cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Iris pigmentation and extent of disease in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE To determine whether the extent of disease in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) varies with iris pigmentation. METHODS The authors assessed visual function and macular appearance in the fellow eye or both eyes of 132 white patients with unilateral neovascular AMD. All patients had a visual acuity of 20/60 or better in the fellow eye. Eighty-nine of the patients were coded as having light irides (blue, green, or hazel) and 43 were coded as having dark irides (brown); the two groups of patients had comparable mean ages. RESULTS By the Mann-Whitney test for differences in mean rank, fellow eyes with light irides showed a marginally worse visual acuity (P = .156) but significantly more visual field impairment by letter recognition perimetry (P = .011) and the macular threshold test of the Humphrey Field Analyzer (P = .043), and more retinal pigment epithelial atrophy (P = .017) and focal areas of hyperpigmentation (P = .002) than fellow eyes with dark irides. For eyes with a choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM), those with light irides had significantly lower visual acuities (P = .006) and larger scars (P = .006) than eyes with dark irides. In addition, extent of disease in the eye with a CNVM was positively correlated with extent of disease in the fellow eye for most comparisons. CONCLUSIONS These observations suggest that light iris pigmentation is associated with more extensive retinal disease in patients with unilateral neovascular AMD. Furthermore, in such patients, those with worse disease in the eye with a CNVM may tend to have more extensive atrophic disease in the fellow eye.
Microtechnologies for Drug Delivery

Microfabrication techniques, originally developed in the microelectronics industry, can be engineered for in vivo drug delivery. Microfabrication uses a variety of techniques including photolithography and micromachining to create devices with features ranging from 0.1 to hundreds of microns with high aspect ratios and precise features. Microfabrication offers a device feature scale that is relevant to the tissues and cells to which they are applied, as well as offering ease of en masse fabrication, small device size, and facile incorporation of integrated circuit technology. Utilizing these methods, drug delivery applications have been developed for in vivo use through many delivery routes including intravenous, oral, and transdermal. Overall, microfabricated devices have had an impact over a broad range of therapies and tissues. This review addresses many of these devices and highlights their fabrication as well as discusses materials relevant to microfabrication techniques.
Status, Power and Felicity

Status and power are the main concepts of a general theory of social relations in which a large class of emotions results from outcomes of social interaction as described in status and power terms. Here the theory is elaborated to account for feelings of felicity or happiness in each of four possible relational outcomes: (1) Obtaining status; (2) According status to another; (3) Gaining power; and (4) Other’s power declining. Each of these relational outcomes provides a basis for feelings of happiness. Status-power theory also affords an understanding of meaningfulness, a frequently sought goal for life undertakings.
Racial-Ethnic Variations in Potentially Inappropriate Psychotropic Medication Use Among the Elderly.

Psychotropic drugs are among the most frequently prescribed medications to the elderly in the USA. Yet, many of those drugs have been used inappropriately. Increased risks of potentially inappropriate psychotropic medication (PIPM) utilization are associated with several patient and provider characteristics. However, little is known whether and to what extent patient race and ethnicity is related to PIPM use patterns among the elderly. We used multiyear (2012–2015) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. Among elderly psychotropic drug users (N = 7616), we identified PIPM prescription fills based on a Beers criterion, a list of drugs (by generic names) that should be avoided at any circumstances among the elderly. Logistic regression was used for the likelihood analysis. The likelihood of filling PIPMs was higher among Hispanics than among Whites (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.46). No differences were found between Whites and Blacks. The prevalence of PIPM use is high in all racial groups (43–52%). We found differences in the use of PIPMs by patient race and ethnicity between 2012 and 2015: among elderly psychotropic medication users, Hispanics were more likely than Whites to receive PIPMs. More clinical and policy efforts should aim to reduce PIPM use in all groups, particularly among Hispanic, given potentially negative health consequences related with the use of inappropriate medications.
Cap(tioning) Resistance on Stage: Chicana/Latina Graduation Caps and StoryBoarding as Syncretic Testimonio

This article examines the recent tradition of decorating and re-fashioning graduation caps, also known as mortarboards, by Chicanx/Latinx graduates. We describe this practice as StoryBoarding, a form of micro-storytelling tales of Chicana/Latina agency and resistance that counter, expose, and challenge institutionalized forms of racism. Many instances of StoryBoarding take place in the context of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), specifically during the Chicanx/Latinx graduation commencement ceremonies held at many campuses. While these events are celebratory, these past few years, alongside the celebrations, the ceremonies have also become spaces of critique and proclamation of the graduates’ views towards the current administration’s policies aimed at undocumented immigrants and people of Mexican and Latin American descent.
Education through Athletics: Interest in an Athletics Performance Curriculum

