cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Tikhonov Regularization Method for Image Reconstruction

Many problems of image reconstruction from projection data have the following mathematical form $$ Am = d $$ (1) where m is the unknown model, d is the observed data and A is a known operator. If A is independent of the model m, the tomographic problem is linear; otherwise it is nonlinear. In this paper, we restrict ourselves to the linear case.
Hyperthyroidism: Causes, Clinical Features, and Diagnosis

The usual patient with hyperthyroidism has Graves' disease: If serum levels of thyroid hormone are clearly elevated, the presence of infiltrative ophthalmopathy or pretibial myxedema is probably sufficient for establishing the diagnosis. However, if the ancillary findings of Graves' are not present, the radioactive iodine uptake should be determined to rule out other possible etiologies of hyperthyroidism. Signs of hyperthyroidism may be subtle or misleading, particularly in the elderly; the well-informed clinician keeps the diagnosis in mind, and if the initial thyroid hormone tests are not definitive, employs additional tests that are cost-effective in the individual clinical situation.
CLARITY-BPA academic laboratory studies identify consistent low-dose Bisphenol A effects on multiple organ systems

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high-production chemical used in a variety of applications worldwide. While BPA has been documented as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) having adverse health-related outcomes in multiple studies, risk assessment for BPA has lagged due to reliance on guideline toxicology studies over academic ones with end-points considered more sensitive and appropriate. To address current controversies on BPA safety, the United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established the Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity (CLARITY-BPA) using the NCTR Sprague-Dawley rats. The goal of CLARITY-BPA is to perform a traditional regulatory toxicology study (Core study) in conjunction with multiple behavioural, molecular and cellular studies by academic laboratories focused on previously identified BPA-sensitive organ systems (Academic studies). Combined analysis of the data from both study types will be undertaken by the NTP with the aim of resolving uncertainties on BPA toxicity. To date, the Core study has been completed and a draft report released. Most of the academic studies have also been finalized and published in peer-reviewed journals. In light of this important milestone, the PPTOX-VI meeting held in the Faroe Islands, 27-30 May 2018 devoted a plenary session to CLARITY-BPA with presentations by multiple investigators with the purpose of highlighting key outcome. This MiniReview synthesizes the results of three academic studies presented at this plenary session, evaluates recently published findings by other CLARITY-BPA academic studies to provide an early combined overview of this emerging data and places this in the context of the Core study findings. This co-ordinated effort revealed a plethora of significant BPA effects across multiple organ systems and BPA doses with non-monotonic responses across the dose range utilized. Remarkably consistent across most studies, including the Core study, are low-dose effects (2.5, 25 and 250 μg BPA/kg body-weight). Collectively, the findings highlighted herein corroborate a significant body of evidence that documents adverse effects of BPA at doses relevant to human exposures and emphasizes the need for updated risk assessment analysis.
‘Stability amidst chaos’: subjective re-orientation in Ivan Vyrypaev’s Delhi Dance (2013) and Unbearably Long Embraces (2015)

ABSTRACTThe work of the acclaimed theatre director and filmmaker Ivan Vyrypaev reveals an evolving but discernible method and thematic preoccupations. While a growing body of scholarship has examined specific aspects of Vyrypaev’s work, surprisingly the central preoccupation that underlies these various devices remains relatively unformulated and unexamined. This article analyses Vyrypaev’s oeuvre – with particular attention to the film Delhi Dance (2013) and the play Unbearably Long Embraces (2015) – to articulate a theory of ‘subjective re-orientation’ at the heart of his dramaturgy. Building upon other valuable studies of violence, affect and materiality, and performative dialogues in Vyrypaev’s works, the article moves beyond a view of these devices as disparate and experimental to situate them into a more coherent artistic programme. Moreover, by considering a range of influences on his works – from his well-known zeal for Buddhism and eastern religion to a general subjective disorientation in post-S...
Intersectionality, Work, and Well-Being: The Effects of Gender and Disability:

Intersectionality emphasizes numerous points of difference through which those who occupy multiple disadvantaged statuses are penalized. Applying this consideration to the workplace, we explore way...
Learning of pathogenic bacteria in adult C. elegans bidirectionally regulates pathogen response in the progeny

