cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current Status of Gene Expression Profiling to Assist Decision Making in Stage II Colon Cancer

The decision regarding adjuvant therapy for patients with stage II colon cancer remains a challenge. In contrast to stage III colon cancer, for which compelling clinical data support the use of adjuvant chemotherapy, the clinical benefit of systemic therapy in unselected patients with stage II disease is modest at best. Risk stratification based on clinicopathologic features and DNA mismatch repair status is commonly used in adjuvant therapy decisions, but these factors do not have a desired level of precision in identifying patients at high risk. Recently, gene expression platforms have been developed to further define risk and to assist in therapeutic decision making for patients with stage II disease. This review describes those platforms that are furthest along in clinical development, in an effort to place their potential clinical application in context.
Re-Examining TID Hardness Assurance Test Protocols for SiGe HBTs

We investigate the applicability of current total ionizing dose (TID) test protocols in the context of advanced transistor technologies such as Silicon-Germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors(SiGe HBTs). In SiGe HBTs, an unexpected shift in collector current is observed during total dose irradiation. Using both device and circuit measurements, we investigate this phenomenon and assess its potential importance in hardness assurance of SiGe components. TCAD simulations were performed to explain the observed current shifts.
Investigation of Experimental Parameters with a Quadrupole ICP/MS

Preliminary studies have shown that signal behavior in ICP/MS is quite different from that in ICP-OES. This is particularly true for the manner in which ICP operating parameters affect the responses of elements detected, and results from behavior occurring both in the interface and in the mass spectrometer. This paper describes in detail the response of a commercially available instrument (VG PlasmaQuad) to variations in several important operating parameters. The effects of nebulizer flow rate, rf plasma power, and sampling depth on ion populations, on ratios of singly charged to doubly charged ions, and on singly charged ions to oxide and hydroxide ions are described for selected elements. A comparison is also made of the results obtained with the present instrument, with data published from other commercial instrumentation.
Forming and norming social media adoption in the corporate sector

Social media increasingly pervade the business context. Despite the widespread fascination with the transformative capabilities of these tools, and an increased observability of online social media practices in the corporate sector, the adoption process at the organizational level as well as its consequences on policies and strategies are currently less understood. To ameliorate this gap, this study sets out to examine adoption patterns and their resulting organizational policies and strategies that influence or are influenced by specific adoption behaviors. In doing so, this study builds on findings of an interpretive case analysis, that integrates insights from various social media strategists, purposively selected from multiple industries. Guided by several technology adoption frameworks -- primarily Orlikowski's structurational analysis - three distinct pathways of social media adoption emerged from the data: (1) early adopters, (2) internal mavericks and (3) bandwagon jumpers. Each pathway is driven by either internal or external social behaviors, and leads to distinct organizational social media practices. Our data shows that existing organizational polices and norms mediate social media adoption practices while in turn, innovative adoption practices transform and influence the emergence of policies and norms in the form of a reflexive feedback mechanism.
Genetic Modulation of Senescent Phenotypes in Homo sapiens

Single-gene mutations can produce human progeroid syndromes--phenotypes that mimic usual or "normative" aging. These can be divided into two classes--those that have their impacts upon multiple organs and tissues (segmental progeroid syndromes) and those that have their major impacts upon a single organ or tissue (unimodal progeroid syndromes). The prototypic example of the former is the Werner syndrome, a condition caused by mutations of the RecQ family of DNA helicases. Research on the Werner syndrome and a surprising number of other progeroid syndromes support the importance of the maintenance of genomic stability as a partial antidote to aging. The prototypic examples of the latter are Alzheimer type dementias. The three gene products that cause rare autosomal-dominant early-onset varieties of these disorders all participate in the modulation of the beta amyloid precursor protein. They thus support the importance of the maintenance of proper protein processing and folding as a partial antidote to aging.
Hyperreal Currents and Voltages in Transfinite Networks

Kirchhoff’s laws can fail to hold in various, conventionally infinite or transfinite, resistive networks. This was noted in Example 5.15-2. See also [50, Sec. 1.6] or [51, Examples 5.1-6 and 5.1-7] for several other examples of this anomaly. A basic problem is that standard calculus does not always allow the order of applying limiting processes to be reversed. Moreover, some severe restrictions have to be placed on the infinite networks in order to get convergent expressions for the voltages and currents. Such, for instance, is the requirement of finite total power generated or dissipated, but other restrictions are also used for the same purpose. See, for example, [11], [12], [13], [15], [16], [18], [19], [23], [28], [39], [41], [46], [50], [51], [54].
Kant's Justified Dismissal of Artistic Sublimity

