cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bovine arch anatomy influences recoarctation rates in the era of the extended end-to-end anastomosis

Abstract Objectives Arch branching has never been shown to influence recoarctation after extended end-to-end anastomosis via thoracotomy, yet in each study bovine arch identification is grossly underreported. This study aims to (1) assess chart review reliability in bovine arch identification; (2) determine recoarctation risk with a bovine arch; and (3) explore an anatomic explanation for recurrent arch obstruction based on arch anatomy. Patients A total of 49 consecutive patients underwent thoracotomy with extended end-to-end aortic coarctation repair at a single institution (2007-2012). Methods Echocardiograms from these patients were reviewed for arch anatomy and compared with the echocardiographic reports. Recurrent arch obstruction was defined as an echocardiographic gradient across the repair of 20 mm Hg or greater. For cases with angiographic images (n = 17), a scaled clamping distance between the left subclavian artery and the maximal proximal clamp location on orthogonal projections was then calculated across arch anatomies. Results Chart review identified 6.1% (3/49) of patients with a bovine arch compared with 28.6% (14/49) on targeted image review. A total of 28.6% (4/14) of patients with a bovine arch had a follow-up gradient of 20 mm Hg or greater. Only 5.7% (2/35) of patients with normal arch branching had a follow-up gradient of 20 mm Hg or greater. The mean clamping index was significantly diminished in patients with bovine arch anatomy. Conclusions Arch anatomy often goes undocumented on preoperative imaging, yet children undergoing extended end-to-end repair with bovine arch anatomy are at a significantly increased risk of recoarctation. This may be due to a reduced clampable distance to facilitate repair. These results should be considered in the preoperative assessment, parental counseling, and surgical approach for children with discrete aortic coarctation.
Effects of Heat Exposure on Body Water Assessed using Single-Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Bioimpedance Spectroscopy

The purpose of this study was to determine if heat exposure alters the measures of total body water (TBW), extracellular water (ECW), and intracellular water (ICW) in both single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS). Additionally, we sought to determine if any differences exist between the BIA and BIS techniques before and after brief exposure to heat. Body water was evaluated for twenty men (age=24±4 years) in a thermoneutral environment (22°C) before (PRE) and immediately after (POST) 15 min of passive heating (35°C) in an environmental chamber. The mean difference and 95% limits of agreement at PRE demonstrated that BIS yielded significantly higher body water values than BIA (all p 0.05; 0.2±1.5kg). Additionally, the ES of the mean differences at POST were trivial to small and the r-values were high (r≥0.96). When analyzing the changes in body water before and after heat exposure, POST values for BIS were significantly higher than PRE (all p<0.001; TBW=0.6±0.8kg; ECW=0.4±0.3kg; ICW=0.3±0.6kg). Similarly, POST values for BIA were significantly higher than PRE (all p<0.001; TBW=1.0±0.6kg; ECW=0.7±0.4kg; ICW=0.4±0.4kg). BIA and BIS provide similar body water estimates. However, the increase in POST body water values indicate more research is needed before either method can be used for estimating body water after heat exposure.
DtCraft: A High-Performance Distributed Execution Engine at Scale

Recent years have seen rapid growth in data-driven distributed systems, such as Hadoop MapReduce, Spark, and Dryad. However, the counterparts for high-performance or compute-intensive applications including large-scale optimizations, modeling, and simulations are still nascent. In this paper, we introduce DtCraft, a modern C++ based distributed execution engine to streamline the development of high-performance parallel applications. Users need no understanding of distributed computing and can focus on high-level developments, leaving difficult details, such as concurrency controls, workload distribution, and fault tolerance handled by our system transparently. We have evaluated DtCraft on both micro-benchmarks and large-scale optimization problems, and shown the promising performance from single multicore machines to clusters of computers. In a particular semiconductor design problem, we achieved ${30\times }$ speedup with 40 nodes and ${15\times }$ less development efforts over hand-crafted implementation.
Labor turnover : its causes, consequences, and control strategy in five selected restaurants in the Miami area

LABOR TURNOVER: IT CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND CONTROL STRATEGY IN FIVE SELECTED RESTAURANTS IN THE MIAMI AREA. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the basic causes of food service employee turnover in five selected restaurants in the Miami area. The withdrawal behavior in this study is treated in terms of controllable turnover, for the purpose of management, learning more about what action to take to solve this problem which has eaten into the fabric of the hospitality industry. The aim is to find out from the food service employees and management view of work for the purpose of identifying the variables which cause an employee to voluntarily leave a job. The objective is therefore, to analyze and describe the problem of labor turnover in these selected restaurants. Such description must precede efforts to arrive at solutions to the problem if these efforts are ever to be more than haphazard and superficial. Sigmund Freud once stated: "The true beginning of scientific activity consists in describing phenomena and only then in proceeding to group, classify and correlate
Imaging of the Orbit

