cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reversible Computing as a Path Towards Unbounded Energy Efficiency: Challenges and Opportunities Invited Talk

Currently, the conventional wisdom within the microelectronics industry is that the energy efficiency (in operations per Joule) of our general low-level digital information processing technologies is beginning to approach insurmountable physical barriers to substantial further improvement. However, there is in fact one (and only one!) theoretically-possible path by which the energyefficiency of general-purpose digital computation may continue to improve indefinitely, with no known fundamental physical limit, and that is if we reinvent computer engineering (at all levels, from device physics to systems engineering) in a way that revolves around the alternative information processing paradigm known as reversible computing. However, this is by no means an easy path. In this talk, we survey some of the major engineering problems that still need to be solved in order to fully realize the promise of this approach. Although these problems are extremely challenging, they nevertheless allow for possible solutions, and recent investigations hint at a range of workable approaches which we have only begun to explore. With increasing R&D effort, there is an opportunity here to lay the dominant foundation for 21st-century computer engineering, enabling a level of future economic advancement that far exceeds anything that could be achieved without developing this technology.
Risk Stratification and Disposition: What Is the Usual Course of Acute Pancreatitis? Which Patients Require a Higher Level of Care and Which Patients May Be Appropriate to Discharge?

While most patients with acute pancreatitis will have a benign course with an overall mortality of 1%, a subset of patients will develop organ failure and local complications such as pancreatic necrosis or fluid collections, such as pseudocysts. These patients have a higher mortality, and the clinical tools available have limitations in identifying patients that will have a severe course of acute pancreatitis or require admission to a higher level of care. A combination of patient risk factors, lab values at admission, vital signs, imaging, and response to initial management can be used to make an individualized decision. Early research suggests patients with mild acute pancreatitis can be discharged from the emergency department.
Visualization of custom drill bit tips in a human vertebra for photoacoustic-guided spinal fusion surgeries

Spinal fusion surgeries require the insertion of screws into the pedicles of vertebrae in order to connect multiple vertebrae with a metal rod and stabilize the spine after an injury or deformity. One outstanding challenge to this surgical procedure is to ensure that a drill tip maintains the correct trajectory when drilling pilot holes for screw insertion. In this work, we demonstrate a photoacoustic imaging system for drill tip tracking that will co-register photoacoustic images with pre-operative CT images. Our approach was tested with custom drill bits containing an optical fiber inside a hollow core with single-hole and multi-hole tips that were inserted in an ex vivo human vertebra. A 32 mm-deep hole was drilled in the pedicle, with the first 13 mm corresponding to the pedicle and the remaining 19 mm extending into the vertebral body. Data was acquired using a 760 nm laser with energies of 1.0 mJ, 2.2 mJ, and 3.4 mJ at the fiber tip. For the single-hole drill tip, the signal was detectable at 0-6 mm depths into the pedicle (SNR: 53.7), which represents 46% of the 13 mm pedicle length. From 6 to 14 mm, the photoacoustic signal was either no longer visualized (SNR: 26.7) or shifted from its expected location in the image due to reflection artifacts. SNR was improved to 31.14 with coherence-based beamforming methods when compared to previously reported conventional delay-and-sum beamformming methods. This enhancement provided clear visualization of low energy photoacoustic signals. Results are generally promising for photoacoustic-guided drilling during pedicle screw insertion.
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery restores insulin-mediated glucose partitioning and mitochondrial dynamics in primary myotubes from severely obese humans

Impaired insulin-mediated glucose partitioning is an intrinsic metabolic defect in skeletal muscle from severely obese humans (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery has been shown to improve glucose metabolism in severely obese humans. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of RYGB surgery on glucose partitioning, mitochondrial network morphology, and the markers of mitochondrial dynamics skeletal muscle from severely obese humans. Human skeletal muscle cells were isolated from muscle biopsies obtained from RYGB patients (BMI = 48.0 ± 2.1, n = 7) prior to, 1 month and 7 months following surgery and lean control subjects (BMI = 22.4 ± 1.1, n = 7). Complete glucose oxidation, non-oxidized glycolysis rates, mitochondrial respiratory capacity, mitochondrial network morphology, and the regulatory proteins of mitochondrial dynamics were determined in differentiated human myotubes. Myotubes derived from severely obese humans exhibited enhanced glucose oxidation (13.5%; 95% CI [7.6, 19.4], P = 0.043) and reduced non-oxidized glycolysis (−1.3%; 95% CI [−11.1, 8.6]) in response to insulin stimulation at 7 months after RYGB when compared with the presurgery state (−0.6%; 95% CI [−5.2, 4.0] and 19.5%; 95% CI [4.0, 35.0], P = 0.006), and were not different from the lean controls (16.7%; 95% CI [11.8, 21.5] and 1.9%; 95% CI [−1.6, 5.4], respectively). Further, the number of fragmented mitochondria and Drp1(Ser616) phosphorylation were trended to reduce/reduced (0.0104, 95% CI [0.0085, 0.0126], P = 0.091 and 0.0085, 95% CI [0.0068, 0.0102], P = 0.05) in myotubes derived from severely obese humans at 7 months after RYGB surgery in comparison with the presurgery state. Finally, Drp1(Ser616) phosphorylation was negatively correlated with insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation (r = −0.49, P = 0.037). These data indicate that an intrinsic metabolic defect of glucose partitioning in skeletal muscle from severely obese humans is restored by RYGB surgery. The restoration of glucose partitioning may be regulated through reduced mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 phosphorylation.
1736 Novel Approach to Repair of Laparoscopic Cystotomy

