cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mortality in infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: a study of the United States National Database

To examine the effect of regionalization of care on outcomes of neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample and the ‘Kids’ database for the years 1997 to 2004. Infants with CDH were grouped based on whether they underwent surgical repair at the hospital of birth, or at another facility. Groups were compared using chi-square, t-test and logistic regression. A total of 2140 infants were included: 41% were females, 42% were Caucasians, 48% were transported, 20% reported the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)and 33% died. Only 79% underwent operative repair, in which 85% survived after surgery. Survival among operated patients who used ECMO was 40%. Transported infants used more ECMO than non-transported ones (25 vs 15%; adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.46; confidence interval 1.1 to 1.9, P=0.007), and had higher mortality after surgery (16 vs 13%; adjusted OR 1.46; confidence interval 1.1 to 2, P=0.02). The utilization of neonatal transport of CDH patients is associated with increased mortality and increased need for ECMO. This study supports the need for regionalization of care, and favors maternal transport before delivery of CDH newborns.
Dynamical Mechanisms of the 1995 California Floods

Abstract The link between El Nino and the California wintertime rainfall has been reported in various studies. During the winter of 1994/95, warm sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) were observed in the central Pacific, and widespread significant flooding occurred in California during January 1995 and March 1995. However, the El Nino–Southern Oscillation alone cannot explain the flooding. In March 1995 California suffered flooding after the warm SSTA over the central Pacific had weakened considerably. During November and December, in spite of El Nino conditions, California was not flooded, and more than two standard deviations above normal SSTA in the North Pacific were observed. A possible link between midlatitude warm SSTA and the timing of the onset of flooding is suspected within the seasonal forecasting community. The climate condition during the northern winter of 1994/95 is described using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis da...
Reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: Graft versus tumor effects with decreased toxicity

The potentially curative role of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases is offset by the substantial risks of morbidity and mortality from complications of the intensive myeloablative and immunosuppressive preparative regimen. These regimen-related toxicities have restricted allogeneic HCT to young, otherwise healthy individuals without comorbid diseases. Pediatric patients undergoing conventional allogeneic HCT have lower procedure-related mortality but are at risk for non-fatal late effects of the high-dose pretransplant chemoradiotherapy, such as growth retardation, sterility and other endocrine dysfunction. Evaluation of reduced-intensity preparative regimens is the major focus of current clinical research in allogeneic HCT. Reduced-intensity HCT (RI-HCT) relies on the use of immunosuppressive but non-myeloablative agents that allow engraftment of donor cells, which provide adoptive allogeneic cellular immunotherapy and graft versus tumor (GVT) effects, with decreased regimen-related toxicities. Although the experience with RI-HCT in pediatric patients is very limited at this time, results in adults indicate that attenuated-dose preparative regimens allow older patients and those with organ dysfunction to undergo successful allogeneic HCT with acceptable morbidity and mortality. In adults, the potency of the allogeneic GVT effect varies among neoplastic diseases, with better results observed in patients with indolent hematological malignancies or renal cell carcinoma. The effectiveness of RI-HCT as treatment for children with hemoglobinopathies, chronic granulomatous disease and cellular immunodeficiencies is encouraging, and the role of reduced-intensity preparative regimens for allogeneic HCT in pediatric malignancies is under investigation.
The termini of bacteriophage T7 DNA.

Abstract The termini of Escherichia coli phage T7 DNA have been labeled with 32 P by the polynucleotide kinase reaction. The DNA was fragmented, denatured, and annealed to denatured T7 DNA embedded in agar; elution was measured as a function of temperature. The terminal fragments were eluted from the gel at temperatures well below that of the bulk of the DNA, suggesting that these regions have a very high adenine-plus-thymine content. However, when DNA doubly labeled throughout at random by growth of the phage in [ 3 H]thymidine and 32 PO 4 , was denatured, annealed to the gel, and eluted as a function of temperature, the material eluting from the gel in this low-temperature range was about 50% adenine and thymine. Hence the melting behavior of the terminal fragments is not a result of a high adenine plus thymine content. By electrophoretic analysis of exonucleolytic digests of the T7 DNA it was shown that no unusual bases were present. It is suggested that the low thermal stability of the annealed terminal fragments is a consequence of the high guanine·cytosine regions being unavailable for hybridization, possibly because they are involved in intra-strand hydrogen bonding.
UO2 Corrosion in an Iron Waste Package.

