cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Soil electrical conductivity: effects of soil properties and application to soil salinity appraisal.

Abstract A model is discussed which relates bulk soil electrical conductivity (ECa) to volumetric water content (θW), electrical conductivity of the soil water (ECW), volumetric content of the solid phase (θS) and average electrical conductivity of the soil particles (ECS). Within the model a distinction is made between the water and dissolved salt present in the “immobile”; (fine pores) and “mobile”; (large pores) phases. The effects of bulk density, particle density and clay content upon ECa are discussed in relation to their influence upon θW, θS, ECS and the proportions of fine and large pores. The practical application of the model to interpret soil salinity requires the estimation of several soil properties in the field and the use of some empirical relations to estimate values of parameters required by the model. These relations and estimates are discussed in terms of their effects on the accuracy of soil salinity appraisal. A brief discussion is given concerning the parameter estimation procedures...
Gender issues in heart disease for aging men

Gender-specific issues relating to prevention of heart disease are new and exciting areas for research. It is well established that cardiovascular disease in men is more common than in women, except perhaps in the postmenopausal stage. Estrogens seem to protect women from heart disease in the premenopausal stage. Although androgens might influence cardiovascular risks, its overall effects are uncertain because many interacting factors need to be considered. The synthesis of testosterone in men suppresses hepatic production of apolipoprotein A (apo A), the precursor of the HDL particle. This leads to a 20% reduction in HDL in men compared with women. This difference persists through adulthood and is now thought to explain part of the gender difference in early heart disease. The effect of androgens on the aging process seems however to be positive rather than negative. Cardiovascular risk factors can be reversed with life-style changes in both men and women. Smoking is more common in men than women and is the most preventable risk factor but still more than a quarter of men smoke. Hypertension too is slightly more common in men, affecting one in four men in adult life. Although men are more likely than women to be physically active, 30 to 50% are sedentary. Obesity in men has a centripetal distribution and affects risks for heart disease differently than in women. Finally cardiovascular symptoms can change, especially with aging. All these points will be discussed in this article.
THE DIALECTIC OF SELF

The human self requires reciprocal dialectical relations with others to achieve proper maturity; my interest in the essay to follow is the self that develops more or less autonomously of others, the self of the autistic child. This self albeit limited and truncated is nevertheless a seat of virtualities and habitualities. Exploring the possibilities for the self without others permits us some insight into the genetic structures of human development.
Automated recognition of videotaped neonatal seizures using robust motion tracking methods that adjust to illumination and contrast changes

This paper presents motion trackers developed to quantify motion in video recordings of infants monitored for seizures. The proposed formulation relies on a variety of block motion models and can be used to develop robust motion trackers that adjust to illumination and contrast changes. The resulting motion trackers are utilized to extract motion trajectory signals, which provide the basis for selecting quantitative features that convey some unique behavioral characteristics of neonatal seizures. Such quantitative features provide the basis for training feedforward neural networks to recognize neonatal seizures.
A Study of the Effect of Various Vehicle Properties on Rollover Propensity

This paper investigates the effect of various vehicle parameters on rollover propensity using computer simulation. The computer simulation’s accuracy is verified by comparing it to experimental data from NHTSA’s Phase IV testing on rollover of passenger vehicles. The vehicle model used in the simulation study considers the non-linear, transient dynamics of both yaw and roll motion. The vehicle model is subjected to a specific steering input defined by NHTSA, the Fishhook 1a. A correlation between the vehicle parameter of center of gravity location and rollover propensity is found using the validated vehicle simulation.
Clostridium difficile Small Bowel Enteritis Occurring after Total Colectomy

Clostridium difficile infection is usually associated with antibiotic therapy and is almost always limited to the colonic mucosa. Small bowel enteritis is rare: only 9 cases have been previously cited in the literature. This report describes a case of C. difficile small bowel enteritis that occurred in a patient after total colectomy and reviews the 9 previously reported cases of C. difficile enteritis.
Resolving Cell Population Heterogeneity: Real-Time PCR for Simultaneous Multiplexed Gene Detection in Multiple Single-Cell Samples

Decoding the complexity of multicellular organisms requires analytical procedures to overcome the limitations of averaged measurements of cell populations, which obscure inherent cell-cell heterogeneity and restrict the ability to distinguish between the responses of individual cells within a sample. For example, defining the timing, magnitude and the coordination of cytokine responses in single cells is critical for understanding the development of effective immunity. While approaches to measure gene expression from single cells have been reported, the absolute performance of these techniques has been difficult to assess, which likely has limited their wider application. We describe a straightforward method for simultaneously measuring the expression of multiple genes in a multitude of single-cell samples using flow cytometry, parallel cDNA synthesis, and quantification by real-time PCR. We thoroughly assess the performance of the technique using mRNA and DNA standards and cell samples, and demonstrate a detection sensitivity of ∼30 mRNA molecules per cell, and a fractional error of 15%. Using this method, we expose unexpected heterogeneity in the expression of 5 immune-related genes in sets of single macrophages activated by different microbial stimuli. Further, our analyses reveal that the expression of one ‘pro-inflammatory’ cytokine is not predictive of the expression of another ‘pro-inflammatory’ cytokine within the same cell. These findings demonstrate that single-cell approaches are essential for studying coordinated gene expression in cell populations, and this generic and easy-to-use quantitative method is applicable in other areas in biology aimed at understanding the regulation of cellular responses.
Continuous Wave Hydrogen Fluoride Overtone Lasing Saturation Effects on Fundamental Gain Suppression

