cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retinal Edema: Postulated Mechanism(s)

Retinal edema has been recognized and described by ophthalmologists and ophthalmic pathologists for more than a century (Duke-Elder, 1941, 1967). The advent of fluorescein angiography as a practical clinical procedure has revealed that retinal edema is very common, and a major cause of visual disturbance in many conditions (Table 1). In spite of this veritable explosion in clinical knowledge, little has been written about the mechanism(s) of retinal edema. It is generally recognized that the edema follows some derangement of either the blood-retinal (BR) or retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) “barrier”. While there is some information of a general nature concerning these barriers, little is known about the quality and quantity of materials which normally traverse the barriers in order to nourish the retina, and even less about the composition of edema fluid.
Remarks Related to Finitely Additive Exchange Economies

Inspired mainly by the desire to work with perfectly competitive exchange economies with only countably many agents Brown, Pallaschke, Klein, Weiss and Armstrong-Richter have examined economies given by non-atomic finitely additive (rather than countably additive) measures. In Section 2 a fairly standard measure theoretic model of perfect competition is presented. In Section 3 it is seen based on Skala in part, that assumptions of fewer than \( C = {2^{\aleph {}_0}}\) traders forces one to drop countable additivity (subject to one’s axioms of set theory). In Section 4 another reason to drop the assumption of countable additivity is examined. This is the consideration of the limit economies of a non-tight perfectly competitive sequence of finite economies. In Section 7 a rather “constructive” model of coalition formation is given based on work of Klein leading naturally only to algebras of coalitions rather than σ-algebras. In this context the assumption of countable additivity is often unnatural or unverifiable.
Degradation of cellulose and forage fiber fractions by ruminal cellulolytic bacteria alone and in coculture with phenolic monomer-degrading bacteria.

We hypothesized that bacterial species capable of metabolizing phenolic monomers may act as catalysts for forage fiber breakdown by increasing microbial access to cell wall polysaccharides. Ruminal cellulolytic bacteria alone and in combination with phenolicdegrading bacteria were examined for differences in their ability to degrade fiber fractions of alfalfa or bromegrass. Electron micrographs of Fibrobucrer succinogenes 585 cultured in combination with the ruminal phenolicdegrading organisms Eubacterium oxidoreducens G41 and Syntrophococcus Sucromutans S195 indicated that bromegrass was degraded more extensively by the triculture than by the monoculture. The sequential detergent system was used to quantify the digestibility of fiber components from alfalfa and bromegrass. F. succinogenes incubated with the two phenolic-degrading organisms did not degrade more cell wall material than did F. succinogenes alone. However, with two other ruminal cellulolytic organisms, Clostridium longisporum B6405 and Ruminococcus albus B6403, greater (P c .05, P e .lo, respectively) amounts of hemicellulose were degraded (72 h in vitro fermentation) from whole-plant alfalfa when E. oxidoreducens and S. suerornutam were combined with the cellulolytic species than when their monocultures were tested. Similar increases were not observed using a NDF preparation of alfalfa as the substrate. Based on these in vitro experiments, it does not seem that E. oxidoreducens and S. sucromutuns play an important role in improving forage fiber degradation by cellulolytic ruminal bacteria.
Social presence and digital dialogic communication: engagement lessons from top social CEOs

This study expands the conceptual framework of dialogic communication on social media by incorporating a social dimension via social presence. Through a content analysis, we explored how dialogic i...
How Pornography Use Reduces Participation in Congregational Leadership: A Research Note

Research on the link between religion and pornography suggests that more frequent pornography viewing can lead to declines in individuals’ religious commitment, likely stemming from the guilt, shame, and dissonance adherents experience for violating sacralized moral values. No research, however, has considered the implications of this phenomenon for religious organizations. The current study addresses this gap by examining how pornography use contributes to potential congregational problems by discouraging individuals from participating in lay leadership. Multivariate analyses of panel data from the 2006–2012 Portraits of American Life Study reveal that the more frequently respondents viewed pornography at wave 1 the less likely they were to hold a leadership position or serve on a committee in their congregation within the following 6 years. This effect was robust to controls for religious commitment, tradition, and other correlates of lay leadership participation. Interactions with religious tradition and gender suggest that participation in leadership is more negatively tied to porn use for conservative Protestants and Catholics compared to mainline Protestants and women compared to men. Findings ultimately suggest that increasingly pervasive pornography consumption among adherents could portend a potential dearth of volunteer leadership for congregations.
Acquiring the Skill of Identifying Fractions through the Virtual-Abstract Framework

