cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Promoting clinical research to medically underserved communities: current practices and perceptions about clinical trial recruiting strategies.

Abstract Introduction Although clinical trials have the potential to provide the most advanced medical treatments and screening options, accrual rates remain low among medically underserved populations. Strategies to enhance clinical trial recruitment are frequently undertaken without developing, implementing, and evaluating communication and educational activities. This study assesses the current clinical trial recruiting efforts taking place at academic medical centers in a southeastern state and explores principal investigators' attitudes and beliefs about how to successfully recruit for clinical trials, in the general population, and in African American and rural communities. Methods An online survey was used to collect responses from clinical trial principal investigators working in a southeastern state's five main academic medical centers. Respondents were asked about their experience with recruitment and recruiting strategies, in general, and in the African American and rural communities. Results Respondents said that it was most difficult to find rural residents to participate in clinical trials ( M = 3.60, SD = .93), followed by the general public ( M = 3.30, SD = .99) and African American residents ( M = 3.15, SD = .99). Investigators most often reported personally recruiting their patients ( M = 3.50, SD = 1.34) and through local doctors ( M = 2.80, SD = 1.20). Principal investigators rarely recruit through faith-based organizations ( M = 1.74, SD = 1.05), or by using radio ( M = 1.62, SD = .90), or television ads ( M = 1.42, SD = .75). Conclusion Clinical trial investigators rarely communicate about clinical research outside of the medical setting or partner with community organizations or local doctors to reach individuals in medically underserved communities. Study implications describe the importance of educating research teams about how best to promote clinical trial awareness and knowledge.
Passwords, Privacy, and Policies: Can They Do Business Together?

By separating the burden of securing different types of personal information from the all-in-one website solutions that are provided today, significant improvements can be made in securing personal information.
Evidence for an Influence of Local Dipole Excitations in Thermal Desorption

Ferroelectric crystalline copolymer films of vinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene (70%:30%) strongly interact with the dipoles of adsorbed and absorbed water molecules. This interaction can be probed with laser-assisted thermal desorption techniques. The UV light enhancement of water desorption is strongly light polarization dependent. The electronic structure of the ferroelectric copolymer films of vinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene films is locally altered with incident UV radiation suggesting metastable excited states that may involve dipole reorientation.
Developing multimedia simulations for reinforcing mathematical concepts for hydraulic technicians

Instructors of two year hydraulic technician programs encounter many students who do not understand prerequisite material. This is a prevalent concern in all fields, and multimedia software is one of the more recent developments that can be used to solve the problem. Software that centers around multimedia simulations of basic hydraulic machines while reinforcing math concepts appeals to hydraulics instructors. This paper describes multimedia software that is being developed to fulfill their need. It discusses the importance of the software as well as its structure and potential use.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mode conversion in planar dielectric separating waveguides

Separating optical waveguides are expected to become important in integrated optics. They occur whenever a branching waveguide is used (Fig. 1a) or whenever two parallel waveguides in close proximity are separated (Fig. 1b). These situations will arise in virtually all applications of electrooptic switches and waveguide couplers that depend on evanescent coupling. Using quasi-normal modes and a step transition model we have studied theoretically the mode conversion behavior of separating planar dielectric waveguides as a function of taper slope and mode synchronism, which is adjusted by branch asymmetry. When the taper slope is large in a near symmetric structure, considerable mode conversion will occur and the structure will act as a power divider (Fig. 2b). Incident power concentrated in the upper and lower parts of the structure will end up in the upper and lower arms of the branch, respectively. This behavior is usually required for conventional evanescent couplers. However, in a more asymmetric structure with smaller taper slope, mode conversion is negligible and the structure will act as a mode splitter (Fig. 2a). Mode power is then transferred to one arm of the branch or the other. The transition boundary between a power divider and mode splitter (Fig. 3) is conveniently described approximately by: equation Here Δβ is the difference in mode propagation constant for large waveguide separation, θ is the taper slope, and γ is the decay constant of the field in the separating region. This result will allow quantitative design of mode splitters or power dividers, as desired, and should aid in the design of separating waveguides with minimum radiation losses.
Constant information density in zoomable interfaces

We introduce a system that helps users construct interactive visualizations with constant information density. This work is an extension of the DataSplash database visulaization environment. DataSplash is a direct manipulation system in which users can construct and navigate visualizations. Objects' appearances change as users zoom closer to or further away from the visualization. Users specify graphically the point at which these changes occur.Our experience with DataSplash indicates that users find it difficult to construct visualizations that display an appropriate amount of detail. In this paper, we introduce an extension to DataSplash based on the Principle of Constant Information Density. This extension gives users feedback about the density of visualizations as they create them. We also introduce an extension that suggests improvements to existing visualizations.We have performed an informal study of user navigation in applications with and without constant information density. We suggest that designers take density into account when designing applications to avoid biasing user navigation in unexpected ways.
Ultracompact high-efficiency polarizing beam splitter with a hybrid photonic crystal and conventional waveguide structure

