cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Global Distribution of Supersaturation in the Upper Troposphere from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

Abstract Satellite data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is analyzed to examine regions of the upper troposphere that are supersaturated: where the relative humidity (RH) is greater than 100%. AIRS data compare well to other in situ and satellite observations of RH and provide daily global coverage up to 200 hPa, though satellite observations of supersaturation are highly uncertain. The climatology of supersaturation is analyzed statistically to understand where supersaturation occurs and how frequently. Supersaturation occurs in humid regions of the upper tropical tropopause near convection 10%–20% of the time at 200 hPa. Supersaturation is very frequent in the extratropical upper troposphere, occurring 20%–40% of the time, and over 50% of the time in storm track regions below the tropopause. The annual cycle of supersaturation is consistent for the ∼2.5 yr of data analyzed. More supersaturation is seen in the Southern Hemisphere midlatitudes, which may be attributed to higher temperature var...
Using multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis to retrieve subpixel fire properties from MODIS

Abstract The Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites image most of the Earth multiple times each day, providing useful data on fires that cannot be practically acquired using other means. Unfortunately, current fire products from MODIS and other sensors leave large uncertainties in measurements of fire sizes and temperatures, which strongly influence how fires spread, the amount and chemistry of their gas and aerosol emissions, and their impacts on ecosystems. In this study, we use multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) to retrieve subpixel fire sizes and temperatures from MODIS, possibly overcoming some limitations of existing methods for characterizing fire intensities such as estimating the fire radiative power (FRP). MESMA is evaluated using data from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) to assess the performance of FRP and MESMA retrievals of fire properties from a simultaneously acquired MODIS image, for a complex of fires in Ukraine from August 21, 2002. The MESMA retrievals of fire size described in this paper show a slightly stronger correlation than FRP does to fire pixel counts from the coincident ASTER image. Prior to this work, few studies, if any, had used MESMA for retrieving fire properties from a broad-band sensor like MODIS, or compared MESMA to higher-resolution fire data or other measures of fire properties like FRP. In the future, MESMA retrievals could be useful for fire spread modeling and forecasting, reducing hazards that fires pose to property and health, and enhancing scientific understanding of fires and their effects on ecosystems and atmospheric composition.
The Expression and Function of Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide in the Embryonic Mouse Pancreas

OBJECTIVE Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a member of a structurally related group of hormones that also includes glucagon, glucagon-like peptides, and secretin. GIP is an incretin, known to modulate glucose-induced insulin secretion. Recent studies have shown that glucagon is necessary for early insulin-positive differentiation, and a similar role for incretins in regulating embryonic insulin-positive differentiation seems probable. Here we studied the role of GIP signaling in insulin-positive differentiation in the embryonic mouse pancreas. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The ontogeny of the GIP ligand and GIP receptor in the embryonic pancreas was investigated by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. GIP signaling was inhibited in cultured embryonic pancreata using morpholine-ring antisense against GIP ligand and receptor, or small interfering RNA (siRNA) for GIP ligand and receptor. Markers of endocrine cells and their progenitors were studied by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. RESULTS GIP and GIP receptor mRNA were both detected in the embryonic pancreas by embryonic day 9.5 and then persisted throughout gestation. GIP was generally coexpressed with glucagon by immunostaining. The GIP receptor was typically coexpressed with insulin. Morpholine-ring antisense or siRNA against either GIP ligand or GIP receptor both inhibited the differentiation of insulin-positive cells. Inhibition of GIP or its receptor also led to a decrease in the number of Pdx-1–positive and sox9-positive cells in the cultured embryonic pancreas. The number of Pax6- and Nkx2.2-positive cells, representative of developing pancreatic endocrine cells and β-cells, respectively, was also decreased. CONCLUSIONS GIP signaling may play a role in early embryonic pancreas differentiation to form insulin-positive cells or β-cells.
A Bayesian approach incorporating Rissanen complexity for learning Markov random field texture models

Nonparametric Markov random field (MRF) texture modeling for the purpose of segmenting electron-microscope autoradiography (EMA) images is discussed. A Bayesian approach is assumed for addressing the basic problem of learning which model among a number of nonparametric MRF models best represents an observed texture. Nonparametric MRF models are inherently quite complex, prompting inclusion of a complexity measure within the Bayesian framework. The measure adopted is the Rissanen complexity, which quite naturally incorporates into the Bayesian analysis. The new Bayesian measure referred to as the minimum description length (MDL) then allows learning the conditional probabilities for the nonparametric MRF texture models of the mitochondria and background regions of the EMA image. Experiments show the results of segmenting an EMA image using these models. >
Reynolds Number Effects on Aerodynamic Characteristics at Large Angles of Attack

