cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Olfactory outcomes after endoscopic skull base surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES Determine the effect of endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS) on long-term olfactory outcomes after surgery. METHODS An English-language search was conducted using the Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases from January 2000 to October 2017 for adult patients undergoing ESBS with subjective and objective olfaction outcomes. Two authors independently examined articles to identify those meeting inclusion criteria. Studies examining objective olfactory outcomes after ESBS were included in the meta-analysis. A random-effects meta-analysis of patients undergoing sellar and parasellar ESBS was conducted to compare preoperative and postoperative olfactory outcomes using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and Cross-Cultural Smell Identification Test (CCSIT). RESULTS Among 339 eligible articles, 29 articles met inclusion criteria. Twenty-five of these focused on sellar and parasellar tumors. Individual articles not meeting criteria for meta-analysis were qualitatively reported. Meta-analysis showed there was no difference in preoperative and postoperative olfactory function after sellar and parasellar ESBS based on the UPSIT (five studies, mean difference [MD] = -1.03; 95% CI: -3.98, 1.93; P = .50) and the CCIST (three studies, MD = -0.77; 95% CI: -3.03, 1.49; P = .50). A pooled overall meta-analysis revealed similar results (eight studies, effect size = -0.30; 95% CI: -0.79, 0.18; P = .22). However, heterogeneity for all meta-analyses was high (I2 > 95%, P < .01), suggesting significant variation in the included studies. CONCLUSIONS Based on published objective olfaction outcomes after sellar and parasellar ESBS, there was no significant difference between preoperative and postoperative olfaction. Further prospective studies using validated objective measures of olfaction are required to improve our understanding on this subject. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2a Laryngoscope, 129:1998-2007, 2019.
Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in mild traumatic brain injury: a review of related pathophysiology and symptoms

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a vital role in maintaining and regulating homeostatic processes. ANS dysfunction has been reported in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), but its role in mild TBI (mTBI) is understudied. The objective of this review is to elucidate the role of ANS dysfunction following mTBI and the underlying pathophysiology specifically neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, oxidative stress, and altered cerebral blood flow. ANS dysfunction is thought to be one of the many factors contributing to clinical features following mTBI including headache, anxiety, cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and sleep disturbances. The ANS has been shown to play a role in the production and regulation of pro-inflammatory molecules. ANS dysfunction most often results in exaggerated sympathetic neural activation (SNA) which contributes to neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. SNA is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species and subsequent neurodegeneration following mTBI. Additionally, changes in cerebral blood flow can be seen in patients with mTBI showing evidence of ANS dysfunction. No Level I studies have explored the relationship between mTBI and ANS dysfunction. Better understanding of the role of the ANS in mTBI will improve the evaluation and clinical management of mTBI by offering additional diagnostic and novel treatment strategies.
Anomalous subdiffusion from subsystem symmetries

We introduce quantum circuits in two and three spatial dimensions which are classically simulable, despite producing a high degree of operator entanglement. We provide a partial characterization of these ``automaton'' quantum circuits and use them to study operator growth, information spreading, and local charge relaxation in quantum dynamics with subsystem symmetries, which we define as overlapping symmetries that act on lower-dimensional submanifolds. With these symmetries, we discover the anomalous subdiffusion of conserved charges; that is, the charges spread slower than diffusion in the dimension of the subsystem symmetry. By studying an effective operator hydrodynamics in the presence of these symmetries, we predict the charge autocorrelator to decay (i) as $ln(t)/\sqrt{t}$ in two dimensions with a conserved U(1) charge along intersecting lines and (ii) as $1/{t}^{3/4}$ in three spatial dimensions with intersecting planar U(1) symmetries. Through large-scale studies of automaton dynamics with these symmetries, we numerically observe charge relaxation that is consistent with these predictions. In both cases, the spatial charge distribution is distinctly non-Gaussian and reminiscent of the diffusion of charges along a fractal surface. We numerically study the onset of quantum chaos in the spreading of local operators under these automaton dynamics and observe power-law broadening of the ballistically propagating fronts of evolving operators in two and three dimensions and the saturation of out-of-time-ordered correlations to values consistent with quantum chaotic behavior.
Optimal Pilots for Maximal Capacity of Secret Key Generation

Through a wireless channel, two users can transmit pilot signals to each other, and then utilize the received signals to agree upon a secret key through communications in a public channel without leaking any secret about this key to anyone else. This paper addresses the optimization of the two pilots to maximize the capacity of secret key generation for a MIMO channel with any given receive and transmit correlation matrices. This study shows how the globally optimal pilots can be obtained if the transmission power is either low or high. For an arbitrary transmission power, the algorithm developed is at least locally optimal. Comparison to pilots based on minimum channel estimation errors and uniform power distribution is also presented. It is also shown that the designed pilots meet the requirement for anti- eavesdropping channel estimation.
On the feasibility of cropland and forest area expansions required to achieve long-term temperature targets

