cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LPI radar: fact or fiction

LPI radar is a system that consists of a radar and ES system. Its performance depends on both components. An LPI performance factor is derived and applied to several examples. Operational LPI radars are described. A digital LPI radar detector is described and test results presented. A recent book on LPI radar received a number of somewhat critical reviews that were published in Systems magazine. Although these reviews made a number of excellent points, several questioned the existence of LPI radar. The objectives of this article are to provide a sound technical basis for determining LPI properties of radar, examine several radars that have LPI qualities, and then to describe digital LPI radar detector designed and tested against the PILOT Mk2 radar. LPI radar is a system that represents a confluence between radar and electronic support (ES) technology. The objective of LPI radar is clear; that is, to escape detection by the ES receiver. However, the capability of the LPI radar system depends upon the characteristics of both the radar and ES receiver. To understand LPI radar one must first understand the nature of ES receivers. The functions performed by tactical ES receivers are immediate interception, identification, and location of both friendly and hostile emitters. Location requires interception in the emitter's sidelobes. Identification is performed by comparing the intercepted signature against the signatures contained within its threat library (Schelher, 1999). The metric that establishes the quality of interception is called the probability of intercept (POI) and is generally included in its specifications (Schleher, 1999). From the above discussion it is evident that radar might have LPI properties with respect to one type, but not to another type of ES system. This situation can be clarified if the claim of radar being LPI radar is accompanied by a description of the various types of ES systems for which this claim applies. However the LPI radar can never completely escape detection since there is always a minimum range (R/sub ES/) between the ES system and radar where the interception receiver detection threshold is exceeded.
Behavioral Economics and the Environment

Manyeconomistshaveembracedaparadigmcharacterizedbyperfectinformation,rational expectations and an otherwise benign environment in which perfect competition reigns, with very minor asides for imperfect competition. Rumblings of opposition have been growing louder. Nobel prizes are being awarded to scholars who have taken us out of this historic straight jacket. Lo and behold there can be asymmetric information, increasing returns to scale, cooperative behavior and agents who consistently fail to optimize. Behavioral economics is another theme gathering strength, and it may be particularly germane to environmental and resource economics. Consumer theory, measurement of benefits, intergenerational discounting, mechanism design, and the role of fairness are all subjects of importance for environmental and resource economics and they are all areas in which behavioral economics may provide important insights. To explore this possibility we brought together a group of distinguished scholars for a workshop hosted by Western Washington University. This special edition presents a collection of papers from that workshop. We have included a diversity of perspectives, ranging from the skeptical to the supportive. While not intended as a comprehensive survey of the field, these papers provide a general sense of the scope of current research. There is growing evidence that fairness is an argument in an individual’s utility function. If we believe that consumer sovereignty counts, why would utility derived from perceived fairness count less than the same amount derived from any other argument in the utility function? That is the principle subject of Johansson-Stenman’s and Konow’s (2010 )“ Fair air: distributive justice and environmental economics.” We encourage you to read this contribution with an open mind. The paper covers an enormous amount of ground. We must touch down only selectivity. Fairness is a fact of life. In the “ultimatum game”, when one is given a lumpsum(say,$20)onlyifhis/herofferofanamounttoanotherparticipantisaccepted,there
Applying the Grounded Theory Method to Derive Enterprise System Requirements

Enterprise architectures (EA) embody the business objectives, processes and information technology infrastructure reflecting the desired incorporation and standardization requirements of a company’s operating model. It is vital that during the initial design stages the software system’s architecture aligns with the EA. While frameworks exist to check the alignment of enterprise and system architectures, there is an assumption of well-defined requirements derived from the EA’s business objectives. This transition is non-trivial as the EA can be a significant document representing the viewpoints of the stakeholders. This paper proposes and illustrates, using the Grounded Theory Methodology, a systematic, qualitative procedure, to extract the functional and non-functional enterprise requirements from the EA and/or system description. The contribution of this work is to further systematize the alignment and traceability of EA and system architectures and provide the initial requirements and system models necessary for supporting the of enterprise systems.
Profiling the proteome in renal transplantation

Improved monitoring of transplanted solid organs is one of the next crucial steps leading to an increase in both patient and allograft survival. This can be facilitated through one or a set of surrogate biomarker molecules that accurately and precisely indicate the health status of the transplanted organ. Recent developments in the field of high throughput "omic" methods including genomics and proteomics have facilitated robust and comprehensive analysis of genes and proteins. This development has stimulated efforts in the identification of effective and clinically applicable gene and protein biomarkers in solid organ transplantation, including kidney transplantation. Some achievements have been made through proteomics in terms of profiling proteins and identification of potential biomarkers. However, the road to a successful biomarker discovery and its clinical implementation has proved to be challenging, requiring a number of key issues to be addressed. Such issues are: the lack of widely accepted protocols, difficulty in sample processing and transportation and a lack of collaborative efforts to achieve significant sample sizes in clinical studies. In this review using our area of expertise, we describe the current strategies used for proteomic-based biomarker discovery in renal transplantation, discuss inherent issues associated with these efforts and propose better strategies for successful biomarker discovery.
Dual-tier thin film polymer polarization imaging sensor