Parental experience can generate adaptive changes in the behavioral and physiological traits of the offspring1-3. However, the biological properties of this intergenerational regulation and the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we show that the experience of learning to avoid pathogenic bacteria in C. elegans alters the behavioral response to the pathogen in the progeny through the endogenous RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. We previously show that the adult C. elegans learns to avoid the smell of pathogenic bacteria, such as the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14, after feeding on the pathogen for a few hours4,5. Here, we report that this learning experience can bidirectionally regulate the olfactory response to PA14 in the progeny that are never directly exposed to the pathogen. The olfactory preference for PA14 in these progeny is linearly correlated with the learned avoidance of PA14 in their mothers. If the mothers show strong learning of PA14, their progeny avoid PA14; intriguingly, if the mothers show weak learning of PA14, the progeny prefer PA14, suggesting that the PA14-trained mothers transmit both the negative and positive information of PA14 to their progeny. The intergenerational behavioral effect results from an altered behavioral decision regulated by an olfactory sensorimotor neural circuit. Learning to avoid the pathogen also influences the development of the progeny, which is regulated independently from the behavioral change. Animals mutated for the RRF-3/RNA-directed RNA polymerase, a master regulator for the synthesis of the small interfering RNAs that are maternally inherited or in the soma6,7, display the normal naive and learned response to PA14 but are defective in regulating the olfactory response to PA14 in their progeny. Our results characterize an intergenerational effect that allows the progeny to rapidly adapt to an environmental condition that is critical for survival.
Keeping up with the F1-ATPase.

Just over a year ago, Kazuhiko Kinosita and colleagues reported that they could visualize rotation of the F1-ATPase by tethering an actin filament to the γ-subunit and watching it spin. Now they've taken that work a step further, and in their latest study report that the F1-ATPase rotates its actin tag in discrete 120° steps. Not only that, but the work done by each step is close to the energy available from hydrolysing one molecule of ATP —translating to almost 100% efficiency.
THE TYRANNY OF TESTS: DOING AWAY WITH TESTS WITHOUT SELLING YOUR SOUL TO GRADING HELL

This innovation proposes an alternative to the traditional exam/test model. Many faculty members have likely struggled with the need to objectively assess their students and the push back they get ...
Options to feed plastic waste back into the manufacturing industry to achieve a circular carbon economy

Plastic waste disposal practices and subsequent leakage into the environment are creating environmental, economic, and social problems. Reduction of plastic waste generation is one of the main solutions offered to remedy the plastic waste problem. However, it is undeniable that plastics play a significant role in benefiting humanity. Plastic medical devices save lives, household equipment and vehicle components are lighter and more fuel efficient. Conventional plastics are produced from virgin fossil feedstocks (oil and natural gas), and their carbon footprint is contributing to the problem of climate change. However, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventories generally report that emissions related to global waste management may not be as high as other GHG sources, i.e. electricity generation from fossil fuel combustion or transportation, concluding that innovative approaches in the waste management sector may not substantially contribute to climate change mitigation efforts. This paper examines near or long term technical and policy changes needed that can support environmental health, mitigate climate change, and promote social justice by feeding plastic waste back into the circular carbon economy.
Paddle placement for failed back surgery syndrome

Abstract A 42-year-old woman is referred for placement of a paddle lead and implantable pulse generator (IPG) after a successful trial by an outside pain physician in the community. The woman has had three prior lumbar spine surgeries: initially, an L5-S1 R microdiscectomy, moderately successful, followed several years later by a generally unsuccessful L L45 microdiscectomy in which she had residual significant lower back pain but also numbness and some persisting pain in the L5 distribution of the L leg with any activity. This was then followed by a 2-level lumbar fusion using transforamenal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) approaches at both L45 and L5-S1 as well as pedicle screw fixation at L4, L5, and S1. She has had persisting significant lumbar pain after this surgery as well, now across both sides of the lower back equally with some pain in both legs, left > right.
X – Eliminating Destructors

Publisher Summary An elimination lemma can be used to eliminate any instance of a destructor term by following the scenario sketched above for SUBI. However, it has been found that it is usually a mistake to eliminate an instance in which the v1 are bound to non-variables or when several of the v1 are bound to the same variable. For example, eliminating (SUBI (PLUS X Y)), while sound, usually produces something that is more general than the original conjecture and often a non-theorem, because the connection between the new variable introduced, and other uses of X and Y, is lost. Similarly, while (REMAINDER XX) could be eliminated as sketched, it would be a heuristic mistake (since (REMAINDER XX) is in fact O). This chapter discusses the form of elimination lemmas, the precise use of elimination lemmas, a nontrivial example, and the concept of multiple destructors and infinite looping. When one has a choice of what terms to eliminate, it is best to eliminate the simplest first. The elimination of destructors can be heuristically risky, because it can result in a conjecture more general than the initial one. Elimination of destructors is always sound, because by construction, if ELIM1 and ELIM5 are theorems, then p is a theorem. However, it is possible for p to be a theorem and for ELIM5 to be a non-theorem.
Mindfulness-Based Intervention Development for Children and Adolescents

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have become an increasingly widespread treatment for psychiatric and medical disorders in children and adolescents. However, enthusiasm for mindfulness in pediatric populations may outpace the evidence. To address this gap, we integrate the “Framework for Developing and Testing Mind and Body Interventions” issued by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) with the National Institute of Health (NIH) “Stage Model of Intervention Development,” and offer specific recommendations based on the stage model of MBI development to guide the design, evaluation, implementation, and dissemination of MBIs in young persons. As such, we offer both a theoretical framework and practical guidance to child and adolescent clinicians and researchers seeking to develop and/or test evidence-based MBIs. We believe that this paper has great potential for scientific and public health benefit, given the rapidly increasing use of mindfulness as a clinical intervention.
Improving transitions of care for critically ill adult patients on pulmonary arterial hypertension medications.

PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to describe the activities of critical care and ambulatory care pharmacists in a multidisciplinary transitions-of-care (TOC) service for critically ill patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) receiving PAH medications. SUMMARY Initiation of medications for treatment of PAH involves complex medication access steps. In the ambulatory care setting, multidisciplinary teams often have a process for completing these steps to ensure access to PAH medications. Patients with PAH are frequently admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), and their home PAH medications are continued and/or new medications are initiated in the ICU setting. Inpatient multidisciplinary teams are often unfamiliar with the medication access steps unique to PAH medications. The coordination and completion of medication access steps in the inpatient setting is critical to ensure access to medications at discharge and prevent delays in care. A PAH-specific TOC bundle for patients prescribed a PAH medication who are admitted to the ICU was developed by a multidisciplinary team at an academic teaching hospital. The service involves a critical care pharmacist completing a PAH medication history, assessing for PAH medication access barriers, and referring patients to an ambulatory care pharmacist for postdischarge telephone follow-up. In collaboration with the PAH multidisciplinary team, a standardized workflow to be initiated by the critical care pharmacist was developed to streamline completion of PAH medication access steps. Within 3 days of hospital discharge, the ambulatory care pharmacist calls referred patients to ensure access to PAH medications, provide disease state and medication education, and request that the patient schedule a follow-up office visit to take place within 14 days of discharge. CONCLUSION Collaboration by a PAH multidisciplinary team, critical care pharmacist, and ambulatory care pharmacist can improve TOC related to PAH medication access for patients with PAH. The PAH TOC bundle serves as a model that may be transferable to other health centers.
Classification of EEG Data Based on the Spatio-Temporo-Rhythmic Characteristics of the Task-Discriminating Functional Sub-networks

We propose a new approach that utilizes the dynamic state of cortical functional connectivity for the classification of task-based electroencephalographic (EEG) data. We introduce a novel feature extraction framework that locates functional networks in the cortex as they convene at different time intervals across different frequency bands. The framework starts by applying the wavelet transform to isolate, then augment, EEG frequency bands. Next, the time intervals of stationary functional states, within the augmented data, are identified using the source-informed segmentation algorithm. Functional networks are localized in the brain, during each segment, using a singular value decomposition-based approach. For feature selection, we propose a discriminative-associative algorithm, and use it to find the sub-networks showing the highest recurrence rate differences across the target tasks. The sequences of augmented functional networks are projected onto the identified sub-networks, for the final sequences of features. A dynamic recurrent neural network classifier is then used for classification. The proposed approach is applied to experimental EEG data to classify motor execution and motor imagery tasks. Our results show that an accuracy of 90% can be achieved within the first 500 msec of the cued task-planning phase.
The impact of CT-data segmentation variation on the morphology of osteological structure

CT (computed tomography) scans have become indispensable tools for gross anatomy teaching and research [1-5]. Computational methods can create high-resolution 3D models of anatomical structures for education, research, and clinical applications [6-9]. However, data processing has a large influence on 3D model generation. Understanding how these differences in processing alter morphology, and whether such disparities impact the conclusions one may draw from the data, is imperative for interpreting radiology ground truth. Failure to account for these differences can lead to erroneous decisions regarding joint repair, joint replacement, and prosthetics design. In this work, we investigate how segmentation algorithms influence the morphology of 3D models of osteological structures (femurs) from human cadaveric CT scans. We measure dissimilarity in 3D model morphology resulting from multiple different segmentation protocols. As CT scanderived 3D models become more commonplace in gross anatomical research, it is critical to fully understand proper segmentation approaches and how much variation is acceptable for 3D anatomical models derived from radiological imaging.
Salvage nivolumab plus ipilimumab after prior PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

305Background: Although not officially approved, salvage nivolumab plus ipilimumab (nivo/ipi) treatment after prior PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibition is frequently used in metastatic renal ce...
Clinical implementation of automated treatment planning for whole-brain radiotherapy.