An experimental investigation has been conducted to determine the effect of Reynolds number on the aerodynamic characteristics of a body with cruciform wings at large angles of attack. Both pressure distributions and force and moment data have been obtained and are presented for Mach 1.6 and 2.7, Reynolds numbers based on body diameter from approximately 2xl05 to 28 x 10s, and angles of attack from 0 to 50 deg. In general, the data for the configuration tested show only small effects of Reynolds number throughout the range of test conditions. Also presented and discussed are Schlieren and pressure data that suggest the existence of "wing choking'1 between the two windward wings for certain roll angles at large angles of attack.
Family-Owned Home Businesses: Their Employees and Unpaid Helpers

Family-owned home-based businesses traditionally utilize a workforce of paid workers, contracting workers, and unpaid helpers. Each type of worker may be categorized as family, related, or unrelated. The research reported here shows that not all worker types increase business outputs. Family workers, family helpers, and unrelated workers contribute in positive ways to business outputs. In contrast, unpaid related helpers decrease net income, and contracting related workers increase the work hours of the business owner.
Ethnicity and Anxiety: A Psychometric Evaluation of the STICSA

The current study examined the convergent validity and factor structure of the State-Trait Inventory of Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety in a sample of African Americans and European Americans. Validity analyses revealed similar associations; however, the factor analysis failed to support the original factor structure and factorial variance was consistently demonstrated.
Merciful father, impersonal state: Russian autocracy in comparative perspective

Comparative analyses traditionally have done Russian history no favors. Invidious comparisons have situated Russia firmly in a context of backwardness relative to the West. The term ‘medieval’ customarily applies to Russia until the era of Peter the Great, that is, until the early eighteenth century, and even the least condemnatory scholars point out similarities between Muscovite Russia of the fourteenth through seventeenth centuries and early medieval tribal formations of northern Europe. Along with ‘backwardness,’ comparative history has customarily found in Russia an example of extraordinarily oppressive autocratic despotism, while at the same time, and omewhat contradictorily, decrying the incompetence and rampant corruption of the central state apparatus. These and other unflattering comparative generalizations arose in the observations of Western travellers who recorded their impressions of Russia in the early modern period and have continued in the writings of scholars and journalists to this day.
Therapeutic controversies: growth hormone (GH) treatment of non-GH deficient subjects

Rationing scarce pituitary-derived hGH required laboratory criteria which excluded all but the most severely GHdeficient (GHD). Although abundant recombinant DNAderived hGH now makes treatment of partialand non-GHD short children possible, pressures of cost-containment, concerns about side effects, and philosophical objections to unrestricted use still provide incentives to restrain its use. Consequently, the challenge today remains what it was 20 yr ago: to target a potent and expensive therapy toward children who need and benefit from it most. No one disputes providing hGH for severe, unequivocal GHD; such children are not the topic here. How to treat children without unequivocal GHD hinges on whether the laboratory diagnosis of GHD reliably and meaningfully distinguishes children who should and should not be treated. Current treatment of children with Turner syndrome, chronic renal failure, and partial GHD implies that it does not. I support diagnostic evaluation to identify problems which aid in therapeutic decisions. But having done that, the pivotal question is this: when the clinical picture and available research suggest likely hGH responsiveness, what additional criteria will direct hGH therapy to deserving children while respecting fairness to untreated children and the need to conserve resources? My view is that if hGH is safe and effective for some nonor partially GHD children, severity of disability resulting from short stature, reasonable expectation for psychosocial and/or functional benefit, and proven responsiveness to therapy comprise more rational criteria for initiating, continuing, and terminating hGH therapy than laboratory thresholds for GH levels or diagnostic labeling. This approach encourages prescribers of hGH to think more about what should be done with this hormone than simply what can be done, a view which does not readily coincide with traditional endocrinologic practice whereby deficient hormones are replaced and excessive hormones suppressed. Traditionalists argue that the diagnosis of GHD should be the sole criterion for hGH therapy. But increased availability of hGH has simply been matched by relaxation of criteria defining GH insufficiency, reflecting a desire and
Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography of choroidal nevus in 104 cases.

