cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sampling and survivorship of green cloverworm, Plathypena scabra (Fabricius), pupae in Iowa soybean

The microspatial distribution of pupal green cloverworms, Plathypena scabra (F.), was studied intensively in six soybean fields during 1979 and 1980. Pupae were recovered from the plant canopy and soil-litter surface but never from subsurface soil layers. Litterlayer sites accounted for 90% of the pupae collected. Pupal densities were biased with respect to directional aspect, with more pupae located in southern or eastern aspects than northern or western sites. Pupal densities also varied inversely with distance from the soybean row. Both the quantity of litter cover and population density influenced pupal distribution. Implications for pupal sampling are discussed.
Structure and development of single domain antibodies as modules for therapeutics and diagnostics.

Since their discovery just over 25 years ago, the single variable domain from heavy-chain-only antibodies plays a role in an increasing number of antibody-based applications. Structural and biophys...
Processing and Thermoelectric Properties of TiNiSn Materials: A Review

The half-Heusler alloy TiNiSn is a promising material for high-temperature thermoelectric applications due to its good thermal stability and semiconductor-like electrical properties. Numerous synthesis techniques have been utilized to make TiNiSn, but a comparative study on its thermoelectric properties with respect to processing parameters has not been reported. Based on published experimental data, primary melting methods, such as arc melting or induction levitation melting, do not have a noticeable effect on the final thermoelectric properties, although choice of densification technique and annealing parameters correlate with each thermoelectric property. Thermal conductivity (2.47-6.08 W/m K), governed by lattice scattering effects, was maximized with high density from the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique as well with low inclusions of metallic impurities and interstitial Ni defects from low-temperature, non-densified processes. Electrical resistivity (4.75-30 µΩ m), inversely related to thermal conductivity, is minimized when density is maximized and chemical defects are favorable from using SPS. All reported TiNiSn alloys contain intermetallic impurities, imparting a global trend of lowered electrical resistivity. Seebeck coefficient (− 273.20 to − 50.71 µV/K), proportional to electrical resistivity, is maximized when charge carrier concentration is minimized by eliminating phase impurities and Ni defects. Porosity has been observed to scatter low-energy electrons, which can increase Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity, although no statistical significance is found. An ideal TiNiSn alloy should have intermediate values of all interconnected thermoelectric properties to maximize ZT. Future research work should strive to include quantitative phase analysis to better characterize the contributions of Ni defects and impurity phases toward thermoelectric properties.
Breathtaking Physics: Human Respiration as a Heat Engine

Breathing is something we all do, usually without thinking about it. But when viewed through the lens of physics, respiration becomes an example of elementary thermodynamics. As shown here, the lungs can be modeled as a two-stroke heat engine. Breathing thereby provides a novel physics application for life science students, demonstrating the basics of the first law of thermodynamics, coefficient of performance, and hysteresis.
Hired helpers at the nest: The association between life-cycle servants and net fertility in North Orkney, 1851-1911.

OBJECTIVES The presence of kin is often, but not always, associated with higher fertility in historical populations. However, the effect of other household members on fertility is less frequently studied. While not genetically related, life-cycle servants lived and worked alongside household members and may have provided assistance to reproducing families. Female servants in particular may have helped mothers with small children through direct help with childcare activities or by replacing the economic effort of mothers whose work was not compatible with childcare. This study examines the presence of servants in the households of married women of reproductive age to assess whether households with young children are more likely to also have servants. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study uses individual-level census data from North Orkney, Scotland (1851-1911) to investigate the relationship between the presence of servants in households and a measure of recent net marital fertility, the number of women's own-children under age 5, using logistic regression models. RESULTS Households with young children were more likely to have a female, but not male, servant in the household after controlling for the effects of other possible helpers, including older children, mothers, and mothers-in-law. DISCUSSION These findings are consistent with prior research that indicates the importance of female labor to smallholder agricultural households and suggests that female servants may have provided support to reproducing families. Life-cycle servants should be considered one component of biocultural reproduction in historical Northwest Europe. The use of hired help is not restricted to contemporary or elite groups.
Integrated Pest Management in Protected Structures I: Basic Principles and Scouting

The fundamentals of managing pests in protected structures are very similar in many respects to managing pests in field crops. But conditions within a protected structure can be modified to a certain degree to prevent, delay, or even mitigate pest issues. On the other hand, conditions that discourage one group of pests can often favor another. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Hugh A. Smith, Gary E. Vallad, and Bielinski M. Santos, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in994
Strengthening of columnar-grained freshwater ice through cyclic flexural loading

