cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A general and explicit formulation for wave digital filters with multiple/multiport nonlinearities and complicated topologies

A general, explicit, and novel formulation for Wave Digital Filters (WDFs) with multiple/multiport nonlinearities is presented. It confronts graph-theoretic views of WDF structures (SPQR tree) with techniques from the nonlinear loop resolution literature (the K method) and a novel method for deriving scattering matrices (WDF adaptors) of arbitrarily complex topologies. It accommodates any number of memoryless nonlinearities with any number of ports each without requiring simplifying assumptions. A case study on the first clipping stage of the Big Muff Pi distortion pedal is presented. This circuit, with its multiple nonlinearities, multiport nonlinearity, and complicated topology, poses an intractable problem for state-of-the-art WDF methods. Hence, successful simulation of this circuit demonstrates the novelty and robustness of our framework.
Hypertension in Diabetics

The worldwide prevalence of hypertension is expected to increase from approximately 1 billion individuals in 2000 to over 1.5 billion in 2025 and is currently the most frequent medical diagnosis in the USA [1]. Not only is hypertension a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease, doubling the risk of mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke for every 20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure and 10 mmHg increase in diastolic pressure, but also is closely linked to the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
Vinegar-amended anaerobic biosand filter for the removal of arsenic and nitrate from groundwater

The performance of a vinegar-amended anaerobic biosand filter was evaluated for future application as point-of-use water treatment in rural areas for the removal of arsenic and nitrate from groundwater containing common ions. Due to the importance of sulfate and iron in arsenic removal and their variable concentrations in groundwater, influent sulfate and iron concentrations were varied. Complete removal of influent nitrate (50 mg/L) and over 50% removal of influent arsenic (200 μg/L) occurred. Of all conditions tested, the lowest median effluent arsenic concentration was 88 μg/L. Iron removal occurred completely when 4 mg/L was added, and sulfate concentrations were lowered to a median concentration <2 mg/L from influent concentrations of 22 and 50 mg/L. Despite iron and sulfate removal and the establishment of reducing conditions, arsenic concentrations remained above the World Health Organization's arsenic drinking water standard. Further research is necessary to determine if anaerobic biosand filters can be improved to meet the arsenic drinking water standard and to evaluate practical implementation challenges.
Antimalarial properties of orally active iron chelators

The appearance of widespread multiple drug resistance in human malaria has intensified the search for new antimalarial compounds. Metal chelators, especially those with high affinity for iron, represent one presently unexploited class of antimalarials. Unfortunately the use of previously identified chelators as antimalarials has been precluded by their toxicity and, in the case of desferrioxamine, the necessity for parenteral administration. The investigators now report that a new class of orally active iron chelators, namely the derivatives of alpha-ketohydroxypyridines (KHPs), are potent antimalarials against cultured Plasmodium falciparum. The KHPs evidently exert this effect by sequestering iron because a preformed chelator:iron complex has no antimalarial action. The pool(s) of iron being sequestered by the chelators have not been identified but may not include serum transferrin. Preincubation of human serum with KHPs followed by removal of the drug results in the removal of greater than 97% of total serum iron. Nonetheless, this serum effectively supports the growth of P falciparum cultures. Therefore the KHPs may exert antimalarial effect through chelation of erythrocytic rather than serum iron pool(s). The investigators conclude that these powerful, orally active iron chelators may form the basis of a new class of antimalarial drugs.
Chemosterilization of screwworms (Diptera: Calliphoridae): influence of age at time of treatment on sterility and longevity.

Adult male and female Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) of several ages were immersed for 30 sec. in N,N′ -tetramethylenebis (l-aziridinecarboxamide) in water. Less chemosterilant was required to produce similar levels of sterility as the flies aged. Survival was about the same for a given dose whatever the age at the time of treatment.
Studies with Clearing Factor IV. Fatty Acid Exchange Reaction Catalyzed by Clearing Factor.

It was previously reported (1) that postheparin Clearing Factor catalyzes the exchange of fatty acids with triglycerides, di-glycerides and monoglycerides. This exchange as measured by incorporation of C14 oleic acid, was postulated to take place only on the 1 and 3 position of the glyceride. It was thus suggested that the position specificity of Clearing Factor for the glyceride ester bonds was such that the exchange took place only in the 1, 3 positions. In these experiments no attempt was made to demonstrate that actual distribution of C14 fatty acids among the isomers of diglycerides and monoglycerides.These conclusions were rejected later by Korn(7). He used adipose tissue Clearing Factor and demonstrated random hydrolysis of fatty acids from various natural triglyc-erides and chylomicrons. These results were possibly affected by the presence of β-mono-glyceridase(8) and lipases other than the lipo-protein lipase in adipose tissue.Similar exchange reactions with C14 fatty acids and dibutyrine, cataly...
Uncertainty Quantification in ICMSE: Application to Metal Alloys

