cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma Cell Leukemia

Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a de novo presentation of an aggressive extramedullary myeloma characterized by circulating plasma cells in peripheral blood. The clonal plasma cells may accumulate genetic aberrations rapidly in a very short period, resulting in de novo pPCL (from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance to pPCL, thereby bypassing the myeloma phase). In contrast, secondary plasma cell leukemia (sPCL) indicates a terminal event in the natural progression of myeloma representing its leukemic transformation. A gradual acquisition of secondary chromosomal aberrations contributes to the evolution of this aggressive phenotype. While hyperdiploidy is very uncommon in pPCL, sPCL patients like myeloma may be hyperdiploid and have a higher incidence of IgH translocations. In this chapter, we summarize the clinical presentation of both phenotypes and the advances in therapeutic options for PCL patients.
CYP2D6 genotype and adjuvant tamoxifen.

A study by Province et al. for the International Tamoxifen Pharmacogenomics Consortium (ITPC) appeared in a recent issue of this journal.1 In addition to discussing this study and biomarker studies in general, I provide an overall assessment of the evidence regarding testing for CYP2D6 in making clinical decisions regarding the use of tamoxifen in adjuvant breast cancer. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2014); 96 2, 138–140. doi:10.1038/clpt.2014.96
Haptic Models of an Automotive Turn-Signal Switch: Identification and Playback Results

Creating accurate haptic models of physical devices is critical to improving the realism and immersiveness of virtual environments. This paper addresses the problem of modeling the feel of an automotive turn-signal switch, a prototypical device chosen for its strongly nonlinear dynamic behavior. Parameters of a position- and direction-dependent nonlinear impedance model are estimated from experimental data using a modified version of the exponentially-weighted least-squares (EWLS) algorithm. The method is then validated through playback experiments in which subjects rate the realism of the resulting models
Simulators and difficult airway management skills

Although difficult airway management remains one of the leading factors in anaesthetic deaths, there have been tremendous advances in the field in the last few decades. The question is, are advanced airway management skills being taught and used? Of the numerous training tools available, simulators have the advantages of providing whole-task learning with the potential to change behaviour and, when applied to large groups of trainees, the possibility of achieving standardized application of the safest practices for a range of scenarios limited only by the creativity of the program designers. Partial-task trainers include computer-based software programs and simulators. Full-scale simulators include a variety of products from several manufacturers. To take full advantage of simulators as educational tools, curricula should be designed around a set of educational objectives that address the objectives of learning in all three skill domains (cognitive, psychomotor, and affective). Simulation experiences using partial-task or whole-task trainers should be coupled whenever feasible with a structured clinical experience in airway management. This can best be achieved through a dedicated airway management rotation. Monitored procedure logs may also be used. Whether using a simulator or in a clinical rotation, experiences should be graded, for example, gaining experience in an adult population before gaining experience in paediatrics and in each population mastering airway management skills for common scenarios before advancing to more complicated techniques such as fibreoptic bronchoscopy.
Differences in male and female patterns of communication in groups: A methodological artifact?

This study investigated communication patterns in an all-male, all-female, and mixed-sex group. All participants were white and middle class. These groups met for longer periods of time than those in most previous studies that reported differences between men and women in task and maintenance communication patterns. Most previous research investigations were based on groups that met for an hour or less and used unacquainted undergraduates. In this study, no significant differences were found in seven categories of verbal input. While there were no significant differences, the typical pattern reported in the literature was present in the first 30–60 minutes of the groups. After that time period, no consistent patterns were noted, and stereotypic sex differences vanished. This has led the authors to tentatively conclude that the findings of previous research may be due to the limited time period used in most investigations. Men and women did not differ on task and maintenance input, or other categories of verbal input, in groups meeting for 4 1/2 hours or 6 hours.
TH‐C‐T‐6E‐06: Evaluation of the TomoTherapy Planning Station Heterogeneity Correction Algorithm Using An Anthropomorphic Phantom

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of the TomoTherapy Planning Station's heterogeneity correction algorithm using an anthropomorphic lung phantom. Method and Materials: The Radiological Physics Center's anthropomorphic lung phantom was imaged and then planned using the TomoTherapy Planning Station version 2.1.0.200. The water‐filled phantom is comprised of a plastic shell containing two lung‐ equivalent structures, a heart structure and a spinal cord. The dosimeters were TLD located in the target and radiochromic film located in the 3 major planes passing through the center of the target. A median dose of 10 Gy was prescribed to the target with a helical delivery technique employing a field length of 2.5 cm. Results: The average TLD/planning system dose ratio in the center of the target was 0.980 ± 0.008. The dose to the target from the MVCT scan was only 1.05 cGy per scan. The radiochromic film was normalized to the TLDdose in the center of the target. The dose profiles within the target were in agreement with the plan. The preliminary results showed agreement throughout much of the irradiated volume, although the delivered dose was less than the planned dose in the superior and medial directions. Conclusion: The TomoTherapy Planning Station's heterogeneity algorithm calculated dose accurately inside a target centered in lung. Discrepancies were found in the dose calculated to the surrounding lung material resulting in an underdose. Work supported by PHS grant CA10953 awarded by NCI, DHHS.
Porous three-dimensional nanorod arrays through selective chemical etching of nanocomposites

