cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Statistical testing of baseline differences in sports medicine RCTs: a systematic evaluation.

Background/Aim The CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement discourages reporting statistical tests of baseline differences between groups in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, this practice is still common in many medical fields. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of this practice in leading sports medicine journals. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search in Medline through PubMed to identify RCTs published in the years 2005 and 2015 from 10 high-impact sports medicine journals. Two reviewers independently confirmed the trial design and reached consensus on which articles contained statistical tests of baseline differences. Results Our search strategy identified a total of 324 RCTs, with 85 from the year 2005 and 239 from the year 2015. Overall, 64.8% of studies (95% CI (59.6, 70.0)) reported statistical tests of baseline differences; broken down by year, this percentage was 67.1% in 2005 (95% CI (57.1, 77.1)) and 64.0% in 2015 (95% CI (57.9, 70.1)). Conclusions Although discouraged by the CONSORT statement, statistical testing of baseline differences remains highly prevalent in sports medicine RCTs. Statistical testing of baseline differences can mislead authors; for example, by failing to identify meaningful baseline differences in small studies. Journals that ask authors to follow the CONSORT statement guidelines should recognise that many manuscripts are ignoring the recommendation against statistical testing of baseline differences.
Trends and sources of ozone and sub-micron aerosols at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory (MBO) during 2004–2015

Abstract In this paper, we report the climatology of tropospheric ozone (O3) and sub-micron aerosol scattering at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory (MBO, 2.8 km asl) in central Oregon, USA, during 2004–2015. The seasonal cycle for O3 showed a bimodal pattern with peaks in April and July, while aerosol scattering (σsp) was lognormally distributed with a very high peak in August and a smaller peak in May. The mean O3 concentrations showed positive and significant trends in all seasons except winter, with a slope of 0.6–0.8 ppbv yr−1. Monthly criteria for isolating free tropospheric (FT) and boundary layer influenced (BLI) air masses at MBO were obtained based on comparison of MBO water vapor (WV) distributions to those of Salem (SLE) and Medford (MFR), Oregon, at equivalent pressure level. In all seasons, FT O3 was, on average, higher than BLI O3, but the seasonal patterns were rather similar. For σsp the FT mean in spring was higher, but the BLI mean in summer was significantly higher, indicating the importance of regional wildfire smoke. To better understand the causes for the seasonal and interannual trends at MBO, we identified four major categories of air masses that impact O3, carbon monoxide (CO) and aerosols: upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) O3 intrusion, Asian long-range transport (ALRT), Arctic air pollution (AAP) and plumes from the Pacific Northwest region (PNW). ALRT and PNW plumes can be further divided into wildfires (WF), industrial pollution (IP) and mineral dust (MD). Over the 12 years of observations, 177 individual plume events have been identified. Enhancement ratios (ERs) and Angstrom exponents (AEs) of aerosols were calculated for all events. The lowest slope of Δσsp/ΔO3 is a unique feature of UTLS events. PNW-WF events have the highest averages for Δσsp/ΔCO, Δσsp/ΔO3 and Δσsp/ΔNOy compared to other events. These ERs decrease during long-range transport due to the shorter residence time of aerosols compared to the other pollutants. ALRT-WF events have lower absorption AEs (Aap) than PNW-WF, implying that brown carbon (BrC) is generated from biomass burning but its fraction decreases during long-range transport. Signatures of ERs and AEs are useful tools to identify different plume categories. These results demonstrate the increasing impact of baseline O3 on US air quality due to both global sources and regional wildfire events.
Confronting the firearm injury plague

* Abbreviation: UI — : unintentional injury Firearm injuries are an all-too-common way of death for children and youth in the United States. As Fowler et al1 report in the current issue, firearm injuries are the third leading cause of death for all children aged 1 to 17 years. Although firearm injury mortality rates for these children declined gradually from 2006 to 2013, they have risen again over the past 2 years, now accounting for over 10% of all deaths among these ages in 2014 and 2015.2 An even grimmer picture appears if we extend the age range through the teen-aged years to age 19, because firearm injury rates rise steeply in late adolescence; among children and youth aged 1 to 19, firearm injuries accounted for over 14% of all deaths in 2015. Thus, more than 1 out of every 7 children aged 1 to 19 who died of anything died of a gunshot wound. Only motor vehicle traffic injuries claim more of these lives, and those rates have fallen ∼50% since 2000, whereas firearm mortality dropped only 10%.2 The value of Fowler’s report lies not only in its updating of basic statistics on child firearm deaths but also in providing deeper insight into circumstances and factors involved with these deaths than we have had from past reports3,4 by using information from the National Violent Death Reporting System. By including a focus on nonfatal firearm injuries treated in … Address correspondence to Eliot W. Nelson, MD, UVM College of Medicine, Pediatric Primary Care, 353 Blair Park Rd, Williston, VT 05495. E-mail: eliot.nelson{at}uvmhealth.org
Multi-Stage Attack Graph Security Games: Heuristic Strategies, with Empirical Game-Theoretic Analysis

