cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large-scale resonance amplification of optical sensing of volatile compounds with chemoresponsive visible-region diffraction gratings.

Micropatterning of the vapochromic charge-transfer salt, [Pt(CNC6H4C10H21)4][Pd(CN)4], on transparent platforms yields transmissive chemoresponsive diffraction gratings. Exposure of the gratings to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as chloroform and methanol leads to VOC uptake by the porous material comprising the grating lattice or framework, and a change in the material's complex refractive index, n. The index change is accompanied by a change in the degree of index contrast between the lattice and the surrounding medium (in this case, air), and a change in the diffraction efficiency of the grating. When a monochromatic light source that is not absorbed by the lattice material is employed as a probe beam, only changes in the real component of n are sensed. Under these conditions, the grating behaves as a nonselective, but moderately sensitive, sensor for those VOCs capable of permeating the porous lattice material. When a probe color is shifted to a wavelength coincident with the vapochromic charge-transfer transition of the lattice material, the sensor response is selectively amplified by up to 3.5 orders of magnitude, resulting in greatly enhanced sensitivity and some degree of chemical specificity. On the basis of studies at four probe wavelengths, the amplification effect is dominated by resonant changes in the imaginary component of the refractive index. The observed wavelength- and analyte-dependent amplification effects are quantitatively well described by a model that combines a Kramers-Kronig analysis with an effective-medium treatment of dielectric effects.
Effects of DNA strand breaks on transcription by RNA polymerase III: insights into the role of TFIIIB and the polarity of promoter opening

Certain deletion mutants of the Brf1 and Bdp1 subunits of transcription factor (TF) IIIB retain the ability to recruit RNA polymerase (pol) III to its promoters, but fail to support promoter opening: deletions within an internal Bdp1 segment interfere with initiation of DNA strand separation, and an N-terminal Brf1 deletion blocks propagation of promoter opening past the transcriptional start site. The ability of DNA strand breaks to restore pol III transcription activity to these defective TFIIIB assemblies has been analyzed using U6 snRNA gene constructs. Breaks in a 21 bp segment spanning the transcriptional start rescue transcription in DNA strand-specific and subunit/mutation-specific patterns. A cluster of Bdp1 internal deletions also reverses the inactivation of transcription with wild-type TFIIIB generated by certain transcribed (template) strand breaks near the transcriptional start site. A structure-based model and topological considerations interpret these observations, explain how Bdp1 and Brf1 help to enforce the general upstream→ downstream polarity of promoter opening and specify requirements for polarity reversal.
Improving Data Access Performance with Server Push Architecture

Data prefetching, where data is fetched before CPU demands for it, has been considered as an effective solution to mask data access latency. However, the current client-initiated prefetching strategies do not work well for applications with complex, non-contiguous data access patterns. While technology advances continue to enlarge the gap between computing and data access performance, trading computing power for data access delay has become a natural choice. We propose a server-based data-push approach. In this server-push architecture, a dedicated server named data push server (DPS) initiates and proactively pushes data closer to the client in time. We present the DPS architecture and study the issues such as what data to fetch, when to fetch, how to push, and data access modeling.
Interaction of fatty acids with recombinant rat intestinal and liver fatty acid-binding proteins.

Intestinal enterocytes contain two homologous fatty acid-binding proteins, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP)2 and liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP). Since the functional basis for this multiplicity is not known, the fatty acid-binding specificity of recombinant forms of both rat I-FABP and rat L-FABP was examined. A systematic comparative analysis of the 18 carbon chain length fatty acid binding parameters, using both radiolabeled (stearic, oleic, and linoleic) and fluorescent (trans-parinaric and cis-parinaric) fatty acids, was undertaken. Results obtained with a classical Lipidex-1000 binding assay, which requires separation of bound from free fatty acid, were confirmed with a fluorescent fatty acid-binding assay not requiring separation of bound and unbound ligand. Depending on the nature of the fatty acid ligand, I-FABP bound fatty acid had dissociation constants between 0.2 and 3.1 μm and a consistent 1:1 molar ratio. The dissociation constants for L-FABP bound fatty acids ranged between 0.9 and 2.6 μm and the protein bound up to 2 mol fatty acid per mole of protein. Both fatty acid-binding proteins exhibited relatively higher affinity for unsaturated fatty acids as compared to saturated fatty acids of the same chain length. cis-Parinaric acid or trans-parinaric acid (each containing four double bonds) bound to L-FABP and I-FABP were displaced in a competitive manner by nonfluorescent fatty acid. Hill plots of the binding of cis- and trans- parinaric acid to L-FABP showed that the binding affinities of the two sites were very similar and did not exhibit cooperativity. The lack of fluorescence self-quenching upon binding 2 mol of either trans- or cis- parinaric acid/mol L-FABP is consistent with the presence of two binding sites with dissimilar orientation in the L-FABP. Thus, the difference in binding capacity between I-FABP and L-FABP predicts a structurally different binding site or sites.
The sperm, a neuron with a tail: ‘neuronal’ receptors in mammalian sperm

