cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combustion Gas Properties: Part III—Prediction of the Thermodynamic Properties of Combustion Gases of Aviation and Diesel Fuels

Empirical formulae are presented by means of which the specific heat, mean molecular weight, density, and specific heat ratio of aviation fuel-air and diesel fuel-air systems can be calculated as functions of pressure, temperature, equivalence ratio, and hydrogen-to-carbon atomic ratio of the fuel. The formulae have been developed by fitting the data from a detailed chemical equilibrium code to a functional expression. Comparisons of the results from the proposed formulae with the results obtained from a chemical equilibrium code have shown that the mean absolute error in predicted specific heat is 0.8 percent, and that for molecular weight is 0.25 percent. These formulae provide a very fast and easy means of predicting the thermodynamic properties of combustion gases as compared to detailed equilibrium calculations, and they are also valid for a wide range of complex hydrocarbon mixtures and pure hydrocarbons as well as aviation and diesel fuels.
The impact of the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii on the decomposition dynamics of a native plant community

Invasive plants may have variable effects within a given environment depending on their interactions with the dominant native species, yet little research has examined such species-species interactions within a site. Savanna trees with nonoverlapping canopies offer an ideal opportunity to assess associated changes in the ecosystem processes that result from interactions between an invasive species and different native tree species. We examined the influence of the exotic invasive shrub Lonicera maackii on decomposition dynamics under three native tree species: Fraxinus quadrangulata, Quercus muehlenbergii, and Carya ovata. Litter decomposition rates and litter C and N were evaluated over two years using single- and mixed-species litterbags (L. maackii and individual tree species litter); microarthropod abundance was measured at 6 weeks using Tulgren funnels. Litter from the invasive L. maackii decomposed and lost N more rapidly than the litter of the three native tree species. The rate at which L. maackii decomposed depended on its location, with L. maackii litter decomposing and losing N more rapidly under C. ovata than under the other two native tree species. Mixing L. maackii with the native species' litter did not accelerate litter mass loss overall but did result in synergistic N losses at variable times throughout the experiment, further highlighting the variable interaction between native species and L. maackii. Nitrogen loss was significantly higher than expected in mixtures of C. ovata + L. maackii litter at 6 weeks, in F. quadrangulata + L. maackii litter at 12 weeks, and in Q. muehlenbergii + L. maackii litter at 24 weeks. If the effects of invasive species on certain ecosystem processes, such as litter decomposition, are strongly influenced by their association with native species, this could suggest the need for a more nuanced understanding of the vulnerability of ecosystem processes to invasions of L. maackii and potentially other invasive species.
What the affordable care act means for survivors of pediatric cancer.

In the last 50 years, major therapeutic advances in childhood cancer care have transformed pediatric oncology. Although childhood cancer incidence rates have increased significantly from 1975 to 2006,1 overall survival rates for childhood cancer have improved dramatically from 58% in the 1970s to 83%, based on the most recent data.2 The compound impact of increasing incidence and improving survival is that, today, more than 320,000 individuals live as survivors of childhood cancer in the United States.3 Childhood cancer is not the only health challenge that many of these individuals will face in their lifetimes; a survey of the largest cohort of pediatric cancer survivors revealed that two thirds of all survivors will develop a chronic medical condition, with more than one-third experiencing a severe or life-threatening condition.4
EKLF/KLF1, a tissue-restricted integrator of transcriptional control, chromatin remodeling, and lineage determination.

Erythroid Kruppel-like factor (EKLF or KLF1) is a transcriptional regulator that plays a critical role in lineage-restricted control of gene expression. KLF1 expression and activity are tightly controlled in a temporal and differentiation stage-specific manner. The mechanisms by which KLF1 is regulated encompass a range of biological processes, including control of KLF1 RNA transcription, protein stability, localization, and posttranslational modifications. Intact KLF1 regulation is essential to correctly regulate erythroid function by gene transcription and to maintain hematopoietic lineage homeostasis by ensuring a proper balance of erythroid/megakaryocytic differentiation. In turn, KLF1 regulates erythroid biology by a wide variety of mechanisms, including gene activation and repression by regulation of chromatin configuration, transcriptional initiation and elongation, and localization of gene loci to transcription factories in the nucleus. An extensive series of biochemical, molecular, and genetic analyses has uncovered some of the secrets of its success, and recent studies are highlighted here. These reveal a multilayered set of control mechanisms that enable efficient and specific integration of transcriptional and epigenetic controls and that pave the way for proper lineage commitment and differentiation.
Hepatitis C infection in children

