cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crowdsourcing Annotation of Surgical Instruments in Videos of Cataract Surgery

Automating objective assessment of surgical technical skill is necessary to support training and professional certification at scale, even in settings with limited access to an expert surgeon. Likewise, automated surgical activity recognition can improve operating room workflow efficiency, teaching and self-review, and aid clinical decision support systems. However, current supervised learning methods to do so, rely on large training datasets. Crowdsourcing has become a standard in curating such large training datasets in a scalable manner. The use of crowdsourcing in surgical data annotation and its effectiveness has been studied only in a few settings. In this study, we evaluated reliability and validity of crowdsourced annotations for information on surgical instruments (name of instruments and pixel location of key points on instruments). For 200 images sampled from videos of two cataract surgery procedures, we collected 9 independent annotations per image. We observed an inter-rater agreement of 0.63 (Fleiss’ kappa), and an accuracy of 0.88 for identification of instruments compared against an expert annotation. We obtained a mean pixel error of 5.77 pixels for annotation of instrument tip key points. Our study shows that crowdsourcing is a reliable and accurate alternative to expert annotations to identify instruments and instrument tip key points in videos of cataract surgery.
The Inferior Alveolar Nerve: To Graft or Not to Graft in Ablative Mandibular Resection?

Purpose To determine contemporary surgical decision-making processes regarding the use of a nerve graft with ablative mandibular resection and to identify utilization barriers among head and neck surgeons. Materials and Methods An online electronic survey that queried practice patterns and subjective opinions regarding inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) grafting at the time of mandibular resection was distributed to head and neck surgeons and oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program directors (N = 249) by use of REDCap. Results The response rate was 37%. Only 10.6% of respondents perform IAN reconstruction “always” (60% “usually” or “sometimes” and 28.8% “rarely” or “never”) with ablative benign mandibular resection, whereas only 1.1% perform IAN grafting always (10-20% usually or sometimes and 89% rarely or never) with ablative malignant mandibular resection. Among the 93 participants, the most important utilization barriers were lack of evidence for improving quality of life, potential impact of radiation on nerve healing, and lack of efficacy for restoration of neurosensory function. Conclusions Despite evidence-based literature showing the efficacy of immediate IAN grafting with ablative benign mandibular resection, most head and neck surgeons do not perform this procedure routinely in patients with benign or malignant mandibular pathology. Future research should focus not only on the achievement of functional sensory recovery but also on the impact of IAN grafting on improved quality-of-life indicators in both benign and malignant mandibular disease, with and without adjunctive chemoradiation therapy.
Second primary tumors in patients with a head and neck paraganglioma.

Background There are conflicting recommendations and possibly overuse of imaging for surveillance of second primary tumors for patients with a history of head and neck paraganglioma. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 234 adults with head and neck paragangliomas (1990-2010) followed for a mean of 7.5 ± 8.4 years. Results The rate of second paraganglioma was 1.7% after 5 years and 5.1% after 10 years, yielding an incidence of 6.65 per 1000 person-years. Only 1.3% of patients (2.59 per 1000 person-years) ever had a second paraganglioma in the chest, abdomen, or pelvis. Patients with a hereditary paraganglioma (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-15.43) or carotid body tumor (HR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.15-10.99) were at greater risk. Conclusions The incidence rate of a second primary paragangliomas is low but increases with hereditary disease. These results question the utility of repeated imaging outside of the neck to screen for second paragangliomas.
Development of Optimized Phenomic Predictors for Efficient Plant Breeding Decisions Using Phenomic-Assisted Selection in Soybean

The rate of advancement made in phenomic-assisted breeding methodologies has lagged those of genomic-assisted techniques, which is now a critical component of mainstream cultivar development pipelines. However, advancements made in phenotyping technologies have empowered plant scientists with affordable high-dimensional datasets to optimize the operational efficiencies of breeding programs. Phenomic and seed yield data was collected across six environments for a panel of 292 soybean accessions with varying genetic improvements. Random forest, a machine learning (ML) algorithm, was used to map complex relationships between phenomic traits and seed yield and prediction performance assessed using two cross-validation (CV) scenarios consistent with breeding challenges. To develop a prescriptive sensor package for future high-throughput phenotyping deployment to meet breeding objectives, feature importance in tandem with a genetic algorithm (GA) technique allowed selection of a subset of phenotypic traits, specifically optimal wavebands. The results illuminated the capability of fusing ML and optimization techniques to identify a suite of in-season phenomic traits that will allow breeding programs to decrease the dependence on resource-intensive end-season phenotyping (e.g., seed yield harvest). While we illustrate with soybean, this study establishes a template for deploying multitrait phenomic prediction that is easily amendable to any crop species and any breeding objective.
Drug Court as an Intervention Point to Affect the Well-Being of Families of Parents with Substance Use Disorders

