cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient Comfort with Yellow (577 nm) vs. Green (532 nm) Laser Panretinal Photocoagulation for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose Pain associated with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) can adversely affect the number and quality of retinal burns delivered and subsequently increase the number of treatment sessions required to achieve regression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). We assessed comfort in patients undergoing treatment with yellow (577 nm) vs. green (532 nm) PRP for PDR. Design Prospective, single-center, randomized crossover clinical trial. Subjects Patients with PDR with high-risk characteristics. Methods Subjects were equally randomized to first receive PRP with a laser indirect ophthalmoscope with either green (IQ 532; IRIDEX, Mountain View, CA) or yellow (IQ 577; IRIDEX) laser, followed by additional treatment with the opposite laser using standardized settings in the superior hemisphere of a single treatment eye per patient. Topical anesthetic was used in all study eyes before each treatment and power was titrated until moderate grey-white retinal burns were achieved. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was patient's perceived pain as measured with a standardized 10-point pain scale. Secondary outcome measures included laser power, treatment time, number of treatment shots with each laser, and physician ease-of-use score with each laser on a 10-point scale. Results Forty patients (40 eyes) with a mean age of 54.0 years were enrolled. Mean pain scores were similar when comparing treatment with yellow and green laser (3.1 ± 2.3 vs. 2.8 ± 2.6; P = 0.40). No significant difference was seen in visual acuity ( P = 0.44) or central macular thickness ( P = 0.39) 1 month after PRP. Additionally, there were no significant differences when comparing minimum power required (243.2 ± 74.2 vs. 234.0 ± 59.6 mW; P = 0.55), treatment time (5.1 ± 3.6 vs. 5.6 ± 3.9 minutes; P = 0.384), and number of treatment shots (257.6 ± 12.6 vs. 258.0 ± 2.3; P = 0.68). Six of 7 co-investigators (85%) preferred using yellow laser over green and reported ease-of-use scores of 9.0 ± 1.2 and 7.6 ± 1.4, respectively ( P = 0.07). No severe adverse events occurred. Conclusions Patient comfort during PRP for PDR utilizing laser indirect ophthalmoscopy is similar for green and yellow wavelengths.
The Case for Large Contraction in Functional Difference Equations

In this note we review some of the latest research on the qualitative analysis of solutions of difference equations using fixed point theory and Lyapunov functionals. It turns out that the use of fixed point theory alleviates some of the difficulties that arise from the use of Lyapunov functionals. Using fixed point theory requires us to find a mapping from suitable spaces that is a solution of the given difference equation. Once the suitable mapping is constructed there will be many fixed pint theorems to use, depending on the given equation, that yield a fixed point of that mapping and satisfies our initial value problem. In some cases a regular contraction argument will not be suitable and hence we replace it with what we call Large Contraction.
SLAM-Driven Intelligent Autonomous Mobile Robot Navigation for Construction Applications

The demand for construction site automation with mobile robots is increasing due to its advantages in potential cost-saving, productivity, and safety. To be realistically deployed in construction sites, mobile robots must be capable of navigating in unstructured and cluttered environments. Furthermore, mobile robots should recognize both static and dynamic obstacles to determine drivable paths. However, existing robot navigation methods are not suitable for construction applications due to the challenging environmental conditions in construction sites. This study introduces an autonomous as-is 3D spatial data collection and perception method for mobile robots specifically aimed for construction job sites with many spatial uncertainties. The proposed Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM)-based navigation and object recognition methods were implemented and tested with a custom-designed mobile robot platform, Ground Robot for Mapping Infrastructure (GRoMI), which uses multiple laser scanners and a camera to sense and build a 3D environment map. Since SLAM did not detect uneven surface conditions and spatiotemporal objects on the ground, an obstacle detection algorithm was developed to recognize and avoid obstacles and the highly uneven terrain in real time. Given the 3D real-time scan map generated by 3D laser scanners, a path-finding algorithm was developed for autonomous navigation in an unknown environment with obstacles. Overall, the 3D color-mapped point clouds of construction sites generated by GRoMI were of sufficient quality to be used for many construction management applications such as construction progress monitoring, safety hazard identification, and defect detection.
Race, contrast-induced nephropathy and long-term outcomes after coronary and peripheral angiography and intervention.

