cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Educating physicians for the future: Carnegie's calls for reform.

In both 1910 and 2010, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching used existing educational innovations and learning theory to point the way to the future of medical education. Flexner’s transformative report of 1910 was strongly influenced by the innovative curriculum at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and by educational principles of the Progressive Era. In 1912, Flexner wrote a similar critique of medical education in Europe. These two reports have powerfully shaped medical education for the past century. Yet much has changed since then, which prompted The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to commission another report that was published in 2010. Drawing on contemporary educational innovations and research from the learning sciences, the authors make four recommendations for reform: (1) standardize on learning outcomes while individualizing the learning process, (2) integrate formal knowledge with clinical experience, (3) imbue habits of inquiry and improvement to achieve lifelong learning and excellence, and (4) explicitly cultivate the formation of professional identity. In this article, the author describes educational innovations and educational principles relevant to each of these four recommendations.
Computer software for performing likelihood tests of pedigree relationship using genetic markers

Molecular techniques are making ever more genetic markers available for use in parentage assignment, and measures of relatedness. We present a program, Kinship , designed to use likelihood techniques to test for any non-inbred pedigree relationship between pairs of individuals, using single-locus codominant genetic markers. Kinship calculates the likelihood that each pair of individuals in a data set are related by a given pedigree hypothesis, and likelihood ratios for any pair of hypotheses. The program also uses a simulation routine to attach statistical significance to its results.
Antimicrobial use during colic surgery: finding the right strategy

A MAJOR goal of prophylactic antimicrobial administration is to prevent incisional infection, an important cause of morbidity after equine colic surgery. The inclusion criteria used in the study by Durward-Akhurst and others (2012), which is summarised on p 287 of this issue of Veterinary Record, created two comparable sets of colic cases at two referral hospitals to study the timing of antimicrobial administration to prevent this complication. The study found no difference between 72 hours and 120 hours of prophylactic antimicrobial administration in preventing incisional infections and, therefore, the shorter period should be preferable; postoperative antimicrobial use for long durations in horses could promote emergence of resistant organisms (Morley and others 2005) and induce diarrhoea (Cohen and Woods 1999). The critical question is whether or not we should give antimicrobial agents to horses at all after colic surgery is completed. One option is to follow the evidence-based practice for human clean-contaminated surgery, in which antimicrobial prophylaxis is not recommended after wound closure (Bratzler and others 2013). In the two groups of horses described by Durward-Akhurst and others (2012) almost 17 per cent had exploratory surgery only. Such procedures should be regarded as clean and, therefore, should not qualify for antimicrobial prophylaxis according to the strictest guidelines (Brown 1999) and …
Validity of the Actical activity monitor for assessing steps and energy expenditure during walking.

AbstractThis study examined the validity of the Actical accelerometer step count and energy expenditure (EE) functions in healthy young adults. Forty-three participants participated in study 1. Actical step counts were compared to actual steps taken during a 200 m walk around an indoor track at self-selected pace and during treadmill walking at different speeds (0.894, 1.56 and 2.01 m · s–1) for 5 min. The Actical was also compared to three pedometers. For study 2, 15 participants from study 1 walked on a treadmill at their predetermined self-selected pace for 15 min. Actical EE was compared to EE measured by indirect calorimetry. One-way analysis of variance and t-tests were used to examine differences. There were no statistical difference between Actical steps and actual steps in self-selected pace walking and during treadmill walking at moderate and fast speeds. During treadmill walking at slow speed, the Actical step counts significantly under predicted actual steps taken. For study 2, there was no st...
On the sufficiency of power control for a class of channels with feedback

This paper shows that, for a particular class of channels that we believe applies to many physical problems of interest, the utility of feedback, insofar as channel capacity is concerned, is simply for allowing the transmitter to perform power control. This class of channels, which assumes noiseless feedback but allows for the feedback to be of arbitrary rate, includes channels that model slow, flat fading channels with variable input power. Thus our result gives some guidance on the design of effective transmission schemes for slow, flat fading channels with feedback.
Perioperative management of anticoagulation.

Managing antithrombotic agents in patients undergoing surgery is a common clinical challenge, often requiring temporary interruption of treatment prior to the procedure. Antithrombotic agents can generally be grouped into anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents.
Reactive oxygen species may unite many mechanisms by which calcium oxalate stones form

The pathogenesis of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis remains a mystery, but the suggestion that it is simply due to perturbations in urinary super saturations remains an inadequate explanation (1). It is likely due to much more complex and nuanced mechanisms that incorporate inorganic and organic components. How these components propagate into Randall plaques or calculi or even where these stone-forming events occur (vasa recta, collecting ducts, or the basement membrane of the loops of Henle) is debatable. Metabolic derangements leading to uncontrolled reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation or a reduced antioxidant capacity to alleviate oxidative stresses may play a role in Randall plaque formation through tissue damage and/or ROS-induced altered gene expression.
Beyond the Wall: Mapping Twitter in China