Intellectual and life-skill benefits of collegiate athletics participation have been doc-umented in empirical research, yet athletics-centric curricula are traditionally not offered for academic credit in higher education. This pilot study employed a survey, distributed to FBS Division I college varsity athletes, coaches, athletics administra-tors, and faculty from three Atlantic Coast Conference institutions, to explore the interest in an athletics performance minor through the lens of the Integrated View of intercollegiate athletics. The results demonstrate a moderate interest in an ath-letics performance curriculum, with 66% of those surveyed voicing support. Those most supportive were varsity athletes and coaches, while faculty were the least sup-portive. This study adds to the literature by addressing the philosophical dichotomy that despite the nexus between educational outcomes and athletics, an opportunity for academic credit is lacking.
A phonetic analysis of prenasalized stops in Moru

This study investigates the acoustic properties of prenasalized stops. Theoretical considerations of the acoustic consequences of the articulatory gestures necessary to produce a prenasalized stop are presented. Acoustic analyses with particular emphasis on spectral characteristics tested the validity of the theoretical model. These analyses focussed on the closure interval prior to the release of the oral constriction and on the release. The acoustic properties of initial prenasalized stops were compared to those of initial nasal consonants and voiced oral stop consonants in Moru. The results show that the spectral characteristics of the initial part of the closure interval of prenasalized stops are similar to those of the murmur of the nasal, and the nature of the release of prenasalized stops is similar to that of voiced stops. Prenasalized stops are distinguished from voiced stops and nasals by an amplitude drop of 10-20 dB in the closure interval immediately preceding the release, reflecting the timing of velopharyngeal closure prior to the release of the oral closure. The results are discussed in terms of the phonetic/phonological status of prenasalized stops.
UW-MARL: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Underwater Adaptive Sampling using Autonomous Vehicles

Near-real-time water-quality monitoring in uncertain environments such as rivers, lakes, and water reservoirs of different variables is critical to protect the aquatic life and to prevent further propagation of the potential pollution in the water. In order to measure the physical values in a region of interest, adaptive sampling is helpful as an energy- and time-efficient technique since an exhaustive search of an area is not feasible with a single vehicle. We propose an adaptive sampling algorithm using multiple autonomous vehicles, which are well-trained, as agents, in a Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) framework to make efficient sequence of decisions on the adaptive sampling procedure. The proposed solution is evaluated using experimental data, which is fed into a simulation framework. Experiments were conducted in the Raritan River, Somerset and in Carnegie Lake, Princeton, NJ during July 2019.
Policy adoption, legislative developments, and implementation: the resulting global differences among countries in the management of biological resources

Policy adoption and implementation depend on a wide range of considerations that include the level of stakeholder participation and the choice of top-down or bottom-up approaches. The existence of a stakeholder participation platform is often seen as critical to facilitate both adoption and implementation of international treaties. However, it may not automatically lead to improved policy outcomes or legislative effectiveness. This study compares countries with and without stakeholder participation platforms for policy implementation and assesses whether there are differences in their management of biological resources. The study had two goals: (1) examining the adoption and implementation of public policies and legislation at national and local levels within countries; and (2) analyzing the differences between countries that have developed stakeholder participation platforms for sustainable forest management. Data were obtained from the Global Forest Resources Assessment Report 2015 of the Food and Agricultural Organization. Cross-tabulation and independent sample t test findings show strong relationships at higher levels of government between countries, but weak relationships at local levels. Significant differences are observed at all levels. These results shed light on the severe challenges that governments face in adopting global environmental policies and passing them down to local levels for implementation. The study concludes that although excellent policies and regulations may exist, they often do not lead to significantly better outcomes at all levels of government.
Wavelet-Based Compression and Estimation of the $N$ -State Stochastic Microtubule Signal

Recent studies reveal that the estimation of biological polymers such as Microtubules (MTs) is a challenging task given its stochastic nature and dynamic instability phenomenon of random transition between multiple states. As such, it is imperative to preserve, extract and estimate MT state information to gain deeper understanding of the influence of MT behavior on the onset of neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, this paper introduces two novel compression frameworks with time-, frequency- and wavelet-domain run-length encoding for effective compression and estimation of the $N$ state MT signal that could be extended to other biomedical signals at-large. Peak detection is performed in both time- and wavelet-domain to effectively detect the $N$ transition states in MTs and encoded during the wavelet-compression process to alleviate the need for further processing at the receiver/decoder end. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed wavelet-based compression technique is most suitable for compression of biomedical stochastic signals as it provided signal sparsity, better information preservation and estimation of MT system parameters. It also delivered competitive compression rates, better SNR and lower MT signal estimation errors with the additional benefit of reduction in storage, and computational needs.
Tocqueville’s “New Political Science” as a Correction of The Federalist