A number of plasma membrane receptor types originally thought to be specific to neurons have been found in other somatic cells. More surprisingly, the mammalian sperm and neuron appear to share many of these 'neuronal' receptors. The morphology, chromosome number, genomic activity, and functions of those two cell types are as unlike as any two cells in the body, but they both achieve their highly disparate goals with the aid of a number of the same receptors. Exocytosis in neurons and sperm is essential to the functions of these cells and is strongly influenced by similar receptors. 'Neuronal' receptor types in sperm may also play a role in the control of sperm motility (a function of course not shared by neurons). This review will consider the evidence for the presence of sperm plasma membrane 'neuronal' receptors and for their significance to mammalian sperm function. The persuasiveness of the evidence varies depending on the receptor being considered, but there is strong experimental support for the presence and importance of a number of 'neuronal' receptors in sperm.
Can business process reengineering lead to security vulnerabilities: Analyzing the reengineered process

Abstract Digitization, while a boon for business productivity, carries inherent liability for information security. During the last few decades, companies have reengineered business processes on the back of digital data and computer networks. Recently, companies are beginning to realize that increased accessibility, and productivity, carries a hidden cost of making the data more vulnerable to security breaches. It makes intuitive sense to incorporate information security into strategic decision-making during business process reengineering. However, the intricate and complex nature of information security obscures the return on security investment, making companies reluctant to invest in security policies or technology. Consequentially, companies are often forced to suboptimally retrofit security into their business processes in response to security breaches. The case study presents an information security risk analysis proactively conducted at General Electric Energy's Wind Division after the business process reengineering of their product data storage and sharing process. The goal of the study was to identify the security risks in the redesigned process using a structured matrix-based risk analysis approach that links the assets of the organization at risk to security controls.
Summary and Final Considerations

We have considered two different approaches to developing dynamic advertising strategies in competitive situations, the Case (1979) perfect equilibria approach for duopolies and for triopolies the dynamic conjectural variation approach of Erickson (1997), in the search for useful alternatives to the unsatisfactory open-loop concept. Each of the alternative approaches has advantages but also limitations.
Thalamic control of cat lateral suprasylvian visual area: Relation to patchy association projections from area 18

In this study, we examined functional contributions of major subdivisions of the lateral geniculate nucleus to the cat's lateral suprasylvian visual area (LS) in relation to the patchy horizontal distributions of association inputs. Multiple-unit activity driven via the contralateral eye was assessed during reversible blockade of the retinotopically corresponding part of layer A, the C layers as a group, or the medial interlaminar nucleus (MIN). Inactivating each of these targets reduced activity at some cortical sites, with inactivation of layer A having, on average, the largest effect. Activity was rarely abolished by inactivation of a single target, indicating that most LS sites receive multiple inputs. Dependence on layer A was strongly correlated with the horizontal distribution of association inputs from area 18. Closely spaced injections of anatomical tracers into extensive regions of area 18 resulted in patches of terminal label in lateral suprasylvian cortex. Activity inside the patches was relatively dependent on layer A, whereas that outside the patches was not. Dependence on the MIN and layer A were negatively correlated, suggesting that inputs dominated by the MIN and layer A were concentrated in independent sets of patches. These results indicate that the anatomically observed patchy projections reflect the functional consequences of geniculate lamination. The A layers are high-acuity relays, whereas the MIN is probably a specialization for dim-light vision (Lee et al., 1984; Lee et al., 1992). We propose that the partial overlap of inputs dominated by the A layers and the MIN allows dynamic shifts in their relative contributions to LS responses, optimizing the balance of high-acuity and high-sensitivity channels over a wide range of illumination conditions.
FORUM 3: Teaching 'lessons learned'

Occasionally, past bad experiences and mistakes are discussed in the class. The idea is to advise the students not to step into the same mistakes made by others. Although it is somewhat on the negative side, teaching 'lessons learned' indeed is an effective way of passing knowledge to students in addition to teaching what is considered the standard procedures and methods to be followed in the workplace. However, the author suggests that lessons are divided into good lessons and bad lessons. It is the bad lessons which deserve some discussion regarding their significance and desirability to learn from them.
Optimal Motion Strategies for Range-Only Constrained Multisensor Target Tracking

In this paper, we study the problem of optimal trajectory generation for a team of mobile sensors tracking a moving target using distance-only measurements. This problem is shown to be NP-hard, in general, when constraints are imposed on the speed of the sensors. We propose two algorithms, modified Gauss-Seidel relaxation and linear programming (LP) relaxation, for determining the set of feasible locations that each sensor should move to in order to collect the most informative measurements; i.e., distance measurements that minimize the uncertainty about the position of the target. These algorithms are applicable regardless of the process model that is employed for describing the motion of the target, while their computational complexity is linear in the number of sensors. Extensive simulation results are presented demonstrating that the performance attained with the proposed methods is comparable to that obtained with grid-based exhaustive search, whose computational cost is exponential in the number of sensors, and significantly better than that of a random, toward the target, motion strategy.
Effect of contraceptive on the periodontal tissue of rats.

