cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Allocating Scarce Resources in a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH)

This paper considers the problem of allocating scarce resources, like the number of Primary Care Physician hours, to teams facing stochastic demand in a PCMH. This allocation is made in two stages. In the first stage, a preliminary assignment is made. After the demand is observed, in the second stage, the preliminary assignment is adjusted to meet this demand exactly. We use real options theory to quantify the resulting disruption to the teams, and discuss three mechanisms to price this disruption in a fair and consistent manner. After the pricing function is determined, for fairness, stage one assignments are made such that the price of disruption during the stage two adjustment is the same to each team. We present two simulated examples to illustrate the resulting allocation strategy, and observe that the pricing mechanism considered here can incorporate the management objective of decreasing the disruption to teams handling sicker patients, and thus achieve better quality of service.
Psychological Well-Being of Older Chinese-American Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren

The rapid increase in grandparents caring for grandchildren has received growing attention, but little research has focused on Chinese-American grandparents and their caregiving experiences. Drawing on cross-sectional data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly—a community-engaged, epidemiological study of Chinese-American adults aged 60 and older, the relationships between caregiving experiences and psychological well-being were examined. Of 2,365 older adults who answered the question about grandparent caregiving, 818 (35%) were designated as caregivers, spending an average of 12 hours a week on childcare. About one in five caregivers reported caregiving burden, pressure, or negative health effect of caregiving. Caregivers had better psychological well-being than noncaregivers, with significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, and loneliness. For caregivers, higher levels of caregiving burden, pressure from adult children, and perceived negative effect were related to greater rates of psychological distress. With a strong cultural expectation of family care, grandparent caregiving is generally associated with positive psychological well-being, but it can also be stressful, especially when older adults feel pressured to provide childcare or that doing so is a burden. The study implies that cultural values and life transitions may shape grandparent caregiving experiences and well-being, indicating the importance of respecting cultural differences in family caregiving. Understanding positive and negative aspects of grandparent caregiving and the underlying mechanisms will help healthcare professionals identify caregivers at risk of psychological distress and provide proper interventions to attenuate negative outcomes while maximizing positive experiences for Chinese-American older adults.
The Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy: XXII the twenty-five-year progression of retinopathy in persons with type 1 diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an important cause of visual impairment, especially in persons 25–65 years of age.1–3 While epidemiological studies have described the incidence of DR.1,4–26 and relationships to various risk factors, many of these studies have been in persons with type 2 diabetes and few have examined these relationships over a long period of time.11,20–26 Even fewer studies have examined regression of DR and associated factors.11 Recent changes in rates of progression and improvement of DR would be expected with the more widespread use of intensive glycemic and blood pressure control.1,15,27–29 In this report, we extend our previous observations by describing the 25-year progression and regression of DR, the incidence of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and changes in the prevalence of PDR in a large cohort of persons with type 1 diabetes mellitus participating in the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy (WESDR).11
Diode-Pumped Er:Yb:Glass Mini-Transmitter

A miniature lightweight, diode-pumped, passively Q-switched Er:Yb:glass laser transmitter has been developed, capable of greater than 20 Hz operation at 1.53 μm.
PEAK: Integrating Curated and Noisy Prior Knowledge in Gene Regulatory Network Inference.

Abstract With abundance of biological data, computational prediction of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from gene expression data has become more feasible. Although incorporating other prior knowledge (PK), along with gene expression data, greatly improves prediction accuracy, the overall accuracy is still low. PK in GRN inference can be categorized into noisy and curated. In noisy PK, relations between genes do not necessarily correspond to regulatory relations and are thus considered inaccurate by inference algorithms such as transcription factor binding and protein–protein interactions. In contrast, curated PK is experimentally verified regulatory interactions in pathway databases. An issue in real data is that gene expression can poorly support the curated PK and thus most existing prediction algorithms cannot use these curated PK. Although several algorithms were proposed to incorporate noisy PK, none address curated PK with poor gene expression support. We present PEAK, a system to integrate both cu...
Demonstration of the Cosette Automated SQL Prover

In this demonstration, we showcase COSETTE, the first automated prover for determining the equivalences of SQL queries. Despite theoretical limitations, COSETTE leverages recent advances in both automated constraint solving and interactive theorem proving to decide the equivalences of a wide range of real world queries, including complex rewrite rules from the database literature. COSETTE can also validate the inequality of queries by finding counter examples, i.e., database instances which, when executed on the two queries, will return different results. COSETTE can find counter examples of many real world inequivalent queries including a number of real-world optimizer bugs. We showcase three representative applications of COSETTE: proving a query rewrite rule from magic set rewrite, finding counter examples from the infamous optimizer bug, and an interactive visualization of automated grading results powered by COSETTE, where COSETTE is used to check the equivalence of students' answers to the standard solution. For the demo, the audience can experience through the three applications, and explore the COSETTE by interacting with the tool using an easy-to-use web interface.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Soluble Mediators and Cystic Fibrosis.