Background: A high proportion of justice-involved individuals have a substance use disorder and many of those individuals serve in a caregiving role to a child under 18. Given the negative impact of substance use and justice-involvement on the wellbeing of children, the criminal justice system may offer a unique intervention point with high public health impact. This study describes characteristics of adult drug court participants (DCP) that affect the wellbeing of their children and families and compares the DCP parenting and mental health characteristics to their child's other caregiver in order to understand how parenting differs within drug court families. Method: Data were collected from a sample of 100 DCP; 58 had a matched other caregiver. Drug court data regarding substance use and criminogenic risk/need were collected. Analyses differentiated the parenting behaviors and mental health needs of DCP from other caregivers. Results: The DCP were at moderate to high risk for recidivism and presented with multiple and significant criminogenic and psychosocial functioning needs. Risk for potential maltreatment and poor parenting behaviors were elevated, and significantly higher compared to other caregivers. DCP demonstrated clinically elevated mental health needs, and were significantly different across all indicators of mental health compared to other caregivers. Conclusions: Adult drug courts address the occurrence of substance use disorders but there are additional needs to be intervened upon. Adult drug courts may be a viable intervention point to address issues of parenting and mental health to improve the wellbeing of criminal justice-involved individuals, their children, and families.
Fecal pollution source characterization at non-point source impacted beaches under dry and wet weather conditions.

Abstract Though Lake Michigan beaches in Chicago are not impacted by stormwater or wastewater outfalls, several of those beaches often exceed USEPA Beach Action Values (BAVs). We investigated the role of microbial source tracking (MST) as a complement to routine beach monitoring at Chicago beaches. In summer 2016, water samples from nine Chicago beaches were analyzed for E. coli by culture and enterococci by qPCR. A total of 195 archived samples were then tested for human (HF183/BacR287, HumM2), canine (DG3, DG37), and avian (GFD) microbial source tracking (MST) markers. Associations between MST and general fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) measures were evaluated and stratified based on wet and dry weather definitions. Among the 195 samples, HF183/BacR287 was quantifiable in 4%, HumM2 in 1%, DG3 in 6%, DG37 in 2%, and GFD in 23%. The one beach with a dog area was far more likely to have DG3 present in the quantifiable range than other beaches. Exceedance of general FIB BAVs increased the odds of human, dog and avian marker detection. MST marker weighted-average fecal scores for DG3 was 2.4 times, DG37 was 2.1 times, and GFD was 1.6 times higher during wet compared to dry weather conditions. HF183/BacR287 weighted-average fecal scores were not associated with precipitation. Associations between FIB BAV exceedance and MST marker detection were generally stronger in wet weather. Incorporating MST testing into routine beach water monitoring can provide information that beach managers can use when developing protection plans for beaches not impacted by point sources.
Clinical and Forensic Assessment

There are many ways in which clinical assessment and forensic assessment are similar and even more ways in which they are different. Both call for an integration of multiple data sources to answer certain referral questions and to produce a report. However, forensic assessment may well include more sources of data, more complex issues regarding informed consent and privileged communication, and different ways of interpreting standardized psychological tests. These tests do not answer legal questions but may well provide the personality and cognitive issues that may impact on an individual in a legal setting. There are also, what are called forensic assessment instruments, which address functional legal capabilities. These address the legal issue but do not answer the question of why the person may show impairment; therefore, both forensic assessment instruments and standardized psychological testing need to be used in a forensic assessment. In a clinical assessment, only the standardized tests need to be used. Forensic assessment is helpful when dealing with criminal issues such as competency, criminal responsibility, and mitigation in capital cases. In personal injury cases it will help answer questions about pre-existing pathology and proximate cause. In family law, psychological testing may help to understand subtle psychopathology that may not be obvious on self-report tests or on clinical interview with a view to seeing whether or not any of this psychopathology may impact an individual’s parenting capacity or their ability to benefit from treatment if their parental rights have been terminated.
Comparative Analysis of Root Transcriptome Profiles of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) in Response to Osmotic Stress

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L) is a high-value oilseed cash crop grown across different geographies. Although sesame is traditionally considered drought-tolerant, early seedling and vegetative stage plants are sensitive to drought, causing substantial yield losses. Roots are the sensors of water deficit and hence are determinants of drought stress-induced responses. Limited information is available about the molecular responses induced in sesame roots during osmotic stress. We performed RNA-sequencing to understand transcriptional changes in the roots of drought-tolerant (TEX-1) and drought-sensitive (VEN-1) sesame genotypes using Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress. The photosynthetic measurements and proline accumulation confirmed contrasting drought stress reactions between the two genotypes. A total of 1251 and 541 unique genes were differentially expressed in PEG-treated and untreated roots of TEX-1 and VEN-1 roots, respectively. Gene ontology (GO) function enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes related to catalytic activity, ion binding, transferase activity, and cation binding activities were over-represented. Transcription-factor enrichment analysis showed that multiple members of WRKY, bZIP, MYB, and NAC families were over-represented in the roots of drought-tolerant genotype during osmatic stress. The study identified several genes involved in the primary metabolism, phenylpropanoid, and hormonal pathways induced in the roots of drought-tolerant genotype. The study provided a comparative transcriptome resource for understanding molecular responses underlying osmotic stress and identified target genes for enhancing abiotic stress tolerance in sesame.
Functional determinants of cell cycle plasticity and sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibition

Intrinsic or acquired resistance to clinically approved CDK4/6 inhibitors has emerged as a major obstacle that hinders their utility beyond ER+ breast cancer. In this study, CDK4/6-dependent and -resistant models were employed to identify functional determinants of response to pharmacological CDK4/6 inhibitors. In all models tested, the activation of RB and inhibition of CDK2 activity emerged as determinants of sensitivity. While depleting CDK4 and 6 was sufficient to limit proliferation in specific resistance settings, RB loss rendered cells completely independent of these kinases. The main downstream target in this context was the activation status of CDK2, which was suppressed with CDK4/6 inhibition in an RB-dependent fashion. Protein levels of p27 were associated with plasticity/rigidity of the cell cycle and correlated with sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibition. Exogenous overexpression and pharmacological induction of p27 via inhibition of SKP2 and targeting the MEK/ERK pathway enhanced the cytostatic effect of CDK4/6 inhibitors. Mice bearing ER+ xenografts displayed a durable ani-tumor response to palbociclib; however, over the course of treatment, few cells retained RB phosphorylation, which is associated with limited p27 protein levels as determined by multi-spectral imaging. Similarly, combination treatment of palbociclib with a MEK inhibitor in pancreatic cancer PDX models upregulated p27 and further enhanced the in vivo tumor response to palbociclib. Collectively, these results suggest that the cell cycle plasticity that enables tumor models to evade palbociclib-mediated activation of RB could be targeted using a clinically applicable CDK2 inhibitor.
OOOPS: An Innovative Tool for IO Workload Management on Supercomputers

Modern supercomputer applications are demanding high-performance storage resources in addition to fast computing resources. However, these storage resources, especially parallel shared filesystems, have become the Achilles' heel of many powerful supercomputers. Due to the lack of mechanism of IO resource provisioning on the file server side, a single user's IO-intensive work running on a small number of nodes can overload the metadata server and result in global filesystem performance degradation and even unresponsiveness. To tackle this issue, we developed an innovative tool, Optimal Overloaded IO Protection System (OOOPS). This tool is designed to control the IO workload from applications side. Supercomputer administrators can easily assign the maximum number of function calls of open() and stat() allowed per second. OOOPS can automatically detect and throttle intensive IO workload to protect parallel shared filesystems. It also allows supercomputer administrators to dynamically adjust how much metadata throughput one job can utilize during the job runs without interruption.
The effect of a hyperdynamic environment on the development of the rat retina

The effects of a 2 G field on the retinal development of the layers in the rat and central visual system nuclei are investigated. The thickness of the retinal layers, ganglion cells, and brains of male and female Wistar rats suspended from an 18 foot diameter centrifuge creating a 2 G field are evaluated and compared with a control group. A decrease in the thickness of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) of 37.1 percent, of 58.5 percent in the inner nuclear layer (INL), and of 28.8 percent in the inner plexiform layer (IPL), and a reduction in body weight are observed in the 2-G rats. The data reveal that the ganglion cells and visual system nuclei activity correspond well with the control data; however, the medial terminal nucleus (MTN) activity is inhibited in the 2-G rats. It is concluded that the differences in ONL and IPL are attributed to body weight reduction, but the INL and MTN are affected by the 2-G conditions.
Patterns of Simian Virus 40 Deoxyribonucleic Acid Transcription II. In Transformed Cells

Abstract The pattern of simian virus 40 (SV40) deoxyribonucleic acid transcription has been examined in 11 SV40-transformed cell lines. In all cases, substantial regions of the minus strand (35-75%) appeared to be transcribed. In the lines tested, these regions included the “early” gene sequences. The SV40-specific ribonucleic acid from at least two of the transformed cell lines represented significantly greater portions of the minus strand than are represented in “early” lytic ribonucleic acid. Small regions of the plus strand appeared to be transcribed in only two of the transformed cell lines.
Doping of rare earth elements into microporous and mesoporous aluminophosphate

