cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SELECTIVE DESTRUCTION OF PRECURSORS OF MICRONEURONS OF THE CEREBELLAR CORTEX WITH FRACTIONATED LOW-DOSE X RAYS.

Abstract The study was undertaken to determine the amount of irradiation needed to selectively destroy certain postnatally-forming neural elements of the brain. The heads of kittens during their first 2 weeks of life were irradiated unilaterally with five repeated doses of x-ray, single doses ranging from 50 to 400r; the animals were killed on the sixteenth day. The effects of radiation were evaluated quantitatively on the irradiated and control sides in the ansiform lobule of the cerebellar cortex. Repeated doses of 50 to 100r reduced the migratory cell population of the external granular layer; 150r produced a subtotal, and 200r a total destruction of the layer. With 150r and higher doses the total area and the cell population of the internal granular layer of the ansiform lobule were appreciably reduced; with 200r and higher doses the cell packing density of the granular layer was also affected. Irradiation with 150r or higher doses reduced the ratio of granule cells to Purkinje cells. Although x-ray irradiation up to 200r had no effect on the control side, effects were produced with 300 and 400r. The Purkinje cells were adversely affected only with 400r. We concluded that 200r is the optimal dose in kittens for selective destruction of the precursors of the postnatally-forming granule cells in circumscribed parts of the cerebellar cortex.
Electrochemical and spectro-kinetic evidence for an intermediate electron acceptor in Photosystem I☆

Absorption changes accompanying light-induced P-700+ formation and its decay in the dark at 15 K in Photosystem-I particles poised at various redox potentials have been examined. In unpoised samples, the light-induced absorption change is practically irreversible. At increasingly negative potentials, an increasing fraction of the absorption change, proportional to the fraction of bound iron-sulfur protein chemically reduced, becomes reversible, and the titration curve has a midpoint potential of −530 mV (vs. normal hydrogen electrode). At −666 mV, the P-700 absorption change is 97% reversible. The total P-700-signal amplitude decreases over the same potential span and levels off at about 43% (to slightly over 50% at a substantially higher excitation intensity). These results provide additional support to previous suggestions of an existence of an intermediate electron acceptor located between the primary donor, P-700, and the more stable primary electron acceptor (P-430 or bound iron-sulfur protein).
Products of the Gas-Phase Reactions of OH Radicals with p-Xylene and 1,2,3- and 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene: Effect of NO2 Concentration

Products of the gas-phase reactions of the OH radical with p-xylene and 1,2,3- and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene have been measured by gas chromatography in the presence of varying concentrations of NO2. Our product analyses show that the ring-cleavage products 2,3-butanedione (from 1,2,3- and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) and 3-hexene-2,5-dione (from p-xylene and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene) exhibit a dependence of their formation yields on the NO2 concentration, with higher yields from the reactions of the OH−aromatic adducts with O2 than from their reactions with NO2. Furthermore, our data show that these ring-cleavage products are primary products of the OH−aromatic adduct reactions. Formation yields extrapolated to zero NO2 concentration should be applicable to ambient atmospheric conditions (provided that there is sufficient NO that peroxy radicals react dominantly with NO), and are from p-xylene, p-tolualdehyde, 0.0706 ± 0.0042 (independent of NO2 concentration), 2,5-dimethylphenol, 0.138 ± 0.016 (independent of NO2...
Fundamental spatial and temporal disconnections in the hydrology of an intermittent prairie headwater network

Summary We characterize the hydrology of intermittent prairie headwater streams of the Konza Prairie Biological Station (Konza) located in northeastern Kansas, USA. Flow records from four gaging stations were used to quantify flow intermittence and mean and peak annual discharges. Gage sites used in this analysis are classified as harshly intermittent with all sites having over 90 days of zero-flow annually. The largest basin had the fewest zero-flow days and the shortest durations of zero-flow while the smallest basin had the most zero-flow days and the highest frequency zero-flow durations. There were strong correlations between total annual precipitation and the total number of zero-flow days and the number of zero-flow periods. Correlations were less strong between the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) and the number of zero-flow days and between PDSI and the number of zero-flow periods. Basin-averaged total annual precipitation poorly predicted mean annual and peak annual discharges. Double mass plots of streamflow to precipitation and streamflow in the headwaters to the receiving stream demonstrate many instances of flow desynchronization. Results of this study suggest that local watershed-scale processes, such as groundwater storage in limestone and alluvial strata, dynamic infiltration flow paths, and soil moisture conditions, produce a threshold-driven hydrologic response, decoupling the headwater hydrologic regimes from sub-annual weather patterns.
The role of the Arabidopsis Exosome in siRNA-independent silencing of heterochromatic loci.