We study the problem of allocating limited security countermeasures to protect network data from cyber-attacks, for scenarios modeled by Bayesian attack graphs. We consider multi-stage interactions between a network administrator and cybercriminals, formulated as a security game. This formulation is capable of representing security environments with significant dynamics and uncertainty, and very large strategy spaces. For the game model, we propose parameterized heuristic strategies for both players. Our heuristics exploit the topological structure of the attack graphs and employ different sampling methodologies to overcome the computational complexity in determining players' actions. Given the complexity of the game, we employ a simulation-based methodology, and perform empirical game analysis over an enumerated set of these heuristic strategies. Finally, we conduct experiments based on a variety of game settings to demonstrate the advantages of our heuristics in obtaining effective defense strategies which are robust to the uncertainty of the security environment.
Evaluation of high frequency solid state switches for pulsed power applications using a 12 kW variable voltage testbed

Field Effect Transistor (FET) controlled devices, such as MOSFETs and IGBTs, exhibit several desirable characteristics over other solid-state devices for pulsed power applications; benefits include high frequency switching, voltage control, and compact control circuitry. This paper details a testbed used for evaluation of the switching performance and characterization of FET controlled devices used in pulsed power systems as well as the diagnostics used to characterize the devices under test (DuT). The testbed presented in this research operates in two modes: (1) High energy pulsed mode, with charge voltages up to 300 V, pulse width of 3 seconds and up to 18 kJ total stored energy (2) Continuous pulse-train mode, with charge voltage up to 300 V, up to 18 kJ total stored energy and average current output up to 40 A. Both of these modes utilize a 396 mF capacitor bank to store energy. A fast, custom, gigabyte-memory-depth data acquisition oscilloscope records voltage and current waveforms at a 60 Mega-Sample/second rate. Due to the frequency regime (1–50 kHz), high current levels (up to 300 A peak) and wide voltage range of these experiments, making these measurements, reliably, is a non-trivial effort. Several methods of making each measurement were examined. Calibrated voltage, current, energy, and power waveforms quantify the DuT's turn-on / conduction / turn-off characteristics. Measurements of interest in these experiments are device current and device voltage; energy dissipated in the DuT is determined from these measurements.
Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Biomedicine

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to ACM BCB 2012. ACM BCB has established itself as a premier annual forum for research and development in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology and Biomedicine from academia, industry and government. The conference focuses on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research in disciplines of computer science, mathematics, statistics, biology, bioinformatics, and biomedicine. This year's conference received 159 papers. After a rigorous review process, 33 regular papers and 31 short papers were selected. The conference program also has 9 invited papers, 3 contributed papers and 43 poster papers. The program features three keynote speeches, two tutorials and the following four workshops: 1. Immunoinformatics and Computational Immunology Workshop 2. Biological Network Analysis and Applications in Translational and Personalized Medicine 3. Parallel and Cloud-based Bioinformatics and Biomedicine 4. Robustness and Stability of Biological Systems and Computational Solutions The best paper, best student paper and best poster will be selected during the conference. The selection will be announced during the banquet.
Seasonal and spatial patterns in phytoplankton photosynthetic parameters in a tidal freshwater river

The photosynthetic response to irradiance wasquantified for phytoplankton from the tidalfreshwater Potomac River biweekly to monthly over aperiod of six years. Samples were collected from twoshallow embayments and portions of the deeper rivermainstem. Photosynthetic rate was measured in thelaboratory at in situ temperature over a range ofirradiance levels and photosynthetic parameters werecalculated using nonlinear regression.PBmax,the maximum photosynthetic ratestandardized to chlorophyll a, increased withtemperature up to 25 °C with a Q10 of 2.02. Above 25 °C, PBmax was essentiallyconstant with temperature. Lesser correlationbetween PBmax and ambient irradiance couldbe explained by the correlation of irradiance withtemperature. α, the slope of the P–I curve atlow light, was correlated with both ambientirradiance and temperature. Highest α valueswere found in late summer when high temperature andintermediate ambient irradiance were observed. Spring and early summer were characterized by lowα. Despite low light penetration, Ik andα values were indicative of sun limitationpossibly due to intermittent high light levelsexperienced during mixing. Ik showed a clearseasonal trend directly related to days from summersolstice. Spatial patterns were minimal except thatIk was consistently lower in one shallowembayment than in the other two areas. Seasonalpatterns in photosynthetic parameters correspondedroughly to changes from a spring diatom populationto summer cyanobacterial assemblage.
Motor cortical activity during drawing movements: single-unit activity during sinusoid tracing.

