cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term comparative effectiveness of paclitaxel-eluting and everolimus-eluting stents in New York

Abstract Objective First generation paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) and second generation everolimus-eluting stents (EES) were approved for use in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) in 2004 and 2008, respectively. However, relative long-term outcomes of PES vs EES in real practice remain unclear. We sought to determine the long-term comparative effectiveness of PES vs EES using New York State (NYS) cardiac registries and to assess long-term outcomes of PES vs ZES in six "off-label" and two "high-risk" patient subgroups. Methods A longitudinal database was built by linking the NYS cardiac registries, the statewide hospital discharge data, the National Death Index, and the 2010 U.S. Census file for patients undergoing either PES or EES implantation from July 2008 through December 2009. All-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), target lesion PCI (TLPCI), and target vessel coronary artery bypass graft (TVCABG) surgery were assessed for 9760 propensity score matched patients in the 5-year follow-up period by using the Kaplan–Meier method with further adjustment using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results We found that compared with patients receiving PES, patients receiving EES had a significantly lower rate of 5-year TLPCI (adjusted hazard ratio : 0.75, 95% confidence interval : 0.65–0.86), TVCABG (AHR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53–0.90) and a similar rate of all-cause mortality (AHR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.87–1.10) and AMI (AHR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.83–1.13). We observed similar findings in only two out of eight subgroups. Conclusions At 5years, EES was associated with lower TLPCI and TVCABG rates and comparable mortality and AMI rates relative to PES.
A procedure for validating the use of photographs as surrogates for samples in sensory measurement of appearance: An example with color of cooked turkey patties

Assessing visual characteristics of products can be difficult as they can change over time, vary in natural products, and be perceived differently due to factors such as lighting. This study examines the use of photographs, which can be problematic if they show color shifting in different lighting conditions, as a substitute for freshly prepared products and compares the photographs with samples under different lighting conditions. Three replicates of ground turkey patties cooked to six different end point temperatures that provided various shades of pink, brown, and gray were used for this study. Photographs of the samples were compared to freshly prepared samples under simulated daylight conditions by a highly trained descriptive sensory panel in a balanced randomized order. Eighteen photographs verified as matching the samples (three for each of six samples) in “daylight” subsequently were compared under consumer lighting conditions: incandescent, halogen, Compact Fluorescent (CFL), Light Emitting Diode (LED), and daylight LED bulbs. Each photograph was found to match freshly prepared samples under each of the different lighting conditions as well. This study shows that photographs can potentially be used as visual references for products, and that they behave similarly to freshly prepared samples under different lighting conditions. Practical applications This study suggests that photographs can be used in place of actual products with proper validation of the photographs. In addition, this study provides one procedure for validating photographs against actual products that can be used in other research studies.
Statistical QoS-driven power allocation over underwater cognitive acoustic networks

As a critical technique to support the multimedia services, the statistical quality-of-service (QoS) technique has been proved to be effective in statistically guaranteeing delay-bounded video transmissions over the time-varying wireless channels. On the other hand, since both the natural acoustic systems and artificial acoustic systems use the acoustic channels, the spectrum resource is severely limited in underwater wireless networks. Researchers have proposed the underwater cognitive acoustic network (UCAN) to achieve the environment-friendly and spectrum-efficient transmissions over acoustic channels. However, how to efficiently integrate the UCAN under the statistical QoS constraints is still an open problem. To overcome this difficulty, we propose the QoS-driven power allocation scheme over UCAN. In particular, we propose and analyze the underwater cognitive system models and develop the optimal power allocation scheme in cognitive acoustic scenario udder statistical QoS requirements. Also conducted is a set of simulations which evaluate the system performance over UCAN.
Radiobiology Self-Assessment Guide

The latest and always-welcome addition to the collection of study resources for radiation and cancer biology is the Radiobiology Self-Assessment Guide, edited by Drs Jennifer Yu and Mohammed Abazee...
Supercritical drying of cementitious materials

Techniques to characterize the microstructure of hydrated cement require dried materials. However, the microstructure of hydrated products is significantly altered by high capillary forces during drying when using the conventional drying methods. To avoid drying stresses when preparing samples, we have employed supercritical drying (SCD) which has been used for decades to prepare aerogels that undergo no shrinkage during drying, but has rarely been used for cementitious materials. The pore solution is first replaced with isopropanol, and then with trifluoromethane (R23). The temperature and pressure are raised above the critical point, where no menisci or capillary pressure can exist; therefore, the dried samples are free of artifacts created by stresses. Images from scanning electron microscope show less compact morphology for supercritically dried samples than that dried by conventional methods, while BET surface areas of SCD samples are very close to samples dried by isopropanol replacement method. This can be explained by the fact that isopropanol and supercritical fluid enter the micropores and block them. The nature of the chemical interactions of isopropanol and R23 with cement pastes are still not clear, but no reaction products were identified in the present study.
Learning to Lead with Data: From Espoused Theory to Theory-in-Use

