cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fungal and Parasitic Infections of the Eye

The unique structure of the human eye as well as exposure of the eye directly to the environment renders it vulnerable to a number of uncommon infectious diseases caused by fungi and parasites. Host defenses directed against these microorganisms, once anatomical barriers are breached, are often insufficient to prevent loss of vision. Therefore, the timely identification and treatment of the involved microorganisms are paramount. The anatomy of the eye and its surrounding structures is presented with an emphasis upon the association of the anatomy with specific infection of fungi and parasites. For example, filamentous fungal infections of the eye are usually due to penetrating trauma by objects contaminated by vegetable matter of the cornea or globe or, by extension, of infection from adjacent paranasal sinuses. Fungal endophthalmitis and chorioretinitis, on the other hand, are usually the result of antecedent fungemia seeding the ocular tissue. Candida spp. are the most common cause of endogenous endophthalmitis, although initial infection with the dimorphic fungi may lead to infection and scarring of the chorioretina. Contact lens wear is associated with keratitis caused by yeasts, filamentous fungi, and Acanthamoebae spp. Most parasitic infections of the eye, however, arise following bloodborne carriage of the microorganism to the eye or adjacent structures.
Prognostic factors in oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The survival of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unaffected despite recent therapeutic advances. To reverse this trend, reliable and clinically applicable markers of tumor aggressiveness must be identified. One such marker may be the tumor-associated macrophage content. The authors hypothesized that tumor-associated macrophages contribute to HNSCC aggressiveness, and the objective of the current study was to prove this hypothesis using mRNA expression analysis and a large cohort of clinical specimens. METHODS Oligonucleotide microarray analysis was performed on a prospective cohort of 20 patients with previously untreated oral cavity or oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OC/OP SCCA) and on normal oropharyngeal mucosa from 4 patients. After determining whether macrophage chemoattractants were produced by tumors, conditioned media from three HNSCC cell lines were used to quantify macrophage migration in an in vitro assay. A high-density tissue microarray of 102 patients with previously untreated OC/OP SCCA was stained immunohistochemically for CD68 to identify tissue macrophages, and the results were correlated with clinicopathologic data and survival. RESULTS Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 was up-regulated significantly in tumors compared with normal mucosa (P = 0.0025; fold change = 1.89). All University of Michigan SCC tumor cell line conditioned media caused a significant increase in macrophage migration (P < 0.05). Tissue microarray data revealed that macrophage content of the primary tumor was associated strongly with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.0001), extracapsular lymph node spread (P = 0.0001), and advanced clinical disease stage (P = 0.0002). When it was evaluated along with other clinicopathologic data, the macrophage content was found to be an independent predictor of lymph node metastasis (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Primary tumor macrophage content is a strong predictor of tumor aggressiveness in HNSCC. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Teachers’ and Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perceptions about a Tangible Symbols Intervention: Efficacy, Generalization, and Recommendations

Twenty-nine special education teachers (n = 21) and speech-language pathologists (n = 8) were interviewed about a tangible symbols intervention conducted with 51 children (3–21 years) with multiple disabilities and visual impairment. The intervention, which took place over a 7-month period, addressed the use of tangible symbols in the context of a structured protocol for implementing the daily schedule. These educators reported that students learned the meaning of symbols, exhibited improved behavior, and learned part or all of the daily routine, among other benefits. Supports and barriers to student learning (later coded as student characteristics or intervention characteristics) were discussed. Interviewees suggested improvements to the intervention and for generalization to the home setting, including labeling in the family’s first language.
To Act or Wait: A Two-Stage View of Ripeness

This paper examines different conceptions of ripeness to evaluate their usefulness to war termination theory and practice. After examining the objective and subjective elements of ripeness, it suggests that the first definitions can be linked by using bureaucratic decisionmaking models and “two-table” negotiating models. This article concludes that ripeness can be enhanced through a systematic combination of its objective and subjective elements within a framework of possible policy options and intervention actions. It stresses that collaboration and communication between Track I and Track II intervenors is the key to transforming ripeness from a condition to a goal.
Is your software ready for release

The author presents a method derived from the exponential model of reliability to answer the question of whether software is good enough for release. This zero-failure method is a decision technique that specifies the number of test hours before software release in which no additional test failures are permitted to be found. This method has been applied at the release of 75 software products. The initial results indicate that the method does provide useful information for quality-assurance purposes. >
Reordering of Prolog programs with AND-parallelism

A method that allows reordering of Prolog causes without reordering their solutions, called order tracking, is presented. Reordering clauses enables the execution of a program at lower cost, as well as more goals to be run in AND-parallel; order tracking ensures that the reordered clauses behave exactly like their originals. The Markov-chain model is extended for estimating probability and cost, adding order tracking and a model for AND-parallel execution. This allows for estimation of when reordering and AND-parallelism will speed execution and when they will slow it. >
Reduced-order compensation: LQG reduction versus optimal projection using a homotopic continuation method