Abstract Hepatitis C infection is a global health problem. Maternal to fetal transmission is the major route of infection in children, and these children are less likely to clear the infection spontaneously. Most children are asymptomatic with mildly abnormal transaminases. Histological damage is mild in childhood, but the extent of fibrosis correlates with age and duration of infection, therefore continuous monitoring of infected children is recommended. Early consideration of treatment of children with chronic infection is recommended to prevent disease progression. The standard of care regimens using pegylated interferon in combination with ribavirin have been shown to be effective and well tolerated by the paediatric population. However these treatment regimens are long, relatively toxic and expensive. In addition, in approximately half of the patients with genotype 1, treatment remains unsuccessful. Therefore the evaluation of new drugs such as direct acting antivirals is required.
Effect of Delayed Placement on Mortality and Growth Performance of Commercial Broilers

Abstract Variations in hatching time and their subsequent effect on placement weight, chick mortality, and four-week body weight were evaluated. Hatching intervals for three experiments ranged from 32 hr to 60 hr with total incubation time ranging from 20.67 to 21.75 days. Early hatched chicks showed a significant reduction in placement weight which continued to be evident at four weeks of age. The delayed placement resulting from early hatch also increased mortality during the first week of brooding as did holding chicks in boxes in excess of 30 hr.
The dynamics of learning and allocation of study time to a region of proximal learning.

In contrast to the dominant discrepancy reduction model, which favors the most difficult items, people, given free choice, devoted most time to medium-difficulty items and studied the easiest items first. When study time was experimentally manipulated, best performance resulted when most time was given to the medium-difficulty items. Empirically determined information uptake functions revealed steep initial learning for easy items with little subsequent increase. For medium-difficulty items, initial gains were smaller but more sustained, suggesting that the strategy people had used, when given free choice, was largely appropriate. On the basis of the information uptake functions, a negative spacing effect was predicted and observed in the final experiment. Overall, the results favored the region of proximal learning framework.
Racial Differences in Criminal Processing: The Consequences of Model Selection on Conclusions About Differential Treatment

This study examines the impact of model selection on substantive conclusions about racial differences in presentence and sentencing practices. Using a statewide sample of convicted felons, an additive model is estimated to assess the direct and indirect effects of race on various dispositional decisions. Then, separate models for blacks and whites are estimated to evaluate within- and between-race differences. A comparison of the results from each specification illustrates how the standard additive approach used in past studies can mask and suppress racial differences in criminal processing. The findings of race-specific models are then discussed in terms of their implications for further research on racial disparity in the application of criminal sanctions.
Differential effects of the perinatal steroid environment on three sexually dimorphic parameters of the rat brain.

Gonadectomy of male rats was performed at 0, 6-7 (6 h), 12-13 (12 h), or 24 h postnatably in order to examine the influence of testosterone exposure on sexual differentiation of the brain. The indices examined were: the volume of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDNPOA) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) titers following estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P) administration. Control animals were sham-operated at 0 h and gonadectomized at 29 days of age (sham). A decrease in the percentage of males with elevated plasma LH levels following P was found with increasing delay before gonadectomy. Significant (P<0.O01) differences existed in the amplitude of plasma LH titers 5 h following P administration between sham, 0 h, and 6 h groups. Follicle-stimulating hormone was also elevated in all neonatally gonadectomized male groups following P administration, but there was no difference between the groups. Volume of the SDN-POA was significantly (P<0.001) smaller in all gonadectomized males when compared to that of sham-operated males, but no differences existed between males gonadectomized at the different hours postpartum. In female rats gonadectomized at 0 h (FOh), LH levels were elevated 5 h following P, but only to a magnitude of 36% of that of sham-operated controls (P<0.001). Volume of the SDN-POA of the F0h group was significantly reduced (P<0.05) when compared to that of sham females. Thus, in males, the presence of the testes prenatally may be responsible for the initiation of masculinization of LH release mechanisms and the SDN-POA, but both require further androgen exposure for their completion. In addition, the LH and FSH regulating systems show a differential sensitivity to the steroid hormone environment during development that shapes the animal’s response to steroid as an adult.
A convenient synthesis of 2,4-diaminoquinoline derivatives

Abstract Base or Lewis acid induced cyclisation of the o-amidinobenzonitriles (III) provides 2,4-diaminoquinoline derivatives (IV) in high yield.
Transpiration response of ‘slow-wilting’ and commercial soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) genotypes to three aquaporin inhibitors