The exosome functions throughout eukaryotic RNA metabolism and has a prominent role in gene silencing in yeast. In Arabidopsis, exosome regulates expression of a “hidden” transcriptome layer from centromeric, pericentromeric, and other heterochromatic loci that are also controlled by small (sm)RNA-based de novo DNA methylation (RdDM). However, the relationship between exosome and smRNAs in gene silencing in Arabidopsis remains unexplored. To investigate whether exosome interacts with RdDM, we profiled Arabidopsis smRNAs by deep sequencing in exosome and RdDM mutants and also analyzed RdDM-controlled loci. We found that exosome loss had a very minor effect on global smRNA populations, suggesting that, in contrast to fission yeast, in Arabidopsis the exosome does not control the spurious entry of RNAs into smRNA pathways. Exosome defects resulted in decreased histone H3K9 dimethylation at RdDM-controlled loci, without affecting smRNAs or DNA methylation. Exosome also exhibits a strong genetic interaction with RNA Pol V, but not Pol IV, and physically associates with transcripts produced from the scaffold RNAs generating region. We also show that two Arabidopsis rrp6 homologues act in gene silencing. Our data suggest that Arabidopsis exosome may act in parallel with RdDM in gene silencing, by epigenetic effects on chromatin structure, not through siRNAs or DNA methylation.
Divalent cation transport in isolated tubules

Since Burg introduced the technique of microperfusion of isolated renal tubules in 1966 [1], a number of papers has been published on sodium and water transport in various segments of the nephron. However, it was not until 1977 that transport of divalent ions was described using this technique [2]. Subsequently, 12 additional papers were published dealing with calcium transport in various segments of the nephron [3–14]. This review will deal primarily with the contents of these papers.
Recollections of Fred Almgren

While visiting Princeton for the 1997–98 year I have had the privilege of using Fred’s office and helping Jean to go through his papers. It has been moving to see the magnitude of Fred’s helpful correspondence with students and colleagues, some of which Jean and I returned to them with an invitation to contribute short recollections. This article gives some selections from their responses. For more recollections see Mackenzie’s article on “Fred Almgren: Lover of Mathematics, Family, and Life’s Adventures” (Notices AMS44, 1997, 1102–1106) and the memorial issue ofExperimental Mathematics (Vol. 6, 1997, 1–12).
The centralizer of a matrix with real quaternion elements

Abstract Let T be a Q -endomorphism on a finite dimensional left vector space V over the division ring of real quaternions Q . In this paper we show that the centralizer of T can be regarded as an algebra over the complex numbers C and the dimension of this algebra is computed in terms of the invariant factors of T . Thus the number of C -linearly independent matrices which commute with a given matrix representing T is determined.
Family and line selection for reduced palmitate, saturates, and linolenate of soybean

Development of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars with reduced palmitate and stearate will lower the total saturated fatty ester content of the seed oil, and reduction of linolenate will improve its oxidative stability. The objective of this study was to compare the family and line methods of selection for reduced palmitate, palmitate + stearate (saturates), and linolenate in four populations segregating for the major alleles fap1 and fap3 for reduced palmitate or the fan1(A5) and fan2 for reduced linolenate. Four random F 3 -derived lines from 21 F 2 families from each population were evaluated in a plant-row-yield test in 1995 and replicated trials at four locations in 1996. For the family method, the mean palmitate, saturates, and linolenate of the four F 3 -derived lines of each F 2 family was used to identify families from which to select individual lines. For the line method, lines were selected without regard to the family structure. The fatty ester contents of the selected and unselected lines based on data from one environment were compared with their mean fatty ester contents in the other environments. The number of lines selected for each of the traits by the family method was less than for the line method in all populations. There was a greater percentage of lines incorrectly rejected by the family method than by the line method. For development of cultivars with reduced palmitate, saturates, and linolenate, breeding methods that rely on family performance would not be more effective or efficient than methods that ignore family structure.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF GLANDULAR OVARIAN TRICHOMES OF CYPRIPEDIUM CALCEOLUS AND C. REGINAE (ORCHIDACEAE)

Trichomes on the orchid ovary are a possible site of synthesis and secretion of the floral scent. Scanning electron microscopy of these trichomes shows a bulbous cell on a two-celled stalk. Thin sections of the tip cell revealed the morphology of an active, secretory cell with unusual coated vesicles in the extra-cellular deposition. Abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER) aggregated beneath the plasma membrane in the apical region of the cell and the limited dictyosomes in the cell suggest direct secretion by ER. Numerous lipid droplets are present in the apical area. Plastids, found only in the basal region of this cell, are more round in profile than typical chloroplasts and contain only a few unstacked thylakoids and a limited membranous reticulum. In addition to the normal plastid envelope, a double layer of membrane (probably ER) is tightly appressed to each dense, starch-free plastid. Highly specialized morphology and subcellular localization of organelles suggest the secretory nature of these trichomes.
Organizational form as a solution to the problem of credible commitment: The evolution of naming strategies among U.S. hotel chains, 1896–1980