Traditional imaging systems capture and replicate the imaged environment in terms of color and intensity. One important property of light, which the human eye is blind to and is ignored by traditional imaging systems, is polarization. In this paper we present a novel, low power imaging sensor capable of recording the optical properties of partially linearly polarized light in real-time. The imaging sensor combines polymer polarization filters with a CMOS image sensor in order to compute the first three Stokes parameters at the focal plane. The imaging array contains 100 x 100 pixels and consumes 48 mW at 30 fps.
Employee Reload Options: Pricing, Hedging, and Optimal Exercise

Reload options, call options granting new options on exercise, are popularly used in compensation. Although the compound option feature may seem complicated, there is a distribution-free dominant policy of exercising reload options whenever they are in the money. The optimal policy implies general formulas for numerical valuation. Simpler formulas for valuation and hedging follow from Black–Scholes assumptions with or without continuous dividends. Time vesting affects the optimal policy, but numerical results indicate that it is nearly optimal to exercise in the money whenever feasible. The results suggest that reload options produce similar incentives as employee stock options and share grants. The valuation of options in compensation schemes is important for several reasons. Valuations are needed for preparing accounting statements and tax returns, and more generally for understanding what value has been promised to the employees and what residual value remains with the shareholders. Furthermore, understanding the hedge ratios and the overall shape of the valuation function clarifies the employee’s risk exposure and incentives. This article studies the optimal exercise and valuation of a relatively new but increasingly commonplace type of employee stock option, the reload option. These options have attracted a fair amount of controversy; we believe that in large part this controversy is due to a seemingly complex structure. In the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 123 [Financial Accounting Standards Board (1995)], paragraph 186 concludes, “The Board continues to believe that, ideally, the value of a reload option should be estimated on the grant date, taking into account all of its features. However, at this time, it is not feasible to do so.” On close examination, however, these options are in fact comparatively simple to analyze and understand. Moreover, under Black and Scholes (1973) assumptions on the stock price, we are able to provide explicit valuation and hedging formulas. We hope our analysis helps to demystify reload options and permit a more focused debate.
Octreotide prescribing patterns in the palliation of symptomatic inoperable malignant bowel obstruction patients at a single US academic hospital

Background Medical management is the cornerstone of malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) therapy and may include antisecretory agents such as octreotide. Currently, no data exist regarding octreotide prescribing patterns inUS academic hospitals in the palliation of inoperable MBO. The aim of this study is to collect octreotide prescribing data to shape future prospective studies. Methods This retrospective chart review evaluated inpatient inoperable MBO admissions at a single academic US hospital between 2008 and 2011. The prescribing primary service (medical vs. surgical), inpatient day initiated, average octreotide daily dose, cumulative octreotide dose, days receiving octreotide, length of stay (LOS), subject age, cancer stage, lines of chemotherapy, cancer type, and overall survival were analyzed utilizing a Wilcoxon rank sum test, Spearman rank correlation test, Kaplan–Meier curves, log rank test, and multiple linear regression analysis when appropriate. Results A total of 767 patients received octreotide. A cancer diagnosis was documented in 134 patients and 37 of these (24 females and 13 males; mean age, 56.7 years) had a confirmed inoperable MBO. Statistical significance was not achieved for variables analyzed. However, octreotide prescribing trends were observed for several variables: the mean LOS was equivalent onboth services (16.8 vs. 17days), mean octreotide dose was higher on the medical service (201.2 μg vs.119 μgsurgical),cumulativeoctreotidedosewashigheron the medical service (3,558 vs. 1,884 mcg), mean day of octreotide initiation was roughly equivalent (7.9 days medical vs. 8.8 days surgical), subjects on the medical service had a decreased overall survival, and earlier octreotide initiation (defined as <7 days) was associated with a decreased overall survival. Limitation The data were collected retrospectively, with a limited population distribution at a specific time. Conclusions These data possibly suggest that the MBO patients on the medical vs. surgical services are distinct patient populations. MBO patients on the medical service trended to receive higher cumulative doses and have a decreased overall survival compared with surgical patients. Consequently, future studies should possibly consider these distinct study groups.
Scaling properties of the Internet graph

