cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new approach to effective circuit clustering

The complexity of next-generation VLSI systems will exceed the capabilities of top-down layout synthesis algorithms, particularly in netlist partitioning and module placement. Bottom-up clustering is needed to “condense” the netlist so that the problem size becomes tractable to existing optimization methods. In this paper, we establish the DS qua.lity measure, the first general metric for evaluation of clustering algorithms. The DS metric in turn motivates our RWST algorithm, a new self-tuning clustering method based on random walks in the circuit netlist. RWST efficiently captures a globally good circuit clustering. When incorporated within a two-phase iterative Fiduccia-Mattheyses partitioning strategy, the RW-ST clustering method improves bisection width by an average of 17% over previous maiching-based methods.
Psychotherapy as A Reconstructive Process: Implications of Integrative Theories for Outcome Research

Abstract Psychotherapy outcome research has failed to find consistent differences in effective' ness between differing approaches to therapy. This paper discusses the application of constructivist metatheory to psychotherapy research as a potential solution to this impasse. The lack of a coherent theoretical framework has limited previous research, resulting in poorly defined and conceptually indistinct comparison groups. Although Frank's (1982) common factors hypothesis provides a potential explanation for the effectiveness of divergent treatment approaches, it does not provide the comprehensive description of human change processes necessary to predict factors that may increase therapeutic effectiveness. Personal construct (Kelly, 1955) and compatible constructivist theories provide a more comprehensive heuristic framework that not only accounts for the effectiveness of divergent approaches but also suggests potential strategies for maximizing their effectiveness
Effect of pore structure on char oxidation kinetics

Prior studies have demonstrated that char gasification rates vary with conversion, showing a maximum at an intermediate level. In this work experimentally determined char-air reaction rates and corresponding pore structures are compared to assess the applicability of a previously proposed random pore model and to extract pertinent chemical and physical parameters. Results on six different chars are presented and analyzed to obtain structure parameters, intrinsic kinetics, and activation energies. Agreement between two independent evaluations of the structure parameters demonstrates the degree of applicability of the random pore model and supports the view that rate variations with conversion are controlled by pore structural changes, even though overall rates also include contributions of intrinsic reactivity.
Foreign Affairs Legalism: A Critique

Foreign affairs legalism, the dominant approach in academic scholarship on foreign relations law, holds that courts should abandon their traditional deference to the executive in foreign relations, and that courts and Congress should take a more activist role in foreign relations than in the past. Foreign affairs legalists argue that greater judicial involvement in foreign relations would curb executive abuses and promote international law. We argue that foreign affairs legalism rests on implausible assumptions about the incentives and capacities of courts. In U.S. history the executive has given more support to international law than the judiciary or Congress has; this suggests that foreign affairs legalism would retard rather than spur the advance of international law.
Should (or could) we have a Stomach without Helicobacter pylori

Although the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection varies considerably throughout the world, it remains the most common bacterial infection in man. Estimates suggest that a majority of the world’s population is infected, which would make attempts at widespread eradication quite challenging.1 Therefore, before addressing the question “Should we have a stomach without H. pylori?” we must first determine whether we could have a stomach without H. pylori. This requires understanding several challenging issues. For example, the epidemiology of infection closely relates to socioeconomic, public health, and hygienic issues that promote bacterial transmission during early childhood.1 These same issues likely relate to adult acquired infection and reinfection after treatment. Some type of universal testing would be required to eliminate infection entirely, since most infected individuals are asymptomatic which would make targeted testing ineffective. To be practical such widespread testing for H. pylori should be inexpensive, accurate, and non-invasive.2,3 The same thing may be said about follow-up testing to confirm cure following treatment. Once infection is identified, a number of obstacles to effective therapy need to be dealt with. There is no single medication that can effectively cure H. pylori infections. Current treatment regimens are complex, expensive, difficult to take, and associated with occasional adverse events.4,5 Treatment efficacy is hampered by antimicrobial resistant organisms which appear to be increasing in prevalence.4,6 Administering an effective H. pylori vaccine could be the means to make the organism extinct. This strategy has been successful with other infectious diseases such as polio and smallpox. However, despite several decades of research and development, a candidate H. pylori vaccine has not emerged.7 If having a stomach without H. pylori were possible, should we have it? Keep in mind the principle, “first, do no harm.” There are clear benefits to eliminating infection and these include reducing peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer, mucosaassociated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and possibly dyspepsia.1,8,9 However, there may be downside consequences of eliminating infection entirely, especially if individuals being treated are asymptomatic. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett’s esophagus, and esophageal adenocarcinoma are more common when H. pylori is absent.8 Treatment-emergent dyspepsia and reflux symptoms as well as adverse events related to antibiotic therapy can cause morbidity in otherwise asymptomatic bacterial carriers. Obesity might emerge as ghrelin levels increase following eradication.8 A “naive immune system” not stimulated during childhood by H. pylori may increase the risk for subsequent autoimmune conditions in adulthood.8 While the benefits of eliminating H. pylori likely outweigh the risks, it is unrealistic at the present time to strive for a bacteria-free gastric
Power Management in Cluster-Based Energy-Harvesting Sensor Networks through Dynamic Modulation Scaling