In this paper, we map and analyze the structure and content found on Twitter centered around users in mainland China. This study offers a rare look at the activity of Chinese Internet users on a platform that is largely unregulated by the state and only reachable through the use of tools that circumvent state-mandated Internet filters. For Internet users that reside in mainland China, Twitter offers access to news from around the world and a wealth of ideas and perspectives that might otherwise be unavailable there, as well as a platform for building online communities that is not under direct control of the government. This study of Chinese Twitter — to our knowledge the first such study — offers a unique window into the online activities and global connections of Chinese Internet users who actively circumvent content restrictions. Based on a mixed-methods approach, combining social network analysis and a qualitative review of the content and activity of Chinese Twitter, we are able to map and provide detailed accounts of the topically based clusters that form among these networks. We identify 36 clusters that focus primarily on three areas: politics, technology, and entertainment. From one perspective, the discourse in the politically engaged portions of Chinese Twitter suggests that Twitter serves an alternative public sphere. The political group is formed of journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and scholars, who are free to discuss topics typically not permitted in China, such as the Tiananmen Square protests, Tibetan and Uyghur issues, political scandals, and pollution. Yet China’s Internet repression is clearly succeeding. Chinese Twitter falls well short of supporting a broadly accessible networked public sphere. The proportion of the Chinese populace with direct access to the debates, communities, and shared resources on Twitter is relatively small, and the avenues by which such discourse might find its way into mainstream political discussion are severely constrained. The firewall between Twitter and the much larger social media platforms in China remains a formidable barrier.
Photosynthesis of grapevine leaves infected by downy mildew

A correct approach to crop protection must consider the effect of disease on plant activity and its impact in terms of economical losses. These evaluations can drive the farmers to a quantification of plant responses to pathogen attack and to the application of economical thresholds for fungicide sprays. For grapevine (Vitis vulIfera L.), the knowledge of plant responses to disease is still very limited independently from the level of investigation (physiology, growth, development, etc.). The aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola Berl. et De Toni) on grapevine photosynthesis under controlled and field conditions. Downy mildew was shown to reduce to a negative value net photosynthesis in the oilspot, as well as to affect the physiology of gas exchanges of the tissues surrounding the oilspot. The daily trend under field condition pointed out a normal trend of assimilation, without differences between green portions of healthy and diseased leaves. The consequences on source-sink relationships were discussed, as well as the relation between visible symptoms and physiological alterations.
Blending Under Uncertainty: Option Value of Biofuels Mandates

The value of a representative ethanol producer that benefits from both low and high gasoline prices is modeled. Ethanol producers make a modest competitive profit in the mandate-induced region of production. A low price of gasoline increases the demand for blend ethanol and consequently increases the profit of ethanol producers. On the other hand, when gasoline becomes costlier than ethanol, the capacity constraints of the biofuels sector bind and ethanol producers gain large quasi-monopoly margins. This is an interesting example of a market where two commodities are complement up to a point and then substitute after that. We postulate the value of an ethanol producer as a strangle option consisting of two real options: the option to substitute gasoline at times of expensive crude oil and the option to expand supply of blend at times of cheap gasoline. Using a dynamic model we show that the higher volatilities of crude oil and ethanol costs increase biofuels firms' value. We also find non-monotonic relationships between the value of an ethanol plant and several underlying variables, including gasoline price level. We estimate the value provided by a 10% blend mandate to be around $150,000,000 for a representative ethanol unit. Our results offer a novel view of oil and feedstock price risks in contrast to the common belief that considers those risks as a negative factor for the biofuels sector.
Preference Distribution Analysis: A Rejoinder

Unfortunately, however, much of his article is based on a misconception. He worked hard to establish that a ranking method would overcome the procedural bias inherent in the systematic paired comparison experiment. He forgot that the paired comparison experiment is merely the data collection phase of preference distribution analysis. The final analysis is provided by solving a probabilistic model of choice that provides estimates of the underlying preference distribution and a measure of the consumer's ability to recognize differences in the levels of the experimental attribute. The 1962 article by Kuehn and me first reported the research approach we called preference distribution analysis; the formal analysis of data from a series of paired comparison tests was specified as a step following the collection of the data [6, p. 108]. The stochastic model of choice in the paired comparison product test was described in the article's appendix. The model derives the probability that an individual will choose a particular item in a paired test from: (a) the location of his ideal level on the scale, (b) the locations on the scale of the two test items, and (c) a measure (called the discrimination parameter) of the consumer's basic ability to recognize differences over the scale. The solution and aggregation of this model provides the weightings of consumers over the levels of the experimental attribute and the value of the discrimination parameter. The ability of the model's solutions to reflect distributions of virtually any possible shape is stressed in the 1962 article.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of the Early Stages of Nucleation of Iron Oxyhydroxide Nanoparticles in Aqueous Solutions

