cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visually-complete aerial LiDAR point cloud rendering

Aerial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) point clouds are gathered by a downward scanning laser on a low-flying aircraft. Due to the imaging process, vertical surface features such as building walls, and ground areas under tree canopies are totally or partially occluded, resulting in gaps and sparsely sampled areas. These gaps produce unwanted holes and uneven point distributions that often produce artifacts when visualized using point-based rendering (PBR) techniques. We show how to extend PBR by inferring the physical nature of LiDAR points for visual realism and added comprehension. More specifically, the class of object a point is related to augments the point cloud in pre-processing and/or adapts the online rendering, to produce visualizations that are more complete and realistic. We provide examples of point cloud augmentation for building walls and ground areas under tree canopies. We show how different types of procedurally generated geometry can be used to recover building walls. These methods are generic and can be applied to any aerial LiDAR data set with buildings and trees. Our work also incorporates an out-of-core strategy for hierarchical data management and GPU-accelerated PBR with extended deferred shading. The combined system provides interactive visually-complete rendering of virtually unlimited-size LiDAR point clouds. Experimental results show that our rendering approach adds only a slight overhead to PBR and provides comparable visual cues to visualizations generated by off-line pre-computation of 3D polygonal urban models.
Chemical stability of mitomycin C in culture medium with and without fetal calf serum as determined by high pressure liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

Mitomycin C (MMC), a known mutagen and positive control chemical forin vitro mutagen assays, reacted with components of culture medium containing antibiotics with and without fetal calf serum within 30 min incubation at 38°C. The amount of MMC in medium with fetal calf serum was reduced by 29% after 30 min and by 53% after 60 min incubation. Many changes in species composition were apparent after 60 min incubation, with the greater change in composition occurring in culture medium containing fetal calf serum. The purity of several commercial preparations of MMC varied considerably; one preparation contained a contaminant of greater concentration than MMC, if one assumes the same relative response of the mass spectrometer.
Layered manufacturing of surfaces with open contours using localized wall thickening

Sheet surfaces are commonly used in design to represent thin-walled surfaces. A method of manufacturing these surfaces via layered manufacturing (LM) using local wall thickening is presented. By considering the accuracy of only one side of the surface important, the need for support structured can be removed by thickened regions on the unimportant side. This preserves the accuracy of the accurate side while reducing the total material used and build time during manufacture. A method of selecting an orientation to maximize the accuracy of the important side while minimizing the amount of wall thickening is presented. Also, algorithms for locally thickening the surface and generating slices for manufacturing on a LM machine are developed. Finally, several examples are manufactured using the proposed method to compare material and build time savings over conventional support methods.
A comparison, by sweep sampling, of the insect fauna from corn and sweet potato monocultures and dicultures in Costa Rica.

The insect fauna of 80 day-old plots of corn and sweet potato monocultures and dicultures in Costa Rica were compared using sweep sampling. Six hundred sweeps were taken in each of the three habitats. There were 15% more total species in the diculture than either monoculture but approximately the same total number of individuals. There were 75% more species and approximately 100% more individuals of parasitic Hymenoptera in the diculture than the monocultures. The ratio of numbers of phytophagous individuals to predaceous/parasitic individuals was lowest in the diculture (2.5) and highest in the sweet potato monoculture (14.3). It is suggested that these patterns may be explained if phytophagous insects are limited basically by abundance and diversity of food so that a diculture is at best the sum of two monocultures. However if abundance and diversity of parasitic insects depends more on structural complexity, the result of putting together two monocultures would be synergistic in terms of numbers and species of insects.Two chrysomelid beetles and two leaf-hopper species that were extremely common in the monocultures were significantly less common or absent in the polyculture, and only one leaf-hopper that was rare in the monocultures was relatively more common in the diculture. Comparison of species similarity showed that the corn monoculture and the diculture were much more similar than the sweet potato monoculture and the diculture, and the two monocultures showed the least similarity.Statistically smoothed out species-subsample curves were constructed for each of the three habitats, the curves were fitted to a mathematical model, and they were then extended in order to predict the theoretical total number of species in all three communities sampled. Extrapolation of the curves suggests that approximately 33% of the total sweepable insect community was sampled in the three habitats.One year after the initial sweep samples were taken, the populations of two sweet potato pests, Diabrotica balteata and Diabrotica adelpha, were sampled ten times over a 120 day period in plots of corn and sweet potato monocultures and dicultures. Approximately 50 days after planting, the numbers of both beetles on sweet potato in monocultures were much higher than in dicultures. This trend continued the rest of the season, the difference reaching a maximum approximately 90 days after planting.These data suggest that indigenous agriculturalists are correct: increasing resource diversity in a cropping system may act as a form of biological control, by increasing the relative abundance and diversity of the predaceous parasitic fauna and decreasing the abundance of the major herbivores.
Spontaneous heritable changes leading to increased adipose conversion in 3T3 cells

