cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
With or Without You: When Does Managerial Exit Matter for the Dissolution of Dyadic Market Ties?

This paper investigates the relationship between managerial exit from advertising agencies and advertisers and the dissolution of dyadic market ties. We examine how the amount and locus (advertiser vs. agency) of managerial exit and the hierarchical level from which exit occurs (executives vs. exchange managers) influence the likelihood that dyadic market ties will dissolve. We theorize that managerial exit disrupts dyadic market ties through its effect on three mechanisms of social capital: investments in relationship-specific assets; formal control over market ties; and the intensity of interaction with exchange partners. We consider how market tie fragility, the financial performance of advertisers, and the duration of market ties condition the effects of managerial exit on market tie dissolution. In short, we theorize about which managerial roles matter more to market tie dissolution, why they matter and when they matter. Using longitudinal data on 232 dyadic ties between advertisers and New York City advertising agencies, we find that the number of executives and exchange managers who exit on both sides of market ties affects tie dissolution. However, these effects are neither symmetrical between exchange partners nor uniform across the hierarchical levels from which exit occurs, and vary with the strength of market ties.
Amphetamine effects on startle gating in normal women and female rats

Dopamine agonists disrupt prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle in male rodents. In humans, this is observed only in some studies. We reported that PPI was disrupted by d-amphetamine in men, but only among those with high basal PPI levels. Here, amphetamine effects on PPI were tested in normal women and female rats. Acoustic startle and PPI were tested in normal women after placebo or 20 mg amphetamine, in a double-blind, crossover design, and in female rats after vehicle or 4.5 mg/kg amphetamine. Rats were from Sprague–Dawley (SD) and Long Evans (LE) strains that differ significantly in gene expression in PPI-regulatory circuitry, including levels of nucleus accumbens (NAC) catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) mRNA. Amphetamine was bioactive in humans based on quantitative autonomic and self-rating measures, but did not significantly change startle magnitude or PPI across all subjects. Amphetamine’s effects on PPI in women correlated significantly (p < 0.0008) with placebo PPI levels (reducing PPI only in women whose basal PPI levels exceeded the sample median) and with measures of novelty and sensation seeking. Amphetamine decreased PPI in SD rats that have relatively low NAC COMT gene expression and increased PPI in LE rats that have relatively high NAC COMT gene expression. The dopaminergic regulation of PPI in humans is related to basal levels of sensorimotor gating and to specific personality traits in normal men and women. In rats, the effects of amphetamine on PPI differ significantly in strains with low vs. high NAC COMT expression.
When merging and branch predictors collide

Merging is a building block for many computational domains. In this work we consider the relationship between merging, branch predictors, and input data dependency. Branch predictors are ubiquitous in modern processors as they are useful for many high performance computing applications. While it is well known that the performance and the branch prediction accuracy go hand-in-hand, these have not been studied in the context of merging. We thoroughly test merging using multiple input array sizes and values using the same code and compile optimizations. As the number of possible keys increase, so the do the number of branch mis-predictions - resulting in reduced performance. The reduction in performance can be as much as 5X. We explain this phenomenon using a visualization technique called Merge Path that intuitively shows this. We support this visualization approach with modeling, thorough testing, and analysis on multiple systems.
Midbrain reticular formation damage and the ontogeny of ingestive and sensorimotor behaviors.

Abstract Infant rats sustained bilateral electrolytic lesions of the midbrain reticular formation (MBRF) at 10 days of age. Growth measures and tests of sensorimotor, feeding, drinking, and gustatory capacities were made between 1 and 150 days of age. The MBRF rats displayed a transient period of attenuated suckling, as evidenced by body weight loss, and recovery of growth by the age of weaning. In conjunction with the period of altered growth, MBRF rats displayed some specific sensorimotor deficits and were extremely hyperactive. As adults, MBRF rats were hypodipsic during 24 hr food deprivation and after 24 hr water deprivation. On other drinking tests, feeding tests, and taste tests, MBRF rats responded at control levels. These results are comparable to the behavioral deficits displayed by rats sustaining MBRF damage as adults.
Dairy product intake in children and adolescents in developed countries: trends, nutritional contribution, and a review of association with health outcomes

Despite its contribution to nutrient intake and status, consumption of milk and dairy products by children and adolescents in many countries has waned in recent decades, with a substantial proportion of youth failing to meet intake recommendations. Dairy products remain an important dietary source of multiple micronutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iodine, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and riboflavin (vitamin B2). In addition, dairy products provide children with energy, high-quality protein, and essential and nonessential fatty acids. A review of evidence was conducted to evaluate associations between milk or dairy product intake and health outcomes in children and adolescents. Results suggest a neutral or inverse association between consumption of milk and dairy products in children and adolescents and indicators of adiposity, incidence of dental caries, and hypertension. Available data indicate that dairy products are important for linear growth and bone health during childhood. Additional research – in particular, controlled intervention trials and long-term prospective cohort studies – is warranted to better understand how dairy intake affects health outcomes in children and adolescents.
Misconceptions of Chance: Developmental Differences and Similarities in Use of the Representativeness Heuristic