The slow-wilting soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotype, PI 416937, exhibits a limiting leaf hydraulic conductance for transpiration rate (TR) under high vapour pressure deficit (VPD). This genotype has a constant TR at VPD greater than 2 kPa, which may be responsible for its drought tolerance as a result of soil water conservation. However, the exact source of the hydraulic limitation between symplastic and apoplastic water flow in the leaf under high VPD conditions are not known for PI 416937. A comparison was made in the TR response to aquaporin (AQP) inhibitors between PI 416937 and N01-11136, a commercial genotype that has a linear TR response to VPD in the 1–3.5 kPa range. Three AQP inhibitors were tested: cycloheximide (CHX, a de novo synthesis inhibitor), HgCl2, and AgNO3. Dose–response curves for the decrease in TR following exposure to each inhibitor were developed. Decreases in TR of N01-11136 following treatment with inhibitors were up to 60% for CHX, 82% for HgCl2, and 42% for AgNO3. These results indicate that the symplastic pathway terminating in the guard cells of these soybean leaves may be at least as important as the apoplastic pathway for water flow in the leaf under high VPD. While the decrease in TR for PI 416937 was similar to that of N01-11136 following exposure to CHX and HgCl2, TR of PI 416937 was insensitive to AgNO3 exposure. These results indicate the possibility of a lack of a Ag-sensitive leaf AQP population in the slowwilting line, PI 416937, and the presence of such a population in the commercial line, N01-11136.
A stable nanoporous silicon anode prepared by modified magnesiothermic reactions

Abstract Porous silicon prepared by low-cost and scalable magnesiothermic reactions is a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries; yet, retaining good cycling stability for such materials in electrodes of practical loading remains a challenge. Here, we engineered the nanoporous silicon from a modified magnesiothermic reaction by controlled surface oxidization forming a
A Passive Measurement System for Network Testbeds

The ability to capture and process packet-level data is of intrinsic importance in network testbeds that offer broad experimental capabilities to researchers. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of a passive measurement system for network testbeds called GIMS. The system enables users to specify and centrally manage packet capture on a set of dedicated measurement nodes deployed on links in a distributed testbed. The first component of GIMS is a scalable experiment management system that coordinates multi-tenant access to measurement nodes through a web-based user interface. The second component of GIMS is a node management system that enables (i) local processing on packets (e.g., flow aggregation and sampling), (ii) meta-data to be added to captured packets (e.g., timestamps), (iii) packet anonymization per local security policy, and (iv) flexible data storage including transfer to remote archives. We demonstrate the capabilities of GIMS through a set of micro-benchmarks that specifically highlight the performance of the node management system deployed on a commodity workstation. Our implementations are openly available to the community and our development efforts are on-going.
Drivers, scales and contexts of disaster risk: An editorial introduction.

From 06-08 October 2014, I had the opportunity to attend the second biennial conference of the Southern Africa Society for Disaster Reduction in Windhoek, Namibia. The theme of that meeting was drivers, scales and contexts of disaster risk in the Southern Africa Development Community. The three-day event included morning plenary sessions, afternoon breakout paper sessions and evening social hours and networking events. Those conference days were filled with lively debate and discussion. This dynamism of interchange was due, in part, to the diversity of the participants themselves: They hailed from all over the southern Africa region as well as from other parts of Africa, Europe, North America, Asia and beyond. Speakers included elected and appointed government officials, practitioners, graduate students, faculty members and many others. The sessions and associated events opened up the opportunity for long-standing collaborators as well as new colleagues and acquaintances to connect and to converse about common research interests and practical applications.
Interpersonal and Relational Orientation among Pre-Service Educators: Differential Effects on Attitudes toward Inclusion of Students with Disabilities.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which pre-service educators’ interpersonal characteristics affected their attitudes toward teaching students with disabilities (inclusion), as measured by the FIRO-B and ATIES pre- and post-course. The FIRO-B was administered to assess expressed and wanted aspects of three interpersonal needs: personal inclusion, affection and control. The ATIES was administered to measure attitudes toward classroom inclusion of students with physical, academic, behavioral and social disabilities. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed a main effect for wanted inclusion and an interaction effect for expressed inclusion and expressed affection on attitudes toward classroom inclusion. Ultimately, these findings reveal how unique relational characteristics may influence preparation initiatives and may encourage consideration of how individual factors may mediate teacher training and preparation.
The Cuban Revolution: Lessons for the Third World

the Caribbean a common history of colonization, slavery and imperialist exploitation. Colonized by Spain in the 16th Century as part of the rapid overseas expansion of commercial capitalism in Europe, Cuba was plundered of its gold and its indigenous population was decimated. Later, sugar plantations were introduced and African slaves were imported to labor in the fields. Colonial domination
Kras-mutant lung cancers in the era of targeted therapy