Modern imaging techniques are discussed. These imaging modalities, including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, have dramatically improved our ability to assess orbital soft tissues. This has resulted in an increased ability for the physician to assess orbital health, as well as more effectively plan surgical intervention when it is needed due to injury or disease.
Characterization of optical materials using Auger electron spectroscopy

Auger electron spectroscopy is one of the most commonly used techniques for surface analysis. It has evolved from its first common use for solid surfaces in the late 1960s to become a tool for routine analysis of materials. This article provides a concise review of the use of Auger electron spectroscopy, with emphasis on its use for optical materials. The fundamentals of the technique are reviewed, along with a discussion of data analysis and the equipment commonly used to perform the technique. Several examples of the use of AES for optical materials are discussed.
The Contingent Politics of Legal Formalism

This essay is for an edited volume exploring Wesley Hohfeld’s contributions to legal theory. It argues that Hohfeld’s scheme has latent political implications that render the scheme less than hospitable to a more egalitarian private law structure. Even as Hohfeld deconstructs some analytic choices and reveals their contingency, he reifies other choices that are equally contingent. The broader point is that such simultaneous deconstruction-reification is unavoidable. The essay identifies three features of the Hohfeldian scheme that undermine the intelligibility, and even more so the plausibility, of alternative private law orders. Each stems from hyper-individuation within the Hohfeldian scheme. First, Hohfeld does not recognize any lateral references in his scheme of entitlements. Rights, privileges, powers and immunities are borne by individuals and are assigned no justificatory role; they are free standing, as if they stand in only a logical rather than a normative relation to duties, “no-rights”, liabilities and disabilities. The result is that the content of entitlements between two people never depends conceptually on what other people’s entitlements are. Second, the correlative structure of rights and duties in Hohfeld’s framework denies imperfect legal rights. He is committed famously to the idea that rights and duties run bilaterally, albeit between numerous pairs. By contrast, most private rights plausibly derivative from distributive injustice are imperfect. Finally, Hohfeld’s scheme lends itself to the idea that fully specified rights will rarely conflict. Properly sorted, all entitlements can be rearranged into the boxes he offers. He does not encourage us to expect anything will be left out; that the legal scheme might fail to recognize one type of entitlement by virtue of having committed itself to having recognized another; and that such a failure could be a cause for system regret.
Active subspace analysis and uncertainty quantification for a polydomain ferroelectric phase-field model:

We perform parameter subset selection and uncertainty analysis for phase-field models that are applied to the ferroelectric material lead titanate. A motivating objective is to determine which para...
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a 6H Hexagonal Fluoro-Perovskite: RbMgF3

RbMgF3, a perovskite halide, serendipitously crystallized from a reaction between MgCl2 and TiO2 in molten RbCl/RbF eutectic flux (melting point = 546 °C) and was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. RbMgF3 crystals can also be grown directly in higher yield using a molten RbCl–RbF flux layered over MgCl2 or MgF2 contained in a silver tube at 575 °C. RbMgF3 crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P63/mmc in the 6H hexagonal perovskite structure type with lattice parameters a = 5.8368(2) A and c = 14.2087(5) A. The crystal structure exhibits face-sharing Mg2F9 octahedra connected via corner-sharing MgF6 octahedra. Elemental composition for RbMgF3 was semi-quantitatively confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). X-ray diffraction quality single crystals of RbMgF3 were grown from a molten RbCl/RbF eutectic flux at 850 °C and used for structure determination using single crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P63/mmc in the 6H hexagonal structure type.
Effect of Sickle Cell Trait and APOL1 Genotype on the Association of Soluble uPAR with Kidney Function Measures in Black Americans.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is the circulating form of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor, a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol–anchored membrane protein expressed in various cell types including kidney podocytes and endothelial cells ([1][1]). suPAR has been
Quantum Maxwell's Equations Made Simple: Employing Scalar and Vector Potential Formulation

We present a succinct way to quantize Maxwell's equations. We begin by discussing the random nature of quantum observables. Then we present the quantum Maxwell's equations and give their physical meanings. Due to the mathematical homomorphism between the classical and quantum cases [1], the derivation of quantum Maxwell's equations can be simplified. First, one needs only to verify that the classical equations of motion are derivable from a Hamiltonian by energy-conservation arguments. Then the quantum equations of motion follow due to homomorphism, which applies to sum-separable Hamiltonians. Hence, we first show the derivation of classical Maxwell's equations using Hamiltonian theory. Then the derivation of the quantum Maxwell's equations follows in an analogous fashion. Finally, we apply this quantization procedure to the dispersive medium case. (This article is written for the classical electromagnetic community assuming little knowledge of quantum theory, an introduction of which can be found in [2, Lecs. 38 and 39].)
Non-invasive Photoacoustic Imaging of Magnetic Microrobot through Deep Non-Transparent Tissue

