solution of the linearized Boltzmann equation. On the other hand, the doubling equations for the scattering and transmission functions in a homogeneous anisotropically scattered atmosphere have been found by van de Hulst and successfully extended by Hansen and Hansen and by Hovenier with the aid of the invariance principles. In the present paper we show how to derive the doubling equations for the scattering and transmission functions in a homogeneous anisotropically scattering atmosphere by using the scattering matrix.
Assessment of Parasitism of House Fly and Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Pupae by Pteromalid (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) Parasitoids Using a Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay

Abstract The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the ribosomal DNA of house flies, Musca domestica L., the stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), and four parasitoid species in the genus Muscidifurax (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) were characterized to develop a method based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to better define the role of pteromalid parasitism of pupae of the house fly and stable fly. Two parasitoid-specific primers were designed to anneal to the 5′ end of the 5.8S rRNA gene in the parasitoid species. When paired with a universal primer at the 3′ end of the 18S rRNA, the primers amplified the target ITS1 region in 10 pteromalid species. PCR allowed detection of parasitoid DNA within 24 h after females of Spalangia endius Walker oviposited into house fly puparia. PCR failed to amplify parasitoid DNA or detect parasitism in puparia that were exposed to parasitoid oviposition, allowed to develop 7 d, then killed by freezing and held at 20–24°C for 4 d to allow DNA degradation. Dige...
Introduction to the NYC Transit System

The sheer size of New York City’s massive public transportation system is staggering. The system includes the NYC subways (including elevated and surface lines), the Staten Island Rapid Transit, and a huge bus system.
Defining the Eighth Amendment Concept of Dignity in Conditions of Confinement

In my article, Defining “Sufficiently Serious” in Claims of Cruel and Unusual Punishment, 61 Drake L. Rev. 1 (Fall 2013), I articulated and supported several factors that federal courts should use in deciding whether a prisoner’s claim is “sufficiently serious” to give rise to a conditions of confinement claim of Cruel and Unusual Punishment: severity, duration, and the effect on personal dignity. In the seminal case of Hope v. Pelzer, the Supreme Court emphasized that the “basic concept underlying the Eighth Amendment is nothing less than the dignity of man.” My current work in progress, “Defining the Eighth Amendment Concept of Dignity in Conditions of Confinement,” further explores the meaning of “dignity” in the context of prisons and jails, both in the United States and internationally.I will address the origin of the concept of “dignity” as a factor in Eighth Amendment jurisprudence, starting with Hope v. Pelzer and working backwards to include a study of the Framers’ original understanding. The article will also review differing state approaches and look at federal and state jury verdicts in cases brought by prisoners alleging cruel and unusual punishment arising from conditions of confinement. I aim to clarify the notion of “dignity” in a way that will assist practitioners and courts in Eighth Amendment cases.
Foreign aid funnel? A placebo-based assessment of aid flows to non-permanent United Nations Security Council members:

A number of recent studies have found that temporary members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) experience increased foreign aid inflows. We use a constrained permutations approach to replicate analyses found in Vreeland and Dreher (2014). Permuting the timing of country membership on the Security Council, we create placebo UNSC membership histories which plausibly could have been observed. We use these placebos to construct a reference distribution for the null hypothesis that there is no relationship between UNSC membership and foreign aid flows and then observe whether or not the observed test statistic for the correlation found in the real-world data is in the tails of this distribution. In other contexts, such empirically based hypothesis tests have revealed a high false-positive rate for traditional, model-based time-series cross-sectional inference. Given the controversial nature of studies about increased aid flows as secondary benefits of UNSC membership, it is valuable to subject such...
Opposition of the Thumb and Its Restoration