As the Internet grows in size, it becomes crucial to understand how the speeds of links in the network must improve in order to sustain the pressure of new end-nodes being added each day. Although the speeds of links in the core and at the edges roughly improve according to Moore's law, this improvement alone might not be enough. Indeed, the structure of the Internet graph and routing in the network might necessitate much faster improvements in the speeds of key links in the network.In this paper, using a combination of analysis and extensive simulations, we show that the worst congestion in the Internet in fact scales poorly with the network size (n1+Ω(1), where n is the number of nodes), when shortest-path routing is used. We also show, somewhat surprisingly, that policy-based routing does not exacerbate the maximum congestion when compared to shortest-path routing.Our results show that it is crucial to identify ways to alleviate this congestion to avoid some links from being perpetually congested. To this end, we show that the congestion scaling properties of the Internet graph can be improved dramatically by introducing moderate amounts of redundancy in the graph in terms of parallel edges between pairs of adjacent nodes.
Taking Economic Human Rights Seriously

The current construction of globalization allows capital to move freely but not labor. This builds in a bias toward lower wages. This cheap labor model threatens a crisis in buying power. Globalization needs to be reconfigured to build durable buying power as well as more widely distributed development. Human capital development is key to these goals. One means of spurring broader development and durable buying power would be for the international financial institutions to enhance their efforts to enforce economic human rights.
The Logical and the Real in Political Theory: Plato, Aristotle, and Marx

An immediate and important insight into the significance of Greek political philosophy may be gained by examining an observation made upon it by Karl Marx. The fact that Marx's observation is fundamentally erroneous does not prevent it from being profoundly suggestive. Marx observed, in the course of his doctoral dissertation, On the Differences between the Natural Philosophy of Democritus and Epicurus, that the character of the philosophical world after the death of Aristotle in the Fourth Century B.C. was similar to that of the philosophical world after the death of Hegel in the Nineteenth Century. What was this similarity of which Marx speaks? We may best understand it if we know that Marx had considered that his own achievement had been to break through the “completed, total world” of Hegel's “pure theory, theology, philosophy, ethics etc.,” and to have resolved the “absolute metaphysical spirit into the real man standing on the foundation of nature.”
Team Goal Monitoring in the Curvilinear Relationship Between Team Efficacy and Team Performance

In this research we apply a team self-regulatory perspective to build and test theory focusing on the relationships between team efficacy and two key team performance criteria: a performance behavior (i.e., team effort) and a performance outcome (i.e., objective team sales). We theorize that rather than having a linear association, the performance benefits of team efficacy reach a point of inflection, reflective of too-much-of a good thing. Further, in an effort to establish a boundary condition of the inverted-U shaped relationship we predict, we also test the moderating role played by team goal monitoring in the non-monotonic relationship between team efficacy and team performance. The results from a lagged field test, in which we collect multi-source data from 153 technology sales teams, reveal a significant curvilinear association that is moderated by team goal monitoring behavior. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Review of pulmonary adverse effects of infliximab therapy in Crohn's disease.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Anti-inflammatory therapies are the mainstay for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children and adults, including biologics such as infliximab. While there is extensive literature on the general side effects of therapy with infliximab, the data on pulmonary adverse effects remains sparse. This article summarizes the literature related to pulmonary adverse effects of Infliximab therapy in Crohn’s Disease.Area Covered: Published reports of specific pulmonary complications during ongoing therapy with infliximab in patients with IBD were included in the review. A wide variety of infectious and non-infectious complications have been reported with the use of infliximab therapy in IBD.Expert Opinion: It is important to carefully evaluate respiratory signs and symptoms in patients with IBD, especially those receiving biologic therapies. Besides infectious complications, other non-infectious pulmonary adverse effects associated with the use of infliximab should be considere...
Language variation among business abstracts

The old credo of business is to always put the needs and well-being of the customer first. But what the credo fails to mention is that business writing to an international audience and global consumer market today needs largely be done in one language - English. This project aims to examine linguistic variation among business abstracts according to the authors' countries of origin and first languages. The significance of these studies regards the growing number of second-language (L2) business managers and researchers attempting to publish and disseminate their research and business innovations to English-language journals, foreign markets and colleagues, but who find themselves locked out of the discussion due to unfamiliarity with the linguistic and discourse conventions. Through the use of the natural language processing tool, CohMetrix, the present examination aims to provide a more thorough and quantitative understanding of the prototypical linguistic components in business writing, and to suggest how word-, sentence-, and discourse-level structures can be isolated, taught, and developed as educational materials.
Analysis of Multi-Scale Seismic Information Differences in Reservoir Characteristics