In previous work, six methods for designing reduced order controllers were compared using an example problem. This paper considers the Optimal Projection method as solved by a recently developed homotopy continuation algorithm. Design results obtained by the different methods for forty-two design cases are compared with respect to closed-loop stability. Only the optimal projection method produced stable designs for all cases.
Relationship between anisotropic diffusion properties and tissue morphology in porcine TMJ disc

Summary Objective To investigate the relationship between anisotropic solute diffusion properties and tissue morphology in porcine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discs. Design TMJ discs from eleven pigs aged 6–8 months were divided into five regions: anterior, intermediate, posterior, lateral, and medial. The transport properties and tissue morphology were investigated in three orthogonal orientations: anteroposterior (AP), mediolateral (ML), and superoinferior (SI). The anisotropic diffusivity of fluorescein (332 Da) in the right discs was determined by the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) protocols. The tissue morphology in the left discs was quantified by scanning electron microscopy. Results The diffusivities of fluorescein in the TMJ disc were significantly anisotropic, except for the anterior region. In the medial, intermediate, and lateral regions, the diffusion along the fiber orientation ( i.e. , AP direction) was significantly faster than the diffusion in ML and SI directions. In the posterior region, the diffusion along the fiber orientation ( i.e. , ML direction) was significantly faster than the diffusion in AP and SI directions. The diffusion in the anterior region was mostly isotropic with the lowest degree of diffusion anisotropy, as well as collagen fiber alignment, likely due to the multi-directional fiber arrangement. The anterior region had the highest mean diffusivity [65.6 (49.3–81.8) μm 2 /s] in the disc, likely due to its high water content. The overall average diffusivity of fluorescein across the TMJ disc was 57.0 (43.0–71.0) μm 2 /s. Conclusions The solute diffusion in porcine TMJ discs was strongly anisotropic and inhomogeneous, which associated with tissue structure ( i.e. , collagen fiber alignment) and composition ( e.g. , water content).
An efficient algorithm for maintaining consistent group membership in ad hoc networks

Designing a reliable group membership algorithm for mobile ad hoc networks is a non-trivial task since we must deal with limited device power, possibilities of frequent disconnections and network partitions. The function of the group membership service is to maintain a consistent group view across all members of the group. Only then can we say that the group membership service is reliable. Reliable group membership protocols in distributed systems (e.g., the virtual partitioning (VP) algorithm) make free use of aborts as a tactic to ensure the reliability of group formation. We present a group membership algorithm based on VP that minimizes message exchanges and thus reduces the power spent in transmission by detecting and eliminating superfluous aborts.
An investigation of speaker verification accuracy using fundamental frequency and duration as distinguishing features

A method of automatically verifying a person's identity based on measurements of features taken from a sample of speech is presented. The design goal was to develop a simple, efficiently implemented system, compared with existing systems, while retaining as much accuracy as possible. Parameters extracted from the utterance are fundamental frequency of vocal cord vibration and duration of voicing. Mahalanobis and Euclidean distances are used to compare the sets of features. An accuracy of 100% was obtained for one individual with the Mahalanobis distance measure; several other individuals had performance accuracies over 90%. On the whole, accuracy rates achieved in the simulation were about 80%. >
Novel Multiscale Modeling Tool Applied to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation

Multiscale modeling is used to represent biological systems with increasing frequency and success. Multiscale models are often hybrids of different modeling frameworks and programming languages. We present the MATLAB-NetLogo extension (MatNet) as a novel tool for multiscale modeling. We demonstrate the utility of the tool with a multiscale model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation that incorporates both an agent-based model (ABM) and constraint-based metabolic modeling. The hybrid model correctly recapitulates oxygen-limited biofilm metabolic activity and predicts increased growth rate via anaerobic respiration with the addition of nitrate to the growth media. In addition, a genome-wide survey of metabolic mutants and biofilm formation exemplifies the powerful analyses that are enabled by this computational modeling tool.
Social Data Mining and Knowledge Flows Between Government and its Citizenry in Crisis and Normal Situations

As the world's population is rapidly growing in urban areas, leveraging technologies for building efficient and sustainable infrastructure to support its residents has been a core focus of the cities and local governments' strategic plans. This paper will discuss applications relevant to urban areas with a focus on discussing research insight tools that draw on real-time public opinion sentiments in democratic societies. These tools will provide important data on what citizens know and want to know in normal circumstances. It also provides real-time analysis on development and humanitarian challenges within urban areas in times of crisis. The knowledge flows that are defined by citizen participation in government decisions can be exploited for other purposes, including the creation of smarter infrastructure (e.g., an electric grid or traffic management) aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of the services provided by local governments.
Intelligent control application on sample identification