This paper considers real-time cluster-based wireless sensor networks where the nodes harvest energy from the environment. We target performance sensitive applications that have to collectively send their information to cluster head by a predefined deadline, such as in distributed real-time monitoring and detection. The nodes are equipped with Dynamic Modulation Scaling (DMS) capable wireless radios. The problem is to determine the time slots and modulation levels that will be used by each node while communicating with the cluster-head in order to achieve energy-neutral (perpetual) operation and maximize energy reserves. We propose a solution that adjusts underlying TDMA slots that enables high energy nodes to compensate by transmitting faster producing larger slack for dark nodes, while meeting the performance constraint. We present an optimal mixed integer linear programming based solution. We also develop fast heuristics that are shown to provide approximate solutions through comprehensive experiments with actual solar energy harvesting profiles.
The Hahn-Banach Theorem, and Applications

A major tool in the application of duality results (in any locally convex topological vector space) is the Hahn-Banach Theorem. We state here one standard version (there are many equivalent versions) and two important corollaries.
Research productivity in communication: An analysis, 1915–2001

This study is a replication of previous studies on the productivity of scholars who have been published in 24 journals found previously in the Matlon index. Between 1990 and 2001, the researchers found that the number of articles needed to place one in the top 100 most prolific researchers has grown from 15 to 23. The mode and median number of articles published during a career stands at one. The vast majority of researchers on the list teach in departments or schools which offer a doctoral program. The programs with the highest productivity during the period, 1915–2001 have been West Virginia, Michigan State, Georgia, Kent State, and Wisconsin. Highly productive scholars during the period are from West Virginia, Missouri, Texas Christian, Arizona, Wisconsin‐Milwaukee, Washington State, and Michigan State. Comparisons and contrasts are discussed beginning with one of the first studies undertaken in 1989.
Posterior predictive model checks for cognitive diagnostic models

Cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs; DiBello et al., 2007) have received increasing attention in educational measurement for the purpose of diagnosing examinees' strengths and weaknesses of their latent attributes. Despite the current popularity of a number of diagnostic models, research on assessing model-data fit has been limited. The current study applies one of the Bayesian model checking methods, namely the posterior predictive model check (PPMC) method (Rubin, 1984) to investigate model misfit. Specifically, we aim to employ the technique to investigate model-data misfit from various diagnostic models using real data and a simulation study. An important issue with the application of PPMC is the choice of discrepancy measure. This study examines the performance of three discrepancy measures for assessing different aspects of model fit: observed total-scores distribution, association of item pairs, and correlation of attribute pairs as adequate measures for the diagnostic models.
Network heterogeneity and seizure generation.

It has been shown that seizures occur more frequently at the transition from wake to sleep, or from one stage of sleep to another. Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neuromodulator that controls wake and sleep stages, and is present at high levels during waking and is absent in slow wave sleep (SWS). ACh has also been shown to switch the excitability as measured with Phase response curves (PRC) of pyramidal cells from Type 2 to Type 1. In general, Type 1 neurons are integrating type with high-excitability while Type 2 have lower excitability but higher capacity for synchronization. We investigate the effect of non-uniform cholinergic modulation, such as might occur at sleep/wake transitions, on the propensity for neuronal synchronization in large-scale networks of Hodgkin-Huxley models for cortical pyramidal cells. The interplay between the cellular properties and network connectivity in a heterogeneous network of Type 1 and Type 2 neurons can strongly affect network spatio-temporal dynamics. The focus of this research is to detect conditions that promote synchrony and seizure like activity in a mixed network of Type 1 and Type 2 neurons. Here we investigate inhomogeneous networks built of neurons that have non-identical connectivity properties. Namely every cell has an individual ratio of local and long distance synaptic connections. We show that even if the structure of the network is identical (i.e. identical adjacency matrix) there is a differential network-wide synchronization propensity depending on which neurons have Type II cellular properties.
Negotiating Boundaries through Flexibility, Capacity, and Agility in Adult Education.

