cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agency theory and quality fade in buyer‐supplier relationships

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose using agency theory for assessing the likelihood of quality fade in buyer‐supplier relationships and prescribing contractual mechanisms for reducing quality fade. In this paper, quality fade, an element of supply chain vulnerability, is defined as the unforeseen deterioration of agreed to or expected quality levels with respect to product and/or service requirements. The use of outcome‐based, behavior‐based, or mix contracts can be used to reduce the likelihood of quality fade and illustrate preferred scenarios for buyer and suppliers.Design/methodology/approach – This paper proposes a conceptual model for using agency theory to explain and address a type of supply chain vulnerability called quality fade. A 2×2 matrix is proposed that contrasts outcome measurability with outcome uncertainty to illustrate buyer and supplier vulnerability and to suggest contractual mechanisms that can be used to mitigate vulnerability for both parties.Findings – A typology o...
Nanoscale Quantitative Thermal Imaging of Electronic Devices

This paper investigates a new method for quantitative nanoscale thermal imaging of electronic devices. Different from previous works that utilized a thermal sensor fabricated on a scanning probe to obtain surface thermal images, the current approach employs a tunneling thermocouple made of a metal tip and an ultra-thin metal film deposited on the sample surface. The metal tip has a negligible Seebeck coefficient; while the metal film can be Bi2 Te3 or a semiconducting polymer that has very high Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity. Unlike the probe with a built-in thermal sensor, the measured thermoelectric voltage by the tunneling thermocouple is not affected by the tip-sample contact thermal resistance and air conduction, allowing quantitative temperature measurement with a spatial resolution limited by the metal film thickness, which can be 10–20 nm. We have tested the new approach using Ir or Pt-Ir -coated atomic force microscope (AFM) tips to obtain the surface temperature profiles of interconnect structures coated with a thin Cr film. The measured surface temperature gradient is larger and the maximum measured temperature is 60% higher than the corresponding values obtained by a thermal probe with a built-in thermocouple fabricated at the tip end. The two thermal imaging methods are currently being used to measure temperature distribution on the cross section of a 130 nm-technology silicon-on-insulator field-effect transistor.© 2002 ASME
COPING WITH STRESS AND IRRATIONAL BELIEFS

The present study tested whether people who endorsed fewer beliefs which Ellis designates as irrational coped more efficiently with stressful life events. Results indicated that this was the case. They reinforce the opinion that stress-management programs should focus on cognitive factors.
Progression to end-stage glaucoma after laser in situ keratomileusis

We describe 2 patients, one a glaucoma suspect because of family history and the other with juvenile glaucoma. Both patients developed complications after laser in situ keratomileusis that required frequent topical steroids, leading to steroid-induced glaucoma. In both cases, corneal edema from the acute rise in intraocular pressure (IOP) caused inaccurate IOP measurement by standard methods. The inability to recognize glaucoma early may have resulted in significant irreversible vision loss.
Bridging the economic divide in the Republic of South Africa: A corporate social responsibility perspective

Almost 15 years since the end of apartheid rule in the Republic of South Africa, the society is still profoundly bifurcated today as it was in 1994 when the first nonracial general elections were held. A majority of the population is impoverished, official unemployment is staggering, the economy has cooled, wealth/income is grossly unevenly distributed (particularly along racial lines), crime has soared, HIV/AIDS is debilitating, and the population is getting restless. This inquiry discusses how and what the business community is doing in the manner of “giving back” to the community, via corporate social responsibility, to help ameliorate the untenable situation. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Swash-zone competency of gravel-size sediment

Abstract Experiments on Broad Cove Beach, Appledore Island, Maine, using an event recorder to measure velocities and painted particles as tracers, verify the validity of applying the Hjulstrom curve to the marine environment landward of the breaker-zone for the cobble to boulder-size range. Swash velocities ranging from 6.37 to 7.96 ft./sec moved particles with intermediate diameters of 0.24 to 0.36 ft. Mean breaker heights ranged from 0.30 to 0.97 ft.
TU‐C‐BRC‐02: Infrastructure to Integrate Imaging in Clinical Trials

Imaging biomarkers are increasingly used as primary or secondary endpoints in therapeutic trials. There are many academic units, professional organizations, industry groups and federal agencies addressing one or more components or issues associated with imaging biomarkers, and communication and coordination of efforts has been minimal. The RSNA has organized an Imaging Biomarkers Roundtable to establish ongoing communication among these organizations, and to develop a roadmap of activities and goals. Validation of imaging methods as biomarkers is complicated by the variability within and between patients, by the human observer component, by the variability across imaging devices from different manufacturers, and by the need to standardize methods across institutions and centers. To understand the errors and reduce them where possible, the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance (QIBA) has been formed. These and other efforts are active and productive. Accomplishments and future plans will be discussed. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand efforts to integrate imaging biomarkers in clinical trials. 2. Understand efforts to improve the accuracy and precision of imaging biomarkers.
Comparison of calculated and experimental band structure in odd-A nuclei with A = 187–199