This paper presents the proof-of-concept study on a non-invasive microrobot technology that incorporates the frontier submillimeter magnetic microrobot with the burgeoning photoacoustic imaging. Tracking one single untethered magnetic microrobot through the integrated ultrasound and photoacoustic (USPA) imaging will allow for real non-invasive microrobot operation in the non-transparent biological tissues. In this preliminary work, the magnetic microrobot prototypes are made from photoresist mixed with nickel particles. Single microrobot agent is set in fluid environment bounded by non-transparent phantom. The experimental results prove that the current microrobot prototypes down to smaller than $100 \mu m$ can be detected by USPA imaging through $25 mm$ thick opaque phantom, both statically and in a motion of speed approximately $1.2 {mm/s}$. The further investigation of this concept will advance the integration of both non-invasive magnetic manipulation and USPA tracking of the microrobot, targeting the real biomedical applications in the tiny enclosed workspace.
Nanoparticle O-H Bond Dissociation Free Energies from Equilibrium Measurements of Cerium Oxide Colloids.

A novel equilibrium strategy for measuring the hydrogen atom affinity of colloidal metal oxide nanoparticles is presented. Reactions between oleate-capped cerium oxide nanoparticle colloids (nanoce...
Internal medicine residency program director perceptions of USMLE Step 1 pass/fail scoring: A cross-sectional survey

The United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 will transition to a pass/fail exam starting no earlier than January 2022. Internal medicine residency programs will need to adapt to these changes. The purpose of this study was to investigate:1. internal medicine residency program directors’ perceptions on the change of Step 1 to a pass/fail exam, and2. the impact on other factors considered for internal medicine residency selection.A validated REDCap survey was sent to 548 program directors at active Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education internal medicine residency programs. Contact information from the American Medical Association's Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database was used.The survey had 123 respondents (22.4%). Most internal medicine program directors do not support the pass/fail change. A greater importance will be placed on Step 2 Clinical Knowledge exam, personal knowledge of the applicant, clerkship grades, and audition electives. Allopathic students from less highly regarded medical schools, as well as osteopathic and international students, will be disadvantaged. About half believe that schools should adopt a graded pre-clinical curriculum (51.2%) and that there should be residency application caps (54.5%).Internal medicine program directors mostly disagree with the pass/fail Step 1 transition. Residency programs will need to reevaluate how applicants are evaluated. Other factors, such as Step 2 Clinical Knowledge score, personal knowledge of the applicant, grades in clerkships, and audition rotations will now be emphasized more heavily.
Application of Community Detection Algorithm to Investigate the Correlation between Imaging Biomarkers of Tumor Metabolism, Hypoxia, Cellularity, and Perfusion for Precision Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas

The present study aimed to investigate the correlation at pre-treatment (TX) between quantitative metrics derived from multimodality imaging (MMI), including 18F-FDG-PET/CT, 18F-FMISO-PET/CT, DW- and DCE-MRI, using a community detection algorithm (CDA) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. Twenty-three HNSCC patients with 27 metastatic lymph nodes underwent a total of 69 MMI exams at pre-TX. Correlations among quantitative metrics derived from FDG-PET/CT (SUL), FMSIO-PET/CT (K1, k3, TBR, and DV), DW-MRI (ADC, IVIM [D, D*, and f]), and FXR DCE-MRI [Ktrans, ve, and τi]) were investigated using the CDA based on a "spin-glass model" coupled with the Spearman's rank, ρ, analysis. Mean MRI T2 weighted tumor volumes and SULmean values were moderately positively correlated (ρ = 0.48, p = 0.01). ADC and D exhibited a moderate negative correlation with SULmean (ρ ≤ -0.42, p < 0.03 for both). K1 and Ktrans were positively correlated (ρ = 0.48, p = 0.01). In contrast, Ktrans and k3max were negatively correlated (ρ = -0.41, p = 0.03). CDA revealed four communities for 16 metrics interconnected with 33 edges in the network. DV, Ktrans, and K1 had 8, 7, and 6 edges in the network, respectively. After validation in a larger population, the CDA approach may aid in identifying useful biomarkers for developing individual patient care in HNSCC.
Tracheal Transection from Gunshot Wound to the Neck.

Abstract A male patient presented with a gunshot wound superior to his left scapula and difficulty breathing. En route to the emergency department, he rapidly became unresponsive, culminating in a cricothyroidotomy by paramedics. Oxygen saturation was 70% on arrival, and a tracheobronchial injury was suspected. In the operating room, a complete transection of the mid-trachea was found and repaired. Postoperatively, the patient developed acute respiratory distress syndrome. The patient was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and was eventually decannulated on postoperative day 12. The need for immediate identification of airway inadequacy, despite appropriate interventions, is underscored by this case report.
A Methodology for Problem Choice

In this chapter the kinds of argument that can be offered in defense of the choice of a scientific problem will be considered. What problems to choose is a question facing every scientist who makes decisions in or about research programs, yet generally principles guiding this choice are neglected by philosophers.
Power system simulation: understanding small- and large-system operations