Video Objective This video aims to demonstrate an interesting incidental cystotomy created laparoscopically during a total hysterectomy, demonstrate best practices for repair techniques, and review relevant anatomy. Setting Our patient is a 47 year old G7P3223 with a prior surgical history of 4 cesarean sections, who presents for total laparoscopic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy as definitive treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) due to leiomyomas. The surgery takes place at a large tertiary medical center. During creation of the colpotomy, a through and through anterior cystotomy and a partial thickness posterior cystotomy is incidentally created. Illustrations of relevant anatomy demonstrate how the colpotomy is created and which areas of the bladder need to be repaired. Interventions The extent of the cystotomy is assessed by guiding the laparoscope into the bladder via the cystotomy. The ureteric orifices are found to be intact bilaterally. The repair is then performed laparoscopically. First, the partial thickness posterior cystotomy is repaired in two layers. The first layer is a running non-locking stitch that is started in an inside-to-out followed by an outside-to-in fashion, allowing the knot to be buried below the mucosa. The second layer is an imbricating baseball stitch burying the mucosal layers. Next, the anterior full thickness cystotomy is repaired in two running non-locking layers burying all knots outside the bladder to prevent a nidus for stone formation and other complications. The bladder is backfilled to assure a water tight seal and the hysterectomy is continued. Conclusion Our video demonstrates an interesting cystotomy that involves both the anterior and posterior walls of the bladder and evaluation of the trigone from the abdominal side. It summarizes and illustrates best practices for bladder injury repair laparoscopically and relevant anatomy. Finally, it reviews necessary intraoperative care after repair, including retrograde filling of the bladder and cystoscopy, and postoperative care.
Attentional selection is biased towards controllable stimuli

While the factors that contribute to individuals feeling a sense agency over a stimulus have been extensively studied, the cognitive effects of a sense of agency over a stimulus are little known. Here, we conducted three experiments examining whether attentional selection is biased towards controllable stimuli. In all three experiments, participants moved four circle stimuli, one of which was under their control. A search target then appeared on one of the stimuli. In Experiment 1, the target was always on the controlled stimulus, but we manipulated the degree of control the participant had. In Experiment 2, the controlled stimulus was the target on 50% of the trials. In Experiment 3, we used a central arrow cue to tell participants which arrow key to press (rather than using a free choice task) and made the controlled stimulus the target on 25% of the trials, making it nonpredictive of the target’s location. Across the three experiments we found that visual selection was biased towards controllable stimuli. This attentional bias was larger when participants had full, rather than partial, control over the stimulus, indicating that sense of agency leads one to prioritize objects under their control. The fact that agency influenced attention when the controlled object contained the target in 100%, 50%, and 25% of trials, and occurred even when participants needed to monitor the center of the display in order to know which arrow key to press, suggests that its influence does not depend on task relevance or volitional decision-making.
681 Sleep Apnea Severity and COVID-19 Hospitalization Outcomes: Interim Analysis

Introduction: Millions worldwide have been infected with COVID- 19. Risk factors for poor outcomes include older age, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, COPD, and minority ethnicity. The impact of sleep apnea (OSA) on COVID-19 illness remains a topic of ongoing research. The association seems plausible as OSA shares common risk factors with COVID-19 comorbidities. The aim of our study is to investigate if the severity of OSA correlates with COVID-19 hospitalization outcomes. Methods: The study is an observational retrospective electronic medical chart review of patients admitted to the Yale Health system for COVID-19 illness, who have an ICD medical history diagnosis of sleep apnea. Subjects with an available sleep study were grouped based on AHI severity. Composite outcome was determined by mortality or critical illness (ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, High-Flow nasal cannula or noninvasive ventilation). Interim analysis was conducted with data from 256 patients. Logistic regression was performed to calculate OR associated with the primary outcome comparing mild versus moderate-severe OSA groups. Results: The sample of 256 patients included 50% females, with a median age of 64 (IQR,55-73) and BMI of 36 (IQR,30-41). Race distribution composed of 45% Whites and 40% African-Americans with 18% identifying as Hispanic. Overall mortality rate was 16%. Median length of stay (LOS) was 9 days (IQR,5 -15). 155 patients had a recorded AHI with a median of 26/hour (IQR,11-51) grouped into mild (34%), moderate (20%) and severe (45%) disease. Severe sleep apnea had the highest mortality rate of 19% and median LOS of 10 days (IQR,5- 16) compared to moderate (6% mortality,9 days (IQR,6-14)) and mild (17% mortality,6 days (IQR,4-11)) disease;differences were not statistically significant. Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated no significant difference in the composite outcome for mild versus moderate-severe OSA groups (OR=1.2;95% CI:0.58-2.32). Conclusion: Severe OSA appeared to have a trend towards an association with higher mortality versus moderate but not mild disease. Comparing moderate-severe disease to a reference group of mild disease did not demonstrate a significant difference in our composite outcome of death or critical illness. Additional subject recruitment and re-analysis are needed to confirm the findings of this interim analysis.
Ambient heat and stillbirth in Northern and Central Florida.