Summay.-Children's use of the representativeness heuristic was studied using a modified version of the misconception of chance task originated by Kahnernan and Tversky in 1972. 243 participants from Grades 4, 6, and 8 as well as an adult comparison group judged the likelhood of various displays representing six coin tosses. Analysis suggested that approximately half of the participants in all age groups used representative thinking, i.e., judged the irregular sequence to be most probable. However, younger children provided more nonheuristic but incorrect answers than older children or adults. Findings are discussed in light of previous research on children's use of the representativeness heuristic. Research examining judgment under uncertainty has suggested that many judgments are made based on rules of thumb or mental short cuts called cognitive heuristics (Kahneman, Slovic, & Tversky, 1982). One such example of these short cuts is the representativeness heuristic. This heuristic is employed when one makes a judgment of the kebood that a person or an object is a member of a specific category and does so based upon its sirnilarity to properties of that category. For example, in a classic study, Tversky and Kahneman (1974) provided participants a brief personality description stereotypical of either a lawyer or an engineer in addition to the number of lawyers or engineers (the base rate) in a pool of 100 individuals. Participants were asked to judge the probabdity that the target inlvidual was a member of either category. The results suggested that manipulations of the base rate &d not influence probabhty judgments and that decisions were based primarily on the similarity of the target individual to a stereotype of that population. Another example of representative thinking taps into misconceptions of the chance process. Because many people have a stereotype of a random or chance process as producing irregular patterns, their judgments regarding the hkelthood of a random occurrence may be affected by how irregular the patterns appear. Local representativeness or the "law of small numbers" (Kahneman & Tversky, 1972) is the expectation that shorter sequences of events will be governed by the "law of large numbers," which holds that a
Cell Cycle Dependence of DNA-dependent Protein Kinase Phosphorylation in Response to DNA Double Strand Breaks

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), consisting of Ku and DNA-PKcs subunits, is the key component of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway of DNA double strand break (DSB) repair. Although the kinase activity of DNA-PKcs is essential for NHEJ, thus far, no in vivo substrate has been conclusively identified except for an autophosphorylation site on DNA-PKcs itself (threonine 2609). Here we report the ionizing radiation (IR)-induced autophosphorylation of DNA-PKcs at a novel site, serine 2056, the phosphorylation of which is required for the repair of DSBs by NHEJ. Interestingly, IR-induced DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation is regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner with attenuated phosphorylation in the S phase. In contrast, DNA replication-associated DSBs resulted in DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation and localization to DNA damage sites. These results indicate that although IR-induced DNA-PKcs phosphorylation is attenuated in the S phase, DNA-PKcs is preferentially activated by the physiologically relevant DNA replication-associated DSBs at the sites of DNA synthesis.
The cardiovascular effects of erythropoietin

Erythropoietin is a hypoxia-induced hormone that is essential for normal erythropoiesis. The production of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) has revolutionized the treatment of anemia associated with chronic renal failure and chemotherapy, and has been used as prophylaxis to prevent anemia after surgery. The erythropoietin receptor is widely distributed in the cardiovascular system, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. Epo has potentially beneficial effects on the endothelium including anti-apoptotic, mitogenic and angiogenic activities. On the other hand, some reports suggest that rHuEpo may have pro-thrombotic or platelet-activating effects. Hypertension develops in 20-30% of renal patients treated with rHuEpo. Many patients with heart failure have anemia. Despite some potential adverse effects, early studies in heart failure patients with anemia suggest that rHuEpo therapy is safe and effective in reducing left ventricular hypertrophy, enhancing exercise performance and increasing ejection fraction. Further studies are warranted to define the role of rHuEpo in chronic heart failure and other cardiovascular settings.
Mass transfer across a nonequilibrium interface

