cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Drivers of chaparral plant diversity

Chaparral diversity has marked spatial and temporal variation. Evolutionary diversity at the genetic, specific, and lineage level contribute to a very diverse flora. Ecological diversity is evident in life histories that comprise a range of physiological and morphological strategies for dealing with drought, and demographic patterns centered around different seedling recruitment strategies. Community or alpha diversity varies markedly through time. Mature chaparral ranges from monotypic stands of chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum) to mixed chaparral often with up to a dozen shrub species. The understory contributes relatively little other than a few diminutive annuals and occasional herbaceous perennial resprouts. However, after fire, diversity increases dramatically and is often dominated by annuals that arise from a dormant seedbank with significant contribution of geophytes resprouting and flowering from dormant bulbs and corms. This flora has very diverse life histories, with some present only a year or two and then existing as a dormant seedbank or bulbs until the next fire. Others may persist much longer, often in gaps in the shrub canopy. Postfire dominance-diversity patterns fit a geometric model as most communities are dominated by a few species and the bulk of the flora comprise subordinates that occupy specific microhabitats. Postfire community assembly is a result of competitive interactions and environmental filtering effects. Beta diversity plays a role in community assembly for as heterogeneity of communities in the landscape increases, the potential species pool for a community increases. Gamma diversity is particularly high because species turnover across latitudinal and elevational gradients is high. The role of diversity in conferring community resilience is complex and a function of the life history of shrub dominants and the historical patterns of fires. Under some circumstances low diversity may be more resilient than high diversity, for example under high fire frequency monotypic stands of Adenostoma fasciculatum may resist change better than diverse stands that include obligate seeding shrubs sensitive to short interval fires. Postfire annuals also are sensitive to short interval fires as these disturbances enhance the invasion by more competitive non-native grasses. Expected increases in anthropogenic ignitions due to population growth are the biggest threat to biodiversity in chaparral.
Translation and Angulation-Translation Deformities

Translation deformity refers to displacement or ad latus deformity. Translation deformity occurs secondary to fractures and osteotomies. By convention, we describe translation deformity as displacement of the distal segment relative to the proximal segment. This rule applies to the lower and upper extremities from the humeral and femoral necks distally. In the spine, the convention is reversed. The displacement is described as the proximal relative to the distal. The spine convention also applies to the femoral and humeral heads. This will be discussed separately in reference to slipped capital femoral epiphysis deformities (see Chap. 19).
On Masking and Revealing the Culture of the Cross-Culturalist

There is a gulf between the analytic and experiential aspects of cross-culturalists' functioning that is reflected in the split between explicit scientific rules for studying the culture of others, while following an informal oral tradition for considering our own cultural makeup. This article discusses both a possible strategy for correcting this situation and the barriers that are likely to prevent such a correction. Structured cultural self-study procedures are presented as a possible resource in the continuing development of graduate students and professionals, and these have already proven highly effective in teaching cross-cultural psychology to undergraduates. Fostering commitments to standardized self-study and to applications of experiential learning is currently not likely to flourish due to complex academic and epistemic traditions, discussed as six cultural self-masking factors. A specific self-study protocol is offered to provide a beginning point for generating improved reflexive methods and for individual trial use. Through disciplined reflexivity, benefits might emerge in the form of better bias control in research, enhanced external validity, and a new theory about the interplay of investigators' self-knowledge and the conduct of cross-cultural research.
Choice of Radiation Detector in Dosimetry of Stereotactic Radiosurgery-Radiotherapy

Dosimetry of the small radiation fields used in radiosurgery is often difficult because of finite detector size and loss of lateral electronic equilibrium. However, small-field dosimetry is critical in radiosurgery where a relatively high dose in a single fraction is often delivered. Radiosurgery dosimetry varies significantly in small fields depending upon the choice of detector. Small-volume (0.015 cm3–0.125 cm3) cylindrical ion chambers, parallel-plate ion chamber, films (Kodak and CEA), thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD), diamond detector, and Monte Carlo simulation were used to study the small-field (≤ 4 cm) dosimetry of a radiosurgery unit, which consists of Radionics hardware with cone sizes of 12.5 mm to 40 mm with a 6-MV linear accelerator. Results indicate that, in general, ion chambers and TLDs are not suitable for beam profiles. The diamond detector provides better resolution when faced parallel, rather than the perpendicular, to the beam axis. The dose profiles measured with laser-film densitometer are found to be moderately sensitive to the aperture sizes (200 μm–470 μm). The profiles generated using film and diamond detectors are nearly identical. The cone factors measured using film, diamond detectors, and TLD varies (+ 5%) depending upon the uncertainty of the measurements; however, the measured cone factors differ significantly (≤ 10%) among various ion chambers. The Pinpoint (0.015 cm3) ion chamber provides reliable data, which differs from other detectors. Monte Carlo data are in between all other measured data. The large variation in SRS dosimetry suggests that there should be a national protocol to review the dosimetry in small fields.
A Model for Subcellular Distribution of Fluoride in Higher Plants: Relation to In Vitro Concentrations Required for Enzyme Inhibition