Abstract Background Elevated temperature is well-recognized as a health hazard, and may be particularly harmful to pregnant women, including increasing risk of stillbirth. We conducted a study in Northern and Central Florida, an area prone to periodic extreme heat but with significant seasonal variation, focusing on the most socioeconomically vulnerable populations least able to mitigate the impact of heat. Methods We obtained electronic health records data from the OneFlorida Data Trust for the period 2012–2017, with 1876 stillbirths included in the analysis. We used a case-crossover design to examine the risk of stillbirth associated with acute exposures to elevated heat prior to the outcome, contrasting the case period (the week preceding the stillbirth) with a control period (the week prior to the case period and the week after the stillbirth). Average heat index and maximum warning level during the case and control periods of each woman were assigned by ZIP code. Conditional logistic regression models were used to assess the association between stillbirth and heat exposure, controlling for PM2.5 and O3. Results The adjusted odds ratio showed no overall association with stillbirth except for a weak association for exposure above the 90th percentile which was larger among the most socioeconomically deprived and non-Hispanic Black women. In the hot months, there was a clear association for all indices of heat exposure, but largest again for the most socioeconomically deprived population (aOR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.2–5.2 in the 4th vs. 1st quartile) and among non-Hispanic Black women (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0–3.2 in the 4th vs. 1st quartile). Conclusions Our results provide further evidence that elevated ambient heat is related to stillbirth and encourage a focus on the most susceptible individuals and possible clinical pathways.
Sex-based differences in postural stability: A systematic review

Postural stability is a known risk factor for musculoskeletal injury although the impact of sex on postural stability is not well understood. This systematic review evaluated 24 studies that reported on postural stability. Findings regarding the impact of sex on postural stability were mixed, with some studies reporting male superiority, others reporting female superiority, and still others demonstrating no significant difference.
Preliminary Efficacy of Occupational Therapy in an Equine Environment for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The purpose of this study was to identify appropriate outcome measures and assess preliminary efficacy of occupational therapy in an equine environment (OTee HORSPLAY) for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-four youth with ASD aged 6–13 were randomized to 10 weeks of OTee HORSPLAY or to a waitlist control condition, occupational therapy in a garden. Youth demonstrated significantly improved goal attainment and social motivation, and decreased irritability after OTee HORSPLAY. When compared to the subset of participants who completed the waitlist control condition, the OTee HORSPLAY group still demonstrated significant improvements in goal attainment. This study provides preliminary evidence that horses can be integrated into occupational therapy for youth with ASD to improve social and behavioral goals.
A novel EndoFLIP marker during hiatal hernia repair is associated with short-term postoperative dysphagia

Endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) provides an objective measure of the distensibility index (DI) during different parts of hiatal hernia repair. However, the absolute DI measure above a cut-off after creating a barrier alone has not shown a relationship to dysphagia after surgery. We wanted to determine if the change in DI with volume change is associated with dysphagia. We included patients who had hiatal hernia repair with EndoFLIP values, including two values taken at the end of the surgical case with different volumes of fluid in the balloon (30 mL and 40 mL). We compared the absolute and change in DI during hiatal hernia repair and performed an analysis to determine if there was a correlation with short-term clinical outcomes. A total of 103 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most of the patients underwent Toupet fundoplication (n = 56, 54%), followed by magnetic sphincter augmentation (LINX, n = 28, 27%) and Nissen fundoplication (n = 19, 18%). There was a significant reduction in the DI from the initial DI taken after mobilization of the hiatus (3 mm2/mmHg) and after the creation of the barrier (1.4 mm2/mmHg, p < 0.001). A minority of patients had a decrease or no change in the DI with an increase in balloon volume increased from 30 to 40 mL (n = 37, 36%). Overall, after 1 month, there was a significant decrease in the GERD-HRQL score from 23 to 4 (p < 0.001) and bloat score from 3 to 2 (p = 0.003) with a non-significant decrease in the dysphagia score from 1 to 0 (p = 0.11). Patients who had a decreased or unchanged DI with an increase in the balloon volume from 30 to 40 mL had a significant decrease in their dysphagia score by 2 points (p = 0.04). The decreased or unchanged DI with an increase in the balloon volume on EndoFLIP is associated with a significant reduction in dysphagia after surgery. The decrease in DI denotes the esophagus’s ability to create higher pressure relative to the change in the cross-sectional area with a larger bolus across the gastroesophageal junction. This measure may be a new marker that can predict short-term outcomes in patients undergoing hiatal hernia repair.
The usefulness of behavioral laboratory experiments in supply chain management research