An intelligent control implementation is proposed for sample differentiation with Raman spectroscopy, which can be used to characterize various samples for decision-making and medical diagnosis. Raman spectra are weak signals whose features are inevitably affected by numerous noises during the calibration process. These noises must be eliminated to an acceptable level. Fuzzy control has been widely used to solve uncertainty, imprecision and vague phenomena, so fuzzy logic can be used for noise filtering. The resulting intrinsic Raman spectrum has been trained using artificial neural networks. Both unsupervised learning and supervised learning are to be conducted in this preliminary research on sample identification. For unsupervised training, principal component analysis (PCA) is exploited, which is based on Hebbian rule and single value decomposition (SVD) approach, respectively. For supervised training, radial basis function (RBF) is presented. A complete procedure for sample identification consists of Raman spectra calibration, noise filtering, unsupervised classification and supervised neural network training. A systematic intelligent control approach is formulated in consequence for sample identification. The long-term objective is to create a real-time approach for sample analysis using a Raman spectrometer directly mounted at the end-effector of the medical robots to enhance robotic remote surgery
A marketing plan for recruiting students into pharmacy school-based graduate programs. A report

INTRODUCTION In 1999, the Recruitment Issues Subcommittee of AACP’s Social and Administrative Sciences (SAS) Graduate Programs Standards Committee was given a task to develop a marketing plan to recruit students into pharmacy school-based graduate programs in the social and administrative sciences (e.g., healthcare ethics, health services research, management, marketing, pharmacoeconomics, psychology and sociology). The subcommittee, composed of SAS faculty and students enrolled in pharmacy school-based SAS graduate programs, proceeded to develop a plan that incorporates many but not necessarily all of the elements of a formal marketing plan(1). The impetus behind the development of this marketing plan was to identify immediate and explicit steps for increasing the number of students applying to and graduating from pharmacy school-based graduate programs in the social and administrative sciences. The competitive nature of the market for pharmacy graduates in North America is making it increasingly difficult to attract qualified candidates for graduate education. In part, this difficulty is due to the wide range of alternatives available to pharmacy graduates who would be potential graduate school candidates. Pharmacy graduates are in great demand for entry-level pharmacist positions at very competitive starting salaries. Alternatively, students who wish to continue their education after pharmacy school can choose from residencies, fellowships, or other graduate programs leading to master or doctoral degrees in the basic and pharmaceutical sciences (MS/PhD), Business Administration (MBA/DBA), Health Administration (MHA) or Public Health (MPH/DPH), as well as other programs. Pharmacy schools wishing to attract qualified graduate students may benefit from systematic marketing efforts both at the school and Association levels. This paper outlines a marketing plan for recruiting students into pharmacy school-based graduate programs, hereafter referred to as SAS graduate programs. Although recruitment of graduate students into Social and Administrative Sciences programs is emphasized, many of the considerations discussed are applicable to the recruiting efforts by AACP’s other Academic Sections as well. The remaining sections of this report: (i) address challenges and opportunities when recruiting graduate students; (ii) discuss the need to clearly define the “product” that graduate programs are trying to sell to potential students; (iii) profile the types of students appropriate for graduate edu-
Torque: topology-free querying of protein interaction networks

TORQUE is a tool for cross-species querying of protein–protein interaction networks. It aims to answer the following question: given a set of proteins constituting a known complex or a pathway in one species, can a similar complex or pathway be found in the protein network of another species? To this end, TORQUE seeks a matching set of proteins that are sequence similar to the query proteins and span a connected region of the target network, while allowing for both insertions and deletions. Unlike existing approaches, TORQUE does not require knowledge of the interconnections among the query proteins. It can handle large queries of up to 25 proteins. The TORQUE web server is freely available for use at http://www.cs.tau.ac.il/~bnet/torque.html.
Long-term mortality after community-acquired sepsis: a longitudinal population-based cohort study.