Tocqueville famously calls for a “new political science” in his introduction to Democracy in America. This chapter explores what Tocqueville found inadequate about the political science embodied in The Federalist. Tocqueville takes issue with The Federalist’s view of government by reason and choice, and offers some reasons for skepticism about the ambitions of the US Founders. Examining the reasons for this skepticism sheds light on the theoretical foundations of Tocqueville’s view of American constitutionalism, as well as of the potential shortcomings in that view.
Modelling Uranium Dioxide Corrosion Under Repository Conditions: A Pore-Scale Study of the Chemical and Thermal Processes

Abstract This paper investigates the corrosion behaviors of spent uranium dioxide (UO2) fuel when placed in geological repositories. We performed pore-scale reactive transport simulations of the UO2 corrosion process in a defective fuel rod with different orientations of breach or fracture on its clad. It is found that the corrosion rate has strong dependency on the breach orientation. The highest corrosion rate of UO2 is calculated when the angle between the groundwater flow direction and the clad fracture reaches 180°. UO2 corrosion simulations with different flow rates are compared. The results show the higher flow rate accelerates the corrosion of UO2 fuel. The effect of pH on the corrosion process is also determined. It is indicated that higher pH can limit the corrosion of UO2 by reducing the reaction rate. The dependence of reaction rate and time on reactive surface area is explored. Spent fuel with lower surface area demonstrates longer lifetime under corrosion conditions. A numerical model coupling thermal conduction and chemical reactions is developed to assess the impact of temperature on the process of UO2 corrosion. The results show that higher temperature leads to larger corrosion rates for UO2. The predicted reaction rates are higher in comparison with the isothermal results. Hence, our results can help improve the fundamental understanding of UO2 corrosion in geological repositories for long-term storage of spent nuclear fuels and provide guidance for the safe operations and selection of appropriate repositories.
Development of chia seed (Salvia hispanica) mucilage films plasticized with polyol mixtures: Mechanical and barrier properties.

Abstract Food packaging is one of the main contributors to the high rates of environmental contamination; therefore, interest has emerged on the use of biopolymers as alternative materials to replace conventional food packaging. Chia seed (Salvia hispanica) is recognized by having a high content of a polysaccharide called mucilage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility using of chia seed mucilage (CSM) and a polyol mixture containing glycerol and sorbitol for the development of films. CSM films with higher sorbitol content showed superior tensile strength (3.23 N/mm2) and lower water vapor permeability (1.3*10−9 g/m*s*Pa), but had poor flexibility compared to other treatments. Conversely, high glycerol content showed high elongation at break (67.55%) and solubility (22.75%), but poor water vapor permeability and tensile strength. Film formulations were optimized implementing a factorial design according to response surface methodology. Raman spectra analysis showed shifts from 854 to 872 cm−1 and 1061 to 1076 cm−1, β (CCO) modes, indicating an increase in hydrogen bonding, responsible for the high tensile strength and decreased water vapor permeability observed in this study. The optimum conditions of polyol concentration were 1.3 g of glycerol and 2.0 g of sorbitol per g of CSM. Based on these results, chia seed mucilage can successfully be used to develop biofilms with potential to be used in drug delivery and edible food coating applications.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction and Piriformis Syndrome

Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain and piriformis syndrome are widely recognized causes of low back pain. Accurate diagnosis of SI joint-mediated pain through physical examination and standard imaging modalities can be difficult. Fluoroscopic-guided SI joint injections can be both diagnostic and therapeutic and are currently the most reliable method for diagnosis. Treatment options include conservative modalities such as activity modification, physical therapy, medications, as well as interventional procedures, such as fluoroscopic-guided intra-articular injections, prolotherapy, and radiofrequency ablation. Surgical options may be beneficial for carefully selected patients with positive responses to an SI joint injection and who fail a nonsurgical, multimodal treatment approach.
The Shadow Zones of International Judicialization

Despite the plethora of international adjudicative bodies created over time and across regions, international judicialization is still remarkably uneven. First, while some regions of the globe contain multiple, overlapping, international adjudicative bodies, others have none. Second, patterns of utilization are inconsistent. Even where international adjudicative bodies exist, certain actors use them more frequently than others. Third, certain areas of international relations have been judicialized significantly more than others. This chapter describes the current state of judicialization along these three main dimensions, highlighting the areas and issues where judicialization has not arrived, and advances some possible explanations for this puzzle.
Distributed Aviation Concepts and Technologies