ABSTRACTLeaders play a vital role in how data is used to inform school improvement, but little is known about how they both develop their espoused theories about data use during leadership preparation and then refine those ideas when moving to practice and theories-in-use. This article uses longitudinal qualitative data from interviews with participants in alternative leadership preparation programs in New York City. Our analysis led us to two dimensions of data use central to leaders’ approach: leader-driven vs. leader-facilitated data use and highly structured vs. flexible data use, and demonstrates common shifts toward more leader-driven and highly structured approaches.
Multi-stage stochastic programming for service placement in edge computing systems: poster

Efficient service placement of mobile applications on the edge servers is one of the main challenges in Mobile Edge Computing (MEC). The service placement problem in MEC has to consider several issues that were not present in the data-center settings. After the initial service placement, mobile users may move to different locations which may increase the execution time or the cost of running the applications. In addition to this, the resource availability of servers may change over time. Therefore, an efficient service placement algorithm must be adaptive to this dynamic setting.
Evaluation of dietary intake in children and college students with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Objectives: To evaluate dietary intake among individuals with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to evaluate the likelihood that those with ADHD have inadequate intakes.Me...
Sigmund Freud and Jewish Mysticism: An Exploration

In Civilization And Its Discontents, Freud famously declared that he could discover no trace of “oceanic feeling,” the sense of being wholly at one with the world, in himself and furthermore that this mystical feeling did not fit his understanding of religion, which he saw as issuing from helplessness, from need, not fulfillment. So, despite his professed atheism, Judaism’s emphasis on a Father god, both protecting and demanding, seemed to him the epitome of religion. Nevertheless, mysticism continued to intrigue him. His very last written words, scribbled a few weeks before his death, were: “Mysticism - the obscure self-perception of the realm outside the I - the That [or the It, the Id].” Even within Civilization, as he explores mysticism’s relation to orgasmic fulfillment, to the narcissistic temptation to withdraw libido from the outer world, to recover that sense of being whole in ourselves and at one with the world that we fantasize we experienced “at the beginning,” and to the death drive, he actually makes clear that he recognizes the longing for oneness, for wholeness and harmony, as representing one of the two deepest forces at work in the human soul—and perhaps ultimately the deeper one. And years earlier, in a letter to Jung in which he writes of the complex numerology associated with his conviction that he would die between the ages of 61 and 62, he says this serves as confirmation of “the specifically Jewish nature of my mysticism.” It is fascinating to pursue this theme. To explore, as David Bakan does in his Sigmund Freud and the Jewish Mystical Tradition, how closely Freud’s mode of dream interpretation follows midrashic and kabbalistic ways of working with and moving beyond the biblical text. Indeed, Freud himself, toward the end of Interpretation of Dreams, says of his way of working with dreams, “We have treated them as Holy Writ.” In his Autobiographical Study, Freud wrote, “My deep engrossment in the Bible story (almost as soon as I had learned the art of reading) had, as I recognized much later, an enduring effect upon the direction of my interest.” We can see this in his lifelong identifications with the figures of the biblical Jacob and Joseph and, preeminently, with Moses. Most significant of all is the almost mystical awe with which Freud speaks of the unconscious, how he recognizes the energies at play as “indestructible forces which the ancients recognized as being due their homage,” that is, as divine. And yet to honor Freud, it is important to add a Coda that acknowledges his awareness of how an uncritical celebration of those unconscious energies, of the mystical, the mythic, the nonrational, led too many of his contemporaries to initially miss the dangers represented by the rise of Nazism.
Clustering and Relaxation in Condensed Matter

Publisher Summary Despite remarkable progress toward resolving the excitation spectra from individual nanometer-sized clusters, no technique exists for direct observation of individual mesoscopic excitations in condensed matter. Susceptibility and time-domain spectroscopies are ideal for investigating the infinitesimal excitation energies characteristic of mesoscopic behavior, but they generally lack the sensitivity to resolve individual excitations, thus requiring deconvolution over a distribution of excitation sizes. Deconvolution is possible only if the excitation spectra have a well-defined size dependence. Fortunately, low-energy excitations are found to have universal size dependence. This chapter describes a technique for deconvoluting dynamic measurements to investigate clustering and relaxation in condensed matter. Slow relaxations in physical properties, such as magnetization, dielectric susceptibility, or mechanical stress, rarely show single relaxation rate (Debye-like) behavior; most materials exhibit broad dynamical response. When measured over sufficient range, magnetic relaxation in spin glasses, ferromagnets, and high- T c superconductors; stress relaxation in structural glasses; and dielectric susceptibility of glass-forming liquids invariably exhibit significant deviations from all previously proposed relaxation functions. A thermodynamic model for activated relaxation of low-energy excitations on specific distributions of finite-sized clusters gives excellent agreement with observed behavior. The success of this model indicates that low-energy excitations in condensed matter generally segregate into finite clusters and that their relaxation rate varies exponentially with inverse cluster size. The model provides a common link between fundamental excitations and observed dynamic response. Using this model, macroscopic dynamical measurements may be deconvolved to provide a unique tool for investigating size distributions and relaxational behavior of low-energy mesoscopic excitations in condensed matter.
Attitudes, Behavior, and Comfort of Emergency Medicine Residents in Caring for LGBT Patients: What Do We Know?