KRAS-mutant lung cancers account for approximately 25% of non-small cell lung carcinomas, thus representing an enormous burden of cancer worldwide. KRAS mutations are clear drivers of tumor growth and are characterized by a complex biology involving the interaction between mutant KRAS, various growth factor pathways, and tumor suppressor genes. While KRAS mutations are classically associated with a significant smoking history, they are also identified in a substantial proportion of never-smokers. These mutations are found largely in lung adenocarcinomas with solid growth patterns and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. A variety of tools are available for diagnosis including Sanger sequencing, multiplex mutational hotspot profiling, and next-generation sequencing. The prognostic and predictive roles of KRAS status remain controversial. It has become increasingly clear, however, that KRAS mutations drive primary resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibition. Until recently, mutant KRAS was not thought of as a clinically-targetable driver in lung cancers. With the expansion of our knowledge regarding the biology of KRAS-mutant lung cancers and the role of MEK and PI3K/mTOR inhibition, the face of targeted therapeutics for this genomic subset of patients is slowly beginning to change.
WAVE STRESSES ON RUBBLE MOUND ARMOUR

In this study, physical experiments are used to investigate the relationship between fluid velocities on the surface of two rubble-mounds and the shear stresses T and normal stresses a acting on the surface layer of rock armour. Results presented herein indicate that the peak magnitude of slopeparallel hydrodynamic forces on rubble-mound armour located below the still waterline can be reasonably well estimated using wave friction factors originally developed for rough turbulent oscillatory flow over impermeable horizontal beds. Stresses on rubble-mound armour are also compared to the prevailing surf similarity (Iribarren) parameter. The largest stresses are found to result from waves that form collapsing breakers.
Zero-Field Level-Crossing Resonances in Optically Pumped 2 3 S 1 He 4

Parametric resonances associated with zero-field level crossings of the ${2}^{3}{S}_{1}$ level of ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ have been investigated using transverse optical pumping. A steady-state technique based on the $n=0$, $p=0$ resonance (Hanle effect) is used to measure spin-state lifetimes and determine the dependence of the thermal relaxation time on the state of the active helium discharge. The $n=0$, $p=1$ resonance is quite strong and suitable for measuring weak magnetic fields. A sensitivity of 1.0 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ G is demonstrated for this measurement technique.
Stereospecific Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) of Norbornene and Tetracyclododecene by Mo and W Initiators

We report the synthesis of >98% cis,isotactic and cis,syndiotactic polynorbornene (poly(NBE)) and poly(endo,anti-tetracyclododecene) (poly(TCD)). Cis,isotactic poly(NBE) and poly(TCD) were prepared employing Mo-based biphenolate imido alkylidene initiators, Mo(NR)(CHCMe2Ph)(Biphen) (Biphen = e.g., 3,3′-(t-Bu)2-5,5′-6,6′-(CH3)4-1,1′-biphenyl-2,2′-diolate), while cis,syndiotactic poly(NBE) and poly(TCD) were prepared employing W-based imido or oxo monoaryloxide pyrrolide (MAP) initiators, W(X)(CHR′)(Pyrrolide)(OTer) (X = NR or O; OTer = a 2,6-terphenoxide). Addition of 1-hexene or coordinating solvents such as THF do not decrease the stereospecificity of the polymerization. Cis,iso and cis,syndio dyads can be distinguished through examination of 1H and 13C NMR spectra of the two polymers in a mixture. The polymers were hydrogenated to give isotactic and syndiotactic H-poly(NBE) and H-poly(TCD).
Persistent Biomechanical Alterations After ACL Reconstruction Are Associated With Early Cartilage Matrix Changes Detected by Quantitative MR

Background:The effectiveness of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in preventing early osteoarthritis is debated. Restoring the original biomechanics may potentially prevent degenerati...
Incorporating Electronic Documentation into Beginning Nursing Courses Facilitates Safe Nursing Practice

Abstract Advances in technology require nursing students to be prepared to practice in a technology-rich environment. The purpose of this project was to incorporate electronic documentation activities to facilitate student's skill performance. Although students initially increased their electronic documentation competency, this was not maintained. Electronic documentation activities are needed to facilitate nursing student's computer literacy skills. Therefore, nurse educators must examine best practice approaches to facilitate student's readiness to practice in today's technology-rich environment.
The Slow Birth of an International Criminal Court

On 17 December 1996, the UN General Assembly decided that ‘a diplomatic conference of plenipotentiaries shall be held in 1998, with a view to finalizing and adopting a convention on the establishment of an international criminal court’ (Res. 51/207). The Preparatory Committee created by the Assembly had noted in its report the co-operative spirit in which debates took place and ‘the commitment of the international community’ to this establishment. This new spirit of the ‘international community’, long opposed to or uninterested by the creation of an international criminal court, was related generally to the belated realization that a growing number of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocides were being committed in a number of countries with impunity. In the lack of effective, independent and fair national justice in many countries, the need for an impartial international court had become more evident and urgent. This resolution was hailed by the promoters and supporters of an International Criminal Court as a significant victory and an historical advance for international justice.
How Do Secondary Level Biology Teachers Make Sense of Using Mathematics in Design-Based Lessons About a Biological Process?

