cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome and topical capsaicin: treating smoke with fire? – the authors reply

Sir,We thank Wang and colleagues for their comments and interest reflected in their letter.First, they take issue with the study design. We again acknowledge the limitations inherent to a retrospec...
Studies of Thalamic Degeneration Following Cerebral Lesions

The following 54 cases are presented as montages of drawings including every 100th section through the hemisphere and every 40th section through the thalamus. The nomenclature and methods have been presented and discussed in Chapters 1 and 2. Using the abbreviations of this nomenclature, a summary of the areas of destruction and degeneration is presented at the start of each anatomical description. The conventions used on the drawings to indicate gliosis, neuron change, and demyelination are shown in Fig. 98. Black indicates total destruction of tissue.
Supporting primary students' reading motivation over the summer: An investigation of teachers' instructional literacy practices and perceptions in a thematic camp setting:

Autonomous motivation has long been linked to reading achievement in older students and recently has received attention for the role it plays in the achievement of younger children. Given America's...
The Role of Population in Economic Growth

The relationship between population growth and economic growth is controversial. This article draws on historical data to chart the links between population growth, growth in per capita output, and...
Social security: are socially connected individuals less vigilant?

Group size effects, whereby animals allocate less time to antipredator vigilance as a function of increasing numbers of animals foraging together, are reported in many taxa, but group size is but one of many social attributes that could increase an individual's perception of predation risk or what might be referred to as a ‘sense of security’. Indeed, meta-analyses suggest that group size only explains a small amount of variation in vigilance, and studies have shown that other social attributes, such as dominance status, also influence perceived risk and time allocated to vigilance. Social network analysis is an emerging technique to quantify a variety of specific social attributes, some of which have been suggested to influence ‘security’. Using the proportion of time looking as an indicator of vigilance and predation risk assessment, we tested the prediction that more socially connected yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventer, look less while foraging compared to their less socially connected counterparts. For females and males separately, we used observational data to create intrasexual, weighted social networks. We used principal component analysis to reduce correlated measures to unrelated and independent descriptions of connectedness. Using linear mixed effect models to account for potentially confounding variables, we found that no social network measure explained variation in vigilance. Social group size explained variation in female vigilance after accounting for variation due to vegetation height and date. Foraging group size and vegetation height explained variation in male vigilance. While social network measures themselves were not significant, our results mirror the fact that yellow-bellied marmots live in female-dominated societies and suggest that overall social group size is relatively more important for females than for males. Systematically studying whether and how social factors and intrasexual social relationships influence antipredator behaviour in other animals will create a better understanding of the benefits of sociality.
Music teachers' perceptions of high stakes teacher evaluation

Recent corporate education reform policies have replaced relatively informal systems of principal observations that had been familiar to many teachers for much of their professional careers with hi...
ERM and strategic planning: a change in paradigm

In 2014, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) announced that they would embark on the revision of their Enterprise Risk Management—Integrated Framework (2004). After 2 years of deliberations and a 6-month evaluation period, COSO has finally released its Enterprise Risk Management: Integrating Strategy and Performance on September 6, 2017. One of the primary issues that arose after the release of the original Framework was the awareness that organizations have failed to adopt an integrated treatment of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and strategic planning, termed Strategic Risk Management (SRM). This is especially troubling as the benefits of SRM have been recognized by academics, practitioners, and regulators. The new Framework takes significant steps to promote a mind shift, or paradigm change, to a more integrative approach to ERM and strategic planning. Pierce and Goldstein, in their previous work (in: 14th global conference on business and economics, Oxford, UK, 1–2 October, 2016), highlighted language and diagrams in the original Framework that may have led to the siloed treatment of both processes. In this paper, we examine changes in the new Framework to determine whether they sufficiently address these changes in order to move organizations more toward Strategic Risk Management.
Abstract IA13: Imaging stem cell signals in cancer heterogeneity and therapy resistance

Our research focuses on the signals that control stem cell self-renewal and how these signals are hijacked in cancer. Using a series of genetic models, we have studied how classic developmental signaling pathways such as Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch play key roles in hematopoietic stem cell growth and regeneration and are dysregulated during leukemia development. In addition, using real-time imaging strategies we have found that hematopoietic stem cells have the capacity to undergo both symmetric and asymmetric division, and that shifts in the balance between these modes of division are subverted by oncogenes. Further, regulators of this process, including the cell fate determinant Musashi, are critical players in driving progression of solid and liquid cancers and could serve as targets for diagnostics and therapy. Ongoing work is focused on understanding the mechanisms that drive therapy resistance after drug delivery, as well as developing high-resolution in vivo imaging approaches to map normal stem cell behavior and interactions within living animals, and to define how these change during cancer formation. Citation Format: Tannishtha Reya. Imaging stem cell signals in cancer heterogeneity and therapy resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Modeling Cancer in Mice: Technology, Biology, and Beyond; 2017 Sep 24-27; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(10 Suppl):Abstract nr IA13.
Calculations to Probe FRRPP Behavior of the PMAA–MAA–Water System