Biomass-based negative emission technologies (NETs) such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and afforestation/reforestation (AR) are regarded as important options to achieve the 2 °C and 1.5 °C targets stipulated in the Paris agreement, but the feasibility of their large-scale deployments remains very uncertain. This study focused on the speed of expansions of land-use area related to the biomass-based NETs and assessed the feasibility of climate change mitigation scenarios to achieve the temperature targets. Our model analysis shows that expansions at unprecedented speeds are required for total cropland area (including energy cropland) in Sub-Saharan Africa and for planted forest area for carbon sink in many regions in the next decades, under the assumption of global least-cost measures for CO2 emission reduction. On the other hand, when the speed of the land-use expansions is limited as observed in the real world, the CO2 emission reduction costs become unrealistically high around the middle of this century, particularly in scenarios for the 1.5 °C target; relatively low-cost measures such as BECCS in Sub-Saharan Africa and AR in many regions are limited in deployment due to the limited speed of the land-use expansion, and yet energy systems must be transformed to nearly net-zero/negative CO2 emissions for the 2 °C/1.5 °C target, which necessitates using other mitigation technologies of much higher costs. These results may cause concern over the feasibility of achieving the temperature targets, especially for the 1.5 °C target, and point to technical and scenario design aspects that will need further research for biomass-based NETs and their allowable expansion speed.
The Use of Telemedicine for Child Psychiatric Consultations in an Inner-city Hospital

The Use of Telemedicine for Child Psychiatric Consultations in an Inner-city Hospital Puja Desai MD1, Adedotun Adewale1, Matthias Manuel1, Kosha Shah1, Nastasia Nianiaris1, Roy Vega1,2 1 Department of Pediatrics, Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center 2 Department of Emergency Medicine, Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center Background: Similar to other urban hospitals in the United States, the volume and complexities of pediatric psychiatric patients seen in our emergency department has increased tremendously in the last few years. Due to the shortage of mental health care providers in lower socioeconomic …
Arguments against efficiency in science

A recent commentary critiqued the embrace of performance metrics at research universities. Drawing on our research studying the metascience movement, we suggest that the drive to maximize efficienc...
Simultaneous multiparameter whole blood hemostasis assessment using a carbon nanotube-paper composite capacitance sensor.

Abstract Rapid and accurate clinical assessment of hemostasis is essential for managing patients who undergo invasive procedures, experience hemorrhages, or receive antithrombotic therapies. Hemostasis encompasses an ensemble of interactions between the cellular and non-cellular blood components, but current devices assess only partial aspects of this complex process. In this work, we describe the development of a new approach to simultaneously evaluate coagulation function, platelet count or function, and hematocrit using a carbon nanotube-paper composite (CPC) capacitance sensor. CPC capacitance response to blood clotting at 1.3 MHz provided three sensing parameters with distinctive sensitivities towards multiple clotting elements. Whole blood-based hemostasis assessments were conducted to demonstrate the potential utility of the developed sensor for various hemostatic conditions, including pathological conditions, such as hemophilia and thrombocytopenia. Results showed good agreements when compared to a conventional thromboelastography. Overall, the presented CPC capacitance sensor is a promising new biomedical device for convenient non-contact whole-blood based comprehensive hemostasis evaluation.
Linear Systems and Inverse Projection

The projection process replaces variables with constraints. In this chapter, we study the inverse, or dual of projection, and replace constraints with variables. Our development is based primarily on Dantzig and Eaves [109] and Williams [453]. Replacing constraints with variables is illustrated next in Section 3.2. We refer to the process of replacing constraints with variables as inverse projection. This is logical because in projection we replace variables with constraints. In Section 3.2 we also show how to solve linear programs with inverse projection and give a simple proof of the finite basis theorem for polyhedra. In Section 3.3 we further illustrate the duality between projection and inverse projection. Sensitivity analysis of the objective function coefficients is covered in Section 3.4. Concluding remarks are given in Section 3.5. Exercises are provided in Section 3.6.
INSIGHTS INTO THE MECHANICS OF CYTOKINETIC RING ASSEMBLY USING 3D MODELING.