Fractions are an important component of mathematics instruction, with implications for both academics and daily living. Yet, more research is needed regarding fraction instruction for students with disabilities, including those with developmental disabilities. This study investigated the effects of using the Virtual-Abstract framework to teach sixth-grade students with developmental disabilities to identify fractions. Through a multiple probe across participants design, researchers examined if a functional relation existed between students’ acquisition of the mathematical behavior of identifying fractions and the Virtual-Abstract (VA) framework. For each student, the study involved three-to-five baseline sessions, six-to-nine intervention sessions, and two maintenance sessions. Two of the students also completed three abstract boost sessions and two additional maintenance sessions. Accuracy data reflected students’ ability to identify fractions on five problems answered independently. A functional relation existed between students’ acquisition of identifying fractions and the VA framework. Yet, two of the students failed to initially maintain their levels of accuracy. The VA framework can help students with developmental disabilities acquire mathematical behaviors, such as identifying fractions.
Case 5-2019: A 48-Year-Old Woman with Delusional Thinking and Paresthesia of the Right Hand

A Woman with Delusional Thinking and Paresthesia A 48-year-old woman presented with tingling of the right hand and was found to have disorganized and delusional thinking. Laboratory evaluation reve...
Availability attacks on computing systems through alteration of environmental control: smart malware approach

In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of smart malware that advances state-of-the-art attacks by (i) indirectly attacking a computing infrastructure through a cyber-physical system (CPS) that manages the environment in which the computing enterprise operates, (ii) disguising its malicious actions as accidental failures, and (iii) self-learning attack strategies from cyber-physical system measurement data. We address all aspects of the malware, including the construction of the self-learning malware and the launch of a failure injection attack. We validate the attacks in a data-driven CPS simulation environment developed as part of this study.
Position Paper: Factors of Perceived Tactile Cue Dominance when Interacting with Moving Virtual Objects

Prior work has shown that visual cues are more dominant than tactile cues for static objects. When texture and material properties are added, the reverse is true. However, it is not well understood which cues play a role in perceiving these textures when objects are moving. In this paper, we present an evaluation investigating speed and angular direction mismatch between visual and tactile information while objects are moving. Our results show that when objects are stationary or moving slowly, the sense of touch dominates visual cues; but as the speed increases, visual cues dominate tactile cues. When tactile and visual cues were not matching for moving virtual objects, visual cues were more dominant when the virtual objects moved at angles less than 30 degrees different than the tactile feedback in either direction. Therefore, potentially a 1D directional haptic device with physical texture substitutions may be able to convey sufficient realism when touching virtual objects that are moving faster than 4-8cm/s and with a difference in angular direction of 30 degrees or less. In this paper, we also present the limitations of this work and outline a research agenda for future investigation of visual and tactile cue dominance for perceiving textures of virtual objects moving in a virtual environment.
A fuzzy logic approach for estimating recovery factors of miscible CO2-EOR projects in the United States

Abstract The recovery factor (RF) is one of the most fundamental parameters that define engineering and economical success of any operational phase in oil and gas production. Despite its importance, it is not easy to predict recovery factors as they are affected by many variables including the type of the recovery process, reservoir type, fluid properties, reservoir heterogeneity, depth, and thickness. The usual and most comprehensive method of estimating recovery factors is laboratory experiments or numerical reservoir simulation, or combination of both, each of which has their own limitations due to data requirements, boundary conditions and scale effects. In this work, a fuzzy inference system approach has been adopted to predict miscible CO2-EOR recovery factors of the major field applications in the United States using a more practical, multi-variable, inexpensive, quicker, and yet accurate alternative to conventional approaches. The fuzzy system was built using Mamdani-type fuzzy logic inference engine. Reservoir data compiled from different sources were used as model input parameters (9 of them) and associated recovery factors obtained from literature survey were used as control variable, i.e. output. Due to the limited number of field cases that could be used for this purpose, 24 sets of applications were included in the study. The model showed reasonable predictive capability for the field observations of recovery factor despite the complexity and dependence of this parameter on different inputs. In addition, the multidimensional fuzzy solution was used to demonstrate response of miscible CO2-EOR recovery factor to different inputs. The fuzzy system introduced in the paper can be used to predict RFs and also as a guidance tool for making decisions based on the sensitivity to different inputs.
Recognizing a Leader and Friend: Wes McJulien

During my 40 year career, I’ve had the opportunity of observing many different styles of leadership in both formal and informal settings. Today my comments on leadership will focus on Wesley Joseph McJulien of Louisiana State University. As a leader in AECT, I have had numerous opportunities to observe and be part of meetings with Dr. McJulien.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells Promote Increased BAFF Expression in Monocytes Partially through TNF-Alpha Leading to Increased CLL Cell Survival

