cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Translating neural networks into rule-based expert systems

Summary form only given. Attention is given to Knowledgetron, a novel, domain-independent system dedicated to automatically translating the knowledge of an artificial neural network which has been trained to classify the data correctly using backpropagation into a set of if-then rules. Knowledgetron is able to generate rules from an adapted net in an efficient way. Learning parameters of the net that critically influence the system behavior are identified. The system is able to deal with both single-layer and multilayer networks, and can learn both confirming and disconfirming rules. The tractability of the learning algorithm of Knowledgetron was shown analytically. Empirically, Knowledgetron was demonstrated in the domain of wind shear detection by infrared sensors with success. >
Patterns of Impairment in Digit Independence After Subcortical Stroke

The nature of impairment in hand motor control after stroke and its relationship to hand function are still not well understood. In this study, we investigated digit independence in patients with s...
The effect of radioactive iodine on dental caries in the rat

Experience in this laboratory has shown that the thyroid gland is related to the in­ cidence o f experimental dental caries in the albino rat. W hen desiccated thyroid is furnished as a component o f the diet, a significant reduction in the incidence o f dental caries results. Similarly, when thiouracil is added to the diet, a signifi­ cant increase is found in the incidence of dental caries.1 Furthermore, it has been shown by histologic observation that ad­ ministration of testosterone increases the activity o f the thyroid gland,2 and that testosterone and desiccated thyroid given together increase the anticariogenic effect o f desiccated thyroid alone.3 Evidence also suggests that certain his­ tologic changes o f the rat submaxillary gland parallel the activity o f the thyroid gland and the incidence o f dental caries.4 It is interesting that the thyroid glands in the caries-resistant and caries-susceptible strain of rats used by the Michigan State group show pronounced differences.5 R e­ cently, an explanation o f these observa­ tions has been offered by Ryan and Kirkwood.6 .Since thiouracil was used in previous studies1,3 to reduce the function o f the thyroid gland, it was o f interest to de­ termine if destruction o f the thyroid would result in a similar increase in dental caries. Because of the surgical difficulties o f thyroidectomy without con ­ comitant parathyroidectomy, the elimi­ nation o f the thyroid was accomplished by the administration of radioactive iodine ( I 131).
Short-Pulse Accelerators at UNM for Magnetron Experiments

We have demonstrated through computer simulations using the fully relativistic, three-dimensional particle-in-cell code MAGIC that the relativistic magnetron is less susceptible to mode competition when the rise time of the drive voltage is less than the characteristic cavity fill-time of the magnetron.
Further observations on the SNL wireless Sensor Network Leadership protocol

It is sometimes important to have a local leader for a set of wireless sensor nodes. Such a leader may be used as the origin of a coordinate system, as the node responsible for communication, etc. Thus it is important to have a reliable and correct method to assign nodes as leaders. We presented the sensor network leadership (SNL) protocol in previous work. Here we present further properties of this protocol: (1) SNL is an optimal leadership protocol in terms of messages sent, and (2) various statistics concerning the clusters formed by this protocol are given, and in particular, it is noted that in the limit, the cluster placement is similar to circle packing where the radius of the circles is the broadcast range of a sensor device.
Inhaled insulin : a novel route for insulin delivery

Insulin has been in use for the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus for over 75 years. However, despite the known benefits of tight glycaemic control, multiple insulin injections have still not gained widespread clinical acceptance. Although there have been attempts to find effective non-invasive routes for insulin delivery, none of the novel non-invasive approaches have become part of established practice. In fact, until recently it was believed that as a result of limitations, non-invasive insulin was not a clinically realistic option. However, preliminary studies have indicated that inhaled insulin may emerge as an effective, well-tolerated, non-invasive alternative to subcutaneous regular insulin. The pharmacokinetics of inhaled insulin show a more physiological profile compared to conventional insulin; however, further studies to confirm long-term pulmonary safety and efficacy are needed.
Distributed system infrastructure for a prolific manufacturing enterprise

A prolific manufacturing enterprise can tolerate changes in the structure of information describing the enterprise-it is complex, dynamic, evolving, and constantly accessible as it adapts to the changing requirements and current status of the real world. The computational infrastructure for existing manufacturing enterprises only supports changing data about manufacturing. The author proposes a more comprehensive distributed system infrastructure that also supports change and evolution in the structure of information. This infrastructure is based on 'proxies' which are used as the lowest level distributed system building blocks to represent all aspects of the enterprise-including machines, programs, and people. Proxies implement basic distributed services including (1) naming, locating and advertising, (2) monitoring/control, and (3) program exchange/execution. Preliminary results from a prototype implementation are presented. >
Shadow attenuation with high dynamic range images. Creating RGB images that allow feature classification in areas otherwise obscured by shadow or oversaturation.