We propose an ultracompact high-efficiency polarizing beam splitter that operates over a wide wavelength range and is based on a hybrid photonic crystal and a conventional waveguide structure. Within a small area (15μm ×and 10μm), this polarizing beam splitter separates TM- and TE-polarized modes into orthogonal output waveguides. Results of simulations with the two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method show that 99.3% of TM-polarized light is deflected by the photonic crystal structure (with a 28.0-dB extinction ratio), whereas 99.0% of TE-polarized light propagates through the structure (with a 32.2-dB extinction ratio). Wave vector diagrams are employed to explain the operation of a polarizing beam splitter. Tolerance analysis reveals a large tolerance to fabrication errors.
Delivering effective performance feedback: The strengths-based approach

Abstract Performance feedback has significant potential to benefit employees in terms of individual and team performance. Moreover, effective performance feedback has the potential to enhance employee engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction. However, managers often are not comfortable giving performance feedback and such feedback, if improperly relayed, causes more harm than good. In this installment of HUMAN PERFORMANCE, we describe a shift from traditional weaknesses-based feedback (which relies on negative commentary focused on employees’ shortcomings) to the more constructive approach of strengths-based feedback (which relies on employee affirmation and encouragement). We explain why a strengths-based approach to performance feedback is superior to the weaknesses-centered approach, and offer nine research-based recommendations on how to deliver effective performance feedback employing a strengths-based method.
Understanding Family Communication Patterns and Family Functioning: The Roles of Conversation Orientation and Conformity Orientation

Family communication behavior and family beliefs about how family members should communicate with one another are closely related and combine to create family communication patterns. Two dimensions that determine family communication patterns are conversation orientation and conformity orientation. In this chapter, we discuss theoretical and practical issues relating to these two dimensions and the family typology that is based on them. First, the dimensions are discussed and a resulting family typology is introduced. Then, we discuss the instrument to measure family communication patterns, the Revised Family Communication Patterns instrument (RFCP), and review research that links conversation orientation and conformity orientation and the resulting family types to different behavioral and psychosocial outcomes of family functioning in the areas of conflict and conflict resolution, speech act production, and the socialization of children. Following this discussion, we address a number of methodological co...
IRIS-HSVD for automatic MRS data quantification

One of the most difficult problems in magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data processing is to separate the targeted chemical compoundspsila signal from a distorted baseline in very noisy data. In this work, we propose a new quantification scheme based on the iterative reduction of interference signal hankel singular value decomposition (IRIS-HSVD) algorithm for accurate, robust and automatic quantification of multidimensional human brain 31P MRS data.
Use of stimulus fading procedures in the treatment of situation specific mutism: A case study

Abstract An 11-yr-old American Indian child who had never spoken a word in a reservation classroom during the entire 5 yr of her schooling was treated by behavioral therapy which employed stimulus fading procedures. Success of treatment was enhanced by reinforcing the desired verbal behavior in several situations which successively approximated the classroom setting, and by the use of an indigenous mental health worker who successfully served as a positive stimulus and reinforcer. A 1-yr follow-up check showed that the girl continues to respond verbally to her teacher in routine classroom interactions.
Abstract B165: The antitumor efficacy of eribulin is mediated via suppression of invasion and profound induction of cell death in triple negative breast cancer.

Eribulin, a microtubule-targeting antitumor drug, is FDA-approved for the treatment of certain patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Some patients treated with this drug have evidence of reduced metastatic dissemination. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which accounts for approximately 15%-20% of all breast cancers, does not respond to hormone therapies so patients are dependent on chemotherapy. A subset of these patients are intrinsically resistant to chemotherapy, or subsequently relapse and develop metastatic disease, eventually leading to mortality. We explored the mechanistic basis for the antitumor efficacy of eribulin in a panel of triple negative breast cancer cell lines that histologically are classified as basal-like or claudin-low. Specifically, we determined the ability of eribulin to induce cell death versus senescence, and secondly to modulate cancer cell invasion and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene expression. Senescence is a clinically relevant cell fate following chemotherapy that can propel tumor progression and EMT. Eribulin was efficacious at inducing cell death in both subtypes of TNBC, and had a remarkably low propensity to induce senescence in TNBC compared to non-small cell lung cancer and colon cancer cells. A 24-hour treatment with eribulin partially prevented tumor cell invasion in the claudin-low subtype, as assayed by Boyden chamber analysis. Drug-tolerant claudin-low cells that survived high-dose eribulin treatment were also found to have a reduction in EMT markers. In summary, in vitro analysis of cell fate and metastasis indicate that eribulin has an ability to modulate invasiveness and EMT characteristics in preclinical models of TNBC. This research was funded by Eisai Inc. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B165. Citation Format: Jing Hu, Susan Band Horwitz, Hayley M. McDaid. The antitumor efficacy of eribulin is mediated via suppression of invasion and profound induction of cell death in triple negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B165.
Characteristic mixed discontinuous finite element methods for advection-dominated diffusion problems