When their growth is arrested in culture, susceptible 3T3 fibroblasts differentiate into adipose cells. Different clones form adipose cells with different frequency, depending upon the proportion of susceptible cells they contain. In cultures grown from small inocula, the fat cells appear in clusters formed by colonies of susceptible cells. Study of these clusters indicates the infrequent occurrence of cellular transitions from insusceptible to susceptible state. Beginning with a clone converting to adipose cells with a vary low frequency, it has been possible, by serial selection, to generate subclones which convert with a high frequency. This evolution is due to spontaneous heritable changes affecting susceptibility to the adipose conversion. Presumably, they involve the control of triglyceride synthesis. Early stages of the adipose conversion may be recognized in stained cultures. When triglyceride first begins to accumulate, the highly extended and flattened processes of the cells are probably similar to those of nonfatty cells in the same cultures. As the adipose conversion proceeds, the processes thicken and retract; the cells eventually acquire the rounded shape of the more mature adipose cells.
Magnetic bubble memory organization

Magnetic bubbles offer promise of data storage at a lower cost than is possible using semiconductor technologies. However, a memory using magnetic bubbles is most economically implemented in the form of long shift registers, rather than as a random access storage device. This plus a lower shift rate than is possible with semiconductors suggests relatively long average access times. This shortcoming is largely overcome by an organizational technique called dynamic ordering, which can reduce the average number of shifts needed to access data. A dynamically ordered magnetic bubble memory, when combined with one or more smaller semiconductor memories in a hierarchy, should provide both large capacity and good performance with reasonable economy.
Purification and properties of ostrich heart malate dehydrogenases.

Abstract The supernatant form of malate dehydrogenase l -malate; DPN oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.37 has been purified from the heart of a Masai ostrich ( Struthio camelus ). The enzyme was crystallized and was found to be homogeneous on ultracentrifugal analysis, having a s 20,w value of 3.8. The properties of this enzyme have been compared with the properties of partially purified ostrich mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase and with crystalline chicken supernatant and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenases. Both ostrich enzymes have properties very similar to their counterparts in chicken. The amino acid compositions of ostrich and chicken supernatant malate dehydrogenases are strikingly similar.
A Choice-Based Mixed Integer Programming Formulation for Network Revenue Management

Airlines routinely use revenue management techniques to improve their revenue performance by optimizing the available fares for the various flights that they operate within their network. These approaches often assume independent passenger demand, which essentially ignores the interactions between various fare classes and routing options. In this article, we build on previous studies that explicitly incorporate passenger choice and fare class/routing interactions using a MultiNomial Logit discrete choice model by presenting an alternative Mixed Integer Programming formulation for the problem. The formulation yields substantial reduction in the number of variables over the Choice-based Deterministic Linear Program while maintaining revenue performance. Using small and larger network examples from the literature, we demonstrate performance improvements that one can obtain in comparison to popular leg- and network-based revenue management methods currently used in practice, and explain how the solution can be implemented in real-life systems.
Designing and implementing high-performance media-on-demand servers

Of the many potential interactive multimedia applications, media-on-demand (MOD) has generated the most excitement. MOD lets users receive services from remote resources interactively, at their own pace. The quintessential example of these services is video-on-demand. Consumers are able to order and view movies of their choice, at their convenience, from their home, using a remote control. This scenario, though achievable, remains just a concept. Although recent advances in networking, processing, and storage have brought this concept closer to reality, large-scale deployment of MOD services remains a complex problem. We believe that using high-performance computers as MOD servers offers the best solution. However, implementing these servers poses its own challenges. The article examines such a server's requirements and implementation problems. >
Sedimentation in nano-colloidal dispersions: Effects of collective interactions and particle charge

This is a review paper summarizing the progress of the development of colloidal sedimentation models for monodisperse, bidisperse, and polydisperse nanoparticle dispersions. This topic is of considerable interest because the sedimentation behavior of nanoparticles plays an important role in many practical systems, such as industrial coatings, optical products, ceramics, paints, dyes, and cosmetics. The limitations of various models are discussed. Multi-particle systems are highlighted, with a focus on the collective thermodynamic interactions resulting in the attractive depletion and repulsive structural forces. The effects of the particle concentration, particle charge, polydispersity in size, and electrolyte concentration on the sedimentation process are briefly summarized. Our contributions to this subject are reviewed.
A Swinging Stage to Continuously Level a Platform Balance for Field Use

Subsample wet weight is usually taken with a portable platform balance often times situated on the tailgate of a truck. Each time the vehicle is moved, the balance must be re-leveled, and depending on the terrain, it may have to be shimmed. A "Swinging Stage" was designed, built, and tested to determine its usefulness in weighing subsamples. The Swinging Stage was constructed from common materials and takes about an hour to build. After the parts are cut and preassembled, the support hanger can be secured to a truck's stake rack and the stage suspended from it. Next, a platform balance can be placed onto the stage and initially leveled. To test the Swinging Stage performance, the vehicle was moved several times onto varying slopes and each time the balance remained level. The Swinging Stage eliminated the time and frustration of leveling a platform balance each time the vehicle was moved.
Within-person variability of urinary bisphenol-A in postmenopausal women