Nucleation is a fundamental step in crystal growth. Of environmental and materials relevance are reactions that lead to nucleation of iron oxyhydroxides in aqueous solutions. These reactions are difficult to study experimentally due to their rapid kinetics. Here, we used classical molecular dynamics simulations to investigate nucleation of iron hydroxide/oxyhydroxide nanoparticles in aqueous solutions. Results show that in a solution containing ferric ions and hydroxyl groups, iron-hydroxyl molecular clusters form by merging ferric monomers, dimers, and other oligomers, driven by strong affinity of ferric ions to hydroxyls. When deprotonation reactions are not considered in the simulations, these clusters aggregate to form small iron hydroxide nanocrystals with a six-membered ring-like layered structure allomeric to gibbsite. By comparison, in a solution containing iron chloride and sodium hydroxide, the presence of chlorine drives cluster assembly along a different direction to form long molecular chains (rather than rings) composed of Fe-O octahedra linked by edge sharing. Further, in chlorine-free solutions, when deprotonation reactions are considered, the simulations predict ultimate formation of amorphous iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles with local atomic structure similar to that of ferrihydrite nanoparticles. Overall, our simulation results reveal that nucleation of iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles proceeds via a cluster aggregation-based nonclassical pathway.
Research of Flashover Characteristics of Lightning Rod Against Shielding Failure for Overhead Power Transmission Lines

In order to study the lightning attracting performances of lightning rods with different structures and materials,and simulating the lightning strike from thundercloud to the grounding line of overhead transmission lines through the flashover from the thundercloud-simulating plate to the lightning rod against shielding failure,this paper counts the rate of flashovers,contrasts the flashover performances of lightning rods with different structures and materials.The simulations show that the flashover rate of acicular copper lightning rod is higher than that of the annular copper lightning rod,and thus the former one has better lightning attracting performance.The acicular copper lightning rod is similar with the acicular steel one in flashover performance,and they have the same lightning attracting effect.These results can be taken as reference to the research of the lightning strike simulation methods in laboratory and the measures against lightning shielding failure.
A Simple and Efficient Algorithm for Computing Market Equilibria

We give a new mathematical formulation of market equilibria in exchange economies using an indirect utility function: the function of prices and income that gives the maximum utility achievable. The formulation is a convex program and can be solved when the indirect utility function is convex in prices. We illustrate that many economies, including:—Homogeneous utilities of degree α ∈ [0, 1] in Fisher economies—this includes Linear, Leontief, Cobb-Douglas—Resource allocation utilities like multi-commodity flowssatisfy this condition and can be efficiently solved.Further, we give a natural tâtonnement type price-adjusting algorithm in these economies. Our algorithm, which is applicable to a larger class of utility functions than previously known weak gross substitutes, mimics the natural dynamics for the markets as suggested by Walras: it iteratively adjusts a good’s price upward when the demand for that good under current prices exceeds its supply; and downward when its supply exceeds its demand. The algorithm computes an approximate equilibrium in a number of iterations that is independent of the number of traders and is almost linear in the number of goods.
Controlled-release of doxorubicin from poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres significantly enhances cytotoxicity against cultured AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma cells.

Abstract Subsequent to the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), there has been a reduction in HIV viral titers and a concomitant decrease in AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. However, as failure rates of HAART approach 30%, concerns arise regarding resurgence in AIDS-KS. Current AIDS-KS therapies fail to provide sustained remissions and yet also result in significant morbidity. Although partially effective, systemic chemotherapy is particularly debilitating to AIDS patients. In this report, we examined the co-incubation of AIDS-KS cells with doxorubicin which was slowly delivered from biodegradable, locally injectable, controlled-release poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres. Local drug delivery systems such as PLGA microspheres can sustain therapeutic intralesional concentrations while minimizing deleterious systemic side effects, providing a pharmacologic advantage at the treatment site. Our data show that controlled release from PLGA microspheres augments doxorubicin cytotoxicity towards AIDS-KS cells without increasing toxicity in nonlesional cells from the AIDS-KS donors. Electron microscopic analysis revealed that PLGA microspheres possess a strong affinity for cell membranes, facilitating doxorubicin delivery to redox-sensitive cell membrane sites. Consistent with their speculated endothelial cell lineage, some of the AIDS-KS cells appeared to engulf microspheres via phagocytosis. Our results suggest that PLGA controlled-release doxorubicin microspheres have potential clinical applicability in management of AIDS-KS.
Active imitation learning

