cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A streaming PCA based VLSI chip for neural data compression

Local field potentials (LFPs) are popularly used in wireless neural interface due to its chronic stability and robustness against noise and radio interferences. On-chip data compression is advantageous that allows for integration with the recent low-power, low-data-rate wireless technologies to ensure reliable operations. In this paper, we propose a streaming principal component analysis (PCA) based algorithm and its microchip implementation to compress multichannel LFP data. The chip has been designed in a 65nm CMOS technology and occupies a silicon area of 0.06mm2. It has been tested with guinea pig auditory cortex data recorded with a multi-shank Neuro Nexus probe, where the chip can achieve an 8× compression ratio with ∼3% average reconstruction error, consuming 144nW per channel at a 0.5V power supply.
Geometry of projective asymptotic twistor space

We show that asymptotic twistor space PJ+ is an Einstein Kahler manifold of positive curvature. We relate the curvature of PJ+ to the CR-curvature of its boundary and we show that the function defining the boundary satisfies the complex Monge-Ampere equations.
Percutaneous Repair of Postoperative Mitral Regurgitation After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implant

Mitral regurgitation commonly improves after implantation of a left ventricular assist device without concomitant valvular repair owing to the mechanical unloading of the left ventricle. However, the development (or persistence) of significant mitral regurgitation after implantation of a left ventricular assist device is associated with adverse clinical events. We present a case of a left ventricular assist device patient who successfully underwent a percutaneous MitraClip procedure for repair of persistent late postoperative mitral insufficiency with demonstrable clinical and hemodynamic improvement.
Classification of Ultrasonic Weld Inspection Data Using Principal Component Analysis

Recent inservice inspection experience, round robin tests of ultrasonic inspection reliability [1] and calculations of flaw detection reliability necessary for specific nuclear power plant applications have consistently shown the need to improve the reliability of ultrasonic inspection. The need to improve ultrasonic inspection reliability is further emphasized when one reviews the pass rates for performance demonstrations specified by ASME Section XI Appendix VIII.
3-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Guided Pelvic Floor Dissection for Bladder Exstrophy: A Single Arm Trial.

Purpose:We determined the safety and efficacy of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging guided surgical reconstruction of bladder exstrophy for the identification of the urogenital diaphragm fib...
Studies on the retina of the gecko Coleonyx variegatus: III. Photoreceptor cross-sectional area relationships

The percentage of the retina occupied by outer segments in cross section was found to be 53%. Based on these measurements, the percentage of light absorption for the total retina was calculated to be 40% which agreed better with the value of 39% given for the cat allowing for the effect of the tapetum than with the value of 68% for a nocturnal gekkonidean. This would indicate the increased outer segment length gives Coleonyx at least the same advantage as the tapetum of the cat. Errors such as tissue shrinkage, convergent lens effect of the inner segment, and measuring errors, which would tend to increase the value of 40%, were discussed and approximated.
Introduction: Colors, Natural and Synthetic, in the Ancient World

Color is important. It gives life to everything people do, think, and even say. In the days when color television sets were expensive, and the corner bar was in sole possession of one, the neighborhood center became the corner bar. Color sensation is a universal human experience. From the beginning of recorded history, references to color abound in connection with every aspect of human life.
REDUCED CONSTITUTIVE EQUATIONS FOR SHEAR FLOW AND SHEAR-FREE FLOW

Publisher Summary This chapter presents reduced constitutive equations for shear flow and shear-free flow. For a wide class of incompressible materials undergoing an arbitrary unidirectional shear flow throughout the time interval (−∞, t ), the state of stress at time t necessarily has certain simplifying features which make σ, N 1 and N 2 the only stress quantities of rheological significance. Measurements of these three quantities provide fundamental information that can be used to test the applicability of proposed constitutive equations for given materials. When a polymeric liquid previously at rest is made to undergo shear flow, a finite time is usually required before the shear stress attains a constant value and the preceding definitions are applicable. In oscillatory shear, the amplitude α is usually kept small when the dynamic viscosity and modulus are measured. The term viscometric is used when the flow is not steady; in this usage, the term viscometric flow is synonomous with unidirectional shear flow.
Diverse Strategies Coping with Winter in Barley and its Relatives

The Poaceae is one of the largest plant families in angiosperms, containing more than 12,000 grass species, which are classified into two major clades: 1) Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Chloridoideae, Micrairoideae, Aristidoideae and Danthonioideae and 2) Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae and Pooideae ([Fig. 1
Authentic Dishes, Staged Identities: Thailand's Cooking Schools for Tourists