Shadow often interferes with accurate image analysis. To mitigate shadow effects in near-earth imagery (2 m above ground level), we created high dynamic range (HDR) nadir im- ages and used them to measure grassland ground cover. HDR composites were created by merg- ing three differentially exposed images spanning a wide exposure range and resulted in lightened shadows. HDR images showed more detail; re- duced the numbers of pure black, pure white, and pixels visually indistinguishable from black and white; reapportioned skewed luma values towards a normal distribution; and increased the Euclid- ean distance between litter and bare ground RGB values—allowing increased feature separation; all of which facilitated an increase in real feature clas- sification through manual image analysis. Draw- backs to the method included decreased image sharpness due to minor misalignment of images or moving vegetation, time required to create HDR images, and difficulty with acquiring primary im- ages from a moving platform. We conclude that HDR imagery can provide more accurate mea-
High Temperature Device Characterization for Hybrid Electric Vehicle Traction Inverters

High temperature inverter involves thermal management, packaging, semiconductor device, switching circuit, and control circuitry. This paper is to focus on the drivetrain inverter design consideration for electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Basic structure and switching characteristics of different insulated-gate-bipolar-transistors (IGBTs) will be discussed. The use of silicon carbide Schottky diode in parallel with silicon IGBT will also be evaluated and compared with pure silicon IGBT modules running under both hard- and soft-switching conditions. Experimental results of conduction and switching loss at different temperature conditions are used to predict the device loss and associated junction temperature for switching cases.
A Limousin Specific Myostatin Allele Affects Longissimus Muscle Area and Fatty Acid Profiles in a Wagyu-Limousin F2 Population

A microsatellite-based genome scan of a Wagyu × Limousin F2 cross population previously demonstrated QTL affecting LM area and fatty acid composition were present in regions near the centrom- ere of BTA2. In this study, we used 70 SNP markers to examine the centromeric 24 megabases (Mb) of BTA2, including the Limousin-specific F94L myostatin allele (AB076403.1; 415C > A) located at approximately 6 Mb on the draft genome sequence of BTA2. A signifi- cant effect of the F94L marker was observed (F = 60.17) for LM area, which indicated that myostatin is most likely responsible for the effect. This is consistent with previous reports that the substitution of Leu for Phe at AA 94 of myostatin (caused by the 415C > A transver- sion) is associated with increased muscle growth. Sur- prisingly, several fatty acid trait QTL, which affected the amount of unsaturated fats, also mapped to or very near the myostatin marker, including the ratio of C16:1 MUFA to C16:0 saturated fat (F = 16.72), C18:1 to C18:0 (F = 18.88), and total content of MUFA (F = 17.12). In addition, QTL for extent of marbling (F = 14.73) approached significance (P = 0.05), and CLA concentration (F = 9.22) was marginally significant (P = 0.18). We also observed associations of SNP located at 16.3 Mb with KPH (F = 15.00) and for the amount of SFA (F = 12.01). These results provide insight into genetic differences between the Wagyu and Limousin breeds and may lead to a better tasting and healthier product for consumers through improved selection for lipid content of beef.
Abdominal packing for severe hemorrhage

Abstract Background: Diffuse abdominal or retroperitoneal hemorrhage is potentially lethal particularly when associated with coagulopathy, hypothermia, and acidosis. Temporary abdominal packing (PACKS) can control hemorrhage and provide crucial time to correct these physiological and metabolic derangements. Methods: The author reviewed the combined experience of pediatric surgeons at 13 institutions to determine the efficacy of this technique. Results: Twenty-two patients with refractory hemorrhage (ages, 6 days to 20 years) were treated with PACKS. The etiology of hemorrhage was trauma in 13, solid organ tumor bed in four, liver bleeding during necrotizing enterocolitis surgery in two, hemorhagic pancreatitis in one, iliac artery injury while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in one, and biliary reconstruction after liver transplant in one. The anatomic site of hemorrhage was the liver or hepatic veins in 14, retroperitoneum or pelvis in seven, and the pancreatic bed in one. Twenty patients (91%) were coagulopathic, hypothermic, and acidotic at the time of packing. Fifteen patients (68%) had PACKS inserted during a primary operative procedure, whereas seven patients (32%) had PACKS inserted during a reexploration for persistent hemorrhage. The mean volume of intraoperative transfusion before PACKS was 190 mL/kg (range, 50 to 600). Primary fascial closure was accomplished in 12 (55%) patients, and temporary skin closure or prosthetic material was used in the other ten. PACKS controlled hemorrhage in 21 of 22 (95%) patients. Removal of PACKS was possible within 72 hours in 18 (82%) patients. No patient experienced rebleeding after PACKS removal; however, two patients died with PACKS in place. An abdominal abscess developed in seven patients (32%); all were successfully drained. Eighteen patients (82%) survived after abdominal packing. Two deaths were caused by multisystem organ failure, one was caused by cardiac failure from uncorrectable cardiac anomalies, and one was from exsanguination after blunt traumatic liver injury. There were no differences in volume of intraoperative blood product transfusion, time to initiate PACKS, physiological status, or type of abdominal closure between survivors and nonsurvivors. Conclusion: The author concludes that temporary abdominal packing can be life saving in children with refractory abdominal or retroperitoneal hemorrhage associated with coagulopathy, hypothermia, and acidosis.
An audit of first afebrile seizure management in an Irish tertiary pediatric setting