Abstract In this paper three characteristic mixed discontinuous finite element methods are introduced for time dependent advection-dominated diffusion problems. Namely, the diffusion term in these problems is discretized using mixed discontinuous finite elements, and the temporal differentiation and advection terms are treated by a characteristic tracking scheme. The first method is based on the standard modified method of characteristics. It is simple to set up and analyze, but fails to preserve an integral identity satisfied by the solution of the differential problems. The second method is formulated using the modified method of characteristics with adjusted advection and preserves the integral identity globally. The third method is defined in terms of a local Eulerian–Lagrangian technique and preserves the identity locally. These three methods not only preserve the conceptual and computational merits of both characteristics-based procedures and discontinuous finite element schemes, they also possess new features such as they are more stable, are more accurate, and can handle the case where the diffusion coefficient is zero. Stability and convergence properties are studied for all three methods; unconditionally stable results and sharp error estimates are established. Their relationships to standard characteristics-based methods such as MMOC, MMOCAA, ELLAM, and CMFEM are described in detail. Numerical results are presented.
A comparison of drag reduction for flows in circular tubes with flow between parallel planes

Drag reduction in the turbulent flow of aqueous solutions of polyacrylamide and poly(ethylene oxide) was studied in tubes and parallel plates. Friction factors were determined at Reynolds numbers up to 20,000 for polymer concentrations of 0.10 to 400g/m3 in glass tubes run in a constant-head, gravity flow system in which the velocity was determined from the horizontal distance traveled by the effluent stream while falling a set vertical distance; and in Plexiglas parallel plates run in a constant-velocity, machine-driven system in which the pressure drop between two points on the plates was measured with a differential pressure transducer. A general method of correlating fraction laminarization or drag reduction effectiveness with polymer concentration for Reynolds numbers above 6000 was developed in which two master curves, one for very low concentrations which was the same for both tubes and parallel plates, and one for higher concentrations which differed for tubes and parallel plates, were found to represent the data very well for both polymers and all conduit sizes and Reynolds numbers. Additionally, relationships were found between conduit size and maximum fraction laminarization and optimum polymer concentration.
Quantifying collagen structure in breast biopsies using second-harmonic generation imaging

Quantitative second-harmonic generation imaging is employed to assess stromal collagen in normal, hyperplastic, dysplastic, and malignant breast tissues. The cellular scale organization is quantified using Fourier transform-second harmonic generation imaging (FT-SHG), while the molecular scale organization is quantified using polarization-resolved second-harmonic generation measurements (P-SHG). In the case of FT-SHG, we apply a parameter that quantifies the regularity in collagen fiber orientation and find that malignant tissue contains locally aligned fibers compared to other tissue conditions. Alternatively, using P-SHG we calculate the ratio of tensor elements (d15/d31, d22/d31, and d33/d31) of the second-order susceptibility χ2 for collagen fibers in breast biopsies. In particular, d15/d31 shows potential differences across the tissue pathology. We also find that trigonal symmetry (3m) is a more appropriate model to describe collagen fibers in malignant tissues as opposed to the conventionally used hexagonal symmetry (C6). This novel method of targeting collagen fibers using a combination of two quantitative SHG techniques, FT-SHG and P-SHG, holds promise for breast tissue analysis and applications to characterizing cancer in a manner that is compatible with clinical practice.
Dosimetry of [15O]water: a physiologic approach