In Thailand today local cooking-school classes are a popular attraction on many tourist itineraries. Moreover, these experiences almost always prompt rave reviews from international visitors: “It was so much fun!” But why are cooking school classes fun? And what does this pleasure tell us about the cultural logics of authenticity in Thai culinary tourism and, more generally, about the commodification of food and identity in the contemporary global economy? Drawing on ethnographic observation in two of Thailand9s primary tourist destinations, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, this article explores how cooking schools9 claims to cultural authenticity intertwine with participants9 experiences of playful entertainment. The ways in which cooking schools mobilize these dynamics illuminate the complex production and consumption of hierarchies of value within the global experience economy. On the one hand, Thailand9s insertion within transnational circuits of touristic mobility and cosmopolitan desire has made the creative strategies of recreational cooking schools possible as well as potentially lucrative. On the other hand, the encounters schools stage between Thai and tourist participants remain framed by appetites for exotic cultural difference that ultimately reflect and reproduce global hierarchies of power and privilege.
Fatty acid trophic transfer of Antarctic algae to a sympatric amphipod consumer

The shallow benthos along the western Antarctic Peninsula supports brown macroalgal forests with dense amphipod assemblages, commonly including Gondogeneia antarctica (Amsler et al. 2014). Gondogeneia antarctica and most other amphipods are chemically deterred from consuming the macroalgae (Amsler et al. 2014). They primarily consume diatoms, other microalgae, filamentous macroalgae and a few undefended macroalgal species, including Palmaria decipiens (Aumack et al. 2017). Although unpalatable when alive, G. antarctica and other amphipods will consume the chemically defended brown algae Himantothallus grandifolius and Desmarestia anceps within a few weeks of death (Amsler et al. 2014).
Planning in advance: exploring end-of-life hopes and fears among healthy young people

Discussions regarding end-of-life (EOL) preferences often occur late in the course of a disease leading to rushed clinical decisions misaligned with patient goals. Thus, the purpose of the current ...
Gaming4All: Reflecting on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Game-Based Engineering Education

Game-based learning has long been heralded as a promise to transform education into a more engaging and experiential paradigm. Its implementation in engineering education has thus far shown that promise, yet more evidence is needed for widespread adoption. Our work focuses on issues of equity, inclusivity, and diversity, thus surfacing the question of whether game-based learning benefits each and every student. To date, these issues have not received much attention in game-based learning educational research landscape, despite its poignancy, given today’s global social climate and the systematic lack of equity and diversity in engineering education. With a focus on gender and race/ethnicity we reflect on the outcomes of implementing game-based learning environment in undergraduate geotechnical engineering courses (n = 362). We find evidence that game-based learning supports positive outcomes and provides an equitable learning environment. However, we also note several challenges that are further discussed.
Predictors of Postoperative Visual Outcome After Surgical Intervention for Craniopharyngiomas.

Background Because of involvement of the optic apparatus, craniopharyngiomas frequently present with visual deterioration. Although visual improvement is a primary goal of surgical intervention, prediction models are lacking. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients undergoing craniopharyngioma surgery at a single institution (2014–2019). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables of interest were collected. Visual acuity and visual fields (VFs) were standardized into Visual Impairment Scores (VISs), defined by the German Ophthalmological Society. VIS ranged from 0 (normal vision) to 100 (complete bilateral blindness). Visual improvement/deterioration was defined as a postsurgical decrease/increase of ≥5 VIS points, respectively. Results Complete ophthalmologic assessments were available for 61 operations, corresponding to 41 patients (age, 4–73 years). Vision improved after 28 operations (46%), remained stable after 27 (44%), and deteriorated after 6 (10%). In bivariate analysis, significant predictors of visual improvement included worse preoperative VIS (odds ratio [OR], 1.058; P Conclusions Patients with reduced preoperative vision, specific radiographic vascular involvement, and gross total resection showed increased odds of visual improvement, whereas the translaminar approach was associated with visual deterioration. Such characteristics may facilitate patient–surgeon counseling and surgical decision making.
Children integrate speech and gesture across a wider temporal window than speech and action when learning a math concept.

Abstract It is well established that gesture facilitates learning, but understanding the best way to harness gesture and how gesture helps learners are still open questions. Here, we consider one of the properties that may make gesture a powerful teaching tool: its temporal alignment with spoken language. Previous work shows that the simultaneity of speech and gesture matters when children receive instruction from a teacher (Congdon et al., 2017). In Study 1, we ask whether simultaneity also matters when children themselves are the ones who produce speech and gesture strategies. Third-graders (N = 75) were taught to produce one strategy in speech and one strategy in gesture for correctly solving mathematical equivalence problems; they were told to produce these strategies either simultaneously (S + G) or sequentially (S➔G; G➔S) during a training session. Learning was assessed immediately after training, at a 24-h follow-up, and at a 4-week follow-up. Children showed evidence of learning and retention across all three conditions. Study 2 was conducted to explore whether it was the special relationship between speech and gesture that helped children learn. Third-graders (N = 87) were taught an action strategy instead of a gesture strategy; all other aspects of the design were the same. Children again learned across all three conditions. But only children who produced simultaneous speech and action retained what they had learned at the follow-up sessions. Results have implications for why gesture is beneficial to learners and, taken in relation to previous literature, reveal differences in the mechanisms by which doing versus seeing gesture facilitates learning.
Sea Surface Salinity Subfootprint Variability from a Global High-Resolution Model