Human Mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) secrete products (supernatants) that are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. We have previously shown that hMSCs decrease inflammation and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in the in vivo murine model of Cystic Fibrosis (CF). CF is a genetic disease in which pulmonary infection and inflammation becomes the major cause of morbidity and mortality. Our studies focus on determining how hMSCs contribute to improved outcomes in the CF mouse model centering on how the hMSCs impact the inflammatory response to pathogenic organisms. We hypothesize that hMSCs secrete products that are anti-inflammatory in scenarios of chronic pulmonary infections using the murine model of infection and inflammation with a specific interest in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (gram negative). Further, our studies will identify whether the hMSCs are impacting this inflammatory response through the regulation of peroxisome proliferator activator receptor gamma (PPARγ) which aides in decreasing inflammation.
The Winding Number and Global Potential Functions

Theorem 4.2 of Chapter XV gave us a significant criterion for the existence of a potential function, but falls short of describing completely the nature of global obstructions for its existence if we know that the vector field is locally integrable. The present chapter deals systematically with the obstruction, which will be seen to depend on a single vector field. The same considerations are used in subsequent courses on complex analysis and Cauchy’s theorem. The fundamental result proved in the present chapter is valid more generally, but will constitute perfect preparation for those who will subsequently deal with Cauchy’s theorem. In fact, Emil Artin in the 1940s gave a proof of Cauchy’s theorem basing the topological considerations (called homology) on the winding number (cf. his collected works). I have followed here Artin’s idea, and applied it to locally integrable vector fields in an open set U of R 2. A fundamental result, quite independent of analysis, is that if the winding number of a closed rectangular path in U is 0 with respect to every point outside U, then the path is a sum of boundaries of rectangles completely contained in U. See Theorem 3.2. If one knows that for certain vector fields their integrals around boundaries of rectangles are 0, then it immediately follows that their integrals along paths satisfying the above condition is also 0. This is the heart of the proof of the global integrability theorem, and may be viewed as a general theorem on circuits in the plane.
Abstract 1338: Brain MRI Neural Responses to Hand-Grip in Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) patients show impaired neural responses to autonomic challenges, possibly from injury to autonomic control brain sites. The insular cortex (right-side, sympathetic, left parasympathetic) is injured in HF and may show abnormal autonomic neural responses to motor challenges, such as hand-grip. METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals were assessed over discrete insular regions to hand-grip in 15 HF (age 53±8; 10 male; LVEF 28±7%) and 45 controls (age 51±7; 28 males). Subjects squeezed an inflated bag with their right hand for a 16 sec period, repeated 4 times at one min intervals. Brain volumes were collected at 2 sec intervals with a 3.0 Tesla scanner and images were preprocessed with SPM5. Time trends of brain signals were extracted over 5 left and right insular regions and patterns compared between groups. RESULTS: A significant muting of signals and loss of recovery response in all areas of the insular cortex on both right and left sides appeared in HF over controls (Fig. 1). Unlike other autonomic challenges (e.g., Valsalva), no response phase differences emerged. Left side early responses in posterior insular areas in HF were less affected than the right. CONCLUSIONS: Both left and right insular cortices show significantly impaired fMRI signal responses to hand-grip in HF, with posterior left-sided (parasympathetic) areas less affected in early response stages. Impaired autonomic actions to motor challenges could significantly affect both sympathetic and parasympathetic responses to motor behavior. Failed recovery responses will significantly affect autonomic patterns to successive challenges.
A Term Distribution Visualization Approach to Digital Forensic String Search

Digital forensic string search is vital to the forensic discovery process, but there has been little research on improving tools or methods for this task. We propose the use of term distribution visualizations to aid digital forensic string search tasks. Our visualization model enables an analyst to quickly identify relevant sections of a text and provides brushing and drilling-down capabilities to support analysis of large datasets. Initial user study results suggest that the visualizations are useful for information retrieval tasks, but further studies must be performed to obtain statistically significant results and to determine specific utility in digital forensic investigations.
Membrane processes for biofuel separation: an introduction

Abstract: In recent years, membrane systems have found industrial level application in a large variety of advanced separation and purification processes, including biofuel production and purification. The numerous advantages over conventional techniques can be summarized as: minimization of capital cost, flexibility, compactness of the plants, and optimal ratio between productivity and efficiency alongside energy-saving. This chapter gives a general overview of the concept of membranes and membrane technology, followed by information on membrane classification and techniques of fabrication. The remaining sections then discuss gas separation, pervaporation and inorganic membrane reactor-based transport mechanisms and the use of these membrane processes for biofuel production and purification (including hydrogen production).
Maximum Capacities in Submarine Cables With Fixed Power Constraints for C-Band, C+L-Band, and Multicore Fiber Systems