Abstract The band structure and formation mechanism of odd-A rotational bands based on intruder orbitals are studied using the particle-core coupling model of de-Shalit. Since quadrupole interaction is assumed between the particle and the core, the E2 static and transition moments of the core excited states determine the odd-A band structure. The relationship between the E2 moments of the core states and the odd-A energy spectrum is used to discuss about the core shape. Shapes considered are γ-stable, γ-vibrational, axially symmetric or spherically vibrational. This approach is found to work fairly well for the transitional nuclei with A = 187–199. The γ-stable model of Davydov and Fillippov is also shown to be almost equivalent to the γ-vibrational model of Bohr and Mottelson.
Discordant radiograph interpretation between emergency physicians and radiologists in a pediatric emergency department.

Objectives: To describe the types of discrepancies in radiograph interpretation between emergency physicians and radiologists in a pediatric emergency department, and to determine the impact of discrepant interpretations on patient care. Methods: Prospective cohort study of discordant radiographs from the period beginning March 1, 1995 and ending March 31, 1996. During this period, 2083 radiographs were coded by the radiologist as concordant or discordant. Three hundred forty-nine were coded as discordant, and 324 were eligible for the study. Charts were reviewed for relevant physical examination findings and emergency department management. Discrepancies that affected patient care Were deemed clinically significant. Results: Twenty-three (1.1%) of 2083 radiographs were interpreted differently by the emergency physician and the radiologist in a way that might have changed patient management. This represents 7% (23/324) of the radiographs originally coded by a radiologist as discrepant. The most common discrepancy was a patient with a normal chest examination and a radiograph interpreted as having an infiltrate by the emergency physician, but subsequently read as having no infiltrate by a radiologist (12/324). These patients may have received antibiotics unnecessarily. Two discrepant interpretations had the potential to have serious consequences to the patient if not identified. One patient with cardiomegaly and another patient with free air on abdominal radiograph were not noted by the emergency physician. Conclusions: Emergency physicians would benefit from more rigorous interpretation of chest x-rays to avoid unnecessary treatment with antibiotics. Emergency physicians do a good job interpreting plain radiographs, but occasionally miss significant findings that could lead to adverse outcomes. The presence of radiologists to immediately read radiographs 24 hours a day could prevent missed findings, but, given the small number of significant misinterpretations, is unlikely to be cost effective.
Rotational spectrum and modeling of the OCS–(HCCH)2 trimer

Abstract The normal isotopomer and three additional isotopic species of the OCS–(HCCH) 2 trimer have been observed by pulsed nozzle Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Semi-empirical modeling predicts a structure that has the two acetylene monomers aligned in a geometry between the well-known T-shaped orientation of the acetylene dimer and a parallel intermediate. Rotational constants and dipole moment measurements are consistent with this model.
Thyroid function and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Abstract Objective To examine thyroid indices in a community referred sample of boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for evidence of generalized resistance to thyroid hormone (GRTH). Method TSH, T3, and T4 values were gathered prospectively in 53 physician, school, and/or parent referred ADHD subjects, and in 41 age and gender-matched normal controls. Results None were in the range suggestive of global or pituitary thyroid hormone resistance. Conclusions GRTH is rare, and thyroid function should not be measured routinely in nonfamilial ADHD.
Preparation of aluminum(III) (bis(amido)pyridine)(thiolate) complexes: unexpected transmetalation mediated by LiAlH(4).

Abstract Treatment of an unsymmetrical bis(imino)pyridyl-thiolate zinc(II) complex [ZnII(LN3S)(OTf)] (1) with LiAlH4 results in the double reduction of the two imino groups in the ligand backbone, and at the same time causes a rare transmetalation reaction to occur. The products formed in this reaction are two novel aluminium(III) bis(amido)pyridyl-thiolate complexes [(R,S/S,R-[AlIII(LH2N3S)(THF)] (2a) and [(R,R/S,S-[AlIII(LH2N3S)(THF)] (2b), which are diastereomers of each other. These complexes have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Single crystal X-ray structure analysis shows that the AlIII ion is bound in an almost idealized square pyramidal geometry in 2a, while being held in a more distorted square pyramidal geometry in 2b. The major difference between 2a and 2b arises in the orientation of the terminal methyl groups of the ligand backbone in relation to the AlIIIN3S plane. These two complexes are crystallized at different temperatures (room temperature versus −35 °C), allowing for their separate isolation. Structural analysis shows that these complexes are reduced by the formal addition of one hydride ion to each imino group, resulting in a deprotonated bis(amido)pyridyl-thiolate ligand. A detailed analysis of metrical parameters rules out the possibility of pure one- or two-electron reduction of the π-conjugated bis(imino)pyridine framework. 1H NMR spectra reveal a rich pattern in solution indicating that the solution state structures for 2a and 2b match those observed in the solid-state crystal structures, and reveal that both complexes are severely conformationally restricted. Direct organic synthetic methods failed to produce the reduced bis(amino)pyridyl-thiol ligand in pure form, but during the course of these efforts an unusual unsymmetrical aminopyridyl ketone,1-(6-(1-(2,6-diisopropylphenylamino)ethyl)pyridin-2-yl)ethanone was synthesized in good yield and can be used as a possible precursor for further ligand development.
Spectroscopic investigation of Li1+xV3O8