Background Although lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients are ubiquitous in emergency medicine (EM), little education is provided to EM physicians on LGBT health care needs and disparities. There is also limited information on EM physician behavior, comfort, and attitudes toward LGBT patients. The objective of this study was to assess EM residents behavior, comfort, and attitudes in LGBT health. Methods An anonymous survey link was sent to EM programs via the Council of Residency Director listserv. The primary outcome of the 24-item descriptive survey was the self-reported comfort levels and self-reported practice in LGBT health care. Secondary outcomes included individual comfort toward LGBT colleagues and patients who are LGBT, and the frequency of colleagues making discriminatory statements toward LGBT patients and staff in the emergency department setting. Associations between personal and program demographics and survey responses were also examined. Results There were 319 responses The majority of respondents were male (63.4%), Caucasian (69.1%), and heterosexual (92.4%). A sizeable minority of respondents felt histories and physical examinations were more challenging for lesbian, gay, or bisexual patients (24.6%) and more so for transgender patients (42.6%). Most residents do not ask patients to identify sexual orientation when presenting with abdominal or genital complaints (63%). Discriminatory LGBT comments were reported from both fellow residents (16.6%) and faculty (10%). A total of 2.5% of respondents were uncomfortable with other LGBT physicians, and 6% did not agree that LGBT patients deserve the same quality care as others. Conclusion A number of residents find caring for LGBT patients more challenging than heterosexual patients. Even with professed comfort with LGBT health care, most residents report taking incomplete sexual histories that may affect patient care. Attitudes toward LGBT patients are mainly, but not completely, positive in this cohort.
Explicit instruction for word solving: Scaffolding developing readers’ use of code-based and meaning-based strategies

AbstractResponse to Intervention (RtI) has brought about significant changes in the way schools provide educational support for students at risk for reading difficulty. Much of the research on RtI ...
Signal Interpretation Considerations When Estimating Subglottal Pressure From Oral Air Pressure.

Purpose Oral air pressure measurements during lip occlusion for /pVpV/ syllable strings are used to estimate subglottal pressure during the vowel. Accuracy of this method relies on smoothly produced syllable repetitions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the oral air pressure waveform during the /p/ lip occlusions and propose physiological explanations for nonflat shapes. Method Ten adult participants were trained to produce the “standard condition” and were instructed to produce nonstandard tasks. Results from 8 participants are included. The standard condition required participants to produce /pːiːpːiː.../ syllables smoothly at approximately 1.5 syllables/s. The nonstandard tasks included an air leak between the lips, faster syllable repetition rates, an initial voiced consonant, and 2-syllable word productions. Results Eleven oral air pressure waveform shapes were identified during the lip occlusions, and plausible physiological explanations for each shape are provided based on the tasks in ...
Protohistoric Marine Shell Working: New Evidence from Northern Illinois

In the US Midwest, the working of marine shell procured through vast trade networks has typically been associated with elite prestige economies and craft specialization at major Mississippian centers. Outside of these contexts, marine shell goods are often assumed to have been brought into communities as completed goods. A recent finding suggests that local, small-scale marine shell working occurred at an early seventeenth-century village in northern Illinois, Middle Grant Creek (11Wi2739). This finding represents the first probable evidence of marine shell working in the Midwest outside of large, Mississippian contexts. Consequently, this practice may be much more geographically and temporally expansive than previously thought. This evidence encourages a rethinking of marine shell finds whenever they are assumed to be imported as finished goods.
Tuning environmental timescales to evolve and maintain generalists

Natural environments can present diverse challenges, but some genotypes remain fit across many environments. Such "generalists" can be hard to evolve, outcompeted by specialists fitter in any particular environment. Here, inspired by the search for broadly neutralizing antibodies during B cell affinity maturation, we demonstrate that environmental changes on an intermediate timescale can reliably evolve generalists, even when faster or slower environmental changes are unable to do so. We find that changing environments on timescales comparable with evolutionary transients in a population enhance the rate of evolving generalists from specialists, without enhancing the reverse process. The yield of generalists is further increased in more complex dynamic environments, such as a "chirp" of increasing frequency. Our work offers design principles for how nonequilibrium fitness "seascapes" can dynamically funnel populations to genotypes unobtainable in static environments.
The Tarsier Fovea: Functionless Vestige or Nocturnal Adaptation?