Three-dimensional Cu–Si and Cu–SiO2 nanorod arrays containing ∼68 at% Cu have been fabricated by a glancing angle co-deposition technique. By selectively etching Cu in 0.05 M KCN methanol solution, porous nanorods with different shapes form, which are promising for applications in sensors, catalysts, and as medical capsules that are able to be loaded with functional materials.
A Comparison of Some Approximate Confidence Intervals for the Binomial Parameter

Abstract We consider two confidence intervals for the binomial parameter that are frequently recommended for large samples. We show that one of these, which is in fact less popular in the literature, enjoys certain advantages over the other one. The criteria used for comparison are the confidence coefficients, the lengths, and the Neyman shortness of the intervals.
Auto-regulatory RNA editing fine-tunes mRNA re-coding and complex behaviour in Drosophila

Auto-regulatory feedback loops are a common molecular strategy used to optimize protein function. In Drosophila, many messenger RNAs involved in neuro-transmission are re-coded at the RNA level by the RNA-editing enzyme, dADAR, leading to the incorporation of amino acids that are not directly encoded by the genome. dADAR also re-codes its own transcript, but the consequences of this auto-regulation in vivo are unclear. Here we show that hard-wiring or abolishing endogenous dADAR auto-regulation dramatically remodels the landscape of re-coding events in a site-specific manner. These molecular phenotypes correlate with altered localization of dADAR within the nuclear compartment. Furthermore, auto-editing exhibits sexually dimorphic patterns of spatial regulation and can be modified by abiotic environmental factors. Finally, we demonstrate that modifying dAdar auto-editing affects adaptive complex behaviours. Our results reveal the in vivo relevance of auto-regulatory control over post-transcriptional mRNA re-coding events in fine-tuning brain function and organismal behaviour.
Indexation scheme for oriented molecular thin films studied with grazing-incidence reciprocal-space mapping

Thin films of small molecules relevant to organic electronics applications often show a confusing degree of polymorphism. An effective reciprocal-space mapping scheme has been developed in order to find and index thin-film reflections which are related to previously known molecular structures. By method of elimination, thin-film reflections due to novel thin-film phases can thus be identified.
Awareness, knowledge, and beliefs about human papillomavirus in a racially diverse sample of young adults.

Abstract Purpose To assess current levels and correlates of awareness, knowledge, and beliefs about human papillomavirus (HPV) in a racially diverse sample of young adults. Correlates of interest in HPV education and the HPV vaccine were also examined. Methods A total of 124 students 18–26 years of age from two southeastern universities (including a historically black university) completed a survey assessing demographic characteristics, sexual history, awareness and knowledge of HPV, HPV-related beliefs (perceived risk of HPV infection, perceived shame associated with HPV infection), interest in learning more about HPV, and interest in the HPV vaccine (women only). Results More than 75% of the sample had heard of HPV. Although some misunderstandings were observed, HPV knowledge was relatively high. Women reported greater awareness and knowledge of HPV than did men. Higher perceptions of risk were observed among sexually active participants and those with multiple sexual partners. Younger participants, men, and those with less HPV knowledge indicated they would feel more ashamed if diagnosed with HPV. Black/African-American and sexually active participants reported greater interest in HPV education. Greater interest in the HPV vaccine was observed among women who were sexually active, had multiple sexual partners, and felt vulnerable to HPV infection. Conclusions This study is one of the first to assess awareness, knowledge, and beliefs about HPV since the HPV vaccine was approved. Findings suggest that awareness of HPV may be increasing, yet many misconceptions remain. Continued efforts are needed to promote further understanding of HPV infection, the HPV vaccine, and the importance of routine cervical screening.
Preservice Teachers' Educational Beliefs and Their Perceptions of Characteristics of Effective Teachers

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine preservice teachers' perceptions of characteristics of effective teachers, as well as to investigate whether these perceptions are related to educational beliefs (i.e., progressive vs. trans-missive). Data for this study were collected from 134 preservice teachers enrolled in several sections of an introductory-level education class for education majors at a large university in southern Georgia. During the 1st week of classes, the authors gave students (a) a questionnaire asking them to identify, rank, and define characteristics that they believed excellent teachers possess or demonstrate and (b) a published survey that identified participants' educational beliefs as either progressive or transmissive. A phenomenological analysis of responses revealed several characteristics that many of the preservice teachers considered to reflect effective teaching. In order of endorsement level, the following 7 themes emerged from these characteristics: (a) student cen...
The effects of acidosis on chronically hypoxic neurons in culture

