cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Business of Job Creation: An Examination of the Social Enterprise Approach to Workforce Development

Work integration social enterprises (WISEs) create jobs through business ventures that function as locations for job training and employment of disadvantaged workers. Although such employment-based poverty interventions have proliferated over the past 20 years, very little systematic research has been done on WISEs in the United States. Analyzing a national database of WISEs, this article provides a snapshot of the industries where WISEs are active and the jobs associated with those industries. Triangulating these findings with results from a small pilot study, the article explores the employment conditions for client-workers and the strategies WISEs take to add value to the work experience to understand how WISEs attempt to create better working conditions for low-skill, disadvantaged workers. The article concludes with discussion of the promise and potential limitations of the WISE model for workforce development.
Immune responses to superoxide dismutase and synthetic peptides of superoxide dismutase in cattle vaccinated with Brucella abortus strain 19 or RB51

Antibody and lymph node cell-mediated immune responses to recombinant Brucella abortus strain 19 Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (rSOD) and to three synthetic strain 19 Cu-Zn SOD peptides were measured during 2 to 12 weeks following vaccination of cattle with B. abortus strain 19 or RB51. Cattle vaccinated with strain 19 or RB51 did not produce antibody to rSOD and to the SOD peptides. Lymph node cells from cattle vaccinated with strain 19, but not with strain RB51, proliferated when incubated with either rSOD or one of the three tested SOD peptides (GGDNYSDKPEPLGG). These results suggest that neither the strain 19 nor the strain RB51 vaccine induces antibody production to SOD and only the strain 19 vaccine induces lymph node cell-mediated immune responses to SOD.
Algorithmic mitigation of sensor failure: is sensor replacement really necessary?

Abstract Data-driven models built on metal oxide (MOX) gas sensor arrays are broadly used to detect and discriminate a wide variety of chemical substances. Usually, a system composed of gas sensors and data processing algorithms is initially trained under controlled conditions with the aim to make accurate predictions of the new samples acquired. However, MOX gas sensors undergo two major impairments in the forms of sensor failures and drift that deteriorate the predictions’ capabilities of the previously calibrated models. While a variety of algorithms has been proposed to cope with the sensor drift problem, sensor failures have received much less attention despite their recurrent appearance after a certain time of operation. In this paper we propose a novel methodology based on multiple kernels to increase the robustness of e-nose systems against sensor failures. We built various multi-kernel models using multiple subsets of sensors and analyzed their performance when increasing the number of faulty sensors. Using an 8-sensor array module exposed to six different gases, we show that our proposed multi-kernel approach significantly increases the robustness of the system. In particular, we estimate that the percentage of multi-kernels free of faulty sensors has to be of at least 50% to maintain the performance of the classifier stable. The main conclusion drawn from this analysis is that instead of identifying which specific sensor fails, which is a nontrivial computational task and can be just temporal, the most convenient way would be to design a more robust system that requires minimal human intervention. Since the multi-kernel strategy copes with the sensor failure by itself, we claim that the lifetime of chemo-sensory systems, particularly their constituent chemical sensor devices, can be extended before the replacement of any particular chemical sensor is required.
Hormones and radiation therapy in locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Abstract Hormonal dependency of prostate cancer was first described in 1895 by White who showed the initial observation between castration and the treatment of prostatic disease in men with bladder outlet obstruction secondary to benign prostatic hypertrophy. Subsequently, in 1940 Huggins and Hodges demonstrated the association between normal and hyperplastic epithelium of canine prostate glands and adequate levels of circulating androgens. This pioneering work led extensive investigation of the role of androgens in both prostatic growth for benign and malignant disease. The goal of this article is to review the role of hormonal manipulation in prostate cancer in general and more specifically to focus on the role of radiation therapy and hormonal manipulation in locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The article is divided into sections that outline the role of different types of hormonal manipulation that are currently available along with the early work combining hormonal manipulation and radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Subsequently, a thorough review of the phase III trials performed to evaluate the potential role of hormonal manipulation in addition to radiation therapy in locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Included in that discussion is a section on the potential toxicities of hormonal manipulation. Finally, the current recommendations for the use of hormonal manipulation combined with radiation therapy in locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate is described. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling Contributes to Variation for Wing Shape in Drosophila melanogaster