The recognition of true and false bright spots is the key of success of lithologic oil-gas reservoir exploration. AVO (amplitude versus offset) theory provides theoretical basis for application of pre-stack information of seismic data to reservoir recognition. FVO (frequency versus offset) allows the prediction of reservoir using the post-stack information to be possible, despite its physical mechanism is now unclear. The numerical experiment indicates that the space variation of formation lithology can be reflected by the strike differences of different scales of seismic wave events in stack seismic record, and the strong amplitude caused by seismic wave tuning can be separated from that caused by reservoir's AVO applying the differences of multiple scales of seismic wave event reflectance energy. These provide a new method for effective recognition or distinguishing of reservoir for study of true and false bright spots in post-stack profile. Marmousi II model and real data processing show that this method can be used to recognize reservoir rocks.
Influence of thrombolytic therapy on Q-T dispersion of acute myocardial infarction and its significance

Objective:To study the influence of thrombolytic therapy on Q-T dispersion of acute myocardial infarction(AMI) and its significance.Methods:Sixty-nine patients with AMI undergoing thrombolytic therapy in 6 hours were divided into trial group(n=45) and control group(n=24) according to the effects of therapy;the occluded arteries of patients in trial group were recanalized;the occluded arteries of patients in control group were not recanalized.Q-T dispersions were measured before and after thrombolysis in 2 hours and 24 hours.Results:There was no significant difference of the Q-T dispersions in the two groups before thrombolysis;there was significant difference of the Q-T dispersions in the two groups after the thrombolysis(P0.05),the Q-T dispersions in trial group was markedly lower than that in control group.Of the incidence of grade 3 and above ventricular arrthythmia of Lown's,there was no significant difference in the two groups before thrombolysis(P0.05);there was significant difference in the two groups after thrombolysis(P0.05),which in trial group was markedly lower than that in control group.Conclusion:Effective early thrombolytic therapy for AMI may shorten the Q-T dispersions,improve the stability of cardiac-electricity,reduce severe arrhythmia.Q-T dispersion has value of predicting severe ventricular arrhythmia.
Simultaneous determination of 8 nitrobenzenes in cosmetics by high performance liquid chromatography

Objective To develop an efficient method for analysis of 8 nitrobenzene compounds in cosmetics,including nitrobenzene,3,4-dinitrotoluene,2,3-dinitrotoluene,2,6-dinitrotoluene,2,5-dinitrotoluene,3,5-dinitrotoluene,2-nitrotoluene and 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzene by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Methods The lotion and powder samples were extracted with methanol,while the cream samples were extracted with ethyl acetate. Then the extracts were centrifuged at high speed,and the target compounds were separated on an XDB-C18 column( 5 μm,4. 6 mm × 150 mm) using water/ methanol/ acetonitrile = 55/40/5( v/ v/ v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1. 0 ml/ min,and finally detected with diode array detector for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results The 8 kinds of nitrobenzenes were linear in the concentrations of 0. 67 mg/ L ~ 33. 3 mg/ L with correlation coefficients more than 0. 999. The detection limits of the method were from 0. 83 mg/ kg to 2. 1 mg/ kg. The mean recoveries at three spiked levels were from 82% to 103% with relative standard deviations from 2. 0% to 6. 2%. Conclusion The method is simple and accurate with good recovery,and it is applicable to simultaneously analyze the nitrobenzens in different cosmetics samples,including lotion,powder and cream.
Vital initiation of pregnancy (VIP) using human menopausal gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin ovulation induction: Phase I—1981

In a program for in vitro fertilization, laparoscopies for oocyte aspiration were performed on 24 patients receiving human menopausal gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin. Of the 40 preovulatory oocytes that were recovered from these patients, 33 (83%) were fertilized and 30 (75%) cleaved and were transferred. Ten immature oocytes were collected, and attempts were made to mature these in vitro prior to insemination. All ten oocytes (100%) did fertilize, and seven (70%) cleaved and were transferred. Morphologic variation was noted between cleaving conceptuses, even in those conceptuses responsible for establishing pregnancies. Five pregnancies resulted from 19 embryo transfers (26%).
Faces of Bexar: Early San Antonio and Texas: By Jesus de la Teja

Faces of Bexar: Early San Antonio and Texas: By Jesus de la Teja. (College Station: Texas A &M University Press, 2016, xvi + 223 pp. Illustrations, table, notes, bibliographic essay, index, $40.00) This book is about the origin and development of Hispanic Texas . The study concentrates on the Tejano residents of Bexar, the largest organized community in Spanish and Mexican Texas. Most of the histories of Texas begin with the arrival of the Austin colonists and thus neglect the colonial period with little attention being given to the Tejanos and their loyalties, traditions and values. By concentrating on the people of colonial Hispanic Texas this book thus helps to begin filling in the historical blank in the colonial history of Texas. With the … ray1bruce2{at}earthlink.net
Early Preventive Intervention in Failure to Thrive: Methods and Preliminary Outcome