This paper presents a methodology to propagate the uncertainties in the manufacturing process parameters to bulk material properties through multi-scale modeling. Randomness of material initial condition and uncertainties in the manufacturing process lead to variability in the microstructure, which in turn leads to variability in the macro-level properties of the material. In this paper, 2-D dual phase polycrystalline microstructure is simulated based on the initial condition of the grain cores and the manufacturing environment, instead of Voronoi tessellation which assumes equal grain growth velocities for different phases and therefore is unable to link variability in grain growth velocity to the manufacturing process variability. Then a homogenization method is applied to predict macro-level properties. Cooling schedule of a dual phase alloy is used to illustrate the methodology, and Young’s Modulus is the prediction quantity of interest. Even with a given cooling schedule, spatial variation of temperature affects the microstructure and properties; this variability is also incorporated through a random field representation. The uncertainty quantification methodology uses Gaussian Process surrogate modeling for computational efficiency. The relative contributions of both aleatory and epistemic sources to the overall bulk property uncertainty are quantified using an innovative global sensitivity analysis approach; this provides guidance for manufacturing process control in order to meet the desired uncertainty bounds in the bulk property estimates.
Tricuspid valve replacement: A comparative experimental study with Starr-Edwards ball valve, Beall disc valve, and Kay-Shiley disc valve with muscle guard

Complications after tricuspid valve replacement with the Starr-Edwards ball valve, Beall disc valve, and Kay-Shiley disc valve with a muscle guard were compared in 19 calves. The frustral areas were narrowed most significantly with the Starr-Edwards valve (51 per cent) and the Beall valve (43 per cent); the least narrowing was found in the Kay-Shiley valve with a muscle guard (23 per cent). The narrowing of the area of the inflow orifice of the valve was less significant in all valves: 8, 20, and 6 per cent of the normal values, respectively. The mechanical impairment of excursion of the poppet due to the encroachment of muscle, scar tissue, thrombus, and encasement of the struts in the wall was the main cause of the reduction of the frustral area in Starr-Edwards and Beall valves. A second reason for the narrowing of the frustral area of all three valves was neointimal overgrowth. This was the only reason for the reduction of the frustral area in the Kay-Shiley disc valve with the muscle guard. We concluded that the muscle guard was extremely effective in preserving an adequate frustral area in the experimental animal.
Optimal angle of release for the competition javelin as determined by its aerodynamic and ballistic characteristics

The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal angle of release for the competition javelin as determined by its aerodynamic and ballistic characteristics. In particular, aerodynamic measurements included lift, drag, and the pitching moment, while ballistic tests consisted of horizontal flight distances of the javelin at various angles of release combined with various velocities.
Stress Accommodation and Structural Distortions at Correlated Oxide Interfaces

Advances in atomically controlled synthesis of complex oxide heterostructures made possible to utilize the so-called strain engineering which enabled stabilization of new and unique structures at the oxide–oxide interfaces and in ultrathin films. Strain accommodation across the heteroepitaxial oxide interface is driven by different lattice parameters as well as by distinct crystallographic symmetry of the film and the substrate. Using advanced high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD), we identified structural distortions at the heteroepitaxial interfaces and in ultrathin epitaxial perovskite oxide films that are induced by two distinct phenomena related to strain-octahedral coupling: lattice mismatch and interface symmetry mismatch. We show that unit cell distortions at the heteroepitaxial oxide interfaces significantly differ from structural distortions away from the interface region observed in thick coherent epitaxial oxide films. HR-XRD results reveal a formation of the novel structures at the interfaces between crystallographically dissimilar perovskite oxides. These structures are stabilized due to a unique coupling between octahedral rotations/deformations induced by symmetry mismatch and octahedral rotations due to lattice mismatch. The combination of crystallographic symmetry mismatch at the interface with the lattice mismatch offers new routes for strain engineering in functional complex oxide heterostructures that enables emergent physical phenomena and offer potential for future devices.
Emptying of the terminal ileum in intact humans: Influence of meal residue and ileal motility

