cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance Assessment of a Precast-Concrete, Buried, Small Arch Bridge

Experimental field load-test and finite-element analysis were carried out for the performance assessment of a precast-concrete, modular, three-sided, low-profile, buried, arch bridge system. Finite-element analysis incorporated soil modeling and soil–structure interaction at service and limit load levels. The analytical study simulates step-by-step incremental phases of construction and service loads. The finite-element model was calibrated based on the experimental field assessment, to provide a better correlation between the analytically predicted behavior and the actual response of the structure. The study validates the incorporation of various soil models and soil–structure interaction characteristics, to allow a more cost-effective bridge design.
A step towards increased diversity in the engineering student population: the Science and Technology Entry Program at SUNY-Binghamton

The authors describe the history of the STEP (Science and Technology Entry Program) program at SUNY-Binghamton and illustrate the part that the Watson School of Engineering has played in both the STEP 1 (introductory) and STEP II (individual research) programs. Beginning in the summer of 1986 students enrolled in the STEP were introduced to the field of engineering. Those students were selected for participation in the STEP program based on their minority or economic status (family qualifying as being economically disadvantaged). In addition each student had displayed an interest in science and mathematics and was able to show some evidence of academic accomplishments. The students were enrolled in a high school in New York State. The emphasis of the program is interdisciplinary in nature. It allows for an organized exploration of the traditional sciences, from a research perspective, in which the students are introduced to the research techniques and learn of the current state-of-the art in areas ranging from archaeology to psychology. This intensive three-week program of daily seminar-laboratory activities results in the student being able to receive one semester hour of college credit through the Summer Session of SUNY-Binghamton. >
Development of potentially degradable materials for marine applications. II. Polypropylene‐starch blends

The effect of exposure of unstabilized polypropylene-starch blends, with or without a metal catalyst (e.g., cobalt (III) acetylacetonate), autooxidant (e.g., fatty acid), and a metal containing plasticizer (e.g., aluminum stearate) to the marine environment was studied for about six weeks at two different locations in New Jersey. Starch tends to absorb water. Unstabilized polypropylene degrades significantly during processin in air, as indicated by melt index values. Thus, for blends of unstabilized polypropylene-starch (no additives), prepared under controlled conditions and exposed to plain seawater, there seems to be no microbial activity or chemical degradation, as indicated by no surface erosion and practically no change in molecular weight and tensile properties. However, for unstabilized polypropylene starch blends containing metal catalyst, auto-oxidant, or plasticizer exposed under soft mud, surface erosion due to microbial activity is evident. In addition, chemical degradation due to the presence of degradative additives has been confirmed, as observed by a decrease in molecular weight and tensile properties. Changes in thermal characteristics of these blends after exposure to the marine environment have been studied.
On the existence of n but not n + 1 easy combinators

Recall that M is easy if it is consistent with every combinator. We say that M is m-easy if there is no proof with < m + 1 steps that M is inconsistent with any combinator. Obviously, if M is easy, it is m-easy for each m. Here we shall show that for infinitely many m there are m but not m + 1 easy terms.
Tunneling Between Superconductors

Over the last few years electron tunneling has become recognized as an important tool for studying the properties of superconductors, and I would like to start by reviewing some of the salient features of superconductivity. Many metals and alloys have the peculiar property that the resistance to electrical current becomes zero when the metal is cooled below a certain temperature, referred to as the superconducting transition temperature. Different metals have different transition temperatures; for example, for the metals considered here Pb becomes superconducting below 7.2°K, Sn below 3.7°K, In below 3.3°K, and Al below 1.2°K, and as far as we know Mg does not become superconducting below any temperature. (Note that experimentally we can never say that a metal is not a superconductor, because we cannot make the test at T = 0.)
When is a mediastinal mass critical in a child? An analysis of 29 patients.

The aims of this study were to determine the pattern of presentation of childhood mediastinal masses in our community and to identify factors associated with the development of acute airway compromise. The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 29 consecutive patients with mediastinal masses managed at their institution between January 1995 and December 2001. Demographic data, mass characteristics, clinical presentation, and surgical procedures were recorded. Seven patients (24.1%) were asymptomatic at presentation. Eight (27.6%) were classified as having acute airway compromise at presentation. Respiratory symptoms and signs were the most common mode of presentation (58.6% and 55.2%, respectively). The most common histological diagnosis was neurogenic mass (37.9%), followed by lymphoma (24.1%). Most masses were located in the superior mediastinum (41.1%). Factors associated with the development of acute airway compromise were (1) anterior location of the mediastinal mass ( P =0.019), (2) histological diagnosis of lymphoma ( P=0.008), (3) symptoms and signs of superior vena cava syndrome ( P =0.015 and 0.003, respectively), (4) radiological evidence of vessel compression or displacement ( P =0.015), (5) pericardial effusion ( P =0.015), and (6) pleural effusion ( P =0.033). Clinical presentation of childhood mediastinal masses is often nonspecific or incidental. Yet they have the propensity of developing acute airway compromise, which is closely associated with superior vena cava obstruction. Such patients should be managed as a complex cardiorespiratory syndrome, termed “critical mediastinal mass syndrome”, by an experienced multidisciplinary team.
Earned Value Management Software Projects

