cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FIRM TECHNOLOGICAL READINESS AND COMPLEMENTARITY: CAPABILITIES IMPACTING LOGISTICS SERVICE COMPETENCY AND PERFORMANCE

This manuscript explores the importance of both technological readiness and technological complementarily in the management of supplier logistics service quality and performance. From a resource based perspective, the results support the importance of technological readiness and technological complementarity as important capabilities for supply chain firms in attaining superior logistics service quality. Additionally, the long standing belief that logistics service quality is a core competency that impacts superior performance is upheld. Finally, this manuscript gives managers insight into the dynamics of managing technology across partnerships.
Review: Human Gammaherpesvirus Cytokines and Chemokine Receptors

Most herpesviruses of the beta and gamma subfamilies encode homologues of cytokines and chemokine receptor- related G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The roles of these proteins during normal virus replication in the infected host have not been defined in most cases, but the available data and extrapolation from what is known about the properties and functions of their cellular counterparts indicate that they play primary roles in immune evasion or in activating cellular signaling cascades that enhance virus productive replication. Cytokines and chemokine receptors specified by the two human gammaherpesviruses, human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), are the subject of this review. HHV-8 encodes three chemokines, a homologue of interleukin-6, and a CXCR2-related chemokine receptor, while EBV encodes a distinct GPCR and a homologue of interleukin-10. While these viral cytokines and chemokine receptors no doubt contribute to virus biology, their properties indicate that they may also be...
A maximum entropy kernel density estimator with applications to function interpolation and texture segmentation

In this paper, we develop a new algorithm to estimate an unknown probability density function given a finite data sample using a tree shaped kernel density estimator. The algorithm formulates an integrated squared error based cost function which minimizes the quadratic divergence between the kernel density and the Parzen density estimate. The cost function reduces to a quadratic programming problem which is minimized within the maximum entropy framework. The maximum entropy principle acts as a regularizer which yields a smooth solution. A smooth density estimate enables better generalization to unseen data and offers distinct advantages in high dimensions and cases where there is limited data. We demonstrate applications of the hierarchical kernel density estimator for function interpolation and texture segmentation problems. When applied to function interpolation, the kernel density estimator improves performance considerably in situations where the posterior conditional density of the dependent variable is multimodal. The kernel density estimator allows flexible non parametric modeling of textures which improves performance in texture segmentation algorithms. We demonstrate performance on a text labeling problem which shows performance of the algorithm in high dimensions. The hierarchical nature of the density estimator enables multiresolution solutions depending on the complexity of the data. The algorithm is fast and has at most quadratic scaling in the number of kernels.
Effects of temperature on axonal transport and turnover of protein in goldfish optic system.

Tritiated leucine was injected into one eye of goldfish maintained at 20.5 C. After allowing 2 hr for incorporation of the labeled amino acid, one group of fish was transferred to 9 C. The rate of the fast component of protein transport in the optic axons was reduced from about 60 mm/day at 20.5 C to about 20 mm/day at 9 C, giving a Q10 of at least 2.6. The rate of appearance of the initial portion of the slow component remained unchanged, which emphasizes the difference in the mechanisms underlying the two components. At the lower temperature, the fast component showed a sharp early peak not seen at 20.5 C. The turnover of retinal protein showed two phases, a decrease of about 30% over 5–10 days, then an exponential decline with a half-life of about 3 weeks at 20.5 C and a Q10 of 4.5. The locally synthesized proteins in the tectum showed, in addition to the initial synthesis period, an increase in radioactivity between 3 and 10 days after the injection. Eventually the tectal radioactivity declined exponentially with a half-life of about 7 weeks at 20.5 C and a Q10 of 2.2. The total transported radioactivity, on the other hand, showed an over-all decline which was close to linear rather than exponential, with a half-time of about 6 weeks. This lifetime was so much prolonged at the lower temperature that the Q10 could not be determined. From autoradiograms of the tectum it was found that the increase in radioactivity signaling the arrival of the slow component could not be detected in the synaptic endings of the optic fibers where the fast component accumulated. The radioactivity in the endings declined to half in about 90 days at 15 C.
Aging in rat causes hepatic hyperresposiveness to interleukin-1β which is mediated by neutral sphingomyelinase-2