Abstract We evaluated the within-person variability of urinary BPA levels over two samples collected three years apart in 90 Women's Health Initiative participants. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.09 (95% CI 0.01–0.44), indicating high within-participant variability relative to the between-person variation. Concordance of BPA quartile over time was low (31.7%) and was unrelated to demographic, behavioral, or dietary factors. A single, or even several, measurements of BPA may not adequately classify long-term exposure in human studies.
Rotating Aperture Devices In X-Ray Tomography

Rotating aperture wheel (RAW) devices can be used in conventional tomography. This represents the possibility for the first application of efficient scanning slit anti-scatter techniques to this area of radiology characterized by inherently low contrast images. One coder wheel between the x-ray tube and patient and two scatter discriminator wheels between the patient and image receptor form sections of the RAW "projection cone" with the lines of radiation from the x-ray source forming the "flux pyramid". As long as the projection cone follows the motion of the x-ray flux pyramid (with the ratios of the distances between the x-ray source, RAWs, patient, and image receptor kept constant throughout the motion) any RAW pattern may be used. Simple relations are given which describe the geometric constraints for various tomographic motions. As in any application of scanning slit techniques, it would be possible to use the excellent scatter elimination capabilities of a RAW device either to improve image contrast or to reduce patient dose. Applications of rotating apertures to computed tomography (CT) are also possible. Multiple, simultaneous coronal or sagittal sections might be obtained with incomplete sets of projections using a single RAW system or with complete sets of data using two orthogonal RAW systems. A new device involving three concentric cylindrical rotating apertures is introduced which appears to be applicable to simultaneous multi-plane CT using late generation CT scanner geometries.
Flow structure in a three‐dimensional bubble column and three‐phase fluidized bed

Macroscopic flow structures of 3-D bubble columns and gas-liquid-solid fluidization systems under various operating conditions are studied using particle image velocimetry. Flow visualization is also conducted with the aid of a laser sheeting technique. The refractive index matching technique is used to eliminate the opaqueness of solid particles occurring in the visualization study of gas-liquid-solid fluidization. Three flow regimes (dispersed bubble, vortical-spiral flow, and turbulent flow) are identified. The flow structure is investigated for various operating variables including liquid velocity, gas velocity, and particle holdups. Four flow regions (descending flow, vortical-spiral flow, fast bubble flow, and central plume) can generally be characterized in the vortical-spiral flow regime where the gross circulation pattern occurs. A conceptual model for the flow structure in the vortical-spiral flow regime is discussed. The transition of the flow regimes and structure in the vortical-spiral flow regime is postulated to be related to the Taylor instability for flow between two concentric rotating cylinders. Similarities between the flow structures of 2- and 3-D beds are also discussed.
On the dynamics of the Ising model of cooperative phenomena

Abstract A two-dimensional (and to some degree three-dimensional) version of Glauber's one-dimensional spin relaxation model is described. The model is constructed to yield the Ising model of cooperative phenomena at equilibrium. A complete hierarchy of differential equations for multispin correlation functions is constructed. Some remarks are made concerning the solution of them for the initial value problem of determining the relaxation of an initial set of spin distributions.
Behavior of Large Pores During Sintering and Hot Isostatic Pressing

A viscoelastic model that describes the shrinkage rate of large pores within a fine-grained body has been developed. The concept is based on a shrinkage potential derived from the surface and grain-boundary tensions and viscous response determined by the creep characteristics of the polycrystal. Pore removal rates are also derived and used to predict pore removal times during sintering and hot isostatic pressing. I. Introduction HE mechanical properties of many sintered ceramics are limT ited by the presence of large pores. ’ Such pores occur because of entrapped organics, rearrangement, local melting, etc. Removal of large pores by either prolonged sintering or hot isostatic pressing should thus improve the mechanical performance of the material, provided that appreciable grain growth is suppressed. This paper provides an analysis of pore removal rates pertinent to this phenomenon. When the pores are large compared with the grain diameter, pore removal can be analyzed by regarding the polycrystal as a continuum subject to viscoelastic deformation. The removal rate is thus dictated by the stresses created by the surface and grainboundary tensions and the viscosity of the polycrystal. The analysis has some similarity with the analysis of shrinkage in amorphous solids, previously conducted by Mackenzie and Shuttleworth.’ However, it is noted that, when the pores reduce in size to be of the order of the grain size, the continuum analysis is inadequate and consideration of local diffusive fluxes into the pores is needed to deduce the shrinkage rate.3 The viscoelastic properties of ceramic polycrystals have been extensively characterized, by means of creep studies4 Such studies provide a basis for describing matrix deformation rates during sintering. For present purposes, linear behavior is assumed, with the viscosity, 7, given by5
A new finite element for modeling pneumatic muscle actuators

