cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time resolution performance of an electro-optical-coupled PET detector for time-of-flight PET/MRI

Combining PET with MRI in a single system provides clinicians with complementary anatomical and molecular information. However, current combined PET/MRI systems do not have time-of-flight (ToF)-PET capabilities due to certain design choices. We have developed an MRI-compatible front-end electronic system with fast timing PET capabilities. Our approach employs, a fast arrival time pickoff comparator to digitize the timing information, and a laser diode to drive a fiber-optic cable to optically transmit timing information. The comparator and electo-optical link show 17ps +/− 0.2ps fwhm jitter in response to a fast digital pulse. When coupled with LSO scintillation crystals and Hamamatsu MPPC silicon photo-multipliers (SiPM) the comparator and electro-optical link achieved a time resolution of 265ps +/− 6.3ps with 3×3×20mm crystals and 167 +/− 3.6ps fwhm with 3×3×5mm crystals.
Wellness among African-American and Caucasian students attending a predominantly White institution.

The wellness movement is growing on college campuses; however, the examination of race is lacking. We examined aspects of physical and emotional well-being as a function of race in 197 college students at a predominantly White institution. Results revealed racial differences on diet, F(1, 196) = 7.537, p = 0.007 and resilient coping, F(1, 196) = 8.614, p = 0.004. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that the association between stress and coping was moderated by race (F(1, 196) = 8.196, p = 0.005), demonstrating that Whites and Blacks experience and cope with stressors in differing ways. Findings of this study suggest that race is an influential factor of wellness and subsequent well-being in college students.
Assessment of Ventricular Assist Device Placement and Function

Heart failure (HF) has reached endemic proportions worldwide, and its burden is expected to exponentially grow in the next decade. HF is a progressive syndrome that leads to end-stage circulatory failure with end organ dysfunction. Due to a severe shortage of organs, heart transplantation is not able to meet the growing numbers of advanced HF patients. To fill this void, mechanical circulatory support with ventricular assist device (VAD) placement is now the mainstay for bridging HF patients to heart transplantation or serving as destination therapy (DT) for those not eligible for transplantation. Major challenges remain in the expansion of VAD placement in HF patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), mainly related to the complex and unusual spatial orientation of cardiac chambers and vascular structures. This chapter will review the utility and experience of VAD placement in CHD patients with HF and the potential role of three-dimensional (3D) modeling in preoperative planning to overcome anatomical barriers. In addition, we will describe how 3D modeling may aid in visualizing cannula malposition to prevent suboptimal device operation.
Teaching Video NeuroImages: Apraxia of eyelid closure following right hemispheric infarction.

A 56-year-old man presented following a right middle cerebral artery territory infarction (figure). In addition to left hemiparesis and neglect, he was unable to close his left eye on command (video at [Neurology.org][1]), though he was able to blink spontaneously and keep his eyes closed during sleep. He could maintain closure of both eyes once manually closed. Apraxia of eyelid closure is distinguished clinically from eyelid closure weakness by ability to blink reflexively and maintain eyelid closure. Activation of the oculomotor cortex has been associated with voluntary eyelid closure and lesions in right frontal and parietal lobes with eyelid closure apraxia.1,2 [1]: http://neurology.org/lookup/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000004091
Salmonella Heidelberg in Layer Hens and Egg Production: Incidence and Potential Issues

Abstract Food-borne Salmonella continues to be a public health issue both from an illness standpoint as well as economically. Poultry and eggs represent a primary source of food-borne Salmonella with several serovars usually being the primary isolates specifically identified as originating from these food product sources. Salmonella Heidelberg has emerged as a serovar of increasing prominence, particularly in some of the more recent egg-associated outbreaks. In this chapter the incidence of S. Heidelberg in poultry and eggs as well as characteristics and ability to cause disease as a food-borne pathogen are discussed. Particular issues such as virulence capabilities and antimicrobial resistance are also described. Finally, the adaptability of S. Heidelberg and implications are summarized.
Power and energy implications of misunderstanding DRAM

When optimizing for energy in a modern computing system, it is critical to understand the primary source of energy usage: the memory system. Performing effective optimization in a traditional memory system requires knowing something about the complex and subtle behavior of dynamic random access memory (DRAM). This includes understanding DRAM chip organization and functionality, the organization of chips and data on a dual inline memory module (DIMM), the structure of modern packaging options, and the behavior of the memory controller. In this position paper we describe some background of DRAM chip and system organization with some specific examples of how this knowledge can be used to enhance system behavior. We then give some examples of how understanding accurate DRAM behavior can influence energy and latency, and describe a detailed DRAM simulator (USIMM) that can be used to add high-fidelity DRAM models to system simulations. We use graphics hardware as a motivating example of a system that is both heavily reliant on the memory system, and that also has interesting latitude in terms of how the application accesses memory.
Inverse design of engineered materials for extreme optical devices