Purpose To describe the characteristics of choroidal nevus using the enhanced depth imaging (EDI) feature of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Design Retrospective, observational case series. Participants One hundred four eyes with choroidal nevus. Methods Spectral-domain EDI OCT was performed with a Heidelberg Spectralis HRA+OCT (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) using a custom scan acquisition protocol of up to 13 raster lines of 9-mm scan length with automatic real-time image averaging set at 100 images. The thickness of choroidal nevus was measured by combining Heidelberg's autosegmentation with manual segmentation. Main Outcome Measures Imaging features and thickness correlation of choroidal nevus by EDI OCT versus standard ultrasonography. Results Of 104 eyes with choroidal nevus imaged with EDI OCT, 51 (49%) displayed image detail suitable for study. The remaining 53 cases were suboptimal because of statistically identified factors of age older than 60 years ( P = 0.027), female gender ( P = 0.008), extramacular location of nevus ( P P = 0.002), mean distance from optic disc more than 4 mm ( P P = 0.006). Of the 51 suitable cases, mean nevus thickness was 685 μm (median, 628 μm; range, 184–1643 μm) by EDI OCT compared with 1500 μm (median, 1500 μm; range, 1000–2700 μm) by ultrasonography. The most common EDI OCT imaging features included partial (59%) or complete (35%) choroidal shadowing deep to the nevus, choriocapillaris thinning overlying the nevus (94%), retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) atrophy (43%), RPE loss (14%), RPE nodularity (8%), photoreceptor loss (43%), inner segment–outer segment junction (IS–OS) irregularity (37%), IS–OS loss (6%), external limiting membrane irregularity (18%), outer nuclear and outer plexiform layer irregularity (8%), and inner nuclear layer irregularity (6%). Overlying subretinal fluid was identified by EDI OCT (16%), ophthalmoscopic examination (8%), and ultrasonographic evaluation (0%). A comparison of pigmented versus nonpigmented nevus showed only 1 significant difference of more intense choroidal shadowing with pigmented nevus ( P = 0.046). Conclusions Imaging of choroidal nevus with EDI OCT enables precise measurement of tumor thickness with comparatively reduced thickness relative to ultrasonography. Using EDI OCT, 94% of choroidal nevi were found to have overlying choriocapillaris thinning. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Wavefront analysis in post-LASIK eyes and its correlation with visual symptoms, refraction, and topography

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the information assessed with the LADARWave wavefront measurement device and correlate it with visual symptoms, refraction, and corneal topography in previously LASIK-treated eyes. Participants One hundred five eyes (58 patients) of individuals who underwent LASIK surgery were evaluated. Design Retrospective, noncomparative case series. Main outcome measures Complete ophthalmologic examination, corneal topography, and wavefront measurements were performed. Correlations were made between the examinations and symptoms. Methods Wavefront measurements were assessed with the LADARWave device. Manifest, cycloplegic refraction, and topographic data were compared with wavefront refraction and higher order aberrations. Visual symptoms were correlated to higher order aberrations in 3 different pupil sizes (5-mm, 7-mm, and scotopic pupil size). Pearson's correlation coefficient and generalized estimating equations were used for statistical analysis. Results In post-LASIK eyes, wavefront refraction components were poorly correlated to manifest and cycloplegic components. The comparison between manifest, cycloplegic, and wavefront refraction with total amount of higher order aberrations showed no strong correlation. The comparison between topography and manifest, cycloplegic, and wavefront refraction did not show strong correlation. Visual symptoms analysis showed correlation of double vision with total coma and with horizontal coma for the 5-mm and 7-mm pupil size; correlation between starburst and total coma for the 7-mm pupil size; and correlation of double vision with horizontal coma, glare with spherical aberrations and with total aberrations, and starburst with spherical aberrations for the scotopic pupil size. Scotopic pupil size had a positive association with starburst and a negative association with double vision. Conclusions The LADARWave wavefront measurement device is a valuable diagnostic tool in measuring refractive error with ocular aberrations in post-LASIK eyes. A strong correlation between visual symptoms and ocular aberrations, such as monocular diplopia with coma and starburst and glare with spherical aberration, suggest this device is valuable in diagnosing symptomatic LASIK-induced aberrations. Horizontal coma was correlated with double vision, whereas vertical coma was not.
Extensive site-directed mutagenesis reveals interconnected functional units in the alkaline phosphatase active site

Enzymes enable life by accelerating reaction rates to biological timescales. Conventional studies have focused on identifying the residues that have a direct involvement in an enzymatic reaction, but these so-called 'catalytic residues' are embedded in extensive interaction networks. Although fundamental to our understanding of enzyme function, evolution, and engineering, the properties of these networks have yet to be quantitatively and systematically explored. We dissected an interaction network of five residues in the active site of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase. Analysis of the complex catalytic interdependence of specific residues identified three energetically independent but structurally interconnected functional units with distinct modes of cooperativity. From an evolutionary perspective, this network is orders of magnitude more probable to arise than a fully cooperative network. From a functional perspective, new catalytic insights emerge. Further, such comprehensive energetic characterization will be necessary to benchmark the algorithms required to rationally engineer highly efficient enzymes.
Plasmonic Structures Based on Subwavelength Apertures for Chemical and Biological Sensing Applications