The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in growth, metastasis, and survival of tumors. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells of many patients can rapidly undergo apoptosis in vitro unless co-cultured with accessory cells, which elaborate factors that promote CLL-cell survival. A major type of such accessory cells is nurse-like cells (NLC), which prior studies demonstrated could differentiate from CD14 + blood mononuclear cells when exposed to CLL B cells in vitro , and presumably in vivo . In the absence of CLL cells, blood mononuclear CD14+ cells typically differentiate into macrophages that have a distinctive morphology from that of NLC. We found that, compared with macrophages, NLCs consistently expressed significantly higher levels of B-cell activating factor (BAFF) (n=11), a tumor-necrosis-factor (TNF)-related ligand that promotes survival of B cells, including CLL B cells. To investigate the influence of CLL cells on the differentiation of NLC in vitro , purified CLL B cells or B cells of healthy donors were cultured for 24h to generate conditioned media. When CD14 + blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors were cultured for 7 days in media conditioned by CLL cells, but not in non-conditioned media or in media conditioned by normal B cells, the cells assumed the morphology of NLC, acquired high-level expression of BAFF, and developed an enhanced capacity to support CLL cell survival in vitro . Similar activity was also found in the sera of CLL patients, but not in the sera of healthy control donors. The capacity of either CLL-conditioned media (n=4) or CLL-patient sera (n=9) to induce NLC differentiation leading to increased expression of BAFF was significantly reduced by a decoy receptor for TNF-a, suggesting that TNF-a contributes to the differentiation of NLC in vitro . However, TNF-a alone was not sufficient to induce high-level expression of BAFF on blood mononuclear CD14+ cells, suggesting that additional factors are involved. The results show a previously unrecognized symbiosis between CLL cells and accessory cells in their microenvironment. Because the survival of neoplastic B cells in vivo potentially depends upon NLC found in the lymphoid tissues of patients with CLL, identification of the factor(s) involved in inducing their differentiation could provide a novel target for therapy of patients with this disease.
Medical Laser Safety

The use of medical lasers in the healthcare setting requires organizations to carefully assess and provide a safe environment for patients and healthcare professionals. To maintain a safe environment, personnel must be aware of hazards when using laser systems. Facility laser programs need to incorporate safety control measures.
Opportunities for Research for COVID-19 in the Mission of NIDDK.

The current worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to cause incredible morbidity and mortality on a global level. Presently, there is no effective pharmacologic therapy nor a vaccine to offer. Given the circumstances and mode of transmission, the coronavirus crisis is expected to remain a significant part of our lives for the foreseeable future, continuing to cause economic hardships, straining our health care system, and changing the way we work and live on a daily basis. From this crisis, we have learned, and will continue to learn, new information almost daily. What we did know prior to the pandemic was that past viral pandemics have clearly demonstrated the association of chronic disease comorbidities with increased risk for morbidity and mortality (1–3). This observation is no different with the current crisis, as a number of chronic diseases appear to be important comorbidities in those with COVID-19 infection (3,4). As recently reported, during 1–30 March 2020, 89.3% of hospitalized adults had one or more underlying conditions. The most commonly reported conditions overall were hypertension (49.7%), obesity (48.3%), chronic lung disease (34.6%), diabetes (28.3%), cardiovascular disease (27.8%), and kidney disease (13.1%) (4), several of which fall within National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) mission areas. It is important from a medical perspective that we fully understand the clinical characteristics of individuals affected, risk factors for mortality and other outcomes, potential underlying health disparities, and other clinical variables in order to be in the best position as a medical community to inform on mitigation strategies and treatment until a vaccine is found. At present, clinicians managing patients with acute onset of multisystem dysfunction must make urgent decisions with little evidence to guide their practice. …
Fragmented kelp forest canopies retain their ability to alter local seawater chemistry.

Kelp forests support some of the most productive and diverse ecosystems on Earth, and their ability to uptake dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) allows them to modify local seawater chemistry, creating gradients in carbon, pH, and oxygen in their vicinity. By taking up both bicarbonate and CO2 as a carbon source for photosynthesis, kelp forests can act as carbon sinks, reducing nearby acidity and increasing dissolved oxygen; creating conditions conducive to calcification. Recent stressors, however, have reduced kelp forest canopies globally; converting once large and persistent forests to fragmented landscapes of small kelp patches. In a two-year study, we determined whether fragmented kelp patches retained the ability to alter local seawater chemistry. We found that diel fluctuations of multiple parameters of carbonate chemistry were greater in the kelp canopy than in the kelp benthos and in adjacent urchin barrens, consistent with metabolic activity by the kelp. Further, kelp fragments increased pH and aragonite saturation and decreased pCO2 during the day to a similar degree as large, intact kelp forests. We conclude that small kelp patches could mitigate OA stress and serve as spatial and temporal refugia for canopy-dwelling organisms, though this effect is temporary and confined to daylight hours during the growing season.
Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy in Children With Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

ObjectivePositional obstructive sleep apnea (POSA)—defined as obstructive sleep apnea twice as severe supine than nonsupine—may offer clues to the underlying pattern of upper airway collapse in chi...
Rituximab versus natalizumab, fingolimod, and dimethyl fumarate in multiple sclerosis treatment.

