cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unravelling nonverbal cognitive performance in acquired aphasia

Background: Nonverbal cognitive constructs are not well understood in patients with acquired aphasia due to stroke. The relative contribution of aphasia, particularly receptive language impairment, to nonverbal function is rarely quantified in studies, although it is assumed to be substantial. Aims: The purpose of the present study was first to investigate the factor structure of some of the WAIS‐III and WMS‐III nonverbal tasks in patients with acquired aphasia due to stroke using confirmatory factor‐analytic techniques. Second, we sought to determine the degree to which aphasia severity (both auditory comprehension and oral expression), as measured by the Language Competency Index (LCI) of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (Goodglass et al., 2001), would account for variance in nonverbal cognitive task performance. Methods & Procedures: The present study investigated the factor structure of widely used nonverbal cognitive tasks in 136 patients with aphasia due to single left hemisphere stroke, an...
Peptide YY Is Secreted after Oral Glucose Administration in a Gender-Specific Manner

Context: Previous studies with small numbers of subjects showed a negative correlation between plasma peptide YY (PYY) levels and obesity. If correct, this would imply that low PYY levels might be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity. Objective: Our objective was to investigate whether plasma PYY levels were correlated with sex and body mass index (BMI). Design, Setting, and Patients: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 151 normal volunteers (19–90 yr of age) in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Interventions: All subjects had an oral glucose tolerance test (75 g) performed. Main Outcome Measures: Immunostaining of human duodenum, BMI, hemoglobin A1c, plasma glucose, insulin, PYY, glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1), ghrelin, and leptin were the main outcome measures. Results: PYY and GLP-1 colocalized in the same cells in human duodenum. Both hormones reached peak plasma levels by 20 min and had similar secretory patterns. The incremental increases in PYY and GLP-1 during that first 20 min we...
Cancer trends among Hispanic men in South Florida, 1981–1998

BACKGROUND Hispanics now represent a majority of residents in Miami-Dade County, Florida. In this report, the authors present new cancer incidence and mortality data for South Florida's Hispanic men for the period 1990–1998 and compare them with data from a previous report from the 1980s. Periodic updating of cancer incidence data, reflecting current population distribution, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors, is necessary to inform cancer prevention and control activities optimally. METHODS The study population consisted of all incidents of cancer (1981–1998) occurring in males from Miami-Dade County, as determined from the Florida Cancer Data System data base; patients were divided into two 9-year periods for analysis. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were computed for 14 common cancer sites, and rates for Hispanic men were compared with the rates for non-Hispanic white men as standardized rate ratios (SRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Incidence and mortality trends were determined using linear regression analysis. RESULTS Nearly 70,000 incident cancer cases were analyzed. For 1990–1998, the top five incident cancers for both race/ethnic groups were the same. The overall decreased cancer risk for Hispanic men (SRR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.79–0.82), compared with non-Hispanic white men, remained essentially constant over the two study periods. Cancer incidence increased similarly for the two race-ethnic groups; cancer mortality decreased, with a sharper decrease for non-Hispanic white men, resulting in apparent convergence of mortality trends recently. CONCLUSIONS Differences in cancer risk for South Florida's Hispanic men have not attenuated over the past 20 years. With cancer incidence significantly less for Hispanic men, their mortality rate approaches that of non-Hispanic white men, and cancer prevention and control strategies targeted for this ethnic group become increasingly important. Cancer 2002;94:1183–90. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10321
Synthesis of tantalum(V) amido silyl complexes and the unexpected formation of (Me2N)3Ta(η2-ONMe2)[OSi(SiMe3)3] from the reaction of (Me2N)4Ta[Si(SiMe3)3] with O2

The synthesis and characterization of amido silyl complexes of tantalum(V) free of π-anionic ligands are reported. The amido silyl chloride complexes (Me2N)3Ta(SiR3)Cl [SiR3 = Si(SiMe3)3 (1a), SiPh2But (2)] were prepared from (Me2N)3TaCl2 and the corresponding silyllithium reagents Li(THF)3Si(SiMe3)3 and Li(THF)3SiPh2But. The amido silyl complexes (Me2N)4Ta(SiR3) [SiR3 = Si(SiMe3)3 (3), SiPh2But (4)] were synthesized by the reactions of (Me2N)4TaCl with Li(THF)3SiR3. Complex 3 was found to react with 1 equiv of O2 to give an oxidation product (Me2N)3Ta(η2-ONMe2)[OSi(SiMe3)3] (5), and the structure of 5 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The spectroscopic data and crystal structure determination reveal that the coordination geometry around Ta metal in 1a and 2−4 is trigonal bipyramid with silyl ligands in an equatorial position.
Remote optical detection of bending deformations by means of cholesteric paint