Earlier dosimetry estimates for [15O]water assumed its instantaneous equilibrium with total body water. This assumption leads to an underestimation of the absorbed doses to organs with high blood flows, since the biodistribution of this short-lived radiopharmaceutical is dependent upon blood flow to organs. We have developed a physiologically based whole body blood flow model (WBBFM) using a commercially available icon-driven mathematical simulation software package and applied it to the reevaluation of [15O]water dosimetry in humans. The WBBFM uses multiple parallel compartments to represent organs, heart chambers, the injection site for [15O]water, and blood sampling sites (arterial and venous). Input values to the WBBFM include organ blood flows, organ masses, organ water volumes, organ:blood partition coefficients, injected activity and S-values of [15O]. The WBBFM is based on the same assumptions that are used in calculating regional blood flow using [15O]water and simulates the human body closely in its physiologic response. The activity in each organ is derived from the simulation and is used to calculate absorbed doses. The WBBFM calculated absorbed doses in microGy/MBq (mrad/mCi) to various organs are as follows: heart--2.66 (9.84), kidneys--2.20 (8.15), thyroid--1.83 (6.78), brain--1.66 (6.13), ovaries--1.25 (4.61), breast--1.24 (4.59), and small intestine--1.03 (3.83). These values are approximately two- to threefold higher than the earlier estimates of Kearfott [J. Nucl. Med. 23, 1031-1037 (1982)] and similar to the recent findings of Herscovitch et al. [J. Nucl. Med. 34, 155P (1983)]. We believe this approach yields more realistic dosimetry estimates for [15O]water. Accordingly, we have revised the amount of [15O]water administered during regional blood flow studies at our institution. The relative ease and accuracy of this approach suggests its usefulness in dosimetry estimation for other freely diffusible radiopharmaceuticals.
“Changed Utterly”: Narrative Transformations in William Morris and W. B. Yeats's “Easter, 1916”

John Wilson Foster has argued that W. B. Yeats's “Easter, 1916” represents a bridge between Yeats's conflicted personal feelings about the Easter uprising and the necessarily public nature of his p...
Ductile spallation fracture and the mechanics of void growth and coalescence under shock-loading conditions

A model of ductile spallation fracture is developed from a dynamic void-growth model which takes full account of the effects of material inertia and strain-rate sensitivity on void-growth rates under shock-loading conditions. The void-growth model is used to estimate the dynamic inertial stresses arising at incipient void coalescence and thus allow for these effects in the critical condition for dynamic microvoid coalescence. The theoretical results from the dynamic ductile-fracture model are shown to be in good general agreement with previously published experimental results for ductile spallation fracture in tantalum.
The biodemography of life span: resources, allocation and metabolism

This workshop was sponsored by the Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging (University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA) and the National Institute on Aging (Bethesda, MD, USA). I thank K. Wachter and the organizers, J. Carey and S. Tuljapurkar, for the opportunity to participate in this workshop, and J. Carey, R. Ricklefs, K. Wachter and J. Wilmoth for helpful comments on this article. I also gratefully acknowledge support from NIA Grant K12-AG00981-01.
145 Preliminary Results of Cytoskeletal Components in Various Red Algae Using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy

Data concerning the cytoskeletal components of red algae are scant. The goal of this ongoing comparative survey is to develop a more complete characterization of the red algal cytoskeleton, and subsequent elucidation of its function, using representative taxa belonging to major evolutionary lineages within the Rhodophyta. Preliminary data were obtained using enzyme digestion of cell walls and detergent rinses with direct (phalloidin) and indirect (monoclonal antibodies) labeling methods for microfilaments and tubulin, respectively. Samples were viewed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Results will be discussed in light of the more thoroughly understood cytoskeletal system reported for green algae.
Diffusion Samplers as an Inexpensive Approach to Monitoring VOCs in Ground Water

Diffusion samplers installed in observation wells were found to be capable of yielding polyethylene to transmit other volatile compounds, such as benzene and toluene, indicates that the samplers can be used for a variety of volatile organic compounds. In wells at the study area, the volatile organic compound concentrations in water samples obtained using the samplers without prior purging were similar to concentrations in water samples obtained from the respective wells using traditional purging and sampling approaches. The low cost associated with this approach makes it a viable option for monitoring large observation-well networks for volatile organic compounds.
Diesel Engine Intake Condition Control-Oriented Models for Active Fuel Injection Profile Control

Fueling control in Diesel engines is not only of significance to the combustion process in one particular cycle, but also influences the subsequent dynamics of air-path loop and combustion events, particularly when exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is employed. To better reveal such inherently interactive relations, this paper presents a physics-based, control-oriented model describing the dynamics of the intake conditions with fuel injection profile being its input for Diesel engines equipped with EGR and turbocharging systems. The effectiveness of this model is validated by comparing the predictive results with those produced by a high-fidelity 1-D computational GT-Power engine model.© 2011 ASME
Stresses in coated solids due to normal and shear tractions on an elliptical region

Abstract This paper is aimed at calculating stresses in coated-solids produced by normal and shear tractions applied over an elliptical region using Fourier transform methods. Stress fields due to Hertz contact pressure in an elliptical region are studied as a function of ellipticity b / a (where b and a are the major and minor axes of the contact ellipse), coating–substrate material combination and coating thickness. Differences in stress distributions due to an applied load moving along the long axis and the short axis of contact ellipse are discussed. It is shown that when the contact pressure moves along the short axis of ellipse, coating–substrate interface shear stress calculated with the plane–strain model is an upper bound. It is also shown that in low friction contact, the surface flexure tensile stresses calculated with the plane strain model are lower.
A new filter synthesis technique-the hourglass

