cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A deterministic methodology for application to a diagnosis oriented disturbance analysis system

Abstract A possible application of disturbance analysis to the diagnosis of control system failure is presented. A method is developed which permits detailed diagnosis of the disturbance arising from the failure of one or more pressurizer pressure sensor channels in a PWR, starting from normal operating conditions. For the case analyzed in detail, it is found that combinations of failure ranges in all pressure sensor channels can be clustered into groups according to the induced system behavior. The prediction of system behavior corresponding to each failure group is obtained partly by means of qualitative deductive analysis and partly by means of a reactor thermal-hydraulic simulation code. From the information gathered in this manner, the system symptoms which are needed to uniquely diagnose the initiating failures can thus be derived. The logic, as well as the temporal structure containing the distinguishing sets of system symptoms, can be implemented into a computer code to execute the real time analysis. Although the control system analyzed herein was specific, the methodology may have more general applications.
Validated Competencies for Distance Teaching

The International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction (IBSTPI) provides a methodology for drafting and validating teaching competencies. This study applied the IBSTPI methodology to identify and validate distance education (DE) instructor competencies. The research team's review of DE literature in the past 10 years resulted in a list of 20 competencies. The list was reviewed by 18 distance learning professionals as subject matter experts (SMEs). The SMEs' feedback and comments along with the performance statements developed for the competencies were analyzed which resulted in 54 task statements describing the instructional activities of a DE instructor. These tasks were then rated by 148 instructors in terms of importance, frequency of performance, and the perception of relative time spent on each task. The task analysis resulted in a list of 17 most frequently performed tasks that we linked back to the corresponding original competencies. Analysis of these data pointed out the s...
Child temperament and adult behavior: an exploration of "goodness of fit".

This research investigated the relationship between children's temperamental characteristics and adult behavior. Children were selected for four sex-by-temperament groups on the basis of parent report of temperament and were observed interacting with either a highly controlling or a very permissive adult. The results indicated that the degree of adult control or demands is an important component in understanding the “goodness of fit” between parent behavior and child characteristics and that a child's temperament and its relationship to adult behavior cannot be considered in isolation from other child characteristics, particularly the child's sex. Children's sex and temperament were found to interact in relationship with adult controlling behavior while no child behaviors varied as a function of sex or temperament alone. Adults were found to adjust their controlling behavior as a function of the child's sex and temperament. The results are discussed in light of the cross-sex effects of social reinforcement.
A binary star model for SS433

The novel features recently observed for the strong emission line object SS433 can be explained by a model in which SS433 is a binary of a massive early-type star and a magnetic white dwarf.
The poisonous rocks of Kärkevagge

Abstract The black schist in Karkevagge, Swedish Lapland has been reported to weather easily and produce a poisonous effect on vegetation. This research was an investigation of that phenomenon as part of a larger study of weathering in Karkevagge. In July 1999, soil and plant samples were collected downslope of a “poisonous” boulder. Samples from the adjacent unaffected slope served as references. Biomass, plant elemental composition, and soil fertility were determined. Most plants within 1.4 m downslope of the poison boulder were dead, and effects on plant growth could be seen to about 6 m. Plants near the boulder had elevated levels of K, B, Al, Cd, Se, and Fe, and lower levels of Ca, Mn, and Ba compared to reference plants. In the soil near the poison boulder, extractable S, Cd, and Fe and salt contents were greater, while pH and extractable Cl, P, Ca, Mg, K, Ba, Ni, and Cr were lower than in the reference soil. At 10 m downslope of the boulder, soil and plant chemistry was more similar to the reference materials, but some effects were still noted. Elemental analyses of the poison boulder and soil revealed no particular plant toxins, although contents of Fe and S were higher and Ca lower than in reference materials. We believe the poison is sulfuric acid, which forms as a consequence of pyrite oxidation. The dark color of the boulder is consistent with a pyrite-bearing lithology and other field observations and laboratory analyses support the hypothesis. Coatings on local rocks include jarosite, gypsum, and copiapite, secondary minerals associated with pyrite oxidation and weathering accelerated by sulfuric acid. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the rock fell off the cliff some time before 245 14 C years BP.
Sire Selection Under Alternative Systems of Milk Pricing

Abstract Considerable forethought must be given to breeding programs in dairy cattle because of the long generation interval. Protein content of milk is of increasing importance because of shifts of consumption patterns and changes of the relative cost of energy. Tools are available to alter genetically the composition of the milk from our dairy population. However, the current milk pricing system provides little economic incentive to breeders to increase the protein content of milk. Changing the milk pricing system to reflect the value of components other than fat should stimulate producers to evaluate the milk of more cows for protein content as part of the Dairy Herd Improvement program and to change milk composition to reflect milk utilization more accurately.
The language of nature and elocutionary theory