The rare earth ions of europium (Eu), cerium (Ce), and terbium (Tb) were successfully doped into the zeolitic frameworks of microporous aluminophosphate AlPO 4 -5. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), luminescence spectroscopy, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize this zeolitic aluminophosphates doped with rare earth ions. Both XRD and SEM measurements indicate that no crystalline phases other than AlPO 4 -5. The luminescence spectroscopy and XPS measurements suggest the existence of rare-earth elements in the framework of the large-pore aluminophosphate AlPO 4 -5. However, the efforts of trying to dope europium ions into the framework of mesoporous aluminophosphate through a co-synthesis method are unsuccessful.
BETA-GALACTOSIDASE AND BETA-GLUCURONIDASE ACTIVITIES IN INTESTINAL MUCOSA OF INFANTS AND CHILDREN

The activity of two galactosidases (lactase and hetero-β-galactosidase) and β-glucuronidase were studied in per oral duodenal biopsies in 50 infants and children. Ten patients served as controls and 40 had nutritional disorders including celiac disease (acute, and in remission), cystic fibrosis (CF), protein losing enteropathy, and some miscellaneous conditions. The values for the 10 control patients expressed in units/gm protein/minute ± S.D. follows: lactase 38.0 ± 13.4, H-β-gal-ase 1.42 ± 0.35., and β-glucuronidase 1.90 ± 0.45. In the acute stage of celiac disease the lactase values were markedly reduced, the H-β-gal-ase normal or slightly reduced, with normal activity for β-glucuronidase. In clinical remission and while still on a gluten-free diet the activity of lactase remained significantly reduced in seven of nine patients even after 2 to 10 years. The lysosomal enzymes H-β-gal-ase and β-glucuronidase were not strikingly affected in patients with CF although four of six patients showed low values for H-β-galactosidase. β-glucuronidase was not affected in a variety of intestinal disorders including those that severely affect the integrity of the intestinal mucosa. In the conditions studied there was no correlation between the activity of the two galactosidases, nor between the two lysosomal enzymes.
Photon statistics of a two-level atom in a driven optical cavity: beyond the weak-field limit

We consider a single two-level atom in a driven optical cavity, and calculate the second-order intensity correlation function g/sup (2)/(/spl tau/) and the waiting-time distribution W(t). Previous results have dealt primarily with the weak driving field limit, and the presence of nonclassical effects. These could be interpreted in several ways, using quantum interference between detection probability amplitudes, or as due to intracavity squeezing. In this paper we extend these results outside the weak-field limit, to determine the robustness of these nonclassical effects, and to compare with recent experimental results of Mielke et al. We include transit-time broadening and decoherence explicitly using quantum trajectory methods. Two methods are used, first a simple resetting of the atom to the ground state every transit time, simulating the leaving of one atom and arrival of another. Secondly we use a Poisson distribution of atom arrival times, simulating an atomic beam. In the latter case we consider traditional oven beams and atoms dropped from a magneto-optical trap. We make comparisons between the trajectory method and traditional density matrix methods. Further, we examine the relationship between the waiting-time distribution and g/sup (2)/(/spl tau/), which are the same for small delay times, in the context of recent experiments.
A Morphometrics-Based Phylogeny of the Temperate Gondwanan Mite Harvestmen (Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi, Pettalidae)

A phylogenetic estimation of the temperate Gondwanan mite harvestman family Pettalidae (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) was conducted using 143 morphological variables (59 raw and 84 scaled measurements) from 37 ingroup and 15 outgroup terminals. We used custom algorithms to do pairwise comparisons between characters and identify sets of dependent characters, which were collapsed using principal components analysis. We analysed the resulting data without discretization under the parsimony criterion. Monophyly or paraphyly of most groups suspected from previous molecular and morphological phylogenetic studies were recovered. Trees were optimized for monophyly of 20 different focus clades by varying character phylogenetic independence. This yielded a final tree with monophyly of 15 out of 20 focus clades, including the South African pettalids, which contains the troglomorphic species Speleosiro argasiformis Lawrence, 1931. Two of the remaining five clades were found paraphyletic, with the genera Aoraki, Rakaia, and Siro always being found polyphyeletic. Resumen Se investiga la filogenia de los cifoftalmos gondwanicos de la familia Pettalidae (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi) mediante la utilizacion de 143 variables morfologicas (59 variables sin transformar y 84 medidas transformadas) de 37 taxones terminales internos y 15 grupos externos. Para ello, se utilizan algoritmos disenados especialmente para hacer comparaciones dos a dos entre caracteres e identificar los conjuntos de caracteres dependientes, los cuales son colapsados mediante un analisis de componentes principales. Los datos resultantes fueron analizados sin necesidad de discretizacion, utilizando parsimonia como criterio de optimalidad. De este modo se obtuvo la monofilia o parafilia de varios grupos, como ya se habia obtenido en otros analisis con otros datos morfologicos o moleculares. Los arboles obtenidos en los analisis morfometricos fueron optimizados para la monofilia de 20 clados postulados en estudios anteriores mediante la variacion de los parametros de independencia de caracteres. Esto produjo un cladograma final donde 15 de los 20 grupos postulados eran monofileticos, incluyendo los petalidos sudafricanos, que incluyen la especie troglomorfa Speleosiro argasiformis Lawrence, 1931. Dos de los otros grupos aparecen como parafileticos, mientras que los generos Aoraki, Rakaia y Siro siempre son polifileticos.
Visibility aid cycling clothing: flashing light-emitting diode (FLED) configurations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers’ differing psychological perceptions of cyclists’ conspicuity according to active visibility aid configurations on clothing. Design/methodology/approach – The flashing light-emitting diodes (FLEDs) were positioned on the major joints (shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles) in eight configurations and pre- and post-surveys were conducted. Findings – The results indicated that there were significant differences among the eight configurations in observers’ detection and recognition of cyclists, contributions of FLEDs, and visibility of cyclists (p<0.001). Among the eight different configurations on joints, FLEDs on the hips, knees, and ankles were the most detectable, recognizable, and visible. Originality/value – Most of the previous studies have investigated passive visibility aids and there is a lack of research on FLED configurations on major joints for cyclists. Thus, this study is expected to be beneficial to designers when deve...
Degree Day Method

