cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Presence of Equivalent Models in Strategic Management Research Using Structural Equation Modeling: Assessing and Addressing the Problem

The use of structural-equation modeling (SEM) in strategic-management research has grown dramatically during recent years. Although this statistical technique offers researchers a valuable tool for testing hypothesized models, certain challenges accompany the use of SEM. The current article examines one of these challenges, equivalent models, and its prevalence in strategy research. An equivalent model is an alternative model that fits the data equally well, thus producing the same covariance or correlation matrix but often differing significantly in theoretical interpretation. We examined the application of SEM in 109 strategic-management studies and found that equivalent models are a cause for concern in most strategic-management studies. Using a published article, we also provide a statistical demonstration of the potential effect of equivalent models. This article highlights both the extent of potential equivalent models in strategy research and the possible effect of such models on strategic-manageme...
The Effects of Ventricular Tachycardia on Carotid Artery Blood Flow Velocity

Utilizing the Doppler flowmeter catheter, right carotid blood velocity was measured during episodes of catheter-evoked and pacemaker-induced ventricular tachycardias. Such tachyarrhythmias uniformly diminished peak carotid blood velocity, which in the case of catheter-evoked episodes reduced phasic blood velocity by 50%. At driving rates greater than 140 per minute, the average peak carotid blood velocity was 25% to 50% lower during ventricular when compared with atrial pacing. There was a direct correlation between the ventricular pacing rates and the percent decline of peak carotid blood velocity. Such arrhythmia-related carotid blood velocity deficits may account for syncopal episodes in subjects so affected.
Sea Surface Loss in Surface Ducts and Shallow Water: A Historical Perspective

A heuristic treatment is given of the Schulkin-Marsh surface loss expression for acoustic propagation in surface ducts. Its application to the Marsh-Schulkin shallow water propagation model is also discussed. Possible explanations of the surface loss are given in terms of scattering by surface roughness and absorption by bubble layers.
How Important are the Sizes and Locations of Fixation Regions for the BIAS Model

In this work we consider the Bayesian integrate and shift (BIAS) model for learning object categories and investigate its sensitivity to changes in the sizes and locations of fixation regions. We test the model using a face category and show that the learning algorithm is robust to large variations of the regions' sizes and locations. Specifically, we show that the performance is inversely proportional to the sizes of the fixation regions and that the preferred locations are those that are closer to the center of the object.
Comparison of Colistin-Carbenicillin, Colistin, and Carbenicillin in Pseudomonas Sepsis in Monkeys

Intravenous inoculation of 6.2 x 10(10) to 6.7 x 10(10)Pseudomonas aeruginosa organisms into rhesus monkeys 5 days after intratracheal inoculation of 2.0 to 2.5 mg of vincristine sulfate resulted in fatal sepsis in 8 of 10 untreated monkeys. When similarly infected monkeys were treated intramuscularly with 2.5 mg of colistin or 50 mg of carbenicillin per kg per day, all three monkeys in each treatment group survived; one of three monkeys receiving both antibiotics at the above doses died. Six of seven monkeys treated with 1.25 mg of colistin per kg per day and three of seven treated with 25 mg of carbenicillin per kg per day died; four of nine monkeys receiving both antibiotics at these doses died. A combination of the data obtained at both dose levels tested shows that 6 of 10, 3 of 10, and 5 of 12 monkeys, respectively, died after treatment with colistin, carbenicillin, and the colistin-carbenicillin combination. Antibacterial activity of serum from both infected and normal monkeys was not appreciably different when the two antibiotics were given singly or in combination. Under the conditions of this study and with the doses employed, the response of monkeys treated with the antibiotic combination did not differ significantly from that of monkeys treated with a single agent.
Influences of light intensity variations on growth characteristics of Myriophyllum aquaticum

Myriophyllum aquaticum is a heterophyllous plant that is native to South America and has been introduced to the United States. The reallocation of resources to emergent or submersed growth forms likely allows M. aquaticum to overcome changes in light availability and to invade different habitats. Our objective was to determine the effects of light availability on plant length, biomass allocation, and relative growth rate through replicated mesocosm experiments. Myriophyllum aquaticum was grown in full sunlight, 30%, 50%, and 70% shade in replicated treatments. Total plant length, emergent shoot length, submersed shoot length, and the total of number of emergent and submersed shoots were recorded. Plants were harvested and sorted into emergent shoots, submersed shoots, roots, and stolons, then dried and weighed to assess biomass allocation. After 12 weeks, biomass was different among shade treatments. Differences in plant mass were a result of greater plant growth in the 30% shade treatment. Total plant le...
Case history of the Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies in New York City.