Abstract Background Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a complication of diagnostic angiography and percutaneous coronary and endovascular intervention. We investigated the effect of race on the development of CIN. Methods We studied 4070 predominantly male patients undergoing peripheral and coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary and endovascular intervention. We analyzed the incidence of CIN at 72 h, of renal dysfunction at 3 months as well as the long-term incidence of hemodialysis and of death. Results The mean age was 67.2 years. CIN occurred in 92 (7.1%) Caucasian patients and in 42 (6.6%) non-Caucasians at 72 h after the procedure (odds ratio [OR] 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74–1.57; P = 0.69). At 3 months, renal dysfunction was seen in 231 (11.24%) Caucasian patients versus 121 (11.52%) of the non-Caucasian group (OR 0.97, CI 0.77–1.23; P = 0.81). After a follow-up of 5 years, of the 4070 patients, 17 patients (0.64%) of the Caucasian group were placed on dialysis versus 27 (1.88%) of the non-Caucasian group (OR 0.34, 0.18–0.62; P = 0.0004) and 535 (20.28%) of the Caucasian patients had died compared to 293 (20.44%) of the non-Caucasian group (OR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.85–1.17; P = 0.94). Conclusions In this cohort of patients, race was not associated with the development of CIN at 72 h, or the development of renal dysfunction at 3 months post angiography or intervention. In the long-term, the rate of initiation of dialysis was significantly lower in the Caucasian patients but mortality was not.
Activity Gels: Reformation of Functional Proteins in SDS-Polyacrylamide Gels

SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) is an important technique for analyzing the complexity of polypeptides in crude mixtures and for determining the subunit structures of purified proteins (1). The two-dimensional gel system developed by O’Farrell, that combines isoelectric focusing in urea with SDS-PAGE, offers the additional advantage of greater resolution than SDS-PAGE alone (2,3). Even small amounts of proteins can be resolved as discrete spots, and microheterogeneity in related polypeptides can be easily detected. However, the power of these techniques is limited by the fact that the proteins remain denatured in the gel and only abundant proteins can be identified by their positions on the gels. One recent approach to the detection of nonabundant proteins in a crude mixture, Western blotting, is the use of antibodies to identify specific antigens after separation on SDS-gels and transfer to nitrocellulose paper (4). This technique, though powerful, has the limitation of requiring antibodies, which usually necessitates prior purification of a specific protein of interest. An alternative approach is to detect isoproteins in a gel by their biochemical activities. Our laboratory first developed these procedures for identification of enzymes in high-resolution denaturing gels and recently they have been employed for other enzymes.
Regulatory Theory of Personality and the Development of Prosocial Behaviors

Many types of approaches exist to the problem of the description and explanation of prosocial behavior. Moreover, there are still many inconsistent findings and difficulties in interpretation. The difficulties encountered in the analysis of the phenomena itself also imply the difficulties in explaining the maintenance, development, and formation of prosocial behavior within a unified theoretical framework.
Teacher Quality in Education Production

The education production literature posits that student achievement is a function of individual, family, peer, and school traits. Of the latter, teachers have been found to be by far the most important factor. However, measureable teacher characteristics, such as years of experience, certification, and advanced degrees held, appear to be of limited importance, leaving the puzzling problem of how to measure teacher quality for policy purposes. The distribution of teachers across students has emerged as a significant issue. This article provides an overview of recent education production literature related to teacher quality.
IMPLEMENTATION AND FIELD TESTING OF CHARACTERISTICS-BASED INTERSECTION QUEUE ESTIMATION MODEL

This paper proposes and implements a dynamic queue length estimation model at signalized intersections. Based on the continuum principle, this model describes the formation and dissipation of traffic queues at an intersection and the interactions with the signals. The use of a general speed∼density relationship in the model leads to the development of a general mathematical formulation for intersection queue length studies, which allows the model to adapt to changes in traffic and geometric conditions through parameter updating. Field testing of the model has demonstrated initial success. Experience suggests that use of headway and average speed data in density derivation lead to more stable and accurate results than using other traffic data.
Buried Treasure: A Business Librarian’s Insights on Finding the Evidence

This chapter offers my perspective as a professional librarian and former manager on accessing the research evidence in the business and management fields. I describe the barriers faced by managers, students, and scholars in locating and reading the peer-reviewed literature: its scattered placement, varying formats, controlled access, and swiftly changing environment. I explore how those roadblocks are being overcome, and I offer practical recommendations for both managers and researchers on what they can do today to bring that evidence to light.
Theism and counterpossibles

Etude de la conception standard de la these des conditionnels contrefactuels developpee par L. Zagzebski qui se presente comme une implication logique du theisme classique tel qu'il est defendu par R. Swinburne. Examinant la definition des contre-possibles par D. Lewis et la demonstration de leur verite triviale par Zagzebski, l'A. montre que les contributions d'A. Freddoso et T. Morris consistent a rejeter la verite triviale de la conception standard et a etablir la verite non-triviale des contre-possibles a partir de leur assymetrie essentielle
Longitudinal Studies of Sleep and Hormonal Secretion in Male Anorectic Patients: Preliminary Observations

Anorexia Nervosa is a psychophysiologic disorder of self-imposed starvation, which is accompanied by metabolic and endocrine alterations1,2. The underlying etiology of the disorder remains an enigma despite a large volume of clinical and laboratory data3. Further, some of the research findings concerning the anorectic state have been inconsistent4.
Are physicians social networks linked to breast cancer screening recommendations for older adults