Abstract Physiologic data of whole plant response to elevated ambient air levels of fluoride would seem inconsistent with concentrations required to affect biochemical mechanisms in vitro. Reconciliation of the apparently higher in vitro concentrations and the anticipated lower in vivo observations has been obtained by steady-state modeling of the subcellular partitioning of fluorides into cellular fractions driven by a non-ionic diffusion gradient. Application of this predictive model to reported literature values and physiologic observations has resulted in an understanding of the sequence of biochemical alterations of metabolism associated with elevated ambient atmospheric concentrations of fluoride. This model can be applied to other environmental pollutants which act as weak acid-base couples and may be used to predict the concentrations of these toxic compounds at subcellular sites. Such a model would provide useful information in studying contemporary problems such as acid rain. Information on the subcellular partitioning of pollutants will help elucidate the initial sites of toxicity in the organism and aid in the development of realistic allowable levels of these compounds in the environment.
Active lidar remote sensing

Lidar, an acronym for “LIght Detection And Ranging”, is an active remote sensing technique analogous to radar. Lidar systems use a laser as an active radiation source. The short pulse lengths produced by a laser (approximately 20 ns) and the spectral bandwidth (1 cm-1) allow for highly-resolved ranging measurements with high signal-to-noise. Also, as in radar, lidars could be either monostatic (collocated transmitter and receiver) or bistatic (separated transmitter and receiver). Figure 10.1 illustrates an operational, monostatic lidar. Laser radiation is transmitted and scattered or absorbed by atmospheric constituents, such as clouds, aerosols, or molecules. Photons scattered back to the receiver are then collected, directed to a detector whose signal is analog-to-digitally recorded or counted as a function of altitude or range. The strength of the return signal is related to the physical and optical properties of the scatterers.
Value Proposition to a Hospital of Obtaining 36-inch Standing Scoliosis Film Technology.

Introduction Some hospitals do not have the technological capabilities of obtaining full 36-inch long-standing films to evaluate patients via proper sagittal balance spinal imaging protocol. Resistance from hospital administration for the purchase of proper hardware and software remains frustrating for spinal surgeons at both community and academic hospitals. Materials and methods Recurring transaction-based revenue streams were applied comparing cost with the different income generation at the hospital level. Cost is fixed cost, attributed to purchasing both the physical radiograph machine as well as the necessary software capabilities. Marginal cost was negligible as both materials and human capital are largely fungible and trivial at the margin. Revenue generation is largely identical to marginal revenue. Income was linked to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System for radiographic interpretation of films (Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 72069). Income was also estimated from surgical volume calculation. Results The listed prospective outpatient radiographic reimbursement for the hospital was $24.36 per film. Medicare-defined reimbursements for a complex spinal fusion except cervical with spinal curvature, malignancy or 9+ fusions with a Major Complication or Comorbidity (MCC) was listed at $55,228, and with a Complication or Comorbidity (CC) was noted to be $40,566. Complex spinal fusion except cervical with spinal curvature, malignancy or 9+ fusions without CC/MCC was listed as $30,913. Lumbar spinal fusion except cervical with MCC was $39,164 and with CC was $23,490. University Neurosurgery at Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, LA performed 1,013 thoracolumbar procedures in fiscal year (FY) 2015 with 557 (54.9%) being instrumented procedures. At a minimum, all instrumented procedures could benefit from proper spinal axis imaging, representing $13,568.52 of transaction-based annual gross revenue from radiographs alone. Hypothetical revenue generation of $491,696.42 was calculated. Conclusion There is a significant value proposition to the hospital in obtaining the proper technology for formal standing 36-inch scoliosis imaging. Marginal cost is negligible, while there are significant opportunities for marginal revenue per image obtained through transaction-based gross revenue, as well an immense hypothetical revenue stream from surgery-related gains. More importantly, it ensures a proper and complete delivery of spinal health to the hospital's healthcare population.
Single index quantile regression for censored data