In the fall of 2011 five secondary level biology teachers in the northeast United States implemented an experimental instructional module that challenged their students with a design problem. This challenge required students to perform both mathematical analysis and the engineering application of biological concepts in order to reach a resolution. Specifically, given the parental genotypes of two gecko parents, students were tasked to: (a) mathematically represent the relative frequency of all possible offspring genotypes; and (b) design a systematic breeding program for the geckos that would consistently produce a rare and highly desired genotype as a result. Presented here is a study of how the participating teachers made sense of the mathematics and engineering design applied to the biological process of inheritance, and their reflections on their own implementations of the instructional module. Emergent themes dealt with the limitations of mathematics in teachers’ own biology education, their lack of experience with either engineering or design, and their efforts to help students address similar circumstances.
What Is the Role of Elective Neck Dissection in the Management of Patients With Buccal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Clinically Negative Neck

Purpose Buccal squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is rare in the United States. Given its location, few anatomic barriers to spread exist and it has been found to have a high locoregional recurrence rate. The role of elective neck dissection (END) in patients with clinically negative neck (N0) is not clear. This study aims to answer the following research question: Among patients with N0 BSCC, does END improve locoregional control rates, distant metastasis rates, and 2- and 5-year survival rates? Materials and Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The sample included patients who received a diagnosis of BSCC. The primary predictor variable was END status (yes or no). Five institutions participated between June 2001 and June 2011: University of Washington, University of Michigan, University of Tennessee, North Memorial Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Minnesota, and Head and Neck Surgical Associates (Portland, OR). The primary outcome variable was locoregional recurrence. Secondary outcome variables were distant metastasis and 2- and 5-year survival rates. Other variables collected were demographic characteristics, initial operation, adjuvant therapy, clinical and pathologic data, and staging. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards statistics were computed. Results The sample was composed of 98 patients with clinical N0 BSCC. The mean age was 66 years (range, 30-88 years), and 54% were men. Of the patients, 74 (76%) underwent END. The locoregional recurrence–free rate was 61% for END versus 38% for no END (P = .042). The distant metastasis rate was 4% for END versus 9% for no END. The 2- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 91% and 75% (P = .042), respectively, for END and 85% and 63% (P = .019), respectively, for no END. Conclusions END had a therapeutic effect, as evidenced by a lower locoregional recurrence rate, lower distant metastasis rate, and improved 2- and 5-year survival rates.
Artificial muscles made of chiral two-way shape memory polymer fibers

In this work, we demonstrate the unusual improvement of the tensile actuation of hierarchically chiral structured artificial muscle made of two-way shape memory polymer (2W-SMP) fiber. Experimental results show that the chemically cross-linked poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) 2W-SMP fibers possess an average negative coefficient of thermal expansion (NCTE) that is at least one order higher than that of the polyethylene fiber used previously. As expected, the increase in axial thermal contraction of the precursor fiber leads to an increase in the recovered torque ( 4.4 Nmm) of the chiral fiber and eventually in the tensile actuation of the twisted-then-coiled artificial muscle ( 67.81±1.82%). A mechanical model based on Castigliano's second theorem is proposed, and the calculated result is consistent with the experimental result (64.17% tensile stroke). The model proves the significance of the NCTE and the recovered torque on tensile actuation of the artificial muscle and can be used as a guidance for the f...
Correlates of caregivers' involvement in the management of older adults' medications

Abstract Background Family caregivers are actively involved in medication management, yet little is known about factors associated with caregivers' involvement in this role and how that information can be utilized to engage caregivers in the healthcare system. Objectives To explore factors associated with caregiver involvement in various aspects of older adults' medication management (i.e., ordering, keeping track or ensuring the correct medication is taken at the correct time, and injecting medications). Methods A retrospective analysis of two national surveys, the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study and the National Study of Caregiving was performed. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between demographic and caregiving variables with caregiver involvement in three medication management activities. Results Approximately two-thirds of family caregivers (N = 1369) were involved in one or more medication management activities. Factors associated with caregivers' assistance with ordering medications included being female, high frequency of involvement in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), involvement in medically-related activities, and caring for an older, less educated, or Hispanic care-recipient and individuals with lung disease or dementia (p Conclusions Different demographic and caregiving factors were associated with caregiver involvement in various medication management activities. Recurring factors included race/ethnicity, certain care-recipient disease states, and caregiver involvement in IADLs and medically-related activities. Healthcare providers can play a proactive role in engaging caregivers in discussion about medication management and these findings can help practitioners more effectively target caregivers for education and support.
Trends in Transesophageal Echocardiography Use, Findings, and Clinical Outcomes in the Era of Minimally Interrupted Anticoagulation for Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