Systematic experiments reveal that the flexural strength of freshwater S2 columnar-grained ice loaded normal to the columns increases upon cyclic loading. Specifically, over the range of stress amplitudes 0.1–2.6 MPa the flexural strength increases linearly with increasing stress amplitude. The experiments were conducted upon both reversed and non-reversed cyclic loading over ranges of frequencies from 0.03 to 2 Hz and temperatures from −25 to −3°C. Strengthening can also be imparted through bending-induced creep. The fundamental requirement for strengthening is that the surface that undergoes maximum tensile stress during failure must have been pre-stressed in tension. Flexural strength is governed by crack nucleation. We suggest that the process is resisted by an internal back-stress that opposes the applied stress and builds up through either crystal dislocations piling up or grain boundaries sliding.
WECC Composite Load Model Parameter Identification Using Evolutionary Deep Reinforcement Learning

Due to the increasing penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs), the load composition in distribution grids has significantly changed. This inverter-based device has notably different behavior from traditional static and induction motor loads. To accurately represent the combination of static load, induction motor and the emerging inverter-based devices, the composite load model with distributed generation (CMPLDWG) has been developed by Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). Due to the large number of parameters and model complexity, the CMPLDWG model brings new challenges to parameter identification, which is critical to power system studies. To address these challenges, in this paper, a cutting-edge approach inspired by the evolutionary deep reinforcement learning (EDRL) with an intelligent exploration mechanism is innovatively proposed to perform parameter identification for CMPLDWG. First, to extract parameters’ contributions to dynamic power, parameter sensitivity analysis is conducted using a data-driven feature-wise kernelized Lasso (FWKL). Then, the EDRL with intelligent exploration, which can handle the natural high nonlinearity and nonconvexity of CMPLDWG, is employed to perform parameter identification. In the parameter identification process, the extracted parameter sensitivity weights are innovatively integrated into the EDRL with intelligent exploration to improve discovery efficiency. Finally, the proposed approach is validated using numerical experiments.
Factors influencing palliative care referral for hospitalised patients with heart failure: an exploratory, randomised, multi-institutional survey of hospitalists and cardiologists.

Objective To identify factors influencing cardiologists’ and hospitalists’ decisions regarding palliative care referral among hospitalised patients with advanced heart failure. Design An exploratory, randomised vignette-based survey. Setting Cardiology and hospitalist divisions at three Michigan State institutions and the Society of Hospital Medicine’s Michigan Chapter. Participants 145 hospitalists and 64 cardiologists. Outcome measures Primary outcomes included participants’ reports of their likelihood of referring a standardised patient with an acute heart failure exacerbation with multiple prior hospital admissions and acute renal failure to palliative care (scale of 0%–100%) after the initial stem and after being cued with three randomised vignette modifiers, including the presence versus the absence of continuity with an outpatient cardiologist; the presence versus the absence of documented advance care planning; and the patient voicing that he is accepting of his severe illness versus wanting everything done. Adjusted generalised linear models and predictive margins were used to evaluate the impact of each randomised modifier on referral decisions. An interaction term evaluated the effect of provider specialty on outcomes. Secondary outcomes included participants’ reports of their general practices around palliative care delivery to hospitalised patients with heart failure. Results Response rate was 31.3%. Predictive margins from generalised linear models demonstrated a statistically significantly higher likelihood of referral to inpatient palliative care if the patient lacked an outpatient cardiologist (mean difference: 6.3% (95% CI 1.8% to 10.8%)); had prior advance care planning documentation (mean difference: 9.7% (95% CI 4.4% to 15.0%)); and was accepting of illness severity (mean difference: 29.6% (95% CI 24.8% to 34.4%)). No interaction effect was noted based on provider specialty. Most hospitalists and cardiologists were unaware of palliative care guidelines for patients with heart failure (74.3% vs 70.3%, p=0.71). Conclusions A number of patient and provider factors influence palliative care referral decisions in hospitalised patients with advanced heart failure.
Optimal transfer paradigm for emergent large vessel occlusion strokes: recognition to recanalization in the RACECAT trial.

Of the various forms of stroke, emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) stroke produces the majority of disability and death after stroke,1 but now represents a target for highly efficacious endovascular thrombectomy (EVT).2 Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) remains otherwise the standard of care for all qualifying patients with ischemic stroke, with or without ELVO, within 4.5 hours of onset.2 Regardless of the treatment, outcome after ischemic stroke is heavily dependent on time from onset of symptoms to reperfusion therapy.3 Hence, the objective of stroke systems of care is to rapidly identify symptomatic patients, and reduce time from onset to definitive treatment. Three factors are to be considered when attempting to optimize stroke systems of care—type of stroke, stroke center, and transfer paradigm. Identification and characterization of stroke poses challenges. Delays in activation of emergency medical services (EMS) are common in the population and the source of treatment delay.4 A deficit that appears clinically vascular in origin may not be a stroke at all. If a stroke, the cause may be hemorrhagic or ischemic, and acute ischemic stroke may or may not harbor a large vessel occlusion. To aid identification in the field, a range of prehospital stroke scales have been developed for use by EMS, assessing for both the presence of a stroke and the likelihood of a large vessel occlusion.5 The greater the clinical deficit, the more likely an ELVO stroke. One such scale, the Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (RACE) scale, demonstrates a sensitivity of 0.85 and a specificity of 0.68 for ELVO using a threshold of RACE scale ≥5.6 The presence and severity of stroke may influence where a patient receives the most appropriate stroke care. Stroke care provided at stroke centers is stratified into endovascular thrombectomy capable stroke centers …
Perioperative outcomes of open vs. robotic radical cystectomy: a nationwide comparative analysis (2008-2014).