This paper describes how organizational form can solve the problem of commitment that complicates exchange. I illustrate this by analyzing the commitment problem of hotel chains. Consideration of the commitment problem indicates that hotel chains are better off naming their units the same, so as to create the potential for future business from customers. However, some hoteliers believed units should be named differently so they are not identified with the chain. These two strategies illustrate a powerful tension between strategies that allow the organization to be more consistent, and strategies that facilitate adaptation to local conditions. I analyze the failure rates of hotel chains to show that selection favored chains that employed the naming strategy that generates commitment.
Predicting the future for people with lung cancer

A large multicenter study shows that lung adenocarcinomas have messenger RNA expression signatures that greatly add to the use of clinical data in predicting an individual's survival (pages 822–827).
Fluorinated Diamond-Like Carbon Films Produced by Plasma Immersion Ion Processing Technique

Fluorinated diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) coatings were deposited on polished silicon substrates with plasma immersion ion processing (PIIP) technique. In the PIIP technique, pulsed glow discharge plasma from a mixture of acetylane and hexafluoroethane gases was used. Contact angle measurements were performed in order to see the un-wetting properties of the coatings. The film composition was measured with Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) and Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) and the hardness was measured with a Nanoindenter® II. The results clearly show that the un-wetting properties and hardness are strongly dependent on the fluorine incorporation in the F-DLC coatings. With optimized gas ratio of acetylane and hexafluoroethane gases, a combination of extremely good un-wetting properties and high hardness was achieved.
Modeling and Analysis of the Variability of the Water Cycle in the Upper Rio Grande Basin at High Resolution

Abstract Estimating the water budgets in a small-scale basin is a challenge, especially in the mountainous western United States, where the terrain is complex and observational data in the mountain areas are sparse. This manuscript reports on research that downscaled 5-yr (1999–2004) hydrometeorological fields over the upper Rio Grande basin from a 2.5° NCEP–NCAR reanalysis to a 4-km local scale using a regional climate model [fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5), version 3]. The model can reproduce the terrain-related precipitation distribution—the trend of diurnal, seasonal, and interannual precipitation variability—although poor snow simulation caused it to overestimate precipitation and evapotranspiration in the cold season. The outcomes from the coupled model are also comparable to offline Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) and Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS)/Mosaic land surface simulations that are driven by observed and...
The Role of Haplotypes in Candidate Gene Studies

Human geneticists working on systems for which it is possible to make a strong case for a set of candidate genes face the problem of whether it is necessary to consider the variation in those genes as phased haplotypes, or whether the one-SNP-at-a-time approach might perform as well. There are three reasons why the phased haplotype route should be an improvement. First, the protein products of the candidate genes occur in polypeptide chains whose folding and other properties may depend on particular combinations of amino acids. Second, population genetic principles show us that variation in populations is inherently structured into haplotypes. Third, the statistical power of association tests with phased data is likely to be improved because of the reduction in dimension. However, in reality it takes a great deal of extra work to obtain valid haplotype phase information, and inferred phase information may simply compound the errors. In addition, if the causal connection between SNPs and a phenotype is truly driven by just a single SNP, then the haplotype-based approach may perform worse than the one-SNP-at-a-time approach. Here we examine some of the factors that affect haplotype patterns in genes, how haplotypes may be inferred, and how haplotypes have been useful in the context of testing association between candidate genes and complex traits.
No Contest? Assessing the Agonistic Critiques of Jürgen Habermas’s Theory of the Public Sphere

Would democratic theory in its empirical and normative guises be in a better position without the theory of the deliberative public sphere? In this paper I explore recent theories of agonistic democracy that have answered this question in the affirmative. I question their assertionthat the theory of the public sphere should be abandoned in favor of a model of democratic politics based on political contestation. Furthermore, I explore one of the fundamental assumptionsat work in the debate about the theory of the public sphere’s status, namely the assumed opposition between consensus and contestation. Questioning the rigid nature of the opposition, I go on to argue that the deliberative theory of the public sphere actually facilitates the development of the agonistic approach to democratic theory and practice.
An intrusion detection framework for sensor networks using ant colony

The development of sensor technology has led to applications ranging from academic to military. These tiny sensors are deployed in environments where security for data or hardware cannot be guaranteed. Unfortunately due to the resource constraints, traditional security schemes cannot be directly applied. In this paper, an efficient way of detecting an intrusion using ant colony is proposed. The architecture strategically enables ant agents to detect and track the intruders threatening the network. The proposed framework is evaluated based on accuracy and speed of intrusion detection before the network is compromised. This process of detecting the intrusion earlier helps learn future attacks, but also a defensive countermeasure.
Experiences in managing energy with ECOSystem

Mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular, from laptops, PDAs, and cell phones to emerging platforms such as wireless sensor networks. Available battery energy has become a critical mobile-system resource. A mobile device's usefulness is often limited not by its hardware's raw speed but by its battery's energy. Energy consumption is a major systems-design challenge. We designed our ECOSystem (Energy-Centric Operating System) prototype to manage energy consumption at the OS level, complementing existing power-management techniques, such as DVS and application adaptation. It's based on the ideas that energy management should be a system-wide effort, that we should explicitly recognize energy as a resource, and that we should unify energy management across the system. Even managing one hardware device might require coordination with other system components. Without unified management, application-level energy-saving efforts might not result in reduced energy consumption. ECOSystem incorporates the "currentcy model", which lets the operating system manage energy as a first-class resource. It can also express complex energy-related goals and behaviors, leading to more effective, unified management policies.
Structural Characterization of Carbon-Supported Platinum−Ruthenium Nanoparticles from the Molecular Cluster Precursor PtRu5C(CO)16

We describe the preparation and structural characterization of carbon-supported Pt−Ru nanoparticles with exceptionally narrow size and compositional distributions. The supported bimetallic particles are obtained by reduction of the neutral molecular carbonyl cluster precursor PtRu5C(CO)16 with hydrogen. A detailed structural model of the nanoparticles has been deduced on the basis of studies by in situ extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS), scanning transmission electron microscopy, microprobe energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and electron microdiffraction. These experiments show that the bimetallic nanoparticles have a Pt:Ru composition of 1:5 and an average diameter of ca. 1.5 nm and adopt a face-centered cubic closest packing structure. These results demonstrate a marked sensitivity of the metal particle structure to nanoscale size effects inasmuch as the thermodynamically stable phase for bulk alloys of this composition is hexagonal close-packed. The local metal coordination en...
Simulation and Adaptive Forecasting as Applied to Inventory Control

This paper describes a case study of selected inventory accounts maintained by a large manufacturer of rocket engines. It was hypothesized that a significant improvement in average inventory levels, number of purchase orders, and number of stockouts could be obtained by augmenting existing methods of inventory management with certain OR based techniques. These techniques included exponential smoothing of demand forecasts and statistical determination of optimum safety stock levels. Computerized simulation was used to determine: 1 the most effective parameter α values for use in the exponential smoothing formulas, 2 an estimate of the potential dollar savings obtainable if the proposed methods were implemented, and 3 a means by which these methods could be implemented. A simulation model was developed for two particular inventory accounts, its correspondence with the real world was tested, and the alpha values and anticipated dollar values were determined. Additionally, a set of curves were developed for use by inventory management to assist in determining an optimized policy for varying values of purchase order cost, inventory carrying rate, and cost of stockouts.
From Single-Parent Families to Stepfamilies Is the Transition Associated With Adolescent Alcohol Initiation?

This study addresses two questions: Is stepfamily formation associated with the likelihood that adolescents will initiate alcohol use, and if so, does this association differ by the type of single-parent families from which adolescents move or the type of stepfamilies to which they move? The author found that adolescents who moved to stepfamilies from single-parent families had an elevated risk of initiating alcohol use. A transition from a divorced single-parent family to a stepfamily is associated with an increase in alcohol initiation among boys, but a transition from an unwed single-parent family to a stepfamily is not. In contrast, girls who transition from an unwed single-parent family to a stepfamily show an elevated likelihood of initiating alcohol use, whereas those who transition from divorced single-parent families do not. Adolescents who move to cohabiting stepfamilies do not respond differently than do adolescents who move to married stepfamilies regardless of gender.
Generalized linear discriminant sequence kernels for speaker recognition

Support Vector Machines have recently shown dramatic performance gains in many application areas. We show that the same gains can be realized in the area of speaker recognition via sequence kernels. A sequence kernel provides a numerical comparison of speech utterances as entire sequences rather than a probability at the frame level. We introduce a novel sequence kernel derived from generalized linear discriminants. The kernel has several advantages. First, the kernel uses an explicit expansion into “feature space”-this property allows all of the support vectors to be collapsed into a single vector creating a small speaker model. Second, the kernel retains the computational advantage of generalized linear discriminants trained using mean-squared error training. Finally, the kernel shows dramatic reductions in equal error rates over standard mean-squared error training in matched and mismatched conditions on a NIST speaker recognition task.
Effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone on blood pressure and heart rate in phobic and panic patients: a pilot study.