This article is the fourth in a series based on the IEEE PES Power System Basics for Business Professionals tutorial. The article provides a summary of the presentation given in the course on power system operations, building on the foundation provided by the "Electricity Basics" portion of the course. Simulation software is used throughout the article to explain many of the concepts associated with power system operations. The focus of this article is o the operation of these large, interconnected grids.
Gender and regional differences in spatial referents used in direction giving

This study examined gender and regional differences in spatial referents used in giving route directions. In response to an Internet survey, participants (primarily white and highly educated) provided samples of route directions to a target destination in their home area. Only directions from those living in the United States were analyzed. Women referred more often than men to buildings as landmarks, whereas men referred more often than women to cardinal directions. Both women and men referred more often to cardinal directions if they reported that they lived in the Midwest/West than in the Northeast/South, or if they lived in areas where the roads were arranged in a gridlike pattern. The findings suggest that women and men differ in the type of spatial referents they use in giving directions, but that direction giving in both genders is affected by the environment in which they live.
An Emergent Mangle of Practice: Global Climate Change as Vernacular Geoengineering

The use of hydrocarbon-based energy systems is a deeply embedded reality in the contemporary global capitalist world system. Billions of individuals always are already engaged in an on-going, essentially unplanned, and still unknowable experiment (with regard to the negative impact of burning fossil on the global climate) collective experiment in the growing use of these sources of energy. Hence, the unanticipated, and yet still long observed, tendency for this energy system, to coincide with atmospheric global warming and other severe climate problems is becoming one of the most interesting developments of the early twenty-first century. In the absence of more effective, comprehensive, and bold efforts to answer the challenges of global climate change in a truly serious and sustained manner, many communities around the world, ranging from the smallest localities, city governments, regional authorities, and even nation-states are acknowledging that global climate change is real problem by preparing to mitigate and manage its threats. All of these events add up to what Andrew Pickering would identify as “a mangle of practice.” To what degree can vernacular vs. formal geoengineering be regarded as a workable approach to managing climate change? Which we will more likely to succeed at averting, postponing, or merely managing the more destructive implications of climate change in the next generation? In asking such questions, one wonders if non-expert, popular, and unplanned interventions in such mangles of practice are a promising, or even more resilient, approach to global climate change.
Michelangelo 1475–1564

The life, career, and works of the artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) are examined. Throughout his long, productive career, Michelangelo created a series of transcendent masterworks that rank among the very greatest creative productions of humanity. His works and style have profoundly influenced artists ever since, and his formidable personality has likewise contributed strongly to the popular concept of the creative genius. An attempt is made to characterize the nature of Michelangelo's creativity in terms of his exploration and manipulation of the creative process, contextualized by the demands and constraints of a range of artistic media.
Federal Regulation of Use of Genetic Information by Insurers

Abstract This paper analyzes policy developments at the national level during 1997, including proposed federal legislation and the response of the insurance industry. With broad bipartisan support, it appears that some form of federal regulation is likely within the next two sessions of Congress. The debate appears to be centering on two issues: the definition of genetic information and whether regulation will extend to a blanket prohibition on testing. The insurance industry is suggesting that restrictions based on an “unfair discrimination” standard would permit coverage and cost distinctions based on actuarially sound data, while the health care industry is opposed to any discrimination based on genetic information. A utilitarian ethical perspective would likely support restrictions on testing for life insurance but not health insurance.
Quantitative Efficacy of Niacin Sources for Chicks: Nicotinic Acid, Nicotinamide, NAD and Tryptophan

A niacin-deficient diet based upon corn and casein was used to establish growth-promoting efficacy of various sources of niacin activity. In the presence of excess dietary nicotinamide, chicks fed the corn-casein diet achieved maximal weight gain when 100 mg/kg of L-tryptophan was supplemented. The basal diet for efficacy studies therefore contained 100 mg/kg of added tryptophan and no supplemental nicotinic acid. Weight gain in the linear response surface of the growth curve proved to be a far better measure of niacin bioactivity than tissue accumulation of NAD(P). Slope-ratio growth efficacy studies indicated that excess dietary tryptophan was 1.94 +/- 0.14% as efficient as nicotinic acid in furnishing bioavailable niacin activity (52:1, wt:wt). Relative to nicotinic acid used as a standard (100%), nicotinamide bioactivity was 124%. Nicotinamide in NAD was utilized with an efficiency of 95% relative to nicotinamide per se.
Variation in mass and nutrient concentration of leaf litter across years and sites in a northern hardwood forest

Leaf litterfall represents an important nutrient flux in forests, but separating leaves by species and collecting fresh litter annually for nutrient analysis is time-consuming and expensive. To qua...
Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests, Seventh Edition. Jacques Wallach. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000, 1026 pp., $49.95. ISBN 0-7817-1659-4.