6550Background: Physicians’ prior experiences caring for patients with breast cancer along with experiences in their social networks including family members and friends may be a key and understudi...
Continuous Selection of Optimized Traffic Light Schedules: A Machine Learning Approach

Machine learning-based optimization of traffic light programs has been successfully employed to reduce emissions and traffic delays. Due to the variability of traffic flows, it is common practice to optimize multiple traffic light programs tailored for specific conditions and deploy them at predetermined times of the day or days of the week. We explore an alternative to this manual set-interval methodology. We create a system to automatically select the appropriate light controller program in response to continuously changing conditions. We analyze the current traffic density and close-time traffic patterns and instantiate the correct pre-optimized light program based on current conditions. Rather than creating a small set of programs tailored for specific periods of the day, we automatically create, and select from, an over-complete set of light controllers. Based on historic observations, a combination of machine learning approaches are used to find the best representative set of traffic flows to model the system. From these, multiple traffic-light controllers are created to address each flow individually. Using the automated matching system, we achieved reductions in both emissions and travel time over previously optimized lights. We examine the robustness of the system by ensuring that the system operates under large amounts of variability in traffic.
Applications of UV-Ozone Cleaning Technique for Removal of Surface Contaminants

Abstract Ultraviolet-ozone (UV-O3) is an effective method for removing a variety of contaminants from various surfaces. It is a simple-to-use dry process which is inexpensive to set up and operate. It can produce near-atomically clean surfaces, in air or in a vacuum system, at ambient temperatures. This chapter discusses the UV-O3 cleaning process and its wide range of applications for removal of surface contaminants in various industries.
Work Less to Pollute Less? What Contribution Can or Must Working Time Reduction Play in Reducing Carbon Emissions?

This article asks whether we can, and whether we must, work less to pollute less. After examining different scenarios, the only strategy that appears commensurate with the normative views set out in the paper, i.e. meeting emissions targets while maintaining employment – seems to be a combination of radical efforts to accelerate the decoupling of emissions from economic growth and considerably more substantial reductions in average working hours than have been the norm in recent decades. The author argues that only if the required decoupling acceleration can be achieved, our children and grandchildren can enjoy decent living standards and high levels of employment, along with considerably greater free time, while dramatically reducing Europe’s carbon emissions.
Delayed laryngeal implant infection and laryngocutaneous fistula after medialization laryngoplasty.

Abstract Background Medialization laryngoplasty is a common procedure for voice rehabilitation in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. Complications are uncommon and delayed infections involving implants are rare. We report a delayed infectious complication following an animal scratch resulting in a laryngocutaneous fistula. Methods Case report. Results A 73-year-old female underwent a successful and uneventful medialization laryngoplasty for idiopathic unilateral vocal fold paralysis using a silastic implant. More than one year after surgery, she presented with an anterior neck infection following an animal scratch with CT neck findings of a left strap muscle abscess. After incision and drainage, cultures grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Despite culture-directed antibiotic therapy, the neck continued to drain persistently. Laryngoscopy with stroboscopy revealed a medialized vocal fold with no obvious granulation tissue and normal mucosal pliability. The patient underwent neck exploration revealing a laryngocutaneous fistula. Thus, both the fistulous tract and implant were removed. The wound was closed with a strap muscle advancement into the laryngoplasty window. One month after surgery and antibiotics, the patient had no signs of recurrent neck infection, with a well-healing wound and stroboscopic findings of complete glottic closure, symmetric vocal fold oscillation and acceptable phonation with mild supraglottic compression. Conclusions Delayed complications of medialization laryngoplasty are rarely reported. This case demonstrates a delayed infection of a laryngeal implant after an animal scratch requiring implant removal, local tissue reconstruction, and culture-directed antibiotic therapy.
Using Gestures to Resolve Lexical Ambiguity in Storytelling with Humanoid Robots

Gestures that co-occur with speech are a fundamental component of communication. Prior research with children suggests that gestures may help them to resolve certain forms of lexical ambiguity, including homophones. To test this idea in the context of human-robot interaction, the effects of iconic and deictic gestures on the understanding of homophones was assessed in an experiment where a humanoid robot told a short story containing pairs of homophones to small groups of young participants, accompanied by either expressive gestures or no gestures. Both groups of subjects completed a pretest and post-test to measure their ability to discriminate between pairs of homophones and we calculated aggregated precision. The results show that the use of iconic and deictic gestures aids in general understanding of homophones, providing additional evidence for the importance of gesture to the development of children’s language and communication skills.
A Retrospective Case Series of a Novel Spinal Cord Stimulator Trial Technique with Less Displacement and Migration of the Trial Leads.