Periodic arrays of apertures with subwavelength dimensions and submicron periodicity were fabricated on gold-coated tips of silica optical fibers using focused ion beam (FIB) milling. Interaction of light with subwavelength structures such as an array of nanoapertures in an optically thick metallic film leads to the excitation of surface plasmon waves at the interfaces of the metallic film and the surrounding media, thereby leading to a significant enhancement of light at certain wavelengths. The spectral position and magnitude of the peaks in the transmission spectra depend on the refractive index of the media surrounding metallic film containing the nanohole array. This lays the foundation for the development of fiber-optic chemical and biological sensors that sense the change in refractive index of the medium around the metallic film. This is demonstrated by testing the sensors with solutions of alcohols with different refractive indices and by the attachment of biomolecules to the sensor surface. The bulk refractive index sensitivity of these nanoaperture array-based sensors is shown to be higher than what has been typically reported for metallic nanoparticle-based plasmonic sensors.
Distributed cavity phase shifts and microwave photon recoils

Examines cylindrical TE/sub 011/ microwave cavities and finds large phase shifts of the microwave field near the edges of the cut-off waveguide apertures, where there are nodes in the field. The phase shifts lead to a potential distributed cavity phase shift for atomic clocks. Using an additional larger diameter cut-off waveguide section can effectively exclude the nodes and the large phase shifts from the atomic trajectories. It has been suggested that recoils from the absorption of microwave photons lead to frequency shift and also a loss of fringe contrast. We present measurements of the contrast for up to 2 19/spl pi//2 pulses and find no loss of contrast beyond that expected from measuring microwave field inhomogeneities with up to 19/spl pi/ Rabi pulses.
Ultra-high ratio dilution microfluidic system for single strand DNA isolation

We present a system comprised of a PDMS microfluidic device and an injection system for dilution of DNA derived from whole blood to a single strand. We discuss two micro fluidic architectures for ultra-high ratio dilution (1:1000 or more) as well as the necessity to move beyond previously reported dilution architectures. We describe a custom injection system used both for fabrication and operation of the system. The system is operated by placing syringes, one filled with water and one filled with DNA extracted from whole blood, into the injection system. This system fixes and plunges the syringes simultaneously to introduce both solutions into the microfluidic channels that produce the ultra-high ratio dilutions. The most significant constraint on the design is that the system is designed for fabrication, characterization and use in a clinical setting.
Realizing load-balancing in ad-hoc networks with a transport layer protocol

The advent of wireless ad-hoc networks has provided a cost effective way for exploiting mobile hosts in the absence of infrastructure. However, the full potential that these networks offer for performance enhancement still remains to be exploited. In this paper we exploit the existence of multiple paths between mobile hosts in an ad-hoc network. More specifically, we introduce a new scheme for load-balancing for mobile multihomed hosts that are part of an ad-hoc network. Our approach differs from previously proposed schemes since it consists an entirely end-to-end approach built on top of the stream control transmission protocol (SCTP), while the dynamic source routing (DSR) protocol is used for routing. We provide simulation results that prove the efficiency of our approach based on realistic mobility scenarios.
Extremely nondegenerate two-photon detection of sub-bandgap pulses

Our observation of two-to-three orders of magnitude enhancement of nondegenerate two-photon absorption in direct-gap semiconductors has led to gated detection of subgap femtosecond pulses, e.g. measurement of 200fs 5.6μm pulses in a GaN photodiode.
Nerve Block of the Infrapatellar Branch of the Saphenous Nerve in Knee Arthroscopy A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Background: With the rising use of outpatient knee arthroscopy over the past decade, interest in peripheral nerve blocks during arthroscopy has increased. Femoral nerve blocks are effective but are associated with an inherent risk of the patient falling postoperatively because of quadriceps weakness. We studied blocks of the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve, which produce analgesia in the knee that is similar to that resulting from a femoral nerve block but without associated quadriceps weakness. Methods: Thirty-four patients were enrolled into each arm of this prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial comparing 10 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine used as a block of the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve with a placebo during simple knee arthroscopy. Immediate outcome measures included Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores (0 to 10 points), mobility and discharge times, opioid usage, subjective adverse side effects, and forty-eight-hour anesthesia recovery surveys. Short-term measures included one-week and twelve-week Lysholm knee scores. Results: No adverse effects or increased quadriceps weakness were observed following use of the nerve block. Improvement in early NRS scores and subjective nausea (p = 0.03) were detected. Patients for whom the block was successful also had improved twelve-week Lysholm knee scores (p = 0.04). No differences in opioid usage, mobility time, forty-eight-hour anesthesia recovery scores, or one-week Lysholm knee scores were found. Conclusions: No significant adverse effect or disadvantage was identified for blocks of the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve used in simple knee arthroscopy. In addition to decreased early NRS scores and nausea, blocks of the infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve demonstrated potential benefit at twelve weeks after simple knee arthroscopy. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Affirmative Action and the Mistakes of Schuette

It's not time for income-based affirmative action; race-based preference is still vital in the United States given the country's history of slavery and its continuing, pervasive racial discrimination. To think otherwise is selective memory loss. The Schuette decision upheld the right of Michigan voters to prohibit affirmative action in admissions to state colleges and universities. But that reasoning is flawed in two ways. First, affirmative action is characterized as an unfair preference rather than a justified remedy. And second, the decision whether to ban affirmative action is left to the electoral process.
Patient/client satisfaction.