The room temperature Raman spectra of Li1.1V3O8 and 6Li1.1V3O8, both prepared as single crystals, have been measured in several scattering geometries. Infrared spectra of these compounds have also been recorded. The spectral data are discussed in terms of a symmetry-based factor group analysis. Isotopic shift data allow the identification of bands containing significant amounts of lithium ion motion. The spectrum of Li4V3O8 is also reported and discussed; these data are useful in identifying the effects of lithium intercalation on the vibrational spectrum of Li1.1V3O8.
Hemispheric organization of visual memories

This study investigates the hemispheric organization of visual memories. In five experiments, we examine the processes associated with the recognition of line patterns that are flashed laterally during a study phase. The first three experiments demonstrate a recognition advantage for patterns presented at test in the same (rather than in the opposite) hemifield in which they were presented during a previous study phase. This difference was obtained even when stimuli were presented in different locations within the same hemifield. Experiment shows that patterns presented centrally during the recognition phase elicit ERPs that are systematically more negative over the hemisphere contralateral to the side at which they were presented during the study phase. In Experiment 5, however, we found that subjects were unable to indicate the side of initial presentation of the patterns. The results suggest that the memory traces left by laterally presented stimuli are more easily accessible in the contralateral hemisphere, which suggests a contralateral organization of visual memories.
High-Speed Microcinematographic Studies of Blood Flow in vitro

The macroscopically steady flow of human blood at varying hematocrit values and flow rates through small glass capillaries has been studied by following in detail the motion of individual erythrocytes. At the microscopic level the flow was found to be nonuniform and unsteady. The shape of the average velocity profile of the erythrocytes was found to be in general more blunt than the Newtonian profile, and to be affected by concentration and flow rate, particularly in the capillaries of smaller diameter.
Marked action potential prolongation as a source of injury current leading to border zone arrhythmogenesis

Abstract The objective of this study was to delineate electrophysiologic phenomena in a border zone adjacent to a zone of marked action potential prolongation. By means of a standard microelectrode technique, we studied sheep Purkinje fibers placed in a partitioned chamber and superfused with Tyrode's solution. Ethylenediame tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was added to one chamber. Recordings were made in the abnormal segment (ABN) superfused with EDTA and at two sites in the normal segment (NL)—at the border within 0.5 mm (NL-B) and 3 to 4 mm from the partition (NL-D). Exposure of ABN to EDTA caused marked prolongation of the action potential duration (APD) and triggered activations (TAs), which were found to have the earliest recorded activation at NL-B ( n = 20), at ABN ( n = 8), or at both sites ( n = 12). NL-B recordings displayed prolonged low-amplitude secondary plateaus, which were termed "border zone early afterdepolarizations." These were coincident with the plateaus of the prolonged action potentials in ABN and appeared to be due to electrotonic transmission of current from ABN to NL-B. Border zone TAs arose from these low-amplitude plateaus and were either eliminated by the addition of lidocaine to NL consistent with their presumed NL site of origin or occurred after localized withdrawal of EDTA from one segment in fibers rendered quiescent at the plateau by generalized superfusion with EDTA. In conclusion, APD and membrane potential inhomogeneities lead to electrotonic transmission of injury current to border zones adjacent to zones of abnormal APD prolongation. This injury current leads to TAs originating at the border zone. These findings may be relevant to the role injury current in clinical arrhythmias.
Radiation-induced segregation in irradiated Type 304 stainless steels

Abstract Grain boundary radiation-induced segregation (RIS) in two Type 304 stainless steels neutron-irradiated at 288°C has been investigated by analytical electron microscopy. In the conventional alloy (CP), narrow (⩽ 5 nm width) RIS zones depleted in chromium and iron and enriched in silicon, phosphorus, and nickel were observed near grain boundaries. For the higher purity alloy (HP), similar width (⩽ 6 nm) RIS zones depleted in chromium and enriched in nickel and iron were observed at boundaries, though at reduced magnitudes relative to those in the CP material. No significant segregation of silicon or phosphorus was observed in the HP material. RIS zones associated with faulted dislocation loops in the CP material were detected and shown to be depleted in chromium and enriched in nickel and iron relative to the matrix.
A note on the class group of composita