Introduction Radical cystectomy (RC) is a complex procedure with high perioperative morbidity. In an effort to reduce complications, robotic-assisted RC (RARC) has been adopted as a minimally invasive alternative to the open approach (ORC). Herein, we examine post-operative outcomes of the two surgical approaches in the United States (US) using a large all-payer database. Material and methods Using International Classification of Disease, ninth revision (ICD-9) codes, patient who underwent RC were captured from National Inpatient Sample (2008-2014). ICD-9 diagnosis and procedure codes were used to identify post-operative complications. Trends in the utilization of RARC were analyzed. Logistic and log-linear regression accounting for hospital sample weights and sampling years were performed to analyze outcomes after adjustment of pertinent covariates. Results Of 11,189 patients, 14% underwent RARC. RARC was performed in more teaching hospitals, male patients, those with private insurance, and lower comorbidity score. Performance of RARC steadily increased over the study period (p <0.01). In the last year of the study, 22.8% of cases performed robotically. The weighted average length-of-stay were 10.4 and 8.79 days for ORC and RARC, respectively (p <0.01). In multivariable analyses, RARC was associated with decreased blood transfusion, parenteral nutrition, pneumonia, surgical-site infection, wound and respiratory complications (all, p <0.05). No significant differences were found for in-hospital mortality, cardiac, genitourinary, and vascular complications. Conclusions Performance of RARC has significantly increased in recent years. RARC appears safe and feasible for select patients. Earlier discharge and lower complications were noted for those undergoing RARC across different hospital systems nationwide.
Getting the Most Bang for the Education Buck: by Frederick Hess & Brandon Wright, New York, Teachers College Press, 2020, 184 pp., $34.95 (paperback), ISBN: 9780807764404

Since Coleman (1966), researchers have sought to understand the relationship between school expenditures and educational outcomes. Early studies cast doubt on the idea that school spending is stron...
Optimal Quantum Measurements

We have our first serious encounter with the idea that SICs are extremal, and indeed optimal, quantum measurements. After presenting a thought-experiment that makes clear the meaning of the irreducible difference between classical and quantum, we learn how to construct SICs as group orbits, and we meet the sporadics up close.
Sprache als soziokulturelles Machtinstrument: Exemplarische Bestimmung von Merkmalen der Identitätskonstruktion bei Foreign Students mithilfe des Konzeptes der Selbstnarration. Characteristics of Foreign Students’ Identity Construction Exemplarily Identified Using the Concept of Selbstnarration

Discursive sensemaking is a dynamic process, which depends on semiotic constructions of the inner world and the outer world (Miles 2000). Situationally, people think of themselves as individuals, however linguistically, they also refer to a collective. There seems to be an interdependence of the “inner me” of the individual and the “outside all” of the respective collective. Verbal/nonverbal communication serves as a means of mediation between the inner world and the outside world. In a study investigating foreign students, stigmatization effects by language use were revealed. These effects are interpreted using the concept of Selbstnarration (Keupp et al. 2002).
Career Advancement for Surgeon-Educators:Findings from a Modified Delphi Process.

Objectives Reward and recognition of surgical education as an academic activity remains a highly variable process between institutions. The goal of this study is to provide expert consensus definition of an academic surgical educator, with focus on criteria for academic promotion. Study Design and Setting Following IRB approval, a Web-based modified Delphi process was used to generate prioritized academic promotion criteria for surgical educators. Participants and setting Participants were recruited nationally from a pool of senior academic surgeons who are members of the Society of University Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Chairs. Results Following a three-round modified Delphi process, the top domains of educational activity for promotion to associate professor and professor were scholarship, teaching, and administration; mentorship was also a priority category for promotion to professor. The top three activities described for promotion to Associate Professor were active participation in conferences/ departmental educational activities for medical students and residents; educational portfolio demonstrating commitment to activities as an educator; and clinical teaching excellence at their home institution. The three activities most highly scored items for promotion to Professor were mentorship of junior surgical educators; active participation in conferences/ departmental educational activities for medical students and residents; and a record of teaching excellence at the medical student and resident levels. Conclusions These findings demonstrate a progression from teacher to scholar to leader across a surgical educator's career, with each level incorporating and building upon the prior activities. Identification of categories and criteria may meaningfully inform best practices to be incorporated into the career development and promotion processes for surgeons on an educator academic pathway.
Capturing Our Time for Theirs: Considerations for the Context of Our Future