1. This study examines the neuronal activity of motor cortical cells associated with the production of arm trajectories during drawing movements. Three monkeys were trained to perform two tasks. Th...
Nurturing kindness naturally: A humane education program’s effect on the prosocial behavior of first and second graders across China

Abstract Research suggests that school-based programs can increase the frequencies of children’s prosocial behaviors . However, extant research nearly exclusively studies relatively small studies in Western schools. Through a large evaluation conducted over 3 separate years in 25 public elementary schools in 5 cities across eastern China, we tested whether the Caring for Life humane education program—which employs animal- and nature-related content and activities—improved the prosociality of first and second grade students. Students who participated in the program displayed significantly greater gains in prosociality than similar students who didn’t. Students who participated in an expanded version of the program appeared to realize even greater gains. The study supports the ability of school-based programs to benefit children in the vast but under-studied area of humane education in non-Western cultures.
Elevated preoperative Galectin-3 is associated with acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery

Previous research suggests that novel biomarkers may be used to identify patients at increased risk of acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between preoperative levels of circulating Galectin-3 (Gal-3) and acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. Preoperative serum Gal-3 was measured in 1498 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and/or valve surgery as part of the Northern New England Biomarker Study between 2004 and 2007. Preoperative Gal-3 levels were measured using multiplex assays and grouped into terciles. Univariate and multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the predictive ability of Gal-3 terciles and AKI occurrence and severity. Before adjustment, patients in the highest tercile of Gal-3 had a 2.86-greater odds of developing postoperative KDIGO Stage 2 or 3 (p < 0.001) and 1.70-greater odds of developing KDIGO Stage 1 (p = < 0.001), compared to the first tercile. After adjustment, patients in the highest tercile had 2.95-greater odds of developing KDIGO Stage 2 or 3 (p < 0.001) and 1.71-increased odds of developing KDIGO Stage 1 (p = 0.001), compared to the first tercile. Compared to the base model, the addition of Gal-3 terciles improved discriminatory power compared to without Gal-3 terciles (test of equality = 0.042). Elevated preoperative Gal-3 levels significantly improves predictive ability over existing clinical models for postoperative AKI and may be used to augment risk information for patients at the highest risk of developing AKI and AKI severity after cardiac surgery.
Vaccination and risk of lone atrial fibrillation in the active component United States military.

PURPOSE To evaluate the hypothesis that receipt of anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) increases the risk of atrial fibrillation in the absence of identifiable underlying risk factors or structural heart disease (lone atrial fibrillation). METHODS We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study among U.S. military personnel who were on active duty during the period from January 1, 1998 through December 31, 2006. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes were used to identify individuals diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in the Defense Medical Surveillance System, and electronic records were screened to include only individuals without evidence of predisposing medical conditions. We used multivariable Poisson regression to estimate the risk of lone atrial fibrillation after exposure to AVA. We also evaluated possible associations with influenza and smallpox vaccines. RESULTS Our study population consisted of 2,957,091individuals followed for 11,329,746 person-years of service. Of these, 2,435 met our case definition for lone atrial fibrillation, contributing approximately 8,383 person-years of service. 1,062,176 (36%) individuals received at least one dose of AVA; the median person time observed post-exposure was 3.6 years. We found no elevated risk of diagnosed lone atrial fibrillation associated with AVA (adjusted risk ratio = 0.99; 95% confidence interval = 0.90, 1.09; p = 0.84). No elevated risk was observed for lone atrial fibrillation associated with influenza or smallpox vaccines given during military service. CONCLUSIONS We did not find an increased risk of lone atrial fibrillation after AVA, influenza or smallpox vaccine. These findings may be helpful in planning future vaccine safety research.
Antiphospholipid Antibodies, Platelet and Endothelial Activation in Acute Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP).

BACKGROUND. Although the etiology of TTP remains controversial, some notable associated conditions have been identified. These include genetic predisposition, infections, drugs, pregnancy, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and deficiency of ADAMTS13. These associations underscore the suspected immunological nature of this disorder. Some authors have reported the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLA) with onset of fulminate severe TTP. Also, platelet and endothelial activation has been described in TTP but their possible relation with APLA is unknown. METHODS. We measured APLA in 19 patients with acute TTP and 17 in remission. Fifteen were female and four were male, mean age of 37 ± 15. All met the diagnostic criteria of TTP and were treated with standard therapy including exchange plasmapheresis. The severity of TTP was classified based on duration of hospitalization and numbers of plasmapheresis needed. Recurrence of TTP was assessed by history and review of medical records. CBC, platelet counts, blood chemistry and LDH were monitored. We investigated APLA antibodies IgG and IgM against 6 antigens (β2GP1, FVII/VIIa, CL, PC, PS, PE) by ELISA. To investigate platelet activation, we measured by flow cytometry: CD62P on platelets, and platelet microparticles (PMP) by CD41 (PMP41). We also measured endothelial microparticles (EMP) using CD62E. RESULTS. Lab study : In acute TTP, 42% (8/19) were APLA positive for at least one IgG antibody. The most frequent was aPS (33%) followed by aCL(28%), aPC(28%), aβ2GP1 (28%), FVII/VIIa (21%) and PE (21%). IgM antibodies were not detected. APLA was two-fold more prevalent in acute TTP (42%) than in remission (21%). In acute TTP multiple antibodies (two or more) were seen in 75% (6/8) while in remission only one (12.5%) had multiple antibodies. Platelet activation measured by CD62P was higher in APLA+ than in APLA− (102 ± 25 vs 33 ± 8 fluorescence units, p<0.02, X ± SEM). PMP41 was higher in APLA+ than in APLA− but this difference was not significant. We also found that EMP62E was significantly higher in APLA+ than in APLA− patients (p<0.01). Clinical observations : When comparing the two groups (APLA+ vs APLA−), APLA+ group had higher incidence of recurrence of TTP than APLA− (75% vs 36%), p<0.05. Platelet counts, LDH, severity and incidence of CNS syndrome were not significantly different between APLA+ and APLA− groups. CONCLUSIONS: APLA are frequently seen in acute TTP (42%) and they tend to decline in remission. Their presence is associated with increased activation of platelets and endothelial cells, and also with clinical recurrence of TTP. APLA may play a role in excerbation and recurrence of TTP.
Stress urinary incontinence: An undertreated problem which deserves attention