Behavioral supply chain management emphasizes the use of controlled laboratory experiments as a valid research methodology. This article discusses control, efficiency and responsiveness as unique advantages of behavioral experiments. While often sacrificing external validity, laboratory experiments allow the clear temporal separation of cause and effect, as well as the exclusion of spurious causes through randomization. Further, they are efficient to run, requiring little cost and time compared with extensive field studies or multiple site surveys. This makes it easier to use observations made in experiments to change theoretical models, since modified predictions can be more easily tested on new data.
Feeding a Liquid Diet Increases Energy Intake, Weight Gain and Body Fat in Rats

Studies were undertaken to analyze the role of moisture content of foods in producing dietary obesity. Female CD rats consumed more energy when offered a sucrose solution and plain water to drink than when they were only given plain water, regardless of the sugar content of their diet (0-65%). This suggested that the overeating that commonly occurs when sucrose solutions are offered may not be due to sucrose per se. In subsequent experiments, rats were fed modified AIN-76 diets high in sucrose, starch or fat for 28-42 d. For some rats, the diet was liquefied by adding water to make a 32% suspension. Plain drinking water was always available. Rats fed high carbohydrate liquid diets, with or without solid diet, consumed 8-15% more energy than rats fed solid diet only. Rats fed liquid diets also gained 43-206% more weight than did rats fed solid diets. Analysis of carcass composition revealed that the liquid diets increased body fat. For high fat diets, the results were more complicated. Addition of water to a low cellulose, high fat diet did not increase adiposity, whereas addition of water to a high cellulose, high fat diet did increase adiposity. These results suggest that the obesity-inducing effects of feeding sugar solutions or cafeteria diets may be due, in part, to the high water content of these foods.
INHERITED BIOCHEMICAL VARIATION IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER: NOISE OR SIGNAL? I. SINGLE-LOCUS ANALYSES

A study was conducted using small effective population size as an experimental design to test selective neutrality of seven isozyme polymorphisms. Loci varied as to the degree to which the decay of heterozygosity over 21 generations was retarded. Selection for heterozygotes, overdominance, is implicated for at least four of seven loci. Of these ADH gave the largest heterozygote excess in the presence of inbreeding. An interaction between the small population size treatment and excess heterozygosity suggests that (1) the loci studied may be selectively neutral and linked to other loci which are under the influence of selection or (2) the selection coefficients for the loci studied are not independent of the background genotype. In either case four of the seven enzymes studied are signaling the operation of selection. The problem of distinguishing the effect of a single marker from that of a chromosome segment is emphasized. The identification of the genetic unit of selection is crucial to any interpretation of the meaning of enzyme polymorphisms.
Practical numerical propagation of arbitrary wavefronts through PIAA optics

The phase-induced amplitude apodization (PIAA) coronagraph utilizes highly aspheric optics to produce a strongly apodized beam without the large loss of light that would result from using a graded transmission mask. The rapid variations in surface curvature at the edge of the PIAA apodizing optic creates large wavefront phase changes that cannot be adequately represented in conventional Fourier-based diffraction propagation algorithms. A rapid technique is required for propagating arbitrarily-aberrated wavefronts through the system. An alternative numerical method has been proposed that combines a high-accuracy algorithm to compute edge diffraction effects with a quick modified angular spectrum propagator that handles wavefront errors. We present the results of applying this method to realistically aberrated wavefronts as compared to more complex and time consuming techniques.
Shared Frailty Models for Recurrent Events and a Terminal Event

There has been an increasing interest in the analysis of recurrent event data (Cook and Lawless, 2002, Statistical Methods in Medical Research 11, 141-166). In many situations, a terminating event such as death can happen during the follow-up period to preclude further occurrence of the recurrent events. Furthermore, the death time may be dependent on the recurrent event history. In this article we consider frailty proportional hazards models for the recurrent and terminal event processes. The dependence is modeled by conditioning on a shared frailty that is included in both hazard functions. Covariate effects can be taken into account in the model as well. Maximum likelihood estimation and inference are carried out through a Monte Carlo EM algorithm with Metropolis-Hastings sampler in the E-step. An analysis of hospitalization and death data for waitlisted dialysis patients is presented to illustrate the proposed methods. Methods to check the validity of the proposed model are also demonstrated. This model avoids the difficulties encountered in alternative approaches which attempt to specify a dependent joint distribution with marginal proportional hazards and yields an estimate of the degree of dependence.
A Physical basis for multi-fiber reconstruction from DW-MRI data