The retinal fovea is a specialization of the visual system that is widespread among vertebrates, but among mammals is restricted to haplorhine primates. All anthropoids have foveae, although that of Aotus the nocturnal owl monkey is morphologically distinct and appears to be degenerate (Webb and Kaas, 1976). The foveae of tarsiers are reported to be variably (Castenholtz, 1965 Woollard, 1925), or universally present (Hendrickson, personal communication). Foveae are occasionally present in galagos (one Otolemur cmssicaudatus and one Galago senegalensis out of 18 animals [DeBruyn et al., 1980]) (Stone and Johnston, 1981), although they are less well developed. Reports of foveae in Lemuridae (Lemur catta and Hapalemur griseus, Pariente, 1975, 1979) are based on ophthalmoscopic investigations and remain to be confirmed using histological techniques.
I Am Because We Are: (Re)membering Ubuntu in the Pedagogy of Black Women Teachers from Africa to America and Back Again.

Given the clarion call for culturally relevant and sustaining practices, it is often assumed that Black women have a deep well of knowledge about Black history and culture to draw from. However, gi...
Efficient Parallel Shortest Path Algorithms

Finding the shortest path between nodes in a graph has wide applications in many important areas such as transportation and computer networks. However, the current reference algorithms for this task, Dijkstra’s for single threaded environments and $\triangle$-stepping for multi-threaded ones, leave performance and efficiency on the table by not taking advantage of additional information available about the graph. In this paper we present and experimentally evaluate novel algorithms $SP_{1},SP_{2}$ and ParSP 2 that leverage these constraints to solve the problem faster and more efficiently in key metrics. In single threaded execution, we show how SP1 and SP2 out-perform Dijsktra’s algorithm by up to 46%. In multi-threaded execution we show how our algorithms compare favorably to $\triangle$-stepping algorithm in the ability to establish the shortest path between the source and the median node.
Seismic Signatures of Solar and Stellar Magnetic Activity

The 11-year solar activity cycle manifests itself through different phenomena, with the most obvious being the varying number of sunspots on the solar surface. As magnetic activity affects the propagation of acoustic waves, their properties are observed to vary in a cyclic way. In particular, activity-related frequency shifts in the Sun have been known for more than three decades. Such seismic signatures of magnetic activity are expected to be common among solar-type stars. Thanks to the advent of planet-hunting missions, we are now able to measure temporal variations in the mode properties of dozens of solar-type stars. As follows, helio- and asteroseismology provide an unique way to study solar and stellar magnetism.
Genetic architecture of four smoking behaviors using partitioned SNP heritability

Background and aims Although genome-wide association studies have identified many loci that influence smoking behaviors, much of the genetic variance remains unexplained. We characterized the genetic architecture of four smoking behaviors using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) heritability (h2 SNP ). This is an estimate of narrow-sense heritability specifically estimating the proportion of phenotypic variation due to causal variants (CVs) tagged by SNPs. Design Partitioned h2 SNP analysis of smoking behavior traits. Setting UK Biobank. Participants UK Biobank participants of European ancestry. The number of participants varied depending on the trait, from 54 792 to 323 068. Measurements Smoking initiation, age of initiation, cigarettes per day (CPD; count, log-transformed, binned and dichotomized into heavy versus light) and smoking cessation with imputed genome-wide SNPs. Findings We estimated that, in aggregate, approximately 18% of the phenotypic variance in smoking initiation was captured by imputed SNPs [h2 SNP = 0.18, standard error (SE) = 0.01] and 12% [SE = 0.02] for smoking cessation, both of which were more than twice the previously reported estimates. Estimated age of initiation (h2 SNP = 0.05, SE = 0.01) and binned CPD (h2 SNP = 0.1, SE = 0.01) were substantially below published twin-based h2 of 50%. CPD encoding influenced estimates, with dichotomized CPD h2 SNP = 0.28. There was no evidence of dominance genetic variance for any trait. Conclusion A biobank study of smoking behavior traits suggested that the phenotypic variance explained by SNPs of smoking initiation, age of initiation, cigarettes per day and smoking cessation is modest overall.
Distress in Adolescence in China: Concurrent Environmental Characteristicsand Pathways to Depression in Adulthood

This study purposes to examine the direct pathways from psychological distress and environmental factors in adolescence to depression in adulthood, as well as the indirect pathways via life satisfa...
Suborning science for profit: Monsanto, glyphosate, and private science research misconduct

Abstract Using documents from a lawsuit filed against the agricultural chemical and biotechnology firm Monsanto (now Bayer), we document a private firm's efforts to distort the scientific peer-review process through ghostwriting, to orchestrate campaigns to retract journal articles, and to influence editorial decisions. The firm's apparent goal was to manipulate the regulatory process so that it could continue selling a product that the firm's own research indicated might be dangerous. The long-term impact has been to threaten the integrity of scientific peer review and public trust in science. The findings have implications for public-private research collaborations, the validity of private-science research, scientific journal policies on conflict-of-interest disclosures, and policies governing the role of private science in regulatory oversight.
X-ray Free-Electron Lasers: the Attosecond – Ångstrom Frontier for Molecular Dynamics

This tutorial will describe how ultrashort x-ray pulses are generated using free-electron lasers, including their spectral, temporal, coherence properties, and, their application to study photo-initiated electronic and nuclear dynamics in gas and liquid phase.
Anisotropic oxygen polarizability in batio sub 3.