Quantile regression (QR) has become a popular method of data analysis, especially when the error term is heteroscedastic. It is particularly relevant for the analysis of censored survival data as an alternative to proportional hazards and the accelerated failure time models. Such data occur frequently in biostatistics, environmental sciences, social sciences and econometrics. There is a large body of work for linear/nonlinear QR models for censored data, but it is only recently that the single index quantile regression (SIQR) model has received some attention. However, the only existing method for fitting the SIQR model for censored data uses an iterative algorithm and no asymptotic theory for the resulting estimator of the parametric component is given. We propose a non-iterative estimation algorithm and derive the asymptotic distribution of the proposed estimator under heteroscedasticity. Results from simulation studies evaluating the finite sample performance of the proposed estimator are reported.
Aspirations and Corporate Lobbying in the Product Market

Due to copyright restrictions full text access from Treasures at UT Dallas is restricted to current UTD affiliates (use the provided Link to Article). An EPUB formated copy is freely available to everyone on the publisher's website at the DOI address.
A multicenter phase II trial of rucaparib in combination with nivolumab as maintenance therapy for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.

TPS4153Background: Patients (pts) with advanced biliary tract cancers (BTC) have a poor prognosis with a median overall survival (OS) less than 12 months. Using whole exome NGS, 26 (49%) pts in a 5...
The Application Programmer Interface (API) in Modern Cartography: Development and Prospects

Abstract. Application Programmer Interfaces have been a part of the cartographic landscape since 2006 with the introduction of the Google Maps API. Essentially a library of code that provides access to a variety of mapping functions, APIs have since been the basis of online, tile-based, Multiscale Pannable (MSP) mapping. While the Google Maps API is still the most widely used with more than 4.6 billion websites embedding a Google Map, a variety of other mapping APIs have been introduced primarily to circumvent Google’s pricing structure. The cost for using Google Maps on websites has changed over the years. From 2005 to 2011, the use of Google Maps was free no matter how many maps were referenced by a website. From then to 2016, Google limited map downloads to 25,000 map loads a day for 90 consecutive days. In 2016, the 90 consecutive days was removed so the number of maps downloaded could not exceed 25,000 on any given day. If it did, the website developer needed to register their site and pay a fee for maps produced over this limit. In April 2018, Google announced the launch of a new name for the Google Maps API – Google Maps Platform – and a new pricing plan. A free tier continues to be offered through a US $200 monthly credit but now requires creating an account and entering a credit card number. In this new online platform, it is still possible to use the Google Maps API without incurring any cost by limiting the number of daily downloads so that the monthly quota of 28,000 map downloads is not exceeded. The problem is not the use of the Google Maps API but the Google map tiles. The look of maps from Google and the associated interface have become so popular that users avoid using other kinds of maps – even those from Apple. Users complain that the tiles from other vendors implement a different color scheme or highlight different features. They also complain that these maps appear more slowly. While other APIs can use Google Map tiles, including the popular Leaflet API, their use is still subject to the same pricing structure. With the help of the Internet, maps from Google have become the standard maps. All other renditions of the world are seen to be inferior and not worthy of examination. They are simply interesting oddities. While some can adapt to alternative representations, most choose not to. This Google Map phenomena is examined along with lessons from the historical progression of online mapping.
Using the Hiring Process to Improve the Cultural Responsiveness of Schools

This case highlights a high school that struggles with inequities perpetuated by a noninclusive environment. To help confront these issues, the school will hire an assistant principal of diversity....
Readiness for Residency

Medical educators must ensure the readiness of medical school graduates to assume their new roles as physicians-in-training. Despite well-structured medical school curricula, scores of reports in the literature indicate that recent graduates are not adequately prepared to perform all of the tasks expected of them. In other words, gaps exist between the expectations of residency directors and the skills of new physicians. Several initiatives offer opportunities to bridge this gap. Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) offer standardized objectives for attainment of essential clinical skills among all students before graduation. Specialty-specific courses at the end of medical school are increasing, allowing students who have matched in a discipline to cement the unique skills needed for that specialty. Employing a mastery learning approach when assessing EPAs may help to ensure all graduates have achieved uniformly high performance of essential skills.
The effects of comprehensive treatment of coal-burning-borne fluorosis areas in Guizhou Province on improving rural environmental hygiene

