cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-Dimensional Echocardiography with a 15-MHz Transducer Is a Promising Alternative for In Vivo Measurement of Left Ventricular Mass in Mice

Abstract Murine models of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy recently have been developed. We tested the accuracy of 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic measurement of LV mass with high-frequency imaging in mice. Ten anesthetized mice (weight 20 to 31 g, aged 1 to 5 months) were examined with a 15-MHz transthoracic linear-array transducer. End-diastolic myocardial area (A)(epicardial – endocardial) from the parasternal short-axis view at the midpapillary level and LV length (L) from the parasternal long-axis view were measured to calculate LV mass with the area-length method (1.05 [5/6 × A × L]) and data were compared with LV-mass with the 2D guided M-mode method. Within 3 days of echocardiography, the hearts were removed and weighed after potassium-induced cardiac arrest. Two-dimensional echocardiographic measurement with a 15-MHz transducer was performed in all mice. LV chamber dimensions included end-diastolic septal (0.80 ± 0.12 mm) and posterior wall thickness (0.76 ± 0.13 mm), end-diastolic dimension (3.64 ± 0.28 mm), and end-systolic dimension (2.34 ± 0.32 mm). Echocardiographic LV mass with the area-length method, 2D guided M-mode method, and autopsy LV weight were 80.8 ± 16.1 mg, 97.6 ± 17.8 mg, and 78.8 ± 13.2 mg, respectively. A strong correlation existed between LV weight ( x ) and echocardiographic LV mass ( y ) with the area–length method: y = 0.745 x + 18.9, r =0.908, standard error of estimate (SEE) = 5.9 mg, P x ) and echocardiographic LV mass ( y ) with the 2D guided M-mode method: y = 0.577 x + 22.6, r =0.779, SEE=8.8 mg, P = .008. These data suggest that serial in vivo measurements of LV mass with the 2D area-length method may be more accurate than M-mode methods in experimental murine models of LV pathology. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 1999;12:70-5.)
Developments in accounting regulation: A synthesis and annotated bibliography of evidence and commentary in the 2013 academic literature

Abstract In this article, we synthesize in annotated bibliography form, recent regulation-related findings and commentaries in the academic literature. This annotated bibliography is one in a series of bibliographies that summarizes regulation-related academic research. We reviewed articles published in The Accounting Review , Journal of Accounting Research , Journal of Accounting and Economics , Contemporary Accounting Research , Accounting Horizons , The Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance , Journal of Accounting and Public Policy , Journal of Business, Finance & Accounting , Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory , and Research in Accounting Regulation . We annotate results of regulation-related research studies and key points from regulation-related commentaries. The literature featured some strong regulation-related threads in 2013 including the foundations of financial reporting, the role of financial reporting in the financial crisis, accounting disclosure, financial reporting choices, International Financial Reporting Standards, and Sarbanes–Oxley and its impact on accounting and audit quality.
Detecting sub-surface cracking in laminated membranes using infrared imaging

This paper presents a new experimental method that utilizes the thermoelastic effect to detect sub-surface cracks in a laminated polymer membrane. A highly accurate infrared camera is used to measure the thermoelastic and dissipational heat signatures associated with bi-axial fatigue loading of membranes. Changes in these thermal signatures arise whenever cracks form in any layer of the laminate, including fully embedded layers, thereby providing a novel method for experimentally measuring the initiation and growth of damage in sub-surface layers. The proposed method is illustrated using a model 3-layer system of EVOH sandwiched between two polyurethane layers. Bi-axial fatigue loading was used to initiate cracking in the central EVOH layer without damaging the outer polyurethane layers. Cracking in the central layer resulted in a distinct thermal signature that was plainly visible using the proposed method.
New nonlinear phase transduction method for DC measurand interferometric fibre sensors

A new approach to the measurement of displacement using optical fibre interferometry is described. The technique is based on a geometrical arrangement in which linear displacement is transposed nonlinearly into axial fibre strain. The technique can be used in the development of true DC sensors for the displacement, acceleration, pressure and other variables. A displacement sensitivity of ?4 A is demonstrated.
Multi-Year Evaluation of Commercial Soybean Cultivars for Resistance to Phytophthora sojae

ABSTRACT Phytophthora sojae causes damping-off, root rot, and stem rot of soybean, particularly in poorly drained soils. Soybean cultivar resistance is one of the primary methods to control this disease, with Rps1c, Rps1k, and Rps1a being the most commonly used genes. The Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS) at the University of Illinois evaluates soybean cultivars for resistance to a number of diseases including Phytophthora root rot (PRR). The objectives of this research were to evaluate PRR resistance among commercial cultivars or advanced lines, and to compare these results with the information on PRR resistance provided by the company that entered the cultivar in VIPS. Each year from 2004 to 2008, between 600 and 900 cultivars were evaluated for resistance to either race 17 or 26 of P. sojae using the hypocotyl inoculation method. P. sojae single resistance genes were reported in 1,808 or 51% of the entries based on company information. Of these, the most commonly reported resistance gene...
Composition of Br-containing aerosols and gases related to boundary layer ozone destruction in the arctic