We have studied the subfootprint variability (SFV) of sea surface salinity (SSS) using the LLC4320 version of the MITgcm, a very high-resolution (1/48°) global simulation. SFV is the weighted standard deviation within the footprint of an SSS satellite like Aquarius or SMAP. SFV was studied as a function of footprint size and of space and time. It was found to be large in areas of strong frontal zones such as the Gulf Stream, Antarctic front and Brazil-Malvinas Confluence. SFV also tends to be larger where rainfall is heavy. It was found to have a seasonal and hemispheric component, being generally larger in the southern hemisphere and summer than the northern hemisphere and winter. For a 100 km footprint, the most likely values of SFV are (0.05, 0.06, 0.03, 0.05) for (southern summer, northern summer, southern winter, northern summer) respectively.
Lumen-Apposing Metal Stents for Walled-Off Pancreatic Necrosis: A Practice Pattern Survey of Gastroenterologists

ABSTRACT Background & Aims Endoscopic ultrasound-guided placement of LAMS has emerged as an effective treatment for WON following acute necrotizing pancreatitis, but a standardized management protocol has not yet emerged. We sought to characterize practice variations in the use of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) for the treatment of walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON). Methods A 30-question survey was sent to 341 endoscopists in the United States to collect information on practitioner demographics, procedural practices, necrosectomy practices, and LAMS-related adverse events. Results A total of 69 of the 341 surveys were completed for a response rate of 20.2%. Almost all reported using LAMS placement as the primary method of WON treatment (92.5%). At the time of LAMS placement, almost half of respondents perform balloon dilation (45.2%), and a minority place pigtail stents through the LAMS channel (15.0%). Necrosectomy is performed by less than half during index LAMS placement procedure (46.8%). Approximately half never use hydrogen peroxide lavage (52.4%). Most respondents reported experiencing adverse events at some point. About half reported a stent indwell time of the greater than 1 month. Conclusion A convergence of practice patterns when using LAMS to treat WON has not been demonstrated. Considerable variability exists in certain aspects of LAMS use including placement technique, necrosectomy practices, follow-up treatment, and stent removal. Further investigation is necessary to standardize this procedure to effectively and safely treat WON.
NrnA is a linear dinucleotide phosphodiesterase with limited function in cyclic dinucleotide metabolism in Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes produces both c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP to mediate many important cellular processes, but the levels of both nucleotides must be regulated. C-di-AMP accumulation attenuates virulence and diminishes stress response, and c-di-GMP accumulation impairs bacterial motility. An important regulatory mechanism to maintain c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP homeostasis is to hydrolyze them to the linear dinucleotides pApA and pGpG, respectively, but the fates of these hydrolytic products have not been examined in L. monocytogenes. We found that NrnA, a stand-alone DHH-DHHA1 phosphodiesterase, has a broad substrate range, but with a strong preference for linear dinucleotides over cyclic dinucleotides. Although NrnA exhibited detectable cyclic dinucleotide hydrolytic activities in vitro, NrnA had negligible effects on their levels in the bacterial cell, even in the absence of the c-di-AMP phosphodiesterases PdeA and PgpH. The {Delta}nrnA mutant had a mammalian cell infection defect that was fully restored by E. coli Orn. Together, our data indicate that L. monocytogenes NrnA is functionally orthologous to Orn, and its preferred physiological substrates are most likely linear dinucleotides. Furthermore, our findings revealed that, unlike some other c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP-producing bacteria, L. monocytogenes does not employ their hydrolytic products to regulate their phosphodiesterases, at least at the pApA and pGpG levels in the {Delta}nrnA mutant. Finally, the {Delta}nrnA infection defect was overcome by constitutive activation of PrfA, the master virulence regulator, suggesting that accumulated linear dinucleotides might inhibit the expression, stability, or function of PrfA-regulated virulence factors. IMPORTANCEListeria monocytogenes produces both c-di-AMP and c-di-GMP, and encodes specific phosphodiesterases that degrade them into pApA and pGpG, respectively, but the metabolism of these products has not been characterized in this bacterium. We found that L. monocytogenes harbors an NrnA homolog that degrades a broad range of nucleotides, but exhibits a strong biochemical and physiological preference for linear dinucleotides, including pApA and pGpG. Unlike in some other bacteria, these oligoribonucleotides do not appear to interfere with cyclic dinucleotide hydrolysis. The absence of NrnA is well tolerated by L. monocytogenes in broth cultures but impairs its ability to infect mammalian cells. These findings indicate a separation of cyclic dinucleotide signaling and oligoribonucleotide metabolism in L. monocytogenes.
Mining educational data to predict students performance