One curious point in Immanuel Kant's Critique of the Power of Judgment is that, although the general exposition of Kant's aesthetic theory appears to be constructed on structurally parallel accounts of two basic aesthetic predicates, the beautiful and the sublime, in their possible applications to two basic sources of objects of aesthetic experience, nature and art, Kant almost entirely dismisses one of the combinations that would be expected from his dual treatment of aesthetics, namely artistic sublimity.1 It is a fairly common contention among the readers of the Critique that Kant, because of his morally oriented ambitions in aesthetics and the moral significance he attaches to nature rather than art, prioritizes nature over art and takes nature as the field of pure, paradigm cases in his analytics of the beautiful and of the sublime. However, the mentioned dismissal is still curious, since Kant devotes a considerable portion of the book, from §43 to §55, to account for art's place in his aesthetic theory and the application of judgments of beauty to works of art. What makes the absence of any account of artistic sublimity even more curious is that Kant never explicitly rules out its possibility. On the contrary, he seems to acknowledge that works of art can also be called sublime by giving examples from architecture and various genres of literature.
Multitap Photonic Microwave Filters With Arbitrary Positive and Negative Coefficients Using a Polarization Modulator and an Optical Polarizer

A novel multitap photonic microwave filter with arbitrary positive and negative coefficients implemented using an electrooptic polarization modulator (PolM) and an optical polarizer is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed filter, the optical polarizer is connected at the output of the PolM with its transmission axis aligned at an angle of 45 to one principal axis of the PolM. By adjusting the polarization direction of the input lightwave to be 45 or 135 to one principal axis of the PolM, an inverted or noninverted intensity-modulated optical microwave signal is obtained at the output of the optical polarizer, which leads to the generation of a negative or positive coefficient. A time delay difference between adjacent taps is generated by using a wavelength-dependent delay line. A five-tap photonic microwave filter with arbitrary positive and negative coefficients is demonstrated. The reconfigurability of the filter is also investigated.
The Complexity of Language Learning.

This paper takes a complexity theory approach to looking at language learning, an approach that investigates how language learners adapt to and interact with people and their environment. Based on interviews with four graduate students, it shows how complexity theory can help us understand both the situatedness of language learning and also commonalities across contexts by examining language learning through the lenses of emergence, distribution, and embodiment. These lenses underscore the perspective that language learning emerges from unique interactions, is distributed across social networks, and is embodied in individuals. Consequently, this paper concludes that it is not sufficient to study cognitive processes, activities, and situated learning alone; in addition, research must consider how learners’ interactions and adaptations are embodied, distributed, and emergent in ecologies of complex systems.
Transcriptional profiling in mouse skeletal muscle following a single bout of voluntary running: evidence of increased cell proliferation

Skeletal muscle undergoes adaptation following repetitive bouts of exercise. We hypothesize that transcriptional reprogramming and cellular remodeling start in the early phase of long-term training...
Quality control quantification (QCQ): a tool to measure the value of quality control checks in radiation oncology.

Purpose To quantify the error-detection effectiveness of commonly used quality control (QC) measures. Methods We analyzed incidents from 2007-2010 logged into a voluntary in-house, electronic incident learning systems at 2 academic radiation oncology clinics. None of the incidents resulted in patient harm. Each incident was graded for potential severity using the French Nuclear Safety Authority scoring scale; high potential severity incidents (score >3) were considered, along with a subset of 30 randomly chosen low severity incidents. Each report was evaluated to identify which of 15 common QC checks could have detected it. The effectiveness was calculated, defined as the percentage of incidents that each QC measure could detect, both for individual QC checks and for combinations of checks. Results In total, 4407 incidents were reported, 292 of which had high-potential severity. High- and low-severity incidents were detectable by 4.0 ± 2.3 (mean ± SD) and 2.6 ± 1.4 QC checks, respectively ( P in vivo portal dosimetry, radiation therapist timeout, weekly physics chart check, the use of checklists, port films, and source-to-skin distance checks. Some commonly used QC checks such as pretreatment intensity modulated radiation therapy QA do not substantially add to the ability to detect errors in these data. Conclusions The effectiveness of QC measures in radiation oncology depends sensitively on which checks are used and in which combinations. A small percentage of errors cannot be detected by any of the standard formal QC checks currently in broad use, suggesting that further improvements are needed. These data require confirmation with a broader incident-reporting database.
Structural optimization with manufacturing considerations

Product design has traditionally been done in a sequential fashion. This often requires extensive iteration between product and manufacturing engineers to insure manufacturability long after the initial product design. Simultaneous engineering attempts to reduce design time by considering both the product and process from the earliest design stage. Toward this goal, we have extended a structural optimization program by incorporating manufacturability requirements for thin-wall beam type members formed by stamping. This was implemented using a new two-piece beam design element which accounts for thinning of the sidewalls during combined stretch and draw forming. Multiple material types and stamping processes are considered. Simple formulae for forming strain and elastic springback after stamping allow us to evaluate the formability of each beam member. The new capability was tested using both simple beam structures and a complete automotive frame structure. Minimum mass designs were then produced while considering both structural and formability requirements. In general, the mass of the optimal designs was near the mass of the same structures designed without manufacturing considerations. This was possible because of the additional design freedom offered by including the sidewall thinning effects.
Shear-induced long-range alignment of BCC-ordered block copolymers