The optical anisotropy of tetragonal BaTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is examined according to the point-dipole description, and it is shown that anisotropic electronic polarizabilities are the dominant source of the birefringence of BaTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. This anisotropy is attributed to the ${\mathrm{O}}_{a}$ oxygen ion (Slater's notation) due to the known $\mathrm{T}\mathrm{i}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{O}}_{a}$ and $\mathrm{B}\mathrm{a}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{O}}_{a}$ overlap in the tetragonal phase, and the recent refractive-index data for BaTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ at 5893 \AA{} are analyzed for this anisotropic ${\mathrm{O}}_{a}$ polarizability according to a generalized Lorentz scheme that accounts for the lattice distortions. It is found that at room temperature the ${\mathrm{O}}_{a}$ polarizabilities parallel and perpendicular to the polar axis are 85 and 95% of the isotropic oxygen polarizability in the cubic phase. The published dispersion data on the refractive indices of SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and Ti${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ (rutile) are similarly analyzed for the oxygen polarizability, the long-wavelength absorption in both crystals being attributed to electron-transfer excitations of the oxygen ion. Based on these derived dispersion data of the oxygen polarizability in SrTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and Ti${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$, the dispersions of the refractive indices in BaTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ at 20 and 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C are computed and compared with experimental data. The anisotropy of the oxygen polarizability at infinite wavelength in BaTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is calculated; at room temperature, the static polarizabilities of ${\mathrm{O}}_{a}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}_{b}$ parallel to the polar axis are 1.85 and 2.16 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{3}$, respectively. The previous isotropic value due to Slater was 2.39 ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{3}$. The anomalous nature of the birefringence in PbTi${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ is discussed.
Robust, non-redundant feature selection for yield analysis in semiconductor manufacturing

Thousands of variables are measured in line during the manufacture of central processing units (cpus). Once the manufacturing process is complete, each chip undergoes a series of tests for functionality that determine the yield of the manufacturing process. Traditional statistical methods such as ANOVA have been used for many years to find relationships between end of line yield and in line variables that can be used to sustain and improve process yield. However, a large increase in the number of variables being measured in line due to modern manufacturing trends has overwhelmed the capability of traditional methods. A filter is needed between the tens of thousands of variables in the database and the traditional methods. In this paper, we propose using true multivariate feature selection capable of dealing with complex, mixed typed data sets as an initial step in yield analysis to reduce the number of variables that receive additional investigation using traditional methods. We demonstrate this approach on a historical data set with over 30,000 variables and successfully isolate the cause of a specific yield problem.
Comparing Japanese and American Approaches to Parental Rights: A Comment on, and Appreciation of, the Work of Takao Tanase

This short essay, presented at a conference honoring the work of leading Japanese legal sociologist Takao Tanase, examines the portion of his recently translated work that compares Japanese and American law on child visitation after divorce. The comparison initially suggests that the stronger American view of parental rights better serves children's interests than the weaker Japanese view. Looking at the comparison through a different lens, however, also suggests that the real difference lies in the two cultures' diverging conception of social parenthood, and thus of the identify of the person who holds parental rights: the noncustodial American parent remains a legal parent at least in part because he or she remains a social parent, in aspiration if not reality, while the traditional Japanese view is the opposite. Finally, the essay suggests a causal connection, running in both directions, between the traditional Japanese rules on custody and the relatively low Japanese divorce rates.
Relational behavior in business markets

Abstract In this study, we examine the role of seven distinct aspects of a supplier's relational behavior with buyers in business markets. These behaviors are hypothesized to influence buyer satisfaction, and in turn, the share of a buyer's business enjoyed by a supplier. The strength of the linkages between these behaviors and buyer satisfaction are hypothesized to vary depending on the age of the buyer-supplier relationship, importance of the product purchased, and environmental dynamism. Findings from a study involving 454 organizations suggest that several relational behaviors have a significant influence on buyer's satisfaction with suppliers, and that buyer satisfaction is positively related to the share of business enjoyed by suppliers. Further, the age of the buyer-supplier relationship, and product importance appear to moderate the strength of the linkages between these behaviors and buyer satisfaction.
SU-E-I-30: Effect of Automatic Tube Voltage Selection and Reconstruction Method On CT Dose Reduction