A new technique that uses a multiline probe beam to measure the gain on several lines simultaneously was developed. This new technique was used to measure the gains of the fundamental lines PI (4-9) and Pz(4-9) while lasing on the overtone, for three levels of medium saturation. For relatively high-medium saturation, obtained with 99.7/99.7% reflective mirrors, the gains of the lowJ lies Pl(4-6) and Pz(4-6) were suppressed 41-96%; the gains of the high J lines P1(7-9) and Pz(7-9) were suppressed 3-44%. The 1 --* 0 lines were suppressed more than the 2 'L 1 lines. The maximum suppression occurred between 2 and 6 mm downstream from the nozzle exit plane, near the center of the 9-mm overtone beam. The suppression obtained with 99.8/99.86% reflective mirrors, which resulted in 55% larger intracavity flux, was essentially the same as that obtained with the 99.7/99.7% mirrors. For low-medium saturation, obtained with 98.0/99.7% reflective mirrors, there was essentially no suppression of the fundamental gains.
Economical symmetrical quadrature rules for complete polynomials over a square domain

It is of interest in numerical analysis to develop symmetrical quadrature rules for integration of complete polynomial functions over a square domain with minimum computational effort. Gaussian product quadrature rules integrate such functions with maximum effort. Symmetrical quadrature rules are developed and presented for integration of complete polynomial functions up to 21st order with minimum computational effort.
Composite Columnar Section of Exposed Paleozoic and Cenozoic Rocks in the Pahranagat Range, Lincoln County, Nevada

A maximum composite thickness of 18,200 feet of Paleozoic strata ranging in age from early Lale Cambrian to late Early Pennsylvanian and about 3500 feet of Neogene and Pleistocene rocks are exposed in the Pahranagat Range. Nineteen Paleozoic formations and 35 members belonging to 13 formations are recognized along with five Cenozoic formations on a Composite Column which presents the thickness ranges, detailed lithologic description, and tentatively identified fauna for all units. Paleozoic formations have been correlated where possible with lithologies and faunas described elsewhere in eastern Nevada and Utah, resulting in the employment of only one new formation term. The sequence is typical of a miogeosynclinal facies being composed primarily of dolomite, limestone, and orthoquartzite with only 10 per cent shale. Four Neogene formations are distinguished by a sequence of welded tuffs, other pyroclastic rocks, water-worked tuffs, lacustrine beds, and basalt flows (Dolgoff and Reso, 1962). The “Older Alluvium” refers to well-indurated Pleistocene sands and gravels.
Fluorescence natural lifetimes of some unsaturated and saturated 5,5-disubstituted oxybarbiturates

Abstract The effect of saturated and unsaturated substituents at the 5-position on the fluorescence properties of several disubstituted barbiturates is examined. The natural lifetimes of the oxybarbiturates' excited states are influenced by the electronic environment provided by the unsaturated substituents, possibly through a resonance interaction between the triplet state of the unsaturated substituents and the ring chromophore singlet state. The natural lifetimes are not constant over the compound series although the spectral properties remain the same.
Rate constants for the reactions of Ar+ with CO2 and SO2 as a function of temperature (300–1500 K)

We have measured the rate constants for the reactions of Ar+ with CO2 and SO2 from 300 to 1500 K in a high temperature flowing afterglow. For the reaction with CO2, we have found that all modes of energy, i.e., translation, rotation, and vibration, affect the rate constant to the same degree up to a total energy of 0.4 eV. Above 0.4 eV total energy, internal energy decreases the rate constants more effectively than does translational energy. For the reaction of Ar+ with SO2, the rate constants go through a minimum at about 900 K. By comparing our results to drift tube data, we derive rate constants for reaction from the υ=0 and υ>0 vibrational levels. At low energy, the vibrationally excited SO2 molecules react with Ar+ approximately twice as fast as the ground state molecules. Both vibrational modes have similar temperature dependences.
Semiautomated Segmentation of Myocardial Contours for Fast Strain Analysis in Cine Displacement-Encoded MRI

The purposes of this study were to develop a semiautomated cardiac contour segmentation method for use with cine displacement-encoded MRI and evaluate its accuracy against manual segmentation. This segmentation model was designed with two distinct phases: preparation and evolution. During the model preparation phase, after manual image cropping and then image intensity standardization, the myocardium is separated from the background based on the difference in their intensity distributions, and the endo- and epi-cardial contours are initialized automatically as zeros of an underlying level set function. During the model evolution phase, the model deformation is driven by the minimization of an energy function consisting of five terms: model intensity, edge attraction, shape prior, contours interaction, and contour smoothness. The energy function is minimized iteratively by adaptively weighting the five terms in the energy function using an annealing algorithm. The validation experiments were performed on a pool of cine data sets of five volunteers. The difference between the semiautomated segmentation and manual segmentation was sufficiently small as to be considered clinically irrelevant. This relatively accurate semiautomated segmentation method can be used to significantly increase the throughput of strain analysis of cine displacement-encoded MR images for clinical applications.
Physiological elevation in plasma angiotensinogen increases blood pressure.