FEW developments in the rhetorical tradition have been so dramatic as the spread of elocution in England and the United States between 1750 and 1850; yet today the elocutionary movement is regarded as hardly more than a shallow response to pedogogical expediency. A variety of forces that supported the movement are cited in historical surveys, but the elocutionists seem to have been intellectually dormant. They appear to have plunged blindly onward, so engrossed in teaching delivery and in writing textbooks that they paid little heed to the thought of their age. The evidence has not suggested that they anchored their contributions in an intellectually respectable position. This paper presents evidence indicating that a philosophical justification for elocutionary theory had widespread currency during the eighteenth century. Included are a survey of typical assessments of the elocutionary movement, a sketch of elocutionary rationale, and a consideration of parallel doctrines within Scottish common sense philosophy. An examination of that philosophy and attendant developments in aesthetic and rhetorical theory will help clarify the intellectual posture of the elocutionary theorists and will additionally illuminate the momentum achieved by the movement in England and the United States. A negative reaction to oratory emerges in most studies as the prime cause of
Position of rectal fistula in relation to the hymen in 46 girls with imperforate anus.

Abstract Forty-six records of infant girls with so-called imperforate anus have been reviewed to determine the position of the rectal opening in relation to the hymen. Eight of these children proved to have the cloacal deformity, in which the rectum enters high into a single tube and just behind the opening of a double or septate vagina, with the urethra entering anteriorly at the same level. No normal hymen was visible in these eight children. Seventeen patients had a normal-appearing hymen, and no rectal opening on the perineum. In each of these 17 children the rectal opening was found above the tissue flap overlying the posterior vestibule. In the remaining 21 patients, the hymen was visible and appeared normal, and there was a rectal opening somewhere on the perineum between the vestibule and the normal position for the external sphincters. These findings suggest that in the presence of a normal-appearing hymen, and in the absence of a normal anus, the rectal opening will be either in the posterior part of the vestibule or on the perineum. Where no hymen was visible, we have found in a limited experience that the rectal opening was high in the pelvis in some degree of the so-called cloacal deformity.
Collective detection of motion in the presence of noise.

We study the dynamical behavior of novel computing arrays which can accurately detect moving spots in one dimension in the presence of noise, while being able to operate reliably with temporary failures in their units. Their response to a purely fluctuating background without spuriously detecting nonexistent motion can be accounted for by the dynamics of a simple spin model.
Maternal "en face" orientation during the first hour after birth

Data are presented on the amount of time that 97 mothers spent in the "en face" position in the first hour postpartum, during which time contact between mother and infant was uninterrupted. The mean times varied with cultural background, relationship with the child's father, attitude toward childbirth, and administration of oxytocics.
The electronic density of states of amorphous YFe and TbFe alloys

Abstract Amorphous Y0.21Fe0.79 and Tb0.21Fe0.79 alloys were examined by photoemission and inverse photoemission to obtain the densities of states within ±15 eV of the Fermi level. Assuming a value of 1.8 eV for the exchange splitting of Fe, the measured densitites of Fe d-like states in both alloys could be decomposed into majority and minority spin bands, and the magnetic moment of Fe derived therefrom appears to be consistent with the splitting of the Fe 3s-core level. These results are then compared with theoretical predictions for the behavior of amorphous transition metal alloys.
Observations on Mosquito Populations of an Intermittent Foothill Stream in California

Mosquitoes are well known from the west-slope foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada in California (Freeborn and Bohart 1951) but, as populations, are most notable for their unobtrusiveness. The small to moderate-sized streams which provide virtually all of the natural breeding sites in this zone are dry during the hot, rainless summer and so can be used effectively by mosquitoes only during the brief transition periods between that season and the cool-wet winter. The alternatives are for breeding to be carried on in winter waters which are flushed frequently by storms and in which temperatures average 100 C or less for months at a time or in the restricted and faunistically crowded bits of water that remain scattered along these watercourses through the summer. A general study (Abell 1956) of the seasonal development of the macrofauna in and around one such stream through 1953-1955 has yielded information on larval mosquito occurrence during the calendar year of 1954 that appears to be worth reporting separately at this time. This work was conducted while the author was on a National Science Foundation Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. Special thanks are due to the California Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vector Control, for their generous loan of equipment and working space at their Fresno Field Station and to E. C. Loomis and H. F. Bormann, who critically read the manuscript.
Value-relevance of pension transition adjustments and other comprehensive income components in the adoption year of SFAS No. 158