Abstract We prove a theorem about the class group of composita of fields whose ramification indices over a common number field of class number one are relatively prime. This is applied to derive a short exact sequence that describes the class group of imaginary bi-quadratic fields made up of two quadratic fields of relatively prime discriminants.
Effects of pH, Temperature, and Ultraviolet Radiation on the Activity of an Optical Brightener as a Viral Enhancer for the Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Baculovirus

The optical brightener, Tinopal LPW, was subjected to different pHs, temperatures, and to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Tinopal LPW was stable at pHs ranging from 3.0 to 10.4, at temperatures of 121° C for 5 min, and at UV exposures (254, 302, and 360 nm) for periods up to 7 d. These treatments did not adversely affect the activity of Tinopal LPW as an enhancer for the gypsy moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus.
Form discrimination as a function of sex, procedure and tactual mode

Forty males and 40 females were randomly assigned to two tactual form discrimination tasks, easy and difficult under conditions of active and passive touch. Females were found to be better form discriminators than males and increased task difficulty resulted in highlighting female superiority.
Citalopram for social phobia: a clinical case series.

Abstract 1. Social anxiety disorder is a common illness with significant associated disability. Serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have become first-line treatment given their improved tolerability; however, there are few reports on the use of citalopram. 2. Nine consecutive patients with a primary diagnosis of DSM-IV generalized social phobia were prospectively treated with citalopram. 3. Citalopram was generally well-tolerated, and seven patients achieved responder status. 4. This series of patients improved significantly on all measures. Results suggest that citalopram may be a safe and effective treatment for social anxiety disorder.
Non-hydrolytic formation of silica and polysilsesquioxane particles from alkoxysilane monomers with formic acid in toluene/tetrahydrofuran solutions

Silica and polysilsesquioxane particles are used as fillers in composites, catalyst supports, chromatographic separations media, and even as additives to cosmetics. The particles are generally prepared by hydrolysis and condensation of tetraalkoxysilanes and/or organotrialkoxysilanes, respectively, in aqueous alcohol solutions. In this study, we have discovered a new, non-aqueous approach to prepare silica and polysilsesquioxane particles. Spherical, nearly monodisperse, silica particles (600–6,000 nm) were prepared from the reaction of tetramethoxysilane with formic acid (4–8 equivalents) in toluene or toluene/tetrahydrofuran solutions. Polymerization of organotrialkoxysilanes with formic acid failed to afford particles, but bridged polysilsesquioxane particles were obtained from monomers with two trialkoxysilyl group attached to an organic-bridging group. The mild acidic conditions allowed particles to be prepared from monomers, such as bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide, which are unstable to Stober or base-catalyzed emulsion polymerization conditions. The bridged polysilsesquioxane particles were generally less spherical and more polydisperse than silica particles. Both silica and bridged polysilsesquioxane nanoparticles could be prepared in good yields at monomer concentrations considerably higher than used in Stober or emulsion approaches.
Portfolio choice and pricing in illiquid markets

Abstract This paper studies portfolio choice and pricing in markets in which immediate trading may be impossible. It departs from the literature by removing restrictions on asset holdings, and finds that optimal positions depend significantly and naturally on liquidity: When expected future liquidity is high, agents take more extreme positions, given that they do not have to hold those positions for long when they become undesirable. Consequently, larger trades should be observed in markets with more frequent trading. Liquidity need not affect the price significantly, however, because liquidity has offsetting impacts on different agents' demands. This result highlights the importance of unrestricted portfolio choice. The paper draws parallels with the transaction-cost literature and clarifies the relationship between the price level and the realized trading frequency in this literature.
Differences in chloroplast ultrastructure of Phaeocystis antarctica in low and high light

Phaeocystis antarctica Karsten exhibits optical changes in pigment packaging during acclimation to drastically different light levels. Here, the three-dimensional morphological rearrangements are shown for two light conditions mimicking limiting and saturating conditions for photosynthesis. Cultures of P. antarctica were grown semi-continuously under light-limiting conditions for growth (14 μmol quanta m−2 s−1) and a light-saturating condition (259 μmol quanta m−2 s−1) for growth. Increased numbers of thylakoids were observed under the low light treatment. In contrast, there were less amounts of thylakoid stacking in each chloroplast under the high light treatment. Electron microscopic tomographic reconstructions illustrate the complexity of the chloroplast organelle where the thylakoids ‘interact’ with the pyrenoid and the chloroplast membrane. Highly complex characteristics, such as bi- and tri-furcations in the thylakoid stacks, were continuous throughout the chloroplast. Other organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus and dense vesicles that may potentially affect cellular scattering and absorption were also observed in both high and low light. These three dimensional thylakoid arrangements have profound implications for cellular photophysiology. They represent a new view of algal chloroplast structure, and provide a starting point for more accurate optical modeling studies.
The Effects of Airmass History on New Particle Formation in the Free Troposphere: Case Studies

