cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theorizing Meaning Construction in Social Movements: Symbolic Structures and Interpretation during the Irish Land War, 1879–1882*:

Though the process of meaning construction is widely recognized to be a crucialfactor in the mobilization, unfolding, and outcomes of social movements, the conditions and mechanisms that allow meaning construction and cultural transformation are often misconceptualized and/or underanalyzed. Following a "tool kit" perspective on culture, dominant social movement theory locates meaning only as it is embodied in concrete social practices. Meaning construction from this perspective is a matter of manipulating static symbols and meaning to achieve goals. I argue instead that meaning is located in the structure of culture, and that the condition and mechanism of meaning construction and transformation are, respectively, the metaphoric nature of symbolic systems, and individual and collective interpretation of those systems in the face of concrete events. This theory is demonstrated by analyzing, through textual anlaysis, meaning construction during the Irish Land War, 1879-1882, showing how diverse social groups constructed new and emergent symbolic meanings and how transformed collective understandings contributed to specific, yet unpredictable, political action and movement outcomes. The theoretical model and empirical case demonstrates that social movement analysis must examine the metaphoric logic of symbolic systems and the interpretive process by which people construct meaning in order to fully explain the role of culture in social movements, the agency of movement participants, and the contingency of the course and outcomes of social movements.
Pharmacophore identification and bioactivity prediction for group I metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists by the electron-conformational QSAR method

The pharmacophore for group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluRl) agonists is revealed and their activity predicted by means of the previously developed and further improved electron-conformational (EC) method. A distinguishing feature of this method is that in addition to revealing the pharmacophore of activity as a set of specific atomic electronic features arranged in a special geometry, it allows for prediction of the activity quantitatively as a function of the parameters of pharmacophore flexibility and anti-pharmacophore shielding groups. Conformational analysis, electronic structure calculations, and matrix processing are performed for the training set of 29 compounds, 13 active and 16 inactive, and the pharmacophore of mGluRl agonists is evaluated. It contains a four-point skeleton of three oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom at certain interatomic distances with restricted atomic interaction indices whereby all these parameters are determined within certain tolerances. The pharmacophore parameter flexibilities, as well as the influence of the anti-pharmacophore shielding and other auxiliary groups are parameterized and weighted by seven constants, their values being obtained from a least-square regression with very good statistics: R 2 =0.97, F=589 (∼100% level of confidence), and a standard error of about 5% of the range of measured values. The results are also tested with the leave-one-out cross-validation method that yields prediction statistics R 2 = 0.91. The E statistics were also evaluated illustrating the role of each of the activity parameters involved.
Optimal Joint Base Station Assignment and Beamforming for Heterogeneous Networks

Consider a downlink MIMO heterogeneous wireless network with multiple cells, each containing many mobile users and a number of base stations with varying capabilities. A central task in the management of such a network is to assign each user to a base station and design a linear transmit strategy to ensure a satisfactory level of network performance. In this work, we propose a formulation for the joint base station assignment and linear transceiver design problem based on the maximization of a system wide utility. We first establish the NP-hardness of the resulting optimization problem for a large family of α-fairness utility functions. Then, we propose an efficient algorithm to approximately solve this problem for a variety of different utility functions. Our numerical experiments show that the proposed algorithm can achieve significantly higher levels of system throughput and user fairness than what is possible by optimizing the precoders alone.
Alternative Circular Wet Well Configurations for Water and Wastewater Pumping Systems

Circular pump sumps are ideal for smaller water, wastewater and storm water lift stations due to their compact size, ability to be pre-fabricated and inherent structural strength in deep water applications. However, existing design standards only encompass stations with up to three pumps with individual pump capacities of 315 l/s (5,000 gpm) or less. Population growth and community development constantly increases the demands placed on water, wastewater, and storm water distribution systems. The increasing demands placed on the water distribution infrastructure often exceed the original design capacity of the existing system. Increasing the capacity of existing pumping infrastructure can reduce the capital investment required to meet the increase in demand by eliminating the need to design and construct new lift stations. However, simply increasing the capacity or installing additional pumps can lead to adverse hydraulic conditions which can accelerate pump wear and decrease performance. Private modeling labs have developed alternative designs in the past; however, this information is often proprietary and not readily accessible for use by other design engineers. The Clemson University Hydraulic Labs have developed alternative circular intake designs which allow for greater capacity and more pumps than encompassed by existing standards. Alternative designs were developed and model tested for both clean water and debris laden flows. Model tests were conducted for a wide variety of possible flow conditions including pump stations with and without debris or solids present. This paper summarizes the results of these studies and increases the number of options that engineers can consider when faced with the need to increase the capacity of existing circular lift stations or in the design of new ones.
Data-efficient blind OFDM channel estimation using receiver diversity

