cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feedback stabilization of diffusion equations by a functional observer

In the last few years, the feedback stabilization theory for parabolic partial differential equations has made rapid progress. All results concerning the problem have been obtained under the feedback law such that sensors, controllers, or both should be constructed in the domain where the differential equation is described [ 1,2,8-l 1, 131. So far as the author knows, the problem has not been solved yet under the assumption that both sensors and controllers are located on the boundary. Recently, to overcome the difficulty in this scheme, a new feedback scheme including a finitedimensional functional observer of Luenberger type [ 8 1 has been proposed by Fujii [ 31. He has applied the new scheme to the problem and stabilized the system just under the above assumption. His functional observer9 however, contains feedback terms of convolutional type, which seems inevitable as far as the functional observer is ,considered within the framework of a finite-dimensional equation. In this paper we investigate the stabilization of typical heat equation in the case of interior observation and boundary feedback. The equation has state u(t, .I, input f(t) = K(O,..., J&)1, and observation (output) CO(~) = [ (u(t, a), w,),..., (~(t, B), wN)]. In this feedback scheme, it has been assumed so far that the weighting functions wk of the sensors can be freely constructed, especially by linear combinations of finitely many eigenfunctions associated with the elliptic equation. This assumption, however, cannot always be satisfied. Our situation here is that these functions only satisfy some algebraic conditions and cannot even be designed by a finite number of eigenfunctions (except in Section 5). Under these weaker conditions, we seek to construct a functional observer (state v(r), input g(tj, output $(t)) such that, on coupling by setting f = $ and g = w, we can stabilize the evolution of
Ammonia Distribution in a Pit-ventilated Confinement Building: One-half Scale Model Study

A one-half scale model of a pit-ventilated swine confinement barn was used to study the effects of building design and management factors on the distribution of ammonia in the airspace. Two slat orientations, two manure depths (full and empty), and two ventilation rates, representative of winter conditions, were compared. As expected, the ventilation rate was a major factor in determining average levels of ammonia in the airspace. Manure depth significantly affected ammonia levels and gas distribution in the airspace above and below the slatted floor. Large stagnant regions were observed in the manure pit head-space for a nearly empty manure pit. Floor slat orientation did not appear to significantly affect average ammonia levels or the distribution of ammonia in the airspace, although some effects may have been present at the higher ventilation rate tested.
Microstructure and phase evolution in single phase CuInSe2 particles synthesized using elemental precursors

Abstract This paper reports solid-state formation reaction pathways for CuInSe 2 particles synthesized by ultrasonic irradiation of elemental precursors followed by thermal annealing. Effective heat of formation (EHF) model is used to predict the first formed and consecutively formed phases of Cu+Se, In+Se compounds. The XRD patterns showed that CuSe and In 4 Se 3 phases are formed by ultrasonication of Cu+Se and In+Se precursors as predicted by the EHF model. As-sonicated Cu+In+Se precursors are thermally annealed and the CuInSe 2 reaction is investigated based on the crystallographic relation between the binary phases. According to this model, when either CuSe 2 or In 4 Se 3 phases are involved in the CuInSe 2 formation, the reaction is categorized under suppressed reactions due to the missing epitaxial relation. An activated reaction is reported between CuSe and InSe phases due to the epitaxial match. The experimental findings support the crystallographic model by the completion of CuInSe 2 formation reaction at 350 °C annealing temperature, which is after the phase transformation of CuSe 2 to CuSe at 342 °C.
Drug shortages: a complex health care crisis

National tracking of drug shortages began in 2001. However, a significant increase in the number of shortages began in late 2009, with numbers reaching what many have termed crisis level. The typical drug in short supply is a generic product administered by injection. Common classes of drugs affected by shortages include anesthesia medications, antibiotics, pain medications, nutrition and electrolyte products, and chemotherapy agents. The economic and clinical effects of drug shortages are significant. The financial effect of drug shortages is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars annually for health systems across the United States. Clinically, patients have been harmed by the lack of drugs or inferior alternatives, resulting in more than 15 documented deaths. Drug shortages occur for a variety of reasons. Generic injectable drugs are particularly susceptible to drug shortages because there are few manufacturers of these products and all manufacturers are running at full capacity. In addition, some manufacturers have had production problems, resulting in poor quality product. Although many suppliers are working to upgrade facilities and add additional manufacturing lines, these activities take time. A number of stakeholder organizations have been involved in meetings to further determine the causes and effects of drug shortages. A new law was enacted in July 2012 that granted the Food and Drug Administration additional tools to address the drug shortage crisis. The future of drug shortages is unknown, but there are hopeful indications that quality improvements and additional capacity may decrease the number of drug shortages in the years to come.
Reactivity of Sulphonyloxyl Groups with Halides in the Carbohydrate Series