The purpose of the study was to develop and clinically deploy an automated, deep learning-based approach to treatment planning for whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). We collected CT images and radiotherapy treatment plans to automate a beam aperture definition from 520 patients who received WBRT. These patients were split into training (n = 312), cross-validation (n = 104), and test (n = 104) sets which were used to train and evaluate a deep learning model. The DeepLabV3+ architecture was trained to automatically define the beam apertures on lateral-opposed fields using digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs). For the beam aperture evaluation, 1st quantitative analysis was completed using a test set before clinical deployment and 2nd quantitative analysis was conducted 90 days after clinical deployment. The mean surface distance and the Hausdorff distances were compared in the anterior-inferior edge between the clinically used and the predicted fields. Clinically used plans and deep-learning generated plans were evaluated by various dose-volume histogram metrics of brain, cribriform plate, and lens. The 1st quantitative analysis showed that the average mean surface distance and Hausdorff distance were 7.1 mm (±3.8 mm) and 11.2 mm (±5.2 mm), respectively, in the anterior-inferior edge of the field. The retrospective dosimetric comparison showed that brain dose coverage (D99%, D95%, D1%) of the automatically generated plans was 29.7, 30.3, and 32.5 Gy, respectively, and the average dose of both lenses was up to 19.0% lower when compared to the clinically used plans. Following the clinical deployment, the 2nd quantitative analysis showed that the average mean surface distance and Hausdorff distance between the predicted and clinically used fields were 2.6 mm (±3.2 mm) and 4.5 mm (±5.6 mm), respectively. In conclusion, the automated patient-specific treatment planning solution for WBRT was implemented in our clinic. The predicted fields appeared consistent with clinically used fields and the predicted plans were dosimetrically comparable.
The Climate Leadership Council’s Carbon Dividends Plan: Polanyi’s Market Embeddedness, Fictitious Commodities, and Double Movement

In 2017, large oil and gas companies formed the Climate Leadership Council (CLC) in response to increased social pressure to reduce their emissions to combat climate change. The CLC developed the Carbon Dividends Plan (CDP), which proposes a carbon emissions market mechanism to solve the climate change crisis. The CLC’s lobbying arm, the Americans for Carbon Dividends (AFCD), is currently working to educate US congressional leaders on the importance of a carbon tax, like the one proposed in the CDP. In the paper, I address the following question: what can Polanyi’s theoretical insights tell us about the CDP and its social implications? I first discuss the CDP within the context of the current climate change crisis. Then, I apply Polanyi’s market embeddedness, fictitious commodities, and double movement concepts to the discussion. I illustrate four main points in this paper. First, the CDP is part of an ongoing societal double movement. Second, despite the CLC’s neoliberal “free” market ideals, the self-regulated market proposed in the CDP is a social construction, embedded in social relations, itself. Third, the CDP, and carbon markets in general, comprise one specific type of unconscious countermovement that extends the self-regulated market to combat the destructive forces of the market itself. Fourth, the CDP’s proposal for a carbon emissions market mechanism is an unsatisfactory solution to address the climate change crisis, as it will not address the inherent contradictions in the overall system as a whole.
Quickest Dynamic Anomaly Detection in Anonymous Heterogeneous Sensor Networks

The problem of quickest dynamic anomaly detection in anonymous heterogeneous sensor networks is studied. The $n$ heterogeneous sensors can be divided into $K$ types with different data generating distributions. At some unknown time, an anomaly emerges in the network and changes the data generating distribution of the sensors. The goal is to detect the anomaly as quickly as possible, subject to false alarm constraints. The anonymous setting is studied, where the fusion center does not know which sensor that each sample comes from, and thus does not know its exact distribution. Firstly, the static setting is investigated where the sensor affected by the anomaly does not change with time. A generalized mixture CuSum algorithm is constructed and is further shown to be asymptotically optimal. The problem is then extended to a dynamic setting where the sensor affected by the anomaly changes with time. An asymptotically optimal weighted mixture CuSum algorithm is proposed. Numerical results are also provided to validate the theoretical results.
Development of K-12 Engineering Outreach Materials

Six modules were created that can be used in K-12 classes to introduce students to what engineers can do at NASA.The purpose of this project was to create outreach materials for the classroom. To make it appealing to students, many color NASA photographs are used to illustrate NASA applications.Student experiments are described that can be performed to illustrate topics.
Antibodies as Probes of the Mechanisms Regulating Smooth Muscle Contractility: Studies on Skinned Fibres

The techniques for permeabilizing (i.e. “skinning”) cells were pioneered by studies on muscle fibers (Filo, Bohr and Ruegg, 1965) and have now been extended to many other cell types. The use of cells with permeabilized membranes has some unique advantages with respect to studying the regulation of cellular processes. The most important of these is the ability to manipulate the internal environment of the cell with a level of sensitivity that is not possible in cells with intact membranes (Knight and Scrutton, 1986).
Prospective, controlled study of developmental outcome in survivors of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: the first 24 months.