Recently various mathematical models have been proposed to model the signal attenuation obtained from Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DW-MRI). Though effective to various extents, almost all of the existing methods involve model parameters which are abstract mathematical quantities without any tangible connection to physical quantities (e.g. the b-value, gradient pulse duration, pulse separation etc.) involved in the DW-MRI acquisition process. To address this disconnect, in this paper, we present a multi-compartmental model which uses a physical model for restricted diffusion in the cylindrical geometry as the constituent basis function for multi-fiber reconstruction. Through extensive experiments on synthetic data we establish the superiority of the proposed method over the state-of-the-art techniques in terms of fiber orientation detection accuracy. We also present detailed results using human and rat brain data and demonstrate that our method leads to meaningful multi-fiber reconstruction even in the case of real data.
Actual experience, potential experience or age, and labor force participation by married women

In this paper, the limitations of potential experience and age as proxies for market experience are discussed. Results from a conditional logit model estimating the probability of participation by married women are sensitive to the measure of experience used in the empirical specification. Married women usually have noncontinuous labor market histories so age and potential experience will fall short of actual experience. Direct information about a woman's labor market history is necessary in empirical studies of the market behavior of married women.
Atomic Ordering Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity of Nanoalloys for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

For oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) over alloy electrocatalysts, the understanding of how the atomic arrangement of the metal species in the nanocatalysts is responsible for the catalytic enhancement is challenging for achieving better design and tailoring of nanoalloy catalysts. This paper reports results of an investigation of the atomic structures and the electrocatalytic activities of ternary and binary nanoalloys, aiming at revealing a fundamental insight into the unique atomic-scale structure–electrocatalytic activity relationship. PtIrCo catalyst and its binary counterparts (PtCo and PtIr) are chosen as a model system for this study. The effect of thermochemical treatment temperature on the atomic-scale structure of the catalysts was examined as a useful probe to the structure–activity correlation. The structural characterization of the binary and ternary nanoalloy catalysts was performed by combining surface sensitive techniques such as XPS and 3D atomic ordering sensitive techniques such as high-...
Attitudes and interests of pharmacists regarding independent pharmacy ownership

Abstract Objective To examine the beliefs, attitudes, and interests of Texas pharmacists at different career stages with respect to independent pharmacy ownership. Design Nonexperimental, cross-sectional study. Setting Texas in November-December 2004. Participants 180 practicing pharmacists. intervention Mail survey. Main outcome measures Pharmacists’ self-reported attitudes (ranging from -90, unfavorable, to + 90, favorable) about and interest (-3, very unlikely, to + 3, very likely) in independent pharmacy ownership. Results Pharmacists reported an overall favorable attitude toward independent pharmacy ownership (mean [± SD] 18.6 ± 28, range -63.0 to 90.0). Beliefs that ownership would increase their business autonomy, professional autonomy, and ability to establish patient loyalty made the largest contributions to overall attitude. Pharmacists’ attitudes toward ownership differed by career stage (F = 3.12, df = 2, P = 0.047), with middle- (age 36-49 years) and early- (age P P Conclusion Overall, pharmacists indicated favorable attitudes toward independent pharmacy ownership but low interest in pursuing ownership. Their attitudes differed based on career stage, and more favorable attitudes—grounded especially in beliefs about autonomy and patient loyalty—were associated with a greater interest in ownership. Strategies to stimulate pharmacy ownership should be varied and targeted to influence beliefs that are driving pharmacists’ attitudes at various career stages.
Craving for methamphetamine is negatively associated with gray-matter volume

p< .001), trouble staying asleep (69.6% vs. 58.8%; X2 =32.96, p< .001), and taking something to help them sleep (41.8% vs.31.4%; X2 =36.64, p< .001). Conclusions: Findings support a link between heavy/problem substance use and sleep problems in primary care patients, though further research is needed to clarify the direction of causality. Careful screening of patients with sleep problems for alcohol/drug use is warranted as well as education about the role substance usemay play as a potential contributing factor in sleep disturbance. Financial support: RO1 DA026091.
Sensing cellular magnesium with RNA.

A recently characterized 'M-box' genetic switch from bacteria is proposed to directly sense cellular Mg2+ levels through the conformation of its newly synthesized RNA. This Mg2+-sensing riboswitch controls transcription termination in front of a Mg2+ transporter gene, thus introducing a new and direct level of genetic regulation to metal ion homeostasis.
Effects of evaluative criteria on fashion brand extension

Purpose – To identify dimensions of evaluative criteria used when purchasing casual apparel and casual home furnishings and to determine which evaluative criteria served as predictors of brand extension purchase behavior of these products.Design/methodology/approach – A mailed self‐administered survey sent to a randomized sample of 739 female consumers residing in three metropolitan areas in a southwest state in the USA resulted in a response rate of 32.7 percent. Purchase frequency of 15 brands that extended across apparel and home furnishings and the importance of 17 evaluative criteria were measured using 7‐point Likert‐type scales. Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation and path analysis using LISREL 8 were performed.Findings – Image, quality, color/style, and design/beauty of fashion products are important criteria when purchasing extended brands of casual apparel and home furnishings. Image of fashion products was the strongest predictor when brands were extended from apparel to h...
On the Performance of Power of Tests for the Comparison of Exponential Distributions