An adequate description and prediction of plant development is critical for understanding plant growth and its responses to the environment. Only then we can assess the impact of a changing environment on plant productivity and survival, understand plant adaptation, design adequate agricultural production systems, and optimize natural resources management. Of particular importance for water resource management are the effects of plant ontogeny on plant water use and productivity throughout the regulation of leaf area. This determines the patterns of plant water demand and the partitioning between transpiration and evaporation components. Therefore, plant development dictates the selection of cultivars that best fit the water availability patterns under dryland conditions, and the amount, frequency and timing for irrigation otherwise. Keywords: degree days; photothermal units; physiological day; growing degree day; plant development; photoperiod; day length; crop model
Bariatric surgery does not improve outcomes in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty

Bariatric surgery has been advocated as a means of reducing body mass index (BMI) and the risks associated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, this has not been proved clinically. In order to determine the impact of bariatric surgery on the outcome of TKA, we identified a cohort of 91 TKAs that were performed in patients who had undergone bariatric surgery (bariatric cohort). These were matched with two separate cohorts of patients who had not undergone bariatric surgery. One was matched 1:1 with those with a higher pre-bariatric BMI (high BMI group), and the other was matched 1:2 based on those with a lower pre-TKA BMI (low BMI group). In the bariatric group, the mean BMI before bariatric surgery was 51.1 kg/m(2) (37 to 72), which improved to 37.3 kg/m(2) (24 to 59) at the time of TKA. Patients in the bariatric group had a higher risk of, and worse survival free of, re-operation (hazard ratio (HR) 2.6; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2 to 6.2; p = 0.02) compared with the high BMI group. Furthermore, the bariatric group had a higher risk of, and worse survival free of re-operation (HR 2.4; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.3; p = 0.2) and revision (HR 2.2; 95% CI 1.1 to 6.5; p = 0.04) compared with the low BMI group. While bariatric surgery reduced the BMI in our patients, more analysis is needed before recommending bariatric surgery before TKA in obese patients.
Non-replication study of a genome-wide association study for hypertension and blood pressure in African Americans

A recent genome wide association study in 1017 African Americans identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms that reached genome-wide significance for systolic blood pressure. We attempted to replicate these findings in an independent sample of 2474 unrelated African Americans in the Milwaukee metropolitan area; 53% were women and 47% were hypertensives. We evaluated sixteen top associated SNPs from the above genome wide association study for hypertension as a binary trait or blood pressure as a continuous trait. In addition, we evaluated eight single nucleotide polymorphisms located in two genes (STK-39 and CDH-13) found to be associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressures by other genome wide association studies in European and Amish populations. TaqMan MGB-based chemistry with fluorescent probes was used for genotyping. We had an adequate sample size (80% power) to detect an effect size of 1.2-2.0 for all the single nucleotide polymorphisms for hypertension as a binary trait, and 1% variance in blood pressure as a continuous trait. Quantitative trait analyses were performed both by excluding and also by including subjects on anti-hypertensive therapy (after adjustments were made for anti-hypertensive medications). For all 24 SNPs, no statistically significant differences were noted in the minor allele frequencies between cases and controls. One SNP (rs2146204) showed borderline association (p = 0.006) with hypertension status using recessive model and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.02), but was not significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. In quantitative trait analyses, among normotensives only, rs12748299 was associated with SBP (p = 0.002). In addition, several nominally significant associations were noted with SBP and DBP among normotensives but none were statistically significant. This study highlights the importance of replication to confirm the validity of genome wide association study results.
Effect of temperature on nanowear of platinum-coated probes sliding against coated silicon wafers for probe-based recording technology