Objective. Survivors of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are considered to be at risk for developmental disabilities, but there are few controlled outcome studies. A prospective, controlled study of outcome was performed to quantify the degree and frequency of developmental disabilities in ECMO survivors compared with a matched control group. Methods. From May 1987 through November 1990, 40 of 47 neonates treated with ECMO survived at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Longitudinal developmental data were collected, using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, on 22 ECMO infants and 29 healthy term control infants at 6, 12, and 24 months. Language was assessed at 24 months using the Sequenced Inventory of Communication Development. An additional 13 ECMO infants had developmental data for at least one time point. Results. Healthy term infants performed significantly better than ECMO infants on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 6 and 24 months and on the Sequenced Inventory of Communication Development at 24 months. Mean scores of ECMO infants were well within the average range and 77% of the ECMO infants were developmentally normal. Conclusions. These data suggest that early developmental morbidity in ECMO survivors is low, considering the severity of their neonatal illness.
Quantification in History

The concept of quantification is defined and the evolution of quantification as a methodological tool in history is traced. Originating in the early modern period and gaining greater prominence in the nineteenth century, quantification in history came of age in the 1960s. For a time, in the 1970s and early 1980s, quantitative approaches seemed poised to revolutionize history as a field. Beginning in the mid-1980s, however, other approaches and methods, often drawn from anthropology and literature and inspired by postmodernism, began to surpass quantification in popularity, and since the late 1980s, quantitative work in history has been increasingly marginalized. But over the past decade, postmodernist approaches have lost momentum in history, and there have been some small victories by quantifiers, particularly in the field of economic history. Yet despite the fact that the approach remains indispensable for answering certain kinds of historical questions and despite the effective employment of quantitative approaches by many historically inclined scholars in other social sciences, the future of quantification in the discipline of history itself remains uncertain.
Quantitative drop analysis

A method has been described for the analysis of calcium in blood serum and other calcium containing solutions, in volumes varying from about 0,025 ml. to 0,1 ml., i. e. from about one half to two drops.
Does Orthodontic Treatment Affect Patients’ Quality of Life?

The oral-facial region is usually an area of significant concern for the individual because it draws the most attention from other people in interpersonal interactions and is the primary source of vocal, physical, and emotional communication. As a result, patients who seek orthodontic treatment are concerned with improving their appearance and social acceptance, often more than they are with improving their oral function or health. Enhancing these aspects of quality of life is an important motive for undergoing orthodontic treatment. Regardless of age, patients’ and their parents’ or caregivers’ expectations about improvements in oral function, esthetics, social acceptance, and body image are important for both general dentists and orthodontists to consider when advising patients about these procedures and during the treatment process. This review of research on the impact of conventional and surgical orthodontics on quality of life examines the association between oral health-related quality of life and severity and type of malocclusion, as well as the impact of treatment and patient characteristics on quality of life. The article will emphasize the importance of clinicians’ having a clear understanding, before initiating treatment, of their patients’ quality of life and their expectations about improvements in specific domains of quality of life.
Ultrasensitive solution-processed broad-band photodetectors using CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite hybrids and PbS quantum dots as light harvesters

Sensing from ultraviolet-visible to infrared is critical for both scientific and industrial applications. In this work, we demonstrate solution-processed ultrasensitive broad-band photodetectors (PDs) utilizing organolead halide perovskite materials (CH3NH3PbI3) and PbS quantum dots (QDs) as light harvesters. Through passivating the structural defects on the surface of PbS QDs with diminutive molecular-scaled CH3NH3PbI3, both trap states in the bandgap of PbS QDs for charge carrier recombination and the leakage currents occurring at the defect sites are significantly reduced. In addition, CH3NH3PbI3 itself is an excellent light harvester in photovoltaics, which contributes a great photoresponse in the ultraviolet-visible region. Consequently, operated at room temperature, the resultant PDs show a spectral response from 375 nm to 1100 nm, with high responsivities over 300 mA W−1 and 130 mA W−1, high detectivities exceeding 1013 Jones (1 Jones = 1 cm Hz1/2 W−1) and 5 × 1012 Jones in the visible and near infrared regions, respectively. These device performance parameters are comparable to those from pristine inorganic counterparts. Thus, our results offer a facile and promising route for advancing the performance of broad-band PDs.
Domain coarsening of stripe patterns close to onset.