Information is everywhere in a hidden and scattered way. It becomes useful when we apply Data mining to extracts the hidden, meaningful, and potentially useful patterns from these vast data resources. Educational data mining ensures a quality education by analyzing educational data based on various aspects. In this paper, we have analyzed the academic results and behavior of some engineering students. For this study, we collect data from 80 students from the CSE department. We gather data from mark sheets and other relevant factors that accelerate the results, collected through a survey. Our main goal is to predict the students’ performance. According to this prediction, the counseling department will guide them in advance so that those who are likely to have bad results can do better. The classification can be based on various aspects, as many factors improve the educational system. We have created two datasets focusing on two different angles. Our first dataset classifies and predicts the category of a student (good, bad, medium) on a specific course based on their prerequisite course performance. We have implemented this in the artificial intelligence course. Our second dataset also classifies and predicts the final grade (A, B, C) of any random subject, here we organize our data such a way where it will only focus on how their performance was till the midterm exam. We analyze and compare six classification algorithms. We have focused on all aspects of an algorithm, not only the accuracy level but also the complexity and cost. We have built two final models for two of our datasets based on a decision tree and the naive Bayes algorithms accordingly.
Identification of a Novel Pyruvyltransferase Using 13 C Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance To Analyze Rhizobial Exopolysaccharides

The alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti secretes two acidic exopolysaccharides (EPSs), succinoglycan (EPSI) and galactoglucan (EPSII), which differentially enable it to adapt to a changing environment. Succinoglycan is essential for invasion of plant hosts and, thus, for the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Galactoglucan is critical for population-based behaviors such as swarming and biofilm formation and can facilitate invasion in the absence of succinoglycan on some host plants. The biosynthesis of galactoglucan is not as completely understood as that of succinoglycan. We devised a pipeline to identify putative pyruvyltransferase and acetyltransferase genes, construct genomic deletions in strains engineered to produce either succinoglycan or galactoglucan, and analyze EPS from mutant bacterial strains. EPS samples were examined by 13C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CPMAS) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). CPMAS NMR is uniquely suited to defining chemical composition in complex samples and enables the detection and quantification of distinct EPS functional groups. Galactoglucan was isolated from mutant strains with deletions in five candidate acyl/acetyltransferase genes (exoZ, exoH, SMb20810, SMb21188, and SMa1016) and a putative pyruvyltransferase (wgaE or SMb21322). Most samples were similar in composition to wild-type EPSII by CPMAS NMR analysis. However, galactoglucan produced from a strain lacking wgaE exhibited a significant reduction in pyruvylation. Pyruvylation was restored through the ectopic expression of plasmid-borne wgaE. Our work has thus identified WgaE as a galactoglucan pyruvyltransferase. This exemplifies how the systematic combination of genetic analyses and solid-state NMR detection is a rapid means to identify genes responsible for modification of rhizobial exopolysaccharides. IMPORTANCE Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are crucial for geochemical cycles and global nitrogen nutrition. Symbioses between legumes and rhizobial bacteria establish root nodules, where bacteria convert dinitrogen to ammonia for plant utilization. Secreted exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by Sinorhizobium meliloti (succinoglycan and galactoglucan) play important roles in soil and plant environments. The biosynthesis of galactoglucan is not as well characterized as that of succinoglycan. We employed solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to examine intact EPS from wild-type and mutant S. meliloti strains. NMR analysis of EPS isolated from a wgaE gene mutant revealed a novel pyruvyltransferase that modifies galactoglucan. Few EPS pyruvyltransferases have been characterized. Our work provides insight into the biosynthesis of an important S. meliloti EPS and expands the knowledge of enzymes that modify polysaccharides.
A Review of Wyatt V. Stickney: Retrospect and Prospect

This rather small (245 pages) book is the most comprehensive review of perhaps the most important case on the right to treatment for psychiatric patients. The book, based on presentations at a conference on the rights of mental patients held at the University of Alabama, Ferguson Center, 25–26 Sept. 1980, is edited by two psychiatrists from the University of Alabama, both of whom have had intimate contact with the Wyatt case and its consequences.
Chapter 53 Positron emission tomography: localization for epilepsy surgery

Publisher Summary Positron emission tomography (PET) evaluates the uptake and affinity of ligands or metabolic substrates in the brain and other organs. It is a noninvasive functional imaging tool. PET has been utilized clinically to localize presumed epileptogenic zones for epilepsy surgery. This chapter discusses the application of PET in the localization of epileptic foci in patients with medically intractable epilepsy. 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F] fluoro-o-glucose (FDG) is a PET tracer for the presurgical evaluation of patients with intractable epilepsy. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is studied, using FDG PET. It is an accepted notion that FDG PET is sensitive in demonstrating unilaterally decreased temporal lobe glucose metabolism in most patients with TLE. FDG PET is able to lateralize and localize the temporal epileptic focus in unilateral TLE. Because of this, FDG PET imaging has contributed to a reduction in the number of TLE patients who require extensive intracranial EEG monitoring. The data from FDG PET in nonlesional extratemporal lobe epilepsy are used for the placement of subdural electrodes for refinement of the areas to be resected. FDG PET can assess the extent of functional abnormality in the hemisphere contralateral to the seizure focus. This helps predicting the post-operative cognitive function. Flurnazenil (FMZ) is a benzodiazepine antagonist that binds to the α-subunit of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA A ) receptors, and has been utilized as a PET tracer for assessing GABA A receptor binding in the brain. FMZ PET reveals a more restricted area of abnormality than FDG PET. FMZ PET is useful in the presurgical evaluation of unilateral cryptogenic extratemporal lobe epilepsy. PET tracer α-[ 11 C] methyl-L-tryptophan (AMT) shows increased uptake in a small subset of lesions in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. AMT PET (that provides specificity), combined with FDG PET (that provides sensitivity), will improve the detection of epileptogenic zones in patients with multifocal lesions being evaluated for epilepsy surgery.
Potential Effects of Climate Change on Two Neotropical Amphibian Assemblages

