cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AUTOMATICITY AND INFERENCE GENERATION DURING READING COMPREHENSION

A reader must simultaneously carry out many cognitive processes while moving through a text. Each process could demand all the reader's attention and prevent any other process from occurring. However, as a reader's skill develops, some of these processes begin to demand less and less attention, thus freeing attentional resources for other, simultaneous processes. The development of automaticity is a hallmark of skilled reading, yet there are questions regarding which processes truly become automatic with practice. We intuitively know that we make a wide variety of inferences as we read that both clarify and enrich a text. However, research provides evidence that only a minimum of these inferences occur automatically. Because educators should make use of this research, recommendations are given here for fostering automaticity in inference generation.
A Review of Scholarship on Assessing Experiential Learning Effectiveness

This article focuses on the research and scholarship dealing with the assessment of the experiential approach in both its computer-based and human-based forms. It covers two forms of assessment. First it covers explicit attempts to assess the validity of experiential learning, and second it focuses on measuring the effectiveness of the experiential approach. The authors classify the literature on both validity and measurement into critiques and prescriptions for ideal research on one hand and empirical research studies on the other. The empirical research reviewed supports the notion that experiential learning is effective. However, the studies showing these results reflect a long-standing trend of not meeting the highest of research design and measurement standards. Thus, the authors believe any conclusion about the effectiveness of these teaching approaches must be tentative.
The Ethics Narrative and the Role of the Business School in Moral Development

Media stories of ethical lapses in business are relentless. The general public vacillates between revulsion, impatience, cynicism, and apathy. The role of the Business School in Moral Development is debated by scholars, accrediting agencies, and Schools of Businesses. It is a question to which there is no easy answer and one with which Business Schools continue to grapple. This article places the concept of “moral imagination,” theories of moral development, and ethics in a behavioral context. It then discusses a staple of business education, the case study, as a form of ethics narrative that provides ethical modeling within that context. Finally, in discussing the narrative role of the classroom professor in ethical modeling, it provides a framework for further discussion of the role of business education in moral development.
COMPARISON OF COMPUTER PROGRAMS FOR ISOLATED SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION

The goal of this study is to make a comparative assessment of selected programs developed for traffic signal planning, design, and operation of isolated signalized intersections. A comprehensive inventory is conducted and a detailed list of the currently available computer software is developed. A short description of individual software is provided listing the developer, application, and computer environment as well as other pertinent characteristics. A comparative assessment is done to evaluate the software packages. The paper recommends six programs for use in the signal planning design and operation of signalized isolated intersections.
Trade Imbalances and Inventory Effects in Long-term S&P 500 Index Options

This article investigates how trade imbalances affect prices in the S&P 500 Long-term Equity Anticipation Securities (LEAPS) market. From 1994 to 1996, put volume was 30 times higher than call volume, and public purchases of puts vastly outnumbered sales. We find that LEAPS put quotes are revised following trade imbalances by more than can be explained by information effects, suggesting that put prices are subject to price pressure or inventory effects. The results suggest market frictions are important in the pricing of options, at least in settings in which arbitrage is particularly costly and public demand leans toward one type of order.
Reducing power while increasing performance with supercisc

Multiprocessor Systems on Chips (MPSoCs) have become a popular architectural technique to increase performance. However, MPSoCs may lead to undesirable power consumption characteristics for computing systems that have strict power budgets, such as PDAs, mobile phones, and notebook computers. This paper presents the super-complex instruction-set computing (SuperCISC) Embedded Processor Architecture and, in particular, investigates performance and power consumption of this device compared to traditional processor architecture-based execution. SuperCISC is a heterogeneous, multicore processor architecture designed to exceed performance of traditional embedded processors while maintaining a reduced power budget compared to low-power embedded processors. At the heart of the SuperCISC processor is a multicore VLIW (Very Large Instruction Word) containing several homogeneous execution cores/functional units. In addition, complex and heterogeneous combinational hardware function cores are tightly integrated to the core VLIW engine providing an opportunity for improved performance and reduced energy consumption. Our SuperCISC processor core has been synthesized for both a 90-nm Stratix II Field Programmable Gate Aray (FPGA) and a 160-nm standard cell Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) fabrication process from OKI, each operating at approximately 167 MHz for the VLIW core. We examine several reasons for speedup and power improvement through the SuperCISC architecture, including predicated control flow, cycle compression, and a reduction in arithmetic power consumption, which we call power compression. Finally, testing our SuperCISC processor with multimedia and signal-processing benchmarks, we show how the SuperCISC processor can provide performance improvements ranging from 7X to 160X with an average of 60X, while also providing orders of magnitude of power improvements for the computational kernels. The power improvements for our benchmark kernels range from just over 40X to over 400X, with an average savings exceeding 130X. By combining these power and performance improvements, our total energy improvements all exceed 1000X. As these savings are limited to the computational kernels of the applications, which often consume approximately 90p of the execution time, we expect our savings to approach the ideal application improvement of 10X.
Management simulations: determining their effectiveness