Hepatic angiotensinogen secretion is controlled by a complex pattern of physiological or pathophysiological mediators. Because plasma concentrations of angiotensinogen are close to the Michaelis-Me...
A Shameless Pitch for Quantitative Marketing

ABSTRACT At least half of the food sold in the United States is sold through some form of retail outlet. Understanding retail demand, therefore, is critical to understanding some of the most important issues facing U.S. agribusinesses today. Retail demand models, however, are fundamentally different from the commodity demand models used extensively in the agribusiness literature. In this letter, I outline the features of retailing, and their implications for modeling the retail demand for food.
Directional behaviour of group velocity in a magnetoplasma

The way in which the direction of group propagation in a magnetoplasma varies with the direction of phase propagation, with the wave frequency and with the ionization density is discussed in Sections 13.5, 13.6 and 13.9 using the radio approximation, and in Sections 14.8, 14.9 and 14.12 using the hydromagnetic approximation. The variation of the magnitude of the group velocity with frequency is discussed in Section 8.4 for longitudinal propagation, and in Section 11.4 for transverse propagation. The behaviour of the magnitude of the group velocity is treated in Section 14.9 for all directions of propagation using the hydromagnetic approximation. It is treated in Section 15.10 using the quasi-longitudinal version of the radio approximation, but only for the whistler wave, and then only when the ionization density is sufficiently high to make the plasma frequency substantially greater than the electronic gyrofrequency. It still remains to provide calculations of group velocity in a magnetoplasma in both magnitude and direction that are reasonably comprehensive.
Closing the loop: optimal stimulation of C. elegans neuronal network via adaptive control to exhibit full body movements

The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worm is a well-studied biological organism model. The nervous system of C. elegans is particularly appealing to study, since it is a tractable fully functional neuronal network for which electro-physical connectivity map (connectome) is fully resolved [1,2]. In a recent work, we succeeded in establishing a computational dynamical model for the C. elegans nervous system and showed that robust oscillatory movements in motor neurons along the body can be invoked by constant current excitation of command sensory neurons (e.g. PLM neurons associated with forward crawling) and that their activation corresponds to low-dimensional Hopf bifurcation [3]. While these first results validated the model, it is exciting to learn how the nervous system transforms its oscillatory dynamics to the muscles to support robust full body movements (e.g. forward crawling) [4]. Moreover, using methods generically applicable to other neuronal circuits, it is intriguing to understand the optimal sensory stimulations that cause these movements to persist. We explore these questions by modeling the C. elegans musculature as a viscoelastic rod with discrete rigid segments [5], and map the neuronal dynamics such that they activate the muscles and deform the rod (Fig. ​(Fig.1A).1A). When motor neuron activity stimulates muscles [2], this activation is translated into force applied to the rod, which moves in accordance with the physical properties of C. elegans. By stimulating the command PLM neurons, we establish for the first time that motor neuron dynamics are indeed producing coherent oscillatory full body movements that resemble forward crawling (Fig. ​(Fig.1B,1B, videos available here: http://faculty.washington.edu/shlizee/celegans/). Figure 1 A: Structure of viscoelastic rod B: Viscoelastic rod-based simulation of C. elegans crawling during PLM excitation, videos available here C: Loop feeding transformed motor activity into sensory neurons. We utilize our computational full body model to determine the appropriate sensory input for behavior, such as crawling, to persist after explicit external stimulation (touch) has ceased, as observed in experiments [5]. Since such persistence could be explained by a feedback loop between the environment and sensory neurons (Fig. ​(Fig.1C),1C), we propose an adaptive control algorithm that extends existing recursive least squares-based algorithms (e.g. FORCE [6]). Our algorithm finds weights for synaptic input using a low-dimensional projection of motor neuron dynamics, and is capable of finding sensory input patterns that will lead to the desired movement.
AFDC Receipt and Nonmarital Births: An Examination of Causality

Utilizing a sample of 2,964 unmarried women over the period 1979-88 from the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a test was performed to determine the causal direction of relationship between receipt of aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) and the decision to have a nonmarital birth. The existence of "causality" is defined as the lack of a simultaneous relationship or joint dependency between these variables. One of the most interesting findings was a failure to reject the hypothesis that these choices are jointly determined. Both were found to depend upon variables that are demographic, economic, personal, and family-related. The profiles derived from the specification and estimation of a simultaneous equations system with discrete endogenous variables depict a woman whose fertility and economic decisions were predominantly based on economic deprivation, demographic situation, and family instability.
What Happens Before Full-Time Employment? Internships as a Mechanism of Anticipatory Socialization