Adapted from a keynote presentation at the first annual Symposium on Lasallian Research, Institute for Lasallian Studies at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 29, 2012. Dr. Fox situates the contemporary emphasis on Lasallian research within the "legacy" of Lasallian scholarship, a legacy that has nourished the Lasallian movement and is itself a dynamic means of projecting the Lasallian educational mission into a future as yet unseen. She urges scholars to discern and act upon opportunities to participate in the dynamism of the Lasallian research legacy.
The Green’s Functions of the Helmholtz Equation and Their Applications

The solution of a partial differential equation for a periodic driving force or source of unit strength that satisfies specified boundary conditions is called the Green’s function of the specified differential equation for the specified boundary conditions. Thus, the Green’s function represents the effect of a unit source or force at any point of the system (called force point) on the field at the point of observation (called observation or field point).
Factors associated with use of maternal health services in Haiti: a multilevel analysis

OBJECTIVE: To assess factors associated with utilization of maternal health services (MHS) among women giving birth in Haiti from 2007 - 2012. METHODS: Observational data derived from the 2012 Haiti Mortality, Morbidity and Service Use Survey are analyzed. Multilevel analytic methods are used to assess factors associated with use of antenatal services and skilled birth attendance (SBA). RESULTS: The strongest adjusted predictors include child's birth rank, household poverty, and community media saturation. The odds of obtaining four antenatal care visits decrease by 53% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.47; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.57) with high birth rank and by 37% (OR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.51-0.78) with household poverty, and increase by 38% (OR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.01-1.88) with high community media saturation. The odds of using SBA at delivery decrease by 72% (OR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.22-0.34) with high birth rank and by 42% (OR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.46-0.73) with household poverty, and increase by 92% (OR = 1.92; 95% CI: 1.41-2.61) with high community media saturation. Use of antenatal services is strongly associated with SBA (OR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.85-2.61). Significant clustering of use of MHS exists at the community level. CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with use of MHS operate at multiple levels. Efforts to promote such services should identify and pay special attention to the needs of multiparous and uneducated women, address the distance-decay phenomenon, and improve access for the poor. Community mobilization efforts designed to change norms hindering the use of MHS are also relevant.
Neural dynamics for landmark orientation and angular path integration

Many animals navigate using a combination of visual landmarks and path integration. In mammalian brains, head direction cells integrate these two streams of information by representing an animal's heading relative to landmarks, yet maintaining their directional tuning in darkness based on self-motion cues. Here we use two-photon calcium imaging in head-fixed Drosophila melanogaster walking on a ball in a virtual reality arena to demonstrate that landmark-based orientation and angular path integration are combined in the population responses of neurons whose dendrites tile the ellipsoid body, a toroidal structure in the centre of the fly brain. The neural population encodes the fly's azimuth relative to its environment, tracking visual landmarks when available and relying on self-motion cues in darkness. When both visual and self-motion cues are absent, a representation of the animal's orientation is maintained in this network through persistent activity, a potential substrate for short-term memory. Several features of the population dynamics of these neurons and their circular anatomical arrangement are suggestive of ring attractors, network structures that have been proposed to support the function of navigational brain circuits. Calcium imaging of the brain of tethered flies walking in a virtual reality arena showed that a population of neurons with dendrites that tile the ‘ellipsoid body’ use information from visual landmarks and the fly's own rotation to compute heading; this suggests insects possess neurons with similarities to ‘head direction cells’ known to contribute to spatial navigation in mammalian brains. How insect brains combine visual landmarks and path integration during navigation has been unknown. Johannes Seelig and Vivek Jayaraman perform calcium imaging of the brain of tethered flies walking in a virtual reality arena and show that a population of neurons with dendrites that tile the 'ellipsoid body' uses information from visual landmarks and the fly's own rotation to compute heading. This is the first evidence for an invertebrate equivalent of the 'head direction' neurons known to contribute to spatial navigation in mammalian brains.
Heme-modification studies of myoglobin. II. Ligand binding characteristics of ferric and ferrous myoglobins containing unnatural hemes.

Abstract The oxygenation characteristics have been measured for synthetic myoglobins, which contain meso-, deutero- and hematohemes and protoheme monomethyl and dimethyl esters. The 2,4-modified oxymyoglobins showed a lower α band than β band. The effect of the modification of carboxyl groups on the spectra is very small. The oxygen affinity is increased in the order of deutero-, meso- and protomyoglobins. Hemato- and protoheme monomethyl and diemthyl ester myoglobins showed the same oxygen affinity as native protomyoglobin. The p K value of the acid alkaline transition of metmyoglobin were found to increase in order of meso>deutero>proto>hemato>protoheme monomethyl ester> protoheme dimethyl ester. The dissociation constants of metmyoglobin azide complex was decreased by modifications of carboxyl groups at 6 and 7 positions of the heme ring. On the other hand, the modification of side chains at positions 2 and 4 did not affect the dissociation constant of metmyoglobin azide. It is found that there is the opposite relationship between ferric and ferrous states in the ligand binding properties with hememodifications; the modification of carboxyl groups at 6,7 positions affects the ligation in ferrie state but not ferrous state, while that of 2,4 positions affects the ligation in ferrous state but not in ferric state.
Evaluation and Management of Chylous Ascites