Imitation learning, also called learning by watching or programming by demonstration, has emerged as a means of accelerating many reinforcement learning tasks. Previous work has shown the value of imitation in domains where a single mentor demonstrates execution of a known optimal policy for the benefit of a learning agent. We consider the more general scenario of learning from mentors who are themselves agents seeking to maximize their own rewards. We propose a new algorithm based on the concept of transferable utility for ensuring that an observer agent can learn efficiently in the context of a selfish, not necessarily helpful, mentor. We also address the questions of when an imitative agent should request help from a mentor, and when the mentor can be expected to acknowledge a request for help. In analogy with other types of active learning, we call the proposed approach active imitation learning.
Rapid colony hybridization on Whatman 541 paper using oligonucleotide probes

Publisher Summary Colony hybridization has been carried out using several types of supports. Nylon membranes are the most durable with regard to resistance to damage and repetitive use but are also the most expensive and require many steps similar to those required for nitrocellulose. Nylon membranes from different manufacturers require different treatments and the instructions of the manufacturer must be followed closely for optimal results. In comparison to other hybridization supports, several steps—such as baking in a vacuum oven, prehybridization, and some probe purification steps—can be eliminated by using the labeling procedure described in the chapter. Signals for a perfect match are about l0 to 20 times stronger than those for a singlebase internal mismatch.
Practical Assessment of Psoriasis Clinical Severity in both Clinical Trials and Clinical Practice Settings: A Report from the GRAPPA 2016 Annual Meeting

At the 2016 annual meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), we presented the case for quantitatively assessing the extent of both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in the clinical setting, with a particular focus on the validation and expanded novel use of the PGAxBSA (static physician's global assessment × body surface area of involvement) in the era of targeted metrics. Herein, we summarize our presentation.
Factors predicting self-reported medication low adherence in a large sample of adults in the US general population: a cross-sectional study

Objectives The study objective was to determine the level and correlates of self-reported medication low adherence in the US general population. Setting A 30 min cross-sectional online survey was conducted with a national sample of adults. Participants 9202 adults (aged 18+) who had filled at least three or more prescriptions at a community pharmacy in the past 12 months. Primary and secondary outcome measures Self-reported medication adherence was measured with the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Results Low adherence was reported by 42.0%, 29.4% had medium adherence and 28.6% had high adherence. Low adherence was significantly associated with: lower age, being of Hispanic origin or African-American, having difficulty with healthcare, medication or transportation costs, needing the support of others to access primary care, health limiting activity, using multiple providers, infrequent visits to primary care providers and visiting an emergency department >3 times in last 12 months. Conclusions A very high level of low medication adherence is seen in the general population, particularly for ethnic minorities, those who use multiple healthcare providers and those who experience barriers to access for regular primary care. As clinical, patient education and counselling, and healthcare policy initiatives are directed to tracking the problem of low medication adherence, these should be priority populations for research and interventions.
Movement of nuclear polyhedrosis virus into velvetbean caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larval populations on soybean by Nabis roseipennis (Heteroptera: Nabidae) nymphs

Nabis roseipennis Reuter nymphs that preyed on larvae of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) infected velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hubner), excreted the virus (AgNPV) for several days thereafter. Based on bioassays, fifth instar and second instar nymphs excreted 84.7 × 105 and 9.7 × 105 polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB) per nymph, respectively. The AgNPV-contaminated nymphs effectively disseminated the virus via the feces over soybean plants where it served as inoculum to initiate disease in larval populations of A. gemmatalis caged in the field. Larval mortality from AgNPV ranged from 11.4 to 48.5% over treatments in two tests. Larval mortality in treatments where the source of virus inoculum was AgNPV-contaminated fifth instar nymphs was similar to that in treatments where the source of viral inoculum was diseased larvae. Larval mortality resulting from AgNPV dissemination by the nymphs was usually higher in treatments containing fifth instar nymphs than in those with second instar ny...
Choosing Wisely Together: Physical and Occupational Therapy Consultation for Acute Neurology Inpatients.

Background:Although many hospitalized neuroscience patients have physical and occupational therapy (rehabilitation) needs, patients with none or minimal physical impairments frequently receive reha...
Valence Selectivity of Cation Incorporation into Covellite CuS Nanoplatelets

Synthesis of copper sulfide-based nanomaterials by cation incorporation into copper deficient copper sulfide (Cu2–xS) is of interest as a powerful means to obtain nanostructures with otherwise inaccessible combinations of size, shape, composition, and crystal phase. Incorporation of a heterocation (M) may produce heterogeneous Cu2–xS-MS nanocrystals (NCs) or homogeneous Cu-M-S alloys. However, the factors determining whether heterogeneous NCs or homogeneous alloy NCs are produced have not been fully elucidated. In this report, we incorporate diverse cations into covellite CuS nanoplatelet (NPl) templates in the presence of dodecanethiol (DDT). These cations are categorized by their valencies. We demonstrate that trivalent and tetravalent cations can be incorporated into reduced CuS NPls to produce homogeneous ternary alloy NPls, while the divalent cations cannot coexist with Cu+ ions in the Cu2–xS phase. In turn, the incorporation of divalent cations leads to formation of heterogeneous NPls and finally pr...
It Is Not a Cohort Thing: Interrogating the Relationship Between Age, Cohort, and Support for the Environment:

Cohort replacement is one widely implicated, but seldom studied, mechanism of long-term change in public opinion toward environmental protection. A key difficulty in extant research has been empiri...
A Search for RR Lyraes in Wide Binary Systems

RR Lyraes that have nearby visual companions may be examined to decide if they do indeed belong to a real binary system. Identification of RR Lyraes in binary systems could lead to the determination of physical characteristics of the variable and to an understanding of the history and evolution of such systems in the Galaxy. Where possible, proper motion analysis, using astrograph plates from the Lick Proper Motion Program, for some visual binaries has been done and has enabled the rejection of some variables from consideration. The variables which have been shown not to be physically associated with their visual companions are YZ Cap, V445 Oph, BH Peg, and TX Vir. EZ Lyr, RW Ari, and V494 Sco still remain possible cases requiring relative radial velocities between the variable and companion. Limited plate material has meant that one must resort to radial velocity measurements for the RR Lyrae and close companion in order to determine the nature of the pair.
Systems Analysis and Engineering of the X-1 Advanced Radiation Source*

The X-1 Advanced Radiation Source, which will produce {approximately} 16 MJ in x-rays, represents the next step in providing US Department of Energy`s Stockpile Stewardship program with the high-energy, large volume, laboratory x-ray sources needed for the Radiation Effects Science and Simulation (RES), Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), and Weapon Physics (WP) Programs. Advances in fast pulsed power technology and in z-pinch hohlraums on Sandia National Laboratories` Z Accelerator in 1997 provide sufficient basis for pursuing the development of X-1. This paper will introduce the X-1 Advanced Radiation Source Facility Project, describe the systems analysis and engineering approach being used, and identify critical technology areas being researched.
CONVERSION COEFFICIENT MEASUREMENTS EMPLOYING MAGNETIC AND SOLID-STATE SPECTROMETERS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the conversion coefficient measurements employing magnetic and solid-state spectrometers. The development of lithium-drifted germanium detectors with moderate efficiency and good energy resolution has made the determination of relative intensities of the gamma rays possible with good accuracy in complex decays. If the relative conversion electron intensities are measured in a precision β-ray spectrometer, it is possible to use these in conjunction with relative gamma-ray intensities. It helps to determine the internal conversion coefficients either by accepting the theoretical conversion coefficient of a transition of known multipolarity or by measuring the conversion coefficient of one of the stronger transitions by the internal-external conversion (IEC) method. The relative gamma-ray intensities are calculated from the peak heights and the photoefficiency curve obtained by measurements on isotopes emitting two electromagnetic transitions of known relative intensity.
International Institutions as Solutions to Underlying Games of Cooperation

This working paper was presented at the international workshop "Game Theory in International Relations at 50", organized and coordinated by Professor Jacint Jordana and Dr. Yannis Karagiannis at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals on May 22, 2009. The day-long Workshop was inspired by the desire to honour the ground-breaking work of Professor Thomas Schelling in 1959-1960, and to understand where the discipline International Relations lies today vis-a-vis game theory.
IS10/Tn10 transposition efficiently accommodates diverse transposon end configurations.

Transposon Tn10 and its component insertion sequence IS10 move by non-replicative transposition. We have studied the array of reaction intermediates and products in a high efficiency in vitro IS10/Tn10 transposition reaction. Synapsis of two transposon ends, followed by cleavage and strand transfer, can occur very efficiently irrespective of the relative locations and orientations of the two ends. The two participating ends can occur in inverted or direct orientation on the same molecule or, most importantly, on two different molecules. This behavior contrasts sharply with that of Mu, in which transposition is strongly biased in favor of inverted repeat synapsis. Mechanistically, the absence of discrimination amongst various end configurations implies that the architecture within the IS10/Tn10 synaptic complex is relatively simple, i.e. lacking any significant intertwining of component DNA strands. Biologically these observations are important because they suggest that the IS10 insertion sequence module has considerable flexibility in the types of DNA rearrangements that it can promote. Most importantly, it now seems highly probable that a single non-replicative IS10 element can promote DNA rearrangements usually attributed to replicative transposition, i.e. adjacent deletions and cointegrates, by utilizing transposon ends on two sister chromosomes. Other events which probably also contribute to the diversity of IS10/Tn10-promoted rearrangements are discussed.
The Legal Semiotic Modus Operandi