IT has recently been shown1 that refluxing 6-O-mesyl-l : 2-3 : 4-di-O-isopropylidene-D-galacto-pyranose2 (i) and 3 : 5-O-benzylidene-6-O-mesyl-l : 2-O-isopropylidene-D-glucofuranose3 (ii) with potassium fluoride in ethanediol, yields the 6-deoxy-6-fluoro-D-galactopyranose and D-glucofuranose derivatives, respectively. A notable difference in the reactivity of the two sugars towards potassium fluoride was found (Table 1).
Merging the Simple View of Reading with Rauding Theory

The Simple View of reading was merged with rauding theory by advancing a revision, called Simple View II. The original Simple View, described by Hoover and Gough (1990), has several inconsistencies between theoretical concepts and how concepts are measured. These inconsistencies were illuminated and clarified by using constructs from rauding theory. The resulting Simple View II focuses on how individual differences in reading level (called rauding accuracy level, AL) are almost entirely a function of word recognition level (called pronunciation level, PL) and listening comprehension level (called auditory accuracy level, AudAL). An analysis of data collected from 61 students in Grades 3-5, indicated that all of the reliable variance in AL was probably accounted for by PL and AudAL, thus providing strong support for Simple View II. Furthermore, the reading level of students in GE units (e.g., Grade 5) could be predicted highly accurately by simply averaging (a) their level of word recognition in GE units (e.g., Grade 3) and (b) their level of language comprehension in GE units (e.g., Grade 7). When Simple View II is merged with rauding theory, the result is a theoretical framework which includes interrelationships among all of the important constructs involved in reading ability, for students in Grade 1 through college.
Recruitment and funding for clinical pharmacy residency and fellowship programs

A survey was conducted to determine if a shortage exists of graduates interested in residency and fellowship training, and whether program preceptors experience difficulty maintaining funding. Questionnaires were mailed to 195 preceptors listed in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Directory of Residencies and Fellowships, and responses from 143 (73%) were compiled. Average numbers of applicants interviewed per available position were 3.1, 3.3, and 2.6 for general clinical residency, specialized residency, and fellowship positions, respectively. Approximately 20% of specialty residency and fellowship positions were reported to be unfilled, and 70% of preceptors of these programs expressed the opinion that a shortage of interested graduates exists. Difficulty maintaining funding was most frequently reported by fellowship preceptors (54%), and several sources of funding were required to maintain such programs.
Using Differential Evolution for a Subclass of Graph Theory Problems

Conventional differential evolution algorithms explore continuous spaces. In contrast, NP-complete graph problems are combinatorial and thus have discrete solution spaces, many with solutions encoded as binary strings. This letter describes a simple method showing how a conventional differential evolution algorithm can be used to solve these types of graph theory problems. The method is deterministic and can handle graphs of arbitrary size.
Patient Follow-Up After Participating in a Beach-Based Skin Cancer Screening Program

Many skin cancer screenings occur in non-traditional community settings, with the beach being an important setting due to beachgoers being at high risk for skin cancer. This study is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized trial of a skin cancer intervention in which participants (n = 312) had a full-body skin examination by a clinician and received a presumptive diagnosis (abnormal finding, no abnormal finding). Participants’ pursuit of follow-up was assessed post-intervention (n = 283). Analyses examined: (1) participant’s recall of screening results; and (2) whether cognitive and behavioral variables were associated with follow-up being as advised. Just 12% of participants (36/312) did not correctly recall the results of their skin examination. One-third (33%, 93/283) of participants’ follow-up was classified as being not as advised (recommend follow-up not pursued, unadvised follow-up pursued). Among participants whose follow-up was not as advised, 71% (66/93) did not seek recommended care. None of the measured behavioral and cognitive variables were significantly associated with recall of screening examination results or whether follow-up was as advised. Research is needed to determine what factors are associated with follow-up being as advised and to develop messages that increase receipt of advised follow-up care.
Automatic Language Identification in music videos with low level audio and visual features

Automatic Language Identification (LID) in music has received significantly less attention than LID in speech. Here, we study the problem of LID in music videos uploaded on YouTube. We use a “bag-of-words” approach based on state-of-the-art content based audio-visual features and linear SVM classifiers for automatic LID. Our system obtains 48% accuracy for a corpus of 25000 music videos and 25 different languages.
Collaboration using roles

Segregation of roles into alternative accounts is a model which provides not only the ability to collaborate but also enables accurate accounting of resources consumed by collaborative projects, protects the resources and objects of such a project, and does not introduce new security vulnerabilities. The implementation presented here does not require users to remember additional passwords and provides a very simple consistent interface.
Silica-glass contribution to the effective nonlinearity of hollow-core photonic band-gap fibers

We measure the effective nonlinearity of various hollow-core photonic band-gap fibers. Our findings indicate that differences of tens of nanometers in the fiber structure result in significant changes to the power propagating in the silica glass and thus in the effective nonlinearity of the fiber. These results show that it is possible to engineer the nonlinear response of these fibers via small changes to the glass structure.
Response to Criminal Victimization by Older Americans