Remote optical detection of bending deformations is suggested and realised by means of using a combination of patterned silicone elastomers painted with thin viscoelastic cholesteric layer. The presence of highly viscous cholesteric liquid crystal is crucial as it results in a long relaxation time of deformation and allows to detect it. Detection of bending deformation is also analysed theoretically for the suggested geometry and proved to be experimentally an advantageous method in remote detection of bending.
Introduction: Parental Acceptance-Rejection Theory Studies of Intimate Adult Relationships

The studies in this special issue explore three questions drawn from newly formulated postulates in parental acceptance-rejection theory: (a) To what extent is perceived acceptance or rejection by an intimate partner in adulthood associated with the same form of psychological adjustment or maladjustment that perceived parental acceptance-rejection is known to be in childhood? (b) To what extent do remembrances of maternal or paternal acceptance in childhood mediate or influence in other ways the association between perceived partner acceptance and adults' psychological adjustment? (c) Do statistical relations found in these questions vary by culture, ethnicity, gender of parent, gender of offspring, or other contextual factors? Results of most studies reported here conclude that perceived partner acceptance and remembered parental (both maternal and paternal) acceptance in childhood correlate significantly with men's and women's psychological adjustment. However, gender differences also sometimes appears ...
Nanotechnology and the Modern University

The novelty of nanotechnology presents social scientists with an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, the scientists and engineers doing nano research have been at it for such a brief time, and are performing such a diffuse array of activities, that it is very difficult to see what social scientists should be studying, much less how they should go about it. On the other hand, social scientists who study science and engineering have (at least over the past decade) focused largely on disciplines that are relatively marginal to nano—computing-information technology, genomics-biotech, psychology-cognitive science, economics, and medicine (this gross generalization is based on looking through the program of the annual Society for Social Studies of Science meeting for the past few years). There is very little sociology or anthropology of the core fields of nano (materials science, chemistry, applied and/or condensed matter physics, electrical and mechanical engineering)—though the exceptions are some of the be...
A Death in the Family: Bishop Archibald Campbell Tait, the Rights of Parents, and Anglican Sisterhoods in the Diocese of London

Anglican sisterhoods gained popularity in nineteenth-century England because of the numerous opportunities they offered to women, but some bishops feared that these sisterhoods might become Roman Catholic in letter and spirit. Episcopal control might counteract this tendency. As Bishop of London from 1856 to 1868, Archibald Tait acknowledged the value of Anglican sisterhoods, but he also recognized the necessity for ecclesiastical supervision over these convents. Bishop Tait, as the episcopal Visitor of several London convents, insisted upon parental permission before a woman entered a sisterhood. Tait's belief in the importance of the family emanated in part from the tragic deaths of five daughters in 1856. By demanding the consent of the parents before a daughter entered a religious community, Tait wanted to preserve the unity of the family and to save the parents from the same anguish he had experienced through the loss of his children.
Mapping the vulnerability hotspots over Hindu-Kush Himalaya region to flooding disasters

Abstract A disproportionate share of the global economic and human losses caused by environmental shocks is borne by people in the developing nations. The mountain region of Hindu-Kush Himalaya (HKH) in South Asia is threatened by numerous flooding events annually. An efficient disaster risk reduction often needs to rest upon location-based synoptic view of vulnerability. Resolving this deficit improves the ability to take risk reduction measures in a cost-effective way, and in doing so, strengthens the resilience of societies to flooding disasters. The central aim of this research is to identify the vulnerable locations across HKH boundary from the perspective of reported history of economic and human impacts due to occurrence of flooding disasters. A detailed analysis indicates a very high spatial heterogeneity in flooding disaster occurrence in the past 6 decades. The most recent decade reported highest number of disasters and greater spatial coverage as compared to the earlier decades. The data indicates that, in general, economic impacts of flooding disasters were notably higher in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal. On the other hand, vulnerability scenarios with respect to human impacts were diverse for different countries. In terms of morbidity and mortality, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and India were detected to be most susceptible to human impacts. Although Bhutan had seen lesser number of flooding disasters, higher population living within disaster prone region make them vulnerable. In summary, complex interactions between natural and socio-economic conditions play a dominant role to define and characterize the type and magnitude of vulnerability of HKH countries to disaster occurrence and their economic and human impacts.
Evaluation researchers: Disciplinary training and identity

Should evaluation research move toward the status of an independent field or discipline or should it be nurtured as a subspecialty within academic and problem areas? Since the field is new, it may be too early to settle on any single model for training.
Review of hypocalcemia in septic patients