During the third Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program (March 1989), aircraft measurements of atmospheric gases and aerosols were performed in the European Arctic for the purpose of investigating the phenomenon of boundary layer O3 destruction. Eight high-volume aerosol filter samples were collected in tropospheric air over the pack ice. In these sampling periods, continuous O3 measurements were made and trace gases were collected in flasks. For all samples, total elemental bromine collected on the filters in excess of the estimated sea salt component (XSFBr) was found to anticorrelate stronly (r = −0.90) with the mean ozone concentration observed during the sampling period. These findings are similar to earlier observations at Alert and Barrow. Air samples collected during these periods were analysed for Br-containing gases and hydrocarbons. None of these compounds were well correlated with either O3 or XSFBr concentration over the course of the experiment. This is probably because variable conditions of local meteorology, atmospheric structure and geographic location influenced the degree to which O3 was depleted, by affecting the size of the reaction reservoir and the source(s) of the reactants. Samples collected in the surface (∼ 50 m deep) isothermal or slightly stable layer (SSL) over pack ice and with light winds from the direction of the central Arctic showed the highest O3 depletions. When winds were from the direction of open water, significantly higher O3 and lower XSFBr values were observed. When the SSL was not present, samples collected below the strong inversion showed less O3 destruction and lower XSFBr concentrations than similar low altitude samples collected within the SSL. This is consistent with the notion of a larger reservoir volume available for reaction. Gas and aerosol chemistry results were compared for two samples collected close spatially and temporally over ice north of Spitsbergen. Our data indicate that (1) CHBr3 may be the key organobromine species supplying Br atoms and BrO radicals in a heterogeneous photochemical reaction cycle causing the photolytic destruction of O3 in the springtime Arctic surface layers, and (2) ambient hydrocarbons (especially C2H2) are depleted during O3 destruction, and may be important in the overall reaction mechanism. This catalytic O3 depletion process was observed to occur to an extent causing near-total O3 destruction in the SSL over a 1–2 d period. Thus, relatively rapid photochemical reactions between atmospheric Br, hydrocarbons and aerosols are suggested as driving the photolytic O3 destruction process.
Measurement, incentives and constraintsin Stigler's economics of science *

Abstract George J. Stigler's seminal role as one of the founders of the economics of science is summarized and evaluated. His main contribution rests in his asking an array of important questions and arguing persuasively for the application of empirical, and especially statistical, techniques to the answering of those questions. He asks whether and how science progresses; whether a scientist's biography is important in understanding his science; what characteristics of a scientist are most complementary to success in science; and how the professionalization of science redirects the attention of scientists more toward internal puzzle-solving, and less toward applied relevance.
A Pet Therapy Intervention With Geriatric Psychiatry Inpatients

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pet therapy on geriatric psychiatry inpatients. A demonstrable impact could lead to more widespread or targeted use of animal companionship programs for hospitalized older persons. Method The study design was a randomized, parallel-group control treatment trial with pretreatment and posttreatment measures. Fifty-eight subjects with chronic age-related disabilities who were patients of the Wills Eye Hospital Geriatric Psychiatry Unit were assigned to a pet therapy intervention group or an exercise control group for 1 hr a day for 5 consecutive days. Every subject was blindly evaluated with the Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects (MOSES) before and after the intervention week. Results No significant differences in MOSES scores were found between or within groups before and after the interventions. There was a nonsignificant tendency for subjects who received the pet intervention to have less irritable behavior after treatment. However, women with dementia who received either pet therapy or exercise intervention had improved irritable behavior scores after treatment. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrates the need for further research on animal-assisted interventions with hospitalized elderly persons. Differential improvement in women with dementia also requires further investigation.
Patterns of agent interaction scenarios as use case maps

A use case map (UCM) presents, in general, an abstract description of a complex system and, as such, is a good candidate for representing scenarios of autonomous agents interacting with other autonomous agents. The "gang of four" design patterns are intended for object-oriented software development but at least eight of the patterns illustrate structure, or architecture, that is appropriate for interacting agents, independent of software development. This study presents these particular patterns in the form of UCMs to describe abstract scenarios of agent interaction. Seven of the patterns attempt to balance the decentralized nature of interacting agents with an organized structure that makes for better, cleaner interactions. An example performance analysis is provided for one of the patterns, illustrating the benefit of an early abstraction of complex agent behavior. The original contribution here is a UCM presentation of the causal paths in agent behavior as suggested by software design patterns.
Estimating Implicit Marginal Tax Rates of Welfare Recipients across the US States