Aviation has experienced one hundred years of evolution, resulting in the current air transportation system dominated by commercial airliners in a hub and spoke infrastructure. While the first fifty years involved disruptive technologies that required frequent vehicle adaptation, the second fifty years produced a stable evolutionary optimization of decreasing costs with increasing safety. This optimization has resulted in traits favoring a centralized service model with high vehicle productivity and cost efficiency. However, it may also have resulted in a system that is not sufficiently robust to withstand significant system disturbances. Aviation is currently facing rapid change from issues such as environmental damage, terrorism threat, congestion and capacity limitations, and cost of energy. Currently, these issues are leading to a loss of service for weaker spoke markets. These catalysts and a lack of robustness could result in a loss of service for much larger portions of the aviation market. The impact of other competing transportation services may be equally important as casual factors of change. Highway system forecasts indicate a dramatic slow down as congestion reaches a point of non-linearly increasing delay. In the next twenty-five years, there is the potential for aviation to transform itself into a more robust, scalable, adaptive, secure, safe, affordable, convenient, efficient and environmentally friendly system. To achieve these characteristics, the new system will likely be based on a distributed model that enables more direct services. Short range travel is already demonstrating itself to be inefficient with a centralized model, providing opportunities for emergent distributed services through air-taxi models. Technologies from the on-demand revolution in computers and communications are now available as major drivers for aviation on-demand adaptation. Other technologies such as electric propulsion are currently transforming the automobile industry, and will also significantly alter the functionality of future distributed aviation concepts. Many hurdles exist, including technology, regulation, and perception. Aviation has an inherent governmental role not present in other recent on-demand transformations, which may pose a risk of curtailing aviation democratization .
Inverse groundwater modeling for hydraulic conductivity estimation using Bayesian model averaging and variance window

[1] This study proposes a Bayesian model averaging (BMA) method to address parameter estimation uncertainty arising from nonuniqueness in parameterization methods. BMA is able to incorporate multiple parameterization methods for prediction through the law of total probability and to obtain an ensemble average of hydraulic conductivity estimates. Two major issues in applying BMA to hydraulic conductivity estimation are discussed. The first problem is using Occam's window in usual BMA applications to measure approximated posterior model probabilities. Occam's window only accepts models in a very narrow range, tending to single out the best method and discard other good methods. We propose a variance window to replace Occam's window to cope with this problem. The second problem is the Kashyap information criterion (KIC) in the approximated posterior model probabilities, which tends to prefer highly uncertain parameterization methods by considering the Fisher information matrix. With sufficient amounts of observation data, the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) is a good approximation and is able to avoid controversial results from using KIC. This study adopts multiple generalized parameterization (GP) methods such as the BMA models to estimate spatially correlated hydraulic conductivity. Numerical examples illustrate the issues of using KIC and Occam's window and show the advantages of using BIC and the variance window in BMA application. Finally, we apply BMA to the hydraulic conductivity estimation of the “1500-foot” sand in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.
Resources for Getting Started in Modeling

Modeling is a useful component of scientific investigation in nutrition. Nutrition scientists who would like to incorporate modeling into their studies frequently do not know where or how to begin. This paper describes a selected assortment of books, journals and articles, resource groups and individuals and computer software that may be of help to the beginning modeler and to those more experienced in modeling as well.
Collectivist and Individualist Influences on Website Design in South Korea and the U.S.: A Cross-Cultural Content Analysis

When websites are constructed to appeal to various cultures, designers must ensure that those sites are easily navigated by members of those various cultures. The integration of design features into company-sponsored websites may differ between cultures with different communicative predispositions. This content analysis examines collectivist and individualist cultural influences on the design of organizational websites originating in South Korea and the U.S., and particularly how temporal and communication differences are revealed through the decisions designers make to use certain kinds of interactivity and rich media tools. Findings confirm that South Korean websites are more likely than U.S. websites to conform to polychronic time-management tendencies and preferences for high-context communication. Implications for both researchers and Internet marketing communications managers are discussed.
Art Theft in Perspective

Art theft has become a significant concern in many countries. This article examines several aspects of the crime, including motives of thieves, problems in collecting theft data, law enforcement response, and security. Multi-jurisdictional investigations have been successful in curtailing some thefts. Concentration on many fronts is necessary to impact on the crime.
Rational design of gene‐based vaccines

Vaccine development has traditionally been an empirical discipline. Classical vaccine strategies include the development of attenuated organisms, whole killed organisms, and protein subunits, followed by empirical optimization and iterative improvements. While these strategies have been remarkably successful for a wide variety of viruses and bacteria, these approaches have proven more limited for pathogens that require cellular immune responses for their control. In this review, current strategies to develop and optimize gene-based vaccines are described, with an emphasis on novel approaches to improve plasmid DNA vaccines and recombinant adenovirus vector-based vaccines.
Annihilation rates of positrons on aromatic molecules

We have measured positron annihilation rates for a selection of hydrocarbon molecules based on six carbon atoms, including substituted benzenes. These measurements illustrate the importance of molecular symmetry in determining the annihilation rate.
Magnetization of ultrathin (100) Co films deposited on Cu/Si(100)