Background. Spinal cord stimulation is an established treatment option for certain chronic pain conditions which have been previously unresponsive to conservative therapies or potentially for a subset of patients who have not improved following spine surgery. Prior to permanent lead implantation, stimulator lead trials are performed to ensure adequate patient benefit. During these trials, one of the most common complications and reasons for failure is the displacement and migration of the trial leads, resulting in lost therapeutic coverage. Other complications include infection and dislodged bulky dressings. There is a paucity of literature describing an adequate procedural method to prevent these common complications. Objective. This study utilizes a series of 19 patients to evaluate a new technique for securing percutaneous spinal cord simulator trial leads, which may minimize dislodgement and migration complications and improve the rate of trial success. Study Design. Retrospective case series. Setting. New Jersey Medical School, Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management Division. Methods. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 19 consecutive patients undergoing placement of the percutaneous thoracic spinal cord stimulator trial leads for pain associated with lumbar spine pathology over a two-year period (2010–2012). Results. Of the 19 patients in our cohort, there was one trial lead displacement, no lead migrations, and no site infections. Thirteen patients went on to permanent lead implantation. This improved trial lead placement technique had a high success rate with a low number of complications. Limitations. Small sample size, retrospective case series, and no control group for comparison. Conclusion. This case series was able to demonstrate that our described novel spinal cord stimulator trial lead placement and dressing technique can decrease the incidence of lead displacement and migration, thus improving trial success.
Towards Better Transitions for Children with Diabetes: User Experiences on a Mobile Health App

Children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) are required to manage their illness to alleviate further long-term complications. Although children are expected to engage in appropriate self-management activities once they become older, many of the children remain passive actors in managing their condition. Due to the lack of knowledge and skills, as well as changes in parent-child relationships, children demonstrate low self-care adherence. Consequently, parents also face difficulties in defining their role in long-term care. This study, part of a larger study, comprised of three phases: mobile app development, prototype feasibility testing, and usability testing with child-parent dyads users. As part of the third phase, this study used qualitative interviews with 24 child-parent dyads to understand the existing facilitators and barriers in using the app. Our findings suggest that users found that the app reminded them to track their blood glucose (BG) values and facilitated child-parent communication in a user-friendly manner. By capturing the emerging themes in adopting the app from the children's perspective, we will iteratively refine the app to better suit the users' requirements.
Intensive Summer Intervention Drives Linear Growth of Reading Skill in Struggling Readers

A major achievement of reading research has been the development of effective intervention programs for struggling readers. Most intervention studies employ a pre-post design, to examine efficacy, but this precludes the study of growth curves over the course of the intervention program. Determining the time-course of improvement is essential for cost-effective, evidence-based decisions on the optimal intervention dosage. The goal of this study was to analyze reading growth curves during an intensive summer intervention program. A cohort of 31 children (6-12 years) with reading difficulties (N = 21 with dyslexia diagnosis) were enrolled in 160 h of intervention occurring over 8 weeks of summer vacation. We collected behavioral measures over 4 sessions assessing decoding, oral reading fluency, and comprehension. Mixed-effects modeling of longitudinal measurements revealed a linear dose-response relationship between hours of intervention and improvement in reading ability; there was significant linear growth on every measure of reading skill and none of the measures showed non-linear growth trajectories. Decoding skills showed substantial growth [Cohen's d = 0.85 (WJ Basic Reading Skills)], with fluency and comprehension growing more gradually [d = 0.41 (WJ Reading Fluency)]. These results highlight the opportunity to improve reading skills over an intensive, short-term summer intervention program, and the linear dose-response relationship between duration and gains enables educators to set reading level goals and design a treatment plan to achieve them.
Gender Mainstreaming in International Trade: Catalyst for Economic Development and Political Stability

This paper examines the role of gender mainstreaming in international trade policy and law upon the tenth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (“Beijing Declaration”) and the World Trade Organization (“WTO”). The author notes that these two topics have not been successfully integrated but will need to be if globalization is to proceed in a meaningful, positive way. After tracing the historical development of gender mainstreaming at the international level through the Beijing Declaration, the author outlines the manner in which various intergovernmental organizations within the United Nations system have implemented its mandate. However, gender mainstreaming is notably absent from the agenda of the WTO. The author suggests ways in which gender should be mainstreamed within the governance structure of the WTO and in substantive WTO law.
An Efficient Algorithm for Locating TE and TM Poles for a Class of Multiscale Inhomogeneous Media Problems