Effect of large shear on an asymmetric block copolymer with nanospherical domains has been studied using rheology and small angle X-ray scattering. The material investigated was a triblock copolymer poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene] swollen in a midblock-selective solvent. When cooled below the order–disorder transition temperature (T ODT), the system forms a locally ordered structure of grains with body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice. Isothermal shearing, either at constant rate or with large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) at low frequencies and strain amplitude greater than or equal to 2.0, leads to the destruction of the BCC lattice (isothermal “shear melting”). Upon cessation of the shear, the BCC structure recovers with kinetics similar to the one after thermal quench from above T ODT. Under certain experimental conditions, LAOS leads to alignment of the BCC lattice. The lattice orientation depends primarily on shearing frequency. At low frequencies, there exists an upper and lower bound on strain amplitude where monodomain textures can be obtained. Upon alignment, the modulus drops by about 30% of that of the polycrystalline structure. Measurement of rheological properties offers an indirect method for distinguishing between polycrystalline structure (grains) and monodomain texture.
A multi-year field study to evaluate the environmental fate and agronomic effects of insecticide mixtures

A mixture of insecticides used in corn production was monitored over a three-year period in a field study to determine how long each persists in the environment, where each insecticide travels within the corn field, and the efficacy of using soil-applied insecticides with genetically modified corn. The genetically modified corn contained the insecticidal Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1 proteins (Bt corn) and the Cry1Ab protein was found to persist only during the corn growing season in soil, runoff water, and runoff sediment with highest concentrations measured during pollination. Very low concentrations of Cry1Ab proteins were measured in soil collected in the non-Bt corn field, and no Cry1Ab proteins were detected in shallow groundwater or soil pore water. Clothianidin, a neonicotinoid insecticide used as a seed coating, was detected in all matrices and remained persistent throughout the year in soil pore water. Tefluthrin, a pyrethroid insecticide applied at planting to control corn rootworm larvae (Diabrotica spp., Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) populations, was consistently detected in soil, runoff water, and runoff sediment during the corn growing season, but was not detected in groundwater or soil pore water. Tefluthrin did not have an effect on root damage from corn rootworm larvae feeding to Bt corn, but did prevent damage to non-Bt corn. A slight reduction in grain yield was observed in the non-Bt, no tefluthrin treatment when compared to all other treatments, but no significant difference in grain yield was observed among Bt corn treatments regardless of soil insecticide application. In the current study, the use of tefluthrin on Bt corn did not significantly affect crop damage or yield, and tefluthrin may travel off-site in runoff water and sediment.
SHOULD IDENTIFICATION AUDIOMETRY INCLUDE A SCREENING FOR DEPRESSION AMONG RESIDENTS OF UPPER SOCIOECONOMIC RETIREMENT CENTERS

40 older residents living in three upper socioeconomic retirement centers were screened for hearing loss, hearing handicap, and depression. Those participants who showed loss on the hearing screening or the hearing handicap screening were no more likely to score as depressive on the Geriatric Depression Scale than were those who showed no loss on screening. Results suggest that hearing loss and depression should be routinely but independently monitored in settings with affluent older adult residents.
Urinary pH and urine flow independent renal clearance of methotrexate in dogs.

The effects of urine flow and pH on methotrexate renal clearance were studied in seven conditioned male Beagle-Mongrel dogs. Steady-state plasma methotrexate and inulin concentrations were achieved by i.v. infusions preceded by i.v. bolus doses. Plasma and urine concentrations of methotrexate were quantitated by a sensitive high-performance liquid Chromatographic assay, while those of inulin were measured by a colorimetric method. Since plasma protein binding of methotrexate was pH and concentration independent, methotrexate/inulin renal clearance without correcting for plasma binding was used for most of the data analyses. The results showed that the renal clearance ratios at the plasma methotrexate levels (approximately 0.1, 1.0, 20.0, and 100 μg/ml) studied remained relatively constant when urine pH (differences of up to about 2.5 units) and flow rate (differences of up to approximately 30 times) were changed. This indicated that renal reabsorption of methotrexate in these dogs was negligible. However, concentration-dependent renal clearance was observed. The mean renal clearances were 3.84, 3.94, 2.73, and 2.72 ml/min/kg at plasma concentrations of about 0.1, 1.0, 20.0, and 100.0 μg/ml, respectively, when urine was alkalized by sodium bicarbonate. The corresponding clearances were 4.02, 4.28, 2.62, and 2.65 ml/min/kg when urine was acidified by ammonium chloride. These showed the existence of saturable tubular secretion of methotrexate. No 7-hydroxy-methotrexate, a metabolite found in other species, was detected in the urine and plasma of the dogs.
Stimulation of root hair elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana by low phosphorus availability