Objective: To review the occurrence and etiologies of hypocalcemia in septic human and veterinary patients. Data sources: A thorough search was conducted using CAB abstracts and MEDLINE and the keywords hypocalcemia, ionized calcium, sepsis, and procalcitonin (proCT). Human data synthesis: Ionized hypocalcemia (iHCa) is a common finding in septic human patients. The cause is unknown but is likely multifactorial. Low ionized calcium (iCa2+) concentrations coincide with increased severity of illness and increased mortality. Recent studies show that iHCa has a strong correlation with elevated calcitonin precursor concentrations. Veterinary data synthesis: There is a paucity of publications in the veterinary literature pertaining to iHCa in septic animals. Experimental models of sepsis indicate that iHCa exists in animals. iHCa has also been investigated in horses with enterocolitis and endotoxemia. Prospective studies are needed to determine the prevalence of iHCa among septic small animals, and to determine whether iHCa correlates with increased mortality and severity of disease. Indications for the treatment of iHCa in septic small animals also need to be investigated. Conclusions: iHCa is well documented in septic human patients, but little is known about iHCa in septic veterinary patients. Future veterinary studies should focus on documenting the presence of iHCa in septic patients and steps should be taken to determine the cause. proCT concentrations may show promise for predicting sepsis and mortality in critically ill veterinary patients.
Thermal analysis of direct chip mount electronic systems using ADINA-T☆

Abstract The trend towards high density chip packaging of printed circuit boards, and the use of application-specific semiconductors in control applications has resulted in ever increasing cooling requirements for electronic systems. One response to this cooling problem is to mount the semiconductor chip directly to a high conductivity substrate to assist in the cooling capabilities. The design of direct mount chip attach systems requires proper balancing of two design issues to ensure a satisfactory system: (i) adequate cooling of the electronic chip assemblies, and (ii) thermal expansion match between the chip assemblies and the substrate to ensure structural integrity during operation. Techniques using the ADINA-T thermal analysis program which have been found to provide suitable thermal modeling of direct chip attach systems are discussed. Correlation between model and experimental data is provided, and guidance on which direct mount systems can be adequately modeled is described. Several studies of direct chip mount systems are detailed, and examples of the evaluations which can be performed using ADINA-T are discussed. Finally, the technology required to extend the range of electronic systems which can be effectively modeled is discussed.
Ring opening of 2,5-didehydrothiophene: structures and rearrangements of C4H2S isomers.

Electronic structures and rearrangement pathways of several C4H2S isomers are computationally investigated by methods based on coupled cluster theory and density functional theory. Six singlet C4H2S isomers lie within ca. 30 kcal/mol above butatrienethione (6), the apparent global minimum. Ethynylthioketene (7) lies only 2 kcal/mol higher in energy than cumulene 6. Two open-chain isomers, butadiynylthiol (8) and diethynyl sulfide (9), reside ca. 9 and 24 kcal/mol above 6, respectively. Lying 30 kcal/mol above 6, two cyclic singlet isomers, ethynylthiirene (10) and cyclopropenylidenemethanthione (11), are nearly degenerate in energy. Thiophene-2,5-diyl (12) lies substantially higher in energy than 6 (ca. 45 kcal/mol) and is predicted to rearrange preferentially by C−S bond cleavage, leading to thioketene 7, rather than by C−C bond cleavage, leading to diethynyl sulfide (9; retro-Bergman cyclization). Accurate spectroscopic properties of these C4H2S isomers, as well as an understanding of their rearrangemen...
Versatile Interactive Graphics Display System for Molecular Modelling by Computer

THE intricacies of constructing molecular models of macro-molecules based on coordinates determined by X-ray crytallography has become a major task in itself, particularly now that a large number of protein structures has been determined. The combination of a computer and a graphics display terminal can be a powerful tool in studies of macro-molecules. Several computer-based systems for the display of molecular structures have been described which differ greatly1–5 and it was recently suggested that smaller computers can provide adequate capability6.
Anomalous muscles in the hand and wrist—Report of three cases

Three cases of anomalous muscles were encountered recently during separate surgical procedures. The first caused a carpal tunnel syndrome by compressing the median nerve; the second presented as a tumor-like mass in the wrist; and the third was an incidental finding at operation.
Na+-dependent glutamine transport in the liver of tumour-bearing rats

Abstract In rats with advanced malignant disease, the liver extracted circulating glutamine at a ratio three times faster than the liver of control non-tumour-bearing animals. This augmented uptake occurred in spite of a fall in circulating glutamine levels, implying an increase in hepatocyte plasma membrane transport. Na + -dependent glutamine transport activity (System N) was increased nearly two-fold in hepatocyte plasma membrane vesicles from tumour-bearing rats; this increase in System N activity was proportional to tumour size and was due to an increase in carrier V max with no change in carrier affinity. Measurement of System N activity in isolated hepatocytes incubated with serum from tumour-bearing rats demonstrated a significant increase in glutamine transport compared with cells incubated with serum from control rats. These data indicate that the liver of rats with advanced malignant disease displays accelerated glutamine consumption. This increased uptake is due, in part, to enhanced carrier-mediated transport activity, and is mediated by a circulating factor(s) that is not present (or inactive) in non-tumour-bearing controls.
Central administration of nicotine suppresses tracheobronchial cough in anesthetized cats

We tested the hypothesis that nicotine, which acts peripherally to promote coughing, might inhibit reflex cough at a central site. Nicotine was administered via the vertebral artery [intra-arterial...
Hierarchical households and gendered migration in Latin America: feminist extensions to migration research.