Abstract Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary leakage of urine which occurs with sudden increase in abdominal pressure, such as during sneezing, coughing, or laughing. This is a common symptom in women, affecting more than 50% of women and a cause of substantial morbidity. Women and men do not commonly report this symptom to their physicians. This under-reporting may be one of the reasons for undertreatment. In fact, successful treatments exist which decrease or cure SUI, including pelvic floor muscle training and various surgeries but only a small fraction of those with SUI receive treatment.
Acoustic anomaly detection system: demo abstract

Acoustic signals contain rich information of the environment. They can be used for detecting anomalous events such as in automated machine monitoring. In this demonstration, we present our acoustic anomaly detection system that captures acoustic signals and classifies them using machine learning techniques. Our system includes a server for sound management and model training, a mobile client for sound capturing and real-time classification, and a workbench that acts as a user interface. We will show the full operational pipeline of our system in this demonstration.
Erbium: Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Laser Accelerates Healing in Indolent Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the erbium:yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser on diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) that had not responded to standard care. We retrospectively evaluated 22 nonhealing DFUs that received at least 4 weeks of standard wound care, demonstrated poor healing response, and subsequently were treated with an erbium:YAG laser. We measured the percent wound area reduction (PWAR) for the 4 weeks before initiating laser therapy and the PWAR for 4 weeks after the initiation of laser therapy. Erbium:YAG laser treatment consisted of 2 components: debridement and resurfacing. The laser settings were the same for all treatments. We used the paired t test to compare pretreatment with posttreatment wound area reduction. During the 4-week period before the initiation of laser therapy, the average PWAR was –33.6%. Four weeks after initiating treatment with the erbium:YAG laser, the average PWAR was 63.4% (p = .002) and 72.7% of wounds had ≥50% PWAR. By 12 weeks, 50% of wounds had healed. Erbium:YAG laser therapy accelerated DFU healing in a cohort of patients with ulcers that had been unresponsive to standard of care therapy.
Follow the heart or the mind? Examining cognitive and affective attitude on HPV vaccination intention

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with various serious diseases including cervical cancer and genital warts. Although the HPV vaccine has been commended as a breakthrough for preventing HPV ...
Impact of Removing Medicaid Fee-for-Service Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Treatment Restrictions on HCV Provider Experience with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations in New York City.

Immediately after the approval of direct-acting antiviral medications for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2013, state Medicaid programs limited access to these expensive treatments based on liver disease stage, absence of active alcohol or substance use, and prescriber limitations. New York State fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid eliminated these requirements in May 2016, but the effect on providers and patients obtaining prior authorization (PA) from Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) was unknown. We used a mixed methods approach to assess whether the removal of HCV treatment restrictions was associated with changes in Medicaid MCOs’ PA approval processes and length of time to treatment initiation at two large urban New York City provider organizations participating in Project INSPIRE, an HCV care coordination demonstration project. At baseline, the top criteria for clinic care coordinators ranking MCOs as being “most difficult” were liver staging criteria, delayed treatment, and requiring a urine toxicology test. At follow-up, liver staging criteria were replaced by medication formulary limitations. Univariate analysis of the Project INSPIRE participant data suggests a decrease in the percentage of participants with insurance/PA-related treatment delays pre- versus post-policy change (23% versus 15%, p value = 0.02). Interrupted time series analysis found a 2 percentage point decrease (p value = 0.02) in the proportion of PAs each month with insurance-related treatment delays that was attributable to policy change. These results from two urban clinics indicate New York State FFS Medicaid’s policy change for HCV treatment may have been associated with some changes in Medicaid MCO PA decisions, but MCO PA denials and treatment delays were still observed “on the ground” by clinic staff.
Migraine Surgery at the Frontal Trigger Site: An Analysis of Intraoperative Anatomy