Purpose: To study the effect of automatic tube voltage selection and reconstruction method on CT dose reduction. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to gather data from 126 CT exams among 80 patients from 3 different CT scanners. Data on scan parameters was collected and categorized for 3 different patient sizes: small, medium and large. For each patient group, exams using manual selection of tube voltage and automatic selection of tube voltage were compared for dose reduction. The influence of reconstruction method and automatic or manual tube voltage selection was also studied. Results: Dose reduction was observed in all patient size categories with the largest dose reduction of 55% seen in the medium sized patients and 35% reduction in the small and large patients. The patients who underwent both a manual and automatic tube voltage selection for their CT study also showed similar dose reduction. Use of iterative reconstruction method and automatic tube voltage selection also showed a 30% dose reduction when compared with manual tube voltage selection and filtered back projection reconstruction method. Dose reduction of up to 45% was observed for both automatic and manual tube voltage selection irrespective of which reconstruction method was used. Conclusion: Using automatic tube voltage selection and iterative reconstruction demonstrated significant dose reduction compared to manual tube voltage selection and filtered back reconstruction method. Between the different generation CT scanners used in this study, the scanner with the most advanced technology demonstrated the most significant dose reduction.
Teaching Asian America: Diversity and the Problem of Community

Teaching Asian America: Diversity and the Problem of Community. Lane Ryo Hirabayashi, ed. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 1998. 266 pp.
Probability of Detection of Flaws in a Gas Turbine Engine Component Using Electric Current Perturbation

In an exploratory development program, the Electric Current Perturbation (ECP) method was optimized for inspection of typical F-100 gas turbine engine components (disks and seals).1,2 A primary objective was to achieve high reliability for the detection of flaws (fatigue cracks) at the retirement-for-cause (RFC) target flaw size of 0.010 in. long x 0.005 in. deep. Probability of detection (POD) data for surface flaws in blade slots of an F-100 first stage fan disk were estimated from experimentally determined probability density functions (PDF’s) for background and flaw signals. The POD as a function of flaw size was estimated from these data.
HFSS modeling of a dipole antenna enclosed in an epsilon-negative (ENG) metamaterial shell

Because of the electrically small size of the antenna, it can be treated analytically as an infinitesimal dipole. We wanted to know how the dipole, if the actual size of the dipole with a realistic feed point was taken into account, and non-perfect spheres would, if at all, affect the enhanced gain predictions. This study required the use of a numerical modeling approach. We selected ANSOFT's High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) as the computational electromagnetic (CEM) modeling tool for this investigation.
Unfolding of Metastable Linker Region Is at the Core of Hsp33 Activation as a Redox-regulated Chaperone *

Hsp33, a molecular chaperone specifically activated by oxidative stress conditions that lead to protein unfolding, protects cells against oxidative protein aggregation. Stress sensing in Hsp33 occurs via its C-terminal redox switch domain, which consists of a zinc center that responds to the presence of oxidants and an adjacent metastable linker region, which responds to unfolding conditions. Here we show that single mutations in the N terminus of Hsp33 are sufficient to either partially (Hsp33-M172S) or completely (Hsp33-Y12E) abolish this post-translational regulation of Hsp33 chaperone function. Both mutations appear to work predominantly via the destabilization of the Hsp33 linker region without affecting zinc coordination, redox sensitivity, or substrate binding of Hsp33. We found that the M172S substitution causes moderate destabilization of the Hsp33 linker region, which seems sufficient to convert the redox-regulated Hsp33 into a temperature-controlled chaperone. The Y12E mutation leads to the constitutive unfolding of the Hsp33 linker region thereby turning Hsp33 into a constitutively active chaperone. These results demonstrate that the redox-controlled unfolding of the Hsp33 linker region plays the central role in the activation process of Hsp33. The zinc center of Hsp33 appears to act as the redox-sensitive toggle that adjusts the thermostability of the linker region to the cell redox status. In vivo studies confirmed that even mild overexpression of the Hsp33-Y12E mutant protein inhibits bacterial growth, providing important evidence that the tight functional regulation of Hsp33 chaperone activity plays a vital role in bacterial survival.
Effects of growth substrate on triclosan biodegradation potential of oxygenase-expressing bacteria

Abstract Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent, an endocrine disrupting compound, and an emerging contaminant in the environment. This is the first study investigating triclosan biodegradation potential of four oxygenase-expressing bacteria: Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, Mycobacterium vaccae JOB5, Rhodococcus ruber ENV425, and Burkholderia xenovorans LB400. B. xenovorans LB400 and R. ruber ENV425 were unable to degrade triclosan. Propane-grown M. vaccae JOB5 can completely degrade triclosan (5 mg L −1 ). R. jostii RHA1 grown on biphenyl, propane, and LB medium with dicyclopropylketone (DCPK), an alkane monooxygenase inducer, was able to degrade the added triclosan (5 mg L −1 ) to different extents. Incomplete degradation of triclosan by RHA1 is probably due to triclosan product toxicity. The highest triclosan transformation capacity ( T c , defined as the amount of triclosan degraded/the number of cells inactivated; 5.63 × 10 −3 ng triclosan/16S rRNA gene copies) was observed for biphenyl-grown RHA1 and the lowest T c (0.20 × 10 −3 ng-triclosan/16S rRNA gene copies) was observed for propane-grown RHA1. No triclosan degradation metabolites were detected during triclosan degradation by propane- and LB + DCPK-grown RHA1. When using biphenyl-grown RHA1 for degradation, four chlorinated metabolites (2,4-dichlorophenol, monohydroxy-triclosan, dihydroxy-triclosan, and 2-chlorohydroquinone (a new triclosan metabolite)) were detected. Based on the detected metabolites, a meta- cleavage pathway was proposed for triclosan degradation.
Thermal Noise-Limited Fiber-Optic Sensing at Infrasonic Frequencies