We study domain coarsening of two-dimensional stripe patterns by numerically solving the Swift-Hohenberg model of Rayleigh-B\'enard convection. Near the bifurcation threshold, the evolution of disordered configurations is dominated by grain-boundary motion through a background of largely immobile curved stripes. A numerical study of the distribution of local stripe curvatures, of the structure factor of the order parameter, and a finite size scaling analysis of the grain-boundary perimeter, suggest that the linear scale of the structure grows as a power law of time ${t}^{1/z},$ with $z=3.$ We interpret theoretically the exponent $z=3$ from the law of grain-boundary motion.
Drive Theory and Home Run Milestones in Baseball: An Historical Analysis:

The purpose of this investigation was to test whether the performance of the home run hitters in Major League Baseball adhered to predictions of Drive Theory. 24 baseball players who have hit at le...
Chronostratigraphy of KNM-ER 3733 and other Area 104 hominins from Koobi Fora

A magnetostratigraphy for ∼ 60 m of Koobi Fora Formation sediment in Area 104 was derived from 46 oriented samples that produced well-resolved characteristic magnetizations from progressive thermal demagnetization. Approximately 59 m below the Morte Tuff, previously dated to ∼ 1.51 Ma (millions of years ago), the Olduvai-Matuyama boundary (∼ 1.78 Ma) was found to be at the level of marker bed A2--inconsistent with the Area 102 type section and thus contrary to fossil dating schemes that utilize temporal equivalence between A2 [104] and A2 [102]. The magnetostratigraphic data, coupled with the Morte Tuff, provide a means to interpolate new ages for marker beds A2 [104] and the White Tuff, as well as multiple Area 104 hominin fossils. Noteworthy is the new date of ∼ 1.63 Ma for KNM-ER 3733, which now implicates KNM-ER 2598 as the sole early African Homo erectus fossil demonstrably older than Dmanisi and Java Homo specimens. Re-dating KNM-ER 3733 creates a ∼ 300-kyr gap at 1.9 to 1.6 Ma in the African fossil record of H. erectus, which might be partially spanned by hand axes recently dated at ∼ 1.76 Ma, if the Acheulian is indeed proprietary to this species.
Leveraging Supply Chain Integration through Planning Comprehensiveness: An Organizational Information Processing Theory Perspective

This study extends prior research on supply chain planning and integration by examining the underlying capabilities by which firms exploit the information they gain from integration activities. We use organizational information processing theory (OIPT) to develop hypotheses that identify the comprehensiveness of an organization's supply chain planning capabilities as an important mediator in the relationship between its supply chain integration activities and its operational performance. Further, our interpretation of OIPT suggests that an organization's usage of technology-enabled supply chain management systems (SCMS) moderates these effects. Using survey data from 445 global firms, we estimate the corresponding moderated-mediation structural model. The results indicate that usage of SCMS enables organizations to better utilize the information they gain from external integration efforts (relationships with customers and suppliers), thus improving the comprehensiveness of their supply chain planning capabilities. In contrast, the use of SCMS appears to be a partial substitute for internal integration as a driver of planning comprehensiveness. Most importantly, the results suggest that planning comprehensiveness is a significant generative means by which integration and technology investments produce superior operational performance. These findings provide a richer and more theoretically grounded explanation of relationships between supply chain integration, supply chain planning, and operational performance
RISK AND FARM SIZE IN THE PASTORAL ZONE

Variable performance over time is an important feature of wool growing in the eastern pastoral zone of Australia. An analysis of time series data from the Australian Sheep Industry Survey indicates that standard deviation of net farm income is related more or less linearly to size of firm and increases with size at about the same rate as does average net income. A tentative conclusion is drawn that large farms have had a slight tendency to experience less variable rates of return than small farms. However, it is found that farms that have experienced relatively variable returns have tended to enjoy average rates of return above those of other farms of similar size.
In Situ Fourier Transform Infrared Characterization of Sulfur Species Resulting from the Reaction of Water Vapor and Oxygen with Zinc Sulfide

Steam is utilized as a diluent in the regeneration of zinc-based hot gas desulfurization sorbents used in fuel gas cleanup. Therefore, the effect of water vapor on the interaction of zinc sulfide (ZnS) with oxygen at 823, 873, and 923 K was studied using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. When ZnS at 823 K was exposed to oxygen, sulfate (SO42-) was the most prominent species observed at oxygen pressures greater than 5 × 10-2 Torr while sulfite (SO32-) was the major species observed during the water vapor exposures. When ZnS at 823 K was exposed to an equimolar mixture of water vapor and oxygen, sulfite and sulfate were the most prominent products but the intensity of the sulfite peak was more than that of the sulfate. The sulfur species formed during the water vapor and oxygen exposures at both 873 and 923K were similar to those at 823 K, but the relative intensities of the peaks corresponding to these sulfur species were different. At all three temperatures, the presence of water vapor enhan...
Conformational alterations of bovine insulin adsorbed on a silver electrode

Abstract Surface enhanced Raman spectra of bovine insulin, adsorbed on the silver electrode from aqueous solutions of micromolar concentrations, are presented for the potential range −0.2 to −1.2 V/AgCl. The data suggest that insulin is bound to silver through ionized tyrosine residues nd carboxy terminal groupings. Disulfide linkages are reduced sequentially upon increasing negative potential: A7–B7 at −0.3 to −0.5 V, and A20–B19 at −0.5 to −0.6 V. Rupture of disulfide bonds increases the portion of β/disordered conformation at the expense of the α helix.
Ancient DNA in anthropology: Methods, applications, and ethics

