Does decision quality (always) increase with the size of information samples? Some vicissitudes in applying the law of large numbers.

Adaptive decision making requires that contingencies between decision options and their relative assets be assessed accurately and quickly. The present research addresses the challenging notion that contingencies may be more visible from small than from large samples of observations. An algorithmic account for such a seemingly paradoxical effect is offered within a satisficing-choice framework. Accordingly, a choice is only made when the sample contingency describing the relative evaluation of the 2 options exceeds a critical threshold. Small samples, because of the high dispersion of their sampling distribution, facilitate above-threshold contingencies. Across a broad range of parameters, the resulting small-sample advantage in terms of hits is stronger than their disadvantage in false alarms. Computer simulations and experiments support the model predictions. The relative advantage of small samples is most apparent when information loss is low, when the threshold is high relative to the ecological contingency, and when the sampling process is self-truncated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Polymer networks based on α,ω-methacrylate-terminated poly(1,3-dioxolane)

α,ω-Methacrylate-terminated poly(1,3-dioxolane)s (polyDXL) were synthesized by cationic ring-opening polymerization of DXL in the presence of methylene-bis(oxyethylmethacrylate) as transfer agent. If the initiator concentration is small compared with the transfer agent concentration, the molecular weights of the polymers are governed by the ratio of the reacted monomer to the reacted transfer agent. The α,ω-methacrylate-terminated polyDXLs obtained undergo free radical polymerization with formation of polyacetal networks. The properties of the networks as function of the molecular weight of the corresponding prepolymers are reported.     

An empirical study of information technology enabled business process redesign and corporate competitive strategy

Business process redesign (BPR) has been widely touted as a means for leveraging the power of information technology to change business processes radically, resulting in substantial improvements in organizational effectiveness and efficiency. This study represents an early attempt at examining the strategic nature of the phenomenon. Because BPR is radical change and has the ability to alter both the competitive and operational nature of the corporation, it is critical that BPR be coordinated with corporate strategy. Through a survey of information system executives, the relationships between corporate competitive strategy and three types of BPR – intrafunctional, interfunctional and interorganizational – were examined. It was found that organizations following a cost strategy tended to do more BPR projects on interfunctional processes. Furthermore, the positive effect of a cost strategy on interfunctional BPR was found to be strengthened by the degree of integration of IS and business planning. It was also found that while interorganizational BPR was not related to a specific strategy, it was strongly related directly with IS–business planning integration.     

DMT／PTA工艺的技术改进

改进的DMT/PTA工艺技术是由苏尔寿化工有限公司和H&G Hegmanns公司联合开发的。该技术对Witten-Katzschmann工艺进行了大量改进,并结合了苏尔寿公司的环境友好熔融结晶技术。改进的工艺包括:氧化反应部分(有效回收了副产品和能量);粗酯和副产品蒸馏;采用熔融结晶技术精制DMT。     

Pancreas anulare as a rare differential diagnosis of duodenal stenosis in adulthood]

Large spontaneous intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunts are occasionally found and their diagnosis by Doppler sonography is rarely reported. The authors describe a case of spontaneous intrahepatic porto-systemic venous shunt in liver cirrhosis diagnosed by color Doppler and characterized by an unusual pulsed Doppler spectrum: a continuous flat portal-like pattern of flow in the portal branch, and in both the shunt and the hepatic vein.     

High-level production and long-term storage of engineered antibodies in transgenic tobacco seeds

We have used transgenic tobacco seeds to produce large amounts of a functionally active engineered antibody. A gene infusion encoding an antigen-binding single chain Fv protein (scFv) that recognizes the hapten oxazolone was constructed and used as a model. After characterization in a bacterial expression system ,the scFv gene was cloned into a plant expression cassette conferring seed specific expression, and transferred using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, into Nicotiana tabacum. The expressed scFv could be detected in the developing as well as ripe seeds of regenerated transgenic plants, and the functionally active scFv is stabaly deposited and accumulates up to 0.67% of the total soluble seed protein. After storage of ripe transgenic tobacco seeds for one year at room temperature there was no loss of scFv protein or its antigen-binding activity.     