To the Editor: We write to comment on the article by Goldstein et al titled, “The Development of an Instrument to Measure Satisfaction With Physical Therapy” published in the September 2000 issue of Physical Therapy . Our concern is that we believe faulty procedures in that research quite likely led to incorrect conclusions. We contend that use of the instrument described in that article may perpetuate misconceptions and may mislead those who are interested in patient satisfaction. The introduction of the article professes an interest in the domains of patient satisfaction. The second paragraph on page 856 implies that no psychometric analyses have been conducted in the area of patient satisfaction in physical therapy. This is puzzling because the previous year we published an extensive study on outpatient satisfaction in this same journal.1 We reported on 3 samples with a total of 607 subjects from 21 different facilities. Our research was designed to cross-validate the Physical Therapy Outpatient Satisfaction Survey (PTOPS) across separate samples and by means of both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. We provided evidence to support cross-validation by replicating findings from phase 2 (model B) on a new sample in phase 3 through confirmatory factor analysis. We identified 4 domains of outpatient satisfaction: “Enhancers,” “Detractors,” “Location,” and “Cost.” We believe that there were several methodological flaws in the Goldstein et al study. First, the researchers used 20 items to assess 11 hypothesized satisfaction domains. The rationale for proposing several of these domains, in our view, was lacking. What is more important, however, is that there was no way to test the presence of 11 domains, because 6 of the hypothesized domains were assessed with only a single item. Therefore, we argue that it was impossible to develop any intra-domain variance. Because variance is a reflection of …
Outcomes of effective transmission of electronic prenatal records from the office to the hospital.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the outcomes associated with improved transmission of prenatal test results between the outpatient and inpatient obstetric setting after implementation of an electronic prenatal record system. METHODS Admission paper charts of patients admitted to our labor and delivery unit were reviewed before and after implementation of an electronic prenatal record system. The availability of maternal hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serology on admission, the occurrence of repeat hepatitis B surface antigen and rapid HIV blood testing, and the occurrence of hepatitis B immunoglobulin administration to the newborns of mothers without available hepatitis B serology was recorded. Fisher's exact tests were performed to determine differences in availability of prenatal test results, the occurrence of repeat blood testing, and the occurrence of immunoglobulin administration before and after implementation. RESULTS A total of 460 admission charts were reviewed, 229 preimplementation and 231 postimplementation. Of the preimplementation charts, 78.2% contained maternal hepatitis B and HIV serology results, whereas all postimplementation charts contained such results (P<.001). Although repeat hepatitis B surface antigen testing was performed in 3.1% of patients preimplementation, no patients required repeat testing postimplementation (P=.007). Similarly, rapid HIV blood testing was performed in 3.5% of patients preimplementation, but no patients required repeat testing postimplementation (P=.003). Increased availability of testing results prevented unnecessary administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin postimplementation. CONCLUSION Implementation of an electronic perinatal record system was associated with improved transmission of prenatal test results between the outpatient and inpatient obstetric setting and a decreased rate of unnecessary maternal testing and newborn interventions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III.
A Compact Acoustic Communication Module for Remote Control Underwater

This paper describes an end-to-end compact acoustic communication system designed for easy integration into remotely controlled underwater operations. The system supports up to 2048 commands that are encoded as 16 bit words. We present the design, hardware, and supporting algorithms for this system. A pulse-based FSK modulation scheme is presented, along with a method of demodulation requiring minimal processing power that leverages the Goertzel algorithm and dynamic peak detection. We packaged the system together with an intuitive user interface for remotely controlling an autonomous underwater vehicle. We evaluated this system in the pool and in the open ocean. We present the communication data collected during experiments using the system to control an underwater robot.
In Preparation of a High-Resolution Scheme for a Shock-Turbulence Interaction

Various aspects of higher-order numerical schemes are investigated as a logical first step in preparation of a DNS code for a shock-turbulence interaction governed by a three dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations. In order to achieve this goal, a numerical scheme is planned to adopt in such a way that it is both shock-capturing and capable of resolving high-frequency turbulent fluctuations. As an initial step a shock-capturing scheme i.e., the well-known WENO scheme of Jiang and Shu, is investigated and implemented to the scalar conservation law and the system of Euler equations in one-dimensional space. However, the WENO scheme loses optimal accuracy near critical points. A slight modification to the scheme introduced by Henrick et al. preserves the optimal accuracy near critical points. Moreover, the slope modification method of Yang is also implemented to decrease the smearing around a contact discontinuity. The WENO scheme of order five with consistent and conservative non-monotone or monotone flux method is used to discretize the spatial derivative. The time integration is performed by the optimal third-order TVD Runge-Kutta scheme. The system of equations is solved by characteristic field decomposition. The results of several but crucial bench-mark problems are compared and are found in good agreement with the exact or reference solutions.
Electronic Surveillance at Work: An Ethical Analysis