The process of aging has recently been shown to substantially affect the ability of cells to respond to inflammatory challenges. We demonstrate that aging leads to hepatic hyperresponsiveness to interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and we examine the factors that could be responsible for this phenomenon. IL-1β-induced phosphorylation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in hepatocytes isolated from aged rats was 3 times more potent than that in hepatocytes from young rats. Moreover, JNK was activated by substantially lower doses of IL-1β. These age-related changes in JNK phosphorylation correlated with diminished IL-1β–induced degradation of interleukin-1 receptor–associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1). Expression levels of IL1β receptor I, total JNK, IRAK-1, and transforming growth factor-β–activated kinase-1 (TAK-1) were not affected by aging. However, increased neutral sphingomyelinase activity was observed in hepatocytes from old animals, which we show is caused by induction of the plasma membrane localized neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (NSMase-2). We provide evidence that NSMase-2 is both required and sufficient for the onset of IL-1β hyperresponsiveness during aging. Overexpression of NSMase-2 in hepatocytes from young rats leads both to a reduction in IRAK-1 degradation and potentiation of JNK phosphorylation, mimicking that seen in hepatocytes from old animals. More importantly, inhibition of NSMase activity in hepatocytes from aged rats using either scyphostatin or short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) leads to reversion to the “young” phenotype of IL-1β response. Conclusion: These results show that the process of aging causes increased basal NSMase-2 activity in hepatocytes, which in turn leads to IRAK-1 stabilization, JNK potentiation, and ultimately IL-1β hyperresponsiveness. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)
Soil chemical and physical properties at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA.

Acidic deposition leads to the acidification of waters and accelerated leaching and depletion of soil base cations. The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine has used whole-watershed chemical manipulations to study the effects of elevated N and S on forest ecosystem function on a decadal time scale. The objectives of this study were to define the chemical and physical characteristics of soils in both the reference and treated watersheds after 17 years of treatment and assess evidence of change in soil chemistry by comparing soil studies in 1998 and 2006. Results from 1998 confirmed depletion of soil base cation pools and decreased pH due to elevated N and S within the treated watershed. However, between 1998 and 2006, during a period of declining SO $_{4}^{\,\,2-}$ deposition and continued whole-watershed experimental acidification on the treated watershed, there was little evidence of continued soil exchangeable base cation concentration depletion or recovery. The addition of a pulse of litterfall and accelerating mineralization from a severe ice storm in 1998 may have had significant effects on forest floor nutrient pools and cycling between 1998 and 2006. Our findings suggest that mineralization of additional litter inputs from the ice storm may have obscured temporal trends in soil chemistry. The physical data presented also demonstrate the importance of coarse fragments in the architecture of these soils. This study underscores the importance of long-term, quantitative soil monitoring in determining the trajectories of change in forest soils and ecosystem processes over time.
Short-range ordering due to displacements of thallium and oxygen atoms in superconducting Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 observed by pulsed-neutron scattering.

The atomic positional correlations in superconducting ${\mathrm{Tl}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$Ca${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8}$ were studied by pair-distribution-function analysis of the pulsed-neutron scattering data. The results show for the first time strongly correlated local displacements of both thallium and oxygen atoms in the Tl-O plane from the high-symmetry crystallographic sites. As a consequence of the displacements Tl atoms form chains or pairs accompanied by displacement of nearby oxygen atoms, resulting in locally orthorhombic order. The ordering, however, remains very much short range and does not alter the average symmetry. The implications of these results with regard to the superconductivity of these oxides are discussed.
Women in School Administration and Supervision: A New Leadership Dimension

Young attempts to clarify many of the myths that are still held about women—particularly women in the field of educational administration. When the talents of woman administrators become fully utilized, she states, a new, dynamic, and creative force will have been tapped.
A secondary data analysis of Internet use in caregivers of persons with dementia.

Aim This paper is a secondary data analysis to investigate relationships among caregiver stress appraisal, self-rated health and health-related Internet use. Design Cross-sectional correlation design. Methods National Alliance for Caregiving telephone survey conducted in the USA was a primary data source collected in 2009 from 258 caregivers of persons with dementia, who used the Internet to perform care-giving tasks. Based on Pearlin's Stress Process Model, structural equation modelling was conducted. Results Caregivers with poor health reported higher levels of caregiver stress appraised, which was associated with more Internet use for health-related purposes. It is required to develop effective Internet-based resources to meet the needs of highly stressed caregivers of persons with dementia. However, there was no relationship between self-rated health and health-related Internet use in dementia caregiver.
A review: Walleye pollock in the North Pacific–how much difference do they really make?

