cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A systems engineering design experience for the machine design curriculum

Traditional engineering education has tended to compartmentalize subject matter. This tendency can be viewed at a curriculum level where courses are established along subject lines such as Thermodynamics, Statics or Machine Design. There is also this tendency within the individual courses themselves. One purpose of a capstone senior design experience is to help students recognize the connectivity among the subjects throughout their curriculum as they apply their knowledge to a meaningful problem. Establishing projects that demonstrate the connectivity in a specific course is also beneficial, not only as it relates to the course material, but as a precursor to the more involved projects in the senior capstone experience. This paper describes a semester-long project for courses on machine design where the students are required to completely design a simple machine to demonstrate fundamental kinematic principles. The students are required to provide complete working drawings of the machine with all parts specified from vendor catalogs or drawn in sufficient detail for fabrication. From this system design project, the students gain experience with the activities required to specify the common machine elements that are discussed in a traditional classroom setting. They learn the importance and relevance of calculations required to support their decision making. They also recognize the influence imposed on the system design from individual component decisions. The scope of this project remains within the bounds of the course material with some application to the pre-requisite kinematics course.
Prognostic factors in patients undergoing curative irradiation for breast cancer

We have evaluated 147 patients who received primary curative irradiation for breast cancer to determine if there were any common factors that predisposed to failure. There were 10 local recurrences, for an overall local control rate of 93.2%, with a 2 to 16 year follow-up. Disease-free survivals were 85% in Stage I, 69% in Stage II, and 50% in Stage III. Age seemed to be a determinant, with a 31.6% local recurrence rate in women under 50 vs. a 3.1% rate of local recurrence in women age 50 or older when treated. We have also noted a correlation between the radiation dose and local recurrence, with a recurrence rate of 9.1% following a dose of 6000 rad or less, vs. a rate of 4.7% with a dose of 6400 rad or more. The size of the primary carcinoma and the status of the axillary lymph nodes, each considered individually, were not significant prognostic factors. There was no relationship between recurrence and the performance of an axillary dissection. There was evidence suggesting that the recurrence rate was lower when a wide local excision was performed, compared to a lesser procedure. Multiple foci of carcinoma and a high nuclear grade appear to have a poor prognosis. Five of the recurrences occurred early (under 2 years) and three of these were accompanied by fatal distant metastases. None of the five patients with late recurrences (37 to 116 months) developed metastatic disease, suggesting that late recurrences may have a better prognosis.
Efficient indexing methods for probabilistic threshold queries over uncertain data

It is infeasible for a sensor database to contain the exact value of each sensor at all points in time. This uncertainty is inherent in these systems due to measurement and sampling errors, and resource limitations. In order to avoid drawing erroneous conclusions based upon stale data, the use of uncertainty intervals that model each data item as a range and associated probability density function (pdf) rather than a single value has recently been proposed. Querying these uncertain data introduces imprecision into answers, in the form of probability values that specify the likeliness the answer satisfies the query. These queries are more expensive to evaluate than their traditional counterparts but are guaranteed to be correct and more informative due to the probabilities accompanying the answers. Although the answer probabilities are useful, for many applications, it is only necessary to know whether the probability exceeds a given threshold - we term these Probabilistic Threshold Queries (PTQ). In this paper we address the efficient computation of these types of queries. In particular, we develop two index structures and associated algorithms to efficiently answer PTQs. The first index scheme is based on the idea of augmenting uncertainty information to an R-tree. We establish the difficulty of this problem by mapping one-dimensional intervals to a two-dimensional space, and show that the problem of interval indexing with probabilities is significantly harder than interval indexing which is considered a well-studied problem. To overcome the limitations of this R-tree based structure, we apply a technique we call variance-based clustering, where data points with similar degrees of uncertainty are clustered together. Our extensive index structure can answer the queries for various kinds of uncertainty pdfs, in an almost optimal sense. We conduct experiments to validate the superior performance of both indexing schemes.
Framework for delivering IPTV services over WiMAX wireless networks

The Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service is becoming more and more popular among telecommunications companies because it can deliver TV programs anytime anywhere. Based on IP protocol, IPTV features advantages like bandwidth efficiency and ease of management. IPTV supports both broadcast and unicast services like LiveTV and VideoOnDemand. WiMAX wireless system, capable of ensuring high bandwidths and low latencies, is suitable for delivering multimedia services. In addition, it also provides wide area coverage, mobility support, and non-line-of-sight operation. Therefore, WiMAX is a promising solution for delivering IPTV services anytime anywhere, especially to rural areas or remote locations. This paper identifies the challenges in delivering IPTV over WiMAX wireless system and proposes a framework to provide some solutions to those challenges, at MAC and Physical layers. Taking advantage of the WiMAX features, IPTV services can be delivered at low costs and with high audio/video service quality.
FABRICATION OF PERIODIC STANDING ROD ARRAYS BY THE SHADOW CONE METHOD