This study examines electronic surveillance in the workplace, by asking, “Are such practices ethical?” To address this question, classical philosophical and modern psychological approaches to ethics are used. The inquiry begins with the importance of the problem, followed by its evolution and current status. After describing the method of analysis, the article analyzes arguments for and against surveillance. Although there are no easy answers, the “Discussion” section provides a synthesis of the findings and recommendations for best practice. The conclusion summarizes the study, notes its limitations, and offers ideas for future research.
Mercuric bromphenol blue to reveal gelatiin substrates for protease.

Adams and Tuquan (1961) developed a gelatin-silver film substrate procedure for the histochemical demonstration of protease activity. Our attempts to use their technique on unfixed cryostat sections of duodenal tissue were unsuccessful and led to the procedure described herein.
Regional glucose uptake within hypoperfused swine myocardium as measured by positron emission tomography.

Chronic myocardial ischemia and 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) uptake were studied with positron emission tomography in 12 swine instrumented with an external constrictor on the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Serial changes in function (by echocardiography), blood flow (with H215O) and FDG were determined weekly. At 1 wk, function was normal and FDG uptake in the LAD and non-LAD regions was 0.43 +/- 0.12 and 0.45 +/- 0.11 mumol. min-1.g-1, respectively (not significant). At approximately 5 wk, LAD wall thickening decreased to 18 +/- 5 from 27 +/- 8% (P < 0.05), whereas LAD and non-LAD blood flows were 0.68 +/- 0.28 and 1.03 +/- 0.25 ml.min-1.g-1, respectively (P < 0.05). At that time, FDG uptake in LAD and non-LAD regions was 0.60 +/- 0.43 and 0.49 +/- 0.30 mumol.min-1.g-1, respectively (P < 0.05). By the use of transmural biopsies (n = 6), ATP and creatine phosphate in the LAD region were 3.62 +/- 0.73 and 5.91 +/- 1.44 mumol/g wet wt, respectively, and neither differed from values in remote regions. In this model of chronic ischemia, hypoperfused dysfunctional regions were characterized by enhanced glucose uptake and preserved bioenergetics. This supports the concept that the myocardium adapts to chronic ischemia.
Does the severity of mood and anxiety symptoms predict health care utilization

BACKGROUND Traditional diagnostic criteria for depression and anxiety fail to account for symptom severity. We previously evaluated a severity-based classification system of mood and anxiety symptoms. This study examines whether those severity groups are predictive of differences in health care utilization. METHODS We used a cohort design to compare the health care utilization of 1232 subjects classified into 4 groups according to symptom severity. Health care billing data were evaluated for each subject for a 15-month period around the index visit. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine relative contributions of individual variables to differences in health care utilization. Analysis of variance procedures were used to compare charges among the severity groups after adjusting for demographic and medical comorbidity variables. RESULTS After adjustment, significant differences in health care utilization between groups were seen in all but 3 of the 15 months studied. Also, after adjustment, the presence of a mood or anxiety disorder influenced utilization for only a 6-month period. At 9 to 12 months, subjects in the high-severity group showed a more than twofold difference in adjusted charges compared with the low-severity group ($225.36 vs $94.37). CONCLUSIONS Our severity-based classification predicts statistically and clinically significant differences in health care utilization over most of a 15-month period. Differences in utilization persist even after adjustment for medical comorbidity and significant demographic covariates. Our work lends additional evidence that beyond screening for the presence of mood and anxiety disorders, it is important to assess symptom severity in primary care patients. Further study directed toward developing effective methods of identifying patients with high levels of mood and anxiety symptom severity could result in significant cost savings.
Why Experimenters Might Not Always Want to Randomize, and What They Could Do Instead

Suppose that an experimenter has collected a sample as well as baseline information about the units in the sample. How should she allocate treatments to the units in this sample? We argue that the answer does not involve randomization if we think of experimental design as a statistical decision problem. If, for instance, the experimenter is interested in estimating the average treatment effect and evaluates an estimate in terms of the squared error, then she should minimize the expected mean squared error (MSE) through choice of a treatment assignment. We provide explicit expressions for the expected MSE that lead to easily implementable procedures for experimental design.
Absorption and Secretion of Electrolytes by the Human Colon

An understanding of colonic function has developed more slowly than that of the stomach or small intestine. Although the recognition that the colon is “dispensable” in man no doubt contributed to this neglect, study of the colon in vivo has not been easy. Among the difficulties encountered are (1) a motor activity which is complex, which surely has important effects on absorption, but which is characterized poorly; (2) the existence in the large bowel of regions which differ in function; and (3) the billions of resident microorganisms whose identity and interrelationship with the host are unclear. However, it is clear that the metabolic actions of fecal flora modify colonic function in several important ways.
Small Conjugated Polyenes