A synthesis procedure called the hourglass algorithm is discussed. This algorithm produced filters that have better passband and stopband characteristics than conventional maximally flat filters. It is argued that its use throughout filter design unifies, simplifies, and systematizes synthesis procedures. The improvement in the passband achieved by the hourglass over the maximally-flat filter is due to the distribution of reflection coefficient zeros throughout the passband. The improvement in the stopband occurs because the natural modes of the hourglass are nearer the passband and farther from the stopband than the corresponding maximally-flat natural modes. These conditions are the result of reciprocal location of the reflection coefficient zeros with respect to the transmission zeros. The technique yields filters comparable to the classical constant-k filters with m-derived end sections. As opposed to the classical filters, the specified magnitude at the band edge may be realized exactly. Simple transformation of the zeros of hourglass designs leads to standard Chebyshev, Chebyshev rational fraction, and elliptic (Cauer) designs. Several filter design examples are provided to illustrate the method. >
X-ray diffraction and magnetization studies on Sm2Fe17 and its nitrides

Abstract Structural and magnetic characterizations of the Sm 2 Fe 17 N x system with x = 0, 0.3, 0.7, 1.3, 1.8, 2.3, and 2.6 are presented. The pure Sm 2 Fe 17 parent phase crystallizes in the Th 2 Zn 17 -like rhombohedral structure, as does ‘completely nitrided’ Sm 2 Fe 17 N 2.6 . Samples with N content 1.3 ≤ x ≤ 2.3 clearly show a two-phase structure, having both an unnitrided phase and a nitrided phase, with the nitrided phase possessing larger lattice parameters. The x = 0.3 sample does not show any nitrided phase, and has magnetic behavior unlike the samples with higher N content. As discussed, it appears that the N atoms which are initially introduced might occupy vacancies, grain boundaries, or sites other than the octahedral interstitial sites as originally proposed.
A $$3\,\hbox{nV}/{\sqrt{\hbox{Hz}}}$$ rail-to-rail operational amplifier in silicon-on-sapphire with constant transconductance

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and electrical measurement results from a low-noise high-performance amplifier fabricated in the 0.5 μm silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) technology. The amplifier was designed with rail-to-rail input and output swing and constant transconductance in its entire common-mode range and targets biomedical instrumentation in SOS/SOI technologies. The amplifier reports $$3\,\hbox{nV}/{\sqrt{\hbox{Hz}}}$$ of input-referred voltage noise at 10 kHz and has 0.4 mV of input-referred offset. The gain-bandwidth product of the amplifier is 12 MHz and the open-loop gain is 75 dB. The amplifier occupies 0.08 mm2 of area and consumes 1.4 mW of power.
Performance measurements of a self-referencing interferometer wavefront sensor with optical amplification

The Self-Referencing Interferometer Wavefront Sensor (SRI WFS) has been shown to outperform conventional wavefront sensors in strong scintillation environments. Recently, the Starfire Optical Range has developed a prototype SRI to evaluate its performance. This paper discusses the purposes of optically amplifying the reference beam. Specifically, it addresses regions of operation where gain improves signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values, and thus the SRI WFS performance. Conditions are also addressed when Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) from the optical amplifier degrades the overall signal, resulting in less than acceptable SNR ratios. Laboratory measurements of SRI WFS performance with an optical amplifier are presented.
Kristallnacht: Prelude to Destruction – By Martin Gilbert

Hershel Grynspan's assassination of a minor German diplomat in Paris sparked one of the plainest signals of the murderous intentions of Nazi anti‐Semites. On the night of 9 November 1938, SA thugs ...
Response latency as a function of free choice or fixed postfeedback interval in concept identification

Sixty-tour Ss were required to learn a three-dimensiona, binary choice concept identification task with either (l)a fixed 2-sec postfeedback interval (PFI) or (2) a free-choice PFI. All Ss were allowed to determine their own response interval (RI). The results indicated no differences in RI latencies between these groups. However, RI latencies were longer when the stimuli were more complex. PFI latencies did not vary as a function of stimulus complexity. Both RI and PFI latencies were longer following errors and tended to be shorter during reversal-shift transfer task. The free-choice PFI Ss reached criterion in fewer trials than did the 2-sec PFI Ss. These results were interpreted as supporting a hypothesis that Ss eliminate hypotheses during the PFI and select hypotheses during the RI.
Developing International Interdisciplinary Programs in Management and Technology Entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe: The Critical Success Factors for Developing “Entrepreneurial Courage”