A simple method for fabricating periodic arrays of high aspect ratio (1:20) standing nanorods on silicon substrates is described. It is based on shadow deposition onto periodically arranged arrays of mini-rods on a rotating sample stage. Consequently, such nanostructures can be prepared on relatively large areas and at low cost, making the method suitable for industrial applications.
Bayesian Network Analysis of Signaling Networks: A Primer

High-throughput proteomic data can be used to reveal the connectivity of signaling networks and the influences between signaling molecules. We present a primer on the use of Bayesian networks for this task. Bayesian networks have been successfully used to derive causal influences among biological signaling molecules (for example, in the analysis of intracellular multicolor flow cytometry). We discuss ways to automatically derive a Bayesian network model from proteomic data and to interpret the resulting model.
Cross Cultural Design Considerations in HealthCare

Increasing number of health care providers are leveraging the power of technology to provide access to medical practitioners and patients on a global scale. However, there is limited research in the area of cross cultural design of the tools being used. This paper presents a work-in-progress in the area of cross cultural design of health care tools. The main interest is to outline some of the cross cultural challenges of designing and implementing healthcare tools on a global scale and some possible solutions.
The Sterling-Dollar-Franc Triangle: Monetary Diplomacy 1929–1937

The late interwar years encompass a full spectrum of international monetary conflict and cooperation. Why did Great Britain, France, and the United States cooperate in some periods and not in others? First, the transience of monetary cooperation and conflict is explained in part by inherent characteristics of gold exchange and floating monetary systems. Second, environmental changes—swings between prosperity and depression, between peace and the threat of war, and between monetary orthodoxy and inflationist heresy—altered the strategic setting confronting the central monetary powers. Third, the actions of governments both followed from and shaped the circumstances that they confronted. Through strategies of composition across issues and decomposition across time and actors, nations deliberately fostered the emergence of cooperation by altering the context of monetary diplomacy.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LESSER GRAIN BORER, RHYZOPERTHA DOMINICA, IN MAIZE KERNELS AS AFFECTED BY SITE OF LARVAL ENTRY

Radiographic studies (X-ray) showed that larvae of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica Fabricius, introduced into maize kernels through pre-drilled holes in the area of the germ developed much faster than those introduced into the endosperm, at the crown end. Last-instar larvae and pre-pupae were revealed on the radiographs 17–19 days after larval introduction in those that had germ end entry, as compared with 40–43 days in those that entered at the crown end. There was higher mortality for larvae that attempted entering whole, intact kernels than for those exposed to mechanically damaged, or broken ones. Larvae easily entered and developed in kernels split vertically down the middle. In kernels split transversely in the middle above the germ, entry was less successful and development slower in the crown half than in the germ half. RESUME Influence de lieu du penetration des larves sur le developpement de Rhyzopertha dominica sur graines de mais Des etudes radiographiques (aux rayons X) ont montre que les larves de Rhyzopertha dominica, introduites dans des grains de mais par des perforations preformees dans la zone de la plantule se developpent plus rapidement que celles introduites dans l'endosperme au sommet de la graine. Des larves de dernier stade et des prenymphes ont ete observees sur radiographie 17 a 19 jours apres l'introduction dans la zone de la plantule, contre 40–43 jours pour celles entrees au sommet de la graine. La mortalite des larves qui s'efforcent de perforer des graines intactes est plus elevee que celle des larves disposant de graines endommagees ou brisees. Les larves penetrent et se developpent facilement dans des graines fendues verticalement de haut en bas suivant l'axe. Dans les graines fendues transversalement suivant l'axe au dessus de la plantule, les penetrations reussissent moins et le developpement est plus lent dans la moitie opposee a la plantule que dans celle qui en est proche.
A Radiation Safety Training Program Results in Reduced Radiation Exposure for Orthopaedic Residents Using the Mini C-arm.