The objective of this study was to compare the first afebrile seizure management with internationally recognized standards in an Irish tertiary pediatric setting. Twenty-one management standards were derived from a combination of British (NICE 2004) and North American (AAN 2003) guidelines. Cases of first afebrile seizure presenting to a pediatric emergency department between July 2007 and June 2010 were assessed against the standards. On completion, the standards developed were presented to the relevant stakeholders, a nurse-developed parental advice sheet was introduced, and a re-audit was performed from July 2010 to June 2011. Forty children were identified in the initial audit period (A1) and 41 over the re-audit (A2). No case achieved full compliance with the devised standards in the audit period. A median compliance score of 15 (range 5–20) was achieved in A1 and 17 (range 11–21) in A2 [mean rank 31.93 versus 49.85; p(1,1) < 0.0001]. Optimal compliance (total score of ≥17) with devised standards was achieved in 6/40 patients in A1 and in 21/41 patients in A2 [χ 2 = 11.95; p(1,1) = 0.001]. Conclusion: We demonstrated an initial lack of compliance with international guidelines on management of a common medical presentation, first afebrile seizure, and demonstrated that improvements can be achieved by identification of appropriate standards and critical appraisal of the compliance with these standards through both formal and informal education.
Sonographically guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block in adults: a retrospective analysis of 1146 cases.

Objective The aim of this study was to analyze our experience in 1146 cases of sonographically guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block (ICBPB) performed over 32 months. Methods Anesthetic records of 1146 cases of sonographically guided ICBPB performed by our staff were studied retrospectively with the use of a database created by an automated anesthesia record-keeping system. The rates of successful blocks, failed blocks necessitating conversion to general anesthesia or requiring supplementation with local anesthetics, those requiring larger-than-usual doses of sedation, and complications were determined. Analysis included an attempt to determine the possible causes of inadequate blocks and complications. Results In 1138 patients (99.3%), the block was successful. Six patients had incomplete blocks requiring general anesthesia, and another 2 patients needed local anesthetic supplementation by the surgeons. Ninety-seven percent of the blocks were performed by residents directly supervised by an attending anesthesiologist who held the ultrasound probe. The mean age+/-SD of the patients was 39+/-15 years; the mean duration of surgery was 165+/-114 minutes; and the male-female ratio was 4:1. More than 50% of patients were obese. There were no reported cases of nerve injury, pneumothorax, or local anesthetic toxicity. Arterial punctures occurred in 8 (0.7%) patients, but all were inconsequential. Conclusions The data from this retrospective study suggest that sonographic guidance provides a high success rate (99.3%) and improved safety for ICBPB. The increased operator team experience virtually eliminates failure and complications.
Adaptive reliable multicast

We present a new reliable multicast protocol, called ARM for adaptive reliable multicast. Our protocol integrates ARQ and FEC techniques. The objectives of ARM are (1) reduce the message overhead due to NACK requests, (2) reduce the amount of data transmission, and (3) reduce the time it takes for all receivers to receive the data intact (without loss). During data transmission, the sender periodically informs the receivers of the number of packets that are yet to be transmitted. Based on this information, each receiver predicts whether this amount is enough to recover its losses. Only if it is not enough, that the receiver requests the sender to encode additional redundant packets. Using ns simulations, we show the superiority of our hybrid ARQ-FEC protocol over the well-known scalable reliable multicast (SRM) protocol.
Growth and structure in abalone shell

The growth and self-assembly of aragonitic calcium carbonate found in the shell of abalone (Haliotis) is described. This was accomplished through the close examination of laboratory-grown flat pearl samples and cross-sectional slices of the nacreous shell. Further understanding of the sequenced assembly has been obtained. It has been confirmed that the growth of the aragonite component of the composite occurs by the successive nucleation of aragonite crystals and their arrest by means of a protein-mediated mechanism; it takes place in the “Christmas-tree pattern” [Nature 49 (1994) 371]. It is shown that the protein layer is virtually absent where plates on a same plane abut (along lateral surfaces of tiles). This suggests a mechanism of c-axis aragonite growth arrest by the deposition of a protein layer of approximately 20–30 nm that is periodically activated and determines the thickness of the aragonite platelets, which are remarkably constant (0.5 m). This platelet size was measured for animals with shell diameters of 10, 50, and 200 mm and was found to be constant. The overall growth process is expressed in terms of parameters incorporating the anisotropy of growth velocity in aragonite ( Vc, the velocity along c axis, and Vab, the velocity in basal plane). Comparison of laboratory-raised and naturally-grown abalone indicates growth regulated by the level of proteinaceous saturation. Naturally-grown abalone exhibits mesolayers (growth bands) ∼0.3 mm apart; it is proposed that they result from seasonal interruptions in feeding patterns, creating thicker ( ∼10–20m) layers of protein. These mesolayers play a critical role in the mechanical properties, and are powerful crack deflectors. The viscoplastic deformation of the organic inter-tile layers is responsible for the significant improvement of tensile strength over the tensile strength of monolithic aragonite. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Alteration of autonomic influence on left ventricular contractility by epicardial superfusion with hexamethonium and procaine

