cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Status and trends of general otolaryngology in academia.

Objectives/Hypothesis This article focuses on the hiring trends of academic general otolaryngology practices to clarify the status of academic general otolaryngology in the face of today's changing medical landscape. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Methods We conducted a survey to evaluate past, present, and projected hiring issues in academic otolaryngology, specifically related to general otolaryngology. Surveys were sent via e-mail to all academic chairpersons of accredited otolaryngology residency programs in the United States. Data included faculty appointments, work hours, clinical and research roles, academic productivity, patient load, promotions, and criteria for future hires. Results The response rate was 34.3%. On average, general otolaryngologists (generalists) represented 17% of otolaryngology faculty in academic practices. Whereas most generalists were employed as assistant professors (65%), nearly half of promotions in recent years were given to generalists (49%). Between 2009 and 2014, there was an average of six new hires per academic otolaryngology practice (range: 1–13); of these new hires, 21% were generalists. Chairpersons estimated that in the next 5 years they would hire an average of three new otolaryngologists per practice (range: 0–7), of whom 39% would be generalists. Although 82% of chairpersons reported an increase in subspecialty hires, 94% reported that they would also require the same or increasing numbers of generalists. Conclusion Despite the increase in subspecialization in academic otolaryngology, the role of general otolaryngologists in academic practices will continue to be important and perhaps will increase. Level of Evidence N/A. Laryngoscope, 2015
Electroluminescent Devices Made from Silicon Nanocrystals Embedded in Various Host Matrices

Si nanocrystals produced by ultrasonic fracturing of porous silicon (PSi) were used to fabricate electroluminescent (EL) devices. The active EL material consists of Si nanocrystals embedded in various host matrices such as polyvinylcarbazole (PVK), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and silica sol-gels. Several device configurations were used to induce EL processes that rely on radiative electron-hole recombination via carrier injection or impact excitation of the nanocrystals. We report on the optical and electrical properties of these devices. We discuss relevant physics pertaining to the Si nanocrystals/host and discuss advantages and disadvantages among the different host matrices.
Focal CO2/H+ alters phrenic motor output response to chemical stimulation of cat pre-Botzinger complex in vivo.

Microinjection ofdl-homocysteic acid (DLH), a glutamate analog, into the pre-Botzinger complex (pre-BotC) can produce tonic excitation of phrenic nerve discharge. Although this DLH-induced tonic ex...
Discussion on the Management of Low Frequency Load-shedding in the County Area

Based on the long-term experience of low frequency load-shedding in Xinyang power supply company, and for the existing deficiencies in the low frequency load-shedding management work in the county area, the working method of "three reports, one examination and a table modification" was proposed. Practice has proved that this method can effectively effect the management of the county area low frequency load-shedding scheme.
Comments on airborne ISR radar utilization

A sensor/payload operator for modern multi-sensor multi-mode Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms is often confronted with a plethora of options in sensors and sensor modes. This often leads an over-worked operator to down-select to favorite sensors and modes; for example a justifiably favorite Full Motion Video (FMV) sensor at the expense of radar modes, even if radar modes can offer unique and advantageous information. At best, sensors might be used in a serial monogamous fashion with some cross-cueing. The challenge is then to increase the utilization of the radar modes in a manner attractive to the sensor/payload operator. We propose that this is best accomplished by combining sensor modes and displays into ‘super-modes’.
The United States’ Path to Concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership: Will TPA + TAA = TPP?

The political economy of international trade decision-making within the United States is ever-changing and complex. The recent debates over the merits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP,) and the associated efforts of the Obama Administration to obtain Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), highlight these complexities. This short article is an attempt to clarify the political economy dynamics in the United States with respect to the TPP. It first explains what Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) is and why President Obama needed to have TPA as a precursor to concluding the TPP negotiations. Second, it discusses some of the internal political dynamics impacting support for, or opposition to, the TPP, as well as the Administration’s previous failures to obtain TPA for the TPP negotiations. Third, the piece addresses Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) and its interplay with TPA. The article concludes with an assessment of the ramifications for the TPP of the House and Senate having passed both the TPA and TAA bills.
Active shortening protects against stretch-induced force deficits in human skeletal muscle.