Fluoroscopy during fracture reduction allows a physician to assess fractures and immediately treat a pediatric patient. However, concern regarding the effects of radiation exposure has led us to find ways to keep radiation exposures as low as reasonably achievable. One potentially simple way, which to our knowledge has not been explored, to decrease radiation exposure is through formal education before mini C-arm use. We questioned whether a radiation safety educational program decreases radiation (1) time and (2) exposure among residents and patients. This is a retrospective study in which second-year residents underwent a 3-hour educational program regarding mini C-arm use and radiation safety taught by our institution’s health physics department. We evaluated the records of all patients who underwent a pediatric both-bone forearm or distal radius fracture reduction in the emergency department 3 months before the educational program or after the program. To be included in the study, records included simple both-bone forearm fractures, simple distal radius fractures, and patient age younger than 18 years, and could not include patients with multiple fractures in the same limb. This resulted in study groups of 53 and 45 patients’ records in the groups before and after the educational session, respectively. Radiation emission from the mini C-arm between both groups were compared. Exposure time with the mini C-arm was longer in patients treated before the educational intervention than in those treated after the intervention (patients with both-bone forearm fractures: mean = 41.2, SD = 24.7, 95% CI, 23.14–59.26 vs mean = 28.9, SD = 14.4, 95% CI, 15.91–41.89, p = 0.066; patients with distal radius fractures: mean = 38.1, SD = 26.1, 95% CI, 25.1–51.1 vs mean = 26.7, SD = 15.8, 95% CI, 16.44–36.96, p = 0.042). Calculated radiation exposure with the mini C-arm was larger in patients treated before the educational intervention than in those treated after the intervention (patients with both-bone forearm fractures: mean = 90.9, SD = 60.9, 95% CI, 51.06–130.74 vs mean = 30.4, SD = 18.5, 95% CI, 16.73–44.07, p < 0.001; patients with distal radius fractures: mean = 83.1, SD = 58.9, 95% CI, 54.75–111.45 vs mean = 32.6, SD = 26.4, 95% CI, 20.07–45.13, p < 0.001). A radiation-safety program resulted in decreased radiation exposure to residents and patients, and in decreased mini C-arm exposure time during pediatric fracture reductions. Level III, therapeutic study.
A Comparison between the Hoskins-Bretherton Model of Frontogenesis and the Analysis of an Intense Surface Frontal Zone

Abstract The Hoskins-Bretherton model of frontogenesis employed here represents the counterpart of the two-dimensional Eady problem expressed in geostrophic coordinate space. The fundamental characteristics of the model solution are shown to be derivable from the properties of the nonlinear one-dimensional advection equation and the linearized Eady problem. Detailed comparisons are made between the predictions of this model and the analysis of an intense frontal zone presented by Sanders. Qualitative agreement is found in details of the horizontal wind field and potential temperature distributions. The major discrepancy occurs in the vertical velocity field: the most intense vertical velocities occur at midlevel in the model and are significantly smaller in magnitude than the rising narrow jet above the analyzed zone of maximum cyclonic relative vorticity. The presence of this jet is responsible for the most significant frontogenetical properties of the front associated with vertical tilting of potential ...
A case-control study of uterine perforations documented at laparoscopy.

Abstract A case-control analysis was done of 19 cases of uterine perforations which occurred during laparoscopic sterilization at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, between February 1, 1974, and January 31, 1976. The over-all perforation rate, 30.4 per 1,000 procedures, is three to 30 times that commonly reported for dilatation and suction or sharp curettage (D&C) of the uterus. Case women were 10.4 times more likely than control women to combine two of the following three characteristics: age > 34, parity > 4, and obesity > 20 per cent above the ideal body weight for height. Surgeons with fewer months of formal Ob/Gyn training were no more likely than their relatively more experienced colleagues to perforate the uterus. No other risk factors were delineated. It is believed that the perforation rate, higher in this study than in earlier ones, reflects better ascertainment of perforations. The bleeding site was always visualized with the laparoscope in this series.
Highest dominant frequencies in atrial fibrillation: a new target for ablation?

Until recently, the most widely accepted mechanism of atrial fibrillation (AF) was the “multiple wavelet” hypothesis as described by Moe and Abildskov ([1][1]) in 1959. The discovery by Haissaguerre et al. ([2][2]) in 1998 that focal ablation could eliminate paroxysmal AF in selected patients
Test-Retest Reliability of the Acoustic Stapedius Reflex

Acoustic reflex thresholds (ARTs) were determined at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz in 40 normal ears of college age subjects. Thresholds were redetermined at intervals of 3 min, 15 min and 1 week. Although statistical analysis revealed ARTs at 1 week to differ significantly from previously obtained values, this finding is not clinically significant as the greatest degree of variation was only 3.6 dB SL at 0.5 kHz. Furthermore, significant correlation coefficients at a particular frequency between times were obtained. The finding of a lack of correlation between frequencies serves to alert the audiologist to the potential error inherent to immittance screening programs which utilize reflex testing at one frequency only. The use of tympanometry and pure-tone testing in conjunction with reflexometry may reduce this potential error.
Directed Self-Assembly of Diblock Copolymer Thin Films on Chemically-Patterned Substrates for Defect-Free Nano-Patterning

We demonstrate that polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) can self-assemble in a well-aligned, long-range ordered nanopattern over arbitrarily large areas, commensurate with chemically prepatterned templates prepared by electron beam (EB) lithography. The epitaxially grown cylindrical microdomain formed a defect-free hexagonal lattice although the Chemically-Patterned substrate had some defects in its pattern and errors in pattern position. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the self-assembly process can interpolate points in between the EB generated pattern, thus multiplying the pattern density. The result suggests that the self-assembly of PS-b-PMMA can repair the defects of the patterned substrate, while the patterned substrate can align the domain structures of block copolymer into a long-range ordered single array. The developed process, which combines EB lithography and self-assembly of diblock copolymer provides a promising fabrication method for extension of top down-type lithogra...
Interferon Stimulated Gene Expression in HIV/HCV Coinfected Patients Treated with Nitazoxanide/Peginterferon-Alfa-2a and Ribavirin