INTRODUCTION Limited comparative effectiveness data for rituximab (RTX) versus natalizumab (NTZ), fingolimod (FTY), and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) exist. METHODS Clinician-reported data on patients prescribed RTX, NTZ, FTY, or DMF for the treatment of MS at the Rocky Mountain MS Center at the University of Colorado were retrospectively collected. Outcomes included a composite effectiveness measure consisting of clinical relapse, contrast-enhancing lesions, and/or new T2 lesions, individual effectiveness outcomes, and discontinuation. Logistic regression was used on patients matched by propensity scores and using average treatment effect on treated doubly robust weighting estimator. RESULTS A total of 182, 451, 271, and 342 patients initiated RTX, NTZ, FTY, and DMF and were followed for 2 years. Before and after adjustment, the odds of experiencing disease activity was significantly higher for FTY [adjusted OR (aOR) = 3.17 (95% CI: 1.81-5.55), P < 0.001].and DMF [aOR = 2.68 (95% CI:1.67-4.29), P < 0.001], and similar for NTZ [aOR = 1.36 (95% CI:0.83-2.23), P = 0.216] versus RTX. When examining months 6-24, NTZ demonstrated higher odds of disease activity compared to RTX [aOR = 2.21 (95% CI: 1.20-4.06), P = 0.007]. Similar odds of discontinuation were seen between NTZ and RTX [aOR = 1.39 (95% CI: 0.88-2.20), P = 0.157]; however, FTY [aOR = 2.02 (95% CI: 1.24-3.30), P = 0.005] and DMF [aOR = 3.27 (95% CI: 2.15-4.97), P < 0.001] had greater odds of discontinuation than RTX. INTERPRETATION RTX demonstrated superior effectiveness and discontinuation outcomes compared to FTY and DMF. Although RTX demonstrated similar effectiveness and discontinuation compared to NTZ, RTX had superior effectiveness during months 6-24 and fewer discontinuations when excluding discontinuations due to insurance issues. Results suggest superiority of RTX in reducing disease activity and maintaining long-term treatment in a real-world MS cohort.
Treatment of Kratom Withdrawal and Dependence With Buprenorphine/Naloxone: A Case Series and Systematic Literature Review.

Introduction Some opioid use disorder (OUD) patients attempt to self-treat using herbal remedies such as kratom. However, kratom use itself can paradoxically cause physical dependence and OUD. Currently, there are no guidelines for treating patients with OUD stemming from kratom use. Our empirically-based hypothesis was that there would be a correlation between the amount of kratom used and the amount of buprenorphine-naloxone required for opioid agonist therapy. Methods This study includes a systematic review assessing treatment of kratom-dependent patients with buprenorphine-naloxone; a case series of our kratom-dependent patients; calculation of the correlation between the kratom dose and the buprenorphine-naloxone dose required to treat kratom-associated OUD; and our proposed starting doses for using buprenorphine-naloxone to treat kratom OUD. Results The OVID MEDLINE (1946-2020) database was searched using the terms "kratom," "buprenorphine," and "case report." This search yielded 3 relevant cases of patients having kratom OUD who were treated with buprenorphine-naloxone with the amounts of all substances reported. Review of the bibliographies, citing articles, and Google Scholar turned up three additional cases, yielding 6 literature cases that were analyzed. We also analyzed 2 patients from our clinic, giving a total of 8 patients included in the Pearson correlation coefficient calculation. We found a strong correlation of 0.84 between these variables, consistent with our hypothesis. Conclusions Based on our analysis, patients using 40 g/d could be initiated with 12/3 mg-16/4 mg of buprenorphine-naloxone/day.
A Group-Based Walking Study to Enhance Physical Activity Among Older Adults: The Role of Social Engagement.

Objectives.The aim of this study was to explore social engagement and social comparisons as mechanisms to increase physical activity among older adults.Methods.Participants (N = 60, mean age = 65.7...
CONVO: What does conversational programming need?

Vast improvements in natural language understanding and speech recognition have paved the way for conversational interaction with computers. While conversational agents have often been used for short goal-oriented dialog, we know little about agents for developing computer programs. To explore the utility of natural language for programming, we conducted a study (n=45) comparing different input methods to a conversational programming system we developed. Participants completed novice and advanced tasks using voice-based, text-based, and voice-or-text-based systems. We found that users appreciated aspects of each system (e.g., voice-input efficiency, text-input precision) and that novice users were more optimistic about programming using voice-input than advanced users. Our results show that future conversational programming tools should be tailored to users’ programming experience and allow users to choose their preferred input mode. To reduce cognitive load, future interfaces can incorporate visualizations and possess custom natural language understanding and speech recognition models for programming.
Natural and Anthropogenic Factors Affecting Groundwater in the Critical Zone of the Texas Triangle Megaregion

