cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Augmented reality in retail: A trade-off between user's control of access to personal information and augmentation quality

Abstract This study conducted a qualitative experimental study to develop a scale, augmentation quality that measures the output quality of augmented reality. Augmentation quality is a new aspect of user experience being captured through interaction with augmented reality. Since controlling access to their personal information is a significant concern of users, this study also conducted a quantitative experimental study and applied equity theory to examine how augmentation quality and users’ control of access to their personal information impacts user satisfaction. This study was conducted in three different contexts: online shopping, entertainment services, and basic service maintenance. ANOVA was applied to examine the significant differences in user satisfaction, user's control of access to personal information, and augmentation quality across the three contexts. Results indicated that individuals pay attention to both the privacy of their personal information as well as augmentation quality. The results also indicated that the ability to control access to personal information significantly affects user satisfaction. The results of this study carry important managerial implications for augmented reality developers and retailers.
Population modification of Anopheles mosquitoes for malaria control: pathways to implementation.

While considerable progress has been made in combating malaria, largely due to mosquito control measures such as insecticides, the disease is still a major burden and the inability of existing appr...
The Introduction of a Task Model for Crisis Intervention

This article reviews published models for crisis intervention to identify common tasks. Two categories of tasks were identified, continuous and focused. Continuous tasks (assessment, safety, and su...
High-end workstation compute farms using windows NT

This paper describes our experiences in building and deploying Windows NT* based high-end workstation compute farms within the Intel engineering community. An overview of Intel's compute requirements is presented, along with the solution developed to address Intel's large compute cycle needs. The paper discusses NT's contribution to the solution, including recognized NT strengths as well as migration and deployment challenges we faced. The paper emphasizes workarounds to known issues for other user communities to leverage, but also enumerates areas in which Windows NT and the Win32 API* could be improved. Our paper concludes that despite many challenges, NT based high-end workstation farm computing is viable.
Defending users against smartphone apps: techniques and future directions

Smartphone security research has become very popular in response to the rapid, worldwide adoption of new platforms such as Android and iOS. Smartphones are characterized by their ability to run third-party applications, and Android and iOS take this concept to the extreme, offering hundreds of thousands of “apps” through application markets. In response, smartphone security research has focused on protecting users from apps. In this paper, we discuss the current state of smartphone research, including efforts in designing new OS protection mechanisms, as well as performing security analysis of real apps. We offer insight into what works, what has clear limitations, and promising directions for future research.
Introduction: Immigration and Changing Identities

In the last half century, the United States has undergone a profound demographic transformation in the wake of a massive inflow of immigrants. In 2016, immigrants represented approximately 14 percent of the U.S. population; together with their U.S.-born children the figure was more than 25 percent,
Thoracoscopic Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation: Adjunct Therapy for Secondary Prevention of Life-Threatening Ventricular Arrhythmias in Children.

Abstract Background: Cardiac sympathetic denervation (CSD) is a surgical option for patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Previously described cohorts included populations in whic...
Characterization of electrowetting, contact angle hysteresis, and adhesion on digital microfluidic devices with inkjet-printed electrodes

This investigation characterizes electrowetting performance, contact angle hysteresis, contact line pinning force, and adhesion work on digital microfluidic devices with inkjet-printed electrodes. It also demonstrates electrowetting-induced droplet detachment on these devices. Average performance was similar to cleanroom-fabricated devices in all experimental measurements, but variability was persistently higher on inkjet-printed devices. This appears to be consistent with increased defect density and variation in local electrowetting number caused by increased roughness of printed electrodes. This work suggests that inkjet-printed devices are suitable for the study of colloidal transport and deposition under electric fields and electrowetting-induced droplet detachment when accompanied by rigorous uncertainty analysis.
Interaction of Multiple Drops and Formation of Toroidal-Spiral Particles

During sedimentation in a miscible, viscous liquid, polymeric drops self-assemble into a toroidal-spiral structure, which can be solidified by photoinitiated cross-linking. With a suitable arrangement three drops can be encapsulated, possibly enabling controlled release of a therapeutic drug cocktail.
A queuing model for designing multi-modality buried target detection systems: preliminary results

Many remote sensing modalities have been developed for buried target detection, each one offering its own relative advantages over the others. As a result there has been interest in combining several modalities into a single detection platform that benefits from the advantages of each constituent sensor, without suffering from their weaknesses. Traditionally this involves collecting data continuously on all sensors and then performing data, feature, or decision level fusion. While this is effective for lowering false alarm rates, this strategy neglects the potential benefits of a more general system-level fusion architecture. Such an architecture can involve dynamically changing which modalities are in operation. For example, a large standoff modality such as a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera can be employed until an alarm is encountered, at which point a high performance (but short standoff) sensor, such as ground penetrating radar (GPR), is employed. Because the system is dynamically changing its rate of advance and sensors, it becomes difficult to evaluate the expected false alarm rate and advance rate. In this work, a probabilistic model is proposed that can be used to estimate these quantities based on a provided operating policy. In this model the system consists of a set of states (e.g., sensors employed) and conditions encountered (e.g., alarm locations). The predictive accuracy of the model is evaluated using a collection of collocated FLIR and GPR data and the results indicate that the model is effective at predicting the desired system metrics.
Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia

Abstract 4533 Purpose: The role of autologous stem-cell transplantation (auto-HCT) in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is not clearly defined. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of auto–HCT in patients with WM and to determine the prognostic factors that have a significant impact on outcome. Patients and Methods: We analyzed 16 adult patients (10 males and 6 females) with WM who underwent high-dose chemotherapy and auto–HCT at MDACC between 1/89 and 2/11. Median age at diagnosis was 55 years (range 43–74) and median age at auto-HCT was 55.5 years (range 43–75). Concurrent AL amyloidosis was seen in 6 patients (37%). Median interval from diagnosis to time of progression was 3.1 years (range 0.4– 9.5) and patients had received a median of 2 lines of therapy (range: 1–6) prior to auto-HCT. Seven patients (44%) had either primary refractory disease or were in first remission, while 9 patients (56%) had relapsed disease. Median follow-up in the surviving patients was 3.5 years (range, 1.1– 12.2). Preparative regimens were as follows: 9 patients received Melphalan alone; 2 received Melphalan + Rituximab; 1 underwent Melphalan + total body irradiation (TBI); 2 received Thiotepa + Busulfan + Cyclophosphamide; and 2 received BCNU + Etoposide + Cytarabine + Melphalan + Rituximab (BEAM-R). Results: Non-relapse mortality was 6.2% at 1 year. All 15 evaluable patients achieved engraftment with a median time to neutrophil engraftment of 11 days (10–46). Fourteen patients were eligible for response evaluation. One patient died within 30 days and one was lost to follow up. Three (21%) patients achieved a CR, while 9 (64%) achieved a PR. The overall response rate was 85%. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) at 5 years were 36.7% and 56.4%, respectively. Median PFS and OS from auto-HCT were 2.5 and 8.3 years, respectively. The median OS from diagnosis was 12.3 years. On univariate analyses, disease status at auto-HCT (first remission or primary refractory disease) was the strongest predictor of progression (p=0.05; HR 0.1, 95% CI 0.01–1.04), PFS (p=0.01, HR 0.1, CI: 0.01–0.6) and OS (p=0.01). Similarly, the melphalan-based regimens were associated with a longer OS in patients with relapsed disease at auto-HCT (p=0.002). On univariate analyses, LDH level at auto-HCT, number of prior chemotherapy regimens, use of prior cladribine, concurrent AL amyloidosis or International Staging System score (ISSWM) did not have a significant impact on the outcome. Conclusion: Auto-HCT is a feasible procedure in patients with advanced WM, even when performed later in the course of disease, after a median of 2 lines of therapy. Patients with relapsed disease at auto-HCT have a significantly worse outcome and may require posttransplant therapy. Disclosures: Shah:Celgene: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees.
Healthcare system indicators associated with modern contraceptive use in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria: evidence from the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 data

Public health literature is replete with evidence on individual and interpersonal indicators of modern contraceptive use. There is, however, limited knowledge regarding healthcare system indicators of modern contraceptive use. This study assessed how the healthcare system influences use of modern contraceptive among women in Ghana, Kenya, and two large population states in Nigeria. This study used data from Phase 1 of the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020. The analytical sample was limited to women with a need for contraception, defined as women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) who wish to delay or limit childbirth. Therefore, this analysis consisted of 1066, 1285, and 1955 women from Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya respectively. Indicators of healthcare assessed include user-fees, visit by health worker, type of health facility, multiple perinatal services, adolescent reproductive healthcare, density of healthcare workers, and regularity of contraceptive services. All analyses were conducted with SAS (9.4), with statistical significance set at p < 5%. The prevalence of modern contraceptive was 22.7, 33.2, and 68.9% in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya respectively. The odds of modern contraceptive use were higher among Nigerian women who lived within areas that provide adolescent reproductive healthcare (OR = 2.05; 95% C.I. = 1.05—3.99) and Kenyan women residing in locales with polyclinic or hospitals (OR = 1.91; 1.27—2.88). Also, the odds of contraceptive use were higher among Kenyan women who lived in areas with user-fee for contraceptive services (OR = 1.40; 1.07–1.85), but lower among Ghanaian women residing in such areas (OR = 0.46; 0.23—0.92). Lastly, the odds of modern contraceptive use were higher among women visited by a health-worker visit among women in Ghana (OR = 1.63; 1.11—2.42) and Nigeria (OR = 2.97; 1.56—5.67) than those without a visit. This study found an association between country-specific indicators of healthcare and modern contraceptive use. Evidence from this study can inform policy makers, health workers, and healthcare organizations on specific healthcare factors to target in meeting the need for contraception in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Route Interchange Protocol