During fission yeast cytokinesis, actin filaments nucleated by cortical formin Cdc12 are captured by myosin motors bound to a band of cortical nodes. The myosin motors exert forces that pull nodes together into a contractile ring. Cross-linking interactions help align actin filaments and nodes into a single bundle. Mutations in the myosin motor domain and changes in the concentration of cross-linkers alpha-actinin and fimbrin alter the morphology of the condensing network, leading to clumps, rings or extended meshworks. How the contractile tension developing during ring formation depends on the interplay between network morphology, myosin motor activity, cross-linking and actin filament turnover remains to be elucidated. We addressed this question using a 3D computational model in which semiflexible actin filaments (represented as beads connected by springs) grow from formins, can be captured by myosin in neighboring nodes, and get cross-linked with one another through an attractive interaction. We identify regimes of tension generation between connected nodes under a wide set of conditions regarding myosin dynamics and strength of cross-linking between actin filaments. We find conditions that maximize circumferential tension, correlate them with network morphology and propose experiments to test these predictions. This work addresses “Morphogenesis of soft and living matter” using computational modeling to simulate cytokinetic ring assembly from the key molecular mechanisms of viscoelastic cross-linked actin networks that include active molecular motors.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Structural Studies and Organic Ligand-binding Properties of Bovine Plasma Albumin

Abstract Cyanogen bromide cleavage of bovine plasma albumin in 75% formic acid gave two fragments, N and C, in yields of 80%. After reduction of the cross-linking disulfide bonds of Fragment N, two peptides containing 88 and 98 amino acid residues were isolated. The single sulfhydryl group of albumin was found to be located in the 88 amino acid residue peptide which occupies the amino-terminal position of the molecule. After reduction of Fragment C, three peptides containing 211, 148, and 34 amino acid residues were isolated. These five peptides together account for the albumin molecule. Limited tryptic hydrolysis of defatted bovine plasma albumin at pH 8.8 and 0° gave a fragment of molecular weight of about 40,000 in a yield of 21%. The fragment is derived from the carboxyl-terminal two-thirds of the albumin molecule as shown by a comparison of its three cyanogen bromide peptides with those from albumin. These data were used for the alignment of the five cyanogen bromide peptides of albumin. Binding studies showed that the tryptic fragment and defatted albumin both had one primary site for octanoate and l-tryptophan. d-Tryptophan competitively displaced either of these two ligands from the fragment and from albumin, thus suggesting that all three ligands bind at the same site. The binding constants of the fragment for the three ligands were all about one-third of those for albumin. The ratio of the binding constants of l-and d-tryptophan for the fragment was nearly the same as that for albumin, and this was also the case for octanoate and l-tryptophan. These similarities strongly suggest that the binding site in the fragment is the one present in albumin.
CURRICULUM: A Chemical Engineering Course for Liberal Arts Students--Indigo: A World of Blues.

Sophomore liberal arts and engineering students enrolled in a course to learn and practice some basic chemical engineering side by side. The course was developed around the theme of indigo dyeing, which has an interesting history, fascinating chemistry and is accessible to all students. The students participated in a variety of active learning exercises in the classroom and laboratory. At the end of the semester, assessments showed that the liberal arts students understood the basic chemical engineering principles as well as the engineering students.
A systematic review of validated methods for identifying heart failure using administrative data

Purpose To identify and describe the validity of algorithms used to detect heart failure (HF) using administrative and claims data sources. Methods A systematic review of PubMed and Iowa Drug Information Service searches of the English language was performed to identify studies published between 1990 and 2010 that evaluated the validity of algorithms for the identification of patients with HF using and claims data. Abstracts and articles were reviewed by two study investigators to determine their relevance on the basis of predetermined criteria. Results The initial search strategy identified 887 abstracts. Of these, 499 full articles were reviewed and 35 studies included data to evaluate the validity of identifying patients with HF. Positive predictive values (PPVs) were in the acceptable to high range, with most being very high (>90%). Studies that included patients with a primary hospital discharge diagnosis of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code 428.X had the highest PPV and specificity for HF. PPVs for this algorithm ranged from 84% to 100%. This algorithm, however, may compromise sensitivity because many HF patients are managed on an outpatient basis. The most common ‘gold standard’ for the validation of HF was the Framingham Heart Study criteria. Conclusions The algorithms and definitions used to identify HF using administrative and claims data perform well, particularly when using a primary hospital discharge diagnosis. Attention should be paid to whether patients who are managed on an outpatient basis are included in the study sample. Including outpatient codes in the described algorithms would increase the sensitivity for identifying new cases of HF. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. key words—congestive heart failure; validation; administrative data
A Hostile Environment: How the "Severe or Pervasive"Requirement and the Employer's Affirmative Defense Trap Sexual Harassment Plaintiffs in a Catch-22

This Note argues that the combination of the "severe or pervasive" requirement and the employer's affirmative defense, as applied in lower federal courts, makes it very difficult for a hostile work environment sexual harassment plaintiff to prevail against his or her employer. Courts require actionable harassment to consist of one extremely severe incident or to continue long enough to become cumulatively severe or pervasive. But once the harassment has gone on long enough to become severe or pervasive, the employer's affirmative defense is increasingly likely to bar the plaintiff's prima facie case. The result is that as the plaintiff's prima facie case grows stronger, the probability that the employer will prevail on its affirmative defense also increases. This Note argues that such a contradictory approach is unfair to plaintiffs and proposes a more equitable standard that would place plaintiff's and employers on equal footing.
Pannexin-1-Mediated Intracellular Delivery of Muramyl Dipeptide Induces Caspase-1 Activation via Cryopyrin/NLRP3 Independently of Nod2