Several lines of evidence suggest that patients with anxiety disorders have heightened autonomic responsiveness compared to controls. For example, psychophysiological measures, such as electrodermal activity, remain elevated longer in patients with anxiety disorders compared to controls (for review see Hoehn-Saric and McLeod 1988). Ambulatory heart rate and blood pressure monitoring in patients with panic disorder have revealed elevations in blood pressure and heart rate during panic attacks (Freedman et al. 1985; White and Baker 1986!. In addition to its we~-known neuroendocrine stimulatory effect~ (A~;derson et al. 1971), the hypothalamic tr~peptide thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has rapid (1.~2 minute), marked effects on both blood pressure and heart rate (Borowski et al. 1984; Zaloga et al. 1984). This response closely parallels the time-course of crescendo changes in autonomic function often observed during spontaneous (Lader and Mathews 1970) or chemically induced panic attacks. This phenomenological overlap led us to investigate
Variations and Extensions of Filial Therapy

Various procedures for training parents to be play therapists for their own young children are described. In their play encounters with the child, not only is each of the parents learning ways of being with the child that are indicative of empathy and caring, but they are also learning that the way each acts toward the child in the playroom (and in the home) is reflective of their own conflicts as persons and as spouses.
Building risk-on-a-chip models to improve breast cancer risk assessment and prevention.

Preventive actions for chronic diseases hold the promise of improving lives and reducing healthcare costs. For several diseases, including breast cancer, multiple risk and protective factors have been identified by epidemiologists. The impact of most of these factors has yet to be fully understood at the organism, tissue, cellular and molecular levels. Importantly, combinations of external and internal risk and protective factors involve cooperativity thus, synergizing or antagonizing disease onset. Models are needed to mechanistically decipher cancer risks under defined cellular and microenvironmental conditions. Here, we briefly review breast cancer risk models based on 3D cell culture and propose to improve risk modeling with lab-on-a-chip approaches. We suggest epithelial tissue polarity, DNA repair and epigenetic profiles as endpoints in risk assessment models and discuss the development of ‘risks-on-chips’ integrating biosensors of these endpoints and of general tissue homeostasis. Risks-on-chips will help identify biomarkers of risk, serve as screening platforms for cancer preventive agents, and provide a better understanding of risk mechanisms, hence resulting in novel developments in disease prevention.
The Total Electronic Band Structure Energy for 29 Elements

The total electronic band structure energy is calculated for 29 elements by the method of the screened model potential of Heine & Abarenkov (1964). The division of the total energy of a metal into free electron, band structure, and electrostatic parts follows the method initiated by Harrison (1963) for the calculation of atomic properties. By drawing an analogy with the procedure introduced by Cochran (1963) for the experimental determination of the electronic contribution to phonon spectra of metals, we arrive at a more convenient expression for the total band structure energy in a form applicable to the determination of atomic properties, phonon spectra, general interatomic forces, and possibly liquid metal properties. Numerical results are compared with those derived from experiment and from the o. p. w. pseudopotential method.
To Log or Not to Log: Bootstrap as an Alternative to the Parametric Estimation of Moderation Effects in the Presence of Skewed Dependent Variables:

When gross deviations from parametric assumptions are observed, conventional data transformations are often applied with little regard for substantive theoretical implications. One such transformation involves using the logarithm of positively skewed dependent variables. Log transformations were shown to severely decrease estimates of true moderator effects using moderated regression procedures in a Monte Carlo simulation. Estimates of moderator effect sizes were substantially better estimates of the true latent moderator effect (i.e., larger by a multiple of 2.6 to 534) when estimated using a simple percentile bootstrap procedure in the original, positively skewed data. Conclusions with regard to the presence or absence of a true moderator effect using a simple bootstrap procedure were unaffected by the violation of parametric assumptions in the original, positively skewed data. In contrast, moderated regression analysis performed on a log-transformed dependent variable severely increased Type-II error. ...
Chronic productive cough in school children: prevalence and associations with asthma and environmental tobacco smoke exposure

The relationships between chronic productive cough (CPC), environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure, and asthma are not clearly established in children. Therefore, we wished to determine the prevalence of CPC and examine the relationships between CPC, ETS exposure, and asthma in young teenagers. We performed a cross sectional survey of 2397 Seattle middle school students, 11–15 years old, using written and video respiratory-symptom questionnaires. We defined CPC as – daily cough productive of phlegm for at least 3 months out of the year; current asthma as – yes to "Have you had wheezing or whistling in your chest in the past 12 months?" and yes in the past year to any of the four video wheezing/asthma video scenarios; and ETS exposure as exposed to tobacco smoke at least several hours each day. We used multilogistic regression to examine relationships between CPC, asthma, and ETS exposure and included in the model the potentially confounding variables race, gender, and allergic rhinitis. The prevalence of CPC was 7.2%. Forty-seven percent (82/173) of children with CPC met criteria for current asthma, while only 10% (214/2224) of those without CPC had current asthma. Current asthma had the strongest associated with CPC, odds ratio (OR) 6.4 [95% CI 4.5–9.0], and ETS was independently associated with both CPC, OR 2.7 [1.8–4.1] and asthma, OR 2.7 [1.5–4.7]. In a population of young teenagers, CPC was strongly associated with report of current asthma symptoms and also with ETS exposure. This suggests that asthma and ETS exposure may contribute to CPC in children. However, this study was not designed to determine whether asthma was the actual cause of CPC in this population of children.
Acquiring ERP Business Process Knowledge: A Network Structure Analysis