Recent research suggests that “being older” is a significant correlate of fear of crime and the probability of victimization. This study questions whether “age” is indeed a pivotal variable with re...
Control and Modulation of Fluid Flow in the Rat Kidney

We have developed a mathematical model of the rat's renal hemodynamics in the nephron level, and used that model to study flow control and signal transduction in the rat kidney. The model represents an afferent arteriole, glomerular filtration, and a segment of a short-loop nephron. The model afferent arteriole is myogenically active and represents smooth muscle membrane potential and electrical coupling. The myogenic mechanism is based on the assumption that the activity of nonselective cation channels is shifted by changes in transmural pressure, such that elevation in pressure induces vasoconstriction, which increases resistance to blood flow. From the afferent arteriole's fluid delivery output, glomerular filtration rate is computed, based on conservation of plasma and plasma protein. Chloride concentration is then computed along the renal tubule based on solute conservation that represents water reabsorption along the proximal tubule and the water-permeable segment of the descending limb, and chloride fluxes driven by passive diffusion and active transport. The model's autoregulatory response is predicted to maintain stable renal blood flow within a physiologic range of blood pressure values. Power spectra associated with time series predicted by the model reveal a prominent fundamental peak at ∼165 mHz arising from the afferent arteriole's spontaneous vasomotion. Periodic external forcings interact with vasomotion to introduce heterodynes into the power spectra, significantly increasing their complexity.
Rapid assessment of fish communities on submerged oil and gas platform reefs using remotely operated vehicles

Abstract Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) provide a non-extractive approach to characterizing fish communities in complex habitats. Despite the demonstrated effectiveness of ROVs in studying reef fishes over natural hard-bottom and small artificial reefs, there has been little application of this technology to larger artificial structures (10s of m tall and wide). We explored the utility of ROVs in rapidly characterizing an assemblage of fishes associated with an artificial reef complex in the western Gulf of Mexico (26.9–28.2° N; 95.5–97.0° W) dominated by partially removed and toppled oil and gas platforms. This study reports on an efficient method to sample these structures, where we integrated depth-interval transect (DIT) and continuous roving transect (CRT) protocols to document fish distribution and community structure on 14 artificial reef sites. Consistent with previous hydroacoustic studies, south Texas artificial reefs exhibited a vertically heterogeneous distribution of fishes that varied with structure orientation. These reefs were dominated by economically important lutjanids and carangids, both of which presented sampling challenges due to their patchy distribution around these vast structures. The non-uniform distribution and mobility of these dominant taxa highlight the utility of adopting roving approaches to assess fish communities on these complex structures. We conclude our study with a discussion of important logistical challenges associated with micro-ROV surveys in deepwater habitats, and potential complementary approaches to assist documentation of demersal fishes inhabiting a persistently turbid bottom layer.
Group-level duality in WZW models and Chern-Simons theory

Abstract We exhibit a duality of primary fields, conformal dimensions, braid matrices, and modular transformation matrix elements S0,λ/S0,0 (so also Weyl characters) for sequences of dual pairs (SU (N)K, SU(K)N), (SO(N)K, (SO(N)K, SO(K)N) and Sp(N)K, Sp(K)N. As a consequence an analogous duality of Chern-Simons skein relations and Wilson line observables is uncovered.
Association between prothrombin activation fragment (F1.2), cerebral ischemia (S-100β) and international normalized ratio (INR) in patients with ventricular assisted devices

Prothrombin time, expressed as international normalized ratio (INR) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), are standard methods of monitoring coumadin and heparin administration. Prothrombin activation fragment (F1.2) is an index of in vivo thrombin generation. We hypothesized that F1.2 would provide a better surrogate of thromboembolism risk than standard coagulation assays during ventricular assist device (VAD) support. INR, PTT and F1.2 were analyzed in 31 patients after implantation of a left-sided VAD daily during hospitalization and weekly after discharge. Thromboembolic events (TE) were defined by evidence of neurological injury revealed by plasma levels of S-100beta. The relationships between F1.2, INR for patients on coumadin and aPTT for patients on heparin were evaluated from 1250 observations of blood samples. S-100beta was positively correlated with F1.2, but not with INR and aPTT. Correlation between S-100beta and F1.2 is significantly higher than with the other two markers (P<0.0001). Higher values of aPTT and INR were not associated with TE. Compared to conventional coagulation assays, the F1.2 level provides a single endpoint that is a more accurate predictor of TE after VAD implantation. Further trials that incorporate the F1.2 marker into anticoagulation algorithms may help reduce adverse events in this high-risk population.
Mathematical model of an avian urine concentrating mechanism.