Wing development in Drosophila is a common model system for the dissection of genetic networks and their roles during development. In particular, the RTK and TGF-β regulatory networks appear to be involved with numerous aspects of wing development, including patterning, cell determination, growth, proliferation, and survival in the developing imaginal wing disc. However, little is known as to how subtle changes in the function of these genes may contribute to quantitative variation for wing shape, per se. In this study 50 insertional mutations, representing 43 loci in the RTK, Hedgehog, TGF-β pathways, and their genetically interacting factors were used to study the role of these networks on wing shape. To concurrently examine how genetic background modulates the effects of the mutation, each insertion was introgressed into two wild-type genetic backgrounds. Using geometric morphometric methods, it is shown that the majority of these mutations have profound effects on shape but not size of the wing when measured as heterozygotes. To examine the relationships between how each mutation affects wing shape hierarchical clustering was used. Unlike previous observations of environmental canalization, these mutations did not generally increase within-line variation relative to their wild-type counterparts. These results provide an entry point into the genetics of wing shape and are discussed within the framework of the dissection of complex phenotypes.
Conservatism: The Fundamental Principle of Valuation in Traditional Accounting*

Accounting has always been a highly practical discipline. Thus, the most ancient and probably the most pervasive principle of accounting valuation is conservatism. This chapter considers conservatism to be the most influential principle of valuation in traditional accounting. For example, A. W. Johnson and O. M. Kreigman take an ‘anti-ultraconservative’ view in their chapter on accounting theory. The circumstances surrounding the use of accounting clearly indicate the need for accounting standards. Accounting is a discipline without any cohesive, unified theory of valuation. That is, the fundamental principle is conservatism, and, therefore, a conservative value on the more important statement is more desirable than a conservative value on a less important statement. Cost is not a fundamental tenet of accounting; instead, it is a derivative of the conservatism principle of valuation. The practice is governed by conservatism, but the authors deny the principle of conservatism and thus are left in the untenable position of defending what they deny.
Tracking vaccine lot lifecycles using reports to the vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS).

Purpose There is currently no systematically available information available on how rapidly a specific lot of vaccine is used once distributed. We used data from reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to develop a proxy means of surveillance for the lifecycle of selected vaccine lots. Methods A convenience sample, consisting of selected lots of: diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Hepatitis B, and varicella vaccines, was selected for lifecycle analysis. Assuming that circulation of a vaccine lot is proportional to vaccine-specific adverse event (AE) reporting for that vaccine type, we constructed Gamma distributed usage models and compared them with lot-specific VAERS reports to estimate the actual lifecycle of lots in the system. Results Evidence of lot circulation was detected within 1–2 months, and a peak was observed 3–4 months after the vaccine release date for most of the study vaccines. Ninety percent of the vaccine doses in each lot were estimated to be used within 5–9 months of distribution. The length of time a vaccine lot was in use ranged from 5 to 17 months from earliest vaccination date. Conclusions Our modeled and inferred administration of the selected lots of different vaccines were concordant. This method may be useful for spatial and temporal tracking of vaccine lot utilization. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparative Proliferative and Histopathologic Changes in Rat Lungs after Inhalation of Chrysotile or Crocidolite Asbestos

Patterns of cell proliferation in lung and pleura and development of histopathologic lesions were studied in lungs from Fischer 344 rats after inhalation exposure to chrysotile or crocidolite asbestos at average airborne concentrations of approximately 8 mg/m3 air for 5 and 20 days and after 20 days of exposure followed by an additional 20 days in room air (20 + 20 days). To assess cell proliferation rats were injected with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) at various time points after initiation of exposure to asbestos. Image analysis was used to quantitate the effects of chrysotile and crocidolite on BrdU labeling indices in the following lung compartments: (1) interstitium, (2) alveolar duct region, (3) bronchial epithelium, and (4) visceral mesothelium. With the exception of mesothelium, which exhibited significant increases in BrdU incorporation in rats exposed to crocidolite at 20 + 20 days, asbestos-induced elevations in BrdU uptake in other compartments were transient with labeling comparable to sham controls at later time points. Histopathology of rat lungs revealed fibrotic lesions of a greater extent and severity at 20 days in rats exposed to crocidolite, but fibrosis occurred in both asbestos-exposed groups after an additional 20 days in clean air (20 + 20). Quantification of fiber burden in rat lung after inhalation of comparable airborne concentrations of either fiber type demonstrated that inhalation of crocidolite asbestos led to a higher fiber retention when compared to chrysotile asbestos. Our results indicate that chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos induce different patterns of cell proliferation in lung and pleural cells. The protracted increases in BrdU labeling of mesothelial cells by crocidolite may reflect increased retention of fibers and/or inherent differences between types of asbestos.
Cortical encoding of retinal output from natural scenes with sparse representation

The visual cortex of a freshwater turtle, when stimulated by a pattern of light, produces waves of activity that have been recorded experimentally and simulated using a model cortex. It is believed that these activity waves encode features of the visual scene, viz. position and velocity of targets. The goal of this paper is to explore how to estimate target velocity using the activity pattern in the model cortex. We consider five natural video scenes and represent them using sparse, over-complete set of basis functions. The associated coefficients are KL-decomposed to provide appropriate cortical signals. The signals are fed as input to a model of the visual cortex and the associated cortical response of a large number of pyramidal cells are generated. Finally, the cortical response has been displayed as a spatiotemporal signal. The paper concludes with a sketch of an outline as to how the motion field of the input visual scene could be reconstructed from the activities of the cortical cells with two steps of processes: estimation of the conductance patterns of pyramidal cells from the activities of the pyramidal cells and estimation of motion field from the estimated conductance patterns of pyramidal cells.
Meaning made following deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan: examining unique associations with posttraumatic stress and clinical outcomes.

