cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron diffraction studies of etched al leaf films

Abstract Anomalies occurring in electron diffraction patterns of etched An leaf films were studied. The anomalies were of two kinds, extra lines and orientation effects. The extra lines, in agreement with the report of Thomson and Cochrane, were attributed to contamination of the films by some long chain compound. The orientation effects consisted of a variation of the intensities of several of the lines of the An patterns obtained from the intensity of these same lines as observed in standard patterns of randomly-oriented Au. These abnormal intensities evidenced the existence of the [100] crystal direction as an axis of orientation perpendicular to the face of the film. A second orientation effect, the arcing of some of the lines of the Au patterns, indicated a second axis of orientation parallel to the face of the film but insufficient evidence prevented the identification of this axis of orientation.Results of the orientation study confirm the findings of other investigators, particularly those of Trillat and Hirsch.
Adenosine antagonism by purines, pteridines and benzopteridines in human fibroblasts

Abstract Theophylline ( K i 5 μ M) is a competitive inhibitor of the increase in cyclic AMP caused by adenosine in the VA13 fibroblast line. More than 100 purine bases and structurally related heterocycles were tested as adenosine antagonists. Three families of adenosine antagonists were found: xanthines, benzo[ g ]pteridines and 9-substituted adenines. For the xanthines, the optimal group at the 1-position was butyl (5-fold improvement versus methyl), at the 7-position was 2-chloroethyl (5-fold improvement versus hydrogen) and at the 8-position was p -bromophenyl (100-fold improvement versus hydrogen). The receptors appeared to have butyl- and phenyl-sized “pockets” at the 1- and 8-positions, respectively, since compounds with larger groups had greatly reduced activity.
A Research Practicum: Undergraduates As Assistants in Psychological Research

Two recent surveys highlight the fact that participation in research is becoming increasingly popular as a means of teaching research methodology in the undergraduate curriculum. This article describes a project that combined a research practicum for 17 undergraduates with the implementation and evaluation of an assertiveness training program for physically disabled college students. A follow-up of students' post-baccalaureate activities revealed that the majority were indeed using skills that they had learned in the project. Analyses of students' course evaluations revealed knowledge gained that would not have been obtained from more traditional courses in methodology or statistics. Interrater reliability scores (r =. 98 and r =. 97) as well as other variables demonstrated that undergraduates are capable of functioning as competent and dedicated research assistants. A cost/benefit analysis indicated that benefits outweighed the costs of the project.
You Say Goodbye and I Say Hello

Newborn Care Poster Presentation Background When nature intervenes in an unusual way by giving and then taking at the same time, the role of the nurse is to provide skilled nursing care and support. Case A G3011 patient pregnant with twins presented to triage at 22 weeks with bleeding. Ultrasound showed a subchorionic bleed with decreased fluid to twin A, a boy. Twin B, a girl, looked good. The patient was admitted to our high‐risk unit until delivery ultrasounds continued to show bleeding and increased fetal distress. The family was faced with a decision: should they think about a stat cesarean at 24 weeks if twin A went into severe fetal distress and risk the life of twin B? Should they wait knowing that twin A would most likely die but give twin B a better chance for survival? A multidisciplinary, multifocused team approach of individualized care was applied to this complex patient. At 22 5/7 weeks, twin A went into severe fetal distress. The family stood by the decision to allow twin B to mature. At 26 weeks, the patient started running an elevated temperature and the decision for an urgent cesarean was made. Staff from the labor and delivery room and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were assembled and a cesarean was performed. Twin A, a boy, was born stillborn and twin B, a girl, was born screaming and fighting. Time was spent preparing twin A for presentation to the parents while twin B was stabilized. Both infants were seen and held by both parents. A nationally trained local photographer captured a picture of the sister holding her brother's hand in the NICU shortly after birth, and it became the only picture the family had of their twins together. Clergy from both parent's faiths visited and customs were observed. A memorial service was held in the hospital chapel where more than 150 attended. Conclusion This experience of caring for a complex patient highlighted teamwork and hospital wide excellence. Multiple departments came together to support this family.
Coping with Trade Liberalisation Adjustment

Summary With the prospect of further trade liberalisation the question for developing and vulnerable countries of how best to manage the adjustment process consecutive to reform needs clearer answers. This paper discusses the process of adjustment for developing countries, highlighting three motives for policy intervention during this process: equity, efficiency and political economy. Because these motives for intervention will necessarily arise, and also because their interplay - not always negative as complementarities may arise - it is necessary to get maximum clarity about the policy objective behind any adjustment policy. It is likely that the balance of equity, efficiency and political economy motives will be different in developing countries than in more developed ones, and vary across countries, thus calling for careful consideration of the context of each reform. The simple analysis grid suggested in this paper is discussed over the specific dimension of developing countries’ characteristics. Examples of what is thought as desirable and less desirable policies are then discussed.
Efficient Market-Based Air Traffic Flow Control with Competing Airlines