The problem of mass transfer with nonequilibrium at, and significant convection across, the interface has been studied by the method of matched asymptotic expansions. The inner solution for small values of t or z/Um was found in terms of fk functions which were obtained in closed analytical form. The outer solution for large values of t or z/Um was found in terms of gk functions which had to be determined numerically. With these solutions, calculation of concentratration distributions or instantaneous rates of mass transfer is straightforward, but determination of the total amount of mass transfer as a function of time is complicated by the lack of an intersection wherein the inner and outer solutions overlap and converge. To avoid the need for graphical interpolation and integration of the interfacial concentration as a function of time to obtain the total mass transferred, the constant of integration M1 is found to be (−kγ/2h) by assuming that the ratio of mass transferred with an equilibrium interface to that with a nonequilibrium interface is independent of whether or not Vy convection is negligible in the system as t → ∞. The effect of a nonequilibrium interface is greatest for small t in unsteady systems and z/Um in steady state systems. This occurs because the departure from their equilibrium values of the interfacial concentrations of the phases in contact is greatest when they are first brought into contact. The larger the interfacial mass transfer coefficient α, the smaller is the time required for the interfacial concentrations to achieve their equilibrium values. Other things being equal, the rate of mass transfer is greatest when the driving force xA*-x is greatest. Since the departure from equilibrium at the interface is greatest for small values of time, it follows that nonequilibrium interfacial phenomena can be observed most easily in systems where the rate of mass transfer is high. This is also the case when one cannot neglect the effect of finite velocity at the interface which is shown in the present work to be a significant effect. The method of analysis can be used to study a variety of problems in addition to the specific system considered here. In particular, both batch and flow reverse osmosis problems can be attacked by the present approach.
A Comparison of the Subsequent Laying House Performance of Range and Confinement Reared Pullets Fed All-Mash and Mash and Oats

Abstract DUE to the increase in cost of land and labor throughout most of the United States in recent years, added emphasis has been placed upon greater efficiencies in these two cost items. The confinement rearing of replacement pullets requires less acreage and makes possible more efficient use of labor. The subsequent performance of pullets reared in confinement as compared with range reared birds has taken on new importance. Stephenson et al. (1944) found no significant difference in annual egg production and egg size between birds reared on range and those reared in confinement. The confinement reared group did, however, lay more eggs in the fall and winter months, whereas the range reared birds laid more eggs in the spring and summer. Heuser et al. (1945) concluded that sexual maturity, annual egg production, and laying house mortality were not affected by the rearing method used. Winter and Schlamb (1948) compared range …
Comparing Models of Evolution for Ordered and Disordered Proteins

Most models of protein evolution are based upon proteins that form relatively rigid 3D structures. A significant fraction of proteins, the so-called disordered proteins, do not form rigid 3D structures and sample a broad conformational ensemble. Disordered proteins do not typically maintain long-range interactions, so the constraints on their evolution should be different than ordered proteins. To test this hypothesis, we developed and compared models of evolution for disordered and ordered proteins. Substitution matrices were constructed using the sequences of putative homologs for sets of experimentally characterized disordered and ordered proteins. Separate matrices, at three levels of sequence similarity (>85%, 85–60%, and 60–40%), were inferred for each type of protein structure. The substitution matrices for disordered and ordered proteins differed significantly at each level of sequence similarity. The disordered matrices reflected a greater likelihood of evolutionary changes, relative to the ordered matrices, and these changes involved nonconservative substitutions. Glutamic acid and asparagine were interesting exceptions to this result. Important differences between the substitutions that are accepted in disordered proteins relative to ordered proteins were also identified. In general, disordered proteins have fewer evolutionary constraints than ordered proteins. However, some residues like tryptophan and tyrosine are highly conserved in disordered proteins. This is due to their important role in forming protein–protein interfaces. Finally, the amino acid frequencies for disordered proteins, computed during the development of the matrices, were compared with amino acid frequencies for different categories of secondary structure in ordered proteins. The highest correlations were observed between the amino acid frequencies in disordered proteins and the solvent-exposed loops and turns of ordered proteins, supporting an emerging structural model for disordered proteins.
Integral equation formulation of microstrip antennas

The problem of a microstrip antenna covered by a dielectric is formulated in terms of coupled integro-differential equations with the current distribution on the microstrip patch as an unknown variable. Galerkin's method is used to solve for the unknown patch current. Using the present formulation the resonant frequency and bandwidth of a rectangular microstrip antenna are determined and compared with experimental results.
Perceived Importance of Social Skills A Survey of Teachers, Parents, and other Professionals

The importance of social skills instruction within the curriculum has long been recognized and discussed in the literature. The implementation of this area of instruction has been sporadic over the years, and reasons for this have been hypothesized by both researchers and teacher trainers. This study investigated the importance ratings and rankings of social skills by 263 parents, teachers, and other professionals from around the country. Personal interviews with teachers were conducted and Individualized Education Program documents were inspected in an effort to relate perceptions of importance to actual implementation of social skills instruction. Barriers to implementation also were recorded and analyzed. The results and recommended directions for future research are discussed.
Long-term results of total lymphoid irradiation in the treatment of cardiac allograft rejection