Abstract Neuropathologic changes associated with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic events in the human infant most often result from chronic hypoxia rather than from acute asphyxia. To characterize the effects of acidosis associated with chronic hypoxia in developing neurons, cerebral cortical cultures obtained from fetal mice were exposed to 5% O2 continuously for either 24 or 48 h at 10 days after plating. At the conclusion of the hypoxic insult (HI), neuronal morphology was relatively intact for both conditions even though culture medium reflected significant reductions in pH and bicarbonate with elevation of lactate; cultures exposed to the longer HI manifested statistically greater aberrations from control values. Total benzodiazepine (BDZ) binding and clonazepam (CLO)-displaceable BDZ binding, reflecting the neuronal component of the receptor, were only modestly reduced immediately after HI, but were thereafter significantly and progressively lower over the 72 h normoxic recovery period. Although neuronal integrity was progressively diminished with both insults, morphology was always more normal and CLO higher in cultures subjected to 48-h HI compared to the 24-h HI (34.0 ± 9.8 vs 1.8 ± 1.1% of control values at 72 h, respectively; P
Supersymmetry and inflation: A new approach

Abstract In this paper we present a systematic study of inflationary phase transitions in locally supersymmetric theories. We find that a successful inflationary universe scenario can be achieved but only when the transition is to a new (not O'Raifeartaigh-or or Fayet-Iliopoulos-) type of supersymmetry breaking state. The state is metastable but very long lived.
COMPASS: A Software Tool for Equipment Acquisition Decision Making in the Apparel Industry

Describes COMPASS, which was developed under the Apparel Manufacturing Technology Center (funded by the US Defense Logistics Agency) to assist the apparel industry in evaluating the viability of new equipment. The need for a product such as COMPASS was previously defined through a survey of equipment acquisition decision methods used by manufacturing, with emphasis on the apparel industry. This research, combined with other research results, concluded that current practices could be improved in several key ways. First, the payback criterion was used often inappropriately as a measure of investment viability rather than a measure of risk. Second, the use of net present value as a decision criterion, while superior to payback, was itself deficient in practice. COMPASS was designed to address these deficiencies by including benefits not previously quantified (thus correcting analyses previously biased against adoption of new technologies), and by recognizing that it will never be possible to quantify all the benefits, to offer an alternative, non‐traditional, and qualitatively based decision‐making procedure.
Understanding the Degrees of Freedom Concept by Computer Experiments

Abstract Numerical experiments on a personal computer are used to illustrate the degrees of freedom concept. Random errors from a known distribution are added to a known model, for example, y(x) = α + β · x, and the least squares fit to the model + error data is computed. The least squares fit produces a new model, y(x) = a + b · x. By definition the sum of squared deviations between the least squares fit model and the data is always less than the sum of squared deviations between the original model and the data. When this process is repeated thousands of times on the computer, using different random errors each time, a pattern emerges. On average the difference between the two sums of squared deviations approaches an integer multiple of the error distribution variance. Furthermore, this integer equals the number of regression parameters in the model. For instance, this is the origin of the two degrees of freedom associated with a linear model. Using the computer it is easy to verify this property for reg...
Abnormal heart rate recovery after exercise as a reflection of an abnormal chronotropic response

Abnormal decline in heart rate (HR) after exercise has been linked to increased cardiac mortality. This study compares the decrease in HR in different patient types, elucidates the relation between the increase and decrease of HR with exercise, and studies the role of β blockers on the recovery of HR after exercise. One hundred patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), 50 subjects with a very low likelihood of CAD (normals), and 21 postcardiac transplant (Tx) patients underwent Bruce protocols. Peak HR, percent of peak HR achieved, HR reserve percent, and decline in HR at 1, 3, 5, and 8 minutes were obtained for all groups and also for subgroups based on the use of β blockers. HR recovery at 1, 3, 5, and 8 minutes differed significantly between patients with CAD, normals, and Tx patients. HR recovery at 1, 3, 5, and 8 minutes also differed significantly within the groups (normal and CAD) based on the use of β blockers. There was highly significant correlation between decrease in HR and peak HR, percent peak HR and HR reserve percent in normal and CAD groups. After correction of the HR recovery for dependence on peak HR and HR reserve percent, the difference in HR recovery between normal and CAD groups was markedly reduced. The difference in the decrease of HR within each group (normal and CAD), based on the use of β blockers or not, was also markedly reduced. β blockers have a significant impact on the decrease in HR due to its effect on chronotropism. HR recovery rate is highly dependent on the chronotropic response. Hence, the main portion of the abnormality in HR recovery after exercise can be explained by chronotropic incompetence.
Numerical Methods in Seismology