Recent aircraft studies showed that new particle formation (NPF) is very active in the free troposphere. And, these observations lead to a new question: when does NPF not occur? Here, we provide case studies to show how dif- ferent meteorological parameters affect NPF in the upper tro- posphere, using the aerosol size distributions measured at lat- itudes from 18 N-52 N and altitudes up to 14 km during the NSF/NCAR GV Progressive Science Missions. About 95% of the total samples showed the NPF feature with median number concentrations of particles with diameters from 4 to 9 nm (N4 9), 288±199 cm 3 , and the total particle number concentrations with diameters from 4 to 2000 nm (N4 2000), 500±259 cm 3 . Surface areas were in general very low in the free troposphere, 1.58±0.87µm 2 cm 3 , which in part ex- plains the high frequency of NPF measured in this region, but there was no distinctive difference in surface area for the NPF and non-NPF cases. Our case studies show that rather airmass history is more important for nucleation in this re- gion. Weak- or non-events did not display uplifting of air- masses. On the other hand, strong NPF events were usually associated with uplifting of airmasses, although there were also NPF cases in which uplift did not occur, consistent with the previous observations (Young et al., 2007). NPF tends to easily occur in the free troposphere because of low surface areas and low temperatures (Carslaw and K¨ 2006), but because of the low aerosol precursors in this region, vertical motion (that can bring higher concentrations of aerosol pre- cursors from low altitude source regions to higher altitudes) can play a critical role. Latitude dependence of new particles also shows higher particle concentrations in the midlatitude and subtropics tropopause region than in the tropics, consis- tent with Hermann et al. (2003).
Chemical trends of electronic and optical properties of ns2 ions in halides

Heavy 6p and 5p ions in groups IIIB, IVB, and VB (Tl, Pb, Bi, In, Sn, Sb) are multivalent ions, which act as electron and hole traps and radiative recombination centers in many wide band gap materials. In this paper, Tl+ as a prototypical ns2 ion (ns2 ions here refer to 6p and 5p ions with outer electronic configurations of ns2) is studied as a luminescent center in alkali halides. Density functional calculations reveal the chemical trend that determines the luminescence mechanism in ns2-ion activated alkali halides. The activator–halogen hybridization strength and the ionicity of the host material strongly affect the positions of the activator levels relative to the valence and conduction band edges. This determines whether the radiative recombination occurs within the activator ion or involves the hole polaron, or the Vk center. Strategies for exploring different combinations of host materials and activators for desired luminescence mechanisms are discussed. The insight obtained in this work will help the search and the design of more efficient scintillators and phosphors.
An Accurate GPU Performance Model for Effective Control Flow Divergence Optimization

Graphics processing units (GPUs) are increasingly critical for general-purpose parallel processing performance. GPU hardware is composed of many streaming multiprocessors, each of which employs the single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) execution style. This massively parallel architecture allows GPUs to execute tens of thousands of threads in parallel. Thus, GPU architectures efficiently execute heavily data-parallel applications. However, due to this SIMD execution style, resource utilization and thus overall performance can be significantly affected if computation threads must take diverging control paths. Control flow divergence in GPUs is a well-known problem: prior approaches have attempted to reduce control flow divergence through code transformations, memory access indirection, and input data reorganization. However, as we will demonstrate, the utility of these transformations is seriously affected by the lack of a guiding metric that properly estimates how control flow divergence affects application performance. In this paper, we introduce a metric that simply and accurately estimates performance of computation-bound GPU kernels with control flow divergence, and use the metric as a value function for thread re-grouping algorithms. We measure the performance on NVIDIA GTS250 GPU. For the tested set of applications, our experiments demonstrate that the proposed metric correlates well with actual GPU application performance. Through thread re-grouping guided by our metric, control flow divergence optimization can improve application performance by up to 3.19X.
Reducing operand communication overhead using instruction clustering for multimedia applications

As technology trends yield shorter cycle times and larger, wider datapaths in architectures for multimedia systems, global broadcast networks for operand communication are becoming a major bottleneck in processor performance. New low latency operand transport techniques are needed. This paper proposes and evaluates lower cost mechanisms than traditional bypass networks, exploiting regular operand distribution patterns in multimedia applications. To reduce latency associated with operand movement within a datapath, our mechanism, called dynamic instruction clustering, groups chains of dependent instructions within a basic block at runtime, identifies intermediate value transportation, and schedules it on networked ALUs which are connected by a local dedicated network. By converting global communication into local, the transport latency can be minimized and the critical path of the application code can be executed in consecutive, shortened cycles, resulting in improved performance. We demonstrated that 28% and 30% of total dependence edges residing in the instruction window can be localized on 8 and 16-way machines, respectively. Our results show that the overall performance gains over a wide range of multimedia applications are 16% for 8-way and 35% for 16-way on average.
Predicting the Performance of Durable Press Finished Cotton Fabric with Infrared Spectroscopy