Optical devices based on engineered materials can achieve performances not possible with conventional design methodologies. However, these performances come at the cost of relatively unconstrained design spaces which necessitates the development of efficient optimization algorithms. Furthermore, engineered optical devices, as opposed to classical designs, may possess multifunctional behaviors which places additional demands on the optimization algorithms in order to maximize the performance. To this end, two custom state-of-the-art multi-objective optimization algorithms are presented and their application towards the inverse design of engineered materials for the realization of extreme optical devices is discussed.
Identification of patterns of transmission of Salmonella within swine production systems using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and repetitive sequence polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR): A quantitative analysis

Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using 3 enzymes (Spe I, Xba I, Avr II) and repetitive sequence polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR) with 3 primers (BOX, ERIC, REP) were compared with respect to their validity as a method for identifying transmission of Salmonella on swine farms. Sixty-eight isolates of Salmonella were obtained from feces of swine, cats, mice, and birds, insect body parts, water and floor samples, and boot scrapings collected on 9 swine farms in Illinois USA. Genetic distances between isolates were calculated using the Dice matching coefficient. Cluster analysis of distance matrices was conducted using the UPG-MA algorithm. There was no significant difference between PFGE and REP-PCR in the genetic diversity detected; however, REP-PCR differentiated between 14 pairs of isolates which PFGE identified as identical. There were no significant differences between PFGE and REP-PCR in identifying all or most close genetic links as isolates from the same farm, the same building, and from the same sampling visit, suggesting ecological validity for both methods. Thus, REP-PCR should be considered as an acceptable and perhaps preferable alternative to PFGE as a genotyping method for studies of Salmonella transmission.
H1-NMR spin-echo measurements of the spin dynamic properties inλ−(BETS)2FeCl4

$^{1}\mathrm{H}$-NMR spin-echo measurements of the spin-echo decay $M(2\ensuremath{\tau})$ with a decay rate $1∕{T}_{2}$ under applied magnetic field ${\mathbf{B}}_{0}=9\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{T}$ along the $a$ axis over the temperature $(T)$ range of $2.0\char21{}180\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ are reported for a single crystal of the organic conductor $\ensuremath{\lambda}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{(\mathrm{BETS})}_{2}\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{Cl}}_{4}$. It provides the spin dynamic properties in the paramagnetic metal (PM) and antiferromagnetic insulator (AFI) states as well as across the PM-AFI phase transition. A large slow beat structure in the spin-echo decay is observed with a typical beat frequency of ${f}_{B}\ensuremath{\sim}7\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kHz}$ that varies across the spectrum. Its origin is attributed to the interactions between protons that are very strongly detuned by the large inhomogeneous field on a microscopic distance scale that is generated by the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ moments (spin ${S}_{d}=5∕2$). A simple phenomenological model provides an excellent fit to the data. The values of $1∕{T}_{2}$ in the PM phase are consistent with a $T$-independent contribution from the proton-proton dipole interaction plus the proton spin-lattice relaxation rate $(1∕{T}_{1})$ [W. G. Clark et al., Appl. Magn. Reson. 27, 279 (2004)], which has a significant contribution only above $\ensuremath{\sim}20\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. At the PM-AFI transition $(3.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K})$, there is a discontinuous drop in $1∕{T}_{2}$ by $\ensuremath{\sim}34%$, indicating that the transition is first order, consistent with prior reports. Two possible main contributions to this drop are discussed. They are based upon the change in the local magnetic field caused by the change in the orientation of the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ moments at the transition.
The Regulation of Tyrosine Hydroxylase Activity by Phosphorylation

Tyrosine hydroxylase from bovine striatum was purified and subjected to phosphorylating conditions. The phosphorylated enzyme had a different pH optimum than did the nonphosphorylated enzyme. The activities of the two forms of TH were compared at different pH values, in the presence of differing cofactors, and at varying concentrations of dopamine. The results suggested that activation of TH by phosphorylation is accentuated at elevated pH, in the presence of low cofactor and high inhibitor concentrations. The data is discussed in the context of the intraneuronal milieu. A role for phosphorylation in the short-term regulation of TH activity is proposed.
TFEB, a master regulator of lysosome biogenesis and autophagy, is a new player in alcoholic liver disease.

Lysosomes play a major role in cellular metabolism and human health. Lysosomes are main catabolic organelles of the cell and play a central role in cellular processes including autophagy, plasma membrane repair, cellular clearance and cell signaling (1). Lysosomal dysfunction has been associated with several diseases including degenerative disorders of the brain and muscular system (1).
Novel insights from actigraphy: Anxiety is associated with sleep quantity but not quality during childhood.

