cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microwave Circuits with Exceptional Points and Applications in Oscillators and Sensors

We investigate wave properties in coupled transmission lines (CTLs) under a special condition known as the exceptional point of degeneracy (EPD) at which two or more of the supported eigenmodes of the system coalesce. At an EPD, not only the eigenvalues (resonances or wavenumbers) of the system (a resonator or a waveguide) coalesce but also the eigenvectors (polarization states) coalesce, and the number of coalescing eigenmodes defines the order of the degeneracy. We investigate different structures, either periodic or uniform CTLs, that are capable of exhibiting EPDs in their dispersion diagram. Secondly, we show an experimental verification of the existence of EPDs through measuring the dispersion of microstrip-based CTLs in the microwave spectrum. For antenna array configurations, we discuss the effect of CTLs radiative and dissipative losses on EPDs and how introducing gain to the CTLs compensate for such losses restoring the EPD in a fully radiating array, in what we define as the gain and distributed-radiation balance regime. Therefore, we show how to obtain large linear and planar arrays that efficiently generate microwave oscillations, and by spatial combination they are able to generate collimated beams with large radiation intensity. Finally, we show other promising applications based on the concept of EPDs in ultra-sensitive sensors or reconfigurable antennas.
Use of student feedback to drive quality improvement (QI) in a preclinical U.S. medical school course.

Medical educators are continually looking for ways to enhance integrated learning and help students see how the material taught in their various courses is inter-related. . At Stony Brook School of Medicine, we embarked on a school-wide new curriculum called the Learning focused, Experiential, Adaptive, Rigorous and Novel (LEARN) curriculum and developed several integrated courses that were not based in specific departments. As part of this process, the pre-clinical (Phase-1) curriculum was shortened to 17 months to accommodate an expanded set of clinical offerings. The new structure called for teachers from different departments to lead and conduct the integrated blocks of pre-clinical courses. In this paper, we describe our discouraging experience with the first iteration of an integrated course in Cardiology, Pulmonology and Renal organ systems (CPR), and its transformation into a highly successful second iteration. This involved a systematic course quality improvement (QI) process within the context of a larger school wide curricular reform. As a result, student overall satisfaction with the course increased from 22% (28 of 127 responders) to 83% (111 of 134 responders); the mean score on a standardized NBME content exam increased by 6.7%. We report the systematic process we used to collect data from students and faculty that helped facilitate quality improvement in a key course in Phase-1 of our LEARN curriculum.
Ultrathin Free Flaps to the Foot and Ankle: New Options for Optimal Soft Tissue Coverage and Functional Contour

Abstract Soft tissue defects and chronic wounds around the foot and ankle can prove difficult to reconstruct using conventional techniques. Traditional flaps used for coverage in this region can result in the need for future debulking, shoe gear modifications, donor site morbidity, decreased function, and scarring. Successful reports of ultrathin free flaps harvested along suprafascial planes have yet to be described in the foot and ankle literature. We present 2 cases of ultrathin flaps used for foot and ankle defects that provide optimal contour while not limiting anatomic function. The resultant functional outcomes and contour shown by both flaps underscore the benefit of a thin and pliable flap in this region.
Intelligent personal assistants: can they understand and be understood by accented L2 learners?

Second/foreign language (L2) classrooms do not always provide opportunities for input and output practice [Lightbown, P. M. (2000). Classroom SLA research and second language teaching. Applied Ling...
The Geneva connection, a liberal world order, and the Austrian economists

Quinn Slobodian’s Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism (2018), attempts to draw a picture of the interwar and postwar periods of the 20th century that sees neoliberalism as a political and economic idea meant to preserve the power of private “capital” over democratic “labor” for the exploitation of the latter by the former. In doing so, he sees a group of economists associated with the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland as central players in designing a new order for capitalist oppression. This article challenges both the facts and the interpretation offered by Dr. Slobodian, by analyzing the purpose behind and the scholars associated with the Graduate Institute in, especially, the 1930s, with particular attention to his criticisms of the Austrian economists, Ludwig von Mises and F.A. Hayek. It is shown that his story is far more fiction than fact.
Sonography of Parapharyngeal Masses

Parapharyngeal space (PPS) masses are rare entities, comprising only 0.5% of all head and neck tumors. The most common lesions in the PPS are of salivary gland origin, followed by neurogenic tumors and paragangliomas. These are predominantly benign entities and may be asymptomatic secondary to insidious growth. When symptomatic, they typically present as either an intraoral mass or palpable neck mass. Cranial neuropathies may signal a more sinister underlying tumor, although benign neurogenic tumors (particularly those involving the vagus nerve) may result in vocal cord paralysis and dysphonia.
Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty as a Bridge to Aortic Valve Replacement: A Contemporary Nationwide Perspective