Abstract In one of the new alternative information storage technologies, a phase-change medium is used and phase change is accomplished by applying either a high or low magnitude of current which heats the interface to different temperatures. Tip wear is a serious concern. For wear protection of the phase-change chalcogenide medium with a silicon substrate, diamond-like carbon (DLC) film with various lubricant overcoats was deposited on the recording layer surface. Nanowear properties of platinum (Pt)-coated probes with high electrical conductivity have been investigated in sliding against the coated medium using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The nanowear experiments were performed at sliding velocity of 0.1 mm s −1 and at sample temperatures of 20 and 80 °C. In high-temperature experiments at a sample temperature of 80 °C, wear rate is higher compared to that at a sample temperature of 20 °C. The results suggest that wear mechanism appears to be primarily adhesive, abrasive and tribochemical.
Optical remote sensing of the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere

Over the next five years the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will fly a series of ultraviolet satellite instrument packages to measure vertical profiles of atmospheric airglow emission. The objective of this program is to test new techniques for optical remote sensing of the mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere using limb scanning spectrographs. Emphasis will be placed on day- and night-remote sensing of the F-region through measurement of profiles of airglow emission from the O+ ion. Other objectives include remote sensing of vertical profiles of neutral density, minor species and temperature. These observations will be used to study the composition, photochemistry, thermodynamics, and couplings between atmospheric regions. A phased approach will be used which provides for: (1) comprehensive multi-parameter measurements; (2) high spectral resolution studies; and (3) long-term operational observations from DoD weather satellites. The first of these payloads is the multi- sensor experiment called the remote atmospheric & ionospheric detection (RAIDS). RAIDS, a collaboration between NRL and The Aerospace Corporation, contains two spectrographs, three scanning grating spectrometers, and three photometers. Space flight for RAIDS will be provided by the Air Force Space Test Program (STP). The phase 2 component is the high resolution airglow/aurora spectroscopy (HIRAAS) experiment, a collaboration between NRL and the Naval Postgraduate School. HIRAAS will fly aboard the STP ARGOS Satellite in early 1996. The third phase of this program involves flight of a series of five limb scanning instruments called the special sensor ultraviolet limb imager (SSULI) aboard Defense Meteorological Satellite Program weather satellites in the last quarter of this decade. The long- term observations from these satellite experiments will provide a comprehensive database of mesospheric, thermospheric, and ionospheric density profiles from which to search for the effects of global change.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Two-stage kinetic analysis of fragrance evaporation and absorption from skin.

Synopsis Human in vivo fragrance evaporation data from a previously published study are reanalysed in terms of compartmental pharmacokinetic models in which the microscopic rate constants are functions of the physicochemical properties of the fragrance components. According to the proposed analysis, which is restricted to low doses, absorption and evaporation of each component are first-order processes occurring from either the skin (one-compartment model) or the skin and a more rapidly depleted vehicle layer (two-compartment models). Evaporation rates of ingredients from a 12-component mixture containing a musk fixative followed single exponential decays that were well described by the one-compartment model. An otherwise identical mixture without fixative yielded evaporation rates that could be characterized as biexponential decays associated with loss from two compartments. This result shows that ingredient interactions qualitatively and quantitatively change evaporation rate profiles of fragrance components; however, an attempt to account for these interactions explicitly by means of activity coefficients inserted as multipliers for the microscopic rate constants was unsuccessful. Re-examination of this approach in the context of a diffusion/evaporation model is suggested. The developed models have potential utility for dermal risk assessment and for prediction of aroma evolution following topical application of complex fragrances.
Solving the problems of new product forecasting

Abstract An important consideration in solving the problems of new product forecasting entails distinguishing new product forecasting from the process of forecasting existing products. Particular differences between the two can be identified across the dimensions of data, analytics, forecast, plan, and measurement. For example, new product forecasting features little to no data with which to begin the process, whereas data are available and accessible in forecasting existing products. The minimal data situation requires a qualitative approach that lays out assumptions to provide transparency; in contrast, quantitative techniques are predominantly used when forecasting existing products. Different assumptions help construct a range of new product forecast outcomes on which company contingencies can be planned versus a singular point forecast for an existing product. And the measure of forecast accuracy, which is a common metric in forecasting existing products, must give way to meaningfulness so that the new product forecast is actionable. Recognizing new product forecasting as a cross-functional, company-wide process helps resolve the problems of new product forecasting. While incapable of remedying all problems, a properly understood and organized new product forecasting effort can help the company better prepare, execute, and support a new product launch, affording a greater propensity to achieve new product success.
Hutcheson and Mill on evaluating actions and characters