JPL has been attempting to apply EVM techniques for the last 15 years with mixed success, especially when applied to software tasks. One of the main causes is that software presents particular challenges that were not considered during the genesis of EVM. A small number of tasks have been able to use EVM effectively and derive great benefits. This paper discusses challenges specific to software management and how they can be successfully addressed. Specifically, it details lessons learned from the $28 million dollar Next Generation Navigation Software Project that replaced NASA’s deep space navigation software for operations. The project was able to successfully use EVM techniques during a four year period, producing 12 releases on their promised delivery dates and projects actual costs that were within 0.3% of the planned budget (under), in contrast to performance before the techniques were put into practice.
Quadratic partial eigenvalue assignment problem with time delay for active vibration control

Partial pole assignment in active vibration control refers to reassigning a small set of unwanted eigenvalues of the quadratic eigenvalue problem (QEP) associated with the second order system of a vibrating structure, by using feedback control force, to suitably chosen location without altering the remaining large number of eigenvalues and eigenvectors. There are several challenges of solving this quadratic partial eigenvalue assignment problem (QPEVAP) in a computational setting which the traditional pole-placement problems for first-order control systems do not have to deal with. In order to these challenges, there has been some work in recent years to solve QPEVAP in a computationally viable way. However, these works do not take into account of the practical phenomenon of the time-delay effect in the system. In this paper, a new direct and partial modal approach of the quadratic partial eigenvalue assignment problem with time-delay is proposed. The approach works directly in the quadratic system without requiring transformation to a standard state-space system and requires the knowledge of only a small number of eigenvalues and eigenvectors that can be computed or measured in practice. Two illustrative examples are presented in the context of active vibration control with constant time-delay to illustrate the success of our proposed approach. Future work includes generalization of this approach to a more practical complex time-delay system and extension of this work to the multi-input problem.
Deficient antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-expressing target cells in perinatal HIV infection.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children, age-matched HIV-seronegative controls, and HIV-infected asymptomatic and symptomatic adults were compared for their ability to mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity against target cells expressing HIV or herpes simplex virus (HSV) antigens. Target cells consisted of CD4 lymphocytes purified from PBMC of HIV-seronegative adults and incubated with the IIIB strain of HIV, HUT78 cells chronically infected with IIIB, and HSV-infected human fibroblasts. PBMC of asymptomatic HIV-infected adults were generally able to lyse CD4 cells expressing HIV antigens. Direct correlation was found between the magnitude of lysis and absolute CD4 cell counts in these individuals. In contrast to these results, PBMC from HIV-infected children were generally unable to lyse IIIB-expressing CD4 cells, regardless of the children’s clinical status, age, or absolute CD4 cell counts. Cells from HIV-seronegative adults and children did not directly lyse these target cells either but, in contrast to cells of HIV-seropositive children, were able to mediate cell lysis when serum from an HIV-seropositive adult was added. However, effector cells from these HIV-infected children were able to mediate both ADCC against HSV-infected fibroblasts and NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity against IIIB-infected HUT78 cells. Reduced ability of PBMC from vertically HIV-infected children to mediate ADCC against HIV antigen-expressing CD4 cells may contribute to rapid progression to AIDS.
MYC Amplification in Angiosarcoma Arising from an Arteriovenous Graft Site

Angiosarcoma arising in association with an arteriovenous graft (AVG) or fistula is a unique clinicopathologic scenario that appears to be gaining recognition in the literature. Among reported cases, none has described high-level MYC gene amplification, a genetic aberration that is increasingly unifying the various clinicopathologic subdivisions of angiosarcoma. We therefore report the MYC gene status in a case of angiosarcoma arising at an AVG site.
Biotech Potatoes in the 21st Century: 20 Years Since the First Biotech Potato

Potato is the world's most important vegetable crop, with nearly 400 million tons produced worldwide every year, lending to stability in food supply and socioeconomic impact. In general, potato is an intensively managed crop, requiring irrigation, fertilization, and frequent pesticide applications in order to obtain the highest yields possible. Important traits are easy to find in wild relatives of potato, but their introduction using traditional breeding can take 15–20 years. This is due to sexual incompatibility between some wild and cultivated species, a desire to remove undesirable wild species traits from adapted germplasm, and difficulty in identifying broadly applicable molecular markers. Fortunately, potato is amenable to propagation via tissue culture and it is relatively easy to introduce new traits using currently available biotech transformation techniques. For these reasons, potato is arguably the crop that can benefit most by modern biotechnology. The benefits of biotech potato, such as limited gene flow to conventionally grown crops and weedy relatives, the opportunity for significant productivity and nutritional quality gains, and reductions in production cost and environmental impact, have the potential to influence the marketability of newly developed varieties. In this review we will discuss current and past efforts to develop biotech potato varieties, traits that could be impacted, and the potential effects that biotech potato could have on the industry.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Conditional Pacemakers: Rationale, Development and Future Directions