Emptying of the terminal ileum was assessed in 15 healthy humans by injecting technetium 99m-diethyltriaminopentaacetic acid into the bowel through a multilumen orocolonic tube. The subsequent arrival of isotope in the colon was quantified by gamma-scintigraphy and colonic filling curves were obtained. Studies were performed during fasting (n = 5) cnd 2.5 h after either a low residue meal (n = 5) or a meal made high in residue (n = 5) by adding 4 g of guar. The time for 50% of the isotope to reach the colon (T50) was significantly accelerated after both meals, being 72 +/- 15 min for the high residue meal and 62 +/- 8 min for the low residue meal, compared with 183 +/- 37 min (p less than 0.01) in the 5 fasting subjects. Although the addition of guar did not alter T50 significantly, it did cause a significant fall in the rate of colonic filling, implying increased isotope dilution. Delay at the ileocolonic junction, as shown by plateaus in the middle of the colonic filling curves, was uncommon. Hold-up was significant in only 2 of 10 postprandial and 2 of 5 fasting studies. Rates of ileocolonic transit could not be related to either a mean ileal motility index or the occurrence of specific ileal motor patterns immediately proximal to the ileocolonic junction. Fasting ileocolonic transit was characteristically erratic but could not be related to interdigestive migrating motor complexes, which were rarely observed in the last 60 cm of ileum. We conclude that ileocolonic transit in humans is related to the rate at which material accumulates in the ileum, being rapid postprandially (when ileal flow is high) and slow and erratic during fasting. This method yields consistent results and could be used to define further factors that influence ileocolonic inflow.
The effects of inhibition of plasma cholinesterase activity on systemic toxicity and blood catecholamine levels from cocaine infusion in pigs

We investigated systemic effects and possible mechanisms for lethality of intravenously infused cocaine in spontaneously breathing and mechanically ventilated unconscious Landrace male pigs weighing about 26 kg (25.75 +/- 0.25 kg) that were pretreated with either saline solution (groups 1 and 3) or iso-ompa (tetraisopropyl pyrophosphoramide), a specific plasma cholinesterase inhibitor (groups 2 and 4). Pigs were made unconscious with sodium thiopental and ventilated with 70% nitrous oxide and 30% oxygen. A carotid arterial cannula and a Swan-Ganz catheter were inserted for hemodynamic monitoring. Pigs in groups 1 and 2 were then allowed to breathe spontaneously and groups 3 and 4 were mechanically ventilated. After obtaining a stable state, as judged by cardiovascular and respiratory parameters, the pigs were infused intravenously with cocaine hydrochloride (0.8 mg/kg/min) until the time of cardiac arrest. Respiratory and cardiovascular parameters, blood temperature, and sodium and potassium levels were monitored. The times of occurrence of respiratory arrests (RA), cardiac arrests (CA), and convulsions were recorded. Our results showed that RA is the primary cause of death in spontaneously breathing pigs and that mechanical ventilation significantly delayed the occurrence of CA (p < 0.05). Significant decreases in cardiac output, mean blood pressure, and heart rate as well as significant increases in systemic and pulmonary vascular resistances, central venous and pulmonary wedge pressures, and blood K+ levels were noted in mechanically ventilated pigs (p < 0.05). Variable hemodynamic responses were noticed in spontaneously breathing pigs. Our results also showed that no significant changes occurred in blood catecholamine levels when compared with baseline values associated with the infusion of toxic doses of cocaine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Structure and rheology of self-assembled aqueous suspensions of nanoparticles and wormlike micelles

We present a systematic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study of the structure and rheology of solutions consisting of cationic micelles and negatively charged nanoparticles (NPs) in the presenc...
Mining pros and cons of actions from social media for decision support

The task of mining pros and cons from actions has applications in decision support. Given an action query and social media data, we mine related pros and cons of the action via extracting significant events as potential outcomes of the action. We propose using actions and characteristics to select relevant messages, and adjective vectors to establish similarity among adjectives. We introduce SS to select event headlines, and to rank them in the final pros-and-cons table. Our results on two data sets indicate our algorithm can generate more meaningful pros and cons than an existing algorithm.
Developing a theoretical foundation to change road user behavior and improve traffic safety: Driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC)

ABSTRACTObjectives: This study explored a theoretical model to assess the influence of culture on willingness and intention to drive under the influence of cannabis (DUIC). This model is expected to guide the design of strategies to change future DUIC behavior in road users.Methods: This study used a survey methodology to obtain a nationally representative sample (n = 941) from the AmeriSpeak Panel. Survey items were designed to measure aspects of a proposed definition of traffic safety culture and a predictive model of its relationship to DUIC.Results: Although the percentage of reported past DUIC behaviors was relatively low (8.5%), this behavior is still a significant public health issue—especially for younger drivers (18–29 years), who reported more DUIC than expected. Findings suggest that specific cultural components (attitudes, norms) reliably predict past DUIC behavior, general DUIC willingness, and future DUIC intention. Most DUIC behavior appears to be deliberate, related significantly to willin...
Real-world experience with cabozantinib in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC).