In this paper power functions are derived for the likelihood ratio test and the Kumar-Pate1 test which are based on right-censored samples for testing the equality of location parameters of two exponential distributions when their common scale parameter is unknown. It is further indicated that the power of the likelihood ratio test is monotonic and is completely unbiased. On the other hand, the Kumar-Patel test is biased near the origin except for equal sample sizes.
Coordination of contractility, adhesion and flow in migrating Physarum amoebae

This work examines the relationship between spatio-temporal coordination of intracellular flow and traction stress and the speed of amoeboid locomotion of microplasmodia of Physarum polycephalum. We simultaneously perform particle image velocimetry and traction stress microscopy to measure the velocity of cytoplasmic flow and the stresses applied to the substrate by migrating Physarum microamoebae. In parallel, we develop a mathematical model of a motile cell which includes forces from the viscous cytosol, a poro-elastic, contractile cytoskeleton and adhesive interactions with the substrate. Our experiments show that flow and traction stress exhibit back-to-front-directed waves with a distinct phase difference. The model demonstrates that the direction and speed of locomotion are determined by this coordination between contraction, flow and adhesion. Using the model, we identify forms of coordination that generate model predictions consistent with experiments. We demonstrate that this coordination produces near optimal migration speed and is insensitive to heterogeneity in substrate adhesiveness. While it is generally thought that amoeboid motility is robust to changes in extracellular geometry and the nature of extracellular adhesion, our results demonstrate that coordination of adhesive forces is essential to producing robust migration.
Calculation of Multistage Turbomachinery Using Steady Characteristic Boundary Conditions

A multiblock Navier-Stokes analysis code for turbomachinery has been modified to allow analysis of multistage turbomachines. A steady averaging-plane approach was used to pass information between blade rows. Characteristic boundary conditions written in terms of perturbations about the mean flow from the neighboring blade row were used to allow close spacing between the blade rows without forcing the flow to be axisymmetric. In this report the multiblock code is described briefly and the characteristic boundary conditions and the averaging-plane implementation are described in detail. Two approaches for averaging the flow properties are also described. A two-dimensional turbine stator case was used to compare the characteristic boundary conditions with standard axisymmetric boundary conditions. Differences were apparent but small in this low-speed case. The two-stage fuel turbine used on the space shuttle main engines was then analyzed using a three-dimensional averaging-plane approach. Computed surface pressure distributions on the stator blades and endwalls and computed distributions of blade surface heat transfer coefficient on three blades showed very good agreement with experimental data from two tests.
Temperature dependence of BaF2 scintillation

Abstract The scintillation characteristics of BaF 2 excited by γ-ray irradiation is studied as a function of temperature in the range −50-+27°C. We find evidence for three scintillation decay components with different temperature dependencies. A fast scintillation component with a decay time of ∼800 ps is independent of temperature, a slow component increases from 1 μs at +27°C to 5 μs at −50°C and a third slow component with a decay time of ∼0.4 μs becomes clearly visible at low temperatures. The scintillation light intensity of the fast component stays constant over the entire temperature range studied, whereas that of the slow component increases by a factor of two when cooling from room temperature to −25°C. However, further cooling causes a decrease in the scintillation light intensity. The increased light output results in an improved energy resolution for low-energy γ-rays.
Causes, effects and counterfactual dependence

(1995). Causes, effects and counterfactual dependence. Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 73, No. 4, pp. 560-573.
WE-G-18A-02: Calibration-Free Combined KV/MV Short Scan CBCT

Purpose: To combine orthogonal kilo-voltage (kV) and Mega-voltage (MV) projection data for short scan cone-beam CT to reduce imaging time on current radiation treatment systems, using a calibration-free gain correction method. Methods: Combining two orthogonal projection data sets for kV and MV imaging hardware can reduce the scan angle to as small as 110° (90°+fan) such that the total scan time is ∼18 seconds, or within a breath hold. To obtain an accurate reconstruction, the MV projection data is first linearly corrected using linear regression using the redundant data from the start and end of the sinogram, and then the combined data is reconstructed using the FDK method. To correct for the different changes of attenuation coefficients in kV/MV between soft tissue and bone, the forward projection of the segmented bone and soft tissue from the first reconstruction in the redundant region are added to the linear regression model. The MV data is corrected again using the additional information from the segmented image, and combined with kV for a second FDK reconstruction. We simulated polychromatic 120 kVp (conventional a-Si EPID with CsI) and 2.5 MVp (prototype high-DQE MV detector) projection data with Poisson noise using the XCAT phantom. The gainmore » correction and combined kV/MV short scan reconstructions were tested with head and thorax cases, and simple contrast-to-noise ratio measurements were made in a low-contrast pattern in the head. Results: The FDK reconstruction using the proposed gain correction method can effectively reduce artifacts caused by the differences of attenuation coefficients in the kV/MV data. The CNRs of the short scans for kV, MV, and kV/MV are 5.0, 2.6 and 3.4 respectively. The proposed gain correction method also works with truncated projections. Conclusion: A novel gain correction and reconstruction method was developed to generate short scan CBCT from orthogonal kV/MV projections. This work is supported by NIH Grant 5R01CA138426-05.« less
Self-construction, work adjustment and thriving at work