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to advance the proposition that Eastern European countries, especially the ones that were newly admitted to the European Union, in order to make the transition from the “Old” to the “New” order, need to break the sociopolitical grip of lack of management, marketing, and entrepreneurial practices and skills. To accomplish this, a double-loop technology and entrepreneurship based business education and learning feedback mechanism needs to be initiated, operationalized and institutionalized in their educational evolutionary model.
Electronics and medicine: When electroquackery thrived: The mystery and glamor of electricity were exploited by charlatans who bilked the public with promises to cure any ill

Electroquackery has a history all its own that is as long and colorful as that of legitimate electromedicine. But then, the difference between serious research and outright fraud has often been a little unclear. At a time when electricity was only beginning to be understood, fakers proposed devices that seemed no stranger to the general public than the proposed devices of legitimate researchers, and the theories of even the most extravagant charlatan could gain a ready following because they hardly seemed less believable than the phenomena they were supposed to explain.
Diagnosis and treatment of the non-lexical route in acquired dyslexia : an illustration of the cognitive neuropsychological approach

Abstract This paper illustrates a recent approach to diagnosis and treatment of cognitive deficits secondary to focal brain damage. An information processing model of the normal system is used as a basis for the diagnosis of the functional cognitive impairment(s) that result in a patient's symptoms. An intervention program is then designed to address these functional deficits. The case illustrated here demonstrated almost total inability to “sound out” printed words, a symptom that was linked to impairments to two separable components of the model of normal reading. Several intervention techniques were developed that resulted in improvement in the two impaired components, but these improvements brought about little change in functional reading ability. The patient's response to treatment suggested the involvement of a third deficit, and necessitated a modification of the original model of reading. Results are discussed with an emphasis on the interpretation of specific processing changes that can be brought about through carefully targeted intervention. One primary contribution of the approach is argued to be the formulation of diagnostic tests, focused on specific components, that predict the likelihood that a patient will respond to a particular intervention.
A cofactor for factor XI activation

During formation of a blood clot, the key enzyme thrombin is formed through the coordinated activities of a group of plasma proteases (factors VIIa, IXa, Xa, and XIa). Central to this process are protein “cofactors” (tissue factor, and factors Va and VIIIa) that facilitate the activation and/or
Packet Dropping for Widely Varying Bit Reduction Rates Using a Network-Based Packet Loss Visibility Model

We propose a packet dropping algorithm for various packet loss rates. A network-based packet loss visibility model is used to evaluate the visual importance of each H.264 packet inside the network. During network congestion, based on the estimated loss visibility of each packet, we drop the least visible frames and/or the least visible packets until the required bit reduction rate is achieved. Based on a computable perceptually-based metric, our algorithm performs better than an existing approach (dropping B packets or frames).
ETHICAL ISSUES IN OUTSOURCING ACCOUNTING AND TAX SERVICES

Outsourcing has been criticized as a practice that destroys jobs and praised as a way to cut costs and remain competitive. The accounting profession has utilized outsourcing to avail itself of expertise that is not available within the firm and to cut the cost of offering a variety of accounting and tax services. The practice has raised some ethical questions about integrity, objectivity, disclosure and client confidentiality. The AICPA Professional Ethics Executive Committee has issued two new ethics rulings and revised a third ethics ruling to address these issues. The new rules take effect July 1, 2005. This paper discusses these rulings and the effect they will have on accounting practices.
Role of non-covalent interactions in the production of visco-elastic material from zein

Abstract The role of non-covalent interactions in the formation of visco-elastic material from zein was investigated. Hydrophobic interactions were evaluated through the addition of various salts from the Hofmeister series. Urea, ethanol, and beta mercaptoethanol (β-ME) were used to evaluate the effects of protein denaturation and disulfide bonds on zein’s ability to form a visco-elastic material. The addition of NaI and NaSCN altered the properties of visco-elastic materials made from zein, making them softer and more extensible, as did urea and ethanol. The addition of NaCl and Na2SO4 negatively impacted the ability of zein to from a visco-elastic material and at higher concentrations completely disrupted the formation of visco-elastic material. These results indicate that manipulating non-covalent interactions in zein can alter and in some cases, completely disrupt the formation of a visco-elastic material. Specifically this may be due to disruption of hydrophobic interactions within individual zein proteins or interactions between proteins. The reducing agent β-ME had little effect on zein’s ability to form a visco-elastic material. Therefore, the visco-elastic properties of zein arise as a result of non-covalent interactions.
The Justification of Probability Measures in Statistical Mechanics

According to a standard view of the second law of thermodynamics, our belief in the second law can be justified by pointing out that low‐entropy macrostates are less probable than high‐entropy macrostates, and then noting that a system in an improbable state will tend to evolve toward a more probable state. I would like to argue that this justification of the second law is unhelpful at best and wrong at worst, and will argue that certain puzzles sometimes associated with the second law are merely artifacts of this questionable justification.
Emerging Markets: Product and Service Opportunities for Middle and Upper Middle Class