Purpose: To evaluate the short and long-term effects of total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) in the treatment of cardiac transplant rejection. Methods and Materials: Between 1986 and 1995, 48 courses of TLI were delivered to 47 cardiac transplant patients. In 37 patients, TLI was administered for intractable allograft rejection despite conventional therapy while 10 patients received TLI prophylactically. The prescribed radiation dose was 8 Gy in 0.8 Gy fractions twice weekly to mantle and inverted-Y plus spleen fields. Postirradiation follow-up ranged from 6 months to 9.1 years, with a mean of 3.1 years. Results: The actual mean dose was 7.3 Gy delivered over a mean of 39 days. Fifty-six percent of patients required treatment delay or abbreviation because of thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, infection, or unrelated problems. In patients treated for intractable rejection, rejection rates dropped from 0.46 to 0.14 and to 0.06 episodes/patient/ month before, during, and after TLI (p < 0.0001). Rejection rates continued to drop throughout follow-up. Prednisone requirements decreased from 0.41 mg/kg before treatment to 0.21 mg/kg afterward (p < 0.0001). The ratio of helper to cytotoxic-suppressor T-cells decreased during TLI from 1.33 to 0.89, and remained low at 0.44, 2-4 months after treatment. Infection rates were not increased and two patients developed malignancy. Rejection rates were high during prophylactic treatment and this protocol was abandoned. Three-year actuarial survival after irradiation was 60% for patients with intractable rejection and 70% for the prophylactic cohort. Conclusion: TLI is an effective treatment for control of intractable cardiac rejection. Episodes of rejection and steroid dosage requirements are decreased for up to 9.1 years. A possible mechanism of action is long term alteration in T-lymphocyte subsets. Patients experience transient bone marrow suppression but no increase in infection or bleeding. Long-term complications of TLI are not appreciably different than conventional immunosuppression.
Treatment adherence and persistence with duloxetine, venlafaxine XR, and escitalopram among patients with major depressive disorder and chronic pain-related diseases

AbstractObjective:Chronic pain is prevalent in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). This study compared adherence and persistence rates among MDD patients with comorbid chronic pain-related diseases (CPD, including fibromyalgia, diabetes with neurological manifestations, osteoarthritis, low back pain, and headache) for three antidepressants: duloxetine, venlafaxine XR, and escitalopram.Research design and methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of 15,523 adult MDD patients with CPD in the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database who started on one of the study medications between 07/01/06 and 06/30/07. Patients were followed-up for 6 months. Adherence was reported using a medication possession ratio ≥0.8. Persistence was measured using persistence rates (proportions of patients who continuously refilled prescriptions during 6 months) and duration of therapy (number of days patients remained on the study medication before a prescription gap over 30 days). Multivariate logistic ...
Improvement of CT-based treatment-planning models of abdominal targets using static exhale imaging.

Abstract Purpose: CT-based models of the patient that do not account for the motion of ventilation may not accurately predict the shape and position of critical abdominal structures. Respiratory gating technology for imaging and treatment is not yet widely available. The purpose of the current study is to explore an intermediate step to improve the veracity of the patient model and reduce the treated volume by acquiring the CT data with the patients holding their breath at normal exhale. Methods and Materials: The ventilatory time courses of diaphragm movement for 15 patients (with no special breathing instructions) were measured using digitized movies from the fluoroscope during simulation. A subsequent clinical protocol was developed for treatment based on exhale CT models. CT scans (typically 3.5-mm slice thickness) were acquired at normal exhale using a spiral scanner. The scan volume was divided into two to three segments, to allow the patient to breathe in between. Margins were placed about intrahepatic target volumes based on the ventilatory excursion inferior to the target, and on only the reproducibility of exhale position superior to the target. Results: The average patient's diaphragm remained within 25% of the range of ventilatory excursion from the average exhale position for 42% of the typical breathing cycle, and within 25% of the range from the average inhale position for 15% of the cycle. The reproducibility of exhale position over multiple breathing cycles was 0.9 mm (2σ), as opposed to 2.6 mm for inhale. Combining the variation of exhale position and the uncertainty in diaphragm position from CT slices led to typical margins of 10 mm superior to the target, and 19 mm inferior to the target, compared to margins of 19 mm in both directions under our prior protocol of margins based on free-breathing CT studies. For a typical intrahepatic target, these smaller volumes resulted in a 3.6% reduction in V eff for the liver. Analysis of portal films shows proper target coverage for patients treated based on exhale modeled plans. Conclusions: Modeling abdominal treatments at exhale, while not realizing all the gains of gated treatments, provides an immediate reduction in the volume of normal tissue treated, and improved reliability of patient data for NTCP modeling, when compared to current "free breathing" CT models of patients.
In vitro behavior of silicate glass coatings on Ti6Al4V