Twenty-eight cases of chylous ascites occurring over the past 20 years are analyzed for clinical presentation, cause, yield of diagnostic procedure used, and response to therapy. Malignancies were responsible for 21 of 24 adult cases of chyloperitoneum, with lymphomas predominating (13 cases). The dismal prognosis in adult cases (12 patients died within 3 months) shows the need for appropriate diagnostic assessment including early lymph node biopsy or laparotomy, or both, when indicated. Surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy should be instituted promptly except in cases resulting from surgical trauma to lymphatics, which frequently resolve with conservative management. Three of the four pediatric cases of chylous ascites resulted from congenital lymphatic anomalies; the fourth case resulted from operative trauma. Aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions are not warranted in childhood cases of chylous ascites until conservative management (paracentesis, low-fat diet, medium-chain triglyceride supplementation) has failed; neoplasia is rarely implicated and many cases resolve within a few months.
Two proposals for causal grammars

In the previous chapter (Tenenbaum, Griffiths, & Niyogi, this volume), we introduced a framework for thinking about the structure, function, and acquisition of intuitive theories inspired by an analogy to the research program of generative grammar in linguistics. We argued that a principal function for intuitive theories, just as for grammars for natural languages, is to generate a constrained space of hypotheses that people consider in carrying out a class of cognitively central and otherwise severely underconstrained inductive inference tasks. Linguistic grammars generate a hypothesis space of syntactic structures considered in sentence comprehension; intuitive theories generate a hypothesis space of causal network structures considered in causal induction. Both linguistic grammars and intuitive causal theories must also be reliably learnable from primary data available to people. In our view, these functional characteristics of intuitive theories should strongly constrain the content and form of the knowledge they represent, leading to representations somewhat like those used in generative grammars for language. However, until now we have not presented any specific proposals for formalizing the knowledge content or representational form of “causal grammars.” That is our goal here. Just as linguistic grammars encode the principles that implicitly underlie all grammatical utterances in a language, so do causal grammars express knowledge more abstract than any one causal network in a domain. Consequently, existing approaches for representing causal knowledge based on Bayesian networks defined over observable events, properties or variables, are not sufficient to characterize causal grammars. Causal grammars are in some sense analogous to the “framework theories” for core domains that have been studied in cognitive development (Wellman & Gelman, 1992): the domain-specific concepts and principles that allow learners to construct appropriate causal networks for reasoning about
Mankiw's Puzzle on Consumer Durables: A Misspecification

Mankiw (1982) shows that consumer durables expenditures should follow a linear ARMA(1,1) process, but the data analyzed supports an AR(1) process instead; thus, a puzzle. In this paper, we employ a more general utility function than Mankiw's quadratic one. Further, the disturbance and depreciation rate are respecified, respectively, as multiplicative and stochastic. The analytical consequence is a nonlinear ARMA(infinity,1) process, which implies that the linear ARMA(1,1) is a misspecification. A historical data analysis appears to support the nonlinear model. Since actual data are influenced by historical events, we also carry out a Monte Carlo study to strengthen our point
Robust MIMO wireless communication in the presence of interference using ad hoc antenna arrays

Wireless communication using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems enables increased data rates and link reliability for a given total transmit power and system bandwidth. Increased capacity is achieved by introducing additional spatial channels which are exploited using space-time coding. The spatial diversity improves the link reliability by reducing the adverse effects of link fading and shadowing. Because antenna arrays are used at both the transmitter and receiver, interference can be mitigated naturally. In this paper, MIMO communication is investigated using outdoor experimental data collected near the PCS frequency allocation (1790 MHz) in the presence of multiple jammers. Coherence issues associated with implementing antenna arrays using ad hoc groups of users are addressed. Presented here is an experimental example of demodulation of a space-time turbo code using a multichannel multiuser detector (MCMUD) that compensates for delay and Doppler spread, as well as local oscillator mismatch. In the experimental data the MIMO signal is transmitted from a moving vehicle.
Reducing ADC Sampling Rate with Compressive Sensing