This research investigates the use of knowledge structures (aka mental models) and Pathfinder network graph analysis techniques to assess the acquisition of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system business process knowledge. Two different ERP learning models are compared: the more traditional ERP learning model executed in a static business environment focusing on conveying procedural ERP application interface knowledge, and the simulation-based learning model executed in a dynamic real-world business environment focusing on constructing conceptual, real-world ERP business knowledge. Support is found for the advantages of simulation-based educational methods in learning ERP business processes. Knowledge structures and Pathfinder network analysis techniques are found to be effective in assessing business process knowledge acquisition in the context of ERP education leading to user acceptance and adaptation.
Sample Robbing in Predictive Speech Coders

In this paper, speech bit rate reduction by not transmitting a percentage of samples (i.e., robbing the coder of some samples) has been studied. The technique has been applied to predictive coders, namely differential PCM (DPCM) and adaptive DPCM (ADPCM) coders. A robbed sample is replaced by its estimate so that the prediction process in the feedback loop of the coders continues in a normal manner. After one period delay, when the next sample is decoded, the robbed sample is reestimated using delayed interpolation. Only periodic sample robbing has been considered, such as every fourth, every third, etc. The technique is particularly useful where graceful degradation is required under heavy loading conditions. The technique is found to be useful when the desired bit rate is 24 kbits/s or lower. The technique was evaluated by computer simulation using real-time speech inputs. Improvements of up to 3 dB in the case of a DPCM coder and of up to 1.5 dB in the case of an ADPCM coder have been achieved.
A novel antibacterial dental glass‐ionomer cement

Weng Y, Guo X, Gregory R, Xie D. A novel antibacterial dental glass-ionomer cement. Eur J Oral Sci 2010; 118: 531–534. © 2010 Eur J Oral Sci This study reports the synthesis and evaluation of a novel non-leachable poly(quaternary ammonium salt) (PQAS)-containing antibacterial glass-ionomer cement. Fuji II LC cement was used for comparison. Compressive strength (CS) and Streptococcus mutans viability were used to evaluate strength and antibacterial activity, respectively. All specimens were conditioned in distilled water at 37°C before testing. After the addition of 1–30% PQAS, both cements showed a reduction in CS, of 25–95% for Fuji II LC and 13–78% for the experimental cement, and a reduction in S. mutans viability, of 40–79% for Fuji II LC and 40–91% for the experimental cement. The experimental cement showed less CS reduction and higher antibacterial activity compared with Fuji II LC. The result also indicates that the cements are permanently antibacterial, with no leaching of PQAS. It appears that the experimental cement is a clinically attractive dental restorative that can be potentially used for long-lasting restorations as a result of its high mechanical strength and permanent antibacterial function.
Least-cost planning sequence estimation in labelled Petri nets

This paper develops a recursive algorithm for estimating the least-cost planning sequence in a manufacturing system that is modelled by a labelled Petri net. We consider a setting where we are given a sequence of labels that represents a sequence of tasks that need to be executed during a manufacturing process, and we assume that each label (task) can potentially be accomplished by a number of different transitions, which represent alternative ways of accomplishing a specific task. The processes via which individual tasks can be accomplished and the interactions among these processes in the given manufacturing system are captured by the structure of the labelled Petri net. Moreover, each transition in this net is associated with a non-negative cost that captures its execution cost (eg, in terms of the amount of workload or power required to execute the transition). Given the sequence of labels (ie, the sequence of tasks that has to be accomplished), we need to identify the transition firing sequence(s) (ie, the sequence(s) of activities) that has (have) the least total cost and accomplishes (accomplish) the desired sequence of tasks while, of course, obeying the constraints imposed by the manufacturing system (ie, the dynamics and structure of the Petri net). We develop a recursive algorithm that finds the least-cost transition firing sequence(s) with complexity that is polynomial in the length of the given sequence of labels (tasks). An example of two parallel working machines is also provided to illustrate how the algorithm can be used to estimate least-cost planning sequences.
Unfair, Unsafe, and Unwelcome: Do High School Students' Perceptions of Unfairness, Hostility, and Victimization in School Predict Engagement and Achievement?