In a groundbreaking monograph (Caneba 2010), the FRRPP concept was introduced as a free-radical-based polymerization process that occurs when the polymer-containing reactive solution undergoes phase separation above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) (Caneba 1992a, b). The temperature– composition phase diagram for the polymer–monomer–solvent/precipitant system representing FRRPP components (Fig. 1.1) indicates a cascade of localized temperature increases within the polymer-rich domains that also involve the spinodal curve, wherein it was shown that the mutual diffusivity of the system approaches zero (Caneba 2010).
Addition of ruminal escape methionine and lysine to meat and bone meal.

A growth study was conducted to determine the effects of adding ruminal escape methionine and lysine to meat and bone meal (MBM). A basal diet of 44% sorghum silage, 44% corncobs, and 12% supplement (DM basis) was individually fed to 60 crossbred steers (234 +/- 14 kg). Supplements contained either urea, MBM, MBM plus protected methionine (MBM + M), or MBM plus protected methionine and lysine. Protein sources were fed to supply 30, 40, 50, and 60% of the supplemental CP, with urea supplying the remainder. Protein efficiency, calculated as gain above the urea control vs natural protein intake using the slope ratio technique, was used to evaluate the protein sources. The most efficiently used protein source was MBM + M, which was greater than MBM alone (P .30), indicating that lysine was not limiting. True protein digestibility of MBM in the gastrointestinal tract of lambs was determined to be 86.1%. In situ analysis performed by 12-h ruminal incubation of MBM determined the escape CP to be 53.0% of CP. Amino acid analysis was conducted to compare supplies to requirements for live animal gain. The urea control failed to meet the metabolizable protein requirement. Feeding MBM to provide additional metabolizable protein failed to provide an adequate amount of the essential amino acid methionine, which was first-limiting. These data indicate that protein efficiency of MBM can be enhanced by the addition of ruminal escape methionine.
Assessment of Response to Therapy

In modern clinical oncology, there is a growing need to identify response to treatment to detect improvement or worsening of the disease as early as possible. Anatomical imaging modalities that rely on morphologic or structural data, though precise in the delineation of lesions, do not provide functional information about response and have limited reproducibility. The accuracy of anatomical parameters is limited partly due to the delay between the treatment and the appearance of tumor shrinkage. As the changes in tumor metabolism precede the changes in tumor size, functional imaging modalities are more clinically useful and allow visualization of tumor response at earlier stages. PET provides information regarding the metabolic behavior of the disease, independent of morphological and anatomical criteria. This chapter reviews the current evidence on the potential contribution of PET to evaluation of response to therapy and the challenges ahead, especially the standardization of performing clinical PET/CT across centers, to be meaningful in patient care.
Coronary artery disease manifestations in HIV: what, how, and why.

Abstract Understanding why persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have accelerated atherosclerosis and its sequelae, including coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction, is necessary to provide appropriate care to a large and aging population with HIV. In this review, we delineate the diverse pathophysiologies underlying HIV-associated CAD and discuss how these are implicated in the clinical manifestations of CAD among persons with HIV. Several factors contribute to HIV-associated CAD, with chronic inflammation and immune activation likely representing the primary drivers. Increased monocyte activation, inflammation, and hyperlipidemia present in chronic HIV infection also mirror the pathophysiology of plaque rupture. Furthermore, mechanisms central to plaque erosion, such as activation of toll-like receptor 2 and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, are also abundant in HIV. In addition to inflammation and immune activation in general, persons with HIV have a higher prevalence than uninfected persons of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, including dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and tobacco use. Antiretroviral therapies, although clearly necessary for HIV treatment and survival, have had varied effects on CAD, but newer generation regimens have reduced cardiovascular toxicities. From a clinical standpoint, this mix of risk factors is implicated in earlier CAD among persons with HIV than uninfected persons; whether the distribution and underlying plaque content of CAD for persons with HIV differs considerably from uninfected persons has not been definitively studied. Furthermore, the role of cardiovascular risk estimators in HIV remains unclear, as does the role of traditional and emerging therapies; no trials of CAD therapies powered to detect clinical events have been completed among persons with HIV.
Why gender and research productivity matters in academia: Exploring evidence from NASPAA-accredited schools

This study is the first to examine the research productivity of public administration faculty by gender through the perceptions of full-time faculty members at NASPAA-accredited schools. It specifi...
Pharmacological Attenuation of Electrical Effects in a Model of Compression Neuropathy.

