cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early Detection of Fertility in Turkey Eggs in Relation to “Shuck-Outs”

ABSTRACT FROM 28 to 29 days after setting, many turkey poults pip the shell but are unable to emerge from it unassisted. To salvage these poults, operators frequently “shuck” them from the shells and classify them as second grade poults. Many observations of pedigreed stock indicate that these “help-outs” mature into vigorous- and normal-appearing birds. The object of this study was to determine whether there is any relation between early detection of embryo development and freedom from shuck-outs. A number of investigators, Olsen and Knox (1938), King (1938), Olsen and Marsden (1950), Kosin, Pierre and McLaughlin (1951), Godfrey and Jaap (1952) and MacLaury, Culton and Insko (1953) have, by use of high powered lights, been able to detect fertility in chicken eggs fairly accurately after 12 to 15 hours of incubation and in turkey eggs 22 or more hours after they were placed in the incubator. Other investigators, including Byerly (1953), . . .
Evaluative Schemas and the Mediating Role of Critics

How do critics enable producers and consumers to come to mutually agreeable terms of trade? We propose that critics offer more guidance to those who set prices when their quality assessments are structured by clearer evaluative schemas. Schema clarity enables producers to accurately anticipate the quality assessments that critics will disseminate to the market. This allows their posted prices to center more faithfully on prevailing conceptions of quality. We then argue that the position of a producer within the market's social structure—in terms of its prior coverage, reputation, and niche width—influences the degree to which it is guided by clear evaluative schemas. We test these predictions in the market for U.S. wines. After elaborating a novel approach to inferring the clarity of evaluative schemas within different varietal categories, we demonstrate that list prices are less variable around expected levels when the schemas used to evaluate quality are clearer. Moreover, this effect is stronger among more relevant and more focused producers in each category.
Memory Effects in Photorefractive Materials

We have determined that the dynamics of the signal in photorefractive two beam coupling can be described by a memory effect in the writing of the space charge field. Experimental and computational results confirm that this time dependence is dependent on the history of interference pattern responsible for the space charge field. From this memory effect it is shown that if the input signal has a sinusoidal component much smaller than its DC component, the sinusoidal component of the two beam coupled signal is shifted by the response time of the photorefractive medium. We have demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, that for the non-depleting pump this response time is linear with the interaction length.
Working memory, executive function, and general fluid intelligence are not the same

Blair equates the constructs of working memory (WM), executive function, and general fluid intelligence (gF). We argue that there is good reason not to equate these constructs. We view WM and gF as separable but highly related, and suggest that the mechanism behind the relationship is controlled attention – an ability that is dependent on normal functioning of the prefrontal cortex.
Using Functional Theory to Promote Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Testing: The Impact of Value-Expressive Messages and Guilt

This article reports two studies testing the use of the functional theory of attitudes and arousal of guilt in motivating college students to get tested for genital herpes and chlamydia. Value-expressive appeals to get tested for the benevolent purpose of protecting sexual partners could be effective if that goal is desired by message targets who are sexually active and unaware of their sexually transmitted disease status. The appeals’ effectiveness is increased by the arousal of guilt in response to the recognition that failing to get tested is a violation of that value. A model detailing the mediating processes is found to be consistent with the data across two studies. Study 1 found that value-expressive messages tying the importance of getting tested for herpes to the goal of protecting the health of sexual partners is related to increased intentions toward getting tested; being healthy oneself is additional motivation for chlamydia in Study 2.
Global stabilization of the spinning top with mass imbalance

We define the sleeping motion and show that it is a solution of the equations of motion of a balanced top. In the general case of a top with known mass imbalance, we derive two families of globally asymptotically stabilizing control laws for the sleeping motion based on Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman theory with zero dynamics. Two actuation schemes using torque actuators are considered.
Legitimizing Work: Telework and the Gendered Reification of the Work‐Nonwork Dichotomy*

L'interet principal de cet article est de savoir pourquoi les tele-travailleuses et travailleurs (individus œuvrant a la maison) ont besoin de separer leur vie publique de leur vie privee. Au moyen d'entrevues qualitatives avec des teletravailleurs des deux sexes, on etudie les differences dans la maniere d'organiser la vie selon la dichotomie public/travail et prive/non-travail. Les mecanismes qui rendent necessaire le renforcement de cette dichotomie sont aussi explores. This paper focusses on why employees who telework (do professional work at home) continue to need to maintain a boundary between their public and private lives. Through qualitative interviews with female and male teleworkers, gender differences in the ways in which they organize their lives in terms of the public/work—private/ nonwork dichotomy are considered. The mechanisms which necessitate the reification of this dichotomy are explored.
2,2'-Bipyridine Catalyzed Bleaching of Cotton Fibers with Peracetic Acid Part III: Effect of Chain Length of Alkyl Sulfate Surfactants:

Peracetic acid can be catalyzed to bleach cotton fibers at 30°C by incorporating 2,2'-bipyridine and an alkyl sulfate surfactant in the bleach solution. The 2,2'-bipyridine is sorbed from solution ...
Plastic and maxillofacial surgery.