Muramyl dipeptide (MDP), the microbial activator of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 (Nod2), induces NF-κB and MAPK activation, leading to the production of multiple anti-bacterial and proinflammatory molecules. In addition, MDP has been implicated in IL-1β secretion through the regulation of caspase-1. However, the mechanisms that mediate caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion in response to MDP stimulation remain poorly understood. We show here that fluorescent MDP molecules are internalized in primary macrophages and accumulate in granular structures that colocalize with markers of acidified endosomal compartments. The uptake of MDP was Nod2-independent. Upon ATP stimulation, labeled MDP was rapidly released from acidified vesicles into the cytosol, a process that required functional pannexin-1. Caspase-1 activation induced by MDP and ATP required pannexin-1 and Cryopyrin but was independent of Nod2. Conversely, induction of pro-IL-1β mRNA by MDP stimulation was abolished in Nod2-deficient macrophages but unimpaired in macrophages lacking Cryopyrin. These studies demonstrate a Nod2-independent mechanism mediated through pore-forming pannexin-1 that is required for intracellular delivery of MDP to the cytosol and caspase-1 activation. Furthermore, the work provides evidence for distinct roles of Nod2 and Cryopyrin in the regulation of MDP-induced caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion.
CONTROL SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE FOR AN ADVANCED ELECTRIC VEHICLE POWERTRAIN

Reduced complexity, improved driveability, and increased energy efficiency are among the advantages which can be obtained through (on-board) computer control of powertrains in both conventional and electric vehicles. This paper describes the design and implementation of a control system for an advanced electric vehicle powertrain, incorporating an integrated induction motor and two speed automatic transaxle. The control system employs a distributed computer architecture utilizing a fiber optic communication system for computer coordination. Direct computer control of the clutches in the transmission results in smooth gear shifts without requiring a torque converter. Final testing and evaluation of the vehicle has verified the effectiveness of this control system in providing excellent driveability while maintaining good energy efficiency. For the covering abstract see IRRD 860793.
Dyadic Trust and Generalized Trust of Secular-Versus Christian-College Students

It was correctly hypothesized that students at a conservative Christian college would be less trusting than secular-college students toward people in general (generalized trust), replicating Wrights man (1964), but (hat Christian-college students would be higher in dyadic trust toward a dating partner than would be the case for students at a secular college. Differences in dyadic trust were smaller for more advanced stages of courtship, suggesting that greater initial trust by Christians toward their religious partners accounted for the dyadic trust effect. Data from a religious subsample from the secular university supported the conclusions that the dyadic trust differences were associated with religiosity while the generalized trust differences were associated with selection of college. The results were also related to trust patterns for minority groups in general- The study illustrates (he potential of using differences between prevailing Christian versus psychological conclusions to stimulate research...
Taenidium and Associated Ichnofossils in Fluvial Deposits, Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Formation, Eastern Alabama, Southeastern U.S.A

Exposures of the Tuscaloosa Formation in eastern Alabama (U.S.A.) provided an opportunity to examine ichnofossils and ichnofabrics within Cretaceous fluvial facies. Floodplain mudstones are completely bioturbated and dominated by backfilled burrows most allied with Taenidium serpentinum. These burrows likely reflect the work of insects or oligochaetes that occupied soft, moist proximal floodplain substrates. Although the affinities and ethology of the tracemakers and the precise environmental conditions that prevailed during burrowing cannot be confidently inferred, Tnenidium‐dominated ichnofabrics of the mudstones can be assigned to the Scoyenia ichnofacies in the narrower sense of several recent authors (e.g., Buatois and Mangano, 1985). Ichnofossils are rare to absent in Tuscaloosa sandstones. The tops of some thin crevasse‐splay sands within mudstone‐dominated intervals were intensely disrupted by Taenidium producers. Large, vertically extensive, chambered(?) burrow systems, presumably dug by some unk...
Four-wave-mixing in hot atomic vapor for spatially multimode squeezed light generation

Four-wave-mixing in hot atomic vapor is a versatile tool for spatially multimode squeezed light generation. We demonstrate multimode behavior for different pump-probe configurations producing either single beam squeezing or twin beams.
The Dimension of Depth: Thomas F. Torrance on the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper

‘All the gifts of God set forth in baptism,’ wrote John Calvin, ‘are found in Christ alone’ (Inst. IV.15.6). The baptismal gifts, for Calvin, were essentially three: forgiveness of sins, dying and rising with Christ, and communion with Christ himself (FV.15.1, 5, 6). They were ordered, however, in a particular way. Communion with Christ, Calvin considered, was in effect the one inestimable gift that included within itself the other two benefits of forgiveness and rising with Christ from the dead. Forgiveness and eternal life were thus inseparable from Christ's person and so from participatio Christi through our communion with him. Only by participating in Christ through communion could the divine gifts set forth in baptism be truly received. Any severing of these gifts from Christ himself would result only in empty abstractions. No spiritual gift—neither forgiveness nor eternal life nor any other divine benefit—was ever to be found alongside Christ or apart from him. Christ's saving benefits were inherent in his living person. Only in and with his person were they set forth and available to the church. Communion with Christ was thus bound up with Christ's person in his saving uniqueness. He himself and he alone, for Calvin and for the whole Reformation, was our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).
Diazolidinyl urea : incidence of sensitivity, patterns of cross-reactivity and clinical relevance

Diazolidinyl urea (DIAZ) is a formaldehyde-releasing preservative used in cosmetics and personal-care products, which has been identified as a sensitizing agent in contact dermatitis. To determine whether DIAZ sensitization is secondary to formaldehyde release or due to its own allergenic properties, we reviewed 708 consecutive patch tests of patients with various dermatologic complaints. Profiles of the 58 individuals (8%) with DIAZ sensitivity were analyzed with respect to sex, age, exposures, and chronicity of dermatitis. Significant coexistent biocide reactivity was demonstrated for DIAZ and formaldehyde (81%); 12% reacted to DIAZ alone. We conclude that the primary mode of sensitization of DIAZ is via formaldehyde release and that independent contact allergy is less frequent.
A complete media ethics kit (book review).

Black, J., & Roberts, C. (2011). Doing ethics in media: Theories and practical applications. New York, NY: Routledge. 441 pp., $64.95 (Pbk). Let me skip right to the final chapter, “Accountability,...
Poverty, early childbearing, and child maltreatment: A multinomial analysis

Abstract We examine child maltreatment among the 1982–1988 birth cohorts in Illinois specific to three categories of maltreatment allegations: sexual abuse, other types of abuse, and neglect. Using multinomial logit regression, we examine the effects of seven independent variables on allegation-specific child maltreatment. The independent variables examined are mother's age at birth, community child poverty rate, birth year, region, sex of the child, birth order and race or ethnicity. We find that, even after controlling for other sociodemographic variables, maternal age and poverty are each strong predictors of a substantiated report of all types of child maltreatment. The results indicate that the two factors combined compound the risk of being a victim of substantiated child maltreatment. This finding suggests that a more comprehensive approach that aims to lessen the economic stress of young mothers while addressing their parenting skills may have a direct effect on reducing child maltreatment.
Exploring Flow System Change: U.S. Rail Freight Flows, 1972–1981

Abstract This paper investigates change in U.S. rail freight flows for the period 1972–81. Hypotheses about possible sources of change in the pattern of flows are generated within a spatial price equilibrium framework and then operationalized as a hierarchical set of Kullback-Leibler models representing inertia, variation in regional imports and exports, and variation in generalized interregional transport cost. Models are calibrated (1) for 1981 compared with all previous years and (2) for adjacent years in the data set. Hypotheses are tested using distribution-free methods. Results indicate that significant change in rail freight flows occurs more rapidly than can be accounted for by existing geographic theory. Change is primarily attributable to variation in regional imports and exports; variation in generalized transport cost is found to be considerably less important.
The Emergence of an Occupation

In 1958, Hughes developed a theory of the elements accompanying occupational emergence. This article focuses on defining and measuring the emergence and existence of an occupation. Practitioners in...
Comparative studies on oxidation of lignin model compounds with hydrogen peroxide using Mn(IV)-Me3TACN and Mn(IV)-Me4DTNE as catalyst

Abstract Comparative studies are conducted on the kinetics and reaction mechanism for the oxidation of lignin model compounds, 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethanol ( 1 ), 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-propene ( 2 ) and E -1,2-diphenylethene ( 3 ) with hydrogen peroxide at reaction temperatures below 80 °C using [LMn(IV)(μ-O) 3 Mn(IV)L](PF 6 ) 2 ( C - 1 ) and [L′Mn(IV)(μ-O) 3 Mn(IV)](ClO 4 ) 2 ( C - 2 ) as catalyst. The disappearance rate of 1 and 2 in the first phase of C - 1 -catalyzed oxidation increases up to the temperature range of 50–60 °C then decreases with increasing reaction temperature. The cause for the slow down of the disappearance rate is not known. Based on the kinetic data and reaction products identified, C - 1 is found to be more effective as catalyst in the oxidation of 1 and 2 than C - 2 , but less effective in the oxidation of 3 . In the C - 1 - and C - 2 -catalyzed oxidation, 1 is oxidized to the corresponding α-carbonyl derivative 4 , while 2 readily undergoes epoxidation of the conjugated double bond to produce the corresponding epoxides 5 and 6 . The anti-Markovnikov nucleophilic addition of hydroxide and hydroperoxide anions on 5 and 6 then produced α,β-diol 7 and benzaldehyde derivative 8 , which are non-catalytic reactions and rate determining steps. The compound 3 also undergoes epoxidation of conjugated aliphatic double bond producing the corresponding epoxide 9 . However, none of the corresponding α,β-diol and benzaldehyde derivative is detected in the reaction mixture. In addition, 2 is more susceptible to expoxidation than 3 . On the basis of the kinetics and reaction mechanism of the reactions, the catalytic cycles of the C - 1 - and C - 2 -catalyzed oxidation of 1 – 3 are postulated.
Demonstration abstract: BioWatch: a wrist watch based physiological signal acquisition system