Background:Peripheral nerve compression and entrapment can be debilitating. Using a validated animal model of peripheral nerve compression, we examined the utility of 2 drugs approved for other uses in humans, 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and erythropoietin (EPO), as treatments for surgically induced isch
High-throughput screening identifies compounds that protect RPE cells from physiological stressors present in AMD.

Dysfunction and eventual loss of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is a hallmark of atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and linked to oxidative and nitrosative damage. Herein, we use a high-throughput screen (HTS) to identify compounds that protect human RPE cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death and elucidate the possible mechanism of action. HTS was used to identify compounds that protect RPE cells from oxidative damage. We tested the identified compound(s) in models of RPE stress, including tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) exposure, ultraviolet-B (UV-B)-mediated light damage and nitrosative stress to the basement membrane using ARPE-19 cells, primary human RPE cells and induced-pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived RPE cells from patients with AMD. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect gene expression of oxidative stress- and apoptosis-related genes and mitochondrial function was measured using a Seahorse XF96 analyzer to elucidate possible mechanisms of action. Five thousand and sixty-five compounds were screened, and of these, 12 compounds were active based on their ability to improve cell viability after exposure to TBHP. After chemical structure review, we identified ciclopirox olamine as a potent inhibitor of oxidative damage to RPE cells. Ciclopirox olamine increased cell viability in ARPE-19 cells treated with TBHP, UV-B light or on nitrite-modified extracellular matrix (ECM) by 1.68-fold, 1.54-fold and 4.3-fold, respectively (p < 0.01). Treatment with TBHP altered expression of genes related to oxidative stress and apoptosis, which was reversed by pretreatment with ciclopirox olamine. Ciclopirox olamine improved mitochondrial function in TBHP-exposed ARPE-19 cells and iPSC-derived RPE cells. Ciclopirox olamine protected primary human RPE cells and iPSC-derived RPE cells from the oxidative stress or damaged basement membrane. HTS of bioactive Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved libraries and follow-up studies can be used to identify small molecules (including ciclopirox olamine) that protect RPE cells exposed to various stressors associated with disease progression of AMD. This strategy can be used to identify potential compounds for treatment and prevention of AMD.
Analog Circuit Generator based on Deep Neural Network enhanced Combinatorial Optimization

A deep neural network (DNN) based stochastic combinatorial optimization framework is presented that can find the optimal sizing of circuits in a sample-efficient manner. This sample efficiency allows us to unify this framework with generator-based tools like Berkeley Analog Generator (BAG) [1] to directly optimize layout, given the high level circuit specifications. We use this tool to design an optical link receiver layout, satisfying high-level design specifications, using post-layout simulations of only 348 design instances. Compared to an evolutionary algorithm without our DNN-based discriminator, our framework improves the sample efficiency and run time by more than 200x.
Accuracy of 3D Printed Models Created by Two Technologies of Printers with Different Designs of Model Base.

PURPOSE To evaluate the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) printed models manufactured using two different printer technologies with different model base designs. MATERIALS AND METHODS A maxillary typodont was scanned using a desktop scanner to generate the Standard Tessellation Language (STL) file as a reference scan. After the scanning procedure, the STL file was exported to Model Builder™ for designing the following two types of the model bases: a solid base design and a hollow base design with a 2.0 mm thickness of the external shell. Each design was printed to produce 10 models using a Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) printer and a Digital Light Processing (DLP) printer. The following four groups were tested: CLIP with solid base (CS); CLIP with hollow base (CH); DLP with solid base (DS); and DLP with hollow base (DH). A total of 40 models were scanned using the same desktop scanner to generate the STL files for evaluation of the accuracy by evaluation of trueness and precision. All STL files were superimposed with the control STL file via surface matching software and a comparison was performed using the 3D color mapping function and a 2D comparison of 48 points selected on the tested model. The data were collected by measuring the deviation between the tested model and the reference scan. Trueness was calculated by using the comparison among four tested groups. The Kruskal-Wallis analysis was conducted to assess the overall statistical significance of differences among the tested groups (α = 0.05). For precision measurement, the evaluation was conducted using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) value at 95% confident interval to determine the deviation within the same tested groups. RESULTS The median values for the deviated distance of the four tested groups were 0.045 (CH), 0.035 (CS), 0.077 (DH), and 0.077 mm (DS). There were no statistically significant differences between the trueness of the two groups when using the same printers regardless of the designs of model base (p > 0.05). However, when comparing the two printers using the same model base design and the two different designs of model base, there were statistically significant differences in trueness (p < 0.05). The 3D printed models created using CLIP technology had higher trueness than the DLP technology printer. Precision of the 3D printed model was displayed in ICC value. The ICC values of four tested groups were 0.968 (CH), 0.981 (CS), 0.969 (DH), and 0.983 (DS). All tested groups were classified as exhibiting an excellent level of precision based on 95% confident interval of the ICC estimation. CONCLUSIONS The accuracy of 3D printed models was affected by the printer technology regardless of whether the model base was solid or hollow. The CLIP technology printer produced significantly less variation from the reference model than the DLP printer. However, all of the 3D printed models were determined to exhibit a clinically acceptable level of accuracy based on the recorded dimensions being less than 100 µm different than the reference model.
Photochemistry of 2-Nitroarenes: 2-Nitrophenyl-α-trifluoromethyl Carbinols as Synthons for Fluoroorganics.