Although internships help prospective employees develop realistic expectations (Barnett, 2012), research has yet to explore how internships shape full-time employees’ organizational and vocational socialization experiences. To understand the impact of internships, semistructured interview and questionnaire data were collected over 15 months (before internships, after internships, and upon full-time employment). Results show that internships may provide more realistic perceptions than traditional means of anticipatory socialization, like recruitment or vocational messages. Whereas previous research has described anticipatory socialization as beneficial for prospective employees, this study reveals how internships can deter prospective employees from certain future full-time positions.
Simulations of Gallium Antimonide (GaSb) p-B-n Thermophotovoltaic Cells

The focus of this paper is the characterization of novel thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell designs which employ a monovalent barrier layer in the p-n junction. The use of a barrier layer enables these cells to operate at longer wavelengths, higher efficiencies, and higher operating temperatures. Initial designs have been made using gallium antimonide (GaSb), which is one of the more common TPV materials. Simulations were performed using Sentaurus by Synopsys to determine barrier materials as well as to optimize the cell. The p-B-n cell was then compared to a simple p-n junction. The simulations show that a p-B-n cell outperforms a typical p-n junction. Additionally, we expect to see increased performance differentials from this device structure when moving to longer wavelength devices.
THE DIPLOID-LIKE CYTOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF TETRAPLOID COTTON

It was demonstrated by Riley and Chapman (1958), Sears and Okamoto (1958), and Riley, Chapman and Kimber (1960) that the diploid-like meiotic behavior of hexaploid wheat (Triticurn aestivium, 2n = 6x =42) is genetically controlled by one or more genes in chromosome V. On the basis of this observation, Riley (1960) and Kimber (1961) suggested that a number of natural tetraploids which form only bivalents at meiosis could possess a similar genetic mechanism for controlling regular bivalent formation. Moreover, Kimber (1961) pointed out that the cytogenetic data, particularly in Gossypium, favor a function analogous to that in wheat for controlling the diploid-like behavior that is characteristic of the tetraploid cottons. Even though Kimber presents a good case for genetic control of regular meiotic behavior in tetraploid cottons, it is the purpose of the present paper to discuss certain data in greater detail and to point out, as an alternative to Kimber's gene controlled mechanism, a cytological aspect characteristic of some, if not all, members of the genus Gossypium that may contribute significantly to the diploid-like pairing behavior in the tetraploid cottons. The natural tetraploid species of Gossypium (G. hirsutum, G. barbadense, and G. tomentosum) are amphidiploids (2n = 4x = 52) composed of two subgenomes designated A and D (Beasley, 1942). The A subgenome is homologous with the A genome of the Asiatic diploid species, and
Denatured State Ensembles with the Same Radii of Gyration Can Form Significantly Different Long-Range Contacts

Defining the structural, dynamic, and energetic properties of the unfolded state of proteins is critical for an in-depth understanding of protein folding, protein thermodynamics, and protein aggregation. Here we analyze long-range contacts and compactness in two apparently fully unfolded ensembles of the same protein: the acid unfolded state of the C-terminal domain of ribosomal protein L9 in the absence of high concentrations of urea as well as the urea unfolded state at low pH. Small angle X-ray scattering reveals that the two states are expanded with values of Rg differing by <7%. Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) nuclear magnetic resonance studies, however, reveal that the acid unfolded state samples conformations that facilitate contacts between residues that are distant in sequence while the urea unfolded state ensemble does not. The experimental PRE profiles for the acid unfolded state differ significantly from these predicted using an excluded volume limit ensemble, but these long-range co...
Sonochemical Synthesis and Catalytic Properties of Nanostructured Molybdenum Carbide

Molybdenum hexacarbonyl in hexadecane was irradiated with high intensity ultrasound under argon at 90°C to yield face centered cubic molybdenum carbide, Mo2C. After thermal treatment, oxygen and excess carbon were removed to give stoichiometric Mo2C. SEM micrographs showed that the surface was extremely porous. TEM micrographs showed that the solid was an aggregate of particles with diameters of ˜ 2 nm. This material has a very high surface area, 188 m2/g as determined by BET gas adsorption. Catalytic studies have been conducted on the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane and the hydrogenolysis of ethane. The sonochemically prepared Mo2C shows good catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane with 100% selectivity for formation of benzene without hydrogenolysis to methane. The material revealed poor catalytic activity for the hydrogenolysis of ethane.
Construction and analysis of sex-differentially expressed cDNA library for Anopheles anthropophagus