Route Interchange Protocol (RIP) is one of the simplest routing protocols and one of the first to be developed. For smaller networks it is the protocol of choice, even though RIP has many drawbacks. RIP is simple to implement, requires very little expertise, and is very common on the Internet.
Language assimilation and performance in achievement tests among Hispanic children in the U.S.: Evidence from a field experiment

Abstract We provide new evidence about the effect of testing language on test scores using data from two rounds (conducted approximately six years apart) of the New Immigrants Survey. In each round, U.S.-born and foreign-born children of Hispanic origin were randomly assigned to take the Woodcock-Johnson achievement (two reading and two math) tests, either in Spanish or in English. U.S.-born children of Hispanic immigrants perform better in reading tests (but not in math tests) when they are assigned to take tests in English. The size of the testing-language effect remains stable across rounds. Foreign-born children of Hispanic immigrants perform better in both reading and math tests when they are assigned to take tests in Spanish in the first round. However, the size of the testing-language effect declines in reading tests and completely disappears in math tests by the second round. Our results suggest that the depreciation of Spanish skills is an essential factor (and, in some cases, more important than the accumulation of English skills) in explaining the decline in the testing-language effect among foreign-born children. We also explore how age at immigration and years spent in the U.S. affect language assimilation.
The Changing Face of Qualitative Inquiry

When examining the changes in society and the concomitant changes in research methods in the last century, unquestionably qualitative inquiry has been superseded by quantitative methods and had to ...
Veering by Blind Pedestrians: Individual Differences and Their Implications for Instruction.

This article reports the measurement of the “veering tendency” of four blind pedestrians over three 15-trial test sessions. The findings illustrate between- and within-subject differences in patter...
Design and Fabrication of Vertical GaN p-n Diode With Step-Etched Triple-Zone Junction Termination Extension

We demonstrate edge termination for vertical GaN p-n diodes using step-etched triple-zone junction termination extension (JTE). The technique was found to yield high breakdown efficiency without degradation of forward characteristics. The electric field distribution at various JTE thicknesses was simulated, and the experimental results were well matched to the simulation results. The fabricated GaN p-n diode with step-etched triple-zone JTE shows a breakdown voltage of 550 V corresponding to a junction termination efficiency of 75%, with a turn-on voltage of 3.1 V, a specific ON-resistance of 1.3 $\text{m}\Omega \cdot $ cm2, and leakage current at −200 V of 80 nA/cm2. The multistep JTE strategy demonstration could be important for future applications for multikilovolt-class GaN vertical power devices.
Retraining and control therapy for pediatric psychogenic non‐epileptic seizures

OBJECTIVE Our aim was to conduct a pilot randomized controlled trial of a novel cognitive behaviorally based intervention for pediatric PNES called Retraining and Control Therapy (ReACT). METHODS Participants were randomized to receive either eight sessions of ReACT or supportive therapy, and participants completed follow-up visits at 7- and 60-days posttreatment. The primary outcome measure was PNES frequency at 7-days posttreatment. Eligibility criteria included children with video-EEG confirmed PNES and participant/parent or guardian willingness to participate in treatment. Exclusion criteria included substance use, psychosis, and severe intellectual disability. Forty-two patients were assessed for eligibility and 32 were randomized. ReACT aimed to retrain classically conditioned, involuntary PNES by targeting catastrophic symptom expectations and a low sense of control over symptoms using principles of habit reversal. Supportive therapy was based on the assumption that relief from stress or problems can be achieved by discussion with a therapist. RESULTS Twenty-nine participants (Mage = 15.1 years, SDage = 2.5; 72.2% female; 57.1% Caucasian, 28.6% African American) completed 7-days postprocedures. For PNES frequency, the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test statistic was 273.5 yielding a normal approximation of Z = 4.725 (P < 0.0001), indicating a significant improvement in PNES frequency for ReACT at 7-days posttreatment compared to supportive therapy. Participants with PNES in the 7-days posttreatment were removed from the study for additional treatment, resulting in no 60-day follow-up data for supportive therapy. INTERPRETATION ReACT resulted in significantly greater PNES reduction than supportive therapy, with 100% of patients experiencing no PNES in 7 days after ReACT. Additionally, 82% remained PNES-free for 60 days after ReACT.
Intraoperative Computed Tomography for Registration of Stereotactic Frame in Frame-Based Deep Brain Stimulation

Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode placement utilizing a frame-based technique requires registration of the stereotactic frame with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This traditionally has been accomplished with a conventional CT scanner. In recent years, intraoperative CT has become more prevalent. Objective To compare the coordinates obtained with intraoperative CT and conventional CT for registration of the stereotactic frame for DBS. Methods Patients undergoing DBS electrode placement between 2015 and 2017, who underwent both conventional and intraoperative CT for registration of the stereotactic frame, were included for analysis. The coordinates for the stereotactic target, anterior commissure, and posterior commissure for each CT method were recorded. The mean, maximum, minimum, and standard deviation of the absolute difference for each of the paired coordinates was calculated. Paired t-tests were performed to test for statistical significance of the difference. The directional difference as well as the vector error between the paired coordinates was also calculated. Results The mean absolute difference between conventional and intraoperative CT for the coordinate pairs was less than 0.279 mm or 0.211 degrees for all coordinate pairs analyzed. This was not statistically significant for any of the coordinate pairs. Moreover, the maximum absolute difference between all coordinate pairs was 1.04 mm. Conclusion Intraoperative CT imaging provides stereotactic frame registration coordinates that are similar to those obtained by a standard CT scanner. This may save time and hospital resources by obviating the need for the patient to go to the radiology department for a CT scan.
A Unifying Framework of Accelerated First-Order Approach to Strongly Monotone Variational Inequalities

In this paper, we propose a unifying framework incorporating several momentum-related search directions for solving strongly monotone variational inequalities. The specific combinations of the search directions in the framework are made to guarantee the optimal iteration complexity bound of $\mathcal{O}\left(\kappa\ln(1/\epsilon)\right)$ to reach an $\epsilon$-solution, where $\kappa$ is the condition number. This framework provides the flexibility for algorithm designers to train -- among different parameter combinations -- the one that best suits the structure of the problem class at hand. The proposed framework includes the following iterative points and directions as its constituents: the extra-gradient, the optimistic gradient descent ascent (OGDA) direction (aka "optimism"), the "heavy-ball" direction, and Nesterov's extrapolation points. As a result, all the afore-mentioned methods become the special cases under the general scheme of extra points. We also specialize this approach to strongly convex minimization, and show that a similar extra-point approach achieves the optimal iteration complexity bound of $\mathcal{O}(\sqrt{\kappa}\ln(1/\epsilon))$ for this class of problems.
Novel synthesis approach for "stubborn" metals and metal oxides

Advances in physical vapor deposition techniques have led to a myriad of quantum materials and technological breakthroughs, affecting all areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology which rely on the innovation in synthesis. Despite this, one area that remains challenging is the synthesis of atomically precise complex metal oxide thin films and heterostructures containing "stubborn" elements that are not only nontrivial to evaporate/sublimate but also hard to oxidize. Here, we report a simple yet atomically controlled synthesis approach that bridges this gap. Using platinum and ruthenium as examples, we show that both the low vapor pressure and the difficulty in oxidizing a "stubborn" element can be addressed by using a solid metal-organic compound with significantly higher vapor pressure and with the added benefits of being in a preoxidized state along with excellent thermal and air stability. We demonstrate the synthesis of high-quality single crystalline, epitaxial Pt, and RuO2 films, resulting in a record high residual resistivity ratio (=27) in Pt films and low residual resistivity, ∼6 μΩ·cm, in RuO2 films. We further demonstrate, using SrRuO3 as an example, the viability of this approach for more complex materials with the same ease and control that has been largely responsible for the success of the molecular beam epitaxy of III-V semiconductors. Our approach is a major step forward in the synthesis science of "stubborn" materials, which have been of significant interest to the materials science and the condensed matter physics community.
Functional Genomics of Soybean Root-Hair Infection

Soybean Affymetrix chips harboring more than 37,000 Glycine max probes were used to identify responsive genes in root hairs 0–72 h after B. japonicum inoculation. We are now systematically silencing the key genes using A. rhizogenes mediated RNAi silencing (for methods, see Collier et al., 2005). Because the expression level of a gene does not necessarily reflect the protein level, proteomic approaches are also being used to identify gene products responding to B. japonicum inoculation.
Multiscale modeling of strain-hardening cementitious composites

Abstract This research involves the multiscale characterization of strain-hardening cementitious composites under tensile loading. The sensitivity of cracking behavior to fiber dispersion is studied using a special form of lattice model, in which each fiber is explicitly represented. It is shown that the nonlocal modeling of fiber bridging forces is essential for obtaining realistic patterns of crack development and strain-hardening behavior. Crack count and crack size are simulated for progressively larger levels of tensile strain. The influence of fiber dispersion is clearly evident: regions with significantly fewer fibers act as defects, reducing strength and strain capacity of the material.
The Healthy Cities/Communities Movement: The Global Diffusion of Local Initiatives