Guizhou had the most serious coal-burning-borne fluorosis areas and was the first implemented province-wide comprehensive control measures in 2010. Through sustainable comprehensive prevention and control measures, the utilization rate of household coal resources in the disease affected areas had been effectively reduced. We improved the structure of domestic energy sources, made significant progress in energy conservation and emission reduction, and significantly improved air pollution. The concept of health and hygiene had been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The transformation of citizens' knowledge, trust and conduct gradually took shape, and the comprehensive prevention and control measures achieved remarkable results. Key words: Fluoride poisoning; Comprehensive treatment; Environmental hygiene
Measuring the Effects of Messaging on Consumer Decision-Making Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Understanding the impact of messaging on choice from a neural perspective is a major research interest in the fields of cognitive science, psychology, business and communications. In this study, we investigated the impact of a pro-environmental audiovisual message on consumer electricity supply preference as well as the differences in consumer hemodynamic activity during electricity supply plan choice periods before and after the messaging intervention. Fifteen (8 female, mean age = 29 years) participants were recruited and presented with a set of binary choices between two different types of electricity supply plans before watching a messaging video and completing the set of choices again. Using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) we monitored participants’ prefrontal hemodynamic activity during periods of electricity supply plan selection to attain measures related to neural activity. Consistent with our hypothesis, average oxygenated hemoglobin levels measured by fNIRS indicate an increase in hemodynamic activity during decision making after message viewing at the right- inferior frontal gyrus. Additionally, behavioral measures show an increase in pro-environmental electricity plan selection after exposure to the messaging intervention. These combined brain and behavioral measures provide a comprehensive assessment of consumer decision and demonstrate that fNIRS can be used in the neuroergonomic assessment of cognitive state in real-world environments via wearable sensors.
Association Between Physical Activity Levels and Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Severity in Cancer Survivors.

Objectives To evaluate for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as subjective and objective measures of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), among different exercise groups. Sample & setting Cancer survivors (N = 290) were recruited from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Methods & variables Based on the recommended 150 minutes or more of exercise per week, survivors were classified into the no exercise (NoEx), less exercise (LessEx), or recommended exercise (RecEx) group. Survivors completed self-report questionnaires and underwent sensory and balance testing. Results Compared to the RecEx group, survivors in the NoEx group had less education, were less likely to be married/partnered, had a lower household income, had a higher level of comorbidity, and had poorer functional status. No differences were found among the groups in CIPN duration; pain intensity scores; or changes in light touch, cold, and pain sensations. Implications for nursing Clinicians can recommend walking as a therapeutic option for survivors with CIPN and refer them to physical therapy.
Word Embedding Techniques for Malware Evolution Detection

Malware detection is a critical aspect of information security. One difficulty that arises is that malware often evolves over time. To maintain effective malware detection, it is necessary to determine when malware evolution has occurred so that appropriate countermeasures can be taken. We perform a variety of experiments aimed at detecting points in time where a malware family has likely evolved, and we consider secondary tests designed to confirm that evolution has actually occurred. Several malware families are analyzed, each of which includes a number of samples collected over an extended period of time. Our experiments indicate that improved results are obtained using feature engineering based on word embedding techniques. All of our experiments are based on machine learning models, and hence our evolution detection strategies require minimal human intervention and can easily be automated.
Wrong-footing MNCs and Local Manufacturing: Zambia's 1992-94 Structural Adjustment Program

It is now more than five years since the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) came to power after the October 1991 World Bank and IMF ''political conditionality''-induced democratic elections in Zambia. Under World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) tutelage, the MMD government embarked upon the most far-reaching market-led economic reforms ever seen in Zambia, under the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP). Using evidence from 43 companies and representatives of Zambian industry, this paper argues that the SAP (as implemented) has wrong-footed the manufacturing sector. The paper apportions the bulk of the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Zambian government, for the unrealistic policies and manner in which it has implemented the Neoclassical Counterrevolution Model, also known as market-based SAP reforms.
Case report: Managing growth failure while maintaining exclusive breastfeeding.

Abstract This case study presents a mother who was able to maintain exclusive breastfeeding after having an infant who experienced growth failure between the two- and four-month pediatric primary care visits. This mother was exclusively breastfeeding her child and the infant was noted to “fall off the growth curve” at the four-month infant pediatric visit. At this point the mother was advised to formula feed her infant. The mother did not want to give formula and sought out assistance from the first author who connected the mother with an advance practice nurse at the pediatric site. By working with a nurse practitioner to develop an individualized feeding plan, the mother's breastfeeding relationship was able to be maintained and the infant gained weight. Despite receiving initial recommendations to formula feed her child, we were able to work beyond those recommendations by providing evidence based breastfeeding interventions and support. A breastfeeding assessment is an important factor in each wellness visit.
Patterned Electrospinning: A Method of Generating Defined Fibrous Constructs Influencing Cell Adhesion and Retention

A critical component of tissue engineering is the ability to functionally replace native tissue stroma. Electrospinning is a technique capable of forming fibrous constructs with a high surface area...
Dietary paleoecology of bison and horses on the mammoth steppe of eastern Beringia based on dental microwear and mesowear analyses