A mathematical model was used to investigate how concentrated urine is produced within the medullary cones of the quail kidney. Model simulations were consistent with a concentrating mechanism base...
Seasonal Thermal Ecology of Bog Turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) in Southwestern Virginia

Abstract Aquatic and semiaquatic turtles use wetlands and thermally buffered soils to thermoregulate during the active season and to sustain body temperatures above freezing during overwintering. We deployed temperature data loggers during wintertime and summertime in wetlands occupied by Bog Turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) in southwestern Virginia, United States, to contrast the temperatures of the wetland environment to turtle carapace temperatures over two field seasons. Temperature signatures were used to evaluate probable hibernation depth and the timing and cues of spring emergence. We measured soil temperature profiles during winter in saturated hibernacula and similar but unsaturated structures to evaluate the dependence of temperature on water-table depth. Mean daily turtle temperature (n = 16) during the coldest portion of two winters was 2.5°C (SE = 0.29), with one turtle experiencing 14 continuous days at temperatures between −1°C and 0°C when ambient temperatures dipped below −10°C. Water ta...
Induced Fit in the Selection of Correct versus Incorrect Nucleotides by DNA Polymerase β

DNA polymerase β (Pol β) repairs single-nucleotide gapped DNA (sngDNA) by enzymatic incorporation of the Watson-Crick partner nucleotide at the gapped position opposite the templating nucleotide. The process by which the matching nucleotide is incorporated into a sngDNA sequence has been relatively well-characterized, but the process of discrimination from nucleotide misincorporation remains unclear. We report here NMR spectroscopic characterization of full-length, uniformly labeled Pol β in apo, sngDNA-bound binary, and ternary complexes containing matching and mismatching nucleotide. Our data indicate that, while binding of the correct nucleotide to the binary complex induces chemical shift changes consistent with the process of enzyme closure, the ternary Pol β complex containing a mismatching nucleotide exhibits no such changes and appears to remain in an open, unstable, binary-like conformation. Our findings support an induced-fit mechanism for polymerases in which a closed ternary complex can only be achieved in the presence of matching nucleotide.
Ventral hippocampal afferents to the nucleus accumbens regulate susceptibility to depression

Enhanced glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region critical for reward and motivation, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression; however, the afferent source of this increased glutamate tone is not known. The NAc receives glutamatergic inputs from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), ventral hippocampus (vHIP) and basolateral amygdala (AMY). Here, we demonstrate that glutamatergic vHIP afferents to NAc regulate susceptibility to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). We observe reduced activity in vHIP in mice resilient to CSDS. Furthermore, attenuation of vHIP-NAc transmission by optogenetic induction of long-term depression is pro-resilient, whereas acute enhancement of this input is pro-susceptible. This effect is specific to vHIP afferents to the NAc, as optogenetic stimulation of either mPFC or AMY afferents to the NAc is pro-resilient. These data indicate that vHIP afferents to NAc uniquely regulate susceptibility to CSDS, highlighting an important, novel circuit-specific mechanism in depression.
Monthly and Annual Survival Rates of Cougar Kittens in Oregon

Abstract Cougar (Puma concolor) kittens are a substantial proportion of resident cougar populations and their survival has important implications for population dynamics of the species. To better understand effects of age and sex on cougar kitten survival, we estimated age specific (mo.) survival rates of cougar kittens (n = 72) radiocollared during three studies conducted in Oregon from 1989–2011. Cougar kittens were entered into the dataset based on age (mo.) at capture and fates were determined at monthly intervals. We analyzed survival in Program MARK using known-fate models of radiocollared individuals. We tested for effects of sex and linear, log-linear, and quadratic effects of age. Our best model indicated survival rates of cougar kittens were similar between sexes and increased in a linear manner with age. Annual survival estimates of cougar kittens were 0.66 (95% CI = 0.42–0.84). Our second ranked model was the null model, that indicated constant survival over time and between sexes with an annu...
Parameter Estimation and Statistical Analysis of the Constrained Optimization Penalty Function to Be Solved by Particle Swarm Optimization

Particle swarm optimization has been successfully applied to optimization,but it is not effective on all of the constraint functions.This paper validates it through five measures,and analyzes the results of the test function in which we can find which is the best or the worst one,then we use five methods for the punishment function and each of them is tested by five particle swarm optimization methods,and we can decide which one is the best to be combined with particle swarm optimization,and it is explained theoretically.
Can We Guarantee Performance Requirements under Workload and Process Variations

Modern many-core systems must cope with a wide range of heterogeneity due to both manufacturing process variations and extreme requirements of multi-application, multithreaded workloads. The latter is increasingly challenging in the context of different performance constraints per multithreaded application. Existing thread mapping methods primarily focus on maximizing performance under a global power budget, failing to provide thread- and application-specific performance guarantees. This paper provides a comprehensive approach for variation- and workload-aware thread mapping on heterogeneous multi-core systems that satisfies per-application performance requirements and is manufacturing process variation-aware, while providing an analysis of its robustness to uncertainties in the power and performance models. We formulate the variation-aware mapping problem as a constrained 0-1 integer linear program (ILP) and we propose a heuristic-based algorithm for efficiently solving it. Compared with an optimal solver, our method produces results less than 10% away from optimum on average, with four orders of magnitude improvement in runtime. Moreover, the newly proposed method is robust to model uncertainty and in meeting per application performance requirements, while agnostic approaches result in performance bound violations (up to 100% in many cases).
Abstract 182: Dual inhibition of the MEK5 and PI3K pathways most effectively reduces proliferation and migration in triple negative breast cancer cells