Abstract Ultrathin Co films, 5 and 10 A, sandwiched between Cu or Pd have been deposited on (100) and (111) Si using Cu seed layers, resulting in (100) face-centered cubic (fcc) Co and mixed (111) fcc and hexagonal-closed packed (hcp) Co structures, respectively. Magnetic moments similar to bulk Co films are measured from both Co structures, indicating the integrity of the Co layers of such thicknesses. The in-plane magnetization remains to be easier than the vertical one for both structures. The relations of the results to those of thicker films and other structures are discussed.
Opposed Port Alignment System (OPAS): A Commercial Astronomical Telescope Modified for Viewing the Interior of the NIF Target Chamber

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) requires high resolution live images of regions inside the target chamber in order to align diagnostic instruments to fusion targets and to monitor target stability. To view the interior of the target chamber, we modified a commercial 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to develop the Opposed Port Alignment System (OPAS). There are two OPAS systems installed on the target chamber ports directly opposite the diagnostics. This paper describes the optical design, highlighting the two key modifications of the telescope. The first key modification was to reposition the Schmidt corrector plate and to uniquely mount the secondary mirror to a precision translation stage to adjust focus from 5.5 m to infinity. The stage is carefully aligned to ensure that the telescope’s optical axis lies on a straight line during focus adjustments. The second key modification was a custom three element lens that flattens the field, corrects residual aberrations of the Schmidt-Cassegrain and, with a commercial 1:1 relay lens, projects the final image plane onto a large format 50 mega-pixel camera. The OPAS modifications greatly extend the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope’s field of view, producing nearly diffraction-limited images over a flat field covering ±0.4 degrees. Also discussed in the paper are the alignment procedure and the hardware layout of the telescope.
Monofocal motor neuropathy: Improvement with intravenous immunoglobulin

Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a chronic, immune-mediate, peripheral myelinopathy. Inherent in its name, MMN implies involvement of two or more motor nerves. We report three patients with weakness and partial motor conduction block restricted to a single nerve and localized to sites that are not at risk for entrapment or compression injury. None of the patients had sensory involvement and all showed a favorable response to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Based on these observations and reports of three additional patients, we believe that monofocal motor neuropathy is a partial form of MMN and should be treated as such.
Solubility determinations by the isopiestic method and application to aqueous lanthanide nitrates at 25°C

The isopiestic method is one of the most accurate methods for solubility determinations; an additional advantage is that solvent activity can be simultaneously determined for the saturated solution. In spite of this the method is rarely used for that purpose, and then almost exclusively for aqueous solutions at 25°C. This method is described, and its advantages and disadvantages discussed. Examples are given of the application of this method to solubility determinations, and new data are presented for the aqueous solubilities of Pr(NO3)3, Ho(NO3)3, Er(NO3)3, and Y(NO3)3 at 25°C. These new data are designed to refine results recently reviewed in the IUPAC Solubility Data Series.
Optimization of CIGS-Based PV Device through Antimony Doping

This communication discusses grain size enhancement in CIGS thin films induced by Sb-doping and demonstrates consequent photovoltaic (PV) device performance improvement in CIGS-based solar cells. The chemical-doping approach also shows promise in enabling low-temperature (≤ 400°C) processing of CIGS-based PV technology.
Chronic postweaning lead exposure and response duration performance.

Twenty-one-day-old male weanling rats were started on a chronic exposure regimen of 0, 100, or 300 ppm lead acetate in distilled water. They were trained to press a lever for food reward at 55 days of age. Subsequently, a schedule of differential reinforcement of minimum response duration was imposed, in which only lever press durations greater than or equal to a required duration were followed by food presentation. Under these conditions, response durations of control animals approximated schedule requirements; lead treatment shortened response durations. Treated rats also paused for longer periods before initiating responses. Differences between the treated groups were not apparent. Individual differences were observed in susceptibility to lead-induced behavioral changes. Some treated animals tended to show greater session-to-session variability than did controls. Even when a tone was added to signal that the required duration had elapsed, certain treated rats failed to show modal response duration values consistent with the schedule requirement. Failure to improve performance of lead-treated rats by external stimulus control has not previously been reported.
Nonlinear Heat Transfer in Planar Solids: Direct and Inverse Applications

For planar geometries, the present investigation develops a method for generating approximate solutions for heat conduction in solids with variable thermal conductivity, for both the direct and inverse problems. In the first portion, the direct case, from theoretical considerations, an analytical solution is generated for the original nonlinear differential system when it is replaced by a sequence of linear differential equations in some optimum fashion. The approach is unlike traditional methods appearing in the literature, since it does not require perturbation parameters and penetration distances. It entails an iterative procedure for accuracy improvement. For the second part of the study, an analytical procedure is developed for the nonlinear inverse problem. The concept of approximating the original material with a pseudolinear one is employed, and thermal diffusivity iteration is introduced. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the computational procedures.
Damage to tissue defenses by a topical anesthetic agent