This chapter summarizes key convergent, divergent, and transforming forces of adult education. Super-flexibility is proposed as a postmodern strategy for effective, sustainable negotiated existence in global dynamic contexts.
The Regulatory Function of B Cells in Protection Against EAE by a Human Commensal Bacteria Polysaccharide (P05.111)

Objective: To investigate the regulatory role of B cells in intestinal commensal Bacteroides fragilis polysaccharide A (PSA) protection of EAE. Background Intestinal commensal microbiota have the potential to modulate immune system against neuro-inflammation. Polysaccharide A (PSA), a zwitterionic capsular polysaccharide derived from the intestinal commensal Bacteroides fragilis and TLR2 agonist, is shown to protect mice against EAE via oral administration route. In this study, we will investigate the the regulatory function of B cells is one of the potential mechanisms underlying PSA protection against EAE. Design/Methods: CD19 + B cells from PSA or BPS orally administrated B6 donor mice were adoptively transferred to EAE-induced B6 recipient mice. Normal or TLR2 -/- CD19 + B cells were in vitro cultured with PSA for 72 hrs and supernatant IL-10 was measured by ELISA. IL-10-Thy1.1 (10BiT) reporter mice was induced with EAE and oral administrated of PSA or PBS as control. Cervical, mesenteric LNs and peyer9s patches were collected. Total CD19 + B cells and CD29 + CD19 + B cells were analyzed for their composition and IL-10 expression by FACS. Results: CD19 + B cells from PSA sensitized donors had stronger protective power against EAE than normal donors in a dosage-dependent manner. In vitro , PSA could stimulate CD19 + B cells production of IL-10 via TLR2 signaling. In vivo at early EAE development stage, PSA can tilt the composition of CD19 + B cells to CD5 + B1 phenotype and IL-10 expressive. Within the CD29 + CD19 + B cell niche, IL-10 + CD5 + B 1 cells are enriched. Conclusions: In MS/EAE, PSA tunes the CNS immuno-homeostasis via B cells. PSA could increase the IL-10 producing B1 subset. PSA enriches IL-10 + regulatory B cell type within brain homing niche, consistent with the reduction of neuro-inflammation by PSA treatment. TLR2 sensing of PSA both in vivo and in vitro is essential for the establishment of anti-inflammation function via PSA. Supported by: NIAID-AI061939 and CA1027A1/3-National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Disclosure: Dr. Wang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Telesford has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ochoa-Reparaz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Haque-Begum has received research support from Teva Neuroscience. Dr. Mielcarz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kasper has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kasper has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, Serono, Inc., Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Genentech, Inc., Mederex as a consultant and participant on a scientifc advisory board. Dr. Kasper has received research support from Teva Neuroscience, Serono, Inc. and Bayer Pharmaceutical Corporation.
Challenges in resident education: is the Next Accreditation System (NAS) the answer?: AOA critical issues.

Seven specialties, including orthopaedic surgery, started the Next Accreditation System (NAS) in July 2013. Changes to program accreditation in NAS include milestones, emphasis on case-log procedural minimums, continuous data assessment, greater institutional oversight, eliminating the program information form (“PIF”), and fewer and different types of site visits. In the traditional accreditation process, emphasis was placed on process and the details of the administration of educational programs. In the NAS, the accreditation process will emphasize measurable and meaningful outcomes of educational programs. The Residency Review Committee (RRC) will review each program’s annually submitted data, supplemented by reports of self-study visits every ten years, and, when requested by the RRC, progress reports and site visit reports. The RRC will evaluate comparative data between programs and within programs and will look for trends that have occurred over the years. Within these data elements, tools have been developed and weighted that will provide screening criteria for program performance. Board scores, the resident survey, and procedural experiences will be weighted more heavily than other data elements. Case logs will be a critical element of NAS data analysis. The RRC has required that finishing residents log between 1000 and 3000 total codes. In the NAS, these self-reported procedural experiences will be assessed in more detail. The RRC will assess program percentile ranked data as compared with national norms in anatomic areas. Procedural minimums for thirteen procedures and overall pediatric and oncology cases have been developed by the RRC. The minimums in these fifteen areas will be used as one of the critical data elements and will be the primary procedural experience screening tool. Residents who finished the program the previous year will be expected to have met procedural minimums. The degree to which a program deviates from this expectation will be screened against national data. The …
The Bubblepoint Method for Characterizing Geotextile Pore Size

The bubblepoint test (BPT) (ASTM D6767) has the potential to characterize geotextile pore size more completely and accurately than current methods such as the AOS test (ASTM D4751). A relatively inexpensive BPT apparatus has been constructed, which has been shown to be consistent in tests of geotextiles and accurate in characterizing the openings of wire screens. Accurate measurement of the contact angle between the geotextile and the wetting fluid used in the BPT is shown to be important for correct data reduction. Different wetting fluids used according to ASTM D6767 were shown to produce different pore size distributions for a nonwoven geoxtile.
Response Format Effects in Encounter Norm Questions

ABSTRACTSurvey response format has been shown to influence norm prevalence (percentage reporting a norm) and the numerical value of the reported norm. This article summarizes an experiment where respondents were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In the semi-open response format treatment, respondents (n = 817) “wrote in a number” for an acceptable number of visitor encounters. In the closed format treatment, individuals (n = 826) “circled a number” of acceptable encounters along a range of possible responses. Hypothesis 1 predicted that norm prevalence would be higher for the closed format than the semi-open. Hypothesis 2 predicted that the mean tolerance level would differ in the two treatments. Results supported hypothesis 1. The percent reporting a norm was statistically higher in the closed versus the semi-open treatment. Results failed to support hypothesis 2. The average tolerance levels for the closed and semi-open formats were statistically equivalent.
Epidemiological Characteristics and Prevention & Control Measures of Measles in Luohu District,Shenzhen During the Period of 1990-2011