A wrist watch based system, which can measure electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG), is presented in this work. By using both ECG and PPG we measure pulse transit time (PTT), which is known to correlate well with the blood pressure (BP) [1]. This system, called BioWatch, can potentially facilitate continuous and ubiquitous monitoring of ECG, PPG and BP.
Interobserver concordance in discriminating clinical atypia of melanocytic nevi, and correlations with histologic atypia

Background: The clinical features attributed to atypical (formerly "dysplastic") nevi and to the atypical multiple mole melanoma syndrome have been used in clinical practice, as well as experimentally, to assign melanoma risk. Little information is available, however, on the interobserver reliability in assessing those features. Objective: Our purposes were to quantify interobserver and intraobserver concordances in recognizing certain atypical characteristics of nevi and to correlate the clinical assessments with the histologic characteristics. Methods: Three observers evaluated clinical photographs of 100 pigmented lesions (predominantly melanocytic nevi, with some lentigines and seborrheic keratoses) from 95 subjects, of whom 85 were family members of four multiple melanoma kindreds and 10 were spouses. Each lesion was rated for border irregularity, color variegation, surface contour irregularity, pigment diffusion, and macularity versus papularity. Predictions were made as to the histologic diagnoses and presence of melanocytic atypia for those lesions judged to be nevi. Results: The pair-wise concordances before agreement on specific criteria were quantified by κ statistics, which indicated slight to fair agreement in judging the atypical clinical characteristics; concordances increased to moderate levels after consensus development of criteria for color variegation and assessment of macularity, but agreement on the other features remained limited. Whereas macularity and color variegation did correlate somewhat with higher grades of histologic atypia, correlations were generally low between the clinical and histologic diagnoses. Conclusion: There is limited interobserver reliability in the clinical assessment of nevus atypia, although correlations do exist between some atypical characteristics and grades of histologic atypia. Because of the low concordances, the clinical discrimination of the melanoma-associated atypical nevus phenotype should rely more on quantitative aspects of the trait, such as total numbers or maximal sizes of nevi, rather than on the subjective determinations of atypia.
Light-induced multielectron charge transfer processes occurring in a series of Group-8-platinum cyanobridged complexes

Abstract Although true multielectron charge transfer processes do not exist within the realm of molecular photochemistry, one can design mimicking systems via the production of a reactive one-electron charge transfer intermediate. Reported in this review are the photochemical and photophysical properties of a group of symmetric, multinuclear complexes of the general form (L′(CN)4M(CN)−(PtL4)−(NC)−M(CN)4L′]n− (where M is a Group 8 metal, L is an amine, and L' is a a-donor ligand) that provide for apparent photoinduced multielectron charge transfer. These complexes exhibit intense intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) bands in the blue portion of the optical spectrum (350–450 run). In the case where M  Fe, irradiation into the IVCT band centered at 425 nm produces a net two-electron charge transfer with a quantum yield of ca. 0.1 in an aqueous solvent. However, multielectron charge transfer photochemistry can be observed for M=Os or Ru only by using a mixed DMSO-aqueous solvent, in which the cyanide to water hydrogen bonding found in pure aqueous solvent is destroyed, thereby, shifting the redox potential of the cyanometalates to values similar to MFe. The observed reaction is found to selectively yield two-electron products. The reactivity of these complexes as a function of Group 8 metal and solvent system is nicely predicted using the charge transfer theories of Marcus and Hush, with the source of the differential reactivity being the shift in the relative activation barriers for the conversion of a one-electron [FeIII, PtIII, Fell] intermediate to the observed two-electron products or to the starting material. Well-defined oligomers and polymers of the iron-based system have been synthesized. The photochemical reactivity and photophysics of these species are found to be a function of molecular geometry. In the case of the polymeric systems, one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and network materials can be synthesized using electrochemical techniques to control the polymer reactivity sites. Both solution and surface-confined photochemistry can be observed for these systems.
Implementation of an oblique-sectioning visualization tool for line-of-sight stereotactic neurosurgical navigation using the AVW toolkit