Objective Prior studies have concentrated on the acute short-term outcomes of sepsis, with little focus on its long-term consequences. The objective of this study was to characterise long-term mortality following a sepsis event. Design Population-based data from the 30 239 community-dwelling individuals in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. Setting USA. Participants Community-dwelling adults ≥45 years of age. Sepsis was defined as hospitalisation or emergency department treatment for a serious infection with the presence of ≥2 systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. Outcomes 6-year all-cause mortality. The analysis utilised a time-varying Cox model adjusted for participant9s age, demographic factors, health behaviours and chronic medical conditions. Results The participants were observed for a median of 6.1 years (IQR 4.5–7.1). During this period, 975 individuals experienced a sepsis event. Sepsis hospital mortality was 8.9%. One-year, 2-year and 5-year all-cause mortality among individuals with sepsis were 23%, 28.8% and 43.8%, respectively, compared with death rates of 1%, 2.6% and 8.3% among those who never developed sepsis. On multivariable analysis, the association of sepsis with increased all-cause mortality persisted for up to 5 years, after adjustment for confounders; year 0.00–1.00, adjusted HR (aHR) 13.07 (95% CI 10.63 to 16.06); year 1.01–2.00 aHR 2.64 (1.85 to 3.77); year 2.01–3.00 aHR 2.18 (1.43 to 3.33); year 3.01–4.00 aHR 1.97 (1.19 to 3.25); year 4.01–5.00 aHR 2.08 (1.14 to 3.79); year 5.01+ aHR 1.41 (0.67 to 2.98). Conclusions Individuals with sepsis exhibited increased rates of death for up to 5 years after the illness event, even after accounting for comorbidities. Sepsis is independently associated with increased risk of mortality well after hospital treatment.
Efficient program scheduling for heterogeneous multi-core processors

Heterogeneous multicore processors promise high execution efficiency under diverse workloads, and program scheduling is critical in exploiting this efficiency. This paper presents a novel method to leverage the inherent characteristics of a program for scheduling decisions in heterogeneous multicore processors. The proposed method projects the core's configuration and the program's resource demand to a unified multi-dimensional space, and uses weighted Euclidean distance between these two to guide the program scheduling. The experimental results show that on average, this distance based scheduling heuristic achieves 24.5% reduction in energy delay product, 6.1% reduction in energy, and 9.1% improvement in throughput when compared with traditional hardware oblivious scheduling algorithm.
Activation of central angiotensin type 2 receptors by compound 21 improves arterial baroreflex sensitivity in rats with heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by increased sympathetic nerve activity, which exacerbates this syndrome.1–3 It is well established that impaired arterial baroreflex (ABR) function contributes to sympatho-excitation.4,5 Improvement in baroreflex sensitivity and the subsequent reduction in sympathetic outflow are considered to be therapeutically beneficial in HF. As the primary effector of the renin-angiotensin system, angiotensin II (Ang II) is well known to participate in the pathology of HF.6 This octapeptide binds 2 primary receptor subtypes, the Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and type 2 receptor (AT2R). Activation of AT1R increases sympathetic tone and impairs ABR function and therefore contributes to the progression of HF.7 Indeed, large retrospective studies have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and AT1R blockade profoundly reduce mortality of HF patients.8 AT2R exerts opposite effects that oppose those from activation of AT1R.9 Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that in normal rats, central overexpression10 or activation11 of AT2R decreased sympathetic outflow. The decreased AT2R expression and signaling in brain sympathetic nuclei, on the other hand, contribute to the sympatho-excitation in HF rats.12 However, the effect of AT2R activation on ABR function and sympathetic outflow in the HF state is unknown. Compound 21 (C21) is the first nonpeptide, orally active, and highly selective AT2R agonist.13,14 This chemical has been demonstrated to provide beneficial effects in rats that have been subjected to coronary ligation surgery and myocardial infarction15,16 and is protective in rats with high blood pressure (BP) against hypertensive end-organ damage.17,18 Chronic stimulation of AT2R by C21 alone or in combination with the AT1R blocker losartan improved endothelial function and vascular remodeling by reducing oxidative stress.18 Previous data from our laboratory have shown that intracerebroventricular infusion of C21 reduced urinary norepinephrine (NE) excretion and decreased BP in normal rats.11 Accordingly, we hypothesized that C21 evokes a similar sympatho-inhibitory effect in the HF state. In this study, we determined the influence of intracerebroventricular infusion of C21 on ABR function, urinary NE excretion, and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in rats with coronary ligation–induced HF. Given that nitric oxide (NO) has been suggested as one of the major signaling molecules mediating AT2R function19 and that suppressed brain NO/neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) signaling contributes to the AT1R-induced sympatho-excitation in HF rats,20,21 the cardiovascular and sympathetic responses to bolus intracerebroventricular injection of Ang II and the nNOS/AT1R protein expressions in the brain sympathetic nuclei in these C21-treated HF rats were also evaluated.
Evidence for Degenerate Tetraploidy in Bdelloid Rotifers