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of measles cases and its prevention and control measures in Luohu District from 1990 to 2011, and to provide evidence for adopting suitable countermeasures of measles elimination. Methods With descriptive epidemiology method,we analyzed the prevalence and preventive countermeasures of measles in Luohu District during the period of 19902011. Results Totally 1,408 suspect measles cases were reported in Luohu District from 1990 to 2011.The proportion of non-resident cases accounted for 90.62%.The incidence rate stayed a high level from 2005 and reached the highest in 2007.Comprehensive measures such as intensive and supplementary immunization were taken to decrease the rate to 1.113/100,000 in 2011,being the lowest in the history.The cases were mainly concentrated in children and young adults,presenting "bidirectional shift" phenomenon.The cases without immune history and with unclear history accounted for 26.99% and 59.02%,respectively.Most of the cases were sporadic,while the outbreaks occupied only 5.97% of all cases.Molecular biology showed that virus strain found in Luohu was gene type H1,the epidemic strain in our country. Conclusions Conventional and intensive immunization as well as multi-departments support ensure our goal of measles elimination.Furthermore,key population management,adjustment of immunization strategy,hospital infection controlling,adult vaccination,entry immunization investigation,and timely deposition are all efficient and essential to measles prevention.
A New Series of Vitamin D Analogs Is Highly Active for Clonal Inhibition, Differentiation, and Induction of WAF1 in Myeloid Leukemia

The active form of vitamin D3 [1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 (1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3)] modulates the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Analogs of 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 that have greater potency may have the potential as adjuvant therapy for high-risk patients in remission for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes. A new generation of 11 analogs of 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 has been synthesized, and we examined their effects on the human leukemic cell line HL-60. This cell line provides a sensitive monitor of activity of the 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 analogs. All the compounds were potent, producing a 50% clonal inhibition (ED50) in the range of 10(-8) to 10(-11) mol/L; nine of the 11 analogs had ED50s at concentrations that were at least 10-fold lower than those for the parental 1,25(OH)2D3. The most active compound [cmpd LA, (22R)-1 alpha, 25-(OH)2–16,22,23-triene-D3] had an ED50 of 2 x 10(-11) mol/L; it was also tested on clonogenic cells from patients with AML, and it achieved an ED50 of approximately 6 x 10(-11) mol/L, while 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 produced an ED50 of approximately 10(-8) mol/L on the same population of cells. Five different cell surface markers were examined on HL-60 cells exposed to the 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 analogs: HLA-DR and CD11b were induced by all of the compounds; CD13 was induced by six of the 12 compounds, including 1,25(OH)2D3; CD14 was strongly induced by all compounds; and CD38 was induced rather weakly by nine of 12 analogs. WAF1/CIP1/p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI), which is important in blocking the cell cycle, was examined by Western blot and was found to be induced by all of the compounds, suggesting a possible mechanism by which these analogs inhibit leukemic growth. The induction of WAF1 occurred at concentrations of vitamin D analogs as low as 10(- 10) mol/L. This structure-function study showed that a new series of 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 analogs was active in clonal inhibition, as well as induction of differentiation and WAF1 expression of HL-60 cells. The key structural motifs included C-16 double bond, double and/or triple bonds in the side chain, lengthening of the side chain, 20-epi- conformation of the side chain, replacement of six hydrogens at the end of the side chain with fluorines, and the removal of C-19. Consideration should be given to further in vivo testing of toxicity and efficacy to move toward a clinical trial, especially in a setting of minimal residual disease.
SafeHer, But Not for Him: Title VII Discrimination in Ridesharing

A look at a soon-to-be launched ridesharing app, SafeHer, and how the app will be treated under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This essay discusses the legal issues the app will face, including how the law might react to SafeHer's use of gender discrimination in their hiring policy, and whether their hiring policy falls under the "Bona Fide Occupational Qualification" exception of Title VII.
Suppression of mouse myelopoiesis by administration of human lactoferrin in vivo and the comparative action of human transferrin