Anxiety and sleep function change dynamically across development, and sleep dysfunction has emerged as a correlate and predictor of anxiety in pediatric clinical samples. Despite this, previous res...
Quantification of optic nerve length and tortuosity in thyroid eye disease

ABSTRACT Objective To objectively quantify the length and tortuosity of optic nerves (ONs) in patients with thyroid eye disease (TED), in relation to the occurrence of dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON). Patients and Methods All patients seen by 2 of the senior authors over a period of 12 years were screened for study entry. The primary outcome was the quantitative measurement of ON tortuosity and length in relation to the occurrence of DON. Image analysis involved the creation of a 3-dimensional reconstruction of the ON from the anterior clinoid process to the posterior globe using image analysis software. A centreline was created through the middle of the reconstruction, and the length of the ON was calculated as the length of this centreline. Tortuosity was calculated by creating a ratio between the straight-line length of the ON and the actual length (centreline length). Results The final sample included 50 patients who contributed 100 orbits, of which 26 orbits had DON. There were no differences in the Hertel exophthalmometry readings between patients with and without DON (p = 0.56). There was no significant relationship between the length (p = 0.39) and tortuosity (p = 0.82) of the ON and occurrence of DON. Conclusion There is no significant relationship between the length and tortuosity of the ON and development of DON in patients with TED.
Effect of High pH on Foliar Chlorosis and Growth of Five Betula Species

Abstract The relative alkalinity tolerances of yellow birch, sweet birch, river birch, paper birch, and Japanese white birch were evaluated by comparing foliar chlorosis and growth of seedlings irr...
Knowledge Representation and Extraction at Scale

These days, most general knowledge question-answering systems rely on large-scale knowledge bases comprising billions of facts about millions of entities. Having a structured source of semantic knowledge means that we can answer questions involving single static facts (e.g. “Who was the 8th president of the US?”) or dynamically generated ones (e.g. “How old is Donald Trump?”). More importantly, we can answer questions involving multiple inference steps (“Is the queen older than the president of the US?”). In this talk, I’m going to be discussing some of the unique challenges that are involved with building and maintaining a consistent knowledge base for Alexa, extending it with new facts and using it to serve answers in multiple languages. I will focus on three recent projects from our group. First, a way of measuring the completeness of a knowledge base, that is based on usage patterns. The definition of the usage of the KB is done in terms of the relation distribution of entities seen in question-answer logs. Instead of directly estimating the relation distribution of individual entities, it is generalized to the “class signature” of each entity. For example, users ask for baseball players’ height, age, and batting average, so a knowledge base is complete (with respect to baseball players) if every entity has facts for those three relations. Second, an investigation into fact extraction from unstructured text. I will present a method for creating distant (weak) supervision labels for training a large-scale relation extraction system. I will also discuss the effectiveness of neural network approaches by decoupling the model architecture from the feature design of a state-of-the-art neural network system. Surprisingly, a much simpler classifier trained on similar features performs on par with the highly complex neural network system (at 75x reduction to the training time), suggesting that the features are a bigger contributor to the final performance. Finally, I will present the Fact Extraction and VERification (FEVER) dataset and challenge. The dataset comprises more than 185,000 human-generated claims extracted from Wikipedia pages. False claims were generated by mutating true claims in a variety of ways, some of which were meaningaltering. During the verification step, annotators were required to label a claim for its validity and also supply full-sentence textual evidence from (potentially multiple) Wikipedia articles for the label. With FEVER, we aim to help create a new generation of transparent and interprable knowledge extraction systems.
A Metasurface Based Mode Converter

We report a mode converter using reflectionless metasurfaces. The mode converter consists of five inhomogeneous electric sheets cascaded within a cylindrical waveguide. The sheet profiles are calculated analytically using a modal wave matrix formulation. The modal wave matrices are derived using the Discrete Hankel Transform. The design example is simulated using a commercial electromagnetic solver to verify the proposed design approach.
The Distribution of Body Fluids In Congestive Heart Failure I. Theoretic Considerations

The pathogenesis of congestive heart failure is discussed. Experimental evidence is cited to support the thesis that abnormalities in the distribution of body fluids may affect circulatory and renal function, and hence may be a cause as well as an effect in the complex sequence of events leading to the congestive state. Emphasis is placed upon alterations in cellular metabolism which may lead to such disturbances in body fluids and so through various mechanisms, cellular, humoral, and circulatory, may modify the volume regulation of the body.
Precision Measurement of Optical Fiber Delays with a Quantum Frequency Comb

We propose a scheme to measure the time delay between two optical paths using frequency-bin entangled biphotons and show picosecond-scale features by mixing several frequency bins using electro-optic phase modulation.
Much Ado About Nothing: The Mental Representation of Omissive Relations