A combination of nitazoxanide (NTZ), peginterferon (PegIFN), and ribavirin (RBV) may result in higher sustained virologic response (SVR) rates in hepatitis C virus (HCV) monoinfected patients. This study evaluated the effect of NTZ on interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) expression in vitro and in vivo among HIV/HCV genotype-1 (GT-1) treatment-naive patients. The ability of NTZ to enhance host response to interferon (IFN) signaling using the HCV cell culture system was initially evaluated. Second, ISG expression in 53 patients with treatment outcomes [21 SVR and 32 nonresponders (NR)] in the ACTG A5269 trial, a phase-II study (4-week lead in of NTZ 500 mg daily followed by 48 weeks of NTZ, PegIFN, and weight-based RBV), was assessed. The relative expression of 48 ISGs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured at baseline, week 4, and week 8 of treatment in a blinded manner. In vitro NTZ produced a direct and additive antiviral effect with IFN-alfa, with pretreatment of NTZ resulting in maximal HCV suppression. NTZ augmented IFN-mediated ISG induction in PBMCs from relapsers and SVRs (p < 0.05), but not NR. In ACTG A5269, baseline expression of most ISGs was similar between NR and SVR. NTZ minimally induced 17 genes in NR and 13 genes in SVR after 4 weeks of therapy. However, after initiation of PegIFN and RBV, ISG induction was predominantly observed in the SVR group and not NR group. NTZ treatment facilitates IFN-induced suppression of HCV replication. Inability to achieve SVR with IFN-based therapy in this clinical trial is associated with diminished ISG response to therapy that is refractory to NTZ.
Expected innovations of optical lithography in the next 10 years

In the past 10 years, immersion lithography has been the most effective high volume manufacturing method for the critical layers of semiconductor devices. Thinking of the next 10 years, we can expect continuous improvement on existing 300 mm wafer scanners with better accuracy and throughput to enhance the total output value per input cost. This value productivity, however, can be upgraded also by larger innovations which might happen in optical lithography. In this paper, we will discuss the possibilities and the impossibilities of potential innovation ideas of optical lithography, which are 450 mm wafer, optical maskless, multicolor lithography, and metamaterial.
Varieties of Electoral Institutions in China's Grassroots Democracy: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Evidence from Rural China

Grassroots democracy has been practised in rural China for more than a decade. However, despite the existence of a mountain of evidence, evaluations of the quality of China's rural grassroots democracy, particularly electoral institutions, have unfortunately been inconclusive, due to primary reliance on case studies and local surveys. Moreover, the lack of comparable data over time prohibits effective studies on the evolution of grassroots democracy in Chinese villages. This article tries to provide some systematic information on how village committee elections are practised and have evolved in China, using two village surveys based on comparable national probability samples, implemented in 2002 and 2005 respectively. It further explores the validity of some key theories in contemporary literature on the uneven implementation of village committee elections in China with the help of an integrated regression model.
Defining the Genre of Literary Essay——A Critical Review of Some Recent Publications on Essay

In this review the author discusses some recent publications on the literary genre of essay,or prose.From a cross-cultural perspective,the author compares the Chinese term "sanwen" with English term "essay," and negates the new term "artistic sanwen" while promotes the term "literary essay" for the genre of creative non-fiction.
Diagnosing pulmonary thromboembolic disease. Status of radiologic procedures.

Of the diagnostic procedures used in studying patients for pulmonary embolism, only pulmonary scintigraphy (perfusion or combined ventilation-perfusion scanning) and pulmonary angiography give direct information concerning integrity of blood vessels. The most informative single examination is pulmonary angiography, but scanning should be done first.
Environmental Impacts of Trade

There would be no need to include environmental provisions in trade agreements if trade did not affect the environment. Although there is considerable variation in the perceived effects of trade on the environment, probably because the effects are complex and varied, there is no doubt that they do exist and that they are interrelated. Some see trade as an unmitigated disaster for the environment, while others see nothing but environmental benefits from trade and therefore view increased trade as a way to improve the environment. The reality lies somewhere in between, with both environmental benefits and damages emanating from international trade in goods and services. This topic has been the subject of a vast literature in economic, legal, environmental and other publications reporting on many studies — both theoretical and empirical. Anriquez (2002), Copeland and Taylor (2004), Huang and Labys (2001, 2002) and others have provided extensive reviews of this body of literature. This chapter will not repeat or update those efforts, but will focus on summarizing the potential impacts that trade and, hence, increased trade through free-trade agreements have for the environment, with a brief review of a few empirical studies that document some of those impacts. This is to provide a background for understanding the utilization of trade provisions in FTAs as well as the dialogue (arguments) about including trade provisions in FTAs that occurred in the 1990s, when the issue first arose, in addition to more recent FTAs, and that still continue.
Robustness and fragility of high order controllers: A tutorial