A survey is given of the numerical methods used for computing synthetic seismograms. In particular, the properties of finite differences, finite elements, integral transforms, and ray tracing are described. Each of these methods is capable of giving good results for its own range of frequencies and wave numbers. Thus, for complete seismograms, one should be prepared to use all of the available tools.
Electro-Acoustic Dewatering (EAD) a Novel Approach for Food Processing, and Recovery

Abstract Separation of liquids from fine particle suspensions plays an important role in many industrial processes. In the past few years a number of technologies have been developed for the separation of slurries with coarse particle suspensions and intermediate particle sizes. However, separation of fine particles from their suspensions can be difficult and prohibitively costly. Battelle has developed a solid/liquid separation technology that utilizes differences in electro-kinetic and acoustic properties to enhance the efficiency of conventional solid/liquid separation techniques such as vacuum filters or presses. This method can dewater colloidal stable suspensions better than conventional techniques. Typical applications of this technology to food processing will be presented. Mechanisms involved during separation will also be discussed.
Rapid couette flow of cohesionless granular materials

Presented is an analysis on the Couette flow of cohesionless granular materials between two co-axial rotating cylinders. The constitutive equations employed have been postulated on the basis of available experimental and theoretical results which take into account the particle collisions as well as dynamic pressures induced by the trace of the unsemble phase average of the square of flow fluctuations. These constitutive equations loosely resemble the Reiner-Rivlin fluid behavior, and predict normal stress effects.
Statistical Compact Model Extraction: A Neural Network Approach

A technique for extracting statistical compact model parameters using artificial neural networks (ANNs) is proposed. ANNs can model a much higher degree of nonlinearity compared to existing quadratic polynomial models and, hence, can even be used in sub-100-nm technologies to model leakage current that exponentially depends on process parameters. Existing techniques cannot be extended to handle such exponential functions. Additionally, ANNs can handle multiple input multiple output relations very effectively. The concept applied to CMOS devices improves the efficiency and accuracy of model extraction. Results from the ANN match the ones obtained from SPICE simulators within 1%.
Multipolar Electrocoagulation in the Treatment of Peptic Ulcers with Nonbleeding Visible Vessels: A Prospective, Controlled Trial

STUDY OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy and safety of treatment with endoscopic multipolar electrocoagulation in patients who have ulcers with nonbleeding visible vessels. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, sham-controlled trial; patients were followed until their discharge from the hospital. SETTING Urban, nonreferral county hospital. PATIENTS Consecutive sample of 75 patients who had a bloody nasogastric aspirate sample, melena, or hematochezia; unstable vital signs, a transfusion of at least two units of blood in 12 hours, or a drop in the hematocrit of at least 0.06 in 12 hours; and endoscopic evidence of an ulcer with a nonbleeding visible vessel. INTERVENTION Sham or real multipolar electrocoagulation at the time of diagnostic endoscopy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Compared with the control group, the group receiving multipolar electrocoagulation showed marked improvement in the following variables; rebleeding (18% compared with 41%, P less than 0.05; difference, 23%; 95% CI, 3% to 43%); need for emergency surgery (8% compared with 30%, P less than 0.05; difference, 22%; CI, 5% to 39%); mean number of hospital days (4.3 +/- 0.4 compared with 6.2 +/- 0.7, P less than 0.05; difference, 1.9; CI, 0.4 to 3.4); and cost of hospitalization ($3790 +/- $410 compared with $5730 +/- $650, P less than 0.05; difference, $1940; CI, $400 to $3480). The mean transfusion requirement in the treatment group was 1.6 +/- 0.3 as compared with 3.0 +/- 0.6 units in the control group (P = 0.13; difference, 1.4; CI, 0 to 2.8). The overall mortality was extremely low: Only 1 (1%) of 75 patients died. Bleeding was induced in 7 (18%) of the 38 patients treated with electrocoagulation, and 1 patient required urgent surgery. CONCLUSIONS Endoscopic treatment with multipolar electrocoagulation is beneficial in patients who present with major upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage and are found to have an ulcer with a nonbleeding visible vessel.
A new technique for optimal time-dynamic distribution substation and feeder planning

This paper presents a new model for optimally sizing and locating distribution substations and feeders in a time-dynamic power distribution system. Recognizing that both linear and nonlinear loads are present within the system, the model's objective is to minimize the combined costs of the construction of substations and feeders with that of losses occurring at fundamental and harmonic frequencies. System specifications include power demand, power capacity, and logical restrictions. Two main contributions of this paper are: (1) the model captures the nonlinear costs due to power flow, as opposed to simplifying linear assumptions found in the literature; and (2) the effects of harmonics are considered. The model is a mixed 0-1 quadratic program, whose mathematical structure permits the application of generalized Benders' decomposition as a solution methodology. The effectiveness of the developed model and solution procedure is illustrated by application of a test example from the literature. The effects of nonlinear power losses and harmonic distortion are shown to influence the planning strategy.
Unrealistic Expectations of Parents Who Maltreat Their Children: An Educational Deficit that Pertains to Child Development.