In this article, we review and provide a framework for understanding recent research on work adjustment. Work adjustment is defined as a process rather than an outcome, and it occurs through self-and social construction. We describe two paths to work adjustment that have been identified in the organisational literature, and we provide a third path – liminality – which has not yet received much attention in the literature. The work adjustment process has significant implications for employee well-being, as well as motivation and performance.
Traceability in agri-food sector using RFID

Traceability is an integral requirement in the agri-food sector especially due to the perishable nature of food and the potential for health risks through transmission of bacteria. There are various traceability systems that allow companies to keep track of their products both upstream and downstream. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is one such technology that facilitates easy and automatic data collection. With the proliferation of traceability systems using different technologies, it becomes imperative for these systems to be able to interact with one another and be integrated into the company's existing information infrastructure. This work aims to review the current research in this field with special emphasis on RFID systems. We also seek to identify future areas of research in this field.
Hybrid speciation accompanied by genomic reorganization in wild sunflowers

THE origin of a new diploid species via hybridization is theoretically difficult because it requires the development of reproductive isolation in sympatry. In the absence of isolation, the hybrid genotype will be overcome by gene flow with its parents. According to genetic models1-3, reproductive isolation can be facilitated by rapid karyotypic evolution in the recombinant hybrid. Here we use comparative linkage mapping4-5 to demonstrate extensive genomic reorganization in the hybrid species Helianthm anomalus, relative to its parents H. annuus and H. petiolaris. The unprecedented detail provided by the linkage maps indicates that rapid karyotypic evolution in H. anomalus results from the merger of pre-existing structural differences between the parents, as well as chromosomal rearrangements apparently induced by recombination. Moreover, determination of the parental origin of mapped loci in H. anomalus suggests that parental genomic structure has influenced hybrid genomic composition by protecting several large linkage blocks from recombination during speciation. These mapping data, when combined with previous meiotic analyses6 and evidence of semisterility between the hybrid and its parents6,7, satisfy genetic models for speciation through hybrid recombination.
Iron in Antarctic waters

WE are testing the hypothesis that Antarctic phytoplankton suffer from iron deficiency1–3 which prevents them from blooming and using up the luxuriant supplies of major nutrients found in vast areas of the southern ocean. Here we report that highly productive4 (∼3 g C m−;2 day−1), neritic Gerlache Strait waters have an abundance of Fe (7.4 nmol kg−1) which facilitates phytoplankton blooming and major nutrient removal, while in low-productivity4 (∼0.1 g C m−2 day−1), offshore Drake Passage waters, the dissolved Fe levels are so low (0.16 nmol kg−1) that the phytoplankton are able to use less than 10% of the major nutrients available to them. The verification of present-day Fe deficiency is of interest as iron-stimulated phytoplankton growth may have contributed to the drawing down of atmospheric CO2 during glacial maxima2,3; it is also important because oceanic iron fertilization aimed at the enhancement of phytoplankton production may turn out to be the most feasible method of stimulating the active removal of greenhouse gas CO2 from the atmosphere, if the need arises (J.H.M., manuscript in preparation).
Lesions of visual cortex impair discrimination of hidden figures by cats

Abstract Cats lacking cortical visual areas 17, 18 and 19 can discriminate between patterns equal in luminous flux. The present experiment investigated the extent to which this ability varies with differences in the amount of contour and complexity of the patterns. To test this, cats were required to discriminate between patterns that were made progressively more alike in contour and complexity by increasing the number of masking stripes superimposed on each of a pair of stimuli. A mild deficit in shape discrimination among cats with lesions of areas 17, 18 and 19 was greatly exacerbated by masking the stimuli with superimposed stripes, and the severity of the deficit for each operated cat was correlated with the size of the contour and complexity difference between the stimuli. Finally, the severity of the deficit was related to the amount of geniculocortical damage. The results suggest that lesions largely confined to areas 17, 18 and 19 cause profound deficits on masked pattern discrimination even though performance with unmasked stimuli is relatively unimpaired. Indirect evidence suggests that this effect is not due solely to a reduction in visual acuity.
Charles Feinberg on Whitman

Contains recollections of and tributes to Charles Feinberg by Gay Wilson Allen, Roger Asselineau, Ed Folsom, Arthur Golden, C. Carroll Hollis, Jerome Loving, Edwin Haviland Mimller, and William White; and excerpts of Feinberg's writings on Whitman.
Discussion: The Supply Function in Agriculture Revisited