Abstract Objectives This study sought to use a national representative database to assess the incidence, predictors, and outcomes of balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) as a bridge to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in contemporary practice. Background Nationwide data on the use and outcomes of BAV as a bridge to TAVR are limited. Methods Patients who underwent BAV between January and June in 2015 and 2016 were identified in the National Readmission Database. We assessed rate of subsequent TAVR following BAV, and predictors and timing of subsequent TAVR. We then identified a group of patients who had direct TAVR (without prior BAV) in the original 2015 to 2016 National Readmission Database dataset. We compared in-hospital outcomes following TAVR between patients with prior bridging BAV and those undergoing direct TAVR. Results Among the 3,691 included patients 1,426 (38.6%) had subsequent TAVR. Timing of TAVR was pre-discharge in 7.4%, within 30 days in 35%, between 31 and 90 days in 47%, between 91 and 180 days in 14%, and >180 days in 4%. Negative predictors of subsequent TAVR included prior defibrillator (odds ratio [OR]: 0.56; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36 to 0.85), dementia (OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.79), malnutrition (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.90), and malignancy (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.82). In propensity-score matched cohorts of patients who underwent direct TAVR versus those with prior BAV, in-hospital mortality during TAVR admission was similar (3.7% vs. 3.5%; p = 0.91). Major complications, length of stay, and discharge disposition were also comparable. However, cost of the hospitalization was higher in the direct TAVR group. Conclusions About 40% of BAV patients undergo subsequent TAVR mostly within 90 days. In-hospital outcomes of TAVR in these patients were comparable with propensity-score matched patients who underwent TAVR without prior BAV. Further investigations are needed to define the role of BAV in contemporary practice.
BlockFLow: An Accountable and Privacy-Preserving Solution for Federated Learning.

Federated learning enables the development of a machine learning model among collaborating agents without requiring them to share their underlying data. However, malicious agents who train on random data, or worse, on datasets with the result classes inverted, can weaken the combined model. BlockFLow is an accountable federated learning system that is fully decentralized and privacy-preserving. Its primary goal is to reward agents proportional to the quality of their contribution while protecting the privacy of the underlying datasets and being resilient to malicious adversaries. Specifically, BlockFLow incorporates differential privacy, introduces a novel auditing mechanism for model contribution, and uses Ethereum smart contracts to incentivize good behavior. Unlike existing auditing and accountability methods for federated learning systems, our system does not require a centralized test dataset, sharing of datasets between the agents, or one or more trusted auditors; it is fully decentralized and resilient up to a 50% collusion attack in a malicious trust model. When run on the public Ethereum blockchain, BlockFLow uses the results from the audit to reward parties with cryptocurrency based on the quality of their contribution. We evaluated BlockFLow on two datasets that offer classification tasks solvable via logistic regression models. Our results show that the resultant auditing scores reflect the quality of the honest agents' datasets. Moreover, the scores from dishonest agents are statistically lower than those from the honest agents. These results, along with the reasonable blockchain costs, demonstrate the effectiveness of BlockFLow as an accountable federated learning system.
Clinicomolecular Identification of Conserved and Individualized Features of Granulomatous Uveitis

Purpose To identify molecular features that distinguish individuals with shared clinical features of granulomatous uveitis. Design Cross-sectional observational study. Participants Four eyes from patients with active granulomatous uveitis. Methods We performed single-cell RNA sequencing with antigen-receptor sequence analysis to obtain an unbiased gene expression survey of ocular immune cells and to identify clonally expanded lymphocytes. Main Outcomes Measures For each inflamed eye, we measured the proportion of distinct immune cell types, the amount of B- or T-cell clonal expansion, and the transcriptional profile of T and B cells. Results Each individual showed robust clonal expansion arising from a single T- or B-cell lineage, suggesting distinct, antigen-driven pathogenic processes in each patient. This variability in clonal expansion was mirrored by individual variability in CD4 T-cell populations, whereas ocular CD8 T cells and B cells were more similar transcriptionally among patients. Finally, ocular B cells displayed evidence of class switching and plasmablast differentiation within the ocular microenvironment, providing additional support for antigen-driven immune responses in granulomatous uveitis. Conclusions Collectively, our study identified both conserved and individualized features of granulomatous uveitis, illuminating parallel pathophysiologic mechanisms and suggesting that future personalized therapeutic approaches may be warranted.
An On-Ramp to Student Success: A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of a Developmental Education Reform at the City University of New York:

Most community college students are referred to developmental education courses to build basic skills. These students often struggle in these courses and college more broadly. CUNY Start is a prema...
A neurobiological link between transportation noise exposure and metabolic disease in humans.

