cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Operations supported by ketamine anesthesia in resource-limited settings: Surgeons’ perceptions and recommendations – Qualitative Study

Abstract Background Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, ketamine's wide safety margin led to its use as a sole anesthetic agent in resource-limited settings when no anesthetist was available. During this time of the pandemic the use of ketamine has increased, however there are few recommendations on approaches to intraoperative challenges associated with ketamine's unique properties. The objective of this study was to gain surgeons' perceptions on performing operations supported by ketamine and to recommend best practices and techniques. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews of surgeons experienced with performing operations supported with ketamine as the sole anesthetic agent. Interviews continued until thematic saturation. Open-response data was analyzed using thematic analysis as well as iterative group discussions about emergent themes. Results Sixteen surgeons were interviewed regarding their operative experiences supported by ketamine across 12 countries. Surgeons universally felt that ketamine is safe, saves lives, and that they would administer it to a loved one in support of an operation if no anesthetist was available. Although lack of muscle relaxation with ketamine may require additional strategies to gain exposure, few surgical technical changes are necessary. While ketamine side effects are manageable, a single provider must always be dedicated to ketamine administration and patient monitoring. Surgeons should advocate for global policies, training and access. Conclusion Ketamine is safe, can provide increased access to emergency and essential surgery, and requires few operative technical changes. Global standards on ketamine training and use should be established.
When Is an Algorithm Fair? Errors, Proxies, and Predictions in Algorithmic Decision Making

The aliens land. Imagine beneficent aliens who come in peace. One of their first acts is to provide us with an analytics/artificial intelligence program that predicts future thought and action. Call the program AI, for alien intelligence. We have no explanation or understanding of why AI predicts what it does. Even the best human computer science experts find large parts of the AI program completely unintelligible. It appears to involve programming and statistical techniques unknown to us. Its predictions are more accurate than ours but, like ours, still have a fairly high error rate. Humans — businesses, governments, and individuals — embrace the program, and many (humans) propose using AI systematically in the widest possible range of contexts as a basis for prediction and action. We contend that it would be extremely unwise to do so. To the extent that human-created predictive systems are similar to AI, it is also unwise to use them across a wide range. We assume AI has three features, all shared to some extent with human-created systems. First, it is unintelligible. We cannot figure out how or why it reaches the conclusions it does. Second, like human-created systems, AI analyzes extensive data to detect statistical regularities that hold for people in certain categories. To do so, it abstracts from the contextually rich narratives that render people’s individual arcs through the world intelligible. This makes significant misclassification inevitable. Third, the aliens caution us that AI cannot detect its own misclassification. There are no feedback mechanisms that detect and correct errors. Given these features, it would be a serious mistake to use AI across the board as a basis for prediction and action. To begin with, AI will create winners and losers — a very large number of winners and losers since AI governs the widest possible range of contexts. Once negatively categorized, losers will face great difficulty in escaping the categorizations that condemn them to that role. The high error rate means that many of the categorizations are wrong, and the lack of feedback ensures that AI will not correct its errors. AI’s unintelligibility means that there is no way to explain to losers why such treatment is not capricious and arbitrary. Such a predictive system is both profoundly unjust and a serious threat to social stability. This raises three questions. To what extent are current human-created systems like AI? What can we ensure that our current systems do not have the objectionable features of AI? And, to what extent and in which cases should we forgo the use of our systems?
Implementing Banking Time with Teachers and Preschoolers Displaying Disruptive Behaviors: Links Between Consultant-Teacher Relationship Quality, Implementation Fidelity and Dosage, and Dyadic Teacher–Child Interactions

Teacher consultation is commonly used to ensure that classroom-based interventions are implemented with fidelity to achieve targeted outcomes, yet the consultation process is not well understood. Consultant-teacher relationship quality is one feature of consultation that may promote intervention outcomes—both directly and indirectly via teachers’ implementation. The current study used mediation models to examine the direct links between consultant-teacher relationship quality, assessed from the perspective of the consultant and teacher, and observed dyadic teacher–child interactions, as well as the indirect effect through teachers’ implementation fidelity and dosage. Implementation data come from the Banking Time intervention (N = 168 children, 57 teachers), a dyadic teacher–child intervention that targets the quality of interactions between teachers and preschoolers perceived to display disruptive behavior. Consultants (N = 4) worked with teachers to support their implementation of specific Banking Time practices. Findings supported a direct link between consultant-reported relationship quality and teachers’ observed interactions with children; however, no evidence for an indirect effect was found. Consultant-reported relationship quality predicted implementation dosage but not fidelity. Across findings, consultant-reported relationship quality emerged as a stronger predictor of outcomes than teacher-reported relationship quality. Results have implications for school-based interventions that employ teacher consultation to support teachers.
Environmental Considerations for Effective Telehealth Encounters: A Narrative Review and Implications for Best Practice.