We investigate non data-aided channel estimation for cyclically prefixed orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. By exploiting channel diversity using only two receive antennas, a blind deterministic algorithm is proposed. Identifiability conditions are derived that guarantee the perfect channel retrieval in the absence of noise. In the presence of noise, the proposed method has the desired property of being data efficient-only a single OFDM block is needed to achieve good estimation performance for a wide range of SNR values. The algorithm is also robust to input symbols as it does not have any restriction on the input symbols with regard to their constellation or their statistical properties. In addition, this diversity-based algorithm is computationally efficient, and its performance compares favorably to most existing blind algorithms.
Capacitance Modeling of Complex Topographical Silicon Quantum Dot Structures

Quantum dot (QD) layouts are becoming more complex as the technology is being applied to more sophisticated multi-QD structures. This increase in complexity requires improved capacitance modeling both for the design and accurate interpretation of QD properties from measurement. A combination of process simulation, electrostatic simulation, and computer-assisted design (CAD) layout packages are used to develop a 3-D classical capacitance model. The agreement of the classical model's capacitances is tested against two different, experimentally measured, topographically complex silicon QD geometries. Agreement with experiment, within 10%-20%, is demonstrated for the two structures when the details of the structure are transferred from the CAD to the model capturing the full 3-D topography. Small uncertainties in device dimensions due to uncontrolled variation in processing, like layer thickness and gate size, are calculated to be sufficient to explain the disagreement. The sensitivity of the capacitances to small variations in the structure also highlights the limits of accuracy of capacitance models for QD analysis. We furthermore observe that a critical density, the metal-insulator transition, can be used as a good approximation of the metallic edge of the QD when electron density in the dot is calculated directly with a semiclassical simulation.
A METHOD FOR DEVELOPING DESIGN FOR ENVIRONMENT GUIDELINES FOR FUTURE PRODUCT DESIGN

Design for environment principles and guidelines help designers create greener products during the early stages of design when life cycle analysis is not feasible. However, the available guidelines are not exhaustive and a general methodology for discovering guidelines has yet to be proposed. In this paper, a method for identifying green design guidelines is presented, which aims to fulfill the need for more comprehensive guidelines. The method combines typical aspects of product design, such as customer needs analysis, with reverse engineering and life cycle analysis. Although reverse engineering is commonly applied to studies of disassembly and recyclability, the methodology and case study herein show how reverse engineering can be applied to areas of product utilization and energy consumption in particular. A general description of the methodology helps readers apply it to their own studies, and a case study of electric kettles shows how each step of the method was applied to reveal four new design guidelines.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Negative contrast after prolonged discrimination maintenance

Negative contrast occurs during the abolishment of a discrimination between two stimuli even after prolonged maintenance of the discrimination virtually eliminates positive contrast.
Comparison of observed tropospheric refraction with values computed from the surface refractivity

Radar elevation-angle errors observed in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico are compared with values predicted from the surface value of the radio refractive index. Although this method of prediction is not particularly efficacious under the conditions of this experiment, encouraging agreement nevertheless was obtained between predicted and observed: a) mean value of elevation angle error, b) variation of elevation angle error with N_{s} , and c), the degree of reduction in the uncertainty of prediction gained over the use of a single-standard atmosphere.
The effect of shock wave on a human head

When a pressure wave of finite amplitude is generated in air by a rapid release of energy, such as high-pressure gas storage vessel or the blast from dynamite, there may be undetected brain injuries even though protective armors prevent the penetration of the projectile. To study brain tissue injury and design a better personnel head armor under blast wave, computational models of human head have been developed. Models with and without helmet are built to quantify the intracranial pressure and shear stresses of head subjected to blast wave. All the models are compared against injury thresholds for intracranial pressure and shear stresses. Overall pressure and shear stress level is highest in model without helmet and lowest in model with helmet having foam layer on inner side of helmet. The results show that helmet reduces the pressure and shear stresses generated in the brain. However this reduction in pressure and shear stresses might not be sufficient to mitigate early time, blast induced, traumatic brain injury. The validated results will provide better understanding of the energy transfer characteristics of blast wave through helmet and the injury mechanism of human head.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Persistent North Pacific Circulation Anomalies and the Tropical Intraseasonal Oscillation

Abstract A composite analysis of multiyear (1985–93) global reanalyses produced by the NCEP/NCAR and the NASA/DAO is used to show that the development of persistent North Pacific (PNP) circulation anomalies during NH winter is linked to tropical intraseasonal oscillations. The development is initiated over the tropical west Pacific by anomalous convection (characterized by an east–west dipole structure) one to two weeks prior to the extratropical onset time in both reanalyses. As tropical heating moves eastward toward the central Pacific, anomalous divergent outflow associated with the local Hadley circulation generates an anomalous Rossby wave sink (source) in the subtropics, consistent with the retraction (extension) of the Pacific jet. Prior to onset the signature of the forced anomalies is a pair of cyclonic (anticyclonic) circulation anomalies centered near the node of the tropical heating dipole. Wave trains extending from the region of anomalous convection into the extratropics set the stage for th...
Visual languages and the conflict between single assignment and iteration