The current molecular model uses the localized bond, hybridization, and resonance (electron derealization) concepts as the basis for chemical thinking [1], These concepts are descriptive translations of molecular quantum mechanics. According to this model, bonds are formed by pairs of electrons shared between pairs of nuclei and are said to be localized; a bond is regarded as the net force of attraction between two nuclei having an intervening electron pair. Observed directional properties of localized bonds are explained by the hybridization of atomic orbitals on a single atom. Electron derealization occurs in cyclic conjugated molecules and reaction transition states. Collective properties of molecules depend on all the electrons taken together. Thermodynamic quantities, geometries, and dipole moments are examples of collective properties and can be treated in terms of localized bonds.
Pictorial Representation and Simplicity of Categorization

The premise and focus of this book is the basic role of categorization as a practice in linguistic and pictorial representation –also acknowledging other roles derived from or alternative to representation. Symbolic use cuts across the role of pictures and language: analogical pictures and diagrams, include elements their contribute their content symbolically and the interpretation of pictures often depends on the auxiliary role of linguistic symbols. To articulate how the pictorial case challenges the unity of application of fuzziness criteria, including fuzzy set theory, I have appealed to three distinctions: image/picture, intrinsic/extrinsic and truth/fit.
Sustained Improvement in Right Ventricular Chamber Dimensions 10 Years Following Xenograft Pulmonary Valve Replacement.

Background:The goals following pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) are to optimize right ventricular hemodynamics and minimize the need for subsequent reoperations on the right ventricular outflow tr...
Mood modeling: accuracy depends on active logging and reflection

Current behavior change systems often demand extremely advanced sensemaking skills, requiring users to interpret personal datasets in order to understand and change behavior. We describe EmotiCal, a system to help people better manage their emotions, that finesses such complex sensemaking by directly recommending specific mood-boosting behaviors to users. This paper first describes how we develop the accurate mood models that underlie these mood-boosting recommendations. We go on to analyze what types of information contribute most to the predictive power of such models, and how we might design systems to reliably collect such predictive information. Our results show that we can derive very accurate mood models with relatively small samples of just 70 users. These models explain 61% of variance by combining: (a) user reflection about the effects of different activities on mood, (b) user explanations of how different activities affect mood, and (c) individual differences. We discuss the implications of these findings for the design of behavior change systems, as well as for theory and practice. Contrary to many recent approaches, our findings argue for the importance of active user reflection rather than passive sensing.
The art of the Wunderlich cube and the development of spatial abilities

Abstract This paper advocates for a future where the teaching of math and art are harmoniously intertwined as they were in the days of da Vinci. In this future, code provides the “brush” that enables the expression of artistic ideas and mathematical structures in digital and digitally-fabricated mediums. This educational idea is motivated by (1) literature supporting the position that visual thinking and spatial reasoning significantly impact STEAM disciplines, and (2) Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in which children, in the concrete operational stage, solve problems relating to physical objects (i.e., they learn-by-making). A project is then described involving the creation of a 3D artifact we call a Wunderlich cube — a mathematical artifact that embodies numerous spatial reasoning puzzles. An understanding of the properties of the Wunderlich cube is developed through manual construction using LEGO®, mathematical analysis, computational thinking, coding, and 3D printing.
A Note on Mathematics and Philately

(1961). A Note on Mathematics and Philately. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 169-169.
Perineural dexamethasone successfully prolongs adductor canal block when assessed by objective pinprick sensory testing: A prospective, randomized, dose-dependent, placebo-controlled equivalency trial.

Abstract Study objective To determine whether perineural dexamethasone prolongs peripheral nerve blockade (PNB) when measured objectively; and to determine if a 1 mg and 4 mg dose provide equivalent PNB prolongation compared to PNB without dexamethasone. Setting Multiple studies have reported that perineural dexamethasone added to local anesthetics (LA) can prolong PNB. However, these studies have relied on subjective end-points to quantify PNB duration. The optimal dose remains unknown. We hypothesized that 1 mg of perineural dexamethasone would be equivalent in prolonging an adductor canal block (ACB) when compared to 4 mg of dexamethasone, and that both doses would be superior to an ACB performed without dexamethasone. Design This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled equivalency trial involving 85 patients undergoing a unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Interventions All patients received an ACB with 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine with 1:400,000 epinephrine. Twelve patients had 0 mg of dexamethasone (placebo) added to the LA mixture; 36 patients had 1 mg of dexamethasone in the LA; and 37 patients had 4 mg of dexamethasone in the LA. Measurements The primary outcome was block duration determined by serial neurologic pinprick examinations. Secondary outcomes included time to first analgesic, serial pain scores, and cumulative opioid consumption. Main results The 1 mg (31.8 ± 10.5 h) and 4 mg (37.9 ± 10 h) groups were not equivalent, TOST [Mean difference (95% CI); 6.1 (−10.5, −2.3)]. Also, the 4 mg group was superior to the 1 mg group (p-value = 0.035), and the placebo group (29.7 ± 6.8 h, p-value = 0.011). There were no differences in opioid consumption or time to analgesic request; however, some pain scores were significantly lower in the dexamethasone groups when compared to placebo. Conclusion Dexamethasone 4 mg, but not 1 mg, prolonged the duration of an ACB when measured by serial neurologic pinprick exams. Clinical trial registration NCT02462148
Alternative and new sources of feedstuffs