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a topical application of a solution containing 0.5% tetracaine, 1:2,000 epinephrine, and 11.9% cocaine on the wound's ability to resist infection. In this experimental study, this solution potentiated the development of wound infection. This effect can be explained by its vasoconstrictive action limiting access of the cellular defenses to the bacteria on the wound surface.
Understanding the psychological process underlying customer satisfaction and retention in a relational service

Abstract This paper reexamines the psychological process underlying the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer retention in a relational service context. It is based on a composite model of the attitude-behavior relation, which takes both attitude toward target and attitude toward behavior into account. Data were collected from a survey with a sample of 209 clients from a major credit counseling organization in the USA. Account data indicating those clients' actual retention behavior were matched with the survey data. A two-step structural equation modeling (SEM) procedure was employed to establish the construct validity and test the hypotheses. The results revealed that the effect of customer satisfaction on retention is mediated by the more proximal determinants of the actual retention behavior. Specifically, customer satisfaction has both direct and indirect effects on customers' attitudes toward remaining in the Debt Management Program (DMP), which is the proximal predictor of customer retention. In addition, satisfaction alone cannot guarantee customer retention. Customers' perceived behavioral control exerts direct effects on their intention to remain and retention.
Spray Coatable Electrochromic Dioxythiophene Polymers with High Coloration Efficiencies

Four new disubstituted propylenedioxythiophene polymers have been synthesized by Grignard metathesis on the 1−5 g scale. All polymers were found to be soluble in chloroform, methylene chloride, toluene, and tetrahydrofuran and were fully structurally characterized having GPC determined number-average molecular weights ranging from 33000 to 47000 g mol-1. Dilute polymer solutions in toluene exhibited strong red fluorescence with moderate quantum efficiencies from 0.38 to 0.50. Homogeneous thin films were formed by electropolymerization and spray casting polymer solutions onto ITO coated glass slides at thicknesses of ca. 150 nm. The films were electroactive, switching from a dark blue-purple to a transmissive sky blue upon p-doping, often with subsecond switching times, and high electrochromic contrast luminance changes (% ΔY) of 40−70%. These studies revealed that the branched derivatives, [poly(3,3-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxepine)] and [poly(6,8-dibromo-3,3-bis(2-ethylhexylox...
MASS TRANSPORT IN WATER WAVES OVER AN ELASTIC BED

The mass transport velocity in water waves propagating over an elastic bed is investigated. Water is assumed to be incompressible and slightly viscous. The elastic bed is also incompressible and satisfies the Hooke’s law. For a small amplitude progressive wave perturbation solutions via a boundary-layer approach are obtained. Because the wave amplitude is usually larger than the viscous boundary layer thickness and because the free surface and the interface between water and the elastic bed are moving, an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system (Longuet-Higgins 1953) is used in the analysis of free surface and interfacial boundary layers so that boundary conditions can be applied on the actual moving surfaces. Analytical solutions for the mass transport velocity inside the boundary layer adjacent to the elastic seabed and in the core region of the water column are obtained. The mass transport velocity above a soft elastic bed could be twice of that over a rigid bed in the shallow water.
Calculation of integrals over ab initio pseudopotentials

An approach is presented for the evaluation of the two distinct types of one-electron integrals arising from the ab initio pseudopotentials introduced by Kahn and Goddard. The integrals are shown to reduce to a sum over products of angular and radial integrals, the latter being approximated by power and asymptotic series combined with appropriate recursion relations. The method is valid for arbitrary angular momenta of both the pseudopotential and the Cartesian Gaussian basis functions.
Impact of the pull and push‐pull policies on the performance of a three‐stage supply chain

We investigate the performance of two common operating policies (i.e., pull and push‐pull) for a make‐to‐stock product in an un‐capacitated, three‐stage supply chain. The pull policy operates based on periodic orders received from the immediate downstream facility. However, in the push‐pull policy, while processes upstream of the order decoupling point are managed by the push policy, the downstream processes are managed by the pull policy. Simulation experiments are conducted to examine the impact of each operating policy under a variety of experimental conditions, characterised by demand uncertainty and lead‐time variability. Our results indicate that the relative advantage of the two policies is dependent on the type of uncertainty, the level of uncertainty, the inventory control policy and the performance measures of interest. More specifically, while the push‐pull policy results in lower inventory, the pull policy yields a better fill rate. This is in contrast to the notion that the pull policy genera...
Cytology and fluid analysis of the acute abdomen