Purified human lactoferrin was assessed for its influence in vivo in untreated mice and in mice undergoing rebound myelopoiesis after sublethal dosages of Cytoxan. Fully iron-saturated lactoferrin suppressed the numbers of granulocytes and monocytes per femur, the numbers of granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-GM) per femur and spleen, and decreased the cycle status of femoral and splenic CFU- GM. These effects were detected after administration of lactoferrin i.v. or i.p. into untreated and Cytoxan-treated mice. The suppressive effects on cellularity and numbers of CFU-GM per femur were apparent to a greater degree in mice treated with Cytoxan, and the i.v. route appeared preferable to the i.p. route. Heat-treated lactoferrin, inactive in vitro, was inactive in vivo, but iron-depleted (apo-) lactoferrin, inactive in vitro, was active in vivo, suggesting that the apo-lactoferrin acquired the iron in vivo that was necessary to change it into an active form. Titration of the effects of lactoferrin in Cytoxan-treated mice demonstrated a plateau curve of suppression of nucleated cells and CFU-GM per femur with dosages ranging from 100 micrograms to 10(-4) micrograms lactoferrin per mouse, with loss of activity at 10(-5) micrograms. The suppressive effect of lactoferrin on cycle status of CFU-GM required concentrations of 10 micrograms or higher. The effects of lactoferrin were reversible with time, with the suppressive influence on cycling status being lost before that on numbers of CFU-GM per femur. Purified human transferrin was also assessed for its influence in mice undergoing rebound myelopoiesis. Transferrin decreased the nucleated cellularity and the number of CFU- GM per femur and per spleen, but had little or no influence on the cycling status of CFU-GM and differed in its temporal effect on myelopoiesis from that of lactoferrin. These results suggest that lactoferrin and transferrin suppress the number of progenitor cells moving into the CFU-GM compartment and lactoferrin suppresses the cycling status of cells within the CFU-GM compartment. These effects are probably mediated by an action on the production of factors necessary for movement of cells into, and cell cycling within, the CFU- GM compartment.
Guns in Intimate Partner Violence: Comparing Incidents by Type of Weapon

Abstract Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the frequency, nature, and outcome of weapon use in intimate partner violence (IPV) and to assess compliance with related gun policies. Methods: Data were drawn from forms police are mandated to complete at the scene of IPV in the fifth largest U.S. city during 2013. Proportions were calculated and odds ratios were adjusted for demographic and contextual characteristics and a Bonferroni correction for multiple statistical tests was applied. Results: Of the 35,413 incidents, 6,573 involved hands, fists, or feet, and 1,866 involved external weapons of which 576 were guns. Most incidents were male-on-female: 63.4% (no weapon), 77.4% (bodily weapon), 50.2% (nongun external weapon), and 79.5% (gun). Guns were used most often to threaten the partner (69.1%). When a gun (vs. bodily or nongun external weapon) was used, IPV victims were less likely to have visible injuries (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.64 and 0.23, respectively)—offenders were less likely t...
“We felt they took the heart out of the community”: Examining a community-based response to urban school closure

Massive school closures are occurring in urban school districts across the United States. Research suggests that school closures are the outcome of racialized neoliberal policies and decades of disinvestment that have left many urban districts with fiscal deficits and declining student enrollments. However, some urban communities have successfully organized against school closures and reopened neighborhood schools. As such, this study examines how leaders in a community-university coalition in the Midwestern United States reopened a high school that was closed by its district. This case study draws on interviews and document data, and describes the forces that promoted school closure and its impacts on the community. Concepts from social capital and social network theories are used to guide the analysis. Findings indicate these leaders leveraged networks to negotiate a community-university social contract, took strategic and socially connected actions, and formed a community-driven education task force. This study offers implications for policy, future research, and communities in similar contexts.
Threat, Fear, and Persuasion: Review and Critique of Questions About Functional Form

James Price Dillard Pennsylvania State University, USA jdillard@psu.edu Threat, Fear, and Persuasion 95 2014 , 2 (1), 94-114 Content FEAR APPEALS: CONTENT AND STRUCTURE 96 TERMINOLOGy 96 PERSPECTIVES ON FEAR AND PERSUASION 97 The Drive Model 97 The Parallel Response Model 98 The Extended Parallel Process Model 98 CURRENT KNOWLEDGE: RESULTS OF ThE META-ANALySES 98 RESEARCh DESIGNS AND ThE LIMITS OF INFERENCE 99 Figure 1: Linear and Curvilinear Associations Between Fear and Persuasion in Between-Subjects Data 99 Figure 2: hypothetical Message Effects on Fear in Within-Subjects Data 100 SUMMARy OF ThE ARGUMENT 101 RESEARCh DESIGNS FOR ThE DyNAMIC PROPERTIES OF FEAR 101 Figure 3: Results of Dillard and Anderson (2004): Vaccination message. 102 Figure 4: Results of Rossiter and Thornton (2004): Trike message. 102 TESTING FOR ThE EFFECT OF CURVILINEARITy IN DyNAMIC DATA .... 103 Figure 5: Results of Rossiter and Thornton (2004): Pizza message. 103 Figure 6: Re-analysis of the Dillard and Anderson (2004) Data Using Latent Growth Curve Modeling 104 AN EMPIRICAL ExAMPLE 105 Figure 7: Latent Estimates of Change in Message-Inducing Fear Among Persons high and Low in Fear of Needles 105 IMPLICATIONS OF INTRA-INDIVIDUAL CURVILINEARITy 106 SUMMARy 106 REFERENCES 106 APPENDIx A: DETAILS OF ThE RE-ANALySIS OF ThE DILLARD AND ANDERSON (2004) DATA 109 Measures 109 Method of Analysis 110 Input and Model Specifications 110 Criteria for Model Evaluation 110 RESULTS 111 The Linear Growth Model 111 The Quadratic Growth Model 111 Table A. Means, Standard Deviations, and Correlations 113 COPyRIGhTS AND REPOSITORIES 114
Multiple climate regimes in an idealized lake–ice–atmosphere model