The fundamental thermal noise in fiber-optic sensors remains to be an interesting research topic. In particular, its spectral behavior in the infrasonic frequency range has yet to be observed experimentally. In this paper, we assess the feasibility of probing the thermal noise floor at infrasonic frequencies with two sensor configurations: 1) fiber Fabry-Perot strain sensors and 2) Mach-Zehnder–Fabry-Perot hybrid phase sensors. In each case, we compare the theory-predicted thermomechanical noise (the dominant thermal noise in fibers at low frequencies) with other potential system noises such as laser noises and detector noises. Our analysis indicates that the thermal-noise-limited fiber-optic sensing can be very difficult to achieve with the strain-sensing scheme, but much more feasible with the hybrid phase sensors.
Effect of daily fiber intake on luteinizing hormone levels in reproductive-aged women.

Purpose To evaluate whether the association between fiber intake and LH levels is driven by the association between fiber and estradiol, or whether there is an independent association.
Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: balancing benefit and toxicity from aromatase inhibitors.

Extensive clinical trial experience is available for aromatase inhibitors (AIs) in postmenopausal women upon which to evaluate the balance of potential benefit and toxicities. A meta-analysis revealed an advantage for AIs over tamoxifen in the monotherapy setting for recurrence but not breast cancer mortality, and an advantage in both of these parameters for switching to an AI after several years of tamoxifen. Importantly, no indication of a deleterious effect of AIs was identified in terms of death without recurrence in these meta-analyses. Regarding serious adverse events (AEs), there are data indicating an increase in cardiovascular AEs and bone fractures but a lower incidence of thromboembolic phenomena and endometrial cancer with AIs vis-a-vis tamoxifen. There does not appear to be a difference in cerebrovascular AEs. Musculoskeletal AEs are the most common clinically important AEs as they are the most common cause of discontinuation of therapy, which can have an adverse effect on outcomes. The balance of benefit and toxicity favors the use of AIs in the adjuvant setting but the absolute benefit from AIs can be decreased in patients with advancing age or increasing comorbidities.
Control Design for Cancellation of Unnatural Reaction Torque and Vibrations in Variable-Gear-Ratio Steering System

Variable-gear-ratio steering is an advanced feature in automotive vehicles. As the name suggest, it changes the steering gear ratio depending on the speed of the vehicle. This feature can simplify steering for the driver, which leads to various advantages, such as improved vehicle comfort, stability, and safety. One serious problem, however, is that the variable-gear-ratio system generates unnatural torque to the driver whenever the variable-gear-ratio control is activated. Such unnatural torque includes both low-frequency and steering-speed-dependent components. This paper proposes a control method to cancel this unnatural torque. We address the problem by using a tire sensor and a set of feedback and feedforward algorithms. Effectiveness of the proposed method is experimentally verified using a hardware-in-the-loop experimental setup. Stability and robustness under model uncertainties are evaluated.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
FIXING PERCEPTUAL BELIEF

In specifying the sensory evidence for perceptual belief, thinkers have either chosen a common perceptual idiom or have invented one of their own as a starting-point for their enquiries. It is becoming clearer that the choice harbours crucial, often disputable, assumptions. I compare two sorts of constructions, a variety of propositional ones and an objectual one, and I argue that the objectual idiom is indispensable in order to explain how a perceptual belief can arise out of what is not already a belief. This has implications not only for the question of how belief is generated from perceptual evidence, but also for various other controversies. I discuss two of these implications: the character of inferences from evidence, and basic belief.
Gene therapy 2001: Pandora's ecdysis

Abstract The Keystone Symposium ‘Gene Therapy 2001: A Gene Odyssey' was held in Snowbird, Utah, USA, from 6 to 11 January 2001.
Comment on ''Material contrast does not predict earthquake rupture propagation direction'' by R. A. Harris and S. M. Day

[1] Harris and Day [2005] (hereinafter referred to as HD) concluded from some numerical simulations and low resolution analysis of 8 M4-M6 earthquakes near Parkfield, CA, that material contrast in fault zone structures is not important for earthquake propagation direction. The limited theoretical and observational results of HD do not justify such a general conclusion. Considerations of a larger body of results suggest that material contrast may produce a statistically preferred direction of earthquake ruptures. The inferred diversity of the 8 discussed events is consistent with their small number and relatively small size. In addition, the behavior has a natural explanation in a structure with two material interfaces – the San Andreas Fault (SAF) and the Southwest Fracture Zone (SFZ) – on the opposite sides of a deformation/damage region. Large earthquakes propagating predominantly as mode II ruptures, and affected primarily by properties of the bounding crustal blocks (rather than the local structure), are likely to exhibit a smaller amount of diversity.
Women's and men's fear of gang crimes: Sexual and nonsexual assault as perceptually contemporaneous offenses