In patients with acute abdominal pain, abdominal paracentesis and diagnostic peritoneal lavage often yield fluid samples for cytologic and biochemical evaluation. Cytology of the effusion from a patient with acute abdominal disease can be a crucial tool for the rapid diagnosis necessary for initiation of timely and appropriate therapy. Appropriate sample collection, handling, and preparation are essential to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Analysis of the fluid sample should include gross examination of the effusion, measurement of total nucleated cell count, packed red blood cell volume, and protein concentration, as well as examination for the presence of other cells, bacteria, food particles, or plant material. Biochemical evaluation should proceed based on the clinician's index of suspicion for a particular disease process. Abdominal effusions are generally classified as transudate, modified transudate, or exudate, depending on the total nucleated cell count and protein concentration. Cytology of all fluids collected should be performed systematically, utilizing progressively higher magnifications with a microscope. Specific diseases with associated abdominal effusions include septic peritonitis, nonseptic peritonitis, hemoabdomen, uroabdomen, pancreatitis, bile peritonitis, chylous effusion, and neoplasia. A complete description of sample preparation and evaluation is reviewed.
Plasma-based x-ray detector configuration for ultra-rapid pulse coincidence measurements

The temporal resolution of pump-flash interactions in the ultrashort (fs-as) regime is limited by the characteristic time constants of the excited states in the detector material. If the relaxation time constant is appreciably longer that the time interval between the pump and probe signals the response of the detector material to the probe represents a temporal convolution with the pump and probe responses, setting a lower limit on the resolution to which the interval between the two pulses can be measured. In most of the solid state ultrafast detection schemes that are being considered for the ultra-short pulse x-ray sources under current development at SLAC and elsewhere the characteristic time constants are related to the bound states of the atoms comprising the material or to the relaxation times of phase transitions or charge carrier populations of the lattice, setting a probable lower limit on the attainable resolution on the order of ~0.1 ps. In this paper we consider a novel detection principle predicated on the excitation of specially prepared unbound states in an ionized plasma with high pump and probe fields, and estimate its potential for extending the lower limit of resolution into the as regime.
Meaningful General Education Assessment That Is Integrated and Transformative.

This chapter describes a transformative approach to assessing general education programs, identifies potential obstacles to successful assessment, and outlines necessary steps for creating assessable, outcomes-based programs.
Plasmon Coupling in Nanorod Assemblies: Optical Absorption, Discrete Dipole Approximation Simulation, and Exciton-Coupling Model

The shape anisotropy of nanorods gives rise to two distinct orientational modes by which nanorods can be assembled, i.e., end-to-end and side-by-side, analogous to the well-known H and J aggregation in organic chromophores. Optical absorption spectra of gold nanorods have earlier been observed to show a red-shift of the longitudinal plasmon band for the end-to-end linkage of nanorods, resulting from the plasmon coupling between neighboring nanoparticles, similar to the assembly of gold nanospheres. We observe, however, that side-by-side linkage of nanorods in solution shows a blue-shift of the longitudinal plasmon band and a red-shift of the transverse plasmon band. Optical spectra calculated using the discrete dipole approximation method were used to simulate plasmon coupling in assembled nanorod dimers. The longitudinal plasmon band is found to shift to lower energies for end-to-end assembly, but a shift to higher energies is found for the side-by-side orientation, in agreement with the optical absorpti...
The effect of alcohol abuse and alcohol withdrawal on short-term outcomes and cost of care after head and neck cancer surgery†

Objectives/Hypothesis: Alcohol abuse is associated with an increased incidence of postoperative complications in surgical patients and is a significant risk factor for the development of head and neck cancer (HNCA). We sought to determine the relationship between alcohol abuse and in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications, length of stay, and costs in HNCA surgery. Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Discharge data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 92,312 patients aged 18 years and older who underwent an ablative procedure for a malignant oral cavity, laryngeal, hypopharyngeal, or oropharyngeal neoplasm in 2003 to 2008, were analyzed using cross-tabulations and multivariate regression modeling. Results: Patients who abused alcohol were more likely to have advanced comorbidity, undergo major surgical procedures, and require medical care at another facility or home healthcare after discharge. The development of alcohol withdrawal symptoms (AWS) was associated with an increased incidence of acute medical complications (odds ratio [OR]: 5.6, P < .001) and surgical complications (OR: 2.3, P < .001). After controlling for all other variables, there was no significant association of alcohol abuse or AWS with in-hospital mortality; however, alcohol abuse and AWS were associated with significantly increased length of hospitalization and hospital-related costs, with AWS having the single largest impact on length of stay and costs. Conclusions: Alcohol withdrawal is associated with an increase in postoperative medical and surgical complications, length of hospitalization, and hospital-related costs in HNCA surgical patients. Aggressive measures to prevent the development of AWS in patients who abuse alcohol are warranted. Laryngoscope, 2012
Recursive least-squares learning algorithms for neural networks