The restoration of opposition is feasible by means of several operative approaches. Among them the Thompson procedure offers a relatively simple yet effective method. If failure occurs it can seldom be attributed to a fault of the particular method employed; it is much more often caused by the selection of an inadequate motor tendon or its insertion under insufficient tension. Residual power and function of the hand and the relationship of the hand to the extremity as a whole must be carefully appraised before attempting to restore opposition of the thumb. If contracture of the thumb has occurred, this deformity should be corrected prior to (or at the time of) tendon transfer. The restoration of opposition of the thumb in children should not be delayed because of age or skeletal immaturity.
Procedure for Staining Fixed Human Brain Slices

The described method provides a new technique for differentiating areas of gray and white matter in fixed human brain slices. The technique is a modification of an existing method permitting use of the nonfading copper phthalocyanine dye alcian blue Stained slices show turquoise gray matter that contrasts sharply with areas of white matter. Procedure Cut human brains from gross anatomy laboratory cadavers into 4 mm slices and wash in running tap water for 14 hr. Oxidize slices in performic acid for 1.5 hr. Wash in running tap water for 14 hr. Stain slices in shallow dishes in 0.05% aqueous alcian blue. Wash in running tap water for 1 hr. Dry for 2–4 hr and embed in plastic.
The Role of Silicon Monohydride and Dihydride in the Photoluminescence of Porous Silicon and Photoluminescence of Porous Silicon Buried Underneath Epitaxial GaP

Thermal annealing studies of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy have been performed concurrently on porous Si. A sharp reduction in the PL intensity is observed for annealing temperatures > 300 °C and this coincides with desorption of hydrogen from the SiH2 surface species. The role of silicon hydride species on the photoluminescence intensity has been studied. The surfaces of luminescent porous Si samples were converted to a predominate SiH termination using a remote H-plasma. The as-passivated samples were then immersed in various concentrations of hydrofluouric solutions to regulate the recovery of SiH2 termination on the surface. Photoluminescence measurements and transmission Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy have shown that predominant silicon monohydride (SiH) termination results in weak photoluminescence. In contrast, it has been observed that the appearance of silicon dihydride (SiH2) coincides with an increase in the photoluminescence intensity. To achieve electroluminescence it will be beneficial to generate carriers with sufficient energy to populate the states of the quantum-confined Si structures. A viable method to accomplish this is to utilize a wide-bandgap heterojunction injector such as GaP. Toward that end we report the successful formation of porous Si buried underneath GaP islands and we demonstrate that the buried porous Si layer exhibits strong photoluminescence.
Susceptibility of Anaerobic Bacteria to β-Lactam Antibiotics in the United States

beta-Lactam antibiotics are critical agents in the treatment of anaerobic infections. Susceptibility to these agents, however, varies widely, depending on the specific drug and organism; has not been constant over time; and differs in various geographic locations within the United States for many species. For the organisms in the Bacteroides fragilis group, the beta-lactam antibiotics with the most consistent activity are imipenem and combinations of a beta-lactam drug plus a beta-lactamase inhibitor, such as ticarcillin/clavulanate and ampicillin/sulbactam. Antibiotics with less activity include cefoxitin, piperacillin, cefotetan, and ceftizoxime. In other species of anaerobic gram-negative bacilli, beta-lactamase production is seen with increasing frequency. In vitro susceptibility of these strains is now similar to that of the B. fragilis group, with imipenem, ticarcillin/clavulanate, ampicillin/sulbactam, and cefoxitin being the most active drugs. The anaerobic gram-positive cocci and bacilli remain, for the most part, highly susceptible to penicillins and imipenem.
Measuring method of wetting and wicking feature of woven fabric based on image processing