The objective of the present study was to construct a sex-differentially expressed cDNA library for female Anopheles anthropophagus, and to search for differentially expressed genes in female An. anthropophagus. A subtractive cDNA library for An. Anthropophagus was constructed by technique of suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). Total RNA was separately isolated from pools of adult female and male An. anthropophagus, and SSH was performed by using the PCR-select cDNA Subtraction kit (Clontech). The forward subtracted library was constructed by using female as tester and male as driver, and the reverse-subtracted library was constructed by using male as tester and female as driver, respectively. The subtracted cDNAs were ligated into pGEM-T Easy Vector. Recombinant plasmids were transformed into competent Escherichia coli cells DH5α. One hundred randomly-selected positive clones were sequenced, and 72 valid EST sequences were analyzed using the basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) online (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST). Forty ESTs had homologous sequences in the GenBankTM database, and 32 ESTs had no homologs in the DNA database. In conclusion, sex-differentially expressed cDNA library for female An. anthropophagus was constructed successfully, and some female-specific EST sequences were identified, which provides foundation to study differentially expressed genes in female An. Anthropophagus.
Comparison of Expert Tutors Through Syntactic Analysis of Transcripts

In this paper we show that the C4.5 machine learning algorithm, applied to a number of syntactic features in transcripts, can be used to accurately differentiate between two expert human tutors. Although these tutors had taught together for years and explicitly discussed their tutoring style with one other, an analysis based on frequency of parts of speech and higher-level syntactic constructs was able to easily separate their productions.
Muscle physiology and cold reactivity in the fibromyalgia syndrome.

HYPOTHESIS The weight of evidence implicates skeletal muscle as the end organ responsible for the pain in FMS. However, given the fact that FMS patients are aerobically unfit, it may be that the histologic, metabolic, local oxygenation, and blood flow abnormalities in the muscles are a secondary result of the “detraining effect” rather than a primary abnormality. There are many similarities between the muscle changes caused by exercise-induced microtrauma and the findings in FMS, and this needs further study. For example, unfit muscle is more likely to microtrauma; this causes pain and may condition some individuals to avoid further exertion, thus setting up a positive feedback loop of progressive unfitness and susceptibility to musculoskeletal pain. In normal individuals muscle microtrauma usually resolves in 2 to 3 weeks. It can be hypothesized that the slow wave sleep disturbance of FMS may delay this healing process by reducing the pulsatile secretion of growth hormone that is normally associated with delta sleep. Furthermore, muscle microtrauma will allow an influx of calcium into individual myofibrils, causing persistent (electrically silent) contraction with depletion of ATP; this could account for the observed decrease in high energy phosphates in FMS over tender points. Local areas of myofibrillar contraction would distort the architecture of the local capillaries; this may explain the wide variations in oxygen pressure readings over tender areas. If this hypothesis was correct, FMS would not be a “disease” in the classical sense of the word, but a continuum of a normal response, namely the exaggerated reaction of skeletal muscle to microtrauma and the ensuing secondary effects. Several other hypotheses could be generated to explain the objective data presented in this article. Thoughtful scrutiny of these ideas should permit the design of novel studies which will enhance our understanding of the fibromyalgia enigma.
Assessing One-to-One Parallelism Levels Mapping for OpenMP Offloading to GPUs

The proliferation of accelerators in modern clusters makes efficient coprocessor programming a key requirement if application codes are to achieve high levels of performance with acceptable energy consumption on such platforms. This has led to considerable effort to provide suitable programming models for these accelerators, especially within the OpenMP community. While OpenMP 4.5 offers a rich set of directives, clauses and runtime calls to fully utilize accelerators, an efficient implementation of OpenMP 4.5 for GPUs remains a non-trivial task, given their multiple levels of thread parallelism.In this paper, we describe a new implementation of the corresponding features of OpenMP 4.5 for GPUs based on a one-to-one mapping of its loop hierarchy parallelism to the GPU thread hierarchy. We assess the impact of this mapping, in particular the use of GPU warps to handle innermost loop execution, on the performance of GPU execution via a set of benchmarks that include a version of the NAS parallel benchmarks specifically developed for this research; we also used the Matrix-Matrix multiplication, Jacobi, Gauss and Laplacian kernels.
Torture and the limits of democratic institutions

What are the limits of democracy’s positive influence on human rights? In this article, we argue that contested elections and powerful courts provide leaders with different incentives with regard t...
Reachability analysis in RTL circuits using k-induction bounded model checking

In the system on chip design process, functional validation is regarded as one of the main challenges. One sub problem in functional validation is proving the unsatisfiability of certain properties such as the reachability of some assertions or code blocks. In this work, we present a induction-based bounded model checking technique using a Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) solver for proving the unsatisfiability of the properties. After using program slicing to generate small sized SMT formulas, the novel idea of this work utilizes signal domain constraints to make the induction step more powerful. With this approach it is possible to categorize branches that are otherwise impossible to reach with existing state of the art algorithms. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed idea by proving the unreachability of various branches in ITC'99 and the IWLS benchmark circuits which were previously unresolved.
RNA Gel Blot Analysis to Determine Gene Expression of Floral Scents

To attract pollinators to flowers, flowering plants use diverse biosynthetic pathways to produce a broad spectrum of low molecular weight (100- to 200-Da) floral volatile compounds (>700 described structures exist in 60 families of plants) (Knudsen et al. 1993; Dobson 1994). In most plant species floral volatiles are emitted primarily by the petals, although other parts of the flower may also contribute to the total scent output. Often, a specific floral component is emitted from several parts of the flower, although not necessarily at the same amount or rate. However, there are also examples of emission of specific compounds from only a subset of the floral organs.
Veritas et Utilitas in Imaging.