An important clinical application of biomedical imaging and visualization techniques is provision of image guided neurosurgical planning and navigation techniques using interactive computer display systems in the operating room. Current systems provide interactive display of orthogonal images and 3D surface or volume renderings integrated with and guided by the location of a surgical probe. However, structures in the 'line-of-sight' path which lead to the surgical target cannot be directly visualized, presenting difficulty in obtaining full understanding of the 3D volumetric anatomic relationships necessary for effective neurosurgical navigation below the cortical surface. Complex vascular relationships and histologic boundaries like those found in artereovenous malformations (AVM's) also contribute to the difficulty in determining optimal approaches prior to actual surgical intervention. These difficulties demonstrate the need for interactive oblique imaging methods to provide 'line-of-sight' visualization. Capabilities for 'line-of- sight' interactive oblique sectioning are present in several current neurosurgical navigation systems. However, our implementation is novel, in that it utilizes a completely independent software toolkit, AVW (A Visualization Workshop) developed at the Mayo Biomedical Imaging Resource, integrated with a current neurosurgical navigation system, the COMPASS stereotactic system at Mayo Foundation. The toolkit is a comprehensive, C-callable imaging toolkit containing over 500 optimized imaging functions and structures. The powerful functionality and versatility of the AVW imaging toolkit provided facile integration and implementation of desired interactive oblique sectioning using a finite set of functions. The implementation of the AVW-based code resulted in higher-level functions for complete 'line-of-sight' visualization.
Multilingual Academic Literacies: Pedagogical Foundations for Code Meshing in Primary and Higher Education

As the population of Higher Education (HE) becomes decidedly more multilingual, HE instructors struggle with how to address the Englishes produced in high stakes academic writing. In this paper, we endeavor to unveil a practice-based understanding of how multilinguals can be pedagogically supported in their production of texts in a space in-between first and second language by revisiting an earlier HE based study through the lens of a study in an early education context. We begin by reconceptualizing the possibilities for multilingual academic literacies through code meshing. Due to the high stakes and conventionally rigid nature of HE writing practices, we turn our attention to a lower stakes educational environment where pedagogical practice is more flexible and examine how code meshing is supported through six key pedagogical strategies in a 1st grade classroom. Our aim is to explicitly bring code meshing practices in early education classrooms to the attention of researchers and practitioners in higher education, in order to illustrate a pedagogic model which is of direct relevance to higher education. Finally, we reconsider a failed HE multilingual literacy experience by applying the six pedagogic strategies to show the value of code meshing in answering the conflicts faced by HE writers.
Stable and metastable photoexcitations of linear C - 6 . Theoretical study

Abstract It is theorically predicted that there are several stable electronic excitations for the C−6 cluster anion, lying below the electron ejection threshold and the photodissociation limit. The relative energies of these states are determined using the first-order corelation orbital method and the coupled-cluster method. In addition to the stable vertical excitations, we also predict some metastables states near the electron ejection level.
Approach for Integrating Professional Practice Issues into Undergraduate Environmental Engineering Design Projects

According to C. L. Dym and P. Little, the complete design process includes identifying a need or problem, recognizing constraints, identifying and developing courses of action, testing potential courses of action, selecting optimum courses of action, preparing the documents required for the design, managing the overall process, communicating the design, construction, and testing. We have addressed these design considerations by linking design projects in our introductory physicochemical treatment processes course (EV401, taken by second-semester juniors) and our senior capstone design course (EV490, taken by second-semester seniors). The process developed and implemented addresses the integration of professional practice into design inexperience. We require our cadet students to communicate with their customers, an illustrator, and tradesmen, three forms of communication that are necessarily quite different from traditional student-professor exchanges. Also, students must design under constraints, this time not because of the closed nature of the project but rather because of ”real world” resource constraints: time to complete the project, a limited budget to purchase materials and labor, availability of materials, ease of construction, and balancing competing projects (in other courses). The first attempt at implementing this engineering design learning model occurred during the spring of 2001 in EV401. Herein we assess the design and construction of one of two projects, oriented toward modification of a surface-water treatment plant model. Results suggest that iterative growth can occur and a more complete appreciation of the design process can result.
Overwinter Survival and Spring Emergence of the Bollworm in Arkansas

Overwinter survival and spring emergence patterns of the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), were studied in relation to several environmental variables at Dell (northeast) and Newport (north central), AR, during 1972–73 and 1973–74. High fall mortality was attributable to the rainfall and temperature patterns which immediately succeeded larval placement in the field. Effective water drainage was critical for successful overwinter survival. Rainfall, freezing soil temperatures, and duration of exposure (time) accounted for 89.8% of the variation in the overwinter survivorship curves for both locations combined. Time, soil temperatures ≥55°F (12.8°C), incident solar radiation, and rainfall accounted for 96.4% of the variation in the spring emergence patterns at Newport. Overwinter survival ranged from 0.0–5.8% and was higher in the lighter soil types than in clay soils. Percent moth emergence at Newport was ca. 15 times greater than at Dell, which partially explains the differences between the 2 locations in the summer bollworm population densities.
Ten sessions of adjunctive left prefrontal rTMS significantly reduces fibromyalgia pain: A randomized, controlled pilot study