Three critical positions of legal semiotics in the waning of the CLS were highlighted as discussions within US Common Law legal scholarship. They all focus on a lawyer’s attitude: (1) one in so far as legal meanings are installed in the lives of ordinary citizens, (2) a second on a lawyer’s possible connection between a progressive standpoint in politics and semiotic knowledge or experience, whereas (3) a third made clear that legal education is inherently a process of attitude formation in view of future legal practices, so that the process itself remains in the realm of theory-formation. That particular focus shows clearly the relevance of Mr. Jourdain’s parallel situation. He did not know that he wrote prose—do lawyers know that they write and operate semiotics? All three aspects, which fascinated CLS scholars, one must conclude, are at distance from this parallel as well as the practice of law.
On the use of a Prandtl-Glauert-Lorentz transformation for acoustic scattering by rigid bodies with a uniform flow

Abstract It is well-known that the convective wave equation with a uniform mean flow can be transformed into a standard wave equation without flow by a Prandtl-Glauert-Lorentz type transformation. This paper examines the boundary condition to be used in the transformed coordinates for acoustic scattering by rigid bodies. Recently, based on the energy conservation equation for acoustic waves propagating in a uniform flow, a new solid wall boundary condition, dubbed the Zero Energy Flux (ZEF) solid surface boundary condition, has been proposed. Instead of the commonly used solid surface boundary condition that the normal acoustic velocity be zero, the ZEF condition requires that the acoustic energy flux be zero. In this paper, we point out that when formulated in the acoustic velocity potential and under the ZEF boundary condition, the normal derivative of the velocity potential remains to be zero when computed in the transformed coordinates. As such, numerical methods developed for solving the standard wave equation can be directly applied to the convective wave equation through a use of the Prandtl-Glauert-Lorentz transformation. Utilization of the transformation is particularly beneficial for numerical methods based on the boundary integral formulation because of the simplified kernel function in the transformed coordinates, for both the time domain and the frequency domain approaches. Useful relations for applying the transformation are derived and numerical examples that demonstrate the effectiveness of the transformation and ZEF boundary condition are presented.
Minimum cut and minimum k-Cut in hypergraphs via branching contractions

On hypergraphs with m hyperedges and n vertices, where p denotes the total size of the hyperedges, we provide the following results:• We give an algorithm that runs in O (mn2k − 2) time for finding a minimum k-cut in hypergraphs of arbitrary rank. This algorithm betters the previous best running time for the minimum k-cut problem, for k > 2.• We give an algorithm that runs in O (nmax {r, 2k − 2}) time for finding a minimum k-cut in hypergraphs of constant rank r. This algorithm betters the previous best running times for both the minimum cut and minimum k-cut problems for dense hypergraphs.Both of our algorithms are Monte Carlo, i.e., they return a minimum k-cut (or minimum cut) with high probability. These algorithms are obtained as instantiations of a generic branching randomized contraction technique on hypergraphs, which extends the celebrated work of Karger and Stein on recursive contractions in graphs. Our techniques and results also extend to the problems of minimum hedge-cut and minimum hedge-k-cut on hedgegraphs, which generalize hypergraphs.
The Limitations of Reading to Young Children in Literary Arabic: The Unspoken Struggle with Arabic Diglossia

This interdisciplinary paper draws on findings from academic research on Arabic language diglossia demonstrating the linguistic distance between spoken Arabic, a’amiya and written Arabic, fusHa. It extends the implications of these findings to the literature on child development and reading. In this respect, it is is the first study to address the challenges of reading to children in a language diglossia situation. The paper starts by addressing the unfounded popular claim that fusHa and a’amiya are similar. It then outlines relevant practices from developed countries that feature language diglossia and finds no merit in the second popular concern that reading to children in their mother-tongue — a’amiya — would weaken their later grasp of fusHa — the language of education. The common practice of ad hoc on-the-spot translation of fusHa text in storybooks to a’amiya is not optimal for reasons highlighted. Further, the paper discusses the wider proven benefits of reading to children that go beyond literacy, and that are likely forgone by the exclusive focus on producing and reading children’s books in only fusHa. Finally, the study argues that the sociolinguistic nature of a’amiya and the demographics of most Arab countries ought to support a viable market for a’amiya children’s books.
Raman spectroscopy for forensic bloodstain identification: Method validation vs. environmental interferences

Abstract The identification of body fluid (BF) stains at a crime scene is an important step of a crime scene investigation since traces of BFs are typically the main source of DNA evidence. Raman spectroscopy is a new emerging method for identifying and differentiating between BF stains. As any new analytical method developed for identification and differentiation of classes of materials, it needs to be evaluated for potential environmental interferences (EIs). This study specifically focused on proving that Raman spectroscopy is not susceptible to false positive (FP) assignments from EIs specific to blood. Twenty-four EI substances that may be misclassified as blood due to either their appearance, or known to provide a FP result with forensic crime scene tests for blood identification were analyzed in this study. The spectra of the twenty-four substances were tested against a recently developed support vector machines discriminant analysis (SVMDA) classification model used for BF differentiation. The SVMDA model identified all substances as not peripheral blood, but some of the substances were predicted as one of the other four BFs. Therefore, random forests (RF) analysis was employed to build a new, more robust, classification method to overcome this limitation. Using this approach, complete separation was achieved based on a classification probability threshold of 70%. This method can also be used in the future to test potential EI substances specific to other common BFs.
Fittingness and Good Reasoning