The in vitro response in simulated body fluid (SBF) of silicate glass coatings on Ti6A14V was evaluated. Glasses belonging to the SiO2-CaO-MgO-Na2O-K2O-P2O5 system were used to prepare 50-70 m thick coatings on Ti6Al4V, employing a simple enameling technique. Glasses with silica content higher than 55 wt% can be used to prepare coatings that do not crack or delaminate and exhibit good adhesion to the alloy. It has been found that coatings with silica content lower than 60 wt% are more susceptible to corrosion and precipitate carbonated hydroxyapatite on their surface during in vitro tests. However, these coatings have a higher thermal expansion than the metal and are under tension. After 2 months in SBF cracks grow in the coating that reach the glass/metal interface and initiate delamination. Glasses with silica content higher than 60 wt% are more resistant to corrosion and have lower thermal expansion. These coatings do not crack but they do not precipitate apatite even after 2 months in SBF.
Advances in channel-adaptive video streaming

We review recent advances in channel-adaptive video streaming. Adaptive media playout at the client can be used to reduce receiver buffering and therefore average latency, and provide a limited rate scalability. Rate-distortion optimized packet scheduling determines the best packet to send given the distortion reduction associated with sending that packet, interpacket dependencies, and the success of past transmissions. Channel-adaptive packet dependency control can greatly improve the error-robustness of streaming video and reduce or eliminate the need for packet retransmissions. Finally we consider three architectures for wireless video streaming and discuss the utility of the discussed techniques for each architecture.
The use of independent, interactive media for education in dental morphology.

Educational researchers have argued for the addition of new technologies to enhance or replace traditional dental education modalities to more effectively engage and appeal to the new generation of dental students. Two- and three-dimensional interactive media technology is now available for implementation into curricula to teach to a next-generation paradigm. The pur- pose of this study was to analyze the introduction of a unique, online, totally independent learning module for dental morphology instruction, completely replacing the traditional classroom teaching of the topic, and to determine the relationship between its use and parameters depicting success in learning dental morphology. In particular, the authors hypothesized that the novice, preclini- cal dental student can learn dental morphology independently and efficiently this way . One-third of a 2010-11 first-year class of dental students were given an independent, interactive media module for the instruction of dental morphology. The remaining members of the class experienced the traditional course with classroom lectures. At the end of the module, a written examina- tion and survey were given to both groups. The major findings were that the independent, interactive media module was just as effective as the traditional classroom method for successful dissemination of foundational knowledge in dental morphology; the independent study group performed significantly better on the didactic examination; the online module positively engaged the students; and students preferred the interactive media module but did not regard it as a total replacement for the traditional course.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Gastroparesis

To determine symptoms of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in gastroparesis patients. Patients undergoing LBT (lactulose breath test) for evaluation of SIBO were included. LBT was considered positive on the basis of three conventional criteria: (1) hydrogen level increase >20 ppm above baseline by 90 min (H2@90min); (2) dual hydrogen peaks (>10 ppm increase over baseline before second peak >20 ppm (DPHBT); and (3) breath methane increase of >20 ppm above baseline by 90 min. Results of gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) were recorded. Patients completed the Patient Assessment of Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders-Symptom Severity Index. Of 740 patients who underwent LBT from December 2009 to August 2011, 471 underwent GES, with 201 having delayed GES. Of patients with delayed GES who underwent LBT 87 % were female, 23 % diabetic, 49 % used gastric acid suppressants, 29 % used opiate analgesics, 35 % used pro-motility medications, and 27 % had a history of gastrointestinal surgery. Overall, 79 (39 %) patients with gastroparesis had evidence of SIBO by LBT: 30 (15 %) had positive H2@90min, 53 (26 %) positive DPHBT, and 6 (3 %) positive breath methane test. In gastroparesis patients with positive H2@90min, there was increased severity of bloating (3.80 ± 0.20 vs 3.29 ± 0.12; P = 0.02), early satiety (3.57 ± 0.27 vs 3.05 ± 0.13; P = 0.045), and postprandial fullness (4.20 ± 0.18 vs 3.52 ± 0.12; P < 0.01) compared with negative H2@90min patients. No significant difference in symptom severity was seen between positive and negative DPHBT gastroparesis patients. In our cohort, 39 % of gastroparesis patients tested positive for SIBO by LBT. Positive H2@90min testing by LBT was associated with increased symptoms of bloating and excessive fullness during and after meals.
Predicting stability of mixed microbial cultures from single species experiments: 2. Physiological model.