Many visual languages follow the principle of single assignment, particularly those based on declarative programming paradigms. However, the notion of single assignment seems at odds with most forms of iteration. The authors survey a variety of approaches to this problem and then present the approach used in the visual language Forms/2. Forms/2 treats iteration in a form as a temporal sequence of instances of the form. Termination is controlled rather uniquely in Forms/2 as a direct result of the dependence-resolution evaluation mechanism. >
Exploring Antibody Recognition of Sequence Space through Random-Sequence Peptide Microarrays

A universal platform for efficiently mapping antibody epitopes would be of great use for many applications, ranging from antibody therapeutic development to vaccine design. Here we tested the feasibility of using a random peptide microarray to map antibody epitopes. Although peptide microarrays are physically constrained to ∼104 peptides per array, compared with 108 permitted in library panning approaches such as phage display, they enable a much more high though put and direct measure of binding. Long (20 mer) random sequence peptides were chosen for this study to look at an unbiased sampling of sequence space. This sampling of sequence space is sparse, as an exact epitope sequence is unlikely to appear. Commercial monoclonal antibodies with known linear epitopes or polyclonal antibodies raised against engineered 20-mer peptides were used to evaluate this array as an epitope mapping platform. Remarkably, peptides with the most sequence similarity to known epitopes were only slightly more likely to be recognized by the antibody than other random peptides. We explored the ability of two methods singly and in combination to predict the actual epitope from the random sequence peptides bound. Though the epitopes were not directly evident, subtle motifs were found among the top binding peptides for each antibody. These motifs did have some predictive ability in searching for the known epitopes among a set of decoy sequences. The second approach using a windowing alignment strategy, was able to score known epitopes of monoclonal antibodies well within the test dataset, but did not perform as well on polyclonals. Random peptide microarrays of even limited diversity may serve as a useful tool to prioritize candidates for epitope mapping or antigen identification.
THE ROLE OF MECHANOBIOLOGY IN TENDON HEALING

Mechanical cues affect tendon healing, homeostasis, and development in a variety of settings. Alterations in the mechanical environment are known to result in changes in the expression of extracellular matrix proteins, growth factors, transcription factors, and cytokines that can alter tendon structure and cell viability. Loss of muscle force in utero or in the immediate postnatal period delays tendon and enthesis development. The response of healing tendons to mechanical load varies depending on anatomic location. Flexor tendons require motion to prevent adhesion formation, yet excessive force results in gap formation and subsequent weakening of the repair. Excessive motion in the setting of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction causes accumulation of macrophages, which are detrimental to tendon graft healing. Complete removal of load is detrimental to rotator cuff healing; yet, large forces are also harmful. Controlled loading can enhance healing in most settings; however, a fine balance must be reached between loads that are too low (leading to a catabolic state) and too high (leading to microdamage). This review will summarize existing knowledge of the mechanobiology of tendon development, homeostasis, and healing.
The road to conductors of high temperature superconductors: 10 years do make a difference!

Amongst all the predictions for a superconducting future that were made in the early days after the discovery of high temperature superconductivity, most depended on the development of conductors from which magnets, motors, power cables etc. could be constructed. Until 1989, there seemed little prospect of such a technology because polycrystalline forms of HTS were granular and transmitted current very poorly. Starting with an empirical breakthrough in 1959, a strong set of large scale demonstration devices have been made with high temperature superconductors. The foundation of all this technology lies in the conductor. For HTS conductors, 10 years does indeed make a difference, as this review summarizes.
A Qualia Framework for Ladar 3D Object Classification

LADAR provides 3D shape information that has yet to be fully exploited for object recognition or classification. This is partly due to the operating conditions, but mostly due to a representational gap in computational intelligence. This paper briefly explores some of the hurdles of object classification using LADAR data and proposes a theoretical framework, based on the biological inspiration of qualia, we believe will allow us to address these operating conditions and, most importantly, this representational gap. Our framework works on concepts instead of parts, and iterates a top-down and bottom-up solution that updates the hypothesis with the accrual of evidence. This creates a system that we believe will generalize concepts, learn from experience, and even recognize the need for the addition of new classes based on its current world view.
Evidentiality and temporal distance learning