Pneumatic Muscle Actuators (PMAs) have recently been used as control devices in parachute soft landing systems and parachute steering control systems. In this paper, a special cable element is developed to model the mechanical behavior of PMAs. The new element provides relationships between the PMA internal pressure, fiber bias angle, PMA radius and length, and resultant axial force, based on the kinematic assumption of inextensible PMA fibers. The principle of virtual work and total Lagrange formulation are used to derive the element internal force vector and tangent stiffness matrix. The PMA element is implemented in a geometrically nonlinear, transient finite element program for simulating the structural dynamics of airdrop systems. Several numerical examples are given to validate the mechanical behavior of the new element. Two large-scale application problems are also presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the new element for simulating PMAs used in airdrop systems.
Imaging in endometrial carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Prognosis depends on patient age, histological grade, depth of myometrial invasion and/or cervical invasion, and the presence of lymph node metastases. Although EC is staged surgically according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) system, preoperative imaging can assist in optimal treatment planning. Several imaging techniques such as transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been used as diagnostic tools for preoperative staging of EC. Recently, positron emission tomography (PET), PET/CT, and PET/MRI have also been used in staging these patients. In this article, we review the value of imaging in diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and detection of recurrent disease in patients with EC.
High-temperature series for the +/-J random-bond Ising model.

High-temperature-series expansions for the magnetic and spin-glass susceptibilities are computed to fifteenth order in tanh(J/T) for the \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}J random-bond Ising model on simple-cubic and hypercubic lattices, as a function of the fraction of ferromagnetic bonds, p. The ferromagnet\char21{}spin-glass multicritical point occurs for p=0.810\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.020 on the simple-cubic lattice, for p=0.720\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015 on the d=4 hypercubic lattice, and for p=0.680\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010 on the d=5 hypercubic lattice.
Hypnosis, hypnotic responsiveness, and learning meaningful material.

Abstract 3 antecedent conditions were compared for their ability to enhance recall of meaningful material. The conditions were as follows: (a) group hypnotic instruction followed by posthypnotic suggestions of enhanced concentration and recall ability, (b) task motivation instructions to Ss to imagine and try their best, and (c) no special instructions (control). No differences in recall ability were found among the conditions. Also, high and low susceptible Ss performed essentially the same. The findings have implications for applied hypnosis and suggest that further study is indicated to clarify the usefulness of hypnosis for enhancing learning ability.
Interaction of 1-ethynylpyrene and hepatic CYPIA1 from rainbow trout.

1-Ethynylpyrene (EP) inhibits microsomal 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activities from the liver of both trout and rat. Trout hepatocytes treated with EP had increased microsomal EROD activity and a concomitant increase in CYPIA1 protein as measured by Western blot analysis. EP at 10−9–10−6 M did not interfere with β-naphthoflavone (BNF) induction of CYPIA1 in trout hepatocytes. In contrast, treatment with α-naphthoflavone (ANF), another inhibitor of CYPIA1, resulted in a significant inhibition of the basal (at 10−6 M ANF) and BNF induced (at 10−8 M and higher concentrations of ANF) level of EROD activity. ANF also did not significantly induce CYPIA1 protein but led to attenuation of the induction of CYPIA1 proteins by BNF in trout hepatocyte cultures. Thus, in trout hepatocytes, EP acts differently from ANF in the modulation of CYPIA1.
Modeling the subglacial hydrology of the late Pleistocene Lake Michigan Lobe, Laurentide Ice Sheet

The fast ice flow characteristic of the low-gradient Lake Michigan Lobe of the southern Laurentide Ice Sheet during the last glaciation likely resulted from some combination of subglacial sediment deformation and sliding at the ice-bed interface. Both mechanisms require high basal water pressure relative to overlying ice pressure. To evaluate the basal water pressures of the Lake Michigan Lobe, we used the groundwater model MODFLOW to simulate groundwater flow along a 1040-km-long flow line corresponding to the flow path taken by the ice lobe. Our simulations show that groundwater flow directions and velocities were substantially different than modern conditions. Simulations also indicate that subglacial aquifers were not capable of evacuating the estimated basal meltwater, but that excess water draining through a basal drainage system such as one that may underlie Ice Stream B, West Antarctic Ice Sheet, would prevent basal water pressure from exceeding the ice-overburden pressure. The buried Mahomet bedrock-valley system near the distal end of the Lake Michigan Lobe could have drained enough subglacial water to substantially lower basal water pressure and thus affect the dynamics of the lobe. By draining basal meltwater away from the Lake Michigan Lobe, the buried Mahomet bedrock-valley system may have attenuated the effect of permafrost on basal water pressure. During the Last Glacial Maximum, groundwater-flow patterns and velocities were altered or reversed relative to present conditions.
Interleukins 4 and 13 modulate gene expression and promote proliferation of primary human tenocytes.