Forty-one parents estimated when their own child and an “average” child would attain a number of different developmental milestones. These milestones and the accompanying normative data were derived from the Vineland Social Maturity Scale (Doll, 1965). Parents were divided into three groups on the basis of a prior history of child abuse, child neglect, or no previous background of abuse or neglect. Results indicate that both the abuse and neglect groups differed from the comparison group when absolute difference scores from the normative data were analyzed. When directionality of scores were analyzed (i.e., too high or too low expectations for the child), no differences were found among the groups. Implications of an educational deficit model of unrealistic parental expectations were discussed.
Localization in the metallic regime of granular Cu—SiO2 films

Abstract The temperature dependences of the electrical resistivity of sputterd Cu—SiO2 films measured in the range 4–300 K show minima which depend on the composition. A linear temperature dependence of ϱ is observed above the minimum, and an appropriate log T dependence is found below. The latter is attributed to electron localization. The magnetoresistance is found to be negative and the Hall constant shows no appreciable temperature dependence.
Cell-wall-defective variants of Fusobacterium.

The activity of antimicrobial agents against Fusobacterium species has been reported as variable in the literature. For some strains, the inconsistency arises from difficulty in determining the endpoint of growth in agar dilution susceptibility tests. Certain strains persist as a subtle haze beyond the levels of antibiotic that permit conventional colonial growth. We have determined by light and electron microscopy that this haze represents the colonial growth of cell-wall-defective (CWD) variants of the parent Fusobacterium. The CWD forms could be propagated indefinitely in hypertonic medium containing the antibiotic inducing agent. However, when the antibiotic was eliminated, the organisms would revert to their native morphology. Formation of CWD variants was observed in the presence of cell-wall-active drugs (e.g., beta-lactam agents) but not with drugs that work by a different mechanism (e.g., clindamycin or chloramphenicol). Fourteen of 22 F. varium strains, 8 of 11 F. mortiferum strains, 2 of 10 F. gonidiaformans strains, and 1 of 4 of F. necrophorum strains could be induced to a CWD form in vitro in the usual agar dilution susceptibility test. Although the clinical significance of CWD variants of Fusobacterium is unknown, they may be a source of confusion in interpreting agar dilution susceptibility tests.
A painful precursor to skin necrosis

(1999). A painful precursor to skin necrosis. Postgraduate Medicine: Vol. 106, No. 4, pp. 249-250.
Strategic Responses to Accountability Demands: A Case Study of Three Community Colleges.

As community colleges receive attention focused on their role in addressing postsecondary needs, they are subject to varying levels of accountability, which necessitates the development of strategic approaches to leading institutions. Burke (2005) recognizes three accountability perspectives that higher education institutions must consider: market, political, and academic. The strategic planning processes used at three North Carolina community colleges reflect a balanced approach to responding to the accountability requirements of all three perspectives. Using a qualitative multisite case study of the colleges, five themes emerge as implications for practice: (a) Involve stakeholders in strategic planning and implementation; (b) Create a student-centered culture; (c) Provide fiscal accountability with data-driven decision making; (d) Develop a balanced strategic approach to all accountability perspectives; and (e) Integrate regional accreditation principles into strategies. By applying the convergent prac...
The critical period and parameter setting in five cases of delayed L1 acquisition

Three well-known cases of extreme linguistic isolation during childhood and two recent cases from the neurological literature involving left-hemispherectomy in children are examined. In all five situations, subjects underwent delayed L1 acquisition (with L1 onset ranging from 5 to 31 years). “End-state” utterances provided in published reports are analyzed for evidence concerning subjects’ control of the Head Position, Null Subject, and Wh parameters. In addition, the early phrasal development of a subset of the five subjects is investigated in terms of the asymmetric Merge operation. Findings concerning ultimate attainment indicate that the younger cases set parameters more successfully, and that performance declines markedly with increasing age, while results regarding early multiword utterances suggest that these are strikingly “normal” as long as delayed onset of L1 occurs within, and right up to, the critical period boundary. This pattern, it is argued, is consistent with the notion that pre- and post-critical period first language learning involve qualitatively different processes.
Linkage of high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol concentrations to a locus on chromosome 9p in Mexican Americans