Low phosphorus availability stimulates root hair elongation in many plants, which may have adaptive significance in soil phosphorus acquisition. We investigated the effect of low phosphorus on the elongation of Arabidopsis thaliana root hairs. Arabidopsis thaliana plants were grown in plant culture containing high (1000 mmol m−3) or low (1 mmol m−3) phosphorus concentrations, and root hair elongation was analysed by image analysis. After 15d of growth, low-phosphorus plants developed root hairs averaging 0.9 mm in length while high-phosphorus plants of the same age developed root hairs averaging 0.3 mm in length. Increased root hair length in low-phosphorus plants was a result of both increased growth duration and increased growth rate. Root hair length decreased logarithmically in response to increasing phosphorus concentration. Local changes in phosphorus availability influenced root hair growth regardless of the phosphorus status of the plant. Low phosphorus stimulated root hair elongation in the hairless axr2 mutant, exogenously applied IAA stimulated root hair elongation in wild-type high-phosphorus plants and the auxin antagonist CM PA inhibited root hair elongation in low-phosphorus plants. These results indicate that auxin may be involved in the low-phosphorus response in root hairs.
VEGF receptor mRNA expression by ACL fibroblasts is associated with functional healing of the ACL.

Purpose Recent advances in the treatment of ACL ruptures employ platelet-rich plasma combined with collagen to modulate growth factor release from platelets to stimulate healing. Among the most notable of these growth factors is VEGF, which is a potent mitogen and stimulator of vascular growth and healing. However, the effect of such a growth factor on healing depends on the cellular ability to bind with its receptor. The purpose of this study was to test (1) whether the strength of a tissue-engineered ACL repair is associated with VEGF receptors’ mRNA expression of ACL cells and (2) whether age influences this association.
Alterations in Taste and Smell

The epicurean pleasure of taste and smell has been consistently demonstrated to be the primary motivating factor for nutritional intake for sustenance in humans as much as the senses are critical for protecting the human body by detecting and identifying food-borne as well as environmental toxins.
COPING: IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXTUAL FACTORS AND MEASUREMENT

Coping skills cover an important area in rehabilitation counseling field. Bipolarity of coping skills as being adaptive or not adaptive has been prevalent throughout the literature. On the other hand, influence of contextual factors on coping skills has been underemphasized. Recent researches indicate that contextual factors play major role in coping skills. This paper examines importance of contextual factors on coping skills particularly in relation to assessment issues in rehabilitation counseling area. After presentation of literature review regarding the topic, implications and recommendations for rehabilitation counselors were provided.
Surface Light Chain Expression in Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphomas by Multiparameter Flow Cytometry.

Objectives: Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBL) is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma typically localized to the mediastinum. To date, no study has undertaken a comprehensive analysis of this entity by multiparameter flow cytometry. Methods: Cases of PMLBL with diagnostic flow cytometry were identified from pathology databases of Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Stanford Hospital. Results: Most of these patients with PMLBL were women with a median age of 30 years who had stage 1 disease that lacked bone marrow involvement. By flow cytometry, 50% of all PMLBLs showed restricted surface immunoglobulin expression. When comparing patients with PMLBL by the absence or presence of surface light chain immunoglobulins, no differences were seen in the morphologic appearance; expression of CD23, CD30, or CD10; age at presentation; or clinical stage ( P > .5 for all). In addition, both groups showed similarly good survival outcomes and were alive at last follow-up (11/14 [79%]; P = .542). Conclusions: This multi-institutional study demonstrates that 50% of PMLBLs can present with clonal surface light chain expression and that PMLBL is more immunophenotypically diverse than previously described. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the absence or presence of surface light chains should not be used as criteria for diagnosis in this disease.
Wind and Wave Energy for Reverse Osmosis

The idea of using Renewable Energy Sources (RES) to drive desalination processes is fundamentally attractive, as a considerable number of in-depth studies and real-life applications demonstrate. Renewable energy systems convert naturally occurring energy (sunlight, wind, etc.) into usable electrical, mechanical or thermal energy. Most of these systems are well established and reliable, with a significant number of applications all over the world. The selection of the most suitable technological combination for RES/desalination is an important factor in the success of a project. Wind energy turbines to drive Reverse Osmosis (RO) units is the second most used combination, following that of photovoltaic (PV)/RO systems. Only a few studies and applications have been done on the use of wave energy to drive RO units. Wave energy is a relatively new technology with only a small number of applications being used for electricity production. In this chapter, an overview of wind and wave energy technologies and their coupling with RO units for seawater desalination is presented. Additionally, a description of existing applications, economic data, as well as market potential, is provided.
A new partial-distributed damage method for progressive collapse analysis of steel frames