Durable press finishing processes are commonly used in the textile industry to pro duce wrinkle-free cotton fabrics and garments. Crosslinking cellulose increases wrinkle resistance and reduces the...
Vulnerabilities and security strategy for the next generation bandwidth elastic PON

The next generation WDM/TDM-PON is scalable and delivers elastically ultra-high data rates to many thousands of end-users, and therefore network security becomes of particular importance. We identify different levels of security and responsibilities in the communications network, we identify vulnerabilities in the optical access network and we describe the security features, monitoring and detecting of the next generation PON network.
Drift-Compensated Adaptive Filtering to improve speech intelligibility in presence of asynchronous interference

Conventional adaptive interference cancellation schemes can hardly improve speech intelligibility in the presence of interference whose source cannot be obtained synchronously with the corrupted target speech, because there are inevitable timing drifts between the two inputs to the system. To address this problem, we propose a novel Drift-Compensated Adaptive Filtering (DCAF) scheme in this paper. It extends the conventional schemes by adopting a timing drift tracking and compensation mechanism which, together with an advanced adaptation algorithm, makes it possible to reduce the interference even if the magnitude of the timing drift rate is as big as one or two percent. This range is large enough to cover timing accuracy variations of most audio recording and playing devices nowadays.
Acute nail bed injuries

Abstract Although many consider the fingertip injury a very mundane and simple problem, the mismanagement of this injury can often lead to a chronic esthetic and possibly painful deformity. As noted in this article, the appropriate understanding of the involved structures of a fingertip injury as well as the meticulous management of these injuries can generally lead to a very esthetic and functional fingertip. As previously noted by Elvin Zook, there is probably nowhere that Meskimen's Law, "There is never time to do it right but there is always time to do it over," is more true.
Triggered Earthquakes and the 1811–1812 New Madrid, Central United States, Earthquake Sequence

The 1811–1812 New Madrid, central United States, earthquake sequence included at least three events with magnitudes estimated at well above M 7.0. I discuss evidence that the sequence also produced at least three substantial triggered events well outside the New Madrid Seismic Zone, most likely in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio. The largest of these events is estimated to have a magnitude in the low to mid M 5 range. Events of this size are large enough to cause damage, especially in regions with low levels of preparedness. Remotely triggered earthquakes have been observed in tectonically active regions in recent years, but not previously in stable continental regions. The results of this study suggest, however, that potentially damaging triggered earthquakes may be common following large mainshocks in stable continental regions. Thus, in areas of low seismic activity such as central/eastern North America, the hazard associated with localized source zones might be more far reaching than previously recognized. The results also provide additional evidence that intraplate crust is critically stressed, such that small stress changes are especially effective at triggering earthquakes.
Online learning for parameter selection in large scale image search

We explore using online learning for selecting the best parameters of Bag of Words systems when searching large scale image collections. We study two algorithms for no regret online learning: Hedge algorithm that works in the full information setting, and Exp3 that works in the bandit setting. We use these algorithms for parameter selection in two scenarios: (a) using a training set to obtain weights for the different parameters, then either choosing the parameter setting with maximum weight or combining their results with weighted majority vote; (b) working fully online by selecting a parameter combination at every time step. We demonstrate the usefulness of online learning using experiments on four different real world datasets.
Academic Achievement of Children with Epilepsy

The academic achievement scores of 122 children with epilepsy were examined in relation to demographic and clinical seizure variables. As a group, these children were making less academic progress than expected for their age and IQ level. Academic deficiencies were greatest in arithmetic, followed by spelling, reading, comprehension, and word recognition. Results of the multiple regression analyses indicated a modest combined predictive significance of the demographic and clinical seizure variables for academic performance. In addition, the magnitude of these relationships varied by academic area. Among the individual variables examined the strongest correlates of academic performance were age of the child, age of seizure onset, lifetime total seizure frequency, and presence of multiple seizures (absence and tonic-clonic). These results are discussed in relation to developing an understanding of the factors which underlie academic vulnerability in children with epilepsy.
Automated design of virtual worlds for visualizing multivariate relations

Interactive visualization systems provide a powerful means to explore complex data, especially when coupled with 3D interaction and display devices to produce virtual worlds. While designing a quality static 2D visualization is already a difficult task for most users, designing an interactive 3D one is even more challenging. To address this problem, we are developing Auto Visual, a research system that designs interactive virtual worlds for visualizing and exploring multivariate relations of arbitrary arity. Auto Visual uses "worlds within worlds," an interactive visualization technique that exploits nested, heterogeneous coordinate systems to map multiple variables onto each of our spatial dimensions. Auto Visual's designs are guided by user-specified visualization tasks, and by a catalog of design principles encoded using a rule-based language.
Simultaneous Determination of Multiple Drugs of Abuse and Relevant Metabolites in Urine by LC-MS-MS