This article provides a more accurate estimate of implicit marginal tax rates (IMTRs) faced by low-income households in all fifty states. Complications arising from multiple program participation, regional differences in wage regulations, and cost of living make former generalizations about representative low-income households in a state potentially problematic. Additionally, it is appropriate to account for differences in work requirements by choosing the relevant margin to estimate the IMTR, and these margins vary by state. This article is the first to consider these margins, and, indeed, the author finds significant variation of IMTRs for different states. One of biggest sources of variation is the structure of child care subsidies provisions and cost. However, changes made to initial assumptions causes the estimated rates to vary in unpredictable ways. Given this complicated and unpredictable nature of the variation, researchers should exercise caution when using estimated IMTRs to examine work incent...
Tissue-on-tissue lubricity studies of saliva substitutes as-supplied, mixed with and compared with human saliva from control and xerostomia patients

Saliva is one of the most complex and important body fluids [1]. It protects and lubricates oral tissues, provides buffering action and antibacterial activity, helps in maintenance of tooth integrity, and aids in taste perception and digestion [2]. The presence of saliva usually is taken for granted. Nevertheless, its diminution or absence can cause painful tongue and mucosa, problems with taste, swallowing, chewing, and phonation, tooth decay and increased risk for infection [3]. Xerostomia, commonly known as “dry mouth”, is a condition caused by diminished salivary flow seen primarily in the elderly experiencing side effects from xerostomic drugs, multi-drug interactions, and cancer therapies. About 30% of the population reports some degree of dry mouth [4], which indicates that it is not an infrequent complaint or patient concern. Management of xerostomia includes maintenance of good oral hygiene, strict adherence to noncariogenic diet and application of topical fluorides [5]. The common clinical approach for these patients is to administer a saliva substitute which functions by moistening the oral cavity to relieve the discomfort caused by oral dryness. The market is flooded with a variety of dry mouth products each claiming to be better than the other. In this study, I have attempted to identify the ingredients of 19 of the saliva substitutes available in the market in order to compare them and see how each ingredient contributes to the efficacy of the product. Unstimulated human saliva may differ in composition and lubricating properties between normal and xerostomic patients and thus their behavior with the saliva substitute admixture. This investigation applied a new tissue-on-tissue lubricity test procedure [6,7], which has shown clinical correlations leading to successful formulations for relieving “dry eye” symptoms, to commercial saliva substitutes as-formulated and after admixture with pre-applied aliquots of unstimulated saliva.
Characterization of preferential solute transport in soil

CHAPTER L GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 [ntroduction I Dissertation Organization 4 References 5 CHAPTER 2. EVALUATION OF A SIMPLE METHOD FOR ESTIMATING SOLUTE TRANSPORT PAR.\>4ETERS: LABORATORY STUDIES 9 Abstract 9 [ntroduction 10 Materials and Methods 13 Results and Discussion 16 Conclusions 22 References 23 CHAPTER 3. A TIME DOMAIN REFLECTOMETRY METHOD TO MEASURE IMMOBILE WATER CONTENT AND MASS EXCHANGE COEFFICIENT 35 Abstract 35 Introduction 36 Materials and Methods 41 Results and Discussion 47 Conclusions 49 References 50
Cattle and sheep develop preference for drinking water containing grape seed tannin

Ingestion of small amounts of some types of condensed tannins (CTs) by ruminant livestock can provide nutritional, environmental and economic benefits. However, practical methods are needed to make these tannins more available to ruminant livestock. Results from previous trials with crude quebracho and black wattle tannin indicated that cattle and/or sheep would not preferentially drink water containing these tannins. Therefore, we conducted preference trials to determine if cattle and sheep would learn to prefer water containing purified grape seed tannin (GST) that provided up to 2% of their daily dry matter (DM) intake. After gradual exposure to increasing amounts of this tannin in water during a pre-trial period, five adult ewes and five yearling heifers fed lucerne (Medicago sativa) pellets (19% CP) were offered water and several concentrations of GST solutions for either 15 (sheep trial) or 20 days (cattle trial). We measured intake of all liquids daily. Concentrations of blood urea were also measured for heifers when they drank only tannin solutions or water. Both sheep and cattle developed preferences for water with GST in it over water alone (P < 0.01) although this preference appeared earlier in the trial for sheep than for cattle. For the sheep, mean daily intake of water alone and all tannin solutions (in total) was 0.6 and 6.1 l, respectively. For the cattle, mean daily intake of water and all tannin solutions in total was 21.8 and 20.6 l, respectively, in the first half of the trial and 10.8 and 26.1 l, respectively, in the second half of the trial. Compared with the other tannin solutions, both sheep and cattle drank more of the solution with the highest tannin concentration (2% of daily DM intake as GST) than of water on more trial days (P < 0.05). Ingestion of water with the highest concentration of GST reduced blood plasma urea concentration in the cattle by 9% to 14% (P ≤ 0.10) compared with ingestion of water alone. Results from the trials suggest that providing grape seed and perhaps other CTs via drinking water may be a practical way to introduce CTs into sheep and cattle diets.
A novel low-loss integrated expandable 16/spl times/4 client-reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer

We have demonstrated a monolithically integrated expandable 16/spl times/4-channel client reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer based on silica-on-silicon PLC. A novel cascading switch array design enables the OADM to scale with DWDM channel density.
State Obligation, Sovereignty, and Theories of International Law

Much of what constitutes the business of international relations is undertaken by states in response to their perceived self-interest, and the commitments of states create duties and obligations. This paper assesses critical values that permeate substantive understanding of state duties and obligations. It explores how states traditionally gain community standing and how their choices bind them to existing community norms, even though some are often contested. Assuming a state to be a bona-fide and recognized member of the international community, its self-interested activities, praise-worthy or controversial, create obligation, i.e., a moral and legal duty recognized and actionable by law. In practice, what actually constitutes obligation may not be the same in all situations, or be fulfilled similarly by the same parties, or confer the same rights. It is difficult to establish a uniform reference with which to grapple with state obligation across all situations. This difficulty, however, does not enlighten debates on state responsibilities with regard to the binding force of international law where human rights abuses and other moral/legal violations are concerned. The argument is presented that since community membership, statehood, and state capacity provide the prima-facie basis for state obligation, attempts by rogue states to raise and frame secondary issues of sovereignty and autonomy in order to fence-out noncompliance are invalid States, therefore, are obligated and duty bound by community norms despite subsequent defenses that are raised in an effort to expunge transgressions.
Effect of surface texture on absorption by lossy dielectric slabs.

Absorption of electromagnetic energy by a lossy dielectric slab sitting on a perfectly conducting substrate is examined. It is shown that texturing the exposed surface of the slab by a periodic roughness results in alteration of the absorption characteristics. This alteration is very pronounced, particularly when the mean slab thickness is less than the penetration depth in the slab.
Disease and mortality among gold miners of Ghana: colonial government and mining company attitudes and policies, 1900-1938

This article traces the causes of high mortality rates among African gold miners in the former British colonial territories of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, 1900-1938. No previous studies exist for the early decades owing to the neglect by both mining companies and government officials to keep adequate statistics on African miner death rates, a flaw which reinforced the lackadaisical response of the government to problems of prevention and treatment. A milestone report issued in 1924, demonstrating that sanitary precautions, housing conditions and medical treatment for most African miners were wretched, forced the colonial state to gather regular data on Africans and make long overdue improvements, so that mortality rates for underground miners slowly declined by the time of the Second World War. But the published statistics concealed from view the far greater incidence of general deaths from pulmonary and respiratory tract disease among short-term migrant labourers, who lived in the mining towns, but returned to die in their home villages.
Hodgkin’s Disease and Lymphomas

Lymphomas represent a diverse range of diseases with evolving pathologic classification and therapy strategies. Essentially, the lymphomas are classified into two main groups, Hodgkin’s disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). For both disease entities accurate determination of extent of disease at initial staging and restaging is key for optimal management. More than 75% of all newly diagnosed patients with adult HD can be cured with combination chemotherapy and/ or radiation therapy. As for NHL, effective drug combinations can produce prolonged disease-free survival in the majority of patients. A functional or metabolic diagnostic imaging modality can contribute to the assessment of a patient in various ways. Functional imaging can complement anatomic imaging modalities, mainly CT, and thereby enhances the accuracy of defining the extent of disease prior to therapy. In the posttherapy setting, the ability to differentiate residual viable disease from benign post-therapy changes could impact patient management and outcome, particularly if it helps to select patients who would require additional therapy or a change in treatment regimen.
Spectrum Policy and the Public Interest

This chapter for a book on the future of digital television examines how spectrum policy priorities came to shape today's television broadcast system and the issues that will influence the future of wireless video. As video services come to migrate freely between wired and wireless platforms, and as broadcast television merges with other forms of wireless video, spectrum policy and the public interest values that it reflects will shape the video value chain. These values are often crosscutting and require tradeoffs among such interests as maintaining existing communications services, technical innovation, spectrum efficiency, universal service, media diversity, and competition. What tradeoffs are made, and what they cost, is too frequently hidden from public view.
Fungal colonization of coastal Douglas-fir following mechanical commercial thinning damage