The middle and upper middle class population in the often termed emerging markets is typically a less investigated target as most consumer research and development efforts for such markets are primarily focused on rural communities as well as the lower to middle class population. We believe that, in a context where emerging markets are in constant transformation and the middle to upper middle classes are on a substantial growth path, it is important to explore appropriate ways to address these market segments as they represent an opportunity space for technological research and development. This paper discusses and shares results of a recent case study where a number of concepts and products were developed for such market segments in emerging markets and subsequently tested in China, Egypt, India and Brazil. This paper is an extended version of “The rise of middle and upper middle class in emerging markets: Products and service opportunities”, published in Proceedings of the 20th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interactions: Designing for Habitus and Habitat, OZCHI, 2008 [1].
Biological roles and functional mechanisms of arenavirus Z protein in viral replication

Arenaviruses can cause severe hemorrhagic fever diseases in humans, with limited prophylactic or therapeutic measures. A small RING-domain viral protein Z has been shown to mediate the formation of virus-like particles and to inhibit viral RNA synthesis, although its biological roles in an infectious viral life cycle have not been directly addressed. By taking advantage of the available reverse genetics system for a model arenavirus, Pichinde virus (PICV), we provide the direct evidence for the essential biological roles of the Z protein's conserved residues, including the G2 myristylation site, the conserved C and H residues of RING domain, and the poorly characterized C-terminal L79 and P80 residues. Dicodon substitutions within the late (L) domain (PSAPPYEP) of the PICV Z protein, although producing viable mutant viruses, have significantly reduced virus growth, a finding suggestive of an important role for the intact L domain in viral replication. Further structure-function analyses of both PICV and Lassa fever virus Z proteins suggest that arenavirus Z proteins have similar molecular mechanisms in mediating their multiple functions, with some interesting variations, such as the role of the G2 residue in blocking viral RNA synthesis. In summary, our studies have characterized the biological roles of the Z protein in an infectious arenavirus system and have shed important light on the distinct functions of its domains in virus budding and viral RNA regulation, the knowledge of which may lead to the development of novel antiviral drugs.
Cadherin-11 mRNA transcripts are frequently found in rheumatoid arthritis peripheral blood and correlate with established polyarthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial fibroblasts hyperexpress the mesenchymal cadherin-11, which is involved also in tumor invasion/metastasis, whereas anti-cadherin-11 therapeutics prevent and reduce experimental arthritis. To test the hypothesis that cadherin-11 is aberrantly expressed in RA peripheral blood, 100 patients (15 studied serially) and 70 healthy controls were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription-PCR. Cadherin-11 mRNA transcripts were detected in 69.2% of moderately/severely active RA, versus 31.8% of remaining patients (p=0.001), versus 17.1% of controls (p 1year) polyarthritis (>4 swollen tender joints), by multivariate logistic regression analysis including various possible clinical/laboratory factors. Rare cells of undefined nature, detected by flow cytometry following CD45(-) enrichment, strongly expressed surface cadherin-11 (estimated 10-50cells/ml of blood) in 5/6 patients with polyarticular established disease versus 1/6 patients with early RA. Studies on the potential pathogenic role of circulating cells expressing cadherin-11 in RA are warranted.
Laser balloon angioplasty: Effect of tissue temperature on weld strength of human postmortem intima‐media separations

Dehiscence of portions of atheromatous plaques fractured during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty may contribute to both abrupt reclosure and gradual restenosis. Laser balloon angioplasty has been shown to be effective in welding human plaque-arterial wall separations in vitro by heating tissues with a Nd:YAG laser during balloon inflation. To define the potentially useful therapeutic range of tissue temperature required to achieve thermal welds, 220 1-cm diameter discs of human postmortem atheromatous aortic tissue, the intimal plaque of which had been separated from the media, were exposed to 3-25 watts of Nd:YAG laser radiation delivered over a 12-mm2 nominal spot size for 20 seconds via a 400-micron core optical fiber. As measured with a thermistor, adventitial temperature reflected the temperature at the plaque-media junction to within 10 degrees C. The degree of tissue temperature elevation was related to delivered energy, while effective tissue penetration increased to maximum depth of 3 mm at the highest power density. Strength of tissue welds was defined as the force required to shear opposing layers of welded segments. Adventitial tissue temperatures below 80 degrees C were not associated with appreciable welds, while equilibrium temperatures between 95 degrees C and 140 degrees C were consistently associated with effective mean weld strengths, which increased linearly from 25 to 110 g, respectively. Temperatures greater than 150 degrees C were associated with rapid tissue dehydration and charring. These data suggest that the therapeutic range of tissue temperature that provides effective thermal fusion of intima-media separations is broad and that the depth and degree of thermal coagulation can be controlled by manipulation of laser energy delivery.
A Reproductive Endocrine Profile in the Diabetes (db) Mutant Mouse