Background: Due to the reduction in-person visits, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to expansions in the use of telehealth technology to provide patient care, yet clinicians lack evidence-based guidance on how to most effectively use video communication to enhance patient experience and outcomes. Methods: A narrative review was conducted to describe environmental factors derived from research in social psychology and human-computer interaction (HCI) that may guide effective video-based clinician-patient telehealth communication. Results: Factors such as nonverbal cues, spatial proximity, professionalism cues, and ambient features play an important role in patient experience. We present a visual typology of telehealth backgrounds to inform clinical practice and guide future research. Discussion: A growing body of empirical evidence indicates that environmental cues may play an essential role in establishing psychological safety, improving patient experience, and supporting clinical efficacy in these virtual experiences. Conclusion: The expanded use of telehealth visits suggests the need for further research on the relative effects of these environmental factors on patient experience and outcomes.
Methods used in analyzing human service programs in the military: A status review

The papers collected here illustrate several points of methodological strengths and weaknesses. Methodological issues raised by these papers are discussed in terms of three key topics: the definition and measurement of specific variables, the selection of samples and units of analysis, and their overall research designs.
The Design Analysis for Reliability Tool

The goal of the Design Analysis for Reliability Tool (DART) is to provide the designer of dynamic physical systems with a mathematical modeling tool. DART automates some of the steps involved in building mathematical models. The bond graph method is used as the dynamic system representation. The bond graph is entered into DART through a graphic interface. The state equations are derived from the bond graph. Specific constitutive laws for the general relationships represented by the bond graph nodes are entered through a full screen editor. The equations are solved using the Dynamic Simulation Language (DSL). DART generates and solves equations for the class of problems with state equations of the form dx/dt = ?(x, u). DART generates but cannot solve state equations of the form dx/dt = ?(x, dx/dt, u) because DSL does not handle implicit equations of this type. DART does handle algebraic implicit equations.
Speciation, phylogeography and evolution of life history and morphology in plethodontid salamanders of the Eurycea multiplicata complex.

Understanding the complex interactions among environment, genotype and ontogeny in determining organismal phenotypes is cental to many biological disciplines. The Eurycea multiplicata complex, endemic to the Interior Highlands (Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains) of eastern North America, comprises a diverse radiation of paedomorphic surface-dwelling (E. tynerensis), metamorphic surface-dwelling (E. multiplicata multiplicata and E. m. griseogaster) and metamorphic subterranean (Typhlotriton spelaeus) hemidactyliine plethodontid salamanders. Portions of two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome-b and NADH dehydrogenase-4, totalling 1818 base pairs (bp) were sequenced for 70 ingroup individuals plus numerous outgroup taxa, to examine the biogeography and relationships among these morphologically disparate species. Results show the E. multiplicata complex to be monophyletic, with its two most divergent clades corresponding to geography, not morphology or life history. Transforming surface-dwelling populations from the Ouachitas (E. m. multiplicata) are sister to the Ozark taxa, including paedomorphic surface-dwelling (E. tynerensis), subterranean (T. spelaeus) and transforming surface-dwelling salamanders assigned to the ‘subspecies’E. m. griseogaster. Among Ozark taxa T. spelaeus (deeply nested within Eurycea) is sister to a clade that includes E. m. griseogaster and E. tynerensis. Current taxonomy suggests that paedomorphic populations (E. tynerensis) from the western Ozarks are distinct from nearby transforming populations (E. m. griseogaster). However, paedomorphic and transforming salamanders do not form reciprocally monophyletic groups and many populations share almost identical haplotypes. Ancestral state reconstruction of life history traits shows that paedomorphosis arose independently from three to nine times. Most populations are either completely paedomorphic or completely transforming. This suggests that local habitat parameters strongly influence life history mode in this complex, either facultatively or by selection for particular genotypes.
Medication adherence part two: predictors of nonadherence and adherence.

AbstractPurpose:This is the second of a three-part series on medication adherence in which the authors describe the continuum of adherence to nonadherence of medication usage.Data sources:Research articles through MEDLINE and PubMed.Conclusions:Understanding the magnitude and scope of the problem of
New techniques for modeling and control of GTA welding

Solutions to modeling the gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding process are presented. A scheme of modeling using an adaptive filtering approach is compared to a scheme using neural networks. The adaptive filtering scheme is a black-box modeling approach using finite impulse response filters to model the multivariable system. This approach assumes the system to be linear in the specified region of operation. The neural network approach has the potential to model nonlinearities in the system. Potential problems with this approach are also discussed. A solution to the control problem using a second neural network is also suggested. >
CEREBELLAR LOOPS WITH MOTOR CORTEX AND PREFRONTAL CORTEX OF A NONHUMAN PRIMATE