This paper presents the development of a pair of recursive least squares (ItLS) algorithms for online training of multilayer perceptrons which are a class of feedforward artificial neural networks. These algorithms incorporate second order information about the training error surface in order to achieve faster learning rates than are possible using first order gradient descent algorithms such as the generalized delta rule. A least squares formulation is derived from a linearization of the training error function. Individual training pattern errors are linearized about the network parameters that were in effect when the pattern was presented. This permits the recursive solution of the least squares approximation either via conventional RLS recursions or by recursive QR decomposition-based techniques. The computational complexity of the update is 0(N2) where N is the number of network parameters. This is due to the estimation of the N x N inverse Hessian matrix. Less computationally intensive approximations of the ilLS algorithms can be easily derived by using only block diagonal elements of this matrix thereby partitioning the learning into independent sets. A simulation example is presented in which a neural network is trained to approximate a two dimensional Gaussian bump. In this example RLS training required an order of magnitude fewer iterations on average (527) than did training with the generalized delta rule (6 1 BACKGROUND Artificial neural networks (ANNs) offer an interesting and potentially useful paradigm for signal processing and pattern recognition. The majority of ANN applications employ the feed-forward multilayer perceptron (MLP) network architecture in which network parameters are " trained" by a supervised learning algorithm employing the generalized delta rule (GDIt) [1 2]. The GDR algorithm approximates a fixed step steepest descent algorithm using derivatives computed by error backpropagatiori. The GDII algorithm is sometimes referred to as the backpropagation algorithm. However in this paper we will use the term backpropagation to refer only to the process of computing error derivatives. While multilayer perceptrons provide a very powerful nonlinear modeling capability GDR training can be very slow and inefficient. In linear adaptive filtering the analog of the GDR algorithm is the leastmean- squares (LMS) algorithm. Steepest descent-based algorithms such as GDR or LMS are first order because they use only first derivative or gradient information about the training error to be minimized. To speed up the training process second order algorithms may be employed that take advantage of second derivative or Hessian matrix information. Second order information can be incorporated into MLP training in different ways. In many applications especially in the area of pattern recognition the training set is finite. In these cases block learning can be applied using standard nonlinear optimization techniques [3 4 5].© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Parenteral nutrition in diabetes mellitus.

Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) may be the essential and only viable route by which to nourish enterally compromised diabetic patients. This paper discusses in dications for its use, venous ac cess sites, and parenteral solu tions, including insulin admix ture ; reviews protocols devel oped for TPN initiation and blood glucose management in three specifically defined diabetic patient categories; and considers methods of achieving glucose homeostasis in the diabetic surgical patient.
The value of defibrillator electrograms for recognition of clinical ventricular tachycardias and for pace mapping of post-infarction ventricular tachycardia.

In 21 consecutive patients referred for catheter ablation of post-infarction VT, 124 VTs (mean cycle length: 393 103 ms) were induced, and ICD EGMs were recorded during VT. Clinical VT had been documented with 12-lead ECGsin 15 of 21 patients. The 12-lead ECGs of the clinical VTs were compared with 64 different inducible VTs (mean cyclelength: 390 91 ms) to assess how well the ICD EGMs differentiated the clinical VTs from the other induced VTs. Theexit site of 62 VTs (mean cycle length: 408 112 ms) was identiﬁed by pace mapping (10 to 12 of 12 matchingleads). The spatial resolution of pace mapping to identify a VT exit site was determined for both the 12-lead ECGs andthe ICD EGMs using a customized MATLAB program (version 7.5, The MathWorks, Inc., Natick, Massachusetts).
Solid support synthesis of 14- and 17-membered macrocycles via the SNAr methodology

Abstract Efficient assembly of 14-membered macrocycles utilizing the S N Ar of fluorine in 3-fluoro-4-nitrobenzoic acid with the OH of 3-hydroxytyrosine on solid support is reported. The flexibility of this synthesis, as well as the excellent purity (>90%) of the final products are the distinctive characteristic of the resultant library.
Possible interaction of chlorogenic acid, tyrosine, and bisulfite in enzymatic blackening of potatoes

Warburg manometric experiments were performed to study the interaction of crude polyphenol oxidase from potatoes with chlorogenic acid, tyrosine, and sodium bisulfite. Bisulfite concentrations of 5.4×10−4 to 1×10−3M which inhibited tyrosine oxidation for 30–40 min. did not inhibit chlorogenic acid oxidation. When chlorogenic acid, tyrosine, and bisulfite are mixed together the enzymatic oxidation of chlorogenic acid will reduce the bisulfite concentration so that tyrosine oxidation occurs rapidly.