Abstract In order to investigate the interactions between spent nuclear fuel, corroding iron waste packages, and water under conditions likely to be relevant at the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, six small-scale waste packages were constructed. Each package differed with respect to water input, exposure to the atmosphere and temperature. Two of the packages contained 0.1 g UO2. Simulated Yucca Mountain process water (YMPW) was injected into five of the packages at a rate of 200 μl per day for up to 2 years, at which point the solids were characterized with X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, wet chemistry and electron microprobe analysis. Fe(II) is abundant in the corrosion products that form, and the dominant crystalline product in all cases according to X-ray diffraction is magnetite or the structurally similar maghemite. Minor phases included akaganeite (β-FeOOH) and possibly also hematite (Fe2O3), lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) and green rust (Fe(II)1−xFe(III)x(OH)2Yx/n). Under these conditions, UO2 is expected to alter to the uranyl silicate uranophane (Ca[(UO2)SiO3(OH)]2·5H2O). Neither oxidation of the UO2 nor any oxidized (uranyl) solid was observed, suggesting that conditions were sufficiently reducing to kinetically hinder U(IV) oxidation.
Using land surface microwave emissivities to isolate the signature of snow on different surface types

Abstract The objective of this paper is to better isolate the snow signature in microwave signals to be able to explore the ability of satellite microwave measurements to determine snowpack properties. The surface microwave effective emissivities used in this study are derived from SSM/I passive microwave observations by removing the contributions of the cloud and atmosphere and then separating out the surface temperature variations using ancillary atmospheric, cloud and surface data. The sensitivity of the effective emissivity to the presence/absence of snow is evaluated for the Northern Hemisphere. The effect of the presence of snow, the variation of land types, and temperature on the emissivities have been examined by observing the temporal and spatial variability of these measurements between 19 and 85 GHz over the Northern Hemisphere. The time-anomaly of differences between effective emissivity at 19 V and 85 V enabled the constant effects of land surface vegetation properties to be removed to isolate the snow signature. The resulting 12-year snow signal combined with skin temperature data can detect the existence of snow cover over the Northern Hemisphere on daily basis. The results of this method compared with the operational NOAA weekly snow cover maps agree at 90% of locations and times. Most of the disagreements could be explained by rapid evolution of snow emissivities associated with freeze–melt–refreeze cycles and precipitation (snowfall), and some of them by the space–time resolution differences of the microwave and operational snow cover determinations. These results compared with the NISE, NOAA IMS, CMC, and MODIS, and snow products agree within 78% to 92%.
Effects of Parental Age on the Life Cycle of Drosophila melanogaster

Effects of parental age were followed through nine successive generations, reared at 25° C, for offspring from young, middle-aged, and old parents. The reproductive capacity of offspring from middle-aged flies was initially lower than that of the parental generation, while that of off-spring from old (and also, usually, from young) parents was higher. The offspring from young parents produced viable eggs for a longer period (46 days, increasing to 51 days in the last three generations) than did the parental generation (41 days) ; for offspring from middle-aged parents this period was greater initially (46 days) but dropped to 31 days in the last three generations; with offspring from old parents production of viable eggs always had a shorter duration than in the parental generation and reached a minimum of 25 days. In general, offspring from middle-aged and those from old flies had a shorter life span than that of the parental generation; this aging effect was obtained in the first generation.
Regulation of Angiogenesis by Macrophages

Abnormal angiogenesis is a cardinal feature in the pathophysiology of several diseases of the retina including retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy and choroidal neovascularization associated with age-related macular degeneration. Recent evidence has implicated macrophages as components of the innate immune system that play a key role in regulating angiogenesis in the retina and choroid. This review will focus on the role of macrophages in regulating ocular angiogenesis.
Natural history of echogenic foci within ventricles of the fetal heart

Echogenic foci within the fetal heart have been reported in association with cardiac tumors and chromosomal abnormalities. They have been observed also as a normal variant of cardiac development. The goal of this study was to analyze the frequency, distribution and natural history of echogenic foci within the fetal heart. A total of 1139 patients referred for targeted ultrasound were studied. Patients with positive findings (presence of the echogenic foci) were referred for serial fetal echocardiographic examinations at 26-28 weeks and 34-36 weeks of pregnancy. Neonatal follow-up examinations were performed within the first 3 months of life in 27 cases. Ventricular echogenic foci were seen in 3.6% of fetuses. The locations of the echogenic foci were as follows: left ventricle, 92.8%; right ventricle, 4.8%; both ventricles, 2.4%. All fetuses had a normal karyotype. Echogenic foci remained present in all infants who underwent echocardiographic examination within the first 3 months of life. Echogenic intracardiac foci probably represent a normal variant of the development of papillary muscles and chordae tendinae.
Antimatter gravity studies with interferometry

There has never been a direct measurement of the gravitational force on antimatter. This paper describes a possible measurement of this force by measuring the phase shift of neutral antimatter in a transmission-grating interferometer caused by the Earth’s gravitational field. This experiment avoids the severe problem of shielding stray electromagnetic fields necessary for making a gravity measurement with charged particles, and also avoids the need to trap neutral particles. The neutral antimatter for this experiment could be either antihydrogen, positronium, or antineutrons.
Going Barefoot in Warsaw during the First World War