Pacemakers and other cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) have long been considered an absolute contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a crucial and growing imaging modality. In the last 20 years, protocols have been developed to allow MR scanning of CIED patients with a low complication rate. However, this practice has remained limited to a relatively small number of centers, and many pacemaker patients continue to be denied access to clinically indicated imaging. The introduction of MRI conditional pacemakers has provided a widely applicable and satisfactory solution to this problem. Here, the interactions of pacemakers with the MR environment, the results of MR scanning in patients with conventional CIEDs, the development and clinical experience with MRI conditional devices, and future directions are reviewed.
Differential Expression of MUC1, MUC2, and MUC5AC in Carcinomas of Various Sites

We studied immunohistochemical expression of MUC1, MUC2, and MUC5AC in 194 carcinomas of different primary sites to determine whether differential expression patterns could be used to distinguish different carcinomas. MUC1 was expressed by most (except adrenocortical and hepatocellular carcinomas). MUC2 was expressed infrequently (positive immunoreactivity primarily in tumors of gastrointestinal origin). MUC5AC was expressed by most pancreatic ductal and endocervical adenocarcinomas and a variable number of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. A MUC1+/MUC2–/MUC5AC– immunophenotype was observed in most breast, lung, kidney, bladder, endometrial, and ovarian carcinomas; MUC1+/MUC2–/MUC5AC+ was characteristic of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas. Adrenocortical and hepatocellular carcinomas were negative for all mucins. Carcinomas of gastrointestinal origin exhibited variable expression of each mucin examined and no consistent immunoreactivity pattern. Many carcinomas can exhibit distinct MUC1, MUC2, and MUC5AC expression patterns, which might be valuable diagnostically in specific settings (eg, distinguishing cholangiocarcinoma from hepatocellular carcinoma or renal from adrenocortical carcinoma). However, the overlapping and heterogeneous patterns of MUC1, MUC2, and MUC5AC expression observed in many tumors, particularly those of gastrointestinal origin, preclude use of these markers in the routine immunohistochemical assessment of carcinomas of an unknown primary site.
Archiving Histories: The Southeast Asian Archive at University of California, Irvine

Vietnamese American history is deeply contested terrain in American culture, with a significant portion of the American population laying claim to "Vietnam" as a site of memories. The decadeslong involvement of the United States in the region, as well as the commitment of massive numbers of American troops, financial resources, and military aid, profoundly shaped the United States' attitude towards Vietnam. Two major results of this intervention were the increased knowledge and academic study of that area of the world through the field of Southeast Asian Studies and the widespread anti-war movement which affected U.S. politics at home. The famous controversy over the Vietnam War memorial by Maya Lin in Washington, DC indicates the resonance that this military conflict has had for the American public.
Swath Mapping Data Management Within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

In 1983, the United States proclaimed the establishment of a maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending beyond the territorial sea to a distance of 200 nautical miles from its coastline. The proclamation reserved for the U.S. the sovereign right to explore for, exploit, conserve, and manage all natural resources within this new 3.4 million square nautical mile territory, an area roughly 1.2 times the total U.S. land mass. In order to help determine the characteristics and resources of the U.S. EEZ, a detailed program was developed to systematically map the entire area using multi-beam swath sounding systems. The program is under the direction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), United States Department of Commerce. Field operations commenced in early 1984 as two NOAA ships, equipped with advanced bathymetric swath mapping and precision navigation capabilities, began surveying off the coast of central California. Two additional ships have been added since and, to date, 36,000 square nautical miles of bathymetric mapping have been completed, a product of 95,000 lineal nautical miles of swath sounding. With such an enormous amount of data produced by swath mapping systems, the necessity for a comprehensive data management program was recognized early in the project. This paper describes the two-level data management system that has evolved, the lower level utilized aboard NOAA ships that acquire and initially process swath data, and the upper level employed by the Ocean Mapping Section, which is responsible for receiving, verifying, final processing and archiving all bathymetric swath data.
‘I am only half alive’: Organ trafficking in Pakistan amid interlocking oppressions

This article delves into the gendered/classed phenomenon of organ trafficking based on ethnographic and archival data from Pakistan. Drawing upon experiences of victims of organ trafficking, the authors situate trafficking for organ trade within a global–national–local political economy of human trafficking. They argue that the theoretical focus on women in discussions of gendered sex trafficking, and a separate discussion on labor trafficking contribute to the relative invisibility of organ trafficking which mostly targets poor men. Yet, organ trafficking is located within the same interlocking set of oppressions that perpetuate other forms of trafficking. The authors argue that, as sociologists, we have to shift our focus from the organs to the people whose organs are harvested and trafficked in order to develop a framework that views different forms of trafficking as a continuum.
Some Observations on the Planting Date of Corn and its Relation to European Corn Borer Population

This paper is a report of some of the progress made on three seasons of study pertaining to the relation of the planting date of corn to corn borer ( Pyrausta nubilalis Hubn.) infestations and populations. Other conditions being equal, greatly reduced infestations and subsequent borer populations were evident in the later plantings. Discussions of some of the reasons for this are included, principally as regards the effect of the height. of corn on egg deposition and the effect of the required length of the growing period of varieties on larval survival.
Self-assembly of aqueous bilirubin ditaurate, a natural conjugated bile pigment, to contraposing enantiomeric dimers and M(-) and P(+) tetramers and their selective hydrophilic disaggregation by monomers and micelles of bile salts.