Purpose – The overall purpose of this research is to increase understanding of the factors that promote the effective use of simulations in management education.Design/methodology/approach – This study uses data from 49 teams of respondents performing a management simulation exercise to achieve the research purpose. Respondents took part in the simulation in teams and were required to manage a business in the global athletic industry. Respondents completed a 21‐item instrument designed to assess individual learning. Learning was factor‐analyzed and three factors derived that correspond to problem‐solving skills, teamwork and seeing oneself as a manager. Measures were developed to assess team dynamic factors (emotional and task conflict), the user‐friendliness and realism of the simulation.Findings – The study showed that the nature of the simulation and team dynamics affected learning and performance. First, the extent to which users perceived the simulation as reflective of real life situations was posit...
The generic condition is generic

We consider the generic condition for vectors—both null and non-null—at a fixed pointp of a spacetime, and ask just how generic this condition is. In a general spacetime, if the curvature is not zero at the pointp, then the generic condition is found to be generic in the mathematical sense that it holds on an open dense set of vectors atp; more specifically, if there are as many as five non-null vectors in general position atp which fail to satisfy the generic condition, then the curvature vanishes atp. If the Riemann tensor is restricted to special forms, then stronger statements hold: An Einstein spacetime with three linearly independent nongeneric timelike vectors atp is flat atp. A Petrov type D spacetime may not have any nongeneric timelike vectors except possibly those lying in the plane of the two principal null directions; if any of the non-null vectors in such a plane are nongeneric, then so are all the vectors of that plane, as well as the plane orthogonal to it.
Possible Role of 18-Hydroxy-deoxy-corticosterone in Hypertension

OUR studies on two strains of rats with opposite genetic predisposition to hypertension showed that their adrenal steroid production differed significantly1,2. This suggested a theory concerning the role of mineralocorticoids in the initiation of hypertension. The two strains of rats3–9 were separated genetically on the basis of their disparate blood pressure responses to salt (NaCl). The members of one strain (sensitive or S) rapidly develop fatal hypertension from salt intakes to which members of the other strain (resistant or R) respond only mildly, if at all. These same effects were shown when five other techniques were used to induce experimental hypertension (deoxycorticosterone acetate plus NaCl; unilateral renal artery compression without NaCl; cortisone without NaCl; adrenal regeneration with NaCl; uninephrectomy without (or with—unpublished observations) NaCl). Since the genetic influence seems critical in determining the effectiveness of a variety of stimuli known to induce experimental hypertension, we have suggested that a similar situation prevails in human hypertension6,9. Breeding experiments have shown that the control of these dramatic blood pressure differences between S and R rats is due to the expressions of two to four genes8. Our objective was to identify the biochemical mechanism controlled by each gene.
Effects of long durations of ethanol treatment during aging on dendritic plasticity in Fischer 344 rats.

Twelve-month-old Fischer 344 rats were fed a liquid diet containing 35% ethanol until they were 18 or 24 months old. Pair-fed and chowfed control rats were matched to each ethanol-fed rat for concurrent treatment. Cerebellar Purkinje cell networks were measured in half of the rats at the end of the ethanol treatment and in the remaining rats after a subsequent 2-m-onth recovery period. Chronic ethanol consumption resulted in significant elongation of terminal segments in the networks, and the unpaired terminal segments were the predominant sites of this growth. An increase in the duration of ethanol consumption from 24 to 48 weeks caused significantly greater segment elongation in the ethanol-fed rats in spite of the fact that circulating blood levels of ethanol declined markedly with the increased duration of treatment. During the same period of time, a pattern of terminal segment regression followed by terminal segment regrowth characterized age-induced changes in these networks. Thus the effects of long-term ethanol consumption were distinct from effects of concurrent aging processes in the Purkinje cell networks. There were significant interactions between the diets and the longer duration of treatment, such that as segments elongated in the ethanol-fed rats, they shortened in the pair-fed rats, and between the diets and the recovery period, such that as segments elongated during recovery in the pair-fed rats, they shortened in the ethanol-fed rats. These results demonstrated a direct relationship between the duration of chronic ethanol consumption during aging and the extent of dendritic elongation in surviving dendritic networks, supporting the current interpretation that the dendritic growth described here represents a compensatory response to damage of the neuropil in the Purkinje cell microenvironment.
The effect of continuous positive airway pressure on glucose control in diabetic patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is independently associated with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, and recent studies have shown that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) improves insulin sensitivity. The objective of this study was to describe the change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) after treatment with CPAP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and OSA. To test this hypothesis, we performed a retrospective analysis of 38 patients seen in the sleep clinic of an urban public teaching hospital. All patients had OSA and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and their diabetic medication regimen had remained unchanged during the period of CPAP therapy. Sixty-one percent were men, body mass index was 42±9.5 kg/m2, and the Apnea–Hypopnea Index was 53±36 per hour. HbA1c before therapy with CPAP was 7.8±1.4% and decreased to 7.3±1.3% after 134±119 days of therapy (p<0.001). Treatment with CPAP leads to a clinically significant drop in HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and severe OSA.
How long do females really listen? Assessment time for female mate choice in the grey treefrog, Hyla versicolor