This work proposes a novel aggregate air traffic flow control model for competitive airlines with private preference information over traffic control actions. A capacity resource market is presented for which guarantees of efficiency exist for price-taking airlines. A distributed market algorithm is developed whose results are always weakly preferred by all airlines over a central solution that does not take private information into account. The flow model incorporates many key characteristics of air traffic flow control which include measuring costs as deviations from a predetermined schedule, allowing both en route and airport capacity restrictions and modifying route capacity due to weather disruptions. Simulation results show the feasibility of solving the air traffic flow control problem using markets on a network that covers the northeastern region of the US airspace over three hours.
Simplified processing for 23%-efficient silicon concentrator solar cells

The authors have developed a three-photomask process that requires only a single furnace step above 800/spl deg/C to fabricate silicon concentrator cells with efficiencies approaching 23% on float-zone (FZ) Si and, for the first time, an efficiency of 20% on solar-grade Czochralski (Cz) Si. Until now, high-efficiency silicon concentrator cells that have demonstrated conversion efficiencies greater than 22% have used FZ silicon and required multiple dopant diffusions and several high-temperature furnace steps. These complexities increase processing costs and preclude the use of lower cost CZ silicon, which is easily degraded by repeated high-temperature cycling. This simplified processing schedule retains most of the benefit available from high-performance solar cell designs while holding down processing costs, and it makes the use of lower cost CZ Si a viable option. The incorporation of a better optimized antireflection coating and a lower recombination back-surface field are projected to increase this performance even further. >
Tea consumption may improve biomarkers of insulin sensitivity and risk factors for diabetes

Diabetes mellitus and its sequelae are a major and growing public health problem. The prevalence of diabetes worldwide is 194 million persons, or 5.1% of the population, and is projected to increase to 333 million, or 6.3% of the population, by 2025. Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90-95% of those with diabetes in the United States and other developed countries. Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. Tea contains polyphenols and other components that may reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Some evidence also shows that tea may affect glucose metabolism and insulin signaling, which, as a result, has spurred interest in the health effects of tea consumption on diabetes. Epidemiologic studies suggest some relation between tea consumption and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, although the mechanisms for these observations are uncertain. Findings from in vitro and animal models suggest that tea and its components may influence glucose metabolism and diabetes through several mechanisms, such as enhancing insulin sensitivity. Some human clinical studies evaluating tea and its components show improvement in glucoregulatory control and endothelial function. However, further controlled clinical trials are required to gain a better understanding of the long-term effects of tea consumption in persons with diabetes.
Biological bases for high RBE values for late effects of neutron irradiation.

Abstract The late effects of fractionated irradiation with neutrons have been relatively more severe than after x-irradiation. Reasons for the RBEnx being higher for late than for acute effects may include: (1) Late effects are reduced more by fractionation of X ray doses than are acute effects, whereas, with neutrons, the fractionation response is the same in rapidly- and slowly-responding tissues; (2) Late-responding tissues are less "sensitized" (and are, therefore, relatively protected) by redistribution throughout the division cycle during a fractionated regimen than are acutely-responding tissues: since neutron responses are less affected by cell-cycle distribution than are X ray responses, the relative protection of slowly-responding tissues is less; (3) The target cells for late, but not acute injury, may repair potentially lethal damage after X ray, but not after neutron exposure. Thus, the dissociation of RBE values for acute and late injury reflects mainly the dissociation between acute and late responses to conventional fractionated X ray regimens and, from the point of view of complications of radiotherapy, we should not condemn neutrons but praise X rays. Since fractionation of neutron doses into increments equivalent to those used in X ray therapy does not provide a preferential sparing of slowly-responding tissues, it is reasonable to shorten the overall duration of neutron treatment to deliver the total dose tolerated by the relevant "late-effects" tissue(s) in the shortest time consistent with acceptable acute responses.
GHRH antagonists reduce the invasive and metastatic potential of human cancer cell lines in vitro.