Abstract Background Chronic transportation noise exposure associates with cardiovascular events through a link involving heightened stress-associated neurobiological activity (as amygdalar metabolic activity, AmygA) on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT). Increased AmygA also associates with greater visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). While relationships between noise exposure and VAT and DM have been reported, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We tested whether: (1) transportation noise exposure associates with greater (a) baseline and gains in VAT and (b) DM risk, and (2) heightened AmygA partially mediates the link between noise exposure and these metabolic diseases. Methods VAT was measured in a retrospective cohort (N = 403) who underwent clinical 18F-FDG-PET/CT. AmygA was measured in those with brain imaging (N = 238). Follow-up VAT was remeasured on available imaging (N = 67). Among individuals (N = 224) without baseline DM, incident DM was adjudicated over 2 years from clinical records. Noise (24-h average) was modeled at each individual’s home address. Linear regression, survival, and mediation analyses were employed. Results Higher noise exposure (upper tertile vs. others) associated with greater: baseline VAT (standardized β [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 0.230 [0.021, 0.438], p = 0.031), gains in VAT (0.686 [0.185, 1.187], p = 0.008 adjusted for baseline VAT), and DM (hazard ratio [95% CI] = 2.429 [1.031, 5.719], p = 0.042). The paths of: ↑noise exposure→↑AmygA→↑baseline VAT and ↑noise exposure→↑AmygA→↑subsequent DM were significant (p Conclusions Increased transportation noise exposure associates with greater VAT and DM. This relationship is partially mediated by stress-associated neurobiological activity. These findings suggest altered neurobiology contributes to noise exposure’s link to metabolic diseases.
Ojos de Giotto

One of the most curious excerpts of The Divine Comedy comes in the sixteenth canto of the Inferno when Dante addresses the reader and swears on the pages of his own work that what he is about to narrate is true. The creation of evidence through appeals to the reader is something usual in Dante, and something similar happens with one of his most remarkable contemporaries, the painter Giotto di Bondone. In several of the frescoes that have been preserved by his hand, the artist depicts a space of transcendent evidence through odd games of glances between the characters, but also calling upon the participation of the observer of the work and of his own eyes. Both Dante and Giotto, each in their own way, convey through their work a concern that will be the hallmark of modernity: the need to produce evidence.
An Assessment of the Role of Gregorio de Cespedes, S.J. during the Imjin War in the Late Sixteenth Century: Church and State Collaboration in the Spanish Colonization

When the Japanese invaded Joseon (an ancient Korean dynasty from 1392 to 1897) at the end of the sixteenth century, a Spanish Jesuit priest, Gregorio de Cespedes, S.J. (1551-1611), stayed in the Japanese fortress in Ungcheon with Japanese soldiers. While Cespedes is celebrated as the first European who allegedly came with an evangelical vision of proselytizing the native Koreans, previous scholarship has inadequately acknowledged Cespedes role without consideration of his concrete actions in the Japanese fortress and of the broader context of sixteenth century Spanish colonial expansion. An examination of the Jesuit mission to sixteenth-century Japan, the role of the Spanish chaplains and their activities in foreign expeditions, and Cespedes activities in Joseon indicate that Cespedes was not a missionary sent to Korea, but rather an active chaplain (for the Japanese soldiers) who played a role in the larger development of church and state collaboration under Spanish colonialism.
Estimating single gene effects on quantitative traits : 2. Statistical properties of five experimental methods.

Experimental designs for measuring the effects of single loci on quantitative traits are compared for statistical properties. The designs tested are single population, combined strains, multiple strains, diallel of strains, and co-isogenic strains. Testing was done by simulating population genotypic and phenotypic arrays. Statistical properties measured are type I error, power, bias and efficiency. The relative ranking of designs is consistent for all properties and over eight conditions examined. The co-isogenic design is superior, followed closely by the single population method. The other three designs are similar in ability, with the diallel design somewhat superior. Based on its good statistical performance and wide feasibility, the single population method is recommended. The diallel method provides the most information on genetic components of variation.
Simple and inexpensive instrument for deep‐UV Raman spectroscopy

Deep-UV Raman spectroscopy is a powerful way to collect chemically specific information about complex samples. The availability of inexpensive and reliable light sources in the spectral region below 250 nm has been always considered a major bottleneck problem on the way of a widespread of this powerful spectroscopic technique. We report on the efficient fourth-harmonic generation of a low-power microchip Nd:YAG laser operating at 946 nm. High-quality deep-UV Raman spectra were collected using a newly developed laser source. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Course Critiques: What Students Can Tell Us about Educational Efficacy.

A course critque based on a multi-channel model of education has been developed and administered to all students enrolled in behavioral science courses at the US Air Force Academy for the past three semesters. The utility of this approach is shown by data analyses at three levels: department, course and instructor. Several pedagogical implications are discussed.
Traditional-nontraditional student interactions in a program with large numbers of nontraditional students

In urban comprehensive universities the majority of students are often nontraditional. Nontraditional students are typically older, often carry a part-time course load while being gainfully employed elsewhere and are generally nonresidential. At the University of Southern Maine (USM) the largest single group of nontraditional students in the Electrical Engineering program is comprised of technicians in local industries who would like to increase their chances for vertical mobility by obtaining an engineering degree. Another subset consists of degreed individuals who are taking individual courses to increase their skills. Interactions between traditional and nontraditional students in the USM Electrical Engineering program are discussed. The experience has been that educating engineering students in a setting where the student body is extremely heterogeneous is not only workable but can be a superior educational experience if the faculty and the administration are willing to be flexible. >
Effects of the Differentiating Agent Hexamethylene Bisacetamide on Normal and Myelodysplastic Hematopoietic Progenitors

Hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA; NSC 95580) is a potent polar-planar differentiating agent of leukemia and solid tumor cell lines in vitro at clinically achievable concentrations. HMBA is currently being studied in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Previous phase I trials have demonstrated that HMBA produces hematologic toxicity in morphologically normal bone marrows of patients with solid tumors. Because of concern that HMBA may produce more severe myelotoxicity in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome since these patients have limited hematopoietic reserves, we studied the effects of HMBA on myelodysplastic and normal hematopoietic progenitors in vitro. HMBA concentrations that are optimal for differentiation in vitro (2 to 5 mmol/L) and HMBA concentrations that are being achieved in clinical trials (1 to 2 mmol/L) inhibited the growth of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units and erythroid burst-forming units from all 15 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and all 4 normal subjects, HMBA did not induce proliferation of myelodysplastic or normal progenitors at any concentration; rather, it produced nearly identical inhibition of normal and myelodysplastic hematopoietic progenitors. HMBA also produced quantitatively similar inhibition of clonogenic leukemic growth of two myeloid leukemia cell lines. For a differentiating agent to be effective, it will likely have to either produce both differentiation and proliferation of abnormal hematopoietic progenitors or show selective inhibitory effects on abnormal as compared with normal progenitors. Although the mechanisms responsible for the antiproliferative effects of HMBA cannot be determined from this study, similar inhibitory effects of HMBA on normal and abnormal hematopoietic progenitors suggest that HMBA may be of limited utility in producing and sustaining elevations of peripheral blood cell counts in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.
A comparison of prey capture kinematics in hatchery and wild Micropterus salmoides floridanus: effects of ontogeny and experience

Analysis of high-speed videography demonstrated that juvenile wild Florida largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus captured live prey with very rapid movements and large excursions. Hatchery fish of the same age, raised on pelleted feed, however, used slower kinematics with smaller excursions, yielding strikes with a higher degree of ‘suction’. Capture events of hatchery Florida largemouth bass fed live prey for the first time were characterized by movements that had smaller excursion measurements than wild fish and resulted in a decreased level of capture success. After five exposures to elusive mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki, hatchery Florida largemouth bass adapted their behaviour to capture prey at the kinematic level of wild fish.
Uncemented glenoid component in total shoulder arthroplasty. Survivorship and outcomes.

Background: Glenoid component loosening continues to be a major factor affecting the long-term survivorship of total shoulder replacements. Radiolucent lines, cement fracture, migration, and loosening requiring revision are common problems with cemented glenoid components. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of total shoulder arthroplasty with an uncemented glenoid component and to identify predictors of glenoid component failure. Methods: One hundred and forty-seven consecutive total shoulder arthroplasties were performed in 132 patients (mean age, 63.3 years) with use of an uncemented glenoid component fixed with screws between 1988 and 1996. One hundred and forty shoulders in 124 patients were available for follow-up at an average of 7.5 years. One shoulder in which the arthroplasty had failed at 2.4 years and for which the duration of follow-up was four years was also included for completeness. The preoperative diagnoses included osteoarthritis in seventy-two shoulders and rheumatoid arthritis in fifty-five. Results: Radiolucency was noted around the glenoid component and/or screws in fifty-three of the 140 shoulders. The mean modified ASES (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons) score (and standard deviation) improved from 15.6 ± 11.8 points preoperatively to 75.8 ± 17.5 points at the time of follow-up. Eighty-five shoulders were not painful, forty-two were slightly or mildly painful, ten were moderately painful, and three were severely painful. Fifteen (11%) of the glenoid components failed clinically, and ten of them also had radiographic signs of failure. Eleven other shoulders had radiographic signs of failure but no symptoms at the time of writing. Three factors had a significant independent association with clinical failure: male gender (p = 0.02), pain (p < 0.01), and radiolucency adjacent to the flat tray (p < 0.001). In addition, the annual risk of implant revision was nearly seven times higher for patients with radiographic signs of failure. Clinical survivorship was 95% at five years and 85% at ten years. Conclusions: The failure rates of the total shoulder arthroplasties in this study were higher than those in previously reported studies of cemented polyethylene components with similar durations of follow-up. Screw breakage and excessive polyethylene wear were common problems that may lead to additional failures of these uncemented glenoid components in the future. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Abstract 3599: Aurora kinase inhibitors as a novel targeted drug therapy for bladder cancer