Tendon disorders (tendinopathies) pose serious biomedical and socioeconomic problems. Despite diverse treatment approaches, the best treatment strategy remains unclear. Surgery remains the last resort because of the associated morbidity and inconsistent outcomes. We hypothesized that, similar to fibroblasts in various organs, tendon fibroblasts (tenocytes) might be responsive to stimulation with interleukins (ILs), particularly IL-4 and IL-13. These two cytokines share sequence homology, receptor chains and functional effects, including stimulation of fibrogenesis. It is unknown whether tenocytes are responsive to stimulation with IL-4 or IL-13. If true, local use of these cytokines might be used to facilitate tendon repair in patients with tendinopathies or used for tendon tissue-engineering approaches to facilitate tenocyte growth on scaffolds in culture. Tendon tissues that would normally be discarded were obtained during reconstructive surgery procedures performed for clinical indications. Primary tenocytes were derived from Achilles, posterior tibial, flexor digitorum longus and flexor hallucis longus tendon tissue samples. Reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) experiments revealed that mRNAs for the receptor (R) chains IL-4Rα, IL-13Rα1 and IL-13Rα2, but not the common γ-chain were present in all tested tendon tissues and in cultured tenocytes. Levels of IL-13R chain mRNAs were significantly higher than those of IL-4R mRNA. The cultures responded, in a dose-dependent fashion, to stimulation with recombinant human IL-4 or IL-13, by increasing proliferation rates 1.5 to 2.0-fold. The mRNA levels of 84 genes related to cell cycle regulation were measured by RT-qPCR after 6 h and 24 h of activation. The expression levels of several genes, notably CDK6 and CDKN2B changed more than twofold. In contrast to their effects on proliferation, stimulation with IL-4 or IL-13 had little if any effect on the levels of collagen mRNA or protein in cultured primary tenocytes. The mRNA levels of 84 other genes related to extracellular matrix and cell adhesion were also measured by RT-qPCR; expression of only five genes was consistently changed. Stimulation with IL-4 or IL-13 could be used to facilitate tendon repair in vivo or to aid in tendon tissue engineering, through stimulation of tenocyte proliferation.
Probable Interaction Between Warfarin and Marijuana Smoking

Objective To report a probable interaction between warfarin and marijuana smoking, resulting in increased international normalized ratio (INR) values and bleeding complications. Case summary A 56-year-old white male had been receiving chronic warfarin therapy for 11 years after mechanical heart valve replacement. He was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Upon admission, his INR value was supratherapeutic at 10.41, and his hemoglobin level was 6.6 g/dL. He received 4 units of fresh frozen plasma and one 10-mg dose of oral vitamin K; his INR was 1.8 the next day. He was discharged 7 days after admission. Fifteen days after hospital discharge, he was readmitted with a constant nosebleed and increased bruising. His INR value was 11.55. After treatment, he was discharged with an INR value of 1.14. The patient smoked marijuana more frequently throughout the period of these 2 hospitalizations due to his depression. He was counseled by the pharmacist on the potential interaction of warfarin and marijuana. The patient decided to stop smoking marijuana after the third counseling session. During the 9 months that he did not smoke marijuana, his INR values ranged from 1.08 to 4.40 with no significant bleeding complications. Discussion Marijuana may increase warfarin anticoagulant effect by inhibiting its metabolism, and to a lesser extent, displacing warfarin from protein-binding sites. Other causes (eg, nonadherence) of the patient's increased INR were ruled out. Using the Horn Drug Interaction Probability Scale, our patient's warfarinmarijuana interaction appeared to be probable. Conclusions To our knowledge, there have been no other reported cases of warfarin-marijuana interaction. While more clinical reports would be useful to confirm this interaction, clinicians should be aware of its probability so as to manage patients appropriately.
Developing strategies for teaching writing and literature to the technology student

The task of teaching humanities courses at an institute of technology can be a difficult one. Even as freshman, engineering and technology students tend to have very focused career objectives. It is not always clear to this type of student why he or she should invest valuable time and money on a subject like writing or literature that has no clear relevance to his or her major, no clear application to his or her area of expertise. For those of us who teach writing and literature, of course, the "validity" of the humanities is quite clear-perhaps too clear in some cases. The real challenge, then, is how to communicate the value of our discipline to our students who are majoring in other disciplines. This work-in-progress seeks to identify academic, administrative, technical, and interdisciplinary challenges specific to teaching humanities at a technological institution.
Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Outcomes Are Not Adversely Affected by Geographic Variables