We investigated the effect of a GHRH antagonist, MIA-602 on the metastatic cascade in vitro of three human cancers, DBTRG-05 glioblastoma, MDA-MB-468 estrogen-independent breast, and ES-2 clear cell ovarian cancer. GHRH receptors and their main splice variant, SV1 were detected on all three cell lines. After treatment with MIA-602, the cell viability decreased significantly, significant inhibition of cell invasion was observed and the release of MMPs was significantly decreased. The attachment of cancer cells to fibronectin and matrigel was severely hindered. Wound-healing experiments demonstrated a reduced cellular motility in all three cell lines. The upregulation of caveolin-1 and E-cadherin, and the powerful downregulation of NF-jB and b-catenin was detected. Our study suggests that the clinical application of highly potent GHRH antagonists in cancer therapy would be desirable since they inhibit proliferation and metastasis development as well. 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Token-Based Incentive Protocol Design for Online Exchange Systems

In many online exchange systems, agents provide services to satisfy others agents’ demands. Typically, the provider incurs a (immediate) cost and hence, it may withhold service. As a result, the success of the exchange system requires proper incentive mechanisms to encourage service provision. This paper studies the design of such systems that are operated based on the exchange of tokens, a simple internal currency which provides indirect reciprocity among agents. The emphasis is on how the protocol designer should choose a protocol - a supply of tokens and suggested strategies - to maximize service provision, taking into account that impatient agents will comply with the protocol if and only if it is in their interests to do so. Agents’ interactions are modeled as a repeated game. We prove that the these protocols have a simple threshold structure and the existences of equilibria. Then we use this structural property to design exchange strategies that maximize the system efficiency. Among all protocols with the same threshold, we find that there is a unique optimal supply of tokens that balances the token distribution in the population and achieves the optimal efficiency. Such token protocols are proven to be able to achieve full efficiency asymptotically as agents become sufficient patient or the cost becomes sufficient small.
A single growth cone is capable of integrating simultaneously presented and functionally distinct molecular cues during target recognition.

A variety of cell recognition pathways affect neuronal target recognition. However, whether such pathways can converge at the level of a single growth cone is not well known. The RP3 motoneuron in Drosophila has previously been shown to respond to the muscle cell surface molecules TOLL and fasciclin III (FAS3), which are normally encountered during RP3 pathfinding in a sequential manner. TOLL and FAS3, putative “negative” and “positive” recognition molecules, respectively, affect RP3 antagonistically. Under normal conditions, TOLL and FAS3 together improve the accuracy of its target recognition. Here, we show that, when presented with concurrent TOLL and FAS3 expression, RP3 responds to both, integrating their effects. This was demonstrated most succinctly by single cell visualization methods. When a balance in relative expression levels between the two antagonistic cues is achieved, the RP3 growth cone exhibits a phenotype virtually identical to that seen when neither TOLL nor FAS3 is misexpressed. Thus, growth cones are capable of quantitatively evaluating distinct recognition cues and integrating them to attain a net result, in effect responding to the “balance of power” between positive and negative influences. We suggest that the ability to integrate multiple recognition pathways in real-time is one important way in which an individual growth cone interprets and navigates complex molecular environments.
A Dynamical Investigation of the May 2004 McMurdo Antarctica Severe Wind Event Using AMPS

On 15–16 May 2004 a severe windstorm struck McMurdo, Antarctica. The Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) is used, along with available observations, to analyze the storm. A synoptic-scale cyclone weakens as it propagates across the Ross Ice Shelf toward McMurdo. Flow associated with the cyclone initiates a barrier jet along the Transantarctic Mountains. Forcing terms from the horizontal equations of motion are computed in the barrier wind to show that the local time tendency and momentum advection terms are key components of the force balance. The barrier jet interacts with a preexisting near-surface radiation inversion over the Ross Ice Shelf to set up conditions favorable for the development of large-amplitude mountain waves, leading to a downslope windstorm in the Ross Island area. Hydraulic theory can explain the structure of the downslope windstorms, with amplification of the mountain waves possibly caused by wave-breaking events. The underestimation of AMPS wind speed at McMurdo is caused by the misplacement of a hydraulic jump downstream of the downslope windstorms. The dynamics associated with the cyclone, barrier jet, and downslope windstorms are analyzed to determine the role of each in development of the severe winds.
Seasonal dynamics of nematode and microbial biomass in soils of riparian-zone forests of the Southern Appalachians

Summary—In a study of the dynamics of labile forest-floor C and N in riparian zones of the Coweeta hardwood forest floor, we measured microbial biomass and nematodes (principally microbivores) in the top 10cm seven times in a 10 month period. Total microbial biomass C ranged from 680 to 1270/ig g soil"1, and was significantly higher in the Fall, under Rhododendron than in the general forest area (tulip poplar and chestnut oak, co-dominants). Total microbial biomass N ranged from 80 to 220 fig g soil"1, reaching a peak in later summer. Nematodes averaged 11.3 x 10' m~2, among the highest known for nematodes in terrestrial ecosystems. With nematode microbivores averaging 5% of microbial biomass C, their effects upon the turnover of this labile microbial pool are considerable.
A Comparison of Larval Fish Sampling Methods for Tropical Streams