Achieving greater transmission capacity in submarine optical cables is of great interest as data traffic demands continue to increase worldwide. A significant constraint unique to submarine cable systems is that of electrical power that must be delivered to the entire cable from the terminals at the landing points. Recently, much focus has been on how to maximize the overall cable transmission capacity within fixed electrical power feed constraints. Until recently, all repeatered submarine cable systems were built using the erbium-doped fiber amplifier C-band, but C+L-band systems are now being considered and deployed. In parallel, there has been intense interest in spatial division multiplexing technologies, such as multicore fibers, as potential means to enabling greater transmission capacity in terrestrial and submarine systems. In this work, we examine maximum submarine cable capacities for three types of systems based on single-core fibers with C-band only or C+L-band transmission, and general multicore fiber systems with C-band-only transmission. The analysis is performed on the basis of common fixed power constraints and received signal-to-noise requirements, and comparable fiber-core characteristics. Additional losses for devices, such as C/L-band splitters and fan-in/fan-out modules, are accounted, and their impact on maximum cable capacity is estimated. For multicore fiber systems, other potential effects, such as higher fiber attenuation and crosstalk between cores, are also analyzed and evaluated with respect to capacity impacts. We find that single-core C-band systems offer the highest cable capacity, provided cable designs can accommodate the number of fiber pairs suggested.
Coplanar Stripline Spurline Stub Resonators With Even-Mode Suppression for Bandpass and Bandstop Filters

Coplanar stripline (CPS) bandpass and bandstop filters may be built using spurline stub resonators. Previous papers have demonstrated these filters, but they had a parasitic resonance that may limit spurline resonators from being used in CPS. This letter explains the parasitic resonance and introduces an alternative circuit model of the stub and a method to suppress it.
Kidney Transplantation in a HIV-Positive Recipient

HIV infection is a risk factor for kidney disease. Kidney transplantation is an accepted therapy for ESKD in this population. HIV-positive candidates face barriers to waitlisting but can achieve good post-transplant outcomes. Drug–drug interactions and comorbid illnesses present unique challenges
Carbon control on terrestrial ecosystem function across contrasting site productivities: the carbon connection revisited.

Understanding how altered soil organic carbon (SOC) availability affects microbial communities and their function is imperative in predicting impacts of global change on soil carbon (C) storage and ecosystem function. However, the response of soil microbial communities and their function to depleted C availability in situ is unclear. We evaluated the role of soil C inputs in controlling microbial biomass, community composition, physiology, and function by (1) experimentally excluding plant C inputs in situ for 9 yr in four temperate forest ecosystems along a productivity gradient in Oregon, USA; and (2) integrating these findings with published data from similar C-exclusion studies into a global meta-analysis. Excluding plant C inputs for 9 yr resulted in a 13% decrease in SOC across the four Oregon sites and an overall shift in the microbial community composition, with a 45% decrease in the fungal : bacterial ratio and a 13% increase in Gram-positive : Gram-negative bacterial ratio. Although gross N mineralization decreased under C exclusion, decreases in gross N immobilization were greater, resulting in increased net N mineralization rates in all but the lowest-productivity site. Microbial biomass showed a variable response to C exclusion that was method dependent; however, we detected a 29% decrease in C-use efficiency across the sites, with greater declines occurring in less-productive sites. Although extracellular enzyme activity increased with C exclusion, C exclusion resulted in a 31% decrease in microbial respiration across all sites. Our meta-analyses of published data with similar C-exclusion treatments were largely consistent with our experimental results, showing decreased SOC, fungal : bacterial ratios, and microbial respiration, and increased Gram-positive : Gram-negative bacterial ratio following exclusion of C inputs to soil. Effect sizes of SOC and respiration correlated negatively with the duration of C exclusion; however, there were immediate effects of C exclusion on microbial community composition and biomass that were unaltered by duration of treatment. Our field-based experimental results and analyses demonstrate unequivocally the dominant control of C availability on soil microbial biomass, community composition, and function, and provide additional insight into the mechanisms for these effects in forest ecosystems.
Reproduction and Dispersal of Biological Soil Crust Organisms