During the past year there have been important advances in both plastic surgery research and clinical care that continue to exemplify the diversity and innovation characteristic of the specialty. The nature of plastic surgery is indeed diverse, often leading the plastic surgeon to every area of the body in the quest to restore form and function. By incorporating his or her creative insight into the application of basic surgical principles for this purpose, the plastic surgeon is able to make a tremendous contribution to the challenges and problems impacting all areas of surgery. As in past years, basic research has focused on wound healing, flap physiology, reperfusion injury, nerve injury and regeneration, craniofacial and bone biology, and the exciting new areas of tissue engineering and gene therapy. Throughout all of these areas the multidisciplinary nature of plastic surgery and plastic surgery research contribute to its dynamic future as a core surgical subspecialty. This review will focus on a number of these areas but will only present a brief sampling of the huge scope of plastic surgery research and developments over the past year.
Software fault tree and coloured Petri net based specification, design and implementation of agent-based intrusion detection systems

The integration of Software Fault Tree (SFT), which describes intrusions and Coloured Petri Nets (CPNs) that specifies design, is examined for an Intrusion Detection System (IDS). The IDS under development is a collection of mobile agents that detect, classify, and correlate the system and network activities. SFTs, augmented with nodes that describe trust, temporal and contextual relationships, are used to describe intrusions. CPNs for intrusion detection are built using CPN templates created from the augmented SFTs. Hierarchical CPNs are created to detect critical stages of intrusions. The agentbased implementation of the IDS is then constructed from the CPNs. Examples of intrusions and descriptions of the prototype implementation are used to demonstrate how the CPN approach has been used in the development of the IDS. The main contribution of this paper is an approach to systematic specification, design and implementation of an IDS; Innovations include (1) using stages of intrusions to structure the specification and design of the IDS; (2) augmentation of SFT with trust, temporal and contextual nodes to model intrusions; (3) algorithmic construction of CPNs from augmented SFT; and (4) generation of mobile agents from CPNs.
Explaining polarization reversals in STEREO wave data

Recently Breneman et al. reported observations of large amplitude lightning and transmitter whistler mode waves from two STEREO passes through the inner radiation belt (L<2). Hodograms of the electric field in the plane transverse to the magnetic field showed that the transmitter waves underwent periodic polarization reversals. Specifically, their polarization would cycle through a pattern of right-hand to linear to left-hand polarization at a rate of roughly 200 Hz. The lightning whistlers were observed to be left-hand polarized at frequencies greater than the lower hybrid frequency and less than the transmitter frequency (21.4 kHz) and right-hand polarized otherwise. Only righthand polarized waves in the inner radiation belt should exist in the frequency range of the whistler mode and these reversals were not explained in the previous paper. We show, with a combination of observations and simulated wave superposition, that these polarization reversals are due to the beating of an incident electromagnetic whistler mode wave at 21.4 kHz and linearly polarized, symmetric lower hybrid sidebands Doppler-shifted from the incident wave by +/-200 Hz. The existence of the lower hybrid waves is consistent with the parametric decay mechanism of Lee and Kuo whereby an incident whistler mode wave decays into symmetric, short wavelength lower hybrid waves and a purely growing (zero-frequency) mode. Like the lower hybrid waves, the purely growing mode is Doppler-shifted by 200 Hz as observed on STEREO. This decay mechanism in the upper ionosphere has been previously reported at equatorial latitudes and is thought to have a direct connection with explosive spread F enhancements. As such it may represent another dissipation mechanism of VLF wave energy in the ionosphere and may help to explain a deficit of observed lightning and transmitter energy in the inner radiation belts as reported by Starks et al.
Input Estimation Method in the Use of Electronic Device Temperature Prediction and Heat Flux Inverse Estimation

The input estimation method (IEM) is proposed in this research to estimate the real-time time-variant core heat flux of electronic components. The IEM is an on-line real-time estimation method, which combines the Kalman filter mechanism and recursive least-square estimation (RLSE). On the premise that there exists both system processing error and measurement error, using temperature measurements measured from the exterior of the device package, the core time-variant heat flux of the device can be precisely estimated inversely.
Component-Based Abstraction and Refinement

