cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Schizophrenia a Progressive Neurodevelopmental Disorder? Toward a Unitary Pathogenetic Mechanism

Objective:The author 1) reassesses the case against a neuronal degeneration hypothesis for schizophrenia; 2) demonstrates that the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a disorder caused by early (i.e., pre- or perinatal) and static (i.e., fixed, nonprogressive) damage to the brain is unsatisfactory because it cannot readily account for brain imaging results from schizophrenic patients and lacks both satisfactory clinical examples and experimental models of early, static developmental disorders resulting in the late spontaneous functional deterioration that characterizes schizophrenia; and 3) offers an alternative pathogenetic hypothesis for schizophrenia that is consistent with the available imaging and neuropathological data.Method:Published data on schizophrenia and relevant clinical and experimental studies of neurodevelopment and its disorders are reviewed.Results:The neuropathological studies provide strong evidence against a classic neurodegenerative pathogenesis of schizophrenia and moderate support fo...
Rifaximin for Treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy

OBJECTIVETo review the effectiveness and safety of rifaximin in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy (HE).DATA SOURCESMEDLINE (1990–October 2008) was searched using the terms rifaximin, rifamycins, hepatic encephalopathy, liver cirrhosis, and acute liver failure. Other sources included the bibliographies of pertinent articles as well as programs and abstracts from infectious diseases and gastrointestinal diseases meetings.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONAll English-language articles identified from the search were evaluated. All primary literature that addressed the efficacy and safety of rifaximin in the treatment of HE was included in this review.DATA SYNTHESISHE is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome seen in patients with liver failure. It is characterized by disturbances in consciousness and behavior, personality changes, fluctuating neurologic signs, asterixis, and electroencephalographic changes. Although the etiology of HE is unknown, the accumulation of several gut-derived toxins such as mer...
Culture, Context and Stereotype Threat: A Comparative Analysis of Young Ugandan Women in Coed and Single-Sex Schools

ABSTRACT Stereotype threat (ST) has been linked to under performance and academic disidentification among girls in mathematics and science as well as African Americans in academics. However, it is still unclear whether ST and its negative effects extend to non-Western cultures. The authors explored the effects of ST on Ugandan females in coed and single-sex (all-girls) schools. Results indicated that although ST did not affect the performance of girls in the single-sex school, it negatively impacted the performance of females in the coed school. Further, these effects appear to have been moderated by school context, with females in single-sex schools reporting higher levels of mathematics identification and mathematics self-efficacy than those in coed schools.
Sub-20-nm alignment in nanoimprint lithography using Moiré fringe.

Accurate multi-level overlay capability for nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is essential to integrated circuit manufacturing and other multilayer imprint applications. Using the "beat" grating image (Moire fringe) generated by overlaying two sets of gratings that have slightly different periods, we obtained an alignment signal with a sensitivity better than 10 nm in nanoimprint lithography. The alignment signal is, as expected, independent of the size of the gap between the wafer and the imprint mold. We achieved a single-point overlay accuracy (error distribution) of sub-20 nm between the first and second imprinted layers by using two sets of Moire fringes. With higher precision nanopositioning stages, better single-point alignment accuracy is expected. Furthermore, we achieved sub-150 nm alignment over an area of 1 sq in and sub-250 nm over the entire area of a 4 in wafer using simple low-resolution stages without temperature control or wafer-mold mismatch compensation. With better stages, precision temperature control, and wafer-mold mismatch compensation, we believe that much higher overlay alignment accuracy over large areas (either in a 1 sq in die or a full wafer) is feasible.
The Structure and Substance of Student Asynchronous Communication in Hybrid STEM Courses

Hybrid learning usually incorporate online learning activities since face-to-face class time has been reduces significantly. One of the major challenges in hybrid course is to maintain the same level of student-to-student and student to-instructor interaction as in traditional classes. Various strategies, which include online discussion, online journals, online tutorial, etc., have been developed to engage students and improve the interaction. Online discussion is one of the common strategies. Online discussion relies on asynchronous communication, where participants communicate by posting messages to the bulletin board system such as Blackboard Discussions. Asynchronous communication has the potential to make collaboration efforts more rewarding and productive for students by enabling them to communicate at any time and from any networked location. The focus of this ongoing study is to explore changes in students' level of high-order thinking and knowledge construction in asynchronous threaded discussions, the emergence of communication patterns and structures in the asynchronous communication network, and relationships between role centrality and concept centrality in student discourse. It will employ content analysis and social network analysis to pursue its research foci.
Data Collection and Monitoring AAC Intervention in the Schools

Abstract Speech-language pathologists working in the schools with students who rely on AAC are expected to measure progress to document gains in language competence. This article provides an overvi...
Integrating K-means clustering with a relational DBMS using SQL

Integrating data mining algorithms with a relational DBMS is an important problem for database programmers. We introduce three SQL implementations of the popular K-means clustering algorithm to integrate it with a relational DBMS: 1) a straightforward translation of K-means computations into SQL, 2) an optimized version based on improved data organization, efficient indexing, sufficient statistics, and rewritten queries, and 3) an incremental version that uses the optimized version as a building block with fast convergence and automated reseeding. We experimentally show the proposed K-means implementations work correctly and can cluster large data sets. We identify which K-means computations are more critical for performance. The optimized and incremental K-means implementations exhibit linear scalability. We compare K-means implementations in SQL and C++ with respect to speed and scalability and we also study the time to export data sets outside of the DBMS. Experiments show that SQL overhead is significant for small data sets, but relatively low for large data sets, whereas export times become a bottleneck for C++.
Learning symbolic representations of hybrid dynamical systems

A hybrid dynamical system is a mathematical model suitable for describing an extensive spectrum of multi-modal, time-series behaviors, ranging from bouncing balls to air traffic controllers. This paper describes multi-modal symbolic regression (MMSR): a learning algorithm to construct non-linear symbolic representations of discrete dynamical systems with continuous mappings from unlabeled, time-series data. MMSR consists of two subalgorithms--clustered symbolic regression, a method to simultaneously identify distinct behaviors while formulating their mathematical expressions, and transition modeling, an algorithm to infer symbolic inequalities that describe binary classification boundaries. These subalgorithms are combined to infer hybrid dynamical systems as a collection of apt, mathematical expressions. MMSR is evaluated on a collection of four synthetic data sets and outperforms other multi-modal machine learning approaches in both accuracy and interpretability, even in the presence of noise. Furthermore, the versatility of MMSR is demonstrated by identifying and inferring classical expressions of transistor modes from recorded measurements.
PIBASE: a comprehensive database of structurally defined protein interfaces

Motivation: In recent years, the Protein Data Bank (PDB) has experienced rapid growth. To maximize the utility of the high resolution protein--protein interaction data stored in the PDB, we have developed PIBASE, a comprehensive relational database of structurally defined interfaces between pairs of protein domains. It is composed of binary interfaces extracted from structures in the PDB and the Probable Quaternary Structure server using domain assignments from the Structural Classification of Proteins and CATH fold classification systems. Results: PIBASE currently contains 158 915 interacting domain pairs between 105 061 domains from 2125 SCOP families. A diverse set of geometric, physiochemical and topologic properties are calculated for each complex, its domains, interfaces and binding sites. A subset of the interface properties are used to remove interface redundancy within PDB entries, resulting in 20 912 distinct domain--domain interfaces. The complexes are grouped into 989 topological classes based on their patterns of domain--domain contacts. The binary interfaces and their corresponding binding sites are categorized into 18 755 and 30 975 topological classes, respectively, based on the topology of secondary structure elements. The utility of the database is illustrated by outlining several current applications. Availability: The database is accessible via the world wide web at http://salilab.org/pibase Contact: sali@salilab.org Supplementary information: http://salilab.org/pibase/suppinfo.html
The Gaither Committee and the Policy Process

Despite the extensive government apparatus for policy-making on problems of national security, the American President in the postwar period has, from time to time, appointed groups of private citizens to investigate particular problems and report to the National Security Council. Some of these groups have performed their task without the public's ever becoming aware of their existence; others have in one way or another come to public attention. Among the latter are those which have become known under the names of their chairmen: Finletter, Gray, Paley, Sarnoff, Gaither, Draper, Boechenstein, and Killian. President Truman made use of such groups, and the variety of tasks for which they were appointed grew steadily during the Eisenhower Administration.
Indirect control of a class of nonlinear dynamic systems

Identification and control designs are considered using neural networks for a class of nonlinear partially known dynamic systems. Real-time implementation of two designs, a neural identifier and a proposed neural controller, using an experimental system, comparisons with two other neural networks as well as conventional schemes, and an implementation architecture are reported. The proposed control design facilitates incorporation of available knowledge about the structure of the system. The study also illustrates the inherent capability of neural networks to handle nonlinearities and perform control effectively for a real world system, based on minimal system information.
Computerized provider order entry implementation: no association with increased mortality rates in an intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE.Our goal was to determine if there were any changes in risk-adjusted mortality after the implementation of a computerized provider order entry system in our PICU. METHODS.Study was undertaken in a tertiary care PICU with 20 beds and 1100 annual admissions. Demographic, admission source, primary diagnosis, crude mortality, and Pediatric Risk of Mortality III risk-adjusted mortality were abstracted retrospectively on all admissions from the PICUEs database for the period October 1, 2002, to December 31, 2004. This time period reflects the 13 months before and 13 months after computerized provider order entry implementation. Pediatric Risk of Mortality III mortality risk adjustment was used to determine standardized mortality ratios. RESULTS.During the study period, 2533 patients were admitted to the PICU, of which 284 were transported from another facility. The 13-month preimplementation mortality rate was 4.22%, and the 13-month postimplementation mortality rate was 3.46%, representing a nonsignificant reduction in the risk of mortality in the postimplementation period. The standardized mortality ratio was 0.98 vs 0.77, respectively, and the mortality rate for the transported patients was 9.6% vs 6.29%. This yields a nonsignificant mortality risk reduction in the postimplementation period. The standardized mortality ratio was 1.10 preimplementation versus 0.70 postimplementation. Analysis of the 13-month preimplementation versus 5-month postimplementation periods showed a non‐statistically significant trend in reduction of mortality for all PICU patients and for transported patients. CONCLUSIONS.Implementation of a computerized provider order entry system, even in the early months after implementation, was not associated with an increase in mortality. Our experience suggests that careful design, build, implementation, and support can mitigate the risk of implementing new technology even in an ICU setting.
A binary segmentation approach for boxing ribosome particles in cryo EM micrographs.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of ribosome particles from electron micrographs requires selection of many single-particle images. Roughly 100,000 particles are required to achieve approximately 10 angstrom resolution. Manual selection of particles, by visual observation of the micrographs on a computer screen, is recognized as a bottleneck in automated single particle reconstruction. This paper describes an efficient approach for automated boxing of ribosome particles in micrographs. Use of a fast, anisotropic non-linear reaction-diffusion method to pre-process micrographs and rank-leveling to enhance the contrast between particles and the background, followed by binary and morphological segmentation constitute the core of this technique. Modifying the shape of the particles to facilitate segmentation of individual particles within clusters and boxing the isolated particles is successfully attempted. Tests on a limited number of micrographs have shown that over 80 percent success is achieved in automatic particle picking.
Safety assessment for safety-critical systems including physical faults and design faults

Two types of faults, design faults and physical faults, are discussed in this paper. Since they are two mutually exclusive and complete fault types on the fault space, the safety assessment of safety-critical computer systems in this paper considers the hazard contribution from both types. A three-state Markov model is introduced to model safety-critical systems. Steady state safety and mean time to unsafe failure (MTTUF) are the two most important metrics for safety assessment. Two homogenous Markov models are derived from the three-state Markov model to estimate the steady state safety and the MTTUF. The estimation results are generalized given the fault space is divided by M mutually exclusive and complete types of faults
Thermal profile of radiofrequency energy in the inferior glenohumeral ligament.

Purpose Currently, two different methods of applying radiofrequency (RF) energy (monopolar and bipolar) are available to the surgeon for thermal shortening of the shoulder capsule. The objective of this study was to investigate the temperature changes and the thermal conduction across the human inferior glenohumeral ligament (IGHL) during radiofrequency energy application. Methods Thermistors were secured onto both the intra-articular and extra-articular surfaces of human IGHL. Monopolar RF energy and bipolar RF energy were delivered to the intra-articular surface at the manufacturer's recommended settings. Pre-treatment and post-treatment ligament lengths, widths, heating times, and temperatures were measured and compared. Results For the monopolar devices, temperature spikes to 89°C were recorded for the set temperature of 67°C, averaging 77°C ± 10°C. Temperatures across the ligament averaged 48°C ± 3°C. For both devices, the IGHL became thicker with higher RF settings. Recorded temperatures decreased as distance increased from the point of application. Maximum temperatures occurred at least 6 to 7 seconds after cessation of energy application. Conclusions The bipolar and monopolar devices had similar conduction times across the ligament, suggesting that this occurs by simple diffusion of heat. Bipolar and monopolar devices were equally efficacious for capsular shrinkage if the extent of the shortening is tightly defined. Clinical relevance The thermal probe should not rest in one position for an extended period of time during RF energy application because, as our study showed, the monitoring of temperature or the visualization of tissue change is not efficacious for determining the end point of thermal shrinkage of the shoulder capsule.
Genome-Wide Association Study on Resistance to Stalk Rot Diseases in Grain Sorghum

Stalk rots are important biotic constraints to sorghum production worldwide. Several pathogens may be associated with the disease, but Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium thapsinum are recognized as the major causal organisms. The diseases become more aggressive when drought and high-temperature stress occur during grain filling. Progress in genetic improvement efforts has been slow due to lack of effective phenotyping protocol and the strong environmental effect on disease incidence and severity. Deployment of modern molecular tools is expected to accelerate efforts to develop resistant hybrids. This study was aimed at identifying genomic regions associated with resistance to both causal organisms. A sorghum diversity panel consisting of 300 genotypes assembled from different parts of the world was evaluated for response to infection by both pathogens. Community resources of 79,132 single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers developed on the panel were used in association studies using a multi-locus mixed model to map loci associated with stalk rot resistance. Adequate genetic variation was observed for resistance to both pathogens. Structure analysis grouped the genotypes into five subpopulations primarily based on the racial category of the genotypes. Fourteen loci and a set of candidate genes appear to be involved in connected functions controlling plant defense response. However, each associated SNP had relatively small effect on the traits, accounting for 19–30% of phenotypic variation. Linkage disequilibrium analyses suggest that significant SNPs are genetically independent. Estimation of frequencies of associated alleles revealed that durra and caudatum subpopulations were enriched for resistant alleles, but the results suggest complex molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to both pathogens.
Afferent loop problems.

Summary Problems related to the afferent loop of partial gastrectomy are reviewed. 1.Symptoms of high intestinal obstruction may be seen with acute afferent loop obstruction, commonly in the convalescent phase of gastrectomy; unless this is promptly recognized it will prove fatal. 2.A more insidious syndrome of postprandial fullness, nausea, and epigastric pain promptly relieved by vomiting of bile-stained material is related to chronic partial obstruction of the afferent loop. 3.The afferent loop may produce the blind loop phenomenon leading to malabsorption syndrome, especially related to vitamin B 12 and possibly folic acid. The clinical picture is usually that of a megaloblastic anemia resembling Addisonian pernicious anemia.
Secure Proxy Service Using p-Fibonacci Transformation of Cosine Coefficients on Cloud File Sharing Environment

In this paper, we sketch the idea of double image encryption service to provide the privacy and authentication on big-data image libraries on cloud computing environment. The encoding of the image is done using the P-Fibonacci transform of Discrete Cosine Coefficients "PFCC" algorithm. First, using Discrete Cosine Transfer (DCT), we transfer an image from the spatial domain to the frequency domain. Second, we utilize the Fibonacci P-code for image bit-plane decomposition and the 2D P-Fibonacci transform for image encryption. Furthermore detailed simulations have been carried out to test the encryption service on cloud file sharing environment such as OpenStack Object Storage and flicker.
Event-Triggered Adaptive Control

In this paper, we present a new adaptive control methodology that allows a desirable command performance while the proposed controller exchanges data with the physical system through a real-time network. Specifically, we utilize tools and methods from event-triggering control theory to schedule data exchange dependent upon errors exceeding user-defined thresholds and show the boundedness of the overall closed-loop system using Lyapunov stability. An illustrative numerical example is provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed adaptive control approach.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
DNA Ploidy analysis in wilms' Tumor, wilms' Tumor variants and nephroblastomatosis

Wilms' tumor is a complex embryonic tumor of the kidney occurring most commonly in children under 10 years of age. Stage and histology are currently considered to be the best predictors of outcome. In approximately 25% of cases Wilms' tumor is associated with nephroblastomatosis in the same or contralateral kidney. Much less common are cystic variants of Wilms' tumor; cystic nephroma (CN), also known as multilocular cyst of the kidney and cystic partially differentiated nephroblastoma (CPDN). In general these cystic variants have an excellent prognosis when treated by nephrectomy alone although CPDN may rarely be locally aggressive. Since methods for analysing the DNA content of nuclei extracted from paraffin blocks have become available, flow cytometry has been performed on a range of tumors and has been shown to correlate with outcome. We wished to determine if there was any difference in DNA content between typical favourable histology Wilms' tumor and the less common cystic variants and precursor lesions. Flow cytometry was used to analyse the DNA content of Wilms' (4 cases I, CPDN with Wilms' tumor (1 case), CPDN (1 easel, CN (2 cases) and nephroblastomatosis (1 easel. The 9 cases were processed by a modified Hedley technique. The specimens were stained with propidium iodide and analysed on a Coulter EPICS Profile II flow cytometer using a 488nm air-cooled laser. A minimum of 15000 nuclei were counted in each case. In all cases a diploid DNA content was found. The mean half peak C.V. value for the major peaks was 3.34 and the median half-peak C.V. was 3.22. The S phase fraction varied from 0-19% with a mean of 7.1%. It appears from these preliminary data that DNA ploidy does not distinguish between Wilms' tumor and variants although it is possible that S phase fraction may prove to be of benefit in determining malignant potential. We are currently undertaking a more extensive study to determine if DNA content or S phase fraction can be used to predict treatment failure in favourable histology Wilms' tumor.
Using a Distance-Learning Program to Educate Staff on the Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals

Article-at-a-Glance Background A motion picture expert group (MPEG) distance-learning program was created in 2003 at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC; San Antonio, Texas) on the Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals. The 34 2–4-minute scripted video productions addressed the 7 goals and 13 recommendations for 2003 and 2004. For each goal, three MPEGs respectively describe sentinel events pertaining to that goal, root causes and risk-reduction strategies, and Army Medical Department and BAMC recommendations and policies. Creating the Program The program entailed creating the scripts, narrating video, editing the tapes, and compressing the videos into the MPEG format. Launching the Program A featured MPEG was e-mailed weekly to over 3,000 hospital staff with a scripted endorsement and photograph of a key BAMC leader and a link to the MPEG. In addition, the MPEGs were placed on the hospital's intranet site. Discussion As the National Patient Safety Goal MPEG distance-learning program gained more recognition, different branches of the Army used the program to educate their staff on the Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals. The next step is to update the distance-learning program with new MPEGs that will provide guidance on the current National Patient Safety Goals.
Community-based participatory research and the academic system of rewards.

The current promotion and tenure models in academia do not incorporate adequately community-engaged research parameters and continue to evaluate researchers on the basis of traditional clinical research parameters. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Learning to Improve New Product Outcomes

This paper highlights the role of firm’s three “basic capabilities”—customer orientation, proactiveness, and mindfulness in determining its learning capacity—a “dynamic capability”, which in turn can help firms improve new products outcomes. The authors use data collected from manufacturing firms in the United States and test a model using structural equations. The results indicate that customer oriented firms that are proactive about identifying future opportunities and mindful of their current surroundings have greater learning capacity. Further, they show that firm’s learning capacity enhances new products outcomes such as creativity, timeliness and new product advantage.
Analyzing Energy Usage on a City-scale using Utility Smart Meters

Understanding the energy usage of buildings is crucial for policy-making, energy planning, and achieving sustainable development. Unfortunately, instrumenting buildings to collect energy usage data is difficult and all publicly available datasets typically include only a few hundred homes within a region. Due to their relatively small size, these datasets provide limited insight and are insufficient for analyses that require a larger representation, such as an entire city or town. In recent years, utility companies have installed advanced electric and gas meters, i.e., "smart meters" that enable energy data collection on a massive scale. In this paper, we analyze such a dataset from a utility company that includes energy data from 14,836 smart meters covering a small city. We conduct a wide-ranging analysis of the city's gas and electric data to gain insights into the energy consumption of both individual homes and the city as a whole. In doing so, we demonstrate how city-scale smart meter datasets can answer a variety of questions on building energy consumption, such as the impact of weather on energy usage, the correlation between the size and age of a building and its energy usage, the impact of increasing levels of renewable penetration, etc. For example, we show that extreme weather events significantly increase energy usage, e.g., by 36% and 11.5% on hot summer and cold winter days, respectively. As another example, we observe that 700 homes are highly energy inefficient as its energy demand variability is twice that of the aggregate grid demand. Finally, we study the impact of increasing level of renewable integration in homes and show that solar penetration rates higher than 20% of demand increases the risk of over-generation and may impact utility operations.
Current Emotion Research in Social Neuroscience: How does emotion influence social cognition?:

Neuroscience investigations of emotional influences on social cognition have been dominated by the somatic marker hypothesis and dual-process theories. Taken together, these lines of inquiry have n...
Photosensitive glass integrated optical devices

Photosensitive glasses for applications in integrated optical devices have recently become a popular research topic, due primarily to the success of the germania doped silica fibre counterpart. Whole ranges of devices could in principle be fabricated utilising the photosensitivity phenomenon, from directly written waveguides to more complex grating structures. A key parameter in all applications is the change in material refractive index after light exposure. Considerable effort has been devoted to understanding mechanisms responsible for the phenonema with attempts to maximise the effect. To date index changes achieved are ~ 10-3 which is sufficient for the production of highly efficient holographic gratings within a waveguide, but not quite large enough for direct waveguide formation. Various writing schemes have been developed, but most are based on UV laser sources operating in the 240 - 270nm wavelength range to coincide with a germanium related defect absorption. High quality gratings, with reflection efficiencies of 14dB have been written. These gratings have been used as feed back elements in external cavity lasers and when incorporated in a Mach-Zender interferometer, a channel dropping filter has been demonstrated. With continued effort, more compact optical devices utilising gratings and the photosensitivity effect can be expected in parallel with the fibre development work.
Chronic ethanol consumption: role of TLR3/TRIF-dependent signaling.

Chronic ethanol consumption stimulates neuroimmune signaling in the brain, and Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation plays a key role in ethanol-induced inflammation. However, it is unknown which of the TLR signaling pathways, the myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) dependent or the TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) dependent, is activated in response to chronic ethanol. We used voluntary (every-other-day) chronic ethanol consumption in adult C57BL/6J mice and measured expression of TLRs and their signaling molecules immediately following consumption and 24 hours after removing alcohol. We focused on the prefrontal cortex where neuroimmune changes are the most robust and also investigated the nucleus accumbens and amygdala. Tlr mRNA and components of the TRIF-dependent pathway (mRNA and protein) were increased in the prefrontal cortex 24 hours after ethanol and Cxcl10 expression increased 0 hour after ethanol. Expression of Tlr3 and TRIF-related components increased in the nucleus accumbens, but slightly decreased in the amygdala. In addition, we demonstrate that the IKKe/TBK1 inhibitor Amlexanox decreases immune activation of TRIF-dependent pathway in the brain and reduces ethanol consumption, suggesting the TRIF-dependent pathway regulates drinking. Our results support the importance of TLR3 and the TRIF-dependent pathway in ethanol-induced neuroimmune signaling and suggest that this pathway could be a target in the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
Harnessing the Power of Your Culture for Outstanding Service

Excerpt] Your company's culture can be one of the strongest forces for ensuring excellent customer service and the resulting financial success, or it can stand in the way of your ever achieving your service and financial goals. Company cultures come in all shapes and sizes, but all cultures are assembled from specific parts, such as language, beliefs, and philosophies. In this chapter, we review the elements of corporate culture, give examples of successful corporate cultures, and point out key ways that you can harness your company's culture for outstanding service.
Data-driven control for feedback linearizable single-input systems

More than a decade ago Fliess and co-workers [1], [2], [3] proposed model-free control as a possible answer to the inherent difficulties in controlling non-linear systems. Their key insight was that by using a sufficiently high sampling rate we can use a simple linear model for control purposes thereby trivializing controller design. In this paper, we provide a variation of model-free control for which it is possible to formally prove the existence of a sufficiently high sampling rate ensuring that controllers solving output regulation and tracking problems for the approximate linear model also solve the same problems for the true and unknown nonlinear model. This is verified experimentally on the bipedal robot AMBER-3M.
Small moving window calibration models for soft sensing processes with limited history

Abstract While many soft-sensing strategies have been developed for monitoring chemical processes, most require extensive historical data to train the soft sensor calibration. Many of these strategies involve very complex models to account for drift and other effects in the process. When a process changes, perhaps because of some upset or a change in process parameters, it is often necessary to rebuild the soft-sensing model, a process that can take considerable time. This paper focuses on use of simple models that can be used to provide soft-sensing with minimal calibration data, and with minimal training of hyperparameters to permit process monitoring while a more complex model is rebuilt. The goal of this study was to explore simple soft sensing strategies for the case where a new process has been put online with limited history. Five soft sensor methodologies with two update conditions were compared on two experimentally-obtained datasets and one simulated dataset. The soft sensors investigated were moving window partial least squares regression (and a recursive variant), moving window random forest regression, the mean moving window of the property y, and a novel random forest partial least squares regression ensemble (RF-PLS), all of which can be used with small sample sizes so that they can be rapidly placed online. It was found that, on two of the datasets studied, small window sizes led to the lowest prediction errors for all of the moving window methods studied. On the majority of datasets studied, the RF-PLS calibration method offered the lowest one-step-ahead prediction errors compared to those of the other methods, and it demonstrated greater predictive stability at larger time delays than moving window PLS alone. Both the random forest and RF-PLS methods most adequately modeled datasets that did not feature purely monotonic increases in property values, but both methods performed more poorly than moving window PLS models on one dataset with purely monotonic property values. Other data dependent findings are presented and discussed.
Models of Aging Kidney: Implications on Kidney Health and Disease

Abstract Kidney diseases in humans, including its worst form, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are on the rise. With an aging population that continues to grow, the prevalence rates of kidney diseases tend to be higher in older adults. No current interventions are available that can reverse the progression of kidney disease. Hence, the aging animal models of the kidney are of significant interest for researchers aiming at eliciting potential reversible mechanisms that might guide therapy of different renal pathologies and ultimately preventing the progression to ESRD. Several models were used to research different kidney diseases including nematodes, mice, rats, as well as canines. In this chapter we will review our current knowledge about the human kidney changes with aging that contribute to their vulnerability to renal pathologies. We will also try to shed some light on the pros and cons of some of the aging models used to study the aging kidney.
The Case for 'Thinking Like a Filmmaker': Using Lars Von Trier's Dogville as a Model for Writing a Statement of Facts

Notwithstanding the consensus that cases are won on facts - not law, scant attention is paid to persuasive fact writing in the law school curriculum. At best, we instruct students to "tell a story," and provide them with a few organizational guidelines. The result is one newly-minted class of lawyers after another who struggle to enlighten the court about "what happened" to the parties in the case at bar. This article considers how movies can help law students make the connection between storytelling and legal outcomes. Not only do the films that captivate us as an audience address the themes we must communicate as advocates, but the narrative, structure, and style of a film can serve as a model for conveying a story to the court. Using Lars von Trier's 2003 film, Dogville, the article explores the philosophy and process of crafting a series of events into a persuasive statement of facts. Examining the film's storytelling techniques, and borrowing many of them, allows the advocate to build a convincing narrative that promotes the logical reasoning advanced in the brief's argument section.
3He-4He Mixtures in 95% Porous Aerogel

Torsional oscillator measurements of 3 He- 4 He mixtures in 95% porous aerogel found a phase diagram similar to that in 98% porous aerogel. The coexistence boundary on the 3 He rich side resides very close to, but nevertheless is detached from the superfluid transition line. Together with the findings in 98%, 87%, and 99.5% porous aerogel, this result supports the interpretation that the phase separation of 3 He- 4 He mixture in aerogel is induced by the capillary condensation of 4 He films from neighboring silica strands into 4 He rich domains.
Purification of the insecticidal toxin from the parasporal crystal of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki

Abstract The insecticidal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki was isolated from parasporal crystals. The toxin, which is stable for several months, is a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 68,000 that is generated upon solubilization and activation of a higher molecular weight protoxin (MWapp = 1.3 × 105) at alkaline pH. The toxin was purified by gel filtation and anion exchange chromatography and its molecular weight was established by gel filtration chromatography and SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Generic Memory: Internal Lexicon, Implicit Memory, Metamemory

“What does the word ‘psychology’ mean?” “What is the capital of Missouri?” The fact that we can answer such questions is a clear demonstration of our possession of a component of the human memory system Tulving (1972) called semantic memory. The reference is to a store, or repository, of our permanent knowledge of the universe, a knowledge we share with others. Access to that knowledge is usually gained rapidly and seemingly effortlessly. Tulving (1983, 1985) later proposed that semantic memory and episodic memory exist as separate, but interacting, memory systems, and he elaborated considerably on their distinguishing characteristics. For example, semantic memory is postulated to have its origin earlier in childhood than does episodic memory. Most important is the distinction between the two systems in their “units” of memory. Semantic memory is viewed as the repository of facts, ideas, and concepts that are stored without reference to the temporal and spatial context present at the time of their storage. That is, the information is stored without personal reference. Thus, stored in semantic memory is knowledge about the thousands of words and facts we know, but with little, if any, information pertaining to when and where such words as “psychology” and such facts as “Jefferson City is the capital of Missouri” became part of our permanent knowledge. By contrast, episodic memory is viewed as the repository of memory traces of personally experienced events or episodes for which temporal and spatial contextual information is essential (e.g., memory of the where and when of your first bicycle spill—or memory for “apple” being one of the words included in the word list recently studied in the laboratory). The interaction between semantic memory and episodic memory was described in Chapter 6, where we discovered that the information encoded for transmission to the episodic store usually includes elements “copied” from semantic memory and that this information is often organized in a way that emulates organization within semantic memory. We also discovered in Chapter 2 that pattern recognition is mediated by matching current information with information in permanent memory.
Occupational cranking operations: The scapula perspective.

Abstract Cranking the landing gear is a common task performed by truck drivers to raise or lower trailers. This task poses a risk to the shoulder joint due to the required forceful exertion and the posture constrained to the hand-handle interface. As a potential occupational risk, there has been no definitive guideline for best practices among truck drivers. An operator can crank perpendicular (frontal) or parallel (sagittal) to the crank rotation. In this laboratory study, the effects of cranking method and resistance on scapular range of motion and shoulder muscle activity were observed in 12 participants. Scapular posture was measured using an optical motion tracking system. EMG was monitored on 16 muscles contributing to shoulder movement. The results show that during frontal cranking, the scapular range of protraction was 28 ± 11.6°, which was more than the sagittal cranking (23 ± 10.4°), indicating a decreased subacromial space and elevated shoulder impingement risk. Seven muscles (all three deltoid muscles, middle trapezius, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor) demonstrated that when the crank resistance was low, the front cranking method resulted in lower activity than the side cranking. When the crank resistance was 20 Nm, the muscle activity on these seven muscles was greater when cranking from the front than from the side. Based on these observations, we suggest that when the resistance is low (lowering the trailer) the driver should stand facing the trailer. On the contrary, it is advantageous to stand parallel to the trailer and crank while raising the trailer to apply the full body strength to reduce the shoulder load.
External feedback during walking improves measures of plantar pressure in individuals with chronic ankle instability.

Abstract Background Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) commonly present with an altered walking gait which favors the lateral aspect of their foot. Current rehabilitative protocols are unable to address these gait modifications which are potentially hindering improvements in patient-reported outcomes. Protocols for gait retraining are scarce, thus there is a need to develop intervention strategies and instruments to specifically target foot motion to address gait deficits in individuals with CAI. Research Question To determine the ability of a novel laser device providing external visual feedback (ExFB) during real-time to cause alterations in plantar pressure measures in individuals with CAI. Methods Twenty-six participants with CAI walked on a treadmill while real-time plantar pressure measures were being recorded during a baseline and feedback condition. Baseline trials were compared with ExFB trials within each subject. Results The ExFB condition was able to significantly reduce plantar pressures on the lateral midfoot and forefoot compared to baseline. A statistically significant medial shift in center of pressure trajectory was also observed in the ExFB condition compared to baseline. Significance Real-time external feedback provided by a novel laser device has the ability to reduce lateral column plantar pressures during walking in individuals with CAI.
Development of a Human Infant Feeding Reinforcement System

We present a custom-made device that enables the study of food reinforcement in infants younger than nine months. This device called INFERS (INfant FEeding Reinforcement System) consists of a smart feeding controller and milk delivery components which has been constructed using custom and off-the-shelf components. Testing on three infants to date shows that INFERS functions properly and enables us to collect data on infant feeding activity and correlate this with the amount of effort infants must expend to get the milk.
New Insights Into Corneal Endothelial Regeneration

This article reviews our current understanding of the regenerative capacity of the corneal endothelium and critically evaluates new and important research in the treatment of endothelial dysfunction. The development and application of new surgical (Descemet’s membrane stripping only), pharmacologic (rho kinase inhibitors, such as ripasudil), and injectable cell culture modalities for the treatment of endothelial dysfunction have sparked debate in the cornea world and may revolutionize future clinical practice. The exact mechanisms involved in corneal endothelial regeneration remain elusive. The latest treatment strategies for endothelial dysfunction have the potential to transform our previous perceptions of endothelial physiology by eliciting new and exciting research questions for future investigations.
Perceived discrimination, categorization threat, and Dominican Americans' attitudes toward African Americans.

OBJECTIVES This study examined whether members of one racial or ethnic minority group (i.e., Dominican Americans) express fewer positive attitudes toward members of a different racial or ethnic minority group (i.e., African Americans)-with which they do not identify-when they perceive that their group faces discrimination on a basis that categorizes them together with that other group (i.e., race). METHOD Ninety-nine Dominican-American undergraduate students (Mage = 20.23, SD = 1.64; 53% women, 18% first generation) were randomly assigned to read a brief article stating that discrimination against Dominicans was based either on language or immigrant status (n = 48) or race (n = 51). Afterward they reported their attitudes toward and similarity to African Americans. RESULTS Dominican-American undergraduates who perceived that they were dissimilar to African Americans expressed fewer positive attitudes toward the group when told that Dominicans face discrimination because of race as opposed to because of their language and immigrant status. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that perceived discrimination from White Americans can induce categorization threat and influence intraminority relations. Members of 1 racial or ethnic minority group can express fewer positive attitudes toward members of another group with which they do not feel similar when they perceive that members of both groups face discrimination based on a shared category. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).