Background The development of migraine headaches may involve the entrapment of peripheral craniofacial nerves at specific sites. Cadaveric studies in the general population have confirmed potential compression points of the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves at the frontal trigger site. The authors' aim was to describe the intraoperative anatomy of the supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves at the level of the supraorbital bony rim in patients undergoing frontal migraine surgery and to investigate associated pain. Methods PATIENTS: scheduled for frontal-site surgery were enrolled prospectively. The senior author (W.G.A.) evaluated intraoperative anatomy and recorded variables using a detailed form and operative report. The resulting data were analyzed. Results One hundred eighteen sites among 61 patients were included. The supraorbital nerve traversed a notch in 49 percent, a foramen in 41 percent, a notch plus a foramen in 9.3 percent, and neither a notch nor a foramen in one site. The senior author noted macroscopic nerve compression at 74 percent of sites. Reasons included a tight foramen in 24 percent, a notch with a tight band in 34 percent, and supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves emerging by means of the same notch in 7.6 percent or by means of the same foramen in 4.2 percent. Preoperative pain at a site was significantly associated with nerve compression by a foramen. Conclusions The intraoperative anatomy and cause of nerve compression at the frontal trigger site vary greatly among patients. The authors report a supraorbital nerve foramen prevalence of 50.3 percent, which is greater than in previous cadaver studies of the general population. Lastly, the presence of pain at a specific site is associated with macroscopic nerve compression.
Detecting genomic deletions from high-throughput sequence data with unsupervised learning

Structural variation (SV), which ranges from 50 bp to ~3 Mb in size, is an important type of genetic variations. Deletion is a type of SV in which a part of a chromosome or a sequence of DNA is lost during DNA replication. Three types of signals, including discordant read-pairs, reads depth and split reads, are commonly used for SV detection from high-throughput sequence data. Many tools have been developed for detecting SVs by using one or multiple of these signals. In this paper, we develop a new method called EigenDel for detecting genomic deletions. EigenDel first takes advantage of discordant read-pairs and clipped reads to get initial deletion candidates, and then it clusters similar candidates by using unsupervised learning methods. After that, EigenDel uses a carefully designed approach for calling true deletions from each cluster. We conduct various experiments to evaluate the performance of EigenDel on low coverage sequence data. Our results show that EigenDel outperforms other major methods in terms of improving capability of balancing accuracy and sensitivity as well as reducing bias. EigenDel can be downloaded from https://github.com/lxwgcool/EigenDel.
Tribological Performance of environmental friendly ionic liquids for High-Temperature Applications

Abstract High-temperature liquid lubricants are often composed of petroleum-based oils. Recently, the lubrication industry has begun to shift towards environmentally benign lubricants to reduce the use of toxic petroleum-based oils. As a result, there has been a resurgence in the use of bio-based lubricants. These “biolubricants” consist of vegetable oils, synthetic ethers, and polyalkyleneglycols (PAGs) for use as high-temperature lubricants. The largest drawbacks to biolubricants are neither their toxicity nor their lubricity, but rather their thermal instability. Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) are emerging biolubricants that has the potential to replace conventional lubricants at high temperatures. In this investigation 1,3-diakylimidazolium and trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium cations are combined with carboxylate anions to create eco-friendly lubricants for high-temperature applications. Here, these RTILs are compared with bio-based and petroleum-based oils to evaluate their tribological properties through pin-on-disk testing and thermal stability via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Additionally, the influence of differing alkyl chain imidazolium cations of the 1-decyl through 1-allyl equivalents and various shape and sized anions are studied. Results indicate that the eco-friendly RTILs exhibit the lowest friction and wear properties as well as superior thermal stability because of their lamellar-like liquid crystal structure, electrostatic potential dipolar, and molecular adsorption layer.
Manual response inhibition and quality of life in adults who stutter.

Abstract Background A considerable amount of research has identified inhibition differences, including slower inhibition of manual responses, in people who stutter. Recent investigations have failed to link slowed motor inhibition with overt stuttering severity. This study investigated the potential relationship between slowed manual response inhibition and the negative impact of stuttering upon individual lives of adults who stutter (AWS). Methods Thirty-four adults (AWS, n = 17; AWNS, n = 17) matched by nonverbal IQ completed a manual stop-signal task and provided a conversational speech sample. Motor inhibition latency for AWS and AWNS were compared. For AWS, motor inhibition latency was compared to the four subsections of the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience with Stuttering (OASES; Yaruss & Quesal, 2006; General Information, Reactions to Stuttering, Communication in Daily Situations, Quality of Life). Results Similar to previous studies, AWS were significantly slower to inhibit inaccurate manual responses than AWNS. Quality of Life subtest of the OASES was found to significantly predict inhibition latency. Conclusion These data replicate findings that indicate that AWS exhibit slower manual inhibition latency, and suggest that these inhibition differences may be associated with an individual’s negative experience with stuttering rather than stuttering severity.
Plenary lecture 5: military path planning for unmanned autonomous agents