In this review essay the author argues that migration theory can be advanced by analyzing gender differences in migration processes. The author brings together feminist empirical work from diverse settings within Latin America in order to illustrate and discuss theoretical extensions to migration research. In particular the discussion focuses on the centrality of intra-household power relations and dynamics for understanding who migrates and with what consequences. The author further argues that these theoretical understandings emerge from the culturally and historically specific operation of processes in particular places within Latin America. (authors)
Summative Evaluation Scale for Measuring a Workshop Format

The topic-oriented workshop/institute is a popular alternative in adult education, especially among professional groups. The purpose of the study was to develop a brief reliable scale to assess the impact of a workshop on participants. Corrected split-half reliability reached .93 for an 8-item scale.
An end-to-end solution for secure and survivable routing in MANETs

We present a new approach to secure routing in MANETs and argue that the same approach can lead to more reliable routing in the face of node and link failure. Prior solutions to security in networks is inapplicable to routing in MANETs because of node mobility and the relative scarcity of bandwidth. Furthermore, path discovery does not necessarily translate into data delivery. We argue that secure routing in MANETs must be based on the end-to-end verification of physical-path characteristics aided by the exploitation of path diversity to find secure paths. We apply this approach to the design of the Secure Routing through Diversity and Verification (SRDV) protocol, a secure routing protocol that we show to be as efficient as unsecured on-demand or proactive routing approaches in the absence of attacks and capable of defending against a variety of attacks. Redundancy, through diversity, not only can be used to provide security, but it is also crucial to the survivability of the network thus establishing an insightful link between security and survivability of the network.
Human fibrinogen and asialo-fibrinogen: a comparison of coagulation parameters.

Abstract The effect of desialylation of fibrinogen on its conversion to fibrin has been investigated with particular reference to the kinetics of clot formation and structure. Also examined was the role of sialic acid in fibrinogen (factor I) poor in factor XIII (fibrinstabilizing factor) and factor I containing F XIII. The removal of more than 90% of the sialic acid of fibrinogen does not alter the thrombin clotting time, the clot solubility in monochloroacetic acid, the extent of cross-linking in the fibrin polymer, or the firmness and elasticity of the evolved clot. The data indicate that the sialic acid residues of fibrinogen do not contribute significantly to its conversion to fibrin by thrombin.
A goal programming approach to public investment decisions: A case study of rural roads in Indonesia

Abstract The development planner must often face complex problems with multiple, conflicting objectives. Goal programming provides a general methodology for solving such problems. The tool is applied here to aid in the selection of rural road projects in the Indonesian Rural Works Program. Selection criteria are formalized into a set of nineteen goals which form the basis for a goal programming model. Changes in priority levels of goals and weights are used to analyze the respective effects upon the spatial distribution of investments. The approach is applicable to a wide range of problems and a variety of sensitivity analyses. Despite clear advantages, several drawbacks must be noted. First, the application of the methodology, given its degree of sophistication, is limited to a central decision making unit which has access to appropriate software. Second, the technique assumes that the planner has the ability to formulate alternative actions and consequences in a quantifiable expression.
Trusted Online Social Network (OSN) services with optimal data management

Abstract Online Social Network (OSN) services have rapidly grown into a wide network and offer users a variety of benefits. However, they also bring new threats and privacy issues to the community. Unfortunately, there are attackers that attempt to expose OSN users' private information or conceal the information that the user desire to share with other users. Therefore, in this research we develop a framework that can provide trusted data management in OSN services. We first define the data types in OSN services and the states of shared data with respect to Optimal, Under-shared, Over-shared, and Hybrid states. We also identify the facilitating, detracting, and preventive parameters that are responsible for the state transition of the data. In a reliable OSN service, we address that a user should be able to set up his or her desired level of information sharing with a certain group of other users. However, it is not always clear to the ordinary users how to determine how much information they should reveal to others. In order to support such a decision, we propose an approach for helping OSN users to determine their optimum levels of information sharing, taking into consideration the payoffs (potential Reward or Cost) based on the Markov decision process (MDP). As an extension of the MDP-based approach, we also introduce a game theoretic approach, considering the interactions of OSN users and attackers with conflicting interests whose decisions affect each other's. Finally, after developing the framework for the optimal data sharing on OSNs, we conduct several experiments with attack simulation based on the proposed ideas and discuss the results. Our proposed approach has the capability to allow a large amount of variables to be altered to suit particular setups that an organization might have.
Nonlinear Breathing Behavior Study of Transverse Crack on a Jeffcott Rotor Under Torsional Excitation