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) consist of a diverse and highly integrated community of organisms that effectively occupy and collectively stabilize soil surfaces. BSCs vary in terms of soil chemistry and texture as well as the environmental parameters that combine to support unique combinations of organisms – including cyanobacteria dominated, lichen-dominated, and bryophyte-dominated crusts. The list of organismal groups that make up BSC communities in various and unique combinations include – free living, lichenized, and mycorrhizal fungi, chemoheterotrophic bacteria, cyanobacteria, diazotrophic bacteria and archaea, eukaryotic algae, and bryophytes. The various BSC organismal groups demonstrate several common characteristics including – desiccation and extreme temperature tolerance, production of various soil binding chemistries, a near exclusive dependency on asexual reproduction, a pattern of aerial dispersal over impressive distances, and a universal vulnerability to a wide range of human-related perturbations. With this publication, we provide literature-based insights as to how each organismal group contributes to the formation and maintenance of the structural and functional attributes of BSCs, how they reproduce, and how they are dispersed. We also emphasize the importance of effective application of molecular and microenvironment sampling and assessment tools in order to provide cogent and essential answers that will allow scientists and land managers to better understand and manage the biodiversity and functional relationships of soil crust communities.
Optimisation of diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in a primary care setting

Background Heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of emergency department visits and hospital admissions in the USA. We identified a gap in the diagnosis and the use of guideline-directed medical therapy in patients with HF at the internal medicine clinic. Aim To improve the diagnosis and treatment of HF, as well as to reduce emergency department visits and hospitalisation over 12 months in patients aged 40–75 years. Methods The multidisciplinary quality improvement (QI) team performed a root cause analysis and identified barriers to optimal guideline-directed medical therapy. Rates of patients on guideline-directed medical therapy with systolic HF diagnosis, emergency department visits and hospital admissions were the outcome measures. The process measures included echocardiogram order and completion rates, and rates of accurate classification of HF from the baseline rate of less than 10%. We used the focus, analyse, develop, execute and evaluate (FADE) model with five improvement cycles. The major components of interventions included (1) leveraging health information technology; (2) optimising teamwork; and (3) providing education to patients, physicians and internal medicine clinic staff. Data were analysed using statistical process control and run charts. Results We observed a reduction in the total number of emergency department visits (160 vs 108), hospital admissions (117 vs 114) and observation visits (22 vs 16) comparing the 1-year preproject and 1-year postproject periods. An increase in the use of ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers occurred from the baseline rate of 20%–37% during the second half of the project and was sustained at 71.4% (median) during 6 months of the postproject period. Conclusions We achieved a sustainable increase in the accurate diagnosis of HF and achieved 80% diagnosis during the 6-month poststudy period.
Family Social Participation in Young Children With Autism: Phenomenological Analyses

Date Presented 04/05/19 This phenomenological study explored and illuminated the experiences and meaning of social participation in families raising a young child with autism. Ten families were recruited and interviewed. Phenomenological analyses revealed that family experiences and meaning related to social participation included 1) divide and conquer, 2) occupation in isolation, and 3) pausing to reset engagement. Results suggest impoverished family occupation of social participation begins in early childhood. Additional Authors and Speakers: Beth DeGrace Primary Author and Speaker: Julie Smith
Language and Literacy Together: Supporting Grammatical Development in Dual Language Learners With Risk for Language and Learning Difficulties

Purpose Early Interventions in Reading (Vaughn et al., 2006), the only literacy intervention with demonstrated effectiveness for U.S. dual language learners, was enhanced to support the development of oral language (vocabulary, grammar, and narrative) and literacy, which we refer to as "Language and Literacy Together." The primary focus of this study is to understand the extent to which grammatical skills of bilinguals with risk for language and/or reading difficulties improve in the Language and Literacy Together intervention. Method Fifteen first-grade dual language learners with risk for language and/or reading difficulties participated in an enhanced version of Early Interventions in Reading in Spanish. Children completed pre- and postintervention evaluations in Spanish and English, including grammatical testing from the Bilingual English Spanish Oral Screener (Pena et al., 2008) and narrative evaluation Test of Narrative Language story prompts (Gillam & Pearson, 2004; Gillam et al., n.d.). Data from six comparison participants with typical language skills who completed pre- and posttesting demonstrate the stability of the measures. Results The intervention group made gains in English and Spanish as evidenced by significant increases in their cloze and sentence repetition accuracy on the Bilingual English Spanish Oral Screener Morphosyntax subtest. They increased productivity on their narratives in Spanish and English as indexed by mean length of utterance in words but did not make gains in their overall grammaticality. Conclusions Structured intervention that includes an emphasis on grammatical elements in the context of a broader intervention can lead to change in the production of morphosyntax evident in both elicited constructions and narrative productivity as measured by mean length of utterance in words. Additional work is needed to determine if and how cross-linguistic transfer might be achieved for these learners.
Usage, media, and grammaticalization: The rhetorical question ‘bu35shi51…ma’ in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract This report presents a case study on a current grammatical change in a rhetorical question 不是…吗 (isn’t it the case…?) and its spreading from spoken Beijing Mandarin to Mandarin Chinese in general. The study addresses three interrelated issues that concern the development and spreading of this new pattern: (1) usage-based language variation and change in spoken Beijing Mandarin; (2) Socio-cultural factors that may have promoted the adaptation of the new pattern in Mandarin Chinese; and (3) the impact of media, which may enhance the rapid spreading of the pattern in China. The report offers another instance of usage as the main driving force leading to language variation and grammaticalization.
Catheter-free ablation of infarct scar through proton beam therapy: Tissue effects in a porcine model