Abstract Objectives This study assessed trends in transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) use, rate of left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus detection, and incidence of periprocedural cerebrovascular accident (CVA) since transitioning to a strategy of uninterrupted warfarin or briefly interrupted novel oral anticoagulant therapy in 2010. Background TEE is routinely performed before ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) to ensure absence of LAA thrombus. Methods Patients with AF ablation presenting between January 2010 and September 2015 at Johns Hopkins Hospital were enrolled in an AF ablation registry; TEE and ablation outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Presence of LAA thrombus, dense spontaneous echo contrast (SEC), or patent foramen ovale (PFO) were recorded. CVA incidence from procedure onset to 30 days post-procedure was evaluated using electronic medical record review. Results Pre-procedure TEE was performed in 646 of 1,224 AF ablation cases (52.8%). There was a decline in pre-procedure TEE use from 86% in 2010 to 42% in 2015 (p 2 DS 2 VASC score, increased LA size, reduced LAA flow velocity, and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction. PFO was not associated with prior AF ablation, and SEC was not associated with increased CVA incidence. Conclusions CVA is a rare complication of AF ablation in patients with minimally interrupted anticoagulation. Pre-ablation TEE may be reasonably avoided in patients without high-risk features.
A physical activity intervention and changes in body mass index at a middle school with a large American Indian population, Oklahoma, 2004-2009.

School-based interventions can reach children and adolescents and aid in reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity. A physical education class that engaged middle school students in a daily 1-mile walk or run and other team sports was developed in a rural school in southwestern Oklahoma with a large American Indian population. Body mass index z scores decreased among boys and were stable among girls in the intervention group compared with students who did not participate in the intervention. A daily required walk or run may help to establish a physical activity habit with all of its associated benefits.
Dissolved trace metals in low-order, urban stream water, Columbus, Ohio

Abstract Urban areas are thought to possess different geochemical characteristics than more natural regions due to large human population densities and intensified human activities that produce large quantities of waste products. In this work we have analyzed a number of urban streams in Columbus, Ohio, the 15th largest city in the U.S., for their dissolved trace metal concentrations. The three streams have subtle but measurably different land use patterns. Although, in general, the dissolved metal values observed are higher than global average river concentrations, there were no statistically different values between the streams. This suggests that urbanization may help to homogenize trace metal sources and fluxes, even on the small watershed scale, or that dissolved trace metals are not a variable that can be discriminated by land use subtype.
Maple for APPL

Maple is a computer algebra system and programming language that can be used for numerical computations, solving equations, manipulating symbolic expressions, plotting, and programming, just to name a few of the basics. APPL is, simply, a set of supplementary Maple commands and procedures that augments the existing computer algebra system. In effect, APPL takes the capabilities of Maple and turns it into a computer algebra system for computational probability. This chapter contains guidelines for using Maple, and discusses the Maple commands that are used in APPL programming. After reading this chapter, an APPL user will have the knowledge necessary to modify the APPL code to meet his or her particular needs. We will start with a discussion of basic numeric computation, then advance to defining variables, symbolic computations, functions, data types, solving equations, calculus and graphing. Then we will discuss the programming features of Maple that facilitate building the APPL language: loops, conditions, and procedures.
An approach for distributed state estimation of LTI systems

We investigate the problem of distributed state estimation of a linear time-invariant (LTI) system by a network of sensors. We propose a new approach to designing distributed observers based on the following intuition: a given node (sensor) can reconstruct a certain portion of the state solely by using its own measurements together with an appropriate Luenberger observer. Hence it only needs to rely on information obtained from neighbors for estimating the portion of the state that is not locally detectable. We build on this intuition in this paper by extending the idea of the Kalman observable canonical decomposition to a setting with multiple sensors. We then construct local Luenberger observers at each node based on this decomposition, and use consensus dynamics to estimate the unobservable portions of the state at each node. This leads to an estimation scheme that achieves asymptotic state reconstruction at each node of the network for the most general class of LTI systems, sensor network topologies and sensor measurement structures.
Cisplatin (CDDP) and radiation versus cetuximab (Cx) and radiation in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer (SCHNC): A retrospective review.

e16009 Background: SCHNC is a common malignancy and approximately 60% of patients present with locally advanced disease. There is paucity of data directly comparing Cx and CDDP with concurrent radi...
Changes in alcohol use after the onset of spinal cord injury

Objective: Identify the prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking at time of spinal cord injury (SCI) onset, compare these rates to data from the general population, and identify changes in alcohol use at an average of 17 months post-injury.Design: Cross sectional, mailed self-report assessment.Setting: A specialty hospital in the southeastern United States.Participants: Five hundred sixty-six inpatients completed the baseline measure. After eliminating those under age 18, there were 524 participants at baseline. 410 were approached for follow-up, with 201 of those responding.Interventions: N/A.Outcome Measures: Self-reported assessments were completed during inpatient rehabilitation and at follow-up approximately 17 months later. The two primary outcomes were the number of days consuming 5 or more drinks (binge drinking) and the number of days consuming any alcoholic beverages within the 30 days prior to the assessment. Comparison data were taken from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Sy...
Effect of BeO Inclusions on the Rate of Sintering of Cu Wires