In this paper, Jeffcott rotor model is employed to explore the vibration response of breathing cracked system with unbalance mass. Based on the energy method and Lagrange principle, 6 degree-of-freedom equation of motion is derived in fixed coordinate system. The crack model is established using strain energy release theory of facture mechanics. The stiffness matrix induced by the crack is changing with the variation of crack open area. Zero stress intensity factor (SIF) method is used to determine the crack closure line by computing the SIF for opening mode. By integrating compliant coefficients over newly determined crack open area, the stiffness matrix is updated and vibration response is solved for every time step by Gear’s method. In addition, the breathing behavior of the crack is studied for multiple eccentricity phases and rotation speeds in order to provide effective guidance for damage detection. The paper explores the effect of external torsional loading on the crack breathing behavior. Finally, the coupling of lateral and torsional vibration is investigated to be used as an indicator of damage detection and health monitoring.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Critical turning points in the Middle East 1915–2015

At a time when the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is undergoing significant turbulence and dramatic change, the question of how we arrived at this point has never been more important. I...
Fine structure of the body wall, nervous system, and digestive tract in the Lobatocerebridae Rieger and the organization of the gliointerstitial system in Annelida.

The new family Lobatocerebridae, Rieger, contains a group of turbellariomorph worms in the annelid line of evolution. The fine structural organization of the body wall, the digestive tract, and parts of the central and peripheral nervous system are described and the findings are discussed in light of general invertebrate cytology. The epidermis and gastrodermis contain a basal granule cell system which is structurally very similar to the neuroglia cell system of the nervous system. The continuity of the neuroglia cell system, and the epidermal basal granule cell system and the basal granule cell system in the digestive epithelia suggests the existence of a single glial-basal granule cell system, similar to the gliointerstitial cell system first recognized in the Mollusca (see Nicaise, '73). The Annelida may show a dual (ectodermal and mesodermal) origin of such a gliointerstitial cell system as suggested by similarities in the epidermal basal cell system in the Oligochaeta and of certain epidermal and gastrodermal cells in polychaete regeneration with neuroglia in the Annelida. The structural similarity of neuroglia and basal granule cells in Lobatocerebridae may be the result of similarity in the formation, maintenance, or regulation of the extracellular matrix.
Software algorithms for false alarm reduction in LWIR hyperspectral chemical agent detection

The long-wave infrared (LWIR) hyperpectral sensing modality is one that is often used for the problem of detection and identification of chemical warfare agents (CWA) which apply to both military and civilian situations. The inherent nature and complexity of background clutter dictates a need for sophisticated and robust statistical models which are then used in the design of optimum signal processing algorithms that then provide the best exploitation of hyperspectral data to ultimately make decisions on the absence or presence of potentially harmful CWAs. This paper describes the basic elements of an automated signal processing pipeline developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. In addition to describing this signal processing architecture in detail, we briefly describe the key signal models that form the foundation of these algorithms as well as some spatial processing techniques used for false alarm mitigation. Finally, we apply this processing pipeline to real data measured by the Telops FIRST hyperspectral (FIRST) sensor to demonstrate its practical utility for the user community.
Representation of acoustic signals in the eighth nerve of the Tokay gecko: I. Pure tones.

Abstract A systematic study of the encoding properties of 146 auditory nerve fibers in the Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko, L) was conducted with respect to pure tones and two-tone rate suppression. Our aim was a comprehensive understanding of the peripheral encoding of simple tonal stimuli and their representation by temporal synchronization and spike rate codes as a prelude to subsequent studies of more complex signals. Auditory nerve fibers in the Tokay gecko have asymmetrical, V-shaped excitatory tuning curves with best excitatory frequencies that range from 200–5100 Hz and thresholds between 4–35 dB SPL. A low-frequency excitatory ‘tail’ extends far into the low-frequency range and two-tone suppression is present only on the high frequency side of the tuning curve. The response properties to pure tones at different loci within a tuning curve can differ greatly, due to evident interactions between the representations of temporal, spectral and intensity stimulus features. For frequencies below 1250 Hz, pure tones are encoded by both temporal synchronization and spike rate codes, whereas above this frequency a fiber's ability to encode the waveform periodicity is lost and only a rate code predominates. These complimentary representations within a tuning curve raise fundamental issues which need to be addressed in interpreting how more complex, bioacoustic communication signals are represented in the peripheral and central auditory system. And since auditory nerve fibers in the Tokay gecko exhibit tonal sensitivity, selective frequency tuning, and iso-intensity and iso-frequency contours that seem comparable to similar measures in birds and mammals, these issues likely apply to most higher vertebrates in general. The simpler wiring diagram of the reptilian auditory system, coupled with the Tokay gecko's remarkable vocalizations, make this animal a good evolutionary model in which to experimentally explore the encoding of more complex sounds of communicative significance.
Transient two-dimensional heat transfer through a composite body with application to deicing of aircraft components