This article attempts to demonstrate how an entirely unexplored and seemingly unimportant episode, at least to grand historical narratives, can open up multiple lines of inquiry. In the course of m...
Use of Light Detection and Ranging Data to Identify and Quantify Intersection Obstruction and Its Severity

The identification of obstructions at intersections is crucial for roadway safety improvement. Field measurements used to identify intersection obstructions, however, are labor intensive, costly, and dangerous. This study explores the feasibility of identifying obstructions at intersections by using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data already available for flood analysis. Because it can model three-dimensional objects, emerging LiDAR technology provides a good way to identify intersection obstructions. The objective of this study was to propose a methodology that could identify intersection obstructions by using LiDAR technology, three-dimensional terrain modeling, a plane-of-sight, and geographic information system spatial analysis. The methodology that was sought was also one that could quantify the severity levels of intersection obstructions and, potentially, be used to prioritize improvements for network-level safety. With the use of LiDAR data already available from Savannah, Georgia, experimen...
Empyema of the thorax in adults: review of 105 cases

Thoracic empyema has become an uncommon disease in adults, tending to occur in chronically ill debilitated individuals. In this series, pulmonary infection was the underlying cause in more than half the cases, with bronchogenic carcinoma or other serious lung disease present in one fifth of the pulmonary infections. Thoracic surgery preceded almost one quarter of all cases. Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacilli were the most commonly found organisms. Successful therapy is founded on correct choice and adequate dose of antibiotics, prompt institution of adequate drainage, and recognition and treatment of underlying factors. Decortication, with or without pulmonary resection, and thoracoplasty continue to have a place in treating chronic empyema. Empyema contributed to death in less than five percent of this series. However, overall mortality was just under 50 percent reflecting the occurrence of pleural sepsis in patients with a variety of serious neoplastic and degenerative diseases.
The Ambiguities of Loyalty

Loyalty is a complex notion. Recognizing moments of loyalty in nursing can encourage pride in the profession and thereby assist in elevating nursing as a profession. If nurses can appreciate the complexities involved in loyalty, this knowing might assist them in understanding personal struggles with loyalty when they arise and may also help in the understandings-misunderstandings that can occur when a breach of loyalty is felt. In this column, this complexity is discussed. Loyalty as a part of living quality is also highlighted in that loyalty is always choosing value priorities in co-creating living quality. Furthermore, the principles of humanbecoming are used as a guide to teaching-learning as well as recognizing loyalty in the nursing profession.
Phellinus sulphurascens and the closely related P. weirii in North America.

Monokaryotic isolates of Phellinus sulphurascens, a fungus originally described from the Primorsk Territory, Russia, are compatible with monokaryotic isolates of, what has been called in North Amer...
Steady-State Determination of the Contribution of Lung Metabolism to the Total Body Clearance of Drugs: Application to Carbamazepine

A steady-state approach is proposed to examine the contribution that the lung makes to the total body elimination of medium- to high-clearance drugs. Carbamazepine, a potential candidate of pulmonary metabolism, was investigated by infusion into the femoral vein in seven unrestrained Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g). Blood samples (0.45 ml), taken simultaneously from the jugular vein and carotid artery in each rat during the infusion (2-5 days), were assayed in duplicate for carbamazepine by GLC/CI/MS. Venous blood concentrations were used to calculate the total body clearance of carbamazepine, 440 +/- 38 ml/hr (mean +/- SEM), and the difference between simultaneous venous and arterial blood concentrations were used to calculate the extraction ratio of carbamazepine by the lung. The mean extraction ratio of 0.0058 (n = 28) suggests that the lung only contributes approximately 5% to the total body clearance of carbamazepine. It is proposed that this technique could be useful in examining the importance of the lung in the total body clearance of other drugs, and that it has several advantages over some currently used techniques.
Electrical insulation challenges for rotating machines used on future electric ships

The electrification of ships coupled with a demand for very high power and energy density raises challenges for insulation system designers for this market. The physical reason the design is challenging is that the electrical, mechanical, and thermal environment on a ship is sufficiently far from the land-based environment that key parts of the data and experience base needed for insulation system design do not exist.
Triplet recombination of radical ion pairs: CIDNP effects and DFT calculations on 1,2-dicyanoethylene