Aberrations in the MAPK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) and phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) pathways have been linked to increased proliferation and survival in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. It has been proposed that these survival characteristics are enhanced through compensatory signaling and crosstalk mechanisms. Promising combinations of MEK and PI3K inhibition have been evaluated in phase I clinical trials for various cancer types. However, these clinical trials have had limited efficacy and have yet to encompass the MEK5/ERK5 pathway, which has been shown to promote cell survival. The goal of this study was to examine the crosstalk between the MEK1/2, MEK5, and PI3K pathways and determine the most promising combination of the MEK1/2, ERK5, and PI3K inhibitors, U0126, XMD8-92, and LY294002, respectively, in a diverse panel of triple negative breast cancer cell lines: BT549, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468. Our results indicate that dual inhibition of the MEK5 and PI3K pathways significantly reduced both proliferation (45.53%) and migration (39.37%) in MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. In contrast, inhibition of ERK1/2 alone or in combination with PI3K or ERK5 inhibition yielded mixed responses. Interestingly, dual inhibition of the MEK5 and PI3K pathways increased the activity of the MEK1/2 pathway. These data suggest that crosstalk between these kinases occurs and dual inhibition of PI3K and ERK5 may be a novel therapeutic approach for treating TNBC. Citation Format: Thomas Wright, Christopher Raybuck, Katheryn Wendekier, Jane E. Cavanaugh. Dual inhibition of the MEK5 and PI3K pathways most effectively reduces proliferation and migration in triple negative breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 182.
A fluorescence polarization based assay for the identification and characterization of polymerase inhibitors.

Abstract A homogenous fluorescence polarization (FP) assay was developed to monitor the enzymatic activity of polymerases. Under the optimized conditions established in this study, the assay provides highly robust and reproducible data. Miniaturization of the assay for high-throughput screening and compound testing was also performed. The sensitivity of the newly developed assay was confirmed using 2′,3′-dideoxyadenosine-5′-triphosphate (ddATP), a chain-elongating inhibitor of the polymerase reaction. Side-by-side comparison of the presented fluorescence polarization assay with already well established PicoGreen® fluorescence intensity assay revealed that the performance of both formats is comparable with good assay sensitivity. However, the direct ratiometric readout of the presented FP assay makes it superior over existing colorimetric and fluorescence intensity based assays in terms of susceptibility to false positives. Moreover, due to its generic nature the presented FP assay can be applied to other polymerases and is compatible with identification of inhibitors and requirements of hit-to-lead programs.
Presentation and Outcome of Cranial Aneurysms

The presentation, location, types, and long-term post-surgical outcome of 43 intracranial aneurysms in 32 patients (14 male, 18 female), aged 2 months to 18 years (mean 11.7 years), seen between 1977 and 2003, were reviewed at the Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California at San Francisco.
Respecting a Cultural Continuum of Black Male Pedagogy: Exploring the Life History of a Black Male Middle School Teacher:

Black male teachers tend to enact culturally relevant pedagogical practices that support the academic achievement, cultural competence, and critical consciousness of Black male students. Using crit...
Otolaryngologic symptoms in persons exposed to World Trade Center dust and particle pollutants: a case for caution in declaring a diagnosis of WTC syndrome.

Abstract Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center (WTC), the health status of survivors, rescue and cleanup workers, and residents of Lower Manhattan has been monitored. Exposure to dust and particulate matter resulted in numerous complaints of both upper and lower aerodigestive tract irritation. The symptoms, diagnoses, and management of affected persons have previously been described in the literature. However, evidence establishing causation is scarce, especially with regard to the purported long-term effects of such exposure. Many persons who were exposed to the Ground Zero site have otolaryngologic conditions that are common in persons who were not so exposed. Therefore, otolaryngologists involved in the care of such patients should be cautious about assigning a diagnosis of "WTC syndrome" without a comprehensive examination to look for other possible etiologies. A diagnosis of a treatable, potentially serious health problem should not be missed simply because a patient who was exposed to WTC irritants was presumed to have WTC syndrome. In this review, we discuss the reported otolaryngologic manifestations of exposure to the WTC site, and we describe the specific cases of 2 workers there who continue to have otolaryngologic complaints. Considerable research is needed to establish the existence and nature of any long-term sequelae of exposure to WTC fallout.
Profit and More: Catholic Social Teaching and the Purpose of the Firm