Objective: Since portions of autonomic nerves and receptors are located superficially on the heart, it is possible that neuromodulatory substances in pericardial fluid may modulate cardiac contractile function by altering autonomic neurotransmission. The aim of the study was to examine this hypothesis in anaesthetised dogs instrumented to measure left ventricular pressure and volume (conductance catheter). Methods: The effects of electrical stimulation of cardiac sympathetic efferents in the ansa subclavia (n = 6), or parasympathetic efferents in the vagus (n = 6), on left ventricular contractility were evaluated during epicardial superfusion with Tyrode solution, or Tyrode solution containing hexamethonium (1 × 10−1 M), or procaine (2%). The slope of the end systolic pressure-volume relationship (Ees), a load independent measure of left ventricular contractility, and the position of the relationship (Vmid) were obtained by rapid transient vena caval occlusion. Results: Ansa subclavia stimulation increased Ees from 4.8(SD 1.8) to 8.3(3.0) mm Hg·ml−1 (p < 0.05), and Vmid shifted to the left, from 9(10) to 0(16) ml (p < 0.05). This response was abolished by epicardial superfusion with procaine, but not with hexamethonium. Vagal stimulation decreased Ees, from 13.3(7.4) to 6.3(4.2) mm Hg·ml−1 (p < 0.05) and Vmid shifted to the right, from 12(10) to 18(8) ml (p < 0.05). These changes were abolished by both procaine and hexamethonium. Procaine did not affect the positive inotropic response to intravenous noradrenaline nor the cardiac depressor response to intravenous methylcholine, indicating that the myocardial contractile response was intact during epicardial superfusion with procaine. Conclusions: Neuromodulatory substances in the pericardial space may alter left ventricular contractility by modifying cardiac efferent autonomic neurotransmission on the epicardial surface of the heart. Cardiovascular Research 1994; 28: 1042-1048
Design rationale: the rationale and the barriers

One goal of design rationale systems is to support designers by providing a means to record and communicate the argumentation and reasoning behind the design process. However, there are several inherent limitations to developing systems that effectively capture and utilize design rationale. The dynamic and contextual nature of design and our inability to exhaustively analyze all possible design issues results in cognitive, capture, retrieval, and usage limitations. In addition, there are the organizational limitations that ensue when systems are deployed. In this paper we analyze these issues in terms of current perspectives in design theory and describe the implications to design research. We discuss the barriers to effective design rationale in terms of three major goals: reflection, communication, and analysis of design processes. We then suggest alternate means to achieve these goals that can be used with or instead of design rationale systems.
Rethinking Postsecularism through Postcolonialism

Postsecularism has emerged in recent years as a set of theoretical interests, orientations, and questions across a range of fields, including political science, history, religious studies, philosophy, and literary studies. My focus in this article is on the possible relations between postsecularism and postcolonialism. I argue that postcolonialism can inflect postsecularism in ways similar to postcolonial literature’s relation to western literature, a relation that seeks to uncompare and recompare universalisms, offering particular perspectives informed by historical and present-day violence. Comparatively speaking, whereas a western postsecularism can entail the rethinking of Christianity, an Indian postsecularism can entail the rethinking of a political formulation, of secularism as a state policy where the state assumes a principled distance from religion.
Pathobiology of pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by an increase in lung matrix and alterations in the numbers and spatial relationships of lung parenchymal cells. The increase in matrix results from a proliferation and "activation" of fibroblasts (FB) with increased production and deposition of matrix macromolecules at sites of lung injury. Connective tissue cell activation is associated with increased gene expression of collagens, fibronectin, proteoglycans and other matrix components; cytoskeletal alterations; and probably also with changes in the expression of matrix receptors and matrix-degrading enzymes and inhibitors. The fibroproliferative reaction involves the participation of a variety of cytokines and inflammatory mediators by resident and inflammatory cells at sites of lung injury. Thickening of the alveolar wall can result secondary to matrix deposition within the interstitium and as a result of "mural incorporation" of organized airspace exudate. However, marked structural remodeling of the gas-exchange tissues, with the development of honeycomb lung, involves airspace fibrosis and alveolar collapse. The latter processes lead to areas of airspace obliteration secondary to airspace filling, and to fibrous adhesion of collapsed septa. The extent of airspace obliteration is determined largely by the severity or extent of epithelial injury. Although lung fibrosis is usually irreversible, the activated state is reversible after clearance of exudate and reepithelialization. A continuing and seemingly autonomous fibroproliferative reaction can result in the face of ongoing injury and delayed repair.
Online Citations in History Journals: Current Practice and Views from Journal Editors