In this tutorial paper we begin by providing a brief history of the field of classical robust control, namely, Black's feedback amplifier, the Nyquist criterion and Bode's frequency domain methods. In this classical period there was an underlying emphasis on design for robustness measured via gain and phase margins in the complex plane or in terms of frequency response plots. In the modern period (post 1960) the design emphasis shifted to quadratic optimization, state space models and state feedback and observers. Stability was obtained automatically and Kalman showed that as far state feedback was concerned excellent universal gain and phase margins were obtained as a byproduct of optimization. It took almost twenty years for the community to realize that these margins could disappear under output feedback implementations. The response of researchers, to this realization, was to develop design methods that accounted for plant uncertainty from the outset. This led to the development of H1 control theory. In 1997 the present authors showed that controllers designed by these methods could and frequently would, produce high order controllers which were fragile in the sense that minuscule perturbations of the controller would destabilize the closed loop system. This second failure of quadratic optimization to deliver robustness, provoked a resurgence of interest in low order output feedback and Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controllers. In the last twenty years the beginnings of a modern approach to PID control has developed incorporating the efficient computation of stabilizing sets, achievable performance in terms of gain and phase margins, multi-objective design and finally exact design of low order multivariable controllers using single-input single-output (SISO) methods. These are briefly introduced in the present paper and elaborated on in the succeeding papers of this session.
Multicriteria-Based Guideline for Pedestrian Timing Accommodation in Signal Coordination

AbstractAt coordinated intersections, when the side-street required green time is less than the required pedestrian time (RPT) to cross the main street, there are two options to consider when imple...
Transhepatic embolization of a congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy in a noncirrhotic patient using Amplatzer vascular plug device.

Abstract A 73-year-old male with no history of liver disease was hospitalized for weakness, confusion, ataxia, and new onset hepatic encephalopathy with hyperammonemia. After management with lactulose and rifaximin, his symptoms persisted, and he underwent transjugular liver biopsy. Biopsy showed normal liver, but a portosystemic shunt was incidentally identified on postbiopsy venogram. The patient underwent occlusion of the shunt with two Amplatzer vascular plugs and four Nester coils. Following embolization, the patient’s symptoms resolved completely. Our case reports one of the oldest adults to present with symptoms from a congenital portosystemic shunt. Congenital portosystemic shunts can be considered in patients with new onset hepatic encephalopathy in the absence of underlying liver disease. Prognosis after embolization of congenital portosystemic shunt is great, and embolization may result in full reversal of symptoms.
Parasocial Interactions and Relationships in Early Adolescence.

Parasocial interactions and relationships, one-sided connections imagined with celebrities and media figures, are common in adolescence but have received little descriptive or empirical attention in the developmental psychology literature. We asked 151 early adolescents (Mage = 14.8 years) to identify a famous individual of whom they are fond; we examined the type of celebrities chosen and why they admired them, and the relationships imagined with these figures across the entire sample and by gender. Adolescents emphasized highly salient media figures, such as actors, for parasocial attention. While different categories of celebrities were appreciated equally for their talent and personality, actors/singers were endorsed for their attractiveness more so than other celebrity types. Most adolescents (61.1%) thought of their favorite media figures as relationship partners, and those who did reported more parasocial involvement and emotional intensity than those who did not. Gender differences emerged in that boys chose more athletes than girls and were more likely to imagine celebrities as authority figures or mentors than friends. Celebrities afforded friendship for girls, who overwhelmingly focused on actresses. Variations in parasocial relationships may be linked to the social functions of parasocial processes in adolescent development.
Alternative Simulations of the Fugi Global Macroeconomic Model

Abstract This article aims to make projections of the world economy in the period 1983-90 using a latest global macroeconomic model named as FUGI-GMEM type V011-62. The model classifies the world into 62 countries/regions. Where the global interdependence is incorporated into an integral part of the world economy through international economic linkages. Based on alternative simulations, the author envisages international instability and supplemental ways for improving stability for the interdependent world economy through changes in economic growth rates, employment, wages, prices, money supply, interest rates, public finance, trade, capital movement, international balance of payments and foreign exchange rates, etc., in each country or region.
The Adding-Up Test in an Incentivized Value Elicitation Mechanism: The Role of the Income Effect