Abstract Assessment of early life history characteristics requires effective sampling methods for larval fishes. Different gears are suitable for different habitats and frequently select different sizes or life history stages. In this study, two passive sampling methods were compared for use in collecting larval freshwater and estuarine fishes in two tropical streams. Drift nets and light traps were identified a priori as the most appropriate gears for sampling in these systems based on stream characteristics (including accessibility, size, and morphology). Catches were compared between sampling methods. Additionally, catches under different environmental conditions (flow, tide stage, and moon phase), during different sampling periods (time of day and week of summer), and at different depths were compared using mixed-effects analysis of variance. A total of 2,156 fish were captured in 954 h of sampling. The significant (α < 0.05) explanatory variables for total larval catch were stream, sampling method, w...
Review: welfare perspectives on hens kept for egg production

The wild ancestors of chickens, along with those of most other farm animals, were preadapted to domestication because their lack of specialized requirements allowed them to adapt to a wide variety of environments provided by humans. Currently most commercial chickens kept for table-egg production are incubated, reared, and maintained as productive adults in high-density, artificial environments. Nevertheless, there are limits to adaptability as indicated by behavioral, physiological, immunological, and individual productivity indicators when environmental conditions become extreme. However, with the exception of obvious injury, no single criterion is likely to be adequate. Multiple indicators are required to obtain reliable evaluation of whether husbandry practices and environmental conditions reduce hens' welfare significantly. Concern for the well-being of hens has led to the phasing out of cages in two European countries. Although cages are known to be associated with some problems of well-being, it is known also that they have some welfare advantages for hens over alternative systems of production and they have definite economic advantages for producers. Therefore, it is doubtful whether the use of cages should be denied without exploring further the possibilities of cage modification or genetic selection aimed at improving the well-being of hens in such environments. Ethical perspectives relative to animals have been evolving since the time of Aristotle more than 300 yr B.C. Recent developments include divergence of welfare concerns between utilitarian and animal rights based philosophies. The utilitarians generally agree that animals may be used for human benefit if unnecessary pain and suffering are avoided and humane care and management criteria are met. Fundamentally, rights-oriented groups reject such exploitation. The general public exhibits a continuum of attitudes towards animals. However, there are indications that they are moving towards a protectionist attitude toward farm animals. Many requirements for good husbandry are known. However, uncertainty prevails in some areas, particularly with the necessity of routine procedures such as beak trimming and the amount of space needed, optimal group size, and whether nests, roosts, litter, and other quality of environment features are necessities or luxuries in terms of hens' welfare. Floor and feeder space and group size seem to be of paramount importance, and space that is adequate for well-being seems to be greater than that which yields the greatest net income. Genetic solutions to several behavior-related problems that compromise hens' well-being seem to be feasible and worthy of greater emphasis by commercial poultry breeders.
Connecting Children’s eCulture to Curriculum: Implications for Educators

This article discusses the benefits of including “children’s eculture” in school curricula. “children’s eculture” is the culture of children as it relates to electronics and technology. integrating children’s eculture into formal learning experiences allows teachers to promote multiple literacies in their students. The article reviews literature in this field to: (a) describe the recreational uses of technology by children; (b) link these applications to school curricula; (c) familiarize educators with children’s eculture as a means for promoting multiple literacies across the curriculum; and (d) discuss the need to integrate children’s eculture in teacher education programs.
Distributed measurement censoring for estimation with wireless sensor networks

Motivated by the savings in communication bandwidth and sensor transmission energy, data selection for estimation with wireless sensor networks is investigated in this paper. Existing approaches to data selection inherently treat sensing and transmission to a central fusion unit as of equal cost. However, energy expenditure in sensing is generally a fraction of that needed for communication. To alleviate the latter, measurement censoring at sensor nodes is proposed here for data reduction, along with a novel maximum likelihood estimator that optimally incorporates knowledge of the censored data model. Furthermore, a closed-form expression for the Cramer-Rao lower bound on the estimator variance is presented. Numerical studies show that the estimator using censored measurements achieves error values that are competitive with alternative methods, under various sensing conditions, while retaining lower computational complexity.
Typed answer set programming lambda calculus theories and correctness of inverse lambda algorithms with respect to them