Abstract In the United States, more than 80% of the population now lives in urban areas. By 2050, a significant portion of that population will live in megaregions consisting of two or more metropolitan areas linked with interdependent environmental systems, a multimodal transportation infrastructure and complementary economies. The Texas-Triangle megaregion is one of the 8–10 such regions in the United States and it is spatially delineated by the metropolitan areas of Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, with a total land size of nearly 35,435 km 2 . Supporting the modern industrial infrastructure of a major metropolitan megaregion has required extensive water-related modifications to the Critical Zone. These modifications come in the form of an extensive network of dams and reservoirs, a high-density matrix of wells for extracting water, oil, and gas from the Critical Zone, significant landcover alterations, and interbasin transfer of ground and surface water. Progressive depletion of Critical Zone reserves threatens sustainable development in the heavily groundwater-dependent Texas Triangle and requires robust and effective, water-resource policy for the megaregion to remain economically viable.
Plant Remains Recovered by Flotation from Trash at Salmon Ruin, New Mexico

ABSTRACTAnalysis of flotation samples from trash deposits at Salmon Ruin, an Anasazi Pueblo site, revealed the presence of 38 identified plant taxa. The inhabitants collected these species from spring through late fall and used most of them as food. Evidence indicates that cheno-am and grass seed had great importance in the inhabitants' economy. Temporal analysis shows a greater variety of wild plants were used at the site during the second of its two major occupations; this was most likely a response to environmental changes and possibly population pressure making agriculture and some key wild plants less productive.
Hurdles and Hopes for Cancer Treatment

Remarkable progress has been achieved in the field of gene therapy over the past decade. The initial excitement in this young field has led to the development of more than 500 gene therapy protocols approved for evaluation in clinical trials. As these clinical trials progress, many obstacles have been identified that investigators in the field will need to overcome. Among the most important areas of investigation in the field of cancer gene therapy are 1) development of novel vectors to improve gene delivery, 2) development of tumor-selective binding to improve specific tumor targeting, and 3) improvement of the therapeutic window to reduce the toxicity of gene therapy administered alone or in combination with conventional agents. The challenge is not to replace current strategies for cancer therapy with gene therapy but to incorporate gene therapy as a more rational, molecularly based approach to increase our therapeutic armamentarium.
Managerial Expectations and the Performance of Acquiring Firms: The Contribution of Soft Data

This study examines whether the “soft” information present in merger and acquisition announcement press releases contains incrementally valuable news relative to traditional “hard” data and analyst generated information. We use Diction, a textual-analysis program, to construct measures of optimism and synergy expectations for more that 1,400 mergers and acquisition announcements over the period 1995 to 2007. We find that our measure of synergy expectations is inversely related to acquirer announcement period returns and continues to be negatively related to long-term performance up to two years post merger. We find that managerial optimism is not valued by the market and is especially discounted when analysts hold contrary views regarding the attractiveness of a merger. Overall, we conclude that the soft data contained in M&A announcements provides meaningful information to investors.
[Comment on “Teaching evolution, the Kansas School Board of Education, and the democratization of science”] The causes of anti‐science views

Johnny Wei-Bing Lin recently suggested (Eos, August 2, 2000) that the action of the Kansas State Board of Education to exclude questions about evolution by natural selection and “Big Bang” cosmology from required state tests, was driven primarily by the populism of science—the belief that the judgment of everyday men and women in matters deemed scientific is better than that of the trained scientists. In his view, inadequate public science education is only a secondary reason. Lin and Baylor University theologian Barry Harvey [2000] have argued that science is now under siege by populism, and that the ruling of the Kansas Board is but one example. To combat this populism, he urges a wider dialogue between scientists and historians, philosophers and theologians, so that we understand better the limits of our work and discover ways of being more precise and logical. Such discussions may be necessary, but they are not sufficient.
Attributes Contributing to the Employment Satisfaction of University Graduates with Learning Disabilities

One hundred and thirty-two graduates with learning disabilities (LD) of a large, public, competitive postsecondary institution were surveyed to determine levels of employment self-efficacy and satisfaction. Based upon a response rate of 67% (N = 89), graduates reported high levels of employment self-efficacy and satisfaction. Although there were no significant differences related to levels of self-efficacy and job satisfaction and selected demographic variables, perceptions of employment self-efficacy and the use of self-regulatory strategies/accommodations were found to be significant predictors of employment satisfaction.
Calculation of potential bias in the odds ratio illustrated by a study of saccharin use and bladder cancer.