In the context of testing the construct validity of stated preference studies, some researchers advocate the use of an “adding-up test” designed to gauge whether elicited values are sufficiently sensitive to a change in the scope (i.e. size) of a good. Crucial to the applicability of this test in practice, which relies on endowing a subsample of respondents with a good free of charge, is that the income effects due to endowment are negligible. In this study, we apply the adding-up test in an experimental value elicitation format to examine the potential effect of endowment as part of the test design on the adding-up property of elicited values. The results show that the adding-up property can be affected by free provision of part of the bundle.
Effect of Disk Harrowing on Subsequent Emergence of Hessian fly (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Adults from Wheat Stubble

Conical cloth traps were used to compare emergence of Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say), adults from three land preparation regimes: 1) wheat stubble disked; 2) stubble not disked, but burned; 3) stubble neither disked nor burned (control). Burning had no effect on emergence in the one experiment in which it was tested. Mean emergence in disked plots was approx. 60% less than in control plots. However, this difference was significant in only one of four experiments. Implications for Hessian fly management within a wheat-soybean double-cropping system are discussed.
Long-Term Experience With a Mandatory Clinical Decision Rule and Mandatory d-Dimer in the Evaluation of Suspected Pulmonary Embolism.

Abstract Purpose This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of mandatory assignment of both a clinical decision rule (CDR) and highly sensitive d-dimer in the evaluation of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). Materials and Methods Institutional guidelines with a CDR and highly sensitive d-dimer were embedded in an order entry menu with mandatory assignment of key components before ordering a CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA). Data were retrospectively extracted from the electronic health record. Results This was a retrospective review of 1,003 CTPA studies (905 patients, 845 male and 60 female patients, age 63.7 ± 13.5 years). CTPAs were positive for PE in 170 studies (17%), representing an average yield of 15% (year [average]; 2007 [15%], 2008 [18%], 2009 [15%], 2010 [15%], 2011 [17%], 2012 [15%], 2013 [23%]). The increased yield represented efforts of mandatory order entry assignments, educational sessions, and clinical champions. Different d-dimer thresholds with or without age adjustments in combination with the CDR identified about 10% of patients who may have been managed without CTPA. Conclusion Mandatory assignment of a CDR and highly sensitive d-dimer clinical decision pathway can be successfully incorporated into an order entry menu and produce a sustained increase in CTPA yield of patients with suspected PE.
Adjoint Equation-Based Methods for Control Problems in Incompressible, Viscous Flows

A review of adjoint equation-based methodologies for viscous,incompressible flow control and optimization problems is given and illustrated by a drag minimization example. A number of approaches to ameliorating the high storage and CPU costs associated with straightforward implementations of adjoint equation based methodologies are discussed. Other issues, including the relative merits of the differentiate-then-discretize and discretize-then-differentiate approaches to deriving discrete adjoint equations, the incorporation of side constraints into adjoint equation-based methodologies, and inaccuracies that occur due to differentiations at the boundary, are also discussed.
Hydroelastic impact of stern structure using CFD and FEA

This paper presents the results of the structural response due to slamming in the stern region of the Joint High Speed Sealift (JHSS) vessel. A slamming event is identified by performing rigid-body large-amplitude seakeeping simulations using the LAMP program. The event is characterized by the relative motion between the free-surface and hull at a specific point near the stern of the vessel. The structure is developed using ABS and other conventional design guidelines, and it is analyzed using the commercial FEA software ABAQUS. The stress of the fluid on the structure is obtained by using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver built on the open source CFD Library OpenFOAM. The fluid stress is applied to the modal model of the structure using a robust and flexible grid-matching routine. Finally, the structural response is determined in the time domain by solving the system of modal equations of motion.
Secretory Function of the Prostate, Seminal Vesicle, Cowper’s Gland and Other Accessory Organs of Reproduction

The complicated make-up of the seminal plasma, and the role which the male accessory secretions play in the elaboration of this body fluid did not escape the notice of Littre and other anatomists of his day, but over two centuries passed before the properties of the individual secretions were recognized and their physicochemical characteristics elucidated. It took some time again before primitive examination of accessory glands by palpation or at laparotomy as the sole criterion of their functional condition was replaced by quantifiable biochemical methods. The rationale for the adoption of the modern approach rests upon the fact that these glands secrete a number of characteristic substances that at ejaculation enter the semen, in which they can be determined accurately in very small amounts of material. The chemical methods have stood the test of time well and have been discussed at length (Mann 1974b, 1975a; Mann and Lutwak-Mann 1976). Only relatively recently, as a result of chemical investigations, has the extent of the remarkable species differences in the secretory activity of the accessory glands received due attention. At the same time it became clear that species variations apart, there are considerable individual fluctuations in the secretory output, arising from differences in the size of accessory organs and conditioned by hormonal influences in the prostate and seminal vesicles in particular.
Modeling pathogenesis of emergent and pre-emergent human coronaviruses in mice.