In this paper, we present a comprehensive approach to model check- ing component-based systems (including software, hardware, and embedded systems) through abstraction and refinement. This approach is based on assume-guarantee compositional reasoning and features two synergistic techniques: (1) an automatic algorithm to component-based abstraction and (2) a mechanized assistant for abstraction refinement. The key insight to the abstraction algorithm is that a verified property is a natural abstraction of a component. The abstraction algorithm automatically determines which component properties can be included in the abstraction for verifying a system property by determining whether the assumptions of the component properties hold in the context of the system. If the abstraction fails to establish the system property, the refinement assistant determines the causes of the failure, e.g., why a component property is not included, and provides automatic remedies or requests manual remedies. This approach has been applied in component-based hardware/software co-verification of embedded systems. Case studies have shown that this approach is very effective in abstracting component-based embedded systems and guiding abstraction refinement.
Promoting adherence to treatment for tuberculosis: the importance of direct observation

Since 1993, WHO has recommended a strategy through which national governments can meet their responsibility to treat patients and to prevent the spread of tuberculosis (TB). Four of the major elements of the strategy, which came to be known as DOTS, were political commitment by governments, improved laboratory services, a continuous supply of good-quality drugs, and a reporting system to document the progress (and failure) of treatment for individual patients and of the programme. The fifth element, effective case management via direct observation of treatment by an independent and trained third party, was a response to decades of reports documenting the failure of patients to complete treatment. Put simply: direct observation of treatment is an integral and essential component of DOTS. WHO has reported that more than 30 million patients with TB have been treated with its five-element DOTS strategy, resulting in cure rates of > 80% and default rates of < 10%. 1 WHO’s recently announced Global Plan to Stop TB highlights the need to expand DOTS through “standardized treatment, under proper case management conditions, including directly observed treatment to reduce the risk of acquiring drug resistance, and support of patients to increase adherence to treatment and chance of cure”. 2 However, the value of the direct observation component of DOTS has been questioned in a recent systematic review, in which it was suggested that direct observation of treatment is unnecessary and disrespectful of patients. 3 Both self-administered treatment and treatment observation by a family member have been proposed as acceptable alternatives. We challenge the validity of these assertions.
Turfgrass revolution: measuring the expansion of the American lawn

Abstract This paper investigates one of the most understudied components of urban sprawl, the expansion of lawn monocultures and their concomitant high-input chemical management regimes. Introducing a method for estimating lawn coverage and growth, the paper models and explains the expansion of lawns using the case of Franklin County, OH. The results suggest that lawns occupy a significant proportion of total land cover (∼23%) and that lawns continue to grow as a relative proportion of lot size. The implications of this coverage are discussed in terms of both net changes in toxic chemical inputs and the policy implications of suburban ecology.
Gas Power Cycles

An important application of thermodynamics is the analysis of power cycles through which the energy absorbed as heat can be continuously converted into mechanical work. A thermodynamic analysis of the heat engine cycles provides valuable information regarding the design of new cycles or for improving the existing cycles. In this chapter, various gas power cycles are analyzed under some simplifying assumptions.
Trial Evidence Brought to Life: Illustrations from Famous Trials, Film and Fiction (2015 Edition)

This book is a guide to the law of evidence that utilizes evidentiary examples from popular culture to provide a strong understanding of the Federal Rules of Evidence, and its interpretive case law. It also provides an understanding of how popular culture sources inform jurors’ preconceptions about the trial process. Illustrations from famous cases, movies, novels, cartoons, and other media highlight the presumptions jurors bring to the courtroom. Issues covered include: relevance; unfair prejudice; the rule against hearsay and its exceptions; recent developments in the Confrontation Clause; expert testimony; differences between expert witness and lay witness testimony; impeachment methods; procedures for juror questioning of witnesses; admissibility of videotape evidence; and requirements for introducing electronic evidence.
A wide-field catadioptric monocentric multiscale telescope with all-spherical glass optics

Monocentric multiscale design combines a common objective optic with an array of secondary apertures to enable wide field of view high resolution imaging. Here we describe a 15deg field of view with 1.1 arcsecond ifov.
Effects of chronic hypoxia on Ca2+ mobilization and Ca2+ sensitivity of myofilaments in uterine arteries

The effect of chronic hypoxia on free intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and Ca2+ sensitivity of myofilaments during agonist stimulation was examined in uterine arteries obtained from normoxic and chronically hypoxic pregnant sheep maintained at high altitude (3,820 m) for approximately 110 days. Smooth muscle [Ca2+]i was measured simultaneously with muscle contraction in the same intact tissue. Whereas both KCl and 5-HT increased [Ca2+]i and tension simultaneously in the uterine artery, 5-HT produced significantly greater contractile tension (in g) than KCl at a given amount of [Ca2+]i as indicated by the ratio of fura 2 fluorescence intensity induced by excitation at 340 nm to that induced at 380 nm (29.8 +/- 6.9 vs. 16.9 +/- 4.0, P 6.86 +/- 0.11, P 0.013 +/- 0.001, P < 0.01). The results suggest that chronic hypoxia suppresses agonist-mediated Ca2+ homeostasis in uterine arteries by inhibiting Ca2+ mobilization and the agonist-enhanced Ca2+ sensitivity of myofilaments.
Corneal Development: Different Cells from a Common Progenitor