Abstract This study examines use and stability of online citations in Journalism History and American Journalism. Content analysis results show that unlike other journalism and communication journals, online citations remain rare in media history articles. Analysis is supplemented with interviews of the journal editors. Discussion addresses factors accounting for the r arity of online content, predicting more as the Internet becomes the focus of historical research, and analyzes implications of vanishing primary, secondary and “ephemeral” sources.
Molecular simulations of MEMS and membrane coatings (PECASE).

The goal of this Laboratory Directed Research & Development (LDRD) effort was to design, synthesize, and evaluate organic-inorganic nanocomposite membranes for solubility-based separations, such as the removal of higher hydrocarbons from air streams, using experiment and theory. We synthesized membranes by depositing alkylchlorosilanes on the nanoporous surfaces of alumina substrates, using techniques from the self-assembled monolayer literature to control the microstructure. We measured the permeability of these membranes to different gas species, in order to evaluate their performance in solubility-based separations. Membrane design goals were met by manipulating the pore size, alkyl group size, and alkyl surface density. We employed molecular dynamics simulation to gain further understanding of the relationship between membrane microstructure and separation performance.
Season and Intensity of Water Stress: Host-Plant Effects on Larval Survival and Fecundity of Neodiprion gillettei (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae)

A 2 (season of stress) x 3 (stress level) x 6 (host genotype) factorial design experiment was used to examine the influence of host plant stress on larval feeding performance. Total instar survival and female cocoon mass of a pine sawfly, Neodiprion gillettei (Rohwer), were measured under greenhouse conditions in response to feeding on ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Law., seedlings subjected to water stress treatments during either the early-season root growth or early-season shoot growth period. Performance of N. gillettei depended on the growth period in which seedlings were stressed. Performance decreased when larvae fed on seedlings that were subjected to moderate and high stress intensities during the shoot growth period compared with stress treatments during the root growth period. In addition, the potential fecundity of N. gillettei varied among open-pollinated families of ponderosa pine in response to feeding on seedlings that were either moderately or highly stressed during the shoot growth period. Potential fecundity increased in response to larvae feeding on open-pollinated families having a low fine root :current-year foliage ratio compared with families having a high fine root :current-year foliage ratio. This may indicate that differential response for both herbivore and host to water stress is caused in part by a genetic component in the host. Furthermore, the interactions among timing of stress, level of stress and host genotype, shown in this study to influence sawflv performance, demonstrate how different combinations of these factors may result in opposing conclusions concerning the effects of host plant stress on herbivore performance.
Expression and Evaluation of Uncertainty in Measuring Values of Blood Cadmium by Using Graphite Furnace-AAS

[Objective]To calculate the uncertainty and its influencing factors in determining value of blood cadmium.[Methods]Combined standard uncertainty in measuring values of blood cadmium was calculated according to JJF 059-1999 "Evaluation and expression of the uncertainty of measurements".[Results]Blood cadmium x=(22.50±0.14 )μg/L The major influencing factors of uncertainty included ①the relative uncertainty of the measuring instruments;②concentration range of the standard solutions;③concentration of the sample;④diluting apparatus for the standard solutions;⑤diluting apparatus for the sample;⑥correction and revision of effective figures.[Conclusion]Fully reflect all aspects of the process of detection uncertainty is the key to quality control.
Metabolic Bone Disease in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a liver-specific autoimmune disease that primarily affects women (female-to-male ratio, 10:1) between 40 and 60 years of age. Metabolic bone disease is a common complication of PBC, affecting 14% to 52% of patients, depending on the duration and severity of liver disease. The osteoporosis seen in PBC seems mainly due to low bone formation, although increased bone resorption may contribute. Treatment of osteoporosis consists primarily of antiresorptive agents. Additional large prospective, long-term studies in patients with PBC are needed to determine efficacy in improving bone density as well as reducing fracture risk.
The myeloid progenitor cell--its value in predicting hematopoietic recovery after autologous bone marrow transplantation.