![Figure][1] ![Figure][1] ![Figure][1] As we start the new year, this issue of iJACC highlights what we want to project over the coming years: a philosophy of “meliora,” both for imaging as a specialty and the journal as a medium for it. In the past year, we have tried to
Transparent artifact-free graphene electrodes for compact closed-loop optogenetics systems

Graphene offers unique advantages for implantable neural systems by combining properties like optical transparency, flexibility, high conductivity and biocompatibility in a single material. Here we report the first demonstration of a graphene-based compact closed-loop optogenetics system with the capability of recording and processing of neural activity in real time to control the light stimulation. We develop a process flow for high-yield large-area fabrication of transparent graphene microelectrode arrays on clear flexible substrates. Transparent graphene electrodes completely eliminate light-induced artifacts, which hinder the development of compact closed-loop optogenetics systems with conventional metal microelectrodes. We successfully demonstrate closed-loop operation with transparent graphene electrodes for simultaneous optical stimulation and electrical recordings without light artifacts.
Pediatric Hypereosinophilia: Characteristics, Clinical Manifestations, and Diagnoses

Background Eosinophilia is associated with various conditions, including allergic, infectious, and neoplastic disorders. The diagnostic differential is broad, and data on hypereosinophilia in pediatric patients are limited. Objective The objectives of this study were to identify cases of hypereosinophilia in a tertiary pediatric medical center, determine clinical characteristics and disease associations, and estimate the incidence of hypereosinophilia in the hospital and geographic populations. Methods A retrospective chart review included patients younger than 18 years presenting to a tertiary pediatric medical center (January 1, 2008, to May 31, 2017) with absolute eosinophil counts (AECs) greater than or equal to 1.50 thousand eosinophils/microliter (K/μL) recorded on at least 2 occasions at least 4 weeks apart (N = 176). Clinical characteristics, laboratory values, treatment course, and associated diagnoses were evaluated. Results The most common cause of hypereosinophilia in this cohort was secondary hypereosinophilia. Atopic dermatitis, graft-versus-host disease, sickle cell disease, and parasitic infections were the most common conditions associated with hypereosinophilia. Median age at diagnosis was 4.6 (interquartile range, 1.5-10.5) years. Median peak AEC was 3.16 (2.46-4.78) K/μL. Hypereosinophilia occurred most frequently in patients aged between 6 and 11 years (24.4%) and younger than 1 year (18.2%). Patients with neoplasms and immune deficiencies had significantly higher peak AECs than did patients with overlap hypereosinophilic syndrome and atopic diseases (P Conclusions Pediatric hypereosinophilia has an incidence of 54.4 per 100,000 persons per year, with children younger than 1 year and aged 6 to 11 years accounting for most affected patients. Pediatric hypereosinophilia is not uncommon and remains underrecognized, highlighting a need for clinicians to identify patients who meet criteria for hypereosinophilia and to pursue a thorough evaluation.
Spatiotemporal assimilation–interpolation of discharge records through inverse streamflow routing

Abstract. Poorly monitored river flows in many regions of the world have been hindering our ability to accurately estimate global water budgets as well as the variability of the global water cycle. In situ gauging sites, as well as a number of satellite-based systems, make observations of river discharge throughout the globe; however, these observations are often sparse due to, for example, the sampling frequencies of sensors or a lack of reporting. Recently, efforts have been made to develop methods to integrate these discrete observations to gain a better understanding of the underlying processes. This paper presents an application of a fixed interval Kalman smoother-based model, called inverse streamflow routing (ISR), to generate spatially and temporally continuous river discharge fields from discrete observations. The method propagates the observed information across all reachable parts of the river network (up/downstream from gauging point) and all reachable times (before/after observation time) using a two-sweep procedure that first propagates information backward in time to the furthest upstream locations (inverse routing) and then propagates it forward in time to the furthest downstream locations (forward routing). The ISR methodology advances prediction of streamflow in ungauged basins by accounting for a physical representation of the river system that is not generally handled explicitly in more-commonly applied statistically based models. The key advantages of this approach are that it (1) maintains all the physical consistencies embodied by a diffusive wave routing model (flow confluence relationships on the river network and the resulting mass balance, wave velocity, and diffusivity), (2) updates the lateral influx (runoff) at the pixel level (furthest upstream) to guarantee exhaustive propagation of observed information, and (3) works both with a first guess of initial river discharge conditions from a routing model (assimilation) and without a first guess (pure interpolation of observations). Two sets of experiments are carried out under idealized conditions and under real-world conditions provided by United States Geological Survey (USGS) observations. Results show that the method can effectively reproduce the spatial and temporal dynamics of river discharge in each of the experiments presented. The performance is driven by the density of the gauge network as well as the quality of the data being assimilated. We find that when assimilating the actual USGS observations, the performance decreases relative to our idealized scenario; however, we are still able to produce an improved discharge product at each validation site. With further testing, as well as global application, ISR may prove to be a useful method for extending our current network of global river discharge observations.
Usefulness of aerobic microbial culture and cytologic evaluation of corneal specimens in the diagnosis of infectious ulcerative keratitis in animals.