Abstract A satisfactory understanding of the process of mate choice in many species of anurans requires that we know how sensitive females are to the variation in male calls under natural conditions and what is the timescale or ‘window’ over which females compare potential mates. In natural choruses, grey treefrog females may sit near calling males for many minutes before approaching a particular individual to mate, whereas in laboratory-based phonotaxis tests, they may approach a speaker within 30 s of exposure to broadcast calls. Females prefer long versus short calls. To estimate ‘assessment time’ of females in nature, we broadcast calls from four pairs of 360-degree speakers suspended within screen cages at four locations at the edge of a pond. One speaker per pair presented calls of constant duration while the other speaker shifted between broadcasts of calls that were longer or shorter than the constant duration call. The time period over which this change in call duration occurred differed between the four venues. Laboratory-based choice tests indicated that females preferred call sources with variable numbers of pulses to those with constant numbers of pulses when the former had more total pulses per time window. Accordingly, we assigned the probabilities of field captures at the different speakers based on the summed pulses from the constant and cycling speakers within the possible assessment windows. These probabilities, together with the numbers of females captured at the speaker array over the breeding season, indicated that the most likely assessment time is close to 2 min.
1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) concentration and ACC synthase expression in soybean roots, root tips, and soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines)-infected roots

Colonization of plant roots by root knot and cyst nematodes requires a functional ethylene response pathway. However, ethylene plays many roles in root development and whether its role in nematode colonization is direct or indirect, for example lateral root initiation or root hair growth, is not known. The temporal requirement for ethylene and localized synthesis of ethylene during the life span of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) on soybean roots was further investigated. Although a significant increase in ethylene evolution was not detected from SCN-colonized roots, the concentration of the immediate precursor to ethylene, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), was higher in SCN-colonized root pieces and root tips than in other parts of the root. Moreover, expression analysis of 17 ACC synthase (ACS) genes indicated that a select set of ACS genes is expressed in SCN-colonized root pieces that is clearly different from the set of genes expressed in non-colonized roots or root tips. Semi-quantitative real-time PCR indicated that ACS transcript accumulation correlates with the high concentration of ACC in root tips. In addition, an ACS-like sequence was found in the public SCN nucleotide database. Acquisition of a full-length sequence for this mRNA (accession GQ389647) and alignment with transcripts for other well-characterized ACS proteins indicated that the nematode sequence is missing a key element required for ACS activity and therefore probably is not a functional ACS. Moreover, no significant amount of ACC was found in any growth stage of SCN that was tested.
MULTIPLY RESISTANT PNEUMOCOCCUS CAUSING MENINGITIS: ITS EPIDEMIOLOGY WITHIN A DAY-CARE CENTRE

An 11 month-old infant had meningitis caused by a strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae, serotype 6b, resistant to penicillin, chloramphenicol, and several other antimicrobials. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) by agar dilution were 1.0 microgram/ml for penicillin and 16 microgram/ml for chloramphenicol. The infant did not respond to high-dose intravenous penicillin G but was cured by a combination of ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and rifampicin. At the infant's day-care centre this multiply resistant strain was isolated from throat cultures of 27% of the children (age less than or equal to 26 months) assigned to the same room as the index case, and from 11% of older children and staff. There was a 33% carriage rate in family contacts of colonised children. Antibiotic use during the previous 2 months was more frequent among the carriers than among non-carriers. No resistant pneumococci were found in on hundred and twenty-five children and staff in six other Denver day-care centres, in 300 consecutive routine throat cultures processed by our clinical microbiology laboratory, or among 150 pneumococcal isolates collected from Denver area hospitals. The carriers were not treated, and there have been no other cases of infection due to this strain. The emergence of multiply resistant pneumococci in the United States indicates the need to screen important pneumococcal isolates for resistance to both penicillin and chloramphenicol, especially in cases of meningitis.
Millimeter-wave silicon MMIC interconnect and coupler using multilayer polyimide technology