Populations of several species of marine birds and mammals in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska have been declining since the mid-1970s, with numbers of one, the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), so depressed it was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in spring 1990. All of the declining populations depend to an important extent on walleye pollock (Theragra chakogramma) for food, although they eat numerous other species as well. In contrast, certain animals that compete with pollock for common prey have been increasing in abundance. All of these changes could be related through food web connections mediated by pollock. Pollock is also important to people–it presently supports the largest single-species commercial fishery in the world, in large part because of its great biomass, which has averaged about 15 × 106t in the Bering Sea over the past 15 years. Pollock consume an inordinate proportion of the pelagic production in the Bering Sea, which further supports the conclusion that it is a key species in the ecosystem. However, there are conflicting hypotheses about the importance of the roles played by pollock as predator and prey, and about the effect that changes in pollock abundance might have on biomass yield at higher trophic levels.
Non-LTE Model Atmospheres for Late-Type Stars. II. Restricted Non-LTE Calculations for a Solar-like Atmosphere

We test our knowledge of the atomic opacity in the solar UV spectrum. Using the atomic data compiled in the first paper in this series from modern, publicly available databases, we perform calculations that are compared with space-based observations of the Sun. At wavelengths longer than about 2600 A, LTE modeling can reproduce quite closely the observed fluxes; uncertainties in the atomic line data account fully for the differences between calculated and observed fluxes. At shorter wavelengths, departures from LTE appear to be important, since our LTE and restricted non-LTE calculations differ. Analysis of visible/near-IR Na I and O I lines, two species that produce a negligible absorption in the UV, shows that observed departures from LTE for these species can be reproduced very accurately with restricted (fixed atmospheric structure) non-LTE calculations.
Fabryl's disease: Evidence for structural mutation of α-galactosidase

Fibroblasta from a patient with Fabry's disease have an α-galactosidase activity corresponding to 10–20% of control values, and the same difference has been found between the 2 clonal populations derived from the patient's mother and sister (Science 170: 180, 1970). The α-galactosidase present in fibroblasta of 2 unrelated patients and in “negative” clones of 2 heterozygotes shows a slower rate of heat inactivation than the enzyme of “positive” clones and controls. The α-galactosidase from uncloned fibroblasts of a heterozygote shows a rate of inactivation indicative of a mixture of 2 enzymes. Moreover a small reproducible difference in the apparent Km value between the wild-type and the mutant enzyme from one patient adds evidence for the structural character of this mutation. The specific activity of both mutant and wild-type α-galactosidase increases 10 and 4 times respectively, if the fibroblasts are maintained in a stationary phase of growth, while the activity of β-galactosidase increases fivefold in normal and α-galactosidase deficient cells. This has made possible electrophoretic analysis of the mutant α-galactosidase which, in the one family examined, does not migrate differently from the wild-type enzyme on Cellogel at pH 5.0.
Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Solid Rocket Motor Components

Problems which the solid propellant rocket engineer will encounter in designing for long-term storage in a radiation environment are discussed. A summary of present knowledge of the radiation environment is given. Mechanisms of radiation degradation and its effects on tensile properties of propellant binders are discussed qualitatively. Data from a program of irradiation of several propellants is presented. Properties of two of the propellants were changed significantly by doses of the order of 4 x 10(exp 6) rads.
Optimal Continuation versus the Timeless Perspective in Monetary Policy

The timeless-perspective approach suggests that policymakers implement in each period policy actions conforming to a rule that would have been fully optimal to adopt in the distant past. A motivating advantage is that policy henceforth would continue by recommending the same optimality conditions if reconsidered, thereby enhancing credibility. We argue that continuation can alternatively be achieved with better results, on average, in terms of policymakers' objectives, by implementing in each period the time-invariant policy that is optimal from the viewpoint of the contemporary understanding of objectives and constraints, but while ignoring the conditions that happen to prevail at the time.
QUANTIFYING THE RELATION BETWEEN PREDATOR-INDUCED BEHAVIOR AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE IN LARVAL ANURANS

Because the nature and magnitude of species interactions are functions of the traits that species possess, understanding how individual traits affect performance is important to our understanding of community structure. To examine the relation between species traits and performance, we first assessed behavioral responses of two larval anurans to three predator species in the laboratory. We then correlated these responses with growth performance of the two anurans when they competed in the field. In the laboratory experiment, larval bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) and green frogs (R. clamitans) exhibited no reduction in activity or spatial avoidance to bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), moderate reductions in activity and spatial avoidance of mudminnows (Umbra limi), and large reductions in activity and spatial avoidance of larval dragonflies (Anax spp.). In the field experiment, these behavioral responses were directly related to corresponding reductions in growth of the anuran larvae. Thus, for both species, changes in growth in the field could be correlated to the behavioral responses observed in the laboratory. Further, proportional changes in behavior in the presence of the different predators appeared to be related to changes in competitive relations in the field.
Diet Prevention and Therapy for Heart Failure