Objective To determine the diagnostic value of aerobic microbial culture and cytologic evaluation of corneal specimens in the diagnosis of infectious ulcerative keratitis (IUK). Design Prospective study. Animals 48 animals (26 dogs, 13 horses, 7 cats, 1 bird, and 1 llama) with corneal ulcers. Procedure Scrapings from corneal ulcers were examined cytologically. Corneal swab specimens were submitted for microbial culture. Animals were grouped according to whether they had been receiving antimicrobials at the time of admission. Results Of the 38 animals receiving antimicrobials, 19 had positive results for IUK on cytologic evaluation, 20 on microbial culture, and 26 on cytologic evaluation, microbial culture, or both. Of the 10 animals not receiving antimicrobials at the time of admission, 7 had positive results for IUK on cytologic evaluation, and 9 had positive results on microbial culture. In this group of 10 animals, additional animals with IUK were not identified on the basis of cytologic evaluation alone. When all 48 animals were considered irrespective of antimicrobial treatment, 26 and 29 had positive results for IUK on cytologic evaluation and microbial culture, respectively, whereas IUK was confirmed in 35 animals on the basis of cytologic evaluation, microbial culture results, or both. Conclusions and clinical relevance Microbial culture and cytologic evaluation of corneal specimens maximizes identification of IUK, especially in animals receiving antimicrobial treatment. Because of serious consequences of untreated IUK, we recommend that both diagnostic tests be used to tailor treatment and reduce risk of vision impairment in animals.
A Spatial Pattern Analysis of Forest Loss in the Madre de Dios Region, Peru

Previous studies have quantified the expansion of gold mining-related forest loss (Espejo et al., 2018; Asner et al., 2017; Swenson et al., 2011) in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. This study uses Spectral Mixture Analysis (SMA) in a cloud-computing platform to map general forest loss within and outside key land tenure areas in this region. Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) Surface Reflectance data were utilized spanning 2013 and 2018 and spectral unmixing was performed to identify patterns of forest loss for each year. Planet Scope and RapidEye imagery were used to conduct an accuracy assessment and to identify potential drivers.
Parametric Study of Wind Loading on Structures

The vibration of a two-degree-of-freedom elastic system due to wind loading is investigated by a Monte Carlo technique. The response analysis is performed in time domain by numerically simulating the resulting wind forces. The fluctuating wind velocity field is idealized as a stationary Gaussian random process with mean zero. For wind loading and response analysis, both across-wind and along-wind directions are considered. The results are used to study the effect of mechanical and aerodynamic parameters of the systems and to compare the current formulation with the approximate treatment commonly used.
Securities and Exchange Commission Comment Letters: Enforcing Accounting Quality and Disclosure

We examine the change in earnings announcement market reactions for a sample of 130 public companies that receive Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) comment letters. We hypothesize that a firm's disclosure environment is enhanced by the resolution of the SEC enquiry, resulting in dampened market reactions at the time of ensuing earnings announcements. Our evidence of reduced return volatility and trading volume supports our hypothesis. We find no change in the quantity of the firms' voluntary disclosure. Combined, the results suggest that through their review of registrant filings, the SEC affects the information environment of firms in the United States.
Quasifission Dynamics in Microscopic Theories

In the search for superheavy elements quasifission reactions represent one of the reaction pathways that curtail the formation of an evaporation residue. In addition to its importance in these searches quasifission is also an interesting dynamic process that could assist our understanding of many-body dynamical shell effects and energy dissipation thus forming a gateway between deep-inelastic reactions and fission. This manuscript gives a summary of recent progress in microscopic calculations of quasifission employing time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) theory and its extensions.
Taranath, Anu. (2019). Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World. Lutsen, MN: Between the Lines Publishing. 208 pages.

Taranath, Anu. (2019). Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World. Lutsen, MN: Between the Lines Publishing. 208 pages.
Ultrafast contour imaging for time-domain diffuse optical tomography

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is well known to be ill-posed and suffers from a poor resolution. While time domain DOT can bolster the resolution by time-gating to extract weakly scattering photons, it is often confronted by an inferior signal to noise ratio and a low measurement density. This is particularly problematic for non-contact DOT imaging of non-planar objects, which faces an inherent tradeoff between the light collection efficiency and depth of field. We present here ultrafast contour imaging, a method that enables efficient light collection over curved surfaces with a dense spatiotemporal sampling of diffused light, allowing DOT imaging in the objects native geometry with an improved resolution. We demonstrated our approach with both phantom and small animal imaging results. (C)2020 Optical Society of America
Prior reproductive experience modulates neural responses to infant faces across the postpartum period.