Anthropologists were quick to recognize the potential of new techniques in molecular biology to provide additional lines of evidence on questions long in- vestigated in anthropology, as well as those questions that, while always of interest, could not have been ad- dressed by more traditional techniques. The earliest an- cient DNA studies, both within anthropology and in other fields, lacked rigorous hypothesis testing. However, more recently the true value of ancient DNA studies is being realized, and methods are being applied to a wide variety of anthropological questions. We review the most common methods and applications to date, and describe promising avenues of future research. We find that ancient DNA analyses have a valuable place in the array of anthropo- logical techniques, but argue that such studies must not be undertaken merely to demonstrate that surviving DNA is present in organic remains, and that no such work should be performed before a careful consideration of the
Measurement of varus–valgus and internal–external rotational knee laxities in vivo—Part I: assessment of measurement reliability and bilateral asymmetry

We examined the capabilities of the Vermont Knee Laxity Device (VKLD) in measuring varus (VR)–valgus (VL) and internal (INT)–external (EXT) rotational laxities by quantifying measurement consistency and absolute measurement error (N=10). Based on the expected measurement error, we then examined side-to-side differences (N=20). For all measures, the knee was flexed 20°, the thigh securely fixed, and counterweights applied to the thigh and shank to create an initial zero shear and compressive load across the tibiofemoral joint. A 10-Nm torque was applied to the knee for VL and VR during non-weight-bearing, and a 5-Nm torque was applied for INT and EXT during non-weight-bearing and weight-bearing conditions. Position sensors measured angular displacements (deg). Except for INT during weight bearing, measurement consistency was good to excellent (range, 0.68–0.96), with absolute measurement errors generally less than 2° for VR–VL and 3–4° for INT–EXT. Although side-to-side differences were observed, they did not exceed absolute measurement errors. The VKLD yields reliable measures of VR–VL and INT–EXT laxities, with sufficient measurement precision to yield clinically relevant differences.
Robotic distal pancreatectomy: cost effective?

Background Minimally invasive techniques and even robotics in pancreaticobiliary surgery are being used increasingly. Cost-effectiveness is a practical burden associated with the introduction of surgical innovation. This study compares the costs and the outcomes of open, laparoscopic, and robotic distal pancreatectomies. We hypothesized that robotic distal pancreatectomy is cost-effective. Methods Between August 2008 and August 2009, 77 distal pancreatectomies were performed at a single academic medical center. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on demographics, short-term outcomes, and direct cost was performed. Results Thirty-two open distal pancreatectomies, 28 laparoscopic distal pancreatectomies, and 17 robotic distal pancreatectomies were performed. Age, American Society of Anesthesia preoperative risk score, and specimen length were similar. Indications for laparoscopic distal pancreatectomies and robotic distal pancreatectomies included more cystic neoplasms (49%) and fewer malignancies (29%) versus open distal pancreatectomies (16% and 47%). Spleen preservation occurred in 65% robotic distal pancreatectomies versus 12% and 29% in open distal pancreatectomies and laparoscopic distal pancreatectomies ( P P P Conclusion These data suggest direct hospital costs are comparable among all groups. They suggest a shorter length of stay in robotic versus laparoscopic or open approaches. Finally, spleen and vessel preservation rates may improve with a robotic approach at the expense of increased operative time. In summary, robotic distal pancreatectomy is safe and cost effective in selected cases.
Onsager Reciprocal Relations for Stefan−Maxwell Diffusion

The choice of diffusional driving forces and fluxes such that a sum of their products yields the entropy generation rate does not generally lead to a system with a symmetric transport matrix. One can apply Onsager's fluctuation theory to a mass-transfer system with various driving forces, such as gradients of mole fraction, concentration, or chemical potential, and obtain a proper reciprocal relation among the transport properties so defined. Although Stefan−Maxwell coefficients are generally not symmetric, &#x1d49f;ij ≠ &#x1d49f;ji, Onsager's theory still supplies the reciprocal relation. This work employs these principles to derive the reciprocal relation among Stefan−Maxwell coefficients for isothermal, isobaric mass diffusion, with an illustration for ideal solutions.
Guidelines for an accessible web automation interface

In recent years, the Web has become an ever more sophisticated and irreplaceable tool in our daily lives. While the visual Web has been advancing at a rapid pace, assistive technology has not been able to keep up, increasingly putting visually impaired users at a disadvantage. Web automation has the potential to bridge the accessibility divide between the ways blind and sighted people access the Web; specifically, it can enable blind people to accomplish quickly web browsing tasks that were previously slow, hard, or even impossible to complete. In this paper, we propose guidelines for the design of intuitive and accessible web automation that has the potential to increase accessibility and usability of web pages, reduce interaction time, and improve user browsing experience. Our findings and a preliminary user study demonstrate the feasibility of and emphasize the pressing need for truly accessible web automation technologies.
The Problem of Measurement Model Misspecification in Behavioral and Organizational Research and Some Recommended Solutions.