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Introduction: Conventional chemotherapy for invasive bladder cancer has limited efficacy and is generally associated with poor patient prognoses. This study aims to evaluate the potential of targeting the aurora kinases, a family of mitotic regulators, with pharmacologic inhibitors as a novel treatment for bladder cancer. Materials and Methods: RNA microarray and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were utilized to evaluate expression of genes associated with the mitotic spindle checkpoint, including aurora kinases A and B, in clinical tissue samples of urothelial carcinomas of the bladder and normal urothelium. Human urothelial carcinoma cell lines UM-UC-3 and T24 were treated with the nonspecific aurora kinase inhibitor ZM447439 and the aurora kinase A inhibitor MLN8237, either alone or in combination with gemcitabine or paclitaxel. Effects of drug treatments were evaluated by flow cytometry with propidium iodide staining, immunofluorescence microscopy, MTS proliferation assay, and TUNEL labeling. Results: RNA microarray analysis comparing human tissue specimens of urothelial carcinomas of the bladder (N=10) to normal urothelium (N=8) identified overexpression of 13 gene transcripts related to the mitotic spindle checkpoint, including aurora kinases A and B, in the cancer specimens. Upregulation of these genes was validated by RT-PCR on a separate set of clinical samples (N=4 for each group). Next, the impact of aurora kinase inhibitors on bladder cancer cell lines was assessed. ZM447439 and MLN8237 treatment of UM-UC-3 and T24 cell lines at concentrations of 10 nM to 1 uM induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and aneuploidy in a dose dependent manner. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed abnormal mitotic figures with multipolar spindle apparatuses in treated cells. Both cell lines also exhibited cell death by positive TUNEL staining 48 hours after treatment with either inhibitor. Simultaneous treatment of T24 cells with MLN8237 and paclitaxel and subsequent MTS proliferation assay revealed an antagonistic interaction between paclitaxel and MLN8237, whereas simultaneous treatment with MLN8237 and gemcitabine resulted in an additive effect. Conclusion: Several mitotic spindle checkpoint proteins, including the aurora kinases, are overexpressed in bladder cancer. Our data indicate that aurora kinase inhibitors have significant potential as a novel therapy for bladder cancer, as they induce abnormal mitosis, cell cycle arrest, and eventual death of bladder cancer cells in vitro. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3599. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3599
Innovative Drug Treatments for Viral and Autoimmune Myocarditis

Myocarditis has been shown to be a common cause of cardiomyopathy and is believed to account for 25% of all cases in human beings. Unfortunately, the disease is difficult to detect before a myopathic process ensues. Treatment of myocarditis-induced heart failure includes the standard regimen of diuretics, digoxin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and currently, beta-adrenergic blockers. Treatment of myocarditis itself is dependent on the etiology of the illness. Treatments under investigation include immunosuppressants, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents, immunoglobulins, immunomodulation, antiadrenergics, calcium-channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, nitric oxide inhibition (e.g., aminoguanidine), and antiviral agents. Despite advances in treatment, more work needs to be done in the early detection of myocarditis. Additionally, better means need to be established for distinguishing between viral and autoimmune forms of the disease, so that appropriate treatment can be instituted.
Treatment of theophylline intoxication

The treatment of theophylline intoxication is reviewed. Efforts should be made to decrease the absorption of theophylline from the gastrointestinal tract by the oral administration of activated charcoal and sorbitol; stomach emptying procedures are recommended only in limited circumstances. Patients should receive intensive supportive care and appropriate treatment for complications of intoxication, including metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities and seizures. Despite these treatments, morbidity (including residual neurological deficits) and mortality may occur. Therefore, efforts to actively remove theophylline from the body before complications occur should be considered in an attempt to reduce morbidity and mortality. The oral administration of multiple doses of activated charcoal (which increases theophylline clearance) is recommended for nearly all patients with theophylline intoxication. Although controversial, hemoperfusion--an efficient but invasive active removal procedure--is recommended in severely intoxicated patients who satisfy specific indications; the prophylactic administration of phenobarbital to prevent seizures should also be considered in these patients. Although these recommendations are rationally based on the extant evidence, controlled clinical trials in patients with theophylline intoxication are needed to prove their utility.
Investment Decision Making Under Uncertainty: Potential Environmental/Social Impacts of New Products

ABSTRACT A survey of firms in the chemical, computer, and pharmaceutical Industries provides insight into Investment decision making practices under environmental/ social uncertainty. The practices are fairly simple, appropriate only when a new product is very similar to existing products. The practices ' perceived advantages and disadvantages establish a general blueprint for the development of new decision making techniques. The new techniques need to improve accuracy as much as possible without losing simplicity, and need to be generally acceptable to all the firms in the industry
MODELING AND MANAGEMENT OF TEMPORAL DATA IN OBJECT-ORIENTED KNOWLEDGE BASES