When the absence of an event causes some outcome, it is an instance of omissive causation. For instance, not eating lunch may cause you to be hungry. Recent psychological proposals concur that the mind represents causal relations, including omissive causal relations, through mental simulation, but they disagree on the form of that simulation. One theory states that people represent omissive causes as force vectors; another states that omissions are representations of contrasting counterfactual simulations; a third argues that people think about omissions by representing sets of iconic possibilities - mental models - in a piecemeal fashion. In this paper, we tease apart the empirical predictions of the three theories and describe experiments that run counter to two of them. Experiments 1 and 2 show that reasoners can infer temporal relations from omissive causes - a pattern that contravenes the force theory. Experiment 3 asked participants to list the possibilities consistent with an omissive cause - it found that they tended to list particular privileged possibilities first, most often, and faster than alternative possibilities. The pattern is consistent with the model theory, but inconsistent with the contrast hypothesis. We marshal the evidence and explain why it helps to solve a long-standing debate about how the mind represents omissions.
Implementation of Pharmacy Executive Quality and Safety Walkrounds at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center

Background: Executive Quality and Safety WalkRounds (EWRs) is a tool that engages department leadership in discussion with the front-line employees to solicit feedback to improve quality and safety...
Rapid Implementation and Demonstration of Radio Applications Using WISCANet

Implementing new RF applications has traditionally required significant time and expertise, even for relatively simple algorithms. Software-defined radios (SDRs) have recently enabled rapid implementation and validation of RF applications without specialized hardware or advanced programming skills. We further facilitate this rapid application development by constructing WISCANet – a diverse network of commercial SDRs with specialized control software. WISCANet automatically configures these SDRs and controls transmit and receive events with minimal user input. This allows users to rapidly implement over-the-air RF applications by simply defining the baseband processing chain in software. Furthermore, WISCANet emulates real-time operations, which allows users to test real-time applications without the usual complications such as processing speed or hardware limitations. In this paper, we present recent improvements to the WISCA Software-Defined Radio Network (SDR-N). These improvements include configurable and flexible multi-channel phase coherence and support for both MATLAB and Python applications. The open source release of this software may be found on GitHub at: https://github.com/WISCA
Synthesis and biological evaluation of pyrrolidine-functionalized nucleoside analogs

Inhibition of viral reverse transcriptases and mammalian DNA polymerases by unnatural nucleoside analogs is a proven approach in antiviral and anticancer therapy, respectively. The majority of current nucleoside drugs retain the canonical nucleobase structure, which is fused to an unnatural sugar. In the present work, a series of novel pyrrolidine-functionalized purine and pyrimidine nucleosides was prepared via PyBOP-catalyzed SNAr addition-elimination reactions of commercial halogenated precursors and tested for their antiviral and anticancer activity. The newly synthesized nucleoside analogs showed limited biological activity, probably as a result of their poor cellular uptake and their inefficient bioactivation to the corresponding nucleoside monophosphates. A phosphoramidate prodrug had an improved cell permeability and was metabolized to the nucleoside monophosphate form in human cells, as revealed by HPLC-MS/MS analyses.
Quantification of Tc-99m macroaggregated albumin liver perfusion as a predictor of tumor response to intra-arterial therapy with yttrium 90 spheres

Objectives: It remains unclear whether quantifying the pre-therapy tumor Technetium 99m macro aggregated albumin (Tc 99m MAA) localization can accurately predict the response to Yttrium 90 (Y-90) spheres therapy. Present studies are limited and with contradictory results. The aim of this study is to determine if quantification of Tc-99m MAA in hepatic tumor lesion(s) on pretherapy planning nuclear scan can predict the degree of tumor response after radioembolization using Y-90 Spheres. Material and Methods: We retrospectively included patients with primary liver cancers or metastases who were treated with SirSpheres or TheraSpheres. All patients had a Tc-99m MAA scan with an average dose of 5.0mCi injected aseptically in either the right, left, or common hepatic artery. The patients were subsequently transferred for imaging using planar and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the abdomen and planar images of the chest. We calculated geometric mean of radiotracer counts in the largest lesion in the lobe to be treated by placing same size region of interest (ROI) around the largest lesion on the anterior and posterior planar images. Subsequently, an irregular ROI around the liver or lobe to be treated were drawn to calculate the geometric mean of counts in the liver. The percent tracer accumulation in the largest lesion was calculated by dividing the geometric mean of counts in the largest lesion by the geometric mean of counts in the liver or lobe and multiplying by 100%. The size of this largest lesion was obtained on the most recent CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in cm in 2 directions prior to treatment with Y-90 Spheres. The extent of the response to Y-90 Spheres therapy was re-evaluated with 3 months follow-up MRI or CT by measuring the decrease in the largest lesion size. Comparison of the percent Tc-99 MAA count accumulation in the largest lesion on the pre-therapy scan with the reduction in size using anatomic imaging was performed. Results: A total of 30 patients were included (16 hepatocellular carcinoma, eight colorectal, three breast, one neuroendocrine, one cholangiocarcinoma, and one cervical metastases). There were 14 patients in stable disease or progressive disease group (SD/PD gp) and 16 patients in partial response or complete response group (PR/CR gp). The median lesion size was 3.5 cm in the PD/SD gp versus 2.8 cm in the PR/CR gp (P = 0.31). Additionally, the median delivered Y90 Spheres treatment dose was 51.3 mCi in the PD/SD versus 43.2 mCi in the PR/CR gp (P = 0.22). The percent median largest lesion to liver concentration was 21.9% in the PR/CR gp versus 23.3% in the PR/CR gp (P = 0.74). There was no significant difference in percent Tc-99m MAA distribution in the largest liver lesion between the SD/PD gp and the PR/CR gp. Conclusion: The degree of Tc-99m MAA localization in the largest tumor lesion in the liver compared to the remainder of the liver as quantified from planar images does not predict the response to Y-90 spheres therapy.
Implementing And Managing Egovernment: An International Text