Rotifers of class Bdelloidea have evolved for millions of years apparently without sexual reproduction. We have sequenced 45- to 70-kb regions surrounding the four copies of the hsp82 gene of the bdelloid rotifer Philodina roseola, each of which is on a separate chromosome. The four regions comprise two colinear gene-rich pairs with gene content, order, and orientation conserved within each pair. Only a minority of genes are common to both pairs, also in the same orientation and order, but separated by gene-rich segments present in only one or the other pair. The pattern is consistent with degenerate tetraploidy with numerous segmental deletions, some in one pair of colinear chromosomes and some in the other. Divergence in 1,000-bp windows varies along an alignment of a colinear pair, from zero to as much as 20% in a pattern consistent with gene conversion associated with recombinational repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Although pairs of colinear chromosomes are a characteristic of sexually reproducing diploids and polyploids, a quite different explanation for their presence in bdelloids is suggested by the recent finding that bdelloid rotifers can recover and resume reproduction after suffering hundreds of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks per oocyte nucleus. Because bdelloid primary oocytes are in G1 and therefore lack sister chromatids, we propose that bdelloid colinear chromosome pairs are maintained as templates for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks caused by the frequent desiccation and rehydration characteristic of bdelloid habitats.
Teaching the Biological Consequences of Alcohol Abuse through an Online Game: Impacts among Secondary Students

A multimedia game was designed to serve as a dual-purpose intervention that aligned with National Science Content Standards, while also conveying knowledge about the consequences of alcohol consumption for a secondary school audience. A tertiary goal was to positively impact adolescents' attitudes toward science through career role-play experiences within the game. In a pretest/delayed posttest design, middle and high school students, both male and female, demonstrated significant gains on measures of content knowledge and attitudes toward science. The best predictors of these outcomes were the players' ratings of the game's usability and satisfaction with the game. The outcomes suggest that game interventions can successfully teach standards-based science content, target age-appropriate health messages, and impact students' attitudes toward science.
Transsphenoidal Removal of Craniopharyngioma

Transsphenoidal microsurgical removal is appropriate therapy for a significant number of craniopharyngiomas. Favorable factors for the transsphenoidal approach are enlargement of the sella, cystic les
The Role of the Seed Bank in Recovery of Understory Species in an Eastern Oregon Ponderosa Pine Forest

Abstract Restoration treatments in ponderosa pine forests may not promote understory recovery where residual understory plant abundance or propagule availability is insufficient for natural re-establishment. The value of the seed bank for understory recovery in Pacific Northwest ponderosa pine forests is not fully understood, therefore, we designed this study to evaluate the potential of the seed bank as a source of desired herbaceous understory species recruitment. Seed bank samples were collected from 14 ponderosa pine stands, seven with a perennial bunchgrass dominated understory (intact) and seven with little or no understory (depauperate). Seedling emergence methods were used to estimate the germinable seed bank; seedling density and diversity comparisons were made using non-parametric Wilcoxon rank-sum tests; and seedling species composition compared using multiple response permutation procedures. Comparisons were also made between seed bank and understory vegetation species composition. No statisti...
Eye, Ear and Oral Health

Primary Care Providers are commonly the first to detect issues with vision, hearing and oral health during routine patient care visits. For the pediatric cancer survivor, surveillance of these vital systems is particularly important as they are susceptible to late effects from multiple cancer treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, radiation and supportive medications (e.g. antibiotics). For childhood cancer survivors, vision and hearing late effects may significantly impact academic performance if not addressed promptly. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of late effects to the vision, hearing and oral health of pediatric cancer survivors and provide evidence-based recommendations for screening and referral.
Association Rules for Market Basket Analysis

Many firms compile records of customer transactions. These data sets take diverse forms including products that are purchased together, services that are tracked over time in a customer relationship management (CRM) system, sequences of visits and actions on a Web site, and records of customer support calls. These records are very valuable to marketers and inform us about customers’ purchasing patterns, ways in which we might optimize pricing or inventory given the purchase patterns, and relationships between the purchases and other customer information.
The Internet of Geophysical Things: Raspberry Pi Enhanced REF TEK (RaPiER) System Integration and Evaluation

The proliferation of commercial Internet of Things (IoT) devices is raising consumers’ awareness of the benefits of enhancing everyday objects with the ability to communicate, sense, and process information. Commercial‐off‐the‐shelf (COTS) versions of the embedded technologies responsible for the rise of the IoT are easy‐to‐use, inexpensive, and relatively powerful. IoT Makers, technological do‐it‐yourself enthusiasts, utilize these technologies and the IoT ecosystem to create IoT devices that range from casual hobbyist to entrepreneurial in nature. In an effort to develop a “no‐engineer‐needed” Internet of Geophysical Things (IoGT) device, we integrated a COTS embedded computer with a geoscience‐related COTS data acquisition system (DAS). Using skills common to geoscientists, we integrated the Raspberry Pi System‐On‐Chip with the REF TEK (a Trimble brand) 130‐01 DAS. This Raspberry Pi enhanced REF TEK (RaPiER) provides IoGT Makers a platform for the development of geoscientific sensor node or network enhancements. IoGT Makers can use the RaPiER to tinker with IoT capabilities while simultaneously acquiring research‐quality data. Geoscientific (i.e., seismic) application areas that may benefit from RaPiER, particularly RaPiER nodal processing, include earthquake and engineering seismology. In this article, we discuss the emerging technologies that allow IoGT Makers to build their own IoGT device. We review our selection of the Raspberry Pi and REF TEK 130‐01 for IoGT device integration. We provide a RaPiER system integration guide and REF TEK interface software compiled for the Raspberry Pi (![Graphic][1] available in the electronic supplement to this article). We present methods to expand RaPiER capabilities using the Raspberry Pi’s ecosystem. Last, we discuss our evaluation of RaPiER’s performance and its suitability for realistic field deployments. [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Optical Properties of Low Dielectric Constant Polyimides and Effects of Orientation