684Background: Cabozantinib (C) inhibits tyrosine kinase activity at MET, AXL, and VEGF receptors and is approved in mccRCC after progression on prior VEGFR-TKI. Little off-protocol data exists on ...
Properties of No-Depot MIN-MAX 2-Traveling-Salesmen Problem

The Multiple Traveling Salesmen Problem (Multiple-TSP) has been considered in many variations. Some of them can be reduced to a regular TSP by introducing additional vertices. We discuss several modifications of the Multiple-TSP. Particularly, we consider MIN-MAX 2-TSP for which reduction to a regular TSP is not known. We discuss a connection between this class of problems and a subclass of self-dual monotonic Boolean functions.
SOME RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CONCEPT LEARNING AND VERBAL LEARNING

Publisher Summary This chapter presents some studies to show that the research worker in verbal learning must necessarily deal with categorizing behavior of his subjects. It is probably impossible to give the subject a verbal-learning task in which some form of classificatory responding does not occur. It must follow, therefore, that an understanding of verbal learning depends in part on an understanding of concept learning and concept utilization. An understanding of verbal-learning phenomena may aid the understanding of concept learning. At the minimum, it can be shown that the analytical approach being used in rote learning has relevance to approaches that may be taken in studies of concept learning. The study of concept learning is the study of stimulus selection. The crux of concept learning is the abstraction—selection—of a common feature, characteristic, or property, that is present in a number of stimuli that differ on other characteristics. Just as in verbal learning, stimulus selection in concept formation is heavily determined by biases and preferences. A great many verbal-learning phenomena exist only because verbal units produce implicit associative responses. Verbal learning cannot exist as an analytical endeavor without attending to the implications of implicit associative responses. The study of concept learning is also vitally concerned with the implicit associative response. In learning a new concept, the associative responses to instances of the concept must be identical. The act of learning a new concept is the act of acquiring these identical associates so that they will be immediately and consistently elicited. That is what verbal learning is all about.
The mushroom at the end of the world: on the possibility of life in capitalist ruins

In the middle of the eighth century, Japanese poets developed a new trope: they began to invoke the pungent odor of the matsutake mushroom (Trichloma matsutake), which fruits in autumn, as a symbol...
Incidence and in-hospital outcomes of single-vessel coronary chronic total occlusion treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

Abstract Background Coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) using percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) presents a distinct challenge in the field of cardiology owing to multiple reasons including the increased risk of peri-procedural complications. We sought to explore rates of hospitalization, outcomes, use of mechanical circulatory support devices, and economic burden associated with single-vessel coronary CTO undergoing PCI for stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods The National Inpatient Sample spanning from 2008 through 2014 was queried to identify hospitalizations associated with single-vessel coronary CTO-PCI for stable CAD by excluding hospitalizations with ST-elevation and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. Survey-Specific logistic regression was used to analyze adjusted incidence of in-hospital mortality and acute renal failure. Results A total of 109,094 hospitalizations were identified as having single-vessel coronary CTO-PCI for stable CAD from 2008 to 2014. An increasing number of coronary CTO-PCI hospitalizations (2465 to 2688 per 100,000 PCI procedures, Ptrend Conclusion In a large retrospective study, slightly increased rates of single-vessel coronary CTO-PCI for stable CAD were observed. This is accompanied by a rise in morbidity and growing healthcare costs.
Arteriovenous Fistula Development After Nonoperative Treatment of a Clavicular Fracture: A Case Report.

Case We report a case of prominent venous dilation in the supraclavicular area with an underlying arteriovenous fistula following nonoperative management of a fracture in the medial third of the clavicle in an adult. The venous dilation indicated elevated venous pressures, likely caused by hypertrophic callus formation and/or fistula development. Conclusion Arteriovenous fistula and prominent venous dilation are possible sequelae of nonoperative treatment of clavicular fractures. Surgeons should be aware of their possibility when planning either operative or nonoperative treatment. More information is needed to guide management of these issues when they occur.
Current Trends of Rice Milling Byproducts for Agricultural Applications and Alternative Food Production Systems

Rice is one of the most economically important foods in the world today. The FAO has reported that managing rice processing and the resulting byproducts into more sustainable applications would be attractive for a variety of reasons. Rice processing involves several milling stages to produce edible final products. The milling process is the most important step in rice production because it sets the nutritional, cooking, and sensory qualities of crude rice. As crude rice goes through the milling process, it generates byproducts, such as bran, that have been shown to exhibit beneficial impacts on human and animal nutrition. While several rice byproducts have applications in agriculture, rice bran has probably received the most attention for its functional properties. Rice bran is a mixture of protein, fat, ash, and crude fiber. However, rice bran’s composition is largely dependent on the type of rice and the efficiency of the milling system. Based on studies with mice, rice bran has been shown to elicit prebiotic-like properties by preventing colonization of Salmonella in the gastrointestinal tract. More recently, in vitro incubation studies with chicken cecal contents have demonstrated that certain rice varieties are more inhibitory to Salmonella than others. Some of this may be related to impacts on cecal microbiome and production of certain metabolites. In this review, the byproducts of the milling process, how they are utilized, and potential application for conventional and alternative poultry production systems are discussed.
Clinical associations with telomere length in chronic spinal cord injury.