Abstract The alternate load path method has so far dominated the field of progressive collapse of structures; in order to assess the resilience of structural systems, the concept of the removal of a key element is utilized as a means of damage introduction to the system. Recent studies have indicated that the complete column loss notion is unrealistic and unable to describe a real extreme loading event, e.g. a blast, that will introduce damage to more than one elements in its vicinity. This paper presents a new partial distributed damage method (PDDM) for steel moment frames, by utilizing powerful finite element computational tools that are able to capture loss of stability phenomena. Through the application of a damage index δj and the investigation of damage propagation, it is shown that the introduction of partial damage in the system can significantly modify the collapse mechanisms and overall affect the response of the structure.
TREATMENT OF CALCIUM, PHOSPHORUS, AND MAGNESIUM BALANCE DISORDERS

In food animal practice, the majority of the calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium balance disorders are due to low blood concentrations of one or more of these minerals. The purpose of this article is to review methods that can be used to restore normal blood concentrations of these minerals. Low plasma calcium is often accompanied by changes in plasma phosphorus and magnesium. Initial discussions will consider each mineral separately, followed by pros and cons of combined therapies. In all cases the doses of the treatments described in this article are those appropriate for the 600-kg cow.
Biocompatibility and degradation of tendon-derived scaffolds

Decellularized extracellular matrix has often been used as a biomaterial for tissue engineering applications. Its function, once implanted can be crucial to determining whether a tissue engineered construct will be successful, both in terms of how the material breaks down, and how the body reacts to the material’s presence in the first place. Collagen is one of the primary components of extracellular matrix and has been used for a number of biomedical applications. Scaffolds comprised of highly aligned collagen fibrils can be fabricated directly from decellularized tendon using a slicing, stacking, and rolling technique, to create two- and three-dimensional constructs. Here, the degradation characteristics of the material are evaluated in vitro, showing that chemical crosslinking can reduce degradation while maintaining fiber structure. In vivo, non-crosslinked and crosslinked samples are implanted, and their biological response and degradation evaluated through histological sectioning, trichrome staining, and immunohistochemical staining for macrophages. Non-crosslinked samples are rapidly degraded and lose fiber morphology while crosslinked samples retain both macroscopic structure as well as fiber orientation. The cellular response of both materials is also investigated. The in vivo response demonstrates that the decellularized tendon material is biocompatible, biodegradable and can be crosslinked to maintain surface features for extended periods of time in vivo. This study provides material characteristics for the use of decellularized tendon as biomaterial for tissue engineering.
Analysis of asphaltene deposition in Marrat oil well string: a new approach

The amount of asphaltene is usually the minimum portion of crude constituents; however, due to its negative impact on the well performance and the overall efficiency of oil reservoir management, a large number of mostly academic studies are directed toward understanding the asphaltene behavior and mitigation of its deposition in flow processes from reservoir to process facilities. Typically, a small number of these are actual case studies. Among them is the asphaltene deposition in Marrat oil well string. In this particular case, significant amount of valuable field data were gathered for a long period of time under controlled conditions. By carefully reviewing the presented data in the original paper, we concluded that re-analysis of the field observation results, for improved understanding of the asphaltene deposition process, is necessary. By recalling the concept of liquid loading in the gas wells, the reduction of flowing well head pressure is interpreted due to the left asphaltene solid micelles in the well string. Also, we judge that the process of asphaltene deposition in the production tubing is a ‘seating and carving’ dynamic process, and at a critical thickness, the amount of asphaltene ‘cutting’ increases which is responsible for further pressure drop in the well tubing. By performing fundamentally simple calculations, the amount of asphaltene ‘left’ in tubing and the amount of asphaltene ‘cutting’ are computed. Also the minimum oil flow rate to handle and remove the asphaltene micelles is estimated in the Marrat case. Finally, we propose certain recommendations for future data gathering and optimum handling operation of asphaltene precipitation and deposition in well string.
Utilization and 1-Year Mortality for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in New York Patients With Aortic Stenosis : 2011 to 2012