In the present study, we examine the value-relevance of pension transition adjustments and other comprehensive income (OCI) components in the initial adoption year of Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (SFAS) 158—Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans. Using a sample of 697 Standard and Poor (S&P) firms with the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2006, we perform several cross-sectional regression analyses to test the value-relevance of transition adjustments and OCI components in presence of various earnings measures. The results indicate that there is a negative relationship between both the level and change in stock returns and the magnitude of pension transition adjustments. We also find earnings measures and some OCI components are significantly associated with stock returns. When analyzed separately, we find our main results are mostly confined to the sample large S&P 500 firms. We do not find any result for the S&P mid-cap and small-cap firms. The overall results suggest the stock market negatively reacts to the adverse impact of SFAS #158 pension transition adjustments on net worth and future cash flows when the impact is substantial in its magnitude in dollar terms. The study further provides useful insight into the information processing by documenting that the market evaluates accounting information more effectively when such information is recognized in the financial statements rather than disclosed only in the financial footnotes.
A theoretical account of the effects of environmental context upon cognitive processes

Although the environmental context effect typically refers to superior performance in the context of original learning, this result is not consistently found across all experimental paradigms or instructional sets. Thus far, a precise statement of the underlying mechanisms and boundaries of the context effect has been absent from the literature, with the research having focused primarily on the robustness of the effect. The current exposition of a theoretical model and interpretation of the environmental context effect not only provides an explanation of the same-context testing superiority, but also provides the necessary parameters allowing for the prediction of situations in which same-context testing should be superior. Furthermore, the model has implications for complex learning situations which have not been tested in the research literature. The current model is grounded in the principles of classical conditioning. Thus, it is assumed that environmental context stimuli function in the same way that classically conditioned stimuli do and, as such, have effects on the various phenomena and processes associated with classical conditioning (e.g, acquisition, transfer, extinction and spontaneous recovery, and latent inhibition). Furthermore, the saliency of such stimuli should be subject to boundaries analogous to those affecting other conditioned stimuli.
Magnetic Annealing and Directional Ordering of an Amorphous Ferromagnetic Alloy

The amorphous ferromagnetic alloy ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{75}$${\mathrm{P}}_{15}$${\mathrm{C}}_{10}$ has been found to respond reversibly to magnetic annealing treatments. The response has been studied (a) by measurements of the $\ensuremath{\Delta}E$ effect, which is unusually large, (b) by measurements of the magnetostriction, and (c) by torque curves which yield a value of 550 erg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ for the uniaxial anisotropy parameter ${K}_{u}$. Internal-friction measurements reveal that the alloy is also susceptible to stress-induced ordering, with an activation energy of 2.2 eV.
Metamorphosis from LCEP to UCEP in the Metastable Three-Phase Region

The behavior of the phase lines in binary gas−liquid systems was classified by van Konynenburg and Scott according to the various connectivities of the critical lines and the three-phase lines, occurring in the pressure temperature diagrams of such systems. The three-phase line in type IV starts at a (LL)V point and ends at a L(LV) point. Somewhere near this line a transition takes place which determines the outcome at the end of the line. At this changeover point, called the plait-point transformation, two binodal cusps meet each other on the spinodal and at the same time, on the other end of the tieline, two binodals will cross each other and osculate. This phenomenon is described and analyzed in detail and a mathematical description of this behavior is given.
The effects of feedback on volitional manipulation of airway protection during swallowing

ABSTRACT Volitional control of autonomic responses, such as heart rate and blood pressure, can be facilitated with the use of augmented feedback. Oropharyngeal swallowing typically includes both volitional and reflexive components, offering a unique opportunity for observing how performance is affected by feedback. Sixteen healthy participants (M age = 29 years, SD = 10 years) completed multiple trials of a novel airway closure technique during swallowing under one of two conditions: no feedback or feedback. The feedback condition included knowledge of performance and knowledge of results. Only the feedback group improved performance across trials (p = .01), with no difference from baseline seen for the no feedback group (p = .66). These results show that airway closure during swallowing can be volitionally manipulated with augmented feedback.
The relationship between regulation and prices in the workers' compensation insurance market

This study examined the effect of different state regulatory policies on the price of workers' compensation insurance. Using a time series of state cross section data for the years 1980–1987, estimates were obtained for models that differed according to how price was measured and whether the regulatory variables were treated as endogenous. When the regulatory variables were treated as exogenous, the results show that price is lower in deregulated states compared to states with prior approval regulation. Results for models with endogenous regulatory variables indicate that price tends to be lower in deregulated states, although the estimates are not statistically significant.
Analysis of multivariate drug sensitivity dependence structure using copulas