Development of the vertebrate cornea is a multistep process that involves cellular interactions between various ectodermal-derived tissues. Bilateral interactions between the neural ectoderm-derived optic vesicles and the cranial ectoderm give rise to the presumptive corneal epithelium and other epithelia of the ocular surface. Interactions between the neural tube and the adjacent ectoderm give rise to the neural crest cells, a highly migratory and multipotent cell population. Neural crest cells migrate between the lens and presumptive corneal epithelium to form the corneal endothelium and the stromal keratocytes. The sensory nerves that abundantly innervate the corneal stroma and epithelium originate from the neural crest- and ectodermal placode-derived trigeminal ganglion. Concomitant with corneal innervation is the formation of the limbal vascular plexus and the establishment of corneal avascularity. This review summarizes historical and current research to provide an overview of the genesis of the cellular layers of the cornea, corneal innervation, and avascularity.
The Hormonal Control of the Guinea Pig Corpus Luteum During Early Pregnancy

Forty guinea pigs were divided into two groups, pregnant and nonpregnant, and were operated upon on days 10, 12, 14, and 16 of the ovarian cycle or of pregnancy. Blood was obtained from the utero-ovarian vein, and prostaglandin F 2 α (PGF 2 α), prostaglandin E (PGE), progesterone, and estrogen content was assayed by radioimmunoassay. Increased levels of PGF 2 α preceded a drop in progesterone levels in nonpregnant animals, reflecting luteolysis. In pregnant animals, the level of PGF 2 α remained low, and progesterone levels increased. PGE levels were similar in the two groups. These results suggest that the low PGF 2 α levels seen during early pregnancy are related to corpus luteum rescue.
A probabilistic approach to workspace sharing for human–robot cooperation in assembly tasks

Abstract Recently, human–robot cooperation (HRC) research activities have focused on the development of new methodologies for the generation of safe robot trajectories. However, the applicability of such methodologies in a real context is limited due to the inherent uncertainty of robot trajectory execution time (i.e. the robot can avoid the worker by modifying its velocity along the path). This paper proposes an approach to estimate a confidence interval on robot trajectory execution time for scenarios in which human–robot space sharing is required. First, human arm movements are studied for a given set of assembly collaborative tasks: worker occupancy volumes and occupancy volume probabilities are derived. Then, a finite number of alternative robot trajectories, crossing human occupancy volumes with different occupancy probabilities, are generated. It is therefore possible to estimate a probability for the robot to reduce its velocity, and a confidence interval on the robot execution time. The application on a real assembly case is discussed.
Chronic Cough: An Overview for the Bronchoscopist

Chronic cough is a common medical problem which may require the expertise of the bronchoscopist on occasion. There is a myriad of pulmonary and non-pulmonary disorders that are associated with cough which need to be considered for accurate diagnosis. In addition to the common causes, mastery of uncommon reasons for cough is necessary for the specialist. This chapter offers general overview of chronic cough and highlights some of the unusual causes of this symptom which may perplex the clinician.
Humanism and Humanitarianism in The Tudors

A central component to the Renaissance revival of antiquity, humanism was an educational model centered on the study of Greek and Roman texts that glorified the classical ideal and promoted a curriculum rooted in rhetoric, grammar, and philosophy. With champions like Leonardo Bruni, Rodolphus Agricola, and Erasmus, the intellectual movement quickly spread out of the Italian peninsula and across Europe. Henry VIII and his court were instrumental in fostering humanism in England. Scholars such as Richard Pace, Richard Morrison, and Thomas Starkey advanced classical studies, and the library at the Syon Monastery in Isleworth, just west of London, amassed Latin texts.1 Henry and Catherine of Aragon supported the introduction of Greek studies at Oxford.2 In 1519, Erasmus wrote that humanism would flourish in the Low Countries, if only they had a king like Henry.3 As a result of these academic endeavors, the exploration of humanism becomes an interesting, if complicated, pursuit within The Tudors. Although the show presents an anachronistic definition of humanism as humanitarianism, The Tudors incorporates historically accurate aspects of the Renaissance movement by exploring Thomas More’s Utopia, the education and treatment of educated women, and the methods of effective kingship based on Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince.
Visceral fat is associated with brain structure independent of human immunodeficiency virus infection status.