Background Scar-related ventricular arrhythmias are common after myocardial infarction. Catheter ablation can improve prognosis, but the procedure is invasive and results are not always satisfactory. Noninvasive, catheter-free ablation using ionizing radiation has recently gained interest among electrophysiologists, but the tissue effects and physiological outcome have not been fully characterized. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the structural effects of cardiac scanned pencil beam proton therapy on infarct scar, the time course of imaging biomarkers, arrhythmias, and cardiac function in a porcine model. Methods Fourteen infarcted swine underwent proton beam treatment of the scar (40 or 30 Gy) and were followed for up to 30 weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed every 4 weeks. Results Treated scar areas showed a significantly lower fraction of surviving myocytes at 30 weeks compared to untreated scar (30.1% ± 18.5% and 59.9% ± 10.1% in treated and untreated infarct, respectively), indicating scar homogenization. Four animals died suddenly during follow-up, all from documented monomorphic ventricular tachycardia. Cardiac function remained stable over the course of the study. Distinct imaging morphologies corresponded to certain tissue dose ranges and time points. Conclusion Radioablation of cardiac infarct scar leads to significant homogenization of the scar, replicating the histologic effects of radiofrequency ablation. These changes correspond to distinct imaging morphologies on delayed contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, enabling noninvasive confirmation of tissue ablation effects The present study is the first to thoroughly investigate the structural effects of cardiac proton beam therapy in infarcted myocardium.
Harmonization trends in American and Nordic library schools

Analyse de la maniere dont les ecoles de bibliothecaires americaines et nordiques repondent au changement des conditions environnantes du a la recession economique et aux nouvelles technologies. Apres avoir etudie les initiatives prises par quatre ecoles americaines, l'auteur presente les changements operes dans les pays nordiques depuis 1972 et etablit une liste des differences constatees entre les deux spheres
Physicochemical characterization data of pine-derived biochar and natural zeolite as precursors to catalysts

Abstract There is a significant interest in the use of biochar and zeolite-based adsorbents and catalysts for the removal of contaminants from water, air, and soil. Understanding the properties of these materials can dramatically improve engineering design and commercial use of these materials, leading to improved sustainability, cost reductions and effective use of materials. In this article, pine-derived biochar and commercially available natural zeolite have been systematically studied. The physical and chemical properties of biochar and zeolite have been investigated using different characterization methods such as acid value, point of zero charge (PZC), Scanning Electron Microscopy, Surface Profilometry, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, surface charge, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The acid values of biochar and zeolite were determined to be 6.10 and 6.73, respectively while their PZC were 5.82 and 6.74, respectively. Surface profilometry test indicated that zeolite was about 1.6 times rougher than biochar. Additionally, the surface charge of biochar and zeolite were determined to be 214.28 and 1060 µeq of PDADMAC/gm, respectively while their cation exchange capacities were 17.5 and 32.5 cmol/kg, respectively. It is anticipated that researchers will find the characterization data presented in this article useful for further study and modification of these materials to be used as precursors for the synthesis of catalysts and other value-added products.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Although neuroimaging has a limited role in the diagnostic assessment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), neuroimaging research has contributed crucial information regarding the pathophysiology of OCD and related diseases. OCD may be one of a spectrum of disorders that all involve corticostriatal pathology, in which the clinical presentation reflects the topography of dysfunction within the striatum. Structural neuroimaging studies of OCD have indicated volumetric abnormalities in the caudate nucleus. Functional imaging studies of OCD have shown increased activity in the corticostriatal pathway involving anterior orbitofrontal cortex and the caudate nucleus, both at rest and during symptom provocation, which is attenuated following effective treatment. Paralimbic elements, such as the anterior cingulate and posterior orbitofrontal cortex, may play a role in mediating anxiety or arousal nonspecifically. Taken together, these imaging data support the “striatal topography” model of OCD and suggest directions for future research, focusing on processes involving anterior orbitofrontal cortex and the caudate nucleus.
Long-term no-till increases soil nitrogen mineralization but does not affect optimal corn nitrogen fertilization practices relative to inversion tillage