Radical ion pairs generated by electron transfer from photo-excited aromatic hydrocarbons to maleo- and fumaronitrile (cis- and trans-1,2-dicyanoethylene, 1) undergo back electron transfer from singlet and triplet pairs. The pair energies relative to the reactant ground states and to the triplet state, respectively, determine the competition between the recombination pathways. Cross sections through the potential surfaces of the radical anion and the triplet state of 1 have been examined by density functional theory calculations. The radical anion surface has minima in which the carbon and nitrogen skeleton is essentially planar; the central C–C bond is lengthened (weakened), but the barrier to geometric isomerization is still sizeable (31.2 kcal mol−1). The triplet energy surface has a minimum at a bisected geometry (plus its enantiomer); rotation of the H–C–CN segments of the triplet yields a syn-periplanar and an anti-periplanar point 9.3 kcal mol−1 and 8.2 kcal mol−1 above the minimum, respectively.
Association of Classroom Ventilation with Reduced Illness Absence: A Prospective Study in California Elementary Schools

Author(s): Mendell, MJ; Eliseeva, EA; Davies, MM; Spears, M; Lobscheid, A; Fisk, WJ; Apte, MG | Abstract: Limited evidence associates inadequate classroom ventilation rates (VRs) with increased illness absence (IA). We investigated relationships between VRs and IA in California elementary schools over two school years in 162 3rd-5th-grade classrooms in 28 schools in three school districts: South Coast (SC), Bay Area (BA), and Central Valley (CV). We estimated relationships between daily IA and VR (estimated from two year daily real-time carbon dioxide in each classroom) in zero-inflated negative binomial models. We also compared IA benefits and energy costs of increased VRs. All school districts had median VRs below the 7.1 l/s-person California standard. For each additional 1 l/s-person of VR, IA was reduced significantly (pl0.05) in models for combined districts (-1.6%) and for SC (-1.2%), and nonsignificantly for districts providing less data: BA (-1.5%) and CV (-1.0%). Assuming associations were causal and generalizable, increasing classroom VRs from the California average (4 l/s-person) to the State standard would decrease IA by 3.4%, increase attendance-linked funding to schools by $33 million annually, and increase costs by only $4 million. Further increasing VRs would provide additional benefits. These findings, while requiring confirmation, suggest that increasing classroom VRs above the State standard would substantially decrease illness absence and produce economic benefits. Published 2013. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Acoustic emission for the 1990s

An overview of recent results which provide new directions for acoustic emission (AE) technology during this decade is given. The 1990s will see new quantitative acoustic emission test methods develop as new technology takes advantage of progress in understanding AE practice. New aspects of AE described herein include different theoretical perspectives, accurate source location in anisotropic materials, broadband waveform measurements, and filtering out background noise. Also mentioned are the technologies needed in order to realize the practical contributions this technique can make to society. >
Expressing values in agricultural markets: An economic policy perspective

Many mechanisms now exist forconsumers to express progressive values inpurchasing decisions. Although demand for suchgoods has grown, these goods remain the purviewof small niche markets. Focusing on the marketfor agricultural goods (and the choice betweenthe paradigms of industrialized versussustainable agriculture), this paper discussesthree major reasons (market failures, entrybarriers, and biased policies) why it isdifficult for consumers to express their valuesfor a more sustainable system in this way, andwhy policy change is needed to create a fairerplaying field. The current policy, voluntarylabeling, is inadequate. A new set of policies,including taxes and subsidies to correct marketfailures, is needed to create opportunities forconsumers to support values such as health,community, and stewardship.
Felon Disenfranchisement in the United States: A Health Equity Perspective

Approximately 13% of African American men are disqualified from voting because of a felony conviction. I used ecosocial theory to identify how institutionalized racism helps perpetuate health disparities and to explore pathways through which felon disenfranchisement laws may contribute to racial health disparities in the United States. From a literature review, I identified 2 potential pathways: (1) inability to alter inequitable public policies that differentially allocate resources for health; and (2) inability to reintegrate into society by voting, which contributes to allostatic load.
Characterization of Polymer Architectures by Multidetection Size Exclusion Chromatography

This paper discusses the analysis of star-branched and dendritic polyisobutylenes (PIBs) using branching parameters based on radii of gyration R g,z and hydrodynamic radii R h,z . R g,z and R h,z were measured by Size Exclusion Chromatography equipped with a Wyatt Technology Viscostar viscometer (VIS), a Wyatt Optilab DSP RI detector, a Wyatt DAWN EOS 18 angle Multiangle Light Scattering (MALS) detector and a Wyatt Quasi-elastic Light Scattering QELS detector. Branching parameters were calculated from these measurements and compared with those computed for these architectures.
Data fusion in wireless sensor array networks with signal and noise correlation mismatch

Data fusion from closely spaced nonuniformly distributed sensor arrays with large sensor count requires a smart mechanism for minimizing information redundancy while maintaining high signal fidelity. In this work, we investigate the detection of multiple signal sources impinging on a nonuniformly spaced array of sensors when the additive noise has local spatial correlation characteristics. In particular, we show that if the signal spatial correlation length does not match the noise correlation length, significant performance loss occurs because of improper subarray selection. We propose to formulate the log-likelihood function (LLF) in the multiresolution domain by spatially whitening the wavelet-transformed observations followed by local universal thresholding. The LLF obtained is independent of the noise covariance term, thereby yielding significant improvement over classical time domain LLF tests. Performance comparison with data averaging and decision fusion detectors is carried out to illustrate the potential advantages of the proposed method.
PORTRAIT, EMPIRE, AND INDUSTRY AT THE BELLE VUE ZOO, MANCHESTER