The grammatical category of evidentiality is traditionally defined as marking evidence type or related concepts (Anderson 1986, Willett 1988, Aikhenvald 2004). I argue against this received view as I show that evidential morphemes in Bulgarian mark the temporal distance between the time at which the speaker learned the described proposition and the topic time. I also demonstrate that Bulgarian evidentials represent projective/backgrounded content that is informative but does not affect the described proposition, which is plainly entailed. The latter fact especially has important typological and theoretical consequences. The proposal is formalized in a logic that extends Dynamic Predicate Logic by adding propositional variables (cf. AnderBois et al. 2010).
Sexual Relations in Later Life: a National Study of Married Persons

Sexual behavior among married persons 60 years of age and older was examined using data from the National Survey of Families and Households. About 53 percent of the entire sample, and 24 percent of those 76 years of age and older, report having had sexual relations at least once within the past month. Persons who have been sexually active within the past month report having sex about four times during the month. While respondent's age is significantly related to sexual behavior, the monthly incidence and overall sexual frequency variables are not influenced by gender, race, or a Gender by Spouse's Health Status interaction term. While the NSFH variables included in our model are poor predictors of elderly persons' sexual behavior, analyses reveal that a person's sense of self-worth/competence and his/her partner's health status are significantly and positively related to the incidence of sex within the past month.
Stars at the gate: the impact of star power on NBA gate revenues.

Investigations into the level of competitive balance within the four major North American professional team sports leagues suggest that the National Basketball Association (NBA) exhibits the lowest level of competitive balance. Given the role competitive balance plays in maintaining consumer demand, the authors examine the role the star attractions of the NBA play in promoting fan interest. The evidence presented suggests the choice of functional form alters the significance of the relationships uncovered. Specifically, the significance of star power is only uncovered in a multiplicative model rather than in the commonly employed linear form. Additional empirical results are reported in the text.
Supporting distributed scientific collaboration: Implications for designing the CiteSeer collaboratory

It is unclear if and how collaboratories have enhanced distributed scientific collaboration. Furthermore, little is known in the way of design strategies to support such collaboration. Based on a survey and follow-up interviews with CiteSeer users, we present four novel implications for designing the CiteSeer collaboratory. First, visualize query-based social networks to identify scholarly communities of interest. Second, provide online collaborative tool support for upstream stages of scientific collaboration. Third, support activity awareness for staying cognizant of online scientific activities. Fourth, use notification systems to convey scientific activity awareness
Comparison of restricted mean survival times between treatments based on a stratified Cox model

Causal inference in survival analysis has been centered on treatment effect assessment with adjustment of covariates. The direct adjustment method is usually employed to find the survival function of a treatment. A Cox model that stratifies the cumulative hazard by treat- ment is an ideal choice for performing direct adjustment because the treatment effects are allowed to vary over time. A SAS macro was developed to implement compari- son of direct adjusted survivals between treatments at a selected time point. The restricted mean survival time can be derived from a direct adjusted survival function. This statistic summarizes the survival outcome of a treatment. Comparison of restricted means provides assessment of treatment effect over a time interval. The first aim of this article was to provide an overview of the restricted mean survival time. The second aim was to introduce a SAS macro that computes the restricted mean survival times from direct adjusted survivals based on a stratified Cox model. Data preparation and macro invocation are illus- trated in an analysis of survival data involving three types of stem cell transplants.
Approaches to high quality speech coding using gain-adaptive vector quantization

Preliminary results of ongoing research to utilize vector quantization to achieve practical high quality speech coding at 8 kb/s are reported. The basic concepts of speech coding and vector quantization are discussed, followed by a description of the gain adaptive time domain vector quantizer and the gain adaptive transform domain vector quantizer. The quantitative and qualitative performance of the proposed coding systems is presented. >
Three-dimensional N=6 superconformal field theories and their membrane dynamics

We analyze several aspects of the recent construction of three-dimensional conformal gauge theories by Aharony et al. in various regimes. We pay special attention to understanding how the M-theory geometry and interpretation can be extracted from the analysis of the field theory. We revisit the calculations of the moduli space of vacua and the complete characterization of chiral ring operators by analyzing the field theory compactified on a 2-sphere. We show that many of the states dual to these operators can be interpreted as D-brane states in the weak-coupling limit. Also, various features of the dual AdS geometry can be obtained by performing a strong coupling expansion around moduli space configurations, even though one is not taking the planar expansion. In particular, we show that at strong coupling the corresponding weak-coupling D-brane states of the chiral ring localize on particular submanifolds of the dual geometry that match the M-theory interpretation. We also study the massive spectrum of fields in the moduli space. We use this to investigate the dispersion relation of giant magnons from the field theory point of view. Our analysis predicts the exact functional form of the dispersion relation as a function of the world sheet momentum, independently of integrability assumptions, but not the exact form with respect to the 't Hooft coupling. We also get the dispersion relation of bound states of giant magnons from first principles, providing evidence for the full integrability of the corresponding spin chain model at strong 't Hooft coupling.
Knee extension torque during repeated knee extension-flexion reversals and separated knee extension-flexion dyads.