PART ONE: MANAGING eGOVERNMENT Understanding eGovernment Approaches to Management of eGovernment Systems eGovernment Strategy Managing Public Data Core Management Issues for eGovernment Emerging Management Issues for eGovernment PART TWO: IMPLEMENTING eGOVERNMENT eGovernment System Lifecycle and Project Assessment Analysis of Current Reality Design of the New eGovernment System eGovernment Risk Assessment and Mitigation eGovernment System Construction, Implementation and Beyond Developing eGovernment Hybrids
An Evaluation of Soil Moisture Retrievals Using Aircraft and Satellite Passive Microwave Observations During SMEX02

The Soil Moisture Experiments conducted in Iowa in the summer of 2002 (SMEX02) had many remote sensing instruments that were used to study the spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture. The sensors used in this paper (a subset of the suite of sensors) are the AQUA satellite-based AMSR-E (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer- Earth Observing System) and the aircraft-based PSR (Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer). The SMEX02 design focused on the collection of near simultaneous brightness temperature observations from each of these instruments and in situ soil moisture measurements at field- and domain- scale. This methodology provided a basis for a quantitative analysis of the soil moisture remote sensing potential of each instrument using in situ comparisons and retrieved soil moisture estimates through the application of a radiative transfer model. To this end, the two sensors are compared with respect to their estimation of soil moisture.
Evaluation of genetically engineered herpes simplex viruses as oncolytic agents for human malignant brain tumors.

Earlier studies have shown that genetically engineered herpes simplex viruses ( e.g. , HSV-1) are effective in killing malignant tumor cells both in vitro and in various murine tumor models. This report focuses on a panel of five genetically engineered viral mutants of the γ 134.5 gene, which was shown previously to cause reduction in viral replication and associated neurovirulence of HSV. These include R3616, which has both copies of γ 134.5 deleted, R4009, which has a stop codon inserted after codon 28 in both copies of the γ 134.5 gene, R849, which contains a lacZ gene inserted in place of the γ 134.5 , R908, which lacks 41 codons in frame after codon 72 of the γ 134.5 , and R939, which carries a stop codon precluding the translation of the COOH-terminal domain of the γ 134.5 gene. We report the following: ( a ) all five mutant HSVs were avirulent in experimental animals but were cytotoxic for human tumor cells in vitro and in vivo ; ( b ) the γ 134.5 - HSV replicated in human glioma cells almost as efficiently as wild-type HSV-1(F) based on replication assays, in situ hybridization for viral DNA, and expression of infected cell protein 27; ( c ) capacity of mutant HSVs to kill human cells derived from glioblastoma multiforme (CH-235MG, D-37MG, D-54MG, D-65MG, U-251MG, U-373MG, and SK-MG-1), anaplastic astrocytoma (Hs-683), anaplastic glioma (U-87MG and U-138MG), gliosarcoma (D-32GS), or normal human astrocytes demonstrated that glioma cells varied in their susceptibility to HSV-mediated cytotoxicity and that cultured astrocytes were two to three orders of magnitude less susceptible to killing than were malignant glia; and ( d ) scid mice, which received 0.5 or 5 × 106 plaque-forming units of R4009, either were coinoculated at the time of intracranial transplantation with 106 U251MG or D-54MG human glioma cells or received the cells intratumorally 5 days after tumor induction and experienced significant increases in median survivals, with no histopathological indication of an infectious encephalitic process. Genetically engineered γ 134.5 - HSV mutants appear to be a potentially safe biotherapeutic agent for experimental treatment of uniformly fatal malignant brain tumors.
Surveying the Campus Climate for Faculty: A Comparison of the Assessments of STEM and non-STEM faculty

A fundamental assumption of programs intended to increase the numbers of women faculty in science, engineering and math (STEM) has been that women in these disciplines experience a uniquely hostile climate. While this focus on STEM faculty is necessary and important, we argue that it may be too narrow. In this paper, we compare STEM to non-STEM faculty, drawing on a representative survey of university faculty in one institution (N=612) conducted in 2007. Our findings indicate that non-white men in the STEM disciplines are in fact significantly less satisfied than white men in these fields and less satisfied than their counterparts in non-STEM fields. Among white women, those in STEM fields are significantly less satisfied than those in non-STEM disciplines. These differences are largely mediated by perceptions of work and contextual factors, however. With a few exceptions, we find that the factors that predict satisfaction are the same across groups of faculty. This implies that efforts to improve university and departmental climates will benefit all faculty.
An environment for information system prototyping: a system simulation approach