A computer-based image system was used to measure and analyze the wetting and wicking properties of woven fabrics.After obtaining the image signals into the system,the Fourier spectrum analysis was conducted to extract the useful information from the initial raw data.Other algorithms were used to suppress the weave pattern components in all the images so as to enhance the information reflecting wetting and wicking processes.By using such information from a sequential image set,the wetting or wicking front curves for either 1D case or 2D case at different time interval were produced in detail.The present results indicate that image processing and analysis algorithms have high efficiency and accuracy in investigation of wetting or wicking processes in fibrous substrates.
Defining the Need for Dental Care in North Carolina: Contributions of Public Health Surveillance of Dental Diseases and Conditions

long-standing principle held by epidemiologists who study the health status of human populations is that any disease can demonstrate important variation among people with different characteristics, across different geographic locations, and over time. Substantial fluctuations in the amount of disease can occur as the relative importance of diseases rises and falls, usually in response to scientific breakthroughs and widespread application of effective interventions, but often for unknown reasons. The prevalence of dental diseases and their consequences are particularly prone to change because of the complex and interacting nature of their many biological, environmental, and social determinants. Dental diseases were at record highs during the first half of the 20th Century. Few people went unaffected, and most could expect to loose some of their teeth by middle age. In the early 1960s, almost 3,000 students graduated from high school in North Carolina having lost all their teeth to the ravages of dental disease. In the mid-1970s, the number of missing teeth among those in their sixth decade of life was two and onehalf times greater than the number of filled or decayed teeth. National trends through the 1990s demonstrated several significant advances in oral health status during the last half of the 20th Century. Primary among these changes were substantial declines in dental caries (tooth decay) in permanent teeth beginning in childhood and extending through young adulthood, modest reductions in destructive periodontal (gum) disease, and improvements in tooth loss and oral cancer mortality. Even with these improvements, however, dental disease still is recognized as a silent epidemic, with dental caries and periodontal diseases being among the most common of all diseases. Particularly hard hit are the poor, minorities, those living in remote geographic areas and those with special healthcare needs, creating large disparities in disease and in access to preventive and treatment services. Important changes in public health practice, the field of dentistry, and the North Carolina population have occurred during the last few decades that should substantially affect the oral health of North Carolina residents. In this commentary, we briefly review the current status of dental diseases and trends that
Integrated STEM curriculum: improving educational outcomes for Head Start children

ABSTRACTIn this study, the researchers aimed to design, plan and implement a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) model to support Pre-K children’s skills and knowledge in STEM as well as to improve Pre-K teachers’ attitudes and professional skills to plan and integrate STEM concepts in their daily classroom activities. Four classrooms from a Head Start programme in an Eastern North Carolina County participated in the study. A quasi-experimental, pre–post-intervention design was adopted to implement the steps of the project. Data were collected through multiple, convergent methods in which the research team utilized both quantitative and qualitative measures to document the participants’ progress and gains. The research outcomes proved that children attending preschool can attain higher levels of understanding in STEM when they are specifically supported through well-planned, stimulating and developmentally appropriate activities.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of neurodegenerative diseases. Although MRI currently does not yield sufficient predictive power to provide a diagnosis in most individual cases, important features have been identified in population studies that help support or exclude a clinical diagnosis under consideration. In parkinsonian patients, putamenal signal hypointensity is commonly observed in patients with atypical parkinsonism. In demented patients, hippocampal atrophy and prolonged T2 relaxation may help identify individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Caudate and putamenal atrophy are seen in Huntington's disease and may serve as markers of disease progression.
Eyelid Myoclonia with Absences (Jeavons Syndrome)

An open-label trial of levetiracetam in 35 patients (23 girls) with eyelid myoclonia (EM) was conducted at the Epilepsy Center, Federico II University, Napoli, and several additional epilepsy centers in Italy.
Lipid and Lipoprotein Metabolism in Liver Disease

The liver plays a central role in lipid metabolism, serving as the center for lipoprotein uptake, formation, and export to the circulation. Alterations in hepatic lipid metabolism can contribute to the development of chronic liver disease, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and add to the progression of other chronic liver disease, as occurs in hepatitis C. Moreover, chronic liver disease can impact hepatic lipid metabolism leading to alterations in circulating lipid levels contributing to dyslipidemia. This chapter discusses the interplay between lipid metabolism and chronic liver diseases focusing on NAFLD, alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, cholestatic liver disease, and cirrhosis. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG .
The Effect of Knowledge Management Enablers on Sustainable Competitive Advantage Amongst Humanitarian Agencies in Kenya