Commercial-aged Douglas-fir trees mechanically damaged during commercial thinning activities were investigated to quantify fungal taxa present 14years after thinning. A total of 235 wood cores from 18 damaged and 18 non-damaged control trees were obtained. Fungi were isolated on malt extract agar and molecular methods were used to identify 48 taxa. Damaged Douglas-fir trees were more than twice as likely to contain wood-inhabiting fungi as undamaged trees (p=0.07) and contained more than 2.5 times more fungi (p=0.006). However, typical Douglas-fir stem-decay fungi were not isolated. Fungi present were mostly endophytes and no significant differences were found in frequencies of decay/non-decay soft-rot fungi between damaged and control trees (p=0.67). Likewise, no significant differences were found for the trend in number of fungi isolates over radial depth into the stem between damaged and control trees (p=0.29). Frequency of fungal isolates was non-linearly related to depth in the tree bole. Significant differences between damaged and control trees (p=0.03) was influenced by the data in the outermost 3mm. With the exception of these data, there were no significant differences between damaged and control trees in the radial trend in fungal frequency (p=0.37). Results of this study suggest that wounding in commercial-aged Douglas-fir may not contribute significantly to occurrence and species composition of wood inhabiting fungi over the period of a short-rotation final harvest. However, damage mitigation is recommended supported by a related study showing vertical discolouration affecting all wounded stems. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
Implanted ventricular shunts in the United States: the billion-dollar-a-year cost of hydrocephalus treatment.

Objective To characterize admissions related to ventricular shunts in the year 2000 in terms of diagnoses, procedures, socioeconomic status, and other related data. Methods The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (year 2000) was analyzed retrospectively. We reviewed 7.45 million patient admissions for primary International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, procedure codes 023 to 0243 (ventricular shunts to peritoneal, atrial, pleural, and urinary systems for initial placement, revision, and removal); admissions listing ventriculostomy placement (code 022) were excluded from analysis. Results Five thousand five hundred seventy-four admissions were identified. Admission sources primarily were routine (58.8%) and the emergency department (32.4%). Admission types primarily were elective (43.3%), emergent (33.2%), and urgent (21.9%). The top three primary diagnoses treated were shunt malfunction (40.7%), noncommunicating hydrocephalus (16.6%), and communicating hydrocephalus (13.2%). Shunt infection was the primary diagnosis in 7.2% of admissions. Age frequency of admissions was nonparametric, being highest for infants; the average stay was 8.4 +/- 0.2 days (standard error range, 0-243 d). The most common procedures were ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement (43.4%) and ventricular shunt replacement (42.8%); ventricular shunt removal occurred in 7.3% of admissions, whereas ventricle-to-thorax (0.6%), ventricle-to-circulatory system (0.5%), and ventricle-to-urinary system (0.05%) shunts were rare. Average cost was $35,816 +/- $810 (standard error range, $137-$814,748). Primary payers primarily were private insurers (43.8%), Medicare (26.0%), and Medicaid (24.5%). Disposition mainly was routine (78.4%, with home health care in 6.5%), and inpatient mortality was 2.7%. There was no socioeconomic disproportion in treatment with respect to average household income. Conclusion Ventricular shunts as primary procedures constitute a significant medical and economic problem.
Omacetaxine mepesuccinate (synribo) – newly launched in chronic myeloid leukemia

Introduction: Omacetaxine mepesuccinate (formerly known as homoharringtonine [HHT]) is a natural alkaloid with significant anticancer activity partly through inhibition of protein synthesis and induction of apoptosis. Prior to the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), HHT was the most active therapy in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after interferon failure. Subsequent trials showed that HHT and omacetaxine are active in patients failing several TKIs or carrying the T315I mutation. Areas covered: This review will discuss the preclinical development of HHT and omacetaxine mepesuccinate in CML and the clinical studies leading to its approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Expert opinion: A sizable number of patients with CML will develop TKI resistance, frequently through the acquisition of BCR-ABL1 kinase domain mutations. Omacetaxine is active in patients with CML after failure to multiple TKIs and in those carrying the T315I mutation, which is highly resistant to all FDA-approved ...
The μ3 model of acids and bases: extending the Lewis theory to intermetallics.

A central challenge in the design of new metallic materials is the elucidation of the chemical factors underlying the structures of intermetallic compounds. Analogies to molecular bonding phenomena...
REVIEW: System application of sexed semen in beef cattle

Significant amounts of sex-selected or sexed semen only became commercially available to the beef industry in 2008. The use of sexed semen in the beef industry may be limited by information on results in various applications as well as reduced reproductive efficiency. Use of sexed semen in AI applications in beef cattle results in a 10 to 20% decrease in AI pregnancy rates. This decrease is consistent with observations in dairy cattle inseminated with sexed semen. However, 89 to 94% of females pregnant to sexed semen produce calves of the desired sex. Pregnancy rates to sexed semen are not different among beef heifers and postpartum beef cows. The percentage of transferable embryos from embryo-transfer or in vitro–fertilization procedures is reduced when sexed semen is used in place of conventional semen. Despite the reduction in overall pregnancies or embryos from the use of sexed semen, the economic and genetic advantage of producing more offspring of a desired sex may offset the reduction in total calves produced. Feasible applications for sexed semen in beef cattle include generation of crossbred maternal-line females, reducing generation interval by heifers producing only heifers, and shifting of sex ratios to enhance marketing. In addition, the application of sexed semen in in vitro–fertilization systems appears to be extremely promising.
Feeding and Oviposition Injury to Flowers and Developing Floral Buds of ‘Navel’ Orange by Frankliniella bispinosa (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Florida