A system entity structure represents the decompositions and taxonomies of a system. DEVS-Scheme is an object-oriented implementation of the DEVS formalism for hierarchical, modular discrete-event system simulation. This paper describes using both instruments to establish an integrated environment for building prototypes of information systems modeled in data flow model. Also presented is the strategy for administering the prototyping process and some preliminary evaluations of the proposed framework.
Factors affecting the adoption of innovations in the dairy farms: eregli case study of konya, turkey

The study was examined factors effecting the applying innovations and adoption in dairy farms. The population main frame was determined according to Konya Milk Commission account data records. Eregli which provide the 15 % milk production of Konya province was selecting by judgment sampling method and here also obtained data of Konya Milk Commission were recorded across the district. In the research area, the dairy farms were classified as Village-based and Qualified farms. The sample size was determined 49 according to the stratified sampling method. A total of 49 dairy farmers were interviewed. The logistic regression was used to analyze the adoption of innovations that affecting the dairy farms. According to the logistic regression analysis result was established that the factors which affect the adoption levels to innovations of the farms were to be the qualified of the farms, educational status of the farmers and the visitation of the provincial/district directorate of agriculture.
Ions and Hydrogen Bonding in a Hydrophobic Environment: CCl4

It is generally expected that ions in an aqueous ionic solution in contact with a hydrophobic phase enter the hydrophobic phase accompanied by a hydration shell. This expectation suggests that the ...
From centripetal forces to conic orbits: a path through the early sections of Newton’s Principia

Abstract In this study, we test the security of a crucial plank in the Principia ’s mathematical foundation, namely Newton’s path leading to his solution of the famous Inverse Kepler Problem: a body attracted toward an immovable center by a centripetal force inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the center must move on a conic having a focus in that center . This path begins with his definitions of centripetal and motive force, moves through the second law of motion, then traverses Propositions I, II, and VI, before coming to an end with Propositions XI, XII, XIII and this trio’s first corollary. To test the security of this path, we answer the following questions. How far is Newton’s path from being truly rigorous? What would it take to clarify his ambiguous definitions and laws, supply missing details, and close logical gaps? In short, what would it take to make Newton’s route to the Inverse Kepler Problem completely convincing? The answer is very surprising: it takes far less than one might have expected, given that Newton carved this path in 1687 .
Photovoltaics R&D: At the Tipping Point

'' . . . with robust investments in research and market development, the picture changes dramatically.'' Thus, the realigned U.S. Photovoltaic Industry Roadmap highlights R&D as critical to the tipping point that will make solar photovoltaics (PV) significant in the U.S. energy portfolio--part of a well-designed plan that would bring ''2034 expectations'' to reality by 2020. Technology improvement and introduction depend on key, focused, and pertinent research contributions that range from the most fundamental through the applied. In this paper, we underscore the successes and relevance of our current systems-driven PV R&D programs, which are built on integrated capabilities. These capabilities span atomic-level characterization, nanotechnology, new materials design, interface and device engineering, theoretical guidance and modeling, processing, measurements and analysis, and process integration. This presentation identifies and provides examples of critical research tipping points needed to foster now and near technologies (primarily crystalline silicon and thin films) and to introduce coming generations of solar PV that provide options to push us to the next performance levels (devices with ultra-high efficiencies and with ultra-low cost). The serious importance of science and creativity to U.S. PV technology ownership--and the increased focus to accelerate the time from laboratory discovery to industry adoption--are emphasized at this ''tipping point'' for solar PV.
SCHIZOPHRENICS' STEREOTYPES ABOUT SOMATOTYPES.

Summary.-Ratings on 24 8-point bipolar scales of silhouettes depicting three body types were made by 32 schizophrenics. Analysis of these ratings yielded four stereorypes based on physical rather than psychological perceptions. The data are related to inconsistency of response to others by schizophrenics. Sheldon (1954) reported a series of empirical relationships between body type and personality traits. Wells and Siegel (1961 ) and Brodsky ( 1954) found that naive normals ascribe to these relationships and hold them as stereotypes. For instance, in their study of 120 normals Wells and Siegel reported that, compared with figures of an ectomorph, an endomorph, and an average physique, a mesomorphic male figure was rated as stronger, more masculine, more adventurous, better looking, younger, taller, more mature, and more selfreliant. This stereotype corresponds strikingly to Sheldon's empirically derived description. These stereotyped views are possibly the distillation of centuries of human experience, and as such, can function as powerful forces in the social environment. They very likely serve as a set of expectations about others and about ourselves. Since normal people tend to respond appropriately to others' expectations of them, these stereotypes can to some extent shape both a person's behavior toward others and his own behavior. In a sense, these stereotyped views are part of the associational framework within which we perceive other persons, and they represent elaborations to concrete perceptions of an individual's body type. To the extent that individuals do not share these associations, their perceptions of others will be different and their corresponding behavior will be relatively unpredictable. Indeed, it seems plausible that marked deviation from these stereotypes should be correlated with abnormal behavior in interpersonal situations, as displayed, for example, by schizophrenic patients. The present study is a replication of the Wells and Siegel (1961) experiment, with 32 male chronic schizophrenics (mean age, 34.7; mean years in hospital, 8.3) from the research ward of the Bureau of Research. These Ss had participated in a variety of research studies, and for chronic cases, were highly cooperative. Ss were shown, in counterbalanced order, four sets of silhouetre drawings of naked male bodies, each set of a front, side, and rear view, with each view approximately 3 in. high. One set of silhouettes pictured a man of "average" physique, while the others pictured extremes of the three body types described by Sheldon
The First Application-driven Lambda-on-Demand Field Trial over a US Nationwide Network