The empirical findings in Collins and Porras' study of visionary companies, Built to Last, and the normative claims about the purpose of the business firm in Centesimus Annus are found to be complementary in understanding the purpose of the business firm. A summary of the methodology and findings of Built to Lastand a short overview of Catholic Social Teaching are provided. It is shown that Centesimus Annus' claim that the purpose of the firm is broader than just profit is consistent with Collins and Porras empirical finding that firms which set a broader objective tend to be more successful than those which pursue only the maximization of profits. It is noted however that a related finding in Collins and Porras, namely that the content of the firm's objective is not as important as internalizing some objective beyond just profit maximization, can lead to ethical myopia. Two examples are provided of this: the Walt Disney Company and Philip Morris. Centesimus Annus offers a way to expose such myopia, by providing guidance as to what the purpose of the firm is, and therefore as to what kinds of objectives are appropriate to the firm.
The quest for safer antithrombotic treatment regimens in patients with coronary artery disease: new strategies and paradigm shifts

INTRODUCTION Despite the undeniable benefits on reducing ischemic adverse events, antiplatelet regimens including dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and P2Y12 receptor inhibitors are associated with an increased risk of bleeding. The awareness of the unfavorable prognostic implications associated with bleeding complications have somewhat hampered the enthusiasm towards the use of more potent antiplatelet treatment regimens or prolonged use of DAPT. This awareness also has prompted a series of investigations geared towards the identification of antithrombotic treatment regimens which are efficacious at reducing ischemic recurrences while also safe in terms of bleeding risk profile. Areas covered: The present manuscript focuses on new approaches for improving the safety profile of antithrombotic treatment regimens, including most recent updates from clinical trials, as well as future perspectives in the field. Expert commentary: Results of ongoing trials testing new antithrombotic treatment regimens, including new drugs, new combinations, which may be used for different duration of time according to the individual's risk of thrombotic and bleeding complications, may lead to paradigm shifts in secondary prevention of atherothrombotic events in patients with coronary artery disease.
Direct Frequency Domain Identification of Time Varying Systems

The following paper presents a frequency domain method to perform time varying linear identification of deterministic non-linear systems and provides an empirical example to illustrate the application of the method for a nonlinear structural dynamic system. The proposed method employs the Kronecker product form of convolution matrices to enable the least mean squares solution of arbitrarily structured cross frequency coupled responses. The mathematical framework allows for solution of different parts of the time varying frequency response depending upon information known about the system. Definitions of time varying coherence, cross and autospectra are derived, and are shown to be equivalent to conventional definitions when simplified to the linear time invariant form. These methods are applied to a physical beam damper system with observed nonlinear behavior tested at the University of Connecticut in order to identify an accurate time varying frequency domain model of the nonlinear system. The new model shows improved coherence relative to a standard linear time invariant model.
A Hybrid Vortex Method with Deterministic Diffusion

In the general class of particle methods, the vortex method is most convenient for modeling high Reynolds (Re) number vortex flows. This is particularly true because: (1) the Lagrangian solution of the Navier-Stokes equations eliminates the need to discretize the non-linear inertia terms, leading to good numerical stability at high Re, and (2) the restriction of computational elements to the regions of the flow exhibiting shear and finite vorticity leads to significant numerical efficiency.
Impact of Sub-Millimeter Waves on the Assembly Kinetics of Microtubules

Microtubules are highly dynamic intracellular structures critical to many biological functions in eukaryotic cells. They grow and shrink via the addition or subtraction of tubulin heterodimers and, given their polar nature, are expected to interact with electromagnetic fields. We evaluated the effect that externally applied submillimeter (sub-MM) waves have on the assembly kinetics of MTs. We observed a difference in MT formation due to exposure to sub-MM waves of MTs in solution and in cultured cells. Preliminary results indicate an effect on cell morphology and cell metabolism. Understanding the dynamic behavior of MTs opens an avenue to control various fundamental cellular processes.
20 Years of Relational Demography Research: Current Challenges and Future Research Directions

To understand what impact the demographic diversification of organizations has on people who work in them, research on relational demography began, around two decades ago, to examine how being demo...
On Concavity and Utilization Analytics of Wide-Area Network Transport Protocols

Wide-area data transfers in high-performance computing infrastructures and big data applications are increasingly carried over dynamically provisioned dedicated network connections, which provide high capacities with no competing traffic. Throughput of TCP and UDT over wide-area connections depends, often in a complex nonlinear manner, on the congestion control mechanism, buffer size, and the number of parallel streams. In addition, our extensive TCP and UDT throughput measurements and time traces over a suite of physical and emulated 10 Gbps connections with 0-366 ms round-trip times (RTTs) show significant statistical and temporal variations. Consequently, parameter selection and optimization for transport methods require data analytics to complement analytical throughput models. We present analytics based on the concavity-convexity geometry of throughput profiles, which provide insights into peak throughput and superior/inferior trend compared to linear interpolations based on RTT. In particular, we propose the utilization-concavity coefficient, a scalar metric that incorporates both utilization and concavity profiles to characterize the overall performance of a transport protocol. These measurement-based analytics enable us to select a transport protocol and its parameters for a given host and connection configuration to achieve high throughput with statistical guarantees.
Diagnostic des adénopathies malignes au moyen de l'aspiration à l'aiguille fine écho-guidée par ultrasonographie endoscopique