The combined effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), obesity, and elevated visceral adipose tissue (VAT) on brain structure are unknown. In a cross-sectional analysis of Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) participants, we determined associations between HIV serostatus, adiposity, and brain structure. Men (133 HIV+, 84 HIV–) in the MACS Cardiovascular 2 and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sub-studies with CT-quantified VAT and whole brain MRI measured within 1 year were assessed. Voxel-based morphometry analyzed brain volumes. Men were stratified by elevated (eVAT, ≥100cm2) or “normal” (nVAT, 25 kg/m2, smaller gray and white matter volumes, and larger cerebrospinal fluid volume than nVAT men. In multivariate analysis, hypertension, higher adiponectin, higher interleukin-6, age, diabetes mellitus, higher body mass index, and eVAT were associated with brain atrophy (p < 0.05, ordered by increasing strength of association), but HIV serostatus and related factors were generally not. No interactions were observed. Greater VAT was associated with smaller bilateral posterior hippocampus and left mesial temporal lobe and temporal stem white matter volume. Traditional risk factors are more strongly associated with brain atrophy than HIV serostatus, with VAT having the strongest association. However, HIV+ MACS men had disproportionately greater VAT, suggesting the risk for central nervous system effects may be amplified in this population.
Atypical Hepatic Hemangioma: A Case Study:

Hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors caused by an increase of blood vessels lined with endothelium. Diagnostic imaging such as sonography, computed tomography (CT), and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) can be used to detect hepatic hemangiomas, which are typically noted as incidental findings. However, in cases where hepatic hemangiomas demonstrate atypical appearances, this may suggest a possible malignancy. In such instances, a liver biopsy may be necessary for pathologic confirmation. A case is provided of a large hepatic mass that was initially detected on CT and further evaluated with sonography. Sonographic evaluation revealed characteristics suspicious for possible malignancy, including highly enlarged size, heterogeneous echotexture, and lobular contour. A biopsy ultimately determined the mass to be a cavernous hepatic hemangioma. The atypical sonographic appearance of the hepatic hemangioma in this case is worthy of consideration such that sonographers and the interpreting ...
Strategic A2/AD in Cyberspace

Strategic A2/AD in Cyberspace focuses on exclusion from cyberspace, or the ability of a state to be cut off entirely from cyberspace. Strategic anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) operations are common in other domains, but, before now, they have not been examined for their relevance to cyberspace. This book examines how strategic A2/AD operations can cut off states from cyberspace through attacks at either the physical or logic layers of cyberspace. The result of strategic cyber A2/AD operations could be catastrophic for modern economies, governments, military forces, and societies, yet there has been surprisingly little study of these threats to states' access to cyberspace. This book examines the implications of strategic cyber A2/AD operations for deterrence strategy and proposes a new view of how exclusion from cyberspace can be used as a coercive tool in diplomacy.
A HISTORY OF POOLING OF INTERESTS ACCOUNTING FOR BUSINESS COMBINATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

This paper traces the development of pooling of interests accounting for business combinations from 1945 to 1991. The history of the pooling concept is reviewed chronologically with particular emphasis on the events of 1969–1970 that were related to the most recent pronouncement on the subject, Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 16. Early in its life (1974), the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) placed a project on its agenda to reconsider pooling of interests accounting. That project was removed from the FASB's agenda in 1981. APB Opinion No. 16 has gone essentially unchanged as it relates to the accounting for a business combination as a pooling of interests. Resolution of implementation issues has been left largely to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the accounting profession. The FASB has a project on its agenda on Consolidations and Related Matters that may impact pooling of interests accounting. There also is some pressure for the FASB to revisit accounting for busines...
A Theoretischer Teil

Die Idee des Mentoring erlebt in den letzten Jahren einen Boom in Deutschland. Als Methode der Personalentwicklung und als Fordermasnahme fur bestimmte Personen und Personengruppen gilt sie als relativ junges Instrument.
Is the cigarette pack just a wrapper or a characteristic of the product itself? A qualitative study of adult smokers to inform U.S. regulations.

Abstract Purpose In the U.S., tobacco products are now regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Litigation has quickly followed. One area of controversy is when a change to the design of the cigarette pack requires approval through FDA's rigorous premarket review process. In this paper, we examine how adult U.S. smokers view the connection between the design of cigarette packs and the characteristics of the cigarettes within. Methods Data for this qualitative study came from six focus groups conducted in March 2017 with adult smokers. Two groups consisted of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) participants; two groups of participants with less than four years of college education; one group of LGB and straight identity; and, one group of the general population. All groups were selected for regional, gender, and racial/ethnic diversity. Participants (n = 33) represented all nine U.S. Census divisions. We conducted constant comparison qualitative analysis utilizing a grounded theory approach. Results Participants' views reflected a belief that pack design is clearly a reflection of the cigarettes within and that a change in the pack signaled a change in the cigarettes. However, some participants felt price was the salient characteristic of cigarettes and design mattered more for enticing young people to smoke. Conclusions Changes in pack design signal changes to the product for smokers. Pack design and changes to pack design are seen as particularly relevant to new and young smokers. These findings provide support for regulations that require assessment of cigarette pack design changes for impacts on public health.
Assessing the effects of concussion using the C3Logix Test Battery: An exploratory study.