Dr. Wallach’s compendium of reference intervals, diagnostic algorithms, and lists of useful information has been a familiar presence on laboratory benches and bookshelves for many years. I placed this new edition on my desk and consulted it first whenever I was faced with a question or problem. Not only was I able to find the answer relatively quickly, but many visitors, noting the book …
Ascertainment of on-road safety errors based on video review

Using an instrumented vehicle, we have studied several aspects of the on-road performance of healthy and diseased elderly drivers. One goal from such studies is to ascertain the type and frequency of driving safety errors. Because the judgment of such errors is somewhat subjective, we applied a taxonomy system of 15 general safety error categories and 76 specific safety error types. We also employed and trained professional driving instructors to review the video data of the on-road drives. In this report, we illustrate our rating system on a group of 111 drivers, ages 65 to 89. These drivers made errors in 13 of the 15 error categories, comprising 42 of the 76 error types. A mean (SD) of 35.8 (12.8) safety errors per drive were noted, with 2.1 (1.7) of them being judged as serious. Our methodology may be useful in applications such as intervention studies, and in longitudinal studies of changes in driving abilities in patients with declining cognitive ability.
Gender and the Primary Prevention of Suicide Mortality

Primary prevention aims at reducing the incidence of a disorder. The first step in primary prevention involves documenting the magnitude of the problem and identifying risk factors. Consistent with primary prevention practices, we review the national and international epidemiological data on suicide mortality and then discuss the implications these data hold for primary prevention. Our approach is novel because we systematically examine the suicide epidemiology data by gender and culture. Suicide mortality appears to be highest among individuals (e.g., young adult married females in some Papua New Guinea regions; older adult, isolated, White males in the United States) for whom such behavior is culturally sanctioned. Thus, an important target for primary prevention may be local cultures of gender and suicide.
„Instruments of the Old Faith”: Magical Words in Three Medieval South Slavic Healing Rites for Snakebite

The line between Orthodox Christianity and pagan/folk customs and beliefs in the fifteenth century Slavia Orthodoxa was not precisely drawn. The population called upon spiritual forces of all kinds, to heal illnesses and injuries. Though the official position of the Orthodox Christian Church was to condemn and suppress these pre-Christian beliefs, certain elements such as magical words were included in Church-sanctioned texts. The fifteenth-century South Slavic trebnik (Hilandar HM.SMS.378) is one example of such a text. In addition to its canonical material, it contains a healing rite for a snakebite, which blends Orthodox Christian elements and pre-Christian ones, utilizing magical words. In this article, I examine Hilandar HM.SMS.378 – the magical words, the symbolism, and the cultural background – and compare it with two similar rites from a medieval South Slavic ljecebnik (‘book of healing’) transcribed by V. Jagicin 1878. I also discuss the possibility that the three rites share a common origin.
Transparency in the Resolution of Investor-State Disputes - Adoption, Adaption, and NAFTA Leadership

In investor-state arbitration, transparency tends to refer to the extent to which the public may be alterted to, gain information about, and perhaps participate in, proceedings organized to adjudicate an investor's claim. The arbitration regime established under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Chapter Eleven has given rise to transparency policies of relative refinement and influence. The article examines the formation of these policies. The article begins by discussing distinctive features of both investor-state (investment treaty) claims and arbitration, examining the reasons that the two systems have become distinguishable on the questions of accessing information about and participating in an arbitration. Although transparency is not a given priority in international commercial arbitration, often pursuant to the preferences of the participants, there have been calls for states to establish a more transparent regime for resolving international commercial disputes. These interests can be balanced by adding some mechanism for transparency in the arbitral system, the simplest expedient for which is to publish the arbitrators' work, particularly their awards. The article outlines reasons favoring publication of awards: not only can they be used as educational tools, but they can also promote jurisprudential development and unification, settlements, equality of arms, and investor confidence. The article then outlines both the benefits and the disadvantages of making arbitration hearings open to the public. Next, it discusses how the role of amici, as the public's proxies, could possibly be expanded in international commercial arbitration proceedings. The article then provides a historical analysis of NAFTA's Chapter Eleven and some of the pivitol cases that have been brought under it, including Ethyl, Metalclad, Methanex, and United Parcel Service. It concludes by discussing the future of transparency and analyzing next generation transparency issues, especially those related to bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (ICSID Convention).
Wavelength dependences of Brillouin frequency shifts of optical fibres in 1.55 mu m wavelength region

The Brillouin frequency shifts of three types of optical fibres are measured by the heterodyne method using an electrical spectrum analyser. Owing to its excellent resolution, a change of 10 MHz in the Brillouin frequency shift, which corresponds to a change of the order of 1 nm in pump wavelength, can be easily measured. The longitudinal acoustic velocities of different fibre types can be deduced. The results also confirm that the frequency shift (10 GHz) varies inversely to the wavelength and decreases with an increase of GeO2 doping concentration.
Quantitative techniques in strategic alignment