Conor McHugh and Jonathan Way have defended a view of good reasoning according to which good reasoning is explained in terms of the preservation of fittingness. I argue that their Fittingness View is incorrect. Not all fittingness-preserving transitions in thought are instances of good reasoning.
Microstructure Imaging by Diffusion MRI

Diffusion weighted imaging provides a unique tool to interrogate the microstructure of living tissue without the need for an invasive procedure. For timescales applicable in a clinical MRI setting, the diffusion process is sensitive to the structural configuration of tissue on the micrometer scale, i.e., the size of cells. Features such as the packing density of the cell matrix affect the overall rate of diffusion, and anisotropic structures impose barriers on the diffusion such that they appear to move faster or slower along certain directions, for example, along and across axonal bundles, respectively. In this chapter we survey the foundation for the diffusion MRI contrast, and discuss how it assumes features depending on the tissue microstructure and give examples of how these can be quantified. Due to their prevalence in neuroimaging, we focus on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). To emphasize that diffusion MRI is evolving rapidly, we also look ahead to more advanced methods for analysis and alternatives to the conventional experimental design.
The Relationship Between Cohesive Game Design and Player Immersion: A Case Study of Original Versus Reboot Thief

Game design is a complex process, and it seems logical that the quality of the end product may be subject to the design approaches utilized. The aim of this investigation is to look deeper into fundamental design principles and identify if a cohesive, considered, and unified design philosophy can lead to a product that provides greater engagement and immersion to players. We look at the related existing research and analyze the Metacritic and Steam reviews of the 2014 Thief reboot (especially those reviews comparing the 2014 game to the original Thief trilogy) to illustrate the effects of a unified design vision on players’ understanding of the game. Our findings indicate that players are primarily aware of the cohesive design decisions in each game and recognize the earlier game as having superior and more unified design.
Assessment of surface rendering with 1 DoF vibration

This paper describes the creation and testing of a prototype device for rendering texture, using a touch-sensitive surface consisting of a linear soft potentiometer (LSP) attached to a 3D-printed p...
A machine learning approach for the prediction of overall deceased donor organ yield.

Abstract Background Optimizing organ yield (number of organs transplanted per donor) is a potentially modifiable way to increase the number of organs available for transplant. Models to predict the expected deceased donor organ yield have been developed based on ordinary least squares regression and logistic regression. However, alternative modeling methodologies incorporating machine learning may have superior performance compared with conventional approaches. Methods We evaluated the predictive accuracy of 14 machine learning models for predicting overall organ yield in a cross-validation procedure. The models were parameterized using data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database from 2000 to 2018. The inclusion criteria for the study were adult deceased donors between 18 and 84 years of age that had at least 1 organ procured for transplantation. Results A total of 89,520 donors met the inclusion criteria. Their mean (standard deviation) age was 44 (15) years, and approximately 58% were male. Our cross-validation analysis showed that a tree-based gradient boosting model outperformed the remaining 13 models. Compared with the currently used prediction models, the gradient boosting model improves prediction accuracy by reducing the mean absolute error between 3 and 11 organs per 100 donors. Conclusion Our analysis demonstrated that the gradient boosting methodology had the best performance in predicting overall deceased donor organ yield and can potentially serve as an aid to assess organ procurement organization performance.
Glioblastoma multiforme

Patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme should undergo a maximal tumor resection and then, whenever possible, should be entered into a clinical trial. The current standard of care consists of external beam irradiation, to a total of 60 Gy over 6 weeks, in combination with low-dose daily temozolomide, followed by at least six cycles of adjuvant temozolomide. If radiotherapy and a temozolomide-based adjuvant regimen fail, the most active treatment approach appears to be bevacizumab and irinotecan. Molecular therapy, with drugs targeting growth factor receptors and critical signal transduction pathway mediators, is also under active investigation.
Deterministic Graph Coloring in the Streaming Model.