Purpose While centers are implanting LVADs in patients from various geographies, the impact of patient geographic variables on LVAD outcomes is unknown. We analyzed individual patient geographic variables as possible risk factors adverse events. Methods and Materials 151 consecutive Heartmate II LVAD recipients from our center surviving implant hospitalization were reviewed for: home distance from implant center, average income of ZIP, rural code, hospital service area (HSA), IMACS class, age, sex, race, strategy (BTT vs DT), and implant date. A subset of 89 patients had full INTERMACS followup event data. Cox proportional hazards model for time to death and time to any event was used, censoring for transplant, adjusting for age, IMACS class, and strategy. Results There were 0.18 deaths/person-year (mean risk time 1.68 years) and 67.4% of patients had ≥ one event at mean time-to-event 159 days. Median distance from center was 42.9 miles with 29% rural patients and 66% living outside the HSA. There was no increased hazard for death or any event for any of the geographic variables examined. Conclusions LVAD recipients living farther away, rurally, outside the HSA, or in less-affluent ZIP codes do not appear to be at increased risk of death or adverse events. Any Event (Cox-Proportional Hazard) * Unadjusted HR (95% CI)Adjusted HR (95% CI)†Distance from Center0.999 (0.996-1.003)0.999 (0.995-1.002)AGI of ZIP (thousands)1.014 (0.992-1.037)1.016 (0.992-1.042)Rural Residence0.605 (0.336-1.090)0.612 (0.335-1.116)Lives outside Implant Center HSA0.701 (0.406-1.208)0.625 (0.356-1.095)*Death, Hospitalization, Bleed, Neurologic Event, Infection, Device Failure †Adjusted for Age, IMACS class, and Strategy Mortality (Cox-Proportional Hazard)Unadjusted HR (95% CI)Adjusted HR * (95% CI)Distance from Center0.988 (0.816-1.2)0.988 (0.81-1.21)AGI of ZIP (thousands)1.012 (0.983-1.042)1.013 (0.984-1.043)Rural Residence0.854 (0.448-1.625)0.855 (0.448-1.631)Lives outside Implant Center HSA0.616 (0.335-1.135)0.615 (0.332-1.141)*Adjusted for Age, IMACS class, and Strategy
A negotiation model for decision making in power system planning

Human negotiation behavior is adapted to develop a negotiation model for resolving conflicting objectives. The proposed model includes a goal decision network and three operators: bridging, unlinking, and logrolling. Bridging is an action that combines requests and offers. Unlinking is essentially modification of the goal(s) and/or constraint(s). When negotiating parties are in a deadlock, logrolling is a concession exchange to provide a least-unsatisfactory solution to all. The negotiation framework is described. The decision problem of cogeneration planning is formulated using the proposed negotiation framework. Future work on extension of the negotiation model is discussed. >
Multifunctional Forceps for Use in Endoscopic Surgery—Initial Design, Prototype, and Testing

This paper presents a 3.0 mm diameter multifunctional endoscopic forceps design for use in minimally invasive flexible endoscopic surgical procedures. Multifunctional capabilities including grasping, spreading, and cauterizing tissue are demonstrated experimentally and compared to commercially available forceps. Models of the proposed design predict considerable improvements in opening range (140%) and force application (87%) for both grasping and spreading when compared to currently used endoscopic forceps. Several of the tool’s design characteristics promote fail-safe malfunctions, including locking before catastrophic failure and a decreased likelihood in detached parts. Initial benchtop testing shows good agreement between prototype performance and model prediction. Frictional losses experienced during testing were found to depend on load orientation.
Modeling robot flexibility for endpoint force control

Dynamic models have been developed in an attempt to match the response of a robot arm. The experimental data show rigid-body and five resonant modes. The frequency response and pole-zero arrays for various models of structural flexibility are compared with the data to evaluate the characteristics of the models, and to provide insight into the nature of the flexibility in the robot. Certain models are better able to depict transmission flexibility white others describe types of structural flexibility. >
Monitoring global vegetation using Nimbus-7 37 GHz Data Some empirical relations

The difference of the vertically and horizontally polarized brightness temperatures observed by the 37 GHz channel of the SMMR on board the Nimbus-7 satellite are correlated temporally with three indicators of vegetation density, namely the temporal variation of the atmospheric CO2 concentration at Mauna Loa (Hawaii), rainfall over the Sahel and the normalized difference vegetation index derived from the AVHRR on board the NOAA-7 satellite. SMMR 37 GHz and AVHRR provide complementary data sets for monitoring global vegetation, the 37 GHz data being more suitable for arid and semiarid regions as these data are more sensitive to changes in sparse vegetation. The 37-GHz data might be useful for understanding desertification and indexing Co2 exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere.
The baseline-inflated multinomial logit model for international relations research

International relations scholars are often interested in nominal dependent variables, and commonly analyze such variables with multinomial logit (MNL) models that treat status quo outcomes (e.g. “p...
Human Recreation and the Nesting Ecology of a Freshwater Turtle (Chrysemys picta)