L'A. examine la pensee de John Stuart Mill et de Francis Hutcheson sur les notion d'action et de caracteres. Tous deux sont mus par l'idee que les actions doivent etre jugees a la lumiere du Principe d'Utilite : les evaluations des actes moraux ne doivent pas s'unir aux evaluations des acteurs moraux. L'A., a la recherche de leur philosophie morale, determine la specificite de leur pensee respective et tente de voir en quoi elles peuvent etre complementaires pour combiner les deux systemes
HYPERSPECTRAL LINE-SCANNING MICROSCOPY FOR HIGH-SPEED MULTICOLOR QUANTUM DOT TRACKING

One of the fundamental goals in observing protein-protein interactions on the cell membrane is achieving nanometer scale spatial resolution along with temporal resolution sufficient to study live cell behavior. Traditional fluorescence microscopy methods have been unsuccessful in studying these interactions due to the diffraction limit with visible light. Single particle tracking techniques using quantum dots have provided single particle localizations to well below the diffraction limit, however, clustering of multiple particles limits the unique identification and thus tracking of individual particles throughout the (possibly dynamic) clustering process. This problem can be solved by tracking multiple quantum dot colors using a high-speed hyperspectral microscope.We have developed a high-speed hyperspectral microscope based on a line scanning design that is capable of up to 30 frames/sec with 128 spectral channels per pixel (ranging from 500-800 nm) with a sample area of ∼30 υm2. We describe the details of the microscope optical design details and layout, and show the results of excitation and emission path characterization. We image RBL-2H3 cells with IgE that has been conjugated with various colors of QDs (to give a near 1:1 QD:IgE ratio) and image at 30 frames per second. By imaging in both the presence and absence of crosslinking DNP-BSA, we demonstrate the ability to identify dynamic interactions and/or oligomers at spatial scales below the diffraction limit.
Sources of difficulty in L2 scope judgments

Second language (L2) learners have been found to experience difficulty in tasks that require the integration of discourse–pragmatic properties with syntactic and semantic properties (Sorace and Serratrice, 2009; Tsimpli and Sorace, 2006; Valenzuela, 2006). The present article investigates the sources of L2 difficulty in a phenomenon where multiple components of linguistic analysis are involved. The study examines L1-Korean L2-English adult learners’ interpretation of English sentences with the universally quantified object NP (every NP) and negation using an offline contextualized acceptability judgment task. The results suggest that the sources of L2 variability reflect L2 adults’ focus on content and meaning access and L1 transfer of interpretive preferences in initial to intermediate stages of acquisition but are replaced by the difficulty of integrating L2 pragmatic properties with other aspects of linguistic analysis in the advanced stages, a difficulty which can nevertheless be overcome in ultimate ...
Beliefs regarding stimulant medication effects among college students with a history of past or current usage.

Objective: To examine the beliefs of ADHD college students concerning stimulant medications and to apply the theory of planned behavior toward better understanding the factors instrumental in decisions regarding stimulant use. Method: A cross-sectional, correlational design was used, and students completed a survey under controlled laboratory conditions. Participants were 193 students taking introductory psychology who self-reported receiving a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder or ADHD and a treatment history of using stimulant medications. Results: Beliefs regarding the effects of medication use are represented by four factors ((i.e., improved attention/academics, loss of authentic self, social self-enhancement, and common side effects), where the first three significantly and systematically differentiate between those currently using stimulants and those who are not. Conclusion: To understand decisions regarding stimulant use, it is important to consider how college students perceive the positive ...
Participación de los países en vías de desarrollo en evaluaciones de aprendizaje, 1960-2009

This paper examines annual changes in the participation of developing countries in different kinds of learning assessments over the past three decades. It specifically highlights, and provides initial explanations for, the worldwide spread of national and regional assessments since the mid-1990s. The paper argues that national learning assessments —namely, non-standardized, context-sensitive and non-comparable learning assessments— have become a preferred tool of educational policy makers in many developing countries. The increasing demand for accountability and the relative advantages of national regional assessments, should amplify this trend in coming years, although much depends on the policies of international agencies, NGOs and regional associations that advise and financially support country participation in learning assessments.
Equilibrium surface composition of ternary alloys

A model of the equilibrium surface composition of ternary alloys is presented. The model is intially developed on the basis of the regular solution approximation in which the usual nearest neighbor bond description is corrected for solute strain energy effects. Differences between the results of this model and those obtained from a previous model developed by Guttmann are discussed. The model is exercised over ranges of the parameters which correspond to substitutional metallic ternary solutions. Particular attention is paid to the changes in surface composition behavior of a binary alloy which result from the addition of a ternary component.
Reflections on Tamotsu Shibutani: On a Biography and Sociology of America