In vitro methods to predict the adequacy of stored marrow would be clinically valuable. We investigated the CFU-C assay to predict for hematopoietic recovery after high-dose therapy. In acute leukemia (AL) marrow was collected in first remission and in solid tumor (ST) after failure of previous therapy. Marrow was stored in liquid nitrogen at –192°C. Before transplant (TR), patients with AL (n = 11) received piperazinedione 50 mg/sq m and total body irradiation 850 rads. Patients with ST (n = 13) received Cytoxan 6 g/sq m, VP-16 500 mg/sq m, and BCNU 300 mg/sq m. Marrow was then thawed, and the number of CFU-C per 10s cells infused determined. In patients with ST, hematopoietic recovery after TR was not related to CFU-C content in the patient’s marrow before chemotherapy, but to the total number of CFU-C or CFU-C/kg infused. The correlation coefficient (cc) between CFU-C/kg infused and neutrophil recovery to 0.5 × 10 9 /liter for AL = –0.80 (p 9 /liter = –0.833 (p
Robust and resilient estimation for Cyber-Physical Systems under adversarial attacks

In this paper, we propose a novel state estimation algorithm that is resilient to sparse data injection attacks and robust to additive and multiplicative modeling errors. By leveraging principles of robust optimization, we construct uncertainty sets that lead to tractable optimization solutions. As a corollary, we obtain a novel robust filtering algorithm when there are no attacks, which can be viewed as a “frequentist” robust estimator as no known priors are assumed. We also describe the use of cross-validation to determine the hyperparameters of our estimator. The effectiveness of our estimator is demonstrated in simulations of an IEEE 14-bus electric power system.
Cervical Esophago-Gastric Tubes for Patients with Malignant Ascites

Patients with chronic small bowel obstruction and malignant ascites from diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis have limited options for gastrointestinal decompression as part of end-of-life palliation. Insertion of a percutaneous gastrostomy tube is relatively contraindicated in patients with ascites. Alternatively, nasogastric tube placement often leads to significant discomfort to patients and necessitates hospitalization during their last days of life. Here, we demonstrate how placing a percutaneous cervical esophago-gastric tube can allow adequate gastrointestinal decompression for terminal patients with malignant small bowel obstruction. This palliative measure allows them to remain in the comfort of their own homes after the procedure.
Gen Y customer loyalty in online shopping

Generational theory posits that generational cohorts develop similar attitudes and beliefs. Gen Y, Millennials, will become the largest customer segment for hotels worldwide. This group likes to travel and prefers to spend money on experiences rather than materialistic items. Their responses to online marketing is expected to be different as they process website information five times faster than older generations and are the most emotional and least loyal customers compared to all other generations. The aim of this research is to develop and test a comprehensive model that explains how Gen Y develops loyalty to a hotel booking website. To test the research model, an online survey was distributed to a systematic random sample of 2500 Gen Yers. Findings highlight that trust is the most important antecedent of e-loyalty in online shopping for Gen Y customers. Brand equity is also a key precursor of e-loyalty. Finally, a positive online experience (flow), is also a significant precursor of e-loyalty for this cohort. Gen Y has emerged as an enormous force with growing spending power.Their responses to online shopping is different from other cohorts.Trust is the most important antecedent of e-loyalty for Gen Y customers.Brand equity is also a key precursor of e-loyalty.Flow is also a significant precursor of e-loyalty for this cohort.
Design of a high speed linear motor driven gantry table

This paper will describe the design optimization of a high speed, high accuracy, linear motor driven gantry table, for use in a semiconductor packaging machine. An air cored, moving coil, 3-phase linear motor will drive the upper axis upon which the load is placed, while two similar, independently controlled linear motors will drive the bottom axis. Each linear motor will have an associated high-resolution linear optical encoder, so that moment loading of the linear guides, caused by movement of the centre of gravity can be eliminated, leading to high dynamic performance. The system design of the gantry table will be presented, emphasising the magnetic circuit modeling, as well as the design optimization and choice of the linear motor topology. Mechanical design aspects, such as the selection of the bearings, gantry system construction and placement of the encoders will also be explored. Three dimensional, lumped parameter, magnetic circuit analysis will be used to estimate the pertinent motor parameters and analytical beam equations for evaluation of the bending and resonant frequencies of the gantry system. To validate the analytical predictions, both electromagnetic and mechanical finite element analyses (FEA) will be used to verify the motor performance and natural frequencies respectively.
Shakespeare and Silicon: Part 1. Macbeth

William Shakespeare has been featured before in the POETS’ CORNER section of the SpringerNature journal SILICON. One specific example is the article Shakespeare and Silicon that was written during the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016. Venus & Adonis was the chosen work by Shakespeare for that purpose. So now we shall move forward thirteen years in Shakespeare’s life from Venus & Adonis (1593) to Macbeth (1606). Major changes have occurred in England as she has turned from the end of the Tudor dynasty with the death of Queen Elizabeth I to the first of the line of Stuart monarchs King James I. For our walk through both of these works by Shakespeare, we shall examine the use of words that describe silicon and its compounds, and herein we turn our attention to a play by Shakespeare that is set up in Scotland. This is the sixth contribution to an ongoing series of articles published in SILICON in a section of this journal that addresses the artistic aspects of silicon and is entitled POETS’ CORNER.
Locomotor Adaptations of Eocene Primates: Adaptive Diversity Among the Earliest Prosimians