The solution behavior of bilirubin ditaurate (BDT), the first naturally occurring conjugated bile pigment to be physically and chemically characterized, was assessed in aqueous solution and in monomeric and micellar solutions of common taurine-conjugated bile salts (BS). Analytical ultracentrifugation revealed that BDT self-associates in monomer–dimer equilibria between 1 and 500 μM, forming limiting tetramers at low millimolar concentrations. Self-association was enthalpically driven with ΔG values of ≈5 kcal/mol, suggesting strong hydrophobic interactions. Added NaCl and decreases in temperature shifted the oligomerization to lower BDT concentrations. On the basis of circular dichroism spectra and the limiting size of the self-aggregates, we infer that the tetramers are composed of 2P(+) and 2M(−) enantiomeric BDT pairs in “ridge-tile” conformations interacting in a “double-bookend” structure. With added monomeric BS, blue shifts in the UV–vis spectra and tight isosbestic points revealed that BDT/BS het...
FEBRILE RESPONSES TO THE INTRACISTERNAL INJECTION OF ENDOGENOUS (LEUCOCYTIC) PYROGEN IN THE RABBIT.

SummaryIntracisternal injection in rabbits of endogenous (leucocytic) pyrogen prepared from rabbit leucocytes in vitro causes a high and sustained elevation of body (rectal) temperature, accompanied by prolonged depression of heat-loss mechanisms (panting and ear blood flow). In paired experiments, the same dose of endogenous pyrogen always caused a much greater increase of body temperature when given intracisternally than when given intravenously. The evidence strongly supports an hypothesis that endogenous pyrogen has a primary site of action in the central nervous system.
A Discussion of the Bogosian Settlement and its Effect on the Marketing of Gasoline

One of the longest antitrust litigations in history was settled in the Spring of 1985 when thirteen major oil companies settled with approximately 200,000 lessee dealers. The oil companies settled out of court for $25 million and granted the dealers open supply provisions. Some of the background information about the Bogosian settlement, the reactions of lessee dealers and major oil companies, and general marketing ramifications are discussed in this study.
Sensitivity enhanced NMR spectroscopy by quenching scalar coupling mediated relaxation: application to the direct observation of hydrogen bonds in 13C/15N-labeled proteins.

In this paper, we demonstrate that the sensitivity of triple-resonance NMR experiments can be enhanced significantly through quenching scalar coupling mediated relaxation by using composite-pulse decoupling (CPD) or an adiabatic decoupling sequence on aliphatic, in particular alpha-carbons in 13C/15N-labeled proteins. The CPD-HNCO experiment renders 50% sensitivity enhancement over the conventional CT-HNCO experiment performed on a 12 kDa FK506 binding protein, when a total of 266 ms of amide nitrogen–carbonyl carbon defocusing and refocusing periods is employed. This is a typical time period for the direct detection of hydrogen bonds in proteins via trans-hydrogen bond 3hJNC′ couplings. The experimental data fit theoretical analysis well. The significant enhancement in sensitivity makes the experiment more applicable to larger-sized proteins without resorting to perdeuteration.
Hospitality in Jeopardy

This article explores United Needle Trades and Industrial Employees (UNITE) and Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE)’s strategic campaign to organize a diverse low-wage workforce of hous...
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)

The multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) is the best available tool to objectively assess sleepiness and early onset rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It is an examination to determine the mean sleep latency and the development of sleep onset REM periods during several serial nap opportunities. There is no other assessment tool currently available clinically to measure sleepiness. The MSLT is the diagnostic test of choice in the evaluation of narcolepsy.
Mexican-American Dementia Nomogram: Development of a Dementia Risk Index for Mexican-American Older Adults.