Force deficits caused by stretch of contracting muscle are most severe when the stretch is applied during an isometric contraction, but prevented if the muscle is shortening at high velocity when t...
Engineering Intracellularly Retained Gaussia Luciferase Reporters for Improved Biosensing and Molecular Imaging Applications

Gaussia luciferase (GLUC) is a bioluminescent reporter protein of increasing importance. As a secretory protein, it has increased sensitivity in vitro and in vivo (∼20 000-fold, and ∼1000-fold, respectively) over its competitor, secreted alkaline phosphatase. Unfortunately, this same advantageous secretory nature of GLUC limits its usefulness for many other possible intracellular applications, e.g., imaging signaling pathways in intact cells, in vivo imaging, and in developing molecular imaging biosensors to study protein–protein interactions and protein folding. Hence, to widen the research applications of GLUC, we developed engineered variants that increase its intracellular retention both by modifying the N-terminal secretory signal peptide and by tagging additional sequences to its C-terminal region. We found that when GLUC was expressed in mammalian cells, its N-terminal secretory signal peptide comprising amino acids 1–16 was essential for GLUC folding and functional activity in addition to its inhe...
Hybrid sterility increases with genetic distance in snubnose darters (Percidae: Etheostoma )

The process of speciation is often synonymous with the evolution of reproductive isolation, and the tempo at which reproductive barriers evolve can provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of divergence. Darters are a diverse group of North American freshwater fish in which behavioral isolation appears to evolve rapidly; however, little is known about hybrid sterility among darter species. Here, six allopatric pairs of darter species were hybridized via in vitro fertilization and offspring were reared to reproductive age. Hybrid sterility appears more pronounced in male hybrids. Additionally, levels of hybrid sterility increase with genetic distance across species pairs. Understanding sex determination and sex-specific gene expression in darters will provide further insight into the evolution of hybrid sterility.
Insurance Portfolio Risk Retention

In this article, I introduce a statistic for managing a portfolio of insurance risks. This tool is based on changes in the risk profile when changes in a risk parameter, such as a deductible, coins...
Les Amériques; épilogue

J’ai lu autrefois un recit de rescapes de la guerre du Pacifique, qui avaient passe de longues semaines dans un canot a la derive, munis seulement d’une carte de poche pour tout instrument de navigation. Ils avaient fini par aborder en quelque ile, a des milliers de kilometres du lieu ou ils croyaient se trouver. L’important pour survivre, disaient-ils, c’est de toujours tenir fermement la barre en depit des vents et des courants, et de se croire toujours maitre de son sort. C’est une illusion, mais une illusion salvatrice.
False Low-Risk Single Nucleotide Polymorphism-Based Noninvasive Prenatal Screening in Pentasomy 49,XXXXY.

Introduction Pentasomy 49,XXXXY is a sex chromosome anomaly difficult to be diagnosed prenatally. We describe a patient of pentasomy 49,XXXXY with false low-risk results using a noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS). A 30-year-old G1P0 woman presented at 336/7 weeks, secondary to sonographic fetal anomalies. She had low-risk NIPS at 136/7 weeks. Anatomy survey showed bilateral clubfeet, clinodactyly of the left fifth digit, micropenis, and echogenic bowel. Cytogenetics analysis revealed pentasomy 49,XXXXY syndrome. We report third-trimester sonographic features of a fetus with pentasomy 49,XXXXY and the importance of thorough pre- and posttest counseling for NIPS.
Automating Electronic Clinical Data Capture for Quality Improvement and Research: The CERTAIN Validation Project of Real World Evidence.

Background: The availability of high fidelity electronic health record (EHR) data is a hallmark of the learning health care system. Washington State’s Surgical Care Outcomes and Assessment Program (SCOAP) is a network of hospitals participating in quality improvement (QI) registries wherein data are manually abstracted from EHRs. To create the Comparative Effectiveness Research and Translation Network (CERTAIN), we semi-automated SCOAP data abstraction using a centralized federated data model, created a central data repository (CDR), and assessed whether these data could be used as real world evidence for QI and research. Objectives: Describe the validation processes and complexities involved and lessons learned. Methods: Investigators installed a commercial CDR to retrieve and store data from disparate EHRs. Manual and automated abstraction systems were conducted in parallel (10/2012-7/2013) and validated in three phases using the EHR as the gold standard: 1) ingestion, 2) standardization, and 3) concordance of automated versus manually abstracted cases. Information retrieval statistics were calculated. Results: Four unaffiliated health systems provided data. Between 6 and 15 percent of data elements were abstracted: 51 to 86 percent from structured data; the remainder using natural language processing (NLP). In phase 1, data ingestion from 12 out of 20 feeds reached 95 percent accuracy. In phase 2, 55 percent of structured data elements performed with 96 to 100 percent accuracy; NLP with 89 to 91 percent accuracy. In phase 3, concordance ranged from 69 to 89 percent. Information retrieval statistics were consistently above 90 percent. Conclusions: Semi-automated data abstraction may be useful, although raw data collected as a byproduct of health care delivery is not immediately available for use as real world evidence. New approaches to gathering and analyzing extant data are required.
Poster: Toward the Development of Richer Properties for Recommender Systems