This case history describes the history of the Center for Urban Epidemiological Studies (CUES), an urban research center based in New York City. Between 1996 and 1999, CUES was transformed from an institution that worked with the medical schools of the region to a center seeking to define a new practice of community-based participatory research (CBPR). The report summarizes how and why CUES has changed, identifies its main accomplishments and challenges, and discusses some of the lessons learned to date. It illustrates how the principles of CBPR have influenced the development of CUES. The case history suggests that it is possible for an organization to transform itself from a researcher-driven orientation toward a more participatory model. The early history also demonstrates that it is possible to engage community organizations and activists in an ongoing effort to study and address complex urban health problems such as asthma, substance abuse, and infections diseases. Finally, the report illustrates that CBPR is a process that evolves in response to specific situational factors.
Kalman Filter-based Algorithms for Estimating Depth from Image Sequences

Using known camera motion to estimate depth from image sequences is an important problem in robot vision. Many applications of depth-from-motion, including navigation and manipulation, require algorithms that can estimate depth in an on-line, incremental fashion. This requires a representation that records the uncertainty in depth estimates and a mechanism that integrates new measurements with existing depth estimates to reduce the uncertainty over time. Kalman filtering provides this mechanism. Previous applications of Kalman filtering to depth-from-motion have been limited to estimating depth at the location of a sparse set of features. In this paper, we introduce a new, pixel-based (iconic) algorithm that estimates depth and depth uncertainty at each pixel and incrementally refines these estimates over time. We describe the algorithm and contrast its formulation and performance to that of a feature-based Kalman filtering algorithm. We compare the performance of the two approaches by analyzing their theoretical convergence rates, by conducting quantitative experiments with images of a flat poster, and by conducting qualitative experiments with images of a realistic outdoor-scene model. The results show that the new method is an effective way to extract depth from lateral camera translations. This approach can be extended to incorporate general motion and to integrate other sources of information, such as stereo. The algorithms we have developed, which combine Kalman filtering with iconic descriptions of depth, therefore can serve as a useful and general framework for low-level dynamic vision.
The Fourth Condition

Ed Gettier showed that justified true belief is not sufficient for knowledge.1 Not all epistemologists these days will agree that justified true belief is necessary for knowledge but I hope that most will agree with the following more modest proposal: at least one minimally sufficient condition for knowledge has justified true belief as a necessary part. At any rate, I will assume that this is so in what follows. The problem of the fourth condition (also widely and appropriately known as the Gettier problem) can then be stated as follows: What must be added to justified true belief to make a minimally sufficient condition for knowledge? Of course, we want a minimally sufficient condition that is non-trivial, informative.
Neuropeptide Y and coronary vasoconstriction: role of thromboxane A2

We previously reported that coronary constriction following neuropeptide Y (NPY) was alleviated by cyclooxygenase blockade. To determine the role of thromboxane A2 (TxA2), anesthetized dogs received two paired doses of NPY given 2 h apart. Nine control dogs received NPY alone. Nine test dogs received one of three TxA2 receptor antagonists given between the doses of NPY. Also, five dogs received NPY during which prostaglandins were measured. In controls, NPY decreased coronary blood flow and increased aortic pressure; coronary resistance was increased significantly. Heart rate fell, and myocardial oxygen consumption was unchanged. Thromboxane receptor blockers significantly relieved the coronary constrictor effect of NPY. The reduction in coronary blood flow was blunted, while heart rate, first derivative of left ventricular pressure, and myocardial oxygen consumption were unchanged. Alleviation by TxA2 receptor blockade paralleled that reported for cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Also, significant increases in coronary venous TxA2 were seen at the time of maximal increases in coronary resistance, while prostacyclin was unchanged. In summary, TxA2 appears to mediate part of the coronary constrictor effect of NPY.
Symposium: Work and Family

Not until the requirements of work and the methods of assessing and achieving success at work are modified to reflect the realities of child-raising and elder care, will workplaces be anything but sexist in impact. Historic and consistent data show that women earn less, have smaller pensions, are less likely to have health insurance or pensions, and hold significantly fewer positions of authority systemically, while bearing the greater load of family responsibilities.
Eigenfunction approach to the Green's function parabolic equation in outdoor sound: A tutorial

Understanding the physics and mathematics underlying a computational algorithm such as the Green's function parabolic equation (GFPE) is both useful and worthwhile. To this end, the present article aims to give a more widely accessible derivation of the GFPE algorithm than was given originally by Gilbert and Di [(1993). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 94, 2343-2352]. The present derivation, which uses mathematics familiar to most engineers and physicists, begins with the separation of variables method, a basic and well-known approach for solving partial differential equations. The method leads naturally to eigenvalue-eigenfunction equations. A step-by-step analysis arrives at relatively simple, analytic expressions for the horizontal and vertical eigenfunctions, which are sinusoids plus a surface wave. The eigenfunctions are superposed in an eigenfunction expansion to yield a one-way propagation solution. The one-way solution is generalized to obtain the GFPE algorithm. In addition, and equally important, the eigenfunctions are used to give concrete meaning to abstract operator solutions for one-way acoustic propagation. By using an eigenfunction expansion of the acoustic field, together with an operator solution, one can obtain the GFPE algorithm very directly and concisely.
Terabit-per-Second Satellite Links: a Path Toward Ubiquitous Terahertz Communication