Recent breakthroughs in graph streaming have led to the design of single-pass semi-streaming algorithms for various graph coloring problems such as $(\Delta+1)$-coloring, degeneracy-coloring, coloring triangle-free graphs, and others. These algorithms are all randomized in crucial ways and whether or not there is any deterministic analogue of them has remained an important open question in this line of work. We settle this fundamental question by proving that there is no deterministic single-pass semi-streaming algorithm that given a graph $G$ with maximum degree $\Delta$, can output a proper coloring of $G$ using any number of colors which is sub-exponential in $\Delta$. Our proof is based on analyzing the multi-party communication complexity of a related communication game, using random graph theory type arguments that may be of independent interest. We complement our lower bound by showing that just one extra pass over the input allows one to recover an $O(\Delta^2)$ coloring via a deterministic semi-streaming algorithm. This result is further extended to an $O(\Delta)$ coloring in $O(\log{\Delta})$ passes even in dynamic streams.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE FOR NICKEL ZINC BATTERY TESTING

This paper describes the vehicle and propulsion system mechanization selected by General Motors to assess the progress being made in the area of Nickel Zinc battery development. Towards this end a fleet of 12 road vehicles have been fabricated and have contributed significantly to the accumulation of 200,000 test miles on Nickel Zinc powered electric vehicles. The drivetrain selected for these vehicles includes a separately excited DC motor, an SCR armature chopper, a transistorized bi-directional field chopper and a low level electronic control system based on General Motor's Custom Microprocessor chip set. This fleet of test vehicles does not represent production intent but does possess many of the attributes thought to be necessary for a commercially viable Electric Vehicle. Although GM's Electric Car development activities have been reduced in recent months, GM is maintaining a level of battery development that will provide the Corporation with sufficient flexibility to respond to future energy supply uncertainties. Consequently, these battery test vehicles will continue to play an important role in battery development and test.
Intra-Arterial Cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum-II in Pediatric Osteosarcoma: Relationship of Effect on Primary Tumor to Survival

The therapeutic efficacy of intra-arterial cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum-II on the primary tumor was assessed in relationship to survival. Patients with a combined complete and partial response (over 60% necrosis) had a 64% metastases-free survival, and those with no response (under 60% necrosis) a 34% survival.
„Höhere Funktionen“ des Nervensystems, bedingte Reflexe, Lernvorgänge und zugehörige Phänomene

In den vergangenen Kapiteln wurde die Zuleitung somatischer und visceraler Impulse zum Gehirn und die Entsendung von Impulsen an die Peripherie besprochen. Es wurde die Rolle des retikularen Systems fur die Erhaltung eines aktionsbereiten Wachzustandes erlautert sowie die Bedeutung der limbischen Kreisschaltungen fur die Sicherung des homoiostatischen Gleichgewichtes und die Regulierung des instinktmasigen, bzw. emotionellen Verhaltens diskutiert (Abb. 16–1). Es mussen nunmehr die mangels eines praziseren Terminus als „hahere Funktionen“ des Nervensystems bezeichneten Phanomene besprochen werden, d. s. Lernen, Gedachtnis, Urteilsfahigkeit, Sprache und die anderen mentalen Leistungen. Penfield sagte, „beim Studium der Neurophysiologie der mentalen Vorgange befindet man sich in der Situation von Mannern am Fus eines Berges.
Ferroelectric PZT Thin Films For Low-voltage Nonvolatile Memory

This study investigates the scaling potential of sol gelderived ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films for future nonvolatile memories. Ferroelectric hysteresis loops are exploited to demonstrate nonvolatile memory operation at internal voltages as low as 1.5V with a readwrite endurance cycles. Fenroelectric PZT capacitor technology holds promise as an alternative to conventional floating gate nonvolatile memory technologies for low-voltage low-power nonvolatile memories.
Development of a hospital based menu driven clinician coding tool to implement quality reimbursement process in the U.S. --A cardiologist's diagnoses as an illustration

Aim: The purpose of this study is to review current in-hospital based coding techniques and explore various means by which clinicians and HIM Healthcare Information Management staff members which include Coding Technologist or "Coders" miss potential technical fee reimbursement due to poor dictation and/or lack of knowledge of the newer MS-DRG coding system in the U.S. Methods: An analysis of the 2008 implemented MS-DRG reimbursement system was conducted to compare it to the older DRG system in use prior. With the help of a practicing Cardiologist, five randomly selected inpatient charts were reviewed to identify whether or not there was an opportunity to push deeper in to the patient diagnosis and treatment plan to determine if an opportunity existed to code each patient's diagnosis plan at a higher level due to poor documentation practices. Results: The review of five in-hospital patients charts seen by a Cardiologist, found that by correctly understanding the newer MS-DRG coding specifications and documenting patient diagnosis and comorbidities to appropriate reimbursement levels the hospital could have increased technical fee payments by about $50,000. Conclusions: By educating clinicians and HIM staff members to be rigorous in their dictation and interpretation of the patients MS-DRG diagnosis, comorbidities and treatment protocol, hospitals will be able to reclaim potentially millions of dollars annually. As more facilities adopt EMRs electronic medical records, the introduction of "reminders" or drop down lists within an EMR could aid on the whole coding completeness, thereby increasing overall technical fee reimbursement levels while ensuring possibility of not overcharging accounts.