The performance of recommender systems is commonly characterized by metrics such as precision and recall. However, these metrics can only provide a coarse characterization of the system, as they offer limited intuition and insights on potential system anomalies, and may fail to provide a developer with an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of a recommendation algorithm. In this work, we start to describe a model of recommender systems that defines a space of properties. We begin exploring this space by defining templates that relate to the properties of coverage and diversity, and we demonstrate how instantiated characteristics offer complementary insights to precision and recall.
New “Outsiders”: Black Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students in a Historically Black University Context

As indicated in this study, there are students who are enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who are comfortable with their LGBT identity; however they would like more resources to address their specific interests and needs. More research is needed on large samples of Black LGBT students enrolled at HBCUs in order to expand upon the findings of this research regarding active coping used in the context, ways to assist the students to cope with family conflicts around their sexual identity, and increased acceptance of Black sexual minorities within the wider Black community. As indicated by the students of this study, their challenges more often come from outside of the university context, yet within the university context there are still feelings of marginalization regarding programming and more direct acknowledgement of the population as an active and significant part of the university community. These findings, while based on a small sample, are encouraging regarding the students’ happiness, positive active coping, and general feelings of support from professors. The students of this study did mention, however, that there are other LGB students who are not as comfortable as they are, and are “in hiding” on campus as sexual minorities. Thus more could be done to assist more Black LGB students to be out, happy, and comfortable. Psychologists must continue to provide insight about the experiences of greater numbers of Black LGB students within HBCUs who are similar to the students of the current study.
Surrogate Measures of Patient-centered Outcomes in Critical Care

The ultimate goal of medicine is to improve health in ways that matter to patients. A variety of outcomes are important to patients: symptoms, quality of life, duration of life, quality of dying, the effect of their health care on their loved ones, and the cost of medical care. Because of the importance of these outcomes to patients they are referred to as ‘patient-centered’ outcomes. Ideally, chnicians will offer, insurers will pay for, and patients will have the opportunity to use treatments that have been shown to improve patient-centered outcomes. Patient-centered outcomes are dis- tinct from any number of chemical, physiologic, and radiographic variables that may be measured in clinical research. There are many reasons investigators choose to measure these important alternate or auxiliary measures. They often provide essential information about how a treatment works, about complications, and about the study population and subgroups. However, when one of these variables is used specifically as a substitute for a patient-centered outcome, it is referred to as a surrogate outcome variable. Other synonyms for these variables are interme- diate ox proxy outcome variables [2]. Common examples of surrogate outcomes are substituting blood pressure for survival in a study of antihypertensives, left ventricular function for quality of life in a study of therapy for congestive heart failure, and tumor size for survival in a study of cancer therapy.
Introducing Evidence Based Practice: The Library’s Role in Teaching about Critical Information Tools

The introduction of evidence based practice to medical students is spreading rapidly in medical education. In the majority of cases, this education begins in Residency programs,1–3 where the student, for the first time, is required to access and use the medical literature. It has been shown however, that there is a dramatic effect on the efficiency and quality of a student’s future clinical performance if exposed to evidence based practice earlier, in an undergraduate curriculum.4 At the Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine the student is introduced to evidence based concepts in medical practice in a mandatory two and a half week first-year course, well before they will encounter real-life clinical situations. The earlier exposure to evidence based practice can alleviate many of the problems encountered in introducing students to these concepts later in their education.
Representation, storage and retrieval of tutorial stories in a social simulation

Retrieving stories to present to studies in a learning environment is a challenging and practical application of case retrieval. Opportunities to present stories arise at many points in the course of a student's activities and can take many forms. Stories can be used to provide a student with counter-examples, project the possible results of a student's choices, or critique those choices by analogy. In this dissertation, I describe a retrieval system for tutorial stories, the Story Producer for InteractivE Learning or SPIEL. SPIEL is embedded in a larger teaching architecture known as GuSS (Guided Social Simulation). I describe the overall architecture of GuSS and SPIEL's place within it, using the example of YELLO, a GuSS application that teaches the fine points of selling Yellow Pages advertising. SPIEL offers an alternative to traditional intelligent tutoring systems. It relies on its stories as a source of expertise about what it teaches, rather than an explicit expert model. Its pedagogical knowledge is in the form of a set of storytelling strategies, a library of different ways that stories can be used to teach. Each strategy entails a different kind of comparison between a story and a student's situation. These comparisons include assessments of similarity, dissimilarity and other kinds of relations. SPIEL uses its strategies to develop procedures for recognizing storytelling opportunities. It examines each story in light of each storytelling strategy, arriving at a description of a tutorial opportunity: a situation in which the story could be told using the strategy. From these descriptions, the system builds rule-based recognition procedures capable of recognizing the opportunities when they arise in the GuSS simulation.
A Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient Approach to Medication Dosing and Surveillance in the ICU