Our broader goal is to automatically translate English sentences into formulas in appropriate knowledge representation languages as a step towards understanding and thus answering questions with respect to English text. Our focus in this paper is on the language of Answer Set Programming (ASP). Our approach to translate sentences to ASP rules is inspired by Montague's use of lambda calculus formulas as meaning of words and phrases. With ASP as the target language the meaning of words and phrases are ASP-lambda formulas. In an earlier work we illustrated our approach by manually developing a dictionary of words and their ASP-lambda formulas. However such an approach is not scalable. In this paper our focus is on two algorithms that allow one to construct ASP-lambda formulas in an inverse manner. In particular the two algorithms take as input two lambda-calculus expressions G and H and compute a lambda-calculus expression F such that F with input as G, denoted by F@G, is equal to H; and similarly G@F = H. We present correctness and complexity results about these algorithms. To do that we develop the notion of typed ASP-lambda calculus theories and their orders and use it in developing the completeness results.
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Proteins Induce NADPH Oxidase 4 Expression in a Transforming Growth Factor β-Dependent Manner: a New Contributor to HCV-Induced Oxidative Stress

Viral hepatitis-induced oxidative stress accompanied by increased levels of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and hepatic fibrosis are hallmarks of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The mechanisms of redox regulation in the pathogenesis of HCV-induced liver disease are not clearly understood. The results of our current studies suggest that reactive oxygen species (ROS) derived from Nox4, a member of the NADPH oxidase (Nox) family, could play a role in HCV-induced liver disease. We found that the expression of HCV (genotype 1a) cDNA constructs (full-length and subgenomic), core protein alone, viral RNA, or replicating HCV (JFH-AM2) induced Nox4 mRNA expression and ROS generation in human hepatocyte cell lines (Huh-7, Huh-7.5, HepG2, and CHL). Conversely, hepatocytes expressing Nox4 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) or an inactive dominant negative form of Nox4 showed decreased ROS production when cells were transfected with HCV. The promoters of both human and murine Nox4 were used to demonstrate transcriptional regulation of Nox4 mRNA by HCV, and a luciferase reporter tied to an ∼2-kb promoter region of Nox4 identified HCV-responsive regulatory regions modulating the expression of Nox4. Furthermore, the human Nox4 promoter was responsive to TGF-β1, and the HCV core-dependent induction of Nox4 was blocked by antibody against TGF-β or the expression of dominant negative TGF-β receptor type II. These findings identified HCV as a regulator of Nox4 gene expression and subsequent ROS production through an autocrine TGF-β-dependent mechanism. Collectively, these data provide evidence that HCV-induced Nox4 contributes to ROS production and may be related to HCV-induced liver disease.
Elevated Pressures on Aortic Valve Leaflets correlate with Orientation of LVAD Outflow Graft

Better understanding of hemodynamic alterations caused by long-term use of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) is necessary to evaluate their impact onto the native heart and major vessels. In particular, aortic insufficiency is a known complication after LVAD implantation and may be related to alteration of pressure distribution on the leaflets of the aortic valve.
Christian Traditional Values Prefiguring the Development of Human Rights

In arguing that human rights found in the UDHR have a particular touch of Christian tradition, this essay elaborates on the values taken from the Christian scripture — not only the New Testament pertaining to the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and the apostolic era, but also the Old Testament referring to God and the Jewish people. Since it would be a time consuming and spacious task to elaborate on every Christian value that prefigures the development of human rights, this essay surveys a handful using Schweiker’s five categories of international human rights: rights of the person, rights associated with the rule of law, political rights, economic and social rights, and rights of communities. In doing so, the essay takes into account not only civil and political, as well as economic and social rights, but also group rights.
A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR VISUAL PERCEPTION

The mathematical model for visual perception presented in this paper is a generalization of a simple pattern-recognition model by “moment invariants”* [1], The pattern-recognition model can identify patterns independently of their position, size, and orientation. The present generalization can perform some other simple human-like functions; it has certain ability to learn, to generalize and to perceive. It learns through a teaching process which consists of a number of simple teaching cycles. Each cycle further consists of three steps: (a) a pattern is shown (visual input), (b) the model’s response is observed, (c) if incorrect, the correct name or code is told. By repeating this cycle, association between patterns and names can be established in the model. Specifically, it can learn to do the following:
Characterization and Modeling of Photon Absorption for Improved Accuracy and Consistency of Density Measurement Using Nuclear Gauge with Hydrogen Effects