Objectives To create a risk index (Mexican American Dementia Nomogram (MADeN)) that predicts dementia over a 10-year period for Mexican Americans aged 65 and older. Design Retrospective cohort study with longitudinal analysis. Setting Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California. Participants Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE) participants (n = 1,739). Measurements Dementia was defined as a decline of three or more points per year on the Mini-Mental State Examination and inability to perform one or more daily activities. Candidate risk factors included demographic characteristics, measures of social engagement, self-reported health conditions, ability to perform daily activities, and physical activity. Results The MADeN comprised the following risk factors: age, sex, education, not having friends to count on, not attending community events, diabetes mellitus, feeling the blues, pain, impairment in instrumental activities of daily living, and unable to walk a half-mile. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.70–0.78) and a score of 16 points or higher had a sensitivity of 0.65 (95% CI = 0.59–0.72) and specificity of 0.70 (95% CI = 0.67–0.73) in predicting dementia. Conclusion The MADeN was able to predict dementia in a population of older Mexican-American adults with moderate accuracy. It has the potential to identify older Mexican-American adults who may benefit from interventions to reduce dementia risk and to educate this population about risk factors for dementia.
Crowd-Sourced Intelligence Agency: Prototyping counterveillance:

This paper discusses how an interactive artwork, the Crowd-Sourced Intelligence Agency (CSIA), can contribute to discussions of Big Data intelligence analytics. The CSIA is a publicly accessible Op...
The zebrafish as a model system for analyzing mammalian and native α-crystallin promoter function

Previous studies have used the zebrafish to investigate the biology of lens crystallin proteins and their roles in development and disease. However, little is known about zebrafish α-crystallin promoter function, how it compares to that of mammals, or whether mammalian α-crystallin promoter activity can be assessed using zebrafish embryos. We injected a variety of α-crystallin promoter fragments from each species combined with the coding sequence for green fluorescent protein (GFP) into zebrafish zygotes to determine the resulting spatiotemporal expression patterns in the developing embryo. We also measured mRNA levels and protein abundance for all three zebrafish α-crystallins. Our data showed that mouse and zebrafish αA-crystallin promoters generated similar GFP expression in the lens, but with earlier onset when using mouse promoters. Expression was also found in notochord and skeletal muscle in a smaller percentage of embryos. Mouse αB-crystallin promoter fragments drove GFP expression primarily in zebrafish skeletal muscle, with less common expression in notochord, lens, heart and in extraocular regions of the eye. A short fragment containing only a lens-specific enhancer region increased lens and notochord GFP expression while decreasing muscle expression, suggesting that the influence of mouse promoter control regions carries over into zebrafish embryos. The two paralogous zebrafish αB-crystallin promoters produced subtly different expression profiles, with the aBa promoter driving expression equally in notochord and skeletal muscle while the αBb promoter resulted primarily in skeletal muscle expression. Messenger RNA for zebrafish αA increased between 1 and 2 days post fertilization (dpf), αBa increased between 4 and 5 dpf, but αBb remained at baseline levels through 5 dpf. Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mass spectrometry was used to detect αA, aBa, and αBb peptides in digests of zebrafish embryos. In whole embryos, αA-crystallin was first detected by 2 dpf, peaked in abundance by 4-5 dpf, and was localized to the eye. αBa was detected in whole embryo at nearly constant levels from 1-6 dpf, was also localized primarily to the eye, and its abundance in extraocular tissues decreased from 4-7 dpf. In contrast, due to its low abundance, no αBb protein could be detected in whole embryo, or dissected eye and extraocular tissues. Our results show that mammalian α-crystallin promoters can be efficiently screened in zebrafish embryos and that their controlling regions are well conserved. An ontogenetic shift in zebrafish aBa-crystallin promoter activity provides an interesting system for examining the evolution and control of tissue specificity. Future studies that combine these promoter based approaches with the expanding ability to engineer the zebrafish genome via techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 will allow the manipulation of protein expression to test hypotheses about lens crystallin function and its relation to lens biology and disease.
Deep greedy learning under thermal variability in full diurnal cycles

We study the generalization and scalability behavior of a deep belief network (DBN) applied to a challenging long-wave infrared hyperspectral dataset, consisting of radiance from several manmade and natural materials within a fixed site located 500 m from an observation tower. The collections cover multiple full diurnal cycles and include different atmospheric conditions. Using complementary priors, a DBN uses a greedy algorithm that can learn deep, directed belief networks one layer at a time and has two layers form to provide undirected associative memory. The greedy algorithm initializes a slower learning procedure, which fine-tunes the weights, using a contrastive version of the wake-sleep algorithm. After fine-tuning, a network with three hidden layers forms a very good generative model of the joint distribution of spectral data and their labels, despite significant data variability between and within classes due to environmental and temperature variation occurring within and between full diurnal cycles. We argue, however, that more questions than answers are raised regarding the generalization capacity of these deep nets through experiments aimed at investigating their training and augmented learning behavior.
Epicardial ablation of tachyarrhythmia in children: Experience at two academic centers.