Due to the demand for high-speed wireless communications, carrier frequencies have increased in the search for both available and wider bands. The millimeter-wave and terahertz bands (0.1–3 THz) are commonly believed to be impractical for all but short-range links due to severe attenuation by atmospheric water vapor. However, the field of submillimeter radio astronomy has demonstrated that this can be effectively mitigated by the construction of large aperture telescopes in very dry high-altitude locations, such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the Chilean Andes. Modeling has shown that Earth-satellite links in excess of 1 Tb per second can be achieved with a system patterned off observatories, since the loss of a satellite link from a dry location equals a sea-level path of only several kilometers. Despite advantages over optical satellite links, THz links have not been an area of active study. We review the technology and science necessary to develop a terabit-per-second THz satellite link and argue that a satellite link offers a good first step toward the development of ubiquitous THz communications.
Abstract 1461: Zoledronate inhibits proliferation and invasion of inflammatory breast cancer cells

Introduction: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is aggressive, as approximately one third of patients present with distant metastases. Bisphosphonates are often administered to breast cancer patients for cancer-induced osteolysis. Recent evidence suggests bisphophanates may also have anti-tumor properties. This study examined the effects of the bisphosphonate, zoledronate (ZA), on the proliferation and invasive capabilities of highly aggressive IBC cell lines. Methods: The IBC cell line SUM149 was cultured utilizing both adherent and serum-free, non-adherent cancer stem cell enriching conditions. An MTT assay was used to quantify proliferation and mammosphere formation of cells. Adherent cell growth was measured at days 1-4 following 0, 0.1, 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100uM zelodronate treatment. Mammosphere formation was measured at 10 days following 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100uM ZA treatment. Modified Boyden chambers were employed to assess the ability of both adherent and non-adherent cells to invade to SDF-1 (100ng/mL) following 24 hour 1uM ZA treatment. Protein expression was assessed using immunofluorescent staining, protein arrays and Western blotting. Results: ZA treatment with Conclusions: ZA inhibited the growth of IBC cells grown under adherent and non-adherent conditions. SUM 149 non-adherent cells had much greater invasive potential than adherent cells did, and their invasive capability was inhibited following low dose ZA treatment. Interestingly, ZA inhibited up-regulation of EMT associated proteins SMA, fibronectin, and N-Cadherin in SUM 149 non-adherent cells. These results indicate that some IBC cells grown under cancer stem cell enriching conditions have the potential to undergo EMT and invade. ZA may also inhibit metastases through novel mechanisms. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1461.
Outcome-Based and Behavior-Based Coordination Efforts in Channel Relationships:

Supplier personnel often emphasize outcomes and behaviors in personal communications with distributors, thereby signaling important product-market objectives and advocating specific distributor act...
Conjoined Twins and the Biological Account of Personal Identity

During the first 16 days after fertilization, the developing embryo has the capacity to separate into two genetically identical embryos, or monozygotic twins (triplets, etc.). Because of this capacity, philosophers typically argue that the pre-16 day embryo is not a human being. On a Biological Account of Personal Identity (BAPI), which considers us human beings as essentially organisms, the development of the embryo into an organism at 16 (or 21) days marks our origins. The development of an embryo into an organism is also said to mark the point at which the embryo loses its potential to give rise to monozygotic twins. This is considered a strength of the Biological account of our origins. I will argue here that it is the BAPI'S own criteria that will have to allow cases of monozygotic twinning occurring even after 16 days, and that in virtue of this a Biological Account faces twinning puzzles usually reserved for earlier accounts of our origins.
Removal of Poly(Dimethylsiloxane) Contamination from Silicon Surfaces with UV/Ozone Treatment