There has been a considerable amount of work on object-oriented databases, active databases, and deductive databases. The common objective of these efforts is to produce highly intelligent and active systems for supporting the next generation of database applications. These future systems must be capable of capturing the concepts of time and managing not just temporal data but temporal knowledge expressed by knowledge rules. In this paper, we describe our efforts on a temporal object-oriented knowledge model, OSAM*/T, its associated temporal query language, OQL/T, an underlying temporal algebra, TA-algebra, and some implementation techniques. In addition to the features of the traditional object-oriented paradigm, the model is characterized by its strong support of association types and its incorporation of temporal knowledge rules for specifying temporal and other types of semantic constraints associated with object classes and their temporal object instances. The query language is featured by its pattern-based specification of temporal object associations, which allows complex queries with various time constraints to be formulated in a relatively simple way. The temporal algebra provides a set of primitive operators for manipulating homogeneous and/or heterogeneous patterns of temporal object associations, thus providing the needed mathematical foundation for processing and optimizing temporal queries. The implementation techniques include a Delta-Instance and Multi-Snapshot Storage Model, as well as data partitioning and clustering schemes for storage management of temporal knowledge bases.
A Technique for the Removal of Junctional Epithelium from the Epithelial Attachment

A technique utilizing sodium deoxycholate to remove junctional epithelial cells from the epithelial attachment zone is described. Light and electron micragrayhs show a simalarity in size and appearance between the extracetlutar attachment substance in controls and the extracellular substance which remains on cementurn previously in contact with junctional epithelium.
Platelet-activating factor promotes arachidonate incorporation into phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine in neutrophils.

Summary Platelet-activating factor (1-0-hexadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, PAF) promotes the incorporation of [1- 14 C]arachidonic acid most significantly into phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) during the early stages of guine pig neutrophil-PAF interaction. The stimutation reached a maximum at 10 −7 M and started to decline at 10 −6 M. No changes in the mass of each phospholipid were detected in neutrophils challenged by PAF for 1 to 5 minutes. The stimulation by PAF on the formation of [ 14 C]arachidonsyl-PC but not [ 14 C]arachidonsyl-PI was dependent on the presence of external Ca 2+ . These results suggest that the increased acylation of PI and PC elicited by PAF is secondary to an increased deacylation of these phospholipids and the mechanisms by which PAF stimulates the deacylation of PI and PC may be different.
Comparing Training-Image Based Algorithms Using an Analysis of Distance

As additional multiple-point statistical (MPS) algorithms are developed, there is an increased need for scientific ways for comparison beyond the usual visual comparison or simple metrics, such as connectivity measures. In this paper, we start from the general observation that any (not just MPS) geostatistical simulation algorithm represents two types of variability: (1) the within-realization variability, namely, that realizations reproduce a spatial continuity model (variogram, Boolean, or training-image based), (2) the between-realization variability representing a model of spatial uncertainty. In this paper, it is argued that any comparison of algorithms needs, at a minimum, to be based on these two randomizations. In fact, for certain MPS algorithms, it is illustrated with different examples that there is often a trade-off: Increased pattern reproduction entails reduced spatial uncertainty. In this paper, the subjective choice that the best algorithm maximizes pattern reproduction is made while at the same time maximizes spatial uncertainty. The discussion is also limited to fairly standard multiple-point algorithms and that our method does not necessarily apply to more recent or possibly future developments. In order to render these fundamental principles quantitative, this paper relies on a distance-based measure for both within-realization variability (pattern reproduction) and between-realization variability (spatial uncertainty). It is illustrated in this paper that this method is efficient and effective for two-dimensional, three-dimensional, continuous, and discrete training images.
Concomitant Tricuspid Valve Repair in Patients Undergoing LVAD Placement Reduces Incidence of Acute Right Heart Failure

Purpose Acute right heart failure following LVAD implantation continues to be a challenging post-operative problem. Although medical management can be helpful, biventricular support is sometimes required. There is much debate about whether tricuspid valve repair (TVR) should be performed in those patients with significant tricuspid valve regurgitation undergoing device implantation. Methods and Materials A total of 30 patients who underwent LVAD placement were included in the study. All had moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) by pre-op 2D echocardiography. 21 of these patients received a TVR during HMII placement and 9 did not (control). Outcome measures were analyzed for age, survival, acute RVF, need for biventricular support, and other hemodynamic parameters. Results In the TVR group, central venous pressure (CVP) was significantly reduced pre- vs postop (17.3±4.2 vs 11.1±4.2 mmHg) than the control group (p≤0.01). Acute RVF was significantly lower in the TVR group, occurring in 1/21 patient (4.5%). In contrast, 3/9 (33%) patients who did not have repair had onset of RVF (p≤0.02). 2/9 patients in the control group required RVAD support, as compared 1/21 in the TVR group (p=0.08). The 30-day mortality rate was 28% lower in the TVR group compared to the control group (p=0.03) when assessed by Kaplan Meier curve. The event-free survival curve demonstrated a significant increase in survival in the TVR group (p=0.03). Conclusions Tricuspid valve regurgitation is a common finding at preoperative assessment for LVAD placement. If moderate to severe tricuspid valve regurgitation is observed, our experience suggests that concomitant TVR may reduce onset of acute RVF. [ figure 1 ]
Fast communication: Adaptive sparse Volterra system identification with l 0 -norm penalty