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the prefrontal cortex can cause changes in acute pain perception. Several weeks of daily left prefrontal TMS has been shown to treat depression. We recruited 20 patients with fibromyalgia, defined by American College of Rheumatology criteria, and randomized them to receive 4000 pulses at 10 Hz TMS (n=10), or sham TMS (n=10) treatment for 10 sessions over 2 weeks along with their standard medications, which were fixed and stable for at least 4 weeks before starting sessions. Subjects recorded daily pain, mood, and activity. Blinded raters assessed pain, mood, functional status, and tender points weekly with the Brief Pain Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. No statistically significant differences between groups were observed. Patients who received active TMS had a mean 29% (statistically significant) reduction in pain symptoms in comparison to their baseline pain. Sham TMS participants had a 4% nonsignificant change in daily pain from their baseline pain. At 2 weeks after treatment, there was a significant improvement in depression symptoms in the active group compared to baseline. Pain reduction preceded antidepressant effects. TMS was well tolerated, with few side effects. Further studies that address study limitations are needed to determine whether daily prefrontal TMS may be an effective, durable, and clinically useful treatment for fibromyalgia symptoms.
Evaluating the data concerning vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency and child abuse.

There is absolutely no question that serum levels of vitamin D in children in sections of the population of the US, Canada and various parts of the world are lower than the accepted normal [1]. There are many reasons for this, and the American Academy of Pediatrics and others are addressing dosage requirement for basic supplementation of vitamin D [2, 3]. The connection, however, between vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency and fractures in children with otherwise normal radiographs is another issue. What is the evidence for fragility of bones in children with insufficient levels of vitamin D and even in those with deficiency levels if the radiographs are normal, that is, when there is no radiographic evidence of rickets? The definition of rickets is “an interruption in the development and mineralization of the growth plate of bone, with radiographic abnormalities” [4]. Merely having insufficiency/deficiency of vitamin D levels in the blood does not constitute rickets. It is, therefore, incumbent to show radiographic changes in the 30–50% of infants and children with low vitamin D to claim that they have rickets. What are the radiographic findings of rickets?
Simulation framework to estimate the performance of CO2 and O2 sensing from space and airborne platforms for the ASCENDS mission requirements analysis

The Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights Days and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission recommended by the NRC Decadal Survey has a desired accuracy of 0.3% in carbon dioxide mixing ratio (XCO2) retrievals requiring careful selection and optimization of the instrument parameters. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is investigating 1.57 micron carbon dioxide as well as the 1.26-1.27 micron oxygen bands for our proposed ASCENDS mission requirements investigation. Simulation studies are underway for these bands to select optimum instrument parameters. The simulations are based on a multi-wavelength lidar modeling framework being developed at NASA LaRC to predict the performance of CO2 and O2 sensing from space and airborne platforms. The modeling framework consists of a lidar simulation module and a line-by-line calculation component with interchangeable lineshape routines to test the performance of alternative lineshape models in the simulations. As an option the line-by-line radiative transfer model (LBLRTM) program may also be used for line-by-line calculations. The modeling framework is being used to perform error analysis, establish optimum measurement wavelengths as well as to identify the best lineshape models to be used in CO2 and O2 retrievals. Several additional programs for HITRAN database management and related simulations are planned to be included in the framework. The description of the modeling framework with selected results of the simulation studies for CO2 and O2 sensing is presented in this paper.
Incorporation of Cesium by Hydrating Calcium Aluminosilicates

The leach behavior of cesium from a series of cement-based waste forms has been modeled in terms of pore solution concentration and phase formation data. Cement-based Materials enriched in alumina and silica, and compositionally related glasses, were hydrated in the presence of cesium hydroxide to gauge the degree of partitioning of cesium by the developing hydrates. The compositions of the pore solutions extracted from the cement-based waste forms were compared both pore solution and leachates, the retention of cesium was found to be directly related to the bulk composition of the waste form; the degree of partitioning of cesium by the hydrated phases increased as more alumina and/or silica were added to the formulation, suggesting that cesium-containing phases were forming. Additionally, the leachate concentration of cesium for any given composition was also found to be related to the pore solution concentration. This observation led to the development of a leaching model for cement-based waste forms in which the concentration of cesium in the leachate could be described in terms of pore solution concentration, diffusion, dissolution, and development of cesium host phases. Using this model, effective diffusion coefficients for cesium were calculated to be ∼2 × 10−7 cm2· s−1. Pollucite and cesium-substituted herschelite were identified as two of the hydration products of the studied glasses. The ability of these zeolites to strongly partition cesium suggests that small quantities of zeolitic phases may also be forming in the cement-based waste forms, thus explaining their compositionally related leach behavior.