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) relative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and to examine relative 1-year TAVR and SAVR outcomes in 2011 to 2012 in a population-based setting. Background TAVR has become a popular option for patients with severe aortic stenosis, particularly for higher-risk patients. Methods New York’s Cardiac Surgery Reporting System was used to identify TAVR and SAVR volumes and to propensity match TAVR and SAVR patients using numerous patient risk factors contained in the registry to compare 1-year mortality rates. Mortality rates were also compared for different levels of patient risk. Results The total number of aortic valve replacement patients increased from 2,291 in 2011 to 2,899 in 2012, an increase of 27%. The volume of SAVR patients increased by 7.1% from 1,994 to 2,135 and the volume of TAVR patients increased 157% from 297 to 764. The percentage of SAVR patients that were at higher risk (≥3% New York State [NYS] score, equivalent to a Society of Thoracic Surgeons score of about 8%) decreased from 27% to 23%, and the percentage of TAVR patients that were at higher risk decreased from 83% to 76%. There was no significant difference in 1-year mortality between TAVR and SAVR patients (15.6% vs. 13.1%; hazard ratio [HR]: 1.30 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89 to 1.92]). There were no differences among patients with NYS score Conclusions TAVR has assumed a much larger share of all aortic valve replacements for severe aortic stenosis, and the average level of pre-procedural risk has decreased substantially. There are no differences between 1-year mortality rates for TAVR and SAVR patients.
Complexity Analysis of Assembly Supply Chain Configurations

This paper studies the complexity of assembly supply chains in mass customization environment. The high product variety from mass customization increases the complexity of assembly supply chains. The paper identifies the factors causing supply chain complexity and defines a complexity measure of an assembly supply chain based on these factors and the information entropy theory. Algorithms that determine the optimal supply chain configuration are developed to minimize the supply chain complexity (without and with assembly constraints). This analytical study of supply chain complexity will generate new insights on the influence of product variety on supply chains performance in mass customization. The model and algorithms developed in this paper can assist in making decisions such as when and how to implement a modular assembly supply chain and how much variety should be economically offered.© 2008 ASME
Comparative Study on Direct seeding and Transplanting of Lu Nuo in Different Periods

[Objective] According to Lu Nuo 12 sowing date and planting patterns, the influence on Sorghum agronomic was studied. [Method] With split plot experiment design the main treatment were direct seeding and transplanting and sub-treatment was different sowing time(3/25, 4/5, 4/15, 4/25, 5/5). The change of Lu Nuo12 growth period and yield and its related traits were studied. [Result] The results showed that yield of direct seeding in Southeast slightly higher than transplanting significantly but not significant level. Growth period of direct seeding was shorter than the same period growth period of transplanting with the difference reached significant level. The direct seeding yield traits of height, stem diameter were higher than transplanting. The highest yielding of Lu Nuo 12 was May 5th seeding, then the March 25th. [Conclusion] Therefore, the best seeding time of Lu Nuo12 in the south of Sichuan was late March and early May,which could save labor and time.
An evaluation of pantalar arthrodesis. A follow-up study of one hundred and sixteen operations.

A series of 116 pantalar arthrodeses has been presented with a critical follow-up two to twenty-two years after operation. A two-stage pantalar arthrodesis was found to have no advantage over a one-stage procedure. When the Kocher approach was used the operative time was somewhat less than that with the anterolateral approach, but the incidence of wound complications was higher. The rate of pseudarthrosis, which occurred almost exclusively at the ankle, was 14.7 per cent. Most of the pseudarthroses occurred in patients with spasticity, the result of cerebral palsy or degenerative disease of the central nervous system. The best results in both male and female patients were found when the ankle was fused in 5 to 10 degrees of plantar flexion with no pronation or supination.
Animal models of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy

Two animal models have been shown to be related to Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy at the molecular level. The mdx mouse is characterized by early onset of muscle degeneration and very mild clinical disease. The disease is minimally progressive and fibrosis of muscle is absent. Linkage studies, absence of dystrophin, and reduced levels of message indicate that the mutation in mdx lies in the gene for dystrophin, the gene that is defective in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. The xmd dog develops lesions that are essentially indistinguishable from those of Duchenne dystrophy, and there is progressive fibrosis and destruction of muscle tissue. Affected dogs develop severe clinical disease. The absence of dystrophin and its message in muscle, and the linkage of RFLPs recognized by Duchenne cDNA probes, indicate that the mutation in the xmd dog lies in the gene for dystrophin. Exploitation of these models should lead to a greater understanding of molecular and cellular events involved in the pathogenesis of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies.
Diluting and Concentrating Mechanism

Although only mammals and, to a lesser extent, birds can produce a urine significantly hyperosmotic to the plasma, many nonmammalian vertebrates can produce a ureteral urine that varies from significantly hypoosmotic to the plasma to isosmotic with the plasma. This chapter initially considers the maximum range of ureteral urine osmolalities produced by representatives of all vertebrate classes, the ability of these species to dilute their urine, and the possible physiological significance of differences in this ability. It then discusses the mechanism by which urine is diluted and the renal tubule sites at which dilution occurs. Next the chapter considers the hyperosmotic urine concentrations found in a broad range of birds and mammals. It then discusses the most recent models of the concentrating mechanism in these two vertebrate classes and indicates major weaknesses in these models and important areas for future research. Finally, the chapter considers the role of the tubular and glomerular actions of antidiuretic hormone in the regulation of urine osmolality and, as far as possible, the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in these actions.
Brace Yourself