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are anti-atherogenic lipoproteins that have a major role in transporting cholesterol from peripheral tissues to the liver, where it is removed 1,2 , Epidemiologic studies have shown that low levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) are associated with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease and an increased mortality rate 3,4 , indicating a protective role of high concentrations of HDL-C against atherogenesis and the development of coronary heart disease. HDL-C level is influenced by several genetic and nongenetic factors 3,5 . Nongenetic factors include smoking, which has been shown to decrease the HDL-C level. Exercise and alcohol have been shown to increase HDL-C levels 6,7 . Decreased HDL-C is often associated with other coronary heart disease risk factors such as obesity, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension 3 . Although several genes have been identified for rare forms of dyslipidemia, the genes accounting for major variation in HDL-C levels have yet to be identified 8 . Using a multipoint variance components linkage approach, we found strong evidence of linkage (lod score=3.4; P=0.00004) of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for HDL-C level to a genetic location between markers D9S925 and D9S741 on chromosome 9p in Mexican Americans. A replication study in an independent set of Mexican American families confirmed the existence of a QTL on chromosome 9p.
2D Parametric Study of Viscous Fingering

When a low viscosity fluid is forced to displace another immiscible fluid with a higher viscosity inside of a porous media a particular flow structure called viscous fingering is generated. The study of that particular flow structure has special relevance in understanding the diffusion process and the transport characteristics of a fluid inside of a porous media. This work examined the effect of two fundamental parameters like the injected volumetric flow rate and the domain aspect ratio over the viscous fingering pattern. In order to perform that parametric study, a set of numerical simulations using the 2D network simulator model are used. A large viscosity ratio between the injected and displaced fluid is used to focus the work only on the unstable behavior state.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Relations between block relative gain and Euclidean condition number

New relations between the block relative gain and condition number as well as the minimal condition number are developed. The results obtained show that the condition number must be large if the corresponding block relative gain has a large maximum singular value, and the minimal condition number must be large if the block relative gain has a large structured single value. These relations improve the previous result of C.N. Nett and V. Manousiouthakis (1987) and are useful in clarifying the role of block relative gain as a measure of potential design difficulties associated with plants that have large block relative gains. >
On the Role of Analytics in Estimating the Cost of Delivering Complex Information Technology (IT) Outsourcing Services Projects

In this paper, we describe the challenges in accurately estimating the cost of delivering complex IT outsourcing services deals from an IT services provider's point of view, and we discuss how and which analytics can be employed to improve the accuracy of cost estimations. The accuracy of cost estimation is measured by the gap between the costs predicted at the time of contract signing and the actual costs incurred in delivering those solutions. Our proposed analytics are grounded in a set of observed influencing factors that are derived from our experience in developing costing tools for a large IT services provider, Also, we present a vision for building an ideal operational environment for IT service providers to achieve increased levels of visibility into their operations to improve the accuracy of their project cost estimates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work of its kind that articulates the issues, challenges and the role of analytics for improving the accuracy of estimating the costs of delivering complex IT outsourcing projects from IT Service Provider point of view. We hope that our work serves as a call for future research in this area. We are currently actively developing some of the analytics proposed in this paper at a large IT services provider.
Separating the effects of alertness from the effects of encoding in a pitch-imagery task.

Abstract The facilitatory effects of auditory imagery have often been attributed to priming. However, the facilitatory effects of a prime on subsequent processing can be separated into effects related to specific perceptual processes, such as encoding, and effects related to more general processes, such as alertness. Whereas research on auditory imagery has focused on code-activated facilitation, the role of alertness in image-induced facilitation has been largely presumed rather than empirically investigated. Therefore, a study was designed to isolate the facilitatory effects of alertness from those of encoding. The results show that the nonspecific alerting effects of auditory imaging were quite extensive—a nearly 78-ms decrease in reaction time—compared with the effects of encoding.
Experimental Investigation of a Flexible Bellows Heat Pipe for Cooling Discrete Heat Sources

A computer model was developed to aid in the design of a flexible bellows heat pipe for cooling small discrete heat sources or arrays of small heat sources. This model was used to evaluate the operational characteristics and performance limitations of these heat pipes and to formulate and optimize a series of conceptual designs. Three flexible bellows heat pipes approximately 40 mm in length and 6 mm in diameter were constructed and tested using three different wick configurations. The test pipes were found to be boiling limited over most of the operating temperature range tested. Heat fluxes in excess of 200 W/cm{sup 2} were obtained and thermal resistance values of less than 0.7C/W were measured. Although the computer model slightly underestimated the experimentally determined transport limit for one of the wicking configurations, the remaining transport predictions were consistently within 8% of the experimental values.
Breaking the rules: delivering responsive service.