The emergence of highly pathogenic human coronaviruses (hCoVs) in the last two decades has illuminated their potential to cause high morbidity and mortality in human populations and disrupt global economies. Global pandemic concerns stem from their high mortality rates, capacity for human-to-human spread by respiratory transmission, and complete lack of approved therapeutic countermeasures. Limiting disease may require the development of virus-directed and host-directed therapeutic strategies due to the acute etiology of hCoV infections. Therefore, understanding how hCoV–host interactions cause pathogenic outcomes relies upon mammalian models that closely recapitulate the pathogenesis of hCoVs in humans. Pragmatism has largely been the driving force underpinning mice as highly effective mammalian models for elucidating hCoV–host interactions that govern pathogenesis. Notably, tractable mouse genetics combined with hCoV reverse genetic systems has afforded the concomitant manipulation of virus and host genetics to evaluate virus–host interaction networks in disease. In addition to assessing etiologies of known hCoVs, mouse models have clinically predictive value as tools to appraise potential disease phenotypes associated with pre-emergent CoVs. Knowledge of CoV pathogenic potential before it crosses the species barrier into the human population provides a highly desirable preclinical platform for addressing global pathogen preparedness, an overarching directive of the World Health Organization. Although we recognize that results obtained in robust mouse models require evaluation in non-human primates, we focus this review on the current state of hCoV mouse models, their use as tractable complex genetic organisms for untangling complex hCoV–host interactions, and as pathogenesis models for preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutic interventions.
Job Autonomy and Schedule Flexibility as Moderators of the Relationship Between Work-Family Conflict and Work-Related Outcomes

Using data on employees from the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW), this study tests the effects of work-to-family conflict and family-to-work conflict (WTFC and FTWC, respectively) on job satisfaction and work engagement. Moreover, using the job demands-resources (JDR) model, this study evaluates whether job autonomy and schedule flexibility moderate these effects. The results support the matching hypothesis perspective, where WTFC (but not FTWC) is associated with lower job satisfaction and lower work engagement. Moreover, job autonomy and schedule flexibility are both found to moderate the effects of WTFC (but not FTWC) on job satisfaction and work engagement. These results highlight the importance of job autonomy and schedule flexibility in moderating the negative effects of WTFC (but not FTWC), and suggest that job autonomy and schedule flexibility both act as a buffer but only in matching-domain relations.
Outcomes and costs of open, robotic, and laparoscopic radical hysterectomy for stage IB1 cervical cancer.

5502Background: Surgery is the primary treatment modality for early cervical cancer. Compared to open (ORH), a robotic (RRH) or laparoscopic (LRH) approach to radical hysterectomy may have decrease...
The Collected Editions 1

Even before James Ripley Osgood set up his partnership with Clarence McIlvaine in London he had been interested in publishing a collected edition of Hardy’s works, as may be seen from a letter Hardy wrote to him in December 1888: ‘with regard to the other matter, I think I told you that my publishers have the right to print my books till the end of copyright, unless I give notice to the contrary. Perhaps, however, it will be the better plan to wait till I can see you on this’ (Letters I.182). Evidently they did talk about it, perhaps more than once, and soon after establishing the house of Osgood, Mcllvaine & Co., Osgood wrote to Hardy on the subject again (4 December 1890, DCM): ‘You will recall our conversation of some months ago when I suggested the plan of a new and uniform edition of your books. I shall be glad to hear if you are ready to discuss this.’ At that time Hardy’s agreements with other publishers, in particular Sampson Low, Marston & Co., who owned temporary rights over most of his novels, had nearly four years to run, and so the project was shelved, to reappear in 1893, when Hardy could look forward to gathering his whole output in the near future, with the exception of Under the Greenwood Tree, the copyright of which he had sold outright.
Applying standard independent verification and validation techniques within an agile framework: Identifying and reconciling incompatibilities

Agile methods have gained wide acceptance over the past several years. They are now a standard management and execution approach for small‐scale system development projects. While Agile methods are not generally applicable to large multiyear and mission‐critical systems, hybrid Agile approaches are being developed to exploit the productivity improvements of Agile while retaining the necessary process rigor and coordination needs of these types of projects. From the perspective of Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V), however, adoption of these hybrid‐Agile frameworks is becoming problematic. Hence, we find it prudent to question the compatibility of conventional IV&V techniques with hybrid‐Agile practices. This paper documents investigation of relevant literature, the modification and adoption of Agile frameworks to accommodate the development of large scale, mission‐critical systems, and the compatibility of standard IV&V techniques within hybrid‐Agile development frameworks. Specific to the latter, we find that the IV&V techniques employed within a hybrid‐Agile process can be divided into three groups: early lifecycle techniques that are fully compatible with the hybrid frameworks, techniques that focus on tracing requirements, test objectives, etc, which are somewhat problematic, but can be tailored with modest effort, and techniques involving an assessment requiring artifact completeness, and consequently, are not compatible with hybrid‐Agile processes. We identify seven prominent techniques in this third category and propose alternative approaches that achieve similar goals and which can be applied within an Agile development process.
MRI - ultrasound fusion guided biopsy of the prostate: lesion volume as a predictor of cancer in patients with repeat biopsies