A method was developed for the quantitative analysis of 30 drugs of abuse and their metabolites in urine, including opiates, barbiturates, amphetamines, cocaine, cannabinoids, phencyclidine, methadone, and benzodiazepines. This method uses solid-phase extraction (SPE) on an Oasis HLB column followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Analytes were quantified by multiple reaction monitoring with the deuterated analogues as internal standards, using an atmospheric pressure ionization-electrospray interface. The method was validated by examining specificity, precision, accuracy, linearity, recovery, reproducibility, and detection limits. The limits of detection ranged from 9 pg/mL to 2.29 ng/mL in urine depending on the analyte. The SPE procedure was automated on a RapidTrace workstation to increase analytical throughput, and the results obtained via automated SPE were compared to those obtained by manual SPE to examine carryover effect, precision, accuracy, recovery, and reproducibility. To evaluate method performance, 108 urine samples were collected anonymously and tested for the presence of these drugs.
Social support as an organizing concept for criminology: Presidential address to the academy of criminal justice sciences

Although “social support” is present as a theme in many criminological writings, it has not been identified explicitly as a concept capable of organizing theory and research in criminology. Drawing on existing criminological and related writings, this address derives a series of propositions that form the foundation, in a preliminary way, for the “social support paradigm” of the study of crime and control. The overriding contention is that whether social support is delivered through government social programs, communities, social networks, families, interpersonal relations, or agents of the criminal justice system, it reduces criminal involvement. Further, I contend that insofar as the social support paradigm proves to be “Good Criminology”—establishing that nonsupportive policies and conditions are criminogenic—it can provide grounds for creating a more supportive, “Good Society.”
Underreporting of robotic surgery complications

Background Since its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery has grown with expanding indications. One factor used to expand indications is device-related complications. We designed a study to evaluate device-related robotic surgery complications reported to FDA. Methods We searched the FDA device-related complication database, LexisNexis, and PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) to identify robotic surgery-related complications over a 12-year period (January 1, 2000 to August 1, 2012). Cases from LexisNexis and PACER were cross-referenced with the FDA database to determine cases where an FDA report was inaccurate, filed late or not filed. Results A total of 245 events were reported to the FDA during the study period, including 71 deaths and 174 nonfatal injuries. Median time to report an event to the FDA was 30 days (range = 0–930 days). Eight cases were identified from the LexisNexis and PACER searches where FDA reports were improperly filed. In five of these, no report was filed with a mean follow-up of 4.1 years (range = 2.3–5.8 years). In the three cases where a report was filed, the mean time between the event and the FDA report was 20.4 months (611 days, range = 292–930 days). Conclusions It is important that the true incidence of complications with robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery be known to ensure continued safe innovation.
Nanosecond electric pulse-induced increase in intracellular calcium in adrenal chromaffin cells triggers calcium-dependent catecholamine release

Experimental results on the effect of a single 5-6 ns, 5-7 MV/m electric pulse on electrically excitable bovine chromaffin cells are presented. Effects on intracellular calcium level were assessed by loading the cells with the calcium-sensitive fluorescence indicator calcium green and imaging the cells during nanosecond field exposure in microelectrode chambers that were fabricated on a glass microscope slide with gold electrodes. Consistent with earlier findings that utilized different microelectrode chambers for pulse exposure, a single pulse elicited a rapid and transient rise in intracellular calcium by a mechanism that depends on extracellular calcium, which appears to enter the cells largely through voltage-gated calcium channels. In parallel experiments to assess catecholamine release, chromaffin cells were placed into electroporation cuvettes for nanosecond pulse exposure. As measured by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection, a single pulse elicited an increase in both norepinephrine and epinephrine release that was also dependent on extracellular calcium and involved influx of calcium through voltage gated-calcium channels. Taken together these results indicate that a single nanosecond pulse can act as a stimulus to trigger calcium-dependent catecholamine release from chromaffin cells.
Isolation and Measurement of Pancreatic Amylase in Human Serum and Urine

We describe a sensitive quantitative procedure for separating isoamylases in human serum, urine, and tissue homogenates. Two components have been discerned with chromatographic characteristics resembling those of pancreatic and salivary amylases, respectively. Several lines of evidence—derived from studies in normal subjects, pancreatectomized patients, and patients with acute pancreatitis—indicate that the pancreas is probably the source of the component in serum and urine that exhibits characteristics of pancreatic amylase. The source of the component resembling salivary amylase has not yet been fully defined. Isoamylase analysis of extracts of fallopian tube and liver revealed two amylase components with chromatographic properties similar to pancreatic and salivary amylases, respectively.
The bathypelagic community of Monterey Canyon