Nine different numerical methods are examined for their ability to model the process of the melting and removal of ice from an airfoil using electrothermal heaters. A technique is presented for modeling the phase change which assumes a phase for each node. The technique allows solvers such as Alternating Direction Implicit, Alternating Direction Explicit, and Strongly Implicit Procedure to find a solution which can then be iterated to find the correct phase of each node. Comparisons made for a standard deicer pad comprised of five layers showed the ADI method to be superior to the other methods considered.
Selective Electrodeposition of Nanoparticulates into Metal Matrices

Pulse-reverse electrodeposition has been used to co-deposit γ-Al2O3 nanometric size particles, ≤30 nm in diameter, into a copper matrix, from electrolytes where the particle diameters exceed 150 nm. The selectivity effect inherent to the pulse-reverse method is independent of the electrolyte convection and, additionally, results in a higher particle deposit concentration compared to direct current deposition. The technique provides a means to develop bulk nanocomposites with particle size distribution control.
Structure–activity relationship of conjugated linoleic acid and its cognates in inhibiting heparin-releasable lipoprotein lipase and glycerol release from fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduces body fat in part by inhibiting the activity of heparin-releasable lipoprotein lipase (HR-LPL) activity in adipocytes, an effect that is induced by the trans-10,cis-12 CLA isomer. In this study we used a series of compounds that are structurally related to CLA (i.e., CLA cognates) to investigate the structural basis for this phenomenon. None of the 18:1 CLA cognates that were tested, nor trans-9,cis-12 18:2, cis-12-octadecen-10-ynoic acid (10y,cis-12) or 11-(2'-(n-pentyl)phenyl)-10-undecylenic acid (designated P-t10), exhibited any significant effect on HR-LPL activity. Among the CLA derivatives (alcohol, amide, and chloride) that were tested, only the alcohol form inhibited HR-LPL activity, although to a lesser extent than CLA itself. In addition, intracellular TG was reduced only by trans-10,cis-12 CLA and the alcohol form of CLA. Hence it appears that the trans-10,cis-12 conjugated double bond in conjunction with a carboxyl group at C-1 is required for inhibition of HR-LPL activity, and that an alcohol group can partially substitute for the carboxyl group. We also studied glycerol release from the cells, observing that this was enhanced by trans-10 18:1, trans-13 18:1, cis-12 18:1, cis-13 18:1, P-t10 but was reduced by cis-9 18:1, the alcohol and amide forms of CLA or 10y,cis-12. Accordingly the structural feature or features involved in regulating lipolysis appear to be more complex. Despite enhancing lipolysis in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, trans-10 18:1 did not reduce body fat gain when fed to mice.
No oblique effect in chromatic pathways

The classical oblique effect appears in flicker thresholds for luminous-contrast gratings at all temporal frequencies, but is absent in flicker thresholds for chromatic (red/green) gratings that are coarse enough to be fully resolved by the opponent-color pathways. This result is consistent with the physiological finding that luminosity cells in the striate cortex are generally orientation selective, whereas opponent-color cells are not.
Establishing an academic laboratory: mentoring as a business model

It is a tremendous honor for my group and me to receive the recognition of the 2014 Women in Cell Biology Junior Award. I would like to take the opportunity of this essay to describe my scientific journey, discuss my philosophy about running a group, and propose what I think is a generalizable model to efficiently establish an academic laboratory. This essay is about my view on the critical components that go into establishing a highly functional academic laboratory during the current tough, competitive times.
Disparities in Treatment and Outcome for Renal Cell Cancer Among Older Black and White Patients

Purpose Black patients with renal cell cancer have shorter survival compared with their white counterparts, but the causes for this disparity are unclear. To elucidate reasons for this inequality, we examined differences in treatment and survival between black and white patients. Patients and Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry and Medicare databases. Participants included 964 black and 10,482 white patients age ≥ 65 years who were enrolled into Medicare and diagnosed with renal cell cancer between 1986 and 1999. Information on surgical treatment was ascertained from both databases, whereas data regarding coexisting illness and survival was obtained from the Medicare database. Results The percentage of black patients receiving nephrectomy treatment was significantly lower compared with whites (61.2% v 70.4%; P < .0001). After adjustment for age, sex, median income, cancer stage, tumor size, and como...
Bifurcated Drum Occluder Endograft for Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: An Experimental Study in Dogs