Criticisms of questionnaire studies often emphasize methodological weaknesses which, if unexamined, may lead to biased risk estimates. Observational studies of the relationship between saccharin use and the risk of bladder cancer illustrate this point. This paper describes the potential biases due to misclassification and to the use of prevalent rather than incident cases in a recent report by I. I. Kessler and J. P. Clark (1978, J. Amer. Med. Assoc. 240, 349–355). Assuming the true risk ratio is greater than unity, nondifferential misclassification of exposure leads to an observed odds ratio or relative risk closer to the null value. Differential misclassification of exposure results in either an overestimate or an underestimate of the true risk. Varying the sensitivity and specificity of the exposure among cases and controls alters the risks ratios dramatically. The use of prevalent rather than incident cases in a hospital-based case-control study does not affect the risk measure unless it can be demonstrated that exposure differentially influences the force of morbidity or mortality. The exclusion of a large number of deceased cases in Kessler and Clark's report may underestimate the risk ratio by 18–28%. Unless other factors are discovered, the identified biases will not meaningfully alter the conclusion that there is no association between saccharin use and bladder cancer in Kessler and Clark's study.
Frequency selectivity using tonal-temporal masking: Diotic vs. dichotic masking

A combined forward-backward masking procedure was used to investigate the threshold of a 3O-msec, 500-Hz signal as a function of masker frequency. The signal thresholds were obtained in two signal conditions, diotic (80) and dichotic (811' ), and for two different temporal separations of the maskers. The maskers were 500 msec in duration and were presented at 75 dB 8PL. The function relating masked signal threshold to masker frequency was used to describe frequency selectivity in the four conditions. There were no differences in frequency selectivity measured between the diotic and dichotic signal conditions and only a small difference measured between the two intermasker interval conditions. The 811' conditions yielded lower thresholds than did the So conditions. The change in intermasker interval from 10 to 50 msee lowered the threshold maximally 18 dB for the So condition and 13 dB for the 811' condition. The results indicate that in this tonal temporal masking procedure there are no differences between the diotic and dichotic critical bands. Since Fletcher (1940) first used the concept of the "critical band" to describe the auditory system's frequency-selectivity capabilities, considerable re­ search has been devoted to measuring critical bands. These experiments (see Scharf, 1970, for review) have involved some of the following techniques: band-narrowing (Fletcher, 1940), critical ratio
Adaptive Robust Model-Following Control and Application to Robot Manipulators

Basee seulement sur la connaissance des proprietes fonctionnelles relatives a la limite de l'incertitude variable dans le temps, une classe de commandes adaptatives bouclees est developpee, et qui sous certaines hypotheses realistes, assure la convergence entre le systeme dynamique incertain et le modele
Comparing test data adequacy criteria

Test data adequacy criteria have been compared in a multitude of ways in the literature, ranging from the relative difficulty of satisfying them to the relative probability that test sets that satisfy them will expose errors in programs. Each method of comparison gives rise to an ordering of criteria, many of which differ significantly from the others. We investigate the various methods of comparing criteria, and show how the induced orderings are related. There are presently no methods of comparison that are based on the cost of using criteria; we propose a formal model of cost comparison of criteria. We categorize methods of comparison as being satisfiability based, correctness based, or complexity based.
Synthesis and characterization of cis and trans‐4‐d−1‐1‐tetralol

Trans-4-d−1-tetranydronaphthalen-1-ol (trans-4-d−1-1- tetralol) was synthesized from 1,4-epoxy-1,2,3,4- tetrahydronaphthalene using lithium tri-tert-butoxyaluminodeuteride. Cis-4-d−1-1-tetralol was made by epimerizing the trans- compound. Both compounds were characterized by high field 360 MHz NMR spectroscopy.
Essential work of fracture (we) versus energy dissipation rate (Jc) in plane stress ductile fracture

Two measures of fracture toughness have been investigated. The first is the Cotterell's essential work of fracture (we) which reflects the energy absorbed in the process of localized necking and decohesion occurring within the crack tip region. The second is the familiar critical energy dissipation rate associated with the onset of crack extension and commonly designated by Jc. Total of 48 fracture tests have been performed on thin aluminum double-edge-notched panels and thin compact tension specimens with varying crack size-to-ligament ratios. In a simple experimental procedure it has been established that both measures are equivalent, at least under the plane stress conditions, and that they both represent the fraction of energy which is transmitted through the plastic deformation field into the crack tip region. The ratio “essential work of fracture/total work of fracture” has been suggested as a quantitative measure of the energy transmission process. Certain predictions are made concerning variations of the energy transmission factor (ETF) during the stable phase of ductile fracture propagation.
Investigation of hexadecanethiol self-assembled monolayers on cadmium tin oxide thin films

This study reports the use of variable angle reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate the formation of a 1-hexadecanethiol adlayer on cadmium tin oxide (CTO) thin film surfaces. These adlayers appear to be robust, ordered monolayers. The optical and electronic properties of CTO thin films chemically vapor deposited onto glass substrates were also investigated. The reflectance of the CTO films was dependent upon the incident angle of the impinging radiation and revealed a reflectance decrease indicative of a plasma frequency in the mid-IR using p-polarized radiation.
Magnetrons for dielectric heating

High power magnetrons are used at the ultrahigh frequencies for fast dielectric heating. One such tube, generating 5 kw at 915 megacycles, and associated control circuits are described.
Genetic Basis of Growth Adaptation of Escherichia coli after Deletion of pgi, a Major Metabolic Gene