The paper examines the following knowledge management enablers and reveals how they accelerate knowledge management and subsequently build a competitive advantage for humanitarian agencies. - Employee Empowerment - Information Technology Systems - Organizational Culture - Management Leadership Commitment- Obstacles and Constraints in Practicing Knowledge Management The study used resource-based view and theory of knowledge management for competitive advantage as its theoretical basis. The results from the 40 agencies surveyed reconfirmed a general agreement found in the literature that employee empowerment, information technology systems, organizational culture and management leadership commitment are ideal to bring significant positive correlations in improving organizational competitive advantage. The findings also indicated that while culture is one of the most important enablers affecting knowledge management, integration with employee empowerment, information technology and management leadership commitment may assist to overcome cultural barriers and provide a stronger contribution to competitive advantage. The study also confirmed that humanitarian agencies have experienced obstacles and constraints including restricted resources and financial challenges which impede the development and advancement of knowledge management. The study recommends that humanitarian agencies need to review institutional, management and operational structures to remove impediments to knowledge management. The agencies also need to perform technological audits regularly to ensure the validity of technology used within their agencies. The study further recommends that management and leadership of the humanitarian agencies in Kenya need to strengthen the financial allocation to knowledge management programmes and projects. There is need to increase agency commitment to an open, collaborative and team-orientated culture with more platforms for knowledge mobilization, dissemination and utility. It is envisaged that this study will help humanitarian agencies to prioritize inclusion of knowledge management systems in their policy frameworks. Consequently, they will adopt and utilize the strategic resources, especially the notion of knowledge management in the creation of sustainable competitive advantage.
Artificial intelligence and the future of knowledge workers

Four years after IBM Blue Deep beat world chess champion Gary Kasparov in May, 1997; ten years before IBM's Watson beat the former championKen Jennings, in the game show Jeopardy! in February 2011 and fifteen years before Google's AlphaGo beat Go world champion Lee Sedolin the ancient Chinese board game in March 2016, in a paper “Artificial Intelligence — Innovative Technology for Business Growth” presented at the World Congress on Total Quality Management — an annual conference organized by Institute of Directors(IOD) and held in New Delhi in December, 2000, I wrote that — • A combination of AI technology and Internet can result in an infrastructure with ultimate pleasure, where people can get information from any source, speak to others irrespective of their languages, listen to radio and view video programs live in any language. This is what is really meant by living in a “global village”. • AI is not just for making smart products but also helping employees to gain knowledge and experience. If a computer program known as “Deep Blue”, can beat the world-chess champion, Gary Kasparov, then we can also make super computer programs to make human beings champions in their respective fields. The inclusion of several AI systems in a Knowledge Management system would help employees to provide an environment for knowledge sharing to create customer value, operational excellence, innovation and creativity.
Bounded rationality in wagering mechanisms

Wagering mechanisms allow decision makers to inexpensively collect forecasts from groups of experts who reveal their information via bets with one another. Such mechanisms naturally induce a game in which strategic considerations come into play. What happens in the game depends on the reasoning power of the experts. At one extreme, if experts are fully rational, no-trade theorems imply no participation. At the other extreme, if experts ignore strategic considerations, even the least informed will wager as if his beliefs are correct. Economists have analyzed the former case and decision theorists the latter, but both are arguably unrealistic. In this paper, we adopt an intermediate model of bounded rationality in wagering mechanisms based on level-k reasoning. Under this model, overconfidence allows some participation to be sustained, but experts who realize they are at a relative disadvantage do bow out. We derive conditions on the particular wagering mechanism used under which participation is unbiased, and show that unbiasedness always implies truthful reports. We show that if participation is unbiased, then participation rates unavoidably fall as players' rationality increases, vanishing for large k. Finally, we zoom in on one particular information structure to give a complete characterization specifying the conditions under which mechanisms are unbiased and show how to maximize participation rates among all unbiased mechanisms.
Designing a New Video Game App as an aid for Introduction to Programming classes that use C Programming Language