This paper reports our latest progress in developing low-loss and low-crosstalk silicon MMIC interconnects for millimeter-wave applications. The proposed silicon/metal/polyimide (SIMPOL) structure based on multilayer polyimide technology is extremely effective in reducing noise crosstalk, and also provides very low line loss, even at the millimeter-wave regime. The measurement results of the developed SIMPOL structures demonstrate extremely low noise crosstalk (<-40 dB) in the entire frequency range (up to 50 GHz), which is limited by the dynamic range of the measurement equipment, and excellent insertion loss (<-0,25 dB/mm) up to 45 GHz. In addition, the SIMPOL concept is applied for the first time successfully in the design and fabrication of branch-line hybrids at millimeter-wave frequencies, 30 and 37 GHz.
The relationship between organ dose and patient size in tube current modulated adult thoracic CT scans

Recently published AAPM Task Group 204 developed conversion coefficients that use scanner reported CTDIvol to estimate dose to the center of patient undergoing fixed tube current body exam. However, most performed CT exams use TCM to reduce dose to patients. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between organ dose and a variety of patient size metrics in adult chest CT scans that use tube current modulation (TCM). Monte Carlo simulations were performed for 32 voxelized models with contoured lungs and glandular breasts tissue, consisting of females and males. These simulations made use of patient's actual TCM data to estimate organ dose. Using image data, different size metrics were calculated, these measurements were all performed on one slice, at the level of patient's nipple. Estimated doses were normalized by scanner-reported CTDIvol and plotted versus different metrics. CTDI vol values were plotted versus different metrics to look at scanner's output versus size. The metrics performed similarly in terms of correlating with organ dose. Looking at each gender separately, for male models normalized lung dose showed a better linear correlation (r 2 =0.91) with effective diameter, while female models showed higher correlation (r 2 =0.59) with the anterior-posterior measurement. There was essentially no correlation observed between size and CTDI vol -normalized breast dose. However, a linear relationship was observed between absolute breast dose and size. Dose to lungs and breasts were consistently higher in females with similar size as males which could be due to shape and composition differences between genders in the thoracic region.
Decentralized policies for geometric pattern formation

This paper presents a decentralized control policy for symmetric formations in multi-agent systems. It is shown that n agents, each one pursuing its leading neighbor along the line of sight rotated by a common offset angle alpha, eventually converge to a single point, a circle or a logarithmic spiral pattern, depending on the value of alpha. Simulation results are presented and discussed.
Validity of Spontaneous-Potential Curve Shape for Interpretation of Sandstone Depositional Environments: ABSTRACT

Many explorationists employ the spontaneous-potential (SP) curve shape as an aid in interpretation of sandstone depositional environments and prediction of subsurface sand-body occurrence. The bell, cylinder, and funnel-shaped SP profiles are among the most widely used. The basic assumption of users of these curve shapes is that decreasing deflection of the SP curve from the baseline is due to decreasing quartz grain size and/or increasing clay content in a reservoir sandstone. However, theoretical, experimental, and actual field data indicate that quartz grain size bears no relation to the amount of SP deflection. Clay content does show a relation, but is often overshadowed by a number of variables which affect SP. Hydrocarbons can also influence SP, often yielding a false bell profile. In addition, borehole or formation-pressure differentials, variations in mud-filtrate resistivity, and regional differences in formation-water salinity can greatly alter the SP curve shape. Bed thickness, especially when less than 3 ft (1 m), also exerts some control over the SP response. Field examples in which these factors influence SP in Gulf Coast sandstones demonstrate that the SP curve shape is often misleading. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions and predictions of subsurface sand-body occurrence based on such shapes would therefore be in error. Curve shapes derived from the micro-resistivity tool (expanded dipmeter curve) are suggested as alternatives to SP curve shapes. Unlike the SP, the micro-resistivity tool is immune to the effects of hydrocarbons, variations in mud-filtrate resistivity and formation-water salinity, pressure differentials, and bed thickness. End_of_Article - Last_Page 529------------
Active and Passive Vaccination against Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome with Andes Virus M Genome Segment-Based DNA Vaccine

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rapidly progressing human disease with one of the highest case fatality rates (30 to 50%) of any acute viral disease known. There are no vaccines, effective antiviral drugs, or immunologics to prevent or treat HPS. In an attempt to develop HPS medical countermeasures, we constructed an expression plasmid, pWRG/AND-M, that contains the full-length M genome segment of Andes virus (ANDV), a South American hantavirus. Transfection experiments in cell culture indicated that both the G1 and G2 glycoproteins are expressed from pWRG/AND-M. Rhesus macaques vaccinated by gene gun with pWRG/AND-M developed remarkably high levels of neutralizing antibodies that not only neutralized ANDV but also cross-neutralized other HPS-associated hantaviruses, including Sin Nombre virus. To determine if the antibodies elicited in the monkeys could confer protection, we performed a series of passive-transfer experiments using a recently described lethal HPS animal model (i.e., adult Syrian hamsters develop HPS and die within 10 to 15 days after challenge with ANDV). When injected into hamsters 1 day before challenge, sera from the vaccinated monkeys either provided sterile protection or delayed the onset of HPS and death. When injected on day 4 or 5 after challenge, the monkey sera protected 100% of the hamsters from lethal disease. These data provide a proof of concept for a gene-based HPS vaccine and also demonstrate the potential value of a postexposure immunoprophylactic to treat individuals after exposure, or potential exposure, to these highly lethal hantaviruses.
Medium effect on the equilibrium geometries, vibrational frequencies and solvation energies of sulfanilamide