Bacterial survival requires adaptation to different environmental perturbations such as exposure to antibiotics, changes in temperature or oxygen levels, DNA damage, and alternative nutrient sources. During adaptation, bacteria often develop beneficial mutations that confer increased fitness in the new environment. Adaptation to the loss of a major non-essential gene product that cripples growth, however, has not been studied at the whole-genome level. We investigated the ability of Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 to overcome the loss of phosphoglucose isomerase (pgi) by adaptively evolving ten replicates of E. coli lacking pgi for 50 days in glucose M9 minimal medium and by characterizing endpoint clones through whole-genome re-sequencing and phenotype profiling. We found that 1) the growth rates for all ten endpoint clones increased approximately 3-fold over the 50-day period; 2) two to five mutations arose during adaptation, most frequently in the NADH/NADPH transhydrogenases udhA and pntAB and in the stress-associated sigma factor rpoS; and 3) despite similar growth rates, at least three distinct endpoint phenotypes developed as defined by different rates of acetate and formate secretion. These results demonstrate that E. coli can adapt to the loss of a major metabolic gene product with only a handful of mutations and that adaptation can result in multiple, alternative phenotypes.
Personal genome privacy protection with feature-based hierarchical dual-stage encryption

Personal Genomic information is becoming increasingly important to both scientific research and clinical practice. However, security breach, misuse, or unintended disclosure of this information may result in severe privacy breaches. Traditional privacy preservation of personal genome information is implemented in an “all-or-none” manner, i.e., an entire genome being controlled as either fully accessible or fully inaccessible. In this paper, we propose a new fine-grained privacy protection method for flexible multi-level genome information protection and access. The method can make use of any user-defined hierarchical knowledge structure to define privacy levels and control cryptography-based hierarchical access. It also implements dual-stage encryptions to allow efficient definition, addition, and update of feature-based privacy protections. The experiments show that it can be effectively implemented to deal with real personal genome data sets in the future.
The effect of root resection on the sealing property of root canal obturations

Abstract Root canal systems of extracted anterior teeth were obturated with sealer and either multiple gutta-percha cones or single silver cones. The effect of root resection on the sealing property of these obturating materials was evaluated by autoradiographic methods. Results indicate that root resection with a rotary instrument in a high-speed handpiece does not adversely affect the sealing property of well-condensed gutta-percha—sealer obturations.
A new electromigration testing technique for rapid statistical evaluation of interconnect technology

We describe a test structure and a testing technique that allows simultaneous stressing of 50 or more parallel thin film lines of the same width. This technique allows determination of the mean time to electromigration-induced failure and the deviation in the time to failure in a single test. This technique allows more rapid statistical evaluation of new or modified interconnect technologies.
A Study of Duroziez's Murmur of Aortic Insufficiency in Man Utilizing an Electromagnetic Flowmeter

Femoral arterial blood flow was recorded with an electromagnetic flowmeter at the time of open heart surgery on subjects with and without aortic insufficiency. The records demonstrated that subjects with severe aortic insufficiency and Duroziez's murmur had a large amount of retrograde flow in the femoral artery. Those subjects without significant aortic insufficiency and no Duroziez's murmur had little or no backflow. When only a moderate amount of aortic insufficiency was present, the correlation was less satisfactory. In some subjects who had femoral backflow, a second recording was made from the femoral artery after the aortic valve had been replaced, and in these instances there was no longer any measurable backflow. Postoperatively these patients did not have Duroziez's murmur. It is concluded that Duroziez's crural murmur in subjects with aortic insufficiency is associated with retrograde diastolic femoral arterial blood flow.
Prospects and challenges for the realization of quantum computers

A quantum computer is an information processing systems that utilizes invertible logic elements to perform reversible logic operations. It can also perform irreversible logic operations. Thus, in principle, it can compute the information transformation rule of any physical system for which the rules are known. A quantum computer can be designed to perform parallel computation on a massive scale, and therefore can have fast execution time. The basic structure of a quantum computer includes 1) a quantum register, or a configuration of quantum-mechanical energy states to store quantum bits (qubits) of information, 2) a quantum processor designed to induce quantum mechanical interactions between any arbitrary pair of qubits to perform a specified logic operations. 3) a quantum bus or network for transferring qubits from the registers to the processor and vice versa, and 4) a physical mechanisms for non-destructive measurements on the qubits. Quantum mechanical systems with the potential for realizing quantum computers include ion-trap quantum computers, cavity quantum electrodynamics quantum computers, photon-trap quantum computers, nuclear magnetic resonance quantum computers, and superconducting quantum computers. Decoherence [1 ,2] possesses the greatest challenge to the practical realization of quantum computers, because it causes the collapse of the quantum superposition states that contain the vital results of qubit manipulations. Decoherence processes are measurement-induced, noise-induced, and environment-induced [3] . Schemes to correct or circumvent the detrimental effects of decoherence in quantum processors fall into active error-correction schemes, and passive error-correction schemes [4]. Active error-correction schemes are designed to detect and correct for errors during computation. Algorithmic fault-tolerant computing [5, 6] is the most promising active-error correction scheme. In fault-tolerant computing, ancillary qubits are encoded into data blocks of the quantum registers. They are then used to detect errors. Once detected appropriate error-correction algorithms are then employed to rectify the errors. The implementation of fault-tolerant quantum computing has been hampered by the lack of practical universal set of quantum gates that can process an encoded data without propagating or introducing additional errors. Passive-error correction schemes [7] attempt to finding Hilbert subspaces that are intrinsically free of decoherence effects [8]. The key to quantum computing in such a decoherence-free subspace is the identification of mechanisms that can effect quantum mechanical interactions between the decoherence-free states without taking the system out of the decoherence-free environment. The challenge is to identify and employ physical processes that can achieve these goals.
Nietzsche and Existentialism