Medication dosing in a critical care environment is a complex task that involves close monitoring of relevant physiologic and laboratory biomarkers and corresponding sequential adjustment of the prescribed dose. Misdosing of medications with narrow therapeutic windows (such as intravenous [IV] heparin) can result in preventable adverse events, decrease quality of care and increase cost. Therefore, a robust recommendation system can help clinicians by providing individualized dosing suggestions or corrections to existing protocols. We present a clinician-in-the-loop framework for adjusting IV heparin dose using deep reinforcement learning (RL). Our main objectives were to learn a new IV heparin dosing policy based on the multi-dimensional features of patients, and evaluate the effectiveness of the learned policy in the presence of other confounding factors that may contribute to heparin-related side effects. The data used in the experiments included 2598 intensive care patients from the publicly available MIMIC database and 2310 patients from the Emory University clinical data warehouse. Experimental results suggested that the distance from RL policy had a statistically significant association with anticoagulant complications $(p< 0.05)$, after adjusting for the effects of confounding factors.
Neural Coding of Gustatory Information in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract in Lean and Obese Awake Freely-licking Rats

Taste perception changes with obesity but the underlying neural changes remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we recorded taste responses from single cells in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS, the fist central synapse in the gustatory circuit) in awake, diet-induced obese [(DIO; [≥]8wks on a high-energy diet (HED)] and lean rats. Rats were implanted with a bundle of microelectrodes in the NTS and allowed to recover. Water-deprived rats were allowed to freely lick various tastants in an experimental chamber. Taste stimuli included an array of sapid stimuli dissolved in artificial saliva (AS). Each taste trial consisted of 5 consecutive licks followed by 5 AS licks presented on a VR5 schedule. Results showed that taste responses in NTS cells in DIO rats (n=49) were smaller in magnitude, shorter in duration and longer in latency that those in lean rats (n=74). However, there were proportionately more taste-responsive cells in DIO than in lean rats. Lick coherence in DIO rats was significantly lower than in lean rats, both in taste-responsive and lick-related cells (n=172 in lean; n=65 in DIO). Analyses of temporal coding showed that taste cells in DIO rats conveyed less information about taste quality than cells in lean rats. Collectively, results suggest that a HED produces blunted, but more prevalent, responses to taste in the NTS and a weakened association of taste responses with ingestive behavior. These neural adaptations may represent both negative effects and compensatory mechanisms of a HED that may underlie deficits in taste-related behavior associated with obesity.
Optical properties of Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 thin films

Using spectroscopic ellipsometry, the dielectric functions of a series of topological insulators, including Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3, and their ternary alloys, were determined. The ellipsometry measurements were obtained using an IR-spectroscopic ellipsometer, spanning a spectral range between 2000 and 35 000 nm. A standard inversion technique was used to model the ellipsometry spectra, which produced the dielectric functions of each of the topological insulator films. These dielectric functions were analyzed further to obtain characteristics such as their bandgap, carrier concentration, and effective mass. Specifically, Kramers–Kronig consistent oscillators were used to represent the Drude contribution as well as the energy gap. The authors found that the bandgap of Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 ternary alloys are larger than their binary constituents (i.e., Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3). By exploring the temperature dependence of the bandgap, the authors deduced the electron–phonon coupling parameters for the Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 system, using the Bose–Einstein occupation distributions. Compared with Bi2Te3, the authors found that the electron–phonon coupling parameters of the ternary alloys of Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 are smaller.Using spectroscopic ellipsometry, the dielectric functions of a series of topological insulators, including Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3, and their ternary alloys, were determined. The ellipsometry measurements were obtained using an IR-spectroscopic ellipsometer, spanning a spectral range between 2000 and 35 000 nm. A standard inversion technique was used to model the ellipsometry spectra, which produced the dielectric functions of each of the topological insulator films. These dielectric functions were analyzed further to obtain characteristics such as their bandgap, carrier concentration, and effective mass. Specifically, Kramers–Kronig consistent oscillators were used to represent the Drude contribution as well as the energy gap. The authors found that the bandgap of Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 ternary alloys are larger than their binary constituents (i.e., Bi2Te3 and Bi2Se3). By exploring the temperature dependence of the bandgap, the authors deduced the electron–phonon coupling parameters for the Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 system, using ...
Part Separation Technique for Assembly-Based Design in Additive Manufacturing using Genetic Algorithm

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) has the potential to improve productivity especially processing time, cost and surface roughness. In similar lines, part separation for assembly-based design in additive manufacturing can help in improving productivity. This paper discusses an optimization technique for part separation in assembly based part design in additive manufacturing. The technique improves the productivity by decreasing the processing time of printed parts, which is the sum of the build time and the assembly time. The technique uses optimal cutting planes for part separation that has distinct advantages compared to random cutting planes. The work discusses a Genetic Algorithm (GA) technique for part separation using planar cuts. The optimization technique provides the optimal number of parts for assembly and their corresponding build orientations for the minimum processing time. Three examples have been provided to demonstrate the application of the proposed method. Finally, the results from two examples are compared to the already established hill climbing optimization method for part separation.
Geographies of migration III: Transit and transnationalism:

This third and final report on geographies of migration highlights the complexities of international migration through the two related processes of transit and transnationalism. Examining spaces of...
Longitudinal effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on knee osteoarthritis patients measured by functional infrared spectroscopy: a pilot study

Significance: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease causing chronic pain and functional alterations (stiffness and swelling) in the elderly population. OA is currently treated pharmacologically with analgesics, although neuromodulation via transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has recently generated a growing interest as a safe side-effect free treatment alternative or a complement to medications for chronic pain conditions. Although a number of studies have shown that tDCS has a beneficial effect on behavioral measures of pain, the mechanistic action of neuromodulation on pain sensitivity and coping at the central nervous system is not well understood. Aim: We aimed at observing longitudinal changes of cortical hemodynamics in older adults with knee OA associated with a two-week-long tDCS self-treatment protocol. Approach: Hemodynamics was measured bilaterally in the motor and somatosensory cortices with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in response to thermal pain induced ipsilaterally to the knee primarily affected by OA. Results: We found that both oxyhemoglobin- and deoxyhemoglobin-related functional activations significantly increased during the course of the tDCS treatment, supporting the notion that tDCS yields an increased cortical excitability. Concurrently, clinical measures of pain decreased with tDCS treatment, hinting at a potential spatial dissociation between cortically mediated pain perception and suppression and the prevalence of neuromodulatory effects over cortical pain processing. Conclusions: fNIRS is a valid method for objectively tracking pain in an ambulatory setting and it could potentially be used to inform strategies for optimized tDCS treatment and to develop innovative tDCS protocols.
A revision of Hypotrachyna subgenus Parmelinopsis (Parmeliaceae) in eastern North America

A taxonomic revision of Hypotrachyna subgenus Parmelinopsis in eastern North America is presented based on molecular phylogenetic analyses of ITS and mtSSU data, extensive field observation and analyses of chemical and morphological data. Each species is described, illustrated with photographs, and the distribution in the region is mapped. An identification key is also presented. Eleven species are recognized: H. afrorevoluta, H. appalachensis, H. britannica, H. cryptochlora, H. horrescens, H. kauffmaniana, H. minarum, H. mcmulliniana, H. revoluta, H. showmanii and H. spumosa. Extensive discussion of prior studies is provided, particularly with respect to the delimitation of H. afrorevoluta and H. revoluta. Hypotrachyna kauffmaniana is described from the central and southern Appalachian Mountains and separated from H. afrorevoluta and H. revoluta by its ascending secondary lobes and pustulose soralia that are primarily confined to the secondary lobes. Hypotrachyna horrescens is shown to correspond to a taxon with narrow lobed, small thalli with ciliate isidia. Hypotrachyna mcmulliniana is described from material collected throughout southeastern North America that is chemically identical to H. horrescens but differs in having larger thalli and sparsely ciliate isidia. Hypotrachyna appalachensis is described to accommodate material previously referred to H. minarum but that differs in the production of 4,5-di-O-methylhiascic acid in high concentrations (vs. absent or present as a trace in H. minarum). Hypotrachyna britannica is reported for the first time from North America.
Observations of the global epidemiology of COVID-19 from the prepandemic period using web-based surveillance: a cross-sectional analysis.

Summary Background Scant data are available about global patterns of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread and global epidemiology of early confirmed cases of COVID-19 outside mainland China. We describe the global spread of SARS-CoV-2 and characteristics of COVID-19 cases and clusters before the characterisation of COVID-19 as a pandemic. Methods Cases of COVID-19 reported between Dec 31, 2019, and March 10, 2020 (ie, the prepandemic period), were identified daily from official websites, press releases, press conference transcripts, and social media feeds of national ministries of health or other government agencies. Case characteristics, travel history, and exposures to other cases were abstracted. Countries with at least one case were classified as affected. Early cases were defined as those among the first 100 cases reported from each country. Later cases were defined as those after the first 100 cases. We analysed reported travel to affected countries among the first case reported from each country outside mainland China, demographic and exposure characteristics among cases with age or sex information, and cluster frequencies and sizes by transmission settings. Findings Among the first case reported from each of 99 affected countries outside of mainland China, 75 (76%) had recent travel to affected countries; 60 (61%) had travelled to China, Italy, or Iran. Among 1200 cases with age or sex information, 874 (73%) were early cases. Among 762 early cases with age information, the median age was 51 years (IQR 35–63); 25 (3%) of 762 early cases occurred in children younger than 18 years. Overall, 21 (2%) of 1200 cases were in health-care workers and none were in pregnant women. 101 clusters were identified, of which the most commonly identified transmission setting was households (76 [75%]; mean 2·6 cases per cluster [range 2–7]), followed by non-health-care occupational settings (14 [14%]; mean 4·3 cases per cluster [2–14]), and community gatherings (11 [11%]; mean 14·2 cases per cluster [4–36]). Interpretation Cases with travel links to China, Italy, or Iran accounted for almost two-thirds of the first reported COVID-19 cases from affected countries. Among cases with age information available, most were among adults aged 18 years and older. Although there were many clusters of household transmission among early cases, clusters in occupational or community settings tended to be larger, supporting a possible role for physical distancing to slow the progression of SARS-CoV-2 spread. Funding None.
An overview of opioid usage and regional anesthesia for patients undergoing repair of anorectal malformation