Belle vue zoo, founded in 1836, both celebrated and replicated the industrial surroundings of Manchester. Looking at the Zoo from a distance, people in the mid-nineteenth century would have remarked upon the establishment's dazzling grounds, illuminated either by Belle Vue's own gas works or by the electricity powered by its robust generators. They also would have caught sight of the zoo's buildings, humming with the action of the steam-driven machines within. By utilizing the most up-to-date technology, Belle Vue was an extension of its neighboring manufacturing city.
Coronary vessel trees from 3D imagery: A topological approach

We propose a simple method for reconstructing vascular trees from 3D images. Our algorithm extracts persistent maxima of the intensity on all axis-aligned 2D slices of the input image. The maxima concentrate along 1D intensity ridges, in particular along blood vessels. We build a forest connecting the persistent maxima with short edges. The forest tends to approximate the blood vessels present in the image, but also contains numerous spurious features and often fails to connect segments belonging to one vessel in low contrast areas. We improve the forest by applying simple geometric filters that trim short branches, fill gaps in blood vessels and remove spurious branches from the vascular tree to be extracted. Experiments show that our technique can be applied to extract coronary trees from heart CT scans.
Deterministic model of earthquake clustering shows reduced stress drops for nearby aftershocks

While a number of viable physical mechanisms have been offered to explain the temporal clustering of aftershocks, the spatial clustering of aftershocks, in particular the concentrated productivity of aftershocks very near the mainshock rupture area, has been difficult to reproduce with physical models. Here we present a new deterministic physical model capable of reproducing both the spatial and temporal clustering. We apply this new model to a longstanding puzzling question raised by ground motion observations, which suggest that nearby aftershocks show reduced ground motions relative to similar magnitude mainshocks. In the model, the physical basis for these observations is reduced stress drops for nearby aftershocks compared to similar magnitude mainshocks. These reduced stress drops are due to nearby aftershocks rerupturing incompletely healed parts of the fault which ruptured in the mainshock.
Expression of Marker RNAs in Pseudomonas putida

A broad-host-range vector that expresses a unique artificial RNA in Pseudomonas putida has been developed. This vector was derived from the plasmid pBBR1MCS and incorporates regulatory regions from the Escherichia coli ribosomal operon, rrnB. These include the promoters P1 and P2, and the terminators T1 and T2. The gene for the artificial RNA was derived from Vibrio proteolyticus 5S rRNA. The artificial RNA product accumulates to a level that is 10–20% of the total 5S rRNA in P. putida. The RNA product is not incorporated into ribosomes and has a minimal effect on cell growth rate. In contrast, when wild-type V. proteolyticus 5S rRNA was expressed from the vector, it was incorporated into ribosomes. It is expected that this new vector system will allow artificial RNA expression systems to be readily developed for a large variety of species.
Design of Pile Foundations

It is intended, in this paper, to present rational methods for the determination of stresses in the individual piles of a pile foundation which supports a rigid structure such as a bridge pier or a...
SPOCK: A System for Encouraging Interaction in Small Private Online Courses (Abstract Only)

Online courses are growing in popularity in the forms of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs), and flipped classrooms. Some MOOC interfaces provided by websites like Coursera, edX, Khan Academy and Udacity allow students to comment on lectures, but they do so using a different component than that used for consuming lecture content. Their comment systems are effectively message boards linked to by lecture pages. This component separation has been shown to create a cognitive overhead for students. Additionally, comments made in these systems typically apply to the lecture as a whole rather than to more finely-grained lecture content. Some SPOC interfaces allow fine-grained, timeline-based comments, but suffer from a "seeding" issue in which students who view the lecture early lack incentive to participate. Our system, the "Small Private Online Course Keeper" (SPOCK), is an online lecture environment for SPOCs. SPOCK is distinguished by (1) its tight integration between timeline-based lecture content and anonymous student questions, answers, and comments, (2) its use of gamification to encourage student interaction and address the seeding issue, (3) and by its loose coupling with lecture videos, which may be referenced from other websites like YouTube.
The Curse of Aid? Re-Examining the Impact of Aid on Regime Change