Perceptually contemporaneous offenses are crimes that are coupled in people's minds when they express fear. Previous studies have shown that fear of rape predicts women's fears of other crimes. This study examined the differential effects of sexual and nonsexual assault as offenses that may be coupled with specific gang crimes. For both women and men, once physical harm is accounted for by controlling for fear of nonsexual assault, fear of rape explains much less variance than it does when it was included alone. We argue that fear of physical harm, not the sexual intrusion in rape, has the strongest effect on fear for both women and men.
Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study of Processed Ultra Emu Oil Versus Placebo in the Prevention of Radiation Dermatitis

Purpose The purpose of this single-institution pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of an oil-based skin agent, Ultra Emu Oil, on skin-related toxicity in patients undergoing radiation therapy to the breast or chest wall. Methods and Materials Patients were randomized 2:1 in a double-blind fashion and were instructed to apply processed Ultra Emu Oil or placebo (cottonseed oil) twice daily during the course of radiation therapy. The oils were applied before the third fraction and continued for 6 weeks after completion of treatment. The primary endpoint was the area under the curve (AUC) of Skindex-16 scale scores over time. Secondary outcomes included maximum grade of radiation dermatitis using the Common Terminology Criteria (CTC) for Adverse Events (CTCAE 3.0), the Skin Toxicity Assessment Tool, quality of life (QOL) measured by Linear Analogue Self-Assessment, and a symptom experience diary (SED). Results In all, 42 of 45 patients completed the study and were evaluable. The median times to peak rash, skin redness, peeling, and skin swelling were weeks 6, 6, 7, and 7, respectively as measured by the SED. The Skindex AUC scores tended to be lower in emu oil patients than in placebo patients (mean total AUC 7.2 vs 10.4, respectively). This trend was also seen in all the Skindex subdomains. The overall QOL was slightly better in the emu oil group but remained stable throughout the study for both arms. Peak CTC toxicity occurred at week 6. Patients using emu oil appeared slightly worse on maximum CTC grade, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions This pilot study confirmed the safety of oil-based skin treatments during radiation therapy and suggests a trend for reduced skin toxicity for patients receiving emu oil. A larger study is needed to evaluate the efficacy of emu oil in reducing radiation dermatitis in patients receiving breast radiation.
Demographic Techniques and Jewish Education

*This article is based on a paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Statistical Association, Sept. 10, 1954, Montreal, Canada.
Clinically important changes in individual and composite measures of rheumatoid arthritis activity: thresholds applicable in clinical trials

Objective Thresholds of minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) are needed to plan and interpret clinical trials. We estimated MCIIs for the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity measures of patient global assessment, pain score, Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ), Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28), Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI). Methods In this prospective longitudinal study, we studied 250 patients who had active RA. Disease activity measures were collected before and either 1 month (for patients treated with prednisone) or 4 months (for patients treated with disease modifying medications or biologics) after treatment escalation. Patient judgments of improvement in arthritis status were related to prospectively assessed changes in the measures. MCIIs were changes that had a specificity of 0.80 for improvement based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. We used bootstrapping to provide estimates with predictive validity. Results At baseline, the mean (±SD) DAS28-ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) was 6.16±1.2 and mean SDAI was 38.6±14.8. Improvement in overall arthritis status was reported by 167 patients (66.8%). Patients were consistent in their ratings of improvement versus no change or worsening, with receiver operating characteristic curve areas ≥0.74. MCIIs with a specificity for improvement of 0.80 were: patient global assessment −18, pain score −20, HAQ −0.375, DAS28-ESR −1.2, DAS28-CRP (C-reactive protein) −1.0, SDAI −13, and CDAI −12. Conclusions MCIIs for individual core set measures were larger than previous estimates. Reporting the proportion of patients who meet these MCII thresholds can improve the interpretation of clinical trials in RA.
Bit shape geometric considerations when sampling by dry drilling for obtaining chloride profiles in concrete

When obtaining dust concrete samples by dry drilling to determine chloride content profiles, the common conical shape of the bit tip induces some problems for assigning the analyzed Cl− content of each sample to a fixed depth from surface, (which is necessary for applying Cl− transport models): the amount of concrete removed is not the same throughout the length of a single drilling step, and concrete coming from depths lower than the nominal drilling step is also obtained. It is proposed that each Cl− concentration in the profile should be assigned to the gravity centre of the solid sample really removed in each drilling step, instead of assigning it to the centre of the nominal drilling step. A simple method for calculating the gravity centre of each sample obtained by dry drilling, has been developed. The calculated values of Cl− diffusion coefficients from a Cl− content profile may be appreciably lower if the centres of gravity of the samples, instead of the centres of the nominal drilling steps, are used for the calculations.