The nuclear gauge test method, as a non-destructive method, has been used for highway construction and compaction control since the 1950s. This method is based on the attenuation of photons passing through materials to be tested. Because the hydrogen atom has a different ratio of electron/atom mass from other atoms, the content of hydrogen atoms in the bulk material may produce significant effects on nuclear density measurement results. Therefore, to accurately predict material density from the photon count number, the relative composition related to hydrogen needs to be corrected or decoupled. Moreover, the accuracy of nuclear testing significantly depends on the calibration equation which correlates the material density with the nuclear gauge count reading. The choice of a calibration equation not only changes with engineering conditions and requirements, but also depends on the physical principles of measurements. In this study, the photon absorptions of mixed composites with different densities and moisture contents were investigated using photon and neutron nuclear sources. The count readings changing with material density and moisture content were analyzed. Using the photon count number versus actual density at different hydrogen contents, the effects of hydrogen atoms and actual density on the photon count number were decoupled. The decoupled model provides a satisfactory assessment for all the test samples with different moistures and foam particle volume fractions.
Efficient in-memory computing architecture based on crossbar arrays

To solve the "big data" problems that are hindered by the Von Neumann bottleneck and semiconductor device scaling limitation, a new efficient in-memory computing architecture based on crossbar array is developed. The corresponding basic operation principles and design rules are proposed and verified using emerging nonvolatile devices such as very low-power resistive random access memory (RRAM). To prove the computing architecture, we demonstrate a parallel 1-bit full adder (FA) both by experiment and simulation. A 4-bit multiplier (Mult.) is further obtained by a programed 2-bit Mult. and 2-bit FA.
Does Steering Committee Information Processing Capacity Influence Project Success in Enterprise-Wide System Implementations

Organizations make significant investments in enterprise-wide system development -- also known as enterprise resource planning (ERP). Yet success in such endeavors remains elusive. To improve success rates, companies have deployed executive steering committees to govern these initiatives. Still, scholars and practitioners have an incomplete understanding of what makes these committees successful. This study contributes to limited research on the topic by examining steering committee impact in three ways. First, based on information processing theory, it extends how steering committees grapple with ERP implementation uncertainty by stacking up absorptive capacity. Second, we find that committee process quality contributes to project success as committee time is allocated to pivotal tasks. Third, uncertainty negatively effects implementation success, and the level of uncertainty moderates negatively the positive impact of absorptive capacity. Several implications for practice and theory of system implementation governance are suggested.
An Examination of the Relationship Between a Firm's Offerings and Different Customer Loyalty Segments

Purpose: Loyalty reflects the highest state in the buyer–seller relationship and occurs when repeat patronage and commitment are both high. One generally accepted model of segmenting the customers by degree of loyalty includes 4 categories of loyalty: no loyalty, latent loyalty, spurious loyalty, and loyalty. This study examines the relationship between these 4 customer segments and their evaluation of the firm's offerings. Methodology/approach: This study uses self-reported purchase behaviors and attitude toward the seller for segmentation. Buyers report the importance of and satisfaction with 15 different offerings or processes. The mean scores for the 4 different groups are compared and tested for statistical significance. Findings: The loyalty segments differed in the importance placed on customized products. The loyalty and spurious loyalty groups placed a higher importance on receiving customized products from the seller. The loyalty segments also differed in their levels of satisfaction, but these ...
Researches and Applications of A New Type of Iterative Learning Control Law

A new type of iterative learning control law is proposed.Its convergence is strictly proved in mathematical way.It is applied to excitation control of synchronous machines.Simulation by MATLAB/SIMULINK in the single machine to infinite system indicates the validity of the controller.Dynamics is greatly improved.The convergence is greatly speeded up,which is in favor of the stability in power system.
Laser-diode Pumped Nd∶YVO_4/BIBO 457nm Blue Laser by Intracavity Doubling

An optimized designed CW 914nm laser at room temperature is obtained.Using type-I critical-matching BIBO crystal,457nm blue laser is obtained by 914nm intracavity frequency doubling.The maximum laser output power of 48mW is obtained when a incident pump laser of 1.4W is used.The optical-to-optical conversion up to 3.4%,the power instability in 24h is better than±2.8%.
Roof Instability: What Reportable Noninjury Roof Falls in Underground Coal Mines Can Tell Us.