Many communication systems involve high bandwidth, while sparse, radio frequency (RF) signals. Working with high frequency signals requires appropriate system-level components such as high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADC). In particular, an analog signal should be sampled at rates that meet the Nyquist requirements to avoid aliasing. However, implementing high-speed ADC devices can be a limiting factor as well as expensive. To mitigate the caveats with high-speed ADC, the solution space can be explored in several dimensions such as utilizing the compressive sensing (CS) framework in order to reduce the sampling rate to the order of information rate of the signal rather than a rate dictated by the Nyquist. In this note, we review the compressive sensing structure and its extensions for continuous-time signals, which is ultimately used to reduce the sampling rate of high-speed ADC devices. Moreover, we consider the application of the compressive sensing framework in wireless sensor networks to save power by reducing the transmission rate of sensor nodes. We propose an alternative solution for the CS minimization problem that can be solved using gradient descent methods. The modified minimization problem is potentially faster and simpler to implement at the hardware level.
The Nonoperative Management of Unilateral Neonatal Hydronephrosis: Natural History of Poorly Functioning Kidneys

AbstractDuring the last 5 years we have followed nonoperatively all neonates with unilateral hydronephrosis and suspected ureteropelvic junction obstruction, regardless of the degree of hydronephrosis, shape of the diuretic renogram washout curve or initial degree of functional impairment. Of 104 patients 7 (7%) ultimately required pyeloplasty for obstruction, which was defined as a greater than 10% reduction in differential glomerular filtration rate and/or progression of hydronephrosis. Pyeloplasty returned renal function to pre-deterioration levels in all kidneys. In 16 patients with profound hydronephrosis and initial differential renal function less than or equal to 40% all traditional diagnostic tests for assessing obstruction, including diuretic renography washout pattern, were inaccurate in diagnosing obstruction and predicting which kidney would deteriorate. In 15 of 16 poorly functioning hydronephrotic kidneys rapid improvement in absolute and per cent differential renal function was observed, a...
Ab initio investigation of phase stability of Y2Ti2O7 and Y2Zr2O7 under high pressure

The phase stabilities of ${\text{Y}}_{2}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ and ${\text{Y}}_{2}{\text{Zr}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ under high pressure were investigated by ab initio methods. Pyrochlore-structured ${\text{Y}}_{2}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ and defect-fluorite ${\text{Y}}_{2}{\text{Zr}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$ exhibit different responses to high pressure. Both the defect-fluorite and defect-cotunnite structures are energetically more stable at high pressure in ${\text{Y}}_{2}{\text{Ti}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$, but comparison with experimental results suggest that only the transformation to the defect-fluorite structure is kinetically favored. For ${\text{Y}}_{2}{\text{Zr}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{7}$, the defect-fluorite phase should undergo a structural transformation to the defect-cotunnite state under high pressure.
Dependence of the elastic modulus of TaS3 on the CDW current

We report on the dependence of the Young's modulus of orthorhombic TaS3 on current and voltage near the threshold (IT,VT) for non-Ohmic conduction. When the charge density wave current exceeds ≈0.3% of the normal current, the relative modulus decrease -ΔE/E = A√ICDW/IT, where A ≈- 7x10−3 for all samples. Closer to threshold, -ΔE/E ∞ (V/VT − 1)2, with a sample dependent slope, suggesting that the modulus change is dominated by domain wall motion as V→VT, but that it is predominantly intrinsic to the depinned CDW at larger voltages.
Spirometry 360 on-line training and feedback: Spring 2011 course results and future plans

Although office-based spirometry is increasingly gaining acceptance in general practice, wide variations in test quality impede its use. Spirometry 360 is a four-month interactive on-line training and feedback program currently delivered from the University of Washington to primary care practices around the U.S. It consists of: 1) Spirometry Fundamentals, a multi-media tutorial and reference tool; 2) interactive, case-based webinars led by clinical experts, and 3) an internet-based quality feedback reporting system that summarizes technique of de-identified spirograms automatically uploaded from the point of care. We delivered the training for the second time in 2010 to 23 general practices from 4 states around the U.S. Results included a doubling of the acceptable spirograms for children younger than eight years from 40% at baseline to 80% at the end of training, and an overall increase in the acceptable spirogram rate from 49% to 71%. Among course participants, 100% reported that they would recommend the training to a colleague. We are now delivering the course from February to June 2011 in two concurrent tracks to 70 pediatric and family practices, involving over 200 physicians and their support staffs from 35 states around the U.S. We will present a detailed analysis of over 4,000 tests from the Spring 2011 course, with a description of the reasons for variance from the ERS/ATS 2005 Spirometry Guideline, to further understand practitioners9 needs when performing office-based spirometry. We will also report on our plans for a “Train-the-Trainer” program with a goal of establishing independent training sites for ongoing delivery of the Spirometry 360 program.
A Continuous Spectrophotometric Method for Measuring the Activity of Serum Alkaline Phosphatase