Cross-sectional study To determine clinical factors associated with telomere length in persons with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boston, MA. Two hundred seventy-eight participants with chronic SCI provided blood samples for measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and telomere length, completed respiratory health questionnaires, underwent dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess body fat, and completed spirometry. High-throughput real-time PCR assays were used to assess telomere length in leukocyte genomic DNA. Linear regression models were used to assess cross-sectional associations with telomere length. Telomere length was inversely related to age (p < 0.0001). In age-adjusted models, gender, race, injury duration, %-total and %-trunk fat, body mass index (BMI), %-predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), chronic cough or phlegm, CRP, IL-6, wheeze, smoking, diabetes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), skin ulcer, urinary tract infection (UTI), or chest illness history were not significantly associated with telomere length. There was a suggestive age-adjusted association between persons with the most severe SCI (cervical motor complete and AIS C) and shorter telomere length (p = 0.055), an effect equivalent to ~8.4 years of premature aging. There were similar age-adjusted associations with telomere length between persons using a wheelchair (p = 0.059) and persons with chronic urinary catheter use (p = 0.082) compared to persons without these characteristics. Our results suggest that clinical characteristics such as decreased mobility and bladder dysfunction that are common in individuals with more severe SCI are associated with shorter telomere length.
Effectiveness of a Handwriting Curriculum in Kindergarten Classrooms

ABSTRACTHandwriting is still critical to student success in the classroom; however, schools have been de-emphasizing formal handwriting instruction. This study evaluated the effect of the Size Matt...
Obesity and the Built Environment: A Reappraisal.

The built environment (BE) has been viewed as an important determinant of health. Numerous studies have linked BE exposure, captured using a variety of methods, to diet quality and to area prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. First-generation studies defined the neighborhood BE as the area around the home. Second-generation studies turned from home-centric to person-centric BE measures, capturing an individual's movements in space and time. Those studies made effective uses of global positioning system tracking devices and mobile phones, sometimes coupled with accelerometers and remote sensors. Activity space metrics explored travel paths, modes, and destinations to assess BE exposure that was both person and context specific. However, as measures of the contextual exposome have become ever more fine-grained and increasingly complex, connections to long-term chronic diseases with complex etiologies, such as obesity, are in danger of being lost. Furthermore, few studies on obesity and the BE have included intermediate energy balance behaviors, such as diet and physical activity, or explored the potential roles of social interactions or psychosocial pathways. Emerging survey-based applications that identify habitual destinations and associated travel patterns may become the third generation of tools to capture health-relevant BE exposures in the long term.
O2 metabolites cause reperfusion injury after short but not prolonged renal ischemia

Toxic O2 metabolites have been postulated to contribute to renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, but their biochemical assessment and contribution as a function of the duration of ischemia is unclear. To address this issue we measured renal function and renal cortical glutathione levels following 20, 30, or 45 min of ischemia in situ and then 60 min of reperfusion by the isolated kidney technique. Increasing durations of ischemia were associated with progressive decreases in perfusion flow rate, glomerular filtration rate, tubular Na reabsorption, and renal cortical glutathione following reperfusion. However, reperfusion following simultaneous addition of the permeable O2 metabolite scavenger dimethylthiourea (DMTU; but not urea) prevented glutathione consumption and attenuated reperfusion-induced injury after 20 and 30 min of ischemia. In contrast, reperfusion with DMTU prevented glutathione consumption but did not improve renal function after 45 min of ischemia. Similarly, reperfusion with dimethyl sulfoxide also attenuated renal injury after 20 and 30 min, but not after 45 min of ischemia. Thus reperfusion of kidneys made ischemic for 20 or 30 min is associated with decreases in tissue glutathione and renal function that were both inhibitable by addition of O2 metabolite scavengers during reperfusion. In contrast, addition of O2 metabolite scavengers during reperfusion of kidneys previously made ischemic for 45 min prevented decreases in glutathione but did not improve renal function. We conclude that O2 metabolites formed during reperfusion contribute to functional impairment in kidneys made ischemic for short durations up to 30 min) but that after prolonged ischemia (greater than 30 min) injury is primarily mediated by non-O2 metabolite-dependent cellular events.
Relational Engagements With Post-Qualitative Inquiry: There Are No Blank Pages:

In this article, I call for engaging in the post-qualitative “turn” with a sense of relationality to the past; that is, a commitment to turning traditions with care. In doing so, I point to the sit...
Abstract SY01-03: The gold standard cancer diagnosis: Studies of physician variability, interpretive behavior, and the impact of AI

The current gold standard for cancer diagnoses is based on pathologists9 visual inspection of tissue sections. However, our research has found concerning levels of inter-observer and intra-observer variability among pathologists. Our prior work in melanoma shows that current diagnoses within the disease spectrum from benign nevi to melanoma in situ to invasive melanoma are neither reproducible nor accurate, yielding estimates that ~17% of all diagnoses for melanocytic lesions in the US are incorrect (Elmore et al. BMJ 2017). A study conducted by our team in breast pathology quantified the magnitude of diagnostic agreement among pathologists compared with a gold standard consensus reference: among DCIS cases, 16% of interpretations were discordant, while among atypia cases 52% of interpretations were discordant (Elmore et al. JAMA 2015). While computer systems, such as computer aided detection (CAD) tools, have been widely integrated into clinical practice to aid the interpretative and diagnostic process, our work has also found that the use of CAD can be associated with increases in potential harms, including higher recall and biopsy rates for screening mammography (Fenton et al. NEJM 2007). Given the critical need to improve the quality of our current diagnostic and prognostic capabilities, our multidisciplinary research team is conducting several studies that involve the development and integration of AI/machine learning and eye-tracking across clinical contexts. The challenges and implications associated with “gold standard” definitions for diagnoses, with data sharing infrastructure and with the eventual impact of AI on the human interface will be discussed. Citation Format: Joann Elmore. The gold standard cancer diagnosis: Studies of physician variability, interpretive behavior, and the impact of AI [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr SY01-03.
Idealism and Dystopia in Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius

The erstwhile narrator of Borges's dense and raveled fiction, 'Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius," concludes: 'Tlon is surely a labyrinth, but it is a labyrinth devised by men, a labyrinth destined to be deciphered by men." Labyrinth indeed! There's the rub, for many men will "decipher" it (as is their wont) in many different ways. Quot homines, tot sententiae. But some won't decipher it at all. Even Borges himself admits that the story is one of his best, but that it was too complex and too involved to be included in his personal anthology. Andre Maurois evades the issue entirely by confessing that the tale "gives food for endless thought," but he does not find it necessary to produce a single instance of such thinking. Others believe it to be an innocent, simple, autobiographical tale: "Oppressed by physical reality and . . . the turmoil of Europe . . . Borges sought to create a coherent fictional world of the intelligence. This world is . . . adumbrated in 'Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius.' Tlon is no 'irresponsible figment of the imagination' The [final section is] projected as a kind of tentative utopia." At the opposite extreme, it has been perceived as an exemplary postmodern metafiction, and even as trenchant satire.
Durable good adoption and energy choice in multi-stage production processes: An empirical analysis of household appliances

Abstract A model of household clothes washing and drying demand and production is developed and empirically estimated with respect to adoption of clothes washers and dryers and the related clothes dryer energy choice. Using the multinomial logistic procedure, estimates are provided for choice unconditional as well as conditional on home heating energy choices. In all cases natural gas and electricity prices play a significant role in explaining not only clothes dryer energy choice but also whether or not a dryer and/or a washer is adopted in the housing unit. Household income, family size, housing structure age as well as climatic conditions are also found to figure prominently in explaining the adoption decision and energy choices.
The role of organizational competencies in the market‐orientation‐performance relationship: An empirical analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the specific ways in which market orientation of an organization contributes to the creation of organizational competencies that lead to superior performance.Design/methodology/approach – Survey data from 159 acute care hospitals were statistically analyzed to test the research hypotheses.Findings – Market orientation makes a significant contribution to the creation of a number of organizational competencies which, in turn, lead to superior performance in the areas of cost containment, growth in revenue, success in retaining patients, and success of new services.Originality/value – Given the changing competitive landscape in the health care industry, managers of these organizations are increasingly being forced to recognize organizational competencies so that they can leverage them for market success. A set of competencies leads to the organization becoming market orientated. Market orientation, in turn, leads to organizational success in a variety of areas.
Hydrologic response to valley‐scale structure in alpine headwaters