Larvae and adults of Frankliniella bispinosa (Morgan) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) feed on the ovary, style, floral disk, petals, and anthers of swollen buds and open flowers of ‘Navel’ orange ( Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck). Evidence from scanning electron micrographs suggest stylar punctures in floral tissues ranged from 2.5 to 5 µm in diameter, and depth of injured areas into interior cells ranged from 12 to 84 µm (x 44 µm; n = 36). Measurements of injured areas in transmission electron micrographs (TEM) of the floral disks and pistils were up to 96 µm (x, 63 µm; range, 37-96 µm; n = 20). Measurements of TEM micrographs were considered more accurate than light micrographs because of the higher magnification and resolution obtained. Thrips feeding resulted in cellular evacuation, necrosis, plasmolysis, and cellular collapse of floral or bud tissues frequently extending one to five cells deep. Thrips oviposition and subsequent eclosion were recorded from the pistil, calyx, petals, and filaments of both flowers and swollen buds of ‘Navel’ orange. Seventy-three percent of the thrips eclosed from the pistil-calyx units of open flowers followed by 15% from the petals and 12% from the filament-anthers. Plant cell injury due to oviposition was highly localized and, unlike feeding injury, adjacent cells were minimally affected by cellular collapse.
ROTOR WAKE MODIFICATIONS IN HOVER USING UNSTEADY SPANWISE BLOWING

A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study investigating the effects of unsteady spanwise rotor blade tip blowing on the formation and evolution mechanisms of blade tip vortices shed during hover is presented in this paper. The specific blowing configuration consists of a single jet sheet with modulated mass flow rate controlled through slot area variation, ejected tangentially over a rounded blade tip cap. By using the beneficial Coanda effect of jet attachment to the curved wall of the blade tip cap a downward deflection of the jet sheet direction is obtained. As a consequence the location and formation of the tip vortices are modified in a time dependent manner with reference to a baseline, no-blowing case investigated for the same rotor and flight conditions.
Progressive tissue injury in infantile hydrocephalus and prevention/reversal with shunt treatment.

AbstractInfantile hydrocephalus, despite shunt treatment, can leave children with a variety of persistent neurological deficits. A rat strain (H-Tx) with inherited fetal-onset hydrocephalus, is a natural model for the study of progressive tissue changes resulting from hydrocephalus and the effects of shunt placement. The cerebral cortex of rat pups has been studied at post-natal day 4 (P4), early stage hydrocephalus and equivalent to a third trimester human fetus, at Pi 1, intermediate stage hydrocephalus and equivalent to a newborn human infant, and at P2I at advanced stage hydrocephalus. At P4, there is interstitial edema (increased water, sodium and chloride) and a non-reversible change in membrane lipids, particularly the phosphomonoesters. By PI I, there are additional, non-reversible, changes in intracellular potassium and energy metabolites (ATP and phosphocreatine). At P2I, the cells are severely damaged and further intracellular changes include a decrease in N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and loss of am...
Coexistent chronic lymphatic leukemia and polycythemia vera; morphologic and clinical studies with particular reference to unusual iron metabolism.

1. A case of coexistenst chronic lymphatic leukemia and polycythemia vera is described. 2. The source of the erythrocytosis was not apparent. Erythroid hypoplasia was seen in the bone marrow, and there was no apparent extramedullary hematopoiesis in specimens of liver or spleen. 3. Plasma iron contenst was inordinately low, and this was confirmed by a correspondingly high plasma iron-binding capacity. No stainable iron could be demonstrated in the tissues examined. 4. The curve for plasma iron clearance was best satisfied by two components of different negative slopes. The more rapid had a half-time of 0.2 hours and probably represented removal of iron for erythropoiesis. The slower had a half-time of 10.2 and probably represented extrahematopoietic iron utilization. 5. Erythrocyte radioiron utilization was greater than normal and approximated 100 per cent within nine days. This could have been a manifestation of depleted iron stores, accelerated erythropoiesis, or both.
Chapter 14 – Cyanogenic Glycosides in Nuts and Seeds