Abstract No-till management is a proven practice for increasing soil organic matter in many environments. By increasing soil organic matter, no-till may increase soil N mineralization, potentially reducing crop demand for N fertilizer relative to inversion tillage. In this study, we hypothesized that, relative to inversion tillage (moldboard plowing), long-term no-till would: i) increase total N stocks, ii) increase mineralized N during the growing season, iii) increase grain yield and N uptake, and iv) reduce reliance of corn (Zea mays L.) on N fertilizer inputs. We tested these hypotheses in a long-term, continuous corn tillage and fertilizer N rate study located in Lexington, KY. We measured the total soil N and potentially mineralizable N after 48 years, the in situ mineralized N and N uptake during two corn seasons (2018–2019), and the corn grain yield for five seasons (2015–2019). We evaluated the effect of no-till on N fertilizer reliance in two ways – the first was by measuring the agronomic optimum N rate of corn in the two tillage systems, and the second was by measuring the corn yield response to late N fertilization timing in the two tillage systems. We found that the no-till system had 1000 kg N ha−1 greater total soil N stocks in the top 20 cm, mineralized 65 kg ha−1 more N during corn growth, and resulted in 22−71 kg N ha−1 and 780−1800 kg ha−1 greater N uptake and grain yield across N rates, respectively, than the plowed system. The agronomic optimum N rate (AONR) did not differ among tillage treatments, potentially because the no-till treatment yielded more and thus demanded more N. Although corn yield responded to the late N fertilization treatment, the response was similar in both the no-till and plowed treatments. We conclude that long-term no-till increases soil N mineralization and corn yield relative to inversion tillage, with minimal effect on the AONR or optimal timing of N fertilizer application.
Education, Fear, and Trauma

This chapter briefly addresses the history education in late antiquity, Middle Ages, and Colonial period; explores the impact of anti-literacy laws, Black codes, and harmful policies on the education of racial/ethnic minorities; education as a determinant of health; and fear and trauma in the system of education.
Circadian coordination of cellular processes and abiotic stress responses.

Abstract Diel changes in the environment are perceived by the circadian clock which transmits temporal information throughout the plant cell to synchronize daily and seasonal environmental signals with internal biological processes. Dynamic modulations of diverse levels of clock gene regulation within the plant cell are impacted by stress. Recent insights into circadian control of cellular processes such as alternative splicing, polyadenylation, and noncoding RNAs are discussed. We highlight studies on the circadian regulation of reactive oxygen species, calcium signaling, and gating of temperature stress responses. Finally, we briefly summarize recent work on the translation-specific rhythmicity of cell cycle genes and the control of subcellular localization and relocalization of oscillator components. Together, this mini-review highlights these cellular events in the context of clock gene regulation and stress responses in Arabidopsis.
The effect of productivity and quality on profitability in US airline industry: An empirical investigation

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the effect of productivity and quality on profitability in the US airline industry.Design/methodology/approach – Airlines operations and performance data were used to determine the effect of productivity and quality on profitability. Correlation and multivariate regression analysis have been used for data analysis.Findings – The results show that labor productivity is the most significant predictor of profitability. On‐time performance has no relationship with profitability. The findings suggest that labor productivity, gas price, average annual maintenance cost and employee salary are significant predictors of profitability. The relationship between labor productivity and employee salary with profitability is positive, while gas price and average annual maintenance cost have a negative relationship with profitability.Research limitations/implications – The research could be more detailed by taking into account measures of airline safety. Additional measures for se...
A parallel multi-start search algorithm for dynamic traveling salesman problem

This paper introduces a multi-start search approach to dynamic traveling salesman problem (DTSP). Our experimental problem is stochastic and dynamic. Our search algorithm is dynamic because it explicitly incorporates the interaction of change and search over time. The result of our experiment demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the algorithm. When we use a matrix to construct the solution attractor from the set of local optima generated by the multi-start search, the attractor-based search can provide even better result.
An area- and energy-efficient asynchronous Booth multiplier for mobile devices

The recent explosion in the number of handheld multimedia devices has created a need for energy-efficient computation due to limited battery lifetimes. We focus on multiplication, which is needed in several application domains, e.g., 3D graphics, signal processing, and cryptography. We introduce an asynchronous implementation of a plain Booth multiplier (i.e., radix-2), which is both area- and energy-efficient, and therefore suitable for mobile applications. This paper makes the following contributions. First, a novel counterflow organization is introduced, in which the data bits flow in one direction, and the Booth commands piggyback on the acknowledgments flowing in the opposite direction. Second, the arithmetic and shifter units are merged together to obtain significant improvement in area, energy as well as speed. Third, our design performs overlapped execution of multiple iterations of the Booth algorithm. Finally, the design is quite modular, which allows scaling to arbitrary operand widths, without gate resizing or cycle time overheads. Spice simulations in a 0.18 /spl mu/m TSMC process at 1.8 V, indicate promising performance: the multiplier takes 1.08 ns per Booth iteration, regardless of the operand widths, thereby demonstrating the scalability of our approach. In addition, the multiplier is fully functional at reduced supply voltages (e.g., 1.0 V), and thus capable of dynamically trading off performance for energy efficiency.
Intrapartum Fetal Monitoring