This paper describes the use and development of a mobile application as an aid for an introduction to programming class in C, for first year engineering students. One of the biggest problems in teaching programming, and in particular in C is the concept of memory allocation and pointers. To help visualizing these concepts we developed an application in the form of a video game that works on both Android and iOS devices. The paper is inspired Digital Game Based Learning (DGBL) pedagogical theory, studying the kind of learning that happens when playing computer and video games, how to use this medium as a tool for learning, and how to design games for learning. Research has shown benefits in using mobile applications to better engage students and help them learn at their own pace and levelWe did some preliminary performance testing on students from two different groups. One group of computer engineering students and another one of non-engineering majors, both groups learning to program, with no previous knowledge of programming, to evaluate the benefits of the application. The results of this test show that there is an improvement in the students understanding in C, and we also noted a very positive attitude of students toward using something as familiar to them as mobile phones to help them understand the material.
Synergistic effect of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 and 17β-estradiol on osteoblast differentiation of pediatric MSCs.

Vitamin D is essential for mineral homeostasis and contributes to bone metabolism by stimulating osteoblast differentiation of marrow stromal cells (MSCs). In this study, we used MSCs from pre-pubertal girls and boys to test the hypothesis that 1α,25(OH)2D and 17β-estradiol have synergistic effects on these MSCs, and what mechanism is involved. With IRB approval, we isolated MSCs from discarded excess iliac marrow graft from children undergoing alveolar cleft repair. Plasma was available from 8 female (9.3±0.2years) and 8 male (9.6±0.1years) subjects for hormone assays [25(OH)D, total testosterone, 17β-estradiol, estrone, DHEA-S, Growth Hormone, IGF-I]. RT-PCR was used for gene expression. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was used to measure osteoblast differentiation at day 7; alizarin red was used to measure matrix mineralization at day 21. All subjects were pre-pubertal based on their hormone levels. Serum 25(OH)D levels ranged from 13.1 to 26.4ng/mL, with 75% below 20ng/mL. Constitutive gene expression of VDR and ERα, β varied from subject to subject with no association with sex or serum chemistries. In osteoblastogenic medium, 1α,25(OH)2D3 (10nM) increased ALP activity by 36% (p<0.05) in MSCs; 10nM of E2 was not stimulatory but the combination of 1α,25(OH)2D3 and E2 increased ALP 151% (p<0.05 vs. control) and by 84.5% (p<0.05 vs. 1α,25(OH)2D3 alone). The combination of 1α,25(OH)2D3 and E2 significantly increased mineralization 11-fold, compared with either agent alone. Twenty-four hour treatment with 1α,25(OH)2D3 (10nM) or E2 (10nM) upregulated each other's receptor by as much as 5.8-fold for ERα and 2.9-fold for the VDR. In summary, 1α,25(OH)2D3 stimulated osteoblast differentiation and matrix mineralization with MSCs from pre-pubertal subjects, with a synergistic effect of E2, mediated by upregulated receptor levels, at least in part. These studies add new information about the regulation of human osteoblast differentiation, effects of 1α,25(OH)2D3 and E2 on MSCs, and the importance of vitamin D for skeletal health.
Heat Penetration and Bacteriological Properties of Foods for Heat Sterilization Process Design

Methods are described for determining several parameters needed for thermal process design. Bacterial destruction parameters D and z can be obtained with a computer-controlled reactor. Required F values for acid products are based on the ability of the acid to prevent Clostridium botulinum growth below pH 4.6; however, under strict anaerobic conditions, C. botulinum can produce toxin at pH 3.7. For particulate foods, liquid crystals can be used as temperature sensors on particle surfaces to facilitate calculation of liquid/particle heat transfer coefficients.
Emotional Motivations for Family Treatment

Sandor Rado's framework for determining emotional motivation for treatment is explored from a family-systems perspective. This framework can be used to assess the family system and to determine the...