A continuous spectrophotometric method for measuring serum alkaline phosphatase activity is described. The effects of temperature, pH, substrate concentration, type and molarity of the buffer, sample size, cofactors, and inhibitors on the enzymatic hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate were studied. The optimal conditions for assay of serum alkaline phosphatase at 30° were found to be 0.75 M 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol buffer, pH30° 10.15, 4 mmole substrate, and 100 µl. or less sample size. Studies of the factors affecting analytical precision-i.e., control of reaction temperature, of reagent manufacture, and of standardization-are discussed. The precision of this method was 2.3% (relative standard deviation) on 10 within day replicates and 5.0% on day-to-day replicates spread over a 5-week period. The range of activity for 258 apparently healthy adult blood donors was 6-110 mU./ml. (International milliunits per milliliter), with a mean of 49 and a standard deviation of 14.
Isolation and Identification of Constituents from Cudrania Javanensis

Osajaxanthone, vanillic acid, monomethyl fumarate, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and (-)-(S)-stachydrine were isolated from extracts of the bark of the tropical shrub Cudrania javanensis Trecul (Moraceae).
Ion-exchange materials: seizing the caesium.

Public acceptance of the expansion of nuclear power may hinge on the safe disposal of nuclear waste. Ion exchangers that remove radioactive metals — such as caesium ions — from the waste could provide part of the answer, so a flexible-framework material that selectively grab them from solution is a step in the right direction.
The application of oct-tree terrain models to real-time aircraft flight path planning

This paper outlines a technique to represent terrain using tree structures, based on Morton ordering to avoid the use of pointers. This approach enables terrain data to be organised in a hierarchical form affording a trade-off between the speed of access to the terrain database and resolution of the terrain data extracted from the tree. A set of database access algorithms is developed that form the basis of path extraction needed for real-time mission management. Several examples are presented to illustrate the performance of the routeing algorithms developed in the paper.
Fischer-Tropsch activity in NiOThO2 catalysts

Abstract Coprecipitated NiO/ThO 2 catalysts were studied for high-conversion, high-yield production of C 2 C 8 hydrocarbons from H 2 /CO mixtures. The purpose was to develop superior catalysts and explore promotional effects of ThO 2 . Compositions of 70–80 wt% NiO/ThO 2 , coprecipitated and activated by rapid calcination on a hot metal surface, were found to give the best results. At 100% conversion of CO, 70 wt% C 2 C 8 hydrocarbons were obtained with 17% CH 4 , 13% CO 2 . Activity, selectivity and temperature stability are within requirements for simple and economic process design. Promotion by ThO 2 is non-trivial. Intimate contacting between nickel and ThO 2 is necessary. Shift reactions are not affected but dehydration at the Ni - ThO 2 interface accelerates through adlineation promotion and not by electronic modification of the nickel. A model is discussed based on the known ability of ThO 2 to dehydrate alcohols without intermediate ether production. Consistency of this model with experimental factors such as crystallite size, concentration of NiO, NiO/ThO 2 ratios, H 2 /CO ratios, temperature and pressure was found.
Naturalistic Observations of Spontaneous Communication in Autistic Children.

Thirty children with autism were observed during their everyday school activities in order to examine patterns of spontaneous communication. The forms, functions, and targets of their communication were recorded by trained observers. The prototypical communicative event consisted of a child directing a motoric form of communication toward the teacher to request something or to attract attention to himself or herself. However, communication patterns were found to vary as a function of the child's cognitive level and severity of autism. Deficits in joint attention functions were observed, and were most striking in the subgroup of children who did not use speech. Results are discussed with reference to Wetherby's (1986) model for the development of communicative functions in autistic children.
The Defense from Plenitude against the problem of evil

Classically, theists employed a wide and complex variety of arguments in defending their beliefs against the problem of evil. Contemporary discussion of the problem of evil, however, has centered about only one of these arguments: the Free Will Defense (FWD). Although the FWD has been supported quite impressively in recent years by Alvin Plantinga,1 there are still, perhaps, gaps in this defense. 2 Pending their remedy, I should like to shift attention to a somewhat different classical strategy for defending theism against the problem of evil. Let me call this strategy the Defense from Plenitude (DFP). Like the FWD the DFP is to be found in the writings of Augustine. 3 The DFP might with good reason be thought to be a version of or a part of the classical FWD, but it turns out to be incompatible with the FWD in Plantinga's formulation of it; and in any case the burden of its argument is born not by the notion of free will, but by notions like plenitude, richness, variety, and complexity. I should like, then, to explicate the DFP and to argue that it is both plausible in itself and in some respects superior to Plantinga's formulation of the FWD.
Oral absorption of griseofulvin in dogs: increased absorption via solid dispersion in polyethylene glycol 6000.