Continuous electronic fetal monitoring was developed in the 1960s to assist in the diagnosis of fetal hypoxia during labor. Continuous electronic fetal monitoring has been shown to reduce the incidence of neonatal seizures, but there has been no beneficial effect in decreasing cerebral palsy or neonatal Continuous electronic fetal monitoring was developed in the 1960s to assist in the diagnosis of fetal hypoxia during labor. Continuous electronic fetal monitoring has been shown to reduce the incidence of neonatal seizures, but there has been no beneficial effect in decreasing cerebral palsy or neonatal mortality. Intraobserver variability may play a major role in its interpretation. To provide a systematic approach to interpreting the electronic fetal monitor tracing, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development convened a workshop in 2008 to revise the accepted definitions for electronic fetal monitor tracing. The key elements include assessment of baseline heart rate, presence or absence of variability, and interpretation of periodic changes. The workshop introduced a new classification scheme for decision making with regard to tracings. This system can be used in conjunction with the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics course mnemonic, DR C BRAVADO, to assist in the systematic interpretation of fetal monitoring. DR C BRAVADO incorporates maternal and fetal risk factors (DR = determine risk), contractions (C), the fetal monitor strip (BRA = baseline rate, V = variability, A = accelerations, and D = decelerations), and interpretation (O = overall assessment).
RESTRUCTURED STEAKS MANUFACTURED FROM PRE‐RIGOR BEEF OF VARYING PARTICLE SIZE

Raw materials were removed from U.S. Choice Yield Grade 3 beef fore-quarters 1 h postmortem. Samples were flaked with an Urschel Comitrol 3600 as three sizes; small (head opening = 3.0 mm), medium (head opening = 6.1 mm) and large (head opening = 9.9 mm). Each flake size was formulated with 1.0% NaCl and 0.25% sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), converted into 25 mm thick restructured steaks and packaged. Subjective evaluations were conducted after 0 and 56 days of frozen storage for color, cohesiveness, muscle cut resemblence and overall appearance. A 7-member panel evaluated tenderness, juiciness, connective tissue amount and flavor. Objective measurements included Hunter Color values, shear force, percentage cooking loss and Thiobarbituric Acid (TBA) values. Small flake particles contributed to improved color, cohesiveness and overall appearance. Particle size had minimal effects on muscle cut resemblence, cooking loss, shear values and all sensory attributes. Color degradation and oxidative rancidity increased with storage time.
Morbidity and mortality from hazardous materials events in the personal services industry, 1993–2001: A follow-up report from the Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system†

Background An estimated 8% of acute hazardous materials (HazMat) events that occur annually in the United States involve victims. Little information is available in the literature pinpointing which industries are associated with these acute events. Methods Data from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance (HSEES) system were analyzed to determine which industry categories had the highest proportion of events with victims. These data were collected from 17 state health departments that participated in the HSEES system from 1993 through 2001. Results During 1993 through 2001, 53,142 HazMat events occurred, of which 51,989 involved actual releases. Of these events with actual releases, 4,324 (8.3%) involved victims. Of the 14 major industrial categories analyzed, personal services—with 1,311 total events, including 468 with victims—had the highest major industrial category proportion of events with victims (35.7%). This high proportion of events with victims was associated mainly with the following three personal services subcategories: private households; laundry, cleaning, and garment services; and hotels and motels. Most of the victims injured in personal services events involved members of the general public. The most frequently reported symptom was respiratory irritation. The causal factors leading to most releases were operator error, followed by deliberate/illegal damage. Conclusions Targeting the personal services industries with appropriate prevention strategies may be an effective way to help begin reducing the high proportion of events with victims in this category. Am. J. Ind. Med. 47:419–427, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dose conversion factor between cyclosporine and tacrolimus in pediatric heart transplant recipients.

Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) are the cornerstone of immunosuppression after pediatric heart transplantation (HTx). However, many patients require conversion from one drug to another because of undesired adverse effects or breakthrough rejection. After conversion, it is important to achieve stable target blood levels of the newly introduced CNI as soon as possible to limit the risk of rejection, graft loss, and drug toxicity. Current guidelines direct clinicians converting patients between cyclosporine A (CyA) and tacrolimus (TAC) to dose pediatric patients according to weight (mg/kg), then adjust the dose relative to blood levels. However, dose requirements between patients vary widely because of individual differences in metabolism. Because both drugs are metabolized through the cytochrome P-450 pathway, dose requirements are strongly associated with each other as shown in adults after kidney transplant. Our primary aim was to examine the relationship between CyA and TAC dosing in pediatric HTx patients, seeking a conversion factor between CNIs that would account for individual differences in drug metabolism. This conversion factor could be used to dose the new drug relative to each patient’s unique, stable dosing of the previous drug and might provide more accurate dosing than the traditional mg/kg guidelines. A conversion factor for CNIs is defined as a patient’s stable 24-hour CyA dose/stable 24-hour TAC dose. For adult kidney transplant patients, conversion factors have been determined to be 25 and 30. These conversion factors may not apply to children because their drug metabolism is different from adults. CNI dosing at 1 year post-HTx was also compared with current mg/kg dosing recommendations. The mean CNI dose at 1 year post-HTx was recorded for all HTx patients aged r18 years receiving post-HTx care at Seattle Children’s Hospital. All patients who were switched from a stable CyA dose to TAC, or vice versa, were
Alphabetic bias in the selection of reviewers for the American Journal of Roentgenology.