Modeling sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs is a significant challenge in the area of systems medicine. Majority of current approaches generate a deterministic predictive model for each drug based on the genetic characterization of the cell lines and ignores the relationship between different drug sensitivities during model generation. In this article, we approach the problem of modeling the relationship between different drugs using probabilistic concept of copulas and generate the multivariate distribution of the drugs based on the marginal distributions of individual models and the estimated copula. We first illustrate using drug sensitivity databases that specific forms of copulas can be suitable for modeling the multivariate distribution of drug sensitivities. Subsequently, we show that parametric copulas estimated from training data can be utilized to increase the conditional sensitivity prediction accuracy of testing data as compared to prediction assuming independence between drug sensitivities.
Constraints on the Stellar/Substellar Mass Function in the Inner Orion Nebula Cluster

We present the results of a 0."5-0."9 FWHM imaging survey at K (2.2 μm) and H (1.6 μm) covering ~5.'1 × 5.'1 centered on θ^1C Ori, the most massive star in the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC). At the age and distance of this cluster, and in the absence of extinction, the hydrogen-burning limit (0.08 M_☉) occurs at K ≈ 13.5 mag, while an object of mass 0.02 M_☉ has K ≈ 16.2 mag. Our photometry is complete for source detection at the 7 σ level to K ≈ 17.5 mag and thus is sensitive to objects as low-mass as 0.02 M_☉ seen through visual extinction values as high as 10 mag. We use the observed magnitudes, colors, and star counts to constrain the shape of the inner ONC stellar mass function across the hydrogen-burning limit. After determining the stellar age and near-infrared excess properties of the optically visible stars in this same inner ONC region, we present a new technique that incorporates these distributions when extracting the mass function from the observed density of stars in the K-(H-K) diagram. We find that our data are inconsistent with a mass function that rises across the stellar/substellar boundary. Instead, we find that the most likely form of the inner ONC mass function is one that rises to a peak around 0.15 M_☉, and then declines across the hydrogen-burning limit with slope N(log M) ∝ M^(0.57). We emphasize that our conclusions apply to the inner 0.71 pc × 0.71 pc of the ONC only; they may not apply to the ONC as a whole where some evidence for general mass segregation has been found.
Comparing deflection measurements of a magnetically steerable catheter using optical imaging and MRI

Purpose: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an emerging modality for interventional radiology, giving clinicians another tool for minimally invasive image-guided interventional procedures. Difficulties associated with endovascular catheter navigation using MRI guidance led to the development of a magnetically steerable catheter. The focus of this study was to mechanically characterize deflections of two different prototypes of the magnetically steerable catheter in vitro to better understand their efficacy. Methods: A mathematical model for deflection of the magnetically steerable catheter is formulated based on the principle that at equilibrium the mechanical and magnetic torques are equal to each other. Furthermore, two different image based methods for empirically measuring the catheter deflection angle are presented. The first, referred to as the absolute tip method, measures the angle of the line that is tangential to the catheter tip. The second, referred to the base to tip method, is an approximation that is used when it is not possible to measure the angle of the tangent line. Optical images of the catheter deflection are analyzed using the absolute tip method to quantitatively validate the predicted deflections from the mathematical model. Optical images of the catheter deflection are also analyzed using the base to tip method to quantitatively determine the differences between the absolute tip and base to tip methods. Finally, the optical images are compared to MR images using the base to tip method to determine the accuracy of measuring the catheter deflection using MR. Results: The optical catheter deflection angles measured for both catheter prototypes using the absolute tip method fit very well to the mathematical model (R2 = 0.91 and 0.86 for each prototype, respectively). It was found that the angles measured using the base to tip method were consistently smaller than those measured using the absolute tip method. The deflection angles measured using optical data did not demonstrate a significant difference from the angles measured using MR image data when compared using the base to tip method. Conclusions: This study validates the theoretical description of the magnetically steerable catheter, while also giving insight into different methods and modalities for measuring the deflection angles of the prototype catheters. These results can be used to mechanically model future iterations of the design. Quantifying the difference between the different methods for measuring catheter deflection will be important when making deflection measurements in future studies. Finally, MR images can be used to reliably measure deflection angles since there is no significant difference between the MR and optical measurements.
HIV and tuberculosis: the construction and management of double stigma.