Although anuran amphibians are diverse and conspicuous in many vertebrate communities, worldwide population declines have been observed. Climatic change is a global factor that has been implicated in some of these declines. In this paper, we speculate on how Neotropical anurans might respond to changes in climate predicted by Hulme and Viner (1998). We focus on two distinct groups of Neotropical anurans: frogs that live and oviposit in leaf litter and frogs that congregate at ponds to breed. Increased temperature, increased length of dry season, decreased soil moisture, and increased inter-annual rainfall variability will affect Neotropical frogs strongly. We expect that these changes will directly affect frogs by changing reproductive success and breeding periodicity, and indirectly by altering the invertebrate prey base. The individual effects will likely translate into changes at the population and community levels. We also speculate on how climatic change will affect Neotropical amphibians that are restricted ecologically and/or geographically. We suggest directions for future research that will increase our ability to predict how amphibians in the New World tropics will respond to climatic change.
Luz natural en el espacio interior. Estudio de estados lumínicos en el Stata Center

El ver, es el resultado de la interaccion entre el cerebro, las fuentes luminicas del entorno inmediato y los objetos que se observan. Los ojos perciben la luz y su encuentro con los materiales, la...
Steiner Trees in Industry

The following problems are worth studying: Open problems on the Steiner ratio, such as Chung-Gilbert’s conjecture, Graham-Hwang’s conjecture, and Cielick’s conjecture, etc.. Find better approximation for network Steiner trees and establish an explicit lower bound for the approximation performance ratio of network Steiner trees. Close the gap between the lower bound and the upper bound for the approximation performance ratio of Steiner minimum arborescence. Find more efficient approximation algorithms for on-line and dynamic Steiner minimum trees and various Steiner tree packing problems. Find good approximation algorithms for multi-weighted Steiner trees and multiphase Steiner trees and study close relationship between multi-weighted Steiner trees, multiphase Steiner trees, and phylogenetic trees. Make clear whether there exists a polynomial-time approximation scheme for class Steiner tree in the special case with the real world background and highway interconnection problem. Close the gap between the lower bound and the upper bound for the approximation performance ratio of bottleneck Steiner tree in the Euclidean plane and make clear whether there exists a polynomial-time approximation scheme for the Steiner tree with minimum number of Steiner points and bounded edge-length. Implement efficient approximation algorithms to meet the requests from industries.
Practical Time-Dose Evaluations, or How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Linear Quadratics

This 9-section chapter begins with an elementary explanation of the Linear Quadratic model of Radiation Response, to make sure readers haven’t missed out on understanding this robust and reliable way of comparing different schedules in Radiation Oncology. A detailed account of its many applications has recently been published as “21 Years of BED (Biologically Effective Dose)” (Fowler Br J Radiol 83:554–568, 2010). The essential feature of this modeling is that a given dose has very different biological effects on neighbouring but different tissues because of their biological alpha/beta ratios and their “kick-off” or “onset” times of repopulation during continuing irradiation. In Sections 4 and 5 comparisons of actual clinical trials are presented that have shaped the current and emerging schedules of treatments of Head & Neck tumors, going on to SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy), IMRT (intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) and IGRT (Image Guided Radiation Therapy). Some insights into how the biological strategies of fractionated radiotherapy actually deliver therapeutic advantages are introduced. Section 6 explains how Optimum Overall Times can now be predicted, using basially least two constraints, one for Late Complications and the other for Acute Tolerance Doses. This is a fairly new break-through (2008). Section 7 goes into detail on why Overall Times might be too short or too long, with examples from modern schedules still being clinically trialed. Section 8 goes further into non-standard schedules, with updated emphasis on the Recovery Times of various tissues and tumors, intervals between fractions and extended fraction times. The chapter ends with an explanatory table of best and next-to-best schedules for Head and Neck radiation oncology. The continuing need to obtain data on individual tumor T-\( {\raise0.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle {1}$} \kern-0.1em/\kern-0.15em \lower0.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle {2}$}} \) and repopulation is emphasized.
Satisfaction Measurement within the Customer Relationship Life Cycle

1. Introduction 2. The Customer Relationship Life Cycle 3. Phase-oriented Customer Satisfaction Measurement 4. Evaluation and Consequences 5. Implications and Outlook for Research
Optimal control for autonomous motor behavior