The C3Logix is a computerized concussion assessment tool that measures a wider array of symptoms (i.e., balance and oculomotor functioning) than other computerized batteries. Although the C3Logix has been used increasingly by athletic organizations at all levels of play, its utility within the concussion population has not been extensively examined. The current study aimed to determine whether the C3Logix is sensitive to the effects of concussion. A total of 54 student-athletes enrolled at a large southern university completed the C3Logix at baseline and within days following a suspected concussion (mean = 2.93, SD = 3.14). Dependent-samples t-tests revealed that relative to their baselines, following concussion, athletes both reported significantly greater postconcussive symptoms and performed more poorly on measures of reaction time and computer-measured balance. Decrements in processing speed, visual acuity, and clinician-observed errors on tests of balance also trended toward significance. Results suggest that inclusion of measures of balance and oculomotor functioning in the assessment of concussion may provide additional clinical utility above and beyond domains typically measured by computerized concussion assessments.
Teaching systems thinking: A case study at the United States Military Academy

This paper introduces how the U.S. Military Academy's Undergraduate Core Engineering Sequence in Systems Engineering explicitly teaches systems thinking as a prerequisite foundation for students' subsequent education in systems engineering. It traces the evolution of the introductory systems engineering course over six semesters and presents the initial findings from this case study. The ongoing goal of this pedagogical research is to answer three questions: (1) How can one actually teach, evaluate, and assess such an ambiguously defined and subjectively measured, but commonly accepted concept as systems thinking? (2) How much time should be allocated to systems thinking within the greater engineering curriculum? (3) What specific systems thinking methods and tools should be presented?
Estimation of Premorbid Functioning in Pediatric Neuropsychology: Review and Recommendations

One of the most important procedures when working with a patient with a known or suspected acquired injury or neurodegenerative condition is determining their premorbid level of neurocognitive functioning. Although this process has been relatively well-researched in the adult/geriatric neuropsychological literature, there are comparatively few publications for the pediatric population and less consensus regarding how to translate findings into practice. This is likely due to a combination of factors, including children having obtained fewer developmental milestones, the highly variable nature of neurodevelopment in children, and that pediatric neuropsychologists frequently work with children with congenital/neurodevelopmental conditions in which determination of premorbid functioning may feel less important. This manuscript reviews the literature on this topic and offers recommendations for the best practice as well as future research directions in the estimation of premorbid functioning in a pediatric population.
Language barriers in the emergency room.

When treating foreign patients, whose anxiety is compounded by being ill far from home among people who do not speak their language, physicians must be wary of false assumptions and work to communicate accurately and sensitively with patients, while making sure their immediate medical needs are met.
Succeeding Leaders: Supply and Demand

This chapter examines the crisis of leadership success, succession and capacity development by viewing it as a question of supply and demand. Drawing on our research in the United States , Canada , England , and high-performing Finland , as well as on other literature in the field, this chapter identifies challenges of leadership success and succession as issues that increasingly involve the supply of capable leaders. In tandem with this, unnecessary demands deter them from seeking or staying in leadership roles. This chapter looks at the trajectory of leadership success and succession over three ages of educational change culminating in an age of post-standardization. It then describes an alternative path to success and succession in high-performing Finland that differs starkly from dominant Anglo-Saxon models of leadership and change. Conclusions are drawn about how to reconfigure supply and demand aspects of highly capable leadership, and how to redesign educational change and reform processes in order to make this possible.
The intraoperative accuracy of maxillary balloon dilation: a blinded trial.

Background Balloon sinus dilation (BSD) is a commonly performed sinus procedure in the United States. Several cadaveric studies have evaluated BSD accuracy and the maxillary sinus has consistently been shown to be the most challenging to cannulate. We designed an independent study to evaluate the intraoperative accuracy of maxillary sinus BSD. Methods A prospective, single-blinded trial evaluating the accuracy of maxillary sinus BSD was performed using 2 commercially available BSD systems (guidewire- and probe-based systems) randomly assigned to patients undergoing endoscopic surgery for chronic rhinosinusitus without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) or a skullbase approach in patients without sinus disease. All patients underwent maxillary BSD followed by uncinectomy to reveal dilation of the natural maxillary sinus ostia. The recorded procedures were reviewed by 3 fellowship-trained rhinologists from different institutions blinded to the BSD system utilized. The primary endpoint compared accuracy of maxillary BSD attempts. The secondary endpoint compared accuracy between the 2 systems. Results Twenty-nine maxillary BSD procedures were performed in 18 patients (age range, 20-79 years; mean, 51 years) without nasal polyposis undergoing maxillary antrostomy as part of a more extensive procedure. BSD was successful in 18 of 29 (62%) attempts and unsuccessful in 9 of 29 (31%) attempts, with statistically "almost perfect" interrater agreement (kappa = 0.86). There was no statistical difference between the 2 BSD systems (p = 0.81). Conclusion Maxillary BSD appeared to be less accurate in living patients when compared with findings from previously published cadaver studies. There were no differences in accuracy between the probe- and guidewire-based systems. This is the first non-industry-sponsored study evaluating maxillary sinus BSD in living patients. Further studies are needed to investigate the clinical implications of our findings.
Bayesian semiparametric growth models for measurement error and missing data in CD4/CD8 ratio: Application to AIDS Study:

In clinical research and practice, there is often an interest in assessing the effect of time varying predictors, such as CD4/CD8 ratio, on immune recovery following antiretroviral therapy. Such pr...
Approximate analytical solutions for a solitary wave interacting with a partially submerged porous wall

Abstract This study presents the development of an approximate analytical model for the investigation of the hydrodynamic interactions between a solitary wave and a partially submerged thin porous wall. Analytical solutions of the velocity potentials are derived according to the Fourier integral and solution superposition procedure along with satisfying the formed boundary and matching conditions. The free-surface elevations are also formulated. The hydrodynamic forces are computed by integrating the pressure distributions along the structural surfaces. Laboratory experiments were carried out to measure the free-surface elevations at locations upstream and downstream of the porous walls tested for the verification of the derived analytical solutions. It is demonstrated through result comparisons that the present analytical model can provide nicely matched predictions on the time varying transmitted waves including wave peak but slightly overestimated reflected wave heights. The horizontal hydrodynamic forces from the present analytical solutions are also in good agreement with other published experimental data when a special case of non-porous wall is considered. The variations of wave run-up, overall transmission coefficient, and maximum horizontal force under different conditions are presented and discussed to evaluate the performance of a partially submerged thin porous wall subject to an encountering solitary wave.
Web-enabled Software for Real-time Autonomous Wireless Sensors Data Visualization

Real-time autonomous wireless sensors must provide information that is both accurate and timely. With the widespread of IoT, a myriad of sensors are producing a large quantity of numeric data. Still, as users, we are inclined to consume data that has been processed and displayed as visual information in order to facilitate decision processes. Web standards have evolved significantly over the past decade with X3D being adopted as an open ISO standard for Web3D. X3D and associated extensions like WebGL allows web-enabled visualization and facilitates remote collaboration. In this paper, we present a software architecture that allows data collection from IoT sensors, data processing and an interactive Web-enabled 3D visualization using the X3D standard for soft real-time systems. We also discuss the potential applications of such a system in several domains.
Vaccination to Protect Against Proteus mirabilis Challenge Utilizing the Ascending Model of Urinary Tract Infection

Proteus mirabilis is a major cause of complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). P. mirabilis' urease activity hydrolyzes urea and raises urine pH levels, which can catalyze bladder and kidney stone formation. This urolithiasis leads to harder-to-treat infections, possible urinary blockage, and subsequent septicemia. Development of a mucosal vaccine against P. mirabilis urinary tract infections is critical to protect against this potentially deadly infection process. Here, we describe the methodology necessary to produce a vaccine candidate conjugated to cholera toxin, administer the vaccine via the intranasal route, and test efficacy in a murine transurethral P. mirabilis infection model.
Variation in the Thickness of Knee Cartilage. The Use of a Novel Machine Learning Algorithm for Cartilage Segmentation of Magnetic Resonance Images.

Abstract Background The variation in articular cartilage thickness (ACT) in healthy knees is difficult to quantify and therefore poorly documented. Our aims are to (1) define how machine learning (ML) algorithms can automate the segmentation and measurement of ACT on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (2) use ML to provide reference data on ACT in healthy knees, and (3) identify whether demographic variables impact these results. Methods Patients recruited into the Osteoarthritis Initiative with a radiographic Kellgren-Lawrence grade of 0 or 1 with 3D double-echo steady-state MRIs were included and their gender, age, and body mass index were collected. Using a validated ML algorithm, 2 orthogonal points on each femoral condyle were identified (distal and posterior) and ACT was measured on each MRI. Site-specific ACT was compared using paired t-tests, and multivariate regression was used to investigate the risk-adjusted effect of each demographic variable on ACT. Results A total of 3910 MRI were included. The average femoral ACT was 2.34 mm (standard deviation, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-3.73). In multivariate analysis, distal-medial (−0.17 mm) and distal-lateral cartilage (−0.32 mm) were found to be thinner than posterior-lateral cartilage, while posterior-medial cartilage was found to be thicker (0.21 mm). In addition, female sex was found to negatively impact cartilage thickness (OR, −0.36; all values: P Conclusion ML was effectively used to automate the segmentation and measurement of cartilage thickness on a large number of MRIs of healthy knees to provide normative data on the variation in ACT in this population. We further report patient variables that can influence ACT. Further validation will determine whether this technique represents a powerful new tool for tracking the impact of medical intervention on the progression of articular cartilage degeneration.
Restrictive eating disorders in previously overweight adolescents and young adults