The Healthy Cities/Communities Movement (HC/CM) seeks to improve health and the quality of life through a series of interventions that bring a community together to create multi-sector partnerships that set priorities, establish new public health policy and implement programs to improve the health of the population. Although “Healthy Cities” is an old concept, it reemerged in the mid-1980s during an International Conference on Health Promotion in Toronto, Canada. It was quickly supported by the World Health Organization’s European office which created 34 Healthy Cities initiatives over the next few years. The movement then spread to the US in the late 1980s and subsequently has gone global. The World Heath Organization (WHO) and others have created a set of tools to build coalitions, develop plans, gain municipal approval and secure funding for local HC/CM programs. They recommend that the effort should be citizen driven and feature collaborative problem solving. Liverpool, England (United Kingdom) took a top-down approach while Udine, Italy is an example of a grassroots bottom-up approach. WHO recommends the Monitoring, Accountability, Reporting, and Impact assessment (MARI) framework, while US projects tend to employ the Logic Model to guide the project evaluation. Most published evaluations have been case studies, but the California Healthy Cities Project conducted a multi-site comparative evaluation of 20 communities. This evaluation sheds light on differences and similarities among projects that vary by community size and sponsoring organization.
Do Newspaper JOAs Charge Monopoly Advertising Rates

Conventional wisdom argues that all commercial and economic competition between two daily newspapers stops when they merge their advertising and printing capabilities to form a joint operating agreement (JOA). Clearly the JOA acts a monopolist in the sale of advertising, but there are two forces that may constrain the JOA to sell more advertising than a profit maximizing single paper monopolist would find optimal. First, there is the possibility of what is sometimes termed ``end game competition''. Disposition of assets from a JOA are often not determined until the JOA is near its termination date, and this may induce the weaker paper to maintain quality, both to improve its bargaining position and to keep open the possibility of remaining in the market as a competitor at the end of the JOA. Second, a daily paper arguably has to maintain a certain level of advertising and maintain a certain ``look'' and ``feel'' if it is to be considered a daily paper. This may constrain the JOA to sell more advertising and maintain a higher joint circulation than might be optimal for a single paper monopolist. We present econometric evidence that shows JOAs to have ad rates that are closer to those of competitive dailies than to those of single paper and 2-edition monopolists.
Pre-mRNA splicing mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

A collection of temperature sensitive (ts-) mutants was prepared by chemical mutagenesis of a wild type Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain. To screen the ts- mutants for pre-mRNA splicing defects, an oligodeoxynucleotide that recognizes one of the introns of the beta-tubulin pre-mRNA was used as a probe in a Northern blot assay to detect accumulation of intron sequences. This screening procedure identified three pre-mRNA splicing mutants from 100 ts- strains. The three mutants are defective in an early step of the pre-mRNA splicing reaction; none accumulate intermediates. The precursors that accumulate at 37 degrees C are polyadenylated. Analysis of the splicing of another pre-mRNA showed that the mutations are not specific for beta-tubulin. The total RNA pattern in the three splicing mutants appears to be normal. In addition, the amounts of the spliceosomal snRNAs are not drastically changed compared to the wild type and splicing of pre-tRNAs is not blocked. Genetic analyses demonstrate that all three splicing mutations are tightly linked to the ts- growth defects and are recessive. Crosses among the mutants place them in three complementation groups. The mutants have been named prp1, prp2 and prp3.
Survey of restless legs syndrome in a pulmonary hypertension population.

Introduction The prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) varies from 5% to 24% in the general population and is associated with a variety of medical disorders. However, the association between RLS and pulmonary hypertension (PH) is unknown. Objectives To determine the prevalence of RLS in PH patients. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire was given to patients with PH who attended the Pulmonary Hypertension Association conference. We used the RLS Diagnostic Index questionnaire. Demographic data included age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), medication list, PH World Health Organization (WHO) diagnosis group and current WHO functional class. Results The study included 128 PH patients. Most were females (86.8%) with a mean age of 49.68 years [standard deviation (SD) 14.24]. The mean BMI was 31.3 (SD 20.46). One hundred and twenty-one patients (93.75%) were classified as WHO group 1 (pulmonary arterial hypertension). Three patients were identified in WHO group 3 (hypoxemic states), four patients in group 4 (chronic thromboemboli) and one patient in group 5 (2.3%, 3.1% and 0.8%, respectively). Definite RLS was found in 16 of 128 patients with PH resulting in a prevalence of 12.5%, possible RLS in 39 of 128 patients (30.46%) and no RLS in 73 (57.03%) patients. Conclusion The prevalence of RLS is not increased in PH. There is a high prevalence of possible RLS in our study. The overall prevalence of combined definite and possible RLS is significant. Future research is needed to assess more patients with PH and the association or correlation with RLS.
Altered proliferative responses of dermal fibroblasts to TGF-β1 may contribute to chronic venous stasis ulcer