Abstract Much of the research into improving the nutritive values of ingredients has mainly focused on plant proteins by decreasing various antinutritional factors (ANFs) inherent in these ingredients. While the use of enzymes can successfully reduce ANFs, many plant proteins are in high demand in the food-producing industries, particularly soybean meal. Therefore, new or alternative feedstuffs to terrestrial plant protein sources are increasingly being investigated, such as feather meal, algae meals, and insect meals. Each of these ingredients has a high potential for use in animal and fish feeds, but they also contain unique compounds that can also potentially act as ANFs. Reducing these specific compounds can be accomplished with enzymes, whilst simultaneously enhancing their nutritive value, which will be part of the focus of this chapter. Algae constitute a renewable resource used by the food industry, as feed for animals, to produce phycocolloids, as cosmetic ingredients, and for pharmaceutical applications as well as for biomaterials. Also, on the one hand they have suitable potential for decontamination. However, on the other hand their uncontrolled proliferation due to excessive nutrients environmental load is a strong concern related to natural conditions preservation. The Earth’s available stocks of lignocellulosic biomass are tremendous and distributed all around the world. Thus, the sustainability of the valorization of cellulose by cellulases seems clear. More economical feeding can most probably be obtained by improving pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. Furthermore, an application into human nutrition may be also possible. Laccases are already utilized in several industries as well as in bioremediations tools. Their potential in valorization of lignocellulose from nonedible plant biomass for nutrition use should be evaluated.
Abstract IA17: PARP inhibitor resistance in prostate cancer

Large-scale genomic studies have demonstrated that approximately 15% of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) harbors genetic and epigenetic alterations in homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway genes. The most commonly altered HRR genes are BRCA2, BRCA1, and ATM, followed by other Fanconi anemia genes including FANCN/PALB2 and FANCA. Loss of HRR causes genomic instability, hyperdependence on alternative DNA repair mechanisms, and enhanced sensitivity to platinum analogues and PARP inhibitors (PARPi). The synthetic lethal interaction with PARPi is being exploited therapeutically in diverse clinical contexts and most notably in BRCA2-deficient mCRPC where the PARPi olaparib has demonstrated improvements in progression-free survival. PARPi resistance has already emerged as a vexing clinical problem for the treatment of BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. The most prevalent mechanism of PARPi resistance is secondary events that cancel the original HRR alteration and restore HRR proficiency. These somatic reversions of mutant BRCA2 alleles can be monitored by sequencing of ctDNA. However, PARPi resistance may also develop without restoration of HRR proficiency via disruption of multiple proteins, such as PTIP or CHD4, that leads to replication fork (RF) stabilization. Importantly, this latter mechanism—namely, the restoration of RF stability—appears to be a highly prevalent mechanism of PARP inhibitor resistance in vitro and in vivo, particularly in tumor cells with an underlying BRCA2 deficiency. Due to their underlying deficiency in BRCA2 and inability to generate RAD51 nucleofilaments, these tumor cells are unable to restore HRR mechanisms. Instead, these cells acquire may PARPi resistance by limiting the nucleolytic degradation of their stalled replication forks. We have recently made the surprising observation that BRCA2-deficient ovarian and breast cancer cells can become resistant to PARPi by downregulating the expression of the polycomb repressive complex PRC2, a methyltransferase complex containing EZH2, SUZ12, EED, and RbAp48. Importantly, downregulation of PRC2 results in the reduced recruitment of the nuclease MUS81 to the RF, thereby providing a novel mechanism of RF protection and PARPi resistance. Whether or not the downregulation of the PRC2/MUS81 pathway is also a mechanism of PARPi resistance in mCRPC remains to be determined. A molecular understanding of PARPi resistance mechanisms may allow the generation of a new class of drugs, or a repurposing of existing drugs, which may reverse this resistance and extend the use of PARPi to more tumor types. Citation Format: Alan D. D’Andrea. PARP inhibitor resistance in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; 2017 Dec 2-5; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(16 Suppl):Abstract nr IA17.