Eating disorders are common in adolescents and young adults, including those with a history of overweight or obesity, and are associated with numerous systemic sequelae. Understanding the differences in presentation between these patients and those who have a more classic anorexia nervosa phenotype is critical to ensuring timely recognition and treatment.
INNOVATION (PLUS) BEST PRACTICE (EQUALS) BLUEPRINT FOR TRANSFORMING AFIB CARE ACROSS THE CONTINUUM

Afib is a common cardiac arrhythmia associated with substantial risk of mortality and morbidity from stroke and thromboembolism (TE). The CHA2DS2-VASc score, comprised of six components: CHF/LVEF < 40%, Hypertension, Age ≥ 75, Diabetes, Stroke/TIA/TE, Vascular Disease, Age 65-74, Sex Category, is
The Power to Vacate a Rule

A vigorous debate has emerged concerning the legality and desirability of the “universal” or “nationwide” injunction. A key part of this debate implicates the meaning of the landmark statute that governs judicial review of agency action, the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”). Many recent suits seeking nationwide injunctions have levied challenges to federal agency action and, in particular, to federal rules. If the APA authorizes a federal court deciding such a case to “set aside” a rule universally—not just to “set it aside as to the plaintiffs”—then the APA authorizes courts to provide exactly the kind of relief that opponents of universal injunctions say that courts should not be able to give: relief that reaches beyond the plaintiffs to everyone. Moreover, if the reviewing court can vacate a rule universally at the merits stage, then the APA plainly authorizes the court to issue a preliminary nationwide injunction that halts the enforcement of the rule universally pending the court’s merits decision on whether to vacate the rule. In various lawsuits, the Department of Justice has argued that the APA does not authorize a federal court to vacate or enjoin a rule universally. Some scholars have voiced the same claim. This Article rebuts that reading of the APA. Drawing upon the APA’s text and structure, the landscape against which it was enacted, its legislative history, and evidence of how courts, Congress, and commentators have understood the APA in subsequent decades, this Article concludes that the APA authorizes the “universal vacatur” of federal rules, as well as universal injunctions against their enforcement. The Article then briefly addresses broader considerations of political legitimacy and institutional competence connected with this dispute over the APA’s remedial scheme.
Policy responses to COVID-19 and discrimination against foreign nationals in South Korea

While South Korean racism and discrimination against migrant workers and foreign brides are not new phenomenon, some early policies adopted by the central and local governments to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 have once again revealed the country’s deep-seated xenophobia This paper focuses on three government policies – mask rationing, universal disaster relief funds, and local government subsidies – that were adopted during the first wave of coronavirus in South Korea from February until June 2020, when supplies were insufficient and the economy was most severely affected This paper highlights the fact that government policies were based on nationality, which led to the exclusion of foreign nationals, even long-time taxpaying residents Such institutional discrimination was blatant, considering the country’s decades-long discussion of multiculturalism This paper points out that, as a country with a very low number of naturalized citizens, discrimination against foreign nationals not only reflects South Korea’s perceived boundaries of in-groups and out-groups, but also demonstrates the lack of a legal basis that prohibits discriminatory practices [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Critical Asian Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
Judicial Policing of Patent Damages Experts

The calculation of patent damages such as a reasonable royalty presents significant challenges for which the use of expert testimony is predictable, if not unavoidably vital. Struggles to employ and at the same time guide and restrain expert testimony on reasonable royalty damages have become prominent in the last two decades, in substantial part because of the rise of patent assertion entities (PAEs) that have intensified stresses on the United States patent system. Patent law’s peculiarly centralized court of appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, has responded to such stresses by limiting the admissibility or cognizable sufficiency of expert evidence on reasonable royalties for patent infringement. Although seemingly more aggressive than the general appellate norm, this appellate-level activity has so far appeared in line with general understandings of the proper judicial role in regulating expert testimony and reliance on it. A strict understanding of the Federal Circuit’s rule of apportionment based on the smallest salable patent-practicing unit (SSPPU) might lead to an undue downward distortion of reasonable royalty awards under certain circumstances, but there currently seems enough flex in the articulation of the rule to accommodate corrective adjustments. Although imperfect, the current approach to regulating expert testimony on patent damages seems to embody at least a plausibly satisfactory form of “muddling through,” approximating the demands for reasoned analysis that courts commonly impose on the work of expert administrative agencies.