To determine any effect the use of an oral contraceptive may have upon the periodontal tissue of rats Envoid E (25 parts norethynodrel and 1 part mestranol) was administered in daily doses of 104 mcg or 416 mcg/100 g body weight subcutaneously (except Saturday and Sunday) to 61 day old rats for 91 days. At the end of the 91 days the rats were killed and examined. Bacteriological analysis of the teeth and oral cavity revealed 106 colonies none of which were judged detrimental to periodontal tissue. Absolute amounts of bone loss were determined in the mandibular and maxillary bone. Maxillary bone loss was not significantly different among the high or low dosage groups or the control group which did not receive doses of the drug. However the mandibular bone loss was significantly less in the high dosage group than in the control group (105.2 plus or minus S.E. vs 120.2 plus or minus S.E.). The combined mandibular and maxillary bone loss of the rats receiving the 104/mcg dose was significantly less than that of the control group. Histological examinations revealed little difference between the controls and the 2 treated groups. The difference between the mandibular bone loss (significant) and the maxillary bone loss (insignificant) in the groups receiving Envoid E doses cannot be explained. Both high and low dosage rats experienced reduction in growth hormones caused by the steroids. Otherwise the use of Envoid E did not have a detrimental effect upon the periodontal tissue.
Borderless Bits: Electronic Globalization and its Social Consequences

The older forces of globalization based on materials-based trade and transport are commingling with the newer forces of global electronic networks and creating the emergent phenomenon of “electronic globalization.” Examples of activities influenced by such electronic globalization include the following: • With severe economic downturn from 2008, many consumers in the U.S. became delinquent in their credit card or loan payments. Call centers in India employ sympathetic, soft spoken, but firmly insistent collection agents who listen to the sob stories of delinquent Americans – and, unlike USA-based agents, usually manage to extract at least partial payments out of the hapless debtors. • Voice files containing dictated patient notes by doctors in the USA are sent electronically to medical transcription companies in India. At some locations in India, over 1000 people trained in listening to a variety of American accents, including ethnic ones, don headphones in front of a PC and transcribe the voice files into text. Strong knowledge of medical terminology and accuracy of transcription are critically important. Editors are employed to review every transcript. Normal files are turned around in 12 hours, while urgent or “STAT” files are often transcribed and sent back to USA within two hours. • Some of the large Indian information technology services companies have entire rooms or floors dedicated to specific USA clients such as Cisco Systems or EDS. With advanced network connectivity, dedicated staff in India provides 24X7 network maintenance and remote “help desk” services to customers in the USA and other global locations. The tech support people in India are able to “take control” of malfunctioning systems thousands of miles away, run sophisticated diagnostic tests, and fix the problems. • A consulting group in Scandinavia that provides design services to precision manufacturers in Europe sends the rough drawings and specifications of the designs it is working on to a team in Chennai, India. In 2 or 3 days, using Computer-aided Design (CAD), the Indian team sends back fully-dimensionalized CAD engineering drawings and even 3-D computer simulations of the prototypes back to the Scandinavian firm. As these examples show, the range of processes that are outsourced by electronic methods to low cost but appropriately skilled foreign workers is widening. Electronic globalization is
On the Bohr-van Leeuwen theorem, the non-existence of classical magnetism in thermal equilibrium

We point out that the classical Langevin equation for a charged particle moving on a ring in a constant magnetic field perpendicular to the ring leads at long times to thermal equilibrium and to zero magnetic moment, consistent with the Bohr-van Leeuwen theorem. This fact is a counter-example to the recent claim that the Langevin equation leads to a non-zero diamagnetic moment in thermal equilibrium when the particle moves in a finite but unbounded space.
Rhodopsin: Structural Basis of Molecular Physiology

The crystal structure of rod cell visual pigment rhodopsin was recently solved at 2.8-A resolution. A critical evaluation of a decade of structure-function studies is now possible. It is also possible to begin to explain the structural basis for several unique physiological properties of the vertebrate visual system, including extremely low dark noise levels as well as high gain and color detection. The ligand-binding pocket of rhodopsin is remarkably compact, and several apparent chromophore-protein interactions were not predicted from extensive mutagenesis or spectroscopic studies. The transmembrane helices are interrupted or kinked at multiple sites. An extensive network of interhelical interactions stabilizes the ground state of the receptor. The helix movement model of receptor activation, which might apply to all G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) of the rhodopsin family, is supported by several structural elements that suggest how light-induced conformational changes in the ligand-binding pocket are transmitted to the cytoplasmic surface. The cytoplasmic domain of the receptor is remarkable for a carboxy-terminal helical domain extending from the seventh transmembrane segment parallel to the bilayer surface. Thus the cytoplasmic surface appears to be approximately the right size to bind to the transducin heterotrimer in a one-to-one complex. Future high-resolution structural studies of rhodopsin and other GPCRs will form a basis to elucidate the detailed molecular mechanism of GPCR-mediated signal transduction.
Serotherapy in the management of scorpion sting in children in Saudi Arabia