To reduce the risk of hard-to-spot coding mistakes, you can do one simple thing: correctly use parentheses.
Ending a Diagnostic Odyssey: Family Education, Counseling, and Response to Eventual Diagnosis

Genomic sequencing is the diagnostic test of choice for families with undiagnosed or rare diseases seeking an explanation for their child's complex medical concerns. The desire to find answers can easily bias interpretation of sequencing results, and thus the counseling process is designed to facilitate informed decision making and set realistic expectations for possible outcomes. The patient case examples serve to highlight the various challenges and complexities encountered with the clinical application of genomic sequencing and to reflect some of the data that has been accrued during the past 5 years of clinical experience.
Pediatric Bipolar Disorders: Current Understanding and Management

There is no question that when a youngster develops bipolar disorder, it can severely affect the normal development and psychosocial functioning of the child or adolescent and significantly increase the risk for suicide, substance abuse, academic, social and legal problems. Despite the diagnostic criteria being so well delineated, there has been much debate and interest in how bipolar disorder presents in pediatric populations, how professionals assess and diagnosis bipolar disorder in children and adolescents, and how this impacts treatment. This chapter will aim to not only discuss the epidemiology, risk and genetic factors, assessment and treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents but also highlight recent trends, advancements, and research to better understand pediatric bipolar disorder.
Mechanism Design with Aftermarkets: Optimal Mechanisms Under Binary Actions

I study a mechanism design problem of allocating a single good to one of several agents. The mechanism is followed by an aftermarket, that is, a post-mechanism game played between the agent who acquired the good and a third-party market participant. The designer has preferences over final outcomes, but she cannot redesign the aftermarket. However, she can influence its information structure by disclosing information elicited by the mechanism, subject to providing incentives for agents to report truthfully.A companion paper (Dworczak, 2016) introduces a class of cutoff mechanisms, characterizes their properties, and derives the optimal mechanism within the class. In this paper, under the assumption that the aftermarket payoffs are determined by a binary decision of the third party, I provide sufficient conditions for optimality of cutoff mechanisms.I also analyze a version of the model in which cutoff mechanisms are sometimes suboptimal. I derive robust payoff bounds on their performance, and show that by using a cutoff mechanism the designer can often guarantee a large fraction of the payoff of the optimal (non-cutoff) mechanism.
Indoles induce metamorphosis in a broad diversity of jellyfish, but not in a crown jelly (Coronatae).

Many animals go through one or more metamorphoses during their lives, however, the molecular underpinnings of metamorphosis across diverse species are not well understood. Medusozoa (Cnidaria) is a clade of animals with complex life cycles, these life cycles can include a polyp stage that metamorphoses into a medusa (jellyfish). Medusae are produced through a variety of different developmental mechanisms—in some species polyps bud medusae (Hydrozoa), in others medusae are formed through polyp fission (Scyphozoa), while in others medusae are formed through direct transformation of the polyp (Cubozoa). To better understand the molecular mechanisms that may coordinate these different forms of metamorphosis, we tested two compounds first identified to induce metamorphosis in the moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita (indomethacin and 5-methoxy-2-methylindole) on a broad diversity of medusozoan polyps. We discovered that indole-containing compounds trigger metamorphosis across a broad diversity of species. All tested discomedusan polyps metamorphosed in the presence of both compounds, including species representatives of several major lineages within the clade (Pelagiidae, Cyaneidae, both clades of Rhizostomeae). In a cubozoan, low levels of 5-methoxy-2-methylindole reliably induced complete and healthy metamorphosis. In contrast, neither compound induced medusa metamorphosis in a coronate scyphozoan, or medusa production in either hydrozoan tested. Our results support the hypothesis that metamorphosis is mediated by a conserved induction pathway within discomedusan scyphozoans, and possibly cubozoans. However, failure of these compounds to induce metamorphosis in a coronate suggests this induction mechanism may have been lost in this clade, or is convergent between Scyphozoa and Cubozoa.
Signaling a New Version in Durable-Good Oligopoly

In some industries, firms reveal forthcoming improved products through (credible) announcements. In other industries, future product improvements are not announced. In a durable goods market where sellers have private information about their future products, but do not announce those products, the market outcome is one where information about future products is signaled through prices; the signaling distortion may lead to higher or lower prices and therefore decrease or increase welfare, depending on the degree of product differentiation. Asymmetric information augments the sellers’ willingness to invest in product improvement, compared to full information.
Bayesian Theory: History of Applications

Bayes' rule is a canon or prescription for the task of revising probabilistic beliefs based on evidence. This rule has been controversial since its first appearance in 1763. Probabilistic reasoning is a necessary element of decision making in the face of uncertainty. Controversy about Bayes' rule also affected the perceived suitability of rules or canons for decision making that were being proposed. Much of this controversy has now subsided and Bayes' rule now finds application in a wide array of situations, many of which involve choices under uncertainty. Some of these applications involve replicable processes for which statistical evidence is available. But many other applications involve evidence about events that are singular or unique and for which no relevant statistics exist. Of great interest at present are applications of extensions of Bayes' rule in the analysis of complex networks of inferences based on masses of evidence. Extensions of this rule allow us to capture for study and analysis a remarkable array of evidential and inferential subtleties that reside just below the surface of even the ‘simplest’ probabilistic reasoning task.
Inhibition of miR-155 Limits Neuroinflammation and Improves Functional Recovery After Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice

Micro-RNAs (miRs) are short, noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and have been implicated in the pathophysiology of secondary damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Among miRs linked to inflammation, miR-155 has been implicated as a pro-inflammatory factor in a variety of organ systems. We examined the expression profile of miR-155, following experimental TBI (controlled cortical impact) in adult male C57Bl/6 mice, as well as the effects of acute or delayed administration of a miR-155 antagomir on post-traumatic neuroinflammatory responses and neurological recovery. Trauma robustly increased miR-155 expression in the injured cortex over 7 days. Similar TBI-induced miR-155 expression changes were also found in microglia/macrophages isolated from the injured cortex at 7 days post-injury. A miR-155 hairpin inhibitor (antagomir; 0.5 nmol), administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) immediately after injury, attenuated neuroinflammatory markers at both 1 day and 7 days post-injury and reduced impairments in spatial working memory. Delayed ICV infusion of the miR-155 antagomir (0.5 nmol/day), beginning 24 h post-injury and continuing for 6 days, attenuated neuroinflammatory markers at 7 days post-injury and improved motor, but not cognitive, function through 28 days. The latter treatment limited NADPH oxidase 2 expression changes in microglia/macrophages in the injured cortex and reduced cortical lesion volume. In summary, TBI causes a robust and persistent neuroinflammatory response that is associated with increased miR-155 expression in microglia/macrophages, and miR-155 inhibition reduces post-traumatic neuroinflammatory responses and improves neurological recovery. Thus, miR-155 may be a therapeutic target for TBI-related neuroinflammation.
Fatigue crack nucleation and small crack growth in an extruded 6061 aluminum alloy

Abstract A combined synergistic experimental and computational approach has been employed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for fatigue crack nucleation and microstructurally small crack growth in a 6061 aluminum alloy as a function of two heat treatments: a T6 treatment in its as-received state and a custom annealing condition. In this study, fully-reversed fatigue experiments of the 6061 aluminum alloy in two heat treatment conditions were performed in strain-control. Post-mortem analyses of the fracture surfaces were conducted to quantify sources of crack nucleation and microstructurally small crack growth. In particular, striation spacing in the small crack stage was measured up to the point of nucleation at cracked intermetallic particles and/or clusters of cracked particles. To capture the mechanics of fatigue crack nucleation, the local strain field at cracked intermetallic particles were estimated using micromechanics finite element simulations. Both the finite element approach and the experimental results were used in the implementation of a multi-stage fatigue model in order to correlate the microstructure-influenced mechanical response, including fatigue crack nucleation and small crack propagation contributions on fatigue behavior in 6061 aluminum alloy under two heat treatments.
Le train d’Erlingen ou La métamorphose de Dieu: by Boualem Sansal, Paris, Gallimard, 2018, 256 pp., €20 (softcover), ISBN 978-2-07279839-9

[We] must remind ourselves of … the lesson that great fiction teaches us as we sink into character and plot and suspend our disbelief: for a moment, ‘they’ are ‘us’. (Phillips 2011, 16)Boualem Sans...
Determining Type and Amount of Service Delivery Time by Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments: Results of a National Validation Study of the VISSIT

Introduction:This research followed the lead of an initial validation study and responded to the call from the state education agency–endorsed Service Intensity Subcommittee of the Texas Action Com...
Differential Sensitivity of Fast and Slow Fibers in Mammalian Nerve: VI. Effect of pH on Blocking Action of Local Anesthetics (LA)

The blocking action of the local anesthetic (LA) drug bupivacaine applied to the isolated sheathed nerve trunk is potentiated by the use of alkaline media (increase in pH). There is a linear relationship between log-rate of block (min) and log-concentration of LA (uncharged concentration, mM). The linear regression equation for rate of block for slow conducting nerve fibers is steeper (faster rate of block) than that for fast conducting nerve fibers. Analysis of the effect of pH on the blocking action of LA drugs indicates the likelihood of support for our previous findings: (1) the rate of block of slow conducting fibers is faster than for fast conducting fibers, and (2) at steady-state equilibrium block fast conducting fibers are more profoundly blocked than slow conducting fibers because of a lower safety margin for transmission in fast fibers.