I measured the knee extension torque, produced by eight hemiparetic patients during repeated knee extension-flexion reversals and during separated knee extension-flexion dyads, to determine the effect of “reversal of antagonists” on knee extension torque. The hemiparesis in these eight patients was secondary to intracranial lesions. I tested their involved lower extremity on an isokinetic dynamometer at 60°/sec. Using a sequential medical-trials design, I found knee extension torque to be significantly greater during repeated knee extension-flexion reversals than during separated knee extension-flexion dyads ( p < .05). I, therefore, concluded that reversal of antagonists may facilitate knee extension torque production in the type of patients tested, under the specific conditions of their testing.
The Toyota Production System: Â¬Sthe Scent of the Cornered Ferretâ¬?

This case provides a history of Toyota and describes the famed Toyota Production System (TPS). It follows the company from its founding, in 1933, up to 2007. The case can be used to introduce TPS as well as to discuss the factors necessary to sustain a corporate strategy through long periods of international growth.
Operator Testing on Dual-Hoist Cranes Moving Triangular Payloads

Certain heavy-lifting applications require the coordinated movement of multiple cranes. Such tasks dramatically increase the complexity of crane operation, especially when the payload has a non-uniform shape. Therefore, controlling such a complex dynamic system requires skilled operators. However, even with extensive operator training, manipulating a crane with a large payload is difficult and presents serious safety hazards. This paper studies the dynamic behavior of a dual-hoist bridge crane moving triangular payloads. Test subjects used a wireless controller to move a dual-hoist crane with a triangular payload. They drove the payload through an obstacle course under various operating conditions. The time required to complete the course and the operator effort were recorded. Test runs were completed with and without input-shaping oscillation control. The result shows that using input-shaping oscillation control significantly reduces not only the task completion time but also the number of button pushes.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Radiostereometric Evaluation of Tendon Elongation After Distal Biceps Repair.

Background:Operative repair of distal biceps tendon ruptures has shown successful outcomes. However, little is known about the amount of tendon or repair site lengthening after repair.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this study was to evaluate distal biceps tendon repair via intratendinous radiostereometric analysis to analyze tendon lengthening at different time intervals of healing. The hypothesis was that there is significant lengthening after repair.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Eleven patients with distal biceps ruptures requiring operative repair were recruited. During repair, two 2-mm tantalum beads with laser-etched holes were sutured to the distal biceps tendon. Beads were evaluated via computed tomography scans immediately postoperatively and at 16 weeks. Radiographs were obtained at time 0 and then at 4, 8, and 16 weeks postoperatively. Measurements were made using the button-to-bead and bead-to-bead distances to assess repair site elongation as well as tendon elongati...
Towards a rigorous approach to artificial dissipation

Artificial dissipation in modern computational fluid dynamics is something of an art. In spite of the dramatic strides made over the last decade, dissipation continues to lack a quantitative theory with predictive power. Such a theory, based on entropy production, is presented. An important side-effect is nonlinear stability for schemes which satisfy certain conditions.
When Restoration Fails: One State's Answer to the Dilemma of Permanent Incompetence

The landmark 1972 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Jackson v. Indiana prohibited the indefinite commitment of criminal defendants on grounds of incompetence to stand trial if there was no substantial probability of restoration to competency in the foreseeable future. Such defendants are still subject to ordinary civil commitment; however, not all will meet civil commitment criteria, given that the criteria for a finding of incompetency to stand trial do not map directly onto the general criteria for involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. If a person charged with a serious crime, such as murder, has no substantial probability of being restored to competency, but does not meet standard civil commitment criteria, compliance with Jackson would seem to require release into the community. This article describes a legislative response to this possibility that became law in California four decades ago, as well as the outcome of its main legal challenge a few years later. Although the law has received harsh criticism from some quarters, it has survived, and provides a legally straightforward, if ethically controversial, means of answering the question of what to do with a permanently incompetent defendant who is charged with a serious violent offense and does not meet traditional civil commitment criteria.
Sociality, Unity, Objectivity

Numerous social and political theorists have referred to social groups or societies as "unities." What makes a unity of a social group? I address this question with special reference to the theory of social groups proposed in my books On Social Facts and Living Together: Rationality, Sociality and Obligation. I argue that social groups of a central kind require an underlying "joint commitment." I explain what I mean by a "joint commitment." If joint commitments in my sense underlie them, what kind of unity does this give social groups? in what sense or senses is it objective?
TU-H-204-03: NCRP PAC 4 (Radiation Protection in Medicine)