Facile synthesis of a new series of 2,2′-bis(trifluoroacetyl) azoxybenzene derivatives and trifluoromethylated benzo[c]isoxazoline systems, along with trifluoroacetyl nitrosobenzene derivatives was achieved by solvent controlled photolysis of appropriate 2-nitrobenzyl alcohols. Corresponding photoactive 2-nitrobenzyl chromophore plays a distinct role in this photosynthetic process, while, quite unprecedented, pertinent fluoromethyl substitution leads to high value fluoromethylated products, whose direct access is not feasible by common synthetic protocols. The significance of fluorine and fluoroalkyl substitution and its prominent biological effects makes this new photochemical approach an important discovery in synthetic methodology. Plausible mechanistic pathways involved in the formation of the products during steady-state photolysis are further established by picosecond laser flash photolysis experiments.
Influence of Expected Reward on Temporal Order Judgment

Perceptual decision-making has been shown to be influenced by reward expected from alternative options or actions, but the underlying neural mechanisms are currently unknown. More specifically, it is debated whether reward effects are mediated through changes in sensory processing, later stages of decision-making, or both. To address this question, we conducted two experiments in which human participants made saccades to what they perceived to be either the first or second of two visually identical but asynchronously presented targets while we manipulated expected reward from correct and incorrect responses on each trial. By comparing reward-induced bias in target selection (i.e., reward bias) during the two experiments, we determined whether reward caused changes in sensory or decision-making processes. We found similar reward biases in the two experiments indicating that reward information mainly influenced later stages of decision-making. Moreover, the observed reward biases were independent of the individual's sensitivity to sensory signals. This suggests that reward effects were determined heuristically via modulation of decision-making processes instead of sensory processing. To further explain our findings and uncover plausible neural mechanisms, we simulated our experiments with a cortical network model and tested alternative mechanisms for how reward could exert its influence. We found that our experimental observations are more compatible with reward-dependent input to the output layer of the decision circuit. Together, our results suggest that, during a temporal judgment task, reward exerts its influence via changing later stages of decision-making (i.e., response bias) rather than early sensory processing (i.e., perceptual bias).
Defoliation of the invasive fern Lygodium microphyllum by Neomusotima conspurcatalis: Effects on plant performance across a range of light conditions

Abstract Lygodium microphyllum (Cavanilles) R. Brown (Lygodiaceae) is an invasive climbing fern in south and central Florida. The fern is widespread in wet and mesic habitats, and thrives across a broad range of light environments. A classical biological control agent, Neomusotima conspurcatalis Warren (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) has been reared and released against L. microphyllum since 2008. Larvae of N. conspurcatalis consume L. microphyllum foliage; however, little is known about how this herbivory affects plant performance. We conducted a growth chamber experiment to examine the impact of larval defoliation (50% and 100%) on young L. microphyllum plants. Defoliation occurred under three different light regimes: (1) 80% shade with increased far-red/red light ratio; (2) 80% shade with no wavelength manipulation; (3) full light. Exposure to an elevated far-red/red light ratio elicited an increase in lateral branching in L. microphyllum. Plants in full light grew larger and recovered more quickly from herbivory than plants in the shade. Plant mortality resulting from defoliation was higher in shade treatments (27.5%) than in full sun (0%). While herbivory resulted in no plant mortality in full light, defoliation treatments (50% and 100%) did lead to significant reductions in shoot dry biomass across all light treatments. Root dry biomass was significantly reduced by herbivory treatments only in plants in full light. Our results suggest that a single defoliation event by N. conspurcatalis, alone, is unlikely to suppress L. microphyllum. However, the agent does have the potential to impact the weed at sites where the plant is exposed to additional stress factors such as unfavorable abiotic conditions, persistent herbivory, or when integrated with other management techniques.
Comparison of treatment patterns, health care utilization, and direct costs in elderly patients with distant-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) versus non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using the SEER-Medicare database.