Using a national data set, Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), we examined three dimensions of 10th-grade school climate—unfairness, hostility, and victimization—as predictors of teacher-perceived student engagement and achievement in reading and mathematics in the same year. The dimensions of school climate that predicted engagement and achievement depended on whether differences were examined within schools (individual level) or between schools (school level). Specifically, at the individual level, student perceptions of victimization predicted lower individual engagement and reading and math achievement. At the school level, collective perceptions of hostility predicted lower engagement and reading achievement. This study furthers understanding of the predictors of school engagement and achievement and offers implications for how school climate operates in differentiated ways depending on the level of the school ecology.
Using field data to constrain a numerical kinematic model for ridge-transform deformation in the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus

The Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus provides a unique opportunity to examine spatially varying patterns of deformation near a ridge-transform intersection. We focus on the paleo–inside corner defined by the E-W–striking, dextral Arakapas transform fault and the N-S–striking Solea graben. Rocks within the inside corner are primarily sheeted dikes and gabbros. The strikes of dikes vary with proximity to the Arakapas fault, changing from NW- to N- to E-striking with increasing proximity to the fault. We report new paleomagnetic results from 24 stations in the gabbroic rocks. When augmented with data from several previous studies, the combined paleomagnetic data set indicates that vertical-axis rotations increase from 5° to 90° with distance from the Solea graben. Rotations are also largest near the transform fault. We develop numerical kinematic models for deformation within the inside corner based on these field data. First, we fit an interpolation function to the two-dimensional field of vertical-axis rotations. This field is then used to undeform dikes, assuming that dikes were either part of rigid blocks or passive markers within a continuum. We find that dikes return to a consistent NW to NNW strike throughout much of the inside corner. This initial orientation is not ridge-parallel and therefore different from most common assumptions of dike behavior in Cyprus. However, the orientation is consistent with predictions from dynamic models of heterogeneous stress directions that develop near ridge-transform intersections.
Optimal Containment of Misinformation in Social Media: A Scenario-Based Approach

The rapid expanding of online social networks (OSNs) in terms of sizes and user engagements have fundamentally changed the way people communicate and interact nowadays. While OSNs are very beneficial in general, the spread of misinformation or rumors in OSNs not only causes panic in general public but also leads to serious economic and political consequences. Several studies have proposed strategies to limit the spread of misinformation via modifying the topology of the diffusion networks, however, a common limit is that parameters in these diffusion models are difficult, if not impossible, to be extracted from real-world traces. In this paper, we focus on the problem of selecting optimal subset of links whose removal minimizes the spread of misinformation and rumors, relying only on actual cascades that happened in the network. We formulate the link removal problem as a mixed integer programming problem and provide efficient mathematical programming approaches to find exact optimal solutions.
Approximate Dynamic Programming for Storage Problems

Storage problems are an important subclass of stochastic control problems. This paper presents a new method, approximate dynamic programming for storage, to solve storage problems with continuous, convex decision sets. Unlike other solution procedures, ADPS allows math programming to be used to make decisions each time period, even in the presence of large state variables. We test ADPS on the day ahead wind commitment problem with storage.
From mythos to logos: Jean-Pierre Vernant, Max Weber, and the narrative of occidental rationalization

This article begins with a remark by Jean-Pierre Vernant in his inaugural lecture at the College de France about the inadequacy of Max Weber's historical sociology for the study of ancient religions. Despite posing shared research questions and often reaching similar conclusions, Vernant, one of the most influential twentieth-century ancient historians, neither engaged nor acknowledged Weber and thereby secured his absence in the field of ancient religions generally. Vernant's narrative of the historical emergence of Greek rationality is at direct odds with Weber's views on the matter in Sociology of Religion and elsewhere, and I argue that, beyond methodological concerns, Vernant's fundamentally Durkheimian position inherits early twentieth-century polemics between French and German sociologists. Vernant's relationships with Marcel Mauss, Ignace Meyerson, and Claude Levi-Strauss, and his participation in the French Resistance, moreover, reaffirmed his Durkheimian views about society and committed him to a long tradition of anti-German scholarship. I conclude with a brief coda on the historiographical implications of these observations for the study of religion and its relation to social life.
A Decomposition Approach to Quality-Driven Multiuser Video Streaming in Cellular Cognitive Radio Networks

We tackle the challenging problem of streaming multiuser videos over the downlink of a cellular cognitive radio network (CRN), where each cognitive user (CU) can sense and access multiple channels at a time. Spectrum sensing, channel assignment, and power allocation strategies are jointly optimized to maximize the quality of service (QoS) for the CUs. We show that the formulated mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem can be decomposed into two subproblems: 1) SP1 for the optimal spectrum sensing strategy and 2) SP2 for the optimal channel assignment and power allocation, without sacrificing optimality. We show that SP1 can be optimally solved if there is no restriction on the sensing capability for each CU, and develop a column generation (CG)-based algorithm to solve SP2 iteratively in a distributed manner. We also develop a heuristic algorithm for spectrum sensing with greatly reduced requirement on CU hardware, while still achieving a highly competitive sensing performance. We analyze the proposed algorithms with respect to complexity and time efficiency, and derive a performance upper bound. The proposed algorithms are validated with simulations.
The digital age of melanoma management: detection and diagnostics

New technologies are increasingly impacting the way melanoma is detected and diagnosed. Devices, software and diagnostics abound, ranging from smartphone applications that purport to predict which lesions are likely to be malignant, to genomic analysis of low-stage melanomas to predict metastatic risk. The purpose of this review is to concisely update practitioners on the research behind the latest tools available for melanoma detection and diagnosis, as well as the implications of these technologies for melanoma management.
Dielectric breakdown of additively manufactured polymeric materials