Abstract Purpose: Venous ulcer fibroblasts demonstrate decreased proliferative responses to growth factor stimulation, suggesting cellular senescence. However, the role of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) disease progression and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in agonist-induced cellular proliferation is ill-defined. We hypothesize that CVI-induced fibroblast proliferative resistance to growth factors worsens with disease progression and is regulated by the composition of ECM. Methods: Fibroblast explants were isolated from biopsy specimens from two patients without CVI and 16 patients with CVI of the lower calf (LC) and lower thigh (LT) and stratified according to CEAP disease severity: non-CVI (NC; n=2), class 2-3 (n = 5), class 4 (n = 5), class 5 (n = 3), and class 6 (n = 3). Proliferation experiments were standardized with a neonatal foreskin fibroblast cell line (HS68). A 10-day course and dose response experiment with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 ng/mL of transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1 ) demonstrated maximal cell proliferation at 5 ng/mL of TGF-β 1 on day 4. Under these conditions, CVI dermal fibroblasts were challenged with and without TGF-β 1 and evaluated for proliferative responses on plates coated with polystyrene, collagen, and fibronectin. Results: No differences in unstimulated proliferation were observed in LT and LC fibroblasts from patients with class 2-3 disease and LT fibroblasts from patients with class 4 and 5 disease, compared with NC and HS68 cells. LC fibroblasts from patients with class 4 disease ( P P P P 1 stimulation ( P 1 . Collagen increased proliferation of HS68 cells with ( P P 1 , compared with cells grown on polystyrene, but did not increase proliferative responses in NC or CVI fibroblasts with and without TGF-β 1 . Similarly, fibronectin increased proliferation of HS68 cells ( P 1 -induced proliferation observed in class 4 LC cells. Conclusion: These data indicate that clinical disease progression correlates with cellular dysfunction. Fibroblasts from patients with class 2-3 disease retain their unstimulated and agonist- induced proliferative capacity, compared with NC and HS68 cells. The onset of inflammatory skin changes (class 4 and class 5 disease) diminishes agonist-induced proliferation, and ulcer formation (class 6 disease) severely inhibits it. In addition, the composition of ECM does not affect TGF-β 1 -induced proliferation of fibroblasts in CVI.
Context, Meaning, and the Chomskyan Notion of Creativity

Implicit Meanings: Essays in Anthropology. Mary Douglas. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1975. xxi + 325 pp. $23.50 (cloth). Culture and Communication. The Logic by Which Symbols are Connected: An Introduction to the Use of Structuralist Analysis in Social Anthropology. Edmund Leach. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1976. 105 pp. $9.95 (cloth), $3.95 (paper). Meaning. Michael Polanyi and Harry Prosch. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975. xiv + 246 pp. $12.50 (cloth).
Lifetime Expected Income Breakeven Comparison between SPIAs and Managed Portfolios

This paper provides insight and guidance for the retiree decision making between whether to annuitize or manage their retirement savings. Tables and graphs demonstrate the breakeven age between annuitizing with a single premium immediate annuity (SPIA) versus managing a portfolio and the likelihood of outliving the breakeven cash flow sums for various annuitization ages (65 to 85), longevity percentiles of Period Life Tables, and portfolio allocations. What are breakeven asset allocations below which a SPIA provides a higher lifetime expected total cash flow? Managed portfolios retain a balance at death while SPIAs have none. How does the cash flow breakeven comparison change when that balance is, or is not, considered? Does age matter in the decision to switch from a managed portfolio to a SPIA? Is there a different conclusion if different tables are used (Social Security Table "General Population" vs Annuity 2000 Table ("Healthy Population"))? How do good vs median vs poor markets affect the breakeven comparison? How do fees affected the comparison? Can the Annual Payout Rate (APR) of a SPIA be useful in the decision making process? A more descriptive paper, without data Appendices and different figures, and fewer pages has been added to SSRN in abstract http://ssrn.com/abstract=2352252. This abstract http://ssrn.com/abstract=2317857 contains the data, figures and appendices that support the work described in more and better detail in http://ssrn.com/abstract=2352252, which also has a description for a practical application that is easier to do compared to the methodology used to produce that data in these two abstracts. Note: The cash flow in this paper is based on zero asset management fees, ½% fees or 1% fees. However, note that the fees are taken from the cash flow, not the portfolio balance, in this paper. This tilts the analysis in favor of SPIAs. Example: a 1% fee on a $500,000 portfolio would be $5000 for the year. If the cash flow for that year was calculated to be $25,000 (5% of portfolio value), then the net cash flow to the retiree would be $20,000 ($25k - $5k). However, if the portfolio itself pays the management fees, which is more common, then the $5,000 fee in this example would come from the $500,000, thus the cash flow calculation would be 5% on the $495,000 portfolio => $24,750 net to the retiree. Cash flow in this paper is based on the prior form, and thus biases the results towards SPIAs earlier than would normally be the case.
Improving the accuracy of therapy descriptions in clinical trials using a bottom-up approach