UV/ozone cleaning is known to be effective for removing thin organic contaminants, but removal of silicon containing contaminants is questionable. Organo-silicon contaminants, e.g., silicones, can result from a variety of integrated circuit chip and electronic packaging fabrication processes. In this investigation, films of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) on silicon substrates, with and without a gold coating, have been used to simulate such contamination up to a thickness of 50 nm. Although treatment consistently reduced the advancing DI water contact angle, in some cases from a value greater than 100° to a value less than 5°, the hydrophilic nature of the treated surfaces was not due to complete contaminant removal, i.e., a significant amount of modified contaminant remained on the surface. High resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) in the Si 2p region suggest that O-Si-C bonds in the siloxane, observed prior to treatment, are converted to SiOx, where x is between 1.6 and 2. The time required to reduce the contact angle to a minimum value was greater for the thicker PDMS film samples. Deflection testing was used to evaluate the adhesion of an epoxybased adhesive to intentionally-contaminated silicon chips, before and after UV/ozone treatment. Although PDMS contamination induced loss of adhesion between the chip and the adhesive, complete conversion to silicon oxides by UV/ozone treatment of contaminants having a thickness of 5.0 nm has been demonstrated to restore adhesion to a value equivalent to that of uncontaminated silicon chip surfaces.
Consumption of Total and Individual Sugars, Sugary Foods and Sugary Beverages in Relation to Adiposity-Related Cancer Risk in the Framingham Offspring Cohort (1991–2013)

ObjectiveThe purpose of this prospective cohort study was to examine total sugar, sucrose, fructose and usual sugary food and beverage consumption in relation to the risk of adiposity-related cance...
ENTERPRISE SERVICE ORIENTED ARCHITECTURES AND END-TO-END BUSINESS PROCESS EXECUTION

The evolution of Enterprise Services is changing the approach for enabling capability delivery. Enabling systems continue to migrate to process- and service-oriented solutions, requiring new approaches for architecting composite solutions. This paper presents, using examples from our work, the state-of-the art in architecting end-to-end solutions for delivering logistics capability from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to the customer. The topic is important, because the implementation paradigm is shifting from families of interfaced systems to process-oriented composite applications, and many analysts are predicting that this new system integration paradigm will prevail. This transition is well underway in the private sector and is in the early stages of transition in the public sector. The paper provides a review of new service-oriented concepts within the context of some implementation projects in the USA. The paper also demonstrates how emerging methodologies, methods, and tools are used to support the implementation of composite applications, as well as the limitations or working in a mixed legacy/modern environment during the lengthy transition period to the new service-oriented computing paradigm.
High Performance Design for HDFS with Byte-Addressability of NVM and RDMA

Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) offers byte-addressability with DRAM like performance along with persistence. Thus, NVMs provide the opportunity to build high-throughput storage systems for data-intensive applications. HDFS (Hadoop Distributed File System) is the primary storage engine for MapReduce, Spark, and HBase. Even though HDFS was initially designed for commodity hardware, it is increasingly being used on HPC (High Performance Computing) clusters. The outstanding performance requirements of HPC systems make the I/O bottlenecks of HDFS a critical issue to rethink its storage architecture over NVMs. In this paper, we present a novel design for HDFS to leverage the byte-addressability of NVM for RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access)-based communication. We analyze the performance potential of using NVM for HDFS and re-design HDFS I/O with memory semantics to exploit the byte-addressability fully. We call this design NVFS (NVM- and RDMA-aware HDFS). We also present cost-effective acceleration techniques for HBase and Spark to utilize the NVM-based design of HDFS by storing only the HBase Write Ahead Logs and Spark job outputs to NVM, respectively. We also propose enhancements to use the NVFS design as a burst buffer for running Spark jobs on top of parallel file systems like Lustre. Performance evaluations show that our design can improve the write and read throughputs of HDFS by up to 4x and 2x, respectively. The execution times of data generation benchmarks are reduced by up to 45%. The proposed design also reduces the overall execution time of the SWIM workload by up to 18% over HDFS with a maximum benefit of 37% for job-38. For Spark TeraSort, our proposed scheme yields a performance gain of up to 11%. The performances of HBase insert, update, and read operations are improved by 21%, 16%, and 26%, respectively. Our NVM-based burst buffer can improve the I/O performance of Spark PageRank by up to 24% over Lustre. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to incorporate NVM with RDMA for HDFS.
Impaired resting vagal tone in patients with functional movement disorders.

Abstract Introduction The autonomic nervous system plays an integral role in the maintenance of homeostasis during times of stress. The functioning of the autonomic nervous system in patients with functional movement disorders (FMD) is of particular interest given the hypothesis that converted psychological stress plays a critical role in FMD disease pathogenesis. We sought to investigate autonomic nervous system activity in FMD patients by examining heart rate variability (HRV), a quantitative marker of autonomic function. Methods 35 clinically definite FMD patients and 38 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were hospitalized overnight for continuous electrocardiogram recording. Standard time and frequency domain measures of HRV were calculated in the awake and asleep stages. All participants underwent a thorough neuropsychological battery, including the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression scales and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results Compared to controls, patients with FMD exhibited decreased root mean square of successive differences between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD) (p = 0.02), a marker of parasympathetic activity, as well as increased mean heart rate (p = 0.03). These measures did not correlate with the depression and anxiety scores included in our assessment as potential covariates. Conclusion In this exploratory study, patients with FMD showed evidence of impaired resting state vagal tone, as demonstrated by reduced RMSSD. This decreased vagal tone may reflect increased stress vulnerability in patients with FMD.
Wipe counting efficiency of Radium 223 Chloride using a specific counting methodology.