Background Experience with percutaneous epicardial ablation of tachyarrhythmia in pediatrics is limited. This case series addresses the feasibility, safety, and complications of the procedure in children. Methods A total of nine patients underwent 10 epicardial ablation procedures from 2002 to 2013 at two academic centers. Activation mapping was performed in all cases, and electroanatomic map was utilized in nine of the 10 procedures. Patients had undergone one to three failed endocardial catheter ablations in addition to medical management, and all had symptoms, a high-risk accessory pathway (AP), aborted cardiac arrest with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), or ventricular dysfunction. A standard epicardial approach was used for access in all cases, using a 7- or 8- Fr sheath. Epicardial ablation modality was radiofrequency (RF) in seven, cryoablation (CRYO) in one, and CRYO plus RF in one. Results Median age was 14 (range 8–19) years. Indications: drug refractory ectopic atrial tachycardia (one), ventricular tachycardia (VT) (five), high-risk AP (two), and aborted cardiac arrest from WPW – (one). Epicardial ablation was not performed in one case despite access due to an inability to maneuver the catheter around a former pericardial scar. VT foci included the right ventricular outflow tract septum, high posterior left ventricle (LV), LV outflow tract, postero-basal LV, and scar from previous rhabdomyoma surgery. WPW foci were in the area of the posterior septum and coronary sinus in all three cases. Overall procedural success was 70% (7/10), with epicardial ablation success in five and endocardial ablation success after epicardial mapping in two. The VT focus was close to the left anterior descending coronary artery in one of the unsuccessful cases in which both RF and CRYO were used. There was one recurrence after a successful epicardial VT ablation, which was managed with a second successful epicardial procedure. There were no other recurrences at more than 1 year of follow-up. Complications were minimal, with one case of inadvertent pleural access requiring no specific therapy. No pericarditis or effusion was seen in any of the patients who underwent epicardial ablation. Conclusion Epicardial ablation in pediatric patients can be performed with low complications and acceptable success. It can be considered for a spectrum of tachycardia mechanisms after failed endocardial ablation attempts and suspected epicardial foci. Success and recurrence may be related to foci in proximity to the epicardial coronaries, pericardial scar, or a distant location from the closest epicardial location. Repeat procedures may be necessary.
The Influence of Hearing Aid Gain on Gap-Detection Thresholds for Children and Adults With Hearing Loss.

Objectives The objective of this experiment was to examine the contributions of audibility to the ability to perceive a gap in noise for children and adults. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in adulthood is associated with a deficit in gap detection. It is well known that reduced audibility in adult listeners with SNHL contributes to this deficit; however, it is unclear the extent to which hearing aid amplification can restore gap-detection thresholds, and the effect of childhood SNHL on gap-detection thresholds have not been described. For adults, it was hypothesized that restoring the dynamic range of hearing for listeners with SNHL would lead to approximately normal gap-detection thresholds. Children with normal hearing (NH) exhibit poorer gap-detection thresholds than adults. Because of their hearing loss, children with SNHL have less auditory experience than their peers with NH. Yet, it is unknown the extent to which auditory experience impacts their ability to perceive gaps in noise. Even with the provision of amplification, it was hypothesized that children with SNHL would show a deficit in gap detection, relative to their peers with normal hearing, because of reduced auditory experience. Design The ability to detect a silent interval in noise was tested by adapting the stimulus level required for detection of gap durations between 3 and 20 ms for adults and children with and without SNHL. Stimulus-level thresholds were measured for participants with SNHL without amplification and with two prescriptive procedures-the adult and child versions of the desired sensation level i/o program-using a hearing aid simulator. The child version better restored the normal dynamic range than the adult version. Adults and children with NH were tested without amplification. Results When fitted using the procedure that best restored the dynamic range, adults with SNHL had stimulus-level thresholds similar to those of adults with normal hearing. Compared to the children with NH, the children with SNHL required a higher stimulus level to detect a 5-ms gap, despite having used the procedure that better restored the normal dynamic range of hearing. Otherwise, the two groups of children had similar stimulus-level thresholds. Conclusion These findings suggest that apparent deficits in temporal resolution, as measured using stimulus-level thresholds for the detection of gaps, are dependent on age and audibility. These novel results indicate that childhood SNHL may impair temporal resolution as measured by stimulus-level thresholds for the detection of a gap in noise. This work has implications for understanding the effects of amplification on the ability to perceive temporal cues in speech.
Ristretto: A Framework for Empirical Study of Resource-Efficient Inference in Convolutional Neural Networks

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have led to remarkable progress in a number of key pattern recognition tasks, such as visual scene understanding and speech recognition, that potentially enable numerous applications. Consequently, there is a significant need to deploy trained CNNs to resource-constrained embedded systems. Inference using pretrained modern deep CNNs, however, requires significant system resources, including computation, energy, and memory space. To enable efficient implementation of trained CNNs, a viable approach is to approximate the network with an implementation-friendly model with only negligible degradation in classification accuracy. We present Ristretto, a CNN approximation framework that enables empirical investigation of the tradeoff between various number representation and word width choices and the classification accuracy of the model. Specifically, Ristretto analyzes a given CNN with respect to numerical range required to represent weights, activations, and intermediate results of convolutional and fully connected layers, and subsequently, it simulates the impact of reduced word width or lower precision arithmetic operators on the model accuracy. Moreover, Ristretto can fine-tune a quantized network to further improve its classification accuracy under a given number representation and word width configuration. Given a maximum classification accuracy degradation tolerance of 1%, we use Ristretto to demonstrate that three ImageNet networks can be condensed to use 8-bit dynamic fixed point for network weights and activations. Ristretto is available as a popular open-source software project 1 and has already been viewed over 1 000 times on Github as of the submission of this brief. 1 https://github.com/pmgysel/caffe
Evaluating Human Factors and Design Variables on Pen Injection Technique