Since 1928, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has developed, maintained, and elaborated the International System of Radiological Protection used world-wide as the common basis for radiological protection standards, legislation, guidelines, programs, and practice. ICRP provides and periodically revises radiation and tissue weighing factors, provides and updates recommended dose limits for occupational and public exposures, recommends dose levels for termination of pregnancy, and estimates threshold doses for tissue reactions (deterministic effects). ICRP developed the dose quantity “effective dose”. NCRP Council Committee 1 (CC-1) is charged with developing recommendations for revising radiation protection guidance for the United States. Topics to be discussed include a summary of current ICRP guidance, NCRP CC-1 directions, NRC regulatory changes on the horizon, and potential implications of radiation protection guidance changes on the practice of medicine. The opinions of AAPM members on potential changes are welcomed. NCRP Program Area Committee (PAC) 4 has oversight of activities in radiation protection in medicine, including protection of patients and training of health care workers. Documents have been published recently on diagnostic reference levels and achievable doses, health effects of preconception and prenatal radiation exposure, and administrative policies for quality assurance and peer review of tissue reactions associated with fluoroscopically guided interventions. Additional documents are in preparation. Learning Objectives: 1.To understand the international system of radiation protection and learn about the work of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in relation to activities of medical physicists 2.To understand the ongoing work of NCRP in developing new guidance for radiation protection in the U.S. 3.To understand the ongoing work of NCRP in developing new recommendations for radiation protection in medicine. 4.To learn about other national organizations in US whose work plays a useful role in the activities of medical physicists. M. Rehani, Work done as part of being member of ICRP. ICRP is an independent charity.
How to create an integrated world-class lean SCM environment

This chapter discusses the merging of supply chain management (SCM) and Lean principle to create an integrated world-class Lean SCM environment. SCM requires optimized movement of resources from supplier to customer. SCM requires a plan of operation for implementing the identified changes. Lean focuses on the elimination of nonvalue-added activities, reduction of cycle time, and optimization of quality. If SCM and Lean principles and goals are put side by side, a dynamic synergy of opportunity appears. SCM is the big-picture environment that requires integration and optimization, whereas Lean is the optimizer that offers the tools to accomplish the optimization. The two systems merge nicely, and a synergy occurs that makes them able to optimize each other's performance. Through the use of acceptance and technical tools, the performance of Lean optimizes the performance of a supply chain, which is the ultimate goal of any SCM environment. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the effectiveness of this integration, which can be found in different environments.
Amitav Ghosh: An Introduction

Contemporary Indian Writers in English (CIWE) is a series that presents critical commentaries on some of the best-known names in the genre. With the high visibility of Indian writing in English in academic, critical, pedagogic and reader circles, there is a perceivable demand for lucid yet rigorous introduction of several of its authors and genres. Amitav Ghosh, a novelist with an extraordinary sense of history and place, is indisputably one of the most important novelists and essayists of our time. In this volume, John Hawley provides a lucid, friendly and thorough introduction to the fiction and essays of Ghosh.
Optimal state estimation for Boolean dynamical systems

A novel state-space signal model is proposed for discrete-time Boolean dynamical systems. State evolution is governed by Boolean functions (i.e., logic gates) plus binary noise. The current system state is observed through an arbitrary function plus observation noise. The optimal recursive MMSE estimator for this model is called the Boolean Kalman filter (BKF), and an efficient algorithm is presented for its exact computation. The BKF is illustrated through an example of optimal context inference for Probabilistic Boolean Networks.
Nitric Oxide Modulates Postnatal Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Migration.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small free-radical gas molecule, which is highly diffusible and can activate a wide range of downstream effectors, with rapid and widespread cellular effects. NO is a versatile signaling mediator with a plethora of cellular functions. For example, NO has been shown to regulate actin, the microfilament, dependent cellular functions, and also acts as a putative stem cell differentiation-inducing agent. In this study, using a wound-healing model of cellular migration, we have explored the effect of exogenous NO on the kinetics of movement and morphological changes in postnatal bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Cellular migration kinetics and morphological changes of the migrating MSCs were measured in the presence of an NO donor (S-Nitroso-N-Acetyl-D, L-Penicillamine, SNAP), especially, to track the dynamics of single-cell responses. Two experimental conditions were assessed, in which SNAP (200 µM) was applied to the MSCs. In the first experimental group (SN-1), SNAP was applied immediately following wound formation, and migration kinetics was determined for 24 hours. In the second experimental group (SN-2), MSCs were pretreated for 7 days with SNAP prior to wound formation and the determination of migration kinetics. The generated displacement curves were further analyzed by non-linear regression analysis. The migration displacement of the controls and NO treated MSCs (SN-1 and SN-2) were best described by a two parameter exponential functions expressing difference constant coefficients. Additionally, changes in the fractal dimension (D) of migrating MSCs were correlated with their displacement kinetics for all the three groups. Overall, these data suggest that NO may evidently function as a stop migration signal by disordering the cytoskeletal elements required for cell movement and proliferation of MSCs.
Metal Clusters in the Solid State