Abstract In contrast to the modern Arctic, high-latitude ecosystems of the Late Pleistocene supported a diverse range of large mammalian herbivores, including abundant bison (Bison priscus) and horses (Equus sp.). This ‘mammoth steppe’ biome has no extant analog and modern tundra vegetation is likely incapable of supporting such a high density of large mammals. Compared to modern Arctic ecosystems, higher diversity and biomass of Late Pleistocene large mammal populations may have been sustained by more nutritious forage and/or dietary niche partitioning. We used dental microwear texture analysis and dental mesowear analysis of bison and horses (Bison priscus, Equus sp.) to characterize diet and assess the degree to which dietary differences supported co-existence of these dominant and likely competing herbivores on the mammoth steppe. Additionally, we compared microwear and mesowear of Late Pleistocene specimens to modern Alaska bison (reintroduced Bison bison athabascae and introduced Bison bison bison) and published microwear and mesowear data for extant bovids and equids. Our results demonstrate that Late Pleistocene bison and horses had less abrasive diets than modern obligate grazers, suggesting that these “grazers” of the mammoth steppe likely incorporated more forbs in their diets than modern grazers. Furthermore, Late Pleistocene bison and horses ate foods with similar textures, indicating that dietary niche partitioning alone cannot explain their co-occurrence. However, taphonomic differences between bison and horse specimens indicate potential spatial or temporal niche partitioning during the Late Pleistocene.
What Can Betting Markets Tell Us About Investor Preferences and Beliefs? Implications for Low Risk Anomalies

An empirical puzzle in financial markets, known as the low-risk anomaly, is that riskier assets earn lower risk-adjusted returns than less risky assets. Theories for this phenomenon focus either on market frictions, such as leverage costs, or non-traditional preferences for lottery-like payoffs. We relate the low risk anomaly to the Favorite-Longshot Bias in betting markets, where returns to betting on riskier "longshots" are lower than returns to betting on "favorites," and provide novel evidence to both anomalies. Synthesizing the evidence, we study the joint implications from the two settings for a unifying explanation. Rational theories of risk-averse investors with homogeneous beliefs cannot explain the cross-sectional relationship between diversifiable risk and return in betting markets. Rather, we appeal to models of non-traditional preferences or heterogeneous beliefs. We find that a model with reference-dependent preferences, featuring probability weighting and diminishing sensitivity, two features of Cumulative Prospect Theory, best fits the data, and is able to capture the choice and the amount to bet. Calibrated parameter values for probability weighting and diminishing sensitivity that capture financial markets facts can simultaneously explain the betting market facts. However, explaining the choice to bet is at odds with loss-aversion, a feature of Cumulative Prospect Theory often used in financial markets applications.
Quantifying the sustainability impact of Google Maps: A case study of Salt Lake City.

Google Maps uses current and historical traffic trends to provide routes to drivers. In this paper, we use microscopic traffic simulation to quantify the improvements to both travel time and CO$_2$ emissions from Google Maps real-time navigation. A case study in Salt Lake City shows that Google Maps users are, on average, saving 1.7% of CO$_2$ emissions and 6.5% travel time. If we restrict to the users for which Google Maps finds a different route than their original route, the average savings are 3.4% of CO$_2$ emissions and 12.5% of travel time. These results are based on traffic conditions observed during the Covid-19 pandemic. As congestion gradually builds back up to pre-pandemic levels, it is expected to lead to even greater savings in emissions.
Environmental Quality in the U.S. States

This analysis of data on environmental quality differentials in the U.S. states shows, first, that the many physical measures of the environment in the U. S. states form two coherent factors: pollution (which became the criterion variable for the study) and waste management. Likewise, budget allocations for the environment reduce to ''contemporary'' and ''traditional'' expenditures. The former type, along with per capita miles driven and the proportion of the population in metropolitan centers, were used as control variables in tests of three explanatory models: ''industrial capitalism'’, ‘'sectoral political economy'' and ''sociological structuralism.'' No one of these explanations was completely supported by the regression analyses. Therefore, a factor analysis of 16 measures of structure and environmental policy characteristics was run that generated three types of state structure: industrial, high-change and commercial. The first and third types proved to be strong predictors, positive and negative respectively, of pollution level. The major implication of these findings is that social structure, policy and pollution levels are inextricably intertwined.
Modeling Recession Curves and Low Streamflows

Low streamflow events are critical periods for water quantity and water quality management purposes. During most low streamflow events, the stream is comprised solely of groundwater sources. This section focuses on both theoretical and empirical methods for modeling groundwater discharge to a stream and the resulting streamflow recession. A review is provided of solutions to the Boussinesq equation for hillslope discharge, and methods for determining when specific solutions may be most appropriate. In addition, how to estimate baseflow recession constants that aid in the modeling of groundwater discharge to streams, has been discussed. This involves the presentation of numerous methods to parameterize baseflow recession characteristics, how best to represent error in these models, and experiments that have been performed to determine the most appropriate methodology. Keywords: Boussinesq equation; hillslope discharge; baseflow recession constants; droughts; low streamflows
Kalman-filter based recursive regression for three-phase line parameter estimation using synchrophasor measurements