2737 Objectives Ra-223 Chloride (Xofigo, Algeta) is the first alpha emitting radiopharmaceutical approved for clinical use. In order to comply with regulatory requirements, wipe testing must be performed upon receipt of radioactive packages and also in restricted areas following Ra-223 administration. The counting efficiency of Ra-223 was obtained utilizing a specific counting instrument and specific wipe samples. Methods The counting efficiency for Ra-223 was obtained for specific rad-wipe samples using a Biodex Atomlab 960 NaI well detector interfaced with a multichannel analyzer. After appropriate decay correction for Ra-223, four 10 uL aliquots, ranging from 0.0555 to 0.0556 uCi, were pipetted onto specific rad-wipe samples. Aliquot samples were placed on circular rad-wipe samples (center) and inserted in plastic test tubes. Resultant samples were counted for one minute using a wide window ranging from 40-430 KeV, and the mean counting efficiency determined. The lower limit of detection (LLD) was calculated using the mean counting efficiency and background counts. Trigger levels were calculated based on NRC (2000 dpm/100 cm2) and DOT (6600 dpm/300 cm2) regulatory requirements. Results The calculated mean counting efficiency was 52.9% ± 6.4% (sd) (N=4) using the specific counting system outlined. The calculated LLD was 169 dpm indicating that the counting methodology was appropriate for NRC regulatory requirements for both restricted and unrestricted areas. The trigger level for restricted areas (NRC) and radioactive shipments (DOT) was 1058 net cpm and 3491 net cpm, respectively. Conclusions The counting efficiency, LLDs and trigger levels for Ra-223 in an Atomlab 960 counting instrument utilizing a specific counting geometry was determined. Calculated LLDs were acceptable for DOT and NRC removable contamination regulatory requirements.
Clinical use of oral contraceptives administered vaginally: a case report *

Effectiveness in cycle control and plasma steroid levels were monitored in a woman with promyelocytic leukemia being treated with chemotherapy given 2 combined oral contraceptives given vaginally. The 18-year old woman had been taking an oral contraceptive containing 50 mcg mestranol and 1 mg norethindrone during the 3 months since she began treatment for leukemia. After recurrence of leukemia she developed acute hemorrhagic mucocitis and inability to swallow while on cytosine arabinoside daunorubicin and etoposide. She was administered 2 of the same oral contraceptives daily per vagina and her withdrawal bleeding continued to be suppressed for 6 weeks while receiving transfusions for aplastic marrow. Compared to 10 normal women taking 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 100 mcg norethindrone the patients plasma level of radioimmunoassayed ethinyl estradiol was comparable as to concentration and peak time. Her level of norethindrone was lower with the highest level measured at 12 hours compared to a peak at 2 hours in women taking one pill orally.
Related Work on Situation Recognition

The proposed work lies at the intersection of multiple active research areas. Here we discuss the related work in context of the problems studied. We first survey the related areas which tackle situation-related problems. Next, we paint a timeline of how the focus on recognizing different concepts (e.g., objects, events, situations) from multimodal data has varied over time. Lastly, we discuss other attempts at building end-to-end toolkits to support multiple (situation-aware) applications. As already discussed the notion of situation is interpreted very differently across different areas, and here we try to be as inclusive as possible.
Free Volume in the Melt and How It Correlates with Experimental Glass Transition Temperatures: Results for a Large Set of Polymers

There is a continuing, strong interest in making connections between the polymeric glass transition (Tg) and bulk properties. In this Letter we apply the Locally Correlated Lattice (LCL) model to study a group of 51 polymers and demonstrate two broad correlations. In the first, we show that the theoretically determined polymeric free volume in the melt, all at a single common T, P (425 K, 1 atm), correlates noticeably with the experimentally determined Tg values, and that this trend sharpens considerably when families of polymers are examined. Further, we show a strikingly linear correlation between the experimental Tg and the LCL model calculation for the percent free volume expected at the polymeric Tg. We suggest that this trend has a predictive value, acting as a boundary of T-dependent minimum-required free volume separating the melt and glassy regimes. Our theoretical estimates of free volume values at a polymer’s Tg range between 4 and 16%, and their evident temperature dependence indicates an impo...
Spatially Autoregressive Models