We used transneuronal transport of neurotropic viruses to examine the topographic organization of circuits linking the cerebellar cortex with the arm area of the primary motor cortex (M1) and with area 46 in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of monkeys. Retrograde transneuronal transport of the CVS-11 (challenge virus strain 11) strain of rabies virus in cerebello-thalamocortical pathways revealed that the arm area of M1 receives input from Purkinje cells located primarily in lobules IV-VI of the cerebellar cortex. In contrast, transneuronal transport of rabies from area 46 revealed that it receives input from Purkinje cells located primarily in Crus II of the ansiform lobule. Thus, both M1 and area 46 are the targets of output from the cerebellar cortex. However, the output to each area of the cerebral cortex originates from Purkinje cells in different regions of the cerebellar cortex. Anterograde transneuronal transport of the H129 strain of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) revealed that neurons in the arm area of M1 project via the pons to granule cells primarily in lobules IV-VI, whereas neurons in area 46 project to granule cells primarily in Crus II. Together, the findings from rabies and HSV1 experiments indicate that the regions of the cerebellar cortex that receive input from M1 are the same as those that project to M1. Similarly, the regions of the cerebellar cortex that receive input from area 46 are the same as those that project to area 46. Thus, our observations suggest that multiple closed-loop circuits represent a fundamental architectural feature of cerebrocerebellar interactions.
Demystifying the publishing process: a primer for early career investigators.

those of us who have been working in academia, industry, or other laboratory environments for many years are, hopefully, quite well versed in the skills necessary to get original research articles published in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals. I am not referring to the scientific process or the
Fetal renal artery impedance as assessed by Doppler ultrasound in pregnancies complicated by intraamniotic inflammation and preterm birth.

Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate the fetal renal artery impedance in the context of inflammation-associated preterm birth. Study Design We conducted a prospective Doppler assessment of the fetal renal artery impedance in 70 singleton fetuses. The study group consisted of 56 premature fetuses (median, 28.1 [interquartile range, 25.3-30.6] weeks at enrollment). Gestational age (GA) reference ranges were generated based on fetuses with uncomplicated pregnancies (n = 14). Doppler studies included renal artery pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio, and presence or absence of end-diastolic blood flow. Proteomic profiling (surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight) was used for assessment of intraamniotic inflammation and biomarker peak corresponding to β2-microglubin. Data were interpreted in relationship to amniotic fluid index (AFI), cord blood interleukin (IL)-6 and erythropoietin (EPO) levels. The cardiovascular and metabolic profiles of the neonates were investigated in the first 24 hours of life. Results Fetuses delivered by mothers with intraamniotic inflammation had higher cord blood IL-6 but not EPO levels. Fetal inflammation did not affect either renal artery PI, RI, S/D ratio, or end-diastolic blood flow. Neonates delivered in the context of intraamniotic inflammation had higher serum blood urea nitrogen levels, which correlated significantly with AF IL-6 levels. The renal artery RI and SD ratio were inversely correlated with the AFI independent of GA, cord blood IL-6, and status of the membranes. Conclusion The fetus is capable of sustaining normal renal artery impedance despite inflammation. Resistance in the renal vascular bed affects urine output independent of inflammation.
Turbulent Transport at High Reynolds Numbers in an Inertial Confinement Fusion Context

Abstract : Mix is a critical input to hydro simulations used in modeling chemical or nuclear reaction processes in fluids. It has been identified as a possible cause of performance degradation in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets. Mix contributes to numerical solution uncertainty through its dependence on turbulent transport coefficients, themselves uncertain and even controversial quantities. These coefficients are a central object of study in this paper, carried out in an Richtmyer Meshkov unstable circular two-dimensional (2D) geometry suggested by an ICF design. We study a pre-turbulent regime and a fully developed regime. The former, at times between the first shock passage and reshock, is characterized by mixing in the form of interpenetrating but coherent fingers and the latter, at times after reshock, has fully developed turbulent structures. This paper focuses on the scaling of spatial averages of turbulence coefficients under mesh refinement and under variation of molecular viscosity [i.e., Reynolds number (Re)]. We find that the coefficients scale under mesh refinement with a power of spatial grid spacing derived from the Kolmogorov 2/3 law, especially after reshock. We document the dominance of turbulent over molecular transport and convergence of the turbulent transport coefficients in the infinite Re limit. The transport coefficients do not coincide for the pre- and post-reshock flow regimes, with significantly stronger transport coefficients after reshock.
GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit trimming using laser-direct-written tungsten microstrip lines

Laser-direct-write deposition of tungsten has been investigated as a technique for postfabrication trimming of GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuits. Tungsten microstrip lines of 30 μΩ cm resistivity are deposited via a vapour-phase reaction induced by a focused argon-ion laser beam Lines of 1.8 μm thickness and 50μm width written on a semi-insulating GaAs substrate have a loss of 2.6 dB/cm at 16GHz. This trimming technique is proposed as a practical and accurate method for the optimisation of high-frequency GaAs circuits.
Kinetics and Reaction Products of Ozone and Surface-Bound Squalene