Due to the uncertainties and higher risks of fatality in combat situations, Unmanned Autonomous Agents (UAA) may be proven to be a safer alternative for carrying our critical missions, such as search and rescue, and reconnaissance operations. In this presentation we discuss a Military Path Planning Algorithm (MPPA) for a robot or an Unmanned Autonomous Agent (UAA) to map out a safe and efficient path from a specified origin to destination in a combat environment surrounded by enemies. It is assumed that the UAA (or robot) moves along a digital terrain and has sensing capability which is a function of distance, i.e., it will not know where the enemies are located unless it is at a certain distance from them. The objective is to reach the destination point from the origin in a safe and efficient manner while maintaining a safe distance from enemies. The MPPA is tested with two enemies randomly located on the terrain along which the UAA moves. Several ongoing works as well as directions of future research are also presented.
Patterning of Nano-Hydroxyapatite onto SiO2 and Electro-spun Mat Surfaces Using Dip-Pen Nanolithography

Abstract We have demonstrated the ability to controlled-pattern hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nanoHA) onto the SiO2 and electrospun mat surfaces using dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). One of the keys to the success of this research was the formulation of nanoHA inks with well-defined physicochemical properties for specific use with dip-pen nanolithography. Studies on the effect of ink viscosity in terms of dispersion, stability, and accuracy of patterning determined the optimal formulation of ink as 3 w/v % nanoHA with 30-50% glycerol in isopropyl alcohol. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the dispersion of in solution. 30-50% glycerol solution yielded a dispersed nanoHA particles of size ~200 nm in ink. The stability of the inks evaluated by zeta-potential measurements and by turbidity (the tendency for nanoHA sedimentation over time) showed stability for the higher viscosity inks (30-50% glycerol formulated against 0% glycerol). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and SEM were utilized to image the printed patterns on a SiO2 substrate and on an electrospun mat. The optimal ink consisted of 30% glycerol and 3 w/v % nanoHA with printed features ranging from 745 – 1175 nm on a SiO2 substrate. Additionally, nanoHA printed onto an electrospun scaffold showed DPN without fiber damage onto soft-matter. The development of a nanoHA ink for controlled DPN patterning will enable single cellular interactions to nanoscale patterning on many surfaces, including printed nanoHA-gradient-scaffold for interface tissue engineering.
Asymptotic Analysis of a Remanufacturing System with Non-Identical Lead Times

In this paper, we study a remanufacturing inventory system with non-identical lead times. We prove that a constant-order (L, U) threshold policy, which manufactures a constant amount of new products in each period and then disposes/remanufactures returned products based on two threshold levels, is asymptotically optimal as the manufacturing lead time grows large. It is considerably simpler to interpret and implement the proposed constant-order (L, U) threshold policy than the complex optimal policy.
A formal model of street-level bureaucracy:

Different from a classic Weberian bureaucracy, public service bureaucrats directly interact with citizens at the frontlines of government. These first responders use their discretion to meet some c...
Mutation rates in globin genes: the genetic load and Haldane's dilemma.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the mutation rates for mammalian genomes that have often been computed from rates of amino-acid substitution. The fact that rates differing by manyfold are obtained for different proteins emphasizes that in some proteins, such as the histones, most amino-acid substitutions are sufficiently deleterious to be eliminated during the course of evolution. It reviews that by measuring acceptance rates of silent mutations through direct nucleotide sequence comparisons between species, it can remove one of the most important limitations of previous estimates of the mutation rate, which have been based on amino-acid substitution data. The chapter also discusses that Haldane computed the number of genetic deaths required for a gene substitution to occur according to strict Darwinian principles. With reasonable assumptions about permissive levels of mortality associated with Darwinian evolution, he estimated that there could be about one gene substitution every 300 generations. To account for the observed maintenance of mammalian genomes in the face of Haldane's dilemma, it proposes two solutions—that is, by Truncation selection and Neutral mutations. Truncation selection provides a useful way of explaining accurate maintenance of the repetitive gene clusters and satellite DNAs, but it is difficult to imagine that truncation selection could effectively maintain the accuracy of the single-copy DNA coding for most proteins. It is suggested that only a small fraction of the genome, perhaps less than 2%, is kept accurate as single-copy DNA. Since most mammalian genomes contain large amounts of single-copy DNA, the implication is that most such sequences must be genetically drifting.
Locating previously unknown patterns in data-mining results: a dual data- and knowledge-mining method