In this paper estimation of three-phase transmission line parameters is done with the help of synchrophasor measurements by using a recursive regression technique based on the Kalman filter. The errors in the regression vector due to presence of noise in the synchrophasor data are also accounted for while estimating the parameters. The performance of this technique is demonstrated for a medium length transmission line. The results indicate that the proposed approach is able to successfully compute three phase transmission line parameters of non-transposed, non-symmetric lines.
Findings from the West Central Florida Survey of Middle-Aged and Older Adults with HIV Disease

This chapter offers information on face-to-face survey interviews with 172 people living with HIV (PLWHIV), 45 years of age and older. The important findings include high levels of education in the cohort of older PLWHIV in combination with dramatically low current-income levels and high rates of poverty; high rates of historical risk events and behavior; high HIV-related stressor rates; marked ethnic differences in income and stressors; high rates of mental-health symptoms; and strong relationships between stress factors and mental-health symptoms. A number of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators were analyzed, including education levels, sources and levels of income, and household characteristics. A higher proportion of African-American PLWHIV than Whites indicated that their closest friends did not know of their HIV infection, which is a socially distancing phenomenon. The PLWHIV reported rates of depression, anxiety, hostility, and stress symptoms 7–15 times greater than people in the general population. Nearly half of the cohort reported severe emotional symptoms of one kind or another.
Influence of Radiative Transfer on the Vertical Structure of Accretion Disks

A brief review of various theoretical approaches to model accretion disks is presented. Emphasis is given to models that determine self-consistently the structure of a disk together with the radiation field. It is argued that a proper treatment of the vertical structure is essential for calculating theoretical spectra to be compared with observations. It is demonstrated that neither the blackbody nor model stellar atmosphere fluxes provide a satisfactory approximation of the emergent radiation. Finally, several models calculated with various degree of sophistication in treatment of interaction of radiation with matter, and with different values of viscosity, are intercompared, and possible diagnostic consequences are briefly discussed.
Impact of acute exposure to WTC dust on ciliated and goblet cells in lungs of rats

AbstractClinical studies and the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry have revealed increases in the incidence of chronic (non-cancer) lung disorders among first responders (FR) who were at Ground Zero during the initial 72 h after the collapse. Our previous analyses of rats exposed to building-derived WTC dusts using exposure scenarios/levels that mimicked FR mouth-breathing showed that a single WTC dust exposure led to changes in expression of genes whose products could be involved in the lung ailments, but few other significant pathologies. We concluded that rather than acting as direct inducers of many of the FR health effects, it was more likely inhaled WTC dusts instead may have impacted on toxicities induced by other rescue-related co-pollutants present in Ground Zero air. To allow for such effects to occur, we hypothesized that the alkaline WTC dusts induced damage to the normal ability of the lungs to clear inhaled particles. To validate this, rats were exposed on two consecutive days (2 h/d,...
What is the prevalence and success of remediation of emergency medicine residents

Author(s): Silverberg, Mark; Weizberg, Moshe; Murano, Tiffany; Smith, Jessica L.; Burkhardt, John C.; Santen, Sally A. | Abstract: Introduction: The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of remediation, competency domains for remediation, the length, and success rates of remediation in emergency medicine (EM).Methods: We developed the survey in SurveymonkeyTM with attention to content and response process validity. EM program directors responded how many residents had been placed on remediation in the last three years. Details regarding the remediation were collected including indication, length and success. We reported descriptive data and estimated a multinomial logistic regression model. Results: We obtained 126/158 responses (79.7%). Ninety percent of programs had at least one resident on remediation in the last three years. The prevalence of remediation was 4.4%. Indications for remediation ranged from difficulties with one core competency to all six competencies (mean 1.9). The most common were medical knowledge (MK) (63.1% of residents), patient care (46.6%) and professionalism (31.5%). Mean length of remediation was eight months (range 1-36 months). Successful remediation was 59.9% of remediated residents; 31.3% reported ongoing remediation. In 8.7%, remediation was deemed “unsuccessful.” Training year at time of identification for remediation (post-graduate year [PGY] 1), longer time spent in remediation, and concerns with practice-based learning (PBLI) and professionalism were found to have statistically significant association with unsuccessful remediation. Conclusion: Remediation in EM residencies is common, with the most common areas being MK and patient care. The majority of residents are successfully remediated. PGY level, length of time spent in remediation, and the remediation of the competencies of PBLI and professionalism were associated with unsuccessful remediation.
Multiple isotope effect study of the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of methyl formate.