Because of the high occupant density in aircraft, the surface chemistry of ozone and squalene, an important component of skin oil, was evaluated. A reaction probability of (45±14)×10−5 was determined for the reaction of squalene (2,6,10,15,19,23-hexamethyl-2,6,10,14,18,22-tetracosahexaene) with ozone (50 parts per billion (ppb)) on a glass plate surface using the Field and Laboratory Emission Cell (FLEC) Automation and Control System (FACS). To more clearly define part of squalene’s indoor environment degradation mechanism, gas-phase and surface-bound products of the squalene+O3 reaction were also investigated. Emitted products were captured in solution, derivatized with O-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine (PFBHA), and analyzed by gas chromatography and ion trap mass spectroscopy. The identified squalene+O3 reaction products were: 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (6MHO, ((CH3)2CCH(CH2)2 C(O)CH3)), glyoxal (ethanedial, HC(O)C(O)H), 4-oxopentanal (4OPA, CH3C(O)CH2CH2 CH(O)), and 6,10-dimethylundeca-5,9-dien-2-one (geranyl acetone). The compound 5,9,13-trimethyltetradeca-4,8,12-trienal is proposed as the other major squalene+O3 reaction product. This compound was determined from mass spectrometry coupled with plausible squalene+O3 reaction mechanisms based on previously published volatile organic compound+O3 gas-phase reaction mechanisms.
Biomass and adenylate energy charge of a grassland soil during drying.

Grassland soil samples were moistened (50–60% WHC) with water or a nutrient solution (yeast extract: 1 mg C g−1 dry soil) and then dried to matric water potentials of ca −0.80, −2.8, −16.0 or < −70.0 MPa. Samples were collected during drying, and biomass and adenylate energy charge (AEC) were measured. Biomass was measured by the substrate-induced respiration method. Biomass increased in response to initial wetting in all cases, but then decreased as drying progressed. Nutrient amendments resulted in greater peaks of biomass immediately following wetting. The degree of biomass decline during drying was dependent on the rate of drying as well as on the final matric water potential. The AEC values were ca 0.5 before wetting and increased to values as high as 0.75 shortly after wetting. The AEC transiently decreased to values as low as 0.2-0.25, but thereafter returned to ca 0.5. The transient decreases in AEC were caused by high concentrations of AMP which could not be accounted for by hydrolysis of ATP or ADP. This anomalous appearance of AMP may result from endogenous metabolism of RNA.
Rapid synthesis of few-layer graphene over Cu foil

Abstract We report a unique process for rapid synthesis of few-layer graphene films on Cu foil by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD). We show that the plasma/metal interaction can be advantageous for a rapid synthesis of such thin films. The process can produce films of controllable quality from amorphous to highly crystalline by adjusting plasma conditions during growth processes of ∼100 s duration and with no supplemental substrate heating. Films have been characterized using Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results help to identify the stages involved in the MPCVD deposition of thin carbon films on Cu foil, and the findings open new pathways for a rapid growth of few-layer graphene films.
Pathogenesis of inflammation. Effects of the pharmacological manipulation of arachidonic acid metabolism on the cytological response to inflammatory stimuli.

It is generally accepted that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) act by the inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis. However, this hypothesis may not apply to all NSAIDs at all doses. It has thus been proposed that, in high doses, NSAIDs counteract inflammation by the inhibition of the activity of inflammatory cells such as the neutrophil.
Supply chain management practices as a mediator of the relationship between operations capability and firm performance

The current study uses mediated regression analysis and structural equation modelling to test the proposition that supply chain management practices mediate the relationship between operations capability and firm performance. Operations capability is defined in terms of a firm's new product design and development, total quality management and just-in-time capabilities. Results support the research model and also suggest the existence of a direct relationship between operations capability and performance.
Web-browser encryption of personal health information

Electronic health records provide access to an unprecedented amount of clinical data for research that can accelerate the development of effective medical practices. However it is important to protect patient confidentiality, as many medical conditions are stigmatized and disclosure could result in personal and/or financial loss. We describe a system for remote data entry that allows the data that would identify the patient to be encrypted in the web browser of the person entering the data. These data cannot be decrypted on the server by the staff at the data center but can be decrypted by the person entering the data or their delegate. We developed this system to solve a problem that arose in the context of clinical research, but it is applicable in a range of situations where sensitive information is stored and updated in a database and it is necessary to ensure that it cannot be viewed by any except those intentionally given access. By developing this system, we are able to centralize the collection of some patient data while minimizing the risk that protected health information be made available to study personnel who are not authorized to use it.
Recent studies in the behavioral toxicology of ELF electric and magnetic fields.