Data mining can be utilized to automate analysis of substantial amounts of data produced in many organizations. However, data mining produces large numbers of rules and patterns, many of which are not useful. Existing methods for pruning uninteresting patterns have only begun to automate the knowledge acquisition step (which is required for subjective measures of interestingness), hence leaving a serious bottleneck. In this paper we propose a method for automatically acquiring knowledge to shorten the pattern list by locating the novel and interesting ones. The dual-mining method is based on automatically comparing the strength of patterns mined from a database with the strength of equivalent patterns mined from a relevant knowledgebase. When these two estimates of pattern strength do not match, a high "surprise score" is assigned to the pattern, identifying the pattern as potentially interesting. The surprise score captures the degree of novelty or interestingness of the mined pattern. In addition, we show how to compute p values for each surprise score, thus filtering out noise and attaching statistical significance. We have implemented the dual-mining method using scripts written in Perl and R. We applied the method to a large patient database and a biomedical literature citation knowledgebase. The system estimated association scores for 50,000 patterns, composed of disease entities and lab results, by querying the database and the knowledgebase. It then computed the surprise scores by comparing the pairs of association scores. Finally, the system estimated statistical significance of the scores. The dual-mining method eliminates more than 90% of patterns with strong associations, thus identifying them as uninteresting. We found that the pruning of patterns using the surprise score matched the biomedical evidence in the 100 cases that were examined by hand. The method automates the acquisition of knowledge, thus reducing dependence on the knowledge elicited from human expert, which is usually a rate-limiting step.
Nitric oxide and nitrous oxide production and cycling during dissimilatory nitrite reduction by Pseudomonas perfectomarina.

Abstract The denitrifier Pseudomonas perfectomarina reduced nitrite under conditions of kinetic competition between cells and gas sparging for extracellular dissolved nitric and nitrous oxides, NOaq and N2Oaq, in a chemically defined marine medium. Time courses of nitrite reduction and NOg and N2Og alpha removal were integrated to give NOg and N2Og yields. At high sparging rates, the NOg yield was greater than 50% of nitrite-N reduced, and the yield of NOg + N2Og was approximately 75%. Hence interrupted denitrification yields NOaq and N2Oaq as major products. The yields varied with sparging rates in agreement with a quantitative model of denitrification (Betlach, M. P., and Tiedje, J.M. (1981) Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 42, 1074-1084) that applies simplified Michaelis-Menten kinetics to NO2-----NOaq----N2Oaq----N2. The fit gave an estimate of the maximum scavengeable NOaq yield of 73 +/- 8% of nitrite-N. Thus a minor path independent of NOaq is also required. The fit of the model to data at lower sparging rates, where normal denitrification products predominate, implies that the extracellular NOaq pool yield is independent of gas sparging rate. Thus in P. perfectomarina NOaq and N2Oaq are intermediates, or facilely equilibrate with true intermediates, during complete denitrification. The recovery of most nitrite-N as NO and/or N2O under perturbed conditions is not an artifact of irreversible product removal, but an attribute of denitrification in this species, and most probably it is characteristic of denitrification in other species as well.
Applications of Integration

Our applications of integration in Chapter 4 were limited to area, distance-velocity, and rate problems. In this chapter, we will see how to use integrals to set up problems involving volumes, averages, centers of mass, work, energy, and power. The techniques developed in Chapter 7 make it possible to solve many of these problems completely.
Exploratory Drag Reduction Studies in Non-Polar Soap Systems

The effects of concentration, flow rate, and tube diameter on drag reduction in non-polar soap solutions were studied. Aluminum dioleate in toluene solutions were used in pressure drop measurements at concentrations of 0.2, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 per cent. Pressure drop measurements were made in tube diameters ranging from 0.01 to 2.0 inches. A few such measurements were also made with an aluminum palmitate soap in toluene.
Biological Impacts of Climate Change

Climate has far reaching impacts on biological systems. Survival and reproduction depend on how well adapted individuals are to local climate patterns. Climate change can disrupt the match between organisms and their local environment, reducing survival and reproduction and causing subsequent impacts on populations or species’ distributions across geographic regions. Climate change may benefit some species and cause extinction for others. Cumulatively, it will alter biological communities and the functioning of ecosystems. The Earth is already experiencing sufficient climate change
Shock tube measurements of the rate constant for the reaction cyclohexene → ethylene + 1,3-butadiene

Abstract The rate constant for the reaction cyclohexene → ethylene + 1,3-butadiene was determined by monitoring the formation of ethylene during the pyrolysis of cyclohexene behind reflected shock waves. Ethylene mole-fraction time-histories were measured using direct laser absorption at 10.532 μm. Experiments were performed between 950–1300 K and 0.8–3.7 atm. Measurements do not indicate any pressure dependence at these conditions. The data are best-fit by an Arrhenius expression k [s−1] = 4.84 × 1014 exp (−31 900 [K]/T) with uncertainties of ±19–36%, depending on the temperature. This appears to be the most accurate determination to date of the rate constant for cyclohexene decomposition.
Reducing Electrical Consumption in the Forest Products Industry Using Lean Thinking