Abstract Mitigation of the tuberculosis (TB) and HIV syndemic is undermined by critical clinical, operational and social challenges of which the social aspects have been least explored. This paper examines the lived experience of TB disease and HIV from the perspective of affected individuals to analyze how they may think about their dual illness; how they understand their illness with TB in relation to HIV, and vice versa; and how they characterize their (stigmatized) experiences in the context of their perceptions and identities. From February–August 2009, qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 adults with HIV and TB disease at three ambulatory clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Subjective meanings of illness experience were analyzed using modified grounded-theory. Emergent themes on illness perception and disclosure revealed how patients constructed dichotomous identities associated with TB and HIV through social constructs of moral susceptibility and (im)permanence. Each identity was associated with relatively disparate degrees of stigma as a product of labeling, negative stereotyping and discrimination. HIV bore the least desirable identity and invoked the greatest stigma. However, the confluence of the two epidemics rendered TB symbolic and symptomatic of HIV, and enhanced the visibility of AIDS. Dual illness thus introduced a paradox to patients' identity constructions, and produced a unique, overlapping double stigma. This facilitated new forms of stigma against TB, and aggravated existing stigma against HIV. It also conferred visibility to some forms of extra-pulmonary TB. Patients managed their double stigmas through novel forms of information sharing that relied on segregating their dual illness identities. Patients deflected the dominant stigma of HIV through concurrent processes of HIV ‘othering’ – their symbolic distancing from persons affected by HIV, and ‘covering’ – their selective disclosure of illness (and identity associated) with TB over that of HIV. Findings call for greater consideration to the complex role of stigma in the delivery of TB/HIV healthcare.
Mass Spectrometry of Large, Fragile, and Involatile Molecules

Desorption ionization makes it possible to obtain mass spectra of molecules whose vaporization by heating may lead to thermal degradation. Several methods are in use, but in general desorption is achieved by particle or photon bombardment of the sample and the mass spectra obtained by different methods are fundamentally similar. Desorption ionization techniques have been used to obtain mass spectra of biomolecules, including peptides, antibiotics, and oligosaccharides, for which normal mass spectral methods have been of limited power. Several examples are given of recent applications of these new techniques, and prospects for their further evolution are discussed.
Role of bud6p and tea1p in the interaction between actin and microtubules for the establishment of cell polarity in fission yeast.

Abstract Background: In many cell types, microtubules are thought to direct the spatial distribution of F-actin in cell polarity. Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells exhibit a regulated program of polarized cell growth: after cell division, they grow first in a monopolar manner at the old end, and in G2 phase, initiate growth at the previous cell division site (the new end). The role of microtubule ends in cell polarity is highlighted by the finding that the cell polarity factor, tea1p, is present on microtubule plus ends and cell tips [1]. Results: Here, we characterize S. pombe bud6p/fat1p, a homolog of S. cerevisiae Bud6/Aip3. bud6Δ mutant cells have a specific defect in the efficient initiation of growth at the new end and like tea1Δ cells, form T-shaped cells in a cdc11 background. Bud6-GFP localizes to both cell tips and the cytokinesis ring. Maintenance of cell tip localization is dependent upon actin but not microtubules. Bud6-GFP localization is tea1p dependent, and tea1p localization is not bud6p dependent. tea1Δ and bud6Δ cells generally grow in a monopolar manner but exhibit different growth patterns. tea1Δbud6Δ mutants resemble tea1Δ mutants. Tea1p and bud6p coimmunoprecipitate and comigrate in large complexes. Conclusions: Our studies show that tea1p (a microtubule end-associated factor) and bud6p (an actin-associated factor) function in a common pathway, with bud6p downstream of tea1p. To our knowledge, bud6p is the first protein shown to interact physically with tea1p. These studies delineate a pathway for how microtubule plus ends function to polarize the actin cytoskeleton through actin-associated polarity factors.
First-order perturbation analysis of a simple multi-class finite source queue

Abstract Perturbation analysis is an efficient method to compute parameter sensitivities for discrete event systems. This paper considers a simple multi-class finite source queue which models a computer system with multi-type programs. It is shown that first-order analysis is needed. Detailed discussions on the example system reveal the main features of multi-class queueing networks. An algorithm based on first-order analysis is proposed. This algorithm yields an asymptotically unbiased estimate of the sensitivity for the example system based on only one sample path of the system. The accuracy of first-order perturbation analysis for general queueing networks is also discussed.
Criminal Liability of Legal Persons – A Comparison of Czech and Austrian Legislation

Abstract Subject of the paper is the legislation of criminal liability of legal persons in the Czech Republic in comparison with the same issues in the Austrian legislation. Czech legislation about criminal liability of legal persons had its pattern just in the Austrian legislation. The emphasis is not only on compliance, but especially on the differences between the two legal regulations, including any future legal regulations for the Czech legislation. It is also pointed to the use of the above issues in the praxis.
d-wave superconductivity in the Anderson lattice

We show, within a slave-boson 1/N expansion, that the U = ∞ lattice Anderson model is unstable to d-wave superconductivity. The pairing mechanism is slave-boson exchange between heavy quasiparticles. The model is extended to include the Coulomb pseudopotential. We discuss the pressure dependence of Tc in light of our theory.
The Role of the NKG2D Immunoreceptor in Immune Cell Activation and Natural Killing