Mice that are homozygous for the autosomal recessive mutation diabetes (db) fail to reproduce. We have established that the hypoplastic vaginal epithelia, uteri and ovaries can respond comparably to control tissues on hormonal stimulation. Gonadotropin release from the pituitary gland appeared to be depressed in female mutant mice, but responded normally to exogenous gonadotropin releasing hormone (GNRH) in both sexes. Immature mutant females failed to ovulate on PMS stimulation. Hypothalamic GNRH content was greater than normal in the adult female mutant mice (<0.001), suggesting that in the females, at least, GNRH release may be inadequate, with secondary blunting of pituitary function. The db males appeared to have comparable to normal LH, FSH and GNRH levels and little sign of reproductive tract atrophy. Only the preputial glands were significantly reduced from normal size. The db males did fail to show mating behavior. The results substantiate a hypothesis that the presumed single gene mutation, diabetes, acts through a CNS anomaly to cause infertility, as it also may act to cause obesity and thermoregulatory disturbances.
EFFECTS OF BACTERIAL ENDOTOXIN ON RABBIT PLATELETS : IV. THE DIVALENT ION REQUIREMENTS OF ENDOTOXIN-INDUCED AND IMMUNOLOGICALLY INDUCED PLATELET INJURY

The divalent ion requirements of rabbit platelet injury by endotoxin have been defined by the use of various anticoagulant solutions and have been compared to the divalent ion requirements of platelet injury produced by addition of antigen to immune platelet-rich plasma. The endotoxin-platelet interaction takes place in citrated blood. Platelet damage by antigen is inhibited by citrate, but preincubation of antigen and immune platelet-poor plasma in the absence of citrate results in a substance, presumably antigen-antibody complement complex, which then does injure platelets in the presence of citrate. Neither endotoxin nor preincubated antigen injures platelets in the presence of sodium EDTA in concentrations sufficient to interact with all divalent cations present in plasma. These observations have been interpreted by viewing the platelet-endotoxin interaction as a consequence of platelet phagocytosis of endotoxin, a reaction not requiring complement but requiring definite small concentrations of divalent cations. The interaction of antigen and platelets is regarded as a two phase reaction, the first requiring the participation of complement and concentrations of divalent cation larger than those provided in citrated plasma, the second requiring smaller concentrations of divalent cation, no further participation of complement, and active in citrated plasma. This second phase is regarded as representing platelet phagocytosis of immune complexes.
Integrated facility layout and material handling system design in semiconductor fabrication facilities

Semiconductor manufacturing is an important component of the U.S. manufacturing industry. Most of today's fabrication facilities and those being designed for the near future use a bay layout configuration and an overhead monorail system for moving material between bays. These material handling systems are usually designed with a spine or perimeter type of configuration. This paper investigates the layout and material handling system design integration problem in semiconductor fabrication facilities and proposes a methodology for solving this integrated design problem. A spacefilling curve approach is used to address the facility layout, while the structure of the spine and perimeter configurations are exploited to create a network flow problem to determine the material handling system design. Computational results are presented and show exceptional promise for this procedure in solving the integrated design problem in a semiconductor manufacturing environment.
Letting the “Tail Wag the Dog”: The Debate over GAAP versus Street Earnings Revisited*

A variety of alternative definitions and sources of actual earnings realizations are available to investors. In addition to “traditional” earnings numbers produced in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), these alternative measures include the so-called Street earnings numbers that are based on proprietary definitions employed by commercial forecast data providers (FDPs). Increasing visibility of Street earnings in the 1990s gave rise to the hypothesis, articulated in the financial press and by government agencies and standard-setters, that firms, perhaps with the proactive or tacit support of FDPs, are using Street earnings to manipulate investor beliefs in a manner that leads to inflated stock prices (see, e.g., Levitt 1998; MacDonald 1999; Tergesen 1999). The hypothesis that Street earnings are inflated and lead to stock mispricing gained additional currency from some academic studies, which, among other things, provided evidence of stronger market reactions to Street versus GAAP earnings-based surprises (e.g., Bradshaw and Sloan 2002; Doyle, Lundholm, and Soliman 2003; Bagnoli, Eskew, and Watts 2001). A competing view has emerged which posits that evidence of stronger market reactions to Street earnings surprises reflects the fact that Street earnings are generally more informative than GAAP earnings, and thus rational investors prefer to rely on these earnings to make their investment decisions (e.g., Brown and Sivakumar 2003).