PURPOSE To evaluate a new, low profile, home-made, bifurcated drum occluder endograft (BDOEG), designed for percutaneous, transcatheter treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). MATERIALS AND METHODS AAA was created in 10 dogs with over-dilated Palmaz stents. To prevent back filling, the lumbar arteries, inferior mesenteric artery, and common internal iliac arteries were embolized. The BDOEG was constructed of a drum occluder device and two PTFE endografts. The drum device consisted of a modified Z stent with Dacron stretched across and held within the ends of the stent, each with two 8 × 6-mm slits through which PTFE endografts were delivered. The PTFE endografts were 8 mm in diameter and 9.5 cm in length. Preloaded, the BDOSG was delivered through a 10-F sheath from both femoral arteries in a three-step procedure. All 10 animals were treated with BDOSG. Aortography was performed immediately, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after stent-graft placement. Five animals were killed at 6 weeks and five were killed at 3 months. Gross and histologic evaluation was performed. RESULTS The infrarenal aortic diameters and both external iliac arteries ranged from 8.0 mm to 10.3 mm (mean, 9.4 mm ± 0.6) and from 5.2 mm to 6.8 mm (mean, 5.8 mm ± 0.5), respectively. Creation of the AAA was successful in all 10 dogs. AAA diameters ranged from 13.7 mm to 15.9 mm (mean, 14.9 mm ± 0.7). Complete exclusion of the AAA was achieved immediately after BDOEG placement and aneurysms remained excluded without perigraft leak to the time of killing in all 10 animals. There was a high incidence of aortoiliac limb occlusion. Occlusion of 12 aortoiliac limbs (60%) caused by intimal hyperplasia at the distal end of the endografts in iliac arteries developed in nine animals (90%). In six animals (60%), one limb occluded and, in three animals (30%), there was occlusion of both limbs. CONCLUSION This study suggests a new approach for treatment of AAA. BDOEG use reduces sheath size for endograft delivery and may eliminate the need for a surgical cut down on femoral arteries. Tapering of the iliac ends of endografts to the size of the artery will be needed to prevent distal intimal hyperplasia.
User-Preferred Position of Computer Displays: Effects of Display Size:

Objective: Effects of display size and dual display setting on preferred display and keyboard positions were evaluated.Background: User-preferred display position may vary as its size changes or wh...
Metric for rapidly spinning black holes suitable for strong-field tests of the no-hair theorem

According to the no-hair theorem, astrophysical black holes are uniquely characterized by their masses and spins and are described by the Kerr metric. Several parametric deviations from the Kerr metric have been suggested to study observational signatures in both the electromagnetic and gravitational-wave spectra that differ from the expected Kerr signals. Because of the no-hair theorem, however, such spacetimes cannot be regular everywhere outside the event horizons, if they are solutions to the Einstein field equations; they are often characterized by naked singularities or closed timelike loops in the regions of the spacetime that are accessible to an external observer. For observational tests of the no-hair theorem that involve phenomena in the vicinity of the circular photon orbit or the innermost stable circular orbit around a black hole, these pathologies limit the applicability of the metrics only to compact objects that do not spin rapidly. In this paper, we construct a Kerr-like metric which depends on a set of free parameters in addition to its mass and spin and which is regular everywhere outside of the event horizon. We derive expressions for the energy and angular momentum of a particle on a circular equatorial orbit around the black hole and compute the locations of the innermost stable circular orbit and the circular photon orbit. We demonstrate that these orbits change significantly for even moderate deviations from the Kerr metric. The properties of our metric make it an ideally suited spacetime to carry out strong-field tests of the no-hair theorem in the electromagnetic spectrum using the properties of accretion flows around astrophysical black holes of arbitrary spin.
Near-IR Sparse Detector Sensor for Intelligent Electronic Fence Applications

A proof-of-concept, active near-IR sensor coupled with a classification algorithm that uses the Mahalanobis distance has been shown to be a feasible approach for discriminating among humans, animals, and vehicles for intelligent electronic fence applications. Analysis shows that only a sparse vertical array of detectors is required to sense minimal features from moving objects for reliable discrimination.
Dual-threshold pass-transistor logic design

This paper introduces pass-transistor logic design with dual-threshold voltages. A set of single-rail, fully restored, pass-transistor gates are presented. Logic transistors are implemented with low threshold voltages and signal restoration transistors with high threshold voltages. Simulation is used to characterize the leakage power consumption, switching energy, and propagation delay of the proposed gates. A method to reduce circuit power by selectively replacing CMOS gates with the proposed gates is discussed and applied to the ISCAS'85 benchmark circuits. Relative to circuits composed entirely of conventional CMOS gates, use of the proposed SDPL gates achieves up to 49% reduction in leakage power and up to 63% reduction in total power consumption.
Identification of Pharmacogenomic Biomarker Classifiers in Cancer Drug Development

Physicians need improved tools for selecting treatments for individual patients. Many syndromes traditionally viewed as individual diseases are heterogeneous in molecular pathogenesis and treatment responsiveness. This results in treatment of many patients with ineffective drugs and leads to the conduct of large clinical trials to identify small average treatment benefits for heterogeneous groups of patients. New genomic and proteomic technologies provide powerful tools for the selection of patients likely to benefit from a therapeutic program without unacceptable adverse events. In this chapter we attempt to clarify how pharmacogenomic biomarker classifiers of the patients most likely to benefit from a drug can be identified and utilized during clinical development.
Self-monitoring of articulation responses in sound discrimination tests