7101 Background: Limited data exist on real-world treatment patterns, healthcare utilization, and associated costs of advanced SCLC among elderly patients in the US, and there are no recent compari...
East/West Visiting Scholars in Pediatric Anesthesia Program (ViSiPAP): Developing tomorrow's pediatric anesthesia leaders

Promoting and retaining junior faculty are major challenges for many medical schools. High clinical workloads often limit time for scholarly projects and academic development, especially in anesthesiology. To address this, we created the East/West Visiting Scholars in Pediatric Anesthesia Program (ViSiPAP). The program's goal is to help "jumpstart" academic careers by providing opportunities for national exposure and recognition through invited lectures and collaborative opportunities. East/West ViSiPAP benefits the participating scholars, the home and hosting anesthesia departments, and pediatric anesthesia fellowship training programs. By fostering a sense of well-being and inclusion in the pediatric anesthesia community, East/West ViSiPAP has the potential to increase job satisfaction, help faculty attain promotion, and reduce attrition. Faculty and trainees are exposed to new expertise and role models. Moreover, ViSiPAP provides opportunities for women and underrepresented in medicine faculty. This program can help develop today's junior faculty into tomorrow's leaders in pediatric anesthesia. We advocate for expanding the concept of ViSiPAP to other institutions in academic medicine.
The Making of a National Hero: A Comparative Examination of Köroğlu the Bandit

The legend of Koroglu the bandit affords a good example of how print culture played a role in the formation of a modern national identity in both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Originating in Anatolia and the Caucasus, where it was first published in the mid-nineteenth century, the legend found its way to Europe, where it enjoyed further publication, translation, and popularization. Emigre intellectuals from Ottoman Turkey and Azerbaijan encountered the Koroglu stories in Paris and brought them back to their home countries, where the hero was further transformed in poetry and other art forms to constitute a unifying national symbol for these two emerging modern nations.
Site Selection Decision Support Tool Using Geographic Information Systems and Multi-Expert Analytic Hierarchy Process

Site selection, the process of locating alternatives for new facilities, is a complex and crucial decision faced by growing companies. Organizations often employ time consuming and informal market research techniques, which may fail to capture institutional knowledge or consider all feasible alternatives. Advancements in geographic information systems (GIS) have allowed for analytical methods to be adopted, but current GIS- based methodologies may only be able to study a small area using expensive software, hardware, or data. The goal of this project is to create a decision support tool that can study a large area using open source GIS software and publicly available data, without the use of high-performance computing. The project client is a business that combines an urban winery, a multipurpose venue, and a restaurant into one facility. The company’s site selection problem focuses on finding locations where there is a high demand for their products and services. Requirements elicitation was performed on several experts, and group aggregation techniques were applied to the traditional analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to generate weights for various decision criteria. Data for each criterion was standardized into a consistent scale and then loaded into GIS map layers. A weighted overlay technique was implemented to rank feasible alternatives in map form. Inter- market analysis was conducted using variables that capture an area’s demand for weddings and corporate events, which are the company’s key sources of revenue. Variables that capture demand for the organization’s services include labor availability, existing event infrastructure, and wine consumption in the target region. Intra-market analysis is performed to provide granular recommendations by capturing factors such as crime statistics, accessibility, and proximity to complementary businesses. Recommendations were provided at a “census block group” level of granularity. Sensitivity analysis was performed to test model robustness, and model accuracy was validated through ex post analysis of the firm’s existing locations. Opportunities exist to apply the underlying methodology presented in this project for other companies in various industries to address site selection problems.
Relationships between Helicopter Parenting, Psychological Needs Satisfaction, and Prosocial Behaviors in Emerging Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine whether psychological needs satisfaction mediated the association between helicopter parenting and emerging adults’ prosocial tendencies. There were 288 participants with an average age of 19.72 (SD = 1.77) who completed an online survey including measures of maternal and paternal helicopter parenting; satisfaction of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness; as well as the prosocial outcomes of empathic concern, perspective-taking, and helping others. There was an indirect effect of maternal helicopter parenting on empathetic concern, perspective-taking, and prosocial behaviors through autonomy. There was also an indirect effect of both maternal and paternal helicopter parenting on empathetic concern through relatedness. Helicopter parenting was associated with less autonomy and sense of relatedness, which were both associated with fewer prosocial tendencies among emerging adults. There were no other direct or indirect effects of maternal or paternal helicopter parenting on emerging adults’ prosocial tendencies. Given that satisfaction of psychological needs has been found to promote intrinsically motivated behavior and facilitate the internal regulation of behavior that is extrinsically motivated in prior research, the relationship between helicopter parenting and decreased psychological needs satisfaction found in this study is concerning. If helicopter parenting shifts emerging adults’ motivation for prosocial behavior from more intrinsic to extrinsic sources, then they may engage in fewer prosocial behaviors and may not experience the sense of well-being typically associated with doing them.
A Third Conception of Epistemic Injustice