Crises in personal meaning may be a critical aspect of psychological maladjustment following combat. Using the newly developed Integration of Stressful Life Events Scale (ISLES), this study examined the role of meaning made of a salient stressor following a combat deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan. In a sample of 169 returning service members, findings supported the distinctiveness of meaning made of a stressor (as assessed by the ISLES), factor analytically and as a correlate of several relevant clinical outcomes. In particular, when the model contained potential confounds and psychiatric symptoms, meaning made in the months and years following combat was uniquely associated with the severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms, β =− .39, and referrals for mental health care, β =− .69, in the sample. The present findings highlight the importance of the subjective meaning made of traumatic life events and also suggest that posttraumatic stress and other psychiatric symptomatology may not account for the full clinical picture among many service men and women. Given the serious mental health problems facing many persons who served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan (Hoge, Auchterlonie, & Miliken, 2006; Hoge et al., 2004), issues related to meaning making may be especially important. These new wars have exposed service members to a number of problematic circumstances compared to other combat operations. The fighting has largely involved guerilla warfare against terrorist tactics and ambiguous civilian threats (Litz, 2007). As a result of advances in equipment and medical care, a greater number of service members are fortunately surviving major injuries. As the ratio of wounded versus killed in action
Depth-of-focus reduction for digital in-line holography of particle fields.

Poor axial precision caused, in part, by large depth of focus (?) has been a vexing problem in extraction of particle position from digital in-line holograms. A simple method is proposed to combat this depth-of-focus difficulty. The method is based on decoupling of size and position information. With d,?, and ? being particle diameter, CCD pixel size, and the wavelength, respectively, our main theoretical result is the reduction of ? from ??d2?? to ???2?? for particles of known size. This result is confirmed in laboratory experiments with holograms of calibrated glass spheres.
Prenatal selection and dermatoglyphic patterns

Although human dermatoglyphics have been extensively stud- ied, little is known of the prenatal origins of dermatoglyphic patterns. Digital patterns, i.e., loops, whorls, and arches, were obtained from 81 human abortuses, ranging in age from 11 to 25 weeks post-fertilization. Patterns were discernible with the earliest indications of epidermal ridge development. Findings indicate that pattern frequencies during early prenatal development differ from those of later fetal and postnatal periods. Furthermore, a high frequency of arches is seen associated with spontaneous abortion, suggesting evidence for prenatal selection in human abortuses. Development of epidermal ridges is first seen in the form of localized cell proliferations in the basal layer of the epidermis around the tenth to eleventh week of human prenatal de- velopment. These cell proliferations form epi- dermal ridges that project into the dermis. The number of primary ridges, as they are termed, continues to increase by the forma- tion of new ridges between existing ridges or from existing ridges on the periphery of the pattern. This increase in the number of pri- mary ridges accompanies a general increase in the size of the digit and continues until ap- proximately the seventeenth week (150-mm Crown-Rump Length). At this time the ridges become discernible on the volar surface as fingerprints. However, ridge patterns are re- cognizable with the initial formation of epi- dermal ridges in the basal layer of the epider- mis as early as 60-mm Crown-Rump Length. During the period of ridge formation, ridge patterns become more elaborate, increasing the number of ridges that comprise the pat- tern. During this period also, the fetus is sus- ceptible to developmental insult from various environmental factors as well as important genetic actions, e.g., cell differentiation and control of growth rates. Prenatal origins of dermatoglyphic patterns have interested human biologists for the last century and a half. Purkinje (18231, first to systematically classify pattern types, believed that the ridge patterns and directional hair patterning in various body regions were the
Tips for Presenting a Paper

Academics usually think of scholarship in terms of articles and books. But scholarship can take the form of presenting a paper at a workshop or conference. This brief article describes the typical presentation process and offers tips for making a presentation go smoothly.
Characteristics and scaling of bubble plumes from marine hydrocarbon seepage in the Coal Oil Point seep field