In the current issue of Circulation: Heart Failure , 2 provocative articles address the influence of diet as therapy for heart failure (HF). Although the studies vary greatly in design and in neither case are the findings definitive, they are indeed intriguing. They require us to pause in the march toward optimal evidence-based medical and device therapy and reconsider not only the preventive but also the therapeutic benefits of diet in the management of patients with known HF. Articles see p 1116 and 1165 Multiple iterations of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association HF clinical practice guidelines have endorsed, with a high degree of reasonable evidence, the importance of sodium restriction, particularly in American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association stage A and stage B HF.1 There is reasonable certainty that diet modification is an effective strategy to prevent HF and modify the progression from stage A to stage B. More trepidation emerges in consideration about the strength of recommendations for sodium restriction for stage C and stage D HF: Class IIa, level of evidence C, Sodium restriction is reasonable for patients with symptomatic HF to reduce congestive symptoms. This hardly definitive recommendation was driven by a surprising lack of evidence addressing sodium restriction specifically and dietary management more broadly.2 The 2012 European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Guideline3 opted to provide no recommendations on sodium restriction in symptomatic HF precisely because of the poor evidence base. Recent data, albeit of questioned validity, have even suggested the possibility of harm in those patients with symptomatic HF who undergo significant sodium restriction.4,5 Regarding other dietary recommendations, the current American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association HF guidelines endorse the use of omega-3 fatty acids for therapeutic benefit in HF with reduced ejection fraction …
Comparing three pedagogical approaches to psychomotor skills acquisition

Abstract Background We compared traditional pedagogical approaches such as time- and repetition-based methods with proficiency-based training. Methods Laparoscopic novices were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 training conditions. In experiment 1, participants in the time condition practiced for 60 minutes, participants in the repetition condition performed 5 practice trials, and participants in the proficiency condition trained until reaching a predetermined proficiency goal. In experiment 2, practice time and number of trials were equated across conditions. Results In experiment 1, participants in the proficiency-based training conditions outperformed participants in the other 2 conditions ( P P P P Conclusions Proficiency-based training results in trainees who perform uniformly and at a higher level than traditional training methodologies.
Orientation-based face recognition using multispectral imagery and score fusion

A new orientation-based face recognition method is proposed in this paper. The orientation analysis is performed with Gabor wavelet transform (GWT). The multispectral imagery includes the visible (RGB) and thermal (long-wave infrared) face images from the same group of subjects. The recognition performance of the new method is compared with that of three classical algorithms, principle component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and elastic bunch graph matching. A score-level fusion of several algorithms versus multispectral images is explored and presented. Specifically, at each frequency band of GWT, an index number representing the strongest orientational response is selected, and then encoded in a binary number to favor the Hamming distance calculation. Multiple-band orientation codes are then organized into a face pattern byte (FPB) by using order statistics. With the FPB, Hamming distances are calculated and compared to achieve face identification. The FPB has the dimensionality of 8 bits per pixel and its performance will be compared to that of face pattern word (32 bits per pixel). The dimensionality of FPB can be further reduced down to 4 bits per pixel, called face pattern nibble. Experimental results with the multispectral faces of 96 subjects show that the proposed orientation-based face recognition method is very promising in contrast with three classical methods. Furthermore, the recognition performance with score-level fusion achieves 100% when tested on the entire multispectral database.
Rheological properties of mixed muscle/nonmuscle protein emulsions treated with transglutaminase at two ionic strengths

Summary This study was conducted to determine the effect of transglutaminase on emulsifying properties and rheology of emulsion gels of mixed myofibrillar (MPI) and whey (WPI) or soy (SPI) protein isolates in aqueous solutions with (μ ∼ 0.6) or without (μ ∼ 0) 0.6 m NaCl at pH 6.5. Mixed MPI/WPI or MPI/SPI had a greater (P < 0.05) emulsifying activity but a reduced emulsion storage stability when compared with MPI alone at both ionic strength conditions. The enzyme treatment had a minor effect on protein emulsifying activity, but tended to decrease emulsion stability because of promoting flocculation. Mixed protein emulsions in salt-free solution formed a gel upon heating to about 50 °C; however, the gel elasticity was less than that of the MPI control emulsion. The addition of 0.6 m NaCl lowered the onset gelling temperature, altered the rheological pattern of the gel, but minimally affected the final gel strength; while the transglutaminase treatment resulted in a higher gel elasticity for all emulsion samples. The results suggest that transglutaminase influenced the rheological properties of mixed muscle/nonmuscle protein emulsion gels mainly through affecting the interaction or cross-linking of oil droplets and not the physical characteristics of the fat globule membrane per se.
A reservation-based CSMA protocol for integrated manufacturing networks

This paper presents PCSMA, an extension to the CSMA/CD protocol (used in the Ethernet) to support both conventional datagram traffic and real-time traffic. The protocol provides predictable packet-delivery bounds for real-time traffic. It does not require changes to existing Ethernet controllers for datagram traffic. Under the new protocol, periodic sources follow a variation of the CSMA protocol that requires them to reserve transmission slots before they can begin transmission. This protocol is intended particularly for use in the integrated network in a manufacturing shop. Periodic sources include multiple sensors generating disparate types and rates of data. We have carried out an extensive performance evaluation of the protocol using a simulation model. The results are impressive: PCSMA shows fewer collisions than CSMA, equivalent delays for conventional traffic, and no failures to meet deadlines for periodic traffic. >
The effect of bond functions on dissociation energies