OBJECTIVE. This study was performed to determine whether the number of invitations extended to American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) reviewers is biased toward reviewers with last names that start with early letters of the alphabet.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The data for this study were extracted from the database of Editorial Manager, the Web-based software used by AJR to manage peer review and other stages of journal production. The alphabetic distribution of last names was extracted from the list of all AJR reviewers in the system between February 1, 2007, and September 13, 2007. The number of reviewer invitations extended to each letter of the alphabet was extracted for the same time period. These data were analyzed using R, a software environment for statistical computing and graphics.RESULTS. During the 224-day sample period, 1,195 manuscripts were submitted to AJR, and 5,825 invitations were sent to reviewers selected from a pool of 1,573. A linear association was noted between the number of review i...
Cutaneous metastases in head and neck cancer

Cutaneous metastases from head and neck cancer are an unusual problem. We review risk factors, management strategies, and clinical outcome in patients with cutaneous metastases from epidermoid cancer of the head and neck. From 1980 to 1994 a total of 12 patients with pathologically documented cutaneous metastases from epidermoid cancer of the head and neck were identified at Yale University School of Medicine. Patient records were reviewed and cases were evaluated for risk factors, therapeutic techniques, and clinical outcome as it relates to local control and survival. Median follow-up was 6 months. There were 11 males and 1 female in this series. Primary tumor sites included tonsillar fossa, anterior tonsillar pillar, base of tongue, pyriform sinus, buccal mucosa (2 patients), auricle, larynx, and unknown primary (4 patients). Predominant tumor histology was squamous cell carcinoma, seen in 10 of 12 patients. Treatment modalities for primary and recurrent disease prior to development of cutaneous metastases included surgery, external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), intraoperative brachytherapy (IOBT), and/or chemotherapy. Management of cutaneous metastases included observation, chemotherapy, electron beam radiotherapy (EB), wide excision of involved skin (WE) with IOBT and reconstruction, and definitive brachytherapy implantation of cutaneous nodules. Local control of cutaneous metastases was achieved in 6 patients, all treated with WE and IOBT or WE and EB. Median survival after cutaneous metastases was 6 months. Three patients remain alive, 2 with progressive disease and 1 without evidence of disease. Since patients in this series were clinically heterogeneous and treated with one or more modalities for primary and recurrent disease, it is difficult to draw conclusions as to which modality or clinical presentation may put patients at highest risk for cutaneous metastases. Those patients requiring extensive neck surgery, high dose EBRT, and/or IOBT, all of which may interrupt both deep and dermal lymphatics, may put patients at greatest risk rather than any single modality alone. Those patients that do develop dermal metastases may be effectively managed with a combined modality approach including WE and IOBT with or without EB. This approach appears to offer the best chance of local control, palliation, and perhaps even curative potential. Dermal metastases, however, are a harbinger of progressive disease with most patients ultimately succumbing to their disease. Radiat Oncol Invest 1996;4:176–184. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Charge-transfer states determine iron porphyrin film third-order nonlinear optical properties in the near-IR spectral region

Femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) was used to study third-order nonlinear optical properties of electropolymerized Fe(III) tetrakis(p-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin films. Third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ1111(3)(−ω;ω,ω,−ω) was determined at 760−1350 nm. Susceptibility χ(3) values for a 500 nm thick porphyrin film ranged between (2−15)×10-20 m2V-2 ((1.4−10.7)×10-12 esu). The time response of electronic nonlinearities was faster than 120 fs. The sum-over-states model was applied to determine real and imaginary components for χ(3) and molecular second hyperpolarizability, γ. At wavelengths <800 nm, porphyrin film χ(3) is enhanced due to the 700 nm one-photon charge-transfer (CT) band. Nonlinear properties at longer wavelengths are determined by a two-photon resonance with a 17 400 cm-1 state. This state was not observed for other porphyrins and is attributed to a two-photon CT transition. Due to the resonance with the two-photon state, porphyrin Im χ(3) and two-photon absorption cross-section δ i...