Abstract Two experiments were conducted using self-monitoring types of auditory discrimination tests. In both the subjects' task was to judge whether their articulation of single words was correct or incorrect. Subjects were first-through third-grade pupils. The self-monitoring tests were shown to have statistically significant power as measurements of: (1) improvement following therapy; (2) reliability; (3) correlation with articulation ability; and (4) differences between groups and grades. A discussion is given of related experiments and the relationship self-monitoring ability may have to a motor theory of speech perception.
Mass spectrometry of some permethylated apiosyl nucleosides

The mass spectra of the permethyl derivatives of a group of synthetic D-apio-L-furanosyl nucleosides were collected and compared with those of their ribosyl analogs. While most of the m/e values are the same between analogous spectra, some of the relative intensities differ markedly. Each spectrum contains characteristics ions which are probably due to fragmentation of the dissimilar sugar moieties.
StrikeCOM: A Multi-Player Online Strategy Game for Researching and Teaching Group Dynamics

StrikeCOM is a multi-player online strategy game designed to create discourse to aid in the examination of the development of group processes, shared awareness, and communication in distributed and face-to-face groups. The game mimics C3ISR (Command, Control, Communication, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) scenarios and information gathering in group activities. The game is most commonly used to create group communication and interaction in multiple communication modes. Built using a Java-based collaborative server platform the game is available for use in almost any computing environment. StrikeCOM has been used as a research tool to study leadership and deception in group decision making. The U.S. Department of Defense is using the tool to teach Network Centric Warfare to battle commanders. Use of StrikeCOM over the last two years has resulted in a number of lessons-learned, including using simple, familiar game interfaces, utilizing full and immediate feedback, and creating a flexible technical design to meet shifting research and teaching needs.
Parabilis: Speeding up Single-Threaded Applications by Extracting Fine-Grained Threads for Multi-core Execution

The trend in architectural designs has been towards using simple cores for building multicore chips, instead of a single complex out-of-order (OOO) core, due to the increased complexity and energy requirements of out of order processors. Multicore chips provide better performance when compared with OOO cores while executing parallel applications. However, they are not able to exploit the parallelism inherent in single threaded applications. To this end, this paper presents a compiler optimization methodology coupled with minimal hardware extensions to extract simple fine-grained threads from a single-threaded application, for execution on multiple cores of a chip multiprocessor (CMP). These fine-grained threads are independent and eliminate the need for communication between cores, reducing costly communication latencies. This approach, which we call Parabilis is scalable for up to eight cores, and does not require complex hardware additions to simple multicore systems. Our evaluation shows that Parabilis yields an average speedup of 1.51 on an 8-core CMP architecture.
Angiogenesis in cutaneous disease: Part I

This review will discuss the role of angiogenesis in specific cutaneous diseases. Scientific evidence now points to the role of angiogenesis in tumor development and many other cutaneous disorders. Angiogenesis is a complex process that involves angiogenic growth factors and inhibitors, many of which could be a potential target for pharmacologic intervention. Antiangiogenic agents have recently been applied to dermatologic diseases with promising efficacy. Learning objectives After completing this learning activity, participants should be able to recognize cutaneous diseases where angiogenesis is likely to be an important factor, recognize scenarios where angiogenic therapy may be useful in conjunction with traditional therapies, and be able to use angiogenic-mediating agents in the treatment of dermatologic disease.
Protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding against hand foot and mouth disease.

Infants who are exclusively breastfed receive natural protection against some infectious agents. This study examined whether there was protective effect of exclusive breastfeeding on the occurrence of hand, foot and mouth disease, which was an emerging infectious disease among children in China. A community-based case–control study was carried out among children age 4 years or younger in Guangdong Province, China. Cases were newly diagnosed hand, foot and mouth disease. Controls were randomly sampled from healthy children from the nearby village. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for exclusive breastfeeding after adjusting for potential confounding factors. A total of 316 cases and 566 controls were included in the analysis. Significantly beneficial effect of exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months was observed for hand, foot and mouth disease occurrence. The overall OR was 0.63 (95% CI: 0.47-0.85) for exclusive breastfeeding compared with mixed feeding type. The age-specific analyses indicated that the protective effect persisted till the age of 28 months. This study suggests that exclusive breastfeeding might have protective effect against HFMD infection among the children within 28 months of age.
Preservice Music Teachers’ Social Skills: Are They Really Prepared?

The purpose of this article is to consider the impact of social skills on the potential success of future music educators. Studies indicate that effective social skills directly affect success in the classroom and in the social context of educational environments. Ineffectual social skills can contribute to feelings of isolation, burnout, attrition, and migration. The ability to successfully interact with various groups in the context of the school environment and associated community can considerably affect the success of the music program and potential career satisfaction. Music teacher education programs may need to consider these factors toward adequate preparation of future music educators. Possible solutions are discussed toward this end.