The procedure employing bond functions recently suggested by Wright and Buenker has been applied to the N2 X 1 Sigma g + potential curve within the CAS SCF + MRSD CI treatment of electron correlation. The basis set used herein is identical to that employed by these authors in their SCF + CI calculations. The De and and the shape of the resulting potential curve, as judged by the computed vibrational levels, is not so accurate as would be expected from the results reported by Wright and Buenker (1984). The results indicate that using the CI superposition errors associated with bond functions to cancel basis set incompleteness depends on the treatment of the electron correlation.
Laser welding induced alignment distortion in butterfly laser module packages: effect of welding sequence

Welding-induced-alignment-distortion (WIAD) is a serious issue in fiber-optic component attachment using laser welding, which can significantly affect the packaging yield. Elimination or minimization of WIAD is expected to be possible if the laser welding process and all relevant packaging parameters can be optimized. The effect of laser welding sequence on WIAD for butterfly laser diode packages is reported for the first time in this work. The results demonstrate that WIAD deduction can be as high as 96% if an appropriate welding sequence is employed.
A TAXIMETRIC STUDY OF AN ANGIOSPERM FAMILY: GENERIC DELIMITATION IN THE CHRYSOBALANACEAE

Summary This is an account of how some taximetric techniques were used in a study of generic delimitation in the Hirtelleae, one of the two tribes of an Angiosperm family, the Chrysobalanaceae. It is probably the first account of a study in which the use of such techniques has formed part of an original monographic study of a sizable group of higher organisms above the species level. A preliminary study based on an examination of herbarium material of all 254 species suggested considerable departures from previously accepted generic concepts, chiefly involving the splitting of Parinari into four, possibly as many as eight, smaller, more clearly defined units. The character-states of twenty-one characters were recorded for all species (140) for which the material was sufficiently complete. These data were subjected to four taximetric analyses—two principal component analyses and two clustering analyses—which are described and discussed. All four clearly confirmed the heterogeneous nature of Parinari. Most of the tentative groupings were confirmed by all or most of these analyses. Accordingly the following segregates from Parinari are recognized: Bafodeya, Cyclandrophora, Kostermanthus, Exellodendron, Maranthes and Neocarya. For a few species the results obtained by the taximetric analyses are less unanimous; the reasons for this are discussed. Indecisive results were obtained for only two species. All four analyses yielded taxonomically meaningful results and provided insights into the taxonomic situation, though to different degrees. The Wirth, Estabrook and Rogers model gave the most useful results and displayed them in the most informative way. Since much confusion exists concerning the aims and methods of taximetrics, we have attempted to explain our own position. Rather than expect the reader to take on trust our statements concerning the contribution of taximetrics to our study, we have given a full account of the history of the problem and of our tentative taxonomic conclusions before the analyses were done, and have shown how they were confirmed or modified in the light of the results of the different methods.
A problem with nonlocal conditions for partial differential equations with constant coefficients

We study the correctness of a problem with nonlocal conditions for untypical partial differential equations with constant coefficients in a cylindrical domain, which is a product of a segment by a torus. We establish conditions of the correctness of this problem for almost all values (with respect to Lebesgue’s measure) of its two chosen parameters.
Simple Decoders and Correlators for Cyclic Error-Correcting Codes

Several promising techniques for instrumenting error-correcting codes are briefly described. These techniques consist of digital decoders for the binary symmetric channel and for the binary erasure channel, and analog word correlators for variable and low bit-rate operation. The performance pay-off of these techniques in comparison to their implementation simplicity indicates the possibility of incorporating them into certain types of communication systems with advantageous results.
A framework for engaging diverse communities in citizen science in the US

Citizen science is a powerful tool for connecting people to science, but in the US, such initiatives have not connected as well to groups that have been historically underrepresented in science. Research suggests that while several factors contribute to this lack of diverse participation in citizen science, the critical hurdle may be an absence of alignment between community priorities and research objectives. Here, I discuss a participatory framework for designing citizen-science programs that align with community priorities.
Regional differences in brain monoamine oxidase subtypes in an animal model of geriatric depression: effects of olfactory bulbectomy in young versus aged rats