Behavioral responses to ELF electric and magnetic fields are reviewed starting with the simple sensory awareness or detection by an animal and moving on through more-complicated behavioral responses such as behavior that averts exposure. The literature selected in this review is taken primarily from the area of behavioral toxicology. As such, it does not review work on specialized response systems to ELF fields. The most notable of these omitted specialized response systems are electroreception, which occurs in a number of fish species, and homing/navigation and communication of the location of food that occurs in several species of birds and in honeybees, respectively. The toxicologic orientation of most researches that evaluate the effects of exposure to ELF electric and magnetic fields has been influenced primarily by the missions of DOE and the power industry programs to determine the health effects of power frequency (50- and 60-Hz) electric and magnetic fields. Because of these large programmatic efforts, most of the recent research has in fact been done at 50 or 60 Hz. In the context of the above limitations, remarkably few robust behavioral effects have been reported. Those that have been reported probably relate to an animal's perception of the electric field,more » although there are some exceptions to this generalization. The apparent lack of deleterious effects in animals is consistent with recent studies on humans that have been conducted in the UK. With this in mind, it is tempting to conclude that exposure to an ELF field is a rather innocuous event and, other than possible mini-shocks, is without hazard. 43 references.« less
Thin absorbers for large-area soft X-ray microcalorimeters

Abstract The X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC) sounding rocket experiment utilizes a microcalorimeter array for observing the diffuse soft X-ray background. Observations of such low surface-brightness targets require a large-area detector. We will be using an array of large absorbers. Good absorbers must rapidly and completely thermalize photons, have small heat capacity for high stopping efficiency and have good lateral thermal transport. For observing the soft X-ray background (energies
(Z)-10-Heptadecen-2-one and other 2-ketones in the aggregation pheromone blend ofDrosophila martensis, D. buzzatii, andD. serido.

(Z)-10-Heptadecen-2-one was identified as the major aggregation pheromone component inDrosophila martensis, D. buzzatii, andD. serido. Aliphatic 2-ketones were not detected in newly eclosed males or in virgin females of any age. The amount of (Z)-10-heptadecen-2-one in the ejaculatory bulb and on the cuticle of males increased with age. Only trace quantities of (Z)-10-heptadecen-2-one were transferred to the female during mating. 2-Tridecanone was found in the ejaculatory bulb and on the cuticle of maleD. martensis andD. buzzatii, but notD. serido. The amount of 2-tridecanone increased with age. Unexpectedly,2-tridecanone inhibited the aggregation activity of (Z)-10-heptadecen-2-one inD. buzzatii. InD. martensis, 2-tridecanone was significantly less attractive than controls but did not decrease the attractiveness of one fly equivalent of (Z)-10-heptadecen-2-one.D. serido males did not have any 2-tridecanone and the activity of (Z)-10-heptadecen-2-one was not diminished inD. serido by the presence of 2-tridecanone.
Residual elastic strain in rocks

Abstract Residual elastic strains (stresses) consist of locked-in strains , reflecting crystal distortions related to past external loads, and those that constrain them, the locking strains . The forces or stresses giving rise to locked-in and locking strains exist in rocks with no external loads across their boundaries and satisfy internal equilibrium conditions i.e., their sum is zero. The strains are stored by cementation and physical and chemical interactions between anisotropic grains while under load. The measure of residual strain provided by strain relief or X-ray methods consists of some unknown combination of locking and locked-in strains that depends on the distribution, relative magnitudes, and degrees of relaxation (strain relief method) of these components and the special bias of the measuring technique. With the X-ray technique, the bias is toward detection of strains in the most voluminous rock elements satisfying the Bragg condition for diffraction. In sandstone, therefore, the residual strains in the grains are sampled preferentially to those in the cement. The special view of residual stresses obtained from X-ray diffraction studies and supported by data from strain relief techniques has yielded significant information as follows: 1. (1) Magnitudes can be large; differential stresses between 300 and 400 bar have been measured in quartzites, sandstones, and granites. 2. (2) Residual stresses relating to Mesozoic and possibly even to Precambrian geologic events have been mapped. 3. (3) Principal axes correlate with the geometry of large-scale folds and to stresses inferred from nearby fractures and calcite twin lamellae. 4. (4) Residual stresses have been found to vary systematically along fault surfaces in such a manner as to be related to the process of sliding. Items 1–4 suggest that rocks have long-term fundamental strength; volumetric stored strain energy is commonly of the order of 10 4 erg/cm 3 . 5. (5) Stored stresses relax when grains are freed from constraints of nearest neighbors. 6. (6) They relax within 5 mm of an induced tensile fracture in sandstone probably because movements along grain boundaries occur that far from the fracture surface. 7. (7) Residual stresses influence the orientations of tensile and shear fractures induced experimentally under certain conditions of loading. 8. (8) Observed residual stresses can contribute to strength anisotropy. Items 7 and 8 are explicable from superposition of applied loads on the observed residual stresses. 9. (9) In the Barre Granite the principal axes of residual strain are subparallel to the principal directions of ultrasonic attenuation and velocity fields.
Analyzing a Process of Collaborative Game Design Involving Online Tools