Infant-cue processing facilitates sensitive maternal care, which is necessary in the formation of healthy mother-infant attachment. Mothers may be particularly focused on cue processing early postp...
Character matters: The mediational impact of self-regulation on PsyCap and academic performance

In this study, we propose an integrative framework in which the effect of positive psychological capital (i.e., PsyCap) on academic performance is best understood when considered in conjunction wit...
Effectiveness of a Standardized External Ventricular Drain Placement Protocol for Infection Control.

Introduction Placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD) is a common procedure routinely completed at bedside by neurosurgical residents. A standardized protocol for placement and maintenance of an EVD is potentially useful. Methods This single-institution retrospective review analyzed all patients who underwent placement of an EVD over a 5-year span using a standardized protocol. RESULTS A total of 428 EVDs in 381 patients were placed as per this protocol. Overall compliance with the practice protocol was 98.7%. Overall, our infection rate was 1.86% (8 external ventricular drain–related infection [ERIs] over 428 EVDs). There was no difference in age for the ERI cases (median 55, range (50.5–60.5), compared with the non-ERI cases (median of 53, range [38–65]) (P = 0.512). Indications for placement of EVD were hemorrhage (51.9%, n = 198), tumor (16.2%, n = 62), trauma (12.8%, n = 49), hydrocephalus (11.5%, n = 44), cerebellar stroke (2.8%, n = 11), infection (3.1%, n = 12), unknown (1.3%, n = 5). Most EVDs (77.6%, n = 296) were placed bedside by second-year residents (median PGY level 2, interquartile range 1–2.75). Computed tomography confirmed placement in the ipsilateral frontal horn in 72% (n = 277) of EVDs. EVD-related complications were noted in 8.3% of EVDs (n = 32, with 8 infections and 24 tract hemorrhages). The median EVD duration was 10 days; duration of EVD had no statistically significant impact on the risk of an ERI (P = 1). Only replacement of an EVD was associated with an increased risk of infection. Conclusions Adherence to a standard EVD placement protocol is useful in maintaining a low risk of ERI regardless of the duration of catheter utilization. Replacement of the catheter through the same access hole as the original catheter is associated with an increased risk of ERI.
Persistence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with end-stage renal disease;an unrecognized phenomenon?

Since the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic hit most parts of the world, the nephrology community has primarily focused on the associated incidence of often severe acute kidney injury (AKI) with the disease pandemic. For patients on maintenance in-center outpatient hemodialysis, the primary concern has been on prevention of the spread of COVID-19 among this vulnerable patient group. Our recent experience with one end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patient early in the Spring of 2020 has led us to speculate that ESRD patients may well exhibit an unusually prolonged period of persistence of COVID-19. This may explain the recent report of the unanticipated demonstration of a high rate of positive COVID-19 antibody testing among the staff of a Pediatric Outpatient Hemodialysis Unit in New York. Further studies are mandated as these investigations would help guide the implications of preventative measures against the spread of COVID-19 among both patients and staff of hemodialysis units around the world.
Text Structure Strategy for Expository Reading Comprehension: Case Study With an Adolescent With Noonan Syndrome

Purpose This article describes the implementation of a text structure strategy approach to reading comprehension intervention to improve comprehension of expository texts for an adolescent with Noo...
Focality and prospective memory in preschool children.

We examined the influence of prospective memory (PM) cue focality in a sample of preschool children. Prior investigations in older populations indicated that focal targets were associated with enha...
Thyroid-optimized and thyroid-sparing radiotherapy in oral cavity and oropharyngeal carcinoma: A dosimetric study.

Background Radiation-induced hypothyroidism is a common toxicity of head and neck radiation. Our re-planning study aimed to reduce thyroid dose while maintaining target coverage with IMRT. Methods We retrospectively identified patients with oral-cavity (n = 5) and oropharyngeal cancer (n = 5). Treatment plans were re-optimized with 45 Gy thyroid mean dose constraint, then we cropped the thyroid out of PTVs and further reduced thyroid dose. Target coverage was delivering 100% dose to ≥ 93% of PTV and 95% of dose to > 99% of PTV. Results Originally, average mean dose to thyroid was 5580 cGy. In model I, this dropped to 4325 cGy (p < 0.0001). In model II, average mean dose was reduced to 3154 cGy (p < 0.0001). For PTV low and PTV int, all had acceptable target coverage. Conclusion In patients with oral-cavity and oropharyngeal cancers, mean dose could be significantly reduced using a thyroid-optimized or thyroid-sparing IMRT technique with adequate coverage.