1) L’exactitude diagnostique de l’AAF guidee par l’USE est de 100 % pour le diagnostic de l’extension metastatique des ganglions mediastinaux, peripancreatiques et du tronc cœliaque. 2) Cet acte diagnostique est sans danger. 3) Une AAF positive pour les ganglions metastatiques de patients porteurs d’un cancer œsophagien, pancreatique ou pulmonaire fournit des informations cliniques utiles pour decider de l’abstention de tout traitement chirurgical couteux et inutile.
Multiple test batteries as predictors for pilot performance: A meta‐analytic investigation

Test Batteries (TBs) have a long history of use in pilot selection. The extent to which TBs predict future pilot performance has important implications. The existing pilot‐related psychometric meta‐analyses have focused primarily on scores of individual ability tests, rather than the combined scores composited from multiple ability tests. The objective of this study was to investigate the predictive validity of TBs' composite scores for several criteria of pilot performance. Informed by the Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory, we proposed a classification scheme of six categories representing the most common composite scores in selection assessment: Acquired Knowledge, Perceptual Processing, Motor Abilities, Controlled Attention, General Ability, and Work Sample. For overall pilot performance, based on 267 correlations from 118 independent samples, results showed that the six categories of TBs are valid predictors (Mean = .10–.34), and at least five of them have validity that is likely to generalize across selection contexts.
Data-Driven Diabetes Education Guided by a Personalized Report for Patients on Insulin Pump Therapy.

Objective It is difficult to assess self-management behaviors (SMBs) and incorporate them into a personalized self-care plan. We aimed to develop and apply SMB phenotyping algorithms from data collected by diabetes devices and a mobile health (mHealth) application to create patient-specific SMBs reports to guide individualized interventions. Follow-up interventions aimed to understand patient's reasoning behind discovered SMB choices. Methods This study deals with adults on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) who self-tracked SMBs with an mHealth application for 1 month. Patient-generated data were quantified and an SMB report was designed and populated for each participant. A diabetes educator used the report to conduct personalized, data-driven educational interventions. Thematic analysis of the intervention was conducted. Results Twenty-two participants recorded 118 alcohol, 251 exercise, 2,661 meal events, and 1,900 photos. A patient-specific SMB report was created from this data and used to conduct the educational intervention. High variability of SMB was observed between patients. There was variability in the percentage of alcohol events accompanied by a blood glucose check, median 79% (38–100% range), and frequency of changing the bolus waveform, median 11 (7–95 range). Interventions confirmed variability of SMBs. Main emerging themes from thematic analysis were: challenges and barriers, motivators, current SMB techniques, and future plans to improve glycemic control. Conclusion The ability to quantify SMBs and understand patients' rationale may help improve diabetes self-care and related outcomes. This study describes our first steps in piloting a patient-specific diabetes educational intervention, as opposed to the current “one size fits all” approach.
Global Pandemics and the Economics of Value Chains: COVID-19 and the Production of Medical Devices

Pandemics change the dynamics of value chains in fundamental ways, and particularly of those producing the medical devices needed to fight them. This paper shows that the rationale for organization of the production of these devices differs from that of most other products. Varying trade-offs between the benefits of global integration and the imperatives of secured and speedy supply favor different production modes. Value chains of different geographic scales – local, regional and global – are suitable for different medical devices. A model developed based on these variations could assist policymakers in designing differentiated policies towards different medical devices. As well, the model provides insights that could aid supply chain managers and academics rethinking the determinants of supply chain structures across industries.
Circuit theory for decoherence in superconducting charge qubits

Based on a network graph analysis of the underlying circuit, a quantum theory of arbitrary superconducting charge qubits is derived. Describing the dissipative elements of the circuit with a Caldeira-Leggett model, we calculate the decoherence and leakage rates of a charge qubit. The analysis includes decoherence due to a dissipative circuit element such as a voltage source or the quasiparticle resistances of the Josephson junctions in the circuit. The theory presented here is dual to the quantum circuit theory for superconducting flux qubits. In contrast to spin-boson models, the full Hilbert space structure of the qubit and its coupling to the dissipative environment are taken into account. Moreover, both self- and mutual inductances of the circuit are fully included.
Iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in Jinan City, 2018