Single crystal Cu-Be alloys were made and drawn to wires of 0.005” diameter. The wires were annealed and internally oxidized to precipitate BeO particles. (The BeO particle size, determined by transmission electron microscopy was 300 ∼ 400 A). The volume fraction range of BeO particles investigated was from 0.09% to 0.93%. Generally, the neck size of sintered wires was found to decrease with increasing volume fraction of BeO particles. The interface reaction is proposed to control the rate of the sintering process. The effects of cold work on the sintering behavior of Cu-BeO alloys are also discussed.
The Parent Perceptions of Overall School Experiences Scale: Initial Development and Validation:

Parent engagement in schools is often precipitated by a thorough and genuine assessment of parents’ needs, priorities, and perceptions of their children’s schools. This study reports on the development and validation of the Parent Perceptions of Overall School Experiences Scale. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) examined the factorial validity of the measure using cross-sectional survey data from 2,643 parents. In addition, a series of CFAs was conducted to explore the language invariance of the measurement model across Spanish and English versions of the scale. Predictive validity also was determined using correlational analyses. Results revealed that the five-item Parent Perceptions of Overall School Experiences Scale is a brief, universal measure of parents’ perceptions of their overall experiences with their children’s schools. Schools, parents, and community members may use this measure to assess parents’ needs and to advocate for necessary programmatic changes that serve parents and their children.
Medical versus surgical treatment of prolactinomas: an analysis of treatment outcomes.

Introduction: Prolactinomas are unique tumors that may go into both hormonal and radiographic remission with dopamine agonist therapy or transsphenoidal surgery. Regardless of modality, the...
Teachers’ professional learning to affirm transgender, non-binary, and gender-creative youth: experiences and recommendations from the field

AbstractThis paper critically examines the professional learning needs called for by educators working to support transgender, non-binary, and gender-creative (trans) youth and makes recommendations for practice. Interviews were conducted with 26 educators (preschool to secondary) who have worked directly with trans students (any child whose behaviour does not match stereotypes for their sex category assigned at birth, or who identifies with a gender different from their sex category assigned at birth). We examine two new concepts related to professional learning and educator preparation that emerged from theorising the data and related literature: pedagogies of exposure and culture of conversation. The limits and possibilities offered by these approaches are critically examined through the research base on teacher learning. Recommendations are made for teacher preparation, professional development and related practices to better create and sustain learning environments that affirm gender diversity.
Middle to late Holocene chronology of the western margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet: A comparison with Holocene temperature and precipitation records

ABSTRACTThe response of the Greenland Ice Sheet to future climate change is relatively unconstrained. Determining the extents and rates of ice-margin fluctuations during the Holocene provides a longer-term perspective on ice-sheet changes and offers an analogue of how the ice-sheet may respond to future changes. Here, we present sixteen new 10Be ages of boulders on moraines, boulders perched on bedrock, and bedrock surfaces that mark the timing of ice-margin fluctuations during the Holocene in the Kangerlussuaq region of southern west Greenland. We show that the Keglen moraines date to 8.0 ± 0.3 ka (n = 6) and that the average ice-margin retreat rate slowed from about 49 to 13 m yr−1 after about 8.0 ka, likely in response to the ice margin retreating onto land at the head of the fjord Kangerlussuaq at this time. The average retreat rate further slowed to less than 1 m yr−1 between 6.8 ka and 4.2 cal kyr BP, a time when nearby paleoclimate records document warm summers and increased precipitation. Finally,...
Advanced computational sensors technology: testing and evaluation in visible, SWIR, and LWIR imaging

The Advanced Computational Sensors Team at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the Johns Hopkins University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has been developing advanced readout integrated circuit (ROIC) technology for more than 10 years with a particular focus on the key challenges of dynamic range, sampling rate, system interface and bandwidth, and detector materials or band dependencies. Because the pixel array offers parallel sampling by default, the team successfully demonstrated that adding smarts in the pixel and the chip can increase performance significantly. Each pixel becomes a smart sensor and can operate independently in collecting, processing, and sharing data. In addition, building on the digital circuit revolution, the effective well size can be increased by orders of magnitude within the same pixel pitch over analog designs. This research has yielded an innovative class of a system-on-chip concept: the Flexible Readout and Integration Sensor (FRIS) architecture. All key parameters are programmable and/or can be adjusted dynamically, and this architecture can potentially be sensor and application agnostic. This paper reports on the testing and evaluation of one prototype that can support either detector polarity and includes sample results with visible, short-wavelength infrared (SWIR), and long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) imaging.
A Small-Scale Feature in the Field of Motion