The growth of mixed microbial cultures on mixtures of substrates is a fundamental problem of both theoretical and practical interest. On the one hand, the literature is abundant with experimental studies of mixed-substrate phenomena [T. Egli, The ecological and physiological significance of the growth of heterotrophic microorganisms with mixtures of substrates, Adv. Microbiol. Ecol. 14 (1995) 305-386]. On the other hand, a number of mathematical models of mixed-substrate growth have been analyzed in the last three decades. These models typically assume specific kinetic expressions for substrate uptake and biomass growth rates and their predictions are formulated in terms of parameters of the model. In this work, we formulate and analyze a general mathematical model of mixed microbial growth on mixtures of substitutable substrates. Using this model, we study the effect of mutual inhibition of substrate uptake rates on the stability of the equilibria of the model. Specifically, we address the following question: How much of the dynamics exhibited by two competing species can be inferred from single species data? We provide geometric criteria for stability of various types of equilibria corresponding to non-competitive exclusion, competitive exclusion, and coexistence of two competing species in terms of growth isoclines and consumption curves. A growth isocline is a curve in the plane of substrate concentrations corresponding to the zero net growth of a given species. In [G.T. Reeves, A. Narang, S.S. Pilyugin, Growth of mixed cultures on mixtures of substitutable substrates: The operating diagram for a structured model, J. Theor. Biol. 226 (2004) 143-157], we introduced consumption curves as sets of all possible combinations of substrate concentrations corresponding to balanced growth of a single microbial species. Both types of curves can be obtained in single species experiments.
Supply and Threshold Voltage Optimization for Temperature Variation Insensitive Circuit Performance: A Comparison

In this paper, the supply and threshold voltage optimization techniques to achieve temperature variation insensitive circuit performance are compared. The speed and energy tradeoffs with the two optimization techniques are presented.
An explanation to the limitation observed in the Kumaresan-Prony algorithm

In this correspondence we explain the limitation of the Kumaresan-Prony algorithm observed in [2]. It is shown that the condition number of the matrix involved with the associated least-squares problem periodically degrades ( condition number \rightarrow \infin ) making the least-squares solution ill conditioned. This ill conditioning causes a degradation in the estimates obtained by the Kumaresan-Prony algorithm.
Artificial Neural Networks for Spectroscopic Signal Measurement

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Methods Results Discussion This chapter contains sections titled: Acknowledgments References
PeanutBase and Other Bioinformatic Resources for Peanut

Abstract Large-scale genomic data for peanut have only become available in the last few years, with the advent of low-cost sequencing technologies. To make the data accessible to researchers and to integrate across diverse types of data, the International Peanut Genomics Consortium funded the development of PeanutBase, at http://peanutbase.org . This website provides access to genetic maps and markers, locations of quantitative trait loci (QTLs), genome sequences, gene locations and sequences, gene families and correspondences with genes in other species, and descriptions of traits and growth characteristics. The website also provides tools for exploration and analysis, including sequence of genomic and genic sequences, and keyword searches of genes, gene families, and QTL studies. These resources should facilitate breeding advancements in peanut, helping improve crop productivity and there are a variety of resources for peanut research around the web, ranging from tools for basic plant biology to information for growers and various sectors of the peanut industry to resources for plant breeders. Many of these resources are listed and/or maintained at http://peanutbase.org/community .
Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation Impacts on Crops Production Diversity and Dietary Diversity in Northern Benin

Background:Meeting the food needs of Africa's growing population will require innovative and appropriate technologies whose effectiveness needs to be assessed.Objective:To evaluate the impact of So...
Arthrinium Japonicum and Notes on Arthrinium Kamtschaticum

(1969). Arthrinium Japonicum and Notes on Arthrinium Kamtschaticum. Mycologia: Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 187-190.
ATPS-66INVESTIGATING S6K1 INHIBITORS FOR TARGETING PTEN-DEFICIENT GLIOBLASTOMA

PTEN-inactivation in glioblastoma (GBM) triggers the hyperactivation of protein kinases, including mTOR and its downstream target, the ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1). Previous studies have demonstrated the potential efficacy of mTOR inhibitors for GBM therapy. We explored S6K1 inhibitors for potential cytotoxic effects in PTEN-deficient GBM cells. All S6K1 inhibitors were effective in reducing the phosphorylation of S6K1 substrates. However, analysis of the phosphorylation of the inhibitor-bound S6K1 revealed important differences: some S6K1 inhibitors induced the phosphorylation of inhibitor-bound kinase, while others had little evidence of this effect. Induced phosphorylation of the inhibitor-bound kinase has been termed inhibitor hijacking. Our analysis in GBM cells suggests that S6K1 inhibitor hijacking is correlated with induced proximity to the upstream kinase, mTORC1. Evidence of inhibitor hijacking was inversely correlated with cytotoxic activity. We propose selective development of S6K1 inhibitors that avoid the hijacking effect for counteracting oncogenic signals in PTEN-deficient glioblastoma.
Recombinant human MCP-1/JE induces chemotaxis, calcium flux, and the respiratory burst in human monocytes