Control of the refractive index in low dielectric constant polyimides through modification of chemistry and structure was investigated. The optical refractive indices of several low dielectric constant polyimides were measured, and the effects of orientation on optical anisotropy were determined. Refractive index in these polyimides was found to decrease with increasing fluorine content due primarily to the low electronic polarizability of the fluorine-carbon bonds. In zone drawn polyimides, refractive index was found to increase substantially in the direction of the draw, but decrease substantially normal to the draw direction. This was explained in terms of the preferential alignment of the polymer chains.
Exploring the Effect of Design Education on the Design Cognition of Mechanical Engineering Students

In this paper, the authors report on progress of a longitudinal study on the impact of design education on students’ design thinking and practice. Using innovations in cognitive science and new methods of protocol analysis, the authors are working with engineering students to characterize their design cognition as they progress through engineering curricula. In this paper, the results from a protocol study of sophomore Mechanical Engineering students are presented. Specifically, data gathered from two experimental sessions (conducted before and after the students’ introductory design course) are analyzed to identify changes in design thinking cognition. Design cognition is determined using protocol analysis with the coding of the protocols based on a general design ontology, namely, the Function-Behavior-Structure (FBS) as a principled coding scheme (as opposed to an ad hoc one). Preliminary results indicate that statistically significant changes in students’ design cognition occur over the course of their sophomore year. The change manifests itself in an increase in focus on the purposes of designs being produced, which is often a precursor to the production a higher quality designs, and an increase in the design processes associated with the introduction of purposes of designs.© 2011 ASME
A Geographic Perspective on the Walmart Neighborhood Market

Walmart has reached a stage of domestic real estate maturity, where it can no longer open new stores without significant cannibalization of existing stores. To continue growing, Walmart has entered international markets and invested in e-commerce. Still, deployment of brick-and-mortar stores in the United States continues to remain part of its growth strategy. Realizing the pool of potential candidate sites for new Supercenters would eventually dwindle, Walmart introduced its first Neighborhood Market in 1998 to serve quick-trip needs. After fifteen years, Walmart had more than 300 Neighborhood Markets. With a limited amount of available and relevant sites to place new Supercenters, and with negative same-store sales, Walmart announced it would significantly accelerate the rollout of the Neighborhood Market by opening approximately 200 new stores in 2014. This article investigates the spatial growth and trade area characteristics of the Neighborhood Market, and how it differentiates from traditional Walma...
Distinct patterns of somatic genome alterations in lung adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas

Matthew Meyerson, Ramaswamy Govindan and colleagues examine the exome sequences and copy number profiles of 660 lung adenocarcinoma and 484 lung squamous cell carcinoma tumors. They identify novel significantly mutated genes and amplification peaks and find that around half of the tumors have at least five predicted neoepitopes.
Adaptive Fuzzy Modeling and Robust Control with Double Adjustment for a Class of Uncertain Mechanical System

Modeling and control compensation of friction force is a challenging task for mechanical systems with uncertain friction.The traditional way,such as mathematical approaches,is found quite difficult to achieve satisfactory performances due to some nonlinearity and uncertainties of the system.In view of the defects and lack of self-learning ability and environmental adaptability of conventional friction models.It aims to develop adaptive fuzzy modeling techniques to characterize the friction dynamics,which can then be employed in a feed-forward compensation control,where both the tracking error and the friction modeling error are utilized to adjust adaptive parameters.An adaptive version of the fuzzy feed-forward compensation control law is employed in the control system.A theoretical result on estimates of error bounds for closed-loop systems is established by the Lyapunov stability theory.Simulation and experiment results demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of our proposed control strategy.
Comparison of 3 Methods to Detect Sputum Specimens of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients

Objective To compare the detection rate for sputum specimens of pulmonary tuberculosis(TB) patients by 3 detection methods and explore the feasibility to improve the positive rate of mycobacterium tuberculosis detection by phage biological amplification.Methods The sputum specimen from one pulmonary TB patient was detected by direct smear test,mycobacterium tuberculosis culture and phage biological amplification respectively.Results A total of 150 sputum specimens were detected,of which 26 were positive by direct smear test(17.3%),33 were positive by mycobacterium tuberculosis culture(22%) and 85 were positive by phage biological amplification(56.7%).The detection rate of phage biological amplification was significantly higher than the other two(χ2=51.8,38.8,P0.01).Conclusion Phage biological amplification was more sensitive and rapid in suspected TB patients differential diagnosis,so it is suitable to use in basic level laboratories.
On definition of water right of international rivers