Simultaneous ascent of three balloons released at the vertices of a triangle with an area of about one-half square mile serves as a basis for determining small-scale vorticity and divergence. A sec...
Frustrated plane-polarized dipoles in one dimension

We investigate the zero-temperature quantum phases of a quasi-one-dimensional zigzag chain of dipoles that are polarized in a plane by an external electric field. Since the Hamiltonian contains nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor hopping and interaction terms, this model allows frustration, which induces phases that can be interesting and unusual. By using the density matrix renormalization group algorithm, we produce a complex phase diagram. This is an extension of an earlier work by Wang et al. [Phys. Rev. A 96, 043615 (2017)].
Good Trouble: Post-tenure Interruptions to Our Academic ‘Routines’

As a public artist and designer, I construct spaces that connect people and ideas. The social spaces I create challenge our traditional ways of thinking, knowing, and experiencing one another and our cities. This piece presents a resistance to preset disciplinary values and a recognition that exponential rather than incremental change in an urgently evolving filed demands knew form and language. Working at what might be described as the margins of a field within a discipline that is itself often at the margins of a University necessitates both deliberate articulation and responsibility to translate less orthodox practices, off-center inquiry, ways of knowing and outputs in the tenure and promotion process. This piece challenges us to see the civic work we do as good work, and when our good work serves as an interruption to the existing status quo of the academy, then this good work serves to bridge the academy to cities in more meaningful ways.
Effect of blood contamination on amniotic fluid detection in vitro using immunoassays.

Objective: To determine the accuracy of Actim PROM®, Amnisure®, and ROM Plus® tests for detecting amniotic fluid proteins in the setting of blood contamination.Methods: IGFBP-1 and AFP are proteins...
It's not all about the CNS. High dose methotrexate in DLBCL.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive B cell lymphoma that carries with it a low but inherent risk of central nervous system (CNS) involvement at presentation or relapse [1]. While...
Predictive value of the combination of lesion location and volume of ischemic infarction with rehabilitation outcomes.

In acute ischemic stroke, infarct location and volume have, separately, been used to determine long-term outcomes after stroke. Little information exists on the combination of these imaging characteristics on rehabilitation outcomes. We evaluated the association between infarct lesion location volume with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) measure during inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) in ischemic stroke patients. Between 2012 and 2014, we prospectively enrolled consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients admitted from a Comprehensive Stroke Center and followed to an IRF in Chicago, Illinois. We adjudicated infarct volumes in specific lesion locations using a validated brain atlas. Volumes were calculated using an automated pipeline. FIM measure was extracted from IRF charts. We analyzed the association between acute infarct characteristics and functional measures using adjusted Spearman’s correlation. Among 162 stroke patients (mean age 67.6 years, 48.1% male, 58.6% Caucasian), the median FIM at IRF was 52 (IQR 36–62). In an adjusted analysis, infarct volumes in the left basal ganglia (rs = − 0.45, p = 0.02) and left frontal lobe (rs = − 0.38, p = 0.04) were negatively correlated with FIM scores. There is an association between specific infarct lesion location volume and subsequent FIM scores assessed at IRF. Our findings suggest that imaging during index stroke hospitalization could be used to predict outcomes assessed during IRF.
Are parent involvement and school quality associated with adult smoking behaviors? Findings from an urban early childhood cohort

Abstract Although smoking prevention is a high priority, few studies have examined alterable family and school context factors in childhood that influence later smoking behaviors. The present study examined associations of parent involvement in and expectations for children's education, elementary school quality, and school mobility with lifetime smoking history in adulthood for a low-income, minority cohort. Participants from the Chicago Longitudinal Study ( N = 1142) were interviewed at age 22–24 as part of a 20-year follow-up of a prospective early childhood cohort of economically disadvantaged families. The sample is 74% of the original cohort ( N = 1539). Family surveys and school records measured parent involvement and expectations as well as school quality and mobility from 4th to 8th grades. At age 22–24 follow-up, 47% reported a smoking history, and 37% were current smokers. After controlling for family background and participant characteristics, parent involvement in school was associated with reduced odds of a smoking history (OR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.78, 0.99). Magnet school attendance (a school quality indicator) was associated with lower odds of current (OR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.28, 0.79) and daily smoking (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.21, 0.74). More frequent school moves were consistently associated with increased odds of smoking (e.g., OR [currently] = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.36). Results indicate that protective factors within the family and school context were consistently associated with smoking measures. Programs and practices that strengthen parent involvement and school support may contribute to prevention efforts.