Tweeten and Quance demonstrate imagination in their use of the aggregate production function to measure national supply response for all commodities. While not denying the importance of supply elasticity at such a high level of aggregation, I suspect the authors agree that its usefulness would be enhanced if it could be combined into a larger package of information. I wonder if it would not be possible, now, to develop a consistent, integrated system of commodity supply elasticities at the U.S. level, including cross elasticities-like the demand system developed by Brandow [1]. I should think that the resulting package would contribute more to policy formulation than separate unintegrated studies, and that the system would provide a means of checking for internal consistency. Elasticities have a long-standing conceptual and numerical meaning to the economist. But it is always difficult to prevent their misinterpretation. Tweeten and Quance recognize the problem. Still, I am not sure that they overcome the likely confusion between economic and calendar time when they define short run as "two years" and long run as "many years." The Tweeten-Quance paper provides several relevant results, including a courageous offering of point elasticities. They tell us that ". . . there is no basis to conclude that the structure of supply changed between the postwar and prewar periods." They see little basis to conclude that output response to price has increased over time, or that the response differs for rising and falling prices. I had trouble reconciling these remarks with the different elasticities for increasing and decreasing prices, presented at the end of the paper. I suspect that my "hang up" is explained by the word, structure. The authors' results support the hypothesis that the structure of supply was different for increasing and decreasing price years. But what is this "thing" called structure? Is it captured at such a high level of aggregation? The approach discussed by Sharples is quite different from the one found in the Tweeten-Quance paper. Sharples demonstrates that it is indeed possible to disaggregate total supply, geographically and commodity wise, while maintaining an aggregative point of view. Not many years ago, supply analysts seemed to be clearly either micro-oriented or macrooriented. The distinction has grown fuzzy. This I regard as a healthy sign.
Studies Directed toward Synthesis of Quassinoids. III. Selective Hydrolysis of the 3α-Acetate Functional Group of Cholic Acid Derivatives

Abstract Selective hydrolysis of the 3α-acetoxy group in 5 β-steroid systems with methanolic HC1 prepared by adding acetyl chloride to absolute CH3OH provides a simple and general method for removing the 3α-acetate ester group in diverse derivatives of cholic acid. This hydrolysis of the 3α-acetoxy group by trans-esterification by methanol is faster than methyl esterification of the 23- or 24-oic acid group. The rate of hydrolysis of various acetate groups is in decreasing order of 3α > 17β > 7α,12α. Applications of this method to hydrolysis of the 3α-acetoxy-δ-lactone 14 results in first ring opening of the δ-lactone system before acetate cleavage and provides additional stereochemical evidence for ring A and C having chair conformations and ring B possessing a boat conformation.
Pervasive initiation and 3'-end formation of poxvirus postreplicative RNAs.

Poxviruses are large DNA viruses that replicate within the cytoplasm and encode a complete transcription system, including a multisubunit RNA polymerase, stage-specific transcription factors, capping and methylating enzymes, and a poly(A) polymerase. Expression of the more than 200 open reading frames by vaccinia virus, the prototype poxvirus, is temporally regulated: early mRNAs are synthesized immediately after infection, whereas intermediate and late mRNAs are synthesized following genome replication. The postreplicative transcripts are heterogeneous in length and overlap the entire genome, which pose obstacles for high resolution mapping. We used tag-based methods in conjunction with high throughput cDNA sequencing to determine the precise 5′-capped and 3′-polyadenylated ends of postreplicative RNAs. Polymerase slippage during initiation of intermediate and late RNA synthesis results in a 5′-poly(A) leader that allowed the unambiguous identification of true transcription start sites. Ninety RNA start sites were located just upstream of intermediate and late open reading frames, but many more appeared anomalous, occurring within coding and non-coding regions, indicating pervasive transcription initiation. We confirmed the presence of functional promoter sequences upstream of representative anomalous start sites and demonstrated that alternative start sites within open reading frames could generate truncated isoforms of proteins. In an analogous manner, poly(A) sequences allowed accurate mapping of the numerous 3′-ends of postreplicative RNAs, which were preceded by a pyrimidine-rich sequence in the DNA coding strand. The distribution of postreplicative promoter sequences throughout the genome provides enormous transcriptional complexity, and the large number of previously unmapped RNAs may have novel functions.
Application stewardship: a user responsibility approach to post-implementation application performance

This paper makes the argument that an important mediating influence on the value of the usage of an information systems application is a set of activities called application stewardship. These activities, when performed effectively, tend to increase the value of applications in the hands of users and, when performed organization-wide, increase the orientation of the organization with respect to its usage of IT resources, including information itself, thereby reducing the gap between IT and its internal clients. The paper provides the rationale for extending application responsibility to the user side and lays out the definition of application stewardship and its relationship to delivering value in the hands of users. We develop a theoretical framework showing where stewardship activities enhance value in the hands of users, including a model of the forces tending to enhance or diminish stewardship effectiveness. The paper finishes by integrating the idea of application stewardship with the concept of organizational IT orientation.