The Mittag-Leffler (ML) expansion method has been minimally studied in the electromagnetic theory community. Therefore, in this article, the ML expansion functions are effectively utilized to locate initial poles for practical dielectric materials backed by a ground plane. The initial poles from the ML expansion and other existing methods are, then, checked for convergence, and found that the proposed method is highly efficient for electrically thick substrates (ETSs). To understand why, a fundamental and intrinsic convergence (in terms of relative or absolute errors) analysis of ML expansion and Taylor series expansion functions has been carried out and it was found out that the ML expansion converges significantly faster. In addition, Pade approximant has been successfully applied at no computational expense to improve the accuracy of initial pole locations. Moreover, proper and improper surface wave (SW) modes have been clearly distinguished from the poles obtained using the ML expansion method. Finally, the spectral region between leaky and SW poles for ETSs is identified using the initial pole locations obtained from using the ML expansion function on the transverse electric characteristic mode equation.
Reduced neural selectivity for mental states in deaf children with delayed exposure to sign language

Language provides a rich source of information about other people’s thoughts and feelings. Consequently, delayed access to language may influence conceptual development in Theory of Mind (ToM). We use functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tasks to study ToM development in child (n = 33, 4–12 years old) and adult (n = 36) fluent signers of American Sign Language (ASL), and characterize neural ToM responses during ASL and movie-viewing tasks. Participants include deaf children whose first exposure to ASL was delayed up to 7 years (n = 12). Neural responses to ToM stories (specifically, selectivity of the right temporo-parietal junction) in these children resembles responses previously observed in young children, who have similar linguistic experience, rather than those in age-matched native-signing children, who have similar biological maturation. Early linguistic experience may facilitate ToM development, via the development of a selective brain region for ToM. Early linguistic experience directly facilitates social development in childhood. Here, the authors reveal that children with delayed access to language show delayed development of selective responses in cortical regions involved in thinking about others’ thoughts.
Poly-Amido-Saccharides (PASs): Functional Synthetic Carbohydrate Polymers Inspired by Nature.

ConspectusCarbohydrates are ubiquitous in nature, playing vital roles in all organisms ranging from metabolism to intercellular signaling. Polysaccharides, repeating units of small molecule carbohy...
Human Driver Behavior Prediction based on UrbanFlow

How autonomous vehicles and human drivers share public transportation systems is an important problem, as fully automatic transportation environments are still a long way off. Understanding human drivers’ behavior can be beneficial for autonomous vehicle decision making and planning, especially when the autonomous vehicle is surrounded by human drivers who have various driving behaviors and patterns of interaction with other vehicles. In this paper, we propose an LSTM-based trajectory prediction method for human drivers which can help the autonomous vehicle make better decisions, especially in urban intersection scenarios. Meanwhile, in order to collect human drivers’ driving behavior data in the urban scenario, we describe a system called UrbanFlow which includes the whole procedure from raw bird’s-eye view data collection via drone to the final processed trajectories. The system is mainly intended for urban scenarios but can be extended to be used for any traffic scenarios.
Historical Ecology of Societal Nucleation and Collapse

Cities (including megacities) involve human-mediated disturbance that can be comprehended as primary landscape transformation. Primary landscape transformation in historical ecology involves physical, social, and economic changes resulting from highly anthropically modified terrain, including its vegetation cover, faunal abundance, drainage features, soil composition, and microbial diversity. Cities also exhibit secondary landscape transformations, such as urban gardens. These are partial changes in species content and substrate to areas already modified by primary landscape transformation, or not modified at all. Primary and secondary landscape transformations in relation to cities can be further subdivided into two basic types: (1) where species numbers decrease and (2) where species numbers increase. It is a useful means of typologizing the complexity of cities and by extension, megacities. Societal complexity, whether hierarchical or as in network theory diffuse, is tangible in urban landscapes, which are more or less diverse in species numbers. It does not necessarily involve species extinctions, which often occur outside cityscapes. Applied historical ecology has the potential to contribute to a reduction of trends in species extinctions in zones outside the city, because of lessons learned from past primary landscape transformations. Applied historical ecology in the context of cities, megacities, and the zones that surround them can be incorporated into a global project of new conservation.
Generalized Polarization-Space Modulation in Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

The recently proposed generalized polarization-space modulation (GPSM) for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications systems incorporates a limited number of radio frequency chains. It is a novel index modulation technique that has a potential for use in sixth-generation wireless communications. The conventional GPSM activates multiple dual-polarized transmit (Tx) antennas in the spatial domain and uses combinations of these indices to encode information bits. For each active DP antenna, the GPSM then selects one polarization state to transmit information. In this paper, we employ reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) to implement the GPSM transmitter to yield more than two polarization states while using a low-cost reconfigurable electromagnetic (EM) metasurface with a reduced form-factor compared to traditional MIMO antenna arrays. The method-of-moment full-wave simulations of our design of RIS-based Tx for GPSM using Barium Strontium Titanate film suggest feasibility and EM-compliance. Our numerical experiments using maximum likelihood detector at the receiver demonstrate that the BER performance of our RIS-aided GPSM is as good as or better than the conventional MIMO systems. The RIS-GPSM retains the same spectral efficiency as conventional MIMO but has a higher energy efficiency.
A new approach to characterize firebrand showers using advanced 3D imaging techniques