The purpose of this study was to review the distinction between formative- and reflective-indicator measurement models, articulate a set of criteria for deciding whether measures are formative or reflective, illustrate some commonly researched constructs that have formative indicators, empirically test the effects of measurement model misspecification using a Monte Carlo simulation, and recommend new scale development procedures for latent constructs with formative indicators. Results of the Monte Carlo simulation indicated that measurement model misspecification can inflate unstandardized structural parameter estimates by as much as 400% or deflate them by as much as 80% and lead to Type I or Type II errors of inference, depending on whether the exogenous or the endogenous latent construct is misspecified. Implications of this research are discussed.
Mite fauna of stored grain seeds in central Iraq.

Abstract The mite fauna of stored grain seeds was studied in a total of 108 samples of wheat, barley, and rice collected from central Iraq. Sixteen species were recorded during the present study, of which 8 species belonged to the order Mesostigmata, 4 to the order Astigmata, 3 to the order Prostigmata, and one species to the order Cryptostigmata. Ten of the recorded species were new to the Iraqi fauna. The seasonal abundance of these species in each cereal were recorded. The highest number of species and number of individuals were recorded in November on rice.
Scales of Turbulence During Boundary Layer Transition Under Steady and Unsteady Flow Conditions

Boundary layer hot-wire measurements are analyzed for scales of turbulence during transition. Experimental data from two test sections (one consisting of a curved plate and the other consisting of five blades in a turbine cascade) are used in the current analysis. Unsteady wake flow conditions are simulated using circular rods upstream of the test section and the boundary layer measurements are taken for different wake passing frequencies. Recent developments in wavelet analysis are used to quantify the energy corresponding to different scales of turbulence in the signal. Also, dominant scales having the maximum energy content in the velocity signal are extracted to get the macroscopic picture during boundary layer transition. A continuous increase in scale activity during transition is seen for the steady flow data, whereas for unsteady flow cases the energy is dominant for higher frequencies as the wake passing frequency increases. This scale information is essential for improving transition models and validating CFD codes.Copyright © 1999 by ASME
A protocol for lifetime energy and environmental impact assessment of building insulation materials

Abstract This article describes a proposed protocol that is intended to provide a comprehensive list of factors to be considered in evaluating the direct and indirect environmental impacts of building insulation materials, as well as detailed descriptions of standardized calculation methodologies to determine those impacts. The energy and environmental impacts of insulation materials can generally be divided into two categories: (1) direct impact due to the embodied energy of the insulation materials and other factors and (2) indirect or environmental impacts avoided as a result of reduced building energy use due to addition of insulation. Standards and product category rules exist, which provide guidelines about the life cycle assessment (LCA) of materials, including building insulation products. However, critical reviews have suggested that these standards fail to provide complete guidance to LCA studies and suffer from ambiguities regarding the determination of the environmental impacts of building insulation and other products. The focus of the assessment protocol described here is to identify all factors that contribute to the total energy and environmental impacts of different building insulation products and, more importantly, provide standardized determination methods that will allow comparison of different insulation material types. Further, the intent is not to replace current LCA standards but to provide a well-defined, easy-to-use comparison method for insulation materials using existing LCA guidelines.
MULTIPLE SCATTERING OF NEUTRONS IN GASEOUS AND LIQUID METHANE.

A "factor method" of evaluating the double-scattering correction for inelastic-neutron-scattering experiments with an infinite-plane-slab specimen has been developed. Using appropriate dynamical models, calculations have been made both for highly compressed room-temperature gaseous methane and for liquid methane at 98 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. As a result, the agreement between analytical results with measurements is remarkably improved. In addition, the model sensitivity of the correction and the advantages of reflection-type experimental geometry over transmission-type are investigated.
Physically based strain invariant set for materials exhibiting transversely isotropic behavior

Abstract A novel set of 5 strain invariants for materials exhibiting transversely isotropic behavior with respect to a reference configuration is developed through analysis of physical attributes of deformation. Experimental advantage for hyperelastic materials is demonstrated by showing that common tests can directly determine terms in W , the strain energy per unit reference volume. An analysis of symmetry allows the general form of W to be refined a priori. Moreover, this kinematics framework is potentially useful for solving inverse problems since the 5 response terms in the Cauchy stress t are mostly orthogonal (9 of the 10 mutual inner products vanish). For small deformation they are fully orthogonal (all 10 inner products vanish). A response term in t consists of an invariant response function multiplied by its associated kinematic tensor.