We explore modeling problem solving and design using state-space-search methodology by engaging in the design of an educational game. We also explore how online communication tools (OCTs) could be used to support collaborative design using two online tools: 1) CoSolve, a collaborative problem-solving environment we developed, and 2) INFACT, a discussion forum that we built for use in education. We used these tools to design GoAtom, a chemistry game. Using our game design experience as an example, we present a method for modeling design processes using state-space-search, and reflect on our use of OCTs.
Interdisciplinary research and the early career: The effect of interdisciplinary dissertation research on career placement and publication productivity of doctoral graduates in the sciences

Abstract This paper uses data from the 2008 Survey of Doctorate Recipients, with matched data from the Survey of Earned Doctorates, to explore how conducting interdisciplinary research for one's dissertation affects the first few years of graduates’ careers. Using a sample of doctoral graduates from the years 2004 to 2007, this research assesses the relationship between interdisciplinary dissertation research and three career-related indicators. Results show that conducting interdisciplinary dissertation research increases individuals’ likelihood of obtaining a position within academia. Secondly, among those employed within higher education, interdisciplinary research does not have a dramatic effect on the types of positions individuals hold. However, the effect of interdisciplinary dissertations on the type of academic employment graduates obtain is different for the two cohorts included in this study. Additionally, this paper finds that graduates who report interdisciplinary research have a higher number of publications than those who do not, but this is partly the result of the different types of jobs graduates hold.
Advanced-generation wind-pollinated seed orchard design

Design criteria for advanced-generation seed orchards are discussed with particular emphasis on the comparison between systematic and randomized designs. A simulation approach was used to compare expected genetic gain from a variety of systematic designs with varying numbers of clones and effective population sizes for intermediate (N=201) and large (N=2001) breeding programs. The types of designs examined included orchards containing 1) only parental or backward selections, 2) offspring or forward selections, and 3) a combination of parental and offspring selections. Assuming random mating, parental orchards always offer more genetic gain than offspring orchards; this difference increases as selection intensity increases. Including the best clones in higher frequencies can yield approximately a 1% marginal increase in genetic gain compared to equal representation for all clones.
Vitamin A deficiency alters splenic dendritic cell subsets and increases CD8+Gr-1+ memory T lymphocytes in C57BL/6J mice ☆

Vitamin A-deficient populations have impaired T cell-dependent antibody responses. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most proficient antigen-presenting cells to naive T cells. In the mouse, CD11b(+) myeloid DCs stimulate T helper (Th) 2 antibody immune responses, while CD8α(+) lymphoid DCs stimulate Th1 cell-mediated immune responses. Therefore, we hypothesized that vitamin A-deficient animals would have decreased numbers of myeloid DCs and unaffected numbers of lymphoid DCs. We performed dietary depletion of vitamin A in C57BL/6J male and female mice and used multicolor flow cytometry to quantify immune cell populations of the spleen, with particular focus on DC subpopulations. We show that vitamin A-depleted animals have increased polymorphonuclear neutrophils, lymphoid DCs, and memory CD8(+) T cells and decreased CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Therefore, vitamin A deficiency alters splenic DC subpopulations, which may contribute to skewed immune responses of vitamin A-deficient populations.
Material-specific memory changes after anterior temporal lobectomy as predicted by the intracarotid amobarbital test.

Summary: Purpose: The intracarotid amobarbital test (IAT) has been shown to predict verbal memory changes after anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL). Seeking to extend these findings, we examined two questions: (a) What is the relationship between material-specific aspects of IAT memory and material-specific memory changes after ATL? and (b) Which IAT memory score(s) optimally predict memory changes after surgery, the memory score after injection ipsilateral to the seizure focus, the memory score after injection contralateral to the seizure focus, or the IAT asymmetry score, comprising the ipsilateral minus contralateral injection scores? Methods: Seventy left hemisphere language-dominant patients undergoing ATL for treatment of medically refractory seizures were administered a verbal and visuospatial recognition memory test before surgery and 3 weeks after surgery. IAT memory recognition scores for words and designs were used to predict verbal and visuospatial memory changes after surgery. Results: After surgery, left ATL patients declined in verbal memory, whereas right ATL patients declined in visuospatial memory. IAT total recognition memory scores (collapsed across all types of materials) and IAT word memory scores were associated with postoperative verbal memory decline. This relationship was significant for the IAT ipsilateral injection memory scores and the IAT hemispheric asymmetry scores. IAT memory performances were not related to visuospatial memory changes. Conclusions: Results indicate IAT memory measures to be related to postoperative verbal, but not visuospatial, memory change. A specific relationship was found between postoperative verbal memory change and IAT verbal memory after injection ipsilateral to the seizure focus, when relying primarily on the contralateral hemisphere. This finding is consistent with the functional reserve model of memory change in ATL.
Green’s function approach to noise and differential conductivity of hot electrons