A new approach to characterize airborne firebrands during Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires is detailed. The approach merges the following two imaging techniques in a single field-deployable diagnostic tool: (1) 3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry (3D-PTV), for time-resolved mapping of firebrand 3D trajectories, and (2) 3D Particle Shape Reconstruction (3D-PSR), to reconstruct 3D models of individual particles following the Visual Hull principle. This tool offers for the first time the possibility to simultaneously study time-resolved firebrand fluxes and firebrand size distribution to the full extent of their three-dimensional nature within a control volume. Methodologies used in the present work are presented and their technical implementation is discussed. Validation tests to confirm proper tracking/sizing of particles are detailed. The diagnostic tool is applied to a firebrand shower artificially generated at the NIST National Fire Research Laboratory. A novel graphic representation, that incorporates both the Cumulative Particle Count (CPC, particles m−2) and Particle Number Flux (PNF, particles m−2 s−1) as relevant exposure metrics, is presented and the exposure level is compared to that of an actual outdoor fire. Size distributions obtained for airborne firebrands are compared to those achieved through ground collection and strategies to improve the particle shape reconstruction method are discussed.
Hospital-based Delays to Revascularization Increase Risk of Post-operative Mortality and Short Bowel Syndrome in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia.

OBJECTIVE Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a surgical emergency for which delays in treatment have been closely associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although the duration of ischemia as a determinant of outcomes for AMI is well known, the objective of this study was to identify hospital-based determinants of delayed revascularization and their effects on post-operative morbidity and mortality in AMI. METHODS All patients who underwent any surgery for acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) from a multi-center hospital system between 2010 and 2020 were divided into two groups based on timeliness of mesenteric revascularization after presentation. Early revascularization (ER) was defined as having both vascular consultation ≤ 12 hours of presentation and vascular surgery performed at the patient's initial operation. Delayed revascularization (DR) was defined as having either delays to vascular consultation or vascular surgery. A retrospective review of demographic and post-operative data was performed. Effect of DR on major post-operative outcomes including 30-day and 2-year mortality, total length of bowel resection, and development of short bowel syndrome were analyzed. Effects of delayed vascular consultation alone, delayed vascular surgery alone, no revascularization during admission, and admitting service on outcomes were also examined on sub-group analyses. RESULTS A total of 212 patients were analyzed. 99 patients received ER while the remaining 113 patients experienced a delay to revascularization after hospital presentation. Among the DR group, 55 (25.9%) patients had delayed vascular consultation while vascular surgery was deferred until after the initial operation in 37 (17.4%) patients. 51 (24.0%) patients were never revascularized during admission. DR was a significant predictor of 30-day (odds ratio (OR) 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.4-4.9], P=0.03) and 2-year mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.55, CI [1.0-2.3], P= 0.04). DR was also independently associated with increased bowel resection length (OR 7.47, P <0.01) and post-operative short bowel syndrome (OR 2.4, P=0.03) on multivariate analyses. When examined separately on sub-group analysis, both delayed vascular consultation (OR 3.38, P=0.03) and vascular surgery (OR 4.31, P <0.01) independently increased risk of 30-day mortality. Hospital discharge after AMI without mesenteric revascularization was associated with increased risk of short bowel syndrome (OR 2.94, P <0.01) and late mortality (HR 1.60, P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS Delayed vascular consultation and vascular surgery are both significant hospital-based determinants of post-operative mortality and short bowel syndrome in AMI. Timing-based management protocols which emphasize routine evaluation by a vascular surgeon and early, definitive mesenteric revascularization should be established and widely adopted for all patients with clinically suspected AMI at presentation.
Low-Frequency Vibrational Spectra of Amoxicillin and Ampicillin

Amoxicillin and ampicillin are large, flexible antibiotic molecules that are commonly administered in their solid trihydrate forms. The hydration of these pharmaceuticals has been studied in this work using both terahertz and low-frequency Raman vibrational spectroscopies to measure the vibrational modes of the crystalline solids below 200 cm-1. Combining the experimental results with solid-state density functional theory simulations of both structure and vibrations, allows for the in-depth exploration of the potential energy surfaces governing the large-amplitude motions of the co-crystalized waters.
The Effects of Science Instruction on Young Children’s Vocabulary Learning: A Research Synthesis

This article synthesized science instruction studies with preschool and kindergarten children to understand the magnitude of science instruction’s impact on young children’s vocabulary outcomes. A total of seven studies that met criteria for the synthesis and provided sufficient data for the calculation of effect size were included. Science instruction has been examined using science intervention and vocabulary intervention with a focus on science. The overall mean effect size was moderate (0.66), suggesting that a focus on science increased young children’s vocabulary outcomes. Science instruction appears to promote young children’s domain-specific words. Educational implications of these findings suggest that there is support for using science instruction to increase the vocabulary performance of young children.
Acoustic Emission Behavior of Granular Soils