Refining Genotypes and Phenotypes in KCNA2-Related Neurological Disorders

Pathogenic variants in KCNA2, encoding for the voltage-gated potassium channel K_v1.2, have been identified as the cause for an evolving spectrum of neurological disorders. Affected individuals show early-onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, intellectual disability, and movement disorders resulting from cerebellar dysfunction. In addition, individuals with a milder course of epilepsy, complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia, and episodic ataxia have been reported. By analyzing phenotypic, functional, and genetic data from published reports and novel cases, we refine and further delineate phenotypic as well as functional subgroups of KCNA2-associated disorders. Carriers of variants, leading to complex and mixed channel dysfunction that are associated with a gain- and loss-of-potassium conductance, more often show early developmental abnormalities and an earlier onset of epilepsy compared to individuals with variants resulting in loss- or gain-of-function. We describe seven additional individuals harboring three known and the novel KCNA2 variants p.(Pro407Ala) and p.(Tyr417Cys). The location of variants reported here highlights the importance of the proline(405)–valine(406)–proline(407) (PVP) motif in transmembrane domain S6 as a mutational hotspot. A novel case of self-limited infantile seizures suggests a continuous clinical spectrum of KCNA2-related disorders. Our study provides further insights into the clinical spectrum, genotype–phenotype correlation, variability, and predicted functional impact of KCNA2 variants.     

SUL-151 Decreases Airway Neutrophilia as a Prophylactic and Therapeutic Treatment in Mice after Cigarette Smoke Exposure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by cigarette smoke (CS) is featured by oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Due to the poor efficacy of standard glucocorticoid therapy, new treatments are required. Here, we investigated whether the novel compound SUL-151 with mitoprotective properties can be used as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment in a murine CS-induced inflammation model. SUL-151 (4 mg/kg), budesonide (500 μg/kg), or vehicle were administered via oropharyngeal instillation in this prophylactic and therapeutic treatment setting. The number of immune cells was determined in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Oxidative stress response, mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and mitophagy-related proteins were measured in lung homogenates. SUL-151 significantly decreased more than 70% and 50% of CS-induced neutrophils in BALF after prophylactic and therapeutic administration, while budesonide showed no significant reduction in neutrophils. Moreover, SUL-151 prevented the CS-induced decrease in ATP and mitochondrial mtDNA and an increase in putative protein kinase 1 expression in the lung homogenates. The concentration of SUL-151 was significantly correlated with malondialdehyde level and radical scavenging activity in the lungs. SUL-151 inhibited the increased pulmonary inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction in this CS-induced inflammation model, which implied that SUL-151 might be a promising candidate for COPD treatment.     

Development of a system‐based water balance model to assess interrelated physical and anthropogenic constraints in lake and reservoir watersheds,applied to Coeur d'Alene Lake,Idaho, USA

This study presents a methodology for the development of a water balance model that uses publicly available data in a manner useful to water scientists and managers who manage complex lake and reservoir watersheds. The approach was applied to Coeur d'Alene Lake, a naturally occurring lake that is controlled by a dam located on its outlet (Spokane River) in North Idaho, USA. As in many other areas, the region surrounding Coeur d'Alene Lake has experienced high rates of population growth in recent years, and there is concern that, as consumptive water use increases, the lake will eventually not be able to be managed to simultaneously maintain the federally mandated minimum flow requirements in the Spokane River and also maintain the target summertime elevation of 2128 feet (648.6 m) for recreation and hydropower purposes. The complexity caused by the competing uses at Coeur d'Alene Lake makes it an excellent case study for similarly characterized watersheds. Both a natural flow model and regulated elevation model were developed, and sensitivity analysis was conducted on both models to evaluate which lake processes have the greatest effects on lake elevation, thereby requiring the most attention. A ‘low‐flow’ scenario was modelled to demonstrate the usefulness of the model and to inform Coeur d'Alene Lake regional stakeholders regarding the interrelationship between current water policy and the lake's physical behaviour under stressed conditions that could result from climate change. Model result indicates that, while lake elevation may be maintained at the summertime elevation of 2128 feet (648.6 m) under a low‐flow scenario, the outflows in the Spokane River start to approach the minimum flow requirements in the month of August. The developed approach is useful where publicly available data exist and allows for economic, yet rigorous, water resources systems evaluation without requiring significant field data collection.