Spatial autoregressive models differ from standard regression models by having the response variable Y, on both sides of the equal sign, in order to account for within variable correlation. The right-hand term containing Y comprises values for other observations, with the adjective spatial indicating that these other values are selected according to the geographic nearness of their locations to that of a given observation. In other words, spatial autocorrelation is being accounted for. These regression equations furnish descriptions of frequency distributions that become distorted from their conventional shapes by increasingly stronger positive spatial autocorrelation, the most prevalent situation. The bell-shaped curve becomes flattened, Poisson distribution skewness and outliers increase, and the binomial distribution becomes increasingly dichotomous in nature. These regression equations can be specified, and their parameters estimated, for normal, Poisson, and binomial probability models, but not with standard statistical software package routines. The most common and easiest implementation is for the auto-normal specification, with the conditional, simultaneous, and lag versions being the widely popular ones. Two of the most pressing unresolved issues are statistical distribution theory to test for residual spatial autocorrelation, and computer software to implement Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation techniques for auto-Poisson and auto-binomial specifications.
Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided biopsy using a Franseen needle design: Initial assessment

Background and Aim Recently, a 22 gauge (G) needle with a Franseen tip design was developed for EUS-guided fine needle biopsy (EUS-FNB). This study evaluated the performance of the Franseen biopsy needle in EUS-guided tissue acquisition. Methods This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent EUS-FNB using the Franseen needle. Lesions were sampled either using only the Franseen needle or after failed diagnostic fine needle aspiration (FNA). After rapid onsite evaluation (ROSE), two dedicated passes were performed for histological assessment using the cell block technique. Main outcomes were (a) rates of diagnostic adequacy for ROSE and histological diagnosis and (b) quality of histology as determined by total tissue area and tumor percentage in tissue. Results 30 patients underwent EUS-FNB of pancreatic or other masses over a 3-month period. 24 lesions were sampled using only the Franseen needle and 6 after failed diagnostic FNA. The final diagnosis was pancreatic cancer in 12, gastrointestinal stromal cell tumor in 5, other tumors in 4 and benign disease in 9. Diagnostic adequacy for ROSE was 96.6% and a histological diagnosis was established in 96.7% of patients. The median tissue area was 2.9mm2 (IQR=0.68-8.71mm2) and the median tumor percentage in tissue was 73.9% (IQR=44-97.6). The rates of technical success and adverse events were 96.7% and 3.3%, respectively. Conclusions Preliminary data suggest that the Franseen needle yields diagnostic material for ROSE and histology in greater than 95% of patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Reading Big Words: Instructional Practices to Promote Multisyllabic Word Reading Fluency

Poorly developed word recognition skills are the most pervasive and debilitating source of reading challenges for students with learning disabilities (LD). With a notable decrease in word reading i...
Ogival Resonator Half-filled With DNG Metamaterial

A metallic cylindrical cavity with planar bases and with side walls consisting of two equal concave parabolic cylinders having the same focal line is considered. The symmetry plane through the focal line and the intersecting lines of the parabolic cylinders divides the resonator into two equal volumes, one filled with double positive material and the other with double negative antiisorefractive metamaterial. The exact electromagnetic field inside the resonator is obtained.
Complete Obstruction of Endotracheal Tube in an Infant with a Retropharyngeal and Anterior Mediastinal Abscess

Intraoperative ventilatory failure is not an uncommon complication; however, acute endotracheal obstruction by a foreign body or blood clot can be difficult to quickly discriminate from other causes. Once the diagnosis is made, quick action is needed to restore ventilation. The ultimate solution is to exchange the endotracheal tube; however, there can be other ways of resolving this in situations where reintubation would be difficult or unsafe. This case report discusses such an event in an infant with multiple airway challenges including a retropharyngeal and anterior mediastinal abscess. We have also formulated a pathway based on various case reports involving complete ETT obstruction.
Effective acoustic adaptation for a distant-talking interactive TV system.

In this paper we have studied how to adapt a close-talking baseline acoustic model to a distant-talking application developed in an interactive TV dialogue system: distant-talking interfaces for control of interactive TV (DICIT) project. We have shown that in order to have effective adaptation from the outof-domain data it is better to acquire that data in the same DICIT environment than using contaminated data. By measuring grammar error rate (GER) and action classification error rate (AER) in addition to word error rate (WER), we have shown the best way to adapt the baseline model using available out-of-domain adaptation data (TIMIT) and small amount of in-domain (DICIT) adaptation data. The best approach is to use cascading MAP adaptation. With less than hours of out-ofdomain data and hour of in-domain data, the cascading MAP improves WER/GER/AER by / / relative respectively over the baseline model. The experimental results show that in-domain adaptation data is definitely needed to improve GER and AER.
Non-reciprocity in nonlinear elastodynamics