There is increasing evidence in both the business and technical literature that the operations and strategy processes of many organizations have been aided materially by visualization and modeling techniques. Application of quantitative methods has progressed from relatively well-structured operations to the more speculative aspects of strategy and policy formation. In retrospect, however, the most valuable contribution of modeling has been greater insight: a clearer understanding of the situations and prospects at hand that the mere act of model formulation often provided the planner, This paper illustrates some characteristics of the modeling process, and explores the applicability of quantitative techniques to strategic alignment opportunities, such as current pressures to reduce the "cycle time" of many enterprise functions.
Large-area reflection grating spectrometer for the Constellation-X mission

The optical chain of the spectroscopic x-ray telescopes aboard the Constellation-X spacecraft employs a reflective grating spectrometer to provide high resolution spectra for multiple spectra as a slitless spectrometer in the spectral feature rich, soft x-ray band. As a part of the spectroscopic readout array, we provide a zero-order camera that images the sky in the soft band inaccessible to the microcalorimeters. Technological enhancements required for producing the RGS instruments are described, along with prototype development progress, fabrication and testing results.
Reflecting on reflections: A case study of experienced and inexperienced ESL teachers

Abstract A case study was conducted with 12 experienced and inexperienced ESL teachers to investigate their major concerns and changing perceptions over time. Data were collected from the teachers' reflective writings (journals and practicum reports) and individual introspective interviews. Five common categories of concerns were identified: (1) teacher's self-concept, (2) attitudes, (3) teaching strategies, (4) materials used, and (5) expectations. Although no drastic cognitive changes were found in the teachers over time, after they finished their practicum the teachers expressed a widened and more pragmatic view of language learning and teaching, and added a greater variety of opinions and solutions to problems. Comparisons between the inexperienced and experienced teachers revealed only slight discrepancies in their perceptions of teaching. The study showed that teachers' beliefs and theories of and about teaching are guided by their previous experience as a learner and as a teacher. This paper provides a detailed account of how the study was planned and implemented, and concludes with implications for ESL teacher education and suggestions for future research.
Illusion decrement as a function of duration of inspection and figure type.

Illusion decrement for the Muller-Lyer and Horizontal-Vertical illusions was examined. The experiment consisted of an initial adjustment of an illusion followed by 20 test trials, each with an intervening 60-sec. intertrial interval during which a comparator line and a standard line set to equality were visually inspected for 0, 20, 40, or 60 sec. After each intertrial interval the length of the comparator line was reset by the experimenter to either 0 or 90 cm, and subjects then adjusted its length to perceived equality with the standard line (42 cm). Illusion decrement was inversely related to the duration of inspection for each illusion, with significant reductions in magnitude of illusion observed for all groups. These results support prior demonstrations that perceptual learning mechanisms are operative during brief periods of visual inspection, especially when these periods are followed by the opportunity to make repeated adjustments.
Structure and dynamics of water at water|Pt interface as seen by molecular dynamics computer simulation

Abstract Five molecular dynamics computer simulations were performed to study the structural and dynamical properties of water next to uncharged and charged Pt surfaces. The results show that the structure of a water layer adsorbed on the metal surface is very sensitive to the details of the water–metal potential. While patches of short-living hexagonal ice-like structure are observed in the adsorbed water layer next to the uncharged Pt(111) surface, a square lattice solid-like structure is seen for the layer on top of the uncharged Pt(100) surface. The orientational ordering for the following two layers of water next to uncharged Pt is displaying a preference towards the orientations that are characteristic of hexagonal ice-I, while water is liquid-like in these layers. In the presence of a high value external electric field water reorients and undergoes a layering transition.
Multi-path nonlinear dynamic compensation for rudder roll stabilization

The design of rudder roll stabilizers (RRS) for ships is complicated by yaw-axis coupling, non-minimum phase shift, and the angle and rate limits of the rudder. These saturations tend to limit the available feedback and restrict RRS implementation to vessels with very fast rudders. This paper describes the application of a Nyquist-stable RRS with a multiple feedback path nonlinear dynamic compensator to provide high performance with slower steering mechanisms used on larger vessels. The restrictive sufficient condition of absolute stability is satisfied for angle or rate saturation. Computer simulation results are included to show the efficacy of the approach.
The Effect of Flapless Surgery on Implant Survival and Marginal Bone Level: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The clinical outcomes of implants placed using the flapless approach have not yet been systematically investigated. Hence, the present systematic review and meta-analysis aims to study the effect of the flapless technique on implant survival rates (SRs) and marginal bone levels (MBLs) compared with the conventional flap approach.Methods: An electronic search of five databases (from 1990 to March 2013), including PubMed, Ovid (MEDLINE), EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central, and a hand search of peer-reviewed journals for relevant articles were performed. Human clinical trials with data on comparison of SR and changes in MBL between the flapless and conventional flap procedures, with at least five implants in each study group and a follow-up period of at least 6 months, were included.Results: Twelve studies, including seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs), one cohort study, one pilot study, and three retrospective case-controlled trials (CCTs), were included. The SR of each study was...
High Resolution Proton Resonance Measurements

The major reason for these new measurements is that fundamental symmetry studies with resonances are sensitive dependent on spectroscopic details such as entrance channel partial widths. This paper considers proton elastic scattering from spinless targets, a set of resonances, decay channels other than the elastic channel, and the distribution of reduced widths and reduced width amplitudes.
On improving human clinical trials to the level of animal ischemic stroke studies.