In recent decades, the Laurentian Great Lakes have undergone rapid surface warming with the summertime trends substantially exceeding the warming rates of surrounding land. Warming of the deepest (Lake Superior) was the strongest, and that of the shallowest (Lake Erie)—the weakest of all lakes. To investigate the dynamics of accelerated lake warming, we considered single-column and multi-column thermodynamic lake–ice models coupled to an idealized two-layer atmosphere. The variable temperature of the upper atmospheric layer—a proxy for the large-scale atmospheric forcing—consisted, in the most general case, of a linear trend mimicking the global warming and atmospheric interannual variability, both on top of the prescribed seasonal cycle of the upper-air temperature. The atmospheric boundary layer of the coupled model exchanged heat with the lake and exhibited lateral diffusive heat transports between the adjacent atmospheric columns. In simpler single-column models, we find that, for a certain range of periodic atmospheric forcing, each lake possesses two stable equilibrium seasonal cycles, which we call “regimes”—with and without lake-ice occurrence in winter and with corresponding cold and warm temperatures in the following summer, respectively, all under an identical seasonally varying external forcing. Deeper lakes exhibit larger differences in their summertime surface water temperature between the warm and cold regimes, due to their larger thermal and dynamical inertia. The regime behavior of multi-column coupled models is similar but more complex, and in some cases, they admit more than two stable equilibrium seasonal cycles, with varying degrees of wintertime ice-cover. The simulated lake response to climate change in the presence of the atmospheric noise rationalizes the observed accelerated warming of the lakes, the correlation between wintertime ice cover and next summer’s lake-surface temperature, as well as higher warming trends of the (occasionally wintertime ice-covered) deep-lake vs. shallow-lake regions, in terms of the corresponding characteristics of the forced transitions between colder and warmer lake regimes. Since the regime behavior in our models arises due to nonlinear dynamics rooted in the ice–albedo feedback, this feedback is also the root cause of the accelerated lake warming simulated by these models. In addition, our results imply that if Lake Superior eventually becomes largely ice-free (<10% maximum ice cover every winter) under continuing global warming, the surface warming trends of the deeper regions of the lake will become modest, similar to those of the shallower regions of the lake.
A Functional Recovery after Resuscitative Thoracotomy for Traumatic Cardiac Tamponade in an 87 Year-Old

pressure of 109/61, heart rate of 73, and oxygen saturation of 93% on room air. His past medical history was significant for only hypertension. A chest x-ray and cat scan of the abdomen/pelvis demonstrated multiple left-sided rib fractures with resultant moderate pleural effusion and pneumothorax and no intraabdominal pathology. A left chest tube was placed, returning 700ml of blood. The patient became immediately hypotensive to a nadir blood pressure of 55/37. He was emergently intubated and had an internal jugular triple lumen placed. Repeat labs demonstrated a hematocrit drop from 31 to 21 mg/dl. He was started on a dopamine drip and given 2 units of uncrossmatched packed RBC. A Repeat cat scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis was performed that demonstrated a new moderate pericardial effusion. His condition temporarily stabilized with these measures and he was then urgently transferred to a nearby tertiary care center.
Development and Early Experience of the First Joint Military Health System-Veterans Affairs Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Program.

ABSTRACT Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive cardiac surgical procedure that has revolutionized the treatment of aortic stenosis. This is the most common valvular heart condition in developed countries, affecting 3.4% of those ages 75 and above. Because there is no medical therapy that can arrest progression of the disease, valve replacement forms the cornerstone of therapy. Methods: Naval Medical Center San Diego and the VA San Diego Healthcare System have developed a unique collaborative TAVR program—a first in the Department of Defense—to offer this revolutionary procedure to their beneficiaries. Herein, we review development of the program and outcome for patients referred during the first 9 months. Findings: Development of the program was a multiyear process made successful because of administrative support, facility upgrades, and collaboration within the crossfacility and multispecialty heart valve team. In the first 9 months, 29 patients were referred f...
Dilemmas of Promoting Geoscience Workforce Growth in a Dynamically Changing Economy