Geriatric depression is often associated dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and with poor responsiveness to antidepressants that work through inhibition of monoamine reuptake; accordingly, it has been suggested that MAO inhibitors may represent a therapeutic alternative in this group. In the current study, we evaluated expression of MAO subtypes in brain regions of young and aged rats subjected to olfactory bulbectomy (OBX), a procedure that reproduces many of the biochemical and functional changes associated with human depression. Activities of both MAO A and B were elevated in aged rats as compared to young rats in most regions, but not in the midbrain, and the OBX lesion failed to produce any change in this pattern. These results stand in contrast to the differential effects of glucocorticoids, which reduce brain MAO in young animals but induce activity in aged rats. Our results support the view that the aged brain possesses biochemical characteristics that distinguish its monoamine biochemistry from that of young brain, and that these distinctions may work in conjunction with HPA axis dysregulation to influence the etiology and therapy of geriatric depression. The use of appropriate animal models for depression and for disruption of HPA axis function can allow for the testing of potential human biomarkers (such as platelet MAO) that may serve to predict treatment outcome.
Differences in regional wash-in and wash-out time constants for xenon-CT ventilation studies.

Abstract Xenon-enhanced computed tomography (Xe-CT) has been used to measure regional ventilation by determining the wash-in (WI) and wash-out (WO) rates of stable Xe. We tested the common assumption that WI and WO rates are equal by measuring WO–WI in different anatomic lung regions of six anesthetized, supine sheep scanned using multi-detector-row computed tomography (MDCT). We further investigated the effect of tidal volume, image gating (end-expiratory EE versus end-inspiratory EI), local perfusion, and inspired Xe concentration on this phenomenon. Results: WO time constant was greater than WI in all lung regions, with the greatest differences observed in dependent base regions. WO–WI time constant difference was greater during EE imaging, smaller tidal volumes, and with higher Xe concentrations. Regional perfusion did not correlate with WI–WO. We conclude that Xe-WI rate can be significantly different from the WO rate, and the data suggest that this effect may be due to a combination of anatomic and fluid mechanical factors such as Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities set up at interfaces between two gases of different densities.
Airway remodeling in asthma amplifies heterogeneities in smooth muscle shortening causing hyperresponsiveness

Although airway remodeling and inflamation in asthma can amplify the constriction response of a single airway, their influence on the structural changes in the whole airway network is unknown. We p...
Microbiology of I.V. Fluids

There are two unthinkable but nevertheless very real human errors which can be made in practicing intravenous therapy. The first is a serious admixture mistake in which the consequence may be a drug poisoning — too much of a potent medicine put into the infusion unit and then into the patient, or too little drug (perhaps none by an oversight) which fails to cover other medicine being given simultaneously or consecutively. The second fault is micro-organism poisoning, adding to the infusion system a bacterial or mold population which proliferates in the solution and is delivered to the patient causing septicemia and an entirely new and different disease process than the medical problem for which the patient is being treated primarily. This chapter addresses micro-organism poisoning. If you are not stimulated by the prospect of reading about little bugs that cannot be seen and surely will not confound your excellent practice, be aware that some people have died due to infection directly traceable to an infusion system. Do not relax because you have heard about these incidents and you know there were difficulties in the manufacture of the solutions that caused them. Contamination of parenteral fluids occurs much more frequently in the hospital and very near to the patient in the chain of events which leads to the administration of a solution unit rather than at the manufacturing facility. If you are complacent about the potential tragedy which can arise from small errors in technique, you are the person who can perpetrate one or more such incidents unknowingly. The purpose of this chapter is to make you aware of what can and may happen if you or your colleagues, pharmacists, nurses and physicians, are careless.
Neurosurgical Defensive Medicine in Texas and Illinois: A Tale of 2 States.

Objective To compare the self-reported liability characteristics and defensive medicine practices of neurosurgeons in Texas with neurosurgeons in Illinois in an effort to describe the effect of medicolegal environment on defensive behavior. Methods An online survey was sent to 3344 members of the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Respondents were asked questions in 8 domains, and responses were compared between Illinois, the state with the highest reported average malpractice insurance premium, and Texas, a state with a relatively low average malpractice insurance premium. Results In Illinois, 85 of 146 (58.2%) neurosurgeons surveyed responded to the survey. In Texas, 65 of 265 (24.5%) neurosurgeons surveyed responded. In Illinois, neurosurgeons were more likely to rate the overall burden of liability insurance premiums to be an extreme/major burden (odds ratio [OR] = 7.398, P $2 million in total coverage (OR = 9.814, P Conclusions Neurosurgeons in Illinois are more likely to believe that there is an ongoing medical liability crisis and more likely to practice defensively than neurosurgeons in Texas.
Targeted Comprehensive Strategy for Lightning Protection and Its Application in the Anhui Power Grid