Little is known concerning the stimulatory receptors responsible for tumor cell lysis by NK cells. We generated a monoclonal antibody specific for murine NKG2D in order to investigate its function. Blocking of NKG2D inhibited natural cytotoxicity of all tumor cells tested that express ligands for the receptor. Staining analysis showed that NKG2D is also expressed by activated CD8(+) T cells and macrophages, and subsets of TCRgammadelta(+) and NK1.1(+) T cells. Contradicting reports that NKG2D is solely a costimulatory receptor, we observed that cross-linking of NKG2D directly stimulates NK cells and activated macrophages. In contrast, NKG2D costimulates activated CD8(+) T cells. Thus, NKG2D engagement directly stimulates NK cells and macrophages, costimulates CD8(+) T cells, and plays a substantial role in natural killing.
Coefficient of determination in a simultaneous equation model: A pedagogic note

Abstract The simultaneity of the market for securities has been recognized by a number of finance authors. Simkowitz and Jones [10] advocate the use of a simultaneous equation system to capture some of the relationships among the securities in a homogeneous set. Simkowitz and Logue [11], and Jones and Simkowitz [6], have performed studies using a simultaneous equation system in a capital asset pricing framework. Marcis and Smith [9] call for the use of the simultaneous methodology when there is a strong residual correlation between securities. Simultaneous equation systems have been used in other areas of finance by authors such as Barnea [1], Herbst [5], and Logue and Lindvall [8]. This note explores how anomalies concerning the coefficient of determination (R 2 ) mentioned in previous research could have occured. Conditions under which the (R 2 ) does not have its usual properties and an example is given.
Technical Specifications, Product Standards, and Industrial Buyer Behavior

This paper is a broad-based empirical investigation of the role of industry-wide technical product standards. Our study attempted to establish if subscription to industrywide standards in procurement decision making, altered the relative importance of nontechnical choice criteria. The sample frame used for this investigation spanned three industries, two products, and included both technical and nontechnical purchasing influencers. The results of our research do not support the widely subscribed-to notion that product standards are the inverse of product differentiation.
Response of Chlorella to a deuterium environment

Abstract The growth, particularly cell division, of Chorella pyrenoidosa is markedly inhibited by concentrations of D 2 O in the medium greater than about 30%. At higher concentrations there is an increase in the average cell volume. However, by serial subculture in media containing increasing quantities of D 2 O the cells can be adapted to grow well at about 60% D 2 O, and even show some growth at 99% D 2 O. The relative incorporation into cell material of protons and deuterons from the medium has been determined with both adapted and unadapted cells. The distribution in a number of compounds of 14 C incorporated from 14 CO 2 during photosynthesis has been investigated using unadapted and adapted cells suspended in distilled water of varying D 2 O contents. The effect on the 14 CO 2 incorporation patterns of adapting cells to grow in 60% D 2 O, and then subculturing them in lower concentrations of heavy water has also been examined. Certain conclusions have been drawn as to the effect of D 2 O on the pattern of 14 CO 2 incorporation, and an effort has been made to distinguish between those effects due solely to the presence of deuterium in the medium and in the exchangeable hydrogen atoms in the macro-molecules, and those effects resulting from a utilization of deuterium for general synthetic processes.
Regional differences in capillary density and myocyte size in the normal human heart

Significant regional morphometric differences are reported for the normal human left ventricle. Epimyocardial capillary density (2,439 capillaries/mm2) is 21% greater than endomyocardial capillary density (2,014 capillaries/mm2). The minimum intercapillary distance is, therefore, increased in the inner region. Endocardial myocytes (617 micron2) have a 53% greater cross-sectional area than epicardial myocytes (403 micron2).
The effects of artificial habits

Views from a medical college dealing with the effects of engineering progress upon human life add another independent voice to the general discussion of benefits. This is the twelfth article in the Engineering Foundation's symposium, “Has Man Benefited by Engineering Progress?”
Selection and ordering of feature observations in a pattern recognition system

A method is proposed to aid the designer in selecting and ordering the feature observations for the pattern recognition system, without requiring the computation of the probability of misrecognition or the complete knowledge of the probability distribution for the input patterns under consideration. The essential viewpoint is basically that of pre-weighting the feature observations according to their relative importance in describing the input patterns, regardless of the specific decision structure in a recognition system. “Relative importance≓ is defined in the sense of (1) committing less error when the representation of patterns is subject to approximation due to the finite number of feature observations, and (2) carrying more information regarding the discrimination of pattern classes. It is found that, with these defined criteria, an optimal selection and ordering procedure can be obtained by establishing a generalized Karhunen-Lo\`eve coordinate system for the stochastic processes describing the input patterns. Necessary and sufficient conditions for a set of coordinates to be the generalized K\2-L system are derived and the resulting selection and ordering procedure is given. Computer-simulated experiments in character recognition are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of this method.
A TCP CUBIC implementation in ns-3