This paper examines whether foreign aid, like oil revenue, decreases the likelihood of regime transitions. It tests the hypothesis that with respect to aid, it is donor intent rather than the money itself that determines whether or not aid is associated with a decreased likelihood of regime change. By examining the impact of aid on the likelihood of regime transitions in both the Cold War and post-Cold War period, support is found for the central role of donor intent. During the Cold War, when Western donors gave aid in order to prop up friendly regimes, the negative effect of aid on the likelihood of a regime transition surpassed that of revenue from state-owned enterprises. In the post-Cold War period, when donors have lost their desire to use aid to prop up regimes, there is no significant association between aid receipts and the likelihood of regime change. This suggests that as long as donor intentions are benign, it is possible to give aid to authoritarian regimes without decreasing the chances of a democratic transition.
Spatiotemporal model fusion: multiscale modelling of civil unrest

Summary Civil unrest is a complicated, multifaceted social phenomenon that is difficult to forecast. Relevant data for predicting future protests consist of a massive set of heterogeneous sources of data, primarily from social media. Using a modular approach to extract pertinent information from disparate sources of data, we develop a spatiotemporal multiscale framework to fuse predictions from algorithms mining social media. This novel multiscale spatiotemporal model is developed to satisfy four essential requirements: be scalable to handle massive spatiotemporal data sets, incorporate hierarchical predictions, accommodate predictions of differing quality and uncertainty, and be flexible, allowing revisions to existing algorithms and the addition of new algorithms. The paper details the challenges that are posed by these four requirements and outlines the benefits of our novel multiscale spatiotemporal model relative to existing methods. In particular, our multiscale approach coupled with an efficient sequential Monte Carlo framework enables scalable rapid computation of richly specified Bayesian hierarchical models for spatiotemporal data.
Bromsulfalein Retention Resulting from Liver Damage by a Carbon-Free Filtrate of India Ink.∗:

SummaryThe administration of a gelatin-stabilized carbon suspension did not affect bromsulfalein (BSP) clearance in dogs. However, a carbon-free nitrate of Higgins India ink markedly inhibited BSP uptake and effected the release of previously stored BSP from the liver. It appears that the effect of India ink on BSP excretion is not due to reticuloendothelial blockade but rather to a toxic effect of some soluble component of the ink on the liver. It is suggested that in dogs BSP clearance is not a suitable index of Kupffer cell activity.
Quantification of the Adsorption Capacity of Fly Ash

Fly ash adsorption capacity is a critical property for the beneficial utilization of fly ash; although this capacity could be favorable for some applications, it may not favor the use of fly ash for other applications such as cement and concrete production. In both cases the lack of fly ash adsorption capacity quantification tools and procedures limits the beneficial utilization of fly ash. This study compared the results of the currently available fly ash adsorption capacity tests to a newly developed test for the direct measurement of the adsorption capacity of fly ash. The study showed, as previous work did, that the commonly used thermogravimetric method, called loss on ignition (LOI), is not a good measure for quantifying the adsorption capacity of fly ash, the foam index test was more successful as an indicator rather than a measurement of the adsorption capacity, and the fly ash iodine number successfully quantified the adsorption capacity of fly ash and correlated very well with the direct measure...
Structure and energetics of thin film water

We present a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study of the structure and energetics of thin films of water adsorbed on solid substrates at 240 K. By considering crystalline silica as a model hydr...
Analysis on verification results of magnetoelectric speed sensor

Introduces the work principle and composition of vibration measurement by comparision method,for the problems found in the verification of the magnetoelectric speed sensor,puts forward the countermeasures and suggestions.
Characteristics of Birth and Death Nodes with IP-Level Topology

Combining the theory and method of complex network,Internet IP-level topology measured by CAIDA was used to study characteristics of birth and death nodes.Characteristics of birth and death nodes' degree distribution and power-law distribution were obtained.In addition,statistic and evolution analysis of birth attachments were achieved.The results show that both birth and death nodes accord with power-law distribution approximately,and birth nodes do not tend to connect with birth nodes,but connect the nodes which have existed already in the network.The number of attachment is likely to be 1.Because birth attachments do not accord with preferential attachment,the theory of the rich becoming richer has little significance on dynamic topology and nodes with high degree do not bring great impact on birth nodes.Generating mechanism of attachment is obtained,and the number of attachments is stable and universal,which provides a valid basis for Internet modeling.
Patellar Tendon Injuries

Patellar tendon injury secondary to overuse represents a failure of soft tissue healing that can lead to chronic symptoms. Clinical staging of this process is helpful in the initial management. Diagnostic imaging can help define the character of the injury as well as localized pathology. Initial treatment of clinical stages I, II, and III is conservative.
“There is Nothing More…Than Dressing and Eating”: Li Zhi 李贄 and the Child-like Heart-Mind (Tongxin 童心)