Abstract Reciprocity is a fundamental property of linear time-invariant (LTI) acoustic waveguides governed by self-adjoint operators with symmetric Green's functions. The break of reciprocity in LTI elastodynamics is only possible through the break of time reversal symmetry on the micro-level, and this can be achieved by imposing external biases, adding nonlinearities or allowing for time-varying system properties. We present a Volterra-series based asymptotic analysis for studying spatial non-reciprocity in a class of one-dimensional (1D), time-invariant elastic systems with weak stiffness nonlinearities. We show that nonlinearity is neither necessary nor sufficient for breaking reciprocity in this class of systems; rather, it depends on the boundary conditions, the symmetries of the governing linear and nonlinear operators, and the choice of the spatial points where the non-reciprocity criterion is tested. Extension of the analysis to higher dimensions and time-varying systems is straightforward from a mathematical point of view (but not in terms of new non-reciprocal physical phenomena), whereas the connection of non-reciprocity and time irreversibility can be studied as well. Finally, we show that suitably defined non-reciprocity measures enable optimization, and can provide physical understanding of the nonlinear effects in the dynamics, enabling one to establish regimes of “maximum nonlinearity.” We highlight the theoretical developments by means of a numerical example.
Rapid change detection in a single pass of a multichannel airborne lidar

We present a novel technique that allows us to detect, map and quantify changes on the Earth's surface in three-dimensions that occur at time scales of a few seconds. This rapid change detection capability is a byproduct of the development of a multichannel airborne lidar system that scans the target surface at three different times in a single aircraft pass. Results, capabilities, limitations and potential applications are discussed.
Mechanism for initiation of food allergy: Dependence on skin barrier mutations and environmental allergen costimulation.

Background Mechanisms for the development of food allergy in neonates are unknown but clearly linked in patient populations to a genetic predisposition to skin barrier defects. Whether skin barrier defects contribute functionally to development of food allergy is unknown. Objective The purpose of the study was to determine whether skin barrier mutations, which are primarily heterozygous in patient populations, contribute to the development of food allergy. Methods Mice heterozygous for the filaggrin ( Flg) ft and Tmem79 ma mutations were skin sensitized with environmental and food allergens. After sensitization, mice received oral challenge with food allergen, and then inflammation, inflammatory mediators, and anaphylaxis were measured. Results We define development of inflammation, inflammatory mediators, and food allergen–induced anaphylaxis in neonatal mice with skin barrier mutations after brief concurrent cutaneous exposure to food and environmental allergens. Moreover, neonates of allergic mothers have increased responses to suboptimal sensitization with food allergens. Importantly, responses to food allergens by these neonatal mice were dependent on genetic defects in skin barrier function and on exposure to environmental allergens. ST2 blockade during skin sensitization inhibited the development of anaphylaxis, antigen-specific IgE, and inflammatory mediators. Neonatal anaphylactic responses and antigen-specific IgE were also inhibited by oral pre-exposure to food allergen, but interestingly, this was blunted by concurrent pre-exposure of the skin to environmental allergen. Conclusion These studies uncover mechanisms for food allergy sensitization and anaphylaxis in neonatal mice that are consistent with features of human early-life exposures and genetics in patients with clinical food allergy and demonstrate that changes in barrier function drive development of anaphylaxis to food allergen.
The capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans .

The capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans is its dominant virulence factor and plays a key role in the biology of this fungus. In this essay, we focus on the capsule as a cellular structure and note the limitations inherent in the current methodologies available for its study. Given that no single method can provide the structure of the capsule, our notions of what is the cryptococcal capsule must be arrived at by synthesizing information gathered from very different methodological approaches including microscopy, polysaccharide chemistry and physical chemistry of macromolecules. The emerging picture is one of a carefully regulated dynamic structure that is constantly rearranged as a response to environmental stimulation and cellular replication. In the environment, the capsule protects the fungus against desiccation and phagocytic predators. In animal hosts the capsule functions in both offensive and defensive modes, such that it interferes with immune responses while providing the fungal cell with a defensive shield that is both antiphagocytic and capable of absorbing microbicidal oxidative bursts from phagocytic cells. Finally, we delineate a set of unsolved problems in the cryptococcal capsule field that could provide fertile ground for future investigations.
Integration of leadership training into a problem/case-based learning program for first- and second-year medical students

Purpose The evolution of health care systems in response to societal and financial pressures has changed care delivery models, which presents new challenges for physicians. Leadership training is increasingly being recognized as an essential component of medical education training to prepare physicians to meet these needs. Unfortunately, most medical schools do not include leadership training. It has been suggested that a longitudinal and integrated approach to leadership training should be sought. We hypothesized that integration of leadership training into our hybrid problem-based learning (PBL)/case-based learning (CBL) program, Patient-Centered Explorations in Active Reasoning, Learning and Synthesis (PEARLS), would be an effective way for medical students to develop leadership skills without the addition of curricular time. Methods We designed a unique leadership program in PEARLS in which 98 medical students participated during each of their six courses throughout the first 2 years of school. A program director and trained faculty facilitators educated students and coached them on leadership development throughout this time. Students were assessed by their facilitator at the end of every course on development of leadership skills related to teamwork, meaningful self-assessment, process improvement, and thinking outside the box. Results Students consistently improved their performance from the first to the final course in all four leadership parameters evaluated. The skills that demonstrated the greatest change were those pertaining to thinking outside the box and process improvement. Conclusion Incorporation of a longitudinal and integrated approach to leadership training into an existing PBL/CBL program is an effective way for medical students to improve their leadership skills without the addition of curricular time. These results offer a new, time-efficient option for leadership development in schools with existing PBL/CBL programs.
Transformation of Arthropod Biopolymers in High P-T Conditions