Ground falls have historically been responsible for nearly 50% of all fatalities in underground bituminous coal mines (Mark, Pappas & Barczak, 2009). Roof bolting in coal mines began on a modest scale in the early 1950s. Since then, the design of bolts, grout systems, accessories and installation techniques has improved significantly. Currently, roof bolting is the primary means of supporting mine roof in room-and-pillar operations in the bituminous coal sector. Although roof support systems have improved greatly, roof falls continue to occur in bolted areas. Design and maintenance of adequate support systems is essential for ensuring ground stability and preventing roof falls. (Note: The term roof falls is used synonymously with falls of roof and falls in this article.) Coal mine operators must report two types of roof falls to MSHA: 1) falls causing injury to workers; and 2) noninjury falls in active areas that impair ventilation, impede passage of miners or extend at least to the anchorage zone of roof bolts. Most injury-causing roof falls involve falls of small chunks of roof rock from the immediate roof beam (Robertson & Hinshaw, 2002). MSHA (2010) data indicate that noninjury roof falls are often large and could comprise an entire intersection or extend to an entire pillar length. The large body of noninjury roof fall reports provides an opportunity to gain insight into the characteristics of roof falls in coal mines. The results will help direct research and development for improving roof support systems. This study was designed to identify geological contributors to roof falls, the relationship between length of bolts and the height of roof fall cavities, and the distribution of roof falls in different coalbeds and mining regions in the U.S. This study included data from approximately 11,600 noninjury roof fall incidents reported to MSHA by more than 800 mines from 1999 through 2008.
The 2015 AACR Clowes Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Cancer Research.

![Figure][1] Left: Greg Plowman, Eli Lilly & Company; Middle, Owen Witte; Right, Rene Bernards Owen Witte, a prominent physician-scientist and mentor at UCLA, is known for his significant contributions to the understanding of human leukemias, immune disorders, and epithelial cancers. Dr.
The RF system design for the Spallation Neutron Source

Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) accelerator includes a nominally 1000 MeV, 2 mA average current linac consisting of a radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ), drift tube linac (DTL), coupled cavity linac (CCL), a medium and high beta superconducting (SC) linac, and two buncher cavities for beam transport to the ring. Los Alamos is responsible for the RF systems for all sections of the linac. The SNS linac is a pulsed proton linac and the RF system must support a 1 msec beam pulse at up to a 60 Hz repetition rate. The RFQ and DTL utilize seven, 2.5 MW klystrons and operate at 402.5 MHz. The CCL, SC, and buncher cavities operate at 805 MHz. Six, 5 MW klystrons are utilized for the CCL and buncher cavities while eighty-one 550 kW klystrons are used for the SC cavities. All of the RF hardware for the SNS linac is currently in production. This paper will present details of the RF system-level design as well as specific details of the SNS RF equipment. The design parameters will be discussed. One of the design challenges has been achieving a reasonable cost with the very large number of high-power klystrons. The approaches we used to reduce cost and the resulting design compromises will be discussed.
Complete Double Epoxidation of Divinylbenzene Using Mn(porphyrin)-Based Porous Organic Polymers

A series of porphyrin-based porous organic polymers (PPOPs) were synthesized in excellent yields via the Yamamoto–Ullmann couplings of tetrabromo spirobifluorene with several brominated porphyrin monomers. After isolation and demetalation, the metal-free PPOP can be postsynthetically metalated to form a MnIII–PPOP that is catalytically active toward the selective double-epoxidation of divinylbenzene to divinylbenzene dioxide.
Laser Resection of Pharyngeal Cancer

Transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) is a surgical treatment method for primary cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx and offers decreased morbidity when compared to traditional open approaches. TLM typically utilizes a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser for resection of tissues. An operating microscope supplies the illumination and magnification. Access is gained via the natural anatomy of the upper aerodigestive tract. TLM differs from open surgery in two significant ways: the tumor block can be transected into manageable units by the laser (in situ), permitting margin mapping. And healing is allowed to occur by secondary intention. While this “piecemeal” removal of the tumor deviates from the “en bloc” principle of conventional oncologic surgery, it adds a diagnostic dimension to TLM.
Leader-follower consensus and synchronization in numerosity-constrained networks with dynamic leadership

In this work, we study leader-follower consensus and synchronization protocols over a stochastically switching network. The agents representing the followers can communicate with any other agent, whereas the agents serving as leaders are restricted to interact only with the other leaders. The model incorporates the phenomenon of numerosity, which limits the perceptual capacity of the agents while allowing for shuffling with whom each individual interacts at each time step. We derive closed form expressions for necessary and sufficient conditions for consensus, the rate of convergence to consensus, and conditions for stochastic synchronization in terms of the asymptotic convergence factor. We provide simulation results to validate the theoretical findings and to illustrate the dependence of this factor on system parameters. The closed form results enable us to study the factors affecting the feasibility of consensus. We show that agents' traits can be chosen for an engineered system to maximize the convergence speed and that protocol speed is enhanced as the proportion of the leaders increases in certain cases. These results may find application in the design and control of an engineered leader-follower system, where consensus or synchronization at the fastest possible rate is desired.
Introduction to the foundations of causal discovery