Few systematic studies of valley-scale geomorphic drivers of streamflow regimes in complex alpine headwaters have compared response between catchments. As a result, little guidance is available for regional-scale hydrological research and monitoring efforts that include assessments of ecosystem function. Physical parameters such as slope, elevation range, drainage area and bedrock geology are often used to stratify differences in streamflow response between sampling sites within an ecoregion. However, these metrics do not take into account geomorphic controls on streamflow specific to glaciated mountain headwaters. The coarse-grained nature of depositional features in alpine catchments suggests that these landforms have little water storage capacity because hillslope runoff moves rapidly just beneath the rock mantle before emerging in fluvial networks. However, recent studies show that a range of depositional features, including talus slopes, protalus ramparts and ‘rock-ice’ features may have more storage capacity than previously thought. To better evaluate potential differences in streamflow response among basins with extensive coarse depositional features and those without, we examined the relationships between streamflow discharge, stable isotopes, water temperature and the amplitude of the diurnal signal at five basin outlets. We also quantified the percentages of colluvial channel length measured along the stepped longitudinal profile. Colluvial channels, characterized by the presence of surficial, coarse-grained depositional features, presented sediment-rich, transport-limited morphologies that appeared to have a cumulative effect on the timing and volume of flow downstream. Measurements taken from colluvial channels flowing through depositional landforms showed median recession constants (Kr) of 0.9–0.95, δ 18 O values of ≥� 14.5 and summer diurnal amplitudes ≤0.8 as compared with more typical surface water recession constant values of 0.7, δ 18 O ≤ � 13.5 and diurnal amplitudes >2.0. Our results demonstrated strong associations between the percentage of colluvial channel length within a catchment and moderated streamflow regimes, water temperatures, diurnal signals and depleted δ 18 O related to groundwater influx. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influences on Sustainable Innovation Adoption: Evidence from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

The adoption of innovations associated with environmental sustainability has been a topic of growing interest among scholars. The research presented in this paper draws on Abrahamson's theoretical framework of fads and fashions to argue that dimensions of uncertainty and degree of external versus internal influence provide significant insights into firms' decisions to adopt sustainable building innovations. We develop three hypotheses, reflecting three views of adoption influence: fad, fashion, and efficient-choice. We find that adoption of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building certification in the United States was more likely among firms similarly oriented toward end-consumers and among firms strategically positioned as environmental leaders. These results provide support for the fad and efficient-choice views of adoption, respectively. Contrary to expectations suggested by the fashion perspective, adoption was not more likely among firms located in states whose political leaders are more committed to environmental protection. Our findings offer important implications for practitioners and policy makers seeking to encourage sustainable building design. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Growth and Intracellular Development of a New Respiratory Virus

The multiplication of a new, ether-sensitive, ribonucleic acid virus, 229E, isolated from the human respiratory tract, has been studied in cultures of WI-38 human diploid cells. In thin sections of these cells examined with the electron microscope, particles appeared in vesicles in the cytoplasm of cells at a time corresponding to the initial increase in infectious virus. Antigen was also detected in the cytoplasm of cells by the immunofluorescent technique. Extracellular particles of similar morphology were prominent soon after. These events preceded a detectable cytopathic effect. Later, an electron-dense particle appeared within vacuoles in the cytoplasm but was never found extracellularly. Its role in virus development is not known. Complement-fixing antigen developed along with the increase in infectious virus.
Learning in Embedded Systems

This dissertation addresses the problem of designing algorithms for learning in embedded systems. This problem differs from the traditional supervised learning problem. An agent, finding itself in a particular input situation must generate an action. It then receives a reinforcement value from the environment, indicating how valuable the current state of the environment is for the agent. The agent cannot, however, deduce the reinforcement value that would have resulted from executing any of its other actions. A number of algorithms for learning action strategies from reinforcement values are presented and compared empirically with existing reinforcement-learning algorithms. The interval-estimation algorithm uses the statistical notion of confidence intervals to guide its generation of actions in the world, trading off acting to gain information against acting to gain reinforcement. It performs well in simple domains but does not exhibit any generalization and is computationally complex. The cascade algorithm is a structural credit-assignment method that allows an action strategy with many output bits to be learned by a collection of reinforcement-learning modules that learn Boolean functions. This method represents an improvement in computational complexity and often in learning rate. Two algorithms for learning Boolean functions in k-DNF are described. Both are based on Valiant's algorithm for learning such functions from input-output instances. The first uses Sutton's techniques for linear association and reinforcement comparison, while the second uses techniques from the interval estimation algorithm. They both perform well and have tractable complexity. A generate-and-test reinforcement-learning algorithm is presented. It allows symbolic representations of Boolean functions to be constructed incrementally and tested in the environment. It is highly parametrized and can be tuned to learn a broad range of function classes. Low-complexity functions can be learned very efficiently even in the presence of large numbers of irrelevant input bits. This algorithm is extended to construct simple sequential networks using a set-reset operator, which allows the agent to learn action strategies with state. These algorithms, in addition to being studied in simulation, were implemented and tested on a physical mobile robot.
A Demographic Analysis of the Rise in the Prevalence of the US Population Overweight and/or Obese