In order to instruct more scientific and effective lightning protection methods, a targeted comprehensive strategy for lightning protection from surface to line to point by synthesizing operating experience, lightning zones map, lightning risk assessment, and treatment technology is proposed based on the practical management demand and differentiation idea of lightning protection. The strategy is applied to the Anhui power grid. Firstly, the characteristics of historical lightning faults are summarized; secondly, the lightning zones maps in the overall province and along transmission lines are plotted to determine regions with strong lightning activities; thirdly, according to the lightning risk assessment and the treatment technology, the risk grades as well as its determination for typical transmission lines are evaluated, and several reform schemes are made with their technology and economy as definitely given. The related results have been applied to the lightning protection work in the Anhui power grid.
Oligooxopiperazines as Topographical Helix Mimetics

Protein–protein interactions are often mediated by amino acid side chain functionality organized on secondary structures. Small molecule scaffolds that reproduce the array of protein-like functionality at interfaces offer an attractive approach to target therapeutically important interactions. Here, we describe the design, synthesis, and the biological potential of small molecule helix mimetics derived from an oxopiperazine scaffold to target protein complexes in which binding is largely dictated by one face of the interfacial helix. The oxopiperazine helix mimetics can be assembled from α-amino acids using standard solid-phase peptide synthesis methodology, enabling rapid diversification of the scaffold and discovery of ligands for protein targets. We have evaluated the biological potential of the oxopiperazine mimetics in cell-free, cell culture, and in vivo models. Our results support the hypothesis that the scaffold offers an attractive platform for the development of novel inhibitors of protein–protein interactions.
Four types of ensemble coding in data visualizations

Ensemble coding supports rapid extraction of visual statistics about distributed visual information. Researchers typically study this ability with the goal of drawing conclusions about how such coding extracts information from natural scenes. Here we argue that a second domain can serve as another strong inspiration for understanding ensemble coding: graphs, maps, and other visual presentations of data. Data visualizations allow observers to leverage their ability to perform visual ensemble statistics on distributions of spatial or featural visual information to estimate actual statistics on data. We survey the types of visual statistical tasks that occur within data visualizations across everyday examples, such as scatterplots, and more specialized images, such as weather maps or depictions of patterns in text. We divide these tasks into four categories: identification of sets of values, summarization across those values, segmentation of collections, and estimation of structure. We point to unanswered questions for each category and give examples of such cross-pollination in the current literature. Increased collaboration between the data visualization and perceptual psychology research communities can inspire new solutions to challenges in visualization while simultaneously exposing unsolved problems in perception research.
Quality Care and Patient Safety in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Over the past 15 years, with alarming and illustrative reports released from the Institute of Medicine, quality improvement and patient safety have come to the forefront of medical care. This article reviews quality improvement frameworks and methodology and the use of evidence-based guidelines for pediatric emergency medicine. Top performance measures in pediatric emergency care are described, with examples of ongoing process and quality improvement work in our pediatric emergency department.
Multifunctional Cement Composites Enhanced With Carbon Nanotube Thin Film Interfaces

Concrete and other cementitious composites used in civil infrastructure are prone to many forms of damage. For example, cracks could occur and propagate to cause catastrophic component or system-level failure. Therefore, the objective of this study was to nano-engineer a self-sensing cementitious composite that could detect and locate damage. Integration of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in the mortar mix design and during casting enhanced the electromechanical or sensing properties of the cementitious composites. Instead of directly dispersing MWNTs in the cement matrix, the cement-particle interface was modified using spray-coated MWNT-latex thin films deposited directly onto dry sand particles prior to mortar casting. This procedure preserved MWNT dispersions within the thin film architecture, used minimal amounts of MWNTs, was scalable, and provided dramatic sensing performance enhancements. The mechanical and electromechanical properties of mortar specimens were characterized using compressive cyclic load tests. Furthermore, an electrical resistance tomography (ERT) algorithm was used for mapping mortar specimens' spatial resistance distributions. Since their resistance was precalibrated to strain, localized changes in calculated resistance indicated damage. Spatial damage detection was validated by drilling holes in various locations in cementitious composite plates and then by mapping resistance distributions using ERT.
Imbibition in Disintegration.

Studies of the lethal effects of cyanide solutions on Amblystoma punctatum embryos have demonstrated that water relations play an important role in their subsequent disintegration. The manner in which this water is taken up, whether by osmosis or imbibition, has received little attention. The separate evaluation of water in these 2 roles appears essential to a basic understanding of the disintegration process.Measurements of density should help to reveal the nature of the water entering the tissue for it is generally recognized that water of imbibition increases in density whereas water taken up osmotic-ally does not increase in weight per unit volume. An embryo imbibing water will increase its weight when weighed in water and will at the same time decrease the total volume of embryo plus solution. An embryo taking up water by osmosis, however, may increase its own volume but the total volume of the embryo and solution will remain constant. Water taken up in this manner will not alter the weight of the em...
Commentaries on viewpoint: A paradigm shift for local blood flow regulation.