The recent opioid crisis in the USA compelled us to evaluate our practice of opioid use for postoperative pain management and the influence of regional anesthesia on opioid requirement in patients undergoing repair of anorectal malformations. A retrospective chart review was performed evaluating patients who underwent posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) and posterior sagittal anorecto-vagino-urethroplasty (PSARVUP), with or without laparotomy, between January 2016 and March 2020. Morphine milligram equivalents per kilogram (MME/kg) were calculated. IRB approval was obtained for this study. A total of 105 surgical patients had either a PSARP (74 without laparotomy, 10 with laparotomy) or PSARVUP (13 without laparotomy, 8 with laparotomy). Regional anesthesia included epidurals, transversus abdominis plane block, caudal block or paravertebral catheters. Of the PSARP patients, 4 without laparotomy and 7 with laparotomy received regional anesthesia. For PSARVUP with laparotomy, 4/8 received regional. 44% of PSARP patients without laparotomy did not require opioids postoperatively. The MME/kg required exponentially increased for patients over the age of 5 who underwent PSARP. Regional anesthesia is a useful modality for pain control for PSARP/PSARVUP with laparotomy, decreasing the opioid usage, but it is unnecessary for the already low opioid requirements, in patients younger than 5 years of age, without laparotomy.
Amendment Clauses in Easements: Ensuring Protection in Perpetuity

Internal Revenue Code § 170(h)(5)(A) requires that the conservation purpose of a deductible conservation easement be “protected in perpetuity.” This article explains how the protected-in-perpetuity requirement should limit the parties’ ability to reserve the right to make post-donation changes to the terms of a deductible easement.
An Improved Method for Extracting, Sorting, and AMS Dating of Pollen Concentrates From Lake Sediment

High-resolution chronologies are crucial for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, and are particularly challenging for lacustrine records of terrestrial paleoclimate. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon measurement of terrestrial macrofossils is the most common technique for building age-models for lake sediment cores, but relies on the presence of terrestrial macrofossils in sediments. In the absence of sufficient macrofossils, pollen concentrates represent a valuable source of dates for building high-resolution chronologies. However, pollen isolation and dating may present several challenges, as has been reported by different authors in previous work over the last few decades. Here we present an improved method for extracting, purifying and radiocarbon-dating pollen concentrates using flow cytometry to improve the extraction efficiency and the purity of the pollen concentrates. Overall, the nature of the sediments and the abundance of the pollen represent a major consideration in obtaining enough pollen grains and, consequently, enough carbon to be dated. Further, the complete separation of pollen from other forms of organic matter is required to ensure the accuracy of the dates. We apply the method to surface samples and sediment cores recovered from two contrasting lake basins on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada (California), and describe the variations that may be used to optimize pollen preparation from a variety of sediments.
Classification of Typha-dominated wetlands using airborne hyperspectral imagery along Lake Ontario, USA

Shoreline wetlands along Lake Ontario are valuable, multi-functional resources that have historically provided large numbers of important ecosystem goods and services. However, alterations to the lake's natural hydrologic regime have impacted traditional meadow marsh in the wetlands, resulting in competition and colonization by dense and aggressive Typha angustifolia and Typha x glauca (Cattails). The shift to a Typha-dominated landscape resulted in an array of negative impacts, including increased Typha density, substantial decreases in plant species richness and diversity, and altered habitat and changes in associated ecosystem services. Successful long-term adaptive management of these wetland resources requires timely and accurate monitoring. Historically, wetland landscapes have been surveyed and mapped using field-based surveys and/or photointerpretation. However, given their resource- and cost-intensive nature, these methods are often prohibitively time- and labor-consuming or geographically limited. Other remote sensing applications can provide more rapid and efficient assessments when evaluating wetland change trajectories or analyzing direct and indirect impacts across larger spatial and temporal scales. The primary goal of this study was to develop and describe methodology using U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Coastal Mapping Program hyperspectral imagery, light detection and ranging data, and high-spatial resolution true-color imagery to provide updated wetland classifications for Lake Ontario coastal wetlands. This study used existing field-collected vegetation survey data (Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program), ancillary imagery, and existing classification information as training data for a supervised classification approach. These data were used along with a generalized wetland schema (classes based on physical and biological gradients: elevation, Typha, meadow marsh, mixed emergent, upland vegetation) to generate wetland classification data with Kappa values near 0.85. Ultimately, these data and methods provide helpful knowledge elements that will allow for more efficient inventorying and monitoring of Great Lake resources, forecasting of resource condition and stability, and adaptive management strategies.
Circle of Life, Spiral of Death: Are XP Teams Following the Essential Practices?