Randomized clinical trial (RCT) reports commonly have complicated therapy descriptions that are written in free-text. Drug therapy is difficult to describe due to the dynamic nature of how protocols change and the many ways drugs can be administered. Details regarding protocol changes and drug administration must be explained clearly for reproducibility and reliability. A process model supplemented with concept ontologies can clarify the dynamics of how therapies change and make knowledge more explicit. We demonstrated the process to develop a representation model to reveal specific context concerning drug therapies within clinical trial report literature. A PubMed search was conducted to identify RCTs on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) pertaining to epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Twenty-seven clinical trials were used to develop the model using a bottom-up approach. This representation describes drug dosage, administration details, and drug cycles within different experimental arms and control groups. We then presented preliminary evaluation of the clarity and understandability of the representation.
Research and application of cascade D-STATCOM for impact load compensation

The electric arc furnace and other impact loads not only bring about serious impact of reactive power but also inject numerous harmonic to power grid. Distribution static synchronous compensator (D-STATCOM) has gradually earned respect and application in reactive power and harmonic compensation of impact load owing to its rapid response speed. This paper analyzes the problem of power quality brought by electric arc furnace load according to measured data and designs cascade D-STATCOM compensation scheme, which can compensate reactive current and simultaneously suppress low-frequency harmonic current. And then, frequency dividing detection method and current tracking control method based on phase instantaneous value are proposed against the characteristic of high capacity and low switching frequency of D-STATCOM. Besides, electric arc furnace load model is established based on the manner of scene recorded data playback and simulation of D-STATCOM compensation effect is carried out. The proposed scheme has successfully applied in the distribution network of Jiangxi province and achieved good results.
The Slit receptor Robo1 is predominantly expressed via the Dutt1 alternative promoter in pioneer neurons in the embryonic mouse brain and spinal cord.

Robo1 is a member of the Roundabout (Robo) family of receptors for the Slit axon guidance cues. In mice (and humans), the Robo1 locus has alternative promoters producing two transcript isoforms, Robo1 and Dutt1. These isoforms have unique 5′ termini, predicted to encode distinct N-terminal amino acids, but share the rest of their 3′ exons. To determine the spatial expression of the Robo1 and Dutt1 isoforms, we generated isoform-specific RNA probes, and carried out in situ hybridization on E10.5 mouse embryos, the stage in early neuron differentiation when many major axon pathways are established. The two isoforms had distinct expression patterns that partially overlapped. Dutt1 was the predominant isoform, with widespread expression in regions of post-mitotic neurons and neuroepithelial cells. The Robo1 isoform had a distinct expression pattern restricted to subsets of neurons, many of which were Dutt1-negative. Dutt1 was the main isoform expressed in spinal cord commissural neurons. For both probes, the main hybridization signal was limited to two spots in the nuclei of individual cells. This study shows distinct expression patterns for the Dutt1 and Robo1 alternative promoters in the embryonic nervous system.
A constraint-system shell to support concurrent engineering approaches to design☆

Abstract This paper describes SATURN, a powerful constraint-system shell that provides knowledge integration and reasoning features ideally suited to supporting concurrent engineering approaches to design. SATURN is a logic-based constraint modeling system, tightly coupled with a relational database, and supported by a truth maintenance system. This paper presents SATURN's architecture and its modeling and manipulation techniques. An example application in automated-storage-and-retrieval-system design is provided to illustrate how a SATURN constraint-based model is constructed by a concurrent engineering design team, which then can be used by a product designer to create a feasible design. Unique features of this constraint-system shell include its rich knowledge representation facilities, its seamless integration of forward, backward and relational database inferencing, and its engineer-oriented user interface.
The massachusetts general hospital flexor tenorrhaphy

Innumerable tendon repairs have been reported in the literature. Much controversy exists regarding the complexity of operative repair. We describe the Massachusetts General Hospital flexor tenorrhaphy. Although technically demanding, we believe that it provides a strong foundation for early motion protocols and functional recovery.
On Testing for Speculative Bubbles

The possibility that movements in prices could be due to the self-fulfilling prophecies of market participants has long intrigued observers of free markets. Such self-fulfilling prophecies are often called "bubbles" or "sunspots" to denote their dependence on events that are extraneous to the market. The folklore of such episodes includes the tulip bubble, the South Sea bubble and the Mississippi bubble (all discussed in Peter Garber's article in this issue), and the increase in equity prices during the "Roaring 20's" followed by the 1929 crash (discussed in Eugene White's article in this journal). More recently, the rise and crash of stock prices from 1982 to 1987, the appreciation of the dollar on foreign exchange markets that peaked in 1985, and sudden housing price increases in California and Massachusetts have been attributed to speculative bubbles. The idea that bubbles might exist is often traced to John Maynard Keynes's (1936) description of an equity market as an environment in which speculators anticipate "what average opinion expects average opinion to be," rather than focusing on things fundamental to the market. If bubbles exist in asset markets, market prices of assets will differ from their fundamental values. Markets would not necessarily be allocating the savings of individuals to the best possible investment uses. Public policies might be designed to attempt to rid the markets of bubbles. Although these problems have been discussed for a long time, academic economists conducted relatively little formal empirical analysis of actual markets until recently, probably because economists' analytical and statistical tools were inadequate. Since economic theory placed essentially no restric
Screening for impaired fasting glucose and diabetes using available health plan data