This dissertation presents algorithms that allow robots to generate optimal behavior from first principles. Instead of hard-coding every desired behavior, we encode the task as a cost function, and use numerical optimization to find action sequences that can accomplish the task. Using the theoretical framework of optimal control, we develop methods for generating autonomous motor behavior in high-dimensional domains of legged locomotion. We identify three foundational problems that limit the application of existing optimal control algorithms, and present guiding principles that address these issues. First, some traditional algorithms use global optimization, where every possible state is considered. This approach cannot be applied in continuous domains, where every additional mechanical degree of freedom exponentially increases the volume of state space. In order to sidestep this curse of dimensionality, we focus on trajectory optimization, which finds locally-optimal solutions while scaling only polynoimally with state dimensionality. Second, many algorithms of optimal control and reinforcement learning cannot be directly applied to continuous domains with contacts, due to the non-smooth dynamics. We present techniques of contact smoothing that enable the use of standard continuous optimization tools. Finally, domains of legged locomotion give rise to extremely non-convex optimization, which is riddled with local minima. This issue is addressed by using a shaping protocol (homotopy-continuation), whereby the solution of an easier variant of the problem is used as initial guess for a harder variant of the problem, gradually finding a solution to the original domain. In dynamic environments, effective behavior requires feedback control, which provides appropriate reaction to changing circumstance. We present tools that generate adaptive autonomous behavior through local optimization, and scale well to domains with over 60 state-space dimensions. We present a series of experiments that demonstrate robust and reactive motor behavior in domains of increasing complexity. First, a multi-joint swimmer which can follow a moving target, withstand violent perturbations, and avoid moving obstacles. Second, a one-legged hopper that can maintain its gait through both perturbations and morphological alteration. And finally, two bipeds: a planar walker, and a 3D runner that uses its arms to balance its gait.
A family of constant-switching-frequency quasi-square-wave converters

A family of constant-switching-frequency boost quasi-square-wave converters is obtained by adding a second switch at different positions in the variable-frequency boost quasi-square-wave converter. The new converters still maintain the zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) in the original switch while the second switch is ZVS or zero-current-switching (ZCS) depending upon its position. The voltage stresses for both the switches will not exceed the output voltage. Analysis of the converter is conducted with the normalized state-plane trajectory. A design example based on the analystic control characteristics curves is given. Comparison of performance characteristics among these converters are presented. >
Clonal Competition Inhibits the Proliferation and Differentiation of Adoptively Transferred TCR Transgenic CD4 T Cells in Response to Infection

CD4 and CD8 T cells have been shown to proliferate and differentiate to different extents following antigenic stimulation. CD4 T cells form a heterogenous pool of effector cells in various stages of division and differentiation, while nearly all responding CD8 T cells divide and differentiate to the same extent. We examined CD4 and CD8 T cell responses during bacterial infection by adoptive transfer of CFSE-labeled monoclonal and polyclonal T cells. Monoclonal and polyclonal CD8 T cells both divided extensively, whereas monoclonal CD4 T cells underwent limited division in comparison with polyclonal CD4 T cells. Titration studies revealed that the limited proliferation of transferred monoclonal CD4 T cells was due to inhibition by a high precursor frequency of clonal T cells. This unusually high precursor frequency of clonal CD4 T cells also inhibited the differentiation of these cells. These results suggest that the adoptive transfer of TCR transgenic CD4 T cells significantly underestimates the extent of proliferation and differentiation of CD4 T cells following infection.
Inside chinese bureaucracy: Civil service reform in the ministry of light industry

Since 1987, mainland Chinese ministries have been experimenting with a western style civil service system. The provisional guidelines published in that year called for the creation of a professional administrative class to be hired by open recruitment at the central and provisional levels of leading state ministries. The article is a micro-analysis of civil service reform in the Ministry of Light Industry and evaluates the first two years of reform in this ministry, which is responsible for supervising roughly twenty percent of China's production of durable consumer goods. The reform process has been gradual and incremental. The reforms were stimulated by the need to modernize China's state-run ministries in order to make them economically competitive with the mainland's growing private market sector. However, the article concludes that the reforms are too limited to make a substantial contribution to this goal.
Relationships among personal, indoor and outdoor NO2 measurements

Using integrating NO2 diffusion dosimeters, personal, indoor and outdoor exposures were measured for nine families in Topeka, Kansas. NO2 exposures in homes that used gas for cooking were clearly different from those in homes that used electricity. The gas-cooking homes had indoor levels three times the outdoor levels. Members of the gas-cooking households had levels twice those of electric-cooking families and twice the outdoor levels. A linear model that includes outdoor concentrations and stove types explains 77% of the variance in observed NO2 exposure. The differential NO2 exposures in homes with and without gas stoves should be considered in epidemiologic studies of the health effects of air pollution.
A natural population of anomalous branched tapeworms, Hymenolepis nana (Cestoda:Hymenolepididae), in a colony of DBA/1 mice.