This is a response to Jickling and Sharp’s paper discussing the near-complete failure of clinical trials for stroke interventions. While they propose a paradigm shift in the way preclinical research is conducted, I propose that it is clinical trial design that needs an overhaul. Clinical trials could be designed to reduce variance, prevent data entry errors, and encompass less ambitious enrollment criteria limited to fewer centers which have demonstrated expertise in the treatment of stroke (and TBI). Statistical fundamentalism is another soluble problem: clinical trial designs tend to address what is medically significant as opposed to what is primarily statistically significant. Adaptive Design is an alternative to current protocols that needs urgent consideration if we are to get through the Valley of Death between bench and bedside. Maybe it is time to change the clinical trial paradigm to adopt the precise modeling used in good laboratory research rather than asking scientists to give up well-established procedures for producing reliable and reproducible results.
Neither ondansetron nor metoclopramide reduced nausea and vomiting in the emergency department.

Source Citation Egerton-Warburton D, Meek R, Mee MJ, Braitberg G. Antiemetic use for nausea and vomiting in adult emergency department patients: randomized controlled trial comparing ondansetron, m...
Liquid content of the lower clouds of venus as determined from mariner 10 radio occultation

S- and X-band radio occulation data obtained during the Mariner 10 flyby of Venus are analyzed to determine the effects of signal attenuation due to the clouds of Venus. The signal-amplitude data are corrected for errors introduced by spacecraft motion and antenna steering during the occultation, absorption-coefficient profiles are computed, and the liquid content of the Venusian clouds is estimated. Excess attenuation effects are found and ascribed to absorption by small liquid particles, consisting of a water-sulfuric acid mixture containing 75% + or - 25% sulfuric acid, in the clouds. Three absorbing cloud layers at respective heights of 68, 60, and 48 km are suggested by the X-band absorptivity profile, but only the 68- and 48-km layers are clearly indicated by the S-band profile. The relatively slow S-band absorption at 60 km is tentatively attributed to an unknown constituent that is much more absorbing in the X-band than in the S-band. The results are compared with nephelometer measurements performed at 0.9 micron by the Venera 9 and 10 probes.
Tetrahydrobiopterin as a novel therapeutic intervention for autism

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is an essential cofactor for several critical metabolic pathways that have been reported to be abnormal in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In addition, the cerebrospinal fluid concentration of BH4 is reported to be depressed in children with ASD. Over the past 25 years, several clinical trials have suggested that treatment with BH4 improves ASD symptomatology in some individuals. Two ongoing clinical protocols may help further define the efficacy of BH4 treatment in children with ASD. First, children with ASD who had low concentrations of cerebrospinal fluid or urine pterins were treated in an open-label manner with 20 mg/kg per day of BH4. The majority of children (63%) responded positively to treatment, with minimal adverse events (AEs). Second, a double-blind placebo-controlled study examining the efficacy of 20 mg/kg per day of BH4 treatment in children with ASD is currently underway. Safety studies from the commercially available forms of BH4 document the low incidence of AEs, particularly serious AEs. Studies have also documented the ability of BH4 to cross the blood-brain barrier. Based on the importance of BH4 in neurodevelopmental metabolic pathways, the safety of BH4 treatment, and the evidence for a therapeutic benefit of BH4 treatment in children with ASD, we conclude that BH4 represents a novel therapy for ASD, one that may gain wider use after further clinical studies have established efficacy and treatment guidelines.
Noncrystalline Structure and Electronic Conduction of Silicon Dioxide Films