This paper considers the adaptive identification of sparse Volterra systems. Based on the sparse nature of the Volterra model, a new cost function is proposed and a recursive method is derived for the estimation of Volterra kernel coefficients. Specifically, we exploit the system sparsity by incorporating an @?"[email protected]?norm constraint in the standard recursive least squares (RLS) cost function and an approximation of @?"[email protected]?norm is used to develop the recursive estimation method. Superior to the traditional RLS algorithm, our approach does not require a long data record to obtain a reliable estimation. Furthermore, compared to the existing methods, the proposed approach achieves comparable steady-state performance and lower computational complexity. The effectiveness of our method is illustrated by computer simulations.
PITYOSTROBUS PUBESCENS, A NEW SPECIES OF PINACEOUS CONES FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF NEW JERSEY

This new species is based on a single semifusinized cone from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of New Jersey. The cone is flattened but essentially complete. It is 55 mm long and 8 by 13 mm in diam. Scale apices are thin, rounded, and entire, lacking evidence of an umbo or spine. The vascular cylinder of the cone axis is organized as a series of separate strands. The scale is made up of a basal portion that stands out nearly perpendicular to the cone axis and a sharply uptumed distal portion. The bract base has a pronounced abaxial keel. Bract and scale traces diverge from the vascular cylinder of the cone axis separately from one another. A poorly developed interseminal ridge is present at the chalazal end of the seeds. An unusual feature of the cone is the presence of a trichome-bearing epidermis on the cone axis, bract-scale complex, and near the scale apex. Resin canals diverge into the bract-scale complex abaxial to the scale trace with branches becoming adaxial to the scale trace outward. A number of features of the new species occur in cones of Abies, Cedrus, Keteleeria, Larix, Picea, Pseudolarix, Pseudotsuga, and Tsuga as well as in the extinct genus Pseudoaraucaria. Features of Pinus are absent. This suggests that Pseudoaraucaria may have served as an ancestral source for modern genera other than Pinus with Pityostrobus pubescens representing an evolutionary intermediate. ANATOMICALLY PRESERVED seed cones of the Pinaceae reported from Cretaceous sediments are of three types. The genus Pinus L. is represented by two species (Alvin, 1960; Miller and Malinky, in press); there are six species of
Microstructural Modeling During Multi-Pass Rolling of a Nickel-Base Superalloy

Superalloys are metallic alloys used for high temperature applications such as encountered in the aircraft industry and where resistance to deformation is a primary requirement. Alloy 718 is one such Nickel-base superalloy that resists deformation at elevated temperatures and is therefore difficult to hot work. One of the major hotworking operations is multi-pass shape rolling in which Alloy 718 undergoes multiple deformations in several passes along with reheating between passes. For a given composition of alloy, the high temperature flow stress is influenced to a large extent by the grain size of the microstructure. In the case of shape rolling in which the cross section changes from circular to oval in alternate passes, the correct working forces, which relate to gauge and shape control as well as to power requirements, can be estimated accurately only if the microstructure relevant to the specific pass of rolling is known. In addition, the microstructure present at the end of the rolling and cooling operations controls the product properties. Control of grain size is an increasingly important characteristic in hotworking. The narrow temperature range (980°C and 1120°C [1]) for hotworking of Alloy 718 makes the grain size control more difficult. During hotworking, Alloy 718 undergoes microscopic and mesoscopic events such as dynamic recrystallization (DRX), metadynamic recrystallization (MDRX) and static grain growth (SGG) depending on the temperature, strain rate and retained strain. Modeling these microstructural events is important in designing the rolling process. Due to the tremendous amount of time, cost and effort associated with experiments and industrial trials, numerical methods are resorted to because of the complexity of the variables involved in multi-pass rolling. One such popular numerical technique, finite element (FE) method can predict process variables such as strain, strain rate and temperature for the deformation process. In general, microstructural modeling relates these process variables to microstructural evolution. During microstructural modeling, constitutive equations describing the microstructural evolutions are developed using experiments, which can then be readily implemented in an FE package capable of modeling rolling processes.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Sweetness and intensity of artificial sweeteners

In four experiments, groups of Os judged either the sweetness or the entire taste intensity of solutions of sucrose, cyclamate salts, cyclamate-saccharin mixtures, and sodium saccharin. The sensory functions obtained by magnitude estimation suggest that over the middle range of concentration the sweetness and intensity of the foregoing substances grow as power functions of concentration. As a first approximation, the exponents for sweetness and intensity are, respectively, 1.6 to 1.4 for sucrose, 1.0 to 0.8 for cyclamate salts, 0.6 to 0.85 for cyclamate-saccharin mixtures, and 0.3 to 0.6 for sodium saccharin.
Elemental characterization using pulsed fast-thermal neutrons