The JE gene was first described as a platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-inducible gene in mouse 3T3 cells. The human homologue of JE encodes a protein whose predicted amino acid sequence is identical to that of the monocyte chemoattractant MCP-1 (also called MCAF and SMC-CF), which belongs to a recently identified family of small secretory proteins with cytokine properties. We purified recombinant human MCP-1/JE (hMCP-1/JE) produced in COS cells and demonstrated that it is chemotactic for human monocytes with a specific activity similar to natural MCP-1. In addition, pure recombinant hMCP-1/JE stimulates monocytes, inducing an increase in cytosolic free calcium and the respiratory burst, but is completely inactive on human neutrophils. These results help to define functionally a well-known growth factor-inducible gene and a member of a new family of cytokines.
Making Predictions: The Group Decision Forecasting (GDF) Problem

This paper describes the group decision forecasting (or prediction) problem and explores a particular case of it. The case is that of what policy the Iranian government would implement for pursuing the war with Iran during the mid-1980s. This case is described in a well-known, if controversial paper by Bueno de Mesquita. Four generalized voting models are developed and explain in this paper, with somewhat conflicting results. The paper also presents a NetLogo implementation of the models, available on the NetLogo Modeling Commons. Finally, the concept of solution pluralism is discussed as a means of supporting deliberation in such contexts as group decision forecasting, in which both data and modeling techniques are problematic. It is argued that discovering robust solutions/predictions using computational methods offers at least a modicum of leverage in such difficult circumstances.
The efficacy of the Microsoft KinectTM to assess human bimanual coordination.

The Microsoft Kinect has been used in studies examining posture and gait. Despite the advantages of portability and low cost, this device has not been used to assess interlimb coordination. Fundamental insights into movement control, variability, health, and functional status can be gained by examining coordination patterns. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of the Microsoft Kinect to capture bimanual coordination relative to a research-grade motion capture system. Twenty-four healthy adults performed coordinated hand movements in two patterns (in-phase and antiphase) at eight movement frequencies (1.00-3.33 Hz). Continuous relative phase (CRP) and discrete relative phase (DRP) were used to quantify the means (mCRP and mDRP) and variability (sdCRP and sdDRP) of coordination patterns. Between-device agreement was assessed using Bland-Altman bias with 95 % limits of agreement, concordance correlation coefficients (absolute agreement), and Pearson correlation coefficients (relative agreement). Modest-to-excellent relative and absolute agreements were found for mCRP in all conditions. However, mDRP showed poor agreement for the in-phase pattern at low frequencies, due to large between-device differences in a subset of participants. By contrast, poor absolute agreement was observed for both sdCRP and sdDRP, while relative agreement ranged from poor to excellent. Overall, the Kinect captures the macroscopic patterns of bimanual coordination better than coordination variability.
The Institute of Medicine Study

This chapter reviews the findings and recommendations of an expert committee appointed by the Institute of Medicine in 1995 to study the contamination of the blood supply. The Committee delivered a critical assessment of blood bank directors, pharmaceutical companies, the National Hemophilia Foundation, and federal authorities, and then made several explicit recommendations. They suggested that a Blood Safety Director and Blood Safety Council should be established to: assess threats to the blood supply; communicate this information to public health officials, clinicians, and the public; propose strategies to overcome such threats; monitor their implementation; and alert scientists of research opportunities to improve blood safety. In addition, they recommended that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) should institute a surveillance system to detect, monitor, and warn of adverse effects of blood and blood products, and suggested that the Government should establish a no-fault compensation system for individuals injured by these products. Finally, they urged voluntary organizations to avoid conflicts of interest by selecting impartial experts for panels providing medical advice.
Evaluating physical/virtual occlusion management techniques for horizontal displays

We evaluate unguided and guided visual search performance for a set of techniques that mitigate occlusion between physical and virtual objects on a tabletop display. The techniques are derived from a general model of hybrid physical/virtual occlusion, and take increasingly drastic measures to make the user aware of, identify, and access hidden objects--but with increasingly spaceconsuming and disruptive impact on the display. Performance is different depending on the visual display, suggesting a tradeoff between management strength and visual space deformation.
Postoperative care of symphysiotomy performed for severe shoulder dystocia with fetal demise

Abstract Background Shoulder dystocia is an obstetric emergency which occurs in 0.2–3% of all births ACOG Committee on Practice Bulletins-Obstetrics and The American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists (2002) . Symphysiotomy is a treatment option reserved primarily for developing countries where mortality rates of Cesarean delivery are 1–2% Monjok et al. (2013) . Case A G3P2002 with a history of two prior vaginal deliveries had a term delivery complicated by a severe shoulder dystocia. She underwent emergent symphysiotomy at an outside institution, with delivery of a dead macrosomic infant. She was transferred to our tertiary care center for further care. Conclusion Symphysiotomy is rarely performed in the United States. We submit our postoperative management to add to the literature of this rarely performed obstetric intervention. Precis Symphysiotomy for severe shoulder dystocia is rarely utilized in the United States. We describe a case of symphysiotomy done for severe shoulder dystocia at an outside institution, and the patient's subsequent care at our institution.
Making Cancer Rehabilitation Services Work for Cancer Patients: Recommendations for Research and Practice to Improve Employment Outcomes