Using data from the National Health Interview Survey for years spanning 1976 and 2001, this paper presents an age–period–cohort analysis of weight gain throughout the life cycle. We find that while all ages experienced an increase in the prevalence of those overweight and/or obese, the prevalence among young adults has grown at a faster rate than that of older age groups. The increases in body mass index are primarily due to period effects, not cohort or age effects. From the ordered logistical regression analyses, we find that the protective influence of factors such as education, income, and age on an individual’s body mass index have decreased over time. The analyses suggest that the increase in the prevalence of those overweight or obese is a phenomenon experienced by all demographic groups in the US, albeit to differing degrees.
Stochastic analysis of systems with primary and secondary failures

Abstract This paper presents the stochastic analysis of repairable systems involving primary as well as secondary failures. To this end, two models are considered. The first model represents a system with two identical warm standbys. The failure rates of units and the system are constant and independent while the repair times are arbitrarily distributed. The second system modeled consists of three repairable regions. The system operates normally if all three regions are operating, otherwise it operates at a derated level unless all three regions fail. The failure rates and repair times of the regions are constant and independent. The first model is analyzed using the supplemental variable technique while the second model is analyzed using the regenerative point technique in the Markov renewal process. Various expressions including system availability, system reliability and mean time to system failure are obtained.
Perioperative blood transfusion and outcome

Purpose of review As a result of advances in pathogen testing and transfusion standards over the last decade, the risk of disease transmission through allogeneic blood transfusions has decreased markedly. The effects of allogeneic blood transfusions on the immune system, however, have received more attention, as they appear to influence outcome. The following review summarizes the effects of allogeneic blood transfusions on selected outcome parameters and the influence of white blood cell reduction on these parameters. Recent findings Adverse effects of allogeneic blood transfusions on outcome variables such as postoperative infection, cancer recurrence, pulmonary function, length of stay, and mortality have been shown in multiple trials, but most were not randomized or blinded. One proposed approach to reduce unwanted side-effects is to reduce the donor's white blood cell count before transfusion. This can be done either by individual bedside filtration or by pre-storage (or post-storage) universal white blood cell reduction. Studies investigating this approach have yielded conflicting results. Summary Although the results of a number of studies suggest a negative impact of allogeneic blood transfusions on immune function and consequently outcome parameters, this has not been proven in rigorously controlled randomized trial, or in meta-analyses. Reduction of white blood cells might be beneficial in selected patient populations, but at this time does not appear warranted in the general surgical population. As universal white blood cell reduction is a very costly process, it probably should not be implemented until such a benefit is proven.
Recombinant Plasma Gelsolin Diminishes the Acute Inflammatory Response to Hyperoxia in Mice

Background The acute respiratory distress syndrome remains a common and poorly understood complication of a variety of insults. Ventilation with high concentrations of inspired oxygen may further damage already compromised lungs. By scavenging extracellular actin and modulating the effects of lysophosphatidic acid, plasma gelsolin could serve a critical protective role against oxidant injury. Methods Mice exposed to >95% O2 for a total of 72 hours were treated with gelsolin or albumin after 24 and 48 hours. Results Neutrophil counts in bronchoalveolar fluid rose (P=0.0002) and gelsolin levels dropped (P Conclusions These data imply that i) gelsolin depletion contributes to the pathogenesis of oxygen toxicity and ii) repletion of gelsolin can partially abrogate the resultant exudative response.
Analysis of thin-film lithium batteries with cathodes of 50 nm to 4 μm thick LiCoO2 ☆

Abstract Discharge properties of more than 40 Li–LiCoO 2 solid-state thin-film batteries with cathode film thickness from 50 nm to 4 μm have been examined with respect to the lithium diffusion in the cathode. For all but the thinnest cathodes or very low current densities, the discharge capacity from 4.2 to 3.0 V is limited by the lithium diffusivity in Li x CoO 2 and the ultimate formation of a resistive layer at the interface as x approaches 1.0. Measurements of the equilibrium open circuit potential and ac impedance upon deep discharge support this model. Promoting a higher diffusion for the 0.96 x
A dynamically allocated CMOS dual-LIFO register stack

The design of a single vertically shifting VLSI register module that functions as two dynamically partitioned last-in-first-out (LIFO) stacks is presented. The module consists of a tiled array of custom static master-slave storage elements with a simple state machine adjacent to each register word serving as a register allocation controller. The dual-stack module is intended primarily for application in stack-based processor architectures requiring two high-performance LIFO stacks. Simulation results are presented. >