Objective To investigate the iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in Jinan City, which may provide a basis for scientific supplementation of iodine. Methods Ten counties (districts) in Jinan City were divided into five areas as east, west, south, north and middle in 2018. At least one township (street) was selected from each area, and 20 pregnant women were selected from each township (street). Personal information was collected through standardized questionnaires, and household salt samples and urine samples of pregnant women were collected. Salt iodine and urinary iodine were detected by the "General Test Method in Salt Industry-Determination of Iodine" (GB/T 13025.7-2012) and "Method for Determination of Iodine in Urine by As3+-Ce4+ Catalytic Spectrophotometry" (WS/T 107-2006), respectively. Results A total of 1 169 pregnant women's household salt samples were collected, the median of salt iodine was 22.6 mg/kg. The coverage rate of iodized salt was 90.5% (1 058/1 169), the qualified rate of iodized salt was 75.8% (802/1 058), and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 68.6% (802/1 169). A total of 1 169 urine samples of pregnant women were tested, the median of urinary iodine was 141.9 μg/L, indicating the urinary iodine of pregnant women was insufficient (< 150 μg/L). Conclusions The iodine nutrition of pregnant women is slightly inadequate in Jinan City. It is necessary to strengthen the measures in prevention and control of iodine deficiency, and promote the health education measures in pregnant women to improve their iodine deficiency status. Key words: Pregnant women; Iodine; Salts; Urine; Surveillance
Multiphysics Modeling of Precursors in Molten Salt Fast Reactors Using Proteus and Nek5000

The goal of this work was to calculate the impact of the delayed neutron precursor drift in fast spectrum Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) using coupled solutions from the neutronics code PROTEUS and the computational fluid dynamics code Nek5000. Specifically, using a multiphysics approach to solve the effective delayed neutron fraction (βeff) or delayed neutron precursor distribution for reactors with flowing fuel salts would provide valuable information for transient simulations and safety assessments. Given the multiple options for the flux solution and geometric resolution/fidelity in PROTEUS, two approaches were developed and applied to various test cases: PROTEUS-NODAL/Nek5000 and PROTEUS-SN/Nek5000. For the former, the precursors are tracked in the built-in precursor drift model in PROTEUS-NODAL, whereas in the latter, Nek5000 directly tracks the precursors. Both approaches were used to solve a single test channel problem and showed excellent agreement in the calculated βeff . Separately, a 3D hourglass-shaped core was modeled using the PROTEUS-SN/Nek5000 approach. This problem was designed to demonstrate the capability of the discrete ordinates (SN ) solver and Nek5000 to model complex core designs with axially varying geometries and the ability for Nek5000 to track the precursors and calculate the resulting βeff . In addition, the Nek5000 calculations revealed the presence of recirculation zones in the hourglass design, which could lead to significant temperatures in the fuel salt and surrounding materials. These first coupled solutions show why these approaches may be necessary for not only predicting the precursor drift effect in fast MSRs but also for reactor design and performance assessments.
Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: A Description of the Fundamental Skills

Abstract Introduction: In the landscape of surgical options for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) has risen to the top. Despite ...
Destruction of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in a batch supercritical water oxidation reactor.

Abstract Effective technologies are needed for the destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). One promising technology is supercritical water oxidation (SCWO), which can be accommodated in batch or continuous reactors. Many PFAS-laden wastes consist primarily of solid particles, and batch SCWO processing may offer safe end-of-life PFAS destruction for these feedstocks. In this study, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is reacted via supercritical water oxidation in a batch reactor at temperatures between 425 and 500 °C and residence times from 0 to 60 min, to determine the effect of both parameters on the extent of destruction and defluorination. Analysis of liquid products via targeted LC-QToF-MS does not indicate production of intermediate fluorocarbons. However, a low fluorine mass balance at temperatures of 425 and 450 °C may indicate the existence of fluorinated species in the gaseous and/or liquid product which are not detected by targeted analysis. Destruction and defluorination efficiencies are determined for each tested condition, with a maximum 70.0% PFOS destruction and 78.2% defluorination achieved after 60 min of reaction at 500 °C.
Cytosine and adenosine base editing in human pluripotent stem cells using transient reporters for editing enrichment

Deaminase fused-Cas9 base editing technologies have enabled precise single-nucleotide genomic editing without the need for the introduction of damaging double-stranded breaks and inefficient homology-directed repair. However, current methods to isolate base-edited cell populations are ineffective, especially when utilized with human pluripotent stem cells, a cell type resistant to genome modification. Here, we outline a series of methods that employ transient reporters of editing enrichment (TREE) to facilitate the highly efficient single-base editing of human cells at precise genomic loci. Briefly, these transient reporters of editing enrichment based methods employ a transient episomal fluorescent reporter that allows for the real-time, flow-cytometry-based enrichment of cells that have had single nucleotide changes at precise genomic locations. This protocol details how these approaches can enable the rapid (~3-4 weeks) and efficient (clonal editing efficiencies >80%) generation of biallelic or multiplexed edited isogenic hPSC lines using adenosine and cytosine base editors.