This article examines the writings of the controversial 16th century thinker Li Zhi 李贄, also named (hao 號) Zhuowu 卓吾 (1527–1602), and argues that he articulates a coherent and compelling vision of a good life focused on the expression of genuine feelings distinctive to each individual. Through a study of literary texts and terms of art he refers to in his critical essay “On the Child-like Heart-mind” (Tongxin Shuo 童心說), as well as the metaphors and images he fleshes out throughout his writings, I characterize Li’s ethical vision and show that it is rooted in a particular loose and accommodating conception of human nature and centered on the simple and intuitive act of daily maintaining the birthright of our “child-like heart-mind.”
Virginia Woolf as Policy Analyst

The collection of friends known as the Bloomsbury Group has been described variously as a ‘school’, a ‘set’, a ‘clique’, a ‘coterie’ and in other less complimentary terms. There was difference of opinion within the Group over who the members were, and even over whether it existed. The hard core of the Group comprised Lytton Strachey, Leonard and Virginia Woolf, Clive and Vanessa Bell, John Maynard Keynes, Desmond McCarthy, Roger Fry, E. M. Forster, Duncan Grant and Saxon SydneyTurner. Others often included are Dora Carrington, David and Angelica Garnett, Quentin Bell and Frances Partridge. Some observers have seen the Group as simply an extension of the ‘Apostles’, the secret society to which several of the original male members belonged while at Cambridge, and where they rejoiced in profound discussions of such topics as truth, beauty and love.1 Some have tended to think of the Group as mainly a pleasant environment in which brilliant and creative people could relax away from engagement with the activities for which they are individually well-known: the writing of novels, the construction of economic theory, the painting of pictures and literary criticism.2 It may be useful to think of Bloomsbury in still another way as something like a ‘think tank’, people gathered together, in part at least to examine and propose solutions to demanding problems of the day.
Seasonal and spatial variations of 17Oexcess and dexcess in Antarctic precipitation: Insights from an intermediate complexity isotope model

An intermediate complexity isotope model (ICM) is used to investigate the sensitivity of water isotope ratios in precipitation, including 17Oexcess, to climate variations in the Southern Hemisphere. The ICM is forced with boundary conditions from seasonal NCEP/DOE II reanalysis data. Perturbations to the surface temperature and humidity fields are used to investigate the isotopic sensitivity. The response of 17Oexcess to a uniform temperature change is insignificant over the ocean, while there is a large magnitude response over the ice sheet, particularly in East Antarctica. A decrease of ocean surface relative humidity produces increased 17Oexcess and dexcess, with a coherent response over both the ocean and Antarctica. For interior East Antarctica, the model simulates a seasonal cycle in 17Oexcess that is positively correlated with δ18O and of large magnitude (~50 per meg), consistent with the observations from Vostok. The seasonal cycle in 17Oexcess for interior West Antarctica is predicted to be considerably smaller in magnitude (12 per meg), and is negatively correlated with δ18O, consistent with new data from a firn core near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide site. Over the ocean, the ICM predicts much smaller seasonal cycles in 17Oexcess. Oceanic source changes (i.e., humidity) are insufficient to explain the amplitude of the simulated seasonal cycle over the Antarctic continent. Spatial differences in the seasonal response of 17Oexcess to local temperature reflect the balance of equilibrium and kinetic fractionation during snow formation.
Non-accidental trauma: the role of radiology

Non-accidental trauma is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Given the vulnerable state of the child, the radiologist can often provide valuable diagnostic information in the setting of suspected abuse. This review focuses on common findings of abusive trauma and serves as a guide to aid in clinical decision-making for providers of emergency medicine and pediatrics. Amid this discussion is an assessment of modern controversies regarding reported mimicking pathologies, recapitulation of the current state of evidence with respect to radiologic findings of abuse, and examination of the contribution that spine imaging may add to the diagnosis of possible abusive head trauma in the acutely injured child. Recommendations for avoiding pitfalls regarding the dating of intracranial injuries are discussed, and illustrated depictions of perpetrator-induced pathology are provided to aid in the understanding of these injuries. Through the use of the appropriate approach to imaging and evidence-based guidelines regarding radiologic findings, the role of radiology is to provide fundamental clues to diagnose and prevent recurrence of abusive injury in patients who cannot speak for themselves.
A flexible method for aggregation of prior statistical findings

Rapid growth in scientific output requires methods for quantitative synthesis of prior research, yet current meta-analysis methods limit aggregation to studies with similar designs. Here we describe and validate Generalized Model Aggregation (GMA), which allows researchers to combine prior estimated models of a phenomenon into a quantitative meta-model, while imposing few restrictions on the structure of prior models or on the meta-model. In an empirical validation, building on 27 published equations from 16 studies, GMA provides a predictive equation for Basal Metabolic Rate that outperforms existing models, identifies novel nonlinearities, and estimates biases in various measurement methods. Additional numerical examples demonstrate the ability of GMA to obtain unbiased estimates from potentially mis-specified prior studies. Thus, in various domains, GMA can leverage previous findings to compare alternative theories, advance new models, and assess the reliability of prior studies, extending meta-analysis toolbox to many new problems.
Adverse health effects of androgen use