In this paper, the polarizable continuum model (PCM) is used to investigate the effect of solvent on the geometry, vibrational frequencies, IR intensities, Raman scattering activities, solvation free energies and the dipole moment of sulfanilamide. Hartee–Fock (HF), B3LYP and MP2 are employed for all models, both in gas phase and in solution, with basis sets up to 6-311+G(d,p) for HF and B3LYP and 6-31G(d) for MP2. A new SMD model is also used for solvation energy and dipole moment calculations. Some significant changes are observed in the dihedral angles but no noticeable changes appear in vibrational frequencies when sulfanilamide is solvated. Moreover, solvent effects on infrared intensities and Raman scattering activities are quite considerable and they increase as one goes from lower to higher dielectric constant. With PCM, both the solvation free energy and dipole moment of sulfanilamide increase when going from non-polar to polar solvents but no noticeable changes are observed among polar solvents. However, with SMD the solvation free energies are 15.5–33.0 kJ/mol and 9.6–19.7 kJ/mol higher than those of PCM for polar and non-polar solvent, respectively.
Variables within a Household That Influence Quality-of-Life Outcomes for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Living in the Community: Discovering the Gaps.

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families face many important decisions as the individuals with IDD enter adulthood, including where to live. Although there are numerous housing options for individuals with IDD outside of institutions, there is a paucity of information available to inform them about how various characteristics of these settings can affect their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine key variables within a household that influence individual quality of life (QOL) of people with IDD living in community settings, thereby enabling these individuals and their families to make informed decisions regarding housing options available to them.
Preferred temperature of juvenile Atlantic cod Gadus morhua with different haemoglobin genotypes at normoxia and moderate hypoxia.

Atlantic cod Gadus morhua has polymorphic haemoglobin, which can be separated into two homozygous types, HbI-1 and HbI-2, and one heterozygous type HbI-1/2. The geographical distribution of Atlantic cod with the different haemoglobin types varies, with the HbI2 allele occurring at high frequency in northern regions, and the HbI1 allele dominant in warmer areas. To determine if temperature is a selective parameter in the distribution of the haemoglobin types, the preferred temperature of the homozygous genotypes HbI-1 and HbI-2 was measured. We found that HbI-2 cod preferred a temperature of 8.2±1.5°C while HbI-1 cod preferred 15.4±1.1°C, and this preference was significant. The effect of hypoxia (35% oxygen saturation) on the preferred temperature was also measured. Previous studies showed that the preferred temperature of fish decreases during hypoxia, and this was the case for HbI-1 cod, which preferred 9.8±1.8°C during hypoxia, whereas HbI-2 cod did not show this effect. The results indicate that environmental temperature changes will lead to a distributional change in the different haemoglobin types of Atlantic cod, global warming providing an advantage for HbI-1 cod. However, since HbI-1 cod prefer a low temperature under hypoxic conditions, a combination of increased water temperature and hypoxia could be unfavourable for Atlantic cod stocks.
A self-care plan for hospice workers:

Caring for dying patients and their families is a fulfilling, enriching, and meaningful experience. It can also be extremely stressful. Maintaining the balance between the output and input of energy in a caregiver’s professional and personal life is an ongoing process. Clinical staff members often formulate plans of care for patients. To prevent worker burnout, hospice caregivers must develop a plan of self-care to balance their own needs with the needs of their patients.The goal of this article is to provide an overview of ways for hospice care-givers to relieve stress and develop an individualized self-care plan within the context of their work.
Imparting super hydro/oleophobic properties to cotton fabric by means of molecular and nanoparticles vapor deposition methods

Abstract Super hydro/oleophobic cotton fabrics were prepared using nanoparticle vapor deposition and molecular vapor deposition techniques. The surface was roughened by trimethylaluminum/water nanoparticles followed by functionalization with (tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl)trichlorosilane. This process imparted unique hydro/oleophobic properties (contact angle >160°). In contrast to wet chemistry processes, the chemicals used and the thickness of the coatings produced by this method could be controlled precisely, which allowed for the minimization of waste generation while preserving the original properties of the fabric. Dynamic contact angles were measured and the fabrics that were coated using this technique showed low-contact-angle hysteresis properties. Scanning electron microscopy and universal attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation of a nanostructure-roughened surface. Drop dynamics such as the force of droplet movement, work of adhesion, and surface free energy were also calculated.
Performance enhancement in MIMO self-encoded spread spectrum systems by using multiple codes