Scholars of epistemology have identified two conceptions of epistemic injustice: discriminatory epistemic injustice and distributive epistemic injustice. The former refers to wrongs to one’s capacity as a knower that are the result of identity prejudice. The latter refers to violations of one’s right to know what one is entitled to know. This essay advances a third conception, formative epistemic injustice, which refers to wrongs to one’s capacity as a knower that are the result of or result in malformation—the undue restriction of one’s formative capacities. The author argues that formative epistemic injustice is a distinctly educational wrong and that it brings to light important epistemic injustices that standard accounts of epistemic injustice either downplay or are unable to capture. This third conception of epistemic injustice is an important analytic tool for theorizing both epistemic injustice and educational justice.
Analysis of a Warranty-Based Quality Management System in the Construction Industry

Quality defects are a significant source of the costs and challenges of project management in the construction industry. Due to the project delivery nature of on-site construction, they occur inevitably and are the primary causes of project schedule and cost overruns. A construction product manufacturer determined customer satisfaction warranty- based feedback can be a solution to mitigate the defects in the sense that it can help to identify the root causes of defects more systematically. The motivation of this study is to analyze and improve a quality control program for a major construction system manufacturer based on customer satisfaction warranty- based feedback. Customer satisfaction feedback was obtained on a 10-point Likert scale and analyzed. Statistical process control techniques were applied to check for root causes of defects. Analysis of contractor experience within the data set supports the principle of Best Value Procurement Information Systems (BV PIS), which emphasizes contractor performance and experience to manage project risks. The case study finding provides support that the warranty-based quality control system can enhance project efficiency. The study concludes with a description of the main findings, which can be efficient and effective when implemented in the construction industry.
Generative modeling of histology tissue reduces human annotation effort for segmentation model development.

Segmentation of histology tissue whole side images is an important step for tissue analysis. Given enough annotated training data modern neural networks are capable accurate reproducible segmentation, however, the annotation of training datasets is time consuming. Techniques such as human in the loop annotation attempt to reduce this annotation burden, but still require a large amount of initial annotation. Semi-supervised learning, a technique which leverages both labeled and unlabeled data to learn features has shown promise for easing the burden of annotation. Towards this goal, we employ a recently published semi-supervised method: datasetGAN for the segmentation of glomeruli from renal biopsy images. We compare the performance of models trained using datasetGAN and traditional annotation and show that datasetGAN significantly reduces the amount of annotation required to develop a highly performing segmentation model. We also explore the usefulness of using datasetGAN for transfer learning and find that this greatly enhances the performance when a limited number of whole slide images are used for training.
Singular angular magnetoresistance and sharp resonant features in a high-mobility metal with open orbits, ReO 3

The oxide ReO3 is one of the most conductive materials known. At 4 Kelvin, its resistivity is 6-10 times lower than that in high-purity gold and the electronic mean free path is 25 microns. It has an open Fermi surface comprised of intersecting cylinders. When an external magnetic field is applied, it exhibits a huge magnetoresistance with a highly singular angular dependence. Tilting the field in the longitudinal plane leads to a sharp decrease in the resistivity whereas tilting in the perpendicular direction sharply increases it. The authors analyze the experimental data using the Shockley-Chambers tube integral, showing that slight tilts lead to the obstruction of closed orbits on the Fermi surface which re-attach to form open orbits. The associated shadowing effect leads to a new way to measure the Fermi wavevector. However, the tube integral approach does not account for very narrow peaks observed at small tilt angles.
Snapshot retinal imaging Mueller matrix polarimeter

Early diagnosis of glaucoma, which is a leading cause for visual impairment, is critical for successful treatment. It has been shown that Imaging polarimetry has advantages in early detection of structural changes in the retina. Here, we theoretically and experimentally present a snapshot Mueller Matrix Polarimeter fundus camera, which has the potential to record the polarization-altering characteristics of retina with a single snapshot. It is made by incorporating polarization gratings into a fundus camera design. Complete Mueller Matrix data sets can be obtained by analyzing the polarization fringes projected onto the image plane. In this paper, we describe the experimental implementation of the snapshot retinal imaging Mueller matrix polarimeter (SRIMMP), highlight issues related to calibration, and provide preliminary images acquired from the camera.
Chapter 7 Critical Technologies for the Micromachining of Silicon