In solid state compounds metal clusters and metal-metal bonded arrays occur in both binary and ternary or quaternary phases. Among transition element compounds, cluster and metal-metal bonded species occur in binary halides (Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Re),1–8 oxides (Nb, Mo, W, Tc, Re),1,7,9 chalcogenides (Zr, Nb, Ta, Mo, Re)7,10–13 and pnictides (Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Re).3,7,10 Ternary and quaternary phases containing a broad representation of metal ions An+ (or Bn+), as in An(MxXy) or AmBn(MxXy), or two different anions MxXyYz, as in oxide halides and sulfide halides,14 are even more abundant. Most recently the J. Corbett and A. Simon groups have demonstrated a prolific chemistry of octahedral cluster species having either a nonmetallic or metallic element strongly bonded in the center of the unit. The “interstitial” element provides electrons in stabilized cluster orbitals resulting from strong interaction of the nonmetal p-orbitals (Be, B, C, N, Al, Si)15 or metal d-orbitals (Fe, Ru)16 with cluster orbitals of the same symmetry. Electron poor elements7 such as Sc, Y, Ln (lanthanoids) and Zr can thereby be induced to form stable clusters, e.g., Cs3Zr6Cl16C, Y6I10Ru, Gd10Cl18(C2)2 and Sc(Sc6I12(B, C)).
Development of La(CrCoFeNi)O3 system perovskites as interconnect and cathode materials for solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract The purpose of this research is to develop interconnect and cathode materials for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) which demonstrate desired properties of outstanding sintering properties, high electrical conductivity, and excellent chemical stability at high temperatures. Five different perovskite oxides of lanthanum in combination with chromium, iron, cobalt and nickel oxides powders, i.e. LaCr 0.7 Co 0.1 Fe 0.1 Ni 0.1 O 3 (LCr7CFN), LaCo 0.7 Cr 0.1 Fe 0.1 Ni 0.1 O 3 (LCo7CFN), LaFe 0.7 Cr 0.1 Co 0.1 Ni 0.1 O 3 (LFe7CCN), LaNi 0.7 Cr 0.1 Co 0.1 Fe 0.1 O 3 (LNi7CCF), and LaCr 0.25 Co 0.25 Fe 0.25 Ni 0.25 O 3 (LCCFN), were synthesized through the Pechini method. XRD results show that all materials are in single phase, either rhombohedral or orthorhombic crystal structure. The resulting powders were able to be sintered to a high relative density at a temperature of 1400 °C for 2 h in air. The electrical conductivity of the sintered sample was measured and evaluated from 300 °C to 800 °C. The LCCFN sample appears to have the best combination of sintering property (approximate 94% relative density) and electrical conductivity (88.13 Scm −1 at 800 °C).
A RIPtide Protects Neurons from Infection

RIPK3 and RIPK1 limit virus spread by executing either apoptotic or necroptotic cell death in response to infection. In a recent issue of Cell, Daniels et al. (2017) unveil an unexpected cell death-independent requirement of RIP kinase activity in coordinating neuroinflammation, restricting West Nile virus pathogenesis in neurons.
Analytic Comparison of Three Methods to Evaluate Tutorial Behaviors.

We compare the purposes, inputs, representations, and assumptions of three methods to evaluate the fine-grained interactions of intelligent tutors with their students. One method is conventional analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The second method is learning decomposition, which estimates the impact of each practice type as a parameter in an exponential learning curve. The third method is knowledge tracing, which estimates the impact of practice as a probability in a dynamic Bayes net. The comparison leads to a generalization of learning decomposition to account for slips and guesses.
Modeling treatment outcomes for patients with advanced ovarian cancer: Projected benefits of a test to optimize treatment selection.

Abstract Objective For patients with advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), substantial emphasis has been placed on diagnostic tests that can discern which of two treatment options – primary cytoreductive surgery (PCS) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval cytoreductive surgery (NACT+ICS) – optimizes patient-level outcomes. Our goal was to project potential life expectancy (LE) gains that could be achieved by use of such a test. Methods We developed a microsimulation model to project LE for patients with stage IIIC EOC. We compared: a "standard-of-care" strategy, in which patients were triaged to PCS vs. NACT+ICS based on current clinical practice; and a "test" strategy, in which patients were triaged based on results of a hypothetical test. We identified those test performance characteristics for which the test strategy outperformed the standard-of-care strategy, from a LE standpoint. Effects of parameter uncertainty were evaluated in sensitivity analysis. Results Even with a perfect test, the LE gain was modest (LE with test vs. standard-of-care strategy=67.6 vs. 66.4months; LE gain=1.2months). In order to outperform the standard-of-care, the test had to have a high probability of correctly identifying "resectable" patients at PCS (i.e. those for whom complete or optimal cytoreduction would be possible); this test property was more important than correct triage of unresectable patients to NACT+ICS. Results were sensitive to the proportion of patients whose underlying disease was resectable at PCS. Conclusion Diagnostic tests that are designed to triage patients with advanced stage EOC will likely have only a modest effect on LE.
The Discretized Curve: Vertices, Edges, and Curvature