The Lambda-on-demand functionality with link aggregation to accommodate the dynamic bandwidth demands of an ultra-high-resolution visualization application was realized in over a US nationwide photonic network for the first time.
Regulatory and Legal Implications of Modifying FDA-approved Medical Devices

Abbreviation: FDA Food and Drug Administration CLINICAL circumstances and good medical practice sometimes require that radiologists who perform interventional procedures modify legally marketed medical devices for patient use. For example, it is not uncommon for interventional radiologists to assemble covered arterial stent-grafts out of commercially available products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for other indications. Such modification raises regulatory issues under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. These implications depend heavily on whether product alteration is seen as a patient-specific therapeutic exercise or part of a larger attempt to market the modified product. Regardless of regulatory repercussions, any treatment use of radiologist-modified medical devices subjects a practitioner to possible malpractice liability under state law. It should be noted that use of modified devices to obtain data as part of an experimental protocol is a separate issue and necessarily involves the appropriate institutional review board and possibly the FDA, depending on the risk of the device. Another related issue is informed consent and the use of modified medical devices. Both subjects are beyond the scope of this article.
The Reliability of BTE Work Simulator Measurements for Selected Shoulder and Wrist Tasks

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of work measurements obtained using the BTE work simulator for a shoulder task and a wrist task. The shoulder task was a circumduction movement, with the subject oriented 60° to the plane of the motion. The wrist task consisted of reciprocal radial and ulnar deviation, with the elbow flexed 90°. Each task was performed with maximal effort for 15 seconds. Work measurements were calculated by the BTE work simulator by multiplying the torque generated by the angular displacement. Both intrasession (2-minute interval) and intersession (at least 2-day interval) reliabilities were studied. Subjects consisted of 43 normal volunteers and 37 patients. Intraclass correlation coefficients (1,1) were calculated for each task for various subgroups and ranged from .83 to .99. The authors conclude that measurements of work using the BTE work simulator can be highly reliable using our protocol.
Play Technique in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Imaginary play is often a child's best way of communicating affects, fantasies, and internal states. In play children are freer to express their forbidden and conflicted thoughts. Consequently, one of the best ways for the therapist to enter the child's world is to do so from within the displacement of the play process. For children who cannot play, the therapist's goal is to teach the child to use play as a means of communication and to create meaning. This article present clinical examples to illustrate how the author uses play in the clinical situation.
Slope of regard as a distance cue.

It is proposed that some distance cues are learned when a perceptual parameter that varies with observation distance is regularly associated with objects whose distances are perceived because another distance cue operates. If that is the way distance cues can come into existence, it may be possible to identify a parameter that varies with distance but is not a known distance cue and to show that it functions as one. The slope of regard with which an object on the ground is viewed is such a potential distance cue. Its angle varies approximately with the reciprocal of distance. An experiment was done that showed that this slope angle functions as a distance cue. Subjects who looked through a device that altered slope angles gave estimates of the dimensions of an object on the ground. Perceived sizes, which vary inversely with distance, were found to be altered in accordance with the altered slope angle.
Cultural systems and organizational processes: Observations on the conference papers

All of these papers share a concern with producing analyses of culture that are comprehensive and internally coherent. All agree with van der Leeuw that formalization can be used to achieve this. A...
The relationship of parental education and maternal work and occupational status to Occupational Aspiration in adolescent females

Abstract This study investigated the relationship of parental education and maternal work and occupational status to the Occupational Aspirations (classified as Innovative, Moderate, and Traditional) of adolescent females. Innovative occupations are those in which fewer than 30% of the workers are women; Moderate occupations are those in which 30–50% of the workers are women; and Traditional occupations are those in which more than 50% of the workers are women. Innovative choices were made significantly more often as an Ideal aspiration than as a Real aspiration, and, reciprocally, Traditional occupations were chosen less often as an Ideal aspiration than as a Real aspiration. Significant association was found between Occupational Aspiration and father's education and between Occupational Aspiration and mother's occupational status (traditional or nontraditional).
Incentive regulation of nursing homes