The forest products industry has an opportunity to reduce energy costs using energy management practices, thereby boosting its global competitiveness. Increasing manufacturing costs have contributed significantly to the decline of the forest products manufacturing industries in the U.S.; these increasing costs limit manufacturers’ abilities to compete with their global competitors. U.S. companies are continually improving their products, processes, finances, and business practices to better compete with global marketplaces; however, they may not be seizing all of the opportunities available through more efficient energy consumption practices. By eliminating non-valued added activities, lean thinking is an example of one tool that may improve performance and reduce costs. A case study was conducted at a cabinet manufacturer in Virginia to examine the impact of lean thinking on the consumption of electricity in the manufacturing process. An energy management system was used to provide rapid feedback on electrical energy consumption for production operations. Significant changes were observed after implementing energy reduction practices identified by lean thinking tools.
Importance of Considering Variables when Using Magnetic Basket Dissolution Apparatus

Sir:In several recent articles (1, 2), the versatility and adaptability of the magnetic basket were demonstrated. This apparatus was initially developed to yield reproducible dissolution profiles for capsules. The adaptability of the magnetic basket apparatus to tablet dissolution was also discussed (2). By using several sets of specially formulated tablets as the control, the magnetic basket was shown to differentiate between the common tablet parameters of hardness, particle size, and formulation changes, thereby illustrating its possible use in quality control. However, to use the concept of the magnetic basket as a means of correlating in vitro dissolution with the in vivo performance of a drug, further adaptability of the basket must be considered. Since the above-mentioned tablet parameters are not appreciably changed and remain constant after initial clinical testing demonstrates the effectiveness of the dosage form, the dissolution system must be able to show further versatility in its ability to provide an in vitro dissolution profile which approximates the in vivo behavior of the drug. Adjustment of the in vitro conditions, such as propeller height and revolutions per minute, or a change in the mesh or size of the basket would seem to be the means of achieving this approximation.
Volatile compounds produced by copper-catalyzed oxidation of butterfat

Anhydrous butterfat treated with copper and stored under vacuum at 38C in the dark for 9 weeks yielded the C5–8n-alkanes, acetic acid and the C4,5,7,9 alkan-2-ones. The same butterfat stored under oxygen for 1 week yielded the C1,2,3,5-7n-alkanes, the C2,4–6,8 alk-l-enes, the C7,8 alk-l-ynes, the C2–6n-alkanoic acids, ethanol, the C2–7n-alkanals, 3-methylbutanal and 4-methylpentanal, the C1–4n-alkyl formates, ethyl acetate and propionate,n-propyl acetate and propionate, and butanone. Both treatments yielded carbon dioxide. All samples including those not treated with copper yielded butane-2,3-dione.
Measurement of multiple nicotine dependence domains among cigarette, non-cigarette and poly-tobacco users: Insights from item response theory

Background Nicotine dependence (ND) is a key construct that organizes physiological and behavioral symptoms associated with persistent nicotine intake. Measurement of ND has focused primarily on cigarette smokers. Thus, validation of brief instruments that apply to a broad spectrum of tobacco product users is needed.
Polarization Ray Trace

A ray representing a vector wave is traced through an optical system. The electric field perpendicular to the (ray) direction of propagation is represented by a Jones vector. At each surface the results of a thin-film calculation are used to form a "surface" Jones matrix. For a given ray, a product of surface Jones matrices forms an "instrumental" ray matrix. Coordinate frames and sign conventions are emphasized.
An adaptive SIW filter using vertically-orientated fluidic material perturbations

This paper examines the frequency reconfiguration of an SIW bandpass filter for frequency-agile operations. Dispersions of dielectric nanoparticles are used as vertically aligned fluidic material perturbations in these devices to provide electromagnetic agility for reconfiguration. Analytical modeling, simulated, and measured data for a single-pole X-band bandpass SIW filter.
Resistant BTIB desings

Hedayat and John (1974) defined the concept of a resistant BIB design as one that remains variance-balanced upon loss of all the observations on a treatment. In this paper we consider the designs with supplemented balance (Pearce (1960)), or BTIB designs (Bechhofer and Tamhane (1981)). We investigate a subclass of these designs to determine which of these retain their ‘balance’ upon loss of all observations on a test treatment. We study the properties of such designs, give various methods of construction and examine their efficiencies with respect to the A-criterion.
State demographic centers: their current status.

Abstract Population data, particularly those related to national census and survey information, serve the program and planning needs of a broad range of both public and private activities. In recent years, demand for such demographic information has increased particularly rapidly at the state and local levels of government. In response, many states have established identifiable governmental units responsible for providing a range of census-related services and data to both public and private agencies. These units also maintain gubernatorially approved liaison activities with the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Such state government demographic centers vary considerably among states with respect to organizational location, resources, and program scope, according to the results of a recent survey of state governments in the South. This article presents the results of this survey, which is the first systematic description of these state centers; the article discusses the role of state demographic centers in the c...