[1] The fate of marine seep gases in the ocean and atmosphere is intimately connected with bubble and bubble-plume processes, which are strongly size- and depth-dependent. Size-dependent flux distributions, Φ, and vertical velocity functions, VZ(r), were measured with a video bubble measurement system in the Santa Barbara Channel, California. Several distinct plume types were identified for which size distributions were measured, major, minor, intermediate, and obstructed. A further vent class is elastic (which was observed but not quantified). In addition, any plume class could be oily. Minor plumes generally produced a lower emission flux, Q, and showed narrow, peaked Φ that were well described as Gaussian. The radius of the dominant peak, RP, of minor plumes varied as Q0.40, with correlation coefficient, R2 = 0.84, in agreement with theoretical relationship of RP∼Q0.4 for Q above a critical flow rate. Oil contamination was found to affect RP and was not used in the fit. A probability distribution, Ψ(RP), for all Gaussian bubble plumes was itself well described by a combination of Gaussian functions, which were different for different seep areas. Major plumes showed a broad distribution including very small and very large bubbles and were well described by a power law with exponent a, which varied with Q according to a = 0.43 + 0.55 log(Q) with R2 = 0.77. One obstructed vent was analyzed and shared characteristics with the minor bubble plumes. Mixed bubble plume size distributions showed characteristics of both major and minor plume classes, i.e., were described by a combination of Gaussian functions and power laws, and were steeper (higher a) than major plumes for the same Q. Oily plumes produced complex, confused bubble size distributions. Upwelling velocities, VUP(r), were derived from VZ(r) and increased as VUP∼Q0.66 (R2 = 0.64); however, consideration of the more intense plumes (Q > 2 cm s−1) showed VUP∼Q0.35 in agreement with other published field measurements. Thus, the weaker bubble plumes were observed during the acceleration phase.
Impact of a nutrition education curriculum on snack choices of children ages six and seven years.

Abstract Objective To report the impact of nutrition education on snack choices of children ages 6 and 7 years. Design In this quasi-experimental study, students at 2 intervention schools participated in a 4-week after-school program, NutriActive Healthy Experience, that included nutrition lessons, healthy snacks, and parent education. Students at 2 comparison schools did not receive any intervention but participated in the assessment of snack choices. Intervention and comparison students were offered the choice of 3 out of 10 snack items at baseline, at the end of the 4-week program, and 4 months later. Setting An after-school program in the school setting. Participants 36 intervention and 23 comparison kindergarten and first-grade students. Main Outcome Measures Students' snack choices were coded and analyzed. Analysis t test, repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results Immediately after the program, the intervention group showed a 25.7% improvement in choosing more healthful snacks, and the comparison group showed an 18.2% decline. At 4 months, the intervention group's score was 33.3% higher than baseline and the comparison group's score remained 18.2% lower than baseline (time by treatment interaction, P = .023). Conclusions and Implications Intervention students were significantly more likely than comparison students to choose more healthful snacks when given the opportunity. The snack test may be a useful alternative for assessing snack choices of children ages six to seven years.
Fracture Size Effect in Ultrananocrystalline Diamond: Weibull Theory Applicability

Strength characterization and analysis of fracture size effect in ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) thin films are presented. In this work, we report the changes in mechanical properties of UNCD by the addition of nitrogen gas to the Ar/CH4 microwave plasma. Both undoped and doped UNCD films show a decrease in fracture strength with an increase in specimen size. The strength data, obtained by using the membrane deflection experiment (MDE) developed at Nothwestern University, is interpreted using Weibull statistics. The capability of the theory is examined in conjunction with detailed fractographic analysis. The Weibull parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) based on 480 tests when the specimen volume varies from 500 to 1600 cubic microns. The results show that one can predict the fracture strength of a component possessing any arbitrary volume to within ±3% from the fracture strength identified from the tested specimens. The failure mode of UNCD is suggested to be volume controlled.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Management of Sweet Sorghum for Biomass Production

Sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] has been suggested as a biofuel feedstock due to its high productivity, low N requirements, and drought tolerance but little data exist on its management in the Midwestern US Corn Belt. In 2005 and 2006 in central Iowa, USA, plots were seeded with ‘Top 76-6’ sweet sorghum on three dates; late May, early June, and late June, at rates of 4.5, 11.2, and 17.9 kg ha−1 with row widths of 20, 38, and 76 cm, and fertilized at either 84 or 168 kg N ha−1 to determine how sweet sorghum yield and plant composition respond to changes in management. Yields were highest when sweet sorghum was planted in 20 cm row widths in late May (26.3 Mg ha−1) or early June (29.0 Mg ha−1). Several plant carbohydrates were affected by seeding date in 2005, but not 2006. Theoretical ethanol yields averaged 10,616 and 11,408 L ha−1 in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and were highest when sweet sorghum was planted earlier in the season and in narrow rows. In contrast, N fertilization and seeding rate had few impacts on sweet sorghum growth, biomass yield or ethanol potential. Based on these results, sweet sorghum in Iowa should be planted in May or June in 20 cm rows at a low to moderate seeding rate and a low N fertilization rate.
A two-level, protocol-based approach to controlling autonomous oceanographic sampling networks