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses critical technologies for the micromachining of silicon. “Micromachining” is a term generally applied to the wide range of three-dimensional (3-D) structures that can be fabricated using techniques originally developed for the microelectronics industry. Principally, micromachining revolves around single-crystal or polycrystalline silicon (Si), although associated materials such as oxides, nitrides, glasses, polymeric materials, and metals are also necessary and used. Other semiconductors such as the III–V compound semiconductors are also the subject of investigations. Various mechanisms for wet-chemical anisotropic etching are discussed in depth in the chapter. This includes several very recent topics, such as innovative electrochemical thinning and porous Si. New data are presented on the chemical formation of micromirrors on Si and GaAs surfaces. The multiple use substrate (MU-STRATE) is discussed in some detail in the chapter as a possible means of reaching into the terabit/cm3 range of logic element density. A method (signal-induced feedback treatment) of analog e-beam testing and actively modifying up to a billion devices in a few minutes is presented as a way to use the MU-STRATE.
In situ aggregate analysis camera (ISAAC): A quantitative tool for analyzing fine‐grained suspended material

The ISAAC (in situ aggregate analysis camera) system was developed to provide quantitative analysis of finegrained suspended material in waters of inner-coastal, estuarine, fluvial, and lacustrine environments with suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) up to 200 mg/liter. Light from strobes is collimated by physically treated Plexiglas prisms, producing a well-defined volume of illumination (VOI) in front of a 35mm camera mounted in an underwater camera housing. Particles within the VOI are in focus. Using a measured scale factor, researchers can measure suspended particle number, size, shape, and volume concentration. A submersible pump collects water from the depth of each photograph, allowing laboratory analysis of filtered suspensate. The present system, which is easily modified to meet specific field conditions, illuminates a 70.0 mm × 46.9 mm × 17.5 mm volume of water and documents particles ˜10 µm in diameter and larger. We use a 2,700-dot-per-inch scanner to convert photo negatives to digital 256-graytone images. In-house software is used to classify particle morphology within 1/4 ϕ size classes, from ˜20–4,000 µm. Conversion of the ISAAC system to digital or video camera technology would allow real-time data collection and analysis. In situ photographic data from the Elbe, Hudson, and Columbia River estuaries, as well as several coastal environments in North and South Carolina, illustrate the utility of the system for particulate concentrations ranging from — 2 to 200 mg/liter. A random composite sample from these data reveals that virtually all particles may form larger aggregates, characterized by an average equivalent spherical diameter (ESD) of ˜300 µm, with <10% of the aggregate volume in suspension containedwithin aggregates <50 µm in diameter. Aggregates larger than 2 mm ESD have been observed in < 1% of the over 1,000 photographs taken, supporting suggestions in the literature that the Kolmogorov microscale of turbulent eddies limits the growth of suspended aggregates.
ABDOMINAL INJURY AND RESPONSE IN SIDE IMPACT

Abdominal organs are known to be a significant source of injuries in side impact. At the WSU Bioengineering Center, two types of tests were performed to determine abdominal injury and response during side impact. Flatwall tests were carried out with SID, BIOSID and cadavers, and armtests were performed with SID and BIOSID. All the tests utilized a sled which was accelerated and suddenly decelerated upon impacting a hydraulic snubber. All subjects were instrumented with accelerometers to measure rib, spine, pelvic and head accelerations. Additionally, the BIOSID was instrumented with six potentiometers. Impact event was monitored with high speed cameras run at 500-1000 frames. Overall, the data shed some light on the overall side impact severity necessary to produce abdominal injuries and information on padding and armrest stiffness that can reduce these injuries.
Trust Region Methods for the Estimation of a Complex Exponential Decay Model in MRI With a Single-Shot or Multi-Shot Trajectory

Joint estimation of spin density $R_{2}^{\ast }$ decay and OFF-resonance frequency maps is very useful in many magnetic resonance imaging applications. The standard multi-echo approach can achieve high accuracy but requires a long acquisition time for sampling multiple $k$ -space frames. There are many approaches to accelerate the acquisition. Among them, single-shot or multi-shot trajectory-based sampling has recently drawn attention due to its fast data acquisition. However, this sampling strategy destroys the Fourier relationship between $k$ -space and images, leading to a great challenge for the reconstruction. In this paper, we present two trust region methods based on two different linearization strategies for the nonlinear signal model. A trust region is defined as a local area in the variable space where a local linear approximation is trustable. In each iteration, the method minimizes a local approximation within a trust region so that the step size can be kept in a suitable scale. A continuation scheme is applied to reduce the regularization gradually over the parameter maps and facilitates convergence from poor initializations. The two trust region methods are compared with the two other previously proposed methods—the nonlinear conjugate gradients and the gradual refinement algorithm. Experiments based on various synthetic data and real phantom data show that the two trust region methods have a clear advantage in both speed and stability.
Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor and Protease Nexin-1 Are Major Factor Xa Binding Proteins on the HepG2 Cell Surface