The Infant Growth Project was designed to study the effects of preventive psychosocial intervention on the physical growth and psychological development of infants diagnosed with environmentally-based FTT during a pediatric hospitalization in their first year of life. This chapter describes the evolution of our project and preliminary findings concerning children’s psychological status and physical growth from study intake through 24 months. In this report, emphasis is placed on the pragmatic difficulties involved in conducting research with FTT children and the implications for future research with this high-risk population.
Key Principles of Open Motor-skill Training for Peak Performance

Motor-skill training is an imperative element contributing to overall sport performance. In order to help coaches, athletes and practitioners to capture the characteristics of motor skills, sport scientists have divided motor skills into different categories, such as open versus closed, serial or discrete, outcome- or process-oriented, and muscular- or cognitive-oriented motor skills. However, in the current sports arena, coaches, athletes and practitioners rarely know of the existence of motor-skill classifications and their implications for motor-skill training. Thus, the purpose of this article is threefold: (1) to introduce the characteristics of open motor skills, (2) to explain the key principles of open motor-skill training, and (3) to describe the general principles of motor-skill training approaches for helping athletes achieve optimal performance. Because many sport skills fall into the open motor-skill category, if coaches can have a thorough understanding of the nature and characteristics of o...
Patients Undergoing Shoulder Stabilization Surgery Have Elevated Shoulder Activity Compared With Sex- and Age-Matched Healthy Controls:

Background:Shoulder activity level may be a risk factor for shoulder instability, an indication for surgical intervention, and a risk factor for failure of operative stabilization.Hypothesis:Patients undergoing shoulder stabilization surgery have a higher activity level compared with sex- and age-matched healthy controls.Study Design:Cross-sectional study.Level of Evidence:Level 2.Methods:Patients undergoing shoulder stabilization surgery aged 18 to 50 years were prospectively enrolled. As part of data collection, patients completed a previously validated shoulder activity scale, which generates a score reporting frequency of activity ranging from 0 (least active) to 20 (most active). The activity level of these patients was compared with sex- and age-matched norms for a healthy population with no history of shoulder disorders.Results:A total of 409 subjects (343 male, 66 female) undergoing shoulder instability surgery completed the activity scale. Seventy-seven percent of patients had higher shoulder act...
Working Toward More Effective Advance Care Planning in Patients with ESRD

When Dr. Belding Scribner founded the world’s first outpatient dialysis facility in 1962, he likely never imagined that half a century later there would be >450,000 people on dialysis in the United States. Dialysis is now a common life-sustaining treatment that is provided as a Medicare benefit to
Differential influence of antiestrogens on the in vitro release of gelatinases (type IV collagenases) by invasive and non-invasive breast cancer cells

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in tumor cell invasion and cancer metastasis. Accordingly, a higher level of these enzymes has been associated with the invasive phenotype. In the present study the effect of the antiestrogens, Analog II (AII), ICI-182,780 (ICI), and tamoxifen (TAM), on the in vitro release of MMPs, particularly gelatinases A and B by the MDA-MB-231 (MDA) and MCF-7 (MCF) human breast cancer cell lines was investigated using a solid-phase radioassay and substrate gel zymography. Quantitatively, the enzyme activity was found to be higher in the incubation medium from estrogen receptor (ER)-negative and more metastatic MDA cells compared to ER-positive and less metastatic MCF cells. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) reduced the enzyme activity in media from both MDA (56.36%) and MCF (71.03%) cells. Differential antiestrogen effects on the two cell lines were observed following 4 days of treatment of cells at a concentration of 10-6M. The enzyme activity from MDA cells was not influenced by treatment with any of the antiestrogens, whereas, in MCF cells, ICI produced the greatest enzyme inhibition (47.93%), followed by AII (36.51%) and TAM (24.05%). Concurrent treatment of MCF cells with 17-b-estradiol (10-9M) partially reversed the AII- and TAM-induced but did not alter ICI-induced inhibition of enzyme activity. Substrate gel zymography revealed that among the MMPs, the MDA cells released predominantly progelatinase A (72kDa) along with minor bands of activated forms, 62kDa and 59kDa, whereas progelatinase B (92kDa) was detected predominantly in the medium from MCF cells. Comparison of the overall antiestrogen effect indicates that ICI is the most potent inhibitor of enzyme activity in ER-positive MCF cells and that antiestrogen treatment may limit the metastatic potential of ER-positive breast cancer.
Partitioning the Variability of Daily Emotion Dynamics in Dyadic Interactions with a Mixed-Effects Location Scale Model.