Introduction: The objective was to analyze the diagnostic value of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prostate lesion volume (PLV) and its correlation with the subsequent MRI–ultrasound (MRI-US) fusion biopsy results. Materials and Methods: Between March 2014 and July 2016, 150 men underwent MRI-US fusion biopsies at our institution. All suspicious prostate lesions were graded according to the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PIRADS) and their volumes were measured. These lesions were subsequently biopsied. All data were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. The PLV of all suspicious lesions was correlated with the presence of cancer on the final MRI-US fusion biopsy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Results: There were 206 suspicious lesions identified in 150 men. The overall cancer detection rate was 102/206 (49.5%). The mean PLV for benign lesions was 0.63 ± 0.94 cm3 versus 1.44 ± 1.76 cm3 for cancerous lesions (P Conclusion: PLV may serve as a useful measure to triage patients prior to MRI-US fusion biopsy and help better understand the limits of this technology for individual patients.
Interactive Storytelling in V.R.: Coming Soon?

There have been many smart people throughout history who have misidentified the potential, or lack thereof, of new technologies. Thomas Edison, for all his genius, failed to anticipate the market for cinematic entertainment. His company’s early films lacked storytelling, and its film display technology, the Kinetoscope, permitted only one person to watch at a time. Perhaps there are lessons here for Virtual Reality (V.R.). Some have assumed that as entertainment becomes increasingly immersive, movies will somehow be absorbed into V.R. Even as many of the technical preconditions for this vision have fallen into place, there remain logistical and practical problems. Translating conventional forms of story authorship into the immersive, interactive context may not be sought-after. What is an interactive movie, after all? Even if strategies can be found to write and produce interactive V.R. movies, the results may be different from what people have been expecting.
The Legibility of Asian American Activism Studies

This essay examines “Asian American Activism studies” and asks: What changes through the legibility of Asian American activism studies? What does Asian American activism research uniquely offer? ...
Global perspectives on the United States: Pro-Americanism, anti-Americanism, and the discourses between

In 1996, Desmond and Dominguez called for ‘Resituating American Studies in a Critical Internationalism,’ especially by incorporating the work of foreign scholars.1 They practice what they preach in...
Scientist-Guided Autonomy for Self-Reliant Rovers

Although Mars rover missions have been highly successful in accomplishing scientific objectives, mission productivity is limited by challenges stemming from the need for commanding ground-based targeted observations under communication constraints imposed by the large distance between Earth and Mars. With an aging fleet of sun-synchronous relay orbiters, the opportunities for regular communication with rovers may become even more limited. In addition to on-board planning, robust navigation, and health assessment, there are strategies to make future rovers more self-reliant by enabling them to perform autonomous scientific characterizations of new areas during periods without an opportunity for ground-based targeted observations. In particular, we have studied how a ”walkabout” strategy, in which an initial high-level characterization of a region is used to informed subsequent passes with specific targeted observations, was used successfully during the investigation of Pahrump Hills by the Mars Science Laboratory. Inspired by this approach, we have identified several capabilities that could allow a rover to autonomously perform some of these initial high-level characterization steps. In this paper, we describe technologies for identifying specific geologic units, regions, or features of interest, identifying areas of contact between two adjacent units, detecting and determining the orientation of layering within rock units, identifying novel and interesting features, and planning observations of regions with different sampling strategies using remote sensing instruments. The observations acquired with these approaches are driven by scientists’ guidance and can provide scientists with data to help inform their decisions about where to make more resource-intensive targeted observations.
End-to-End (E2E) M&A Process Design

The long-term development of the global M&A market is characterized by a highly volatile pattern and was challenged by six merger waves. Multiple financial market assessments indicate that the global M&A market is in the midst of a new, the seventh merger wave, which is driven by business model innovations within technology as well as traditional industries. Besides, a glut of global liquidity due to ultra-loose monetary policies of multiple developed market central banks supports M&A financing potentials. Given this highly dynamic macro-view, a robust E2E M&A Process Design is mandatory to assure successful mergers and acquisitions. This M&A Process Design is built upon 5 modules, the Embedded M&A Strategy, the Transaction Management, the Integration Management, the Synergy Management and the M&A Project Management & Governance. The E2E M&A Process Design not only addresses these five modules, but also takes care of the crucial linkages within and between those modules. This mission-critical interdependencies of modules demand an E2E architecture. The M&A Process Design integrates also digital challenges and opportunities: Digital tools and processes might be used to increase the efficiency, speed, quality and robustness of M&A processes. Additionally, M&A could be used as a corporate development tool to design robust digital business models, resilient innovation strategies and to reshape corporate portfolios for the needs of the 20s.