Abstract Aims To develop and validate prediction equations to identify individuals at high risk for type 2 diabetes using existing health plan data. Methods Health plan data from 2005 to 2009 from 18,527 members of a Midwestern HMO without diabetes, 6% of whom had fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 110 mg/dL, and health plan data from 2005 to 2006 from 368,025 members of a West Coast-integrated delivery system without diabetes, 13% of whom had FPG ≥ 110 mg/dL were analyzed. Within each health plan, we used multiple logistic regression to develop equations to predict FPG ≥ 110 mg/dL for half of the population and validated the equations using the other half. We then externally validated the equations in the other health plan. Results Areas under the curve for the most parsimonious equations were 0.665 to 0.729 when validated internally. Positive predictive values were 14% to 32% when validated internally and 14% to 29% when validated externally. Conclusion Multivariate logistic regression equations can be applied to existing health plan data to efficiently identify persons at higher risk for dysglycemia who might benefit from definitive diagnostic testing and interventions to prevent or treat diabetes.
Design then mutate

The development of a systematic design process for synthetic gene regulatory networks is an intriguing prospect that could improve both our understanding of regulatory motifs and our techniques for constructing novel applications. Such a design process would entail analysis tools capable of reliably predicting the in vivo behavior resulting from a given regulatory architecture. As with the process of designing an electrical circuit, the design tools would take the form of a set of equations that could be numerically simulated to predict the output of a given device. This type of “device genetics” would have an important influence on the development of therapeutic applications, as one can envision the design of complex genetic circuits for monitoring or controlling cellular processes. Although the pursuit of a systematic program for modeling genetic circuits is within the constraints of current biotechnology, the deduction of the governing dynamical processes that describe these regulatory networks is not straightforward. Many complications can confound a model description. For example, fluctuations in local concentrations or in the conformational properties of regulatory proteins are not easily reconciled in models that focus on phenomena at the regulatory level. Likewise, proteins can aggregate near the DNA or slide along it, and active processes, such as transport, are not easily incorporated. These context-dependent complications often result in a mismatch between the lump kinetic modeling parameters that are measured in vitro and those that are actually present in vivo . This mismatch can render difficult the forward design of useful genetic circuits. In this issue of PNAS, Yokobayashi et al. (1) address this difficulty by demonstrating how directed evolution can be used to tune a designed gene circuit to a desired behavior. Directed evolution harnesses mechanisms used during natural selection to generate and then identify evolutionary adaptations to novel environmental demands. It typically …
Degradation of pentachlorophenol by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium grown in ammonium lignosulphonate media

Removal and degradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium in static flask cultures was studied using ammonium lignosulphonates (LS), a waste product of the papermill industry, as a carbon and nitrogen source. After 3 days, cultures of P. chrysosporium grown in either a 2% LS (nitrogen-sufficient) medium or a 0.23% LS and 2% glucose (nitrogen-deficient) medium removed 72 to 75% of PCP, slightly less than the 95% removal seen using nitrogen-deficient glucose and ammonia medium. PCP dehalogenation occurred despite the fact that extracellular enzyme (LiP) activity, measured by a veratryl alcohol oxidation assay and by PCP disappearance in cell-free extracts, was inhibited by LS. This inactivation of LiP likely contributed to the lower percent of PCP dehalogenation observed using the LS media. In order to better understand the relationship between PCP disappearance and dehalogenation, we measured the fate of the chlorine in PCP. After 13 days, only 1.8% of the initial PCP added was recoverable as PCP. The remainder of the PCP was either mineralized or transformed to breakdown intermediates collectively identified as organic halides. The largest fraction of the original chlorine (58%) was recovered as organic (non-PCP) halide, most of which (73%) was associated with the cell mass. Of the remaining chlorine, 40% was released as chloride ion, indicating a level of dehalogenation in agreement with previously reported values.
Spanish and early English development in young dual language learners: A preliminary study

AbstractThe objective of this study was to describe ongoing Spanish and early English development in young dual language learners (DLLs) in the context of standardized measures and language sample measures. Participants were eight DLLs (M age in months = 44.4) attending preschool. Data were collected at four time points over the school year. Child outcome measures were composite and raw scores on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool-2 (Spanish and English), and language sample measures of lexical and grammatical development. Median standard scores in Spanish at school entry (Time 1) were not substantially different from scores in May (Time 4); however, an increase in verb use was observed. Children's English receptive, content, and structure standardized and raw scores in May were higher than at school entry. Children's performance was highly variable across measures and languages. Findings provide a starting point for future research on language development of young Spanish–English ...