Autonomous oceanographic sampling networks (AOSNs) are groups of autonomous underwater vehicles and other instrument platforms. They were envisioned to address the serious undersampling problem that exists for the ocean. Advanced AOSNs will include numerous heterogeneous components and perform complex, long-duration missions. They will have to cope with vehicles failing, new vehicles arriving, and changes in the mission and environment. Controlling such a system is a very challenging task. The Cooperative Distributed AOSN control (CoDA) project focuses on developing intelligent control mechanisms for advanced AOSNs. CoDA treats AOSN components as agents that follow protocols to create an effective organization to carry out the mission. CoDA is a two-level approach. A meta-level organization (MLO) first self-organizes from a subset of the agents to discover the AOSNs' total capability repertoire, then designs a task-level organization (TLO) to efficiently carry out the mission. When changes occur, the MLO can step in to reorganize the AOSN to fit the changed situation. This two-level approach allows the AOSN to be both efficient and flexible in the face of change. In addition to describing CoDA, this paper also presents simulation results to show its behavior, both normally and when agents fail.
Electrochemistry of reinforcing steel in salt-contaminated concrete

Corrosion rates of reinforcing steel have been measured in concrete using the polarization resistance technique. The corrosion rates have been calculated for seven different sodium chloride content and two different surface conditions of steel in concrete. The results from partially coated reinforcing steel specimens indicate the existence of a critical sodium chloride concentration between 0.1 and 0.2 percent by weight of concrete at which the rate of corrosion increases significantly. Anodic and cathodic Tafel slopes have also been determined experimentally. The high values of Tafel slopes may be attributed in part to IR drop; however, more research is needed to clarify this matter.
The Medical Team Model, the Feminization of Medicine, and the Nurse's Role.

The increase in the number of women physicians and the rise of the medical team model have contributed to the evolution of the nurse’s role. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Absolute Sensitivity Measurements on Single-Grain-Layer Photographic Plates for Different Wave-Lengths*

Single-grain-layer photographic plates were prepared from a non-color-sensitized, slow-speed, uniform-grain-size emulsion and exposed to very pure monochromatic light of wave-lengths λ3600A, λ4500A, and λ5000A. Intensity-scale characteristic curves were made on a double monochromator in which the energy of the exposures could be measured with an accuracy of ±5 percent. Data for plotting the characteristic curves were obtained by microscopic grain counts of developed and undeveloped grains for successive exposure steps. These were then plotted in several different ways: First, the fractions of developed grains, k/N (k is the developed and N the total number of grains per unit area) were plotted as a function of the incident exposure in terms of ergs per square centimeter of plate area. Second, the k/N values were plotted as a function of incident exposure in terms of quanta per average grain. Finally, using absorption data obtained for thin layers of silver bromide, the k/N values were plotted as a function of quanta absorbed per grain. Experimentally, it is found that the characteristic curves increase their slope with increasing wave-length of exposing radiation and also show a tendency to increase in slope with decreasing development time.The characteristic curves are analyzed by means of the Poisson statistical equation to determine the number of quanta actually utilized in formation of the latent image. Preparatory to this analysis, exposures were made to alpha-particles, and it is shown that the single-grain-layer plates accurately obey the single-hit formula derived from the Poisson equation. From the analysis of the curves obtained with monochromatic light exposures, it is concluded that the threshold sensitivity of a grain, expressed as the minimum number of quanta to produce developability of the grain, is of the order of ten quanta per grain for the emulsion under test. The upper limit of sensitivity is specified by the number of quanta absorbed per grain as shown by the abscissa values of the characteristic curves.Reciprocity-law failure measurements were made on the single-grain-layer plates, using unfiltered tungsten radiation. Time-scale characteristic curves were made over an intensity range of 1:16,384. The curves showed some loss of speed with reduced intensity but mainly a reduction in slope. This indicates that the grains of the upper and lower parts of the characteristic curve do not behave the same toward reduced intensity, and the grains of the upper part of the curve show the greater loss in speed at low intensity.
“If It Tastes Good, I'm Drinking It”: Qualitative Study of Beverage Consumption Among College Students

Purpose This study examined how college students choose beverages and whether behavioral interventions might reduce their heavy consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Variations in mRNA transcript levels of cell wall-associated genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae following spheroplasting

mRNA transcript levels of 38 genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated during attempted spheroplast regeneration. Many of the genes selected are involved in cell wall biosynthesis. Spheroplasts did not regenerate into osmotically competent cells during the experiment. However, at a mRNA level, the quantities of transcripts were altered between the experimental and control populations. KRE11, EGT2 and MSS10 had their transcript levels increased by more than 10-fold during attempted spheroplast regeneration. A further six genes, FLO1, TIR1, SED1, HKR1, YGR189 and MUC1, showed transcript level increases of at least 5-fold. Five genes showed a change in transcript levels from an undetectable level to a detectable level: SKT5, KRE1, KRE5, SEC53 and DHS1. PMT2 showed a rapid decrease in mRNA levels followed by an increase to the basal level. Thus, cell stress genes, biosynthetic genes and some glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell wall proteins have their transcript levels increased in regenerating spheroplasts, but their transcription was not sufficient to initiate the replacement of the cell wall in liquid medium.
An improved genetic algorithm for robust fuzzy clustering with unknown number of clusters