Many of the twelve carefully defined practices of Extreme Programming are tightly coupled. The various practices have checks and balances on each other and are, in many ways, dependant on each other. Therefore, neglecting essential practices can have sub-optimal or negative consequences to team results. The practices that are actually utilized in team development can often be attributed to the perceptions of the value and difficulty of the practices by the developers on the team. Through two surveys answered by 27 developers, we have assessed the utilization of and the sentiments towards the XP practices. In general, these developers we surveyed valued and utilized most of the practices.
Molecular characterization of ribonucleic acid from Escherichia coli ribosomes

The ribonucleic acid from purified 30 s, 50 s and 70 s ribosomes of E. coli has been isolated by the phenol and detergent methods. Both isolation procedures give the same results. The 30 s ribosomes contain 16 s ribonucleic acid, while the 50 s and 70 s particles yield a mixture of 16 s and 23 s ribonucleic acids in varying proportions. A combination of light scattering and hydrodynamic measurements was used to calculate the molecular weights of the ribonucleic acid. Values of 5·6 × 105 and 1·1 × 106 were obtained for the 16 s and 23 s components, respectively. Since the 30 s ribosome has a molecular weight of approximately 8 × 105 and is 63% ribonucleic acid, it must contain one 16 s unit. The 1·8 × 106 molecular weight 50 s ribosomes also contain 63% ribonucleic acid. It is suggested that they are heterogeneous; some contain one 23 s ribonucleic acid component, while others contain two 16 s units.
Performance of the lumenless 4.1-Fr diameter pacing lead implanted at alternative pacing sites in congenital heart: a chronic 5-year comparison.

Purpose: United States approval of the Model 3830, 4.1-French (Fr) diameter, lumenless, pacing lead (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) in patients under 17 years of age, and those with congenital heart disease (CHD), was in 2005. To date, long-term performance at alternative pacing sites (APS) is limited and chronic efficacy comparisons with more established leads is lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these factors. Methods: Implant and follow-up data on leads were compared: group 1 (non-3830 leads) and group 2 (Model 3830 leads). These included acute and chronic sensing and pacing, impedances, implant sites, and complications. Groups were compared using Fischer's exact test, paired, and nonpaired t-tests, with significance defined at P < 0.05. Results: A total of 119 patients (ages 5–48 years) received 171 leads: group 1 (n = 80) and group 2 (n = 91). At implant, there were no differences in patient age, CHD, sensing, or pacing thresholds between groups. Implant lead impedances differed between groups but all were within normal values for each lead design. Chronic data showed no difference in sensing, pacing thresholds, or impedances. There were five (6%) early lead dislodgements in group 1 and one (1%) in group 2. APS were achieved in group 2 with mean 1.6 ± 1.3 minutes fluoroscopy time. Conclusion: The new 4.1-Fr lumenless lead shows similar performance indices to established leads even at APS, yet is thinner and achieves APS with technical ease, permitting more efficient chronic pacing in children and all patients with CHD. (PACE 2010; 33:1467–1474)
The Role of Genetic Diversity In Regulating the Development of Plankton-Rich Layers

Abstract : My long-term goals are focused on deciphering the role genetic diversity plays in regulating the formation and decline of plankton-rich layers (PRLs). I plan to examine 1) the mechanistic roles that genetic diversity and genetic composition play in the episodic formation of PRLs and 2) the critical temporal and spatial scales on which genetic variation influences PRL formation. The objective of this pilot project is to begin examining the effects of genetic diversity on the formation of plankton-rich layers. This goal will be addressed by determining the genetic composition of individual phytoplankton species (specifically diatoms) sampled from inside and outside of PRLs before, during and after their development to examine changes in genetic diversity and the effects of natural selection inside these biological hotspots. This overall objective can be divided into three goals: 1) examine the genetic composition of dominant diatom species from waters that could seed PRLs, 2) once a PRL has formed, compare genetic composition of dominant diatom species inside and outside of PRLs, 3) determine changes in genetic diversity and composition over time, as layers form and then decline.
A Review of “Reference Sources for Small and Medium-sized Libraries”