(1974). Nietzsche and Existentialism. Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Literatures: Vol. 28, No. 1, pp. 7-16.
The Effect of Amphenone in the Chicken

Abstract INTRODUCTION THE growth, regression, and relationship of the bursa of Fabricius to other glands have been of primary concern in our studies, Glick (1960). The adrenal cortex appears to play a prominent part in the regression of the bursa, Selye (1943), Bannister (1951), Garren and Shaffner (1956), and Glick (1959). Inactivation of the adrenal cortex might be expected to prevent bursa regression. Amphenone [3,3-bis (p-aminophenyl)-butanone-2-dihydrochloride] is a drug capable of inhibiting adrenal cortical function in rats, Manrique et al. (1958), but not in the golden hamster, Marks et al. (1958), It was of interest to determine if Amphenone was capable of inhibiting adrenal cortical function in chickens. PROCEDURE All New Hampshire chicks were raised in battery brooders and fed a basal ration. In all trials, Amphenone was taken up in sterile distilled water and injected intramuscularly. The sterile distilled water employed as a control injection was adjusted to the approximate …
Application of enamel adhesives in oral surgery.

Abstract Intermaxillary fixation with enamel adhesives was established in several patients. The adhesives were used to attach a metal hook to the tooth surfaces and, in some cases, hooks were developed from the adhesive material. It appears from this preliminary experience that the adhesives can be successfully used for intermaxillary stabilization in certain cases. The advantages and disadvantages of the technique are discussed.
The farm to biorefinery continuum: A techno-economic and LCA analysis of ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice

This paper describes the economic, environmental, and energy issues of the farm to biorefinery continuum related to production of ethanol from soluble sugars recovered from sweet sorghum using the BE3 (bioenergy economics, energy, and environmental) model methodology. A comparative analysis of five process configurations was conducted to determine how process decentralization affects the total production system. An increased integration of on-farm processing resulted in a moderate increase in the breakeven sales price of ethanol ($0.08/L), however the substantial increase in value-added agricultural practices (approximately 180%) can offer greater returns to the farm operation. Benefits outside the scope of this analysis related to decentralized processing include: increased rural development, reductions in transportation requirements, additional income to farmers, and dissipation of some environmental impacts. Using a single parameter sensitivity analysis for those process configurations the greatest economic impacts were found to be related to conversion efficiency, crop yield, and press efficiency. Conservative values were used throughout the process modeling procedure (e.g. crop yield, Brix level of juice, conversion efficiency, and by-product usage), yet with system optimization, breakeven sales price could be significantly decreased.
Lipid-Dependent Effects of Halothane on Gramicidin Channel Kinetics: A New Role for Lipid Packing Stress

We find that the sensitivity of gramicidin A channels to the anesthetic halothane is highly lipid dependent. Specifically, exposure of membranes made of lamellar DOPC to halothane in concentrations close to clinically relevant reduces channel lifetimes by 1 order of magnitude. At the same time, gramicidin channels in membranes of nonlamellar DOPE are affected little, if at all, by halothane. We attribute this difference in channel behavior to a difference in the stress of lipid packing into a planar lipid bilayer, wherein the higher stress of DOPE packing reduces the degree of halothane partitioning into the hydrophobic interior.
Effect of postnatal litter size on adult aggression in the laboratory mouse

Growth, emotionality, food competition, and aggression were examined in mice nursed in litters of 3 or 9 and reared in isolation until testing. Animals from large litters were lighter at weaning and in adulthood and were more emotional in the open field than subjects from small litters. They did not win more food competition tests than subjects from small litters although their consummatory behavior during food competition tests was greater. Subjects from large litters were more aggressive in initial encounters, but over repeated encounters became more submissive. In a 2nd open-field test, emotionality of large-litter subjects was reduced more than that of subjects from small litters. When later placed in group-living cages, subjects from small litters sustained less long term physical assault than subjects from large litters. High correlations were found between the 4 measures of brief aggression.