Since the initial discovery of Eocene primates well over a century ago it has been widely recognized that these animals more closely resemble the prosimians than any other group of living creatures. This fact, along with the realization by evolutionary biologists that form — function — adaptive role relationships among extant creatures provide the basis for making inferences about the adaptations of extinct creatures, indicates that to understand the adaptations of the Eocene primates we must have a firm understanding of the adaptations of extant prosimians. For much of this century our ability to make suggestions about the adaptations of Eocene primates was hampered by the lack of skeletal material for the vast majority of these taxa and the lack of field observations on extant prosimian primates. This has changed dramatically during the past 35 years. Samples of post-cranial remains of Eocene primates have improved significantly and there is now a tremendous amount of information on the ecology of the extant prosimians so that we are now able to offer a range of informed suggestions about the behavior of these earliest primates. Extensive reviews of the ecology and behavior of the extant prosimians can be found in Martin et al. (1974), Charles-Dominique et al. (1980), Fleagle (1988), and this volume. Recent reviews of some of this fossil material can be found in Covert (1986), Fleagle (1988), Gebo (1988), Gebo et al. (1991), Conroy (1990), and Dagosto (1993).
Natural language processing: put your model where your mouth is.

Molecular mechanisms are often described using “word models”—phrases intended to capture the interactions in a biological process. In their recent work, Sorger and colleagues (Gyori et al , 2017) provide a framework for converting word models into computational structures that can be simulated and compared to experimental data. By codifying word‐based descriptions of molecular phenomena, scientific communities can better evaluate, compare, and share mechanistic insights.
Draft Genome Sequence of Streptomyces sp. Strain JV178, a Producer of Clifednamide-Type Polycyclic Tetramate Macrolactams.

ABSTRACT Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. JV178, a strain originating from Connecticut (USA) garden soil. This strain produces the polycyclic tetramate macrolactam compounds clifednamides A and B. The draft genome contains 10.65 Mb, 9,045 predicted protein coding sequences, and several natural product biosynthetic loci.
Sociocultural Influences on African Americans’ Representations of Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study

Objective: Illness representations, known as patients’ beliefs and expectations about an illness, may be influenced by cultural beliefs and personal experiences. This study explored African Americans’ perceptions of the sociocultural factors that influence their representations of diabetes. Design: Six semi-structured focus groups. Setting: Private space at a convenient site. Participants: Forty African Americans, aged 45-60 years with type 2 diabetes for at least one year prior. Results: Participants perceived that there was a race-mediated effect of how they developed diabetes because of poverty due to past slavery, racial discrimination by health care providers, and the stigma associated with diabetes within the African American community. Participants perceived that pov­erty influenced African Americans’ unhealthy eating habits, which led to diabetes diagnosis among their ancestors and their develop­ment of the disease since it was hereditary. Participants also perceived that there was provider ill intention, ie, providers were pur­posefully making people sick, and their lack of education on diabetes from providers was done on purpose, as information on diabetes was withheld and not shared due to racial discrimination. Perceived stigma by the com­munity led to African Americans’ avoidance and denial of the disease, and subsequently the development of diabetes. Conclusions: To enhance disease manage­ment for African Americans with diabetes, it is important to focus on the sociocultural context of how African Americans view their world that may be influenced by their knowl­edge of negative historical circumstances and their current provider relationship, which, in turn, may be reflected in their perceptions of diabetes. Ethn Dis. 2018;28(1):25-32; doi:10.18865/ed.28.1.25.
New insights about ice friction obtained from crushing-friction tests on smooth and high-roughness surfaces

Abstract Ice crushing occurs in many situations that involve a sliding frictional component such as sports involving ice-contact, ice interaction with ship hulls, and ice-on-ice sliding/crushing within glaciers and between interacting sea ice floes. Ice crushing-friction tests were conducted in the lab at −10 °C using a set of acrylic ice-crushing platens that included a flat smooth surface and a variety of high-roughness surfaces with regular arrays of small prominences. The experiments were part of Phase II tests of the Blade Runners technology for reducing ice-induced vibration. Ice was crushed against the platens where the ice movement had both a vertical and a horizontal component. High-speed imaging through the platens was used to observe the ice contact zone as it evolved during the tests. Vertical crushing rates were in the range 10–30 mm/s and the horizontal sliding rates were in the range 4.14–30 mm/s. Three types of freshwater ice were used. Friction coefficients were extraordinarily low and were proportional to the ratio of the tangential sliding rate and the normal crushing rate. For the rough surfaces all of the friction coefficient variation was determined by the fluid dynamics of a slurry that flowed through channels that developed between leeward-facing facets of the prominences and the moving ice. The slurry originated from a highly-lubricating self-generating squeeze film of ice particles and melt located between the encroaching intact ice and the surfaces.
The role of emerging technologies to ensure the microbial safety of fresh produce, milk and eggs