Multiple isotope effects have been measured for the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of methyl formate in 0.5 M HCl at 20 °C. The isotope effects in the present investigation include the carbonyl carbon (13k = 1.028 ± 0.001), the carbonyl oxygen (18k = 0.9945 ± 0.0009), the nucleophile oxygen (18k = 0.995 ± 0.001), and the formyl hydrogen (Dk = 0.81 ± 0.02). Determination of the carbonyl carbon, carbonyl oxygen, and formyl hydrogen isotope effects was performed via isotopic analysis of residual substrate. However, determination of the oxygen nucleophile isotope effect required analysis of the oxygen atoms of the product (formic acid), which exchange with the solvent (water) under acid conditions. This necessitated measurement of the rate of exchange of these oxygen atoms under the conditions for hydrolysis (kex = 0.0723 min-1) and correction of the raw isotope ratios measured during the nucleophile-O isotope effect experiment. These results, along with the previously reported isotope effect for the leaving oxyge...
(Di)Still Modeling after All These Years: A View of the State of the Art

Modeling distillation is one of those activities that distinguish chemical engineers from their peers. Modeling distillation is something that chemical engineers have been doing continuously (or in batches) for 113 years. Despite predictions of an earlier demise, distillation modeling is not dead. And, while such forecasts have played a role in the lessening of financial support available for distillation research, it is premature to say that there has been any actual lessening of distillation modeling work. Of course, all the activity is merely a reflection of the immense importance of distillation processes in the chemical process industry, a position that has not weakened over time and which is not likely to diminish in the near future (and perhaps not in the intermediate future either in view of recent trends in the cost of energy). At a time when the chemical engineering profession is expanding rapidly into new fields (many of them with bio and/or nano as part of their names), the author finds it refreshing that conventional (1⁄4old fashioned) distillation still retains a position of singular importance to the CPI, and that distillation modeling remains a topic of interest. This paper takes a look at trends in distillation modeling, highlights the current state of the art, and takes a stab at predicting where models might be going and what will be needed to get there.
Should patients with ovarian cancer receive intraperitoneal chemotherapy following initial cytoreductive surgery

Should patients with ovarian cancer receive intraperitoneal chemotherapy following initial cytoreductive surgery?
Responses of neurons in the rat nucleus submedius to noxious and innocuous mechanical cutaneous stimulation

Extracellular recordings were used to characterize responses to cutaneous mechanical stimulation of 78 neurons in the rat nucleus submedius (SM). Thirty-nine of these units were activated by some type of cutaneous mechanical stimulation. Eighteen cells were activated exclusively by noxious stimuli. In 13 of these cells, responses were of swift onset and relatively rapid termination following stimulus application. In contrast, in three neurons responses were delayed both in onset and termination, and in two the response was immediate, but the markedly increased evoked activity outlasted stimulus application by 13 min. Receptive fields (RFs) of these nociceptive neurons were generally large, although none were bilateral. Four SM neurons were activated by innocuous stimuli, but their maximal response was obtained only after noxious stimulation. Responses of all of these neurons were of immediate onset and recovery, and their RFs were large (two were bilateral). Twelve SM neurons were activated maximally by innocuous stimuli. Responses of seven of these cells were immediate in onset and termination, while that of three were delayed in both onset and termination. Two of the 12 innocuous-only neurons quickly became unresponsive to repeated stimulus applications, and could be reactivated only after a rest period during which no stimuli were applied. RFs of these units were also generally large, and in three cases were bilateral. Five SM neurons responded by decreasing, or completely ceasing, their firing subsequent to noxious-only (n = 2), or innocuous-only (n = 3) stimulation. Four of these units had large RFs (two were bilateral). The remaining 39 SM neurons could not be activated by any type of mechanical cutaneous stimulation we tried. Electrical stimulation of the ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO) was employed to examine frontal cortical projections of 21 SM neurons. Ten of these units were activated, although all of them synaptically rather than antidromically, and two were inhibited. There was no clear-cut relationship between neuronal location, physiological type, RF site, or VLO stimulation effects among the 39 SM neurons. These results provide further support for the involvement of SM neurons in nociceptive information signaling, and suggest additionally that the role of the nucleus is not limited to nociception but encompasses a wider range of cutaneous sensations.
Positron computed tomography studies of cerebral glucose metabolism in man: Theory and application in nuclear medicine