We examine the daily exchanges in affect and emotional experiences of individuals in dyads using a mixed-effects location scale model. We argue that this method is useful to characterize the daily fluctuations in emotions for each individual as well as their interrelations over time. Furthermore, we illustrate how to consider the potential effect of factors external to the dyads’ emotion dynamics, an aspect often ignored in emotion research. In particular, we show how daily weather may influence within-person variability of affect toward one’s relationship, beyond the influence of one’s and the partner’s affect. We interpret our findings in the context of emotion research and methodology for dyadic interactions.
All Things Being Equal

Abstract While many consumers enjoy beer, wine and spirits and while many restaurant professionals believe they understand the differences among the three categories, myths and misconceptions abound within the field of beverage alcohol. By observing the production processes for each category it is evident that beer, wine and spirits are more alike than different and consumer preferences and foodservice recommendations should focus on taste, price, food selection and other subjective factors rather than misinformation as to essential nature. Physiological reactions to alcohol beverages are predicated more on the number of ethyl alcohol molecules ingested than on chosen beverage category. As production processes evidence, standard servings of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of table wine and 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits contain equivalent amounts of chemically identical alcohol. Restaurant personnel should observe drinking patterns of beer and wine consumers as closely as spirits drinkers for advers...
Complete Malleus Removal for Cholesteatoma: A Multivariate Analysis of Ossiculoplasty Success and Residual Disease.

Objective Determine the effect of complete malleus removal during canal wall up tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma on ossiculoplasty success and rate of residual cholesteatoma. Methods We reviewed the operative, audiogram, and clinical reports of patients who underwent canal wall up tympanomastoidectomy for cholesteatoma between 2009 and 2016 at a tertiary academic medical center with at least 8 months of follow-up after surgery. To control for extent of disease, we independently catalogued the subsites of the middle ear and mastoid that cholesteatoma involved from each operation. We performed multivariate logistic regression to determine the independent effect of complete removal of the malleus on the rate of residual disease and success of ossiculoplasty. Results One hundred eighty surgeries were included in the analysis. For ossiculoplasty success, the adjusted odds ratio of complete malleus removal was 1.7 (95% CI, 0.43-7.0, P = .43), which was not statistically significant. For residual disease, the adjusted odds ratio of complete malleus removal versus not was 0.29 (95% CI, 0.074-1.1, P = .076), which approached but did not meet statistical significance. Conclusion Though complete malleus removal does not independently decrease the rate of residual cholesteatoma, it may be a safe technique as it did not compromise ossiculoplasty success.
Early Childhood Teachers' Perspectives on Social-Emotional Competence and Learning in Urban Classrooms

The promotion of social emotional competence (SEC) and implementation of social emotional learning (SEL) programs have increased substantially in schools, however little is known about teachers' perceptions of such programs. This qualitative study explored early childhood (three- to eight-year-old) teachers' perceptions of classroom-based social-emotional programs for young, urban-dwelling children. A focus of the study included learning what teachers believe were the critical components and challenges of such programs. Five themes emerged from the content analysis: Responsibility, Curricula/Program Design, Contextual Relevance, Support, and Barriers. The findings from this study are discussed in regards to educational policy implications about SEL curricula and programs, especially those implemented in urban schools.
Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Benchmarks for Nutrition in Child Care

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that early care and education (ECE) programs should achieve recommended benchmarks to meet children's nutrition needs and promote children's optimal growth in safe and healthy environments. Children's dietary intake is influenced by a number of factors within ECE, including the nutritional quality of the foods and beverages served, the mealtime environments, and the interactions that take place between children and their care providers. Other important and related health behaviors that may influence the development of obesity include children's physical activity, sleep, and stress within child care. Recent efforts to promote healthy eating and improve other health behaviors in ECE include national, state, and local policy changes. In addition, a number of interventions have been developed in recent years to encourage healthy eating and help prevent obesity in young children in ECE. Members of the dietetics profession, including registered dietitian nutritionists and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered, can work in partnership with ECE providers and parents to help promote healthy eating, increase physical activity, and address other important health behaviors of children in care. Providers and parents can serve as role models to support these healthy behaviors. This Position Paper presents current evidence and recommendations for nutrition in ECE and provides guidance for registered dietitian nutritionists; nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered; and other food and nutrition practitioners working with parents and child-care providers. This Position Paper targets children ages 2 to 5 years attending ECE programs and highlights opportunities to improve and enhance children's healthy eating while in care.
Structural Factors of Regional Integration