Using a Green’s function approach, expressions for the differential conductivity and the current fluctuations have been derived in terms of the Wigner distribution function satisfying a Boltzmann equation. By this approach it is possible to generalize very simply to non-equilibrium situations, previously obtained results appropriate for thermodynamic equilibrium. Applications to the theory of hot electrons in semiconductors and to the theory of photoconductivity are briefly considered.
A microvascular surgical practice disc for beginners

In order to assist beginners in microsurgery in practicing microvascular suturing without the use of an animal model, we devised an apparatus composed of a Lucite disc with Lucite cylinders attached to either side. On the one side, a piece of rubber glove can be attached for practice of either continuous or interrupted suturing. On the other side, four slots in the cylinder permit suture material or simulated blood vessel to be placed and held for practice in tying knots or end-to-end anastomosis. The disc apparatus is very inexpensive, durable, and easily obtained.
L-Carnitine Improves Glucose Disposal in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Objective: Aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of L-carnitine on insulin-mediated glucose uptake and oxidation in type II diabetic patients and compare the results with those in healthy controls.Design: Fifteen type II diabetic patients and 20 healthy volunteers underwent a short-term (2 hours) euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp with simultaneous constant infusion of L-carnitine (0.28 μmole/kg bw/minute) or saline solution. Respiratory gas exchange was measured by an open-circuit ventilated hood system. Plasma glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and lactate levels were analyzed. Nitrogen urinary excretion was calculated to evaluate protein oxidation.Results: Whole body glucose uptake was significantly (p<0.001) higher with L-carnitine than with saline solution in the two groups investigated (48.66±4.73 without carnitine and 52.75±5.19 μmoles/kgffm/minute with carnitine in healthy controls, and 35.90±5.00 vs. 38.90±5.16 μmoles/kgffm/minute in diabetic patients). Glucose oxida...
Development of a Wide Area Measurement System for Smart Grid Applications

Abstract In this paper, the modeling for a complete scenario of a proposed wide area measurement system (WAMS) based on synchronized phasor measurement units (PMUs) technology with the access of a broadband communication capability is presented. The purpose is to increase the overall system efficiency and reliability for all power stages via significant dependence on WAMS as distributed intelligence agents with improved monitoring, protection, and control capabilities of power networks. The developed system is simulated using the Matlab/Simulink program. The power system layer consists of a 50 kW generation station, 20 kW wind turbine, three transformers, four circuit breakers, four buses, two short transmission lines, and two 30 kW loads. The communication layer consists of three PMUs, located at generation and load buses, and one phasor data concentrator (PDC), that will collect the data received from remote PMUs and send it to the control center for analysis and control actions. The proposed system is tested under two possible cases; normal operation and fault state. It was found that power system status can be easily monitored and controlled in real time by using the measured bus values online which improves the overall system reliability and avoids cascaded blackout during fault occurrence. The simulation results confirm the validity of the proposed WAMS technology for smart grid applications.
Damping and undamping in a simple model of quantum self-trapping.

We examine dissipative effects caused by nontrivial lattice memory in a simple model of the self-trapping of a quantum particle in a deformable medium. Dissipation in the transport degrees of freedom can be shown to appear and disappear as a function of time-scale disparity. Evolution in the dissipative regime is strongly influenced by the existence of a favored ``reaction path.'' The properties of this reaction path allow a qualitative characterization of the equilibrium distribution of a self-trapped quantum particle in a fluctuating environment.
Location of rRNA genes in three inbred strains of rat and suppression of rat rRNA activity in rat-human somatic cell hybrids.

Abstract Nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) of rat chromosomes were stained by the Ag-AS method. The Ag-NORs were found on chromosomes 3, 11 and 12 in the ACI, Wistar Brown and Wistar Lewis inbred strains of rat. The size of the Ag-NOR on each pair of chromosomes varied from strain to strain. Rat-human somatic hybrid cells that retained human and lost some of the rat chromosomes had no Ag-NOR on rat chromosomes 3, 11 or 12. Since NORs can be Ag-stained only if their 18 + 28S rRNA genes are active, the activity of the rat rRNA genes must have been suppressed in the hybrid cells.
Computer Literacy and the Library: A New Connection

At Eastern Washington University, integrating basic library skills has become part of a unique computer literacy program stemming from a general education (GE) reform. The new GE curriculum has been designed to prepare students with writing, mathematics, and computer literacy skills. The computer literacy courses teach basic computer skills as well as how to access and use electronic information resources. The instructional services librarian, in cooperation with the computer literacy director, designed a lecture and lab assignment covering the components of the library’s information system, Griffin. Seven 50‐minute lectures were provided. After lecture, students were given a library assignment to complete. Pretests and post‐tests were used to evaluate students’ learning. Relationships between lab assignments and lecture attendance to post‐test scores also were analyzed. In this article, Fenske examines the development and design of the instructional program, the assessment of students’ learning, and the overall effectiveness of the program.
Optical projection correlations