This article explores issues of marketing and organizational behavior that affect customer satisfaction in high-contact service firms. It discusses the results of an empirical research study that examined internal marketing practices in 38 hotels in the United States. The objective of the research was to show that firms that break the traditional rules of bureaucratic structures and managerial behaviors increase responsiveness and customer satisfaction.
Optimal learning in experimental design using the knowledge gradient policy with application to characterizing nanoemulsion stability

We present a technique for adaptively choosing a sequence of experiments for materials design and optimization. Specifically, we consider the problem of identifying the choice of experimental control variables that optimize the kinetic stability of a nanoemulsion, which we formulate as a ranking and selection problem. We introduce an optimization algorithm called the knowledge gradient with discrete priors (KGDP) that sequentially and adaptively selects experiments and that maximizes the rate of learning the optimal control variables. This is done through a combination of a physical, kinetic model of nanoemulsion stability, Bayesian inference, and a decision policy. Prior knowledge from domain experts is incorporated into the algorithm as well. Through numerical experiments, we show that the KGDP algorithm outperforms the policies of both random exploration (in which an experiment is selected uniformly at random among all potential experiments) and exploitation (which selects the experiment that appears t...
Assessment of Pipeline Condition Using Heterogeneous Input Data

An inverse analysis model was developed which provides a mathematical framework for interpretation, in terms of the condition of a buried pipeline, of survey data in the presence of random noise. A boundary-element forward model was coupled with a weighted nonlinear regression algorithm to obtain pipe surface properties from two types of survey data: soil-surface potentials and local values of current flowing through the pipe. The model was demonstrated for synthetic data generated for a section of a coated underground pipeline electrically connected to a vertical sacrificial anode. The success of the regression was sensitive to the relative weighting applied in the objective function to the respective types of data. A generalized weighted and scaled objective function is proposed.
Free flap reconstruction of the nose

Although most nasal reconstructions are performed using local tissues, there are 2 groups of patients who may benefit from nasal reconstruction using microsurgical techniques. The first group is patients with a subtotal loss of the distal part of the nose that may be reconstructed with a free flap from the ascending helix of the ear, which has a remarkably similar appearance to the distal part of the nose. The second group is patients who have sustained a total loss of the nose, including all layers and often adjacent tissues, who may be reconstructed in a staged fashion with a prelaminated flap from the forearm. This flap has previously been lined and laminated with structural support and subsequently transferred to the face. These flaps need revisions and generally a forehead flap for final esthetic coverage once they have stabilized.
Results of mitral surgery in octogenarians with isolated nonrheumatic mitral regurgitation

Abstract Background Increasing numbers of elderly patients are now referred for mitral valve operations. It has been unclear whether the results offset the risk of intervention in this patient population. Methods We obtained clinical follow-up through May 2002 of 59 patients 80 years or older who underwent first-time isolated mitral valve repair (46 patients) or replacement (13 patients) for nonischemic, nonrheumatic mitral regurgitation from January 1990 to June 2000. The mean duration of follow-up was 68 ± 33 months. Observed survival was compared with the expected survival of persons of the same age and gender in the general population. Results Preoperatively 79% of patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III–IV. Operative mortality was 1.7%. Overall 1- and 5-year survival was 89% and 61%. One- and 5-year freedom from thromboembolic complications in hospital survivors was 97% and 84%. One- and 5-year freedom from heart-related hospitalization in hospital survivors was 89% and 78%. There were no reoperations. Twenty-nine patients underwent an echocardiographic follow-up; 31% of them exhibited moderate or more regurgitation. Of 37 surviving patients at follow-up, 78% were in NYHA functional class I–II. No statistically significant difference was noted between the observed survival postoperatively and the expected survival of persons of the same age and gender in the general population. In a univariate analysis, only preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction greater than 40% was significantly associated with freedom from late heart-related mortality (95% confidence interval 62%–92%, p = 0.01) and with freedom from heart-related hospitalization (95% CI 68%–95%, p Conclusions Native mitral valve surgery for isolated nonischemic, nonrheumatic disease in octogenarians resulted in a survival rate comparable with that of the general population. It also exhibited substantial improvement regarding the functional status of the patient. Reparative techniques did not result in a survival advantage compared with replacement but did prove to be a reliable approach. Surgery performed in an early stage, preceding the development of left ventricular dysfunction, was associated with an improved freedom from late cardiac complications.
Helix-coil transition of polo-L-glutamic acid film†‡

Water-insoluble films (ca. 0.04 × 3 × 30 mm. in dried state) of poly-L-glutamic acid (PGA), crosslinked with glycerol or polyvinyl alcohol at pH 4.8, were suspended in aqueous media and their relative lengths measured as a function of pH. The films elongate in alkaline pH and contract in acidic pH; the process is completely reversible, although the equilibration time usually takes several days at each pH. A sharp transition of the polymer was observed in the pH range which corresponded with that observed in PGA solutions by other physical methods. In NaCl, KCl, and KF solution the coiled from of the PGA film shrinks with increasing salt concentration. A notable exception is LiBr, which extends the film after a broef, rapid contraction and eventually causes it to disintegrate. Eight molar urea also caused a small elongation of film. Curpic ion has a drastic effect on the stability of the PGA helices. As low as 0.001M Cu(CH3COO)2 at pH 6.6 converted the coiled from the of the film into the helical form. On the other hand, calcium and magnesium ions only reduced the film length, probably without coil-to-helix transition.
Too hard to control: compromised pain anticipation and modulation in mild traumatic brain injury

Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is a vulnerability factor for the development of pain-related conditions above and beyond those related to comorbid traumatic and emotional symptoms. We acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on a validated pain anticipation task and tested the hypotheses that individuals with a reported history of MTBI, compared with healthy comparison subjects, would show increased brain response to pain anticipation and ineffective pain modulation after controlling for psychiatric symptoms. Eighteen male subjects with a reported history of blast-related MTBI related to combat, and eighteen healthy male subjects with no reported history of MTBI (healthy controls) underwent fMRI during an event-related experimental pain paradigm with cued high or low intensity painful heat stimuli. No subjects in either group met diagnostic criteria for current mood or anxiety disorder. We found that relative to healthy comparison subjects, after controlling for traumatic and depressive symptoms, participants with a reported history of MTBI showed significantly stronger activations within midbrain periaqueductual grey (PAG), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cuneus during pain anticipation. Furthermore, we found that brain injury was a significant moderator of the relationship between anticipatory PAG activation and reported subjective pain. Our results suggest that a potentially disrupted neurocognitive anticipatory network may result from damage to the endogenous pain modulatory system and underlie difficulties with regulatory pain processing following MTBI. In other words, our findings are consistent with a notion that brain injury makes it more difficult to control acute pain. Understanding these mechanisms of dysfunctional acute pain processing following MTBI may help shed light on the underlying causes of increased vulnerability for the development of pain-related conditions in this population.
The roles of magma and groundwater in the phreatic eurptions at Inyo Craters, Long Valley Caldera, California

The Inyo Craters (North Inyo Crater and South Inyo Crater), and a third crater, Summit Crater, are the largest of more than a dozen 650- to 550-yr-B.p. phreatic craters that lie in a 1-km-square area at the south end of the Inyo Volcanic Chain, on the west side of the Long Valley Caldera in eastern California. The three craters are aligned within a 1-km-long northsouth system of fissures and normal faults, and coincide in age with aligned magmatic vents farther north in the Inyo Volcanic Chain, suggesting that they were all produced by intrusion of one or more dikes. To study the sequence and mechanisms of the eruptions, the deposits were mapped, sampled, and compared with subsurface stratigraphy obtained from the core of a slant hole drilled directly below the center of South Inyo Crater from the southwest. The deposits from the two Inyo Craters are fine-grained (median diameter less than 1 mm), are several meters thick at the crater walls, and cover at most a few km2 of ground surface. Stratigraphic relationships between the Inyo Craters and Summit Crater indicate that the eruptions proceeded from north to south, overlapped slightly in time, and produced indistinctly plane-parallel bedded, poorly sorted deposits, containing debris derived primarily from within 450 m of the surface. Debris from the deepest identifiable unit (whose top is at 450 m depth) is present at the very base of both Inyo Craters deposits, suggesting that the eruptive vents were open and tapping debris from at least that depth, probably along preexisting fractures, even at their inception. According to ballistic studies, the greatest velocity of ejected blocks was of the order of 100 m/s. All eruptions, particularly the least powerful, selectively removed debris from the finest-grained, most easily eroded subsurface units. Although juvenile fragments have been previously identified in these deposits, they are confined primarily to the grain-size fraction smaller than 0.25 mm dia. and probably did not constitute more than several percent of the deposit. It is therefore suggested that these juvenile fragments were not the main source of heat for the eruptions, and that the eruptions were caused either by: (1) heating of water by fragmented magma that was not ejected before the eruption shut off; (2) slow heating (over months to years) of groundwater under confined conditions without fragmentation of magma, followed by a second process (pressure buildup, seismic faulting, or intrusions) that breached the confinement; or (3) breach of a pre-existing confined geothermal aquifer.
Pipeline algorithm for detection and tracking of pixel-sized target trajectories

A new pipeline approach is addressed for the task of detecting and tracking pixel-sized moving targets from a time sequence of dynamic images of a high-noise environment. The trajectories of the moving targets are unknown, but continuous and smooth. The image sequence contains significant, randomly drifting background clutter, and is also contaminated by random sensor noise. The Pipeline Target Detection Algorithm (PTDA) uses the temporal continuity of the smooth trajectories of moving targets, and successfully detects and simultaneously tracks all the target trajectories by re-constructing them from the time sequence of noisy images in a single targetframe in real time. The pipeline approach breaks the constraint of straight line trajectory that most other algorithms require for the similar tasks and detects and tracks any trajectories of arbitrary shapes as long as they are continuous and smooth. The pipeline fashion of the aigorithm is a complete parallel distributedprocessing (PDP) type process, and therefore is highly time efficient. It also agrees with the pattern that real image sequences are acquired, so is ideal for real-time target detection and tracking.