In this paper the problem of partitioning noisy data when the number of clusters c is not known a priori is revisited. The methodology proposed is a population-based search in the partition space using a genetic algorithm. Potential solutions are represented using a two-part representation scheme, where the first part of the chromosome represents the classification of the data into true (retained) and outlier (trimmed) sets, and the second part is the result of a partition on the true set for a particular value of c, which is simultaneously optimized by the process. A two-tier fitness function is also proposed in this paper, one which first assesses potential solutions on the basis of a test of clustering tendency on the retained set, and later on the efficacy of the partition for a given value of c. A mating pool is created out of highly successful individuals from the test of clustering tendency and allowed to crossover and produce offspring solutions which inherit the better partition from either of its parents. The proposed methodology is an improvement over a multi-objective genetic algorithm-based clustering technique, which previously was shown to be superior (or at least comparable) to robust clustering methods that assume a known value of c.
Contribution of persistent factors to yield gaps in high-yield irrigated maize

Abstract Crop yield gap (Yg) can be disaggregated into two components: (i) one that is consistent across years and is, therefore, attributable to persistent factors that limit yields, and (ii) a second that varies from year to year due to inconsistent constraints on yields. Quantifying relative contributions of persistent and non-persistent factors to overall Yg, and identifying their underpinning causes, can help identify sound interventions to narrow current Yg and estimate magnitude of likely impact. The objective of this study was to apply this analytical framework to quantify the contribution of persistent factors to current Yg in high-yield irrigated maize systems in western US Corn Belt and identify some of the underpinning explanatory factors. We used a database containing producer yields collected during 10 years (2004–2013) from ca. 3000 irrigated fields in three regions of the state of Nebraska (USA). Yield potential was estimated for each region-year using a crop simulation model and actual weather and management data. Yg was calculated for each field-year as the difference between simulated yield potential and field yield. Two independent sources of field yield data were used: (i) producer-reported yields, and (ii) estimated yields using a combined satellite-crop model approach that does not rely on actual yield data. In each year (hereafter called ‘ranking years’), fields were grouped into ‘small’ and ‘large’ Yg categories. For a given category, Yg persistence was calculated by comparing mean Yg estimated for ranking years against mean Yg calculated, for the same group of fields, for the rest of the years. Explanatory factors for persistent Yg were assessed. Yg persistence ranged between ca. 30% and 50% across regions, with higher persistence in regions with heterogeneous soils. Estimates of Yg size and persistence based on producer-reported yields and satellite-model approach were in reasonable agreement, though the latter approach consistently underestimated Yg size and persistence. Small Yg category exhibited a higher frequency of fields with favorable soils and soybean-maize rotation and greater N fertilizer and irrigation inputs relative to the large Yg category. Remarkably, despite higher applied inputs, efficiencies in the use of N fertilizer, irrigation, and solar radiation were much higher in fields exhibiting small Yg. The framework implemented in this study can be applied to any cropping system for which a reasonable number of field-year yield and management data are available.
Understanding the Impact of Infection, Inflammation, and Their Persistence in the Pathogenesis of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

The concerted interaction of genetic and environmental factors act on the preterm human immature lung with inflammation being the common denominator leading to the multifactorial origin of the most common chronic lung disease in infants – bronchopulmonary dysplasia or BPD. Adverse perinatal exposure to infection/inflammation with added insults like invasive mechanical ventilation, exposure to hyperoxia and sepsis causes persistent immune dysregulation. In this review article we have attempted to analyze and consolidate current knowledge about the role played by persistent prenatal and postnatal inflammation in the pathogenesis of BPD. While some parameters of the early inflammatory response (neutrophils, cytokines etc.) may not be detectable after days to weeks of exposure to noxious stimuli, they have already initiated the signaling pathways of the inflammatory process / immune cascade and have affected permanent defects structurally and functionally in the BPD lungs. Hence translational research aimed at prevention / amelioration of BPD needs to focus on dampening the inflammatory response at an early stage to prevent the cascade of events leading to lung injury with impaired healing resulting in the pathologic pulmonary phenotype of alveolar simplification and dysregulated vascularization characteristic of BPD.
Blood levels of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) during labor of human pregnancy.