All parenteral delivery systems require a device/tissue site interface, where design, human factors, and tissue biomechanics impact successful function for consistent, reliable delivery. Limited published data exists quantifying these factors and their interaction effects on delivery success. This in vivo study examines pen needle (PN) hub design and skin application force impacts on needle penetration depth (NPD). PN injections (2µl contrast agent) were administered to Yorkshire swine flanks at clinically measured skin application forces (0.25, 0.75, 1.25 and 2.0 lbf). In vivo NPD from four 32G x 4mm PN devices (investigational BD Nano™ PRO and three commercial PN devices; n=75/device/force, 1200 total) were measured by fluoroscopic imaging. The BD Nano™ PRO more closely achieved the 4mm target NPD with significantly less variability (p Quantifiable differences observed between PN devices indicate that design features, coupled with aspects of variable use, influence injection consistency. The BD Nano™ PRO design may reduce impact of unintended individual injection technique differences and IM injection potential, which could decrease insulin absorption variability leading to more consistent glycemic control. Disclosure C. Rini: Employee; Self; Becton, Dickinson and Company. B.C. Roberts: Employee; Self; Becton, Dickinson and Company. D. Morel: Employee; Self; Becton, Dickinson and Company. R. Klug: None. B.L. Selvage: None. R.J. Pettis: Employee; Self; Becton, Dickinson and Company. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Becton, Dickinson and Company. Research Support; Self; JDRF. Board Member; Self; JDRF.
Development of an Infrared Direct Viewer Based on a MEMS Focal Plane Array

Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technologies have allowed the development of novel, uncooled infrared imaging detectors consisting of arrays of bi-material structures that deflect linearly as a function of temperature associated with infrared radiation from a scene. An optical readout system can be used to measure the deformation of the structures based on reflected light, and offers several advantages over the microbolometer sensors that are currently in widespread use including the ability to sense each structure without the need for complex addressing and sensing circuitry in the array. This leads to lower production costs, easier scalability, and reduced conduction between the substrate and individual sensing elements. However, it has been shown that optical readout methods based on reflectometry suffer from the effects of low array uniformity and offer only a qualitative response. Our previous work has shown that live digital holography can be used to compensate for initial non-uniformity across a small subsection of a representative array of sensing elements, and interferometric techniques have been used to observe a responsivity of 1.5 nm/K along with an NEDT of 220 mK. The current work explores the use of unpowered interferometric techniques such as Nomarski differential interference and live phase holography to overcome the previously mentioned limitations of reflectometry based measurements in order to demonstrate the viability of creating an infrared direct viewer.
Working Capital-Management: Fallbeispiele, Checklisten, KPIs

Anhand von Fallbeispielen wird die Praxis des Working Capital Managements erlautert.Beschrieben wird zunachst das Projektmanagement eines Working Capital Projekts.Anschliesend werden die drei Kernprozesse des Working Capital-Managements behandelt:
New cadmium-selenium-oxyhalides: Noncentrosymmetric Cd5(SeO3)4Cl2(H2O) and centrosymmetric Cd2(SeO3)F2, Cd2(SeO3)(OH)Br

Abstract Three new cadmium-selenium-oxyhalides, Cd2(SeO3)F2, Cd5(SeO3)4Cl2(H2O) and Cd2(SeO3)(OH)Br, were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal methods. Among these three compounds, Cd5(SeO3)4Cl2(H2O) is noncentrosymmetric (NCS) and crystalizes in the polar space group P21. Powder second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements using 1064 nm radiation indicate that Cd5(SeO3)4Cl2(H2O) exhibits SHG intensity of about 0.6 times of KH2PO4 (KDP). Cd2(SeO3)F2 and Cd2(SeO3)(OH)Br are centrosymmetric (CS) and crystalize in the space group Pnma and C2/c, respectively. The framework of Cd5(SeO3)4Cl2(H2O) is constructed by interconnected cadmium-oxygen-chlorine layers and cadmium-oxygen-chlorine chains with Se ions embedded into by sharing three oxygen atoms. Cd2(SeO3)F2 exhibits a three-dimensional (3D) structure with [CdO3F3] octahedra that are connected to [SeO3] polyhedra. Cd2(SeO3)(OH)Br exhibits a 3D structure consisting of [Cd(1)O2(OH)2Br2], [Cd(2)O4(OH)Br] and [SeO3] polyhedra. For all of the reported compounds, infrared spectroscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and thermogravimetric measurements were performed.
Some Reflections on Teaching Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers.