This article presents an overview of several known approaches to causal discovery. It is organized by relating the different fundamental assumptions that the methods depend on. The goal is to indicate that for a large variety of different settings the assumptions necessary and sufficient for causal discovery are now well understood.
Data Structures: Classifying the Various Types of Data Sets

Data can come to you in several different forms, and it will be useful to have a basic catalog of the different kinds of data so that you can recognize them and use appropriate techniques for each. A data set consists of observations on items, typically with the same information being recorded for each item. We define the elementary units as the items themselves (eg, companies, people, households, cities, TV sets) in order to distinguish them from the measurement or observation (eg, sales, weight, income, population, size). This chapter shows that data sets can be classified in five basic ways: One: By the number of pieces of information (variables) there are for each elementary unit. Univariate data have just one variable, bivariate data have two variables (eg, cost and number produced), and multivariate data have three or more variables. Two: By the kind of measurement (numbers or categories) recorded in each case. Quantitative data consist of meaningful numbers, while categorical data are categories that might be ordered (“ordinal data”) or not (“nominal data”). Three: By whether or not the time sequence of recording is relevant. Time-series data are more complex to analyze than are cross-sectional data due to the way in which measurements change over time. Four: By whether or not the information was newly created or had previously been created by others for their own purposes. If you (or your firm) control the data-gathering process, the result is called “primary data” while data produced by others is “secondary data.” Five: By whether the data were merely observed (an “observational study”) or if some variables were manipulated or controlled (an “experiment”). Advantages of an experiment include the ability to assess what is causing the reaction of interest.
Package design challenges and optimizations in density efficient (Intel® Xeon® processor D) SoC

Xeon®-D[1] brings the high performance of Xeon® processors into a dense, low-power System-on-Chip (SoC). This paper addresses the importance of cost-performance trade off optimization for the Xeon®-D package. It describes how to determine the low cost package factors (size, footprint, pin map and layer count) without compromising the performance of the system. 10GbE signal integrity design and HSD pin map optimization are discussed. Low power architecture and package power delivery features including FIVR are presented in the paper as well.
Mosquito-Borne Diseases as a Global Health Problem: Implications for Pregnancy and Travel

ImportanceMosquitoes are the most common disease vectors worldwide. A combination of factors, including changes in public health policy, climate change, and global travel, has led to the resurgence and spread of these diseases in our modern world. Pregnant women are vulnerable to a number of these i
Breast Cancer Immunotherapy: Facts and Hopes.

Immunotherapy is revolutionizing the management of multiple solid tumors, and early data have revealed the clinical activity of PD-1/PD-L1 antagonists in small numbers of metastatic breast cancer patients. Clinical activity appears more likely if the tumor is triple negative, PD-L1+, and/or harbors higher levels of TILs. Responses to atezolizumab and pembrolizumab appear to be durable in metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), suggesting these agents may transform the lives of responding patients. Current clinical efforts are focused on developing immunotherapy combinations that convert non-responders to responders, deepen those responses that do occur, and surmount acquired resistance to immunotherapy. Identifying biomarkers that can predict the potential for response to single agent immunotherapy, identify the best immunotherapy combinations for a particular patient, and guide salvage immunotherapy in patients with progressive disease are high priorities for clinical development. Smart clinical trials testing rational immunotherapy combinations that include robust biomarker evaluations will accelerate clinical progress, moving us closer to effective immunotherapy for almost all breast cancer patients.
Leveraging UX research method shifts to uncover guiding user metaphors

The research paper describes mixed-methods Experience Design research instruments that investigate the relationship between cross-cultural identity and location. Qualitative research instruments were designed to initially locate connections between conceptions of the self and symbolic pathways, and then to push out from conceptual paths to find boundaries and key connections between them. This paper details qualitative research into how an African university deploys place-based identity through its website, and how university students navigate through the university portal to desired information. This research uncovered whether the structure of a website reinforced audience notions of place through their use of metaphor, image, and navigation cues. The paper outlines the creation of the research instrument, discusses how early data collection guided later data collection, and finally details how these methods solicit users to define the significance of the data during research method shifts.
Direct Behavior Ratings: A Feasible and Effective Progress Monitoring Approach for Social and Behavioral Interventions:

Despite significant advancements in supporting students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health in recent years, progress remains hindered by limited formative assessment options. The focus of this special issue is on applications for Direct Behavior Rating (DBR), which is a hybrid assessment method incorporating procedures utilized in direct observations and teacher ratings. Three articles in the special issue utilize multiple baseline designs to demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of DBR single-item scales, and a fourth article describes a multiple-item DBR applied to social behaviors. Expert commentaries provide perspectives on the current literature related to the assessment of social, emotional, and behavioral constructs in school settings and also chart a future course for continued study.