In order to determine the definition of water right of international rivers,based on the summarization of relevant theoretical viewpoints and the comparative researches on the definition of water right from the viewpoints of both economics and jurisprudence,the definition of water right of international rivers and its theoretical basis were analyzed by comparing the methods for national and international laws.The results show that behind the phenomenon of studying development of international rivers by use of the national theory of water right,it is the theory of community of co-riparian states which is beyond the definition of sovereignty.Owing to its uncertainty and the inaccessibility of its theoretical basis,the definition of water right of international rivers cannot be the useful communion tool to solve the international water conflicts,and at present the water right of international rivers at least is not a theoretical definition with actual extension.
Functional contribution of autonomic innervation to urethral striated sphincter: studies with parasympathomimetic, parasympatholytic and alpha-adrenergic blocking agents in spinal cord injury and control male subjects.

AbstractMechanisms underlying urethral pressure changes at the external sphincter region after administration of neuropharmacologic agents were investigated with cystosphincterometric studies and electromyography of the external urethral sphincter in adult patients with spinal cord injury and control male subjects. Bethanechol chloride, propantheline or phentolamine were administered to 37 spinal cord injury men and 3 normal controls. After cystectomy 3 additional spinal cord injury patients were subjected to bethanechol studies. The results of these studies suggested that the pressure changes in the external sphincter zone were caused predominantly by the concurrent changes produced in the detrusor and/or the smooth muscle components of the proximal urethra and of the external sphincter zone.
Normal pregnancy resulting from a non-pronuclear oocyte at the time of examination for fertilization.

Purpose To report the case of a patient undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) in which a non-pronuclear (0PN) oocyte resulted in a normal pregnancy. Methods A 36-year-old woman underwent an IVF-embryo transfer treatment cycle. Results Four oocytes were retrieved for insemination by IVF. Examination for fertilization revealed two polypronuclearpolygynic and two non-pronuclear oocytes. The non-pronuclear oocytes were observed further for development. One embryo developed from the non-pronuclear cohort and was transferred at the 8-cell stage on day 3. Subsequently, a pregnancy developed, and resulted in the delivery of a healthy term infant. Conclusions Non-pronuclear oocytes may represent a source of developmentally competent embryos, and further observation of this cohort should be considered, particularly in situations involving a low yield of oocytes at retrieval.
Comments on the Role of Plasma Kinins in Inflammation

This symposium contains a series of papers on the production, destruction and possible function of vasoactive polypeptides. Dr. Lewis and Dr. Greenbaum in their presentations were cautious about the role of kinins in inflammation and summarize the evidence which leads to the conclusion that bradykinin and related polypeptides may be involved as mediators of the inflammatory response. A more definitive statement cannot be made at this time because, although all tissues have the capacity for kinin production, the response of tissues to exogenously administered bradykinin does not correlate completely with the microvascular changes observed during an inflammatory response (see Cotran and Majno, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 116, 750, 1964). In addition, model systems used to investigate the mechanism of action of anti-inflammatory agents, particularly their modification of kinin formation and/or kinin action, have generally failed to give convincing evidence for or against the involvement of kinins as mediators of inflammation. This is the consequence of a poor correlation between anti-inflammatory properties and antagonistic effects in the model systems used.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio as an Index of Risk for Hyperglycemia Among Hypertensive Patients

Participants in a systematic antihypertensive care program were examined to determine whether the site of fat predominance--measured by the waist-to-hip ratio--is related to hyperglycemia in patients taking diuretics. Among 1,044 hypertensive patients meeting a set of selection criteria, 22 men who developed hyperglycemia during a mean treatment period of 25.6 months were identified and individually matched for age, race, body mass index, and duration of diuretic treatment to a comparable group of hypertensive patients who remained normoglycemic. The mean waist-to-hip ratio was higher among the hyperglycemic men, although this difference did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance. However, a significantly greater proportion of the hyperglycemic men than those who were normoglycemic fell into a higher ratio category when waist-to-hip ratios were classified according to whether they were less than or greater than or equal to 0.90. When the ratios were examined in relation to body mass index, the greatest difference between the two groups was observed in the leanest group. This study suggests that the waist-to-hip ratio, in conjunction with total body fatness, may be an important tool for distinguishing persons with hypertension who may develop hyperglycemia when treated with diuretics.
Neoadjuvant Therapy for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Head Cancer