The study is subdivided into three phases: granular soils, cohesive soils, and field monitoring; the present paper addresses itself to the first phase of the overall project. Acoustic emissions are internally generated sounds that occur when a soil sample is stressed and subsequently deforms. The major conclusion of this research is that the acoustic emission response is directly related to this deformation and can be used in lieu of same in both laboratory and field situations. Other significant results as related to granular soils are the following: (1)Acoustic emission wave velocities are from 400fps-800fps (120m/s-240m/s); (2)acoustic emission frequencies range from 500 Hz - 8 kHz; (3)acoustic emission attenuation is strongly dependent on frequency and can be as high as 300dB/ft (10 dB/cm) at 16 kHz; (4)angular particles produce more emissions than rounded ones; (5)well-graded soils emit more acoustic emissions than poorly graded soils; and (6)particle size is not significant in the acoustic emission response.
Évolution du gouvernement des entreprises : l'émergence de l'activisme actionnarial au milieu du XX e siècle

Accounts of the history of shareholder activism have tended to give the early "gadflies" less attention than they deserve. Not only were they celebrated in their own time, they raised issues still relevant today. When issues of corporate governance and responsibility resurfaced in later years, the new activists would make use of the precedents set by these pioneers.
Joyous Greetings: The First International Women's Movement, 1830-1860

Between 1830 and 1865, a very radical international women's movement rose and fell in the West; this is the first book to tell its story. Joyous Greetings recounts the lives and works of the heroic women who challenged the entire system of male supremacy in the United States, England, France, Germany and Sweden. Anderson's Book provides the lost roots to modern feminism and introduces us to a cast of forgotten women, with important implications for American and European history.
Review of Elliott Sober's Evidence and Evolution: the Logic Behind the Science

This book is comprised of four long chapters and a brief conclusion: Evidence, Intelligent Design, Natural Selection, and Common Ancestry. Chapter one (108 pages) on evidence asks the question, “what should we make of evidence in evolutionary biology?” Graduate students in evolutionary biology generally do not worry about this issue before getting their first data, then never escape the problem of evidence again. How will they connect their data to their theories? Elliott Sober has written this chapter for you. Are you basically a Bayesian? Or are you a frequentist? Do you trust likelihoodism? Do you distinguish causation versus close correlation? Do you think you are revealing true nature in your research? Let me say this clearly and distinctly: every graduate student in evolutionary biology must read this chapter carefully, more than once, and refer to it often. Sober has given you a great gift. And if you have problems reading this chapter, share your issues with your professors. You may find they know little more than you about how they reason from evidence to theories. You may find they rely upon tired old Karl Popper for their views. If so, you find immediately that Sober has little use for Popper’s conjectures and refutations, and has better ways for you to think about evidence. One last piece of advice. Read this chapter before you begin your graduate studies. Then read it again in graduate school. And keep in mind that Sober endorses Bayesianism, frequentism, and likelihoodism depending on the research question and the desired end. In chapter two, Sober addresses intelligent design (ID). Everyone in evolutionary biology must think about this issue. Sober thinks that we are too simple in our approach to distinguish between intelligent design and natural selection. He shows that the way we refute intelligent design, arguing that the ID would not use vast disgusting deaths of organisms to produce better adapted ones, actually falls into their hands. Sober believes there is a strong argument against intelligent design. I will not describe his solution except to say that Sober believes that David Hume effectively used this argument long before Darwin existed. Everyone in evolutionary biology will benefit from reading this chapter. After these two great chapters, the third chapter on natural selection was disappointing. In this chapter Sober contrasts phenotypic natural selection and phenotypic random drift. Sober directly states: “Selection is a mindless process.” Then he says that Darwin personified natural selection to talk about it with his reader, so I provide a Darwin quote from Chapter IV (Natural Selection):
Traditional Governance, Citizen Engagement, and Local Public Goods: Evidence from Mexico

Summary. — We study the governance of public good provision in poor communities in Oaxaca, Mexico. We estimate the effect of usos y costumbres—a form of participatory democracy prevalent in indigenous communities—on the provision of local public goods. Because governance is endogenous, we address selection effects by matching on municipal characteristics and long-term settlement patterns. Using a first-differences design we show that these municipalities increase access to electricity, sewerage, and education faster than communities ruled by political parties. We also show they are places of vibrant political participation, not authoritarian enclaves protecting the political monopoly of local bosses. 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A GSM Power Amplifier Directly-Powered From a DC-DC Power Converter