SummaryA total of 780 children with scorpion stings were admitted to a referral hospital in Saudi Arabia over a 7-year period. A similar number was managed in the outpatient department. The mortality was 4.8% initially, but no death occurred in the last 2 years of the study period. The reduction in mortality is attributed to the use of antivenom and improvement in case management.
You don’t know Jack: Principals, agents and lobbying

Most recent work on the politics of interest representation assumes that lobbyists represent their clients’ interests with fidelity. As a check on the validity of this assumption, we examine the potential for principal-agent problems to emerge in the relationship between lobbyists and clients. We first consider the nature of agency problems in lobbying, emphasizing problems of outcomes, interests and monitoring. Next, we examine market, hierarchical and social controls of agency problems in lobbying. We then discuss the implications of our analysis for studies of interest organization mobilization, tactics and strategies, and influence. And finally, we argue that renewed attention must be paid to the internal operation of interest organizations, a subject that has been given scant attention in recent research on interest representation.
Culture beyond identity: J. G. Herder on the purpose and justification of culture

Liberal approaches to multiculturalism and cultural nationalism have met with severe criticism in recent years. This article makes the case for an alternative, Aristotelian approach developed in th...
Defendant and Victim Sex, Sexism, and Decision Making in an Ambiguous Assault Case

The aim of the present study was to better understand how the sex of a defendant and of a victim in an ambiguous assault case impact juror verdicts and perceptions of the defendant. Juror sexist attitudes and the impact of these beliefs on decision making were also investigated. Mock jurors completed a measure of sexist attitudes and read a brief summary of an assault case in which the sexes of the defendant and victim were manipulated. Participants then rendered a verdict and provided sentencing recommendations. Mock jurors recommended the harshest sentence for the male defendant who assaulted a female victim. However, the female defendant, regardless of victim sex, was perceived as more psychopathic. Results are discussed in terms of the selective chivalry theory of sexism.
Inflammasome-mediated glucocorticoid resistance: The receptor rheostat

In primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells exhibiting de novo resistance to glucocorticoids, we recently discovered decreased promoter methylation of caspase 1 (CASP1) and NLR family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), which resulted in increased transcription, constitutive NALP3 (NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3) inflammasome activation, and caspase 1-mediated cleavage of the glucocorticoid receptor. This revealed a novel mechanism of glucocorticoid resistance that was recapitulated in model systems.
Evaluation of the Adaptive Grid Air Pollution Model

The adaptive grid air pollution model developed by Odman et al. (2002) is used to simulate the July 9–17, 1995 ozone episode in the Tennessee Valley. The model is evaluated using observations from a surface network and compared to its own static grid version where the adaptive grid feature is turned off. In the static grid simulation, the grid is uniform with 8-km resolution. The adaptive grid employs the same grid structure but dynamically refines the grid in places where the gradients in NOx concentrations change rapidly. This may result in grid sizes as small as 200 m locally downwind of major sources but the total number of grid cells does not change.
Biology, primary care, family, and community. A basis for rational geriatric care.

The evolution of health-care policy for the elderly must address existing gaps in the current system, the dilemma of increasing costs, and the problems associated with hospitalization and nursing-home use. A major fault of current approaches is their focus on these latter two institutions and the resultant increasing fragmentation of care. An approach based on the five principles of primary care may be more rational. Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, based on an understanding of the biology of aging and embedded in the framework of primary care, must be a major focus of such policy evolution.
Comprehensive study of the radiative decays of J / ψ and ψ ( 2 S ) to pseudoscalar meson pairs, and search for glueballs

Using $53\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{pb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ of ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ annihilation data taken at $\sqrt{s}=3.686\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$, a comprehensive study has been made of the radiative decays of samples of 5.1 million $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and 24.5 million $\ensuremath{\psi}(2S)$ into pairs of pseudoscalar mesons, ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$, ${K}^{+}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, ${K}_{S}^{0}{K}_{S}^{0}$, and $\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\eta}$. Product branching fractions for the radiative decays of $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ and $\ensuremath{\psi}(2S)$ to scalar resonances ${f}_{0}$ (1370, 1500, 1710, 2100, and 2200), and tensor resonances ${f}_{2}$ (1270, 1525, and 2230) have been determined, and are discussed in relation to predicted glueballs. For $\ensuremath{\psi}(2S)$ radiative decays the search for glueballs has been extended to masses between 2.5 GeV and 3.3 GeV.
Tetracycline-Induced Pleural Symphysis for Recurrent Hydrothorax Complicating Cirrhosis: A new approach to treatment

Two patients with cirrhosis and ascites complicated by extensive unilateral pleural transudates refractory to therapy with dietary sodium restriction, diuretics, and repeated thoracentesis were successfully managed by tetracycline-induced pleural symphysis. The intrapleural instillation of this antibiotic prevented the recurrence of the effusion and substantially relieved the patients' symptoms with minimal undesirable side effects.
Prostatomembranous Urethral Injuries: A Review of the Literature and A Rational Approach to Their Management

Controversy surrounds the management of prostatomembranous urethral injuries. We herein present 38 patients and review the findings of 538 in 19 reported series. Results indicate a high risk of stricture, impotence and incontinence if conventional early urethral realignment techniques are used. Therefore, it is suggested that this approach be reserved for cases demanding immediate intervention (high riding bladder, associated rectal tear, concomitant bladder neck injury or continued bleeding), and that all others be managed by initial suprapubic cystostomy alone and delayed urethroplasty. Urethroplasty selection is discussed.
Comparison of Intermittent Catheterization and Supravesical Diversion in Children with Meningomyelocele

AbstractA comparison in terms of renal preservation as evidenced by urography is made between children with meningomyelocele on intermittent catheterization and children who had undergone diversion. Followup in the former group is only 2½ years but at this time those patients on catheterization are doing as well and probably better than children who had undergone diversion and the quality of life for them is better.
Development and interval testing of a naturalistic driving methodology to evaluate driving behavior in clinical research.

Background : The number of older adults in the United States will double by 2056. Additionally, the number of licensed drivers will increase along with extended driving-life expectancy. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of injury and death in older adults. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) also negatively impacts driving ability and increases crash risk. Conventional methods to evaluate driving ability are limited in predicting decline among older adults. Innovations in GPS hardware and software can monitor driving behavior in the actual environments people drive in. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices are affordable, easy to install and capture large volumes of data in real-time. However, adapting these methodologies for research can be challenging. This study sought to adapt a COTS device and determine an interval that produced accurate data on the actual route driven for use in future studies involving older adults with and without AD. Methods : Three subjects drove a single course in different vehicles at different intervals (30, 60 and 120 seconds), at different times of day, morning (9:00-11:59AM), afternoon (2:00-5:00PM) and night (7:00-10pm). The nine datasets were examined to determine the optimal collection interval. Results : Compared to the 120-second and 60-second intervals, the 30-second interval was optimal in capturing the actual route driven along with the lowest number of incorrect paths and affordability weighing considerations for data storage and curation. Discussion : Use of COTS devices offers minimal installation efforts, unobtrusive monitoring and discreet data extraction. However, these devices require strict protocols and controlled testing for adoption into research paradigms. After reliability and validity testing, these devices may provide valuable insight into daily driving behaviors and intraindividual change over time for populations of older adults with and without AD. Data can be aggregated over time to look at changes or adverse events and ascertain if decline in performance is occurring.
Ideal hemoglobin transfusion target for resuscitation of massive-transfusion patients.

Background Overtransfusion of packed red blood cells is known to increase the risk of death in stable patients. With the delineation of minimum transfusion ratios in hemorrhaging patients complete, attention must be turned to the other end of the massive transfusion spectrum—that of defining the maximum transfusion of packed red blood cells. We aimed to define the ideal hemoglobin range 24 hours after anatomic hemostasis associated with the lowest mortality. Methods Massive-transfusion patients (≥10 units packed red blood cells within 24 hours) were reviewed from 2010–2013. The hemoglobin 24 ± 6 hours after anatomic hemostasis was used to stratify patients into undertransfusion ( 12.0 g/dL) groups; patients not surviving to 24 hours were excluded. Results We identified 418 patients (351 [84%] in the hemoglobin transfusion target group, 38 [9%] in the undertransfusion group, and 29 [7%] in the overtransfusion group) with an overall mortality of 18%. Undertransfusion patients had the greatest risk of death (odds ratio 3.3; 95% confidence interval 1.6–6.7) followed by overtransfusion patients (odds ratio 2.5; 95% confidence interval 1.1–5.6). Though pretransfusion hemoglobin was similar (9.5 ± 2.2 g/dL vs 9.5 ± 2.3 g/dL), overtransfusion patients had greater hemoglobin values during massive transfusion (8.3 ± 3.0 g/dL vs 6.9 ± 1.4 g/dL), persisting until hospital dismissal/death (11.4 ± 2.3 g/dL vs 9.6 ± 1.1 g/dL). In total, 657.4 excess packed red blood cell units were transfused (1.9 ± 1.5 per patient). Conclusion Overtransfusion patients had increased mortality, comparable to undertransfusion patients, despite younger age and fewer comorbidities. Shorter massive transfusion durations foster a scenario in which patients are at greater risk of overtransfusion.
ON SOME Γ-MINIMAX SELECTION AND MULTIPLE COMPARISON PROCEDURES

Publisher Summary Except in rare situations, information concerning the a priori distribution of a parameter is likely to be incomplete. Hence, the use of a Bayes rule on some systematically produced choice for an a priori distribution, as advocated by the Bayesian school, is difficult to justify. This appears to be the case sometimes even if the a priori distribution is known fairly accurately. Robbins has suggested that attention be paid to the case in which it is known only that the distribution of the parameter is a member of some given family of distributions. The use of partial or incomplete prior information in statistical inference has led to the development of the r-minimax criterion, a term initially employed by Blum and Rosenblatt. The r-minimax criterion requires the selection of a decision rule that minimizes the maximum expected risk over r.
Slide: Saliency guided image dictionary and image similarity evaluation

In this paper we present a novel idea of evaluating similarity between two images aided by a salient object detection framework. For computing similarity between images consisting of multiple objects and varying background, extracting features relevant to the object of interest is of cruicial importance. To accomplish this task, we employ a saliency guided dictionary learning framework for image similarity evaluation (SLIDE). The saliency detection framework emphasizes the image regions that attract human attention and is exploited to build a dictionary for generating sparse representation of the images. The compressibility of the sparse codes is exploited in computing the similarity measure. The SLIDE framework is used in the application of image retrieval for three military image datasets and shows in average an improvement of 14.8% in retrieval accuracy compared to two state-of-the-art similarity measures — information distance and sparse representation based compression distance.
The metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors including insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidemia, and hypertension, which may also foster development of chronic kidney disease. The mechanisms of MetS-induced kidney disease are not fully understood. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent discoveries regarding the impact of MetS on the kidney, particularly on the renal microvasculature and cellular mitochondria. Fundamental manifestations of MetS include IR and adipose tissue expansion, the latter promoting chronic inflammation and oxidative stress that exacerbate IR. Those in turn can elicit various kidney injurious events through endothelial dysfunction, activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and adipokine imbalance. Inflammation and IR are also major contributors to microvascular remodeling and podocyte injury. Hence, these events may result in hypertension, albuminuria, and parenchymal damage. In addition, dyslipidemia and excessive nutrient availability may impair mitochondrial function and thereby promote progression of kidney cell damage. Elucidation of the link between MetS and kidney injury may help develop preventative measures and possibly novel therapeutic targets to alleviate and avert development of renal manifestations.
Robotic Social Feedback for Object Specification

Issuing and following instructions is a common task in many forms of both human-human and human-robot collaboration. With two human participants, the accuracy of instruction following increases if the collaborators can monitor the state of their partners and respond to them through conversation (Clark and Krych 2004), a process we call social feedback. Despite this benefit in human-human interaction, current human-robot collaboration systems process instructions in non-incremental batches, which can achieve good accuracy but does not allow for reactive feedback (Tellex et al. 2011; Matuszek et al. 2012; Tellex et al. 2012; Misra et al.2014). In this paper, we show that giving a robot the ability to ask the user questions results in responsive conversations and allows the robot to quickly determine the object that the user desires. This social feedback loop between person and robot allows a person to create an internal model for the robot’s mental state and adapt their own behavior to better inform the robot. To close the human-robot feedback loop, we employ a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) to produce a policy which will lead to the determination of the object in the shortest amount of time. To test our approach, we perform user studies to measure our robot’s ability to deliver common household items requested by the participant. We compare delivery speed and accuracy both with and without social feedback.
Optimizing the coupled effects of Hall-Petch and precipitation strengthening in a Al0.3CoCrFeNi high entropy alloy

Abstract A successful demonstration of applying integrated strengthening using Hall-Petch strengthening (grains size effect) and precipitation strengthening is shown in the fcc based high entropy alloy (HEA) Al0.3CoCrFeNi, leading to quantitative determinations of the Hall-Petch coefficients for both hardness and tensile yield strength, as well as the enhancements in the yield strength from two distinct types of ordered precipitates, L12 and B2. An excellent combination of yield strength (~ 490 MPa), ultimate tensile strength (~ 850 MPa), and ductility (~ 45% elongation) was achieved by optimizing and coupling both strengthening mechanisms, resulting from a refined grain size as well as both L12 and B2 ordered precipitates. This opens up new avenues for the future development of HEAs, with the appropriate balance of properties required for engineering applications.
A source of major error in the digital analysis of World Wide Standard station seismograms

abstract A critical requirement in the digitization of analogue seismograms is that the y axis of the digitizing device be parallel to the recorded direction of swing of the galvanometer. Small misalignment of the seismogram on the digitizing table can produce major errors in the results of Fourier analysis and other digital techniques. In the examples discussed, the direction of the galvanometer swing was not parallel to the recording drum axis (the nominal direction of swing). Fourier spectra and group velocities are presented for cases in which the seismogram is aligned with the x axis of the digitizer: (1) parallel to the trace; (2) normal to the drum axis; (3) correctly aligned, normal to the direction of galvanometer swing. If the alignment is incorrect, the errors in the results are significant at both short and long periods and lead to erroneous geophysical conclusions. The magnitude of the errors increases with both the degree of misalignment and the amplitude of the recorded signal.
A Carbene Catalysis Strategy for the Synthesis of Protoilludane Natural Products.

The Armillaria and Lactarius genera of fungi produce antimicrobial and cytotoxic mellolide, protoilludane, and marasmane sesquiterpenoids. Herein, we report a unified synthetic strategy to access the protoilludane, mellolide, and marasmane families of natural products. The significance of these syntheses lies in a) the organocatalytic, enantioselective construction of key chiral intermediates from a simple achiral precursor, b) the utility of a key 1,2-butanediol intermediate to serve as a progenitor to each natural product class, and c) a direct chemical conversion of a protoilludane to a marasmane via serendipitous ring contraction, providing experimental support for their proposed biosynthetic relationships.
Chapter 2 Nonaqueous Isolation of Nuclei from Cultured Cells

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the nonaqueous isolation of nuclei from cultured cells. The nonaqueous method of cell fractionation helps for bulk separation of cell components while avoiding the extraction or redistribution of water-soluble material encountered in conventional aqueous fractionation. Nonaqueous isolation of nuclei can be used to determine the species and concentrations of soluble nuclear components, including ions and soluble nuclear proteins. Nonaqueous nuclear isolation consists of lyophilization of tissues or dispersed cells, homogenization of the dry powder in a nonaqueous liquid, and then sedimentation of nuclei, again in a nonaqueous liquid. Kirsch and others have made three important refinements of the nonaqueous method: (1) by substituting dichlorodifluoromethane for isopentane in a histochemical freezing method, (2) by chilling frozen samples during the drying, and (3) by using glycerol as the nonaqueous homogenization medium, replacing the petroleum ether, benzene, and cyclohexane of older methods. Several simplifications make the procedure easy without compromising the quality of isolated nuclei. The methods show that DNA polymerase-α, can be quantitatively recovered from nuclei of cultured mouse and human cells.
Continuous-wave lasing in an organic–inorganic lead halide perovskite semiconductor

Hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites have emerged as promising gain media for tunable, solution-processed semiconductor lasers. However, continuous-wave operation has not been achieved so far 1–3 . Here, we demonstrate that optically pumped continuous-wave lasing can be sustained above threshold excitation intensities of ~17 kW cm–2 for over an hour in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) distributed feedback lasers that are maintained below the MAPbI3 tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition temperature of T ≈ 160 K. In contrast with the lasing death phenomenon that occurs for pure tetragonal-phase MAPbI3 at T > 160 K (ref. 4 ), we find that continuous-wave gain becomes possible at T ≈ 100 K from tetragonal-phase inclusions that are photogenerated by the pump within the normally existing, larger-bandgap orthorhombic host matrix. In this mixed-phase system, the tetragonal inclusions function as carrier recombination sinks that reduce the transparency threshold, in loose analogy to inorganic semiconductor quantum wells, and may serve as a model for engineering improved perovskite gain media. Optically pumped continuous-wave lasing is achieved in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) distributed feedback lasers that are maintained below the MAPbI3 tetragonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition temperature of 160 K.
Case 41: Intraoperative Epidural Catheter Malfunction

A 62-year-old obese male (wt, 120 kg; ht., 190 cm; body mass index, 33.2 kg/m2), ASA 2, is scheduled for a colectomy secondary to ulcerative colitis. You plan a combined general anesthetic technique with an epidural. When the patient is in the operating room, you place an epidural catheter (20 G closed tip) (B. Braun Medical Inc., Bethlehem, PA 18018, USA) uneventfully in the L4–L5 interspace. The length of the epidural catheter in the epidural space is 4 cm. As is your practice, the epidural catheter, as it leaves the patient’s back, is led in a semicircle over a folded 2 × 2 inch swab. This is then covered with an OpSite (Flexigrid, Smith and Nephew, Hull HU3 2BN, England). The catheter is attached to the patient’s back and over his right shoulder using Compound Benzoin Tincture USP (The Clinipad Corporation, Guilford, CT 06437, USA) and tape (Hytape Surgical Produce Corporation, Yonkers, NY 10704, USA). There is a negative test to 3 ml of lidocaine 2% with epinephrine 1; 200,000. A total of 22 ml of lidocaine 2% is then injected and a block to T-4 is achieved. The patient is placed in a supine position and routine general anesthesia commenced. Further two additional boluses are injected into the epidural space with good effect and no problem. Forty minutes after the last dose, the surgeon requests that the patient be placed in a steep head-down position. Shortly thereafter, it becomes impossible to inject anything through the epidural catheter, despite the use of a small syringe. You suggest that the surgeon puts the table back in the original position, but he is unwilling to do so at that time. You are reluctant to abandon your epidural. Is there anything else you could do to get the epidural to function adequately again?
Absence of early HHV-6 reactivation after cord blood allograft predicts powerful graft-versus-tumor effect.

Approximately 75% of cord blood transplant (CBT) recipients experience human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) reactivation. Considering the immunomodulatory effects of HHV-6, we hypothesized that early HHV-6 reactivation may influence the risk of relapse of the underlying hematologic malignancy. In 152 CBT recipients with hematological malignancies, we determined the association between HHV-6 reactivation by day +28 and 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse. In univariate analysis, the absence of HHV-6 reactivation (n = 32) was associated with less relapse (26 [18-35]% vs. 7 [0-17]% in groups with vs. without HHV-6 reactivation, respectively; P = .03). This difference was due to a remarkably low relapse incidence among patients without HHV-6 reactivation. In multivariable analysis, the absence of HHV-6 reactivation was associated with less relapse (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.2 [0.05-0.9], P = .03). This association was independent of patient-, disease-, and transplant-related characteristics known to influence the risk of relapse. Natural killer cell and T-cell reconstitution at day +28 were similar between patients with vs. without HHV-6 reactivation. Our results suggest that CB allografts not complicated by HHV-6 reactivation by day +28 have a powerful graft-versus-tumor effect. Knowledge about early HHV-6 reactivation may stratify patients at day +28 into low vs. high relapse risk groups.
A Spectral Formulation of Stochastic Finite Elements

Until recently, stochastic structural mechanics has addressed the issue of deterministic structures subjected to random loading. With the availability of more accurate analysis and design tools, however, quantifying the sensitivity of model predictions to uncertainty in the mechanical properties of structures has become possible. It has been observed, with the help of these tools, that this type of uncertainty can be more significant to the overall predictions of a particular structural model than the more traditional fluctuations attributed to external loads. In view of that, recent procedures have been developed for representing uncertainties in the parameters of a structural model, as well as, for propagating this uncertainty to obtain the associated uncertainty in the predicted response. The stochastic finite element method is a procedure for performing such an analysis, whereby the spatial extent of the structure has been represented within the context of the finite element method. This chapter describes a recent implementation of the stochastic finite element method that combines theoretical rigor with generality and efficiency of implementation. Specifically, the Spectral Stochastic Finite Element Method (SSFEM) presented in this chapter addresses the situation where the uncertain material properties are realizations of a spatially fluctuating random field. The formulation relies on discretizing the random processes using spectral expansions, thus eliminating the correlation between the requisite mesh size to meet energy-based convergence criteria, and the scales of fluctuation of the random material properties involved.
Pediatric Psychology: Child Psychological Health in the Next Century

The future of pediatric psychology is reviewed and placed in brief historical context in relation to children's psychological health care. Contemporary trends affecting the delivery of psychological services, research, and clinical training are highlighted, with suggestions for future development. Pediatric psychology is a child-based, developmentally-focused multidisciplinary practice directed toward psychosocial and neuropsychological issues of health and illness in children and youth. Pediatric psychologists need to develop strong professional identities as health care psychologists combined with a collegial and collaborative arrangement with physicians to ensure the future growth and development of pediatric psychology in the next century as a major vehicle to promote children's health care.
A Critique of Constraints Theory: A Response

(1997). A Critique of Constraints Theory: A Response. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 453-457.
Umbilical movement after spinal cord injury.

AbstractBackground/Objective: Charles Beevor first discussed the movement of the umbilicus seen upon abdominal muscle contraction in neuro muscular diseases and spinal cordinjury (SCI)over a century ago.Since then, other examples of this phenomenon have been reported in the literature.Methods: This case review study documents movements of the umbilicus caused by abdominal muscle weakness after SCI.Results: SCI results in characteristic weakness of the abdominal muscles resulting in predictable movement of the umbilicus upon abdominal muscle contraction.Conclusions: Observation of umbilical movement with abdominal muscle contraction after SCI gives further confirmatory information about neurological level and typeof spinal cord lesion. Further study should include information about the effect of abdominal weakness on motor and respiratory function.
A Digital Perspective and the Quest for Substrate-Universal Behaviors

Should the Digital Perspective essays collected in these proceedings be viewed more seriously than attempts to play “fundamental theory”—which even in the hands of an Eddington was hard to tell from mythology and numerology?