To allow network researchers to simulate currently deployed networks, ns-3 needs to incorporate as many standard networking technologies as possible. One such technology is TCP CUBIC, the default TCP congestion control algorithm in the Linux kernel and one of the most widely deployed variants of TCP. Despite this prevalence, ns-3 does not natively currently support TCP CUBIC. This paper presents the design and implementation of CUBIC in ns-3 based on literature describing the CUBIC algorithm and examination of Linux kernel source. Verification and validation of our ns-3 implementation, both within the simulator and in comparison to Linux measurements, show the ns-3 CUBIC mimics the key features of Linux CUBIC and performs better than TCP NewReno, the default TCP congestion control algorithm in ns-3.
Information storage in high-order neural networks with unequal neural activity

Abstract Neural networks with high-order interactions only have been shown to be sufficient to provide satisfactory attractivity to the stored patterns and error corrections. Such interactions increase the storage capacity of the networks and allow one to solve a class of problems which are intractable with standard networks. In this paper we analyse the capacity of these higher-order networks by the statistical method and show why the probability of the states of neurons being active and passive can always be chosen equal, i.e. with a probability of 0.5 each.
Individualized IgE-based dosing of egg oral immunotherapy and the development of tolerance.

Background Hen's egg allergy is among the most common food allergies in childhood and predicts later development of allergic disease. The optimal efficacy and mechanism(s) of egg allergen immunotherapy are poorly understood. Objective To enhance immunologic and clinical outcomes of egg oral immunotherapy (OIT) using a conditionally increased dosing strategy. Methods In an open-label clinical trial of egg OIT, egg-allergic children ingested daily doses of egg protein that were gradually increased based on the egg white (EW) IgE level. Skin prick test reactivity and EW- and ovomucoid-specific cellular and humoral responses were measured longitudinally. To confirm clinical tolerance, patients underwent double-blinded, placebo-controlled food challenges 1 month after completing the dosing protocol. Results Children aged 3 to 13 years with characteristics of clinical egg allergy were enrolled. All 6 patients who completed the entire protocol developed clinical tolerance to egg during the study. The median wheal diameter on EW skin prick testing decreased from 10 to 2.5 mm during OIT ( P = .03). Both EW and ovomucoid IgE levels significantly decreased during the study (median EW IgE level: from 18.8 kU/L at baseline to 3.9 kU/L, P = .03), and corresponding IgG4 levels increased (median EW IgG4 level: from 0.65 mg/L at baseline to 86.15 mg/L, P = .03). Transient increases were seen in egg-induced interleukin 10 ( P = .06) and transforming growth factor β ( P = .18) levels, and the ratio of T H 2:T H 1 cytokine production was decreased ( P = .25). Conclusions Egg OIT is associated with tolerance acquisition in children with persistent egg allergy. Individualized dosing regimens may be necessary to achieve a full therapeutic effect in some patients.
Genetic Influence on Experimental Allergic Thyroiditis in Guinea Pigs

After immunization with low doses of guinea pig thyroid extract, incidence of experimental allergic thyroiditis is greater in the Hartley strain of guinea pig than in strain 13.
An Upper Bound for the Poisson Kernel on Higher Rank NA Groups

Let S be a semi direct product \(S=N\rtimes A\) where N is a connected and simply connected nilpotent Lie group and A is isomorphic with ℝk, k > 1. We obtain an upper bound for the Poisson kernel for the class of second order left-invariant differential operators on S.
Medication use and functional status decline in older adults: a narrative review.

Abstract Background Functional status is the cornerstone of geriatric care and serves as an indicator of general well-being. A decline in function can increase health care use, worsen quality of life, threaten independence, and increase the risk of mortality. One of several risk factors for decline in functional status is medication use. Objective Our aim was to critically review published articles that have examined the relationship between medication use and functional status decline in the elderly. Methods The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for English-language articles published from January 1986 to June 2011. Search terms included aged , humans , drug utilization , polypharmacy , inappropriate prescribing , anticholinergics , psychotropics , antihypertensives , drug burden index , functional status , function change or decline , activities of daily living , gait , mobility limitation , and disability . A manual search of the reference lists of the identified articles and the authors' article files, book chapters, and recent reviews was conducted to retrieve additional publications. Only articles that used rigorous observational or interventional designs were included. Cross-sectional studies and case series were excluded from this review. Results Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Five studies addressed the impact of suboptimal prescribing on function, 3 of which found an increased risk of worse function in community-dwelling subjects receiving polypharmacy. Three of the 4 studies that assessed benzodiazepine use and functional status decline found a statistically significant association. One cohort study identified no relationship between antidepressant use and functional status, whereas a randomized trial found that amitriptyline, but not desipramine or paroxetine, impaired certain measures of gait. Two studies found that increasing anticholinergic burden was associated with worse functional status. In a study of hospitalized rehabilitation patients, users of hypnotics/anxiolytics (eg, phenobarbital, zolpidem) had lower relative Functional Independence Measure motor gains than nonusers. Use of multiple central nervous system (CNS) drugs (using different definitions) was linked to greater declines in self-reported mobility and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores in 2 community-based studies. Another study of nursing home patients did not report a significant decrease in SPPB scores in those taking multiple CNS drugs. Finally, 2 studies found mixed effects between antihypertensive use and functional status in the elderly. Conclusions Benzodiazepines and anticholinergics have been consistently associated with impairments in functional status in the elderly. The relationships between suboptimal prescribing, antidepressants, and antihypertensives and functional status decline were mixed. Further research using established measures and methods is needed to better describe the impact of medication use on functional status in older adults.
Diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome and differentiation from ventilator-associated pneumonia