This chapter discusses factors of size and interest asymmetries. No country in the EU represents 70% of the region’s population and economy as Brazil does in MERCOSUR. The power asymmetry in favour of one country is a great obstacle to policy harmonization. It reduces the scope of mutual interest and is responsible for greater foreign policy divergence and a lower degree of institutional cohesion. In addition, MERCOSUR is more difficult to sustain as a club of poorer countries as they have often prioritized not regional integration, but their foreign policy in relation to wealthier countries from outside the region. However, MERCOSUR has an important advantage over the EU in the more manageable number of member states.
Long Memory in Cyclical Fluctuations

Conventional macroeconomic theory treats output fluctuations as merely transitory deviations around a deterministic pattern, the natural output trend. From such a perspective, output fluctuations can only be short-lived, thus giving economic shocks no lasting impact on long-term output. A rescaled range (R/S) approach is used in the context of cyclical fluctuations to explore these fluctuations. The analysis extends to other key macroeconomic variables to test for biased random walk in their behavior. From the examination of U.S. monthly postwar data, long memory is found in the money supply, aggregate output, income, and inflation fluctuations. However, no long memory is detected in unemployment behavior variations.
Introduction to stochastic variational problems

The lectures provide an introduction to the Chapters on stochastic variational problems from the author’s book Variational Principles of Continuum Mechanics, Springer, 2009.
DNA-like genomes for evolution in silico

We explore the advantages of DNA-like genomes for evolutionary computation in silico. Coupled with simulations of chemical reactions, these genomes offer greater efficiency, reliability, scalability, new computationally feasible fitness functions, and more dynamic evolutionary algorithms. The prototype application is the decision problem of HPP (the Hamiltonian Path Problem.) Other applications include pre-processing of protocols for biomolecular computing and novel fitness functions for evolution in silico.
Forced vibrations of a body supported by viscohyperelastic shear mountings

The damped, finite-amplitude forced vibration of a rigid body supported symmetrically by simple shear springs and by a smooth inclined bearing surface is studied. The spring material is characterized as a compressible or incompressible, homogeneous and isotropic viscohyperelastic material for which the shear response function in a simple shear deformation is a quadratic function of the amount of shear. The trivial case of constant shear response is included. The equation for the damped motion of the load is a nonlinear, ordinary differential equation of the forced Duffing type with a constant static shift term due to gravity, and for which an exact solution is unknown. An approximate solution is obtained by the method of harmonic balance. Results for the motion of the load relate the system design parameters to the amplitude-frequency response and to the amplitude-driving force intensity response of the system. Regions of stable motion are identified in terms of the amplitude of the motion, driving-force intensity, driving frequency, and system design parameters. Geometrical characterizations of the motion are related schematically to certain cross-sections through the full three-dimensional solution surfaces for the amplitude and for the phase of the motion. A simple diagram maps the loci of all bifurcation points against the static shear deflection, which serves as the system design parameter for the inclined motion. An infinitesimal stability analysis shows that the bifurcation points of the inclined motion fall on the stability boundaries of the numerical solution of a three-parameter Hill equation. The solution provides information that illustrates how the system design parameters affect the motion of the load and how these may be chosen to control the amplitude of the oscillations and the stability of the system. The results are valid for all compressible or incompressible, homogeneous and isotropic, viscohyperelastic materials in the aforementioned class.
The effect of feedback gains on the perfomance of a load balancing network with time delays

Abstract A deterministic dynamic nonlinear time-delay systems has been recently developed to model load balancing in a cluster of computer nodes used for parallel computations. Further, it was shown that using the proposed load balancing algorithms, the system is stable independent of the feeback gains. However, the performance of the system is dependent on the feedback gains. Experimental results are presented to show that the value of the feeback gain can be chosen to achieve a non sluggish load balancing response that does not cause the tasks to oscillate between nodes.
Did early mathematics know about God: Harvard's Project 0

Abstract. A long history of conflict as is in detail covered by Huntington (2007) between religious thought among different cultures have created disenfranchisement to the concept of divinity and it is seen to be in contrast to modernism and science. The paper rectifies this conflict by suggesting early reference to God was the very outcome of a scientific mind not restricted to any one culture. Keywords. Divinity, Cultural Exchange. JEL. L24, N70, N75.
A Nanopore Sequencing–Based Assay for Rapid Detection of Gene Fusions