We used a quiet, deep-diving remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to conduct oblique, quantitative video transects of the bathypelagic fauna at depths between 1000 and 3500 m at a site over the Monterey Submarine Canyon, in the eastern North Pacific off central California. Fifteen such dives were made over a two-year period. Analyses of the video data revealed a rich and diverse fauna dominated by gelatinous animals. In particular, the holopelagic polychaete Poeobius meseres was an important detritivore in the upper half of this depth range. As Poeobius abundance eventually declined with increasing depth, larvacean abundance increased. In contrast, the relative numbers of crustacean grazers, principally copepods and mysids, remained relatively constant with depth. Medusae were most abundant and most diverse among the gelatinous predators, which also included ctenophores, and siphonophores. Chaetognaths occurred chiefly in the upper half of the depth range. While there is considerable overlap, the bathypelagic fauna can be separated into upper (1000 to 2300 m) and lower (2400 to 3300 m) zones, as well as a distinct and populous benthic boundary layer. Within the overall bathypelagic community is a complex web of trophic links involving gelatinous predators that feed on both gelatinous and hard-bodied particle feeders, as well as on each other. The amount of organic carbon contained in this jelly web is substantial but its ecological fate is uncertain. The assessment of bathypelagic communities will be important for establishing baselines to conserve deep pelagic biodiversity within high-seas protected areas.
Behavioral Assessment in School Settings

Assessment is an indispensable component in the treatment of child behavior disorders and can be a complex and lengthy process. Assessment results are often the basis for diagnosis and classification as well as for the selection of targets for intervention. Further, data from various assessment methods can assist in the design and evaluation of intervention efforts. The assessment process also helps to draw inferences about causal variables and assist in the functional analysis of problem behavior patterns. Behavioral assessment encompasses methods and concepts derived from behavioral construct systems and is most frequently identified with an emphasis on quantification of observable and minimally inferential constructs. The methods of assessment differ from traditional assessment methods in their structure, focus, specificity, level of interest, and underlying assumptions. A recent comprehensive volume, Diagnostic and Behavioral Assessment in Children and Adolescents by McLeod, Jensen-Doss, and Ollendick (2013), attests to the developments in the field and can be consulted for greater theoretical and methodological information.
Escaping the disk bottleneck in fast transaction processing

An approach to avoiding the disk access bottleneck for transaction processing applications is described. The approach is based on the use of primary copy replication, and takes advantage of recent hardware advances such as inexpensive high-speed CPUs and networks, and uninterruptable power supplies. In addition to improving response time, the architecture increases overall availability and reliability. The work described is in a preliminary stage. The overall architecture and its motivation are discussed. File system techniques in the context of transaction processing are reported. >
Complications and Their Management During NBCA Embolization of Craniospinal Lesions.

Technical complications during embolization of craniospinal lesions using NBCA may be classified as nonspecific catheterization-related or specific embolization-related. Catheterization-related complications include vessel injuries such as spasm, dissection or perforation, catheter injuries and thrombus formation. Embolization-related complications include occlusion of normal territories, migration of the embolic material to the venous side, and catheter gluing to the vessel wall. Causes, prevention and management of each complication are discussed with presentation of demonstrative cases.
Principal components analysis of Laplacian waveforms as a generic method for identifying ERP generator patterns: I. Evaluation with auditory oddball tasks.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and comparability of PCA-based simplifications of ERP waveforms versus their reference-free Laplacian transformations for separating task- and response-related ERP generator patterns during auditory oddball tasks. Methods Nose-referenced ERPs (31 sites total) were recorded from 66 right-handed adults during oddball tasks using syllables or tones. Response mode (left press, right press, silent count) and task was varied within subjects. Spherical spline current source density (CSD) waveforms were computed to sharpen ERP scalp topographies and eliminate volume-conducted contributions. ERP and CSD data were submitted to separate covariance-based, unrestricted temporal PCAs (Varimax) to disentangle temporally and spatially overlapping ERP and CSD components. Results Corresponding ERP and CSD factors were unambiguously related to known ERP components. For example, the dipolar organization of a central N1 was evident from factorized anterior sinks and posterior sources encompassing the Sylvian fissure. Factors associated with N2 were characterized by asymmetric frontolateral (tonal: frontotemporal R>L) and parietotemporal (phonetic: parietotemporal L>R) sinks for targets. A single ERP factor summarized parietal P3 activity, along with an anterior negativity. In contrast, two CSD factors peaking at 360 and 560 ms distinguished a parietal P3 source with an anterior sink from a centroparietal P3 source with a sharply localized Fz sink. A smaller parietal but larger left temporal P3 source was found for silent count compared to button press. Left or right press produced opposite, region-specific asymmetries originating from central sites, modulating the N2/P3 complex. Conclusions CSD transformation is shown to be a valuable preprocessing step for PCA of ERP data, providing a unique, physiologically meaningful solution to the ubiquitous reference problem. By reducing ERP redundancy and producing sharper, simpler topographies, and without losing or distorting any effects of interest, the CSD-PCA solution replicated and extended previous task- and response-related findings. Significance Eliminating ambiguities of the recording reference, the combined CSD-PCA approach systematically bridges between montage-dependent scalp potentials and distinct, anatomically-relevant current generators, and shows promise as a comprehensive, generic strategy for ERP analysis.