Four different dosage forms of griseofulvin were administered orally to dogs: (a) griseofulvin in the solution of polyethlene glycol (PEG) 400; (b) griseofulvin dispersed in PEG 6000 (1:9 w/w) prepared by the fusion method and administered in capsule form; (c) a commercial tablet of micronized griseofulvin; and (d) a commercial capsule of micronized griseofulvin. The drug can be followed in the blood for 8–12 hr. after a 250- or 500-mg. dose. However, the blood data can lead to a false conclusion as to the degree and duration of the absorption process. This is due to fast metabolism (t1/2 = 40–50 min.), to absorption being a dissolution rate-limited process, and finally to an assay that is insufficient to follow the total time course of the drug in the body. In contrast, the urinary excretion data for 6-demethylgriseofulvin (6-DMG) yield convincing evidence for prolonged absorption of griseofulvin forover 30 hr. for the commercial preparations. By comparison of the percent 6-DMG excreted to that obtained after i.v. administration, absorption was found to be complete for the solution form, 88% for the PEG dispersion, 45% for the commercial capsule, and 33% for the commercial tablet.
Development of mammary hyperplasia and neoplasia in MMTV-TGFα transgenic mice

Abstract To study the role of transforming growth factor α (TGFα) in normal mammary development and mammary neoplasia in vivo, we have generated transgenic mice in which a human TGFα cDNA is expressed under the control of the MMTV enhancer/promoter. Overexpression of TGFα in the mammary epithelium, as confirmed by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, is associated with hyperplasia of alveoli and terminal ducts in virgin female and pregnant transgenic mice. A range of morphologic abnormalities including lobular hyperplasia, cystic hyperplasia, adenoma, and adenocarcinoma is seen in mammary tissue of transgenic females. In contrast, no morphologic abnormalities are seen in transgenic males in spite of TGFα overexpression in salivary glands and reproductive organs. TGFα can therefore act as an oncogene in vivo and appears to predispose mammary epithelium to neoplasia and carcinoma.
An evaluation of the utility of benzoyl-DL-arginine-β-naphthylamide for the assay of thrombin activity in blood

Abstract Thrombin continuously hydrolyzes the model substrate, benzoyl-DL-arginine-β-naphthylamide (BANA) over a 24-hour period, the extent of hydrolysis being proportional to the added thrombin. The apparent inhibition of the hydrolysis of BANA by thrombin in the presence of albumin may be explained by the capacity of albumin to bind the substrate molecule as well as the product, β-naphthylamine. The clotting activity of thrombin is essentially unaffected by the presence of 4% albumin. In view of the binding of BANA to albumin and binding of β-naphthylamine to albumin and other plasma proteins affecting the apparent prothrombin activity in plasma, only relative values for prothrombin can be obtained with BANA as a substrate. These values confirm, however, that plasma from normal subjects have considerably higher prothrombin levels than that of coronary patients on dicumarol therapy. The adsorptivity of benzoyl-DL-arginine-β-naphthylamide and β-naphthylamine by blood proteins would restrict the assay of thrombin with the model substrate by the Bratton and Marshall reaction to such circumstances when determination of relative thrombin concentrations in blood are sufficient, and that other means should be employed for determinations of the absolute levels of the clotting factors.
Risk Information Management Resource (RIMR): modeling an approach to defending against military medical information assurance brain drain

As Military Medical Information Assurance organizations face off with modern pressures to downsize and outsource, they battle with losing knowledgeable people who leave and take with them what they know. This knowledge is increasingly being recognized as an important resource and organizations are now taking steps to manage it. In addition, as the pressures for globalization (Castells, 1998) increase, collaboration and cooperation are becoming more distributed and international. Knowledge sharing in a distributed international environment is becoming an essential part of Knowledge Management. This is a major shortfall in the current approach to capturing and sharing knowledge in Military Medical Information Assurance. This paper addresses this challenge by exploring Risk Information Management Resource (RIMR) as a tool for sharing knowledge using the concept of Communities of Practice. RIMR is based no the framework of sharing and using knowledge. This concept is done through three major components - people, process and technology. The people aspect enables remote collaboration, support communities of practice, reward and recognize knowledge sharing while encouraging storytelling. The process aspect enhances knowledge capture and manages information. While the technology aspect enhance system integration and data mining, it also utilizes intelligent agents and exploits expert systems. These coupled with supporting activities of education and training, technology infrastructure and information security enables effective information assurance collaboration.
Ontology-driven query expansion methods to facilitate federated queries

In view of the need for a highly distributed and federated architecture, a robust query expansion in a specific domain has great impact on the performance of information retrieval. We aim to determine robust expansion terms using different weighting techniques and finding out the most k-top relevant terms. For this, first, we consider each individual ontology and user query keywords to determine the Basic Expansion Terms (BET) using a number of semantic measures namely Density Measure (DM), Betweenness Measure (BM), and Semantic Similarity Measure (SSM). Second, we specify New Expansion Terms (NET) by Ontology Alignment (OA). Third, we weight expanded terms using a combination of these semantic measures. Fourth, we use a Specific Interval(SI) to determine a set of Robust Expansion Terms (RET). Finally, we compare the result of our novel weighting approach with existing expansion approaches and show the effectiveness of our robust expansion in federated architecture.