The geosciences as an occupation are experiencing substantial change, with a combination of economic cycles, mass retirements, and rapid technological innovation. For the next generation of geoscientists, flexibility and well-defined competencies will be key to employment resilience. These required core competencies reflect the new economy that the geosciences function in, yet most educational programs reflect the economy of the past. We examine the human capital dynamics of the geosciences in the United States as an example, and the critical challenges faced in recruiting the right next generation workforce best prepared for the rapid changes in the market including the likely new phase of the long-term cyclicity of geoscience labor demand. Mismatching educational goals and workforce needs negatively impacts individuals’ career prospects without their knowledge or recognition. Historical trends inform us on likely changes with the emerging political, economic, and demographic realities that will affect the geosciences. Some of the competing interests within the workforce development process are examined for their ethical challenges, such as the need to maximize enrollments while challenging students to be ready for the workforce. This has profound implications regarding how we promote the science to students, so that we are not leading people down paths that will not yield productive careers and in turn not foster a healthy profession.
Restoring Function After Severe Spinal Cord Injury Through Bioluminescence-Driven Optogenetics

The ability to manipulate specific neuronal populations of the spinal cord following spinal cord injury (SCI) could prove highly beneficial for rehabilitation in patients through maintaining and strengthening still existing neuronal connections and/or facilitating the formation of new connections. A non-invasive and highly specific approach to neuronal stimulation is bioluminescent-optogenetics (BL-OG), where genetically expressed light emitting luciferases are tethered to light sensitive channelrhodopsins (luminopsins, LMO); neurons are activated by the addition of the luciferase substrate coelenterazine (CTZ). This approach utilizes ion channels for current conduction while activating the channels through application of a small chemical compound, thus allowing non-invasive stimulation and recruitment of all targeted neurons. Rats were transduced in the lumbar spinal cord with AAV2/9 to express the excitatory LMO3 under control of a pan-neuronal or motor neuron-specific promoter. A day after contusion injury of the thoracic spine, rats received either CTZ or vehicle every other day for 2 weeks. Activation of either interneuron or motor neuron populations below the level of injury significantly improved locomotor recovery lasting beyond the time of stimulation. Utilizing histological and gene expression methods we identified neuronal plasticity as a likely mechanism underlying the functional recovery. These findings provide a foundation for a rational approach to spinal cord injury rehabilitation, thereby advancing approaches for functional recovery after SCI.
Lens Substitution During Compensation for a Minus Lens: A Paradigm for Assessing Visual Stimuli That Regulate Axial Elongation and Refractive State

Determining which visual stimuli cause increase axial elongation and myopic refractive changes and which stimuli cause slowed axial elongation and hyperopic refractive changes during juvenile emmetropization is an important but difficult task. We describe a procedure in tree shrews (also applicable to other species) that allows animals to remain in a relatively normal visual environment that engages the emmetropization mechanism. During a brief daily “lens substitution” period, the visual stimulation is manipulated. It was shown previously that a −5 D lens, held in a goggle frame in front of one eye for 11 days, caused the eye to compensate for the lens by elongating the vitreous chamber, moving the retina to the shifted focal plane. This produced a myopia of (mean ± SEM) −4.9 ± 0.4 D relative to the control eye. In other animals, if the −5 D lens was removed for 2 hr each day, no significant compensation occurred. With a lens-off period of intermediate duration (45 min), a stable, partial compensation of −2.4 ± 0.4 D was found. In the lens substitution paradigm, a “test lens” is presented during the 45 min period. If the test lens is a stimulus for increased elongation we expected compensation to increase toward −5 D after 11 days of treatment. If the test lens was a stimulus for decreased elongation, compensation should decrease toward 0 D. In preliminary experiments, a −10 D test lens, substituted for the −5 D lens 45 min each day while the animal was unrestrained in its home cage, increased the amount of compensation. A +5 D test lens produced refractive compensation similar to lens-off for 45 min. A +10 D test lens produced increased compensation. When animals (3 per group) were restrained during the 45 min lens substitution period so that all objects were >1 m distant, the compensation produced by a +5 D and a +10 D test lens was similar to the amount in unrestrained animals. In the restrained animals, it is possible to measure the amount and sign of the defocus on the retina during the lens substitution period. This paradigm shows promise as a tool to determine the visual stimuli that regulate axial elongation and refractive state.
Routine Surveillance for Rejection Greater Than Two Years after Heart Transplant is Not Cost-Effective