The capability of positron computed tomography (PCT) to delineate the substructures of the brain and its facility for accurately measuring the local tissue radioactivity concentration allow the application of tracer kinetic models for the study of local cerebral function in man. This principle and an adaptation of the 14 C-deoxyglucose (DG) model of Sokoloff et al. with 18 F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) is being used at UCLA, Brookhaven National Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, NIH, and the Massachusetts General Hospital to determine the local cerebral glucose metabolic rate (LCMRGlc) in normal man at rest and during sensory activation and the changes that occur in patients with a variety of cerebral disorders. Kinetic studies with PCT have been employed to measure the rate constants of the model in different gray and white matter structures of the brain in both normal and ischemic states. The precision of the method in normals has been shown to be about ±5% for 1.5–2.0 sq cm regions of the brain. Studies in normals have yielded values for hemispheric CMRGlc that are in agreement with measurements using the Kety-Schmidt technique and LCMRGlc values in agreement with values in monkeys using DG autoradiography. Studies in volunteers subjected to visual and auditory stimulation are demonstrating the potential of this technique for investigating the human brain's response to different stimuli. Studies in patients with stroke show excellent correlation between the degree, extent, and particular structures involved and the clinical symptoms. The method consistently detected hypometabolism in cortical, thalamic, and striatal tissues that were dysfunctional due to deactivation or damage but which appeared normal on x-ray CT. Studies in patients with partial epilepsy have shown hypometabolic zones that highly correlated anatomically with interictal EEG spike foci and were associated with normal x-ray CT studies in 77% of the patients studied. The studies on epilepsy at UCLA have resulted in the integration of the LCMRGlc study into the clinical workup of patients with partial epilepsy that are candidates for surgical resection of their epileptogenic focus (effective June 1979). Studies on Huntington's chorea, Parkinson's disease, aphasia, dementia, schizophrenia, and tumors are in early stages of investigation but also are providing exciting new results. Further studies are needed to determine the role of the local function information obtained with the PCT-FDG method in elucidating the basic mechanism and the potential to aid in improving the approach to medical therapy.
Role of beta-alanine in cuticular tanning, sclerotization, and temperature regulation in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Injection of 20 nl of 1.0 M beta-alanine, about the minimal amount needed to produce wild-type tanned phenomenocopies from newly eclosed mutant black Drosophila melanogaster, increases stiffness and puncture-resistance of the wing cuticle. Increasing the concentration of beta-alanine to 2.0 M increases puncture-resistance further. Injection of 1.0 M of the beta-alanine analogue beta-aminoisobutyric acid, does not induce tanning or puncture-resistance, nor does injection of 1.0 M dopamine. However, injection of 1.0 M beta-alanine and 1.0 M dopamine increases puncture-resistance more than an injection of 1.0 M beta-alanine, though not more than an injection of 2.0 M beta-alanine alone. Within 10 min after injection of [3-3H]beta-alanine into newly eclosed normal flies, 3H becomes 8.7 times more concentrated in the cuticle than in an equal area of underlying epidermis. 3H is excluded from the epidermis or cuticle of ebony strains. Ebony strains show a deficiency of cuticular electron-absorbing material, and the cuticular lamellae show a tendency to separate from each other. Compaction of the chitinous lamellae is induced in alkali-detanned pupal sheaths by exposure to nascent quinones of N-acetyldopamine or N-beta-alanyldopamine. Glucosamine, but not N-acetylglucosamine, reacts with such quinones in tanning reactions. Under an infrared beam, black cuticular pigmentation induces more rapid heating of haemocoel fluids than does tan pigmentation. A theory of pigmentation and sclerotization relative to environmental adaptation is presented.
Surface Barrier in Type-II Superconductors

The interaction between a flux thread (quantized, fluxenclosing, supercurrent vortex) and the specimen surfuce of a semi-infinite type-II superconductor with a flux thread within it lying parallel to the single plane surface is considered to determine any low-field hysteresis in the magnetization curves of well-annealed, single-phase specimens. (R.E.U.)
Monthly communication skill coaching for healthcare staff.

Abstract Objective To promote monthly interpersonal skill communication role-play and coaching for front-office staff. Method For 15 min a month, during staff meetings, healthcare staff such as receptionists and medical assistants should participate in communication skill coaching. Participants should discuss a recurring communication challenge (e.g., patients irritated by repeated requests for health histories), role-play options for communication, and receive feedback. Result Interpersonal communication skills such as acknowledging the concerns of others are acquired slowly. Repeated practice and supportive feedback increase the likelihood that these skills will be valued and mastered. Conclusion Research shows communication skills develop when they are modeled and role-played frequently and are less likely to develop with occasional interventions. Practice implication Health care professionals should devote time to role-playing interaction with patients for brief intervals at least monthly. Staff should give one another feedback on the best options for managing challenging communication situations.
From neuron to BOLD: new connections.

A recent paper in Nature directly compares fMRI with simultaneously recorded neural activity in the monkey, yielding new insights into the interpretation of BOLD contrast.