The seventh edition of Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries consists of 1,695 annotated entries for books, CD-ROMs, electronic databases, and websites running the gamut of major s...
A revisitation of kernel synchronization schemes

In an operating system kernel, critical sections of code must be protected from interruption. This is traditionally accomplished by masking the set of interrupts whose handlers interfere with the correct operation of the critical section. Because it can be expensive to communicate with an off-chip interrupt controller, more complex optimistic techniques for masking interrupts have been proposed. In this paper we present measurements of the behavior of the NetBSD 1.2 kernel, and use the measurements to explore the space of kernel synchronization schemes. We show that (a) most critical sections are very short, (b) very few are ever interrupted, (c) using the traditional synchronization technique, the synchronization cost is often higher than the time spent in the body of the critical section, and (d) under heavy load NetBSD 1.2 can spend 9% to 12% of its time in synchronization primitives. The simplest scheme we examined, disabling all interrupts while in a critical section or interrupt handler, can lead to loss of data under heavy load. A more complex optimistic scheme functions correctly under the heavy workloads we tested and has very low overhead (at most 0.3%). Based on our measurements, we present a new model that offers the simplicity of the traditional scheme with the performance of the optimistic schemes. Given the relative CPU, memory, and device performance of today's hardware, the newer techniques we examined have a much lower synchronization cost than the traditional technique. Under heavy load, such as that incurred by a web server, a system using these newer techniques will have noticeably better performance.
Design of nonpeptides from peptide ligands for peptide receptors.

Publisher Summary To develop nonpeptide ligands, efforts are in progress to develop templates and aspects of conformational design that permit assembling of all components necessary for molecular recognition and transduction. The proper choice of template that can place the key side chain residue in 3D space is still difficult, and thus only partial success has been achieved in terms of potent and selective ligands. Nonpeptide design is a highly multidisciplinary area that often relies on (1) new asymmetric synthesis and methodologies for the preparation of novel molecules, (2) high-throughput screening of ligands and libraries of ligands using multiple in vitro and in vivo biological assays, (3) computational methods, and (4) state-of-the-art biophysical methods for determining structural, conformational, topographical, and dynamic properties of designed ligands. Studies since the early 1980s have demonstrated that agonists and antagonists have different structure–activity relationships. There still is no universal approach to develop antagonists from agonists for peptide hormones and neurotransmitters, but once a lead has been obtained, there are general approaches that can be used to further develop antagonists.
Optimum torque control of induction machines in the field-weakened region

This paper presents a novel current regulation algorithm for induction machines that enables maximum torque-per-ampere capability over the entire field-weakened region. The algorithm enables robust current regulation with maximum efficiency and torque capability despite significant variation in voltage source and machine parameters. The algorithm identifies when the current regulator begins to saturate and determines the optimum d-axis current command for the machine. The q-axis current command is determined as a function of the torque command and the d-axis current feedback. When the voltage angle reaches the maximum allowable angle, the output of the q-axis and the d-axis current regulators are clamped, and the slip frequency that provides maximum torque is maintained. Experimental results from a machine prototype show that the algorithm provides good overall dynamic response and smooth transitions into the field-weakened region with maximum torque-per-ampere capability in all four quadrants of operation
The temperature and pressure dependence of viscosity and volume for two reference liquids

The new quantitative elastohydrodynamics has resulted in rapid advances in understanding concentrated contact lubrication behaviour by employing real transport properties. A key component of this revolution has been the use of reference liquids. In this paper, two liquids, a triester and a perfluoropolyether, which are under consideration as possible viscosity standards are characterised to 1 GPa for conditions relevant to tribology. Two correlations are provided for interpolation and data smoothing, and an explanation for difficulties encountered with free volume theory is offered. The perfluoropolyether is only appropriate as a reference liquid when an identical lot is available. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Constraints on Lorentz violation from gravitational Čerenkov radiation

Limits on gravitational Cerenkov radiation by cosmic rays are obtained and used to constrain coefficients for Lorentz violation in the gravity sector associated with operators of even mass dimensions, including orientation-dependent effects. We use existing data from cosmic-ray telescopes to obtain conservative two-sided constraints on 80 distinct Lorentz-violating operators of dimensions four, six, and eight, along with conservative one-sided constraints on three others. Existing limits on the nine minimal operators at dimension four are improved by factors of up to a billion, while 74 of our explicit limits represent stringent first constraints on nonminimal operators. Prospects are discussed for future analyses incorporating effects of Lorentz violation in the matter sector, the role of gravitational Cerenkov radiation by high-energy photons, data from gravitational-wave observatories, the tired-light effect, and electromagnetic Cerenkov radiation by gravitons.