Cancer and its treatment can result in impairments that limit physical, psychosocial, and cognitive functioning, interfering with patients' ability to perform work-related functions. Because these work limitations can carry significant personal and societal costs, there is a timely need to identify and refer patients to cancer rehabilitation services to manage adverse consequences of treatment and to preserve employment. Coordinated efforts in 3 key areas will better connect patients to rehabilitation interventions that will help optimize employment. These include the following: planning for the impact of cancer on the ability to work; implementing routine screening for impairments and facilitating referrals to cancer rehabilitation specialists; and focusing rehabilitation interventions on preserving employment. Coordinated strategies are presented to achieve these 3 goals, including the following: implementing changes to clinical practice to routinely screen for impairments; working with oncology providers and patients to better understand the benefits of cancer rehabilitation to facilitate referrals and uptake; training more cancer rehabilitation providers to handle the increased need; better coordination of care across providers and with employers; and filling research gaps needed to proactively anticipate how cancer treatment would affect work for a given patient and deploy personalized interventions to preserve the ability to work.
What matters, when, for whom? three questions to guide population health scholarship.

We are at an inflection point in the history of public health scholarship. The past decade has seen a steady increase in the adoption of population health as a conceptual lens, emerging as the science that underlies the practice of public health.1 Attending this increase in interest have been books2 and papers3 that aspire to create frameworks that guide the study of population health science. We consider this all positive, seeing the rise of population health science as freeing, allowing the evolution of a scholarship of population health that can engage with ideas, unencumbered by the pragmatic needs of public health practice. As might be expected, however, this evolution also occasions challenges. The growth of scholarship in population health may diverge too widely from the practice of public health. Freedom from pragmatic exigency runs the risk of leading to scholarship that is unmoored from the needs of the public health enterprise. In this essay, we aim to distil some of our own scholarship around population health science,4–6 informed by others who have come before us7 or are currently writing in the field,8 to highlight three core questions that we think can help focus contemporary population health science. We argue that the three questions emerge from an understanding of the fundamentals of population health but can, and perhaps should, serve as guideposts for emerging scholarship. We illustrate the import of each of these questions with examples of relevance to injury prevention, aiming both to concretise our thoughts and to have these questions challenge and provoke scholarship and action in this area. We suggest that the first question of fundamental interest to anyone engaged in population health is deceptively simple: what matters? We have previously commented on what might matter most,5 but here we take …
Effects of posture and coactivation on corticomotor excitability of ankle muscles.

Background The use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to evaluate corticomotor excitability of lower limb (LL) muscles can provide insights about neuroplasticity mechanisms underlying LL rehabilitation. However, to date, a majority of TMS studies have focused on upper limb muscles. Posture-related activation is an important under-investigated factor influencing corticomotor excitability of LL muscles. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of posture and background activation on corticomotor excitability of ankle muscles. Methods Fourteen young neurologically-unimpaired participants (26.1±4.1 years) completed the study. TMS-evoked motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus during 4 conditions - standing, standing coactivation, sitting, and sitting coactivation. TA and soleus MEP amplitudes were compared during: (1) standing versus sitting;(2) standing coactivation (standing while activating both TA and soleus) versus sitting coactivation; and (3) standing coactivation versus standing. For each comparison, background EMG for TA and soleus were matched. Trial-to-trial coefficient of variation of MEP amplitude and coil-positioning errors were additional dependent variables. Results No differences were observed in TA or soleus MEP amplitudes during standing versus sitting. Compared to sitting coactivation, larger MEPs were observed during standing coactivation for soleus but not TA. Compared to standing, the standing coactivation task demonstrated larger MEPs and reduced trial-to-trial MEP variability. Conclusion Our findings suggest that incorporation of measurements in standing in future TMS studies may provide novel insights into neural circuits controlling LL muscles. Standing and standing coactivation tasks may be beneficial for obtaining functionally-relevant neuroplasticity assessments of LL musculature.
Reversible-addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) mediated depolymerization of brush polymers

Brush polymers synthesized by reversible-addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization underwent depolymerization when heated in the absence of initiator. The depolymerizations followed pseudo first order kinetics and reached significant monomer concentrations (ca. 30 mM). RAFT polymerizations confirmed that depolymerizations reached thermodynamic equilibrium and the thermodynamic parameters of polymerization were independent of macromonomer molecular weight. Depolymerized polymers still had active terminal RAFT agents that could reinitiate polymerization, confirming that depolymerization was thermodynamically driven and mediated by the RAFT agent.