This article reviews emerging techniques that are applied in the produce and dairy industry to ensure product safety. Microbial safety of produce, dairy and egg continues to be a major concern. According to Economic Research Service, USDA the cost of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. tops $15.6 billion. Food can be contaminated by human pathogens anywhere in the farm to table continuum. Foods are often processed to ensure safety. Food processing technologies are action or method that is used to maintain foods at certain desirable properties. The traditional processing method is thermal technology which refers to the application of heat energy. Thermal processing is an effective way of preserving food because the great majority of harmful pathogens are killed at temperatures close to the boiling point of water. However, consumer demand for more natural fresh-like food and raised economic standards have triggered the development of emerging technologies to replace traditional well-established thermal processing. In recent years, many new sophisticated nonthermal preservation techniques have developed for fruits, vegetables, milk and eggs to extend the quality and shelf-life, minimize risk, protect the environment, and improve functional, sensory, and nutritional properties. Many of emerging preservation technologies have already reached commercial adoption in specific applications while many others remain promising. Development of suitable equipment, especially for continuous processing and standardization of the process parameters for easy regulatory approval will pave the way for improved emerging technologies.
Hartman Hotz Lecture - Race-Based Defenses: The Insights of Traditional Analysis

This article assesses Professor Anthony Alfieri's proposal that ethical sanctions be imposed on defense attorneys who raise claims, such as the "rotten social background" and "black rage" defenses, that could cause racial harm by pathologizing African-Americans or otherwise creating a negative image of the black community. The first part of the article concludes that requiring attorneys to reject non-frivolous arguments based on their potential for racial harm misconstrues the role of the defense attorney, not just in an adversarial system, which Alfieri clearly disdains, but in any rational system of dispute resolution. The trial judge, not the defense attorney, must be the ultimate arbiter of which arguments are permissible. That conclusion leads to the second part of the article, which explores the application of the rules of evidence to race-based defenses. It turns out that the concerns of responsibility theorists (who focus on the scope of criminal defenses), empiricists (who question the reliability of novel defenses), critical legal scholars (who want courts to recognize and understand outsider groups), and feminists (who, like Alfieri, worry about the effect race-based defenses have on outsider groups) can all be accommodated under traditional evidentiary analysis (i.e., the materiality, probative value, helpfulness and prejudice inquiries, respectively). The determination of whether racialized defenses should be permitted depends upon all of these factors. Professor Alfieri is right to emphasize race-consciousness as an important variable, but wrong to give it dispositive impact.
Retained lens fragments in resident-performed cataract extractions.

Purpose To investigate the incidence, management, and outcome of retained lens fragments following resident-performed cataract extraction. Methods A retrospective review of all eyes undergoing cataract extraction by the residents of Baylor College of Medicine over a 4-year time frame (July/95-June/99). Results A total of 3389 eyes underwent cataract extraction, and 26 patients (0.8%) required pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for retained lens fragments. One or more vision threatening complications occurred in 19 (73%) of these patients. The most common complications were cystoid macular edema (CME) (8 eyes, 31%) and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) formation (6 eyes, 23%). Additional surgical procedures were required for 9 (35%) eyes; the most common were repeat PPV, and placement of focal photocoagulation for diabetic macular edema (4 eyes per each procedure, 15%). Six-month follow-up was available for 16 eyes; of these, best-corrected visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 5 (31%) and 20/200 or worse in 7 (44%). The most common reasons for limited visual acuity were RRD (3 eyes, 19%) and CME (3 eyes, 19%). Conclusion In this retrospective series, the incidence of retained lens fragments following resident-performed cataract extraction was less than 1%. Significant complications, resulting in the need for additional surgical procedures, occurred in most of these eyes, and this was associated with limited visual function at final follow-up. Retention of lens fragments following resident-performed cataract extraction remains an infrequent yet serious complication associated with a guarded visual prognosis.
Septorhinoplasty: Management of the Nasal Vault and Septum

■ Thorough understanding of nasal anatomy, facial analysis, and the duality of nasal form and function is essential for rhinoplasty surgeons.
Fell-Field Soil Microbiology

Only 0.33 % of the Antarctic land surface area is free of ice, with much of this area representing fell-field environments. Antarctic fell-fields are a type of tundra ecosystem that are generally nutrient-limited (especially N) and have a sparse cover of vegetation that is dominated by lichen or bryophytes, although dense vegetative cover and even vascular plants can be present in moister fell-field habitats. Environmental conditions are generally unfavourable in fell-field Antarctic environments, but these soils are spectacular in terms of the diversity of conditions that they offer for microbial life. This is reflected in the variety of microbial taxa and functions that can be found in these environments. Several factors were identified as having strong influences on the microbial communities inhabiting Antarctic fell-field soils, including water, temperature, plants, birds and pH. This chapter reviews microbiological studies that have been carried out in Antarctic fell-field soils.