The high penetrating powers of neutrons and of high energy gamma rays are utilized for the non-intrusive, non- destructive elemental characterization of materials. Neutrons produced in microsecond pulses interact with nuclei in the material, leading to the emission of gamma rays that have energies unique to each element. The pulsing of neutrons with a frequency of a few kHz allows the measurement of gamma rays resulting from a variety of neutron induced nuclear reactions. The elemental content of the material is deduced from the analysis of the gamma-ray spectra acquired during the neutron pulse and during the quiescent period between neutron pulses. A large number of elements from hydrogen to uranium can be identified and quantified within a few minutes of interrogation. This method called pulsed fast-thermal neutron analysis (PFTNA), can be used for on-line NDE, as well as for in situ characterization of materials. Devices based on PFTNA can be constructed in a stationary mode for on-line analysis, or in a transportable mode for in situ analysis. Examples on the utilization of the method include on-line coal analysis, on- line quality control in cement plans, measurement of oxidation of opaque metallic structures.
CdTe vs. GaAs solar cells — A modeling case study with preliminary experimental results

A modeling study has been undertaken to compare CdTe versus GaAs solar cells in order to explore and forecast the possible evolution of CdTe solar cell performance while using GaAs solar cells as a benchmark. A complementary experimental comparison study of two almost identical MgCdTe/CdTe/MgCdTe and AlGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs double-heterostructure (DH) samples grown by MBE guided the solar cell modeling. Both DH samples give strong photoluminescence at room temperature (RT) while time-resolved photoluminescence measurements reveal a 50 ns carrier lifetime at RT for the MgCdTe/CdTe/MgCdTe DH sample. The modeling results based on these experimental data indicate that CdTe solar cells can achieve efficiency in the range of 24-27%, depending on the carrier lifetime, under the AM1.5G spectrum.
Stress and Sleep Patterns of College Students

The present study investigated the relationship between stress and sleep. A self-report measure was used to assess three domains: environmental events, personality mediators, and emotional responses. It was hypothesized that one or more of the domains would predict seven different aspects of sleep. 227 college students completed the Derogatis Stress Profile and the Sleep Questionnaire. Analysis indicated that scores on emotional response were the best predictor of five different sleep aspects: depth of sleep, difficulties in waking up, quality and latency of sleep, negative affect in dreams, and sleep irregularity. Presence of environmental events was the best predictor for the length of sleep only. It was concluded that research looking at the effects of stress on sleep must consider all three components of stress and that perhaps the emotional response to stress is the best predictor of sleep complaints.
THE NUCLEAR DNA CONTENT OF LARGE VENTRAL SPINAL NEURONS

— A nuclear fraction has been obtained from large spinal neurons previously isolated from bovine ventral spinal cord in bulk suspensions. The fraction contained an average of 5.3 ± 0.9 pg DNA/nucleus, indicating a high incidence of diploid nuclei. This conclusion was confirmed by distribution analysis of DNA in propidium iodide-stained nuclei examined by flow microfluorometry. That technique showed that at least 90% of the nuclei from large spinal neurons are diploid. Mixed, mostly non-neuronal nuclei derived from many types of cells in the ventral spinal cord contained an average of 5.9 ± 0.6 pg DNA/nucleus, 19% of which possibly possess more than diploid amounts of DNA. The uniform DNA content in nuclei of large spinal neurons and most other types of cells in the ventral spinal cord contrasts sharply with a wide variation (av 26-fold) in the nuclear volumes of the same cells.
The perceived rudeness of public cell phone behaviour

We report two studies comparing cell phone conversations with face-to-face conversations. The first N = 60 measured the volume of cell phone conversations with face-to-face conversations in the same location and found that, controlling for gender, cell phone conversations are slightly 1.90 dB louder. We then replicated N = 160 a study that compared rudeness ratings that observers gave cell phone conversations with ratings of face-to-face conversations in which either one or both speakers were audible. We found that, controlling for volume, cell phone conversations were rated significantly ruder than conversations between two audible speakers. But face-to-face conversations in which only one speaker was audible were, controlling for volume, rated as ruder than cell phone conversations. Several observer characteristics age, gender and amount of cell phone use had no significant relationship to the observer's rating of the rudeness of the conversation.
The acute toxicity of kelthane, dursban, disulfoton, pydrin, and permethrin to fathead minnows Pimephales promelas and rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri

Abstract Flow-through acute lethal toxicity tests were conducted with kelthane, dursban disulfoton, pydrin and permethrin using rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri and fathead minnows Pimephales promelas in Lake Superior water. Pydrin was the most toxic pesticide tested to both species of fish and was followed in order of decreasing toxicity by permethrin, dursban, kelthane and disulfoton. Rainbow trout were more sensitive than fathead minnows to all five pesticides. The 96-h LC 50 values (μg litre −1 ) for rainbow trout and fathead minnows, respectively, were: pydrin, 2·1 and 5·4; permethrin, 7·0 and 15·6; dursban, 8·0 and 203·0; kelthane, 210·0 and 510·0 and disulfoton, 3020·0 and 4000·0.