Modern arthropod cuticles consist of chitin fibres in a protein matrix, but fossil arthropods, particularly those earlier than Tertiary, yield an aliphatic composition. This apparent contradiction is addressed in this chapter. Modern cockroach, scorpion and shrimp cuticle were subjected to artificial heating (maturation) techniques (350 °C/700 Bars/24 h) following various chemical treatments, and analysing them with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Artificially matured untreated cuticle yielded moieties related to phenols and alkylated substituents, pyridines, pyrroles and possibly indenes (derived from chitin). Amides, C16 and C18 fatty acids and alkane/alk1-1ene homologues ranging from C10 to C19 were also present, the last indicating the presence of an aliphatic polymer, as often encountered in fossil arthropods. Cuticles matured after lipid extraction and hydrolysis did not show the presence of these alkane/alk-1-ene homologues providing direct experimental evidence that lipids incorporated from the cuticle were the source of the aliphatic polymer.
Hepatitis B immune globulin: the US experience.

A bstract: The increasingly aggressive use of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIg) in liver transplantation for hepatitis B infected patients has led to a great improvement in this procedure by lowering the incidence of allograft infection. In this article, major US studies on the use of HBIg are reviewed, including clinical results, clinical failures and problems, and the remaining information still needed for optimal therapy Several major clinical findings have resulted from these studies. (1) With a high dose of HBIg and continuous use of this agent, it is possible to prevent recurrence in hepatitis B virus DNA -positive patients. (2) It is difficult to predict the required post-transplant dose of HBIg or the recurrence of hepatitis B in allografts. (3) While passive immunization of HBIg can help achieve successful transplants of patients suffering from hepatitis B cirrhosis, there are two typical patterns of failure: allograft infection with wild-type hepatitis B virus in the early perioperative period and with a mutant virus more than 6 months post-transplantation. These problems appear to arise only in patients with pre-transplant viral replication. (4) Combination therapy of HBIg and lamivudine seems promising for further improvement of liver transplantation. (5) There are still unanswered questions concerning the combination strategy: optimal timing, patient selection, duration of therapy, and the risk of viral mutations and adverse events. In addition, the role of changing immunosuppression protocols in improving transplantation of hepatitis B infected patients has not been determined.
Postemancipation Developments 1834–1865

The relationship between labor and space in Jamaica changed dramatically in the years between 1834 and 1865. Two developments in the 1830s radically changed the relationship between laborers and the planters, and encouraged the redefinition of social and material spaces throughout Jamaica. In 1834, slavery was abolished in the British West Indies. In that year, a new labor system, known as apprenticeship, replaced slavery. In 1838, the apprenticeship system was abolished in Jamaica, and the relationship between the African Jamaican population and the European elites entered a new phase, mediated by wage labor rather than the bonds of slavery. Jamaica’s transition to wage labor was marked by occasionally violent episodes of unrest. Among the most dramatic was the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865, an uprising that occurred in the shadow of Blue Mountain Peak and that would result in a complete restructuring of Jamaica’s government. In the wake of the Morant Bay Rebellion, the Jamaican legislature was suspended, and the affairs of the island brought under the direct control of the Westminster Parliament (Heuman, 1994). This episode is often used as a bracket within the historiography of Jamaica, and serves as the effective terminal point of this study.
Aging in activity spaces: how does individual accessibility compare across age cohorts?

The proportion of individuals age sixty-five and over is growing at an astronomical rate in the United States, and some estimate that this demographic age group will double by the year 2025. Older ...
Future-Oriented Thinking and Activity in Mathematical Problem Solving

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the importance of “thinking ahead” in mathematical problem solving. This process, though seemingly central to the work of mathematicians, seems to be largely overlooked in the mathematics education literature. This chapter presents my recent attempts to characterize future-oriented processes in mathematical work and summarizes evidence of mathematicians engaging in such processes. The main new results presented here concern students’ future thinking in mathematical situations. Student participants’ work in problem situations was analysed through the lens of mathematical foresight. This analysis serves to deepen the mathematical foresight model and opens up a number of directions for future research.