ABSTRACT Over a 3-year period, we studied the relationship between the intensity of human recreation and the nesting ecology of the painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) at a major nesting beach. Our results suggest that the intensity of human recreation at this site had no effect on the decision of turtles to emerge from the water and nest, or on habitat selection by nesting turtles. This apparent lack of effect of human recreation is contrary to the results of many previously published studies on other taxa and underscores the variability in wildlife responses to human recreation and the need for species-specific and population-specific studies.
Contralateral pulmonary artery stenosis after left pneumonectomy

Contralateral pulmonary artery stenosis is a rare complication following pneumonectomy. When extensive intrapericardial dissection is warranted, one must be wary of this potential complication and take measures to avoid it. Postoperatively, a high index of suspicion must be maintained in a patient with a new onset of right-sided heart failure after intrapericardial pneumonectomy. We discuss intraoperative risk factors, postoperative clinical findings, and our strategy for repair.
Plenary speaker 2: RF as the differentiator

There is an explosion in number of connected devices around us, driven by Mobility and Internet of things (IoT) adoption. By one estimate (Source: Gartner Research), there will be 25 billion connected devices by 2020. Smart RF design is the engine that enables these devices to get connected. Dr Eul has been a leading voice in the world of communications for the past 20 years and has played leadership roles through the multiple technology transitions. He will share his perspective on where the industry is headed and how the complexity of RF design is actually going to be a key strategic differentiator for players in the industry.
Temporal and spatial climatic controls on Holocene fire-related erosion and sedimentation, Jemez Mountains, New Mexico

In the Jemez Mountains, tree-ring data indicate that low-severity fires characterized the 400 yr before Euro-American settlement, and that subsequent fire suppression promoted denser forests, recent severe fires, and erosion. Over longer timescales, climate change may alter fire regimes; thus, we used fire-related alluvial deposits to assess the timing of moderate- to high-severity fires, their geomorphic impact, and relation to climate over the last 4000 yr. Fire-related sedimentation does not clearly follow millennial-scale climatic changes, but probability peaks commonly correspond with severe drought, e.g., within the interval 1700–1400 cal yr BP, and ca. 650 and ca. 410 cal yr BP. The latter episodes were preceded by prolonged wet intervals that could promote dense stands. Estimated recurrence intervals for fire-related sedimentation are 250–400 yr. Climatic differences with aspect influenced Holocene post-fire response: fire-related deposits constitute 77% of fan sediments from north-facing basins but only 39% of deposits from drier southerly aspects. With sparser vegetation and exposed bedrock, south aspects can generate runoff and sediment when unburned, whereas soil-mantled north aspects produce minor sediment unless severely burned. Recent channel incision appears unprecedented over the last 2300 yr, suggesting that fuel loading and extreme drought produced an anomalously severe burn in 2002.
The Market Orientation Construct: Measurement and Scaling Issues

The marketing conceptlmarket(ing) orientation constructs are examined from both a historical perspective and with respect to measurement and scaling issues. These three constructs are defined and s...
A NUMERICAL MODEL FOR THE HYDROMECHANICS OP LAGOONS

A numerical model is presented to describe the hydromechanics of lagoons connected to the ocean by relatively narrow inlets. Because special attention is given to the flushing, all second order terms in the hydrodynamic equations are retained. The study is restricted to lagoons with a onedimensional flow pattern and water of uniform density. In designing a numerical solution to the equations, the inlet equations are regarded as implicit boundary conditions to the equations describing the flow in the lagoon proper. The advantages of this approach are: (1) the size of the computational grid in the lagoon can be chosen independently of the relatively small dimensions of the inlets and (2) the flow at branching inlets (an inlet connecting a lagoon to the ocean such that branching of the inlet flow can occur) still can be described by a one-dimensional tidal model. The predictive capability of the numerical model is confirmed by favorable comparison between measured and computed particle paths and net transport for a series of laboratory experiments. In the experiments a canal of uniform width and depth is freely connected to a tidal basin at one end and at the other end is connected to the same basin by a submerged weir.
Effects of Rearing Temperature and Larval Density on Longevity, Size, and Fecundity in the Biting Gnat Culicoides variipennis

The effects of rearing temperature and larval density on longevity (mean survival time, 50% survival time, and mean maximal survival time), size (dry weight and wing length), and fecundity (number of eggs oviposited) were studied in female Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett). Dry weight and wing length were inversely proportional to both larval density (number of larvae per ml of rearing medium) and to rearing temperature. These relationships were described by a 1st and 2nd degree polynomial regression equation ( P <0.01) respectively. Dry weight and wing length were directly proportional to each other as described by a 2nd degree polynomial regression equation ( P <0.01). Confidence intervals at the 95% level were calculated for predicting dry weight from wing length. Studies of the longevity and fecundity of female flies of different sizes showed that larger flies were advantageous for research and for colony production because they lived longer and produced more eggs than did smaller flies.
Effect of local tissue cooling on microvascular smooth muscle and postjunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors

The effect of local tissue cooling on microvascular smooth muscle contractile behavior and sensitivity to adrenergic constriction was examined in rat cremaster skeletal muscle. Intravital microscopy was used to measure the diameter of first- and second-order arterioles (control diam = 101 +/- 7 microns) and venules (diam = 142 +/- 9 microns), and third-order terminal arterioles (diam = 19 +/- 4 microns). Norepinephrine (NE) was added to the cremaster bath to produce a 20-35% reduction in control diameter obtained at 34 degrees C bath temperature (in situ cremaster temperature). In the presence of NE, cooling the bath to 26 degrees C caused additional constriction of large arterioles and venules. Terminal arterioles exhibited a more pronounced cooling-induced constriction. Spontaneous vasomotion, evident only in this vessel type, was abolished by cooling. Cooling-induced constriction and inhibition of vasomotion were readily reversible with rewarming to 34 degrees C. Blockade of postjunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptors with yohimbine (1-5 X 10(-7) M) completely abolished cooling-induced constriction, as did the alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine (10(-6) M); blockade of alpha 1-adrenoceptors with prazosin (10(-8) M) had no effect on the response. After inhibition of the noradrenergic constriction with yohimbine or phentolamine, local cooling dilated terminal arterioles; however, the dilation was transient. These data suggest that modest tissue cooling has a direct, although transient, depressant effect on microvascular smooth muscle tone. However, in the presence of adrenergic constriction, the inhibitory effect of local tissue cooling is overcome by a selective increase in alpha 2- but not alpha 1-mediated vasoconstriction.
Role of hydrolyzed formulas in nutritional allergy prevention in infants

ABSTRACTBackgroundIn recent years, more and more discussions have arisen with regard to the role of (partially) hydrolyzed formulas as standard feedings for infants with a high risk to have allergy.MethodsThis review is based on an extensive overview of the literature dealing with the subjects of al
Variable regression of experimental bronchial preneoplasia during carcinogenesis.

It has been thought that squamous severe atypical metaplasia of the bronchus is reliably precancerous. The canine subcutaneous bronchial autograft model for studying the progression of epidermoid carcinogenesis (normal → regular squamous metaplasia → mild, moderate, and severe atypical metaplasia → squamous cell carcinoma) provides evidence that severe atypical metaplasia of the bronchial epithelium is reversible. Among 148 subcutaneous bronchial autografts that had serial sampling of the epithelium and exposure to implants of methylcholanthrene, severe atypical metaplasia was noted in 28 that received only a single implant. During the total carcinogen exposure (median 24.5 months), 9 of 28 (32%) developed squamous cell cancer, and 19 of 28 (68%) regressed toward normal. Severe atypical metaplasia was noted in 34 subcutaneous bronchial autografts that received two or more carcinogen implants: epidermoid cancer developed in 26 of 34 (76.5%), and regression toward or to normal occurred in 8 of 34 (23.5%). Severe atypical metaplasia was not detected in 53 subcutaneous bronchial autografts: 19 that received only a single implant and 34 that received two or more implants. Progression and regression occurred among these subcutaneous bronchial autografts in proportions similar to those found in subcutaneous bronchial autografts wherein severe atypical metaplasia was seen. Among 33 subcutaneous bronchial autografts initially studied after 6 months of exposure to carcinogen, progression to severe atypical metaplasia was seen 3 months later in 19 of 33 that had additional exposure; in the same interval regression of epithelial abnormalities occurred in 14 of 33 subcutaneous bronchial autografts that had no additional exposure (p
Ouality Toolbox: Approaches for Improving Patient Safety Through a Safety Clearinghouse

Creating this type of a program is a challenge and takes the time and commitment of key players. Most healthcare facilities have had systems and processes in place for years to "ensure quality." Inherent in those systems has been some ability to detect errors and to identify opportunities for improving quality of care. The next evolution of ensuring quality requires healthcare organizations to become far more proactive with error detection and correction systems. How? Becoming more openly and honestly communicative internally is an important first step. That means creating a nonpunitive environment that encourages staff members to report known or suspected problems. To do this most successfully requires not only involving members of the hospital staff who become aware of concerns, but also engaging patients and families as partners in the process. Healthcare organizations can learn much from patients and families about things that actually or almost go wrong. In turn, healthcare organizations owe patients and their families honesty when they know something has gone wrong that could or should have been prevented. Many healthcare organizations throughout the country are struggling with these new expectations from accreditors and consumers about disclosing medical errors to patients (and/or their families). Some may still even be questioning the need and/or the value of doing so. The Lexington VA Medical Center has been disclosing errors for approximately 10 years. The center has also been piloting proactive approaches to identifying and eliminating threats to patient safety (i.e., error-prone systems and processes). VAMC's experiences have demonstrated that both are clearly worth the effort.