Introduction Endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) and gene expression profiling (AlloMap) are performed after heart transplant (HT) to evaluate for asymptomatic rejection though acute rejection is rare after year 2. The cost-effectiveness of routine surveillance studies is unknown. Hypothesis Routine surveillance for acute rejection is not cost-effective in patients greater than 2 years from HT. Methods A Markov model was constructed to compare 3 surveillance strategies: (1) Stopping routine surveillance studies 24 months after HT (baseline), (2) routine EMB every 6 months from 24-60 months, and (3) routine AlloMap every 6 months from 24-60 months. In all strategies, patients underwent an EMB for signs/symptoms of rejection. The model cycle length was 30 days. Hospitalization costs for rejection were based on the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project and costs for tests and procedures from the Medicare & Medicaid Services Physician fee schedule. Patients were assumed to be treated as an inpatient for symptomatic acute cellular rejection (ACR) and all antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and as an outpatient for asymptomatic ACR detected on routine surveillance. Probabilities used in the analysis were derived from patients transplanted at the University of Michigan from 2007 until January 2016 and who survived at least 2 years. Utilities for this analysis were based on literature review, when available. The analysis was performed with TreeAge Pro software. Results Probabilities were derived from 159 patients undergoing routine surveillance for rejection (4,645 cycles). After a routine EMB, AMR occurred with a probability of 0.005 and ACR never occurred. Probability of EMB after a routine AlloMap was 0.06 with a subsequent probability of ACR of 0.04 and no AMR. Compared to a baseline strategy of no surveillance, surveillance EMB was dominated and AlloMap had an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) $1.57 million/Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) (Table). Sensitivity analyses supported these findings; AlloMap remained cost prohibitive at a threshold of $100,000/QALY, and EMB was dominated up to a 25% risk of death for ACR and 15% risk for AMR. Conclusions Acute rejection is rare after post-HT year 2 and routine surveillance for rejection is not cost-effective.
Professional Development and Differentiated Instruction in an Elementary School Pullout Program: A Gifted Education Case Study:

The purpose of this longitudinal case study was to investigate the relationship between participation in professional development in Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad Model and one gifted education teach...
Glucocorticoid-Induced Hypermetabolism in White Adipose Tissue in Cushing Syndrome

An adult lymphoma patient developed Cushing syndrome after short-term, high-dose dexamethasone administration and presented with a distinctive Cushingoid fat redistribution pattern and associated increased 18F-FDG uptake in white adipose tissue. Recognition of the unique 18F-FDG uptake manifestation may aid in the diagnosis of this iatrogenic syndrome and avoid image misinterpretation.
Functional correlations of axial muscle fiber type proportions in the waterfall‐climbing Hawaiian stream fish Sicyopterus stimpsoni

Assessing the factors that contribute to successful locomotor performance can provide critical insight into how animals survive in challenging habitats. Locomotion is powered by muscles, so that differences in the relative proportions of red (slow-oxidative) vs. white (fast-glycolytic) fibers can have significant implications for locomotor performance. We compared the relative proportions of axial red muscle fibers between groups of juveniles of the amphidromous gobiid fish, Sicyopterus stimpsoni, from the Hawaiian Islands. Juveniles of this species migrate from the ocean into freshwater streams, navigating through a gauntlet of predators that require rapid escape responses, before reaching waterfalls which must be climbed (using a slow, inching behavior) to reach adult breeding habitats. We found that fish from Kaua'i have a smaller proportion of red fibers in their tail muscles than fish from Hawai'i, matching expectations based on the longer pre-waterfall stream reaches of Kaua'i that could increase exposure to predators, making reduction of red muscle and increases in white muscle advantageous. However, no difference in red muscle proportions was identified between fish that were either successful or unsuccessful in scaling model waterfalls during laboratory climbing trials, suggesting that proportions of red muscle are near a localized fitness peak among Hawaiian individuals.
X-ray Inspection Methodology on QFN and BGA

Transmission X-ray is one of the X-ray methodology that is applied for Quad Flat No Leads (QFN) solder joint inspection at Surface Mount Technology (SMT) post reflow process in Printed Circuit Board assembly (PCBA) industry. This can be upgraded to Computed Tomography (CT) by adding rotating mechanism to hold the PCBA under inspection. However, the limitation of transmission X-ray methodology on QFN inspection is the qualitative inspection with reference to IPC-A-610x whereby only general inspection criteria provided. Example: from x-ray image we can see the wetting evident however fillet length or thickness is not specified. Without a quantitative inspection methodology on transmission X-ray, this caused problem on verifying and optimizing the SMT process parameters for QFN in order to achieve a high and sustainable PCBA yield in High Volume Manufacturing (HVM). This paper will share the idea of utilizing basic element of X-ray images which is called pixel for QFN solder joint inspection. The invention of quantitative inspection methodology in transmission X-ray Vs conventional transmission X-ray have successfully eliminated “vague” judgment on QFN inspection in PCBA industry. In addition, this paper will discuss and share the prelim result on Ball Grid Array (BGA) inspection to address head-in-Pillow (HiP) solder joint defect detection.
Successful cryoablation of left ventricular summit premature ventricular contractions via the coronary sinus

The left ventricular summit (LVS) is a challenging location for catheter-based percutaneous ablation due to its anatomical location. There have been case reports of cryoablations performed in this region, but the technique may be underutilized when radiofrequency ablation fails. A 45-year-old male was found to have 25 000 premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) a day despite previous ablation and a reduced ejection fraction of 40% despite medical therapy. Coronary sinus epicardial mapping revealed the coronary sinus distal region generated activations earlier than the QRS onset by 28 ms. Two separate, 4-minute cryoablations were delivered that suppressed the PVCs within 5 seconds. Alternate energy modalities such as cryo may offer a safer and more viable approach for ablation of LVS in select patients.