Thermal or anodic oxidation of silicon results in uniform noncrystalline SiO2 films but small crystallites may form at surface disturbances; these are pushed by the growing oxide to the outer surface. These films remain noncrystalline even after prolonged heat treatment. The stability behavior of SiO2, SiO, and Si3N4 films, and their relation to the corresponding crystalline modifications indicate that distinction should be made between glassy (vitreous), e.g. SiO2, and amorphous, e.g. SiO, noncrystalline materials. Electronic conduction plays a predominant role in the anodization mechanism of silicon. The oxide structure is changing during constant current oxidation; the oxidation efficiency and rate increase with thickness, but the apparent electronic conductivity is constant. Electron (hole) trapping during constant voltage anodization leads to a current that decreases with the reciprocal of time. Impedance measurements on MOS capacitors showed that sizable electronic conduction may occur in localized regions (“channels”). The density of these channels and the extent of conduction depends on the oxidation method and substrate orientation. A comparison between SiO2, GeO2, and Si3N4 shows that with increasing covalency and, especially, π-character of the bond, the electronic conductivity and the ability to form noncrystalline structure increases. The π-bonding is probably greater along a channel than in its surrounding. Thermische oder anodische Oxydation von Silizium ergeben eine gleichmasige, nichtkristalline SiO2-Schicht, jedoch konnen sich Kristallite an Unregelmasigkeiten der Grenzflache zwischen Si und SiO2 bilden; diese werden vom wachsenden Oxyd zur Oberflache ge-schoben. Diese Schichten bleiben auch nach einer ausgedehnten thermischen Behandlung nichtkristallin. Das Stabilitatsverhalten der SiO2-, SiO- und Si3N4-Schichten und ihre Beziehung zu den entsprechenden Kritallmodifikationen zeigen, das ein Unterschied zwischen glasartigen (z. B. SiO2) und amorphen (z. B. SiO) nichtkristallinen Materialien gemacht werden mus. Elektronische Leitung spielt eine uberwiegende Rolle im Anodisierungsmechanismus von Silizium. Die Oxydstruktur verandert sich wahrend der Oxydation mit konstantem Strom; Wirkungsgrad und Geschwindigkeit der Oxydation steigen mit der Dicke an, wahrend die scheinbare spezifische elektronische Leitfahigkeit konstant bleibt. Elektron (Loch) “Trapping” wahrend der Anodisierung mit konstanter Spannung bedingt einen Strom, der der Zeit umgekehrt proportional ist. Impedanzmessungen von MOS-Kondensatoren zeigen. das merkliche elektronische Leitung in lokalisierten Regionen (“Channels”) auftreten kann. Die Dichte dieser Channels und das Ausmas der Leitfahigkeit hangen von der Oxydationsmethode und der Orientierung der Unterlage ab. Ein Vergleich zwischen SiO2, GeO2 und Si3N4 zeigt, das die elektronisehe Leitfahigkeit und die Moglichkeit nichtkristalline Strukturen zu formieren, mit steigender Homoopolaritat, insbesondere mit dem π-Charakter der Bindung, steigt. Die π-Bindung entlang eines Channels ist wahrscheinlich groser als in seiner Umgebung.
When the going gets tough, the tough go photoshopping: September 11 and the newslore of vengeance and victimization:

The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11 2001 inspired an outpouring of electronic folklore, particularly ‘photoshops’ (humorous digitally-altered photographs). This material is of two types. One, the newslore of vengeance, consists of fantasies of annihilation or humiliation aimed at Osama bin Laden or Afghanistan. The other, the newslore of victimization, expresses bewilderment at the role of fate or chance in who lived and died on that terrible day. This article analyzes the newslore of September 11 in light of Elliott Oring’s ‘unspeakability’ hypothesis: the material expresses emotions that were too raw to be covered in the news media and thus functions as both an outlet for those emotions and a protest against the decorousness of the press.
Cellular proliferation, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and bcl-2 expression in GnRH agonist-treated uterine leiomyomas

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists are commonly used in the treatment of uterine leiomyomas, but little is known about their histological and cellular effects on these neoplasms. We examined a cellular proliferation index as determined by the nuclear antigen Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression, estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) expression in 27 leiomyomas from patients treated with the GnRH agonist leuprolide acetate (LA) and compared them with 33 untreated controls. All leiomyomas were removed by myomectomies from premenopausal woman after 2 to 6 months of LA treatment or in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in the untreated controls. Histological features examined included cellularity, nuclear atypia, vascular changes (dilated, thickened, or thrombosed vessels), edema, calcification, hemorrhage, necrosis, hyalinization, and mitotic activity. Although no difference was found between GnRH-treated and nontreated groups with respect to most histological features examined, immunohistochemical studies showed a significant decrease in the cellular proliferation index, ER, and PR expression in the LA-treated cases compared with nontreated controls. The cellular proliferation index, ER, and PR expression decreased by 85%, 49%, and 36%, respectively, in the LA-treated group as compared with controls (P 75% of cells) cytoplasmic staining pattern. Results of this study show that LA treatment of leiomyomas results in a decrease in number of cycling cells.
The effect of alkaline borohydride treatment onN-linked carbohydrates of glycoproteins

The effects of treatments of the glycoprotein ribonuclease-B, the proteins ribonuclease-A and myoglobin, and the glyco-amino acid GlcNAcβ(1-N) Asn with alkalil alkaline sodium borohydride, and aqueous sodium borohydride were systematically studied as a function of the concentration of the reagents, the temperature, and the length of the treatment. High-field1H-NMR spectroscopy, chromatographic methods and amino-acid analysis were used to characterize products of the treatments of the various compounds. Our results indicate that mild alkaline borohydride treatment, as well as aqueous borohydride treatment alone, is capable of extensively degrading polypeptides and of partially releasing theN-linked glycans from ribonuclease-B. Initially, glycopeptides are produced, the peptide portion of which consists of several amino acids, which are further hydrolyzed to yield a mixture of glyco-asparagines and oligosaccharide-alditols in the ratio of ≈4:1. Strong alkaline borohydride treatment of ribonuclease-B is capable of completely releasing theN-linked carbohydrates as oligosaccharide-alditols.