Summary1. Blood levels of 17-OHCS were studied at intervals during parturition in normal pregnancy. 2. Early in labor, a rise in levels above those found in late pregnancy was noted, with further rise between first and second stages. These high levels were maintained until after the end of 3rd stage. In most cases studied, levels were still well above normal on 4th or 6th postpartum day. 3. There seems to be a relation between length of labor and rise in plasma 17-OHCS. Labors of longer than 6 hours deviation were accompanied by high levels of these hormones. 4. Maximum values observed in labor approached those noted after exogenous ACTH stimulation during late pregnancy, indicating nearly maximal output of these hormones by the adrenal cortex. 5. The mechanisms by which labor stimulated the maternal pituitary gland have been discussed.
The smallest astronauts.

The article discusses a mission by the Russian Federal Space Agency which seeks to determine if it is possible for life to survive travel between the Earth and Mars. The agency will send the Grunt probe, a space vehicle containing the Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment (LIFE) container, to Phobos, one of the planet's moons, and will return to Earth with a soil sample. LIFE will contain terrestrial organisms including bacteria such as Deinococcus radiodurans, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus safensis, archaea including Methanothermobacter wolfeii, Haloarcula marismortui, and Pyrococcus furiosus, and eukaryotes including Arabidopsis thaliana and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Sensitivity of Beauveria bassiana to Selected Herbicides

Oryzalin was the only one of 21 herbicides that caused no significant inhibition of in vitro germination and growth of the entomogenous fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin. Twelve of the herbicides significantly inhibited germination and growth at the lowest concentration tested (6 mg [AI]/ml). Others caused significant inhibition at higher concentrations. Diuron, pronamide, simazine, and terbacil inhibited germination but either did not affect or only moderately inhibited mycelial growth, thus indicating possible fungistatic rather than fungicidal activity. Mortality due to B. bassiana was significantly reduced when Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) larvae were exposed to conidia + soil treated with either alachlor or oryzalin. Numbers of viable colony-forming units extracted from the conidia + soil treatments were significantly reduced by the alachlor application but not by oryzalin.
Where’s the Tea Party? An Examination of the Tea Party’s Voting Behavior in the House of Representatives

Does the Tea Party affect how lawmakers vote? Given the possible spurious effect of a representative’s ideology, we leverage natural variation in the Tea Party’s existence and examine this question through the lens of party switching. Like when lawmakers change parties, representatives who (1) joined Tea Party Caucus and (2) had a large volume of Tea Party activists in their district underwent a significant shift to the right in the 112th Congress. We believe these findings support both legislative-centered and extended network theorists. An additional analysis reveals that, unlike Democrats and non-Tea Party aligned Republicans who also shifted to the extremes in the 112th Congress, Tea Party Republicans did not “bounce back” in the 113th Congress. Lastly, we find no equivalent rightward shift in comparable conservative caucuses or among Republicans with similar ideologies and districts. In the end, although the Tea Party is not a “party” in the classic sense of the word, we claim that it is having “part...
Determination of baicalin, chlorogenic acid, and forsythoside A in Bingdu Mixture by HPLC

Objective To establish an HPLC method for the determination of baicalin, chlorogenic acid, and forsythoside A in Bingdu Mixture. Methods HPLC was carried out on a Shim pack VP-ODS column(150 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with 0.5% phosphoric acid- acetonitrile as mobile phase for gradient elution. The detection wavelength was set at 300 nm. The injection volume was 10 μL at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Results The liner ranges of baicalin, chlorogenic acid, and forsythoside A were 9.84 — 82 μg/mL(r = 0.999 8), 2.64 — 22.0 μg/mL(r = 0.999 9) and 4.32 — 36.0 μg/mL(r = 0.999 9); The average recoveries were 99.94%, 101.1%, and 99.77%, with RSD values of 1.44%, 1.68%, and 1.44%(n = 6), respectively. Conclusion The established method is simple, accurate, and reproducible and could be used for the quality control of Bingdu Mixture.
Effect of physical growth in preschool children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome

Objective To explore the effect of physical growth in preschool children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS).Methods The height and weight of 556 children with OSAHS proved by polysomnography(PSG)had been measured.Calculated their BMI and compared with the normals.Results The BMI of the mild OSAHS groups were not significantly lower than the normals.The BMI of the moderate OSAHS groups with age from 4 to 6 were significantly lower than the normals.The BMI of the severe groups with age from 3 to 4 and 5 to 7 were significantly lower than the normals.Conclusion OSAHS can effect physical growth of preschool children.
Quantifying, Visualizing, and Monitoring Lead Optimization.