Previous studies indicated that human factor Xa bound to a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) that constitutively synthesizes a factor V/Va molecule. Factor Xa binding to this cell line was not measurably affected by pretreatment of the cells with anti- factor V IgG and to a large extent (approximately 70%) was calcium- independent, suggesting the presence of cell-surface binding proteins specific for factor Xa other than factor V/Va. In the present study, we have further characterized the interaction of factor Xa with the HepG2 cell and performed chemical cross-linking and immunoprecipitation studies to determine the identity of the HepG2 surface protein(s) interacting with factor Xa. Initial studies demonstrated that HepG2- bound 125I-factor Xa was not significantly displaced by unlabeled factor Xa blocked at the active site with dansyl-L-glutamyl-glycyl-L- arginine (DEGR)-chloromethyl ketone (DEGR-Xa), whereas DEGR-Xa effectively inhibited prothrombinase activity of cell-bound factor Xa (Ki = 5 nmol/L). Essentially no 125I-DEGR-Xa binding to the HepG2 cells was observed, suggesting that an intact factor Xa active site was a prerequisite for binding. 125I-factor Xa binding to HepG2 cells was inhibited approximately 70% by pretreatment of the cells with anti- tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) IgG in the presence or absence of calcium ions, but was without effect on the expression of prothrombinase activity. Immunoprecipitation of 125I-factor Xa chemically cross-linked to its cell-surface binding protein with anti- factor X IgG followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed a complex with an apparent molecular weight of 96,000. An identical molecular weight complex was observed following immunoprecipitation of this radiolabeled complex with anti- TFPI IgG. In addition to TFPI, approximately 30% of cell-bound factor Xa appears to form a covalent complex with HepG2 cell-surface protease nexin-1 (PN-1) as shown by pretreatment of the HepG2 cell with murine anti-PN-1 IgG. These results suggest that approximately 1% to 2% of the factor Xa interacts with HepG2 cell-surface factor V/Va to form a productive prothrombinase complex, while the remaining factor Xa forms a non-productive complex with either TFPI or PN-1.
Comparison of commercially-available methods to preserve DNA in human milk (623.10)

Sequencing methods used to characterize the milk microbiome require that milk DNA content not change between time of collection and analysis. Although cold storage is optimal, chemical preservative...
Theoretical Constructs: Between convergence and collision: Whither Cross‐Strait Relations?

This paper distils several observations from the historical evolution of cross‐strait relations, compares the ROC‐PRC ties with inter‐Korean and formerly inter‐German relationships, conceptualises the state of the cross‐strait relationship and offers likely scenarios of development. The cross‐strait relationship has gone through three phases ‐ military confrontation, peaceful interaction and tension‐ridden stalemate. It argues that size asymmetry and regime asymmetry make the cross‐strait relationship more intractable and less interconnected than the relationships between the two Koreas and between the two Germanys. Finally, this essay predicts that the cross‐strait relationship is heading toward some sort of modus vivendi that neither ‘convergence’ nor ‘collision’ can totally capture.
Neuromuscular blocking agents in the neurosurgical intensive care unit

The long-term administration of neuromuscular blocking (NMB) agents in the ICU has increased in frequency the last several years. NMB agents in the ICU patient facilitate intubation and ventilatory support, decrease oxygen demand and consumption, facilitate bedside procedures and diagnostics, and potentially decrease intracranial pressure. However, NMB agents have extensive adverse effect profiles and require close monitoring. Two major classes of NMB agents exist: depolarizing and nondepolarizing. Depolarizing NMB agents work by mimicking the effect of acetylcholine at the nicotinic cholinergic receptor. Continuous depolarization inhibits repolarization, resulting in paralysis. Nondepolarizing NMB agents induce muscle paralysis by their competitive antagonism at the nicotinic cholinergic receptor. The neurosurgeon must be aware that NMB agents are paralytics only and should only be used in patients who are sedated and receiving adequate analgesia. Appropriate drug selection demands a thorough knowledge and understanding of each patient's neurologic, metabolic, and cardiovascular status and the hemodynamic, autonomic, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and cost profiles of the NMB agents.
The juvenile court, the U.S. constitution and when the Twain meet

Abstract As an aid in developing an understanding of why the most basic of constitutional rights were not demanded in juvenile court hearings (waiver and adjudicatory) by the U.S. Supreme Court until 1966–1967, almost three-fourths of a century after that court was established, a brief overview of the two domains of relevant interaction, due process and juvenile justice, is presented. Finally, the resulting perspectives are used in considering why certain rights have not been granted to children. The most likely future scenario in this constitutional area is then presented.