Virtually every college or university training elementary school teachers offers a course in mathematics content with a title similar to "Mathematics for the Elementary School Teacher", the title we use at the University of Cincinnati. The course is usually a year long and in most states it is a certification requirement for grades kindergarten through eight; it evolved from the recommendations of the Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics (CUPM) of the Mathematical Association of America in the early 1960s. Little, however, has appeared in journals such as the Arithmetic Teacher about the experiences various universities or instructors have had with this course. This paper describes some aspects of such a course at the University of Cincinnati, and 1 have had two major purposes in mind in writing it. One is to communicate some successful ideas to others who teach similar courses, and the other is to encourage others to submit their ideas, experiences, and suggestions so that all of us can share and profit from each other's successes and failures. A third possibility is to generate some comments from teachers in elementary and middle schools who once took such a course and now, in retrospect, have suggestions to make to those of us who teach it.
Facts vs Fiction: the Role of Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Glaucoma

Marijuana has been known to decrease intraocular pressure in humans since the early 1970s. However, its broad side effect profile, short half-life, and limited corneal penetration have prevented its development into a commercial ocular anti-hypertensive. Our paper aims to evaluate the latest research on the role of cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma and whether or not there is any progress in overcoming the above limitations. Several techniques for retaining the therapeutic effect and minimizing or eliminating the side effects of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are being investigated, but these are still in the early stages. Much work still needs to be done before a cannabinoid-based ocular antihypertensive is commercially available.
THz Conductivity in Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF)

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are an emerging class of materials. These materials exhibit a large degree of porosity resulting in a low density. These are promising attributes for the fabrication of low-weight and wearable electronics. In this submission, an electrically conductive MOF is investigated. We present temperature-resolved THz-TDS measurements, OPTP, and TRTS measurements. We detected several low energy vibrational excitations in the TDS traces, as well as photoconductivity in the OPTP and TRTS. These measurements provide a pathway to explain the underlying processes of conductivity in this material system.
HIV Status Does Not Affect the Outcome of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) for B Cell Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL).

Abstract Randomized trials have demonstrated superior progression free (PFS)and overall survival (OS) with autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) for patients with relapsed chemosensitive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) compared with conventional dose salvage chemotherapy. More recent trials have proven that ASCT is also feasible in pts with AIDS associated NHL (ARL). However, the impact of the HIV infection on long term outcome is unknown. We therefore, undertook a retrospective case control analysis of ASCT for high risk B cell NHL in HIV positive (HIV Pos) and HIV negative (HIV Neg) pts. Twenty-nine pts with ARL who underwent ASCT between 1998 and 2007 were matched with HIV Neg controls. Pts were matched for gender, time from NHL dx to ASCT, age at ASCT, dz status at ASCT, number of prior regimens, conditioning regimen (chemo vs. FTBI). Histology was matched as closely as possible with the exception that there were more high-grade NHL pts in the HIV Pos group. Patient HIV Pos HIV Neg P value* Age at ASCT 42 (11–68) 48(21–65) .06 HISTOLOGY Large cell 19 25 Burkitts 10 0 Follicular gr 3 0 3 Marginal zone 0 1 Disease status 1CR/PR 16 16 IF 2 2 1.0 Relapse 11 11 Prior regimens 2(1–4) 2(1–4) .33 Conditioning - - FTBI 4 4 1.0 Non TBI 25 25 (* P value by Fishers exact test or Wilson signed rank sum test) Median followup for HIV Pos pts is 46.7 months and 43.3 months for HIV neg controls (NS). Pts engrafted WBC at a median of 10 days (HIV Pos) and 11 days (HIV Neg) (NS) respectively. Non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 8% (95% CI 2–26) in HIV Pos pts and 4% (95%CI 0.7–25)in HIV Neg controls (NS). Two year PFS for the HIV Pos cohort was 76% (95% CI 62–85) and 56% (95% CI 45–66) for the controls (NS). OS was also similar at 75% (95% CI 61–85) versus 75% (95% CI 60–85)respectively{ see figure }. In conclusion, despite the inclusion of more poor risk pts by histology in the HIV Pos cohort, our series demonstrated matching OS for HIV Pos and HIV Neg pts undergoing ASCT for NHL The equivalent NRM also provides further evidence that HIV status does not affect the outcome of ASCT for NHL and therefore, should be considered a standard approach for select pts with ARL. Download : Download high-res image (77KB) Download : Download full-size image
Stick-Slip Motion, Transient Behavior, and Memory in Confined Films

Experimental studies of the dynamics of molecularly thin films using the Surface Force Apparatus (SFA) reveal a rich variety of behavior [1–13]. As the film thickness decreases, the relaxation times and viscosities of simple fluids increase by many orders of magnitude. At small enough thicknesses, films enter a solid state that is capable of resisting static shear forces [1,3,11–13]. When the yield stress of these films is exceeded, motion occurs through intermittent stick-slip events rather than smooth sliding [3–5,8,9]. Stop/start experiments [3, 5] and the response to oscillatory shear [10] reveal that films store memory of their previous sliding history for very long times.