Although lead optimization (LO) is by definition a process, process-centric analysis and visualization of this important phase of pharmaceutical R&D has been lacking. Here we describe a simple statistical framework to quantify and visualize the progression of LO projects so that the vital signs of LO convergence can be monitored. We refer to the resulting visualizations generated by our methodology as the “LO telemetry” of a project. These visualizations can be automated to provide objective, holistic, and instantaneous analysis and communication of LO progression. This enhances the ability of project teams to more effectively drive LO process, while enabling management to better coordinate and prioritize LO projects. We present the telemetry of five LO projects comprising different biological targets and different project outcomes, including clinical compound selection, termination due to preclinical safety/tox, and termination due to lack of tractability. We demonstrate that LO progression is accurately...
International Marketing Strategies of U.S. Fast Food Franchises

As the American fast food market sails into its maturity stage, the fast food industry looks for new opportunities to keep the business going. One option being explored - and - with promising results -is tapping new consumers in the global marketplace.
Analysis of risk to biomedical products developed from animal sources (with special emphasis on the spongiform encephalopathy agents, scrapie and BSE)

Factors that must be considered in estimations of risk from exposure to adventitious contaminants of animal derived biologicals include: (i) the use of the product; (ii) the routes of administration and exposure to potential pathogens; (iii) the source of animal(s) and their history and maintenance; (iv) the tissue(s) used in the product and their likelihood of harbouring or being contaminated by an agent; (v) the methods by which the animal is slaughtered and the tissue(s) collected; (vi) the production process including steps that remove an agent either by inactivation or physical separation; (vii) the disposal of an agent that is sequestered but not inactivated; (viii) flow control, barriers, and between-batch cleaning; (ix) batch size; and (x) validations and quality assurance monitoring. The transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) agents, scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are among the most difficult to detect and remove from animal tissues. As such they constitute an especially stringent challenge for viral clearance.
The Implementation of Health-Related Procedures in Classrooms for Students with Severe Multiple Impairments:

One-hundred fifty teachers of students with severe and multiple impairments were surveyed to identify the prevalence of health-related procedures being used in the classrooms, the person(s) routine...
Data Collection and Analysis

Self-study has its roots within the tradition of teacher inquiry, reflective practice and action research, but self-study stands out especially when compared to action research because it may incorporate other methods such as personal history, narrative inquiry, reflective portfolios, memory work, or arts-based methods (Laboskey, 2004).
Domestic asset tracing: Identifying, locating and freezing stolen and hidden assets.

ABSTRACT: The rate of recovery of stolen and hidden assets from fraud and other schemes is low. This paper explores two steps of the investigative sequence in pursuing domestic (onshore) asset rec...
Scalp psoriasis associated with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia

Abstract Scalp psoriasis is a very common dermatological condition with a variety of presentations, but only rarely presents as severe alopecia. We present a case of a 50-year-old female with many years of recalcitrant hair loss that was thought to be secondary to central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia which was later diagnosed as psoriasis. This case highlights an interesting presentation and rare complication of a common disease.
A Novel device for low noise amplification in 130nm high resistivity RFSOI technology platform

CMOS Silicon on Insulator (SOI) is now the technology of choice for RF switches in front end module systems. The emergence of 4G cellular systems with carrier aggregation has made the design of front end modules more complex. To take into account the diversity paths now required in cellular systems the low noise amplifiers (LNAs's) are being integrated in the front end module along with the switches. This paper describes novel low noise amplifier devices in high resistivity SOI targeted for integration and use in RF front end modules.
Middle school nutrition knowledge tool development and evaluation in North Carolina.

Purpose This study aims to develop and empirically assess an instrument for measuring nutrition knowledge aligned to the North Carolina (NC) Healthful Living Essential Standards for teaching nutrition. The instrument was critically evaluated and used to assess nutrition knowledge in Eastern NC students. Design/methodology/approach Researchers evaluated 250 students in 16, eighth-grade classrooms using a 22-question researcher-developed nutrition knowledge questionnaire. Assessment questions were aligned with NC Healthful Living Essential Standards, which suggest students should be able to: apply tools to plan healthy nutrition, create strategies to improve dietary intake, create plans for lifelong health, and evaluate health information and products. Survey reliability and validity (face) were evaluated prior to study implementation. Descriptive statistics for individual items, total and individual standard scores were analyzed. Instrument efficacy was evaluated using item-difficulty and discrimination indexes. Findings The survey displayed appropriate levels of item difficulty with three exceptions: two questions were identified as too difficult, and one as too easy. The majority of items also displayed acceptable (>0.20) or excellent (>0.40) discrimination (17 out of 20). Average total nutrition knowledge score was 11.82-3.26 (53.7 per cent). Within aligned standards, students scored highest in creating plans for lifelong health (79 per cent) and lowest in evaluating health information (37.6 per cent). Originality/value Study findings suggest eighth-grade students may only possess half the nutrition knowledge standards expected in the eighth grade. More instrument development is needed to supply researchers with standard means of assessing nutrition knowledge.