Self-encoded spread spectrum (SESS) is a novel modulation technique that acquires its spreading sequence from the randomness of the input data stream. In recent work, we incorporated SESS into MIMO system and showed that the system can achieve diversities in both time and space domains. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-code MIMO-SESS system that not only can achieve spatial and temporal diversities, but also can double the throughput compared with previous scheme. Simulation results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed multi-code MIMO-SESS system achieves about 6 dB of gain at 10−4 BER from the combined time and spatial diversities over an Alamouti scheme-based MIMO system under Rayleigh fading channels.
Response Spectral Densities of Systems Under Both Additive and Multiplicative Excitations

Solution techniques are developed to obtain the response spectral densities for systems under both additive and multiplicative random excitations, where the multiplicative excitations appear in the linear terms. For the case of a quasilinear system, in which the damping and stiffness forces are linear, exact solutions for the stationary moments and response spectral densities are obtained from sets of linear algebraic equations. When the damping forces and/or the stiffness forces are nonlinear, the system can be replaced by an equivalent quasilinear system for which exact solutions are available. A numerical example shows that the procedure yields quite accurate results when compared with those obtained from Monte Carlo simulations even for the case of strong nonlinearity.
Elevated morning serum interleukin (IL)-6 or evening salivary cortisol concentrations predict posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents six months after a motor vehicle accident

BACKGROUND: This study examined prospectively the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the sympathetic nervous system and inflammatory factors in children shortly after a motor vehicle accident (MVA) in relation to later posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty six children, aged 7-18, were studied after an MVA and 1 and 6 months later; 40 subjects served as controls. Morning serum cortisol and interleukin (IL)-6 and plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured within 24h after the event. Salivary cortisol was measured 5 times at defined time points during the same day. PTSD diagnoses 1 and 6 months later were based on K-SADS interview. RESULTS: Morning serum IL-6 concentrations, measured within the first 24h after the accident, were higher in children that developed PTSD 6 months later than those who did not and those of the control group. Longitudinal IL-6 measurements revealed normalization of IL-6 in the PTSD group, while no differences between the three groups were detected 1 and 6 months later. Evening salivary cortisol and morning serum IL-6 after the accident were positively inter-related (r=0.54, p Language: en
Population Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Anidulafungin in Adult Patients with Fungal Infections

To evaluate the exposure-response relationships for efficacy and safety of intravenous anidulafungin in adult patients with fungal infections, a population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) analysis was performed with data from 262 patients in four phase 2/3 studies. The plasma concentration data were fitted with a previously developed population PK model. Anidulafungin exposures in patients with weight extremities (e.g., 40 kg and 150 kg) were simulated based on the final PK model. Since the patient population, disease status, and efficacy endpoints varied in these studies, the exposure-efficacy relationship was investigated separately for each study using logistic regression as appropriate. Safety data from three studies (n = 235) were pooled for analysis, and one study was excluded due to concomitant use of amphotericin B as a study treatment and different disease populations. The analysis showed that the same dosing regimen of anidulafungin can be administered to all patients regardless of body weight. Nonetheless, caution should be taken for patients with extremely high weight (e.g., >150 kg). There was a trend of positive association between anidulafungin exposure and efficacy in patients with esophageal candidiasis or invasive candidiasis, including candidemia (ICC); however, adequate characterization of the effect of anidulafungin exposure on response could not be established due to the relatively small sample size. No threshold value for exposure could be established, since patients with low exposure also achieved successful outcomes (e.g., area under the curve < 40 mg · h/liter in ICC patients). There was no association between anidulafungin exposure and the treatment-related adverse events or all-causality hepatic laboratory abnormalities.
Salt and Specific Cation Effects in the Quenching of Triplet State Tetrakis(μ-pyrophosphite-P,P‘)diplatinate(II) by Acidopentacyanocobaltate(III) Anions