# COMMENT ON “A PARADIGM SHIFT FOR LOCAL BLOOD FLOW REGULATION” {#article-title-2} to the editor: The proposed role of O2− produced by NAD(P)H oxidase acting in concert with changes in mitochondrial O2 on regulating local blood flow hypothesized by Golub and Pittman ([5][1]) could very well
Biomaterials in the Treatment of Anal Fistula: Hope or Hype?

Anal fistula (AF) presents a chronic problem for patients and colorectal surgeons alike. Surgical treatment may result in impairment of continence and long-term risk of recurrence. Treatment options for AFs vary according to their location and complexity. The ideal approach should result in low recurrence rates and minimal impact on continence. New technical approaches involving biologically derived products such as biological mesh, fibrin glue, fistula plug, and stem cells have been applied in the treatment of AF to improve outcomes and decrease recurrence rates and the risk of fecal incontinence. In this review, we will highlight the current evidence and describe our personal experience with these novel approaches.
Quasisymmetric property for conjugacies between Anosov diffeomorphisms of the two-torus

We prove that the restrictions of the conjugacy between two Anosov diffeomorphisms of the two-torus to the stable and unstable manifolds are quasisymmetric homeomorphisms.
Borel equivalence relations and cardinal algebras

We show that Tarski’s concept of cardinal algebra appears naturally in the context of the current theory of Borel equivalence relations. As a result one can apply Tarski’s theory to discover a number of interesting laws governing the structure of Borel equivalence relations, which, in retrospect rather surprisingly, have not been realized before.
Successful Allotransplantation of a Kidney Removed Because of Ureteral Damage in an Unrelated Living Donor

Abstract The use of a kidney removed because of ureteral damage in an unrelated donor has produced a well functioning renal allograft in the transplant recipient. The kidney demonstrated calicectasis and hydronephrosis on an excretory urogram before removal of the ureteral cutaneous fistula. An excretory urogram performed 8 months after the renal allotransplantation of this kidney shows prompt function of a delicate collecting system without any residual calicectasis. This case emphasizes the need for us to explore the possible use of free kidneys removed from living unrelated donors for non-neoplastic diseases of the ureter.
Bounding the number of non-zero coefficients in minimal peak-to-peak gain shaping filters

In this paper we consider the task of designing linear time invariant filters which minimize maximal peak-to-peak gain subject to certain “spectral mask” and “no intersymbol interference” constraints. This problem (as well as many other similar questions) can be formalized as infinite dimensional L1 minimization subject to a single convex quadratic constraint. We show that, under the assumption of strict feasibility, every optimal solution corresponds to a finite unit sample response (FIR) filter. Furthermore, a constructive upper bound for the number of nonzero coefficients of the optimal filter is given. The results do not rely on a “restricted isometry” assumption, and potentially offer an alternative method of predicting the degree of sparsity of a solution of a convex quadratic program.
Chemically Integrated Inorganic-Graphene Two-Dimensional Hybrid Materials for Flexible Energy Storage Devices

State-of-the-art energy storage devices are capable of delivering reasonably high energy density (lithium ion batteries) or high power density (supercapacitors). There is an increasing need for these power sources with not only superior electrochemical performance, but also exceptional flexibility. Graphene has come on to the scene and advancements are being made in integration of various electrochemically active compounds onto graphene or its derivatives so as to utilize their flexibility. Many innovative synthesis techniques have led to novel graphene-based hybrid two-dimensional nanostructures. Here, the chemically integrated inorganic-graphene hybrid two-dimensional materials and their applications for energy storage devices are examined. First, the synthesis and characterization of different kinds of inorganic-graphene hybrid nanostructures are summarized, and then the most relevant applications of inorganic-graphene hybrid materials in flexible energy storage devices are reviewed. The general design rules of using graphene-based hybrid 2D materials for energy storage devices and their current limitations and future potential to advance energy storage technologies are also discussed.
Higher Education Policy: Disrupting the Structures that Bind Us

Iverson and Allan describe how feminist poststructural perspectives, and policy discourse analysis in particular, serve as tools for uncovering gendered assumptions embedded in policy and practice in US postsecondary education. Policy discourse analysis exposes how some policy assumptions, and dominant discourses framing those assumptions, can serve to undercut intended outcomes of the policy. This finding is particularly troubling when policies are implemented to promote equity and advance social justice. Through analysis of university policies on sexual violence, these authors illustrate how policy discourse analysis can provide researchers and practitioners with a lens for “unthinking” and thinking differently about research questions, analyses, and interpretations of data.