This article, the fourth in Symbolic Interaction's tribute symposium, is adapted from remarks made at a memorial ceremony for Tamotsu Shibutani held on October 23, 2004, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The author was a student of Shibutani in the mid-1980s through early 1990s.
Space-charge effects in liquid metal ion sources of different geometries

The current work considers the effect of geometry, other than the ideal Taylor cone, on space charge and axial fields of liquid metal ion sources. Solutions of the spacecharge equation for the concentric sphere and hyperboloidal-planar models of a liquid emitter demonstrate a rather dramatic dependence of the space charge and axial fields on the geometry of the emitting surface.
Electrochemical Reduction of Aqueous Imidazolium on Pt(111) by Proton Coupled Electron Transfer

Recent electrochemical studies have reported aqueous CO2 reduction to formic acid, formaldehyde and methanol at potentials of ca. −600 mV versus SCE, when using a Pt working electrode in acidic pyridine solutions. In those experiments, pyridinium is thought to function as a one-electron shuttle for the underlying multielectron reduction of CO2. DFT studies proposed that the critical step of the underlying reaction mechanism is the one-electron reduction of pyridinium at the Pt surface through proton coupled electron transfer. Such reaction forms a H adsorbate that is subsequently transferred to CO2 as a hydride, through a proton coupled hydride transfer mechanism where pyridinium functions as a Bronsted acid. Here, we find that imidazolium exhibits an electrochemical behavior analogous to pyridinium, as characterized by the experimental and theoretical analysis of the initial reduction on Pt. A cathodic wave, with a cyclic voltammetric half wave potential of ca. −680 mV versus SCE, is consistent with the theoretical prediction based on the recently proposed reaction mechanism suggesting that positively charged Bronsted acids could serve as electrocatalytic one-electron shuttle species for multielectron CO2 reduction.
Empirical Model Development for Message Delay and Drop in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract Simulation of wireless sensor networks with very large number of motes poses significant challenges with respect to computational complexity. Application level code prototyping with reasonable accuracy and fidelity can however be accomplished through simulation that models only the effects of the wireless and distributed computations which materialize as delay and drop for the messages being exchanged among the motes. This study pursues that idea of empirical modelling of delay and drop and employs such a model to affect the reception times of wirelessly communicated messages. The delay and drop is therefore, modelled as random variables with probability distributions empirically approximated based on the data reported in the literature. The paper concludes with a case study that employs the proposed empirical delay and drop models for multilayer perceptron neural networks distributed across a wireless sensor network for a classification task on the Isolet dataset.
Hyperthermia for Malignant Brain Tumors

Hyperthermia in conjunction with brachytherapy might allow the delivery of less toxic radiation doses while improving local control of tumors. To complement the authors' clinical study of interstitial brachytherapy of malignant brain tumors, a microwave interstitial heating system with computed data acquisition was constructed. It was evaluated in a phantom and in a series of acute and chronic experiments for heating patterns and heat toxicity in 30 normal adult canine brains. With the head fixed in a stereotaxic frame, lateral, occipital, or parietal approaches were used for placement of nylon catheters containing microwave antennas and fiberoptic thermometry probes. The antennas were operated at 915 or 2, 450 MHz using continuous-wave power sources. When a steady state was obtained, usually within 5 minutes of heating, temperatures were mapped at 1 mm intervals along the length of the antenna and radially from the antenna by moving the thermometry probes with a stereotaxic manipulator. In general it was easy to maintain a steady state for a long period. Heating patterns tended to be ellipsoidal, correlating relatively well with those predicted by phantom trials. Heat toxicity was examined by sequential quantitative computed tomography (CT) scans in chronic trials and correlated with histopathology following sacrifice at 4-8 weeks. The results suggest that 1) interstitial microwave hyperthermia is an effective means of inducing localized brain hyperthermia, 2) surgical and hyperthermia procedures are well tolerated, 3) temperature above 43°C for 30 minutes induces changes in the normal canine brain which can be measured and followed noninvasively with CT.
New Hybrid Neural Network Model for Prediction of Phase Equilibrium in a Two-Phase Extraction System

A novel approach to modeling prediction of phase equilibrium is presented. The method, evolutionary polymorphic neural network (EPNN), is developed by the authors on the basis of artificial neural ...
Adhesion at the interface in cured graphite fiber epoxy-amine resin composites

The effect of high temperature curing on the interface between unsized or epoxy-sized graphite fiber tow and epoxy-amine resin was examined by scanning electron microscopy of compression and freeze fractured specimens. Little or no adhesion was found between the unsized graphite fiber tows and the epoxy-amine resin on curing at 165 C for 17 hrs. Epoxy-sized graphite fibers showed a similar lack of adhesion between the fiber tows and the epoxy-amine resin at 3 and 17 hr cures, although good penetration of the resin into the sized fiber tows had occurred. Interfacial bond strengths for the composites could not be effectively measured by compression fracture of specimens.