Borderline resectable pancreatic head cancer represents a relatively new classification for patients with intermediate tumors between those that are well-localized with no radiographic evidence of significant mesenteric vascular involvement and those considered to have locally advanced and technically unresectable disease based on the inability to safely perform a vascular resection and reconstruction of the vital blood vessels. These tumors can be removed but are likely to require major vascular resection and reconstruction and the incidence of margin-positive resections is high. Clinical trials with adjuvant therapy after resection of pancreatic head cancers have demonstrated survival benefits for multi-modality therapy compared to surgery alone. Because of the high likelihood of a margin-positive resection, neoadjuvant strategies employing chemotherapy with and without radiation therapy have been used in single institution or limited clinical trials. Biologic considerations and clinical justifications exist to support this approach, but to date, there are no sufficiently powered randomized clinical trials that demonstrate significant improvements in local control rates, disease-free survival and overall survival rates compared to a surgery-first approach. Clinical trials employing novel chemotherapy combinations and modified radiation approaches are underway and may provide more definitive evidence in the near future.
The Structure and Logic of the WMD Ban Regime

The issue of how to eliminate weapons of mass destruction was a major feature of international politics at the end of the twentieth century. It was also an essential part of the debate about international relations theory. The ‘balance of terror’, the possibilities loosed by technology of weapons that could destroy all human life on earth provided an incentive to find solutions. At the same time, it was the highest expression of the realist approach to international politics, dealing as it does with the ability of a State to defend itself.
The Avuncular Index and the Incest Index

From time to time in the paternity laboratory evidence for non-paternity is obtained in one or more genetic systems, while the remaining systems strongly suggest paternity. While this can occur by chance, such cases should be pursued further. Such a situation can be an important clue that silent alleles are present, if the evidence for non-paternity is limited to conditions of apparent opposite homozygousity (so-called “second order exclusions”). Rarely, such a situation can be a clue that the evidence for non-paternity is based on serologic irregularities; confirmation may be prudent. More commonly, especially when the evidence for non-paternity is incontrovertable, the situation provides a clue that a man related to the tested man is the father. We derive the theoretical framework for such an evaluation and review our experience with case material, which demonstrates that undisclosed unclehood is by no means rare.
Some Prior and Posterior Distributions in Survival Analysis: A Critical Insight on Relationships Derived from Cross-Sectional Data

SUMMARY Many physiological characteristics such as, for example, blood pressure, level of serum cholesterol, vital capacity, may be considered as ageing factors contributing to the overall hazard rate function in an additive fashion (formula (3.2)). If so, the regression function of the characteristic on time, in a population of survivors to time t, depends on t even if the characteristic, itself, does not vary with t, for any one individual. Also, if there is a relationship between a characteristic and age for an individual, it cannot be uniquely estimated from population cross-sectional data, unless its functional contribution to the hazard rate is determined. Special consideration is given to the analysis, when the prior (i.e. at t = 0) distribution of each characteristic is normal, and the characteristics are independent.
Should Family Presence Be Allowed During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Robert M. Sade, MD Cardiopulmonary arrest is a common event in hospitals, occurring most frequently in emergency departments (EDs)and intensive care units (ICUs). They always cause a great deal of stress on physicians, nurses, and others who are nearby, and they require an immediate sequence of actions designed to reverse the adverse conditions to prevent death. Resuscitations are usually well-rehearsed ballets, with each successive intervention planned in advance, departing from the routine when circumstances demand a different pathway. Anything that distracts the mayday team from their total focus on the resuscitation may pose a danger to the patient. A distraught family member in the room during a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) imposes just such a distraction. Or so most physicians have believed in the past. Some institutions have policies that encourage family presence (FP) during CPR in EDs and ICUs. The implications and results of such policies have been studied and reported in the medical literature over more than 20 years, often concluding that the benefits of the practice outweigh the harms. Despite this evidence, most surgeons believe that allowing family members to be present during CPR is a bad idea. The following hypothetical case was the focus of the debate that follows.
Super-resolution Surface Microscopy of Conductors using Magnetic Resonance

The spatial resolution of traditional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques is typically dictated by the strength of the applied magnetic field gradients, resulting in hard resolution limits of the order of 20–50 μm in favorable circumstances. We demonstrate here a technique which is suitable for the interrogation of regions at specified distances below the surface of conducting objects with a resolution well below these limiting values. This approach does not rely on magnetic field gradients, but rather on the spatial variation of the radiofrequency field within a conductor. Samples of aluminium and lithium metal with different sizes and morphologies are examined with this technique using 27Al and 7Li NMR. In this implementation, the slice selectivity depends on the conductivity of the material, as well as on the frequency of operation, although in the most general case, the technique could also be used to provide spatial selectivity with arbitrary B 1 field distributions in non-conductors.