Publisher Summary Many plant species actively synthesize and accumulate cyanide-containing compounds. These cyanogenic plants have the ability to release hydrogen cyanide (HCN) up to toxic thresholds in response to cell disintegration. This chapter examines cyanogenic nuts and seeds. The concentrations of cyanide-containing compounds in nuts and seeds vary widely; however, in some species, such as Prunus amygdalus (almonds), P. armeniaca (apricots), and Phaseolus lunatus (lima bean), they can reach toxic thresholds. Most cyanogenic glycosides are derived from the five hydrophobic protein amino acids, tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine. In the course of the biosynthetic pathway the specific amino acids are hydroxylated to N-hydroxylamino acids, aldoximes, and then to nitriles serving as intermediates. Because HCN generally is toxic to all eukaryotes, including the plant itself, the accumulation of this toxin as an inactive precursor is essential to prevent autotoxicity. Although potentially toxic, cyanogenic nuts and seeds are often characterized by exceptionally high nutritive values. All of the economically most important cyanogenic nuts and seeds (i.e., almonds, macadamia nuts, lima beans, and flaxseed) contain health-promoting compositions of fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Taking into consideration the possible health risk arising from consumption of inappropriately processed plant materials or the selection of highly cyanogenic crop plant genotypes, cyanogenic nuts and seeds represent excellent food sources.
Race/Ethnicity in Medical Education: An Analysis of a Question Bank for Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination.

ABSTRACTPhenomenon: There is growing concern over racial/ethnic bias in clinical care, yet how best to reduce bias remains challenging, in part because the sources of bias in medical education are poorly understood. One possible source is the routinized use of race/ethnicity in lectures, assessment, and preparatory materials, including question banks for licensing examinations. Because students worldwide use question banks to prepare for the United States Medical Licensing Examination, we examined how race/ethnicity was used in one of the most commonly recommended question banks. Approach: We analyzed the use of race/ethnicity in all 2,211 questions in a question bank for Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination for the following: the frequency of mentions of racial/ethnic groups, whether the use of race/ethnicity was merely descriptive or was central to any part of the question, and whether the question associated race/ethnicity with genetic difference. Findings. In sum, 455 of the 2,011...
Semantic Event Detection Using Ensemble Deep Learning

Numerous deep learning architectures have been designed for a variety of tasks in the past few years. However, it is almost impossible for one model to work well for all kinds of scenarios and datasets. Therefore, we present an ensemble deep learning framework in this paper, which not only decreases the information loss and over-fitting problems caused by single models, but also overcomes the imbalanced data issue in multimedia big data. First, a suite of deep learning algorithms are utilized for deep feature selection. Thereafter, an enhanced ensemble algorithm is developed based on the performance of each single Support Vector Machine classifier on each deep feature set. We evaluate our proposed ensemble deep learning framework on a large and highly imbalanced video dataset containing natural disaster events. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework for semantic event detection, and show how it outperforms several state-of-the-art deep learning architectures, as well as handcrafted features integrated with ensemble and non-ensemble algorithms.
Exact and Approximate Capacitance and Force Expressions for the Electrostatic Interaction Between Two Equal-Sized Charged Conducting Spheres

We analyze the electrostatic interaction between two equal-sized charged conducting spheres. We obtain exact closed-form expressions for the capacitance coefficients and the electrostatic force in terms of the special q -digamma function. Additionally, we provide simpler-to-use approximate expressions for the capacitance coefficients and the force between the spheres, and then compare the approximations with the exact results.
The protective effects of a novel fitness‐fatness index on all‐cause mortality among adults with cardiovascular disease

Background We evaluated the specific association between a fitness-fatness index (FFI) and all-cause mortality among a national sample of US adults with coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, or myocardial infarction. This FFI has recently emerged in the literature as a novel index of health. Hypothesis We hypothesize that FFI will be inversely associated with mortality risk. Methods The FFI was calculated as cardiorespiratory fitness divided by waist-to-height ratio. Data from the 1999–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to identify 1206 participants, ages 20 to 85. Person-months of follow-up were calculated from the date of interview until date of death or censoring on December 31, 2011, whichever came first. Results In a Cox proportional hazards model, for every 1-FFI-unit increase, participants had a 6% reduced all-cause mortality rate (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91-0.97, P = 0.001; N = 1206). Results were similar among those diagnosed with coronary artery disease (HR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90-0.98, P = 0.007), congestive heart failure (HR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-0.99, P = 0.02), or myocardial infarction (HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-0.99, P = 0.04). When examined in isolation, only fitness (and not fatness) was linked with survival benefits. Conclusions In this national sample, increased FFI was associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality; this association was driven by the beneficial effects of fitness. This underscores the importance of tailored cardiac rehabilitation programs designed to promote fitness, in particular, among cardiac populations.
Change point and degree day baseline regression models in industrial facilities

Abstract Industrial facilities account for 33% of the annual energy usage within the United States [17] and this large sector of the domestic energy budget presents significant opportunities for energy efficiency. In order to effectively analyze energy savings opportunities in industrial facilities, adequate baseline models of energy usage in the facilities are needed. Multiple methods of creating baseline energy models have been used in commercial and residential buildings, however, few of these techniques have been made applied to develop baseline energy models in industrial facilities. The paper investigates the application of standard regression models used for commercial and residential buildings to industrial facilities using sparse energy consumption data. An analysis of the effectiveness of three parameter cooling (3PC) and cooling degree day (CDD) regression models to develop baseline energy usage models in industrial facilities from commonly available utility bill data is presented. Two case studies are investigated: in both case studies a comparison between 3PC model and CDD model is presented. In both cases the baseline regression models meet the recommended NMBE from the ASHRAE Guideline 14. A method to determine process equipment energy usage and cooling end use due to internal loads is presented.
Capturing a Commander's decision making style