In the presence of moderate to high concentrations of electrolytes, the emission of *(Pt 2(pop)4) 4- (where pop ) I-pyrophosphite-P,P') is quenched by the complexes (Co(CN)5X) 3- (where X ) N3 - ,I - ,B r - ,C l - , but not CN - ). The salt effects on the emission decay lifetime quenching rate constants between these anionic species have been studied in the presence of MCl, MCl2 ,o r R nNH4-nCl (where M, M', and R represent alkali, alkaline earth metals, and alkyl respectively, n ) 0-3) and Kn X( X )Cl - ,B r - ,N O 3 - ,S O 4 2 - , (Co(CN)6) 3- , n ) 1-3). At 0.5 M cation concentration, second-order quenching rate constants, kq, are in the "nearly diffusion- controlled" range, 10 7 -10 9 L mol -1 s -1 , and kq decreases by an order of magnitude across the series of quenchers (Co(CN)5I) 3- > (Co(CN)5N3) 3- > (Co(CN)5Br) 3- > (Co(CN)5Cl) 3- . On the basis of a detailed study of (Co(CN)5I) 3- , the quenching efficiency increases with background electrolyte concentration and the measured rate constants are in good agreement with predictions based on the Debye-Smoluchowski and Debye-Eigen equations for diffusion-controlled formation and dissociation in ionic solution of an encounter pair, together with a rate constant of 1.2 10 9 s -1 for the quenching step. However, the analysis provides further evidence for the Olson-Simonson effect; that is, in the presence of multivalent electrolyte ions, the salt effects are determined by the counterion concentration, here the cation, rather than by the ionic strength. Specific cation effects are observed such that the quenching rate constants increase in the following sequences: Li + < Na + < K + < Cs + ;M g 2 + <Ca 2+ < Sr 2+ < Ba 2+ ;N H 4 + <MeNH3 + < Me2NH2 + < Me3NH + ;E t 3NH + < Et2NH2 + < EtNH3 + ; n-PrNH3 + < EtNH3 + < MeNH3 + . For the alkali or alkaline-earth cations the large effects seen require participation of the cation in the transition state for the quenching step; the alkylammonium cations are also effective in this role, but the small differences in their efficiencies can be rationalized in terms of their effects on water structure.
Reliable decentralized stabilization of linear systems

Reliable stabilization of linear time-invariant multi-input/multi-output plants is considered using a two-channel decentralized controller configuration. Necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained for existence of reliable controllers that maintain stability under the possible failure of either one of the two controllers. All decentralized controllers that achieve reliable stabilization are characterized.
Value Driven Outcomes (VDO): a pragmatic, modular, and extensible software framework for understanding and improving health care costs and outcomes

Objective To develop expeditiously a pragmatic, modular, and extensible software framework for understanding and improving healthcare value (costs relative to outcomes). Materials and methods In 2012, a multidisciplinary team was assembled by the leadership of the University of Utah Health Sciences Center and charged with rapidly developing a pragmatic and actionable analytics framework for understanding and enhancing healthcare value. Based on an analysis of relevant prior work, a value analytics framework known as Value Driven Outcomes (VDO) was developed using an agile methodology. Evaluation consisted of measurement against project objectives, including implementation timeliness, system performance, completeness, accuracy, extensibility, adoption, satisfaction, and the ability to support value improvement. Results A modular, extensible framework was developed to allocate clinical care costs to individual patient encounters. For example, labor costs in a hospital unit are allocated to patients based on the hours they spent in the unit; actual medication acquisition costs are allocated to patients based on utilization; and radiology costs are allocated based on the minutes required for study performance. Relevant process and outcome measures are also available. A visualization layer facilitates the identification of value improvement opportunities, such as high-volume, high-cost case types with high variability in costs across providers. Initial implementation was completed within 6 months, and all project objectives were fulfilled. The framework has been improved iteratively and is now a foundational tool for delivering high-value care. Conclusions The framework described can be expeditiously implemented to provide a pragmatic, modular, and extensible approach to understanding and improving healthcare value.
Thoracentesis outcomes: a 12-year experience

Background Despite a lack of evidence in the literature, several assumptions exist about the safety of thoracentesis in clinical guidelines and practice patterns. We aimed to evaluate specific demographic and clinical factors that have been commonly associated with complications such as iatrogenic pneumothorax, re-expansion pulmonary oedema (REPE) and bleeding. Methods We performed a cohort study of inpatients who underwent thoracenteses at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CSMC) from August 2001 to October 2013. Data were collected prospectively including information on volume of fluid removed, procedure side, whether the patient was on positive pressure ventilation, number of needle passes and supine positioning. Iatrogenic pneumothorax, REPE and bleeding were tracked for 24 h after the procedure or until a clinical question was reconciled. Demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained through query of electronic medical records. Results CSMC performed 9320 inpatient thoracenteses on 4618 patients during the study period. There were 57 (0.61%) iatrogenic pneumothoraces, 10 (0.01%) incidents of REPE and 17 (0.18%) bleeding episodes. Iatrogenic pneumothorax was significantly associated with removal of >1500 mL fluid (p Conclusions Our series of thoracenteses had a very low complication rate. Current clinical guidelines and practice patterns may not reflect evidence-based best practices.
A clinically relevant review of tizanidine hydrochloride dose relationships to pharmacokinetics, drug safety and effectiveness in healthy subjects and patients