DURING work on metabolism of the dwarf tapeworm of mice (Hymenolepis nana), a natural infection with this parasite was found in a local colony of DBA/1 mice (Curd's Caviary, Downey, California). Of 500 mice from this colony examined over a two-year period, 320 were infected with an average of 35 worms per mouse, varying from a single 12-in. worm to one or two thousand extremely small ones (demonstrating a ‘crowding effect’). Among more than 12,000 worms recovered, approximately 5 per cent showed one of the following malformations or growth disturbances : (1) Partial twinning (Fig. 1A) : forked posterior strobila ; (2) lateral branching (Fig. 1B) : new tissue outgrowth with varying degrees of differentiation ; (3) dedifferentiation (Fig. 1D) : groups of segments appearing as undifferentiated, vacuolated granular regions ; (4) segment reversal : reversal of normal antero-posterior sequence of proglottides (Fig. 1B) ; (5) combination : dedifferentiation plus branch outgrowth (Fig. 1C ; branch formation with segment reversal (Fig. 1B) ; multiple branching (Fig. 1E).
ROLES OF EFFICIENT SUBSTRATES IN ENHANCEMENT OF PEROXIDASE-CATALYZED OXIDATIONS

Efficient peroxidase substrates may have a critical role in the oxidation of secondary compounds by peroxidases. Hydrazines are often oxidized slowly by peroxidases due, in part, to hydrazine-dependent inactivation of these enzymes. Peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of hydrazines may be dramatically affected by an efficient peroxidase substrate. We investigated this hypothesis in a model system using the well-known peroxidase substrate chlorpromazine (CPZ) and the hydrazine derivative isoniazid. CPZ stimulated isoniazid oxidation as measured by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction and O2 consumption. The kinetics of isoniazid and CPZ oxidation by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the presence of both compounds suggested CPZ was acting as an electron transfer mediator between HRP and isoniazid. Indeed, CPZ.+, the product of CPZ oxidation by HRP, was able to oxidize isoniazid. The rate constant for this pH-dependent reaction was (2.6 +/- 0.1) x 10(4) M-1 s-1 at pH 4.5. In the absence of CPZ, isoniazid-dependent irreversible inactivation of HRP was observed. The inactivation process involved the formation of compound III followed by accumulation of irreversibly inactivated HRP. CPZ completely inhibited inactivation. Thus, by acting as a redox mediator and preventing HRP inactivation, CPZ stimulated isoniazid oxidation by several orders of magnitude. Similarly, other efficient peroxidase substrates, such as phenol and tyrosine, were also able to dramatically stimulate isoniazid oxidation by HRP. We suggest that the presence of efficient peroxidase substrates may potentiate the activation of isoniazid and other hydrazines. As such, these substrates may have a vital role in the pharmacological and toxicological properties of hydrazines and other compounds.
Manipulation of the Dissolved Organic Carbon Pool in an Agricultural Stream: Responses in Microbial Community Structure, Denitrification, and Assimilatory Nitrogen Uptake

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are strongly coupled across ecosystems due to stoichiometrically balanced assimilatory demand as well as dissimilatory processes such as denitrification. Microorganisms mediate these biogeochemical cycles, but how microbial communities respond to environmental changes, such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) availability, and how those responses impact coupled biogeochemical cycles in streams is not clear. We enriched a stream in central Indiana with labile DOC for 5 days to investigate coupled C and N cycling. Before, and on day 5 of the enrichment, we examined assimilatory uptake and denitrification using whole-stream 15N-nitrate tracer additions and short-term nitrate releases. Concurrently, we measured bacterial and denitrifier abundance and community structure. We predicted N assimilation and denitrification would be stimulated by the addition of labile C and would be mediated by increases in bacterial activity, abundance, and a shift in community structure. In response to the twofold increase in DOC concentrations in the water column, N assimilation increased throughout the enrichment. Community respiration doubled during the enrichment and was associated with a change in bacterial community structure (based on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the 16S rRNA gene). In contrast, there was little response in denitrification or denitrifier community structure, likely because labile C was assimilated by heterotrophic communities on the stream bed prior to reaching denitrifiers within the sediments. Our results suggest that coupling between C and N in streams involves potentially complex interactions with sediment texture and organic matter, microbial community structure, and possibly indirect biogeochemical pathways.
Cursing in English on twitter

Cursing is not uncommon during conversations in the physical world: 0.5% to 0.7% of all the words we speak are curse words, given that 1% of all the words are first-person plural pronouns (e.g., we, us, our). On social media, people can instantly chat with friends without face-to-face interaction, usually in a more public fashion and broadly disseminated through highly connected social network. Will these distinctive features of social media lead to a change in people's cursing behavior? In this paper, we examine the characteristics of cursing activity on a popular social media platform - Twitter, involving the analysis of about 51 million tweets and about 14 million users. In particular, we explore a set of questions that have been recognized as crucial for understanding cursing in offline communications by prior studies, including the ubiquity, utility, and contextual dependencies of cursing.
DFT Studies on the Interaction of Defective Graphene-Supported Fe and Al Nanoparticles

The structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of Fe13 and Al13 nanoparticles adsorbed on monovacancy defective graphene have been determined using density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). Graphene vacancies are used as anchoring points for these pure metal nanoparticles, ensuring their isolated stability on the surface, thereby maximizing their catalytic reactivity through the availability of undercoordinated surface sites along with a high surface area. The results of this work indicate that the strong binding of Fe13 and Al13 nanoparticles on defective graphene (−6.98 and −3.84 eV in adsorption energy, respectively) is due to strong hybridization of the nanoparticles with the sp2 dangling bonds of neighboring carbons near the vacancy. Charge difference and Bader charge analyses of the Fe13 and Al13 adsorbed systems suggest that charge redistribution of defective graphene occurs to a greater extent in the Fe13 system than in the Al13 system due to the strongly hy...
In vitro pharmacodynamic analysis of single daily dosing versus conventional dosing of gentamicin administered with penicillin against Enterococcus faecalis.

Study Objective. To compare the effectiveness of single daily dosing (SDD) versus conventional dosing of gentamicin when administered with penicillin to treat enterococcal infections. Design. In vitro pharmacodynamic model. Setting. Hospital laboratory. Measurements and Main Results. A 24-hour in vitro pharmacodynamic model was employed to simulate SDD and 3 times/day dosing of gentamicin, in conjunction with continuously infused penicillin, against Enterococcus faecalis. Duplicate 24-hour kill curves were generated with varying concentrations of penicillin and gentamicin alone and in combination. No difference in the rate of kill was seen between any combination of penicillin and gentamicin. Regrowth occurred only with drug combinations in which penicillin was administered continuously at the minimum inhibitory concentration. Variations in the gentamicin dosing regimen did not affect regrowth. Conclusion. In the treatment of enterococcal infections, an SDD regimen for gentamicin shows no efficacy benefit compared with conventional dosing.
High-frequency transducers for point-of-care ultrasound applications: what is the optimal frequency range?

To compare images obtained using two linear transducers with a different range of frequencies, and to determine if there is a significant difference in the quality of images between the two transducers for medical decision-making. This was a single-blinded, cross-sectional study at an academic medical center. Twenty-five emergency medicine clinical scenarios with ultrasound images (using both 10–5 and 14–5 MHz transducers) covering a variety of point-of-care ultrasound applications were presented to four emergency physician sonographers. They were blinded to the study hypothesis and type of the transducer used to obtain the images. On a scale of 1–10, the mean image quality rating for 10–5 MHz transducer was 7.09 (95 % CI 6.73–7.45) and 6.49 (95 % CI 5.99–6.99) for 14–5 MHz transducer. In the majority of cases (84 %, 95 % CI 75.7–92.3 %), sonographers indicated that images obtained with a 10–5 MHz transducer were satisfactory for medical decision-making. They preferred images obtained with a 10–5 MHz transducer over 14–5 MHz transducer in 39 % (95 % CI 30–50 %) of cases. The images obtained with a 14–5 MHz transducer were preferred over 10–5 MHz transducer in only 16 % (95 % CI 7.7–24.3 %) of the cases. The 14–5 MHz transducer has a slight advantage over 10–5 MHz transducer for ocular, upper airway, and musculoskeletal (tendon) ultrasound applications. A 10–5 MHz linear transducer is adequate to obtain images that can be used for medical decision-making for a variety of point-of-care ultrasound applications.
Consumption Motivation and Perceptions of Malls: A Comparison of Mothers and Daughters

The central purposes of this paper are to explore whether adolescent consumers have different attitudes and perceptions of malls than adults, and to determine if specific motivations to consume influence these mall attitudes and perceptions. Data were gathered from 110 dyadic pairs of mothers and daughters. The data included information about the mothers' and daughters' perceptions of mall environmental variables, and their motivations to consume at shopping malls. The results indicate that mothers and daughters are motivated to consume by different factors, and that they differ significantly in terms of their perceptions of critical mall environmental variables.
Adapting Virginia Satir Techniques to Hispanic Families

This article analyzes the application of Virginia Satir's model of family therapy to Hispanic clients based on consultation with expert clinicians and a literature review. To better serve the therapeutic needs of Hispanic families, the article proposes an adaptation of Satir's concepts and techniques (family map, family life chronology, family rules, ropes, communication stances, and sculpting) that incorporate Hispanic cultural and contextual factors.
A synthesis review of exemplary drug abuse prevention programs in the United States

In the United States, there has been a concerted emphasis during the past 30 years toward identifying and implementing evidence-based drug prevention programs. The wealth of prevention efficacy research has contributed to the publication of several recent reports on promising, model, and effective programs. We identified five such recent reports, four from the federal government and one from a private foundation, that had nominated and described 100 exemplary prevention programs. Of these 100 programs, 70 reported on evidence of effectiveness. We conducted a qualitative analysis on these 70 exemplary programs. Based on a systematic review process, we identified 10 elements that were characteristic of most (at least 75%) of the programs. These 10 elements are described and discussed in light of public policy issues.