A Commander’s decision making style represents how he weighs his choices and evaluates possible solutions with regards to his goals. Specifically, in the naval warfare domain, it relates the way he processes a large amount of information in dynamic, uncertain environments, allocates resources, and chooses appropriate actions to pursue. In this paper, we describe an approach to capture a Commander’s decision style by creating a cognitive model that captures his decisionmaking process and evaluate this model using a set of scenarios using an online naval warfare simulation game. In this model, we use the Commander’s past behaviors and generalize Commander's actions across multiple problems and multiple decision making sequences in order to recommend actions to a Commander in a manner that he may have taken. Our approach builds upon the Double Transition Model to represent the Commander's focus and beliefs to estimate his cognitive state. Each cognitive state reflects a stage in a Commander’s decision making process, each action reflects the tasks that he has taken to move himself closer to a final decision, and the reward reflects how close he is to achieving his goal. We then use inverse reinforcement learning to compute a reward for each of the Commander's actions. These rewards and cognitive states are used to compare between different styles of decision making. We construct a set of scenarios in the game where rational, intuitive and spontaneous decision making styles will be evaluated.
Muscle as medicine: an autoethnographic study of coping with polycystic ovarian syndrome through strength training

AbstractHow can women who are coping with a polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis and subsequent illness management overcome the emotional tensions that arise? I propose that through strength training, a stereotypically masculine activity, women can re-gain a sense of femininity that is lost while living with the symptoms of this condition. Framing strength training as medicine can give women with PCOS a sense of control and empowerment while dealing with a chronic condition that often leaves women feeling powerless, as there is neither cure nor explicit cause. In this article, I use autoethnography to describe the lived experience of the initial diagnosis, illness disclosure to others, navigation of health information and self-management of the condition, while unpacking the feelings of guilt, self-pity, anger and lack of control that arise. This study adds a sociological perspective to the predominantly medical and psychologically focused literature on PCOS, giving an in-depth voice to this condi...
"The coevolution of the conflicting institutional logics: US art museums, 1780-2010"

Using historical accounts and archives of US art museums, this study investigates the dynamic co-evolution of competing institutional logics. There are three core findings. First, we show that diff...
Discriminating between natural versus induced seismicity from long-term deformation history of intraplate faults

To assess whether recent seismicity is induced by human activity or is of natural origin, we analyze fault displacements on high-resolution seismic reflection profiles for two regions in the central United States (CUS): the Fort Worth Basin (FWB) of Texas and the northern Mississippi embayment (NME). Since 2009, earthquake activity in the CUS has increased markedly, and numerous publications suggest that this increase is primarily due to induced earthquakes caused by deep-well injection of wastewater, both flowback water from hydrofracturing operations and produced water accompanying hydrocarbon production. Alternatively, some argue that these earthquakes are natural and that the seismicity increase is a normal variation that occurs over millions of years. Our analysis shows that within the NME, faults deform both Quaternary alluvium and underlying sediments dating from Paleozoic through Tertiary, with displacement increasing with geologic unit age, documenting a long history of natural activity. In the FWB, a region of ongoing wastewater injection, basement faults show deformation of the Proterozoic and Paleozoic units, but little or no deformation of younger strata. Specifically, vertical displacements in the post-Pennsylvanian formations, if any, are below the resolution (~15 m) of the seismic data, far less than expected had these faults accumulated deformation over millions of years. Our results support the assertion that recent FWB earthquakes are of induced origin; this conclusion is entirely independent of analyses correlating seismicity and wastewater injection practices. To our knowledge, this is the first study to discriminate natural and induced seismicity using classical structural geology analysis techniques.
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis: Inadequate and Overprophylaxis When Comparing Perceived Versus Calculated Risk

Abstract Guidelines for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis recommend appropriate risk stratification using risk estimation models as high risk or low risk followed by initiation of chemical or mechanical prophylaxis, respectively. We explored adherence to guidelines on the basis of the documentation of VTE prophylaxis. A retrospective medical record review of 437 consecutive adult patients (≥18 years) admitted to general medical wards under medicine service between January 1, 2015, and March 1, 2015, was performed. The primary outcome was appropriateness of risk stratification using the Padua Prediction Score. Secondary outcomes were appropriateness of type of prophylaxis (chemical vs mechanical) and cost-benefit analysis. We observed appropriate stratification based on the documented risk (compared with the calculated risk) in 54.9% of the patients (40.8% with low risk vs 72.1% with high risk; P