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in surgical intensive care unit patients. A relatively predictable sequence of pathophysiologic events occur in the lung, which involve inflammatory mediators and neutrophils. The characteristic radiographic findings of ARDS may mimic ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), making the diagnosis of VAP difficult. The standard clinical criteria of fever, leukocytosis, purulent sputum, and infiltrate on chest radiograph are not specific for pneumonia in the surgical patient. The use of bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and quantitative cultures can differentiate local and systemic inflammatory response to injury or blood loss from invasive bacterial pneumonia. Basing antibiotic therapy solely on the results of quantitative cultures is safe, because quantitative cultures identify VAP in less than half the patients with clinical evidence of pneumonia. Empiric therapy should be based on the microbiology of the intensive care unit rather than the results of the Gram stain.
Development of an Accurate Index for Predicting Outcomes of Patients With Acute Liver Failure

Background & Aims Patients with acute liver failure (ALF) have high mortality and frequently require liver transplantation (LT); few reliable prognostic markers are available. Levels of M30, a cleavage product of cytokeratin-18 caspase, are significantly increased in serum samples from patients with ALF who die or undergo LT. We developed a prognostic index for ALF based on level of M30 and commonly measured clinical variables (called the Acute Liver Failure Study Group [ALFSG] index) and compared its accuracy with that of the King's College criteria (KCC) and Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD). We also validated our model in an independent group of patients with ALF. Methods Serum levels of M30 and M65 antigen (the total cytokeratin-18 fragment, a marker of apoptosis and necrosis) were measured on 3 of the first 4 days following admission of 250 patients with ALF. Logistic regression was used to determine whether the following factors, measured on day 1, were associated with LT or death: age, etiology; coma grade; international normalized ratio (INR); serum pH; body mass index; levels of creatinine, bilirubin, phosphorus, arterial ammonia, and lactate; and log 10 M30 and log 10 M65. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) was calculated for the ALFSG and other indices. Results Coma grade, INR, levels of bilirubin and phosphorus, and log 10 M30 value at study entry most accurately identified patients who would require LT or die. The ALFSG index identified these patients with 85.6% sensitivity and 64.7% specificity. Based on comparison of AUROC values, the ALFSG Index (AUROC, 0.822) better identified patients most likely to require LT or die than the KCC (AUROC, 0.654) or MELD (AUROC, 0.704) ( P = .0002 and P = .0010, respectively). We validated these findings in a separate group of 250 patients with ALF. Conclusions The ALFSG index, a combination of clinical markers and measurements of the apoptosis biomarker M30, better predicts outcomes of patients with ALF than the KCC or MELD; ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00518440.
Structure biodistribution relationship of radioiodinated tropeines: Search for a molecular probe for the characterization of the cocaine receptor

Three iodinated analogs of cocaine were synthesized and radiolabeled by isotope exchange in the presence of Cu++ using a “kit” procedure. 2′-Iodococaine,2′-iodotropacocaine and 2′-iodobenzoyl tropine radiolabeled with 125I were injected in mice and their biodistribution studied. Activity with all three radiolabeled compounds peaked in the brain and heart between 5 and 30 min. post injection. Activity from 125I-2′-iodococaine (S.A.=468 mCi/mmol), peaked in the brain at 15 min (2.38% injected dose/g) and showed a plateau in the heart between 5 and 60 min post injection (1.67–2.16%). 125I-2′-iodotropacocaine (S.A.=407 mCi/mmol) at 5 min had the highest uptake in the brain (8.16%) and the heart (4.44%) while activity from 125I-2′-iodobenzoyl tropine (S.A.=407 mCi/mmol) peaked in the brain at 15 min (4.19%) and at 5 min in the heart (3.33%). The biodistribution of 125I-2′-iodococaine paralleled literature values obtained with 3H-/14C-cocaine. We conclude that radioiodinated tropeines radiolabeled with 123I may be developed into useful probes to examine and characterize the cocaine receptor in-vivo by SPECT imaging.