A commercial off-the-shelf GSM PA powered directly from a DC-DC converter is presented. The converter is implemented in 0.35 μm CMOS and employs frequency hopping with phase chopping to eliminate spurious noise. Measurement results demonstrate elimination of spurs, allowing an incompliant GSM PA that is violating the limits of the GSM spectral mask by 9.3 dB to be brought back to compliance without additional filtering or linear regulation between the converter and the PA.
Excesses of seawater-derived 234U in volcanic glasses from Loihi Seamount due to crustal contamination

Abstract The effects of crustal contamination on the chemistry of oceanic basalts are commonly assumed to be negligible due to the compositional similarity between the erupted basalt and the underlying oceanic crust or volcanic edifice. Here we evaluate this assumption with high-precision measurements of the 234 U– 238 U and 230 Th– 238 U disequilibria, Cl/K 2 O ratios, and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios of volcanic glasses from Loihi Seamount, a submarine Hawaiian volcano with an active hydrothermal system. The samples, including one from the volcano's 1996 eruption, have small to moderate amounts of excess 234 U (~ 0.2–1.0%) and variable, elevated Cl/K 2 O ratios. These excesses of 234 U and enrichments in Cl are thought to result from contamination with seawater-derived U and Cl, but neither of these signatures can be explained by syn- or post-eruptive interaction between lava and seawater. Instead, mantle-derived magmas at Loihi appear to be variably contaminated with two distinct crustal materials: hydrothermal brines (which create enrichments in Cl) and U-enriched hydrothermally altered rocks (which create excesses of 234 U). Both of these materials are expected to be found within the volcanic edifice as complementary parts of the volcano's hydrothermal system. The Loihi glasses display a wide measured range in the amount of excess 230 Th from ~1 to 7% (due to the addition of seawater-derived U) that overlaps with lavas from Kilauea Volcano (~ 2% excess 230 Th). We correct the 230 Th– 238 U disequilibria of the Loihi glasses back to their original pre-contamination values using their 234 U– 238 U disequilibria and a simple mass-balance calculation. This correction suggests that mantle-derived magmas at Loihi have a narrow range of ~ 6–9% excess 230 Th, which is significantly larger than observed for lavas from the neighboring volcano, Kilauea. This difference is consistent with the idea that Loihi is tapping mantle that is upwelling slowly (~ 5–6 cm/yr) on the margin of the Hawaiian plume.
Correlation of thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration cytology with corresponding histology at Mayo Clinic, 2001-2007: an institutional experience of 1,945 cases.

Following the National Cancer Institute Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration State of the Science Conference, the thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) practice at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, conducted retrospective analyses correlating cytologic and histologic evaluations of thyroid nodules. Cytologic and histologic reports were retrieved for patients with thyroid nodules who underwent thyroid FNAB between January 2001 and December 2007, with subsequent surgical thyroid resection. Cases were classified by major cytologic and histologic diagnosis and specific diagnostic subcategories. Of 1,945 FNAB cytologic results, 180 (9.3%) were nondiagnostic; 512 (26.3%) were negative for malignancy; 27 (1.4%) were atypical; 729 (37.5%) were suspicious for malignancy; and 497 (25.6%) were positive for malignancy. Histology was benign in 1,179 (60.6%) and malignant in 766 (39.4%). For thyroid malignancy as the disease outcome, at cytologic thresholds of atypical, suspicious, and positive, overall sensitivity of thyroid FNAB was 94.5%, 94.1%, and 65.0%, respectively, and specificity was 46.0%, 48.3%, and 98.5%, respectively. Positive predictive value for all malignancies was 97.0%, and negative predictive value was 92.0%. When separated by specific malignant outcomes, diagnoses of papillary carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, and lymphoma had specificity of suspicious FNAB diagnoses ranging from 90.5% to 99.6%; positive predictive value ranged from 87.5% to 91.4%. For follicular or Hurthle carcinoma, suspicious FNAB diagnoses had a specificity of 52.5% and a positive predictive value of 5.9%. Sensitivity of indeterminate FNAB diagnoses ranged from 72.7% to 95.3%. For follicular or Hurthle pattern malignancies, indeterminate cytologic diagnoses should be interpreted with caution by the clinician considering surgical management. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012;40:E27-E32. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Urban Poverty: Scientific and Ethical Considerations

Concentrated urban poverty in the United States is addressed from a dual perspective. The first viewpoint is derived from the social science literature. To advance the existing base of knowledge, reference is made to a specific research program, the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. This effort is currently in mid-course of a decade-long study of children from all major racial/ethnic, social class, and neighborhood groups in the city and is demonstrating the negative impacts on children's behavioral and social development of being raised in zones of concentrated poverty. The second perspective views urban poverty in the context of widening in come disparity and through the lens of the economic and social rights accorded to citizens of a democracy. Political leadership is urgently needed to challenge this level of disparity and to acknowledge concentrated urban poverty as an insidious violation of human rights, particularly those of African American children.