A social experiment was conducted in San Diego to test the effectiveness of monetary incentives in improving the health of nursing home residents and lowering Medicaid expenditures. Use of a Markov model to represent the resulting health changes of nursing home residents shows that the monetary incentives had beneficial effects on both the quality and the cost of nursing home care. Moreover, the nursing homes admitted more people with severe disabilities, and the average length of their stays was shortened. If implemented, this kind of incentive program would save Medicaid substantial amounts of money, but not through lowering nursing home payments. Instead, the more efficient use of nursing homes would transfer more people out of hospitals and thereby save unnecessary hospital reimbursement.
Complex angular momentum in relativistic dispersion theory

BS>Discussed are the singularities of relativistic partial wave scattering amplitudes in the complex angular momentum plane. It is shown that, for points in the finite plane, these singularities are determined by the high energy limits of the absorption parts in the two crossed channels. The analytic properties of the pole trajectories and the residues are examined. These functions are shown to have no left-hand branch points, which are present in the S-plane of the partial wave amplitudes F/sub plus or minus (S, lambda ), where S is the energy variable and lambda is the angular momentum variable. The functions F/sub plus or minus /(S, lambda ) are seen to have left-hand branch points in S that are not present in the physical partial wave amplitude F(S,l). (H.D.R.)
Cocaine increases intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species, depolarizes mitochondria, and activates genes associated with heart failure and remodeling

To determine the cardiovascular molecular events associated with acute exposure to cocaine, the present study utilized in vivo analysis of left-ventricular heart function in adult rabbits, fluorescence confocal microscopy of fluo-2, rhod-2, (5-(and-6) carboxy 2',7' dichlorodihydrofluores-cein diacetate (carboxy-H2DCFDA), and JC-1 in H9C2 cells and gene expression microarray technology for analysis of gene activation in both rabbit ventricular tissue and H9C2 cells. In the rabbit, acute cocaine exposure (2 mg/kg) caused left-ventricular dysfunction and 0.1-10 mM cocaine increased cytosolic and mitochondrial calcium activity and mitochondrial membrane depolarization in H9C2 cells. A 3-min pretreatment of H9C2 cells by 10 microM verapamil, nifedipine, or nadolol inhibited calcium increases, but only 1 mM N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or 1 mM glutathione blocked mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Cocaine induced activation of genes in the rabbit heart and H9C2 cells including angiotensinogen, ADRB1, and c-reactive protein (CRP). In H9C2 cells, NAC pretreatment blocked cocaine-mediated increases in CRP, FAS, FAS ligand, and cytokine receptor-like factor1 (CRLF1) expression. Collectively, these data suggest that acute cocaine administration initiates cellular and genetic changes that, if chronically manifested, could cause cardiac deficits similar to those seen in heart failure and ischemia, such as ventricular dysfunction, cardiac arrhythmias, and cardiac remodeling.
OPSEF: an optical sensor for measurement of high electric field intensity

An optical sensor for measurement of high electric field intensity by means of the electro-optic effect in single-crystal bismuth silicon oxide has been successfully developed and the fundamental characteristics measured. By use of this sensor, the electric field intensities between parallel and coaxial electrodes have been measured.
The Synchronous Converter Theory and Calculations

The first part of this paper is devoted to the purpose of presenting a clear conception of the internal voltages, currents, heating, and armature reactions as related to the physical structure of the simple converter and as related to the passage of time. These may be styled ``space'' and ``time'' relations. ``Space'' relations are indicated by means of diagrams representing as nearly as possible the physical structure of the converter. ``Time'' relations are shown by conventional curves and vectors. The accepted mathematical expressions for voltage ratios, heating effect of currents, and armature reaction imply that certain facts be disregarded. This is done in order to simplify their development. The mathematical treatment developed in the appendixes to this paper includes most of these disregarded factors and makes it possible to evaluate them. This treatment is based on the method of ``harmonic analysis'' by which any regularly repeating function may be represented.
Assumed Similarity in Communication Styles: Implications for Personnel Interviews

Assumed similarity is a distortion of perceptions that may occur during assessment interviews. This happens when the assessor, attracted to the candidate, assumes incorrectly that the candidate shares characteristics similar to him- or herself. The present study examines assumed similarity in relation to the assessment process. Canonical correlation found a significant relationship between attraction and assumptions of similarity. Managers consistently perceived the speaker as having communication styles and social skills similar to themselves. This included both positive and negative characteristics. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the actual assessment process and in teaching assessment skills that control the distortion of assumed similarity.
Pollen morphology and systematics of Siphonoglossa sensu lato (Acanthaceae)

La morphologie du pollen de 15 especes du genre Siphonoglossa et de deux groupes proches est etudiee, les tendances evolutives et la systematique sont discutees