Structural chromosomal rearrangements leading to gene fusions are strong driver mutations in a variety of tumors. Identification of specific gene fusions can be essential for distinguishing benign from malignant conditions and for recognizing specific subtypes of neoplasms that can have different management and prognosis. Rapid identification of gene fusions is particularly critical for patients with acute leukemia who cannot wait more than a few days before initiating treatment and for whom treatment can be dramatically different depending on the leukemia subtype. We have developed an assay for rapid detection of oncogenic gene fusions (within 24 hours) that takes advantage of the long reads and real-time data generation of the Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing system. By using a modification of the anchored multiplex PCR method for library construction, we confidently identified BCR-ABL1 fusion transcripts, with >100 reads within 15 minutes of sequencing. By using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens routinely tested in our clinical molecular laboratory, fusions were successfully identified within 5 hours from acquisition of Illumina-ready libraries and 30 minutes of sequencing initiation, including cases diluted to a tumor fraction of 5%. In conclusion, we have developed a nanopore-based sequencing assay that can decrease turnaround time for detection of fusion oncogenes and may be a valid approach for laboratories with low specimen volume and for cases in need of rapid results.
From ordinary to extraordinary: A framework of experience types

Understanding the nature of, and how to design, structured experiences has become an increasingly salient topic for academics and professionals over the past two decades. Despite the rise in intere...
Work Placement in Higher Education – Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice

During the engineering education, the focus is on theoretical knowledge and less on the practical competence to be a professional engineer. To lead higher education into the future, it is critical to develop models and methods to prepare students for working life. As a mobilizing instrument, work placement is a method to strengthen the flow of knowledge within the innovation systems. Developing knowledge and transversal skills are critical to prepare students for working life. This paper describes the course “Practical Engineering” integrated in the engineering bachelor programs at the University of South-Eastern Norway, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences (USN-TNM). The pilot project started up in 2015 in cooperation with The Research Council of Norway, regional government, industry and USN-TNM. From 2015 until 2018, 70 students have elected the course and more than 40 companies have offered a work placement. Data has been obtained through surveys and student reports from 2017–2018. The evaluation and feedback from both students and companies were satisfactory. In addition to fulfilling purpose and goals for the course, there are also several other positive side effects in the University-Business cooperation.
The Feasibility and Acceptability of Virtual Therapy Environments for Early ICU Mobilization.

Background Early mobilization in critically ill patients has been documented to reduce neuromuscular complications, but access to rehabilitation services is often limited in the intensive care unit (ICU). Virtual platforms that deliver therapy may increase access to rehabilitation services and improve patient motivation to participate. Xbox Kinect Jintronix software delivers interventions using games and activities designed for therapy. Objective To determine the feasibility of the Jintronix virtual therapy system in an ICU setting by observing outcomes related to patient satisfaction, adverse events, and technical applicability. Design Prospective observational feasibility study. Setting Medical ICU at a Level 1 Trauma Center within an academic medical center. Participants Twenty adults admitted to ICU. Intervention Participants engaged in one therapy session with a maximum of 14 Jintronix modules targeting arm, leg, and/or trunk strength, range of motion, and endurance. Outcome measures A trained physician-observer recorded events related to adverse events and technical applicability. Participants completed a survey to determine patient satisfaction. Results A total of 188 modules were completed. Participants completed a median of nine modules each. Five participants completed the maximum of 14 modules. Fatigue was the most common reason for cessation. Mean intervention time was 29 minutes. There were no falls, lines dislodged, or medical events. Participants required physical assistance or verbal cues in 36% of modules. Technical errors affected 25% of modules and led to activity cessation in one case. Nearly all participants reported the activity was enjoyable, comfortable, safe, easy to understand, would improve range of motion and strength, and would motivate them to continue. Conclusions Use of a virtual therapy environment in an intensive care setting is feasible.
Clinical trials supported by the Tinnitus Research Consortium: Lessons learned, the Southern Illinois University experience

The Tinnitus Research Consortium funded three clinical trials investigating treatments for chronic bothersome tinnitus at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. The trials were designed to measure the subjective changes in tinnitus distress using standardized questionnaires and objective changes in tinnitus loudness using psychophysical matching procedures. The results of the first two trials have been published and are summarized here. The first trial investigated the effect of gabapentin on the loudness and annoyance of tinnitus in adults with chronic bothersome tinnitus with and without a history of acoustic trauma. A small but significant number of subjects reported decreased tinnitus annoyance that corresponded with a decrease in objective measures of tinnitus loudness during active drug treatment with a washout effect during placebo treatment. The second trial compared the effect of tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) on adults with normal to near-normal hearing and chronic bothersome tinnitus to treatment with general counseling without acoustic enrichment. Significant improvements in tinnitus severity, but not in objective psychometric measures of tinnitus loudness, occurred in both treatment groups, however a greater effect was observed in the TRT group compared with the control group. The third trial is nearing completion and investigates the long-term results of tinnitus retraining therapy on chronic bothersome tinnitus in adults with hearing loss. Significant lessons and observations on conducting tinnitus clinical trials were learned from these three trials. The challenges of recruiting and retaining study participants is discussed. More importantly, the reliability and stability of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) over long intervals is presented. The implications of this variability for the design and interpretation of future tinnitus studies is discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled .