Automated technologies needed to prevent radioactive materials from reentering the atmosphere

Project SIREN (Search, Intercept, Retrieve, Expulsion Nuclear) was created to identify and evaluate the technologies and operational strategies needed to rendezvous with and capture aerospace radioactive materials (e.g., a distressed or spent space reactor core) before such materials can reenter the terrestrial atmosphere and then to safely move these captured materials to an acceptable space destination for proper disposal. A major component of the current project SIREN effort is the development of an interactive technology model (including a computerized data base) that explores, in building-block fashion, the interaction of the technologies and procedures needed to successfully accomplish a SIREN mission. The SIREN model will include appropriate national and international technology elements--both contemporary and projected into the next century. To obtain maximum flexibility and use, the SIREN technology data base is being programmed for use on 286-class PC's. The major technical elements for a successful SIREN mission include: ground and space-based tracking, launch vehicles of needed payload capacity, telerobotic systems, sensors, capture technologies, and space transport and disposal. However, Project SIREN also will impose specialized requirements including the use of dextrous aerospace systems capable of properly functioning in intense radiation and thermal environments

Enhancing the movement of natural persons in the ASEAN region: Opportunities and constraints

The overall objective of the movement of natural persons (MNP) in the ASEAN region is to contribute to expanding trade in services and to deepening economic integration. However, the regional movement of human resources has proceeded beyond the expansion of trade and has persisted in response to labor market imbalances.Movement of Natural Persons (MNP),ASEAN Framework Agreements on Services (AFAS)

Inflammation in benign prostate tissue and prostate cancer in the finasteride arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial

BACKGROUND: A previous analysis of the placebo arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) reported 82% overall prevalence of intraprostatic inflammation and identified a link between inflammation and higher-grade prostate cancer and serum PSA. Here we studied these associations in the PCPT finasteride arm. METHODS: Prostate cancer cases (N=197) detected either on a clinically indicated biopsy or on protocol-directed end-of-study biopsy, and frequency-matched controls (N=248) with no cancer on an end-of-study biopsy were sampled from the finasteride arm. Inflammation in benign prostate tissue was visually assessed using digital images of H&E stained sections. Logistic regression was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In the finasteride arm, 91.6% of prostate cancer cases and 92.4% of controls had at least one biopsy core with inflammation in benign areas; p < 0.001 for difference compared to placebo arm. Overall, the odds of prostate cancer did not differ by prevalence (OR=0.90, 95% CI 0.44-1.84) or extent (P-trend=0.68) of inflammation. Inflammation was not associated with higher-grade disease (prevalence: OR=1.07, 95% CI 0.43-2.69). Furthermore, mean PSA concentration did not differ by the prevalence or extent of inflammationin either cases or controls. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of intraprostatic inflammation was higher in the finasteride than placebo arm of the PCPT, with no association with higher-grade prostate cancer. IMPACT: Finasteride may attenuate the association between inflammation and higher-grade prostate cancer. Moreover, the missing link between intraprostatic inflammation and PSA suggests that finasteride may reduce inflammation-associated PSA elevation

Alumnos de un programa de postgrado en cardiología: ¿Son los resultados de casi 30 años adecuados?

BACKGROUND: Stricto sensu post-graduation in Brazil was implemented in 1965 to increase university professors' teaching quality and to prepare full, independent researchers. The brazilian share in ISI publications has increased significantly since then, but little information is available on postgraduate quality. OBJECTIVE: To review 29 years of the postgraduate programs in cardiology at the Federal University of São Paulo and to analyze master and doctorate graduates' characteristics regarding their origin, publications and subsequent career. METHODS: We developed a questionnaire to evaluate 168 postgraduates who produced 196 theses (116 master's and 80 doctorate) over the period 1975-2004 and contacted 95.9% of them. Information on publications were obtained through the usual science databases. RESULTS: 30% of graduates came from the North-Northeast-Central West regions and only 50% returned to their original area. Mean age at admission was 32.5 and 34.9 years old for master and doctorate students, respectively; average program duration was, respectively, 39.0 and 43.2 months and approximately 50% went through it without any grants. Thesis publications throughout these 29 years averaged 36.5% for master's and 61.9% for doctorate, but any publishing afterwards occurred in 70.2 and 90.6% of the cases. The average impact factor of the published theses was 1.3 for master's degree and 3.1 for doctorate programs with 65.5% and 87.5% of Qualis A, respectively. Currently, there are graduates in 17 states of the country and 12 have became full professors. CONCLUSION: Although the stricto sensu program, especially the master's degree program, has many areas that need improvement, they seem to be contributing to improve professional quality and the number of brazilian indexed publications.FUNDAMENTO: El Postgrado Stricto Sensu en Brasil se implementó en el año 1965 para aumentar la calidad de la enseñanza en las Universidades y preparar a investigadores completos e independientes. La participación brasileña en las publicaciones ISI ha aumentado desde entonces de forma significativa, pero poca información está disponible sobre la calidad de los postgrados. OBJETIVO: Revisar 29 años de programa de postgrado en Cardiología en la Universidad Federal de São Paulo y analizar las características de los alumnos de Maestría y Doctorado con relación al origen, publicaciones y carrera subsiguiente. MÉTODOS: Desarrollamos un cuestionario para evaluar a 168 alumnos de postgrado que produjeron 196 tesis (116 de Maestría y 80 de Doctorado), en el período de 1975-2004 y contactamos el 95,9% de ellos. La informaciones sobre las publicaciones se obtuvieron mediante los banco de datos científicos usuales. RESULTADOS: El 30% de los alumnos de postgrado eran de las regiones Norte-Nordeste-Centro-Oeste y solamente el 50% de ellos retornó a su región de origen. La edad promedio cuando del ingreso en el Postgrado fue de 32,5 años y 34,9 años para alumnos de Maestría y Doctorado, respectivamente; la duración promedio de los programas de postgrado fue respectivamente de 39,0 y 43,2 meses y aproximadamente el 50% de los alumnos hizo el curso de postgrado sin cualquier beca de estudio. La publicación de las tesis durante estos 29 años presentó un promedio del 36,5% para Maestría y el 61,9% para Doctorado, sin embargo, cualesquiera publicaciones posteriores fueron del orden de un 70,2% y un 90,6%, respectivamente. El factor de impacto promedio de la tesis publicada fue de un 1,3 para Maestría y un 3,1 para Doctorado, con un 65,5% y un 87,5% de Qualis A, respectivamente. Actualmente, hay ex-alumnos de postgrado originarios de nuestra institución en 17 estados de la Federación y 12 de ellos se convirtieron en Profesores Titulares. CONCLUSIÓN: Aunque el programa Stricto sensu, especialmente en la Maestría, todavía expresa muchas áreas que necesitan mejoras, él parece estar contribuyendo a mejorar la calidad profesional y de las publicaciones brasileñas indexadas.FUNDAMENTO: A pós-graduação stricto sensu no Brasil foi implementada em 1965 para aumentar a qualidade de ensino nas Universidades e preparar pesquisadores completos e independentes. A participação brasileira nas publicações ISI tem aumentado desde então de forma significante, mas pouca informação está disponível sobre a qualidade dos pós-graduados. OBJETIVO: Revisar 29 anos de programa de pós-graduação em cardiologia na Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) e analisar as características dos alunos de mestrado e doutorado em relação à origem, publicações e carreira subsequente. MÉTODOS: Desenvolvemos um questionário para avaliar 168 alunos de pós-graduação que produziram 196 teses (116 de mestrado e 80 de doutorado), no período de 1975-2004 e entramos em contato com 95,9% deles. As informações sobre as publicações foram obtidas através dos bancos de dados científicos usuais. RESULTADOS: 30% dos alunos de pós-graduação eram das regiões Norte-Nordeste-Centro-Oeste e apenas 50% deles retornou à sua região de origem. A idade média quando da admissão na pós-graduação foi de 32,5 anos e 34,9 anos para mestrandos e doutorandos, respectivamente; a duração média dos programas de pós-graduação foi respectivamente de 39,0 e 43,2 meses e aproximadamente 50% dos alunos fez o curso de pós-graduação sem qualquer bolsa de estudo. A publicação das teses durante esses 29 anos apresentou uma média de 36,5% para mestrado e 61,9% para doutorado, mas quaisquer publicações posteriores foram da ordem de 70,2% e 90,6%, respectivamente. O fator de impacto médio da tese publicada foi de 1,3 para mestrado e 3,1 para doutorado, com 65,5% e 87,5% de Qualis A, respectivamente. Atualmente, há ex-alunos de pós-graduação originários de nossa instituição em 17 estados da federação e 12 deles tornaram-se professores titulares. CONCLUSÃO: Embora o programa stricto sensu, especialmente no mestrado, ainda apresente muitas áreas que necessitam de melhoras, ele parece estar contribuindo para melhorar a qualidade profissional e das publicações brasileiras indexadas.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

A study on text-score disagreement in online reviews

In this paper, we focus on online reviews and employ artificial intelligence tools, taken from the cognitive computing field, to help understanding the relationships between the textual part of the review and the assigned numerical score. We move from the intuitions that 1) a set of textual reviews expressing different sentiments may feature the same score (and vice-versa); and 2) detecting and analyzing the mismatches between the review content and the actual score may benefit both service providers and consumers, by highlighting specific factors of satisfaction (and dissatisfaction) in texts. To prove the intuitions, we adopt sentiment analysis techniques and we concentrate on hotel reviews, to find polarity mismatches therein. In particular, we first train a text classifier with a set of annotated hotel reviews, taken from the Booking website. Then, we analyze a large dataset, with around 160k hotel reviews collected from Tripadvisor, with the aim of detecting a polarity mismatch, indicating if the textual content of the review is in line, or not, with the associated score. Using well established artificial intelligence techniques and analyzing in depth the reviews featuring a mismatch between the text polarity and the score, we find that -on a scale of five stars- those reviews ranked with middle scores include a mixture of positive and negative aspects. The approach proposed here, beside acting as a polarity detector, provides an effective selection of reviews -on an initial very large dataset- that may allow both consumers and providers to focus directly on the review subset featuring a text/score disagreement, which conveniently convey to the user a summary of positive and negative features of the review target.Comment: This is the accepted version of the paper. The final version will be published in the Journal of Cognitive Computation, available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12559-017-9496-

Declining Public Support for Public Higher Education in Pennsylvania - Manuscript

As I contemplate the decline in public financial support for my institution over the sixteen years since I arrived as president in 1992, I can state without fear of contradiction the following Assertion: California University of Pennsylvania is being privatized without a plan. The truth of this Assertion has implications for our University, our students, and most especially for our faculty, and those implications are challenging, inexorable and increasingly obvious