Summary Aims: Tizanidine, one of the few oral antispastic therapies approved for use in the USA, has a narrow therapeutic index that can often make optimal patient dosing difficult. We surveyed the published literature for data on potential tizanidine dose relationships to pharmacokinetics, drug safety and effectiveness, as well as to provide practical drug dosing advice. Results: The number of primary studies that describe tizanidine dose proportionality relationships was somewhat limited, even when including studies that used doses above those currently recommended or data from drug–drug interaction studies that resulted in supra-therapeutic tizanidine concentrations. Discussion and conclusions: There is substantial evidence to show that plasma tizanidine concentrations are linearly related to dose in healthy subjects and patients, although there is a high degree of intersubject variability. The most common adverse events and pharmacodynamic effects are related to plasma concentrations. The clinical implications of the large interpatient variability in plasma tizanidine concentrations and its narrow therapeutic index make it necessary to individualise patient therapy. Practical advice on tizanidine dosing and/or switching between formulations is provided.
Supply Chain Quality Management and Environmental Uncertainty: A Contingency Perspective

This paper extends contingency perspectives of quality management to the inter-organizational quality context. Supply chain quality management (SCQM) is conceptualized as a mechanism for governing quality of resource flows between interdependent organiz..
Multi-agent reinforcement learning as a rehearsal for decentralized planning

Decentralized partially observable Markov decision processes (Dec-POMDPs) are a powerful tool for modeling multi-agent planning and decision-making under uncertainty. Prevalent Dec-POMDP solution techniques require centralized computation given full knowledge of the underlying model. Multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) based approaches have been recently proposed for distributed solution of Dec-POMDPs without full prior knowledge of the model, but these methods assume that conditions during learning and policy execution are identical. In some practical scenarios this may not be the case. We propose a novel MARL approach in which agents are allowed to rehearse with information that will not be available during policy execution. The key is for the agents to learn policies that do not explicitly rely on these rehearsal features. We also establish a weak convergence result for our algorithm, RLaR, demonstrating that RLaR converges in probability when certain conditions are met. We show experimentally that incorporating rehearsal features can enhance the learning rate compared to non-rehearsal-based learners, and demonstrate fast, (near) optimal performance on many existing benchmark Dec-POMDP problems. We also compare RLaR against an existing approximate Dec-POMDP solver which, like RLaR, does not assume a priori knowledge of the model. While RLaR's policy representation is not as scalable, we show that RLaR produces higher quality policies for most problems and horizons studied.
Reversible Inhibition of Ovulation in the Rhesus Monkey by Polydimethylsiloxane Subdermal Capsules of Megestrol Acetate

The effect of megestrol acetate in polydimethylsiloxane subcutaneous implants on menstrual cycle, ovarian function, and uterine histology of adult parous rhesus monkeys was studied. Release rates of 129.6 and 64.8 mug/day inhibited ovulation and produced amenorrhea in all of the treated monkeys. The plasma progesterone level was 0 ng/ml during the initial part of the study (8 months). Endometrial biopsies obtained at different times showed a suppressed endometrium. Approximately 30 days after removal of all of the polydimethylsiloxane implants, the monkeys menstruated normally and the plasma progesterone levels subsequently were between 3 and 19 ng/ml. Histologic studies showed secretory endometria and corpora lutea, thus confirming resumption of ovulation.
When Local Troubles Become Transnational: The Transformation of a Guatemalan Indigenous Rights Movement

In the early 1990s, Guatemalan massacre survivors mobilized to demand the exhumation and burial of relatives killed during government repression in the 1980s. Using connections -with transnational activist networks, this local movement successfully implicated not only the Guatemalan government but also important international actors such as the World Bank in the atrocities. In contrast to Keck and Sikkink's boomerang model, which proposes that movements go global when domestic channels are blocked, I argue that the shift from local to transnational mobilization leads to substantive changes in a movement'sdiscourse and its interpretation of grievances, strategies, and targets. Further, in contrast to Keck and Sikkink's "short causal chain" linking problems and solutions to justify collective action, the Guatemala case suggests a "long causal chain" whereby successful transnational activism requires extension of causal links from local problems to powerful global actors to create the conditions for converge...
Patterns of Occurrence of the Western Spruce Budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): Larvae, Pupae and Pupal Exuviae, and Egg Masses

Samples drawn from sites in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana were used to determine intrastand patterns of occurrence of the western spruce budworm. The insects were counted on 45-cm terminal branch tips and whole branches taken from the upper, middle, and lower crowns of short ( 14-m) Douglas-fir and grand fir trees. Only average trees were sampled for instar IV. Across all crown strata, tree height classes, budworm life stages, and budworm densities studied, density on whole branches could be estimated from density on 45-cm terminal tips. For each budworm stage, consistent density relations were usually found among both live crown thirds and the three tree height classes. None of the relations above differed between the populations on Douglas-fir and grand fir.
Sales Territory Alignment to Maximize Profit

A mathematical programming model and heuristic solution procedure are developed to realign sales territories. Unique model aspects are: (1) the objective function is the anticipated profit generate...