Relevant background material on approximating a continuous space curve using a discrete set of lines connected at vertices is assembled in this chapter. The formulation uses concepts from the nascent field of discrete differential geometry. The resulting discretized curve is a central component of the discrete elastic rod formulation. In particular, the discrete curvature vector associated with a vertex is used as a measure of bending strains and the length of the edges are used to account for stretching. For the purposes of illustration, the discretization of a helical space curve is discussed in detail.
Determination of accurate and precise chromium isotope ratios in seawater samples by MC-ICP-MS illustrated by analysis of SAFe Station in the North Pacific Ocean

Abstract Although the cycling of chromium (Cr) in the ocean may have direct implications on the Cr isotope system's application as a paleo-redox proxy, little seawater Cr isotope data has been published. This may be partly due to the analytical challenges associated with the preconcentration and the purification of the nano-molar trace metal Cr from the seawater matrix. Here, we present a reliable method for the determination of accurate and precise 53Cr/52Cr isotope ratios of total chromium (=Cr(III) + Cr(VI)) in seawater, which could be modified to be redox species-specific. Seawater acidification induces the slow conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Total Cr of the sample and an equilibrated 50Cr-54Cr double spike is preconcentrated as Cr(III) using Mg(OH)2 coprecipitation. Cr captured by the Mg(OH)2 pellet is oxidized to Cr(VI) using (NH4)2S2O8 under carefully controlled pH, temperature and time settings, in order to avoid H2O2 generation and to control sulfur speciation. Taking advantage of the differing charges of Cr(III) and Cr(VI), three AG 1-X8 columns separate Cr from the salt matrix and isobaric interferences V, Ti, and Fe (column 1), sulfur polyatomic interferences (column 2), and Fe traces (column 3). Analysis is conducted on a MC-ICP-MS IsoProbe featuring a hexapole collision cell in low resolution mode. When pure solutions of SRM 979 are processed via this low blank method (~0.017 nmol of Cr), δ53Cr w.r.t. SRM 979 = +0.02 ± 0.06‰ (±2 SD) is obtained (n = 10). Using this technique, the first full water column profile of Cr isotope ratios at a station in the Pacific Ocean (SAFe station, 30°N 140°W) was generated and demonstrates high oceanographic consistency. This article is part of a special issue entitled: “Cycles of trace elements and isotopes in the ocean – GEOTRACES and beyond” - edited by Tim M. Conway, Tristan Horner, Yves Plancherel, and Aridane G. Gonzalez.
Infectious Diseases After Hydrologic Disasters

Hydrologic disasters, including hurricanes, tsunamis, and severe flooding, have been associated with infectious diseases, particularly among vulnerable and displaced populations in resource-poor settings. Skin and soft tissue infections, gastrointestinal infections, respiratory infections, zoonotic infections, and vector-borne diseases each present unique threats to human health in this setting. Increased emergency physician awareness of these infectious diseases and their diagnosis and management helps optimize medical care for survivors after a hydrologic disaster and safeguard the health of disaster responders.
Microcelebrity: The Impact of Information Source, Hotel Type, and Misleading Photos on Consumers’ Responses:

In this research, the effects of microcelebrity endorsements on customers’ attitude and booking intentions toward hotels are examined. Specifically, Study 1 manipulated the effect of information so...
A setup for extreme-ultraviolet ultrafast angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy at 50-kHz repetition rate

We demonstrate a novel table-top trARPES setup that combines a bright 50-kHz source of narrowband, extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses at 22.3 eV with UHV photoemission instrumentation, enabling sensitive access to dynamics over a large momentum space.
8 – Structured Programming

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses how computer programs are designed and what programming and design techniques help ensure good programs. The chapter reviews what structured programming is and how sequence, selection, and repetition program structures are used to create structured programs. Flowcharting is a popular means of designing programs. It graphically illustrates the decision-making operations. Pseudocode, also called structured English, allows programmers to use English-like statements to write an explanation of what a program is to do. The programmer uses key words as if writing in a structured programming language. Text can be maintained by computerized text editing; it makes corrections and changes easy. A structured walkthrough is a peer group review of an individual's work. The group checks for various things such as, accuracy, adherence to standards, and proper coding techniques. It is intended to be constructive. Structured walkthroughs are not used universally but are becoming more popular. The chapter also reviews how programming teams facilitate the development of large systems of programs.