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are performance enhancing drugs commonly used by athletes and bodybuilders to improve appearance and athletic capability. Unfortunately, these testosterone derivatives can be associated with serious and potentially irreversible side effects, and can impact multiple organ systems. It is important that physicians be familiar with these adverse consequences so that they can appropriately counsel patients whom they suspect of AAS-abuse. In this chapter, we will review the negative effects of these compounds on various organ systems in men using AAS.
Hybrid covalent/ionic self-assembly of organic second-order nonlinear optical films

Ionically self-assembled monolayer (ISAM) films have been shown to spontaneously produce noncentrosymmetric ordering that gives rise to a substantial second order nonlinear optical (NLO response. Previously, the ISAM films for NLO response consisted of bilayers of oppositely charged polymers whose thickness can be controlled through variation of pH and ionic strength of the immersion solutions. Here, we present an approach that replaces the NLO-active polymer layers with layers of monomeric chromophores containing ionic and covalent bonding sites. We have examined the effect of the pH of the immersion solutions on the orientation the of monomeric chromophores and demonstrated bulk polar ordering with X(2) values six times larger than quartz.
Introduction: Zen, Mindfulness, and Behavioral Health

Mindfulness practice adapted to the field of behavioral health in recent decades is said to have a close connection to Zen Buddhism. This introductory chapter highlights the background and aims of the present edited book, Zen, mindfulness, and behavioral health, including a brief overview of included chapters and editors’ notes. Whereas generally encouraging, the authors argue that this trend also brings confusions to the field at applied, theoretical, and epistemological levels. Given this context, the present volume poses the importance of critically evaluating the practice of mindfulness and associated events, using the framework of Zen Buddhism, an ultimate source for the construct of mindfulness. Key questions asked throughout the volume include (a) whether the cross-fertilization of Zen Buddhism and behavioral health is possible, (b) whether it is optimal to extract single technique out of a set of interrelated beliefs and insert them into another (e.g., pulling a snippet of Buddhism out and placing it within behavioral health), and (c) whether Zen Buddhism adequately serves as an alternative paradigm. The present authors make the case that explicating and committing to one’ s philosophical and theoretical standpoint is crucial for clarifying the aims of applied practices, including mindfulness-based interventions and evaluating their effectiveness.
In vivo activation of latent HIV with a synthetic bryostatin analog effects both latent cell "kick" and "kill" in strategy for virus eradication.

The ability of HIV to establish a long-lived latent infection within resting CD4+ T cells leads to persistence and episodic resupply of the virus in patients treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), thereby preventing eradication of the disease. Protein kinase C (PKC) modulators such as bryostatin 1 can activate these latently infected cells, potentially leading to their elimination by virus-mediated cytopathic effects, the host’s immune response and/or therapeutic strategies targeting cells actively expressing virus. While research in this area has focused heavily on naturally-occurring PKC modulators, their study has been hampered by their limited and variable availability, and equally significantly by sub-optimal activity and in vivo tolerability. Here we show that a designed, synthetically-accessible analog of bryostatin 1 is better-tolerated in vivo when compared with the naturally-occurring product and potently induces HIV expression from latency in humanized BLT mice, a proven and important model for studying HIV persistence and pathogenesis in vivo. Importantly, this induction of virus expression causes some of the newly HIV-expressing cells to die. Thus, designed, synthetically-accessible, tunable, and efficacious bryostatin analogs can mediate both a “kick” and “kill” response in latently-infected cells and exhibit improved tolerability, therefore showing unique promise as clinical adjuvants for HIV eradication.
Harnessing the power of microwaves for inactivating Pseudomonas aeruginosa with nanohybrids

Due to the position of microwave (MW) radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum, it has not yet been successfully utilized to inactivate waterborne microorganisms at a reasonable (energy) cost. Exceptional properties at the nano-scale, namely MW absorption-abilities of carbon nanotubes and excellent spectral conversion-capabilities of lanthanide series metal oxides in concert, hold promise to overcome the energetic barrier of this widely used and affordable technology. This study reports the synthesis of a nano-heterostructure that combines carbon nanotubes' and erbium oxide's properties to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inactivate Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Detailed characterization of the synthesized nanohybrid (NH) material with electron microscopy, X-ray techniques, and thermal gravimetric analysis confirms effective hybridization. At least one log unit of microbial inactivation was achieved via ROS generation with only 20 s of MW irradiation at 110 W (0.0006 kW h energy use), using a conventional MW oven. Inactivation studies with ROS scavenger molecules prove that the generated oxygen species played the dominant role in bacterial inactivation. These breakthrough results hold promise to enable an unintended use (i.e., disinfection) of MW technology, which is diffused deep into the global societal fabric.