Dielectric strength testing of selected Polyjet-printed polymer plastics was performed in accordance with ASTM D149. This dielectric strength data is compared to manufacturer-provided dielectric strength data for selected plastics printed using the stereolithography (SLA), fused deposition modeling (FDM), and selective laser sintering (SLS) methods. Tested Polyjet samples demonstrated dielectric strengths as high as 47.5 kV/mm for a 0.5 mm thick sample and 32.1 kV/mm for a 1.0 mm sample. The dielectric strength of the additively manufactured plastics evaluated as part of this study was lower than the majority of non-printed plastics by at least 15% (with the exception of polycarbonate).
Removing Ambiguity in 2-D Image Information by Means of 3-D Models

If moving objects in low-resolution 2D video imagery are placed in their 3D context, object uncertainties can be removed. We consider the case of detecting distant humans subtending only tens of pixels in digital video.
Predictive value of bronchoscopy in assessing the severity of inhalation injury.

Inhalation injury is associated with severe pulmonary complications as inhaled products of combustion cause lung inflammation and loss of natural defenses. A bronchoscopic grading for inhalation injury has been proposed but has not yet been validated in burn patients. In this study, the authors evaluated whether bronchoscopic grading of injury clinically correlated with indices of gas exchange over the first 72 hours or predicted differences in hospitalization outcomes. They conducted a single-center retrospective review of all mechanically ventilated adults with suspected inhalation injury and thermal injury over an 18-month period. All recorded bronchoscopy examinations were reviewed and categorized injury according to the published abbreviated injury score (AIS 0: no injury, 1: mild, 2: moderate, 3: severe, and 4: massive injury). They also compared changes in oxygenation, airway pressures, chest radiograph findings, fluid administration, and early development of pneumonia and organ failure, by severity of inhalation injury according to the AIS. Thirty-two adult patients met inclusion criteria over the study period. This cohort was 69% male with a mean age of 44.5 ± 14 years and a mean % TBSA burn of 33.9 ± 17%. Of these 32 patients, 11 patients (34%) were classified as grade 0, 9 patients (28%) were classified as grade 1, 7 patients (22%) were classified as grade 2, and 5 patients (16%) were classified as grade 3. Measured carboxyhemoglobin levels increased significantly with higher AIS grade. Oxygenation indices were worse as grade worsened by 24, 48, and 72 hours. The incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome increased by grade of injury: 0, 22, 57, and 80%, respectively, at 24 hours (P 21 days, and a trend toward multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and mortality. Better understanding of the relationship between inhalation injury and lung physiologic sequelae is a burn research priority. The bronchoscopic grading of inhalation injury moderately correlates with early indices of impaired gas exchange in this cohort and may be a promising tool for staging lower airway injury. Prospective studies should definitively answer whether AIS bronchoscopy staging predicts hospitalization outcomes in inhalation injury.
Prosthetic Stimulation of the Auditory System with Intraneural Electrodes

Prosthetic electrical stimulation of the auditory system is presently accomplished either via scala tympani electrode arrays or via cochlear nucleus surface electrode arrays. Many of the early cochlear implant studies, however, used electrode arrays placed within the auditory nerve itself - either within the modiolus or within the trunk of the nerve. For many reasons, such intraneural electrode arrays were abandoned in favor of intrascalar arrays. There remain, however, several theoretical and practical reasons why intraneural arrays might be advantageous, and recent developments in electrode technology solve many of the problems posed by early attempts at intraneural stimulation. In this article, we review the history and current status of intraneural auditory stimulation, and present some preliminary results of this mode of stimulation in an animal model.
Designing ultrathin film composite membranes: the impact of a gutter layer.

Industrial membranes comprised of a thin selective layer (<100 nm) requires a gutter layer (<100 nm) between the selective layer and the porous support to achieve high permeance for gas separation. The gutter layer materials must be carefully chosen to enhance overall membrane performance, i.e., high permeance and high selectivity. However, the experimental determination of the optimum gutter layer properties is very challenging. Herein we address this need using a three dimensional (3D) computational model to systematically determine the effects of the gutter layer thickness and permeability on membrane performance. A key finding is that the introduction of a gutter layer between the selective layer and porous support can enhance the overall permeance of the penetrant by up to an order of magnitude, but this gain is accompanied by an undesired decrease in selectivity. The analysis also shows for the first time that a maximum increase in permeance with negligible decrease in selectivity is realized when the thickness of the gutter layer is 1-2 times the pore radius. The modeling approach provides clear and practical guidelines for designing ultrathin multilayer composite membranes to achieve high permeance and selectivity for low-cost and energy-efficient molecular separations.