The correlation of several 1-D projections of a 2-D image are considered for pattern recognition. A theoretical analysis and SNR comparison to 2-D correlations are provided with successful simulated results that show that the use of two or three 1-D correlations can identify and discriminate the 26 characters in the alphabet. Several possible 1-D optical correlators to implement projection correlations are described.
Radial artery pseudoaneurysm complication from use of AO/ASIF volar distal radius plate: A case report

A case of pseudoaneurysm of the radial artery after fixation of a distal radius using the AO/ASIF volar distal radius plate system is presented. This unusual complication resulted from inadequate fracture stabilization and plate preparation. Technical tips on plate shortening and preparation of the cut ends are emphasized.
Porosity variations in bars and cylinders cold-pressed from common salt

Abstract Dry salt has been unidirectionally pressed at room temperature and pressures from 2 to 4 kpsi (14 – 28 MPa) into rectangular bars in two steel molds. Circular cylindrical bars were made, too, by isostatic pressing in rubber molds. The moldings were cut into small plaques or sectors whose volumes and masses were measured in order to compute local porosities. In the smaller steel mold, mounted in a Carver press equipped with an electric pump, the molder, after a great deal of practice, was able to make reproducible bars by volumetric hand loading. These bars exhibited a lengthwise parabolic dependence of porosity, averaging 37.7% porosity (%p) and ranging from 3%p lower at mid-length to 59%p higher at the ends. Using a similar method of loading in the larger mold and press, we achieved less overall variation but the dependence on position was erratic. When the mold was vibrated during filling or loaded gravimetrically and uniformly with a 10-compartment loader, a consistent lengthwise dependence was observed, but was the opposite of that observed in the smaller mold; total variation was about 4%p. These systematic lengthwise variations in both molds, which are quite differently constructed, are believed to be related to flow of squeezed-out air during powder compaction. Two isostatic pressings were made, one at 5000 psi, the other at 3000 psi. As we expected, mean porosities in both cases were well below those obtained in the press-molded bars. When the first was cut by hand into 32 small quadrant sectors, random errors in the calculated volumes obscured the positional dependence of porosity. The second one was cut with much greater precision and exhibited only 1.3%p total range of porosity. It appears, therefore, that isostatic pressing, though much more costly, offers a better hope than unidirectional compaction of achieving high uniformity of porosity in cold-pressed salt bars.
A Model of Rocky Mountain Lee Cyclogenesis

Abstract A quasi-geostrophic model of cyclogenesis in the lee of the Rocky Mountains treats the cyclogenesis as a forecasting problem and uses an initial value approach. The model consists of the interaction of a growing baroclinic wave with an infinitely long mountain ridge. This transient interaction simulates many of the observed features of the phenomena, including the formation of a lee trough concurrent with the poleward displacement of the incident low on the upstream side of the mountain and the development of a lee cyclone equatorward of the unperturbed storm track. Despite this development, the low is weakened by its interaction with the orography.These results are explained physically and compared with those using a normal-mode approach to lee cyclogenesis.
The Professional Conscience: A Psychoanalytic Study of Moral Character in Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilych

Modern professional behavior all too often fails to meet high standards of moral conduct. An important reason for this unfortunate state of affairs is the expansive self interest of the individual professional. The individual's natural desire for his/her own success and pleasure goes unchecked by internal moral constraints. In this essay, I investigate this phenomenon using the psychoanalytic concepts of the ego ideal and superego. These concepts are used to explore the internal psychological dynamics that contribute to moral decision-making. The contrasts between self interest and concern for others, selfishness and moral values, and moral conscience and social conformity are examined in Tolstoy's study of the modern professional in The Death of Ivan Ilych. By reviewing Freud's work on the moral conscience, particularly its complex inner structure and liabilities to dysfunction, and applying it to Tolstoy's penetrating portrayal of Ivan Ilych's personal and professional life, an understanding of the inner (emotional) foundation of moral character, its dependence on the past through the links between generations, and the need to integrate idealism with moral values is generated. Examples from Enron Corporation will be used throughout the paper to relate the analysis and discussion to contemporary business ethics problems.
Effect of Anxiety on Alpha Responsiveness to Light Stimulation

Ss scoring high and low on four tests of the Objective Analytic Anxiety Battery and having at least 25% time alpha rhythm in their resting EEGs received 100 trials of a single photic flash in the presence of alpha rhythm. Analysis of variance of the alpha blocking responses in right and left parieto-occipital derivations yielded a significant anxiety effect, with the low-anxiety group giving consistently more responses than the high-anxiety group. This effect was discussed in relation to the alpha blocking “conditioned” response and habituation.